Chapter 4
"Thank you all for coming here today, I am afraid that I have some grave news. As some of you may have already heard two nights ago the home of Hermione Granger was attacked and destroyed by Death Eaters. She was thankfully saved by The Spy who we have found out likes to be called Primus." At the sound of this name Severus Snape's head snapped up and he began to listen intently to what Albus was saying. "He has Hermione in his home, which is at an undisclosed location. Hermione made contact with Harry yesterday afternoon and she has given word that she is well and safe, but has expressed her concern for everyone else's safety." Dumbledore sighed and looked around the room at the shocked and concerned faces.
"What shall we do Albus?" Minerva asked the old Professor directly. His blue eyes held no twinkle as he looked at her gravely.
"I do not know Minerva, and that troubles me. I would love dearly to go and save Hermione but the fact of the matter is that we have no idea where she is. It is excellent that she has been able to make contact and let us know that she is safe. We have to assume that she is still in possession if her wand and everyone here knows what a capable witch Hermione is. I am afraid that there is nothing that we can do." At this Ron leapt up from his chair.
"No, we have to do something! We have to find her," he looked around the room desperately hoping to find an answer that he liked.
"Ron you need to calm down." Mrs. Weasley came up behind her youngest son and placed a restraining hand on his shoulder, gently but forcible guiding him back to his seat. She looked to Albus for help.
"Your mother is right Ron; we are going to need to wait to hear from Hermione again before we are able to make any decisions regarding what to do."
Silence settled over the room as everyone contemplated the present situation. Suddenly there was a pop and Hermione's head appeared in the fire, when she noticed the amount of faces around the room, she smiled.
"Forgive me for being late to the meeting, Professor" Albus smiled down at her and Harry and Ron made their way to the front of the crowd so that they could talk to Hermione.
"Again, I do not have much time; Primus will only allow me a few moments to speak to you all. I am safe and well, though I would love to come home. At the moment that isn't possible so please don't ask me Ron." Ron closed his mouth and smiled sheepishly. Hermione smiled back at him and quickly continued.
"Primus knows that it is not safe for him to rejoin the Death Eaters. Ask Professor Snape for any details if he has them. I am trying to convince Primus to join our fight but at the moment, I am not having much luck. Nevertheless, I will convince him!" Hermione felt a tap on the back of her shoulder signaling that it was time for her to wrap things up. Hermione nodded and those looking at her were a little confused.
"I have to go now; Primus is telling to me hurry along. Please do not come looking for me, I will come home as soon as I can, and I will be bringing Primus with me. Keep safe all of you and don't worry about me, I can take care of myself." With that there was another pop and Hermione was gone again.
"Well that was good news," Dumbledore said, as everyone else in the room was quiet.
"What do you mean good news? Hermione isn't back." Ron said his face was flushed with frustration and Harry placed a hand on his arm trying to restrain and comfort him at the same time.
"That is true Mr. Weasley, but we do know that she is safe and well, and as she said, she can take care of herself. She will be home as soon as she can and that is what we have to look forward to." Ron did not seem satisfied by this answer but knew better than to keep questioning Dumbledore. Having seen Dumbledore angry before he did not wish to have that wrath directed at him.
"Snape, do you have any information about this Primus fellow?" Harry asked his old potions master in a hope of changing the subject.
"I am afraid that I do not have a great deal of information where he is concerned. I do know that he is one of the Death Eaters that was recruited as soon as he graduated from Hogwarts, and that either one or both of his parents are Death Eaters. He was a part of a select group that did the Dark Lords bidding, they were not subject to regular meetings so I am afraid that I have no more information regarding him, only to say that once he saved Miss Granger's life, he signed his own death warrant. All Death Eaters were given strict instructions that if.Primus appears he is to be taken to Voldemort immediately and it won't be to give him a pat on the back." Severus said and he avoided Albus' gaze. While he had given them the truth.. well parts of the truth, he had not been totally honest. He knew who Primus was and deep down he was quite proud.
Despite Snape's effort not to look at the wise old wizard, Albus knew that Snape was not revealing all and was going to ask him for the whole truth as soon as the meeting was over.
