Chapter 2
It was the middle of the night and they had apparated into the middle of a dark wood, and she had fleeting thoughts that they had landed in the Forbidden forest that surrounded part of Hogwarts. But she knew that it was impossible to apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, and that included the Forrest. Still holding her hand, the spy led her across the bumpy ground. Their going was slow only because he was so weak.
After an hour of trekking through the pitch black Forrest they finally emerged on to a sprawling green lawn that would have looked beautiful had the grass not been waist height and the flowers in the garden beds not been over run by weeds. The house itself was a magnificent three-story building made from dark stone. The wooden porch surrounded the ground story and on each of the above two levels another wooden balcony surrounded the house, though there were spots of rotten wood that could be easily seen, even in the dead of the night. Hermione unconsciously took a steep closer to the spy, the darkness that surrounded them, and the derelict house was the stuff that horror movies were made of and she had no desire to star in one. When the moon finally came out from behind a cloud she felt a little more at ease but still not entirely safe.
"Where are we?" Hermione asked, speaking for the first time since they had left her house over an hour before.
He didn't answer her as he walked up the front steps of the house pulling her along. He withdrew a large black key from a pocket in his robes and inserted it into the large rusted lock. He led her into the dark Manor and Hermione could smell the musty smell of a house that had been locked up for a long time. He led her down a dark corridor without the aid of a light so Hermione had no idea where she was being led.
Finally, they came to a large oak door that he pushed open to reveal that he had led her to a large bedroom.
"You can use this room," he said and then almost as if the effort had been too much for him he collapsed in an ungraceful heap on the floor.
Hermione gasped and bent down to check on him. The Apparating and the walking had sapped what little of his strength he had left after the attack. Hermione levitated him to the large four-poster bed that took up most of the right wall. She removed his shoes and pulled the blankets over him. She sat down on the bed wearily going over the events of the last few hours, without realising it, she lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.
The sun shining through the open curtains finally woke her and she was surprised to feel an arm secure around her waist and the hard long length of a man behind her. For an instant she began to panic then the events of last night came back to her and she relaxed. Though having the arm of a man that she barley knew around her was making her uncomfortable, so she tried to dislodge his arm carefully without waking him, he needed all of the rest that he could get. The only problem was he didn't seem to share her discomfort and when she tried to move his arm he griped her tighter, his arm as strong as steel. Hermione finally gave up with a sigh and put her head back down on the pillow determined to get some more rest considering that she couldn't leave the bed.
She must have been tired still because she drifted off to sleep once again. When she opened her eyes the sun outside was setting and the arm that had once held her captive had loosened and she was able to wriggle free.
She stood beside the bed looking down at the man who had saved her, thinking. Since his hood was still covering his face she was unable to see that he had awoken.
"The hood doesn't become invisible if you look at it long enough you realise." Came his raspy voice. Hermione blushed and looked away from him.
"I was wondering if you could tell me where the bathroom is, I would like to freshen up a little bit," Hermione said hastily trying to divert his attention away from the fact that she had been caught staring.
He nodded at her and slowly rolled over to get out of the bed. He sat up and swayed slightly.
"No, don't get up you're not well enough yet." Hermione rushed around the bed and placed a restraining hand on his arm.
"I'm fine," he growled and shook her hand off before standing up. "The bathroom is this way." He strode purposefully out of the room, not looking to see if she was following or not. Hermione rushed after him and was surprised at her surroundings.
From the outside, the house appeared to be derelict and in ruins but the inside belied the truth. Her surroundings were quite opulent and Hermione was awed by the splendor that was around her. There was obviously a charm on the outside of the house and Hermione thought that this was the perfect place to hide away.
"What should I call you?" Hermione asked him suddenly, it had occurred to her that calling him The Spy would not really do.
"What do you call me at your little meetings?" He asked quietly.
"'The Spy'" Hermione blushed and laughed a little at how ridiculous it sounded. He gave a quiet chuckle and turned around to look at Hermione, who was still blushing; this seemed to amuse him more as he continued to laugh. His laugh was deep and strong but it almost felt like he didn't use it much and it pleased her that she was able to make him, even if it was at her.
