The Surviving Love Chronicles: Life or Something Like It

Disclaimer: Ok guys by now you should know what goes here but just for those who don't. This is not mine. All characters except for a few belong to J K Rowling. No infringement on the copyright is intended. This all belongs to J K Rowling.

Chapter 3: Just A Jealous Guy

"Hermione Jane Granger, will you marry me?" Josh asked. Harry tensed up, he knew what she was going to say. He knew Hermione would agree. But still he hoped. He hoped that just for once he didn't have her sussed out. He hoped he was wrong but when Hermione opened her mouth, his suspicions were confirmed.

"Yes."

That was all Harry needed to hear. He felt numb. But even in this state he knew what he had to do. He walked straight out of the restaurant not bothering to look back. Hermione didn't notice he was gone for quite some time, but when she did she told Josh immediately.

"Did you see him leave Josh?"

"He left just after you said yes."

"Oh, why didn't you tell me?"

"He looked pretty upset, if you ask me."

"Oh, never mind. Why don't we got back to your place Josh. I can think of many other things I could be doing rather than sitting here and talking."

"I like the way your mind works. Let's go."

Harry burst into the Auror office at the ministry. He made a beeline for Remus Lupin's office.

"Harry-" Remus began.

"I quit," Harry said.

"What?"

"I give up! I don't want to be Hermione's bodyguard anymore, I've had enough!"

"Harry-"

"Look I know you're my boss Remus and I know you wanted me to this job and I've done as much as I can do. But I can't go on and do this. Some of us have the ability to separate the emotions and feelings from their jobs, maybe you do but I do not and I cannot do it anymore! I can't sit there and watch them!"

"Harry, what's brought this on?"

"She's marrying him, Remus. She's marrying him."

Hermione knocked nervously on the door. She had to talk to Harry about everything. She hadn't seen him since that night at the restaurant. A new Auror had been assigned on her case and Harry hadn't contacted her either. He answered the door and showed her the way inside. When she was seated on the couch he bean to talk.

"Well that didn't take you long to get that rock on your finger did it?"

"Harry it's not like that. We're in love."

"What would you know about love?"

"What do you know Harry? You spend each night with a different girl! You don't know anything about love!"

"I don't?"

"No you know nothing! If you knew anything about love, we'd be a couple by now. But you ruined it all! You ruined your chance with me and now I've moved on! It's time you moved on too!"

"I'm not ready to move on and I don't think you are either!"

"Well grow up Harry! This is my life and I'll live it how I want! I make my own choices and I live by my own rules! Josh makes me happy; it's something you could never do!"

"How would you know? You never gave me the chance!"

"Harry I've waited my whole life for you to make your move. I'm sick and tired of waiting for something that isn't going to happen. Josh makes me feel special, he makes me feel important to him and that's something I've never felt before."

"I could make you feel that too Hermione. Just give me a chance!"

"Why is it Harry that you've waited until I'm with another guy to tell me about all of this? Is your male pride hurt because you're not in control of me anymore? You've had me to yourself for so many years but now I'm moving on with my life. You don't own me Harry; don't act like you do!"

"I never said owned you Hermione. I know I didn't make my move before, but I wasn't ready then. I didn't want to ruin what we had. I made the mistake of thinking that you would be single forever."

"Well I have my own life Harry. I want a family and a good marriage. I want to start that as soon as I can and Josh can give me what I want. He can make me happy."

"Don't do it Hermione."

"Do what?"

"Ruin your life."

"I'm hardly ruining it Harry. I'm moving on, you have to too."

"But I'm not ready."

"Harry don't let a schoolboy crush get in the way of your life. I'm not letting it get in the way of mine."

"It isn't a schoolboy crush. Look inside yourself Hermione. Listen to your heart. What is it telling you? Isn't there a part of you that still loves me?"

"Harry, I'm moving on. It's time you did too."

"Marry me instead Hermione."

"What?"

"You heard me. Marry me Hermione. Marry me instead of Josh."

"Harry that's just stupid."

"No it isn't. It's what I want."

"But it's not what I want, Harry. I just want to move on. I think you should too."

"Hermione don't come crying to me when you realise that you've made the biggest mistake of your life because I won't be there to comfort you."

"That'll never happen Harry, not with Josh."

Hermione left the house, words replayed through her mind particularly 'Marry me Hermione. Marry me instead of Josh.' She had wanted that a while ago. Now she had Josh. She didn't need Harry, did she?

