Hey guys! Guess I had my writing pants on today because I came up with a another new chapter for you guys. :o) Hope y'all like it!

I also wanted to address a question one of the readers asked just in case other people were confused too. Hermione and her pack are still in school because Dumbledore claimed they weren't ready to take their NEWTS so instead, everyone in the pack is now in their seventh year at Hogwarts.

Love,

Adrien

Disclaimer: Definitely don't own anything recognizable from Harry Potter. If I did, I wouldn't be going into debt for my degree.

Chpt. 17: Off to a Shitty Start

How did she even find out we were the Marauders? Fred thinks, glaring at the pink toad who is currently shining a kitten plate at the front of the classroom, pretending to not have heard the four teens come in.

I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore told her himself so he didn't come out looking like the bad guy for giving us detention before school even technically started, Hermione replies in her mind, trying not to show her disdain on her face as she speaks out loud, "Professor?"

"Take a seat," the woman snaps, gesturing toward the four seats closest to her desk.

The four teens slowly make their way to the seats, each sinking down into comfortable looking positions that scream confidence and cockiness when in reality they are poised and ready for whatever this woman is going to throw at them because they can fee that she is unsafe.

"I had hoped to get through this first week without any confrontations but it seems that you four did not feel the same way," she pause, waiting for them to respond. When none of them do, she purses her lips and picks up parchment and a box from her desk. "You will be writing lines today." She places a piece of parchment and a quill in front of each teen. "Go on. Pick up your quills. You will write: I will not make mischief. As many times as it takes to sink in."

She stares at them expectantly until they each begin to write on their parchment.

I will no- Hermione pauses midsentence, her nostrils flaring. A blood quill!

A what? Fred asks, worry lacing his thoughts.

It's a quill that uses our blood instead of ink. They're extremely illegal. Hermione growls in her mind.

I don't think she gives a rip about that, love, Fred replies, glaring at his parchment and flexing his hands.

We need to look into her. If she's willing to use these, who knows what else she is willing to do. Hermione starts writing again, clenching her hand as each letter is carved into her hand.

Let's just get through this first, love, Fred replies, pushing his love to her through their bond.

Hermione huffs then continues writing.

An hour later, the Marauders were walking out of Umbridge's classroom in an uncharacteristically tense silence.

"Mione!" Harry sweeps her off her feet and into a tight embrace about halfway up to the Gryffindor common room. "What was that? I could feel you all in pain." He pulls away just enough to check over Hermione for injuries.

Seeing the unbridled worry in her beta's eyes makes the fear that Hermione had buried in anger bubble to the surface and tears fill her eyes. "She made us use blood quills, Harry. She made us use them and there was nothing I could do. There was nothing I could do," Hermione's voice is muffled by her best friend's shirt as she buries her face in his shoulder.

"It will be ok. We will stop her, love," Harry murmurs, holding her tightly and rubbing her back softly. "I promise that we will stop her just like we will stop Riddle."

"What are you even doing out here?" Hermione's voice is thick from her tears when she finally pulls away just far enough to rest her head on her best friend's shoulder as they slowly continue making their way to their common room.

"Dumbledore wanted to see me. He wants me to do special training with Snape and he was not happy with me when I reminded him of the bond we formed last year that means you will go wherever I go. If I'm getting special training, so will you. He couldn't very well say no to that logic," Harry tells her, his emerald eyes gleaming with a mixture of mischief and worry.

"When's our first lesson?" Hermione asks, softly shutting as she trusts her packmates to lead her home.

"Tomorrow night after classes," Harry tells her.

"Great," Hermione sighs and they enter the classroom.

The rest of the walk to the tower is spent in soft conversation about everything but the things that could cost them their lives. What they're doing for Hogsmeade weekend. What Hermione wants to do for her birthday. How they're going to spend the first weekend of the school year.

"What happened?" Draco asks as soon as the group of five enters the room.

"I'll leave that explanation up to my less handsome twin, my too handsome best friend, and Harry. I think it's time for Mione and I to turn in for the night," Fred states, scooping Hermione into his arms.

"You need to talk about it," Fred states, shutting the door behind him. "Whatever it is, I know that you haven't been sleeping well because of it. I can feel it. That's why your temper is so short and your emotions are out of whack." He pulls an old Quidditch jersey and a pair of sleeping pants from his trunk.

Hermione sits on the edge of his bed, her eyes following his movements as he unbuttons his shirt and she attempts to get her thoughts together.

Once Fred has stripped down and pulled on his sleeping pants, he turns his attention back to Hermione and slowly begins unbuttoning her shirt.

"I can't get that night in the graveyard out of my head," she whispers, her eyes trained on a small scar on her mate's left shoulder.

"What happened there, love?" Fred asks not for the first time as he gently tugs the jersey over her head. "You need to talk about it, it's tearing you apart."

"I know you're right. I just…I don't like thinking about it…" Hermione states, taking a deep breath and preparing herself to finally tall her mate what had happened that night…something she had been avoiding telling him for months now, telling everyone she was fine in the hope that if she said it enough she really would be. "We only survived that night because we were lucky…"

*flashback*

This probably wasn't our best idea, Harry thinks as he and Hermione sprint toward the portkey.

I'd like to point out that it was your idea, Hermione snipes back in her mind as she glares at her best friend.

I didn't want to risk Viktor, Cedric, or Fleur coming with…BLOODY HELL! Harry falls to the ground, petrified by Pettigrew.