"You can call me.. Primus. It is nothing like my real name, however it will do if you need to call me anything." He finally stopped out in front of a door halfway down the long corridor near the stairs that led to the lower level.
"Thank you Primus. You realise that it feels strange to call you by an actual name." He nodded to her and she had the impression that he was smiling at her.
He left her at the door, stating that he would wait for her to finish before using the bathroom himself. After they had both cleaned themselves up, he led her downstairs to the kitchens so that they could eat.
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"Do you live here all of the time?" Hermione asked as they ate large sandwiches that he had made.
"Yes," he was keeping his voice low and using minimal words when speaking to her. Hermione had come to the conclusion that he was doing it deliberately so that she would not be able to tell who he was by his voice.
*** I obviously went to Hogwarts with him, and for him to be worried about me recognising his voice then we had to be in the same year level. And he was obviously a Slytherin. *** Hermione thought.
Primus could almost sense the direction of her thoughts and instantly sought to change the direction of them.
"How long have you been with the Order?" He asked bluntly and he was successfully able to halt her thoughts.
"The day I graduated from Hogwarts Harry, Ron and I all joined together as well as a few others that we went to school with. So I guess the answer to that question is a year and two months." He nodded at her from across the table. "How long have you been a Death Eater?" She asked him quietly.
"The same length of time that you have been with the Order. I was supposed to be initiated as soon as I turned eighteen; however I was able to convince them to wait until after I had graduated."
"You obviously don't agree with what Voldemort and the other Death Eaters believe. You proved that by first meeting with me and then saving my life. If you didn't believe then why didn't you go to Professor Dumbledore while we were still at Hogwarts?" He cocked his head to the side and regarded her intently. She felt uncomfortable under his piercing gaze, made all the more uncomfortable by the fact that she couldn't see his eyes.
"You ask me that as if I had a choice. If I had not become a Death Eater then I would have faced certain death. As it is, by saving you I have more than likely signed my death warrant."
"You were attacked by Deatheaters before you came to my house weren't you?" He nodded at her and Hermione felt a deep respect for the man across the table, the man that had saved her life.
"I thought that that was obvious, but yes I was attacked after I thought to dispute their plans to kidnap you. They saw this as the act of a traitor, and as such, they believed that I deserved to be punished. "
Hermione looked at him, directly into where she thought that his eyes would be. "Thank you Primus, you saved my life and most likely the lives of my friends." Hermione paused and then began to pale. "Oh Merlin, I forgot about Harry, Ron and Ginny. They are going to be out of their minds with worry!" Hermione stood up and began to pace the length of the kitchen.
"They won't know that you are missing yet," Primus said calmly as he watched her pace back and forth.
"Yes they will, you don't understand. Harry had a clock in his kitchen and instead of telling the time, each hand on the clock is a member of the Order. Mine will defiantly be pointing to the missing area." Hermione raised her hands and rubbed her face up and down. "Is there any way for me to contact them? Do you have an owl that I could borrow?" Hermione stopped pacing and placed both of her hands on the back of the chair that she had occupied during dinner, staring intently at Primus.
"Owls can be intercepted; it isn't safe to send one. Besides if anyone was to see one flying from here then questions will be asked that we don't want to be asked." Hermione stared at him, knowing what he said was true, a feeling of helplessness began to descend on her.
"How about the Floo network? I am assuming that this house is connected?" Hermione asked him.
"They can be traced." Hermione nodded but she wasn't deterred.
"I know that you would have set into place wards against detecting your Floo network and I am sure that you have connected it without the knowledge of the Ministry, because you wouldn't have wanted to register your home." Primus tilted his head in conceded defeat.
"You can use the Floo network, but for no longer than five minutes, if you are longer then I will pull you from the fire, understood?" Hermione nodded eager to let her friends know that she was safe and well.
Primus stood and walked over to the fireplace, he took out a small bag of floo powder from his pocket.
