The weeks rolled on after Christmas, Hermione had received many visits from Ron. First he asked for her forgiveness. They had spent an afternoon together at a café, they spent it chatting and trying to get to know each other again since it seemed they didn't know one another anymore. She told him about her job at the ministry and how it was going and what was new. He laughed when he found out she worked in the Law Department saying that she would be the next Law Director in no time and that she would be the first to have laws against having house elves without paying them. She smiled saying that would be nice. Ron then switched to talking about Lucas asking if he was just as smart as her or if he liked qudditch. She said yes to both, saying that he was one of the smartest first graders she new and that qudditch was one of the things he dreamed to do.

Many of their other "dates" were the same just chatting about things, one day it would be about Ron and the dragons another day would be about Hermione and Lucas. One day though Ron had asked about Lucas' father, Hermione paled unsure of what to say . She continued to look at her coffee but Ron spoke for her.

"He doesn't have a father does he?" Hermione shook her head in agreement. "But why?"

Hermione looked up at him. "He doesn't know his father and neither do I but I prefer it that way."

"How do you not know the man Hermione, it's not like you were ra…" he froze, Hermione wasn't looking at him but staring into her coffee. "That's it isn't it you were raped.

Hermione felt tears burn in her eyes as she slowly looked up at Ron, she nodded her head the tears finally escaping.

Ron just stared at her not sure what to do he felt horrible that this had happened to Hermione. "I'm so sorry Hermione I wish I would of known I would of came home immediately to take care of you." He reached over and wiped her tears away.

"Ron there's nothing anyone could of done and I had a lot of help so don't beat yourself up about it," said Hermione.

Ron looked down at his cup thinking over his words safely. "I know Hermione but Lucas needs a father and not that the men in his life take care of him I just think he needs one that will be there for him all the time and to help you raise him."

Hermione looked at him a small smile on her lips. "You're sweet Ron and it's a great thought but you're just a friend more then that you're like a brother to me and I wouldn't be able to accept you as anything more."

Though he didn't show it he was hurt, he always thought Hermione had feelings for him that there was a possibility that they could get together but seemed that she didn't want him other then a brother. Maybe she just wasn't sure maybe she didn't feel safe around him just yet. That was Ron's thoughts. He loved Hermione and he knew that she loved him back she just was stubborn and didn't want to prove it. He wouldn't give up he wanted to show her that they could work out.

And Ron was true to his word, he sent her letters asking for a get together, he asked to spend time with Lucas, and Hermione let him she didn't want to be rude to her best friend, so they spent time together and Hermione found that Ron seemed to be trying to get close to them to be the man in their lives that he had talked about. But Hermione made sure that he knew they were friends nothing else, though Ron said he understood he was still trying to be close and kept trying.

As the Christmas holiday drifted away Hermione found herself back into her old schedule. Taking Lucas to school, going to work spending her day in the offices, then picking Lucas up after work, returning home to cook dinner, homework, getting Lucas to bed, and then going over her paper work that she brought home from work. She liked having a schedule, being busy it seemed to relax her. So everything was back to normal. There were no more "guardian letters" to her relief she had enough to think about with the chains that Lucas wore and herself. She still wondered if they were bad to be wearing but after a month of having them and nothing going wrong she soon banished the thought of danger and went on with her life.

One evening after finishing work she had just picked up Lucas and they were on their way home. He held tight to his mother's hand as he went on about his day, about how one of the girls wouldn't leave him alone and had tried to kiss him. Hermione just laughed at the thought of her son running away from the silly child.

"And I taught Scott a lesson about bulling," said Lucas with a little hop.

"What do you mean a lesson?" Hermione asked looking down at her son.

"He pushed me into a puddle, and when he walked away from me I picked him up and threw him into the mud," said Lucas as if it wasn't a big deal.

"How did you throw him?" Hermione had stopped and turned her son around, she knelt down and looked her son in the eye.

"I just thought it would be funny if he fell into the mud and then it happened," whispered Lucas looking down at his little feet. "I'm sorry mommy."

Hermione ran over her scrambled thoughts trying to think of a good exclamation for this, but only came up with one. Magic. Her son was showing magic at six, it was a good sign of course but that he was hurting people wasn't good. She was about to say something when the sight of two cloaked figures across the street caught her attention. She watched them closely as they turned to face her. Her eyes widened, they were reaching into their robes, which was enough for Hermione to know that they were trouble. She gathered Lucas up in her arms as fast as she could and started to run. Screams were heard instantly as flashes of purple surrounded the streets.

Running as fast as her legs would take her, Lucas held tight to her neck as he cried and looked out over her shoulder. A scream escaped his small throat as he held tighter to his mother. Chancing it Hermione looked over her shoulder and found the cloaked figures gaining on her. They had their wands out cursing anyone in their path, fear was quickly running through her veins. Just as she turned she ran into a man sending her to the ground and letting go of Lucas who fell a few feet from her.

