Thank you to my beta! you are awesome!!! Thank you for all the reviews! I love them all so much!! There are so many people that are just now starting to read the fic, and are giving me reviews. I love it!! Thank you!!!
Percy stopped in front of the three couples and glared at all of them.
'Look at my idiot siblings! I can't believe I'm related to them!' he thought, glancing at his sister who was now grasping Dudley's hand tightly. 'My sister always had a soft spot for muggles, just like our dear old dad,' he thought, looking at Ginny with a smirk playing across his lips.
"Malfoy you slimy ferret what do you want?" Ron said harshly.
"Easy Weasley, I didn't come here to talk to you," Percy said trying his best to sound like Draco.
"Then why are you here? I don't recall any of us wanting you around," Harry added tightening his grip on Hermione. Harry didn't like the way Draco was eyeing Hermione.
"What does he want?! "Ron said mentally to Harry and Hermione. "Look at the way he is eyeing you Hermione."
"Please don't remind me!" Hermione added scooting closer to Harry, who wrapped his arm around Hermione's waist.
"Don't let him leave yet, we need to figure out who he is, he said holding on tightly to Hermione. Who ever it is, is probably using polyjuice. They won't be able to stay here that long, lets make him stay around so we can find out."
"How?" Ron asked
"I don't know, let's just see where this leads to," Hermione added.
"I came here to ask Granger to dance," he said giving her a eerie smile. "To make up for all the times I've been horrible to you, I say its about time we put our past behind us and start over."
"No bloody way!" Harry and Ron said.
"When did you two become Hermione?" Pansy asked eyeing the two boys.Hermione glanced up at Harry.
"We need him to stay here longer, let me dance with him. He can't do anything to me with all these people around."
"No way!" Harry answered back. "I am not letting you out of my sight."
"Then don't," Ron added. "I don't want Hermione to dance with him either, but she will be able to keep him around. Let her dance with him. I will dance with Luna and Harry you take Ginny. We will all stay right around them."
"I still don't like it." Harry said
"I don't like it either, buts it's all we have." Hermione added resting her head on his shoulder.
"We will have Dudley warn Lupin what is going on, though. He can keep a look out as well." Ron added. "Its all we can do for now Harry. We won't let him hurt her."
Harry let out a sigh, he knew he was defeated. He hated putting Hermione in danger, but it was there only choice. "Fine." he said
"Malfoy, I will dance with you." Hermione said feeling extremely nervous.
Draco smirked at Harry and leaned over towards Pansy.
"Get everyone ready. Make sure Potter and Weasley stay out of my way," he said in a low voice and turned his attention back Hermione and the others.
Draco offered his hand to Hermione. She nervously looked at Ron then Harry. She leaned over and gave Harry a quick kiss on the check.
"Don't be too far away," she whispered.
"You have your wand?" Harry asked.
Hermione's eye went wide. "I forgot it upstairs!"
Harry reached into his robes and pulled out his wand. "Here, take mine."
"Harry you need it!"
"No, I don't," Harry said as he shrunk it and stuck it gently in her pile of curls on top of her head. "Remember what I've been doing with Dumbledore? I think its about time I practiced using wandless magic." he said
Hermione glanced up and 'Draco' and took the hand he was offering her. While Ron and Luna instantly followed Hermione and Draco on the dance floor, and Harry moved over towards Ginny and Dudley.
"Ginny, we are going to out there with them. Dudley, can you go find Lupin and tell him what is going on? If you can't find him tell any of the Weasley's. Ron, Luna, Ginny and I will on the dance floor keeping an eye on them," Harry said glancing at the dance floor just in time to see Draco pull Hermione close to his body. "Hurry Dudley!" he said and grabbed Ginny and pulled her on the floor.
Dudley ran around the Great Hall searching frantically for Lupin. He found him standing in the corner talking to Snape.
"Mr. Lupin," Dudley said breathlessly. "Someone has taken Malfoy." he said panting for air.
"What?" Lupin and Snape both asked.
"He is right there with Hermione" Lupin said looking at the two, shocked to see Hermione dancing with the blond Slytherin.
"No," Dudley said. "It's not him. I don't know how they know, but they do. Harry, Ron Luna, and Ginny are keeping an eye on them, but something not right with him. I think it may be a spy for... oh what is that guys name? You know, the one who killed Harry's parents," he said
"Is Harry sure?" Snape asked looking at Malfoy and Hermione.
"Yes!" Dudley said sounding very frantic. "What should we do?"
Lupin looked around and saw Mrs. Granger walking towards them. "I am going to join them on the floor and keep an eye out. Dudley why don't you go with Severus and inform Dumbledore what is happening," he said and walked over to Mrs. Granger.
"Elizabeth would you care to dance with me?" Lupin asked trying to not to sound nervous or anxious.
Mrs. Granger smiled. "I would like that." she said and Lupin pulled her on the floor. The two moved around the floor trying to get closer to Malfoy and Hermione.
"Remus what on earth are you doing?" she said as she was smacked into a student.
"Sorry Elizabeth. I am afraid there is a spy amongst us tonight. Your daughter has decide to dance with him, I need to get closer to them,"
"Hermione!" Mrs. Granger cried.
