Kindred Spirits, Bound Souls

MisCard

Rating: NC17
Genres: Angst, Romance
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 14/09/2004
Last Updated: 27/02/2005
Status: completed

*COMPLETED!!* AU-Harry and Hermione come from the same kind of home life; relatives hurting them simply because of who they are. When they cross paths at Hogwarts and become friends, they start to realize how alike they really are. Can they help each other escape from their terrible secrets or will someone stand in their way? WARNING: Contains Abuse (nothing graphic!)

Chapters

1. In The Beginning

2. Reprieve

3. Confessions

4. Betrayal

5. Feelings Hurt...

6. ...Hearts Broken

7. Nothing More, Nothing Less?

8. Discoveries

9. The Quidditch World Cup

10. Unhappy Reunions

11. Hell Hath No Fury...

12. The Road To Recovery

13. Confusion

14. Reckless Behavior

15. The Passing

16. In Your Arms

17. Complications

18. Purgatory and Redemption

19. Purgatory and Redemption-Pt. 2

20. The Confessions of Draco Malfoy

21. Into The Serpent's Lair

22. Revelations

23. Fury

24. Release

25. My Enemy...My Friend?

26. Strange Happenings at the Burrow

27. Leaving The Burrow

28. Unusual Happenings

29. The Death Of...???

30. And So It Begins

31. The Search For Hermione

32. Hermione's Sacrifice

33. Their Happy Ending

1. In The Beginning

***IMPORTANT AUTHOR'S NOTE-PLEASE READ! I've been working on this story for a little while now, it is something I felt I needed to write. I want to warn you that this story will not be for the faint of heart, it will contain abuse and is completely AU. I will not go into graphic details; it is a story about two people, Harry and Hermione, who come from abusive homes and find solace in each other when they need it most. Yes the story line will include Romance also, just not right away. I'm going to post this chapter, and will gauge the response to see if I will continue it or not. I can only say this, in situations like this, we could all use a Harry in our life! Please review and let me know if you think I should keep posting or just delete this story. Thanks! ~MisCard~

I used to believe in fairy tales. When I was five I used to play dress up and pretend I was a princess while my stuffed animals were my faithful subjects. I would have so much fun dressing in my Mum's beautiful formal dresses and shoes that were about six sizes too big. That seems like such a long time ago.

Things started to change for me when I started first grade. I was having trouble learning how to read; I just couldn't understand the whole sounding out the word thing. My teacher had spoken to my parents at parent-teacher conferences about how she was concerned with my lack of progress. My Dad was a Professor of Literature at Oxford, and to him I was an embarrassment. He told my teacher he would tutor me himself after school and would have me reading in no time. That's when it all started.

The first lesson my Dad gave me, he placed a copy of "Moby Dick" on the table in front of me and told me to start reading. We were in the kitchen of our home, and he circled around the table as I stumbled over word after word. Every time he corrected me, he seemed to get angrier with me. When I stumbled over a word he had already corrected me on, he seemed to lose his temper completely. He grabbed me by my arms and yanked me out of the chair, holding me in front of him as he crouched down and yelled in my face. He kept saying what a stupid girl I was and how could any daughter of his not be able to read by now? I kept telling him I was sorry, but he just kept tightening his grip on my upper arms until it hurt so badly that I cried. The sight of my tears seemed to snap him out of his rage and he let me go, rubbing my arms where he had once had a hold on me. He told me we were done for the night and that I should go get ready for bed. I went to bed that night crying, mad at myself for disappointing my Daddy and making him so mad at me. I would soon find out that that night was only the beginning.

He continued tutoring me every night after dinner and his temper only continued to get worse. It got so that every time I misread a word, he would smack the side of my head or he would punch me in the upper arm so that the bruise wouldn't show. He kept telling me that I was slow and that an idiot like me could not be his daughter. I would go to bed and cry myself to sleep, mad at myself for making him so mad, only to have the same thing happen night after night.

Things got increasingly worse the older I got. If I failed a spelling test, he would make me write the words I missed one thousand times each, all the while berating me for my stupidity. I continued to be smacked upside the head, and then he started to pinch me wherever he felt wouldn't show, leaving bruises all over my body. I always sat like a good girl and took my punishment; I was convinced I was stupid and deserved it.

I never had any close friends; I was always afraid the other girls would find out how stupid I was and make fun of me. I would always sit by myself during lunch and read, hoping to do well enough that night to keep my father's anger at bay. If someone tried to talk to me, I always gave one word answers and was grateful when they finally left me alone. Yes, I got lonely sometimes, but it was better than having someone know how dumb I really was.

One day, I had taken a spelling test and had gotten a B+ on it, and I couldn't wait to get home to show my Dad. I knew he would be proud of me for the good grade I had gotten. I had run into my house after school, waving the test paper around, yelling "Daddy, Daddy, look how well I did on my test!" He walked up and snatched the paper out of my hand and looked at the giant red grade on the top and frowned.

"You're proud of this grade?" he asked, his voice dangerously quiet. "This should have been an A! If you studied as much as you told me you had, then you should have aced this test!"

I couldn't believe he was mad at me for getting a B+. "But I-I thought you would be p-proud of m-me" I asked quietly, trying to stop the tears from forming in my eyes.

"Proud of...of this?!" he asked, sounding disgusted. "Proud of the fact that the daughter of a Professor, MY daughter, is too stupid to know how to spell 'congratulate'?" He stood there, almost seething with anger and did the only thing he hadn't done to me yet; he slapped me hard across the face. As I sat there cradling my stinging cheek in my hand and trying hard not to cry, he screamed at me "get out of my sight! I don't want to see you the rest of the night!"

I turned and ran as fast as I could, running up the stairs and into my room. I had passed my Mum on the stairs and she had doubled back and followed me. She walked through the door and closed it, looking at me with a look I knew all too well by now. "Are you ok Love?" she asked me quietly, afraid that my Dad would hear her. I shook my head yes, even though I really wasn't. "I told you not to make your father mad" she said, sounding desperate. "If you would only work a little harder in school..."

"It still wouldn't be good enough for him" I whispered, not really wanting my Mum in my room. She always made excuses for him; always said it was my fault he hit me. When she looked at me, I saw that her eyes were filled with sadness and disappointment. It was then, at the tender age of nine, that I realized what a weak woman my Mum was. I knew she would never try to protect me, that she was as scared of him as I was. It was then that I swore that I would study harder and ace every test and quiz I took. I wasn't going to give my Dad a reason to hit me anymore.

I started to study any time I had a free minute during the day. True to my word, I began acing every test and quiz I took, getting straight A's on my report cards. Even though he would pretend to act proud that I was doing better in school, I could see that he was disappointed that he didn't have a reason to hit me anymore. He started to give me chores to do every night, like dusting or doing the dishes. If it wasn't done fast enough, or if the house wasn't clean enough, he would use it as another excuse to hit me. It was getting so bad that I was beginning to wish I would die just so the abuse would finally stop.

When I was ten years old, a savior in the form of a big, brown barn owl came swooping into my home. My Mum and I were the only ones home since it was summer break, so luckily my Dad wasn't there to be angry about a bird being in our house. I noticed the envelope it held in its beak, and when I took it, it gave a quick 'hoot' and flew away. I noticed my name on the front of the envelope and ripped it open, wondering who would be sending me something by owl. I read the note and couldn't believe my eyes, I was a Witch!! I held in my hands my chance to escape; I could be away from my parents for ten months, only coming home for Christmas break. I sat there trying not to cry at the hope that started to blossom inside of me. I still had to convince my Dad to let me go; I knew that it would be hard, but I also knew that going to...to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry might just save my life.

I begged and pleaded with him that night, swearing that I would be a perfect student and daughter he could be proud of. I told him how he would be able to tell his colleagues that his daughter had gotten into an exclusive boarding school that only accepted the best of the best, and he actually agreed to let me go. Trying not to show the happiness I was feeling, I turned to go upstairs to celebrate when he said "Hermione, I will be checking on your progress in this new school, and if you are not first in your class you will be punished when you return home next summer." The look in his eyes when he said this made a chill run through my body; it was a look that promised a pain so severe I would probably beg him to kill me instead.

"Yes Sir" I said, trying to keep my voice from trembling with the fear I felt. I knew better than to think he was lying; he had proven too many times that he always followed through on his threats. Going up to my room, I started to get excited about finally being able to escape my Father. Finding a calendar, I started counting how many days there were until I was to board the train to go to my new school, hopefully to start a new chapter in my lonely, pain filled life.

I used to wish that fairy tales were true, that there would be a hero to come and save me from the horror that was my life. I don't remember when my life became so horrible; I think I was too young to remember the first time things got bad. My earliest memory was when I was three and I had tried to play with one of Dudley's toys; he had run crying to his Mum and Dad, who were my Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, and said that I had tried to steal the toy from him. My Uncle had used his belt on me and had then locked me in the cupboard under the stairs. Unfortunately, that was only the beginning.

My parents had died when I was just a baby; my Aunt said they died in a car crash, but something about her story makes me think she's lying. I know better than to ask about it though, last time I asked a question about my parents my Uncle hit me in the head so hard that I saw stars behind my eyes. They hated that they had to raise me; they always looked at me like I was a piece of rubbish they wished they could throw away. When I was six, my Aunt made me set the table everyday for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I was made to take out the garbage, clean the house and even do dishes. One day I had broken one of the plates to my Aunt's good dish set, and my Uncle had spanked me with his belt so hard I couldn't sit down the rest of the day. I was extremely careful not to break anything else every time I did the dishes after that.

School for me was like a living hell; I was a very small, scrawny boy that all the bigger kids liked to pick on, especially Dudley. He made sure that I never had any friends; any time he saw one of the kids talking to me, he would bully them into staying away from me. There was one boy who had tried to be my friend and stood up to Dudley's bullying; Dudley and his gang had beaten him unconscious. He ended up transferring to another school after he was released from the hospital and no one ever tried to be friends with me again.

As I got older, my relatives continued to give me more chores to do around the house. I would go to school, come home (if you could call it that) to do my chores and then fall exhausted into my bed only to be woke up at six the next morning to start all over again. I think I would have been ok if my Aunt and Uncle had actually let me eat normal meals every day, but normally I got a piece of bread with butter on it and a glass of water twice a day; if I was lucky I would get a glass of milk on occasion.

One day, just before my tenth birthday, something had possessed me to talk back to my Uncle; it could have only been the devil himself. My Uncle had told me to clean Dudley's room for him, and I had said "no!" I had never seen my Uncles face turn such a dark shade of purple before. He glared at me, his eyes bulging out of his face as he said "did you just tell me no?!" I had looked him square in the eye, feeling as defiant as I ever had, and yelled "I said no!"

All I remember after that is my Uncle's fist crashing into my nose hard enough to break it. I lost count of how many times he punched and hit me, and then kicked me as I was lying on the floor. When he thought I was unconscious, he grabbed my feet and dragged me to the cupboard, tossing me inside and locking me in their for three days. I had never hurt so much in my life, not even when Dudley decided to use me as a punching bag all those times he had beaten me up. I just lay there, trying not to moan to loudly, lest I make my Uncle angry again. A part of me wished I would just die; at least that way I would be with my parents again. I healed rather quickly, almost as if by magic, and when my Uncle saw the I was pretty much healed when he let me out he put me right back to work again. From that day on, I never talked back to my Uncle again.

One day during the summer I turned eleven, a huge, dark brown barn owl came flying into the open window in the kitchen, causing my Aunt to scream in surprise. When I had peeked around the kitchen door to see what had happened, I saw that she had an envelope in her hands, and that it had my name on it. She opened it up and read it to herself, a strange look dawning on her face. She had walked over and handed it to my Uncle who was sitting at the table, and as he read it a small smile actually formed on his face. "Boy" he had yelled, not knowing I was standing there "boy, get down here now!" Waiting a few seconds, I walked slowly into the room and stood in front of him, wondering just what the letter had said.

"Boy, you are going to a boarding school instead of your old school this year" he said, sounding almost giddy. "You will be leaving August 31st and you won't be coming back here until June of the following year!" This could have been the best news I had ever heard. Ten months away from these horrible people? There must be a catch. "May I ask what school Sir?" I asked quietly.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, whatever that is" he said, still smiling. "I really don't care what kind of school it is, I only know that we won't have to put up with your lazy, insolent behavior for almost a year!"

Nodding my head in understanding, I asked "may I be excused?" and when Uncle Vernon had said "Yes" I turned and almost ran to my room. I sat in my room the rest of the day, daydreaming about what my new school would be like and of all the friends I would make. I finally had a chance to be a normal kid for once and I could not wait to go. I counted the days on my calendar to see how long it would be until I could leave and I kept track, subtracting one day every morning when I woke up, that much closer to boarding the train to the start of my new life.

2. Reprieve

A/N>Thank you so much for the positive feedback and wonderful support for this story! I wasn't sure how it would be received, but all but one review was positive and that one person didn't understand that this is an AU fic! I should say now that yes, there will be a happy ending to this story, but Harry and Hermione are going to go through hell getting there. I am going to cover their years at Hogwarts, but I'm only skimming over the important events and focusing mainly on the summers because that is when they are stuck with their abusive relatives. I hope that all of you that reviewed will continue to read, and I hope that I can stay true to the characters thoughts and emotions. Oh, and I found this great essay on the HP Lexicon about why H/Hr will probably end up together at the end of book 7! If you want to read it, go to http://www.hp-lexicon.org/essays/essay-harry-hermione.html . It's really interesting! Thanks again, and please review!!

On the train to Hogwarts two months later, I sat in a compartment by myself, watching the scenery pass by quickly. I had tried to get a compartment all to myself, but there were too many students on the train and soon a dark haired boy with glasses and a strange looking scar on his forehead came in. He asked if it would be ok to sit in the empty seat, and I just nodded my head, watching as he slowly walked over and gingerly sat down. I must have looked at him funny, because he said "I had a really bad accident on my bike yesterday" while not meeting my eyes.

All I could say was "oh" while wondering if that was really true. I had used that lie a couple of times when my Dad had spanked me so hard that it hurt to sit down or walk. Figuring it was none of my business, I continued to stare out the window and ignore the strange boy. About ten minutes later, a scrawny red headed boy walked in, asking if he could sit with us also. The other boy and I just nodded our heads yes and watched as he walked over to sit by the black haired boy.

"My names Ron, Ron Weasley" he said with a big, friendly smile on his face. When he looked at me expectantly, I smiled the best I could and said "I'm Hermione Granger."

"That's a weird name, isn't it?" he asked, wrinkling his nose as if disgusted.

"I was named after a character in a Shakespeare play called 'A Winter's Tale' I'll have you know" I said, annoyed that he was making fun of my name.

"Who's Shakespeare?" he asked, confused. "Well I'm sorry, it's just a strange name is all" said Ron, eyeing me strangely. He looked over at Harry and his eyes grew wide. "You're Harry Potter!" he said, like he couldn't believe it.

"H-How did you know my name?" Harry asked, sounding afraid.

Ron stared at him in disbelief and said "you're joking right?" When he saw that not only did Harry not know, but neither did I, he was amazed. "You're the bloody savior of the wizarding world mate!"

Harry just stared at him, not even blinking as I asked "how is Harry the savior of the wizarding world?"

"I can't believe you two don't know the story, especially you Harry since it's about you." Ron turned towards Harry and said "it happened the night your parents were killed."

"They died in a car crash, how could I become a savior from that?" Harry asked, thoroughly confused. Ron just sat shaking his head, not sure if he should go on. "Well?" Harry asked, growing impatient.

"Your parents didn't die in a car crash Harry" Ron explained "they were killed by an evil wizard named...well, I can't say his name."

"Why not?" I asked.

"Because no one speaks his name, it is a name that makes everyone afraid" Ron replied. Seeing that he was confusing Harry and me even more, he said "I'll be back in a second."

Harry and I watched him walk out of the compartment, wondering where he was going. "Do you have any idea what he's on about?" I asked.

"I have no idea at all" said Harry, looking like he may be sick. After about five minutes of silence, Ron came back in carrying a book titled "The History Of The Magical World, 1900-" and sat next to Harry again. Opening the book and looking through the table of contents, Ron found the page he wanted and turned to it, and then gave the book over to Harry.

I watched Harry's eyes move over the page, the further down he got, the sicker looking he got. When he finished reading, he just looked at me and then at Ron, confusion evident on his face. "Excuse me" he had said quickly, standing up and placing the book down on his seat. I watched as he ran out of the compartment looking as if he was going to be sick right then.

As Harry had run out of the compartment, I reached over and took the book off of his seat, reading the page Harry had just read. My eyes grew wide as I read over what had happened to his parents, and how he had destroyed this evil wizard that no one else seemed able to destroy. 'Poor Harry' I thought to myself, wondering how it was that he had no knowledge of his history.

"Do you think he didn't know all of that?" Ron asked, causing me to look at him as if he were stupid.

"Of course he didn't know; do you think he would have reacted that way if he did?" I asked, as if talking to a five year old. Ron just looked at me for a moment and stood up from his seat.

"I need to give that book back to my brother Percy" he said, reaching out for it. I closed it and handed it back to him. "I guess I'll see you around" he said, not sounding very happy about it.

"Yes, I'll see you around" I said, trying to sound polite.

"Tell Harry I'm sorry if I upset him, would ya?" Ron asked, looking truly sorry.

"Of course" I said, trying to put on a friendly smile. I watched as he walked away, glad that he was finally gone. 'Hope I never see him again!' I thought to myself, then thought of Harry and wondered if he was ok.

I saw that the page was a history of my parent's lives, and how when I was one year old my parents were killed by someone named Voldemort; someone that I had supposedly killed, saving the wizarding world from his evil wrath. 'This can't be right' I thought to myself, feeling sick all of a sudden. Standing up and putting the book down on my seat, I quickly excused myself and ran to the lavatory, retching until my stomach hurt and tears ran from my eyes. I couldn't understand how my Aunt could have kept this from me; she was my Mum's sister, didn't she care for her at all? If anything, it showed how much she truly hated me and my Mum. And if I was the bloody savior of the wizarding world, why did I have to stay with my horrid relatives? Rinsing my face and mouth with cold water, I sat back on the closed toilet seat, pondering everything I had just read about my own life. About five minutes later, someone banged on the door of the lavatory and I yelled "it's occupied!"

"Harry?" I heard the girl I had just met say "are you ok?" It was hard for me to believe she was actually worried about me; she had actually come to check on me? No one in my entire life had ever been worried about me when I was sick, I always just took care of myself the best I could until I was better. I had heard the worry in her voice, and I figured I should go sit back down. Checking myself in the mirror, I turned and opened the door to see her still standing there.

"I just wondered if you were all right?" she asked, giving me what looked to be a forced smile.

"I'm better now; thanks for coming to check on me" I said, not entirely sure why. Her cheeks turned pink and she looked away from me, as if I had embarrassed her. We made our way back to the compartment and I noticed the boy named Ron had left.

"Where did Ron go?" I asked, curious as to if I was the reason he left.

"He said he had to get back to his brothers and that he would see you later" she had replied, making me feel a little better. As the ride continued, we had fallen into a comfortable silence, neither really having much to say to each other. Finally we had made it to the station and disembarked, walking out to find a huge man standing there that was the size of a giant.

"Hullo 'arry" he said, smiling down at me and placing a huge hand on my shoulder, almost making me fall.

"Um, hi" I said, trying not to show my fear of him. He had given me a strange look and I said "is something wrong?"

"No, no there's nuthin' wrong" he said "you don' know who I am, do ya?"

"No, I'm sorry, but I don't know you" I had answered "should I?"

"I knew yer parents 'arry; I'm the one tha took you away from your house tha' nigh." When I heard him say this, a small pit of anger had formed in my stomach.

"You're the one who left me with my Aunt and Uncle?" I asked, trying not to let the anger show through. When he had just nodded his head yes, I really didn't know what to say or do. This was the man that had handed me over to those monsters; I probably would have been better off if that evil wizard guy had just killed me along with my parents that night.

"Harry, are you ok?" Hermione had asked, walking over to me and placing her hand gently on my arm. I had winced a little because that was where my Uncle had grabbed me this morning, causing a huge bruise on my upper arm. I knew she had seen me wince, and when I looked up at her face, I was surprised to see a look of understanding there. Could she know what was under my sleeve? How could she? Something about the look on her face told me she might know more than I thought.

"I'll be ok; I think it's just all the new stuff I keep learning today" I said, trying to lighten the situation. "What is your name?" I asked, turning to the giant man in front of me.

" 'agrid, my name's 'agrid" he said in a deep, gruff voice. "I din'nt mean to upset ya 'arry. I though' you already knew" he explained, looking a little sad as he spoke.

"It's ok" I had said "another student on the train had already told me I'm the savior of the wizarding world." Hagrid had looked down at me and smiled.

"I'm sure if'n you go see Professor Dumbledore, he'll tell ya all ya want to know" he said, smiling a genuine smile. "I'll be seein' ye 'arry" he said, turning around and walking down the platform, calling for all the first years to follow him.

As I walked next to Harry, I was amazed at the inside of the castle that would be my new school. It seemed huge to me as we followed Professor McGonagall up two flights of stairs. As she left us to check on something, a girl with long dark hair approached me, smiling. "Hi, I'm Lavender" she had said. I wasn't really sure what to do, no one in my old school had ever approached me as a friend before, so I just said "Hi, I'm Hermione Granger."

The girl had smiled and I was startled when I heard Professor McGonagall behind me say "ah, Ms. Granger, your father has already been in touch with the Headmaster about your arrival here today."

I looked at her and couldn't believe what she had just said. I hadn't been gone a day and my father was still making my life a living hell. "H-he al-already talked to the Headmaster today?" I stuttered, mad at myself for possibly making her suspicious.

"Yes, he had asked if it would be ok to check up on you from time to time, seeing as it's your first time away from home" she had explained. But how could my Dad contact the school if there were no phones here? "He sent a note with the new owl he bought for you; he found out that was how the wizarding world communicates and wanted you to be able to send letters home. The owl is already in the owlery. You must be glad to have such a concerned and loving Father."

'If only she knew the half of it' I thought to myself, and then I noticed Harry staring at me. He had this look on his face like he was trying to figure out my deep, dark secrets and it was making me uncomfortable. Why was he getting to me like this and why did I care what he thought about me? Thankfully, the Professor had taken us into the Great Hall to be sorted and the rest of the night went by quickly. I had been sorted into Gryffindor house, along with Harry and that red headed boy named Ron. He had come over to sit by us after he was sorted, spouting off about how all of his brothers had been in Gryffindor house too and he kept talking about something called Quidditch . I just ate my dinner, trying to ignore his incessant rambling.

Finally it was time to go to our rooms for the night. I was so glad to be getting away from all of the other students for a while. Everyone seemed so friendly here; it was different from public school where everyone just ignored you most of the time. We followed one of the older students, a Prefect, up a huge staircase and he showed us how to use the password to get into our common room. It was such a pretty room; everything was maroon and gold, there was a giant, roaring fireplace and a nice cushy couch to sit on in front of it.

Going up to my room, I noticed that I would be sharing it with four other girls, which I really didn't mind. It might be nice to be around other girls for once. Digging through my trunk, I found my nightgown and went into the bathroom to get ready for bed. As I was changing, I hadn't noticed the girl named Lavender walk in as I slipped my gown over my head.

"Oh my, what happened to your side?" she had asked, pointing to my Father's latest work, four small bruises the size of a marble on my right side. Trying hard to come up with an excuse, I said "it's nothing really. I'm just clumsy; it happens all the time." I saw that she didn't buy my story, and I panicked. Excusing myself quickly, I almost ran out of the bathroom and back to my bed, jumping on it and drawing the curtains around it closed. I lay in bed, trying not to cry at the embarrassment I felt at her seeing my bruises. I would have to be more careful from now on; if my Father found out, he would definitely make me pay.

I think that first year at Hogwarts was the best year of my life! Ron and I became close friends, and even Hermione became a little friendlier as the year went on; she had started out staying mainly to herself and studying in the library. Ron and I had saved her from a Troll on Halloween and she'd hung out with us ever since, helping us with our homework and lecturing us when we didn't do it like we should. I was on the Quidditch team that year also; I was the Seeker. I had never even heard of the game before, but thanks to Oliver Wood, the captain I learned fast. I also found out my Dad had played, thanks to Hermione.

I found out quite a bit about my parents that year, with Dumbledore telling me all he could about them when I would go see him. At the end of the year, I unfortunately had a run in with Voldemort, who was hiding out in one of the Professors bodies and trying to steal a stone that would make him immortal. With the help of Ron and Hermione, I was able to save the stone and get rid of Voldemort once more, but only for a little while. His spirit had escaped and I had no idea where I would find him next.

I had woke up in hospital to find all sorts of cards and gifts from the students, thanking me for saving the stone. I couldn't believe all these people actually cared what happened to me! When I left Hospital, Ron and Hermione were waiting for me and we all walked down to the Feast together that night. We had gotten extra points for our house that night because of our adventure and had ended up winning the House Cup! It was a great feeling to win something like that. Everyone was clapping me on the back, saying what a good job I did and I was actually genuinely happy for once.

The next day we boarded the Hogwarts Express to go back home; I really didn't want to go back to the Dursley's. I had found my real home and it was at Hogwarts. Hermione and I were quiet on the way home while Ron talked animatedly about how I had saved the stone and the wicked game of wizards chess he had played to help us across the giant board. Sooner than I liked, we pulled onto Platform 9 3/4 and started to gather our stuff together. When I walked off of the train, I watched as Hermione walked over to a man and woman, the woman pulling her into a fierce hug. The man, her Dad, was watching her with a look on his face such as I'd seen on my Uncle Vernon from time to time. I knew that look, and I shivered as I felt a chill run through my body as a realization occurred to me: maybe Hermione's Dad hit her too.

I walked over to her and her family, saying a final goodbye and watched as her Father gave me a phony smile. He grabbed Hermione forcefully by the arm and started to drag her away, all the while she looked back at me with an almost pleading look. I had no idea what I could do to help her, so I just gave her a small wave and continued on to meet my Uncle outside in the parking lot. Walking towards the car, I watched as Hermione's Dad shoved her into the backseat of their car and I felt sad as I realized that I had been right; Hermione's Dad was just like Uncle Vernon and she had probably suffered just as I had over the years.

3. Confessions

***Once again, thank you so much for the great reviews! I've been trying to reply to each one of them, so please check the review page if you've left one. I'm also glad to see that some of my readers from "The Fear Within" are giving this one a chance also. Thank you again for reading and as always, please review!!!

The car ride home from Platform 9 3/4 was horrible. My Dad ranted and raved the whole way home about how careless and stupid I was. It seemed that Professor Dumbledore had informed my parents of my little adventure with the boys at the end of term, thinking they would be proud of me for my heroism. My Father saw it as anything but heroic. Unfortunately, it didn't take us long to get home, and he dragged me into the house that afternoon and beat me worse than he ever had before. It was so bad that I didn't get out of bed for three days.

My Mum would come in crying, asking why I had to act so bad all the time and why couldn't I just be good and make my Dad happy? She made me so sick; I could only pray I didn't end up as weak as she was when I was older. The only bright spot during that time was when Hedwig, Harry's pet owl, came flying into my room the second night I was home. He had written to me, asking how my summer was going so far and if I was ok. He had noticed the way my Dad had acted on the Platform and he actually sounded concerned about me. I smiled a little when I thought of him actually taking the time to worry about me. He wrote about his Aunt and Uncle, who sounded totally barbaric and his overweight bully of a cousin who liked to beat up on him.

I tried to write him back, but my right arm was pretty bruised up and sore, so my handwriting was atrocious. I did the best I could, telling him that I was fine and that my Dad was angry because of our little adventure. I wrote how I thought his cousin sounded horrible and his Aunt and Uncle didn't seem like very nice people. I reminded him to do his summer homework and asked him to please write again soon. I didn't write anything that could have tipped him off to my current condition because I didn't want to worry him. I would just wait and hope he would write me back soon. I rolled up the message and tied it to Hedwig's leg the best I could. "I'm sorry girl" I had said to the snowy owl "I would give you a treat but I really can't get up right now." If it was possible, I swore she had a look of pity in her large eyes. She hooted softly and gently nipped my finger, then took off back out the window to go back to Harry. I watched her fly away and wished I was a bird too; that way I could fly away from here, away from this terrible pain and my horrible Father.

I was surprised to see Hedwig come back so quickly that night. I had sent her off with a letter to Hermione to see how she was doing. I had been worried about her ever since I saw her Dad shove her into the backseat of their car the day before. When Hedwig landed on the bed next to me, she just stood there looking at me for a moment. I could have sworn I saw sadness in her large eyes as she slowly stuck her leg out for me to take the letter. Confused by her behavior, I unrolled the letter and had to check the name at the bottom to make sure it was really from Hermione.

The writing looked like chicken scratch; Hermione's writing was usually so smooth and elegant that it shocked me to see her writing like this. I read it and noticed how formal it seemed, like she was afraid to write anything personal. I noticed that Hedwig still sat next to me on the bed, watching me as if she were waiting for me to do something. "Is there something wrong with Hermione girl?" I asked her, not really expecting an answer, just voicing my thoughts. She hooted and bobbed her head, almost as if nodding her head 'yes' and then flew back to her cage for a drink of water. Surprised by her actions, I sat there wondering what had happened to my friend that had upset my owl. I tried to think of something I could do; maybe I could have someone check on her and then I berated myself for not getting her phone number. The Dursley's usually didn't let me use the phone, but I could have snuck down while they were gone during the day to call her and talk to her at least.

As I lay back on my bed, thinking of what I could do to help her, I hissed in pain as my back burned at the contact. My Uncle didn't like how I had made breakfast this morning and had used his belt on me. The stupid wanker had gotten my back twice, leaving red, raw gashes across it that hurt pretty bad. I rolled onto my side and started drifting off to sleep when the pain subsided, all the while thinking about Hermione and what I could do to help her.

The summer dragged on as my Dad forced me to do chores around the house all day and then study my lessons at night. He was making me do the same course work his students had to do in their second year of college studies. He had left me alone for a while but then one day he returned home from work and was in a right state. I don't know what had happened to set him off, but first he went after Mum and then came after me. I guess he was starting to tire out by the time he started in on me, because I only ended up with bruises on my wrists in the shape of his hands and a slight cut by my left eye.

When he was through with his temper tantrum, he had left muttering something about getting pissed and slammed out of our house. I spent the night attending to my Mum who had two black eyes and a bloody nose. When she had finally fallen asleep, I went to my room and lay on my bed, crying so hard that I could hardly breathe. I had no idea what I had done to deserve this; I worked my butt off in school and I was always a good girl, but it was never enough for my Dad. I jerked my head up as I heard a noise, scared that my Dad had returned to do more damage, only to see Hedwig sitting on my nightstand.

"Hi girl" I said, my voice scratchy from crying so hard. "Do you have a letter for me?" she stuck her foot out and I gently took it off of her leg. Reaching over to a small bowl on the stand, I got two treats for her and then sat up to read my letter from Harry. It was pretty much the same stuff; his relatives were horrible to him, they made him work as much as my Dad made me and he wanted to go back to Hogwarts as badly as I did.

As I was reading his letter, something in me just snapped. I grabbed a piece of parchment and started to hurriedly write, putting on to paper everything that had happened to me that day. Tears were streaming down my face as I wrote what had happened to my Mum and what my Dad had done to me. I put my phone number on the bottom of the paper and told Harry that if I didn't answer one of his letters to call me. I then did something I never thought I would; I begged Harry not to tell anyone else what I had told him and asked him to please keep that letter in case something ever happened to me. I think somewhere in the back of my mind I had convinced myself that my Father would one day go too far and kill me. I signed the letter with love and rolled it up, attaching it to Hedwig's leg. She nipped my finger affectionately and flew off once more, becoming a small white dot on the horizon.

Hedwig returned to my room late that night, nipping at my ear to wake me up. I turned on the light on my nightstand and put my glasses on, wondering why Hedwig woke me for a letter. As I took it off of her leg and unrolled it, I saw Hermione's neat writing along with drops of water on the parchment. I started to read and when I hit the second sentence, I almost stopped breathing. Hermione had finally decided to open up to me about her home life, and it sounded even worse than mine. I read through the entire thing and when I got to the bottom, she had written that she didn't want me to tell anyone and to save the letter in case anything happened to her. What the hell did she mean by that? Maybe things were worse than what she had written in the letter, if that was possible. She had signed the letter 'with love' and thankfully she had given me her phone number.

Walking quietly down the stairs, I made my way to the telephone and dialed the number she had given me. I listened as her phone rang twice, and then a quiet female voice said "hello?"

"Hermione?" I whispered, praying my Aunt or Uncle didn't hear me.

"Harry?" she asked, whispering also.

"Yes, it's me" I said "are you ok?"

It was quiet on her end for a moment and then she said "I guess so; it's good to hear your voice."

"You too" I replied "I was worried about you after I got your letter. Are you sure you don't want me to let Dumbledore know what's going on?"

"NO! no!" she said, yelling the first no she had said, and then quickly calmed herself. "It will only make things worse for me Harry."

"Ok, ok I'm sorry I upset you. I'll give you my Aunt's phone number and if you ever need to get a hold of me for any reason, you make sure you call me ok?" I asked her, worrying about her more and more every minute.

"Thanks Harry" she said "I had better go; I don't know when my Dad will be home."

"Alright Hermione. Be careful, and remember to call me if you need anything." When she had quietly agreed, we said our goodbyes and I quietly put the receiver back in the cradle. Making my way back up to my room, I lay face down on my bed, feeling completely worthless as a friend.

Somehow I made it through the rest of the summer; Harry and I would call and write each other as much as we possibly could without getting in trouble. My Dad continued to hit me once in a while, but nothing too bad lately. I got my Hogwarts letter for my second year and my Dad took me to Diagon Alley to get my stuff. I had seen Ron in Flourish and Blotts; I waved at him, but when my Dad saw what I did, he quickly paid for my books and pushed me out the door. When we got home, he made sure that I knew not to draw attention to myself when we went shopping.

The morning I was to board the Hogwarts Express again finally arrived, and it seemed like time crawled by. Finally I was sitting in a compartment, hoping that Ron and Harry would come to sit with me. Harry soon walked in and sat in the seat across from me, just like last year. He smiled at me and I could see the haunted look in his eyes; I bet my eyes held the same look.

"Has everything been going ok for you?" I asked while getting up to close the compartment door. Harry didn't answer and when I turned around to go back to my seat, he was standing right behind me. Jumping back a little in surprise, I watched as he yanked up the sleeve of his t-shirt and showed me a huge purple bruise on his upper arm. "Oh Harry, what happened?" I asked, gently reaching out to touch it. When I had barely made contact with his skin, he winced. Looking at him strangely, I ran my fingers over the width of the bruise and could feel a large bump under the skin. "What the hell did your Uncle do?"

"It wasn't my Uncle" Harry said quietly "it was one of Dudley's friends. He had taken his brother's ring to wear and when he punched me in the arm he used the hand the ring was on."

I pulled my hand back from his arm, placed a kiss on my fingertips and placed it back on the bruise. "I know it won't make it go away, but my Mum always kissed my cuts and bruises when I was little and it always seemed to help me feel better; I think it was more mental than physical." A small smile spread across his face as he stared at his arm where my hand still lay. "Why do they treat us like punching bags?" I asked, hating the tears that were forming in my eyes.

Harry went to move and then stopped. When I looked at him, he looked like he had wanted to give me a hug but had stopped himself. I nodded my head slightly and he wrapped his arms gently around me, in case there were any new bruises. It had never felt so good to be wrapped in someone's arms before. I didn't get many hugs anymore, and most of them were pity hugs from my Mum. Just as I had laid my head on his shoulder, the compartment door flew open and in walked Ron. Harry and I jumped apart quickly, causing both of us to wince in pain thanks to our injuries.

"What's going on in here?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"Nothing Ron" Harry had said, looking at me to let me know it was anything but. "Just a hello hug between friends."

"Well where's mine?" he asked, turning towards me with his arms wide open. I walked over to him slowly and gave him a hug. He had squeezed a little too hard and I had cried out, unable to stop myself. "Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked as he pulled away from me at my outburst.

"Nothing, I'm sorry. I think I may have bruised a rib when I fell off of my bike a couple of days ago" I lied, hating how good I was getting at it. I noticed Harry out of the corner of my eye; he looked like he wanted to comfort me but knew he couldn't with Ron here. I gave him a small smile to let him know I was ok and made my way back to my seat.

The three of us talked about everything we did over the summer for the rest of the trip. Mainly it was Ron telling us everything he had done while Harry and I listened. Ron had brought up the incident in Flourish and Blotts, asking why my Dad had dragged me out of the store. I had forgotten to mention that to Harry, and giving him a look to let him know I'd tell him later, I turned to Ron and told him my Dad had suddenly remembered he had an appointment he had to get to. Thankfully, he seemed to buy my story and continued on with the details of his summer.

We pulled into the Hogsmead station and piled out with the rest of the students. Harry and I were crushed together in the throng and he looked down at me, grabbing my hand and smiling. I could feel my face become warm as we continued off of the train hand in hand. Just as we stepped onto the platform, Harry let go of my hand and continued to walk next to me as we made our way to the carriages. Riding up to the castle, I sat watching him while he talked to Ron, wondering what to make of the strange feeling I felt every time I looked at him. The one thing I did know was that I was starting to feel real emotions again, and it was all thanks to Harry.

As we walked up to the castle and into the Great Hall for the welcoming feast, I sat thinking about how I hoped this year might actually be a good year for a change. At least I was far away from my Father again and wouldn't have to see him for three months, when I would go home for Christmas. I should have never allowed that hope to blossom, because that year became very bad, very quickly.

4. Betrayal

Soon after our second year at Hogwarts started, strange things started to happen around the castle. After hearing a strange voice during a detention I had with Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, I had met up with Ron and Hermione outside of the Dark Arts classroom. Hearing the voice again in the corridor and following it, we came upon a gruesome sight. Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris, hung stiffly on a wall hanging and there was a message written in blood on the wall.

Thinking back to that year, so many things had happened, I was amazed I made it through the year. I had broken my arm during our Quidditch match with Slytherin, only to have Lockhart try to heal it and instead make every bone in my arm disappear. The voice I had heard during detention kept popping up all over the castle and it seemed I was the only one to hear it. I also found out I could talk to snakes; you really don't want to know about that one! On top of it all, a creepy little house elf named Dobby kept popping up all over the place!

After students started to be petrified along with Nearly Headless Nick and Mrs. Norris, there was talk going around the school that Hogwarts might be shut down. I couldn't imagine having to go back to the Dursley's early. Christmas break came along and I stayed at the castle along with Ron. I was disappointed when Hermione said she would be going home for the holidays, but there was really nothing I could do about it. It was a quiet Christmas because there were only fifty students left in the Castle and about fifteen of them were in Gryffindor with us. Thankfully the day for everyone to return came quickly, and I found myself waiting at the doors of the castle as the students arrived. I told myself it was only because I was concerned about Hermione, hoping her Dad had left her alone during the break. When I finally saw her, I opened the door and walked out to greet her. When she saw me she gave me a small smile and flung her arms around my neck, giving me a hug. I just kept telling myself that I had missed my friend, nothing more and nothing less.

I looked up at the castle as I stepped out of the carriage and thought how great it was to finally be back. I had spent Christmas break with my parents and it had been disastrous. As I started climbing up the stairs to the front doors, I noticed someone standing there, watching everyone as they walked up to the castle. As I got closer, I noticed that it was Harry and I felt my heart skip a beat. 'Could he be waiting for me?' I wondered, berating myself for getting my hopes up. If he was waiting for me, it was only because he was worried about how my Dad treated me while I was home.

I watched as he walked out to greet me and I could feel a smile creep onto my face. When he was standing in front of me I surprised myself by throwing my arms around his neck and hugging him. What was I doing?! And when did I become so affectionate?? Pulling away, I immediately looked anywhere but at him and I made my way into the castle. I felt him walking next to me and I knew he was watching me. Feeling a bit uncomfortable, I risked a glance at him and asked "so how was your Christmas?"

"It was ok" he had answered, giving me a questioning look. "I should be the one asking you that."

I noticed all the kids gathered around us and said "I'll tell you later after everyone else goes to bed, ok?"

"That bad, huh?" he asked, probably noticing my sad demeanor. I just nodded my head to answer his question and continued up the stairs.

As we walked into the common room, Ron looked at Harry and asked "where have you been?"

I watched Harry's cheeks take on a pink hue as he refused to look at Ron. "I-I was walking around when I saw Hermione walk into the entrance hall" he said.

"He was sweet enough to walk me up here." 'Where the hell did that come from?' I asked myself, wondering if maybe I was losing my mind. I looked at Harry and noticed his eyes were closed and he was pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. When I saw the smartass smirk on Ron's face, I knew that I had just set Harry up for unending taunting and teasing. "I'm sorry Harry" I whispered so that only he could hear. I took two steps closer to him, and whispering again said "I'll meet you down here at eleven tonight?" When I saw him nod his head in agreement, I quickly made my way up the stairs before I could open my big mouth again.

As I started to unpack my stuff, I started to berate myself for saying what I had in the common room. Harry had cared enough to meet me when I returned and how do I repay him? By giving Ron ammunition to tease Harry mercilessly. Some friend I am.

What was she trying to do to me? I noticed the look on Ron's face as I looked toward him and said "don't say one bloody word Ronald." I felt a little satisfaction when he narrowed his eyes at my use of his full first name.

"Were you downstairs waiting for Hermione to arrive?" he asked me, looking at me with no trace of a smile on his face.

"Ron, I already told you, I was walking around and I happened to be down in the Entrance Hall when she walked in." I knew by the look on his face that he didn't believe me, but I found that I didn't really care at that moment. Wanting to get away from him for a little while, I told him I was tired and was going to go lay down for a while. Escaping upstairs, I lay down on my bed and closed the curtains so no one else would bother me. I lay there thinking for an unknown amount of time, trying to figure out why I had gone to meet Hermione, and I couldn't come up with an answer I could accept.

Eleven came quickly, and I peeked out through my curtains to see if my roommates were asleep yet. Thankfully they were, especially Ron. I quietly slipped out of the room and made my way down to the common room where I saw Hermione already sitting on the couch, staring into the dancing flames in the fireplace. She looked up as I sat down next to her and smiled.

"I'm sorry about before; my only excuse was that I was possessed or something. I don't think I've ever said the word 'sweet' in my life before" she said rather quickly, sounding slightly nervous.

I looked at her and noticed a frightened look in her eyes. 'What is she afraid of?' I wondered, watching her fidget. "It's ok Hermione; it's not like you offended me or anything. Besides, I'm sure Ron will forget about it sooner or later." I watched as she released a breath I wasn't sure she knew she was holding. What odd behavior...

"So, you said you would tell me about your holiday" I said, hoping to get her mind on a different topic. I felt like kicking myself as I watched her face fall immediately.

"Yes I did" she said, wringing her hands together. Seeming to gather herself together, she stared at the flames again as she started talking. "Well, everything started out well enough. My Mum picked me up that night and we went home to an empty house. Seems my Dad has been out of the house a lot recently doing Merlin knows what. The next morning we went shopping for presents, just my Mum and I, and we had an ok time." She stopped for a moment and a haunted expression crossed her face. "Everything went bad on Christmas Eve. We were having a nice dinner; Dad actually seemed to be in a good mood for a change. The phone had rang and Dad got up to answer it." She stopped talking again and I could see she was steeling herself for whatever she was about to say.

"When Dad sat back down at the table, you could almost see his fury burning behind his eyes. He took a bite of the roast my Mum had made and slammed his fork down onto his plate. He started yelling that his food was cold and how my Mum was a horrible cook. She just sat there as he got in her face, screaming like a mad man. When she still didn't say anything back to him, he grabbed her by her hair and yanked her out of her chair." I sat watching her face as she spoke, and I noticed two tears make their way slowly down her cheeks. I reached over and grabbed her hand, hoping to give her just a little comfort.

"He took her into the sitting room and he just kept yelling at her. She never said a word, not that I could hear, and I think that infuriated him the most. I...I heard him start hitting her hard and she started screaming." She swiped at the tears on her cheek and said "When I finally got the courage to walk in there, he was gone and she lay crying on the floor. He had just stormed out of the house and I ended up taking care of her the rest of the night. When I left the house this morning, he still hadn't come back."

We both sat silent for a little while and finally Hermione turned to look at me. I was surprised to see the angry expression on her face as she said "I don't understand my Mum. She knows that just silently standing there while my Dad's in one of his moods only makes him angrier! It's almost like she did it on purpose."

"You can't possibly believe that" I had said, surprised at what she had said.

"Why not?!" she had asked angrily. "It was like she was egging him on or something Harry. After he had left, I asked her if she had any idea what had set him off and she had mumbled something about a girlfriend."

"Your Dad has a girlfriend?" I asked, surprised.

"I guess that's what she meant" she replied, sighing. "It may sound horrid, but I'm glad he left. Christmas may have been ruined, but at least he didn't come after me this time."

I held on to her hand a little tighter, not really knowing what to say. We sat there for a little while longer in silence, both lost in our thoughts, before we decided to turn in for the night. As we turned to go in opposite directions on the stairs, I grabbed her arm lightly to stop her and asked "are you sure you're ok?"

"I'll be fine" she answered quietly, not meeting my eyes. "Alright" I said, letting her go. "Goodnight" she said quietly and I answered "Goodnight", watching her until she walked through the door to her room.

After Christmas, things around the castle seemed to get worse instead of better. Before our final Quidditch match of the year, Professor McGonagall had interrupted Wood's pep talk and called off our game, asking me to come with her. We had went to find Ron and then she took us to the hospital wing where Hermione lay in one of the beds, petrified. I felt sick as I stared at her prone figure laying on the bed, her eyes open and staring. I just stood there staring at her; how could this have happened? I looked over at Ron and he had a look of disbelief on his face as he stared at Hermione also.

It was hard to go on with classes like everything was perfectly fine. In every class I always stole glances at the empty chair next to me where she should be sitting. At night I would go to see her; I tried to make sure Ron didn't find out how often I visited her. He'd been acting strange ever since the day we saw Hermione petrified.

One day when Ron had come with me to visit her, I had found a piece of paper in Hermione's hand that was a detailed explanation of a Basilisk. Ron and I figured that's what had to be roaming around the school petrifying the students and decided to try and find it ourselves. We ended up in the Chamber of Secrets with Gilderoy Lockhart who tried to obliviate my memory. The stupid wanker had tried to use Ron's broken wand and the spell backfired onto him. It had also caused part of the chamber to collapse, separating me from Ron. I went ahead alone and found a young Tom Riddle, a.k.a. Voldemort, waiting for me with Ginny as his hostage. He set the Basilisk on me as Ginny lay there dying; after running my ass off through the tunnels of the chamber, I confronted the Basilisk and killed it.

To make a long story short, I ended up getting rid of the ghost of Riddle, saved Ginny and made my way back out of the chamber after finding Ron and Lockhart. I later found out that it was Lucius Malfoy behind the whole thing; he had planted Riddle's diary in among Ginny's books in Flourish and Blotts. After threatening me, Malfoy stalked out of Dumbledore's office, kicking and hitting his house elf Dobby the entire way. I felt like killing him as I watched him mistreat the elf; no one, man or beast, deserved to be treated that way. In the end, I tricked Lucius into giving the elf a sock, which set Dobby free from the Malfoy's mistreatment. When Lucius tried to kill me, Dobby defended me, blasting his ex-master halfway down the corridor where he landed on his ass, angry and humiliated.

At dinner that night, the Hall had been buzzing with the news that Ron and I had saved Ginny. As I was talking to Ron, Dean and Seamus, Neville got my attention and pointed toward the doors of the Hall. There stood Hermione, smiling and looking the picture of health. As I stood up from my seat, she started running toward me and flung herself at me, hugging me fiercely. I hugged her back just as hard, glad she was back to normal and amazed at how good it felt to hold her like this. She pulled away from me, much too soon for my liking, and turned to Ron. The two of them seemed awkward around each other, like they weren't sure if they should hug or shake hands. Ron stuttered out "W-Welcome back Hermione" while looking very uncomfortable. 'What is that all about?" I had wondered, watching their strange behavior. I decided to worry about it later and just enjoy the fact that she was finally back with us. I felt disappointed when she sat next to Ron; after the hug she gave me I thought she would sit next to me.

Soon it was time for us to board the train again to go home. Hermione had asked Ron and me to tell her the story of what happened in the chamber, so we explained everything from when we found the paper in her hand until my run-in with Malfoy. I was so happy to see her smiling and joking with us again. I had missed her more than I cared to admit. The only thing that bothered me was how she had sat next to Ron once again.

I sat there watching Harry as he sat in the seat across from me. I had sat next to Ron instead of him; I felt that after my little display in the Great Hall the day I was unpetrified, I might make him uncomfortable with all the extra attention. I kept feeling his eyes on me whenever I talked to Ron, and when I would turn towards him, he would immediately look away. I decided not to worry about it and continued to talk to Ron about Lockhart and the memory charm he had tried to cast on Harry. I heard the door to our compartment open and watched as Ron's sister Ginny walked in and sat next to Harry. I watched as she scooted closer to him, her leg touching his, and heard her giggle at every little thing he said. I remember thinking what a little trollop she was, so obviously flirting with Harry like that. I wished she would just leave and then I stopped, realizing the anger I felt towards her really wasn't justified. Why should it matter to me if she sat next to Harry and flirted with him? Deep down, I knew the answer to that question; I just wasn't ready to admit it to myself yet.

Finally we arrived at Platform 9 3/4 and everyone started to make their way off the train. As I stepped off the train, I looked up and saw my Dad there waiting for me. What was he doing here? Did he find out I was petrified for part of the school year? Where was Mum? As all these thoughts ran through my head, I felt a hand on my shoulder and I jumped. I turned to see Harry standing there with a concerned look on his face.

"Did you know he was going to be here to pick you up?" he asked me quietly.

"N-No, I expected my Mum to be here" I answered, watching as my Dad started to make his way towards me. I felt the fear start to tighten my stomach and I started to shake. Harry's hand on my shoulder tightened a little before he withdrew it; he still stood behind me as my Dad stood in front of me.

"Get your trunk so we can go home" he said, his voice sounding harsh and gravelly. I nodded my head and turned to pick my trunk up.

"I'll write you later Harry" I said, smiling at him, when suddenly my Dad grabbed a hold of my wrist and twisted it, causing me to involuntarily cry out in pain.

"I said to get your trunk, not talk to your little boyfriend" he snarled, glaring at me and then at Harry. Harry stood there glaring back at him, looking like he was ready to beat the shit out of my Dad any second. My Dad started to drag me along the platform and I looked at Harry, mouthing 'I'm sorry' to him before I could no longer see him.

I watched as her asshole Dad literally dragged her away, feeling completely helpless to do anything. Ron walked over to me and asked "what was that all about?"

"That's her Dad and he doesn't treat her very nicely" I replied, not wanting to tell him too much. We both watched her until we couldn't see her anymore and then turned to pick up our trunks. I walked with Ron over to his family, trading pleasantries with them and then Molly asked "who was that horrible man with Hermione?"

"That was her Dad" I answered again, starting to get a nervous feeling in my stomach just thinking about what he might do to her.

"Is he always so horrible to her, I wonder?" she had asked. I looked at her for a moment, sizing her up and realizing I could probably trust her. When I noticed Ron wasn't paying attention to our conversation, I took a step closer to her and asked "Can I tell you something?", praying Hermione would forgive me for what I was about to say.

"Of course you can dear" she had replied, giving me a smile that gave me the courage to keep talking.

"Her Dad...mistreats her" I whispered, not wanting Ron to hear "but she doesn't want anyone to know."

"Oh dear" she said, clearly distressed "that poor girl." Looking at me with tears in her eyes, Mrs. Weasley put her hand on my shoulder and said "thank you for telling me Harry. When we get home I'll contact Dumbledore and see what we can do to help her."

A part of me felt better now that I had told someone else, especially since I knew Mrs. Weasley would do everything in her power to help Hermione. Another part of me felt like I had somehow betrayed Hermione by telling her secret. I knew what I did was in her best interest, but she had still confided in me, trusting that I wouldn't tell anyone else. Would she be mad at me for telling?

I walked through the barrier with Ron and Ginny, and I immediately saw my Uncle waiting there for me, glaring at me as usual. I said my goodbyes to the Weasley's and made my way over to him.

"Bout time boy" he growled out, turning and walking away immediately. I sighed, dreading the summer already, and started to follow him to the car. I turned momentarily, looking for Mrs. Weasley in the crowd. When I found her, she was watching me and she waved. I waved back and mouthed 'thank you' to her. Knowing she was going to try to help Hermione kind of put my mind to ease.

Unfortunately, it ended up making things worse; not for Hermione, but for me.

~*A/N>I'm sorry that this chapter isn't very good. I re-did it twice and this is the best I could get it. The next chapter will be easier to write because I know exactly where it's going and what's going to happen. Thank you so much for all of your supportive reviews!! I'm glad you like this story so much!!!! For those who read "The Fear Within", I'm going to try to finish the chapter tonight. No promises though! :)

5. Feelings Hurt...

~**I split this chapter into two because of how long it was. A lot will happen during this summer, so I was unable to cover it all in one since my chapters are usually 2500-3500 words. Thank you all so much for all of the wonderful reviews you've been leaving for me and for sticking with this story!

~The song in this chapter is called "Not Falling Apart" by Maroon 5~

My Dad practically dragged me out to the car in an exact repeat of when he picked me up last summer. This time I sat in the front seat, listening as he lectured me the entire way home about how "boys are evil and will only use me to get in my pants." I almost laughed at the absurdity of it all; the married man with a girlfriend lecturing his daughter about the evil ways of boys, when he was the prime example of how 'evil' men could be.

"Hold on
Hold on
We're on
Our way

I'm not falling apart"

We pulled into the driveway of our house and I felt dread start to overtake my body. I watched as my Dad parked the car and then got out to get my trunk from the backseat. I got out also and made my way to the front door, trying to open it but finding it locked. I remember thinking how odd it was that my Mum hadn't come with Dad to pick me up, or that she wasn't at the door to greet me. I started to get a very ominous feeling; did my Dad do something to my Mum?

"Hold on
Hold on
We're on
Our Way

I'm not falling apart"

My Dad walked up and unlocked the door; he walked in and set my trunk down in the entryway. I looked around and saw how clean the house was; it didn't even look lived in. Turning to Dad, I steeled myself and asked "Dad, where's Mum?"

"I don't mind
Falling in the water
I lay under the waves
I don't mind
Falling in the water
No one ever notices me
I lay under the waves"

I watched his facial expression harden into one I had not seen before. He grabbed me by my hair and flung me to the ground, towering over me, breathing heavily with wild eyes that bore right through me. I lay shaking on the floor, almost knowing what would come next. "You're no-good slut of a Mother is gone. This is my house, do you understand? Don't ever question me again!!" As I sat shaking my head yes, he glared at me, looking at me like I was something disgusting rotting on the floor. Just when I thought he was going to walk away, he turned back to me with his fist drawn back...

"I'm not falling apart
Not falling apart
Not falling apart
Not falling apart
Not falling apart..."

When he hit me, it felt like every bone in my face broke. I immediately rolled over so that my back was to him and I was shielding my face so he couldn't hit me again. I lay there, hunched over and shaking, waiting for the next blow, when suddenly I heard a quiet 'pop' in the room.

"Get away from her!" boomed the voice of Professor Dumbledore, my savior. Not daring to look up, for fear my Dad would see the relief on my face, I lay there listening to the conversation. "Mr. Granger, I am a very laid back wizard most of the time, but if you take one more step towards your daughter you'll regret it!"

I heard my Dad laughing; it sounded so sinister to my ears, making my blood run cold. "I'm not the one who'll regret it old ma..."

I heard a thud and peeked out of the slit between my crossed arms and saw my Dad laying stunned on the floor. I tried to get up but my face started throbbing in pain and I cried out, laying my head back onto my folded arms. I felt two hands gently grasp my shoulders and lightly pull me up off of the floor. I slowly opened my eyes to see Dumbledore standing in front of me with an expression of sympathy on his face.

"I'm so sorry I didn't get here before he struck you Ms. Granger" he said, trying to pry my hands off of my face.

"H-How did you know about my Dad?" I asked, barely able to form the words because of the pain in my jaw.

"After your Dad dragged you out of the station, Harry spoke to Mrs. Weasley about what was going on in your home and she contacted me as soon as she could." He stared into my eyes for a moment, making me a little uncomfortable.

'Harry told?' I thought to myself, feeling my chest tighten. How could he do that? He swore to me he wouldn't say a word about what I told him. I knew he thought he was being a hero, but didn't he realize that this was my family? Where was I supposed to go if my Dad was arrested? I had told him everything in confidence, and he had broken that confidence by telling Mrs. Weasley everything.

Dumbledore pulled me out of my thoughts as he said "the muggle police are on the way. I'd like for them to see you before I take you out of here; why don't you get anything you might want to take with you from upstairs and pack it up so you'll be ready to go?"

"Ok" I said quietly, turning to make my way upstairs to my room. As I reached the top stair, I heard sirens pulling up in front of the house. I heard Dumbledore mumble something, probably making sure my Dad wasn't stunned when the police came in, before he opened the door for them. I went into my room and quickly packed everything I would be taking with me, wherever I was going. I made my way downstairs and came face to face with one of the police officers. I heard him gasp as he took in my appearance; I realized I hadn't looked in the mirror in my room while I was up there.

"Did your Dad do that to you?" he asked, studying my face closely.

"Um, y-yes he d-did" I said, cringing at the pain caused by talking. I proceeded to tell him everything that had happened since we had been home and he wrote it all down in his notebook.

"So you have no idea where your Mum could be?" he asked.

"N-No" I had replied "I haven't seen or heard from her since I was home for Christmas." He wrote that down also and nodded his head.

"Ok, we'll get you to the hospital and have that looked at" he said, motioning towards my left cheek.

Dumbledore walked up and said "that won't be necessary. I'm the Headmaster at her boarding school, and I intend to make sure Ms. Granger is well taken care of. As soon as you're finished questioning her, I'll be taking her to be checked out, I assure you."

The officer nodded in understanding and said "that would be ok, I guess. She is old enough to have a say in where she goes." He looked at me expectantly and I said "I would like to go with Professor Dumbledore."

"Ok then, I don't have anymore questions for you right now, so I guess you can leave." I tried to smile at the officer, but only managed to cringe as pain shot through my cheek.

I watched Dumbledore hand the officer a slip of paper as he said "if you need to contact Ms. Granger, you can leave a message for her at this number. Let's go Hermione" he said, motioning for me to follow him. I was surprised at his use of my first name.

I saw him turn toward my trunk and quietly mutter a spell to make my trunk weightless. He picked up one end and motioned for me to pick up the other. We walked out the front door and started down the street; I never looked back once.

I sat in the car thinking about what I had possibly just done. I know that telling Mrs. Weasley was right, but how would Hermione take it when she found out? I knew what I did was in her best interest, but she was always so afraid that other people would find out what was happening to her and think less of her because of it. I could only hope and pray she would forgive me.

We pulled into the driveway and I got out right away, going to get my trunk and carry it inside. As I walked into the house and started to make my way up the stairs, Dudley had stuck his foot out and tripped me before I made it to the first step. I fell onto the stairs, twisting my wrist slightly as I used it to stop my fall. "Thanks a lot Fugley" I growled, glaring at Dudley. Uncle Vernon walked up behind me and smacked me in the head hard saying "watch your mouth boy."

Closing my eyes for a second to try and calm myself down, I got up off of the stairs and picked my trunk back up, walking to my room. As soon as I had put my trunk down, Aunt Petunia called me downstairs to make dinner. Sighing, I made my way back down to start my summer of slavery.

As the days went by, I was kept busy with yard work and house cleaning, along with doing dishes and cooking all meals. I had sent Hedwig with a letter for Hermione the day before, but she still hadn't returned with a reply yet. Her delay only caused my worry to grow.

I dragged myself up the stairs to my room, yearning for my bed after working in Aunt Petunia's flower bed all day. I had just finished doing the dinner dishes and had finally been dismissed for the night. I walked into my room and flopped down onto the bed, exhausted and dirty, when I heard the whooshing of wings and knew Hedwig was back. I sat up and watched as she flew from the door of her cage and landed next to me on the bed. I took the letter from her outstretched leg and unrolled it, hoping against hope that Hermione wasn't mad at me.

What I saw when I started to read the letter made my face fall. The letter wasn't from Hermione, it was from Ron.

Harry,

Hi Mate! How have you been? Are the muggles treating you ok? I'm writing in response to the letter you sent Hermione. She's staying here for the summer. Dumbledore brought her here the night we came back from Hogwarts. She looked really bad Harry. She had a huge purple bruise on her cheek along with a cut up near her eye. Underneath her eye was all black and blue also. When I asked her what happened, she just ignored me and told me to leave her alone. Mum fixed her up, so she looks quite a bit better now. I don't know what happened between the two of you, but she flat out refused to write you back. Did you two have a fight or something? She keeps muttering something about breaking a confidence or something; do you know what she means? Anyway, Dad talked to Dumbledore and he said it was all right for you to come and stay for part of the summer also. Dad's going to try to pick you up the day before your birthday. I'll write again to let you know for sure. You might want to write Hermione again, maybe explain things if you understand what's going on with her. She won't tell me anything; Ginny either for that matter. Just don't expect her to write you back. Hope to see you soon!

Your friend, Ron

I crumpled up the letter and threw it across the room. 'I knew it!' I thought, berating myself. Hermione was mad at me for informing Mrs. Weasley about how her Dad treated her. What else was I supposed to do? Just let her Dad beat the shit out of her? I wondered what would have happened if Dumbledore hadn't gone to get her; she had only been there a couple of hours and it sounded like her Dad had already went after her.

I got out a piece of parchment, my quill and ink. I sat down on the floor of my room and placed everything out on the floor. I started writing a letter to Hermione, explaining exactly why I had told Mrs. Weasley everything. I wrote how much I cared about her and didn't want to see her hurt. I wrote how I already missed my best friend, and asked if she would ever talk to me again. I finished up the letter by writing 'I'll understand if you hate me Hermione, but please remember that everything I did, I did with good intentions. I can't stand to see you hurt; now that you're with the Weasley's, you're safe.' I signed my name 'with love' and rolled it up, putting it on Hedwig's leg. "Please get that to Hermione as fast as you can girl" I asked my beloved owl, who nipped my finger lightly and took off out of the window once again.

"I hope you'll forgive me Hermione" I said aloud, pacing my room and thinking things over. Realizing I was still filthy from my chores, I made my way to the bathroom to take a hot shower, thinking about her the entire time.

I sat in Ginny's room, reading the letter Harry had just sent to me; I could taste the salty tears that had fallen onto the corner of my lips. I looked around the room and wished that I was home, in my own room. Harry just didn't understand, no one did. Yes, my Dad was a monster, but he was still my Dad. Where was everyone when I was six and all of this started happening? The neighbors knew what was going on, yet none of them ever knocked on the door to see if my Mum and I were ok; no one ever called the Police. So now here was Harry, thinking he was helping me out, when in reality he had torn my family apart. He grew up with an abusive uncle and no one ever tried to help him either. It was different for him though; they weren't the ones who brought him into this world. He just didn't understand.

I sat staring out the window, thinking over everything that had happened in the past two weeks. No one knew where my Mum was yet, or even if she was alive. All of our neighbors remembered seeing her three months ago, but no one had seen her since.

My Dad had been sent to prison for two years; he could be out in a year on good behavior. That would mean that I would have to return home next summer. A cold chill ran through my body at that thought; if he was angry at me before, what would he be like after I sent him to jail? Harry really had no idea what he had done.

I crumpled the letter up into a ball and tossed it across the room. I didn't want to think about Harry right now. I needed to worry about myself for a little while; I hated the person I had become. I always yelled at Ginny and I pushed Ron away every time he tried to talk to me. These people were my friends; they were the only friends I had left. If I wasn't careful, I'd end up bitter and alone, like my Dad.

Wiping the tears from my face, I took a deep breath and looked at the crumpled up letter Harry had sent that was on the floor. I wasn't ready to forgive him just yet; maybe when he came to the Burrow in a few weeks we could talk things through. Right now, too many things had happened for me to just be able to forget them. I stood up and straightened out my clothes; I must have looked a mess, which was appropriate because that's what I was on the inside. My feelings were so jumbled lately that I didn't know how I felt about anything anymore. Figuring I'd start trying to heal myself, I walked out of the room to find Ron and Ginny, hoping they would forgive my horrid behavior of late. It was time to forget about Harry for a little while and concentrate on myself and the friends I had right in front of me.

