Ron's POV

Another week passed by and the Order was topped with a flurry of white snow. Even before the month of December started, the temperature decreased incredibly. The only place where we can find huge amount of heat is either in the cafeteria or Tevak's room. Why Tevak's room, you may ask? It's because since she's still recovering, Madarao—the ever-so protective brother—bought a small but powerful heater and placed it in her room to keep her warm in the night. I think about half of us stayed and slept in her room. In those moments though, we stupidly forgot to get the camera.

We may never see Tevak cuddling with Link while they both slept on the same bed, at Tevak's insistence.

"What do you mean? Link slept with me when we were children, so that isn't weird at all," Tevak all but said as Link hurriedly went on the bed and covered his face in total shame.

Madarao wept for five hours straight.

And Tevak didn't even bother to give any answer but a small sigh.

"I can't believe Christmas is coming!" Len and Timothy shouted gleefully as they ran around the room, both in sweaters and scarves. Again, we were in Tevak's room, Tevak sitting on her bed and reading a book to Emilie and Katherine. "Gifts! Gifts! Gifts!"

"The gift that I'm expecting again is another maroon sweater," I grumbled, frowning at the sweater I'm wearing. I don't really care why I'm wearing this, but it is the survival of the fittest. And Mum's sweaters have never been a let down. "I really, really hate this colour. When will Mum give me a bright sweater? I want something blue or something this time."

"Oh come on Ron. Maroon is a colourful colour," Fred teased, poking my side. I slapped his hand away with irritation and a glare. "Now, you should be jolly, not grumpy. Old St. Nick won't give you presents if you keep up with this attitude."

"The only Nick I know is a ghost with his head hanging on his shoulder," I grumbled, still giving him a glare. "And how can I not be grumpy at a time like this?" I asked him incredulously.

"Hey, don't go slashing at me!" Fred grinned, taking a seat next to me and placing an arm around my shoulders. "You know what? The only thing that can really make you smile right now is Hermione."

"And why do you think that, my dear old twin of mine?" George asked casually, leaning onto his brother as he slung an arm around Fred's shoulders.

Heavy panting could be heard in the forest as a girl of five feet and with short brown hair ran, avoiding bushes and huge branches of the trees.

"I can't believe you're following me, idiot!" She shouted scathingly, sending another flurry of detonative shots at the fifteen-foot high Cyclops that howled at the impact of each bomb. "Whoever sent you is the worse!"

She kept running and looked up. She spotted a pristine cathedral just by the cliff that seemed too familiar for her. She sighed miserably. "Ugh, out of all the places in the whole of Britain, you're planning to corner me there?" She growled to the monster as she ran towards the lake. "You really are the worst there is!"

It sent a furious roar at her, club swinging haphazardly.

"Does it really have to have an answer?" Harry asked skeptically from Tevak's desk. It was cluttered with Christmas gifts. "We all know that your Majesty there is sick with love."

"Hey, don't call me 'your Majesty'. You can call me Ron, if you don't mind," I hissed, glaring his way, and he sent me a laugh.

"Take this and that!" She shouted, showering a flurry of blades onto the monster's body. It howled. They were getting close to the Order as it is. "Why oh why does he have to chase me here?!"

The whole room practically shuddered as a loud howl erupted from the outside. Len and Timothy stopped running around and looked curiously at the window. I hurriedly stood up and whisked the curtains apart to reveal a Cyclops swinging his cub at trees, smashing them to bits.

"That's a really huge Cyclops," I whispered in awe and alarm, looking at the others. Just the right time, Allen and Link burst into the room. Madarao and Tokusa were just right outside, shouting orders at the running finders.

"Lenalee and Kanda are on the way," Allen assured to us before looking at Link, deadpanned. "Do I have the permission to break down your girlfriend's window so that we can attack airborne?"

"She is not my girlfriend, but yes," He growled menacingly, scooping up a timid Tevak, blanket and all. "I'll be down with you shortly—"

"I think that won't be necessary," Fred mumbled dazedly, looking outside the window. "H-Hey, what's brown and blue and white all over?"

"Is that some sort of trick question?" Timothy asked, suddenly interested. "Tree bark with blue and white paint?"

"N-No."

"Then why—"

"There's a small figure in white clothes showering the monster with blades coming from its arms!" George shouted in amazement before looking at us. "Could it be—?"

"Hermione?" Len and I asked together in a hushed whisper. Tevak immediately gasped in realization, looking at the window.

You can't be serious.

Seriously.

