A/n: Again, I want to express my deepest gratitude to MysticSam for helping me in this endeavor. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Chapter 5: Diagon Alley Disaster

Before Hermione could even utter a word, one of the assailants immediately cast a stunning spell. She was like dear frozen in headlights as she watched the oncoming red jet of light speed toward her. Bast, however, was having none of that.

Just as the as the spell would hit it's target, the large feline used his massive bulk to push her out of the way and conveniently into the open door way of Flourish and Blotts... She was back on her feet in an instant and ran to help him, but she found that something was blocking the exit.

It would seem as though our young Mr. Potter was capable of more than he's given credit, for that protection barrier he cast was an extension of the wandless magic induced by a combination of his incredible skill and instinctual need to protect she whom he considered his own. It was a clever spell, really. Unfortunately, it was about all the magic he was capable of while holding down this form.

Bellatrix Lestrange, having been the smarter of this particular group, realized that in order to get to the 'Mudblood', they would obviously have to kill the cat first… and it seemed it had the same idea, for she suddenly heard a scream and the sickly sounds of snapping of bones...

Dolohov was quickly being undone, right before her eyes, and she had been too slow to notice the predator's quick action to take them out one by one. And he started with the arrogant fool who had almost killed that Granger girl in the first place.

Her eyes, despite the ringing in the back of her mind that she should perhaps act, were riveted to the scene of her cohort's wrist being snapped like a mere toothpick, his wand taken through the same process. The now-too-pale Death Eater fell hard to his knees, staring in horror-filled awe and his mutilated wrist.

It was indeed as the female Death Eater had predicted, Bast was picking them off one by one, but purposely avoiding Bellatrix, who had begun to shoot numerous hexes at. He dodged them all effortlessly, unknowingly as his eyes were only for Lucious at that moment.

Malfoy tried his damndest to throw every spell he could imagine at the creature but, either he dodged them or he simply let it hit him and determinedly kept coming despite the force behind each spell. He turned tail and ran but the back of his calf was caught betwixt massive jaws, and with swift jerk of the beast's head, said leg snapped all the way up to the knee, causing the most horrendous scream from this unlikely victim. Unable to deal with this pain of the extreme, Lucious Malfoy fell faint to the hard, cobble-stone street, his wand now well out of reach.

For the first time since she was a child, there was fear in the eyes of Bellatrix Lestrange as she stared at the beast who now stared back at her with cold, malicious eyes. Those eyes, so green and familiar, held no remorse, no mercy in them for her. And more than anything, they seemed to say…'run.'

And run she did...

Unfortunately, in the blindness of her fear, she ran into a dark alley, a dead-end it would seem.. And she stood there, cornered, her back against the stone-cold wall of a building as the creature watched her from the end of the alley.

Hermione's mind was reeling with every possible negative, frenzied thought ever affiliated with violence. She kicked that accursed barrier again for keeping her in what was now her least favorite place in the world, instead of out there helping Bast. She couldn't believe he'd practically pushed her in here! It was as if he were trying to protect her, to take on all the danger himself just so she wouldn't get hurt. At that moment, she should have put two and two together but she was too busy trying to figure out how to get out of her temporary prison.

Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she rushed through the thick crowds of people inside, shamelessly watching the battle outside until the only two opponents had left their sight. Hermione dashed to the back exit, and thanked God a thousand time over when the door opened and she was allowed outside. Immediately, she ran from the alley and into the courtyard, trying to get her bearings straight as to where they'd gone to. But this was no time to think, to analyze the situation as she would normally, so she just ran for the alley nearest her. Luckily, she found the correct one, for she was halted by the scene of Lestrange, cruel and merciless murderer of her own cousin, cornered and scared out of her mindl Her eyes were intent on the predator who slowly stalked closer. He watched her with eyes full of hate and malice, two things that should never be in the eyes of any real, true, normal animal.

How… how was this happening... what could cause her beloved, sweet Bast to be so intent on Bellatrix of all people. He was just an animal, supposedly, just a creature no one even knew the existence of until little more than a month ago. So why now did he hold such pure loathing in his eyes as he approached his prey, as if it were some deep-seated emotion that had been trapped in his well-being for what seemed too long?