~A/N> I know, you're probably thinking "what the hell is wrong with Hermione?" Her life's been turned upside down, and instead of blaming her Dad, she's blaming Harry. Just keep in mind that there will be happy times, it's just going to be down the road a little. That is why I classified this story as angst, but there will be romance, I promise!!

6. ...Hearts Broken

~*A/N>Here's the second part of their summer before third year. I don't know how it happened, but this chapter is much longer than the last. There was just so much I wanted to put into it; I hope you like it, and thanks for reading!!

That summer became hell on earth for me. My Aunt and Uncle continued to work me day and night; I never had any time to myself. On top of that, Hermione didn't write to me at all. I felt completely lost as to what to do to make her understand why I did what I did. Every day as I worked my ass off, I would think about her and wonder what she was doing at that moment; was she talking to Ginny, working on her summer homework, or was she spending all of her time with Ron, confiding in him like she used to confide in me? That thought made me sick to my stomach.

One day while I was washing dishes, Dudley came into the kitchen and watched TV as he stuffed his face with food. There had been a breaking news story about an escaped convict named Sirius Black, who supposedly was armed and dangerous, and was last seen near Privet Drive. Aunt Petunia had come into the room and heard the news; she started twittering about, telling Dudley to be careful because we wouldn't want the mean old murderer to get him. If only I were so lucky!

Uncle Vernon had come into the kitchen shortly after, looking around and noticing that I hadn't finished the dishes yet. He walked over and grabbed my arm, painfully tightening his hold on me. "I told you to get those dishes done quickly boy; I have to pick up Marge and I want this house to look perfect when I get back. Now finish those dishes and take out the garbage!"

I just nodded my head in understanding, which of course wasn't good enough for my Uncle. "Did you hear me?!" he had yelled in my face, wrenching my arm. I grimaced as pain shot through my upper arm where he held me. "Yes!" I had said a bit too forcefully; looking back, I knew what he had wanted me to say, I just didn't want to say it. I was really stupid back then.

"Yes? Yes what?" he asked, his hand still gripping my arm painfully. "Yes sir" I had said angrily, feeling the hate for my Uncle double. After his little power trip, he left to pick up Aunt Marge, who was unfortunately going to visit for the next five days. I just hoped she didn't bring her psychotic dog with her.

Uncle Vernon had returned two hours later with the evil woman in tow. There was no love lost between her and I; she felt I was a horrid juvenile delinquent and I thought she was a mean old hag. We proceeded with dinner and I suffered through her snide comments and nasty remarks. Finally it was time for me to clear the table and do the dinner dishes; I was in the kitchen when Marge started in on my parents.

The things she said about my parents made my blood boil. Who did she think she was? I tried, I really tried not to say anything, but she said something horrid about my Dad and that did it. "Shut up you stupid cow!" I had yelled, and the lights flickered behind me as I felt a rush of magical energy flow through me. I watched as Aunt Marge's body started to bloat, filling up much like a balloon would. I just stared, unable to comprehend that I was the one doing that to her. She just kept getting bigger and bigger, rising up off of the ground the more she filled with air. I watched as she floated out of the open doors that led to the backyard, still frozen where I stood. Uncle Vernon ran out after her, trying to catch her before she floated away, with no luck. Aunt Marge sailed off into the sunset, or should I say floated.

Breaking out of my trance, I ran upstairs to pack my trunk before Uncle Vernon came back in. I knew he would be livid with me for using magic in his house, especially to blow up Aunt Marge. As I packed and ran back down the stairs, I almost made it to the front door before I felt his vice like grip on my arm again.

"Where do you think you're going boy?" he had asked, his voice unusually calm for being so angry. "You think you can blow up my sister like a balloon and then run away to escape punishment?" He yanked me into the living room and I knew then that I was going to pay dearly for what I had done.

When I gained consciousness some time later, I found myself locked in the cupboard under the stairs. I tried to move and almost screamed as my body was racked with pain. It hurt to breathe and I knew I had a broken rib or two. I could feel how swollen my face was; I didn't need a mirror to know my Uncle had done one hell of a job on me this time. I just lay there, feeling sorry for myself as I thought over everything that had happened today. I was probably in trouble for using magic; I wondered if an owl had already brought my letter from the Ministry.

I heard the lock on the door being undone and curled myself into a ball the best I could, fearing that Uncle Vernon had come back to continue his punishment. I heard the door open and I barely opened my eyes, only to see Dumbledore standing there. "Professor?" I asked in a raspy voice.

"Yes Harry, it's me. I was alerted to underage magic being used in your house. Unfortunately, I didn't get here in time to stop your Uncle from harming you" he said, his eyes lacking the usual twinkle they held. I heard him muttering to himself and I heard him say something about first Hermione and now me. "Harry, I'm going to take you out of here. You've spent enough time with your relatives this summer."

Dumbledore pointed his wand at me and said "immobulous!" and I felt my body freeze in a lying position. He then said "wingardium leviosa" and I floated up off of the bed. He carefully maneuvered me out of the tiny cupboard and walked, with me floating behind him, to the fireplace. I didn't see any sign of my relatives, and I lay there wondering if Dumbledore could have done anything to them. He gently set me on the floor as he brought the fireplace to life by saying "infernous!" and I watched as green flames erupted inside it. He levitated me once again, and taking a small pouch of floo powder out of his pocket, walked into the cool green flames. Taking a little of the powder into his hand, he threw it down and said "the Burrow!" We were going to Ron's house, where I would finally see Hermione again.

I was in the sitting room, reading "Hogwarts: A History" when the fireplace erupted to life, scaring me since I was so immersed in my book. I looked up to see Professor Dumbledore walking out, and the prone form of...Harry?! I got up quickly from my chair and made my way over to them; when I saw Harry's face I started to cry. He looked like I had when I had come here, only much worse. Both of his eyes were turning black and I was amazed they were open at all. "Professor, what happened?" I asked.

"His Uncle" he had replied, and just those two words were enough of an explanation for me. I reached out and gently caressed his cheek, forgetting that I was angry at him for the moment. I knew exactly how it felt to be treated like this and no one, especially Harry, deserved it. Dumbledore started to walk up the stairs with Harry still floating behind him, when he stopped and said "Could you go get Molly for me?" Nodding my head, I ran to the kitchen to fetch her straightaway.

I found her cleaning dishes in the kitchen, and as soon as I told her what had happened, she hurriedly made her way upstairs. She kept muttering to herself about how first it was me and now Harry, and how could any human being treat children this way. I loved her like my own Mum at that moment. Actually, probably more than my own Mum; at least Mrs. Weasley tried to protect me and take care of me as much as she possibly could. I stood by the door to Ron's room where Dumbledore had taken Harry and watched as the two waved their wands over him, trying to see just how much damage had been done. Molly was crying and cursing Harry's muggle relatives all the while. I just stood there watching them perform many healing spells on all parts of Harry's body.

Ron walked up behind me, and when he saw that I was upset asked "what's going on? Why is everyone in my room?"

"It's Harry" I had said "it seems he's been hurt by his Uncle." I didn't want to say anything more because I didn't know how much Harry wanted Ron to know about his life with his relatives. I wasn't like Harry; I kept my promises, and I had promised to never tell anyone just how bad he had it with the muggles.

"What do you mean, his Uncle hurt him?" Ron asked. I just stepped to the side and motioned for him to take a look at Harry. I realized he had seen our friend when I heard his sharp intake of breath. "Bloody hell" Ron said, staring in disbelief at the sight of his best friend lying motionless on his bed. We sat watching as the two adults worked on him, it took them almost half an hour to perform all of the healing spells on Harry, and he still looked horrible.

Dumbledore sighed heavily as he stepped back from the bed, looking Harry over from head to toe. "I'm afraid that's all we can do for now" he said "there's nothing we can do about his black eyes; they will have to heal on their own. Why don't you two sit with him until he wakes up? I gave him something to make him sleep for a little while and he should wake up in about fifteen minutes." Ron and I nodded our heads in agreement and stepped aside so that he and Mrs. Weasley could leave the room. They were walking down the stairs and I heard Dumbledore mention something about 'Aunt Marge', whoever that was. I followed Ron in and sat in one of the chairs that the Professor had conjured for us. We sat there quietly for a couple of minutes, just watching Harry and wondering what had happened to him. Ron broke the silence as he turned to me and asked "are you still mad at him?"

I turned and stared at him for a moment before saying "yes I am. Please don't ask me why because I don't want to talk about it right now."

"Ok" he had said, looking away from me quickly. "You know you can talk to me, right? I know I can be an insensitive prat sometimes, but I am a pretty good listener."

I smiled at him, glad that he cared so much about me. "Thanks Ron, that means a lot." He smiled and grabbed my hand, surprising me. He just sat there, holding my hand like it was a normal thing to do and a part of me liked the feeling of my hand in his. But there was this other, bigger part of me that was screaming for me to yank my hand away. I ignored that part and we just sat there like that, holding hands and watching Harry to see when he woke up.

I watched as Harry's eyelids started to flutter and I knew that he was waking up. He slowly opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times, looking around in confusion until his eyes landed on Ron and I. He smiled as he looked at me, and then he looked down and noticed our conjoined hands. The smile had dropped off of his face immediately and he just closed his eyes again and lay back against the pillow.

I had woke up, feeling as if I'd been run over by a truck, and pried my eyes open. I looked around the room, confused by all the orange before my eyes, before I saw Ron and Hermione sitting by me. I smiled, glad to see my friends again, until my eyes traveled downwards and I noticed that they were holding hands. Feeling sick to my stomach, I closed my eyes and put my head back down on the pillow, suddenly wishing that they would leave me alone.

"How are you feeling mate?" Ron had asked, sounding way too cheery for my liking.

"Fine" I had bit out, feeling anger start to overwhelm me. "Where's Dumbledore?"

"He's downstairs with Mum" Ron said "do you want to talk to him?"

"Yeah, could you get him for me?" Ron had nodded his head and left the room. I listened as his footsteps faded down the stairs and I looked at Hermione.

"How are you really?" she asked, as if I had lied to Ron.

"I just said I'm fine" I said, a little too snappishly. I glared at her, feeling all of this anger inside of me, but I didn't know why I was so angry with her.

"You know, I'm the one who should be angry with you" she said, sounding haughty. I just looked at her, I wanted her to stay with me and talk; but there was another part of me that just wanted her out of my sight.

"Yes, I know; I'm a horrible tattle-tale and you're mad at me because I told Mrs. Weasley, which from what I heard saved your ass!" I felt like someone else had taken over my body. Where was all of this coming from? Hermione sat staring at me wide-eyed, a look of disbelief on her face. "Why don't you go tell Ron all about it and leave me alone?"

"W-What are you talking about Harry? Yes, I'm mad at you for breaking my trust in you, but that doesn't mean I don't want to see you anymore." She looked at me with tears in her eyes; bloody hell, I am such a prat sometimes.

"I tried to explain to you in my letters; you know, those letters you refused to answer? I know I swore I wouldn't say anything, but I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you." Where the hell did that come from? I slowly sat up in bed, and as I did, Hermione got up and propped the pillows behind me so that I could sit up comfortably. Instead of sitting back down in her chair, she sat next to me on the bed.

"I'm sorry Harry; I know I should have written back to you, but I was so angry. I was blaming you for everything and I shouldn't have." She grabbed my hand and started tracing circles on the back of it with her thumb. Her touch was sending chills and warmth through my body at the same time, if that was possible.I was so confused by what I was feeling; I just wanted my friend back.

"I'm sorry Hermione" I said, looking her straight in the eyes "I should know, better than anyone, how you might have felt. But he was hurting you; I couldn't bare the thought of you going home with him alone, especially after he twisted your arm the way he did." I looked at her, pleading with my eyes for her to understand, and held out my arms. "Do you forgive me?"

She sat looking at me, a smile slowly spreading across her face. She slowly leaned forward and carefully wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me. "Of course I do" she whispered, sending a chill down my back. Damn, why was I reacting this way? I held her like that for a little while, loving how she felt in my arms. She pulled back slowly and placed a light kiss on my bruised cheek. I looked at her, staring straight into her beautiful brown eyes, and started to lean forward. I continued to stare into her eyes, getting closer and closer to her. Nose to nose now, I gathered all of my courage and leaned in, gently placing my lips on hers. I could feel the pressure of her lips on mine, letting me know she was kissing me back instead of pulling away. She had such soft lips, and I continued to let my lips linger on hers.

Someone had started to walk up the stairs, and she quickly pulled away from me. She placed her hand to her mouth, her fingers resting on those luscious lips I had just kissed. The look on her face was pure surprise; I had hoped it was good surprise. She stood up quickly from the bed, still looking at me as I started to say "Hermione..."

"I have to go" she said while she walked backwards slowly towards the door and then turned, almost barreling over Dumbledore in the process. "Excuse me sir" she mumbled, and then disappeared out of sight.

"Did I interrupt something?" Dumbledore asked, sounding amused.

"I have no idea" I answered, while I stared at the place she last stood.

I ran to Ginny's room, my mind racing faster than my legs at that moment. What was wrong with me? I had just kissed my best friend when just minutes before I was holding the hand of my other best friend. This summer was really starting to mess with my head. I flopped down face first onto my bed, my mind going over everything that had just happened. What was I doing, trying to ruin two great friendships in one afternoon? I ended up falling asleep where I lay, exhausted from a very confusing and emotional day.

The next day, I woke up with a pounding headache. I went downstairs and asked Mrs. Weasley for something to get rid of my headache, and she handed me a small vial with a bright blue potion in it. I drank it down quickly and felt the pain start to ebb away. I turned around to sit at the table and noticed two pairs of eyes staring at me. Harry sat there with Ron next to him, watching me as I sat down across from them.

"Where did you go last night?" Harry asked, making me uncomfortable.

"Yeah, why did you disappear like that?" Ron asked, making me even more uncomfortable.

I knew Harry wouldn't have said anything to Ron, so I looked at them and said "I just got really tired last night and went to bed early." They both sat staring at me for a moment longer; Ron seemed to buy my story, but Harry knew better.

"Harry was just telling me about Sirius Black" Ron said "supposedly he's some escaped murderer that Dumbledore says is after him."

I looked at him, shocked by this news. "Why is he after you?" I asked.

"He's the one that betrayed my parents; they were best friends and he was their secret keeper. He told Voldemort where to find them" he said, his eyes holding sadness and anger that probably only I could see. "He was sent to Azkaban the night my parents died; he killed Peter Pettigrew, another friend of my Mum and Dad. He's escaped Azkaban and now Dumbledore thinks he's coming after me, to kill me for his Master."

"What else did Dumbledore tell you?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"Just that I'm going to stay here for the rest of the summer; he feels I'll be safe here." He sat watching me again; the way he was staring at me, it made me feel like he was trying to see into my soul.

We continued to spend time together that summer, we would work on our homework and I watched as the boys flew on their brooms and passed a quaffle around. Ron started acting uncharacteristically nice around me; we didn't fight much anymore, which seemed strange to me. Harry acted the same, but it seemed like we touched whenever possible; he would walk by me and brush against my arm as he passed, if we were talking, I would place my hand on his arm and we just generally touched each other whenever possible. It was a bit unnerving; it seemed my relationship with my boys was changing.

The day of Harry's birthday rolled around, and Molly was in full mothering mode. She had invited a bunch of people over for a surprise party for him. She had baked a huge cake and had made all sorts of food. She had taken me shopping in Diagon Alley so that I could get Harry a present. I had ended up getting him a necklace; I knew that he'd never worn one before, but when I saw it I couldn't resist. It was a silver chain that had a pendant on it that was a Griffin, which was also silver. The Griffin's eye was a ruby, which was appropriate since I found out that it was the birthstone for July, and one of the colors of Gryffindor. I was afraid he wouldn't like it, so I decided to give it to him when we were alone.

The party had been in full swing and everyone was there; Hagrid, Professor McGonagall and even Professor Dumbledore had showed up for a couple of hours. Dean Thomas, Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnigan, student's that were in our year at Hogwarts, came also. Molly had blindfolded Harry in the kitchen and had led him outside where we had set everything up. When she took off the blindfold and he saw all of us standing there, the happiest look I think I'd ever seen him wear was on his face. We proceeded to eat, talking and catching up with our classmates, and then it was time for presents. He got a book of past famous Seeker's from Ron, a new pair of quidditch gloves from the twins, some odd coat made of undistinguishable fur from Hagrid and some sweets from Honeydukes from Seamus, Dean and Neville. His eyes were lit with happiness the entire time he was opening his presents and I was so happy that he was having some fun for a change. When he had finished and had thanked everyone for their presents, he had joined our group back at our table. I leaned over and whispered "meet me in Ginny's room in five minutes, ok?" He looked at me curiously, then shook his head in agreement.

I excused myself and made my way into the house. I went upstairs to Ginny's room and dug the wrapped box out of my trunk. I heard him coming up the stairs, so I hid the box behind my back. "What's going on?" he asked as he walked into the room.

"I, um, got you a gift, but I didn't want to give it to you in front of everyone." I held out the box to him and watched as he took it, unwrapping it quickly with a smile on his face. He took the lid off of the box and seemed to just stare at the necklace inside. "If you don't like it..."

"No, no Hermione, I love it. Thank you" he said, taking it out of the box. "Would you help me put it on?" I nodded my head and took it from him, unhooking the clasp and putting it around his neck. I closed the tiny clasp and laid it carefully on the back of his neck. He picked the Griffin pendant up from where it lay on his chest and looked at it closely. "This is great Hermione."

"I wasn't sure you'd like it since I've never seen you wear a necklace before" I said, secretly ecstatic that he liked my gift so much.

He smiled at me, one of those heart stopping smiles of his, and walked up to me. "I absolutely adore it" he said, cupping my cheek in his hand and caressing it with his thumb. Feelings that I had never felt before rushed through me in that moment; they were so strong that they scared me. I watched as Harry slowly bent down and placed his lips on mine once again, this time with a little more pressure. I loved the feel of his lips; they were a mixture of rough and smooth skin, purely male.

He smelled so good, a mixture of sandalwood and fresh air, kind of like air dried laundry. My head started to swim as his lips stayed on mine, the pressure increasing gradually. We parted slowly, not meeting each others eyes. I looked up and smiled at him, happier than I had been in a long time.

I heard a noise and looked over Harry's shoulder towards the door. My heart fell as I saw Ron standing there with a hurt look on his face. "Oh no" I whispered, causing Harry to turn to see what I was looking at. When he saw Ron, the smile fell off of his face and he said "Ron..."

Before he could say anything else, Ron turned and ran down the stairs, slamming out of the front door. I looked at Harry, my worry reflected on his face. He pulled me to him in a hug and said "we'll talk to him Hermione. Everything will be ok."

"I hope so" I said, enjoying the feeling of being wrapped in his arms and at the same time thinking that Ron would probably be anything but ok.

~Well, there you go; how was it? I hope it was worth the wait! To those of you who read "The Fear Within", I hope to have another chapter up this weekend. I seem to be suffering a bit of a block with that story for some reason. I was hoping that writing this chapter today might get the creative juices flowing. Thanks again for reading, and as always, please review!! :)

7. Nothing More, Nothing Less?

We went back out to the party, hoping to find Ron sitting with Dean and Seamus, but he was no where to be found. I walked up and sat next to Neville while Hermione sat next to Ginny. "Have you guys seen Ron?" I asked.

"He ran out towards the trees" replied Dean "he looked pretty mad about something."

I looked at Hermione and found her gaze fixed on me. "I'll go see if I can find him" I said, getting up from my seat.

"I'll go with you" said Hermione, walking up beside me. I just nodded my head and started to make my way to the tree line. We walked a little ways into the forest and found Ron sitting on a tree stump, staring off into the distance.

"Ron?" I said, trying not to startle him. He didn't move at the sound of my voice, he just sat there ignoring us. Hermione walked up and sat beside him on the stump. She reached over and laid her hand over his, and I felt my stomach tighten at the sight of them touching.

"Ron, please talk to us" she said "I know you're mad, but don't shut us out."

He looked at her then, with a sad and angry look on his face. "Don't shut you out?" he asked "You weren't the one kept in the dark about certain things."

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione, voicing my own question.

"I mean you and Harry being together" he said, turning to glare at me. "You knew I liked her" he said to me, venom in his voice. I just looked at him, confused.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Harry and I aren't 'together' Ron" Hermione said. Ron looked from her to me, his eyebrow raised in question.

"I was thanking her for the present she gave me" I explained "there's nothing going on between Hermione and me." I looked at Hermione and saw a strange look pass over her face; she seemed sad for a second, but it was quickly replaced by what I could tell was a fake smile.

Ron sat there quietly for a few more minutes, looked at Hermione and asked "what about you and me?"

Her head snapped up and she looked at him, a bewildered look on her face. "What about you and me?" she asked, staring at him intently. I was starting to feel uncomfortable, so I started to back away. Without looking at me, Hermione said "stay Harry. This is something the three of us need to discuss."

"Why does he have to be here? This is between you and me" Ron said, giving me a dirty look. I was starting to get really sick and tired of him throwing those looks my way.

"Because I want him here Ron" she said impatiently "now, I want to make something clear. The three of us are friends; nothing more, nothing less. All right?"

Ron sat there quietly staring at the ground as I sat staring at Hermione. 'That's all we've ever been, right?' I asked myself, feeling a strange tightness in my stomach all of a sudden. She turned and looked at me, and I knew that I didn't want to do anything to jeopardize our friendship. She and Ron were all I had and I wasn't going to do something stupid to lose them. "Right" I said, seeing that same sad look cross her face.

"Right" Ron repeated, and then stood up abruptly. "I'm going to go talk to Dean and Seamus" he said, and then took off back towards the Burrow. Hermione stayed where she was and turned to look at me.

"Harry, about before..." I interrupted her, without really meaning to, and said "it's just like I told Ron, I was thanking you for the necklace."

"Right" she said, getting to her feet quickly. "I'm going to go find Ginny." I watched her walk away, wondering why I had lied about the kiss we had shared just a little while ago.

After Harry's party, the rest of the summer seemed to fly by. We received our Hogwarts letters and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley took us to get our school supplies. We had to go everywhere together because Sirius Black was still on the loose and presumably still looking for Harry. I walked along with the group, lost in my thoughts. When I had mentioned that I didn't have any money for my school supplies, Mrs. Weasley said that Dumbledore had sent her a letter saying that he had contacted my Father in jail and had gotten the money I would need for the following year. We went to Gringotts and I went to the vault I had there; that's where Dumbledore said he had put the money from my Father.

When the vault door opened, I nearly fainted. There seemed to be enough money inside to last me the rest of my Hogwarts years. I took what I thought I might need and met everyone outside the bank. Harry mentioned something about having to get owl treats for Hedwig, so we made our way to the pet store to get them. Harry and I went into the store while everyone else stood outside, close to the door. I started to look around as Harry found the treats he needed, and I saw this patch of orange fur sitting on a stool. I walked up to it, and when it turned to face me, I saw that it was a cat. It had a squashed looking face; not the cutest cat I'd ever seen, but there was something about the cat's eyes. They seemed to hold an intelligence that you didn't normally see in cats. I reached out carefully to pet him, and he started purring instantly. I fell in love with him immediately.

I went up to the shopkeeper and asked how much he wanted for the cat; the price he gave me was more money than I had with me at the time. I quietly thanked him and walked outside to wait with everyone else, feeling sad that I couldn't get the cat. It took Harry about ten more minutes in the store, and when he came out, I was shocked. He came out carrying the orange cat I had wanted to get.

"Harry, what are you doing with a cat?" Ron asked, looking at it with a disgusted look on his face.

"This is Crookshanks, and he is Hermione's cat" he said, walking over and handing the cat to me. I just stood there, holding the cat and staring at Harry.

"What do you mean?" I asked him.

"I saw how much you wanted him, so after you walked out of the shop, I bought him for you."

"Harry, you shouldn't have done that, I'm not sure I'll have enough money to pay you back" I said.

"Consider him an early birthday present" he said, handing me a bag. "This is everything he will need; there's enough food in there to last until our first Hogsmeade weekend and there are also a couple of toys for him to play with."

Tears started to form in my eyes; I had always wanted a cat, but my Dad would never allow me to get one. Now I was holding this great big ball of orange fur, and he was mine. "Thank you so much Harry" I said, giving him a hug the best I could.

I felt like I floated through the rest of the shops; I had a cat of my own, something I could love and take care of that was all mine. I was so happy; I kept thanking Harry and he would just smile and say it was no big deal. I don't think he would ever realize how much of a big deal it really was to me.

The day for us to go back to Hogwarts arrived, and it was a very hectic morning. We were going to the station by a Ministry car, expanded to fit the nine of us. Hermione and Ginny sat in front with Mr. and Mrs. Wesley while Percy, Fred, George, Ron and I sat in the back. Fred and George kept picking on Percy, teasing him about being Head Boy and playing keep-away with his badge. It made for a pretty interesting ride.

We ran through the barrier onto Platform 9 3/4 with five minutes to spare. We quickly stowed our luggage and found a compartment that had a strange man in it who seemed to be sleeping. It was the only compartment that was nearly empty; Ron had sat down next to Hermione, so I sat in the seat across from them where the man lay asleep propped up against the window. We shared small talk, but things had been strained between us ever since my birthday. Plus, if Ron asked me one more time why I REALLY bought Hermione that cat, I thought I might punch him. He was bugging me incessantly about it, trying to imply I had an ulterior motive. I had no idea what had gotten into him, but he was really starting to make me mad.

We were discussing the Dementors; we had heard Mr. and Mrs. Weasley discussing them this morning before we left. Supposedly they were looking for Sirius Black and there were rumors that they would be guarding the school.

We should have kept our mouth shut; it was like us talking about it only invited trouble. The train had come to an abrupt halt, the lights had flickered out, and the temperature inside seemed to have dropped twenty degrees or more. As the three of us watched in horror, a shadow fell over our compartment door and a skeletal hand reached out to open it. There stood the very creature we had just been talking about. Only it looked much worse than what Ron had described; it reminded me of the Grim Reaper I had seen in some of the books I had read when I was younger.

The Dementor stood hovering in the doorway, dropping the temperature in our compartment ten more degrees. As it floated there, my body started to feel cold and all the horrible things that the Dursley's had ever done to me flashed through my mind. I looked desperately at Hermione, noticing that her eyes were wide with fear. If I were seeing my worst memories, I could only imagine what she was reliving. I watched helplessly as her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell unconscious onto the floor. I felt myself growing colder and as I heard a woman screaming, I lost consciousness as well.

I woke up, not really knowing where I was, feeling very cold and empty of emotion. As I had slowly opened my eyes, a head of red hair was the first thing I made out. As my vision cleared, I was staring into Ron's bright blue eyes. I never noticed they were that color before...

"Hermione, are you ok?" he asked, putting his hand behind my neck and carefully helping me to sit up. I sat there, trying to get my bearings, when I noticed Harry lying on the floor next to me.

"Harry?!" I asked, leaning closer to him to get a better look. He was ghostly pale, with a light sheen of sweat coating his face.

"Will he be okay?" I asked, looking toward Ron. I noticed that the strange man that had been sitting next to Harry was now crouching next to Ron.

"Here, eat this" he said, shoving a huge piece of chocolate in my face. I must have looked at him funny, because he said "it'll help you feel better, I promise."

"It helps Hermione" said Ron "he gave me a piece once he forced the Dementor to leave, and I felt much better right away." I took it and nibbled on it, feeling as if I was drinking hot cocoa instead, the warmth spreading through my body slowly. I noticed Harry start to stir, and turned so that I could see his face.

He slowly opened his eyes, much like I had, and focused in on my face. "Hermione?" he asked, looking at me confused.

"Yeah, it's me" I said, giving him a small smile "it seems that you and I were affected by the Dementors."

He stared at me for a moment, and then asked "did you see flashes of your Dad?" I looked away from him and nodded my head, shivering involuntarily at the images I remembered much too clearly.

"Did you see flashes of the Dursley's?" I asked him.

"That, and I heard a woman scream right before I passed out" he answered, looking at me strangely.

"That was all caused by the Dementor; they feed off of any happy thoughts or feelings you might have and leave you with all of the horrid memories" explained the strange man.

"Not to be rude, but who are you?" I asked, looking at him, noticing all the scars on his neck and face.

"Oh, sorry, I'm Remus Lupin, new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor" said the strange looking man. The three of us in turn introduced ourselves and then slowly sat back in our seats. Thankfully I noticed that we were indeed moving once again, and we weren't very far from Hogwarts. I couldn't wait to be in the castle where I knew we would be safe, especially Harry.

Once we got to Hogwarts and had the welcoming feast, everything went downhill from there. I had started Divination class, which was taught by Professor Trelawney. Every time she saw me, she predicted my death.

Hagrid was our new Care of Magical Creatures teacher. During our first class, Hagrid introduced us to Buckbeak the Hippogriff; it had the head of an eagle and the body of a horse. Hagrid chose me to go up to the creature first, to show the class that it was harmless. It was a little frightening at first, but once I bowed and gained his acceptance, it was fun to pet him. Then Hagrid put me up on the Hippogriffs back and next thing I knew, Iwas soaring through the air. Flying on Buckbeak was wonderful; I hadn't felt that free before, not even on my Nimbus 2000. After we returned back to earth, Draco Malfoy thought he would just march up to Buckbeak and show me up. Buckbeak reared up and crashed down on Malfoy, injuring his arm supposedly. Bloody git got what he deserved.

During our game with Hufflepuff, as I was chasing the snitch, the Dementors swarmed around me. The last thing I remembered was hearing that same woman screaming as I fell to the ground. Next thing I knew, I woke up in hospital with Hermione, Ron and the rest of the team around me. Ron stood there with a pile of twigs in his arms; he proceeded to tell me it was what was left of my Nimbus.

The rest of the school term was just as bad. Hagrid had to go to a hearing for Buckbeak; it resulted in an execution being set for the Hippogriff. Ron, Hermione and I stood at the top of the hill above Hagrid's hut and watched as the poor animal was put to death. I watched as Hermione turned and threw her arms around Ron, unable to look at the grisly scene below any longer. I felt sick to my stomach, but I figured it was just from what I had witnessed. I placed my hand on her shoulder to let her know I was there and that I felt just as horrible about what we had seen as she did.

After that it seemed like everything erupted in chaos. Scabbers, Ron's rat that he thought Crookshanks had eaten, suddenly showed up as we walked back to the castle. As Ron chased his rat and caught him, a big black dog came out of nowhere and grabbed Ron's pant leg, dragging him into a hole at the base of the whomping willow. After Hermione and I went for a wild ride on the willow's branches, we were thrown into the same hole Ron was dragged into and made our way through a tunnel.

What we found at the end of the tunnel was a great surprise. We walked into a room and saw Ron sitting on the floor, holding on to Scabbers for dear life. I heard a noise behind us, and when I turned around, I found Sirius Black standing there. Professor Lupin came running in, as did Professor Snape. I ended up knocking Professor Snape unconscious because I wanted to play hero and take care of Black myself. Hermione had jumped in front of me, using herself as a shield between me and Sirius Black and I pushed her out of the way. She could protect Ron; I had a score to settle with the man who betrayed my parents.

Scabbers had gotten away from Ron and after prodding from Professor Lupin and Sirius Black, transformed into a man they called Wormtail. I later found out that the three were best friends with my Dad at Hogwarts, and that it was really Wormtail that had betrayed my parents, not Sirius. I also found out that Sirius was my Godfather. By the end of the night, my head was spinning with all of the new information I had learned.

After Harry, who was really on my bad side at that moment, found out a bunch of new information we finally got out of the shrieking shack where everything had happened. We followed the tunnel back to the castle and as we walked out of the hole in the willow, Wormtail broke free and ran.

Sirius ended up being captured and was held in the castle to await the Dementor's kiss, which would take his soul from his body. As we were up in hospital with Ron, I watched as Harry agonized over the fact that he would now lose his Godfather, who he had just found out existed. I walked over to Dumbledore and spoke with him about the time turner I had used to make it through all of my classes that year. When I laid out my plan, he had agreed to it and had left the ward. While Harry watched me curiously, I pulled out the time turner, draped it over both of our necks and turned it the appropriate number of times.

I watched as everything became a blur; we went back far enough to save Buckbeak and Sirius, each escaping together into the night. As we watched them fly away, I noticed Harry turn towards me. Before he could say anything, I interrupted him. "I'm going to go make sure Ron's ok; I'm obviously not needed here anymore." I watched the shocked look that crossed his face and felt a little thrill of satisfaction. If he felt he didn't need me to help protect him, I would go help Ron who I knew wouldn't push me away.

~A/N>Keep in mind that this is a H/Hr fic; please don't be mad at me for the way the chapter ended :) I hope I touched on all the important parts of year 3. It was really hard to remember everything that happened in the book after seeing the movie twice. The story will really start to center on H/Hr after two more chapters, hopefully. And yes, you will find out what happened to Hermione's Mom soon too. Please review! :)

8. Discoveries

'How could she think I didn't need her?' I thought to myself as I watched her walk away from me. She's the only person I had ever shared everything with, and she was leaving me to go see Ron. Had I done something to make her mad? I had just watched my Godfather fly away and now I was watching my best friend leave me behind.

I went up to the dorm that night and went straight to sleep. My heart hurt; not physically, but it just ached because she was mad at me. It never bothered me when anyone else was angry at me, but her, her opinion of me meant the world to me. I was the person I was because of her. There were times when I had just wanted to say "fuck it all!" and run away from this world. But I stayed because of her; she made me want to help people and be a better person. I fell asleep that night with a very heavy heart.

I got up the next morning and went to the Great Hall for breakfast. When I got to the table, I noticed a broomstick lying there. When I noticed Ron standing there on a crutch, I looked at him and asked "who's broomstick is this?"

"It says it's for you mate" he said, smiling. I looked it over and noticed that it was the newest Firebolt model that I had admired when we had gone to Diagon Alley before school started. I noticed the note attached to it and picked it up. Along with the note there was a huge feather; I knew who had sent the broom immediately. The feather belonged to Buckbeak, which meant Sirius had sent it to me. I was looking it over when I heard Hermione say "you can't possibly be thinking of keeping it? You don't even know who it's from."

I looked at her and held up the feather. I saw the recognition in her eyes and said "not that it's any of your business, but yes I do know who it's from." I felt bad as I noticed the hurt look that flashed across her face, but it was gone in an instant.

"Excuse me for worrying about your safety" she snapped, turning on her heel and heading out the doors of the Great Hall.

"What's with her this morning?" asked Ron.

"Your guess is as good as mine" I said, staring sadly after her retreating figure.

How dare he! All I wanted was to make sure that the bloody broomstick wasn't sent by some Death Eater looking to hurt Harry. 'Not that it's any of my business?' I thought, seething with anger. Harry Potter was impossible!

I started to make my way up the stairs to go back to the common room when I was stopped by Professor Lupin.

"How are you Hermione?" he asked, looking pale and tired.

"I'm fine Professor; are you ok?" I asked, wondering why he had new scratches on his face.

"Oh, I'm fine. I wanted to ask you, were you ever able to work on your boggart?" I looked at him, afraid to answer his question. Boggarts took the form of your greatest fear; Harry's had turned into a Dementor and the Professor had ended the lesson early, meaning that I hadn't had to do it.

"No Professor, I never got around to it" I fibbed. I hadn't even attempted to work on it.

"You always want to learn new things; how come you didn't practice with the boggart?" He sat looking at me, waiting for my answer,

"I..." 'to hell with it' I thought "I already knew what my boggart would turn into."

"May I ask what that might be?" he asked. This was Professor Lupin, one of my favorite teachers, and Harry seemed to trust him...

"My Father" I said quietly, and quickly. He stood there staring at me for a moment, as if he hadn't heard me.

"Your Father?" he whispered "But why would he be...?"

"Please don't ask" I said, sounding desperate even to my own ears. "You asked what my boggart would be, and I told you. Please don't make me explain it to you."

"Ok" he said, looking at me sympathetically. I started to walk up the stairs again when I heard the Professor say "Ms. Granger?" I turned and looked at him, noticing that he hadn't moved from his spot. "I resigned today; I'm no longer the Defense teacher. I won't be around anymore, but if you ever need someone to talk to, I'm only an owl away."

"Thank you Professor" I said, smiling. It felt good knowing that there was an adult on my side. I walked upstairs and went to my room, packing up the rest of my things. I would be leaving tomorrow to go to the Burrow for the summer. Thank Merlin I wasn't going home.

As I sat on the Hogwarts Express, I was thinking about the past week. Hermione and I hadn't said more than two words to each other since the incident in the Great Hall yesterday. I felt like I didn't know how to talk to her anymore; all I knew is that I wanted my best friend back. I watched her read her book; she had sat next to Ron again and I was sitting next to Ginny, who seemed to be touching me whenever she could. I knew she had a little crush on me, but she had never been this forward about it before.

"Don't you think so Harry?" I heard her ask. Unfortunately, I had no idea what she had been talking about.

"Think about what?" I asked, noticing her frown.

"That this summer is going to be great!" she said excitedly.

"Oh yeah, it ought to be a bunch of fun" I deadpanned. She had missed my sarcasm and smiled at me happily. I noticed Hermione just shake her head, as if in disbelief, at Ginny's behavior.

I gathered my courage together and asked "your summer ought to be a good one, 'eh Hermione?"

"Yes, for once" she answered and continued to read, never once looking at me. I gave up after that; obviously she didn't want anything to do with me.

We pulled onto Platform 9 3/4 and disembarked the train. I got my trunk and slowly made my way out to where I knew Uncle Vernon would be waiting for me. Professor Dumbledore had explained that there was a reason I had to go back to their house; something about my protection. I watched as Ron, Ginny and Hermione happily met up with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley; I wished I was going with them today.

Mrs. Weasley looked up and noticed me walking by. She separated from the group and walked over to me. "Harry dear, you make sure to be careful, ok?" she asked, her voice full of concern. I tried to give her a smile to reassure her, but my heart wasn't in it. "I tried to convince Dumbledore to let you stay with us for the summer, but he said there was a reason why you couldn't. I promise we'll get you out of there as soon as we can." She had tears in her eyes and she wrapped me in her arms, giving me a hug. It felt so good, so motherly; I had never wanted to just break down and cry before like I did at that moment. Why couldn't my Mum and Dad have lived?

"If they hurt you at all, you make sure to owl Dumbledore, and then send a letter to us, ok?" she whispered, so that no one else could hear her. I was glad for that; it was bad enough that she and Mr. Weasley knew.

"I will, I promise" I said, giving her a real smile now. She had turned to walk away when I said "Mrs. Weasley?"

She turned back to me and said "yes Harry?"

"Thank you" I said, and watched her face break out into a watery smile.

"Anytime" she replied, and walked back to her waiting family.

I stood next to Ron, watching the exchange between Harry and Mrs. Weasley, and my heart broke. When Mrs. Weasley had hugged Harry, I could see the longing in his eyes. I knew he missed his parents; thank Merlin for Molly Weasley.

After she had walked over to rejoin our group, I looked over and saw Harry watching me. He gave me a small smile and waved goodbye, and then made his way through the barrier to meet his wretched Uncle. No matter how mad I was at him, I still wished there was a way I could protect him from his horrid relatives.

We made our way through the barrier and out into the parking lot. Mr. Weasley had borrowed a Ministry car again, and as we made our way to it, I noticed Harry and his Uncle. Vernon Dursley had his meaty hand wrapped around the back of Harry's neck, forcefully pushing him towards the car. Harry just walked with his back slouched and his head hung low. Mrs. Weasley looked in the direction I was looking and noticed Harry also. "That poor boy" she said, shaking her head sadly.

"You have no idea" I whispered, getting into the backseat and closing the door. 'Be strong Harry' I thought, watching them get into their car as we sped away to the Burrow.

That summer was exactly like all of the others; Aunt Petunia ordering me around and Uncle Vernon smacking me upside the head, or worse, if he didn't like the outcome of my work. Dudley had been put on a diet because Smeltings felt he was getting too fat. That made him crankier than ever, and he often sought me out to work out his frustrations. The only thing that was different was that my scar would hurt occasionally and I started having horrible nightmares. I finally broke down one day and wrote to Sirius, telling him what had been happening and how often it hurt. Thankfully, I got a letter from Ron one day saying that his family wanted to take me to the Quidditch World Cup. They would be picking me up the next day and I would stay at the Burrow for the rest of the summer.

I packed my trunk that night before I went down to make dinner. Apparently, Mrs. Weasley had written a letter to Aunt Petunia asking permission to take me. For some reason, probably to get rid of me, they agreed to let me go. I ran upstairs and wrote Ron back saying that it was ok for me to go. Making sure I had everything in my trunk, I went to sleep that night, excited about something for the first time in a long while.

The Weasleys came to get me the next morning and caused all hell to break loose. They had come by floo, and unfortunately the fireplace in the Dursley's had been sealed off. Mr. Weasley had to blast a hole through it to be able to get into the house. Uncle Vernon had turned purple at the sight of the damage to his home. While Mr. Weasley tried to convince my Uncle that he could easily fix the damage, Fred and George had slipped a piece of candy to Dudley. When he ate it, his tongue grew huge, practically cutting off his airway. As we sat there trying not to collapse onto the floor in laughter, Mr. Weasley shooed us into the fireplace and said he would be along when he had 'fixed the situation'.

The one thing I had noticed was that Hermione didn't come with Fred, George and Ron to come get me. I decided that it might be best just to leave her alone; obviously she wanted nothing to do with me right now. When we arrived at the Burrow, I took my things upstairs while Fred, George and Ron explained to Mrs. Weasley what had happened at the Dursleys. I had ducked out of the kitchen as quickly as I could; I didn't want her to see the bruise by my eye that was Dudley's going away present. I was walking by Ginny's room when I heard the girl's voices float through the closed door.

"So do you like Ron then, as more than a friend?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know; even if I did, I don't want to do anything to ruin our friendship" replied Hermione. Hearing her say that made my stomach clench painfully.

"I wish Harry would see me as more than a friend" said Ginny. I almost rolled my eyes; that girl was persistent, if not determined. "Do you think you could talk to him for me?"

It was quiet for a while, as if Hermione had to think over Ginny's question. Finally, she sighed and said "I guess I could; I wouldn't get your hopes up though. I don't think Harry's interested in girls yet."

'What?!' I thought; of course I was interested in girls, it was just that I had high standards. Every girl I met and talked to, I compared to Hermione. I just hadn't found one that measured up to her yet.

I continued to listen in for a little longer when suddenly I felt a tapping on my shoulder. I swear I jumped high enough off of the floor to touch the ceiling. I turned quickly to see Ron standing behind me, his eyebrow quirked up in question. "What are you doing?" he whispered.

"Nothing" I answered, sounding very guilty. I made my way to his room and put my trunk at the end of the bed Mrs. Weasley had put in there for me. Ron followed me in and closed the door.

"Are you going to tell me what you were doing outside my sister's bedroom?" he asked.

"I, um I heard them talking about us. I was curious about what they were saying" I explained, embarrassed at being caught eavesdropping.

"They were talking about me and you?" he asked, his curiosity piqued. "What'd they say?"

"Ginny was asking Hermione if she liked you as more than a friend" I answered.

"Uh yeah, I asked her to do that" mumbled Ron, not meeting my eyes. "What'd Hermione say?"

"She said that she didn't want to do anything to ruin her friendship with you." He looked at me for a minute, a strange look on his face. "She'll kiss you but she won't consider me as more than a friend?" he asked.

"Ron that was a friendly thank-you kiss" I said, feeling defensive suddenly. "How many times do I have to tell you that?" He just stared at me for a moment, as if trying to figure out if I was lying or not. Getting uncomfortable from his scrutiny, I just sat down on my bed, feeling very tired all of a sudden. Didn't I have more important things to worry about than girls?

I woke up early the next morning, trying to wake Ginny, but failing miserably; she wasn't really a morning person. Finally I just gave up and went to the bathroom to get ready. As I walked towards the bathroom, the door to Ron's room opened and Harry walked out, looking sleepy and rumpled. I couldn't help the smile that broke out on my face, he looked so cute. 'Whoa, where did that come from?' I thought. I quickly reminded myself that we were just friends. "What are you doing up so early?" I asked.

"I've been getting up at this time all summer" he said, yawning and stretching. Hmmm..."What about you?" he asked, breaking me out of my trance.

"I wanted to get to the bathroom before everyone else got up and wanted in there" I replied.

"I was heading that way, but I can wait until you're done" he said. He was always so thoughtful; I wondered how he turned out as well as he did living with his Aunt and Uncle.

"Thanks, I'll try to hurry so you can get in there before Ginny" I said, and then remembered my talk with her last night. 'I can talk to him about that later' I thought, smiling at Harry and making my way into the bathroom.

After about twenty minutes, I walked out into the hall, freshly showered and now wide awake. I lightly knocked on Ron's door and saw Harry peek out. "I'm done" I said.

"That was fast" he said, smiling at me. I just shrugged and made my way back to Ginny's room. When I saw that she was still in bed asleep, I pulled the blankets off the bed, subsequently pulling her off of the bed with them.

"Bloody hell Hermione" she had mumbled, pulling herself up off of the floor "you could have just shook me awake."

"Right; I tried that an hour ago" I said, trying not to laugh at her disheveled appearance.

She started shuffling towards the door as she said "I'm going to go take a shower."

"Harry's in there right now" I said; she seemed to perk up after I said this. "Do you think I could accidentally walk in on him?"

I stood there wondering if I had heard her right. "I think he knows that I would tell you he was in there" I said, not believing how daring she could be sometimes. I wished I could be like that.

"I'm going to go see if he's out yet" she said, smiling...wickedly. I just shook my head as she walked out of the room.

I followed her out, planning on going down to the kitchen to get some breakfast, when I saw Harry in the hallway. He was standing there with only his sleep pants on, water drops glistening on his back, with his hair wet and sticking up at odd angles. 'Oh Gods' I thought. He wasn't built; Harry wasn't fed enough at his Aunt's house to have a filled out body. He was lean, but had toned muscles in his arms and stomach. He reminded me of the saying "tall, dark and handsome". The thing that topped it off was the brooding look he wore on his face most of the time; it made him look kind of dangerous. 'Where is this coming from?' I thought, shaking my head, trying to clear it. I noticed that Ginny was practically drooling, standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, looking at me strangely. It was then that I realized that he had caught me staring at him.

"Hmm?" 'Well that was an intelligent reply' I thought, chastising myself.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"J-Just going downstairs for breakfast" I answered, mad at myself for stuttering.

"Kitchen's that way" he said, pointing to the stairs behind me. I felt my cheeks start to burn and watched as that killer smile of his spread across his face.

Feeling mad at myself for reacting to him that way, I abruptly turned and almost ran down the steps, trying to escape to the kitchen.

We left about an hour and a half after I got out of the shower; it took a while to wake Ron up. His Mum had to come in and yell at him, which didn't put him in a very good mood, and he grumbled the entire time we were eating breakfast. I looked at Hermione, who was sitting across the table from me, and almost laughed as she rolled her eyes. It seemed that maybe things were getting back to normal between her and I.

As we walked to our portkey point, I couldn't help but feel excited. I loved Quidditch and I was going to go watch some of the best players in the world; I remembered thinking that it was going to be one of the best days of my life. If only I had known what was going to happen that night.

9. The Quidditch World Cup

~A/N>A quick explanation on this chapter; I stuck pretty much to book 4 for this part. The Quidditch Cup part of the book is too important to cut a lot out of it because it opens the door for Voldemorts return. This chapter will be split into two separate chapters because I didn't want just one chapter of the story to be nine thousand words. I did tweak part of this chapter to make it my own, and I hope that it doesn't make it such a boring read. Please stick with me, because the next chapter will not follow the book so much; there are too many possibilities presented with Ron's temper tantrum and Hermione helping Harry throughout the tournament. Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews, you guys have really blown me away with your response to this story. I am trying to respond to every review, it just might take me a little while. Also, I want to say thank you to Spaz141 for her help on this chapter and for all of her wonderful insight.

Once we got to the top of Stoatshead Hill, Mr. Weasley pointed to an old boot that was lying on the ground and said, "That's our Portkey."

We all gathered around it and watched as two people walked up to the top of the hill. I recognized one person as Cedric Diggory; he was the Captain and Seeker of Hufflepuff. He was also the Seeker that beat me in last years game when the Dementors swarmed me and I blacked out. His Dad, Amos Diggory, seemed more than happy to remind us how his son caught the Snitch because he could stay on his broom. Needless to say, I wasn't very happy to be reminded about the only Quidditch loss I ever had.

Mr. Weasley looked at his watch and announced that it was almost time to leave. He picked up the boot and held it out so that everyone could take hold of it. He counted down and suddenly I felt a tugging sensation behind my naval. I kept banging into Hermione and Ron as we were whisked away through what seemed to be a tunnel of blurred lights. When we landed, only the Diggory's and Mr. Weasley were standing; the rest of us were lying on the ground in a heap. I got up and held my hand out to Hermione to help her up. Once she was standing again, I started to scan our surroundings. It was amazing; the field below us was completely covered with tents; but not ordinary tents, some had gardens in front of them and some had chimneys on the top.

We made our way down to the gate that led into the campsite. Mr. Weasley checked us in, and when he had trouble counting out the muggle money, the manager of the site became suspicious. When he started asking questions about the strange people at his campsite, a wizard appeared next to him and wiped his memory. "I've had to do that ten times today already" said the wizard to Mr. Weasley, right before he disapparated. I was surprised that the man's memory wasn't mush by now. The manager handed Mr. Weasley a map of the campsite and pointed to where our site was, all with a dazed look on his face. Mr. Weasley thanked him and we made our way to our spot.

When we got there, Mr. Weasley sat two tents down on the ground and asked me to put them up. Seeing as I had never been camping before in my life, I wondered how the heck I was supposed to erect them. Hermione came over and helped me as much as she could and finally, after about two hours, we got them put up. I was astonished when we walked into one and the inside looked like a three room flat.

Mr. Weasley asked Ron, Hermione and I to go get some water, so we set out with pans and a kettle to do as he asked. I couldn't believe all of the different kinds of tents there were and all of the wizarding families that were gathered there. I guess I never realized how many witches and wizards there were in the world.

We got the water and made our way back to our tent, running into Seamus Finnegan, Dean Thomas and Oliver Wood along the way. Just before we got to our tent, I looked over to my right to see Cho Chang standing by a tent, along with what could only be her Mum and Dad. She was beautiful; her skin was flawless and her dark hair was long, straight and shiny. She smiled and waved at me, and when I waved back, I ended up spilling most of my water on my shirt. Thoroughly embarrassed, I quickly caught up with Ron and Hermione, who were already sitting around a campfire that Mr. Weasley was trying to light.

We met a lot of Ministry people that day, including Ludo Bagman. He ended up making a bet with Fred and George, who used their life savings to bet that Victor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker, would catch the Snitch but that Ireland would still win. Mr. Bagman laughed and took their money, saying that that could never happen.

Finally, after eating some breakfast and entertaining ourselves for most of the afternoon, it was time to make our way into the stadium. It was the most spectacular thing I had ever seen. Mr. Weasley said that it could easily hold one hundred thousand witches and wizards, and by its size, I believed it. We were in the very top box; it took forever to climb up all of the stairs to get there. We sat down and I looked out at all of the people in the stands; it was utterly breathtaking! There was a huge scoreboard that was flashing advertisements for all sorts of magical products and businesses.

I turned to see if there was anyone else sitting in the booth with us, and I noticed a small house elf cowering in a seat behind me, covering her eyes with her hands and shaking. I thought it was Dobby, but she heard me say his name and said that she was Winky and she was holding a seat for her master. After talking to her for a little bit, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic walked in. After talking with us for a moment, he introduced his guests, who just happened to be Lucius and Draco Malfoy, along with Draco's Mum Narcissa. They looked just as thrilled to see us, as we were to see them. After very tense, fake pleasantries, they took their seats and left us alone. Finally, the person who was going to announce the game, Ludo Bagman entered our box. Finally, I was going to see a professional Quidditch match!

I saw the ecstatic look on Harry's face when the match began, and I was happy that he was having so much fun. If anyone deserved it, he did. I watched as they introduced the mascots of each team; Ireland had brought Leprechauns and Bulgaria had brought Veela. The Veela each had long, white blond hair and skin that looked like it was made of moonlight. They started to dance and sing and I watched as Harry and Ron's eyes glazed over a bit as they watched them. Suddenly both boys rose out of their seats and looked as if they were going to try to jump over the rails of our box, which would have plunged them into the crowds below. I called out to Harry and he seemed to snap out of it; he looked at me as if asking me why he was trying to climb over the rail. When he just continued to stand there, I reached out and grabbed his shirt, tugging him back into his seat.

Finally the match got underway, and it was like nothing I had ever seen before. I wasn't a very big fan of Quidditch fan; I mainly went to the games at Hogwarts to watch Harry play. This match was so fast paced that it kind of pulled you in; I couldn't take my eyes off of the players. Harry seemed to really enjoy watching the Seekers, especially Krum. We watched as Krum faked out the other Seeker and did a maneuver on his broom that caused his opponent to slam straight into the ground.

As the match continued on, it seemed to get much rougher and nastier. There were fouls all over the place, and at one point the referee tried to throw the Veela out because they were starting to cause trouble. In the end, after having his nose broken by a bludger, Krum caught the Snitch. Unfortunately, Ireland had enough points so that they still won the match. It was strange that Fred and George had predicted the exact outcome of the match; I watched as the twins made their way to Mr. Bagman to collect their winnings, huge smiles plastered on their faces.

The Bulgarian team came into our box first, to be consoled on their loss by Mr. Bagman. Next came two wizards that were carrying the Quidditch World Cup trophy, followed by the Ireland National Team, who came to claim said trophy. Afterwards, they all jumped back on their brooms and did a victory lap around the stadium. We waited a little while for the stadium to empty out and then made our way back to our tents.

Ginny and I said goodnight to the guys and went into our tent; it was kind of nice having a tent just for us. After talking about the match and everything that had happened, our excitement finally turned to exhaustion and Ginny and I fell asleep.

What seemed like a very short time later, Mr. Weasley was shaking me awake and telling me that I needed to get up and outside now. I grabbed my robe off of the bed and my wand from under my pillow and followed him outside. What I saw made my eyes grow wide in horror.

There was screaming coming from all over the camp, and there seemed to be a large crowd making their way through the camp. As they got closer to where we were, I noticed that they were blasting tents out of their way as they walked, setting the tents on fire. As the crowd got closer, I noticed four objects floating in the air above them. When I examined them more closely, I felt sick to my stomach when I realized that it was the manager of the campsite and what looked to be his family floating up there. What made me really sick was that two of the figures seemed to be small children.

"That's just not right" said Ron, standing right next to me. I looked at him and noticed Harry right behind him, a haunted look in his eyes as he watched the family being tossed around like rag dolls.

"I'm going to have to go help the Ministry; Charlie, Bill and Percy are coming with me. I want you three to go with Fred, George and Ginny to hide in the forest until we can get this situation under control. Be safe you lot" he said, and then rushed after his sons. George, Fred and Ginny were already making their way into the forest, so Harry, Ron and I rushed to catch up with them so that we weren't separated.

There was a huge group of witches and wizards that were trying to escape into the forest, so the six of us had to form a line to make our way in. I was the last in line, and it seemed I was also the last in the group. I thought I had heard someone say my name, so I stopped and turned around. I saw Draco Malfoy standing right behind me, and before I could ask him what he wanted, he pulled back his fist and hit me; all I remember after that was a comforting darkness.

I was following Ron into the forest when I heard a strange sound; I turned around to ask Hermione if she had heard it too, and she wasn't there.

"Hermione?" I called, but didn't get an answer. "Ron, Hermione's not here" I said, hearing the worry in my own voice.

"What do you mean?" he asked, turning around and looking around the trees. "Where could she have gone?"

"I don't know; I heard a really strange noise and when I turned around to see if she had heard it too, she was gone" I replied. "We've got to find her Ron."

We both went in different directions, walking through the trees and calling out her name. I was starting to get worried; it seemed the group at the camp was going after muggles, so it stood to reason that they might go after her too since she was muggleborn.

We had been looking for about fifteen minutes when I spotted a hand sticking out from under a low-lying tree. I bent down and grabbed the hand, pulling on it gently. I almost got sick when I saw Hermione's face emerge, battered and bruised. "Oh no...Ron!" I yelled, picking her up and carrying her the best I could. I heard Ron answer my call and made my way in the direction of his voice. I heard her start to moan, so I stopped and laid her gently on the ground.

"Hermione?" I said quietly. Her eyes sprung open, but I could tell they weren't focused and she yelled "no, please don't hit me any more!"

My heart broke; she looked so scared that I just wanted to take her in my arms and never let her go again. "Hermione, it's me, Harry" I said, hoping she would comprehend what I said. She blinked her eyes a couple of times and looked at my face.

"H-Ha-Harry?" she asked, tears falling down her face. She stared at me for a moment more, as if making sure she was really looking at me, and then launched herself onto me. She wrapped her arms around my neck so hard that she was cutting off my airway, but I didn't care, I just held her tightly and tried to let her know she was safe now.

Ron finally spotted us and came running in our direction. When he noticed Hermione practically wrapped around me, he asked, "What's going on?"

"She's in bad shape" I said "her face is bruised pretty badly; it looks like someone punched her." I watched Ron's face turn beet red in anger. "We need to find the bloody bastard and kill him" he said, his voice deadly calm, which was much worse than when he yelled.

I felt Hermione's body start to shake and I could hear her quiet sobs. "Hermione, luv, do you know who did this to you?" It never even registered that I had called her 'luv', I just wanted to know who I would be using for a human punching bag before I let Ron have a go at them.

I felt her nod her head yes, she knew who had done it. "Who was it?" I whispered, hoping to give her the confidence to tell me. She lifted her head just enough so that she could look at me; the bruises on her cheek and around her eye were turning a dark purple colour now.

"Promise me you won't hurt him...too badly" she said. I just stared at her, considering what 'too badly' meant. "Harry..."

"I promise" I said, grudgingly.

"You too Ron" she said, never taking her eyes off of me.

"Hermione..." he started, but she cut him off.

"No Ron, promise me or I'm not going to say who it was." Ron stared at the back of her head for a moment before he said, "I promise."

"It was Draco," she whispered, but Ron and I both heard her, and I swear everything around me looked red. I don't think I had ever felt hatred for anyone before, not even Voldemort, but I hated Draco Malfoy in that moment. Before I could say anything, Ron took off running as fast as he could.

"Ron!" I yelled, but it was no use, he was pretty far away already. I stood up and helped Hermione up as well. "Can you walk?" I asked. She nodded and went to take a step, only to stumble and almost lose her balance. I caught her and pulled her to my side while wrapping my arm around her waist. We walked slowly deeper into the forest, looking for any signs of the Weasley's. We stumbled into a clearing in the center of the forest and suddenly we heard a voice say "Morsmordre!"

A brilliant green jet of light shot up into the sky and formed an image of a skull with a snake protruding out of its mouth, like a tongue. I heard Hermione gasp next to me, and when I looked at her I saw that she was looking up at the image also. "The Dark Mark..."

I looked at her, confused and asked, "What's the Dark Mark?"

"It's the symbol for You-Know-Who" she whispered. I was still confused, but I didn't have time to ask any more questions because suddenly about twenty 'pop's around us as twenty wizards apparated in a circle, surrounding us. I noticed that they all had their wands drawn and pointed towards us, so reflexively I pushed Hermione down on the ground as they all yelled "Stupify!" at almost the same time.

"Wait, stop" yelled a familiar voice; it was Mr. Weasley. "It's Harry Potter, put your wands down." He made his way over to us and the minute he spotted Hermione's face, he gasped. "What happened?" he asked.

"She was attacked as we were running into the forest" I said "she was behind me and someone took her. I found her lying under a small bush; she's pretty shaken up."

He looked at Hermione and said "do you know who did this to you?"

"This piece of trash did it," said Ron, all but throwing the unconscious body of Draco Malfoy at everyone's feet.

"Ron!" said Hermione, looking at Draco "I asked you not too hurt him."

"I found him lounging up against a tree and watching the chaos in the camp. He came at me first, I just finished it and made sure he couldn't put up a fight when I turned him in" explained Ron. "He was spouting some garbage about his Dad telling him to 'have fun with the mudbloods'. So naturally he went after Hermione."

I looked at Draco and then at Ron; I couldn't help the smile that was on my face. That wanker got exactly what he deserved; I was pretty damn proud of Ron at that moment.

Mr. Weasley looked at Ron and said "you should have told someone from the Ministry and let us take care of it."

"You were busy Dad, and I didn't want to give him the chance to get away."

"There is another reason we are here," said one of the other wizards in the group.

"Right, right" said Mr. Weasley "Harry, Hermione, did you see who conjured the Dark Mark?"

"No; we heard someone say an incantation though right before a jet of green light shot into the sky" I said. Another old wizard said I must have done it and that caused a bunch of arguments between the twenty wizards. One of them asked where the jet of light came from, and when I pointed to the spot he went to investigate. He came back with the same small house elf I talked to at the Quidditch match laying unconscious in his arms. The elf belonged to one of the high-ranking Ministry officials in the group; that caused one hell of an argument. When the issue of the elf not having a wand to perform magic with arose, the man holding the elf held out a wand he found in her hand.

It looked familiar to me, somehow. I checked my pocket where I had put my wand when we left the tent, only to find it gone. "That's my wand," I said.

All eyes were on me then, and the elf's owner actually accused me of putting the mark in the sky; the other wizards argued what an absurd accusation it was. They argued about it some more, the master told the elf she would be getting clothes (which means she was let go) and I finally got my wand back. When all was said and done, I picked Hermione up and started to carry her back to camp while Amos Diggory tied Malfoy up and said he would take care of him.

When we got back to our tents, I carried Hermione inside the tent I was staying in with all the other guys and laid her down on one of the cots. Everyone else was already there, and when they saw Hermione there was a slew of questions. I just ignored them and turned to Mr. Weasley and asked, "do you think you could find a medi-wizard that would check her out?"

"Of course I can, I was just thinking the same thing. Sit tight and I'll be right back." I watched him walk out, and as I was standing next to where Hermione lay, I felt her grab a hold of my hand. I looked down at her and smiled the best I could, trying to reassure her. Ron was telling his brothers and sister about what happened and how he had captured Malfoy. I learned that I would not want to be on the bad side of any Weasley that night; they were coming up with some pretty creative ways to pay Malfoy back for what he did to Hermione.

Mr. Weasley found a medi-wizard to examine Hermione, and when he was done, she looked so much better. There was still some discoloration to her face, but nothing as bad as it was before. Mr. Weasley ordered us all to bed, so Ginny and Hermione went to their tent. Bill had offered to sleep on the floor of their tent to make sure they were ok and went with them. I couldn't help wishing to be the one sleeping on the floor instead of him.

By the time I finally got to sleep that night, it seemed like only three hours later that Mr. Weasley was waking me up. I got dressed, along with everyone else and we packed our tents away. Hermione looked much better that morning and seemed to be in better spirits. She was just about as tired as I was, and as we made our way to the Portkey, she was leaning against my shoulder as we walked.

Mr. Weasley was able to get us an earlier Portkey and we left about twenty minutes later. When we walked into the Weasley's front yard, Mrs. Weasley came running at Mr. Weasley and flung her arms around him. She said she had read about what happened the night before in the Daily Prophet and she had been really worried about us. Mr. Weasley calmed her down and we went inside the Burrow.

I had asked Mrs. Weasley if Hedwig had delivered any letters for me, but she said she hadn't seen my owl. I was hoping that Sirius would have written back to me by now; it didn't seem like just a coincidence that my scar hurt a few weeks ago and then the Dark Mark shows up in the sky last night.

The next couple of weeks seemed to fly by; Mr. Weasley and Percy seemed to live at the Ministry, trying to clean up the mess that Rita Skeeter made. She was a reporter for the Daily Prophet, and she had written a story about the events after the Quidditch World Cup match, which painted the Ministry in a bad light.

It was finally the night before we were to go back to Hogwarts, and Ron and I were up in his room packing our trunks. I was unwrapping everything Mrs. Weasley had picked up for me for the new school year when I heard Ron say, "What is this?" I looked over at him and saw that he was holding up what looked to be a dress. "I think Mum gave me one of Ginny's dresses by mistake."

Mrs. Weasley had walked in at that moment, bringing in the rest of our laundry. She explained to Ron that they were the new dress robes that were on our school list and we would need them for a special event at Hogwarts, but she wouldn't tell us what it was. Ron had flat out refused to wear it, saying that it looked like something a girl would wear. He became really angry when he saw the brand new green dress robes his Mum had bought for me. His Mum ended up slamming out of the room, angry with Ron for being so stubborn; Ron whined and complained about it for the rest of the night.