I shoved the kids away from the window and before I knew it, I was airborne, shards of glass flying everywhere as my swords appeared onto my hands.

"Hermione!" I shouted just as she went in the air, her eyes locking onto mine. And my jaw practically dropped at the sight. She, on the other hand, broke out in a frown and her face was miserable.

"Nice of you to drop by, but I'm good here!" She yelled before embedding her swords on the Cyclops' head. It let out a huge roar of pain. I immediately landed on the shoulder of the Cyclops and cut off his ear, dodging his swipe at me.

"What do you mean you can do this on your own?!" I shouted at her, jumping on the Cyclops' head and puncturing it. "I'm sure as hell that you can't do this on your own!"

"Yeah, well, I've learned to be dependent on myself!" Hermione shouted, her swords changing into two guns, quickly shooting bullets of fire at the Cyclops. I could only stare before she grabbed my collar, flying us away from the Cyclops. The fire enveloped the monster from head to toe and in a matter of seconds, he was replaced by a huge amount of ash.

"And where have you bloody been?!" I shouted at her, making her wince. "You were gone for a month!"

"A-At least let me put you down before you start shouting questions," She whined miserably. I looked down to see her boots emitting blue fire from the heels and they looked very familiar. "And how did you recognize me from a distance?"

"A distance? You were like one hundred meters from Tevak's room," I answered, scoffing a little. I waited before she placed us on the rooftop, my feet making solid contact on the rough ground. "So, where have you been all this time? The last we've heard from you is that you said goodbye to Galia."

She chuckled darkly, her eyes straying at the sky. "Let's just say that a friend of mine is much, much more important than a silly crown."

"You didn't answer my first question."

"Hm, I was in the south of England, visiting a friend of mine. She was in a terrible position, so I've helped her improve. And that's none of your business." She growled at her last sentence. "If I worried all of you, I'm sorry. But I'm leaving right after—"

"Yeah, right. Like I'll let you leave now. When you left, Tevak was in a coma," I growled out in anger, crossing my arms and looking at the shock on her face. "She woke up a week ago. And while she's was, you were at some friend's house?" I asked angrily. "Is that the best reason you've got?"

She glared at me. "Look, I'm sorry for leaving all of you, but I will not apologize that it was my fault that Tevak got into a coma."

I glared stonily back. "You won't? She could have died, Hermione! In fact, she almost died! And you left us without any contact! And all you have to say is 'I'm sorry'?!"

Hermione refused to look at me, her fists clenched at her sides. I felt the anger bubbling inside me. "I'll have you know, when you were gone, the Order was planning on taking you to a heresy trial the time you come back! Heresy, Hermione!"

"Let them do it to me, see if I care!" She shouted at me, her face mere inches from mine. "And to let you know, I care for my friends deeply—"

"Then why'd you go?" I shouted furiously back at her, stepping forward and pointing at her. I ignored the sound of a door bursting open. "If you did care for us deeply, then why were you with in a friend's house while we were worried sick, huh?! Every single day, we ask Komui if the finders have seen you, but all he gets is nothing. Then, you just bloody burst into the range with a bloody Cyclops attacking you!"

"She's more important!" Hermione shouted angrily. I scowled. "I exist because of her. Without her, there wouldn't even be me. There's more than what she wished for. Hell, I'd rather stay with her than with the Order!"

"Oh, so you're putting her first than us?" I shouted at her. She spluttered and put her head down. I growled. "Fine. Be that way."

I turned and started to walk away until she grabbed my arm. "What?" I asked, not even looking at her.

"Look Ron, I'm telling the truth. There's more to the akuma than meets the eye. She told me that," Hermione said steadily. I slowly turned around to look at her steady face. "If you want, I'll stay here for a few weeks before I leave again—"

"You're leaving again!" I snatched my arm back from her grip. "You made us worry like shit, and all you say is that 'you're leaving again'?"

"Ron, it's not that I want to, but—"She stopped, looking behind me. I rolled my eyes as she stared disbelievingly at Deana, Edward hot on her heels with Allen, Lavi and Krory trailing closely behind.

"Hermione, you must go," Deana said slowly, looking at her with a sad smile. "We'll be fine."

"She should?!" Edward asked behind her, looking aghast at Deana. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. "Are you crazy? There's no way I'm going to let my sister go off—"

Swish!

Deana's body halves dropped to the ground, courtesy of Hermione's blades. I could only stare at the blood pooling around Deana.

