A/N- *cough* Yeah, this is when I feel stupid, lol. I knew I said I wouldn't get another chapter up till after I got back, but… you guys are so lucky I had a soft spot and didn't feel like making you all wait a month before the next chapter. I've never written so fast in my life. I feel really bad for my betas. Lots up typos, *whistles* So yes, this is another chapter, and I'm pretty sure there won't be another one up before I go. Don't even bother to ask for one, *wink*
Btw, I know you all have your suspicions on who the killer is. *laughs* They're so funny to read for some reason. Anyways, I think by the next chapter you will all know who it is. That's all I'm saying.
Thanks to Nitya, brilliant job!
And Matt, for his work on the other chap (forgot to thank him), and for his awesome work on this one!
Sorry for long A/N!
**********
Hermione was amazed at how quickly it took Harry to recover. The doctors couldn't believe it as well. A few days after they were moved into the private room, he was walking around, got back to eating (though he was still refusing to eat the mashed potatoes). He would get headaches occasionally, but always insisted he was okay to go home.
"Well, Dr. Harvey?" Hermione asked after she stepped into the hall with him. "Is Harry okay to go home?"
"Well, he's still not in the best condition as he could. But I would suggest you two find a smaller, quieter location than the hospital."
Hermione held her breath and Dr. Harvey grinned at her. "Yes, I'm saying he can leave."
**********
"Are you sure, Aunt Mari?" Hermione asked an hour later when Marina came to see them. Marina had just offered them to stay in a house she owned in Birmingham.
"Yes, I'm positive. Besides, I'm not using it now." Marina handed her the key. "The address isn't even listed, so I can't see why it wouldn't be safe. And there's also another wizarding family that lives on the same street." She handed her a slip of paper that had their names and address. "Now, tell Harry to go and recover fully."
Hermione smiled and gave her a hug. "Thank you."
**********
Hermione sighed happily as she and Harry walked into the flat. It almost felt like home. Almost…
But the one-story house was located in a friendly looking neighborhood, and that made it even more pleasant.
She picked up her suitcase and made her way around. The place was nice, having a dining room, kitchen, small living room and two bathrooms. But her favorite place was probably the bedroom, for there was a full size comfy looking bed, with a wool rug on both sides.
Harry came in behind her, walking over to the bed and laying his suitcase down on it.
No words needed to be spoken. Hermione placed her bag onto the bed as well and started to unpack, and Harry made his way out of the room to look around more.
Hermione didn't know if she could remember the last time she felt this happy. It didn't matter that they were in hiding. She was with Harry again, and the house fit in nicely.
After putting away a few of her things, Hermione moved onto Harry's bag. She was in the left side compartment when her hand hit something hard and cold. She frowned as her hand closed around the object and pulled it out.
Her eyes widened… It was a gun. She stood there in shock and just stared at the gun with a blank expression. One question: Why did Harry have a gun in his suitcase?
She brought the gun down in front of her and stared ahead, right before she heard movement behind her.
"It's a nice place," Harry commented.
Hermione blinked. She turned around, and held up the gun. "What was this doing in your suitcase?"
He stared at the gun and then at her. He stretched out his arm. "Just give it to me, Hermione."
She moved back a little and brought her hand down. "Tell me, why do you have one?" She hated guns. Why would Harry have one?
He sighed. "I felt we would be safe with it."
Her eyebrow went up. "Safe? How? And why didn't you tell me about it?" she demanded.
"Look, Hermione-"
"It's a gun, Harry," she said, raising her voice. "This thing almost got you killed. It's not safe. "How could you bring it here?" She wondered if she was yelling loudly. Harry's actions answered her question.
He brought his hands up to his head and wobbled a bit over to the bed. Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh Harry… I'm sorry." She dropped the gun onto the bed and felt the tears cascade done her cheeks.
Why do I always have to yell?
I'm defiantly NOT making anything better.
Harry doesn't need to be yelled at.
She watched helplessly as Harry's headache passed and he looked at her.
