A/N: With luck (and my sense of direction having returned) I'll be updating twice a week- Monday and Friday.


What time was it? Half-past five. Molly fought back her yawn then shook her head and allowed it to pass. It wasn't as though Arthur was around to see her concern.

He hadn't been joking when he'd suggested he might be late; she'd spent the evening and early hours on tenterhooks at the kitchen table, periodically standing and pacing a little. Each time there was a rustle outside she braced herself but it was invariably a cat or a fox. At four o'clock she'd moved upstairs, more to combat the feeling of helplessness than anything else. She had no intention of going to sleep, that was why she stretched out on her and Arthur's bed- she felt the guilt would be enough to keep her awake.


Hermione blinked a few times against the bright light then let the curtain swing back into place before she crept out of the dormitory and padded in her bare feet down to the common room. To her surprise she found a familiar figure curled up in an over-sized armchair by the dead fire. Sitting down herself, she asked, 'So are you up really early or really late?'

Ginny shifted slightly. 'Early.'

'It's a nice morning outside.'

Hermione bit her lip. 'You know, I looked for you yesterday but you weren't around.'

'No, I wanted to be on my own.'

'So you locked yourself away?'

'When you grow up with Ron invading your space every chance he gets, it's nice to have somewhere to go.'

Recognising the bite in the voice, Hermione held back a wince. 'I know you're mad at him…'

'Hermione, don't bother. I know what he's like, I should've been more careful.'

'Gin, look, it would've happened eventually. You can't keep a secret around here, you know that.'

'It doesn't make it right though, does it?'

'Well, I didn't say it did.' Hermione smiled tentatively. 'How about getting dressed and going for a walk or something?'

Ginny shook her head. 'I think I'm going to go have a long shower. I've got a headache.'

Hermione shrugged as her girlfriend stood. 'Okay. Ginny…'

The second-year glanced back at her. 'We're fine. Just give me a bit of space.'

Watching Ginny up the stairs, Hermione sighed. It seemed she'd gotten herself into an unbreakable web of deceit. In McGonagall's office, having just been trusted and forgiven for offences she should have lost her wand over, she'd felt a moral responsibility. Part of her knew what Ginny could see on the map, how long would it have been before she noticed someone in the castle at a time when there was no legitimate reason? It wasn't just McGonagall she was protecting; Ginny wasn't the stablest person in the world- she'd been trying to preserve a kind of bubble for them. Somewhere the world couldn't bite them. It was basically the room on the seventh-floor on a larger and more intimate scale.

But now it seemed she'd inadvertently pushed Ginny away and back into her own private and angry world. This time it wasn't Hermione that she was angry with though' it was her brother, the one who cared more about his little sister than he cared to let on. Not to mention the fact that he was also one of her best friends. Harry had a point, she'd let Ron take the blame just because it was the easiest thing to do. Her dilemma now though? What to do next.


Minerva hadn't felt much able to sleep the previous night but she'd attempted it. However, woken by an irrepressible urge of something being amiss and, unable to eject it from mind, she'd dressed and proceeded to her office where she usually found clarity to be waiting. This time, though, it was lingering in some unreachable corner and she daren't fumble for it.

She was startled when, after she'd woken the office to it's day, the fire glowed green and out of it stepped an unkempt figure. 'Arthur, what on...'

He stepped out into the room, twirling his hat nervously around his fingers, dropping it once and stooping to collect it. 'I'm sorry, I know the hour but…'

Rising, Minerva stepped around her desk. 'Arthur, have you slept?'

'No, I was at work until three and then I just… Well, I could hardly go home, could I?' he finished with a strangled laugh, one that tightened her heart.

'Come sit down,' she instructed, guiding him to a chair. 'Now, what's going on, why couldn't you go home?'

He shook his head. 'I shouldn't have asked, I shouldn't have pressed her. Even if I knew I could've carried on, couldn't I?'

When he looked to her for confirmation, she struggled to meet his eye but asked, 'What did you ask, Arthur?'

'I asked her if she was leaving me,' he answered, stifling a weak spluttering cough. 'How stupid can you be, hmm? You know, that's probably one of the reasons she's going.'

Her mind was half in the office and half in the Burrow. 'Did she say why?'

'No. No, I couldn't ask. I needed to get out of there. So I went to work, not that I was useful. I might as well have been getting drunk for all the work I did. And it really mattered last night, Fudge has his little fads, you know. He's reviewing Muggle security, all hands on deck.'

'Yes,' she said, mustering a small smile. 'Of course. May I ask, not that I wish you to leave, but why did you come to me?'

'Oh, well, I…' He closed his eyes briefly. 'I had the feeling I'd interrupted something earlier; yesterday, and then there was that argument you two had. I just wondered if you knew something.'

'Argument?'

'At the Quidditch game on Saturday, Molly gave the impression you'd had a disagreement or something. Wasn't that the way of it?'

She supposed, in a manner of speaking, it had been- an argument followed by a reconciliation, the latter he did not need to hear about. 'Yes, it was. But, Arthur, Molly hasn't confided anything in me about her feelings for you.' That part, at least, was true.

