A/N: I think we should ramp up the drama a bit, so here goes nothing! For anyone who follows my other series (the Always one) I have exciting news! I finally started writing it. I'm still going to start posting in the summer, because that gives me time to do what I've done with this story and get a bank of chapters prepared, but at least I actually know where I'm going with it. Anyway, back to this story! Thank you for supporting me and sending me such lovely messages of support. Hope you enjoy this latest chapter. Disclaimer: All characters (except for the ones you don't recognise) belong to J.K. Rowling.

Hermione had never really apparated without using a wand before. She winced as her feet touched pavement once more and gazing down saw blood on her side. It was only then that the brunette realised she was still wearing her Azkaban uniform. The grey fabric was dirty even after her only being in that hell hole for a short amount of time. Looking around to check she had apparated to the right place, Hermione was relieved when she saw the area was deserted. The sun had set some time ago, although she wasn't sure of the time. There was no noise in the neighbourhood, so the brunette guessed it was close to midnight.

Touching her side gingerly, Hermione winced again. Her first time apparating without a wand had caused her to splinch herself. It didn't seem to be too bad. Waving her hand Hermione cast a quick healing spell, once more thanking her extensive training, and moved deeper into the shadows.

She had been so focused on getting to Andy's that she had forgotten that her most pressing priority was getting changed out of her rather noticeable prison clothes.

Taking a breath, Hermione leaned back against the wall and slid down. Her mind was racing and she felt a headache coming on. It was as if the events and information of the past 24 hours was causing her brain to shut down. Everything Bellatrix had told her was racing through her mind making it hard to concentrate. The very thought of Hermione helping the Death Eater was enough to make the brunette feel sick. There was just no way that she could ever entertain the idea of joining up with Bellatrix and helping her try and take over other Ministries. It was just obscene to think that the only way to stop the League was by creating a form of dictatorship across Europe.

After composing herself, Hermione stood up and groaned as her muscles protested the position she had been sat in. Andy's house was only a few streets away. The brunette had apparated herself away from the house just in case there were Aurors waiting for her. It hadn't slipped Hermione's mind that her trial was supposed to have been today and the first person they would suspect of having helped her escape from Azkaban would be Andy. There was no guarantee that her friend would even be home, it wouldn't surprise the brunette if Cypher hadn't arrested Andy already.

Using all the training she had been given by Euphemia, Hermione moved swiftly through the streets, being careful to avoid the shine of the streetlamps. If she wanted, she could avoid being seen and after apparating without any magic, Hermione wasn't sure she had enough left in her to win any sort of duel.

As she reached Andy's road, Hermione paused. There were Aurors around, of that she was sure. Without hesitating, the brunette moved to the back of the house. An Auror was standing, half-concealed in a bush. Being careful to make no noise, Hermione slipped up behind him and deftly put an arm around his throat. He let out a muffled yell, but nothing loud enough to alert any of the other Aurors. She held on until he lost consciousness and Hermione moved him further into the bushes. It wouldn't do to have his feet sticking out where someone could spot them. Searching his pockets, she removed his wand from its holster and also swiped the spare he had strapped to his ankle.

Peeking out of the bushes, and realising how weird it would look if anyone did see her hanging around in a bush, Hermione practically sprinted to Andy's back door. She opened the door as little as possible and snuck in, breathing a sigh of relief that the first part was over.

That relief was short-lived when a spell cracked just above her head.

"Hermione!" Andy's loud whisper calmed the brunette's racing heart a little. "What the…"

"Nice to see you too," murmured Hermione.

"You…what…" Andy's eyes were nearly popping out of her head. "You…Azkaban…"

The brunette held up her hands. "Please, Andy I can explain everything."

The older witch blinked rapidly. "I hope so." Andy looked hard at Hermione and her eyes softened. "Come on, you must be exhausted."

