The Darkest Hours

FayeValentine00

Rating: PG13
Genres: Drama, Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 19/10/2003
Last Updated: 12/07/2005
Status: in_progress

*Sequel to The Horrors of War* Voldemort is dead but the Death Eaters are still out there and dangerous. Will Harry and Hermione ever be able to find peace?

Chapters

1. Chapter 1

2. Chapter 2

3. Chapter 3

4. Chapter 4

5. Chapter 5

6. Chapter 6

1. Chapter 1

The Darkest Hours

By: FayeValentine00

Chapter 1

…………………………………………………………………………………

The Dark Mark had appeared over the streets of Muggle London two weeks prior. Since then, the Mark had been popping everywhere, both in Muggle and Wizarding towns. As far as the Order knew, there had been no injuries yet, even with that knowledge, fear of the Mark and of the people causing it was spreading like wild fire.

Harry had found it hard to concentrate on anything. His thoughts were full of where the Death Eaters had gone to and what kind of tragedies they might be planning. It’d become nearly an obsession. All he wanted was a normal life yet even now, with Voldemort dead, he was unable to find peace. It was a nightmare. The only thing that made his life worth living was the wonderful woman who sat on a couch across the room, sandwiched between Molly and Ginny who were gushing about something they saw in the newest bridal magazine they’d bought.

Hermione looked up and her eyes met Harry’s immediately. It was almost as if she’d known that Harry had been watching her. She gave him a small smile that warmed Harry’s heart, momentarily helping him to forget the dangers that lurked just outside the walls of the Burrow. She never failed to brighten his world, no matter how dark it seemed and before he knew it, he was returning her smile earnestly.

"So, what do you think of this hairstyle? It’s nice, don’t you think?" Molly asked oblivious to the fact that Hermione wasn’t hearing a word that she said.

It wasn’t until Ginny looked up and saw the locked gazes of her friends that she spoke. "Err, Mum, Let’s go and, umm, see what we can make for dinner."

"But Ginny dear, it’s only 3 o’cl-" Mrs. Weasley’s voice trailed off as she too watched the couple. "Oh, right then. Let’s go Ginny. There is much to do. We’re having company." Without waiting for a response from Hermione, Ginny and Molly quickly made their way from the room leaving the couple to themselves.

Slowly, Hermione stood up from her seat and crossed the room before settling down on the right arm of his chair. "Don’t do this to yourself, Harry."

His eyes dropped away from hers and turned to his own feet. "I don’t know what you’re talking about."

"Harry, please look at me." She placed a hand to his chin and lifted it until he was looking up at her. "What will come, will come. All we can do is stand up and face it when it does. We can do it, Harry. As long as we can stand up together we can do it."

"I know, Hermione. You’re right," he said slowly, his eyes trailing down her body and stopping at the diamond ring on her left hand. It felt like years since he’d given it to her yet it’d been mere days. His next words were spoken as almost an afterthought. "You’re always right."

Despite her best efforts, Hermione laughed out loud. "No, not always."

To her surprise, this time Harry smiled as well. "I guess we’ll just have to agree to disagree." Then, before Hermione could stop him, Harry reached out and pulled Hermione off the arm of the chair landing straight in his lap. Their eyes closed slowly and their lips were near centimeters apart when a voice spoke up.

"Look at this Fred. We can’t go anywhere these days without running into these two snogging," George’s voice rang out, loud and clear, for every person in the house to hear.

Hermione jumped out of Harry’s lap like someone had lit a fire underneath her. Her face was so red that he was sure she wanted to run away.

Fred opened his mouth to join in on George’s joke but Harry spoke first. "You both sure know how to ruin a good moment," he said hoping his face looked a bit calmer then Hermione’s.

"We try," Fred said with a wink while George walked over to Hermione and waved a hand in from of her face.

"Alright there, Hermione. We were only joking."

"F-fine," she said, still trying to regain her composure.

A new voice in the doorway took the focus off of the couple and brought everyone back to a harsh reality. "A new Mark has appeared in Muggle skies."

The voice belonged to Remus Lupin. If it was possible, he looked more haggard then usual. There was something in his eyes that told Harry that it was bad. Something that told them all that it was worse then anything that’d happened as of yet.

"Where is it, Remus?" George asked slowly as Molly and Ginny stepped into the room with looks of worry on their faces.

He didn’t answer at first. Remus’ eyes locked with Harry and a feeling of dread overcame him. His eyes darted to Hermione and back so quickly that Harry didn’t think anyone else had noticed yet a loud bang told Harry that Hermione had disapperated out of the room. He was just about to go after her when his former Professor grabbed his arm.

"It’s too late, Harry. The Granger’s are dead."

The whole room went quiet, all eyes turning to the place where Hermione had stood just moments before. They all knew what she was going to find when she got to the place where she called home yet no one knew what to do. It was nearly a full minute before Ginny finally broke the silence with three words that summed up everyone’s thoughts.

"Oh my God."

…………………………………………………………

Hermione disapperated as soon as she saw the look in Remus’ eyes. Somehow she just knew that the new Mark had something to do with her parents. This was the moment that she’d been dreading for years, ever since she’d learned how Mudblood were viewed.

She appeared with a pop on the sidewalk in front of the house that she’d been calling a home for her entire life. Her heart sunk the moment that she looked up and saw the Dark Mark hanging high in the sky. There were faceless people walking around that she only assumed were members of the Order but they were the furthest things from her mind at the time.

She knew what she would find if she walked inside yet she had no choice. She had to see the truth with her own eyes. She began to step forward slowly. One foot moved in front of the other, over and over again, until she stopped in the doorway. Every person that’d been milling around stopped what they were doing and watched her. For some reason, she couldn’t find the strength to go any further.

"Hermione, wait."

She turned around slowly and found herself looking up into Harry’s bright green eyes that were full of pain and sympathy. One look at his face and any hope that she may have held vanished.

"Harry, they aren’t… They can’t be…" Her lips had begun to tremble as her pleading eyes searched his. The sorrow in her eyes broke his heart. "They can’t be dead. Please tell me it’s a lie."

He couldn’t find any words to speak. He didn’t know what to say. Even though he’d lost his parents as a child, he had no cure-all to give her. All he could do was simply step forward and wrap his arms tightly around her small frame.

