Chapter 21

Author's Notes: I have never actually put a disclaimer on this story (am I supposed to?) so just wanted to say that I obviously don't own Harry Potter. Ok, I know that it has been ages since I updated but I have been so busy with exams that I never got the chance. However, I don't have much to do now in school so I should be able to update regulary again now. So here's Chapter 21, please tell me what you think.

Thanks to OliWest, my beta for this story.

Hermione's POV

It had only been 10 minutes; it felt like much longer to her. It had only been 10 minutes since the trio had discovered the traitor, Lavender. It had only been 10 minutes since she discovered that everybody's lives had been endangered because she and Ron didn't consider that someone would hear them. It had been only 10 minutes since Harry had given them a look of shock, anger and betrayal. It definitely felt like much longer.

"Obliviate," Harry muttered to Lavender's unconscious form. After discovering that she had leaked Order plans and information, the trio decided it would be best to remove her memory of the Order's headquarters and their more recent plans. She would still remember what the Order is, that she was in it, which of her friends were in it and that she betrayed them, but she couldn't give anyone any more important information. To protect her from Lestrange's wrath, they decided to send her to a safe house in America; they would send her an owl when she is safe to return.

Hermione thought this the best course of action for, despite her anger at Lavender's betrayal, she could see that Lavender had been suffering from her decisions, having been tortured by Lestrange as well. Hermione believed that Lavender was only trying to hurt her and Ron and she regretted that she got the rest of the Order involved; she had said as much under Veritaserum. Hermione still couldn't find it within herself to forgive Lavender but she could not help feeling sorry for the girl, after all, Hermione knew only too well what the Cruciatus Curse felt like and she would never, ever, wish that on another human being.

She was distracted from her thoughts by Harry was now Floo powder in the fireplace and disappearing with Lavender. A new feeling of dread came over her, what could she say to Harry? It was partly her fault that they were all in this mess now.

Ron opened his mouth, about to say something but, at that moment, Harry stumbled out of the fireplace. He stared at them for a minute that seemed to last hours. 15 minutes. It had only been 15 minutes.

"I don't know what to say to you two," Harry said with a humourless laugh, the knot in my stomach tightens, Harry was definitely angry with us.

"Harry, mate, I'm so sorry. I know this is my fault-"

"Actually, Ron, I am pretty sure that it is both your faults!" Harry intervened before I could, the room descended into that prickly silence yet again.

Harry threw himself into a nearby armchair and buried his face in his hands.

"Harry, I'm so, so sorry, I had no idea-"

"You know what is unbelievable, Hermione?" Harry spat, without waiting for an answer, he continued, "The fact that we have spent weeks, weeks, going over every single member of the Order, searching for any motives that someone could have for ratting us out and you two, you two, just sat there and didn't bother to consider that maybe, just maybe, the reason that we were betrayed is because Ron and you pissed off his ex-girlfriend. Why the hell didn't you two think to inform me of this tiny piece of information? That it could be your fault that we are all gathered in this stinking house?"

Tears stung at her eyes as she tried desperately to control them, there was no point. Harry was right, wasn't he? What if something had happened when the Doom Soldiers attacked the homes, it would be her fault. Why didn't she consider that Lavender would do that to hurt her? She knew the reason; Hermione wouldn't believe someone capable of something so horrible because of such a petty reason. Her eyes met Ron's, he tried to give her a reassuring smile when he saw her tears but it came out more of a grimace. Ron turned to Harry then; he was starting to look annoyed, judging by his red ear tips.

"Come on, how were we supposed to guess it had anything to do with us?"

"Well, you're meant to be an auror!"

"So are you! You didn't notice anything wrong either!" Ron shot back.

"Oh, but I didn't have all the details, did I, Ron? I've only been you're best friend for 14 years and neither of you bothered to tell me this!" Harry sneered.

"Grow up, Harry, it isn't any of your bloody business is it?

"Evidently it is, if my family is paying for the fact that you couldn't keep it in your pants!"

Ron looked like he was about to explode at any minute and Harry had his fists balled so tightly it looked like they would bleed, she hated this.

"STOP IT NOW! BOTH OF YOU!" Hermione shouted, not being able to stand hearing her boys argue anymore. "Harry, I know that we messed up, and I am so, so sorry but we can't do anything about it now. We can't change this, there are people depending on us and we can't let them down."

Harry unclenched his fist, throwing one more glowering look back at Ron, and turned to her.