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"Primus, you know that I want you to join the Order and fight with me, but I realise that I can't make you. I had all of these great arguments in my mind but I'm not going to use any of them. All I can tell you is that I hope that you will continue helping me as you have done so far. I know that you would be a great asset to the Order, not as a spy but as a fighter. But I can't make that decision for you, you have to make it for yourself."
Primus said nothing; he just looked into the dancing flames hoping that they would give him the answer that he needed.
He knew that he wasn't a good person; he had done so much evil and that had to have left a permanent mark on him. Saving Hermione had helped him to feel better about himself but it had not alleviated the guilt that he felt, and would always feel, deep down inside of him.
"What have you lost in this war?" Primus asked her quietly.
"Well I have lost a lot of things; everyone has. The most important things I have lost have been people. My parents, Sirius, Kingsley, and so many others."
"You have lost so many people and you still wish to fight?" Primus asked with genuine curiosity.
"They died fighting for a cause, something that they believed it. My parents were murdered because they were muggles, something that they couldn't help. What sort of daughter would I be if I didn't try to atone for their deaths in a positive way. I do know that there is a great chance that I will die, but that doesn't matter. If my death means that others can live in peace then I am ready to die. I'm not sure if I can explain it any better to you." Primus just nodded and looked at the flickering flames once again. "What have you lost?" Hermione asked him.
"What I have lost is not tangible. People that I have known who have died meant nothing to me, therefore their deaths did not affect me. My father would kill me quite happily if that is what he was ordered to do. My mother long ago lost all compassion and now is a walking shell of a human being. Through my own actions in this war I have only lost one thing... my soul." Primus finished quietly and Hermione found herself holding back tears.
"You are wrong, your soul is still there, if it wasn't I would be dead right now." Neither spoke after this, they sat in silence listening to their own jumbled thoughts trying to make sense of what they had discussed.
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"Severus, may I have a word before you go?" Albus asked after the meeting had been concluded. Most were staying for their evening meal, but Severus never stayed.
Snape eyed him wearily before nodding his head in slight consent. They walked into the lounge room near the front door. A hum of voices could be heard from the kitchen but they both ignored the noise.
"You know who Primus is Severus." Dumbledore said. It was a statement not a question.
"Yes, but I can not tell you who he is. It is obvious that he does not want anyone to know, and it is not up to me to reveal him." Albus nodded in understanding.
"I have a strong feeling that I know who he is, but you are right. Besides if he is who I think he is then perhaps it is better that he is not revealed just yet, given previous history." Albus said dryly.
Snape just nodded, and sighed.
"Do you think that she is safe with him?" Albus asked.
"Yes I do. I have always been a very observant teacher and if my observations are correct then it is probably Primus that is in any danger, and that is of losing his heart, if he hasn't already." Albus was slightly surprised by the sentiment in the old potions master, but it was a pleasant surprise. Albus then thought that it was best to change the subject.
"Will you be staying for dinner this evening?" Albus asked.
"It is best if I do not, besides that Potter boy will probably bombard me with questions that I don't want to answer." Albus chuckled quietly and nodded. He knew of the animosity that existed between the two and it never failed to amuse him.
"Ah well, I shall see you back at Hogwarts then Severus." Snape nodded and slipped out the door and into the cold London night.
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They had been sitting in silence for the past hour and Hermione had finally had enough.
"Primus, when will I be able to go home?" she asked quietly not taking her eyes off the fire that was still flickering in the hearth.
"You want to leave?" he asked just as quietly.
"They need my help. I know that I have a role to play in this war still; and I have to protect Harry."
"What about yourself? 'You have to protect Harry'; don't you think that he can protect himself?" Primus had turned in his armchair to face her so that he could read the emotions on her face and in her eyes.
"Harry is a great wizard, and it will be him that will end this war. He needs me and Ron and the other members of the Order to help him so that he has the chance to end it, don't you see? If our positions were reversed, I know that Harry would do everything that he could to help me. That is what friends do for one another. Besides Harry is, in my heart, my brother and it is my duty to protect him." Hermione said passionately.
"You are just going to get yourself killed!" Primus said savagely.
"If I have to die so that Harry can defeat Voldemort and make the wizarding world safe again, then so be it. I am willing to lay down my life to make the world a better place for others. I have already told you this." Hermione raised a hand and rubbed her face, it was getting late and she was getting weary of arguing with Primus.
