One week earlier…

Harry was throwing clothes at random into a duffel bag. He wasn't paying any attention to what he was doing really; his mind was in only one place.

"You're going to go find her aren't you?"

He stopped and turned to find Ginny standing in the door of his room.

"Yes." He replied. He didn't want to stop; he didn't want to take time out for anything. He had to find Hermione and his son. But he could see the lost expression in her features even when no one else could. With a Herculean effort he put down his fist full of socks and walked over to her.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." He said. He reached for her hands but she pushed away from the door and walked passed him into the room. "It was for Jamie's protection. Hermione knew that one day---this day, I suppose--would come."

She walked over to his suitcase and fingered some of his clothes.

"You can't go," she said, and Harry felt his heart lurch in his chest. Please tell me she's not going to make me choose. But Ginny continued. "Dumbledore just received word that Malfoy has been spotted in South America."

Harry cursed under his breath. He had to protect his son and his best friend. But he knew that Malfoy was behind the entire plot. It reeked of him. If he could capture him then Hermione and Jamie would be out of danger.

Ginny could apparently see the inner struggle Harry was having.

"Dumbledore said that he'll send someone to look after Hermione if you want to go after Malfoy. They'll be safe, Harry."

Harry wanted to protect his family but he knew that he could track Malfoy better then anyone else. He's the only one that ever even got close. But he'd never seen Jamie except for the rare photographs that Hermione would send. The last of which he missed because Ron had found the owl before he had and before Harry could stop him it had scratched Ron, gotten a negative blood match, and flew out the window. Harry didn't speak to Ron for a week after that and Ron never did understand why.

Harry wanted to see his son more then anything.

Bu the wanted to protect him more.

He reached into his suitcase and handed Ginny a glass ball.

"A Remembrall?"

"Hermione gave it to me. It's actually a locator, disguised as a Remembrall. It'll find her wherever she is. She told me to only use it in an emergency. Give it to Dumbledore, he'll be able to find her with this."

"We'll both drop it off before we leave."

"No---"

"That bastard tried to kill me Harry, I'm going with you." She crossed her arms and lifted her chin and he knew there was no point in arguing with her. She saw his defeated expression and she dropped her arms to her side. "And when this is all over I'd like to meet your son."

Harry smiled sadly.

"So would I."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Harry stood in the hospital room and it took everything in him not to scream. It wasn't so much the blood on the shattered window or the chaotic state that the room had been left in. It was more the fact that it was empty. Completely devoid of everyone he loved—Ginny, Ron, Hermione. And with them the only key he had to his son.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Hermione hadn't seen many horror movies but she was pretty sure that she woke up in the middle of one. When she opened her eyes she found herself in a room completely constructed of concrete. No one can hear you scream. Her arms were tethered to the wall above her head and Ron, still unconscious, was strung up next to her. Across from her she saw Amanda. Obviously Malfoy didn't think of her as much of a threat because she was lying unconscious on a dilapidated couch, not bound at all.

Hermione scanned the room frantically for a way out, even as she tugged at her arms to try and free them. But her bonds held firm and a few seconds later the single door in the room opened. She suppressed a shuttered when she saw Malfoy walk in with a smug grin on his face.

"Well, good to see you're awake Mudblood. You and I have lots to talk about."

Hermione desperately tugged at the bonds around her wrists as Malfoy walked closer but they didn't give at all. Malfoy came up to her and grabbed her chin in an iron grip.

"Why don't we start with: where is your little bastard?"

Hermione didn't hesitate to spit in his face. He didn't hesitate to slap her.

"Oh good, I was hoping you would make this difficult Granger. It'll be much more fun this way." He said, wiping his face.

"You may as well kill me now," Hermione warned. "Because I won't tell you where he is, Malfoy. I will never tell you where he is."

Malfoy looked straight into her eyes.

"I believe you Granger," he said. Then he walked over to Ron. "But I'm willing to wager your boyfriend just might."

