36

Hermione drifted off to sleep, and almost immediately, there was Felgate. He was in her face, and she saw the shimmering blade of the knife as he pressed it to her throat. She thought about grabbing hold of his hand, then remembered she was chained at the wrists. However as she had thought about it, she moved a hand and discovered that she wasn't chained at all.

In slightly confused relief, Hermione brought her hands up to hold Felgate's hand away from her throat. Amazingly she was able to move his hand back successfully. His expression turned to fury.

"How dare you! You're chained!" he shouted.

She looked down and the chains were back around her wrists, but a thought then occurred to her.

"No, I'm not chained you sick psycho, you are!" she said just as firmly, and the chains disappeared from her wrists again and appeared on Felgate's ankles. Interesting, she thought, maybe dreams are what you make them, on some level?

"You can't do that!" Felgate shouted, the chains disappearing from him again. "I need to show you your place, mudblood. I own you and you need to be taught some manners."

The Death Eater approached her again his knife pressing to her throat once more, causing her to give a sharp intake of breath. I wonder, she thought, imagining that Felgate's knife had disappeared.

"What the fuck?" Felgate exclaimed in shock. He no longer held the knife and he looked aghast at his empty hand.

"You have no power over me, you pathetic sadistic bastard!" Hermione said back, feeling stronger and stronger. "You're dead, while I live. I feel everything, while you are but dust for the ants to piss on!"

Hermione was walking forward as she said every word, and to her great surprise and delight, Felgate had fallen backwards as he'd tried to back away from her. He scrambled to his knees as she reached him.

"You're nothing, you hear that? NOTHING!" she yelled at him. "I won, you lost and you'll always lose now."

Felgate looked unsure now, very unsure. She had her hand in a fist and landed a punch, hard against the side of the man's head. He fell over to the side and she kicked him between the legs as hard as she could several times, before kneeling on his chest and repeatedly punching his face.

"Do you understand yet? DO YOU?" she yelled, making her throat hoarse. Felgate's face was a bloodied mess and it didn't shock her that it was herself that had done this to another human being, because a part of her knew it wasn't the real world. Her knuckles hurt from making contact with the man's face again and again. "It's OVER!" she said landing a final hard punch, and for the first time her knuckles really hurt a lot.

"Yes, it's over," a voice said. "Come back to me?"

Hermione, was panting and shivering, and she opened her eyes and was greeted by Ginny's concerned face; the woman was kneeling in front of the armchair in her cottage on Anglesey.

"Ginny?" Hermione said slightly confused.

"Yes, love, I'm here," the redhead said.

Hermione blinked her eyes several times as if to clear her vision or to regain a sense of what was the real world again.

"I was so worried about you, we had no idea where you had gone? We all went looking for you when you didn't arrive at the Burrow." Ginny said.

"I'm sorry I worried everyone," Hermione said, feeling embarrassed as much as anything. "I sort of got diverted."

"We gathered, dear."

Hermione uncurled herself from the armchair and saw that Mrs. Weasley was there as well as Ginny.

"Where did you go?" Ginny asked. "We looked in Diagon Alley, Hogsmeade, your old flat, Harry's, Luna's, even that pub we went to in Suffolk? We looked here before, but you weren't here then?"

"No. I didn't know where I was to begin with, as there was just this big white house in the middle of nowhere," Hermione recounted. "I looked around it and it suddenly hit me that it was Felgate's house."

Mrs. Weasley was unable to contain a small gasp, and Ginny reached for Hermione's hand. "That's one place we never even thought to look," Mrs. Weasley said.

"I tried to Apparate again as soon as I realized, but I must have fainted or something, and the next thing I knew, I woke up on the ground and then met Prew."

"Prew?" Ginny asked.

"Do you mean the auror, Alex Prewett?" Mrs. Weasley asked. Hermione nodded.

"Why didn't she take care of you? Why didn't she offer to take you to the Burrow?" Mrs. Weasley asked incredulous, and probably ready to tear a strip off her distant cousin the next time she saw her.

