A/N: Alright, alright I know I was bad. Sorry! There were a lot of reasons though why this is so late. First, in the beginning it was a lack of motivation. I didn't feel like writing. Then it was a deal I made with another author that I wouldn't update till she updated. Then it was the fact that my computer (DONKEY) had a virus, so we had to shut everything down and I lost this, so then I had to re-write it. And then I had to wait for one of my beta's to get it back to me. *cries* This is too much for me.
Short chapter, but it answers a lot of your questions. You H/Hr's will like this chapter, I think.
Nitya, thanks for great beta work.
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"We can't find him, Fred."
Fred's heart sank at Dennis's words. First, it was possible Ron could be sent to Azkaban, and now no one could find Percy.
Fred hoped he had done the right thing with Ron, though deep down inside he knew it wasn't him. But he didn't know what else to do anymore. They questioned Remus, Dean…the other Aurors that had been in the room with Aunt Mari, Ron, Percy and Remus…but Ron was the only one who came up "guilty." His mum would torment him for the rest of his days if she ever found out if Ron was actually sent to Azkaban.
"He's still not at his house?" Fred asked.
Dennis shook his head. "We were going to "break in," but then we started to feel weird and guilty since he is our boss…We're going over to his house again just to make sure, then we'll come back to get you before…Fred?"
Fred looked to Dennis's mournful eyes. "Yeah?"
"I'm sorry about all this."
**********
"We swear Fred, we don't know where he is," Blaise said firmly. Neville and Remus nodded in agreement.
"You don't have any idea where he might be?" Fred asked.
"The only place I would say would be his house," Neville suggested, glaring at Fred. "As was Ron, too."
Fred looked away and Blaise looked back and forth between them. "What do you mean? What does Ron have to do with this?"
"They're pining the murders against Ron," Remus answered, growling.
"WHAT?!"
"It's bloody ridiculous," Neville declared. "Fred, how could you?"
For the thousandth time that day, Fred wished the floor would swallow him whole. He didn't need this; he was already beating himself up about it. "Look, just forget all about that," he said. "I need to find Percy."
"I haven't seen him since late last night," Remus said. "He said he wasn't feeling well, and went home…at least he said he was."
"Are you sure?"
"Look, if we see him, we'll let you know, okay?" Neville snapped with irritation.
Terry and Dennis walked over. "Fred, it's the last time. He's not at home," Terry said. "We're going in."
**********
"I feel a little wrong about this," Fred admitted as he walked around Percy's house with the others.
"It's not your fault that your brothers get themselves into trouble," Terry said.
Fred frowned. "It's usually me and George who get into trouble."
Before Terry could answer, there was a yell from above. "Fred, Terry, up here!"
Turning to the sound, they realized it was coming from the attic.
Everyone else sprinted up as well. "What is it?" Fred asked when they all got up there.
William turned his head. "Look…"
Fred's eyebrows shot up in surprise. The room was covered with red roses; the scent carried throughout the room. But the object that stood out the most was what was in the middle of the room… A large moving picture of Penelope Clearwater, Percy's Hogwarts sweetheart and longtime girlfriend, who had died in the last Death Eater attack a little over two years ago.
Ginny's words came back to him… 'He said… 'I'm sorry Pen. I'm so sorry… please forgive me…'
Fred's whole mouth went dry and head went numb. 'Pen' must have been Penelope…
"Fred…" Terry's voice sounded faint, as if he too were figuring it out. He looked almost white as he stared down at something on the table.
Fred came up and looked down, and a lump rose rapidly through his throat.
It was a list of women. Parvati, Pansy, Ginny, Hermione and Luna. Parvati, Pansy, and Luna were marked out, but Ginny and Hermione…
It was quiet in the room, everyone in evident shock. Fred didn't know how to take it. He was glad it was actually not Ron, but knowing that he actually accused his younger brother and that the killer was indeed his older brother…
NO!
"I'm sorry," Terry said quietly. Then he turned to the others. "Go find him."
**********
Percy Weasley stumbled into the old, abandoned barn. The charm to clean up the bullet wound had worked somewhat, but now he was getting some kind of aftereffect, making him sometimes dizzy, and a little drowsy.
He hadn't expected Harry to also have a gun, or for Hermione to get away again. Now he wished he hadn't left Harry alive. Harry would identify him, and though he knew everyone would soon find out, he wasn't quite ready yet.
Ginny was still alive, and Hermione always seemed to get away. But it wouldn't stay that way.
Neville, Blaise, and Dean had all felt the pain he experienced that tragic night…Draco and Harry hadn't, and they had to…they had to know.
His work was not over.
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Hermione peeked through the curtains from the safe house. It was a cloudy night, just as cloudy as her mind and her life. Nothing seemed right anymore. Ron, Harry, the Ministry. Things were falling apart around her, and she felt hopeless.
She looked over her shoulder where she saw Harry speaking with another Auror, Neil Jefferys. There were three others there too, all who were "guarding" them.
She didn't want to know what they were talking about; she was sick and tired of finding things out. I just need a good night's sleep for a change, she thought.
Walking away from the window, she made her way to the bedroom. "Harry," she called, interrupting the conversation. "I'm going to go to bed now."
He nodded. "Alright."
She sighed as she closed the door behind her. She had wanted to tell Harry…tell him how she felt, that she still loved him and was going to give their marriage another chance.
But lying down on the bed, she knew she wasn't going to be able to wait up. And after a few minutes, she was fast asleep.
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Harry watched Hermione's retreating form, wishing he could follow her. But he needed to deal with this…
"What about Percy's attic?" he asked Neil when he cleared his thoughts.
