I am so sorry for taking so long to update, I was sick (I suffer from multiple sclerosis and it has been being difficult of late) and then my husband came down with pneumonia. But I am back! Hopefully back to posting weekly again as well. As always, thank you for all the reviews! I am thrilled that so many people are reading and enjoying this story! This chapter is longer than the last and we are fast approaching year 5 back at Hogwarts! Of course I do not own any of these characters, they all belong to JK Rowling.

Having to be up before dawn, Hermione was shocked when she found Draco waiting for her when she exited her room, ready to head to the Ministry with Harry and Mr. Weasley. "Draco? I've never seen you up this early. You wanted to see me off that badly?"

"Yes, I did want to talk to you before you left. The Fudge and his underlings are not the only ones you need to worry about while at the Ministry. My father spends an awful lot of there, bribing people for favors and information. He will know that you are there, he will seek you out for information on me and my mother. Stick close to Potter and Mr. Weasley. He will stop at nothing to get to you and torture you for information. My falling in love with you is a great betrayal in his eyes, you are not safe in the same building with him." Draco warned.

"Surely he won't try anything in the Ministry itself?" Hermione asked in shock.

"He owned the Ministry even before this. Now, well Fudge is not a good guy he has portrayed in the past. Money and power, that is all he cares about and my father can offer that. Not to mention he and many of his staff don't care that much about muggleborns. Just promise me you will be safe." Draco begged.

"Of course. I am always careful."

"You and Potter are never careful." Draco scoffed.

Hermione wanted to protest, but really couldn't come up with much of an argument. "Okay, you have a point. But we will be careful this time." She leaned in and kissed him, "I promise."

"You better. I will lose it if my father or the Ministry does anything to you." Draco mumbled as he deepened the kiss, pouring all of his love and emotions into it.

They were interrupted by a soft and uncomfortable cough behind them. There stood Harry, blushing and staring at the ceiling, averting his eyes from their intimate moment. "Sorry to interrupt but we need to get down to the kitchen and get ready to leave with Mr. Weasley." He mumbled.

"Right. I'm ready." Hermione said, extracting herself from Draco's arms. "Draco was just warning me that we might run into his father while at the Ministry, we need to be careful and stick together."

"Yeah Potter, don't let Hermione out of your sight. With mine and my mother's defection, well Lucius will stop at nothing to get us back and teach us a lesson and he now knows that Hermione is the way to my heart. Protect her." Draco said.

Harry nodded. "Of course. Nothing will happen to her, you have my word."

Draco smiled in return. "And get yourself off the hook while you are at it Potter."

When Harry and Hermione went into the kitchen, they found Mr. Weasley waiting for them, somber, but trying to be upbeat. Even Mrs. Weasley treated the well, offering them breakfast with no snide remarks. Once they left for the Ministry, Hermione could tell that Harry's nerves were starting to get the best of him. He was constantly fidgeting, trying to flatten his hair, straightening his clothes, looking around constantly. "You need to calm down Harry. Dumbledore will meet us there and make sure everything is okay."

"Right. Yeah Dumbledore will make everything better, he always does." Harry agreed, but once they entered the atrium of the Ministry and Harry saw who Dumbledore stood with, he stopped mid step, worry and confusion showing on his face. "What the hell is my aunt Petunia doing here and crazy old Mrs. Figg?"

Hermione looked at the two women, one in slippers with fly away hair, looking slightly mad; the other stiff and haughty, looking as if she had been coerced into coming. Neither of them seemed like the best of witnesses. She didn't really know what Dumbledore was thinking either, but didn't want to voice that and make Harry worry any more. "Dumbledore knows what he is doing." She said.

Harry's aunt didn't even look at him or Hermione as they walked up, instead she stood glaring at Dumbledore. The other woman however waved half-heartedly at Harry. Dumbledore however seemed unaffected by the strange women standing with him. "Ah Arthur, thank you for getting Mister Potter and Miss Granger here safely. I will take it from here, we are expected downstairs in the courtrooms in about ten minutes, three hours before the set time. Luckily I expected something like this and got her early. Always be prepared. Come along now everyone. Hopefully this will go smoothly."

Everyone followed in his wake silently. As they exited the elevator on the lower level, Hermione froze when she caught a glimpse of tell-tell silver blond hair. Standing as proud as could be, chatting with Minister Fudge as if he weren't a murderous bastard, was Lucius Malfoy. And worst of all they had to walk right past him to make it to the courtrooms. Harry also tensed next to her and grabbed her hand, pulling both of them closer to Dumbledore. Malfoy would have to be a complete idiot to try to best the best wizard of their time, no matter how angry he might be. Trying to steal Hermione in front of Dumbledore would be stupid and Lucius might be many things, but stupid was not one of them.

As they got closer, Lucius turned towards them. "Dumbledore, I see you have found our wayward Mister Potter. Thank goodness he is okay, what a tragedy it would be if something had happened to The Boy Who Lived."

"Yes, as you can see, Mister Potter is alive and well." Dumbledore said, smiling at Lucius and Fudge the whole time, not showing any concern at all, though his eyes seemed like frozen pools of blue, daring either man to challenge him. He stared them down until all of his party had passed. "Lucius, Minister Fudge." He nodded to them and hurried after Harry and Hermione.