Hermione allowed herself to be led by Andy to a chair in the kitchen. The older witch didn't say a word or ask Hermione any questions, instead she just hurried around and before the brunette knew it, a plate of warm, comforting food was in front of her. It hadn't been long since her last meal, and with a feeling of being plunged into an icy bucket of water, she remembered exactly who that had been with. She forced a smile on to her face to try and hide how sick it made her feel, but Hermione knew that Andy hadn't missed it. The older witch knew Hermione too well.

It was only after the brunette had finished that Andy began to question her.

"Can you please explain to me what the hell you think you're playing at?" demanded Andy.

"It wasn't me," protested Hermione. "I didn't plan any of this. The escape was organised by someone else, I just got caught up in it."

"Are you insane?" snapped Andy. "Your trial was supposed to be today! Escaping from Azkaban like you did, it only made you look guilty. This was the stupidest thing you have ever done. There's no coming back from this now, Hermione. Don't you see that? You can't just waltz into the Ministry and hand yourself in, they will lock you up and throw away the key."

Hermione was trying to stay calm, but Andy's tone and the fact that Bellatrix had said that she had been talking to her sister for years got the better of her. Before she knew what was happening, Hermione had stood up and was shouting back at the older witch. At least, shouting as much as she could when she was trying not to gain the attention of the Aurors posted outside and around the house.

"What about you?!" Hermione angrily whispered. "When were you going to tell me that you've been talking to Bellatrix Lestrange since the war ended?"

They fell into a stunned silence. Andy had gone white and that was all the confirmation Hermione needed to know that Bellatrix had actually told her the truth.

"How…How did you…" stammered the older witch.

"I told you, it wasn't me who orchestrated the escape from Azkaban," snapped Hermione.

"Bellatrix," said Andy, simply. "She broke you out."

"I was in my cell and then all hell broke loose. There were bangs and explosions. Next thing I know the whole corridor was filled with smoke, there were guards running around and spells flying. Figures came into my cell and grabbed me and then dragged me through the holes they had made in the walls. It was chaos and before I knew it, one of the figures jumped out, pulling me with him and used a Portkey. We landed in the middle of nowhere with just a cottage and Bellatrix was waiting in there for me. She was the one who had organised the whole thing."

"What…What did she tell you?" murmured Andy, looking suddenly anxious.

"She said that she had been talking to you for years, ever since the last war ended and explained about her whole world domination plan to stop the League. Bellatrix also made out that you have been aware of the reasons why she did what she did." Hermione was glaring at Andy in a way she had never done before.

"I…I…It's not that simple, Hermione," mumbled Andy. "It's…complicated."

"What's complicated?" snarled the brunette. "Did you or did you not know that Bellatrix had joined the Death Eaters to protect you and Narcissa? Did you or did you not know that she wasn't guilty of the torture of the Longbottoms and that the League set her up? Did you or did you not know that she joined Voldemort for a second time because Voldemort threatened you and Narcissa? What about her joining up with other escaped Death Eaters and taking over Ministries in Scandinavia?"

Andy opened and closed her mouth several times and couldn't look Hermione in the eye. "I…I…I'm sorry, I couldn't…"

Hermione felt sick. Her chest was tightening and she had the sudden urge to just run, to run away and not stop. She had been friends with Andy for years and not once had the older witch even mentioned her sister.

Suddenly the brunette couldn't take it anymore. Bolting out of the kitchen Hermione made her way to the back of the house and out into the night. Andy had run after her, but the brunette was too quick. Using the stolen wand, Hermione quickly apparated away, needing to put as much space between her and Andy as possible.

XXXXX

Hermione wasn't sure of where she was going, she just needed to get away. Her blood was pounding in her ears. Never had she thought that Andy would ever lie to her. It felt like a betrayal even though the older witch hadn't technically done anything to her. First it had been Ron, now Andy. Hermione didn't know how much more of this she could take. It felt like the League was taking everything from her and she had no way of stopping them.

