Zayne Lily - Hopefully these last two were enjoyable, things do get better

CarrieWeasley - Thank you ever so much

sabrinakicks - I promise there is more

noname - I hope I didn't depress you any

Arwentheelf - I have another coming. I hope you will not be bored

LunaAqua - To your liking I hope. Computer is back on.

tabitoo - Here's more

AmyChris - Sorry had to torture those two one more time. My computer is now working faster than ever, I have such a sweet boyfriend

anime-rocks-246 - Why thank you

PyroAndrea - She was mad over how hurt Ron was. Ron was too happy to get her back before he thought to ask.

valentines-hater - Only Al Capone celebrated that holiday correctly.

Write X Out - Why thank you

Shweeny - Only a couple more left, sorry. But if you like weddings

Original Mercedes Benz - The ending is near I am afraid.

swthart - I hear you on that college

priestess-of-suzaku - my very most thanks

mufleta - Ron was upset what did you expect

Dreamer22 - Better keep your fingers crossed

Bhekie - I know, but they had to have a fight sooner or later

kendra is cheese - Just a couple left

Miss Mione - I told everone that I was not yet done with Juliet. I hope you don't want to kill Ron now.

Jenn - I tried putting this one out as quick as I could

Chapter 19 Truths and Punishments

Hermione could not believe what she was seeing. After a moment the girl had walked away. Hermione stormed towards Ron.

"What's going on?" She screeched.

Ron held a dumb expression on his face. "What are you talking about?"

"Who was that girl? Why was she hugging you? Do you know what I found in your trash can?" Hermione held out the picture for Ron to see.

Ron looked at the picture. He remembered how upset he was the day that he had thrown it away. He honestly thought she would not come back to him.

"I was upset," Ron could not think of another way to begin. "I thought you weren't coming back to me."

"Today, when you said 'what makes you think that I am not in a relationship right now', is that who you were thinking of? What were you trying to get together with her? How could you think of even marrying me then if you want her? Did she say no and then you settled for me?"

"Juliet is just a friend." Ron said. "She was one of the people investigating your disappearence."

"So you got close to her. Is that why you didn't come back to the library. Is that why Eric had to find Penny and Percy first, not his own father?"

Ron was lost for a moment on what she just said. He had gone to the library with Harry when they had been searching for her. She never did explain how she was found to him.

Harry and Ginny had made their way through the fuss and to the Magical Games and Sports Office.

The first thing they saw was Ron and Hermione.

Harry looked at the two of them. They were already fighting. They had just gotten together.

"This must be some kind of record for them." Ginny thought allowed.

"Let's divide them." Harry said. "Figure out what is going on. You take Ron and I'll take Hermione."

Ginny just looked at him with the expression of are you kidding me.

Without a word both of them put out there fists.

"One. Two. Three." They both said will shaking their fists.

Harry's hand remained in a fist. Ginny's had was flat. "Paper wraps rock."

Ginny walked over and grabbed Hermione by the shoulders. Harry did the same with Ron and pulled him away towards the men's loo.

"What is this about?" Harry asked seriously. "She just came back to us. How can you be fighting already?"

"She found her picture in the trash can and got mad." Ron answered. "I threw it in there the other day when I was mad. Then she saw me with Juliet."

"Alicia's sister?" Harry asked, remembering how friendly he had gotten with her when they were exploring the house.

Ginny had pulled Hermione back into the office. "Normally I would ask what my idiot brother did. But I think this time around I would have to ask what you did."

"He was hanging around another girl." Hermione answered. "He was hugging some girl."

"We weren't hugging. She just had her arm on mine." Ron retailated. "She was just being really friendly."

Hermione was sitting down in the chair with her arms wrapped around her shoulders. "When I went to his apartment he asked me why I thought we should have a relationship again. That he might already be with someone else. I honestly thought that he was lying. But there was something else there. I think she was it."

Ginny put a supporting arm on her shoulder.

"She came over to my apartment." Ron began. "The night Sara left. She stayed for a while, helped me finish off the last of that bottle of Fire Whiskey."

"Ron did you do something?" Harry asked seriously.

"We started kissing a little bit."

"I know Sara betrayed him, but she's dead now. I'm back." Hermione said. "I didn't think he would give up on me so quickly."

"Did something happen?" Harry calmly asked. "Ron if you want to marry Hermione. She has the right to know."

"Juliet was willing believe me. I hadn't been with anyone in a long time, you know that."

"What happened Ron." Harry demanded.

"I can't say that I was completly loyal when I was Sara. I went on dates with quite a few men." Hermione said. "But I didn't know Eric had a father who was waiting on us."

"I couldn't go through with it. I don't know why, but I kept thinking of Eric and what he meant to me. I also thought about my Hermione. I just couldn't do it." Ron answered. "I suppose I wanted to. She wouldn't have meant anything."

"You need to tell Hermione." Harry said. "Ginny and I will both be there. Everyone knows you two belong together. All be damned if I let you two break up over a mistake. You gave her the ring, didn't you?"

"You're right." Ron said. "Let's go get her then see about those two being charged."

"You're right, Ginny." Hermione said. "I'm so glad I have you for a best friend. I know I shouldn't have been worried about Juliet."