As I lay in bed that night trying to figure out what the big event at Hogwarts might be sleep finally overtook me and I started to doze off. The last thought on my mind was that I hoped this year would be a good one for a change.

10. Unhappy Reunions

~A/N>Okay, here's the second half of their fourth year. This chapter is over 7,000 words, and it seemed to take forever to write. It's only because I'm so excited to write the next chapter; I already know exactly how I want it to progress. Just like the last chapter, this one follows the book most of the time, with my little wanderings thrown in. Thanks for all the great reviews on the last chapter, and happy reading!!!! :)

Harry, Ron and I were sitting on the Hogwarts Express, quietly watching the scenery pass by. It had been another rushed morning and we were tired already; Amos Diggory's head had shown up in the fireplace this morning because he needed Mr. Weasley to take care of a problem. It was something to do with a man named 'Mad-Eye' Moody. With everything that had been happening, the Ministry couldn't spare any cars that could take us to the station, so we had to take three taxis. It wasn't very much fun riding in the back seat, stuffed between my two best friends while Ron held Pig's cage and I held Crookshanks on my lap.

The compartment door opened and Seamus, Dean and Neville came and sat with us. The boys started talking about the Quidditch World Cup, so I picked up my new book of spells and started to read through it. While they were discussing Krum and how we got to see him in the top box, another pretentious voice broke the air, saying "hope you enjoyed it Weasley; I doubt your family will ever be able to afford seats like that again."

My eyes went wide as I felt fear course through me. 'It couldn't be...' I thought, almost afraid to look up. Finally I steeled my courage and looked toward the door of our compartment; there stood Draco Malfoy with his two cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. When he saw me looking at him, a sickening smile appeared on his face as he said "hello Granger."

I watched as Harry jumped up from his seat next to me and practically ran at Malfoy. Grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and spinning him around, Harry slammed him against the wall of the compartment. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What's the matter Potty? Aren't you happy to see me?" drawled Malfoy, taunting Harry. I watched as Ron, Seamus and Dean walked over to stand in front of Crabbe and Goyle so that they couldn't easily get to Malfoy.

"You didn't answer my question" said Harry, so quietly that I almost didn't hear him. "The last time I saw you, the Ministry had taken you into custody."

"You actually thought that they could keep me in custody?" asked Malfoy, looking at Harry like he was daft. "My Father had me free that same night."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing; I was attacked and the culprit was caught, but because his Father was a prominent wizard in the community, he had gotten off Scot-free. All I could do was sit frozen in my seat controlled by a combination of fear and anger. As I watched the interaction between Harry and Malfoy, Malfoy looked me straight in the eye and asked "what's the matter mudblood, didn't you like playing with me?"

Before I could respond, Harry had drawn back his fist and punched Malfoy in the face. As soon as he did that, Crabbe and Goyle tried to make their way over to their fellow Slytherin, only to be stopped by Ron, Seamus and Dean. As all hell broke loose, I had unconsciously scooted back on my seat, pressing back as much as possible against the wall. All I could see were flying fists and all I could hear was a lot of swearing; my face burned at some of the words that were being yelled.

After what seemed like forever, Malfoy had gotten away from Harry and had ran out of our compartment. Seeing their leader flee, Crabbe and Goyle quickly followed and the four boys started high-fiving and congratulating each other. I just sat where I was, feeling as if I couldn't move.

~*~

I couldn't believe that we had fought Malfoy and his goons; I could feel the adrenaline pumping through my body. As Ron, Dean, Seamus and I celebrated, I looked over to where Hermione was and I froze. She had pushed herself up against the wall as much as she could, and she was staring at us. Her eyes were glassed over and she looked completely scared out of her wits.

"Hermione?" I said quietly as I walked towards her. She didn't blink and she didn't look like she even saw me. I sat down next to her and gently placed my hand on her shoulder. She jumped and flinched away the minute my hand made contact with her skin. "Hermione" I said again, hoping she would snap out of it.

I looked over at the three other guys and asked "hey Ron, could you go get Hermione something to drink?" I gave him a significant look and he looked past me at Hermione, a worried expression dawning on his face. He gave me a nod and ushered the other guys out with him. When I looked back at Hermione, she was looking at me and I could tell her eyes were focused on me now. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"No" she whispered as tears pooled in her eyes. She looked so scared at that moment, so I reached out and grabbed her hand, hoping that the contact would somehow make her feel better. She looked down at our hands and quietly asked "why?"

"Why what?" I asked, trying to draw her out of her fear.

"Why do men like to hurt me?" she asked, sounding so sad.

I squeezed her hand and said "Hermione, Draco and your Dad aren't all men. Ron and I are around you all the time and we've never hurt you, have we?" When she shook her head no, I continued on. "You haven't done anything to deserve this; I don't understand how anyone could even think of harming such a great girl like you." 'Whoa, did I just say that out loud?' I thought as I saw a small smile form on her face. I watched as she swiped the tears from her eyes almost angrily.

"I hate feeling scared and helpless" she said "and how is it that Draco is even on this train? He punched me until I was unconscious, and he wasn't even held overnight by the Ministry."

"You heard him" I said, "his Father probably bought his way out." I looked her straight in the eye and said "he won't hurt you again Hermione, I promise."

~*~

We finally got to Hogwarts amidst a very strong rainstorm; everyone got soaked just running into the castle. It didn't help that Peeves the ghost was pegging everyone with water balloons as they entered either. We went to the Welcoming Feast and watched the sorting; finally Dumbledore told us we could eat and once everyone was done, he stood up to make his start of term announcements. Everything he said was the same as every other year, until he announced that the Tri-Wizard Tournament would be held at Hogwarts that year. The Hall erupted in noise as everyone started talking all at once. I had read about the tournament in Hogwarts: A History, but they had stopped holding them a long time ago.

Dumbledore went on to explain that there would be two other schools coming to Hogwarts to participate and that the champions, one from each school, would be chosen at the Halloween feast. He also explained that no one under the age of seventeen would be allowed to enter; Fred and George about had a duck when they heard that. They were sixteen and wouldn't turn seventeen before Halloween; they immediately started planning on how to enter anyway. Dumbledore said the two other schools would be arriving on the thirtieth of October and that he would explain how to enter at that time.

The other big announcement of the night was that our new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was Mad-Eye Moody. He had to be the strangest person that I had ever seen, and by the expressions on Ron and Harry's faces, they felt the same as I did. He had a wooden leg that made a clunking sound whenever he took a step and the strangest thing about him was that one of his eyes spun completely around in its socket. That had to be the creepiest thing I had ever seen.

The time between the welcoming feast and the thirtieth of October seemed to fly by without much incidence. The one thing that did happen was the greatest I had ever seen. Ron and Harry were trading insults with Malfoy one day and Harry had turned his back on Draco while he tried to calm Ron down and walk away. Malfoy had shot a spell at him at him when his back was turned and Mad-Eye had witnessed it. Moody got so angry that he had turned Draco into a white ferret and started bouncing him around the entrance hall of the castle. Moody kept yelling how you never attack someone when his back is turned, the entire time the ferret would bounce higher and higher, squealing the entire time. Unfortunately, Professor McGonagall had came down the stairs and figured out that the ferret was a student. She made Moody change him back and chewed him out for being so reckless.

On October thirtieth, we were released from classes early so that we could put our bags in our rooms and assemble outside the castle to greet our guests. At six o'clock that night, the entire school was lined up outside, waiting for them to arrive. The first to come was Beauxbatons; they arrived in an enormous blue carriage that was being pulled by twelve giant, winged Palomino horses. Shortly after, Durmstrang arrived in a giant ship that seemed to appear from the middle of the lake.

After a feast to welcome the two visiting schools, Dumbledore presented the Goblet of Fire, which would be used to choose the champion from each school. He explained that there would be an age line drawn around the Goblet and that anyone underage that attempted to enter would 'pay an obvious price'.

Fred and George decided to try and fool the age line the morning of Halloween by taking an aging potion; when Fred put his name into the Goblet, there was a popping sound and a long white beard appeared on his face. George had put his name in immediately after Fred and had suffered the same fate. Dumbledore came in chuckling and told them to go to Madam Pomfrey to get the antidote.

That night, you could feel everyone's excitement; as soon as dinner was over, we would find out who the three champions were. Finally, the time came and the Goblet flared to life with red sparks and flames. Dumbledore had extinguished the lights in the hall so that the only light came from the floating pumpkins overhead and the Goblet of Fire. The first name flew out and Dumbledore grabbed it and announced that the champion for Durmstrang would be Viktor Krum; Ron seemed pretty excited about that. The second name flew out and Dumbledore said that Fleur Delacour would be the champion for Beauxbatons; Ron was excited about that also. Finally it was time to announce who the champion of Hogwarts would be; the entire Hall grew silent as the third name flew out of the top of the Goblet and Dumbledore announced "Cedric Diggory!"

I was hoping Angelina Johnson would be the champion for us, but I guessed that the Goblet thought otherwise. Everyone was clapping for the three champions and Dumbledore started to explain exactly when the first task would be; suddenly the Goblet flared to life once again and spit out a fourth name. Everyone in the hall sat stock-still, waiting to hear what name the Goblet would spit out when there were only supposed to be three chosen. Dumbledore read the name on the piece of paper, and then looking over the Hall with a serious expression on his face, said "Harry Potter".

~*~

I couldn't believe my ears; 'did he just announce my name?' I thought. When I looked at Ron and Hermione, they were just sitting there staring at me with their mouths open in disbelief. How could this have happened? I never put my name in the Goblet. After Dumbledore called me up to the front along with the other Champions and told me to go into the room off to the side of the hall, I walked in and saw the three other Champions standing there. They looked at me funny, as if questioning why I was there. I didn't have a chance to say anything because Dumbledore, the judges of the tournament, Professor McGonagall and Snape all walked in at that moment.

After a lot of arguing, it was decided that I would participate in the tournament along with the other three students. I was in shock as I made my way back to the Gryffindor common room; I just wanted to find Ron and Hermione; I wanted to make sure that they believed that I didn't enter my name into the Goblet. When I walked into the common room, it looked like everyone in Gryffindor was there, waiting to celebrate. I came to find out that it was everyone except my two best friends. Finally I was able to break away from the party and make my way up to my room; when I walked in I found Ron lying on his bed.

That night Ron Weasley, my best friend, accused me of putting my own name into the Goblet because I wanted the attention. I couldn't believe that he would turn on me like that; we ended up arguing and both of us went to bed extremely angry that night.

The next morning, Hermione had met me outside the portrait hole with some toast and asked if I wanted to take a walk around the lake. As we walked, she asked me if I had entered myself, and I had told her no. I was almost elated to hear her say she believed me. When I asked if she had spoken to Ron at breakfast, she said she had and that I needed to talk to him. I made it clear to her that I would not be the one to patch things up. I wouldn't admit it, but it hurt to know that my best friend believed me guilty.

I wrote to Sirius that day, telling him that I was picked as a champion and everything else that had happened the night before. He wrote me back stating that he wanted to talk to me through the floo at one o'clock in the morning. On the night I was supposed to meet him, Hagrid had asked me to meet him at his hut; he ended up showing me what the first task would entail, and it was dragons.

I made my way back to the common room for my meeting with Sirius; thankfully the common room was empty when I got there. I noticed Sirius's head floating in the flames and we talked about everything that had been happening. It felt good to have an adult I could confide in; I told Sirius about everything I had been going through and how frustrated I was that Ron had believed that I could enter myself. He was just about to tell me how to get around the dragons the next day when I heard someone coming downstairs. I told Sirius that he had better leave quickly, and when I turned around, Ron was standing on the last step. I couldn't remember the last time I had ever felt this angry at someone, especially him. I yelled at him for coming downstairs and we argued some more. I ended up storming up to my room and jumping into my bed, trying in vain to get some sleep.

The next day 'Mad-Eye' Moody called me into his office and helped me figure out that I would need to use my Firebolt in the first task the next day. Unfortunately, that would require that I perform a summoning charm, which I was horrible at. I went to Hermione and asked her if she would help coach me on how to summon my broom. She happily said she would and worked with me during every minute of free time we had that day.

The next morning I walked out to where the first task was to take place, confident in my newly acquired summoning abilities. We had stayed up into the early hours of morning, but I had finally mastered the charm. I met up with the three other Champions and Mr. Bagman, who explained the rules and had us draw, for which dragon we would get and the order we would go. I of course got the biggest, meanest dragon out of the four and I would also go last. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

When it was my turn to challenge the dragon, I walked out and summoned my Firebolt, praying that it would work. After about five seconds, I heard a sort of 'whooshing' sound and looked up. My firebolt flew to my side and hovered there, waiting for me to mount it. I flew all around the dragon, trying to get her to fly up to get me so that I could swoop down and grab the golden egg that I was supposed to get. Finally, it worked and she left her nest long enough for me to swoop in and grab the egg. I landed on the ground and went to the tent to have my arm looked at; the horntails tail had left a good size gash in my arm.

As I was in the tent, Hermione ran up to me and threw her arms around my neck, squeezing me really hard. "I was so worried about you Harry" she said, pulling back a little so that I could see her face. There were claw marks where it looked like she had dug her fingernails into her skin. I smiled at her and then noticed that Ron was with her. I looked at him and he was as white as a sheet.

"Y-You could have died" he said "I'm sorry I thought you put your name in."

I looked at him for a moment and said "finally realized that, have you?" We stared each other down and when he started to open his mouth to apologize, I said "forget it."

He and Hermione stood there staring at me for a couple of minutes before Hermione launched herself at me, hugging me fiercely. "I am so proud of you" she whispered, her hot breath on my ear doing strange things to my body. I held on to her, replaying the words she had just said over in my mind. No one had ever told me they were proud of me before, and it felt great.

I ended up tying with Krum for first place and that night there was a huge party in Gryffindor tower. I sat on the couch with everyone gathered around, trying to open the golden egg from the first task. It was supposed to be a clue to the second task and when I finally opened it, there was a horrible screeching sound emitting from it. I hurriedly closed it and set it down on the table, figuring I had three months to solve the clue.

~*~

After Harry had survived the first task and made up with Ron, it seemed like things were back to normal between the three of us again. It was announced that there would be a Yule Ball during Christmas break and it seemed like all of the girls started to go crazy. They immediately started talking about getting a dress, how they would do their hair and who they wanted to go with. I sat in the library one day wondering who I would like to ask me to go and I was surprised when the only person I thought I would be comfortable with would be Harry. I knew there wasn't a chance of him asking me; he had been staring at Cho Chang a lot lately. I figured he would probably ask her to go with him.

While I sat thinking about all of this, I didn't notice that Viktor Krum had walked up next to me. He had cleared his throat to get my attention and had actually asked me to go with him to the Ball. I faltered for a moment, my thoughts lingering on Harry, but my doubts about him came rushing back and I accepted Viktor's invitation.

I was slightly surprised when Ron asked me to go with him a couple of days later. I could tell I was a last resort, and I noticed he became angry when I told him I already had a date. When he asked me who it was, I decided he didn't need to know and told him so, which made him even more mad.

After that, everyone was trying to get me to tell them who I was going with, but I never told anyone, not even Harry. I had been right about Cho Chang; Harry had asked her to be his date and she had said that she had already told Cedric she would go with him. I had felt strange when Harry told Ron and I that he had asked Cho, but I decided not to think about it; there were too many other things happening at the time.

The day of the Yule Ball came and I got really dressed up; I think that was the first time that I felt remotely pretty. Viktor seemed to be a perfect gentleman, and he complimented me when I went to meet him at the doors of the Great Hall. Harry had walked up with one of the Patil twins and hadn't even recognized me as I stood next to him. I watched as recognition dawned on his face after he had stared at me for a little while. I felt myself blush as he told me how lovely I looked; his compliment seemed to mean more than the one Viktor had given me.

Ron had gotten really mad when he found out that I was Viktor's date; I didn't really want to explore the reasons why that could be because it made me uncomfortable. Ron had come with the other Patil twin and halfway through the Ball, he and Harry were both dateless; I had seen the twins flirting with some boys from Beauxbatons. Afterwards, when I had returned to the Gryffindor common room, Ron was there waiting for me and we got into one hellacious row. We didn't talk to each other for a couple of days after that.

~*~

After trying to figure out what I was supposed to do with the egg, Cedric had tipped me off that I needed to put it under water to hear the clue. He had told me to repay me for telling him in advance about the dragons being the first task. He also gave me the password to get into the Prefects bathroom so I could have some privacy while I listened to the clue. With some help from Moaning Myrtle, after I realized she was there spying on me, I figured out that the clue had to do with the lake and the Merpeople that inhabited it.

I spent two days trying to figure out how I was supposed to breathe under water, with no luck. Ron and Hermione helped me as much as they could before they were called away by McGonagall. I spent the entire night in the library and was woke up the next morning by Dobby. He had brought me some gillyweed and said that if I ate it right before going in the water, I would be able to breath under water like a fish.

When the second task started, I popped the gillyweed in my mouth and ate it as quickly as I could. When I felt the need to jump in the water so I could breath, I swam down to the bottom of the lake to see Ron, Hermione, Cho and a small eight year old girl tied up down there. I later found out the little girl was Fleur's sister. I ended up saving Ron and the little girl after Viktor saved Hermione and Cedric saved Cho. I had it in mind that if I didn't rescue them both they could possibly die; it never entered my mind that Dumbledore would never let any harm come to any of the four students in the water. I was actually awarded extra points for the extra effort, which left me tied for first with Cedric.

The four months between the second and third task seemed to fly by. I had been in contact with Sirius a couple of times; I even got to see him in the shrieking shack on one of our Hogsmead weekends. He had been hearing rumors about Voldemort's increased activity and wanted me to be on guard just in case. One day in divination I had fallen asleep and had a vision of Wormtail and Voldemort; I had woke up on the floor with my scar hurting really bad. I went to Dumbledore and let him know; he said I was to stay in the castle and not to let anyone know, not even Sirius.

The day of the final task arrived and the castle was abuzz with anticipation; we were to make our way through a maze to the center, where the Tournament Cup would be and whoever touched it first was the winner. After spending the day with Bill and Mrs. Weasley, who had come to support me in place of my relatives, it was time to make our way to the maze. I met up with Cedric, Viktor and Fleur and received our instructions from Mr. Bagman. Cedric and I would be going in first since we were tied for first place, Viktor would come next and then Fleur would be the last to enter. Mr. Bagman blew the whistle and Cedric and I entered the maze.

We ended up going separate ways and I heard the whistle blow two more times, announcing that Viktor andFleur had now entered the maze. As I walked, Cedric came barreling through the shrubbery on my right, his robes were singed and he was breathing heavily. "Hagrid's Blast Ended Skrewts" he said, and that was all the explanation I needed. He barreled away from me again and I continued on; suddenly I saw a Dementor floating up ahead of me. I started to feel cold, so I summoned a memory of Hermione, and produced my patronus. When it stumbled back, but didn't disappear, I knew that it was a boggart. "Ridikkulus!" I said and watched as it popped out of existence. I continued on and was faced with a golden mist that turned the world upside down, one of Hagrid's skrewts and then I heard Fleur scream. Looking for her as I made my way through the maze, I heard Cedric yell, and when I turned the corner, I heard Viktor cast the Cruciatus curse. I heard Cedric yell out in pain, and when I finally found them I pointed my wand at Viktor and said "stupefy!" Viktor fell stiffly to the ground as I helped Cedric up off of the ground. Making sure he was ok, we both went our separate ways once again, knowing we were both close to the Cup.

After walking for a little while longer and solving the riddle of the Sphinx, I looked up and saw the gleam of the cup. I started to make my way towards it when I saw someone stumble into the path ahead of me. He started for the Cup and he didn't notice the huge spider coming at him. I yelled out to him, and he dove in time to avoid it, but his wand went flying out of his hand. I started to fire spells at it, but it only made it angry and it came at me instead, picking me up with its front legs. I fought and Cedric fired spells until finally I was free and we both shouted "Stupify!" at it. Finally, the spider fell sideways, and I pulled myself up from the ground. My leg was bleeding and couldn't support me, so I leaned up against the hedges. I told Cedric to go the rest of the way and take the Cup; there was no way I could make it that far on my leg. He fought with me about it, and when all was said and done, we had both agreed to take it at the same time.

He helped me walk the rest of the way, and we counted to three and both grabbed one of the handles. Next thing we knew, we were being whisked off by a Portkey. We landed in a cemetery, completely alone. I saw a man walking towards us out of the darkness, holding a bundle of what looked to be robes. As he approached us I heard a voice say "kill the spare". Next thing I knew, the man in front of me drew his wand and used the killing curse; Cedric died immediately.

I didn't have time to process what I had just witnessed because the stranger pulled me away and took me to one of the headstones. He tied me to it and walked away to set the bundle down; next thing I knew he was dragging a cauldron over in front of me and started adding ingredients to the liquid inside of it. He took dirt from the grave under me, he cut off his own hand to put in, and then he walked over to me, slicing my arm and taking some of my blood to add to the potion. He had added whatever was in the bundle to the cauldron and suddenly a blinding white light shone from inside of it. Next thing I knew, a tall, skinny man was rising from the cauldron, and when he looked at me I knew it was Lord Voldemort.

He summoned his Death Eaters by placing a finger to the Dark Mark tattoo that was on Wormtails arm. Wormtail screamed louder than he had after he cut his hand off; Voldemort just smiled a horrific smile and waited for his faithful servants to arrive. Soon there were a series of 'pop's and there, in a broken circle, stood the Death Eaters. Voldemort spoke to them for a little while and then turned his attention back to me; he cast the Cruciatus curse on me and I felt like every cell in my body was on fire. It was so horrible, I remember wishing I would die, and then he finally lifted it, laughing at me. He turned to Wormtail and said some spell that gave him a silver metal hand in place of the one he had sacrificed for his master. He ordered Wormtail to untie me and to give my wand back to me. He said we were going to duel so he could kill me fair and square. After breaking an Imperious curse he had placed on me, trying to control me, he became angry and yelled "Avada Kedavra!" at the same time I yelled "Expelliarmus!"

The spells hit and connected our wands; a beam of golden light formed between them and we rose into the air. Suddenly, shadows started to appear out of Voldemort's wand, I almost cried out when I saw a shadow of Cedric emerge. After he and two other people formed, I saw my Mum and Dad come out of the wand, and they both spoke to me. My Dad told me that the shadows could help me escape; I was to break the connection and run for the Cup and Cedric while they tried to block Voldemort from coming after me. I did just as he said and ran for my life; Voldemort was right behind me as I skidded onto the ground, grabbed a hold of Cedric and the cup at the same time, and disappeared. I heard Voldemort yell in anger as we traveled back to Hogwarts; next thing I knew, I hit the ground face first, and there were a bunch of people running towards me.

~*~

Something had gone wrong; Dumbledore had been pacing around the maze with a worried look on his face. Next thing we know, Harry appeared out of thin air, clutching the cup in one hand and holding onto Cedric's arm with the other. Neither of them moved, they just lay on the ground, and I ran as fast as I could out of the stands and down to the field. As I got closer, I heard mumblings that Cedric was dead. 'Oh God, what if Harry is dead too?' I thought, running faster into the gathering crowd.

I couldn't get close to Harry because there were so many people rushing towards him; I saw Dumbledore talking to him and I felt a little bit better. Ron caught up to me and I explained that Harry was ok, but Cedric was dead. We started to get jostled around in the crowd, and when I looked for Harry again, he was gone.

I watched as Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape ran for the castle; I knew then that something bad was happening. I broke free from the crowd, pulling Ron with me, and headed towards the castle also. We searched all over for Harry and Professor Dumbledore, but they weren't in any of the usual places. We had found Sirius waiting in Dumbledore's office and he said that he was told that Harry would be there, but he didn't know if it would be before or after Harry went to the Hospital Ward. I decided to go to the ward and wait; Harry had to show up there sometime. Ron and I met up with his Mum and Bill, who were also waiting to see Harry, when we walked into the ward. They wanted to know if we knew what had happened; I told them what I knew and it was the same that they had been told.

About an hour later, Harry walked in with the Headmaster and Sirius in his dog form, looking exhausted. His eyes looked more haunted now than before and I watched as Mrs. Weasley rushed up to him and gave him a hug. They put him in a bed and gave him some dreamless sleep potion which put him to sleep immediately. We sat around, watching him sleep, until the doors burst open and Professor McGonagall burst in with the Minister of Magic, shouting something about him allowing a Dementor to give Crouch Jr. the Kiss. I was completely lost, as was everyone else. There was a huge row, Dumbledore came in and asked what was going on. The Minister and the Professor were both talking at once; poor Dumbledore was having a hard time sorting out what they were saying. Finally, he understood what Fudge had done and words were exchanged; it ended with Dumbledore telling Fudge that he would no longer support him if he though he and Harry were crackpots for saying that Voldemort was back. The Minister, who had woke Harry up with his yelling, basically looked at Harry and said he didn't believe him. I don't think I had ever felt more angry before in my life.

All of the adults had gathered around Dumbledore and he started giving out assignments; it almost sounded as if he were readying for a war. Once they left, Ron and I sat with Harry, who had gone back to sleep. We stayed with him throughout the night and into the next day, when he was released. The rest of term was horrible; everyone kept talking about Cedric, and Harry always looked so sad. One night I had found him in the common room at one in the morning, just sitting on the couch and staring into the fireplace.

I walked over and sat next to him, hoping he wouldn't ask me to leave, or leave himself. "Are you ok Harry?" I asked.

He turned to face me, and I knew in that instant that I had asked the wrong question. He glared at me as he angrily said "of course I'm not ok, Hermione. It's not as if I can just pretend nothing happened and go on with my life as usual!" He got up and started pacing back and forth, muttering to himself about how he wished people would leave him alone and how could I ask if he was ok. I felt horrible for upsetting him and without knowing it, tears had started falling down my cheeks.

He looked at me, and immediately his expression softened. "Merlin Hermione, I'm sorry" he said as he sat next to me. "I know you're just being a good friend; I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you."

I looked at him and saw the pain and sadness in his eyes; before I knew what I was doing, I reached out and placed my arms around him, hugging him to me. I held him tightly, trying to convey how I felt to him, letting him know that he was not alone. I was surprised when he held me just as tight; we sat that way for quite a while. Finally he pulled back from me and wiped the tears from my face. "I'm sorry I made you cry" he said quietly.

"It wasn't you Harry; I'm so sorry you had to go through this." I took hold of his hand and said "just know that if you ever want to talk about anything, I'm here for you, ok?" He nodded his head slightly and gave me a small smile. I leaned in slowly and placed a kiss on his cheek; "goodnight Harry" I said, and then started to make my way back to my room. When he didn't try to stop me from leaving, I turned around and smiled at him, and he said "goodnight 'Mione." That was the first time he had called me that; I kind of liked the sound of it.

It was finally time for the Leaving Feast, and I sat next to Harry, holding his hand under the table. Dumbledore had toasted the memory of Cedric and Harry for his bravery; I could see that Harry thought he didn't deserve it. I squeezed his hand for support and he looked at me, squeezing my hand back.

Finally we were back on the Hogwarts Express, heading home. Dumbledore had told Harry that he would have to go back to the Dursley's because of something to do with the protections his Mum gave him the night she died. I would be going back to the Burrow since no one had heard from my Mum yet; I was so afraid to think about what might have happened to her. As far as I knew, my Dad was still locked up for attacking me, so the Weasley's offered to put me up for the summer again.

Right before we pulled into the station, Malfoy and his cronies came into our compartment, talking bad about Cedric and Harry. Before we knew what we were doing, the three of us had pulled our wands and fired spells at them. Besides us, Fred and George had been in the hall and had heard what was said, and had also fired on them. They fell unconscious to the floor and the boys pushed them over by the next compartment and closed the door.

When the train stopped, I got up and grabbed my things. I made my way out to the group of waiting parents and noticed that Harry hadn't followed. I waited for him, and as I waited I scanned the crowd for Mrs. Weasley. I almost fainted when I saw my Mum standing there, waving at me. She was really thin and had dark shadows under her eyes, but I was so glad to see her alive and well. Harry had stepped off the train just before I had ran over to her; he followed me over to say goodbye and I kissed him on the cheek again.

Mum said she would be taking me home, so I ran over to Mrs. Weasley to let her know. I met back up with Mum and we walked out through the barrier. I saw Harry ahead of us, walking with his Uncle and pushing the cart with his trunk and Hedwig on it. We walked out into the sunlight and as I followed Mum, I had kept an eye on Harry, so I didn't notice the car I was getting into. I opened the door and slid in the front seat, expecting Mum to get behind the wheel. When I heard a door open, I looked over and noticed that she was getting into the back seat. There, to my horror, was my Dad sitting behind the steering wheel. He sat there staring at me with hate filled eyes as he said "hello Hermione. Did you miss me?"

~*~

I followed Uncle Vernon out to the car, trying to block out all of the horrid thoughts that kept going through my head. I tried to focus on Hermione, and I smiled a little when I remembered her kissing me on the cheek. She had stood by me since...well, since the last task and had been there for me, comforting me. I looked over and noticed her and her Mum walking towards their car. We had walked up to my Uncle's car and I put my stuff in the backseat. Once we were settled, Uncle Vernon made his way out of the parking lot, and when I looked over to the car Hermione had gotten into, I did a double take.

There was a man in the driver's seat; I could barely see his features, but from what I saw I figured this had to be Hermione's Dad. What was he doing out of jail? I wondered if she knew he would be picking her up, since she had happily left with her Mum. As we drove by the car, I saw Hermione's face and I got my answer. She had a look of fear on her face as she stared at her Dad and I begged my Uncle to stop the car, but he just ignored me and kept going. My mind went into overdrive; what if he hurt her and her Mum again? What if he was so mad at Hermione for sending him to jail that he attacked her again, or worse? I knew I had to get to her, and I went over all the different ways to do that on my way back to the Dursley's house. By the time we pulled into the driveway, I knew what I had to do.

~Please Review!!~

11. Hell Hath No Fury...

~*Thanks to Spaz141 for all of her help and suggestions!!!*~

I looked over at my Dad as he drove down the street to our house. The entire car ride had been quiet; from the back seat, my Mum looked too scared to say a word and my Dad was humming to himself as he drove. I had no idea what I should be feeling right now; my family was back together, but my Dad had been in jail and I know he would blame me for it. If I had never told Harry...

He pulled the car into the driveway and turned off the engine; he turned toward us and said "well...aren't you happy to be home?"

"Sure Dad" I said, trying to muster a smile, but I'm quite sure it came across as a grimace.

"Let's get inside" he ordered, "We have some catching up to do."

The three of us got out of the car and I grabbed my trunk out of the back. Mum hung back with me, watching me with a strange expression on her face. "Where have you been Mum?" I asked. She opened her mouth to answer, but Dad called for us to come inside. The minute she heard his voice, she jumped and I noticed her whole body tense more than it was previously.

"We'd better get inside" she said, and then turned abruptly. I watched as she almost ran inside and wondered where she had been all this time.

I walked inside with my things and saw Mum sitting on the sofa, her back ramrod straight, staring at Dad. "I'm going to go put my things upstairs" I explained, and then turned toward the staircase.

"NO!" my Dad yelled, making me jump. "No, come here and sit down next to your Mother. Now."

I left my trunk by the door and slowly walked over to the sofa, sitting next to Mum and keeping an eye on my Dad. "There are some things we need to discuss" he announced, pacing in front of us. I watched as he wrung his hands together while he spoke "I was finally released from that...that place two days ago. I was a little angry at first that neither of you wrote nor came to see me. The only person I saw was that Dumbledore fellow from your school; bugger hit me up for money so that you could go to school." He stopped pacing and stared at me, making me uncomfortable with his unwavering glare. Then he looked over at Mum, who looked like a deer caught in the headlights of a car. "I wasn't able to get a hold of your Mum; I had to go looking for her. Lucky for me, she had mentioned to one of the neighbours where she was going. If you didn't want me to find you Jane, you shouldn't have been so stupid."

"Robert, I..."

"SHUT UP!!" my Dad shouted, causing my Mum and I to both press our backs into the sofa. He looked at me and asked, "Did you know where your Mum was?" When I shook my head no, he laughed and spouted "what a considerate woman; you leave your husband and daughter ... you don't contact either one of us? Would you like to know where she was Hermione? Hmm? She was hiding at a women's shelter; she actually told them I beat her and that she was scared of me. Some fucking wife you are."

I sat there, mulling over what he had just said. My Mum had escaped and had been safe. I had gotten to stay at the Burrow with Mrs. Weasley, who I thought of as a Mum and the minute my Dad comes back, he ruins it all in a second. I could feel the anger start to build in my chest; replacing some of the fear I had felt since the first moment I saw him.

"How could you two do this to me?" he yelled, startling me out of my thoughts. I looked at him, wondering what he meant. My Mum was just sitting there, staring at him with a hollow look in her eyes. When neither of us said anything, he seemed to snap. He walked up to my Mum and picked her up off of the couch by her shirt. I watched in horror as he turned and threw her up against one of the walls.

"Are you too good to answer me now? I bet you want to get back to your boyfriend now, right? I get left to rot in jail and you two just go on with your lives?" I watched in horror as my Mum just stood there looking at him; I knew it would make him even angrier and I was terrified for her. "WELL?" he yelled, almost nose to nose with her.

"No, Dad, we didn't forget about you" I offered, "What did you want me to do? I would have written to you, b-but I didn't know where to send the letters."

I watched as the anger slid from his face, and knew that I had said the wrong thing. He let my Mum go and she slid down the wall in a heap. He turned towards me and then started to walk over to where I was. "You didn't forget about me?" he asked quietly. I could feel myself start to shake, and I tried to stop the tremors, but the fear was overwhelming. He circled me like a predator stalking its prey. "You're the reason I was sent to that hell hole in the first place."

"D-Daddy, I'm sorry," I stuttered, backing up, as he got closer, only to have my back hit a wall.

"Robert, it's not her fault," said my Mum, standing behind him. I watched my Dad's face contort with rage as he turned quickly and backhanded my Mum across the face. She fell to the floor, trying not to make any noise while the tears ran down her face.

"Did I ask you, whore?" he sneered, sounding a lot like Malfoy. He turned to me again and asked, "What did you say?"

"W-What?" I asked, not understanding his question. He glared at me as the predator in him reared back as if to strike.

"I said, What-did-you-say? Do you think I'm stupid? Do you expect me to believe that it was a coincidence that the Headmaster of your freak school shows up at our home?" He reached up and wrapped his hands around my neck, making it very hard for me to breath. "Now, I'm going to ask you one more time, what-did-you-say?"

~*~

As soon as Uncle Vernon pulled into the driveway, I grabbed my trunk out of the car and ran with it up to my room. I couldn't believe that Hermione's Dad was out of jail already; I also couldn't believe that her Mum was back with him. I changed my clothes, grabbed my wand and grabbed some parchment out of my trunk. I sat at my desk and wrote a quick note to Dumbledore; he helped her before, I was sure he would help her again. After quickly signing my name, I rolled the note and attached it to Hedwig's leg. After Hedwig flew off I grabbed my money sack that held my galleons, made sure I had my wand and ran down the stairs.

I heard Uncle Vernon yell, "where do you think you're going boy?" as I quickly threw the door open and ran outside. Standing on the curb, I grabbed my wand and held it up in the air. Not two seconds later, the Knight Bus appeared at the end of the street. Finally coming to a screeching halt in front of me, I quickly walked up the stairs and told Stan Shunpike where I wanted to go. I handed him two galleons and told him that I needed to get there as quickly as possible. I thanked Merlin that I remembered Hermione's address; she had mentioned where she lived in one of our talks.

It took us about twenty minutes to get there; I thanked Stan for the help and got off the bus. I watched the bus disappear as I turned to make my way up to Hermione's front door. Just as I raised my hand to knock, I heard Hermione's Dad yelling and then I heard Hermione scream.

'Underage magic be damned' I thought as I grabbed my wand out of my back pocket. I pointed it at the doorknob and said "alohomora!" I heard the click as the lock disengaged and I opened the door.

The sight before me almost made my heart stop. The sitting room was destroyed; the coffee table was flipped over, the pictures on the wall were askew and a recliner was flipped over. Mrs. Granger lay unconscious (I hoped) on the floor by the door and then I saw them; Hermione on the floor with Mr. Granger practically sitting on her. He had his hands wrapped around her neck and her face was turning a strange reddish-purple colour. I saw her eyes start to roll back into her head and I snapped. Forgetting about my wand, I ran full out at her Dad and tackled him, knocking him off of her. We rolled around the floor trying to pin the other down. He got one good punch in that made me see stars. I shook it off and roared with rage; I felt the adrenaline surge through me and I rolled over on top of him. I punched him twice and then grabbed my wand; I pointed it at his face and said, "Please give me a reason..."

Mr. Granger bucked and caught me off guard. I flew off of him as he rolled over and stood up. I quickly righted myself, wand still drawn. He looked at it, laughing and then knocked it out of my hands. I saw the swing coming and luckily threw my arm out to block the punch. Unfortunately, I didn't see his other fist coming and he connected painfully with my right cheek. He then charged at me and slammed me into a wall; my vision blurred for a moment and then I finally focused in on his face. His lip was bleeding where I had gotten one of my punches in, and his cheek was cut where the other one landed.

"Nosy fucking kid" he snarled, drawing his fist back to punch me again. I readied myself, hoping to dodge his fist, when suddenly a shot rang out and he froze. His eyes grew wide as he stared at me and then crumbled to the floor. I looked up to see Hermione's Mum holding some kind of hunting rifle. Her eyes widened and she dropped the gun haphazardly onto the floor. I slowly bent down and placed my fingers where I knew his pulse would be; there wasn't one.

I noticed Hermione still lying on the floor and rushed over to her. She looked worse than she did after her encounter with Malfoy. I looked down and noticed that her shirt had been ripped open. 'Oh God' I thought, thinking of what might have happened had I not shown up. Closing her shirt up as best as I could, I called out her name, but she didn't respond. I checked her pulse to find that it wasn't as strong as I thought it should be.

"Hermione" her Mum said, crouching down on the other side of me. She smoothed the hair back off of her daughters face, and I watched as tears streamed down her swollen, bruised face. "We need to get her to Casualty," she said, looking at me.

"I send word to our Headmaster just before I came here; he's the one who helped get your husband arrested two summers ago" I explained "I think we should wait for him."

She stared at me for a moment, as if trying to decide if she should trust me or not. "Harry?" I heard Dumbledore call from the front door.

"In here Professor" I called, glad he had come so quickly. I heard him gasp as he walked into the sitting room.

"What happened?" he asked, striding quickly over to where Mr. Granger lay.

"Don't bother, he's dead," I said casually. I couldn't help feeling a little relieved at the fact. He looked at me questioningly as if asking if it was by my hand. "Mrs. Granger shot him with that rifle" I answered, pointing to where the rifle lay on the floor. Dumbledore just shook his head and walked over to where we were.

"How is she," he asked as his eyes scanned over Hermione's beaten face.

"Her pulse feels kind of weak to me," I offered "but I'm no expert." I looked at him for a moment and then said, "Her shirt has been ripped open Sir."

Dumbledore's eyes grew wide for a moment as he thought about the implications of what I had just said, and then I noticed as anger flared in them. "Even though I don't agree with your decision to leave the Dursley's, where you are protected, it seems that by following your heart, you saved two lives today."

"But I didn't get here soon enough to stop them from getting hurt" I replied, looking sadly at Hermione. "What should we do?" I asked.

"We should take her to St. Mungo's" Dumbledore replied. "As for Mr. Granger, I shall see to him." He looked at Mrs. Granger with a kind expression on his face and asked "why don't you come and get checked out also Mrs. Granger?"

She nodded slowly and stood up. "How will we get there?" I asked.

"By floo" he replied "I had this house temporarily connected to the network before I left Hogwarts."

I walked over, gently picked Hermione up and walked over to the fireplace. I watched as Dumbledore threw the floo powder in and the flames flared to life. He explained to Mrs. Granger what to do and helped her in. Once she had disappeared, he turned to me with a very serious look on his face. "Will you be okay Harry?" he asked.

"As long as Hermione is okay," I stated.

He nodded his head and said, "look after them the best you can and I will be there shortly."

"Alright" I said and walked into the flames. "St. Mungo's" I stated and then spun off towards the hospital. I held onto her and thought about everything that had just happened at her house. I swore to myself that I would never let anyone else hurt Hermione ever again.

~*~

I woke up and pried my eyes open; they felt so heavy for some reason. I suddenly remembered my Dad and how he was out of jail; I felt like I couldn't breathe. I could feel the hot tears falling down my face and I jumped as I felt someone wipe them away.

"It's ok 'Mione, you're safe now." I knew that voice, but I didn't want to get my hopes up. I slowly opened my eyes and looked at him; I couldn't believe he was really here with me.

"Harry?" I asked, my voice sounding very raspy.

"Yeah, it's me luv. The doctor said to tell you not to talk unless you absolutely had to; there's been some damage to your vocal chords." I looked at him and then suddenly, I remembered.

"No" I whispered as I started to shake from the memories. My Dad had tried to..."No!" I sobbed, tears streaming from my eyes.

"Shh, Hermione, you're safe now, I promise." He stood up and wrapped his arms around me and I clung to him as if I were drowning. That's how I felt; suddenly all of these painful memories flooded my mind and Ifelt like I couldn't draw a breath.

I continued to hold on to him for dear life as I cried and then I remembered my Mum. "Mum?" I asked, barely getting the word out.

"Um, she's in the bed next to you" he said quietly.

"Is she ok?" I whispered, scared to hear the answer.

"She's going to be fine. She has two broken ribs and lots of bruises, but she will be ok soon." I could tell by his voice that he wasn't telling me something. I looked at him and saw it in his face too.

"What...aren't you...telling...me?" I asked, realizing how hard it was to talk. He turned away from me then; that was something he had never done before, and I really started to worry. "Harry?"

"It's your Dad Ms. Granger" said Dumbledore, coming from the other side of the curtain where Harry said my Mum was, making me jump. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to startle you."

I looked back to Harry and noticed that he still hadn't turned back to face me. "Please...tell me" I asked.

"Harry went to your house because he saw you in a car with your Mum and Dad; he was afraid something bad might happen. When he walked into your house, your Mother was unconscious and your Dad was strangling you as he had you pinned to the floor. Harry knocked him off of you and they got into a scuffle. Your Dad had Harry pinned to the wall and was about to punch him when your Mum shot him." I looked at Dumbledore after he finished speaking, my mind unable to process what he was saying.

"So is my Dad in surgery?" I asked, and when I saw the look on his face I knew. "He's...dead isn't he?" I asked as fresh tears poured down my face. I didn't know if I was crying because I was relieved or because he was dead.

"I'm afraid so" he answered "but if it wasn't for Harry showing up when he did, I fear you and your Mother would be dead right now."

"Fat lotta good I did; they were still hurt, weren't they?" Harry asked, angrily swiping at his face. He was crying because he didn't stop my Mum and I from getting hurt, and he didn't want us to see his tears.

I looked at Dumbledore, using my eyes to convey to him that I wished to talk to Harry alone, and he excused himself. "Harry, please come here" I asked, flinching as my throat burned when I talked. He wiped at his face once more and then turned towards me. I patted the bed next to me, silently asking him to sit down, which he did. When he refused to look at me, I gently placed my hand on his face and turned it until he was facing me. The sadness and guilt I saw in his eyes broke my heart; he was blaming himself for our injuries. "Harry..." I started to say, but when I couldn't think of what to say, I leaned in and gently kissed him on the lips. When I pulled away from him, I was amazed at the dark green color of his eyes.

"Please don't blame yourself, you're my hero" I said, and then added "that sounded cheesy."

"Not to me it didn't" he said. I smiled at him and he smiled back. "Hermione, I'm sorry..."

"Harry, don't" I said, stopping him. "You're not the one who should be apologising; it should be my Dad, and we both know that's not possible now."

I started to feel really sleepy, so I lay back down as my eyes started to droop. "Please don't leave me" I asked him, as I began to drift off; knowing he would be there made me feel safe.

"Never" I heard him whisper, just before I closed my eyes and fell asleep.

~*~

Hermione had ended up staying at St. Mungo's for a week. She had asked me to stay with her, and when I spoke to Dumbledore about it, he had agreed. One of the nurses had brought a cot in for me to sleep on, it wasn't really comfortable, but it was better than being back at the Dursley's.

Mrs. Weasley came to visit almost every day. She swore to Hermione that she had told no one in the family about what happened; Hermione was very adamant about that. Dumbledore had arranged for us to go to the Burrow after she was released. He had taken me aside and explained that for that summer only, he would transfer the protections to the Burrow; he said the blood protection from my Mum no longer mattered thanks to Voldemort's wonderful potion. I would worry about the other summers later.

Besides Hermione's throat, she had a bruised rib and fractured wrist, which they had healed already. They were worried about her vocal cords the most; they didn't seem to be healing they way they should have. Her Mum had gotten better, and on the advice of the Doctors, had checked into a special muggle hospital. The hospital specialized in Psychiatry and from what I overheard, Mrs. Granger was having a lot of problems. She still felt it was her fault Mr. Granger had kidnapped her; she said she had made it too easy for him to find her. Supposedly she had talked about dying and had even attempted suicide; the guilt from knowing what her daughter had gone through for all those years and the fact that she had shot her own husband was too much for her. I made sure Hermione didn't find out about that because it would have upset her too much; she had been through enough already.

The day Hermione's Mum left was one of the worst; she lost it when she was talking to Hermione and became hysterical. She said that everything had been her fault and she should have protected her little girl. She told Hermione that as soon as she was better she would come pick her up and take her home. They had to pry Hermione off of her; she had clung to her Mum like a lost little girl.

Her Mum left and we were alone. She lay on her bed curled up in a ball; she was crying so hard that she was hiccupping. I walked over to her and tried to get her to talk, but she just stayed curled up in a fetal position. Finally, I lay down behind her and wrapped my arm around her waist. It was a little awkward, but I knew how she felt. I never had anyone there to help me or comfort me, and that is what I had wanted the most; just to have someone, hell anyone, show they cared about me. Finally, her sobbing and hiccupping stopped and I heard her soft, rhythmic breathing that told me she was asleep. Unfortunately, I became too comfortable lying next to her and ended up falling asleep with my arm still wrapped around her.

~*~

When I woke up, I had a splitting headache. I remembered my Mum saying goodbye and then I had cried myself to sleep. When I tried to move, I realized that there was an arm wrapped around my stomach and someone was pressed against my back. I turned my head just enough to see behind me, and I saw Harry lying there, fast asleep. He looked so peaceful; usually he was jumpy and uptight. Having a Dark Lord chasing after you will do that to a person, I suppose. I couldn't believe he had lain next to me like that and held me while I slept.

"How are you feeling Ms. Granger?" asked Dumbledore quietly. I hadn't noticed him sitting in the chair next to my bed. I could feel the heat rise in my cheeks; I wondered if Harry would get in trouble. "Don't worry, I understand that Harry was only trying to help you calm down." He got a thoughtful look on his face as he said "he is full of surprises sometimes."

I smiled at the Professor as he said "the Doctor was in here shortly before you awoke; he says you should be able to go to the Burrow tomorrow."

"Oh, that's good" I said unenthusiastically, wishing that I could just go home and be with my Mum.

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have been to your house and have picked up your things from your room. They plan to give you a room of your own; one just like the one you grew up in. Maybe that way you'll feel more at home there." I felt a little better after hearing that; at least I would be surrounded with my things from home and I wouldn't be sharing a room with Ginny.

"Thank you for your help Sir and for letting Harry stay at the Burrow also" I said, grateful for all of his help.

"After seeing what you have been going through and what happened to you, I decided that I may not have been able to help you in time, but there's still hope for Harry." I felt the tears in my eyes and tried to blink rapidly so they wouldn't fall again. "Besides" said Dumbledore "you two need each other more than either of you know."

Confused, I asked "What do you mean?"

"You'll find out in time Ms. Granger" he said, smiling with the familiar twinkle in his eyes. "Do you mind if Mrs. Weasley comes in?"

I looked back at Harry, who was still sleeping and asked "will she be upset by this?"

"She's already seen you two; I had a little talk with her about it and made her realize that it's an innocent gesture of comfort and friendship."

Thank you Sir" I said, relieved. "Please, send her in."

~*Ok, there's the first part of the summer, the next chapter will be the second part and their trip back to school. I made sure I didn't leave it with a cliffhanger this time; I know I seem to do that quite a bit, but I swear it's not on purpose. I stop the chapter where I think it will be the easiest place to start the next one. Thanks for reading, and please review!! :)

12. The Road To Recovery

"Once upon a time there was a little girl

In her early years she had to learn

How to grow up living in a war that she called home

Never know just where to turn for shelter from the storm

Hurt me to see the pain across my mother's face

Every time my father's fist would put her in her place

Hearing all the yelling I would cry up in my room

Hoping it would be over soon."

I walked up the stairs to the second floor of the Burrow, making my way to Hermione's room. She had been released from St. Mungo's yesterday, and had been in her room ever since. She would only allow Mrs. Weasley and I to visit her; everyone else was told to go away.

I had just got done listening to Ron bitch once again about how he was her friend too, and why wouldn't she talk to him? I bit my tongue to stop myself from yelling at him; he had no idea what Hermione had been through, and I wasn't going to be the one to tell him. Mrs. Weasley had walked over and brought me a tray of food to take to her, thankfully giving me an excuse to get away from Ron.

Sad to say, Ginny wasn't much better; she thought that since they were both girls, Hermione could probably do with some 'girl talk' and she would feel better. I wanted to scream at her that she was just being a nosy busybody and to go away; thankfully, I was able to keep my anger in check.

I knocked quietly on Hermione's door a couple of times and said "it's Harry."

"Come in" I heard her quietly reply. Her vocal chords were still not healed completely. Her Dad had wrapped his hands tightly around her neck when he had choked her, and the Doctors said that her vocal chords were bruised. Unfortunately, there was no magical cure for that and they would have to heal normally.

"Bruises fade Father, but the pain remains the same

And I still remember how you kept me so afraid

Strength is my Mother for all the love she gave

Every morning that I wake I look back to yesterday

And I'm OK"

I carefully opened the door so as not to spill any of the pumpkin juice that was precariously balanced on the tray, and made my way over to the chair next to her bed. I looked at her laying there and felt badly for her; she was curled up into a ball, still wearing her nightclothes, with her face tearstained from all the crying she had been doing. I placed the tray on the nightstand and gave her a smile. "Are you feeling any better?" I asked her, already knowing the answer.

"My throat doesn't hurt as bad as it did this morning" she whispered "other than that, nothing else has changed."

Her eyes, that used to be glittering pools of chocolate brown, looked dull to me now. There wasn't a spark of life left in them anymore, and it made me angry that her Dad had done this to her. I moved to sit next to her on the bed and grabbed her hand in mine while running my other hand through her hair. I watched as she closed her eyes and sighed; she looked so exhausted. "Why don't you try to get some sleep?" I asked quietly.

"It's not so easy to forget

All the lines you left along her neck

When I was thrown against cold stairs

And every day I'm afraid to come home

In fear of what I might see there"

"I can't sleep" she answered, her bottom lip quivering. "Every time I close my eyes, I see my Dad coming after me." The tears started to fall down her face again, so I reached out and wiped them away. "I keep reliving that day over and over again Harry; I'm afraid to go to sleep anymore."

"Bruises fade Father, but the pain remains the same

And I still remember how you kept me so, so afraid

Strength is my Mother for all the love she gave

Every morning that I wake I look back to yesterday."

I looked at her for a moment, and then decided to tell her something I had been keeping from everyone else. "You remember at the end of last term, when Cedric was killed and I brought his body back to Hogwarts?" She stared at me for a moment, and then nodded her head yes. "Every time I fall asleep, I find myself back in that graveyard, watching as Wormtail kills him over and over again." I felt her squeeze my hand and it gave me the courage to go on.

"Remember when I told you that Voldemort's wand locked with mine? Well, something else happened after that." I heard a small voice in the back of my head, asking why I was telling her all of this, but deep down I knew why; I wanted her to know that she wasn't the only one that was scared of going to sleep. "When they locked together, it caused his wand to start spitting out images of all of the people he had previously killed. The first one out was Cedric, followed by two people I didn't know, and then my Mum came out." I saw Hermione's eyes widen at this, but she didn't say anything, she just let me continue to speak. "She actually talked to me; she said my Father was coming soon, and then he formed in front of me. Everyone's right, by the way, I look a lot like him. He's the one that told me to run back and grab the Cup so that I could get back to Hogwarts; he said he and the other shadows would distract Voldemort so I could escape. Cedric...asked me to take his body back to his parents." I heard Hermione gasp, and she grabbed onto my hand so tightly that it hurt.

"I'm so sorry Harry, that must have been awful for you" she said, as more tears slid down her cheeks. I cupped her cheek with my hand and used my thumb to brush them away, letting it linger for longer than I should have. "First you go through all of that, and then my Dad attacked you..."

"I often wonder why I carry all this guilt

When it's you that helped me put up all these walls I've built

Shadows stir at night through a crack in the door

The echo of a broken child screaming "please no more"

Daddy, don't you understand the damage you have done

To you it's just a memory, but for me it still lives on."

"Don't" I said, a little more forceful than I had intended "don't you dare blame yourself for his actions or for me getting hurt; I went to your house willingly. When I saw you in the car with him and your Mum, I...I went nutters. I tried to get my Uncle to stop the car, but of course he wouldn't. I jumped on the Knight Bus as soon as I got to the Dursley's; I'm just glad I got to you in time."

A small, sad smile was on her face as she said "I appreciate you coming to my our rescue Harry, but you have to be more careful. Voldemort's back now; you know he's going to be coming after you."

"I know" I said quietly; I knew she was right, but that was something I really didn't want to think about right now. I reached over and grabbed the cup of tea I had brought up for her and handed it to her. "Here, drink this, it might help your throat."

"Bruises fade Father but the pain remains the same

And I still remember how you kept me so afraid

Strength is my Mother for all the love she gave

Every morning that I wake I look back to yesterday

And I'm OK

I'm OK" *

She took the cup and sipped from it, wincing as the warm liquid slid down her throat. "Thank you Harry" she said.

"It's no problem; if I didn't bring it, Mrs. Weasley would have" I replied, smiling at her. I watched her shake her head, as if I had misunderstood her.

"No, not just for the tea, for everything" she said. When I just shook my head, she said "I know I've said it before, but if it weren't for you, my Mum and I would probably be d-dead right now."

Tears started pouring out of her eyes as I reached out and took the cup of tea from her. Setting it back on the tray, I turned back to her and wrapped my arms around her, giving her the hug I knew she needed at that moment. She continued to cry for quite a while until there was a knock on the door.

~*~

I sat there with my head on Harry's shoulder, feeling safe wrapped in his arms, when someone knocked on the door. Thinking that it was Mrs. Weasley, because she had said she would be up to check on me later, I said "Come in."

Needless to say, I was surprised to see Ron and Ginny walk in. I pulled back from Harry and he turned to see who I was looking at. "What are you guys doing?" Ron asked, looking at us suspiciously.

"Harry was giving me a hug Ron; what did it look like we were doing?" I asked snappishly.

"I wouldn't know Hermione, you never talk to anyone but Harry and Mum anymore" he yelled back, his face starting to turn red.

"Ron..." Harry said, the warning clear in his voice.

"No, Harry, maybe we should tell them" I said, looking him straight in the eye "everything."

"Are you sure?" he asked me, his concern evident on his face. "We don't have to tell them anything Hermione" he whispered, so that only I could hear.

"If they want to know so badly, I'll tell them" I said, sitting up straighter. "What exactly do you want to know?" I asked, staring straight at Ron.

"What happened to you that made you end up in St. Mungo's?" he asked.

Harry reached out and grabbed my hand once again, giving me the courage to say what I needed to say. "My Dad".

"What do you mean your Dad?" Ron asked, confused.

I took a deep breath and said "he beat my Mum and I". You could have heard a pin drop in the room at that moment. Ron and Ginny stood staring at me; I knew they would have a problem grasping what I had said.

They had grown up in a loving family, so much unlike Harry and I. "He had been in jail for the last two years; Harry had told your Mum what had been going on with my family, and she had asked Dumbledore to come check on me. He arrived just as my Dad was beating me, and had contacted the police."

"You knew?" Ron asked, looking angrily at Harry.

"Yes, I knew" Harry replied calmly.

"Why didn't you say anything to me?" he asked, looking from Harry to me.

"It wasn't mine to tell" replied Harry, looking at me.

"I didn't feel comfortable telling everyone about it" I replied.

"Then why did you tell Harry?"

"Ron, that's none of your..." I started to say, but Harry interrupted me.

"Because I understood what she was going through."

Ron and Ginny both stared at him, open mouthed. Ginny, the first to recover, asked "you mean you..."

Harry just shook his head yes and said "the Dursley's weren't exactly happy to have me around."

"That still doesn't explain why you didn't say anything to me" Ron said, sounding very put out.

"It's hard to talk about Ron" I said, and as he opened his mouth to say something else, I cut him off. "You come from a loving, caring family Ron; there is no way you can possibly understand the hell that Harry and I have been through."

He looked at me for a moment, still visibly angry, as he asked "so what happened?"

"My Dad got out of jail and kidnapped my Mum. He forced her to come pick me up at the station while he waited in the parking lot" I started to explain, and then Harry jumped in.

"When my Uncle drove out of the parking lot, I saw her Dad in the car and knew something wasn't right. As soon as we got in the driveway, I hopped on the Knight Bus and went to her house."

"My Dad had started in on my Mum and I immediately; he blamed me for putting him in jail" I explained "he knocked my Mum unconscious and then came after me."

Harry squeezed my hand, hard, as he said "I used magic to open the front door when I heard her Dad yelling and then her screaming. When I walked into the sitting room..." Harry looked down at the floor for a moment before he looked back at me, sadness evident in his eyes. He took a deep breath and said "her Dad had her pinned to the floor, and he was strangling her."

"What?!" Ron asked in disbelief.

"It gets worse" I said "but I need you two to promise me that you won't mention one word of this conversation to anyone."

"We promise" Ron and Ginny said together.

Satisfied, I continued. "Harry knocked my Dad off of me as I lost consciousness."

"We rolled around on the floor, he punched me and I got in a couple of good hits myself" Harry continued. "I pulled my wand on him and he just knocked it out of my hands. He ended up slamming me against a wall, ready to punch me, when..."

"When my Mum shot him" I finished. Ron was speechless and Ginny's eyes looked like they might pop out of her head.

Ginny was the first to recover; she ran to me and flung her arms around me. She sat there hugging me for quite a while. I knew she was crying because I could feel her tears soaking into my nightshirt. I had tears in my eyes too, but none fell this time.

Ron just stood rooted by the door; I could tell he really didn't know what to say. Finally, he opened his mouth and said "I'm sorry for acting like such a prat; I shouldn't have made you feel like you had to tell us."

"You didn't 'force' me to do anything" I said, as Ginny detached herself from me.

"You were being a pain in the arse though" said Harry, smiling good-naturedly at him.

~*~

Our time at the burrow was a little easier after that. Ron and Ginny eased up on Hermione and let her have her space while she and I spent more time together. I would go into her room in the morning and we would work on our summer course work and talk; we were really comfortable with each other.

One day Mrs. Weasley came into the room and asked to speak to Hermione alone. I walked downstairs and played a game of wizard's chess while I waited. Ginny had invited a girl from her year over for the day; she was a Ravenclaw and her name was Luna Lovegood. I couldn't help noticing how she continually stared at Ron while Ginny was talking to her. I knew Ron could feel her staring because he kept fidgeting in his chair. I couldn't help but laugh at his unease.

Mrs. Weasley came down a short while later and said that Hermione wanted to know if I would go back up to her room. Something about the way Mrs. Weasley was acting made me feel uneasy; I agreed to go up and told Ron I would see him later. I knocked twice on the door and heard her quietly say "come in".

When I walked in, I immediately knew something was terribly wrong. Hermione was sitting up in bed, hugging a pillow and sobbing. I walked quickly over to the side of the bed and wrapped her in my arms, hoping to give her some kind of comfort. I hated to see her so sad and upset all of the time.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I-It's my Mum" she said, her voice choked with her tears. "Dumbledore just sent an owl to Mrs. Weasley, she...she..."

I started to picture all of these horrible things that could have happened to Mrs. Granger in the Psychiatric Hospital she was at, but none of them got close to what Hermione said next.

"She'd been acting really calm these last few days, and the Doctors thought she might be getting better. They found her unconscious in her room this morning; she had slit her w-wrists." Hermione clung to me as she said this, and I lightly rubbed her back, trying to soothe her any way possible. "T-They don't even k-know where she got the knife; they think she snuck it from the k-kitchen." She pulled back from me a little bit while leaving her hands wrapped around me as she said "she's in a coma Harry, and they don't expect her to come out of it." She looked sad and confused as she said "Mrs. Weasley said that she and Mr. Weasley would like to be my legal guardians; I'm supposed to give them an answer tomorrow on whether I want them to be or not. I don't feel like I have a choice; my parents are gone."

"Gods, Hermione, I'm so sorry" I said, hugging her to me once again. She was basically an orphan now, and I knew exactly how she felt. I sat there holding her like that until she calmed down a little and said she was tired and wanted to go to sleep. I leaned over and planted a light kiss on her forehead, telling her goodnight, and then made my way to Ron's room, where I was staying.

I told Ron what had happened, not thinking that Hermione would mind since she told him everything else, and then went to sleep. It didn't take me long to fall asleep; I may not have been doing anything to tire me out physically, but I was mentally and emotionally exhausted. Some time later, I was awakened by someone screaming. I jumped out of bed and ran out of the room when I realized it was Hermione.

I ran into her room and found her thrashing in bed, calling out my name and screaming "no, don't hurt him!" I sat next to her on the bed and started shaking her and calling her name, hoping to wake her. Finally, her eyes fluttered open and fixed on me. Breathing heavily, she said "Harry?"

"Yes luv, it's me. Are you ok?" I asked, noticing her face was flushed and covered by a sheen of sweat as she forcefully wrapped her arms around my neck, as if hanging on for dear life.

Mrs. Weasley came into the room just as she said "I had a dream that you were fighting Voldemort and he k-killed you." She buried her face in the crook of my neck and started to quietly cry. "Why does this keep happening to me?" she wailed, crying harder. I looked at Mrs. Weasley, who had a pained expression on her face that probably mirrored mine. She walked over and sat on the other side of Hermione on the bed, placing her hand on her back.

"It's ok dear, it was only a bad dream" she said in a calm, motherly voice.

Hermione looked at her and said "my whole life has been a bad dream Mrs. Weasley."

Mrs. Weasley and I stayed with her until she had calmed down again. Mrs. Weasley started to make her way out of the room and I had just gotten up when Hermione grabbed my arm and said "please stay."

I looked towards Mrs. Weasley and saw a disapproving look on her face. "I'll be back in a second" I told Hermione, and then walked out into the hall.

"I don't think this is a good idea Harry" she said, her tone full of motherly reproach.

"Why is that Mrs. Weasley?" I asked. "Could it be that you actually think I would take advantage of Hermione in her delicate emotional state?"

"Of course not!" she replied, as if insulted that I would suggest such a thing. "It's just not appropriate Harry."

"How do you figure?" I asked. "She is scared to death right now; she's lost her Mother, her Father, and she just had a nightmare in which she lost her best friend. She wants me to stay with her because she's frightened, and I'm the one she's most comfortable with right now. After some of the nightmares I've had, I understand exactly how she's feeling at this moment."

Mrs. Weasley stood there in the hallway, sizing me up for a couple of minutes, before she said "I guess it would be ok. I'm sorry I doubted your character Harry; I know you're a good boy."

I gave her a small smile and turned back to the room. I walked in and quietly closed the door behind me, and then made my way to the bed. "Are you doing any better?" I asked her.

"Yeah; I'm just exhausted." I looked at the black circles under her eyes and thought of something that could help her.

"I'll be back in just a second" I told her and made my way quickly back into the hall. I saw the kitchen light on and hoped it was Mrs. Weasley.

When I walked into the kitchen, I almost sighed in relief when I saw her sitting at the table with a cup of tea. "Mrs. Weasley, do you have any dreamless sleep potion?"

"Of course; why didn't I think of that?" she said as she got up and made her way to one of the cabinets. She pulled out a small vial of light blue liquid and handed it to me. "Make sure she drinks it all."

"Thank you" I said as I took it from her and made my way back up the stairs. I went back into Hermione's room and handed her the vial. When she looked at me questioningly, I said "it's dreamless sleep potion; drink up."