"Hermione, why did you—"Edward fumed until he was blown back by Deana's moving arm, his body hitting the pavement painfully.

"How did you find me?" Hermione growled, crushing the other half of Deana's skull. The other unabashed head of Deana split into a mad half-grin. "I'll say it again," She hissed, stomping half of Deana's face again. "How did you find me?!"

"You were just too much of a target."

It was like someone punching you on the gut, only a hundred times more powerful. I skidded onto the floor just as Deana's crumbling half stood up straight on one leg, red sparks revolving her body. In a few moments, there stood a boy about two years more than my age. His green hair was spiked and went down to his waist and his eyes were in the shade of deadly violet. His clothing was all in red.

"W-Where's Deana?" Edward gasped shakily, glaring weakly at the boy. "What did you do to her?!"

"Oh, so you're her brother…" The boy said slowly with a maniacal grin as he turned to look at Edward. "Alright then I'll start with him—"

A huge ball of blue fire engulfed the boy, the latter screaming as he was burned to the bone.

"Touch him and you'll suffer," Hermione hissed, once the fire died down. I could only look on in horror as the body still stood, red sparks emitting from his body as his burnt skin started to heal itself. "Again, I asked you, Envy: how did you follow me?"

The boy, Envy, laughed again, flicking his hair over his shoulder. "Like I said, you're too much of a target. It's like you weren't made to exist, right?"

I saw Hermione visibly pale, but backtracked once we saw a circle full of runes glow underneath the boy.

"I'm sending you back," Hermione all but said, stretching her arm out and making a downward movement. The ground immediately absorbed the boy, small arms pulling him down as he flailed about before it shut entirely, leaving no trace of him or the runes.

"That wasn't a good scene, at all," Allen whispered shakily as he made his way to me and helped me stand. I stood up, only to see Hermione sway on the spot before falling, being caught on by Krory as Lavi helped Edward up. "Lenalee says that Deana was inside the library when all this happened. She was talking with Emilia about the kids lessons for tomorrow."

I could only nod, looking on as Krory hurriedly went inside to get the nurses on Hermione.

"Man, this is going to be a fucked up Christmas," Allen grumbled, grabbing my arm and dropping it over his shoulder.

"It was a homunculus," Hermione explained rather stiffly to the room, crossing her arms. All of us were inside Komui's office, except the kids, since they were having another lesson with Emilia. They were pretty much down at the order, but promised that they'll visit her later. I stood at the farthest edge of the room and a good distance away from Hermione, listening to her explanation on the boy who impersonated Deana earlier. Deana was dead shaken when she learned that she was somewhat copied. I would be too. That and I haven't forgiven Hermione. Yet, anyways. "They're nothing of the ordinary. I only learned about them two weeks ago."

"What are they made of, exactly?" Bookman asked, looking at her.

"Hm, that's pretty hard to explain," Hermione mumbled, looking around before grabbing a whiteboard just lying by Komui's desk and a marker. After a few moments of squeaking, coming from the marker, she presented to us a pentagon inside a circle. "You see this? This is sort of a transmutation circle. It's taboo to do this, so don't go trying it for anyone's sake. The homunculi are created by these. You see the five points? Put about ten people on each point and activate it. After that, you will make a temporary stone that now has the power of fifty persons and has all of their lives. Once you inject its liquefied form in a said person and the body accepts its constrictions, the person is now identified as a homunculus and can easily absorb anyone if it's running out of people."

"So," Edward muttered slowly, his head on his hands. "What you are saying is that homunculus, that vile creature—"

"—was created by the souls of humans?" Harry asked, disgust plain on his face. "That's just wrong. You can't use other people for yourself."

"Apparently, someone had bartered that little information to the Earl and, instead of living... well, you know what he did," Hermione huffed, her arms crossing again. "As much as I hate to admit it, there're seven of them running around the world right now. And as for the Noah... well, think of it this way. If the Noah are the bosses, then they are their workers.

"No surprise, if you asked me," Hermione scoffed, standing up from the desk. "The only thing that you should worry about now is why he only made seven, not a dozen more. Now, do you want me to say anything else before I retire to my room?"

Edward glanced at the clock that said ten minutes before seven o'clock in the evening. "Why did you revoke your crown?"

"You'll know by the time I do say it to you," Hermione answered immediately, her face rid of any emotions. "I'm not particularly suited for the crown, so I revoked myself. Anything else?"

"When did you learn all of this?" Bookman asked, eyeing Hermione critically. "The new minions of the Millennium Earl?"

