Hello hello!
To say I'm super nervous about posting this is an understatement. Haha This fanfic all started from a dream I had one night. I literally dreamed the chapter of H&D in the basement. (later chapter) and I finally decided to write it down one day. Once I started, I couldn't really stop. This is definitely something out of my comfort zone so I really appreciate the time you take to read this!

Chapter One

"Bugger."
Hermione glanced at the clock in the corner of her office. Stifling a groan as she realized it was 8:21 p.m. Once again she found herself losing track of the time as she lost herself in her case files. "Obsessed" was a word that had been used in the past to describe her. She knew what people said about her. She thought of it as being diligent and having a better work ethic. Tonight though...tonight she wasn't in the mood to give herself a pep talk. This was the fourth night in a row that she found herself staying late at the Ministry. Not even taking notice of the many bodies in her department as they slowly made their departure earlier that evening. She leaned back over her chair and stretched her neck and shoulders out, feeling the beginning of a pressure headache and not liking the promise of it one bit.
Glancing at the files strewed in front of her for the umpteeth time that night, she pondered on her next move. She had hit a dead end. On the non-magical spectrum at least. Every scene of the crime was the same. Glancing at the still photos she saw the similar crime scenes. Too clean. All the Inspector's findings were the same. No fingerprints. No witnesses. The Muggles simply disappeared from their homes. 'I think it's time to do this the Magical way.' Making a note to tell Kingsley she would be taking a few days off of work next week, she closed the files.
With a sigh that filled the room, she quickly put her many files in the corner of her desk. Vanished her old cold cup of coffee, and proceeded out her door. Praying that no one but the security wizard would see her, she was taken by surprise as she turned to exit the lift and ran right into Harry. "Harry? What on earth are you doing here this late at night? Is everything alright at home? Is Ginny ok?"

Harry gave her a reassuring smile and threw his arm over the back of her shoulders, "Everything is fine. I just forgot a file I wanted to go over tonight to prep for the court case tomorrow morning. I just flooed over to grab it, then I'll be heading home. Gin is doing fine. Uncomfortable and irritable…..she's going a little stir crazy." He said with a teasing look in his eye. "She could really use some girl time with you. She misses you." He gave her a pointed stare.
Hermione's shoulders slumped a little and a guilty look overtook her face, "I'm really sorry. I know I've been burning the candle at both ends lately. Tell her I'll be over Sunday and I'll give her a long pedicure. Even if she can't see her feet, at least she'll have cute toes for the delivery." Barking out a quick laugh, Harry nodded his agreement until a look of concern masked his face again. "This is the fourth night this week you've been staying late. Are you sure everything is alright?"
Raising one eyebrow she gave him a accusatory look. "How do you know this is my fourth late night here this week?" A slow blush made its way up Harry's neck to the tips of his ears. Rubbing the back of his neck he gave her a sidelong look, "Dawson's been sending me updates the last few weeks by owls. He waits till you leave so I usually know what time you're heading home."
Hermione spun on her heels to glare behind her down the hall. The normally neutral Security Wizard who was known for "Minding his own business," was currently making an effort at keeping his back turned and seeming very interested in a large office plant that was stationed in the corner.
With an exasperated sigh Hermione marched past Harry and headed toward the Floos. She was at her wits end this evening. Too many failed attempts at finding a new lead and then to find out that her friend was having her watched…...She could hear Harry's quick footsteps follow her as he called out her name. "'Mione! Come on. How else am I going to know what's going on with you lately? You cancel all our lunch dates. You haven't been over for dinner in ages. You come to work, stay in your office, and only come out if you're heading to the archives or headed home. It's not healthy. Gin and I are getting worried. So is Ron. We all are."
The thought of Ron being worried for her tugged at her heart. It was nearing two years since they both came the realization that they were better off as friends than lovers. But the pain was still there. Honestly she mostly just missed having someone at home to be with. To share her day with and tell of her accomplishments and failures. The cold bed she falls asleep and wakes up in was starting to feel feel very depressing.

Harry tugged on her sleeve and shook her out of her trance. A pained look etched his face and she once again felt guilty for the worry she'd been causing him and Ginny. "I'm fine. Really I am. I just…..I can't let this case drop. I know something is going on and I have to figure out what it is."
"Wait. Is this about the missing Muggles? I thought you looked into that ages ago. We both looked into it and didn't find any sort of magical connection so we dropped it. Why the sudden interest?" asked Harry as he gave her a confused look. "Unless…..you never actually dropped it."
She stood there facing him. Using all her willpower to keep a blank stare. "Damnit Hermione. You've been working on this for 5 months on your own?! Why didn't you come to me about this earlier? Or another Auror in the department. You know I would have spared you a body if I thought you needed one." The tone of frustration echoing off the empty corridor reverberated through her and she winced.
"I did come to you about this. And you're right, we looked into it and found nothing. This should have been a easy case. Open and shut. But I…...I just couldn't get over the feeling that we were missing something. That I was missing something! I couldn't just leave it be. These Muggles….they deserve to be found. Or at least found out what happened to them. I can't explain it Harry. Ever since that morning reading the papers and finally realizing that all their cases were similar...No forced entry. A small scuffle but no witnesses who heard anything? Or saw anything? Some of these victims were large men. One was a construction worker. How do you take someone from their home and have NO witnesses? No sign of a huge struggle? Unless...unless magic was involved somehow. A disillusionment charm, a muffliato and you could levitate a body out of their own home and no one would be the wiser!" Her frustration was plabable and she turned around to take a deep breath. She was mentally pleading for Harry to believe her.
"Listen, I know how this case upset you. I know it made you think of you par-"

She spun around and poked him in the chest, "This has NOTHING to do with my parents! I can't believe you're even bringing that up!"

Her anger started boiling at the mention of her parents because Harry, as always, hit it on the head with his comment. These missing muggles DID remind her of her parents. It had been 8 years since Hermione found them in Australia...only to find out that she couldn't reverse the memory charm she had placed on them. One of the few times she resented the fact she was considered "The brightest witch of our time." She had been too good at her spell…. She was left having to mourn the loss of her parents, as if they had lost their lives in the war. 'Because I DID lose my parents. They'll just never know they lost a daughter as well.' Hermione felt the sting of that loss every day. She lived in their house now. Not wanting to lose the only thing she had left of them.
"'Mione, I'm sorry. I didn't mean-" She turned back around and grabbed a handful of Floo powder. Facing Harry again she looked him in the eyes. "I'm not going to stop with this Harry. I don't care if the Auror office thinks I'm chasing a ghost trail. I have to follow this through till the end." Without giving Harry the chance to answer, she threw the powder in the fire, stepped into the green flames, and vanished.