Tortured

What did you tell them?" James asked warily. Lily shrugged.

"That we'd found her and we were going to get her now," she replied. He nodded.

"Let's go," Sirius muttered, shifting from foot to foot so impatiently that it looked as though he were bouncing in place.

Crookshanks seemed to agree with Sirius. He stood up and flicked his tail, and the group of seventh years followed him out of their common area and through the castle. None of them cared how they might look to anyone else, an infamous group of pranksters and Lily Evans trailing after Hermione Potter's familiar, which had most often been referred to by Hogwarts staff and faculty as 'that ruddy great beast'. They trailed him as closely as they could, and once they were out of the castle and on the grounds Sirius shifted to Padfoot, and James shifted to Prongs so that they could more easily pursue Crookshanks as he bounded closer to his goal. Remus and Lily followed them as quickly as they could. Remus grabbed her hand and pulled her along at one point. It became clear that they were headed towards Hogsmeade. Lily hesitated at the road to Hogsmeade, her green eyes wide with conflicting emotions.

"But, it's against the school rules," she whispered, twisting her fingers.

"It's Hermione's fucking life, Lily," Remus said harshly, tugging on her hand. She immediately followed him, almost surpassing him as they hurried after Padfoot and Prongs. She hoped that Hermione was okay, that she hadn't been hurt.

HP/HG/HP

Her eyes had adjusted fairly quickly and Hermione realized that she was somewhere with stone wall and a stone floor. Scratch that…not stone walls, but stone. It took her several long moments to realize that she was in a cave. Where on earth was she? She couldn't recall caves anywhere near Hogwarts.

Oh! I do! Up above Hogsmeade. Sirius hid there during Harry's fourth year.

Why on earth would Sirius choose to spend his time here? It has no appeal whatsoever. I doubt they offer turndown service.

Er, well, he was still on the run because he'd escaped Azkaban.

My future husband is NOT going to Azkaban!

No, he isn't. Hence us doing what we're doing. Well…not what we're doing right now. I meant the Order of Her Sainted Lioness or whatever Malfoy's calling you today.

Lucius is mostly likely cursing me today, if he knows what's happened.

Oh don't be so pessimistic. I'm sure he's just as worried as Severus and Regulus are. They'll probably kill you.

You are such a joy to have around.

I know, right?

"How the hell did you manage to get the blindfold off?" asked a very familiar voice. She still couldn't speak, but if looks could kill—Peter Pettigrew would be a greasy spot on the cave wall. He smirked in pride. "Oh, yeah, you can't talk, can you Miss Potter?"

Hermione struggled internally, pushing at the magic he'd used to bind her. She glared at him furiously, trying to think of something, anything that she might be able to do to him.

"You know," Peter continued in that pleased, proud voice that just irritated the hell out of her. "I've really enjoyed my extra-curricular lessons. I've learned so much. Would you like me to show you?"

The look of loathing that she leveled on him should have peeled paint of the walls if there had been any. He snickered, and pulled out his wand.

"They tell me," he said conversationally, "that you really have to mean it for an Unforgiveable. You have to really want to hurt the person, and Hermione, I really, really want to hurt you."

Her eyes widened in horror and she stared at him. He pointed his wand directly at her, and his features shifted. Hatred stared out at her from Peter Pettigrew's watery eyes. His face twitched slightly and his fingers tightened on the wand.

"Crucio!" He bellowed at her.

She couldn't scream, she wasn't able to, but the agony that ran through her body was just as real. Old Hermione was there with her, helping her through the unbelievable agony, whispering along her senses that ofit was okay, that she would be okay. Her back bowed as she writhed in silent agony while Peter Pettigrew stood over her snickering with pleasure. Most of her coherent thoughts were focused on his painful, drawn-out death.

I'm here with you, love. You're not alone. Just hang on. They'll be coming for you soon.

Trying.

I know, love, I know. Hurts like a mother. Just stay with me.

HP/HG/HP

Prongs was trying to keep up with Crookshanks and Padfoot when Padfoot suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. He howled in agony before he shifted back to his human form. Sirius was writhing on the road, screaming in pain. James immediately shifted back to his human form. Remus and Lily were panting when they made it to them. All three of them were staring in shock at Sirius, trying to figure out what had done this to him. When there was a brief pause, Sirius curled in on himself and gasped for breath. He raised his head and looked straight at James.

"They're using the Cruciatus curse on her," he rasped. James blinked at him. His face seemed to crumple with grief.

"You can feel her pain?" James asked bleakly. Sirius nodded.

"Yeah," he rasped. Remus and James helped him off the ground and continued to follow Crookshanks. "Come on, we need to hurry."

Crookshanks seemed impatient with their progress, but tried to wait for them. They were confused when the half-kneazle started to lead them slightly away from Hogsmeade. It took the Marauders several minutes, but they gasped in surprise.

"The caves," Remus whispered fiercely, and the others nodded.

Lily looked at all of them in confusion and surprise, but she kept following Crookshanks. They were climbing higher and higher above Hosgmeade, and she started to see caves dotting the hills. Crookshanks was moving with determination and the four of them followed. Sirius paused every now and then to pant his way through a bout of the Cruciatus curse. After that first bout, which had taken him by surprise, he took them all in near silence. Lily realized that he was afraid to alert whoever had taken Hermione, and she loved him for his attempt to protect her blood-sister.

