DISCLAIMER: That part of this world and those characters you've seen before belong to their Creator: JKR. The rest is mine - although I cannot quit my day job as I make no $$$

A/N: I hope you read the introduction. If you didn't, it'll take you about 30 Chapters to figure out bonding.

This Chapter is Rate M for language.

CHAPTER ONE: DECEPTION

SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1996, Number 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey UK

Fifteen year old Harry Potter lay in his bed pissed off at the entire world. It was his first day back from boarding school and it had arguably been the worst year of his entire life, which was saying a lot because the boy had a pretty rotten life before hand. He hated Privet Drive and the relatives whom he lived with. He had come to live with his Aunt and Uncle when he was fifteen months old and his life had sucked pretty much ever since.

He had absolutely no fond memories of his childhood. From as early as he can remember, he had been physically abused by his Uncle and later by his Cousin, mentally abused by the whole ruddy family and neglected and malnourished. He didn't know his own name until he first went to Primary School. Until then, he thought he was "Boy" or "Freak." Food for him was a luxury until then and it was only being sent to school that had resulted in him getting much to eat at all.

At age eleven, he found out his entire life had been one big lie. The revelation came when he learned that he was a wizard, that his parents had died defending him from an evil wizard and not in a car crash following a week long drinking binge and that he was going to learn magic. Still, it now seemed to Harry that every time some truth about him was revealed there were more lies to discover. Ever since he learned his relatives had been lying to them he had been hoping against hope he would never have to return, yet every fucking year he found himself back in the smallest bedroom on the street, locked in, staring at the ceiling and being isolated from anyone who actually liked him.

Up until now, last summer had been the worst. He witnessed the return of the most evil wizard in history, fought the bastard to a standstill, watched another student die needlessly and reported the events to not just his Headmaster but the Minister for Magic himself. What happens? He's sent back to this shit hole and learns that no one is allowed to write or say anything to him about anything that was happening outside the four walls. The Ministry and Wizarding Press brand him an insane liar. A vindictive ministry bitch sets him up and the Minister for Magic uses his act of self defense as an excuse to try and get him chucked into prison. His Headmaster, whom he trusted, ignores him all year and refuses to tell him why. Even when he was reunited with his Godfather and friends, he was certain they weren't telling him everything.

He gets back to school and finds the vindictive bitch who tried to chuck him in prison is now one of his teachers. He also learns she's into torture and now has the scars to prove it. He gets kicked off the Quidditch Team, which was the only thing left that he enjoyed. Most of the school believes he's insane and the number of people who do not could be counted on one hand. He makes the mistake of going out with a girl who only wanted to be with him to learn how her last boyfriend had died. He suffered through months of supposedly important Occlumency lessons, designed to protect his mind from magical attack from the evil wizard, but given by the one teacher at school he actually hated and who he was convinced hated him. The lessons had not worked and Harry was convinced the git was actually doing the opposite of what he was led to believe: making it easier for the evil bastard to attack.

He then gets tricked into rescuing his Godfather who was just fine. He gets drawn into a trap and drags his only friends with him. It was only by a miracle that none of them were killed, but all of them were injured, two of them severely. Worst of all, his Godfather comes to help him as he's in a fight with Death Eaters, all bent of killing him and his friends, and gets killed for caring about Harry - a theme in his rotten life.

After what the papers were now calling the Battle at the Department of Mysteries, he has a long "chat" with his Headmaster. If the old bastard had not been lying to him all these years, he had been withholding vital information, clouding the issues with half truths and otherwise proving the geezer could not be trusted. Harry had been livid. Worse, he learned about a Prophecy, one which had resulted in his parents being killed and his hell for a life. He was supposed to be some god damned superhero sent to save the world from the evil wizard, according to the prophecy. He never wanted that. All he wanted was a normal life. Now he's some kind of savior who, he thought, is probably dead meat. Yeah, he'll beat the bastard and kill him once and for all, but he'll probably die in the process. His reaction to this hell? He practically destroyed the Headmaster's office. While it felt good at the time, it did not change a fucking thing.