"You're right; I should have told you I had it. I just thought it would be easier if you didn't know." He offered her a weak smile.
She looked down at it. "But… why?"
He sighed. "The killer is looking for you as it is. If he somehow ever managed to find us, I'm going to be prepared just like him."
"How did you get it?" Please don't say Ron.
"Terry. He suggested it."
Hermione gave a dry laugh. She should have known…
Harry leaned over and took both her hands on his. He looked straight into her eyes. "I'm doing my best to protect you. I'm going to fight for you."
He brought his hand up to stroke her cheek, and Hermione felt her eyes watering up again.
"You have to trust me. Trust me the way you once did," he whispered, almost pleading.
She smiled softly in return, bringing her hand up to the one he had on her cheek. "I don't think I've ever stopped trusting you."
Why did it have to take tragedy for her to realize that?
Their foreheads came together, and they just gazed into each others souls. After a few moments he kissed her nose and was about to get up before Hermione, afraid that she might break down, wrapped her arms his neck and held on tightly.
He hugged her back, running his hand through her hair for a few moments.
Hermione finally let go and gave him a tearful smile.
He reached behind her and took the gun, placing it in the nightstand drawer next to the bed. He looked back at her and took her hand. "Stay with me."
She let him wrap his arms around her, and they laid back on the bed, not bothering for the blankets. For both of them, they were home…
**********
"Now, I want you three to eat up," Marina said as she set the food out. "I don't even care if you're not hungry. I don't want this food wasted."
Ron rolled his eyes behind her head. "How old exactly is this food, Aunt Mari?"
She muttered something under her breath. "What was that?" Ron asked, hiding a smile.
She huffed. "I said, maybe since the funerals."
Ron dropped the spoon he had in the soup. "What?" He looked down at the food. "It's like a month old."
"Stop being dramatic, Ronald," she snapped. "It's only a week."
"Still…"
Remus laughed. "Not afraid of week old food are you, Ron?"
Ron glared at him and Percy laughed. "Never thought I'd see the day you'd turn away food."
"Who said I was turning it away? I was just asking…" He turned back to the chicken soup and stared at it.
"Oh come of it, Ronald," Marina said. "That soup is new. Everything else isn't."
Ron picked up the bread sticks. "You're telling me. This bread is like a bone." He started hitting it against the table. He looked back at them. "It's not like I eat everything I see, you know." He looked back at Marina. "Did you see Harry when you were at the hospital earlier?"
Marina nodded. "Yes for a short time. Actually, they released Harry yesterday."
Percy looked up. "He's out already?"
Marina laughed. "Well you know. Put Harry and hospital together, and you've got "back to perfection" fast."
"So they're back here?"
"No, they're staying at my house in Birmingham."
"I didn't know you had a house in Birmingham," Ron said as he hit the table with bread again. "Break… Where in Birmingham?"
Marina opened her mouth but quickly shut it. She shouldn't have said anything. It didn't matter that she trusted them; but it was just safer not to blab it to the whole. "Well, it doesn't matter. They're safe, and that's what matters."
"But Harry and Hermione… are doing better?" Percy asked.
She smiled. "Oh yes I would say that."
Ron was still determined to break the bread. After one last hit on the table, he brought the bread up to Percy's head, and brought the bread down on it.
"Ouch, bloody hell Ron," Percy yelped as he reached up to his head.
Ron just smiled in satisfaction at the bread, which was now broken in two.
**********
Harry squinted into the darkness as he awoke. He looked down to see Hermione still in his arms, sleeping. He smiled and just watched her for a mew moments. He wanted to stare at her for the rest of his life.
After around five minutes, he finally got up slowly and gently so he wouldn't wake her.
He opened the nightstand drawers and took the gun out, placing it in his pocket.
He walked into the living room and sat down on the couch, thinking. The past few weeks had been crazy. One day, everything was peaceful (at least in the wizarding world, maybe not between him and Hermione), and the next day, everything was upside down.