"I'm going to fucking kill them all," he panted at one point, rage overtaking his handsome features so that Lily could easily see the dark side that Hermione had sworn Sirius tried to keep buried. He looked the very image of the Dark Wizard at the moment, and she shivered.

"You'll have to stand in line," James growled, his own features tight with anger. Sirius snorted.

"We'll see about that," he muttered.

"Come on, guys," Remus said firmly, tugging on Sirius' arm. "Let's find her, then you can argue over who gets to kill whom."

"Right," James agreed, taking Sirius' other arm.

Crookshanks had moved ahead of them, and was paused outside of one particular cave. He sat down firmly and looked at them. They all froze and stared at Crookshanks. This was it, the cave where Hermione was being tortured. James and Remus' hands tightened on Sirius to stop him from racing inside and getting her killed. They hadn't thought to restrain Lily, and that was a miscalculation on their part. The petite redhead had raced forward to rescue her best friend, her wand clutched tightly in her fingers. She crept closer and closer to the entrance of the cave, and the slight scrabbling sound of rocks falling alerted her to the boys who were following her. James grabbed her and shoved her behind him, she glared at his back.

"You know, I think it would be more fun if I could hear you scream," they heard a familiar voice say with a trace of annoyance. "Still, maybe there are other ways for me to hurt you. I wonder what dear old Padfoot would do if you were returned to him as rather less than a virgin?"

"I'd say, I'm going to kill a dirty rat, is what I would say," Sirius snarled to himself as he charged into the cave. Remus gave a sigh of irritation and charged in after Sirius. James and Lily looked at one another, and quickly followed their friends.

Peter gaped at them in surprise, never suspecting that anyone could have found him and his chosen hiding place. He had not been counting on an intelligent and loyal half-kneazle who happened to be quite fond of his young witch, or her friends who were willing to listen to said half-kneazle. Wizards listening to familiars was exceedingly uncommon, it was far more likely that a wizard would treat his familiar as a servant, and not a terribly bright one at that. Therefore, Peter was well and truly flummoxed to be outnumbered and faced with three enraged wizards and one furious witch. If one were being charitable, one might claim that Peter had suffered feelings of inadequacy around Hermione Potter, and was venting those feelings in an inappropriate manner. If one were uncharitable, one might point out that Peter was petty and jealous of others with more skill and talent. He found to his surprise that he liked inflicting pain and suffering and had managed to blossom under Death Eater tutelage. They, like he, preferred better odds than those currently in evidence, and he shifted suddenly to avoid capture. The rat scrabbled for purchase on the stone floor of the cave and raced toward the opening—and freedom. The Marauders realized what he was doing almost instantly and they surged toward him. He spun on his little rat feet, and scramble around them, maneuvering easily within the close confines of the small space.

"NO!" James bellowed in rage, and chased the rat to the mouth of the cave where Crookshanks was patiently waiting. He pounced, and a crunching, snapping sound shook all of them from their reverie. He shook the rat in his teeth viciously, and with one paw neatly eviscerated their former friend who was currently being eaten by a half-kneazle. They all stood there for moment in shock and horror, but then they turned as a unit toward the reason they'd come here .

"Hermione!" Sirius was on his knees by her body, his wand out as he countered the silencio and the Incarcerous. She lay there, unconscious, and he felt his heart turn over in his chest. He picked her up and cradled her against his chest. James looked at him.

"St. Mungo's," James said shortly, and Sirius nodded. They all apparated to St. Mungo's and hurried in after Sirius who was racing in with Hermione in his arms.

HP/HG/HP

Still with me?

Where else would I be?

Well, you could have been tortured into mindlessness like the Longbottoms.

I suppose that's true. However, they didn't have you, now did they?

Was that a compliment?

No.

I think it was! I think you just credited me with saving your mind!

I don't believe that I did.

You may not have said the words, but I know what you meant. You're welcome, by the way. It was no trouble at all, considering that if I lost you I'd be all alone in here, and that would be absolutely no fun whatsoever.

Thank you.

Do you have to act like that?

I'm not in the best mood at the moment, I apologize.

No, I imagine that you wouldn't be. You were tortured even more than I was at Malfoy Manor. Luckily for you, the chance that you need to hang out in the caves above Hogsmeade are slim to none. You won't have naïve witches dragging you about Malfoy Manor because their mum brought them along.

Yes, well, Bella is a monster. Lucius didn't have anything to do with it.

No, he didn't.

Do you have to act like that?

I really despise you for making me see Malfoy as a human being, you know? It was much easier when he was a monster.

It always is. Unfortunately, most of them are NOT merely insane like Bella.

I'm learning far more than I ever would have credited possible.

Excellent.

Do you think it's safe for you to come out now?

No…no, not yet. I feel safer here, with you. If he really does do what he threatened, I'd rather not know.

Sirius would still want you, you have to know that. He loves you.

I know, but would I want him? What if every time he touched me, I flinched? What if I broke down every time he tried to share my bed? A man can only handle so much before it overwhelms him.

He would wait.

For how long?

Forever, love. He would wait forever. Mine would, and I know yours would, too.