Thanks nagi92! Another chapter released! A shorter one this time, but I hope you enjoy! You guys are probably wondering where Harry's friends are...

The day ends

By ten o'clock that evening Harry decided it was probably safe for him to leave work. Sometimes it wasn't just the wizard press who were waiting for him. In the early days he'd assumed the ones who jumped on him were the families of the Death Eaters he'd had sent to Azkaban. His world shattered when he learned they were people who'd been on his side too.

As he was fastening his cloak, Kingsley appeared in the doorway again.

"Minister?" Harry hesitated. Strictly speaking, the employees weren't allowed to stay at the Ministry any later than seven unless they had authorization. "You've been working late?"

Kingsley chuckled. "I could say the same thing about you. You're the first to get here and the last to leave. You do know you don't get paid by the hour?"

Harry smiled weakly. "I best be getting home."

"Why is that?"

He faltered. "Because it's where I live."

"You know that's not what I meant. Why do you work so many hours? Dipow works you hard, but not that hard."

Kingsley Shacklebolt had often reminded him of fire. He could be terrifying and destructive when he wanted to be. Harry had seen the man in battle, seen him send prisoners to Azkaban, seen him reduce men to tears with a look. But mainly he was warm and comforting. He invited confidence. He could see no reason to lie to him.

"People wait for me." Harry said honestly. "In the mornings and in the evenings. Mainly the press. So I leave home when they're all still in bed and leave work when they're getting ready for it again."

Kingsley frowned in concern. "We should tighten your security again. I should never have allowed it to be abandoned."

Harry waved it off, suddenly embarrassed. The last thing he wanted was security. "I'm fine. I'm a big boy."

"I'm serious, Harry. I'd do the same for any employee who was being stalked. No matter how capable they thought they were. And a word of advice, you avoiding the press makes you an interesting story. It makes your picture more expensive. I know you don't like the intrusion and I know they'd write a load of shit at first, but if you were to start walking past them again they'd get bored. At the moment you're giving them a show by being so secretive. So bore them instead."

Harry gave a small grateful smile. "Thanks, Kingsley."

"What have you got there?"

Harry froze. The file he'd been trying to carry discreetly under his arm suddenly felt heavy. He should have done a better job of hiding it. He made a mental note to stuff it into the waistband of his jeans next time.

He swallowed. "I was just going to cast my eye of this for Dipow this evening." He said airily. "Nothing important."

"You are an appalling liar, Harry." Kingsley held his hand out for the file.

When Harry eventually handed it over, the Minister didn't look surprised as he thought he would.

Nor was there anger or disappointment on his face. Only sadness. "After all this time?"

Harry swallowed again. "I just read it occasionally." He felt his hands begin to sweat. "It's the case I never cracked. I just like to read it in case I missed something."

Kingsley put the file down and enveloped him in a hug. It was so unexpected but also so welcome. He could feel a tightening in his throat as he tried not to cry. He cursed himself for feeling so weak. Men weren't supposed to feel as deeply as he seemed to. They were supposed to be strong. His weakness made him a child. But it hurt too much to fight.

"You have to let her go." Kingsley said softly. "I know it's hard. You don't need to forget her, but you must move on with your life."

"We never found a body." His lips were dry. "I just feel – we – you know – we never found a body. We don't know that she's gone."

"Harry, it's been five years. Don't think she would have appeared by now?"

"She could have been kidnapped." It blurted out of him as he pulled away. "There's Death Eaters who went missing too. Maybe she's with them?"

"Harry, there's too many maybes." He could tell Kingsley was trying to hide his exasperation. "We explored all the possible options when she first disappeared."

"If we'd explored all the possible options we would have found her by now!" Harry exploded. "A person can't just disappear like that. Not without a trace." He snatched the file back and leafed through it. "This is the smallest file I have. There is no evidence of anything. There is always evidence of something. No trail to follow. The lack of information is suspicious. If she'd died at the battle there'd be a body or a witness. She has been taken by someone who does not want her to be found. Someone clever. Someone dangerous."

"I understand-"

"No you don't understand!" Harry slammed the file on the table, anger searing through him like unbearable heat. "The woman I love has been taken and no one is helping me find her."

He was breathless, his heart pounding, his head thudding. He could feel his hands shaking as he fought the instinct to attack Kingsley, to attack anyone who was stopping him from carrying on with his hunt.

For a second a shadow crossed Kingsley's face. Was it hurt? But then his Minister's face resumed. The one Harry knew he could not argue with.

"She is gone." He said steadily. "I believe she is dead. Many do. It's been five years, Harry. You need to move on with your life." His gaze softened. "Like she would want you to. Stop fighting your grief, Harry. Hermione's gone."

Thanks in advance for the reviews! Where do you think Hermione is?