The Guardian

~A/N> So, I've started working on my book and as I was writing it I could see different ways to tie it into the Harry Potter universe. Loving AU stories as I do, I thought I'd write a H/Hr version at the same time as working on my original story. This first chapter is all about Hermione, but Harry will make an appearance in the next chapter. This story is going to be very different from the others in the sense that Hermione is almost as powerful as Harry is in this story, but in a much different way. I hope you'll give it a chance, it's become my favorite story so far. As of right now I'm not sure how many chapters long it's going to be, but I can tell you it's going to be full of ups and downs, my own little sense of humor (which some say is a bit odd at times), and of course a romance that blossoms from the depths of sadness, despair, and a shared connection that was up until now unknown. Please keep in mind, alternate universe stories most of the time (at least mine anyway) hardly ever follow the books so there will be a lot of differences between the world JKR has created and the world I've created in this story, which still has some of her elements in it. I hope you enjoy it, and if it seems that my readers like it, the next chapter will be out by Friday at the latest :)

Why is it that life can never just be easy?

She looked around the room full of mourners and felt her head throb as another wave of grief washed over her. Being one of few children in the room (ten years old as of a month ago), she sat in a chair near the front by herself as her Mom and Dad said hello and accepted condolences from family and friends. Wishing that her best friend Hannah could have been there with her, but understanding why her Mom didn't want her to be, she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands as they became blurry with tears again.

"Hermione, are you okay?" her Mom, Jane, asked as she kneeled down in front of her only daughter and caressed her cheek with her hand.

"I'm okay momma," Hermione replied and then sniffled. "I'm just sleepy, and I don't want to be here anymore."

"I know honey," Jane said sympathetically as she looked at her daughter through watery eyes. "I don't want to be here either. As soon as we're done, how about we go home, eat some chocolate peanut butter ice cream, and then lay in my bed to take a nap?"

"Can I watch the telly in your room until I fall asleep?" Hermione asked. "I don't like the quiet anymore."

"Sure you can," Jane answered with a hint of a smile, knowing exactly what her daughter meant. Their house had seemed so uncomfortably quiet lately, all of them had just been walking around like robots, following a daily routine just to make it to the next. Looking toward her husband, Devin, she saw that he was watching the two of them and he motioned for her to join him once more. "I'll be back in a little while," Jane said, running her hand lovingly over her daughter's beautiful mousy-brown hair before standing up. "I'll be right over there with your dad if you need me, and we'll leave as soon as possible, okay?"

Hermione shook her head yes and watched as her mom walked away. As her parents whispered to one another and looked back toward her, someone sat in the chair next to her and said, "I've always hated funerals. They are always so sad and boring, and I've never understood why everyone always wears black. It's such a depressing color." Smiling down at Hermione she said, "When I die I want my death to be celebrated, not mourned. Instead of a funeral, I want a party where all my friends can come and remember all the fun we had together and what a great, long life I lived."

Looking up at the woman sitting next to her, Hermione looked at her in disbelief and said, "Well it's a little late for that now Grandma, you should have told Mum that when you were still alive and we wouldn't all be sitting here bored and sad right now."

~*~

After her little 'episode' as her father had called it, he had grabbed her hand and led her out of the church and into the waiting limousine that was parked out front. "What did you think you were doing in there?" Devin asked with a hint of anger in his voice.

"I was talking to Grandma", Hermione replied, looking at her father like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"That's impossible," he growled, "because she's dead."

"Devin!" Jane exclaimed, shocked. "We are all very well aware that my Mother has passed on, you needn't be so forthright about it!"

"Our daughter just announced to a church full of people that she was talking to her deceased Grandmother!" her father retorted angrily. "Some of those people were associates...how am I supposed to explain this?"

"But I did see her," Hermione interjected. "She sat down next to me and said that she didn't want to be mourned when she died, she wanted everyone to celebrate her life instead. That's why I told her it was a little too late for that. I don't think she knew she was dead."

Her parents stared at each other silently and then her dad turned to stare out the window at the passing scenery as her mum looked down at her concerned. "You couldn't have seen her luv, she's dead....she's never coming back and there's no way you could have seen her."

"But I did!" Hermione replied adamantly. "Why won't you believe me?"

"Because no one can see dead people!" her dad replied, looking at her angrily. "Now that is the end of the discussion. I don't ever want to hear you mention this little event again."

And with that, Hermione's pre-teen and teenage years started out on a very bad note.

~*~

After her little 'episode' as her father called it, in church with her Grandma, Hermione learned not to say anything about strange things she would see here and there. For example, she could walk down the street and see strange mists next to or following certain people, or black mists surrounding others. She never understood what it meant, but she knew that if she were to ask her Dad he'd be angry with her. So one day, a week after her eighteenth birthday, she finally went to her Mum and asked her about it.

Sighing heavily, her Mum closed the bedroom door and sat down next to her on the bed. "I guess I should have told you this after the event with your Grandma occurred, or even before that when she was alive and encouraging me to tell you," she said. Taking a deep breath she said, "Hermione, you come from a long line of what are called Soul Guardians." At her daughter's surprised and quizzical look she explained, "No one on my side of the family knows how far back it goes, but certain generations of females in my family are...special. We have a...gift...to help people when no one else can. Each one of us has a different way of finding out when we're supposed to help someone, like when your Grandma was supposed to help someone they'd have a light blue glow about them and she'd hear a humming in her ears. Some of us are telepathic, some are clairsentient which means you can sense or feel what a spirit is feeling, while others can see and communicate with Spirit Guides and Guardian Angels, helping to protect their charges. I was only born with empathic ability, so I could pick up on other's emotions and know they needed help, but it'll probably take a few more years until you discover exactly what skills or powers have passed down to you."

"I have to admit, I have been noticing some strange things like coloured mists around people on the street, and then there was seeing Grandma, but that's been about it so far." Sitting quietly for a moment, Hermione asked, "This sounds like something that would be a blessing, so why does Dad seem so uneasy about it all?"

"Because he's a non-believer," Jane replied sadly. "I admitted to him that I was empathic while we were dating and he said that if we were ever to marry that I would have to give up using my ability. I loved him so much that I actually agreed to stop using my ability. Then, after we had you and you started to exhibit little signs of having some of the families gifts, he made me swear not to help you develop them. He said that you were to be raised like every other normal little girl. He'd rather pretend that we're a normal family and that there's nothing special about you and I. I can't tell you how much I regret giving up my ability for him."

"So then Grandma...?"

"She was clairsentient and helped with soul restoration," her Mom replied. At her daughter's confused look, she made her way quickly to her bedside stand and pulled a notebook out of the drawer. Handing it to her she said, "Put this under your shirt when you go to your room, and hide it somewhere that your Dad can't find it. It's a documented history of my families abilities and it goes as far back as 1807. It also mentions that these gifts only occur in the females of our lineage. Read that and you'll know everything about where you come from and what powers my side of the family possessed."

"Thank you mum," Hermione replied, leaning over to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Hopefully this will give me answers about a few of the strange things that have been happening lately."

Her mum hesitated for only a moment, long enough for Hermione to see a look of indecision pass over her face, and when she looked Hermione in the eyes she said, "There's something else you should know..."

Hermione stood watching her as Jane just stared back at her daughter, her chest tight over whether she should tell her. If the wrong people ever found out just how powerful her daughter really was, it could put her life in danger. But if Hermione knew, she could possibly prepare herself if that time ever came. Walking up to the door of the bedroom she shared with her husband, the man she promised never to tell their daughter what she was about to tell her, she locked it as quietly as possible and made her way over to her closet. Bending down, she rummaged among the things on the floor and produced a small blue shoe box. Standing up, she made her way back to Hermione and held the box out to her without saying a word.

Taking the box, Hermione took the lid off and saw about seven envelopes sitting inside, seemingly unopened, save one. Picking one up she looked at the wax seal on the back of the envelope and read out loud, "Hogwarts?" Then seeing more writing underneath a crest with four sections on it and a big 'H' in the middle she read, "Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus." Thinking back to her Latin class that she took last year she slowly translated, "Never tickle a sleeping dragon?"

"It's from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," her mum replied. "It seems that along with being a Soul Guardian, you're the first Witch ever on my side, the Duvall side of the family, as well."

"I'm a Witch? And a Soul Guardian?" Hermione asked, dumbfounded as she sank down onto her mum's bed, trying to take it all in. With some of her thoughts clearing a bit, she picked up the one envelope that was open and took the letter out to read. Skimming over the words she said, "So I could've been going to this school since I was eleven, instead of suffering through that horrid school I had to attend up until two years ago, where they tormented and embarrassed me everyday because I never seemed to fit in?"

"Yes," her mum replied sounding sad and distressed. "I tried to talk your father into letting you go, but just as he refused to acknowledge our gifts, he refused to believe that any daughter of his could be an honest-to-goodness witch. He forbade me to ever show you those letters and said to never speak of it again. But even though there's never been a response, a letter arrives for you every year around the first of August."

"I can't believe this," Hermione said quietly. All of this new information was so overwhelming and the anger she was feeling toward her father was growing by the second. The way he had treated her at her Grandma's funeral, the way he told her mum never to mention her special gifts and family history as if they were an abomination, making sure she didn't know she was a witch. Suddenly, one of her mum's crystal figurines that sat on the bedside stand shattered, sending bits of crystal flying everywhere. Jane and Hermione stared in disbelief at where the figuring had been and Hermione turned to her mum and asked, "D-Did I do that?"

"I think you did," her mum said softly. Stilling her daughter's hand as she tried to clean up some of the mess, Jane knelt down in front of her and said, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner honey. It wasn't right of me to keep all of this from you...it's what makes you who you are. You've always been gifted and intelligent, but you're special in an altogether different way."

"I don't blame you mum," she replied. "I blame dad. It's like he thinks I'm a freak or something...like he's ashamed of me."

"No, he just doesn't understand it, not growing up around it like I did," her mum said adamantly. "He loves you more than anything in the world."

Hermione looked down at her with tears shining in her eyes and said, "If that were true, he wouldn't have kept this from me, and forced you to do the same. He would have accepted us for who we are."

Jane watched sadly as Hermione got up and walked toward the door with her shoulders slumped and head hung low. Wishing she knew what to say, she tried to tap into her empathic powers and found she couldn't even get a trace of what her daughter was feeling. Saddened by how easily she had given up her own gift she started to say, "Hermione..."

"Mum, not to be disrespectful, but I just need to go to my room and think for a while," Hermione interrupted. "Maybe even read some of the notebook and learn about a family history I never knew I had."

Watching as Hermione put the notebook under her shirt before walking out and pulling the door shut behind her, Jane Granger sat down in the same spot Hermione had just been sitting and cried, mourning for what was lost, and for what could have been.

~*~

Hermione sat in her room that night, reading through the notebook her mum had given her, learning of Aunts, Great Grandma's and her Grandma that had gifts such as empathy, telepathy, clairsentience, clairaudience, precognition, intuition, soul rejuvenation...the list just went on and on. She couldn't help but wonder just which of these gifts would manifest themselves within her as she grew older. A feeling of wonder started to slowly replace the fury she had felt at her father's betrayal, but that hurt would never be gone completely. She felt as if her Dad saw her as flawed, as a daughter that he could never be truly proud of because she was like her mother's side of the family. Feeling her eyes droop as she tried to continue reading about her great-great-great Aunt Emily, her sleepiness won out in the end and she fell asleep where she lay fully clothed on her bed, the notebook falling to rest on her chest.

An undeterminable amount of time later, she was awakened by her mother screaming and she bolted from her bed to her door, opening it to see chaos in the hallway. A man had just run in the direction of her parent's bedroom with what looked to be a piece of wood in his hand and she ran after him, stopping dead in her tracks as he stopped in the doorway. She could see her mum's face from where she stood, the sheer look of terror that was there, and the strange man pointed the piece of wood at her mum and yelled, "Avada Kedavra!" She stared in horror as a green jet of light hurled toward her mum and when it struck her she fell lifelessly to the bed where her dad already lay unmoving. As she stared at her body, she watched as a ghostlike image of her mum rose out of her body and looked right at her. Mouthing the words, "I love you. I'm sorry." she evaporated into thin air, leaving Hermione alone with this stranger that seemed to have just killed her parents.

In shock after what she had just witnessed, she was unable to move when the man turned around and smiled wickedly as his gaze landed on her. "Well, well, looks like this is going to be easier than I thought."

Frozen in fear, Hermione watched as he started to raise the stick up to her chest when suddenly a jet of red light shot by her and struck the man in the chest, causing him to immediately collapse onto the floor. As a hand came to rest on her shoulder, Hermoine's fight or flight instinct kicked in and she turned around and started swinging as hard as she could, landing a few good punches here and there. When the person wrapped their arms around her she screamed and then in the blink of an eye they were disappearing. Feeling as if she were being squeezed through a wormhole, she fought the nausea that was turning her stomach and fought against her captor. Suddenly they landed hard and she immediately struggled from his grasp, looking around at her surroundings and finding herself in some run down, dingy house. Looking desperately for a way out she jumped as she heard someone call out, "Moody?"

"In here," the man who had taken her replied gruffly. Her eyes widened as she took in his appearance; his face was scarred and he had an eye that was not real and seemed to be rolling in all directions in its' eye socket. Starting to shake with fear, her gaze flew to a doorway where another man had just made his way into the room. He too had scars on his face and neck, but there was something...friendlier about him than the other man. Taking in his tattered clothing, unkempt hair and mustache, and slight smile she asked, "W-Where am I? What do you want with me?" And as flashes of what had happened in her house passed before her eyes she tearfully asked, "And why did you kill my parents?"

"They're dead?" the scruffy one asked the man he had called Moody. With a slight nod of his head, Moody made his way from the room grumbling about hysterical females as the other man took a few tentative steps toward her, both of his hands held up in a gesture of surrender. "I know you've been through a horrible ordeal tonight, but I promise you that I will in no way harm you. We were actually trying to save your family tonight but unfortunately we found out about what was being planned too late."

Hermione stood there silently staring at him and when he realized she wasn't going to say anything he said, "I'm Remus Lupin, by the way. You're Hermione Granger, right?"

Hermione continued to stare at him wordlessly when she suddenly heard her mother's voice whisper inside her head, "It's okay. You can trust him." Looking around for the source of the voice, Hermione's gaze fell on Remus once more and tears started to fall from her eyes. "Yes," she replied, her voice trembling, "I'm Hermione Granger."

She practically collapsed onto the floor then, the weight of what had happened that night hitting her all at once, and her legs gave out as exhaustion weakened them. When she heard something hit the floor in front of her, she opened her eyes to find the notebook her mother had given her just hours ago. In all the commotion she must have unconsciously (or subconsciously) held onto it during everything that had happened and when Remus went to reach for it, she snatched it up quickly and held it protectively against her chest. Noticing an envelope that had fallen from the notebook, he picked it up before she saw it and saw that it was a Hogwarts envelope. "Are you a Hogwart's student?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers, making her uncomfortable.

"N-No," she replied. "My m-..." her voice broke with grief but she continued. "My mum had just told me tonight that I was a witch and that they had been hiding it from me all these years."

"How old are you?" Remus asked.

'Tell him' her mother's voice once again whispered inside her head. "Eighteen," she replied. "Just last week."

"So, you'd be a seventh year," he said, studying her closely. "Have you ever done any accidental magic before? Anything ever break when you've gotten particularly angry about something or things moving if you're upset ....things like that?"

"Just tonight," she admitted. "I got really angry and one of my mum's crystal figurines shattered."

Nodding thoughtfully he said, "You'll stay here tonight where we can watch over you and then in the morning we'll go to Diagon Alley to get your things for Hogwarts. I think that will be the safest place for you to be right now."

"You sound as if someone is hunting me down," she said in disbelief.

"Someone is," Remus replied seriously. "And he's one of the most powerful, evil wizards to ever live. I'm not sure yet why he's so intent on killing you, but hopefully the Headmistress of Hogwarts can explain it to us more when we get there." She stood where she was as he turned toward the stairs, taking in everything he was telling her, when he stopped walking and turned back to her. "Well, come on then. You need to get some sleep, you have a long day ahead of you tomorrow and then Monday you'll travel to Hogwarts."

As she walked toward him, he handed her a little vial that held a sky blue liquid in it and said, "Drink that. It'll help you sleep without dreaming." Too exhausted to even think, worry, or care if it was poison or not, Hermione drained it and followed him to a room. When he gestured for her to go in, she opened the door to find the room as dusty as the others. Finding that the bed was clean though and looked oh-so-inviting, she made her way over to it and flopped down onto it, falling asleep almost immediately.

~A/N> Well, here's chapter two where Harry finally makes an appearance :) Thank you for the great response on chapter 1, and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much. I'm not too sure how many chapters this story is going to be, but I'm hoping that it's going to be quite a few so things will develop slowly. I love this storyline and like I said before, it's also the premise of the book I'm writing, I'll just be removing all of JKR's magical genius and my characters will of course have different names. And if you haven't checked it out yet, please visit my Harmony Podcast website: www.harmonypodcast.com

Harry sat in the Great Hall Monday morning eating breakfast, making the mistake of picking up a copy of the Daily Prophet that had been left on the table by one of the other students, hoping to see anything that pointed to what Voldemort had been up to. Missing the story about a Death Eater attack on a muggle home in London, his eyes were drawn to the story on the bottom of the front page and he nearly spit out his pumpkin juice. There in bold print was the headline, Boy-Who-Lived to wed the Girl-Who-Stole-His-Heart? with a picture of him and Ginny Weasley underneath it, kissing in the Gryffindor Common Room the year before, after their Quidditch match. When he found Colin Creevey he was going to shove that boys camera so far up his a...

"Hiya Harry," came Ron Weasley's voice, his best mate, interrupting his violent thoughts. "Ready for double potions with Slughorn this morning?"

"Not really," Harry mumbled, trying to keep the paper from Ron's view. The last thing he needed right now was Ron using the article to push Harry to tell Ginny he loved her, when he knew for a fact that he didn't. She was fun to be around, and snogging her was an added bonus, but there was no love for her where he was concerned.

Unfortunately at that moment Dean Thomas, one of their dorm mates, walked up and shoved the paper in Ron's face. "Wow Ron, so you're going to be the brother-in-law of the famous Harry Potter 'eh?" he asked sarcastically. Looking at Harry darkly he asked, "So when's the big day?"

"Piss off Dean," Harry mumbled angrily, staring at his plate of food but not really seeing it.

When Ginny walked into the Hall and started to make her way toward Harry, Seamus Finnegan, another of their dorm mates, walked behind her and said, "Make way for the furture Mrs. Potter."

That had been the last straw for Harry and next thing he knew, the copy of the Daily Prophet he had been holding caught fire, and tossing it onto the table he quickly pointed his wand at it and said, "Aguamenti." Watching as water poured forth from the tip of his wand and doused the flames, Harry could feel everyone's eyes on him and he quickly stood up, excusing himself. He could hear Ginny calling after him and her footfalls behind him, but he didn't slow down. He made his way up to his Head Boy room where he knew she couldn't follow (he had 'accidentally' changed the password and not told her. He had made sure to tell the Head Girl not to give it to her either) and he could have some time alone. He was surprised when he walked into the Head's common room that he shared with Susan Bones, Head Girl, to find Headmistress McGonagall and Remus Lupin, possibly the only adult left that he truly trusted, waiting for him.

"Headmistress McGonagall. Remus. What are you doing here? Has something happened with...?"

"No," Remus cut him off before he could finish his sentence, causing Harry to raise an eyebrow in question.

"Potter, we have a new student who's just arrived this morning from Grimmauld Place with Remus," McGonagall explained. "We would like it if you could help her get to her classes and get to know her way around the castle."

"But wouldn't Susan...?" he started to ask, only to have Remus interrupt.

"I think you would be the best person to show her around Harry." Harry watched as Remus gave him a pointed look and then walked by him to make his way toward one of the windows, where a girl had stood unnoticed when he came in.

Placing his hand gently on her shoulder, Remus quietly said, "Hermione Granger, this is Harry Potter. He'll be helping you find your classes today and help familiarize you with the castle so you won't get lost."

When the girl turned slowly to look at him Harry stared at her, a strange feeling overtaking him. The first thing that struck him was the sadness that shone in her eyes and practically radiated off of her in waves. With a little gentle nudging by Remus, she walked toward him and he tried to give her a friendly smile that he knew looked forced. She gave a very faint smile back that came and went so quickly he wasn't even sure he had seen it in the first place. "Nice to meet you," she said softly.

"You too," he replied, surprised by her lackadaisical response, realizing that either she was really shy or she was one of the rare few that didn't know that he was the boy-who-lived.

"Why don't we go get your things from my office Miss Granger and then Harry can show you to your dorm," McGonagall said, looking pointedly at Remus, conveying more in that one look than she could with ten sentences. "He's in Gryffindor house just as you are," she added since they had sorted Hermione almost immediately after she had arrived. She guided Hermione out of the room as Remus gestured for Harry to sit down on the couch with him.

"So what's going on?" Harry asked as he sat, not bothering with pleasantries.

"Straight to it, 'eh Harry?" Remus asked, trying to lighten the mood. When that didn't work he said, "I don't know if you've seen the Prophet this morning, but Hermione's parents were killed by Death Eaters two days ago. And if you have seen it, congratulations on your upcoming nuptials."

While giving him his deadliest glare for the crack about Ginny, Harry said, "I feel bad for her, but unfortunately that's not unusual these days."

Looking at him with concern at how emotionally detached and cold Harry had sounded , Remus said, "Moody was able to stun the Death Eater just before he was going to use the killing curse on her. When they questioned him under Veritaserum he said he was under orders from Voldemort to kill her or he would be killed if he failed. He said that her death would assure his Master's victory. Voldemort told him that with her gone, your death was guaranteed."

"Since when do you believe any stories the Death Eaters tell?" Harry asked skeptically.

"Since he was under veritaserum, and it was Lucius Malfoy," Lupin replied.

Harry's gaze snapped to his then and he asked, "What connection could she possibly have to me? I've never seen her before, did she transfer from Beauxbatons or Durmstrang?"

"She just found out she was a witch two days ago," Lupin answered. "The same night her parents were killed."

"What aren't you telling me?" he asked the last Marauder, after staring at him for some time.

Hesitating for a moment, Lupin stared back at him and replied, "She's got some link to you Harry, I don't know what it is, but the Order thinks that she may be the key to helping you defeat Voldemort once and for all."

Leaving Harry to his thoughts, Lupin got up and headed toward the door. "I'll be back tonight to give her lessons in Defense Against the Dark Arts, in case you'd like to come round and help out a bit. She's had no training, so McGonagall and I are trying to figure out how to teach her six years worth of magic in just a few months time." When Harry didn't respond Lupin asked, "Harry?" When Harry looked up at him he said, "Take care of her, okay? Remember, she just lost her parents the same way you did."

Harry stared at him for a second before replying, "Yeah, but I imagine for her it's worse. She actually had a chance to get to know her Mum and Dad. I didn't."

~*~

Hermione numbly followed the Headmistress back to the office to gather her meager possessions that they were able to salvage from her destroyed childhood home the day before. Watching in a kind of fascination as McGonagall floated her belongings in front of them as they walked, she thought back to meeting Harry Potter. When she had seen him she had felt faint and weakened instantly while her head had started to pound. He had been surrounded by such a bright orange/yellow glow that it almost hurt her to look at him, but there was something...off...about him. Yes, he had been surrounded by bright light, but when she was able to look more closely she saw that he had a lightening bolt shaped scar on his forehead that was emitting a faint, pulsing grey light. Looking at his face was like looking at two people at once, and it immediately gave her a headache. Knowing that she was going to have to spend the entire day with him was making her headache worse, and she started rubbing her temples.

"If you have a headache or any other need for medical attention, just tell Mr. Potter and he'll show you to the Hospital Ward," the Headmistress said gently.

"I will," Hermione agreed as they walked up to the Head Boy and Girl Portrait once more, just as Harry was walking out with Remus.

"See you later on tonight for our lesson, Miss Granger," Remus stated before walking away.

"Okay," she replied, turning back to look at Harry and as their eyes locked, she grabbed her head while hissing in pain.

"Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked in concern. Turning to Harry she said, "Why don't you go to Madam Pomfrey and get a pain relieving potion for Miss Granger?"

"No!" Hermione said, surprising them both. Taking a deep breath and avoiding Harry's eyes, which seemed to be boring into her, she looked up at her Headmistress and said, "I apologize for my rudeness, but I've been taking strange potions for two days now and I really do not want any more."

"All right then," McGonagall said brisquely, and Harry knew it was time to get Hermione away from the Headmistress.

"I'll take care of her," Harry said, taking over the levitation of her belongings. With a quick nod McGonagall turned around and walked quickly back toward her office.

As McGonagall walked into what was now her office, she turned to face the portrait of Dumbledore when it spoke. "It is her, is it not Minerva?" Dumbledore's painting asked, looking down at her with concern.

"It is," she answered tiredly. "Miss Granger is most definitely Harry's Soul Guardian. But she has no training, magical or otherwise. I don't see how she's going to be prepared to help Harry defeat You-Know-Who when the time comes. And Merlin knows it's fast approaching now that he and his followers know who she is."

"Have faith, Minerva," Dumbledore replied in his usual calm, assuring tone. "She is not called a Soul Guardian for nothing. It is something that she was born into and she possesses great power. We just have to wait for her powers to show themselves so that we can see what she is truly capable of. The fact that she is a Soul Guardian and a Witch as well makes her even more powerful. She simply needs to accept her destiny and learn to use the gifts she was born with."

"Well, for all of our sakes, I hope that it's soon," she replied, sitting down in the chair behind the desk, looking very tired. "Now that You-Know-Who knows about her, he's going to do everything in his power to kill them both quickly. And unfortunately, I don't think the protection of the Order is going to be enough. From what I've read on Soul Guardians and their charges, plus factoring in the power the two of them possess, they'll probably have to depend on one another for protection."

~*~

Showing Hermione the portrait hole that led into Gryffindor Tower, Harry said the password and the fat lady smiled at Hermione and said, "It is an honour to have you in Gryffindor Tower."

"Thank you," Hermione replied, wondering if the nice lady in the portrait said that to everyone. That was definitely one thing that was a bit spooky; the people in the pictures throughout the castle moved, as if they were alive. When she had seen the moving portraits of dead ex-Headmasters in the Headmistress' office she had to admit, she almost asked to go back to the creepy house she had just left.

"Are you royalty or something?" Harry asked from behind her as the portrait door closed, causing her to stop just a few steps inside the common room and turn to face him.

"What do you mean?" she asked, still avoiding his eyes.

Wondering why she wouldn't look at him he answered, "Because the Fat Lady has never said she was honoured to have anyone under her watch, even me, and I'm the bloody boy-who-lived."

"The what?" she asked, confused as she looked around the comfortable looking common room.

"Are you trying to tell me that you have never heard of me?" he asked, instantly on guard, not realizing how egotistical he was sounding at the moment.

"You're quite the cocky one, aren't you?" she asked simply, looking out the windows at the rain that was falling outside.

"No, I'm not cocky, but if you're a witch it's kind of hard to believe that you've never heard the story of how I survived a killing curse cast on me by Voldemort at the age of one."

One of the portraits on the wall went flying across the room suddenly, it's occupants holding onto whatever they could as they yelled for someone to help them. When it slammed into the wall and fell to the floor, Harry looked from where it had landed to Hermione and could almost feel the waves of magic coming off of her. Walking toward the portrait, Harry pointed his wand at it and said, "Repairo," watching as it put itself back together. When he picked it up, the three wizards that were in it starting complaining instantly about being abused in such a terrible way. Hermione watched as he put it back to it's rightful place on the wall and said, "It was an accident guys. Miss Granger is new to magic and didn't mean to hurt you in any way."

"Well then, why doesn't she tell us herself?" one of the indignant wizards asked. Harry rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to say something when a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I'm so sorry," Hermione said, sounding close to tears. "I do hope that none of you were hurt...or damaged, I guess it would be instead?"

Seeing the look of anguish on the young lady's face, the oldest of the three wizards in the painting replied, "It's quite alright dear. Besides, it's been a while since we've had anything that exciting happen to us."

When Harry turned and looked down at where her hand lay on his shoulder, she immediately pulled it off of him and turned away. Still staring down at where her hand had been, he realized that his skin felt as if it was tingling. Shrugging it off as his imagination, he turned to her and asked, "Want to tell me what that was about? You could endanger the other students if you lose control like that and the room is full."

Harry saw a tear escape from her left eye and travel slowly down her cheek. Looking toward him, but not directly at him, she replied, "It was you mentioning that evil bastard that had my parents killed and tried to have me killed as well. I'll try to keep myself in check while I'm around other students so that I don't hurt anyone."

"I hate to tell you, but he's talked about quite a bit around here, especially now with everything he and his followers have been doing. Not many witches or wizards say his name because of their fear of him, so they refer to him as "You-Know-Who". Just so you know who they're talking about when you hear it in conversation."

Looking defeated, she nodded and then made her way up the stairs, grabbing her trunk and bag from where he had levitated them onto the landing. Turning to find the one she was to stay in she whispered, "I almost wish he would have succeeded in killing me," thinking Harry couldn't hear her. But he had.

Thirty minutes later, when she realized that she had her first class in fifteen minutes, Hermione fixed her clothes and put on the robe that bore the Gryffindor crest. Walking down the stairs, she was surprised to see the common room was full of students getting ready for their first class of the day. There seemed to be all ages, one little girl looked to be eleven or twelve, but at that moment most of them seemed to be her age. Trying very hard to control her magic and feeling very nervous about meeting new people, something she wasn't good at, she looked around and spotted Harry talking to two redheads. Walking up to him she noticed one was a guy and the other a girl, and by the similarities in their facial features she guessed they were related, probably brother and sister.

"Ready for your first magical class?" Harry asked with an easy smile.

"I think so," she replied, still not meeting his eyes.

"Hi, I'm Ron Weasley," said the redheaded boy next to her with an easy smile.

"Hi. Hermione Granger," she replied, trying her best to smile back and feeling instantly at ease around him.

"Oy! Where're my manners?" Harry said. "Hermione, this is Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister."

"And Harry's girlfriend," Ginny added as she placed a possesive hand on Harry's shoulder and gave her a fake smile. As she looked at Ginny, Hermione could see that the light around Ginny was neither coloured nor black, but grey. The same way it was around Harry's scar. "What're you looking at me like that for?" Ginny asked defensively, narrowing her eyes at her.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I was just admiring your necklace," Hermione covered easily.

"Isn't it beautiful?" she replied, holding it out so that Hermione could see it better. It had two small hearts, one red and one gold, interlocked hanging from the chain and Ginny gleefully added, "Harry gave it to me."

"Last year for your birthday," Harry replied, earning himself a very nasty glare.

Clearing his throat, Ron said, "Well, time for Potions. Hermione, would you like to walk with Harry and I?"

"She has to anyway Ron," Harry replied before she could say anything. "I'm her designated tour guide today."

Hermione didn't miss the jealous look that crossed Ginny's face after Harry said this and wondered what the redhead's problem was. She hadn't done anything to warrant jealousy from Ginny, so why was she acting so possesive of Harry around someone she didn't even know if they were already a couple?

When they were in the corridor and Ginny turned to go in a different direction for her class, she moved to kiss Harry on the cheek and he deftly moved so that she missed completely. Looking as if she was desperately trying not to throw a tantrum, Ginny turned without a word and stormed off in the opposite direction they were going. Pretending not to notice, Hermione looked at Ron and asked, "So, is potions hard? Headmistress McGonagall said that while you're doing seventh year work I'll be starting at first year potions. She didn't want to put me in class with the eleven year olds."

Ron looked at her for a moment, the report in the Prophet coming to mind, and then he blurted out, "Wait a minute. Did you say your last name was Granger? Wasn't it your parents that were...Ow!" Ron messaged his side where Harry had just elbowed him, hard, to get him not to finish the question he had started to ask. Clearing his throat and recovering quickly he continued, "Right then. Well, I'm sure Slughorn will catch you up right quick." Casting a I'll-pay-you-back-later look at Harry, Ron went to take his seat as Harry sat and motioned for her to sit next to him. Taking the proffered seat, Hermione watched as people wearing robes like hers walked in, but some had green patches instead of maroon ones like hers.

"Harry," she whispered, getting his attention while she watched a boy with particularly white blonde hair harrass a girl with dark brown hair in front of him.

"Hmm?" Harry hummed while looking over something in his potions book.

"Why do some of the students have different patches on their robes?"

He looked at her then and followed her line of sight, narrowing his eyes in disgust as he saw she was looking at Draco Malfoy. She continued to watch Draco as Harry turned back to her and replied, "Hogwarts has four houses, that's why they put the sorting hat on you in McGonagall's office, to see which house you would be in. Besides Gryffindor there's Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and that smarmy git you're staring at is in Slytherin, where most of Voldemort's evil little followers come from."

When both of their potions texts went flying from the table Hermione dropped her face into her hands and muttered, "Not again."

Sighing, Harry got up and walked to the front of the room where their books had landed and bent to pick them up. When he stood up, he came face-to-face with Draco and had to do everything in his power not to pull out his wand and hex him into oblivion. Walking up to the two boys, Hermione took her book out of Harry's hands, diverting Draco's attention from Harry to her. "Well, well Potty, did Weasley finally smarten up and dump you? Leave it to you to take up with some ugly looking hag when you had Weasley, who was much easier to look at."

She could feel the anger between them and as they advanced toward each other she stepped inbetween them, dropping her book and placing a hand against each of their chests to stop them. What she felt at that moment was a mixture of heaven and hell, good and evil, pleasure and pain, and she collapsed as her body was overloaded by the intensity of it all. "What the hell was that?" Draco asked, backing away from her with his hand over the spot hers had just been, wearing an expression that could almost be described as fear.

Harry knelt down next to Hermione, immediately asking, "Are you okay?" To his surprise, when he grabbed her hand to help her up, he found her skin clammy and she was shaking badly. Just then, Professor Slughorn walked in and seeing Harry with the ill looking girl he asked, "What is this then?"

"It's the new student, Hermione Granger, sir. She seems very ill, I think I should take her to Madam Pomfrey right away," Harry stated, even though Hermione was shaking her head no. "She's just fainted dead-away."

"After all that she's been through, I can imagine she's not feeling the best," the professor replied. "Go ahead and take her to hospital, you can both come to see me after dinner tonight to make up the lesson."

Ignoring her protests and nasty looks, Harry gathered up their things and, taking Hermione gently by the arm, he led her out of the room with Draco's eyes following them the entire way. Remembering his father's letter about keeping an eye out for a new female student his age suddenly showing up at Hogwarts, he made a mental note to owl his father right after class.

~A/N> Thanks to everyone that has read and reviewed so far. Just a reminder though, alternate universe basically means that I'm going to use JKR's characters and try my hardest to keep them true to the way they are in the books, but they may not act the exact same way. I am borrowing her characters to tell my own story, so if you don't like those kind of stories please don't continue reading. Harry is not being egotistical, or acting OOC, it's just hard for him to immediately believe that a witch wouldn't know who he is after the way he has been revered for the last seven years. You'd probably be leery too if a strange witch came into your little circle of life (especially when you're Harry and really have very few people you can truly trust) and even though you don't trust her, you find yourself inexplicably drawn to her :) So basically, these are still JKR's characters, I'm just borrowing them to tell my own unique story that has to do with Soul Guardians, which I could see Hermione being with her courage and inner strengths, and the wonderful magical world of Harry Potter. I do love Harry, but Hermione is my favorite character and I am thrilled to be able to write a story where she is just as powerful as Harry. There are so many more surprises to come, I hope you'll stay with me for the rest of the story and enjoy the ride, it's going to be an interesting one. ~miscard~

"Unhand me!" Hermione practically growled, yanking her arm free from Harry's grasp. Unsteady still from the emotions and images that had run through her as she touched both Harry and Draco, she stumbled to the side a bit, only to be caught by Harry. This time his arms had wrapped around her waist since he had situated both of their bags on his shoulder and the feeling of his arms around her caused a sensory overload in her body and she passed out cold.

"Great," Harry muttered as he scooped her up into his arms and carried her the rest of the way, marveling in the way she felt in his arms. She seemed so light, so helpless, and the only thing he could think at that moment was that he suddenly wanted to protect her from all the bad things that had been happening to her lately. He knew the hell she was going through, having her parents killed by Voldemort and then having to fear for her own life. He'd lived that way for the past 7 years of his life and he wouldn't wish it on anyone, especially a pretty girl like Hermione. "What is it with me and girls?" he mumbled aloud to himself as he walked. "First Cho cries when I kiss her, then Ginny acts like I'm suddenly a new toy to play with and show off to everyone, and now when I finally meet a girl that could be..." Whoa Potter! Stop that train of thought right now. The last thing you or Hermione needs right now is to think like that.

Sighing in relief as he walked up to the Hospital Ward doors, he pushed through them and walked to meet Madam Pomfrey as she walked out of her office at the back of the ward. "Oh no, what's happened to her now?" she asked, concerned. Harry looked at the nurse, surprised at the niceness of her tone. If it were him being brought in she would have been lecturing him already, whether he was conscious or not.

Clearing his throat nervously, Harry looked at her and started to explain, "We were sitting in Professor Slughorn's class waiting for it to start when she had performed accidental magic and knocked our books off the table. When I went to pick them up from the floor I was confronted by Draco Malfoy." Ignoring the nurse's tut-tut of disapproval he said, "Hermione got between us, put a hand on each of our chests to stop us from fighting, and the next thing I knew she had fainted and fallen to the floor."

Making her way to one of the empty beds, Pomfrey motioned for Harry to lay Hermione down and she immediately started to wave her wand over her body in intricate patterns while muttering different spells. First concentrating on her head, the nurse made her way down Hermione's chest and suddenly a blue glow emitted from where Hermione's heart would be and surrounded the nurse and Harry both in its light. Stunned at first, he started to relax as he felt a gentle warmth start to run through his body and the most wonderful feeling of peace that he had ever felt. As quickly as it started, the glow faded and Hermione's eyes popped open as she sat up in the bed.

Looking around wide-eyed, her gaze landed on Madam Pomfrey first and she asked, "Where am I?"

"In the Hospital Ward," the nurse replied and Hermione groaned.

"Not again," she mumbled as she sank back onto the pillow. Catching a glimpse of Harry out of the corner of her eye she asked him, "What've I done now? Blown up the Professor? Made my own clothes disappear?"

He found himself actually picturing her last guess before mentally slapping himself so that he could answer her question. Reminding her how he went to get their books and Malfoy walking up to him, he explained, "That's when you decided to try and stop us from fighting and proceeded to faint."

Hermione felt embarrassed for a moment before it all came flooding back to her. "I remember," she whispered reverently. "The darkness, the uncertainty, a feeling of worthlessness, fear..." she trailed off as she started shaking again and wiping at her arms, as if trying to wipe dirt off of herself. "It made me feel so unclean. But then you..." she said, looking at Harry. "You're so full of love and longing, and it was almost as if there were two of you, one being of dark and one of light. A-And your soul...it's different. It's as if someone sacrificed themself and a part of them still resides inside of you, protecting you."

When she stopped talking you could have heard a particle of dust hit the floor. The silence was almost deafening, and when she tore her eyes away from Harry's she noticed that sometime during her little confession, Headmistress McGonagall had walked in and heard what she had said. She started to make her way to the nurse's' office with Pomfrey following closely behind her while Harry just stood where he was, staring at her in disbelief. And then it was there in his eyes...she could see the distrust settle in as he put the walls back up around his heart and mind. "You said you didn't know me, that you had never heard of me before," he accused in an angry tone. "And I was stupid enough to believe you."

"No, Harry, I swear I didn't know about you before..." she started, but before she could finish he turned and angrily stalked out of the ward.

"Why is this happening to me?" Hermione whispered aloud as her eyes swam with tears.

"Because it is your destiny," came an airy voice, startling her. Sitting before her on the bed was a boy who looked to be about her age, but he was translucent like a ghost. When she reached a shaky hand out to touch him, her fingers passed right though him and she gasped.

"Are you a ghost?" she asked.

"No," he replied. "I am Micah, and I'm your Guardian Angel."

"Guardian Angel?" she asked skeptically.

"Are you really doubting that I exist after everything you have witnessed the last few days?" he asked reasonably. When she stayed quiet he said, "We're usually not allowed to show ourselves to our charges like this, but yours is a special case. Since you are a Soul Guardian, a very powerful one whose charge is just as powerful, I've been given permission to speak to you. I'm pretty sure you know it already, but your life is in danger. A very powerful wizard that seeks immortality is out to destroy your charge, and now that he knows who you are and what you're supposed to do, he wants to destroy you as well."

"How can he know all about me when I don't know anything about myself?" she replied, getting angry. "I found out two days ago that I'm not who I thought I was...I don't even know what to think anymore. Am I normal? Will I ever be normal?" When Micah just sat there quietly listening to her rant she looked at him and asked, "And how does this evil wizard know who my charge is when I don't even know?"

"If you'll stop and look deep within your heart, you'll realize that you've already met the one you're supposed to protect," Micah replied calmly. He watched her brow furrow as she thought over all the new people she'd met the past few days and then as realization dawned on her pale face.

"You don't mean him?" she asked, looking at him uncertainly. "It can't be. I mean, all I've done is show him how incompetent I am. He's never going to believe that I'm supposed to protect him."

"He'll come to see in time just how powerful you are," Micah said assuredly. "But until then, I'm afraid that you are going to have to watch over him without letting him know you're here to protect him. Otherwise, he'll just push you further and further away, making your job much more difficult."

~*~

"I should have known," Harry said, walking at a fast pace out to the Quidditch pitch for their practice. "I can't believe I bought her innocent routine and that she didn't know who I was."

Ron, the team's Keeper, kept up easily with his angry best friend as he asked, "And what makes you so sure that she lied again?"

"The things she said in hospital after what happened in Potions," Harry replied angrily. "The things she said...if she really didn't know who I was, she wouldn't have known as much as she did."

"I don't know what to tell you mate," Ron said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. "Maybe some time up on your broom will make you feel better."

"I hope so," Harry replied, noting that his team was already on the field waiting for him to start practice, since he was the Captain. "Let's warm up a bit and run some drills," he ordered, mounting his broom and immediately taking off, flying as high as he could while still being able to watch the team. When he saw Ginny, one of his chasers, flying toward him he sighed loudly. "What do you want Ginny?"

"I wanted to know what's wrong with you," she replied, sounding a bit pouty. "First you embarass me this morning by dodging my kiss and now you're making sure to stay away from me."

"We're practicing," he said impatiently. "What do you suggest? That I just fly up to you and snog you senseless in front of everyone?"

His stomach turned as her eyes actually lit up at his suggestion. "I wouldn't mind," she practically purred, snapping the last hold he had on his patience.

"Look, there,'s nothing going on between you and I," he stated slowly, as if talking to a dimwit. "I may have fancied you a bit last year, but I don't anymore. So I'd appreciate it if you'd stop acting like a lovesick fangirl and get your arse down there to practice with the rest of the team."

At the look of hatred that was on her face, Harry was suddenly glad that he had a 'no wands at practice' rule, otherwise he probably would have been on the receiving end of one of her famous bat bogey hexes. Watching as she sped down to join the rest of the team, Harry released the snitch he had been holding in his hand. After giving it a bit of a head start he flew as fast as he could around the pitch for a while, trusting Ron to run the practice, trying to rid his mind of the brown haired, brown eyed girl that kept occupying his thoughts. It was stupid really, he had only met her that morning, but it somehow felt like he had known her all his life. And the things she had said in the Hospital Ward had affected him more than he was willing to let on. Shaking his head, he flew closer to the ground so that he was able to watch the team for a while. After giving out a few tips to a couple of his players, and staying the hell away from Ginny and her death glare, he declared that practice was over.

When Ron flew down and started walking next to him he asked, "So what'd you do to Ginny? She's in a right strop."

"I uh-I kinda told her that there's no way we're going to be a couple again, like last year," he replied slowly, concerned with how Ron would take the news.

"Well, I can't say I'm not disappointed, " Ron said. "But if you don't fancy her, I'd rather you not lead her on." Surprised by his friend's easy acceptance of the news he felt his gut tighten when he said, "One word of advice though mate...stay away from her for awhile if you know what's good for you. Otherwise you might wake up missing your er-bits, if ya know what I mean? She's got a temper, that one does."

After making his way to his room, Harry made his way to shower and stood under the steaming hot water a little longer than usual, thinking over the events of the day. Realizing that he had class work that needed to be done he got out, dried off, and dressed in his comfortable jeans and a t-shirt. Deciding to go to the common room with all the other Gryffindors instead of being alone in the Head's common room, he walked in to find Ron sitting next to Hermione on the couch, showing her how to do the levitating spell.

"It's just a swish and flick of the wand as you say, 'Wingardium Leviosa'," Ron explained, motioning toward a quill that sat on the floor in front of them.

Harry watched silently as Hermione tried out the simple spell and was amazed as the quill shot straight up into the air and started to dance around the room. "Erm, is that normal?" he heard Hermione ask quietly, watching the quill zoom around the room.

"No, not really," Ron replied, watching entranced. "I think I had to say that spell twice before I got it right."

"Three times actually," Harry answered, causing them both to look his way. As Hermione spotted him her quill dropped to the floor and she got up to retrieve it.

As she sat back down next to Ron and Harry sat next to her, sandwiching her in the middle, she turned to Harry and said, "Professor Slughorn said it would be alright for the two of us to make up our potions work tomorrow evening instead of tonight. He stopped me in the corridor after I was released from hospital."

She refused to look at him after saying the last part, too afraid that he would become angry with her again, and was surprised when he said, "That's actually great news because I have loads of class work to catch up on." When he noticed her shift a bit uncomfortably and try to hide something that was on her lap he looked down and saw the cover of the book she was trying to hide from him. "The Boy Who Lived: Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know and Then Some." he read, trying not to laugh along with Ron.

She could feel her cheeks burning with embarrassment and didn't dare look up at him as she mumbled, "I wasn't lying today when I said I really didn't know anything about you. Headmistress McGonagall gave me this book before I was discharged and said I'd find it interesting. I'm sorry I made you so uncomfortable today."

When she quickly stood up to make a hasty retreat, Harry reached out and took hold of her wrist to stop her. When his skin came in contact with hers, images started to flash through his mind of Lucius Malfoy and green jets of light and Mad Eye Moody...and then it was gone. Blinking his eyes rapidly, Harry looked her in the eyes and realized that she had yanked her wrist from his grasp and that's what stopped the flow of images. "What...? Hermione, was that what happened...?"

'Hermione Granger?'

"What?" Hermione asked aloud, looking around for whoever it was that had said her name.

Harry looked at her strangely and asked, "What, 'what'?"

"Someone just said my name, didn't you hear that?" she asked.

"No." When Harry looked to Ron, he shook his head and said, "I didn't hear anything."

'Hermione Granger. I am Firenze. Harry Potter will know who I am. Please ask him to show you to my classroom' Hermione closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose as pain shot through her head. "It's in my head."

"What?" both Ron and Harry asked at the same time.

Without answering, she looked at Harry with a tired look on her face and asked, "Do you know someone called Firenze?"

"Yes, he's the Divination teacher here. But how did you know his name?" he asked, studying her closely.

"He just called to me," she replied, causing both boys to look at her strangely, as if she had suddenly grown another head. "I don't have time to explain right now," she said, sighing, "He said that you knew who he was and that I was supposed to ask you to show me to his classroom."

Looking toward Ron, who just shrugged his shoulders, Harry got up and said, "I guess I'll show you to his classroom then."

Surprised that he hadn't asked more questions and had agreed so quickly, Hermione followed him out of the common room and started down the stairs. Slowing up some so that she could catch up with him, Harry looked at her and asked, "So what did you mean when you said he called to you?"

"I could hear him speaking to me in my head," she replied, expecting a skeptical response. When none came she looked at him and asked, "You believe me?"

"Firenze is the divination teacher," Harry explained. "And after some of the things you've said and done today, well, I guess I don't find it that hard to believe."

When they reached the ground floor, Harry led her down one of the corridors and stopped in front of the second door on the right. Noticing the look of reluctance on her face, Harry rapped lightly on the door and a deep male voice called, "Please enter."

Harry walked in first, taking in the relaxing classroom with it's grass covered floor and the tree in the corner that towered over most of the room. Hermione came in behind him, looking around the room in amazement, feeling immediately at peace.

"Harry Potter," Firenze said in greeting as he walked up to them, and then seeing Hermione, Harry watched in amazement as the centaur practically bowed down to her. Standing back up again he said, "Humble greetings, Hermione Granger. It is an honour to meet you."

"P-Pleasure to meet you too," Hermione replied, shocked. "You called for me?"

"Yes I did, by request of Headmistress McGonagall," he replied. "You are to have divination lessons with me tonight. She said she discussed it with you this afternoon?"

"Oh, that's right," Hermione said as she remembered their brief conversation. Too bad the headmistress hadn't mentioned that her teacher would be a centaur, maybe then she wouldn't have been so gobsmacked when she saw him.

"Please, come in and join me," Firenze said, smiling at her in a way that put her at ease. As Hermione silently followed after him, he stopped and turned to look at Harry. "I am afraid I must ask you to leave, Mr. Potter. Miss Granger's lessons are to be private lessons."

"Right, sorry," Harry apologized.

With a million thoughts running through his head, he made his way to the door, only to be stopped when Firenze asked, "Oh, and Mr. Potter? Would you please come back in two hours to escort Miss Granger back to Gryffindor Tower?"

Harry opened his mouth to answer when Hermione cut in, "It's alright, I can find my way back to the common room by myself."

"But it will be after curfew," Harry explained to her. "If you're caught in the corridors without a prefect, Susan or I escorting you, you'll get detention and house points taken away." Turning back to Firenze he replied, "I will be back in two hours."

Making his way out of the divination classroom, he started back up the stairs, wondering why McGonagall would set up private divination lessons. Hermione had just found out she was a witch three days ago, and now she was quickly being thrust into the magical world just like...well, just like he had been when he found out at the age of eleven that he was the boy-who-lived. Realizing that there must be much more to Hermione Granger than anyone wanted to admit, Harry made his way back to the common room, intent on finding out anything he could about their mysterious new classmate.

~A/N> Thanks for the great response on the last chapter! :) I'm glad you like how the story is going so far. I have it planned through chapter 10, but I know it's going to be more chapters than that. In this chapter you will get your first glimpse into the Duvall family history and how important Firenze is going to be in this story. Also, there's a little more interaction between H/Hr in this one. Just so you know, the word notebook is capitalized at times because of how it's being referred to and the importance of it. It's basically the Soul Guardians Bible and is very, very important. Ok, enough of my jabbering, I hope you enjoy the chapter! :)

Once Harry had walked out of the classroom, Firenze looked at Hermione with a very inquisitive look, staring into her eyes. "There is no need to fear me, Miss Granger."

She felt as if he was looking straight into her soul, seeking out the truths that he didn't think she would speak. "I don't fear you, so much as I'm unsure about you," she answered, deciding that being truthful would be the best way to go. She felt very peaceful and at ease around him. "Up until three days ago I thought magic was something only found in books, and now here I am speaking face-to-face with a Centaur. I've had a lot to deal with these past few days and from what I've been told this is only the beginning of a very long journey for me."

"That it is," Firenze corroborated. "My kind tell of the future by studying the heavens, where your kind depends on a gift that was bestowed upon you and is much greater than what I possess." When he looked at her to find her studying him intently he asked, "What is it that you see when you look at me?"

"You are surrounded by a blue light with little flashes of yellow," she stated, sounding so sure of herself that she was suprised.

"Your aura, which is the light you see surrounding me, is green, blue, and pink with yellow flares, identifying you as a Soul Guardian," the Centaur stated. "Your colors are completely clear, telling me that you possess great power and are on the side of Good."

"Why is it that even though I do not know you at all, I can feel deep within me that I can trust you and that you are speaking only the truth?"

"That is part of your gift, and your sixth sense," he said, walking up to her. "The same sixth sense your mother possessed. I am most sorry to hear about your parents, especially your mother. There are not many true Empaths around anymore, and she was well-known in the magical world."

"She had just told me about her gift," Hermione replied, her voice breaking with emotion. Clearing her throat she said in a stronger voice, "She explained about her side of the family, the Duvall's, and how I had been receiving invitation letters to attend Hogwarts since I turned eleven. She said I'm the first witch in the family..." Taking a shaky, deep breath, she swiped at a tear that had escaped her eye and asked, "So these lessons, Headmistress McGonagall mentioned that you would be teaching me a little about divination but there would be an emphasis more on other things, like discovering which gifts I possess?"

"Yes," Firenze replied, "Did you bring the Notebook?"

Nodding, she placed it down onto the table in front of her. Opening it to the first page, she stepped back so that Firenze could read it. She had not yet read it all, finding herself unable to handle the thoughts of all the family that had been lost, and afraid of coming to the entry on her mum. She could feel him staring at her and looking up to meet his gaze she was surprised when he asked, "You have not yet read this?"

"Not all of it," she replied, raising her chin in the air a bit, trying to put on an air of indifference. "I got through the first page."

"You do not have to put on an act around me, Miss Granger," Firenze said. "You have to be able to trust me before I can help you. Why don't you read it out loud so that we can both hear it for the first time together, at least past the first page?"

"Ok," she answered, walking slowly up to the book. Looking down, she focused in on the scrawled writing on the first page and read,

"Soul Guardian's Journal"

"First entry- This is the journal of the Duvall Family of Soul Guardians. It is to be passed down from generation to generation so that our gift may be learned easily and any new information can be added as the years pass by.

The first known Soul Guardian in the Duvall family was Emily Jean Duvall, born July 7, 1807. She died at the age of 70, which was almost unheard of back in those days. note: all SG's (soul guardians) in our family bloodline have been female. No known reason why no Duvall male has inherited the gift

The next known SG was Erin Louis Duvall. She was born May 17, 1877 and was murdered at the age of twenty-five by person's unknown."

Hermione looked underneath the sentence to see some messier writing and read aloud, "addendum: believed to be killed by 'D'* (AM Duvall) What is that supposed to mean?"

"I do not know," Firenze replied. "Perhaps it'll explain further down the page."

Hermione started reading aloud again, "The third Duvall SG was Mary Madeline, born December 27, 1917. She was the first SG to see Shadocks** and have interaction with actual spirits of dead people."

"Shadocks?" Firenze asked, thinking aloud. "I have heard that word before...". Looking down the page he stopped as he hit a certain entry and read, "Shadock-an evil being that is an incarnation of past evil spirits that walk the Earth unseen by all. It is a mix between a shadow demon and a bodach. Believed to be lead by a head Shadock known as Damien-Ancelin

Hermione involuntarily shivered as he read about the Shadocks and continued to read from where he left off as soon as he finished, not wanting to discuss the evil beings. "The fourth Duvall Soul Guardian was Ancelin Marie Duvall, who was the first SG to interact with a Guardian Angel who's name was Micah."

When she stayed silent for a while Firenze looked down at her and studied her face. "You know of Micah already, don't you?"

"Yes," she replied. "When I was in hospital this morning after fainting and Harry had stormed out, angry with me because he believed I lied to him, Micah appeared to me. He told me who he was, said he had been given special permission to speak to me because my life was in danger, and he explained that he was my Guardian Angel. He said that even though I probably already knew it, there is a dark Wizard that is trying to kill my charge and that he's after me as well. I'm not sure I understand everything we spoke about yet, but I learned that Harry Potter is my charge. Too bad I don't know anything about him...even though he doesn't believe that."

"I know that this is a lot to deal with after just losing your parents, but you are eighteen now and unfortunately it's time to grow up. You have been given these gifts for a reason, and now you have your first charge...a charge that is destined to be the saviour of the world." Firenze went on to tell her the story of Harry, from when his parents met while at Hogwarts until they were killed when he was only one year old and he was sent to live with the Dursleys. When Firenze mentioned Lily and James' name, Hermione turned to the notebook quickly and skimmed over the part they had been reading, dread settling into the pit of her stomach.

"You said that Lily and James Potter were killed on October 31, 1981?" she asked, still skimming through the notebook.

"Yes," he answered simply.

"Oh no," she whispered sadly. With her fingers moving quickly over the words as she read, she said, "Ancelin and her charge were killed by the Shadock Damien and his charge on October 31, 1981, which was also Ancelin's 44th birthday. Her charge's husband and son were in hiding with her because an evil wizard they called You-Know-Who was out to kill their son because he believed it would bring him immortality."

"Voldemort," Firenze stated, and one of the chairs next to Hermione went sliding across the floor. Firenze looked at her questioningly and she ground out, "He's the one that ordered his followers to kill me and my family that night."

"Is that what has been triggering the accidental bursts of magic all day? The mention of Voldemort?" The chair moved further across the room and he said, "That would be the trigger. You have to learn to reign in your emotions. Your magic is stronger, so your accidental releases will be stronger as well. You must control them or you will end up hurting someone."

"I'm trying," Hermione replied honestly. "It's just that the hurt is still so raw. I haven't had any time to mourn or heal, and today Headmistress McGonagall said that I wasn't allowed to go to my own parents funeral...that I'd be in too much danger."

"It will hurt because you lost the two people you loved most in the world and will not be allowed to say goodbye in the way that muggles feel they must. You are only saying goodbye to a shell that once hosted someone's spirit...a spirit that has already moved on," Firenze said. "But, as time goes by, the hurt will lessen and your mourning will diminish. Right now you have to start protecting Harry; Voldemort knows who you are. More than likely, Voldemort is Damien's charge and he's the one that has been helping him in his quest for immortality all these years. They have probably figured out already that you are here with Harry and are planning how to get to the two of you. Thankfully Hogwarts is still the safest place in the wizarding world, but it may not stay that way for long. He has found ways to penetrate the wards of the Castle before, so it is possible for him to find another way in again. You may not like it, and he may not want to admit it, but Harry needs you. You need to start your training immediately because not only do you have Voldemort out to kill you, but Damien as well."

"I realize that," Hermione said irritably. Closing the notebook she said, "One thing is for sure, if Harry ever finds out that it was my Great Aunt Ancelin that was supposed to protect his Mum the night she and James died, he will never give me the chance to prove myself. The way he's accepted everything so far, he'll probably see that as the ultimate betrayal by my family against his and never speak to me again."

~*~

When Harry returned to the Head Boy and Girl quarters, he found Remus sitting on the sofa, waiting for him. "Hullo again," he greeted his last adult friend, sitting down next to him. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I went looking for Hermione in the Gryffindor common room and Ron said she left with you. I thought she might possibly be in here."

"Why would she be with me?" Harry asked, noticing the very guarded expression on Remus's face.

"Because she left with you," he replied, sighing. "I just need to find her so that we can start her Defense Against the Dark Arts Lessons."

"Right," Harry said, remembering that they talked about it this morning when he first met Hermione. Had it only been that morning she had arrived? It seemed to him as if a week had gone by in a single day. She'd been through so much already, and she hadn't spent her first night in the castle yet. "Erm, I just escorted her down to Firenze's classroom for divination classes. She said that McGonagall had spoken to her about it when she was in hospital today."

"In hospital? What happened?" Remus asked, concerned.

"There was an...incident in Potions today. I mentioned Voldemort, our Potions books went flying, I went to get them and was confronted by Draco. Just the usual harassment by the little ferret."

"Then how'd she get involved?" Remus asked.

"She got between us and put a hand on each of our chests to stop us from fighting, and then she collapsed. Madam Pomfrey said she was okay and discharged her two hours later from what I heard," Harry explained. "She said some things in the hospital ward that upset me a bit and I left her there by herself."

"That was nice of you," Remus said sarcastically. When Harry looked at him darkly he asked, "What'd she say?"

"I don't want to talk about it," he replied. "Let's just say she told me she didn't know anything about me, had never heard of me before, and the things she said in the ward proved she lied."

"There's not always a straightforward answer for everything that happens, Harry. You have to remember, she's been through hell the past three days. She's found out things about herself she didn't even know, and hasn't even been given the chance to process it all yet. Take it easy on her; you of all people should know what it's like to go through what she's going through and finding things out about yourself that you never knew."

Harry stared at Remus for a moment after he finished speaking, and asked, "There's more to what happened than just her finding out she was a witch, isn't there? Otherwise, why would Voldemort send his little pet Lucius to do the job himself? What's so special about her?"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that," Remus replied. "If there is something special about her as you suspect and she wants you to know, she'll tell you herself." Standing up, he looked down at Harry and said, "Will you please let her know that we'll postpone the lesson until tomorrow night?"

"Sure," he replied, standing up also. "I have to escort her back to the tower in about an hour, so I'll let her know then. Now, I have some class work waiting to be done."

"I don't envy you there," Remus said, smiling as he thought back to his Hogwarts days. As he went to step through the doorway, he turned back to Harry and offhandedly said, "Did Hermione tell you that McGonagall wasn't going to allow her to attend her parents funeral on Sunday? It's a shame really, after everything that's happened. She should be allowed to say a proper goodbye." Shrugging, he said, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow. 'Night Harry."

"G'night Remus," Harry replied automatically as he thought about the fact that Hermione wouldn't be able to attend her parents funeral. With an idea forming in his brain that the Marauders would be proud of, he made his way upstairs to dig out his Dad's old invisibility cloak, planning out exactly what he was going to do to help Hermione.

~*~

An hour later, after working out a way to get Hermione to her parent's funeral, Harry made his way back down to Firenze's classroom. After knocking and receiving permission to enter, Harry walked in to find Hermione laying on a particularly thick patch of grass, seemingly passed out. Rushing over to her, Harry looked from her relaxed facial expression to Firenze, who was standing silently behind him. "She is okay, isn't she?"

"She is," Firenze confirmed, watching Harry closely. "She's just exhausted from the ordeal she's been through the past three days and the lessons she's had tonight."

As Harry shook her gently, trying to rouse her, she started to mumble, "Umbra Hegira...Umbra Hegira..."

Harry looked at Firenze with a questioning look on his face and the centaur answered, "Part of her lesson."

"Must've been some lesson if she's mumbling it in her sleep," he said, trying to get her to sit up.

"You may have to levitate her to her dorm, her entire being is exhausted."

Harry looked at Firenze and saw the watchful eyes of the centaur taking in his every move. Feeling a little uncomfortable under the scrutiny, Harry said, "I think I'll just carry her instead. I've had to do it once today already and she really doesn't weigh that much." Not to mention that it feels good to hold her in my arms he thought silently, shaking his head to rid his mind of the thought. Putting one arm around her shoulders and the other underneath her knees, he stood up with her in his arms once again, and without realizing it held her close to his body in an almost protective way. He didn't know what it was, maybe it was how vulnerable she looked as he held her and knowing all she had been through lately, but he had this overwhelming need to watch over her so that no more sadness or evil touched her life.

The irony of the protected becoming the protector was not lost on Firenze. He could see the protective nature blossom within Harry and the change in his aura, and he knew that the bonding had begun. He had hoped that seeing Hermione in this vulnerable state would awaken within Harry the part of him that always wanted to help others and protect them from the evils he had been witness to over the years. As Harry started to make his way to the door, Firenze walked up to him and placed the Notebook gently onto Hermione's chest so that it wouldn't fall while Harry carried her. "The one thing I need you to promise me, Harry Potter, is that you will make sure she has this notebook when she goes up to her dorm tonight."

Nodding his head he said, "I promise."

"Thank you," FIrenze said with a hint of a smile in his eyes. "She will be back the night after next for another lesson and she may need you to escort her back to her dorm afterwards again. She will more than likely be in much the same state as she is now."

"Not a problem," Harry replied, looking down at the still-unconscious Hermione. "Will she wake up soon?"

"She should be awake within the next ten minutes or so," Firenze replied.

Saying their goodbye's, Harry carried her up the many flights of stairs and started to wonder if he were daft for volunteering to carry her all that way. Finally getting to the Gryffindor portrait he said, "Fizzing Whizzbees", a password that was a tribute to their late headmaster and his love of sweets. Thankfully finding the Common room empty when he walked in, Harry walked over to the sofa in front of the fireplace and gently set her down so that she was sitting up and her head was resting on the back of it. Taking the notebook from her lap where it had fallen, he set it on the table in front of them and sat down next to her. Since she was still out, Harry took the opportunity to finally study her features and realized that she had a smattering of freckles across her nose and cheeks. They were barely noticible, but the orange of the flames seemed to make them more visible and it gave her the look of child-like innocence. Looking at her hair he realized that even though it had a bushy, untamed look to it, it was mostly curls and the firelight danced off parts of it, revealing highlights that weren't really visible in the dim light of the castle. She may have seemed plain looking in the light of day but at night, bathed in the glow of firelight, Harry saw a side of her that he found himself dangerously drawn to.

When she began to stir, he tore his probing gaze away from her face and stared into the flickering flames of the fire as they danced irradically. "Hmmm..." she hummed sleepily, stretching and drawing Harry's gaze back to her, making him wish he hadn't looked. Her shirt had ridden up to show the flat, pale skin of her stomach and he felt something stir deep within him, as in below the belt. Feeling embarrassed at his reaction, Harry looked away quickly and said, "How do you feel?"

"Exhausted," she replied, her voice husky from sleep. Looking around she said, "You brought me back to the Common room?"

"Yeah, you were pretty knackered and slept the entire way back," he answered, smiling shyly at her.

"Thank you," she answered quietly, looking at him. After a few moments of uncomfortable silence she said, "I should get up to bed. I'd like to actually attend all of my classes tomorrow."

"I'll show you around again, if you'd like," he offered.

"Yes, thanks," she replied, realizing how formal their conversation suddenly sounded. "Well, I'll see you at breakfast in the morning."

She turned and started to make her way up the stairs when something caught Harry's eye. "Hermione,wait!"

Hermione stopped on the third step and watched as Harry walked up to her with something in his hand. "I was supposed to make sure you took this to your room and remind you of your next lesson with Firenze. It's two nights from now. Oh, and Remus said to tell you that your Defense lessons will be tomorrow night instead."

Harry handed her the notebook and she almost smacked her forehead for her stupidity. Taking it from him, she held it close to her chest and said, "Thank you so much!" Thinking back to what she and Firenze had discovered about her Great Aunt Ancelin, she internally shuddered at the thought of how Harry would have reacted if he had decided to peruse the notebook while she was asleep. Giving him a real smile for a change, even though the haunted look was still in her eyes, she said, "Well, goodnight Harry. And thank you for everything you've done for me today."

"You're welcome," he replied, watching as she made her way up to the girl's dorm. "Goodnight," he added, watching as she disappeared from his sight, leaving him feeling inexplicably lonely all of a sudden, the reason for it being something he'd rather not think about at that moment.

~A/N> So here's another chapter. Thank you for the wonderful response to the last chapter, and I'm glad you liked the bit of history that I included on the Duvall family. The Notebook will be showing up more in the future with more information. As for this chapter, it's my favorite so far :) It was so much fun to write (because I love writing teen angst and the hormones, so much fun when you've already gone through it :p) and there is a lot of H/Hr interaction. And something else, which I'm sure the chapter title says it all :) I hope you enjoy it, and happy reading! Oh, and if you are one of the few viewers of HTV (harmony television video podcast) I'll be posting episode three on harmonytv.libsyn.com and on iTunes as well today. Also, if you get a chance, please visit my website: www.harmonypodcast.com

The next day, after successfully making her way to all of her classes, Hermione sat at dinner with her fellow Gryffindors. Listening to the conversation around her, she loved how easily everyone spoke to one another. She found herself sitting across from Ron who introduced her to Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan, the last of which was being a terrible flirt. Feeling her cheeks burn from the obvious attention he was paying her, she felt someone sit down next to her and ask, "Finnigan, please tell me you're not using those tired old pickup lines on Hermione?"

"Well, we're not all the 'Boy-Who-Lived' now, are we? We can't just smile at a girl we fancy and have them throw their knickers at us," Seamus joked, winking at Hermione as he teased Harry.

"That only happened once, and I was ever the gentleman I'll have you know. I gave the girl her knickers back and explained that even though they were quite lovely, I wasn't the thong wearing type," Harry replied, laughing along with everyone else about the occurrence that had happened last year. He hadn't mentioned to the girl that he had been seeing Ginny at the time, and for good reason. When Ginny had found out about what the fourth year Hufflepuff had done, she had practically hexed the girl's clothes off in retaliation, but thankfully Harry had stopped her in time. As if thinking of her made her appear out of thin air, the redhead sat next to him, sandwiching Harry between her and Hermione. With Hermione fully ensconced in a conversation with Seamus and Dean (one that seemed hilarious by the way she was laughing) he had no choice but to turn to her and say, "Hullo, Ginny."

