DISCLAIMER. None of the characters used are a creation of mine. They belong solely to JK Rowling.
'Morsmordre!' Yaxley yelled into the air, the nightsky awash with the Dark Mark that the world quivered before.
Surefooted, Hermione leaped over the fallen debris, her vision obscure. The first thing the Death Eaters had done was to wreck the lights that glittered along the Alley.
Rodolphus, Bellatrix and Lucius were doing the most damage. They had severed the heads of the team of nine aurors that had been the first to have been dispatched over to the scene and then moved on to take down several civilians.
It was chaos. That was the only way it could ever be described. People were running in all directions, dust coated rubble trapping scores of families underneath.
'Hermione, look out!' she heard Rab yell, his arms outstretched to defend himself from a group of three Order members.
Hermione turned around just in time to see a ghastly curse coming her way from the tip of someone's wand. Her nose crinkled at seeing the maroon robes. She wished Harry could let his army know she wasn't a threat.
She latched into a deadly duel with the woman, ducking and stepping away from her line of target every once in a while, aching for moments where she could catch her breath and send a curse at the men fighting Rab behind her.
Dueling, Hermione realised, was immensely difficult when you weren't meant to injure your opponent.
She gasped when she saw the woman fall rather unceremoniously onto the ground, her blood seeping into the soil. Alecto Carrow stood leering where the member of the Resistance had been standing just a moment ago.
'Getting a little rusty, are we, Lestrange?'
Hermione sneered at her before whipping around to run into the opposite direction. It wasn't easy that night for her to help out. Not with the great number of Death Eaters assembled. So she chose to help her brother instead.
Rab was now engaged with two of those men. One had taken a blow to his chest and lay breathing heavily to the side. Hermione flicked her wrist to send him into a state of unconscious, cataloguing his wounds to realise he wasn't in any imminent danger. Rab had made sure he would survive.
She raised her wand against the two men when she saw a blinding light envelope them. She nodded at Reggie as he levitated them over to a hidden alley, disillusioning them in the process.
Seeing Reggie now standing beside Rab strengthened her hope. They would have each other's back. She had to go and look out for Harry.
Criss crossing across the street where each masked Death Eater involved in a fight to death with at least two warriors from the Light side, Hermione wove her way to the thick of the raging battle.
James and Peter were battling against Greyback and a few of Snatchers.
She absently wondered about the American Admiral. She hadn't yet come across him. She had only just seen him once in battle. It had been seven months ago that she had found him deeply contemplating over the fallen and the dead, standing stoically, his brows furrowed and his mouth set in a thin line, tiny blasts littering all directions but never once coming close to him.
She turned round the bend, coming across the creaking roof of Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlour. She could make out Harry and two men on his side fighting a group of seven Death Eaters.
Pretending to aim her wand at the maroon robed men, Hermione managed to wandlessly take down one of the Death Eaters that she could tell was Crabbe Senior. She circled the group, expertly blending in and catching Harry's eye to let him know of her presence. She kept to the fringes. It turned out that Hermione didn't have to do much. Harry was more adept than she ever could be at battling his way through a tight spot.
He and his men managed to take down the group all by themselves, every blow punctuated by a scream of horror from the black robed men.
She made a quick escape, always keeping Harry in her sight who was now all by himself, fighting anyone who came his way. By a turn of events Hermione found herself cornered into the edges of the battle while Harry too skirted over to the crevices.
As the crowd thinned and the bate intensified Hermione caught a glimpse of a familiar redhead briskly dueling a pair of Death Eaters. One of them finally managed to pin her down, the other rearing his way into her side, sending her wand flying away into the sky.
Lily fell on her knees, her hair being tugged onto by the masked man. Lily spat onto his face as he bared his teeth at her, ripping her robes apart.
Hermione didn't hesitate or wait to hear an agonised scream coming from behind her. In a breath she had her wand pointing at one of the men, green light rushing at him and striking him in the middle of his chest. Before he could even fall Hermione's fingers had already clasped onto the knife nestled between her breasts. She sent it hurtling at the other man who sat straddling Lily, befuddlement marring his face at seeing Hermione turn her back against him.
Burke.
Burke stuttered blood. His pure blood that now soaked Lily through and through, Hermione's knife jutted in between his lips. Lily looked horrified, covered in the red liquidthat oozed the smell of death.
