Chapter 5

A week went by without any further confrontations from either Ron or Tonks. Hermione avoided Remus as best she could, coming down only for meals and returning to her room as quickly as possible. She picked up as much overtime as she possibly could and was able to put a little money away, after giving Tonks some for her share of the food and board. Remus wouldn't take it when she'd offered it, so she'd given it to Tonks, who, after a half-hearted denial, took the money gratefully.

Remus kept meaning to talk to Tonks, but was pleased at the lack of friction in the house, though he knew Hermione was unhappy, and that hurt him more than he'd anticipated. In the spirit of maintaining the status quo, he did not have the chat with Tonks he'd been meaning to.

But with three people walking around giving off sparks, the powder keg was bound to ignite eventually, and when it did, it was catastrophic.

Hermione was sitting in bed reading a book when someone knocked on her door. It was still early for Tonks to be home, so she knew it must be Remus.

"Yes?" Not wanting to invite him in, Hermione tried to sound busy.

"Can I come in for a moment?"

Hermione sighed. When he used that sweet voice, she could deny him nothing. She unwarded the door and it gently opened.

Remus entered with a tray of food: sandwiches, cookies, tea, and juice. Hermione hadn't realised how hungry she'd been, and she licked her lips unconsciously.

"I thought you might be too busy to come down, so I thought I'd bring dinner to you before..."

Before Tonks gets home and we have to deal with her, Hermione silently added. She smiled gratefully and gestured for him to join her on her bed. He set the tray on her bedside table and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed.

"What are you reading?" Remus asked, grabbing a triangle of sandwich. He'd brought enough for both of them in the hopes that they could re-establish the camaraderie they'd enjoyed in the past.

"Mmm, it's a Muggle classic. Dracula. I've read it before, but it always haunts me." Hermione had enjoyed the book when she was younger, but it resonated with her more than ever, now that she knew that magical creatures that frightened the Muggle world were real here in the wizarding world. Why, one such creature was perched on her bed at this very moment.

"Oh, I hate epistolary novels. They are so dry," he drawled, laughing.

Hermione smiled. "I usually do, too, but I can forgive it in this novel."

"Maybe you could loan it to me after you're done with it? I haven't read it since my school days."

"Of course. It would be nice to talk literature with someone."

Remus smiled that everlastingly warm smile, and Hermione felt more at home than she had in over a week. Suddenly, Remus' face lost the smile and his features contorted briefly before they became impassive. He got up abruptly and left her room.

Hermione was stunned, but the reason for his speedy departure became clear when she heard Tonks' voice in a shrill intonation she'd never heard before.

"So, Remus, leaving the little whore's bedroom, are we? Did you get what you wanted, or did I come at in inopportune time?"

Remus made a noise suspiciously like a growl and said, "You shouldn't talk like that, Nymphadora, it makes you sound like a bitter old hag."

Tonks gasped. Hermione suspected they were in the hallway and grasped her wand, getting out of bed and standing on the far side of it in case Tonks barged in.

"How dare you? How dare you?" Tonks was spluttering, and it seemed like she wanted to say more, but couldn't think of what.

"Please, don't do this." Hermione cringed to hear Remus beg. "You know there is nothing going on between Hermione and me. You're being wholly unreasonable, and you're only pushing me away."

"Oh, I'll show you 'pushing you away,' you mangy bastard."

Hermione heard stomping and raised her wand, training it on the door. Her heart was racing, but she didn't actually believe Tonks would hurt her.

She'd thought the same of Ron. She had been wrong before.

Tonks came in, wand thankfully tucked into her robes. However, Tonks had no intention of fighting like a witch, as Hermione quickly realised. Tonks crossed the bedroom floor, slapped Hermione's wand down with one hand while bringing her fist back to punch Hermione right in the cheek.

Hermione cried out, shocked to have been attacked manually rather than magically. She rallied quickly, slapping Tonks soundly on the recoil and then putting her wand in the older witch's face.

"Do not hit me again," she growled. Remus had witnessed the exchange, which had lasted only seconds, but had not been fast enough to stop Tonks. Tonks went to pull her wand on Hermione, but Remus grabbed her arms. She struggled against Remus' hold in the face of Hermione's wand, but the wizard did not let her go.

"Go!" he roared at Hermione, wanting to get her out of harm's way. Hermione gasped. Surely he doesn't think this was my fault? But the look on his face was enough to propel her forward.

Hermione paused only to grab her purse and, hearing Tonks shout, scream and swear all sorts of violence against her, she walked out the front door of Grimmauld Place with absolutely nowhere to go.