Looking around her, she realised that she had absent-mindedly thought of a location to apparate to. It was the Forest of Dean and the last time she had been here was with the boys. There was no fight left in her anymore. What was the point? Bellatrix was right, there was nothing Hermione could do to stop the League. They had beaten her. Hermione was now a wanted fugitive, Ron had betrayed her and Andy, the person she had trusted the most, had lied to her. What could Hermione possibly do now?

Her first thought was to find Euphemia. Her boss always knew what to do and maybe Euphemia would be able to help Hermione out. As quickly as the idea came to her, the brunette dismissed the idea. Euphemia was a good friend, but Hermione didn't want to challenge Euphemia's loyalty to the Ministry. The older witch had worked hard her entire life to forge a career in the Ministry. She had made it through the Anti-Corruption investigations and come out clean. Not to mention the countless people she had helped to save through her work as an Unspeakable. No, there was no possible way that Hermione could ask her boss and friend to risk her entire career and reputation to stick up for the most wanted witch in the country.

Tears fell freely as Hermione weighed up her current situation. Alone. In the woods. Dressed in a tatty and bloodied prison uniform. No friends and no one who could help her.

Hermione wasn't sure how long she was sat in the dirt against the tree. Numb was all she felt and not just from the cold that was beginning to creep into her bones. The question that kept coming back to her was what now? In all honesty she didn't have a clue. Although she wanted to stop the League, she couldn't bring herself to return to Bellatrix. Besides, the brunette had no idea where the cottage she had been taken to had been, even if going back to Bellatrix was an option.

As much as she hated to admit it, she couldn't beat the League on her own. Hermione had no idea how many members of the League there were, nor how to go about stopping them.

Suddenly a thought hit her like a bolt. Ron. He was the person who connected her to Lock's murder, even though she wasn't guilty. He worked for Cypher and Hermione already knew he was a member of the League. Perhaps Ron would know of more members of the League and at the same time Hermione could demand answers as to why he had lied and betrayed her.

Getting up off the floor again, Hermione grasped the stolen wand tightly in her hand and disapparated.

Ron lived in the centre of London in a fairly large town house. Hermione had only been there a handful of times and now it suddenly struck her how odd it was that he had been able to afford a place like this on his Auror wage.

With a sense of foreboding the brunette hurried up the steps. The sun was beginning to come up and some of Ron's neighbours were starting to emerge from their homes. Realising it wouldn't do to be spotted in her current attire, Hermione flicked her wand to open Ron's front door and hurried inside. She mentally rolled her eyes at the lack of security Ron had up around his home. Had their time running from Voldemort and his Auror training taught him nothing?

The brunette quickly headed upstairs to the top floor. Ron was still lazy, even in adulthood, so he would be lying in bed still asleep rather than getting ready for work. Padding softly into his bedroom, she was relieved to hear the gentle snores which meant he was still blissfully unaware that there was an intruder in the house.

Seeing his face caused the anger to ignite inside her. Raising her wand, Hermione hit Ron viciously with a stunner. The force of it sent Ron across the room and he hit the wall hard. Clearly the brunette was angrier than she had realised and it took a while for her to regain control of her anger. Once it had subsided enough, Hermione moved quickly around the room, making sure that she had collected his wand and checked for others.

Finally reassured, Hermione muttered the counter spell and Ron awoke with a start. It took a moment for him to realise what was going on and when he saw the brunette he jumped up with a start.

"H…Hermione," he stammered, looking absolutely terrified. "Pl…Please…I know what I did, but…but…"

"Start talking," demanded Hermione, shouting louder than she had ever done before. "Do you have any idea what you've done? I was in Azkaban, Ron. Azkaban!"

It was pitiful watching the red head. He started blubbering like a baby, but the brunette felt nothing but disgust for him.

"Why, Ron?" shouted Hermione. When he didn't answer and just continued to cry, the brunette really lost her temper. "WHY DID YOU LIE?!"