Hermione glanced back and saw that Lucius was staring at her with a penetrating gaze. She felt something flitting around in her brain and immediately knew what he must be up to, he was trying to us legitimus on her to find out about where Draco and Narcissa were. Not knowing what else to do, she flooded her mind with images of her as a child. Inconsequential thoughts that would give him no information at all. It must have worked, for before Dumbledore marched her into the courtroom, she saw frustration flash across Lucius' face before he could cover it. That brought a slight smile to her face, at least she had kept Draco and his mother safe for the time being.

The smile quickly faded from her face when she looked around the courtroom. It was to be a full trial for Harry. She glanced at her best friend and saw the nerves he felt. She squeezed his hand again. "It's going to be okay. Dumbledore even has your aunt here. There is nothing that they can do."

Harry gulped and nodded, apparently not able to speak. They all sat down, waiting for Fudge and the hearing to start. No one said anything, though Dumbledore hummed tunelessly and waved occasionally to wizards and witches in the jury who were clearly friends. That made Hermione feel a little better seeing how much support Dumbledore already seemed to have.

Soon Fudge came in and started the proceedings. He rattled on and on about how Harry Potter had been missing from his aunt's house and how the Ministry had no idea of his whereabouts and how he needed to explain himself or risk being kicked out of the wizarding world. It appeared as if he was not even going to ask for Harry's side, so Dumbledore stood, "Mister Potter would like to explain his absence, even though by law he has no need to. He has performed no magic nor risked the exposure of the magical world and has been staying with friends with his aunt's permission." He indicated Mrs. Dursley. "This is not the first time that Harry has spent his summer away from his relatives, is there a new law that states the Ministry has to know every activity of an underage wizard?"

Fudge looked flustered. "No, not normally, but Mister Potter is an exception. Due to his high profile we should know his location at all times, for his protection of course."

"And what is it that you believe Mister Potter needs protecting from? Are you now ready to believe that the Dark Lord has in fact returned and he might pose a threat to Mister Potter and others?" Dumbledore asked, the calmness no longer present in his voice. Now he was nothing but intensity and fire.

Fudge become flustered, "Stop spreading that lie! He is not back Dumbledore!"

"So you say Cornelius, yet here you are claiming you are worried about Mister Potter's well-being for no apparent reason. You must have a reason for calling this very public trial." Dumbledore pressed.

Fudge started to stutter, when a toad faced woman in pink coughed and sat forward, "Dumbledore, I know that you are aware that the Minster nor the Ministry are on trial here, you are not the one who should be asking questions. You have no authority."

"I would never presume to question the authority of the Ministry Deloris, but I am here to defend an underage wizard. I am simply doing that, as I am sure Minister Fudge can see. I have Mister Potter's legal guardian here to say she gave permission and I have two witnesses who can testify that Harry had to leave for his own safety. Shall we call the first witness?" Dumbledore turned from the toad woman and looked only at Fudge.

Fudge had clearly not expected witnesses, let alone Harry's aunt. "Well, if his family has given permission for this move, well… I suppose… the Ministry should still be kept informed… danger…up to something…"

"I'm sorry Minister? Didn't quite catch that." Dumbledore smiled politely.

Fudge cleared his throat. "Yes, well since Mister Potter seems fine and his aunt knows of his wellbeing, I suppose we can cancel these proceedings. Though the Ministry would like to be kept away of Mister Potter's movements."

"Mister Potter will continue to stay with friends until his return to school. I am sure that is sufficient for the Ministry, as you said, his safety is a matter of importance."

"Yes, yes." Fudge said, his face turning red with anger. "You may all leave now."

There were grumblings from everyone gathered, but Harry relaxed next to Hermione. Not wanting to press their luck apparently, Dumbledore ushered them all out. Harry's aunt chewed on her tongue, clearly wanting to say something but from the glances she kept casting at Dumbledore, she was too scared to say anything. Mrs. Figg just smiled and Hermione kept her hold on Harry's hand.

Hermione could feel eyes on them as they walked through the Ministry, some curious, many angry, but it was the ice cold grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy that caught her attention. He waited near the fireplaces that would let them leave, never once taking his eyes off of Hermione and Harry. Worried, she hurried up to Dumbledore. "Sir, Mr. Malfoy is up to something. We cannot let him hear where we are going."

"Not to worry dear. We are going to Hogwarts, to my personal fire where only certain people are allowed. Our movements will not be traced, I assure you." Though she noticed that Dumbledore's eyes bore in on Malfoy and he then looked around, Hermione following his movements to see several order members stood nearby just in case they were needed.

As they stepped into the fire, Lucius quickly approached, before an invisible barrier seemed to block him. Anger flashed across his face and right before they left he called out to Hermione, "I will get you Mudblood and then you will pay dearly for all that you have cost me!"

Then in a flash they were gone and tumbling out in Dumbledore' office. She and Harry were ushered right back in the fire, headed to headquarters, as Dumbledore dealt with Mrs. Figg and Harry's aunt.

As Hermione fell out of the second fireplace in as many minutes, she stumbled and felt for sure that she was going to hit the floor. Instead strong arms grabbed her and crushed her to a torso. A torso she recognized quite well. "Thank god you are okay! I have been waiting here ever since you left." Draco said, pulling her into a kiss.

Since Hermione had been Draco's only concern, Harry crawled off the floor where he had fallen. "Thanks for the help Malfoy."

"You have fallen off brooms Potter, I am sure you are fine. I had more important people on my mind." Draco shot back, the bickering starting once more. Just then Sirius came crashing into the room, followed by everyone else. They had to recount everything, but Hermione let Harry do most of the talking. She just sat there and let Draco hold her hand, happy to be with him and glad she had escaped whatever his father had intended for her.