CHAPTER FIFTY-SIX
Summary:Following the death of Voldemort, for her protection against the fugitive Death Eaters seeking revenge, Hermione is sent into hiding along with Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. Forks was said to be the safest place on earth for her, but they didn't plan for a family of vampires or a pack of shape-shifters worming their way into their lives. Or for three of them, in particular, being exactly what Hermione needed to heal and live. Rated M for bad language, violence and sexual content. Poly fic!
Disclaimer:I don't own any canon events or characters, only those that I create. All rights go to J.K Rowling and Stephanie Myers. I don't make a profit writing or posting this fanfic. As for the descriptions of appearances for the Twilight characters, all my research is based on the books and not the movies.
AN:
Trigger warning! Death, blood, gore and violence.
I absolutely hated writing this chapter and I've found it's been one of the most difficult I've ever had to write. I don't know if it's because this is the chapter I've been dreading, because I'm a little out of practice being gone for so long, or if it's because after so many years, this fic is nearly completed and I'm not yet ready for it to be over. I've spent days pouring over it but can't quite seem to get it how I would like but it's starting to drive me insane, so for the time being, I'm going to settle with this and hopefully edit it at a later date.
And this is it. Only one more chapter to go.
Page count: 18
Friday 12th January 2006
The scent of wet dog, burnt flesh and blood stung her nose. Cries of pain, explosions, shouted curses and snarls and growls filled her ears. Flashes of light, blurs of movement, unmoving heaps, and blood-coated snow occupied her vision.
Time seemed to pass so slowly and yet, she couldn't believe that the battle had been raging for almost two hours.
She was unsure of the injuries and fatalities, not having the opportunity to stop for a moment and take count. All she knew was that she had to stay focused. No matter what happened, she couldn't allow herself to falter.
The port-keys had activated and thirty seconds had barely passed before dark-robed figures were dropped from the sky and deposited in front of them; some landing ungracefully in the snow and others managing to find their footing and remaining upright. They had the advantage for all of ten seconds before their opponents quickly realised they'd been drawn into a trap. In that time, Jasper had flooded the battle site with as much calmness and exhaustion as he was able to, buying them some time and allowing them to disarm and capture thirty of the Death Eater faction.
It was an advantage but it didn't last; curses, hexes and Unforgivables being launched in their direction, and they returned fired, signalling the start of the battle. They had underestimated their numbers; they'd expected for them to have more on the battlefield and that was proven when all arrived, a little over one hundred at first. But what they hadn't expected was for the Dark Mark to appear in the dark sky above and for more numbers to appear of their own violation. They'd been called to battle, Hermione had realised; in the same way that Voldemort summoned them when needed; through their dark marks.
That doubled their numbers. Two hundred, at least. They were massively outnumbered.
As the battlefield was lit up with glowing beams of light and spells collided and ricocheted in every which direction, the wolves appeared from the trees, giving them the shock factor they'd hoped for. The Cullens also chose that moment to make their presence known. Again, it had given them the advantage and allowed them to detain and capture a good number of the Death Eaters but they'd fought back and duelled harder.
Those that had been knocked unconscious had been moved into the cover of the woods, their wands taken and a Sleeping Draught had been administered, preventing the detainees from not only waking and throwing themselves back into battle, but from being able to cause a problem or attempting to escape.
Bodies still littered the ground. Only those who were alive and unconscious were moved; there was little point in moving the dead. It was Bill, Hermione thought, who had been the first to take a life. One of Greyback's pack members had overpowered a female Auror. Unfortunately, he'd been too late and she'd died.
Charlie followed, taking out three Death Eaters from above with a well-aimed Bombarda, their body parts strewn across the ground. Jared, who had been nearby and had his teeth sunk into the leg of a screaming Death Eater, had appeared to be thankful (as they had been creeping up behind him), horrified and impressed all at once.
Sirius, in a show of tremendous power, threw a Diffindo so powerful that it sliced clean through Rosier and the unknown Death Eater that had been battling an Auror behind him. Fred and George, in a manner similar to their uncles, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, had been surrounded by six Death Eaters, Leah behind them and crouched low with frightening snarls sounding from her, when they'd spun until they were back to back and they released a tirade of curses that were not only strong enough to shatter the Death Eaters' shields, but saw them all dropping to the ground, dead. Hermione was positive that whatever they'd done, wasn't legal.
Jacob, her sweet and innocent Jacob, had been the first wolf to kill a human. All in the defence of, and she never in a million years expected this, Rosalie. Rosalie, who was supposed to be guarding the ward lines had chased a number of Death Eaters back towards the battlefield. Two Killing Curses had been thrown her way and despite being a vampire, no one was sure what would happen should they strike their target, but thankfully her vampire speed allowed her to avoid them. Two of the Death Eaters had been taken down by rebounding curses, and the third, before they could attempt the same and harm Rosalie, Jacob had leapt over her and landed before her, a snarl ripping from him before he pounced, taking the Death Eater down and sinking his large, sharp teeth into him, his entire midsection fitting into the huge wolf's mouth.