She looked at me for a second and then drained the vial quickly. I took it from her and put it on the bedside table, and then crawled carefully into bed behind her; I decided it would be best if I lay on top of the blanket instead of under it. She rolled over so that she was facing me and snuggled her face into my chest. I wrapped my arm around her waist and wrapped my other arm under my pillow. Feeling more comfortable and relaxed than I had in a while, I watched as her eyes slowly closed as the potion took affect. I watched her sleep for a little while, noticing how peaceful she looked while she slept, and then drifted slowly off to sleep myself.

~*~

I had decided to agree to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley being my guardians simply because I had no where else to go and no one else to watch over me. Dumbledore had concocted some story about my Dad and they would be burying him any day now; I think the Police were convinced that some robber had shot him in a botched robbery attempt. Whatever the reason, I was glad my Mum was not being blamed for his death.

Unfortunately, since Harry had used magic to get into my house that day, the Ministry of Magic had scheduled a disciplinary hearing. Dumbledore had held them off for quite a while, but they finally insisted that he show up at the Ministry and explain his actions. I felt bad and asked if there was anything I could do; Dumbledore said I could go along if I felt strong enough, just in case I was needed as a witness. Of course, I agreed to go; after Harry had helped me so much, it was the least I could do for him.

When we arrived at the Ministry, we found out that the hearing had been changed to one hour earlier than the time we were given. We rushed down to the courtroom where the hearing was to be held, and found about fifty people waiting for us. I started to get a bad feeling as I saw Fudge glaring at us from his seat above us. We sat in three chairs that were in the middle of the room as Fudge looked at Dumbledore and said "you were supposed to be here an hour ago."

"That's not what I was told when the hearing was scheduled" Dumbledore replied calmly.

Fudge just glared at him and said "let's get this over with."

*="I'm Ok" by Christina Aguilera (Stripped album)

~A/N>Thanks for all of the great reviews and support for this story. I'm going to try to update again Monday or Tuesday. I'm sorry for the spacing of the song lyrics, when I converted the file to HTML form, it crammed all the sentences together, so I had to double space them to get them to convert the right way.

13. Confusion

~A/N> I know this chapter is a lot shorter than all of my others, but this is what I have done right now and I figured I could post it and give y'all something to read since I haven't updated this story in a week. I had to work today and again tomorrow (my old boss asked me to help her out for a couple of days) but I will be working on the second part of this chapter tomorrow when I get home from work. Hopefully it'll go well and I can post again tomorrow night, if not, I have all day Friday to work on it. Please don't be angry that I left it with a cliffie, I'm hoping it'll get you to come back and read the next chapter. Thanks for all of the great reviews!!!!! :)

I walked out into the hall with Harry once his trial was over; he had been cleared of all charges. It had been rough on me though, all of the judges had wanted me to tell them every little detail about what had happened the day my Dad was killed. It was hell reliving that day, but thankfully Harry had sat next to me the entire time, holding my hand. I looked over towards Harry and saw that he had a troubled expression on his face.

"What's wrong Harry?" I asked.

"I...It's just...Did you notice that Dumbledore wouldn't look at me?" he asked, seemingly confused.

"No, I didn't notice. Why does that bother you so much?" I asked.

"I don't know" he answered. "I'm sure it's nothing" he said, sounding like he was trying to convince me as well as himself.

Mr. Weasley walked up to us and said that we should go with him. We followed him out of the Ministry, assuming that we'd be going back to the Burrow, but the plans had been changed. We were told that we were going to be staying somewhere else, along with the Weasley's. When Harry had asked where, Mr. Weasley had whispered "you'll see."

We had to take the Underground train to wherever it was we were going, and finally we stood in front of a vacant lot with two houses next to it. Mr. Weasley handed us a piece of paper that had "Order of the Phoenix Headquarters, 12 Grimmauld Place" on it and told us to memorize what we read. Once we assured him we had read it, he lit the paper on fire and said "now think about what you just read."

I watched as Harry closed his eyes and I did the same, and when I opened them, there stood a dilapidated old house where there was once an empty lot. Mr. Weasley led the way up to the door and tapped on it with his wand a certain number of times, and it opened up into an empty run-down foyer. I followed him and Harry into the house and looked around; it looked so dark and dreary inside that I wondered who would be able to stand living in this house.

Mrs. Weasley came out from the kitchen and gave Harry and I a big hug, congratulating us on the outcome of the trial.

"Um, not to be rude, but why are we here?" Harry asked, looking around the sitting room hesitantly.

"Because of some of the Death Eaters movements; Dumbledore felt you would be safer if we all came to stay here" explained Mr. Weasley.

"I miss the Burrow already" I said, noticing a row of house elf heads that were mounted on one of the walls. "Ugh, that's horrible!"

Harry followed my gaze and saw them too. "What...Why are those up there?" he asked.

"Long story" said Mr. Weasley, motioning us towards the stairs. "Why don't you go on upstairs and find your rooms? Ron and Ginny are already up there along with all of your things."

We both nodded at him and made our way up to the second floor, listening to see if we could hear any noises that would indicate where Ron and Ginny were. We heard Ron and Harry said "I'll see you in a little bit" and went into the room. I continued down the hall and called out "Ginny?"

"In here" she called, and I went to the door and walked in. I had been hoping the rooms would be a little better than downstairs, but these were just as depressing, if not more. Shrugging it off, I went in and laid down for a little while, feeling very tired all of a sudden.

~*~

When Mrs. Weasley called us down to dinner that night, I was shocked to walk into the kitchen and see Sirius sitting at the table. After our hello's and pats on the back, we sat down and ate a meal together for the first time. I was happy to see him again; he was my Godfather and I had never really gotten the chance to get to know him better.

We had started to discuss the Order of the Phoenix, Death Eaters and what Voldemort could be planning to do next, when suddenly Mrs. Weasley started yelling at Sirius for talking to me about it. She was talking about me like I wasn't even there, and then she made it sound as if I was not mature enough to have "that sort of discussion". After about fifteen minutes of their bickering, I lost my temper.

"You know, I am in the room, and I can speak for myself" I yelled, causing the two of them, along with everyone else at the table, to stop what they had been doing. "First Dumbledore won't look at me at all today, and now you two are arguing about something that is entirely MY decision."

"I don't think so Dear" said Mrs. Weasley "Sirius should not be telling you these things; it's none of your concern."

"Oh, I see. So, I'm the one Voldemort is out to kill, but it's none of my concern?" I knew I was being disrespectful, but at that moment, I really didn't care. "It seems to me that I have every right to know everything he and his Death Eaters do, because it does concern me. Stop treating me like a child!"

Mrs. Weasley stared at me with a very angry look on her face and said "then stop acting like one!"

I snapped; I stood up from my chair so fast that I knocked it over and stormed out of the kitchen before I said something I would regret. I made my way up to my room and before I could slam the door, Ron was there, literally in my face.

"Who do you think you are, yelling at my Mum like that?" he asked, his face red with anger. "All she's ever done is help you and you treat her like that?"

"Bugger off Ron" I snarled, stepping up to him. "She's not my Mum and she has no right deciding what I can and can not know. Sirius is my Godfather, so he should be the one doing that, not her."

"You really are full of yourself, you know that?" Ron yelled, spitting in my face as he talked. I shoved him away from me, and just as he started to advance on me, Hermione burst into the room. She ran between us to stop us from fighting, and when she saw Ron with his fist drawn back to punch me, she froze. What happened next happened in a blur.

Ron's fist had already been coming at me, and as Hermione stood in front of me, she shielded her head with her arms and screamed "please don't hurt me!"

Ron and I froze where we were as we watched Hermione's body crumple onto the floor, her arms still protectively over her head, and heard her sobbing. Her whole body was shaking as she cried and Ron whispered "what have I done?"

I hurriedly crouched down next to her and put my arms around her, but she screamed and pushed me away. I looked at Ron, scared by her reaction, and said "Hermione, you're ok. It's just Ron and me."

She lay huddled there for a few more minutes until her sobbing quieted down and then she slowly lifted her head. She looked at me first and then Ron; her eyes still held a look of fear that made me worry about her. She got up from the floor and started to back away from us towards the door, watching us wearily. When she opened the door, I took a step towards her and said "Hermione..."

She just shook her head and walked out the door, quietly closing it behind her. Ron looked at me and I looked at him; I knew he felt just as bad about what had happened as I did. "I'm sorry mate" he said.

"Me too" I said "but I don't think that will help Hermione any."

There were only four days left until we were to return to Hogwarts, and the atmosphere in the house was glum. I kept having nightmares about Voldemort, and most of them involved him killing Hermione; I would wake up drenched in sweat and unable to go back to sleep. Three of those nights I woke up from the nightmares to hear Hermione yelling or crying out, and when I went to check on her, she wouldn't let Ginny open the door. The morning we were to board the Hogwarts Express, Hermione and I both had black circles under our eyes. She still wasn't talking to me very much, just reading as much as she could and keeping to herself. Ron apologized to her every chance he got, but she would just say that is was no big deal and shrug it off.

Mrs. Weasley said that we would be walking to the station and that we needed to hurry up or we would be late. Mad-Eye Moody was going to bring our trunks so that we didn't have to drag them the entire way, and when we got downstairs, Sirius was in a heated discussion with Mrs. Weasley. He wanted to walk with me to the station, but Mrs. Weasley was fighting him on it. Finally, he changed into his animagus form, a big, shaggy, black dog, and bounded out the door after Ron. Mrs. Weasley, who was fuming, hustled everyone else out the door and we started our trek to the station.

~*~

I walked along with everyone else as we made our way to the station, and I made sure I kept to myself. I was still embarrassed about the way I reacted in the boy's room that day, and I was having the most horrific nightmares that I couldn't sleep more than four hours a night. I kept reliving the day my Dad attacked Mum and I, and I was afraid to close my eyes anymore. I was exhausted, and I felt really alone.

We made it to the station and made our way onto Platform 9 3/4; shortly after, Mad-Eye brought our luggage to us piled on a trolley. I went to get on the train and froze when I saw Malfoy; he looked back at me and winked, making me feel sick to my stomach. I jumped as I felt someone's hand on my back, but then I heard Harry whisper in my ear "he won't ever hurt you again, I promise."

I nodded my head, his promise somehow reassuring, and made my way onto the train. I looked at Ron and said "let's go". He nodded his head and I saw the confused look on Harry's face, and then I watched as he remembered that Ron and I were Prefects, and a strange look replaced the confused one.

"We'll try to join you in the compartment soon" said Ron, sensing Harry's unease "hopefully they won't make us stay with all of the other Prefect's the entire way."

We made our way to the compartment and were waiting for the Head Boy and Girl to come in when I heard a voice directly behind me say "are you following me Granger?"

My whole body was screaming for me to run, but I was frozen. I looked to where Ron was standing, but he was talking to one of the Prefects from Ravenclaw. Malfoy ran his finger down my arm and said "you and I should 'play' together more often, don't you agree? I know I enjoyed myself last time."

My whole body started trembling, and I closed my eyes so that I didn't have to look at him; I hated myself at that moment for being so weak.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Malfoy?" came Ron's angry voice, and I felt relief rush through my body instantly. I opened my eyes as Ron walked up to me and asked "are you ok?"

"I-I'm fine" I said, barely getting the words out.

"Go away Malfoy before I knock the shit out of you" he growled, getting in Malfoy's face. Malfoy just laughed and walked away, joining Pansy Parkinson across the compartment.

"How did he become a Prefect?" asked Ron in utter disbelief. "What was Dumbledore thinking?"

"I don't know Ron" I whispered, trying to pull myself together. I had a feeling this was going to be a long train ride.

~*~

After sitting with Neville, Ginny and Luna Lovegood the entire way to Hogwarts, I came to the conclusion that it had been the longest train ride yet. Ron and Hermione had popped in a few times, but they had to patrol most of the time. Ron had told me what Malfoy had done in the Prefect's compartment, and I wanted to hurt him, really badly. What was Dumbledore thinking, making him a Prefect?

We pulled into the station and disembarked, making our way to the carriages. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw what was pulling the carriages; I used to think there was a spell on them that made them take us to the castle. But now, I saw that there were these...creatures that pulled them.

The Welcoming Feast was the beginning of the most horrible school term yet. We were introduced to Dolores Umbridge, a woman that had been sent by the Ministry to watch over all of the classes taught at Hogwarts, and to gauge whether Dumbledore was a fit Headmaster or not. She sat in on a different class every day, causing the teacher's to almost have panic attacks, and she always seemed to disagree with some part of their teaching technique. She had taken over Defense Against the Dark Arts, and wasn't teaching us how to defend ourselves physically; she had us reading from a book; a book that had been approved by the Ministry. She said that we didn't need to know how to defend ourselves because Dumbledore and I were lying when we said that Voldemort was back.

When I spoke up against her one day, she gave me detention, and I went thinking it was no big deal. I soon learned how wrong I was when she gave me a quill and told me to start writing 'I must not tell lies' over and over again. The quill used my own blood instead of ink, and every word I wrote was cut into the back of my hand. By the time my detention was over, my hand was killing me.

A few days later, I was surprised when Cho Chang came up and started talking to me; it was really awkward, but I didn't care at the time. I couldn't believe she was actually talking to me; it was a little uncomfortable because she kept mentioning Cedric, but it was a reason to spend time with her.

About the same time, Hermione finally seemed to be acting more like her old self, even though I could tell she still wasn't sleeping. I went down to the common room one night after a particularly nasty dream and found her sitting on the couch in front of the fire, wrapped in a blanket and staring into the flames. I walked over to the couch and sat down next to her and watched as she turned to look at me. Her eyes held such a haunted, vacant expression in them that they didn't seem to belong to a living human being.

"Are you ok?" I asked her, becoming more worried about her.

"Yeah" she whispered. "How come you're up so late?"

"I, um, couldn't go back to sleep" I explained, telling only half of the truth. "How about you?"

"I couldn't sleep either" she said. She went back to staring into the flames and I tried to get her to tell me what was going on.

"How come you can't sleep?" I asked, hoping I wouldn't make her mad.

"I..." I watched her face and she looked like it was a struggle for her to speak. I could see that her eyes were watery, and she seemed to be at war with herself. "Never mind" she said finally, as a tear escaped her eye.

"You can tell me Hermione" I said, wishing she would just say what was wrong.

"Right, I can tell you" she said, and I could hear the resentment in her voice. "That way you can say a few nice words, tell me what you think I should do, and then go on like nothing ever happened."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, a little louder than I should have.

She sat looking at me for a little while before she said anything. "Never mind Harry, you don't need to worry about me, I can take care of myself. I don't want to take up what little free time you have."

I was completely lost now. Had I done something to make her angry with me? I sat thinking over what it could possibly be, but I couldn't think of anything. "Hermione..."

I watched as she got up off of the couch and started to make her way to the stairs. I quickly jumped up and made my way over to her, feeling like I would lose her if I didn't stop her. I grabbed her arm as she was just about to go up the first step and she turned to me, fire now flashing in her eyes as she said "don't touch me."

I immediately let go and took a step back from her, completely confused and hurt by her behavior. She turned back towards the stairs and went back up to her room while I stood there feeling as if I had just lost the most important thing in my life.

14. Reckless Behavior

~A/N> Sorry it took so long to post this, but it gave me a little bit of trouble. Hopefully I did book 5 justice, it's really hard to summarize such a large book into one or two chapters. It's almost one-thirty in the morning, so I apologize ahead of time for any mistakes that I might have made towards the end. Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews on the last chapter, they were great!!! Thanks to Spaz141 for her help on this chapter!!!!

After that night, I tried to stay away from Harry as much as possible. It wasn't hard to do because he was either practicing Quidditch or spending time with Cho Chang. Just seeing them together...I just don't understand what he sees in her.

I was sitting with Ron in the Common Room one night, doing my homework and listening to him gripe about Defense class, when Harry came in and sat with us. A little part of me was happy to see him, but I squashed that part quickly. I reminded myself that I didn't need him and that I was fine on my own. Ron continued to complain about Dolores Umbridge and Harry seemed to agree with him on how awful her class had been lately. They were both moaning that they weren't learning anything in that class anymore and I had finally gotten fed up with their griping. "If you don't like it, why don't you do something about it?" I asked, irritated.

"What do you mean?" asked Ron.

"Well since Harry is so good at Defense, why don't you start a club? You could let the students who want to learn how to defend themselves join and then teach them what you know." Harry just sat there staring at me for so long that I gave up.

"Never mind; obviously you don't think it's a good idea, so just forget I mentioned it" I snapped, and then returned to my homework.

Silence stretched out for a couple of minutes before Harry said "I think it's a good idea Hermione, I'm just not sure I should be the one to run it."

"You are the most qualified Harry" I said, looking at him again, and after seeing the haunted look on his face, wished I hadn't.

"How would we go about getting everyone together?" Ron asked, pulling me away from Harry's stare.

"I'll organize everything and get back to you guys, alright?" I asked, gathering my books together. I needed to be alone for a little while anyway, and this gave me a good excuse to leave.

"Alright" said Harry, giving me a small smile. I knew he had no idea why I was distancing myself from him, but I wasn't about to explain it to him; it would be too embarrassing.

~*~

Hermione had arranged for anyone interested in the "Defense Club" to meet at the Hogs Head on our Hogsmead weekend. Twenty-four people showed up, including Cho. I noticed an odd sort of look on Hermione's face when she spotted Cho, but before I could ask her what was the matter, she started the meeting. It went okay, except that they expected me to explain what happened to Cedric at the Tri-Wizard Tournament, which I refused to do. Hermione said that she would find a place for us to meet at Hogwarts at least once a week, and the meeting was over.

After being ignored by Hermione for about a week, and then trying to talk to Professor Dumbledore, only to have him once again not look me in the eye, put me in a very stroppy mood.

Our Quidditch game against Slytherin was a real low point. Fred, George and I ended up getting into a fight with Draco Malfoy and we were permanently banned from playing Quidditch. I don't think I had ever felt so angry before in my life. I stomped my way up to Gryffindor Tower, barely controlling the rage that was building inside of me.

I slammed through the portrait hole and slumped down onto the couch, glaring into the flames as if everything was their fault. I heard the portrait hole open again, but I didn't even bother to look up to see who it was; somehow I just knew it was her.

"What do you think you're doing Harry?" asked Hermione, and I knew she was standing there with her hands on her hips, glaring at me, and it seemed to make me even more angry.

"I thought you weren't talking to me?" I asked, my voice dangerously low. I glared at her, daring her to continue nagging me.

"Oh for the love of...what's gotten into you? Do you even realize what you've just done?" she asked, and I jumped off of the couch and advanced on her quickly.

"What do you mean 'what I've just done'? You might have missed the fact that MALFOY had started everything!" I yelled, and watched as she backed away from me, looking...afraid. Damn her Father for hurting her the way he did.

"If you would have just walked away from him and let it go, everything would have been fine" she admonished, hiding her fear and sounding more angry now.

"You may walk away from what's important to you Hermione, but I don't. I'm not going to sit there and let that sad excuse for a wizard talk badly about my friends, no matter what." I noticed that I had struck a nerve with her, and said "what's the matter, 'Mione? A little too close to the truth is it? You are the one that's been pushing me away lately, not the other way around."

"Really?" she said, advancing on me now, standing toe to toe with me. "At least I don't let my hormones overrun my body and then abandon my friends."

'What the hell?' I thought, wondering what that was supposed to mean. "What are you talking about?!" I yelled losing the little patience I had left. "You're the one pushing me away!"

"You're the one spending all of your bloody time with Cho Chang!" she yelled, and then I watched her eyes grow wide with the realization of what she had just said.

"What?" I asked. "Is that why you've been acting the way you have? Hermione, she just wants to know about Cedric, you know, how he died."

I watched as her anger seemed to turn to sadness in a heartbeat, and I became even more confused. "Don't worry about it Harry" she said quietly "I knew you couldn't be around all the time, no matter how much you promised. I'm sorry I yelled, and that I upset you more."

She went to go upstairs, but I gently laid my hand on her shoulder, feeling my own anger start to ebb away slowly. She looked so sad..."Hermione, will you please just tell me what's wrong?"

"Nothing Harry, I'll be fine." She took a deep breath and said, "I'm used to being alone, its no big deal. Good luck with Cho."

"Good luck with Cho, 'Mione, what do you mean?" I asked her, completely lost.

And she walked up the stairs, away from me once more, without any explanation.

~*~

I couldn't believe I had almost let my feelings for Harry slip out that day; I could have lost him as a friend, and I don't think I would be able to deal with that.

I was on my way to our DA meeting, we had decided to call ourselves 'Dumbledore's Army', and chastising myself for almost screwing up the best friendship I have ever had. I walked into the Room of Requirement, our new meeting spot, and stopped dead in my tracks. There on the far end of the room stood Harry with Cho, the two were obviously flirting with each other. I just shook my head and made my way over to the front of the room.

I ended up paired with Ron that night, while Harry walked around helping everyone; he seemed to spend more time with Cho. I felt like crying, but somehow managed to keep myself together. When Harry walked up with Cho tagging behind him, it took all of my will power not to roll my eyes.

"Hey Hermione" he said, having the nerve to smile at me.

"Yeah" I muttered, and walked away. Realizing that the meeting was over, I made my way back to the common room to finish up my homework. Ron walked with me and decided that he was going to work on his homework too. After working for about twenty minutes, Harry walked in with a strange look on his face. Ron looked up at him and gave him an odd look.

"What's the matter mate?" he asked. I stopped writing so that I could hear his answer.

"Well, um, Cho...kissed me" he said. I closed my eyes so that I wouldn't have to see the look of happiness on his face.

"Really? How was it?" Ron asked, and I felt like reaching across the table and hitting him.

"It was, um...uncomfortable" said Harry. I jerked my head up and saw him look towards me, and then he quickly looked back at Ron. "I don't know why she did it really. She's been pestering me about Cedric for a while now; how he died, did he mention her the night he died, and then tonight, she comes up to me crying after the meeting. Says that she wonders if Cedric would have been able to do everything we had been doing and asked if I thought he would have joined the DA; then she just...kissed me."

"And..." Ron prompted...the stupid git.

"And I guess she didn't appreciate my reaction because she ran out of the room crying." Harry looked from Ron to me, as if asking my opinion. My head was swimming with everything he had just said; could it be possible he didn't like Cho as more than a friend?

Not really knowing what to say to Harry at that point, I excused myself and quickly headed up to my room. I went to bed that night with my heart a little lighter, knowing that Harry and Cho were not a couple.

~*~

The school year seemed to keep getting worse; I was still having nightmares, Cho kept giving me dirty looks every time I tried to apologize, and Hermione just kept to herself most of the time. Thankfully, I had spending Christmas at Grimmauld Place with Sirius to look forward to.

I made my way upstairs with the four Weasleys and Hermione to Dumbledore's office; we were going to take a Portkey from there to Grimmauld Place. We all grabbed hold of the old hat that Dumbledore had made into the Portkey, and next thing I knew, we were in the sitting room at Grimmauld.

"Harry!" said Sirius, walking over to us. "It's good to see you again!"

"Hey Sirius!" I said, glad to see a friendly face. "Been keeping busy?"

"Trying to" he said, smiling a truly happy smile.

I took my things upstairs and noticed that the place looked a little better than it did last time, but not much. Mrs. Weasley already had dinner ready, so we ate and turned in early. I fell to sleep immediately, but only a few hours later, woke up gasping for air and covered in sweat. I had had another damn nightmare, and I couldn't shake this one, it seemed too real. I jumped out of bed and ran to the girls' room, just to reassure myself that Hermione was okay. I quietly opened the door so as not to scare them, only to find Hermione's bed empty.

"No" I breathed, running back out of the room and heading down the stairs. I ran into the sitting room and saw that a fire was lit, and there sitting on the couch was...

"Hermione?" I asked, almost running over to the couch and kneeling in front of her. She sat looking at me with a scared and confused look on her face.

"Harry, what's wrong?" she asked, obviously worried by my behaviour. Before I could even think about what I was doing, I wrapped my arms around her tightly, and just held her, to prove to myself that she was really there. After about five minutes, she slowly pulled back from me and rested her hands on my cheeks while staring into my eyes. "What's the matter?" she asked.

Feeling a little embarrassed about the way I had acted, I looked away from her gaze and said, "Nothing, I'm just overreacting."

I heard her sigh and looked at her once again, to see a look of hurt pass quickly over her face. "What's happening to our friendship Harry?"

"What do you mean?" I asked, not sure what she meant.

"We used to be so close, and now we can't seem to even talk to each other any more" she replied.

I looked at her for a moment before saying "I'm not the one who's been pulling away Hermione." I saw and felt her body tense and continued "look, it was just another nightmare; Voldemort had taken you from the school, and when I found you, i-it was too late. I just needed reassurance that you were okay; I don't want to argue with you anymore."

I looked at her and saw the tears in her eyes; I suddenly realized that it had been a really long time since I had seen a genuine smile on her face or heard her laugh. "What are you doing up?" I asked.

"I couldn't sleep," she said, and I noticed that the black circles under her eyes seemed darker than usual. How come I hadn't noticed that before? "I-I keep having nightmares too."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, not wanting to go back upstairs just yet; I didn't want to leave her like this.

"Not really; it's the same thing over and over again. I always relive that day, but instead of my Dad being killed, it's my Mum or it's you. I can't stand to see it anymore."

A tear escaped out of the corner of her eye and I reached out and wiped it away without thinking. When I touched her face, it was almost as if an electric current ran down my arm and I let my thumb linger on her cheek. Before I realized what I was doing, I leaned in closer to her and kissed her. I pulled back slowly and opened my eyes, and she slowly opened hers and stared at me.

~*~

I sat there looking at him, completely dazed and surprised by his kiss. Before I knew what I was doing, I leaned towards him and placed my lips on his again, loving how they felt rough and soft at the same time. He reached out and gently put his hand on the back of my neck and pulled me closer to him. We stayed that way for a little while, just the gentle pressure of lips on lips, and then I felt his tongue gently touch my bottom lip. My first reaction was to pull away, never having felt that before, but then I slowly parted my lips just a little bit. He seemed as nervous as I was as he tentatively slipped his tongue into my mouth, gently touching it to mine. Not really knowing what to do next, I started to roll my tongue in a circle around his in a clumsy way, not knowing if what I was doing was right, but at that point I really didn't care. I was dizzy and light headed, and happier than I had been in a long time.

We slowly pulled back from each other; breathing a little heavier than normal, and I unconsciously brought my hand up to my mouth. I looked at Harry and watched as his face went from relaxed to a look of confusion, and then...regret. "Hermione..." he said, and before he could even start to apologize for what had just happened or try to rationalize it, I interrupted him.

"I really should get to bed," I said, standing up from the couch and pretending to yawn. "Mrs. Weasley said that Dumbledore is trying to arrange for us to go Christmas shopping tomorrow. Good night Harry."

I mustered the best fake smile I could, and without looking back, walked up the stairs to my room. I fell in bed that night and knew it would be a long time before I fell to sleep.

~*~

After that night, Hermione and I just kind of...existed around each other. We made small talk, we exchanged presents with one another, and we never brought up the kiss again.

After spending the Christmas break with Sirius, I hated to think of him at Grimmauld Place all by himself again; he had seemed really down when we had left to return to Hogwarts.

When classes started up once again, Dolores Umbridge had somehow found out about the DA, and when she confronted me about it in front of Fudge, I had tried to deny everything. Unfortunately, the list of all of the members names had been found in the Room of Requirement, and just as I was about to admit to everything, Dumbledore had interrupted me and said it had been all his doing. He said he had formed Dumbledore's Army in the hopes of building an army that would go against the beliefs of the Ministry. When Fudge tried to have him arrested, Dumbledore had done something to render him, Umbridge and two Aurors unconscious; one of the Aurors was Shaklebolt, a member of the Order of the Phoenix.

Dumbledore took hold of Fawkes' tail feathers and they disappeared right before everyone became conscious again. I had gotten off the hook, but now Umbridge was Headmaster of Hogwarts.

Hermione really buckled down on Ron and I, pushing us to study for our O.W.L.'s, and really leaving us no free time at all. Ron had one night off a week, and that was only to practice Quidditch. Finally the day of our first exams came, and everyone seemed to be a nervous wreck. After getting through the first written and practical exam, the rest of the week seemed to go by quickly. Defense Against the Dark Arts had been the easiest tests for me; in the practical exam I was asked to produce a patronus and did it successfully, earning an extra point on the test.

Hermione, on the other hand, seemed to get crankier as the week passed by. She snapped at anyone that dared to talk to her when she tried to study, and always had a book open in front of her at every meal. I was surprised she didn't have some sort of breakdown with the way she was pushing herself so hard.

On the night of the Astronomy exam, we were witness to something horrible; Umbridge had decided to sack Hagrid, and to do it at night, hoping to have surprise on her side. It didn't work and Hagrid fought back, knocking a few Aurors unconscious in the process. Professor McGonagall had gone out to try to stop her, and in the process was severely stunned; she ended up in St. Mungo's that night, her condition unknown.

Two days later, while I was taking the History of Magic exam, I...saw something. It was a strange room with many doors, and as I watched, Voldemort appeared and was speaking to someone. When that someone came into view, I was shocked to see that it was Sirius. Voldemort was telling him to take something from a shelf and give it to him; he said that Sirius had to take it because he couldn't touch it. I saw him perform the Cruciatus curse on Sirius when he refused and watched as he writhed in pain, unable to do anything to stop it. I ended up waking up on the floor of the Great Hall where we were taking the test, shaking from what I had just seen, and had been escorted out of the hall by the Examiner and told to go back to my room to lie down. Instead, I waited outside for Ron and Hermione to finish their tests. When they came out, I told them what I had seen and that I needed to get in touch with Sirius.

After arguing about it for a bit, I came up with a plan to get into Umbridge's office so that I could contact Sirius by floo. Unfortunately, the plan didn't work and me, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Luna and Neville were caught in the act. Umbridge tried to force us to tell her what we were doing and tried to get me to tell her who I had contacted, but no one told her a thing. Just as she was about to use the Cruciatus on me to get me to talk, Hermione yelled out that she would tell her. What happened next was a strange string of events.

Hermione 'confessed' that we had been developing a weapon for Dumbledore, and that we had been trying to contact him to let him know it was completed. When Umbridge wanted to see it, Hermione said that she would only show it to her and no one else. I was forced to go along, and Hermione took us into the Forbidden Forest. She led Umbridge right to the Centaurs, who ended up carrying her off to the deep part of the Forest. Ron and the others found us, and we ended up going to the Ministry on the Thestrals; we were there in a matter of minutes.

Once inside, we found the room I had seen in my 'vision' and I spotted the glowing white sphere. Ron noticed that my name was underneath it, along with Voldemort's, and when I picked it up, the voice of Lucius Malfoy rang out behind me. He informed us that it had all been a trap set up by his 'Master' to lure me there, so that I could take the sphere from the shelf and give it to them. One hell of a fight broke out after that. It was us against twelve Death Eaters, and we weren't going to go down quietly.

We were chased throughout the Department of Mysteries, and it seemed as if we were being picked off one by one. I had watched in absolute horror as Hermione had been hit by a purple jet of light and knocked unconscious. Neville had picked her up and carried her behind me as I made my way to a strange room that I had never been in before. It had stairs leading down to a floor below, where there was an archway that had black veil across it. We had been chased down to the floor by the Death Eaters that were left standing, and just as they were about to attack us, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Kingsley and Moody showed up and fought them off. During all of the fighting, the sphere, which held a prophecy about me, had been broken.

The battle continued until the only two left that were trading curses were Sirius and his cousin, Bellatrix Lestrange. I watched as Sirius taunted her when her curse missed him, and then the next one she threw at him connected, and pushed him back through the veiled arch.

When I tried to go after him, Dumbledore, who had arrived and restrained the other Death Eaters, stopped me. He said that Sirius was gone and he would not be coming back. I was devastated, and angry. Bellatrix made a run for it, and I ran after her, swearing I'd make her pay for what she'd done. I chased her into the lobby of the Ministry, where I unsuccessfully tried to use the Cruciatus curse on her. She just laughed at me and taunted me, until I told her how angry her 'Master' was going to be when he found out the prophecy had broken. She didn't believe me at first, until she had tried to summon it to her, and it never came. She started asking the Dark Lord to forgive her, and when I said that he couldn't hear her, his voice came from behind me and said "yes I can."

When I turned around, Voldemort was standing behind me, and he was definitely angry. He sent the killing curse my way, which had been blocked by Dumbledore, who had suddenly appeared. He and Voldemort started dueling, and at one point, Voldemort had vanished. I had thought that Dumbledore had won, until my scar seared with pain and I felt as if I were dying. I heard Voldemort's voice coming from my mouth, and I knew what had happened. He had possessed me, taunting Dumbledore with the fact that to kill him, he would have to kill me. I remember thinking that I wanted to die, and that Sirius death was entirely my fault, and the next thing I knew I was on the ground shaking. Voldemort had left my body, grabbed Bellatrix, and disappeared; but not before Fudge and many others at the Ministry saw him. Fudge was beside himself with the knowledge that he had just seen firsthand that Voldemort had in fact returned and that I had not been lying. He had a lot of explaining to do.

Dumbledore created a portkey and sent me back to his office. I sat there dazed, reliving everything that had happened, and admonishing myself for falling for Voldemort's trap. Sirius was gone because of my recklessness; I didn't think I would ever forgive myself for that. When Dumbledore returned to his office after talking with Fudge, he tried to apologize for not telling me about the prophecy. He explained that the reason he wouldn't look directly at me before was because he feared Voldemort's connection with me would allow him to see what Dumbledore was up to; he also tried to convince me that what had happened to Sirius had not been my fault. I had lost my temper completely and started destroying things in his office; I had made a complete mess and it had not made me feel better at all. I felt as if the guilt was going to eat me alive.

Professor Dumbledore had taken out his pensieve and let me hear the prophecy; I just couldn't believe what I heard. Basically it came down to me killing Voldemort or him killing me, but neither of us could live while the other did, or something like that. I had felt so lost and alone; and then Dumbledore told me that I would have to go back to the Dursley's for at least part of the summer.

I had left the office to go check on Hermione and Ron, who were down in the Hospital Ward. Dumbledore had said that they were going to be ok, they were just going to have to stay there for a few days. I walked down the corridor thinking of how I had almost lost my best friends, I had lost my Godfather, and I was spending the summer with the Dursley's, the only people that possibly hated me more than Voldemort did. I started to wonder if my life could possibly get any worse than it already was.

15. The Passing

~A/N>I want to warn you now, this is a very angst filled chapter. I would have made it longer, but I was crying as I wrote it and couldn't go on. I hope it doesn't upset anyone too much; I know it may hit a little close to home for some of you. Please review, and feel free to e-mail me with any thoughts you might like to share.

I spent the rest of term in the Hospital Ward, and then rode the train with everyone else. Harry really hadn't been speaking to us lately, so it was a very long, quiet ride. Mrs. Weasley had been waiting for us on the Platform, with her arms outstretched towards us. We made our way to the Burrow and settled in, trying to keep ourselves occupied. The first two weeks seemed to crawl by since we didn't have much to do.

I had been up in mine and Ginny's room when Mrs. Weasley had knocked on the door. When she walked in the room, I immediately knew something was terribly wrong. My first thought was that something had happened to Harry, and I felt my stomach drop; could Voldemort have gotten to him at the Dursley's? She came over and sat on the bed next to me and took my hand in hers. I was really starting to get a bad feeling and when I looked at her face, I noticed tears in her eyes. "Mrs. Weasley, what's wrong?" I asked, fearing her answer.

"I...it's your Mother" she said, and I was so shocked that I just sat there staring at her. 'My Mum?' I thought, immediately feeling ashamed of the small amount of relief I had felt when I heard it had nothing to do with Harry. I must have had a confused look on my face because Mrs. Weasley said "Dumbledore just received word from one of the orderlies there that he knows; it seems your Mother has taken a turn for the worse."

"What?" I asked. "How can that be? She's in a Mental Ward; how can she be dying?"

"Remember when she tried to take her life?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking uncomfortable. I shook my head, urging her on. "Well, they had to give her a transfusion because of all the blood she lost. It seems that she's developed an infection from it, and her respiratory system is slowly shutting down."

I felt the tears pool in my eyes as my eyesight became blurred, and I asked "how much longer does she have?"

"They're not sure, but they don't think she'll survive the night." Mrs. Weasley wrapped me in a hug, but it didn't help. The hug felt...uncomfortable. Mrs. Weasley was a wonderful Mother, but she wasn't my Mum. At the moment I found myself wishing it was Harry hugging me instead of her, and I was once again consumed with guilt; she was only trying to comfort me the same way she would her own children.

She pulled back slowly and said "Dumbledore has arranged for you to go see your Mother; Tonks will be taking you and she's waiting downstairs in the Kitchen."

I sat there for a moment, scared to go see my Mum by myself; I didn't really know Tonks very well and she was only going to be my guard. I looked at Mrs. Weasley and asked "do you think it's possible that Harry could go with me?"

"Oh, I don't think Dumbledore would allow that Dear" she said, with an annoying, placating note to her voice.

"Well, I'm not going without him" I said, sounding like a very spoiled child. I knew I was being unreasonable, and that if Harry went with me it might put him in danger, but I didn't care. My fear of going to see my Mum alone was almost crippling. I needed him there for support, and it would also get him away from the Dursley's, if only for a little while.

Mrs. Weasley gave me a look I had never seen before, and it was a little scary not knowing what she was thinking. She turned, said "come on" and walked out the door. I followed her down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she quickly threw in a hand full of floo powder, said "Headmaster's office" and stuck her head in. After being in there for about ten minutes, she pulled her head back out and stood up. She turned and said "against my objections, Dumbledore has decided that Harry may accompany you to see your Mother."

Relief flooded through my body immediately, and I turned to go upstairs to get my things. "Thank you Mrs. Weasley" I said, stopping and turning to face her. She just gave me a small, forced smile and I made my way up to my room to get some things I might need.

As I was gathering my things, the dire condition my Mum was in hit me full force, and I sat down on my bed. She would probably be dead by morning; she was the last of my family and I was going to be completely alone. The tears started streaming down my face as I wrapped my arms around my body, feeling scared that I would have to take care of myself from this day on.

I had made my way back down to the kitchen and Tonks was just pulling herself out of the fire. She was holding an old, beat-up shoe in her hands as she walked towards me. "Dumbledore just gave me this Portkey to use" she said, looking down at the shoe. I just nodded my head in understanding and waited for the time we were to leave. "We have two minutes" she said, as if reading my mind. She held it out to me and I grabbed hold of it as she looked at her watch. She counted down the time and once again I felt the familiar tugging behind my naval.

~*~

I sat staring out of the window, sitting in the small second bedroom that the Dursley's had so graciously let me move back into. Moody, Remus and Tonks had threatened Uncle Vernon when he had come to pick me up at the station and told him they would always be watching over me. I had been there for two weeks, and had spent the entire time in a chair, staring out at the clouds as they passed by.

I kept seeing it over and over again; Sirius laughing and taunting Bellatrix and her hitting him with the curse, knocking him through the Veil, taking away the Godfather I never really got to know. I was so angry; angry at her for taking him away, angry at him for being there and angry with myself for letting Voldemort trick me like he did. I heard and felt my stomach growl, but didn't move to get any food. I couldn't remember the last time I had ate; I felt sick at just the thought of food. Aunt Petunia would come knocking once in a while, wanting to know why I was staying cooped up and why I wasn't coming down to meals. I would just sit silently, listening to her rant on and on, not really caring what she said anymore. I half expected my Uncle to storm through the door and beat me into submission, but it seemed that what Remus and the others had said to him had gotten through his thick skull.

I also couldn't remember the last time I slept properly. I dozed off a couple of times while sitting in the chair, but I'd wake up shortly after, usually yelling and sweating profusely thanks to the round of recent nightmares. They had gotten so much worse since leaving Hogwarts; now I kept seeing Hermione get hit with that purple jet of light, only in my dreams, she didn't survive. Seeing that plus a re-run of Sirius falling through the Veil was enough to stop me from wanting to sleep.

I heard the doorbell sound and Dudley yell that he would get it, and then tuned everything out to go back to my mourning. I jumped as I heard my Uncle Vernon bellow "Get down here boy, now!!"

Perplexed as to why he would be calling me, I slowly made my way to the door, feeling weak from not eating or sleeping. I had climbed down about three steps when I noticed Tonks standing at the door. Giving her a questioning look, I made my way down the rest of the stairs, starting to feel light headed from the exertion. It was then that I saw her; Hermione stood directly behind Tonks, her arms crossed and her face red and blotchy, like she had been crying.

"Hermione?" I asked, confused as to why she was there. She looked up at me and I knew immediately that something was horribly wrong. She almost ran to where I was and flung her arms around me, clinging to me like her life depended on it. "Mione, what's wrong?"

I started to get really worried when she started sobbing, her entire body shaking with the force of it. Forgetting completely about Sirius for a moment, I wrapped my arms around her tightly, and tried to give her some comfort. I looked at Tonks, quirking my brow in question, but she only shook her head. I noticed then that she had tears in her eyes also. I started to walk over to the couch to sit her down, but Uncle Vernon bellowed "what do you think you're doing?"

"Sitting down" I mumbled, walking by him.

I noticed his hand come up, about to grab my arm and stop me, and then I heard Tonks say "don't touch him!"

I sat down with Hermione tight by my side and looked towards Tonks, and would have laughed if it weren't such a serious situation. She had her wand pointed directly at Uncle Vernon, the tip pressing lightly into the tip of his nose. "If you don't mind, we need a little privacy; there's something we need to discuss" she said, as her eyes gleamed with anger, and a small smirk played on her lips at the sight of Uncle Vernon nearly shaking in fear. Uncle Vernon started to back up slowly, with Tonks following him, until he had backed into the kitchen and closed the door behind him. Aunt Petunia had been in there preparing dinner and Dudley must have run in there after he answered the door, scared of who was on the other side, and now all three of them were peeking through the door at us.

Ignoring them completely and turning all of my focus onto Hermione, I hugged her to me a little more and asked " 'Mione, what's the matter?"

She sniffled rather loudly and wiped the tears from her face with her hand, trying to pull herself together so she could talk to me. She looked into my eyes and sat staring for a moment, seemingly transfixed. She blinked and quickly turned away, suddenly quite interested in something out the window. She turned back towards me, and not quite meeting my eyes said "I know you've been through a lot lately, with everything's that happened, but I..."

Tears started running down her cheeks again, and when I reached up to wipe them away, she whispered "it's my Mum, Harry; they don't think she's going to make it through the night."

My hand stilled on her cheek so that I was cradling it, and said "I'm sorry Hermione, is there anything I can do?"

"Yes" she said quietly "will you go with me to see her? Dumbledore has already said that it's ok."

I looked at her, surprised that she would want me to go, but her Mum was dying. Did I really want to go through that again, watching someone die? I looked into her eyes, and I could see fear in them. 'Fear of what?' I thought to myself as I watched her, and I realized how scared she looked. Resigning myself, I said "yeah, ok, I'll go."

She gave me a really weak smile and leaned over to give me a hug. I heard Tonks clear her throat behind me and I turned to look at her. "We really need to get going" she said, and turned toward the door. I stood up and reached my hand out to Hermione, helping her up off of the couch. We walked hand in hand out the door, following Tonks over to the side of the house where we would be shielded from view. She held out a battered old hat for us to grab on to, and the next thing I knew, we were outside a Hospital I had never seen before.

~*~

I looked up at the building in front of us and grabbed a hold of Harry's hand, squeezing it as we walked into the lobby. The first thing I noticed was the smell; it smelled of antiseptics and urine, and I almost gagged from the noxious stink. Thankfully, Tonks walked up to the receptionist and asked what room my Mum was in.

We followed her over to the lifts, making our way up to the fourth floor and to room 405. "I'll be sitting right out here" she said, motioning over to a bench against the wall. I nodded and put my hand on the doorknob; I stood there for about a minute, trying to convince myself that I needed to go in.

"Hermione?" asked Harry quietly, squeezing my hand. "Are you sure you want me to go in with you?"

I looked at him for a moment, gathered all of my Gryffindor courage and said "yes, I want you to go in with me, but only if it doesn't make you uncomfortable."

He looked back at me, seemingly studying my face and said "alright, let's go in then."

I nodded and slowly twisted the doorknob while pushing the door open. I stopped dead in my tracks and gasped at what I saw. My Mother lay in the bed covered with a blanket, her face was snow white and her eyes were sunken into her face. My hand flew to my mouth to stifle the sob that was threatening to escape and I felt Harry hold my hand a little tighter. I slowly walked closer to the bed and I could hear a faint rasping sound; I was surprised when I realized it was coming from my Mum.

"Mum?" I whispered, trying not to just lose it and start crying hysterically. Her eyes fluttered open and her head moved slightly so that she could look towards us. I was shocked that she was awake; the last I had heard any information on her, she had still been in a coma. Her lips formed a faint smile, which disappeared quickly when she started coughing uncontrollably. I rushed to the side of her bed, scared when she couldn't seem to catch her breath. I found the call button on her bed and pushed it, hoping someone would come to help her.

Two seconds later, an orderly came rushing into the room, and looked surprised to see us there. He made his way to the opposite side of the bed and rolled my Mother onto her side, easing her coughing a bit. When she started to recover her breathing, he took a syringe full of something clear and injected it into her IV. He looked over at me with a kind look on his face and said "she'll be a little better in about five minutes. Are you her daughter?"

"Yes I am" I said quietly, looking at my Mum's face and noticed she was looking back at me.

"She speaks of you all the time" he said, smiling. "She's very proud of you; she says you're a top notch student."

I smiled at her as the tears sprung to my eyes, and I felt Harry walk up behind me. I noticed in Mum's eyes that she recognized him, and she gave him a small smile. Harry smiled back at her as he took hold of my hand once again.

"Mum, you remember Harry?" I asked, and watched her nod slowly. She took a deep breath and whispered, in a raspy voice, "you...saved us".

Harry looked away for a moment, and turned back to look at her again. "I'm just sorry I didn't get there sooner" he said, his voice full of regret.

She shook her head, looking upset. "No one...ever tried to...help Hermione...and I...before" she panted out and then closed her eyes, looking thoroughly exhausted.

I looked at Harry and noticed his eyes were bright with unshed tears. I squeezed his hand and looked back to my Mum, only to find her watching the two of us. "Are...you two...a couple?" she asked.

Harry and I looked at each other and I noticed his cheeks were slightly pink, probably the mirror image of mine. I looked back to my Mum and said "no Mum, Harry and I are best friends, that's all."

She smiled a true smile, and looked from me to Harry. The look that dawned on her face was one of someone who knew a secret that no one else knew. "Maybe one day...you'll both...find your special...someone."

She had closed her eyes then and tried to take a deep breath. I watched as her chest rose and fell, noticing that her lips had a blue tinge to them. I looked up at the orderly and whispered "why is there a blue color around her lips?"

He looked at me for a moment, as if sizing me up, and said "you're Mother's lungs aren't working right and she's not getting enough oxygen."

"Isn't there anything you can do to help her breathe?" I asked, watching as she labored to draw a breath.

"She's asked us not to do anything" he said quietly, not meeting my eyes.

Suddenly I realized what it was he was saying; my Mum didn't want to live anymore. This hit me hard and I turned and buried my face in Harry's chest. He wrapped his arms around me and rubbed my back lightly, just like my Mum used to, and I started to cry harder.

"Hermione" I heard my Mum say and I slowly turned to look at her. "Please...don't be sad. They can't...cure me so...why prolong it...and make...you suffer more?"

I walked over to the side of the bed and ran my hand over her hair; she looked nothing like how I remembered her and it upset me even more. "I don't want to lose you Mum" I said, watching as a single tear escaped from her eye. "We hardly ever got to spend time together; Dad always ruined everything for us."

"I...know" she said as a few more tears ran down her face. "I'm so sorry...I didn't...protect you." She started coughing again and I watched as the orderly took another syringe out of his pocket. A couple of minutes later her coughing fit stopped and I continued to stroke her hair. "You deserved...so much better" she whispered, and I could see how upset she was.

"It's ok Mum" I said, hating that she was so upset. "I understand why you didn't leave; he would have found us and tried to kill us no matter where we went."

She looked at me with an almost proud expression on her face and I smiled at her through my tears. I just wanted her to know that I didn't blame her for anything. "I love...you" she said, pulling me from my thoughts.

"I love you too Mum" I said. I bent over and carefully wrapped my arms around her the best I could, giving her a hug. She felt like skin and bones, and I could feel my heart break for her; she seemed to have suffered through so much, but still she tried to stay strong for me. I pulled back and smiled at her, wishing I could express everything I was feeling at that moment.

She shifted her gaze over to Harry, who was standing a little ways behind me, and gestured for him to come closer. He slowly walked over to stand next to me and she reached out and took hold of his hand. "I know...we really don't...know each...other but..." She started to cough again, but this time it wasn't as bad, and she continued. "please watch...over my...daughter."

He stood there staring at her, his gaze never wavered as he said "I promise I'll always protect her and be there for her."

She smiled at him and continued to hold his hand and mine. We stood there quietly for a little while, and then her eyes rolled back into her head. "What's wrong with her?" I asked, looking at the orderly who was examining her, fearing the worst.

"I'm afraid she's slipped into a coma" he said apologetically. Harry and I lay her hands at her sides and he wrapped me in his arms and held me.

We pulled up two chairs and sat at her bedside for the rest of the night, the only time one of us left was to go to the restroom. Tonks brought in some food and water, but neither of us touched the food. At four in the morning, just as I was dozing off, the machines in my Mother's room started to go off. The orderlies came rushing in and my greatest fear was confirmed; she had passed away. I walked up to where she lay and lightly kissed her cheek in a final goodbye. "I love you Mum" I whispered one final time, and then let Harry lead me out of the room.

~The next chapter won't be so depressing, I promise.

16. In Your Arms

~A/N>Wow you guys, 44 reviews on the last chapter!! That's the most I've gotten for a single chapter out of all my stories! Thank you so much!! Thanks to Spaz141 for all your help!!!

I led Hermione out of her Mother's room and walked her over to where Tonks sat on the bench. She sat down and leaned her head back against the wall, looking worn out. Tonks gave me a questioning look, and knowing what she was asking, I nodded my head yes. She closed her eyes for a moment and then looked at Hermione. She put her hand gently on Hermione's shoulder and quietly said, "I'm sorry Hermione".

Hermione just sat there, not responding to Tonks and I sat down next to her, worried. "Are you O.K.?" I asked and she slowly lifted her head off of the wall to look at me. She nodded and then turned to Tonks and said, "thanks Tonks. Do you think we could go home now?"

Tonks looked at her for a moment, perplexed by her behavior, and asked, "is there anything you need to arrange for your Mum?"

"I'll take care of that" came the voice of Dumbledore, startling the three of us.

"Professor Dumbledore?" I asked, wondering how it was he came to be there, and then I remembered the orderly that Hermione mentioned he knew.

"Hello Harry" he said, and then looked to Hermione with sympathy shining in his eyes. "Miss Granger, I do not want you to worry about any arrangements; I will take care of them and then let you know when the service will be; is that all right with you?"

Hermione sat there quietly and said, "yes Sir. May we go home now?"

Her voice held no emotion, and when I looked at Dumbledore, he just gave me a small smile, but I could see the concern in his eyes. "You and Harry will be going to Grimmauld Place for the remainder of the summer."

'Did he just say Grimmauld Place?' I thought to myself, feeling fear jolt through my body as my stomach turned violently. "I can't go there" I said quietly, thinking no one could hear me. I jumped when I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked to see Hermione sitting up.

"Why are we going there Sir?" she asked, sounding a little more like herself.

"It seems that Charlie has been injured in Romania and the Weasley's left soon after you did to visit him. I assured them that I would make sure you were well taken care of" Dumbledore explained. "Tonks, would you please escort them there and stay with them until further notice?"

"Sure I can" Tonks replied, looking as confused as I felt at that moment. "What about their trunks?" she asked.

"That has already been taken care of" he answered, looking at Hermione and I with a look of sympathy on his face. I started to feel my anger rising; he was taking control of my life again, and I had no say whatsoever.

I felt Hermione slip her hand into mine as she laid her head on my shoulder. "I'm tired Harry" she whispered.

"Why don't we get going then?" asked Tonks, getting up from the bench and looking at us expectantly. Resigning myself to the fact that I had to go, I wrapped my arm around Hermione's waist and lifted her up. Dumbledore held out an old ratty shoe to us, and the three of us grabbed onto it. Once more I felt the familiar tugging behind my naval as we were transported to the one place I had never wanted to go to again.

We landed in the entryway, somehow staying on our feet, and then made our way into the sitting room. It was so dark, and when Tonks lit the candles that were in there, I felt like running out the door. The place smelled like death, or what I thought it would smell like, and I immediately saw the image of Sirius falling through the Veil again flash before my eyes. I must have tightened my grip on Hermione, because she asked, "are you ok Harry?" I just nodded my head and tried to block the image from my mind.

"I need to take care of something before I turn in; why don't you two go on up to bed?" asked Tonks, startling me from my thoughts. I noticed on the clock that it was five-thirty in the morning; we'd been up for almost twenty-four hours, not that I slept anymore, but Hermione must have been exhausted. I nodded at Tonks and steered Hermione towards the stairs, and we made our way up to our rooms.

When I stopped in front of the door to the room where she and Ginny always stayed, she froze. "I don't want to sleep in there by myself" she said quietly with a scared look in her eyes.

"Why don't you grab your nightclothes, change in the bathroom and come to my room when you're done? You can sleep in there with me" I said, sounding more emotionally stable than I felt at the minute. She mutely nodded her head and made her way into the room to grab her things.

I went into my room and rummaged around my trunk for something to sleep in and changed quickly. Soon I heard a knock on the door and told Hermione to come in. She came in dressed in a nightgown and looked a little uncomfortable. "Why don't you take Ron's bed?" I asked, pointing to it. She nodded and walked over to it while I climbed into my bed. I blew out the candle on the nightstand and settled under the covers. I lay there, thinking over everything that had happened that night, when I noticed Hermione standing next to my bed.

"Can I sleep with you?" she whispered, and I slid over to make room for her. I watched her outline in the dark as she crawled under the covers with me, trying to stay warm in the cold room. I turned onto my side so that I was facing her and noticed that she was looking at me. It was still about an hour until dawn and I could see her eyes shining as the moonlight hit them. I wrapped my arm around her waist and moved so that I was comfortable.

"Thank you for going with me today" she said quietly.

"It was no problem; you've always helped me when I needed it, and I'm glad I had a chance to return the favor" I replied. I lay there watching her face in the moonlight and realized just how pretty she was. She had a sort of quiet beauty about her, and knowing how brave, smart, fearless and kind she was only added to that beauty.

As I watched her, she lay there staring back at me and I wondered what she was thinking. Before my mind could really register it, she had leaned forward and placed her lips on mine. For one fleeting moment I realized how dangerous it was to be kissing her while we were in bed together, but as she persisted and I felt her tongue tease my lips, all thoughts seemed to slip away. I opened my mouth to her and felt her gently slide her tongue in. Gods, she tasted so good...

I was surprised even more when she pushed my t-shirt up and her fingers skimmed over my skin, making it feel as if it were on fire. I kissed her harder as I felt a fire ignite in my groin; it was a feeling I had never experienced before and it was addicting. It were as if my body was urging me to press on; I felt as if I needed more of her and no matter what I did, it would never be enough. When I felt her gently sucking on my neck, I lost all coherent thought and let my natural instincts take over.

~*~

I had no idea what I was doing; all I knew at that moment was that I didn't want to feel the debilitating pain anymore; I wanted to forget all of the bad things that had happened to me, and I wanted Harry to be the person to make me forget. I had lay there next to him, staring into his gorgeous green eyes and I had wanted to kiss him so badly. I wanted to forget how I had watched my Mum die only hours before, and I wanted to make him forget the pain of losing Sirius, if only for a little while. We both deserved it, didn't we?

I was pulled from my thoughts as I felt his hands slip from my hair, down my shoulders and dangerously close to my cloth covered breasts. He hesitated for a moment and then slid them slowly downward, brushing the sides of each breast, and the sensation caused me to gasp into his mouth, interrupting our kiss.

He bent down and claimed my lips again as his hands continued to wander, making my skin burn under his touch as I tried to pull him closer to me. We were pressed up against each other with no room between us, but it wasn't good enough for me; it was like I wanted to make him a permanent part of me. He was always there for me, just as he had been that day and he was always so kind. I felt him wrap his arm around my waist and he held me close, almost as if he could sense what I so badly needed.

I wrapped my leg around his, tangling us together even more, and as I pressed against him, I felt it; he was hard and it was because of me. That realization made me feel...powerful, wanton and wanted, for the first time ever.

We continued to attack each other's lips as our hands roamed freely over the others body; suddenly, Harry pulled away from me, panting and trying to catch his breath.

" 'Mione" he breathed "we need to stop."

My heart plummeted as I pulled away from him, feeling hurt by his rejection. I had thought that he was enjoying what we were doing as much as I was, but I guess I was wrong.

Much to my embarrassment, tears sprung to my eyes and I quickly looked away from him. I didn't want him to see that he had hurt me, and I didn't want him to see the disappointment in my eyes. I felt him place his finger under my chin and lift my face up so that I was looking into his eyes again. I saw the worry in his eyes as he noticed my tears. "Please don't cry" he said, wiping them away "I didn't stop because I wanted to; I stopped because I had to." I looked at him, confused, and he said "I stopped because now is not the time; I would love to make love to you, but not like this. It's been an emotional day for both of us, and I don't want to do this just to forget the pain for a little while."

I couldn't believe he was being the sensible one; wasn't that my job? And he picked now of all the times to do it? I sighed, starting to feel exhausted by the emotional roller coaster I had ridden all day long, and Harry bent down to place a light kiss on my lips. "Make no mistake, when we're both ready, and if you still want your first time to be with me, I want to finish what we've started here tonight. But I want it to be special; you deserve to have your first time mean something, and I want you to be able to look back on it fondly, not as a mistake."

I still felt a little embarrassed by my behavior, but I was glad that Harry wasn't angry with me. Going over what he had just said in my mind blew me away; he had to be the sweetest guy on the Earth. "You're probably right" I said, "thank you for being so understanding."

"Your welcome" he said as he hugged me. I snuggled up to him again and I felt him kiss the top of my head. "Night 'Mione."

"Night Harry" I said, and then closed my eyes, drifting instantly off to sleep.

~*~

I woke up late in the afternoon and realized that I was still holding Hermione. I lay there for a little while, just watching her sleep; she looked so peaceful and I wished that she hadn't had to experience so many bad things. No one deserved so much misery, especially her.

I carefully used my finger to move a strand of hair that had fallen over her eye, and I watched as her eyes slowly opened. I felt a smile spread across my face as she looked confused for a minute and then realization dawned in her eyes. "Morning" she said as she stretched.

"Good Morning" I said "How did you sleep?"

"Better than I have in a long time" she replied. "How about you?"

"Best night's sleep I've had all summer" I replied truthfully.

She looked at me a bit sheepishly and asked "are we ok?"

"We're fine, as far as I'm concerned" I replied. I had no regrets about what happened between us, and I was still trying to figure out where I got the will power to stop before we went too far. I watched as a smile of relief appeared on her face, and I felt my heart lighten a little.

We both realized that we were actually hungry, which was unusual for me, so we climbed out of bed and made our way downstairs. Tonks was on the couch in the sitting room, reading some book, and she looked up at us as we walked into the room. "Morning" she said, giving us a look I hadn't seen before.

"Morning" we both said at the same time.

"You know, I went to check on you a few hours ago; imagine my surprise when I didn't find you in your bed" she said looking at Hermione, and my stomach suddenly felt like I had swallowed a brick. "Imagine my shock when I not only found you in Harry's room, but in his bed too."

I watched as she stared at us sternly, and much to my relief, the stern look melted off of her face and was replaced by a smile. "Gotcha, didn't I?" she asked, looking from me to Hermione. "I was a little surprised to find you there, but with the day you both had yesterday, I can overlook it. Just as long as nothing happened between the two of you and it doesn't happen again."

Hermione and I both nodded in agreement, trying not to show our guilt, and then made our way into the kitchen for breakfast, not saying another word about it.

~*~

That night, Harry and I had both retired to our separate rooms, but I had a nightmare in the middle of the night and snuck back into his room again. In the morning we were both woken up by Tonks, who looked none too happy with us. I explained why I was there and what my nightmare had been about, and she calmed down a little.

That same day, Dumbledore had shown up and announced that my Mother's funeral would be that day. I was shocked that he had arranged everything in just two days. The service was held graveside and it seemed as if everyone in the Order of the Phoenix was there. It turned out to be a memorial for Sirius also, and Harry looked like he was ready to run away. We both sat there, sitting stiffly in our seats as Dumbledore spoke on my behalf and said some really lovely things about Sirius; I placed a rose on her casket and said a final goodbye. Harry waited for me, he didn't look at or speak to anyone, and when I walked up to him he grabbed my hand immediately. I knew he was angry because he felt Dumbledore had blindsided him, and he kept to himself for the rest of the night.

From then on, I crept into Harry's room every night for the remainder of summer. We both seemed to sleep better wrapped up in each other's arms, and Harry's dark circles weren't nearly as dark anymore. I was happy when he started eating more and wasn't looking so thin and unhealthy. That wasn't to say he was over losing Sirius though.

I had walked into the study one afternoon, intent on finding a good book to settle down with, when I heard banging coming from upstairs. When I went up to investigate, I found out it was coming from the room where Buckbeak was kept. I walked to the door and opened it slowly; I froze as I took in the scene before me.

Harry lay curled into a ball in one corner and the bedding that had been spread on the floor for Buckbeak to lie on was everywhere. The poor Hippogriff was backed into the opposite corner, his head tucked under his wing, scared to death. I slowly walked over to where Harry was and crouched down next to him. His whole body was shaking, and as I got closer, I realized that he was crying. It was kind of a shock; I'd never seen Harry break down like this before. I lightly laid my hand on his shoulder and asked "Harry, are you ok?"

"I'm fine!" he bit out, causing me to quickly withdraw my hand. Gathering all of my courage, I scooted closer to him and wrapped my arms around him, just sitting holding him. He tried to push me away, but I held fast and stayed my ground. "Leave me alone!" he yelled, trying once more to get me to leave. After all of the nights he had stayed up with me and listened to me cry over losing my Mum, I'd be damned if I was going to leave him like this. He must have been keeping it all inside and trying to ignore it by comforting me; now it had built to a head and he obviously couldn't keep it in anymore. It hurt to think he felt he couldn't come to me, but I would deal with that later.

"Why did he have to go to the Ministry?" he asked, his emotional pain evident in his voice. "He was my Godfather; he was the closest thing to family that I had, and now he's gone too. Why do I keep losing everyone I love?"

I just held him tighter and cried with him, hoping he would finally just let it all out. He gave up after a while and shifted so that his head was in my lap and I ran my hand soothingly through his hair. He would talk once in a while, thanking me for being there and telling me how he wished he had gotten to know his parents. We stayed that way for hours, until he finally picked himself up off of the floor and held his hand out to me. I let him help me up and as soon as I was standing, he wrapped me in his arms and gave me a big hug.

~*~

After that day, I saw Hermione in a totally different light. I was around her most of the time, and when she wasn't with me, I found that I missed her. It was a strange feeling for me, wanting her around me all the time. We started going into the study every night, going through all of the Dark Arts books, looking for any spells or curses that could help fight Voldemort. I don't know how it was possible, but we seemed to get closer and I found that she was someone I could talk to about anything, and she would just listen. I was finally ready to admit to myself that she was more than just a friend to me.

About two weeks before we were to go back to Hogwarts, the Weasley's came to stay at Grimmauld Place with us. We had to become sneaky when it came to Hermione slipping into our room; luckily Ron didn't seem to mind once we explained everything that had happened. We also had to promise not to fool around, but Ron was a sound sleeper, so it was an empty promise. It was always the same; kissing, touching, tasting but always stopping just before we went past the point of no return.

One night, after a particularly heavy snog session, I wrapped Hermione in my arms and started to drift off to sleep. She was facing me and I felt her snuggle up to me. I think she thought I was sleeping, because she kissed my forehead lightly and I heard her whisper "I love you". I tried not to react, because obviously she wasn't ready to tell me; she only said it because she figured I couldn't hear her. "You've stuck by me when no one else did" she whispered.

I lay there pretending to sleep until I heard her slow, rhythmic breathing that told me she was asleep. I slowly opened my eyes, watching her sleep and smiled as Ron snored loudly and muttered something about spiders in his sleep. I lightly ran my hand over her hair, wondering how it was that such a gorgeous, wonderful woman could love someone as emotionally screwed up as I was. I leaned over and lightly kissed her forehead, like she had done to me, and whispered "I love you too".

