The Cottage.
Despite it being the first week of the summer holidays, Hermione Granger was settled in the library at Grimmauld Place, surrounded by books. Normally Hermione didn't spend the first part of her holidays with her friends, but she was looking into new information about Horcruxes that the headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, had given to her best friend, Harry Potter. Of course, Hermione was supposed to be trying to help the Order of the Phoenix, but what she was really doing was making sure that they didn't get their hands on any more of Voldemort's Horcruxes.
While everyone thought Hermione was an innocent muggleborn, with her loyalties tied to the light, she was really a pureblood witch posing as a muggleborn. In fact, she was the daughter of Rabastan Lestrange and a witch named, Keira Granger, who also just so happened to be Voldemort's daughter via a brief fling many years ago. As Voldemort's granddaughter, Hermione was very much on the dark side, and her act as a muggleborn was just that, an act aimed at making sure the light were never victorious in the war against her grandfather.
After six years of playing the part of the good little muggleborn, Hermione had her act perfected and she knew no-one in the Order suspected her true colours. She was above suspicion, and when the time was right she was going to lead Harry to his downfall. She was the key to the dark winning the war, and she couldn't wait until the time was right to deliver Harry into her grandfather's hands.
"Hermione."
Hermione jumped slightly at the sound of Harry's voice, but she didn't bother hiding her books as he moved into the room. Even though she was planning on changing some of the information she found, she knew Harry wouldn't spot anything untoward with her research. After all, he and his other best friend, Ron Weasley, always left this stuff to her as they wouldn't know where to begin.
"How's it going?" Harry asked as he pulled out a chair and settled himself next to Hermione.
"Slow," Hermione replied. "But I'll get there, I always do."
"I'm sure," Harry muttered.
"Is everything okay, Harry?" Hermione asked, frowning at her friend's lack of enthusiasm. She thought he would be eager to continue the search for the Horcruxes, but he didn't seem at all bothered by her progress.
"Not really," Harry admitted with a sigh. "There's something I need to talk to you about, Hermione."
"It sounds serious," Hermione replied as she shut the book she'd been leafing through.
"It is," Harry confirmed as he ran his hand through his unruly black hair. "I don't know how to say this, Hermione, so I'm just going to be blunt. You're in danger."
"Aren't we all?" Hermione retorted with a snort. "We're in the middle of a war, Harry."
"It's not the war," Harry replied. "It's Ron."
"What's Ron?" Hermione questioned with a frown.
"You're in danger from Ron," Harry clarified. "He'll be turning up this evening, and he plans on obliviating you."
"What?"
"I know, I know, its madness," Harry replied with a sigh. "I've been trying to talk some sense into him, but he's determined to go through with his crazy plan. He thinks it's the only way to save you."
"Save me from what?" Hermione asked warily. She didn't think her cover had been blown, but she wasn't taking anything for granted.
"Yourself," Harry answered. "A few weeks before the end of term, Ron came to me with a bizarre story of seeing you with Draco Malfoy. At first I didn't believe him, but he convicted me to follow you the next day, and I saw it with my own eyes. You're involved with him, aren't you?"
Hermione was momentarily stunned as Harry confronted her about Draco. It was true that she was having a romance with the blond Slytherin, but she thought they'd been discreet in school. Clearly, they'd slipped up and gotten careless over the last few weeks of term. Now she just had to decide if she could talk her way out of trouble, or if she would have to flee.
"Hermione," Harry prompted. "It's okay, you can tell me. I promise I won't fly off the handle."
"You're right, I am involved with Draco," Hermione replied, deciding to try and bluff her way out of trouble. "We've been seeing each other for a few months."
"Even though his father is a Death Eater?"
"Rumoured Death Eater," Hermione corrected. Draco's father, Lucius Malfoy, had been very careful to hide his connections to Voldemort in order to avoid trouble. "Nothing was proven all those years ago."
"Not through lack of trying though, Hermione," Harry pointed out. "It was only his money that got him off. And according to Dumbledore's sources, Lucius is back in league with Voldemort."
"Maybe he is, but Draco isn't," Hermione replied. Even though Draco was actually loyal to the dark, he'd yet to receive his mark, so she was easily able to portray him as innocent. "If he was part of the dark, he wouldn't have gotten involved with me. Surely the fact he's secretly dating a muggleborn is proof he's not our enemy."
