~A/N> I wanted to thank those of you that took the time to review the last chapter, I appreciate it. I've
been working really hard on these last three chapters, trying to get them as perfect as I can. With this chapter and
the next one (which will be the last) I only ask one thing- as you read, if there's something you don't like or
understand, please just keep reading. Everything will be answered, well all but one thing, in the last chapter. One
thing will be carried over to The Guardian 2 (yes I'm writing a sequel). I want to say thank you to Lisa (aka
poppywillow) for all that she's been doing to help me get these last chapters edited. She puts up with me and my
crankiness, and without her this story would probably be shit :p
Harry had found Hermione in the Head Boy and Girl's common room, and when he saw her rigidly standing in front of the window, looking out, a huge wave of relief washed over him. He had been afraid, for some unknown reason, that she would leave him and not return.
"I would never do that, Harry," she said, surprising him.
Figuring that she had felt his emotions, he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, resting his chin on the top of her head. "You had me worried."
She stayed quiet for a while, and try as he might, Harry could not get a read on what she was feeling. Bending down just a bit, he leaned in and kissed her neck. When she didn't try to stop him he slowly turned her around, his eyes locking onto hers, and then leaned down to kiss her tenderly. Resting his forehead upon hers he whispered, "I love you."
"I love you, too," she whispered back. "But I don't know if I'll be able to protect you the way I'm supposed to."
"Of course you will," Harry replied automatically, feeling cold as she withdrew from his embrace. "Hermione, just because Sorcha went through the hell of losing her Charge because they loved each other, it doesn't mean it will automatically happen to us as well."
'You don't know that for certain.' The thought came unbidden to his mind, and he didn't know if it was his own, or if it had somehow come from Hermione. As he opened his mouth to ask her, she asked, "Would you stay with me tonight? I just...I don't want to be alone."
He knew what she was doing. He had done it so many times himself he was practically an expert at it. She was going to spend one more night with him and then push him far, far away, thinking she could keep him safer that way. Looking into her eyes, he was surprised to see the defeated look in their dulled depths, and deciding to talk to her about it later he said, "Of course."
~*~
Hush little Guardian, don't make a sound,
The Shadocks gonna put you in the ground.
The Irishman's dead and it's all your fault,
Your Charge is next, your love for him means nought.
Hush little Guardian, your death looms near,
Your Soul will be mine and I'll feed off your fear.
Sitting bolt upright from where she and Harry lay in front of the Head's common room fireplace, Hermione tried to catch her breath after having yet another nightmare having to do with Damien. She'd only had it two or three times before, but it seemed like each time the dream was worse, more... real. Not even their recent lovemaking could make her forget the way Damien taunted her in her dreams. Turning to look at Harry where he lay next to her, she lost the ability to breathe when she saw he was not there, the fear from the nightmare becoming very real all of a sudden. Wrapping the blanket around her, she quickly gathered her clothes and redressed, praying he was just using the loo or maybe went to speak with the Headmistress. After finally pulling her shirt over her head, she ran up the stairs to the bathroom, knocking frantically, and when there was no answer she quickly opened the door to findit empty. Trying to quell her growing fear, she ran out of the Head Boy and Girl's quarters and quickly made her way to Headmistress McGonagall's office. Saying the password, she rushed up the stairs and without knocking, barged in to see the Headmistress deep in conversation with a very pale looking Sorcha.
"I can't find Harry," she panted, still trying to catch her breath. "Have either of you seen him?"
When Sorcha turned and walked up to her, Hermione looked into her eyes and could see both anger and fear reflected within their depths. Opening herself up to her trainer's emotions, she was overwhelmed by what Sorcha was feeling. Picking up on one emotion especially, she said, "No. It's not possible."
"Why don't you see for yourself?" Sorcha asked while pointing out the only window in the Headmistresses office, her tone normal, belying the tumult of emotions she was experiencing.
Pushing past her hastily, Hermione ran to the window and looked out at the spot the Headmistress was focused on. What she saw made her feel faint and sick all at once. There, in the sky just beyond the gates of the school, was the Dark Mark. "It's not possible," she repeated, trying unsuccessfully to convince herself this wasn't happening.
"We have strengthened the wards and protections around the school. We don't know how they got in, Miss Granger, or how they got him out, but I am afraid that Mister Potter is gone. Taken...we just found out as well..."
She couldn't let the Headmistress finish what she was saying, it would make it all too real. "No...no... no...," she repeated, trying to fight the overwhelming fear that was building up within her. "I will NOT lose him...I can't lose him..."
