Disclaimer: I don't own anything Harry Potter.

Note: This chapter explains a lot of stuff so I hope you enjoy!

A week had passed since Hermoine stopped talking to Harry. He had hoped that she had forgiven him by now but by the looks of things it might take awhile. Every time Harry got close to her, she would find a way to avoid him, either by making a detour into the girls' bathroom or stopping to talk to a teacher about a homework assignment.

Harry also noticed a change with Hermoine more so than before. She became more secluded from people, skipping meals at a time and spending hours in the library. She would be found sitting in a corner of the common room with a book or some homework nightly, rarely looking up to see the events going on in her surroundings. What Harry found more disturbing than Hermoine's behavior though, were the looks that Malfoy would give Hermoine every time her saw her. Harry knew something was up and he was going to find out know matter what.

Early the next morning, a new parchment was posted on the Gryffindor bulletin board. When Hermoine came down she noticed Lavender and Parvati talking excitedly about something. She walked over to the board and read the new parchment announcing the next Hogsmeade weekend.

"It's a week from Saturday," squealed Lavender. "Me and Parvati have been talking and want to make it a girls' night out sort of thing. How about it Hermoine? You in?"

"Ummm…I don't know. I was actually planning on staying here and getting some work done."

"Oh come on Hermoine. We all know you're caught up with all of your work. Besides, it's a good way to get your mind off of Harry," Parvati exclaimed, receiving a questioning glare from Hermoine. "We both know that something happened between you two. That's why you've been avoiding him. We don't know what and we don't want to push it; we just want to help a friend in need. So what do you say?"

"Well, I guess I could…"

"Then it's settled. Hogsmeade next week, it'll be a blast."

Lavender and Parvati each linked an arm with Hermoine practically dragging her out of the common room to breakfast as they excitedly chatted about the different shops they were going to visit.

The rest of the day went by peacefully. Harry and Ron were barely seen throughout the day, up until now. Hermoine was so caught up in the book she was flipping through while walking down the hall that she didn't notice Harry come up behind her.

"Hermoine. Hey! Can I talk to you?" He asked approaching the side of her only to receive a shock as Hermoine slammed her book closed, put it in her bag and turned to walk in the opposite direction. Harry quickly stopped and changed directions with her, running to catch up.

"So," he said as he caught up. "There's a Hogsmeade trip this weekend and I was wondering if you would go with me. You know, as friends. We can stop at Honeyduke's and Zonko's. I'll even treat you to a butterbeer. What do you say?"

Hermoine abruptly stopped, catching Harry off guard. They turned to face each other, making their first eye contact in a week. Harry became hopeful at her looking at him.

"Do you think you could trust me enough to go with you Harry? Huh? Am I trustworthy now? Or are you afraid I'll get you to spend all your money then ditch or something?" Hermoine stated sharply with an angered edge in her voice. "What do you say Harry?" Harry just stood stunned, just realizing how much he really hurt her with what he said last week.

"I don't think so Harry," Hermoine said as he scrambled for words. "Just stay away from me." With that Hermoine turned and stalked off toward the common room leaving Harry glued to his spot in shock.

The rest of the week, Harry knew better then to go near Hermoine. He needed to give her space and time, and he realized that now. He informed Ron about the other night and warned him to stay away from her as well, not like he was planning on going near her after what he heard happened.

Meanwhile Hermoine couldn't believe Harry had had the nerve to ask her to go to Hogsmeade with him. Guys can be so insensitive. But Hermoine knew that sooner or later she would probably break from the stress and that it might be easier to tell somebody. She just didn't want to endanger anybody's life.

Saturday approached quickly. The girls' had made plans to go to the Post Office first when they got there, then go straight to the Dress Robes for all Occasions shop and to Honeyduke's afterwards. Hermoine found herself more excited than she had expected. She was really looking forward to a girl's day out. Only problem was that Harry kept popping into her head, like her conscious was trying to tell her something.

