It's OK To Not Be Ok...Right? **Complete**

124. He Set Her Off

Moments before the rescue crew arrived...

For the longest time there was no noise, no nothing and for Hermione the silence was deafening. She spent months on the run during the war, staying awake at night, listening to the silence praying that she didn't hear anything. No snatchers, no dark wizards or something or someone else. It's was horrifying listening.... waiting and not knowing if you would survive to see the following morning. But this had become Hermione's life. Night after hellish night. After the war, Hermione still struggled to sleep. Still struggled with the silence. It would keep her up every night, until her body basically collapsed with exhaustion.

But tonight, she wished she could hear something. Anything. She knew that Sloane was in danger but she had no idea what Euan's plan was and the silence was scaring her once again. Was it too late? Was Sloane gravely injured? Or worse? Hermione gave a whimper as she raised her face up to the ceiling, trying to stop the tears from falling.

"She's tougher than she looks," Theo said in a raspy and shaking voice. The lashings he received had taken a lot out of him. He wasn't looking at her, he was keeping his eye on the gargoyle and Inferi. Hermione looked across at him. "Sloane....she's like you. She is tough. It will take a lot to break her and I believe she is fine."

The gargoyle was standing perfectly to still in the corner as the Inferi, owl and fox sat in another. The wolf was pacing the room watching Hermione and Theo. But they made no noise, no nothing really. They were simply watching...waiting....guarding.

Hermione gave a half smile, more to reassure Theo than anything. "I'm not tough but -"

Theo scoffed. "Are you kidding? Hermione you are a bloody hero! You kept Harry and Ron alive during the war. You were the one to figure out the sword would destroy a horcrux and you got the boys out of Gringotts that night." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I know all about your time on the run...I read every interview and that book about the battle." He smiled. "You were so brave and loyal and everything that is good. You made me see that there was more to life than following in my parents footsteps and believing that class and money made me important." He was playing with a random stone on the ground. "What was important was life. A life where everyone got the chance they deserve. You were chosen to practise magic and who am
I to question why?" He laughed. "Fuck you are more deserving to yield a wand than most PureBloods."

She gave a small chuckle.

"You have been through more in your teenage years than most adults could imagine in their worst nightmares. You are incredible and yes you are damn fucking tough." Theo gave a gasp as he pulled himself up. "You are tough and so is Sloane and you need to believe that. You need to to remind yourself who you are. You are Hermione Fucking Granger and you are a damn brilliant witch who has faced more shit than this. This is nothing!"

She could feel her chest swell with pride as Theo spoke. He was right. She was Hermione Granger and she had faced much worse than what was in the room with them right now. This was a piece of piss compared to what she had already felt with in her life. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she did so she could calm and centre herself. She needed to be in the right head space for this. The Golden Trio were not around this time as backup and she needed every ounce of her wits and smarts to come up with a plan.

"You good?" Theo asked as she opened her eyes and looked at him. She nodded. "Good... 'cause I'm not so one of us should be." It was obvious Theo was scared. And jumpy. At that money the tawny owl in the room flapped its wings and took off making Theo jump and give a yelp. But the bird simply circled the room a few times before perching on the ledge of the small window in the room. "Bloody bird!" Theo yelped again.

Hermione was busy thinking. She was watching the natural light move down the wall. An idea was forming in her head. She looked between the opponents in the room, organising them by how dangerous they were or how big a threat they could potentially be. owls could be vicious but generally not much a threat to them. The fox could be nasty and bite but could be handled easily enough. The wolf was quick and again a bite could be nasty. This wasn't large enough to be a werewolf or else it would be a different matter entirely. Inferi were already dead but had no actual powers, but could still hurt or even kill them. Pity they had no fire down here to fight them. The biggest threat to them right now was the gargoyle. She tried to remember what she knew about Gargoyles.