Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own it. Thanks to my beta Vswimmming12.

A/N: Mind speech in italics. Also 10 pranks have already been featured in this story so far, just so everyone knows what number were up to.

I ran, and ran. No one, except Harry, knew where I was now. And if anybody happened to get near enough, they wouldn't recognize me. Not in my Animagus form, or so I thought.

I was a sleek black panther. Everyone else didn't know that all last year Harry and I became Animagus'. Or course we aren't registered. Harry's form is a falcon. It took us over seven months of intensive training to become Animagi, but it was worth it for the freedom that it could afford us.

I finally reached the clearing, and through myself down onto the ground. My mind was in chaos, but I knew one thing for sure. I loved him. I loved the great greasy git of the dungeons.

I could still feel his lips on mine. I could still feel his tongue caressing mine. I could still taste him, and smell him.

His scent was so strong; it was like he was right beside me. I closed my eyes and imagined what might of happened if I hadn't run. And that's when he spoke.

"Why did you run?" he sounded confused. My eye's snapped open. Severus was before me as a black panther with silver tuffs of hair throughout his coat.

I backed away, contemplating running again. He stepped forward. I turned and ran. I could hear him following and then, BAM! He jumped on me. I twisted and wriggled and tried to get away, and than he bit me.

He grabbed me by my scruff and held on. I whined and panted.

"Why?" he demanded to know.

"Let go of me you bastard. You're hurting me." I said, panting even harder as he leaned his heavy body down on mine, completing the alpha position.

"NO, now tell me why you ran from me?" he said as he bit down on my neck.

I growled and tried to snap at his paws. He just tugged on my neck causing me to whine and whimper.

"I don't know why. It all happened so fast. Now let me the fuck go!" I screamed.

He shook me by my neck. "No. I'm falling for you, you stupid chit. I'm falling for a bloody student. God, this is fucked up. Idiot. But what would you know. All your interested in is playing childish pranks instead of facing reality. Lying to people about you, where you've been staying. Behaving like a child. I'm sure your mother and father would be thrilled to know that their little girl is behaving like a tart. You wouldn't know a hard life if it bit you on the arse. Nice family, nice comfy schooling. Only a little bit of a war, but then again people saved your arse there too."

"You Bastard. You know nothing of my life. Having your mother murdered by a sick and twisted bitch. Having your father blame you for her death. A loving father becomes an abusive drunk who beat you round. Having no one to turn to because your friends didn't want to believe that things had gotten bad. That you were over reacting and upset because of the war. Being raped by Dolohov and tortured by Bellitrix. The bitch that killed your mother and caused your whole life to turn upside down. OH I know nothing of the world. I'm just a silly little girl. You want to know the real reason for why I was in Diagon Alley. I'll tell. I ran from my father because he wanted to rape me too. He had beaten me for two weeks straight when I got home after the war.

That's why I was there on my own. I stayed at the Lecky Cauldron because I couldn't burden my friends. I had no one to turn to, no one." I whispered.

By this stage I had transformed back into my human form and the tears were cascading down my cheeks. Severus muzzle and teeth still on my neck.

He transformed back and wrapped me in his arms. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry" was all he said. His grip tightened around me then relaxed as Sirius and Remus came into view.

"You could have stayed with Remus and me, Hermione." said Sirius.

I looked up into their sad faces and the guilt was over powering. I clung tighter to Severus and wished that this was all just a bad dream.

Remus and Sirius kneeled down beside me and Severus and transformed. Sirius into a dog and |Remus into a wolf. They curled around me and Severus. I calmed and looked into Severus' face. He was concerned but there was something else. I couldn't place it. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against my forehead.

"Transform with me and the four us will go for a run," he said.

I smiled and nodded. "How did you follow me? I was long gone." I asked.

"I followed your scent. I needed to understand." he said.

I nodded, and pulled away to give me room to transform.

Three seconds later, we were both panthers. The four of us took of running. Chasing each other and playing tag. All the while discussing how I became an Animagus. It was an unspoken agreement to not mention my past again that night. I needed time and I would come to them when I was ready.

"So, Hermione, any chance or your stopping this ridiculous prank war between us?" inquired Severus. I could feel the others objections.

"Not a chance. We're having such fun, Sevie poo. Besides I stand by what I said before, we all need a bit of fun this year." I grinned a very feline grin, bit Remus and scampered off, leaving the boys to hunt after me.