Ginny and Harry both steered Hermione and Ron towards each other. Within a foot of each other they both stopped. Ginny and Harry had both stepped back.

Hermione and Ron just stared for a moment at each other. Without a word they both grasped each other in a hug.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said.

"I'm sorry too," Ron said. "I was an idiot."

"So was I." Hermione said.

They both seperated and walked hand in hand towards the Magical Law Enforcement Wing.

"That is another record for them." Ginny said. "What did Ron tell you?"

"He remained loyal when hit with temptation." Harry answered.

They made their way down to the main Law Enforcement office. Molly and Arthur were there waiting on them. Molly had Eric in her arms. Remus was standing behind Arthur alongside of him was Tonks.

"They have both been charged with kidnapping and escaping from prison." Arthur said when Hermione and Ron had entered. "I will have them sent back to the higher security area of Azkaban. I don't think they will like what the Ministry has approved for that section."

"What did they put up there?" Harry asked.

"Nothing you should be concerned about. But we can thank Severes Snape for setting it up." Remus answered.

Harry did not want to know.

"Have you gotten them to confess who hired them for the job?" Hermione asked.

"No," Arthur answered raising his eyebrow. "They said that they acted on their own."

All attention was on Hermione.

"I heard them talking." Hermione said. "Draco Malfoy, he put out a contract on all three of us. Not to be killed, just missing."

"I'll strangle him with my bare hands." Ron said.

"What would he have to gain?" Harry asked. "Voldemort's gone."

"Harry's right, that is folly." Tonks said.

"He figured that if one of us was missing the Ministry would use all efforts to locate us. That would allow Draco to infiltrate the ministry again. Make it corrupt again. The same that it was when Fudge was in office." Hermione answered.

"That explains those unusual transactions." Harry said.

Arthur and Molly looked at him.

"I have been tracking Malfoy for about a year now. I came across this large move of money from his vault that had been directed towards the Ministry. When I tried tracing the money from this end it seemed to have disappeared. Now I think I know where it was going." Harry answered. "I have the files locked in my desk if you care to see them Minister."

"I would be interested in knowing how you tracked that." Remus said.

"Believe it or not you can meet a friendly goblin here and there." Harry answered.

"I do believe we have enough to arrest Draco Malfoy then." Tonks said. "Something I have been wanting to see done for a long time now."

"Agreed," Arthur said. "I'm writing up the warrant myself." He started writing on a piece of parchment. "Harry, Remus, I want you to do this together. If Malfoy was tricky enough to start building his former master's empire again there should be no chances taken. I am also authorizing a full seizure of his vaults and house."

"Then we can get to more important matters." Molly said. "I went ahead and got these done for you." She passed Ron and Hermione a parchment each. "Those are your marriage licences. All that is needed is your signature."

"Thank you, Molly." Hermione said unrolling her's to sign it.

Ron's ears were pink as he signed his afterwards.

"Don't rush them too much." Arthur said. "Ron here might want a last night of freedom."

"Don't need it." Ron answered. "Got everything I need. Right here." He said holding Hermione's hand. "And right here." Ron and taken Eric and was holding him up for everone to see."

That was when he remembered Hermione's strange comment to him about it being Eric that found Penny and Percy.

"Hermione, you never did say how you were found." Ron said sitting down with Eric.

"If you don't want to say anything you don't have to." Remus said.

"I actually wanted to wait until everyone was together, before I said anything. But I might as well."

She took a deep breath before starting. "When I was on the train towards my parent's house I found out I was pregnant. It was the last spell I had performed on my wand. I guess I was too excited, I had let down my guard. I got into a cab, I thought I recognized the driver. I didn't realize that it was Zabini. They had cast a sleeping charm on me. I didn't realize until too late. While I was out they had done a prior incantano spell on my wand. That was how they knew I was pregnant. After forcing me to drink a memory potion they cast a fidelus charm on me."

"A fidelus charm!" Harry said. He knew what that was all too well. "Then how could you have been found?"

"Eric was made the secret keeper." Hermione answered.

"That spell was made illegal." Arthur said. "When Durmstrung discovered it we had immediately abandoned it."

"That was how they discovered it. Contacts at that school." Hermione answered.

"What about Eric," Ron said. "You were saying how you just found out."

"I over heard what they were planning." Hermione answered. "I had gotten my wand back. I wasn't going to let them hurt our baby."

She took a breath before continuing. "Before they had a chance to cast the charm I cast one of my own. It was an older protective charm that allowed him to remember his family. He was the one that found Penny and Percy. He was always looking for his family."

There was a long silence after that. Everyone was absorbing what Hermione had just told them. Ron just held his son looking at him. Not knowing what to say. How he was going to be able to thank his son when he was older. He did not even know how he was going to explain this all to him.

"That will increase the charges against them." Arthur finally broke the silence. "I think there is no need to have either of you go through a trial. I will push for immedate punishment."

"I say we arrest Malfoy now." Tonks said. "Before he gets word of what happened."

"Yes, here is the order." Arthur said. "I think we should leave these three alone."

Everyone left the office except Hermione and Ron, who was still holding Eric.

Outside in the hall Harry put a spell on the door so no one would disturb them.

Harry then hugged Ginny and let her know that he loved her.

Remus, Tonks, and Harry then disapparted together with the arrest order.