Hermione felt someone shove her aside roughly as he barrelled into the redhead, gathering her up in his strong arms.
'You're okay.. Merlin, you're okay, Evans,' Sirius whispered, looking at her with reverance and turning to Hermione with confusion in his eyes.
Hermione gulped.
Sirius' attention switched back to the girl in his arms as Lily whimpered, her green eyes brimming with unshed tears.
He weaved his fingers soothingly into the strands of her hair. He pressed a tiny button into her hands, 'This will take you to safety. Go. Go, Lily. I'll keep Prongs safe for you. Go.'
Lily's head wobbled as she looked tearfully at Hermione, her mouth forming words the bushy haired witch couldn't quite understand. She squeezed the button in her hand and vanished.
Hermione stumbled on her feet as she made to run away. She could hear the heavy footfall of Sirius' steps behind her. She only ran harder, deeper into the battle.
She bit back a sob as she fell upon a raving Yaxley, his hands gripping at the head of a little baby, tearing her away from the bosom of her pleading mother.
Sirius shot past Hermione, strangling him. He cast a curse at Yaxley that had him yelling in pain. Making quick work of it, Sirius had the child secure in his arms. He helped the mother and secured their safety.
Hermione used the distraction to hide herself amidst the chaos, once again rushing towards Harry. The fate of the battle had turned. Despite the destruction the Death Eaters had caused, they were now outnumbered and herded off to one side.
Lucius commanded, 'Retreat!'
It took only seconds for most of them to Disapparate but Hermione still couldn't take her eyes off Harry. She knew it was futile and that he was definitely not mortally wounded but the nagging feeling in her heart would never let her rest. The sight of blood pooling at the base of his neck would worry her for as long as she knew it was there. She needed only a brief glance at his face and she would leave.
She looked around helplessly, her gaze following strange faces she couldn't put a name to. She could see the hurt lingering in his eyes but nobody made a move towards him, everyone intent on catching at least one of the retreating figures.
She saw him fumble and clutch at his hair. Another hurried step and he fell to the ground, his wand rolling away from him. He crawled into a corner hidden from the sight of the still milling about Order and Resistance and the occasional flash of black robes.
No.
Hermione would never leave him in a state like this. Quickly carting a way through the rubble, she made a run for it, thanking the stars for having thinned out the crisis where he lay.
'Harry,' she murmured, her arms reaching for his face. She let out a sharp breath as she felt someone crush her fingers with their feet.
Her vision blurred as she looked up at a golden haired woman towering over her, her stance protective over Harry's.
Harry flailed his arms round, trying to brush away the woman who obscured his view of Hermione, his mind addled with all the pain and sorrow. 'Nina.. no.. Mione.. she's.. no..'
Nikolina kicked into Hermione's face, fury charging her onwards.
Spit flew out her mouth as Hermione was knocked into the debris, feeling shards of glass puncture through her skin. She cried out in pain, a burning ache building inside her.
'You cannot begin to imagine the ways I will torture you with,' Nikolina murmured.
Hermione frowned. Had Rab and Reggie left without her? Why would they do that?
She felt another sharp stab of pain hit her. Only the vision of Harry's face, although blurred beyond recognition, kept her going. She could see him struggle against the blond woman who kept passing off his words as some kind of delirious musings.
Another stab. Another pricking sensation.
Her breath came in ragged, shallow gasps. She lay groaning, her skin clammy. She could hear the thrumming sounds of the battle slow down as more and more people vanished from the scene back to the safety of their homes.
'Stop!' Harry yelled, distracting Nikolina for long enough that Hermione managed to crawl away, her wand gripped tighter in her hands.
Destination. Determination. Deliberation.
She had to Apparate away.
A pair of arms lifted her up. They didn't maim her. They were comforting and warm. Her heart squeezed as she felt the burning fire being replaced by an icy numbness, black overcoming her vision.
'Harry,' she gasped into the silence, rushing to stand up but feeling someone's hand wrap around hers and hold her in place.
Her blood ran cold. Had she truly been captured then?
She squinted her eyes, the dimly lit room coming into focus. She gathered her bearings, her fingers twisting into the soft linen sheets underneath. Her brows furrowed as her gaze passed over the face she had kept sketching behind her eyes for longer than a year now.