Hermione had seen it happen and she felt a part of her die inside. She never wanted that. She wanted to protect him, protect all of the wolves from having to do that. She'd attempted to intervene but she'd been pulled into a duel with Yaxley. He was more experienced than she was, but he was arrogant and sloppy. She used her agility and smaller frame to her advantage, physically diving through his parted legs, landing in the cold snow and twisting to hit him with a Flipendo that sent him literally flying off his feet and into the air. He travelled such a distance that she was no longer able to see him when he landed amongst the other battlegoers. But, she was certain that with both the height and force of the collision, as he fell, he hadn't made it.
Sam, she witnessed wrapping his huge maw around the leg of a Death Eater and dragging them around and smashing them against the ground as if they were nothing but a chew toy, after the Death Eater had attempted to hit him with the Killing Curse. Hermione honestly wasn't sure how he'd missed. Although the wolves were quick and somewhat agile, they were literal eight-foot targets. It was like standing in front of a car and throwing a rock at the window and still missing.
When she saw Paul, his beautiful silver fur had been stained red around his muzzle and chest. She sometimes forgot how powerful and strong they were, especially when he was so gentle with her, but she was reminded of their true capabilities when she saw him pin a Death Eater to the ground with his front paws and sink his teeth into flesh, muscle and bone, physically tearing the man in half. It was done in defence of her. She'd been so distracted in her duel with two others that she'd been unaware of a third sneaking up behind her.
Hermione took another life in that moment when she called Paul's name before lobbing a curse his way. Somehow understanding her intentions, he dropped onto his stomach and allowed the yellow jet of light to pass over him, it slamming into a blue-hued shield of another of Greyback's pack members. She didn't allow it being blocked to deter her, and she fired off three consecutive curses, each missing the mark before she aimed her wand at the ground by the werewolf's feet, an explosion ringing out. As he was sent hurtling backwards, a white jet of light struck him, his body physically turning ice-cold and pale, his lips and nose tinting blue as a block of ice surrounded him. When he hit the ground, taking out a number of Death Eaters like a bowling ball, the ice shattered into thousands of shards, leaving behind nothing.
She didn't wait to see Paul's reaction to what she'd done as she flung herself back into battle, finding herself back to back with Remus. He was duelling Alecto and Amycus Carrow and with her arrival, it put them on an even playing field. The Carrows were known not for their duelling style or technique, but for their viciousness and cruelness. Anyone that could easily and willingly perform and teach first years the Cruciatus had to have a few screws loose. And although they weren't the best duellers, the curses they had in their repertoires could cause some serious damage, and not only that, they were much like Fred and George; magical twins that shared a six-sense. Duelling them individually would be a lot easier as they were weaker apart. They had to separate them.
Hermione hit Alecto with an Impedimenta, forcing the redhead to trip and lose her footing and she stumbled back as Hermione pressed forward, trying to put as much space between the twins as possible. Remus found an opening in Amycus' shield, a Gouging Hex hitting its target, and rather violently and messily, taking a huge chunk of skin, fat and muscle from the Death Eater's neck. Blood poured, eyes widened and his wand fell from his grasp as he brought his hand up to try and stem the bleeding but it was too much. If he didn't die of shock, he'd die of blood loss.
Alecto screamed her anguish as she watched her twin collapse to the ground bleeding out, her face twisting in fury as she raised her wand, directed at Hermione.
"Crucio!"
As Hermione altered her stance in preparation to avoid the Torture Curse, the neon yellow jet of light collided with a huge mass of grey and black spotted fur. Hermione released a noise of horror and she fell to her knees, the wolf hitting the ground with such a force it shook. The howls of agony died down to whimpers when Hermione briefly noted that Jasper appeared, snapping the neck of Alecto Carrow within the blink of an eye, the writhing wolf being released from the curse.
"Embry," she whispered in horror, the back of her throat burning and her eyes stinging with tears. "What were you thinking?!" She scalded through a cry. "I told you, avoid the Torture Curse at all costs."
The large wolf, form still visibly and violently shaking, lifted his head, dark eyes piercing her.
"He says you're his Alpha and the closest thing he has to a sister." Hermione startled and peered over her shoulder, seeing a furious Edward behind her, his black eyes darting between her, the shaking wolf crumpled on the ground, the dead body of Alectro, and Jasper, who nodded before he disappeared in a blur. "When he saw the neon yellow light, he knew he had to protect you. Not just for Jacob and Paul, or the pack, but for him too."
Hermione inhaled deeply and fought off a fresh wave of tears, but a single drop still escaped.
"I thank you, Embry, but don't you ever do anything like that again. If I'm your Alpha, it's my job to protect you... Edward, take him to one of the Healers... Don't argue with me," she snapped, seeing him flinch when a growl wrapped around her words. "I can't apparate him out with the Anti-apparition wards and he'd be a sitting duck if I tried to levitate him through the battlefield. He's too weak to move and I'm not strong or fast enough to carry him. He's been tortured, he needs a Healer now."
He nodded stiffly before she felt a gust of wind against her face and when she blinked, both Edward and the wolf were gone. If she wasn't furious before, she was now. She pushed herself to her feet and flung herself back into battle, her rage fuelling her magic, her spells more powerful and potent than they were before and each hit she landed, caused devastating blows. If they didn't kill automatically, they would die from their injuries.
