Hello everyone. I am excited about writing this story and hope you will enjoy it. I plan to update at least once a week so that you are not stuck waiting for updates that take forever to get here.

Warnings: This story is NOT cannon, but I will try to keep the characters as closely as J.K Rowling has written them. There will be foul language at times and sexual themes of adult nature. I know we all love a bit of smut but I'm going to try and keep this at a standard above a porno if you catch my drift. I will place in more warnings as they come and I feel they are necessary.

And lastly, Harry Potter and all known characters are property of J.K Rowling. I am simply playing with her characters and twisting them to my will. Enjoy.

The Buddy system

Chapter one

Christmas had always been her favorite time of year. It wasn't the gifts or the Christmas parties, no, it wasn't any of that. Hermione loved Christmas because it was the time of year when everyone she loved gathered and spent quality time with each other. It was a time of year that even with the threat of war still looming all around them, they made time to put the stresses in the background and just enjoy life and each other. But this year was different and instead of sitting around a tree and catching up with each other's lives, they were gathered around a large table holding an order meeting and to make it worse, the meeting was for her.

Life for everyone was at a standstill. She, Harry, and Ron, had graduated some six months earlier, but with Voldemort still out there growing in strength and numbers and his crimes becoming more and more public and twisted, it just wasn't safe for them to spread their wings and start a life for themselves, as a matter of fact, their lives were more of a prison sentence than anything else.

The order had enacted a law within the group and it was essentially a type of buddy system. No one was to go out alone and no one was to live alone, no if's, and's, or but's about it. And as much as she hated it, she knew it was in place for good reason as Cho Chang, Susan Bones, and a few other Hogwarts graduates were taken and killed shortly after leaving Hogwarts. Nowhere was safe anymore and only Order Members could be trusted and sometimes even that was a stretch. A month after graduation there were three order members that were found to be spies. They had led Cho into a trap which ended her life and very nearly ended the life of four others. Trust wasn't the same after that and everyone had to prove their loyalty but even then, certain information was hidden and locked away were only a select few had access.

At first, she was put off by the whole situation. She worked hard to finally enter the working world and finding that her wings had been clipped before she even had an honest chance to spread them hit her hard. She wanted a place of her own. She wanted to make her life. She wanted all the things that witches and wizards wanted once they graduated but she was stuck. She fought for her wants and she didn't think the situation was bad enough to warrant such drastic measures, that was until the body of a young order member by the name of Marcy Dublin was found headless and beaten along with a note warning that she was next. It scared her and she didn't protest one bit after that, especially when she found out she was partnered with her boyfriend, one Ronald Weasley.

Their shared safe house was great. It was small yet comfortable for just the two of them. It gave them the privacy that she craved and it gave them a chance to really know each other on a much deeper level than they were ever afforded before and she found herself growing deeper and deeper in love with him. The four months they shared as a couple was the best time of her life. She had known there was something between them for a while and living with him made her completely sure of it. She still hated that she would have to wait to start her life in the working world but she didn't have to wait on her love life because she had found the guy for her - that was until she came along.

Safe houses were filling up fast with witches and wizards that were tired of living in fear. They wanted to fight for their rights to live a normal life. They wanted the safety that the order could give them and while it was a good thing that the order was growing, it was also a hardship as the higher Order members struggled to find safe houses for everyone, especially when complete families were coming in.

It was not unusual anymore to have seven or more to one place and up until a month ago, she and Ron had been lucky that it was only the two of them. But then Jasmine DeLuca showed up and it all went to hell from there.

Hermione, being herself, had tried to make the newest member of their home feel welcome. It was in her nature to do so, but she was no doormat and within a week, she was ready to Jasmine to leave and quickly at that.

Jasmine had played the part well. She was educated, kind, and beautiful. She was always ready with a smile and an ear to lend when someone needed company and conversation. She was respected within the order and seemed generally well liked…. Until the real Jasmine came through.