It was an extremely cold October day and because of that Hermoine had to bundle up. She wore her usual casual clothes, jeans, sneakers, and a white long sleeve shirt with a cool pattern going down the arms. She put on her scarf, mittens and hooded winter jacket preparing for the bitter cold.

The Post Office was an amazing site that never seemed to bore Hermoine. All the beautiful owls coming and going was a sight to see. Parvati had opted to go there first because she had a gift to send to her mom and she didn't want to worry about it during their stay at Hogsmeade.

After the Post Office, the trio made their way to the Dress Robe shop. Hermoine found robe after gorgeous robe made out of silks and laces and the finest material imported from all around the world. Only problem with all the beautiful robes was that they were all out of Hermoine's price range, as well as Lavender's and Parvati's. After what seemed like hours of so called 'window shopping', the three girls made their way to Honeyduke's, the most anticipated stop on the trip.

They entered only to find the place packed from wall to wall with not only candy, but people. The girls made their way around the store passing barrels of chocolate frogs and Bertie Botts Every Flavor Jellybeans, and other candies such as Ton Tongue Toffee, Vampire Suckers, and Cockroach Clusters.

Here and there Lavender and Parvati would pick something out and put it in their baskets. Each time they would urge Hermoine to get something only to get the same reply from Hermoine stating that she didn't have any money.

Just as Lavender and Parvati finished paying, Hermoine noticed Harry, Ron, Neville, Seamus, and Dean standing by the door exchanging candies before going out in the bitter October weather.

"You know what guys? I think I'll have to catch up with you guys later, I have something I have to do."

"Okay, just find us whenever you can," Lavender replied.

Lavender and Parvati exited the store just as Harry and the gang made their way for the door.

"Harry, wait!" Hermoine yelled running up to him. "I think I want to talk to you now."

Harry gave Hermoine a surprised look. "Okay, why don't we talk over a couple of hot butterbeers? My treat."

"Works for me," Hermoine replied with a small strained smile.

As they walked, the two talked about what each other had missed out on during the past couple of weeks. Hermoine had to laugh when Harry told her how Ron had gotten his head stuck in the bars on the railing going up the stairs to their dorm, trying to catch Pig who was as hyper as ever bouncing around the common room annoying fellow Gryffindors doing homework.

Harry noticed that Hermoine hadn't bought anything from Honeyduke's and gave her a whole handful of candy, which she shoved in her coat pocket. When they got to the pub Harry and Hermoine walked in and ordered two steamy mugs of butterbeer from Madame Rosmerta.

"Harry, it's too crowded in here, it's making me dizzy. Can we go outside?" Hermoine asked as they got their butterbeers.

"No problem. I bet it's from you skipping all those meals."

"I don't think so. I snuck down to the kitchen every time I missed a meal." The two had made their way outside to the bitter wind and found a bench by the pub to sit on.

"Want to talk now?"

"I thought that's what we've been doing?" Hermoine said with a hint of laughter in her voice.

"You know what I mean. I've noticed how Malfoy has been looking at you lately, wanna tell me what that's about?"

"We'll get to that part, but I guess seeing as I'm telling you everything I should start from the beginning. It started about a week into summer holidays." Harry leaned in intently to hear Hermoine's story.

Flashback

It was about 10 o'clock at night and Hermoine was sitting on her bed reading a book she had bought on the last trip to Hogsmeade before school ended. Her parents were downstairs watching the nightly news. Her summer had been quite uneventful so far. She had been waiting anxiously for a letter from Ron about coming to the Burrow that summer, but she knew it wouldn't come until much later in the summer.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be around her parents, she loved them more then anything and loved spending time with them. She was so happy to be home. Her parents were the best people and dentists she had ever known. It's just that with everything that had been going on lately in the magical world, she didn't want to leave her friends sides until she knew they would be okay.

Her mind wandered to the next day, Sunday, her parents were off of work for a change and had promised to take her out shopping and to the movies. A real quality time kind of thing. She was so excited and couldn't wait.