Sirius' stormy eyes met hers.
'He was tended to by the best of the Mediwitches the Order has access to,' he said softly. 'He passed out just moments before you did.'
Hermione nodded, faintly looking around for her wand in the room that obviously belonged to Sirius judging from the frames of pictures that set upon the grey walls.
Hermione's voice was raspy, her body tingling with the echo of all the pain from the battle. 'How.. how long have I been out?'
'A few hours.'
She dreaded the answer to her next question. 'Why am I here?'
'You have me dying of curiosity,' he shrugged, leaning back into the rocking chair he sat in.
'But that woman.. Nikolina .. she was..'
'I fended her off of you,' he winked playfully. 'Difficult one to take down.' He shook his head tiredly. 'I had to take you away. They would have extorted information out of you by hurting you. You're a ruddy Death Eater and I escaped with you. I helped you,' he hissed. 'I still don't know why I did it.
Hermione frowned. 'Why did you bring me here?' She attempted an expression of contempt. 'I'd rather die than share a roof with a blood traitor.'
'None of that, Hermione,' he said sharply. 'I saw you help Lily, a muggleborn. You turned your back on Yaxley. I saw you run to the aid of your friend Harry who so conveniently turns out to be a member of the Resistance. What game are you playing at?'
Hermione gritted out, 'Who fixed me?'
'Lily stopped by. She's training to be a healer.'
'What am I still doing here?' she asked him.
'I don't know,' he whispered. He sighed. 'Why did you help her?'
His face was devoid of his laughter lines, she quietly noticed. 'I favour no rapists.' She could have her life signed away with the way she was going. 'I'd have gladly killed her if you hadn't stumbled upon me.'
'You're lying,' he chuckled. 'Don't forget I am the rightful Black heir who has been subjected all the special lessons your pureblood legacy forces you to have. I can spot a liar faster than anyone else.'
She sighed.
'You're close with Harry and yet you're a Death Eater. Either he's spying on us or you're doing something equally as foolish and dangerous. But I am quite certain the leader of the Resistance wouldn't go to such troubles. So tell me, Hermione. What's your deal?'
She looked away, her head falling down in her lap.
'You are Dumbledore's spy, aren't you? The one who's been feeding him all this information.'
'You're stupid to have brought me to your home, Sirius.' She said, 'I don't need a wand to hurt you.'
'No,' he shook his head, smiling sadly. 'You only need more lies.'
Hermione made to get up but found him once again blocking her. He inched closer, getting into the bed beside her. He pressed his face to hers, his breath mingling with hers.
'Why didn't you come to me, Mi?' His voice was broken. 'Why did you have to lie?'
'Your theory may not be right,' she whispered, her resolve breaking. 'I might still just be trying to save my neck and get away.'
'But you're not.' His fingers threaded along with hers.
'We are in a war, Sirius. Play your cards safely or you will risk your life.'
He chuckled, his breath fanning across her neck, her nerves frying from the fire he lit inside her. 'Love between the wars. Isn't that too damn poetic?'
'This isn't love,' she said, shaking her head petulantly.
'It might not be. Whatever it is.. it's real.'
She pushed him away, her weak and drunken heart withering away as she pulled herself away from him, teetering on her feet. She outstretched her arm, 'My wand, please?'
He let out a sigh without meaning to. He reached into the pocket inside his robes, pressing her wand into her hands, looking deep in her sunken eyes that no longer danced merrily when the sun moonlight glanced their way.
As she landed onto her feet and rushed inside the cottage, Hermione couldn't think. She felt herself numbing to every rational thing, her mind in a whirlwind.
Rab cried out in relief, 'Dear Lord, Merlin, Mi, it's you!'
She threw herself into his open arms, hugging him close, sobbing into his shoulders.
'I had no idea. What happened to you? I have been worried sick. Not even Harry knew. He said he'd seen you injured but you were nowhere to be found. And then Dumbledore informed us that you were with Sirius of all people. Why would.. I just.. Mi, are you okay?'
She nodded absently, clutching onto him tighter, 'I am okay, Rab.. I feel so tired and worn out.'