'Oh.. My.. God,' Hermione thought, her mind struck ruthlessly with the force of her sudden insight... she had to stop this...

"Harry don't!" she shouted, and the animal immediately stiffened, stopping where he had been in the process of a pounce. "Harry, it's not worth it, please! I know she killed Sirius, and I know she caused you great pain, but returning that favor will only make you just like her."

Harry had never taken his eyes off his enemy for a moment. He was practically feeding off the fear she exuded. He could even smell it, it was so tangible, and it was making his instincts flair wildly. Yet, he was immediately brought back down to earth by the voice of his female-best friend. She caused a great conflict in him, one that made him hesitate from the termination of his prey.

Her wanted that bitch gone, for good. He wanted her to suffer like he had only months ago but... Hermione would never, ever look at him the same if he did.

With great hesitance did he relent, perhaps too quickly he thought, but it was just in time as there were several loud popping sounds all around the alley and the courtyard. No Death Eaters abound, but the Order members had just arrived, and he watched as Bellatrix was hit with a body-binding spell, and stripped of her wand, which was snapped in half.

With the appearance of the Order, the seriousness of the situation and what had just happened seemed to sink into Hermione's brain. She put a hand to her head, feeling suddenly very faint. Arthur Weasley saw her stumble and managed to catch her just as the young witch blacked out.

When she came to, she found herself in a room at the Leaky Cauldron, tucked safely into bed. Bast-Harry-was curled up at her side, sound asleep.

Questions boiled around in her head, and she opened her mouth, intending on demanding some answers to said inquiries, but one look at the exhausted creature next to her had her softening. Reaching out slowly, she gently brushed her hand over his head as she had done so many times, watching as those green eyes fluttered and opened.

"Well, Mr. Potter," she smiled wanly. "It's been quite a summer, and you have some serious explaining to do."

His eyes, which had been half dazed with sleep, immediately shot open and had gone amusedly wide..

"You are quite busted Harry James Potter. So I suggest you revert back to that form we all know and love, and take your medicine like man."

Having no doubt that she meant that last order, he reluctantly shimmered and blurred, until he was back to his normal form. []A/n: sorry about the lack of description here, but I wasn't sure what to do.[]

"Er...hi Hermione." He smiled weakly.

"Hi Hermione?" She repeated. "You've been right under my nose all summer, and all you have to say is 'Hi Hermione'?"

He wilted slightly under her glare, not picking up on the fact that she was getting quite the kick out of watching him squirm "Look, 'Mione, I would've told you if I could--"

"I cannot believe that the entire time, you were with me. I knew something as amiss, that something just didn't feel right about the situation. I knew that no animal, magical or otherwise could be that intelligent, or could know my tendencies so well," She breathed, as all the pieces began to fall into place… And she was suddenly aghast with her deducing abilities, having not figured this out sooner.

"I know, Mione, and I'm sorry. Like I said, I would have told you if I could, but... your life depended on my secrecy," he told her, looking at her beseechingly, almost pleading with her to believe him.

Hermione suddenly became rather angry. Poor Harry was in for quite a moodswing. And she was bloody well entitled to it, what with the day she'd had. But as always, he managed to get under her skin and the anger melted away. Almost. "Oh, and you felt it necessary to put your life in danger to protect mine?"

"And is there something wrong with that, Hermione? Is there something wrong with my not being able to stand the fact that someone was plotting your death, and I could actually do something about it?" Harry counted, his voice rising as he rose form his seated position on the bed.

As soon as he was standing, she became distracted by just how much Harry had grown since she'd last seen him; that is, in human form. Hermione, as she was trying to hold her anger, knew she really shouldn't be thinking… untoward things in the middle of an argument, but she couldn't help noticing. It looked as though he'd shot up to a fair height of about 6'2, dwarfing her even more than before; not that she minded. The rest of him wasn't looking to shabby either.

