A/N: This story is a collaboration between imtrouble and Nathaniel Cardeu, written for Hermione's Big Bang 2018, on the Hermione's Haven FB Group. The story is currently available, in full with aesthetics, on AO3, but a few people asked for us to bring it to FF and so it will be posted here over the next few days/weeks.

Cheerleader/Pom-Pom: Shinigamioni

Beta Reader/Artist: GaeilgeRua

We came up with this story idea about 4-5 years ago and finally managed to drag it out of 'WiP Purgatory', when challenged to write a 50k word story. Well, this ran away with us, went off on several different, unforeseen tangents, and generally left us pulling our hair out... But we love it, and hope that you do too!

Comments, thoughts, reactions, constructive criticism etc are all very welcome!
This is our baby and we are very needy authors that like to know if our meandering waffle is enjoyable!

List of tags/warnings: Angst, Dark, Romance, Kidnapping, Torture, Miscarriage

As FF has messed up the tags for characters, let me clarify:

Main Pairing: Hermione Granger/Theo Nott

Other people get involved in one way of another but this is primarily a Themione story!

Characters: Theo Nott, Hermione Granger, Adrian Pucey, Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Pansy Parkinson, Ron Weasley, Ginny Weasley, Blaise Zabini, Mr and Mrs Granger, John Dawlish, Original Male and Female Characters

We hope you enjoy this tale, and we welcome your thoughts and feedback!

Now, sit back and relax... Our story starts with the most important character in the tale...

Lost and Found

Part 1

Prologue

The shouts and laughter of children drifted on the air, reaching the bird as she flicked her wings. Her feathers puffed up as she looked around from her perch on the colourful, twinkling lights that were strung in zigzags across the wide street, swaying in the breeze. There were hundreds of lights that were sparkling from the boughs of the giant green tree, in the centre of the square. The racket being made by the band underneath filled the air with the sounds of trumpets, horns, and drums. The crowd sang along to the seasonal songs, just as they always did at this time of year.

The pigeon knew that there would be scraps of food to be had later, but she was full at the moment. With a flick and an ungainly flap, she took to the air, heading for home.

Alighting on the corrugated roof, she strutted across the ridges to the rusted hole. Dust drifted serenely through the air within, lit by a spear of winter sunlight shining through the broken roof. The pigeon pushed through the gap, cooing and fluttering as she walked along the wooden roof beam. Her mate called a greeting before hopping off the nest and out of the roof, the two nearly grown chicks following him outside. They huddled and hunched against the chill wind, watching with impatient jealousy as their father flew off to gather food.

The pigeon preened her filthy wings, trying in vain to get the London grime out of them. Head on one side she gave a cursory glance at the only other occupant of the large warehouse.

They hadn't moved. Still sat in the chair with that sack over their head. Their limbs were bound to the chair with rope. Old blood stains decorated their ripped clothing, and several nasty cuts were visible through the tears. They slumped forward, as much as the bindings would allow, their breathing shallow.

In her own, tiny-brained way the pigeon wondered at this human occupant. They had been here forever, certainly since she had started nesting here; sometimes in the chair, sometimes laid down, occasionally stood. The pigeon had laid two separate clutches of eggs, hatched them, raised the squabs, and watched the first pair leave the nest. It wouldn't be long till her second brace of young were ready to fly too. She had already laid another two eggs and expected to watch them hatch and fledge, with this human still down there. Always tied with ropes, always bleeding. The coppery smell made her uncomfortable, but the nest seemed safe up here.

The human was visited each day by another one. The pigeon didn't like to be around when that one turned up and abandoned the nest during those times. She never knew if her eggs or babies would still be there when she returned, but she couldn't remain in the warehouse.

She hated all the screaming.