*

Remus had only felt like rage like this once before. It had been just over a week before, but at the moment, it was as if he were reliving it. He'd sent Hermione out and hadn't seen the ineffable sadness on her features. He hoped she was somewhere else in Grimmauld Place, unable to witness what he was barely able to contain himself from doing.

"Nymphadora Tonks. .." he spat, voice so low she had to strain to hear, but she seemed nervous to come closer. "You disgust me. I have put up with your childish antics for far too long. I am only sorry it took me this long to see through your facade of good nature. I actually believed you loved me. Now, I want you to leave."

Despite his harsh words, Remus felt his heart breaking. It was not usually in him to confront other people, but twice now he'd broken out of his traditional role... both times to protect Hermione Granger. When Tonks had hit Hermione, something inside of him had snapped, worse even than with Ron. He'd never felt more animalistic, and instead of hating and resenting the animal side, he was grateful for it. He knew instinctively he'd do anything to protect his pack member, even if it was against her former mate and his own spouse.

But somehow, he knew Ron was not her mate, just as he knew Tonks was not his. So the pain he felt was diminished by the intrinsic knowledge that he could never have been truly happy with Tonks anyway. They did not belong together; they did not belong to one another.

Tonks was staring at him, her face crumpled but her anger shining through. "Are you fucking kidding me right now, Remus? You think you can kick me out like trash? I'm the reason you are who you are! Before me, you were a kicked puppy, whimpering and begging to be taken into a warm home! And I did that for you, you prick. And now you'd just evict me from your life the minute that little harlot wheedles her way into our home? I was right about her all along, wasn't I? How long have you been fucking her?"

"So, you're finally letting your true self show, are you? It's about time. How could I have missed that beneath that cute and clumsy exterior laid a vicious and hateful bitch? Well, it's only too clear now. You have ten minutes to gather your shit and get out. I'll have the rest packed and sent to your mother's house as soon as I can bear to look at it. Don't you dare say another word to me. Just. Get. Out."

Remus abruptly left the room, slamming the door behind him so soundly it splintered and shattered the doorjamb.

He ignored the unearthly scream that came from Hermione's room and left Grimmauld Place in search of the only member of his pack.

*

Hermione had escaped to Muggle London. It sometimes gave her relief to be back in such a comparatively simple world. To and fro, never stopping, thinking only of themselves... Muggles were pretty easy to understand.

With what very little savings she had from all her overtime, Hermione got a room at a 'no questions asked' motel, the only one that did not need a credit card. She thought that it might be wise to get one of those for occasions such as this.

With her black eye and swollen cheek, she was sure she was a sight to behold. But the motel stood by their motto, and the man behind the desk wordlessly gave Hermione a room key.

Settling in and trying not to think about all the bodies that had frequented the bed before she'd gotten to it, she lay back on top of the covers.

She'd never been punched before. It bloody well hurt. Her neck hurt more than her cheek though, it had snapped back so quickly. She wished she'd punched Tonks instead of slapping her, but she didn't really know how to punch properly.

Hopefully Tonks hadn't turned her anger on Remus. He was a powerful wizard and a strong man, but Tonks was an Auror and had extensive training. But then, Remus had told Hermione to leave, so he must be comfortable with his choice. She had never expected him to choose her over his girlfriend, anyway. He did the only thing he could: get rid of the problem.

Hermione sighed and turned on the television. It felt like it had been ages since she'd watched the telly. She quickly remembered why she hated it so much and cursed the fact that she had recently finished the only book she had in her purse at the moment.

She knew she couldn't stay here forever, or even another night. She just couldn't afford it. There was a number she could call that would transfer to a wizarding operator, who would take a message and have it delivered by way of owl to anywhere in the wizarding world. It was convenient for circumstances exactly such as this. It also suited witches and wizards who had been exiled from the wizarding world for whatever reason, or for Muggle parents who needed to contact their magical kin. Her parents had used it a few times, before...

There was only one place she could possibly go, but before she did, she needed to make sure it was safe.

She called the number and gave the operator a message for Harry Potter, care of the Burrow.

Harry,

Love, Hermione

The operator repeated her message back to her and informed her that an owl would be sent out immediately.

Hermione curled up on the bed, waiting for sleep and feeling more alone than she ever had before.

*

Remus had had to return to Grimmauld Place around midnight. He'd searched everywhere he could think of and had sent owls to as many people as he could without risking his owl's health.

He knew he wasn't going to find her tonight. Obviously she did not want to be found. It devastated him to think of Hermione out there, alone, unsafe. She should be here, with him!

Remus went to sleep with the thought that he would continue his search tomorrow and would not stop until he knew she was safe.