"Hello, Harry," Ginny replied sweetly.

Harry looked to Ron to see the same puzzled look on his face that he probably wore at that moment. An angry Ginny they could deal with, but a nice, seemingly calm Ginny was something to be afraid of. "Have a good day Gin?" Ron asked, testing the waters.

"Oh yes, just wonderful," she said, her voice sounding flat and laced with anger that only those that knew her well would have picked up on. Turning on Harry, her brown eyes gleaming with anger, she asked, "Didn't take you long to find a replacement for me, did it?"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked slowly, watching her wand hand carefully.

"All I heard about today, in every bloody class, was how you've been chatting up that new girl, Hermione," Ginny accused, glaring at him. Hearing her name mentioned, Hermione turned toward Ginny and found the redhead looking at her with a look that would kill if it were possible. "Speak of the devil," Ginny practically sneered, causing Hermione to look to Ron and then Harry, confused.

"I'm sorry, have I done something to upset you?" Hermione asked as kindly as she could while still keeping her anger in check. Firenze had told her that the key to keeping her magic under control was to keep control of her emotions.

"Depends on if you're referring to Harry," Ginny replied, watching as the brunette's cinnamon colored eyes grew wide with the innuendo while Seamus and Dean started laughing behind her.

"How dare you!" Hermione said, feeling a dull throbbing start in the middle of her forehead.

"Ginny, that's enough!" Harry growled, giving her a look that said that she had better watch herself. "I didn't break up with you for anyone else. I broke things off because I don't have feelings for you anymore. If you don't like it, why don't you go find Michael, or maybe Dean will help you feel better."

"You bloody bastard," Ginny said, quickly drawing her wand. Before anyone really knew what was happening, Hermione had instinctively reached out and grabbed Harry's wrist, closing her eyes as the throbbing in her head grew more painful. As Ginny fired off her famous Bat Bogey Hex, a circular shield of blue went up around Harry, causing the hex to bounce off of it harmlessly, hitting some poor innocent Ravenclaw first year who started to cry. The shield slowly evaporated once Hermione removed her hand and then she slumped over onto Harry's shoulder, out cold.

"Hermione?" Harry asked, concerned about her and confused at the same time.

At that moment, Headmistress McGonagall came hurrying toward them. Looking at Ginny she said, "Five points from Gryffindor for that little stunt Miss Weasley. Mr. Potter, take Miss Granger to your Common room right now and wait there for me."

Standing up awkwardly with her arm around the back of his neck and his around her waist, Harry was glad to see Ron walk up to them and take hold of her the same way. As the two of them walked to the Head Boy and Girl's dorm, Ron looked at Harry and asked, "What was that back there mate? Something new Lupin's taught you?"

"That wasn't me," Harry said, lowering his gaze from Ron's face to look at Hermione. "I think she's the one that did it....I just don't know why or what the hell is going on."

~*~

Hermione opened her eyes slowly, her head still throbbing, the pain having spread behind her eyes. Bringing her hands up to rub her temples, she heard a deep male voice say, "It's about time you woke up."

Opening her eyes all the way, she looked up to see that Harry was above her, his intense green eyes gazing down at her. Furrowing her brow as her thoughts cleared a bit, she realized that her head was laying on his lap and she tried to get up. "Don't move," he said, placing a gentle, stilling hand on her head. "Headmistress McGonagall told us to bring you here and wait for her to arrive. You've been out for about twenty minutes now."

"Out for twenty minutes?" she repeated, confused, and then flashes of what had happened in the Great Hall came rushing back. She groaned as her head throbbed even more and put her fingertips on her temples, rubbing in circles to try to ease some of the pain.

"Pretty wicked display you put on down there," Ron said, causing Harry to give him a look of warning.

"I wouldn't use the word 'display' to describe it," Harry replied, pushing her hands out of the way as he started to rub her temples for her. "Headache?"

"Yeah," she said quietly, enjoying the feel of his hands on her head. His touch was soothing and relaxing, making her forget about the pain she had been feeling.

All three of them looked toward the door when it opened and in walked McGonagall, Remus, and Madam Pomfrey. The three adults stopped as they took in how comfortable Hermione looked with her head cushioned on Harry's lap, and Remus's eyes sought out Harry's, who quickly looked away. "Mr. Weasley, we need to speak to Miss Granger and Mr. Potter alone," McGonagall stated.

" 'K," Ron said, making his way to the door. "See you later Harry. Feel better Hermione."

After saying their good-byes, Madam Pomfrey made her way to Hermione's side and started to wave her wand over her. Just as the first time, as the nurse's wand moved over her heart, a blue light spread throughout Hermione's body, engulfing everyone in the room. The warmth and love that spread through everyone as the light surrounded them made them all stare in awe at her.

"You did it again," Harry said quietly as he looked down at her.

"Did what again?" Remus asked.

"I believe Miss Granger's body has the ability to heal itself," Madam Pomfrey replied. "It just takes a little bit of magic to trigger it, and it seems that it doesn't just stay within her body. It radiates out, trying to heal anyone else that may be hurt as well. With the proper training, she may learn to control it and be able to trigger the healing power at will, healing herself or even others."

"Another neat trick that you can do," Harry said smirking at her, causing a light, fluttery feeling in her stomach, like it was suddenly full of butterflies.

"Another neat trick...are you referring to what happened in the Great Hall during dinner?" Remus asked, looking from Harry to Hermione.

"She's fine," Madam Pomfrey stated, moving to stand next to Professor McGonagall.

"Hermione?" Remus asked again. Hermione sighed and sat up slowly. Remus caught the brief look of disappointment that crossed Harry's face as she moved to sit next to him and tried not to smile.

"I really don't know what happened," she replied, looking at him. "I was sitting at the Gryffindor table, talking to Seamus Finnegan, and I overheard someone say my name."

Filing away into his memory the dark look that crossed Harry's face at the mention of Seamus to ponder on later, he looked at Hermione and said encouragingly, "Please go on."

"Well, when I turned to see who it was that had spoken my name, I found Ginny Weasley sitting there glaring at me. Next thing I knew, Harry said something and Ginny was drawing her wand." Taking a deep breath she continued, "This is going to sound strange, but I heard this voice in my head telling me to grab onto Harry's wrist because he was in danger, so I did. Next thing I know, he's surrounded by this blue circle of light, and once the spell Ginny had cast had bounced harmlessly off of it I let go of him, feeling weak and tired, and then everything went black. I woke up here, er...laying on Harry's lap, wondering what had happened. After a few moments it all came back to me and then you arrived."

"I'm going to go inform Firenze of what has happened," McGonagall said, making her way out of the room with Madam Pomfrey trailing after her.

Watching their departure, Remus turned to Hermione and asked, "How are you feeling now?"

"Confused, but alright," she replied honestly.

"Good, because I think it's time for you to start your Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons." Looking at Harry with a hint of his Marauder smile touching his lips and a mischievous glint in his eyes, making Harry very wary all of a sudden, he said, "And you're going to help her out by being her dueling partner."

Shrugging nonchalantly while he got up and helped Hermione up as well, Harry replied, "Okay. She's new to magic, so what harm can she do when I've had seven years of training?"

Remus just smiled at him, remembering back to a time when James possessed the same cockiness that Harry was exhibiting at the moment. Waving his wand so that the furniture in the room moved against the walls, giving them room to stand apart so that Hermione could practice the spells, Remus replied, "You know, I distinctly remember your father saying something to that effect once, and if I recall correctly your mother showed him just how much harm she could cause."

"Yeah, but Mum had studied as long as he had," Harry answered without missing a beat. Without saying another word, Remus walked up to Hermione and said, "First, lets work on the disarming spell."

~*~

Harry had been a magical practicing dummy for Hermione now for over an hour and he was starting to get increasingly angry as each minute ticked by. What made it worse was that Remus had to start at the beginning, teaching charms and spells to her. Even though she seemed to pick up on them quickly, he was still bored out of his mind since all he had to do was wave his wand and say "Protego" every once in a while to deflect a curse or spell. When he heard Remus mention dueling for real, he perked up and said, "Why don't we duel? You can teach her the correct way to do it and I can actually do something other than stand here and get embarrassed as I let myself be used for practice."

Hermione stifled a laugh at the look of sheer boredom mixed with exasperation on Harry's face and Remus said, "Alright then, we'll practice dueling." Showing Hermione the correct way to hold her wand and explaining the rules and proper techniques, she became distracted as she watched Harry assume the dueling position. He had such an intense look in his eyes and she actually felt a twinge of fear. "Don't let him intimidate you," Remus said, as if reading her mind. "The first rule of dueling is to never show your opponent that you fear them, no matter how deep rooted that fear is. Just remember, Harry's a pussycat and that tough guy exterior is just an act. Stick with the basic spells you just learned and you'll do fine."

"Right," Hermione said, taking her eyes off of Harry and turning her attention to Remus. "Stick to the basics and I'll be fine."

"That's right, and don't forget, the shielding charm is 'Protego'."

"Protego," she whispered, picturing the wand movement in her head as she said it.

As she assumed the dueling stance as well, she waited as Remus counted down and then the duel began. Harry fired a few 'rictusempra's her way, along with a 'stupefy', and each time Hermione successfully dodged them or shielded herself from them. Seeing how lackadaisical he was being about it all, Hermione pointed her wand at him and yelled, "Expelliarmus!"

Surprised as his wand went flying from his hand, Harry held his hand out, palm up and quickly said, "Accio wand." Once it was back in his hand he narrowed his eyes at Hermione and said, "Tarantallegra."

When the spell hit her, her legs started moving every which way, causing her to barely stay standing. Pointing her wand at her legs she said, "Finite." and took a breath once they stilled. Getting angry when she saw the satisfied little smirk on his face, she looked at him with a serious expression on her face and fired off, "Expelliarmus! Incarcerous!" As his wand went flying, ropes suddenly appeared and bound his hands and ankles together, making him lose his balance. Just as he was falling toward the floor he was shocked when he heard Hermione say, "Wingardium Leviosa!" In disbelief, Harry felt himself rising off of the floor and couldn't believe it! He had never heard of the levitating charm being used on a human before, and things were made worse when he heard Remus laughing at him. Feeling something welling up inside of him, something other than embarrassment at being bested by a witch who was considered a first year, he felt the wave of strange emotion grow from what felt like his very core. Suddenly a burst of blinding white light surrounded him and the next thing he knew, his bum was hitting the floor, hard. Shaking his head, he looked around to see that Remus was sitting up against one wall while Hermione looked dazed, as if she had been thrown back against the one behind her. Looking around at the crooked portraits in the common room, each person/being residing in them hiding behind one thing or another, Harry wondered what the hell had just happened.

"What was that?!" Hermione asked angrily as she stood up and wiped off her bottom.

"Wouldn't know," Harry replied, standing up as well. "You're the one that's been doing all the wonky magic lately, why don't you tell me?"

"Wouldn't know," Hermione mimicked Harry. With a smirk of satisfaction on her face, she held out her hand and said, "Oh, but you might want your wand back." Still staring at Harry as he swiped it angrily out of her hand she asked, "I successfully disarmed him, so I won the duel, right?"

"Right," Remus replied.

The two of them stood there glaring at each other and Remus stood off to the side, watching. It was such a quick change in behavior between them, one he had been witness to once before, but he knew better than to say anything. Clearing his throat, which caused the two teens to look at him, he said, "I believe that's enough for tonight. I'll see you again Thursday night Hermione, unless something else unusual occurs between now and then."

Scoffing, Harry said, "Then if I were you, I'd count on seeing her sooner."

Giving him her most deadly glare, Hermione mumbled, "Sore loser," and then turned toward Remus. With a faint smile she said, "I will see you Thursday night Remus. Thank you for all of your help tonight," and without another word, she turned and made her way out of the room, practically slamming the portrait behind her as she left. When Remus looked to Harry with a questioning look, Harry said, "Not now Remus, please. I don't want to talk about it. I'm tired and I just want to get some sleep."

"Okay," Remus replied, deciding to let the incident pass without comment for the moment. "I'll see you around Harry."

Feeling bad about the way he was treating Remus and the way he had acted toward Hermione, Harry watched as Remus walked up to him and placed his hand on Harry's shoulder. "You know I'm here if you ever need to talk," he said quietly, and with that he walked out as well, leaving Harry feeling dreadfully alone all of a sudden in his quarters.

~*~

Thankfully the remainder of the week went by uneventfully, but the tension that started between Harry and Hermione Tuesday night after their 'friendly' duel had continued to build. It was getting so that everyone around them could almost feel the tension coming off of them in waves, making the gossip mill run rampant with rumours. The two seemed oblivious since they were hellbent on ignoring each other as much as possible. Harry had escorted Hermione back from her lessons with Firenze Wednesday night and except for a curt, "Goodnight," she hadn't spoken to him since. It didn't help his mood any that Seamus kept sitting by her and talking to her every chance he got. Harry didn't know why it bothered him, but all he knew was that Seamus was not the guy for her.

The night before, Remus had held his DADA lesson with Hermione in one of the classrooms, per her request according to Remus. He had admitted to himself in the middle of the night as he still lay awake in bed that he had been hoping she'd want him there again, but in the end he realized it was probably for the better. He had broken up with Ginny to not only keep her safe, but to concentrate more on his training to defeat Voldemort, and here he was finding himself drawn to another witch that would only cause him more trouble, not to mention had a lot of troubles of her own.

Thanks to losing all that sleep the night before, Harry was not in the best of moods when he met Hermione in Firenze's classroom Friday night. Walking in, he was shocked to find Firenze with his arms wrapped around a weeping Hermione, her arms around the Centaur's neck tightly as her head rested on his shoulder. Looking away, he cleared his throat quietly to get their attention and could see them seperate out of the corner of his eye. While they whispered to each other, Harry watched as she picked up the familiar notebook from one of the tables and clutched it to her chest protectively, saying her goodbye to Firenze.

As she breezed by him out the door, he closed it and quickly caught up with her. Looking down at her he asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is just fine," she answered clinically, making his dark mood even darker. Deciding to leave it at that, he made sure she got into the Gryffindor common room and went on his way to finish his rounds for the night. An hour later, during his final pass through the castle, he walked into the Gryffindor Common Room and found her sitting on the sofa, staring at the flames in the fireplace. He was going to ignore her and make his way to the portrait that led to his Head Boy's room, but he noticed the wet tracks of tears that shone on her cheeks as he walked by. Ignoring all the warning bells that were going off inside of his head, he turned back and sat down next to her.

Resting his forearms on his knees while clasping his hands together, staring into the fire in the same way she was, he quietly asked, "So is everything still okay?"

"No," she answered in a shaky voice, surprising him with the rapidity of her answer. Looking over at her, her face cast in shadow by the firelight as she looked down at something she held in her hands, he noticed that the Notebook she always carried lay in her lap. She reached out a finger and traced something in what looked to be a picture and said, "It isn't fair that she was killed because of me."

Harry furrowed his brow, wondering what she meant by that. Slowly reaching out, he took hold of the picture and she released it so that he could look at it. It was a muggle photograph with a beautiful woman that looked a lot like Hermione, sitting in a chair. Hermione, who was standing directly behind the chair resting a hand on her Mother's shoulder, was smiling happily at the camera. Harry fingered the jagged edge of the picture where it had been torn and he asked, "Who else was in this picture?"

"My father," she replied with spite in her voice. Harry looked into her eyes and saw that they were filled with tears. "He..." she started to say, and then swallowed a sob. Covering her face with her hands, she started to cry, her body shaking with the strength of her pain and loss. Setting the picture down onto the table, he reached over and gathered her into his arms, holding her as she finally grieved for the family she had lost just a week before. Thinking of his own mom and dad, Harry closed his eyes and felt the long buried pain of his loss surface just a bit as well, empathizing with the way she was feeling at the moment. When she finally calmed down, she pulled back from his embrace and wiped at her tears with the sleeves of her shirt. "I'm sorry," she said, looking away, embarassed.

"You don't have to apologize," he replied. "I lost my parents too, you were just lucky enough to get to share eighteen years with yours, while I only got one."

Harry looked down at a thread on his robe that he had been worrying while talking, wishing he hadn't said that. "You're right," she said, surprising him since he was expecting her to be angry with him. "It is unfair that I got to share all those years with my parents when you weren't even old enough to remember yours." They sat silent for a little while, both lost in memories and thoughts, and Hermione said, "Like I started to say before...I uh-I tore my father out of the picture. My mom, she was so special. She always encouraged me in anything I ever wanted to try and she let me know everyday how much she loved me, even if we were upset with each other. But my dad, he never accepted me for who I was. He felt that I was abnormal because of the gift I possess, other than being a witch, and he even used the word 'freak' to describe me once." Harry stared wordlessly at her and when she looked at him and saw the look on his face she said, "It's true. I overheard him and my mother arguing about me and he actually said that he couldn't accept me as his daughter because I was a freak. I was just an embarassment to him, something he put up with. He knew I was a witch for seven years and never told me, he chose to ignore it instead because it was just another abnormaIity he couldn't accept about me."

"The relatives that raised me after my parents were killed treated me the same way, except there were three of them," Harry said.

"I know, I finally got to read the book that Headmistress McGonagall gave me about you. You've had some life," she said quietly, watching him closely.

"I have, and it's frightening to think that it really hasn't even started yet," he found himself admitting. "I probably won't even make it to the age of twenty."

"Of course you will!" she stated, reaching over to grab both of his hands in hers in a reassuring gesture. Scooting closer to him on the sofa, she looked him right in the eyes and said, "You've made it through so much already and you've seen horrors that most adults wouldn't have been able to witness with their sanity still intact. You're still here for a reason; you have a destiny to fulfill."

"For all I know dying at the hands of Voldemort is my destiny," he said without thinking, and he could feel her grip on his hands get much tighter as waves of magic started to roll off of her.

She closed her eyes, struggling to keep her magic under control after he had said that infernal name yet again, and the next thing she knew his lips were on hers. Desperate to feel and forget, lost in the way his lips felt so soft and rough at the same time on hers, she kissed him back. When his tongue ran along the seam of her lips she parted them, allowing him access and he drank in the taste of her.

Harry had only kissed two girls in his entire life- Cho Chang and Ginny Weasley-and it had never felt this way with either of them. Hermione's lips were so soft and supple, and when he had his first taste of her mouth, he felt like a man that had just tasted Ambrosia for the first time and couldn't get enough. This wasn't just an ordinary kiss, there was something else there. It felt like the magic within his body was going haywire, a warmth started to grow within his chest and before he could even begin to comprehend what might be going on, Hermione broke the kiss. Both of them were breathing heavily as their heads swam with thoughts and their bodies thrummed with magic and hormones, and Harry felt like an ass for what he had just done. Hermione was so vulnerable right now, but when she had been talking about her father and it sounded like his relatives, he had felt such a connection...and she had looked so sad and upset. "Hermione, I..."

She reached up and placed two fingers on the lips that had just given her very first kiss, a mind-blowing one at that, and said, "Please, if you're going to apologize, don't. It was nice...t-to feel something other than sadness, I mean, if only for a little while."

Grabbing her picture from the table and abruptly standing up with her notebook in hand, she said, "I should really try to get some sleep. Tomorrow is my first trip to Hogsmeade and it wouldn't be very much fun if I was too exhausted to enjoy it."

As she walked by him, he sat desperately trying to think of something to say to her, to keep her with him for just a little longer. When she mentioned Hogsmeade he stood up and said, "Hermione, wait." When she stopped at the base of the staircase he walked up to her and asked, "About Hogsmeade tomorrow...would you like to go with me?"

"Oh," she said, slightly surprised by his question. "I-I would love to, but I already told Seamus that I would go with him. He volunteered to be my tour guide."

He could see regret in her eyes, hopefully because she had said yes to Finnegan, and taking some solace from that he said, "Right then. Well, maybe next time. I'm sure I'll see you around town tomorrow since Susan and I have to go to make sure the students behave themselves."

As an awkward silence descended upon them, Hermione stepped up onto the first stair and stopped. Turning to Harry, she stared into his eyes for a moment, as if trying to see if she could see any hidden truths in their depths that would unlock the mystery of Harry Potter. Leaning toward him slightly, she placed her lips on his cheek, letting them linger there a little longer than usual for just a friendly kiss. Standing upright again, she gave him a slight smile and softly said, "Good night Harry."

"Good night," he replied quietly, resisting the urge to put his hand on the spot where her lips had just been. His cheek still tingled from her kiss as did his lips, and he marveled at how incredible it had felt to kiss her, intentional or not. Trying not to dwell on the fact that she'd be spending the day with Seamus tomorrow instead of him as she made her way to her room, Harry made his way to his Head Boy dorm for what was probably going to be yet another restless, sleepless night.

~A/N> Thanks again for the great response on the last chapter :) I hope you enjoy this one as well, and as always thanks for reading!!

Harry had been right the night before in thinking that he wouldn't get much sleep. His thoughts were full of a certain bushy haired brunette and when he did fall into a restless sleep, all he dreamed about was her and the kiss they had shared. Each time he woke up, feeling as if his chest were on fire, and then it would disappear quickly. Finally, at six Saturday morning, he gave up and got out of bed. Fully enjoying the privacy of his own bathroom, he took the longest shower of his life, letting the hot water run over his knotted back muscles. When he finally got out and got dressed for the day, he made his way down to the Great Hall for breakfast, only to find Ron already there. Surprising him more than the fact that his best mate was actually up this early was the fact that Luna Lovegood, a blond haired Ravenclaw that had fancied Ron for a long time now, was sitting next to him at the Gryffindor table. The two were talking quietly about something when he walked up and said, "Good morning, Ron. Hello Luna."

"Hi Harry," Luna replied airily, smiling at him.

"Hey mate," Ron answered before practically shoving another piece of bacon into his mouth. After chewing for a few seconds, but with his mouth still full, he asked, "You look like hell, didn't you sleep last night?"

"Not really," Harry replied shortly. Giving all his attention to filling his plate with food, he looked up when he heard what he knew to be Hermione's laugh and saw her walking in with her arm linked with Seamus'.

"Bloody hell!" Ron exclaimed, causing Harry to look away from the pair, only to see that the pitcher of pumpkin juice that had been on the table between them had cracked. As pumpkin juice started running down the table and toward Ron and Harry, Luna quickly pulled out her wand and said, "Repairo. Scourgify."

Watching as the newly repaired pitcher magically refilled itself, Harry could feel his cheeks burning from embarrassment. "What the bloody hell was that?" Ron whispered, staring at him.

Not looking at his best friend Harry mumbled, "I don't know. I'd better go, I need to meet with Susan and Headmistress McGonagall about today's trip."

Ron and Luna watched their friend walk quickly out of the hall, not noticing how Hermione's eyes followed him as he passed by her and they looked at each other, sharing a significant look.

"Good morning," Hermione said, sitting down across from Ron where Harry had just been.

"Morning," Ron replied. When Luna nudged him in the side he almost choked as he quickly swallowed the food that was in his mouth and said, "Hermione, this is Luna Lovegood, my um-girlfriend."

"Nice to meet you Hermione," Luna said, smiling at the uncomfortable way Ron had introduced her. The couple thing was new to both of them, so she couldn't be mad at him for his stumble.

"Nice to meet you too, Luna," Hermoine replied warmly. Looking to Ron she said, "I was going to say hello to Harry but he seemed like he was in a rush to leave."

"He has to meet up with Susan and Headmistress McGonagall about the trip to Hogsmeade today," Luna replied for him since he had just shoveled another forkful of food into his mouth. "He looked really tired, he must have been up late last night doing rounds," she added, trying not to smile as Hermione choked on the pumpkin juice she was drinking. While Hermione wiped her mouth with her napkin she looked at Luna and their gazes locked; Hermione sensed immediately that Luna had the gift of sight and she looked away quickly. "You look tired as well," Luna stated. "Have you been sleeping alright?"

"As best as can be expected after all that's happened," Hermione replied, trying to keep her voice light. Picking up a piece of toast, she stood up and while looking down at Seamus she asked, "Ready to go line up for the carriages? Firenze told me all about the Hogsmeade visit transportation and it sounds like fun."

"Sure," Seamus replied, taking one last bite of his breakfast. Watching as the pair made their way out of the hall as well, Ron looked to Luna and said, "We're not very popular eating companions today, are we?"

~*~

Harry walked down from the Headmistress office with Susan to find the entry hall full of anxious students, all of them seemingly talking at once. He remembered his first trip to Hogsmeade and how excited he had been; now it just made him yearn for the days when everything seemed much simpler. Looking over the group, he spotted Firenze talking to Hermione alone off to the side of the group. Their heads were close together, seemingly deep in discussion about something serious, judging by the looks on their faces. When Firenze looked up and caught his eye, he motioned for Harry to join the two of them. Sighing, Harry slowly made his way over to them and stopped next to Hermione, looking only at the Centaur.

"Hello, Mister Potter," Firenze greeted formally.

"Hello, Firenze," Harry replied, sounding a bit impatient. "Was there something you needed me for?"

"He...um-rather, we wanted you over here to tell you something," Hermione answered quietly.

"And what would that be?" he asked, smiling and waving back at some little blonde third year that ran by giggling and talking frantically to her friends.

"That..." Hermione answered, angrily grabbing his upper arm and turning him so that he would look at her, "would be the fact that we both feel you need to be careful in Hogsmeade today. Make sure you're never alone and keep an eye out for strange occurances. Actually, it might be better if you came along with Seamus and I..."

"By damned, you say," Harry said through gritted teeth. Turning toward Firenze he said, "No disrespect Firenze." Then turning back on her, he looked her right in the eyes and said, "I will not be some third wheel on your little date just because for some reason you think I may be in danger today." Laughing bitterly he said, "I've been in danger, looking over my shoulder everywhere I go, for the past seven years. If you're that uncomfortable being with Seamus by yourself, then maybe you should ask Ron and Luna to double with you. It seems that love springs eternal at Hogwarts in the fall." Staring her down with his green eyes blazing now, he whispered, "If you were so concerned about my safety today, you would have said yes to my invitation last night and blown Finnigan off today."

Firenze had warned her that he would not take their warning well, but she never expected the jealousy, confusion, and loathing that she picked up on in his voice. And the waves of magic that were rolling off of him at the moment were enough to make her nauseous and her head pound. Closing her eyes briefly, she was glad when Firenze said, "Mr. Potter, I suggest you reign in your anger and your magic before you cause a magical mishap. Not to mention you're giving Miss Granger a terrible headache."

"Let Seamus make it all better," Harry replied, abrubtly turning away from them. He hated that he was acting like such a jealous git, but for some reason he couldn't let go of the anger and resentment he felt everytime he thought about her being with him.

Before he could take two steps, Hermione reached out quickly to grab his wrist, stopping him. When he turned but didn't look at her, she looked down to hide the tears she felt that were starting to burn her eyes as she slipped something into his hand and closed his fingers over it. "No matter how upset and angry with me you are right now, please promise me that if anything happens today you'll try to find me or tell me about it later." When he stayed silent she took a step closer to him, leaning in so close that he realized she smelled like wildflowers, and whispered, "Please, Harry. Don't be mad at me...deep down I think you know that I'd rather be going with you today." And with that she turned and walked quickly away from him, walking up to Seamus and following him out the door to the awaiting carriages.

Opening his hand, Harry looked down and saw a tiny sealed bottle of clear liquid resting on his palm, the liquid having tiny crystal moons floating in it. "If for any reason you need help today," Firenze stated quietly from beside him, "just hold that in your hand tightly and say, 'animula'. Say it repeatedly until someone comes to help you." When the students started filing out of the entrance hall, Firenze looked at Harry and said, "The stars predict that all is not well Harry Potter. You must be careful today." And with that he turned around and walked away.

"This is turning out to be a bloody fine day already," Harry mumbled to himself sarcastically as he stared at the bottle in his hand. Putting it into the pocket of the trousers he wore, he ran to catch up with Susan and mentally started preparing himself for a very long day.

~*~

Lavender Brown, a girl that was in the same year as Hermione and Seamus, had stuck to Seamus's side all morning, interrupting him every time he tried to talk to Hermione. Even though he seemed very irritated by it, Hermione could have cared less at that moment. From the minute they had stepped out of the carriages, she knew that Firenze's predictions of looming Evil were spot on and that something was not right in the town of Hogsmeade. Almost every adult she saw had a grey or brown aura around them (which was not a good sign), and instead of the usual glow that almost everyone else seemed to have, these auras seemed to roll off of the person's body like smoke. Seeing the Post Office that Firenze had told her about, Hermione turned to Seamus and said, "Excuse me for just a moment. I have a letter I need to send out."

"Okay, I'll wait here for you," Seamus replied, throwing a nasty look Lavender's way as she continued to talk about everything and nothing.

"It's okay, you can go on ahead. I'll meet you at the Three Broomsticks when I'm finished," Hermione said. She tried not to laugh as Lavender started to drag him away before she had finished the sentence. For all she was concerned, Lavender could have him. She had more important things to tend to. Walking over to the Wizarding World's version of a Post Office, Hermione walked into the small building and made her way to the counter, looking in awe at all the owls that were inside waiting for their next job. When a short, sweet faced older witch walked up and asked if she could help her, she said, "I need to send a message to Hogwarts as quickly as possible."

"I have an owl that can get it there for you in one minute," the Witch replied with a friendly smile.

"That sounds great," Hermoine said, reaching into her pocket for the note, addressed to Professor Firenze, that she had written before she had left her room that morning. It was the contingency plan she and Firenze had come up with the night before. The note simply said, "It is as we thought it would be." Handing the roll of parchment to the woman, she handed over the one galleon and three sickles to pay for it (Seamus had been kind enough to familiarize her with Gringott's and how to get her money exchanged) and watched as the parchment was attached securly to a very sleek screech owl who immediately set out on his job. Watching as he disappeared out the top of the open roof, Hermione thanked the woman for her help and made her way back outside into the crisp Autumn air. When a sudden movement caught her eye, she turned just in time to see a black shadowy figure coming quickly toward her and when it passed right through her she fell to her knees, gasping for breath. Her body felt numb and she had flashes of such evil pass through her mind that she felt like she was going to be sick. Forcing herself to stand, Hermione turned around in a circle, looking for the thing that had just attacked her and fearing she knew its' destination.

Hearing his familiar voice made her stomach knot up suddenly as she looked across the road and saw Harry walking behind Ron and Luna, talking and laughing with them. Without thinking, Hermione ran across the street and up to Harry, grabbing hold of his arm with a vice-like grip. "Harry, we need to leave, now. We need to get back to the castle."

"Hermione?" Harry asked, noticing the fear that filled her eyes and showed in her expression. "What is it? What's wrong? Where's Seamus?"

Before she could respond, she saw the black shadow coming at them again and pushed Harry away, making the shadow pass through her again. This time it was much different...the stayed in her longer than the first one did and when it finally left her body blackness, evil, and pain that she hadn't felt the first time overtook her and caused fear to wash over her. This was all new and about ten times worse; she felt as if she couldn't breath, couldn't think, couldn't talk. This was not the same shadock that had passed through her the first time; this one was much, much stronger. Gathering her thoughts the best she could while panting and gasping through the pain, she started whispering, "Servo Animus," over and over again as Ron, Luna, and Harry all bent down to see if she was okay. Gasping for breath she looked at Harry, fighting off the darkness that was threatening to envelope her, and gasped, "The vial Harry. It will protect you from them. Hold onto it...._please_."

"Them, who?" he asked, looking around and then shrugged. Reaching into his pocket, Harry took out the bottle she had given him before leaving the castle and held fast to it, surprised as he felt an infusion of warmth suddenly flow through him. Looking down at her he started to ask, "Hermione, what...?"

"She can't hear you Harry, she's passed out," Luna interrupted as she cradled Hermione's head so that she wasn't laying on the cold hard ground, smoothing the hair away from her very pale face.

"What the hell is going on?" Ron asked with an anxious note to his voice, looking around as two 'pop's suddenly sounded nearby.

Remus Lupin and Headmistress McGonagall hurried quickly over to where they were gathered around Hermione and looking at the three of them said, "We have to get her back to the castle immediately. You too, Harry. Ron, you'll need to apparate Miss Lovegood back to the gates of the castle while I apparate with Hermione. Harry, you need to go, right now. Quickly."

Lupin and McGonagall watched as the three teens apparated away and looking at her, Remus said, "What is it Firenze and Miss Granger aren't telling us?"

"I'm not sure, but we will know as soon as we get back to the castle," McGonagall replied in a severe tone of voice. "Firenze has some explaining to do. Get her to my office as soon as Madam Pomfrey has examined her, and make sure that Firenze, as well as the three we just sent back, are there as well." With a nod of understanding, Remus apparated away as McGonagall hurriedly went to find Susan so that they could get the students back to the castle as quickly as possible.

~*~

When Hermione opened her eyes, she found herself in a familiar room that she couldn't quite place at first. Looking around, she saw Harry sitting next to where she lay on a sofa; Ron and Luna were sitting in chairs across from her, and she could hear two angry voices and one calm one coming from across the room. Remembering what happened, her hand shot out and grabbed Harry's as she asked, "Are you okay Harry? They didn't get to you, did they?"

Harry looked at her with a very confused look on his face and then McGonagall, Firenze, and Remus all came into view, all of them settled into the Headmistresses office, surrounded by the former Headmaster's portraits. "I haven't explained anything to anyone yet Miss Granger," Firenze said quietly. "I thought that might be best left to you."

Looking from one face to the next, her gaze finally landing on Harry, she sighed and struggled to sit up. Her body hurt everywhere, like she had taken a physical beating, and she winced as her head throbbed at the movement. She was surprised when Harry moved so that he was kneeling in front of her, propping pillows up behind her back so that she could sit up. "Thank you," she said quietly, giving him a slight smile. He didn't smile back or say anything, he just went back to the spot where he had been sitting before and waited quietly for her to explain.

Hermione tried to decide on where she should start, and looked at Firenze when he suggested, "Maybe you should start from the beginning?"

Nodding in agreement, she reached around to the back of her neck and unfastened a necklace that had been hidden underneath her shirt. On it hung what looked to be a notebook charm but when she took out her wand, pointed it at the charm and said, "Engorgio," the notebook expanded to it's full size. Looking from Harry to Ron and Luna, and then to the Headmistress and Remus she said, "This is the Duvall family notebook, or the Notebook of the Soul Guardians." She stopped short as another wave of pain washed over her and Firenze made his way over to her. Placing his hands gently on either side of her head, he started to whisper words that none of them could understand. Suddenly Hermione's body took on the now-familiar blue glow, this time staying contained to just her body, and when it faded away she sighed in relief.

"Bloody hell, what was that?" Ron asked, causing Luna to elbow him in the side for his language. Looking at Remus and Headmistress McGonagall he mumbled, "Sorry."

"That was Hermione healing herself," Harry replied before anyone else could.

"Your body just needed some encouragement to start the process this time," Firenze said when she looked up at him, confused. "Madam Pomfrey said that it may need a bit of help to start the process this time, other than a wand. Your body took quite a shock from all the evil that went through it. It seems the Shadock did some damage to your magical systems."

"Shadock?" Harry asked.

"Macigal systems? As in more than one?" McGonagall asked.

"You can see Shadock's?" Luna asked, her eyes seeming bigger than usual, but the dreamy look that usually resided in them was gone.

Hermione looked at Luna and asked, "You know what they are?"

"I've heard my father talk of them before. He owns The Quibbler, it's a newspaper for the magical world," Luna replied.

"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Firenze suggested again.

"Right," Hermione replied, looking up at him. Holding the Notebook against her chest, Hermione started out by telling them the story of how she had 'spoken' to her Grandmother at said Grandmother's funeral, how her father told her there was no way she could have seen someone that was dead, and how he had forbid her to ever speak of it again. She told them about seeing strange things as she got older, all about the night she found out that she was a Witch, and how her mum had also confessed that she was a Soul Guardian. She related the conversation they had, and how she had gone to her room to look through the notebook and try to sort out her feelings about everything she had learned. She told of the attack on her house that night and how Lucius Malfoy had killed her parents and had tried to kill her, all the while her eyes swimming with tears she would not let fall, and how thankfully a man named Moody had saved her. She described her trip to Grimmauld Place, her first impression of it, and was horrified when Harry told her the house actually belonged to him and that it had been willed to him by his now-deceased Godfather. With assurances from Harry that he felt the exact same way about the house, she went on to share her first lesson with Firenze and that's when she placed the Notebook on her lap. "While Firenze and I read through it, we discovered an entry on Shadocks," Hermione explained. "Mary Madeline Duvall was the first to see one and my Great Aunt Ancelin had described them as an evil being that is an incarnation of past evil spirits that walk the Earth unseen by all. They're supposedly a mix between a shadow demon and a bodach." Looking at Firenze, she said in a very serious tone of voice, "There was more than one today Firenze, and they both passed through me..."

When she trailed off, everyone in the room remained silent, and Hermione noticed that Ron put his arm around Luna when a shiver ran through her. "There is a head Shadock," Firenze stated in a thoughtful voice, getting everyone's attention. "His name is Damien, and from what is written in the notebook there is a possibility that he has joined forces with Vo-...You-Know-Who. He may have been one of them that you encountered today, especially with the effect the encounters had on you."

"What?" Harry asked in disbelief.

"We're not certain," Hermione added hastily. "Ancelin just sort of pieced the theory together from what she found out from her Charge, or the witch she was assigned to protect."

"So you're assigned a Charge? Are they always magical, like witches and wizards, or are Soul Guardians given Muggles as charges as well?" Luna asked, curious.

"I'm not sure," Hermione answered. "I do know that my Charge is magical though."

"Who is your charge?" Luna asked, her curiosity piqued to its' fullest now.

Looking at Firenze, Hermoine saw Firenze give a slight nod of his head. Sighing she looked at Luna and said, "My Charge is Harry." Turning toward him, she said, "I'm your Soul Guardian, Harry, and I'm so sorry that you had to find out this way."

~A/N> Here's another chapter :) Thanks yet again for the great response on the last chapter and sorry for the cliffie. I guess I should have warned you guys in advance (blushes) No cliffie in this one, just a little bit of sadness and closure. Things will start to pick up a bit soon, and there will be more H/Hr interaction as well, I hope. The story is practically writing itself, I'm just the helpless writer, lol! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and if you listen to Harmony Podcast, #11 should be out tomorrow :)

"You're my what??" Harry asked in disbelief as he stood up from where he had been sitting next to her. "You just found out you're a witch and this...this....Guardian thing, and your laying there after being attacked by two of these Shadock beings and your telling me that I'm your charge? When you can't even defend yourself? H-How am I supposed to take this? And why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Remus walked up to him then, putting a calming hand on his shoulder as he said, "Harry, she's trying to explain. We're all a bit confused as to what's been going on, but I think you should hear her out at least. Her lesson's with Firenze all week were to try to learn how to use her powers and gifts so that she can protect you the way she's supposed to."

"Protect me?" Harry scoffed, shrugging Remus's hand from his shoulder as he started to back away from them all. "Divination lessons my arse. I've been trying to figure out how I'm supposed to fight Voldemort now without Dumbledore's help, when deep down I know that I'm not going to survive any confrontation with him. Now I've just been told that he has some evil being on his side helping him in his mad quest for immortality!" By the end he was yelling, and he turned to glare at the portrait of Dumbledore that hung just behind him. "Damn you for all the secrets you kept from me," he shouted, and then angrily stormed out of the office, leaving them all speechless.

"I'll see if I can talk to him," Ron said, getting up from his chair. Placing his hand on Luna's shoulder, he looked down at her as she smiled knowingly up at him and said, "I'll find you later."

"Alright," she replied simply, and then watched as he walked out to go find Harry and hopefully calm him down. Luna looked at Hermione with a look of sympathy and sadness as she said, "Harry, for very good reasons, has some serious trust issues. He was just starting to let you in and now you've shocked him with this bit of news. Ron's usually good at calming him down, but this time is different, so I'm not sure how long it will take."

"So this time is worse than all the other times?" Hermoine asked, feeling guilty for not telling him sooner, even though deep down she knew Firenze had been right on insisting she not say anything. She should never have told him, or at least not this soon.

"Oh yes," Firenze replied before Luna could. Luna looked up at him and she knew that he was going to say the same thing that she was about to. "You see, even though Harry didn't know who you really were, I believe he was already letting you into his heart. He has feelings for you Miss Granger, and that is something that can be very dangerous when it comes between a Soul Guardian and their Charge. In old times, it was forbidden."

"I can understand why, but I don't have..." Hermione started, only to be stopped by Luna.

"Yes you do," she said. "It's in your Aura; it's not very strong, but it's there."

"You can read my Aura?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Miss Lovegood is one of my best students," Firenze replied, looking at the wide-eyed blonde. "She doesn't have near the number of gifts that you possess, but she is a seer and clairvoyant."

"You're much more powerful than I am, but you could say we're kindred spirits," Luna said with a smile.

"Yes we are," Hermione replied, smiling back. "It's nice to know that there are others out there that somewhat understand what I'm going through." Feeling a bit more relaxed, Hermione realized just how much she had meant what she had just said, and that she had just made her first friend in the wizarding world. Too bad it wasn't under better circumstances.

~*~

"How could she not tell me this?!" Harry raged, as Ron sat on the couch in the Head's Common Room, watching his best mate pace back and forth.

"She just found out who she really was not even a week ago mate," Ron replied. "The same night her Mum and Dad were killed by Lucius Malfoy, don't forget."

"Like I could," Harry mumbled while glaring at him.

"There's nothing you could have done to prevent it," Ron said adamantly. "You can't blame yourself for every death or injury that you-know-who and his followers cause."

"I should have destroyed that evil bastard by now," Harry said, ignoring Ron when he sighed in exasperation. "Maybe then she'd still have her family."

When his friend stayed quiet for a while, Ron looked up to find Harry staring out the window of the Common Room, but it was an unseeing stare. Whatever Harry was fixated on existed only in his mind's eye, not outside the window, and Ron had a pretty good idea what had his friend so deep in thought. "I heard that her parent's funeral is tomorrow and that they're not allowing her to go. That must be hard on her."

"Yeah," Harry answered in an offhand way. Something about the way Harry answered piqued Ron's interest as he sat studying his friend's posture.

"You're up to something," he stated, causing Harry to turn and look at him.

"What d'ya mean?" Harry asked, faking innocence and not doing very well. When Ron just sat there staring at him with a knowing look, he said, "Oh, alright. I have a plan to get Hermione to her parent's funeral tomorrow. But not a word of this to anyone, not even Luna."

"Bloody hell, Harry! How do you propose to get her out of the castle after what happened today and what you just found out?"

"I have a plan," Harry replied, looking Ron straight in the eyes. "What I just found out...I'll think about that after tomorrow. No one should miss their own parent's funeral, and I'll be damned if she's going to."

~*~

Once Ron had left to meet up with Luna an hour later, Harry sat in his common room catching up on his assignments when the portrait to the Head Boy and Girl's quarters announced a visitor. Asking who it was, he was surprised to hear that it was Firenze. Letting him in, Harry sat back down on the sofa as Firenze stood in front of him with a very serious look on his face. "I know what you are planning for tomorrow," he stated.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, silently swearing to make Ron pay the next time he caught him and Luna snogging in the broom cupboards.

"Miss Granger's parents are being buried tomorrow in Miller's Field," Firenze said. "I know that you plan to sneak her out of the castle so that she can go to the funeral."

"Did Ron...?" Harry started to ask, but was cut off.

"I've known you were going to do this long before you came up with the idea," Firenze stated. "I foresaw it, and I feel it is something she must do as well. She needs closure if she is to truly concentrate on her training." Holding his hand out to Harry, he said, "Make sure that the two of you drink this right before you leave. Half a vial each, and it will keep you hidden from Shadocks for three hours, and it only works once. After that, you will be in danger of being attacked."

Taking the vial from the centaur, Harry stared at the bright green liquid within it. Looking up at Firenze he said, "Thank you for this. I never got to say good-bye to my parents, and it's something I regret every day, even though it's not something I could have done anything about."

"Take care of her Mr. Potter," Firenze said as he turned to leave. "She is more important than you know, and she will be vital to your survival...everyone's survival actually."

And with that, he walked out of the portrait hole, leaving Harry with many more questions and no answers.

~*~

Hermione had tossed and turned all night long, thinking about how they would be burying her mother and father the following morning. She had begged Headmistress McGonagall to let her go, but she was told in no uncertain terms that she was not to leave the castle again. After the day she had experienced, she had left McGonagall's office mumbling some not-so-nice things which caused the portraits around her to chuckle. That just led her to become even more angry and she had stalked back to her dorm and thrown herself down on her bed. Now, at seven the next morning, she sat on one of the windowsills in the Gryffindor Common Room, staring out at the grey, dreary morning. A light haze of rain fell from the sky, matching the tears that blurred her vision at the moment that she so desperately tried to keep at bay.

She turned quickly to face the entrance into the common room when she heard the portrait open, and was surprised to see Harry walk in. When she moved and he noticed her, he walked toward her slowly, looking a bit nervous and unsure. "What are you doing here at this time of morning?" she asked.

"What are you doing up at this time of morning?" he countered, taking in the tears that made her eyes shine in the dreary light coming in from the window.

"I couldn't sleep," she admitted, moving to sit on the sofa in front of the warm fire.

Following her, Harry sat down next to her and stayed quiet for a bit. Taking a deep breath he said quietly, "Look, I know things yesterday were a bit...tense. But I also know that your parent's funeral is today and I think you should go."

"I want to go," she replied, ignoring his comment about the happenings of the day before. "But McGonagall already forbid me to leave the castle again."

"I have a plan, one that will let you attend the service, if you truly want to go. Firenze knows all about it and has even given me something that will help us to stay safe for a short period of time," he explained, all of it coming out rather quickly. Looking at her, he asked, "Do you trust me enough to take the risk so that you can go?"

She stared at him for a moment, quietly scrutinizing him and making him a little uncomfortable. "I trust Firenze," she replied slowly. "The jury is still out on you though."

"That's the thanks I get for putting my arse on the line so that you can go?" he asked, hurt and upset with her.

"Look me in the eyes and tell me that you trust me completely," she replied. When he looked away, she smiled sadly and said, "That's what I thought. So what is this brilliant plan of yours anyway?"

"Why don't you go get dressed and meet me down here in half an hour. Is that enough time?" he asked.

"It's plenty of time," she replied. Staring at him for a moment, opening up her inner self like Firenze had been teaching her, she felt nothing but warmth radiating from Harry, and knew that what he was doing was out of the goodness of his heart. "I'll see you in thirty."

"Okay," he replied, watching her as she made her way quickly, but quietly, back up to her room. He didn't know what it was, but when she had been staring at him he could have sworn that he could feel her inside of him, which was completely ludacris. Shaking his head to clear away the thought, he quickly made his way to fetch his dad's invisibility cloak from his trunk and the Marauder's Map. They were going to have to time this perfectly and pray that Firenze and Remus both followed through with their parts.

~*~

At exactly seven-thirty, Harry walked back into the Gryffindor Common Room to find Hermione sitting alone on the couch, dressed in a black lace dress, that had fabric underneath it starting just above her breasts so that you couldn't see everything. She had plaited her hair and put her Gryffindor robe on over it so that she could carry her wand. "The service starts at nine this morning, right?"

"Right," she replied quietly.

"Okay, let's see..." Harry said, while taking the map out of an inside pocket of his robe. Hermione had noticed that he had on a pair of dress trousers and a deep blue sweater that seemed to make his eyes glow. She watched in awe as he tapped his wand tip to the blank parchment and whispered, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." As she watched, transfixed, lines of ink started to appear all over the entire parchment, with moving objects that looked to be names over them. When he saw her interest in the map he smiled and said, "I'll tell you all about it later."

"Okay," she said, as she continued to watch everyone moving.

Harry studied it and noticed that McGonagall was leaving her office, for what Firenze and Remus had said was her usual time for breakfast every morning. "Okay, we have to go, right now."

The two of them hurried out of the portrait hole and made their way to McGonagall's office. Making sure that she was still seated in the Great Hall, Harry said the secret password and they rushed up the stairs. Running inside, they immediately made their way to the fireplace and Harry pulled out the vial that Firenze had given him and the small bag of floo powder that Remus had given him. Uncorking the vial, he downed exactly half of it and handed it to her, saying, "You need to drink what's left in the vial."

"What is it?" she asked as Harry impatiently looked at her and she tipped it up, allowing the green, bitter liquid to slid down her throat. Her eyes watered as she fought to keep it down while watching as Harry took a handfull of the powder that was in the bag and threw a handfull of it into the fireplace, causing giant green flames to leap up into the air. Her mouth dropped open as she asked, "What...?"

"This is the only undetectable way out of the castle, so we'll have to floo to the Leaky Cauldron and go from there." Seeing her confused look, he said, "Right, you have no idea what I'm talking about. You need to throw in a small handfull of this powder, walk into the flames and stand there. While you're standing there you have to say 'The Leaky Cauldron' in a very clear voice, or who knows where you'll end up." When she stood there staring at him in disbelief he handed the bag of floo powder to her and said, "Watch, I'll go first, and make sure you do exactly as I do, alright?"

"A-Alright," she replied, feeling her stomach tighten with the fear she was feeling at having to do this. She watched as Harry walked into the flames and said the name of their destination, and was gone in an instant. Swallowing down the fear that threatened to rise like bile in her throat, she threw down the powder like Harry had said, once the flames died down, and walked into them so that she was actually surrounded by a green fire that wasn't burning her. In a very clear tone of voice she said, "The Leaky Cauldron," and found herself being pulled away, while spinning, to her destination. She was just hoping it was the right one. When she fell out of another fireplace and Harry caught her before she hit the floor, she thanked every higher being there was that she had done it right.

After Harry had cast a scourgify spell on them both, he took her hand in his and nodded politely to the barkeep that stood behind the bar. Walking outside into the misty day, he led her to an alley right next to the Leaky Cauldron and covered them both with the cloak, which wasn't easy since Harry was so much taller than she was. Holding the cloak in place with one hand while reaching into his robe pocket with the other, he extracted what looked to be a very old watch and told her to take hold of it with him. As soon as she did, she found herself being whisked away once again, but this time it felt as if something was pulling her along by her stomach and it made her nauseous. Finally, they landed on solid earth, Harry helping to steady her when she stumbled as her feet hit the ground. She looked through the gauzy material that Harry had covered them with and tears filled her eyes immediately. They were at Miller's Field where there were so many mourners gathered to say good-bye to her parents and here she was, hiding from them all just to keep Harry and herself safe, as well as those in attendance.

"Why don't we go stand next to that tree over there?", Harry suggested in a whisper. "That way you're close enough to hear what's being said but we're far enough away from everyone so that they won't be suspicious if they hear us."

"Okay," she replied quietly, walking with him carefully so that they stayed hidden. Standing off to one side of the tree, Hermione looked to the front row and saw that there was one chair that was vacant, and she covered her mouth with her hand as tears flooded her eyes. She knew that chair was for her, that she was supposed to be sitting there, mourning her parents. But thanks to her father's secrecy and lies, she wasn't prepared when the attack came; they were the ones to pay and now she had to stay hidden. She stared at the two coffins that were underneath the tent that had been set up thanks to the wet weather, and she ached to go up to her mother's, which she knew was the white one as her father's was black. She wanted to see her Mum one last time and tell her how much she loved her and how very sorry she was for not being able to save her. She missed her father and his death hurt her as well, but she had been closer to her Mum and it hurt to even think about her at all.

"Hermione," came an airy voice, which caused Hermione to look up at Harry with a questioning look on her face.

"What?" he asked, whispering.

"Did you just say my name?" she asked, whispering also.

"No," he answered, studying her face. She was so pale, with dark circles under her eyes, and he had the urge to take her into his arms as sadness and vulnerability seemed to radiate off of her.

"Hermione", came the voice again, and Hermione quickly spun around and gasped. Standing deeper into the woods were her parents.

"Mum? Dad?", she asked, her voice shaking uncontrollably from the fear and sadness she felt all of a sudden.

"Hermione?" Harry asked with concern in his voice as he watched her talking to herself.

"They're here," she whispered as she ran from underneath the cloak. Harry quickly followed, holding the cloak out in his outstretched arms so that hopefully no one would see her. She stopped four steps from where they stood and asked, "How is this possible? How is it I can see you?"

"It's one of your gifts," her mum answered while smiling at her. "Remember, I told you some of our ancestors could see and speak to the dead. You obviously inherited that gift as well."

"Oh," she replied, trying to get over the shock of not only seeing the spirits of her dead parents, but speaking to them as well.

"Would you please explain what's going on?" Harry asked as he looked back at the gathering and realized they wouldn't be seen as deep into the forest as they were. Folding the cloak over his arm, he looked at her, waiting for her answer.

"My parent's spirits are here, speaking to me," she replied. "It's supposedly another one of the Duvall families gifts, speaking to dead spirits."

"He knows?" her mum asked, and Hermione silently nodded in reply.

"That's good then, isn't it?" he asked, placing his arm around her, hoping it would give her some comfort. "You said you never got to say good-bye, and now you have the chance."

"I know," she replied, stifling the sob that rose through her chest and begged to be released. "But I don't want to say good-bye."

Her mother took a step closer then as she said, "I know you don't want to say good-bye Hermione, but it was our time to go. No matter what you think, none of this was your fault, it was your father and I's. We should have told you sooner."

Her dad walked up at that moment and looked down at her with a look on his face that he had never worn while alive. It was a look of love, but it held in it dispair, apology, and things left unsaid. He stood there quietly for a moment, looking from her to Harry, and when his eyes locked with hers again he said, "There is no way for me to express to you how sorry I am for the way I treated you. I acted as if you were abnormal, when in fact you were very, very special. I was self-centered and afraid of what others around us might think of me if your powers were ever exposed. I never stopped to think about how you had every right to know...you should have never found out the way you did. It's my fault that you're all alone now, and I'll never forgive myself for that."

"You have to," Hermione replied, with tears sliding down her cheeks. "I forgive you dad, but if you don't forgive yourself, you'll never truly be able to move on to whatever's waiting for us next. That means that you would be seperated from mum, and I know that's something that none of us want. You two belong together, in life and in death."

"You forgive me? That easily?" her dad asked, surprise evident in his voice. "But I was so terrible to you, the way I acted toward you was beastly."

"Yes you were," she agreed. "But I have a teacher who's guiding me through the process of becoming a Soul Guardian. He's taught me that to harbour anger and resentment would only hinder my progress. I need all my focus on quickly learning all that I can."

"We know," her mother said sadly. "We know what's to come, and we know that this handsome young man next to you will be the one who decides the outcome. And you as well."

"Me?" Hermione asked. "What do you mean? I thought I was only meant to protect him in battle? I'm to fight too?"

"So you've seen it too," her mum stated knowingly. "Your gifts are developing rapidly, and from the looks of things you're going to be the most powerful Soul Guardian to date. From what I've seen, and yes we have been watching over you, you have all of the gifts. That's something that has never happened before and you're going to need them to keep your Charge and yourself alive. Of course being a witch as well will help." With a knowing smile blossoming on her face, she added, "We also know that young man next to you means a lot to you...more than a Charge should mean to a Soul Guardian." Hermione blushed, and her mum laughed, causing Hermione's heart to clench at the sound she had missed so much. When she sniffled, her mum looked at her, all mirth disappearing immediately. "Oh honey, I'm sorry, this is no time to be laughing."

"It's not that," Hermione replied. "It just seems like years since I've heard you laugh, when really it's just been over a week."

Harry reached out and gently wiped the tears from her left cheek as he asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, capturing his hand when it lingered on her cheek, holding fast. "It just...hurts to talk to them like this."

"I know, I spoke to my parents during my fourth year during a battle with Voldemort," he said, feeling her magic spike at the name. Impressed that she kept control of it this time, he said, "It was a spell known as 'Priori Incantatem'. It shows the last spells cast by one of the wands when they lock together during a duel because they share the same core. My wand core is phoenix feather, just like his, and it was his prior spells that were revealed. Being the evil wizard that he is, all of them were the killing curse and my parents appeared, and they helped me escape with my life that night."

After listening intently, Hermione stared at him for a moment. "That must have been awful," she said, giving his hand a squeeze. All he did was nod, telling her he was more upset by the memory than he wanted to reveal.

"There are shadocks here," her mother stated quietly, causing Hermione's eyes to widen as she remembered the feeling of the two that had passed through her.

When she involuntarily shuddered Harry asked, "What is it?"

"Shadocks," she whispered, dropping his hand and bringing her's up to rub her arms, as if trying to warm them. "Mum says they're about, so we're going to have to leave soon."

"Right," Harry replied, looking around the woods uneasily even though he knew he wouldn't be able to see them, just like he couldn't see Hermione's parents.

Hermione stared with tear-filled eyes as her mother walked up to her and wrapped her ethereal arms around her. She gasped as she could actually feel her mum's arms wrap around her and sobbed, "How? How can I feel you?"

"Because we both want it," her mum replied. Holding each other tightly for a few moments, they finally seperated, both crying freely now. "There's one thing I never got to tell you, or write in the Notebook, that you need to know. 'When the moon and lightening appear at the same time, the earth shall cease to spin and the heavens will open with love'. Please remember that, and make sure to write it in the Notebook when you get back. It's very important."

Hermione repeated the sentence to herself silently, filing it away in her memories, as she watched her dad walk up to her and hug her as well. She'd never been privvy to his hugs much growing up, and it felt so good to be wrapped in his arms as well. It made her wish they had done it more when he was still alive.

"I was such a fool and I am so sorry," he said as he reluctantly pulled away. "Never, ever forget that no matter how great a prat I was to you, I always loved you and always will." Looking up suddenly he said, "The service is done now, you two should get back under that cloak and make your way back to where you're safe."

"We need to go," Hermione said, as Harry nodded, watching the mourners milling about now. Covering them once more, Hermione took in the sight of her parents one more time, drinking in every bit of detail that she could.

"I love you both, so very much."

"And we love you dear, now and forever. We'll never be far from you, never forget that," her mum said, while her dad covered his mouth, looking upset.

Harry held the cloak over them again and wrapped his other arm around her, guiding her. She stopped suddenly and turned, looking directly at her dad as she said, "I do forgive you dad, and I love you."

He smiled and nodded, his shoulders slumped sadly as he watched her turn and walk away.

~A/N> So, here's chapter 8. It's mainly a filler chapter, but it does have one major revelation in it that will come into play in later chapters. Thanks for all the great reviews on the last chapter, and if you listen to Harmony Podcast, the new one should be up in an hour or so :)

When they finally portkeyed to the front of The Leaky Cauldron, they were running short on time. Firenze had set up a meeting with the Headmistress at ten-thirty, and it was now ten thirty-five. Praying that she wasn't running late for any reason, Harry ushered an emotionally numb Hermione into the tavern and steered her toward the fireplace. He sent her through first, making sure that she said the right thing in the current state she seemed to be in, and followed immediately after. As he tumbled into the Headmistresses office, he was greatly relieved to see Hermione standing there, brushing the soot off her robes in the empty room.

Scourgifying them both once again, Harry covered them with the cloak and gently took her hand in his, guiding her out of the office and down the stairs. Deciding that she was in no condition to be left alone, he walked toward the Head Boy and Girl dorm. As they walked into the common room he shared with Susan, they were unfortunatley greeted by the sight of Susan and her boyfriend snogging quite heavily on the sofa. When Susan looked up suddenly, Harry could see annoyance in her eyes and said, "We'll just go up to my room and leave you to it."

She went back to what she was doing without a word as Harry and Hermione climbed the stairs to his room. Once Hermione was inside, he cast a silencing spell on the common room and closed the door, causing Hermione to raise her eyebrows at him. "They, er...get a little loud sometimes."

"Oh," she replied quietly. "Then why don't they just go to her room?"

"I really have no idea," he answered. "I've learned with Susan that the less questions asked, the better we get along."

"I see," Hermione said, walking over to the side of Harry's bed, sitting down. She sat there, just staring down at her hands, and Harry looked at her for a moment before walking over to sit next to her.

Unsure of what to do or say, he sat there quietly, fidgeting while he thought. When Hermione reached out to still his hands, he looked up to find her looking straight at him. "Thank you," she said, her voice breaking. She took a moment to clear her throat and said, "You gave me something today that I will remember for the rest of my life, and I don't know of anyone else that would have done that for me."

"Well, I can't take all the credit," he said, slightly embarrassed. "Remus and Firenze helped out quite a bit as well; Remus arranged for McGonagall to be out of the office both times we used the floo and Firenze gave me the protection potion and allowed himself to be the second reason McGonagall was out of her office."

"I'll have to remember to thank them as well the next time I see them," she replied. "I still can't believe I saw my parents today, let alone had an entire conversation with them."

"You deserved to be able to say good-bye," he replied. "Maybe if I had defeated Voldemort by now, you would still have your family." Suddenly, the snitch that Harry kept on his bedside table went flying across the room. His seeker reflexes kicking in, his hand quickly reached out and snatched it out of the air. Looking at Hermione with the fluttering gold ball in his hand he said, "You have got to learn to control your anger when it comes to V...you-know-who. If what you said in the cemetary is true, you'll be fighting alongside me in the final battle, and he will most certainly be there."

"I can't wait to come face-to-face with that evil excuse of a wizard," she practically snarled, causing Harry's eyes to widen a bit at the anger in her voice. "And that's not the only reason I lost control. You're only seventeen Harry, it's unfair that everyone, including yourself, believes that you should have defeated him by now. What are they thinking? You're a bloody teenager! Just because you were able to somehow survive when you were just one year old doesn't mean you can just face him at any time and defeat him once and for all. You should be able to just be a normal teenager and not have anything to worry about except when you'll get your next snog. At least my life was normal for eighteen years...it's just not fair!"

"I try to live my life as normally as I can," he replied, touched at her concern for him. "I mean, I'm captain of the Quidditch team, I do wonder when I'll get my next proper snog, and all the other perverted things other wizards my age think about. I just have the added burden of an evil Dark Lord trying to kill me so that he can become immortal and rule the world."

Hermione looked at him for a moment and asked, "What's Quidditch?"

Of all the things he thought she would say or ask next, that question was the furthest from it. Leading her over to the window, he pointed out at the pitch where two sets of three rings stood proudly very high in the sky. "That's the Quidditch pitch over there. It's a sport played in the wizarding world," he explained. "There's a quaffle, which is used by Chasers to score points, a bludger and bludger bat which are used by Beaters to stop any points from being scored or stopping the Seeker, and the Snitch, which is what the Seeker has to catch to finish the match. Catching it is worth one hundred fifty points, and which team wins depends on how many goals have been scored before it's caught."

She noticed how his eyes lit up while he talked about the sport and she loved to see that there was at least one thing that brought absolute joy to his life. "So then this little gold ball...?" she asked, pointing toward the ball he held in his hand.

"Is the Snitch, and I am a Seeker," he replied, smiling. "I started on the team my first year...youngest seeker in a century."

"Well, that clears up some of what I read in that book about you," she said with a very slight smile. "So you must ride a broom to play then, right?"

"Yeah," he replied, walking over to where his Firebolt was propped up in one corner of his room and brought it over to where she still stood by the window. "It was a gift from my Godfather, Sirius Black."

"I've never flown on anything but an airplane; it was enclosed and I didn't like it much. I don't think I'd like to ride on a broom much either," she said, studying the broom in his hands.

"You are going to come watch our first Quidditch match next Saturday though, right?" he asked, trying not to think on why he really wanted her to say yes.

"I didn't really know about it, but I guess I'll come watch you play," she replied, and he smiled at her.

"Brilliant," he said, replacing his broom to it's original place. "It's against Slytherin, our rivals, and I think you'll enjoy it."

"We'll see," she replied, getting quiet again.

When he turned around, Harry found her staring out the window, at the sky. He could see that her eyes had filled with tears again and he hated that she was so sad. Walking up next to her he faced her and held his arms out, and she walked into them instantly, accepting his hug. Harry had never been one to give hugs, but somehow at that moment, he just knew it was the right thing to do. As he held her tightly to him, he marvelled at how well she fit against him and how protective he still felt of her. He didn't know where that protectiveness came from, maybe it had something to do with the Soul Guardian thing and their ties through it, but he realized that he would rather die than to ever let anything happen to her.

Unbeknownst to him, she was having almost the exact same thoughts. It felt so good to have his arms wrapped tightly around her; it made her feel as if nothing could ever hurt her again, as long as he was around. But that was wrong, wasn't it? She was supposed to be the one protecting him, not the other way around. Coming out of her Harry-induced haze, she pulled back a little and looked up at him. "Thank you, I needed that," she said.

"No problem," he replied, trying to act as if it were nothing.

As she looked up at him, she studied his lightning bolt shaped scar for the first time and slowly raised her finger up to touch it. With her eyes flickering to his once to see if he would stop her or not, she gently traced the slightly raised skin with the index finger of her right hand. Harry's eyes closed slowly at the feelings her heavenly touch sent through him, and when he opened them again he noticed something he'd not noticed before. Taking hold of her right wrist, he turned it so that her hand was palm up and asked, "What is that mark on your wrist?"

"What mark?" she asked, confused as she looked to where Harry was looking. She gasped as she saw what looked to be a crescent moon shaped mark on her inner wrist, near the middle, the skin raised up like it was on his scar. "I've never noticed that before," she replied, staring at it. Suddenly her mother's words rang in her ears, "When the moon and lightening appear at the same time, the earth shall cease to spin and the heavens will open with love." Pulling her wrist from his grasp, Hermione made her way to the door of his room and walked out, not caring what she would see the couple on the sofa doing.

"Hermione, what...?" Harry asked.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow Harry," she interrupted, not wanting to answer him just then. She needed to go to her room and write what her mother had told her in the Notebook, especially after what had just happened, so that she and Firenze could discuss it the next day during her lesson.

~*~

The following week found Harry in a very foul mood since Hermione seemed to be going out of her way not to spend time with him. Sure, she would smile and wave at him once in a while, but that was it. Harry found himself wanting to be alone with her so that he could talk to her, but everytime he saw her she was either in the common room surrounded by students or in the Great Hall. It really didn't help his mood any that Seamus kept paying extra attention to her, and by the way Lavender kept hatefully glaring at Hermione, she didn't like Hermione getting all his attention either. Needless to say, thanks to his demeanor, quidditch practices that week weren't much fun. Ron was the only one that understood his moodiness since Harry had confided in him everything that had happened the past Sunday, but it was even starting to get to him.

"Why don't you just pull her aside and talk to her?" he finally asked, running after his friend as he stalked off of the field Friday evening.

As his team walked by him grumbling, "prat" and "hard arse", Harry replied, "And what should I say to her? 'Hi Hermione, how are you? I was just wondering why you ran out of my room last Sunday the way you did and why you're ignoring me now?' I'd sound like a needy git who can't get along without her."

"Better to be a git than an arse like you've been all week," Ron replied, and then walked away from him to let him stew on it.

At the same time, Hermione was having a lesson with Remus in one of the classrooms on the first floor. Firenze was there because they were trying to combine the magical aspect of her powers with the Soul Guardian gifts she possessed, but thanks to her lack of focus it wasn't going well at all. So far she had given poor Remus a headache by trying to use her empath powers and she had levitated Firenze right off the ground and then dropped him, hard, onto his bottom. On top of that, she had singed off her eyebrows and somehow placed Firenze's tail onto Remus's backside, which was more embarrassing than she ever thought possible. Sighing, she asked, "Maybe we should just quit for the night?"

Making sure that he had placed Firenze's tail back to the exact spot it was supposed to be, he looked at her and said, "As tempted as I am to agree, I think we should work a little longer. Obviously there's something going on that is affecting your magic more than usual. And from the mistakes you've made I'd dare say there's something emotional going on as well. Why don't we work on some simple spells, like Stupefy?"

Taking a deep breath she said, "Okay." It helped knowing that Remus could shield himself and Firenze if anything happened to go wrong again. She felt horrible as she watched Firenze slowly edge to the far side of the room as she pointed her wand at Remus and said, "Stupefy!"

Remus immediately put up a shield around himself, seeing that it was a well aimed spell this time, but unfortunately at just that moment Harry had opened the door and walked into the room. Before he realized what was happening, the deflected red jet of light from the spell struck him right in the chest and knocked him back out into the hallway. Hermione winced as she watched him bounce on his bum a couple of times and then come to rest against the wall behind him. She immediately went running toward him, putting her wand away before she could inflict anymore damage, and knelt down next to him. "Oh Harry, are you alright? I am so sorry!" she exclaimed, gently placing her hand on his arm. As Firenze and Remus watched, a blue light shone from underneath the hand she had on Harry's arm and Harry stared at it wide-eyed, as did Remus and Hermione. Quickly pulling it away, she looked down at her hand and then up at Firenze. "Was that...?"

