The Hidden Soul

Author Note: No, I'm not dead and this hasn't been abandoned! Just had a severe case of writers block and an extremely busy life. But I've managed to get this chapter up, its just a boring filler really, as I try and figure out where to go with this story, but at least its something ay?

I'm sorry for not updating in so long.

Chapter 7.

Zahra hadn't woken, so Bill had laid her out on Hermione's bed. He was sat in the lounge watching the clock on the TV count minutes. His head snapped round as he heard a fumbling at the door and Hermione burst in. He stood up and crossed quickly to her side.

"Hermione?"

She pressed her back against the cool, flat surface of the door and took a shaky breath, her face pale. Bill took another step forward as she moved toward him and wrapped his arms around her. Her face buried into his shirt, and he felt her trembling slightly. She seemed to take a composing breath and drew away from him.

"Where's Zahra?"

"Still out, on your bed." Bill answered watching her. Her mind seemed to be whirring trying desperately to formulate a plan of action, to prioritise… She walked across the room and peered through the crack of the ajar door into her bedroom, then sat down on the sofa and drew her knees up to her chest.

"What the hell do I do now?"

Hermione bit the inside of her cheek. The Order flitted through her mind, chased out a moment later. Voldemort was dead. Whatever went on in that alley wasn't to do with him. Dumbledore an omnipresent figure in the face of danger sprang up, she shook the image of him away too. He'd be concerned for Harry, obviously, but… Well for one, he'd have as little idea of where this situation had sprung from too. It was so out of the blue.

Bill's thoughts had been circling a similar arena to Hermione's. He shrugged in frustration. "I don't know." He replied.

A loud crack resounded and Ron appeared in front of them. His face was chalk white and he stared at them.

"Harry?"

Hermione shook her head. "No."

"Where the fuck is he?" Ron said, throwing himself onto one of the chairs and raking his hands through his hair. Hermione didn't reply and Bill spread his hands hopelessly and sat down on another chair.

"We don't know. All we do know is whatever happened down that alley has got the answers to our questions. Either Harry went or he was taken – "

"Harry wouldn't go with…" Hermione trailed off before she even got to the 'them', she didn't know how to describe the cloaked figures. They had reminded her so much of Dementors, although she knew they hadn't been, they'd been the wrong shape, their robes too tatty and a different style. But she remembered Harry's fear of Dementors and felt a sick wave of empathy for him wash over her. There could be a million reasons, explanations for his disappearance. But of the many that could apply, she knew, she just had a gut feeling, they weren't good.

"I'm owling Remus – Dumbledore – someone." She said suddenly, standing up. They had to do something. Bill shot Ron a look but they didn't argue. Hermione retrieved her wand from Ron's bathroom and plucked some paper and a biro from the Hotel stationary stash.

Remus,

Somethings happened. Harry's missing. We don't know whats going on, or who took him. It was magical I know it. You know where we are. Myself, Ron and Bill are fine. What should we do? Should I contact anyone else?

Yours,

Hermione.

She looked up and offered the letter to Ron who took it, skimmed it, nodded briefly and handed it back. Bill repeated the actions and Hermione rolled the paper and transfigured the ashtray into an owl. It was a large Snowy, and for an instant reminded her of Hedwig so much she felt a painful twist in her stomach, she tied the letter to its foot and carried it to the window, letting it zoom off into the dark sky.

She watched it till it was out of sight, and felt a sort of numbness come over her. It was horrible. There was nothing she could do. Nothing anyone could do at that moment in time. Where Harry was… if he was all right… No one could tell her and there was no way of finding out that instant.

Turning, she returned to the sofa and sat down, curling her feet up below her and staring blankly in front of her. Ron got up and moved to sit beside her, his arm wound around her shoulder and she leant her face against his shirt, knowing he was feeling the same hollow helplessness as her.

They sat in silence for over an hour, the oppressing feeling of bleakness being more and more palpable. Ron shifted beside her, and Hermione raised her head.

"You should try and get some sleep." Ron said, looking at her. Hermione frowned.

"I couldn't sleep." She replied sharply then softened at the look on his face, he hadn't meant it like that. She bit her lip,

"I'll wait for the letter. I'll wake you as soon as it's here. I promise." Ron said, squeezing her hand.

Hermione paused then nodded, she got up and headed towards her room. She stopped a few steps toward it, remembering Zahra and turned to the next door. Harry's room. Swallowing down a hard lump in her throat, she passed it and walked into Ron's. She shed her clothes and slipped into one of Ron's oxford shirts, before climbing onto the bed.

Her knees drawn up to her chin she kept replaying the earlier evening. The slithering of the cloaks, the tattered, ripped fabric whipping in the fierce wind. The petrifying sound of the blade being unsheathed, the dull glint of the gold metal through the grit, the unfamiliar squiggles in the sand –

"Hermione?"

She raised her head and saw Bill's face around the doorframe. He sidled into the room and crossed to the bed and sat down on the edge.

"Is the letter here?" She asked, swinging her legs off the bed and moving to stand up. Bill caught at her wrist and tugged her gently back.

"No. Not yet. I just came to check on you."

"Oh." Hermione replied, she returned to the bed and curled her feet up below her. Bill's hand left her wrist and rested softly on hers. After a long while in silence, where Hermione stared into blankness and Bill stared at her, he cleared his throat.

"You should try and sleep. When we know what to do, we're going to need energy."

She nodded but didn't make any attempt to move. Bill slid off the bed and carefully pulled back the thin sheet. Hermione stretched her legs out beneath it, and let him push her lightly down onto the pillows. She turned till her cheek hit the cool cotton and looked up at him. His eyes were navy in the dim light, and were dark with worry. He leant in,

"It'll be okay Hermione. I promise." He muttered. He brushed a soft kiss to her forehead and stood to leave.