"That's what I said to Ron," Harry said with a small smile.
Hermione's mouth dropped open at Harry's revelation. "What? You believe me about Draco?"
"Yes, I believe you," Harry confirmed as he took hold of Hermione's hand. "I trust you, Hermione, and I know you would never get mixed up with someone who stands with the enemy. I tried to tell Ron that we can't judge Malfoy based on who his father is, but Ron didn't want to hear it. You know how much he hates Malfoy, he just won't believe he's wrong about him."
"So what, he thought Draco was seducing me to the dark?" Hermione laughed. She was feeling much better now she knew Harry was on her side and hadn't let Ron and his poisonous thoughts turn him against her.
"Something like that," Harry agreed with a slight nod of his head. "Anyway, the whole point is that Ron won't listen to reason. He's determined that you're in trouble and he needs to save you. He's now come up with this crazy plan that he's going to obliviate you so you forget about Malfoy."
"Then what?" Hermione frowned. "Even if it works and I forget Draco, he won't just forget about me. He loves me Harry, he won't just let it go if I suddenly don't remember him."
"I don't think Ron's thought that far ahead to be honest," Harry admitted with a sigh. "Unfortunately, he's stopped listening to reason. I've tried to talk him out of this, but he's determined to go through with it. I eventually had to cave in and agree with his plan as I thought he was going to try to obliviate me."
"You're working with Ron to wipe my memories?" Hermione demanded as she shot to her feet and took a few steps away from Harry.
"Of course not," Harry gently protested. "I'm telling you about his plan, aren't I? I'm here to help you, Hermione. Please just let me save you before Ron tries to obliviate you."
Hermione paused for a few seconds as she tried to decide what to do for the best. Given the situation, it could be prudent just to leave now and never return. However, she still had Harry's trust, and that was the key thing. As long as Harry trusted her and was on her side, she was safe, and she was still able to follow through with her grandfather's plan and deliver Harry when he was ready for him. Hermione just wished she could be a hundred percent sure Harry was telling her the truth, and not just playing her in order to help Ron. she was really tempted to take a peek into his thoughts, but even though Harry had never mastered Occulemency, he'd taken enough lessons so that he would register her presence in his head and then he wouldn't trust her if she rifled through his memories and thoughts. Instead, she had to rely on her instincts, and they were telling her that she still had Harry exactly where she wanted him.
"Please Hermione," Harry urged. "You can trust me."
"I know," Hermione whispered as she sat back down beside him. "I do trust you, Harry, and thank you for trusting me."
"Why wouldn't I?" Harry grinned at her. "You're my best friend, Hermione. You've been there for me since I was eleven years old, and I've lost count of the number of times you've saved my life, or helped save it. I'm not going to turn my back on you."
"So how do you propose we avoid Ron's attempt to obliviate me?" Hermione asked. To be honest she wasn't even sure if Ron was skilled enough to obliviate her, but she didn't want to stick around and find out.
"We have to move fast, since he'll be here sometime this afternoon or evening," Harry began. "But I suggest you leave. Obviously you can't go back home, as he'll find you, and it's too risky for you to run to Malfoy."
"You want me to run?" Hermione questioned, taken aback by Harry's proposal.
"Not run, hide," Harry corrected. "I've spoken to Sirius, and even though he doesn't know everything, he's given me the location of a cottage his family owns. I can take you there, and you can hide out there while I calm Ron down and talk him out of doing something rash. I promise you'll be safe at the cottage."
"But how long would I have to be there?" Hermione asked, not sure if she wanted to go ahead with Harry's plan. She wanted to keep him onside, and refusing his help wouldn't help with that, but she didn't fancy spending her summer locked away in a cottage with no contact with her family.
"Hopefully not long," Harry replied. "And don't worry about Malfoy. I can get a message to him and let him know you're safe. If you want, I can even bring him to you. We just need to get you away before Ron arrives and things get out of hand."
