A/N: I just want to thank everyone for their reviews, here's the next chapter.
"Albus!" Professor McGonagall came running in his office holding a piece of parchment. "Mrs. Figg!"
"Is it her birthday? Give her my condolences," Dumbledore said absentmindedly as he wrote.
"Albus! You.... She owled us about Potter!"
"His birthday isn't for another three weeks."
"Who cares? He's gone! He just disappeared! Those muggles have no idea why, or where he left to."
"Get someone to Grimmauld Place and search it from top to bottom. Owl the Grangers and the Weasleys, ask them if they've seen or heard from him." Albus Dumbledore's twinkle left his eyes.
* * *
There was a tapping at the kitchen window.
All four people turned to see what it could be, and saw a tawny owl at the window.
"That would be Dumbledore," Harry said.
"I... I don't know," Hermione's mother began to pace the room.
"I made a promise," Harry said simply.
He looked at Hermione's father and dared him to object to his decision.
Dr. Granger rubbed the bridge of his nose, "Janie, it was the father's dying wish."
She kept pacing for a while, wringing her hands then crossing them. She walked over to the counter, then wrote something down on a piece of paper and handed it to her husband. She went into the living room and could be heard making calls.
"What's that?" Harry asked pointing to the piece of paper.
"It's a shopping list for the baby. You better hope and pray she doesn't wake up before I get back." Dr. Granger grabbed his keys and left the house.
Harry thought about the small bundle that was asleep on Hermione's bed. For a second he wondered if everyone around him, including himself, had just gone nutters. He was a fifteen-year-old boy who knew nothing about raising anyone. He, of course, knew how to take care babies, thanks to the Dursley's first and last family reunion, where while the parents got sloshed, Harry had to take care of all the children. Feed, burp, change, and repeat when necessary. But there was more to being a parent, he just knew it, but he didn't understand what. He wanted to know, he wanted to take care of Emily, and not just because of his promise. When she looked at him... it was the way few did, it was just looking at HIM and not 'the boy who lived.' Babies weren't judgmental, all right they were, but she didn't judge him. She looked at him and he felt as if he would turn to mush, spoil her rotten, or hyperventilate because it was then he realized he had to take care of this small child, and not screw up.
Harry felt as if he were missing something. He let his mind wander for a moment and realized, for the first time in the past twelve hours, he had not thought about Sirius once. He was supposed to be feeling guilty, he was the reason his godfather was dead. He felt Hermione watching him and began to panic. He got up and started pacing the room.
She almost died.... it was all his fault... how could he take care of a baby when he couldn't even protect her...
"Harry," Hermione said cautiously. "Don't worry, everything will be okay. I can owl Ginny and ask her about custody and such. Harry, are you okay?"
Harry was now walking so fast around the room he was almost jogging, and he seemed to be hyperventilating, "You almost died, who am I trying to kid? You almost died and I was the one that put you in that situation... How am I supposed to take care of a child?"
"Harry, don't be such a prick. You act as though I didn't have a choice in the matter. Harry I went with you, I went with you because I-"
"I've made all the arrangements," Hermione's mother re-entered the room. "We're all going on a vacation. That way we can figure out what to do without everyone trying to convince you, rightfully so I might add, to give that baby to the proper authorities."
They both thanked her, and went upstairs to start packing. Harry seemed better than he was when he was pacing but he still seemed on edge.
* * *
Harry sat on Hermione's bed. He was carefully holding Emily in one arm, making sure he gave her head support, and held a bottle in the other. The bottle was up to Emily's lips and she was eating hungrily. Hermione was going from her closet to her suitcase at Harry's feet, trying to pack all of her things in a hurry.
Harry watched her for a moment and said, "We won't be safe you know."
Hermione stopped in-between her closet and her suitcase, clothes still in hand. "What are you talking about?"
"Death Eaters. I was safe enough at Privet Drive, but now... I'm sorry I'm putting you in danger again."
Hermione snorted and went back to packing, "Harry, really, they were after the prophecy. Now that it's broken, well, of course, they would like to see you gone, but they won't go out of their way-"
"Yes they will," Harry tried to say in a tone for her to understand the urgency of the situation. "Hermione, I think I need to tell you something."
* * *
Ginny looked down at her Potions essay and cringed. It wasn't anywhere near enough... she could always write 'Snape is a greasy git' over and over until it was the proper length. She heard a tapping at her window and thanked who ever it was for the break.
She opened the window to see Hedwig lifting her leg to Ginny. Ginny was sure she had the wrong room until she saw Hermione's handwriting staring at her.
She took the letter off Hedwig and Hedwig then flew off. Ginny opened the letter and read:
Ginny,
I don't have any time, but I have to write to you. Harry is coming with me and my parents on vacation. I swear to you if you breathe a word of this to ANYONE I will make last year's jinx look like beauty marks. I need you to look up some information for me, find anything you can on under-age parental rights. If you don't know where to look I suggest a PURE BLOOD like yourself look in the home of another PURE BLOOD. I think we have an understanding.
Remember, one word!
Hermione
Ginny swallowed. Hermione could be really scary at times. The first thing she did was burn the letter; she did not want to anger Hermione at this moment in time.
She went downstairs to find it looked like a circus. There were at least twenty people scattered around the bottom floor of the Burrow. Her mother was sitting down crying, every so often trying to make someone something to eat but was held down by Tonks.
"What's going on?" she asked.
"Harry's missing," her mother said as she motioned for her to come forward. "Don't you worry dear, everything will be fine."
Apparently her mother needed to take her own advice. She immediately felt guilty, knowing Harry was safe and not able to comfort her mother. She wouldn't be able to take much more of this.
"Do you think someone should be at Grimmauld Place?" Ginny asked.
"We've already checked there, top to bottom," Tonks said.
"But if he decides to go there.... Shouldn't someone be there, just in case?"
Tonks seemed to think about it for a moment.
"I could do it," Ginny said, realizing at that moment that Voldemort would be easier than lying to her mother any longer.
Tonks smiled. Apparently she thought Ginny wanted to do anything to help.
"Do you want to be in that big house all alone?" her mother asked.
Think of something Ginevra Weasley, "Well I don't want him to be alone...."
She was too good for her own good. Her mother nodded because anything more and she was sure she would burst.
"Okay, I'll talk to the Order." Tonks left them and Ginny's mother promptly hugged her tightly.
* * *
"The Order will find us long before any Death Eaters do," Hermione said as she continued packing. "They're the only ones that know you're missing."
"What about the other thing?" Harry patted and rubbed Emily's back, and spit up went from Emily to the cloth on Harry's shoulder.
"Harry I.... It explains a lot." Hermione kneeled and began to straighten up the belongings she had thrown in her suitcase. "And I'm scared to death to be quite honest. But you... you have to be really stupid if you think that is going to stop me from being your friend. We've faced certain death so many times before I really don't see how this makes any difference. Harry, you don't have to take this prophecy as fact. Divination, especially when it comes from Trelawney, is unreliable. I mean part of it can't be true, the whole 'one cannot live while the other survives,' that's rubbish! How could both of you be alive today if that's true?"
Hermione zipped up her suitcase, "Time to go."
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