As she was shielding both herself and Jared from a bombardment of dark curses, waiting for the moment the two Death Eaters they were facing to tire and for her to find an opening, she spied Alice across the battlefield and beside her father, Sirius. He was shielding them both similarly to her and Jared, but they seemed to be having an intense conversation, about what, Hermione wasn't certain. But the way Alice was tugging at her hair and her golden eyes desperately darted in search of something or someone, it put Hermione on edge.
Unexpectedly, Sirius's eyes sought her out, his expression was one of fury but his eyes showed worry as they moved between her, Alice and the Death Eaters he was currently facing. Had Alice seen something?
A howl of pain drew her focus, Hermione peered down to see dark red coating the brown fur on his right front leg, and it was raised off the ground as if bearing his weight on it caused him pain. A Slicing Hex had broken through her shield in her distraction. She lifted her gaze, a silent apology mixing with the guilt that he'd gotten hurt because of her. He gently nudged her shoulder with his nose, signalling that he didn't blame her. How could he? She was shielding them both from a literal army and they were surrounded on all sides.
She inhaled deeply, allowing her eyes to close briefly as she calmed her nerves and regained her focus. When she slowly exhaled, her left hand reached up, taking a gentle fistful of the soft brown fur of Jared's wolf. It was her way of not only staying grounded but ensuring he stayed behind her and didn't move. He nudged her once more, putting his trust in her.
She unexpectedly dropped her shield and directed her wand to the Death Eaters before them, calling out, "Deprimo!" Jared's large form startled and his eyes widened when the ground shook and the snow parted, it showing a crack appearing before it grew in size, the earth physically parting and creating a giant crater. A sinkhole.
The curse had done as Hermione intended, although she may have put a little too much power behind it as the sinkhole continued to grow in not only length but width, too. Not only did the two Death Eaters before her fall into the crater, but so did another twelve further away.
Hermione glanced up at Jared, the wolf tilting his head to look down at her and although he appeared astonished by what she'd done, the expression in his eyes basically said, 'Really?'
She shrugged ever-so-slightly, she hadn't meant for it to have that effect but it worked in their favour.
"Hey!" She heard Fred call. "Rookwood was mine! Get your own enemy!"
"She took down Rabastan Lestrange, too! Stop hogging them all!" Charlie's voice echoed as he whizzed past them on his broom.
Hermione barely stopped herself from rolling her eyes before she felt herself stiffen when Sirius was deposited beside her, Alice standing on his right. She made to voice her question but she received her answer when a terrifying familiar cackle pierced the air. She couldn't stop it, she felt herself flinch and her eyes slammed shut. She heard the tell-tale sign of a curse crashing into a shield but she couldn't bring herself to open her eyes, move or even lift her wand, her memories of that trauma-filled night at Malfoy Manor plaguing her.
"I've killed you once! I can do it again. You and your little Mudblood whore!" Bellatrix Lestrange laughed.
Sirius' expression hardened, eyeing the mad witch in hatred, disgust and pity.
A whimper of terror and remembrance left Hermione and she heard Jared snarl, and felt him shift behind her as he lowered into a threatening crouch.
Sirius didn't deign to respond to their cousin, only opening his mouth to say, "Jared, get Hermione out of here...You too, Alice."
"I'm not leaving you," the pixie vampire argued, her voice having lost the soft, musical tone she was known for and being replaced by something that was unnaturally cold and determined.
"Jared," Sirius repeated in a warning.
Unexpectedly, Jared shifted his body until he was able to nudge Hermione until she fell to the side and he caught her, manoeuvring himself under her until she was draped over his back. In the back of her mind, her hands moved to hold onto him and he silently thanked God as he didn't wish to dislodge her when he took off in a run. He ran as quickly and as far away as he could, putting enough distance between her and the bat-shit crazy witch that had frightened Hermione so much that she didn't even seem to be lucid. That thought alone was terrifying to him. He'd never seen Hermione afraid of anyone or anything.
He spied Edward and headed straight for him, not having to explain anything as he was able to see and read his thoughts before he'd even reached him. Jared halted to a stop and Edward reached up to pluck Hermione from his back, the vampire offering a nod of gratitude before the wolf turned and darted back through the remaining fighters, offering help where he could.
Edward took Hermione's face in his cold hands though she didn't notice, it being so cold due to the weather that her skin felt icy even to his touch. He tipped her head back, forcing her gaze to lock with his, muttering words of comfort and encouragement to bring her back to reality. It was dangerous for her to be so unresponsive, they needed her focused and armed.
Sighing, after moving her out of the path of a rebound curse, he pressed his mouth to hers, hearing her breath hitch and her heart skip a beat in not only surprise but love. He drew back and she blinked up at him rapidly.
She opened her mouth to speak but his dark eyes widened before she felt the air rush from her lungs as he pulled her to the ground, Hermione noticing the neon purple flash that flew over their heads. She'd recognise that anywhere.
"Dolohov!" She snarled, physically startling Edward at the intensity with which she'd spoken the name.
She was back on her feet before he was and she spun, coming face to face with the man who not only nearly killed her as a teen, who not only was responsible for Blaise losing his mother, but the man who had taken Ron from her. His handsome, chiselled face was marred by the evil, leering grin he pinned her with. His dark eyes held promises of the pain and torture he wished her to endure under his wand.