She stood rigid for a long time. He could feel her tears drip silently onto his shoulder, soaking through his shirt. Her breaths were coming in quick gasps. It was nearly 5 minutes before he heard her speak softly.

"I have to go to them."

"No, Hermione. I don’t think that’s a good idea."

Her head shot up quickly and her eyes met his fiercely. "I have to. I have to see them for myself. I have to see the truth!"

He knew he couldn’t argue but also he knew that there was no way he would let her go alone. With no other choice, he let out a long sigh and nodded his understanding. "Alright."

Her left hand found his right hand and squeezed it tightly. Harry could feel the ring on her finger and somehow felt even worse. It just occurred to him that Hermione wouldn’t be able to have her own parents at her wedding. It seemed so cruel and so unfair. In fact, it seemed so much so that Harry knew that the Death Eaters had not simply acted at random. They knew who they were killing and they knew why they’d waited till now. They’d waited until the killings would cause the most damage to the morale of the Order.

Hermione led the way, her hand never releasing its tight grip on his. They walked through the kitchen and into a large family room. Harry noticed a large number of people crowded around the far end of the room and something deep down in his soul told him that this was the place that they were seeking.

The people froze when they saw Harry and Hermione enter the room. No one seemed to know what to say so instead they simply got up and moved away. Harry didn’t want to look. He wasn’t sure that he wanted to see what lay on the floor. It wasn’t until Hermione gasped that he allowed himself to believe what Remus had told him.

Mr. Granger was lying closest to the couple. His eyes open with a look of shock on his face. Harry was relieved to find that Hermione’s father had more then likely not suffered. They’d been killed the same way Cedric had died. It’d been quick. At least Hermione could find peace in knowing that much.

Mrs. Granger was behind him. It was obvious that her husband had protected her until his final moments. Her face was pointed away which Harry was thankful for. The unseeing eyes of Mr. Granger were bad enough but he wasn’t sure if Hermione could stand seeing both of her parent’s faces.

"Alright," Hermione said softly her voice breaking. She made a move like she was about to step towards her parents but then stopped herself. There was nothing else that could be done. With that bit of knowledge, anger began to seep into her sorrow and the tears began to roll down her cheeks once more. "L-Let’s go."

"Hermione, I-"

She spun around so quickly that Harry took a step back but the look in her eyes said more then she ever could. "Please, Harry. T-Take me out of here." All of her emotions must have hit her at once because her knees gave out and Harry had to catch her.

Without waiting for permission, he scooped her up quickly into his arms and carried her from the room. Once he stepped back into the kitchen, Hermione’s defenses finally broke down and she burst out into loud tears for the first time. She threw her arms around his neck, buried her face into his chest and held on for dear life.

When he stepped outside, he found the Weasley’s waiting for him with looks of concern on their faces. He knew that he’d need some time alone with Hermione to talk things out so he turned to all of them with a pleading look.

"I’m going to take Hermione back to the Burrow. Can you stay here and make sure everything is taken care of? I’ll be back as soon as possible," Harry asked trying to keep his voice even but his own emotions were threatening to overtake him.

"Do you want me to help you?" Ginny mouthed silently so Hermione wouldn’t hear.

Harry shook his head but gave her a half-hearted smile.

"You just take her home, dear. We’ll take care of things here. It will all be alright," Mrs. Weasley said with concern in her eyes as she looked at Hermione’s sobbing form.

After one last quick nod, Harry disapperated and reappeared in Ron’s former bedroom wondering what on earth he’d be able to do to help the woman he loved.

2. Chapter 2

The Darkest Hours

By: FayeValentine00

Chapter 2

………………………………………………………………………………

Harry looked down at Hermione’s sobbing form in his arms and a flood of emotions hit him. He was sad, hurt, worried and disturbed but the strongest emotion of all was the growing anger in his chest. It was a passionate anger. It was the anger that Harry had felt towards Voldemort his entire life. It was the kind of anger that he’d hoped would have died along with his nemesis. It was the kind of anger that could destroy you if you allowed it to overcome you and, to be perfectly honest, it scared the hell out of Harry.

When he awoke from his thoughts, Harry found that Hermione had cried herself to sleep yet, even in sleep, Harry could see that she found no peace. She was mumbling incoherently and moving more than usual. Trying not to wake her, Harry laid her sleeping form onto the bed and covered her with the orange sheets.

He watched her for a long time wondering whether or not she’d ever completely get over this. He knew he’d never gotten over the loss of his own parents so how was he supposed to expect her to get over hers. He knew that this was going to change Hermione. One way or another, things would be different.

He wondered where they would go from here. Both he and Hermione had spoken about joining the Order now that they’d graduated from Hogwarts but maybe now she wouldn’t want to. He wondered if she’d just want to separate herself from everything… and everyone. He began to wonder what place he would still hold in her life.

A small piece of him wondered if she would blame him. He knew it was foolish to worry about it but he couldn’t keep his mind from straying in that direction. He wondered how he was supposed to hope that she wouldn’t blame him when he blamed himself.

A soft knock on the door caught Harry’s attention and he looked up to see Ginny’s red head peak in through the door. He could tell that she’d been crying and somehow she looked older then her years. There were lines etched in her face that somehow didn’t fit.

"How is she doing?" Ginny asked softly in a meek voice that he hadn’t heard her use in years.

"I’m not sure. She cried herself to sleep," he said reaching over to brush some of the hair from Hermione’s face.

"A-alright. I guess I’ll go then." She started to walk out but Harry’s voice stopped her.

"Ginny, wait. I think… I think I’d rather not be left alone at the moment."

The younger girl turned to look at Harry with an odd expression for a moment before nodding and closing the door behind her. There was an expression of understanding in her eyes as she crossed the room. She reached out and wrapped her arms tightly around Harry’s neck.

"Don’t do this, Harry. Don’t blame yourself."

"I’m not. I-"

Ginny pressed her index finger to his lips and gave him a serious glare. "I can see it in your eyes. I’ve seen that expression on your face far too many times. It doesn’t fit you at all. You haven’t caused this, Harry. You aren’t to blame in any of it."

Harry opened his mouth to deny her words once more but as he looked into her eyes, he knew that he couldn’t lie any longer. He needed to talk. He needed to get things off his chest now so when Hermione woke up, he’d be able to help her with a clear mind.