What almost topped it all off was that even though Harry wanted to be with friends right now having lost one of the true father figures in his life, what's the Old Man do? Disregards his wishes and chucks him right back into this prison, for that's what Privet Drive really was, a cage to keep him "safe." Blood Wards my ASS!, Harry thought. They work on love? There isn't an ounce of that in this fucking house! At first he accepted this fate. It was only for a month or so, just until his sixteenth Birthday and then he could leave and spend the rest of the summer with the Weasleys. Then, the thought crossed his mind.

If this place was the only place he could be safe from Voldemort and his Death Eaters, then why the hell was he allowed to leave AT ALL? He knew he was being lied to again. He just could not figure out what the lie was trying to cover.

Just when Harry thought it couldn't get any worse, it did. Following his raging fit in the Headmaster's Office, he went to the hospital wing to check on his friends. Three of them had been released, but his two best friends were still unconscious.

Ron Weasley had an encounter with unknown magic that had messed with his brain and Madam Pomphrey did not know if the damage was temporary or permanent. If it was permanent, Ron would spend the rest of his life in a hospital.

The curse that Harry thought had killed Hermione Granger had nearly done just that. She would recover. Still, she would be lucky to go home with the rest of the school in a few days. For the rest of the term Harry never left her side. He held her hand and talked to her day and night, just as he had done Second Year when she lay in the Hospital petrified from an attack by a Basilisk. As he sat there, he remembered that time. He remembered her Third Year, Fourth Year and this year. He remembered what he had felt when he saw her get hit by that curse and thought she was dead.

She was the one person who was always there for him, even when he didn't want her to be. She always stood up for him and beside him. She always went out of the way to help him. The few times he had ever been angry with her, it was because she had tried to help him and keep him safe when he was just being selfish. He thought about it. Ron was not that way at all. The bastard had all but disowned him when he got into the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He was always jealous of Harry: jealous of his fame; jealous of the fact Harry had money; jealous of the fact that Harry had actually kissed a girl; jealous of the fact that if Harry wanted he could probably shag any girl at Hogwarts. Hermione knew he wanted none of that. She understood him perhaps better than he understood himself. She was the only person who could hug him or kiss him without making him feel uncomfortable at all. True, they had never actually snogged, but she had kissed him on the cheek more times that he could count, going all the way back to First Year.

He thought long and hard about that as she lay there. He thought about the fact that both his friends might be on their death beds, and yet he needed to be by Hermione's side. Why? It then hit him like a ton of bricks. He loved her. He loved her and only her. Since when? Since First Year, he figured. Second year for certain, he knew. Did she love him too? He knew that she did. She never acted the way she did for and around him with anyone, and all of that, the help, support, hugs, kisses, touching, that was not a sister and brother thing, that was an "I love you" thing. He had just been too stupid and self absorbed to see that the most wonderful girl he knew, the one that he loved more than life itself, loved him right back. That ends now! He thought. As soon as she wakes up, I'm going to tell her and ask her to be my girl! And if it means Ron never speaks to me again, he can just sod off!

TUESDAY, JUNE 18, 1996, Hospital Wing, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Ron had woken up the day before. Despite that, Harry all but ignored him. He was too worried about Hermione. He could feel Ron glaring at him has he sat next to Hermione, holding her hand, brushing her impossible brown hair, begging her to come back to him. He didn't care. He didn't care that Ron all but freaked that Harry had only left her side to use the loo and had slept in the chair next to her since the previous Saturday night, the night of the Battle. He didn't care what Ron thought about it!

Harry was sleeping beside Hermione's bed when she awoke. She felt someone holding her hand and looked in surprise at who it was. She could see that it looked like he had been there for days. 'He loves me,' her heart screamed. 'He's here! He's with me! I'm not alone! I - I know I love him too!'

"Harry?" she whispered.

"Mmmm," a grumble came back.

"I love you, Harry," she whispered again.

"Love you too," the still sleeping boy murmured. "Always have," he added. "Marry me, Hermione?"

"WHAT?" Ron yelled.

Harry was startled out of his perfect dream. "What?" he said.

"Oi! You asked her to marry you?" Ron almost yelled, "you asked my girl to marry you?"

"Your girl?" Hermione almost shrieked, "what the bloody hell are you talking about, Ronald!"