"Protego Totalum!" She called, the invisible barrier forming around her and Edward, feeling the vampire come up behind her and press his chest to her back, physically supporting her and helping her to remain upright when her shield took a beating from the volley of curses and hexes Dolohov cast.
Each one that connected with her shield pushed her further back into Edward as she fought to keep her shield erect and strong. Dolohov was powerful and he was a master duellist, the spells he used were not only illegal or dark, but most he'd created himself. As such, Hermione was uncertain how long her shield would hold against him. She poured more of her magic into the shield to strengthen it, being unsure of how long she could keep it up. She needed a plan.
"Liquidfying Lungs Curse! Blood Boiling Curse! Gouging Hex!" Edward muttered into her ear.
Dear Godric, did she love her vampire. He knew what Dolohov was thinking and planning and in telling her, she was able to properly defend against it before it happened.
She only wished she had the ability to apparate.
She knew how to weaken him, though. She'd done it before. Although it didn't prevent the wizard from cursing her and others, it would weaken the potency of his magic.
With her wand still holding the shield firmly in place, she raised her left arm and called, "Silenco!" Casting the spell wandlessly.
Dolohov, not being aware that she knew wandless magic, hadn't expected her to be able to cast two different spells at once and therefore hadn't thought to conjure a shield to deflect it. She saw his eyes widen before they burned with rage.
"Purple flames!" Edward warned.
Hermione reached back to grasp his hand before she pulled him down to a crouch, knowing none of the shields she knew would protect against it. Whilst crouched down, she jabbed her wand into the snow beneath her and muttered, "Fascinavit Viburnum."When she drew her wand back, she felt her mouth twitch in both amusement and satisfaction as snow levitated and formed into tight balls before they collided with Dolohov's face and body with such a force, they left behind round, red marks. Who'd have thought that the twins teaching her to bewitch snowballs in school would come in handy during a life-or-death situation? She thought it was rather childish but it offered as a great distraction and it caused pain. She grinned nastily when a particularly large snowball smashed into Dolohov's groin, the wizard doubling over in pain. Using his current distraction to her advantage, she rose to full height, feeling Edward doing the same beside her. "Great idea!" She heard Bill's voice carry from somewhere to the left and before she knew it, hundreds of snowballs were flying around the battlefield, hitting their intended targets and giving them all the distractions they needed to gain the upper hand. It was hard to fend against an attack whilst also fighting off balls of ice.
"Expelliarmus!" Hermione cast, feeling relief flood her when Dolohov's wand was ripped from his hand and it clattered to the ground. "Confringo!" She called, the wizard being propelled backwards, the snowballs still chasing him. "Ascendo!" He was hoisted into the air but not for long as she called, "Descendo!" His body violently raced towards the ground, landing on his back and partially disappearing into the thick snow.
He remained still, the snowballs continuing to pelt his unmoving form. She felt Edward's hand on her shoulder.
"He's dying."
He eyes snapped up to him. "What?" She said dumbly.
"He's dying," he repeated, softening his tone.
"But he can't be! He didn't even fall that far!" She protested. "I did far worse to the newborn at the battle!"
"He's human," he reminded her, seeing her look of horror. "Whilst he didn't fall far, the way in which he landed resulted in broken bones, including his spine and ribs, one pierced his lung. I heard it and I can hear his heart slowing."
She swallowed thickly and closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.
"He's haunted my dreams since I was sixteen," she whispered. "He killed Blaise's mother and he took Ron," she choked on a sob.
He didn't say anything, just pulled her into a hug for a few short moments. Who'd have thought that the way she'd finally be rid of Dolohov involved bewitched snowballs? She certainly hadn't.
She drew back from him and chanced a glance around the battlefield, noting that although there were many remaining, the battle did appear to be approaching an end, but those that were left would be the hardest to defeat.
"I have to go," she muttered, turning on her heel and disappearing into the throng of fighters. She'd taken many lives that night but Dolohov, the man she had wanted to kill the most, seemed to have unsettled her the most.
She found herself in a duel with another of Greyback's pack mates and when she blasted him away from her, Emmet caught him mid-fall before throwing him further across the field, being greeted by the giant maw of Leah. He was dead within seconds.
She ducked and dived, throwing curses and hexes over her shoulder as she searched for her fathers, stumbling across Fred and George.
Everyone on the battlefield sported injuries of their own, including herself. Fred appeared to have broken his left wrist, whilst George was favouring his right leg. Fred had a cut across his cheek and George a gouge in his shoulder. Both of their robes were dirty and damp from the cold and snow, scorch marks and holes being caused by fire but they appeared to be free of any actual burns.
She knew she hadn't been so lucky. A burn marred the back of her left hand and travelled up to her elbow and a second burn covered her left thigh. A gash above her eyebrow had blood smeared across her face and dripping into her eye, stinging like hell and partially obstructing her vision. She had a tear in her trouser leg and a slash on the back of her right calf, caused by a long, sharp nail that had belonged to a werewolf she'd encountered earlier in the night. Jasper had gotten him off her before any further damage could be caused, and Paul, being furious, had helped to dispose of him.
