Disclaimer: Do I really have to say I don't own this? Talkstolawyers I do? I don't own anything you recognize. I do own several flunkies, a couple of teens, Sev's wife and his brat, the boat, and the town. I own a town! Oh… and the café. Ha!

Author's Note: Ever see General Hospital? No? Oh well. Basically it's a soap opera. That's what a few of these story lines are based on as well as a few sets. Not many though. It will turn out to be vastly different than General Hospital but this is how it starts out.

I did try this once before, but it was really horrible. I revised, complicated and really just made it better.

Spoilers up to and including The Order of the Phoenix

Rating: PG-13 for language, violence, kiddnapping, and sexual themes

The Ties that Bind

Chapter One:

Drip, drip, drip.

Hermione Granger-Weasley looked out the window drearily as the small raindrops patted down on the cement windowsill outside her office. Lightning occasionally streaked against the grey-midnight blue sky in mesmerizing patterns. Normally Hermione loved rain. She loved to walk in it; she loved the patterns it made as it streaked down the windows before the drop disappeared. Not today though, for today Hermione was stuck inside working on some proposal to make around three powerful and manipulative people very happy.

She sighed as she spun around in her chair and put both her elbows on the desk and stared at the door, hoping against hope for someone, anyone, to come in. Hermione tapped the tip of her quill lightly against the top of the oak desk. She glanced at her clock for what seemed like the thousandth time as the tapping got louder and louder. Hermione breathed a sigh of relief as she saw it was six o'clock.

Hermione walked over to the heavy door and walked out nodding at her secretary who, as usual, was gossiping away with the new head of Muggle Artifacts.

Three years after the fall of Lord Voldemort the Weasleys, the remaining Weasleys, came into some money from a dead uncle who they had long since talked to. Because of that, Arthur Weasley was able to retire comfortably and let him help his sons, one of them being her husband, fund his Quidditch business.

Hermione apparated quickly to her house and flopped down on the blue couch with a sigh. She looked around the darkened house and came to the conclusion that her husband was not home. Again.

Her husband, Ron, had been working longer hours than her, the Minister of Magic! She found it both ridiculous and unnecessary but Ron would do anything to beat the competition, Blaise Zabini.

Ron had hated Blaise ever since the Lavender Brown incident, which was now never mentioned in the house. Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest darkly. Lavender Brown was the one girl that Ron could never turn down. What ever Lavender wanted all she would have to do is Floo Ron and it scared her.

Hermione got up and walked up the stairs, absentmindedly taking off her earrings. Lavender still loved Ron, Hermione was sure. Lavender had plenty of chances though, but she left. Went off to Australia, only talked about by Parvati, the head of the cosmetics company in town and Ginny, Hermione's own best friend. At least Luna was, for once, tactful enough not to mention it around her.

Hermione changed into a pair of dark blue jeans and a black top. She took her hair out of its usual bun and wrinkled her nose as her long, immensely bushy, cinnamon coloured hair fell ungracefully over her shoulders and down her back. The hair stuck up in the oddest of places and seemed to never have been brushed.

Lavender's hair was always graceful, Hermione thought as she scowled at her hair in the reflection of the mirror. She remembered enviously of Lavender's long, shiny, dark brown hair that seemed as though it were brushed constantly. Hermione was lucky if she got a brush through hers. Hermione shook her head at the stupidity of the thought. Hermione always prided herself for not being one of the conceded girls who stared at them selves for hours in the mirror, trying to fix the slightest imperfection. Be it an odd freckle or a sever mass of hair.

Hermione ran a brush quickly through her hair before Apparated to the local café to see her two best female friends, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood.

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Draco Malfoy stared out at the dark blue ocean as the waves crashed loudly against the side of the boat. He breathed in loudly through his nose and exhaled just as loudly. If his mother had been there she would have turned her nose up disapprovingly. "It's not proper Draco, act like an adult," she would have said, before she went back to whatever official she had over "for tea and tea alone, Draco".

