Disclaimer: If my dreams came true, one of the first ones answered would be to own Harry Potter & co. and/or the Marvel universe. Unfortunately, I'm still awake, while my dreams still remain just that - dreams.

The Lifestyle of Strays

Ch. 1 - "I have always brought home stray animals - everything from squirrels to wild rabbits to foxes and turtles." - Amy Weber

From the very beginning, Hermione Jean Granger had a wide-open heart. For such a kind-hearted girl, the bullying from her peers was excruciating - she simply couldn't understand how the other kids could hate her so much just because of her love of books and esoterica. Some children deal with this by hardening their hearts, fighting back, or changing themselves to fit in, but not Hermione. If Hermione knew one thing though (she of course actually knew many), it was that she wouldn't change the essence of who she was for anybody who resorted to such cruel tactics.

And so it was that at the young age of 6, Hermione opened her heart to the animals.

It was a rare week that Hermione didn't bring some poor, misbegotten creature home to her parents, pleading with her parents to help her heal them. She would find squirrels with broken legs, birds caught in plastic, and once, she even had to call her parents for help with a fawn in their backyard.

Realizing their daughter's tendency towards aiding the ailments of wildlife, Drs. Jenna and Stephen Granger quickly arranged for several lessons with a close friend of theirs by the name of Arran Davies, who was a veterinarian a couple towns over and volunteered in the RSPCA. It was here that Hermione truly began to thrive.

Every Saturday, Arran would pick Hermione up from her parents house at 8am, and he would allow Hermione to help out with some small and less risky tasks at his clinic, such as answering the phone and entertaining the more docile animals while he spoke with their owners, and then they would go and spend an hour or two volunteering at the RSPCA. As the years passed and his faith in Hermione's abilities (and certifications) grew, she graduated from running the desk to preparing the rooms for the animals, until she eventually began to to help him with the basic checkups. By her eleventh birthday, she was a card-carrying member of the RSPCA volunteers and knew all of the members' names where she volunteered, and with some willpower, several confusing weekends, and by pulling a lot of strings, Arran had managed to convince a local university to test her for her Certificate in Advanced Veterinary Practice in both the small animal and equine modules.

Everywhere she went, Hermione had the ability to charm animals out of their hiding grounds, to convince them to trust her. When she went to the zoo, all of the habitats would be active. Even the least friendly cats would curl up next to her, and would happily spend hours just in her company. Unfortunately, her passion only served to further ostracize Hermione from her fellow classmates, but Hermione rarely let it affect her anymore - after all, she knew she would always be accepted by her animals.

This all changed though, upon the arrival of an elderly tartan-clad woman the summer before her twelfth birthday….

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Hermione stared at the letter, shell-shocked. A witch? How was this even possible? She would have suspected it to be a cruel joke by one of her classmates, but despite her odd apparel, she could tell that this woman, one Minerva McGonagall, meant business.

"I realize that this must come at a shock to you and your family, but I must assure you that I speak the truth, and if you wish it, I will perform some magic so as to set your minds at ease," sounded the professor's scottish-tinged voice.

Jenna and Stephen Granger, who were only barely in better shape than Hermione, looked at each other for a minute before Jenna slowly nodded her head and said "Y-yes, I believe that would be appreciated."

McGonagall steadily made her way into the middle of the Grangers' sitting room, and before their very eyes, turned into a distinctively marked silver tabby cat.

In Hermione's mind, this completely knocked away her doubts on the validity of the letter and introduction - after all, they had just watched a woman shrink down into a cat! Nothing could replicate that, and besides… the longer she thought about it, the more times she remembered something simply unexplainable happening around her - the time when she lost her grip on a tree 10 feet above the ground while trying to help a cat, and instead of falling, the tree seemed to gently lower her down, or when she was 5 years old, hiding from her peers (this was before she discovered her animals, remember) and whenever one of them looked directly at her, their eyes just slid over her. Of course, this is even ignoring the biggest clue of all - her tightly knit bond with all sorts of animals! Really, what could it be if not magic?

Now that she was no longer plagued with doubts about its existence, Hermione began to grow more and more excited. This explained everything! For years she had wondered why she had to be so different from the others, one of the only questions she couldn't find the answer to, except here it is, staring her in the face - Magic! Surely, once she joined this wonderful world the professor spoke about, then she would find some friends, find out where she belongs, right?

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Wrong. Completely and utterly wrong.

