Unofficial Portkey Archive

It was the start of their holiday and Harry was off to the Dursley's. Hermione promised to hex every member of the Order if they did not get Harry back quickly enough for her liking.

Harry began to think that would be too long even if the entire Order were hexed. He didn't know how he was going to sleep. He was so used to sleeping in the same bed with someone else it felt…lonely when he went to bed before she did. Even if he did go to bed before her he would never be able to drift off until she got in the bed. How was he to spend a week at the Dursley's? Lupin was the one who took him back to the Dursley's, probably because they would refuse to pick him up at King's Cross twice in the same year. They flooed to Mrs. Figg's sitting room, then walked the rest of the way in silence. Harry could feel the tension radiate off of Lupin. What exactly caused it was answered when Vernon Dursley opened the door. A purple face met a rather pink one, and both men did not break the stare. Harry looked to the pocket where his wand was. Harry, although tempted to instigate a fight so that he could go back home to Grimmauld Place early, saw Hermione in his head and quickly got in the house and shut the door wordlessly behind him.

Vernon grabbed him by the collar and pulled him back. Before Harry could protest Vernon put something over his mouth and everything went black.

* * *

Hermione sat at the desk in her room looking at her Alchemy book. She was unable to process any of the information anymore and stopped pretending to read. It had been a week since she slept last and exhaustion overtook her. Her parents thought it was because she was studying until all hours of the night. She wanted to spend time with her family, but now because she was so tired all the time it seemed as if she couldn't get one word out without them ordering her back to bed for some sleep. It wasn't real ordering, Hermione's parents would just tell her if she didn't they would be forced to take away her flossing privileges. Their being dentists they found it extremely funny. It also hurt her that she couldn't bring herself to spend much time with them when she wasn't exhausted. With her knew knowledge about Harry and Voldemort she felt guilty not telling them what she had failed to in the past. Sure she told them about Quidditch, and Hagrid, and Dumbledore…well, she talked a lot about classes without telling what exactly was happening in them.

Hermione bolted upright when she heard a loud banging. She jumped down the stairs and went straight to the front door where the sound was coming from. She was just about to open the door wand in hand when her father came up and gently placed her aside.

He opened the door and said, "Hello, how can I help you?"

Hermione looked around her father to see who it was, she squeaked out, "Harry!"

Lupin was carrying a form that looked like Harry, but seemed almost unreal. He reminded her of Sirius when he got out of Azkaban. He was skinnier than she had ever seen him before. She could make out almost every bone in his body. He was pale, most likely because he was so skinny.

"Hermione, could you help me?" Lupin said.

He didn't mean to ignore her dad. He just didn't know how he should speak to him.

Hermione took one of Harry's arms and walked him inside to the couch.

Her father still stood at the door, "Hermione, who are these people?"

"This is Professor Lupin, he's a teacher at Hogwarts, and this," Hermione helped Harry on the couch, "Is a schoolmate of mine, Harry Potter."

She turned her attention to Lupin, "What happened?"

"I went to get him, Dumbledore said we could go now. So naturally I left that moment. I got there and I found him in a cupboard under the stairs, like…this." Lupin took his robes and put them over Harry's ice-cold body. "It was too far to Grimmauld Place. This was the only close place I could think of."

"Dad, can you get me some food, and something to drink for Harry?"

"What's going on here, why-?"

"Dad, please. He's dying," Hermione said.

Her dad did as he was asked but gave his daughter a questioning look as he did so.

"Hermione, you look terrible, when was the last time you slept?" Lupin asked.

"When did I leave Hogwarts?"

"Hermione…" Lupin began in a rather fatherly tone for someone who had no children.

"I've just had some trouble…with Voldemort out there and…well, I'm not able to help the Order studying Alchemy--."

"You of all people shouldn't underestimate Alchemy," Lupin said rather cheekily.

Hermione looked back to Harry and noticed other than breathing, he hadn't moved since he got to the couch.

"How am I supposed to help Harry…everyone depends on him, especially the Order. The one person he's supposed to depend on isn't even there to help. I'm busy studying."

"It's important," said a raspy voice, "to get a head start on the N.E.W.T.s."

"Harry! How do you feel?"

"Like hell. How do I look?"

"Worse," Lupin and Hermione said together.

"Brilliant."

Hermione's dad came back and Harry ate very little while Hermione fussed over him. He decided she was so good at it she rivaled Mrs. Weasley.

Harry woke up and looked around the foreign room. There were books from what seemed like floor to ceiling, with muggle photos of him, Ron, and Hermione… This was Hermione's room. He looked down to see he was sleeping under a floral comforter. Over to his side sat Hermione in a chair fast asleep. He decided against waking her and got up in search of food. He was just leaving Hermione's room when he heard her parents arguing.

"What happened to him?"

Hermione's father looked in the direction of Hermione's room.

"He looks starved."

Hermione's mum put her hands on her hips, "She said this boy's a friend..."

"Yes, our daughter would not lie to us-"

"I haven't ever seen her act that way with one of her friends." She started to tap her foot.

"Have any of her friends almost died? I just think you are worrying about the wrong thing right now."

"I am? Your daughter and a boy we've never met are alone in her room right now."

