DISCLAIMER. None of the characters used are a creation of mine. They belong solely to JK Rowling.

The summer warmth had lulled Hermione into a deep slumber. Dreaming of windswept fields was a welcome break from the constant nightmares that plagued her.

She donned a pair of pajamas and made her way to the kitchen. They had only brought along Blinky with them to their new abode. She was a Lestrange house elf but her primary allegiance lay with Hermione and would go even as far as accompanying her once she was married into another family.

Ladling her plate with some bread and some sweets, she entered the living room, settling into an armchair. Digging in, she looked out from the French windows to see the vast expanse of lands that surrounded the cottage set somewhere on the French border. It was a scenic little place Hermione had come to associate as home.

She enjoyed her time here with Rab although the absence of the family patriarch still irked the children for there was no longer the hand of a wise man guiding them away from the darkness that never seemed to stop chasing them.

Rab hadn't returned since the previous morning. He was away on business for the Corporation, handling Russian diplomats to extend his investments farther out.

She had only just discarded her plate and pulled out her copy of Ancient Runes when Rab made his presence known.

'I don't believe I've ever had a more tiring meeting,' he chuckled.

Hermione called for Blinky to bring him some lunch. She sat beside her brother as he ate and listened to him mindlessly chatter. That was how he had decided to move on from the death of Papa. He had indulged into sharing plenty of useless words with anyone who was willing to listen. It helped him drown himself in inconsequential affairs and forget the woes of the past.

'The goblins just won't acquiesce. I've tried so many different angles. It seems separating the contents of a vault as ancient as ours might not be the easiest job especially since Rodolphus is set in his ways.'

Hermione nodded, 'What we have in our private vaults is more than enough for us. I don't see why you need to fight over so much more money when we don't even need it.'

'Mi, it's not a question of finances. Those are family heirlooms. They belong to all of us. Some of them are meant exclusively for you as the sole daughter of the family.'

'I do realise that but we're simply wasting our breath.'

'It is a long and tedious task but I will get it done. I know you don't care much about it but family traditions demand..'

Whatever Rab had wanted to say was cut off as the fireplace came to life. The two frowned and waited for the fires to subside to make sense of their visitor but as soon as they did they were startled out of their seats.

Rab rushed to the side of a broken and severely tortured woman. She looked overly pale, a mass of hair plastered onto her forehead. Her back seemed to be oozing out pools of blood as every once in a while tremors overtook her entire being.

He cried out, 'Mel? Can you hear me?'

Melinda struggled to open her mouth. She wheezed and clutched onto his shirt, rumpling it beneath her battered fingers.

'Merlin, who did this to you?' Hermione asked, 'Are you a part of the resistance?'

Melinda nodded her head tiredly and croaked out, 'Your.. brother.. he got me.'

Hermione froze and whispered, 'This is a warning.'

She looked worriedly at Rab, his jaw set and his lips pressed in a hard line. He wasted no time in gathering her in his arms and carried her to one of the guest rooms, depositing her gently onto the bed. Hermione was hot on his trail, every muscle inside her suddenly on the alert.

'What do we do?', Rab said hurriedly. 'Should I call for Mr Delcroix?'

Hermione kneeled beside the woman and began casting quick spells to assess the extent of her injuries. 'That won't be necessary. I can treat her. This is too much of a sensitive matter.'

'Mi, you have no experience. You could make things worse.'

She shot him a glare and yelled, 'Trust me, Rab! I know what I am doing.'

She had been thrown into her war persona as soon as she had laid eyes on her brother's oldest friend. The state she was in was severe but not even close to what she had treated back in her own time while fighting Voldemort. Compared to that, this was a mere glitch. It said a lot about all that she had faced but she spared no time to focus on the ironies she had witnessed at the hand of the fates.

Not entirely sure what to do Rab settled with holding Melinda's hand tenderly as he watched his sister wave her wand in complex patterns over her body. He saw her clear away the blood and prevent any more of it from pooling out.

Hermione put Melinda to sleep and went on to administer her a simple Calming Draught and a Blood Replenishing Potion. Pulling out various other healing potions from the depths of her beaded bag, she proceeded to create a perfect dose for the girl.

Making sure she would remain sound asleep for the next several hours, Hermione set upon to gently pry away the cloth off of the girl. She turned her on her stomach and gasped at the sight of her back. Her shirt was ripped along the edges, blood marring extremely deep gashes.

She heard Rab gasp in horror. 'What have they done to you..'

'I am going to need to undress her, Rab. Don't worry. I have done this before. I will fix her.'

Rab looked at her as if she was a whole different person. He frowned, every fibre of his being urging him to trust her but nothing what Hermione said made sense. Where could she have possibly learned this? Above all where could she have had the chance to practice her skills?

He silently left the room to brood by himself, waiting calmly by the door to await any word on how Melinda was now doing. Despite the whirlwind of emotions in his mind, his pureblood upbringing ensured him to maintain a stoic face and to let nothing of his feelings show.