"It seems you do have the ability to heal others," Firenze stated.

"How do you feel Harry?" Remus asked.

"My arse doesn't hurt so much anymore," Harry replied with his usual easy smile. "Guess I should have knocked first, 'eh?"

"I'm sorry," Hermione said again, close to tears by this point. She was exhausted from lack of sleep and all the lessons she'd been having, and all the mishaps in this current lesson had just pushed her over the edge. "My magic has gone all wonky and I just...I need a break." Looking at Remus she asked, "Can we please be finished for the evening?"

"Absolutely," Remus answered while Firenze nodded in agreement next to him. "Harry, can you make sure she gets back to Gryffindor Tower okay? She's had a tough time of it tonight."

"Sure," Harry replied, glad to have an excuse to be alone with her finally. He watched as she went back into the room to gather her things together, without a fight, and walking up to Remus asked quietly, "Is she going to be okay?"

"Worried, are you?" Remus replied, that damn Marauder smile on his face that said he knew exactly why Harry was asking, even if Harry didn't.

"She's been a bit...distant since Sunday," Harry answered lamely, not wanting to give too much away.

While the two of them watched her as she spoke with Firenze, Remus said, "There is something off about her. Tonight has been one mistake after another. I actually had Firenze's tail on my own backside for a bit." Harry laughed out loud as he pictured Remus with Firenze's tail, and soon Remus had joined him. "I can laugh about it now, but there is something going on with her that she's not sharing with Firenze or I. Maybe she'll talk to you?"

"I doubt it. She walked out on me suddenly Sunday when I noticed a scar on her inner right wrist," Harry replied. "She got this thoughtful look on her face and she just walked out of my room, saying she'd talk to me the next day."

"A scar?" Remus asked, sounding very interested. "What did it look like?"

"From what I saw of it, it looked like a crescent moon to me," Harry explained. "The skin was raised up, like on my scar, but her's had a barely noticeable pink coloring to it."

"And after you saw the scar, what happened?"

"She said she had never noticed it before and got this really faraway look on her face.She was really quiet for a few moments, yanked her arm free and practically ran out of my room," Harry replied.

"She just left your room without another word?" Remus asked, staring at him with one eyebrow raised. "Wait...why were you in your room in the first place?"

"We had gone there after the funeral to talk, that's all. I didn't think she should be alone after all that had happened, and I knew that the Gryffindor common room would be full of students since it was Sunday afternoon. Unfortunately, we couldn't use the Head's common room because Susan and Jason were going at it on the sofa again," Harry answered, sounding frustrated.

"You know, when your mum and dad used to spend time in the Head's common room, they used to have it so that the portrait wouldn't let the Head Boy in when they were....well, you know," Remus said, realizing he may have said too much.

"I really didn't need to know that," Harry said. When Remus chuckled he said, "It's not funny. I'm tired of walking in to find them going at it on the damn sofa when she could just as easily go into her room. I swear she does it just to get me angry."

"Hell hath no fury, Harry," Remus said, smiling.

"It was two years ago that we dated, if you could even call it that," Harry replied, sounding exasperated. "It was one lousy trip to Hogsmeade together."

"It only takes one time," Remus said.. "One thing you'd be smart to remember Harry - a woman might forgive, but she will never, ever forget...or let you forget about it either for that matter."

"Great," Harry mumbled as he noticed Hermione making her way toward them. "In that case, I can't wait to see what Ginny has in store for me."

~A/N> O-kay...I know the chapter I posted yesterday wasn't the most thrilling, action packed I've ever posted, but not every chapter can be. To those of you that mentioned that both Lily and James were Head Boy and Girl...I know. My story is Alternate Universe, so it will not follow the books much at all. To those of you that asked for more H/Hr interaction, I think this is the chapter you've been waiting for. Now, I have been updating one chapter every week, but this is my last pre-written chapter and I'm posting it today because it answers a few questions and will hopefully make up for the last one. I'm going to try to keep up with the chapter a week updates, but I do have two boys to raise, two podcasts that I do (one audio and one video), a website to maintain, two live journal communities, and this story. I know there are some authors on this site that have been updating two or three times a week, but that's not me. I take my time with my chapters and I make them the best I can. I check spelling, grammar, and the continuity of the story to make sure that you guys get the best chapter to read I can give. I'm sorry if one update a week is not enough, or not every chapter is enthralling, but I'm doing the best I can. And the reason there's not been much H/Hr interaction so far is because I've been trying to build up the main storyline, which starts with the fact that H/Hr don't even know each other in the beginning. This is only the beginning, there is so much more to come, and from here on out there will be a lot more H/Hr fluffy moments. I hope I have responded to everything left in the reviews...unfortunately I don't have time to respond to every one of them. And as for Hermione in this chapter, no, she is not OOC. She is very in character for this story and in coming chapters you will come to see why. Thanks for reading and I hope this chapter fulfills your H/Hr fluffy moments request :)

After promising Firenze that she would practice her relaxation exercises that night, and silently thanking whatever deity was listening at the moment that lessons were over for the week, Hermione walked over to where Harry and Remus were. When she heard mention of Ginny she got a tight feeling in her stomach and tried not to dwell on it. "I'm ready to go back to my room now," she said quietly as she walked past them. Turning back to look at Remus, she said, "I'm sorry for all the mistakes I made tonight. I don't know what 's wrong with me, but hopefully by Monday things will be better."

"I'm sure they will," Remus replied with a reassuring smile. "You've had quite the week; maybe a weekend of relaxation will help settle things down a bit."

"She's going to see her first Quidditch match tomorrow," Harry said. "If you still plan on coming to watch, that is?"

"I do," she replied. "You piqued my curiosity, even though I fear I may have a heart attack watching you and all the other players buzzing about on those brooms."

"They'll be just fine," Remus said. "Harry's Dad James played as well. I remember how much Lily would worry about him during the matches and then they'd always celebrate together afterward."

"If this has anything to do with them celebrating together in the Heads Common Room, I'd really rather not hear it," Harry said, grimacing. When Hermione looked at him with a confused look on her face he said, "I'll uh-maybe tell you some other time."

Remus laughed at Harry's discomfort and said, "So Hermione, we'll see you Monday evening then?"

"Seven o'clock, in this room, right?" she asked.

"Right," Firenze replied as he walked up. "And make sure to bring the Notebook, we'll need to go over a few of the things in there and add some information that you've learned about yourself so far."

"I'll see the two of you Monday then," she said. "And again, I'm sorry about tonight. I'll work harder Monday."

"Don't think on it anymore," Remus said. "Just go relax, and have a fun weekend."

"I'll try," she replied, and with a smile, started to make her way down the corridor to the stairs. When Harry started walking behind her she turned slightly and asked, "So how come you're here? It's not past curfew, I could have made my way back to my dorm by myself."

Thrown off guard by her forwardness, Harry was quiet for a moment before replying, "I came to find you, to see if we could talk."

"Aren't we talking now?" she asked, a trace of humour lacing her question.

"Well yeah, but I meant..." Harry placed his hand on her arm gently and when she stopped to look at him he asked, "Would you like to go for a walk around the lake with me?"

Hermione studied his face for a moment, wondering if it would be a good idea to spend time with him alone, and before she could think it to death she replied, "That sounds lovely."

Harry smiled and guided her out the front doors of the school, the two of them walking silently side by side, taking in the crisp autumn air. Hermione looked around at all the trees that surrounded the castle, their leaves ranging in colors from red to yellow to brown, seeming to glow in the early evening light. She loved this time of year, when mother Earth seemed to be cleansing herself so that everything could blossom anew in the spring. She didn't know what it was, but she always felt more at peace when she was outside then when she was cooped up inside somewhere. It was like the wind blowing her hair about was the blood flowing through her veins and the rotation of the earth was the beating of her heart. She was so in tune with nature sometimes, she felt as if she could just jump into the air and fly away to someplace safe, where nothing could ever hurt her again.

"Hello? Still with me?" Harry asked from beside her, startling her from her thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry. I just love being outside," she replied.

"Me too. I never got to go out much when I was growing up. My aunt always made me stay inside doing chores while my cousin got to go out and play," he said, surprising her with his admission.

"You had a horrible childhood, didn't you?" she asked bluntly, her turn to surprise him with her question.

'Yes," he answered. Without thinking about why he felt like telling her everything, he explained, "My aunt and uncle didn't want me around, and they treated me like something that shouldn't have been allowed to be born into this world. I'm just thankful that this summer I can go out on my own. I don't know yet where I'm going to go, probably back to Grimmauld Place until the battle with Voldemort comes, and then if I defeat him I'll see where I end up."

As they started walking around the lake, Hermione reached out and took hold of his hand, surprising him again. "Not 'if'- when," she said, squeezing just a little bit to emphasize her point. Harry nodded quietly, not wanting to start up that argument again and they continued to walk in a comfortable silence, still hand in hand. As he thought about how easy it was to be with her, how right it felt to hold her hand in his, she said, "Um, about Sunday, after the funeral...I'm sorry I left the way I did."

"That's okay," Harry replied. "It's understandable with the day you had, and I asked you about something you obviously didn't want to talk about."

"It's not that I didn't want to," she said. "I didn't even know I had that mark on my wrist before you pointed it out, Harry. I have no idea where it came from or how I got it. Firenze seems to think that it's the mark of the Soul Guardians and that it appeared after the Shadocks passed through me."

When she shivered at the thought of those horrid beings she'd encountered, it was Harry's turn to squeeze her hand in comfort. As they continued to walk, Harry turned her right hand over, the one he was holding, so her wrist was exposed and he could see the crescent moon mark again. Tracing the outline of it with his finger, he asked, "So, just finding out about the mark was the only reason why you left in such a hurry?"

Hermione shivered again, this time from the fire his touch was sending through her body, and then quietly gathered herself for a moment before answering. "No, there was another reason, but I don't think now is the time to tell you the rest. I hope you won't be mad at me for not telling you; I'll tell you when I know the time is right."

"Well, you are my Soul Guardian," Harry said, smiling at her as he pulled his finger away from her skin, leaving her feeling disappointed. "If you feel it's not the time for me to know, then I guess I can try to be patient and wait."

"Thank you," she replied, smiling back as she felt her heart skip a beat as their eyes met, briefly. As they continued on with their walk and were almost halfway around the lake, Hermione looked over to a patch of trees that was close by and stopped, causing Harry to jerk back a bit since they were still holding hands.

"Why'd you stop?" he asked, turning to look at her, only to find her staring into the grouping of trees to the side of them.

"Can you see her?" Hermione asked, staring into the trees.

Harry turned and could see a ghost-like form walking toward them that had...could it be?....wings on her back. The feathers were silver with black on the tips, and their shape reminded him of Buckbeak's wings when he had went for a ride on him during his third year. "I can see her," he whispered, in awe of what he was seeing. "Is that an actual angel?"

"I don't know," she replied, unknowingly stepping in front of him, acting as a shield. Looking at the being that was now only a few steps away from them she asked, "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Do not be afraid, my children, I mean you no harm," the being said with a smile. Looking from Hermione to Harry she explained, "My name is Ancelin, and I was sent by Micah to pass on a message to you."

"H-How is it I can see you?" Harry asked as he stepped out from behind Hermione and stood by her side, her hand now held tightly in his.

"Because I want you to see me," she replied in a gentle tone of voice. "You have seen enough evil in your young life, Harry Potter. You deserve to have some proof that there are still those of us on the side of Good that stand behind you and protect you. There are many of us that are glad that Hermione has finally found her way to you."

Harry stared at her, trying to take in the fact that she had just touched on a subject he had been thinking about a lot lately; he had been wondering if Good even existed anymore outside of Hogwarts. He kept having recurring thoughts and nightmares that he and Hermione were the last people on Earth fighting on the side of good and it made him feel a fear such as he'd never known before. He kept thinking it was a sign of sorts, but Ancelin had just put some of those fears to rest, for now at least.

"What is it that Micah wants us to know?" Hermione asked calmly, as if such occurences happened to her every day.

"He wants you to tell Firenze that tomorrow is the day he has foreseen and that he will need to take the necessary measures he was told of before," Ancelin stated, looking from her to Harry.

"Tomorrow is the Quidditch match," Hermione replied. "Is something going to happen during the match?"

"I am afraid that I have told you all that I know," Ancelin answered, a sadness coming over her porcelain features. "If you are afraid that this is what the message means, then you should perhaps take precautions yourself and work on all that you have learned so far."

Hermione stared at her for a moment, opening up her heart, soul, and mind, and a warmth spread throughout her. She could hear a very quiet, airy voice telling her exactly what she would need to do in case anything did happen the following day. Basking in it, she smiled at the angel before her and said, "Thank you."

"You are most welcome," Ancelin replied. "Use that warmth and strength to take care of Harry. He is more to you than you know." And with that she was gone.

"Why does everyone keep saying that?" Hermione mumbled to herself, but she said it loud enough that Harry heard her.

"Saying what? That I am more to you than you know?"

She looked at him and saw the Cheshire Cat grin he was wearing. "No, to 'take care of you'. I know I'm your Soul Guardian, but geez, doesn't it hurt your manly pride that everyone wants a girl to protect you?"

"Not really," Harry replied quietly. Looking at her with a suddenly serious expression on his face he said, "This may not sound manly, but it's kind of nice to know that someone has my back for a change...someone I know I can trust to always be by my side."

Hermione stared at him in shocked silence for a moment, and finally recovering she replied, "I think that's the most manly, intelligent thing I've ever heard."

Harry gave her his heart stopping smile then, and smiling back at him she asked, "Now, weren't we going for a walk?"

~*~

The next day came too quickly as far as Hermione was concerned. She had been up most of the night, studying everything that Aradia had mentioned and practicing the spells as much as possible. She and Harry had tried to talk to Firenze the night before, but they couldn't find him anywhere, so she would have to make sure to talk to him before the match about what Ancelin said. She wanted to make sure that if anything did happen that put Harry into any kind of danger, she was ready to protect him.

The last time she had checked her watch, it had been four in the morning, and she had awakened with her head laying on the back of the sofa with an open book laying on her chest. Thanks to only two hours of sleep and a crick in her neck, she was not in the best of moods when Harry happily strolled in at six-thirty in his Quidditch gear, whistling and carrying his broom.

"Good morning sunshine," he greeted with a smile that was much too big for that time of the morning.

"The sun's not even up yet," she replied grumpily, causing him to quirk an eyebrow at her in question. "Why are you here so early?"

"I'm here to make sure Ron gets up in time for breakfast, the others I don't have to worry about," he replied. Walking over to sit next to her he asked, "Rough night?"

As tired as she was, she still noticed the different robes he was wearing and she had to admit, he looked good in whatever they were. "Uh, you could say that," she replied, trying not to stare as he sat down so close to her that his arm brushed hers when he turned to prop his broom up against the sofa next to him. Trying to ignore her body's reaction to that small amount of contact she explained, "I was up until four going over everything I've learned so far."

"If I had known you were staying up late to study, I would have stayed up to help you," Harry said, looking at her and noticing the dark circles under her eyes.

"I didn't need you to help me, besides they were spells you wouldn't be able to do," she answered. "And you have your Quidditch match today. By the way, is that your uniform that you're wearing?"

Harry looked down at the maroon and gold robes he was wearing and replied, "Yeah. I just have to put on my arm and leg protectors and my gloves, and I'll be ready to play."

Hermione damned her imagination as a picture of what those protectors looked like, and what he'd look like in full uniform. Closing her tired eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose, she took a deep breath and willed the sudden surge of heat that infused her body at the image and her overactive libido (which had, to date, never even existed before) to calm down before she embarrassed herself in some way...like reaching over to run her hand over the tight fabric on his chest or leaning over to kiss his lips that looked so very inviting all of a sudden...

Hermione growled deep in her throat and stood up quickly, making her way to the window she had stared out so many times before. She could physically feel him draw closer as he walked up behind her and asked, "Hermione, are you okay? Other than being exhausted, I mean."

"I'm uh-I'm fine," she replied, catching his reflection in the glass. The vision of him towering over her, so close behind her, caused her breath to catch for a second. What the hell is happening to me? she thought frantically as she pressed her head onto the cool glass of the window, blocking out his reflection and cooling her hot skin. It had to be the lack of sleep or the Soul Guardian connection...but being his Guardian shouldn't make her feel this...drawn to him, should it? At the moment she felt like a lioness on the hunt for a mate and it was a very unsettling feeling, one she really didn't need today.

When she stayed with her head pressed against the glass for a while, Harry reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, the contact making her breath catch in her chest. "Are you sure that there's nothing bothering you?" he asked, his voice coming out deep and husky sounding, breaking through the last string of restraint that she had.

Turning quickly to face him, she said, "Actually, there is something bothering me." And surprising the both of them, she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. This kiss was so much different than the first one they had shared; that one had been tentative and exploration. This one was pure heat and attraction, and when Harry immediately responded Hermione was assured that she had not been the only one that had been experiencing the feelings that she had. His arms wrapped around her waist tightly, pulling her flush against his body. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him with such an urgency that she shocked herself with the intensity of it.

Suddenly they heard two male voices coming from the dorms and they separated quickly. Looking toward the stairs, they saw Ron and Dean stepping onto the top step as they started to make their way down to the common room. Harry and Hermione were both breathing heavily, and when Hermione looked back at him she couldn't look away. His eyes were such a brilliant color of green at the moment, and she finally realized what the saying 'The eyes are the windows to the soul' meant.

"Hiya Harry, hullo Hermione," Ron greeted, as did Dean. Mumbling their hello's, they broke eye contact to look at the boys and Hermione only hoped that her face didn't look as guilty as she felt at the moment. What the hell had she done? You kissed him, that's what you did. And what a kiss! her subconscious answered for her. Ignoring it, she tried to pull her attention back to the conversation the three boys were having but her mind was full of thoughts and questions.

Realizing that Ron and Dean were walking out the portrait hole, she looked at Harry and tried to smile, but found that she couldn't. He was standing there just staring at her, and she just stared back at him, wishing that he would say something. Finally, he said, "I think that maybe you and I should talk about this later, after the match. I have to get to breakfast and my team has practice right after."

"Oh, okay," she replied, hoping she didn't sound as disappointed as she felt.

Looking down at the floor so that hopefully he wouldn't see her feelings mirrored on her face, she watched his feet as he walked closer to her. Putting his finger under her chin, he gently raised her head until she brought her eyes up to return his intense gaze. Slowly, he bent down, brushed his lips across hers, and proceeded to lean his forehead against hers. "Wish me luck today?"

"Good luck," she said quietly. "Though I somehow doubt that you need it."

"Never hurts to get a good luck kiss from a beautiful girl right before a match," he replied. "Especially after she kisses you first, the way you just did."

Hermione felt her cheeks grow very hot, and she ached to kiss him again. "You'd better get going," she said. "I need to go shower and change, then head down to breakfast myself."

"So I'll see you after the match?" he asked.

"Yes, you will see me after the match," she replied. "Luna has already said that she would sit by me and explain the game to me."

"Good," he said, giving her that smile again. Running his hand over her hair, he planted a small kiss on the tip of her nose and said, "I'll see you later."

She watched him walk away and wished immediately that he was back with her again. Shaking herself a bit, trying to snap out of the haze she was in, she called, "Harry?" He stopped just as he opened the portrait and turned to look at her. Giving him a brief smile that was quickly replaced with a worried frown, she said, "Be careful today, okay? I'm going to do all I can to protect you if anything should happen, but..."

"I trust you," he said, not letting her finish. "I know I'm in good hands." And with that, he smiled at her and walked out of the room, leaving her wishing she felt as confident as he did.

~A/N> Hello! Here's the next chapter and it's more action than fluff. I will be putting fluffy parts between H/Hr wherever I can, but there's going to be quite a bit revealed in the next few chapters (some of which may surprise you :p) and more explanation/background on Hermione's family. And no, that doesn't mean the story is close to the end, there are many more chapters to come. I've sort of altered the story line of both this story and my book, so I'm not sure what the chapter count is going to end up being. Hopefully you find that to be good news :) Thanks for the great reviews and comments on my personal Live Journal about this story, I really appreciate them all! BTW, if you get the chance, check out the beautiful picture that valeriehall343 made for me to use as my header picture on my journal based on this story- http://miscard.livejournal.com/

"I trust you, I know I'm in good hands."

Those words kept running through Hermione's head as she sat eating breakfast. How was it that he trusted her so implicitly, especially after her disastrous display of magic just the night before? She didn't trust herself, so how did he have so much trust in her? Realizing that she wasn't going to be able to do anything until she talked to Firenze, she pushed her plate away from her and got up, making a quick retreat from the Great Hall.

"What's up with her mate?" Ron asked, watching as Hermione left. The Quidditch team always ate together the morning of a match, but the other five players had made their way to the pitch already to warm up. Harry was personally grateful they had left because if Ginny sat staring at him any longer, he may have just yelled at her to quit bloody staring. His thoughts were on one girl only, and he found that she was the only one he wanted to spend time with, and it was an unsettling feeling to him. He'd never felt so strongly for anyone before and he was confused about the nature of the feelings...were they real or were they because of their connection- Soul Guardian and Charge? "Hello?" Ron asked, pulling him from his thoughts. "Bloody hell Harry, what is going on with you lately?"

"Hermione," he replied without thinking, and then swore when he realized what he had said. The knowing smirk his best friend wore didn't help matters either.

"Yeah, it seemed that Dean and I walked in on something this morning," Ron said, causing Harry to really focus in on him. "When we saw you, the two of you were just standing there, staring at each other."

"Yeah," he replied, debating on whether he should talk to Ron about what had happened that morning. All he could think about was her, and he felt that if he didn't talk to someone about it he might just go mental. Lowering his voice considerably he said, "She kissed me this morning, and I'm not talking a kiss like the first one. This one was...I don't even know how to describe it. All I know is that I wanted to shag her right then and there, and I don't think that's the proper way for a Guardian and her Charge to act."

Ron put his fork down as his eyebrows rose up and he asked, just as quietly, "You felt that way just from a kiss? Of course it's easy to feel that way when you're snogging and it's getting serious, but bloody hell Harry, from a kiss?"

"I know...no, I don't know," Harry replied, running his hand through his hair as his frustration grew. "I need to stop thinking about her, we've got the most important match of the season in a few hours and I'm not going to let that git Malfoy beat me because I'm not focused on what I'm supposed to be doing. Maybe some fresh air will do me some good."

"Let's go then," Ron said, standing up and grabbing up his broom from where it rested next to him. As they walked out of the Great Hall he said, "I believe it's time for some laps."

Harry smiled, knowing that he meant the kind of laps where the two of them raced around the pitch as fast as they could without killing themselves and he replied, "Sounds bloody fantastic to me."

~*~

During Harry and Ron's talk, Hermione had made her way to Firenze's classroom and sighed in relief when she saw that he was there. Walking in she said, "Firenze, I need to speak with you, it's very important. I came looking for you last night and you were gone."

"I was out on the grounds," he replied simply, offering no explanation.

"Well, yesterday after Harry and I left my lesson, we went for a walk around the lake," she started to explain. "When we were halfway around it, we were approached by an Angel that introduced herself as Ancelin."

"You spoke to the Angel Ancelin?" Firenze asked.

"Yes, Harry and I both," she replied. "When he asked how it was he was able to see her she said that he deserved to know that there was still Good out there, on his side and helping to protect him...and she also gave me a message for you, from Micah."

"Micah is your Guardian Angel, correct?"

"Yes, and he said that tomorrow is the day you have foreseen and that you will need to take the necessary measures you were foretold."

Firenze stood quietly for a moment, making her nervous. Suddenly feeling as if the walls of his classroom were closing in on her, she asked, "Would it be possible to go outside and talk? I'm starting to feel really claustrophobic in here suddenly."

Watching her closely as she shifted from foot to foot nervously, he replied, "Yes, we can do that."

The two of them made their way out the front doors and Hermione noticed that Firenze kept breathing deeply and looking around the grounds, taking in everything. Unable to stop herself, Hermione looked toward the Quidditch pitch and gasped as she saw Harry and Ron flying around at a very fast speed. "What does he think he's doing?" she asked aloud to herself.

Firenze looked at her and then followed her gaze up to where the two boys were flying and he said, "Mister Weasley and Mister Potter have done that for a while now. They are both excellent flyers, so you have nothing to worry about."

Unable to watch any longer, Hermione turned in the opposite direction and started to walk, letting the clean morning air clear her jumbled thoughts. "That's easy for you to say, I'm the one that's been put in charge of protecting his life." Walking quietly for a while with the Centaur by her side, she finally asked, "So what is it that Micah is referring to? What is the day you foresaw, and the necessary measures?"

"I saw an attack," Firenze answered. "But it's not possible for Mister Potter to be attacked on Hogwarts grounds, not with the wards and protections that are in place. Headmaster Dumbledore, who was killed by one of the professors who used to teach here, made sure that Hogwarts is the safest place for Harry to be."

"A professor killed the Headmaster?" Hermione asked, appalled. "What happened to him?"

"No one knows," Firenze replied. "He just disappeared. You see, he was one of Voldemort's Death Eaters, and Headmaster Dumbledore always thought the better of him. He was supposed to be a spy in Voldemort's ring of followers, and he turned against the Headmaster and killed him. It has been rumoured he did it so that Mister Malfoy wouldn't have to..."

"Lucius?"

"No, his son Draco," Firenze answered, causing Hermione's eyes to grow wide.

"That day in potions, when I put my hand on Draco's chest, I wonder if that's where all the dark thoughts came from?" she asked, looking at her hand and then back at Firenze.

"Most likely," he said. "We will need to go back to my classroom and then get in contact with Mister Lupin. We're going to need his help today."

"So you really believe there's going to be an attack on Hogwart's, even with all the protections in place?"

"If Micah sent Ancelin to warn you, than yes, I do."

~*~

Two hours later, Hermione sat next to Luna in the stands, watching as Harry sped by on his broom. She had lost count on how many times he had caused her to stop breathing so far, and the match had only started thirty minutes before. "Is it always like this?"

"What do you mean?" Luna replied, cheering loudly as Ron blocked his fifth scoring attempt.

"Harry and the way he's flying around," Hermione answered, covering her eyes after a bludger missed him by mere inches. Dropping her hands she asked, "How has he not been seriously hurt so far?"

"Oh, he has," Luna replied. "He's had his share of injuries and stays in the Hospital Ward, but Madam Pomfrey always fixes him right up."

"That's reassuring," Hermione muttered, half-heartedly cheering as one of the Gryffindor chasers put the quaffle through the center ring. Looking around, she noticed a figure dressed in brown standing near the entrance to the pitch and realized it was Remus. Breathing a small sigh of relief that he had gotten there in time, she focused on the frenzied action in the sky and searched for Harry. He was high up in the sky, with Draco right behind him, sneering. She noticed that he stayed close to Harry at all times, like he was unable to find the Snitch on his own. Seeing an annoyed look on Harry's face after he glanced back at Malfoy as well, she watched as he suddenly sped off across the pitch. He flew straight to where Ron was, sailed over the rings, and then circled his way down the center pole until he was almost to the ground. Watching him pull up quickly, Draco doing the same right behind him, Hermione watched in horrified fascination as Harry flew barely above the ground. When he suddenly pulled up again and wove through a bunch of the other players, Draco had to veer to the left sharply to miss a Bludger that one of the Gryffindor beater's had hit his way, separating him from Harry for the time being. As he ascended high into the sky again, searching for the Golden Snitch she had seen in his room, Hermione spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. Being as high up in the stands as they were, she could see someone outside the gates of the school, and she watched as he waved his wand around. When the gates opened, she stared at him and saw that he was dressed completely in black, from head to toe. "Oh no," she said.

"What?" Luna asked.

"I have to go, thanks for explaining things to me," Hermione replied hurriedly, making her way down the stairs as quickly as she could. She had to get to Remus...it seemed that the foretold attack was in fact happening that day. The man she had seen looked a lot like the ex-professor Snape that Firenze had told her all about and if he killed the Headmaster the year before, she would in no way put it past him to try to kill Harry for his 'Master', as Firenze had put it. Cursing the fact that they were so high up, she picked up the pace since she could no longer see the man in black over the Quidditch stadium walls. Finally hitting the ground, she ran to where she had last seen Remus and told him of what she had seen.

"I'll go check it out," he said. "You stay here and keep an eye on Harry. Firenze is across the field at the entrance to the Slytherin changing room if you need him."

Looking across the field, she saw the centaur and said, "Alright." She watched as he walked out of the stadium, drawing his wand and slowly disappearing around the corner out of her sight. Praying that he could stop the man, she looked up and saw that Harry and Draco were in a neck-and-neck race to catch the Snitch that was just in front of them. Putting his body down flat on his broomstick, Harry sped up suddenly and reached his hand out, snagging the snitch out of the air to win the match. As he flew down to the grass to be congratulated by his teammates, Hermione felt someone behind her and turned, expecting to see Remus there. When she saw the man in black walking around the corner toward her, she immediately started to run toward Harry. Suddenly her skin started to tingle and she thought, 'Corpus Scutum' and felt when the man's curse bounced off of the shield she had put over her body. Still running toward Harry she yelled, "Signum!" and watched as a ball of white light made it's way toward Firenze. As spells kept flying by her and hitting her shield, she felt her strength ebb a bit and tried not to think about it. As the jets of light got closer to the team, all of them but Harry took to the air again while he stood watching as she ran toward him. Finally reaching him, she grabbed his arm and a circle of white light surrounded them both. "We have to get you out of here!" she said frantically. "There's a man in black, Remus went to head him off and he didn't come back. The man in black did."

Harry looked to where she had glanced behind her and saw Snape standing there with his wand pointed toward them, firing off spells that were bouncing off the shield she had put up around them. "Snape," he growled, trying to walk toward him as the stands were becoming a frenzy of screaming students trying to get out of the stadium as well.

"No!" Hermione adamantly said, tightening her grip on his arm as much as she could to stop him. They both watched as four more men in black joined Snape and she turned to look at Harry, only to see Firenze waving her over to where he stood. "Let's go," she said, dragging him with her.

"Where?" Harry asked, looking at where they were walking and then back again at the Death Eaters that were all firing curses at them.

"I don't know, but I can't keep this shield up much longer," she said, sounding tired. Harry immediately stopped resisting when she said that and walked with her to where Firenze stood. Ducking into the corridor that led to the Slytherin team's changing room and gave them some cover from the curses, Hermione said, "Finis."

Harry could feel the shield around him dissipate as Hermione sagged against him. "What now?" he asked Firenze, who was keeping watch around the corner, as he wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist to help her stand.

"You must take this," he said, handing him what looked to be an old broach. "Hermione, you will have to shield Harry and yourself again and make your way out to the gates of the school. The Portkey will not work inside the grounds, but once you are through the gates it will take you where you are going."

"And where is that?" Harry asked.

"You will find out when you get there," Firenze answered. "You will be safer not knowing. Once you are there, wait for Mister Lupin to join you, as well as Headmistress McGonagall."

"I don't know if I can hold the shield up that long," Hermione said, looking at the length of the pitch they had just run across. "And Remus went to investigate when I told him I had seen the man, and he didn't come back."

"You must shield the both of you," Firenze all but ordered. "It is your job to protect Harry; dig down deep into your inner strength, remember what I have taught you so far, and you will succeed. I will check on Mister Lupin, and if he is hurt then the Headmistress will join you."

Hermione nodded slowly, tiredly, and Harry suddenly got an idea. Mounting his broom he said, "Get on."

"What?" Hermione said. "But I've never flown on a broom, I..."

"Get on," Harry said again, with more force behind his words. "It will get us outside the gates faster than running will."

"It is the fastest way to get out safely," Firenze agreed.

"Fine," Hermione said, giving up and mounting the broom behind Harry. Wrapping her arms around his waist, she thought the shielding spell again and felt it come up around them once more, but not as strong as the first time. Making a decision, she transferred all of the shield to Harry and said, "Ready to go."

"Hermione," Firenze called, but she looked back at him and shook her head. He knew she had only shielded Harry, but she didn't want Harry to know that.

"Let's go," she said again, and Harry took off as fast as he dared with her behind him. He flew straight toward the main entrance/exit of the pitch, dodging some of the students that had made their way out of the stands as well as curses that were fired at them, and saw that three of the Death Eaters stood there waiting, along with Snape. Upping his speed a little bit, he flew by them and as he passed by his ex-professor he kicked his foot out and knocked him down, causing the broom to swerve uncontrollably. As Hermione tightened her hold on him, Harry gained control again and flew out onto the grounds, making his way toward the gates. As they were almost to the gates the jets of light from the Death Eater's curses started flying all around them and Harry went faster still. Hanging on for her life, Hermione put all of her strength into the shield hoping to shield herself as well. Just before she got it so that it finally surrounded her, she looked behind them to see a jet of green light sailing straight toward her, right before it hit her in the back.

As pain seared through her body and they passed through the gates she heard Harry say, "Grab my hand," as he held out his hand that held the broach. She reached out to take it, crying out in pain from the movement, and the last thing she remembered was that they were being pulled through some vortex to an unknown destination.

~*~

When they finally landed, they were where the base of the stairs that led to the front door of Grimmauld Place should be. 'I should have known', Harry thought, thinking the address and looking at the dilapidated house in front of him as it slowly appeared. Looking around quickly to make sure the street was clear (it wasn't everyday two people suddenly appeared out of thin air on a broomstick) he went to dismount but felt that Hermione's weight was still pressed against his back. "You can get off now Hermione, we're here."

Thinking that she was just exhausted from using the shield, like she was at the pitch, Harry looked back at her and saw that her eyes were closed, realized that her arms around his waist were slack, and that she was barely breathing. Feeling panicked all of a sudden, Harry somehow managed to turn, grab her, and dismount his broom...all made possible by the adrenaline rush his fear had fueled. Leaving his broom on the ground, Harry picked her up and cradled her in his arms while he walked up to the front door, fumbling with the knob while he held her. Finally getting it open, he walked into the deathly silent house and lay her carefully down on the sofa in the sitting room. Walking back to the front door, he made sure the street was still clear, pulled out his wand and said, "Accio broom." Once he had it and had secured the door, he made his way quickly to the fireplace and prayed it was still connected. He knew Remus had been staying here, and this was more than likely the way he got back and forth to Hogwarts for Hermione's lessons. Finding a small pot of floo powder on the mantle, Harry hurriedly grabbed a handful and threw it in the fireplace. Once the green flames erupted he said, "Hogwarts Headmistress office," and put his head into the flames, praying she was there. Cursing when he saw the empty office, he called out and when he got no answer he swore some more. Pulling his head out of the flames, he made his way to where Hermione lay and tried to wake her again. "Hermione...Hermione, wake up. C'mon, wake up...please wake up!"

Her breathing was so shallow that her chest barely moved at all, but her eyes opened just a bit, not focusing on anything. "Green," she said so quietly that Harry had to bend down close to her face to hear her.

"What?" he asked, not hearing her the first time.

"Green," she whispered again, and then her eyes closed once more.

"Green?" he repeated, bewildered. Making a sudden decision, he kissed her forehead and made his way back to the fireplace. Grabbing another handful of powder, he threw it in and this time walked into the flames, making his way to McGonagall's office. Hermione needed help, and he would be damned if he'd just wait there for someone to show up while she could possibly be dying. Tumbling into the Headmistress's office since his mind was elsewhere, he stood up, brushed himself off, and hurriedly made his way to the Hospital Ward. Running as fast as he could, he slammed through the doors of the ward and spotted Madam Pomfrey standing next to the Headmistress. As he ran up to them McGonagall admonished in a lowered voice, "Mister Potter, what are you doing here? You are supposed to be at Grimmauld Place."

"I know Headmistress, but Hermione's hurt," he replied, explaining everything to the two of them.

McGonagall, looking worried, turned to the nurse and said, "Go back with Mister Potter and tend to Miss Granger. There are no students here that are severely injured, just bruises and broken bones, and I can tend to them until you get back. If anything more serious comes in, I'll send for you."

"What about Remus? Is he okay?" Harry asked, remembering that Hermione said he had not returned after confronting Snape.

"He is fine," she replied. "He is helping to secure the castle and then he will join you and Miss Granger when he's finished."

Nodding, Harry looked to Madam Pomfrey and they both made their way out of the Ward. Walking quickly back to the office, wishing the nurse would walk faster, he made his way back to McGonagall's fireplace and the two of them flooed back to Grimmauld. Once they were in the house, Madam Pomfrey cast a quick, "Scourgify," and made her way to where Hermione lay on the sofa in the room. Running her wand along Hermione's body, the nurse muttered different spells, causing different colors to glow around and over her. "How long has she been unconscious?" she asked.

"I'm not exactly sure," Harry replied. "I was concentrating so hard on getting out the gates so we could Portkey, I have no idea what happened. She came to right before I flooed to school and all she said was 'green'."

"Green?" she repeated, a thoughtful look on her face as she muttered another spell. When Hermione's body glowed red, the nurse tutted and said, "That was the color of the curse that hit her. It's a dark curse that You-Know-Who and his followers have been using a lot lately to debilitate anyone they want to attack, rendering them unconscious and unable to defend themselves. It basically taxes the muscles in the body until they're so tired and painful that the body goes into an unconscious state. I'm afraid there's nothing I can do to help her, her body has to heal itself."

"How long will that take?" Harry asked, worried.

"I helped out at St. Mungo's after one of You-Know-Who's more vicious attacks and saw many that this curse had been used on. Some woke up within days, others took weeks...some took months from what I've heard. It just depends on how weakened her system was when it hit her."

Thinking of the shield she had put up, and how drained she had been before they even flew out of the stadium, Harry ran his hand frustratedly through his hair and asked, "So what now?"

"I'll get her set up in a bed upstairs so that she's comfortable, and then all there is to do is wait," she replied in a clinical voice, making Harry angry at her indifference.

"That's all, is it?" he asked in a raised voice. "You make it sound like it's nothing!"

"Yelling at me will not help Miss Granger, Mister Potter," the nurse admonished. "I may seem indifferent on the outside, but I am just as worried about her as you are. The difference is, I have to stay calm so that I can heal my patients to the best of my abilities."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, his anger ebbing quickly. "I'm just frustrated that you can't do anything to help her. She got hurt because she was protecting me. She was shielding us and...wait, if she was shielding both of us, then she wouldn't have been hit by that curse." Looking worriedly, yet angrily at where Hermione lay, he said, "She was only shielding me. She was tired before I even started to fly out of the pitch...she must not have had the power to shield both of us when we left. That's why she was hit, she was protecting me."

"That is very likely," Madam Pomfrey said, in a bit softer tone. "From what I know, it's her job to protect you, so she was only doing what she was supposed to do. She saved your life Mister Potter, be thankful and just watch over her until she wakes."

Unable to answer due to the fact that he was thinking once again how everyone he cared about, or who tried to protect him got hurt or killed, Harry remained silent. "We need to get her upstairs and in bed now, she needs bed rest," the nurse said. When she noticed his sullen expression, she said, "It is still possible that when her body gains some of it's strength back, her healing ability will sense she is hurt and heal her, Mister Potter."

He looked at her for a moment and drew a small amount of hope from her words. When he saw that she was going to levitate Hermione up to the room, Harry said, "No. I mean, if it won't hurt her more, I'd like to carry her up."

The nurse gave him a small, sad smile and said, "Okay, Mister Potter. Just be careful and go slowly, and I will follow you up."

Walking over to her, he gently lifted Hermione and started to make his way slowly to the stairs. When he was halfway up, he looked down at her pale face and whispered, "I'm so sorry."

~A/N2> For those of you who caught it, yes I used Ancelin twice. You will find out why in coming chapters :) Thanks for reading!

~A/N> Sorry this is a couple days late. I was really sick last Friday and didn't have a chance to work on this chapter much. I finally felt up to it today and was able to finish it. Lots of info in this one, and a little fluff to hopefully tide you over. I'm going to try my hardest to post the next chapter on Saturday or Sunday, but this week I'm working on the next harmony podcast (#12) so I don't know if I'll get it done in time. Thanks for all the great reviews on chapter 10, and a BIG thank-you to nightmarezangel for pointing out a very big mistake that no one else seemed to catch (not even me :blushes: )...it has been fixed and I'm very grateful. I hope you enjoy this one, and there will be more H/Hr fluff in the next chapter :)

Hermione awoke floating amongst the clouds, having no idea where she was. She knew she should feel afraid, not knowing how she had gotten to this place or if it meant she was dead, but all she felt was peace. All around her was the harmonious sound of what seemed to be a chorus of angels singing; the melody was haunting, yet soothing. As she became fully conscious, she began to descend slowly until her bare feet landed on something hard. Looking around a bit more, the clouds seemed to thin out and the image of trees, green grass, and blue water came into view.

As she looked around, movement between two trees caught her attention and she watched as the blurred form started to transform into what looked to be a person with unrecognizable features. The closer the person came to her, the clearer her features became until a beautiful woman stood before her, smiling at her reassuringly.

"Welcome Hermione," the woman said in a soft, lilting voice.

"Thank you," Hermione replied, with a hint of confusion in her voice. "May I ask where 'here' is?"

"You may," the woman answered with a beautiful smile, one that Hermione noticed reached all the way to her eyes. "You are in Elysian."

"Elysian?", Hermione repeated. "I've never heard of such a place."

"I'm sure you haven't," stated another figure as it walked up to them.

Hermione watched as the features became clearer and she gasped and then whispered, "Mum?"

"Hello dear," her mum greeted before walking up and taking her into her arms, hugging her tightly.

"But why...am I dead?" Hermione asked, pulling back to look into her mother's eyes.

"No," answered the other woman. "Elysian is a place that's in-between, a place where certain magical spirits and Soul Guardians end up when they're unconscious or before they move on after death. It's a safe haven for your soul, so that evil can't reach you in your state."

"What 'state'?" Hermione asked, utterly confused.

"Right now on Earth, your body is lying in a bed, a mere shell. Your soul is here now so that there's no chance of the Shadocks getting to you," her mother explained. "Soul Guardians are most vulnerable when they're unconscious, and are easily possessed. Shadocks have taken over many an innocent's body and used it to wreak havoc, more so then when in their insubstantial states, and spread their evil. If they were to possess a Guardian, they would have access to all of your abilities, and it would be all they would need to finally shift the balance to their side so that evil reigned on Earth for the rest of time."

"So I'm unconscious right now?" Hermione asked, looking from the stranger to her mum.

"Yes," the stranger answered. "Your body is healing, and Harry is watching over you. He's growing up to be such a wonderful young man, I'm glad that you're his Guardian."

"Some job I'm doing," Hermione mumbled, feeling disappointed in herself. Looking to the stranger again, she studied her face more closely and when she focused in on her eyes, she gasped. "You're his mum...you're Lily Potter."

"Yes I am," Lily replied with a beautiful smile. "Do not doubt yourself, Hermione. You've only just started your Guardian duties, and already you've given Harry something he's never had."

"What would that be?" Hermione asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Someone that will stand beside him, no matter what," Lily said, her voice sounding a bit sad. "There's only one thing I regret about the night Voldemort killed me, and that's the fact that James and I left him alone. All he's known is my cruel sister and her brute of a husband. And my nephew...he's the worst of the two of them combined. Harry never deserved to be treated the way they treated him. If my sister would have just embraced her abilities, she wouldn't have turned out to be so spiteful and horrid."

"Her abilities? You mean she's magical as well?" Hermione asked.

"No," Lily answered. "She's a Soul Guardian, just like me."

~*~

Harry sat next to the bed where Hermione lay, still unconscious. Madam Pomfrey had left about thirty minutes before with strict orders to floo her the moment Hermione woke up. He really didn't know what to do with himself, or how to feel at the minute. He was worried about her to the point of being nauseous, but yet there was anger simmering just below the surface of that worry. Why didn't she shield herself? Why didn't she tell him how weak she was? At least that way he could have cast a shielding spell that would have helped out some. He felt as if she didn't trust in his magical abilities, whereas he trusted all of her powers and abilities implicitly.

Lost in his thoughts, he jumped when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder. Turning quickly in his chair, he found himself face-to-face with a very haggard looking Remus. "Alright there, Harry?" he asked in a tired voice.

"Yeah. You?" he replied, worried about him.

"Just a little tired," Remus answered, conjuring a chair next to Harry's. "Severus hit me with some dark curse that was pretty nasty, but Madam Pomfrey said I should be fine in a day or two. She also informed me as to Hermione's condition...seems all there is to do is wait and hope it doesn't take her long to wake."

"Yeah," Harry mumbled. "Hopefully it won`t take long."

"You seemed to have an annoyed look on your face when I walked in," Remus mentioned cautiously. "Anything you'd like to talk about?"

"No," Harry replied immediately as he turned away from Remus to look at Hermione once more. Feeling his frustration overwhelm his worry he asked, "Why didn't she protect herself?"

"Only Hermione can answer that question," Remus answered. "But I believe she was doing what she was supposed to do, and that was to protect you. Maybe something went wrong, or maybe she just wasn't powerful enough yet to shield the both of you. You'll just have to wait for her to wake up to find out."

"It's just...I-" Harry dropped his head into his hands and sighed loudly, deciding not to finish his sentence.

"You're worried about her because you care for her," Remus supplied knowingly as he clapped his hand onto Harry's shoulder. "There's nothing wrong with that."

"There is something wrong with that," Harry said angrily. "It's bad enough that she's been 'assigned' to protect me by some cruel twist of fate, but what if we happen to feel more for each other than what we're supposed to? That may be why she risked herself today, unnecessarily, and I don't want that."

"Harry, I..." Remus stopped talking, deciding now was not the time to tell Harry what he was going to tell him. He'd been through enough as it was, Remus felt that he didn't need the extra burden weighing him down even more. "Never mind."

Looking at him quizzically, Harry shrugged and turned his attention back to Hermione. When she moved just a bit, mumbling incoherently, a lock of her hair had fallen onto her face. Reaching out, Harry gently moved the lock back to it's place and a small smile formed as he realized how peaceful and beautiful she looked. As Harry relived the kiss they had shared just that morning, Remus cleared his throat and said, "I'll just be going down to the kitchen then, to make some dinner. Would you like something to eat?"

"Not right now, thanks," Harry answered, his gaze never leaving her face. He heard Remus sigh just before he turned to leave the room, and once the door closed leaving them alone, Harry picked up her hand to hold in his. Turning her hand over so that it was palm up, he saw the crescent moon on her wrist and bent down, pressing his lips to it. Suddenly feeling the need to be closer to her, he stood up and climbed onto the bed. Carefully laying behind her on top of the covers, he lay his head so that his nose was near her hair and he could smell her strawberry scented shampoo. Feeling immediately more at ease, he gently wrapped his arm around her waist and whispered, "Come back to me," right before giving in to the heaviness of his eyes as he fell asleep.

~*~

"Your sister, Harry's dreadful Aunt Petunia, is a Soul Guardian as well?" Hermione asked, looking at her mum when she admonished, "Hermione! That's rude."

"She speaks the truth," Lily said, with a sad expression on her beautiful face. "My sister was horrible to him, and looked the other way when her husband and son mistreated Harry. We found out when we were just little girls that we were Guardians, as was our mother, but when I turned out to be magical as well Petunia became jealous. She wanted to know why I was the one to get both magical and guardian abilities, when she only got one and she was the oldest. I guess she felt it was her birth right to be magical as well, and when it turned out she wasn't, she abandoned her Soul Guardian side. She became hateful, spiteful, and acted jealous all the time. The first time I brought James home to meet our family...it was awful. She had invited Vernon over on the same night, and when my parents paid more attention to James, it seemed to push her over the last edge of reason that she had left. She practically disowned us that night and a week later she and Vernon were married. She didn't even invite us to the ceremony."

"Then why ever would Headmaster Dumbledore leave Harry with her? He had to know what she was like...the way Harry speaks of him, he always seemed to know everything that was going on, whether in Hogwarts or out," Hermione asked, as warmth from her growing anger suffused her face, turning her cheeks pink and her eyes a cinnamon-brown colour.

"Because it was the only safe option for Harry at the time," Lily answered. "My sister could offer him blood protection since I sacrificed myself to save him that night. And if he didn't go to her, he would have ended up in an orphanage, and I shudder to think of how his upbringing would have been then. Voldemort grew up in an orphanage, and look at how he turned out...mad with power and no conscious to speak of whatsoever."

"But..." Hermione started, only to stop abruptly. Looking down at her right wrist, where the crescent moon scar was, she saw that it was glowing with a soft, golden light and felt warm. "How strange, my scar feels tingly and warm," she mumbled, placing her fingertip on it. After a moment she felt a pleasant warmth spread throughout her as her heart rate seemed to double. "What's happening to me?" she asked, sounding a little afraid.

"I think I know what's causing it...I'll be right back," Lily said, and then faded from their sight.

"We have the same mark," her mum said after Lily left, turning her right wrist over to show her daughter their identical markings. "It's not really a scar, but a mark that shows you're a Soul Guardian. It could be considered the same as a beauty mark, which many women have, but ours has a lot more meaning behind it and sets us apart from the others. When Lily gets back, maybe she'll show you her mark...it's actually a crescent moon like ours, but it has a star in the middle of it. Each mark is different for each family of Guardians."

Taking in her mothers explanation, Hermione could almost feel before she saw Lily's return. "It is as I thought," Lily said before questions could be asked. "Harry is with you right now, laying next to you. He has his arm wrapped around you in such a protective gesture, my heart warmed to see it. It's so innocent, and he looks so peaceful sleeping next to you. He reminds me so much of his father."

Hermione's cheeks felt hot from embarrassment as she felt her mother's intense gaze on her. "Is there something going on between you and Harry?"

"I-I truthfully don't know," she replied, not meeting her mum's or Lily's eyes. "Every time I'm around him, it seems like my body goes into sensory overload and it's hard to control." Clearing her throat nervously, she added, "And I'm confused because I don't know if these are my feelings that I'm experiencing, or if it's the Guardian/Charge bond between us. And even then, isn't it forbidden for a Guardian and her Charge to become romantically involved?"

"It used to be," Lily answered. "Thankfully my Grandma fought the Higher Powers so that she and my Grandpa could be together. My Grandmother was a force to be reckoned with, and when she wanted something she fought for it. Needless to say, she and my Grandpa were married and my mum was born. If it weren't for her, James and I wouldn't have been allowed to be together either."

"You were James Soul Guardian?" Hermione asked, surprised. "Poor Harry, there's so much he doesn't know about you or his Dad, and he deserves to know everything about his family history."

"Which is exactly why you're here," her mum said. "Thankfully I was able to give you the Duvall family Guardian notebook, but unfortunately..."

"Petunia never passed on our families notebook to Harry, like I asked her to," Lily finished. "She kept one for Dudley, while I wrote one for my future son or daughter. I always thought that I'd have a girl, but I knew that if I had a boy and he had a daughter of his own someday, there was a great chance that she would have Soul Guardian abilities as well. After I had Harry, I went to Petunia and asked her to keep the notebook for me, and that if anything ever happened to me, could she please pass it on to my children? She had promised me that she would, but I've been to the place I hid it, and it's still there. What I need is for you to convince Harry to go back to Petunia's house so that you can show him where the book is."

"And when am I supposed to convince him to go? He told me he never had to go back to that house again now that he's of age. It's not going to be easy to get him back there, let alone convince him to take me along."

"You've always been very convincing when you want to be," her mum said with a smile. "And if Harry feels the way we think he does for you, it shouldn't be very hard to get him to go back there."

"He needs it as soon as possible Hermione," Lily said. "Now that Severus has attacked Hogwarts, the time for Harry to battle Voldemort can't be far away and there are things in my notebook that may help him win the battle. There are also many things in there that will help you as you battle next to him."

"Okay," Hermione relented. "I don't know how yet, but I'll convince him to visit his Aunt's house. I just hope that he won't hold it against me in any way...it's not been easy winning over his trust and I'd hate to jeopardize that."

"If you're truthful with him about why you need to go, he won't be angry with you," Lily stated assuredly. "He's been lied to and kept in the dark about so many important things in his short life, what he values the most is the truth. Just give him that and the two of you should be fine."

Hermione smiled at her then, grateful that she'd gotten to talk to his mum. She realized now just how like her he was, and through the happiness came the sad knowledge that Harry had been deprived of his childhood with the wonderful woman that stood before her. Looking toward her own mum, she felt grateful for the years she got to spend with her. Walking up to her, Hermione wrapped her arms around her and hugged her, putting all her love and gratitude into it. "I love you so much, mum."

"I love you too, Hermione," her mum replied tearfully.

As they reluctantly separated, Hermione turned to Lily and said, "I'm so glad I got to talk to you. Your son is such an amazing person...I only wish he could have known you and his Dad more. I can only imagine how wonderful he would have turned out then with the two of you there to guide him this entire time."

"We have been guiding him," Lily replied. "He just never realized it. I'm just glad that you're there to help him now, and even though this will probably embarrass you, you're helping him to open his heart. My love is what saved him sixteen years ago, and I think that's going to be the key to him defeating Voldemort once and for all."

With her face aflame once more, Hermione shyly looked at Lily and said, "I will do everything I can to help him. You have my word."

"I know you will," Lily said, walking up to her. "Will you please tell him something for me?" When Hermione nodded she continued, "Will you please tell him how proud his Dad and I are of him, and that we will always be there for him no matter what? Oh, and pass this on to him too..." And surprising Hermione, Lily hugged her tightly and then whispered where she would find her notebook in Petunia's house. When they seperated, Lily's eyes shone brightly with tears as she whispered, "Please take care of my son."

With her eyes burning as well, Hermione fought off the tears that threatened and said, "I will, I promise."

"It's time for you to go back," her mum said, rubbing her arm comfortingly, the way she used to. "As much as I love having you here, it's not your time yet. Be strong, and remember that your dad and I love you very much. We're so proud of how strong you've been, and he wanted so badly to come with me, but he wasn't allowed."

"Please tell him I love and miss him too," Hermione said, swiping at her eyes. "Is he...is he doing okay? Did he accept my forgiveness?"

"He did," her mum answered. "I've always been proud of you, but the way you so easily forgave him for the way he treated you while you were growing up...I am so lucky to have you as my daughter."

"It is time," Lily said again with a sad smile. "Thank you for all that you're doing for Harry, Hermione. I know it's expected of you, but from what I've seen you care about him, and he feels the same about you. I know he's in good hands.There's just one more thing I ask of you, and that's to have faith and trust in his magic. He is powerful...more powerful than anyone knows...and all he needs is the chance to prove himself. Please, give him that chance."

Hermione sniffled and nodded in agreement, barely keeping the tears from falling from her eyes, when she felt herself falling suddenly. Feeling her heart rate soar, she looked around fearfully and watched as she fell down, down, finally hitting bottom. Opening her eyes, she looked around and realized that she was in a bed that was in a strange room. Looking to her left she saw Harry laying beside her, sound asleep with his arm wrapped around her waist, just as Lily had said. Smiling, she nestled down into the blankets and fell asleep once more, this time only experiencing happy, peaceful dreams as her body healed itself.

~A/N> Sorry this chapter took so long. The past two weeks were spent working on Harmony Podcast #12, which came out last Saturday. I've worked on this chapter all week and finally have it finished. There's a little cliffy at the end, but I'm going to work on the new chapter all weekend so that I can have it up next week. If you get a chance, please check out my website www.harmonypodcast.com and I've just recently become co-owner of another site, Witherwings, with Jordan, it's creator- www.witherwings.net . I hope you enjoy this chapter and until next week, happy reading! :D

When Harry awakened, he found himself staring into a pair of very bright brown eyes, both of which held a sparkle of mischief in them. "Good morning," she whispered.

"Morning?" he asked, looking toward the window where the shade was drawn, but the sunshine that shone on it brightened the room. "How long have you been awake?"

"I'd guess for about an hour now," she replied. "You looked so peaceful, I didn't have the heart to wake you."

"Well, you should have," he said, a bite to his words. "I've been worried about you, not to mention angry as hell."

"Why are you so upset with me?" she asked, looking at him as if he'd gone mad.

"Why?" he asked, disbelief replacing the bite his words held. "Maybe it was because you shielded me, and not yourself? Maybe it's because you willingly risked your life to protect mine...maybe..."

"Maybe you're being a git," she said, cutting him off. "I did what I was supposed to do Harry, I protected you."

"Did you ever think that I could have helped you?" he asked, his face confessing anger while his eyes spoke of relief and worry at the same time. "I am magical, and there is such a thing as a shielding spell. You haven't learned all the defensive spells yet, and you knew how weak you were, you could have asked if I could do something to help."

"You were doing something," she answered, feeling her anger growing from the small flicker of annoyance she had been feeling. "If I remember correctly, you were busy steering your broom and concentrating on getting us off Hogwarts grounds alive. I did what I felt was right, and I'm sorry if you don't agree with my actions, but there's no use arguing over them now. I'm fine, so can we not waste time arguing about it anymore?" She watched as he opened and closed his mouth a couple of times soundlessly, and then slumped back onto the bed, his head hitting the pillow. As he rubbed the sleep from his eyes and reached over to where his glasses had fallen when he had gone to sleep with them on, she said, "I wasn't just unconscious. I uh-wasn't even in my body apparently."

"What?!" he asked, rolling to face her. "What do you mean, you weren't here?"

"After that curse hit me and everything went black, I opened my eyes what seemed like only moments later, and found myself in this strange place. It was as if I was walking in the clouds, and for a minute I thought I was dead. Then a woman greeted me and said that I was in Elysian, a safe-haven for Soul Guardians and magical beings...a place where Shadocks couldn't possess my soul, which I didn't know was possible." She got quiet for a moment as she remembered the events and when Harry reached out and placed his hand over hers she said, "Harry, I saw my mum again...and yours. I spoke with Lily."

His hand slid from hers slowly as he studied her face and then leveled his gaze on hers. She couldn't help but be reminded of Lily as she stared into his intense emerald eyes, and before he could completely withdraw it, she reached out to take his hand this time. "You...You spoke to my mum?"

"Yes," she replied quietly, keeping her gaze locked on his. "She was in Elysian with my mum, to help me understand where I was and to explain a few very important things to me." Interlocking her fingers with his, she gently brushed her thumb back and forth on his as she revealed, "You've told me what a powerful witch she was, but there's something you don't know Harry...she was a Soul Guardian as well."

She felt it immediately, how his body tensed at her revelation. "What? But how...why wouldn't I know that? And wouldn't that make me one as well?"

"First, only women can be Guardians. I don't know why, but apparently there are many families of Soul Guardians and the Evans were one of them. Your Aunt Petunia is one as well, but like my mum, she refused to acknowledge that part of herself. She was jealous of your mum, not only for being both a Guardian and magical, but because she also had James. It seems that on the same day your aunt brought your uncle to meet her parents, your mum brought James over too. Your grandparents took to your dad immediately and ignored Vernon, which made your aunt angry and spiteful. There's an Evans family Soul Guardian notebook, just like the one my family passed down to me, that you were supposed to receive long before now. Your aunt, being the horrible person that she is, kept it from you to get back at your mum. She didn't even take into account how it could or would affect you, or that it would give you insight into your heritage, she just wanted to get revenge on her dead sister." Taking a deep, calming breath due to the fact that she could feel the waves of anger radiating from him, she confessed, "I know where to find the notebook...your mum told me. We need to go to your aunt's house and get it Harry, it's rightfully yours."

"I swore I'd never go back there," he said in a low, angry voice. "And going back now...I'm not sure I could guarantee that I wouldn't try to harm any of them for keeping this from me. If aunt Petunia knew about it, then I'm sure Vernon did too. It probably gave them such great satisfaction knowing that they were keeping something so important, something they knew would be valuable to me, hidden."

"I'll go with you," she said, letting go of his hand so that she could bring her hand up to his face. Caressing his cheek, she scooted closer to him so that his arm was under her neck and she said, "If you go there with the intention of hurting them, you'd be no better than they are, and I know what a wonderful person you are. Let me go with you so that I can be there to support you, and show them that you're not alone like they think...show them that you have someone who cares for you unconditionally. Let them know that you're not alone and that you have me."

"Do I have you?" he asked quietly, the insecure little boy in him showing through.

"Yes, you do," she replied, leaning her forehead against his. "If yesterday morning didn't prove that, I'm not sure what will."

"That could just be hormones, or the link that we share," he said, looking unsurely into her eyes.

"I don't think it is," she answered. "It's not something we have to rush into, we have time to see if it's real or not. But I think what I feel is real."

"Me too," he agreed, and then touched his lips to hers in a tender kiss.

Before they could seperate, the door to the room opened and a female voice said, "Wotcher Harry, how's...Oh."

Looking over at the pink haired witch that had walked in, Harry said, "Hello Tonks," as Hermione looked down at the bedspread, her cheeks aflame with embarrassment.

"I-well, I was just coming up to check on Hermione and see how you were. Remus had to go to Hogwarts this morning and asked if I would stay here with you. I um- I guess that you're feeling better Hermione?"

"Yes, I am, thank you," Hermione replied, never daring to look at Tonks.

Clearing his throat uncomfortably, he said, "I'll be down in a few minutes to make some breakfast for us, if you haven't eaten yet?"

"I have," Tonks replied. "But I can help you out if you like."

Thinking of how accident prone his friend, the Auror was, he replied, "Thanks, but I can handle it. I've had enough practice cooking for the Dursley's."

"Okay then, I'll see you downstairs in a bit. Nice to see you're feeling better Hermione."

"Thank you," Hermione said, daring a glance the other woman's way. Seeing the knowing smirk on her face, Hermione quickly turned back toward Harry, unable to meet his eyes either.

Nodding at her as she closed the door behind her, Harry waited until Tonks was gone before saying, "That was Remus's better half...they're due to be married after the war is over."

"Really?" Hermione replied, daring to look up at him. Seeing how dark his eyes had gotten, she said, "They seem like such an unlikely pair."

"What's that saying? 'Opposites attract'," he replied, smiling. "They're good for one another, and she takes care of him during his transformations every month."

"During the full moon," Hermione said. "Firenze told me that he was a werewolf and how he was once the Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts. He's very adept at defense spells, it's a shame he still doesn't teach it."

"There were too many students and parents that refused to have a werewolf as a teacher," Harry replied. "Their intolerance forced him out of a job he loved."

Both of them were quiet for a bit before Harry sat up and said, "Well, I had better go down and floo Madam Pomfrey so that she can come examine you. I promised that I would as soon as you were awake. Then I'm going to make some breakfast."

"Okay...I suppose I'll just lay here then and wait for her," Hermione replied, turning so that she could watch him make his way to the door. Wishing that he still lay next to her in bed, Hermione focused in on him after she had realized he had been saying something and asked, "What?"

Smiling at her knowingly he repeated, "I said, I'll see you down in the kitchen after Madam Pomfrey leaves, unless you'd like me to bring some breakfast up here to you?"

"I'll, uh, be down if Madam Pomfrey says it's okay for me to get out of bed," she replied, damning the picture of him back in bed with her as they ate breakfast together out of her head.

"Alright, see you in a bit," he said, making his way out of the room.

"Yeah," she mumbled as she sank back down under the covers, wishing that she could stop remembering how good it felt to have his arms wrapped around her.

~*~

After Madam Pomfrey examined her and found that her body had in fact completely healed itself, she was cleared to get out of bed and was told that she could return to Hogwarts that night. Making her way down to the kitchen, Hermione walked into the room to find Harry, Remus, and Tonks all happily talking and eating. A pang of longing hit her as she remembered breakfasts such as this with her parents. When Tonks looked toward her and saw the sad look on her face she asked, "Alright there, Hermione?"

Coming out of her thoughts, she looked up to find the three of them looking at her now, and she felt her cheeks warm under their worried expressions. "I'm fine," she replied quietly. "Just...remembering is all."

"Are you hungry?" Harry asked, getting up from the table to fetch a plate of food that was sitting on the hob. Taking the warming charm off of it, he set it down on the table in front of her as she sat in the empty seat across from where he sat.

Looking down at the food, she realized just how hungry she was and said, "I am, actually. Thank you, Harry."

"Not a problem," Harry replied with a warm smile.

As she began to eat the wonderful breakfast that Harry had made, she swallowed and said, "We need to go to your aunt's house this afternoon, before we return to Hogwarts."

"This afternoon?" Harry repeated, lowering the fork that had been on it's way to his mouth. "You didn't say we had to go today."

"I can't explain it, but I have this feeling that if we don't go retrieve your mother's Notebook today, it'll be gone when we go to get it."

Remus looked between Harry and Hermione and asked, "Lily had a notebook?"

Harry looked at him and replied, "Don't suppose that you knew that my mum and aunt Petunia were Soul Guardians?"

"I had no idea," Remus replied, looking surprised.

Hermione proceeded to fill him in on what had happened to her the day before, her conversation with her mum and Lily, and ended by saying, "And today Harry and I need to go to his aunt's house to get the Notebook before she gets rid of it."

"We'll go with you," Tonks stated, looking across the table to Remus, then back at Harry. "It's not safe for you to go by yourself."

With a sigh of resignation, Harry said, "Alright, we'll go today."

Taking the last bite of food, Hermione took a drink of her pumpkin juice and then got up from the table to put her plate in the sink. Turning to face them she said, "I'm just going to go shower and change, and then I'll be ready to go."

"I'll clean things up while you do that," Harry replied, walking over to the sink.

As he started washing them the muggle way Hermione walked up behind him and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Keeping myself busy while you get ready," he replied. "If I don't do something I'll just think about how I'm about to go see the three people I thought I'd never have to see again...the three people who hate me the most, after Voldemort that is."

As he spoke his voice got lower and took on an angry tone, and the next thing she knew the glass next to him on the sink shattered. Crying out, she ducked behind him, but not before a shard of glass shot toward her and cut her arm. Hissing at the pain, she covered the cut with her hand as Harry turned quickly to look at her. When he saw the trickle of blood that made it's way under her hand and down her arm he said, "Oh god Hermione, I'm so sorry."

"You didn't do it on purpose," she said soothingly, lifting her hand from the cut. Closing her eyes in concentration, Harry, Remus and Tonks watched as her palm glowed blue for a moment and the cut healed. Opening her eyes, she saw that they were all watching and said, "I've, uh, been practicing."

"I still hurt you," Harry said, angry with himself.

When he stalked off she tried to stop him, but Remus said, "It's best to just let him go for now. Why don't you go get ready, and I'll check on him shortly to make sure he's okay. He just needs to cool down a bit."

"Alright," she said, reluctantly making her way upstairs to get ready. If this was any indication of how the day was going to go, she was dreading it already.

~*~

Petunia Dursley put down the dish towel she was holding when she heard knocking on the front door. Wondering who it could be on a Sunday afternoon, she opened the front door and gasped when she saw her nephew standing on the front porch with a girl that was like Lily. Even though she didn't want to, she could see the yellow flares of color all around her signifying her as one of them, and she grabbed the door to steady herself as she suddenly felt very faint.

Hermione looked at the woman who opened the door and knew immediately that she was Mrs. Petunia Evans Dursley, Harry's aunt and a Soul Guardian. Even though it was very, very faint, her aura still had the same yellow flares as other Guardians, except for her's was tinged white around the edges. Noticing the look of fear and disgust that flashed in her eyes, Hermione glared at the woman and watched as she leaned heavily against the door.

"Aunt Petunia, are you okay?" Harry asked, his voice holding only a trace of concern.

"W-What are you doing here?" she asked, not answering his question. "You said you wouldn't be coming back."

"I didn't think I would be," he replied, narrowing his eyes at her and then Hermione watched as he visibly forced himself to relax and take a deep, calming breath. "May we come in, there's something I need to ask you about?"

Hermione watched as her eyes widened and then she turned to look behind her, toward the top of the stairs. "I don't think Vernon would want me to let you in."

"I'm not asking Vernon, I'm asking you if I can come in and speak to you about something important," Harry replied through clenched teeth.

Hermione reached out and took his hand, lacing her fingers through his, and squeezed lightly. When he looked at her, she gave him a calm smile and turned back to his aunt, who was staring at their joined hands. "Mrs. Dursley, we need to speak to you about Lily's Notebook."

Petunia gasped and Hermione swore that her eyes were going to pop out of her head at any moment. "H-How did you know about t-that?"

"If we could just come inside, I'd be happy to tell you. But I'm not going to stand outside your house like an unwelcome visitor and answer anymore of your questions," Hermione answered, glaring at the easily unlikable woman that stood before her.