"This is all the Floo powder that I have left, so this is a one and only shot understood?" Hermione again nodded and got down on her hands and knees so that she would be able to stick her head in the fire after Primus had thrown in the floo powder.
He threw in the floo powder and Hermione said clearly, "12 Grimmauld Place." Hermione stuck her head into the fire and was overcome with the strange feeling of her head spinning while her body remained stationary.
As soon as the kitchen of Harry's home came into view, Hermione began to call out at the top of her lungs, "Harry! Ginny! Ron! Remus!" Suddenly all four faces popped into view and Hermione almost laughed with relief.
"Hermione, where are you?" Harry asked frantically.
"Hermione are you ok?" Ginny asked at the same time as Ron.
"Guys quiet, I don't have much time, The Spy rescued me last night, his name is Primus, and...well that is what I can call him anyway. Death Eaters came to my house and were going to take me but he got there first and saved me. I am at his house, but I don't know where we are, or even if we are in England anymore. I am alright; I don't have anymore floo powder so this will probably be the last time that I can talk to you for a while." Hermione looked at the four anxious faces hovering above her and couldn't help but let a fond smile creep over her face. She was staring up at her family.
"Hermione can't you come here now?" Ron asked.
"No Ron, I don't have enough floo powder. I want you to promise me that you are going to stay at Harry's house until it is safe Ron; since they didn't get me then they are most likely going to come after you. So keep yourself safe, ok? All of you!" Primus tapped her on her back signaling that she needed to wrap things up.
"I have to go guys, stay safe all of you and I will be in touch as soon as I can, I promise." Hermione looked at them again, Ginny was crying and Harry had his arm wrapped tightly around her, while Ron looked so pale that his freckles stood out like beacons. Remus stood statically behind them and nodded to Hermione.
"Goodbye," Hermione said before she pulled her head back from the fireplace and her connection was broken. She sat back and leaned against the side of the fireplace, her head in her hands. Silent tears began to fall from her eyes before she could stop them. Primus seemed to realise that she was crying and sat down next to her, placing an arm around her shoulder. She turned and burrowed into his shoulder letting her tears fall. It was the pent up emotions of fear and stress and worry, together with seeing Harry, Ginny, Ron and Remus and the worry on their faces. It was enough to send her over an emotional ledge.
While she cried, he remained quiet, sensing her need to get all of her tears out before she was willing to comprehend the why of them.
After she had stopped crying, she remained huddled in his embrace going over in her mind everything from the past few days as well as the first time she met Primus. Finally, she raised her head and looked up at him contemplating asking him a question that she had wanted the answer to for almost a year.
"Why did you pick me to talk to?" Primus though for a moment, he was too smart to play dumb and ask what she meant, and she was to smart to fall for it.
"I spent a lot of time watching you and your friends while we were at Hogwarts. I knew that as soon as you could, you would join the Order and rid the world of all that is evil. Potter always did have a hero complex," Hermione looked as if she was going to say something but Primus continued on, not letting her get a word in. "I couldn't go to Potter; I know that he wouldn't have trusted me. Weasley was too hot headed, and I didn't believe that he had the smarts to value any information that I was willing to give to you. So that left you, the smartest witch in our graduating class at Hogwarts, cool and level headed, I knew that if I contacted you, you would test out my information and make an accurate conclusion. You are also the most trusting of the group, so you were an obvious choice." Hermione didn't know what to say to him. He had just paid her a compliment, sort of, but it was from a clinical observation and she wasn't quite sure how that made her feel.
"What made you change your mind about Voldemort?" Hermione asked, finally getting up from her place on the floor and taking a seat at the table. Primus followed her lead and resumed his place at the table opposite her.
"You do not fear to speak the Dark Lords name?" He asked her, almost with awe.
"'Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself,' Professor Dumbledore said that and it stayed with me," Hermione said. She looked at him waiting for him to answer her question; finally, after weighing up what he wanted to say he spoke.