"You are," Ronald said. "Your mine, so Harry hands off!"

"Look Ronald, that's not how it works!"

"Really? I think it does!"

"What makes you think I'm your girl?"

"I like you. End of story. I like you and Harry gets everything."

"You're such an idiot! It's not 'end of story!' What makes you think I would even want to be your girl? You can barely stand me! We fight all the time!"

"But that's the fun of it," Ron began.

"It's not fun to me, Ronald! It hurts! It shows me you have no respect for me, my feelings, my thoughts, my dreams, nothing. You're a fucking lazy bastard too! You seem to expect me to do your homework for you and…"

"You help Harry too!"

"He always asks, and it's different. I don't do his work, I look it over! You expect me to do it for you! You usually don't bother to ask at all and the only time that you do is if we've just had a row! You think I want that in my life? You think I need that? You ignore me in public! You eat like a pig! There's nothing about you that would argue in favor of being your girl.

"AND! If you must know, Ronald. I love Harry."

"Like a brother," Ron started.

"No Ron. Not like that. Harry asked me to marry him. Do you want to know my answer?"

"No."

"TOO BAD! My answer is YES!"

"Really?" both Harry and Ron asked, Harry in joy and surprise, and Ron in shock and anger.

"BUT, he'll have to be my boyfriend first and not until we've finished school, but otherwise YES!"

"Fine," Ron snarled. Neither Harry or Hermione heard him mutter under his breath: "This isn't over. Hermione's mine!"

"I love you," Harry whispered to his new girlfriend.

"Oh shut up and kiss me, Harry," Hermione said with a smile. To her delight he did. She actually thought she felt her heart stop for a moment. She had never kissed a boy like this on the lips before. It was wonderful! She moaned slightly. Amazing, she thought, considering Harry's grand total of romantic kisses before was one, a few months back with Cho Chang. Maybe it comes natural for him, she thought. And if he's this good at kissing, WOW! She thought as she moaned again.

"Wow," they both said when they finally came back for air. For the first time since he had known her, he heard Hermione actually giggle.

"We need to do that more often," Harry offered.

"Well, it's not like I'm going anywhere, Love," Hermione giggled

again. Harry took the hint.

This time when they broke apart, Hermione bit her lip and gazed into her new boyfriend's eyes. "Um Harry," she said nervously.

"Yes?"

"Um, I know how you hate going to your relatives in the Summer and … well … I kind of wrote Mum and Dad and asked if you could spend the Holidays with us."

"You did?"

Hermione nodded. "And they agreed! Isn't that wonderful?" Harry's face fell. "Harry, what's wrong? I think it's a brilliant plan!"

"It is Hermione," Harry replied, "it's just that…damn that bastard!"

"Who? Voldemort?"

"No, Dumbledore!"

"Dumbledore?"

"He says I have no choice! I have to go back to the Dursleys. No choice at all!"

"Why?"

"It's the only place where I'm safe, he says. I think he's full of it, but there's nothing I can do. Whole damn Order is going to make sure I go there and stay there 'til my birthday and then it's off to the Burrow."

"Harry, I'm sorry," Hermione said.

"Not your fault."

"No. But I'm still sorry. I got my hopes up and all…"

"Hermione, we'll think of something."

"I suppose."

"But, in case we don't, we might as well stock up on kissing to tide us over for the next month or so."

"I like the way you think, Potter," Hermione said pulling him back to her.

The two kept snogging until Madam Pomphrey chased Harry from the Hospital Wing a few hours later, but not before Harry promised to "practice" with Hermione the whole train ride back to London.

SATURDAY, JUNE 22, 1996, 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey UK

It could have been the best vacation of his life. He could have spent the entire summer with Hermione and explored this new relationship they had. It should have been the best train ride of his life with his old yet new girlfriend in his arms and her lips against his. Neville and Luna seemed perfectly at ease with the new direction Harry and Hermione were taking, perhaps even supportive, not that Harry or Hermione bothered to ask. They had more pressing things to do with their mouths. What put a damper on their fun were Ron and Ginny. The few times Harry took a break from those luscious lips, he could see them glaring at him and Hermione. It made things uncomfortable enough that Harry decided not to take too many breaks and Hermione did not seem to mind in the slightest.

