Promise to the Past | 🐾 ᴍᴀʀᴀᴜᴅᴇʀs ✓

13 | Remaining Allies

Dangerous levels of magical depletion. That was what Moody and Lily had determined happened to her. Apparently breaking through the anti-apparition wards drained her magic, even with the added strength from Harry. So Hermione was officially on strict rest at the Burrow. The only problem with that? It had already been three days and she was going stir crazy.

The kids were all running amok, even more than usual for some reason. Hermione had decided to look into the Basilisk at Hogwarts as a possibility for destroying the Horcruxes. Fiendfyre was draining and it was best to have a backup option. But she could not focus for the life of her, which was saying something because she'd learned to block out the hectic shenanigans of all the Weasley children when they were fully grown adults.

"Molly, I'm going to go work at headquarters! I'll be back by dinner time!"

"Oh dear, but Moody said to keep you rested," Molly fussed.

"I promise I'll take it easy. I just need to concentrate."

"Very well, dear. Just come back to eat later!"

~o~o~o~

~ Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix

Unknown to Hermione, she wasn't the only one who'd thought to use Headquarters as a safe haven of sorts. When she'd come through the Floo, her first thought was to spread out all of her materials on the kitchen table like pieces of a puzzle.

To her surprise, she found Remus standing tensely over the sink, his hands gripping the counter tightly to the point of his knuckles turning pale. His head was lowered and he took heavy breaths, and he looked as if a single touch would shatter him into a thousand pieces.

"Remus...?" Hermione whispered quietly, much like she had that night in front of the Shrieking Shack right after he'd transformed.

He didn't turn but she could tell from the slight tilt of his head that he'd heard her.

"Are you okay?" She asked again.

"Why... are you... here?" He asked in a guttural voice that wasn't at all familiar.

"I had some work to do, I just wanted a quiet place," she said. If she'd expected a response she was sorely disappointed.

She stepped towards him, reaching for his shoulder hesitantly. "Remus, is everything-"

She'd barely laid her hand on him when he turned to her in inhuman speed, his usually amber eyes flashing a bright molten gold that had realization sinking into her stomach. He caught her outstretched wrist tightly while his other hand came up to wrap around her throat, holding her against the cabinets behind her in a warning stance.

Hermione stayed perfectly still, focusing on taking shallow breaths to not make him tighten his hold on her throat.

"Remus it's me-"

"You DON'T get to talk to me," he warned in the same guttural voice. "You don't get to come threaten my pack."

"I'm not-"

"My. Pack." He growled lowly. "Stay. Away."

"Rem-"

His hold on her wrist tightened warningly, crushing her bones together uncomfortably. "Wormtail is my friend, so stay away."

Understanding floored Hermione. She reached her free hand out to cup his cheek, wincing when he tightened his fingers around her throat by a miniscule.

"Moony," she whispered. His eyes snapped to hers, as if finally seeing Hermione. "It's me, Hermione. I'm your friend, remember?"

His eyes flashed back and forth between golden and amber. For a split second, his fingers tightened painfully on Hermione's throat, cutting off her air supply, before Remus jerked himself away from her. Hermione started coughing the second his fingers left her throat.