17. Complications

~A/N>alright, here's the final chapter of their summer and they finally get to Hogwarts by the end of it. I know it's taken three chapters for one summer, but a lot had to happen. There's even more coming next, and this chapter was needed to set up the next one. So, next chapter will be their sixth year (finally!) Thanks for all of the wonderful reviews (again!) The response this story is getting is phenominal, it just blows me away. They are very inspirational, I've written three chapters in one week. It also helps that I love writing this story! Ok, enough of my gabbing, on with the story!!!!

After that blissful night, hearing Hermione profess her love for me, I was hoping everything would fall into place for us. Granted, I wasn't supposed to hear her, and I knew she hadn't heard me, but I had hoped that we would somehow get the courage to voice our feelings. Unfortunately, Voldemort once again got in the way.

Four days before we were to go back to Hogwarts, Voldemort's Death Eaters attacked three families; they were muggle families whose children went to school with us. So far Mr. and Mrs. Thomas, Dean Thomas's parents and Mr. and Mrs. Creevey, the parents of Colin and Dennis, had been brutally murdered. The other muggle family belonged to a third year Gryffindor that I didn't know. Somehow Dean, Colin and Dennis hadn't been home at the time of the attacks, and were now at Grimmauld Place with us.

We were all sitting in the study with Dumbledore, and I sat watching Dean out of the corner of my eye. He seemed almost catatonic; he just sat on the couch, staring into space and rocking slightly. Dennis was sitting on the floor with his arms wrapped around his legs and his head lying on his knees, crying. Seeing as Colin just sat on the couch with Dean and didn't try to comfort his little brother at all, Hermione had went over to sit with Dennis and tried to comfort him.

Dumbledore had been talking quietly with Remus near the study door, and as I approached, I heard him say "are you sure that is what it said?"

Just as Remus was about to answer, he noticed me walking up and said "did you need something Harry?"

"What's going on?" I asked, looking from him to Dumbledore and back again. When neither of them said anything, I felt my anger start to rise. "Look, if this has something to do with Voldemort, then I think I have the right to know."

Remus opened his mouth to say something, but Dumbledore put his hand up and stopped him. "He is right, Remus; he has a right to know." Dumbledore put his hand on my shoulder and motioned for me to go out into the hall. Once there, Remus closed the study door, presumably so that we wouldn't be overheard. "Harry, Voldemort has left a message at the Creevey's house." I looked at Dumbledore, surprised. Since when did Voldemort leave messages?

"It was a message for you, written on the wall of their sitting room; it said 'Tell Potter she's next'." I looked at him, running the message through my head a couple of times. He couldn't mean...

"We're pretty sure he is referring to Ms. Granger" said Remus, confirming my worst fears. "Um, we've noticed how close the two of you have become."

I looked up at him, and then to Dumbledore; I tried to talk, but I couldn't. Fear was coursing through my body along with anger; he took my parents, he took Sirius, and now he was going to try and take Hermione away? I'd be damned if he was going to take away the one person I just realized I loved more than life itself.

~*~

I sat with my arm around Dennis, trying to comfort him a little, as I watched Harry go out into the hall with Lupin and Dumbledore. "Why did they have to kill my parents?" Dennis whispered, pulling me from my thoughts.

"I don't know why Dennis" I said. "I know how you feel, my Mum just died a few months ago."

He looked up at me then, his eyes full of tears, and asked "how did you get over it?"

"I haven't" I answered. "I've had my two best friends around me, and they've been a wonderful help, but nothing will ever make the pain of losing your Mum and Dad go away."

He just nodded his head slowly, and he looked so sad, that I wrapped my arms around him and gave him a hug. I wished I could take his pain away, but for now, this would have to do. Just then, the study door opened and Harry walked in, looking pale and if I didn't know any better, scared. "I'll be back in a minute" I whispered to Dennis, and walked over to where Harry sat. "What's going on Harry?" I asked, worried about how he was acting.

"Nothing" he said shortly, not looking me in the eye. He knew I could read his emotions just by looking into those emerald depths and he was concealing that from me. I went to put my hand on his arm for comfort and he pulled away from me.

"Harry, what..." I started to ask, but he cut me off, saying "I don't want to talk about it right now Hermione, O.K.?"

"Oh...O.K." I whispered, trying to push away the tears. If he wanted to act like an arse, then I would just let him be. For now...

That night, Ginny and I went to bed, and it felt strange being in my own bed. It was upsetting, knowing that I couldn't sneak into the boys' room that night. Harry had kept away from everyone the rest of the night. He had excused himself and had gone to his room about three hours ago; Ron tried to talk to him, but he got the same treatment I had gotten.

I heard Ginny snoring lightly, and as I lay there trying to figure out Harry's sudden mood change, I heard the door to our room squeak open. " 'Mione?" I heard Harry whisper, and I sat up in bed, my heart beating a little faster.

"Yes?" I asked quietly, not wanting to wake Ginny. I watched as the door closed and saw the faint outline of Harry walking towards my bed. "What are you doing in here?" I asked, curious.

He was quiet for a moment before he asked "do you want me to leave?"

"No" I said, a little too quickly. He pulled the blanket back and slid into bed next to me, laying on his side so that he was facing me. He reached out and took a strand of hair into his hand, running it through his fingers, and I just watched him. I heard him sigh, and I reached up to still his hand. "Harry..."

" 'Mione, I'm sorry" he said, interrupting me. He looked up and stared into my eyes, and I could see them glistening with unshed tears; he was really starting to worry me.

"Will you please tell me what's wrong?" I asked, wishing he would just come out with it. It'd been a long day already, the better part of it spent with Dennis Creevey crying into my shoulder as I tried to comfort him. I was emotionally exhausted, and wasn't in the mood for games.

"It's just...can I stay in here with you tonight?" he asked. "Dennis and Colin are in our room, and Dennis keeps crying while Colin yells at him to 'shut it'."

"Sure" I answered, noticing that he had steered the subject away from my question again. I decided to let it go for the time being, and enjoy his company. I moved closer to him and wrapped my arm around his waist; I wanted him close to me, so that I could feel his body heat. I leaned over and placed my lips on his, kissing him lightly, letting him know that I was still there for him. He responded swiftly, crushing himself against me, like a drowning man grasping at a buoy. I was a little confused by his behavior, but that was gone in an instant as his hands started to meander down my body. He was kissing me with a need that he'd never expressed before, and it only served to increase my worry. When he almost tore my nightgown in his haste to push it up, I stilled his hands and pulled back from his kiss.

We were both panting, trying to catch our breath from our intoxicating kiss, and I asked "what's gotten into you?" He looked away from me and I felt my anger swell; this avoidance thing was really starting to make me mad. "What happened to taking things slow?"

He looked back at me, and I almost drew back from the look in his eyes. They almost glowed from the amount of anger that was in them, and it seemed to be directed at me. "Maybe we don't have the luxury of taking things slow."

'Whoa, what the hell is he talking about?' I thought to myself. "Tell me what happened today out in the hall" I demanded, past the breaking point.

He stared at me for a moment, and then went to get out of bed. I grabbed at his wrist, but he wrenched it out of my hand. I hurriedly followed after him, setting my nightgown right as I went, as he went down to the study. He had practically slammed into the room, and I cringed, thinking that Mrs. Weasley would come in hollering at any minute. He started pacing in front of the still-lit fireplace, not once looking up at me, and I made my way over to the sofa. He continued his back and forth journey, and I sat silently watching him. I could see the myriad of emotions warring on his handsome face; fear, anger, helplessness and...love?

"He's going to kill you" he said, startling me out of my thoughts.

"What? Who's going to kill me?" I asked, really confused now.

"Voldemort" he hissed, and my blood ran cold.

"Why do you think V-Voldemort is going to kill me?" I asked, not really wanting to hear the answer.

He came over and plopped down on the couch next to me. He took both of my hands in his and looked me square in the eyes. "There was a message left on one of the walls in the Creevey house" he said hurriedly. "It said 'Tell him she's next', and Dumbledore is pretty sure it's for me; he's also pretty sure it means you."

I froze; the most evil Dark Lord was after me? "Why?" I asked, "why me?"

"You're muggle born" he explained "a-and somehow he knows...how important you are to me."

"So what? Ron's your best friend too, so why wouldn't he threaten the both of us?" I could feel the fear starting to overtake me, and I hated that feeling. It's how I had felt every time I had been home with my Father, never knowing when he was going to come after me again.

Harry squeezed my hands, hard, and whispered "because...I-I...love you."

I just stared at him; he had just said the three words I had been praying for him to say, but not like this. Not under such dire circumstances. "I...I love you too" I whispered, wishing the words brought me the joy they had the other night, when I had whispered them to him while he was sleeping.

"And just because you mean so much to me, Voldemort wants to take you away, to try and break me." He sounded absolutely heartbroken, and I wished at that moment that he could just have a normal life for once, that both of us could. This was supposed to be the happiest moment in our lives; we had just admitted our love for each other, and Voldemort had ruined it for us. Harry leaned over and covered my lips with his, while wrapping his arms around me. It felt so wonderful, but something about it...I felt like he was saying goodbye.

"I think it's best if you just stay away from me; you and Ron both" he said quietly.

"No!" I cried "I have already lost my parents, you're all I have left." I was amazed that I wasn't crying; I was in an angry state of sadness, and I felt like decking him. He was letting Voldemort win by pushing everyone away and being completely on his own.

"No" he whispered "I'll only get you killed." With that, he stood up and walked out of the room, leaving me sitting there, dumbstruck.

~*~

I spent the next couple of days holed up in my room, feeling angry and sorry for myself. I had pushed away the one person in my life that I truly loved and she probably hated me now. She hadn't even tried to come into my room to sleep, and it had resulted in the two worst nights of sleep I had ever had. I missed having her body pressed against me; I missed the smell of her hair, and ended up burying my face into the pillow she always slept on. I felt like a walking zombie and having Dean, Colin and Dennis around didn't help either; all three of them were deep in mourning and even gloomier than I was.

Finally it was time to go back to Hogwarts. Mr. Weasley had once again gotten Ministry cars for us to use; with Dolores Umbridge gone and Fudge finally admitting that Voldemort had in fact returned, things had gone back to normal at the Ministry.

Once we were on the platform, I hurriedly got onto the train and tried to find an empty compartment. I knew Ron and Hermione would have to go to the Prefect's car, so I was hoping that no one else would come in and bother me. As usual, I was wrong; Luna and Neville walked in shortly after I had gotten settled.

"Hi Harry" said Neville, sitting across from me. I just nodded at him and went back to looking out the window.

A few minutes later, as the train finally started to move, Luna moved from her seat next to Neville and sat next to me; "what's wrong with Hermione?" she asked.

I felt worried that maybe something else had happened and asked, "what do you mean?"

"Well, I went to find Ronald to try to talk to him, and when I found him in the Prefects compartment, he was holding Hermione and trying to calm her down" she explained.

'I should be the one comforting her' I thought, and then realized if it weren't for me, she wouldn't need comforting.

"Did she and Ron get together over the summer?" asked Neville.

"No!" I replied quickly, and then berated myself. Neville and Luna now had small smirks on their faces like they knew a big secret that I didn't know, but I knew; I had come to terms with my feelings for Hermione, I just couldn't do anything about it, thanks to Voldemort. I could feel the anger welling up once again, and excused myself to go to the loo.

Halfway down the corridor, I heard a commotion coming from the compartment up ahead and walked up to the door. What I saw made my blood boil; Ron was sprawled unconscious on the floor with Crabbe and Goyle looming over him. And there on the seat was Malfoy, on top of Hermione, who was fighting him off the best she could.

Before I could do anything, Hermione screamed and Malfoy slapped her in the face. Feeling the anger course through my veins, I completely forgot about my wand, and with a slight movement of my hand, ripped the door off of the compartment. Crabbe and Goyle started to charge towards me, but with a flick of my wrist, they were slammed up against the wall. Satisfied as they slid unconscious to the floor, I turned my anger on Malfoy. I repeated my earlier actions and slammed him back into the wall, but this time I held him there. He started to say something, but I squeezed my hand into a fist, and he grabbed at his throat like he couldn't breathe. I heard him choking and felt satisfaction, until Hermione grabbed my arm and screamed "Harry, NO!"

I snapped out of the semi-trance I was in and dropped my hand. Malfoy immediately dropped to the floor, gasping for air, and I turned to look at her. Her shirt had been ripped open, and it looked like Malfoy had used a severing charm to cut her bra between the cups. She followed my gaze and wrapped her shirt around herself, covering herself the best she could. I reached my hand up and gently ran my thumb over the handprint Malfoy had left on her cheek. Her eyes welled with tears and as they started falling down her cheeks, her body started to shake uncontrollably. I grabbed her as she started to fall, and walked her over to the seat. I held her while she cried, angry with myself for not being there to protect her. I had promised her Mum I would take care of her, and I had abandoned her. Once she had calmed a little, I asked "what did they do to Ron?"

"They stunned him, after Crabbe and Goyle beat him up" she answered.

I waved my hand towards Ron and said "Ennervate". Ron's eyes opened slowly, and then they grew wide as he shot up off of the floor. He looked around at the three unconscious bodies on the floor and then turned his gaze towards me.

"You do this?" he asked. I nodded and a small smile formed on his face. "Good job mate" he said.

"Sorry I wasn't here sooner" I replied, feeling a huge wave of guilt wash over me.

He nodded and said "I'll leave you to it". I watched as he stepped over Malfoy and made his way down the corridor, in the direction I had just come.

I looked at Hermione and asked "are you ok? Did he hurt you?" She looked down at her shirt and then looked back up, not really meeting my eyes.

"H-He t-touched me" she said, and I felt sick to my stomach. "H-He touched my b-breast and k-kept telling me w-what h-he was going to d-do to me." She completely broke down and I turned towards the three wankers lying on the ground. With a wave of my hand I had them bunched together in the middle of the room and bound with rope. Hermione, who had watched with her mouth agape, asked "Harry, w-where's your wand?"

"In my pocket" I replied, not realizing the implications of my answer. I had just done wandless magic without even realizing it. An awed expression dawned on her face, and she stared at me, her tears slowing. Before she could say anything, I helped her up and said "let's go back to my compartment."

We made our way back to the compartment and found Ron in there with Luna and Neville. Luna was healing some of the cuts on his face and hands while Ron explained what had happened. Luna looked up when we walked in and stood up immediately. "I have a shirt you can wear until we get to Hogwarts" she said, handing Hermione a t-shirt.

"Thank you" said Hermione. She sat down as Ron, Neville and I stood in front of the compartment door with our back to her, so that she could change. When she said she was done I immediately made my way to her side. I explained to Ron that I had tied them up and he said that when we got to Hogwarts he would tell Hagrid what had happened. Maybe Dumbledore would expel them; this was the second time that Malfoy had attacked Hermione and this time it was up to him to decide punishment.

I watched Ron, Luna and Neville share a look and then all three of them stood up. "We're going to go make sure those three are still tied up" explained Ron. I knew he was giving me time alone with Hermione and mouthed 'thank you' to him as he left. He just smiled and followed Luna out the door, closing it behind him.

"I'm so sorry Hermione" I said, stroking her hair, trying to give her some sort of comfort. "I've been an arse; I never should have tried to push you away."

"No you shouldn't have" she said, sounding very angry with me. I pulled back, worried that I had pushed her too far this time, and she had the tiniest ghost of a smile on her lips. "Just don't do it again, ok? You're all I have left."

"I promise" I said, hoping she believed me. I wrapped my arms around her and held her the rest of the trip; 'To hell with Voldemort' I thought. We could be together, I would just have to make sure she was safe; I had to keep my promise to her Mum. Once we were off of the train, Hagrid walked up with Ron next to him and asked if she was okay. She assured him she was fine and they walked onto the train. Ron showed Hagrid where Malfoy and his lackey's were and he carried them off of the train, still unconscious. Professor McGonagall was there for some reason, and when she heard what had happened, she promised to take care of them. The last thing we saw before getting into the carriage was McGonagall levitating them into her carriage and immediately heading towards the school.

18. Purgatory and Redemption

~A/N>alrighty then, here's another chapter! Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed the last chapter, the reviews were great! I try to respond to as many as I can before my kids pull me from the computer. There are quotes inserted before each section of this chapter; they are relative to the section, I promise. They actually give a little hint about one of the characters in that section. The first ones easy, and I know y'all are smart, so you'll figure out who the second and third one pertain to. I will try to update again as soon as I can! Thanks to Spaz141 for the help and great ideas!!
~*~

"She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom."~ "The Scarlet Letter".

When our carriage arrived in front of the school, Hermione, Ron and I got out and made our way inside. As we were walking towards the Great Hall, Professor McGonagall intercepted us and said that Professor Dumbledore wanted to see us in his office. We approached the stone gargoyle and said the password, "Skivving Snackboxes"; making our way up the stairs, Hermione grabbed my hand and held it tightly. I looked down at her and gave her a small smile of encouragement as we walked into the office.

On the right side of Dumbledore's desk stood Crabbe, Goyle and Malfoy, still bound with rope and looking very surly. The Headmaster motioned for us to sit in the three chairs that were sitting on the opposite side of his desk as he sat down in his own chair. "So Ms. Granger, Professor McGonagall said that Mr. Malfoy attempted to...attack you?"

"Yes Sir" she replied, looking directly at him. "After our Prefects meeting, Ron and I went to find Harry. We were making our way down the corridor when suddenly we were attacked from behind. Crabbe and Goyle each grabbed one of Ron's arms and Malfoy grabbed both of mine, and then they pushed us into the next empty compartment. Crabbe, Goyle and Ron started fighting while Malfoy proceeded to push me down onto one of the seats. He...ripped my shirt open and kept saying that I was going to get what I deserved, and that once he was done with me..."

"Please continue Ms. Granger" said Dumbledore, looking at her with compassion in his eyes. "I know it must be hard for you, but I need to know what happened before I give out their punishment."

Hermione nodded her head slightly and took a deep breath before she said, without looking at anyone, "he said that once he was done with me, Harry, or any guy for that matter, would never want to see or touch me again."

I went to jump out of my chair, hell-bent on strangling Malfoy, but Hermione held on to my hand tightly. "Please don't Harry" she whispered. "He's really not worth it."

"He may not be worth it" I said, "but you are." I was rewarded with a sweet smile from her as she squeezed my hand.

Dumbledore nodded and said, "Ms. Granger, would you mind stepping out of the office with me for a moment?" She looked at him with curiosity written all over her face, and then nodded while standing up. She followed him out the door, and then it closed, shutting us in the office with the three imbeciles.

Ron looked at me and said, "if Dumbledore wasn't right outside, now would be the perfect time to have a pop at them."

I looked at Ron and shook my head; I couldn't blame him really, it had been two against one and Ron had been on the losing end. I'd probably want to take advantage of the situation too if I had been the one they beat up. I was surprised that Malfoy hadn't been spouting off, but when I looked at him, I realized that he couldn't. His mouth was moving, but no words were coming out; Dumbledore must have used the silencing spell on them.

A few minutes later the door opened and Hermione followed Dumbledore back into the room. She sat back down in her chair and when I looked at her, I noticed that she had a Cheshire cat grin on her face. "What's going on?" I asked.

"You'll see" she replied, still smiling.

"Well, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle, thanks to your families influence with the Board of Governors, I was not allowed to dole out the punishment I saw fit to give, which was expelling the three of you from Hogwarts." Malfoy's snotty smirk appeared on his face, but quickly vanished as Dumbledore said, "I would not get so confident yet Mr. Malfoy. I have decided that since I was not allowed to expel you, then Ms. Granger should be allowed to choose your punishment."

Malfoy looked at Hermione with such a look of hate in his eyes that I once again felt the urge to get up and beat the crap out of him. Hermione, however just stood up with an air of confidence about her, and approached Malfoy with the same smile on her face. She walked right up to him, her eyes never strayed from his once, and I felt immensely proud of her in that moment. She was standing up to him and showing him she wasn't scared; she brought out her wand, and waving it in front of Malfoy's face said, "Engravate!" I watched in awe as the words "attempted rapist" appeared on his forehead in glowing red letters. Ron looked as if Christmas had come early, and the pride I felt tripled. She repeated her actions with Crabbe and Goyle, only their foreheads read "attempted murderers".

"Um, murderers?" I asked, thinking the term a little harsh, even for them.

She turned to look at me, and I could see the conviction in her eyes. "You didn't see the way they attacked Ron, Harry. Who knows what they would have done had you not shown up."

"Those words shall stay on your foreheads for one month, of which you will also be serving detention with Professor McGonagall, every day", explained Dumbledore. Malfoy's eyes grew wide and he kept looking up towards his forehead, as if trying to read what it said there. With a wave of his hand, the ropes fell from around them and I heard a small noise come from either Crabbe or Goyle. Malfoy shot a dirty look towards us and then stalked out of the office at a fast pace. I knew he was going to find a mirror to see what words he would be wearing for a month.

Dumbledore excused us so that we could go to the Welcoming Feast, and as we made our way down the corridor that led to the Great Hall, I looked at Hermione and asked " 'Mione, what gave you the idea for that punishment?

"I got it from the book 'The Scarlet Letter' by Nathaniel Hawthorne" she said, smiling. "The only difference is that in the book, they were forced to wear signs around their necks with the first letter of their crimes on it; Malfoy's would have had 'AM' on it."

~*~

"No man for any considerable period can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true."~ "The Scarlet Letter".

Things went somewhat smoothly after our first day; classes went on per usual and Quidditch started up once more, to the delight of the boys. Harry's lifetime ban was lifted so that he could play again, plus he was made the team captain, and I hadn't seen him that happy in a long time. Dumbledore asked Harry to start up the DA once again, and with everything he had going, he asked if I could schedule the meetings for him. Of course I agreed, and we started to have one meeting a week. Harry did wonderfully, and seemed really confident in his abilities, which made me extremely proud.

One morning during breakfast, the owl post arrived and I received my Daily Prophet. There, on the front page, was the announcement that we had been dreading; the Death Eaters had escaped from Azkaban, including Lucius Malfoy. Shortly after receiving the newspaper, an eagle owl flew towards Malfoy; he was an outcast of Slytherin house now, and he and his cronies sat at the end of the table by themselves. As he read the letter the bird had brought him, his face turned pale and when he finished reading, he looked around the Great Hall with fear in his eyes. I wondered what had been so frightening in that letter; if it was from his Father and it scared even him, it must be something horrible. As I watched him, he looked up and caught my eye, and what I saw in his stare frightened me; he looked truly concerned and almost like he wanted to come over to our table and talk to me. The change in his demeanor alone was enough to concern me, but the fact that he seemed worried for my welfare made it downright scary.

I had noticed a slight alteration in Draco's behavior over the past couple of weeks; he seemed to be distancing himself from anyone associated with Slytherin and I had actually seen him by himself in the Library a couple of nights. When he saw me, he would look at me, but not with the same look of hate he usually wore. He looked almost...apologetic and I didn't know how to take his sudden change. I couldn't decide if it was a set-up or if he was truly trying to turn his life around.

I decided to keep my wonderings about Malfoy to myself for the time being and concentrated all of my attention on the DA and course work. I had taken every class I was offered after I received my O.W.L. results; I had gotten twelve O.W.L.'s, which was a perfect score. I had been thrilled when I saw my results and was even happier when Harry said he had gotten nine out of twelve. Ron had gotten only seven, but he seemed happy with his results; his Mum on the other hand kept pushing him to do better this year, which only served to aggravate him more.

After a very rigorous six weeks, our first Hogsmead weekend was upon us, and I couldn't wait to get out of the castle for a little while. Harry and Ron seemed to share my sentiment, because they were even more intolerable than usual.

"Hurry up and finish eating so that we can go" said Ron, glaring at me. I looked at him, curious as to why he was in such a hurry to leave; as if knowing what I was thinking, his cheeks became pink and he mumbled "I'm supposed to meet Luna by the front doors so that we can share a carriage."

I heard Harry trying to stifle his laughter next to me, and trying to keep the smile off of my face, I asked, "you wouldn't be referring to 'Loony Lovegood' by any chance, would you?"

He tossed a piece of bread that he had been playing with at me and said, "don't start with me; Harry's been teasing me something horrible ever since he found out I asked her to go with me this weekend."

I looked at Harry and asked, "and why didn't you tell me that he asked Luna to go?"

"Because he swore me to secrecy; he said I wasn't even allowed to tell you" Harry replied. "You'd have thought he'd know better than to tell me; you would have been the better choice to share his little secret with, because I have teased him mercilessly all week."

"I doubt it, I probably would have had a go at him about it also" I replied, sharing a smile with Harry and then we both broke out in laughter.

Ron glared at both of us and said, "hah bloody hah; some friends you two are." He got up from the table and started to walk away as Harry and I tried to quell our laughter long enough to go after him. By the time we caught up with him, he was standing next to Luna and we broke out in a fresh round of laughter as we spotted his beet red face.

Harry and I actually shared a carriage with him and Luna, but only after he took us aside and made us swear to quit laughing. Of course we both agreed and as I watched the passing scenery out the carriage window, I realized what a fun day it had been already; it felt good to laugh with Harry like that and just be a normal teenager for once.

~*~

"It is to the credit of human nature, that, except where its selfishness is brought into play, it loves more readily than it hates. Hatred, by a gradual and quiet process, will even be transformed to love, unless the change be impeded by a continually new irritation of the original feeling of hostility."~ "The Scarlet Letter"

Hermione's eyes were bright with happiness, and I found myself staring at her quite a bit as we walked around Hogsmead together. Ron had pulled Luna away from us the minute they were out of the carriage and headed in the opposite direction of where we were going. I knew Ron was a little peeved at us, but Hermione and I had both taken our fair share of ribbing from him over the years; it wouldn't hurt for him to get a little dose of his own medicine for once.

The first place we went was Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop, of course, and I couldn't help but watch Hermione as she happily flitted around the store; it had been the happiest I had ever seen her. She seemed as if she hadn't a care in the world, and that, in turn, made me extremely happy. After that we went to Gladrags because she wanted to look around. She would try on clothes and ask my opinion; I told her that she looked good in anything she wore. I was trying to decide between two jumpers, and I had casually asked her which one she thought would look good on me, the maroon colored one or the emerald colored one. She chose the maroon one and then completely floored me when she made an offhand comment about how similar the colors were to our Quidditch uniforms and how good I looked in it; when I asked her to repeat what she had said, she just smiled as if she hadn't said a word.

When Hermione asked where I wanted to go after that, I had said Zonko's joke shop, expecting her to start lecturing me about how I would only find things to get me in trouble there. Imagine my shock when she agreed to go, and then seemed to have fun looking at the various jokes and tricks they sold there. After I had picked up a couple of things, I offered to let her choose the next shop, and she said she wanted to go to Honeyduke's. We made our way into the store, hand in hand, thoroughly enjoying the day so far and feeling like normal teenagers for once. After buying sugar quills and chocolate frogs, we left the store with plans to go to the Three Broomsticks; unfortunately, we never got there.

We had taken about five steps away from Honeyduke's when Bellatrix Lestrange jumped out from behind the next building, her wand pointing directly at me. "Potty wee Potter, we meet again!" she said, smiling like a maniac. Someone else came out and stood next to her, but I didn't pay any attention until I felt Hermione squeeze my hand painfully; Dolohov stood there glaring at her, looking like he was ready to pounce on her at any moment. We both seemed to come to our senses finally and brought our wands out, pointing them at the two Death Eaters in front of us.

When Bellatrix had the start of a curse on her lips, a loud, male voice behind her said "I thought I told you to just apprehend them? I don't recall saying that you could engage them in a duel." I knew that voice...

Lucius Malfoy pushed them aside and walked up to us, his hatred shining in his eyes. I was proud of Hermione when she didn't take a step back from him; she stood her ground next to me, no matter how scared she was at that moment. "If it isn't Potter and his mudblood girlfriend" he sneered, sounding disgusted. "I'm surprised Dumbledore even let you out of the castle."

"Why wouldn't he?" I asked, and then feigning insight said, "Oh, right, the escape of you lot, the scum of the wizarding world."

His eyes narrowed so much that they were now nothing but tiny slits; he was breathing quickly as if trying to contain his anger, albeit unsuccessfully. "Meddlesome boy; it's time you learned how to respect those that are above your social standing. Cru..."

"Expelliarmus!" came a voice, one I never would have believed if I hadn't seen the person it came from. Draco stood off to the side of us, his wand drawn, having just disarmed his own Father.

"What do you think you're DOING?!!" yelled Lucius, glaring at his son. He held his hand out and quickly said "accio wand". I watched it fly to his hand, and he was armed once more. "I will take care of them, and then I will take care of you."

He turned to us once again, but he must have seen Draco move out of the corner of his eye because he quickly turned his wand on him and yelled "Crucio!" Draco dropped to the ground, trying not to scream in pain as I tried to comprehend how a Father could cause his own son so much anguish. Hermione acted quickly as she trained her wand on Lucius and yelled "Stupefy!"

He expertly dodged the jet of light, and after that, all hell broke loose. If anyone had ever said that I would one day fight alongside Draco Malfoy, I would have told them they were nutters. But the three of us fought side by side that day against Bellatrix, Dolohov and Lucius; what seemed to be about half an hour later, Tonks, Kingsley and another Auror I'd never seen before showed up and apprehended the three of them. Hermione had a pretty deep cut on her left arm and complained that her entire body hurt while I couldn't feel the entire right side of my body. I didn't hear the curse that caused it, so I hoped that Madam Pomfrey would know how to reverse it.

After Tonks had bound the three Death Eaters and took them away, Kingsley walked up to Draco, who was lying unconscious on the ground. "I'll take him to St. Mungo's before we take him into custody" he said, pointing his wand at Draco and levitating him off the ground.

Without hesitation I said, "No, Kingsley, he fought with us today." He looked at me strangely, as if wondering if I had been hit by one too many curses, and I limped my way over to him. "He fought against his Father today and probably saved our lives."

He studied me for a moment and then nodded. "Well then, we need to get the three of you back to Hogwarts so that Madam Pomfrey can fix you up. Don't suppose you happen to know why Draco's unconscious?"

"He was hit with a wide range of curses" I said. "The only reason Hermione and I fared so well was that we have been learning a bunch of defensive spells for the DA. Malfoy, on the other hand, has never come to our meetings, so he really didn't stand much of a chance."

After that, Tonks returned from dropping off Lucius and his friends, and the three Aurors took us back to school in one of the carriages. Tonks must have somehow notified him, because Dumbledore was waiting for us when the carriage stopped and Hermione and I stumbled out with Kingsley's help. Dumbledore conjured three stretchers and levitated us up to the Hospital Ward, where Pomfrey kept muttering about how she saw way too much of me and bustled about, treating us. She wasn't too sure why Malfoy was unconscious and used every counter-curse she knew. He was awake for about two minutes, and then he was right back out again.

Dumbledore came over to talk to Hermione and I once Madam Pomfrey had done all she could for us; we would of course be spending the night in the ward again. When I saw his face, I knew something else, besides us being attacked, was wrong and waited for him to speak first. "I am afraid I have received some terrible news" he said, looking from Hermione to me. "At the same time you were attacked, the rest of Voldemorts Death Eaters attacked three separate muggle and wizard towns in England; there are thousands dead and injured, and it looks as if it is only the beginning." He sat down on the end of my bed, sighing heavily and looking all of his one hundred and fifty years as he said, "It would seem that the Second War is upon us."

~"The Scarlet Letter" was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I know there is still a lot that needs to be explained, namely Draco's complete turn around, and it will come in the next chapter. There are a couple of other things that will be explained too, and the trio will finish their sixth year. Please review, I love hearing from you and they are very inspiring!

19. Purgatory and Redemption-Pt. 2

~A/N> Ok, I have been working on this chapter on and off now for four days; for some reason it has been the hardest chapter for me to write ever. I don't know if I'm suffering a bit of writer's block, but I'm working on getting past it. This is what I have for now, I know it's shorter, but it is an important part. I want to regain my composure for the next chapter because it will contain the start of the war. BTW, the war will not only be one or two chapters long. If all goes as planned, it will start at the end of sixth year and continue past the end of their schooling. Thank you again for the phenominal reviews, the support for this story has been overwhelming!! :)

"The stupid neither forgive nor forget; the naive forgive and forget; the wise forgive but do not forget. "- Thomas Szasz

Whatever curse Dolohov had hit me with this time had some nasty after-effects; my entire body hurt, my vision was really blurry and I had spiked a pretty high fever for seemingly no reason. Harry wasn't much better off than I was; after three days he still hadn't gotten full use of his right side yet. So what was supposed to be an overnight stay in the Hospital Ward turned into a weeklong stay.

Malfoy was doing a little better, but Madam Pomfrey kept tutting about when she would check on him, mumbling about unknown curses that the Death Eaters had been coming up with. He didn't look or seem any better now than when he first came in, and a part of me found it hard to believe that his own Father would do this to him; then I would stop and remember my own Father and realize that it actually was possible.

He and Harry had exchanged some words on a couple of occasions; we would be talking and Malfoy would butt in with some sarcastic or demeaning comment, which just caused Harry to become angry. One day after a particularly nasty exchange of words, Harry had decided to give it up and finally let sleep overcome him; Madam Pomfrey had given him a potion shortly before that had made him really groggy. Unfortunately, that left me alone with the nasty Slytherin, who had seemed to turn his attention on me.

"Why do you do that?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.

"Do what Granger?" Malfoy replied, spitting out my name. He had already gotten two detentions for calling me Mudblood; seemed he had learned his lesson.

"Speak to us the way you do?" I said. "You just fought with us against your own Father and two Death Eaters, and now all you do is lay there and insult us. What have we ever done to you?"

"First of all, I didn't fight with you, I fought against my Father, there is a difference," he said. "Secondly, did you seriously think I'd ever help you, for ANY reason, when just your mere existence is such a pain in my arse?"

I stared at him for a moment, my anger bubbling just below the surface. Finally realizing that he would never listen to me, I said, "I like to think I'm the type of person that tries to find someone’s redeeming quality; I'm hard pressed to find anything redeeming in you. I also try to forgive; otherwise my life would be overrun by my hatred for other people. Of course I never thought we'd become friends, but I thought that we might be able to talk civilly to one another."

"Ah yes, 'Forgive and Forget'. I never did understand why Muggles used that phrase; there's really no such thing."

I looked at him for a moment, noticing the hatred that burned in his eyes; he obviously had a certain person in mind while he spoke. "I may forgive, but I never forget" I said, sounding spurned even to my own ears.

"Awe, did someone do you wrong Granger? What, didn't get the book you wanted for your birthday?" he taunted, trying to get me to lash out at him the same way Harry had.

I took a deep breath and calmed myself before saying "only fools speak of things they have no knowledge."

"And only an idiot would forgive someone who had hurt them" he said, glaring at me. "If you can forgive them, then whatever it was they did to you must not have been that bad."

I sat there staring at him, wondering what had happened to make him so...spiteful. "I'm not going to argue with you Malfoy, so stop trying to instigate a fight."

"I thought we were just talking" he replied, and by the smug look on his face, I knew he had figured out that he had hit a nerve. "What's the matter? Did perfect Potter do something to upset you, or maybe it was your disgusting Muggle parents?"

"Quit fishing Malfoy" I said, my teeth clenched as I tried to control my temper. I was not going to give him the satisfaction.

"Like I said, Granger, I'm just talking here." I glared at him as he just sat there smirking at me he was thoroughly enjoying my anger and discomfort.

"So we're just talking, huh? Okay Draco, why don't you tell me what made you turn against your Father?" that wiped the smirk from his face and I felt a sick satisfaction in knowing that I was getting to him too.

"That's none of your business" he replied, and then he flopped back down onto his bed, as if throwing a temper tantrum.

"Come on Draco, you said we were just talking here" I taunted, wondering why I didn't just shut up. "Does it have something to do with the letter you got a few weeks back?" He shot straight up in bed once again and glared at me; my last question seemed to be spot on.

"How do you know about that letter?" he asked, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I...uh...I watched you when you read it, remember? You looked right at me after you read it" I replied, feeling a little nervous as he glared at me furiously. Maybe Harry will wake up...

"How dare you!" he shouted, drawing Madam Pomfrey out of her office, but Harry continued to sleep thanks to the potion she had given him. After she had shushed at Draco and went back into her office, he started up again. "Listen Mudblood..."

"DON'T you ever call me that," I growled, fed up with his behavior. "Don't go asking questions if your not willing to answer what's asked of you."

"You want to know?" he spat, still glaring. "Here, I'll show you." I watched as he gingerly got out of bed and slowly started walking towards me. I started to get really nervous by the fact that he was now standing by the side of my bed. He pulled his shirt up and turned so that his back was to me; my curiosity got the better of me and I glanced at the exposed skin.

I gasped at what I saw; there were angry red slash marks up and down his entire back. I just stared at him, horrified by what I saw and I wondered what had happened, even though I was pretty sure I already knew. "Who did that to you?" I asked, still staring.

He quickly lowered his shirt and glared at me. "Who do you think? I thought you were supposed to be 'the smartest witch of the century'?"

"I take it that Lucius is responsible?" I asked, wondering if I'd ever get an answer. He sat there, staring at me as if trying to decide if he could trust me or not.

"Are you going to tell me what got you so upset before?" he countered. Obviously, Malfoy believed in tit-for-tat. "Was it something Potter did?"

"What?! No, it has nothing to do with Harry, he's treated me better than anybody else" I said, furious at myself for giving him that much information. He sat there watching me, and I started to squirm under the intensity of his grey-eyed stare. "Listen...it was my Father, okay? Are you happy now?"

A surprised look crossed Malfoy's face, but he was quick to hide it again. "Let me guess, he yelled at you? Took away your books?"

Okay, now my blood was really starting to boil, if he wanted to know, I'd tell the little wanker. "My Father beat me, and my Mother too" I felt the tears well up in my eyes, I swallowed down the emotion and wiped the tears away angrily. I hated that I let him get to me like that; the slight look of sympathy on his face only made it worse. "You got what you wanted Malfoy, now leave me alone; you have caused me enough trouble to last a life time."

He didn't say anything for the longest while; he just stood there watching me. I didn't dare look at him, my hatred for him was probably radiating off of me in waves, and I would probably hex him. "I, um...sorry" he said quietly, and I broke.

"No you're not! That's what you wanted me to do, wasn't it; spill my guts about why I got upset when you asked why I couldn't forget? That's what you do though, isn't it? Push and push, degrading someone to make yourself feel superior and then break them when they're at their lowest? Isn't that what you were trying to do to me when you were trying rape me, control me and then take what wasn't yours?" I glared at Malfoy at least he had the good sense to look ashamed.

"It's just...I wasn't...I didn't want to hurt you" he said, "It was my Father..." I laughed then; it was a hollow, hurt filled laugh that echoed throughout the ward.

"You're something else, you know that?" I snarled, letting all the emotions I had been feeling out on him. "What's it feel like, being Daddy's little whipping boy and Voldemort's bitch?"

"HOW DARE YOU!" he yelled, advancing on me, and I quickly grabbed my wand from the stand next to my bed.

I pointed the tip of my wand directly at his groin, making my intentions very clear, and he was smart enough to stop dead in his tracks. "How dare you," I said quietly, glaring at him. "You attacked me at the Quidditch World Cup; you tried to rape me on the train and now here you are, sputtering excuses for your actions? You're not like your Father, Malfoy, you're worse; only a coward would blame someone else for what they've done." We sat glaring at each other, both of us breathing heavily from our angry outbursts then I suddenly felt very tired. "Go back to your bed Malfoy and leave me alone" I said, looking him straight in the eyes. "You are a horrid, evil wizard, and there's nothing on this Earth that you could ever do to redeem yourself in my eyes. You've already sold your soul to Voldemort and let your Father break your spirit; I thought you might have changed, or at least had the capability to change, but it's obvious you no longer possess a conscience.”

"Stupid, filthy little Mudblood" he spat and then turned to make his way back to his bed. I took a deep breath and realized that I had just confronted Draco Malfoy, someone I once feared.

~*~

"A timid person is frightened before a danger, a coward during the time, and a courageous person afterward."- Jean Paul Richter

After my argument with Malfoy, I decided to succumb to the potion Madam Pomfrey gave me and drifted to sleep. When I woke up some hours later, I could actually feel tension in the air; it was so thick that it was almost palpable. When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Hermione in the bed next to mine, watching me. The look on her face was one I had never seen before; it was part anger, part frustration with sadness and fear mixed in. "Hermione, what's wrong?" I asked, and was surprised when she gave me a tearful smile. I was even more surprised when she got out of her bed and made her way to mine. I moved over the best I could and made room for her so that she could sit next to me. Instead, she lay down next to me and wrapped her arms around me.

I ran my hand over her hair, I was concerned by how upset she seemed, and asked, "Luv, what's the matter?"

"Malfoy" she whispered, and I looked over to where he lay; he seemed to be asleep.

"What did he do now?" I asked, and then planted a gentle kiss on her forehead.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them again, there was a mixture of anger and fear held in them. She proceeded to recount her verbal exchange with him and I felt my anger gradually rise while she explained almost word for word what he had said. I was staring over at Malfoy in his bed while she spoke, and when she got to the part where he started to go after her, something strange happened; Malfoy suddenly flew from his bed and crashed onto the floor. Hermione stopped talking, and the next thing I knew she was shaking me gently.

"Harry, did you do that?" she asked, looking over to where Malfoy lay on the floor in a rumpled heap. I snapped out of the stupor I had unwittingly been in and looked at her questioningly.

"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.

"Well, it was strange; as I spoke of Malfoy coming after me, it was like there were waves of magical energy emitting off of you, and then he was thrown out of his bed." As she was explaining, Malfoy picked himself off of the floor and looked around, confused.

"What the sodding bloody hell just happened?" he asked, glaring over at us. Hermione and I just shrugged innocently and watched as he climbed back into bed.

"That is just what I was about to ask" came the voice of Dumbledore, startling Hermione and I. He walked over to the foot of my bed as Hermione seperated herself from my side. "Harry, do you have any idea why Mr. Malfoy was suddenly thrown from his bed?" he asked, and I swear the ever-present twinkle in his eyes seemed brighter.

"Um...well...you see Sir" I started, but Hermione interrupted me, and by the sound of her voice I could tell she was trying not to laugh.

"I think Harry has been unintentionally performing wandless magic Sir" she explained, becoming serious. Dumbledore stared at me for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.

"Is that true Harry?" he asked. When I nodded my head in affirmation he asked, "have there been other instances before today then?"

"Yes Sir" I answered, "when Malfoy attacked Hermione on the train." He stood there quiet once again, and it kind of made me nervous, the way he seemed to be studying me.

"Very well then Harry, I think that it is time you started to learn to use wandless magic properly. Come to my office Friday evening and we will begin your lessons. For now however, please try to refrain from 'accidentally' attacking Mr. Malfoy." I just smiled and nodded my head in agreement; I couldn't believe I would be learning wandless magic. "How are you doing Ms. Granger?" he asked Hermione.

"I'm doing better Sir" she replied, smiling.

"I am glad to hear that" he said, smiling back. "Make sure that you both rest up so that you can return to your studies soon."

"Yes Sir" Hermione and I replied at the same time. I watched as he walked out of the Ward and thought about what he had just said; I would be learning wandless magic from Albus Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard of our time. The year was becoming more interesting, and unbeknownst to us, more dangerous with each passing day.

~A/N2> So, Hermione finally confronted Malfoy. I know not everything was explained, but it will all play out through the rest of the story. I am hoping to update again Friday. Thanks for reading!!!

20. The Confessions of Draco Malfoy

After finally being released from hospital my daily life went on as usual, from catching up on all the class work I had missed to having two Quidditch practices a week. Since Kirke and Sloper decided not to play that year, only Ron, Ginny and I were left as returning players. After a very long week of tryouts, I was finally able to decide on two beaters and two chasers, since Ginny was the third. We weren't the best team at Hogwarts, but we definitely had the potential to be.

Hermione came to every one of our practices; she would sit in the stands and do her homework, all the while cheering us on. She still had some problems with her health, thanks to Dolohov's curse, but she always seemed to be in a good mood lately and we were closer than ever.

I had been studying wandless magic with Dumbledore for five weeks now, and I was progressing very slowly. For some reason I was unable to focus my magic, and when I did, it seemed weak. Dumbledore would just smile and tell me to concentrate on the one thing that made me truly happy; when I told him I had no idea what that could be, he just laughed quietly to himself and told me to think it over and try to figure it out before our next session.

I was on my way back to the common room, grumbling all the way, when Hermione fell in step next to me and lightly bumped my arm. "What's all the grumbling for?" she asked, giving me a dazzling smile.

The dark cloud that had enveloped me during my session with Dumbledore seemed to vanish at seeing that smile. I felt light headed and had the sudden urge to wrap my arms around her and just hold her. I felt my cheeks grow warm and I felt as if my body was vibrating; when I looked at her, I noticed a concerned look on her face.

"Harry what's wrong?" she asked, "I can feel waves of magical energy coming off of you."

"It's you" I whispered, coming to a dead stop as I finally realized what Dumbledore meant.

"What do you mean 'it's me'?" she asked, thoroughly confused by my behavior.

"You're what caused me to perform wandless magic" I said. When she still had a look of bewilderment on her face I explained, "I haven't been doing too well with my wandless magic. Tonight Dumbledore told me to concentrate on the one thing that made me truly happy and I had no idea what that was. But just now, seeing you smile, I realized that it's you; you are what makes me happy."

She honored me with the most magnificent smile and the next thing I knew, she had her arms wrapped around my neck and was hugging me fiercely. My body was humming with magical energy now and I felt as if I could conquer the world at that moment. It only increased as Hermione leaned in close to my ear and whispered, "I love you Harry".

"I love you too 'Mione" I replied. She pulled back from me then and placed her lips on mine; my body felt as if it were going to burst from the surge of magic that went through me and suddenly one of the sconce's on the corridor wall behind us burst, showering us with shattered glass. We both turned abruptly as we heard a deep chuckling behind us. Dumbledore stood there laughing, obviously he had witnessed what had happened and I felt myself blush once more. Hermione's face had become red as well and she buried her face in my shoulder.

After a quick 'reparo', he made his way over to us, a huge smile still on his face. "Please Ms. Granger, do not hide from me, there is nothing to be embarrassed about. Harry, I must say, that was quite a burst of magic. Am I correct in assuming that you figured out the trigger to your wandless magic?"

"Yes Sir" I replied, still thoroughly embarrassed, "it seems to be Hermione."

Dumbledore chuckled again and said "I figured as much, but it was not up to me to tell you." He stood looking at us for a moment, with an air of tranquility about him and a look of...was that sadness? "I am glad you have found solace in one another; I know that neither of you had the happiest of childhoods, and have both suffered a great deal. I fear you will need one another greatly with the second War looming so precariously over us." Dumbledore seemed to stare into space for a moment, lost in his thoughts and then shook off his somber mood. "Well, I suggest you get inside, it is getting late. Ms. Granger, please accompany Harry to his next session with me; I dare say that your presence will be a much needed inspiration."

"Yes Sir" she said, smiling. Dumbledore smiled back at her and proceeded to make his way down the corridor. After a few ticks of silence, she said, "we really should go inside."

I looked up and realized that we had been outside the portrait hole the whole time. The Fat Lady stared down at us, a huge smile splitting her face as she said, "I always knew you two would end up together".

I just nodded at her as Hermione said the password and then walked into the common room. I looked in the direction Dumbledore had gone and somehow I knew there was something he was not telling us. Resigning myself to the fact that if it concerned me he would tell me sooner or later, I followed Hermione and went to sit in front of the fireplace with her for a while.

~*~

I started going to Harry's wandless magic lessons every Friday night, and he continued to get better and better the more he practiced. It was as if someone opened a door inside of his soul and let loose all of his powerful magical ability; he could cast all levels of spells without his wand and Professor Dumbledore taught him how to apparate. It wasn't normal apparition; it was battle apparition, where he could disappear and reappear in mere seconds. I was so proud of him, he had been working so hard and now it was finally paying off.

Finally the day came when Dumbledore asked me not to come to the next lesson. I was disappointed, but I understood why he had asked; he wanted to see if Harry could still perform wandless magic without me there. I sat in the common room on the settee, enjoying the heat from the fire and reading 'Hogwarts: A History' until the portrait hole finally opened and Harry walked over to me.

He sat down, and instead of saying anything, he just stared into the dancing flames. "How did it go?" I asked quietly, so as not to startle him.

He looked over at me impassively, and I started to worry that he hadn't been able to do it without me in the room. Then an enormous smile broke out on his face and he said "I did it".

I felt relief wash over me and I leaned over to wrap my arms around his neck. I sat there hugging him fiercely, trying to convey my pride in him through the embrace. He pulled back a little and then claimed my lips with his; it started as a light kiss, but quickly grew more intense. Suddenly I remembered where we were, and that we were not alone, and I reluctantly pulled back from him.

He looked at me confused for a moment, until the whistles and shouts started. "Way to go Harry!" said Dean as Ron walked up and sat in the chair next to us.

"So are you guys together then?" he asked, looking from Harry to me.

"I don't know" I said, and at the same time Harry said, "yes".

I looked at Harry and saw him staring at me intently; Ron excused himself saying, "sounds like you two need to talk" as he walked away.

"We're together?" I asked Harry, trying to stop my heart from beating so fast. He just kept staring at me with those incredible green eyes of his and it was starting to un-nerve me.

"You said you loved me, and I told you I loved you too...don't you want to be with me?" he asked, letting his insecurity show through his usually calm demeanor.

"Of course I do" I said, trying to reassure him. "I'm sorry, it's just when Ron said that, I didn't want to be presumptuous." Relief swept through me when he smiled and took my hand in his, and I couldn't help but smile back at him.

~*~

A few weeks later, during my lesson with Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall came bustling into the office with Remus right behind her. Her lips were pressed into a thin line and I could tell that she was upset about something.

She motioned Dumbledore over to where she was standing and the three started to discuss what seemed to be something very serious. After a couple of minutes of intense discussion, Dumbledore broke away from them and made his way over to where I sat. "Harry, I am afraid that we will have to cut your lesson short, there is something that needs my immediate attention."

I nodded my head in understanding and made my way to the door. I said a quick "hello" to Remus as I passed by him and headed out towards the staircase. When I was in the corridor, making my way back to the common room, I glanced out one of the windows and saw a most frightening sight; looking in the direction of Hogsmead, I saw a bright orange glow. I ran the rest of the way to the common room and hurriedly said the password and went in.

Thankfully Hermione was sitting in her normal spot on the sofa and I rushed up to her and said "I need to show you something."

"Hello to you too" she said smiling, until she looked up and saw what had to be a very worried look on my face. "What's wrong?"

"Just come here" I said, yanking her up and out of her seat, practically pulling her over to the window. The orange glow was still there, but it seemed much brighter now.

"Isn't that Hogsmead?" she asked quietly, and I could hear the worry in her voice. She sat staring for a little while longer and then said, "Harry, Hogsmead is burning!"

"What?!" cried Ron, rushing up behind us. I looked back at him and saw a stricken look on his face.

"Professor McGonagall and Lupin came into Dumbledore's office during my lesson. They had a serious discussion and then I was asked to leave; when I walked out into the corridor, I saw this" I explained, pointing at the blazing town.

All the rest of the students that were in the room made their way over to the windows to have a look and I heard several gasps of surprise. I couldn't believe it, Hogsmead was most likely burning to the ground, and it could only mean one thing; Voldemort was closer than I thought.

"Harry!!" shouted Ginny, rushing in through the portrait hole. "Harry, you'll never believe it!" she said, running up to me.

"What is it?" I asked, "If it's about Hogsmead, we already know."

"What about Hogsmead?" she asked, and I pointed in the direction of the town. She gasped, her eyes growing wide as she took in the site, and shaking her head, she said "no, no it's not about that."

"Then what has you in such a state?" asked Ron, not looking at her, but keeping his gaze out the window.

"Malfoy" she said, and then she had our attention.

"What about Malfoy?" I asked, wishing she'd just get to the point.

"He's outside in the corridor, he wanted me to come and get you. He says he needs to speak to you and to tell you it's an emergency" she explained.

I looked first at Ron and then at Hermione, confused as to why he would want to see me. By the looks on their faces I could tell they were wondering the same thing. I started to make my way to the portrait hole, but Ron grabbed my arm and asked, "you're not going out there, are you?"

"Why not?" I asked. He looked at me as if I'd gone barmy, so I said, "I can't explain it Ron, but I need to hear what he has to say."

Ron looked from me to Hermione, as if asking her to talk me out of it, and she said, "I agree with Harry; I think we need to hear Malfoy out."

Once she agreed with me, I turned and once again made my way to the portrait hole. I opened it and saw Draco in the corridor pacing back and forth, muttering to himself. He looked up when he heard the door open and asked, "you couldn't come without your entourage?"

I looked behind me to see that Ron, Hermione and Ginny had followed me out. "Well Malfoy, either you talk to all of us or none of us" I replied, looking at him intently.

He stood there glaring at me for a moment and then said, "fine, whatever. Look, is there somewhere we could go to talk? There's something I need to discuss with you...privately." I turned to look in the direction he was glaring and saw Seamus standing behind me with a suspicious look on his face.

As soon as Seamus walked into the common room and the portrait closed, I looked at Malfoy and asked "why would you want to talk to me, and why should I trust you?"

"Because I know what happened in Hogsmead tonight, and I know where Voldemort is" he answered. I just stared at him for a moment and then looked from Hermione to Ron, whose mouth was hanging open in disbelief.

I looked back at Malfoy and said, "I know somewhere we can go."

"We can't take him there" said Hermione, immediately knowing what location I was talking about.

"It's the only place I can think of right now" I replied, and then started to make my way down the corridor, towards the Room of Requirement.

I heard Malfoy mutter, "thanks for the trust, mudblood" and before I could say or do anything, I heard a resounding 'thwack'! I looked back to see Hermione standing next to him glaring while Malfoy rubbed the back of his head.

"DON'T call me that!!" she shouted, and then stomped her way to where I was. I took her hand in mine, feeling proud of her for standing up to him and we continued to make our way to the room with Ron, Ginny and Draco following after us.

I paced in front of where the door would be three times and watched as it appeared. When we walked inside, the room was simply decorated with a couch, three chairs, a fireplace and a table in the middle. Hermione and I took the couch while the other three took the chairs; Draco only sat for a moment and then was up pacing again.

"So what's going on Malfoy?" I asked.

"It all started during the summer" he started, pacing a little faster, "my Father was pushing for me to join his 'Master' as one of his Death Eaters, and I didn't want to." He looked at us and must have seen the disbelief in our expressions because he explained "I know you all think I'm some evil, horrid person but I'm not; it really doesn't matter to me what you think anyway." Ron snorted and Malfoy glared at him before he continued, "just because I'm not some goody-two-shoes like you lot, that doesn't mean I want to be one of the Dark Lords followers." He was quiet for a while and we all just sat there staring at him, waiting for him to continue.

"When I told my Father that I wouldn't become a Death Eater, he didn't take it well. He started ranting about Malfoy blood and being all powerful; when he was through, he became eerily...calm and he had this look in his eyes." I saw him shudder slightly as he got a faraway look in his eyes, and then he seemed back to his old self as he snapped out of it and glared as he noticed me watching him.

"Anyway, he said that I had no choice, and that he would 'convince' me to join his Master. He...he..." Malfoy turned pale suddenly and stopped talking.

Hermione looked at him sympathetically and asked, "is that where the scars on your back came from?"

While the rest of us looked at her, wondering what she was talking about, Malfoy replied, "uh...yeah...anyway, after a few hours of 'convincing', he told me that I needed to prove myself to Voldemort, and to do that I needed to go after the mu...I mean Granger."

"Why did he want you to hurt Hermione to prove yourself to Voldemort?" I asked, trying to control my temper; I would hear the entire story before I kicked his arse.

"Because of how much she meant to you" he replied, and the way he said it made it sound like I should have already known the answer, that I was stupid. "With her dead, Voldemort figured that it would break you, make you vulnerable to his attacks."

"Too bad Harry showed up and kicked your arse" said Ron, and even though he was smiling, I could still see his hatred for Malfoy reflected in his eyes.

"Shut up Weasel" taunted Draco, and I quickly stood up and moved between the two when Ron stood up to go after him.

"Ron, let's let him finish his story, okay?" Ron nodded and sat back down, and I turned to look at Draco. "How about you quit acting all high and mighty and finish your story?"

Draco stood there glowering at me for a moment and then continued, "right, anyway I decided to go through with my Father's plan so he wouldn't...try to convince me anymore." He looked at Hermione and said "I really did not want to do it, but it was either me or you, and I like living." Hermione shot him a very nasty look and he quickly turned away from her. "My Father found out about my failure and decided his own form of punishment, since he felt Dumbledore's wasn't harsh enough. He wrote me a letter to let me know what he had done and that he planned to take care of Potter himself."

Draco stopped then, closed his eyes and took a deep breath; I remember how uncharacteristic it was for him to show vulnerability like that. "In the letter...he told me about his plan to attack Hogsmead and how he was going to kill Potter; he also described in great detail how he was going to torture and kill Granger afterwards, and how I was going to be there to watch so that I could learn how to be a real man. Then he said that as my punishment for failing the Dark Lord, he had taken away the one thing that meant the most to me."

"What was that, your mirror, favorite comb?" asked Ron sarcastically.

Malfoy whipped around to face Ron with a look of hatred, and while gritting his teeth he said in a voice that held a slight tremble to it, "My Mother; he killed my Mother and described in detail what he did to her."

~*~

No one said a word for a few moments, we just sat there stunned. I looked at Harry and saw a look of shock on his face while Ron actually looked sorry for what he had said. I cleared my throat and asked, "how can you be so sure that what he wrote was true?"

"I showed Professor Snape the letter after breakfast that morning and he set it up so that I could floo to Malfoy Manor to see for myself; he came with me in case Father was home. I looked all over the house and when I got down into the dungeons...he had her manacled to the wall...she was definitely gone." I could see unshed tears in his eyes, but I knew better than to say anything; he'd only lash out at me and probably cause a huge fight with Ron and Harry.

"Dumbledore knew about the planned attack, so did all the other teachers, but with all hell breaking loose in three other towns that day, everything was thrown into chaos. I had overheard Snape saying that they could only send two Aurors to stop my Father and his 'friends', so I went to try to stop him myself. He had put the exact location where he was going to attack you in the letter, but when the Aurors went there, they couldn't find them. He had said that if I wanted redemption I could join him in the fight and regain some of my honor; I took a chance and checked other spots, and luckily I found him. The rest you know."

After another brief silence as we absorbed everything Draco had just said, Harry asked, "you said you knew where Voldemort was?"

"My Father sent me another letter this morning; it seems he's free, Voldemort broke his followers out of Azkaban again early this morning and it hadn't reached the Prophet yet. They're the ones that attacked Hogsmead; he asked me to join him yet again, even though I betrayed him. He probably planned on killing me if I showed up" he explained. "Afterwards they are going back to Malfoy Manor; Father wanted me to know that the Manor is going to be Voldemort's new hideout."

"Why are you telling us all of this?" asked Harry, looking suspicious. "For all we know, you've decided to join your Father and Voldemort, and luring us to Malfoy Manor is just part of the plan."

"Have you not heard a word I've said?" Malfoy replied angrily. "I want my Father dead, he brutally murdered my Mother, and if you can wipe out Voldemort in the process, then it's two down for the price of one."

I looked at Harry and then Ron, who sat quietly studying Malfoy, as if he would be able to tell if he were lying or not just by watching him. "So what you're saying" said Harry, interrupting my thoughts, "is that you want to go attack the Manor?"

Malfoy stood in front of Harry, quietly staring at him as if sizing him up. After about a minute, he got a determined look in his eyes and replied, "No, I want you and I to go attack the Manor"

~**Please review, it only takes a minute and I would greatly appreciate it!**~

21. Into The Serpent's Lair

~A/N> Sorry this update took so long, but I had some trouble with it. I took my time writing it because I'd rather post a chapter that meets my standards rather than one that I feel is crap, I respect you guys too much to do that. Just so you know, the attack on Hogsmead in the last chapter was the start of the second War, and there will be no quick end. I plan for it to last through the next three chapters, possibly more. And the moment everyone has been waiting for between H/Hr is coming, so please be patient with me! Thanks to Spaz141 for all your help, and thanks to everyone who reviewed, it's greatly appreciated!! Oh, and I apologize now for the cliffy at the end, I will work hard to post the next chapter quickly!

~"Look not mournfully into the past. It comes not back again. Wisely improve the present. It is thine. Go forth to meet the shadowy future, without fear."- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow~

'Did he just say...?' I thought, and then thought to hell with asking myself. "Are you mad?" I almost shouted, glaring at Malfoy. "You and Harry, storming Malfoy Manor alone? That's suicide!"

"Thanks for having so much faith in me 'Mione" said Harry, and I knew he was trying to lighten the mood, but it wasn't going to work.

"And you" I said, rounding on him, "don't you even dare consider this...this insane plan."

"You can't tell him what to do!" stated Malfoy.

"Stay out of this Malfoy!" I replied, scowling at him.

Ron looked as if he were a spectator at a tennis match; his head kept shifting from Malfoy to Harry to me, and then back again as we argued over Malfoy's suggestion. Ginny just sat there silently watching us, and when there was a break in the argument she said, "they don't have to go alone."

"WHAT!?" Ron and I yelled, turning on her.

"What have we been doing in the DA all this time?" she asked, looking from Ron to me. "Isn't this what we've been learning and training for? We've learned how to defend ourselves; why not use it to help Harry? We could go and watch his back, put what we've learned to good use."

"There is no way you're going anywhere near the fighting" said Ron in typical big brother form.

"Don't tell me what I can and can not do Ron" she replied, anger flashing in her eyes. "Dumbledore asked Harry to re-start the DA for the purpose of teaching us to defend ourselves; what better way to use our skills is there?"

"So a group of students from Hogwarts is supposed to storm Malfoy Manor and go up against You-Know-Who and his followers?" Ron responded, just as angrily. "It's still suicide, there's just more lives at stake!"

"STOP!" Harry yelled, getting everyone's attention. He looked straight at me, and I could instantly read the look in his eyes. He was going with Malfoy, and he was going alone.

"You can't be serious!" I almost yelled.

"I don't want to put anyone in danger 'Mione, you know that" he said quietly, keeping eye contact with me, "this is War, and the Order, along with the Aurors, are off fighting in Hogsmead. We have the opportunity to check on Voldemort, see what he's up to, and after all the lessons I've had with Dumbledore I feel I'm ready."

"I repeat, once again, are you MAD?!!" I shouted, while glaring at him. "You're not ready, you've just started lessons a few months ago! There's no way you could have learned how to defend yourself against Voldemort so quickly!"

He stood there quietly, and by the look in his eyes, I knew that I had gone too far. I had not only questioned his decision, I had doubted his abilities, and there was such a look of betrayal in his eyes that I had to look away. "Well" he said stiffly, "with that resounding vote of confidence, I think I'll go get my things ready." He stormed out of the room, not once looking back, and I felt like crying. 'How could he just walk out like that?' I thought sadly.

As if somehow reading my thoughts, Malfoy drawled, "I think he just needed to get away from you."

"Sod off Malfoy" I said, surprising myself with my language. I could tell the others were surprised as well from the looks on their faces. Steeling my nerves for what I was about to do, I took a deep breath and then made my way out the door, determined to stop Harry.

He was halfway down the corridor already, so I ran to catch up to him. Finally I was side-by-side with him as he strode purposely towards the common room, and as I struggled to keep up with his fast pace I said, "Harry, you can't do this; you can't go with Malfoy alone."

He stopped dead in his tracks, and I had to turn around and walk back to where he was standing. He was glaring at me, and his frustration with me showed in his eyes. "How many times do I have to say it Hermione? I am going to go, by myself, and that's final!"

When he started to walk away from me again I grabbed his arm to try and keep him there, but he yanked it away and kept walking. "Are you going to force me to stop you?" I asked.

"I'd like to see you try" he said, almost daringly.

I was stunned for a moment by the way he was acting, but I quickly recovered. I shadowed him all the way through the portrait hole and up the stairs to his dorm room. When I walked in I could tell Neville, Seamus and Dean were surprised to see me there, but at the moment I really didn't care. I motioned for them to leave, not really asking, and thankfully they left without arguing with me. Once the door closed behind them, I yelled, "Harry Potter, you are not going; I don't care if I have to somehow call Dumbledore back to the castle to do it, but I'm not letting you leave!"

He turned from his trunk and took two steps toward me; he was so close our noses were almost touching. "Listen Hermione, Malfoy and I have a chance to go to the Manor to see what's going on. It's not as if we are going to go charging in there with our wands drawn; we're going to see if we can find anything that might tell us what Voldemort's up to. Draco knows every inch of that place and he'll be able to show me where to go. If we're lucky, we can find out what Voldemort is planning next."