"Don't worry--Ron and Harry are watching out for her," he said and pulled her close to him. "They won't let anything happen to her, and neither will I," he said as they finally got close to them.
Dudley and Snape quickly walked over to Dumbledore and informed him what was going on.
"I was afraid of this," Dumbledore said. "Dudley, I think it would be wise for you to leave the ball for now. I want you to go straight to your room. Do not stop for any reason."
Dudley nodded his head and quickly left the Great Hall.
"Severus, I want you to round up the teachers and begin evacuating students. Take the youngest ones first."
"Yes sir," Snape said as he began alerting the teachers.
Dumbledore quickly left the Great Hall in search of Mr. Filch, it was time to lock down the school. No one would be getting in and no one would be getting out.
"Lupin!" Harry said dancing next to him. "Its not Malfoy."
"How do you know?" Mrs. Granger asked making eye contact with Hermione.
"Just trust us, we know." Harry said glancing at Hermione, who know had a horrified expression on her face.
"Are you okay Love?" Harry mentally asked her.
"I don't know. I think who ever this is, is going to try to take me away. Harry I'm scared!"
"It's alright, I won't let him do anything." he said
"Neither will I," Ron added.
"What are we going to do? I don't want to do this anymore. Harry get me out of here, please!"
"Hold on love," Harry said as he moved himself and Ginny closer to Lupin
"We've got to get her out of there," Harry demanded. "She scared and thinks who ever it is going to take her. I am not going to risk it."
"Oh no!" Mrs. Granger said.
"Its okay mum. He is not going to take her." Harry said, trying to convince Mrs. Granger as much as he was trying to convince himself. A scream came from near him and his attention was suddenly on Hermione.
"HARRY!" she yelled as Draco picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.
"HERMIONE!" he yelled. "STOP HIM!" he yelled and she ran through the crowd.
"STOP HIM!" Ron yelled as he ran though the crowd as well.
"Where do you think you are going Weasley?" Crabbe and Goyle said appearing in front of him.
"Get out of my way!" Ron yelled pointing his wand at them and yelled 'Stupefy' hitting Crabbe who instantly fell to the ground. Ron raised his wand again and yelled 'Stupefy' once again and caught Goyle off guard, who promptly fell on top of Crabbe.
Ron instantly took off again. He looked around the Great Hall to see students fighting each other. Good side against the Dark side. He saw teachers ushering first and second years out of the way. He quickly scanned the room and saw Hermione kicking and punching Malfoy while he tried to maneuver around the fighting.
"HERMIONE!" Ron yelled and began running faster. He saw Harry out of the corner of his eye trying to get by a very angry Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bloodstone. Ron quickly stopped and threw a few stunner spells at the two. Harry looked over at Ron and gave him a half smile before the two began to run again. They where gaining on Malfoy.
"HARRY!" Hermione yelled when she saw them getting closer.
Hold on love! he mentally told her.
Hermione looked down at the person carrying her and noticed his eyes where changing. They where no longer the cold gray eyes of Draco Malfoy, but pale blue. A blue that use to be bright and lively, but where now dull and lifeless. She knew those eyes, she has seen them almost everyday for the last seven years. They were the eyes of a Weasley. No, they where the eyes of Percy Weasley- the man who killed her father.
"Harry!! Its Percy!!" she told him as she began to squirm around more hoping he would lose his grasp around her..
"That bastard!" Ron said and began to run faster.
Ron caught up to them and knocked the two down.
"Ron! Hermione!" Harry yelled when he saw the three fall to the ground.
Hermione landed hand on her arm and heard a snap. He looked up to see Ron and Percy rolling around on the ground.
"How could do!?" Ron yelled. He was now on top of his brother brutally smashing his face in. "How could you do this to my family?! To my friends!" he yelled.
"You really are a complete idiot!" Percy yelled at him while he dodge a punch and Ron's hand came in contact with the stone floor of the Great Hall. "Do you have any idea how much power I will have once your pathetic friend is dead?"
Ron laughed. "Do you really think he will reward you?" he snorted. "And to think you where considered the smart on in the family. He won't reward you! He will just use you, when he is done with you he will throw you out like the trash you are!" Ron yelled.
Percy pushed Ron off of him. It was time to leave. He stood up and kicked his brother in the chest.
"The time has come!" he yelled and the Great Hall went deadly silent. "Those who are loyal to the great Dark Lord follow me!" he yelled again. Percy opened the Great Hall and let the students who were now to become death eaters leave the room. Percy turned back around and looked at the students who were left. Soon he felt he was losing control of his mind, someone was taking it over. His mouth began to move and words he never knew were spouting out; words from the Dark Lord.
"Those who beware such tides,
As those who were meant to on the Ides,
Learn to choose of different fate,
And fate has underestimated.
Reconciliation and petty thoughts
Cannot be lost, even in the strongest of draughts
And all timing is inevitable
Rather it come late at last ring
Or early at last ring
But with each sound
The sands of life disperse from us
And then perhaps for the triad, the last sands will fall
As the green ember shall burn through your soul
Leaving no mark of dispersion
As the sound rings for the twelfth in the disillusioned darkness
Of the change from one's old to one's new."