Inside the room, Hermione muttered quick spells to clean Melinda's body of all the grime. She then disinfected all the wounds which were mainly present on her back and her torso. She then doused them with some balm and healed the broken skin, sewing it back into a seamless expanse. The stitches although not done most expertly would hold and do their job.

She healed various other tiny cuts along her arms and her legs. What worried her the most was her tremors. She knew it could only mean one thing. She knew it from experience.

Her own body was not yet nineteen. She had another couple of years or so before she herself would be facing the after effects of the Cruciatus curse. It had been too long since she had been woken up at night because her body would just not stop shaking. It happened in extreme cases but it happened nonetheless.

She hated thinking about it but Bellatrix's torture had been nothing against what she had faced a few months later when she had been taken captive for almost a week. Never truly wishing to think about it, this was one memory Hermione never thought about.

One memory she kept well hidden even from herself.

True, she had been rescued by Harry and Charlie but the deed was already done. Shaking her head she rid herself of the melancholy that had settled deep into her heart.

She would forget it. She would ignore it as she always did.

Sighing, she pulled the covers over the sleeping girl's body and wiped away the sweat off of her forehead. Her cheeks were already regaining some colour. Casting a cooling charm on the room she stepped outside to see her brother standing onto the side, his fists curled and his jaw set tight.

'She's okay. She will pull through.'

Rab breathed a sigh of relief. He hugged her briefly and motioned for her to go on.

'It appears she's been beaten and flogged. She had smaller cuts lining up her limbs but that's to be expected. It also seems she's taken a fall but I can't be sure. However, my biggest concern is how she's been subjected to the Cruciatus. Seeing from how her body is reacting to it I can only say she's been tortured for longer than just a few hours.'

Rab punched the wall and hung his head in defeat.

'There is no organic cure for treating the tremors that riddle one's body after such events. The after effects can be quite traumatic in terms of her mental health. It depends entirely on her will to survive if she can battle through the frequent flashbacks she's bound to face for the rest of her life. The physical effects will be far too dispersed and depend primarily on how she deals with them. But she will be alright.. the next couple of months will be the hardest but following those, she should be okay.'

Hermione reached out for his hand and rubbed soothing circles on his back.

Rab cleared his throat and stepped away from her.

She frowned, 'Hey, what's wrong?'

Rab raised his hands and chuckled darkly. 'I don't know what worries me more. Should I worry about Mel almost dying or should I worry about what you've been hiding from me for all these years? I'm no fool, Mi. I know you have secrets. I have ignored them for so long. Ever since whatever happened back when you were nine, you've been different. We let it be since you seemed to have bounced back but every once in a while you would slip. Do you know how many times we almost brought home a Mind Healer? You have to tell me. I'm grasping at the edges and I need to make sure you're safe.'

Hermione rubbed her eyes and slid down against the wall, falling down on the floor with her head pressed in her lap.

Rab made no move to touch her. He would not be swayed by his love for her. He was going to get his answers. He needed to keep her safe and that meant he needed to know what exactly they were up against.

'What is going on here, Hermione? You were just a kid and that is what baffles me. You were always home. You never went out.' His voice took on a higher pitch, 'Nothing even happened then what broke?'

Hermione cringed and looked up at him, his eyes bloodshot and grieving.

'I don't even know how to begin to understand. I made a mistake. Papa made a mistake in just letting you be. We should have consulted the healers but you were fine all of a sudden one day and we hoped it had passed. For the longest time I believed that you were only just processing the death of our parents a little later than when it happened. It made sense. It seemed like a logical explanation. But the nightmares never added up. And now this?'

Hermione sighed and got up, wobbling on her feet. 'I don't know what to tell you,' she whispered, 'I don't know how to explain.'

'Why don't you try?!' he yelled.

She took a step back, suddenly fearful.

Seeing her retreat broke Rab out of his rage. He sighed and rubbed a hand across his face. He reached out to hold her hand and whispered, 'Hermione, please. I need to keep you safe. You are my baby sister. How could you possibly have such knowledge? You just treated a heavily bruised woman when you're only about to turn seventeen.'

Hermione was at a loss of words. She couldn't divulge her secrets.

'Have you gotten yourself wound up in some kind of .. cult? Is that it? Are you in trouble?' Suddenly all colour faded away from Rab's cheeks as he muttered, 'God forbid, are you a part of the Order?'

Hermione shook her head violently, 'Unlike Voldemort, Dumbledore doesn't recruit children.'

'Well then what is it?'

Steeling herself, Hermione said, 'Look, Rab, I have never given you a reason to doubt me. I can't tell you. Not now. Once this is all over.. once the war ends, I swear I'll answer any question you may have but for now I am asking you to trust me.' She begged, 'Can you do that for me?'

'I trust you more than anyone in this world and you know it but this is too big, Mi! This is just too big to put my blind faith in you.'

Hermione lied, 'I'm not in any danger. None, I promise. You needn't worry about my safety. Just trust me.'

Rab nodded his head reluctantly and frowned, 'I don't have a very good feeling about this but you are the world to me, Mi and.. your word means everything. It's a promise. You will tell me everything once all this is over.'