I really hate you right now, Harry! Hermione screams through their bond as she hexes Pettigrew, trying to keep him from her fallen packmate.

Just go! Harry replies.

Don't be stupid! Hermione snaps, half tempted to hex him instead of the rat in front of her.

LOOK OUT! Harry's warning is two seconds too late as Nagini lashes out at Hermione's leg but it's enough of a warning to keep the snake's fangs from sinking in. Instead the fangs graze her leg and pain flares through her tendons.

Don't freak out, Hermione warns as she collapses to the ground, a plan forming in her mind.

I'm freaking out, Harry replies, hysteria and humor warring in his mind.

"Leave her, the venom will kill her in minutes and then she'll be a nice snack for Nagini," Voldemort's voice rasps, stopping Pettigrew from shooting off another spell and Hermione from giving away her plan.

Hermione silently flicks her wrist and slowly begins levitating the portkey toward her.

The pain of venom flares through her leg, waring against the lycanthrope that has been running through her veins for half her like, and makes focusing on silently levitating the cup extremely hard. Harry's screams pierce the air and her casting faulters.

HARRY! Harry, are you ok? Hermione thinks, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes.

I…I'm fine…Pettigrew just cut into my arm. He's using my blood in a potion to resurrect Riddle. Harry responds, his pain bleeding into his mental voice.

Can anyone besides you see me? Is anyone paying attention to me? Hermione asks because she can't comfort her brother right now, she doesn't know how.

I can't even see you right now, your body is hidden behind a tombstone right now. Do you have the cup? Harry sends her his love through their bond, he doesn't know how to comfort her either. What can you say when a madman is being resurrected before your eyes and you can't do anything about it?

Almost. Hermione replies as she sits up and leans her back against the tombstone she assumes is hiding her from Harry's view.

Mione, the cauldron is bubbling! Panic shoots into Hermione's mind from Harry, heightening her on fear for her brother and herself.

Do you have your wand? Hermione tries to distract her best friend as her eyes roam the terrain around her.

It's on the ground in front of me right now but I can't get to it best I'm trapped against a statue. Hermione can feel her brother struggling against whatever is holding him and then he freezes, his fear spiking to a new height and making Hermione's heart tighten in panic. Something's coming out of the cauldron!

Harry, I have the cup and I'm coming for you. You just need to figure out how to get to your wand. Hermione casts a healing charm on her leg. It's not enough to clear it of venom but it's enough to let her walk without the pain affecting her casting.

Hermione quickly creeps from tombstone to tombstone, making her way toward her best friend and the madman only to freeze when the sound of apparition reaches her ears. How many? She asks her beta, the alpha command creeping into her mental voice.

Ten, including Draco's father. Harry responds, struggling even harder against his restraints as his terror continues to rise. How are we going to get out of here?

I don't know. Hermione replies, a million ideas passing through her mind.

They're coming over here, you need to go, Harry mentally growls, his fear for her overpowering everything else in his mind.

I'm not leaving you, Hermione snaps back, casting a disillusionment charm over herself and the cup.

I'm free but I'm surrounded, Harry informs her, images flickering through his mind of what he sees around him.

We're surrounded, Hermione corrects him, sending him her line of vision of the deatheaters taking the back of the statue.

You should have left, Harry tells her, Riddles words echoing in his mind alongside the thoughts he purposefully sends her.

You are NOT going to die like your father, Hermione snaps, cutting off Harry's line of thought as Riddle's taunts sink in.

Harry doesn't get a chance to respond as pain floods his mind and his screams fill the air.

HARRY! Hermione screams through their bond, biting her lip to keep from speaking out loud and giving her location away.

Cruti…atis…I'm…ok…Stay…where…you…are. Harry thinks through the pain.

I love you, Hermione thinks, tears streaming down her face. We're going to be ok, she promises but even she's not sure anymore.

Love…you. Harry gasps mentally when he is released from Riddle's curse, his line of sight returning to Hermione in fragments and she sees Riddle casting the Imperius moments before she feels it hit her best friend. It's not much time but it's enough time to stop him from throwing it off the way they had been practicing for weeks.

DON'T! Harry, love, let him think that it's working then we can throw something to distract him and his deatheaters and then we can get the hell out of here, Hermione rushes out.

Together? Harry asks, pretending to struggle against the Imperius.

One, Hermione starts.

Two, Harry continues.

THREE! They think together, simultaneously throwing curses (Harry a blasting curse and Hermione her signature blue flames though these were much bigger than the harmless little ones she used for reading lights) at the people in front of them and running to one another.

Harry tackles Hermione in a tight hug, clutching her and the cup tightly to his chest as they spin away from the graveyard.

By the time they hit the ground, both Harry and Hermione are sobbing in relief because they survived and in fear because they both know this is only the beginning and the only reason they survived this time was because they were lucky.

*flashback over*

"You're safe. Harry's safe. We are all safe and we are going to win this war," Fred murmurs, holding Hermione close and pulling the blankets close around them.

"But we won't be for much longer and we can't know that we will win," Hermione replies.

"Then we can live in this moment right here, right now." Fred presses a kiss to her forehead, and places Hermione's hand over his heart. "This moment is what we have to hold on to when everything else goes to hell. This right here, this is real. This is what we will fight for."

"I love you," Hermione whispers, pressing her forehead to his.

"More than anything," Fred replies, kissing her lips.