Harry smiled down at her proudly as Petunia's mouth moved wordlessly while she glared at her. Finally she sighed and stood back, motioning for Harry and Hermione to come inside. He looked back at where Remus was hidden and knew that Tonks was across the street at Mrs. Figg's house, keeping watch as well. Waiting as Hermione entered first, Harry followed her inside and waited for his aunt to shut the door. He watched her as she stood by the door, unmoving, staring at the two of them while she fidgeted nervously. He couldn't remember ever seeing his aunt fidget before...it was a strange sight to behold.

"Could we sit down?" Hermione asked as she motioned toward the sofa.

"I think it'd be best if we go into the dining room and sit at the table," Petunia replied, making her way nervously down the hallway that led to the room.

Once the three of them were seated at the table, Hermione said, "Now, as I was saying before, I've recently found out that Harry's mother and your sister, Lily, was a Soul Guardian and that she kept a Notebook. I'm sure you've figured out by now that I'm a Guardian as well...even when you try to suppress your ability, you can still tell when someone is a Guardian. I've just recently found out that I'm a Guardian, and yesterday while unconscious, I found myself in Elysian." Hermione watched Petunia closely to see her reaction...to see just how much she knew about being a Soul Guardian...and when she saw a flicker of recognition in her eyes she knew that Petunia knew more than she let on. "Since you seem to know of Elysian, I won't go into it. While there, I spoke with my mum and met Lily, who came to tell me of her family's heritage and of the Notebook you were supposed to give Harry a long time ago. She's very disappointed in you, Petunia."

"It's Mrs. Dursley to you," Petunia said haughtily, as if Hermione wasn't good enough to use her first name, and Harry's grip on her hand suddenly became tighter.

"It's okay Harry," Hermione said, turning to him. "Your aunt's rudeness doesn't bother me, and you shouldn't let it bother you. She's only trying to cover up the fact that she's upset about your mum's disappointment in her. She cares more for Lily than she'll ever admit."

"How do you know that?" Harry asked quietly.

"My empathic abilities have been getting stronger lately, and your aunt's emotions are rolling off of her in waves, slamming into me," she replied, just as quietly. Harry gave her a small smile and turned back to his aunt, who was watching them closely, as if expecting them to attack her or something. "Now," Hermione started, "Would you please go get the Notebook? That way Harry and I can leave quickly...we all know that you don't want your husband to know we're here."

"Petunia?" came a bellowing call from above, causing Petunia to jump. She looked toward the door of the dining room fearfully as heavy footfalls were heard on the stairs. Hermione, knowing that both her husband and son were coming downstairs, let go of Harry's hand so that she could draw her wand from it's resting place inside her cloak pocket. She knew that they would not be happy to see Harry there, or her for that matter. She could sense the impending explosion that was soon to come from his uncle, and she hated the dread and loathing she could feel coming from Harry. Trying to block her empathic power so that her emotions didn't come into play if she had to cast any spells, she took a deep, calming breath as Vernon and Dudley Dursley appeared in the doorway.

The moment Vernon saw Harry, his face started to turn purple before he yelled, "What are you doing in my house, boy?! You were not to come back here again!"

When she saw him start to advance on Harry with a very violent look upon his face, she pointed her wand at him and said, "Imbellis." Doing the same to Dudley, she turned back to Petunia and said, "I think Vernon has hurt Harry enough over the years, don't you?"

"How dare you use magic in my home!" Petunia cried, looking at her unmoving husband and son. "What have you done to them?!"

"It's just a mild stasis spell," Hermione answered calmly. "That way we can continue talking without their loud interruptions and crude comments about Harry and myself. So, as I was saying before all the chaos, would you please go and get the Notebook that rightfully belongs to Harry?"

"Why should I?" Petunia spat angrily. "I don't believe that you spoke to Lily, and how do I know that you're not trying to get it for some devious plan of your own?"

"Now really Petunia, we all know that you don't believe that," came a calm, airy voice.

With her eyes wide and full of fear, Petunia turned to see the ghostly image of her sister Lily standing there and proceeded to faint dead away.

"Well, that didn't go very well, did it?" Lily asked, smiling at Hermione.

Hermione smiled back at her when suddenly Harry gasped next to her and asked, "Mum?"

~A/N> Finally, after re-writing it three times, here is chapter 13. I have to say a big thank-you to Poppywillow for all of the help she gave me in figuring out the direction this chapter needed to go. I plan to start working on the next chapter tonight so that hopefully I can post another update next weekend. I'll be working on the podcast this weekend though, so I'm not sure how much free time I'll have. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews so far, and if you like to watch H/Hr fan videos, I have fifteen that I've made on my youtube page if you'd like to watch them: http://www.youtube.com/user/Miscard and I also posted a new one-shot about a week ago that you can find here: http://fanfiction.portkey.org/story/6316. Thanks again for the reviews, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!! :)

Lily and Hermione both turned to look at Harry, who looked as if he would fall out of his chair at any moment. Standing up, he took a step forward and put his hand on the back of the chair next to him to steady himself. "Mum?" he asked again, his voice full of disbelief.

"You can see me?" she asked with a surprised look on her face. "But all those other times, the times when I wished so much that you could see and hear me but you couldn't, and now..."

"Now I can," he finished, walking slowly up to her. Stopping a few steps in front of her, Harry reached out toward her arm and was shocked when his fingers came in contact with Lily's arm. "I can feel you too?" Next thing he knew, his mum had her arms wrapped tightly around him, hugging him to her for dear life.

"I've waited so long to do this," she said with tears in her eyes.

"How is this possible?" Hermione asked, watching the scene play out with tears in her eyes as well.

"I don't know, and I don't care," Lily answered as Harry returned her hug. "All that matters is that I can actually feel him and he can feel me, and I'm hugging my little boy for the first time in sixteen years."

"I'm not so little anymore mum," Harry said, smiling as he lay his head on Lily's shoulder, enjoying the feel of being held by his mother. He had wished for this moment so many times over the years, when the Dursley's were being exceptionally abusive or when everything was going badly at Hogwarts, and he wanted to commit the moment to memory so that he could look back on it during the hard times he knew lay ahead.

"I know, and I wish so much that I could have been there for you during your childhood," Lily said with sadness in her voice. "Your dad and I have watched over you all these years, but we were unable to do anything when Petunia, Vernon and Dudley treated you so horribly. I'm so sorry."

"I understand mum," he said, patting her back awkwardly, hoping he sounded convincing. "Hagrid and Dumbledore, when he was still alive, told me about what happened that night. You don't have to explain anything, I know why you did it."

"But I don't think you do," she said, pulling back enough so that she could look him in the eyes. "That night, we didn't intend for your father to be there. Ancelin, my Soul Guardian, and I knew what Voldemort and Damien were planning. We had a plan to get you and your father out of the house; we knew he'd never leave if he knew what we were planning. We thought Voldemort was coming on October thirtieth, not the thirty-first, and we were taken by surprise that night when we were attacked. We had planned and trained so hard, but Ancelin and I were separated at the time Voldemort came into the house. I was upstairs putting you to bed while she was downstairs with James; just as I lay you in your crib, there was a huge blast that shook the entire house. Ancelin and your father did everything they could to keep Voldemort and Damien from coming upstairs, and I did everything I could to protect you, but it wasn't enough. The three of us were killed, and you were cursed with a dark scar that connected you to Voldemort all these years."

Harry's heart clenched at the sadness he saw in his mother's eyes and he said, "But there's no way you could've known, so please don't blame yourself. I know how terrible it feels to think you're responsible for such tragedies, and I don't want you to feel that way. It would have been nice to have you and dad around all these years, but I survived my time with the Dursley's."

"But you shouldn't have had to just survive," Lily said vehemently, looking angrily at her sister's still-unconscious form on the floor. "Petunia should have treated you as her own, but instead she took out all the jealousy she felt toward me and channeled it as anger toward you. I saw the way Vernon and Dudley hit you and pushed you around, I saw all the times they shut you in the cupboard under the stairs, and I hated that you had to suffer through that alone."

She got quiet as tears started running down her transparent cheeks, only noticeable because of the light in the kitchen glistening off of them. When Harry hugged her a little harder, she hugged him back and whispered, "I'm so, so sorry Harry. You don't deserve any of this."

"None of us deserve what we've had to go through," he replied, chancing a glance to where Hermione was standing. Tears were freely falling down her cheeks as well as she watched mother and son bond in a way they never really got too all those years ago.

Composing herself, Lily looked at Harry and said, "Why don't we wake my dear sister and give her a chance to redeem herself?"

Harry stepped away from his mum and drew his wand; pointing it at his aunt he said, "Ennervate."

Petunia's eyes opened slowly, and they all watched as the realization of what happened to her came back and she looked up at Lily. "It wasn't a bad dream," she whispered.

"No it wasn't," Lily replied. Glaring down at her, she said, "Now, would you please tell Harry where my Notebook is? This is your last chance Petunia, please don't let me down."

Petunia stared from Lily to Harry, and then turned her disgusted look on Hermione. "You're freaks, the whole lot of you," she spat as she not-so-gracefully got up from where she lay.

Suddenly, every light in the chandelier above the dining table started to explode, showering shards of glass over Hermione, Harry, and Petunia. Lily put a hand on Harry's shoulder and said, "Be calm Harry, you need to keep your magic under control."

Petunia screeched and ran from the room, escaping to the kitchen. As they watched her leave, Lily sighed and said, "Hermione, it's up to you and I to show Harry where my Notebook is."

Hermione nodded and pulled out her wand. Pointing it at Vernon first, she levitated his body into the dining room, against the wall where Petunia had just been standing. Next she levitated Dudley, and the moment she set him gently on the floor next to Vernon, Petunia ran in and started fussing over them. With the path now clear, Hermione led them from the room as Petunia started mumbling about magic being evil and once again calling them 'freaks'. Rolling her eyes, Hermione walked up to the door to the cupboard under the stairs, but when she went to open it Harry's hand shot out to grab her wrist.

"Don't," he said, his voice shaky.

Hermione and Lily stared at him, both of them noticing how pale he had suddenly become. Taking his hand in hers Hermione asked, "What is it Harry?"

"It's just that I...I haven't been in there since....well, since before I started Hogwarts," he replied quietly, squeezing her hand.

"But the Notebook is in there," Hermione explained quietly. "We need to go in and get it."

Hermione watched him, confused by his reluctance to enter the cupboard, when Lily floated up to them and put her hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Why don't you tell her Harry?" she whispered quietly, watching him with such a sad expression on her face that Hermione was suddenly filled with dread.

Harry stood quietly, and she could see that he was internally arguing with himself about whether he wanted to tell her or not. Turning to fully face him, she put her wand away and lifted her left hand up so that she was caressing his cheek. Completely shutting out the fact that Lily was there with them, Hermione stared deep into his eyes and said, "You can tell me anything Harry, I hope you know that. Whatever it is, if it's affected you this much, I want to help you through it. After what you did for me during my parent's funeral, I would do anything to help you, anything at all."

Realizing that this was something they needed to discuss privately if they were to strengthen their bond, Lily floated off to the dining room where her sister was still mumbling and fussing over her husband and son. "That-that.... girl better not have harmed my Vernon and Dudley or I'll see to it that she..."

"That she what?" Lily asked, an angry note of warning in her voice. "You're not going to do anything to Hermione Petunia. She's going to help Harry save the world from the most terrible evil this world has ever known so that you can go on with your small minded existance."

"S-save the world?" Petunia asked in a hushed tone.

"Yes," Lily replied, sounding tired. "There are many terrible things happening in the world right now because of one evil man that wants to become immortal, and the only way he can do that is to kill Harry. You see, Harry is the only one that can stop this evil, and Hermione is the one that will teach him how. So you see Petunia, there really are more important things than your precious husband and son, and the most important one has been in your care for most of his life. Too bad you treated him as if he was the most disgusting thing to ever walk this earth...all he ever wanted was to be loved, and you kept that from him just to spite me. I hope that haunts you for the rest of your life."

While Lily was speaking with Petunia, Hermione was trying to convince Harry to tell her why he seemed almost afraid of the cupboard. Realizing that Lily had left to speak to her sister, Hermione leaned over and gently placed her lips on his, hoping to reassure him of her feelings for him. She could feel him stiffen for a second and then he relaxed into the kiss, bringing his hands up to comb through her hair. After deepening the kiss, the two reluctantly pulled apart and Harry leaned his forehead against hers. Without opening his eyes he whispered, "They used to make me sleep in there, and kept me locked in there for days sometimes."

"What?" Hermione asked in a whisper, hoping that she had misheard him.

"They locked me in there and pretended I didn't exist," he said, a little louder.

"Oh God, Harry, I'm ..."

"Don't say you're sorry," he said, cutting her off. "You have no reason to be sorry, and I know that my aunt and uncle will never apologize for what they did to me. It's something that will haunt me for the rest of my life, but I try not to think about it, especially when I need to worry about fighting Voldemort more." Leaning in, he kissed her once more and said, "And ever since I met you, it's becoming a lot easier to forget about the bad things in my life. If I need to go into the cupboard, then I will, as long as you're by my side."

Hermione beamed at him, while at the same time her cheeks warmed at his words. Taking a step back, she reached out to undo the latch that kept the door to the cupboard closed, only to have Harry reach out and still her hand. "Do you mind if I do it?"

"Not at all," Hermoine replied proudly, knowing how much it pained him to do it, but glad that he was fighting his demons from the past. Lowering her hands, she watched as he unlatched it and swung the door open slowly, never once looking at her. When she saw just how small it was inside she gasped, utterly horrified that a human being could force a small child to spend days in such a dark, musty, mouse infested space. Taking a step inside, she had to bend over so that her head didn't hit the ceiling above her and took in the sparse furnishings. Besides a bed that looked to be very uncomfortable, the only other things she saw were some boxes of discarded junk that had been tossed inside, a small shelf that held a few broken toys on it, and a bare lightbulb hanging from above.

Feeling as if she were going to be sick, Hermione scanned the wall for the spot Lily had told her about, and suddenly she was standing next to her inside the cramped cupboard. "Just try to think about the wonderful young man he's become, and not about how terrible his childhood was," Lily said, placing a hand on Hermione's shoulder. "He has you now, and that's all that matters." While Hermione nodded, Lily pointed to a spot on the wall and said, "It's in there."

Waving her wand in front of the spot she was pointing to, Hermione said in a voice that barely sounded like her own, "Aperio." A small pinpoint of light suddenly shone through the wall and the three of them watched as the light started to move, forming an outline the shape of a square. Once it had reached it's initial starting point, the light died out and with a squelching sound, the square panel fell to the floor. Looking into the hole in the wall that had been revealed, Hermione reached inside and took out a notebook sized bundle that was wrapped in a maroon colored cloth.

Running her fingers over the dust covered cloth, Hermione looked at Lily and asked, "If it had to be removed by magic, how would Petunia know where it was hidden?"

"After I had given it to her to keep safe for Harry, she told me she'd put it here. See, when we were children, we used to have secret hiding places in our wardrobes where we would hide our most prized possessions. Well, after Petunia started acting so jealous and spiteful toward me, I apparated into the house one day when I knew they would be gone. When I found the spot in the wall where she had hidden it, I sealed it with a spell so that she couldn't ever get to it, should she decide to keep it for herself. I knew that I would have to find a way to come back to show Harry where it was, and thankfully by being a Soul Guardian, it was easier than I thought it would be" Lily explained. "If I had known she would force Harry to live in here the first eleven years of his life, I would have found a way to magically seal the entire cupboard forever."

Harry reached over and gently took the bundle from Hermoine's hands, looking at it with a bit of awe and sadness in his expression. "Can I look at it?" he asked. When Lily nodded, he carefully took the maroon cloth off of it and uncovered Lily's Notebook, along with a small maroon bag that had gold ties as a closure. Handing the cloth to Hermione, he picked up the bag and looked at his mother questioningly. "What's this?"

"Actually, I think Hermione should open that," Lily replied.

Harry handed the small bag to Hermione and watched as she carefully opened it. She gasped as she saw what was inside, and reached in to extract two gold chains with a pendant on each one. When she saw the pendant she looked to Lily who said, "What you're thinking is correct."

"What are they?" Harry asked, fingering one of the pendants as Hermione still held the chains. As he studied the pendant more closely, he saw that it was a sun with a lightening bolt through it, shaped exactly as his scar.

"The pendant is the Evan's family Guardian symbol," Hermione replied. "Like the scar of the crescent moon and star on my wrist that symbolizes the Duvall family Guardian symbol."

"They're very special," Lily said. "I had these made especially for your father and I. When I got them, I cast a very special charm on them. James and I wore them at all times, and if he was ever in any danger, all he had to do was grasp it in his hand and think his location. That way I could apparate to him immediately and help him. They have the strongest protection and locator charms possible on them, and if they fall into the hands of evil, they will stop working immediately. I want the two of you to have them, so that they can bind you two as well, and Hermione will always be able to find you if you need help."

"Or the other way around," Harry mumbled, earning a very nasty glare from Hermione.

Lily smiled as she watched the two of them. Hermione was trying to put the necklace she had on and was having a hard time with the clasp. Ever the gentleman, Harry moved behind her and said, "Here, let me do that." He took hold of the chain and Hermione let her hands drop, her eyes closing as his hands brushed across the back of her neck, causing a shiver to run down her spine.

Blushing furiously as she realized Lily had seen her reaction, Hermione looked at the floor until he finally got the necklace fastened. "Thank you," she said quietly.

"My pleasure," he replied with a smile. Fastening his on as well, he fingered the thick gold chain and looked at the pendant again. "I can't believe this was dad's."

Both Lily and Hermione picked up the small note of pride in his voice as he said it, and Lily beamed at him adoringly. Glancing at the clock, Lily looked back at them and said, "As much as I have loved speaking to you again, I think it's best that you return to Hogwarts now. You've been here too long already, and it's not safe."

"Right," Harry said, sighing. Turning to Lily he asked, "D'you suppose I'll ever get to see or speak to you again?"

"I don't know," she replied sadly. "I never thought I'd ever get to speak to you again, let alone hold you." She looked at him smiling with tears shining brightly in her eyes and opened her arms wide. Closing the distance between them in two steps, he walked into her embrace and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. Reaching up to stroke his hair, hair that was exactly like James', she whispered, "My sweet, sweet boy. I'm going to miss you so much more now that I've gotten to speak to you and know how it feels to have you hug me back."

"Me too," he replied, his voice quiet.

"I hate to interrupt, but I think we should be going," Hermione said, as a sudden tingle ran through her right wrist. Turning her hand over to reveal her scar, she saw that it was glowing faintly.

"That means trouble is coming," Lily said, dropping her arms from around Harry. "You must leave, now."

The two of them ran toward the front door with Lily floating right behind them. As Harry reached out to open it Petunia called, "What about Vernon and my Dudders?"

Hermione pointed her wand and with a word and a flick of her wand, they opened their eyes and stood up quickly. Turning angry glares toward them, Vernon and Dudley took one step forward before Lily floated into the room, an angry expression on her face. As all the color drained from their faces she admonished, "You two should be locked up for the terrible way you treated Harry. You're lucky I don't curse you right now."

"Y-You're a ghost...how can you do anything to us?" Vernon stuttered.

"You'd be surprised what I can do when someone threatens and mistreats my son," she replied angrily. "Now, if you take one more step toward him or Hermione, you will regret it!"

Her voice had risen with each word and left the three Dursleys trembling where they stood. When she floated back to the front door, none of them dared to move, let alone breathe too deeply. When she was back with Harry and Hermione, she hugged them both and said in a trembling voice, "Take care of each other. Your bond is strong, and you're going to need it when the time comes to face Voldemort." Turning once more to Harry she said, "And don't ever forget how much your father and I love you. We're always watching over you, even in the darkest of times, and we'll help as much as we can." And with that, she simply disappeared.

Looking longingly at where she had just been, Harry sighed and opened the door. Following Hermione out to the driveway, he took her hand and apparated them both back to the gates of Hogwarts castle.

Feeling emotionally and physically exhausted, Harry and Hermione made their way through the gates and walked up the path that led to the main doors of Hogwarts. Walking into the entry hall, Harry realized that they hadn't eaten anything since breakfast that morning and asked Hermione, "Do you want to go to the kitchen and get something to eat before we head up to the common room?"

"Sure," she replied offhandedly, deep in thought as she fingered the pendant that hung around her neck.

Harry watched her for a moment and then took hold of the twin pendant that hung around his neck, marveling at the fact that his dad had once worn it and that Hermione now had on the one his mum had worn. Walking up to the portrait at the entrance to the kitchens, Harry reached up and tickled the pear, causing the door to open. When Hermione saw what he did she asked, "Why did you do that?"

"It's the only way to get into the kitchens," he replied as he walked in. "Ron's older twin brothers, Fred and George, showed us how to do it." Looking around he spotted Dobby, the house elf he had freed from the Malfoy family in his second year, and called to him. When Dobby saw Harry he came rushing over to him, greeting him enthusiastically and offering his services excitedly. "It's nice to see you too Dobby," Harry said, smiling down at the happy elf. "I was just wondering if we could get something to eat since we sort of missed dinner tonight?"

"Oh, yes sir, Harry Potter sir," Dobby replied, rushing to gather together a bunch of food.

Hermoine watched, fascinated by how quickly he worked, and asked, "Friend of yours?"

"Yes actually," Harry replied, smiling at her. "Dobby is a house elf that used to belong to the Malfoy family, and making a very long story short, I helped to free him in my second year. Now he works here in the kitchens, and unlike other house elves, he gets paid for his services."

"That's wonderful," Hermione said. Then seeing how the other house elves were frowning at Dobby's behavior and giving Harry not-so-nice looks she asked, "Isn't it?"

"To Dobby it is, but to the rest of them, it goes against their nature," Harry explained. "They're here to serve, and they don't believe that they should get any pay or special treatment for what they do...it's just what is expected of them and what Dobby does casts shame on them, or at least that's what they think."

"Oh," Hermione said, trying to take it all in. "It seems complicated," she said. "But at least Dobby seems happy with the way things are."

"He's very happy, and very grateful for what I did," Harry replied, laughing as Dobby proved his point by walking up with a huge tray piled high with various foods and drink. "Dobby, could you send that up to the Head's common room for me?"

"Yes sir," Dobby replied, and with a snap of his fingers, the food disappeared. "Can Dobby do anything else for Harry Potter and Harry Potter's friend, sir?"

"No thank you, Dobby," Harry replied. Feeling bad about not visiting him more often, Harry said, "Why don't you come visit me tomorrow? I have some socks I think you might like."

"Thank you, Harry Potter," Dobby said, beaming up at him with adoration shining in his eyes.

As she and Harry walked out of the kitchen, Hermione turned to him smirking and asked, "He thinks the world of you and you're going to give him socks?"

"Yeah...that's part of that long story I said I'd tell you later," Harry replied, bumping shoulders with her as they both laughed. He had felt so light ever since seeing his mum, and he couldn't remember the last time he had felt so happy. Reaching over to take Hermione's hand in his he said, "Let's go up to my room and eat...I'm starving."

~*~

As they made their way up to the Head Boy and Girl quarters, Harry and Hermione were stopped by Ron (who was swaying back and forth as he waited for the portrait to open) as they passed by the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. " 'arry! Her...Her...Miny! Where the bloody hell have you two been?"

They both looked at him, able to smell the firewhiskey on his breath and Harry asked, "Ron, have you been drinking?"

Ron laughed and replied, "I'm right pissed mate, along with most of the other sixth and seventh year Gryffindors. It's Seamus's birthday today, and you know how the Irish are about their alcohol."

Hermione put a hand over her mouth to hide her smile as Harry looked at her and said, "Maybe we should check in on this little party? I mean, I am Head Boy and I really don't want another lecture from McGonagall about taking my responsibilities seriously."

"Sure," she replied, never having been to any party before in her life and unaware of the fact that they allowed them in the common rooms at Hogwarts.

As Harry took her hand again, which he had dropped when they had run into Ron, his friend looked down at their joined hands and asked, "What's this all about then?"

"Just...never mind Ron," Harry replied, pushing his friend in the direction of the door, immediately having to reach out to steady him afterwards. Shaking his head at just how inebriated his friend was, Harry followed him into the common room, his hand still holding tight to Hermione's. What they saw when they walked in made both of them stop abruptly and stare at the chaos around them.

Even though Ron had said only the sixth and seventh years were getting pissed, Harry noticed a few fourth and fifth years staggering around as well, singing the school song as loudly as possible and slurring almost every word of it. As he was taking in the couples in the corners who were snogging (was that Neville snogging Lavender?) Ron had stumbled up next to them, shoving drinks into their hands, causing the alcohol to spill onto their fingers. As Hermione shook off the drops of Firewhiskey, Ron followed Harry's stare and started laughing so hard that he doubled over. "Oh mate, I can't wait to take the mickey out of them for this tomorrow!" he wheezed, standing up again and slapping Harry on the back so hard he spilled even more of the Firewhiskey out of his cup.

"I doubt you'll even remember this tomorrow," Harry said, wondering if his mate had even heard him. When Ron staggered off after some sixth year blonde that was a friend of Ginny's he turned to Hermione and said, "He'd better hope no one tells Luna what he's been up to tonight."

"I won't be the one to tell her," Hermione said, watching as Harry downed what was left of the red liquid in his cup, "Some of the spells she's told me she knows sound pretty frightening. Besides, she's a Seer, he probably won't have to say a word, she'll know the minute she sees him tomorrow."

"Good point," Harry replied, smiling at her as he felt the Firewhiskey warm his insides.

Smiling back at him, Hermione drank her drink the same way he had, and the minute the Firewhiskey slid down her throat, her eyes started to water and she started to cough uncontrollably. 'Now I remember why I don't drink' she thought, gasping for air as Harry smacked her on the back. Finally able to breathe normally again she asked, "Why does everyone hit a person that's coughing on the back? It's doesn't help, it just hurts and makes it harder to stop!"

"Dunno," Harry replied, "I was just trying to be helpful and it was the first thing I thought to do."

As the two of them laughed at the silliness of it all, Seamus came staggering up to them and exclaimed, "Harry! Hermione! Good to see you!"

"Hey Seamus," Harry said, smiling at him. "Happy birthday!"

"Yeah, happy birthday Seamus," Hermione repeated and walked up to him to give him a hug. Just as she went to wrap her arms around his neck, he grabbed her waist, shifted her over a bit, and quickly put his lips on hers, shocking her. Harry, on the other hand, was standing behind them with his fists balled at his sides, trying very hard not to lunge at his housemate.

Finally prying her lips from his, Hermione shoved him away from her and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. Glaring at him she said, "Don't you ever do that again, or so help me you'll wake up the next morning a woman!"

Seamus watched as she pushed her way past him and turning to Harry he asked, "What's with her? I was just havin' a little fun, I mean, it's my birthday."

"Sod off, Seamus," Harry growled, following her across the common room. Just as he was about to catch up to her, Ginny appeared in front of him with a wicked little smile on her face and he mumbled, "Oh, bloody hell. What now?"

"Hi Harry," she practically purred, placing her hand on his chest possessively. "I'm so glad you're here, I was worried about you yesterday after the Quidditch match, and no one knew what had happened to you. Are you okay?"

"Well, I'm here now, and as you can see, I'm perfectly fine. Hermione took very good care of me," he replied tiredly as he removed her hand from his chest.

"I'm sure she did," she grumbled jealously. When he tried to walk past her she grabbed his arm and asked, "Where are you going? It's a party, aren't you going to stay and have some fun with me?" When he just glared at her she said, "You know, if you're not up for a big crowd, we could go back to your room and have some fun by ourselves..."

"What the hell are you on about?" he asked, shaking her hand off of his arm.

"Don't be daft," she replied, sidling up to him so that her body was practically flush against his. "Don't tell me you don't remember all those snogging sessions we had last year...I know you wanted me Harry, and you still do."

"You're mental, and your embarrassing yourself," he spat, pushing her away. "Why don't you go sober up and find someone else to torture?"

"Why? So you can go running to that bushy haired slag and make a fool out of yourself by fawning all over her?" she spat, anger flaring in her blue eyes. "There's nothing special about her, you git! You'll be sorry you chose her instead of me."

Barely hanging onto his temper, Harry grabbed Ginny by the upper arms and glaring into her eyes he spat, "Shut up and sober up before you say something you'll dearly regret." Letting go of her suddenly, he looked at her with disgust in his eyes and said, "You're not half the witch she is, and you never will be. You're just a little girl who's mad because she didn't get her way."

Ginny glared at him, her mouth opening and closing soundlessly, so angry that she didn't know what to say or do next. When he turned his back on her and started to make his way to where Hermione was standing, talking to Parvati, she started yelling any insult she could think of at him. Ignoring her, he walked up next to Hermione and put his hand on her back, leaving a very irate Ginny Weasley behind.

When Parvati walked away to try to pry Lavender off of Neville, Hermione turned to him and said, "It doesn't look like Ginny's very happy with you."

Harry chanced a glance in the direction she was looking and saw that Ginny was sitting on the sofa, sulking and throwing him angry glances any chance she could. "She'll get over it," he said, turning so that he was looking directly at her. Gently placing his hands on her upper arms, he gave her a smile that made her heart skip a beat and asked, "Ready to finally eat dinner?"

"Um-yeah...sure," she forced out, her mind conjuring up pictures of situations she had no right thinking about.

Taking her hand, Harry led her out of the Gryffindor common room. As they walked away, neither of them noticed how Seamus and Ginny watched them leave, each wearing identical looks of jealousy.

~*~

Harry walked up to the portrait and said the password, leading Hermione by the hand into the Head's common room. Looking around, Harry didn't see their food anywhere and said, "I'll be right back." Letting go of her hand, he ran up the stairs that led to his room and walked inside. Poking his head back out the door, he looked down at Hermoine and asked, "You wouldn't mind eating in my room, would you? Seems Dobby misunderstood where I meant for him to send our food."

"Sure," Hermione replied, slowly ascending the stairs up to his room. She remembered the last time she had been in there and her body flushed with warmth at the thought. Taking a deep breath as she reached the top, she walked into Harry's room and gasped at the sight before her. Dobby hadn't just sent the food up, he had set it up on a table, with candles floating above them casting a very dreamy glow about the room. It was such a romantic setting that Hermione's heart rate soared, and she was torn between wanting to stay to see what would happen and turning to flee before things between them went too far. Taking the decision out of her hands, Harry took her hand and led her over to the table. Stopping next to one of the chairs, he let go of her hand and pulled the chair out for her. As she sat he pushed the chair closer to the table, and when he walked around to his side, he let his hand caress the back of her neck, sending chills down her spine.

As they settled in and started eating, they both enjoyed a comfortable silence as they savored the meal Dobby had made. Hermione couldn't remember the last time she'd eaten a proper meal, and when her food was gone she wiped her mouth with her napkin and sighed, happily full. "That was wonderful," she said, smiling at him across the table.

"Dobby always takes good care of me," he replied, smiling back. Once he had taken his last bite, their plates disappeared with a faint 'pop' and in their place sat two smaller plates, each with a huge slice of chocolate cake on them.

"I don't think I can eat another bite," Hermione said, eyeing the delicious looking cake. Getting a little of the frosting on her fingertip, she tasted it and moaned at the rich chocolate flavor. As she withdrew her finger from her mouth, she felt Harry staring and looked up. He was staring at her finger, and then his eyes moved to her lips, watching as her tongue darted out to wet them. She didn't know what to make of the look in his eyes, or the funny feeling she suddenly had in her stomach, so she just sat there watching him as he watched her.

He had been ready to enjoy his dessert when it had appeared, until he noticed Hermione using her finger to take a taste of the frosting on her cake. The moment he saw her tongue curve around her finger to lick the frosting off, he forgot all about the cake in front of him and found himself thinking of an entirely different kind of dessert. And when she closed her eyes as she tasted the frosting and a low moan of appreciation escaped her, he had to draw on his willpower so he didn't dash around the table, take her in his arms and snog her senseless. As she looked up and they stared at one another, something in him gave way and the next thing he knew, he was kneeling on the floor next to her chair.

"Harry, wha...?"

She never got to finish her question, because his lips crashed down on hers in a frenzied kiss, and when his tongue explored her mouth he tasted the chocolate as well and moaned. Getting swept away by his fervor, she reached out and buried her hands in his hair, relishing the way it felt as her hands slid through it. As the kiss deepened, Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly to him, feeling that she still wasn't close enough. Getting to his feet rather clumsily since he kept his arms wrapped around her, he lifted her out of the chair and carried her over to his bed, making sure to lay her down on it as gently as he could.

When she felt her back hit the bed, she looked up into Harry's eyes as he hovered above her and she was instantly lost. He had no more of an idea of what they were doing than she did, just that he wanted to be with her in the same way she wanted him. Bending down once more, he kissed her hungrily, his hands roaming over her body at such a frenzied pace that her skin tingled in the wake of his touch. His mouth moved from her lips down to her throat, kissing and sucking along her jaw bone, down to the hollow of her throat. She closed her eyes as an intense heat erupted in her lower stomach, spreading to between her legs, and brought her hands up to bury them in his hair again. She could feel his hands slipping underneath her shirt as he continued his ministrations on her throat, and when his hands reached her bra-covered breasts, cupping them, she brought her hands up to still them as she opened her eyes.

He had stopped and she found him staring down at her, confusion in his eyes as he studied her face. "Harry...." she whispered, "What are we doing?"

"I uh-I thought we were..." he started, slowly trying to pull away.

Hermione kept her hands on his, where they lay on her chest, and she quietly said, "Please don't pull away. I-I just got a little scared...things were going so quickly..."

"I'm sorry," he whispered, laying his forehead down on her stomach, his breathing slowing a bit. "I just..."

Removing her hands from his, she stroked his hair affectionately, brushing his sweaty bangs back from his head and said, "Don't be sorry, I was enjoying it too." When he looked up, his chin now resting where his forehead had been, wearing a small smile she gently traced his scar with her finger and quietly added, "I'm just not ready for things to go that far."

Closing his eyes as her light touch sent tingles through the scar that had until now only caused him pain, he sighed and said, "I'm not either. I just got a little caught up and then things started to go rather quickly."

"I noticed," she replied with a smirk that caused him to smile. "What a weekend it's been, huh?"

"It has been a little crazy," he said, moving off of her. As she scooted up the bed so that she was laying on his pillow, he moved to lay next to her and added, "But then everything's been crazy since I met you."

They both laughed, laying face-to-face on Harry's pillow, full and relieved that things weren't awkward between them after what had just happened. Getting serious all of a sudden, she looked at him with a hint of doubt in her eyes and asked, "It's a good kind of crazy though, right?"

"The best kind there is," he said, reaching out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. She smiled at him then, the kind of smile that portrayed happiness and sadness at the same time, and he wondered what there was for her to be sad about. Putting his hand around her waist, he scooted closer to her on the bed and as he got comfortable she felt her eyelids droop, the days events finally catching up to her. She felt him kiss her forehead as her eyes closed and she fingered the pendant around her neck, thinking of Lily and James. The last thought she had before drifting off to sleep was that she planned to do whatever it was going to take to save his life when the time came. She swore not to let Lily's sacrifice be in vain, even if it meant sacrificing herself for him in the end.

~A/N> Here's this week's update :) My husband comes back from his five month deployment tomorrow morning, so I thought I would post this now. There will be another update next Friday for sure, the chapter is almost finished and just needs to be checked over. I'm (probably) taking the weekend off from all things HP, and on Monday I'm doing a special Harmony Podcast with Twitch, where we'll be discussing the remarks JKR made in NY. So, until next week, happy reading! :)

"Harry? Harry, get up or you'll miss brea...bloody hell!"

Ron had come bursting into Harry's room, convinced Harry had overslept, when he found his friend sound asleep on his bed with Hermione snuggled against him. As soon as Ron had opened the door they had awakened, their eyes wide as they stared at each other and realized they had slept together the entire night. Harry was the first to recover and quickly jumped off of the bed.

"Ron! Er, uh...this isn't what it looks like. We just laid down for a bit to talk and we fell asleep..." Harry lamely explained, embarrassed.

"You're both fully clothed, so why would I think anything happened?" Ron asked, quirking an eyebrow as he tried hard not to laugh at their obvious discomfort. "Unless you forgot that you're supposed to take your clothes off to shag?"

"Ron!!"

As they both yelled at him he held up his hands in defense, laughing, and said, "I'm going to go eat, I'll see the two of you down there...unless you get sidetracked."

Ron left, still laughing as both of them glared and Harry grabbed his pillow, throwing it at his friend's retreating back. "Git," Harry mumbled, rushing around to gather his clothes for the day.

"I'd better go get ready for classes," Hermione said, making her way to the doorway.

Smiling at her, Harry dropped his clothes on the bed and said, "I'll see you down at breakfast," while quickly giving her a hug.

"Okay," she replied, closing the door behind her, making her way down the stairs and out of the Head Boy and Girl quarters. Thankfully, she didn't run into anyone as she rushed back to her dorm, hurriedly dressing so that she could grab breakfast and get to her first class on time. Getting ready in record time, she practically ran through the common room and out of the portrait hole, almost running right into Harry. As they laughed at their near-collision, Harry took her hand and they started running toward the Great Hall.

When they walked in, there weren't very many students left at the tables, but those that were left turned to look at them as they walked in. Wondering why they were staring, Harry suddenly realized that he was still holding Hermione's hand and let go immediately. As he walked down the right side of the Gryffindor table to sit next to Ron, Hermione went to the left and sat across from Ron, quickly grabbing some toast and pumpkin juice. Listening as Ron and Harry talked about what had happened after the Quidditch match and their hasty exit, Hermione looked over as someone sat down next to her and stifled a groan as she came face-to-face with Ginny. Looking very hung over, Ginny started to put food on her plate and while pouring herself a glass of pumpkin juice she offhandedly said, "Parvati said you never returned to your dorm last night."

Choking on the bite of toast she had been trying to swallow, Hermione took a drink of her juice and glanced over at Harry, who was glaring at Ginny. As she looked around her, she noticed that almost every Gryffindor sitting around them had heard what had been said and Hermione's face felt very hot all of a sudden. When she saw Seamus staring at her in disbelief, she looked away quickly and mumbled, "Really Ginny, I don't see how that's any business of yours?"

"It is if you're shagging my boyfriend," Ginny spat, giving Hermione a look of utter hatred.

"Knock it off Gin," Ron warned quietly.

"Not until she tells me where she was," Ginny replied, continuing to stare Hermoine down.

"I'm not your boyfriend anymore Ginny," Harry cut in, slamming the fork he had been holding in his hand down onto the table. "I can spend time with Hermione if I want, and what we do is none of your business!" As he spoke the last word, Ginny's glass of juice shattered where it sat on the table, sending shards of glass and pumpkin juice flying in all directions. As everyone pulled out their wands to cast scourgifying spells, Harry looked at Hermione and said, "Let's go, you don't deserve to be treated like this."

As he stood up and started walking toward the doors, Seamus stood up from where he had been sitting next to Dean and said, "Always playing the hero, aren't you Potter?" Dean tugged on his robes, trying to get him to sit down and to stop him from trying to start a fight with Harry, but he was determined to show Hermione who the better wizard was. "You used Cho and Ginny, and when you were done with them you just moved on to the next lass that caught your eye, leaving them hurt and alone. I'm not going to let you do that to Hermione."

"You don't know what you're talking about Finnegan, now get out of my way," Harry warned quietly, staring angrily at his classmate. When Seamus didn't move, Harry went to walk around him, only to have Seamus put a hand on his chest and shove him back.

"Running away as usual?" Seamus challenged.

"Seamus, stop it!" Hermione admonished from the other side of the table, wary of the look in Harry's eyes.

"You deserve to be with someone who'll respect you, Hermione," Seamus replied, still glaring at Harry.

"And that's you?" Harry scoffed, glaring back. "You wouldn't know what to do with a woman, Seamus. To tell you the truth, the guys and I always thought you might be a bit of a poof."

As everyone around them started to laugh, Seamus's face turned bright red and he drew back his fist and punched Harry...or tried to, anyway. A shocked gasp arose throughout the Great Hall as everyone watched Harry stop Seamus's fist with his hand, mere inches from his face. All of a sudden it felt as if the magic in the room was being drawn to Harry, gathering around him in a bright white circle, and the air crackled around him. With the slightest of movements, Seamus went flying across the hall, his head and back slamming into the wall with a sickening sound before he slid to the floor unconscious. As a few students went running to tend to him, Hermione cried out in pain, causing Harry to snap out of the magical trance he had been in.

"Ow! Get it off! It burns!" Hermione yelled, undoing her tie and top button of her shirt and then yanking out the necklace that Lily had given her. The pendant was glowing a bright red, and when she opened up her shirt a little more, Harry could see where there was a burn in the shape of the pendant on her chest.

"Mister Potter! What is going on here?" Headmistress McGonagall asked shrilly as she walked up to him. As she assessed the situation, Seamus was staggering to his feet with Dean's help, and Hermione was still holding the pendant away from her skin, an expression of pain etched onto her face.

"Mr. Thomas, would you please escort Mr. Finnegan and Miss Granger to the Hospital Ward?" McGonagall asked. When Harry turned to her and opened his mouth to speak she held out a finger and said, "I want to speak to you in my office, Mr. Potter. Now."

Looking like a scolded puppy, Harry hung his head and made his way out of the Great Hall watching as Dean helped Seamus to the Hospital Ward, Hermione trailing after them. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned his head to see McGonagall walking behind him with a stern look on her face. "Let's go, Mister Potter," she ordered, steering him toward her office as he thought of how much he wanted to be with Hermione instead.

~*~

As Harry was being lectured about how Head Boy's aren't supposed to attack their fellow students, Hermione was being examined by Madame Pomfrey. She had tended to Seamus first since he had received a pretty hard blow to the head, and by the time she had gotten to Hermione, her burn was almost completely healed. The part that didn't heal was what stumped both the nurse and Hermione; an outline of a sun with a lightening bolt through it still remained, an angry red colour against her white skin.

"I don't understand," Madame Pomfrey said, passing her wand over the scorched skin. "You said you felt your healing powers heal the burn, right?"

"Yes," Hermione replied. "While I followed Dean and Seamus here, I could feel the skin tingling as it healed. But then once I got in here and checked it again, I found the outline from the pendant remained while the rest had completely healed."

"Does it still hurt?" the nurse asked, gently running her finger over the raised skin.

"No," she replied, a little uncomfortable that she was touching her. After a few more tests with her wand, Madame Pomfrey said she was free to go, and she quickly re-dressed. Wanting out of the Ward, Hermione walked out from behind the curtains to find Seamus waiting for her. Feeling a little disappointed that it wasn't Harry, she mustered the most sincere smile she could and asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Sore," he replied, rubbing the back of his head lightly. Reaching out to take her hand, he rubbed the back of it gently and asked, "But what about you? You seemed to be in a lot of pain too."

"I'm okay," she replied, touched by his concern. Before she could say anything else, the doors to the Ward swung open and Harry walked in. The moment he saw Seamus holding her hand, his eyes darkened as he glared at them, and Hermione could feel the same magical draw she felt in the Great Hall. "Harry, no!"

But she was too late...Harry, with just a wave of his hand, had sent Seamus flying again. At the same time, she could feel the pendant burning again, except that thankfully this time it was resting against her shirt instead of her skin. As Madame Pomfrey bustled out of her office to check on Seamus, Hermione marched up to Harry and yelled, "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Getting that git away from you," he replied, breathing heavily.

"Who said that I didn't want him around me?" she asked angrily. When Harry's eyes widened in surprise, she said, "I'm your Guardian Harry, I'm here to protect you, but that doesn't mean that I belong to you. I can talk to or see anyone else that I want."

"But I thought..." he started, only to have her cut him off.

"You need to learn to control your anger Harry, because it may not effect you, but you're hurting others when you lose control like that," she admonished. Unbuttoning her shirt, she opened it just a little so that he could see the burn on her chest. "This is what happened when you lost control in the Great Hall; your anger was channeled through the pendants to me and it burned my skin. It's not healing, Harry. And just now, when it happened again, I could feel the pendant burning just like before. The only reason I didn't get burned again is because I had it outside my shirt, instead of hidden underneath it, or you would have hurt me even more."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Harry replied, reaching out toward the red, burned skin that was in the shape of the sun and lightening symbol on the pendant. Taking a step backwards so that he couldn't touch her, she glared at him and then closed her shirt once more.

"I think you should go," she said, staring him straight in the eyes with a look that would haunt his nightmares that night.

"Hermione..."

"I'll talk to you later, Harry. Right now, I need to check on Seamus."

Turning quickly on her heel, she walked toward the back of the ward where Madame Pomfrey was once again tending to Seamus, leaving a very angry and confused Harry behind.

When Seamus looked up and saw that Hermione was walking toward him, he looked past her to where Harry stood and smirked at him, silently rubbing in the fact that she was staying with him instead of fawning over the-boy-who-lived.

Harry's anger was so great that he was visibly shaking from the energy it took to suppress the temptation to curse Seamus from here to hell and back. Unable to stand the smug look on the wanker's face any longer, he turned and stormed from the Ward, slamming through the doors so hard that the glass in their windows shattered from the force.

"Tsk, tsk," Madame Pomfrey said, casting a quick 'Reparo'. "That boy's temper is going to get him into real trouble one day."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Hermione mumbled, staring at the doors, but the only thing she could see was the hurt look Harry was wearing when he had stormed out of the Ward.

~*~

After declaring Seamus still healthy enough to leave, Madame Pomfrey gave both he and Hermione strict orders to come back to see her if either experienced any new symptoms and sent them on their way. As they made their way back to the Gryffindor common room, Seamus said, "I hope that I didn't cause any trouble between you and Harry, I just don't want him to hurt you again."

Not buying his excuse, but seeing that he sincerely cared for her well-being she replied, "He didn't intentionally hurt me Seamus, and the trouble between us was from something different."

"Oh, so are you and Harry a couple then?" When Hermione gave him a weary look he quickly added, "Sorry, that's none of my business."

"It's alright," she replied, giving him a small smile, hoping it hid her true feelings. If she were truthful with herself, she would admit that she had absolutely no idea what her relationship with Harry was. Answering truthfully she added, "And no, we're not a couple."

Saying the password as they approached the portrait of the Fat Lady, she walked into the common room, which was pretty full since it was still lunchtime. As she started to make her way toward the stairs, Seamus put a hand on her shoulder to stop her. When she turned to look at him, he wore a nervous expression and she asked, "Seamus, what is it?"

"I was um-just wondering if you would go to the Halloween Ball with me?" he asked, sounding as nervous as he looked.

"Halloween Ball?" she asked.

"It's the Ball held at Hogwarts every year on Halloween. It's pretty big...fourth through seventh years are allowed to attend, and if you don't already have a date, I was wondering if you'd go with me?"

Hermione stared at him for a moment before saying, "I didn't know about it...that's in twelve days, right?" When he nodded, a hopeful look on his face, she answered, "Sure, I'll go with you," silently thinking, 'Since no one else has asked me to go.' If Harry had wanted to go with her, wouldn't he have asked her the night before, when he had the perfect opportunity?

"Great! We'll talk more about it later," he said, smiling happily at her. Trying her hardest to give him a sincere smile, she was surprised when he leaned in and quickly kissed her on the cheek. As he made his way up to his dorm, she stood rooted to the spot, wondering what she had just gotten herself into. There was even a small part of her that wondered how Harry would react when he found out.

Unfortunately, she found out a lot sooner than she thought she would. Turning to go up to her dorm, she stopped in mid-turn as she saw Ron, Ginny, Dean and Harry sitting on the sofa and chairs in front of the fireplace. All of them sat staring at her until Ron said, "Well, we'd best get going if we're going to get to Defense Against the Dark Arts on time."

He, Dean, and Harry all stood up, grabbing their book bags, and made their way to the portrait hole. As he passed by her, Harry paused and wearing a look that was a mixture of hurt and anger he quietly said, "I'm glad you're okay."

Before she could respond, he rushed after Ron and Dean, leaving her feeling bad for not speaking to him before giving Seamus her answer. She knew she didn't have any obligations to Harry, but something deep down inside of her was telling her that what she did was wrong. Sighing, she climbed the stairs to her dorm, missing the hopeful, triumphant look on Ginny's face as she realized that this was her chance to get Harry back.

Please Read ~A/N> You know, I finished this chapter up last night, and I was going to save it until next week so you'd have a weekly update, but since some of you doubt my writing style, I thought I'd post this today. Just don't be expecting an update next week...if I get the next chapter done I'll post it. If not, it should be up the following week. My husband is coming home, and I plan to spend all the time I can with him. And to those of you that compared me with Twitch E. Littleferret...even though she's a friend of mine and one hell of a writer, the comparison is completely unfair. I've been writing H/Hr fanfic now for over two years, and if you were one of my loyal readers, you'd know that I put H/Hr through utter and complete hell in some of my other stories. Just because there's one bad chapter doesn't mean that I'm going to revert to doing the same thing throughout the entire story. I have my own, unique writing style that I am damn proud of. This story has a very complex story line, and no one falls in love and never goes through any rough patches. Ever. Love is something that has to be worked for and nurtured...if you want lust and passing fancy, this isn't the story for you. To those of you that read my fics faithfully and believed in my faith in our couple, thank you. And the Ball promises to be very...interesting indeed. Now, I'm off to go get my husband! Happy reading :)

The rest of Hermione's Monday was pure hell. Not only had she been ignored by Harry, Ron, and Dean in the rest of their classes that day, but at dinner they had been downright rude. She had sat next to Ron, hoping to talk to him about what had happened, when he had gotten up and moved to sit next to Luna at the Ravenclaw table. When Lavender and Parvati had seen what happened, they had come to sit by her immediately, hoping that she would tell them the sordid tale of why the guys were mad at her. And when Harry had walked in, she had tried to get him to talk to her, but Seamus had walked up at that time and sat down next to her. Giving up, she had told Seamus that she needed to lay down for a while before her private lessons that night and left, her head hung low.

After going up to her room, she closed the curtains around her bed and had a good cry, letting out everything she'd been feeling since before the Quidditch match two days ago. Things had seemed to be going so well with Harry, where had everything gone wrong? Then she thought back to the events of the morning...waking up in Harry's arms, Ginny's confrontational manner, Seamus upsetting Harry the way he had...if she didn't know any better, she'd think that Ginny and Seamus planned the outburst this morning, but they wouldn't do that...would they?

Looking at her watch, she realized it was time to meet Firenze in his classroom for her lesson. Changing into comfortable clothes, she grabbed her wand from her bedside table and made her way down to the common room. As soon as she stepped off the last stair, Seamus walked up to her and asked, "Where ya goin'?"

"To my lesson," she replied, feeling annoyed with the attention he was showing her all of a sudden. Looking around the room as inconspicuously as she could, she didn't see Harry anywhere and stifled a sigh of disappointment; would she ever get the chance to explain herself? "See you later," she said off-handedly to Seamus, who stood watching her leave with a strange look on his face, unnoticed by everyone but Ron.

Watching as Hermione walked through the portrait hole and out of sight, Ron walked up to Seamus and asked, "What are you up to, Finnegan?"

"What do you mean? I'm not up to anything," he replied quickly, giving Ron a guarded look.

"You'd better not be, because if you do anything to hurt Harry or Hermione, I'll curse you into next week."

Seamus stared at him for a moment before shoving by him, walking over to where Dean was sitting. Ron stared after him, wondering if he had ulterior motives for asking Hermione to the Ball. He had always been a little jealous of Harry...was this his way of getting back at him?

~*~

Hermione walked into Firenze's room, her shoulders slumped from the weight she felt she was carrying. Sitting in one of the chairs, she waited for Firenze to join her, and was surprised to see Remus walk into the room with him. She was even more shocked to see Harry walking behind them, looking everywhere around the room but at her.

"Hello Hermione," Remus greeted, smiling at her.

"Ready for your lesson Miss Granger?" Firenze asked. When she looked at him, she could see in his eyes that he knew she was troubled.

"Hi Remus," she replied, trying her best to smile back. Turning to Firenze she said, "I'm ready, but why is Harry here?"

"You didn't tell her you would be here tonight?" Remus asked, looking at Harry, confused.

"She's been a little busy with Seamus Finnegan lately. I didn't have the chance," Harry snapped, dropping into the chair next to him.

"Seamus Finnegan? What does he have to do with this?" Remus asked, looking from Harry to Hermione.

"Harry's upset that I agreed to go to the Halloween Ball with Seamus, and he's been pouting about it all day," Hermione replied, shooting a dirty look Harry's way.

"I'm not pouting!" Harry yelled, standing up quickly and walking up to her. "After last night and this morning, I guess I thought things were different. I suppose I misconstrued the things you said, stupid me."

"Maybe if you would have asked me first, I wouldn't be going with him!"

"Maybe I was going to ask you last night and got a little sidetracked!"

"Maybe if you hadn't attacked him, I wouldn't have said yes!"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

"Wait a minute!" Remus yelled, stopping their arguement. "Harry, you attacked Seamus?"

As the two of them stood glaring at one another, breathing heavily after their shouting match, Harry turned to look at Remus and replied, "It wasn't on purpose, he was trying to start a fight and I ended it."

"Well, I guess if a bloke is going to ask the girl you were going to ask to the ball, the best way to stop him is to attack him," Remus said sarcastically. "Honestly Harry, that's something I would expect Sirius to do, but not you."

Harry stared at him in disbelief, thrown off by the sarcastic tone of his voice. "But, I was just...he was..."

"Yes Harry, I know. You were only doing what you thought was right," Remus said, cutting him off. "It's what you always do...you just never think it through completely before you act. You let your emotions control you, and if you don't learn to control them instead, it may just be your downfall."

Harry stared at him, feeling as if he'd just received the worst scolding of his life, when really Remus was just telling him the cold, hard truth. "You're right," Harry replied slowly, realization dawning on his face.

"I don't mean you should shut yourself down emotionally," Remus added, not wanting Harry to close himself off completely. He would need his emotions to defeat Voldemort, but he also needed to learn to control them or else Voldemort would take advantage of Harry's weaknesses and kill him before Harry had a chance to even cast a spell.

"And you, Miss Granger, will need to help him keep that control," Firenze added quietly, bringing her out of the thoughts she'd been lost in. "You will be by his side, and your job will be to keep him calm during the battle so that he can use all of his magical abilities to defeat Voldemort. You musn't cause him more emotional confusion, because if you do, it could bring about his death."

Hermione closed her eyes tightly as a vision of Harry being killed by Voldemort played out in her mind, over and over again, until she felt like she would scream. As her eyes burned hot from unshed tears, she lay her head on her arms to hide them, willing them away until later when she was alone in her bed. She could hear Remus and Firenze talking to one another queitly, and she knew they were discussing whether to postpone the night's lesson. As they talked, Harry walked up next to her and lightly putting his hand on her shoulder he asked, "Are you okay?"

'I'm fine," she replied, sniffling and not looking at him.

He was quiet for a little bit, leaving his hand on her shoulder, and she found his touch very comforting. She heard him take a deep breath right before he quietly said, "I'm sorry I attacked Seamus the way I did today. It wasn't right, and I acted like a jealous git. I'm sorry."

The tears did come them, hot torrents that burned her eyes as they fell. She lifted her head to look at him, and saw that his eyes shone with sincerity and apology. Without thinking, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him fiercely, wishing that she could somehow go back in time and redo this whole day again.

As she hugged him, he wrapped his arms around her tightly and hugged her back, closing his eyes at how wonderful it felt. After sleeping next to her last night, being away from her the entire day was torture; everytime he was near her all he wanted to do was touch her, or hold her, and the fact that he couldn't was hell. He had let his emotions rule his actions all day long, and instead of being as close as they had been that morning, they were almost back to acting the way they had the first day they had met. Hugging her tighter, he kissed the side of her head and whispered, "I'm so sorry," in her ear. He could feel her body shaking from the sobs she was trying to keep in, and he started to rub her back, hoping it would comfort her.

Remus cleared his throat, causing them to seperate, but Harry still kept his hand on her back. "Firenze and I have discussed it, and we both agree that we should reschedule this lesson for Wednesday night."

"I have Quidditch practice tomorrow, so that'll be alright," Harry said.

Hermione wiped the tears from her cheeks and in a voice raspy from crying she said, "That'd be better. I don't think I'd be able to concentrate tonight."

"No, I don't think you could either," Firenze agreed. "Hermione, I need to speak with you for a moment, alone."

"Harry, why don't we go into the hallway and wait for Hermione?" Remus asked, giving him a pointed look.

"Alright," Harry said, looking from him to Hermione. "I'll wait for you outside."

"Okay," she replied, giving him a slight smile. As she watched them until they left the room, she turned back to Firenze and asked, "What has you so concerned?"

"Your abilities are becoming stronger, that is good," Firenze replied. "But I don't think that a relationship between Mr. Potter and yourself is a good idea. It's effecting both of your emotional states, and that can be dangerous."

"Harry and I have become close," Hermione replied. "So close that I am almost completely emotionally connected with him. Isn't that what I was supposed to do? That way I will always know how he's feeling and how his emotions affect his actions?"

"Yes, but Mr. Potter is becoming very...fond of you."

"Firenze, after the weekend we just experienced together, I can truthfully say that I am very fond of him, too." When he looked at her quizzically she confessed, "I spoke to Lily this weekend, along with my mum again when I was in Elysian, after I was hit with the curse Saturday. She admitted to me that she was also a Soul Guardian...James' Soul Guardian. She told me everything that happened the night she, James, and Ancelin were killed, and she led Harry and I to her Notebook. We went to Harry's aunt's house to get the Notebook, and Lily was there. Firenze, Harry got to talk to her, to hug her, and he got to finally say goodbye. This is a step in the right direction, now we just need to read Lily's Notebook to see if there's anything in it to help us defeat Voldemort and Damien."

After a few moments silence, in which Firenze contemplated everything she had just told him, he asked, "If the two of you share such a fondness, what happened today to cause a rift between you?"

"This morning at breakfast, Ginny Weasley brought up something that started trouble. When Harry and I tried to leave before the situation escalated, Seamus misguidedly confronted Harry. His protective instinct kicked in, as did his wandless magic. But, there was something else...there was a darkness about him that scared me."

"A darkness?"

"I've seen it before, in another student here. I think I may know what is causing it." When Firenze just looked at her, she cleared her throat and said, "While reading 'Hogwarts: A History', I read that during Harry's second year here, a ghost of Voldemort's memory as Tom Riddle possessed Ginny. The first time I saw her, she had a greyness around her aura. It wasn't a lot of grey, just a thin band, but it was present none the less." Taking a deep breath, she looked from Firenze to the window just over his shoulder, shrouded in darkness and admitted, "Today, both times he confronted Seamus, the grey appeared in his aura as well. But it's not permanent like Ginny's is, it comes and goes." When she became quiet, he calmly waited for her to continue, knowing what she was going to say next was very upsetting to her. "I think," she started slowly, "that they each have a small piece of Voldemort in them. With Ginny, she has a bit of a dark side to her already, so that piece of him inside of her feeds off of it. With Harry, there is no darkness, his soul is pure...except when someone threatens something or someone he cares about. That gives that part of Voldemort inside of him a small window to take over, and it let's the darkness out to play, so to speak."

"So what everyone suspected about his scar is true?" Firenze mused. "That night, instead of killing him, Voldemort put a small part of himself inside of Harry."

"And now, I have to find a way to get that part of Voldemort out of him," Hermione replied. "Otherwise, if he defeats Voldemort in battle, he'll die anyway since that part inside of him is tied to Voldemort's life force. I'm just hoping that Lily's Notebook has something in it that will help me find the answer to saving Harry's life."

"You must trust in your abilities to save Mister Potter, Hermione. Hope is an empty ambition that leads to falsities that will only hurt us all in the end...most of all, you."

~*~

After her crying spell while talking to Harry, and then her talk with Firenze, Hermione was emotionally and physically exhausted. She walked out into the hallway and found Harry and Remus immersed in what seemed to be a very serious discussion. Harry looked up at her and asked, "Oh...ready to go then?"

"Yeah," she replied, noticing the strange look on Remus's face, one that was mirrored on Harry's. "Is everything okay?"

"Just fine," Remus replied, smiling at her. "I'll see you two Wednesday night, and hopefully we can get some training done."

"I'm sorry about tonight," she said, feeling terrible that she'd lost control the way she had.

"I understand, Hermione," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Everyone has bad days...I have at least one every month that I know is coming."

Thinking about how terrible his transformations must be on him every month, Hermione looked at him sympathetically and said, "You're right. Hopefully tomorrow will be better."

Remus looked at Harry then, the two of them sharing that look again, and looking back at her he replied, "I hope so too. Goodnight you two."

"Good night," they both replied in unison.

As they started walking down the corridor toward the Gryffindor common room, Harry took her hand in his and asked, "Could we take a walk outside? There's something I think we need to talk about."

"Sure," she replied as an uneasiness settled into her stomach. Concentrating on him, she saw his aura appear and she stifled her gasp as she saw that the greyness was back. Closing her eyes, she willed it away and when she opened them again, it was thankfully gone. Knowing that whatever they were going to discuss would not be good, she let him lead her outside as her mind wandered to what it could possibly be.

Harry led her down to the lake, the two of them walking around it slowly, and after clearing his throat nervously he said, "I know that I upset you today with the way I reacted to Seamus, and I want to tell you again how sorry I am." When she opened her mouth to say something he stopped her by saying, "Please just hear me out first, before you say anything." She nodded her head and squeezing his hand a little harder, she walked next to him, waiting for him to continue as the knot of dread in her stomach grew. "After everything that happened last night, and waking up to you this morning, I thought that we had grown as close as two people could...I thought that I had finally found someone who would want to be with me for who I was. So when I walked into the Hospital Ward this morning and found Seamus holding your hand, the two of you standing so close together...I felt sick." Focusing again, Hermione saw that the darkness around Harry was growing and she unconsciously tightened her hand on his again, knowing for sure now that whatever he was going to tell her was terrible. "Hermione, after I stormed out of the Ward, I ran into Ginny. I still don't know what possessed me to do it, but I asked her to go to the Ball with me."

"Is that all?" Hermione asked, letting a breath out that she hadn't realized she had been holding.

"Is that all?!!" Harry replied, letting go of her hand. He stood there, staring angrily at her and then said, "So you don't care that I'm going with Ginny to the Ball? It doesn't affect you at all? When I found out you were going with Seamus, I wanted to kill him!"

"Harry, I'm so sorry," she replied quickly. Taking hold of his hand again, she waited for him to look at her before saying, "Of course I'm upset that you're going with Ginny, but I agreed to go with Seamus first, and I don't expect you to just go alone. Now that I think about it, I'm a little angry and upset, but you did it out of anger and spite. Didn't you?"

Harry just stared at her for a minute, making her a little uncomfortable with his scrutiny, and the next thing she knew he buried his hands in her hair and kissed her. The kiss stole her breath away; he was putting all of his feelings for her into it, and the intensity of it made her knees go weak. When he pulled away, he kept his hands in her hair and stayed so close that their noses were almost touching. Looking into her eyes again, he said, "I asked her because I was angry and wanted to hurt you as badly as you hurt me. You don't know how much I regret it now."

"I think I might, actually," she replied, sounding a bit breathless. During the kiss, she had tapped into her empathic abilities and the feelings that she felt coming from him made her want to cry. It also made her want to run to Seamus and tell him she couldn't go to the Ball with him...but it was too late for that now. They each had dates, and it wouldn't be fair to break them off because of something they had both done out of spite and anger. They would have to go with the ones they agreed to go with, and spend the night apart, agonizing at seeing the one they cared so much about in the arms of another.

"Would you come back to my room with me?" Harry asked. Hermione could feel her eyes widen at his question and he quickly added, "I meant so that we could finally read my mother's Notebook. Sorry, that came out wrong."

She laughed then, feeling all the angst and drama from the day drain out of her finally. "That sounds like a good idea." As they made their way back to the castle, hand-in-hand again, Hermione looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes and said, "I was going to take you up on your first offer anyway."

~A/N> For those of you that have e-mailed me wanting to know more about the Notebooks, this chapter has a few entries from Lily's and there will be more from Hermione's in later chapters. The Halloween Ball will start in the next chapter, and will probably conclude in chapter 19. After that, there's still a lot more story to go. There's much more to come with this storyline, and more that Harry and Hermione need to discover about their families, and each other. You may wonder why I'm telling you all of this...well, I'm just letting you know that even though it may seem to be progressing rather slowly, there will be a lot more Harry/Hermione moments to come so please stick with me and the story...I promise it will be worth it :)

Making their way into the castle and up to Harry's room once again, Hermione settled down on his bed as Harry went to his desk. After waving his wand in front of it and saying the password, he opened one of the drawers and withdrew his mum's Notebook. Settling down next to her, Harry tried to open the book, but it wouldn't budge. Waving his wand over it, he tried all the unlocking charms he knew, but to no avail.

"Can I see it?" she asked, holding out her hand towards the Notebook.

"Have at it," he replied, handing it over to her.

Holding it in her hands, she turned the notebook over and over, inspecting every inch of it. As she turned it so that the edges of the pages faced her, she noticed something different and said, "I think I know how to open it!"

Harry watched as she took off the necklace Lily gave her and placed the pendant against the edges of the pages on the bottom. The Notebook glowed for a second and then when she took the pendant away, she opened it up to the first page. Harry smiled at her and said, "Brilliant!"

"Thanks," Hermione replied. Looking at the first page, she heard Harry's quick intake of breath as she read to herself what was written there:

My Dearest Harry,

Being that you're reading this, that means that my worst fears have come true and I am not there to see you grow. Even though that's the case, I am so glad that you have my Notebook. If you do not yet know, the women of the Evans family are Soul Guardians-mortals put on this Earth with special abilities so that we may protect those in dire danger from other's that are evil and wish to do them harm. Even though only females can be Soul Guardians, I felt that you should know about your family history, in case one day you have a daughter of your own. Every female in the Evans bloodline has been a Guardian, though my sister Petunia is the only one to ever refuse to acknowledge her abilities. I was the first Evan's to ever be both a Guardian and a witch, and although you do not possess Guardian abilities, you my son are special in your own way- you are a wizard, and possess a magic that is all your own.

One of my abilities is precognition, and I pray that the things I have seen in your future, I am able to change somehow. Though I doubt this will be possible, I can take comfort from the fact that I know you will have a Guardian of your own one day. I do not know when she will become known to you, but I do know that she will be very, very special and integral to you...she will be your future.

I have written all the events from when I became active as a Guardian up until my final days. I hope that I willl be able to share parts of my life with you that will not only one day help you when you need it most, but will also help you to understand a very important part of my life.

Be safe my child, and have faith in your Soul Guardian. She will be the one to stand by your side when no one else will.

I Love You

Hermione looked to Harry after reading Lily's letter and saw his eyes were shining with unshed tears. She felt like crying herself at the heartfelt words and sadness she could feel while reading Lily's words. Taking hold of his hand, Hermione squeezed it in comfort and said, "Feel up to reading a few entries?"

"Yeah," he replied quietly, flipping the page carefully to find more of his mother's tidy handwriting.

October 25, 1975:

I was asked to the Halloween Ball today by James Potter. I told him I'd have to think about it, and he had the nerve to say I'd better answer fast because there were other girls that wanted to go with him! I just walked away without saying anything, I was actually quite proud of myself. Unfortunately, when I went for a walk afterwards, I ran into him again by the lake. He apologized for his remark and said that he sincerely wanted to go with me, and no one else. I told him that I would go with him...I just hope that was the right decision.

Harry could feel Hermione staring at him, and when he looked at her he saw that she was grinning mischievously. "What?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just interesting how the Potter men have an affinity for walking around the lake," she replied, trying to stifle her laughter.

"Well, I've been told I'm alot like my dad," he said, giving her the famous Potter half-smile that she loved so much. "Now, can we continue?"

"Oh, by all means."

October 28, 1975:

Something wonderful, yet sort of scary, happened today. While I was out walking, I was stopped by a voice coming from a grouping of trees. When I walked nearer, I was face-to-face with an actual angel! He told me that his name is Micah, and that he was there to give me my first Charge. I was so excited...until I found out who it was. He told me that I was to be James Potter's Soul Guardian. I had no idea what to say, or how to react. When I mentioned that I was attending the Ball with him, Micah said that it was a good thing and wouldn't elaborate. I'm afraid that something bad is going to happen on Halloween...some of the premonitions I've been having have shown images that are terrible; I never remember them clearly, I just wake up feeling scared and unable to catch my breath.

"My mum was my dad's Soul Guardian?" Harry asked in disbelief, after reading and re-reading the entry.

"Um, yeah. I never got to tell you that actually. You're mum told me about it while I was in Elysian with her. I'm so sorry, I was just concentrating so hard on getting you back to your aunt's house to get the Notebook...it just slipped my mind..."