"While I was with a friend. And the half of them aren't minions. They came along their creator that exchanged them for his safety," She said stiffly, looking at me before walking to the doors. "And that, is my whole one month in a nutshell; at least, you know why I was away. If you need me, I'll just visit Tevak and go straight to bed."

"Without any dinner?" Alma asked worryingly as Hermione walked to the door, not even passing any glances at us. "Hermione, you shouldn't skip—"

"I'm not hungry. Goodnight." And with that, she opened the door and left.

Once the door clicked close and I put my head in my hands, groaning and cursing under my breath.

"Whatever she's got planned, she's doing a great job of hiding it," I groaned in my hands.

Apparently, it happened.

She didn't even talk to us most of the time, talking only to answer questions that were being thrown at her. Once the kids ran after their class finished, she only gave brief hugs and forehead kisses to the twins, smiling slightly and apologizing for being late. Katherine and Len immediately jumped in her arms and Katherine cried silently, grinning from ear to ear like her brother. After a few moments, Hermione let go reluctantly, wiping the tears from Katherine's face before saying that she has to do something important and with a small smile, left.

That was probably the most I've seen of her communicating with others.

Three weeks in her stay, we've managed to stop her from whatever she was doing—she was brooding, if I have to guess—so that she can join the annual Christmas Eve party held here in the European Branch. And now, we're by her door, eavesdropping at the never-ending conversation that was going on for about twenty minutes now.

"At least be there for an hour Hermione. That's all we're asking," Lenalee pleaded from inside Hermione's room. The brave at heart, Alma and Lenalee, were instructed to force Hermione out of her room so that she can join the dazzle and such. The only times she was seen outside her room is when she goes to eat or borrow a book from the library, and on rare occasions, help out the twins and say goodnight to Edward.

"I can't Lenalee. I have other businesses to attend to," Hermione said rather calmly. I felt my eyebrow twitch in irritation.

'Seriously, 'Mione?' I thought to myself as I edged closer to the door. 'Businesses?'

"What businesses? You haven't left your room for three bloody weeks, Hermione!" Alma scolded and I heard scuffling coming from inside the room. "Come on, everyone's already put their hard work in preparing the hall."

After a few moments, we heard a disgruntled sigh. "Fine, I'll stay for thirty minutes; nothing more, nothing less."

"That's better than nothing," Lavi commented rather warily as the two girls got out of the room, Lenalee sighing and Alma frowning. "Nice work, by the way. You've managed to engage Hermione to attend the party."

"But she's hiding something, I know it," Alma grumbled, huffing as she latched herself onto Kanda's arm. "Her room was full of scrolls and all other hickey-doos."

"Let's just ask her later, maybe she'll attend for more than a half," Allen smiled encouragingly, gesturing for us to the corridors. I headed off to my room after saying that'll I'll be with them later, to take a damn good nap.

Yeah, that's all I need right now.

'Having a girl that's making you real crazy must be really tiring,' a voice said bemusedly inside my head just as I opened the door to my room. 'Huh? Must be a blast.'

'Shut up and leave me alone,' I replied in my thought, not bothering to take off my shoes as I lie on my bed.

"Tevak?" Hermione whispered as she entered Tevak's room. Tevak was sitting on her chair, staring out the window as the sun set slowly into the horizon. "H-Hey."

"Hello there, you," Tevak smiled, gesturing for Hermione to come forward. Hermione gently closed the door and made her way to the bed. "What's happening with you, though? The girls came by to say hello and said that you'll only be at the party for half an hour."

"Yeah, I figured that they should at least have fun without someone like me to bother them," Hermione chuckled lowly, looking at the setting sun, almost too wistfully. "Tevak?"

"Yes?"

"I have a favour to ask of you. It's not that I don't trust the others, but I think it's best that you are the first one to know."

"What are you talking about?" Tevak asked slowly, tentatively looking at a sullen faced Hermione. "What's wrong? D-Did something happen when you were away?"

"I-I think that the reason is attacking us every once in a while—"

"Hermione, we don't get attacked that much," Tevak informed her quickly. Hermione gave her a look. "Sorry, continue."

"The akumas attack us every now and then because of what I think I have. Or, what the both of us have. You and I are always targeted by those things, and I've got this feeling at the pit of my stomach that I know why," Hermione said slowly, seriousness filling her face as she looked at Tevak. Tevak widened her eyes in surprise.

"Hermione, what are you going on about?" Tevak asked quietly. Hermione only gave her a weak chuckle.

