New chapter is up thanks to my lovely Beta reader, Bmeph! Thing's will get interesting soon, I promise. I have a few ideas that I want to try with this story. If you read this previously, you'll notice it's completely different from before as I wanted to take a different approach. Enjoy.

When Hermione woke up the next morning, her body was sore and stomach empty. It groaned loudly, her sides cramping. It had been a few days since she had a decent meal. She put out the dying fire, cleared the area of any trace of her, and left the cave in search of civilization. The mountainside she had chosen to rest on was seemingly clear of any human life. Hermione desperately wished she had her wand again. She could Apparate to a small town of Carluke, summon some food, and maybe clean herself in a local fast food restaurant. In the tent she, Harry, and Rontravelled with, there was a private shower to use. Though hot water was not an option in it, it was still nice to feel clean every day.

The more she walked, the more her feet ached and the more paranoid she became of whatever she might come across in the hills. She was virtually unarmed in every way. What she was assumed was hours passed before she came across a small house. Odd. Who would live way out here? She thought. Too suspicious to knock on the door, she peered through a glass window and found the house to be seemingly empty. Prepared to run if anything should happen, Hermione knocked on the door. When she received no response, she tried one more time. Still, no response.

Slowly, she reached for the doorknob, turned it, and entered the house. Her eyes scanned frantically for any signs of movement or life, as she cautiously walked further into the house. The house had a gloomy atmosphere to it, containing of little to no furniture. The shelves and books were covered in dust. Hermione could not sense a hint of magic anywhere.

As she explored further, Hermione entered the kitchen, finding the room empty. Rushing through some of the cabinets, the fridge, and the pantry, there was plenty of food for her to choose from. Grabbing a bag of crisps, she munched while looking for a bag to take a few things.I could come back and return the favour once all of this is over, she thought pushing her guilt aside. Having found nothing to hold her newfound food, she left the kitchen in search of backpack, and explored the other rooms. As she entered one room, she noticed a single photo on the dresser. There smiled a small girl, an older woman, and a tall man. They smiled at her, the photo still confirming this house did not belong to a wizarding family. She stared at the picture, tracing the peoples' faces with her finger, longing for her own parents. A loud creak snapped her out of her trance.

Panic flowed through her. There she was, unarmed, and practically thieving these peoples' resources. Hermione made to leave when the floor creaked.

"Hello?" a deep voice came. "Who's there?"

Hermione held her breath,This was a stupid idea! So stupid!

"I know you're in here! I saw your tracks along the hill. Just come out and I won't hurt you." the voice said calmly. What more could she do? Hermione raised her arms in surrender and edged towards the living room. A man stood in the doorway, holding a shotgun. Hermione's breathing quickened.

"Alright, miss. What's your name?" he asked cautiously. He wore loose denim pants, a brown leather vest, and a plaid flannel beneath the vest. His hair was a dark brown, and was slightly balding near the front of his hairline.

"Pen-Penelope Clearwater." Hermione lied. The name had not worked for the Snatchers, but this Muggle couldn't possibly know any different.

"Penelope, what are you doing in my house?" he interrogated.

"I thought it was empty. I have nothing or no one with me, but I thought I might find some food." she admitted. He had not shot her yet, hadn't even bothered pointing the gun at her.

"You're hungry?" he confirmed. Hermione nodded in agreement. The man gripped the gun, obviously deciding what course of action to take next.

"Okay, Penelope. I'm gonna feed you, but you have to promise me no funny business or I'll shoot you like I would a stag." he warned.

"Yes, sir." she agreed, nodding her head frantically. He was going to feed her!

"Okay." he set the gun down and walked towards the kitchen. Hermione had not noticed the handgun he kept on his side. She followed him into the kitchen, taking a seating at the dinner table. "I've got potatoes, some bread, and corn. It's not much, but it would make for a decent sandwich." The man set to working on making food as Hermione sat at the table, staring at her hands. She thought about what could have happened to her friends, how she was going to get back to them.Dear God, please let them have gotten away, she thought, her throat tightening.

"What brings you to this side of the country?" the man asked. Hermione realized she didn't know his name.

She cleared her throat, "I..uh…I got separated from my friends."

"Separated? Why not just trace your tracks?" he suggested.

Hermione smiled, If only it were that easy. "I can't. We were separated too far apart." She ended up explaining.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I know times are rough right now. The most bizarre mishaps are occurring, and no one seems to be able to explain anything. I'm just glad I'm out here instead of the city. Crime rates have gone up so high recently." He grumbled.

"Yeah, but don't you miss people?" Hermione inquired. She missed so many people and it had only been a day since she had last seen her friends.

"Sometimes, but I've got nature out here. That's all I need. No one to tell me what to do or how to live. My grandfather owned this land for three decades and it's been passed on to my father, then to me. It's all I know." The man asserted. He quickly made mashed potato and corn sandwiches for the two of them. They ate in silence, their conversation reaching an end. Hermione pondered how someone could live their lives in solitude for so long. Did this man long for someone to interact with the way she did? Again, she remembered she didn't even know his name.