No matter what she did, it seemed she just couldn't fit in. It hadn't even been a month into the school year yet, but she was pushed to the side, yet again. It seemed like the only thing she could do right was her schoolwork and caring for animals - except she couldn't even do the latter of those two here. Since Hogwarts was a boarding school, she couldn't help out at the clinic and volunteer at the RSPCA every Saturday, in fact, she couldn't even help the Keeper of Keys - was his name Hagrid? - with the animals he took care of; only the third year students and up who took the Care of Magical Creatures elective were allowed to help him. The closest she could get was visiting the Owlery and researching the various breeds of magical animals and Beings that inhabited the Magical World.

In the beginning, she spent most of her spare time in the Owlery because not many of the people who teased her even here were willing to climb the stairs to follow her, but after two weeks she had to stop. You see, any student who spent an abnormal amount of time in any high tower (that wasn't one of the dorms, of course) was called in for a meeting with their Head of House. This was in order to determine if those students were at all suicidal. Although there are wards to prevent someone from falling and hitting the ground if they jumped with the intent to cause themselves harm, that doesn't mean a student couldn't find some other way if they were determined.

So Hermione was forced to relocate to the library, spending her copious spare time researching the Wizarding World's various magical species. However, the events of the Halloween Feast soon changed that.

Ron's harsh words hurt - well, who wouldn't be stung by the phrase "She's a nightmare, honestly. It's no wonder she hasn't got any friends"?

But no. What really hurt was that so many students stood around, and could clearly see her… but not one said a word in her defence. Her hasty retreat to the girls' bathroom had more consequences than she ever thought possible.

Hermione had friends!

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Hermione was worried.

She had sent five letters to Harry in the past month, but hadn't received a reply to a single one of them. Even Ron had replied to the first letter she had sent, and they had exchanged correspondence a few times, but when she asked Ron, he hadn't gotten anything from Harry either.

Now, contrary to everyone's belief, Hermione wasn't only book smart. She was very intuitive when it came down to it, and she had noticed how much Harry had acted like one of her wounded animals last year. She had quickly put together his actions with how he almost expertly avoided questions about his home and how poorly all his clothes fit, and had come up with a conclusion she definitely didn't like.

It was because of this that she realized her tendency to adopt and take care of strays and injured wildlife extended also to people.

Although really, she almost had more sympathy for the slugs than Ron after Draco called her… well… that. Almost, though she's not a monster!

Then, about two-thirds of the way into the school year, Hermione figured out what was located in the Chamber of Secrets - a Basilisk! Unlike most other people's natural reactions to this though, Hermione's first though was of concern for the basilisk. Who had been taking care of it? Followed quickly of course by concern for her friends and peers and the need to share the information with Harry, Ron, and the professors.

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Third year was definitely one of the most exciting for Hermione. Before it even started, she found her familiar, a half-kneazle most would call ugly (but never Hermione) named Crookshanks. But that's not the only animal she wanted to help before school started - on the train ride to Hogwarts, Hermione met Professor R. J. Lupin, a man in patched robes with too many scars and a beat-up trunk. Really, was it any surprise she wanted to pull out a sandwich or buy something off the trolley for him from the moment she laid eyes on him?

During the school year, she was finally able to take the Care of Magical Creatures elective she had been hoping for since those terrible first few weeks two years ago. To be honest, she probably used the time-turner just as often to go back and help Hagrid with the animals as she used it for classes and schoolwork. Then, after that fateful class with the Hippogriffs, she almost tripled her time spent back in an effort to help Hagrid put together a defense for poor Buckbeak!

And that was before they even chased after Ron into the tunnel under the Whomping Willow.

Hermione quickly discovered three three things that night.

The first is what it felt like when one of her strays betrayed her. She had spent the year keeping Professor Lupin's secret, and doing what she could to keep others off of his scent, so to speak. Even if it was only for a few minutes, believing that he betrayed them - betrayed her - in the Shrieking Shack cut her to the core.

The second was why she never felt protective towards Ron's rat, Scabbers. Previously, she had thought it was due to how possessive Ron was towards him. Maybe there simply wasn't enough space for Hermione too? But when she saw Scabbers transform into Peter Pettigrew, she knew exactly why.

And thirdly - werewolves are scary. And apparently, they pay attention to her. There's no way her howl sounded realistic enough to draw Moony away from their past selves. The only thing she was basing it off of was a description she read in a book! But now, Hermione knew that her talent with animals also extended to the magical ones as well - even if perhaps she wished it wouldn't!

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Fourth year was much slower than third year, but at the same time all the more heartbreaking.