Jasper had taken many lives that night, the soldier mentality taking over when in battle. She was certain Emmet was responsible for a few, even Alice had taken down one or two. Esme and Rosalie, she was unsure of as well as Quil and Seth, as they were positioned in the woods and surrounding area. She was certain Carlisle hadn't taken a life, rather, he was the one that was moving the injured Death Eaters and detaining them, and taking their injured comrades to safety so he could give them the once over before they were handed off to Healers. Edward, she wasn't sure of either.
As Hermione approached, she watched as Fred and George took down Walden McNair and Rodolphus Lestrange, with a vicious slash of their wands through the air. She wasn't certain of the spell, she was just a witness to the way they both silently crumpled to the ground. They dusted off their robes dramatically before offering her a grin when they saw her and when she was close enough, they pulled her into a hug.
"Good job," she muttered, drawing back and seeing their smiles sadden a little. They all hated taking lives but it couldn't be helped when in battle.
"Dolohov?" Fred questioned.
"Dead," she confirmed. They both nodded.
"The snowballs were a touch of genius," George remarked. "Never would have thought of that myself," he praised.
"No, you'd do something more devious," she replied. "Greyback?" Hermione dared to ask.
Fred shook his head. "I don't think so. Every time they try to corner him, he disappears. Bellatrix is still putting up a fight. Alice wants to help but Sirius said it's his fight, so she's nearby offering advice. It helps she can see things now."
Hermione was unsure if she was surprised at the news that Bellatrix and Sirius were still duelling, especially as so much time had passed since. They were bound to be tiring, she was knackered herself.
"Let's clean up house. Just a few more to go and it's over."
They both pulled her into another hug and wished her good luck before they went their separate ways, Hermione interfering in a Death Eater's attempts to set alight to Jacob. When she smelt burned flesh and smoking fur, she realised that the magic on the rings had worn off. If she was furious for what they'd done to Embry, she was infuriated at them for harming Jacob. She doused him with an Aguamenti before turning her wand on the Death Eater. His body hit the floor when her third curse broke through his shield.
Jacob approached and gently nuzzled his large head against her neck, Hermione wincing when unexpectedly, a huge wet tongue licked at her forehead, clearing away the blood. She grimaced and pushed him away from her.
"That's disgusting," she complained but the look he gave her showed he didn't care about her thoughts on the matter. He hated seeing her injured.
Jacob stuck close to her as she moved between the duels and fighting, helping when and where she could if someone appeared to be struggling, outnumbered or injured, or drawing attention away from others and to herself.
It was when she heard a feral snarl that she whipped around to see Greyback advancing towards her quickly, his huge form one to rival each member of the pack. His facial features despite being human appeared more wolf-like, his fangs and mouth coated with blood, his long, sharp claws were on display and dripping with blood, and his long, dark hair was matted with a single grey-silver stripe down the centre. It was the reason behind his name. No one was truly certain about his true identity.
Jacob released a growl of warning and stepped up beside her, but it didn't deter Greyback and he merely snarled back. Admittedly, Hermione did feel a shiver of fear race through her.
"You'll make a great addition to my pack, girlie. We're in need of a new bitch!" Greyback jeered.
Before Hermione could stop him, Jacob lunged forward towards the werewolf, only he wasn't aware that he wasn't like Remus or the others. Greyback wasn't a typical werewolf for reasons unknown. He was stronger and faster and more powerful, even in human form. Perhaps it was because he was quite literally feral and he allowed the wolf freedom. He embraced what he was where most didn't, and that included Remus. Even when human Greyback had always been more wolf.
Hermione had flashbacks to the newborn arm battle when Greyback folded his long, thick arms around Jacob's midsection, catching him mid-lunge and he squeezed so tightly, she heard Jacob whimper in pain. Greyback slammed Jacob to the ground with such a force, it seemed to disorientate him.
Greyback gave a feral grin as he glanced at her and she raised her wand, firing off a series of hexes, but they simply bounced right off him, leaving behind little evidence of her even hitting her mark. What the bloody hell was he? Narrowing her eyes, she volleyed an Incendio in his direction, thankfully, forcing him to release his hold on Jacob.
The werewolf rolled off to the side before rising to his feet.
"I've been a patient wolf. I was promised you at Malfoy Manor, and I shall get what's mine."
She lobbed another Incendio his way before she turned and ran, almost losing her footing in the snow. When she heard a collision, she peered over her shoulder, unsure if she should be relieved when she saw Jacob back on his feet along with Paul and Sam, all three wolves circling Greyback who stared back unflinchingly.
Paul pounced first, Greyback, despite his large frame, showing some agility when he ducked beneath her wolf only to catch Sam by the throat and slam him into the ground upon his leap forward. Hermione gasped and made to turn back around and offer herself up as a distraction, but she felt a strong hand circle her wrist, peering up to see the furious amber eyes of her father.
"Alpha," she swallowed thickly.
"He's too strong, Bill and I could barely injure him. They're the only ones strong enough to defeat him. Two Alphas might just do it."
"What is he? Why's he so strong? My spells just bounced right off him."
He inhaled deeply. "I don't know," he admitted, and that thought scared her the most. Her father was a werewolf and had been for the vast majority of his life, surely he should know?