Now, he was stuck here in this prison on orders of his Headmaster. He would be here for at least a month if the old bastard had his way. After that, he would be at the Weasleys where, fair bet, either Hermione would not be invited or they would not be allowed any cuddle time, much less any serious alone time. Hermione seemed as devastated about the turn of events as Harry had been and even hinted, had things been different, Harry would have gotten a sixteenth birthday present from her he would never, ever forget.

"You?" he remembered asking.

She nodded and smiled. "All of me," she whispered back.

"Damn it all, girl! Why tell me this now?"

"Motivation," she smiled.

"Motivation?"

"To figure away to come and get me, silly."

"Ohhhh!" Harry realized. "At last, something to do! You're really wonderful, you know."

"Took you long enough."

"Only to tell you, Love. I've known all this time."

Yeah, Harry thought. But first I need to figure out what is really going on with my life. Questions. He had so many questions he wanted answered. Dumbledore had seemed to answer many of them, but the more Harry thought about it, the more he realized there were so many pieces missing. The answers seemed random and even contradictory, as if the Old Man was merely trying to appease him without telling him anything of consequence. It was bloody infuriating!

Harry went over to his small desk and took out a notepad and regular Muggle pen he had bought ages ago but had never used. He was certain they might have been in his stuff since even before first went off to Hogwarts. Fortunately, the pen worked:

QUESTIONS:

Number 1: Godrics Hollow.

How could Dumbledore not know Pettigrew was a Death Eater? The man's a master of Legillimency! It's possible that Pettigrew didn't become one until long after my parents were in hiding and never ran into the old man, still.

Why Pettigrew? Sirius said he was the obvious choice, but that made Pettigrew a better choice. Yet I met the man! He's a bloody coward!

What kinds of protections were on that place? Were there others that could have been used and weren't and if not why not?

Why were there no guards? I've got guards! Can't see them, but I hear them out there!

Number 2: After.

Sirius Black goes to prison without a trial? All you had to do was look at his left forearm! He's not a marked Death Eater! Besides, with Veritaserum and Legilimency, they could have found the truth! Instead, he rots for twelve years and his case remained untried. What the bloody hell was Dumbledore doing as head of the Wizengamot?

Number 3: Privet Drive.

Dumbledore said something about wards. But he also said for them to work I have to see this dump as my "home." I've never seen it as a home! Never! Prison, yes, home? No. So I guess there are no wards then.

Surely I could have been sent to someone else! Did my parents actually want me here? Did they even have a say? If not, why not?

Mrs. Figg is here to keep an eye on me, or so she said, for Dumbledore. I went there often over the years, battered and bruised and underfed. I thought her a bit mental, but she always patched me up and made me feel better. Didn't Dumbledore know? She must have told him. So then why didn't he do anything about it?

And shouldn't the fact that my first Hogwarts Letter was addressed to me in the Cupboard Under The Stairs have screamed investigation?

Number 4: My Entry Into the Wizarding World.

Why was it that when I entered the Leaky Cauldron and Diagon Alley for the first time, everybody knew who I was practically? Did I have some flashing neon sign on my head that I didn't know about that said: "Look at me! I'm Harry Fucking Potter?" I had lived in the Muggle World for 10 years! Before that, I was in hiding with my parents! There's no way I should have be known. True, there is the scar, but it's not THAT noticeable, is it?

Same thing on the train! Everybody seemed to know who I was. I could understand Ron - maybe. He grew up hearing those fucked up stories about me. But Hermione? She recognized me right off! She'd been a Muggle her whole life!! Well, at least she didn't make a fuss like everyone else - yet one of the many reasons I fell for her!

Speaking about the train. How come Hagrid never told me how to get onto the Platform? Why'd I have to wait until I got lucky enough to run into a wizarding family? Hermione never told me she had that problem too. And is it just me, or was it merely a coincidence that it was the Weasleys?

Number 5: First Year.