I suddenly felt tired of all the arguing, and a little defeated. "What are you going to do if you get caught?" I asked, barely above a whisper, "what if this is just a trap and Malfoy wants to deliver you to Voldemort to get in good with his Father again?" He stood there looking at me for a moment, and I knew he was thinking things through.

"I don't know" he admitted, and then turned to continue his preparations.

"Then let me go with you!" I demanded.

"No!" he shouted, turning towards me again. "It's bad enough that it was my fault you were hurt at the Department of Mysteries; I'm not letting you risk your life for me again."

"Isn't that my decision to make?" I asked, starting to get angry once more. "I can help you; I can 'watch your back' as Ginny put it."

"You don't get it, do you? You are NOT going with us!" he yelled. I watched as he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened them and looked at me with an almost pleading look in them as he said, "I promised your Mum I would look out for you, and I intend to keep my promise. You mean too much to me 'Mione, I don't want to risk losing you, so please just drop it and let me get ready to go."

"But that's exactly how I feel!" I replied, frustrated. "You're all I have left, and you're going off half-cocked, with Draco Malfoy of all people, on a dangerous mission. I can't lose you too, and if you don't come back, you will have broken your promise to Mum anyway."

"I'm coming back," he stated, sounding like he was trying to convince the both of us.

My eyes welled up with tears; I wasn't going to change his mind no matter how much I tried. "I give up" I said, my breath hitching as I attempted to suppress the tears that were threatening to fall. I turned abruptly and made my way to the door, feeling a great need to get out of the room as quickly as possible.

I heard Harry call out to me, but I ignored him and walked out the door. As I made my way down to the common room, I noticed Ron and Ginny sitting in the chairs in front of the fireplace.

"Did you get him to change his mind about going alone?" asked Ron, ever so oblivious.

"Obviously not Ron, can't you see how upset she is?" asked Ginny as she got up and wrapped me in a hug.

I just stood there and cried; a part of me felt as if I'd lost him already, and it was an awful feeling. I heard Ron get up and start up the stairs, and I knew he was going to talk to Harry. It was no use, he wouldn't be able to talk him out of it either, though I was glad he was giving it a try. Ginny walked me over to the sofa and we sat quietly staring into the fire. I heard the dorm room door open a little while later and then Harry and Ron arguing as they made their way downstairs. The voices stopped directly behind us, and then I felt what had to be Harry's hand on my shoulder. "Hermione..." he started, but I interrupted him.

"Just go" I said, hating myself for it, but I was hurting so badly and I wanted to hurt him just as much. He slowly withdrew his hand and I watched out of the corner of my eye as he made his way to the portrait hole. He had changed so that he was now dressed in all black; he had his broom in one hand and his invisibility cloak in the other. His head was hung low and he was dragging his feet slightly; when he reached the portrait he looked back at me for a moment and then walked out into the corridor.

My chest felt tight and my head was pounding; the person I loved more than life itself had just walked away from me, even after I begged and pleaded with him not to. 'What if this is the last time I see him?' I thought, and then jumped up off of the sofa. I made a mad dash out into the corridor and down to the entry hall, where I saw Harry walking out the door. I ran as fast as I could, afraid that he would leave before I could talk to him, and then slammed through one of the doors.

"Harry!" I yelled, seeing him just a few steps ahead of me. He stopped and turned to face me, an unreadable look on his face. I continued to run until I was right in front of him and then I flung my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly to me. I lost all control of my emotions as I started sobbing uncontrollably into his chest. "Please don't leave me," I implored.

I felt his arms go around me and he held me just as tightly as I was holding on to him. We just stood there like that for a while as I continued to cry and beg him to stay. I told him how much I loved him and how scared I was that he wouldn't come back. He just stood there holding me, listening to me cry and plead for him to stay. I told him that if he would just wait until the next night we could plan everything out so that he would be safe.

Draco cleared his throat and said quietly, "we really need to get going."

Harry slowly pulled away from me and I fought the urge to keep my arms tightly around him. He placed his hands gently on either side of my face and caressed my skin with his thumbs. "I love you 'Mione, don't ever forget that" he whispered and then placed a tender kiss on my lips. He dropped his hands and took a step back, distancing himself from me. We stood there staring at each other, his eyes full of sadness and my tears continuing to stream down my face. "I have to go" he said quietly and then mounted his broom. He rose up so that he was hovering just high enough to touch the tips of his shoes on the ground. "I'll be back as soon as possible."

"Harry, please..." I started, but he interrupted me.

"I love you" he said, his voice sounding thick with emotion.

"I love you too," I said, my voice breaking as I tried not to cry even harder. I watched as he rose up higher into the air and then flew to where Malfoy was waiting. He turned briefly and waved, and then they were gone.

I fell to my knees, my legs unable to support me anymore, and buried my face in my hands. I had never cried so hard in all my life, not even when my Mum had passed away. When Harry left that night, he took a part of my soul with him, and I wasn't sure I'd ever feel whole again.

~*~

Leaving her was the hardest thing I had ever had to do in my life; I had never seen Hermione lose control of her emotions like she had that night, not even when her Mum had died, and I had almost given in to her numerous requests to stay. But then I remembered what we were going to Malfoy Manor for, and I steeled my resolve against her pleas.

I flew silently next to Malfoy, the cold night air stinging my face and making my eyes water. Neither of us said a word the entire way, we were too wrapped up in our thoughts to make meaningless small talk. I had asked Malfoy to let me know when we were close to our destination and when he gave me the signal I draped my invisibility cloak over myself so that it seemed only Draco was approaching the Manor. I didn't dare tell him about it beforehand, and he looked surprised when I suddenly disappeared from view; thankfully he didn't ask any questions.

We landed in a grove of trees and hid our brooms; I slipped off my cloak and covered both brooms with it to ensure they wouldn't be found. Malfoy motioned for me to follow him as he walked up to a huge boulder. He waved his wand over it, saying something I couldn't hear, and then suddenly the boulder disappeared. When the rock had vanished it had uncovered a tunnel entrance leading below ground. "Where does this lead?" I asked as quietly as possible.

"It's a secret underground tunnel that leads into the dungeon" Malfoy answered, "it's outside the wards, so no one will be tipped off that we are here."

I nodded my head in understanding and watched as he started to make his way down the ladder that led into the tunnel. Once he reached the bottom, he looked around to make sure the coast was clear and then signaled that it was safe for me to descend. Once my feet touched the floor, I looked around and I immediately felt ill-at-ease. We were in the Malfoy dungeon; I looked over at Draco and noticed that he was staring at a set of manacles hanging on of the wall. "Is that...?" I started, but Draco interrupted me.

"Let's get going" he said angrily, and I knew then that that must have been where he had found his Mum, after Lucius had killed her to punish him.

I followed him, noticing that we were passing cages and more manacles hanging on the walls in different places. It looked like a virtual torture chamber and I felt a cold chill run through me as I passed by what looked to be a blood stain on the floor. I stared straight ahead the rest of the way, trying not to think of how many witches and wizards had been tortured and killed down here.

Draco stopped at a heavy iron door and turned to face me. His face was as white as a sheet and I could tell he was trying really hard to disguise his fear. "Outside of this door there is a staircase; it leads up to a trap door that opens into the pantry. Once we're out of the pantry, follow my lead; my Father is probably in his study, and more than likely Voldemort is with him. That's where they normally hold their meetings when they're planning an attack."

"Is the study far from the kitchen?" I asked, wondering how far we would have to go, and if we might run into any Death Eaters along the way.

"Once we're out of the kitchen, we'll make a left turn and head down the corridor; the study is about five doors down on the left" Draco explained.

I nodded my head to let him know I understood and he turned to open the door. Thankfully it opened quietly and we climbed up the very narrow staircase; at the top he slowly pushed the trap door open and we made our way into the pantry. I tightened my grip on my wand as Draco walked up to the door that led into the kitchen and cracked it open just enough so that he could do a quick check of the room. Once he was satisfied that it was empty, he quickly made his way across the room and I followed him out of the kitchen and into the corridor. 'One...two...', I counted to myself as we walked closely pressed against the left wall and passed each door. 'Three...four...', Malfoy stopped just outside of what had to be the study door and then motioned for me to stop. We both listened to see if we could hear anyone talking inside, but it was quiet.

Just as he put his hand on the door knob to open it, a sudden shout of "Expelliarmus!" rang through the air. Both of our wands went flying and we turned to see who had disarmed us. There stood Peter Pettigrew, his silver hand gleaming in the light of the corridor, looking as if Christmas had come early.

"Well, well, well...who do we have here?" he asked gleefully. "Harry Potter and Lucius Malfoy's son, together? This is quite a surprise." He started walking toward us slowly as he said, "If your looking for your Father and my Master, they're not here. Oh, but my Master is going to be so pleased when he gets back to find that I've captured you both." He stopped two steps away from us, and with a maniacal gleam in his eyes, he pointed his wand at me and yelled, "Stupefy!"

~Please review, it only takes a minute, and I greatly appreciate it!!~

22. Revelations

~A/N> Thank you for all of the great reviews on the last chapter! And for those of you who pointed out that Harry never took his invisibility cloak off, that was a mistake on my part and it has been corrected. Thanks for pointing it out! Thanks again to Spaz141 for all the help!!

I saw the jet of light streaking towards me and thinking quickly I stuck my hand out in front of me and shouted, "deflecto!"

The spell bounced off of the invisible shield in front of me and ricochets back towards Wormtail, hitting him squarely in the chest. I watched as he fell to the floor stunned and breathed a sigh of relief. I turned towards Draco and noticed a surprised look on his face. "Don't ask, let's just get out of here."

"Not before we search the study," he replied as he walked over to where our wands were; once he handed mine back to me he turned to open the door. I stood in the corridor keeping an eye on the rat while Draco searched through the study to see if he could find anything of importance. I heard him opening and closing drawers and then heard him yell, "I found something!"

"Good, why don't you shut it and keep looking. I'm sure you'll find more" I said, anxious to get the hell out of this place. It was bad enough that Wormtail had already discovered us; I didn't want to stick around for when Lucius and Voldemort came back. After a lot of noise from the room, Draco finally emerged with an armload of parchments.

"Alright, let's go" he said and then started to make his way back to the kitchen. I looked down at Wormtail for a moment and then hurried after Draco. Once we made it back to the dungeon, Draco shrunk the rolls of parchment in his arms and put them in his pocket. We were halfway across the yard when suddenly my scar felt like it was being ripped open. I dropped to the ground, clutching my head and trying hard not to scream out in pain. "Potter, what are you doing?!" Draco quietly asked, aggravation evident in his voice.

"My scar" I replied, gritting my teeth. "Voldemort must be inside; they must have found Wormtail."

"Then we've got to go NOW!" Draco said. He roughly grabbed my arm and pulled me off of the ground; I half stumbled, half ran the rest of the way to where our brooms were hidden, my scar throbbing in pain the entire time. I took my invisibility cloak off of the brooms and grabbed mine quickly. Once I was mounted I covered myself and took off into the night. I looked back once to make sure Draco was following me, and after that I flew as fast as I could back to Hogwarts, trying to ignore the searing pain.

~*~

I had never been more worried in my entire life: it was almost one in the morning and I was wide-awake, pacing in front of the common room fireplace. I heard the portrait hole open and whipped my head up, expecting to see Harry walking in. Instead, Professor Dumbledore was walking towards me, looking old and tired.

"Professor Dumbledore, sir, I'm surprised to see you here so late" I said, trying not to sound disappointed.

"Having trouble sleeping Miss Granger?" he asked. The way he was looking at me gave me the impression he knew the reason I was awake.

"Um...well...you see Sir..." I started, and then turned my gaze once more to the portrait hole, where Harry and Draco had just walked in.

Harry was leaning on Draco as he walked, his hand clutching his scar; I got worried when he looked up at me and I noticed his face was white and covered with a thin sheen of sweat. Their eyes grew wide with surprise as they noticed Dumbledore standing there with me. "Mr. Potter, Mr. Malfoy, care to explain why you were out of your house common rooms at this late hour? And why is Mr. Malfoy in the Gryffindor common room instead of his own?"

Ignoring Dumbledore's questions I ran up to Harry, and just as Malfoy stepped away from him, I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him with all my might. I didn't care that Dumbeldore was watching and I didn't care that Malfoy had a disgusted look on his face; my only concern was that Harry was back, and he seemed to be okay. I pulled away from him and studied his face for a moment; he seemed unhurt, but he still kept his hand over his scar, as if removing it would make it hurt worse. Dumbledore cleared his throat, drawing our attention back to him and Harry looked at me; I gave a slight shake of my head, trying to convey to him that I had not told Dumbledore they were gone. He looked back at the Headmaster and said, "Well, Sir...we were just..."

"I found Potter passed out in the corridor" lied Malfoy. 'Idiot' I thought, knowing that Dumbledore would easily catch his lie.

"Is that so Mr. Malfoy?" asked Dumbledore, staring at him intently. "Perhaps you and Mr. Potter should come to my office and we can discuss where you really were."

Harry looked at me, defeated, and then stood up straight. His hand was still covering his scar, and when he removed it I gasped. "Harry, your scar is bleeding." I rushed to where my bag lay on the sofa and rummaged around inside. I finally found my handkerchief and made my way back to him; I quickly pressed the cloth onto his scar, noticing that he winced at the contact.

"Thanks 'Mione" he said, placing his hand over mine. I felt a little tingle go down my arm at the contact and gave him a smile. He smiled back at me and I heard Malfoy mutter, "how revolting."

"Well gentlemen, shall we?" Dumbledore asked, motioning towards the door. Harry and Draco turned and made their way back to the door. I had started to make my way back to the sofa when Dumbledore said, "Miss Granger, I almost forgot the reason I came here in the first place. I am afraid there were many casualties in the fight at Hogsmeade this evening; your presence would be greatly appreciated in the Hospital Ward. Madame Pomfrey requires all the competent assistance we can gather?"

"Absolutely Professor" I replied, surprised by his question.

"Could you also wake Miss Weasley and ask her to go with you? I am afraid you may not get much sleep tonight." I stopped and looked at Dumbledore; suddenly I was afraid of what I was going to see when I got to the ward. I shook my head and turned to make my way up to wake Ginny. Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder, and when I turned, Harry was standing behind me.

"Are you all right?" he asked, grabbing my hands. When I didn't say anything, he said, "I'm sorry if I worried you 'Mione, but I hope you understand that I needed to go tonight. And I think we may have found some important documents; maybe they'll tell us what Voldemort is up to."

"That's great Harry, and I'm fine" I replied, squeezing his hands gently. He pulled me forward and wrapped his arms around me; it felt so good to be held by him, and I was so relieved he was okay. "Where did Malfoy and Dumbledore go?" I asked, noticing they were no longer in the common room.

"They're waiting for me in the corridor" he replied, pulling away slowly. He bent and gave me a brief, gentle kiss and then let go of me. "I should get going, and it sounds like you have some work ahead of you."

"Yeah, I'm kind of afraid of what I'm going to see when I walk in there" I said, and he gave me a look of understanding.

"I'll come help you after I'm done talking with Dumbledore, if he'll let me" he said, and I smiled at him once more.

"Thanks Harry" I answered, and then stood on my tiptoes to give him another quick kiss. "I'll see you later."

He smiled, gave a quick wave and then turned around and left. Once he was gone I turned back to the stairway; I needed to wake Ginny first and then change my clothes. It was going to be a very long night.

~*~

Malfoy and I followed Dumbledore up to his office, neither of us making a sound. We stopped just long enough for the Headmaster to say the password and then we followed him up to his office. Once the three of us were seated, Dumbledore steepled his hands and levelled his gaze on us. "So, who is going to explain to me what you two were up to tonight?"

Malfoy and I looked at each other for a second, and I knew he wouldn't speak up; it was going to be up to me to get us out of the potential trouble we faced. "Well Sir, you see...we were at Malfoy Manor." Dumbledore sat there staring at me, making me uncomfortable, so I pressed on, "Draco sought me out tonight to tell me that he knew where Voldemort and his Father were going to be. He explained how he knew about the first attack on Hogsmeade and why he fought against his father, and we discussed what should be done. The two of us decided to fly to the Manor to have a look around for ourselves."

"And do you feel that was a wise decision?" Dumbledore asked, looking upset for the first time that evening. When neither of us answered he said, "Harry, you must admit, you did a very foolish thing tonight. You put yourselves into great danger, and if anything had happened, there would have been no one available to assist you. The teachers, among many others, were off fighting in Hogsmeade tonight; we would not have discovered you were gone until it was too late."

"We understood the risk we were taking Sir," stated Draco defiantly. "I had the feeling my Father was planning something big, and when I learned of the attack tonight I knew there would be more to come. I asked Potter for his help, and he agreed to go with me; I might add that we did not come back empty handed." He stood up and reached into his pocket, withdrawing the shrunken documents he had brought back with him. He returned them to their normal size and handed them over to Dumbledore.

"What are these?" he asked, opening one up.

"We haven't had a chance to look them over properly, but I know a couple of them are maps" Draco replied.

Dumbledore took the parchments from him and unrolled them on the desk. He studied one after the other, looking deep in thought, and then looked up at us suddenly after he had glanced at the last one. "I believe you may have found something of great importance," he said, looking from me to Malfoy. "This is a map of Hogwarts; it has every ward that has been placed around the school outlined on it. Mr. Malfoy, do you happen to know what they were planning to do with this map?"

"No Sir, I wasn't allowed to attend the meetings after I refused to become one of them" Draco replied. Dumbledore studied him for a moment, as if deciding whether he was telling the truth or not, and then nodded his head slightly.

"You shall both serve one week of detention with your head of house; what you did tonight was very dangerous. You may have found some very important information, but you foolishly risked your lives in the process. You may return to your houses now." Malfoy and I nodded our heads in understanding, thoroughly reprimanded for what we did, and made our way to the door. "Harry" Dumbledore said, stopping me in my tracks, "I believe Miss Granger may require your assistance in the Hospital Wing."

I turned to look at him and smiled; "Thank-you Sir" I said, and made my way out of his office.

~*~

Harry walked into the ward about an hour after Ginny and I had gone down to help Madam Pomfrey, and I had never been so happy to see him. There were at least fifty injured witches, wizards and Aurors in the ward when we got there, and there were more being brought in every few minutes. The Aurors who weren't severely injured were sifting through what used to be Hogsmeade, searching for the dead and injured. St. Mungo's was even starting to turn patients away; they were over capacity and could barely tend to the patients they already had. Poor Madam Pomfrey was running this way and that way, trying to take care of the most serious cases and working her way down. She had quickly taught us healing charms when we had gotten here and had assigned us to broken bones and cuts, along with bringing her whatever she may need to treat her patients. Professor Snape had been coming in and out all night long, replenishing her potion stores.

"Oh look, Potter's here to save the day," Snape drolled as he passed Harry, and Harry looked as if he was biting his tongue to keep himself from retorting.

"Hi Harry" I said, giving him a quick hug, "did you and Malfoy get into a lot of trouble?"

"We were each given a weeks detention with our head of house" he replied, following me over to one of the beds.

"I'm afraid you'll have to wait on that Potter" came a voice from the next bed.

"Professor McGonagall?" we said at the same time.

"I didn't see you come in; what happened?" I asked.

"I got hit by a couple of stunners and Dumbledore felt I should get checked out" she replied. "Don't worry Potter, I'll be up and around in no time and you'll be able to complete your detention then. I'm almost afraid to ask what you did this time."

"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will explain it to you Professor" he replied, trying not to smile as she just shook her head and closed her eyes.

I taught Harry the healing charms and quickly put him to work; it seemed as if the flow of injured people would never end. We were both shocked when Remus Lupin came in carrying Tonks. "What happened?" I asked, running up to him.

"One of the buildings that was on fire collapsed and she wasn't able to apparate out in time" he replied. "She seems to be having some trouble breathing, I think she might have broken a rib or two."

I had him place her in the one empty bed we had left and went to get Pomfrey as quickly as I could. I may not have been close to Tonks, but she was with me when my Mum died and she had stayed with me afterwards; I didn't want anything bad to happen to her. Once the nurse was taking care of her, I went to check on the other patients I'd taken care of before. I was able to have Pomfrey clear about twenty of them, leaving us empty beds in case more arrived. When the flow of injured had finally calmed down and it seemed that there would be no more new patients coming in, the nurse approached me and said, "You've done very well tonight Miss Granger, perhaps you might consider a career in healing."

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey" I replied with a sense of pride as I watched her walk away. I had never even considered going into the medical field, but now that she had mentioned it, I found the idea did appeal to me.

"Hey you" said Harry, walking up beside me, "you looked pretty far away just now."

"Sorry, I was just thinking about something Madame Pomfrey said. She complimented me on my work in here tonight and said I should consider pursuing a career as a healer" I answered, smiling at him.

"You'd make an excellent healer," he said, smiling back at me, "or anything else you decide to become for that matter."

"Are you trying to get on my good side, Mr. Potter?" I asked playfully, feeling very punchy after being awake for over twenty-four hours.

"I wasn't aware I was on your bad side Miss Granger" he replied flirtatiously. He leaned down to kiss me, but Madam Pomfrey walked up behind us at just that moment and cleared her throat rather loudly.

"This is a Hospital Wing Mr. Potter, I suggest you keep your lips to yourself" she said rather curtly. We both blushed and took a step away from each other, which seemed to appease the rather cranky nurse. Of course we couldn't blame her, the poor woman had probably treated over two hundred patients in six hours.

Once she was gone, Harry looked at me and said, "You know, you and I have never been on a proper date."

"No we haven't" I replied. "Actually, I really shouldn't let you kiss me until we have."

"If I remember correctly, we’ve had a snog or two" he said cheekily.

"Well then, I guess I'll just have to 'keep my lips to myself', as Madame Pomfrey just said" I replied, just as cheekily.

"You can't resist me Granger," he said, walking up to me, looking as worn out as I felt at the moment.

I closed the distance between us, and leaning in close to his ear I whispered, "we'll see about that Potter."

~*~

After running the entire spectrum of emotions in one day, I felt exhausted. After flirting shamelessly with Hermione, our exhaustion seemed to catch up with us. Dumbledore had come into the ward to check on everyone and had told us that classes had been cancelled that day, so Hermione and I decided to grab some breakfast before returning to our dorms.

We talked intermittently as we walked to the Hall hand in hand; I was still surprised and relieved that she hadn't stayed mad at me. My excursion to Malfoy Manor seemed ages ago; so much had happened since then. Just seeing all of those injured and dying people made me appreciate her so much more.

We walked into the Hall and it seemed eerily quiet; everyone's eyes seemed to focus on us the moment we walked in. I spotted Ron and steered Hermione over to a seat across from him. Realizing how hungry I was, I started piling food onto my plate and then eating quite heartily. I looked up and realized that Ron was just sitting there, looking at me.

"What's up mate?" I asked as Ginny shuffled in and sat next to him. He cleared his throat and looked a little uncomfortable.

"I think there's something you should see," he said, producing the Daily Prophet from under the table, where it seemed he had been trying to hide it.

I took it from him and skimmed over the front page, and then froze. I re-read the article in front of me and then looked up at him. "Dumbledore didn't say anything about this" I said, feeling angry all of a sudden. "I just saw him an hour ago and he didn't mention one word about this."

"What is it Harry?" Hermione asked, obviously worried. When I didn't respond, she laid her hand gently on my arm and asked quietly, "Harry please, tell me what's wrong?"

I looked at her, really not seeing her clearly and replied, "They were attacked last night by Death Eaters. They found the Dark Mark floating above their house." I looked once more at the picture of the Mark hovering over the house I knew so well and whispered, "My Aunt…Uncle…Dudley, they’re dead; he's killed the last of my relatives."

~Please review, it only takes a minute, and I greatly appreciate it!!~

23. Fury

~A/N> Thank you so much for the great reviews on the last chapter! I'm flattered by the response to this story! I have recently started a Live Journal, if you'd like to check it out you can find it here: http://www.livejournal.com/~miscard/ And many, many thanks to Spaz141 for all the help with this chapter; it took a couple of hours, but you finally got it good enough to post!!! Thank You!!!!! :)

I stared at Harry in shock; Voldemort had killed the last of his blood relatives. Just as I went to say something, he stood up abruptly and said, "I'm going to go find Dumbledore." As he stalked off, I looked towards the Head Table and noticed for the first time that the Headmaster wasn't there.

"Why is he so upset that those bastard relatives of his are dead?" Ron asked rather tactlessly; I glared at him while Ginny smacked him in the back of the head.

"I'm going after him" I said quickly, "I don't want him demolishing Dumbledore's office." Ginny nodded at me while giving me a small smile and Ron muttered, "good luck."

I ran all the way to the gargoyle and said, "Fizzing Whizzbees. Thankfully it opened and I bolted up the stairs; I was afraid Dumbledore might have changed the password already. I stood in front of the door to the office and I could hear Harry's raised voice coming from inside.

"Why didn't you tell me they had been killed?!" he shouted, and I immediately opened the door and walked inside.

"Hello Miss Granger" greeted Dumbledore calmly, "it is nice to see you again." I looked at him, wondering why it was he seemed so serene. He seemed to know what I was thinking as he said, "I figured I would let Harry vent his anger before attempting to offer my version of the event."

I looked over at Harry and noticed he had the good sense to look embarrassed by his outburst. He went over and sat heavily in the chair that was in front of Dumbledore's desk, and I decided it would be best to do the same; I wanted to know Dumbledore's reason for keeping this from Harry too.

"First, I would like to apologize for the way you found out Harry; when I heard that your Aunt and Uncle's house had been attacked, I sent Professor Snape to verify the report was correct. From the initial report, it seemed that there was a chance your relatives were not home at the time of the attack; unfortunately, Professor Snape has informed me that they were indeed home, and that they are, for certain, dead." I sat staring at Harry, wondering what his reaction would be. He had closed his eyes during Dumbledore's explanation, and he just continued to sit there quietly, unmoving.

"Harry?" I asked, gently placing my hand over his. I was shocked when he roughly yanked his hand away, and then opened his eyes to give me a piercing look.

He turned his gaze from me to Dumbledore and said, "Thank you for telling me the truth Sir". I watched, hurt and confused, as he abruptly stood up and made his way out of the office. I sat there, staring after him long after he had gone, and was startled when Dumbledore spoke up.

"I believe you must go after him Miss Granger; he is very angry at the minute, but alas I do not know the reason. Perhaps it would be good for him to talk about it with someone who will understand..." he stated with a small smile. I just nodded my head slightly and made my way out of his office, trying to figure out where Harry may have gone.

After checking in the Common Room and asking Dean to check the dorm, I made my way to the Room of Requirement. If he wasn't there, the only other place I could fathom he'd go would be the Quidditch Pitch. Thankfully the door to the room was visible; hopefully it was Harry in the room and not some other student or teacher. I opened the door and saw an exact replica of the Gryffindor common room; Harry was pacing in front of the fireplace, which was the only source of light in the room.

I walked in and sat on the couch, watching as he paced back and forth, obviously deep in thought. "Harry?" I asked, "Are you okay?"

"Why did you follow me?" he asked, not bothering to stop and look at me. "Did you ever stop to think I might want to be left alone?"

Trying to mask the hurt his last comment had caused, I replied, "you didn't leave me alone when I was upset, no matter how much I asked or demanded that you get away from me; why should I just give up on you?"

"Because I don't want you here?!" he said, his voice full of anger and contempt. I couldn't help the small gasp that escaped me when he said it, just as I couldn't stop the tears that were forming in my eyes. This was twice now in two days that he had been hurtful and mean; maybe it was time for me to leave him alone.

"You bastard!" I yelled, noting with sick satisfaction that he was shocked, "first you go off and leave me yesterday so that you and Malfoy could walk into harms way and bring back some insignificant parchments, and then after I was nice enough to let my feelings of hurt and anger towards you go, you act like this?! You want to be alone so that you can wallow in your anger and self-pity? Fine! Far be it from me to interrupt your pity party!!"

I shot up from the couch and marched to the door, trying to quell the flow of tears until I was out of his line of vision, hell bent on making it back to my dorm so that I could fling myself onto my bed and have a good cry. As soon as the door to the Room of Requirement closed behind me, I heard it bang open again and whirled around to see a very enraged Harry stalking towards me. Before I could decide how to react to his violent demeanor, he had grabbed me by the upper arms and pushed me back against the wall. I knew this was Harry, my Harry, but a little part of me was really scared by the way he was acting. As he stood there holding me against the wall and glaring at me, I was trying really hard to be brave; I hated feeling scared and weak, and Harry sure as hell wasn't my Father.

"Do you actually think I'm upset that the Dursley's are dead?" he yelled, inches from my face. "The only thing that troubles me about their deaths is that the last of my Mother's family is gone; so don't go accusing me of self-pity. I am upset because Voldemort is slowly getting rid of everyone associated with me; it doesn't matter if it's someone I love or someone I despise, if there's any kind of connection to me, he's killing them. I would rather walk away from you willingly than have you taken from me because of his vindictiveness, don't you understand that?"

As he spoke, his grip on my arms had become painful and I couldn't help but wince. Thankfully he noticed and loosened his hold on me slightly, but he didn't let go completely. I felt my patience slowly start to fade as I thought over the words he had just said; this martyr act was really starting to get old. "I think it's you that doesn't understand" I said angrily, "Voldemort is going to come after me no matter what. I'm a Muggleborn Harry; to him I'm one of the foulest things on this Earth. It won't matter if I'm your friend, girlfriend or worst enemy, he will still try to kill me. And what about Ron? Are you going to tell him you can't be best mates with him anymore because Voldemort might go after him too? You have to stop being so selfish Harry; Ron and I love you, we're your best friends and no matter what we're going to stand by you. So instead of making yourself sick with worry and cutting yourself off from your friends, why don't you just resign yourself to the fact that we're not going anywhere? I'M not going anywhere..."

Before I could finish my sentence, Harry's lips had crashed down onto mine and his tongue pried them open, giving him access to my mouth. He kissed me so forcefully that the back of my head hurt where it was pressing against the wall. His body was now flush against mine, not one inch of space anywhere between us, and his hands were roaming everywhere. I could feel the anger and need in his kiss; this was his way of dealing with his turmoil of emotions, and I reciprocated in kind.

"Oh, bloody hell!" someone exclaimed, and we broke apart quickly, both of us panting for breath. I looked up and noticed Ron standing a little ways away from us, a disgusted and annoyed look on his face. "I was just coming to check on you, but obviously the two of you are just fine."

I looked at him and then at Harry, registering everything that had just happened between us. This 'relationship', or whatever it was we had, was becoming very dysfunctional and a little scary. I looked back at Ron and said, "No Ron, things are NOT fine between us" and before Harry could say anything or stop me, I ran down the corridor to the common room; it was time for me to think everything through and have that cry.

~*~

"Sod it all!" I yelled, punching the wall and then grimacing in pain. Hermione had just run away from me; that was something she had never done before, and I knew I might have blown it for good this time.

"What just happened?" Ron asked, looking completely bewildered.

"I may have just fucked up the best thing in my life" I replied, running my good hand through my hair in frustration.

"I'm not going to ask for details mate; I've seen way too much already" Ron said cheekily.

"Sod off!" I said, trying to suppress the anger that was building inside of me. 'Why did she just walk away like that?' I asked myself, going over everything that was said while I paced back and forth.

"And you kiss Hermione with that mouth?" he quipped, and I wheeled around to face him, ready to take my anger out on him. A part of me knew he was only trying to make me feel better, the other part of me really didn't care at the moment. "Calm down Harry, I'm just trying to lighten things up a little; we both know that once Hermione gets herself into a huff, it'll take a while for her to calm down."

I stared at him for a moment, realizing what a prat I was being. "You're right; sorry I acted like such a git. Let's go see if she'll talk to me" I said, slapping him lightly on the back. Thank Merlin for Ron, otherwise I might have done something really stupid in the mood I was in. We made our way to the Common Room and I noticed that it was completely deserted.

"Looks like you're out of luck for now mate" said Ron sympathetically. I just nodded my head and sighed; maybe I had blown it this time. I stood there staring at the empty couch, feeling sorry for myself when Ron said, "There's always tomorrow Harry, but for now, how about a game of Wizards Chess?"

We played a couple of games and it helped to take my mind off of Hermione for a little while. About an hour later, my body finally seemed to remember that I hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours, and I made my way up to bed; the second my head hit my pillow, I was asleep.

I woke up around seven the next morning, feeling better than I had before I went to sleep; unfortunately, the first thought in my mind was how I had treated Hermione the day before. I made my way to the washroom so I could take a nice, hot shower and when I went to grab some clean clothes, I almost cried out at the pain that shot through my hand. When I looked down at it, I noticed that it was now twice the size it should be and a very ugly purple color. 'Looks like another trip to see Pomfrey' I thought resignedly, 'after I take a long shower.'

After visiting Madam Pomfrey, I made my way down to the Great Hall for some breakfast. Thankfully it was a Saturday, so I didn't have to hurriedly eat and dash off to classes. I walked in and noticed that Hermione was sitting next to Ron; I decided the best course of action would be to sit across from the two of them. As I reached out to grab a plate of eggs, Hermione noticed my bandaged hand and quickly took hold of it. I grimaced as she turned it around to look at it and asked, "what did you do now?"

I Iooked over at Ron and noticed that he was slightly shaking his head to let me know he hadn't mentioned my injury to her. "I uh...well, you see...bloody hell, I did something stupid, okay? Can we just leave it at that?"

She sat there and stared at me for a moment, and then said, "sure Harry, we can leave it at that." She stood up to leave and I noticed the unhappy look on her face.

"Hermione..." I started, but she interrupted me.

"I'll see you two later; I have some work to do in the library and then I told Madam Pomfrey I'd help her out again today." She slowly walked away and I was so confused at the minute, I didn't know what to think. Ron and I sat there for a while after she left, talking about whatever came to mind as long as it didn't involve the attacks or my stupid behavior the night before. As we were walking up the stairs, making our way to the common room, I turned to Ron and said, "thanks again for not telling Hermione that I punched a wall last night."

"You're wel..." Ron started to say when suddenly a shriek of, "You WHAT?!!" came from behind us. I turned around quickly, and to my dismay, found Hermione standing right behind us glaring at me with her hands on her hips.

"Something stupid indeed" she said, walking up to me. "Why did you punch a wall?"

"I was mad after you left last night" I admitted, unable to meet her eyes.

"When are you going to grow up?" she asked, obviously annoyed. I just stood there, studying my feet as she stood awaiting my answer. When I stayed quiet she huffed and said, "I was coming to find you and Ron; Professor Dumbledore wants to see us in his office, now." She quickly turned away from us and made her way towards the Headmaster's office without looking back once.

"You've done it now mate" said Ron. I looked up and glared at him; I understood quite well how much I had just angered Hermione.

"Let's go," I said, ignoring him and making my way to the office also. I had hoped this would be a better day; obviously I had been very wrong.

Once we were all seated in Dumbledore's office, he looked at all three of us and said, "I have been thinking over what happened two nights ago and I believe the three of you need to start training; you need to be able to protect yourselves in case there is an attack that you are involved in." He looked directly at me after he said that and I knew he was referring to the prophecy in such a way as not to tip off Ron or Hermione; I had not told Ron yet what it had said, but Hermione already knew. "Remus Lupin and Kingsley Shacklebolt will be your instructors and your training shall start today."

I think Ron and Hermione were as shocked as I was; the three of us just sat there, staring at our instructors as they walked in from the outer room of the office. "Hello Harry,,,Ron...Hermione" said Remus. I gave a small wave as Ron and Hermione mumbled their hellos.

After Kingsley had exchanged pleasantries with us, Dumbledore stood up and said, "I believe the Room of Requirement would be the more appropriate location for your lessons."

"Shall we go then? We don't want to waste a minute of study time," said Remus, motioning towards the door of the office. The three of us stood up and followed them out of the office and up to the Room of Requirement; Remus paced in front of where the door would be three times, and when it appeared he opened the door for us and motioned us inside. When I walked in, my mouth fell open in astonishment.

In one corner of the room there was a duelling area set up and in another corner there were all sorts of parchments stuck on the wall, each showing the different wand movements for different spells; the rest of the room was empty. "This should do for now" stated Lupin, examining what the room had come up with. "Harry and Hermione, you two will be duelling each other in that corner; Ron, you'll go with Kingsley and practice defensive spells and curses." Ron nodded his head and followed Kingsley; I looked over at Hermione and noticed that she still wore an angry expression on her face. I followed her and Lupin over to the duelling corner and went to stand on one of the marks, my back facing her. I felt her back come in contact with mine for a moment and then Lupin said, "I believe you've went over the rules of duelling once before in Defense class; are you both ready to begin?"

I nodded my head and I was sure Hermione did the same. Lupin said, "right then, here we go; mark out your steps." I took five steps forward and turned; the first thing I noticed was the unfamiliar look on Hermione's face. I had a bad feeling about this...

"Okay, on the count of three, cast your spells; one...two...three..." Before I could even react I heard Hermione call out, "Engorgio!". My left hand was swelling up to twice its' normal size, and before I could retaliate with a spell of my own I heard her call out again, "Confundo!" All of a sudden I couldn't remember what it was I was supposed to be doing, all I knew was that my hand hurt really badly. "Expelliarmus!" Hermione shouted, and next thing I knew I was flying backwards, my wand flying out of my right hand as my butt bounced off of the ground. I could hear the guys snickering, and once I was able to get my wits about me, I realized that Hermione had just beaten me with three quick spells. I watched as Lupin walked towards me, trying to suppress his laughter, and then said, "Finite Incantatum!" I sighed in relief once my hand was back to normal size and my thoughts weren't so jumbled anymore.

Ron walked over and held his hand out for me, pulling me off of the ground as he had a good laugh at my expense. "Harry...mate, I told you not to make her angry" he said, obviously trying to suppress his laughter, "Hermione just kicked your arse."

~Please review, it only takes a minute and I greatly appreciate it!!~

24. Release

~A/N> I want to apologize for how long it's taken me to update this time, I've had some problems with this chapter and unfortunately the person who usually helps me has been away this weekend. With that said, please keep in mind that this chapter has not been looked over by my beta, and I apologize now for any mistakes I may have missed. I hope you will enjoy it, I tried to mix a little humor and H/Hr naughtiness into it, which has caused me to up the rating to NC-17. It's not the big moment between them yet, but I promise you it's coming (no pun intended), and they will be having some fun together between now and then. Also, I have put a prologue up on my live journal for a story I'm thinking of writing, if you have time I'd love for you to read it and tell me what you think of it and whether I should keep writing it or not. You can find it here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/miscard/2729.html#cutid1. It's an H/Hr murder mystery, it'll be rated NC-17 and I'd appreciate your feedback on it. I'll also be posting a teaser from "The Light Within" there too. That's the story that follows "The Power Within" and "The Fear Within". Thanks for the wonderful reviews on the last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one!!! :)

I felt like a total bitch after what I had done to Harry, but after everything he had said and done in the past couple of days, I completely lost my capacity to care. After Ron helped him up from the floor, where I had put him, he looked up at me with such an expression of confusion and...hurt? 'That's rich' I thought, 'he's going to act hurt after everything he's done to me?'

After staring at him for a moment, I felt my anger give way to sadness; what was I doing? Wasn't Harry the person I loved most in this world? How could I have hurt him like that? Feeling really confused, I quickly excused myself and ran from the room. I ran to the common room, but before I could make it up the stairs a hand had grabbed my arm to stop me. I turned around to see who had stopped me and saw Harry standing there. "Hermione, please don't run away from me again; we really need to talk."

"What's there to talk about?" I asked, and then tried to turn and make my way back up to my room. Harry gently tugged on my arm and I stumbled down off of the step and onto the floor. He reached up with his other hand and caressed my cheek; it was such a sweet gesture I felt like melting onto the floor.

"Us, Hermione" he said, rubbing his thumb back and forth so lightly over my skin that it tingled. We stood there like that for a moment, staring into the others eyes, and then the portrait hole opened and a group of second years came in giggling. Harry pulled away from me, but still held my hand in his as he asked, "Why don't we go try to find somewhere quiet where we can be alone?"

I nodded my head in agreement and we started to make our way to the portrait hole. Once we were out of the Common Room, we stopped in the corridor as Ron walked up to us. "You okay mate?" he asked, looking at Harry. When Harry nodded his head, Ron turned to me and said, "That was some bloody brilliant dueling Hermione; remind me never to make you angry."

I smiled at him and said, "I've wanted to do to you what I did to Harry quite a few times before."

His eyes grew wide and then he said, "well, thanks for not following through with it." I smiled at him and he returned it, and then asked, "so where are you two off to?"

"We're going to take a walk" Harry said, not quite telling him the truth.

"I wouldn't upset her again if I were you mate" Ron teased, "I won't be there to pick you up next time."

"Ha bloody ha" Harry replied, glaring at him.

I tugged lightly on his hand and said, "We'll see you later Ron." Ron just nodded and as he made his way to the portrait hole, Harry and I went to find somewhere we could talk.

~*~

Hermione and I walked around for a little while, holding hands and not saying very much. We had run into Remus and Kingsley, and after some smart-arse comments from them about how Hermione pretty much kicked my butt, I made up an excuse to get away from them. Realizing that the Room of Requirement was now empty, I steered Hermione in its' direction; once we were in front of where the door would be, I paced back and forth three times and thought of how we needed a nice, quiet place to talk. Once the door appeared and I opened it, I realized that we were once again walking into a replica of the Gryffindor common room. "You must really like the Common Room" Hermione quipped, looking around. The fireplace held a roaring fire, and I could see rain falling quite heavily outside the windows; overall it gave it a welcoming feel, almost as if I was home. I led her over to the sofa and we both sat down, facing each other.

"Want to tell me what this morning was all about?" I asked, staring straight into her eyes.

She looked away for a split second and then looked back at me, locking her gaze on mine. "Last night after our argument and then...whatever you would call what happened in the corridor, I was really confused. I love you Harry, I really do, but I'm tired of all the confusing emotions I've been going through. I try to comfort you, and you push me away; I try to be there for you, and you tell me to leave you alone. It seems as if nothing I do is good enough for you, and I don't appreciate feeling like this."

Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, and I could feel a tug at my heart as I listened to her. I had been a real arse lately; I was surprised that she had stuck by me this long. I looked at her, trying to convey all the love I felt for her through that look, and said, "I'm sorry I've been such a git lately 'Mione. I know you've only been trying to be there for me and all I've done is push you away, but I am afraid of losing you. You're all I have left, and I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you stay safe."

She sat there staring at me for a moment, and then stood up from the couch; I watched as she slowly walked over to the window and watched the rain as it hit the glass and traced its' path with her finger. "I know you're afraid of losing me Harry, I feel the same way. But I'm not the one flying off into the night with a person who's hated me for years; I'm the one who's always been there for you no matter what. We helped each other get through Sirius' death and my Mums passing; we've slept with each other in almost every sense of the word. I told you that I love you Harry, that means I've given my heart to you and I trust you with it no matter what. But lately..."

I really didn't like the sound of the last part as her words trailed off and she continued to stare outside. I walked up behind her and whispered, "Are you saying you don't want to be with me anymore?"

"No that's not what I'm saying" she replied, and I breathed a sigh of relief, which was short lived. "I'm saying that I'm tired of the way you treat me. I've given myself to you completely and unconditionally; you keep offering your heart to me but then you take it back. One minute you say you love me and then the next you're pushing me away, telling me that it's 'for my own good'. I don't know how much more I can take Harry."

"I'm so sorry 'Mione, I know I keep saying that, but I truly am. I've never felt for anyone the way I feel about you, and it scares me sometimes; suddenly I'm overwhelmed with this constant need to be with you, to touch you, protect you, and I have no idea how to deal with it." I wrapped my arms around her stomach and pulled her back so that her back was flush against my chest and leaned down closer to her ear. "I can't lose you 'Mione, it would kill me."

Before she could reply, I placed a kiss on the side of her neck, under her ear, and felt as a shiver ran through her body. Feeling emboldened by her response, I continued to kiss and suck lightly on her neck, making my way back to her ear. I gently took the lobe between my front teeth and heard her moan softly; releasing it, I whispered, "I need you 'Mione; you're my heart and soul and I'd die without you."

She closed her eyes and leaned her whole body against me; encouraged by her lack of resistance, I pulled the hem of her shirt out of her skirt and started to slide my hands up her stomach, her smooth skin feeling like satin. I cupped her bra covered breasts and gently kneaded them, eliciting another moan from her, louder this time. While my left hand continued it's ministrations, I slid my right one back down her stomach to the bottom of her skirt and lifted it up. I slowly moved my hand so that it rested between her legs, and I could feel the wetness there; she was as turned on right now as I was and it made me want her so much more. I started to rub my fingers over her wet knickers and then sucked in a breath as she pushed her arse back against my erection. I quickly turned her around, crushing my lips against hers and pushing my tongue into her mouth, exploring her hungrily. I reached up to the first button of her shirt and started to undo it, hesitating long enough for her to stop me if she wanted. When she didn't make any moves to do so, I went to work, unbuttoning the shirt completely so that it hung open, exposing her bra.

My knees almost buckled when I felt her run her hand down my stomach and over the bulge my erection was causing; she continued to slowly rub up and down and I had to break the kiss in order to breathe. I leaned my forehead on her shoulder, feeling myself coming closer and closer to release, but this wasn't how I wanted it to happen. I took a step back and felt her hand pull away. I looked up at her lust filled eyes and grabbed her hand, pulling her over to the sofa; I sat down first and then pulled her down so that she was straddling my lap. I reached up and peeled her shirt off, dropping it to the floor and then she reached down to take mine off, depositing it on the floor with hers.

She started to lightly run her fingertips over my chest, leaving a trail of tingling nerves in their wake, as I reached behind her to undo her bra. After a minute of wrestling with it, I finally succeeded and slowly pulled the straps off her shoulders and down her arms, exposing her perky breasts. As soon as the bra left my hand to join our shirts, I bent my head and took one of the rosy nipples into my mouth, making Hermione arch her back in pleasure. I started to flick my tongue over the tight nub and Hermione raked her hands through my hair as she moaned. As I continued to suck on one nipple and then the other, she had reached between us and undid my trousers, and then slipped her hand inside. It was my turn to moan as she wrapped her hand around my erection and started to move it up and down slowly. The more she moved her hand, the more the pressure intensified in my groin, and I couldn't think straight anymore. I reached around and grabbed her butt with both hands, probably leaving finger shaped bruises on her backside, but I didn't care anymore. Right now I wanted her more than I had ever wanted her before; I wanted to show her how badly I needed her, how much I loved her...I wanted to make her a part of me.

~*~

Harry's erection felt hard, yet silky, as I wrapped my hand around him; I had no idea what I was doing, but judging by the sounds he was making, I was doing something right. Suddenly Harry's mouth left my breast and next thing I knew, he had lay me down on the couch cushions and propped himself above me. Before I could say anything, he started to kiss his way down my body, stopping at the waistband of my skirt. I felt him lift the skirt up and then he was sliding my knickers down my legs; once they were off they quickly joined the growing pile of our clothes on the floor. I felt a little nervous as I felt his fingers probing my folds gently, rubbing lightly as he explored every part of my womanhood. I gasped as he slowly inserted one finger into me and then moaned at the sheer ecstacy I felt afterward. He pushed another finger in and after a moment started to work them in and out of me, causing waves of pleasure to travel through me; my eyes rolled back into my head as his thumb started to rub across my clit. Almost as if they had a mind of their own, my legs spread wider to give him more access to the most personal part of me, and I could feel a blush rising on my cheeks. As his fingers continued to pleasure me, he brought his face toward mine and claimed my lips once more.

I reached down and ran my fingers lightly over his erection and then smiled as I felt him shudder. I wrapped my hand around him completely and started moving it up and down, matching my movements to the movements of his fingers as they slid in and out of me. He started to grow harder beneath my hand, if that was possible, and his breathing was becoming ragged; I could feel a tightening in my lower stomach that felt quite pleasant and then realized that I had been moaning his name over and over again. "Gods 'Mione, you are so hot" he hissed, moving his fingers faster and plunging them just a bit deeper into me. I was breathing so fast that I thought I might hyperventilate and pass out soon, but what he was doing felt so good, I never wanted him to stop.

I felt his erection twitch and then suddenly he thrust into my hand; I could feel something warm hit my stomach. 'Merlin, did he just...?' I thought, but then stopped abruptly when the knot in my stomach suddenly let go; I felt a wave of pure pleasure wash over me as my breath caught in my throat. He kept moving his fingers and I continued to feel as if every nerve in my body had suddenly caught fire. "Har-ry!" I screamed out as my back arched off of the sofa; as the intense feeling started to die down, I was able to focus on his face again and noticed he was grinning from ear to ear. Without saying anything, he bent down and kissed me again, but this time it was gentle and filled with love. He carefully slid off of me so that he was lying on his side and lay his head on my chest.

Once our breathing had returned to normal, I grabbed my wand to cast a quick 'scourgify' and slowly got up to put my clothes back on. Harry lay there watching me for a moment and then got up to do the same. Just as Harry was zipping his trousers and I was buttoning my shirt the door flew open and Ron ran in. He stopped dead when he took in our appearances and then he groaned. "Geez you two, don't you ever give it a rest?" he teased, and even though I knew he was trying to be funny, he still had a look of seriousness on his face.

"Ron, what's wrong?" I asked as Harry walked up next to me and wrapped his arm around my waist.

"Yeah mate, I don't think I've ever seen you look so serious" Harry teased, but then he turned serious as well as Ron continued to stand there, watching us.

"Dumbledore sent me to find you guys" Ron replied, "there's been another attack, this time in Diagon Alley, and they're sending us home tonight."

~*~

I had just had the most incredible experience of my life, and I'd be damned if Voldemort hadn't found a way to kill my happiness. I looked down at Hermione and noticed that she had a sort of disappointed look on her face too. When she noticed me watching her she gave me a small smile and I noticed a sparkle in her eyes; it felt good knowing I helped put it there. Shaking myself a little, I made myself pull my attention back to Ron and asked, "where exactly is Dumbledore sending us, Grimmauld Place or the Burrow?"

"I think we're going to the Burrow, but I'm not sure. That's why he had me come find you, we're supposed to go to his office before dinner. That's when he's going to make the announcement that they're closing the school early" he explained. I nodded in understanding and grabbed Hermione's hand; we would need each other now more than ever.

The three of us walked to Dumbledore's office, said the password and made our way up the stairs. After knocking and being told to come in, Ron opened the door and stepped inside. As Hermione and I walked in, I almost ran into the back of Ron; he had stopped dead in his tracks. As I looked in the direction he was staring, I saw his parents standing there. It wasn't unusual to see them at school, especially now when we'd be going with them to either the Burrow or Grimmauld Place, it was who was there with them.

"Malfoy?" Ron asked in disbelief. Draco Malfoy was standing with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and talking to them as if it were an everyday occurrence. At Ron's question, all the adults and Draco turned toward us.

"Ron dear, how are you?" asked Mrs. Weasley, coming over to give him a hug, and then hugging Hermione and I. When she got to Hermione she stopped, pointed to her neck and asked, "Why is your neck red dear?"

I felt my face grow very warm and Ron was trying not to laugh out loud at his Mum's question; poor Hermione just stood there stuttering, which had never happened before. When I got the nerve to look up at her, her face was as red as Ron's was when he was angry, and she wasn't looking Mrs. Weasley in the eye. "Um...well...Crookshanks must have nicked me when we were playing before."

"Well, you must teach that cat to behave himself" Mrs. Weasley replied. I thought Ron was going to die if he kept his laughter in any longer; he was making strange noises and holding his hand tightly over his mouth. When I looked up I was mortified to see Dumbledore, Mr. Weasley and Malfoy all smirking at me with knowing looks on their faces.

I cleared my throat and tried to act as normal as possible when I asked, "Professor Dumbledore, may I ask what's going on? Ron mentioned something about an attack on Diagon Alley?"

"Yes Harry, I am afraid that it is true. About an hour ago the Death Eaters apparated into the middle of the town and started to attack any witch or wizard they saw" Dumbledore explained.

"Will we be going to...Grimmauld, Sir?" asked Hermione carefully. None of us knew how much Draco knew about the Order of the Phoenix, or anything else for that matter, so we had to be careful about what we said.

"No Miss Granger, you will be going to the Burrow with the Weasley's, and Mr. Malfoy will be going with you." The three of us stood there, mouths hanging open, staring at Malfoy.

"He's going home with us?" Ron asked angrily, the tips of his ears turning red.

"Yes Ron, he is" said Mr. Weasley. "Dumbledore told us all about Harry and Draco's little 'excursion' the other night, and we all agreed that it would be safest for Draco if he came to stay at the Burrow."

I looked at Draco and noticed for the first time that he didn't look exactly thrilled by the turn of events either. When he looked up and saw that I was watching him, he glared at me and immediately looked away. Professor Dumbledore broke my train of thought as he said, "The four of you need to go pack your things; as soon as you are done you will return to this office and leave for the Burrow immediately."

~Please review, it only takes a minute, and I greatly appreciate it!!~

25. My Enemy...My Friend?

~A/N>Thanks for all the great reviews on the last chapter; I'm glad you liked the H/Hr action! And just so you know, I have no idea how many chapters are left, at the beginning I thought this story would only be about twenty chapters at the most. It's taken on a life of it's own. I am going to try to have another update by Wednesday, but I'm not promising. My husband comes home from a six month deployment in the Gulf next Friday and there's lots to do between now and then. A big thanks to Spaz141 for all the help; your brilliant mind saved part of this chapter!!! :)

Ron and I made our way up to our dorm to pack our trunks; while we were going up the stairs everyone else was going down to dinner. I couldn't believe they were shutting down Hogwarts. Wasn't this supposed to be the safest place in the Wizarding world? I was brought out of my thoughts when Ron walked up and kicked his trunk pretty hard.

"What the bloody hell were they thinking, agreeing to let that wanker stay at our house?" he shouted. I really didn't know what to say since I didn't know if the question was directed at me or not. When I noticed him glaring at me, I realized he was waiting for me to answer.

"They were probably thinking that Malfoy's life is in danger if he goes back to Malfoy Manor" I answered. When Ron's face started to turn a deeper shade of red I tried to explain, "when we went to the Manor, Wormtail saw us and he knows that Draco was there to help me. His Father would probably kill him the minute he stepped foot into the Manor."

"Then why not let him stay at Hogwarts?" Ron asked, sounding a little calmer.

"Probably for the same reason they're not letting us stay" I replied. "I'm sure Dumbledore has his reasons Ron and truth be told, I'm not exactly thrilled to have him there with us either."

After that we both started packing our things into our trunks, the air in the room charged with anger. Once I was done I sat on the side of my bed and waited for Ron to finish; when he was finally done we made our way downstairs with our trunks levitating behind us. To no one's surprise, Hermione was sitting on the couch, her trunk in front of her, waiting for us.

"Took you long enough" she quipped.

"We had some...things to discuss" I replied.

"Yeah, I could hear those 'things' all the way down here" she said, looking from me to Ron. "Honestly Ron, obviously your parents know the implications of letting Draco stay in their home; there's no reason to get all upset about it."

Ron didn't say anything; he just started to make his way to the portrait hole. When Hermione gave me a questioning look, I said, "I don't think that's what he wanted to hear right now."

She just shrugged her shoulders and made her way out as well; I took one last look around the Common Room and hoped that I would be back soon.

~*~

I couldn't believe the sudden turn of events; first Harry and I were...doing what we did and then we're being rushed up to Professor Dumbledore's office and told that we have to leave Hogwarts immediately. It seemed as if nothing could stay normal for very long between Harry and I.

I followed Ron back to Dumbledore's office and once again the seven of us were assembled. A thought suddenly came to me and I asked, "wait a minute, where's Ginny?"

"She's already at the Burrow dear" replied Mrs. Weasley, "I sent her ahead so she could get Percy's old room ready for Draco."

I noticed the strange way she said Draco's name; it was as if she were trying to spit something horrid out of her mouth and I realized that they were not as thrilled to have Draco at the Burrow as they pretended to be.

"Well then, shall we?" asked Mr. Weasley as he motioned towards the fireplace, "Dumbledore has provided only a temporary connection to the Burrow, so we need to be quick about it." We basically formed a line and took turns flooing to the Burrow; I went after Harry, and as I stumbled out after the wild ride he caught me so I wouldn't tumble onto the floor. Ron was the last to arrive and he looked just as angry as he had before we left Dumbledore's office.

As Harry and I watched Mr. Weasley levitate our trunks upstairs, Ginny had come down to greet us and offered to show Draco to his room. Not a second after they left, Ron stalked out of the kitchen after them, and I suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach; a feeling that was soon proven true.

"What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" Ron shouted, and Harry and I quickly made our way upstairs. When we got to Percy's old room and looked inside the first thing we saw was that Ron had slammed Draco into a wall and was holding him there.

"Ron STOP!" shouted Ginny, looking just as angry as he did.

"I didn't do anything" Malfoy yelled, trying to get away from Ron. When he realized that he wasn't going anywhere, Draco just stood there glaring back at Ron, as if daring him to do something.

"Liar!" yelled Ron, "I saw you talking to my Sister; I don't want you talking to her, or looking at her for that matter, again."

"I was just thanking her for bringing me up here" Malfoy said quietly; so quietly I almost missed what he said.

"Yeah, well don't, she was only doing what our Mother told her to do" Ron spat as he let go of Draco's shirt.

"What's your problem Weasley?" Draco asked, glaring at Ron. "I've left you alone, I even tried to help you and all you've done is get in my face about it."

Ron stood there, glaring back at Draco and after a moment said, "just stay away from my sister." I watched as he turned and quickly made his way to his room, slamming the door.

When Draco made to go after him, Harry put a hand on his chest and said, "Why don't you and I go outside for a bit and cool off?" Without letting him answer, Harry basically grabbed his shirt and pulled him down the stairs; he paused at the doorway, turned to us and said, "why don't you two try to calm Ron down?"

~*~

I basically dragged Malfoy down the stairs and quickly said, "We'll just be outside for a bit" to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley before I opened the door and practically threw him outside.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he angrily asked. I just stood there for a moment, watching as he started to pace back and forth, letting him cool down.

"I got you away from Ron so that the two of you could cool off" I replied calmly. "Knowing Ron, he would have made up an excuse to come after you again."

"But I didn't do anything!" he shouted at me. "I was just trying to thank Ginny when he came barrelling into the room!"

"Since when do you call her Ginny?" I asked suspiciously.

"Since her parents were nice enough to let me stay in their home" he answered almost impatiently. "Are we done talking now? It's bloody cold out here."

"No we're not done; I want to know why you came to the Burrow so quietly? You've made no rude remarks, you've seemed quite calm about it all actually; what are you up to?" I asked, eyeing him wearily.

"What do you mean, what am I up to?" he replied. "I thought after our trip to the Manor you would have figured out that I want nothing to do with my Father or his 'Master'. You know, I always hear about "the wonderful Harry Potter", but I see nothing outstanding about you. It's disgusting how everyone gushes about how great and powerful you are; they must be blind, or stupid."

"Excuse me, aren't you the arsehole who attacked Hermione not once, but twice?" I asked, astounded by his sudden memory loss. "The first time you almost killed her, the second time you tried to rape her, so you'll have to forgive me if I don't put one ounce of my trust in you."

"I already explained that to you" he exclaimed, "my Father made me do those things; it would have been one of the Dark Lords followers going after her otherwise."

"That's a lame excuse and you know it!" I replied. "You did it because you wanted to prove yourself to your Father."

"I could see it now; the almighty, powerful Potter comes to the rescue yet again" he drawled. "Why don't you get over yourself?!"

"Why don't you tell me what it is you have against me?" I replied angrily; this little game with him was getting old, fast. "What's the matter, weren't you good enough for Daddy?"

For a moment I thought he might lunge at me; his face had suddenly turned a bright shade of red and his eyes shone with his hatred for me. "Shut it!" he growled.

I had obviously struck a nerve, so I decided to push my luck a little further. "Let me guess, Daddy was so busy trying to bring his Master back that he practically forgot about you? He was disappointed that you weren't the powerful little wizard he expected, so he made you his whipping boy?"

Suddenly Malfoy took two quick steps toward me and punched me square in the jaw. "I said SHUT IT!" he yelled.

I messaged my sore jaw for a moment, watching Draco pace furiously back and forth; he was mumbling to himself. Steeling myself for another punch, I asked, "What do you have against me Malfoy? What did I ever do to cause you to bully me and my friends for the past six years?"

He sat there glaring at me for quite a while, as if contemplating whether he should answer or not, and then said, "You lived".

"What?" I asked, not sure I had heard him right.

"I said, you lived. The night the Dark Lord killed your parents; you were supposed to die, not him. When my Father found out what had happened, he made it his purpose in life to resurrect that evil bastard, no matter what." He was quiet again for a moment and then continued, "you were the reason my Father never paid attention to me; he was too busy trying to figure out how to kill you and bring his Master back."

I just stood there staring at him, dumbstruck. A part of me couldn't believe that he had actually just admitted that to me and another part was telling me that it might be a trick. But then I realized, why would he degrade himself by telling me that if it weren't true? "Draco...look, I'm..."

"Don't! I don't need a fucking apology from you, let alone your pity Potter. You asked a question, and I answered it honestly; you can decide from there whether you feel you can trust me or not." He started to take a couple of steps toward the front door, stopped and then turned around to face me; "let me know what you decide."

I just stood there, watching him walk into the Burrow, and I couldn't believe it; growing somewhere in the deep recesses of my heart was a small inkling of respect...for Draco Malfoy.

~*~

When Harry came back in, about twenty minutes after Draco, he looked like he had been gobsmacked. "Harry?" I asked, a little worried about him.

He looked up and focused on my face and said, "Hey luv; sorry, I didn't realize you were there."

"What's wrong? What did you and Draco talk about?" He looked at me for a moment and then grabbed my hand. He led me over to the sofa and sat down, lightly pulling me down with him. I started to worry more when he just sat still, looking at me; "Harry, what is it?"

"Is everyone else already in bed?" he asked, looking around the room.

"Yeah, they went up about ten minutes ago" I replied, squeezing his hand lightly. I just sat there, trying to be patient, and let him know I was there to listen if he needed me.

"How would you feel if you found out you were the reason for someone's horrible life?" he whispered.

His question threw me completely off guard; where in the world was this coming from? "Harry, what...wait, is Draco blaming you because his Father raised him to be a Death Eater and taught him how to terrorize Muggleborns?"

"No, nothing like that" he replied as he started to rub his thumb across the top of my hand. "I love you, you know that right?" he asked quietly, without looking at me.

I lowered my head so that I could catch his eye; when he finally raised his head and met my gaze, I replied, “I know you love me Harry. I feel it deep in my soul; I cherish the way you show me you care.” I watched him nod his head in acknowledgement, “And you know how much I love you in return, right?”

He sat there and stared at me for a moment and it made me a little uneasy. He took a deep breath and said, "I know you love me 'Mione, but I have to admit that sometimes I feel like I don't deserve it." He suddenly got up from the sofa and started to slowly pace in front of me. "I just found out that I'm the reason Draco's Father made his life hell; when I asked Draco why he treated us so badly the past six years, do you know what he said?" I just shook my head no, not daring to even make a guess. "He said it was because I lived; his Father took it upon himself to bring Voldemort back and to get rid of me and that caused him to ignore his own son."

"That doesn't make it your fault Harry; Draco's Father made his own foolish decisions" I said, jumping off the sofa and standing in front of him to stop his pacing. "That night that Voldemort attacked your family, you lived because your Mother loved you so much that she gave her life for you; unconditional love is something that Lucius Malfoy will never be able to understand. I'll admit that I have no idea what the sequence of events were, but I bet that she somehow knew what a great wizard you were going to be. She died so that you could live, grow up and save our world from evil; I would do the same thing in her place."

"That's what I'm afraid of!" he exclaimed, "I don't want anyone else's life to be ruined because of me; I don't want anyone else to DIE for me, especially you!!"

"I know that, I'm just trying to prove to you that you deserve to be loved Harry. There was nothing you could have done that night, you were just a baby, but somehow your Mum knew that her unconditional love for you would help to protect you. That way you could grow up to share that love one day and know exactly how she felt when she died; she had experienced the ultimate love with you and your Dad. She wanted you to have the chance to experience it too, and she gave you that chance when she died for you." I grabbed both of his hands, looked him right in the eyes and said quietly, "love can conquer all evil Harry; you're living proof."

I saw him blinking furiously and I knew he was trying to keep the tears from falling from his watery eyes. Trying to spare him embarrassment, I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly to me. "I love you with all my heart; don't ever doubt that okay?"