"Excuse me, but I don't believe you've told me your name." Hermione said softly.

"M' name's Ivan." He said through a mouthful of food. Ivan looked to be in his early forties, which explained the balding of his hair. Hermione peered through the window beside the dinner table. The woods were quiet, aside from the occasional bird chirping. The sky had grown much darker since she had arrived.

"You're welcome to stay the night, Penelope." Ivan suggested, breaking Hermione's train of thought.

Hermione's eyes grew wide at the suggestion. Sleeping alone in a house with a man she barely met. Ivan must have sensed her suspicion, "Like I said, no funny business. I'm not that type of man." Hermione smiled, only it didn't reach her eyes. Ivan was kind, she knew, but still she had to remain cautious.

"There's a spare room and bathroom for you to use." Ivan said as he handed her a pair of women's pajamas. Must have been his wife's.

Hermione showered, relishing the feeling of warm waters running down her sides for the first time in months. Squeaky clean, she left the bathroom and entered the spare room as Ivan was adjusting a bed sheet to the mattress. She helped him cover all the corners and cover it with a duvet. "This used to be my daughter's room." He explained.

Having seen no trace of the girl, Hermione asked, "Where is she?"

Ivan hesitated, "She and her mama had to leave." Hermione didn't press him any further, sensing it was a fragile topic to discuss.

"Alright, well, good night." Ivan said leaving the room after and awkward silence. Hermione dwelled on what Ivan had said about his wife and daughter. Why did they have to leave? She shook the thought from her mind as she lay in the bed, feeling much better after all that she had gone through in the last 48 hours. She fell into a deep sleep as exhaustion overtook her.

She woke in the middle of the night to a crashing sound. "Ivan?" she whispered into the dark. Loud thuds progressed from the living room and Hermione shot out of bed.

"Who the bloody hell are you?" she heard Ivan shout. There shuffling through the hallway, loud sounds of shattering wood, followed by the blast of a shotgun. Hermione stood still. Who was attacking?

The bedroom door sprung open, revealing a sweaty Ivan in boxers and a white wifebeater. "Penelope, you need to get out of here."

"What's going on?" she asked frantically.

A blast of red sparks zoomed past Ivan, narrowly missing him.

"Death eaters!" Hermione exclaimed. Ivan shoved her into the room, shutting the door. He pushed the bureau against the door along with the mattress.

"How do you know about Death Eaters?" he asked Hermione. Hermione suddenly realized.

"You know?" she said softly.

"Know what?" Ivan said reloading his gun.

"About…" she hesitated, "About Voldemort?"

Ivan's head snapped in her direction, shock clear on his face.

"You're a witch, aren't ya?" he asked. There was no way she would no that man's name without having some sort of magic blood in her.

A hole burst through the bedroom door before she could answer. A cloaked figure with a mask peered through, raising their wand quickly, but Ivan was quicker. He shot them down, cocked the shotgun again, and shot the next person down. The air was filled with an eerie silence. The only thing Hermione could hear was the slight ring in her ears and her own breathing.

"I think they're gone." Ivan assessed, yet he did not lower his gun. Blood was dripping slightly from the side of his temple. "Now, tell me the truth." He said facing Hermione. "There's no longer a reason for Death Eaters to come knocking on my door, so why were they here?"

Hermione tensed. How could she possibly explain why the Death Eaters had appeared? She didn't even know where she was, so how could they have found her so quickly?

"Ivan, I…" she began, "I don't know why they're here. No, that's a lie. They were probably looking for me. But I don't know how they found me, as I haven't performed magic at all since I woke up two days ago."

Ivan stared at her for a moment, as if trying to measure her up to her words. "I believe you, but I need to know one thing."

Hermione nodded for him to continue.

"Are you a witch?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then you have to leave."

Hermione looked at him in shock, though she knew she shouldn't have been surprised. The Death Eaters' occurrence, while unexplained, could almost only point to her.

"Okay."

Hermione packed her clothes and some food in a bag Ivan let her have, who also let her keep the extra pair of pajamas. Kneeling down, she reached for one of the dead Death Eater's wands. Her fingers trembled as she gripped the wand. It didn't feel right. Although its master had fallen, it clearly was not a wand that matched her. It occurred to her that she would not be able to perform higher level magic, yet as she uttered, "Repairo" she cleaned up the damage the Death Eaters had caused.

Ivan saw her out the door, "Penelope, if that is your real name…"

"Hermione." She interrupted. He had saved her life, so he had the right to know her first name at least.

"Well…Hermione, be careful out there." Ivan offered his hand to her, which she took and shook. She awkwardly parted from him, walking away from the home before stopping in her tracks. She turned around to see Ivan only just re-entering his house.

"Ivan!"she shouted. He turned and faced her. "Thank you...I mean, for everything." He offered her a smile and closed the door behind him. Hermione again took off on foot, thinking about where she might go next. Hopefully she could successfully Apparate if she focused hard enough. Perhaps Diagon Alley would work, though it was much too great a risk. She needed to find a place where she could attain a decent wand for her usage, otherwise she found little hope in reuniting with Harry and Ron.

