Hermione knocked on the door. The wood echoed back at her, and she bit her lip.

"You can come in."

She slowly turned the handle, and pushed open the door with a creak.

Anna was lying on the spare bed on her back, her arms spread out and her eyes staring at the ceiling.

Hermione bit back a sob. "They're gone. They've left."

Anna didn't reply.

"I'm ... I'm so sorry Anna ..." A tear slipped down Hermione's cheek. "I never would have thought that Harry would have done such a thing ..."

Anna gave a great sigh, and sat up. She patted the bed next to her, and Hermione sat down.

Anna's arms went around Hermione. "It's okay," she whispered. "You couldn't have known."

"But I should have! Am I really such an awful judge of character?" She cursed. "I could kill that boy. I could, if he were here."

"But you did the right thing." Anna closed her eyes, and a tear trickled out, caught from under her eyelids. "Thank you."

"Oh Anna, don't cry!" Hermione started to sob. "My friend - he's no longer my friend. Harry isn't my friend anymore. He's gone."

"Oh Hermione..."

"He's gone!" Hermione was on her feet now. "Both of them are gone! If that is how they treat women, how they treat girls, then they can leave. They aren't worthy my time or my tears."

"It wasn't just that," whispered Anna. Hermione froze. She knelt in front of Anna, and bowed her head, waiting to hear ...

"What else happened, Anna?"

Hermione could see Anna biting her lip. "Harry told me that I wasn't worthy your friendship. That I am a stoic statue, who has no emotions or life in me. Then ... then Ron said that if I didn't back off from you, he would see to it that I would. He was jealous ... he threatened me, Hermione!" Hermione was getting up, backing away. "Hermione! He told me that I was too close for my own good! Hermione?"

Hermione was shaking her head, slowly. Thoughts were spiralling around in her head. Even if Harry had done that, surely not Ron ... Surely he hadn't known what he was doing ...

"Hermione! Ron and Harry hurt me ..." Anna's body wracked in sobs.

"Ron wouldn't - he couldn't ..."

"Well, he can, and he did," said Anna fiercely, through her tears.

And something in Hermione broke. She knelt again in front of Anna, her head in her friend's lap. Tears dropped out of her eyes. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

Anna's thin hand gently stroked her hair. "It's okay," she said. "You don't need them."

Hermione gave a little sob.

Anna smiled. "You've got me."

/

"What the flip is going on Harry?" yelled Ron.

Harry just sighed and shook his head.

"Surely Hermione wouldn't believe the accusation of her office assistant over us!"

It was a week later. Hermione had been ignoring all of Ron's creative attempts at communication. The final straw had been when Ron, dressed as an owl, had arrived at her office door with a letter. She had opened the door, and then glared, shutting it in his face. "I don't want to see you again!" she had yelled through the door. A rejected Ron had stormed over to Harry's, ignoring the understandable stares of the ministry workers at his costume, and had proceeded to vent his emotions in Harry's living room.

"Her office assistant, Harry! She's known us for how long? And she chose to believe that slimy, sneaky git over us!"

Harry sighed again, and unfolded his arms. "Look Ron. I don't know what's going on, but something is obviously wrong with Hermione."

"Obviously!" scoffed Ron. "Mate, Hermione is clearly being manipulated. That Anna probably works for You-Know-Who ..."

"Voldermort is dead, Ron," said Harry. "You know he's dead."

"He's dead, but maybe all his followers aren't!" glared Ron. "You know how many of them are unaccounted for ... there's Yaxley, and Mars, and Gin- and heaps of others," he added, biting his lip.

Harry gave a sigh. "Look Ron, we both know Ginny's still out there. It's time we face it."

"Yeah." Ron shook his head. "It's just ..."

"I know." Harry shook his head, and got up from the couch. "How about a walk? Unless you have more to say?"

"I have plenty more to say," muttered Ron. "But I guess it can wait."

"You can let it out as we go," said Harry, distracted by a sudden tapping at his front window. "Mail."

The little owl was holding an assortment of letters, as well as The Daily Prophet, done up with a red ribbon. Harry sorted through the letters, chucking them onto his kitchen table. "Just bills," he muttered. "Bill, bill, auror meeting next week - " he flicked his wand, and a new entry appeared on the calender next to the kitchen sink. "An invitation to a wedding, five fan letters, and that's it!"

"Why on earth are you subscribed to The Daily?" asked Ron, picking it up. "It's a load of tripe, as it always has been, and always will be!"

"I'm not subscribed to it," shrugged Harry. He flicked his wand again, and his shoes appeared on his feet, tying themselves up with a bow. "They just send it here anyway."

"Rubbish," muttered Ron, untying the paper anyway. He opened it with a flourish, and gave a great gasp. "You have got to be joking ..."

"What?"