He glanced to the side at the man, bound and gagged, and let a smirk slowly cross his face. "So," he started. "Do you, Mr. Corner, think it would be wise to take money from me? Or did you just think yourself clever enough to get away with it." He asked as he blinked innocently and took the gag from his mouth.

"I'm sorry." Michael Corner apologized. "I didn't mean to I-"

"You didn't mean to." Draco mocked him as Pansy Parkinson let out a cruel laugh from behind the man in the chair. "You didn't mean to." Draco repeated. "After I, so nicely I may add, gave you the money to pay off your many, many gambling debts, from one of my friend's casino's no less. And you just happened to try and skip the country? Well I must tell you Mr. Corner, my mother raised me to have manners, something yours obviously didn't."

"I didn't…"

"Mean to," Pansy mocked unsympathetically as she leaned over Michael Corner's shoulder. She shook her blonde hair off her face and grinned nastily at him. "We got it, Corner. Did you really think you would get out of Spain so easily? We have people everywhere, everywhere. Some you would never… guess." Pansy said lowering her voice dangerously. "All are smarter than you, Ravenclaw. Trust me on this."

"You're all evil!" Michael spit out acidly as he struggled against the binds that dug harshly into his wrists.

Draco and Pansy laughed together. "Aww, we're hurt! Really, I don't know if I'll ever recover!" Draco insisted disdainfully as he bat his eyes in a mock tearful manner. "We didn't force you to enlist our help, Mr. Corner." Draco said still laughing. "In fact, if memory serves, I asked you not to enlist our help. I didn't want to be responsible for your… untimely death, if it come to that." Draco shook his head and turned to Theodore Nott, "take him to a room." He commanded.

Theodore nodded obediently and dragged the man off the ships deck. "You got off lucky." He told the man as he shut the door. "They haven't killed you. Yet. I haven't killed you yet."

Draco turned to Pansy and shrugged. "They never learn do they?"

"Well, on the other hand," Pansy started as she put a hand on her cheek thoughtfully. "The less they learn, the more money we make." She pointed out.

"True, Pansy, true. But the less they learn, the more they get hurt. And we don't want that now do we?" He said scathingly as he wagged a finger in front of her face.

"No, never." She bit out sarcastically. "Last thing I would want." She said as a smirk began to play on her face.

Gregory Goyle came out onto the deck. "Letter for you Malfoy. From Vega." He said as he took the letter out of the pocket of his suit and gave it to his boss.

Draco's face softened visibly as he grabbed the letter from Goyle. "Thank you," he said as he waved a hand for Goyle to leave. He tore at the seal as Pansy ran to try and read over his shoulder. He took the heavy parchment out of its envelope. "Calm down, Pans," he said to his best friend who was trying to look over his shoulder. "I will read it out loud.

"Bonjour Draco, Pansy and the rest!

I am having such a blast in my last few days of the term here at Beauxbaton! I'm looking forward to meeting you, Draco, at the train station in Paris. Or will someone else pick me up?

I got all O's and E's on my tests this term and I'm sure I did all right on my end of the year exams. My teacher's all said I surpasse leur expedition. Their words, not mine.

I hope to see you soon and I'm sure we'll have a great summer,

Yours,

Vega."

Draco folded the letter and placed it in his pocket when he finished reading. A small smile played on his face. Vega was his first cousin on his mother's side. Vega was the sixteen-year-old daughter of his now deceased Aunt Bellatrix and Uncle Rodolphus. When they died, Draco's mother Narcissa was given custody of the then five-year-old when Draco was nineteen.

Narcissa was then a widow and wanted nothing more than to run to some tropical island and have casual sex with young, rich bachelors. Something Draco wanted Vega to have nothing to do with so he took her and moved her to one of his more permanent homes in France.

"I'm so proud!" Pansy squealed. Pansy had helped Draco with Vega, Draco knowing nothing about raising girls. Vega quickly became the younger sister Pansy never wanted until she had one.