One moment Hermione didn't seem to want him around, and the next moment she was going against her parents' wishes and staying with him. Women…
Hermione… He didn't now what he'd do without her. He was happy things were getting better between them. But there was still one thing that kept everything from being perfect.
Cho… Hermione had accused him over and over again about their relationship, but he had always denied it, thinking he was being unfairly punished.
He thought back the late nights he would spend with Cho, talking. He would tell her secrets, and not always the nicest things about Hermione. He even went as far and said he was unhappy in his marriage.
He had just been a little pleased that Cho gave him her attention. Yes, she was still pretty, but he convinced himself that they were just friends.
But he now realized that the "just friends" relationship he had with Cho had hurt Hermione deeply. It wounded her as a woman, his best friend, and as his wife.
How would he have reacted if he had caught Hermione in, God forbid, another blokes arms (besides Ron or Remus)? And if she would have said nothing had been wrong about it, would he have believed her? Especially if she had been spending a lot of her time with the bloke.
Then Harry understood. It didn't matter if nothing physical had happened between him and Cho. But, and this thought felt like a knife through his heart, it had been heading down that path.
Sure, he had never wanted that to happen. He loved only Hermione. But it could have happened. He didn't even want to think about what could have happened if Hermione hadn't walk in on them that night.
His heart filled with grief, regret, and guilt. He had to make things right with Hermione.
**********
All was quiet when he walked slowly around the house. Careful not to make any noise, he slowly opened the door, even placing a silencing charm on it.
He walked into her office and looked around. Where is it? It has to be here somewhere!
Opening the drawers from her desk he began to search. When he got to the bottom one, he found what he was looking for. Taking out folders and files, he looked through them…
On a small post-it: 42 South Street Avenue, Birmingham.
Gotcha…
**********
Marina walked downstairs and into the kitchen, looking around every so often. While she had been upstairs, she had thought she had heard movement from downstairs. But she had quickly shaken the thought away, knowing every little sound was making her jump.
She took her coffee mug from the counter and walked back over to the stairs, but something to her left caught her eye.
She hesitantly walked over to her office room and frowned at the open door. I thought I had you closed. Still frowning, she walked up and with one quick look around the room, closed the door.
She turned to make her way up the stairs when she stopped and her heart froze for a second.
Spinning around sharp and fast, she sprinted back to the door and pushed it open. Her heart did stop and a nightmare came true.
Her files were out on the desk… ones she knew she had already put away.
**********
Coughing she called through the flames. "Fred Weasley," Marina managed out.
The younger woman on the other side looked startled for a moment, but nodded and hurried off to find Fred.
Marina was in a panic. Ever since she saw the files lying out on the desk, and read what they were, she received chills. She kept looking over her shoulder as she went to the fireplace. She had the biggest gut feeling that it was no ordinary break-in.
"Aunt Mari?" came Fred's worried voice from outside her thoughts. "Are you okay? What's wrong?"
She wasted no time. "Fred, he was here. He came in and went into my office. I didn't realize it until it was too late. Actually he came here while I was upstairs. Fred -"
"Whoa, Aunt Mari, calm down," Fred said gently. "Who was there?"
Are you really daft? "The killer, Fred. The killer was in my house about fifteen minutes ago!" she watched as Fred's concerned face immediately became alert.
He came closer to the fire. "Are you sure?" he asked urgently.
"Of course I'm sure. I've been having panic attacks for the past five minutes now." She was also getting pains her legs and back from the way she was sitting, but she tried to ignore it.
She saw that he was torn in emotions. "But, Aunt Mari, how do you know it was the killer? It could have just been a random house robber."
She could almost feel sorry for him. "I know it was him, Fred. Not a random killer would have taken what he took."
"What did he take?" he asked in a hushed whisper.
She looked straight into his eyes. "My Birmingham house address… Where Harry and Hermione are staying."