"It's okay, Hermione," he said, stopping her explanation. "After what you told me of Elysian, I can understand how you felt overwhelmed. I'm just glad that I know now." He was quiet for a moment, thinking about how he felt about Hermione before mumbling, "Seems my dad and I had something else in common."

"What?" Hermione asked, missing what he had said since she had continued to read on.

"Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself."

"I can't believe that Micah was Lily's Guardian Angel as well," she said. "I'm sure there are thousands of Guardian Angels, it can't just be coincidence that we each have Micah."

"Let's read on and see if we discover the answer to that question," Harry said, smiling at her as he turned the page. They came to the night of the Halloween Ball, and Harry's smile vanished as they noticed Lily's shaky handwriting on her entry that night.

October 31, 1975:

Something terrible did happen tonight, and I'm so frightened that I wouldn't write about it usually, but I don't want to forget any of the details. We had our Hogsmeade trip this morning so we could go get our dress robes and it was so much fun. Supposedly, Death Eaters took the place of five Slytherin students while we were there, thanks to Polyjuice potion. They started attacking students during the Ball, curses I'd never heard of before, and then they went after James. Somehow, when a curse was fired at him, I put up a blue shield of light around us. It deflected the curse and kept us safe, but unfortunately five other students weren't so lucky. They were killed tonight, on a night that had been so magical up until then...

Hermione swiped at the tears that were running down her face, remembering the first time she had shielded Harry. It wasn't under such dire circumstances, but it had still scared her nonetheless. She couldn't imagine being Lily that night, she must have been so scared.

"Are you crying?" Harry asked softly, putting a finger gently under her chin to tilt her head up. When he saw the tracks of her tears, his eyes softened as he reached up to brush a tear away.

"I can't help it," she whispered. "I know how your mother must have felt because of the way I felt the first time I shielded you, but her's was during such a terrible time. Seeing five students killed, knowing that you're responsible for just one and wishing you could help others. I felt that way that day on the Quidditch Pitch, during the attack. I had to concentrate on you, but I was still worried about the other students at the same time. It's a big responsibility."

"Kind of like being the-boy-who-lived?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, I guess it is."

~*~

After spending a good part of the day dodging Seamus, Hermione went to see Harry right before Quidditch practice Tuesday night. As the Portrait announced her arrival, Harry opened it to let her in and noticed how stressed she looked. "What's wrong?"

"I know you have practice, but could I possibly stay here and do my homework?" she asked, sounding tired.

"Sure," he replied slowly, wondering why she'd come to his dorm to do her work instead of the Library or her own dorm. "You can go up to my room and use my desk."

"Thank you," she replied gratefully. As she followed him upstairs, he grabbed his broom from where it stood in the corner closest to his bed and watched as she dropped her book bag onto his bed before dropping into his chair, exhausted. Turning, she caught him watching her with a quizzical look on his face. "You're wondering why I'm here instead of my dorm or the Library, aren't you?"

"Well...yeah."

Taking a deep breath while opening herself up empathically, she replied, "Seamus has been following me around all day long and this is the only place I could think of to go that he couldn't. I tried to study in my room, but Lavender and Parvati kept giggling and asking me what I'm going to wear to the Ball."

The intense wave of anger that slammed into her made her dizzy and nauseous. Looking at him, she noticed the dark look on his face and said, "Please don't be angry Harry. It's not worth it, really. I just need a quiet place to do all this course work I have to do."

Taking a deep, calming breath he said, "It's kind of hard not to be angry, Hermione. It's pretty bad when you can't even do your class work in peace." A strange look passed over his features as he added, "You know, I kept running into Ginny today too, in places I don't usually see her."

Hermione felt another surge of anger, but this time it was her own, mixed with jealousy. "Well, I have to get to practice," Harry said, pulling her from her thoughts.

Both of them startled when Ron suddenly appeared in Harry's doorway and said, "Ready for practice?" When Harry just nodded in reply he turned to Hermione and said, "You know, Seamus just stopped me in the corridor to ask if I'd seen you?"

Harry's reaction was worse this time and Hermione hissed in pain as she quickly removed the pendant from under her shirt. Turning her angry glare on him she admonished, "Harry! Stop getting so angry, you're making me nauseous and if I get burned by this pendant one more time because you can't control your anger, I swear I'll hex you into next week!"

"I'm sorry," he said, walking over to her. Kneeling down in front of her, he placed his hands on her jean clad legs and repeated, "I'm so sorry, I'll try to reign in my emotions more. It's just that...when I think about you just being around Seamus..."

"I know," she replied softly, wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him.

"We can still tell them we made a mistake and that we're going together," he said, leaning back and looking at her hopefully.

"Harry, that wouldn't be fair to them." When the hopeful look vanished instantly she added, "I accepted his invitation, even if it was for misguided reasons, and it would be wrong for me to back out on him now. I don't want to hurt him like that."

Bending closer to her ear he whispered, "I would tell Ginny that I'd rather go with you in a heartbeat."

"I know, but it's not right."

Sighing, he leaned his forehead against hers and said, "The thing I like the most about you, your caring and sensitivity, is going to end up driving me mad at the end of all this."

Ron, who had been leaning against the doorway trying not to watch their interaction, cleared his throat and said, "We're going to be late if we don't get going."

"Right then," Harry said, standing up. Looking down at her he smiled and said, "Will you be here when I get back? I was hoping we could read some more of Mum's notebook?"

"Yeah, I'll be here," she replied, smiling back at him.

Harry turned to make his way from the room, and as he walked past Ron he said, "Let's go."

Ron turned to follow him, but then stopped and turned back to look at Hermione. With a mischievous smirk on his face he asked, "So, you want me to send Seamus up here?"

"No!" Harry and Hermione both replied in unison, causing him to start laughing.

"Fred and George have been a bad influence on you lately," Harry said, walking up to him and grabbing a fistful of Ron's Quidditch robes, practically dragging him down the stairs behind him.

"Lighten up, mate. I was just joking."

"Yeah, well, we'll see how funny you think it is when I tell Romilda Vane how much you fancy her and how you want to go to the Ball with her."

"You wouldn't?!" Ron replied quickly, yanking his robes from Harry's hand and now following him quickly through the common room. "Harry? Mate...I was only kidding! Romilda Vane? C'mon..." Hermione listened as the portrait opened and laughed as the last thing she heard Ron say was, "Oh man, do you know what Luna would do to me!"

~*~

Thanks to special training sessions at night and all the extra coursework she had to do, the next week and a half flew by before she even knew it. The night before they were to go to Hogsmeade, Hermione had fallen asleep in her bed, the book in her hands falling to lay across her chest. As dawn broke Saturday morning, she started tossing and turning as horrible images broke through the wonderful dreams she had been having. As she helplessly watched the terrible scenes play out in her head, her eyes fluttered as she fought to break through to consciousness so that the horrid things she was seeing would stop, but it felt as though something was forcing her to stay asleep. Deciding that the only way to stop her nightmare was to just let it play out, she stopped fighting the images and let them come, feeling as if she couldn't breath. The scenes she witnessed were pure horror and violence, filling her with fear, and she could hear someone screaming, "Noooooo!!!!"

Feeling her lungs burn from lack of oxygen, she gulped in air and sat straight up in bed, realizing that she had been the one screaming. Opening her curtain, she hurriedly made her way to the loo with Lavender and Parvati watching her with concern, shutting and locking the door behind her. She quickly made her way to the toilet. and feeling more sick than she could ever remember feeling before, she retched as her stomach roiled from what she had just witnessed. Heaving until her stomach hurt, she started crying as the images kept replaying themselves before her eyes. When she could be sick no more, she went to the sink to splash her face with cold water and then brushed her teeth. Looking into the mirror, a very pale image of herself looked back with eyes haunted by what she had seen and dark cirlces underneath them. As more tears ran down her cheeks she said, "Oh God, what am I going to do?"

After a few minutes more in which she got herself together as best she could, she walked back into the other room and assured Parvati and Lavender she would be fine. Quickly dressing, she made her way downstairs, out of the common room, and to the Great Hall. She needed some tea and toast desperately, hoping it would help to settle her stomach before she had to go shopping to buy her dress for the Ball that night. As someone sat down across from her, she looked up and was surprised by who she saw. "Luna?"

Luna sat across the table from her, looking just as tired as Hermione felt and with the same haunted look in her eyes. As Luna stared back at her, realization struck and she asked, "You saw it too, didn't you?"

"Yes," Luna replied in a quiet, yet raspy voice. "I don't think I have ever seen something so terrible in my entire life."

"Me neither," Hermione said with sympathy. "So, was it a premonition then?"

"Yes, it was a premonition," Luna replied, picking up a piece of toast and taking a small bite. After forcing herself to swallow it, she looked at Hermione with tears shining in her eyes and whispered, "I've had premonitions before, but never anything as bad as what I saw last night. Do you think there's anything we can do to prevent it?"

"I don't know," Hermione replied quietly. "It's never happened to me before. What I saw...we saw...I don't know what to do to stop it."

"Hermione...something bad is going to happen, and I think it's going to be soon."

Hermione's eyes burned with tears once again as she realized Luna was right. She really hadn't been looking forward to this night...not really...it was just a Ball that she would be attending with Seamus, but she had resigned herself to have as much fun as she could. But now...now she would have to be prepared in case something happened to threaten Harry tonight. James had been attacked at the Halloween Ball all those years ago, so what would stop Voldemort from repeating history and trying to attack Harry at the Ball as well? She knew Seamus wouldn't like it, but they would have to stay close to Harry and Ginny that night because she was not going to let anything or anyone hurt Harry, no matter what.

"I have to speak to Firenze," Hermione stated, standing up on shaky legs.

"Would it be okay if I come with you?" Luna asked quietly.

"Sure," Hermione replied, a small ray of relief breaking through the sorrow and helplessness she was feeling at the moment. She wouldn't have wished that anyone else see what she had seen that morning, but there was a small comfort in knowing that Luna had seen as well. Maybe that meant that there was a miniscule amount of hope that they could stop whatever evil was coming after them.

As the two of them made their way out of the Great Hall, the grey, threatening clouds opened up outside, and Hermione watched solemnly as the drops of rain fell from the sky. Turning away from the window she had just passed, Hermione closed her eyes, took hold of the pendant Lily had given her, and prayed to every Higher Being there was that she could somehow stop what was coming. Just as they reached Firenze's classroom a clap of thunder shook the entire castle, and before either of them could knock, the door opened. Firenze studied their faces and took in their morose expressions; motioning them inside, he said, "Come in, I've been expecting you."

~A/N> This chapter has taken much too long to write. Yes, it's shorter than the others, but the next chapter is all about the Ball and I have no idea how long it will be. Not too much fluffiness in this one, but there will be plenty in the next one :) Oh, and how could I forget?? Happy 27th Birthday Hermione!!

Hermione and Luna walked slowly to the front of the room and sat down. Firenze followed and stood before them, looking from Luna to Hermione. "You both had premonitions this morning, didn't you?"

"Yes," Hermione answered, her voice barely above a whisper. "And you've seen it too?" When he nodded slightly she said, "Can we change what we've seen?"

"Why would we be shown what's to come, if not to have the chance to change the tragedies we see?" he asked in return.

"Because the Fates can be cruel when they choose to be," Luna replied.

"Yes they can," Hermione agreed.

"But yet it is our decisions that direct our path in this life," Firenze stated. "Fate is merely chance that gives us choices to determine our path in life. It is only after we have made our choices that we fully understand our Destiny."

"So what we decide to do, because of what we've seen...that will effect future events?" Luna asked.

"Yes."

"And if we choose wrong, it could make things worse in the future, couldn't it?" Hermione asked, staring out the window at the drops of rain that slid down the glass. "I mean, if we choose to change what's going to happen, it could mean that we're condemning Harry to death later on? Possibly during the Final Battle when he has to face Voldemort?" She became quiet for a moment and then added, "Or I could change the events and unknowingly condemn myself to death."

"We don't even know that what we saw will happen," Luna said, looking from Firenze to Hermione."And if it does come to pass, we won't know what day it will be."

"All I can tell you is to go to Hogsmeade as planned today, and try not to dwell on it. You will drive yourselves mad if all you do is think on the things you saw," Firenze advised.

"I believe that's going to be easier said than done," Hermione said, standing up. "Is there anything special that I need to do?"

"No, I don't believe there is," Firenze replied. "Just make sure to keep an eye on Harry at all times. I know you are going with Mister Finnegan tonight, but if you can, keep Mister Potter close by."

"Seamus isn't going to be thrilled with that, but I truly don't care," Hermione stated truthfully. "It was my own stupidity that led me to accept his invitation, so I must go through with it, but I won't sacrifice Harry's safety because of it." As she and Luna got up and prepared to leave, Firenze walked up to them and said, "Remember Hermione, it is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities."

Hermione stared at him for a moment before sighing. "I know, I will make my choices carefully." And with that, the two girls went to prepare for their trip to Hogsmeade.

~*~

"Ron, have you seen Hermione?"

"Hey Harry," Ron replied, smiling at his best mate as he came to stand next to him in Quality Quidditch Supplies. "She's with Luna, they're shopping for their dresses together." When Harry was quiet, Ron looked at him and asked, "Did you happen to notice that she and Luna are acting, I dunno, kind of withdrawn today?"

"No, I haven't talked to Hermione today," Harry replied. "What do you mean by withdrawn?"

"It's strange, really. Usually Luna is happy and outgoing, but today they both are very quiet and seem...preoccupied I guess would be the word I'd use. She and Seamus rode with Luna and I over here, and things just seemed very tense and uncomfortable." When Ron felt a sudden magical charge in the air, he looked over at Harry and saw that his jaw was clenched and his hands were fisted at his sides. "Harry, mate, you've got to get over it. She's going with Seamus, you're going with my sister, so why don't you just try to let things go for today and try to enjoy yourself tonight? Besides, I'm tired of hearing Ginny complaining about how you're not paying her any mind."

"I told you Ron, I shouldn't have asked her in the first place, it was a mistake," Harry explained for the third or fourth time, he really couldn't remember. He felt bad for treating Ginny the way he had, but he had explained to Ron what had happened and why he had asked her in the first place, and after losing his temper for a day or two he had gotten over it.

"Yeah, I understand why you're doing it, but obviously she doesn't," Ron replied, moving over to where the new broom models were on display. "What time is it?" he asked, distracted by the newest Nimbus 3000.

"It's almost three," Harry replied after checking his watch.

"I'm supposed to meet Luna at the Three Broomsticks at three, do you want to come with me?

"Why not?" Harry replied. "I don't have anything else to do."

The two of them made their way to meet Luna and when they walked in they found her sitting at a table with Hermione, the two of them bent close to one another, whispering and looking very serious. "See what I mean?" Ron asked, gesturing toward them. "This is not normal."

Harry walked over to the table and as he approached the two girls looked up. When Hermoine saw him she stuttered, "H-Harry. How are you?"

"I'm fine," he replied, confused by the nervous way she was acting. "How about you? All ready for tonight?"

"Tonight?" she replied distractedly. "Oh right, the Ball. Yes, Luna and I found lovely dresses to wear. Are you all set to go?"

"As ready as I can be," he replied, not missing the annoyed look Ron shot him. Ignoring him, he turned back to Hermione and covering her left hand with his right, he asked, "Hermione, is everything okay?"

What was that look? he wondered, as he watched Hermione look quickly over to Luna and then back at the Butterbeer that sat in front of her, untouched. "I'm fine," she replied, and he knew instantly that she was lying. She wouldn't look at him, and she had slid her hand away from his...not only that, but something inside of him just knew.

"Right then," he said, looking at Ron and mouthing, 'You're right'. "I guess I should be getting back, I told Susan I would take care of anything that comes up between now and when the Ball begins so that she can get ready. You know how girls need more time than we do."

Harry waited for the sharp retorts to his purposely used jibe at girls, but nothing came, only silence. Thoroughly confused and starting to worry, Harry said, "I'll see you later Ron. Bye Luna...Hermione."

He turned to make his way out of the Three Broomsticks when Hermione suddenly called out, "Harry, wait!" Harry stopped immediately and turned around to see her hurrying toward him. "Would it be okay if I ride back with you?"

"Sure," he replied, looking over her shoulder at where Ron was trying to get Luna to talk to him, but it seemed it was to no avail. Hoping that maybe Hermione would explain to him on their ride back to Hogwarts, he opened the door and motioned for her to go first, the two of them making their way toward the awaiting carriages.

~*~

After an almost silent carriage ride back to the castle, Harry was more uneasy and worried than he'd been in a long time. He knew that Hermione and Luna were concerned and upset about something, but it seemed that neither wanted to talk about it. After his tenth time of asking her if she was okay, he finally sighed and gave up, frustrated beyond comprehension.

Hearing his sigh, Hermione looked at him and then reached over to take hold of his hand. Looking into his eyes, she gathered her courage and said, "Please don't be angry with me. There is something upsetting me, it's just...I can't really talk about it. What I can tell you is that this morning, Luna and I both had a premonition of something that will be happening in the near future. I didn't want to say anything because what we saw isn't guaranteed to happen, and since it's something that took place months from now, I didn't want to ruin your night tonight."

"Yeah, I think I ruined the Ball enough for the both of us," Harry replied lightly, trying to keep her talking.

"Let's not start on that topic again, okay? We both messed things up, we just need to concentrate on getting through the night."

"You're going to save me a dance, right?"

"Of course, whether Seamus likes it or not."

He smiled at her then, and she actually smiled back while squeezing his hand. "Everything should be okay tonight Harry, so please don't be concerned about me, okay?"

"Alright," he replied. "But if anything does happen..."

"You'll be the first to know, I promise," she answered.

After that, Harry felt a little less uneasy and they finished their ride in companionable silence, their hands linked the entire way. When they pulled up to the front of the castle, they grudgingly let go of the other's hand and got out. Walking in together, they seperated with a knowing glance, and Hermione made her way up to her room to start getting ready while Harry made his way to his room to rest up for the night to come.

~*~

Hermione stood in her room about two hours later, staring at herself in her mirror, unmoving. She kept seeing flashes of the premonition she had, and she couldn't stop the images from coming again and again. Raising her fists up to her eyes, she suppressed the urge to scream and choked back a sob that had been threatening since she had returned from Hogsmeade with Harry. When a knock sounded at her dorm room door, she jumped in surprise and then got up to see who it was. When she opened it, she saw Luna standing on the other side, holding her dress and looking just as miserable as she felt.

"Hi Luna," she greeted, stepping aside so that her friend could come in. She stopped for a moment and realized that she had just thought of Luna as a friend; to everyone else it seemed natural to think of someone as a friend, but Hermione had not had many friends at all during her childhood. She smiled sadly, realizing how good it felt to consider Luna a friend, even if it were under such strange circumstances.

"Hello," Luna replied as she walked past her and made her way to the bed, where she laid her dress down. Turning toward her she asked, "So how did the ride back go with Harry?"

"He kept asking me what was wrong," Hermione answered. "I kept telling him it was nothing, but I finally ended up telling him that we'd had a premonition, but it wasn't anything to worry about. I don't think he believed me, but he finally dropped the subject." Smiling a smile that really didn't reach her eyes, she added, "He asked me to save a dance for him, and I told him that of course I would. Truthfully, I'd rather dance every dance with him, but we both made mistakes that we can't take back now."

"It might be best that you don't go together," Luna said quietly, looking away from her.

Hearing something in the tone of her voice, Hermione asked, "Why do you say that?"

"Because what if you get too close to Harry, and you find yourself in a position to choose between your life and his one day...what if your love for Harry makes you choose wrongly and it causes the end of the world?"

Hermione stood frozen in front of her mirror, Luna's words echoing in her mind. Would she make the wrong choice and doom the wizarding and muggle worlds to a lifetime of Evil and darkness? "If and when that time comes, I will have to go on what I feel is right. And I don't love Harry. I'm just very...fond of him is all."

"Right," Luna said sarcastically. "If Ronald notices how close the two of you seem, then it's love. I love him dearly, but he wouldn't recognize love unless it was right in front of him."

"Let's get ready," Hermione replied shortly, changing the topic while feeling very befuddled by their conversation. "The boys will be downstairs waiting for us soon."

~A/N> So yeah, two chapters in two days. Don't get used to it...without a voice, I can't work on my podcast right now, and I'm bored to death :p Plus, once I started this chapter, it took on a life of it's own and it was done in four hours time. I should warn you, there is character death in this chapter, and although there is H/Hr fluff, there's also sadness. There's a brief glimpse of what will come in the second author's note at the end. I would say happy reading, but I know it's going to be anything but happy...

"Weren't they supposed to be down ten minutes ago?"

"I have no idea, but I'm ready to leave without her."

"How long does it take a girl to get ready anyway?"

"Oh, would you boys stop complaining. We take our time so that we look good for you," Ginny said, gliding down the stairs in a curve hugging emerald green dress that was almost the exact color of Harry's eyes.

When Harry saw the color of the dress and the way she was exaggeratedly swinging her hips as she walked, he rolled his eyes and thought, 'Lucky me. Of course my date would be the first one down.'

As she walked up to him, Ginny wrapped her arm through his and tried to drag him out of the common room as quick as she could. As they were about ten steps from the portrait hole, Harry stopped short as he heard a collective gasp rise up from the other guys. When he turned around, he couldn't help but stare at the vision of Hermione on the top of the stairs, with Luna walking by her side. She had on a dark blue colored dress that was strapless, and her hair fell in beautiful ringlets down her back and around her face, giving her a look of innocence. As she met Seamus at the bottom of the stairs, she looked up and locked eyes with him, giving him a small smile. He smiled back at her and felt his chest tighten as Seamus took her hand in his and started to walk out with her. Ginny, who had watched the entire exchange, huffed angrily and practically dragged Harry out of the common room.

Glaring at her, Harry asked angrily, "What's the rush?"

"I'm tired of seeing you drool over Hermione when you're supposed to be my date for the Halloween Ball," she replied in a whiny, pouty tone of voice.

Steeling his resolve, Harry pulled Ginny around one of the corners and said, "Look Ginny, tonight we are simply friends going to a dance together, that's all. I'm sorry if I gave you the impression that I thought of you as more than a friend, but I don't. I want to be with..."

"Hermione, yes I know," Ginny finished for him, rolling her eyes. "Whatever, let's just get to the Great Hall and try to have some fun tonight, okay?"

"Sure, whatever," Harry grumbled as she started to pull him along after her again. Merlin, just kill me now.

~*~

After they had been at the Ball for about an hour, Seamus waved a hand in front of Hermione's face and asked, "Hullo? Am I really that boring?"

"What?" Hermione asked, turning distractedly toward him. She had been watching Harry and Ginny talking to Ron and Luna across the room, and she hadn't really heard what Seamus had said.

"Am I boring you?" Seamus asked again, sounding a little put out. "All you've done all night is stare at Harry and Ginny."

"I'm sorry Seamus, it's just that..."

"You'd rather be here with Harry instead of me," Seamus finished, sounding a bit put out.

"I'm worried about Harry, and I'm concerned for his safety," Hermione replied, sounding almost as angry as he did. "Please don't be jealous, I've told you before that I came here with you as friends, and nothing more."

"Yes, I know," he said, staring into her eyes. "And I told you before that I like you as more than a friend."

Sighing, Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache coming on. As she did so, the Guardian mark on her wrist started to tingle, but she thought nothing of it. "Look, let's just dance and try to have fun, okay?"

"Sure."

~*~

It was killing him, seeing her dancing with him. All Harry wanted to do was walk out onto the dance floor, cut into the dance, and snog Hermione senseless. She looked so beautiful, and under the light that the floating pumpkins cast, she was absolutely gorgeous. Ginny had been talking to a few of the other guys off of their Quidditch team for almost half and hour and Harry was growing increasingly bored. "Ginny," he said, interrupting one of her various stories, "Would you like to dance?"

"I thought you'd never ask," she replied, giving him that smile again. Didn't she know how fake it looked?

The two of them walked amongst the other dancers and Harry stopped a short distance away from where Hermione and Seamus were dancing. As Ginny and Seamus shared an annoyed look, Hermione looked over at Harry and their eyes locked. Harry could swear that he saw longing in them, a longing for him, and his body tingled at the thought of how much he wanted to be with her. He wanted to hold her, kiss those lovely lips, trail kisses down her neck...

"Did you hear me Harry?" Ginny asked, breaking him from his lecherous thoughts.

"Hmm?" he replied offhandedly.

"I give up," she replied, storming off of the dance floor and out of the Great Hall.

Harry watched her retreating figure and then looked back at Hermione. Giving her an apologetic look, he ran out after Ginny, stopping her before she could go outside. "Ginny," he said, as he grabbed her arm. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just that..."

"You want to be with her instead, I get it Harry," she finished, not meeting his eyes. "It just hurts, you know? I've wanted to be your girlfriend for as long as I can remember, and last year when we were together, I was so happy. But with everything that happened...I understood why you broke up with me. I just always had this notion that you would want me back someday, but I see the way you look at her, and I know that I have absolutely no chance of getting you back now. It still hurts though, and I can't make it stop."

Harry felt terrible, seeing Ginny so heartbroken. He wrapped his arms around her, remembering the good times they had shared the year before, and said, "I'll never forget last year; being with you was wonderful. It's just that I've moved on now, and you need to as well. I'm not the one you're meant to be with Ginny, but I know in my heart that you'll find that person soon."

She sniffled, trying her hardest to keep her tears at bay, and said, "Go to her, Harry. It's obvious she wants to be with you too."

Harry stared at her for a moment, seeing the sadness in her eyes still, but now resignation seemed to be there as well. Without another word, he turned away from her and made his way back into the Ball, intent on getting his dance with Hermione.

~*~

The moment Seamus saw Harry re-enter the Great Hall, he knew that it was more than likely the end of his night with Hermione. She had been distant the entire night, watching Harry from across the room and barely responding to his conversation, and it was obvious that he was the one she wanted to be with. He had been hoping that maybe, just for that night, that she would look at him the way she always looked at Harry just once, and he would know that there was an inkling of a chance for him. But seeing her behavior, he knew he didn't have a chance in hell against Harry bloody Potter. Sighing, he stepped back from her as he released her and said, "I think Harry is here for his dance."

Looking at Seamus, confused by his behavior, Hermione watched as he took another step away from her and said, "But Seamus..."

"Please don't," he interrupted, not wanting her pity. "It's more than obvious who you want to be with. I was foolish to think that I could compete with him."

"Seamus, I'm..." Hermione started, but then stopped talking as Harry approached them.

He stood there, looking between the two of them, and asked, "Am I interrupting something?"

"Of course you are, but when has that stopped you before?" Seamus replied angrily, glaring at him. When Harry went to say something, he held up a hand and said, "I don't want to hear it. Just dance with her already...you win, I give up."

"Seamus..." Hermione said, as she tried to reach out to stop him, but he moved too quickly and soon he was out of the room. She put her hand to her mouth, trying to stop her lip from quivering as she kept the tears that threatened at bay. Looking to Harry she whispered, "I wanted to be with you tonight, but I didn't want to hurt him like that. He's a wonderful person...he didn't deserve that."

"Ginny didn't deserve to be treated the way I treated her either," Harry replied as he walked up to stand in front of her. Holding out his hand, he asked, "May I have this dance?"

"You didn't even need to ask," she replied quietly as she stared into his eyes.

Harry took her into his arms as a slow song came on the wireless, and for the first time that night he felt whole...complete. Hermione looked up at him as he tightened his hold on her and he lowered his head, pressing his lips to hers in a kiss that he'd wanted to give her for a very long time. Hermoine moved her hands so that they were both behind his neck, sinking into the feel of his lips on hers as her fingers moved through his hair. Completely forgetting where they were, Harry lightly ran his tongue over her lips, asking permission to deepen the kiss, and she parted them without hesitation. The two of them stayed that way, swaying back and forth to a music that was all their own, lost in a kiss that threatened to drown them both in it's intensity.

Suddenly, the two of them broke apart, Harry's hand reaching up to cover his scar as Hermione reached down to the Guardian mark on her wrist. Both were experiencing a stinging, burning pain in their marks, and both knew that it meant trouble was coming, and soon.

Looking at her, Harry said, "Why don't we just try to enjoy the rest of our night together, and if something happens, we'll deal with it then?"

Sighing as he wrapped his arms around her again, Hermione lay her head on his shoulder and said, "I think that's a wonderful idea. Besides, this is Hogwarts, we're perfectly safe here."

Harry, feeling very uneasy at hearing her words, said, "Hermione, we're never safe, no matter where we are. I'm the boy-who-lived, and you're the Guardian assigned to protect me. We're living targets for all the evil that's in this world."

Taking in what he said, Hermione closed her eyes as tears threatened once again and said, "So let's just enjoy the time we have, and hopefully keep the evil at bay, if only for just a little while."

Nodding his head, he pulled her as close to him as he could, hoping that he could protect her from the evil that he knew was on it's way to disrupt their lives, as she continued to dance with her head on his shoulder thinking the exact same thing.

They danced every dance together after that, enjoying each other's company. About an hour after he had stormed out, Seamus returned with Ginny by his side, and the two started to dance together. Harry and Hermione watched them for a little while, and Hermione smiled as she noticed the two seemed to be finally enjoying themselves. Every once in a while, a nasty look would be thrown their way by one of them, but it didn't phase Harry or Hermione one bit.

Just as the last song of the night was announced, the strange twinges in their scars turned to searing pain and they looked at each other, worried about the implications. Immediately on guard, they looked around the Great Hall to see that everything looked perfectly normal. No one had noticed Draco Malfoy making his way across the Hall with a distant look in his eyes, his movements forced, until it was too late. He started firing Unforgiveables at the students, and most of them didn't even have time to dive out of the way of the colored jets of light. Screams erupted throughout the Hall as everyone started running for the doors, hoping to escape. Unfortunately, the doors had been sealed, trapping them in and keeping the professors out.

As many screams of "Help us!" rang out, Harry and Hermione started searching for Malfoy. Unfortunately, he was looking for them as well, and the three met in the middle of the Great Hall with wands drawn.

"Finally," Malfoy said, in a voice that didn't belong to him, "The boy-who-lived and his Guardian together in one place. Now I can finish you both at once and finally get on with my plan to take over the world."

Harry glared at Malfoy, even though he knew it wasn't really him, and ground out, "Don't think it's going to be that easy, Voldemort."

"Voldemort?" he replied, laughing evilly. "You silly boy, I'm not Voldemort. My name is Damien...I'm sure that your Guardian knows very well who I am. I'm the one that killed your mother's Guardian and your father as well. Now, it's your turn to die."

"Damien," Hermione whispered, the fear evident in her voice. When Harry looked at her with confusion, anger, and hurt in his eyes, she said, "He's the Head Shaddock...the most evil being in the world. He killed Ancelin, and was with Voldemort the night your parents were killed."

"You bastard!" Harry yelled, preparing to cast a spell. Before he could say a word, Damien-as-Malfoy waved his wand without saying a word and cast a Crucio on him.

As Harry lay screaming in agony on the floor, Hermione screamed, "Stop it!", as Ron, Luna, Seamus, and Ginny came running up to them. Seeing his best mate in pain, Ron tackled Malfoy to the floor, breaking the curse for a moment, but was soon thrown against the wall. As Luna watched Ron slide unconscious to the floor, she pulled out her wand to cast a Stupify, but never had a chance. She too was thrown against the wall, and slid down next to Ron, unconscious as well. Ginny and Seamus stood frozen, watching how easily Malfoy was defending himself and then as he started to crucio Harry again, not knowing that it was really Damien possessing Malfoy.

When Damien finally released Harry from the Cruciatus, he turned his wand on Hermione and said, "Now, I can finally be rid of your blasted kind and go forward with my plan. Avada..."

"No!" Seamus yelled, running at full speed toward Hermione. Just as Damien said, "Kedava," and the green jet of light went sailing toward Hermione, Seamus jumped in front of her, taking the killing curse right in the middle of his chest.

When Seamus fell to the floor at her feet, his eyes wide open in a lifeless stare, Hermione screamed in anger and pointing her wand at Damien-as-Malfoy shouted, "Andrelateo Olethros Daimonion Philos*!" A jet of golden-white light sailed toward Malfoy's body and slammed him into the same wall that Ron and Luna had hit. Luckily, the two of them had been moved by Ginny before Hermione had cast her spell. Hermione watched as Damien's shadow was extracted from Malfoy's body and sailed through the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall, disappearing amongst the stars that shone brightly there. Hermione registered the sound of the Great Hall's doors being blasted open by some of the Professors, and she watched in a trance as one of the students told the Headmistress what Draco had done. McGonagall had immediately sent two of the professors to guard him, and as she looked around the room her face was a mask of sadness and grief.

Exhausted, Hermione fell to her knees and started to cry as her eyes focused once more on Seamus's lifeless body. Knowing he was gone, she quickly crawled over to Harry and moved him so that his head lay on her lap. As she spoke softly to him, urging him to wake up, she kept glancing over to Seamus as tears streamed down her face. When Harry finally opened his eyes and blearily focused on her, she cried even harder as she said, "Thank God you're alive! I was so afraid that I'd lose you too!"

Looking very confused, Harry slowly turned his head to the side, fearing what he would see. When his eyes came to rest on Seamus, he looked back up to Hermione's tear stained face. In a very weak, rough sounding voice, he asked, "Is he...?"

Crying so hard that she couldn't speak, Hermione slowly nodded her head, confirming Harry's worst fears. As Madam Pomfrey rushed over to examine Harry, Hermione left the nurse to her work and made her way back to Seamus. Kneeling down, she placed her hand over the place his heart once beat so strongly, and bent down to place a gentle kiss on his forehead. "You're my hero," she whispered, and unable to take the pain in her chest any longer, Hermione completely broke down as she lay her head upon his chest, sobbing for the boy that was and the great Wizard that could have been.

~*~

After Headmistress McGonagall finally dragged Hermione away from Seamus, she was escorted to the Hospital Ward to be examined with the other students. Ron and Luna would be spending the night there after suffering head injuries, and after completely examining him head-to-toe, Madam Pomfrey relented and said that Harry could sleep in his own bed that night. After he was cleared, he made his way to where Hermione was being examined and took one of her hands into his. Feeling the contact, Hermione looked up and her eyes focused on his. Seeing the pain in her eyes made his lung's constrict, and before he could say anything comforting she whispered, "He's dead...he's dead because of me..."

Harry, concerned by the way she was acting, looked at Madam Pomfrey and asked, "Is she going to be okay?"

"She's in shock from what she saw, and her body is exhausted by the spell she cast. I don't know what it was, but her magical levels are well below normal." Seeing how concerned Harry was, she added, "I'm sure with some Dreamless Sleep potion and some rest, she'll be physically fine. Mentally, I'm really not sure..." Harry continued to hold her hand as the nurse finished with Hermione's exam and when she was finally done she said, "I'm afraid I don't have any more beds available, so she'll have to spend the night in her dorm as well."

"I'll take her back to the common room," Harry stated, helping a barely coherent Hermione to stand from the chair she was sitting on. Wrapping his arm around her waist to steady her, Harry accepted two vials of Dreamless Sleep potion from Madam Pomfrey and made his way out of the Ward, Hermione walking slowly next to him, seemingly catatonic. "I'm so sorry I didn't protect you," he whispered, as he bent down to place a gentle kiss on her temple.

At the feel of his lips on her skin, Hermione looked into his eyes once again and said, "I killed him Harry...he's dead because of me."

"It wasn't your fault, luv," Harry said, gathering her closer to his side. When she started to cry again, he steered her to the Head Boy and Girl's quarters and helped her into the common room.

When Susan, who had been sitting on the sofa with her boyfriend, saw the two of them walk in she looked to Harry and asked, "Are you two okay?"

"I'll survive, but I don't know about Hermione yet. She's in a bit of a state after witnessing what she did."

"Oh you mean....", Susan's boyfriend started to say, but was promptly cut off by one of Susan's elbows planted in his ribs.

Glaring at him, Harry said, "Yeah, that's what I meant." Getting her to walk again, Harry guided Hermione past the sofa and said, "She's going to stay with me tonight. I don't think she should be alone after what she's been through."

Without waiting for a response, Harry went to walk up the stairs when he realized how hard it would be for Hermione. Without a second thought, he scooped her up in his arms and she buried her face in the crook of his neck, feeling exhausted and sore. The next thing her brain registered was being gently laid onto a bed, and then Harry coaxing her to drink some vile tasting liquid. A few minutes later, her eyes started to droop, and as she started to drift off into sleep she felt Harry lay behind her. As he gathered her into his arms once again, she laid her head onto his chest and listened to the wonderful sound of his heart beating strong, and a small part of her was so glad that he was still alive. With that thought, an image of Seamus came to mind once again and tears started to fall from her eyes. Harry, feeling the wetness on his chest, reached out to brush them gently away and then planted tender kisses on her cheeks where they had been. "Try to get some sleep, luv," he whispered. Feeling the potion overtake her, she finally drifted off into a sleep where she wasn't haunted by the sight of Seamus's dead body, or Harry being unmercifully tortured by the most evil being ever.

*Andrelateo Olethros Daimonion Philos- Banish The Evil One

~A/N2> Sorry it's so sad, but it had to be done. In the next chapter, the repercussions of the attack, and an explanation about what happened to Draco. Please review! :)

~A/N> Hi everyone! Sorry it's been so long between updates, but I started doing a new weekly podcast where I read H/Hr fanfiction. It's called Harmonics and if you want to check it out head on over to my website: www.harmonypodcast.com. Also I've been working on the new Harmony Podcast at the same time, so I've been very busy. I will be working more on this story since I know exactly where it's going now. I'm not sure how many chapters it's going to be, but I know that right now the end is nowhere in sight. Thanks for all the great reviews, I read every one of them and they're almost always fantastic ~coughflamescough~ :p Thanks for sticking with my story, and I hope you enjoy this new chapter. As always, thanks to Lisa for standing by me through everything I'm doing with the Harry/Hermione fandom and encouraging me every step of the way. Your friendship means the world to me ~hugs~

---

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.

---

"NOOOOOOO!!"

Sitting straight up in bed, Harry turned to Hermione where she lay next to him screaming and covered in sweat, and tried to wake her from whatever night terror had gripped her in such fear. "Hermione, wake up! Can you hear me? Hermione, it's only a nightmare. Wake up, come on now..." He kept shaking her and became concerned when she wouldn't wake. Finally, after a minute more, she opened her eyes and he could see the raw fear in them as she stared at him with an unknowing gaze. Cradling her face in his hands, he stared into her eyes and said, "Hermione, it was just a nightmare. You're still in my room, and you're safe. I won't let anything happen to you."

As Harry gently rubbed his thumbs over her cheeks, Hermione slowly came out of the red haze that the nightmare had created in her mind. It had all seemed so real...Damien standing there singing and taunting her with that...that... song, and seeing Seamus and Harry's dead bodies at his feet...she shivered and closed her eyes as the images refused to go away and then leaned forward to wrap her arms tightly around Harry, reassuring herself that he was still there, and still alive.

Harry was surprised when she wrapped him in her arms and held him so tightly, but he realized that she must have needed reassurance. After a bit of repositioning, he was laying on his back while she lay on her side with her leg flung over his, her head laying on his shoulder and his arms around her waist securly. As she lay there listening to his strong heartbeat, he murmured that she was safe and that he was there for her while stroking her hair. When she became quiet, he looked down to see her sleeping once more, her breathing deep and even. Watching her for a minute more, Harry tried not to let the events of that evening replay once again in his mind and finally he was able to drift off into an uneasy sleep.

~*~

After calming Hermione down twice more during the night since the first nightmare she had, Harry groggily opened his eyes to find Ron and Luna standing by the door to his room, murmuring quietly to one another. As quietly as he could he whispered, "What's up mate?"

"Harry," Ron whispered, surprised that he was awake. "Sorry if we woke you, but Lupin sent us up here to find the two of you. McGonagall needs to talk to us this morning, and there's going to be an announcement of some sort at breakfast." Looking from Harry to Hermione's pale face he asked, "How is she doing?"

"She's woke screaming three times from nightmares," Harry replied softly, sounding as exhausted as he looked.

"I can imagine," Luna said quietly, casting a worried glance toward her friend.

"Why didn't Madame Pomfrey give her some dreamless sleep potion?" Ron asked, sounding a little angry.

"She did," Harry replied. "It didn't work at all, she kept waking up screaming and yelling about Damien. Needless to say, it's been a very long night."

"We'll go then. We're supposed to meet in McGonagall's office at eight, so we'll see you in half an hour," Ron said.

"Right, half an hour," Harry repeated, glancing at his watch.

"See you soon Harry," Luna said softly, and then led Ron out of the room.

Laying back down, Harry forced himself to keep his eyes open, knowing that he couldn't fall back to sleep. Turning toward Hermione, he started to lightly shake her as he said, "Hermione...Hermione...it's time to get up."

It took almost five more minutes of shaking her and calling her name before she slowly opened her eyes, which were very bloodshot. "Whatizit?" she mumbled, dragging her hand down her face sleepily.

Brushing the hair from her face, Harry leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. "It's time to get up, we have to meet with McGonagall before breakfast."

"Huh?" she asked, still groggy.

When Harry moved his lips down to hers in a brief kiss, her eyes popped open and he drew back to look at her. She brought her hand up to rest upon his cheek, the images from her nightmares flashing through her mind when he said, "I said, we have to meet with McGonagall this morning. In twenty minutes actually."

"It can't be good news," she mumbled, closing her eyes as he took her hand from his face and seeing the crescent moon on her wrist, planted a light kiss there as well. The minute his lips came in contact with her Guardian mark, a sudden burst of images flashed through his mind, causing him to drop her hand in pain. Coming out of the haze he had been creating with his kisses, she looked at him when he dropped her hand and asked, "Harry, what is it? What's wrong?"

"I-I just saw...saw..." he turned so that his legs hung over the side of the bed, his feet resting on the floor, as he held his suddenly aching head in his hands. "Is that what you saw in your nightmares last night?" he whispered.

"What did you see?"

"It was as if I was looking through your eyes, and I could see Seamus and I laying by the feet of some evil black shadow, dead," he whispered, rubbing his temples to try to alliiviate the pain.

Coming up to kneel behind him, she pushed his hands away and started to rub his temples for him. They glowed a light blue for a moment, and he could feel the pain in his head dissapate. "Is that better?"

"Yes, thanks."

Moving to sit next to him, she took hold of his hand and said, "That is what I saw in my nightmares last night. Each time, Damien would sing this awful song, taunting me, while he killed you. I-I could never do anything to stop it. I just always stood there, watching helplessly and I couldn't take it. I don't understand how you could have seen it though."

"I have no idea either. Maybe we should mention it to Firenze or Lupin this morning?" Harry asked.

"We'd better go see Headmistress McGonagall first or we may get into trouble." Looking out the window with a distant look in her eyes she added, "If we're not already in trouble."

Kissing the top of her hand this time, Harry lifted his other hand to put a finger to her chin, turning her face so that she was looking at him. "We're not in trouble for what happened last night. There was no way you could have prevented Seamus's death."

"I know," she whispered, as one tear fell from her right eye to trail down her cheek. "I just wish I could have done something."

"Me too," Harry quietly agreed. After another moment of silence, he got up, pulling her up with him. "We'd better clean up a bit before we go to see the Headmistress."

~*~

Harry and Hermione made their way up to the Headmistresses office where along with Ron, Luna, and Remus, they were told that the school would be closing down until after the new year and that they would be going to Grimmauld Place that afternoon. After that revelation, McGonagall and Remus went on to fill them in with details of the previous night's events concerning Draco Malfoy. Under veritaserum, Draco admitted to remembering nothing between the time he arrived at Hogsmeade to the time Hermione had banished Damien from his body at the dance. They were told that Malfoy would not be punished in any way due to direct orders from the Minister of Magic himself. Obviously Malfoy Sr. still had some pull in the ministry, more than they realized.

The four students walked slowly toward the Great Hall for McGonagall's announcement of the school closing and the impromptu memorial for Seamus that had been scheduled, all lost in their thoughts of their impending trip to Grimmauld Place. Luna had asked if she and her father could also stay at Grimmauld seeing as her Dad put out the Quibbler, a wizarding world newspaper that dared to defy the Daily Prophet and tell the truth about what was really going on in their world, and of course Harry had consented. Sliding into seats near the back of the Great Hall, they were unable to avoid the obvious stares from their fellow students and tried their best to ignore them. Thankfully, McGonagall chose that time to call for everyone's attention.

Of course when the announcement of the school's closing was made, there were various gasps and a sudden din of murmuring erupted. After settling everyone down again, McGonagall started Seamus's memorial, and Hermione could feel her chest tighten painfully. Swallowing a sob, she ducked her head as the tears started to fall, and she felt Harry put his arm around her shoulders in comfort. Finally the memorial was over and they were all told to go up to their dorms to pack their things for the departure of the Hogwarts Express at two that afternoon. As she, Harry, Ron, and Luna were the first ones out the doors of the Great Hall, Ron and Luna started up to their dorms to pack as Hermione and Harry slowly followed, Harry holding onto Hermione's hand tightly. All through the service, all he kept thinking was that if Seamus hadn't jumped in front of Hermione, she would have been the one they were saying goodbye to instead...

"Seamus?" came the hushed whisper from Hermione, pulling him from his thoughts as she suddenly stopped dead, yanking him back as the rest of the student body went pushing by them.

"What?" he asked, looking at her in confusion.

"S-Seamus, h-he's standing over there," she replied, pointing a ways down the corridor toward the deserted classrooms. Letting go of his hand, she started to walk toward the spot where Seamus's spirit leaned against the wall by the door to the History of Magic classroom.

"Hermione, wait!" Harry called, unsure of what to do.

"I'll be fine Harry. Just go pack and I'll come find you when I'm finished."

"Finished with what?"

"I don't know. Just go, I'll be along shortly."

A little put out by her sudden dismissal of him, Harry watched her for a moment more and then turned to make his way up the stairs.

Hermione kept walking slowly toward Seamus, a million thoughts and questions going through her mind. Finally, when she stood about five steps away from him, she stopped and whispered, "Seamus?"

"Yeh didn't think I'd go without saying goodbye now, did you?" he asked, giving her a smile that belied the sorrow she could see in his eyes.

"I figured since I didn't see you last night that you had already passed on," she replied.

"I couldn't," he said. "I had to know that you were alright, and after what happened last night, I was a little lost for a while. Finally I realized how to get back here and I found you in the Great Hall during my memorial."

"Oh Seamus," she sobbed quietly. "I'm so sorry about what happened. I should have been more careful; it should've been me that died last night, not you."

"Don't say that," he admonished in a pained tone of voice. "I won't tell you that I'm okay with being dead, but if it means you get to live, then it was worth my sacrifice. You're destined for greater things, and there are dark times coming for you and Harry." Pausing for a moment, he stared intently at her as he continued, " I-I could see how much the two of you care for each other last night when you were dancing together. The way you looked at him...I knew you'd never look at me that way, and I wasn't going to try to keep you with me when I knew that you wanted to be with him. It didn't change how I feel though, I really do care for you a lot. I don't know how things work in this afterlife stuff, but if I'm able to help you in any way, I will. From what little I've learned since my passing, it seems that you're destined for some pretty incredible things, and Harry...well, he's going to need you by his side through all of the trials he will be facing soon."

Hermione jerked her head up when he said this, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. "W-What do you mean? What trials? And when?"

His smile turned sad as he replied, "I can't tell you that. I'm sorry. Just know that you have to train to be ready for anything. There's going to be a lot of darkness soon and it seems it's up to you and Harry to stop it."

"We're only teenagers...this is all just so unfair," she sobbed, covering her face with her hands.

"It is unfair, but there's nothing that can be done to bring me back. But you and Harry...you have a chance to live long happy lives...just make sure you're ready when the time comes, okay?"

"Okay," she whispered, wiping the tears from her face as more fell. "Seamus? You'll be okay, right?" As she asked her question, a dull light appeared a little ways down the hall from them and seemed to grow brighter the closer it got. Squinting a little at the brightness, Hermione looked at the light and could see a form to it, but there were no features evident whatsoever. A soft, gentle singing seemed to surround them and Hermione stared at the being in awe.

Seamus, who had been watching the light as well, turned back to her and said, "It seems it's time for me to go."

Biting her lower lip, Hermione looked at him and felt her heart break. He looked so young bathed in the light, too young to be dead, and she thought yet again how unfair it all was. Taking a deep breath, she gave him a weak smile and said, "I'll see you soon."

"Try not to make it too soon," he said with a real smile. Reaching out his hand, he gently caressed her cheek and said, "Goodbye Hermione."

Feeling a whisper of a touch on her left cheek, she instinctively leaned into it and closed her eyes. Opening them again, she took another deep breath to keep her tears at bay and whispered, "Goodbye Seamus."

Withdrawing his hand, Seamus turned toward the being of light and said, "I'm ready now." Hermione stood watching, her tears falling, as Seamus followed the being for a few steps and then the two just seemed to evaporate into thin air. Feeling unable to breathe as her head and heart pounded out a mournful rhythm, she sank to the floor and gave in to the torrent of tears that had been begging to be released, mourning yet again for someone who had senselessly died way before their time.

Harry, who had been pacing in the Head Boy and Girl's Common Room since leaving her, quickly ran out the door as he was suddenly overwhelmed with a sense that Hermione needed him. Running down the stairs, he made his way back to where he'd left her and his chest constricted at the sight before him. Hermione was kneeling on the ground bent over so that her forehead was resting on the cold floor of the corridor, her body shaking as the sound of her crying reached his ears. Rushing to kneel down next to her, he wrapped her in his arms and she buried her face in the crook of his neck, crying uncontrollably. Not knowing what else to do for her at the moment, Harry gently ran his hand over her hair while keeping his other arm wrapped tightly around her, all the while murmuring words to her that he hoped would help to calm her a bit. Finally, her body stopped shaking so violently and her breath started to even out as she started to get control of herself. Relaxing completely into Harry's embrace, she closed her eyes and said in a raspy, tired voice, "It's unfair Harry...it's just so unfair. We don't deserve this."

"No we don't, nobody does" he agreed, moving his face just enough so that he could place a soft kiss on her forehead. "We're going to get through this Hermione; whatever is coming our way we will get through it. As long as we're together they don't stand a chance."

As visions of her nightmares the night before flashed through her mind, Hermione shuddered and said, "I hope you're right. I couldn't bear losing you too...you're all I have left Harry. There's only you."

Closing his eyes as she spoke, Harry felt his heart speed up just a touch more at her words, but then the cold hard truth reared it's ugly head. Trying to get the same images from Hermione's dream out of his head, Harry helped her to stand and wrapped one arm around her waist to help steady her. As he looked down at her, noticing how frail and worn out she looked, he felt such an urge to protect her that it was a little unsettling. Realizing that his feelings for her ran deeper than he wanted to admit, he vowed to himself then and there that he would move heaven and hell if he had to if it meant that they both made it through whatever darkness was fast approaching.

~A/N> Thanks for the great reviews on the last chapter. I'm working as hard as I can on this story in my spare time so that I don't go so long between updates anymore. Starting with this chapter, there is going to be less angst and more fluff, but don't let that fool you. The coming chapters will bring Harry and Hermione closer, but they'll soon be back facing evil. They have a lot to learn before the final battle, about their own personal powers and the power of love. And never forget, everything in my stories happens for a reason :) Happy reading, and if you listen to Harmony Podcast, I've just posted Episode #16 a little while ago. Huge hugs and thanks to Lisa for all her encouragement! :)

After getting up to their dorms and gathering their belongings into their trunks, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, and Ginny all made their way to McGonagall's office. They were to take the floo from there to Grimmauld Place, while the rest of the Weasley family and Luna's father were there awaiting their arrival. One by one, each of them stepped into the fireplace and in a flash of green flame, were on their way to the run down relic of the Black family that now belonged to Harry.

When Hermione came tumbling out of the fireplace, Harry quickly grabbed her so that she stayed standing. "Thank you," she said quietly, not meeting his eyes.

She had been that way since she had spoken to Seamus that morning, and Harry wished that she would talk to him. Without a second thought, he levitated her trunk up the stairs to sit in front of one of the doors and said, "You'll be sharing the room with Luna, I hope that's okay?"

Hermione thought of the alternative, possibly sharing a room with Ginny, and still not looking at him replied, "That's fine."

Harry watched as she started to make her way up the stairs to where her trunk sat and reached out to grab her wrist, stopping her progress. When she looked back, but still not at him, he growled, "Will you please look at me?"

Surprised by his tone, her eyes snapped up to his and immediately she felt bad. Ever since her breakdown in the hallway that morning after speaking to Seamus, she felt embarrassed by her weakness. She was supposed to be strong, the one to keep it together in the worst of circumstances, and she had completely lost it. She couldn't believe that she had told Harry it was just the two of them; when she remembered the exact words she had used she felt her face warm with embarrassment. She was Harry's Guardian, what he must think of her weakness, she could only fathom. If their roles were reversed, she'd probably feel as if she were alone in the upcoming battle that they faced or the trials that Seamus had mentioned...the ones she never told Harry about. And now, there he stood staring at her with a look of betrayal and confusion in his eyes. "Harry, I..."

"Please, just listen for a moment," he said quietly, closing the distance between them. Looking around them and seeing that they were alone, he reached up and gently caressed her cheek with his hand. As she closed her eyes at the wonderful feelings his touch invoked in her, he quietly said, "We all have our moments of weakness Hermione, and I don't think you less of a Guardian or witch for it. You may not have been witness to one of my breakdowns, but believe me when I say that I've had my fair share of them as well, and I'm sure the time will come for you to see me at my worst. I just want you to know that I'm here for you, always, if you need anything."

Feeling her heart swell with his words, Hermione turned her head slightly and placed a kiss against the palm of his hand that rested upon her cheek. His breathing hitched for just a second and before either of them knew what was happening, Harry had pressed his lips to hers in a kiss that seemed desperate, yet filled with longing and a loneliness that only the two of them could understand. Hearing one of the doors down the hall close loudly, the two of them quickly pulled apart, breathing heavily. As Ron appeared at the top of the stairs, Hermione looked back at him and then turned back to look at Harry, her cheeks tinged pink. "I should, ah, get upstairs and put my stuff away." Leaning closer to him she whispered, "Is there anywhere we could meet tonight, so that we can talk?"

Longing to close the distance between them again for another kiss, Harry forced himself to concentrate on her words and replied, "There's the Library, it's the first door on the left at the top of the stairs."

"Okay, the Library then." Taking a step back, she looked directly into his eyes and in a louder tone of voice said, "I'll see you at dinner Harry."

"See you then," Harry replied, staring after her retreating figure as she made her way to her room. Ron, who had seen the entire scene play out, walked up next to him and said, "You two seem to be getting pretty close."

"We both know what it's like to be alone," Harry replied distantly, and then jolted from his thoughts. Turning to Ron he asked, "So where's your Mum? I'd love to say hello to her, it's been a while since I saw her last."

~*~

Dinner that evening was a strange affair. Hermione had taken the seat directly across from Harry, with Luna and Ron sitting to her right and Remus Lupin to her left. On Harry's left sat Ginny, who seemed to be doing everything in her power to get his attention and to his right was Molly Weasley, Ron and Ginny's mum, who kept asking Harry every five minutes if there was anything else that he wanted or needed. At the head of the table sat Arthur Weasley, the Patriarch of the Weasley family, who was deep in discussion with Remus. Hermione kept feeling Harry staring at her, and when she'd glance up she'd meet his eyes, which were filled with intensity and something else she had never seen in them before and didn't recognize. Feeling a strange sensation in her stomach that was a mixture of feeling as if she'd swallowed butterflies and a rock, she choked as Molly said, "So Hermione dear, I hear that you have a special...connection to our Harry here."

As Luna gently patted her back, her coughing subsided and with a raspy voice and watering eyes she croaked, "Excuse me, Mrs. Weasley?"

"Please, call me Molly," the Matriarch replied with a large smile. "Harry is practically family, and Arthur has told me that you're his Guardian. What exactly does that mean?"

"She's his what?" Ginny asked, looking both surprised and angry all at once as she looked back and forth between Harry and Hermione.

"Why Ginny, you didn't know?" Molly asked, and seeing the warning looks on her husband's and Remus's faces she said, "Oh my, I'm so sorry. I should never have said anything. Forget I asked Hermione, I'm sorry."

"No, no, no," Ginny said, standing up from her chair, still staring daggers at Harry and Hermione as Ron tried to get her to sit back down. "What do you mean she's his 'Guardian'? Why wasn't I told about this?"

"Because you didn't need to know," Harry replied, spearing her with an angry look of his own. "The less people that know, the safer the two of us are."

Molly covered his hand with hers in a motherly gesture and when he turned to look at her she said, "I am so very sorry Harry. I should have never said anything...I just figured that everyone here knew."

"Everyone but me it seems," Ginny hissed. "And I'm your girlfriend!"

"You were my girlfriend," Harry said quietly as he turned to face her again. He bowed his head as she stomped her foot and the next thing he knew, she was running out of the kitchen.

Barely lifting his head, Harry mumbled, "I'm sorry about that Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I didn't mean to hurt Ginny like that. Things just didn't, um...work out between us. Excuse me."

Everyone at the table watched as Harry slowly stood up and walked out of the kitchen as well, his shoulders slumped and his head bowed. As Arthur and Molly looked at one another confused at what had just happened, Remus bent toward Hermione and quietly suggested, "Perhaps you should go speak to Harry?"

Looking Remus in the eyes, she could see a somewhat serious, yet still playful glint in them and she said, "I suppose I should. Thank you for dinner Mrs. Weasley, it was wonderful."

"Thank you dear, and it was very nice to meet you. Our family will be going back and forth between here and our house, the Burrow, so I'm sure we'll see each other again very soon," Molly replied.

The five that were left at the table watched Hermione walk out of the room, and once she was out of sight Molly turned to Ron and asked, "Alright, what was all that nonsense about?"

~*~

Hermione walked up the stairs and made her way to the room that Harry was sharing with Ron, which was right next door to her room. Knocking a few times she called out, "Harry, are you in there? It's Hermione."

When the door opened, her mouth fell open as Ginny smirked at her and said, "He's all yours," and then proceeded to make her way to her own room.

Feeling her anger surge, along with something akin to jealousy (not that she'd ever admit to that), Hermione pushed the door open all the way and stepped inside the room. Crossing her arms over her chest in a protective gesture, she took a few more steps inside and noticed Harry sitting on his bed. He was looking at her with a look that was one of someone caught doing something wrong and an anger that was bubbling just below the surface. Unable to stop herself Hermione asked, "Have fun explaining things to Ginny, did you?"

Standing from the bed, he walked up to her and stared into her eyes, making her a bit uncomfortable. "A little jealous, are we?" he asked, failing to completely hide the smirk that was playing on his lips.

"What? No, I'm not jealous! Of...of Ginny? I never..."

Before she could say anymore, the door behind her closed and the next thing she knew, Harry was pressing her against it while kissing her. At first she tried to push him away, wondering what the hell he was doing, but when his tongue stroked her lips teasingly all coherent thought was lost to her. She sighed and as her lips parted she could feel his tongue touch hers gently, and then the kiss became much more heated. Getting lost in the kiss, she brought her hands up around his neck as his hands rested at her waist, and then began to wander around her torso to her hips and back again. When she suddenly felt his hands on her bare stomach a squeaking sound escaped her throat but then she relaxed into the feel of his touch. When his hands moved to her back, she reached down and untucked the t-shirt he was wearing, wanting to feel his skin under her fingers as well. When her fingertips brushed across his abdomen, Harry growled low in his throat and pushed her against the door a bit harder. Realizing that having Harry pressed flush against her was a very wonderful feeling indeed, Hermione pressed herself into him more and loved how she fit against him perfectly. She was in wonder at how badly she wanted Harry to touch her more and when his hands rested on the clasp of her bra she started to breathe faster in anticipation of what he was going to do...

"Hermione? Are you in there?" came Luna's voice from the other side of the door, and the two of them leapt away from it as if burned by fire.

Looking at Harry, she saw how disheveled his appearance was and she knew she probably looked worse. Turning toward the door, she smoothed her hair down as much as she could without looking in a mirror and with a deep breath, took hold of the doorknob and opened it just enough to stick her head out. "Hi Luna," she said, feeling the heat creep up her face as she saw the knowing smirk on her friend's face.

"Hi yourself," Luna replied. "I take it you found Harry and that everything is okay?'

"Oh, er...yes, he's here and we've been um, working things out," she answered lamely.

"Right. Well, while you two are busy working things out, I'll just let Ronald come to our room to wait," Luna said, smiling fully now.

"Thanks Luna, that would be really helpful," Hermione said, returning her friends smile. They both knew what she and Harry had been doing, but thankfully Luna was going to be gracious enough not to say anything at that moment...or so it seemed.

"Oh and Harry," Luna called through the opening in the door. "You'd better be careful just how much you work on things, or else you might find someone else at your door that won't understand like I do."

Bowing her head, fully embarrassed, Hermione mumbled, "I'll be in our room in just a little while."

"Oh please, take your time," Luna replied. "Ronald and I have some issues of our own that we need to work out, so no rush really."

Watching her friend walk away, Hermione didn't know whether to be completely embarrassed or thankful that Luna understood and had not teased her unmercifully for it. Closing the door completely, she turned to see that Harry was once again sitting on his bed, but this time he was watching her as he patted the empty space next to him with his hand. As she slowly walked toward him he smiled and said, "It seems that we get interrupted at the most inconvenient times, doesn't it?"

As pictures of their kiss in the Common Room and on the stairs just after they'd gotten to Grimmauld that day flashed unbidden through her mind, Hermione sat down and replied, "Yes it does. But maybe that's for the best."

"I had a feeling you'd say that."

Hermione stared at him, his green eyes staring back at her unwaveringly, making her stomach flutter again. Taking a deep breath she said, "It's just that...until we start training and learn how much of what's going on with us has to do with me being your Guardian, I don't think that what just happened should happen again."

He stayed quiet for a little while, just staring at her, and then leaned down just enough to brush his lips across hers. When he pulled back and she opened her mouth to say something he put his finger on her lips to silence her. "I heard what you said, I just wanted one more kiss. Who knows when I'll get another." He removed his finger and when she stayed quiet he said, "I should go take my shower now before everyone else does since I didn't get one this morning."

Hermione nodded and stood up, Harry mimicking her actions. Following her to the door, he watched her step out into the hallway and turn back to look at him again. He was surprised to see the heated look that was in her eyes, and he could feel his body react to the smoldering fire he saw in their cinnamon depths. As she turned and walked away, he closed the door behind her and leaned back against it, closing his eyes and willing his body to calm down. When it didn't seem to work, he walked to where his trunk sat at the foot of his bed and grumbled, "I need a bloody shower all right. Maybe a cold one will help stop me from wanting her so bloody bad." As he snatched up his towel, toiletries, and a change of clothes, he made his way out of his room mumbling, "Get ahold of yourself Potter. You're acting like a lovesick fool. You'd think you're in love with her or something." With a jolt of realization, Harry stopped in the middle of the hallway and considered that thought, and sighing he resigned himself to explore it at a later time when his mind was clear and his body wasn't voicing it's opinion so loudly.

~A/N>* PLEASE READ!* The coming chapters are going to be about Harry and Hermione's growing bond and powers, so the angst will be on a bit of hiatus most of the time, but trust me when I say it will be back in abundance in later chapters. I have no idea how many chapters are left in this story, even though I have it outlined. I keep adding sections that I think of while working on each chapter and it just keeps getting longer. So cherished readers, I hope that you will stick with me through one hell of an emotional roller coaster ride (and I mean every emotion you can think of), it will be worth it in the end. Thanks for all the wonderful reviews so far, they're inspiring :) And Lisa-thanks for encouraging me while I write this story. It means a lot.

Hermione sat in the Library at Grimmauld later that night, sitting on the sofa that was positioned in front of the fire. Wrapped in one of her mother's old blankets, she looked down to the notebook she held in her hands and sighed. Opening it, she went to one of the last pages and started to read up on the various powers and gifts the other Duvall women had possessed throughout their lifetimes. When Hermione came to a certain entry she stopped and felt herself grow very cold all of a sudden, but this was an inner chill and had nothing to do with the temperature of the house.

Soul loss- this is the loss of vital energy experienced as a result of any kind of physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual trauma.

Reading the next entry, her mind went into overdrive:

Soul restoration- humans know of a Biblical Psalm of David: "The Lord is my Shephard; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my sould: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." (Psalm 23:1-3). You are not God, but you may have within you the power to bind your soul to another's to help keep them Earthbound, but only if it is not yet their time to die.

Hermione re-read it all again and couldn't believe it. There in front of her was the answer! All she had to do is bind Harry's soul to hers and he would survive the final battle with Voldemort...as long as she did. Reading through some more of the powers, she stopped on the last entry in her mother's notebook:

Intussuscept- to receive within itself or onto another part; specifically, to telescope into another.

That would be it. If she couldn't find a spell to bind her soul to Harry's they would have to...join in the most intimate way as she said the incantation that was given with the description. If it came down to that, would she go that far to save Harry? Would she tell him beforehand, or just do it without his knowledge? Knowing his temper, he may never forgive her for it, but it would be worth it if he came out alive in the end....wouldn't it?

"Hermione?"

At the sound of Harry's voice, Hermione jumped up from the sofa and snapped the notebook shut. Holding it against her chest protectively, she turned to look in the direction his voice had come from and found him leaning against the door frame watching her. "What are you doing?" he asked, eyeing the notebook she held.

"J-Just some research," she replied. As he stared at her, she could feel a flare of heat start in her chest and travel downward, into places she'd never knew existed before. Feeling her cheeks warm with embarrassment as she realized she'd been staring at him, she focused her attention on him again and saw the smirk on his lips. "What?"

Harry watched as the color rose on her face, and he wondered if she was thinking the same as he was. He doubted it, but he could hope even after what she'd said before in his room. Standing up from the doorframe, he started to walk slowly toward her, never breaking eye contact, and when he was directly in front of her he bent just enough so that he could kiss her. Feeling a tingling sensation flow through her when their lips touched, Hermione dropped the notebook and reached out to grab two fistfulls of his t-shirt, pulling him flush against her.

When she had pulled him to her, Harry wrapped his arms around her waist and held tight, deepinging the kiss. Thoughts swirled around in his head, thoughts that seemed strange to him, as if not his own, but when he heard Hermione's throaty moan, all thoughts disappeared instantly. Bringing his hands up, he buried them in her hair and continued to kiss her as if she were the air he needed to breathe, and all he knew at that moment was that he never wanted the kiss to end.

"Harry, I...oh, my," Remus said as he walked into the library. Watching the two teenagers jump apart guiltily, both of them looking at him with wide eyes and pink cheeks, he chuckled and said, "I think you should be glad it was me and not someone else."

"That's the second time today someone has said that," Harry grumbled, then shot a guilty look at Remus when he realized what he had just admitted. Bowing his head he asked, "What was it you needed Remus?"

With a smirk, Remus replied, "I was coming to look for you to ask if you knew where Hermione had run off to. It was rather daft of me to think you wouldn't know."

Harry looked to his Dad's old friend when he heard the note of humour in his voice. Seeing a sparkle of mischief in Remus's eyes, his lips quirked a bit before he tamped down the smirk that threatened to show itself. "She's um, right here." When he looked to her, he felt such a strong urge to grab her and kiss her again, Remus be damned. Her hair was in disarray thanks to his wandering hands, her lips were swollen from the force of his kiss, and her cheeks held a blush that only made her look that much more beautiful.

As she looked at Harry, she could see an almost predatory gleam in his eyes and she felt a shudder run through her at where her thoughts took her. Wait, wasn't she the one that had just told him earlier in his room that they shouldn't do that again? Forcing her gaze away from his, she looked to Remus and asked, "What is it Remus?"

"Firenze just sent an owl to let me know that you will be continuing your training with him at Hogwarts." When both of them opened their mouths to protest, Remus said, "It will be perfectly safe. Training will be conducted in the Room of Requirement, and you will floo into the room directly from here. No one but Firenze and McGonagall will know you're there." Looking to Harry he said, "Shackelbolt will be coming here with Mad Eye to train you and Ron everyday Harry. We've converted the old Ballroom into a training room. It's pretty impressive really, I think even the Auror trainees would be envious. Then every night after dinner the two of you will be training together, with a special instructor coming in to help Hermione."

"And who is the special instructor?" Hermione asked, her curiousity piqued. She knew that there was no way that Firenze would come here, especially since he had made special arrangements to train her at Hogwarts.