"Mr. Malfoy?" A random "associate" of Draco and Pansy's said as he stuck his head out the door. "Mr. Corner's acting up."

Draco nodded as he stalked through the door. "When do we dock?" Draco asked his associate.

"Twenty minutes." He answered shortly.

"Good. I have been working on a plan. Schedule a meeting in five minutes." Draco ordered the man. "While I go look after Mr. Corner."

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Harry Potter, a.k.a The Boy Who Lived, a.k.a. The Man Who Killed You-Know-Who, a.k.a The Pain in the Death Eater's Ass walked down the corridor of the Wizarding Protection Organization a.k.a The W.P.O.

Harry worked as an agent for The W.P.O and for his ex-Potion's Master and his father's best friend.

After the end of the Second war when Harry was nineteen, Severus Snape and Remus Lupin set up The W.P.O as a private organization against the Dark Arts, as a contradiction to the Aurors, who seemed to be doing nothing but sit on their asses and drink. Two other head member's of The W.P.O were Severus's wife Amélie and Remus's wife Nymphadora, or Tonks if you didn't want to get your arm broken.

Harry popped into the head office and smiled as he saw Severus and Amélie having yet another fight.

"I can't pick Sage and Sirius up from the station! I have to go to Russia that week!" Severus yelled at his wife. "You have to go!"

"I 'ave to go to Spain zat day!" Amélie said exasperatedly as she tossed her black hair over her shoulder. "It would be 'ard for me to get les enfants! Can they not just go on zee Knight Bus?" She asked him.

"No child of mine is traveling on that!" Severus exclaimed. Harry covered his mouth to hide his laughter. Professor Snape still thought himself above public transport. "It's a death trap. Have you seen the speed those, those things travel at?"

"Hey!" Harry interrupted. "I'll go pick them up from the station," he said as he threw a folder on the table in front of them.

"Oh, would you 'Arry? We would be so grateful if you would. Remus and Tonks are in America at zee moment." Amélie explained to the younger boy.

"What's this?" Severus asked him as he opened the tan folder and looked at the picture. "Nott?"

"Rumor in France is he's working for this mobster, who we have no information at the current time on. We're hearing he's an enforcer type, kills and collects information for this mob boss. Everything I've found in folder." Harry said as he backed out of the room. "I'll pick up the kids!" Harry yelled as he left the room.

Amélie smiled up at Severus. "What a nice boy!" She complimented the younger wizard as she smiled at her husband. "So polite."

Severus raised an eyebrow at the French witch before rolling his eyes and dragging her out of the room.

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Luna Lovegood smiled widely as she put the dirty dishes off the table and onto a tray. She stood up straightly and balanced the tray on her head and grabbed the two other trays off of the small, circle table.

"Luna!" Luna's co-worker and one of her best friends Ginny Weasley exclaimed as she took the tray off the blonde's head. "If you needed help you could have just asked!"

Hermione tried to hide her laughter by turning it into a cough before she took the other tray from the blonde. "I remember being a waitress." She sighed reminiscently.

"Oh yeah, because it is so much better than being the Minister of Magic!" Ginny snorted sarcastically as she tucked a piece of scarlet hair behind her ear. "The pay is just too good to pass up here."

"Well, it's a hell of a lot more interesting!" Hermione sighed as she put the tray next to the dishwasher. "The past month has been so quite." She said as she followed Ginny out of to the main room.

"You would think that would be a good thing." Ginny said as she made her way over to a table. "Hey Blaise." Ginny greeted her brother's enemy. She loved serving Blaise, he tipped really well. "What can I get you?" Ginny asked him sweetly.

"Well if it isn't my favourite waitress!" Blaise said as he looked up from his extensive paperwork. "How are you today, Ginny?" He asked as he smiled at her.

Ginny grinned back and put the pad of parchment and quill back in the front pocket of her small, navy apron. "I'm doing alright. Works a little drab."

"I'm just waiting for the time you give up the nine-to-five and join me in concurring the business world." Blaise remarked as he always did. "It would piss your brother off to no end." He said as he smirked.