Fool me once, shame on you! Fool me twice, shame on me! Okay, maybe Dumbledore didn't have a chance to discover Pettigrew was a Death Eater, but Quirrell? How could he not know Quirrell was sharing his body with Voldemort? He had to have known, which begs the question why didn't he do anything? Why'd he leave it to me to kill the son-of-a-bitch? Bit much for an eleven year old, don't you think?

Next, Hagrid said there's no place safer than Gringotts, 'cept maybe Hogwarts. Safe my arse! Why would any idiot hide the most coveted magical item in history in a bloody school full of curious and nosey children? Dumbledore was trying to keep it from Voldie-Squirrel, and he hides it so well! How does he protect it? With traps that three First Years easily got past! That makes a lot of sense!

And was Hagrid in on the fix? Seems every time we were stumped, he'd drop us a clue, and yet he can keep secrets when he wants to…

Number 6: The Fucking Prophesy!

Okay, so I only learned about this one recently. But it seems apt to bring it up now. According to that rubbish, I am the only person in the world who can defeat Voldemort. True, there is some proof of this. I have either defeated or fought some version of the sod to a standstill five times! Still, one would think I'd receive some kind of training to be the evil wizard killer, right? It seems every year I get into a tussle with the Sod, yet do I get any training? The only training I've had was on my own or with Hermione! (One more reason why I love her - actually almost all my training is with her!)

Number 7: Second Year.

I'd like to give Dumbledore some credit for not being able to control this one, but I can't. He fucking knew the Chamber of Secrets was real! And don't tell me he had no idea what was down there! Hermione figured that one out with the scant information we had! He knew Slytherin was a Parselmouth and that Tom was one too. He knew that until this year the Chamber had only opened when there was a Parselmouth at school. He knew that it had never been found by anyone else.

Conclusion? The Chamber was hidden by some charm that could only be opened by a Parselmouth. It wasn't even pass worded! The word "open" was all that was required. AND, he knew I was one too! He could have told me that! He could have told me there was a sixty foot long basilisk lurking down there that was three times as tall as I was when it reared up! He could have told me the easy way to kill the ruddy snake. (Crowing Roosters) No! At twelve I had to run the beast through with a sword! Damn near snuffed it right then and there!

Is that why he seemed surprised to see me when we got out? Did he think I was going to die?

And what was with that glean he had when he saw Riddle's Diary?

Number 8: The Wards Again!

Let's see: Summer after first year I spend a month at the Weasleys. After second, a month in Diagon Alley - like that's bloody safe! Third, we spent part of the time at the Weasleys and the rest at the Quidditch World Cup that was crawling with Death Eaters. Christmas that year at the Weasleys! Fourth summer and this past Christmas at Grimmauld Place. If the Wards at Privet Drive are so damned important, why am I not here all the time when away from school?

Number 9: Third Year.

Two questions:

First, how could the Weasleys and by extension Dumbledore not be suspicious of Scabbers? They had that rat for twelve years when the life expectancy of a rat is four at the most! (Hermione looked that one up. What would I do without her? Die, most like.)

Second, this was the Year that I lost any hope or faith in the Magical government (as if last summer was not a clue?) When they caught Sirius, a man not even formally charged (Hermione looked that up) much less convicted of anything, they were going to have him summarily and immediately put to death. Call it what you like, having your soul sucked out is execution! At least Dumbledork allowed us to prevent that miscarriage of justice. But did he do more? Head of the Wizengamot, the high court, the legislature? NO!

Then there's Remus. Best teacher I had in Defense bar none. Only one who tried to really help me. Forced to resign for a minor and controllable medical condition that never impacted his abilities as a teacher! Fucking Malfoys! Who died and made them king? If it were me, the lot of them would be flogged!

Number 10: Fourth Year.

Where do I begin?

Quidditch World Cup! A handful of drunk Death Eaters against tens of thousands and not one of them is even captured? Had this happened in the Real World, none of them would be alive. If the fans didn't kill the lot with their bare hands, the cops would have put so many bullets into them that their remains would have needed to be scooped up with a shovel! Far as I know, I can't put direct blame on Dumbledore for that fiasco! Fuck the Wizarding World. Bunch of bloody cowards the lot of them! They proclaim me a Savior when it suits them. God helps those who help themselves! The more I think about it, the more I want to leave them behind and let them ROT! (Provided I can take Hermione with me, of course. She's the only person in this world worth saving!)