The red head jumped and started spluttering incoherently. "I'm…I'm sorry, but I…I…"

"You, what, Ronald?" snarled the brunette. "You gave a false statement telling everyone that I killed Lock. Now how would you know what happened with Lock unless you were there. Start talking Ron, who so help me I will make you talk."

Ron was breathing heavily, trying to regain some composure. "It…I'm in too deep."

"With what?" demanded Hermione.

"It's an…an organisation," stammered Ron and the brunette felt the blood drain out of her.

"You're a member of the League," murmured Hermione, shocked to her core.

"You know about the League?" said the red head. He looked equal parts confused and terrified.

"Yes, I know," spat the brunette. "I've been investigating them for a while now. Why? Do you know what they do?" Hermione's anger was beginning to give way to despair. How could Ron do this?

Ron at least had the decency to look ashamed. "I'm sorry, Mione. I really am, but I can't betray them. They've given me everything."

"What do you mean?" asked Hermione.

"It was after the war. I joined the Auror department, but I quickly realised I wasn't like you or Harry. I was failing, badly, and was in danger of being kicked out. Harry was passing everything and I was being left behind. That's when Cypher approached me. It started out as just harmless help, but soon enough I was told everything and given the option of joining the League. I would help them and in return Cypher would ensure that I passed all the stages of training and pass all my future evaluations. All I had to do was follow the orders given to me by the League…"

"Like what?" interrupted the brunette.

"Various cases that needed certain people arrested and found guilty, or overlooking certain suspects. Sometimes it was cases where we had to confiscate certain magical objects and then make sure that in the report we said that nothing was found. It was all harmless stuff," replied Ron, clearly failing to see the bigger implications.

"But what about all the people that have been hurt as a result of your actions? Do you think those criminals you helped get off changed who they were, because I don't," snapped Hermione. "You're the worst kind of person. What about Lock?"

The red head swallowed and again looked helpless. "You were getting too close, Mione. You knew too much and Cypher knew that you would never join the League. He had me follow you and I saw you take Lock. I've seen your work before, so knew where you would likely go and sure enough, after a couple of tries, I found you. I wasn't close enough for you to realise I was there, but I cast a quick spell to hear what you were talking about. My orders were clear: if Lock start revealing too much, I was to eliminate to protect us all."

"And framing me for his murder?" snarled Hermione.

"That…that…was a necessary course of action," murmured Ron.

The brunette couldn't contain her anger at her friend's words. A spell shot out of the wand and magic was crackling all around her. Ron's wooden floors cracked and a split went up one wall.

"Are you kidding me?" shouted Hermione. "Necessary course of action! Do you understand what that means? I was going to be sent to Azkaban for the rest of my life and I wasn't even guilty. I…" Suddenly the brunette realised the true meaning behind Ron's words. "It was you. You were the one who killed Lock and then gave a statement saying it was me."

Ron stared defiantly back. It seemed that he was beginning to feel brave again, his normal arrogance starting to shine through. "Yes, it was me. What did you think I was going to do? I know you, Mione. I know what you're like and you would never let this go. You would investigate the League, no matter what and would bring us all down."

"So, you decided to sacrifice me to Azkaban and whatever the League had planned for me?" yelled the brunette. "You thought, screw Hermione, so long as I'm okay that's all that matters."