The real Jasmine, while truly believing in the order, was evil in Hermione's opinion. Hermione had noticed the looks Jasmine would give Ron, and Ron, being Ron, didn't see what Hermione was in a fuss about. The truth about Jasmine was that she was lonely and had a terrible personality flaw that made her want what others had. She hated that she didn't have a man to love or one to love her back, so she did what she did best and flirted, agreed, and conformed to Ron in hopes to gain his affection and worse, she did it right in front of Hermione knowing full well that she and Ron were an item.

"She's just a nice girl." Ron would defend. But Hermione was a woman and she knew the signs when a woman was up to no good. But she didn't press because Ron loved her and she never in her life thought he would be dumb enough to fall for her fake charms.

Life had turned into a battle in the small safe house with Ron being too ensnared in the trap that was called Jasmine. She had decided against her common sense that maybe, just maybe, she was wrong and Jasmine was just being nice, but when she walked in on Ron with a half-naked Jasmine on his lap, she had, had enough and hit both of them with a stunner that left both sore for days.

The kicker was that Ron had yet to apologize for any of it and even threw salt into the wound saying that Jasmine was his kindred spirit. It broke her heart but it was only the tip of the ice burg.

The string of events that followed is what led to the nights order meeting. Ron had requested that Hermione be transferred to a new safe house and with the circumstance being what they were and an unstable Hermione, Dumbledore agreed for fear that curses would begin to fly and someone, most likely Jasmine, would end up at the end of a nasty curse.

Hermione was angry, but more than that, she was hurt. How could he forget their relationship so fast? How could one woman change everything so drastically? She didn't have answers but as her anger ebbed away, the hurt increased tenfold; and making everything worse was the fact that Ron just didn't seem to care one little bit. And he showed as much as he acted like a lovesick teenager at the other end of the table with the tart he had chosen over her snuggled to his side. The knife was digging deeper and she refused to look at them for even a second. It hurt too much.

When Harry arrived he gave Ron a look that would have dropped him dead on the spot of it were a curse. Hermione didn't hear specifics, but she knew that Harry had laid into Ron over the situation and was currently not talking to him. Again, Ron didn't seem to care. He was too lost to Jasmine to care about anything or anyone else.

Hermione, hurting, angry, and uncomfortable continued to stare at a spot on the table, her hands folded tightly in her lap and accepting the comfort that Harry was showing her as he rubbed her back in small circles. She dreaded looking up because she hated to see the pitying looks everyone was giving her. They had all known of what took place and absolutely no one was happy for the new couple. Molly was positively furious as were the rest of the Weasley's.

It was Molly, the angel in her opinion, that had provided her with a small amount of relief when she stormed in and ordered Ron and his 'tart', to go home. They were not needed there.

"I am an Order member." He replied hotly, "I have every right to be here." And Jasmine nodded her head in agreement.

"Not for this you don't." Molly replied, "I swear to Merlin, Ron, son or not I will hex you to the ends of the earth…. Leave now and take that –that thing with you."

He stood with a huff, scraping his chair against the floor as he did so and without another word he and Jasmine floo'd out but not before Jasmine made eye contact with Hermione and winked at her in triumph.

"Well now," Dumbledore stated as he took his spot at the head of the table, having watched the entire scene play out before him, and more than happy that the redhead had left, "I gather you all know the reason this meeting has been called?"

No words were spoken but he took in the collective nods throughout the group and continued.

Dumbledore sighed and ran his hands over his face. The stresses of war were taking its toll on him and Ron's latest stunt had not made anything easier as it couldn't have come at a worse time.

"Normally, a transfer is not meeting worthy, but these are unfortunate times and I'm afraid a normal placement would not be sufficient this time." He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts. He had news and it wasn't good, especially for Hermione. He took pity on the girl given the situation at hand and his news was not going to brighten her spirits at all.