"You really believe that?" He asked quietly, once again facing the flames.
"Yes I do." Hermione slumped back into her armchair and closed her eyes, and silence settled over the room again.
"Tomorrow," he said finally.
"Tomorrow what?" Hermione asked, too tired to properly follow his train of thought.
"Tomorrow I will take you home."
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After Primus had left the library and gone to bed, Hermione sat in a comfortable armchair thinking. For a while she watched Crookshanks and Puffy, the name she had given the Puffskein, play together. They had instantly taken a liking to one another and Hermione had decided to keep it as a companion for Crookshanks.
She sighed. While it would be good to go home and see Harry, Ron and Ginny again, a small part of her was going to miss Primus and miss staying in his home.
She had not gone on a date since the Yule Ball in her last year at Hogwarts, and that had been with Ron so it didn't really count as a real date. The small romantic part of her brain had always fantasized about the mysterious man always dressed in black, coming and sweeping her away on his black stallion. Not quite the white knight fantasy, more like your black knight. While Primus had rescued her from the Death Eaters and saved her life, they had not ridden off into the sunset together, nor did he love her. The thoughts only depressed her, because tomorrow she would have to say good bye to her Spy, and she would never see him again.
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Hey guys,
Sorry, if this chapter seemed a little fluffy to people but I did want this story to have some romance in it. I love a good war story with romance so it is going to have to make an appearance and I thought that it was time to get things rolling.
I was going to tell you all who the spy was next chapter but I had to cut this one in half because it was sooooooo long! I promise you all that in chapter 6 you will find out!
I hope that you like this chapter, sorry that it is a little shorter than normal but the next one will be a long one! If liked it review, if you didn't review anyway and tell me why! :)
Oh I will be going away for a couple of weeks soon, so I won't get to update while I am away. Before I go I will hopefully get chapter 5 posted but after that you may be waiting up to 3 weeks for chapter 6, sorry but where I am going I am not going to have a computer so I won't be able to type or post!
Spaced Out Space Cadet As always, thanks to Trinka for making my story better!
Thanks to...
Mesmer - Aww thanks!! I appreciate the comments, and sorry for the long wait in revealing the spy, but I thought that it was the best way to do it! I have worked really hard on this story and I am happy that you are enjoying it!
Scholz03 - Thanks for the review! I want a puffskein I think that they would be really cute!
Sparkle3 - Hope that I updated quick enough for you! :) lol!
Hoplessromantic2 - Hey!! I have ideas for the progression of this fic, and at the moment it looks like it is going to be a long one! So I hope that you keep reading till the end! :)
Draco-FutureBF - Thanks for the review!
Meg - Yeah, I'm sure you know who it is but it isn't going to be that long before you find out! Lol! You had the right idea with the chapters though.... I will get round to telling you all!
Shedraconis - Aww, thanks! I hope that you like my others, though I think that this one is the best, but my response for Hogwarts Reunion was good. And thanks, I do try to keep them in character as much as possible, but I am always going to put my spin on the characters because it is my interpretation... this is a long reply so I am going to let you go now! Lol!
BMSMagicChic - That's cool, I understood what you meant! Hope that you like this chapter!
Weirdo-Loser-Freak - Now they were some great guesses!! I loved the last one especially! Moldy Voldie is the spy! Hehehe, now there is a possibility!
Jules37 - Thanks, poor little Crookshanks, I overlooked him, shame on me!! I put him in this chapter so that I can feel better! Lol! I thought that Ginny should be the voice of reason, besides guys usually need girls to point stuff like that out to them! Hehehe!
Professor Elionwy - Thank you for the offer and for the moment I am going to have to pass, but maybe in the future.
Azn-Sweetie - Hey! Thanks for the review!! All in god time! Lol!
Awaysheflew - Hey! Don't be jealous!! I don't think that I am that great a writer but it means a lot to me that you do! :) I hope that you like this chapter as well!
Danika - Thanks for reviewing and I am glad that you are enjoying it!
Alka - Great to hear from you! :) Am glad that you liked it! And as for the ending... Well I guess you are just going to have to wait and see! Lol!