"Though few would believe this from the image that I presented of myself, I do not condone or endorse the killing of innocent people just because they come from a mixed or muggle background. Look at pureblooded wizards; you have my family, which ardently believe that only purebloods should be allowed to live and practice magic. Then you have a family such as the Weasley's who are as pure as my family yet they believe that everyone who had magical talent should be allowed the chance to utilise those skills. Then we have to look at you, a witch who comes from the longest line of muggles, yet with an extraordinary talent who graduates at the head of our class. It was a culmination of different factors that allowed me come to the conclusion that I did and as a result contact you with information."
"What will you do now?" Hermione asked him quietly, almost fearing his answer because deep down she knew what it would be. "They will kill you if you go back, you said as much earlier.
"I will most likely stay here, it is safe as no one apart from you knows about it and even you do not know the location."
"So that is it, you will stay the rest of your life here? Hiding?" she asked incredulously. She stood and leaned over the table facing him.
"Is that so bad? I have done enough. I saved your life, and I gave you as much help as I could. Have I not atoned for my sins?" He also stood staring into her eyes daring her to defy him and his wishes.
"I can't believe what I am hearing! Why bother saving one life when you wont save others?" Hermione lent further over the table trying to enforce her view.
"I think that I'll leave the hero stuff to Potter, Weasley and you. The three of you do more than enough so that the average man doesn't have to." He leaned in as well. Hermione could feel his anger rolling over her in waves and for the first time since she had met him she felt scared.
"Harry, Ron and I never wanted to be heros," Hermione said quietly. "Harry has to fight this war because of events that were out of his control, Ron and I will help him because he is our best friend, and neither of us would be any sort of friend if we were to leave him to fight alone." Hermione dropped down into her chair. The argument, though short, had drained her mentally and now she wanted to do nothing more than sleep.
Outside the kitchen windows night had settled down around the house and the stars were twinkling merrily in the sky. On any normal night Hermione would have taken the time to admire them, tonight she only had the desire to return to bed and sleep. She raised a hand to stifle a yawn and this action seemed to snap Primus out of his thoughts.
"Come on, it is time to go to sleep." Hermione stood and followed him out of the room, too tired to make a note of the path that they took, she would concentrate better tomorrow.
"Good night Hermione," Primus said as he left her at the door to the room that they had both occupied the night before.
"Night Primus," Hermione mumbled as she walked into her room and closed the door behind her.
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Hey all! :) Well here is chapter two, another one down and you will all be getting another one soon I hope, I am going to be busy with work this week but as soon as I can finish typing up the next chapter I will send it your way! :)
Big thanks Trinka for your help, as always it is much needed! :)
For those who said that they wanted to be e-mailed and I didn't, sorry about that. E-mail me at spaced_out_space_cadet@hotmail.com and next chapter I will e-mail you! :)
Thanks for reading!
Spaced Out Space Cadet
The story that I am recommending that you read this week is 'The Ghosts Of Christmas' and it is written by DeChantal. I think that it is an amazing story and I am sad that it was only three chapters long!
I would like to thank all of my reviewers!!
Meg - Thanks! I always love getting reviews from you!
Danika - Thanks as always!! I will e-mail you, I am glad that you like it!
Hells Angel - Awwwwww! Ta!! :) I do hope that you keep reading!
Caly - I love your name!! Lord of al cheese sticks! You are funny! Thanks for the review!
Weirdo-loser-freak - Glad to hear from you again! :) I will continue!! I promise!
Griffin VS Serpent fan - Thanks for the review, as you can see I am!
Ghypscee - I hope that you like this chapter as well!
BMSMagicsChic - Thanks for the review!
Hallie - Thanks!! Happy to hear from you again!
Scholz - Thanks sooooo much!! And big thanks for the e-mail and the recommendation! :)
Mesmer - Thanks for both of your reviews! I really appreciate them and I hope that you like this chapter as well!
Sparkle3 - Thanks, there will be development, but in later chapters!
Jenny - I am soooo happy that you reviewed! I don't want to spoil it by telling you.. but all I can say is good guess and you will find out eventually! :)
Azn-Sweetie - Hey! Great to hear from you again! :) Gald that you like it, and hope that you like this chapter as well.
Shedraconis - Hey!! You will get to find out who the spy is soon....
