A/N: I am on a writers block with the 14th chapter and i havent typed up to the thriteenth yet because of the virus, so it might be a couple days for chapter 10 after chapter 9. i will try my best to kkep up the quick updates though and as always, thanks to all who reviewed! some of you reviewed my last chapter but for some reason tammy didnt inform me and they were not on before i reposted so i am sorry to you! your shout outs, along with juanli's extra special one, are at the end of this chapter. now enough of me, enjoy! :)

Chapter 8: A Scapegoat

Ron reread the address, double checking it to make absolutely sure he was at the right place. He stood on Chestnut Avenue facing a small cottage surrounded by plants and shrubbery. It looked more like a place his mother would live; not a notorious dark wizard. The pink trim didn't help too much either.

He shook his head. He knew he shouldn't have trusted that psychotic contraption. Plywood was no better either. Ron turned and started down the street. He had barely taken three steps when he heard the gentle creak of a door being opened. He ducked behind the nearest bush.

Out of the door came a woman, probably very close to his own age. She had a petite figure and bushy brown hair. She looked very similar to Hermione. Wait a minute! Bushy brown hair! Of course, why would it have to be a man? Ron you chauvinistic git!

The woman, Ricky Hill it must be, looked out her door and scanned the street. Blast she must have seen me! "Who is out there? I'll call the police! Are you a coward? Do you have to hide because a girl walked out her door!" she yelled to the empty street.

Coward? thought Ron, Wait you...Ron stood up.

"Oh!" gasped the woman. She had obviously expected him to leave. Ron pulled out his wand and stalked toward her. Her eyes grew large at the sight of his wand. "No, please don't hurt me I haven't done anything! I am just a muggle!"

Ron stopped. Muggle? Was she really a muggle? No muggle could capture Hermione. After several Death Eaters and a joint attack on Voldemort, surely a single muggle would be no problem. Things just weren't adding up. She must be an accomplice, Ron thought, it was definitely her hair on the window, but there is no way she could have acted alone.

"Sorry," said Ron, "I didn't mean to scare you, this was only a precaution."

"Of course," nodded Ricky, still eyeballing his drawn wand. "So do you need something? I'm Ricky."

"Yes. I need to ask you a few questions. I'm Ron." he replied gruffly. "So you know a bout the wizarding world?"

"Yes I do. Come in, I'll put on some tea." she seemed reluctant with the offer.

Ron followed her into her house. It was a very bright place littered with plants and brightly colored ornaments. He took a seat on the sofa while she left to bring back two cups of tea. Ron ignored it for the moment to begin interrogating her.

"How do you know about the wizarding world?" he asked.

"My cousin is a witch. I wasn't supposed to know about it but at eleven, what girl could keep something like that from her best friend?" she chuckled but it was distant, and she still continued to gaze at the wand protruding from Ron's pocket periodically. Ron frowned. She talked as if she had memorized a script of some sort.

"Ok," said Ron. "Do you know Hermione Granger?"

"She is my cousin," she answered, "Do you know her?"

"Yes, well...I used to. I am trying to find out what happened to her. She was taken from her home about a week ago." Ron looked into her face, he expected she already knew this of course but wanted to see her reaction.

Ricky's face remained emotionless. She said nothing. "When was the last time you saw her?" continued Ron.

"Honestly...about a week and a half ago...you think it was me don't you? Why would I want to take my own cousin?" she asked desperately. She seemed afraid of him.

"I don't know," stated Ron. It had always seemed so simple before this. But one this was certain; she had done it, as an accomplice. That's why Hermione was captured so easily. But why? Why would she want to kidnap her cousin? Hatred grew in Ron. What kind of best friend would betray her own cousin? He looked at his cup of tea with distaste. It was probably poisoned. Part of Ron wanted to believe that Hermione couldn't be outwitted by her own cousin but he couldn't ignore the facts. "I have to go," he said.

Ron apparated to his own apartment; he would follow her tonight, and the next night; until he found Hermione.

"He was about to kill me!" screamed a woman, "I could tell; there was such anger in those blue eyes of his, he thought I did it! He would have KILLED me!"

"I'm sorry," answered a male voice. "I would not have put you in that position if I knew. I expected that he'd realize you were a muggle before visiting you, but I suppose he's taken a back route. I assume the only reason he didn't kill you was because you were a muggle?"

"Yes."

"Do you forgive me?"

"Of course, but if you ever think of trying to do this again please find a new scapegoat."

The man chuckled. "Who better to use than her own cousin?"

A/N: yes this is a mystery, cuz you wont find out who this man is til the very end! bwah ha ha! id love to hear any guesses though. i hope i didnt make it obvious because of...well...i can say no more on that subject! hehehe. here are the shout outs:

Tiffany-45: dont worry, i know it wasnt critisism, sorry if i sounded rude. it wasnt intentional. sometimes i forget that sarcasm is hard to convey without body language. from now on i will repeat to myself, "sarcasm is not for you. sarcasm is hard to see without body language. sarcasm is evil when typed!" and yes, i wrote that poem. i wanted to include an excerpt from what Hermione was reading and a couple lines of that came to me so i wanted to use them since they kind of go with the story. thanks for liking it!

Roxychikk: well i could tell you, but then id have to kill you. lol. ull have to keep reading to find out! thanks for your review!

Juanli: would you like fluff, arguments or what? i am curious to know what u expect to happen when they meet. anyway here is you extra special shout out. it is a poem.

Juanli you are a great reviewer
Juanli you make my heart go quiver
Juanli your are just so divine
juanli you review and your all mine
i love to read your beatiful phrases
especially when they are singing my praises!
juanli, thank you for reviewing
(oh i want to know just what your doing)

lol, hope you enjoyed that as much as i enjoyed writing it. it rhymes, and thats what counts, lol. i know poems dont have to rhyme but ones like this are fun that way dont you think? looking foreward to your next review!