His face was no longer child-like and rounded, but became sharp, angular, and his strong jaw was covered with a light shade of stubble. His hair had grown considerably, locks curling at the ends in the back. The bangs, though, were still the same if not a bit longer, almost covering his eyes completely. And speaking of his eyes, she noted they were not obscured by glasses as they typically were. Her own eyes traveled lower in their examination, noting how much broader his shoulders and chest were. His arms and abdomen were no exceptions, both cut and broad, yet there was no beefiness about him.

Too sum it up, Harry Potter had become a one hundred percent heart-throb.

Shaking her head to rid herself of those thoughts, she sighed in mild frustration and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"No, there's nothing wrong with that. But you know I worry about you, Harry. I don't like the idea of you being in danger, possibly getting severely injured or worse because of me. And I especially don't like you keeping those kinds of secrets from me!"

In his frustration, Harry ran a hand through his ever-messy black hair, pacing as he did so.

"Hermione, you're my best friend, right?"

"Yes," she answered cautiously, wondering what new tack he was going to take.

"And you remember how... aggravated I got when everyone was trying to keep me out of things 'for my own good', right?"

"Of course I do," she answered, flooded with memories of how angry and hurt he had been during their fifth year. She remembered him mentioning something about Dumbledore and the rest of the Order keeping things from him that could have very well eliminated all the trouble they went through.

He turned toward her, eyes flashing with slight irritation. "Then how can you be mad at me for taking the opportunity to be useful, and protect someone I care about so deeply?" He exploded. "Merlin, Hermione, yes, I knew what I was doing, but I couldn't just sit back and watch while you were potentially in danger!"

Hermione sighed and stood from the bed, walking directly up to her obviously upset companion. "Listen, Harry, I understand your frustration, and I'm not so blind so as not to see that you really needed this. And I can't say that I'm not extremely flattered that you would go through so much trouble for me. But what you need to understand is that I couldn't stop worrying about you even if I wanted to. And you have to admit, finding out that your closest friend has been right under your nose the entire summer is a little unnerving."

Despite himself, Harry chuckled softly. "Yeah, truth be told, I thought you would chew me up and spit me out for this one."

"Honestly, Harry, I'm not that bad! Besides, now that I'm passed the initial shock of this thing, I'm actually quite proud of you," she said as a small smile graced her lips. She smothered the urge to giggle when she noticed her statement had brought this extremely amusing expression of bafflement to his face.

"Harry, after five years of mostly obeying the rules and constraints Dumbledore has placed on you, you finally took matters into your own hands and did something about it!

I do wish that you had warned me about it, but I'm still very proud of you!"

The expression of befuddlement left the youth's face, and was replaced with something completely different, and yet unreadable. Hermione couldn't quite tell what he was feeling, but she definitely got the clue when she was suddenly enveloped in a very strong, very warm embrace. He wrapped his arms tightly around her mid-section and held her even closer when he felt her bring her arms up around his broad shoulders.

"Thanks, Mione," he told her softly, though his response was muffled, his face buried in her chestnut curls.

After a moment, she pulled away. "Now that we've gotten that out of the way..." she fixed him with a mock-stern gaze. "You and I need to clear up a couple of things, Bast."

Harry gulped. "Ummm..."

To his surprise, she burst into helpless fits of laughter. "Oh, the look on Ron's face when you growled at him! And Draco! Merlin, I wish I had a camera!"
He relaxed slightly, only to jump in surprise when she poked one sharp finger in his abdomen. "You little sneak! I just realized something--you--all summer--following me around--while I was undressing--Ooooh!"

Struggling to keep a straight face, Harry backed away slowly, his hands held up in self-defense. "Now, on! I'm a sixteen year old male, and I got to spend the entire summer with my gorgeous female best friend! How could I not--" he stopped short at the expression on her face. "Hermione?"

She bit her lip, something she did when she was hesitant, an action he found to be extremely cute and endearing. "You think I'm pretty?"

He blinked. He had been so caught up in his teasing that he hadn't noticed his confession. "Of course I do," he answered matter-of-factly, as if it should be the most obvious thing in the world. "Your my best friend. Why wouldn't I?"