Hermione was quiet as she mulled over Harry's suggestion. If she went along with it, Harry would be kept sweet and he would have no reason to listen to Ron and not trust her. And even if she did go along with his plan and leave, she didn't have to stay at the cottage. She could leave and return home, where Ron couldn't get to her. All she would have to do was make sure she was back at the cottage when Harry returned for her once he'd dealt with Ron.
"Okay, we'll do it," She decided. "But I'm not staying there for longer than a week. If you're still having trouble with Ron in a week, we need another plan. I can't spend my entire summer in hiding."
"Of course not," Harry agreed. "If Ron's still being stubborn in a week, I'm calling in back-up. I want to handle this myself, but if I have to I'll bring Dumbledore or someone in on things. They can handle Ron, and you can come back here or go home for the rest of the holidays."
"Deal," Hermione replied with a nod.
"Now that's sorted, go and quickly pack a bag," Harry said. "I can get you to the cottage as soon as possible, and then I can hopefully let Malfoy know you're safe before I have to worry about dealing with Ron."
"Thank you, Harry, you're the best," Hermione said, giving Harry a peck on the cheek as she stood up and exited the library.
Heading to the room she always used when she was at Grimmauld Place, Hermione quickly packed her bag. She didn't really plan on spending a week at the cottage, but she would stay long enough to see if Harry kept his word and informed Draco where she was. And if he didn't, she would know that Harry couldn't really be trusted and she would leave of her own accord. She would return home to her family, and let Harry worry about what exactly had happened to her.
After checking she hadn't forgotten anything, Hermione returned to the library where Harry was waiting for her. Together the pair headed downstairs and exited via the front door so they could apparate to the cottage. On the doorstep of the house, Harry took hold of Hermione's hand and pulling out his wand he whisked her away from London and into the countryside.
When the pair landed, Hermione found herself standing outside of a small, white cottage by the seaside. Even though she couldn't actually see the sea, she could hear it, and the air had the distinctive salty atmosphere you only got on the coast. The cottage itself was an idyllic looking place, with a small front garden.
"It's not much, but you won't be here long," Harry said as he pushed open the front gate. "I've taken the liberty of stocking up the cupboards. It'll be enough for a few days, but hopefully I'll be back soon."
"Hopefully," Hermione agreed as she followed Harry up the small garden path and towards the front door of the cottage.
Harry opened the front door using his wand, and Hermione followed him inside. The interior of the cottage was neat and tidy, with slightly old fashioned furniture. It wasn't exactly a luxurious place, but it was nice enough and Hermione was only planning on hanging around for a few days anyway.
"The bedroom and bathroom are upstairs," Harry said. "And Sirius said you're free to poke around and use whatever you may find. Just make yourself at home, Hermione, and I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Good luck," Hermione said as she gave Harry a peck on the cheek. "And thank you again, Harry."
"It's nothing," Harry replied with a smile. "I just want you to be safe, Hermione."
Promising that she wouldn't have to worry about Ron, Harry said his goodbyes and exited the cottage, magically locking the door behind him as he left. Hermione heard the pop of apparition to signal he'd gone, before she headed off upstairs to explore. The top floor of the cottage was decorated in the same slightly old fashioned taste as the downstairs, but things seemed comfortable enough. Plus the view from the back room was stunning, and looked out over the sea.
After dumping her bag in the largest bedroom, Hermione set about exploring the place properly. By the time she'd been in the cottage for a couple of hours she'd found two chests full of books that she was itching to explore. Since the house belonged to Sirius' family, and the Blacks had a long history with the dark arts, she was hoping some of the books would be interesting. Other than the books, the cottage was pretty mundane and she found nothing else of interest.
After her initial search of the house, Hermione headed back downstairs where she decided to light a fire and have some dinner. That was when she realised there was something wrong. In the front room, she flicked her wand to gather the ingredients and light the fire, but nothing happened. Frowning, she tried again and still nothing happened.
"What the hell?" She muttered as she looked at her wand in annoyance. "Accio bag," She called, deciding to try another spell.
As with the fire nothing happened, and a feeling of panic began to well inside her. Moving out of the living room, she kept trying various spells but none of them worked. Running back upstairs she grabbed her bag, before flying back down to the ground floor and making her way to the door. However, when she went to open the door, nothing happened.
"Alohamora!" She cried in frustration as the door refused to budge. "Bombarda!"