'Right.' He stood suddenly. 'In that case, I'm sorry to have troubled you.'

'No, wait,' she said, quickly blocking the fireplace. 'What do you plan to do now? Will you go home?'

'I honestly don't think I can face her. So it's back to work I think.'

'That's hardly a long-term solution.' She paused. 'I'll go and see her as soon as possible. Lunch time.'

He nodded, spinning his hat again. 'Thank you, Minerva. My turning up like this was completely…'

'Don't apologise,' she answered, her fingers clenching at the very thought. 'Really.'

'Well, thank you anyway,' he muttered before stepping past her into the fire.

Alone, she sank into her chair, rubbing her temple in a circular motion with the tips of her fingers. A sure-fire way to relieve pain and stress, if you were to believe Poppy Pomfrey. This time Minerva didn't think there was the remotest chance it would work.


'Have you seen Ginny this morning?'

Hermione glanced across the table to Harry before addressing Ron's question. 'Yeah, she said she had a headache.'

'Oh, right. It's not like her to miss breakfast.'

'Well, she's fine so you don't have to worry.'

'Because the way she was acting yesterday was normal?' he said, frowning. 'You're supposed to be her mate.'

Harry obviously wasn't coming to her aid this time so Hermione deliberately finished her lice of toast before answered, 'I am her friend, Ron, and as such I'm not going to tell the whole world her secrets. You obviously haven't read the latest manual on how to be a friend, I suppose it's fortunate I'd never confide in you.'

As Harry exhaled audibly, Ron appeared visibly hurt. 'Hermione, I was just asking, alright? I am allowed to take an interest in her.'

'Yeah, okay.' She stood. 'I'm sorry, Ron. I'll see you later.'


I'm being really cruel, aren't I? It's not Hermione's fault,

any of this, it's all because of Ron. So I shouldn't

be pushing her away. Especially when I've finally got

what I wanted. When I'm with her I feel safe, happy.

I can forget everything else, it's better than I hoped

It'd be. I've got to stop shutting her out, I don't

Want anything to ruin this.


Feeling herself being shaken awake, Molly opened her eyes; her first thought being that she had fallen asleep, despite her vow not to. 'Arthur?'

'No, Molly, it's me.'

Blinking, she pulled herself up as Minerva sat down on the bed. 'What time is it?'

'Just after midday. What time did you come to bed?'

'Oh, it must've been about five. I was waiting for Arthur, is he here?'

Minerva shook her head. 'He came to see me this morning.'

'Why would he… I didn't…'

'Molly, he was just confused, he didn't know where to turn.'

She squeezed her eyes closed. 'I want to feel so guilty but I can't. Am I really that horrible?'

'That has nothing to do with it, I know you know that.'

Mustering a weak smile, she said. 'Well, maybe. But… Oh, Arthur doesn't deserve this, I didn't even know what to say to him.'

'He said he brought it up?' Minerva probed gently.

'Yes, I suppose he was bound to eventually. I could've lied, could've brushed him off…'

'You did the right thing. It was better to do it at the first opportunity, saves heartaches in the long-term.'

'You make it sound so matter-of-fact.'

'I didn't mean to.' Minerva paused then stood. 'Come on, let's go.'

'Where to? I should be here when Arthur gets back.'

'At the moment I don't think that's such a good idea. You're coming home with me.'

She found a small smile creeping onto her lips, despite the gnawing guilt in her stomach. 'If you insist.'

'I do.'


'You weren't at lunch.'

Hermione glanced up from her book. 'I didn't feel up to anymore of your brother for the next week or so.'

'You've got to eat.'

'Come on, you miss breakfast and I miss lunch, we'll both survive.'

'Maybe, but you look great the way you are so…'

Placing the book she was reading down on the table, Hermione surveyed Ginny against the backdrop of the empty common room. 'Well, what if we both agree to eat at regular times, would that be okay?'

'I suppose that'd do.' Ginny bit her lip. 'I've got a Potions test next week, do you think you could help me revise? Or actually learn something since I haven't really been paying attention.'

'Well, I've got an Arithmancy essay to do. We could both study at the library then I could test you.'

'Yeah, thanks. Now go eat something.'

'I'm not hungry.'

'Go on, Hermione, please. For me.'

She shook her head. 'That's not playing fair.'


Noviomagus had seemed to light up the moment Molly had entered it. Minerva sent her upstairs then prepared a special blend of tea. Following her up the stairs she found Molly gazing out of the window across the lake. 'Here,' she said quietly. 'Tea.'

Molly turned. 'Thank you. Shouldn't you be getting back to the school?'

'Yes, I'm about it. But I want you to try and get some real sleep while I'm gone.'

'I don't think that's going to happen.'

'Drink the tea, it'll help.'

'Is there something in it?'

'It should just help you rest.'

Molly nodded. 'Do you think he'll be alright?'

'I should think so,' Minerva said with care. 'You're forgetting, Arthur isn't a weak man.' She proffered the tea. 'Please try and sleep.'

'I'll give it a go, but don't expect miracles.'

'I should be back early this evening.'