Hermione wound her fingers into his,

"Stay? For a little while?"

He nodded and she shifted over in the bed, tugging his hand with her until he lay beside her on top of the sheets. Hermione tucked his hand around her waist, their fingers still entwined and closed her eyes.

Number 12 Grimmauld Place – London, England

Remus was leant back in a chair slumbering lightly when he heard the tapping at the window. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and pushed himself out of the armchair.

Crossing the room, he pulled back the heavy velvet drapes at the window and undid the clasp, letting the owl into the room. It swooped over to perch on the coffee table, Remus followed it and undid the note tied to its ankle with mild curiosity. He wasn't expecting post.

His curiosity heightened as he noticed the paper. Thin, smooth and white, with a navy printed logo emblazoned across it. Frowning, he rolled it open and scanned the familiar script.

Things had initially moved very quickly since Remus' arrival in Aswan. First thing, he had apparated with the still unconscious Zahra to Bill's apartment. Bill had woken Hermione, and they and Ron had checked out of the Hotel, with all their luggage and followed to the flat.

Zahra had been deposited into Bill's spare room and the group was sat in tense silence. Ron and Remus in armchairs and Hermione on the sofa, Archimedes curled in her lap, her hand smoothing the cats fur distractedly.

"Here," Bill said, entering the living room and passing mugs of coffee to Remus and Ron, he returned a moment later with two more. Sinking into the sofa next to Hermione he handed her one and tried to push Archimedes off, the cat dug his claws in possessively.

"Thanks," said Hermione taking a sip of the hot liquid and setting the mug down to the side almost immediately, she couldn't hold her tongue a second longer, "Remus –,"

"Alright." Remus looked up, "What do we know?"

"Nothing." Spat Ron bitterly. "I told you everything when you arrived. We were out, walking up the alley when a sandstorm whipped up and next thing – Harry's vanished."

Remus nodded and flexed his hands around his mug. "Magical?"

"Yes," said Hermione stoutly. "I know it. And it felt…" she paused searching for an expression, "… old." She shrugged lamely, but Bill nodded.

"It did feel old – and it was strong." He agreed, running a hand through his hair. He shot a look at Remus, "I'm not sure but it seemed local too."

"There were symbols." Hermione added remembering the intricate furrows in the dust. Remus looked at her sharply,

"Symbols?"

"Ancient – they looked like runes to me. I did a little research on them before we came out here, background on the holiday… I couldn't read them though." Hermione said. Bill felt a wrench in his heart at the look on her face, amongst the anguish was a deep anger and disappointment with herself about her lack of knowledge. She felt like she'd failed Harry and Bill could tell she was beating herself up inside.

"Did you two see them?" Remus asked. Ron shook his head but Bill nodded,

"Yeah. They weren't Hieroglyphics though, they were too ornate."

Remus nodded and they fell into uneasy silence till he sucked in a deep breath and looked around. "Well, it seems safest if you all stay here if that's alright with Bill."

"But what are we going to do?" Hermione interrupted exasperatedly.

"All we can do for now is try and research as much as we can, try and piece together what's going on." Remus said, rubbing at his temples and looking tired and slightly hopeless.

Hermione dropped her head and stared desolately at the floor, ignoring Archimedes' rhythmic piercing of his claws into her thighs.

"It's late." Remus spoke up again, "You should all get some sleep, you'll need energy for tomorrow if we're going to research this thoroughly. I'm going to go back, I should let your parents know what's happening, and Dumbledore will be interested. I'll be in contact." He said, standing up and rubbing uneasily at his chin. "Try not to worry too much," he added with a wry smile.

Bill and Ron got to their feet, and Ron clapped a hand to Remus' back. "Thanks Remus."

Remus nodded, and placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder before apparating with a loud crack.

"Right." Ron said, sounding as though he was trying very hard to keep his voice strong. "Lets get some sleep."

"My spare rooms full." Bill pointed out, "Hermione take my room, Ron can kip on the sofa and I'll take the floor."

Hermione looked up but decided not to argue, and followed Bill silently into his room. She still had Ron's shirt on from her earlier nap, and had pulled jeans and a jumper over it to apparate from the hotel. She pulled the clothes off as Bill took out a stack of sheets and blankets from a cupboard. He shoved a couple of pillows under his arm, and turned to see her standing at the edge of the bed looking pale and unsteady.

"It'll be okay Hermione. I promise. We'll find him." He said, crossing over to her. She nodded but her chin trembled slightly, Bill had an overwhelming need to hold her but his arms were full of quilts. He dumped them onto the end of his bed, and she stepped into his hug. She was shaking slightly, Bill held her tightly, and kissed the top of her head. They stayed still for a few minutes, before Bill pulled back slightly and looked down at her. She met his eyes and attempted a small smile. He returned it, amazed by the strength in her eyes, she was in agony but determined to keep it together.

"Thanks," She said, quietly. Bill shook his head, and pulled back the sheets on his bed for her. Hermione slipped between them, and laid back onto the pillows. He gathered the pillows and blankets from the foot of the bed and bent to drop a kiss to her cheek, but she turned her head and caught his mouth with hers. She kissed him hard, then pulled away and curled up on her side. "Night,"

Bill gave her a small grin, and left the room shutting the door behind him. Ron had stripped down to his boxers, Bill threw him a pillow and sheet and watched as he stretched out on the sofa. Then Bill set up a quick makeshift bed on the floor and pulled off his shirt, before settling onto the uncomfortably hard floor.

Please review if you've got this far, it makes it more of a priority to me to get chapters out quickly when I know people are reading them.

Hope everyone has a good Spring Break,

Orchid