"Always a plus." Ginny said as she shifted slightly. Blaise was very convincing when he wanted to be. Ginny always wondered how Lavender could pick her brother Ron over the millionaire, black-haired, gray eyed playboy Wizard sitting in front of her. Ginny found Blaise very attractive, as most who crossed his path did. He was dressed in his usual suit, which was very expensive by all accounts. His black hair was spiked slightly at the tips and his grey eyes peered at her under heavy lashes. "So what can I get you?" She repeated, shaking her head slightly.

Blaise looked off for a moment in thought. "I think I'll have my usual." He answered as he smiled brightly at her. "Don't forget my offer, Ginny. You have a good mind, I could give you any number of jobs at my corporation." Blaise said as he handed her his business card.

Ginny nodded at him as she tucked the business card in her forest green apron. "As usual Blaise, I will think very hard about your job offer. Who knows? Maybe this time I'll take it!" Ginny shrugged and went behind the counter that Hermione was sitting at.

"You would think it would be a good thing." Hermione continued, sighing. "But being the Minister when nothing exciting is going on is the most boring job in the world! No wonder Fudge could do it for so long." She sighed as she stood up. "I should be heading home." She said to her two friends as Luna went behind the counter.

Luna watched as Hermione walked out of the Café. "She's very unhappy," Luna pointed out as the door closed behind the brunette. "Ron hasn't been around very often." Luna said as she walked over to a nearby table.

Ginny nodded as she took Blaise's coffee, black- two sugars and a chocolate muffin. "I can't believe how Ron is acting these days." Ginny said sympathetically as she sat across from Blaise.

"He missed Lavender." Blaise pointed out as he wrote on one of the papers in front of him. "It's understandable. The way she just came back last year, and then dropped him again. I may have loved her, but she can be unbelievably cruel, especially to those she thinks are a threat to her happiness."

"I just can't believe this is happening. I always thought they were happy." Ginny sighed as she took a piece of Blaise's muffin. "And with those two children I call my nephew's…."

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Hermione walked out the door and into the warm night. It was two weeks into June and the weather was perfect. She walked down some steps to the docks and stared out onto the waters. She crossed her arms and let out a huge sigh. She highly doubted that Ron would be home yet, but she could get started on new proposals for the Wizarding World.

"Well, well, well." A cool voice came from behind her. Hermione turned around swiftly on her heel to meet the cold, light blue eyes of Pansy Parkinson. "If it isn't Little Missy Mudblood!" Pansy taunted as she smoothed down her short black dress and sauntered down the stairs that lead to the pier. She stopped in front of Hermione, crossed her arms and smirked.

Hermione stared at the other woman for a second before recovering. "Well, Parkinson! I see you haven't changed your wardrobe one bit." Hermione said as she indicated to Pansy's signature colour, black. "It's good to see you." Hermione said sarcastically.

"Ditto." Pansy replied shortly, rolling her eyes. "So I hear you're the head of the English magic government." Pansy said as she placed a hand on her hip and the other on her chin. "Nice to see how down hill things have gone since I left. Really, mudbloods in office."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "And I suppose it would be presumptuous to assume that you voted for me." Hermione said coolly as she raised an eyebrow.

"One, this isn't a democracy, two, I was in France at the time and three, no, I wouldn't have." Pansy responded. "But I bet you'd never guess what I've been up to." Pansy said as she grinned unkindly at Hermione.

"Trying to bring Voldemort back from the dead?" Hermione asked, her voice dripping with mock sweetness. Pansy Parkinson was one of the only people who made her act as if she were fourteen years old again.

"Close," Pansy smirked as she drew her wand out of the back of her dress. She stunned Hermione and bent down to her level. "But not quite." She motioned to two men standing in the shadows. "Bring her to the boat boys. I think Draco will be quite, happy, with this." She hummed a random tune merrily as she walked behind the two large men and the Minister of Magic.

Author's Note: Please review! I do take suggestions!

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- Catherine

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January 3rd, 2004