"She did offer to Apparate me when her shift finished. But I declined," Hermione said and seeing the astounded looks on their faces she continued to tell them everything. "I wasn't entirely sure she was safe, because the only time I saw her was the first time I met Morty at the Ministry, although she told me she saw me at Bill's wedding. I asked her some questions and was fairly certain she was safe, but I felt a bit uncomfortable...she sort of...well..."

"What?" asked Ginny.

"As well as saying she loved my red dress at that wedding, she kind of asked me out for coffee," Hermione nearly closed her eyes, waiting for Ginny to explode.

"The bloody cheek of the woman!" Ginny said, much more calmly than Hermione expected. "I still think you should have stayed with her and let her Apparate you though."

That was unexpected, Hermione thought, but nice, because it means Ginny truly trusts me.

"Yeah, well I wasn't thinking completely clearly, so when I found out I was in Wales I thought of your cottage," she smiled at Ginny. "I meant to floo to the Burrow when I got here, but I felt unwell and kind of decided to send my patronus. I'm sorry for all the worry."

"We've found you, that's the main thing," Mrs. Weasley said.

Hermione then seemed to remember her dream and was now aware of how much her right hand hurt. She brought the hand up before her, still shaking slightly, and saw that the knuckles were starting to bruise and she had split open a couple of those knuckles. She couldn't straighten her fingers. Wonderful! More damn injuries! she thought, annoyed with herself. Did I walk under a ladder, throw salt over the wrong shoulder or just piss off the powers that be this year? Suddenly she raised her other hand to her mouth, shocked.

"Oh god!" she said, startling the other two women. "Did I hit either of you?"

"No," Ginny said. "But I don't think my armchair is going to be the same again, though!" she said cheerfully.

"I stood up to him. I had complete control when I realized that my dreams have my rules and he has no power in them, unless I let him," Hermione showed a crooked, bashful smile. "I kind of pulverized him."

"We sort of gathered that when we arrived," Mrs. Weasley said. "You were thrashing around, and shouting. Before we got into the room we thought there was someone else here. But it sounded like you were winning, not in so much fear as the times I've witnessed before."

"Exactly," Ginny added, smiling with pride. "You were laying down the law. You must have really been into it, because we couldn't wake you when we first arrived."

"I think I can face him now and not feel that panic or helplessness," Hermione said. "So in some ways I'm glad today happened. It's helped me no end, I'm just sorry it had to cause you all so much worry."

"Yet again, I'll say this," Ginny said. "You're one incredible woman."

Ginny reached forward and brushed her hand against Hermione's cheek, cupping it, before leaning in to press her lips briefly to her girlfriend's. She was still very aware that Hermione was shivering.

"I think you need some rest, love. Let's get you to bed," Ginny said softly. "Mum will fix you up, won't you Mum?"

"It's something I've got very good at," the older woman said with a smile.

"Resting in bed, seems to be something I've got good at too," Hermione said with a lot of sarcasm.

Hermione noticed that Mrs. Weasley had a bag with her, no doubt carrying her potions and first aid items, prepared for any possibility.

With a little magic for speed and less bother they got Hermione into bed, and got her comfortable and warm. It wasn't even commented on that it was Ginny's double bed and not the guest room's single bed. Mrs. Weasley had guessed everything a long time ago, so it neither surprised her nor even bothered her.

They dealt with Hermione's hand first, which she seemed to have cracked the bones of two of the fingers near the knuckles. It wasn't pleasant to have broken bones healed, but it was a lot quicker and less trouble than the long muggle version of healing. Mrs. Weasley wrapped a bandage around Hermione's hand to make it more comfortable for her patient.

Next, the older woman dabbed some potion on the bruise they found to the side of Hermione's forehead, which she had incurred when falling to the ground at Felgate's house. Then Mrs. Weasley poured out some sleep potion.

"No, I don't need that now," Hermione said.

"Maybe not, but you're still shivering and mending broken bones can be uncomfortable. This way you get to sleep and heal without knowing it." Mrs. Weasley told her. "Just for tonight, OK?"