"You will have to wait until your first joint training session to find that out, I'm afraid. Sorry," he replied. "Now, since it's getting pretty late, I think the two of you should turn in for the night. You have a long day ahead of you tomorrow."

Harry and Hermione watched as he looked from one of them to the other, his gaze lingering a little longer than normal, and felt uncomfortable at the knowing look in his eyes. After he had said goodnight and took his leave, Hermione turned to Harry and said, "He's right, we really should turn in."

Harry turned to look at her, but she was bending down to pick up the notebook she had dropped earlier. When she straightened, she looked to him and felt such a strong draw to him, it was almost unsettling. Gathering her courage she asked, "Do you feel it too? The feeling that everytime you see me you need to be as near me as possible."

He looked startled for a moment, and then she could tell he was thinking on it. "Yeah, I do. I like being around you, but ever since this morning after you spoke to Seamus I've felt like I need to be around you all the time, like you said, as near as possible."

Watching him for a moment, she said, "I'll have to pluck up the courage to ask Firenze what could be happening between us. If it's just something that's happening because of our Guardian/Charge bond, then it's something we need to end immediately. If it's anything else...well, we can talk about that after I find out for sure." Turning to the Library door, she took a few steps away from him and then stopped. Turning just enough so that she could see him she said, "Goodnight Harry."

"Goodnight," he replied, watching her intently. Thinking back to before his shower, he questioned his feelings for her again. Suddenly feeling very tired, he decided to just go to bed and wait to find out after her talk with Firenze the next day. If it was some new bond forming because she was his Guardian, he would try to stop all the indecent thoughts he'd been having about her recently. If it turned out to be something more...well, he'd deal with it when the time came, like she said.

~*~

The next day felt like hell on earth for not only Harry and Hermione, but for Ron and Luna as well. Luna's father had shown up late the previous night and after sharing a quick breakfast with his daughter and her friends that morning, had left once again to work at The Quibbler. He was trying to print as much of the truth as he could get by the Ministry of Magic as they were already threatening to close down his newspaper office due to his "traitorous ways" toward the wizarding government. Once breakfast was over, Hermione flooed to Hogwarts to meet Firenze in the Room of Requirement while Harry met Remus, Mad Eye, and Shackelbolt in the now-converted ballroom, with Ron and Luna following him in. Three hours later, the three of them sat around the table in the kitchen staring at their lunch, too tired to raise their arms to eat. When Hermione came tumbling out of the floo they could hear her swearing from the sitting room and Harry had to smile; he had never really heard her swear so much before. Getting up slowly, he walked into the room where the fireplace was and stifling his laughter, found Hermione sprawled flat on her back in the middle of the floor.

"Taking a kip?" he asked, unable to keep the laughter out of his voice.

"Ha ha," she mumbled, refusing to open her eyes. Her head felt as if it were about to explode thanks to all of the mental spellwork Firenze had put her through that morning, and she couldn't imagine surviving the nightly training session she was to have with Harry. Sensing his movement, she peeked through one eye to see Harry reaching out to help her up. Grabbing hold of his hand tightly, she let him hoist her up from the floor and once standing, felt every muscle in her body protest as her head pounded it's protest as well. As Harry started to make his way back to the kitchen, she noticed that he wasn't really walking, but shuffling, and couldn't help the giggle that escaped her. When he looked back at her she said, "You're walking like an old man."

"Ha bloody ha," he retorted grumpily. "I'd like to see you go through the three hours of pure hell that Mad Eye put us through today. And Remus...he just sat there laughing at us! Trying to kill us before Voldemort can, they are..."

Hermione laughed more as he continued to grumble to himself all the way to the kitchen where he gratefully sank back down into his chair. Sitting in the seat next to him, she took in Ron and Luna's appearance as well and asked, "You two trained as well?"

"We figured we'd be right in the middle of the fighting, so best to be prepared, right?" Ron replied with a shrug.

"Right," Hermione agreed, and then started to put food on her plate. As her head started to pound again, she placed her fingertips onto her temples and closing her eyes, concentrated until they started to glow blue. Once the pressure was relieved, she opened her eyes to find the other three at the table staring at her. "What?"

"You're getting much better at that," Harry replied with a smile that held a bit of pride to it. "Which is good because it will come in handy when I'm getting my arse kicked during battle."

"Don't talk like that!" Hermione said adamantly as she turned her glare on him. Seeing his shocked expression, she stared at him for a minute more and said, "I'm sorry, I was picking up on Ron and Luna's outrage as well. My healing power isn't the only one that's getting stronger, my empathic ability is as well, and it's getting harder to keep control of them all."

"Right," Harry said slowly, turning to look at Ron and Luna, who wouldn't meet his eyes. Turning back to Hermione he asked, "So how did your training go?"

"It was all mental spellwork today, which is harder than magical spellwork because I can't use my wand to perform it, I have to tap into my internal magic for it." To prove her point, she released a huge yawn and looked embarrassed afterward. "So, what about you three?"

"You mean besides running fifty laps around the Ballroom, doing one hundred sit-ups and push-ups, and duelling each other for an hour straight? It was a bloody party," Ron replied sarcastically, earning himself a cuff on the back of his head from Luna. Looking at her, he said, "Luna had to do everything we did; I couldn't believe she kept up with us the way she did."

Harry knew that Ron had meant it in a complimentary way, and he was sure that somewhere inside Luna did too, but she was too tired to even try to be understanding of his 'speak-before-you-think' attitude and she stood up quickly. "I'm going to go lay down for a bit," she stated before walking quickly from the kitchen.

"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked obliviously.

Shaking her head, Hermione stood up and grabbed her plate. "I'll go talk to her for a bit, maybe a little girl talk will do her some good after having to spend the entire morning alone with you two."

Ron and Harry watched as she left as well and turning to him Harry said, "You sure know how to clear a room."

"Bloody girls," Ron grumbled, just before stuffing a bite of food into his mouth.

~*~

While Hermione and Luna spent the afternoon in their room, Ron and Harry were playing Wizards Chess in the sitting room. "What d'you think they're doing?" Ron asked, as he moved his knight and watched as it took out Harry's rook.

"Dunno," Harry replied. "To tell you the truth, it's kind of nice to have a bit of quiet."

"Agree with you there mate," Ron said, and with one final move declared checkmate.

Feeling worn out and sore from their morning's training, Harry stood up and said, "I feel like a kip."

"Me too," Ron agreed. "Let's get the girl's to wake us up when it's time for dinner."

The two of them went upstairs to the girl's room, where the door was open. There, on their beds, slept Hermione and Luna. "Great minds think alike," Harry said, smiling as he stared at Hermione's relaxed expression.

"Think they'd be mad if we just went in and laid with them?" Ron asked, taking a step into the room.

Harry's quick seeker skills kicked in and reaching out, he snagged Ron's sleeve before he could take another step. "Not today Romeo. I don't think that Remus would be none to pleased walking in to find us in bed with them."

Dragging Ron down the hall behind him, Harry had to laugh as Ron asked, "Romeo? Who the bloody hell is Romeo?"

About three hours later, all four teens were awakened by Remus and Tonks for supper and they blearily made their way back down to the kitchen. It was a silent affair seeing as not everyone was wide awake yet, so when a rangy figure dressed in a black robe with the hood pulled over its head seemed to almost float into the room, not everyone noticed right away. It was different for Hermione though; the moment the person stepped into the room she was out of her seat and standing in front of a very confused Harry. "Who are you?" she asked with a demanding tone to her voice.

Everyone in the room watched as two very pale hands with long skinny fingers emerged from the sleeves of the robe and reached up to lower the hood. When Hermione looked into the person's eyes she gasped, for she had never seen such a color before in her life. The person was a woman about twenty years older than her, and besides having jet black hair that rivaled even Harry's in color, milk white skin, and red, full lips, she had the most brilliant violet colored eyes. As the woman looked up and locked gazes with Hermione, the room seemed to suddenly be charged with a strong magical surge. Once the two had sized the other up and declared one another a non-threat, the woman moved her gaze over Ron, Luna, and Harry, who all still sat at the kitchen table, staring openly at her. Setting her sights on Harry, she walked around Hermione to stand directly in front of him and with just a hint of a smile and a lilt to her voice she said, "You must be Harry. I am Sorcha, your new teacher. Come with me and bring your Guardian, it is time we find out just how powerful she really is."

~A/N> Sorry for the little cliffie in the last chapter, but I made sure it wasn't long between updates so you weren't left hanging for long. There's a bit of a cliffie at the end of this chapter as well, but I will be updating again next week. For any of you that ship R/L as well as H/Hr, I think you may like this chapter and hopefully find it a bit humorous. Plus the drama starts to return a bit at the end, and continues on into the next chapter. Thank you so much for all the great reviews on the last chapter, and your idea's on Sorcha were interesting and fun to read :) Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter. You'll get to know Sorcha a little better. Thanks again to Lisa for her encouragement, and to all of you for the inspiring reviews! Even though I don't get to reply to them often, I do read every review that I get and appreciate each and every one of them. H/Hr shippers are the best and I love being a part of this ship! :D

"I'm standing right here you know," Hermione replied, glaring at Sorcha's back as she led Harry out of the kitchen.

"I know, and you should be following me instead of making snide comments," Sorcha replied, barely glancing back at her.

Hermione, with her fists clenched at her sides, turned to look at Remus and asked, "This is who you got to train us? This...this...shebeast?"

"That...shebeast as you called her is the best witch Guardian of her time, and there is no one better suited to train the two of you," Remus replied, trying to suppress a smile at her choice of words. "You'd better hurry on after them, or she'll start teaching Harry without you."

With a loud 'Hmph!', Hermione turned and stalked out of the kitchen, following the sound of Harry's voice into the Library. "Finally," Sorcha said as she entered, completely cutting Harry off. "I will not tolerate distractions or tardiness. Next time it happens, I will no longer instruct you."

With her mouth moving, but no words coming out, Hermione glared at the woman standing in front of her. Seeing how angry she was becoming, Harry walked over to stand by her and gently placed his hand on the small of her back. "Calm down Hermione, she's here of her own accord, so why don't we let her teach us as much as possible?"

Harry's touch on her back was enough to make her feel a little better, but it didn't diminish the anger all together. Looking at him, she gave him a slight smile and a quick nod of her head, letting him know that she would try, but only because he asked. When the two of them looked back at their new teacher, she stood staring at them intently, watching their interaction. "You two have a very strong bond already. But it is the wrong type of bond. You have felt for each other feelings of being more than friends, yes?" As both teens stood there blushing she said, "I'll take that as a yes. The connection between a Guardian and her Charge is very strong, and sometimes that connection can overlap into emotion." Looking directly at Harry she added, "It may have worked for your mother and father, but that is the only known emotional connection between a Guardian and her Charge that has lasted such as their's did. And of course you know how it ended, your mother had a lapse of judgement and two powerful Guardians were killed that night, along with a Charge. I will not let that happen again."

"Who do you think you are?" Harry ground out, glaring at her. Hermione had immediately reached out to grab his arm, trying to stop him from losing his temper such as she had, but it was of no use. "You know NOTHING of my parents relationship!"

After speaking his last word, Hermione watched in shock as Sorcha went sailing across the room, her back and head coming into contact with the wall. She had looked like a ragdoll sailing through the air, and if the sickening crunch as she hit the wall was any evidence, she had hit very hard. Running over to her, Hermione kneeled down next to her and said, "Sorcha? Sorcha, can you hear me?" Looking to the back of her head, Hermione could see that she was bleeding from a gash that was most likely from hitting one of the picture frames on the wall. Without a second thought, she placed her hands over the gash and closing her eyes, she concentrated hard and tapped into her healing powers, putting all of her energy into closing the wound. When she felt Sorcha stir, she opened her eyes and the blue glow from her hands diminished immediately.

Lifting her head up, Sorcha reached up to feel the back of her head, noting the wetness of the blood that still clung to her hair. Gently probing her scalp, she found no evidence of a wound and looked to Hermoine with a bit of surprise showing on her face. "You healed me?"

"I did."

"But how do you know how to heal already?" she asked, unsteadily standing up.

"Firenze, the Divination teacher at Hogwarts, helped me," Hermione replied, looking proud.

Sorcha, after staring into Hermione's eyes for a moment, then turned to Harry and said, "And you...you have a lot of magical power that you have not tapped into yet. Who has been training you?"

"No one," Harry replied quietly, not looking up to meet her gaze. "Headmaster Dumbledore was training me last year, but then..."

"Yes, I know all about that unfortunate business with him and Snape," Sorcha said, causing Harry to look at her then. "Snape never was one of my favorites. Why Dumbledore ever let him in the Order, I'll never know. I told him that I sensed he was dangerous, untrustworthy, but Albus said he just needed to be given a chance. That chance cost him his life."

Silence descended upon the room, all three of them standing lost in their thoughts until Sorcha clapped her hands together, causing Harry and Hermione to jump, as she said, "Now, on to training! You two have much to learn, the first lesson being control so there are no more magical mishaps."

~*~

Two hours later Sorcha finally bid them goodnight, leaving Harry and Hermione laying flat on their backs on the Library floor, trying to catch their breath and slow the pounding in their heads. "I...stand...by what I....said...before," Hermione panted, closing her eyes as pain sliced through her head for the umpteenth time. "That witch...is a shebeast."

Harry chuckled quietly but then stopped when his head pounded even more at the movement. "She is rather unpleasant, but you have to admit, she did teach us a lot today."

"Oh yes, two hours to teach us how to keep control of our magic so that neither of us throws her into a wall by accident again, and then teaching me how to 'sense' where you are in a room is bloody brilliant," Hermione replied, and then let out a little 'eep' as she realized she'd sworn.

"One thing I have definitely learned today," Harry said, laughing despite the pain, "Is that you have quite the mouth on you when you get angry."

"You can thank my dad for that," Hermione said quietly, a picture of her father coming to mind. "Mum always tried to get him to watch his words, but he didn't care. He said it wasn't like I wouldn't hear it elsewhere, but I don't think I can ever remember mum swearing...well, maybe once or twice, but that's it."

While she had been reminiscing, Harry moved to lay next to her on his side, his head in his hand propped up by his elbow on the floor. He lay there watching her as shadows crossed her face when she spoke of her parents, and he knew only slightly how she was feeling. Reaching out, he slowly hooked one finger around a stray strand of her hair that lay on her cheek and slid it to the side. When his finger brushed her cheek, she looked over at him and smiled at him, her smile holding just a hint of sadness due to her lingering memories. Still staring into her eyes, he started to slowly lower his head toward hers and once the distance between them was closed, he settled his lips onto hers in a tender kiss. Her lips were so familiar to him now, their unique softness and taste that was Hermione, and he kissed her harder.

Putting a hand on his chest, Hermione reluctantly pushed him gently away from her, causing him to look at her questioningly. "What is it?" he asked, his voice sounding rough and husky even to his own ears.

"I spoke to Firenze today," she replied, her cheeks coloring. "It was a little more uncomfortable than I thought, but he just listened to everything I said, and after a few moments he told me what he thought."

When she was quiet for a bit, he smoothed her hair away from her face with his right hand and asked, "And? What did he say?"

Taking a deep breath, she replied, "He said...'Follow your heart. It will never mislead you.' "

As they stared at one another, the silence of Grimmauld Place settling over them, Harry asked, "And what does your heart tell you to do when it comes to you and me?"

Looking deep into his eyes for a moment, she used her senses to probe deeper into his inner thoughts and feelings, the way Firenze had taught her to that morning. After some time had passed Hermione smiled and before he knew what she was doing, she pulled him back down to her and kissed him, putting everything she felt for him in the kiss.

When they broke apart some time later, she looked up at him with vulnerability shining brightly in her eyes and asked, "Does that answer your question?"

"Yes it does," he replied, smiling down at her. When she moved to kiss him again, he said, "Just one second," and picked his wand up from the floor where it lay beside them. Performing a locking charm on the door, he looked back at her again and asked, "Now, where were we?"

~*~

An hour later, Hermione walked into the room she shared with Luna, a huge smile plastered on her face. Reaching up, she placed her fingertips on her lips, feeling their puffiness from the kisses she and Harry had shared, and her smile grew bigger. With a flick of her wand, all the candles in the room lit and when she turned to go to her bed, she froze. There, on Luna's bed, were Ron and Luna in a compromising position looking very guilty and uncomfortable.

Trying to stifle the laughter that threatened to escape her, she cocked one of her eyebrows and asked, "Am I interrupting?"

"Yes."

"No."

When they both answered at once, Hermione lost control and started laughing, the situation too funny to feign seriousness. When she was finally able to get herself under control she said, "Why don't I just step out for a tick and you can let me know when it's safe to come back in?"

Without waiting for an answer, she turned and made her way back out of the room, bumping into someone in the hallway as she was closing the door behind her.

"Hey, I was just coming to find you. Have you seen Ron? I can't find him and I promised him a game of Wizards Chess before bed," Harry asked.

She couldn't help it. The laughter erupted from her again, the trials of the day and her tiredness from all of the training finally catching up to her stole her ability to suppress it, and she knew Harry probably thought she'd gone mad. Finally able to stop and catch her breath, she looked at him with a mischievous glint in her eyes and pointed toward her door. "He's um...in there. But he's a little busy at the moment playing a game with Luna."

Harry's eyes widened and his eyebrows raised as she said this, and then he too started to laugh. Once he had calmed down he said, "If Remus and Mrs. Weasley knew what they were doing, he'd be right back at the Burrow with Ginny and his parents."

"Then it'll just be our little secret, won't it?" she asked, smiling.

Smiling back at her he replied, "Yes it will. Our little secret." Bending down to give her one more quick kiss, he took a few backward steps away from her and said, "I'll see you in the morning. Oh, and if you don't get back in there soon you can always come stay in Ron's bed."

"Cheeky git," she said, and listened to him laugh the rest of the way to his room, the sound only disappearing after he'd closed his bedroom door.

About half an hour later, fatigue finally replaced humor and knocking on the door to her room she said, "Ron if you're not out of there in five minutes, I'm coming in and levitating you out, with or without clothes on. It's your choice."

Two minutes later, a very red faced (and thankfully dressed) Ron came walking quickly out of the room, mumbling a quick, "Sorry," to her as he breezed by. Walking into her room, she walked to her bed and sank down gratefully onto it.

"Sorry about that," Luna started, sounding very happy and not one bit sorry. "It's just with Ron, once he..."

"Please don't say anymore," Hermione pleaded, cutting her off. "I've seen more than I should have already, I don't need to know more as well." Quickly changing into her pajamas, she crawled under the covers and fell asleep immediately.

She found herself walking through a mist that seemed to be floating atop the floor she walked on, and when she looked around she realized that she was back at the Halloween Ball the night before. Feeling a sudden overwhelming sense of dread, she sought out Harry and Seamus, seeing neither of the boys. Walking through all of the dancing couples on the dance floor, she found Ginny dancing with Neville and asked, "Have you seen Harry or Seamus?"

Ginny turned toward her, but instead of the intense hazel eyes that she usually had, her eye sockets were empty and Hermione clamped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming at the disgusting sight. Running amongst the couples again, she found herself at the front of the Great Hall, face-to-face with Damien. Voldemort was standing off to his right with his wand trained on Harry, who was struggling to break free from the strong hold of the unidentifiable Death Eater that was restraining him.

Looking to Damien's left side, she saw Seamus's unmoving body lying on the ground. She made a move as if to go to him when Damien put his hand out to stop her and said, "You can only save one of them. It is your choice Guardian-which one will live, and which one will die?"

Harry was her Charge, of course she should choose him. But what if Seamus was still alive, maybe there was a chance that she could save them both. Looking back and forth between the two, she stared at Seamus and watched him to see if he was even still alive. What if he was already dead and she chose to save him? Then she'd lose them both...

"Well?" thundered Damien, pulling her from her thoughts and making her jump. "Which is it then?"

"I-I don't know," she replied, a sob escaping her as she said it. "I don't want to choose, I want them both to live!"

"Wrong answer," Damien said as he sneered down at her. Turning to Voldemort, he nodded and Voldemort used the Cruciatus curse on Harry, who started to scream as the curse was left on him a very long time. Over his screams Damien said, "The Irish boy is already dead. You knew who to choose, you just didn't have the courage to do it. Not that I mind, it'll just make it much easier to kill you when the time comes."

As she stood there, trying to get her body to move so that she could help Harry, the scene around her suddenly transformed and she looked around in confusion. After a moment more, she realized she was in Elysian and as she went to take a step forward, she jumped back as Lily suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Hermione, thank goodness!" Lily said, looking somewhat stressed and relieved. "I've been trying to contact you but I couldn't get through, there was some sort of evil barrier surrounding your mind."

"I-It was Damien," Hermione replied, fear notable in her voice.

"Yes, I know. That's why I was trying to reach you. It's Harry," she said, sounding almost desperate now. "He's in trouble Hermione, you must go to him. You're out of Damien's control, you just have to wake up and get to him. He needs you. Now!"

"But how...?" Hermione started to ask, but Lily simply evaporated before her eyes. Shaking all over from the things she'd seen in Damien's nightmare and frightened by Lily's distress, Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated on Harry, on where she wanted to go... Next thing she knew, she was standing next to Harry's bed as Harry thrashed around wildly while muttering something over and over again.

"Hermione?" Bloody hell, when'd you get here?" Ron asked from where he sat on Harry's bedside, trying to hold him still while trying to wake him. When Harry started thrashing even more he said, "Nevermind, I don't care. Just help me with him, will you?"

Seeing the sweat that beaded his forehead, Hermione placed her hands on Harry's temples and muttered an incantation, immediately seeing what he was seeing. Jerking back quickly, breaking the connection, she looked at Ron and said, "Go sleep in my room with Luna, Ron. This is something I have to do by myself."

"What?! Are you mad?" Ron asked, giving her a look that said he clearly thought she was.

"Just go!" Hermione ordered, and once Ron was out of the room she sealed the door shut and cast a silencing spell, praying that she could do this alone. Once again placing her hands on his temples, Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated until she could see Harry's nightmare start to play out in her own mind. Gathering up all of her Guardian magic she took a deep breath and in a clear tone of voice said, "Teleportus."

~A/N> Thanks so much for all the great reviews! I love reading every one of them and finding out what you think is going to happen next in the story. I'm also glad you liked the way I'm taking Ron and Luna's relationship. I know that Luna is OOC from the books, but I'm writing her the way that I see her. I've been working on coming chapters and the rating will more than likely be going up, unless I change the scene that I've just written in. It could happen, but it would change the story arc so I'll have to think on it a bit. Hopefully you guys won't mind if I up the rating? Anyway, here's the next chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Thanks again for the reviews, and thanks once more to Lisa, my friend whose encouragement makes me want to write more :) See y'all next week!

Entering into Harry's nightmare was something completely different than what Hermione had expected. Firenze had been teaching her dream teleportation, or channeling into Harry's mind, after he had explained how Voldemort had entered into his mind before. As a spectral manifestation, Hermione got her bearing's and proceeded to take in her surroundings. What she saw before her made her blood run cold, so to speak.

As the scene before her played out, she felt as if she wanted to be sick, knowing that it wasn't possible in her current state. Harry was shackeled by one wrist to what looked to be a dungeon wall, trying so hard to get free that his wrist was raw and bloody. As he pulled, he was reaching his free hand toward something and when she followed his gaze, she felt as if she might faint. There, shackeled to the wall by both hands and feet, was a likeness of her. Standing in front of her was Voldemort, laughing in a way that made evil feel as if it were a real thing to be touched. Voldemort made a motion with his wand and Hermione watched in horror as her twin screamed in agony, a tear suddenly appearing on the flesh of her stomach. "I do not understand how you can stand to be near such filth, Potter, let alone touch it. But then, your mother was a mudblood too, was she not?"

"Let her go, you evil bastard!" Harry shouted, tugging harder on the restraint around his wrist, cutting deeper into the skin. "Hang on, Hermione, just be strong. Don't leave me..."

Hermione turned from Harry when she heard a very pained, very quiet imitation of her own voice say, "Don't worry about me Harry. I'm not the one that can defeat him, only you can. Save yourself."

"No!" Harry shouted again, emitting an anguished, guttural cry that came from deep within his soul as another gash appeared on her neck. It was horizontal, running from one ear to the other, and blood seeped quickly from the wound.

Not deep enough to cut her vocal chords, the Hermione-in-shackles lifted her head just enough so that she could see him through the blood and sweat that ran down her face and whispered, "I can't fight it anymore, Harry. I just can't. Don't ever forget how much I love you, and I'll always be with you in your heart."

"No! You promised that you wouldn't leave me! You promised we would defeat him together, that our love would help to defeat him, you can't give up now!" Harry screamed, jerking his arm so hard that Hermione cringed as she heard one of his bones snap from the force.

The sound of his bone breaking snapped her from the trancelike state she had been in while watching his nightmare play out, and she quickly made her way over to Harry's subconscious self. Just before reaching him, her body was suddenly racked with a pain like she'd never felt before. Screaming as every nerve in her body seemed to catch fire and burn her blood, she moved her head just enough to see that it was Voldemort cursing her...the spectral Hermione, not Harry's nightmare Hermione. How was this possible?

"You are predictable mudblood, and you bore me," Voldemort hissed, and then lifted the curse from her.

Panting in pain, she glared up at him and said, "This isn't possible. There is no way that you could have physically manifested yourself into Harry's dreams, let alone be able to perform magic. You are not Voldemort."

"Well, I guess you are not as ignorant as those that came before you," he said, and slid the black hood from his head. Hermione lay on the floor, pain still coursing through her, looking up at Damien as he smiled evilly down at her. "It is too bad that you are going to end up just like them, you would have been fun to play with."

When Damien took a step toward her, Hermione quickly reached out, and holding tightly onto Harry's hand she closed her eyes and said, "Andrelateo Olethros Daimonion Philos!" Once she saw the golden light appear around her, she hastily said, "Portus exido!", withdrawing from Harry's mind while at the same time making sure his subconscious mind was now safe from Damien's horrors.

~*~

When Hermione opened her eyes, she found herself sprawled out flat on her stomach on the floor in Harry's room. When she thought of Harry, she went to jump up to make sure he was alright, but then cried out in anguish as her body pulsed with one giant wave of pain.

"Don't move," came Harry's shaky voice from somewhere above her. She felt him gently place his hand on her back and she flinched at the contact, causing her to suffer even more as the pain returned, but much worse this time.

"Make it stop!" she cried, wondering what the hell Damien had done to her to cause this agony.

"I can't," he whispered, sounding helpless and a bit frightened. "It was the Cruciatus curse, there's nothing to do but let it run its' course. I'm sorry."

The tears spilled from her eyes, dripping onto the floor as the pain came in waves, peaking at an intensity that made her want to scream, only to finally ebb away and give her a bit of time to catch her breath before it came again. Harry sat next to her on the floor, smoothing her sweat soaked hair off of her face, feeling worthless. This was all his fault, if he would have just cleared his mind of thought before going to sleep, Voldemort wouldn't have gotten into his mind again...

"Harry, please..." Hermione's pleading voice came, breaking into his thoughts. "I don't want to be on the floor anymore. Please help me."

Thinking on her request for a tick, he reached out and rested his hands on her side. Slowly and deliberately, he rolled her so that she was laying on her back now. After giving her time to recover a bit from the pain of the move, he put one arm under her neck and the other underneath her knees and very carefully picked her up, cradling her against him to lessen any movement of her body. Taking baby steps, he walked over to his bed and gently lay her down on it, releasing the breath he was holding. He had been so afraid of making her pain worse. "Rest now, the pain should lessen throughout the night and be gone by morning."

Trying to get comfortable, she looked at him with a sudden clarity in her eyes as she said, "You seem to know a lot about this curse."

"I know it all too well," he said, carefully crawling behind her on the bed and laying on his side. Slowly, he lay his hand very gently on her waist so as not to rest it's full weight on her and cause more pain. "Voldemort has cast it on me too, once before in my fourth year at Hogwarts. It's something I'll never forget."

After a short silence in which Hermione stared deeply into his eyes, seemingly studying him, she suddenly spoke up in a whisper, "It wasn't Voldemort Harry, it was Damien disguised as Voldemort. He somehow projected himself into your head and caused the nightmare. There was nothing you could have done to stop it. It's something I'm supposed to do, but I haven't learned how to yet. Maybe I can ask Sorcha to teach me tomorrow so that we can protect you from him."

"First I have Voldemort in my head poking around, and now Damien as well?" Harry asked, sounding a bit disgusted.

Slowly bringing up her hand she lay it gently on his cheek, barely moving her thumb back and forth in a gentle caress. "Thank you for helping me."

"I should be thanking you," he said. "The things he was doing to you, and I couldn't do anything to help. I felt so worthless..."

When he trailed off, Hermione watched as a pink tinge blossomed upon his cheeks while feeling his skin warm under her hand as well. Remembering how he spoke of loving her in the nightmare she said, "It was just a nightmare Harry, it wasn't real. For you anyway."

"But you were hurt again," he replied, sounding angry now, and she knew it was at himself because he felt he had let her down.

"Harry," she said, waiting to speak again until he met her eyes. "You may be the boy-who-lived, the wizard who's supposed to save the world from Voldemort, but I'm the one that's supposed to keep you safe so that you can do that. I've seen how powerful you are, and I have faith that you will fulfill your destiny, so stop doubting yourself. I believe in you, as do many others."

Harry just stared into her eyes, seeing a hint of pain that was probably another wave from the curse, and he leant forward to place a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you for saving me tonight. If I had continued to watch you being tortured much longer, I probably would've gone mad."

"But it wasn't me, and I was doing what I was supposed to do," she replied, and then suddenly felt very tired. Feeling her eyes drooping she mumbled, " 'M sleepy."

"Then rest," he said, reaching down for the blanket and then carefully scooting closer to her so that he could wrap his arm around her waist. "If you need anything during the night, just wake me, okay?"

"M'kay," she mumbled, and then he listened as her breathing evened out, signalling that she was sleeping. After watching her sleep for a little while he felt his eyelids grow heavy as well, and finally giving up the fight drifted off to sleep, praying that he would have no more nightmares that night.

~*~

Waking up with Harry holding her in his arms was a very nice way to start the day. Unfortunately, she didn't get to appreciate it for very long. She heard someone talking on the other side of the door, and the next thing she knew she was staring into Nymphadora Tonks now-blue eyes, which held not only questions but a bit of anger. "Care to explain why you're in here, sleeping with Harry, while Ron is in your room sleeping with Luna?"

At the sound of Tonks voice, Harry stirred and seeing Hermione, a small smile graced his face. When he noticed Tonks, that smile vanished immediately, especially with the glare she was giving him. "Um...morning Tonks."

"Morning, indeed," she replied, placing her hands on her hips in a very Molly Weasley-like gesture. "You two need to come downstairs to the kitchen. Remus and I need to have a word with the four of you, and the other two are already downstairs, so hurry up."

After she quickly left the room, Harry turned to Hermione and said, "I don't think that I have ever seen her that mad before. This is not going to be good." After staring at her for a moment in silence he asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Sore, and I have a bit of a headache, but better than I was last night. At least the waves of pain have seemed to cease."

"Good," Harry said, smiling at her. Sitting up he said, "We'd best get down there and get this over with. We're going to have to tell them what happened, you know. I don't keep things from Remus...not after what happened to Sirius."

"Alright," she agreed, gingerly sitting up. With Harry taking hold of her hand, he gently pulled her up and wrapped his arm around her waist, using the excuse that he just wanted to lend her a little support during their walk downstairs since she was still a little unsteady. When she looked at him a little uncertainly he said, "I don't think we can get into any more trouble than we already are."

Their talk around the table that morning was one that none of the four teens would ever forget. Remus and Tonks proceeded to lecture them on sleeping in the same bed together, and then to make matters worse, gave them the 'sex talk'. With her face aflame with embarrassement, Hermione sat listening to them drone on and couldn't help but smile when they mentioned waiting until 'the right moment' because she had thought of Luna and Ron the night before. A bit late to tell them that.

Suddenly realizing that the room had grown quiet, Hermione looked up from the spot she had been staring at on the table to see both adults staring at her with expectant looks on their faces. Staring back at them with a blank look on her face, she heard Tonks sigh as Remus cleared his throat and said, "Harry just said you had an explanation for last night?"

"Oh, right, sorry," she replied, ignoring the stares from the other three that sat with her. "After going to sleep last night, I had a nightmare about the Halloween Ball, but it was different than what really happened that night because Damien was there with Voldemort. He said I had to choose who would live, Seamus or Harry, and when I said that I wanted them both to live he told me that Seamus was already dead and ordered Voldemort to crucio Harry. Right after Voldemort started to torture Harry, the dream dissolved and I found myself back in Elysian." She heard Luna gasp and could feel everyone's stares boring into her, their emotions slamming into her and making her stomach turn, but she ignored it the best she could. Closing her eyes for a moment and taking a deep breath, she opened them again to look back to Remus and continued, "Lily had brought me there. She told me that she had been trying to contact me but there seemed to be some sort of evil barrier around my subconscious that she couldn't get through. She proceeded to tell me that Harry was in grave danger and that I needed to get to him immediately. Not knowing really what to do I concentrated on Harry, on the fact that I had to be with him, and the next thing I knew I was in his room standing next to his bed with Ron."

She and Harry recounted the rest of the story, Harry telling of how his nightmare began and Hermione added in the parts she was there for, explaining how it turned out that it was Damien in Harry's mind forcing the nightmare on him and how she got rid of him. Then they explained how she had been crucio'd in the nightmare, that she had actually experienced the curse physically, and how Harry had helped her cope with the lingering effects throughout the night. Once they finished telling the story, the room was uncomfortably silent and filled with tension. There were so many emotions...fear, anger, confusion...coming from everyone in the room and Hermione felt the full effect of them due to her growing empathic powers. "Would you all please get a hold on your emotions?! You're making me ill and I've had a bad enough night, thank you!"

Unfortunately her outburst caused more emotion, and she couldn't take it. Feeling her stomach turn, she ran from the room to the loo and proceeded to throw up, as if ridding her body of the unwanted emotions it had soaked up like a sponge. After what seemed like a very long time to her, a soft knock sounded on the bathroom door and Harry's voice softly asked, "Hermione, are you okay?"

She went to answer, and she meant to say 'yes', but instead a sob escaped from her and she said, "No."

"Can I come in?" he asked hesitantly. She knew he wanted to just walk in and to hell with asking.

As she sat on the floor, her head resting on the cool toilet seat lid, she listened as the door opened and his footsteps drew nearer. He kneeled down next to her, a very concerned look on his face as he reached out and smoothed her hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Giving her a slight smile he said, "I nearly had to fight Luna to be the one to come check on you. You have us all worried. What happened?"

"My empathic powers are getting stronger, and when I was sitting there everyone's emotions just started coming at me. I couldn't stop it, I started to feel everything the five of you were feeling all at once, and it made me feel so sick...almost dirty, to tell the truth. I don't know how much more of this I can take."

"I know how you feel, all those times that I had Voldemort creeping around inside my mind, I'd wake up and be physically sick too. I wish there was something I could do to help you."

He reached out then, gently enfolding her into his arms, and she relished the feeling of him holding her so carefully. She could sense the worry and concern coming from him, but this time it didn't make her feel sick, just...special, to him at least. Closing her eyes, she sank deeper into his embrace and laid her head on his shoulder, drawing strength from him...a strength he didn't even know he possessed yet. As her stomach calmed and she felt her body finally relax, she took a deep breath and said, "You're already helping me Harry, more than you know."

~A/N> Happy Holidays everyone! Here's the next chapter, hope you enjoy it. Thanks for all the great reviews on the last chapter, and thanks again to Lisa for her help! BTW, HTV 7 and Harmony Podcast 17 are now available as well :)

After splashing her face with cold water, Hermione assured Harry that she would be okay and went to her room to change. When she walked in, Luna was sitting on her bed and immediately got up, walked up to her, and enveloped her in a gentle hug.

"Are you okay?" she asked, pulling away and taking in Hermione's pale face and the dark circles underneath her eyes.

"Not especially, but I'll survive," Hermione replied, grateful to have such a caring friend.

"What happened before?" Luna asked, gently guiding Hermione over to her bed, getting her to sit down next to her.

Hermione explained everything just as she had to Harry, and then told Luna what Harry had done for her in the bathroom. When she finished explaining it all, Luna had a very strange look on her face. "What is it?" Hermione asked.

"You and Harry are so alike. You've both been through so much...losing your families, having dark and evil beings after you, and all this magic inside of you that you don't know how to control yet...you're two lost souls that have finally found a kindred spirit in the other. You two deserve some peace and happiness."

Listening to her talk, Hermione detected a note of sadness in her voice and felt it coming from her as well and she asked, "What aren't you saying, Luna?"

Luna didn't look at all surprised by the question and quietly answered, "Neither of you will find the happiness you deserve; I've seen it."

Hermione's breath caught for a second at her words but then she asked, "But what you see can be changed, can't it? The future is never set in stone."

Luna sat quietly, thinking of all the times she'd 'seen' events happen and the fact that all of them had so far come to pass. Deciding that it was better to keep that to herself she replied, "No, there is sometimes a chance it can be changed. We'll just have to work hard to alter the outcome." When Hermione smiled, she smiled back, feeling disappointed in herself for lying to her friend. The lie was just a band-aid temporarily covering the wound, and when it was pulled off, she feared the pain was going to be too much for any of them to bare.

~*~

When they walked downstairs, they were met by Harry, Ron, and Remus, who were waiting for them in the sitting room. When she noted the looks on their faces she asked, "Now what is it? I don't know how many more mood swings I can take today..." She saw just the corner of Remus's mouth twitch and she smiled at him, lightening the mood in the room a bit.

"Well, after contacting Firenze and giving him the details of your horrendous night, he has requested that you and Harry go to Hogwarts this morning to train. Sorcha will be meeting you there as well, so the training will be a combined effort," Remus replied.

"Training with Firenze and Sorcha...at the same time? My head already hurts just thinking about it," Hermione said, a look of dread on her face.

"How do you think I feel?" Harry asked, walking over to stand next to her. "This will more than likely be training for you with me as the subject to be practiced on."

"What're you on about?" Ron asked. "At least you don't have to stay here to be tortured by Tonks, Mad Eye, and Shackelbolt again."

"Have a session with Sorcha, then come complain to me," Harry replied.

"Alright, enough stalling," Remus said, interrupting. "Harry and Hermione, you're coming with me to Hogwarts. Ron and Luna, you're presence is requested in the training room. We'll meet up again tonight at dinner."

The four of them groaned at the thought of training throughout the entire day, but did as they were told. They were training for the fight of their lives after all, so what was a day of painful exercises and spellwork compared to dying in battle?

~*~

"No...no...NO!!!"

Harry and Hermione glared at Sorcha, who stood in the middle of the Room of Requirement screaming at them for any little slip up Hermione made. Harry was mad on Hermione's behalf...she was new to all of this, both magic and Guardianship...why couldn't Sorcha just ease up on her?

"You think I am being too hard on your Guardian?!" Sorcha asked loudly, walking up to stand in front of him. "Well?"

"I-uh...well..." he stuttered, forgetting that she was a bit of an empath herself. Steeling his courage he looked her in the eyes and said, "Yes, I do."

"We'll see if you feel that way after you are dead because she failed to protect you like she is supposed to!" Sorcha barked, whipping her glare from him to Hermione.

He knew that her words had struck home with Hermione because she had gone very pale and looked to be on the verge of tears. After the night she had, he didn't think her psyche could take much more torture than it'd already been through. He knew that this training session had been a bad idea after all that had happened. When one lone tear escaped from Hermione's eye and snaked it's way down her cheek, he felt something in him snap.

Taking a step forward, he came face to face with Sorcha and ignoring Remus and Firenze calling to him in the background, he glared down at her and yelled, "Why must you do that? Why do you push and push until you break her? She's been through hell and back overnight, she should be able to take a break to recover her bearings, not here having you berate her and tear her down even more when everyone but you can see she's working her arse off!"

The moment he started yelling she felt it; Hermione could actually feel how much Harry cared about her. It started as a warm feeling around her heart that seemed to spread to her very soul, and she couldn't remember a time when she had felt so strong, or more loved.

Firenze was the first to see it, and then Remus noticed it...a golden glow had surrounded Hermione as Harry yelled at Sorcha and the more he yelled, the brighter the glow became. Suddenly, without warning, the glow turned into a flash of light and the next thing any of them knew, Sorcha had vanished from the room.

Harry, looking at the empty spot where Sorcha had just been standing, stood blinking stupidly for a moment before he turned toward Hermione and asked, "What the hell just happened?"

"I-I have no idea," Hermione said, her eyes wide. She had a really terrible feeling that she had caused Sorcha to disappear, but for the life of her she had no clue as to how she did it.

As Remus stood wondering as well, Firenze walked silently to the door of the room and opened it. There, standing out in the corridor, was a very surprised looking Sorcha. She blinked a few times, staring at Firenze, and then walked past him into the room. Stopping just a little ways in, she looked to Remus and said, "She just mentally teleported me out of the room! First she can heal, and now this? I thought you said she had just begun Guardian training before you contacted me?"

"She had," Remus replied.

"I have been working with her on the more natural aspects of magic...tapping into her inner magical core to draw upon the power she will need for her Guardian duties, and Mister Lupin has been working with her on Defense Against the Dark Arts training, more traditional magic such as spells and jinxs," Firenze explained in a calm, even tone, which seemed to relax everyone in the room. "Had you not been so confrontational, Madame Sorcha, you would have noticed that Hermione had taken on a golden glow just before you disappeared. I do believe that she and Mister Potter are starting to bond, and that she is more powerful than any of us imagined."

Sorcha was quiet for a bit after Firenze finished speaking, and then walked up to Hermione. Looking the young girl in the eye, she said, "I am sorry, Hermione, for belittling you the way I did. I was only trying to teach you our ways in the same manner that I was taught. I should have thought back to my training days, and maybe I would have remembered just how much I despised my teacher for the way she taught me."

Hermione was flabbergasted, to say the least. Was Sorcha actually apologizing to her? Realizing that a response was expected from her, she cleared her throat and said, "That's quite alright Sorcha, I understand why you did what you did; it was in Harry and I's best interest. Your ways are a bit harsh and hurtful though."

While silence reigned in the Room of Requirement, Remus spoke up and said, "Why don't we work on some defense spells for a little while? We can come back to the Guardian training later on, perhaps?"

"Of course," Sorcha replied. Giving Hermione what looked to be a smile (Hermione could have sworn the corners of her lips were upturned for a second), she made her way from the room with an unspoken promise to return later in the day.

As soon as the door to the room closed behind her, it seemed as if they all sighed in relief, glad for even a brief respite from the witch.

~*~

"Locomotor Mortis!"

As Hermione's legs locked together and she started to fall, she thrust her wand in front of her and called, "Petrificus totalus!"

"Protego!" Harry countered, shielding himself from her spell, giving her enough time to take the leg-locking spell off of herself with a quick 'Finite incantatum.'

Still laying on the floor on her stomach, she waited until she saw Harry's shield drop and cast a quick, "Conjunctiva!"

"Ahh! Damn it!" Harry yelled, angry that she had hit him. Even with his glasses on, he couldn't make out a damn thing clearly, everything was just blurry shapes of various sizes. As he stopped the spell, Hermione took advantage of the split second it gave her to get up and back on her feet, ready to continue the duel.

"Language, Harry," Remus admonished, watching on as the two faced off. Firenze had gone to speak with McGonagall, so after a bit of instruction he had been watching Harry and Hermione duel for quite some time now, the two holding their own against the other. He knew that Harry was holding back though, and he could see that the boy's temper was starting to get the better of him after that last spell. When Harry started cursing, Remus knew he was close to his breaking point, which was usually when he became uncontrolled and unfocused. Hermione, on the other hand, seemed to be keeping her wits about her; that was probably an easy thing to do after what Sorcha had put her through though.

"Sorry," Harry ground out, his teeth grinding together as he tried to reign in his temper. Hermione had been through enough lately, he refused to face her in a duel and hit her with every spell he knew.

"That's fine Harry, but stop holding back," Remus replied.

"You're holding back?" Hermione asked, standing completely still and glaring at him. "Harry Potter, do you think I'm not good enough to duel you and protect myself?"

"No! I mean yes, you're good enough. I just didn't want to...oh bloody hell," he muttered. Realizing what he had said he added, "Sorry again, Remus."

"Why are you holding back? Because of what I went through last night? Because you think I can't defend myself sufficiently enough?" she fired at him, advancing on him a step at a time with each question.

"Hermione, I think you might be picking up on Harry's anger a bit," Remus warned, not liking what he was seeing.

"No, let her go Remus, I don't mind answering her," Harry replied, practically nose-to-nose with her now. "Yes, I was holding back and yes, it was because of last night and the hell you went through. You deserve some sort of break after everything that's happened!"

"No I don't! Did it ever occur to you that if I'm to protect you while you defeat Voldemort I need to be able to duel and protect myself as well?" she yelled at him, closing what little distance was left between them. "Do you think that Voldemort or Damien will go easy on me because I've had a bad day? I highly doubt it. Unlike you, I don't plan on dying anytime soon. I haven't given up."

Poor Remus didn't know what hit him. All he knew was that he was suddenly flying through the air, propelled by some great force that had come from nowhere, and somehow when he hit the wall it was a soft hit. Reaching behind him, he felt the wall to find that it was padded. Thankfully the room had felt his fear of a hard impact and changed just in time. When he finally got his bearings he stood up and dusted himself off, righting his clothes. When he turned to check on Harry and Hermione he stopped, a smile slowly spreading across his face.

There, in the middle of all the chaos they stood, surrounded by a blue shield of light that was giving off a golden glow. Harry and Hermione stood wrapped in each other's arms, oblivious to everything around them as they kissed. Turning his back on the scene, Remus thought of how the room should be righted, and watched as the room transformed itself back to normal. Afterwards, he turned back to the couple (who were still kissing) and cleared his throat loudly to get their attention. Thankfully it worked.

Hermione was the first to hear Remus, and coming to her senses she broke the kiss, opening her eyes to look up at Harry. He stood staring back at her, and the look in his eyes made her shiver; it was predatory, full of promises and words left unsaid. As she broke the stare, she looked around them at the blue-golden shield surrounding them, wondering where it had come from. Hearing the door to the room open, the two teens turned to see Firenze, Sorcha, and McGonagall all walking in, looking at them in awe.

"How is this possible?" Sorcha asked, walking up to them. Seeing the puzzled looks on their faces, she turned to Hermione and said, "Concentrate on lowering your shield Hermione."

Doing as she was told, Hermione closed her eyes and relaxed, thinking how she wanted her shield to dissapate. When she opened her eyes, the golden orb was gone, but the blue one still remained around them. "What...?"

Sorcha turned to Harry and said, "Harry, do the same. Close your eyes, relax your mind, and concentrate on how you want the shield to be gone."

He did as she said as well, and when he opened his eyes they were no longer surrounded by colour. Realizing they were still holding each other, they slowly released the other, their cheeks coloring from embarrassment as the four adults in the room continued to watch them closely.

"Madame Sorcha, what exactly just happened?" Headmistress McGonagall asked, coming to stand at her side.

"I believe," Sorcha replied, "That Harry has just gotten in touch with his inner Guardian."

"But that's not possible," Hermione said adamantly. "There's never been a male Soul Guardian, only females can be Guardians, it said so in both Lily's and my mother's notebooks."

"And they were correct, there has never been a male Soul Guardian," Sorcha confirmed. "Headmistress McGonagall was kind enough to let me borrow one of the books from the Library so that I could do some research. Before Harry, there has only been one male child born to a Soul Guardian, the rest have been females and have automatically inherited the gift. The Evan's family has always produced powerful Guardian offspring, and they've all been female...until Harry was born. The only other male born to a Soul Guardian was killed by Damien when he was two years old, and that was in 1853, to my Great-Great Aunt Metilda."

They all stood there, taking in everything she had said, until Firenze broke the silence. "This means that Harry has some sort of Guardian power in him as well which leads to an even greater discovery...we now have an advantage against Voldemort and Damien. One that they will never think possible."

~A/N> Hello everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas holiday and that you have a safe New Year. Here's the next chapter, and things progress quite a bit with our favorite couple. And if their behaviour seems a bit OOC, just try to imagine how you'd feel being shut up in a house with someone you liked/cared for a lot everyday, unable to do anything about it. Add to that exhaustion from physical and mental training, and you have a recipe for disaster :p Thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter, and thanks to Lisa for all your help. Oh, and the rating will be going up when the next chapter is posted.

When they returned to Grimmauld Place that night, Hermione felt sick. It had been such a long day of training, emotions, and revelations, and her head was full of all the new information they'd been given. Not to mention the mental exercises she had to perform with Harry every night to block Damien from his subconscious; that alone drained her the most. Begging off of dinner with the excuse of not feeling well, she made her way to her room and collapsed onto her bed facedown, relaxing into the soft mattress immediately. When her head started to pound, she placed her fingertips on her temples and concentrated just a little, the pain in her head disappearing almost immediately. Thank God for her healing power.

Now that the pain was gone, she felt her entire body finally relax for the first time in days, and just a few minutes later she was sound asleep.

~*~

Harry stood watching her as she ascended the stairs, a strange feeling in his chest and a knot in his stomach. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he turned to see Luna standing next to him, smiling reassuringly. "She's okay Harry. She just needs some rest and some time alone, don't take it personally. I'll make sure she eats something, and I'll take care of her...that's what friends do, and you two are my closest friends."

"Thanks Luna," he replied, lightly placing his hand over hers.

"Hem, Hem," came Ron's voice from the door to the Kitchen.

As he and Luna turned to look at him, Harry asked, "Yes, Professor Umbridge?"

"Ha bloody ha," Ron replied. "How about you stop being a wanker and leave my girlfriend alone?"

"I was just talking to my friend Ron," Harry said, making his way to the Kitchen door where his best mate stood. "Besides, I think my romantic interests lie elsewhere in this house." With a smart-ass smile on his face, he breezed by Ron and sat at the table, heaping food onto his plate.

"Bloody hell, he's got it bad, doesn't he?" Ron asked, looking to Luna.

"After last night, I wouldn't talk if I were you," Luna replied as she breezed past him as well, leaving her very embarrassed boyfriend behind.

After dinner, with Hermione's notable absence, Ron and Harry went into the Library to play some Wizards Chess while Luna spent some time with her dad, who she hadn't seen much the past few days. As Ron moved one of his pieces, Harry watched as it lopped off the head of one of his pawns and said, "I kissed her today, in front of Remus."

"What?"

The shock in his mate's voice made him smile, and as he tried to study the pieces he had left and decide which to move next, he explained about their fight, the blast, the shields, and the kiss. When he explained about possibly having a bit of Guardian magic in him, Ron became really quiet, causing Harry to look at him curiously. "What is it?" he asked, not used to seeing his friend so serious.

"Nothing really," Ron replied, moving another of his pieces. "I was just wondering how she felt about it. I mean, I know that everyone thinks I have the emotional range of a teaspoon, but even I can see that she's proud of being a Guardian and is taking it seriously. Now she finds out her charge, the-boy-who's-going-to-save-the-world, has a bit of her gift in him. Just started me thinking, that's all. Check."

Harry continued to play, but mentally he had checked out of the game completely, losing to Ron in two more moves. Using the excuse that he was knackered, Harry went to his room and lay down in his bed, realizing his mistake when he buried his head into the pillow. It was the pillow she had used the night before, and it smelled of vanilla, like her hair always did. When did he start noticing that her hair smelled of vanilla? Maybe one of the times they had slept in the same bed or when he had kissed her...

Rolling over onto his back, he thought of the day he had pushed her against the door and kissed her, the day he had told Ginny there was no chance in hell of them ever getting back together. He had wanted Hermione so badly that day, and the way she responded...he felt his body stir at the memory and groaned, throwing one of his arms over his eyes in frustration.

Sometime later, he felt someone shaking him while saying, "Harry? Harry, wake up."

Cracking one eye open, he saw Hermione standing above him and he squinted at her, realizing he must have fallen asleep with his glasses on and they had fallen off sometime while he had been sleeping. Feeling around blindly, he saw her hand appear in front of his face, his glasses in her grasp. With a quick thank-you, he put them on and focused in on her face, noting something different in her expression...or was he just looking for something different? "What's going on?" he asked as he sat up, his voice still raspy from sleep.

"It's late, and I need to do the subliminal blocking exercise on you that Sorcha taught me today so that I can go to bed."

"Right," he said, noting how distant she sounded. Looking closely at her he asked, "Is everything okay?"

"Hmm? Yeah, fine," she said, sitting down next to him.

After studying her face a bit longer, he closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind, and didn't have much success. They'd done this exercise twice today, and he was uncomfortable with it because it reminded him of his Occlumency lessons with Snape his fifth year. Trying not to think on it, he took a deep breath and relaxed his body and mind, finally clearing all thoughts away. Opening his eyes, he found her staring at him intently, and he wanted to kiss her so badly right then...

"Right, let's get on with it shall we?" she said, interrupting the thought. She had started to feel what he was feeling thanks to the empathic part of her, and she just wasn't in the mood to even go there at the moment. She didn't even think she had the strength just then to deal with it. Placing the first two fingers of each hand on his temples, she looked directly into his eyes and concentrated on moving deeper into his mind. It was one of the strangest feelings she had ever experienced; it was as if she were walking down a hallway in Harry's mind, looking for the right door, the one that led to his subconscious. Once there, she had to protect that door and seal it so that Damien couldn't get in again to torture him. Moving slowly, she used her mind's eye to help guide her and seeing the 'door' she needed she stopped her exploration. Recalling her lesson that day, she thought the incantation that she needed to repeat and then said it aloud, a white glow surrounding the protected area showing she had done it correctly. As she was withdrawing from his mind a thought suddenly appeared, almost like looking at a picture, and she gasped. Startled, she withdrew from his mind too quickly, causing a terrible pain to rip through his head as she did so.

"Ahh...damn it!" he yelled, yanking off his glasses and covering his eyes with his hands. "Bloody hell Hermione, what are you trying to do, kill me?" he asked angrily, keeping his eyes covered as the pain continued on.

She watched in horror as he suffered, feeling horrible about what she'd done, but she hadn't done it on purpose. "I'm so sorry Harry. I didn't mean to."

"Right, that makes it so much better, thanks," he spat.

Picking up on his anger, her temper flared to a dangerous level and she angrily swatted his hands out of the way and placed her hands on either side of his head. She concentrated the best she could and felt her healing power flowing through her into him, hopefully repairing whatever damage she had done. Quickly removing her hands from him, she walked to the door and opened it, and just before shutting it behind her she turned toward him and said, "I'm sorry.", leaving him very, very confused by her bahavior.

~*~

He felt like utter, complete shit. He'd have thought it was because his head had just felt as if it was going to explode from pain, but the pain had disappeared. His feelings were of remorse because of the way he had treated her. What had possessed him to talk to Hermione like that? It had been an accident, after all, so why had he overreacted?

Walking into the hallway, he made his way next door to her room and knocking once opened the door a crack and whispered, "Hermione?"

"Hey Harry," Luna replied, and he opened the door a bit more. "Hermione's not in here, I haven't seen her since she went to see you to perform the exercise."

Harry looked to where Luna's disembodied voice seemed to be coming from, and seeing two figures there said, "Thanks Luna. Hey Ron."

"H-Hey," came Ron's feeble reply, causing Harry to smile, until he remembered what he had been doing. Closing the door as quietly as he could, he turned and made his way down the stairs, hoping he'd find Hermione there.

He had felt her hurt and anger before spotting her on the sofa in the sitting room. It was a hollow feeling in his chest that made it feel like he couldn't breathe properly, and he felt even worse about the way he had behaved. Walking slowly toward the sofa, he made his way around it and saw her sitting there, staring unblinkingly into the dancing flames. He could see the dried tear tracks on her face that gave away the fact that she'd been crying, and mentally kicking himself in the ass he sat down next to her. She had to have seen him out of the corner of her eye, felt the sofa shift as he sat, but she made no acknowledgement toward him. She just continued to stare unseeing into the fire.

Setting his hand gently upon her shoulder, he asked quietly, "Hermione, are you okay?"

Without turning to look at him she whispered, "No, I don't think that I am."

Her voice sounded so forlorn, so hopeless, and so definite. Turning so that he was facing her more, he put his other hand upon her cheek and put just a bit of pressure on it, enough to get her to turn and look at him. When her eyes met his, he couldn't breath. He had never seen such a look of raw hurt and sadness before, and he wished he knew what had caused such a change in her. Without another thought, he pulled her to him and enveloped her in his arms, holding onto her as tightly as he dared so that she would hopefully know that she wasn't alone.

After a few minutes of him holding her and she just leaning upon him stiffly, he felt her body suddenly relax and the next thing he knew she had flung her arms around his neck, holding on as if her life depended on it. She buried her face in the crook of his neck and cried, her body shaking with the force of her tears. He just held tight and let her cry, somehow knowing it was something she needed to do to feel better. He closed his eyes, feeling so worthless, and she sniffled a little and whispered, "You're not worthless. You mean so much to me."

His lips quirked for a split second, her words filling a hole in his heart he didn't know existed, but then he turned his concentration back to her. "You mean a lot to me too." When she was quiet and her crying seemed to subside he asked, "Want to talk about it?"

"I-I'm not sure that I can," she replied, her throat feeling raw from crying. When she felt the hurt run through him at her words she said, "Not because I don't want to. It's just that, I don't know exactly what's wrong. I think it has to do with my empath powers picking up everyone's emotions lately. It seems to be getting stronger, and I can't seem to control it as well anymore. When I'm around you is when I'm most calm usually, but when I'm around Remus I feel his hopelessness that his life means nothing at all, and then being around Sorcha, Firenze, and McGonagall today...they all think that we're doomed Harry. They've practically given up." Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and relaxed more into his embrace and said, "And don't even get me started on what I pick up when I'm around Ron and Luna. Those two are worse than rabbits and their rampaging hormones are making my control slip."

She stopped suddenly, knowing she had said too much. She hadn't wanted Harry to know how much she had been thinking about him, about being with him in that way, about how at night she just wanted to steal into his room and slip into bed next to him if only to feel his warmth next to her. It would make her sound weak and needy, and that was not acceptable right now. The final battle was coming soon, she didn't know how, but she knew that for certain and he needed her as a Guardian first and foremost. Everything else would need to be put on hold until afterwards, if they survived. Unless she decided to go through with the soul bonding ritual she had been studying up on...

Lost in her thoughts, her eyes opened wide when she felt his lips on hers, then quickly relaxed into the kiss. His lips were so familiar to her now, so inviting and warm, and she longed to just be lost in him. Telling her mind to shut up she pressed herself into him as much as she could, and accepting the silent invitation, he guided her backward until she was laying underneath him on the sofa. As his weight pushed her deeper into the cushions, all thoughts of battles and sadness fled her mind as all she knew at that moment was Harry, and how complete he made her feel.

~*~

The following weeks were better for Ron and Luna, but not much better for Harry and Hermione. They were going through so much training every day of the week that usually when night time rolled around, they were ready to drop from mental and physical exhaustion. Add to that the growing bond between them because of all the special exercises they had to do to establish the Guardian/Charge bond that was going to be critical in battle, and the atmosphere in Grimmauld Place was charged with tension and frustration. A couple weeks before Christmas, it all came to a terrible head and no one had any warning whatsoever.

"Harry, that's not how you're supposed to do it!"

"But that's how Sorcha said it was done, and you didn't say anything then!"

"I wasn't paying attention to Sorcha, I was watching you to see if you were doing it properly. You were then, you're not now!"

"Then by all means Hermione, show me how it's done!"

Ron and Luna, who had been downstairs in the sitting room lounging around, looked to one another in curiosity. These fights had been going on all week, and tonight's seemed to sound a bit more heated then usual...

"Fine then. You stand like this, use this movement, and think about what you're doing. Your movement was all wrong."

"Sorcha said I was doing it right!"

"In case you haven't noticed Harry, I'm not Sorcha! And you're not doing it correctly, so the outcome will be flawed."

"Oh, trust me Hermione, I know you're not Sorcha. She doesn't bark orders at me like you do!"

"No, she saves her verbal abuse for me!"

"Like you don't love the way she challenges you. You seem pretty proud of yourself after every session with her. Hey, wait, where do you think you're going? I'm not finished yet..."

"Oh, yes you are."

Hermione was silent after that, and Luna jumped as one of the other doors slammed shut suddenly. "That was either the door to my room, or the one to yours," Ron said, his eyebrows raised. "They're really going at it tonight, aren't they?"

"I can't blame them really," Luna replied, looking to the second floor as Hermione's raised voice could be heard again.

"How dare you! Are you saying that I like being mistreated like that? Like I'm some sort of sadist?"

"That's not what I was saying and you know it! Turn off your damn empath powers for a second and try to be yourself for a while."

Ron and Luna heard a sharp sound after that, and they knew that Hermione had just slapped Harry, but good. "He deserved it after that comment," Luna said softly.

"She's been yelling at him all week," Ron said in defense of his best mate. "I'd probably have said the same thing if I were him."

"Then you'd be the one with a stinging cheek right now," Luna replied, turning her hard stare on him, making him look away from her quickly.

Upstairs, in Harry's room, the two quarrelling teens kept at each other unmercifully. "If I'm not good enough for you," Hermione yelled, "Why don't you let your precious Sorcha help you every damn night?!"

Stopping short at her use of the word damn, Harry got his bearings back and fired right back at her, "Maybe I will. Then I wouldn't have to listen to you harp on me every night until I feel as if my ears were bleeding from it!"

When she went to strike him again, he reached up quickly and caught her wrist with his hand. He had a tight hold on her and she was struggling to free her hand, and letting his temper get the best of him, he spun her quickly. The next thing Hermione knew, he had her chest pressed against the door, her arm held behind her but not painfully so, as he pressed the length of his body against the back of her.

She could feel his hot breath on her cheek and ear as he leaned forward a little and gruffly said, "All week I've listened to you yell at me when all I've wanted to do is snog you senseless." With his free hand, he reached up and stroked her hair, then let his fingers glide down her back until it came to rest upon her waist. "I wake up in the morning aching because I want you so damn bad, and I go to sleep at night dreaming of the things I want to do to you. You're driving me mad."

"You think I don't feel it too?" she asked, her voice trembling from the intensity of the feelings that were coursing through her. "It's bad enough that I've been feeling the same way when I'm not with you, but then when I'm around you I pick up on your...needs too and it's all I can do not to just throw myself on you and snog you senseless. You're driving me mad as well."

"Well then," he replied, releasing her hand and grabbing her arm instead. Turning her quickly, he put both his arms around her waist, pulling her to him so that there wasn't any space inbetween them. "Why don't we stop talking so damn much and do something about it?"

~A/N2> Sorry for the cliffy, but the next chapter will be posted next Friday, so you won't have too long to wait. Thanks for reading! :)

~A/N> Please Note: the rating has gone up Well, here you go, the next chapter as promised. Things will continue to heat up between our favorite couple in coming chapters, and the angst will be returning soon as well. I'm going to shut up now before I give away too much. Thank you for the great reviews on the last chapter, and thanks to Lisa as always. Hopefully the new year is treating you all better than it's treated me so far, and that you enjoy the chapter! :)

With his arms wrapped around her waist, Hermione took hold of his upper arms tightly and dug her nails into the flesh there, wanting badly to cause him pleasure and pain at the same time. When his lips came crashing down on hers, she kissed him back hungrily, unable to get enough of him. Her blood felt as if it were on fire, just as it had when she had suffered the cruciatus curse at the hands of Damien, but this time there was no pain with that fire.

Leaving her lips, Harry trailed kisses along her jaw and then worked his way down her neck as she leaned her head back to give him better access. His lips on her skin only stoked the fire within her, and before either really knew what had happened, they found themselves on Harry's bed minus their shirts. Reaching behind her, Harry unhooked the clasp of her bra and without hesitation, divested her of it. Pushing her back onto the bed, he bent down and took one of her rose coloured nipples into his mouth, suckling greedily. Hermione's back arched off of the bed as she moaned in pleasure, her hands gliding over his bare skin as she longed to touch him anywhere and everywhere. She needed to feel more of him, and reaching down she tangled her hands in his hair, guiding him up to her lips again in yet another fiery kiss. When her nipples brushed against the bare skin of his chest she moaned into his mouth, causing him to kiss her even harder.

Harry was drowning in her, in the feel of her body pressed into his, and all he could think was that he wanted more. Sliding up a bit so that he could feast on the soft skin of her neck again, his manhood brushed against her thigh and a jolt of pure ecstasy flashed through him at the contact. He had never felt such pleasure before and wanting to feel it again, he positioned himself so that he rested between her parted legs and moved again in much the same manner. Since they were both still wearing their jeans, the movement not only caused Harry to feel the same pleasure again, but also caused Hermione to feel the same thing as he ground against her. When she felt him move again in much the same manner, her instincts kicked in and she pushed herself more into him, causing even more friction and contact. Moaning at the wonderful feelings he was causing and the knot of tension that seemed to be growing in the pit of her stomach, Hermione silently urged him to quicken his pace. Wanting the same thing, Harry started moving faster, pushing himself against her more with each thrust.

The knot continued to grow and Hermione lifted her head just enough so that she could kiss Harry, feeling a primal need to make the intimate contact with him. Harry's actions mimicked the way her tongue moved in and out of his mouth, and when she took his bottom lip between both of hers and nipped it with her teeth, his speed increased even more. Abandoning herself to the sensations she was feeling, she closed her eyes and felt herself being drawn into Harry, and then she was experiencing his feelings along with her own. He was experiencing that same feeling of being wound up tight, his body begging for release. Just as that tension broke in him, it broke within her as well and waves of intense physical pleasure washed over them, causing every muscle in their bodies to contract from its' force.

When the two of them finally came down from the emotional and physical high, their muscles relaxed a bit and Harry's arms gave out, causing him to put all his weight upon her. Liking the feeling, Hermione wrapped her arms around him and held tight, knowing that what they had shared was special. With her mind working once again she whispered, "I think we just shagged with our clothes on."

She could feel his body shaking before he looked at her, his face holding none of the usual tension as he laughed quietly. "If that's what it's like with clothes still on, I can't wait to do it without anything in the way." Leaning down, he kissed her tenderly and then rolled off of her, laying on his side so that he still faced her. "No wonder Ron's so happy everytime he comes back from spending time with Luna in your room."

Hermione laughed, feeling happier and lighter than she had in a very long time, and rolled onto her side so that she was facing him. As she studied his features she reached her hand out and caressed his cheek, and that's when she felt it. The connection between them was even stronger now, something she hadn't thought possible, and before she could ask him about it he said, "I feel it too."

"Wonder what it means?" she asked.

"Dunno, but I'm not going to be asking Remus or Firenze about it, let alone Sorcha," he replied cheekily, a note of tiredness in his voice.

Feeling very relaxed and sleepy herself, Hermione reached down and pulled the blanket over them and then snuggled closer to Harry. Feeling her move, Harry lifted his arm and smiled as she lay her head on his shoulder, her nose pressed against his neck as he wrapped his arm around her waist. Unable to fight it any longer, they both fell into a restful sleep, the first one for both in a long time.

~*~

"It's quiet."

"That can't be good. Should we go check on them?" Just as Ron asked his question, a wave of magic seemed to travel from the second floor through the rest of the house, slamming into the two of them as they sat on the sofa. As his body tingled with residual magic from the wave, he looked to Luna and asked, "What the bloody hell was that?"

"I don't know, but I don't think we should go check on Harry and Hermione just yet," she replied, looking from Ron to the top of the stairs, and then back at him again. "I think the tension's finally broken between them."

Ron stared at her silently for a moment and she knew he was thinking about what she had just said. Clearing his throat noisily he asked, "You...you mean the same way that we get rid of the tension?"

She smiled at how he had worded his question and said, "I can't be sure, but yes, that's what I meant."

"Oh." Ron looked down a moment at his hands, then looked back to her. "I don't think I wanted to know that."

"Now you know how Harry and Hermione felt both times they walked in on us," she replied and then laughed. "I think they should be glad Remus and Tonks had to go to Hogwarts to meet with McGonagall, or else they could be in a lot of trouble right now...if that's what's happened."

The two passed the rest of the night playing exploding snap and reading; Ron had the latest Quidditch Weekly magazine while Luna read that day's edition of The Quibbler. When they heard voices at the top of the stairs they both looked up to see Harry and Hermione walking hand-in-hand, both with big smiles on their faces.

Luna stifled her laughter at the look on Ron's face and said, "I think we were right."

"I did not need to know that."

~*~

"A wave of magic? Are you sure?" Hermione asked, mortally embarrassed that their two friends had a good idea of what they had been doing in Harry's room before.