"I don’t even know what to say anymore, Ginny. Every time things seem to be at point where Hermione and I might be able to find some peace, something new will happen to drag us back down to reality. I don’t know how much longer she can take this… how much longer I can take it."

Ginny took his hand and led him away from the bed so as not to wake Hermione. She sat down on the floor near the corner of the room and pulled him down until he was sitting, facing her.

"It’s not always going to be like this. We’ll fight. We’ll win. Things will go back to the way they should be someday. We have to believe that, Harry. We just have to!" By the time that she’d finished her words, there were tears swimming in her eyes.

Somehow seeing Ginny, the girl who was as good as his little sister, in tears made things come into perspective. It forced him to realize exactly how much the actions of the rogue Death Eaters had affected everyone whom knew and loved Hermione. It forced Harry to see that the war no longer revolved around himself and some obscure prophecy. This time it involved everyone and he found himself wondering how many more people were going to die before they were able to find the peaceful world that Ginny spoke so passionately about.

A stray tear ran down the girl’s face and Harry wiped it away with a gentle touch. "You’re right. We’ll win. We’ll all find our peace soon enough but you shouldn’t even have to worry about these things. You still have another year at Hogwarts to worry about."

"It doesn’t matter," she said suddenly with a defiant gleam in her eye.

"What?" Harry asked with a confused expression.

"It doesn’t matter anymore. What good are some NEWTs going to be if there isn’t a decent world around to use them?"

It was that moment that Harry realized exactly how much thought Ginny must have been putting in on the idea of dropping out of school and it scared him to death. The thought of seeing one more person he loved thrown into danger nearly sent his emotions over the edge.

"Don’t think like that, Ginny. You have to go back to Hogwarts! Your parents would be horribly disappointed if you didn’t go back," Harry said, trying to think of anything he could in order to stop her from even considering dropping out of Hogwarts to join the Order.

"I don’t care, Harry! Ron is dead. They killed him! They killed the Granger’s too. Who’s next? I won’t let them kill anyone else! I have to fight!" The crazed expression of raw unbridled anger on her face pulled at his heart but Harry forced himself not to show how afraid he felt.

"No," his voice came out calm but cold and serious.

"What?" she asked giving him a look of disbelief.

"Listen to me, Ginny. You have to go back." She opened her mouth to say exactly what was on her mind but when Harry moved up onto his knees swiftly and looked straight into her eyes, she fell silent. "Please. Just do it for me. I am begging you. I couldn’t bare it if anything happened to you and neither could your family or Hermione. … Please, Ginny... for me."

She looked at him for a long time and Harry knew that she was considering what he’d said. He could tell that she understood what he was telling her but he could also see her fighting with the need that she felt to seek vengeance. It felt like an eternity before she very slowly nodded her head in agreement.

"You have to promise to contact me if anything happens."

"I promise," he said, not actually intending to keep that promise at all.

"I don’t believe you," she said giving him the look that every little sister gives their older sibling when she thinks that they are trying to fool her.

A new knock on the door saved Harry from any further promises that he knew that he wouldn’t be able to keep. Remus opened the room and looked first at Hermione’s sleeping form on the bed and then over to where Ginny and Harry sat on the floor.

"I’m going to walk for bit would you both like to join me. I think some fresh air might do us some good," the former Professor said with a forced smile.

"Ginny, you go. I’m going to stay with Hermione," Harry said while helping her to her feet.

"I’ll stay here with you, if you’d like."

"No, it’s fine. You go with Remus and tell him what you just promised me."

She gave him an annoyed look but then nodded, kissed his cheek and then walked out the door. Remus gave him an "I’ll-talk-to-you-later" look and then followed Ginny and closed the door behind himself.

"Harry?"

He turned around and saw that Hermione was awake and was pulling herself into a sitting position. She wasn’t crying anymore but the lost look in her eyes made the tears not seem as bad.

He crossed the room in three steps and sat down at Hermione’s side. He held out his arms and she leaned into his embrace. She was quiet for a long time and simply sat there lost in thought.

"I love you, Harry," she finally managed to say.

Something in those words instantly made Harry's world seem a little brighter. As long as Hermione still loved him, he’d be able to overcome everything.

"I love you, too. I’m so… so sorry."

"Oh, Harry," she said in a heavy sigh. "It’s not your fault. I know that. I just c-can’t believe that this is happening. I can’t believe that they’re really gone."

When no words came to Harry’s mind, he simply nodded. After that nothing more needed to be said. He wrapped Hermione up into a loving embrace and held her until they both finally fell asleep after praying that some day all of these horrors might someday be nothing more then a memory.

3. Chapter 3

The Darkest Hours

By: FayeValentine00

Chapter 3

…………………………………………………………………………

As Ginny and Remus walked down the steps and towards the front door of the Burrow, they could hear whispered voices coming from the sitting room. By the way the people spoke, Ginny could tell that the speakers were angry and there were a lot of them. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was a meeting for the Order and that was the reason why Remus was trying to take her outside. He was probably the only one willing to miss out on such an important meeting.

She felt anger build up in her chest as her eyes darted towards the direction where the voices came. They were treating her like a child but she wasn’t one. She was nearly in her seventh year but everyone insisted on treating her like she was too young to understand anything. They all said that they were trying to protect her but what if she didn’t want to be protected anymore? What if she wanted to do her part to defend her family and her friends like everyone else?

Remus looked over at the young girl with an unreadable expression. He knew what was going through her head and he felt for her, he really did, but he also feared for her safety. She had a tendency towards hot-headedness and he knew that particular trait bred danger.

"So, what were you and Harry talking about?" Remus asked carefully.

Even though her back was to him, Remus could tell that Ginny was wound tight with frustration. There was a tense tone in her voice that seemed to unsettle the former Professor even further.

"Not too much. I was simply telling him not to blame himself for Hermione’s parents. You know Harry, he always blames himself when something terrible happens." Her words trailed off at the end as if she wasn’t really paying attention to her words at all. Her attention was clearly focused on something completely different.

"Why don’t you tell me what you promised Harry."

Ginny’s feet stopped abruptly and she took a deep breath before turning around slowly to meet Remus’ eyes evenly. She couldn’t explain the exact sensation but there was an aching in her chest that grew tighter every moment she thought about returning to Hogwarts alone.

"I didn’t make any promise that I intend to keep," she finally said with barely concealed defiance.