Hermione nodded, seeing the sense of it. She drank the potion and her eyelids grew heavy. Ginny leaned over and kissed her gently.

"Night, my love," she said softly. "See you in the morning."

Hermione drifted off to a dreamless, solid sleep, remembering with great fondness how Mrs. Weasley had looked from her daughter to herself, with nothing but love and adoration in her expression.

XXXXX

Stirring from a deep sleep, Hermione found herself pressed up against Ginny. She looked at her injured hand and found it was nearly completely healed, so with a little wordless magic she removed the bandage; she smiled to herself and with the arm she had trailing over that athletic body next to her, she hugged her girlfriend tighter. Ginny as usual, was aware of the movement, and turned in her embrace.

"Morning sexy," Ginny said with a cute smile.

"Morning gorgeous," Hermione answered.

"How's the hand?"

"All better," Hermione said, "see?" she held up her healed hand and waggled her fingers feeling no pain, just a little stiffness.

"I was worried sick about you, when you didn't appear at the Burrow?" Ginny said seriously.

"I'm sorry," the brunette said. "I should have let you Apparate us both back. But I think only good things came of my mistake."

"I can't imagine what it was like for you, when you realized where you were?"

"It wasn't a barrel of laughs, that's for sure, but I have my mistake to thank for really progressing forwards." Hermione said happily.

"I have to train today," Ginny half-groaned. "I wish I didn't. I'll floo you back to the Burrow first."

"Oh no you won't!" Hermione said strongly. "I'm going to stay here at the cottage."

Ginny smiled, partly for the determination of Hermione to do what she wanted and partly for being so happy that Hermione liked staying at the cottage with her.

"Alright, but on one condition," the red-haired woman said.

"What?"

"You write to Mum and tell her why you won't be showing up there today!"

Hermione gave a little gasp. "Oh my god! I didn't think! Did you get a roasting from your mum for letting me Apparate that last journey by myself?"

"I got a little bit of a bollocking, but everyone was more interested in finding you," Ginny said amused.

"Oops, sorry!" Hermione grinned. "I'll explain all that to your mum eventually too, I promise. It was all my doing. And let's face it, no one can pin me down when I have my mind set on something."

"Oh can't they?" Ginny laughed, as she rolled on top of Hermione, stopping her from moving.

"That's a different type of 'pinning down' entirely?"

"I like this version best, don't you?" Ginny said, lowering her head to kiss Hermione thoroughly. The kiss left them breathless, but Ginny broke it off.

"Sorry, as much as I'd like to finish what I've started, I have to get up and start the day...training," she groaned.

"You'll have to make it up to me later," Hermione winked.

"Abso-bloody-lutely!" said Ginny rising from the bed and making her way to the bathroom, to start her day, deliberately wiggling her hips for her girlfriend's appreciative gaze.

XXXXX

Hermione ended up staying at Holyhead for the rest of the week, only going back to the Burrow on the Friday afternoon. She didn't use the sleep potion anymore; Felgate appeared in her dreams occasionally, but she backed him down easily and even just stood laughing at him, genuinely looking at him in amusement at how deranged and pathetic he was.

A few times she had woken Ginny up, by talking or moving around in her sleep; with Ginny holding her close it almost added to her strength within those dreams. The moments of fear and terror had given way to Hermione taking control in the dreams and more often than not she was dishing out some of her own violence. It could have been seen as a disturbing twist in her mentality, but for now she thought it was much better than waking up scared and shivering.

It was feeling more and more like the cottage was home and the Burrow was just where the family lived. She was certain that she had reached that rather mushy stage of realization, that wherever Ginny was felt like home, regardless of the walls around them or the location of those walls.

The match on the Saturday was an away game at the Ballycastle Bats, and it was a little more special for the magical world as Halloween was on the Sunday the following day. Hermione was able to Apparate herself there this time, although making sure to get the correct location set in her mind first.