He sighed loudly, putting her down and patting her back. 'The night is not yet over for you, sister. Regulus has a message for you. He says it is important. He will be coming by in a few hours. He said he needed to do something important before he came. I figured it would pertain to Harry as well. I called him over. I suppose it is long past since we kept him from Regulus.'
The locket, she gasped.
He knew he couldn't be sure. There were no guarantees in a war. No failsafes. But it felt right. It felt so right after all the years his heart had battled against his mind. He knew he could be making the biggest mistake of his life if she indeed was loyal to Voldemort but something told him she wasn't. She couldn't be. If she was she'd already have slit his throat.
The previous night was vividly painted against his eyes. They would have lost so much more if not for Dumbledore who had finally arrived and reined in the situation making Lucius order his men to retreat. He had seen the concern in Dumbledore's eyes as he had whisked her away from the broken down Alley. He had seen as Dumbledore had assessed the damage and urged Sirius to leave. He had seen the hurt flicker across his eyes as he had carried the man named Harry away.
He was sure he hadn't imagined any of it. And so he let her go. With his heart clenched in icicles if pain and sorrow, he watched her spin away into nothingness, the secret of her goodness and purity stored away in the deepest crevices of his mind.
He stepped out into the darknening Muggle street once she had left. He wished he could tell James and the others about her. But he knew he must keep it to himself for now. Even having Lily in on the secret meant gambling with Hermione's safety but it was something that couldn't have been avoided.
He rubbed his hands together, an age old ache retiring from his heart. He never knew the weight that had settled inside when he had first seen her look at him with ice in her eyes. He had never felt in unravel. He only remembered that one day it had reared in and this night it had rushed away, leaving him asunder in his thoughts.
He couldn't tell when the war would come to an end but when it did he knew the first thing he would do would be to beg her forgiveness for he truly hated himself for how easily he had given up on her. He had never once stopped to question the nature of his reality. He had never even imagined he was wrong. He had so blindly believed the lies she had spun for him. He had let her walk away.
But never again.
He would beg and beg even though he knew he didn't deserve her forgiveness. He would spend the rest of his life trying to make up for his betrayal.
The silence of the night was broken by a pair of footsteps that fell behind him. Sirius whipped out his wand, turning around to find yet another surprise.
'Brother,' Reggie nodded in greeting.
'How did you find me?'
'You were never hidden,' he mumbled. 'Never from me.'
Sirius frowned, lowering his wand. 'Why have you come?'
'To beg forgiveness if you may find it inside you,' Reggie said, his eyes downcast and his shoulders hunched.
Sirius was at a loss for words.
'I have regrets. So many of them,' he whispered. 'I may not make it through this war. I may not make it through the night. But I.. I want you to know that I am sorry. I am sorry for all the pain I brought you. I am sorry I was never the brother you wanted. I am sorry I was too soft..,' his voice broke, 'too weak to leave when you asked me to.'
Sirius let his hand fall numbly at his side.
'It was hell enduring the family without you. It only made it worse that every day I felt myself becoming less and less like the brother I had always looked up to. I want you to know.. no, I need you to know that I, I love you. I always have.'
Sirius felt tears prick his eyes. 'Reggie.. no, it wasn't your fault. I failed. I failed to keep you safe. I left you alone like a coward would.'
He shook his head vehemently. 'No. Sirius. No. I asked to be a Slytherin. I lived through this.. horror after you'd been sorted with the lions. They were furious. I wasn't even fed most nights. They terrified me. Mother gave me such harsh lessons that always ended with the Cruciatus. She never cared who fell upon her. Whether it was I or Kreacher. Both of us were tortured beyond measure I asked to be a Slytherin and it led me here,' he bared his arm to show him the Dark Mark branded onto his skin. 'It led me to this atrocity. If it hadn't been for Hermione I'd have lost my way entirely. She held onto me when nobody else did. I have a lot to thank her for but nothing more than this. She let me be myself. She let me be true to myself. And it is only because of her that I can find the courage to beg you for forgiveness today.' A tear slid down his pale cheek. 'Please, Sirius, please forgive me.'
Sirius smiled through his own tears, wrapping his arms around his little brother. 'You are my family. Braver than any Gryffindor there ever was. I love you, Reggie.'
Reggie swallowed a sob, hating the weight of the knowledge of a forlorn cave that rested within his mind.