Remus opened his mouth to tell her to stop being childish but almost immediately thought better of it. He knew one false move could cause Ginny to make a potentially fatal mistake.

Arthur and Molly had actually been the ones to ask Remus to have a talk with Ginny because they feared she wouldn’t listen to anyone else. If her brothers or parents tried to warn her about the dangers of joining the Order, she’d simply think that they were trying to baby her. The same was to be said about Harry and Hermione. Remus was the most objective person they could think of that Ginny might possibly listen to.

"Alright then. Why don’t you tell me what you said anyway."

Like a battle of the wills, the two stared into each other’s eyes. Ginny’s glare trying to prove her strength and Remus’ trying to prove his neutrality. Finally, after what felt like an hour, Ginny sighed and dropped her gaze.

"I told Harry that I would return to Hogwarts and not join the Order until I finish my NEWTs."

"And what is so bad about that?" he asked placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I don’t want to go back there and have to worry every day about whether or not my family is in danger. I want to stay here and fight like everyone else." As she spoke, there was a hint of sadness in her eyes that her former Professor had not expected.

"Ginny, I know this is going to be hard to take but your going back to Hogwarts is best for everyone."

Fire blazed instantly in the girl’s eyes. "You don’t understand what it’s like, Remus! Do you know what it’s like to be left out all the time, to be told that you’re too young? Do you know how it feels to stay home while every other person you know and love is fighting for their lives?"

"You’re right. I don’t understand," he replied with a sigh and, to Ginny’s surprise, he seemed to age with stress and worry right before her eyes. "I’ve never been left out of a battle because I was too young but what you need to understand is that things aren’t always greener on the other side."

"Stop it!" In blind rage, she slapped Remus’ hand off of her shoulder and moved forward until she was nearly chest to cheat with the man. "They killed my brother. They tried to kill Dad and me! How can I just stand back and wait?"

Something in Remus snapped at that moment and he took her firmly by the shoulders, forcing her to look him in the eye. "No, Ginny. You have no idea how I feel." The cold, dead serious tone in his voice rendered the smaller girl speechless as she watched a wave of emotion run through her former Professor that she’d never seen before.

"I’ve been there before, feeling the need to be useful, so I joined the Order with James, Lily, Sirius and Peter. I had to live for 13 years thinking that one of my best friends had been responsible for the murder of Harry’s parents only to find out later that we’d all been betrayed.

"I’ve had to watch people around me die one by one and wonder every battle if it might be my time to go! I have tried to keep Harry and Hermione out of danger for as long as possible but now they’ve left school, the decision to join the Order is theirs alone to make.

"You’re still in school, Ginny. You only have one year left. No matter how much you hate us for it, we’re trying to keep you from having to see the same things we have. You’ve already seen things far more horrible then you should ever have had to endure. There is no way your parents, brothers, Harry, Hermione and myself would ever be able to focus on a battle if we thought even for an instant that you were in danger."

By the time Remus finished speaking, tears were streaming down Ginny’s face. She’d never heard Remus’ speak so candidly and it seemed to put everything into a different perspective. It made her realize things that she didn’t even want to think about. "I just feel so useless," she choked out through tears.

"Don’t. Being at school and learning everything you can is the most important thing you could be doing. Going into battle without a complete knowledge of what you’re up against would be foolish." He paused a moment and offered Ginny a weak smile. "I’ll promise you this… if, God forbid, we aren’t over this hurtle by next summer, I will not stop you from joining the Order. In fact, I promise to bring you in personally."

She looked him over for a long time, trying to decide whether or not he was telling the truth. "What do you think my parents would say about your promise?"

Only then did a true smile spread across Remus’ face and he pulled her in closer as if sharing a secret. "Well, I don’t imagine that they’d be too happy about it but at that point, they won’t really have much of a say."

Although she really didn’t want to give in, Ginny knew a losing battle when she saw one. This was her only option. Hogwarts would once again have a Weasley in attendance for the new year. After a long pause, she nodded. "Alright. You win."

Remus concealed every sigh of relief from his face but internally let out a huge sigh. "Well, now that is out of the way, what do you say we actually take that walk now."

Realizing they hadn’t gone further then a hundred feet from the Burrow door, Ginny left out a laugh and nodded, "Sure. Sounds good."

………………………………………………

Three days after the attacks, Hermione awoke to a bright light streaming in the bedroom window and she knew that today she was the day she would have to move on with her life. She knew that it was going to be hard and she’d miss her parent’s every single day but there was work to be done. If she didn’t get up right at that moment, she knew that she might never find the strength.

Slipping out of the bed quietly to keep from waking Harry, she took a quick shower and made her way down to the kitchen. At first she thought that no one else was awake but when she stepped into the kitchen, she saw that Molly already making breakfast.

"Morning," Hermione said in a soft voice, trying to sound more cheerful then she felt.

"Oh, Hermione. Good morning."

The older woman put down the bowl she’d been mixing and wrapped her arms around the younger woman’s shoulders. "I heard you get up and I knew you hadn’t been eating so I am fixing all of your favorites."

Gratitude filled Hermione’s heart as she looked at the woman who’d become a second mother to both herself and Harry over the years. "Thank you. … Thank you for everything."

Molly looked at Hermione with a sad expression. She could tell that there were so many things that Mrs. Weasley wanted to say yet didn’t and for that Hermione was eternally grateful. Although she knew that in the coming days, there would be many discussions, she appreciated that those conversations didn’t have to start just yet. Somehow she knew it would all be easier to discuss if she had Harry by her side.

The women spoke idly as the food cooked. They were careful to avoid touchy subjects but Hermione quickly realized that being with her "second" family truly did make her feel just a little bit better. One by one, various members of the family made their way downstairs and although they were surprised at first to see Hermione, they hid it well and tried to make her comfortable.

Harry didn’t enter the room until right before breakfast was served. He must have been worried about where Hermione had gone because when his eyes met hers from the doorway, he let out a sigh of relief.

Everyone ate together in virtual silence, which is how things had been ever since the attack on the Grangers. In fact, it wasn’t until after Mrs. Weasley had cleared the table that Mr. Weasley dropped a bomb on everyone.

"Harry, Hermione, today there is a meeting for the Order. If you’d like to come, you are most welcome."

That was the closest thing to an invitation that the couple was ever going to receive. Both Harry and Hermione knew that what Arthur really meant to say was that if they wanted to join the Order, today was their chance.