"I need to get away from you two right now; we will talk about this in the morning." He stalked out of the room and slammed the door loudly behind him. It hurt her, to see him so upset with her. More tears slide down her face, silently, before she felt strong, safe arms encircle her waist.

Hermione turned her head into Ron's chest, both of them standing in silence. They were in shock.

"He's really furious with us." She mumbled, after a while.

"Yeah, I know. Still, he shouldn't have said some of those things."

"I can't believe that it has come to this."

His arms stiffened around her, as she looked up at him curiously.

"This is all my fault, if I hadn't been such an idiot for the last four years we wouldn't be here. I just had to try and make you jealous, like some stupid teenager and now I've caused all of this." He said quietly, before burying his head in her shoulder.

"I am sure that I had my part in this too, I should have just apologized, shouldn't I?"

"I don't think that's our style," he laughed, and she couldn't help the smile that came to her lips.

"Perhaps not," Hermione allowed, "Oh Merlin, I can't even remember what that fight was about now, can you?"

"No, probably about spew, or something."

She laughed before hitting him in the arm,

"It's S.P.E.W!"

"Trust me, I know."

She leant into him for a while again before they heard footsteps upstairs; they couldn't stay like this forever.

"I think I should go to bed."

He looked down at her and nodded, clearly understanding that she meant her own bed tonight.

"Yeah, I really don't think it would be good for us if Harry caught us in the morning."

She laughed again briefly, this conversation making her feel like they were 17 again, not mature adults that could make their own decisions.

"Goodnight Ron." She said, detangling herself from him.

"Night, and don't worry, it will be ok."

Hermione smiled once more, before retreating out of the room.

oo00OO00oo

Harry's POV

"What's wrong, Harry?"

"What?" Harry asked, pulling away from his wriggling son, who didn't want to get dressed, and looking at his concerned wife.

"What's wrong? You've been brooding since you came in last night, and you looked furious then too but you just got into bed and didn't speak. What happened?"

"We found the traitor."

Ginny looked half relieved and half devastated at that revelation, and who could blame her? Secretly, they were all hoping that there was some kind of reasonable explanation for the Order information being leaked, but there was none.

"W-who was it then?" Ginny asked, with a determined look. Clearly she was not going to wait for the Order meeting to be told.

"It was Lavender." Harry said glumly.

"WHAT? WHY THE HELL DID SHE DO THAT?"

"Because of all that stuff with Ron and Hermione, you know the way he was looking for her so much and then he dumped her," Harry knew this was only part of the reason but despite his anger at his friends he wouldn't tell their secret, it wouldn't feel right-especially since they aren't talking at the moment.

"Why that little b-"

"Ginny! James is here," Harry said pointing to their son that was sitting on their bed, giggling at what he knew was going to come out of his mother's mother.

"Oh, sorry, but I just can't believe that she would do that! I mean, sure, I never liked her but I would never think that she would be capable of that."

"Yeah, well, she is, apparently. Anyway, can we talk about something else? I want to forget about this for an hour, before we have to tell everyone."

oo00OO00oo

The Potters walked into the large dining room, there were 4 large tables set up inside the room. It reminded Harry greatly of the Great Hall, the tables were about the size of the house tables too and the room had clearly been expanded to hold the massive amount of people gathered here for their safety, there looked to be well over a hundred people in the dining room.

Harry and his small family walked to the table on the far side of the room, it was more or less all Weasleys, or "honorary" Weasley. As Harry spotted his best friends talking quietly beside Victoire and Fred, Harry felt a wave of shame hit him. He really shouldn't have said some of the things he did last night. It wasn't really their fault. Still, why did he feel so angry with them?

He knew why but he did not want to admit it. Harry was hurt that they didn't tell him they were back together, hadn't he been the one encouraging them for years to get past that fight and make up with each other? He was he one that reassured them that there was still hope. He always knew that they would get back together, but he also assumed that he would know immediately when they did. He supposed that he got used to being the only thing that they had in common anymore, it took him by surprise that they managed to keep something a secret from him. He knew that last night was an overreaction and he promised himself that he would apologise properly the first opportunity that he could.

Before he reached the table, Harry looked at them properly. He was so surprised with what he saw that he nearly gasped. He wondered how he could have not known that they were back together before now by just looking at them closely, it was so obvious now that he knew what to look for. The stiffness and awkwardness they had when sitting next to each other weeks ago, when they first discovered Lestrange, was now completely gone, they looked so comfortable now. Ron was looking at her intently while she talked, and her body was completely turned into his, they weren't even touching and yet the position looked so intimate. Harry was so used to talking with them separately nowadays that he forgot how much easier they talked and connected with each other.