"Yes," Luna replied, sounding relaxed and sure, not embarrassed at all by the subject of their conversation. Harry and Ron, on the other hand, had red faces that rivalled Hermione's. Harry wouldn't have minded sharing 'guy talk' with Ron about it, but to have a discussion with Luna as well about what he and Hermione had experienced just hours before was...well, bloody disturbing. Wasn't anything in his life private anymore?

"I don't understand," Hermione mumbled while staring at the floor. "I don't think that was supposed to happen."

"It's never happened to Luna and I," Ron replied without thinking, and then stared at his friends in horror as he realized what he had said. "Oh bloody hell, you didn't need to know that. Sorry."

Luna started it; a soft, bubbly laugh floated throughout the room and then Hermione joined in, the tension in the room breaking at last. When the boys joined in, the four friends finally relaxed completely. Wiping the tears from her eyes that her laughing had caused, Hermione took a deep breath and said, "I don't mind having close friends, but I never thought we'd be this close."

That just caused another round of laughter between the four of them, and when they felt as if their stomachs would burst from laughing they heard Remus's voice speak up and ask, "What's so funny?" All four teens immediately became silent at the intrusion of the adults, and Remus found himself face to face with four falsely innocent looking teenagers. Eyeing them suspiciously he said, "Tonks and I need to speak to the four of you in the kitchen. That way we can all pitch in to cook dinner and talk."

They all looked at one another, each wondering the same thing...what could Remus want to discuss with them? Getting up from their seats, Harry and Hermione followed Luna and Ron into the kitchen, praying it wasn't going to be another one of 'those' talks again.

~*~

"So, we're all going to be spending Christmas at the Burrow?" Harry asked, looking over to Hermione to gauge her reaction to the announcement. Usually he loved spending time at the Burrow since the Weasley's were practically all the family he had, but he wasn't sure how she would feel about spending time with the close-knit family for her first Christmas without her parents.

"Yes," Remus replied. "Molly requested that the four of you go there for the holidays instead of staying in this stuffy old house by yourselves. You'll be leaving the morning of Christmas Eve, and you'll come back on the twenty-sixth to re-start your training."

Hermione, sounding hesitant, asked, "I won't be sharing a room with Ginny, will I? Because we really don't get on all that well."

Tonks, stifling a smile, replied, "No, you won't have to share a room with her. Seems that Mr. Weasley finally got the ghoul out of the attic, so you and Luna will be staying up there."

"Ghoul?" Hermione asked, looking to Ron.

"Long story," he replied. "Just be glad it's gone."

"Right," Hermione said, looking a tad bit worried still. "Remus, I don't suppose there's any way that we can do a bit of Christmas shopping, is there?"

He looked at Tonks, the two seeming to have a silent conversation, and he looked back to her and replied, "There's no way that you four can go out into Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. However, we may be able to go out into Muggle London if we use a glamour charm on the four of you to change your looks. They usually last for about six hours, so that should give us enough time."

Since Christmas was only two weeks away, they made plans to go into London that coming weekend. Thankfully the days inbetween passed quickly and the next thing they knew, they were on their way to London with their glamour charms in place. Hermione's usually brunette hair was blond, her eyes a vibrant blue hue she had never seen before. Harry's black hair was shorter, and to his dismay, red. His brilliant green eyes had been changed to almost the same brown color as Hermione's originally were, and he was wearing a set of jeans and jumper that Remus had transfigured his old clothes into. Ron's red hair was now a dark black (Remus seemed to enjoy switching their looks, making them look like each other) and his eyes were a deep blue, while Luna walked beside him with the same black hair, but with vibrant green eyes. Ron found it disturbing that she now looked as if she could pass as Harry's twin, or his own twin for that matter, since he closely resembled his best mate at the moment. The only difference was their eye colour, and that could be easily explained if someone were to comment on it.

Taking their muggle money from Remus (he had been kind enough to go to Gringott's to get it for them the day before), the girls went with Tonks to do their shopping while the boys were paired with Remus. Luna knew exactly what she was going to get Ron, but Hermione had no idea what to get anyone really. She'd never really shopped alone before, and when she did go she was usually accompanied by one of her parents while she bought Christmas presents. If she was shopping for her mum, her dad would take her and help pick out the perfect gift, and if it was a gift for her dad she and her mum would always pick one out together and sign it, 'From Your Girls'. It was always easy shopping for them because she knew them so well, but what should she buy for people she just became friends with?

As the girls wandered around, Remus took the boys to a special shop that was a couple of blocks away from their arrival point. When he got questioning looks from both of them, Remus chuckled and said, "I know the shop owner. Trust me, this is a good place to find gifts for girls."

Harry felt his cheeks warm at Remus's knowing look and walked past him quickly into the shop. After they were inside, Remus walked up to a kindly looking old man that stood next to a register and greeted him warmly. Motioning the boys over, he looked to the old man again and said, "Zarek, I would like to introduce you to Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter, two former students of mine."

Zarek studied them silently for a moment, his eyes seeming to be two little black beads set deep into his face, which was a myriad of lines and wrinkles. After satisfying his curiousity with Ron he turned to face Harry, who could've sworn he saw a flare of recognition in his beady eyes, but that was impossible. How would a muggle shopkeeper know who he was? Feeling a little uncomfortable, Harry watched the old man closely as Zarek walked up to him and then stopped, slowly extending his right hand toward him. Reluctantly, Harry reached out and met Zarek's proffered hand, gripping the fragile feeling appendage in his. With a strength he didn't realize Zarek had, the man tightened his hold on Harry's hand and shook it slowly. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mister Potter."

"Good to meet you," Harry replied, trying to be respectful.

Remus, noting Harry's discomfort, said, "Why don't the two of you have a look around and see if anything catches your eye?"

Ron, never hearing the expression before, looked around him quickly while swallowing noisily. "Catches my eye?"

"It's a muggle expression Ron, nothing's coming to take out your eyes," Harry whispered so that Zarek couldn't hear, clapping his hand on Ron's shoulder while laughing at his friend's misinterpretation.

"Yeah, well the muggles need to learn to phrase their expressions differently," Ron whispered back angrily, embarrassed by his faux pau.

Leaning in to look into one of the many glass cases that lined the walls of the shop, Harry was amazed at the magnificence of the jewelry that met his searching gaze. His eyes devouring each piece, he walked along the cases, staring down at the sparkling baubles that lay within. As he scrutinized each piece, he noticed a necklace and stopped suddenly, feeling that it was the right thing to do. Seeming drawn to the necklace, Harry studied it closely and then decided to keep looking. As he continued on, he felt as if he was being pulled back to that one certain necklace by some invisible force, and for the life of him he didn't know why. Finally giving up, he walked back to the necklace and studied it yet again, wondering what it was about the gleaming silver trinket that fascinated him so much.

"Ah, Mister Potter, you are very perceptive," Zarek said as he approached Harry, startling him.

Tearing his gaze away, he looked to Zarek and asked, "I am?"

"Yes. You see, this necklace is known as a 'Malak' symbol, or messenger symbol," Zarek explained. "It is said that the wearer is bonded to the giver once the necklace is put around the recipient's neck, and it can not be taken off until one or both of the bonded are dead. It helps the giver track the wearer, in case they are ever in harm's way."

"What a happy thought," Ron mumbled from where he stood behind Harry, causing Remus to give him a look of reprimand.

As Ron shuffled off to continue looking, Harry asked, "Could I take a closer look at it, please?"

Zarek nodded and walked to the case, withdrawing a wand from within his robes. Unable to stop the gasp of surprise that escaped him, Harry looked to Remus quickly for explanation. Remus smiled and said, "Sorry, I guess I forgot to mention that this shop is run by someone from our world."

"Guess you did," Harry replied. Realizing that Zarek was standing in front of him with the necklace in his outstretched hand, he reached out to take it from him. Upon examining it, he said, "I'll take it."

"Very good, Mister Potter," Zarek remarked as he made his way back to the cash register with the necklace. "I'm sure your young lady will be pleased with your choice."

"I uh...hope so," he replied, feeling embarrassed yet again as he wondered how it was that everyone seemed to pick up on his feelings for Hermione.

After paying for his purchase, Zarek performed the necessary charms to put the messenger spell on the necklace and placed it in a box for Harry. As he placed the box into a small white bag he said, "Now, you must remember that for the charm to work you are the one that must put the necklace on her, otherwise the charm will not be activated. And always keep the tracking spell with you at all times, in case an emergency should arise."

"Right, I'm to put it on her, and keep the spell with me at all times" Harry repeated so that Zarek would know that he had heard the important instructions. After waiting for Ron to choose something for Luna, Harry walked out of the store with him and Remus, somehow knowing that he had just bought Hermione the perfect Christmas gift.

~A/N2- ducks objects thrown by readers Remember that I said that things will continue to heat up in coming chapters, please be patient with me. The angst will be back in full force as well soon, so it will be a roller coaster ride once again. Thanks for reading :)

~A/N> I know that it's been a long time since I last updated, but because of some things that have happened and reviews I've been getting on my stories, I've found myself doubting my writing ability lately. It doesn't matter how many good reviews you get on a story, it only takes a few bad ones to make you start doubting yourself. I'm sorry I let it get to me so much, but I was inspired to finish this chapter last night and I know how I want the rest of the chapters to go now. Big thanks to Poppywillow for encouraging me to continue, and thanks to everyone that has reviewed this story so far. I really appreciate it. Oh, and I know there are similarities in the Christmas gifts that H/Hr buy for one another, but it was done on purpose :) There is a method to my madness, lol!

While the boys were shopping with Remus, Hermione and Luna were following Tonks into a little shop in the opposite direction. After walking in, Hermione looked around, taking in the various items that were for sale. Most of the store was clothes and trinkets, but she noticed a glass display case near the front of the store. Her curiousity piqued, she excused herself and made her way toward it. As she walked up to it she noticed a lot of shiny objects such as crystals and other trinkets, but the thing Hermione seemed most drawn to was the jewelry part of the case. Looking over the pieces that were lined up inside, she perused each one and took in their details. When her eyes rested upon a gold ring she stopped immediately. The ring was in the shape of what looked to be a Snitch, but that couldn't be right. They were in Muggle London.

"Excuse me," she said, getting the attention of the young woman that was working behind the register. "May I see this ring?"

"Of course," the woman replied with a friendly smile. Walking over to the other side of where Hermione stood, she looked into the case and asked, "Which one?"

"This one please," Hermione replied, and watched her take it out. Taking it from the saleswoman, Hermione looked it over and saw that she had been right. The front of the ring was the ball of the snitch, and the wings curved around to make up the band.

Looking from the ring to the woman, confused, the woman smiled and asked, "I take it that Tonks didn't explain that this was a magical shop?"

"No she didn't," Hermione replied, turning around to give Tonks an annoyed look. Turning back, she smiled at the saleswoman and said, "I'd like to buy it please."

"Okay," the woman replied. "By the way, in case Tonks hasn't told you, my name is Willow. We've been friends since our years at Hogwarts."

"Nice to meet you, my name's Hermione," she replied.

"I kind of knew that from what she's told me," Willow said, troubled by the suspicious look Hermione was now giving her. "Not much really, just that she and Remus were looking after you."

"Oh, okay," Hermione answered, feeling a little less nervous. Nodding toward the ring in Willow's hand she asked, "So is there anything special about the ring then?"

"Actually, there is," Willow replied. "It works as a sort of tracking device. There's a spell that comes with it that activates it, and when you say it you'll immediately feel drawn to the wearer."

"Perfect, Harry will love it," Hermione blurted out, and then felt her cheeks warm with embarrassment at Willow's knowing look.

"Harry Potter? Is he your boyfriend?"

"Um, no...not really. We're just really good...friends," Hermione replied lamely.

"Right," Willow said slowly, with a wide grin. "Isn't that always how it starts?"

Too afraid to answer for fear of what she'd say next, Hermione just quietly paid for the ring and turning to Luna and Tonks said, "I'll just be waiting for you by the door."

~*~

After their shopping trip, they all met up once again in a little restaurant where they ate dinner. Returning to Grimmauld Place, the four exhausted teens went to their rooms and fell asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, they were awakened very early and rushed to get ready for their trip to the Burrow. As Harry, Hermione, and Ron moved slowly and grumled about Remus being mad for waking them so early, Luna bounced downstairs completely ready to go. Finally ready to go, they lined up and took turns using the floo, arriving in the kitchen of the Burrow where Molly Weasley stood waiting for them. "Hello dears," she greeted, giving each of them a huge hug.

"Mum," Ron whined as she hugged him the longest.

"Oh hush, Ronald," she admonished as she let him go. "I've missed you, it's been far too long. How is your training going?" At the looks of tiredness and lack of response, Molly said, "Oh well, it's Christmas, so no more talk of that business. Come sit down, I've made breakfast for you."

As Hermione sat down, she couldn't help but think that she'd never seen so much food in her entire life. Molly had covered what little free space there was with toast, porridge, various versions of eggs, and sausage. When Harry noticed her taking it all in he leaned in close to her and whispered, "It's like this at every meal here, so better get used to it."

"If I get used to it and eat my fill, training on Monday will be worse than ever," she whispered back, smiling.

"It's Christmas," he said. "You're allowed to overeat and enjoy the holiday a bit. I've learned that since I spent my first Christmas with the Weasley's last year."

He saw it then, a flicker of something in her eyes that he didn't recognize, and she became strangely quiet afterwards. After breakfast, Luna and Hermione were shown to the attic, where they would be sleeping the next two nights. It wasn't a very big room, but it was warm and had a cozy feel to it. That afternoon, Harry, Ron, and Luna were all downstairs relaxing when Harry realized he'd not seen Hermione since breakfast.

"Luna, do you know where Hermione is?" he asked.

"She's laying down in our room. She said she wasn't feeling well," Luna replied.

"Is she okay?" he asked, concerned.

"I think she's feeling a bit down about her first Christmas without her parents," Luna answered quietly. "She's been more quiet than usual since we've gotten here."

Looking around the room, Harry realized that neither Mr. or Mrs. Weasley was around, and he knew that Ginny was up in her room pouting because he hadn't paid any attention to her when she had come down the stairs after they had eaten breakfast. Standing up he said, "I'm just going to go up there for a tick to see if she's okay. I'll be right back down."

"Sure you will," quipped Ron, and Harry had to smile when it was followed by a sharp intake of breath by his best mate as he whined, "Owww! Luna, what'd you do that for?"

Ignoring his whining she replied, "We'll cover for you Harry. Take your time."

"Thanks," he said, smiling at her before climbing the stairs as quietly as he could. Reaching the door that led to the attic, Harry knocked quietly twice and before Hermione could answer he slowly pushed it open, peeking around to see if she was sleeping. Unable to see her clearly in the waning sunlight, he walked quietly up to her bed and knelt down. When he saw the tear tracks on her face, along with her red, swollen eyes, his heart constricted. Gently brushing away a few errant strands of hair that had fallen across her face he quietly asked, "Hermione? What's wrong?"

She opened her eyes, and he found himself staring into their sadness-filled cinnamon depths. Taking a deep, shaky breath she whispered, "I miss them so much Harry. My chest hurts when I think about them, and I long to feel my mum's arms around me again, giving me one of her wonderful hugs. It's just not Christmas without them."

Bending his head a bit, Harry smoothed the hair from her forehead and placed a gentle kiss there. "I know you miss them, and we've not known each other very long, but you mean a lot to me Hermione. And to Ron and Luna...think of us as your family now."

In the next instant, she was kneeling on the floor in front of him with her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, hugging him and sobbing into his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her tightly, knowing that Hermione would never be 'just a friend' to him ever again. She was so very much more than that, and he wasn't going to tempt the fates by wasting any more time trying to convince himself otherwise.

~*~

Dinner that night was a very festive, very loud affair. Percy was the only Weasley not sitting at the table, and the family was celebrating being together again. Thankfully, due to the celebration, no one seemed to pay attention to how quiet Hermione was being or the concerned looks Harry kept giving her. Unfortunately, the merry revelry was quickly put to an end when the fireplace roared to life and Percy's head suddenly appeared.

"Percy, my boy! Have you decided to join us?" Arthur asked, a huge smile on his face. When he noticed the somber look on his son's face he asked, "What is it, son?"

Hearing his question and the sudden note of concern in his voice, everyone around the table became suddenly quiet and turned their attention to Percy.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," he replied, looking uneasily at everyone in the room, "but I'm afraid there's been an attack on Diagon Alley. The Minister said I was to contact you straightaway. You're to come to the Ministry now, and they'll brief you on what's happened."

Harry suddenly felt as if he couldn't breathe, and the next thing he knew a sudden flurry of images seemed to swarm into his vision, making him dizzy and nauseous. Clutching his head in his hands, he bent over and said, "It's him...it's Voldemort."

As Hermione knelt down next to him, she placed her hand on his arm and asked quietly, "Is it just him?"

"He's all I saw," Harry replied in a strained voice.

Hermione realized that the quiet that had decended when Percy had announced the attack was now a deathly silence in which everyone in the room seemed scared to breathe, all of them staring at Harry with fear evident in their eyes.

"I must go," Arthur said, standing. "Bill, Charlie, Fred, George...you lot go with your mother and round up the Order members." Looking to where Ron, Luna, Hermione, Harry and Ginny sat he said, "You five need to go with them, it's the safest place for you. Especially you, Harry."

"Right," Harry replied, a hard edge to his voice that didn't escape Hermione.

Arthur apparated away and the others started flooing to Grimmauld Place, Molly sending one at a time. When she motioned for them to join her, Harry said, "I just need to run upstairs quickly to get my wand."

As Harry quickly made his way into the sitting room, Hermione, Ron, and Luna followed closely behind. Ron reached out and grabbed Harry's upper arm, stopping him from taking another step, and asked, "Harry, you never go anywhere without your wand, so what are you up to?"

Harry cast a weary glance toward the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley was waiting for them and turning back to Ron he replied in an angry whisper, ""He's hurting people because of me...it's me he wants, and he'll do anything to get to me...including killing innocent people. I'm going, I don't care what your father said, Ron."

"What do you mean you're going?!" Hermione asked sharply in a lowered voice, glaring angrily at him. "You're not going anywhere, it's too dangerous Harry!"

"I don't care!" he replied angrily. "It's time to end this."

"No it's not," Hermione whispered angrily. "You're not anywhere near ready yet, and neither am I. You know damn well that if Voldemort is there, Damien can't be far behind. I'm not risking my life Harry, and I'll not let you either."

Harry and Hermione stood glaring at one another and breathing quite heavily as Ron and Luna looked on."Fuck this," Harry said, freeing his arm from Ron's grip. "I'm going."

"No you're not!" Hermione answered, taking hold of his hand tightly as the look in her eyes dared him to go against her.

"You're my Guardian, Hermione, not my mum."

When he noticed the flash of hurt and anger that twisted her features, Harry cursed himself for hurting her. Her next words would cut him to the very core...

"I thought I was more to you than that," she whispered, sadness replacing the anger in her eyes. "And if you're so hellbent on going, then I'm going with you."

"Me too," Ron and Luna said at the same time, the looks on their faces telling Harry he would be wasting precious time trying to talk them out of it.

Trying not to think about how much he cared for the three people now looking at him expectantly he snapped, "Fine. We'll apparate into the alley next to The Leaky Cauldron and go from there." Not waiting for their replies, he tightened his hold on Hermione's hand and the next thing she knew, Harry had apparated them out of the Burrow.

When they arrived in the alley, they had to wait a few seconds for Ron and Luna to join them. Once they were regrouped, Harry looked around to see if there were any Death Eaters on the muggle side of Tom's pub. Seeing that the street was deserted, he turned back to them and said, "We'll need to go through the pub to get to the entrance. Once inside Diagon Alley, we have no idea what we're going to be walking into. Whatever happens, stay together. If we get seperated...Ron, try to keep Luna with you at all times and I will look after Hermione." Ignoring Hermione's huff of indignation at his chauvinism, he looked at each of his three friends and said, "Please be safe, and if we happen to become seperated we'll meet up at Grimmauld Place." Seeing their nods of understanding he took a deep breath, steadying his nerves before saying, "Let's go."

They carefully made their way into The Leaky Cauldron, finding it deserted and in a state of disarray. Trying not to think about what may have happened, the quartet carefully maneuvered around overturned tables and destroyed chairs, coming to the wall that led into Diagon Alley. Due to the silencing spell on the wall, they were unable to hear any of what was taking place on the other side, so Harry quickly tapped the bricks in the right order and held his breath as the wall transformed before them.

What appeared before them looked like a scene straight out of hell itself. Buildings were burning as witches and wizards ran screaming from them, some of them on fire themselves. Death Eaters were running amok, firing spells at anyone that dared to run into their view, many falling dead from the killing curse. As their gazes took in the horrific sight, Hermione noticed a small form lying on the ground to the right of where they stood, a larger figure looming over it. Thinking that it was a Death Eater attacking a child, she ran over to them without thinking, and once she came upon the pair she stopped cold. On the ground lay a little girl that couldn't have been more than five years old, her mother crying hysterically while she cradled her daughter in her arms.

"What happened?" Hermoine asked, kneeling down next to the mum as Harry ran up behind her to see what she was doing.

"She was struck by a curse," the woman sobbed, rocking the child back and forth. "I can't get her to wake up."

"May I?" Hermione asked quietly, reaching out to take the little girl from the woman, a look of sadness and concern etched on her face.

The woman looked at Hermione as if she were daft, but when her gaze settled on Harry and she noticed his scar she said, "You're Harry Potter."

Looking uneasy Harry confirmed, "I am."

"You're here to stop them then?" she asked, a trace of hope in her voice as she looked to Ron and Luna, then back at Hermione.

"We're going to try," Hermione replied. "But first, I'd like to see if I can help you're daughter, if that's alright?"

The woman carefully lay the little girl on the ground and watched closely as Hermione felt for a pulse. Finding one, though very faint, she closed her eyes and slowly ran her hands above the little girl's body trying to find exactly where her injury was. Just as she found the injury in the girl's stomach, a red jet of light sailed just over Hermione's head, causing her to duck immediately and use her body to protect the little girl. Turning to Harry, Ron and Luna she said, "I need you to cover me while I heal her, if the process is interrupted she could die."

"Right," Harry replied, looking down at the pale girl, and then looking at Hermione. "We'll keep you safe, just do what you need to do."

The three of them formed a semicircle around Hermione, the girl and her mum, ready to fire at the first enemy that threatened. Hermione placed both of her hands over the girls wound and concentrated as hard as she could, sensing the amount of damage that had been done to her insides. She heard the mum gasp and knew that her hands had started to glow, but she couldn't think on that. She had to heal this little girl as quickly as possible so that Harry wasn't put in danger longer than he needed to be.

"Ron! Look out!" Harry shouted, seeing a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye. Turning quickly as Ron dropped to the ground, he pointed his wand and fired off a spell, only to have one fired right back. It hit his hand, causing him to drop his wand, leaving him defenseless. As the Death Eater fired off another curse, a blood red colored jet of light that was sailing right toward Harry's chest, Luna jumped in front of him. Taking the full force of the curse, she fell to the ground with a thud and lay there, motionless.

"Luna!" Ron shouted, his voice full of anger and fear. Seeing that Harry had bent down to check on her, he turned toward the Death Eater and started firing off hex after hex, not letting up until he had Voldemort's follower on the ground unconscious and bound with rope.

Hearing the commotion going on behind her, Hermione put every ounce of power she had into healing the little girl. Feeling that the wound was healed fully, she opened her eyes and watched as the glow left her hands, which were shaking from her efforts. After a few seconds the little girl's eyes fluttered open, causing her mother to start sobbing in relief. "Thank you so much for saving my Emma."

"You're welcome. You need to get her to safety, as quickly as possible," Hermione replied, exhaustion evident in her voice. Turning to see what had happened, she saw Luna laying on the ground with Ron and Harry crouched around her and she quickly ran to her friend's side. "What happened?" she asked.

"She stepped in front of me," Harry explained, angry at himself for his lack of concentration. "She was hit with a dark red jet of light...I've never seen anything like it before."

Without another thought, Hermione started running her hands over Luna as she had just done with Emma, searching for an injury. When her hands were over Luna's heart, Hermione gasped as she realized it wasn't beating at all. "No!" she cried, laying her hands over the area. Closing her eyes, she directed all of her energy into her hands, hellbent on bringing her friend back. When she realized it wasn't working, Hermione cast about her memory for a spell or something that would help Luna. Coming up with only one thing that would help her friend she looked from Harry to Ron and said, "I'm going to need you two to stand back. There's only one way that I can help her."

As the two boys stood slowly, looking concerned and confused all at once, Hermione placed one hand on Luna's forehead and the other in the center of her chest. Taking a deep breath, she summoned every ounce of courage she possessed, praying that what she was about to do worked. Muttering the words she had been studying so much the past few days, Harry and Ron watched as a soft purple glow started emanating from her hands and seemed to encompass her entire body. Unable to tear his eyes away from the sight, Harry stuck his right hand out and muttered, "Wand", summoning it to him in case what Hermione was doing happened to catch the interest of any nearby Death Eaters. As the glow around her intensified, the color started to pass through her hands into Luna, causing her forehead and chest to glow purple as well.

"Harry!" Ron shouted suddenly and then pointing his wand to their left he fired off a quick spell. Without a second thought Harry cast a shielding charm around Hermione and Luna, praying he could protect them long enough for Hermione to help their friend.

As Ron continued to fend off Death Eaters and Hermione concentrated on saving Luna, Harry focused as hard as he could on keeping the shield up. When he saw Ron get hit with a curse he felt something inside of him snap and the next thing he knew the shield was glowing blue, and a wave of strong magic left his body, knocking all the Death Eaters around them to the ground unconscious. Running over to Ron, he knelt down and asked, "Are you all right?"

"Caught it in the arm," Ron replied through gritted teeth. Letting Harry help him up, he looked to where the girls were and muttered, "Bloody hell." Harry looked as well and saw that the shield was sustaining itself, keeping them safe. "Did you do that?"

Harry looked back to Ron and without thinking replied, "I guess I did. Dunno how though..."

When the shield suddenly disappeared they both ran over to where Hermione still kneeled next to Luna. Sounding out of breath Hermione replied, "She's breathing again...she should be okay now..."

Kneeling down next to her, Ron ignored the blinding pain, put his arms under Luna's neck and knees and lifted her gently, cradling her body against his. "I'm going to take her to Grimmauld Place. Hopefully Madame Pomfrey will be able to look her over. Thank you, Hermione."

"Don't thank me yet," she replied, shakily getting to her feet. As Harry wrapped his arm around her waist to help her stand she added, "You need to get her examined quickly, in case what I did is only a temporary fix."

"Right," Ron answered. "I'll see you two in a minute," he said right before apparating away as he still held Luna carefully in his arms.

Turning to take her hand Harry said, "We should be going as well, before anymore Death Eaters attack us. There've been too many injuries already...you were right, I wasn't ready for this."

Just as he finished talking, Hermione's body seemed to simply crumple onto the ground like a ragdoll, pulling on his arm as he held fast to her hand. Letting go, he knelt down next to her and cradled her head in his arm. "Hermione? Can you hear me? What's wrong?"

"T-Tell Firenze I didn't have a choice," she whispered. "She would have died if I didn't do it..."

"Do what?" Harry asked, confused and worried. When her eyes closed and she didn't answer his fear for her well-being overtook him and he scooped her up in his arms. Trying his best to concentrate so he didn't splinch either or both of them, he focused on Grimmauld Place and apparated her away, hoping that she hadn't done something to put her life in danger yet again.

~A/N2> Sorry for the cliffhanger, but it will not be as much time between updates next time. This is only the beginning of the end, and the story is quickly coming to a close. I'd guess maybe 5 or 6 more chapters.

~A/N> Sorry, sorry. I left you all with that nasty cliffy and took a long time updating. I had an epidural injection in my back last month, and between that and my husband now being home 24/7 I don't have much free time anymore. I was inspired to finish this chapter last night, and of course the angst is back full force, as is my favorite original character :) Again, sorry for the delay in updates, and I'll try to post the next chapter as soon as I can get it finished.

"How could you let this happen?"

"Let it happen? What do you mean? I couldn't bloody well stop her now, could I? I had no idea what she was doing..."

"She saved Luna's life. You heard the Healer, she would be dead right now if Hermione hadn't done whatever it was she did..."

"You don't understand! What she did has irreversible consequences, ones that will be with her the rest of her life. She foolishly put her life in jeopardy, and for what? To save a friend? She needs to save her power for when she needs it most, not use it whenever she feels she can!"

"If you three can't stop arguing, I'll have to ask you to leave!" Madame Pomfrey said shortly, cutting short their angry exchange.

Harry and Ron stood glaring at Firenze, who still wore his usual look of calm. How he could do that, Harry would never know...

"Are you going to tell us what it was exactly that she did?" Harry asked.

"No, I am not," Firenze replied. "She needs to explain what it is that she's done, not me. And she needs to explain it to Luna as well, since it may have lasting effects on her."

"Why don't we go to the sitting room and let Madame Pomfrey work?" Remus asked, entering the room. Harry looked at him closely for the first time since their return from Diagon Alley and he noticed that Remus looked worse for wear.

"Alright there, Remus?" Harry asked as Firenze and Ron left the room. Noticing out of the corner of his eye that Pomfrey was glaring at him, he turned to her and said, "Oh, I won't be going anywhere. I'm staying with her, and that's final." Hearing Remus noisily clear his throat, he turned his attention back to him.

"I'm fine, Harry," Remus answered, trying not to smile at Madame Pomfrey's anger at Harry's indignance. "I was just on the wrong end of another one of Snape's curses. I swear, he seeks me out in battle, and he's been getting very creative with the curses he's using lately"

"Damn him!" Harry cursed, then remembering that the nurse was still in the room with them he turned to her and said,"I'm sorry, Madame Pomfrey."

"You should be, using that kind of language!" she huffed.

Rolling his eyes at her admonishment, he asked Remus, "Did you happen to harm him in any way, or maybe an Auror happened to detain him and take him to Azkaban?"

"Unfortunately, no," Remus replied, sighing tiredly. "I'm going to lie down for a bit. Let me know if she wakes up, will you?"

Agreeing, Harry watched his parent's oldest friend limp from the room and wondered what it was that made Snape seek him out whenever there was a Death Eater attack. Shrugging it off, he turned and made his way to Luna's bed that sat opposite where Hermione now lay, and sat down. Watching the nurse work on her, he asked, "Do you happen to know what it was that she used?"

"No I don't...not that I would tell you if I did," she replied, as she continued to wave her wand over Hermione's still-unconscious form.

Sighing at her no-nonsense attitude, Harry suddenly felt very tired and decided that it wouldn't hurt to lay down for a bit, maybe have a kip. Closing his eyes he asked, "Will you please wake me up if she wakes?."

"We'll see," Madame Pomfrey replied, relenting a little on her formal attitude. Looking over at Harry she muttered, "It's not fair that we have children fighting this war for us...not fair at all."

~*~

"Mister Potter...Mister Potter, Miss Granger is waking up."

Harry felt someone shaking him, but feeling very tired decided to ignore whoever it was, hoping they would go away and leave him alone. He had no such luck...

"Mister Potter, you asked to be awakened, now please get up!"

"All right, all right, I'm up," he grumbled, forcing himself to sit up on the bed. Opening his eyes, he noticed that everything looked blurry, and realizing he had fallen asleep with his glasses on he righted them and brought everything into focus. As his gaze settled on Hermione, he was happily surprised to find her staring back at him. "You're awake," he said, moving so that he was kneeling next to her bed, face-to-face with her.

"Yeah," she replied, her voice sounding hoarse and tired.

"You had me worried," Harry said, combing his fingers lightly through her hair.

"To tell you the truth, I kind of scared myself," she whispered shakily as what she had done in Diagon Alley played through her mind once again.

"Are you okay? I mean...do you feel okay now?" he asked, his concern showing on his face. "No negative lingering effects?"

"I'm just really tired, and my entire body is sore," she replied, the look on his face causing her heart to beat just a bit faster.

After a pregnant pause Harry asked, "Will you please explain what you did to bring Luna back?" Staring at her intently, he noticed the fear that had crept into her eyes at his question.

Sighing, Hermione moved just enough so that she could stretch her arm out and closed her eyes, and the next thing Harry knew her family's Guardian Notebook was floating off of the desk in the corner of her room. As it made it's way to her outstretched hand, he could see how hard she was having to concentrate and wasn't all that surprised when it dropped halfway to it's destination. Getting up, he walked over to where it had fallen onto the floor and picked it up, bringing it the rest of the way to her. Handing it over, he watched as she flipped through pages, obviously intent on finding something specific. When she found it, she marked the place with her finger and handed it to Harry, making sure he knew what part of the page to read.

"Emotional Magic and Channeling," he read. "A Soul Guardian may inadvertantly use this form of magic during an emotionally troubling time or in a time where 'fight-or-flight' instint kicks in, causing the Guardian to perform a form of magic that they had never learned before. These forms of magic are very powerful and can not only effect the Guardian, but could also cause damage to whoever the magic is used on." Harry became quiet once he finished reading the entry, mulling over everything he had just read and trying to comprehend exactly what Hermione was trying to tell him. Completely confused by the passage he asked, "Hermione, what does this mean? What exactly did you do?"

"I panicked," she replied, not meeting his eyes. "I had read up on channeling before, so I forced my way into her soul, which was wrong because I am not her Guardian, and I...I called upon her mother to come save her because I knew that I couldn't."

"You what?" Harry asked in a hushed voice, his eyes wide.

"You heard me," she replied a bit testily. "I didn't know what else to do, and she was dying, Harry."

"But...But how is that possible?" he asked, trying to completely understand what she had done to their friend. "How can you just 'channel' her mother, and then use her to save her daughter when she's been dead for years?"

"It's...complicated," she replied slowly. "When I tried everything else that I knew to use to bring her back, and nothing helped, I remembered something I had read in the notebook. It's a way to call forth a spirit from the spiritual realm, and basically her mother gave a piece of herself to save her daughter. When we die, it's our soul that ascends, not our bodies so I knew it would be possible." Hermoine became quiet for a minute and then while staring at her fidgeting hands explained, "There is a major risk to using this method of soul revival...in bringing her mother from the spiritual realm I-I might have also brought over what's called a superpersonality, or a negative spirit. So even though her mother's spirit, albeit weakened, left her body...the superpersonality may have stayed. We won't know if that happened until she's awake, and by then, it'll be too late. The superpersonality will have taken over her mind and soul, and Luna will be lost to us...possibly forever."

Harry was speechless. The fact that Hermione used Luna's mum to save her was unthinkable, but the possibility that Luna might not even be Luna when she gained consciousness again was just something he wouldn't even consider.

"It was a very foolish thing to do," came Firenze's voice from the doorway. As the two teens turned to look at him, he walked up to Hermione's bed and said, "I don't think you realize the full consequence of what you have done, Hermione. You have not only risked the possibilty of scarring Luna emotionally by bringing forth her deceased mother, but you have also put her mortal soul in jeopardy if a malicious spirit came forth as well and now inhabits her body."

"It was the only thing I knew to do to save her," she replied quietly. "What was I supposed to do, let her die?"

"There are always those that give their lives during war, Guardian," Firenze stated. "It is obvious that she was not going to die if you were able to bring her back with that spell. And what if she were meant to die? You would have risked your life and hers for nothing. What you did was not only foolish, but irresponsible." With that, Firenze left the room, looking very disappointed.

After he had gone, Harry turned to her and asked, "My God Hermoine, what have you done?"

"I don't know," she answered as a tear escaped from her eye. "I just...don't know." After a few minutes of silence, Hermione looked at Harry with sadness and fear in her expression and in a voice barely above a whisper asked, "Harry, would you please...hold me?"

Unable to bear the look on her face and realizing that he wanted to give her the comfort she needed, he lay down next to her and wrapped his arms around her as she lay her head on his chest. He placed a kiss on the top of her head as she snuggled against him more, both of their thoughts lingering on Luna, their friend that may already be lost to everyone that loved her.

~*~

The Christmas celebration that they held the next day at Grimmauld Place was nothing like the previous night's dinner had been. There was no cheerful banter, no laughter, only somberness and silence. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley sat on the sofa speaking in hushed tones to one another while Ginny sat by the tree they had hurriedly put up that morning. Ron was at the hospital with Luna's dad, waiting for her to wake. With a lot of prodding from him, Hermione opened her gift from Harry, and he explained why he needed to be the one to put it on her. He then opened her gift to him, and as he slid it on his finger, she explained exactly what power it held.

"Seems that we think alike," Harry muttered quietly as he looked at the detail of the ring. Looking up at her, he noticed that she was fingering the pendant while also holding his mother's necklace between her fingers.

When she looked up and met his eyes she said, "Doubly protected, but I doubt that's going to help against Damien."

"We can hope," he replied, a bit angry that she sounded so defeated already.

"Just as I thought, sitting around wallowing in your guilt and misery," came a sharp voice from the doorway. When they all turned to see who it was that had spoken, they saw Sorcha standing there in her signature black clothes and cloak, her violet eyes flashing violently. "Granger...Potter, come. We're going to train."

"Now?" Harry asked incredulously, looking from Hermione back to Sorcha. "But it's Christmas!"

"You don't think after the mess you made in Diagon Alley yesterday that you need to practice?" she answered in a deathly calm voice.

Just as Harry was about to retaliate to her nasty response, Hermione put a calming hand on his forearm and replied, "We do need to train. We'll be right there."

As Sorcha made her way to their training room, Harry turned his anger on Hermione and asked, "What the hell was that about?"

Not meeting his eyes, she replied in a whisper, "I don't recall you being able to defend us yesterday Harry, and as the one prophesized to defeat Voldemort, you have a long way to go until you're ready."

When he didn't respond, she chanced a glance at him and cringed as she noticed the look on his face. He looked as if she'd slapped him pretty damn hard across the face, when in reality she had cut him to the core with her words. Without saying anything, he shook her hand off of his arm and stormed out of the room, not once looking back to see if she was following.

~*~

"Petrificus totalis!"

"Protego! Engorgio!"

"Immobulus!"

"Protego! Stupefy!"

"Fuck me! Can either of you get one spell on target? It's no wonder you got your arses kicked last night!" Sorcha yelled angrily, glaring from first Hermione then Harry, who were out of breath and glaring back.

"Happy Christmas to you too," Hermione mumbled.

"Christmas, indeed. Your friend...what's her name? Lucy? She's not having a very Happy Christmas now, is she? Laying unconscious in St. Mungo's with lingering memories of her mum swimming through her subconscious mind. Happy, indeed," Sorcha fired back, angrily pacing back and forth now.

"It's Luna, and back off!" Harry yelled, still angry at Hermione but he'd be damned if he'd let her get verbally attacked like that.

"Back off, you say? That's certainly what you did last night, isn't it Potter? What would you have done had Voldemort decided to confront you last night? Wet yourself and run away like a little girl, hoping that Granger here would take care of the big, evil baddy?"

"Fuck off!" Harry spat, breathing even more heavily now.

"Great comeback, Potter. But what should I expect when that's the way you duel as well, saying the first thing that comes to mind instead of taking a moment to think it through?" Sorcha asked, turning her back on him.

It all happened so fast that none of the three would really remember exactly how it happened. From Hermione's view (which was most important) Harry raised his wand just as Sorcha had turned her back and the moment the spell left his lips Sorcha had turned, pointed her wand, and fired one right back at him. Hermione, on pure instinct alone, flung one hand toward Sorcha and another toward Harry. When all movement had stopped, Sorcha was pinned against the wall directly behind her, Harry was surrounded in a blue ball of light, and the two spells met between them in a shower of sparks. Looking angrily from Sorcha to Harry, Hermione lowered both of her hands, causing Harry to stumble back a few steps while Sorcha fell to the floor, landing directly on her bum. Turning on her heel, Hermione quickly made her way out of the training room, swearing to herself that she'd never train with Sorcha or Harry ever again.

~A/N> A big thanks to DeliverMeFromEve for writing her story, "Angelica", which inspired me to want to write again and to Lisa, who is always a wonderful friend and inspiration :)

Chapter 29 Flashback

"Petrificus totalis!"

"Protego! Engorgio!"

"Immobulus!"

"Protego! Stupefy!"

"Fuck me! Can either of you get one spell on target? It's no wonder you got your arses kicked last night!" Sorcha yelled angrily, glaring from first Hermione then Harry, who were out of breath and glaring back.

"Happy Christmas to you too," Hermione mumbled.

"Christmas, indeed. Your friend...what's her name? Lucy? She's not having a very Happy Christmas now, is she? Laying unconscious in St. Mungo's with lingering memories of her mum swimming through her subconscious mind. Happy, indeed," Sorcha fired back, angrily pacing back and forth now.

"It's Luna, and back off!" Harry yelled, still angry at Hermione but he'd be damned if he'd let her get verbally attacked like that.

"Back off, you say? That's certainly what you did last night, isn't it Potter? What would you have done had Voldemort decided to confront you last night? Wet yourself and run away like a little girl, hoping that Granger here would take care of the big, evil baddy?"

"Fuck off!" Harry spat, breathing even more heavily now.

"Great comeback, Potter. But what should I expect when that's the way you duel as well, saying the first thing that comes to mind instead of taking a moment to think it through?" Sorcha asked, turning her back on him.

It all happened so fast that none of the three would really remember exactly how it happened. From Hermione's view (which was most important) Harry raised his wand just as Sorcha had turned her back and the moment the spell left his lips Sorcha had turned, pointed her wand, and fired one right back at him. Hermione, on pure instinct alone, flung one hand toward Sorcha and another toward Harry. When all movement had stopped, Sorcha was pinned against the wall directly behind her, Harry was surrounded in a blue ball of light, and the two spells met between them in a shower of sparks. Looking angrily from Sorcha to Harry, Hermione lowered both of her hands, causing Harry to stumble back a few steps while Sorcha fell to the floor, landing directly on her bum. Turning on her heel, Hermione quickly made her way out of the training room, swearing to herself that she'd never train with Sorcha or Harry ever again.

Chapter 30

Hermione had spent the rest of Christmas day in her room, refusing to come out when Molly had come knocking several times to beg her to come down for dinner. When Harry had tried to get her to let him in, she'd added more wards and locking spells to the door to insure he wouldn't get in. She didn't want to talk to anyone...she was just so tired and emotionally worn out, and right now her future was looking very dark and foreboding.

Waking early the next morning, she made her way down to the kitchen and was disappointed to find she wasn't the first one up.

"Mornin'," Harry mumbled, not bothering to look up from the story he was reading in The Quibbler.

"Mornin'," she replied softly. Gathering everything she would need to cook breakfast, she proceeded to make a big meal for everyone while ignoring the way Harry was staring at her, and thirty minutes later all house occupants were seated around the kitchen table.

"Thish ish great, Hermony," Ron said through a mouth full of food.

"Thanks," she replied, crinkling her nose in disgust as food flew from his mouth while he spoke.

Five minutes later, Remus walked into the quiet kitchen and said, "Training will start in one hour, in the training room."

Feeling a huge wave of disappointment slam into her from Ron and Harry, she felt her anger and frustration grow and none-too-nicely threw her plates into the sink. She knew that she had gone a bit overboard the day before, but did they have to make it so well known that they dreaded training with her? It didn't even occur to her that maybe their disappointment was because they just didn't want to train again that morning. Her emotions were raw at the moment, and it didn't take much to trigger her anger lately.

As she stormed from the room, Ron looked to Harry and asked, "What's with her?"

"I wish I knew," he replied with a sigh, watching after her as she left the kitchen and then went back to reading the paper. He had spent enough of his night worrying about her, and at that moment he was too tired and cranky to dwell on it. He'd wait until she was ready to talk; until then, he planned to steer well clear of her if possible.

~*~

"Potter! Get your arse in there and fight!" Sorcha ordered.

"Steer clear of her...great plan, Harry," he mumbled to himself as he watched Hermione practically tackle Ron and then hex him. Cringing at the howl of pain that Ron let out, he slowly walked onto the duelling mat and faced her, hopefully looking more menacing then he felt.

"I can feel your trepidation," Hermione taunted, still angry with his reaction at breakfast. "It's pathetic that you're giving pause when faced with someone you know."

"We both know that you are no ordinary girl," he growled, steeling himself for whatever she may throw at him.

With a smirk on her face, Hermione pointed her wand at him, casting a spell that shot just past his ear. Thinking quickly, he pointed his wand at her and yelled, "Stupify!"

Hermione's eyes grew wide when she felt the magical power that he had put into the spell, and thinking quickly she dodged to the right, falling to the floor as she tripped in her hast. When she saw him cast again, she watched the spell sail toward her and closing her eyes, envisioned her shield. When she opened them, she was happily surprised to see the glowing gold orb surrounding her. When she turned her smug expression at Harry, she noticed that he was staring unblinkingly at her, concentrating so hard that she could see a vein in his forehead throbbing. As she noticed that his scar was turning a more pink color, she gasped as her shield disappeared. With a wicked smile of his own, Harry raised his wand, pointed it at her, and said, "Expelliarmus!"

Her wand went flying from her hand, and she stood with her mouth open in shock. "How did you do that?"

"I practiced," he replied cockily. He went to say something else, but the next thing they knew, Harry fell to his knees and grabbing his head with his hands, started screaming in agony.

"Oh my god...Harry? Harry, what is it?" Hermione asked as she ran up to him, forgetting that she was supposed to be angry with him.

Dropping down in front of him, she pried his hands from his head so that she could get a better look and couldn't believe what she saw. "Your scar...it's bleeding."

"It...hurts...like... hell!" he exlaimed.

Looking to Remus, then Firenze, then Sorcha, who formed a circle around them she asked, "Please, help him!"

"It's not up to us to help him, that's your job," Sorcha replied quietly.

Sorcha's response made her grit her teeth in anger. A sudden all-encompassing fear overcame her, and she wondered what would happen if she failed him. Taking a deep, calming breath, she looked back to Harry, lifted his face and said, "Open your eyes." When he didn't do as she asked her fear doubled and she demanded, "Open your eyes, damn it!" When he finally opened them, she looked into their green depths and felt herself being pulled into his subconscious. When she got to the door that she was supposed to make sure was sealed every night, she saw that it was open. 'Of course it was open, you twit, you forgot to do your exercises with him last night. You were too busy sulking in your room.' 'Walking' up to it, she looked inside and wasn't really surprised to see Voldemort there. "Thought it might be you," she said, her voice echoing around her.

"Yess, it's me," Voldemort replied tauntingly.

"No wonder I felt a surge of evil in him as he cast the last spell", she said, She reached into her pocket to retrieve her wand, but the moment she pointed it at him, it flew from her grip and out of reach. Feeling panic flood through her, she took a deep, calming breath and said, "You're not supposed to be able to do magic here."

"And you're not suppossssed to let me enter Harry'sss mind," Voldemort mocked nastily, his evil sounding laugh surrounding her as he noticed her angry glare. "What kind of Guardian letsss the enemy of her charge enter into his mind? I thought you were suppossssed to protect him?" His laughter just continued after that as he insulted her time and time again.

"I didn't let you in," Hermione shot back, angry that everything he had said so far was true.

"Didn't you?"

Those two words slammed into her with an almost physical force, and she felt as if she couldn't breathe. Putting a hand to her chest, she tried to take a deep breath and calm herself. She was letting this evil man get to her, and that wasn't going to help her save Harry any faster. Knowing that there was probably no way to get her wand back, Hermione drew upon all of her Guardian magic and guided it toward Voldemort, hoping to expel him from Harry's mind. But Voldemort fought back, and suddenly it was her spell fighting his, gold against red, and she realized that if she lost she might lose Harry to this evil forever. That was not an option for her.

Drawing upon the wonderful memories she and Harry had shared since they had met, she noticed the color of her spell grew brighter, and she knew she had found the answer. Thinking about the kisses they had shared, the touches and desire they had tried to keep secret, she felt the magic within her surge from her hands and then, Voldemort was gone.

Carefully sealing the 'door' and withdrawing from Harry's mind, she felt utterly drained of energy and exhausted. She watched as Harry's dilated eyes returned to normal, and when he focused in on her pallid face he became worried. "Hermione, are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, her voice weak. "I just need to rest for a bit."

After Harry helped her up from the floor, he guided her up to her room and lay her down gently on her bed. Noticing that her eyes were already drooping, threatening to give in to sleep, he brushed her hair from where it had fallen across her face and whispered, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," she muttered, and then drifted off into a very deep sleep.

In the doorway, Sorcha and Remus watched what was happening between the teens. Pursing her lips, Sorcha turned to Remus and said, "Her powers are growing faster than we expected. I don't think she'll be able to handle the power she's going to recieve so soon after starting her training."

"She'll have to," Remus replied. "Or else Harry will have to fight you-know-who with a Guardian who can't control her magic. That's practically a death sentence for them both."

~*~

After sleeping for a few hours and dinner that night, Hermione made her way to the Library to get some studying done, even though she still felt drained from her face-off with Voldemort. She was trying to learn all the defensive Guardian spells so that she could work on magical defensive spells next. Firenze had told her that she would have to demonstrate her knowledge the next couple of days, and she wanted to show them all that she was worthy of being Harry's Guardian.

As she sat on the sofa, deep in thought, the pillow next to her sank under someone's weight. Figuring that it would be Harry sitting next to her, she said, "I have a lot of studying to do. I'd rather not be disturbed."

"I'm sorry Hermione," Remus said quietly in reply. "I just need to speak to you for a moment. It's important."

Lowering the book onto her lap, she looked at him and said, "I'm sorry Remus, I thought you were...someone else."

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about," he replied. Taking a deep breath, he gave her a wan smile and said, "Everyone has noticed how distant you and Harry seem to be lately. Did something happen?" When she remained quiet he added, "I don't mean to pry, but this is something too important to just let go unmentioned."

"I know," she replied in a soft voice. "I'm just not really sure what happened myself. Yesterday, when we were training, I saw a side of Harry that scared me. He pointed his wand at Sorcha's back, and from what I was getting from him empathically, he had every intention of firing a spell at her. He was filled with such a darkness, and I had no idea what to do to help him."

"And today...it was you-know-who in his mind?" Remus asked slowly.

"Yes, and it's all my fault. I was so upset with myself last night that I forgot to do the excercise to close off his mind to Voldemort's influence." Seeing the older man flinch she added, "I'm sorry, I forget that most witches and wizards are uncomfortable with his name."

"It's easy to forget when you didn't have to live through all the evil things he did the first time," Remus replied quietly. Sighing, he gently placed his hand over hers, where it lay on the couch, and asked, "Just try to reconnect with Harry, soon. You and I are all he has...well, not counting the Weasleys...and we need to work together to protect him. And you need to be very careful as well. Damien and you-know-you will use any weaknesses you and he may have to their advantage."

"I will try."

"That's all I ask." Patting her hand one more time, Remus slowly got up and made his way out of the Library, praying that something he said had gotten through to Hermione. She was their only hope.

After mulling over the things Remus had said for a bit, she returned to her book and began to be engrossed in it's knowledge once more. This time, when she felt the cushion sag, she never took her eyes from the book and said, "I told you before Remus, I'll think on what you said."

"And what did he say?" Harry asked, a hint of accusation in his voice. "I suppose you two were talking about me?"

"Harry. I didn't know it was you, sorry," she said quickly, trying to divert the subject away from the earlier conversation. "How are you feeling?"

"Why don't you tell me?" he challenged, his green eyes boring into hers. He had been scared by what had happened to her before, but a small part of him was angry because she had not done the exercise the way she was supposed to the night before. She had been hiding from everyone, including him, and it hurt him more than he cared to admit.

As his feelings slammed into her, unwanted, she closed her eyes as she realized that his loneliness was overwhelming, and that the rest of his emotions were all balled up together. His fear and anger seemed to be warring with one another, each growing to become the prevalent feeling. And underneath all of that turmoil he was feeling hurt, at what she couldn't guess. Feeling nauseous at the onslaught, she felt a single tear escape her eye as she whispered, "Please stop, Harry. Please..."

Her plea caused his emotions to spike, and she stood up suddenly, running quickly to the loo. Bending over the toilet, she was more sick than she'd been the last time this had happened, and she begged the Gods to make it stop. Feeling as if she were dying, she lay down weakly on the cold floor and closed her eyes, exhausted.

"Hermione?!" Harry yelled, finally unlocking the bathroom door. She didn't know it, but her magic was becoming much stronger lately and the locking charm she had quickly cast was about three times as strong as a normal one.

Rushing inside, he knelt down next to where she lay and gently pressed his hand to her forehead. "You're burning up," he said, his concern evident in his voice. Making a quick decision he asked, "Do you feel like your going to be sick again?"

With a slight motion of her head, she told him no, and he gently lifted her off of the floor. Cradling her limp body against him, he carried her to her room and lay her down on her bed. "I'm going to go get Sorcha and Remus, I'll be right back."

"O-Okay," she replied, shivering with a sudden case of the chills. Burrowing under her blanket, she pulled it up to her chin and closed her eyes, feeling exhausted. What seemed like hours later, but was really only minutes, she could hear the sound of muffled voices and watched as three out-of-focus figures walked into the room.

"It was all my fault," Harry was saying, his voice riddled with guilt. "I did something stupid...I..."

"You what?" Sorcha asked, her voice holding a more caring note than she'd ever heard before.

"I challenged her to tell me what I was feeling, and that's why she got sick."

"I highly doubt that," Sorcha replied. "But what you did was foolish, none-the-less."

Remus walked up to the bed and slowly knelt down in front of her, his aged bones protesting the movement. He looked at her for a moment and then pressed his palm to her forehead. "She's feverish. We need to contact Firenze and Madame Pomfrey and have them come tend to her."

"Firenze will be able to do more for her," Sorcha replied, looking pointedly at Remus while ignoring Harry's confused and angry glare.

"And how do you know that?" Remus asked.

"Her powers are increasing," Sorcha answered knowingly. "The training she went through today, the way she was picking up on everyone's emotions lately, it's everything that happened to me right before I went through it. It's a terrible process, but one that she has to endure. It's a good thing for all of us, but it will not be easy on her"

"So what do we do?" Harry asked, wanting to do something to ease her discomfort. Sorcha's answer was not the one he was expecting.

"We wait."

~*~

It had been twenty-four hours since Hermione's fever had set in, and Harry sat in a chair next to her bedside that entire time. Everytime someone tried to get him to sleep, or leave the room to go to the kitchen to eat, he would vehemently refuse. He was blaming himself for what was happening to Hermione, and nothing that anyone said could make him think it wasn't his fault.

During that time, Hermione had lain in her bed, covered in a sheen of sweat and mumbling incoherently. Harry could pick out some of what she said. She spoke of her Mum and Dad, and even mumbled Harry's name a few times. Each time she said his name his grip on her hand would tighten and his guilt would increase even more.

Firenze walked into Hermione's room to find Harry sleeping restlessly in his chair, and he gently shook the teenager to wake him. When Harry looked up at him through bleary eyes he said, "You must go to the Library with Sorcha. She will do the protection exercise tonight since Miss Granger is in no shape to do it." When he noticed that Harry was about to protest he quickly added, "We have already risked much by not doing it last night. We do not want you-know-who and Damien to know of Miss Granger's condition."

The last part was enough to get Harry to cooperate, and Firenze promised that he would sit with Hermione until he returned. Having Sorcha do the exercise was not the same, as it seemed Hermione was gentler when she did it. Sorcha seemed to just tear into his mind and barge her way through it, sealing the part of his mind that Voldemort entered through, and then quickly exited, which left him with quite a headache.

Cursing at her under his breath the entire way back to Hermione's room, Harry entered to see Firenze pour some water into her mouth. Walking up to his side he asked, "Should I keep doing that?"

Not mentioning his assumption, Firenze replied, "Yes, at least once every hour. We don't want her waking dehydrated."

As Firenze vacated his spot, Harry reclaimed it and checked his watch so he would know when to give her more and set an alarm just in case he fell asleep. Not hearing Firenze leave, Harry once more took her hand in his and said, "Please get better Hermione. I need you." Watching her sleeping form as he caressed her hand with his thumb, he longed to have more contact with her. Not caring what the others would think, he took off his shoes and climbed into bed behind her, wrapping his arm around her waist. Feeling as if the space between them was a chasm, he carefully moved closer to her so that no space seperated them. Feeling her warmth seep into him, he thought about what had happened the day before and cursed Voldemort for trying to tear them apart. Tightening his hold on her, he felt his eyelids droop as sleep overtook him and he mumbled, "I'll never leave you Hermione, I promise."

~A/N2> If you want to read DeliverMeFromEve's story that I mentioned above you can find it here: http://fanfiction.portkey.org/story/7056_

~A/N> Happy Birthday to me! Here's a present for you! :) I hope you enjoy it, and special thanks again to Lisa who's always a fantastic help.

Harry had gotten up every hour throughout the night, making sure that Hermione drank at least half a cup of water. Each time, once he was finished, he climbed behind her again and wrapped his arm around her, cherishing how it felt to have her so close. Things had been so strained between them the past few weeks, and he'd never admit it to anyone but himself, but he missed her. His Hermione, the one he had fallen in love with. He had loved spending time with her, whether it was training or just sitting quietly in the library together. And the times that they fought and it led to snogging...he really missed those times. When he held her in his arms he felt...complete...normal. He wanted her back badly, and he hoped that after whatever affliction she had at the moment passed, she would be his Hermione again.

After three days of Hermione going in and out of consciousness, her fever getting higher and then breaking, only to spike again, she finally woke. The room was filled with the light of dusk, she had no idea where she was, and it was definitely a shock to realize that someone was holding onto her. Still in a state of disorientation, she turned so that she could look behind her, and she saw Harry's face. "Harry?" she whispered, her voice hoarse.

He stirred just a little, and then fell back into his peaceful sleep. His grip on her waist tightened and it was as if his arm had been squeezing her heart instead. She felt choked up, and as her mind cleared a bit, regret creeped over her at how she'd been treating him. She didn't forget that he was being a right git himself, but she found that she really didn't care. Who knew how much time they had left together with the danger that seemed to be coming ever closer?

"Harry," she whispered again, this time her voice was louder, and she started coughing because of it. Her coughing finally roused him from his slumber.

"Mmm...'Mione?" he mumbled.

"Yeah," she replied, once she found the glass of water on the nightstand next to the bed and her fit of coughing was under control.

"You're awake?" he asked, sounding barely coherent.

Clearing her throat noisily she answered, "I am, but I don't think that you are."

"Right," he said, proceeding to snuggle against her back. After a few moments his eyes popped open and he stated, "You're awake."

"I am," she answered. Turning so that she could be face-to-face with him, she reached her hand up to cradle his cheek. "Have you been here the whole time?"

"All three days, yeah," he replied, seeing the surprise register on her face. "You had me...us...worried."

"Three days? What in the world was wrong with me?"

"I don't know, and no one's really volunteering their opinion on what they think it might've been," he stated, feeling like her palm on his face was burning his skin. "Speaking of the others, I promised them all that I'd get them if you were to wake."

"Right," she replied, sounding somewhat disappointed.

Hearing the note of displeasure in her voice he turned back to face her and said, "Once you're completely well and out of bed, maybe you and I could...talk, about everything that's been happening lately."

Staring at him silently for a moment, she sighed and replied quietly, "Sure, a talk would be nice."

Not really picking up on the defeated tone in her voice this time, he turned and made his way out of her room to fetch the others, completely missing the look of dissapointment that crossed her face.

~*~

"You're not going to tell me why I was practically unconscious for three days?" Hermione asked a few minutes later, looking furiously from Sorcha to Remus to Firenze, each adult proceeding to look back at her with a calm facade.

"No, I'm afraid we're not," Remus replied in his calm tone of voice, which increased her frustration. "Mainly because we're not exactly sure what it was that made you sick."

"That's just terrific," Harry chimed in, worried that she could get sick again easily.

Sorcha, who'd been standing by quietly suddenly said, "Come with me."

"What?"

"You heard me Guardian, come with me."

"Don't you think it would be best to wait until tomorrow?" Harry asked, defiantly looking at Sorcha.

"I do not," sher replied. "Miss Granger's sickness was not a normal malady...it was a metamorphosis of sorts." Turning her gaze to Hermione she stated, "Now, as I said before, come with me."

Hermione followed her out of the room with Harry and the others close behind as they made their way down the stairs and into their training room. Handing her wand to her, Sorcha walked away, putting some distance between them. Assuming a defensive stance she said, "Now, try to disarm me."

"Are you mad?" Harry asked, looking incredulously at Sorcha, Hermione's facial features mirroring his. "She just woke from practically being unconscious for three days, and you want her to perform magic?"

"Stay out of this Potter," Sorcha replied. "Now, Miss Granger, try to disarm me."

Hermione stared at her in disbelief, and then realizing that she was perfectly serious, she unsteadily raised her wand. Aiming at Sorcha, she uttered, "Expelliarmus!"

The power of her spell practically lifted Hermione off of her feet, throwing her against the wall behind her while Sorcha was thrown backwards and hit the opposite wall with a nasty sounding 'thud'. As Remus hurriedly went to check on Sorcha, Firenze and Harry made their way to where Hermione was leaning up against the wall, a bit dazed. "Are you okay, Miss Granger?" Firenze asked as Harry knelt down next to her, looking very concerned.

"I think so," she replied, her voice trembling. "What happened?"

"What I thought would happen," Sorcha replied, limping up to her with Remus's help. "Your fever was due to an increase in your magical power. I don't know if it was your inherent Guardian powers that increased, your inborn magical abilities, or both. Just because you can cast a simple disarming spell proves nothing."

"I think that we should wait until tomorrow to test Miss Granger again. I believe she needs time to recover from her recent ordeal," Firenze stated, his voice holding no possiblitly for objection. But Sorcha dared to object.

"I think she needs to go to Hogwarts...tonight," she stated, looking at Firenze. "This training room is inadequate for what she needs to learn. I believe that if you and I take her to Hogwarts, we can train her to use her abilities properly. She needs tutelage now, before her powers grow so much that she can no longer control them anymore. "

"Hogwarts," Hermione repeated, still a bit dazed and confused at how fast everything was happening. "But..."

"There are no 'but's, Miss Granger. Now go pack enough clothes for a week and come back in here once you've finished."

Harry cut in at this and asked, "Why are we going to be gone a week?"

"You're not," Sorcha replied. "It will only be Miss Granger, Firenze and I that go. You will be staying here to train with Remus and Tonks."

"What?"

Harry looked incredulously from Sorcha to Hermione and was surprised to see Hermione walking from the room. Jogging to catch up to her, he grabbed her arm to stop her progress and asked, "You're not seriously going with them to Hogwarts, are you?"

"Yes," she replied quietly, not quite meeting his gaze. "I don't know what it is but...I just feel like this is something that I have to do."

"But what about us?" he asked, and then realized how pathetic he sounded. "I mean...we're supposed to train together, as a team."

"This has to do with my magic, Harry, not yours," she replied, wincing at the hurt look that crossed his features. Hoping to reassure him she added, "It'll only be for a little while. Hopefully I can convince them to let me come back for New Year's Eve, and we can ring in the new year together. Maybe even have that talk that you mentioned?"

"Talk...right..." Harry replied, feeling more angry and upset than he cared to admit. She was so quick to leave, and he was want to let her out of his sight.

"I have to go pack," she stated softly, slipping her arm from his grasp.

Harry stood rooted to the spot, watching her walk away, unable to think of anything else to say to her that might change her mind.

~*~

As Hermione was packing someone knocked quietly on her door and she called, "Come in."

She turned as her door opened to see Sorcha in her doorway. "We need to leave in twenty minutes. Headmistress McGonagall will open the floo at the school for us then, so we have to be on time."

"I'll be ready," Hermione replied wearily, feeling very nervous and unsure of training away from Harry. In a way she was already missing him, which was foolish because he was still there with her. Placing the final piece of clothing into her trunk, she shrunk it and placed it into her jean's pocket. Putting her wand in her back pocket, she turned and stopped suddenly as she realized that Sorcha had left, and in her place was Harry, leaning against the door frame watching her.

"H-Hi," she stumbled, the sight of him causing her heart to constrict.. A very small part of her was still aggravated with the way he'd been acting lately toward her, but the rest of her missed how he used to touch her subtley any chance he got, and his kisses...that was something she missed as well. She cared deeply for him, and he was the only person she trusted anymore. But the way he looked at that moment...she just wanted to run up to him and fling her arms around him, reassuring him that she wouldn't be gone long. He looked forlorn, almost lost, and it hurt to think that she was the cause of it.

"Hey," he mumbled back, staring at her intently. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah, all packed," she replied. "I was just going down to meet up with Sorcha and Firenze so we could leave."

Harry stood there, seemingly content with staring at her quietly, and she had no idea what to say or do next. Thankfully, he made the decision for her. In three quick strides, Harry had walked up to her and taken her in his arms, his lips crashing down upon hers in a fiery kiss...a kiss full of longing, feeling, and fear. She responded greedily, missing the way his lips had felt on hers all the other times they had snogged like this, and her response caused him to moan and deepen the kiss. Moving his hands from where they rested on her waist, he brought them up and buried them in her hair, relishing how silky the tresses felt between his fingers. Loving the feel of his hands in her hair, she wrapped her arms around his waist and pulled him closer, wanting to be as close to him as possible.

As the kiss continued, Hermione felt the tension between them melt, and she relaxed into his embrace. His kiss had turned lazy and gentle, as if this was his way of saying goodbye and apologizing for his part in the rift that had come between them, When Sorcha called up the stairs that it was time to go they grudgingly seperated, neither wanting the kiss to end. Breathless, Harry leaned his forehead against hers and whispered, "I guess this is goodbye."

There was a hint of...something in his voice that she couldn't place, but she could also feel his loneliness. "I won't be gone long," she replied softly.

"I know, it's just..." She could tell he was trying to think of the right thing to say, but it seemed he couldn't quite find the words he wanted. "I know you'll be back soon, but...oh, bollocks! I'm terrible at this!"

Touched that he was trying so hard, she kissed him once more and said, "I'm going to miss you."

Looking relieved that she wasn't going to press him to finish what he was trying to say, he replied, "I'm going to miss you, too."

Pulling away from him reluctantly, she walked out of the room and made her way downstairs, knowing that he was following closely behind. She made her way to where Sorcha and Firenze waited by the Floo and said, "I'm all set."

Firenze held the pot of floo powder out so that she could grab some and said, "You will accompany Sorcha to Hogwarts. I will be using a Portkey and will meet you there shortly." Nodding her understanding, she threw the floo powder into the fireplace and before stepping into the green flames she looked back to where Harry stood with Remus, watching. Giving him a small smile, he smiled in return and mouthed, "Bye."

"Bye," she mouthed back silently. Stepping into the flames, she closed her eyes to prepare for her floo travel and then stated, "Hogwarts, Headmisstresses office," and disappeared.

Standing next to Remus, Harry sighed as she left, already feeling a small ache in his chest from her absence. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, he looked to Remus who looked down at him with a sympathetic smile and said, "She'll be back soon Harry. No worries."

Not knowing how to respond, Harry just nodded his head slightly, the idea of the coming week without Hermione weighing heavily on him as he turned and made his way up the stairs to his room. Right now, he just wanted to be alone.

~*~

Hermione was in hell. That was the only explanation for the pain she felt deep in every muscle and the exhaustion that threatened to overcome her. Firenze just stood by and watched as Sorcha was barking even more orders at her and firing off spells in her direction, causing her to dive out of the way so as not to be hit by them, her body screaming in protest at the quick movements. "Let's go, Granger! Move! Move! Move!"

"Bloody slavedriver," Hermione muttered under her breath, glaring in Sorcha's direction. She'd been away from Harry now for three days, today being New Year's Eve, and to her it felt more like three weeks. She had no idea what was happening, but it was as if a hole had formed in her chest and the more time she spent away from him, the bigger it got. She felt emotionally bereft at times, and she didn't know if she was somehow picking up feelings that Harry was experiencing or if it was her own feelings. She had told him she'd try to be back today so that they could see the new year in together, but she didn't foresee that happening and felt her stomach knot with disappointment.

"Am I boring you? Because you should be defending your arse off right now, not standing there daydreaming about Merlin knows what!"

Sorcha's words sliced through her like a knife cutting butter, and she felt something snap deep within. "I wasn't daydreaming!" she shot back, her anger doubling.

"Then fight back," Sorcha challenged, firing another spell at her. She was starting to get very tired of the way Hermione was moping around like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders, even if she was young to have so much responsibility put on her. When the teen easily deflected the spell with a simple shield, Sorcha stopped suddenly. Walking toward Hermione she yelled, "Keep being lackadaisical about learning and you'll be the reason Potter gets killed!"