Immediately, Harry wasn’t sure how to respond. He was torn between his desire for justice and vengeance and his concern for Hermione’s well being. She’d only just been able to come down and have a meal with her friends. Was she really ready to join the Order? Before he could even begin to vocalize his thoughts, Hermione answered for him with a firm look in her eyes that he knew meant she was completely confident.

"We’ll be there. Just tell us where and when."

4. Chapter 4

The Darkest Hours

By: FayeValentine00

Chapter 4

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That night, Harry and Hermione found themselves standing outside a large door. Just past that door was a meeting of The Order of the Phoenix. Although their thoughts remained unspoken, both knew that this was a major turning point in their lives. Joining the Order was something Harry had always wanted to do. Somehow he’d always felt that it was his duty to end the tyranny of Voldemort and his Death Eaters. The newest murders of the Granger’s had simply strengthened that conviction.

Hermione’s feelings were a bit different. She remembered how worried she’d been when she first heard Harry say that he wanted to join the Order during their fifth year. Although she’d never thought twice about running into battle at Harry’s side, joining the Order was still a big step for her. Joining the Order meant thinking about what was best for the Wizarding world, not thinking about personal ties or emotions. Yet, it was those very personal ties and emotions that had brought each member to Order. These conflicting themes made Hermione feel like she was playing with a double-edged sword.

It wasn’t until she’d been able to being to cope with her parents deaths that she realized she couldn’t allow anyone else to feel the same kind of pain and grief that she felt. She knew she’d still cry and that someday soon she’d have to sit down and talk everything out with Harry but at that very moment, the only important thing was stopping the horrors and pain that always followed in the wake of the Death Eaters.

"Are you ready?" Harry asked softly taking her hand in his.

"Ready as I’ll ever be," she sighed, not sounding as confident as she’d hoped. It was that lack of confidence that worried Harry.

He turned to her and looked her straight in the eyes. "You don’t have to do this."

"I want to, Harry. I really do."

Harry spent a long time looking into her eyes and Hermione felt like he was looking straight into the very depths of her soul. He was fighting internally with his own conflicting emotions. He was worried about her. If anything happened to Hermione he didn’t know what he would do. She was his world. She was what made his life worth living.

At the same time, he knew he couldn’t hold her back. She was too spirited and independent to be sheltered. She always had been. Even if that wasn’t the situation, it wasn’t his place to stop her. He was her best friend, lover and fiancé, not her parent. All he could do now was support her in any way possible.

He’d be able to sleep soundly at night if only he could stop the nagging thought in the back of his head that told him he’d regret that decision in the future.

"Alright then." With one last squeeze to her hand, Harry opened the door and entered the room full of so many familiar faces and some he’d never before seen.

………………………

Ginny had been left alone at Burrow while everyone else attended the Order meeting. At first she’d been annoyed but her conversations with both Harry and Remus were still fresh in her mind. She knew they’d spoken to her out of concern for her safety and she both loved and respected them for that. She knew that she was going back to school but she still had most of the summer to go and nothing to do.

She’d paced around her room for nearly half an hour before her eyes fell on the forgotten bridal magazine that Hermione had been looking through the night the Grangers had died. Much to Ginny’s amazement, Hermione had given her free reign to come up with ideas for the wedding. At the time she’d thought that they’d be working together but seeing as she had nothing else to do, Ginny picked up the magazine and began writing down every interesting she saw.

……………………

The meeting went by faster then Harry had imagined. Basically, they’d been brought before the group and introduced but since everyone there either knew the couple personally or through reputation, there was very little introduction needed. Also, due to the fact that both Harry and Hermione had been in so many battles with Voldemort and his forces and because of their previous exposure to many members of the Order, there was very little for them to learn.

All in all, it was a lot less dramatic then they’d expected. Harry wasn’t sure why that should surprise him. All the members of the Order that he knew were fairly down-to-earth people. Even when he’d been in meeting as an unofficial member, it’d been fairly normal. Yet, being a member, he must have expected something to be different because now that he’d been inducted nothing seemed very different at all.

The meeting didn’t cover any of the Death Eater sightings like Dumbledore had been planning because an urgent owl had come and called him away. After deciding to meet three days later, the Headmaster left and the members of the Orders all broke apart into smaller groups and began to talk amongst themselves.

When Molly and Arthur found themselves pulled into a conversation with Remus about some people Harry had never heard of, Harry and Hermione jumped at the chance to head home when then twins said they were "dead bored."

The four friend’s apperated into the yard of the Burrow feeling lighter then they had in days. Something about being with so many wizards who were all set on teaching the Death Eaters a lesson made them all feel a little stronger, a bit more confident. He’d even seen Hermione smile for the first time in days.

George opened his mouth to say something to Harry when the smile on his face melted away. His eyes were fixed on a place in the sky right above the house. Fred noticed the change in his twin’s demeanor and followed his gaze. Hermione watched as the blood drained from the faces of both men.

She didn’t want to look. She knew what she would see. When her eyes cut to Harry’s face, it cemented every one of her fears. The Dark Mark. Finally, giving in to the inevitable, she looked up and saw it. Dread made her blood run cold.

"Ginny!" Both Fred and George took off towards the house with Hermione and Harry right on their heels.

The stairs of the Burrow had never seemed as long. Every step felt like an eternity. Each thud of their feet on the staircase resonated in Hermione’s soul. After what felt like far too long, the twins threw their younger sister’s door wide open and nearly collapsed at what they saw.

Hermione pushed past them and walked into the room just in time to see Ginny sit up off the bed and rub her eyes. "What’s going on? Why are you being so loud?" She’d been asleep and completely oblivious to the Mark hanging up outside.

Once Ginny had finished rubbing her eyes, her gaze moved slowly over each face in her doorway. Every single one of them looked pale, out of breath and on the verge of tears. "What on earth is going on?"

"Oh, thank God!" were the only words to come out of Hermione’s mouth before her ran forward and through her arms around the smaller girl.

A sense of dread filled Ginny’s chest as Hermione wept into her shoulder. She immediately felt wide-awake. "What’s happened?"

"The Mark," Harry said in a thick voice when the twins seemed unable to make any sound. "It was above the Burrow."

"The Dark Mark?" She asked eyes wide and surprise written all over her face.