"Okay" he whispered, holding me tightly. We stayed that way for a while, holding on to one another and whispering to each other quietly, completely unaware of the person on the stairs watching us.

~*~

There was nothing I wanted more that night than to be able to sleep in the same bed as Hermione, but I knew that we would face the wrath of Mrs. Weasley if she caught us. I walked her up to her and Ginny's room, kissed her goodnight, and then made my way to Ron's room. When I walked in Ron was snoring rather loudly; luckily I was used to it, what with sleeping in the same dorm as him for the past six years. I changed and crawled under the covers, my mind working overtime as it went over everything that had happened that night. Finally I was able to clear my head and drift off; I dreamed of Hermione that night and they were dreams that made me wake up the next morning hard and very uncomfortable. Thankfully Ron was up and out of the room already, probably sitting at the kitchen table waiting for breakfast. After thinking disgusting thoughts about Snape I was able to get up and go to the bathroom to shower; when I arrived in the kitchen I was shocked to see Dumbledore sitting next to Hermione, eating breakfast.

"Good Morning Harry" he said as he looked up and noticed me standing there.

"Good Morning Sir" I replied, confused by his appearance at the Burrow.

"I know you're probably wondering why I am here" he said with a smile, "I have decided that the five of you should start training; I have no doubt you will all be a factor in the fighting and I want to make sure you are completely prepared to defend yourselves."

I just nodded my head in understanding and sat down across from Hermione and next to Ron; I looked around the table and noticed that Draco wasn't there. "Where's Malfoy?" I asked and immediately felt Ron tense up next to me.

"He's all ready eaten breakfast and returned to his room" explained Hermione.

"Probably fancies himself too good to sit with the likes of us" mumbled Ron.

"Mr. Weasley, I can understand that there is some animosity between you and Mr. Malfoy, but I trust that you will do your best to get along with him while he is a guest in your home" said Dumbledore, looking at Ron over the top of his glasses.

"Yes Sir" answered Ron sullenly and I watched surprised as he pushed his plate away. "I'm going to get changed" he said and then walked out of the kitchen.

"I fear that Mr. Weasley will let his dislike of Mr. Malfoy cloud his judgement and that will only cause further problems," said Dumbledore looking from me to Hermione. "Maybe the two of you could convince him that now is not the time for petty grudges; we must stand together, shoulder to shoulder with anyone fighting on the side of Light, whether they be friend or foe."

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26. Strange Happenings at the Burrow

~A/N>In celebration of my husband coming home today, I decided to post a chapter! This chapter is actually a little longer than the most recent ones I've posted; I'm not sure when I'll update again so I wanted to lengthen it to make up for the wait. Thanks to Spaz141 for all the hard work she put into this chapter; she helped with the parts I had completely screwed up, using time she really didn't have to spare. I also want to say thanks for all the reviews you guys left on the last chapter!! :)

As Harry and I continued to talk to Professor Dumbledore our instructors arrived; Remus, Kingsley, Moody, Tonks and Snape. 'Wait a minute...' I thought and then asked, "Professor Snape?"

I saw a mixture of hatred and disgust on Harry's face as he stared at our Potions teacher. "What's the matter Potter, not thrilled to see me?" Snape asked with the same expression on his face as Harry.

Thankfully before Harry could respond, Remus walked up to him and said, "Hello Harry, it's nice to see you again." He turned to me with a smile on his face and said, "Hermione, how have you been since our duelling lesson?" I couldn't help returning his smile as he brought up the duel in which I had rather quickly bested Harry.

"I'm good Remus. How have you been?" I asked in return.

"Rather busy I'm afraid" he answered. I noticed that Professor Snape had taken Professor Dumbledore off to the side to speak with him so I asked Remus, "I don't suppose you could tell us what Professor Snape is doing here?"

"Actually I can" he replied, "Severus is here to instruct you in duelling as well. It's not widely known at Hogwarts, but he was a duelling champion during our years there."

"Wonderful" said Harry, finally joining the conversation. "Well, I suppose now he'll have his chance to get back at me for everything my Dad did to him."

"Not necessarily Harry" replied Remus, "I will be assisting him in your instruction, so it's quite possible you'll be up against me instead."

"I hope so," Harry mumbled, glaring in the direction of Professor Snape. At that moment, Professor Dumbledore asked if I would get Ginny and Draco from upstairs. I got up and made my way up to the second floor; I quickly got Ginny out of her room and then knocked on Draco's door. It took him a minute to answer, but he too was soon on his way to the kitchen to join the others.

Once we were all assembled around the kitchen table, Professor Dumbledore started to explain exactly what we were going to be doing. "Messrs. Potter, Weasley, and Malfoy will be working with Professor Snape and Mr. Lupin to practice duelling, Miss Granger and Miss Weasley will be working with Aurors Tonks and Shacklebolt for instruction on self-defence; Moody will be over seeing your progress. Expect to train every day, please keep in mind that this is to teach you how to not only protect yourselves but also those around you. Each one of you have an important role in this War; each one of you will be prepared when the time comes to join the battle."

After completing his speech Dumbledore instructed us to make our way outside; Harry grabbed hold of my hand and guided me to the back door and into the cold blustery morning. We followed our instructors into the open field adjacent to the Burrow where they quickly set up shielding and heating charms. I kissed Harry on the cheek and squeezed his hand for encouragement; silently hoping that Professor Snape would leave him alone. I walked over to where Tonks and Kingsley were talking to Ginny and asked, "Okay, what are we going to learn first?"

~*~

I watched as Hermione made her way over to where Ginny was standing and wished I were in her group. I shifted my attention back to Remus as he called for Ron to join him in a duel first and then Snape called Malfoy over to duel with him. They had set up two makeshift duelling platforms and the pairs now stood facing the other. I watched Ron and Remus first; Ron held his own for a while but then Remus threw a Confundus at him and it was pretty much over. Draco and Snape, on the other hand, were actually interesting to watch. Snape was throwing some pretty strong curses at him and Draco was deflecting them expertly and attacking immediately after, keeping Snape on his guard. Finally Snape finished Draco off with three spells in succession. Once Malfoy was able to get his bearings, he stood up and limped off of the platform. Since both were finished with their duels, I started to make my way to where Remus was when Snape's voice stopped me.

"Where do you think you're going Potter?" he asked with a challenge in his voice. I stopped abruptly even though the little voice in the back of my head, which sounded very much like Hermione, was telling me to just keep heading towards Remus. When I didn't turn around to face him Snape advised, "You will be duelling with me next, not Lupin."

I looked at Remus and he looked at Snape and asked, "I though we were going to cycle the boys through Severus; first they would duel me and then go to you?"

"We both know you will go easy on the boy Lupin; he should duel with me first, he might actually learn something."

Remus looked at me apologetically and I sighed; why couldn't anything go right for me, just once? I reluctantly turned and made my way over to Snape's platform, taking my place opposite him and striking the duelling stance. With a quick look around I noticed that everyone else had stopped what he or she were doing to watch us. 'Great, just what I need' I thought, and then brought my attention back to Snape as he started to count down.

"3...2...1...Conjunctiva!" shouted Snape.

I watched as the jet of light from the spell sailed towards me, and thinking quickly I said, "Protego!" I noticed that the shield wasn't as strong as it should have been and quickly dove out of the way of Snape's spell. As I regained my footing I heard his mirthful laughter.

"Is that the best you've got Potter?" he taunted.

I glared at him and took my place once more; I pointed my wand at him and shouted, "Expelliarmus!" He easily deflected it and continued his taunting.

"How do you ever expect to defeat the Dark Lord if you can't even defend yourself against me?" he asked condescendingly. "Your Father may have been a miscreant, but even he knew how to duel properly."

While he spoke, I felt a wave of heat travel through my body; it started with a burning in my eyes and traveled all the way down to my fingertips. A surge of magical energy coursed through me unlike anything I had ever felt before; it was as if some strange entity was taking over my body, I had no control over it at all. I could feel a smile spreading on my face, but it wasn't from anything good. It was a smile of evil satisfaction at what I knew was coming.

"Shut your mouth!" I shout and then with a wave of my wand, Snape's mouth disappeared. I saw the tiniest flash of fear cross his face and the feeling inside of me flared. "I'm tired of the way you try to demean me Snape. Tell me, does it sate your insecurities, help you feel more like a man?" I taunted. Snape just stood there staring at me wide-eyed and then looked around at everyone watching. "I'm sorry, am I embarrassing you? It's about time someone paid you back for all the horrible things you've said and done over the years. Crucio!"

"Potter!" Moody growled, and with another wave of my hand, I sent him flying away from me; my other hand was directing the Cruciatus curse at Snape, who was writhing painfully on the ground. After a few seconds more I released him from it and watched as he laid shaking and breathing heavily. A sick sense of retribution washed over me; a part of me knew this was wrong, but I couldn't stop myself.

"Get up!" I shouted, raising my wand in the air, which forced Snape to stand. "It's time to show you just how well I can defend myself; raise your wand!" Snape stared at me for a moment, a look of resentment glinted in his eyes, before staggering over to where his wand lay on the ground. He unsteadily took up the duelling stance and just stood still watching me; "What are you waiting for?" I asked mockingly.

In the absence of a mouth Snape performed a series of wand movements aimed directly at me. With another quick wave of my wand I easily protected myself. "Is that the best you've got? I thought you were the 'duelling champion of Hogwarts' in your day?" I taunted, knowing that I was enjoying this far more than I should. Feeling bored of playing with him, I pointed my wand at him and shouted, "Accio Snape!"

The Potions professor sailed through the air towards me, and just before we were about to collide, I took a step to the side and watched as he slammed into the tree behind me with a sickening 'thud'. I smiled, my need for vengeance sated. I casually walked over to the crumbled heap that was Snape, I bent down and whispered calmly in his ear, “I am not my father you pompous arse; you would be wise to remember that in future.”

"Harry!" cried Hermione. I turned around and noticed her standing behind me. "What are you doing? Professor Snape is our teacher, it was only supposed to be a friendly duel, why did you attack him like that?"

I felt a quick increase in the hatred I was feeling and then suddenly it was gone. My head started pounding and my scar felt like it was on fire. “HE made it personal.” I managed to choke out as I brought my hand up to cover it and noticed that it felt hot. I pulled my hand away again and I heard Hermione gasp; "Harry, your scar's bleeding."

I looked down at my hand and noticed a small smear of blood on my palm. When I looked back at Hermione I saw a look of fear in her eyes; was she afraid of me? "Hermione..." I started, but then stopped immediately as she took a quick step away from me.

"Your eyes Harry" she said in a quivering voice, "Right before you started attacking Professor Snape, they went from green to red to green so quickly I thought I might have imagined it. What happened?"

"I don't know; I felt as if I didn't have control anymore. I knew what was happening, what I was doing, but I felt powerless to stop myself…I didn’t want to stop myself." I explained.

"Harry" called Dumbledore, "Would you care to explain why you just assaulted Professor Snape?"

"I don't know what exactly came over me, Sir" I answered, "It was as if I couldn't control myself." He stared into my eyes for a moment, as if searching for something, and then he brought his hand up and gently touched one finger to my scar.

"I believe I have an answer, Harry" he said quietly. "It appears that Voldemort was able to access your mind; it's very likely he influenced your attack on Professor Snape."

Voldemort had been in my mind? I sat there going over everything I had felt before I went after Snape; the wave of hatred, the lack of self-control, a sick feeling of excitement as I watched Snape writhing in pain. I turned quickly and wretched, disgusted that I had allowed such evil to invade my body and hurt another human being.

After wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I turned back to Dumbledore and Hermione, only to see expressions of pity and concern respectively on their faces. Feeling revolted at everything I had just done, I turned quickly and started to run into the forest behind the Burrow. I could hear Hermione and Dumbledore calling after me to come back, but I had to get away, before I hurt someone else. Too concerned with getting away from everyone, I didn’t hear the numerous 'pops' that resounded through the air as I ran away.

~*~

I had been watching Harry’s reaction to Professor Snape’s taunts and I knew he was getting upset; I could see him clenching his jaw. Just as I was about to intervene, I saw a flash of red in Harry's eyes and stopped cold. I watched in horror as Harry performed the Cruciatus curse on the Professor; I couldn't believe that Harry would attack a teacher in such an odious manner and use an Unforgivable. I kept watching in disbelief as he continued to go after our Potions teacher and then suddenly at Harry’s command Professor Snape flew directly at him. The horrific crunching sound that I heard as the Professor hit the tree after Harry had ducked out of the way was one of the worst sounds I had ever heard. I had run up behind Harry and called to him; when he turned I noticed another flash in his eyes and then his body seemed to slacken.

Now I stood watching as Harry ran into the forest trying to figure out why he was running away. I know it must have been horrible to have your worst enemy in your head, controlling you, but now was not the time for Harry to be alone. Just as I was going to run after him, there were about a dozen 'pops'; Voldemort's Death Eaters had just apparated onto the grounds of the Burrow.

"Miss Granger, run!" shouted Dumbledore as he gave me a quick push to get going. I ran behind the closest tree, as suddenly there were dozens of different colored jets of light soaring through the air around me.

"Hermione!" I heard someone whisper as they ran behind me. I looked back and noticed Ron right behind me. "We need to try to get back inside the house" he said, as if it would be the easiest thing in the world to do.

"And how do you propose we do that Ron?" I asked, "There are about six Death Eaters between us and the door."

Before he could answer, I heard Ginny scream and turned around quickly to see what was going on. One of the Death Eaters had wrapped his arm around her neck from behind and now had his wand pressed to her temple. He was bent down, whispering into her ear, and she started to cry. Just as I gripped my wand tighter, preparing to go help her, I noticed Draco sneaking up behind them. With a quick Stupify the Death Eater fell stiffly to the ground and Ginny was safe. She had turned around quickly once she was free and her eyes grew wide as she saw whom her rescuer was. "Thanks Draco" I heard her say quietly. He just nodded quickly and ran back into the fight.

"Don't move Mudblood" came a voice beside me. I turned to discover a wand pointed directly at my face; when I looked up I saw a hooded figure standing over me, their teeth glinting in the light as they spoke. I looked over at Ron quickly, only to see that he too had a wand pointed at him by another Death Eater.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Could it be wee-Potty’s Mudblood whore and the blood traitor Weasel?" came a very high-pitched voice from behind the mask of the person standing in front of Ron. I watched as a hand came up and removed the mask, revealing Bellatrix Lestrange.

”Too bad we can’t have a little fun with them before bringing them to the Dark Lord.” voiced the hooded person in front of me as they pulled the hood back. It was Antonin Dolohov; what is it with this man? It must be his mission in life to hurt me as much as possible. I fought taking a step back as he walked right up close to me and whispered, “Maybe my Master will let me play with you before using you to lure Potter to his death?”

I cringed, feeling disgusted by the insinuation of his words. Before I could say or do anything, two shouts of "Crucio!" rang through the air and my body was racked with pain.

~*~

I walked a little ways into the forest, enjoying the quiet surroundings as I mulled over everything that had happened. How was it that Voldemort so easily invaded my body without me knowing? Who knows what he could have made me do; at that thought I felt another wave of nausea roll through my stomach.

As I anguished over everything I had felt, I realized something; if Voldemort had possessed my body, then he would know where we were. He knew I was at the Burrow; that gave him the perfect opportunity to attack again.

I started running as fast as I could back towards the Burrow, knowing that I had to warn Dumbledore and the others. There was this lingering feeling in the back of my mind that they were in trouble, which only caused me to run faster.

When I broke out of the forest and into the field, I stopped dead at the scene before me; there were bodies lying everywhere. 'Oh no!' I thought, and started running again.

The first body I came upon was a Death Eater I didn't recognize; I ran a little farther and saw Snape. He wasn't moving, but thankfully when I bent down and felt for a pulse, I found one. A new wave of guilt washed over me, Snape was still missing his mouth. I quickly cast the Finite Incantatum spell to return him to normal. I stood up and looked around, 'Where are Hermione and Ron?' I wondered, feeling panic and fear starting to overwhelm me. I saw a movement to the right of me and when I turned I saw that it was Dumbledore. "Sir!" I called as I started running towards him. I stopped abruptly before him and noticed that he looked completely worn out. "Sir, what happened?" I asked, trying to catch my breath.

"There was an attack Harry, right after you left" he explained, and I immediately felt guilty for leaving. "There is nothing you could have done; it is actually a good thing you were not here, Voldemort showed up shortly after the Death Eaters."

"Voldemort was here?" I asked in disbelief.

"Yes Harry, he was. I thought he might come after you described what happened during the duel; it would have been easy for him to recognise where you were."

I closed my eyes, guilt pounding in my gut, Voldemort had used me and I let him. Then I had a sudden realization; "What about Hermione and Ron?" I asked almost frantically, "Are they okay?"

"They are fine" he replied, and I released the breath I didn't know I was holding. "They are both resting comfortably inside; Mr. Weasley will need some bed rest, but otherwise he is all right. Miss Granger is suffering from the effects of a Cruciatus curse, but she too will recover after some rest."

"And everyone else?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

"They are fine; Madam Pomfrey is inside tending to them as we speak" he replied. "You should go inside and check on your friends; I am sure they will be relieved to see you and that you are all right."

I nodded my head, and just as I was about to walk away, I remembered Snape. “Sir, Professor Snape is still alive, he is over there, and he's badly injured" I said as I pointed to where Snape lay on the ground. Dumbledore nodded in acknowledgment and made his way over to him as I started to make my way to the house.

'How could this happen?' I thought, 'Weren't there wards around the Burrow to stop this sort of thing?' Knowing I couldn't answer my own questions, I opened the door and walked inside to see my friends and to apologize once more for putting them in Voldemort's path of destruction.

~*~

As I lay in my bed upstairs, I tried not to think about how much my body hurt, but it wasn't working too well. The pain would lessen for a little while and then it would intensify so much that I wanted to cry. A knock on my door forced my thoughts away from my pain and with my raspy voice called out, "Come in."

The door opened partially and I saw an eye peek around it; I'd know that tuft of black hair and that green eye anywhere. "Harry! Your okay!" I said, relieved to see him safe and sound. He walked the rest of the way into my room and slowly made his way over to my bedside. He just stood there looking at me, a look of sadness and remorse in his eyes. I knew he was blaming himself for everything that had happened and I slowly reached out my hand to him. "I'm okay Harry," I said quietly. When he still didn't say anything, I said, "It's not your fault Harry, so stop blaming yourself."

"How can you say that?" he asked, his voice rising slightly. "He found out where we were because of me!"

"There's nothing you could have done to stop him Harry," I said quietly. I couldn't stand to see the anguished expression on his face; "Please stop blaming yourself, no one else thinks it's your fault." I tried to squeeze his hand a little, but a wave of pain hit me just then and I cried out.

"Hermione?" he asked, sounding like a scared little boy.

Once the pain subsided and I was able to catch my breath I said, "I'm okay, it's just the after effects of the curse. Madam Pomfrey said I should feel better in a couple of days."

Harry squeezed my hand and knelt down on the floor in front of me. "I hate to see you in such pain 'Mione. If Voldemort wasn't so set on getting to me..."

"Stop it!" I said as angrily as I could. "You did not cause this attack Harry; don't make me say it again." It was then that I noticed how bright his eyes were with unshed tears. "Ron and I chose to be around you because you're our friend and we care about you; we knew what we were getting into after first year. We stuck with you because we didn't want to give up our friendship."

"She's right Harry", came Ron's voice from the doorway. We both looked at him as he leaned against the doorframe for support.

"Ron!" Harry exclaimed, "Are you all right?"

"I'm fine; it was nothing Madam Pomfrey couldn't heal. Mind you, she kept muttering about how she's tired of fixing us up all the time, but she did a fine job, as usual." I smiled at him and saw Harry's face had relaxed a little; he didn't look as upset as he had when he arrived.

"What about Ginny and Draco?" I asked. I noticed Ron's face turn a light shade of pink and he stood there quietly for a moment.

"Ginny's fine, Malfoy...saved her" he answered through gritted teeth, like it was the hardest thing he'd ever had to say. "He's bruised up a bit, but Pomfrey says he'll live, unfortunately."

"Ron..." I started, but he quickly interrupted me.

"You may be able to put up with the sodding prick, but that doesn't mean that I have to be nice to him. I just can't forget everything he's done to us; maybe someday, but not right now." Clearing his throat, Ron looked at me and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I'm doing better" I replied, "thank you for bringing me here."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, looking at me worriedly.

I looked at Ron for a moment and he got the hint from my expression that I wanted to talk to Harry alone. "I'm going to go check on Ginny again; I'll see you two later!" he said, and then walked out of the room.

Once the door closed behind him, I turned to Harry and said, "Ron had to carry me into the house, I couldn't walk on my own. Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange found Ron and I; they were the ones that cast the Cruciatus on us."

"Then how come Ron is out walking around and you're still in bed?" he asked, a worried expression on his face.

"Because Dolohov kept the curse on me longer than Bellatrix had on Ron. He had this evil glint in his eyes, he enjoys inflicting pain, he wanted to watch me suffer." I said, shuddering at the memory.

Harry got up off of the floor and sat down gently next to me on the bed. He was staring at me and I could see love and fear in his eyes; he reached out to cup my cheek with his hand and I placed my hand over his. "I love you Hermione; I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you."

I felt tears spring to my eyes at his heartfelt words; I was getting another glimpse of the scared little boy in him again and I hated that his life had been so terrible. I took my hand off of his and tentatively opened my arms, inviting him to hold me. I needed to be in his arms right now, to assure myself that he was safe and to assure him that I wasn't going anywhere. He leaned forward and gently wrapped his arms around me; I sighed at the familiar feeling of being safe in his arms. "I love you too Harry; that's never going to change."

He didn't say anything, he just tightened his hold on me slightly and held me for a long time; it seemed like he was afraid to let go, out of fear that I might get hurt again if he did. About a half hour later, he let go of me, only to gently lay me down and reposition himself behind me. I scooted back a little so that my back was pressed flush against his chest; he lay his arm around my waist lightly and I reached down to hold his hand. I finally felt relaxed and I started to drift off to sleep. I squeezed his hand, whispered, "I love you", and then drifted off to sleep before I could hear him say anything in return.

~Please review, it only takes a minute, and I greatly appreciate it!~

27. Leaving The Burrow

~A/N>Hello again! Thanks for your patience and well-wishes to my husband and I; you guys are the greatest!! :) Just for that, this chapter is almost as long as the last one. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. I'm finally getting near the end of this story and I am going to be so sad when it's done. I'm thinking maybe three or four more chapters, unless it runs away on me again! A big thanks to my beta, Spaz141, you do awesome work babe and I appreciate it!

I woke up the next morning beside Hermione in her bed. Realizing that I really shouldn't have been there, I got up as quietly as possible and made my way out of the room. I was going to try to make it to my room without incurring the wrath of Molly Weasley. More than likely she saw me asleep in Hermione's bed, and I was sure I'd be getting a lecture for that little slip up.

Thankfully I was able to go to my room, get some clean clothes, and shower without running into her once. When I walked into the kitchen I found out the reason for my good fortune; the entire Order of the Phoenix was assembled around the Weasley's table, talking in very hushed tones; they were obviously discussing something of great importance.

Dumbledore, whose back was to me, was the first to acknowledge my presence. "Good morning Harry; I trust you slept well?"

"Um...yes Sir, I did" I answered rather quietly.

"Good, good" he said, and I knew if I could see his face I'd see the familiar twinkle present in his eyes. "Please, come sit with us, there is something we need to discuss."

I walked over and sat down in the empty chair that had appeared next to him. I sat there as he paused in thought for a moment, and I knew that he was not going to be delivering good news.

"Harry, the members of the Order and I have agreed that you and your friends will go to Grimmauld Place. We feel that since Voldemort breached the wards here, it would only be a matter of time before he regrouped and tried again. I believe that his intensions were wreak havoc with us yesterday; the real attacks have yet to begin." I just sat there staring at him, taking in everything he had just said. "Harry" he said, drawing me from my thoughts, "the final battle is fast approaching; it is time to prepare you for your confrontation with Voldemort."

I nodded my head slowly, realizing that his words were true; I had realized after the battle yesterday that the time to face my worst enemy was drawing near. "When do we leave?" I asked.

"As soon as Madam Pomfrey says that it is okay to move the injured. She is upstairs tending to matters as we speak," replied Dumbledore.

"Why don't you go up and help Hermione get ready?" asked Mrs. Weasley with a knowing look in her eyes; I felt a little relieved when I didn't see a look of reprimand there. I nodded my head and got up to make my way upstairs.

As I climbed the stairs, I realized that the prophecy was close to being fulfilled; I was starting to wonder if I would live to finish Hogwarts.

~*~

When I woke up the morning after the attack, I turned to find that Harry was gone. I slowly got out of bed to make my way to the bathroom when Madam Pomfrey walked in. "What do you think you are doing Miss Granger?" she asked with a stern look on her face.

"I'm going to the loo" I replied testily. My entire body felt like one big bruise and I was in no mood to be lectured at the moment.

"Let me help you" the nurse said, as she gently wrapped one arm around my back for support and held onto my arm with the other. We walked slowly down the hall and, after what seemed like an eternity, made it to the bathroom. "Why don't you wash up while you're in there? I'm supposed to prepare everyone for the trip to Grimmauld Place."

"What trip to Grimmauld Place?" I asked, confused.

"The one we're taking as soon as everyone is ready to go" came Harry's voice, surprising me. "Professor Dumbledore thinks that we will all be safer there."

I watched him for a moment, noticing a definite change in his demeanor since the night before. "Do you think we'll be safer there?" I asked.

He stood staring at me intently for a moment and then replied, "I think that Voldemort will do anything to get to me and that there isn't much that can stop him anymore."

Madam Pomfrey had cringed at the use of Voldemort's name and had shot Harry a very disproving look. "Mr. Potter, if you don't mind, I need to get Miss Granger ready to leave."

I watched as Harry gave a curt nod of understanding and walked in the direction of his room. I jumped a little as he closed the door harder than necessary and wondered what had gotten him into such a mood. I realized I would have to wait to find out as the nurse started to walk me into the bathroom; "I'll be just outside the door if you need me" she explained as she left me leaning against the sink.

I got into the shower and let the hot water cascade down on my battered body; as the steam rose around me I stood there thinking about what could have gotten Harry so upset. He had come from downstairs, so obviously he had spoken to somebody; maybe Mrs. Weasley had seen him sleeping in my bed and had yelled at him for it. I kept going through possible explanations as I got dressed and combed out my hair.

Madam Pomfrey was waiting for me just outside the door and when she reached out to help me walk once more I asked, "Would it be okay if I went to check on Harry?"

The stern nurse stood there glaring at me for a moment before she said, "I suppose you'll just go to see him after I leave anyway?" When I nodded my head in confirmation, she clicked her tongue and gestured towards his room; "just be careful and walk slowly."

"Thank you I will" I said and started towards his door. It took a little longer than it normally would, but I was finally standing in front of the door and knocked quietly. "Harry, it's me, may I come in?" I asked.

"Yeah" came his gruff answer. I opened it and walked into the dark room; once my eyes adjusted to the lack of light after closing the door, I could see him lying on the bed. I shuffled over to where he was and carefully sat next to him.

"You should be back in bed" he said quietly, his gaze focused intently on me.

"I wanted to talk to you; is something wrong?" I asked, hoping I wouldn't make him angry.

"What isn't wrong?" he replied sarcastically.

I was surprised by his attitude; it wasn't like Harry to sound so defeated. "Harry, has something happened that you're not telling me?"

"No, nothing else has happened. It's just...I was the reason everyone got hurt yesterday Hermione. Voldemort was just fucking with us and he was doing it to get to me, again. He knows that if he hurts the people I care about, he'll hurt me too" he explained, with a pained look on his face.

"I thought we settled this last night?" I asked, taking one of his hands into mine. When he just sat there staring at me, I continued, "I told you that we wouldn't be around you if we didn't want to accept the danger we know goes along with our friendship. Why can't you accept that you deserve to be loved, Harry? You can't let Voldemort win by letting yourself become bogged down with doubt and regret."

"It's easier said than done Hermione" he replied. "The Weasley's have very strong wards placed around the Burrow; how did he get past them? And if he's able to get through those wards, what's to stop him from attacking us at Grimmauld Place or Hogwarts? We're not safe anywhere; I'm the one he's after, not you. Maybe I should just go to Grimmauld Place by myself."

"Harry James Potter, I've had just about enough of your pathetic pity party!" I shouted, feeling anger coursing through me. "How dare you sit there feeling sorry for yourself?! Do you know how much you leaving would affect your friends, or me?" I sat there glaring at him, trying to ignore the pain and catch my breath. After a moment, I said, "How can you consider leaving me after everything we've been through together? You're the reason I'm alive Harry; I love you and I don't know what I would do without you."

While I spoke, two tears had crept down my face. I watched as Harry leaned forward and gently wiped them away. "I'm sorry 'Mione, I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm just angry right now and you know what a prat I can be when I get in one of my moods."

I couldn't help it; I smiled at his unique way of apologizing. Instead of saying anything, I slowly leaned in and closed the distance between us and placed my lips on his. When I felt his tongue seeking entrance to my mouth, I slowly parted my lips and let him in. His tongue danced lazily with mine and it was intoxicating; suddenly my body didn't hurt as much as it had before. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him as close to me as possible; I wanted him to feel loved and wanted, instead of depressed and resigned to his fate and the damn prophecy. All my thoughts disappeared as I felt his hand under my nightgown, sliding up my thigh and across my stomach; I shivered as it came to rest on my breast and he started to rub his thumb lightly over the nipple.

I instantly missed the feel of his lips on mine when he pulled away, but that quickly disappeared as he started to kiss his way along my jaw, towards my ear. "I know you love me" he whispered, causing a shiver to run down my back as his breath caressed my ear, "And I love you too."

"Then don't talk about leaving me anymore" I whispered breathlessly. I was trying to concentrate on his words, but his thumb was still toying with my nipple and it was making it very difficult to think at all. When he started to kiss me again and began kneading my breast, I was overwhelmed with my desire for him. He removed his hand from under my nightgown and I groaned in frustration; the next thing I knew he had lifted me carefully onto his lap.

"I won't leave you Luv, I promise" he said, and then claimed my lips again. We sat there snogging for quite a while and then someone knocked on the door, causing us to quickly separate so as not to be caught. "Come in" Harry called, after we had situated ourselves on the bed and straightened out our clothes. The door opened and Ginny walked in, followed by Draco. The minute she saw us a smile broke out on her face and Draco just rolled his eyes.

"Oh Gods" he drawled, "It's obvious what you two have been doing up here."

Ginny turned and smacked him on the arm as Harry and I looked at each other. I could feel my cheeks grow warm when I noticed his messier-than-usual hair and his slightly askew glasses. I must have looked a sight also because Harry started smirking as his eyes traveled from my hair to my neck.

"Just be glad it was us and not my Mum" said Ginny, still smiling.

"Was there a reason you dropped by?" I asked tersely; that just caused Ginny's smile to widen and my irritation to grow more. I sat there glaring at her and felt triumphant as the smile slid off her face.

"Sorry" she muttered, "Madam Pomfrey told me to find you, take you back to your room, and to help you dress if necessary; it's almost time to leave."

"I'm sure Potter would help her get dressed" Malfoy said, receiving another slap on the arm; I smiled to myself as I saw him wince. He deserved it for being such a prat all the time.

"Come on" said Harry as he stood up from the bed and helped me to stand. "I'll help you back to your room and then Ginny can help you from there" he explained, glaring at Draco the entire time. He wrapped his arm around my waist as I did the same to him and we slowly walked to my room; once there he kissed me quick and said, "I'll see you downstairs."

I just smiled at him and nodded; "are you feeling any better?" I whispered so that only he could hear.

"Of course" he whispered back, "you have such a wonderful way of making me feel better." I turned and slapped his arm lightly at the teasing tone in his voice.

"You git" I said, trying to sound angry, but failing miserably as a smile broke out on my face.

He smiled back and opened the door of my room as he said, "But I'm your git and you love me for it."

All I could do was laugh and shake my head as I walked into my room; when I turned back to Harry I noticed him watching me with a very serious expression on his face all of a sudden. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked concerned.

"I'm fine Harry, I promise" I replied, loving that he cared for me so much. "I'll meet you downstairs in a tick."

He stood there staring at me for a moment more before he nodded his head. Ginny walked past him into the room with me and closed the door as Harry walked away. I turned and made my way to my trunk to get my clothes while something suddenly occurred to me, Ginny and Draco had looked awfully comfortable around each other in Harry's room. I considered asking her about it, but I decided that I would talk to her about it when we were finally settled in at Grimmauld Place and we weren't rushing around getting ready to leave.

~*~

I walked down the stairs, thinking of how pale Hermione had looked just now and how awkwardly she walked; I hadn't noticed it in my room because the lights had been off. Just seeing her look so frail caused a small ball of fear to settle in my stomach. If anything else were to happen to her...Merlin help the person who hurt her.

I went into the kitchen and noticed that no one was there. I figured I might as well get my trunk and bring it down so that I was ready to go. As I walked back up the stairs, I passed the twin's room on the right and the voices coming from inside caught my attention.

"If he has summoned you, it is your decision whether you go to him or not Severus." I recognised Professor Dumbledore's voice and he was obviously talking to Snape, if Voldemort was summoning him…

"He will find me if I don't go to him" replied Snape. "I intend to leave as soon as I can."

"If that is what you feel you must do," sighed Dumbledore. I quickly continued walking down the hall before either of them came out and discovered me there eavesdropping.

As I threw the rest of my things into my trunk, I thought over everything I had overheard. Could they be referring to Voldemort? But wouldn't he kill Snape immediately after what had happened the day before? Voldemort could have easily figured out that Snape was a spy, in which case he would be enraged and make sure to torture him mercilessly before brutally ending his life; how could Snape even consider going to him now?

I took my things down to the kitchen and joined the growing crowd; Dumbledore had just started speaking as I walked in. "I have temporarily connected the Weasley's fireplace to Grimmauld Place; it will only be for a short period of time, so we must hurry on our way." I walked over to where Hermione was standing with Ron, Ginny and Draco and held her hand in mine.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked.

She nodded her head and said, "I just hope I don't get slammed around too much during the trip; my body hurts enough as it is."

"I'll go before you and make sure you don't fall when you arrive," I offered, giving her hand a slight squeeze.

"Thank you" she said, giving me a beautiful smile. I smiled back at her and then walked over to place my trunk with the others that were currently being shrunk so they could be easily transported. I walked over to the line that was forming and made sure I was in front of Hermione; I was going to do everything I could to make sure she didn't get hurt anymore. I got into the fireplace when my turn came, shouted "Grimmauld Place!" and braced myself for the chaotic ride to come.

After what seemed like an hour I came tumbling out into the sitting room at Grimmauld. I got up quickly and turned just in time to see Hermione come tumbling out also. I caught her before she fell to the floor and held her until she regained her balance.

"Thanks Harry" she said, wiping off my cheek and then giving me a kiss on the spot she had just cleaned.

"No problem Luv" I replied as I watched Draco catch Ginny as she arrived. I saw Ron start to make his way towards them and released Hermione to stop him. I got in front of him and said, "Don't Ron, he was just helping her, that's all."

"I don't want him putting his filthy hands on my sister Harry" Ron ground out angrily.

"He did save her life yesterday Ron" said Hermione as she walked up beside us. Ron glared over at her but thankfully he seemed to relax a little; "I still don't trust him" Ron said, looking from her to me.

"I don't think any of us trusts him completely Ron," I said, trying to calm him down, "But Professor Dumbledore wouldn't let him stay here unless he trusted him completely."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it" he replied and then turned abruptly to make his way upstairs.

I sighed as I watched him walk away; I understood that he was looking out for his little sister, but sometimes he could be really stubborn.

"He'll come around Harry, we just have to give him time" Hermione said, watching him too.

"Yeah, but will it be before he has to fight beside him in battle?" I wondered aloud, "I don't want Ron to be so consumed with his hatred of Malfoy that he's distracted; it'll get him killed."

"We'll just have to wait and see" she replied, grabbing my hand. "Let's go check out our rooms and get settled."

Unbeknownst to us as we walked upstairs still discussing Ron, Professor Snape had left the Burrow before the rest of us to answer Voldemort's summons. Voldemort had tortured the traitor into unconsciousness and had begun his plan to kill me the instant Snape collapsed. Unfortunately, none of us would realize he was gone until it was too late. My destiny was being decided and there was nothing I could do about it; soon I would find out whether I lived or died.

~*~

It took another week for me to feel like my normal self again and once I did, Tonks put me right back into training. She and Kingsley had converted the basement into our training room, equipping it with weights and workout machines along with swords and other various fighting instruments. We spent the next six months training hard and doing coursework given to us by Professor McGonagall, who came by frequently to check on our progress. We took tests just like we would during the regular school term and finished up the requirements for our sixth year; in Ginny's case, her fifth year. We were even being taught apparition, which was something I was having trouble with; this gave Ron all the ammunition he needed to tease me unmercifully.

"Can you believe it Harry? Little-miss-know-it-all can't get the hang of apparition" came Ron's taunting one day after I had tried to apparate into my room upstairs and ended up on the kitchen table. I was not only angry with him for his comments, but I was pretty upset with myself for not being able to apparate correctly; I had almost been splinched.

"Are you sure you pictured your room clearly in your mind?" asked Tonks for the hundredth time.

"Yes Tonks" I replied, aggravated. "I pictured myself standing right next to my bed and next thing I know, I'm sitting on the kitchen table."

Ron and Draco started laughing at me and when I looked at Harry I could tell he was trying, unsuccessfully, to stop himself from following suit. "I'm glad you three think it's so funny" I said angrily, "we'll see how well you do when I don't help you with your course work anymore." I watched, satisfied, as the smiles on their faces disappeared after my threat. When I started to think over what I could have done wrong I felt my patience snap; "Bugger it all, I give up!" I said, then turned and ran up to my room, slamming the door behind me.

I had never failed at anything before; the small child in me cringed at the thought of what my Father would have done if he had been here and seen me fail. I could hear his angry voice in my head, even though I tried to block it out; "You're nothing but a pathetic failure; you're no daughter of mine! My daughter wouldn't be so stupid that she couldn't pick up on something so simple!"

I covered my ears, trying to block out the sound of my Father's voice, and almost jumped out of my skin when I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. I wheeled around, scared of what I would see, only to find Harry behind me with a concerned look on his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked, "You sounded like you were whimpering or something."

"It's...nothing,” I said quietly. Harry wrapped his arms around me and held me for a while, not saying anything or asking any more questions; he just laid his cheek on the top of my head and slowly rubbed his hand up and down my back.

"You know that I'm here to listen whenever you need me to, right?" he asked quietly after a little while.

"I know" I replied, pulling away from him just enough to look at his face. "It's just that...I've never failed at anything I've tried before; usually if I'm having trouble with something, I keep practicing and eventually I get it down perfectly. But with this...I just can't get the hang of it, and when I came up here I started to imagine what my Father would say if he were here."

"What?" he asked worriedly. "Why would you ever want to think about that bastard again? All he ever did was hurt you and make you feel bad about yourself." He cupped my cheek with his hand and started to rub his thumb softly across my skin as he said, "Don't do this to yourself Luv; don't get down on yourself just because you aren't perfect at something right away. We all have things we're not good at; apparition just happens to be yours."

"You're right" I said, and then sighed; the feel of his thumb gliding across my skin felt heavenly. Between that and what he had just said, I felt like my heart would burst with all the love I felt for him at that moment. He pulled his hand away all of a sudden and I looked at him, confused at the strange look that was on his face. "Harry, what's wrong?" I asked.

"Did you feel that?" he asked in return, looking from the palm of his hand back to me. When I shook my head no, he said, "my hand suddenly got really hot and it seemed to travel down my arm; it was the strangest feeling, it was like heat mixed with a tingling sensation."

I looked at him, confused for a moment, when something I had read once popped into my head. "Harry, what were you thinking about when that happened?" I asked, putting some things together in my head.

He looked away from me and I noticed his cheeks turned slightly pink as he said, "I, uh...I was thinking about you."

"I was thinking about you too," I said, too wrapped up in my thoughts to be embarrassed about admitting it. "I think I might know what happened" I said excitedly, "I just need to find the book I read it in..."

"What are you talking about?" Harry asked, obviously confused by my sudden change in behavior.

"Hmm?" I asked distractedly, and then realized what he had asked. "I'm sorry, Harry, I'm just thinking...I need to go look in the library for a book," I said as I walked up to him and kissed him quickly on the lips. "I think I know a way you can defeat Voldemort."

~Please review, it only takes a minute, and I greatly appreciate it!!~

28. Unusual Happenings

~A/N> I'm sorry I've taken so long to update, but with my husband coming home and my Dad visiting for Christmas, I've had no time to write. I have to say thanks to Spaz141 for her wonderful beta work and I want to say a special thanks to all my LJ friends; writing back and forth with you guys keeps me sane! I hope you enjoy this chapter, and please keep in mind as you read that there is a purpose for the things that happen; it will all be explained in the next chapter, which I will hopefully post next Friday. Happy New Year!!! :)

I hurriedly made my way to the library, intent on finding the book I needed. If I was right, what had just happened to Harry was due to the protection spell his mother had cast that fateful night. If I could find what I was looking for, I might be able to cast the spell myself, using my love for him. It might just give him the protection he needs during the final battle against Voldemort, which meant we could finally be together, in peace.

I stopped abruptly as I realized what I had just thought; when did Harry ever say he wanted to be with me after we were out of school? For all I knew he would become an Auror or Quidditch star and I would hardly see him; what had made me think he'd want to be with me, Hermione Granger, bookworm extraordinaire?

As I started walking again, a jumble of thoughts running through my mind, which vanished completely the moment I walked up to the library entrance. As I opened the door, I saw two people immediately separate from what looked to be a very passionate snog; I almost passed out as I realized who they were.

"Ginny? Draco? Wh-what's going on? What were you two doing?" I asked, gob-smacked.

"What do you think we were doing Granger?" Draco drawled lazily, "You and Potter are practically experts at it."

"Shut it Draco" Ginny growled, making her way towards me. "Please, Hermione, don't say anything to Ron, okay? He would go mad if he knew you had seen Draco and I together."

"Are you two a couple?" I asked in disbelief. Surely Ginny wouldn't be that foolish...

"Um...Well...You see..." Ginny started, looking towards Draco. I saw him nod his head slightly and she turned back to me and said, "Yes, we are."

"But Ginny, how can you be with him after everything he's done…especially to me?" I asked hurt and confused and then lowering my voice so that only she could hear I whispered, "we don't even know if we can trust him yet."

"Hermione, he saved my life when he could have easily just let me die" she replied, and I knew she was getting angry; her face was flushing as red as her hair. "I know he did some horrible things to you, we've talked about it, and he explained to me why he had to do it."

I stood there looking at her for a moment, and then shifted my gaze to where Draco was standing. "It's your choice Ginny; I won't say anything to Ron or anyone else, but..." I walked over and stood directly in front of Draco, staring at him intently, "if I find out you've hurt her in any way, Malfoy, you will have me to answer to. She's my sister, and I will not let you hurt her the way you've hurt me."

I turned to make my way to the door, all thoughts of the book I wanted forgotten, when Draco's voice stopped me in my tracks. "I know I'll never be able to make up for all the shit I've done to you Granger, but I don't intend on ever hurting Ginny. She's the only person to give me a chance to prove myself; I'm not going to mess that up."

Without turning to look at them, I said, "You'd better not, or you won't live to finish Hogwarts," and made my way out the door, walking blindly down the hall.

~*~

After Hermione's epiphany of a way to save me from Voldemort, I made my way downstairs to find it empty. I decided to go to my room and find something to do, and just as I reached the top of the stairs, I ran into someone. I was surprised when I realized it was Hermione, and then I noticed that she looked upset.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" I asked, "I thought you were looking for a book in the library?"

"The library?" she asked, dazedly.

I lightly grabbed her chin and raised her face so that she was looking at me and asked, "Has something happened?"

She stared at me for a moment and then seemed to snap out of the trance-like state she was in. "No, no nothing happened. I just...I, uh..."

"Did you find the book?" I asked, getting worried by her behavior.

"Book?" she asked, and then I saw comprehension dawn in her eyes. "The book, right, I didn't get a chance to look for it."

"Why not?" I asked, confused.

"Ginny was in there, doing her course work, and I didn't want to disturb her" she replied.

I watched her for a moment, taking in her bright eyes and plastered-on smile; something was wrong, but obviously she wasn't going to tell me what it was. "Where are you off to now?" I asked, changing the subject.

"I was going to go downstairs to the training room and work out for a little while" she replied, "Want to join me?"

"Sure" I answered, "I'll change and meet you down there." She nodded in agreement and turned to make her way to her room. The way she was acting had me a little concerned, but I knew she wouldn't talk to me until she was ready. I continued to go over our conversation while I changed and then headed to the training room to meet up with her.

I wasn't prepared for the sight that met me when I walked into the room; Hermione was using the cycling machine, dressed in some very short shorts and form fitting tanktop, peddling furiously and sweating profusely. She hadn't noticed me standing there, so I took the chance to just watch her and take in how beautiful she really was. Her brow was furrowed in concentration and her eyes had a faraway look to them; obviously she was still upset about whatever had happened before and was using exercise as a means to blow off some steam. I hadn't counted on my body’s reaction to seeing her like this when she looked up and her eyes met mine, I couldn't restrain the need to touch her anymore.

I walked over to the bike she was using; she was following me with her eyes and her legs stopped pumping the pedals. I noticed a heat in her eyes that I had never seen before, and I could feel myself harden. I placed my hand on her bare, sweaty thigh and started to lightly rub the damp skin. I watched as she closed her eyes, obviously enjoying what I was doing, and felt my self-control snap.

I grabbed her hand and tugged lightly, causing her to open her eyes, startled. I watched as she dismounted the bike and stood in front of me, curiosity written all over her face. My mind had stopped working the moment I walked through the door; my body was functioning on raging hormones and I was weary of the sexual tension that filled me every time I was around her. I wanted Hermione, and I was tired of waiting.

I bent down and captured her lips in a hard kiss; this wasn't a languid, love-filled kiss, this was a kiss filled with all the sexual hunger I had kept hidden from her for so long. I wrapped my arms tightly around her waist and lifted up; understanding what I wanted, she brought her legs up and wrapped them around me, causing me to feel as if every part of my body was on fire. Losing the last grip I had on my control, I walked forward and pressed her back against the wall, grinding my hardness into her. When she groaned into my mouth, I pressed her to me even tighter, confident that her body would melt into mine if I kept her there.

I almost groaned in frustration when she pulled her lips from mine, but then I almost dropped her as she whispered in my ear, "I want you Harry, now."

I stared into her eyes, and I swore I saw flames flickering in their chocolate brown depths; she wanted me as badly as I wanted her. The wait was finally over; today she would finally be mine mind, body and soul.

Suddenly I realized where we were and felt a wave of disappointment. "I don't think this is the best place," I said reluctantly.

"Why not?" she asked, looking around the room, "We've got mats over there we can use, and I'm sure you can perform a good locking charm, seeing as you're a powerful wizard and all." She stood looking me over for a moment and then said, "It's not like I need romance and flowers Harry; I want you and it feels right, that's all that matters."

That was all I needed to hear; I waved my hand towards the door and performed a strong locking charm that Dumbledore had taught me while teaching me wandless magic. According to him, he was the only one who knew how to break it, and I doubted he would show up anytime soon.

I turned to make my way back to Hermione and stopped dead; she was standing in front of one of the mats that were laid out on the floor, wearing only her bra and knickers. Coming back to my senses, I started slowly walking towards her, taking in the way her skin glistened. I stopped in front of her and she immediately reached for the hem of my t-shirt, drawing it up and over my head. She wrapped her arms around my neck and started playing with the hair on the nape of my neck. I could still see the fire in her eyes, but now I could also see her love for me there too.

"Are you sure about this?" I asked, steeling myself in case she said no. When she just smiled and nodded her head yes, I released the breath I didn't know I was holding and bent down to kiss her again. I felt her take both of my hands in hers and was surprised when she guided them to the clasp of her bra. I pulled back and looked at her, fumbling to undo the stubborn clasp, and when I had finally got it undone I started to pull the straps down her arms. When I had finally gotten the frustrating piece of clothing off, I stood staring at her in wonderment. I brought my hands up and cupped both breasts, relishing how heavy and soft they felt. I watched the emotions cross her face as I rubbed my thumbs over her nipples; there was this almost...wanton look on her face and I wished I could just bury myself in her right then and there.

I was trying to gather my patience when I felt her hands tugging at the waistband of my shorts. She pushed them down my legs, along with my underpants and then I froze as I felt her hand wrap around my erection. My knees almost buckled when she took me into her mouth a moment later. "Hermione..." I hissed out as feelings of undiluted pleasure traveled through me; I almost lost control when she answered, "Hmmm?" the vibration traveling to my very core.

I stopped her soon after, afraid that we would be finished before we started, and lay her back onto the mat. I started by kissing her swollen, red lips, down her throat, lavishing attention on both breasts and then continued down her body until I reached the sacred valley between her legs. I slid her knickers off and I used my mouth and fingers to pleasure her until she told me she wanted me inside her; that's all the encouragement I needed.

I moved up and positioned myself between her legs; "Are you still sure about this?" I asked through gritted teeth, praying to every God there was that she would say yes.

"Yes I am Harry," she whispered, and that was all I needed to hear. I started to enter her very slowly, hoping not to hurt her.

"Oh Harry...Harry..." she whispered as I continued to cautiously push into her, "Harry...Harry..."

"HARRY!" I heard someone yell, and after jumping about a foot off of the floor, I turned around to see Ron standing behind me.

"WHAT!?" I yelled back, frustrated that he had interrupted my fantasy.

"What the bloody hell were you doing?" he asked, looking at me as if I were daft.

"I was...uh, well..." I started, embarrassed when I realized that I had been standing outside the door to the training room, watching Hermione as she exercised; bloody hell, I'd been standing here fantasizing about her like some pervert. What the hell was wrong with me?

"Are you going to work out or what?" he asked, the same look on his face.

"N-no, I just remembered, there's something I need to do first" I replied, and then turned to run up to my room. I had no idea what was going on with me, but ever since I had touched Hermione and experienced those strange feelings, I felt as if I had no control over my emotions anymore. The hot, tingly sensation I had experienced earlier was back, and if Hermione didn't find out the cause of it soon...I was afraid to even think about what might happen next.

~*~

I had looked towards the door and noticed Harry standing there right before Ron had yelled at him. He was looking right at me, but his eyes were glassed over and his cheeks were flushed; it was an almost hungry look, one I had seen a couple of times before, and it made a shiver run down my back. 'Could he have been thinking about me?' I wondered, peddling a little faster as images of us in the Room of Requirement flashed through my mind; his mouth on my breasts, his fingers inside me... I had been hoping for a moment like that again, but Harry seemed to be content with our relationship the way it was. 'Even if I have no idea what kind of relationship we have' I thought, peddling even faster as my frustration grew.

"You do realize that you still won't go anywhere, no matter how fast you pedal?" quipped Ron, smirking at me.

I looked up and glared at him, not in the mood to be teased at the moment. "Sod off Ron" I said.

"You've been hanging around Harry and I too long" Ron said, laughing, "you're starting to sound like us."

"Merlin forbid" I mumbled, but he still heard me and started to make his way over to where I was.

"What was that?" he asked, with a devilish gleam in his eyes.

I stopped pedaling and watched as he got closer, realizing what he was about to do, but not moving fast enough. He reached out and started tickling me, causing me to stumble off the bike. He kept tickling me unmercifully, and even though I begged him to stop, he just kept up the torture. I was hoping Harry would come back and rescue me and the next thing I knew...

"Hermione?" Harry asked, sounding very surprised and bewildered. I looked up and realized that I was no longer in the training room, but in Harry's bedroom.

"What am I doing here?" I asked, more to myself than to Harry.

"That's what I'd like to know" he replied, watching me. "I was laying here reading and the next thing I know, your standing there looking lost."

"I was down in the training room and Ron started tickling me" I explained, noticing a strange look cross his face, "I remember hoping you would come in and stop him...wait a minute!"

"What?" Harry asked, thoroughly confused now.

"I must have apparated!" I exclaimed, excited that I had finally done it and basically hit my target. I was ignoring the fact that I hadn't meant to apparate and had no idea where Harry would be at the time; instead I concentrated on the fact that I had found him successfully.

"That's great!" Harry said, getting up from his bed. He walked over to where I was standing and gave me a hug; after a moment of being wrapped in his arms again, all thoughts of my accomplishment were gone. I was being overwhelmed by a wave of tingling heat and it was very...enjoyable.

When I looked up I saw a look on Harry's face that turned my blood to liquid fire; his normally emerald eyes were a darker green and seemed to smolder as he stared at me. I started to wonder what was happening to us and tried to comprehend the feelings that were going through me; it was all very exciting, but scary at the same time.

"What's going on here Luv?" he asked, walking me backwards toward the wall.

"I don't know" I replied, my back hitting the wall, his body pressed against mine, "I feel like my body is on fire every time I'm around you lately; like a jolt of electricity runs through me."

"Me too" he said, bending down so that his forehead rested against mine.

His closeness was starting to get to me; I felt like I couldn't draw a deep breath, and when I tried, my breasts would press against his chest, making my body temperature go up even more. "Harry..."

~*~

'Bloody hell' I thought; she had just said my name the same way she had right before Ron had interrupted my...thoughts...earlier in the training room.

"Are we together?" she asked, drawing me out of my thoughts.

I looked at her for a moment, a myriad of emotions crossing her exquisite features, and replied, "I'd like to be."

Her eyes grew wide at the implication in my answer and I knew she was surprised; to be honest, I was surprised myself. I was feeling randy, and I was enjoying it immensely. It almost made me feel like any other teenage boy and not "The Boy Who Lived".

"What's gotten into you?" she asked, watching me intently. I instantly thought of another lecherous answer, but quickly quashed it.

"I don't know" I answered honestly, "Ever since I touched you in the library, strange things have been happening to me." When she looked suddenly worried, I quickly explained, "Not bad things; it's just that...I can't stop thinking about you."

"I can't stop thinking about you either" she said. "If I'm not around you, I feel like something is suddenly missing; it's like I'm incomplete."

"Same here" I replied. While she'd been talking, I realized her breasts were pressed against my chest and my blood felt as if it were boiling. "Hermione, I don't know what's going on with us, but..."

"I want you Harry" she said suddenly, interrupting me; what shocked me the most was that she basically voiced what I had been thinking.

"Now?" I asked, wanting to kick myself; that had sounded so pathetic.

She made it even worse when she smiled at me and softly replied, "yes, now."

I bent down and captured her lips, not needing any more encouragement, and slipped my hands underneath her shirt. Her skin was still slightly damp from her workout and the silky feel of it almost drove me mad. I started to lose myself in the way she tasted as we kissed and the way my hands glided over her soft skin when suddenly I felt a surge of magic flow through my body.

She pulled back from me suddenly, a confused look on her face. "What was that?" she asked.

"You felt that too?" I asked, seriously starting to wonder what the hell was going on with me.

Before she could answer, there was a knock at the door and then it opened immediately. We were in quite a compromising position when Dumbledore walked in and I could feel my face grow warm with embarrassment as Hermione's cheeks started to turn pink.

"I see" he said, before we could explain ourselves in any way. With the twinkle in his eyes brighter than usual, he smiled at us and said, "I believe there is something the three of us need to discuss; follow me please."

Please review, it only takes a minute and I greatly appreciate it!!

29. The Death Of...???

~A/N> I'm sorry for the long wait. Between medical issues with my two year old and tooth issues myself, the last two weeks have been horrible. This is the next to the last chapter, there will be one more and an epilogue. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews on the last chapter, they were great! I have to say a HUGE thanks to Spaz141 for being my awesome beta; I e-mailed this to her this afternoon and she got it back to me tonight! Also, I've started a murder-mystery story that's H/Hr, and I'm wondering if I should post it or not. I'd love to hear how many of you would be interested in reading it. Okay, enough of my ramblings, I hope you enjoy the chapter! *One more thing...the ending is not as it seems and I'm REALLY sorry for the cliffy, but I couldn't help it, so please don't flame me over it! :)

'Bloody hell' I thought as I grabbed Hermione's hand and followed Dumbledore out of the room. He had just caught us snogging and now we were going to get in trouble for it. I could tell by the look on Hermione's face that she was just as worried as I was and I felt terrible for putting her in this situation. If I had only reigned in my hormones, none of this would have happened.

Dumbledore turned into the study and once we were inside he shut the door, made his way over to one of the chairs in front of the fireplace and sat down without saying a word. I sat on the couch and when Hermione went to pull her hand from mine and sit in a separate chair, I tugged her down next to me; we'd already been caught together, so why should we pretend now?

"First, let me explain why I came to see you in the first place," Dumbledore started, staring at us intently. "I have noticed some...unusual occurrences happening lately that I believe is cause for concern."

After watching us for a moment or two, as if expecting us to say something, he just shrugged slightly and said, "Alright then, let me explain. In recent days I have noticed a shift in magic surrounding this house, it has strengthened and neither I nor any other Order members have made any attempts to reinforce the wards. I further noticed that you and Miss Granger have been growing closer, along with another couple in the house, and there have been some rather strange magical surges that defy explanation."

"What strange magical surges?" Hermione asked at the same time I asked, "What other couple?"

Dumbledore looked from me to her with a smile that held a hint of mystery to it, as if it were taunting, 'I know something you don't know.'

"First things first, I’m sure Miss Granger can enlighten you as to whom the other couple is," he said, that same smile lighting his face. I looked at Hermione expectantly as she looked down at the floor, avoiding my gaze.

"Who's the other couple 'Mione?" I asked, curious.

"Ginny and Draco," she mumbled quietly.

"What?!" I asked angrily, "When did you find that out?"

"This morning, before I ran into you in the corridor," she explained, still not looking at me. "When I walked into the library, I noticed two figures quickly step away from each other. When I realized who they were, I was shocked. Ginny begged me not to tell Ron, and I felt it best not to tell anyone," she explained, talking faster than normal.

"You were going to keep this from me?" I asked angrily. "They can't be together, Ron will kill Draco when he finds out."

"That is precisely why I didn't say anything," she replied, anger also evident in her voice.

"Now on to Miss Granger's question; I know about the incident between the two of you in the library and I believe something happened just before I entered your room?" Dumbledore asked as he looked at me.

"Yes Sir," I replied, my face growing warm, "I felt a surge of magic travel through my body."

"I felt it too," Hermione added, looking at the floor.

Dumbledore's smile grew bigger, if that were possible, as he sat regarding us. "Do either of you know what is causing these things to happen?" he asked.

I shook my head no and Hermione asked, "Might it have something to do with the protection spell that Harry's Mum cast on him before she died?"

"Yes it does," he answered. "Lily's love has always resided inside you Harry, it always will, and if I'm not mistaken Miss Grangers feelings for you has reinforced the protection spell and is making it stronger. You see, Maternal love is something that is imbedded in every woman, whether they have born a child or not; it just becomes strongest when a woman gives birth to her own child. But true love...that is the greatest mystery of all. No one knows why we are drawn to one person, or why we sometimes have to be with many people before we find the one they are meant to be with, but once we find that person we become consumed with it. Maternal love and true love last forever, but only true love has the ability to break our heart and destroy our soul."

Trying to understand everything Dumbledore was saying I asked, "But what does Ginny and Draco being together have to do with any of this?"

"It has to do with Love Harry," he replied, "Love is a very powerful force and when mixed with magic, it can even conquer the foulest evil known to mankind. Miss Weasley's and Mister Malfoy's feelings for each other are inadvertently helping reinforce the wards; I do not think that they know the extent of those feelings, but it is for them to discover in their own time. For now, they are helping to keep you safe."

Hermione and I just sat quietly, both of us mulling over everything Dumbledore had just told us, when he said, "As for the two of you and what it appeared I walked in on, I do not intend to lecture you on proper behavior; the basis for proper behavior has changed greatly since my youth. But I must caution the two of you to think through such a big step before you let your emotions be swept away by the intensity of the moment and you do something you may regret afterwards. True love is pure and if it is meant to be taken to the next level, it will happen in its own time; there is no need to rush."

I could feel my face burning and when I looked over at Hermione, I could see that her entire face was a bright red color. When it seemed Dumbledore had nothing more to say I stood up and without looking at him said, "Thank you Sir."

"You are quite welcome Harry," he replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. When Hermione stood up I took her hand in mine once more and proceeded to make my way towards the library door. Just before we reached it Dumbledore said, "Oh, I almost forgot...I believe this is the book you were searching for Miss Granger?"

When we turned around, he was holding up a very old looking book. Hermione released my hand and made her way over to retrieve it from him; the moment she took hold of the book Dumbledore whispered something to her and I noticed that her face became an even darker shade of red. I heard her mumble something in reply and then she quickly turned and made her way back to where I was standing.

"Let's go," she said as she quickly grabbed my hand and almost dragged me out of the room. Once we were in the corridor and the door was shut behind us I stopped her and asked, "What did he say to you?"

"He said that if I ever needed to 'talk' to someone about what we were about to do earlier, I could always go to Professor McGonagall or Mrs. Weasley," she replied without looking up from the floor. When I started to laugh she quickly brought her head up to glare at me and said, "I'm glad you think it's funny." As I continued to laugh she started to walk away from me and then stopped a couple of steps away. "Oh, by the way," she said, turning back to me, a smirk playing at her lips, "he said he would be having a talk with you about it later."

~*~

I had to laugh at the expression on Harry's face; he looked like he had just taken a Bludger in the stomach. I made my way to my room, intent on reading the book that Professor Dumbledore had given me. It was all about protection spells and I was anxious to read about the one Lily had cast on Harry. According to Dumbledore, my love for Harry was making the spell stronger; if I could figure out how to strengthen it even more, it could help Harry live through the final battle with Voldemort.

I found the spell that Lily used, it was listed as 'Amor Munimentum Defixum', or love protection spell. I read through all the information on the spell and almost dropped the book as I came to a section labeled Protection Spells for Significant Others: Demorior Defixum. As I read through the section I felt my chest tighten; it was a Sacrificial Spell and if I were to cast this spell on Harry and he were hit with the killing curse, I would die instead of him.

I grabbed some parchment and started to make notes on the various spells I found; including another protection-by-marriage spell. 'Iugum Munimentum Defixum' was a spell that could only be performed after being wed or handfasted, and even though I loved Harry more than life itself, I didn't think this spell was even an option for us at this point. We were going to be starting our last year at Hogwarts in a few weeks and neither of us was anywhere near ready to marry, even if it was to save Harry's life. There was one last protection spell, Commendo Difixum, but it had nothing to do with love, just general protection. That wouldn't be strong enough...

I had been immersed in my notes and was startled by the sudden knock on my door. Putting the parchment in the book to keep my spot, I yelled, "Come in," and watched as Harry opened the door and walked over to sit next to me on the bed.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking at the big book in my lap.

"I'm trying to find out more about the protection spell your Mum cast," I replied, "What are you up to?"

"Well, Remus just came to see me and he said that I'm to meet Dumbledore in the library in twenty minutes," he answered, looking glum. I tried not to smile at his distress, but I couldn't help it; when he looked at me and saw my smile, he glared at me. "I'm glad you find this funny; this is all your fault you know."

"What do you mean 'it's all my fault'? If I recall correctly, you are the one that started all this," I said, defending myself.

"Well, if you didn't look so beautiful all the time, I wouldn't be drawn to you nearly so much," he said, smiling at me in a way that made me want to pounce on him. Trying to ignore the slow burn that had suddenly started in my lower abdomen, I shook my head and tried to focus on what he was saying.

"If you would learn to control your hormones, you wouldn't be having to sit though a sex talk with Dumbledore," I shot back, watching as all the color drained from his face.

"You're evil," he growled, "and I hope that McGonagall comes to talk to you while I'm talking to Dumbledore."

I felt the smile melt off my face as I considered the possibility; I shuddered at the thought of discussing sex with my head-of-house. She may be my favorite teacher, but I'd much rather talk to Mrs. Weasley about that particular subject.

Seeing my reaction to his comment, Harry said, "See, that's exactly how I feel," and then leaned forward slightly to give me a kiss.

Just as Harry started to deepen the kiss, I pulled back reluctantly and said, "You'd better get going; this is what got us into trouble in the first place."

He sighed and said, "I guess you're right; I'd better go." I watched as he slowly walked over towards the door and just as he put his hand on the doorknob he turned back to me and said, "I wouldn't be going through this if it were anyone else, you know; you're worth all the suffering I'm about to go through."

With a big smile on my face and love filling my heart I said, "I love you Harry."