Hermione didn't know what to expect but as she made her way with the Weasley's to one of the boxes at the Bats' stadium, she saw that a lot of the crowd had dressed up a bit more than usual, with most of the younger fans in fancy dress.

The Weasley's were dressed normally as was Hermione, but she was already enjoying the atmosphere. Bill and Fleur had decided to attend this weekend, and Mrs. Weasley was determined to sit next to Fleur, probably to do two things; keep an eye on her, and give her all kinds of tips on child rearing. Poor Fleur, Hermione thought; so she decided to sit the other side of her, hoping to come to her rescue when needed.

George, Ron, Bill and Mr. Weasley were clumped together at one end of the box seats, talking to the father of another Harpies' player; one of the beaters. There were a couple of older women at the other end, and Hermione wasn't sure of their connection, until Mrs. Weasley leant across Fleur to whisper to her that it was the mother and aunt of the seeker Geri Llewellyn.

Very craftily Hermione looked at the two women out of the corner of her eye, and saw that both had long black hair, the slightly older of the two having the faintest of grey at her temples. I should have guessed which player they were related to from the hair, she thought.

Not long after her observation her attention was taken by the stadium announcer, introducing the players to the crowd. Hermione felt like a little excited girl again, rocking on her seat moving her head about to get the best view.

There she was, Ginny Weasley; she even got a decent round of applause from the predominantly Bats crowd. The red-haired woman waved to the crowd and mounted her broom. Hmm, how I'd like to slide between her legs like that broom, thought Hermione.

Fleur leaned in closer to Hermione and whispered mischieviously. "I bet you envy that broom, right now?"

Hermione's mouth opened, and then she went red as she turned to face Fleur, flabbergasted.

"How? What? Is it written on my forehead or something?"

Fleur laughed softly. "No, mon ami, remember what I told you, I just see things others don't."

"You could make money from that skill!" Hermione said, actually impressed again at how Fleur had all but read her thoughts.

Hermione suddenly wondered whether sitting next to Fleur for the whole match was a good idea at all, if the Frenchwoman was going to delve into her thoughts and frequently make her blush like a strawberry.

The quidditch teams had taken flight and the match began. As usual Hermione was watching only one player, although she did notice a rather large beater on the Bats' team. It was obvious he had had team orders to direct every bludger towards Ginny. If only I could curse that enormous git, Hermione thought, annoyed.

It looked like the Ballycastle Bats had done their homework and the Harpies were not finding a way through.

After fifty minutes it was tied at a tight 30-30. As previous matches, the Harpies moved around their formation to try their Plan B. It immediately paid off and Ginny and her partner chaser were knocking the goals in so regularly, it was hard to keep track of the score.

Two and a half hours gone and the Harpies lead was 180-50, and it was dangerous territory, with the Harpies needing to hope they added more to the score or caught the snitch soon, as they weren't quite far enough ahead.

"Get the ruddy snitch Geri, stop faffing about girl!" the seeker's aunt shouted, from one end of the box.

Hermione looked at Fleur and both women had a hard time not bursting out laughing. The aunt was right though.

Ginny scored another goal to make it 190-50 to the Harpies. Just one more and we're safe again for at least a possible draw, Hermione thought, amusing herself with her sudden tactical awareness.

"There's the snitch!" shouted George.

But it wasn't Geri Llewellyn in the lead pursuing it. Ginny had the quaffle again and was doing some fancy moves making her way to the opposition hoops again.

"Go on Ginny, bloody score quickly, before they get the snitch!" Ron shouted, even though everyone knew that the players couldn't hear a single voice from within the crowd.

Hermione turned her attention from the race for the snitch, back to Ginny. It was then she saw that her girlfriend was being tracked closely by the two opposition beaters, one of which was the huge beast of a man. Ginny dodged a Bats chaser and was nearly into the zone from which she would find it simple to score.

"They've nearly got the snitch!" yelled George. "Get on with it Ginny!"