Harry nodded slowly and fear filled ever portion of Ginny’s body. "Damn…"

……………………………………

It took Harry nearly 30 minutes to calm down Hermione while Ginny tried to do the same with her brothers. The relief that Harry had felt when he’d seen Ginny wake up was a feeling he would never be able to explain even years later. The whole time he’d been running up the steps, he hadn’t once allowed himself to think the worst. All he could think was that she had to be okay. Someway, Somehow, she’d be fine. But for all the convincing he tried to do, his knees had still nearly buckled in relief.

One hour later, the five friends sat in the living room of the Burrow. Fred and George flanked their sister on the large couch while Hermione sat on Harry’s lap in the nearby armchair. No one spoke because no one really knew what to say.

"I’m going to owl Mum and Dad. If they get home and see the Mark, they’re bound to think the worst," George said softly as he climbed from the couch and crossed the room.

"At least everyone is safe. That’s the most important thing," Ginny said reaching out to squeeze Hermione’s hand.

She felt bad for scaring the boys but it was Hermione that she was really worried about. Having only lost her parents less then a week prior, she could only imagine the thoughts that had run through her mind. She might have been putting up a strong front about her parents but Ginny knew better. Some pains just didn’t go away and the younger girl knew that far too well. The pain of losing Ron still hadn’t left.

Within ten minutes of Hedwig leaving with George’s note, Arthur, Molly, Charlie and Bill all apperated into the room. There were hugs among everyone before Bill and Charlie ran outside to look at the Mark. When they returned, their pale expressions looked all too familiar.

"Ginny, are you sure you’re okay?" Bill asked after Arthur had pulled Molly away to give their youngest child some space.

"Yes, I’m fine. I must have fallen asleep looking at wedding things for Hermione and Harry. I didn’t wake up until they came busting into my room."

"Are you sure?" There was a hard look in Bill’s eyes that made Ginny feel strangely uncomfortable.

"Yes. Why?"

"N-No. No reason."

Something told Ginny that Bill wasn’t telling her the whole truth. She could see it in his eyes. Something was bugging him yet for some reason, he didn’t want her to know. He started to walk away when Ginny grabbed his arm, "Bill, wait. What are you thinking?"

"Don’t worry about it," he said trying to smile but the gesture didn’t reach his eyes.

"Bill," she said, a bit more urgency in her voice.

"It’s nothing, Ginny!" He snapped but immediately regretted it when he saw her recoil. He quickly spoke again but this time with a bit more compassion. "It’s nothing."

The young woman watched as her oldest brother pulled his arm from her grasp and walked from the room. Once he was out of sight, she turned to Harry with a look of confusion but all he could do was shrug.

It wasn’t until Ginny left the room a few minutes later that Hermione turned to Harry with a concerned look on his face. "What was Bill getting at? He spoke to her as if he didn’t really believe what she said."

Harry could see the wheels beginning to turn in Hermione’s mind. She was obviously as confused and concerned about the scene they’d just witnessed between the siblings as he was. He had no clue what Bill was getting at but he had every intention of finding out.

………………………………………………………………………

5. Chapter 5

The Darkest Hours

By: FayeValentine00

Chapter 5

……………………………………………………………………………….

“Bill, do you have a minute?” Harry asked the oldest Weasley child after Hermione and Ginny had left for, as they called it, a cultural experience.

“Sure, Harry. What's on your mind?” he said setting aside his book aside and turning to face him.

“It's about yesterday actually. You see, Hermione and I were wondering if you'd meant anything by the questions that you were asking Ginny last night.”

“What do you mean?”

Harry could see that there was a light in Bill's eyes but he couldn't be sure of its meaning so he continued to pry. “It just really looked like you didn't believe Ginny when she said she was fine and that isn't like you. It really seemed like you didn't trust her at all.”

Bill sighed and ran a hand across his forehead. “Did it really?”

“Yeah, it did.”

“Damn!” Bill's hand slammed the arm of his chair so that the sound echoed through the room. Quickly, he was out of his chair and sitting next to Harry on the couch looking at Harry with extreme seriousness.

“I do trust Ginny. Harry, you've got to believe me but it's the others I don't trust,” he added softly when he was convinced no one was in earshot.

“The Death Eaters,” Harry muttered under his breath while nodding his understanding.

“Exactly, I mean, think about it. Hermione's parents were killed to hurt both of you where you were most vulnerable. It was the same with Ron. They could have done the same to Ginny with ease. She was asleep and alone in the house. Her wand wasn't anywhere near her. All it would have taken was one incantation and she would have been gone. My parents never truly got over Ron, Harry. How in God's name would they have gotten over their only daughter too?”

“I don't know,” was all he could say softly as the thoughts of the past flashed through his mind.

“So the question is, why didn't they do more?” Bill began again after a moment of silence. “They could have had us all exactly where they wanted us, weak and beat down. Instead, they came all the way here just to set off a signal for no other reason then to scare us? Are we supposed to be happy simply thinking that they did this to keep us on our toes? I don't think so.”

Harry's head was suddenly spinning with horrifying thoughts that he'd been trying to avoid all day. When they'd found Ginny safe and sound, he hadn't worried about the “what ifs” but now Bill had made a point and he couldn't deny the possibilities anymore. “So what do you think happened?”

“I'm not sure. I'll I do know is that if they so much as hurt one hair on Ginny's head, I'll kill them all.”

Harry could see the truth of Bill's words plainly on his face and found he was feeling exactly the same. “Well, Hermione took Ginny out today and she said she'd be keeping a watch out for any strange behavior so lets just wait and see.”

“Agreed,” Bill nodded, standing to leave the room but just as he was about to head out the door, Harry knew he had to say what had been eating away at him the entire conversation.

“Bill, wait,” Harry called hurrying over to talk to him face to face. He waited until Bill had turned around before he continued. “Ginny adores you. No matter how worried you get, just try not to take it out on her. It will only hurt her more."

The words seemed to hit home to Bill because he was struck silent by the words. After a brief hesitation, Bill managed a half-smile and nodded his acknowledgment before once again turning around and leaving Harry alone with his thoughts.

“Oh, Hermione! Look at this dress,” Ginny gasped, staring up longingly at a short beige colored dress with small red flowers that hung in the window. “Do you think it would look good on me?”