Percy fell to the floor with a loud thump. Crabbe and Goyle instantly lumbered up to his side and picked him up effortlessly. The three returned to the group in the hall, and with a loud pop, the group was gone. They had done something that everyone thought was impossible: they had disapparated from Hogwarts.
Several hours later Harry, Hermione, Ron, Luna, Ginny, and Dudley sat together in the trio's common room.
"Ron how are you?" Hermione asked not looking away from the fire.
"Madame Pomfrey said that my ribs and hand will heal, but it will take some time," he said looking down at his bandaged hand. Luna gently laid her head on his shoulder, she wanted to comfort him, but knew this was not the time or place.
"What about you Ginny?" Ron asked looking at her and Dudley sitting on the floor near the fire.
Ginny looked up at her brother and gave a small smile. "I'm fine. I would be a lot happier if that stupid fifth year Slytherin didn't burn most of my hair off." she said reaching up to her now short red hair.
"It still looks good." Dudley said in a shaky voice and placed his hand on top of hers.
"Are you okay Dudley? You look very pale." Harry asked
"Fine. Just a little spooked. How are you? That cut looks nasty." Dudley said pointed to the cut just behind his ear.
"Its fine. I don't even know how I got it." he said as he gently laid a hand on Hermione. "Are you okay love? You've been awfully quiet."
"I'm fine'," she said not taking her eyes away from the fire.
"You can't lie to me, Hermione." Harry mentally told her.
"Me either" Ron added.
Hermione closed his eyes and let out a breath.
"I know. I…I just don't want to talk about it now, please." she said and laid her head carefully on Harry shoulder. Harry wrapped his arm around her and carefully pulled her closer into his warm embrace. He was worried about her. Hermione had taken a hard hit on the head when Ron knocked her and Percy to the ground. Her wrist was also broken. Hermione healed most of it by herself, but he knew that it was still tender.
The next morning, Hermione woke up early. She rolled over and was face to face to her fiancé. Hermione smiled when the word crossed her mind. They where going to get married! She was going to give Harry the family she knew he always wanted. They would watch their children grow up, go to Hogwarts, fall in love, and have family of their own. Hermione moved her hand to his face and gently brushed his hair off his forehead. Merlin she loved this man! Never in her life had she dreamed she would find someone whom she loved half as much as she knew Harry loved her. She loved him just as much, maybe even more.
Harry smiled in his sleep and moved closer to her. She let out a sigh of contentment. She wished they could stay here forever, safe and secure in each others arms. But she knew that could never happen until Voldemort was totally gone. She frowned at the thought. Everything always came down to him. They couldn't start their life until he was gone, her mum and Dudley couldn't leave Hogwarts until he was gone, Harry would never have a normal life because of him—essentially, no one was safe until he was gone. And her beloved Harry was the one who had to do it to. She never had a doubt that he couldn't defeat him, she knew he could from the moment he told her about the prophecy. But what if she didn't make it? She wasn't ready to leave him yet. There was too much that they still hadn't experienced yet.
Hermione's mind ran back to yesterday, it was such a wonderful day. She got to see where Harry spent the first year of his life. She was there to support him when she needed him. She loved be there for him.
The proposal. A smile crept on her face when she thought of the words that Harry had spoken. They were perfect--simple and to the point. Never in her life had someone made her feel so special. She leaned closer to Harry and gave him a soft kiss on the lips.
Her thoughts where soon disturbed once again by Voldemort. He had sent Percy to Hogwarts to kidnap her. Hermione shuddered at the thought of being a prisoner of his. What did he want with her? Was it just to trap Harry or did he have a different motive? And what was with the message he sent though Percy? She knew it was a warning, but what did it mean? She needed to look at it again. She was thankful that Dumbledore had remembered the message.
Hermione looked down and was started to see Harry's wonderful emerald eyes staring back at her, and she smiled.
"Morning," she said and kiss him briefly on the lips.
"Morning beautiful," he replied and pulled her close to him. "How are you feeling? Any better?"
"Some," she said and rested her head on his strong shoulder.
"You don't need to worry about it, its all over with. No one will take you away from me," he said.
"Sometimes I hate this link we have, I can't hide anything from you."
Harry was hurt by the comment. He never thought she would regret having the pentads, he never did.
"Sorry," he mumbled.
"I didn't mean it like that Harry! I'm sorry!" she said looking up into his eyes and realizing what she had said. "I love having this connection with you and Ron. Its just that sometimes I like to keep some thoughts to my self, girls like to have some mystery to them."
"You still do," he stated. "I may have a connection with your brain, but I don't have one when it comes to your heart."
"You do too," she whispered.
The two snuggled closer together in the bed and soon the day past by them talking of their future and the event of the previous night. Before they knew it, it was nighttime, and with that, time to met Lupin, Ron, and Charlie on the edge of the Forbidden Forrest.
A/N: Special thanks to tsusetsu For the awesome poem you wrote me!! You Rock!! Really it was perfect, I coudn't of asked for a better message!!