Anger came rushing back to him, he would have been so happy for them, didn't they know that? Didn't they know that he had been waiting for them to wise up for four bloody years, he was the one who cared about them most and would be happiest for them but they still didn't tell him?

Harry walked past the two of them without greeting them; Ginny looked at him curiously but followed him anyway. They came to the top of the table and Ginny sat down with James but Harry remained standing.

"Good morning everyone," he called to the room and immediately every eye was in him, "After breakfast, can everybody that is in the Order please come to the meeting room. We have an important announcement. Meet us there in 10 minutes, sorry for cutting your breakfast short but this is urgent."

Swallowing his pride, Harry walked down to the bottom of the Weasley table and stopped when he reached Ron and Hermione.

"Can you two come with me? I think we need to have a word." He told them seriously, they both nodded and followed him into the Meeting Room.

"Harry, I'm so sor-" Hermione began the minute Ron closed the door, but Harry interrupted her.

"No, you were right. This wasn't your fault, neither of you could have known that this would happen. You have a right to have your own life and I shouldn't have said what I did last night, I crossed the line and I'm sorry." Harry said, sincerely.

Hermione rushed forward and hugged him tightly, he smiled to himself as he embraced his sister, more or less; Harry really did hate fighting with them. Ron clapped him on the back and he knew that they were good again.

"So, you two finally got a clue, eh?" Harry teased, laughing when Hermione turned red.

"SHUT UP HARRY!"

Once the boys stopped laughing, there was a knock at the door and the Order members began to pour in. Harry became serious again, as he nodded to his two friends,

"Ok everyone, listen up," Ron began, calling everyone to attention, "First of all, is everyone here?"

"Actually, dear, Kingsley came this morning and asked your father to come to work," Molly told him.

"I though no one was allowed to go to work?" Hermione asked and Harry had to suppress an eye roll. She was probably annoyed that Arthur could go into work and she couldn't, same old Hermione.

"Well there has been some kind of attack on some muggles and Arthur was needed to help control the situation, Kingsley said that he would explain it when they get here later, but the Aurors are handling it at the moment."

"Is it Lestrange?" Ron asked.

"They're not sure, dear, but most likely."

Silence greeted this statement and Harry thought it best to move on until they get more information about the attack.

"So, no one else is missing?"

"Lavender isn't here," Seamus called, looking concerned. Harry groaned inwardly at his own stupidity; he shouldn't have asked that.

"Well, that is the reason we are here." Hermione said, trying to gain control again. Harry shot her a grateful look.

"Is she ok?"

"Yes, she's fine. Seamus all will be explained if you let us start the meeting." Ron snapped. Seamus glared at him; in the last few years whatever friendship the two room-mates had has been destroyed. It was well known that Seamus liked Lavender, and therefore hated Ron. Seamus looked like he was going to say more but he just closed his mouth and nodded to Harry.

"Ok, Lavender is no longer an Order member."

"Did she quit because of him?" Seamus demanded, glaring at Ron, who rolled his eyes.

"Seamus, listen!" Hermione commanded and the Irish man finally shut up, clearly terrified of making Hermione any angrier, "Lavender did not quit the Order, she was withdrawn from the Order."

"Why?" was chorused across the room.

"Everyone is aware that you were questioned under Veritaserum yesterday?" Harry began, many people nodded and a few gasped with realization of Lavender's dismissal, but many still looked bewildered, "The interviews were carried out to discover who had been leaking information to Doom Soldiers, the results showed that Lavender had given Benjamin Lestrange addresses of Order member and details of our plans."

The room exploded.

"HOW DARE SHE?"

"…THAT BITCH!"

"…CONNIVING LITTLE…"

"EVERYONE SHUT UP!" Ron commanded, and the room became silent again.

"Why would she do that? I don't understand," Seamus said, looking thoroughly confused.

Harry turned to his best friends, who were looking very guilty. Ron nodded to Hermione, took a deep breath, and turned to face the room.

"The reason was-"

"Lavender's to tell," Harry interrupted before Ron could finish. It wasn't fair for his friends to have to take the blame for Lavender's actions. Lavender and Ron were broken up when he got back together with Hermione, so there was no reason for them to be blamed, despite Harry's initial reaction. He may not have agreed with their decision to tell no one of their relationship but he knew that it would be suicidal for them to tell everyone now. It was good news that his friends were together again and he would not allow their happiness to be plagued by Lavender's actions, because he knew that some of the Order, namely Seamus, would not react well to the reason that Lavender betrayed them all.