"How dare you!" Hermione shouted, and before either knew what had happened, a wave of magical energy left her body, slamming into Sorcha and tossing her halfway across the room. Hermione looked to where Sorcha lay unmoving on the floor and her eyes grew wide. "Did I do that?" she whispered.

"Yes you did, because you let your anger get the better of you again," Firenze replied, walking up behind her. "Your emotions have to be controlled, or you won't be any good to anyone, especially Mister Potter."

Feeling her eyes burn as they filled with unshed tears, she lowered her head and said, "I can't do this. I'm just a teenager, not some magical prodigy. I'm only going to make things worse for Harry...I'm going to get him killed."

"You know that is not true," Firenze admonished. "You just need to stop letting Sorcha get to you. You have to block out all outside distractions and focus within yourself, on your magic. Use your feelings for Mister Potter to help you focus."

"I don't..."

"If you are going to deny that you have feelings for Mister Potter, you are wasting your time," came Sorcha's voice from behind them. "Not to mention insulting our intelligence. Everyone in the house can see that there is something between you, and that you've both been fighting it for your own reasons. Not that I'm saying I approve, but others around you seem to think you'd be better off not fighting it any longer."

Glad that she hadn't seriously hurt Sorcha, Hermione's cheeks burned as she wished she could run and hide so as to get away from this point of conversation. Without saying another word, she quickly made her way out of the Room of Requirement and up to her dorm in Gryffindor Tower. Laying face-down on her bed, she tried not to think about how much she missed Harry. It would just make the day feel longer than it already was.

She drifted off to sleep, the physical exercise taxing her body strength, and suddenly she was dreaming of Harry. She could see him laying on his bed in his room at Grimmauld, staring up at the grungy ceiling. Ron suddenly burst into the room and she could see him talking excitedly, but she couldn't hear what he was saying.

Someone was shaking her, but she didn't want to wake up. She wanted to see what had Ron so jumpy, and she wanted to watch Harry some more. Unfortunately, whoever was shaking her became more persistant and the dream faded from her mind. Opening her eyes, she felt anger overcome her as she saw Sorcha standing next to her bed. "What is it?!" she asked, annoyance clear in her voice.

"It's your friend Luna," Sorcha replied, ignoring her temper tantrum. "It seems that she's finally awake...and asking for you."

~A/N> Hi everyone! Thanks so much for your wonderful Birthday wishes on the last chapter, they absolutely made my day better. A big thanks goes out to Lisa for all of her help, without which my chapters would probably suck :p I hope you enjoy this chapter, I think it may be the one that lots of you have been waiting for :D Happy reading!

"Luna's awake?" Hermione asked, jumping up from the bed, full of excitement. "Is she okay? Does she remember anything?"

"Woah," Sorcha exclaimed, holding up her hands to stop Hermione's barrage of questions. "Pack up your things . We're going back to Grimmauld Place and then flooing over with the others to St. Mungo's. It seems Luna was very adamant that she speak to you and Harry immediately."

Knowing of Luna's seer abilities, Hermione swallowed down the nervousness that seemed to rise within her and concentrated on the part of her that was happy at seeing Harry...and Luna...again. With a flick of her wand, everything was neatly packed inside of her trunk while she silently scolded herself for not thinking of Luna first. She put her shrunken trunk into her jeans pocket and made her way to the Headmistresses' office, the thought that Luna may not be herself fighting to the forefront of her mind.

Walking into the office, she saw Sorcha and McGonagall standing next to the fireplace. "All set to go?" Sorcha asked.

"Ready," she replied. Grabbing some floo powder she threw it in, walked into the green flames and stated, "Number 12 Grimmauld Place!" Seeming to take forever, the sickening ride was finally over, and she stumbled out into the sitting room at Grimmauld.

"Gotcha," came Harry's voice, as he wrapped his arms around her waist to steady her.

When she was able to straighten up, she looked to Harry's face and became entranced by his twinkling green eyes. "Hi," she said quietly, smiling at him, while her heart beat wildly in her chest at his nearness.

"Hi," he replied just as quietly as he continued to stare at her. He wanted to bend down and kiss her, showing her how much he'd missed her, but he was acutely aware that everyone else in the room was staring at them that very moment.

Feeling their emotions of approval and disapproval bouncing off of her, Hermione closed her eyes and said, "Everyone's watching us."

"Yeah, I know," he replied in a whisper. "We'll have to catch up properly later."

At his words, her heart rate increased tenfold, and feeling slightly faint at the promise she heard in his words she could only nod in agreement. Missing his warmth when he pulled away from her, she felt slightly better when he stayed next to her, their sides touching.

"Hey Hermione," Ron said as he walked up to the two of them. "Can you believe she's finally awake? Though, it is a little strange that she asked for you right away."

"I'm sure it's nothing Ron," Hermione assured him, not quite believing the words herself. If she read the expression on Harry's face correctly, he didn't believe it either.

"Right," Ron agreed. "I'm just glad she's awake."

Giving him a reassuring smile, Hermione turned to face Sorcha as she said, "Alright you lot, let's go."

Ron went first, followed by Hermione and then Harry. Sorcha was the last to go, and once they were all in St. Mungo's they followed Ron up to Luna's room on the fourth floor.

Walking into the room, the first thing Hermione noticed was Mr. Lovegood, who sat in a chair next to his daughter's bedside. After returning his friendly greeting, Hermione walked up to the bed and stood next to Ron, who stood holding Luna's hand. She was still very pale, but her eyes were alert and boring into Hermione at the moment, making her very nervous. "Hey Luna. It's nice to see you awake."

"Hello, Hermione," Luna replied, never taking her eyes off of her. Turning from Hermione to her father, Luna asked, "Daddy, would you please go get me something to drink? I'm really thirsty."

"Absolutely, kitten," her father replied, flashing a smile at them all before leaving the room.

After watching her father leave, Luna looked to Ron and asked, "Ronald, I really need to talk to Hermione. Could you and Harry just wait outside for a bit?"

Ron looked very confused. Looking to Hermione, who looked confused herself, Ron replied, "Sure. We'll just ah...wait outside."

Giving Luna a quick kiss on the cheek, Ron motioned for Harry to follow him out of the room. Harry, noting the strange look on Hermoine's face, walked up to her and kissed her cheek as well. "I'll just be outside," he said quietly. Looking to Luna, he smiled and said, "I'm glad you're better."

"Thanks," Luna replied with a smile. Once the two had left the room, Ron closed the door behind them and sat in the chair next to where Harry and Sorcha sat, which were right outside the door.

"What do you think that's all about?" Ron asked, looking to Harry.

"I have no idea," Harry replied. "But I don't have a good feeling about it."

~*~

With Ron and Harry now sitting outside the room, Luna turned her gaze on Hermoine and said, "Why don't you sit down? There's so much to tell you."

Very confused by her freind's behavior, Hermione moved the chair next to the bed and sat. Staring at Luna, she noticed her eyes dart to the door, and not paying any attention to it she missed the sound of the door locking. Smiling at her, Hermione replied, "We were all so worried about you. You've been unconscious for a while now. I was afraid that..."

When she remained silent Luna asked, "You were afraid that you'd done the spell wrong and I wouldn't wake up, or wouldn't be the same person I used to be?"

Stunned by her knowledge and bluntness, Hermione replied, "Well...yeah, I guess."

"Well, as you can see, I'm fine," Luna reassured.

Hermione stared at her uneasily, and something about Luna's eyes caught her attention. "You're not Luna!" She jumped up so quickly that the chair she had been sitting in tumbled over, causing quite a noise.

Alerted by the sound, Ron, Sorcha, and Harry got out of their chairs to see what was going on. What they saw made them stop cold. Luna still lay in her bed, looking at Hermione while keeping an iron grip on Hermione's wrist, and Hermione looked worriedly at them. "Help me!" she called to them. "This isn't Luna!"

"What?!" Ron asked, looking at Harry, dumbfounded. "Of course it's Luna."

Harry stood watching the scene, and looking to his friend he said, "I don't think Hermione would lie about something like that." Running to the door, he grabbed the knob and tried to open it, but to no avail. Bringing out his wand, he started casting unlocking spells to get the door open, but it wouldn't budge. "I can't get in!" he exclaimed, looking worriedly to Sorcha. "Help me!"

Meanwhile, Luna kept hold of Hermione, and while Hermione's attention was on Sorcha and the boys said, "You won't have to worry about them much longer."

This grabbed her attention immediately. "What do you mean?" she asked, turning once more to look at Luna.

"I mean that there should be an attack on this hospital any...time...now..."

Just as she finished her answer, a flurry of spells shot down the hallway, barely missing Ron, Harry, and Sorcha. "Hermione!" Harry called, dodging out of the way of a red jet of light that just missed his head.

"Harry!" she called, trying to wrench her wrist free from Luna's grasp. Looking at her friend's face she asked, "Who are you, really?"

"Dear Guardian, I thought you'd know," Luna replied. "Think really hard. I bet you can guess."

Hermone just stared at the girl in front of her. A picture flashed through her mind and she gasped. Feeling fear flood through her she whispered, "Damien?"

"That's right," came the reply. "Your friend here wasn't as protected as you are, especially after you used that silly spell to save her life, and it was quite easy to overtake her body." She watched in horror as Damien all but walked out of Luna's body, and not five seconds later was standing in front of her in full spectral form. Turning to look out the hospital room door's window he tutted and said, "That is the great Harry Potter that Voldemort is afraid of? How pathetic."

Damien let go of her then, and she fell ungracefully to the floor. Getting up quickly, she drew her wand and cast a few spells, which he easily deflected and shielded himself from. The fear inside her was growing with each missed spell, and when her wand suddenly flew from her hand, her mind went completely blank. Trying to think back on her recent training, she thought of a new Guardian spell Sorcha had taught her. Holding both hands palm-out toward him, she recited, "Obvallo ignesco!"

A wall of fire erupted in front of her, and as she pushed her hands forward, the flames moved closer to Damien. She put all of her concentration into the flames and they grew higher because of it. A small smile crept onto her face as she saw him take a few steps back, but it vanished immediately when he extinguished the flames with a wave of his hand. "Someone's been teaching you..."

With another slight wave of his hand, she tripped backwards and was now looking up at his imposing form. Scuttling back until she hit the wall, she cowered there as he advanced on her with a malicious glare. "You are the only thing standing between me taking over the wizarding world. I had it all planned out, chose Tom Riddle to be my pawn, and then that...that... boy got in my way. Things were finally starting to go the way I wanted them to, and YOU have to show up. I am tired of interruptions..."

She tried to think of another spell or guardian magic to use to keep him away, she tried to clear her mind so that she could think clearly, but she couldn't. The vision of Damien advancing on her, surrounded by a black shadow of evil, completely caused her brain to shut down. Not knowing of anything else to do, she took a deep breath and screamed, "HARRY!!"

~*~

Harry was in a fight for his life. He, Sorcha, and Ron had been surrounded by no less than twenty death eaters, and even though Harry had somehow had the frame of mind to send his Patronus to get the Order to help, he wasn't sure they'd get there in time to save them. Firing off all the spells and curses he could think of, he felt relief wash over him as he noticed some Order members come around the corner and start taking out the death eaters one by one. When he noticed Remus, a part of him actually thought that everything was going to be okay. Until he heard Hermione scream his name...

He turned toward Luna's room, hearing the fear and helplessness in her voice, and his breathing hitched when he noticed her backed up against a wall with Damien looming over her dangerously. "Hermione!" he called back, fighting his way back to the door. Trying once more to open it, his frustration grew tenfold when it wouldn't budge. She called out to him again and again, and Damien kept getting closer to her, and Harry felt raw fear for the first time in his life. He had made it through so many trials and tribulations...when he had battled the basilisk to save Ginny, making it through the three tasks of the Tri-Wizard tournament alive after confronting Voldemort who had returned to life...so many times he had faced fear and laughed at it. But this time was different...this was Hermione, he loved her, and if he lost her...

He had no idea what had happened next, but the door had come unlocked and he had quickly made his way into the room. Advancing on Damien with wand drawn, he felt his anger grow as Damien laughed at his 'heroic attempts' to save his Guardian.He looked to Hermione and felt his love for her grow when she looked deep into his eyes, her fear and love shining through, and that was all he needed to see. In the next instance Damien advanced on Hermione, she screamed, and a wave of magical energy so strong that it blew out the windows in the room left Harry. His breathing was ragged, his chest was killing him, and he felt as if his head was going to burst from the pain. When the last piece of glass fell to the floor and the dust in the room settled, Damien was gone. Looking around the room, he focused on Hermione and asked, "Do you think he's gone for good?"

He could see her taking in the devastation he had caused, and when her eyes met his he thought he saw a flicker of fear. Taking a deep breath she replied, "I don't. I'm sure we'll be seeing him again." Realizing that what she had done was not enough to protect herself, let alone Harry, she felt hot tears prickle her eyes. Exhausted, she welcomed them, wallowing in her failure.

Walking over to where she sat on the floor, sobbing violently, he knelt down in front of her and wrapped his arms around her. Holding her tightly, he urged her to stand and then held her as tight as he dared, his chest constricting at the thought of how close he had come to losing her. Kissing her forehead, he leaned back just enough to see her face and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I...I don't know..." she replied shakily, her grip on him tightening almost painfully.

The door opened and they both looked up to see a Healer walking toward Luna, with Ron and Remus following close behind. Ron was limping, and Remus had some cuts and bruises on his face, but otherwise they seemed to be okay. As the Healer checked Luna over, Remus made his way to where Harry and Hermione were. Looking the two over he asked, "Are you both okay?"

"Yeah," Harry replied, looking to Hermione who said the same.

"I'm glad," Remus said. "You two will need to get back to Grimmauld Place as soon as possible. It's not safe here anymore."

"I'll take her back," Harry answered. Remus gave the two of them a small smile and then made his way back to where Ron stood by Luna's bedside.

Turning his attention back to Hermione, he realized that she was now shaking violently while mumbling, "I failed...I was supposed to protect you and I failed..."

Closing his eyes against the wave of sympathy he felt for her, he whispered, "It's okay, Hermione. We're going to go home now." As he slowly led her out of the room, he heard the Healer say that Luna was going to make a full recovery and he thanked merlin that at least one of them was going to be okay.

~*~

She felt so cold. She was being led through the hospital, down to the floo connections, and the next thing she knew she was spinning off to Grimmauld Place. Harry had let her go first, and somehow she had managed to come out of the fireplace standing instead of stumbling. He had arrived just mere seconds after she had, and thankfully she had the sense to get out of the way.

As he was leading her up the stairs to her room, something in her finally snapped. Wrenching herself from his grasp, she turned on him and furiously asked, "Why do you always have to be the hero?" As she glared at him, daring him to answer, his expression went from hurt to angry, and then to nothing at all. The stony look he wore made her feel suddenly very cold and alone, and she knew she had gone too far.

Ashamed at her outburst, she turned and ran the rest of the way to her room, flinging herself onto her bed while leaving a hurt and confused Harry behind. She couldn't remember the last time she had cried so hard, maybe it had been when her parents died, but she couldn't recall at that moment. All she knew was that she longed to be a normal teenager again, living with her parents in their house. That thought caused her to cry even harder.

He walked in a few moments later, taking time to compose himself after what she had said. Deep down he knew she hadn't meant what she said, but it had still cut to the core of him. Finding her face down on her bed crying made all the hurt disappear as his focus turned to her. She needed him, whether she ever admitted it, and he needed her. Badly.

Walking up to the bed, he ran his hand over her hair soothingly, saying things that he hoped would calm her. They stayed like that for an unknown amount of time, she crying while he consoled and reassured. She quieted finally, trying to think of some way to gain her dignity back. As if knowing what she was thinking Harry softly said, "I don't think any less of you because of what happened today."

"How could you not?" she asked in reply, turning her red and puffy eyes toward him. "I completely froze, Harry. I'm supposed to protect you, and when I was faced with my enemy I couldn't do anything but cower in fear!"

"None of us expected what happened tonight," he answered. "How could you know what to do in that situation?"

"I've been training my arse off for three days," she said, her voice full of anger and disgust. "Three days of hell on earth, and for what? I didn't do anyone any good today."

Too tired to fight with her, Harry stood quietly staring at her. With only the wane light from the hallway lighting the room, she could almost feel his tiredness as she noticed it on his face. Deciding to put off asking him what it was that had happened with him that night, she sighed and quietly asked, "Would you stay with me tonight? I don't want to be alone."

Surprised by her question, Harry was quiet for a minute and then replied, "Sure."

Moving so that she was closest to the wall, she got comfortable as he removed his shoes and lay down next to her. Turning to face her, he held his arms out and she scooted closer to him so that he could hold her while her head rested on his shoulder. Feeling safe, she felt herself finally relax and drift off to sleep, the events of the night catching up to her.

Harry stayed awake and noticed the fireworks going off outside, set off by the neighbors. Looking at his watch, he bent down, kissed the top of her head and whispered, "Happy New Year, Hermione."

~*~

She had been having nightmares since the moment she succumbed to sleep. So many horrible scenarios of the way the night could've gone played out in her mind, and each one took it's toll on her. When her eyes popped open after the most horrific scene of Harry dying at the hands of Damien, she realized that he still held onto her tightly, even in sleep. Bringing her hand up slowly, she gently ran her fingers over his cheek as she remembered the way he had saved her, and whispered, "I love you."

He opened his eyes and stared at her, the intensity of his gaze burning into her. "Y-You're awake."

"Mmm-hmm," he replied, his voice a low rumble in his throat. Before either of them could think what they were doing, they leaned in and their lips touched.

The kiss became intense, the feelings they had been hiding making themselves known as tongues met and hands roamed. Her breath caught for a split second when she felt his hand moving down her side, and then he was reaching underneath her shirt, his fingertips hot on her skin. Breaking the kiss, his lips blazed a trail across her jawbone and down her throat, coming to rest in the hollow of her neck. She felt like she was on fire, and his touch only fed the flames of desire that were coursing through her. Tilting her head back to give him better access, her hands sought out the hem of his t-shirt and pulling on it, he broke away from her just long enough for her to take it off. When his lips returned to her neck, kissing his way to her shoulder, she gently pushed him away from her. Seeing the questioning look in his eyes, and a touch of doubt, she sat up so that she could remove her shirt as well and lay back down beside him.

His hands continued to explore her skin, making her feel on fire as he kissed her again. This time his kiss was slow and gentle, and when his hand explored her bra covered breast she moaned, wanting to feel more. Reaching behind her, she unclasped the bra and slid it off slowly. His movements stilled as he lay there looking at her, his eyes taking in the newly unveiled parts of her. When he continued the kiss but not his exploration, she kissed him back and took his hand in hers, placing it on her breast. She squeezed his hand with hers, which caused him to squeeze her breast and she couldn't believe the wonderful feelings it incited within her. As he clumsily continued to lavish attention on one breast and then the other, she brought her hands up and buried them in his hair, relishing in the way he made her feel.

Kissing his way back up her body, he captured her lips again in a searing kiss and when he pulled away, she could see the need in his eyes. "I want you, Hermione."

She shivered at the way he said it, both from excitement and fear. They had done things like this before, but always with the barrier of clothes between them. Swallowing down the fear, she looked into his eyes and replied, "I want you too, Harry."

A small smile graced his lips for a second, and the next thing she knew he was moving away from her. When he returned, he was wearing only a pair of boxers. "I-um...cast a locking spell on the door."

His embarrassment endeared him to her, and she smiled at his thoughtfulness. Keeping her gaze locked with his, she reached down and unbuttoned her jeans, slowly pulling them down her legs. The cold air hit her bare legs and she shivered again. Noticing this, he reclaimed his place next to her in the bed and took her in his arms, content to just hold her for a while. Her heart pounded in her chest as the bare skin of his chest came into contact with hers, and her grip on him tightened. That's when she felt it, his hardness pressing against her leg, and the fear and excitement came rushing back once again at what they were doing...and planned to do.

She realized that he had been watching her reactions and she blushed. Bringing his hand up to her face, he gently caressed her cheek with his thumb and whispered, "I love you, too."

The feeling of being loved overwhelmed her, and she didn't hesitate when he rolled them so that he was above her, or when he carefully removed her panties and then his boxers. Going on pure instinct and memories of late night talks with his other mates in the Gryffindor dorm, he positioned himself carefully between her legs and pushed into her slowly. He could feel her stiffen and worried that he was hurting her, he stopped from going further, his teeth clamped together as he tried to keep his control.

She looked up at him, wondering why he had stopped, and she noticed that he wore an expression of sheer determination. "Harry?"

"I don't want to hurt you," he replied.

"It's going to hurt no matter what," she answered, caressing his face as she marveled at the extent of his thoughtfulness. "It won't be your fault, I promise."

After only a second's more hesitation, he continued to enter her at a painfully slow pace. As her tightness surrounded him, he had to do everything in his power to hold back so that things weren't over before they had even started. He came to her barrier and realizing that what he was going to do was really going to hurt her, he captured her lips in a passionate kiss as he thrust once more, breaking through the last vestiges of her innocence.

She broke their kiss and whimpered at the burning pain she felt, and he pressed his forehead to hers as he said, "I'm so sorry."

She kept quiet, fighting off the tears that threatened to fall, and as one escaped to snake down her face she whispered, "I'm okay." She could feel that he didn't believe her and she didn't blame him, but she encouraged him to move again, hoping the pain would decrease. He slowly built up a rhythm, and with each thrust she realized that the pain was not so intense anymore and that a feeling of pleasure was taking it's place.

Just as the pain had all but disappeared, she felt Harry push deeply into her one last time and then he stiffened a bit and shuddered. His arms, weakend by his climax, refused to keep him above her any longer and he dropped down on top of her feeling sated and exhausted all at once. Carefully pulling out of her, he rolled off of her so that he lay right next to her on his side. When they were face-to-face once more, he wrapped his left arm around her and buried his right into her hair while giving her a kiss that was full of love and promises. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied, smiling at him.

She snuggled up against him while he covered them both with the sheet. Content in each others arms, they both gave in to sleep, too exhausted from everything that had happened to them that day to fight it any longer.

~A/N - Hello everyone! Sorry it's been so long between updates. Believe it or not, my abscence has had nothing to do with the last HP book coming out, it's just that my real life has been a bit chaotic lately. Now that it's settling down, I'm writing again and I plan to start podcasting again next month. Thanks for sticking with me and this story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter, and the two others that will come after. Just a bit of a warning, some of you may think that Harry is OOC in this chapter. It was done on purpose. Thanks, as always, to the fantastic poppywillow for helping me so much with everything! :)

Something strange had happened at Grimmauld Place that night. As Harry and Hermione were physically 'bonding', everyone else was just returning home from St. Mungos. As Ron and Remus grabbed something to eat, Tonks went upstairs to fall into her bed, exhausted. As the guys sat in the kitchen eating, the house suddenly started to shake violently, and in the next moment it stopped. Instantly drawing their wands, Ron and Remus searched the house and looked outside to see if Death Eaters had possibly found out their location. Unable to find the source, Remus made his way upstairs to Hermione's room to check on her, and then Harry.

Knocking on her door three or more times, Remus finally saw the door crack open just enough that he could see Harry's face and feet, every other part of him was in shadow. Looking surprised, Remus asked, "What are you doing in Hermione's room?"

Trying not to look guilty, Harry replied, "She was pretty upset when we got back. She asked if I'd stay with her until she fell asleep, and I guess I fell asleep too."

Still eyeing him suspiciously, Remus asked, "Did you feel the house shake? Ron and I felt it while in the kitchen and we've yet to find the source of it."

Looking surprised, Harry replied, "No, didn't feel anything."

"Well, if it happens again, we might have to all relocate to Hogwarts for a while."

Without saying another word, Harry went to close the door when Remus asked, "Aren't you going back to your room?"

"I'd rather not," Harry replied, his stubborness evident. "She was really upset because of what happened tonight and I don't want to leave her alone, so I'm sleeping in Luna's bed."

Remus stood staring at Harry intently for a few moments before saying, "I suppose it's alright then." Relieved that he didn't catch on to the lie, Harry bid Remus goodnight and made his way back to Hermione's bed. Laying down beside her once more, he snuggled against her and just as he was drifting off to sleep she asked, "What's wrong?"

Thinking about what Remus had told him, he decided to tell Hermione about it in the morning and said, "Nothing's wrong, go back to sleep."

"I have a better idea," she replied sleepily, and the way she said it had Harry wanting her all over again. Leaning in, he kissed her slowly, wanting to remember everything about her as they once again lost themselves to each other.

~*~

"You will be going back to Hogwarts with me today, Guardian."

Harry and Hermione had just made their way downstairs hand-in-hand the next morning, ready for breakfast after their night's activites, when Sorcha had met them at the bottom with this revelation.

"Why do we have to go back to Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, getting angry at the thought of being away from Harry again. "Didn't last night prove how much I need to train with Harry?"

"It did, but I was informed by Remus about what else happened last night."

"What else happened...?" Hermoine repeated, feeling her anxiety rise. Harry stood next to her, wondering what exactly Sorcha meant, afraid that he already knew the answer. He hadn't told her...

"Yes, the way the house suddenly just shook for no reason?" Sorcha answered testily. "Obviously something happened to cause the event, and it had to be uncontrolled magic from one of you...or maybe both of you?"

Both Harry and Hermione could feel their cheeks warm with embarrassment; Sorcha possibly knew what they had done, and neither could meet her eyes. "Just as I thought...go pack Hermione, we leave in one hour," she ordered, before quickly making her way into the kitchen.

Looking helplessly at Harry, Hermione said, "I don't want to go back to Hogwarts."

"I don't want you to go, either," Harry replied, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly. Reluctantly letting her go, he took her hand in his and led her into the kitchen, hoping that he could talk Remus into arguing on Hermione's behalf so that she could stay in Grimmauld with him.

Once they were all sitting around the table, enjoying a huge breakfast, Harry quietly asked Remus to talk to Sorcha, but unfortunately, Remus refused. "After what I felt last night, it seems to me that maybe the two of you need more training, apart from one another."

Feeling betrayed by Remus's refusal to help him, Harry angrily pushed his chair away from the table and loudly made his way up to his room, cursing meddling adults the entire way.

Hermione, feeling that all eyes were now trained on her, quickly finished her food and said, "I guess I'd better go pack then," and hastily escaped upstairs to her room as well.

~*~

"You can't go!"

Sighing at Harry's petulance, Hermione continued to put a few more things into her bag and then shrunk it. Putting the miniature back into her pocket as she'd done many times before, she turned to look at him and said, "Harry, I don't have a choice. I'm pretty sure that Sorcha knows that we slept together last night, and I might be in trouble because of that."

Harry had been set to argue his case some more, hoping to convince her to go against Sorcha's orders, when the thought that Hermione may get into trouble stopped him cold. He had never considered that there could be repercussions from what they had done the night before, and suddenly the fear that she might not be his Guardian anymore overwhelmed him. "They can't take you away from me!"

Her eyes grew wide at his outburst and the sudden rush of fear she felt from him made her stomach churn wildly. Walking up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck while staring straight into his eyes, she quietly replied, "That would never happen, Harry. I might be stripped of being your Guardian, but I won't ever leave you, I promise."

Feeling only a little better at her reassurance, he wrapped his arms around her waist, bent down and kissed her deeply, knowing he was going to miss her.

When they heard someone loudly clearing their throat, they quickly jumped apart and saw Sorcha standing in the doorway watching them. "It's time to go."

Trying to smile at Harry but failing miserably, Hermione said, "I'll hopefully see you soon."

As she went to walk by him, she placed her hand upon his shoulder, hoping to reassure him that she would be seeing him again soon, while quietly saying, "I love you.".

"I love you, too," he replied just as quietly, reaching up to cover her hand with his.

As her hand slid from his shoulder he reluctantly let her go and turned to watch her leave the room. Standing there completely alone, a cold descended upon Harry the likes that he had never felt before, and he knew that the coming days were going to be hell for him.

~*~

"I don't want to train anymore!" Harry yelled, causing Remus and Ron to roll their eyes. It had been five days since Hermione had left, and Harry had been impossible. He refused to eat, spent his nights locked up in his room, and complained everytime they tried to get him to train with them. Now it seemed as if he just didn't want to train at all, and it had them worried. This was not the Harry they knew.

"I don't care if you don't want to train," Remus replied, trying to keep his anger out of his voice. He knew it would only cause Harry to respond with more anger towards them and alienate himself even more. "You need to prepare to fight Voldemort, Harry. I don't understand your reluctance, or why you're acting so childish lately."

"Childish?" Harry spat, his temper flairing. "I am NOT being childish! I just want to know why you're keeping Hermione away from me!" At the moment of his outburst, a wave of uncontrolled magical energy escaped his body and everything that was breakable around them shattered noisily. This had been happening every day since she had left, and it seemed as if his magic became stronger each day that it happened, causing more things to break than the day before.

"Way to prove your point, mate," Ron replied tiredly. He didn't know how much more of Harry's moodiness he could take without kicking his arse. He had been spending his days with Harry training, and his night's with Luna at St. Mungo's. He was exhausted, but she was due to come home in two days, and he most certainly did not want her to have to deal with Harry in his current mental state.

Sighing loudly, Remus repaired everything that Harry had broken and made his way to where Harry stood at the top of the staircase, looking almost as tired as Ron had sounded just minutes before. "Harry, we all know that you miss Hermione, but acting like this and losing control of your magic is not going to get her back any faster."

"I haven't heard one word from her, Remus," Harry replied quietly, starting to feel badly about the way he had behaved toward him. "Is she still my Guardian? Are we going to be training together anymore? What the hell is going on?"

"I don't know, Harry. Sorcha hasn't told me anything," Remus replied. "I tried to contact her last night, but Headmistress McGonagall said that they were all in the Room of Requirement, and she had been asked not to interrupt them."

"Fantastic," Harry muttered sarcastically.

"Let's just train for a bit, and you can work out some of that anger on Ron and me, okay?"

Ron looked from Remus to Harry and muttered, "Bloody hell. Now I'm going to be Harry bloody Potter's punching bag. Could this day get any worse?"

Two hours later, Ron knew the day could get worse. Harry had been going non-stop, shooting spells and curses all the while dodging their meager little spells that they sent his way, venting his anger through his magic. It had not made him feel any better, and toward the end he was starting to feel dizzy from the lack of food and sleep.

"I've had enough, I'm going to my room," he stated, suddenly refusing to cast one more spell.

Turning to leave he heard Remus say, "You can't just walk away from your training, Harry. It's important that you're ready..."

Not wanting to hear another of Remus's lectures, he quickly left the room and ran upstairs to his own room, making sure to cast locking spells on his door right before he lay down on his bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

~*~

If Harry thought that what he was going through was hell, then Hermione was made to train with the devil herself. Sorcha was a woman possessed, hellbent on making sure that Hermione was ready to face Damien when the time came. If she showed an ounce of weakness, Sorcha would cast curses at her that caused bodily pain, and Hermione had bruises on her body for each one of them.

On the fifth afternoon of training, Hermione went to counter one of Sorcha's curses with her own when a wave of anger surged through her body and caused her to gasp at it's intensity. Mistaking her hesitation for weakness, Sorcha cast yet another painful curse at her, and Hermione saw nothing but red. The anger was overpowering her sense of reason, and the next thing she knew she had protected herself from the curse and sent it sailing back to Sorcha, hitting her square in the chest.

"Stop trying to hurt me!", she yelled, advancing on her teacher. "I'm exhausted, and I want to go home!"

Trying to catch her breath, Sorcha eyed Hermione angrily and yelled, "Home? You don't have a home, remember? The Death Eaters killed your parents! Maybe if you would've fought back, you could've saved them."

Hermione couldn't breathe...couldn't think. All she knew is at that moment she would have liked nothing more than killing Sorcha for saying what she had. Hatred joined together with her anger, and without casting any spell or curse, a ball of white energy left Hermione's body and slammed into Sorcha, causing her to collapse onto the floor instantly. Seeing her fall, some of Hermione's anger dissapated and in it's place a growing fear took its' place as she ran to her and kneeled down beside her.

Harry had just sat down at the kitchen table, trying to make himself eat something since he felt so drained when he woke from taking a kip, when suddenly an onslaught of anger, hatred, and then fear overwhelmed him, his senses instantly on alert. His lungs constricted, making it hard to breathe, and his heart started beating rapidly. Eyes wide, he looked at Remus and said, "Hermione's in trouble."

"What?" Remus asked, looking at Harry worriedly. "How do you know that?"

"I can feel her," Harry replied, clutching his chest while standing up quickly. "I have to go to her."

"No," Remus said quickly, standing as well. "Let me contact McGonagall and she can check on her."

"There's no time, she's in trouble," Harry replied angrily, and closing his eyes, he willed himself to go to her. As Remus, Tonks, and Ron all stared at him, Harry seemed to just evaporate into the air, leaving them to worry about where he would end up.

While Hermione frantically tried to revive Sorcha, she suddenly felt a presence around her and stood up quickly. Drawing her wand, she looked around, wondering what exactly she was feeling. Next thing she knew, Harry was standing in front of her.

"W-What are you doing here?", she asked. "How did you get here?"

"I...I don't know," he replied slowly, looking around the Room of Requirement. When his eyes fell upon Sorcha, he looked to Hermione quizzically and asked, "What happened? I could feel how angry and afraid you were, and I was drawn here, to you."

Eyes wide from his explanation, she replied, "I don't really know. She's been so awful, and she said such horrible things, and I just...it was my magic. I couldn't control it."

Walking to where Sorcha lay on the floor, Harry bent down and placed two fingers to the pulse point on her neck. Feeling a faint pulse, he looked to Hermione and said, "She's still alive, we need to get her to the Hospital Wing."

Hermione nodded numbly, and realizing how long it would take, she told Harry, "Move away from her."

"What? Why?" he asked, noting a strange look on her face. "What are you going to do?"

"Just...back away. Please, Harry."

Reluctantly doing as she asked, he watched as she put her wand away and closed her eyes, seeming deep in concentration. Wondering what exactly it was that she was trying to do, he turned to look at Sorcha once more and saw her body was glowing a brilliant blue. "What are you doing to her?"

"I'm healing her" Hermione replied quietly, sounding suddenly more exhausted and out of breath. "It's just one of the many things she's made me diligently work on the past few days."

Before Harry could comment on what she had done, he saw her sway slightly and he rushed to her side, catching her just as she started to fall to the floor. Realizing that she had probably passed out, he carefully laid her on the floor and held her against him, knowing he had to somehow get Madame Pomfrey to come examine them.

~*~

Once Hermione and Sorcha had been attended to, Harry sat next to Hermione , waiting for her to fully recover after Madame Pomfrey had examined her. During the examination, when the nurse had lifted her shirt to expose her stomach, Harry had noticed that her body was covered in bruises. When the nurse was unable to ascertain what had caused them, she healed them and he knew he'd have to wait for her to awake before he'd get any answers.

While he was deep in thought, Hermione started to stir, getting his attention immediately. When she blinked slowly a couple of times and looked around the room he said quietly, "You're still in the Room of Requirement."

"What happened?" she asked, sitting up slowly.

"You fainted after healing Sorcha," he replied, taking her hand in his. "Gave me a right fright, you did. I flooed Madame Pomfrey in the Hospital Ward and she came straightaway to make sure you were okay."

"I'm sorry."

Brushing aside her apology, he looked her straight in the eyes and asked, "Hermione, where'd all the bruises on your body come from?"

Her eyebrows shot up at his question, and she wondered how he had seen them. As if reading her mind he said, "I noticed them when Madame Pomfrey was examining you. She healed them, but I just wondered if it was from training, and why you hadn't already healed yourself?"

"Yeah," she answered timidly, not really wanting to tell him the truth. "It's nothing, really." It was useless though, because Harry somehow picked up on her lies.

"Sure about that?" he asked, trying to tamp down his rising anger. When she went to say something else he interrupted her by saying, "I know that you're lying...I can feel it."

"H-How?"

"I don't know," he answered. "And truthfully, right now, I don't care. I just want to know what happened to you."

Trying to swallow around the lump she felt rising in her throat, she took a deep breath and whispered, "It was Sorcha."

"What was that? I couldn't hear you."

Steeling herself for the anger she knew her answer would invoke in him, she swallowed nervously and repeated, "It was Sorcha who caused the bruises. It was a part of her training routine. She used some special spell, and it made it so that I couldn't heal myself."

Harry's brain seemed to just shut down on him. He didn't know what to say...what to do...he just knew that he wanted to get his hands around Sorcha's throat and strangle her for what she'd done to his Hermione. Standing up quickly from where he had been sitting next to her, he walked to where Sorcha lay on a mat the nurse had conjured for her, Hermione moving the best she could to get up to follow him. She had been afraid that he'd react this way when she told him the truth.

"Sorcha," he said, reaching down to shake her rather roughly, ignoring Madame Pomfrey's protests to leave her be. When she hardly stirred he shook her with more force and said, "Get up. Now!"

She never opened an eye or said one word, but the next thing Harry and Hermione knew they were both sailing through the air, clumsily falling to the floor. Regaining his senses, Harry moaned while gingerly rubbing the back of his head where it had hit the hardwood floor. Carefully, he stood up and made his way to Hermione, who had gotten up as well and was wincing at the pain she felt through her back and tailbone. Taking her hand in his, he asked, "Are you okay?"

"Other than a bruised tailbone, I'm fine," she replied. "You?"

"My head hurts from hitting the floor, but I'll live," he answered.

Walking across the room with Hermione's hand still held tightly in his, they went to where Sorcha lay and encountered a protective shield around her, and as Harry's questioning gaze met hers, Hermione asked, "Maybe she put it there?"

"Damn right I put it there," Sorcha replied as she sat up slowly, aggravation evident in her voice. "I don't need Potter here trying to attack me."

"I wasn't going to attack you," he answered, his voice quiet and firm, making Hermione think that he sounded more dangerous that way. "I'm not like you, I don't just attack those that I know and respect."

"And you're suggesting that I do?" she retorted, her anger rising. "Who says I respect your Guardian?"

Tamping down his rising anger, he shortly replied, "It was kind of hard to miss the bruises all over Hermione's body, and she told me that it had been part of your so-called 'training'". Feeling how upset he was getting, Hermione's grip on his hand became harder, almost to the point of painful, afraid that he'd soon act on it.

While Harry's eyes were locked on hers, Sorcha stared back at him, returning all the indignation she saw evident in his glare. "I don't care what you have to say, Potter. However I decide to train your Guardian is my business, not yours. You are not even supposed to be here, so just go back to Grimmauld Place with Remus and stay out of my business!"

"How you treat my Guardian, I mean Hermione, is my business! Especially if you're hurting her!"

"Do you think that Damien and Voldemort will go easy on her because she's your Guardian?!" Sorcha yelled back, her face now growing red with her anger. "It doesn't mean that the two of you are out of danger just because you decided to shag!"

That rendered the two teenagers immediately speechless. Hermione had suspected that Sorcha had known, but she had tried to find out from her trainer each day they had been at Hogwarts, and each day Sorcha would just ignore the question and push her to train more. "But I-I've been asking you, and you just ignored me. Why?" Hermione asked quietly, her grip on Harry's hand loosening to the point that she unknowingly let go while taking two steps closer to Sorcha, somehow walking through the shield she had created.

"I do not have to justify what I do to you," Sorcha replied, still angry. "You just need to listen to what I tell you to do and remember what I teach you. That will save your life."

"And what about Harry's life?" Hermione asked incredulously. "I'm here to protect him!"

"Not after shagging him." After her response, an eerie silence fell upon them, no one daring to say anything at all, or even breathe too loudly. While she and Hermione glared at one another, Sorcha continued in a now trembling voice that held a faint tone of defeat, "Why do you think I push you so hard? Why I act so tough and show no emotion at all?"

When Hermione remained quiet she said, "It's because I lost my charge when I was only a few years older than you, Guardian. I was assigned to keep him safe from Damien, no one higher up knew why, but his life was in dire jeopardy. I-I was the best Guardian they had, so they sent me to him. He was the loveliest wizard I had ever seen, and I stupidly fell in love with him." Drawing a shuddering breath, she explained, "I knew it was against the rules, but I didn't give a damn. I thought that if we loved each other, then it would be even harder for Damien and the other Shadocks to get to him." She remained silent for a minute before adding, "I let my guard down, just one time, and they got him. Damien killed him right in front of me, taunting me the entire time. I still don't know how I got out alive that night, but I lost the love of my life." With her eyes locked with Hermione's she said, "Never again will I let that happen. Never. Love is not enough to save someone, I learned that the hard way."

Hermione stared back, speechless. She had an idea that something bad had happened to Sorcha to cause her to be as cold as she was, but never in a million years would she have guessed the real reason why. She had been in love with her Charge, just like she and Harry, and Damien had killed him...

"I'm afraid you two must leave," Headmistress McGonagall said, walking up behind them. "Remus just contacted me, spare with worry, and I assured him that Harry was in fact here and not injured."

Hermione sensed that Sorcha's shield was now down completely, and without turning to look at Harry, she walked out of the room without another word.

Harry quietly watched her go, afraid that if he hadn't lost her yet, Sorcha's little explanation could very well give Hermione an excuse to push him far away from her. Afraid of losing her, Harry looked to McGonagall and asked, "Would it be okay if I stay here tonight?"

Headmistress McGonagall's eyes sought out Sorcha's, and when she saw that the trainer had a look of defeat in her eyes she sighed heavily and said, " I will contact Remus to let him know you will be returning to Grimmauld Place tomorrow."

Without waiting for her to finish her reply, Harry started walking to the door as well, hellbent on finding Hermione and making sure he wouldn't lose her love. Now that they had shared so much, gotten through many trying times, he would be damned if he'd let her walk out of his life now.

~A/N2 - Chapter 34 is already written, I just need to beta it and I will be posting it hopefully tomorrow. The last chapter will hopefully be posted on Friday, or over the weekend.

~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 :)

~A/N> Hello! Sorry, I know I promised this chapter two weeks ago, but then I ended up with the stomach flu the weekend I had planned to finish it up and I just didn't get it done. Plus, I believe this is the longest chapter of the entire story. There was a lot to cover, and not everything was answered. What wasn't answered will be in the sequel, I promise. And no matter what you read, and what you think after you read a certain part, please keep reading! This story does end H/Hr, but you also need to remember that it's also mostly angst with some romance. The sequel, I think, will be more steered toward romance. Not sure yet since it's still in development but I hope to start work on the first chapter soon. Huge thanks to Alphamatrix on Live Journal for the beta, and of course huge hugs to Lisa for helping me throughout this entire chapter. She helped me make it the best that it could be. Happy reading!! :)

"That which is done out of love always takes place beyond Good and Evil." ~Friedrich Nietzsche~

At that one barely audible word, both Voldemort and Damien turned around and to Hermione's horror, both looked directly at her. With one silent spell, Voldemort had rid her of the disillusionment charm and she stood visible and vulnerable right in front of her two worst enemies. With a simple wave of his hand, Damien had sent her wand flying across the room where it fell to the floor, disarming her of the one thing she needed to focus her inborn magical abilities. Starting to panic, she forced herself to take a deep breath, which isn't easy when face to face with two things that wanted to kill you, and reminded herself that she still had her Guardian magic.

"It was foolish of you to come here, Guardian," Damien said while advancing on her slowly, step by step.

"It was your plan to lure me here, wasn't it?" she asked, glaring at the figure that approached her. When he stood just in front of her she could see that his eyes were grey, and his skin tone was white, matching that of Voldemort.

"I knew I could use your feelings for this boy to get you here," he replied. "That's where humans always fail in the end...they let their emotions lead them to their demise."

Just as Hermione was about to retort, Damien suddenly turned into his black shadow-like form and sank into the floor, causing her fear to double as she frantically looked around to find him. The next thing she knew, she heard Harry cry out weakly and she turned quickly, in time to see Damien's shadow disappearing into his body. "No!"

She ran closer to where Harry was kept prisoner, but Harry's hand shot out as Damien said in his voice, "Don't come any closer, or I'll take his life right now."

"He isss mine!" Voldemort said angrily while advancing on Harry, raising his wand. Pointing it directly at Harry's heart he shouted, "Avada Kedavra!"

Hermione watched the green jet of light sail toward Harry, and she ran to him, calling his name, but she wasn't fast enough. As the killing curse hit him and disappeared into his chest, she could hear Damien shout in anger and then suddenly the curse exited Harry's body through his scar. It was directed back to Voldemort, and was true to its mark.

To her horror, both Harry and Voldemort's bodies started to fall to the floor, lifeless, and she somehow managed to wrap her arms around Harry, holding him to her. She sat on the floor where she had landed, Harry's head laying in her lap while she gently smoothed away the hair that had fallen onto his face. As she stared down into his lifeless eyes, barely containing her sorrow, Damien's shadow materialized near her once more. Not realizing her enemy was so close, her tears unknowingly fell from her eyes while she continued to stare at him, her mind not willing to believe that she had lost him forever.With her heart beating rapidly in her chest, the sound seemingly pounding through her head, only one thought protruded through the haze of grief she was being enveloped in - I failed him.

Damien watched with glee as Hermione's feelings were mirrored on her face, and kneeling down next to her he leaned down close to her ear and whispered, "You're just like all the others...a failure. And now you're going to lose your life because you are weak."

She couldn't take anymore. All the pain, the loss of her parents and Harry...it had all accumulated inside of her and pushed her over the edge. Turning to face Damien, his eyes widened when he saw that she had a silvery-white glow about her, a glow that seemed to radiate love and was also enveloping Harry as well, and he immediately stepped away from her.

"I'm the weak one?!" she asked, anger and sadness making her voice tremble. "At least I had the courage to face you by myself. You hid behind Voldemort, making sure that he was your evil little puppet, that he would do your bidding. You are not only weak, you are a coward!" As she bit out the last word, her voice full of venom, the silver glow around the two of them intensified, forming a protective shield. "You took my parents from me, you killed numerous innocents, and for what?! To rule the world? Do you actually think that I will let you go on living after you've taken my entire life away from me?!! You need to go back to hell, where you belong, so that you can never cause anyone else the pain you've caused me!" The intensity of her voice grew the more she talked, and suddenly unbidden memories were at the forefront of her mind...

Scooting closer to him on the sofa, she looked him right in the eyes and said, "You've made it through so much already and you've seen horrors that most adults wouldn't have been able to witness with their sanity still intact. You're still here for a reason; you have a destiny to fulfill."

"For all I know dying at the hands of Voldemort is my destiny," he said without thinking, and he could feel her grip on his hands get much tighter as waves of magic started to roll off of her.

She closed her eyes, struggling to keep her magic under control after he had said that infernal name yet again, and the next thing she knew his lips were on hers.

...

"Hermione, we're never safe, no matter where we are. I'm the boy-who-lived, and you're the Guardian assigned to protect me. We're living targets for all the evil that's in this world."

...

With each memory, the shield that surrounded her and Harry strengthened and was now glowing a bright white color with a halo of gold encircling it.. Noticing the dome that now encircled them, Hermione realized what she had to do. Knowing that Damien had to be destroyed, she focused on her memories of Harry and her parents, on all the magic that thrived inside of her. Feeling her body humming as the Guardian and intrinsic magic awoke and coursed through her veins, she once more stared into the grey eyes of Damien and whispered, "Andrelateo Olethros Daimonion Philos...Andrelateo Olethros Daimonion Philos..."

She kept repeating those words over and over again, as more memories came to mind...

Looking at her with a suddenly serious expression on his face he said, "This may not sound manly, but it's kind of nice to know that someone has my back for a change...someone I know I can trust to always be by my side."

Hermione stared at him in shocked silence for a moment, and finally recovering she replied, "I think that's the most manly, intelligent thing I've ever heard."

...

"So I'll see you after the match?" he asked.

"Yes, you will see me after the match," she replied. "Luna has already said that she would sit by me and explain the game to me."

"Good," he said, giving her that smile again. Running his hand over her hair, he planted a small kiss on the tip of her nose and said, "I'll see you later."

She watched him walk away and wished immediately that he was back with her again. Shaking herself a bit, trying to snap out of the haze she was in, she called, "Harry?" He stopped just as he opened the portrait and turned to look at her. Giving him a brief smile that was quickly replaced with a worried frown, she said, "Be careful today, okay? I'm going to do all I can to protect you if anything should happen, but..."

"I trust you," he said, not letting her finish. "I know I'm in good hands."

...

Trying to stop the tears that were flowing freely now, she put all her conviction into the words of the spell to banish Damien, the happiness from the memories causing her heart to break even more as she held tightly to Harry's body. Suddenly the shield around them turned entirely gold, her magic flowing freely from her now, strengthening it. As she chanted one last time, "Andrelateo Olethros Daimonion Philos," the shield around them exploded in a golden shower of shimmering light, and a giant concussion of magical energy rushed forward, engulfing Damien in its light.

Still holding tightly to Harry, Hermione closed her eyes at the brilliant burst of light that filled the room, and the next time she opened them she saw that everything was back to normal, and that the body of a man lay on the floor where Damien had stood just seconds before. Gently laying Harry on the floor, she carefully crawled to where the body lay and gasped as she saw who it was. "Snape?" she whispered, confused and trembling. Backing away quickly, she sat next to where Harry lay, all the while her eyes were riveted to where Snape lay, motionless. Summoning her wand she slowly made her way back to his body and bent down next to him, careful to keep some distance incase he tried to move or attack, and waited to see if he'd move or if she could see him breathing. When he kept still she reached out slowly and placed two shaking fingers to the pulse point on his neck, and felt no beating at all. "He's gone," she whispered to herself, relief flooding through her as she realized Snape's death meant the death of Damien as well.

"But I'm not."

Fear seized her yet again, and turning around quickly, she gasped as she saw a faint haze of what looked to be black smoke hovering above her a few feet away. "You may think you have won, but I will be back, and next time I guarantee that you will not survive." And then, before her wide, unblinking eyes, Damien shimmered out of sight, leaving her feeling afraid to even consider what his warning meant.

Looking from Snape's body to Harry's, she dejectedly walked back to Harry and sat down once more, moving him so that his head lay in her lap again. He looked so pale and felt so cold to the touch, her heart broke even more. Closing her eyes as a sudden wave of fatigue washed over her, she kept seeing Harry being hit with Voldemort's curse, the way he seemed to slowly fall to the ground, and then suddenly a thought came unbidden into her mind, When the moon and lightning appear at the same time, the Earth shall cease to spin and the Heavens will open with Love.

'That's it' she thought, thinking of what her mum had told her what seemed forever ago to her now. Looking down at the crescent moon shape that adorned the skin of her right wrist, she breathed deeply, looked down at Harry's face and whispered, "For you."

She tentatively placed her scar upon his and suddenly a strange sensation overcame her. It seemed as if Harry's scar was suctioning the magic out of her, into his body and she didn't know how to stop it. Getting more worried the longer it went on, she was relieved when a minute later it suddenly stopped. Feeling exhausted, she removed her wrist and noticed that Harry's lightning bolt shaped scar was a very bright red suddenly. Reaching down to trace it lightly with her fingertip she gasped as she realized his skin felt warm to the touch. Laying her palm gently onto his cheek, tears swam into her eyes when she felt the warmth of it on her palm. When he took a deep breath, startling her, she smiled as the tears cascaded down her face. "You're alive."

He opened his eyes, slowly, and then he was staring deeply into her eyes. As she was about to say something else to him she noticed that he seemed to stop breathing again. Feeling suddenly afraid, she looked around her surroundings to see if Damien had come back already to make good on his promise. What she noticed had her confused...a mouse was frozen halfway through jumping over a stone on the floor, Remus and what was left of the Order stood stock-still in the doorway that led to where she and Harry were. While trying to puzzle out what was happening, a blinding white light suddenly filled the room, starting from the roof, and she once again found herself face-to-face with her mother and Lily. "What..."

"We thought it would be better if it were us that came to get you," her mother said, interrupting her as Lily stared down at where Harry lay.

"You saved him," she whispered, as tears formed in her eyes.

"I remembered the prophecy my mum told me during the funeral," Hermione explained, confused by their appearance. "I don't understand...what do you mean you've come to get me?"

Walking up to her, Lily once again gently lay her hand upon her cheek and replied, "You sacrificed yourself for him, Hermione. That's what the prophecy meant, ...the Earth shall cease to spin and the Heavens will open with Love. Your love saved him, the Earth is still, and we're here to take you back with us."

"I-I'm dead?" she asked shakily, closing her eyes in disbelief. "But-but Harry was dead, and he was just alive. How is it that I'm dead?"

"You did what I did, and what Ancelin did...you sacrificed yourself for him because you love him."

Lily's words stunned her. "I-I did?"

"You did, and now he will continue to live his life."

"Without me," Hermione added sadly.

"Oh, honey," her mum said quietly, walking up to her. Wrapping her arms around her daughter, Jane felt tears fill her eyes as she hugged her tightly and continued, "I'm so very sorry. I wasn't allowed to tell you anything else that day, but the prophecy. I wanted to, so badly, but I knew I couldn't. Not if I wanted to be able to keep watch over you, the way that I have, along with Lily."

"I don't want to leave him," Hermione said, openly weeping now. "We've just realized what we had, and he'll be all alone. I-I told him I'd always be right beside him, no matter what happened. And now..."

"Now he'll have Remus to help him through it."

Hermione stared at Lily, and knew that she had probably experienced the exact same thing the night she died...the night she had sacrificed her life so that Harry could live. He was still so young, with so much of life to experience, and she was supposed to be there with him through it all.

Bowing her head as sorrow overwhelmed her, the dam that had been holding her feelings back burst and she openly cried for all that she had lost, her mother holding her the entire time. Reluctantly letting her go, Jane stood back from her and said, "It's time...we have to go now."

Sniffling, while feeling as if her head might explode from staying her tears, Hermione bent down once more to where Harry lay, and gently caressed his cheek. Her love for him overpowered her other senses, and as her tears fell softly upon his face, she bent down and kissed him tenderly on the lips. "I love you, please don't forget that," she whispered.

"We need to go," Lily stated softly as she stood again, and taking her hand while Jane took the other, she felt herself moving slowly away from the scene below her, her heart shattering at the love she was leaving behind.

~*~

He had dreamed that he had died, more like a nightmare really. Everything had been dark, and then he'd opened his eyes to see her above him, smiling, and suddenly it was as if time was slowing down around them. He tried to move, but couldn't. He could only stare at Hermione when she stood up, and he could feel his shock at seeing his mum there, along with Jane, talking to her. They were talking, the words sounding muffled to him, and he saw Hermione start to cry. He wanted so badly to hold her, wishing he could get his damn body to move, when his mum looked down at him with such a sad look in her eyes. He felt physical pain from the emotions he could see in her troubled eyes, wishing he could hug her as well, when suddenly her voice sounded in his head, 'She must come with us now. I'm so sorry, Harry.'

'No!' he shouted, though it was only in his mind. 'I need her, I can't lose her. I-I love her.'

'I'm sorry,' Lily's voice repeated, her sadness lacing each word.

Distraught that he knew what was happening but helpless to stop it, his heart constricted as Hermione knelt down beside him and gently caressed his cheek as he felt a strange wetness upon his face. Then she had kissed him, told him she loved him, and stood up away from him again. Saying her name over and over in his head, Harry watched as the trio started to rise up into the air while Hermione's body was falling to the ground as if in slow motion. Finally regaining control over his body again, Harry sat up and moved quickly, his body protesting at what he was making it do. Ignoring the pain, he caught Hermione just before she hit the hard floor, and then looked up to the ceiling where she was with Jane and Lily. He watched sadly as she mouthed, 'I love you' once more, and as he held tight to her rapidly cooling body, Harry let the tears fall freely from his eyes, mixing with her tears, all the while rocking her back and forth. He didn't even realize that Remus was knelt down next to him, shaking him roughly.

"Harry? Harry! Are you okay?" Remus asked, scared by his non-response.

Holding her body against him protectively, he watched her ethereal form disappear from sight completely, his hold on her body unconsciously tightening. "She's gone," Harry whispered sadly. "Oh God, Remus, she's gone. I've lost her forever."

~*~

She was in Elysian once again, and she had never felt fear as she felt at that moment. She was only eighteen, she'd almost defeated Damien, had saved Harry's life... and died . She stood where she had arrived with her mum and Lily, not wanting to move at all, afraid that any movement would make it all too real. She had witnessed the scene of Harry catching her now-deceased body just before traveling to the mystical place, and the look on his face had made her chest hurt. The pain, the confusion, the love...she had felt it all and it made her want to go back to him, to do whatever it took to get back to him again.

"Hello, young one," came a man's gentle voice, and she grudgingly looked up, mildly surprised to see Micah standing before her. Not wanting to respond, she looked down again as he said, "I am so sorry for all that you've experienced today."

Anger, the likes of which she'd never felt before, bubbled up inside of her. Feeling nauseous from the tide of indignation that washed over her, her eyes sought those of her supposed-Guardian Angel and repeated, "You're sorry? You're sorry?! Why didn't you tell me what was going to happen beforehand so that I could prevent all of it?"

Expecting the young woman's fury, Micah just smiled serenely at her and replied, "I was forbidden to tell you, as was Ancelin, Guardian. What happened today had to happen, ensuring that the future will play out as it should."

"Forbidden?" she repeated once again. "What future events would be so important that they cost me my life?"

"But they didn't," he stated, assuredly. "You see, those higher than me, the Seraphs, have granted you resurrection."

"Excuse me?" she whispered, flabbergasted.

As Jane stood behind Micah, her face mirroring that of her gobsmacked daughter, Lily asked, "But-but, how can that be?"

"As I've mentioned," Micah replied evenly, "The Seraphs believe that for future events to unfold, she must go back."

"That has never been done before," Lily stated quietly, looking at Hermione with an expression that was part happiness, part fear.

Confused by Lily's reaction and realizing her mum didn't understand anymore then she did, Hermione asked, "Why me?"

"I cannot tell you why," Micah answered, his gaze fixed upon hers. "Just know that you will have a guide, and I will be keeping watch over you, as I have been."

"But..."

"There are no 'buts', Guardian. You are to go back, you are to continue with your job, you are to follow your guide. That is all that I am allowed to tell you," Micah interrupted. "The rest you must figure out for yourself."

With her anger flaring to life once again, Hermione opened her mouth to tell her supposed Guardian Angel what he could do with his pithy little information, but she realized that he started to speak before she could.

"May the healing power of the Seraphs descend upon you, may it heal your mortal vehicle, and may the Guardian Angels protect you."

As he finished speaking, she felt herself suddenly free-falling and physically unable to scream. She closed her eyes as she plummeted into an eerie black void. Her entire being started to tingle, and not two seconds later, her eyes fluttered open; the eyes of her physical body, that were now staring up into the very shocked emerald orbs of Harry Potter.

~*~

Five months later...

Hermione walked out of Firenze's classroom, feeling worse then she'd felt in a while, which was saying a lot. He had just informed her of what her summer plans were to be, and she was not looking forward to the coming months at all.

"Hey there," said Harry, walking up next to her and putting an arm around her waist. Leaning in to plant a quick kiss on her cheek, Hermione smiled at him feebly and quietly returned his greeting. As he gave her a soul-searching look, he asked, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she replied quickly, hoping not to alert him just yet as to what was going on. "I guess I'm just nervous and excited about it being our last night here at Hogwarts. I feel as if I've just gotten here, and I'm having to leave already."

She felt a quick jolt of relief as she saw his features soften. "I know what you mean, I feel like I'm leaving home today, and never coming back." When she remained quiet after his reply, he leaned toward her and quietly asked, "Nothing's changed for tonight, has it?"

Thinking of the evening Harry had planned for them, a private celebratory dinner that they somehow had survived five months ago and a farewell dinner to their beloved school, she replied, "No, nothing's changed. I'll be there, as promised."

"Fantastic," he said, smiling brightly.

Kissing her squarely on the lips this time, Harry told her he would see her later that night and dashed off in the direction of the Head Boy and Girl quarters. Sighing heavily, her shoulders sagging with what felt to be the weight of the world, tears sprang to her eyes as she realized that their dinner that evening would also be a farewell of another kind. Harry just didn't know it yet, and she hadn't the heart to tell him when she realized just how excited he was.

Making her way to her dormitory, she quickly finished packing what had been left out for her last day of classes. Feeling tired and emotionally spent, she curled up on her bed and somehow managed to fall asleep with the tumult of thoughts that were attacking her sleep deprived mind.

Some time later, she turned and sleepily opening her eyes, wondered how long she had been asleep. When she looked at her watch she sat up quickly as she realized she had only one hour until she was to meet Harry. Dashing to the bathroom, she showered, applied a scant amount of makeup, and fixed her hair. Rushing to get dressed, she hurriedly checked her appearance in the mirror and seeing that she looked fine, quickly made her way out of her room with only five minutes to spare.

Running carefully down the stairs, she darted through the common room with hurried hellos to her friends, and out the portrait. Rushing down the corridor, she made her way to Harry's quarters and stopped briefly to catch her breath before letting the portrait guarding the Head Boy and Girl's quarters announce her arrival. When Harry greeted her, she felt her breath leave her as she took in his appearance. He was wearing grey trousers with a black polo shirt that matched his hair perfectly, making his eyes seem to stand out even more than usual.

Harry stood staring at Hermione as she was taking in his appearance. She had on a fitted, but not too tight midnight blue dress that seemed to make her eyes more radiant than ever, and her hair was a flowing mass of curls down her back. As she walked by him, into his common room, he caught the scent of the perfume she was wearing and couldn't remember ever smelling anything like it. It smelled like a mixture of wildflowers and the way the air smelled after a good rain storm, and he thought it suited her perfectly. Directing her up the stairs to his room, he followed closely behind her and just as she reached out to open his bedroom door, he stayed her hand on the knob with his.

"Close your eyes," he requested quietly, so close behind her that his breath tickled her ear.

Doing as he said, she closed her eyes and couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips. She loved his surprises so much. She heard him open the door, and then he was guiding her inside. After closing the door behind them, he walked up behind her again, wrapped his arms around her waist and said, "Okay, you can look now."

When she opened her eyes, she gasped. There were dozens of candles floating above them, their flickering light casting a warm glow all around the room. A small table had been set up in the far corner, diagonal to where his bed was, and on it was a vase filled with a dozen daisies of various colors- light blue, dark purple, and pink with white rings of color around the centers, and light purple ones that had sunlight yellow rings instead of the white. She could smell the sweet scent they gave off, and inhaling deeply she whispered, "Oh Harry, it's beautiful."

She turned in his arms so that they were face-to-face, and he bent down just enough so that he could capture her lips with his. When the kiss ended, he leaned his forehead against hers and said, "I love you, Hermione."

"I love you, too," she replied, her eyes growing brighter with unshed tears. She felt so lucky to have his love, but she also felt guilty about what was coming the next day. Deciding to put aside all the bad things that were possibly looming before them, she looked deeply into his eyes and said, "How about we have dessert before dinner?"

Smiling back at her, his eyes shining with love, he simply guided her carefully to his bed as he marveled at what a memorable night it would be for the two of them. A night together that they deserved, and had both paid a high price for.

~*~

The next morning, Hermione woke up with Harry's arms wrapped around her waist while his legs were intertwined with hers. She let herself enjoy the tranquil feeling she felt while cocooned in his embrace, and then she realized that she had to leave soon. Her earlier fears about what was to come came rushing back, as did the sadness at the fact that she had to leave him. Carefully untangling herself, she stood up quietly and looked down at where he lay, tranquil and relaxed while sleeping. Putting her dress on while she was flooded with a turmoil of emotions, she returned to the bed to sit next to him. Shaking him gently she said, "Harry? Harry, get up. I need to go now."

"Hmmm?" he replied sleepily, barely opening his eyes to look at her. " 'Mione? Where you going?"

He looked so adorable laying there with his hair ruffled and even messier than usual, and her heart broke a little. Taking a deep breath she answered, "I need to get all my stuff ready to go, and change my clothes."

"M'kay," he said, his eyes closing again. "I'll catch up with you in the Great Hall for breakfast."

Unable to say anything in reply due to the tears that swam in her eyes and suddenly threatened to fall, Hermione got up quickly and made her way out of his quarters, knowing that it would be the last time she would see him for a very long while.

Yet that long while was much shorter than expected.

She had quickly returned to her dorm room, tossed everything into her trunk, and then shrunk it so it was easier to travel with. Trying to make a quick escape before any of her friends saw her and tried to question her rushed departure, she practically ran out of Gryffindor Tower and down the moving stairs, tears threatening the entire time. Walking through the Entrance Hall to the doors leading outside, she spotted Sorcha leaning up against one of the walls. "Ready to go?" she asked.

Hermione noted that something about her tone of voice was....gentler, and that struck a very unfamiliar chord within her. Nodding silently, she moved to follow her teacher outside when an all too familiar voice called out for her to stop. 'Oh no,' she thought, looking hopefully toward Sorcha, who simply shrugged her shoulders and walked through the doors to where their carriage waited to take them to the station. They would be taking a special trip to a muggle town some distance away, to a house where she would be sequestered for some sort of special training. She had envisioned a house much worse than Grimmauld Place, and it made her blood ice cold.

Without turning around, she damned Sorcha for bailing on her as she could feel him getting closer to her as he ran, sounding a bit out of breath. "Hermione, what's going on?" he asked, and she could feel his eyes boring into the back of her head. When she didn't turn around to face him right away, he asked, "Would you please turn around and look at me?"

The pleading tone she picked up in his voice ripped at her heart, and she slowly turned to look at him, tears brimming more now in her eyes. When Harry saw those tears he took a step toward her, hand outstretched to grab hers. With a soft sob escaping her, she stepped back, away from him and shook her head. "Harry, I..."

"What the hell is going on?" he asked again, his frustration with her non-responsiveness growing. "Would you please just talk to me?"

"I can't," she replied, her voice trembling now.

"You were just going to leave without telling me? Without saying goodbye? I had to ask Luna if she knew where you were. Luckily she did."

Hermione didn't think it was lucky for her, but she closed her eyes, causing the tears to trickle softly down her cheeks. As everything they'd been through that year rushed back to her, her breath hitched as she said, "I have to leave, Harry. I can't go home with you. I need to go train with Sorcha some more, it's...it's just really important."

He stayed silent for a moment and then whispered, "More important than me? Than us?"

She swallowed the next sob that threatened to escape her, unable to meet his eyes. This was why she had tried to leave before he could find out what was going on. Leaving him like this hurt too much.

Steeling her resolve, Hermione walked up to him and hugged him tightly. When his arms hesitantly wrapped around her, she relished the way she felt so safe in his arms, and tried to file it away so that she could draw on the memory when she needed it most. Pulling away slightly, she kissed him tenderly and then stepped back from him again. Looking desperately into his eyes, she said, "I love you, Harry. Please don't forget that."

He jolted as she repeated the words she had said just before she had died just months before, and a worried look stole over his face. When she saw it, she immediately said, "I won't be in any danger Harry, and neither will you. We'll both be okay, we just won't be together for a while." He stood silently staring at her and she could almost see the exact moment his heart broke just a little bit. "Will you wait for me?" she asked, a little scared by his reaction.

"How can you ask me that?" he asked, angry and hurting now. "Of...of course I'll wait for you. I love you, Hermione. I don't think...I don't think there will ever be anyone else for me."

His words struck true, and she closed her eyes to fight the longing to run to him, to take him into her arms again. She wanted so badly to reassure him that everything would be okay, that she would be back soon. But she didn't know how soon, or if she would even be the same person when she returned.

Realizing that she had taken too long already, she looked apologetically at him and said, "I have to go."

"But..."

"I love you."

She turned and rushed out of the entrance hall, running to the carriage that Sorcha sat in, making sure not to look back. Once in the carriage, she ignored the short remark she received for taking so long, and daring to look toward the doors, she froze. Harry stood on the steps, staring back at her, with an absolutely lost look about him. As the carriage started to slowly move, she kept her eyes on him as he mouthed, "I love you, too."

The more they moved, the more he slipped from sight, and she fought hard to keep her tears at bay. After all that had happened to them, she thought back to Firenze's warning and knew that she was going to soon be in the fight of her life. So she would go to the training, she would work hard to prepare, and she would make sure that Harry's life was never in danger again. She was a Soul Guardian, he was her Charge, and that, above all, had to always come first.

~A/N2> Before you review, please keep in mind that there will be a sequel, so certain things that happened in this chapter had to happen. And if you've ever had to leave someone you've loved before, you know how much it can hurt emotionally. I hope that I have earned my title as Queen of H/Hr AU angst, and please be on the look out for the sequel, The Guardian 2.