"I love you too," he said with an equally large smile and then walked out the door.

~*~

I suffered through my 'talk' with Dumbledore, embarrassed the entire time, and left as soon as he was done telling me about what Muggles call the 'birds and bees'. I would rather have been clueless my first time and fumbled my way through it than have to sit there listening to a hundred and fifty year old wizard talk about sex; just that thought alone was enough of a deterrent, and after discussing it with Hermione, we decided to wait for a little while longer.

The rest of our time at Grimmauld was spent working out and training with Ginny, Ron and Draco; thankfully Ron was still oblivious about his sister and his worst enemy being a couple and no one was in a rush to clue him in. Hermione and I had walked into different rooms in the house and interrupted a couple of their snog sessions, but as I told an irate Draco, better us than Ron.

As for Hermione and I, we were growing closer every day. When I was away from her I felt as if I needed to be near her, like I was being drawn back to her, and I felt as if my body would go up in flames every time I touched her during our own snog sessions. She had explained that it was all part of the lingering protection spell; whatever it was, I was enjoying it immensely.

Finally the day came for us to return to Hogwarts; it had been eight months since we'd left the school and we were all ready to go back. The morning we were to leave Mr. Weasley, Tonks and Kingsley were there to take us to Kings Cross Station.

"Let's go, let's go, you're going to be late!" called Mrs. Weasley up the stairs. Ginny was the only one not ready to leave, and she was holding us up.

Finally she came running down the stairs and grabbed the cage in which her new owl was perched; she had named him Draconius and thankfully Ron hadn't figured out who he was named after yet. We all hurried out the door; Ron, Hermione and I in one group while Ginny and Draco were in the other. I was surprised when Ron didn't make any sarcastic comments about them walking together and when I looked questioningly at him he said, "My Dad's with them, if that snake tries anything, he'll have him to answer to."

We walked up in front of the station about twenty minutes later and hurriedly put our luggage onto carts; we only had five minutes before the train left. As we ran through the barrier and turned our luggage over to the person in charge of loading it onto the train, I smiled at the sight of the enormous red engine. A wave of sadness washed over me as I realized this would be my last train ride to Hogwarts. As if sensing my mood, Hermione walked over, grabbed my hand and said, "Come on Harry, let's go find Ron, he's saving us a seat."

The train ride went more quickly than I had hoped, and as I stepped out onto the platform the first person I saw was Hagrid.

" 'ello 'arry!" he exclaimed as he patted me on the back so hard I almost fell to my knees.

"Hi Hagrid," I replied as Hermione walked up behind me and started to rub the spot on my back he had more than likely bruised.

" 'ello 'ermione," he said, giving her a huge, toothy smile.

"Hello Hagrid," she replied, returning his smile, "Did you have a good summer?"

"It was alrigh', " he answered, fidgeting, "Jus' had some things to do fer Professor Dumbledore."

Knowing he was referring to Order business, we just nodded in acknowledgement and I said, "We'd better get a carriage; we'll see you later Hagrid!"

"Come 'n visit when ya have a chance," he said. Agreeing to visit him the first chance we got, Hermione and I quickly made our way over to where Ron was standing in front of a carriage. After arriving at the castle, we made our way into the Great Hall for the Welcoming feast. While we ate and caught up with our other friends, Hermione suddenly nudged me in the side and said, "Harry, look," while pointing at the head table.

When I looked in the direction she was pointing, I was shocked to see a person I didn't recognize sitting where Professor Snape usually sat. I tried to think back to the last time I had seen him and realized it had been the day we had left the Burrow to go to Grimmauld Place.

After we were done eating, Hermione and I made our way over to Dumbledore's office. We had spoken to Professor McGonagall before leaving the Hall and she had informed us of the password; I felt a strange sense of dread come over me as we made our way up the stairs to the office door. After Dumbledore called for us to come in, we made our way to the two seats in front of his desk.

"What can I do for you?" he asked, continuing to write on a piece of parchment.

"Sir, Hermione and I noticed during dinner that Professor Snape was missing from his usual spot at the Head Table. The last time either of us saw him was the day after the attack on the Burrow; is he on a mission for the Order?" I asked, hoping he would give us a straight answer; I didn't want to admit that I was worried about Snape.

Professor Dumbledore looked up from the parchment, staring at Hermione and I with an unreadable expression on his face. We watched as he stood up slowly and made his way around the desk to stand in front of us. A chair appeared behind him and he sat down as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. Sighing, he said, "I'm afraid not Harry; the last time you saw him was the last time anyone saw him. Voldemort had summoned him that morning, and despite my objections, he left anyway."

For the first time in my memory, Dumbledore seemed truly worried. Looking every one of his one hundred and fifty years, he looked me directly in the eyes and said, "I'm sorry to say that Professor Snape is dead."

Just so you know, the one thing everyone has been waiting for will happen in the next chapter!! :)

30. And So It Begins

~A/N>Please don't be mad at me, I've had a major block with this chapter and then realized that I needed to do some set-up before all hell breaks loose. I'm working on the next chapter now, but I'm not going to make a promise of when it will be up, that wouldn't be fair to you or I. I want to give you a quality chapter, not a crappy rushed one. To any of you that read "The Power Within" or "The Fear Within", I have recently posted the prologue to the third story, "The Light Within". Thank you for your patience and all the wonderful reviews for the last chapter! :) Thanks once again to Spaz for her wonderful beta work!

I sat there stunned as I realized what Professor Dumbledore had just told us; Professor Snape was dead. I looked over at Harry and saw a shocked look on his face, one that probably mirrored my own expression at the minute. Thanking him for his honesty, Harry stood up and held his hand out to me; taking it, I let him lead me out of the office and down the corridor.

"Hermione, are you okay?" he asked, squeezing my hand lightly. I nodded my head yes and kept walking, my head filled with jumbled thoughts about Snape's death and what Voldemort could be planning next. I looked over at Harry and felt genuine fear for his life as I realized that the final battle was fast approaching, and that I could possibly lose the person I loved more than life itself.

After that night, I buried myself in the library, trying to find some way to protect Harry. I became almost fanatical about it; I would wake up in the morning, run down to the Great Hall to grab some toast and make my way to the library, where I stayed until classes started. I did the same with lunch and dinner, and then Harry came to find me one night, wondering where I had been the past week.

"I wondered where you had disappeared to," he said as he sat in the chair next to me, "are you researching something for one of our classes?"

"No," I replied, unable to look at him, "I'm trying to find something, a spell or potion, that will protect your during the final battle."

He didn't say a word in response, and when I finally looked at him, I turned to see him staring intently at me. "You don't have to do that," he said, taking my hand, "I'm ready to fight him Hermione, I want him gone so that maybe you and I can have a future, a normal future together."

My heart soared at the implications of his words; he wanted to defeat Voldemort so that we could be together. The happiness I felt was soon replaced by the same fear that had haunted me day and night for the past week and the all too familiar question, "What if he doesn't survive the final battle?" running through my head for the millionth time.

My trepidation must have shown on my face because Harry squeezed my hand and asked, "What is it luv?"

"It's nothing," I lied, unable to meet his eyes.

He sighed and then asked, "Are you sure?" I just nodded my head slightly and he said, "You know, there was a reason that I sought you out tonight; what are you doing Friday night?"

This being Tuesday, I thought my schedule through in my head and replied, "Nothing that I know of."

"Great! I have a surprise for you and I want you to meet me in the Room of Requirement at eight o'clock, okay?" he asked, sounding excited.

"Okay" I replied, wondering what he was planning. I watched as he stood up and then bent over to kiss me softly on the lips.

"Don't work too hard," he teased with a mischievous smile on his face, "I don't want you to be too tired for your surprise."

Full of curiosity at what he could be planning, I watched as he walked out of the library, saying hello to various students along the way. Feeling even more determined to find a way to help him, I closed the book I had been reading and reached for another one, hell-bent on finding a protection spell that would protect Harry.

~*~

Hermione continued to work non-stop in the library every night as I tried to ready myself for Friday night. It was going to be the night for us, and I wanted it to go perfectly. I wanted her to know exactly how much she meant to me before the final battle arrived, in case I didn't survive to tell her afterwards, and I wanted her to be mine-mind, body and soul. I'm not a fool, I'm a realist, and I knew there was a fifty/fifty chance that I wouldn't make it out alive. It was frightening to think about, but it would be stupid of me to believe that there was no way I could lose. I was going to fight to the death if I had to, if only to make sure Hermione would be safe after I was gone; if I died and Voldemort survived, he would surely go after her first, seeing as she was Muggle-born.

As I walked into the library at lunchtime that Friday, I found Hermione sitting at her usual table in the corner closest to the Restricted Section; she sat there turning pages with her left hand as her right continuously twirled a lock of hair around and around, which was a sure sign that she was deep in thought. I walked up and stood before her, waiting for her to realize I was there so I wouldn't startle her. When she looked up at me, I almost lost my breath at the love I could see clearly shining in her eyes. I knew right then that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her; she had always been there for me, no matter what, and she understood me better than I understood myself. I couldn't help the huge smile that broke out on my face as I stared at her, probably looking like a lovesick fool.

"Are you going to sit down, or are you going to stand there with that goofy grin on your face all afternoon?" she teased, gracing me with one of her dazzling smiles.

Feeling slightly embarrassed, I walked over to sit in the chair next to her and tried to read over the page she had been so engrossed in. I noticed the word 'sacrificial' and 'marital' on the page, but before I could read more she quickly shut the book and moved it away from her. When I gave her a questioning look she just said, "More information on protection spells, that's all."

"I thought I told you..." I started, but was promptly cut off by her angry reply.

"I know what you told me Harry," she bit out, and then I watched as her face fell into an expression of sadness. After covering her face with her hands for a moment, she looked up with shining eyes and said, "I'm sorry, it's just that...I'm so scared of losing you."

I quickly wrapped my arms around her and held her as tightly as I could without hurting her. I knew that she had been worried about the final battle, but I didn't know the extent of her worry and fear until now. Pulling back slightly, I placed a kiss on her forehead and then rested my forehead against hers, our noses touching.

"I swear that I will do everything in my power to defeat him 'Mione." I said quietly, hoping to assuage some of her fears. "While you've been spending your nights in here, I've been in the Room of Requirement training with Remus and Dumbledore. My wandless magic is strong, my defence tactics are spot-on, and I'll have my love for you to draw off of; Voldemort doesn't stand a chance."

I heard her sniffle and watched as she closed her eyes; all I wanted to do in that moment was reassure her that I would be back for her, that I would never leave her, but I couldn't help feeling that nothing I said was going to make her feel any better.

She pulled back from me and wiped at the corners of her eyes where tears had gathered, looking down at the floor instead of at me. "I'm sorry Harry, I shouldn't be burdening you with my stupid feelings when you need all your concentration to train and prepare."

"Stop apologizing," I said curtly, a hint of my frustration evident in my voice, "I love you Hermione, you are the most important person in my life and in no way have you ever been a burden. I'm glad you told me you were scared, at least now I have some idea as to why you've been hiding out in here."

"I'm so..." she started, but then stopped herself before she could apologize yet again, "I just wasn't sure I could be around you without breaking down and I didn't want you to have to deal with me on top of everything else."

"You come first luv, everything else can wait." I replied, my spirits lifting a little as a small smile crept onto her face.

"Thank you," she said, leaning towards me and kissing me quickly on the lips.

"For what?" I asked, a little confused.

"For being you," she said, taking my hand in hers and squeezing it. We sat there for thirty minutes more and then she stood up and started to gather her things together.

"Where are you going?" I asked, knowing that she was done with classes for the day.

"I promised Hagrid that I would visit and have tea with him this afternoon." she replied, "Don't worry, I'll be ready for my surprise tonight."

At the mention of the surprise, I felt a small wave of fear and anticipation wash over me quickly. Tonight was the night that we would finally be together, our commitment to each other sealed by our joining; tonight was the night that would change my life forever.

~*~

When I had mentioned the surprise he had planned, a look of fear crossed his face while I noticed that his eyes had darkened with lust; I had seen that look in his eyes many times before and I felt a shiver run through me as I thought about what might happen between us tonight. I wanted Harry to be my first, my only and even though I was a little afraid of what was going to happen I knew he would be gentle and loving with me; I wouldn't trust my body and my soul with anyone else.

I walked back to Gryffindor Tower with him and when he gave me a kiss good-bye my knees almost buckled with its intensity. I heard some of the younger girls around me giggling, but I didn't care at that moment. When I turned to make my way upstairs to drop off my books I noticed more than one envious look thrown my way and I couldn't help but smile; Harry was mine and everyone knew it.

I made my way down to Hagrid's hut and was confused when I knocked and he didn't answer. I slowly opened the door and called out to him, but still no answer so I walked in all the way to make sure he was okay. What I saw in his sitting room stopped me cold.

"P-Professor Snape?" I asked, unable to believe what I was seeing. He sat in one of the large chairs glaring at me and when I looked around the room I gasped as I noticed Hagrid laying on the floor motionless.

"Hagrid!" I yelled as I ran over to his prone body. I tried to turn him over but it was no use, he was too heavy for me to do it alone. "Professor Snape, please help me!" I begged, afraid that Hagrid may be dying, if not already dead.

"You're too late, you silly girl, no one can survive the killing curse." Professor Snape sneered with a look of hatred in his eyes.

"NO!" I cried, bending down to see if I could hear a heartbeat or feel a pulse; when I didn't hear or feel anything I started to sob, unable to believe that the lovable giant was really gone. Harry would be devastated when he found out...

"Harry," I whispered, "I have to go get Harry and Professor Dumbledore."

"I'm afraid you won't be going anywhere," Snape said, standing up and pointing his wand at my throat, "My Master is finally going to kill Potter and you're going to help him do it."

Before I could say anything or attempt to run away he shouted, "Stupify!" I felt my body go rigid and I watched in fear as Professor Snape walked over to where I lay and draped an invisibility cloak over me. My fear mixed with the fact that my breath was laboured due to the cloak covering my nose and mouth caused me to pass out, and when I came to I found myself bound to some sort of slab with Voldemort staring down at me.

"Mudblood," he hissed, his high-pitched voice like nails on a chalkboard, "Ready to watch Potter die?"

~*~

'It's eight-fifteen, where could she be?' I worried as I paced back and forth in the Room of Requirement. I had been busy getting everything ready, so I hadn't seen Hermione since I kissed her good-bye as she left to visit Hagrid. I was really starting to get anxious since Hermione was not one to be late...ever.

Losing my patience entirely, I left the room and made my way to Gryffindor Tower. When I walked in I noticed Ron sitting on the couch.

"Ron, have you seen Hermione?" I asked, looking around the room to see whom else I could possibly ask.

"Hello to you too," he said, looking up and catching a sight of my attire, "Wow, what are you all dressed up for?"

"I have a date with Hermione, but she's late; have you seen her?" I asked again, a little more impatiently.

"I haven't seen her since breakfast," he answered, looking at me strangely, "Why are you so worried?"

"She was supposed to meet me in the Room of Requirement twenty minutes ago and she's not one to be late." I replied.

Getting an idea, I turned to make my way out of the Common Room when Ron asked, "Where are you going?"

"To Hagrid's hut, that's where she was going the last time I saw her." I replied.

"I'll go with you," he said, rushing to catch up to me. We both walked quickly down the stairs and out of the castle, heading toward Hagrid's small hut. I knocked and called Hagrid's name, but there was no answer. Trying the door, it opened and I looked inside before walking all the way in. What I saw next made my blood run cold.

"Hagrid!" I shouted, running over to where he lay sprawled on the floor. I shook him and put my ear against his chest, but I couldn't hear anything; Hagrid was dead. My eyes swam with tears as I realized that Hagrid, the person who saved me after my parents were killed, was gone forever. Suddenly I remembered why I had come down here in the first place and looked around the room quickly. I didn't see any sign that Hermione had been there, but that didn't mean she hadn't been visiting Hagrid when he was attacked. What if she had been taken, or worse…?

"Ron, go get Dumbledore, NOW!" I shouted, watching as he jumped and quickly made his way out of the hut. Letting my fear and grief overtake me, I lay my head back down on Hagrid's chest and cried, mourning my friend and praying that I'd find Hermione safe and unharmed.

What seemed like an eternity later, Ron walked in followed by Dumbledore; when I looked up at him he asked, "Harry, what..." I watched his questioning expression turn to one of sadness as he noticed Hagrid lying next to me. "What happened?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know Sir," I replied, grief evident in my voice, "I came down here to see if Hermione was still down here visiting, and I found him…like this." As he continued to look at Hagrid I said, "Sir, Hermione is missing, I can't find her anywhere."

Dumbledore looked at me and for a split second I caught a glimpse of his concerned expression before he quickly recovered his serene demeanor and stated, "I will summon the Order and then notify the Ministry. Harry, you come with me."

"But Sir..." I started, but he silently held up a hand to stop my protest.

"Harry there is nothing more that you can do here, Hagrid is gone. I fear that Tom is near, making ready to strike; we were aware that the Final Battle was fast approaching, and now it appears that it has begun." He stated and then turned to Ron and asked, "Mr. Weasley, please stand guard and keep everyone away until either the Aurors or your Father arrives; it should not be long."

Ron nodded mutely, staring at Hagrid's prone body as I stood up and walked over to where Dumbledore stood. As I passed him, Ron said, "Bring her back to us Harry."

"I intend to," I replied, clapping my hand on his shoulder and then followed Dumbledore back to the castle.

31. The Search For Hermione

~A/N> I want to apologize for the length of time it's taken me to update this story. Between a major block on this chapter and RL rearing it's ugly head, I've had a heck of a time with this. I am hoping to have the last chapter posted this weekend, so it won't be so long between updates this time. Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews and thanks to my wonderful beta Spaz for all her help!!! :) AND THERE WILL BE A HAPPY ENDING!! I'VE PROMISED ONE ALL ALONG!

I followed Dumbledore up to his office, various thoughts flowing through my mind as I went. 'How could this have happened?' I thought, mentally kicking myself in the ass. 'I promised Mrs. Granger, on her deathbed, that I would watch over Hermione no matter what! How could Voldemort have taken her so easily?'

Walking into the office I saw Draco, Ginny, Neville and Luna standing there, waiting for us. Before I could ask what they were doing there, the fireplace roared to life with green flames and Remus came stumbling out. Looking around the room quickly, he spotted Dumbledore by his desk and hurriedly made his way over.

"Albus" he said, getting the Headmaster's attention, "I've found something in Sirius's vault that I think will help us find Hermione."

I quickly made my way up to the desk along with Draco and the others, curious to see what it was Remus had found. We watched as Dumbledore unrolled the parchment he had been given and looked it over. Looking up at me, he set it down on his desk so that I could see it and I realized that it was a map.

"What is that a map of?" I asked as I thoroughly looked it over.

"I know" said Draco with a haunted look in his eyes, "It's a map of Black Manor."

"Black Manor?" I asked, "I thought that Grimmauld Place belonged to the Black family?"

"It does for Sirius' line of the family," Draco replied, "Black Manor is attached to my mother's line of the Black family. It belongs to her and Aunt Bella currently, and as I am the only male heir it will eventually pass down to me." Both Harry and Neville scowled at the mention of Draco's aunt.

Draco continued, "In the first war Father had offered the home to the Dark Lord and his followers as a show of support. I think it was used for meetings and parties mostly…obviously its being used again."

I stared at Draco for a moment, noting how all the color had drained out of his face while he described Black Manor, and knew there had to be more to the story. "What aren't you telling us?" I asked, never breaking my stare.

He was quiet for a few moments, staring at the floor, and when he finally looked up I knew I wasn't going to like the answer. Walking up to the map, he pointed to the lower half of the house and said, "This basement isn't just a basement; it's a magically enhanced dungeon, a labyrinth of cages and rooms used for torture...and other things."

A wave of nausea rolled through my stomach at the thought of Hermione being held there; my mind kept dredging up pictures of her manacled in one of the cages, being tortured mercilessly by Voldemort. Unable to stand those thoughts any longer, I asked, "Draco, do you know where this house is?"

"Yes," he answered, "but it's going to be hard to get inside Potter; the wards are very strong and there are Dark spells on all of the doors and the entrance to the dungeon will probably have extra wards and guards."

"We will be able to disarm the wards and Dark spells Mr. Malfoy." said Dumbledore, radiating with more power than I had ever seen, "You just explain where the Manor is located and I will take care of the rest."

After assembling the entire Order of the Phoenix, Draco explained the exact location of Black Manor and what to the best of his knowledge what we would be facing when we got there. No one questioned how he knew of the protections and secret entrances...they knew that Lucius had probably taken him there to initiate him into the world of Dark magic.

There were three groups, taking three seperate Portkeys at two minute intervals; Malfoy was in the first group, I was in the second group with Ron, and Remus was in the third group. Neville, Ginny and Luna were left behind with Professor Flitwick to help keep the students safe; they were to send Fawkes if any emergency arose at the school.

Just before the first group left, Dumbledore walked up to me and pulled me off to the side, away from everyone else. "Good luck Harry. This is it. The order will provide as much protection as possible and I will do all that I can; however, this is your destiny. Are you ready?"

I stared at him for a moment and then replied, "I made a promise to Hermione's mother and I keep my promises. Yes Professor, I'm ready…more than ready."

Dumbledore looked at me with what I perceived as a look of pride and nodded his head slightly. Turning away he looked around the room and announced, "It is time to go."

As I watched the first group Portkey away, Ron walked up next to me and patted me on the back. I looked at him but remained silent; I knew we were sharing one last moment of friendship before setting off for battle. "Stay safe mate," I said, socking him lightly on the arm.

"You too," he replied, "and good luck."

~*~

I gritted my teeth together, trying not to scream, as Voldemort cast the Cruciatus curse on me for the third time, this time holding it a little longer than the last. My body was racked with pain and small blasts of white light were bursting behind my tightly shut eyelids; I was desperately trying not to give in to the pain, but it was getting harder to do with each curse cast.

When it was finally lifted, I lay panting on the slab that I was bound, and I could feel the sweat trickling into my hair along with the tears that had involuntarily leaked out of my eyes. The only thought running through my mind was of Harry; I knew he must be worried by now, and I prayed that he didn't try to rescue me...unbidden visions of Harry falling dead at Voldemort's hand kept flashing before my eyes and I fought to keep the sob that was threatening to burst forth inside. I couldn't lose him, and I wouldn't let him die; the Wizarding and Muggle world needed him too much. If anyone died this night, it was going to be me; I had made that decision a long time ago. His life was much more valuable than my own.

A shadow cascaded over me as the light behind my eyelids dimmed and I didn't have to open them to know who was standing over me. I knew it was Voldemort. I opened my eyes and glared defiantly at him; I shrunk back as his shrill laughter rang throughout the room.

"Stupid Mudblood," he hissed, his red eyes boring into mine, "trying to resist the Cruciatus curse is pointless...since it wasn't enough pain for you, let's see what fears you have locked away in your mind...Legilimens!"

Suddenly I could see memories appearing in my minds eye; my Mum playing with me in the backyard of our house, my fourth birthday when I got the bicycle I had wanted so badly...and then I gasped as a picture of my Father appeared, standing ominously over me. I involuntarily flinched as he struck out at me and knocked the air from my lungs. The punches, slaps, pushes, and every other pain he had put me through played out in my mind and I cried out, "Stop it!"

Weakened from fighting the Cruciatus curse, my attempts at Occlumency failed as the memories crashed faster and faster through my mind, and each one more painful than the next. When Voldemort dug out the memory where my Mum shot my Dad, I started thrashing about, praying that I could somehow get free and stop this horrendous mental torture. I watched helplessly as I relived my Dad throwing me to the floor and climbing on top of me. I felt useless as I watched him wrap his hands around my throat...the memory started to fade as he continued to strangle me and memory Hermione started to lose consciousness.

Unable to bear the pain any longer, I felt myself slipping into darkness, my head feeling as if it were going to explode at any moment. Just before I fell into unconsciousness, my mind registered the sound of a loud explosion and then I drifted into a blissful nothingness....

~*~

It took a great deal of strong magic from many of us, but we finally knocked the last door down and I was the first one to enter the dark, dank room. My breath caught as I frantically searched around and then I saw her...Hermione was lying on a slab, her face was covered in sweat and her skin was white as a sheet. I felt the cold grip of fear wrap around my heart when I saw that her eyes were closed and she wasn't moving; Voldemort, who had been standing over her, had his wand pointed directly at her heart as he said, "I wondered how long it would take you to get here Potter. I have been waiting…patiently."

"It's me you want Riddle, not her" I said with more force than I was feeling.

"Oh you are wrong Potter, I want both of you…dead. I think I shall revive her just long enough to watch you die. Sound familiar?" he hissed as his slit for a mouth curled into a sick twisted grin.

"Yeah, we know how well that worked out for you." I replied with false confidence; I was then distracted, thankfully, as Hermione's eyes fluttered open and she turned her head in my direction.

She stared at me for a moment, as if she didn't recognize me at first, and then she whispered, "Harry?"

Before I could say anything, Voldemort shoved his wand into her chest; just as his mouth opened to mutter a curse, a blast of red light hit him square in the side and sent him flying across the room. I looked in the direction the jet of light had come from and saw Dumbledore standing there with his hand still outstretched.

The Death Eaters were surrounding us and Dumbledore said, "Hurry and free Miss Granger Harry; we will keep the Death Eaters occupied."

I ran to where Hermione lay and tried to sit her up; I couldn't move her at all and I felt my anger start to rise over the fear in the pit of my stomach. With a quick wave of my hand, I muttered, "Finite Incantatum" and saw her body jerk a little. Quickly putting my arms underneath her, I lifted her up and carried her back towards the door, behind the group of Order members.

"Hermione?" I said, caressing her cheek, "Luv, can you hear me?" Her eyes slowly opened again and she focused on my face.

"Harry...why did you come?" she said, gripping onto my hand. I looked up quickly to make sure we were covered for at least a minute more and then looked back down at her as she said, "You should be back at Hogwarts where you're safe."

"I'm not safe anywhere anymore luv," I explained, bewildered by her question, "Are you hurt?"

"Cruciatus a few times...and he used Legilimency on me" she replied.

"What did he see?" I asked.

Tears sprang to her eyes as they glazed over a bit as she remembered; "He made me relive my worst memories" she whispered.

Suddenly someone slammed into the wall next to us and I knew our time was up. "Hermione, I have to go back and help them," I said, kissing her softly on the lips. I helped her stand up and watched as she leaned heavily against the wall.

"Stay back here, behind everyone if you can." I said, looking around the room. The Order was doing a fair job of taking down the Death Eaters, but unfortunately Voldemort stood in the middle of the room, throwing the killing curse at anyone that moved including his Death Eaters.

"Come out and play Potter," Voldemort taunted and then laughed chillingly as he struck yet another Order member down, "Come out and let you're Mudblood watch you die!"

I turned back to Hermione and saw the fear in her eyes. "I'll be okay Luv" I reassured, stepping closer to her. I dug into my pocket and brought out her wand, which I had made sure to grab before we had left Hogwarts.

"I can't believe you went to Hagrid's without this." I said, handing it over to her.

"Neither can I," she replied, and then I watched as her face took on a very sad expression. "Hagrid..."

"Don't think about it now," I replied hastily, "Just stay here and defend yourself. Your the smartest witch in the history of Hogwarts...You need to draw on that brain of yours and keep yourself safe."

"I love you Harry," she said, kissing me.

"I love you too," I replied, taking one last look at her and then turned to make my way towards Voldemort, ready for the fight of my life.

~*~

I watched him go, tears streaming down my face, and prayed to every God there was that he would make it through this alive and well. As I continued to watch, Voldemort struck Harry with the Cruciatus curse and laughed cruelly as Harry writhed in pain on the ground. 'I can't let him do this alone' I thought, thinking of the plan I had devised a week ago. I felt the familiar hollow feeling in the pit of my stomach as I thought about what I was about to do; thinking how the Wizarding World needed Harry to defeat Voldemort; I steeled myself against the pain and gathered my nerve about me.

Pointing my wand towards him, I closed my eyes and gathered all the love I felt for Harry in my heart; calling on all my magical reserves, I opened my eyes and said, "Prostateuo enaz ego agapol, dino zoh gia dikoz tou!"*

There was a rush of wind around me suddenly and I could once again feel a strong connection with Harry; I watched as a bright white light floated up from my chest and made it's way towards him. It entered his body and his body glowed bright white for a few ticks; after that, I lost the strength to stand and sank to the floor, feeling as if my heart had just been ripped from my chest.

"Miss Granger, what have you done?!" asked Dumbledore as he rushed to my side, "Do you realize what that spell will do to you if Voldemort uses the killing curse against Harry?"

"I understand completely Professor Dumbledore," I whispered as all the strength seeped from my body. "If I don't make it through this, will you please let him know that I did it because I love him so much?"

The Headmasters face took on a sad expression, one I had never seen before, as he stared at me for a moment. "Your love for him must be great," he stated, a small smile gracing his lips, "I will tell him if I must, but knowing as I do of Harry's love for you, I am certain that conversation will be unnecessary."

I watched as he stood slowly and then I heard him cast the concealing charm over me. "Lie here and rest Miss Granger; when it is all over, I will come back for you."

~*~

After being hit with the Cruciatus, I lay on the ground, pain coursing through my body. As I tried to quickly throw it off, something strange happened; my body grew warm and suddenly I felt at peace, as if I was being shielded by something so great, nothing could get to me. As Voldemort hit me with the curse once more, I didn't feel the pain but I started to see flashes of memories; after seeing a few of them I realized these weren't my memories, they were Hermione's. Just as I thought her name I heard her cry out in pain and I frantically looked back to where I had left her, only to see an empty space.

"She is safe Harry," Dumbledore whispered in my mind, "you must concentrate and do what you must do."

Putting my trust in his words of assurance, I turned back to Voldemort and noticed a flicker of indecision in his red, snake-like eyes. "Expelliarmus!" he shouted, as the spell hit me without effect.

"Trying to disarm me Riddle?" I taunted, taking a couple of steps towards him, holding out my empty hands, "Too bad I don't have a wand...but you do, don't you? Expelliarmus!"

I caught him off guard and watched as his wand went sailing through the air. I heard it bounce off of the ground a few times and felt a smirk playing at my lips. Unfortunately, Voldemort just held his hand out and said very calmly, "Accio wand!"

Armed once more, he fixed me with his cold stare and said, "I wouldn't get too cocky Potter because I am going to kill you, and then soon after your Mudblood will join you. Crucio!"

I watched as the jet of light from the curse left the tip of his wand, as if in slow motion, and hit me in the chest; bracing myself for the pain that I knew was coming, I was surprised when I felt nothing at all. I heard Hermione cry out once more, her voice fainter this time, and knew I had to end this. I threw my hand out in front of me and yelled, "Reducto!"

The ground beneath Voldemort's feet exploded as if he had just stepped on a land mine and he flew backwards through the air, shock evident on his face. He landed with a loud thud and I stared in disbelief, as he immediately regained his footing, unfazed. Pointing his wand at me once again he said, "I've had enough of you Potter, play time is over...Avada Kedavra!!"

The green jet of light streaked towards me and I had no time to move out of its' path; it hit me and knocked me onto the ground. I opened my eyes and realized that, even though my chest hurt, I was still alive…again.

Missing the strangely sad expression that crossed over Dumbledore's face at that moment, I got up and stood facing Voldemort, reaching into my back pocket to retrieve my wand. To cast the killing curse correctly I would need to channel all of my love and happy memories through that one piece of wood, and I was ready to do it; the world deserved to know peace once again and Hermione and I deserved to have a life together without having to live in fear. Summoning all of my magical energy and love I took a deep breath and yelled, "Avada Kedavra!!"

A split second before the curse hit him in the chest, Voldemort's eyes grew wide with surprise. I had counted on him doubting me, doubting that I was capable of killing another human being; in this instance, I wasn't killing a human being, I was killing a monster.

Instead of a jet of light soaring towards him, the green light became a beam and stayed connected to the tip of my wand. I could feel the magic being drained from me as the beam stayed connected with Voldemort's body; a second later the beam turned from green to white and then a brilliant golden color, causing Voldemort to emit an unearthly scream.

I could feel my body pulsing with power and my heart felt as if it were going to pound out of my chest; bracing myself against the pull of magic I suddenly heard my Mother's voice say, "You can do it Harry." Trying to hold on to my wand I heard Hermione's voice say, "I love you Harry. You can defeat him."

Replaying those voices over in my mind I tightened my hold on my wand and held on until Voldemort released one last scream of agony and in a flash of bright white light he disappeared, leaving nothing behind but his wand.

~*~

I lay on the ground, gasping for breath, after Voldemort had used the Cruciatus on Harry not once, but twice. All of my strength was depleted and I could hardly keep my eyes open; the only thing that kept me hanging on to conciousness was Harry and the fact that he was still standing, able to fight his greatest enemy.

I watched the fight play out, and when I heard Voldemort cast the killing curse, I started to weep. This was it, if the curse struck Harry, I would die instead of him. Various thoughts started to drift through my mind of how his Mum had sacrificed herself for him in much the same way...all of our happy memories together...how much I loved him...how he was my soulmate in every sense of the word. Feeling the greatest sadness I had ever felt, I braced myself as Harry's body absorbed the green jet of light; the last thought I had before I drew my last breath was of Harry and my unconditional love for him.

~Please review, it only takes a minute and I greatly appreciate it!~ *-"Protect the one I love, give my life for his"

32. Hermione's Sacrifice

~A/N> I know I said this would be the last chapter, but I have decided to split it in two again. This chapter gives all the explanations and the next will be pure fluff; I should have it up by Saturday. I have to say thanks and give credit to my wonderful beta Spaz...she helped me write a part of this chapter that I was having trouble with and helped me out immensely! Thanks for all of the exceptional reviews for the last chapter, I hope you weren't too mad at me for what I did to Hermione :)

"Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.~ Aristotle"

I could feel my body pulsing with power and my heart felt as if it were going to pound out of my chest; bracing myself against the pull of magic I suddenly heard my Mother's voice say, "You can do it Harry." Trying to hold on to my wand I heard Hermione's voice say, "I love you Harry. You can defeat him."

Replaying those voices over in my mind I tightened my hold on my wand and held on until Voldemort released one last scream of agony and in a flash of bright white light he disappeared, leaving nothing behind but his wand...

At least that's what I thought...as I continued to stare at the spot where Voldemort last stood, I saw a translucent figure in his place. As my eyes adjusted after the brilliance of the light, I stood unmoving as I realized whom it was standing in front me...Tom Riddle. Before I could say anything he held up a hand towards me and mouthed, "Thank you," and then faded away.

"What just happened?" I asked bewildered.

Dumbledore stood at my side and began to speak, "Love, Harry is the most powerful magic of all. Your ability to love, your love for Hermione, was the power behind the curse as you cast it. The one magic that Voldemort had no defence against and the strength of your love destroyed the evil leaving the essence of the man, Tom Riddle behind. You set that essence free Harry, freeing Tom's spirit and allowing him to finally move on."

"Bloody hell," I said. Not quite able to grasp the enormity of what had just happened, I walked over to where Voldemort's wand lay and picked it up. I looked around the room and saw bodies sprawled everywhere, some were Order members but most of them Death Eaters. While the surviving Death Eaters were being bound so they could be taken to Azkaban prison, I turned to look at Dumbledore and asked, "Where's Hermione?"

A pained look passed over his features, but he quickly recovered and his expression became one of neutrality. Turning towards the place where I had last seen Hermione, he waved his hand slightly and I watched as she once again came into view; my heart almost stopped when I realized she wasn't moving.

I ran over to where she was and collapsed onto the ground next to her. Smoothing the hair off of her face I said, "Hermione? Luv...it's over...he's finally gone."

When she still lay there motionless I reached towards the pulse point on her neck and felt my breath hitch when I found no pulse at all. I quickly turned to Dumbledore and yelled, "She's not breathing, what happened to her? You said she was okay!!"

"She was Harry," he replied, slowly walking up to me, "Until Voldemort struck you with the Unforgiveable."

"What does that have to do with anything?" I asked fighting back the tears of rage and despair that were threatening to fall from my eyes as I continued to smooth her hair back.

He drew in a deep breath and then slowly released a heavy sigh and looked down on me with consoling eyes. "She gave her life for yours Harry. She knew the risk she was taking, she made the choice to protect you with her heart...she loved you very much."

"This wasn't supposed to happen!" I shouted, angry that she had taken it upon herself to do this. However, my anger quickly turned to grief as I realised that I had lost her…just like I lost my Mum, my Dad…and Sirius. `Everyone I love leaves me,' I thought then looking back at Dumbledore I asked questions I already knew the answers to, "Why did she do this? She should have told me what she was planning…"

"You would not have changed her mind Harry," Dumbledore said, placing a comforting hand on my shoulder, "her love for you was so great that she gave her life so that you could live to defeat Voldemort."

"I did this for her...for us...what am I supposed to do without her?" I asked quietly, looking down at her still form as tears finally escaped from my eyes and rolled unnoticed down my cheeks. I held her in my arms, trying to keep my sanity in tact, mourning the loss of my best friend, the love of my life...my soul mate.

~*~

I lay on the ground, gasping for breath, after Voldemort had used the Cruciatus on Harry not once, but twice. My strength was greatly depleted and I could hardly keep my eyes open; the only thing that kept me hanging on to consciousness was Harry and the fact that he was still standing, strong, powerful and able to fight his greatest enemy.

I watched the fight play out, and when I heard Voldemort cast the killing curse, I started to weep. This was it, if the curse struck Harry, I would die instead of him, for him. Various thoughts started to drift through my mind of how his Mum had sacrificed herself for him in much the same way...all of our happy memories together...how much I loved him...how he was my soul mate in every sense of the word. Feeling the greatest sadness I had ever felt, I braced myself as Harry's body absorbed the green jet of light; the last thought I had before I drew my last breath was of Harry and my unconditional love for him.

I thought that was it, the end of my short life on this Earth, but in fact it was the beginning of something so astounding that it changed my life forever; it was not a culmination to my life, but in fact a rebirth...I felt as if I was a Phoenix rising...

The moment that Voldemort's curse hit Harry his body absorbed it, and through the link of my protection spell, it passed through to me and knocked me unconscious. What I thought to be my last breath was anything but...as my body absorbed the killing curse and I took in my last breath, Harry had cast the Avada Kedavra and had vanquished Lord Voldemort forever.

I lay on the ground, certain I was dead, and waited for my mother... or maybe Harry's mother Lily to come and get me, help me cross over to the other side. Instead I was greeted with the vision of a man, a young man about my age, bathed in white light. Curious as to why he was there I asked, "Are you my guide?"

"You are not dead...Hermione. I am not your guide; I am Tom Riddle-" He said before I interrupted him.

"Voldemort? What do you want? To take me to Hell with you?" I shouted, reaching for my wand before remembering that I was...

"No. Voldemort is gone and I am free now. I wanted to…meet you…to say thank you, your love for Harry…your love for each other is very powerful…take care of him." Tom said.

"What?" I asked, "I don't understand."

"You'll see. Rest now...you will awaken soon and don't forget, take care of him." Tom said one last time before walking to the light.

At the exact moment he disappeared, I felt a surge of magical energy spreading throughout my body and gasped at the pain I felt. Suddenly my lungs felt as if they were going to burst if I didn't take a breath soon and with what little strength I had left, I took a deep breath and felt life coursing through my body once again..

~*~

I don't know how long I sat on the ground holding her, I just knew that it was painful to breathe and I couldn't imagine taking one step out of this room without her at my side. As I lamented over my great loss, I felt a strange stirring in my chest and a presence within me that I knew didn't belong to me.

When I looked down at Hermione's face, I noticed a faint flutter of movement under her eyelids and realized that her face wasn't as white as it had been just minutes before. "Professor!" I called, summoning him to my side, "Something's happening..."

Just as Dumbledore reached my side, I saw the greatest sight I had ever seen...Hermione slowly opened her eyes and blinked them rapidly a couple of times. Squinting up at me, I saw the slightest of smiles grace her lips as she whispered, "Harry?"

"It's me Luv...you gave me quite a scare," I said, my body shaking with unbridled elation upon hearing her voice. I leaned down and softly brushed my lips across hers, revelling in their warmth.

"Harry, we must get Miss Granger back to Hogwarts immediately. Madame Pomfrey can tend to her there; she will no doubt require some time to convalesce after such a strain on her magic." Dumbledore said as the long absent twinkle returned to his pale blue eyes.

"Right" I replied. I watched as he looked briefly around the room; finding a battered shoe lying on the floor, he picked it up and said, "Portus!"

Holding it out to me he said, "This will take you directly to the Hospital Wing; once there explain what has happened with Miss Granger to Madame Pomfrey so she will have a better idea how to treat her. I will be along shortly to check on you."

Nodding my head in understanding, I reached out to take the Portkey from him. "Thank you Sir," I said, firmly placing Hermione's hand on it also just before I felt the slightly off-putting pull behind my naval.

The moment we landed in the Ward, Madame Pomfrey came bustling towards us and started to fuss over me. "I'm fine Madame Pomfrey," I said impatiently, "It's Hermione that needs your attention; I think she may have been actually dead for a short period of time and then somehow came back to life."

The wide-eyed nurse quickly levitated Hermione onto an empty bed and put curtains up all around it. As I went to walk through the curtains, the nurse put a hand on my chest and said, "I'm afraid you'll have to wait outside until I am done with my examination."

"I don't think so," I replied, staring the nurse down, "She just died...I'm not leaving her side ever again. I'll stand just inside the curtains so that I'm out of your way."

About thirty minutes later Madame Pomfrey completed her examination and gave me a very dirty look as she stormed out throwing the curtain aside. I turned my attention back to Hermione as she lay in the bed...she looked almost angelic as she lay propped up on a pillow, a white dressing gown had replaced her clothes and she had a white sheet pulled up to her waist. As I sat gently next to her on the bed she gave me a small smile and said, "Hey".

"Hey," I replied quietly, taking her hand in mine, and stared at her. After a few moments of my staring she looked a bit uncomfortable and asked, "What's wrong Harry?"

"Why?" I asked a little harshly, and taking a calming breath I asked, "Why'd you do it?"

"Because I love you," she answered, looking at me with a solemn expression on her face. "Your mad if you think I'm going to apologize because I'm not sorry. I knew what I was doing, I understood and accepted the consequences...I came to the realization that your life was much more valuable than mine. You were the only one who could defeat Voldemort and I...well, I wouldn't have been able to do anything to stop him, let alone anyone else."

"Why didn't you tell me what you were planning?" I asked; I already knew the answer, but my emotions were rolling in the pit of my stomach and I had no idea, which one I was feeling more.

"Harry, please don't be angry with me…it's over now, let's concentrate on moving forward and not dwelling on what might have happened…because it didn't. Voldemort is gone, he's not going to attack anyone ever again, his Death Eaters are either dead or in hiding for their lives, not around the corner waiting to pounce…you are finally free."

"I'm free?" I asked, unable to believe she had just said that. "How am I free Hermione? I just killed someone!"

"He was barely human Harry," she replied, cupping my cheek with her hand, "Voldemort was an incarnation of evil...he was a monster who preyed on the innocent. He couldn't stand who he really was, and his quest to eradicate everyone who wasn't of pure blood was his deluded way to cleanse himself of his own mixed heritage."

"But I still murdered him!" I exclaimed, getting up quickly from the bed. I paced back and forth next to the bed and ran my hand through my hair in frustration.

~*~

"...Voldemort is gone and I am free now... your love for each other is very powerful...take care of him."

That sentence suddenly ran through my mind and I realized that Harry must have no idea that he set Tom Riddle free. Maybe if he knew something good came out of all of this he would feel a little better about what he did.

"Harry..." I started to say, but Professor Dumbledore chose that moment to pull back the curtains.

"Hello Harry...Miss Granger, you are feeling better I presume?" he asked.

"A little," I replied honestly. "You are just in time Sir, I was just about to tell Harry what happened."

I waited for Dumbledore to conjure up a chair while Harry sat in the one that had been sitting next to my bed. Taking a deep, calming breath I said, "You know by now that I was taken from Hagrid's Hut...but I doubt that you know that it was Professor Snape that took me."

"Are you sure that it was Professor Snape Miss Granger?" Professor Dumbledore asked, a thoughtful look on his face.

"I thought it was Professor Snape...I found out later when they had taken me to those dungeons that it was actually another Death Eater using Polyjuice," I explained, "I'm sorry to have to tell you this Sir, but Professor Snape is dead; Voldemort made a point of telling me how he knew the Professor was a traitor and how he made him pay for his betrayal."

"Sadly, that is what I suspected and feared all along." Dumbledore replied.

"So after we found you, what spell was it that you cast to protect me?" Harry asked, watching me closely.

"It was a Sacrificial Protection Spell...I bound my soul to yours so that if Voldemort used an Unforgivable on you, the effects of the curse would merely pass through you and felt by me instead."

I watched as Harry's face turned a light shade of red and his green eyes flashed with anger as he said, "Did you die when Voldemort's curse passed through me?"

"I thought I did," I replied, "but while I was...I don't know what you would call it, between worlds maybe...I was visited by a young man I thought was there to take me to the other side. He introduced himself as Tom Riddle..."

"What?!" Harry interrupted, shooting up from his chair, "I didn't defeat him?" I watched as Harry angrily turned to Dumbledore and said, "You told me that I had defeated Voldemort and set Tom Riddle's essence free!"

I looked toward Dumbledore and saw the knowing expression on his face before he said, "We should hear the whole story before we pass judgement Harry."

As Harry sighed heavily and sank back down in his chair, I scooted up a little and winced from the pain that traveled through my body. When the surge of pain had passed, I continued with my explanation, "I reacted much the same way Harry just did, I panicked when he said his name, but he explained that Voldemort was gone and that you had set him free Harry...you made it possible for Tom Riddle's spirit to finally pass to the other side."

"When Tom passed from this world to the next his residual magic that had passed through Harry needed some place to go…Harry is powerful enough on his own, he had no need for the magic; accordingly Tom's essence found its way to you, Miss Granger through the link. Your magical strength was then replenished thus bringing you back from the brink of death." Dumbledore said.

Harry looked up at me with a look of uncertainty in his eyes; he looked lost and after everything he had been through, I could understand his reluctance to accept that Voldemort was finally gone. It was like gazing into the face of the scared little boy I met on the Hogwarts Express nearly seven years ago; I sat there staring into his emerald green eyes, trying to convey to him the truth of my words, as Dumbledore stood up and said, "I shall leave you to rest Miss Granger; thank you for clearing up the occurrences in Black Manor."

I continued to stare and Harry stared right back, his emotions were obviously warring inside his mind as I determined by the troubled look in his eyes. He moved to sit beside me on the bed and I reached out and wrapped my arms around him, ignoring the pain ripping through my body, hugging him fiercely; lifting my head up off of his shoulder I said, "it's over Harry, you're finally free...we're all finally free."

~*~

As soon as the word spread that I had in fact defeated Voldemort for good this time, the entire wizarding community erupted in impromptu celebrating and I was sent numerous owls with letters of congratulations. The parties went on for days and weeks even, and I was swamped with mail every single day. I sat in the Great Hall next to Ron and watched as yet another owl flew towards me. When it deposited the roll of parchment on my plate of food Ron said, "Bloody hell Harry; can't we even have a peaceful breakfast?"

My dorm mates hadn't appreciated the bags of mail that I had stacked in our room; they really didn't appreciate it when all the girls had started sneaking up and knocking on our door at all hours of the night and if one of them opened it, the girls would beg to talk to me.

"You're just put out that none of it's for you Weasley" stated Draco, who was across from me at our table seated next to Ginny. That had been the one big surprise to come out of the final battle...Draco Malfoy had saved Ron's life. As Ron was fighting against one Death Eater, another one had came up behind him and cast the killing curse. Draco had seen what was happening and had run full out at Ron, tackling him to the floor just before the curse hit him in the back.

"Sod off Malfoy," said Ron angrily, stabbing one of the sausages on his plate.

"Now is that any way to talk to the person you owe a Wizards Debt?" Draco asked, smirking. Ginny slapped him playfully on the arm and laughed.

"Stop reminding him every five minutes Draco," she said, "he may act angry, but deep inside he knows he wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you."

"Yes I know that Malfoy saved my life, as does the entire school, but that doesn't mean that we have to be best friends now!" Ron replied, glaring at his sister.

As the three of them continued to bicker, Hermione walked up and sat down next to me, kissing me on the cheek. "Morning luv," she said, smiling happily at me. She had finally been released from Hospital about a week ago; she was okay physically, but unfortunately she was having nightmares...as was I. We had spent many nights together on the Common Room sofa, just talking and comforting each other, and thankfully there had been fewer sleepless nights when we were together.

"Morning," I replied, "You're running late this morning, aren't you?"

"I had to see Madame Pomfrey for a check-up this morning," she said, spooning some eggs onto her plate, "she gave me some Dreamless Sleep potion to help with the nightmares...she gave me some for you too." I nodded my head in understanding, thinking how lucky I was to have her in my life, when she said, "You know, I realized this morning that we never got to have our date."

I almost spit out the pumpkin juice I was drinking when she mentioned the date; that had been the night I had planned on us being 'together' for the first time...I had forgotten all about it thanks to the recent happenings and distractions.

"Do you...Would you still like to have that date?" I asked.

"Absolutely," she said, with a devious look in her eyes, "I would love to have a night alone with you."

I tried to swallow, but it suddenly felt like there was a huge lump in my throat; feeling a bit nervous I said, "How does Friday sound?"

"Friday's perfect," she said, taking the last bite of her breakfast, "I need to look something up in the Library, I'll see you in class."

I watched her walk out of the Great Hall and started to plan everything I would need to do before Friday; I only had four days to plan what was going to be the greatest night of my life.

33. Their Happy Ending

~a/n>see bottom of page :)

Friday night came faster than I thought it would and nervousness overcame me as I woke up and thought about what the night might hold. I saw Harry at lunch, but only for a few ticks; the moment I sat down he said a quick hello, kissed me quickly on the lips and said he would see me later that night.

Even my afternoon classes went by quickly; I went upstairs to drop my books off in my dorm and when I walked in I noticed a wrapped box on my bed with one single red rose sitting on top of it. I picked up the rose and held it to my nose breathing in its wonderful fragrance and then placed it down on the bed next to the box. Wondering what it could be, I ripped the wrapping off of the box and opened it; I gasped as I saw a beautiful dress lying on a bed of tissue paper.

"Oh my," I gasped, picking up the small card that lay on top of it, "Love Harry" was all that was written in his familiar scrawl on the inside and tears welled up in my eyes at his thoughtfulness. I placed the card next to the rose and carefully lifted the dress out of the box; it was a short sleeve A-line dress made in a beautiful blue silk with a lace overlay. I walked up to the mirror in the room and held the dress up to my body...the deep blue color seemed to bring out the amber jewel tones in my eyes and I marvelled at how absolutely wonderful the dress looked.

Ginny walked in and smiled as she noticed me staring at my reflection. "So that's why Harry was asking what size you were" she said, coming up behind me.

"Did you help him pick it out?" I asked.

"No, all I did was tell him your size" she replied, "I must admit, he has excellent taste."

"Yes he does," I replied, feeling excited and even more nervous now, "Will you help me get ready?"

"Absolutely!" Ginny replied excitedly. As she ran to grab her wand I sat on my bed and stared at the dress and thought, 'I can't wait to see what Harry has planned for tonight.'

~*~

What the bloody hell was I thinking? I asked myself, running my hand through my hair nervously. I was pacing back and forth in the Room of Requirement, trying to make sure I had everything done according to plan since Hermione would be here within the hour.

The room had come out perfectly; there was a table with two chairs positioned in front of a roaring fire, a cozy sofa positioned off to the right of the fireplace and then there was a huge four poster bed...I was hoping that Hermione wouldn't be put off when she saw that presumptuous piece of furniture in the room.

Dobby had helped me out with dinner and it was arranged on the table with a warming charm on it. I had a single red rose, much like the one I had left for Hermione in her room, in a vase on the table. I looked around the room once more, praying that everything would go just right, and sat heavily on the sofa attempting to relax.

Time seemed to fly by and before I knew it, it was eight o'clock sharp; right on time, Hermione walked in and the sight of her simply took my breath away. She was wearing the dress I had chosen for her, and she looked stunning; the deep blue color seemed to bring out the sparkle in her cinnamon eyes.

I got up, walked over to her and wrapped my arms around her; I kissed her in greeting and said, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you for this lovely dress," she said gracing me with one of her engaging smiles, "You didn't have to get me anything."

"I know, but I wanted to…I needed to…I got the dress to you show you how special you are to me…how important tonight is for me too." I said somewhat tongue-tied as I tried to express my feelings. Deciding not to embarrass myself further I took her by the hand and led her over to the table and our waiting dinner, remembering my manners I pulled out a chair for her to sit before sitting myself.

As we enjoyed our meal I noticed her take a glance around the room; when her eyes came upon the bed she turned back to me. Looking back at me with a playful look in her eyes she tilted her head slightly toward the bed and said, "Nice."

"I…uh…I was…gosh…ummm…for later?" I said rather inarticulately as the feelings of nervousness caused me to blush.

To my great relief and pleasant surprise she took hold of my hand, smiled and said, "Harry…I love you, I've told you before that I want to be with you…completely and tonight is no different."

We moved over to the sofa after finishing our meal, sitting comfortably while enjoying the fire and light conversation. After a short while I couldn't stand being so near her and not touching her any longer; I reached rather suddenly, wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her onto my lap. Hermione let out a small squeak of surprise but quickly settled in as I explored her back with my eager inexperienced hands. A few moments of fumbling and then I leaned in to kiss her hard, my needs far outweighing my nervousness now. I closed my eyes in the pleasure that was Hermione as she kissed her way along my jaw before moving down to caress and suck lightly on my neck; my heart raced as she nipped my earlobe and whispered seductively, "Harry…make me yours."

That was all the encouragement I needed; I scooped her up in my arms and carried her over to the bed, laying her down gently on the overstuffed pillows and thick down blanket that adorned it. I climbed onto the bed, positioning myself facing next to her; I looked into her eyes that were shining and full of love, and there was burning desire in those eyes too.

As I lay there taking in her beauty, it dawned on me, like a slow awakening, that this was it; our minds and souls were already joined and the joining of our bodies would be the final culmination of our magical bonding. Unwilling to resist her full, sensuous lips any longer, I leaned in and kissed her; what started as a gentle, loving kiss quickly turned to one of wanton need fuelled by her open response.

I moved my hand from her cheek and slowly ran it down her body, trailing it over her breasts and flat stomach. She had been running her hands over my chest and suddenly she broke from our kiss and said, "I want to touch you."

I felt a wave of lust wash over me as she said this and my breath hitched as I looked into her desire filled eyes. I sat up and started to unbutton my shirt but Hermione stilled my hands with hers and took over the task; every once in a while her fingertips would graze my skin, turning me on even more that I thought was possible.

After she had divested me of my shirt, she moved on to my pants and soon I was wearing nothing but my boxers and my obvious arousal very evident. I watched as she looked from my boxers to my eyes before turning away from me and lifting her hair off of her back, "Will you please unzip me?" she asked and I quickly sat up to help her.

As I slowly pulled the zipper down I trailed light kisses along her back; the silkiness of her skin made me ache to explore the rest of her body. Once completely unzipped I moved my hands up to her shoulders and pushed the sleeves down her arms, my hands following in its' path.

After she removed the dress she turned to face me and we sat there staring at each other for a moment; with a light blush tinting her cheeks she reached behind her back and unhooked her bra. She looked down as she removed the bra and I could tell she wasn't so much embarrassed but rather unsure. I moved closer to her and put my finger under her chin; lifting her face gently I waited until her eyes finally met mine and then said, "You are so beautiful."

She smiled slightly at me and I felt her relax at my words, putting her at ease. I leaned in and claimed her lips again while at the same time I moved my hand from her chin to her breast, lightly rubbing my thumb over the nipple. She moaned into our kiss and leaned more into my hand and I let my lust take over completely.

I reluctantly pulled away from our kiss to coax her to lay down on her back; starting at her lips I began to kiss and nip my way down her neck to her breasts. I cupped both breasts with my hands and kneaded lightly as I took her right nipple into my mouth. She moaned as I swirled and flicked my tongue over the hard nub; when I moved to give some attention to her other nipple she ran her hands through my hair and moaned even louder.

Encouraged by her reaction, I continued on my journey down to her stomach, tasting the salty taste of her skin, and paused as I reached the curls that covered her most private part.

As my hands passed over her inner thighs I felt her stiffen slightly and stopped to look up at her face. Her eyes were closed but her expression was anything but relaxed. Knowing we were venturing into very new territory I said soothingly, "Hermione…please relax, I won't do anything you're not…we're not ready for okay? Just say the word and I'll stop."

She opened her eyes and stared at me for a moment then with a small smile and a nod I knew I should continue; she was okay. I started to trail kisses up the inside of her thigh, making my way to her sacred place. Unsure about what to do next, I drew in a deep breath and started stroking her with my tongue, my efforts eliciting a low moan from her that spurned me onward. With newfound confidence, I gently parted her folds with my fingers and tasted every inch of her womanhood, drinking her in. I explored, experimented, I wanted to make her feel; I flicked my tongue over the small nub I had discovered and was rewarded with Hermione digging her hands into my scalp, pulling at my hair and urging me on. Concentrating on that little nub, I swirled my tongue around it and slowly inserted a finger inside her. I nearly came undone at the feel of how hot and wet she felt around my finger; my cock twitched in anticipation as I started to work my finger in and out of her and I knew that I could not hold out much longer. A moment later I felt her insides clench around my finger as her back arched up off the bed and she cried out, "Oh Harry!"

As her breathing started to slow down a little, I started to kiss my way up her stomach, stopping to lavish attention at each breast, and then carried on kissing my way from her neck to her mouth. When she reached down and was about to wrap her hand around my erection I grabbed her hand quickly and said, "If you do that, we'll be done before we even get started."

I watched as a pleased smirk formed on her face and she pulled me down to kiss me hard; the time had come to complete our journey. I used my knee to slide her legs apart and then positioned the tip of my erection at her entrance; breaking the kiss I stared into her eyes as I gently pushed into her. Going slowly so that she could stretch to accommodate me, I stopped as I came to her barrier; she closed her eyes tightly and nodded her head, encouraging me to go on; I pushed through, causing her to gasp as tears slid down into her hair.

~*~

A sharp pain exploded through my pelvis as Harry pushed through my hymen and I took deep breaths as I felt hot tears slip out the sides of my eyes. Yes, I had read about how most of the time a girl's first sexual experience is more painful than enjoyable, but I really hadn't expected the pain to be this sharp. As Harry lay completely still, I opened my eyes and looked up at him through watery eyes; his expression was so full of worry and concern that I reached up to caress his cheek and whispered, "I'm okay."

As the pain lulled into a dull ache, he leaned down and kissed me while slowly pulling out of me and then just as slowly pushed back in. As he continued his slow rhythm the dull ache slowly disappeared and in it's place I felt a tingle of pleasure in places I'd never felt before; Harry and I had pleasured each other before and I had already experienced an orgasm, but this feeling was entirely different. It was a feeling of wholeness, of pure infinite pleasure and I wanted to pull Harry into me until we melded together, becoming one person. Feeling the pressure building deep inside, I ran my hands down his back until they came to rest on his bum and I pressed against them, urging him on.

He rested his forehead on mine and I stared deep into his eyes, their normally bright green color had transformed into a deep green that were filled with desire. Feeling the pressure peaking inside of me, I dug my fingers into his backside and met him stroke for stroke; suddenly my orgasm washed over me like a tidal wave and I couldn't help but close my eyes as bursts of bright white light exploded behind my eyelids. As I started to slowly come down Harry pumped into me a few more times and then plunged into me one last time, feeling the rush of hotness as he filled me completely.

Breathing heavily he collapsed on top of me, I welcomed his weight pressing me into the bed even more. He turned his head and nuzzled my neck, tickling my overly sensitive skin; as I giggled he shakily pushed himself up on his elbows and brushed the sweaty hair off my face and said, "I love you."

"I love you too" I replied, leaning up lightly and brushing my lips across his.

"Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" he asked, a look of concern again crossing his face.

I shook my head back and forth, hopefully assuring him that it had hurt no more than I expected it too. He gently pulled out of me and as soon as he was gone I immediately felt a sense of loss, as if a part of me was now missing; I also felt the pain between my legs increase in intensity and fought not to wince outright. Harry rolled to my side and pulled me against him, my back flush with his chest, and kissed the back of my neck.

We fell asleep soon after, wrapped in each other's arms, and woke up a few hours later. I lay facing Harry as he ran his fingers gently down my cheek and I noticed a look of uncertainty in his eyes; "What's wrong Harry?" I asked, hoping it had nothing to do with this night.

"I was just thinking," he replied, "that maybe you and I could move into a flat together once the year is over."

"I like that idea," I replied, smiling happily at him.

"I was also thinking that maybe you and I should get married too," he added, not meeting my surprised stare.

His uncertainty was endearing but it was also a little unsettling as I realized that there was still a seed of doubt in Harry's mind about our relationship, about our future. Moving just enough to catch his attention, I lovingly caressed his cheek and said, "Yes…I like that idea too."

I felt elated at the huge smile that lit up his face just before he crushed his lips to mine in a passionate kiss. When we finally separated, both out of breath, I lay there pondering over how wonderful life was going to be once we were out of Hogwarts. "What are you thinking about?" Harry asked, pulling me from my thoughts.

I smiled at him, feeling pure happiness…and secure, for the first time in my life and said, "I was just thinking about how it's time for us to begin the rest of our lives."

~*~

We finished the rest of our seventh year at Hogwarts and after one hell of a farewell party we were set loose upon the Wizarding World, not really knowing what to expect. We found a flat just outside of Diagon Alley and started to plan our small but intimate wedding. There were bumps along the way, our nightmares had continued and after many horrendous arguments, punched walls and slamming doors, we decided to go to counselling together. Given our abusive childhoods and turbulent lives we both realized that there were some things that needed to be resolved before we could move forward and start our life together as husband and wife.

Counselling had been difficult; at first we went separately and then later as a couple, working to resolve some of the worst moments of our lives. I hadn't known love at all while I was forced to live with my relatives and had never really dealt with the loss of my abusive Aunt, Uncle and Cousin. Hermione had known the love of a Mother, but had never had a loving Father figure in her life that she could count on, which caused major trust issues between us. After turning away from each other, yelling and tears, we were finally on the path of healing; neither of us expected it to be instantaneous, but now we had the tools to move forward together.

Our wedding was magnificent; Ron and Draco stood up with me, with Ron being best man of course. Ginny and Luna stood up with Hermione, each one crying tears of joy at our union, and more probably thinking of their own impending nuptials; Ron had asked Luna to marry him in the week before our wedding and Draco had finally gotten the courage to ask Molly and Arthur for Ginny's hand in marriage. It seemed that everyone's lives were moving in the right direction, Luna and Ginny just had to finish Hogwarts first.

I had decided that I wanted to go into business for myself; I had considered being an Auror, but after years of being hunted by Voldemort, I had had enough of Dark Wizards, so I made an offer and successfully acquired Quality Quidditch Supplies.

Hermione attended University; she was shocked to learn that the Wizarding World had no healer programs in place for mental health issues. She chose a University close to home and obtained her degree in Child Psychology, specializing in child victims of abuse. Her goal is to save innocent children, Muggle and Magical alike, from the hell that she and I were fortunate enough to survive.

One year after our wedding we were surprised to find out Hermione was expecting our first child; we were ecstatic, but we had both admitted to each other our fears of becoming parents. Neither of us had the best role models to learn from, so we would be learning as we went, with the help of Molly Weasley of course.

Eight months later we were the parents of a beautiful little girl that we named Lily Jane, in honour of our Mothers. Now, as Lily turns one, we are a happy family of three, hoping to expand to four soon. Hermione is well on her way to becoming a healer and my business is doing better than I ever expected. There are still ups and downs, 'Mione and I still have our arguments, but we have learned to talk through them and enjoy making up afterward.

We have both overcome so much and now it was our time to live life and love each other for the rest of our lives...to experience our happy ending.

~A/N> sniff It's completed! I'm sad to see it go, but luckily I have two other stories I can concentrate on now. If you want to know how my writing is going or when updates may possibly be posted, please go to my live journal at: http://www.livejournal.com/~miscard/ Thank you to everyone who stuck by me and this story when it was just starting out, and for the outstanding reviews you guys have given me, they have meant so much to me! I have to say a special thank-you to my beta Spaz...this story would not be near as good without all of her help and suggestions! Alright, enough of my sappy ramblings...all I have left to say is please review and let me know what you thought of this chapter! :) Love, MisCard