It was the middle of the night and they had apparated into the middle of a dark wood, and she had fleeting thoughts that they had landed in the Forbidden forest that surrounded part of Hogwarts. But she knew that it was impossible to apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds, and that included the Forrest. Still holding her hand, the spy led her across the bumpy ground. Their going was slow only because he was so weak.
After an hour of trekking through the pitch black Forrest they finally emerged on to a sprawling green lawn that would have looked beautiful had the grass not been waist height and the flowers in the garden beds not been over run by weeds. The house itself was a magnificent three-story building made from dark stone. The wooden porch surrounded the ground story and on each of the above two levels another wooden balcony surrounded the house, though there were spots of rotten wood that could be easily seen, even in the dead of the night. Hermione unconsciously took a steep closer to the spy, the darkness that surrounded them, and the derelict house was the stuff that horror movies were made of and she had no desire to star in one. When the moon finally came out from behind a cloud she felt a little more at ease but still not entirely safe.
"Where are we?" Hermione asked, speaking for the first time since they had left her house over an hour before.
He didn't answer her as he walked up the front steps of the house pulling her along. He withdrew a large black key from a pocket in his robes and inserted it into the large rusted lock. He led her into the dark Manor and Hermione could smell the musty smell of a house that had been locked up for a long time. He led her down a dark corridor without the aid of a light so Hermione had no idea where she was being led.
Finally, they came to a large oak door that he pushed open to reveal that he had led her to a large bedroom.
"You can use this room," he said and then almost as if the effort had been too much for him he collapsed in an ungraceful heap on the floor.
Hermione gasped and bent down to check on him. The Apparating and the walking had sapped what little of his strength he had left after the attack. Hermione levitated him to the large four-poster bed that took up most of the right wall. She removed his shoes and pulled the blankets over him. She sat down on the bed wearily going over the events of the last few hours, without realising it, she lay down on the bed and quickly fell asleep.
The sun shining through the open curtains finally woke her and she was surprised to feel an arm secure around her waist and the hard long length of a man behind her. For an instant she began to panic then the events of last night came back to her and she relaxed. Though having the arm of a man that she barley knew around her was making her uncomfortable, so she tried to dislodge his arm carefully without waking him, he needed all of the rest that he could get. The only problem was he didn't seem to share her discomfort and when she tried to move his arm he griped her tighter, his arm as strong as steel. Hermione finally gave up with a sigh and put her head back down on the pillow determined to get some more rest considering that she couldn't leave the bed.
She must have been tired still because she drifted off to sleep once again. When she opened her eyes the sun outside was setting and the arm that had once held her captive had loosened and she was able to wriggle free.
She stood beside the bed looking down at the man who had saved her, thinking. Since his hood was still covering his face she was unable to see that he had awoken.
"The hood doesn't become invisible if you look at it long enough you realise." Came his raspy voice. Hermione blushed and looked away from him.
"I was wondering if you could tell me where the bathroom is, I would like to freshen up a little bit," Hermione said hastily trying to divert his attention away from the fact that she had been caught staring.
He nodded at her and slowly rolled over to get out of the bed. He sat up and swayed slightly.
"No, don't get up you're not well enough yet." Hermione rushed around the bed and placed a restraining hand on his arm.
"I'm fine," he growled and shook her hand off before standing up. "The bathroom is this way." He strode purposefully out of the room, not looking to see if she was following or not. Hermione rushed after him and was surprised at her surroundings.
From the outside, the house appeared to be derelict and in ruins but the inside belied the truth. Her surroundings were quite opulent and Hermione was awed by the splendor that was around her. There was obviously a charm on the outside of the house and Hermione thought that this was the perfect place to hide away.
"What should I call you?" Hermione asked him suddenly, it had occurred to her that calling him The Spy would not really do.
"What do you call me at your little meetings?" He asked quietly.
"'The Spy'" Hermione blushed and laughed a little at how ridiculous it sounded. He gave a quiet chuckle and turned around to look at Hermione, who was still blushing; this seemed to amuse him more as he continued to laugh. His laugh was deep and strong but it almost felt like he didn't use it much and it pleased her that she was able to make him, even if it was at her.