In her fourth year, Hermione decided to adopt and fight for an entire species - the House Elves. How could no one else see it? How abominably they were treated, with no protections set in place for them. It wasn't that she was trying to stop them from cooking and cleaning, or whatever they liked to do, but she was trying to ensure that they had a choice, that they were protected and had options, that they could leave if they were abused, could demand pay if they wanted it. Granted, upon reflection, she definitely could have gone about it in a better way, but she simply couldn't fathom how nobody in the Wizarding World understood that everyone deserved basic rights.

If that wasn't enough, Hermione was forced to watch as Harry was thrown head-first into that bloody stupid Tournament, and how it seemed everyone but her turned on him. Her first human stray, tossed into these tasks with no idea what to do, and three years less experience than the other champions.

Even the tasks themselves were horrifying to her protective tendencies, and not just because Harry had to go through them. No, in the first task alone, she had to watch as four proud, magical beasts were manhandled into the arena for other's entertainment. She was almost sick as she watched Krum's dragon step on its own eggs.

And then.

The horrifying end.

She could feel the distress emanating off of Harry upon his return. One of her strays, tortured and made to participate in the resurrection of the same dark wizard that had been trying to kill him since before he even reached the age of two. Helpless to stop the traitor Pettigrew from murdering Cedric Diggory. She was certain that he'd always feel guilty about that, no matter how she tried to help him. After all, he told her later that Cedric was only there because he said they should grab the cup together. Knowing her Harry, he was taking all the guilt for that, no matter that he couldn't have predicted what was going to happen.

Fourth year was when it all started to go wrong.

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Fifth year wasn't much better.

While Hermione and Ron waited for Harry at 12 Grimmauld Place, Hermione was practically in agony. Stuck with really only Ron for company, whom she still hadn't entirely forgiven for his comments at the Yule Ball, and cut off completely from Harry. Every day she wanted to write to him, but with Headmaster Dumbledore's forced embargo on all information out of the house, she was helpless. Sure, she could have found a way around him, but finding a way to explain to Harry that everyone was purposefully cutting him off? She wasn't sure how to do that even face to face.

In school, she was introduced to the lovely Professor Dolores Umbridge, who, despite her toad-like qualities, failed to endear herself to Hermione in the slightest. Hurting her strays? That prejudiced, toad-faced bitch! The nerve of that cow, forcing the students in detention to partake in self-mutilation! Honestly, the best part of that horrid year, besides meeting Grawp, was definitely abandoning Umbitch to the centaurs. It was right on par with slapping Draco in third year.

While Hermione did of course enjoy meeting the Thestrals, the outcome of that night at the Ministry was one she had never wished for.

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Sixth year. Why did it always seem to come back to Ron? Just because she was kind, and had an open heart, did he seem to think "oh look! An open target. Let's practice our aim"? He clearly saw she had crush on him, but just because he was a bit jealous over the Slug Club, he decided to throw it back in her face by dating Lavender? Her and her precious "Won-Won".

After his callousness at the Yule Ball, she really shouldn't have been surprised. She was, however, extremely happy to have learned the spells Avis and Oppugno. Especially when used together on idiot boys who let petty feelings rule them….

She always knew the birds were on her side.

Sixth year was when Hermione learned that not only would she defend her strays to her dying breath, she also had the strength to defend herself.

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Seventh Year.

The Year That Wasn't.

The Lost Year.

Her parents, who will never remember again. She left Crookshanks with them, guarding them. Hopefully, if she makes it out of this, she can come and pick him up, her familiar - but she couldn't bring him with them, not with where she knew they'd be going.

Protecting Harry, herself and Ron, everyone relying on her to be the brains of the group. Sometimes, it wasn't enough. She wasn't quick enough when Ron was splinched. It took her too long to figure out the purpose of Gryffindor's sword. The boys seemed to rely entirely on her to figure out where the next Horcrux was, and she was just one person!

Ron's jealousy came back to haunt them when he left. She was doing the best she could, but he never seemed to see. He left, and it was just her and Harry. Her brother in all but blood, who took care of her for a change.

But then they went to Godric's Hollow.

One wand split between the two of them, nerves ever fraying, they were running out of food, but she still couldn't seem to stop herself from leaving little clues for Ron, just in case.

And then, just in case happened. Ron came back! For once, things seemed to be looking up - they found the sword, they destroyed the Horcrux, and they were all together again.

But it was not meant to be. Because then, they were caught.

Tortured

She couldn't even think

Pain, all-consuming pain

The Cruciatus Curse, over and over and over until

The scar

Her wonderful brain, so full of information, but it couldn't save her.

"We didn't take anything!" the only thing she let herself say, never breaking.

Then Dobby. Wonderful Dobby, one of the House Elves she fought so valiantly to secure a future for, the turning point.

Harry and Ron escaped because of Dobby's help. Dobby, amazing, brilliant Dobby with the chandelier and the apparition.