Malfoy prodded Ron with his wand and muttered a curse. It seemed to send a current through Ron, who's body shook before his eyes opened and he let out a choked scream.

"He doesn't know where Jamie is!" Hermione cried and for the first second or two, believed it. Then she remembered the conversation that she and Ron had about going to retrieve Jamie.

He'd looked down at the map. The address wasn't there but the town was. And she had no doubt that Malfoy would simply take out the entire town just to get to Jamie. And killing off a town of muggles would probably just make him that much happier.

"Really?" Malfoy said and she could tell that he didn't believe it for a minute. "Well then how unfortunate for the both of you."

Ron was gasping for air and his eyes were already swimming in pain.

"So tell me Weasley, what must it be like to find out that your girlfriend, such as she is, went off and shagged your best friend?" Malfoy prodded him again with the wand and Ron cried out in pain. "The others, they wanted to go after your sister but I knew better. I knew that if Potter even gave her a proper look she'd be all over him."

"Shut up Malfoy!" Hermione screamed.

"I had no idea where your little Mudblood was hiding though. That's why we let you find the prophecy." Malfoy started pacing in front of Ron, looking like a predator waiting for the right moment to sink his teeth into him. "I knew you'd go after your little know-it-all girlfriend. I knew you'd demand answers. And you did." He leaned forward to look Ron in the eyes. "You led me right to her."

Ron shook his head, his eyes wide in disbelief.

"No…" he whispered.

"So when do you think it started?" Malfoy continued. "Do you think they were doing it back at school? Can't you just picture it? The Gryffindor common room? Maybe she would sneak up to your dormitory and they would get all tangled up in the bed right next to yours. There were so many dark corners at Hogwarts they could have done it a hundred times…"

"You filthy, evil, pathetic coward!" Hermione howled.

Malfoy turned on her.

"Hit a nerve did I? Tell me, Granger, which one was better?"

Hermione kicked one of her feet out and caught Malfoy squarely in the stomach. He stumbled back and hit the ground hard. When he scrambled to his feet he had a murderous look in his eye. He pulled out his wand and pointed it at her.

"And I thought you were the smart one," he said. He then turned on Ron and shouted a curse. Ron threw his head back and started to scream.

"Stop!" Hermione screamed.

"Why? Are you going to tell me where your son is?"

Hermione felt her stomach flip in her stomach. How could she choose between her son and between Ron?

"No," she whispered.

"Then shut up!" He shouted and he pointed his wand at Hermione and if felt like someone slapped her. After that she couldn't open her mouth. Satisfied, Malfoy turned and cursed Ron again.

Hermione closed her eyes but there was no way to close out the screams.

Ron stopped screaming and she heard Malfoy again.

"How must it feel, Weasley? I really want to know. Your beloved Hermione and your mate Potter. Do you think they were laughing at you the whole time? Going over how stupid you were to not even notice when everyone else knew. And now they've spawned a brat. Can't imagine what that must be like. I hear he looks just like Potter. How can you stand to look at him?"

Hermione, eyes still squeezed shut, shook her head.

Ron, please, no. Please, no, please, no, please….

"Do you think he'll take after his dad?" Malfoy said. "Pompous, arrogant, takes whatever he wants, whomever he wants? Will he have everything he could possible want and still want more? Will he want what he shouldn't have? What belongs to someone else? Will he stomp over his best friends just to get it?"

Please, no. Please, no, please, no, please no.

"You must really hate that little bastard."

Ron lifted his head.

"Yeah," he whispered and Hermione's eyes popped open. NO!

Malfoy leaned in to Ron.

"Then tell me where he is."

"Who?"

"Jamie," Malfoy said, perplexed.

"Oh, I thought you were talking about yourself," Ron said, and he burst into a demented laugh. "Because Jamie, I love. He's the son of my two best friends and when he grows up he's going to obliterate you and all your pals."