She was in the process of setting herself to take aim and at the very same time the two Bats' beaters split off on each side of her, and timed it so that both bludgers were heading towards them, and almost in synchronicity they bashed them towards Ginny. She was about to throw the quaffle, but before she could release it accurately she was hit by a bludger to the head and one to her side.

Ginny's aim with the quaffle was ruined, as she almost fell off her broom, and the crowd gasped and then cheered for the Bats. Hermione watched the whole thing in horror. Ginny was still on her broom somehow but looked very groggy and was leant over it trying not to fall off. It had all happened in a split second, but almost seemed in slow motion to Hermione.

It was then the crowd cheered even louder, as their seeker zoomed past their box, showing off the caught snitch in his hand.

The stadium announcer was delighted. "The Bats win 200-190!" They've broken the Harpies winning streak!"

"The dirty gits!" Bill said disgusted.

"Evil fuckers!" shouted Ron.

"Ron, watch your language!" Mrs. Weasley admonished him.

Hermione felt a little guilty that she wasn't worried about the score as much as wanting to rush to Ginny to make sure she was alright. She hadn't realized it until now, but from the moment Ginny had been hit, she had stood up and was almost leaning right over the railing in front of the box, trying to see things closer.

"The Harpies medical staff will make sure she's OK," said Fleur, who had also stood up and was at her side.

"Until now, I'd forgotten exactly how dangerous quidditch can be," Hermione said.

"Ginny's tough, she's been doing this for so long now, she gives as good as she gets," Fleur said reassuringly.

Geri's mother and aunt were also disgusted with the result and seemed very hard on Geri, almost insinuating that the girl wasn't doing her job and was showing off doing everything other than look for the snitch. Hermione thought that was very hard, but in both the muggle and magical world she was well aware of pushy parents when it came to sports.

Mrs. Weasley had looked a little worried, but a couple of years of watching this had hardened her to accepting what happened and she tried to keep her fussing over Ginny's injuries to a minimum.

As the medical staff and a team mate helped a staggering Ginny off in the direction of the changing rooms, Hermione walked over to Mrs. Weasley and said quietly. "How do you get used to this?"

The older woman turned to her. "I never really get used to it, Hermione. A mother always fears watching their child on the quidditch pitch and what injuries they might get."

"I wanted to Apparate down there straight away."

"So did I, dear," Mrs. Weasley answered. "You just learn to worry in private and have faith in the medical people. I will say this though, I've seen her have worse, so she'll be fine."

Hermione wanted to feel that assured and thought it would probably take a bit of time to train herself to the scene before her. She badly wanted to see Ginny and talk to her and make sure she was alright, so much so, that she started to pace around in the box, and kept looking at her watch for nearly the next hour.

George came over to her. "Trying to wear out the carpet in here?" he asked.

"What?" Hermione said, only half listening. "Oh, sorry George, I was miles away."

"You're worried about Gin? Of course you are, but she has had much worse," the tall red-haired man said. "She's been knocked out and fell off her broom a couple of times in the past and was back to health in 24 hours. She'll be fine."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?" she scoffed.

"Yee...aaahh," George said realizing that it wasn't helpful. "The point is, she's a tough woman, and she's used to it all."

Hermione looked around the box and saw that it was only herself and the Weasley's in there now. The man and the two women had gone. George saw her looking around.

"They've all gone. I wouldn't want to be the seeker, those women looked ready to pummel her for not getting to the snitch first," he grimaced.

"I might pummel Ginny if she doesn't get up here soon to let us know she's alright!" Hermione said frustrated.

"You and whose army?" said a familiar voice behind her.

Hermione spun around to see Ginny standing in the doorway, in her green Harpies tracksuit, wearing a huge grin and the faintest hint of where a bruise might have been to the side of her face. Hermione went to her, hugged her gently, and then pulled back, putting a hand to her girlfriend's face, giving her a check over.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked, unable to keep some worry from her voice.

Ginny got hold of the investigating hand. "I'm fine Herminone. Nothing a good medical wizard couldn't handle. I've had worse!"

"See? I told you," said George, amused.