Out of the corner of her eye, Hermoine saw dark figures walking across her lawn. She got up and looked out of the window. Nothing. Then a pounding came on the door. Men broke down the door yelling and screaming, all dressed in black robes, deatheaters.

Hermoine peeked through the opening she made in her door to see men run into the living room toward her parents and another man yelling for someone to "go get the girl." One man started marching up the staircase, wand in front of him.

Hermoine had no time to think she had to get away; she wouldn't be able to help her parents if she was caught too. She grabbed her wand and turned all the lights off in her room. When the house was built there was a secret storage room hidden away in her closet, so she crept in and closed the door locking it behind her. She hoped that the deatheater didn't hear her heart beating or heavy breathing because she was pretty she it was extremely loud as her ears pounded. She listened as the deatheater ripped her room apart then came in the closet searching. After a few minutes he left for the landing to the stairs.

"She's not here," he yelled down to the other man who seemed to be the leader of the mission. It's probably Lucius thought Hermoine. That bastard.

"Fine, just come down here. She's not what we came for any ways. She's not important to the plan."

Hermoine listened closely for a few minutes and finally crept out when she was sure she didn't hear anybody else wreaking havoc on her house. She had to save her parents. She slowly made her way downstairs aware of the creaking steps and avoiding them on her way down. There was a light on and many shadows coming from her living room.

She peered around the corner, careful not to be seen. The deatheater's formed a circle around her parents who were magically bound. The head deatheater approached her father.

"Now, we can do this the easy way or I can just torture you until you tell me what I need to know. It's your choice. Now tell me where the Arbangic amulet is and you won't have to watch your wife and daughter die."

"Not Hermoine, leave her alone. Please, spare her. She's just an innocent child. Don't hurt my baby!" Her mother cried bringing tears to Hermoine's eyes, she didn't know what to do. There's too many of them for her to take on, she just didn't know for once.

"Shut your mouth," the deatheater yelled. "Now tell me where the amulet is."

"I don't have a clue what you're talking about. Just let us go, we don't know anything," her father pleaded.

"No! You know and you will tell or in turn you and your family will die. Crucio!" Hermoine's mother shouted out in fright as she watched her husband fall to the ground in unbearable pain. Hermoine was glued to her spot watching in horror. "Now you will tell me."

"We don't know anything. I swear," She said as she watched her husband try to regain his strength from the terrible curse.

"We'll see about that. Goyle! The truth serum, now!" A man in the far back came forward and handed him a bottle.

"Here you go Lucius." Hermoine gasped, she knew it was him.

Lucius walked over to her father and roughly grabbed his hair pulling his head up and forced him to sallow the truth serum. "Tell me where the Arbangic amulet is hidden."

"We don't know. I swear we don't know what your talking about. We've never heard of it before in our lives. Just leave Hermoine alone."

"So you really don't know where it is. It's too bad; you're still going to die." Lucius mumbled the two unforgivable words and two bright green lights shot out of his wand. Hermoine watched as her parents fell to the floor dead. Lucius looked around frustrated and apparated out followed by the rest of the deatheaters.

"Mum! Dad!" Hermoine cried as she ran to her parents whose magical bonds disappeared as soon as Lucius left. She hugged her parents' lifeless forms and cried her eyes out for what seemed like hours.

"Hermoine." Hermoine looked up in surprise, tears streaking her face. "My dear girl. I knew something was wrong, I had a feeling, but I didn't know." The twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes had completely left now. He looked at her sadly.

"They did it Professor. Malfoy and others…deatheaters. They killed my parents. How could they?"

"I know, they had no right. I feel your pain and know how hard this is for you. But we need to get you out of here right now. They'll come back and I don't want you in harm's way. I need you to go pack your bags and everything you'll need and want from your room. I'll make sure to take care of your parents. I'll have Madame Pompfrey take care of the funerals." Hermoine looked up at Dumbledore thankful to have someone there for her. She ran upstairs and packed her trunk and suitcase.