"I disappeared for a month, thinking that everything will be fine once I'm gone, but that doesn't work out for me, does it?" She instead asked, putting her head in her hands as she slowly chuckled. "I leave, and find out that there's something wrong."

"Hermione… What are you saying? You left, because you wanted us to be safe... right?"

"I think it's not the only reason why I did."

"Then why—"

The whole conversation turned into silent whispers.

"Oh my, the room is decorated so beautifully," Lenalee sighed dreamily as we entered the hall. Every nook and cranny was covered with either sparkling tinsel and or wreaths. The Christmas tree was situated in the middle of the room, red, blue and white Christmas balls and ornaments hanged on each branch. Candles levitated the ceiling, giving us a warm feeling once inside. Christmas carols were blaring out from the speakers that the Science Division had placed. Everyone was either dressed for the occasion, or going for long sleeved shirts, sweaters, jackets and comfy pants like I have.

"That's Fred and George for you," Madarao mused as his eyes lingered on a flying angel figurine that kept trumpeting, accepting the glass of champagne a Finder gave him. He looked around and with a sigh, muttered out. "Hermione's not here."

"But she promised," Alma mumbled dejectedly, her usual smile dropping into a pout.

"Maybe she's just tired," Katherine offered hopefully, but Emilie shook her head. "Well, she could be going down the stairs any minute now…"

"Maybe. If it makes you feel any better, I saw her come out from Tevak's room earlier with a smile," Emilie notified. Alma removed her pout and gave a cheerful clap.

"Good! Tevak cheered her up! Maybe she convinced her for a whole hour," Alma said, the smile not leaving her face. "And hearing Hermione smile, even for a bit, is a good, isn't it?"

"Apparently," I mumbled under my breath as I walked around, putting my hands in the pockets of my pants.

'Think she'll come?' The annoying voice inside my head asked curiously, but there was a hint of mischief going on with his voice.

'I thought I told you to shut up already?' I answered back in my mind, scoffing a little.

"Ronald? It looks like something is readily bothering you. Is something wrong?" Link asked beside me, his eyes set on his notebook as Allen ran around with ten sticks of dumplings in his hands, an annoyed Jerry and Lenalee following in his wake. I turned my head to look at him, and I raised an eyebrow. He looked positively different. His normal uniforms with puffy sleeves were replaced with a black pinstriped jacket, a red vest, a black tie and white polo. His normally braided hair was only tied like a regular ponytail.

"Sort of," I answered slowly, returning my gaze at the party. Apparently, Allen had been tackled with an over-eager Kanda. "If Hermione is the one bothering me, I wouldn't be surprised at all. But when she told me that she was leaving and never coming back, I think I went ballistic," I replied, glaring at the huge Christmas tree that stood out in the middle of the room. "I just can't believe that after she disappeared for a whole month, she comes back, only to say goodbye again."

"She'll come round, do not worry," Link only said, sighing deeply as Allen grabbed onto Kanda's leg and bit it harshly. "We cannot have the freedom to do whatever we want here, but we just cannot contain the thrill of going around without anything holding you back."

"Agreed," I consented, smiling slightly as Lenalee and Alma finally put an end to Kanda and Allen's bickering, hitting them simultaneously on the heads with their shoes. And they wore heels, mind you.

Hermione carefully put on her most trusty boots as the moon peeked out from the cloudy sky. Snow had stopped falling, much to her pleasure. As she stood up from the bed, she situated a big green box to the middle of her bed, bearing the words:

'Merry Christmas'

"I just hope that they all would like it," Hermione mumbled dazedly, fingering the necklace that was wrung on her neck. It was a small, silver pendant of a wing, purplish jewels running at some edges. She thought it was just a necklace, an accessory, but now, she knows of what it really is capable of doing. She ran a hand on her hair as she gazed at the clock.

"I'm late," She commented softly, a smile gracing her face. But it was quickly replaced by a straight, serious line once she heard a large explosion coming from the hall. "But the fight just started."

Without further ado, she left the room, her swords appearing immediately in her hands.

A/N: Hey guys, this is the second to the last chapter of the Broken Doll, and I'm feeling kinda sad, since this is the first thing I've done since first year. The next chapter is the last battle I'm going to write for this book. You'll just have to wait for the next one that I may start somewhere in April. And hopefully, I can finish every fic that I've been working on for quite some time now.

Hope you enjoy this chapter!

All characters belong to Katsura Hoshino and J. K. Rowling.