She felt his hand on her tighten when Jacob snapped his teeth at the werewolf, receiving a powerful punch to the muzzle that made him dizzy. He stumbled in his steps before giving his head a shake. He snarled before pouncing, distracting Greyback when he threw Jacob away from him as if he didn't weight 700lbs. Whilst Greyback had his back turned, Sam came from the side and Paul from the back, knowing that Greyback couldn't fend them both off at once, even if he did try. Jacob soon joined them, successfully pinning the werewolf to the ground.
Remus pulled Hermione into him and turned her head into his chest whilst he kept his eyes forward. He didn't want her to see what was to happen next, but for him, he needed the proof that the monster who had caused him so much pain would finally meet his end.
His amber eyes shone brightly in the dark of night, his posture was straight and stiff, and his face a blank, stoic mask as he watched the three wolves each take a limb in their maws and pull, tearing them from the werewolf as if he were a vampire. The werewolf snarled and howled in pain, his death quickly followed.
"You have to find the rest of his pack," Remus voiced. The three wolves with maws covered in dark, red blood looked to him. "You defeated their Alpha, they will either want revenge, they'll offer themselves to you, or, they'll try to flee. They're too dangerous to be allowed to escape. Kill or capture, it doesn't matter."
Hermione sniffled as she watched her two wolves and Sam slink off into the night and heading for the woods, searching for the remaining werewolves.
The battle was almost over. Very few remained.
"Sirius!" Alice cried, drawing Remus' and Hermione's attention. Their hearts pounded in their chest and their stomach rolled with nausea, seeing Alice crouched down beside the unmoving heap that was her father. "Carlisle!"
"Crucio!"
Hermione was violently shoved to the ground, unable to catch herself on her hands and knocking her shoulder and her head, her vision going spotty. Remus' cries of agony had her pushing herself to her feet, and despite her blurred vision, she raised her wand.
"Sectumsempra!" She shouted, slashing her wand through the air and trusting her instincts to send it in the right direction despite not being able to see.
Remus' cries died down and she blinked rapidly. She didn't need to call for help; Emmet was beside her, her father in his arms before they were both gone.
"Mudblood!"
Hermione flinched.
"Lady Black," Hermione corrected, knowing that Bellatrix would hate it more than anything. She eyed the bat-shit crazy witch. Her black curly hair was matted beyond belief, her teeth black and blood dribbling down her chin. Her dress and robes were tattered and filthy, and oddly, she was only wearing one boot.
"Never! I won't allow a Mudblood or my blood traitor cousin to sully the House of Black! I would see it fall before that happens. I would die!"
"I don't see how the matters of House Black pertain to you. Sirius had you blasted off the tree and stripped of your titles and wealth long ago. He made me, a Muggleborn, Lady Black. And I shall be the one to purify the bloodline, ridding it of your tainted, incestuous, weak blood. You are nothing Bellatrix," Hermione taunted. "You're not a Black, and you're not a Lestrange. Your husband, brother-in-law and dear-dear master, are all dead."
"I will kill you for your insolence!" She raged, her eyes positively spitting hatred and fire. "Crucio!"
Hermione, knowing it was coming as the witch did so love to use the Unforgivables and she was quite predictable, side-stepped, responding with an Impedimenta, Flipendo, Confringo and Expelliarmus. She'd expected Bellatrix to block them all and Hermione threw her own shield up, defending against Bellatrix's tirade.
Hermione, wishing to catch Bellatrix off guard, volleyed the Blood Boiling Curse and the Expelling-Entrails Curse, knowing it was something she would never normally do. Bellatrix cackled madly.
Merlin, was the woman deranged and certifiably bonkers.
Her magic was unstable, little golden sparks darting through her strands of hair and raining down to the ground. She was the reason for her trauma and nightmares and she'd harmed Sirius and hit Remus with the Cruciatus. Hermione was done giving the witch her time and attention.
There was one thing she could do, one way she could win and she hadn't deemed it necessary. At least until now.
"Diffindo!" Hermione called, throwing the Slicing Hex in an effort to cause a distraction all the while, she shoved her wand into her boot before she leaned her body forward, transforming from human into the snowy white wolf.
In the dead, dark of night and with the snow on the ground, she blended in magnificently.
Bellatrix's reaction was one she was hoping for. The witch looked truly befuddled and horrified.
Hermione snarled, her mouth curling back and showing her sharp teeth and she altered her posture, bowing slightly and bracing her front legs. As Bellatrix lifted her wand, Hermione leapt forward, her heavy footfalls being hidden by the thick snow and with her camouflaged into her surroundings, it was easy to duck and dodge the curses Bellatrix sent her way, but the closer so got, the easier the target she became.
As she approached, with one final push, her feet left the floor and she soared through the air, heading straight for Bellatrix. She saw the witch's eyes widen in both horror and terror and as Hermione's large form collided with her, taking her down to the ground, she felt a sharp sting of pain, a whimper falling from her. Her body pinned the screaming witch to the ground and she snapped at her in warning, peering down to see her snowy-white fur tinted red.
The pain became too much and exhaustion finally set in. Unable to stop it, her eyes fluttered closed.
~000~000~000~
Warm.
She was incredibly warm.
Her head pounded, her entire body ached, her feet were sore and her left-side abdomen hurt like hell.
She felt a soft light bathe her face and despite not wanting to, she forced her eyes to open. Her vision slowly adjusted and she realised that candles were floating above, offering light and warmth. She was laid on a soft mattress with a thick blanket draped over her. It was her mattress.