"Oh, I see," and just like that, he could tell her mood suddenly dropped a couple of notches.



He frowned, as he regarded her warily, not liking the change in her scent at all. Neither did he like the fact that she'd turned away from him, her arms crossed her arms over her chest as she was clearly giving him the cold shoulder.

"Hermione?" he repeated softly, touching her on the shoulder. "Why..."

"It's okay Harry, I understand completely," she said, her voice did not waver, and if he didn't have extra-sensory abilities, Harry would never know true feelings.

He watched in bemusement as she walked slowly to the door, shrugging off his touch. "I'm going for a walk," she said in a hollow voice. "I won't be gone long."

What had just happened? Harry wondered. One minute everything had been wonderful, and now…

You're thick, Potter, do you know that? She thinks you think of her as JUST your best friend, and it's quite clear that she doesn't want that. This is the sign you've been waiting for, man! She has no idea that you like her as anything more, and she won't know until you get up off your sorry arse and go after her!

He gave no more time to this urgent pondering and hurried out the door, catching her at the top of the stairs. "Hermione, wait," he said, grabbing her by the elbow. "You know you're one of the most important people in my life, right?"

She nodded dully. "I'm your best friend. I know. Let it go, Harry."

He ignored her. "Through everything, you've been the one person I've been able to consistently count on. I don't know what I would do without you in my life," he finished softly.

She bit her lip at the truth in his eyes. "You... keep me balanced. You're my other half, Mione. That's something I could never find in Ron."

Not for the first time that day, Hermione sighed, and turned to fully face her companion. "You know, I really should have learned my lesson on the last failed relationship with one of my best friends. I should have completely cast aside any awkward thoughts I may have had for you or Ron. But oddly enough, Potter, I'm completely drawn to you, much like a moth to a flame," she admitted, placing a gentle hand to his fuzzy cheek. "All this time, I've been agonizing over my relationship with Ron, and feeling guilty over the fact that I never really wanted him. I thought I did, but my relationship with him was just a filler to replace what I truly wanted, but didn't realize until not a few hours ago. I wanted, and I still want you, Harry."

Harry was silent for what seemed like an eternity, penetrating her very soul with the depth of his gaze. "You have no idea how much I want you. The extent to which I need you is frightening, but it's exciting all at once. You do things to me that I'm almost not willing to admit, without even putting the effort forth." As he spoke, he got as close to her as he dared, backing her against the stair railing. "My instincts, especially now with the addition of my animagus senses, are in overload, and I'm not sure what to do about that. All I know is, it's all for you," he told her even as he settled his big, warm hands on her hips.

Hermione knew she should have been shocked, taken aback, something to relay her girlish innocence, and perhaps ignorance of these kinds of situations. But she wasn't. Instead, the entire time he spoke, she could feel that ever-present tension between them kick up a few notches. And now as she felt his hands rest almost possessively on her hips and the warmth of his body so close to hers, she knew her resolve had all but melted into a sputtering pile of goo. Hermione made a decision just then as he
opened his mouth to speak once more. Before he could utter a sound, her lips were pressed against his, effectively cutting the continuation of his admission.

Harry wasn't the least bit disappointed with this arrangement, and had shamelessly moaned against her mouth upon instant contact. He wrapped his arms around her fully once again and pulled her as close as possible, flush against his form as he deepened the kiss with all his repressed passion and longing. All the while, neither of them were aware of their audience.

Standing in the middle of the stairs, Arthur Weasely watched the young couple amusedly. They were quite the sight, those two, pity he would have to kill the moment.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat loudly, expecting the two to fly apart as if they were guilty as sin. Instead, they slowly pulled back from the other's lips as if savoring the moment, though Harry did not for a minute relinquish his hold on his new found love. Not that he blamed him.

"I hate to break up your moment, kids, but we really should talk about what happened today," he told them with a gentle smile.

He was really going to have to keep Molly away from those two for a while, lest she decide to give them 'the talk.'

TBC