"Thank you all for coming here today, I am afraid that I have some grave news. As some of you may have already heard two nights ago the home of Hermione Granger was attacked and destroyed by Death Eaters. She was thankfully saved by The Spy who we have found out likes to be called Primus." At the sound of this name Severus Snape's head snapped up and he began to listen intently to what Albus was saying. "He has Hermione in his home, which is at an undisclosed location. Hermione made contact with Harry yesterday afternoon and she has given word that she is well and safe, but has expressed her concern for everyone else's safety." Dumbledore sighed and looked around the room at the shocked and concerned faces.
"What shall we do Albus?" Minerva asked the old Professor directly. His blue eyes held no twinkle as he looked at her gravely.
"I do not know Minerva, and that troubles me. I would love dearly to go and save Hermione but the fact of the matter is that we have no idea where she is. It is excellent that she has been able to make contact and let us know that she is safe. We have to assume that she is still in possession if her wand and everyone here knows what a capable witch Hermione is. I am afraid that there is nothing that we can do." At this Ron leapt up from his chair.
"No, we have to do something! We have to find her," he looked around the room desperately hoping to find an answer that he liked.
"Ron you need to calm down." Mrs. Weasley came up behind her youngest son and placed a restraining hand on his shoulder, gently but forcible guiding him back to his seat. She looked to Albus for help.
"Your mother is right Ron; we are going to need to wait to hear from Hermione again before we are able to make any decisions regarding what to do."
Silence settled over the room as everyone contemplated the present situation. Suddenly there was a pop and Hermione's head appeared in the fire, when she noticed the amount of faces around the room, she smiled.
"Forgive me for being late to the meeting, Professor" Albus smiled down at her and Harry and Ron made their way to the front of the crowd so that they could talk to Hermione.
"Again, I do not have much time; Primus will only allow me a few moments to speak to you all. I am safe and well, though I would love to come home. At the moment that isn't possible so please don't ask me Ron." Ron closed his mouth and smiled sheepishly. Hermione smiled back at him and quickly continued.
"Primus knows that it is not safe for him to rejoin the Death Eaters. Ask Professor Snape for any details if he has them. I am trying to convince Primus to join our fight but at the moment, I am not having much luck. Nevertheless, I will convince him!" Hermione felt a tap on the back of her shoulder signaling that it was time for her to wrap things up. Hermione nodded and those looking at her were a little confused.
"I have to go now; Primus is telling to me hurry along. Please do not come looking for me, I will come home as soon as I can, and I will be bringing Primus with me. Keep safe all of you and don't worry about me, I can take care of myself." With that there was another pop and Hermione was gone again.
"Well that was good news," Dumbledore said, as everyone else in the room was quiet.
"What do you mean good news? Hermione isn't back." Ron said his face was flushed with frustration and Harry placed a hand on his arm trying to restrain and comfort him at the same time.
"That is true Mr. Weasley, but we do know that she is safe and well, and as she said, she can take care of herself. She will be home as soon as she can and that is what we have to look forward to." Ron did not seem satisfied by this answer but knew better than to keep questioning Dumbledore. Having seen Dumbledore angry before he did not wish to have that wrath directed at him.
"Snape, do you have any information about this Primus fellow?" Harry asked his old potions master in a hope of changing the subject.
"I am afraid that I do not have a great deal of information where he is concerned. I do know that he is one of the Death Eaters that was recruited as soon as he graduated from Hogwarts, and that either one or both of his parents are Death Eaters. He was a part of a select group that did the Dark Lords bidding, they were not subject to regular meetings so I am afraid that I have no more information regarding him, only to say that once he saved Miss Granger's life, he signed his own death warrant. All Death Eaters were given strict instructions that if.Primus appears he is to be taken to Voldemort immediately and it won't be to give him a pat on the back." Severus said and he avoided Albus' gaze. While he had given them the truth.. well parts of the truth, he had not been totally honest. He knew who Primus was and deep down he was quite proud.
Despite Snape's effort not to look at the wise old wizard, Albus knew that Snape was not revealing all and was going to ask him for the whole truth as soon as the meeting was over.