Hermione smiled as she walked out of the shop. She had just picked up her wedding dress for her wedding tomorrow. She and josh had decided that they would have a small ceremony 50 guests max, but the ministry had already notified her saying that they would have most of their staff going undercover. Apparently, if this person sending death threats to her was going to strike, it would be at the wedding. In times of late, Hermione had often questioned herself, was she really doing the right thing? She didn't know now, she just didn't know.

"Harry, I know you don't want to do this, but please, we need all the help we can get. Over half of our men are out with Death Eater revolt, I need your help," Remus said to a very angered and annoyed Harry.

"Remus, I am not going to stand their and watch her get married."

"I'm not asking you to watch Harry, I'm asking you to just stand their. Shut your eyes, block your ears, do what you want but I need you there."

"Remus, I'm asking you, please I don't want to do this. I can't do this."

"I expect you there thirty minutes before."

"I'm not going Remus; I thought I made that clear!"

"Agent Potter, I'm pulling rank. If you aren't at the wedding I'll have no choice but to set you a disciplinary hearing."

"Remus don't do this."

"My mind is made up Agent Potter, you're dismissed."

"Remus, please, don't-"

"It's an order Agent Potter." Harry walked out of the office throwing Remus a very dirty look as he left. How could Remus do that? How the hell could he make him go to Hermione's wedding when he knew how much it was hurting him?

Hermione adjusted her gown in front of the mirror, while her mother anxiously paced behind her.

"Hermione, you're late for your own wedding, come on."

"Mum I'm not sure I can do this."

"Look honey, I was nervous before my wedding too, but this is what you want, so please come on."

"Mum, I can't do this."

"Hermione Jane, I will not stand here and watch you walk away from this. It's your wedding, people are waiting for you."

"Mum, you've done this before so tell me is this normal?"

"Is what normal?"

"Is feeling like you don't want to do this normal?"

"It's just nerves Hermione. Please, your father's waiting. I'm going to my seat now, please do this for me."

"Mum, I don't think I-"

"Hermione there is an audience waiting for you."

"No you mean there is some of the people from the Dentistry Board out their and you want me to impress them to get a good reputation."

"Don't be smart with me Hermione."

"Get out mum. I'll see you at the altar."

"Thankyou Hermione," Hermione's mother said as she exited Hermione's room. A few seconds later there was a knock on the door. Hermione walked over and opened it. Her father was standing there smiling.

"Are you ready, Hermione?"

"I think so Dad."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Hermione's father offered her his arm and she took it, together they made their way to the door leading to the aisle. Standing at the door was an Auror. Hermione couldn't quite make put who it was but when she neared the door she realised it was Harry. Her grip on her father's hand tightened. When Hermione reached the door, Harry raised his hand in a signal and the wedding march began. Hermione's father was pulling her down the aisle, but her legs weren't working. Hermione couldn't move. She couldn't do this. She couldn't get married when she loved someone else. Hermione turned and she ran.

"I haven't seen her anywhere, Remus," Harry said as he anxiously paced his office.

"What about you Josh? Any ideas where she might be?" Remus asked, to a very worried Josh who was slouched in a chair. It was almost 6 hours since Hermione had rum form her wedding and no one had the slightest clue as to where she was. Her mother was crying into her fathers shoulder as the rest of the Weasleys also sat waiting.

"So, we've checked Harry's house, Josh's house, her parents' house, the Burrow, her holiday home, her friends houses, and no one has seen her?" Remus asked.

"Yes," Harry said wearily.

"Okay, this isn't good. There's something I have to tell you all. There has been a massive Death Eater revolt. Some 30 have broken out of Azkaban. Obviously it's been kept quiet but you must realise that now Hermione is in immediate danger. She is one of their prime targets; after all she is a muggleborn. Currently I have more than half of my Auror staff out on duty looking for them but we have no leads as to where they possibly could be. I'm going to put the rest of our staff out there to search for Hermione, but the chances of us reaching her before they do is very low. I'm going to need as much help as I can get, Ron, if you could call in your brothers to help, Harry maybe contact some of your Hogwarts friends, I'm sure Seamus would assist. Mr and Mrs Granger I'd like you to stay here with me at Headquarters, it would be dangerous for you to be out there with Death Eaters on the loose. Terry," Remus said, addressing one of his assistants, "I need you to contact Minister Bones, alert her of the situation, then call in all the Aurors, make sure they come immediately. Okay everyone, make sure you have your wands and your contact devices, you're all dismissed."