Seeing that she was quickly losing control, Sorcha grabbed her wrist and dragging her none-too-nicely to the fireplace, flooed the two of them back to Grimmauld Place. Hopefully they'd be able to figure out a way of saving Harry there, surrounded by everyone that loved and cared for him.
~*~
Chaos reined in Grimmauld Place that night. The entire Order of the Phoenix had been summoned, most of whom Hermione didn't know at all. 'Do they really expect me to trust Harry's rescue to them?' she thought dismally, taking in all the new faces that sat around her.
As Remus handed out orders to where each Order member was to search for Harry, he sighed tiredly as his gaze focused on her. Taking a deep breath, he said, "You, Miss Granger, will be staying here with Mrs. Weasley."
"What?!" she exclaimed, standing up quickly to confront him. "Absolutely not! I want to be in on the search too, I am his Guardian after all."
The kitchen was quiet except for Molly Weasley grumbling, "Some Guardian," under her breath as she passed them by.
Remus, rolling his eyes at Mrs. Weasley's remark while Hermione silently seethed, replied, "It is not safe for you to be out there. We think that this is a trap, and they're using Harry as bait to lure you out. We've always known how powerful Harry would become, and that Voldemort would be out to kill him so that he can take over the Wizarding world. It was almost certain that Voldemort would take someone close to Harry to draw him out instead. We were blindsided when you came along, and not only are you as powerful as Harry if not more, but you have an evil being after you that is much worse than Voldemort ever could be. We're just trying to keep you safe....you will stay here."
"Do you actually think you can keep me here?"
Her question was not laced with malice toward him, but Remus felt a little shiver of apprehension at the look she had in her eyes. She looked ready to do whatever necessary to get to Harry. Trying to calm her, he asked, "Hermione, please. Just stay here and if there's any chance we need your help, I will not hesitate to summon you."
Knowing that she was wasting time arguing with him, Hermione cast her eyes downward in a sign of defeat, hoping that Remus would believe her ruse. She fought not to smile in triumph when he said, "I know you just want Harry back safe, and I want the same thing. He's like a son to me, and I promised his Father a long time ago that I would protect him with my life. And I mean to keep that promise."
Looking up at the aging werewolf with a newfound respect, she said, "Just bring him home safely, please."
Nodding curtly, he tried to give her a reassuring smile but didn't quite manage it. Quickly making his way from the house, he went to where he knew he could safely apparate and made his way to where he thought he might find Harry, praying to whatever God there was that he was still alive.
~*~
Molly Weasley was a right mess. Harry, a boy that she considered one of her own, had been taken by You-Know-Who, right from under this girl's nose. Now she was being forced to stay in the dark magic filled house with her, and she had no idea what to say to her, or how to act around her. She was feeling so many emotions all at once, she felt as if she'd break down at a moment's notice. Trying to keep up her calm facade, she looked at the bushy haired girl sitting across from her at the table and wondered what it was about her that appealed to Harry and made him want to be with her instead of her youngest and only daughter, Ginny. Trying to settle her nerves she asked politely, "Would you like some tea dear?"
Hermione had been picking up on her emotions the entire time, trying not to show just how angry she was becoming, and seeing the fear and distrust in the motherly woman's eyes she replied uneasily, "I think I'm just going to go up to my room for a bit." With a small nod from the Weasley matriarch, Hermione made her way upstairs to contribute to Harry's search in her own way. Remus Lupin and Molly Weasley be damned.
Quickly walking into her room, she immediately closed the door and put up locking and silencing spells. Grabbing her wand, she placed it in the back pocket of her jeans and lay down on her bed, picking up the pillow Harry had slept on the first night they had been intimate. Sighing heavily as she remembered Harry's abscence, she placed the pillow down and sat up so that she was cross legged. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on him, on her need to find him, and tried to relax. For the next fifteen minutes, she tried everything that she could to track him, but to no avail. As her head fell tiredly to rest in her hands, she momentarily felt the brush of the necklaces that hung around her neck and felt like the biggest idiot in the world. "Of course, his ring!" she said aloud to herself. Trying to remember the tracking spell that Willow had taught her, she pulled her wand out and said the incantation, but nothing happened. Trying once more, she still got no result and she grabbed one of her pillows angrily and threw it across the room. "Why can't I find him?"
When a picture of Harry laying dead on a dungeon floor entered unwanted in her mind, she couldn't help the tears that swam in her eyes, begging for release. "No, it can't be..."
Feeling even more troubled and afraid, a thought suddenly occurred to her and she sat down once again on her bed. Taking the pendant that hung from Lily's necklace into her hand, she closed her eyes and concentrated on what Harry's mother looked like and thought, 'Lily, I need you. Harry needs you. Please help me.'
