UGH so this chapter was such a pain, I think it's because there is no Benjy or Evan, and very little Voldy. But it sets up the next three chapters, meaning the rest of the summer so it is very important. Sorry for being so late with this update, just had a hard time writing it, and then real life happened -.-

To make up for it, expect the next two chapters up very soon (I actually wrote most of them before I even started on this.) Since they are so closely linked I will post the next two close together.

As always thanks to the lovely AliceEnchanted who reviewed again (you are awesome) and to the lovely magical people who clicked favorite or started following the story!

(A bit darker this one, but hope you still enjoy it)

Xx

Bodyguard

"This here is Mulciber." The man nodded at Hermione, before he continued staring off into the distance. "He will protect you when you leave the house."

The man was as big as a house, and as broad as an ox. His muscles were bulging out of his too small shirt, and he had an air about him that screamed you should stay away from him. From what little she knew about Mulciber from before, he was the guy her dad sent out when somebody should be taken out. But he wasn't the silent deadly assassin type that you would have a hard time picking out, no he was the guy that intimidated people into keeping his actions silent. The guy being killed was usually not alone, and the few surviving witnesses often had a lot of bruises. He was the one guy that could resort to such muggle methods without Voldemort raising an eyebrow in question at his actions.

"Protect me?" she raised an eyebrow at her dad. "Who exactly is it you are protecting me from?"

"People that wish you harm."

"You couldn't narrow that down a bit?"

"No." staring into his eyes she saw that there would be no way around this.

She sighed "Fine." Apparently she had managed to please to old sack of potatoes, because Voldemort smiled at her. If that grimace and pull of facial muscles could be called a smile.

"Good, now I have business to attend to." Then he took off, and Hermione was left with the wall of bricks that would now be her Bodyguard.

She tilted her head, running through every possible thing she could do to make this man want to quit. There was a reason the only one left wanting to baby sit her as a kid was the house-elf Noddy.

Bodyguard was just another fancy way of saying baby sitter in Hermione's opinion.

Over the course of the next few weeks Hermione continued to evade her "Bodyguard" every chance she got.

She saw very little of her father, and the only company was this annoying man, and her friendless state meant there was no company to find there either. Looking down at her books she realized that they were her only friends, but unlike most people in that situation, she was happy with it.

In her heart she realized that this man cut out of stone being the only company for her summer was killing her. Before she could at least be in the presence of others when her fathers had his "Gatherings" but this summer he kept her from them, and the people involved from her. Even her poor little house elf Noddy was kept away.

With all of this happening, or not happening depending on how you look on it, she wanted out. A summer with nothing but books was better than a summer spent with a Gollum for a bodyguard.

Her plans and schemes got crazier than ever before, but she could not find a way to get rid of him. Every time she thought success was imminent, she turned a corner and there was his depressing sight.

By the time summer was midway through, she had given up hope of getting a peaceful summer alone.

As any old week, she went to the bookstore in Diagon Alley to pick up a couple of new books since she had run out. Walking into the familiar store and closing her eyes to flood her sense of smell with the peace that books emanated, she did not notice how crowded it was.

But opening her eyes, and for once paying attention, she was overwhelmed with the crowd in the store.

Glancing around, she mostly just caught the sight of adult's shoulders pressing against each other, fighting to get closer to the front. The explanation for the commotion evaded her until her brooding bodyguard showed her to the side of the crowd. Violently she crashed with a poster proclaiming that up and coming author "Gilderoy Lockhart" was doing a book signing.

Searching her memory for any recollection of his books, she almost missed Mister Serious disappearing with the crowd. He had done a great job of keeping her away from the mayhem, but had failed in doing so for himself.

When Hermione turned around to go look for books in a less crowded section she noticed the absence of his presence.

It brought her more comfort than the smell of books.

She grinned to herself, seeing his head scanning the crowd for signs of her. Just before he could lock down her location, Hermione ducked down, and moved out of the store.

Hitting the streets at a dead run, she didn't stop until she was down a gloomy dark alley. There she hugged the stone bricks on a shop, hiding in the shadows from her would be pursuer. With baited breath she listened carefully for any signs of him, but could only hear her heart hammering in her chest.

When she was sure he had lost her, she let out a giggle of relief.

"Who's there?"

There was something ominous about that voice, so she quickly took off in the opposite direction of it, deeper into the dark.

She had been here before, never really alone, but the times her father had no choice but to drag her along for the day. She looked around curiously, wondering if there was anything worth buying, or a store worth browsing.

She continued for hours, just evading people, and looking through glasses. Until finally she knew she had to find her bodyguard again.

Turning on her heel, she made quick work of navigating the narrow streets to find her way back into the lighter areas where he was probably looking for her.

"Tasty." A drawl came from behind her, she spun around, trying to locate the source.

"Mmm." A leer came from another direction, from another voice.

"Let's have a bite." A high pitched abnormal voice said, making chills run down her spine.

Suddenly she was grabbed around the middle, and she fought hard against the man. He smelled vile, and seemed malnourished from the lack of fat on his body, and the bones of his sternum pressing into her back. "Let me go!" She hit everywhere she could reach, struggling against his grip.

One of the other men came out of the shadows, Hermione could make out a haggard face with matted hair plastered to it. His bony hands reached up and grabbed her chin, forcing her head up while she started struggling against him too. By their bony appearance, you would not think two men like these possessed the strength they used against her.

"Pretty little rich girl lost?"

"My dad will kill you when I tell him what you did to me."

"Just have to shut you up then." The high pitched terrifying voice said.

Suddenly a blade hit her underneath where the first man's arms were pressing against her, she felt a sharp pain in her abdomen, followed by another cut, and another and another. She coughed up blood, and heard the laughter and cruel words of the men harming her.

With a final scream she used up the rest of her energy, and blacked out.

The darkness was welcoming.