Hermione threw him a thankful smile before she continued, "Lavender has been taken to a safe house for her own safety because we believe that Lestrange will come after her. Once this is over, the Order can decide whether to press charges against Lavender because, technically, she aided Lestrange in a criminal attack but it will be your decision."

The room nodded and Harry briefly wondered whether Lavender would be trailed, he didn't personally want her to go to Azkaban because he honestly didn't think Lavender was in her right mind when she made her decisions.

"Why is she getting special treatment when she betrayed us?" Aberforth roared.

"Because, she said, under Veritaserum, that she was very sorry and you wouldn't want her death on her conscious, would you?" Hermione shot back, Harry marvelled at how Hermione defended her when it was Hermione that suffered most for Lavender's actions, Harry knew she probably felt guilty about what her and Ron drove Lavender to.

"We are going to need a volunteer to watch over her until this is over. The safe house is in America and the volunteer will not be able to contact anyone here until we tell them it is safe, unless in an emergency. The person will be staying with Lavender."

"I'll do it!" Seamus said, Harry almost laughed at the predictability of this volunteer but controlled himself. It would be best for everyone if Seamus went with Lavender, it would save them from more arguments over the situation.

"Ok, that's great Seamus, thank you, we will let you know when everything is ok again, The house is stocked with food and money, as long as you live like a muggle you should be safe. The address is 40 Melborn Road, North Hampton; you can use the Floo in the dining room. Leave whenever you want, just before the end of the day." Ron said.

"I'll leave now." Seamus agreed, he left the room and went to retrieve his stuff.

"Ok, that's everything for now. Thank you everyone."

oo00OO00oo

The mood at dinner time was much better than it had been since they arrived, as upset as they were about Lavender, it also felt like a great relief not to be second guessing whoever you're talking to-think that maybe they are the person that betrayed the Order.

Harry found himself seated beside Ron and Hermione, with George, Angelina and Luna across from them (Ginny went to put James down for a nap), and he was thoroughly enjoying George's story.

"…and then, her nose exploded and everything went everywhere!"

Harry laughed loudly, Ron looked like he was going to collapse with laughter too and Luna was hysterical. Hermione had a disgusted look on her face while Angelina just looked bored with the story; clearly she had heard it before.

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps in the hall; the entire room looked up to the door. Kingsley and Arthur walked through; Harry noticed that they look out of breath so he concluded that there must be urgent news.

When Kingsley spotted them he immediately came rushing to their table, Arthur hot on his heels.

"Hey Kingsley, Arthur, have you got news?" he asked. They looked grave and Harry got a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach, but they weren't looking at him, they were looking to his right.

"Well? Was it Lestrange, the attack?" Ron asked, he too was looking nervous.

"Yes, boys, there was an attack and it was Lestrange," Arthur said, looking older and sadder than he had since the war, "But, we will talk about this later, n-not right now, please."

"Hermione, can I have a word with you, please?" Kingsley asked, and for the first time in his life, Harry did not find Kingsley's voice calming in any way.

"Of course." Hermione replied, she followed Kingsley to the door but Harry saw her throw a nervous look to Ron, who looked just as nervous as she did.

"What happened, Dad?" Ron demanded, the minute Hermione was out of earshot.

"There was a family gathering today, at Hermione's parents' house. Around 40 people were there, all her family, and the Doom Soldiers attacked. There was a death, unfortunately."

Harry shared a look with Ron, how the hell could this happen?

"O-one of h-her parents?" Ron asked, nervously.

"No, not her parents, thankfully they managed to get out with the rest of the family. It was her Grandfather, on her mother's side, that was murdered."

The room became silent; Harry realized that everyone had been listening to this conversation. Suddenly, this battle seemed so much more real than it did 10 minutes ago when he was laughing with George about some stupid prank, now there was another death and someone else's life was destroyed.

The door opened again, Kingsley came rushing into the room and headed straight for Harry and Ron.

"I'm sure Arthur has filled you in, Hermione is quite upset. I think it would be best for you two to go and see her now, we'll handle everything down here."

Ron jumped up like a shot and raced out of the room as quickly as he could, Harry was straight behind him. He was furious, absolutely furious, Lestrange was making this personal. It became clear to Harry that he wasn't after World Domination, no he wanted revenge.