But she still

couldn't

save him.

Left with the reminder on her arm but she couldn't stop moving, no, so close to the end they made it this far she had to make it just a bit further, just a bit.

Further.

And somehow it's a good idea to break into Gringotts, dressed as the woman who just tortured her.

Her heart, almost ripped out of her chest when she saw how the once proud dragon was being treated. Freeing the dragon was one of the things she was most proud of on the Horcrux Hunt.

And then it was time to go back to Hogwarts, where it all seemed to begin.

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The Battle of Hogwarts. With each dead body she saw, each face she recognized, another part of her seemed to break.

Severus Snape. Loyal to them to the end, despite what everyone thought. She always thought he seemed like another stray, but stuck by himself for so long, he didn't know how to be anything else.

Remus and Nymphadora "Tonks" Lupin. Leaving behind their infant son, their cub - well. Harry's cub now, she supposed. He was godfather. And the world seemed a little less bright.

Fred Weasley. Oh Merlin, Fred Weasley. It almost would've been kinder to take them both. She saw cases like this all the time when she worked at Uncle Arran's clinic, where whoever was left simply didn't have the willpower to stay.

Lavender Brown. She never wanted it to have ended like this, despite everything that happened between them.

Colin Creevey. The little boy with an avid interest in photography, too much of a Gryffindor to be able to sit back, not when others were out there fighting for him. After the Battle of Hogwarts, someone developed the film in the camera he always carried with him and found pictures of the Battle. There's a permanent exhibit for remembrance in the Ministry now.

Fifty other people, too many to name, but she will always remember their faces.

The overflow of emotions with Ron. But she knew he'd never be able to put his jealousy behind him. They both agreed it wasn't something they wanted to pursue.

The worse part though, was when she couldn't find Harry.

His damn saving-people thing, always sacrificing himself first. Her first human stray. If she broke before when she saw the dead, it was nothing compared to how Hermione Jean Granger felt when she saw Hagrid carrying Harry's limp body to the courtyard as Lord Voldemort swept forward. She saw the same thing reflected in the eyes of everybody there.

And then Neville. Brave, brave Neville, the most Gryffindor of them all.

And then.

And Then.

AND THEN.

Harry was alive!

Almost before she knew it, they were all back in the courtyard, after Molly Weasley obliterated Bellatrix Lestrange, after Neville killed Nagini, and suddenly.

It was over.

It was over, but she still had to hold back tears as she and Ron convinced themselves that Harry was alright, as the last of the Death Eaters tried to escape, as George turned to his side to talk to Fred, only to find an empty space.

But it was all over.

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A/N: Well let me tell you after sitting down and writing this, I have so much more respect for those authors that turn out 5 or 6 thousand words or more weekly. I have been working on this since 6pm, and it is now 3am and I still haven't sent it to my beta (the lovely tjwillow34) yet, but once I started, I couldn't stop.

A couple things I wanted to get out of the way:

I know it's not exactly realistic at the beginning when Hermione's gained those certifications but let's just go with it ok? I was really just trying to emphasize the influence animals had on her life, and how she focused on them specifically.

Constructive Criticism only please, no flames, if I don't know what you don't like, then I can't fix it.

There are a few things I changed to fit with the story better, like how George turns to talk to Fred, it originally happened when Harry revealed his status as living, and I just moved it to the end. However, if there is anything I need to fix that you see, please do not hesitate to leave a review ;) or pm me, my box is open.

I do not live in the UK anywhere, so if anyone sees something I messed up about the culture/jargon/groups, please let me know.

I will be updating sporadically, I have too much homework not to, but if I set a deadline I will do my absolute utmost to stick by it.

This is definitely going to be a multi-chaptered story, featuring Hermione as she travels and tries to recover from the war, and basically adopts a bunch of strays, both human and others. Once I've got the little family all assembled and maybe a few plot points hit (nothing's really hammered out yet), I will be moving her and the story to America. I do know that this is going to be a [Hermione Granger x James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes/The Winter Soldier] pairing, but at this point, I'm not sure of much else, so if there's anything you want me to add or consider, let me know, and I'll see if I can fit it in! Next, to give credit where it is absolutely due, the main idea for this fic came from MaryRoyale's wonderful story A Year of Siremione, chapter 4 - MaryRoyale, if you somehow end up reading this, I loved your portrayal of Hermione as such a badass mum, adopting the children no one else would, so thank you for writing! Lastly, thank you for sticking with me through this freaking monstrosity of an author's note, and I look forward to future chapters with you!

Finally off to sleep,

RoyalAdvisor13