"Really! They're asleep, and the door is wide open, AND he is in no physical condition to try anything," her father whispered back.

"And what is it you're worried about? You said there were more important things, out with it."

"Was I the only one to see the man's face? There were fresh scars there, too. Whatever has injured him may be on school grounds... Our little girl may get hurt."

Harry looked behind him to see Hermione standing beside him. Her eyes were barely open and her hair looked as if something had made a nest in it. 'Our little girl...' Harry smiled. They couldn't understand: their little girl was a very powerful witch. She was strong even when everything told her to be weak, and she was smarter than anyone he knew save McGonagall and Dumbledore. 'May get hurt,' Harry always worried that she might, but looking at her right now, looking groggy and trying to find her footing, he was more worried about anyone else who went up against her.

Still hearing their fight in the hallway Harry quietly shut the door and locked it. He led Hermione to the bed and lay down as she curled around him.

Let them worry.

* * *

Hermione woke with a smile on her face. She hugged herself tighter to Harry and looked at his sleeping form. He was still far too skinny, even for him, but he was here. She could protect him and mother him, and when need be, 'tisk' him.

He stirred, she knew he would soon wake up, she decided to shower and make him breakfast. By the time she got back upstairs he would be just opening his eyes and putting his glasses on.

Once she got out of the shower and properly dressed she went to the kitchen and started to cook. She wasn't the best, far from it actually, but she did know how to make toast and eggs.

As the first egg started to sizzle she heard her father come down the stairs.

"'Lo dad," she smiled sweetly.

"Hermione, you sound better today. You look like you've slept well." He kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, before I was just so worried about school... and Harry. I've talked to Professor Lupin and he convinced me everything would be okay."

"Hermione, what happened to that boy?"

Hermione's smile left her face, "His relatives."

"His relatives? I don't think I quite follow..."

"They always hurt him. I never know how because he'll never talk about it but I do know that it's bad, and it never stops. Dumbled- the Headmaster of the school Professor Dumbledore doesn't like it either but there are magical reasons why he has to call that his home... I didn't want him going back there..."

Dr. Granger gave his daughter a half hug and let her return to her cooking. A smile played crossed his lips, "Since when did you learn to cook?"

"I cook! Just not all that well... I thought I should make something for the Professor and Harry, they have to go to Grimmauld Place soon and Harry needs to get stronger before they get going..."

"Honey they can stay as long as your friend needs to get better. In fact, why don't they stay for Christmas? You can invite any other friends over for the day. Your mother is going to make a horribly dry and tough Turkey. No one should miss out on that."

His daughter gave him a bone-crushing hug, "Thank you so much dad. I'll owl Ginny today. Oh, can all the Weasleys come over, Mr. Weasley would love to see a Muggle holiday!"

"Sure, we've got more than enough room. Honey, watch your egg."

Hermione spent the next five minutes scraping burnt egg off the frying pan in an almost too cheerful mood.

"You need any help burning the food?" Harry asked from the stairs.

Dr. Granger watched as the boy tried to walk down the stairs straight, trying to show as little effort as possible, but looking at his hand on the rail he could tell the boy was barely getting down on his own.

"Harry! You really shouldn't be out of bed, you aren't strong enough." Hermione jumped to his side and tried to help him although her efforts seemed fruitless.

"I can make that for you, I'm a much better cook than you."

"No! You aren't in any shape to do anything of the sort. Just sit down. It'll be ready in a few minutes, the toast is done so you can start on that."

Harry did as he was told and Hermione continued cooking, rather badly, while her father watched the two from the corner of his eye. Hermione told Harry about her father's invitation and Harry thanked him between yawns. Professor Lupin entered the room and they told him the news.

"All right. I should go and perform the necessary protective charms on the house, that is if that's okay with you, Dr. Granger."

He nodded and the professor went off.

"Protective charms?" he asked the two teens.

Without missing a beat Hermione answered, "Mr. Weasley works for the Ministry of Magic, and with Voldemort on the loose... It would be better to be safe than sorry."

Harry looked a little perplexed at this answer but soon nodded in agreement.

"I wonder if Ronald will bring Luna." Harry poked his fork in his eggs.

"I don't think so, I can't believe he'd want his mother to know."

"Yeah, don't know, she could be a scarlet woman." Harry laughed.

"It would be nice if she was, at least I wouldn't be the only one."

"I'm done," Professor Lupin said as he walked back into the house, "Dumbledore will come by later and add a couple of finishing touches. When he's done he wants to talk to the both of you."

"Harry, you should go rest up before he comes by," Lupin said.

"Mmm, I'll join you, I'm still tired." Hermione put away their plates and tried to help Harry up the stairs.

Hermione's father watched as the two left the room and turned to the Professor who was trying to look busy eating.

"Should I be worried?" Dr. Granger pointed to the stairs.

"Them? No, Harry's seeing one of the Weasley kids. You shouldn't say anything, I'm not even supposed to know." Lupin said, "It was hard not to see at the ball."

Dr. Granger then asked the question he had been afraid of asking for the past sixteen years, "Is there a guy Hermione... likes?"

"No, not that I've seen. She always seems too busy with school work to care about boys."

Dr. Granger sighed in relief.

* * *

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