After a few seconds wait, she opened her eyes and found herself once again in Elysian. There, standing regally before her, was Lily Potter. Looking worried she asked, "I know what's happened, and I know what you want to do. I am asking that you please listen to Remus and stay safe. Your mother and I have been watching over Harry, protecting him as much as we can, and there's really nothing more to be done."
Feeling aggravated, Hermione replied, "But I'm his Guardian, why are you and my mother doing my job for me?"
"We want to keep you alive as well. You are more important than you know Hermione, and if you rush into this situation, it could have dire consequences for you. Harry needs you, thoughts of you are what is keeping him sane right at this moment, so please just listen to us. I beg you."
She really didn't know how to respond to Lily's plea. She felt so conflicted at that moment, wanting to keep Harry safe, but the more rational part of her knew that she needed to worry about herself as well. But she was supposed to protect Harry, not herself. As she struggled with her inner turmoil, the decision was taken out of her hands as her mother suddenly appeared and stated in a shaky voice, "Lily, I'm afraid there's nothing more you and I can do. He needs her."
"No," Lily replied stubbornly. "She can't, we know it's a trap."
"But Lily," Jane said quietly. "Harry's dying."
Lily closed her eyes, feeling the pain that only a mother could feel at the possibility of losing a child. Sighing resignedly she whispered, "Take her to him, Jane. I guess it is her time." Looking to Hermione, she reached out and lovingly cupped her cheek. "Please be safe, my child. This is not a battle to be lost. You must win."
Swallowing nervously, Hermione stared into Lily's solemn green eyes, the exact same color as Harry's, and said, "I will." Turning to her mother she happily accepted a hug from her and stated, "I love you so much, Mum. Daddy too...please tell him that for me."
"I will sweetheart," her mum replied, her arms tightening around her only daughter. "You just concentrate on what you need to do, and stay safe. I'm going to send you to Harry now."
Saying their solemn good-byes, Hermione closed her eyes as she felt herself suddenly sinking, and the next time she opened her eyes she was standing outside of what looked to be an old cast iron door. When she turned to take in her surroundings, she came face-to-face with a very surprised and angry Remus Lupin. "I thought I told you to stay away!" he asked in an angry whisper, glaring at her.
"I was sent by Lily and my mother," she replied impatiently. "Seems you're not doing a very good job of saving Harry. My mum says that he's dying, so you'll have to excuse me if I don't pay any mind to your orders!"
Remus suddenly became very pale and he repeated, "Harry's dying?"
"That's what I was told," she answered, trying to stay strong. "They've both been watching over him and protecting him the best they can, and they said there is nothing more they can do. It's up to me now."
With his shoulders sagging suddenly with defeat, he said, "I guess it's out of my hands then. I will get us inside the dungeon, it'll be up to you to do the rest. I will protect you as best I can just please, be careful."
Touched by the worry and fear she was feeling from him, she nodded her head and replied, "I plan to. I won't let anyone down...especially Harry."
Taking a deep breath, he pointed his wand at the door and said, "Ready yourself."
Making sure she had her wand held tightly in her hand and quickly going over all the new Guardian spells she'd been learning, she looked to Remus with a look of determination set on her face and replied, "Let's go."
As Remus used Reducto Maximus to open the door, they hurriedly took advantage of the dust and debris cloud his spell had caused and he quickly ran in first, making sure to take in who was in the room before waving Hermione in. Once she was hidden behind an overturned oak table, she noticed that Remus was now waving in someone else. Feeling relief as the members of the Order joined them, Hermione turned to find that all the Death Eaters had now made their way to where they hid, and she knew it was not going to be easy to get to Harry. Trying to find a way to get into the next room where the Death Eaters had first been, she turned quickly as someone came up beside her. Seeing Remus crouched next to her she lowered her defenses just a bit as she heard him whisper, "There" while descreetly pointing to a clear path that ran along the far wall, into the next room. Nodding to let him know she understood, she carefully crept away from her hiding spot, and had to use two protection spells so as not to get hit with two very nasty curses on her way to the path Remus had shown her.
Casting a quick disillusionment spell on herself, she slowly edged along the wall, praying that she didn't run into anything or do anything else to give herself away. Finally making it into the next room she had to stifle a gasp as she saw Harry. They had him shackled to one of the walls, his arms and legs weighed down by the restraints, and she could barely recognize him. They had been torturing him unmercifully, that was obvious, and as she stared at the man she loved she saw him barely raise his head and heard him whisper, "No."
~A/N2- If you liked what you read, or there's something that doesn't seem right, please review and let me know. It just takes a minute, and I love hearing what you guys think of my stories :)