Harry had absolutely no idea where Hermione could be. He had checked all of the likely places and had spent a great deal of time wondering just where she could possibly be. And even after all that thinking he was still clueless. Every time his emergency contact device (ECD) beeped, he hoped it would be that someone had found her, but so far, it had just been pointless updates of the situation. Harry picked up his ECD and sent a message to Remus saying that he had checked all the places on his list and had had no luck.

Harry was just about to apparate back to headquarters when an idea came to him. He had been so stupid to forget this. Although it wasn't likely there was still a chance that she would be there. He again picked up his ECD and called for immediate backup. When 10 people had arrived, Ron, Fred, George, Seamus and then another six Aurors, did Harry share his suspicions.

"I was just thinking about where Hermione could be when an idea came to me. There is one place in Hogsmeade we haven't checked and that would be the Shrieking Shack. I mean the chances of her being there are low, but it would all make sense. With the boarded windows no one could see her in there and with the villagers staying away from it, no one could have possibly seen her or heard her. So I think we should all head up there now."

There was a pop and suddenly Remus appeared next to Harry. There was a cut on his face and he seemed exhausted.

"Harry," he panted, "They got in to Headquarters. I don't know how but they did. They've got Hermione's parents and they've somehow managed to track us. They know what we're up to and they'll be here any second. They also know that Hermione is missing."

"Did they take anyone else, Remus?" Harry asked urgently.

"No, but Kingsley, Kingsley's dead." Silence followed Remus' statement and everyone looked shocked.

"What did you just say?" Harry asked his voice shaking.

"He's dead. They killed him when he wouldn't let them through to my office. There were at least 60 of them Harry, 60. I tried to protect her parents but they put a body bind on me, all I could do is apparate out and alert you. But we have to move on now, before they arrive. They'll be here any minute."

"Everyone apparate to the Shrieking Shack now, quick!" Harry yelled.

"Where are they?" Lucius Malfoy said looking aggravated. "Nott, you said that they were here but they clearly aren't. Well what do you have to say for yourself?'

"They were here, but now they've apparated somewhere else. The werewolf must have alerted them."

"Well, where are they now?"

"The system is searching for them. It takes a while to find them as they have many devices in place to stop us from doing this very thing, but this device I've created is unbeatable."

Harry along with the others, slowly entered the Shrieking Shack. They had to get Hermione out before the Death eaters arrived. Although that seemed easy, there was one small problem; Hermione wasn't talking to Harry or Ron as they had both given her their opinion of marrying Josh. So, the chance of her actually listening to them was very small. Harry continued up the stairs and as he reached the top storey, he heard the sound of someone crying. He signalled for the rest to stay back while he entered the room the crying was coming from. Hermione sat slumped against the wall holding her head in her hands. Her veil lay strewn to the side and she was still wearing her wedding dress. When she heard footsteps, she looked up.

"Get out," she said calmly.

"Hermione-"

"I said get out,' Hermione repeated her voice louder.

"Hermione listen to me, we have to leave now."

"I don't have to do anything you say."

"Hermione, we have to get out now, before it's too late."

"I thought we have been thought this before; you're not in charge of me, don't act like you are!"

"Hermione, please, we've got to go."

"Give me one reason why I should listen."

"Over 60 Death Eaters are out looking for you and they've got your parents."

"Do you expect me to fall for that Harry? Of all the excuses you could have come up with that has got to be the worst."

"They've already killed Kingsley, it's only a matter of time before they get you and your parents. Please just come with me. Ron and the Weasleys plus Remus and some of the Aurors are out there, but we have to go now."

"I'm not going Harry. I don't believe you. I mean how gullible do you think I am?"

"Hermione, please just trust me."

"Why?"

"Because if you don't, we'll end up dead."

"Well," Lucius said coldly.

"They're in the Shrieking Shack. The mudblood is there as is the werewolf."

"Very good, Nott."

"My lord, what shall I do with the mudbloods parents?" Crabbe asked.

"Kill them. The rest of you, we're moving to the Shrieking Shack now. Kill all who get in your way."

"Hermione, please just come."

"No." Harry suddenly heard a whole lot of pops coming from downstairs.