Malfoy looked like his head was going to explode. His face turned bright red and a vein in his temple started to throb. He pointed his wand at Ron and he instantly started screaming again. Hermione couldn't speak but she wanted to will her words to Malfoy.

If you kill him you'll never find out where Jamie is…

After a moment Malfoy stopped, as if he could hear Hermione's pleas. With a grunt, he turned and stormed out of the room. Hermione went limp with relief. Even if it bought them a few minutes it was a few minutes that maybe Harry would find them in. She looked over at Ron. He was hanging limp, sweat dripping from his face. He turned his head slowly toward her.

"I love you," he whispered and she nodded, still unable to speak. "I'll never tell him. I promise."

She nodded again and felt tears streaming down her cheeks.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Harry was paralyzed. He didn't even know where to start. They were all gone and he had no idea where to start looking for them. He'd tracked Malfoy to this city. He knew he was nearby and instead of guarding Hermione he'd let his lingering anger with Ron explode. He'd blown up a building. Why hadn't he just posted a sign that said wizards on the premises?

"No," he whispered. He started tearing up the room. Throwing things left and right. He had no idea what he was looking for but there had to be something.

"Harry."

He turned. Ginny had apparated behind him.

"Ginny." He threw his arms around her. "What happened? Where is everyone?"

"Malfoy showed up with Hermione's friend. I came back into the room just as he used a portkey to vanish them all."

"I thought he'd taken you too. Where have you been?" Harry asked.

Ginny put her hand out. "I've been looking for this."

It was the Remembrall resting in her palm.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

Since Hermione couldn't speak Ron was doing all of the talking. Her heart ached for him because he was doing his best to reassure her when they both knew it was he who was in the most danger. Malfoy knew that Hermione knew where Jamie was and so he couldn't kill her. But if Ron wasn't going to prove to be the weak link he'd hoped for then he was of no use at all.

"Harry will get here. He's a bloody hero. He's just waiting for a dramatic entrance. Glory hog. Did I tell you the time he saved me from this nasty troll with a fierce disposition?"

Hermione shook her head.

"Well, see there was this troll who thought I had a thing for his daughter…."

"And you would have made a perfect match."

They looked up and Harry came strolling into the room, much like a hero.

"Bloody hell!" Ron cried. "What took you so long?"

"Waiting for a dramatic entrance," he muttered as he walked over to Hermione. He pointed his wand at her and the curse keeping her mouth shut vanished and she opened her mouth and gasped for air. He pointed his wand at her bonds next and they slithered away from her wrists.

"Harry!" she cried and threw her arms around him. He immediately stiffened in her embrace.

"We need to hurry," he said. She pulled away from him and nodded.

"Where's my wand?"

"I don't know," he said, he pointed at Ron's bonds and Ron's hands were free. He started shaking them to get circulation back.

"Where's Malfoy?"

"He left. Probably to go get reinforcements. We should go directly to Jamie, now. We need to get him safe. We'll deal with Malfoy after that."

Hermione nodded, which surprised Ron. She had been so insistent on not being followed before.

"He's still with my aunt," Hermione said.

Harry nodded.

"Good. Let's go."

Ron was just about to ask what they should do about the still unconscious Amanda when Hermione cut him off.

"Harry?'

Harry turned and looked at her. She walked up to him, and to Ron's utter horror, she put her hand on the side of his face in a loving gesture.

"When this is over we're going to work all this out aren't we?"

Harry looked puzzled.

"You and I?" Hermione prompted, and Ron felt his stomach bottom out to about his ankles.

Harry smiled and put his hand on her face.

"Yeah," he said. "You, me and Jamie."

Hermione smiled at him and leaned up and kissed him.

Ron thought he'd been tortured before but that pain had been nothing. Then Hermione jumped back away from Harry and she had his wand in her hand. She pointed it at Harry with one hand while she wiped her mouth with the back of her other hand.

"Hermione, what the hell—" Ron cried, feeling sure his head was going to fall off his shoulders at this point.

"It's not Harry, Ron. It's Malfoy."