"Miss Granger," he said in a tired tone, "it has been brought to our attention that you specifically have been named a target. We have always known that you would be in greater danger but it would seem that Voldemort has placed a price on your head in hopes to get to Harry."

She nodded wordlessly. She had suspected something was up when the meeting had been called.

"So with that being said, you can understand that we cannot just place you anywhere. We need to place you with someone with the skill and strength to protect you. At least a 4th class order member but preferably a 5th class."

Molly cleared her throat, not really caring that she was interrupting. She loved Hermione like a daughter and was completely beside her self at her son's treatment of her. "She can stay with us. She would be safe. We would all protect her and all of us are known and trusted."

Dumbledore shook his head, "I have no doubt that you could protect her Molly, no doubt at all, but as it stands you are at capacity and above that, you are only a 3rd class. With the losses that we have already endured, I cannot afford to take any chances."

Molly huffed but nodded. She understood his position even if she didn't like it. She still felt she could protect her just as well as anyone. She was a redhead and she was a mother. A deadly combination to anyone trying to harm one of her own.

Dumbledore then looked over to Stanley Sudds, a very smart and very organized man who had kept the overly detailed records of who was staying where, skill classes, and available spaces. A nerd through and through but a huge asset to the order by everyone's standards. It was Stanley who stayed up pulling all-nighters as he struggled to find a match for every person and family needing a safe house. He had worked miracles and that secured him the trust and adoration of every member of the order, especially Hermione who had formed an easy friendship with him.

"Who have you found, Stanley?" Dumbledore asked having already given the man the requirements hours before the meeting was scheduled.

Stanley stood from his chair, cleared his throat, adjusted his glasses, and picked up his clip board. "As you know, space is very limited and until we acquire more safe houses, our options are very limited as well. I have found only three suitable placements but none of them are recommended."

Hermione didn't like where this was going, not one bit. She knew Stanley and knew him well and she knew that he was very good at knowing when something was a good idea or wasn't and from his words and the tone of his voice, she knew she was not going to be happy with anything that was offered.

"Why can't she stay with me?" Harry piped up. "I know you said it was too dangerous, but I don't see the problem considering we have been protecting each other since we were first years."

Hermione shook her head, "He's right, Harry, it would be too risky for us to be at the same house. He is after me for a reason and if by some chance he finds me, he would find you at the same time and I'm not willing to risk your life or the war."

Stanley, not normally a man of many words, voiced his rare, unrequested opinion, "If I may, I wouldn't count that possibility out… I feel it would be far better than anything we have available."

"Let's just leave it on the table," Harry stated, "As an option – just in case."

Dumbledore was reluctant but agreed. "Who do you have Stanley?" he asked, still wanting to avoid placing her with Harry if at all possible.

"The first I have is a 4th class by the name of Rudy Jenkins. His house has room for one more but he is hardly at the residence and the others that reside there are not well known members. I feel it is too risky to place Hermione there, especially considering the circumstances.

The second is a 5th class by the name of Willard Dumpsey. He only accepts one order member at a time into his home and while I feel he could protect her and protect her well, he is known to make unwanted advances to every female we have attempted to place with him. He is listed as a safe house for men only.

And lastly, we have a 5th class, but he is our most unlikely host as he has requested that he not be listed as a safe house at all. And I feel that in his current situation, Hermione would be at great risk if placed with him."

Stanley paused, not wanting to say the man's name as the man was sitting in the room with him and frankly, he was scared shitless to even suggest it.

"Who, Stanley, out with it!" Molly all but yelled. She was growing increasingly frustrated as she heard the options being presented. There was no way she would stand for Hermione to be placed with a grabby barbarian that couldn't keep his mitts to himself and she sure as hell wouldn't let her go to a house full of unknowns.

Stanley pulled as his cloak that suddenly felt like it was suffocating him. His sweat was becoming visible and his throat was going dry. Every eye was trained on him but he only looked at one man.

"Oh for the love of Merlin, he is talking about me." Severus Snape finally hissed, "And the answer is NO."