Frowning in confusion, she pushed herself up onto her elbows, hissing when pain sparked through her and she gritted her teeth until she was able to sit fully upright, her eyes taking in her empty bedroom. She glanced down at herself, noting the lingering scent of burn salve and seeing the bandages on her body.
Fortunately, the bedroom opened and in stepped Paul, Jacob and Edward. Their eyes automatically locking on her. It was immediate, her eyes welling with tears and she couldn't prevent them from falling, nor could she prevent the sob that clawed at her throat. They approached and surrounded her, somehow finding a way to hug her between them without her having to move.
"It's over," Paul muttered, burying his face against her neck.
"Really?"
"It's really over," Jacob promised, pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"No more fighting," Edward added, his lips brushing her forehead. She clung to them tighter.
"Casualties?" She probed, sensing their hesitation. She drew back from them immediately, seeing their sad expressions. "Casualties?" She demanded, her voice holding no room for argument.
"They're still tallying up the final numbers," said Edward. "It's only been a couple of hours," he informed her. That surprised her, she thought it had been longer. "We weren't expecting you to wake so early after being injured...Roughly seventy-five Death Eaters have been captured, as far as we're aware, there were no escapees. The rest are thought to be dead."
Her expression saddened, his tear-filled chocolate orbs darting to each of them in turn. "I never wanted for any of you to have to experience that. To be forced to do that or be in any situation that it was required. Every time I saw it happen, I felt a piece of me die inside. I wanted to protect you from that. My sweet, innocent boys," her hands came up to press against Paul's and Jacob's cheeks.
"You were right," Jacob muttered, his eyes fluttering closed at her touch. "Despite being human, they were monsters." His hand came up to grip hers tightly.
"Bellatrix?" She whispered.
"Dead."
Hermione's eyes flew to Edward. "What happened? She was alive when I..."
"Transformed into your wolf and pounced?" The vampire finished for her. "I know. I saw. When you collided, she hit you with a curse," he explained, Hermione's hand coming up to press against her injured side. "It sliced you up pretty good, luckily, the angle of your approach prevented further damage and the area of injury was limited."
"It's going to scar, isn't it?" She sighed.
Edward reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. "You will always be beautiful," he vowed. "Scars or not."
"What happened?" She pressed for more information.
"You fell unconscious. She tried to kill you. I stopped her."
Hermione froze. "You stopped her?"
"I stopped her," Edward confirmed. "And I'd do it again in a heartbeat. She's dead and she can't hurt you anymore."
"And Sirius and Remus?"
Paul smiled and she felt her shoulders slump in relief. The smile alone was all she needed.
"Both fine and healing. Sirius is recovering from the same curse you were hit with, and Remus' injuries have been taken care of and there's no side effects of the Torture Curse. He's received worse during the full moon."
"And Embry? Please tell me he's okay. He took the Cruciatus for me."
"He's fine, too. Pissed that he missed the majority of the fight because you sent him to the Healers who wouldn't let him leave even after he phased back and his injuries were gone. He gave them an earful, but he's fine."
"And our numbers?"
"Twenty-three confirmed dead, the rest injured and being taken care of," said Edward.
"And our numbers?"
Jacob smiled and she almost hit the mattress in relief. "A fair few injuries," he admitted, Hermione spying the burn salve that covered his left arm and the bandage that wrapped around his midsection. Paul had a bandage tied around his right bicep and a dressing on his lower left abdomen. "But everyone survived. The pack, Cullens, your fathers and your brothers. They've all been treated."
"What are you leaving out?" She pressed, knowing they were keeping something from her.
The three teens shared a glance, hesitating.
"Don't lie to me."
"Leah and Quil..."
"Leah and Quil what?" She snapped when Jacob paused.
"Leah's lost part of her right ear..." Paul continued and Hermione's eyes widened and her hands came up to her mouth in horror. "And Quil's lost two fingers."
"What?" She shrieked.
"It's not your fault," he tried to soothe her. "Neither of them blames you. You did everything you could to protect us, we knew it was a possibility. But even with our healing, Carlisle doesn't believe it'll support the re-growth of body parts. They've told us to tell you not to feel guilty or when you're back to full strength, they'll kick your ass."
She gave a sob-laugh.
"Charlie still thinks she's beautiful," Jacob remarked.
"Excuse me?" She squeaked in surprise, seeing their matching smirks.
"Charlie. It turns out that he and Leah have taken a liking to each other," he explained. "These something else," he admitted, his amusement fading and she didn't like the way he was looking at her. Nor did she like the way Paul and Edward both reached for her hands whilst he tipped his forehead to press against hers.
"What is it?" She whispered, being too afraid to ask.
"Blaise didn't make it."
A ragged sob tore from her almost immediately and they held her gently, remaining silent and allowing her to cry and get it out of her system. It felt like hours passed when she drew back from them, but in reality it had barely been ten minutes. She was too exhausted to cry or to properly grieve.
"Everyone's here."
"What?"
"Everyone's here," Paul repeated.
"They didn't go home?"
"No. They wanted to make sure you were okay before they did. And you did mention a party," he reminded her, trying to lighten her mood and lift her spirits.