"You can call me.. Primus. It is nothing like my real name, however it will do if you need to call me anything." He finally stopped out in front of a door halfway down the long corridor near the stairs that led to the lower level.
"Thank you Primus. You realise that it feels strange to call you by an actual name." He nodded to her and she had the impression that he was smiling at her.
He left her at the door, stating that he would wait for her to finish before using the bathroom himself. After they had both cleaned themselves up, he led her downstairs to the kitchens so that they could eat.
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"Do you live here all of the time?" Hermione asked as they ate large sandwiches that he had made.
"Yes," he was keeping his voice low and using minimal words when speaking to her. Hermione had come to the conclusion that he was doing it deliberately so that she would not be able to tell who he was by his voice.
*** I obviously went to Hogwarts with him, and for him to be worried about me recognising his voice then we had to be in the same year level. And he was obviously a Slytherin. *** Hermione thought.
Primus could almost sense the direction of her thoughts and instantly sought to change the direction of them.
"How long have you been with the Order?" He asked bluntly and he was successfully able to halt her thoughts.
"The day I graduated from Hogwarts Harry, Ron and I all joined together as well as a few others that we went to school with. So I guess the answer to that question is a year and two months." He nodded at her from across the table. "How long have you been a Death Eater?" She asked him quietly.
"The same length of time that you have been with the Order. I was supposed to be initiated as soon as I turned eighteen; however I was able to convince them to wait until after I had graduated."
"You obviously don't agree with what Voldemort and the other Death Eaters believe. You proved that by first meeting with me and then saving my life. If you didn't believe then why didn't you go to Professor Dumbledore while we were still at Hogwarts?" He cocked his head to the side and regarded her intently. She felt uncomfortable under his piercing gaze, made all the more uncomfortable by the fact that she couldn't see his eyes.
"You ask me that as if I had a choice. If I had not become a Death Eater then I would have faced certain death. As it is, by saving you I have more than likely signed my death warrant."
"You were attacked by Deatheaters before you came to my house weren't you?" He nodded at her and Hermione felt a deep respect for the man across the table, the man that had saved her life.
"I thought that that was obvious, but yes I was attacked after I thought to dispute their plans to kidnap you. They saw this as the act of a traitor, and as such, they believed that I deserved to be punished. "
Hermione looked at him, directly into where she thought that his eyes would be. "Thank you Primus, you saved my life and most likely the lives of my friends." Hermione paused and then began to pale. "Oh Merlin, I forgot about Harry, Ron and Ginny. They are going to be out of their minds with worry!" Hermione stood up and began to pace the length of the kitchen.
"They won't know that you are missing yet," Primus said calmly as he watched her pace back and forth.
"Yes they will, you don't understand. Harry had a clock in his kitchen and instead of telling the time, each hand on the clock is a member of the Order. Mine will defiantly be pointing to the missing area." Hermione raised her hands and rubbed her face up and down. "Is there any way for me to contact them? Do you have an owl that I could borrow?" Hermione stopped pacing and placed both of her hands on the back of the chair that she had occupied during dinner, staring intently at Primus.
"Owls can be intercepted; it isn't safe to send one. Besides if anyone was to see one flying from here then questions will be asked that we don't want to be asked." Hermione stared at him, knowing what he said was true, a feeling of helplessness began to descend on her.
"How about the Floo network? I am assuming that this house is connected?" Hermione asked him.
"They can be traced." Hermione nodded but she wasn't deterred.
"I know that you would have set into place wards against detecting your Floo network and I am sure that you have connected it without the knowledge of the Ministry, because you wouldn't have wanted to register your home." Primus tilted his head in conceded defeat.
"You can use the Floo network, but for no longer than five minutes, if you are longer then I will pull you from the fire, understood?" Hermione nodded eager to let her friends know that she was safe and well.
Primus stood and walked over to the fireplace, he took out a small bag of floo powder from his pocket.