Moody. Supposed to be one of Dumbledore's oldest friends and yet Barty Crouch, Jr. is able to fool the old geezer for a year? Bullshit!

Tri-Wizard: McGonagall demanded an investigation! Dumbledore shot her down. Decided to see how things went! Damn it, I never wanted to be a part of that! NEVER! I thought you had to assent to a magical contract in SOME manner!

(My BIG mistake was not asking Hermione to the Yule Ball. Damn was she beautiful that night!)

Still, one would think I'd get a little help. Okay, I did - from Hermione.

Second Task: What bloody sick ass bastard thought Ron was the one thing I'd miss the most. Damn it! Had Krum not rescued her, I would have AND I WOULD HAVE AND LEFT RON BEHIND! Something tells be the sick ass bastard was Dumbledore.

Cedric Diggory. Why does his death bother me? I didn't actually kill him. Pettigrew did. I've killed two men already and never even think about them at all. I certainly don't dream about their deaths. I didn't even know Cedric. I guess it's because I couldn't stop the obvious. Perhaps Hermione's right, I got a saving people thing.

We had just portkeyed into God knows where. I was already injured and had a bad landing and blew out my knew. I was disoriented, in pain and hadn't time to get a lay for the battlefield at all. I told Cedric to get out, 'cause I couldn't help him and knew it, and he had to act the part of the hero and stand his ground and get snuffed! I barely remember getting back. Voldemort was back and Cedric was dead. His parents were - it was a total loss for them. I guess that's why it still haunts me.

This is War. In War there are only two rules:

Rule One: People die.

Rule Two: You can't change Rule One.

Why don't I want to believe that? (And why doesn't Dumbledore and the others know that Rule One is and absolute? It's KILL OR BE KILLED, PERIOD!) From now on, no prisoners! No mercy! The enemy has two choices from me: unconditional surrender or death! If the rest of the Wizarding World thinks otherwise, LET THEM ROT!

Harry stopped and closed the notebook. He was tired and would leave the rest of his questions for later. For now, he picked up a quill and parchment to write a letter to Hermione.

My Dearest Hermione:

Did I tell you I love you?

You are the reason I wake up in the mornings and the reason I continue on through this madness. Without you, none of this is worth it. I do love you so much and would rather be kissing you and holding you than thinking about it while I write.

I've been thinking of things while I've been missing you so terribly. Yes, it's only been a few hours. Damn it, this summer could have been PERFECT! But I'm stuck here!

I've been thinking about things. Things that make no sense. I will tell you, Love, but I've only just begun to try and make some kind of sense about them. I promise, soon, I will send you my thoughts on this. Okay?

I'm also trying to think of ways for us to be together even if only for a little while this summer. Keep faith in me, Love, I've only just begun to think of - possibilities. My fear is that when I am released from this prison, I'll be sent to Weasley hell. I fear that this year, you will receive no invite. Don't know about you, but Ron and Ginny seemed a bit off. Regardless, it is my intention to be with you this summer and for the rest of my life! Count on it! (And I mean the rest of a real life! Decades and decades of us!)

I pray that I dream of you tonight and always.

I love you!

Harry.

P.S: I have a really bad feeling, Hermione. Something's up with Ron and I don't know what it is but I don't like it. Please promise me you will not go to the Weasleys unless you know I am already there. Please, Hermione? I couldn't live with myself if something were to happen that I could have stopped.

Harry put the letter into an envelope and opened the large bird cage looking at the snowy owl inside that had been watching him with interest. The owl hopped out of the cage and onto Harry's shoulder and seemed to hold her leg out. Harry tied the letter to its leg.

"It's for Hermione, Hedwig," Harry said. "Wait for the reply."

Hedwig gave a low hoot and flew out the open window of Harry's bedroom and into the night.

A/N: RELATIONSHIP SCORECARD:

If you didn't read the Intro, you missed that. This is so you can keep up with who's with who and how.

Harry James Potter, age 15 (born 7/31/80)Hermione Jane Granger, age 16 (9/19/79). Girlfriend/fiancé as of 6/18/96.