"I can't believe we lost?" Ginny said, annoyed.

The other Weasley's had come over after hearing Ginny's voice. Mrs. Weasley had also given her a little hug and a crafty check over too, which made Hermione feel justified.

"It was a bloody dirty trick they pulled," Ron said. "A double bludger attack? I'd have given them a bloody double bludger attack, sent the bludgers up their arse, see if they can get to them there, the skanky fucking sods!" he said scornfully.

"Ronald!" his mother said again, clearly fighting a losing battle in trying to clean up her youngest son's language. "I won't have you swearing in front of my grandchild."

Ron looked at his mother bewildered. "Are you mental, woman? It's still inside Fleur, it's hardly learning swear words yet, is it?"

Mrs. Weasley glared at him and Ron didn't add anything else to the conversation for the moment. Hermione noticed Fleur had looked away, because she was trying hard not to show she was on the verge of cracking up laughing. Bill had to look the other way because seeing Fleur trying not to giggle was making him want to laugh more and Mr. Weasley suddenly found the fixture list pinned to the far wall of the box very interesting and appeared to be reading every single word of it.

"Nice to know we're all still just as dysfunctional as ever," Ginny said drily.

"I think Geri's family take the prize there!" Hermione said. "The way they were carrying on and shouting at her."

"Yeah, her family are pretty hard. Both her mother and aunt played for the Harpies years ago," Ginny told her. "I think they're still trying to live out their own careers through Geri."

"Poor girl," Hermione said.

"Hey? What about me? I was the one injured?" Ginny said, faking jealousy.

"I thought you said you were fine?" the brunette answered playfully.

"Well, mostly," said Ginny, hugging Hermione as she whispered. "But I always have places for you to kiss better."

Hermione's face went red. This time she was the one not daring to look at Fleur because she knew the Frenchwoman would know what had been said, within a little.

"Hermione, I have something to ask you, actually?" said Ginny.

"Ask away?"

"The Harpies are having a small Halloween party tomorrow night, back at HQ...well I say party, it's more like a get-together and players can bring along a guest or partner. I was wondering if you'd like to go with me? It's OK if you don't want to, I'd unde..."

"I'll go," Hermione answered straight away.

"You sure?"

"Yes. I'd like to meet some of the squad," Hermione said pulling Ginny into another hug. "I will also love the opportunity to show everyone you're mine," she whispered.

Ginny couldn't contain a snort of laughter. "That's exactly what I was thinking...about you, that is," she smiled. "I have to get going again now, but I'll come and pick you up tomorrow evening from the Burrow, around 7pm?"

"I'll be ready...although, what's the expected dress code?"

"Well, it's not exactly evening gown or Tri-Wizard tournament garb, but smart casual. And you'll be staying with me tomorrow night too."

"Oh I will, will I?" Hermione said, jesting. It's just as well I have some of my things over there now, Hermione thought to herself.

"I insist!" Ginny winked.

"OK. I'll see you tomorrow then," Hermione smiled.

There were a few more hugs from the family and a small kiss for Hermione, and Ginny was gone again.

Fleur put an arm around Hermione and told her she had overheard Ginny asking her to the Halloween party. At least she heard it and didn't read my mind or whatever the hell it is she does, thought Hermione.

"Do you know what you're going to wear yet?" Fleur asked, excited for her.

"No. Ginny says it's smart-casual. I haven't been to any function for a while...well, unless you count that business at the Ministry Court," Hermione admitted, really beginning to wonder what to wear.

"You look wonderful in red," Fleur said.

"I do have a red silk shirt somewhere," said Hermione, thinking outloud.

"What about a red silk shirt and some classic black trousers?"

"Hmm, that sounds alright. It's smart, and casual, and comfortable...I think I might go with that," the brunette said. "Although, I don't want to disappoint Ginny."

"I'm not sure that's even possible now," Fleur said, beaming at her.

The family made its way back to the Burrow, with Hermione pleased to Apparate herself again, and she went to sleep that night, thinking of the way she could make her simple outfit more seductive.