Hermione wrapped her arms around him, her heart breaking for the man she was asking so much from. She hated herself for not being honest and violating his faith in her.

Holding her close, Rab muttered, 'When can I see her?'

Hermione let go of him and replied, 'Give her a few hours to rest. She will wake up soon.'

'She's a muggleborn, you know? She's kept it a secret for the entirety of our school life. Being a Slytherin muggleborn is a dangerous thing at Hogwarts. I only got to know in our sixth year and that too because of an incredibly tiny slip up on her part. I bet Rodolphus somehow found out.'

Hermione looked inside the room to see the girl breathing normally now. Instructing Blinky to keep a watch on her, Hermione led the way down to the living room.

Rab went on, 'This isn't just to warn us. He not only consolidated the purity of Slytherins but also succeeded at creating a potent threat to us. He knows I went out with her for a while. He knows I care about her and he's using it against me.' He whispered, 'I.. I did this to her.'

'Rab, this isn't your fault. If not her he would have targeted someone else. I know it doesn't make it any less painful but you know Rodolphus would never stop.'

The duo sat in silence for the longest time.

'We need to arrange a safehouse for Melinda,' Hermione suggested, 'We need to take her someplace else.'

'You're right. Mi.. you .. you should go into hiding too..'

Hermione gasped, 'What? No!'

'It only makes sense. He will come after you next and you know it.'

'He can't get to me at Hogwarts. Besides, now that you know I'm not your average witch I can tell you that taking him on would not be a difficult job for me.'

Rab frowned, anxiety flooding him. 'What else is there to do?'

'For starters, don't be afraid of him because that's exactly what he desires. Living in fear of him will do us no good. We have to play our next move very carefully.'

Rab sighed and got up. 'I need fresh air. I'm going out. Don't wait up for me.. I'll be away for a while. He won't be able to get inside. The wards are strong and the property only admits your magical signature and now mine. He can't enter the grounds without permission. You'll be safe.'

Hermione closed her eyes and smiled sadly, 'Okay.. if you need space, I'll give that to you. But be careful. I'll look after Melinda.'

Rab dropped a kiss on the top of her head and left.

Hermione, left to her own devices, decided to review her homework. She chose to skip dinner and opted only for some cocoa.

She spent the evening watching the birds outside twaddle around on their feet, running after each other. Such freedom would be hard to come by for someone like Hermione.

She spent the night tossing and turning. She worried for Melina and she worried for Rab. She wondered where he had run off to. She only hoped he'd stay clear of any trouble.

Knowing sleep wouldn't come to her that night, Hermione slipped out of her bed and checked on Melinda who was still sound asleep. Making a note of her healing injuries, she walked out and stepped downstairs. Grabbing a cloak, she exited the cottage and settled herself onto one of the chairs in the lawn, feeling the cold wind against her face, letting it calm her nerves.

Something inside her was still on edge. This seemed too easy. The sun may have set but Hermione just knew that the day was far from over.

A slight drizzle had set in. Hermione revelled in the chill of the water that beaded down her back. Her thoughts drifted away to a night far into her past as her fingers once again sought solace from the knight.

Hermione had stood facing the Forbidden Forest that stretched out across the entirety of the lands in front.

Ron had sat on the steps leading up to the Astronomy Tower as Harry had leant against the railing beside herself.

'Seems so very real, doesn't it?' Ron had said.

Harry had nodded gravely, holding the fake locket in his hands, the initials R.A.B. seared into his mind. 'I can smell the darkness. I can smell the coming war.'

'And for it to be such a pleasant evening.. what a waste,' Hermione had whispered.

That is exactly how Hermione was feeling in that moment. Nature was calm and peaceful, the rain drowning the thirsty lands and yet something was brewing. Something so inexplicably evil, it made her skin tingle.

She heard the faint pop of someone Apparating. She whipped out her wand and stood defiantly facing her assailant, still somewhere away in the distance. Looking more closely, she recognised the familiar walk of her brother. Putting her wand back inside her cloak, she rested a hand on her chest and cried out, 'You gave me a fright.'

When Rab didn't respond, she frowned and walked towards him only now noticing how something was very wrong with the way he ploughed on. His steps seemed forced and his shoulders hunched.

When he was only a few yards away he came to a sudden halt, his white shirt completely drenched in the rain. Hermione felt herself shake in fear as she saw him clutching his forearm, something black peeking out from his rolled up sleeve. Her heart almost gave out as he shied away from her gaze.

'Why..,' she whispered.

He removed his hand, letting Hermione see the clear outlines of the Dark Mark resting on her brother's clear skin.

'I ran into our dear old brother. He made the terms of your safety very clear to me.,' he croaked, as tears slipped out his eyes.

Hermione smiled ruefully, 'My safety just cost you your humanity.'

His eyes held hers, only and only love within them, 'I would pay any price to keep you safe.'

'Oh, Rab..,' she whispered piteously, 'What have you done.'