Author's Note: Hello everybody! I hope you are well. The summer holiday has been a blast for me. How is yours going? Even Hermione is taking a break from their mission. Let's carry on with the story...

When the boys were downstairs ,working on the plan, Hermione was pacing in her room. She was trying to sort out her feelings for Malfoy. She was getting used to having Malfoy around and surprisingly she didn't mind his company; she felt sorry for him and sympathised with his situation and hard childhood; she found him enjoyable and good company... But nothing in her list seemed to explain why she kissed him. Maybe she was simply delirious ,but it wasn't all her fault. Draco had kissed her too. But why? Why had he kissed her? Maybe he was simply captured in the moment? Maybe he was so sad he didn't know what he was doing? Why else would he kiss the buck-toothed, bushy-haired, know-it-all Gryffindor? She needed answers and the only place she would get them was Draco. Frustrated and angry, Hermione rushed downstairs only to see Harry and Draco pointing their wands at each other. Hermione burst and started shouting at the two boys ,eventually leaving the house.

After apparating, she landed right outside Grimmauld place. Calming herself down, Hermione entered the house. The moment she walked in, a pair of hands enveloped her in a hug and a rush of red hair fly over her shoulder.

"Ginn-y you a-re suffocat-ing me" Hermione gasped. Ginny released Hermione but didn't say a word. Hiding her face, Ginny rushed to the kitchens to make coffee for them both ,something Hermione had shown Ginny herself. Hermione found it unusual. She thought that she would be bombarded with questions about Harry. Walking over to the kitchen, Hermione heard a few sobs.

"Ginny" she called quietly ,opening the door and entering the kitchen. Hermione saw a heart-breaking sight before her. Ginny ,who was usually very strong, was sitting at the table ,around her were half-used snotty tissues and next to her were two mugs of coffee. Ginny herself was crying softly into her hands.

"Oh my. What happened? Did Ron do something?" Hermione sat down next to her best friend ,cleaning up the tissues around.

"No" Ginny sobbed "I'm just worried. Worried about Harry. He told me that he was going away for a long time to fight Voldemort and I don't know what could happen to him. He could be dead for all I know"

"Oh Ginny" Hermione hugged her friend "Harry is alright. He is absolutely safe. We are not going to do anything fatal for weeks. All planning and preparation is happening now" Hermione comforted Ginny. Ginny pulled away from the hug and looked suspiciously at Hermione.

"I forgot that you were with him. Why aren't you there now?" Ginny asked

"Umm. Not important right now. Another person who is coming with us was bugging me ,so I said that until he and Harry get along I was not returning." Hermione explained vaguely.

"So it's a he then" Ginny was returning back to her jovial-self and was smiling cheekily at her.

"Ginny" Hermione warned "It is simply that him and Harry don't get along"

"Right" Ginny was not convinced. "I am sorry for crying all over you"

"That's alright. It is what friends are for" Hermione reassured. There was a peaceful silence for a few seconds before Ginny broke it.

"Are you going to stay here until Harry starts to get along with this mystery man?" Ginny asked.

"Yes. But if you didn't then I could always see the Weasleys or Ron" Hermione quickly added.

"No! You are staying here! I will get a room prepared for you and I will get you some new robes for..." Ginny stopped mid sentence. "Where did you get those robes from?" Ginny asked ,dumbfounded. Hermione looked down. Of course Ginny had to notice her robes. Everybody did.

"Umm. The mystery boy gave them to me."

"But Hermione they cost about 1000 galleons. How did he afford them?" Ginny approached Hermione and reached out for the silk that Hermione was wearing.

"He is very rich ,Ginny" Hermione tugged them out of her grip and smiled at Ginny "To him, price means nothing. This is half the price most of his possessions cost."

"But why would he buy you these robes? Does he know you from Hogwarts or have you just met him on this mission?" Ginny asked ,eyeing Hermione suspiciously.

"He was at Hogwarts ,but... we didn't really get along" Hermione replied evasively. At Ginny's pondering look, Hermione added "He was in my year so I don't think you would know who he is" There was a silence where Ginny wondered who the boy could be and Hermione looked uncomfortable. "I think I should get some stuff from my place. Perhaps some books about...Well I will get my make-up kit and a few other essentials..." Hermione went trough stuff she would need

"What house was he in?" Ginny cut in. Hermione paused in her recital of essentials. Oh no! Ginny would know exactly who she meant if the house was disclosed.

"Better go get my things now" And with that Hermione rushed out of the house and apparated away. Ginny was left sitting at the table ,looking confused. She had been thinking. The only people who Hermione didn't get along with at school were Slytherins ,but Ginny couldn't imagine Hermione working with a Slytherin to bring down Voldemort. Moreover, which Slytherin would want to overthrow their leader. He was definitely a boy who was very rich ,in Slytherin and in Hermione's year. Only one Slytherin came to Ginny's mind: Draco Malfoy. But it couldn't be him. He was currently Voldemort's right-hand man. He would never want to overthrow his master. Ginny sat in a stationary position ,as if paralyzed, with her mug of coffee in her hand thinking -just thinking. Suddenly, there was a loud hammering on the door. Ginny got up. Who was it? Hermione knew the spell and password. Ginny walked cautiously towards the door. When she reached the door, she heard a familiar cry from the other side.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, let me in!" Ron cried from the other side of the door. Ginny shook her head in disbelief before opening the door and allowed Ron in.