Crawling over to her wailing son she looked up and found the cloaked people only feet away. She grabbed Lucas' face in her hands and made him look at her, looking to her right she saw an alley.

"Lucas listen to me I need to run into that alley and keeping going and do not look back. You understand?" She watched as Lucas nodded slowly. "Okay baby go!"

Lucas got to his feet and darted down the alley when he was far enough Hermione put her attention back on the cloaked people, going for her wand she pulled it out and pointed at them. The one closes to her took no notice to the wand and only knocked it out her hand, then brought his free hand across her face. Hermione fell back to the ground, the taste of blood in her mouth. Looking up she saw them going down the alley. No. Lucas!

Getting up she grabbed her wand and followed them. "Impedimenta!" She screamed sending a orange spark flying into the back of the person who had hit her. They immediately slowed down taking an inch at a time. The other guy turned raising their wand the spell was unspoken but in a flash Hermione found herself being raised into the air, with a flick of the guys wand Hermione was sent further into the alley only to land on the snowy cement ground. A sickening snap echoed in the alley as Hermione cried out in pain, her arm throbbed with unbelievable pain, and hot tears welled in her eyes.

The guy that had thrown her advanced, unfreezing his partner on the way. Together they made their way toward Hermione who was slowly getting to her knees her left arm limp at her side. Raising her wand hand she tried to cast a curse but was unable to for the one that she had slowed down stepped up, and punched her making contact with her nose, another snap and Hermione doubled over in pain. Through tears she looked up to see his wand at her then in a burst he cried. "Crucio."

Instantly white-hot knives were piercing every inch of her skin, her screams reaching their max as she laid on her back her eyes jammed shut, her head felt like it was going to burst with pain. The pain only lasted a minute but it was the longest minute she had ever lived. The pain slipped away slowly and she looked up at the two figures through blurred eyes.

"We are not here to kill her, just to get the boy and leave," said the that had thrown her.

"So what I don't care she deserves to die," said the other.

In the distance she heard a little whimper, slowly turning her pounding head she looked toward it and found that Lucas was hiding in a cardboard box. He was on his knees, tears streaming down his cheeks. Hermione forced a weak smile toward her son, trying to show that she was okay.

"Come on let's just get the child and go,"

"Fine but let me do it one more time,"

"Fine but make it quick," An evil grin rose on the mans lips as he raised hi wand again. "Crucio!"

Once again the hot knife pain returned stabbing at her body, she screamed louder then she had done in her whole life, her body was weak and tired now her throat dry and sore. The pain came to a stop and Hermione fell into unconsciousness unaware of the new person in the alley.

He entered from the streets, standing behind Hermione's attackers. From his cloak he brought his wand out raising it toward the unaware attackers. "Wingardium Leviosa!" The white light flew to the 'Crucio' man raising him into the air, he flipped around in the air yelling and cussing at the man on the ground. With a swift flick he sent the levitated man into the brick wall, he fell limply to the ground.

The other attacker turned only to be hit with a red spark that sent him into a pile of garbage stunned. Pocketing his wand the man walked smoothly up to the unconscious men checking their pulses. As he did do Lucas crawled out of hiding toward his mother. He reached for her hand.

"Mommy wake up, the bad men are gone it's okay to wake up," he said looking down at his mother. "Please mommy I want you to wake up." She didn't move and Lucas began to cry, his sobs loud.

The savior of Hermione and Lucas had finished checking the men finding that they were still breathing, he then turned to Lucas and found him sobbing over his mother. Quietly he walked over, knelling he check Hermione's pulse he sighed in relief. She was still breathing. He looked at Lucas his face hidden by his hood, he pushed it back allowing the child to look at him.

Lucas looked at the stranger, he didn't care for this grey-eyed, blond hair man all he cared about was that his mother would wake up so they could go home and watch TV and have dinner like every other night.

"Your mother is going to be okay ," the stranger spoke softly. "But you must come with me now before more bad men come. Can you do that? Can you come with me so I can keep you safe?"

Lucas didn't know his mother always told him to stay away from strangers and not to trust them, but this stranger had saved him and his mother so maybe he was a good stranger. He slowly nodded his head.

The stranger moved to pick up Hermione, taking ease of her arm. Cradling her to his chest, he looked down at Lucas. "I need you to hold as tight as you can to my leg okay?" Lucas nodded and wrapped his little arms around the mans leg.

Smiling down at him he raised his wand as far as he could without letting go of Hermione and thought of the safe place he had set up for the three. With a loud pop they vanished from the alley and away from danger.