Neil sighed. "He had a big picture of Penelope Clearwater up."
"What's so strange about that? He loved her."
"There was a list, Harry…a list of Auror wives…three of them already marked off and there are two others…"
Harry's breath hitched in his throat…so it was Percy…the man Harry had known since he was eleven. His best friend's brother…
"Why?" was all he said.
"Do you remember anything about the night Penelope died?"
Harry sat down on the couch and did try… He had been in Auror training at that time. "Well, I remember Penelope getting in touch with us, saying she was at an old, rundown barn just outside of London. She had been tracking down Death Eaters. There were five of us at the department that night - Draco, Neville, Blaise, and Dean. Her messages said she needed backup…"
He closed his eyes, remembering he hadn't wanted to remember that night again. "We got there as soon as we could, we really did. But it was too late…we were too late."
***Flashback***
"This is the place, isn't it?" Neville asked as they ran up to the barn.
"Well, do you see any other rundown barns?" Draco answered sarcastically.
Right then they saw the barn go ablaze, and following was a woman's scream from inside the barn…Penelope's…
***Flashback***
"Draco and I went into the barn in search of her - we found her in the corner of the loft area. Bringing her out, we realized she had been killed with the Avada Kedavra curse…only the Death Eaters waited so she had a good feel of the fire before they casted it," he finished in a whisper.
It was silent in the room. No one else knew what had happened that night. Nobody ever wanted to talk about it.
"Percy had been livid at first," Harry continued, pain in his voice. "It had been our job to protect her, he said." He shook his head. "We were upset about it. At first we blamed ourselves for it… but there was nothing we could have done." He looked back up at them. "Penelope knew the risks, and she knew what she was doing."
They all knew then, why certain Auror wives were being targeted, and why it was Percy. "So, he's getting revenge on us," Harry said, stating the obvious.
Neil nodded. "It appears that way. He wants the ones who didn't save Penelope to know what it feels like to lose the woman they love in a fire."
Ashley, one of the other Aurors, looked confused. "But then why the use of a gun? If he wanted to keep them in the fire, why not just use the killing curse?"
Harry thought. "Influence is what I'm getting." They all still looked confused. "Arthur Weasley was sort of obsessed with Muggle things. Perhaps that started to rub off on Percy. It could also be to throw us off track in the beginning. No one would expect a wizard to use a Muggle gun."
"But what about Ginny?" Ashley asked. "Why would he kill his own sister?"
That was something Harry still didn't know…
**********
Harry slowly opened the door to the bedroom. Careful not to make any noise, he tiptoed over to Hermione's side of the bed, and smiled down at her sleeping face.
Kneeling down besides the bed, he stared at her. He wanted to keep staring at her for the rest of his life. She was the most beautiful person he had ever seen.
He thought back to what was going on around them. Percy was out to kill Hermione… They managed to escape every time so far, but how long would that last? How many more times would they escape?
I can't lose her again. I won't let her get taken away from me.
Without thinking, he reached his hand up to his wife's cheek and caressed it softly. She had been through so much the past months, and he was still amazed at how much control she had on herself.
"I love you, Hermione," he whispered. "I love you so much."
He bent his head down onto the bed, his hand still on her cheek. It wasn't till after a few moments that he felt a hand cover over his, and a familiar voice echo his words. "I love you too, Harry."
His head almost shot off the bed. Hermione's face was smiling, though her eyes were filled with tears…tears of happiness.
He felt his eyes also fill up. "Forgive me, Hermione."
"For what?"
"Things might have gotten worse with Cho, and I didn't realize it. I never-"
She placed a finger on his lips. "Shhh, stop. I understand. And I'm sorry too. I was being stubborn and should have-"
He shook his head. "No, you were right though. I had no business being that close to Cho. I should have realized that sooner."
She looked down at the mattress. This was the moment she had been waiting for, right? When they were separated, she had wanted Harry to admit he had been wrong…but now it didn't seem important anymore. In a way, they were both to blame.
Harry took her hand. "I don't want our marriage to end, Hermione. Give me another chance… I love you."
Taking a deep breath, afraid that a sob might break through, Hermione looked back up, smiling even more. "I forgave you, Harry. When we were at the hospital. I told myself that I would make this work…you haven't lost me."
Reaching his hand behind her neck, he slowly brought her head down and kissed her. The kiss told the other what they already knew - that the other was willing to fight for them - however long that would be.
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Percy was walking through a dreamlike tunnel. He didn't know how he got there, or where it ended. He walked on until he saw a figure of a person in front of him. Squinting, he was able to make out the image of his one and only love.
"Pen… Penelope?" he whispered, afraid she would disappear if he spoke any louder.
She was standing there, a small smile playing on her face and reached for him. He went to her gladly and held her in his arms. For the past two years, this is what he wanted; to hold her again.
"I've missed you so much," he whispered into her hair.
She didn't answer him, and he pulled back. She was looking at him, but her face was one of sadness…and regret…disappointment?
"Don't worry about it, Penny," he said. "I'll make them pay. Three of them have, and I'll make Draco and Harry suffer as I have. I'll avenge you."
She started to move away, his hands losing his grasp on her. She shook her head slowly.
He didn't understand. "No… No Penny don't leave me… don't leave me here alone again. Not yet…"
He pleaded and kept reaching out for her, but she was still moving away…
She's upset with me. She wants me to kill them. She's disappointed that I haven't yet.
He kept his eyes on her until she vanished, leaving him. With a sudden jerk, he realized he was back in the barn. He wasn't in the tunnel anymore…he was alone…
He looked back at where he had seen her. "Tonight, Pen…tonight I will be with you again forever."
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