"They're here Hermione, please, come on."

"No."

Harry looked out the door and whispered, "Get yourselves out of here. Go to the safe house, they won't find you there. I'll get Hermione, don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

"Harry-" Ron said.

"Just go they'll be up here any second."

"But-"

"Go!" They disappeared as the apparated away and Harry ran back into the room and grabbed Hermione's arm saying, "Come on, we're going now." Hermione pulled away and Harry tried to grab hold of her again. In all the commotion, they didn't notice the Death Eaters that were blocking the exit. The didn't notice anything until a killing curse barely missed Hermione. Harry went into panic mode as he saw the second curse coming towards Hermione. He did the only thing he could; he jumped in front of her and the curse. And then he saw black.

Harry remembered the curse coming, he remembered jumping in front of Hermione and he remembered seeing black but he didn't remember how he had managed to get to get from the Shack to the room he was in now. He couldn't remember how he had managed to survive. Harry opened his eyes and saw bright light; he was alive. Next to his bed, Hermione lay asleep in a chair and to his right a healer was busily fiddling with some medicine. When Harry cleared his throat, the healer turned around and Hermione awoke with a start. She blinked a few times then a bright smile crossed her face, and Harry couldn't help but smile too.

"Ahh, you're finally awake Mr Potter," the healer said, "I'm Healer Sinclair by the way."

"What happened?"

"Well Mr Potter, you were struck with the killing curse. We thought you were dead for sure. But as it turns out there was a magical ward placed in the room, basically all magic created using a wand, wasn't effective. However the curse was still effective but just knocked you out. You've been asleep for almost 5 days."

"Five days?"

"Yes, and Miss Granger here has been by your side the whole time. I think I'll give you too a little privacy now," the older witch smiled and departed.

"So," Harry said.

"Harry I'm really sorry."

"It's okay Hermione."

"No it's not," Hermione said and she burst into tears. "It's not okay. It's all my fault. It's my fault Kingsley's dead, it's my fault Josh is dead and it's my fault that my parents are dead."

"Wait a minute, I knew about Kingsley but Josh and your parents? What happened?"

"Well you know that they took my parents, well Lucius Malfoy ordered them to be killed and they did. They didn't deserve to die Harry, it was all my fault. And Josh, he found out where I was and he came. He didn't know the Death eaters were there. When he apparated in you had just been hit and he stopped them form getting to me. He told me to take your body and apparate out. He told he'd take care of them. But they got him and took him away. Yesterday they found him. He'd been tortured then killed. He died so he could save me even though I walked out on our wedding. And you. I was so horrible to you, I ignored you, I said all of those awful things. I acused you of sending those threats and it was probably the Death eaters all along. And then you took that curse. You saved my life. You could have died for me and yet I was so unfair and judgemental towards you. What sort of person am I, Harry?"

The funeral for Hermione's parents was one of the saddest things Harry had ever sat through. It didn't help that Hermione was sitting next to him crying uncontrollably. Josh's funeral and Kingsley's followed afterwards and Harry found himself wishing he was still in hospital so he didn't have to sit through this all. It was just so emotionally draining that he couldn't really cope. The media had all the Aurors under constant scrutiny. They, in short, had failed. The wizarding world was shocked. The Aurors are the best of the best. They are the elite. They alone are in charge of keeping everyone safe and they failed. Not to mention that two muggles had been killed, along with a wizard and a head of division Auror.

Hermione was having the hardest job to cope. Torn between wanting to stay with Harry, and not wanting to insult Josh's memory, she was stuck. Her parents were dead and she blamed herself and no one else. For Hermione, she wasn't at the lowest point she had ever been at.

Things were going from bad to worse; there were Death Eaters on the loose. The wizarding community was living in fear of an attack. Muggles were noticing more and stranger events, mysterious happening, surprising deaths. Minister Bones was even considering moving everyone into Hogwarts. Then it happened. Wilhelmina Hargraves, Head of the Apparation Test Centre disappeared. Exactly 72 hours later, her body appeared in the centre of the Atrium at the Ministry. Her skin was the pale white of death; she seemed a victim of the killing curse. On her forehead was the Dark Mark, burnt in as a brand was to a slave.

There was no doubt that the Death Eaters were responsible and this just put the wizarding community in further shock and now panic. All Aurors were on duty literally 24/7 and no one could figure out where the Death Eaters were, how they were operating, or who their next target would be.