There on the front cover of the Prophet, in great gold sparkling letters, sang the words, "The Chosen One Abuses Innocent Ministry Worker!" Below the title lay an article filled with the story of what had happened in the new year. A picture of Anna, taken from behind, showed a sad, dejected women abused by the power of Harry Potter. The front cover promised plenty more juicy content within.

Ron set the paper on fire with a barked spell, and Harry straightened his robes. "Just like old times," he said bitterly.

"That can't have been Hermione," said Ron, shaking his head, fear tinging the corners of his eyes. "It can't have been. She wouldn't."

"Only one way to find out," said Harry.

/

Hermione's office door slammed open. Hermione looked up from her letters; Anna was striding in, her face full of anger. She slammed The Daily Prophet in front of Hermione. "This. Wasn't. Me."

Hermione picked up the Prophet, her hands shaky. "What ... how ..."

"It wasn't you, of course, and if it wasn't me, then it means that there's a spy in the Ministry," said Anna bitterly. "They must have heard us talking about it this week."

"I ... can't believe ..." Hermione stared at the headline. It grinned maliciously back at her. She could feel her heart drowning in her head. "This is awful, Anna!"

"It's no longer between us," said Anna. "It's a matter for the World of Magic now."

"Oh Anna," said Hermione. She looked at the blonde witch; her eyes filled with tears. "Oh, Anna."

"It's okay," said Anna, her eyes sympathetic. "Here, I made you some tea." She flicked her wand, and a mug came floating through the air, landing gently on Hermione's desk. "Drink it, it'll help."

Hermione took a cautious sip, and a great calm settled on her at once. All was still. All was ... all was good. She smiled at Anna. "Thank you."

There was a great commotion at the door; it burst open. Harry and Ron were in the doorway, being physically held back by three ministry workers. A spell was cast; the ministry workers were pushed backwards, and the door slammed shut.

Ron and Harry got steadily to their feet. Hermione blinked at them; tiredness pulled at the edge of her vision.

"You shouldn't be here," Anna was saying. "Not now!"

"You little liar," hissed Ron. "You little sneaky liar! Hermione, surely you don't - you can't believe all this, what's going on ..."

"Leave!" Anna was saying. "Please just leave!"

"We can't until we find out what's going on," cried Harry. "Hermione - Hermione, you okay? What on earth is wrong?"

"Hermione!"

"Hermione!"

"She's fine, just leave, quickly before you're caught!"

"We're not leaving!"

Hermione smiled at Harry and Ron, then. She felt strong. The shouting was loud, but she was stronger. She was stronger than their betrayal. "I didn't tell the Prophet," she said, and the shouting subsided. "And neither did Anna. But I think it's what you deserve." She looked at Anna, and Anna smiled warmly back at her. Hermione knew she had been right. She smiled, and took a sip of her tea. The calm grew; it warmed her very soul. "You can go now."

"We're not going!"

With a crack, the mug of tea exploded in her hands; Hermione gave a cry as blood trickled down her hand from the broken shards. Blood and tea. Blood and water ... She cursed them, rising to her feet with wand in bloody hand, just as the door was finally broken open, and an Auror declared, "Harry Potter, you are under arrest for the abuse and attack of Anna Hendraya!"

There was a lou G, as Harry broke the window in the office, and both he and Ron leapt out of it. Aurors rushed to the window, cursing the wizards as they flew away, both clutching onto summoned broomsticks, flying away as fast as they could.

The bustle grew thicker, and the shouting grew louder in the small office. Hermione looked down at her bloody hand, and glanced at Anna for support. Anna gave her a hug. "You did good," she whispered.

Hermione stuffed her face into Anna's shoulder, and smiled.

Everything was calm. All was good.

It took twenty minutes for the Aurors to leave the office, after fixing the window and promising further investigations into catching Harry Potter and his notorious friend Ronald Weasley. Hermione was at last able to sit down at her desk; Anna knelt next to her, applying dittany to her injured hand. "You did good," she could hear her saying, through the calm in her head. "You did good, my dear."

"I suppose I must get back to work," said Hermione, as firm as a rock.

"Yes. What were you doing before I interrupted?"

"I was just replying to this letter." She picked up the parchment on her desk, and handed it carefully to Anna. "It was for the accommodation of an Ella Stilt. She's going back to work for the Order." Hermione pointed to the address on the paper. "She moves there on the 16th. In a week."

"I see."

"Yes." Hermione gave a happy sigh. "You can send that letter, please."

"Of course." Anna placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder. "It'd be my pleasure." She got up to leave -

"And Anna?"

"Yes?"

Hermione felt the calm wash over her. "Get me some more of that tea."

"Of course," said Anna. She gave a great, joyful smile. "You rest now."

"Yes." Rest ... Hermione sunk into it, into that great calm that called her. She let go...

Everything is good.

/

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