a dance with destiny

xii

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing except the order these words are in, everything else belongs to JKR.

A/N: Y'all I got this chapter out so fast! I expect to see a lot of votes and comments hehe (*winks and points at little star in the corner*)

Additionally, thank you guys so much for 20k views!! And 700 votes!! That's absolutely insane! ALSO, I started this story a long time ago, and as I'm sure all of you know I'm pretty bad at updating. So, if I screw up some details or something related to what I wrote earlier, please, please, please tell me so I can fix it! I just don't want to go back and reread everything all over again – I really hate having to do that lol

November 2, 1977

7th Year Gryffindor Girls Dorms – 2:30 am

Hermione's POV:

*Use of Profanity*

She was running again. Just like every other night – through the halls of Hogwarts, past her beloved library, past the Fat Lady, to the Great Hall.

And just like every other night, Bellatrix was waiting for her, maniacal grin on her face, twirling her wand through her wild hair.

Minerva was there, too – laying on the floor at Bellatrix's feet, her body bloody and bruised.

However, Hermione didn't have time to help her mother because the madwoman – as always – started in on her. A few quick spells later, and Hermione was wandless, powerless against her worst enemy.

Bellatrix raised her wand, and the Crucios spewed from her lips as an endless stream of hisses, and Hermione felt the pain in her lungs and arm intensify.

All she could do was scream.

3rd Person POV:

She awoke with a start, shooting straight up in her bed, her head slamming into something, or rather someone.

"Ow! Bloody hell! What the – oh fuck! It's bleeding!"

As Hermione came to her senses, she realized that everyone – Lily, Marlene, Dorcas, Alice, and the remaining Marauders were all crowded around her bed, staring at her, and now, Sirius, too.

She stared back for a moment, the only noise in the dorm coming from Sirius, who was swearing his bloody brains out. Snapping out of it, she swallowed thickly, "W-What happened? Why, er," she cleared her throat, trying not to squeak, "why are you all standing there?"

Lily looked at her nervously, "Um, Hermione, you were screaming."

"Yeah," Sirius, who had finally managed to stop the bleeding, grumbled, "and it was bloody loud, too. Woke the whole damn tower up."

Her eyes widened, and she clapped a hand over her mouth, "Oh my god! I'm so sorry! I-I didn't mean to, I swear! I, er, must have forgotten the silencing charms, or something, Merlin, I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

She started babbling, but was cut off when Remus shoved Sirius' shoulder, and he muttered, albeit reluctantly, "Hermione, calm down, it's not a big deal, my head just hurts, I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Er, yeah, sorry about that, I didn't mean to hit you."

"It's fine, it doesn't hurt that much."

Lily snorted at him, "Sure, okay."

He ignored her, and turned back to Hermione, "Well, if you're fine, and not being attacked by a herd of bloody hippogriffs, we should all go back to bed."