Then she thought about the Burrow. She knew people there but still, she was hesitant. If she went to the Burrow, the Order would be just as unaware of Harry and Ron's whereabouts as she was. Plus, Mrs. Weasley would probably insist she remain there, out of danger's way, and there was no way that could happen. It'd be impossible for her to search for Harry and Ron.

Eventually, Hermione found herself at the side of a river. Having little to no energy from walking so long, she drank water from her hand, quenching her dehydration. The sun was beginning to set and she knew she had to find shelter again.

Using her new wand, Hermione cleared an area of the forest floor, removing it of any sharp rocks or twigs. She then pointed at the tree branches. 'Reducto!' she commanded, removing a few tree branches at a time. Little by little, she piled up branches. As she concentrated, Hermione conjured large pieces of fabric from her wand, maneuvered the branches and fabric together, and made a makeshift teepee. Satisfied with her work, she placed a few waterproof and protective spells around her campsite, in case it should rain or if any strangers just so happen to come across it.

After building a fire, using magic this time, Hermione settled down to eat the food Ivan gave her, a few cans of vegetables and a loaf of bread. She attempted duplicate it, but only succeeded twice. Still, she didn't complain. She considered herself lucky to have a wand, let alone stale bread. With her stomach full, she climbed into her teepee.

For the first time since sleeping in Ivan's daughter's bed, Hermione struggled to fall asleep. Only a while later did she put the thoughts of Ron, Harry, and even Ginny, from her mind did she finally lapse into sleep.

"Okay, Felice was the witch who defeated Memphis, but why?" Hermione asked.

"Because he was an arsehole." mumbled Ginny, causing Hermione to laugh out loud, drawing the attention of several other students. They were sitting in the library and Hermione was helping Ginny with her history essay. For a few hours now, they had scowered the shelves for any useful information that Hermione didn't already know.

"Yes, well, you have to take into consideration that these were different times, medieval traditions. Women were considered inferior to men, even in the wizarding world." she explained.

"But hexing them for every little reason? That's ridiculous! I'd like to show them a thing or two about hexing.", Ginny retorted. Hermione smiled. She knew perfectly well how capable Ginny was with hexes, especially after last year when they formed Dumbledore's Army.

"I believe you!", she said, causing both girls to laugh to themselves. It was one of the few moments they shared together, without the boys. Hermione took full advantage of talking to the girl about things that boys would never possibly understand. That was the great thing about Ginny, she was one, if not the only, girl Hermione could talk to about things like love, girl stuff, or family. Ginny would listen attentively, occasionally slipping a joke into the conversation to ease whatever tension might have occurred. Every week, they would steal away to the library so that Hermione could get away from Ron and Harry, and help Ginny with her schoolwork, though the redhead did much better than her older brother.

They continued working for a couple more hours, when Dean found them huddled over a book in deep conversation. He cleared his throat and both girls looked up at him.

"Hello Ginny, Hermione.", he greeted them with a smile. He was a tall black boy in Hermione's year, a Gryffindor as well.

"Hey, Dean." Ginny smiled back. Hermione suddenly felt like a third wheel. She knew the two were dating, but she couldn't help being jealous of Dean. She was angry at him for interrupting her time with Ginny. What was the point of getting away if they were going to be interrupted?

"So I was wondering if you wanted to walk with me by the lake, if you're not too busy?", he asked Ginny.

"I'd love to. I was just about finished anyways. I'll see you later, Hermione. Thanks for helping me!", Ginny said, packing her things and walking away with Dean, waving goodbye to her.

"Goodbye, Ginny.", Hermione said with a small voice, once Ginny and Dean were out of sight. For the first time ever, she didn't feel comfortable in the library so she packed up her things and made her way to the common room, feeling rather lonely, knowing Ginny was happy with Dean, and not with her.

Hermione woke up with a groan, as daylight seeped through the top of the teepee. She suddenly became aware of reality and sighed deeply before getting up. As she exited the teepee, she contemplated going to the Burrow.

"Reducto!" she said, waving her wand at the teepee, demolishing it. She scattered the broken branches and burned the fabric. Hermione could not risk leaving behind any trace of her presence there, in case someone decided to track her.

She continued walk a short while when she heard a low growl from behind her, stopping her in her tracks. She shot her head back and found herself facing a puma. Her breathing became fast as the feline flashed its teeth at her. Hermione stood still, holding her breath. The cat stared at her with abrasive eyes. She gradually stepped away from it, ever so slowly. Unfortunately it started to prowl towards her. Without a second thought, she turned and ran, the puma picking up speed. "Petrificus totalus!" she cried narrowly missing the cat.

She gripped her wand and Apparated right as the lion clawed the heel of her foot. One moment she was running away from a mountain lion and the next she was laying on her back after landing in the front yard of the Burrow. Her breathing calmed as she processed she was no longer in harm's way.

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