She was just about done packing when Dumbledore appeared in her doorway. "We should get going. I'll take you to Hogwarts and we'll find you a room until we figure out who you can stay with. I won't say anything to any of your friends unless you want me too."

"No, I rather they don't find out."

"I respect that decision. But I still have to tell your teachers."

"I understand."

Dumbledore levitated Hermoine's luggage down to the fireplace where Hermoine took one last look around at her house, so many happy memories would be left behind here. Dumbledore placed a hand on her shoulder and threw floo powder into the fireplace. He stepped in first with Hermoine's trunk. "Hogwarts!" he yelled and disappeared.

End Flashback

"I stayed at Hogwarts for about two weeks until we found my uncle in Africa who was willing to take me in. He actually took it pretty well when Dumbledore broke it to him that I was a witch. My uncle's been great to me this whole time. But I still wish…"

"I know," Harry put his arm around shoulder's shielding her from the cold as a few stray tears slid down her check. Hermoine felt comfortable in Harry's arms, protected, but she knew she had to go on with the story.

"So one night while I was in the library I overheard some people talking in an aisle. I hid by some books and heard them say they were going to go after my uncle. I ran up to the Owlery and owled my uncle but I didn't realize that I was heard eavesdropping. One of the men came up from behind me, he had an invisibility cloak and it fell off, but I couldn't see who it was because he was covered in a black robe. He threatened me and beat me. He told me to watch myself and never mention it to anyone or else. That's why I wouldn't talk to you.

The day I was late was the day after that happened. I woke up sometime during breakfast and I was so sore that I could barely get dressed, so when Malfoy hit me with that spell it hurt 10 times more then it normally would.

As for the looks Malfoy's been giving me. When Snape spilt us up as partner's, he mentioned how I was hurt so bad by a simple spell. He said that he was surprised it didn't hurt more because of the beating I took the night before. He told me to watch myself and constantly tried to remind me by giving me those looks."

"Wow Hermoine, I can't believe you never told me before. Well I can but I wish you didn't. I can't imagine you having to deal with all of this by yourself. But don't worry, from now on I'll be there for you. I'll make sure your safe and I'll protect you. Your one of my best friends and I love you, and wouldn't be able to stand it if anything happened to you."

"Thanks Harry. You're the best friend anybody could ever have."

"Speaking of being a best friend, why don't I go get us some more butterbeers," he said grabbing the empty mugs in one hand.

"Sounds like a plan."

"Ok, I'll be back in a minute. Don't go anywhere."

Harry made his way inside and Hermoine stood up to stretch her legs. She took a walk down to the end of the building, incase Harry came back she wouldn't be too far away. Two arms shot out behind her. One clamped around her mouth and the other held onto her arms. Hermoine kicked her legs trying to hit her captor as they pulled her deep into a dark alley. Hermoine could tell by the strength of this person that it was a man.

They stopped when they reached a garbage can at the end of the alley with an old shoe and other garbage sitting on top. Hermoine desperately tried to scream only to be denied the right by the hand covering her mouth. His other hand moved and clasped one of Hermoines'. She struggled to pry the hand off her mouth with her now one free hand. She hoped upon hope that Harry would come looking for her soon. He moved the handing holding hers towards the old shoe. Hermoine concluded it was a port key when she felt the familiar pull and became dizzy.

"Oh my gosh! Where is she? She's gone, this isn't good." Harry yelled to himself. "I'm such an idiot! I should have never left her alone, and now they have her. I'm so stupid! Argh!!! I have to get to Dumbledore; he'll know what to do. We have to save Hermoine." He couldn't believe it, how could he be so stupid, Harry thought as he ran in the direction of Hogwarts hoping he could find Dumbledore quick before anything bad happened to Hermoine. Something bad already happened. She was kidnapped. And it's my fault.

A/N: Thank you to everyone is reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Finally some really action, I think, lol. Thank you to BoomBoomBaby who reviewed last chapter. Sorry it wasn't updated as fast as I hoped, maybe next time will be faster.