"What did you expect me to do?" shouted Ron. "My whole career is tied to the League. I couldn't just let you destroy everything. I spent our entire time at school always being in either your shadow or Harry's. Everyone has always compared me to you and Harry. Do you have any idea what that is like? Constantly having everyone you meet comment on the Golden boy and Golden girl. They always forget me. Oh, yes I was part of the Golden Trio, but everyone knows that you were the brains and Harry was the hero who defeated Voldemort. I was just the sidekick that was along for the ride and helped to carry everyone's bags. Do you know someone actually said that to me? Yeah, it was the first day of Auror training and it was that same person who said that they were shocked that I had even made it to the training. So, when I was failing in training and it looked like I was going to be kicked out of being an Auror, I jumped at the chance when it was offered. Anything to not be seen as a failure or inadequate when compared to the great Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Harry even quit and people still call him a hero and show sympathy, but what do I get? Nothing. No one says anything about me. Then there's you. You, who up until now has been the Golden girl of the Ministry, getting your pick of jobs and everyone wanting you. So, yeah, Hermione. I made my decision to side with the one thing that has looked out for me. The alternative was ending up in Azkaban myself and having everyone comment on how much I suck and what a ridiculous waste of space I am. Well, sorry Mione, but that isn't about to happen, not to me. So, yes, Cypher ordered me to kill Lock if he talked too much and yes, he was the one who told me to say I witnessed you doing it. Do you know how easy it actually was? All I had to do was wait for you to go off to Hungary, or wherever it was that you were going. Bet you didn't realise we knew that was where you had gone? Well, we did and I used your time away to take the spare key you gave Ginny and go into your house. How long have we been friends Mione? You see, you never saw me as a threat, so you didn't concern yourself with hiding your secret locations from me. It was easy enough to go into your study and steal one of your spare wands. All I had to do was cast the Killing Curse randomly and it would look like it had been the one used to kill Lock."

Ron was breathing heavily again, but there was an insane look in his eye that was if Hermione wasn't so angry, she would have found unnerving. It seemed as if he'd been wanting to say all of this for a long time and hadn't been able to.

"I would like to say I'm surprised," sneered Hermione, "but in reality you've always been this person." She was trying to stay calm, but wasn't sure how long that would last.

"What person is that?" spat the red head.

"The same self-centred, arrogant prick you've always been," replied the brunette. "It's always been about you, hasn't it, Ron? When you were the rubbish Quidditch player and lashed out at everyone else. When you were mediocre at best during all your lessons and exams. When no one liked you as much as they liked Harry. At the end of it all, you are just a little boy who lets his jealousy and insecurities get the better of him. You know, it's only now that I realise the similarities between you and Malfoy. He liked putting people down to make himself feel better and you're just the same as him."

It all happened so fast.

One moment Ron was looking at her with glare of pure fury and the next he was launching himself at Hermione. He must have forgotten that she had a wand in her hand, or else he was too consumed with rage to notice it. Hermione only meant to throw a hand out to defend herself, but she too had forgotten the wand clutched tightly in her hand. Before she could stop herself, her instincts took over and she shot a spell at Ron. It hit him squarely in the chest and his momentum shifted. Now he was flying backwards, his face still a picture of rage, his features contorted into an evil she had not expected to ever see on the red head's face. In slow motion, she saw him moving backwards and saw his body make contact with the window. The glass shattered and Ron went out the window and out of sight. There was a sickening crunch as his body hit the concrete floor below.

Hermione took a moment, shaken at what had happened. Moving on wobbly legs towards the window she peered out onto the street below. Ron's body was lying on the floor, surrounded by the debris from the window. His legs were at funny angles and one of his arms had been trapped behind his back as he landed. Blood was beginning to form puddles on the pavement and one look at his expression confirmed all Hermione needed to know. His glassy eyes were staring back up at her, the light that had once shined so brightly was gone.

Screams sounded out around the street, startling Hermione out of her haze. Looking around she saw one of Ron's neighbours from across the street pointing at his body. Soon enough, more neighbours emerged and spilled out onto the street. Hermione continued to stare out of the window in horror and then with a feeling of nausea she noticed that the faces below had started to look up and were staring right at her.

One thought came to mind: I have to get out of her.

Taking one last look at Ron and trying to remember him in happier times, Hermione headed out of the room. She paused on the landing and felt the wave of nausea hit her again. Making a detour to the bathroom, she promptly emptied the contents of her stomach. She raised a shaking hand to brush the hair out of her face and then froze as a familiar sound reached her ears. The sound of apparation.

The Aurors had arrived.