**********
Harry walked out of the kitchen. After a lot of thinking, he had been ready to go into the bedroom, wake Hermione up and declare his love and devotion forever and ever. Then just the way that sounded to him sounded cheesy, and how good would it be if he were to wake her up from deep slumber land? Not ideal…
Harry looked up when the lights flickered. They kept it up for a few seconds, and then went out completely. He frowned and turned around to the light switch, flicking it. Nothing happened.
Great, why did I leave my wand in the bedroom?
He stretched his arms out as he tried to find his way to the bedroom, when he heard a noise from outside the door.
Somebody was jiggling the door handle and trying to open it. Suddenly they stopped, and after a few seconds, the doorknob turned slowly.
Harry pulled his gun out. He wanted to run to tell Hermione to get out, but it would be too late by then. He needed to face his enemy.
The door opened all the way, and though it was dark, Harry could make out a figure in the doorway. He stayed still and waited. The figure slowly made a few steps forward. It was obvious he didn't want to make any noise.
Harry knew he had to speak. "Stop right there." He was amazed at the calmness he felt in his voice.
The figure did stop, and suddenly. Then, out of luck, a ray of light from the moon above shown through the window, and let Harry see what the man was doing, for at that time, he had gone for his gun.
Harry didn't even think, and pressing his fingers around the trigger, he shot.
The sound blasted through the air and the man staggered backwards. Harry heard Hermione scream from the bedroom. "Hermione, get out! Get out now!" he yelled, hoping she wouldn't be stupid and stay.
She didn't respond, but Harry didn't dwell on it for at that moment, the man lunched onto him. He knocked Harry to the ground and at that Harry could feel blood seeping from his right arm where he had the intruder.
Harry pounded his arm against the man's right arm, and he groaned in pain, pulling back slightly, giving Harry the advantage. The moonlight had gone now, so it was almost impossible to see anything.
But the other man was not going to be put off. What was unbeknownst to Harry, the killer wanted to end this night with more light. He had brought a small canteen of gasoline, and one single match.
Harry watched as all of a sudden the room burst into flames, trapping Harry from getting out the front door. He could see through the flames the door opening and a hooded figure running out.
Harry ran back into the bedroom, but Hermione was already gone, and the window was opened. He climbed through and out the window. "Hermione!"
**********
Hermione didn't hear Harry first scream her name. After she heard Harry's order to get out of the house, she did, and fast.
Climbing out of the window she began running down the street fast, just in case. She then remembered what Aunt Mari said, about there being another wizarding family here. Still running, she reached in her pocket and dug around for the paper. Pulling it out, she read. Seth and Nicole Bromers. 50 South Street Avenue, Birmingham. 50… She looked wildly around and saw that it was the next house.
She raced up the steps and began pounding on the door. Please be home… please be home.
The door opened suddenly, and Hermione caught herself staring into a woman with light blue eyes and blonde hair. "Yes, may I help you?" she asked politely but curiously.
Hermione took a breath. "Are you Nicole Bromers?" she asked desperately. Please say that you are.
"Yes, I am, but…" The woman's eyes widened. "Why, you're Hermione Potter, Harry Potter's wife, aren't you? What are you doing here?"
"Please, I need to use your fireplace. The killer… he's here. I just left him alone with Harry. I need to get in touch with The Ministry." Hermione's eyes brimmed with tears as she thought about Harry.
Nicole looked shocked. "The Aurors' wives killer is here?" She pulled Hermione's arm and almost yanked her in. "My husband isn't home right now, but come this way to the fireplace."
Nicole led her over and handed Hermione some floo powder. Hermione bent down on her knees and threw it in, only her head in the fireplace. "Auror Department: The Ministry of Magic!"
**********
"Hermione! Hermione!"
Hermione rushed outside at the sound of Harry's voice. She ran over to him and met him halfway in the street. "Harry, thank God you're okay."
He wrapped his arms tightly around her and pulled her to him tight. "Thank God he didn't get you," he murmured in her hair.
"I flooed Fred and the others. They'll be here soon," she informed him, knowing Harry needed to know.
But he kept his grip on her, and they just stayed there in the streets, not wanting to let go ever again.
**********