“I'm sure it would but would Molly ever let you out of the house in it?” Hermione responded with a laugh as she eyed the Plunging halter-style neckline and mini skirt.

“Lighten up! You're supposed to be teaching me about Muggle culture, right? Well, look around you, Hermione. This dress is Muggle culture!”

The older girl couldn't contain her laughter at Ginny's enthusiasm. It was obvious that they'd both needed this time just to get away from their own world, from their reality. Although she'd promised Harry that she'd keep up her guard and watch Ginny for any signs of strange behavior, she couldn't help but allow herself to forget her troubles for a time. She wanted to have some fun away from the world of magic. Away from the place that had become such a passion but such a burden all at the same time.

“Hermione. Hermione!” When she snapped back to attention, Ginny was snapping her fingers in her face.

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking.”

“Yeah, yeah, enough thinking. I know you have things on your mind but you can think inside while I'm trying on that dress,” the younger girl said while dragging Hermione into the posh London shop. “Oh and Hermione, do you have any Muggle money? I swear I'll pay you back at home.”

“We're back!” Ginny yelled loudly in the doorway.

“Ginny, what on earth are you wearing?” Charlie asked the moment he saw her in her new dress as they walked into the kitchen.

“A Muggle dress. Do I look great or what?” Ginny said with a little turn that Hermione had to admit showed off a figure that most men would drool over.

“You do know that Ron would have locked in your room forever if you tried to wear that out, right?” Charlie teased while his eyes danced with laughter at Ginny's instant anger.

“Aww… don't spoil my mood! Ron wouldn't have stopped me and you aren't going to either!” she countered, sticking her tongue out at him with a childish sound effect. The younger girl then caught sight of Harry in the doorway and turned to him with a smile on her face. “Don't you think I look nice?”

“You look brilliant,” he said with a smile of his own.

“Thanks, Harry. I knew at least you would like it,” she said loudly while throwing yet another dirty look at Charlie. “You, unlike my brother, have some taste.”

“I have taste, Ginny but not when it comes to my half-dressed baby sister.”

“I am not a baby, Charlie!” Ginny then tackled her older brother until another voice was heard in the doorway.

“Oh my god. George! Come over here and take a look at Ginny!” Fred called loudly when he noticed the dress.

George walked in a moment later, took one look at Ginny and then turned to Fred. “I know exactly what you're thinking.” Then his attention turned back to Ginny. “Sister, dear. May we please have a word with you?”

“In private,” Fred added with a devious grin.

With a raised eyebrow, she looked between her two brothers apprehensively before finally agreeing. When she followed them up to their room, that left Charlie alone with Harry and Hermione.

“Bill wanted to talk to the two of you when Hermione and Ginny got home. I'll just go find him and leave you alone for a few minutes.”

Once Charlie was out of the room and no wandering eyes were about, Harry pulled Hermione into a crushing embrace and kissed her firmly. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too,” she added, kissing his lips once more and using her tongue lightly to outline his lips.

“Please tell me that we're getting our own flat soon,” Harry groaned with desire, letting Hermione know exactly what he had in mind. It really wasn't very hard to figure out though, seeing as how Hermione felt exactly the same way.

“Soon enough but right now we're more useful here,” she said, gently pulling out of the embrace with a sigh of her own.

“I know.” Harry sat down at the kitchen table and pulled Hermione down into the seat next to him. “So, did you and Ginny have a good time?

“Yeah. Ginny takes to Muggle clothing like a moth to a flame.”

“She just likes the attention and you have to admit that showing up at Hogwarts for her 7th year in that dress will definitely give her that attention.”

They both started laughing when Bill and Charlie walked into the room. Hermione saw the unnaturally serious expression on Bill's face and knew that the normally laid back man was thinking about something important… something that could potentially affect them all.

The four sat around the table and Bill brought Hermione up to speed on the early conversation that he'd had with Harry before delving into new territory. “Since I spoke to you this morning, Harry, I've spoken to Charlie and the twins but for now we think it's best to leave Mum, Dad and the Order out of it. Agreed?”

He waited until they'd all nodded their agreement before moving on. “Fred and George have promised to take Ginny under their wing the rest of the summer when we are to busy to spend a lot of time with her. The twins are convincing her now to start working part-time in their shop.”

“Ginny in the joke shop?” Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow.

“They're going to offer her a good salary to do what they are calling `marketing,'” Charlie added with a grin.

“In other words, Ginny is going to stand out in front of their store in a tiny dress like the one she came home in today in order to bring in even more customers?” Harry asked with a smirk.

“Exactly.” Bill answered with a smirk of his own.

“Men,” Hermione muttered under her breath.

“What was that? Say it loud enough so we can all her,” Harry joked knowing full well she wasn't going to repeat it.

“So Bill, have any of you discussed what kind of spells the Death Eaters may have used? It would have to be a spell that leaves no trace at all,” the sole woman in the group added, quickly changing the subject while trying to ignore her fiancÃ©es laughter.

“It could be anything and then again it could be nothing at all. How do you counter a spell when you don't even know if one was even used?” Charlie vented with a frustrated groan that spoke for them all and the table fell silent again for a time.

“Let me go to the library tomorrow and take a look around. In fact, I'll ask Professor Dumbledore if I can use the library at Hogwarts. Maybe the Death Eaters have done something like this in the past too. Just maybe I'll be able to uncover some small detail that we've all missed.” Hermione spoke quietly. It was amazing how whenever she had a question, she could immediately fall right back into her habit of thinking books held the answer to everything.

“I'll go with you,” Harry volunteered quickly which brought a smile to Hermione's face.

“Okay, I'd like that.”

“Then let's all talk again tomorrow night.”

………..………………………………………………………………………

6. Chapter 6

The Darkest Hours

By: FayeValentine00

Chapter 6

……………………………………………………………………………….

Hermione closed the latest book she'd been thumbing through with a heavy sigh. "This is so pointless! I hate to admit this but these books aren't getting us anywhere. In the previous battles with Voldemort, so many Death Eaters came forwarding claiming to be controlled that the lines are all blurred. No one truly knows who was and was not cursed and those who were cursed had little or no recollection of the spell cast on them."

"And the Death Eaters aren't about to tell us," Harry agreed with a nod. Reaching across the table, Harry took Hermione's hand in his own and gave it a tender squeeze. "Don't worry, Hermione. We'll figure this out. Remember, it may be nothing."