*****************************************************************
"Primus, you know that I want you to join the Order and fight with me, but I realise that I can't make you. I had all of these great arguments in my mind but I'm not going to use any of them. All I can tell you is that I hope that you will continue helping me as you have done so far. I know that you would be a great asset to the Order, not as a spy but as a fighter. But I can't make that decision for you, you have to make it for yourself."
Primus said nothing; he just looked into the dancing flames hoping that they would give him the answer that he needed.
He knew that he wasn't a good person; he had done so much evil and that had to have left a permanent mark on him. Saving Hermione had helped him to feel better about himself but it had not alleviated the guilt that he felt, and would always feel, deep down inside of him.
"What have you lost in this war?" Primus asked her quietly.
"Well I have lost a lot of things; everyone has. The most important things I have lost have been people. My parents, Sirius, Kingsley, and so many others."
"You have lost so many people and you still wish to fight?" Primus asked with genuine curiosity.
"They died fighting for a cause, something that they believed it. My parents were murdered because they were muggles, something that they couldn't help. What sort of daughter would I be if I didn't try to atone for their deaths in a positive way. I do know that there is a great chance that I will die, but that doesn't matter. If my death means that others can live in peace then I am ready to die. I'm not sure if I can explain it any better to you." Primus just nodded and looked at the flickering flames once again. "What have you lost?" Hermione asked him.
"What I have lost is not tangible. People that I have known who have died meant nothing to me, therefore their deaths did not affect me. My father would kill me quite happily if that is what he was ordered to do. My mother long ago lost all compassion and now is a walking shell of a human being. Through my own actions in this war I have only lost one thing... my soul." Primus finished quietly and Hermione found herself holding back tears.
"You are wrong, your soul is still there, if it wasn't I would be dead right now." Neither spoke after this, they sat in silence listening to their own jumbled thoughts trying to make sense of what they had discussed.
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"Severus, may I have a word before you go?" Albus asked after the meeting had been concluded. Most were staying for their evening meal, but Severus never stayed.
Snape eyed him wearily before nodding his head in slight consent. They walked into the lounge room near the front door. A hum of voices could be heard from the kitchen but they both ignored the noise.
"You know who Primus is Severus." Dumbledore said. It was a statement not a question.
"Yes, but I can not tell you who he is. It is obvious that he does not want anyone to know, and it is not up to me to reveal him." Albus nodded in understanding.
"I have a strong feeling that I know who he is, but you are right. Besides if he is who I think he is then perhaps it is better that he is not revealed just yet, given previous history." Albus said dryly.
Snape just nodded, and sighed.
"Do you think that she is safe with him?" Albus asked.
"Yes I do. I have always been a very observant teacher and if my observations are correct then it is probably Primus that is in any danger, and that is of losing his heart, if he hasn't already." Albus was slightly surprised by the sentiment in the old potions master, but it was a pleasant surprise. Albus then thought that it was best to change the subject.
"Will you be staying for dinner this evening?" Albus asked.
"It is best if I do not, besides that Potter boy will probably bombard me with questions that I don't want to answer." Albus chuckled quietly and nodded. He knew of the animosity that existed between the two and it never failed to amuse him.
"Ah well, I shall see you back at Hogwarts then Severus." Snape nodded and slipped out the door and into the cold London night.
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They had been sitting in silence for the past hour and Hermione had finally had enough.
"Primus, when will I be able to go home?" she asked quietly not taking her eyes off the fire that was still flickering in the hearth.
"You want to leave?" he asked just as quietly.
"They need my help. I know that I have a role to play in this war still; and I have to protect Harry."
"What about yourself? 'You have to protect Harry'; don't you think that he can protect himself?" Primus had turned in his armchair to face her so that he could read the emotions on her face and in her eyes.
"Harry is a great wizard, and it will be him that will end this war. He needs me and Ron and the other members of the Order to help him so that he has the chance to end it, don't you see? If our positions were reversed, I know that Harry would do everything that he could to help me. That is what friends do for one another. Besides Harry is, in my heart, my brother and it is my duty to protect him." Hermione said passionately.
"You are just going to get yourself killed!" Primus said savagely.
"If I have to die so that Harry can defeat Voldemort and make the wizarding world safe again, then so be it. I am willing to lay down my life to make the world a better place for others. I have already told you this." Hermione raised a hand and rubbed her face, it was getting late and she was getting weary of arguing with Primus.