"This is all the Floo powder that I have left, so this is a one and only shot understood?" Hermione again nodded and got down on her hands and knees so that she would be able to stick her head in the fire after Primus had thrown in the floo powder.
He threw in the floo powder and Hermione said clearly, "12 Grimmauld Place." Hermione stuck her head into the fire and was overcome with the strange feeling of her head spinning while her body remained stationary.
As soon as the kitchen of Harry's home came into view, Hermione began to call out at the top of her lungs, "Harry! Ginny! Ron! Remus!" Suddenly all four faces popped into view and Hermione almost laughed with relief.
"Hermione, where are you?" Harry asked frantically.
"Hermione are you ok?" Ginny asked at the same time as Ron.
"Guys quiet, I don't have much time, The Spy rescued me last night, his name is Primus, and...well that is what I can call him anyway. Death Eaters came to my house and were going to take me but he got there first and saved me. I am at his house, but I don't know where we are, or even if we are in England anymore. I am alright; I don't have anymore floo powder so this will probably be the last time that I can talk to you for a while." Hermione looked at the four anxious faces hovering above her and couldn't help but let a fond smile creep over her face. She was staring up at her family.
"Hermione can't you come here now?" Ron asked.
"No Ron, I don't have enough floo powder. I want you to promise me that you are going to stay at Harry's house until it is safe Ron; since they didn't get me then they are most likely going to come after you. So keep yourself safe, ok? All of you!" Primus tapped her on her back signaling that she needed to wrap things up.
"I have to go guys, stay safe all of you and I will be in touch as soon as I can, I promise." Hermione looked at them again, Ginny was crying and Harry had his arm wrapped tightly around her, while Ron looked so pale that his freckles stood out like beacons. Remus stood statically behind them and nodded to Hermione.
"Goodbye," Hermione said before she pulled her head back from the fireplace and her connection was broken. She sat back and leaned against the side of the fireplace, her head in her hands. Silent tears began to fall from her eyes before she could stop them. Primus seemed to realise that she was crying and sat down next to her, placing an arm around her shoulder. She turned and burrowed into his shoulder letting her tears fall. It was the pent up emotions of fear and stress and worry, together with seeing Harry, Ginny, Ron and Remus and the worry on their faces. It was enough to send her over an emotional ledge.
While she cried, he remained quiet, sensing her need to get all of her tears out before she was willing to comprehend the why of them.
After she had stopped crying, she remained huddled in his embrace going over in her mind everything from the past few days as well as the first time she met Primus. Finally, she raised her head and looked up at him contemplating asking him a question that she had wanted the answer to for almost a year.
"Why did you pick me to talk to?" Primus though for a moment, he was too smart to play dumb and ask what she meant, and she was to smart to fall for it.
"I spent a lot of time watching you and your friends while we were at Hogwarts. I knew that as soon as you could, you would join the Order and rid the world of all that is evil. Potter always did have a hero complex," Hermione looked as if she was going to say something but Primus continued on, not letting her get a word in. "I couldn't go to Potter; I know that he wouldn't have trusted me. Weasley was too hot headed, and I didn't believe that he had the smarts to value any information that I was willing to give to you. So that left you, the smartest witch in our graduating class at Hogwarts, cool and level headed, I knew that if I contacted you, you would test out my information and make an accurate conclusion. You are also the most trusting of the group, so you were an obvious choice." Hermione didn't know what to say to him. He had just paid her a compliment, sort of, but it was from a clinical observation and she wasn't quite sure how that made her feel.
"What made you change your mind about Voldemort?" Hermione asked, finally getting up from her place on the floor and taking a seat at the table. Primus followed her lead and resumed his place at the table opposite her.
"You do not fear to speak the Dark Lords name?" He asked her, almost with awe.
"'Fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself,' Professor Dumbledore said that and it stayed with me," Hermione said. She looked at him waiting for him to answer her question; finally, after weighing up what he wanted to say he spoke.