When nothing happened, she kicked out at the door in frustration before she turned and made her way to the back door. Like the front door, it wouldn't budge, no matter what spells Hermione hurled its way. The windows were no better, and after a good half an hour roaming the house, Hermione came to the conclusion she was stuck.
"Stupid cow," She spat, angry that she'd let herself be tricked by Harry. Obviously he'd been on Ron's side the entire time, and he'd just told her what she wanted to hear in order to get her away from Grimmauld Place.
Annoyed with herself, Hermione threw her bag down on one of the chairs in the front room, and collapsed onto the small sofa. She wanted nothing more than to get her hands on Harry and make him pay for trapping her in the pokey little cottage, but she knew she would get her revenge. What Harry didn't know was that she wore a bracelet with a tracking spell attached to it. The spell enabled her family to know where she was when she was with the Order, and she knew once her parents and grandfather realised she wasn't in London, they would come looking for her. They would rescue her, and then Harry would pay for siding with Ron over her.
Over an hour later, Hermione was still mulling over how her family would rescue her, when an envelope fluttered down the chimney. As the envelope fluttered into the room, Hermione bent down and picked it up. Her name was written on the front in neat cursive writing, and when she opened the envelope, instead of a letter she was faced with a holographic projection of Harry.
"Hello Hermione," Harry began. "I'm sure by now you're realising that you're trapped. You can't escape and your magic isn't working. I'm sure you think it's because of Ron, but the truth is, Ron knows nothing about your dalliance with Malfoy. In fact, poor Ron has no idea just who you are, but I do. You see, Dumbledore has never trusted you, you were always too perfect. Secretly he started looking into your past, and he discovered who you truly are. You're not a muggleborn, you're a pureblood witch and your mother is the daughter of Voldemort. You're Voldemort's granddaughter and you've been playing us this entire time. Well now it's your turn to be played. You got cocky Hermione, and you underestimated me. Now you're stuck in that little cottage, and you'll be there until either Dumbledore or I come to let you out. And don't think you can send messages to your precious grandfather, the cottage is completely isolated. The only magic that can penetrate the wards surrounding the place is magic cast by Dumbledore or me. You're truly alone in that little cottage, Hermione. Have fun and I'll see you soon."
At Harry's words, Hermione looked down at her bracelet. If what he was saying was true, the tracking spell wouldn't reach her family. She was cut off from everyone. Her couldn't just sit back and wait for rescue, if she wanted to get out of this place she needed to find her own way out. Help wasn't coming, Harry was right, she truly was all alone.
While Hermione was sitting all alone in the small cottage, wondering just how she was going to save herself, her family and the Malfoys were gathered around an enchanted map in the dining room of Malfoy Manor. They were searching for signs of Hermione, who's tracking spell had failed earlier that day, to no avail. It was as though she'd vanished into thin air.
"Damn it," Voldemort yelled, throwing a crystal glass at the wall.
"She has to be here somewhere," Rabastan muttered, still scouring the map for the purple dot that indicated his daughter's location.
"We won't find her," Voldemort seethed. "Something or someone had stopped the signal from her bracelet. We can't use the tracking spell to find her."
"I hope you're not suggesting we give up," Keira snarled at her father.
"Never," Voldemort answered. "We will find her, I promise you that. And when we do, the Order will pay for whatever they'd done to her."
"You think they've hidden her away?" Draco asked, his concern for his girlfriend evident in his voice.
"Yes," Voldemort answered with a terse nod of his head. "Somehow they've found out the truth about her, they must have."
"In that case, what makes you think she's not already dead?" Rabastan questioned. He didn't believe his daughter was dead, but they had to consider it if the Order knew the truth.
"Because Dumbledore hasn't the backbone for such an act," Voldemort replied. "Besides, he'll think he can use Hermione against us. Believe me, she's out there somewhere and we're going to find her."
"Yes, we are," Draco agreed in a steely voice. The witch he loved was missing, and he would stop at nothing until she was back in his arms where she belonged. "We'll find you Hermione," He vowed quietly as he turned to look out the windows at the darkening sky. "Whatever it takes, we will find you."
A/N - I've got a sequel to this piece that I'll be publishing in between Christmas and New Year.