She sighed. "Sirius has broken out the fire-whiskey, hasn't he?" She said knowingly.
"And the elf-wine, butterbeer and vodka," he nodded.
"I want to see everyone."
"I don't think you should be moving yet," Edward voiced his concerns.
"I had worse injuries at the Final Battle, I'm fine. Don't argue with me. You said everyone's okay but I need to see it for myself."
Despite their clear disapproval, she threw the blanket off herself and climbed out of bed, noting she was dressed in a t-shirt of Paul's and a pair of sleep pants. Jacob retrieved her slippers for her and Edward held out a cardigan, helping her to slip it on. She wobbled a little and it took her a moment to find her footing but she was soon exiting her bedroom and heading down the corridor, hearing the crackling of the fire and the laughter and conversation that filled the tent.
As she stepped into view, her eyes searched each occupant closely, noting the number of bandages and healing salves, but they all looked to be in good spirits. And everyone was there. Her brothers, fathers, all of the Cullens and the pack, including Collin and Brady.
Charlie and Leah were sat close together on the end of the couch, the former trying to fend off Emmet's and Rosalie's attempts to allow the large vampire to visit Romania whilst Leah hid her laughter behind a glass of elf-wine. Despite her hair being left down, Hermione could see the bandage covering her ear. She felt a pang of guilt.
Alice was snuggled into Jasper's side as she led their conversation between Sam, Embry and Bill, something to do with Football, Hermione thought. Emse was tucked into Carlisle's side whilst they were in conversation with Remus and Sirius, both with firewhiskeys in hand and the latter's bandages covering his entire mid-section, whilst hers only covered her side. Quil, Seth and Jared where sat on the floor on cushions, playing what looked to be a game of exploding snap whilst having a conversation with Fred and George about Quidditch.
Hermione spotted the bandage on Jared's forearm where she suspected the curse she'd let slip through her shield had hit him, and she saw the bandages wrapped around Quil's left hand, it being clear that his ring and pinky finger were missing. She felt another pang of guilt. Collin and Brady were sat by the warm fire, the former playing tug of war with her pup, Odin, and the latter with a book laid out on the floor whilst her kitten, Hope, was snoozing in his lap.
"Hermione!"
She smiled when the two young pups noticed her presence and after carefully shuffling away from her pets, they rose to their feet and quickly approached, pulling her into a gentle hug. They'd been warned to be careful with her, she realised. They were normally a lot more boisterous.
"Hello, Pups," she greeted, feeling all eyes on her.
"Are you okay?" Collin asked, peering down at her.
She smiled. "Perfectly fine," she promised. "And much better for seeing you both. I missed you. Thank you for looking after Hope and Odin, I can see you did a wonderful job. I knew you were the right people for the job."
They beamed at her. "Will you read to us?" Brady begged.
"In a moment, I just need to say hello to the others first," she promised.
They nodded and returned to the fireplace, Hermione stepping further into the room to find that everyone stood to greet and hug her, even Rosalie, Sam and Leah.
"If you say anything, I'll bite you," Leah warned Hermione when she pulled away from the hug and re-took her seat without saying anything further.
"So I lost a couple of fingers," Quill shrugged like it was no big deal, when she hugged him. "Still got my thumbs, though, and my appetite," he grinned, the room filling with snorts and laughter at his words. "I'm hungry, is anyone else hungry?"
The wolf looked ready to cry in relief and gratitude when Esme offered to cook, the motherly vampire crossing to the kitchen with a skip in her step. Esme loved to cook but didn't have a lot of reasoning to do so for obvious reasons.
"Don't you ever do that again," Hermione warned Embry, hugging him as tight as she dared without hurting herself.
He rolled his eyes. "Honestly, I'm more mad that the Healers wouldn't let me leave. My healing kicked in and I was fine after twenty minutes," he complained. "I missed it all. They say you took down a madman with snowballs. Snowballs!"
"Best thing I've seen in a long time," George added with a laugh.
"And Sirius is pissed he missed the look on Bellatrix's face, not only when you told her you where cleansing House Black of her incestuous, weak blood," began Fred, being interrupted by Sirius' raucous laughter, "But when you transformed and wolf pounced at her."
"Never been prouder," Sirius confirmed, pulling her to sit in between himself and Remus, tucking her into their sides and pressing a tumbler of fire whiskey into her hands. She pressed a kiss to each of their cheeks.
Paul, Jacob and Edward found their own seats and slotted themselves into the many conversations happening in the room and Hermione glanced around.
Love, warmth and comfort swarmed her, setting her at ease. They'd gone through a lot to get to where they are now, but Hermione thought it was worth it. Love always conquered all and she was living proof. The Wizarding World was finally safe. She just wished Harry and Ron had been there to see it.
As if sensing her thought, Sirius said, "They would be so proud of you."
She smiled sadly. "I miss them."
"Us too," Remus nodded. "But that doesn't mean we can't expand our family."
Hermione nodded. She secretly loved having a big family. And between her fathers and brothers, the pack and the Cullens, her life was sure to never be dull. Safe, at last, but not dull.
It would take her some time to adjust to normalcy, not having had it since before she discovered she was a witch, but she couldn't wait to be a normal teenager.
Well, as normal as a teenage witch with two shape-shifting wolves and a vampire as her boyfriends, that is.