"Though few would believe this from the image that I presented of myself, I do not condone or endorse the killing of innocent people just because they come from a mixed or muggle background. Look at pureblooded wizards; you have my family, which ardently believe that only purebloods should be allowed to live and practice magic. Then you have a family such as the Weasley's who are as pure as my family yet they believe that everyone who had magical talent should be allowed the chance to utilise those skills. Then we have to look at you, a witch who comes from the longest line of muggles, yet with an extraordinary talent who graduates at the head of our class. It was a culmination of different factors that allowed me come to the conclusion that I did and as a result contact you with information."
"What will you do now?" Hermione asked him quietly, almost fearing his answer because deep down she knew what it would be. "They will kill you if you go back, you said as much earlier.
"I will most likely stay here, it is safe as no one apart from you knows about it and even you do not know the location."
"So that is it, you will stay the rest of your life here? Hiding?" she asked incredulously. She stood and leaned over the table facing him.
"Is that so bad? I have done enough. I saved your life, and I gave you as much help as I could. Have I not atoned for my sins?" He also stood staring into her eyes daring her to defy him and his wishes.
"I can't believe what I am hearing! Why bother saving one life when you wont save others?" Hermione lent further over the table trying to enforce her view.
"I think that I'll leave the hero stuff to Potter, Weasley and you. The three of you do more than enough so that the average man doesn't have to." He leaned in as well. Hermione could feel his anger rolling over her in waves and for the first time since she had met him she felt scared.
"Harry, Ron and I never wanted to be heros," Hermione said quietly. "Harry has to fight this war because of events that were out of his control, Ron and I will help him because he is our best friend, and neither of us would be any sort of friend if we were to leave him to fight alone." Hermione dropped down into her chair. The argument, though short, had drained her mentally and now she wanted to do nothing more than sleep.
Outside the kitchen windows night had settled down around the house and the stars were twinkling merrily in the sky. On any normal night Hermione would have taken the time to admire them, tonight she only had the desire to return to bed and sleep. She raised a hand to stifle a yawn and this action seemed to snap Primus out of his thoughts.
"Come on, it is time to go to sleep." Hermione stood and followed him out of the room, too tired to make a note of the path that they took, she would concentrate better tomorrow.
"Good night Hermione," Primus said as he left her at the door to the room that they had both occupied the night before.
"Night Primus," Hermione mumbled as she walked into her room and closed the door behind her.
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Hey all! :) Well here is chapter two, another one down and you will all be getting another one soon I hope, I am going to be busy with work this week but as soon as I can finish typing up the next chapter I will send it your way! :)
Big thanks Trinka for your help, as always it is much needed! :)
For those who said that they wanted to be e-mailed and I didn't, sorry about that. E-mail me at spaced_out_space_cadet@hotmail.com and next chapter I will e-mail you! :)
Thanks for reading!
Spaced Out Space Cadet
The story that I am recommending that you read this week is 'The Ghosts Of Christmas' and it is written by DeChantal. I think that it is an amazing story and I am sad that it was only three chapters long!
I would like to thank all of my reviewers!!
Meg - Thanks! I always love getting reviews from you!
Danika - Thanks as always!! I will e-mail you, I am glad that you like it!
Hells Angel - Awwwwww! Ta!! :) I do hope that you keep reading!
Caly - I love your name!! Lord of al cheese sticks! You are funny! Thanks for the review!
Weirdo-loser-freak - Glad to hear from you again! :) I will continue!! I promise!
Griffin VS Serpent fan - Thanks for the review, as you can see I am!
Ghypscee - I hope that you like this chapter as well!
BMSMagicsChic - Thanks for the review!
Hallie - Thanks!! Happy to hear from you again!
Scholz - Thanks sooooo much!! And big thanks for the e-mail and the recommendation! :)
Mesmer - Thanks for both of your reviews! I really appreciate them and I hope that you like this chapter as well!
Sparkle3 - Thanks, there will be development, but in later chapters!
Jenny - I am soooo happy that you reviewed! I don't want to spoil it by telling you.. but all I can say is good guess and you will find out eventually! :)
Azn-Sweetie - Hey! Great to hear from you again! :) Gald that you like it, and hope that you like this chapter as well.
Shedraconis - Hey!! You will get to find out who the spy is soon....