"Ronald Weasley, why are you banging on my door like a maniac?" Ginny asked "Didn't I give you the password and teach you the spell?"

"Uhh...I forgot them" Ron replied sheepishly.

"Couldn't you have knocked ,kindly?" Ginny asked ,stating the obvious.

"Well, Luna kicked me out of the house because I spilt grape juice on her favourite jumper for the second time today and because I didn't tidy up after breakfast ,today" Ron explained.

"That still doesn't explain why you were so desperate to get in" Ginny glared at him. She was really enjoying her quiet time before Ron interrupted.

"Well, she was chasing me with a heliopath and I was scared that it would follow me here" Ron replied sheepishly.

"Seriously, Ronald. Luna does really know how to control you. I should get some tips from her sometime" Ginny chuckled before leading Ron into the dining room.

Ron surveyed the room and saw nobody else there ,even though there were two mugs of coffee on the table.

"Where's Harry?" Ron asked. Ginny stopped in her tracks.

"He's gone away" Ginny replied softly.

"Where?" Ron asked dumbly.

"He has gone on a mission to-" Ginny stopped "I don't think I'm allowed to tell you"

"Why? I am his best friend!" Ron said indignantly. On queue, Hermione came into the room with a small bag hanging around her neck.

"Oh hello ,Ron" Hermione had heard Ron shouting and had an idea about what was going on. Turning to Ginny, she asked "You told him ,didn't you?"

"Yes...No. I mean, I told him that Harry went ,but nothing else.

"I think we should tell him the full story then. It's not like he would blabber anyway" Hermione said more to herself than anyone else.

"Can someone please tell me what is going on!" Ron burst ,unable to control his impatience any longer. Hermione turned to Ron with a smile on her face.

"Ronald Weasley, do you have an ounce of patience in you?" Ron actually opened his mouth to answer but Hermione carried on. "Ron, give me your word that you are not going to tell anyone what we are doing." Ron nodded "Good, well me and Harry went on a mission to destroy Voldemort"

"You and Harry. But what about me? Why didn't you ask me to come like in seventh year" Ron asked ,angrier than ever. Ginny looked confused as well.

"It wasn't our choice. Another person-"

"Boy" Ginny corrected.

"Yes, boy. This boy came to us and asked us specifically to help him in his quest to defeat Voldemort. So it isn't our plan. It is his. Me and Harry are helping him ,because we know that we can help. We couldn't have asked you to come and help." Ron absorbed the information for a few moments ,while Hermione sipped on her coffee. Ginny went to get some snacks from the kitchen. Just as Hermione was about to go and choose a room to stay in for the next week or so, Ron spoke up.

"Hermione, if you are working on the mission why aren't you with Harry and the mystery boy?" Ron asked.

"Harry and the boy are sorting something out among themselves for the time being. I shall return when they start to grow up and put aside schoolboy grudges" And with that, Hermione left the room. Ginny came back in a few seconds later to see Ron sitting alone in the dining room.

"Is Hermione going to be staying here?" Ron asked his sister.

"Yes, for about a week or so" Ginny sighed.

"But I don't really get why?"

"From what I've figured out, Harry and the mystery boy weren't getting along and were acting immaturely ,so Hermione left and told them that she would not be back till they started acting their age" Ginny explained.

"That doesn't sound like Hermione though" Ron mused "Sure, the maturity problem. But walking out on them? I don't think so. Hermione is usually very patient and doesn't angry easily. The first time she was that angry, she punched Malfoy in the face. That time, it was because of built up emotions. I wonder what it was this time"

"I think you just used up all your brain power for a month. Who knew you understood Hermione so much" Ginny laughed lightly. Ron glowered at her.

"And what about this boy? Who is he?" Ron asked

"No idea" Ginny confessed.

"You sure"

"Yes, although Hermione did give me a few clues" Ginny smiled cheekily "He is someone Harry and her didn't get along with at school and was in your year"

"Didn't get along with?" Ron thought aloud "We only didn't get along with Slytherins and none of them would want to overthrow Voldemort"

"Or go to a mudblood and the 'chosen one' for help" Ginny added.

"So who else?" Ron frowned.

"There's something else" Ginny giggled "I think this boy fancies Hermione"

"What? I mean, how did you figure that out? You haven't even met the boy"

"Did you notice those robes Hermione was wearing?" Ginny asked. Ron frowned dor a moment before he remembered. "He bought them for her"

"But they looked like they cost 1000 galleons or more?"

"Apparently, the boy is really rich" Ginny smiled at the dumbstruck look on Ron's face as they lapsed into silence.

Author's Note:I hope that you are enjoying your holidays! Here is a long one to keep you going. As a warning, I may not be able to post for a while as I am going on holiday for about a month. But don't start panicking, because I hope to carry on writing my fanfic throughout. I will simply post less frequently. See you! And please review!