"You really believe that?" He asked quietly, once again facing the flames.
"Yes I do." Hermione slumped back into her armchair and closed her eyes, and silence settled over the room again.
"Tomorrow," he said finally.
"Tomorrow what?" Hermione asked, too tired to properly follow his train of thought.
"Tomorrow I will take you home."
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After Primus had left the library and gone to bed, Hermione sat in a comfortable armchair thinking. For a while she watched Crookshanks and Puffy, the name she had given the Puffskein, play together. They had instantly taken a liking to one another and Hermione had decided to keep it as a companion for Crookshanks.
She sighed. While it would be good to go home and see Harry, Ron and Ginny again, a small part of her was going to miss Primus and miss staying in his home.
She had not gone on a date since the Yule Ball in her last year at Hogwarts, and that had been with Ron so it didn't really count as a real date. The small romantic part of her brain had always fantasized about the mysterious man always dressed in black, coming and sweeping her away on his black stallion. Not quite the white knight fantasy, more like your black knight. While Primus had rescued her from the Death Eaters and saved her life, they had not ridden off into the sunset together, nor did he love her. The thoughts only depressed her, because tomorrow she would have to say good bye to her Spy, and she would never see him again.
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Hey guys,
Sorry, if this chapter seemed a little fluffy to people but I did want this story to have some romance in it. I love a good war story with romance so it is going to have to make an appearance and I thought that it was time to get things rolling.
I was going to tell you all who the spy was next chapter but I had to cut this one in half because it was sooooooo long! I promise you all that in chapter 6 you will find out!
I hope that you like this chapter, sorry that it is a little shorter than normal but the next one will be a long one! If liked it review, if you didn't review anyway and tell me why! :)
Oh I will be going away for a couple of weeks soon, so I won't get to update while I am away. Before I go I will hopefully get chapter 5 posted but after that you may be waiting up to 3 weeks for chapter 6, sorry but where I am going I am not going to have a computer so I won't be able to type or post!
Spaced Out Space Cadet As always, thanks to Trinka for making my story better!
Thanks to...
Mesmer - Aww thanks!! I appreciate the comments, and sorry for the long wait in revealing the spy, but I thought that it was the best way to do it! I have worked really hard on this story and I am happy that you are enjoying it!
Scholz03 - Thanks for the review! I want a puffskein I think that they would be really cute!
Sparkle3 - Hope that I updated quick enough for you! :) lol!
Hoplessromantic2 - Hey!! I have ideas for the progression of this fic, and at the moment it looks like it is going to be a long one! So I hope that you keep reading till the end! :)
Draco-FutureBF - Thanks for the review!
Meg - Yeah, I'm sure you know who it is but it isn't going to be that long before you find out! Lol! You had the right idea with the chapters though.... I will get round to telling you all!
Shedraconis - Aww, thanks! I hope that you like my others, though I think that this one is the best, but my response for Hogwarts Reunion was good. And thanks, I do try to keep them in character as much as possible, but I am always going to put my spin on the characters because it is my interpretation... this is a long reply so I am going to let you go now! Lol!
BMSMagicChic - That's cool, I understood what you meant! Hope that you like this chapter!
Weirdo-Loser-Freak - Now they were some great guesses!! I loved the last one especially! Moldy Voldie is the spy! Hehehe, now there is a possibility!
Jules37 - Thanks, poor little Crookshanks, I overlooked him, shame on me!! I put him in this chapter so that I can feel better! Lol! I thought that Ginny should be the voice of reason, besides guys usually need girls to point stuff like that out to them! Hehehe!
Professor Elionwy - Thank you for the offer and for the moment I am going to have to pass, but maybe in the future.
Azn-Sweetie - Hey! Thanks for the review!! All in god time! Lol!
Awaysheflew - Hey! Don't be jealous!! I don't think that I am that great a writer but it means a lot to me that you do! :) I hope that you like this chapter as well!
Danika - Thanks for reviewing and I am glad that you are enjoying it!
Alka - Great to hear from you! :) Am glad that you liked it! And as for the ending... Well I guess you are just going to have to wait and see! Lol!