I have been soooo completely unmotivated to write lately, BUT reading the new chapters of "A Strange Piece of Temperamental Magic" by thatgirlinredandgold got me motivated to write more :) so here's chapter 3…and guys, it doesn't take long to review so please do it! And constructive criticism is more than welcome :)

JKR owns HP

Hermione's POV

"Would you like something to drink, dear?" Mrs. Granger asked her daughter. "You must be absolutely parched after the trip here."

Hermione Weasley sat in a quaint wooden chair at her parents' kitchen table along with her husband, Ron, her mother, and her two children, Rose and Hugo.

"No, Mum, I'm fine. I'm sure Rose and Hugo could do with something, though." Hermione's words were slurred from exhaustion. Mrs. Granger leapt up from her seat at the head of the table and scurried to the refrigerator to fill up two glasses of water for her grandchildren.

"Hermione, dear," Ron said timidly, "we can't stay forever, you do know that?" They'd been there for an hour already, even though Hermione had promised Ron they were only dropping off the kids and leaving right away.

"I know, I know," said Hermione, pressing a hand to her aching head. "I'm trying to find a way not to insult Mum. If we had an excuse to—"

Just then, two bodies apparated right on top of the kitchen table, squashing the cinnamon-scented candle in the center of it. Mrs. Granger screamed. Ron and Hermione whipped their wands out and backed up from the visitors as quickly as they could. Rose and Hugo hunkered beneath the table until Hermione screeched at them to get back.

"Stupefy!" Hermione cried. A woman with a mane of red hair flew back against the kitchen counter.

"Stop! Stop!" The woman whimpered. She was sprawled on the floor of the kitchen, grasping her side.

Both Ron and Hermione's eyes widened with recognition, and they rushed to Ginny Potter. "She's splinched," Hermione yelped.

"Harry," Ginny gurgled, "Get Harry first."

Ron stayed at Ginny's side as Hermione rushed to Harry and began reciting spells. Hermione cursed. "Ron, get my bag. Now."

Ron looked almost to tears. "But Ginny—"

"Now, Ronald Weasley!" Hermione then turned her attention back to Harry. "Merlin, Harry, what on earth were you doing to get yourself into this mess?" She knew she was silly for asking the question—Harry was unconscious, after all—but she couldn't help herself from talking to him even though he was unresponsive. Hermione swallowed deep, then began reciting "vulnera sanentur" three times over. It was a spell Harry had taught her, the very same spell he'd seen Snape use to heal sectumsempra in their sixth year at Hogwarts.

The multiple wounds on Harry's body, including the deep one on his leg—his bone had been visible—had begun to heal. Blood loss began to subside, followed by the reweaving of skin and muscle.

"Mum," Hermione heard a tiny voice squeak. She'd completely forgotten about Rose, Hugo, and her own mother after Ron had run up the stairs for Hermione's bag. What was taking him so long? "Mum, Uncle Harry…" Rose was in tears, holding on to the hand of her grandmother, who was attempting to herd her two grandchildren into the hallway, away from the blood and madness.

"He's fine, Rose, he'll heal." Hermione left her mother to look after the children and made her way quickly over to a twitching Ginny. "Hold still," Hermione said. "Ron should be here soon with the Dittany. I don't know what's taking him so long. RON!"

Hermione heard the pounding of footsteps down the stairs of her childhood home. She could even hear Ron's breathing, heavy and strained. "Accio!" she heard him shout, and then, "Hermione!" He half-gasped her name. "They found us!"

Mrs. Granger screamed once more, and returned to the kitchen with both Rose and Hugo. "Horrid things, horrid, horrid things!" she shrieked.

With no time to waste, Hermione snatched up her two children and began shoving them through the back door. She turned around just in time to see her bag hurtling through the air toward her. "Thank Merlin," she whispered. Hermione then switched her strategy and shuffled her mother, Rose, and Hugo toward the fireplace. She dug in her bag as quickly as possible for floopowder, finding it in less than five seconds. She could hear the shouts of spells being cast from Ron and from voices she didn't recognize. They were no doubt outnumbered.

Hermione had gathered her three family members inside the fireplace when Ron burst into the kitchen, followed by men in black cloaks and masks.

"Go!" He shouted to her. Hermione glanced from Ron to her family in the fireplace, then to a now-still Ginny and a slowly stirring Harry. She couldn't save them all, she simply couldn't. "Go!" Ron yelled once more, still fighting off the masked men.

Hermione stepped backward into the fireplace, took hold of the three members of her family, threw down her floopowder, and shouted, "Shell Cottage!"

Within seconds, the four had come tumbling out of Bill and Fleur's fireplace, covered in soot.

A startled Fleur jumped up from the sofa facing the fireplace. She put a hand to her heart. "Hermione! Oh, you scared me! What's happened? Why are you here?"

"Death Eaters," said Hermione. "They're back, and they tracked us. And Ron—" Hermione choked. "Ron and Harry. And Ginny." Hermione's mouth moved a mile a minute.

"Slow down," said Fleur, placing her hands on Hermione's shoulders. "Where are the three others?"

Hermione took a deep breath. "They're with death eaters. I didn't know what to do. Harry and Ginny apparated on the table, and Harry was hurt and Ginny got splinched." Tears began running down Hermione's face. "So I sent Ron upstairs for my bag, but when he came down, there were death eaters trailing them. We used the floo network. I just…left them there." The poor witch was now uncontrollably sobbing, which caused much whimpering from Rose and Hugo. Mrs. Granger stroked her daughter's hair as though she understood the seriousness of what had just occurred.

Fleur cursed. "Let me go get Bill and the kids. Make yourselves at home in the meantime," and she rushed out of the room without another word.

Hermione then proceeded to plop herself down on the couch. "Mum," Rose whined, sitting next to Hermione. "I got a scratch when we fell out of Uncle Bill and Aunt Fleur's fireplace. Can I please, please have some dittany? It stings."

"Dittany," said Hermione distantly. "Sweetheart, your father took the dittany for Aunt Ginny. He doesn't know many healing spells, Rosie, it was one of his only options. You'll be fine, though. It's just a scratch, it'll heal in no time."

"But it hurts, Mum!" Rose moaned.

Hermione decided that she didn't have time for her daughter's antics over a small scratch. She tipped over her bag, and out poured everything she'd been able to stuff in it with an extension charm onto the floor in front of her. "I should have something in here, Rosie, just be patient." As Hermione sifted through the contents of her bag, a strangely-shaped bottle caught her eye. Hermione picked up the bottle and twisted it over to read the label. Her heart dropped to her stomach.

Essence of Dittany, read the label.

SO there's chapter 3 for yah. Sorry my chapters are so short, I'll try to start making them longer :/ Please review! It keeps me motivated and it makes my day! Right now, my motivation comes solely from my love of HP and from my marvelous friend Meghan (who, unfortunately, does not have a fanfiction account), and of course that lovely inspiration boost that thatgirlinredingold's story gave me….