"And at the same time, our own ignorance might be our undoing."

Their eyes met across the table in the Hogwarts library where they'd spent so much time over the last seven years. It was their first time in the castle during summer vacation and it seemed so eerie, felt so deserted. In a way, it seemed to increase the overwhelming feeling of helplessness they felt.

"Let's go, Hermione. Let's go and have a nice dinner, just the two of us and forget about everything for a few minutes."

Her eyes darted over the stacks of books they had yet to go through and frowned. "We can't, Harry. We still have so much more to go through. What about Ginny and the Order and…"

"Stop," Harry interrupted softly, standing up and moving around the table to kneel at her chair. He placed two fingers under her chin and gently turned to face to his. "Please stop. Of course I am worried about everyone too but what about you and me? Surely we deserve a small amount of time to ourselves, even if it is for no other reason then to maintain our sanity."

The words took a long time to filter into Hermione's already overexerted brain but finally she smiled and placed a soft hand to his cheek. "You're right. I'm sorry. Everything just feels so out of control right now."

"We've beaten this before, 'Mione. We'll do it again." Harry stood up, pulling Hermione to her feet and embracing her tightly. They held each other for a long time before she pulled back just far enough to look into his eyes.

"I love you, Harry."

"I love you too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Ginny, you were brilliant!" George shouted as the twins and Ginny made their way into the Burrow after a long day at the shop.

"Everything went well then, I trust?" Mr. Weasley spoke softly as he stepped into the hall to greet his children.

"Never better, Dad. Sales were up 50% today with Ginny at the door," Fred replied, patting his blushing little sister on the back.

"Nip upstairs and change, will you Ginny? You mother will have a fit if she sees that outfit."

The twins laughed but Ginny got upstairs just as Mrs. Weasley entered the hallway. "Hurry up and get ready for dinner, boys. Harry and Hermione won't be back until late tonight so once Bill gets in, we'll be ready to eat."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ginny closed the bedroom door behind herself and quickly took off the short skirt and sheer shirt the twins now called her uniform. Hiding it in a back drawer where Mrs. Weasley was less likely to search, the young woman turned to the mirror to fix her hair and dress but before she could even pick up her brush, her hand force. The sight she saw in the mirror horrified her.

At first her own face was reflected in the mirror but then, before her eyes, the image changed. Her skin began to peel away from her face. Slowly layer upon layer of flesh melted from her face and shoulders until all that was left was a skull. A skull that looked dangerously similar to the dark mark. It wasn't until the skull in her mirror began to form an evil smile that she found her voice and began screaming at the top of her lungs.

Within seconds there was a series of loud pops and every member of her family was in her room, wands at the ready. Mrs. Weasley quickly wrapped her daughter in a robe the minute the fear of immediate attack was over but Ginny didn't dare look at anyone. Her face was buried in the blankets of her bed where no one could see. After a search of the room brought up nothing, all eyes turned to the girl lying on her bed sobbing.

"Ginny, what happened?" Mrs. Weasley asked sounding much calmer than she actually felt.

"A skull… It was a skull!" she sobbed.

"What was a skull?" Charlie asked exchanging looks or confusion and unease with his brothers.

"R-Reflection… My reflection. It was me but… changed… blood… death." Then her words broke down into incoherent sobs.

The twins sat down on each side of their younger sister protectively. "Look at me, Ginny." Fred said lightly, hoping to ease her fear.

"No."

"Come on, Ginny. You'll never know what you look like until you show us," George added in an equally cheery voice but if she could have seen the expression in the eyes of the twins, their light sounding voices would never have fooled her.

After a long moment, Ginny wiped her eyes and slowly raised her face to the twins. "Well?"

"What do you think, Fred?" George asked with a smile.

"Looks the same to me," his twin replied with an expression of relief on his face that was shared by almost everyone.

"Still as pretty as always, Ginny," Bill added trying to smile along with everyone else but not quite succeeding which is why it surprised him when Ginny met his eyes.

As everyone else spoke with a sense of obvious relief, Bill and Ginny shared a rather serious moment. Using nothing more than their eyes, Ginny knew Bill thought something foul was going on and at the same time, Bill knew Ginny thought so too. The fear in her eyes made him want to hug her protectively but he couldn't. He couldn't worry his family anymore right now. Not when they'd just gotten through this kind of a scare.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Harry, I'm worried," Hermione said, sipping her water after the wonderful meal they'd shared in a quite pub in London.

"What is it?" He asked, taking her hand.

"Our wedding. I'm just worried that a gathering of our friends, so many of whom are in the Order seems to be a perfect environment for a Death Eater attack."

"So, what do you think we should do?" Harry asked with obvious apprehension as to how she'd reply.

"I don't know. … I want to marry more than anything else in the world but the only way to ensure everyone's safety would be to get married in total secrecy. That would mean running off without telling a soul but…"

"Why don't we?" Harry said suddenly with a sparkle of amusement in his eyes.

"What?" Hermione asked with a equal sparkle in her eyes as if they were two little kids trying to get away with something.

"Why don't we just run off and get married? I'm sure people will understand if we explain."

"When? Now?" Hermione asked, both of them nearly giddy with excitement.

"Why not? I want to marry you, 'Mione. Let's do it now, before anything else happens. I want to know that you're safe and if were married, you will be."

"You're serious?" Hermione asked, trying not to think about what Harry meant by his last sentence. The thought of losing Harry was just too much to think about right now.

"Completely."

"Right this minute?"

"If you say yes."

There was a brief pause while Hermione playfully took time to consider the proposal but slowly a smile slid across her face. "Okay then, yes."

Two minutes later, the bill was paid and two young lovers were making their way through London to find a place to get wed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Harry and Hermione had still not returned to the Burrow when the Weasley's had gone up to bed that night but shortly after midnight, two were still awake and they met in the living room.

"Bill, I'm scared." Ginny said quietly from the couch, her legs tucked up under her chin. "Something is happening. I can feel it only I have no idea what it is or what it means."

Not knowing what to say, Bill sat down beside his sister in silence. He didn't want to admit how disturbing Ginny's own admission was. Frightening as the situation may be, this was the little girl who had dogged his heels as a child and still looked to him for help and support even now. He could not let down. He could not let her down. He'd already lost a brother and he's be damned if he was going to loose his only sister as well.

………………………………………………………………………………………………

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