Remus stood up in front of Minister Bones and the rest of the Aurors and began. "Well so far all we know is that they're targeting muggleborns. Wilhelmina Hargraves had no other reason to be targeted. No other reason at all. Her post-mortem shows that it was the killing curse that took her life. It also shows that they the Cruciatus curse on her for some time. I do not think they were trying to get any information from her because she knew nothing important. I honestly don't see why they took 72 hours to return the body. Dr Truman said clearly that she had been dead for over 48 hours when she was returned. He found no other traces of magical tracking devices on her, so it is safe to assume that they are not concerned with what we do with the body. My only suggestion is to alert all of the muggleborns. Make sure they aren't alone, make sure no matter what they do there is someone with them. We can't group them all and put them in a certain place such as the Ministry. It would be too easy. If the Death Eaters got in they would get all of the muggleborns in one go. The Aurors will be on alert. And I'm calling in all of the ex-Aurors and capable wizards in to help. We will create 10 different divisions on this case. Each division will have a variety of wizards and witches based on their abilities. Division One will be headed by myself, division two by Agent Potter, division three by Agent Thomas, division four by Agent Stevens, division five by Fred Weasley, division six by George Weasley, division seven by Ron Weasley, division eight by Agent Tonks, division nine by Bill Weasley and division nine by Charlie Weasley. With your permission Minister, I require selective members from the Ministry to help fill the divisions which will have at least 20 members each."

"Permission is granted Agent Lupin," Minister Bones replied.

"Thankyou Minister. Tomorrow we will assemble the teams and head out on the investigation. That is all I have to say."

"Thankyou Agent Lupin, everyone is dismissed." The Aurors and Remus waited for the Minister to leave the meeting room before following out behind her.

"Is everything in order, Overton?"

"Yes my lord."

"Very well, tomorrow we kidnap another. Is that clear?"

"Yes my lord."

"You're dismissed Overton."

Remus Lupin was awakened by someone banging on the door of his office where a temporary bed had been set up, as all Aurors were required to stay at the Ministry. He hurried out of the bed and opened the door to reveal a somewhat distressed wizard.

"She's gone, I cant find her anywhere. I don't know what's happened. I was with her the whole time, I never let her out of my sight."

"Excuse, but what are you talking about?"

"My wife, she's a muggleborn."

"Oh, I see. Come in and tell me everything."

Ten minutes later sirens were going off throughout the Ministry calling all wizards and witches working on the Muggleborn case to report to one of the meeting rooms. After everyone was assembled, Remus cleared his throat and stood up.

"Well I hadn't intended to hold this meeting for another couple of hours, but something has happened. Our second victim has been taken. Genevieve Patterson, Head of Goblin Liaison Office. Her husband knew to watch her; he said they stayed in the same room the whole time. At 10:30pm, they went to sleep next to each other. At 11:05pm when he woke up to check on her, she was gone. Well I'm left with no choice but to start the investigation now. I am shortly going to read the names of the people in each division. Then the leaders of each division will give you a short briefing then you'll be on you way. Be sure to each take an ECD, your wand and a spare, and please stay together at all times. We report back to Headquarters at 12pm and 8pm. Be sure to arrive at each of those times. Okay, now these are the divisions….."

Almost three days later…

Hermione was scared, very scared. She knew the muggleborns were being targeted and she knew it was only a matter of time before it was her turn. She had been placed in Division 2, Harry's division, with strict orders from Harry to stay with him at all times and so she did. It hurt her to think that maybe she was insulting Josh's memory. After all, he and Harry never had get along, but her eyes as she remembered that fatal day when four innocent people still she knew she was in danger and she knew Josh would have wanted her to be safe. Tears stung had died all because of her. She and Harry had still been on very shaky ground. He seemed to want to say something important to her but couldn't find the right words and the right time.

Suddenly her ECD began to beep, signalling for the division to apparate back to Headquarters. When they arrived back at the Ministry, Remus Lupin was pacing the meeting room.

"We got her body back today," Lupin said gravely, "Exactly 71 hours after she was taken. Genevieve's body showed exactly the same symptoms as Wilhelmina's did. It's only a matter of time till they take the next muggleborn. Please everyone, we need to find the death eaters, we have to. Before all of this gets out of control."

A/N: Okay I know this has taken me like forever to update but I've had a few issues with my computer. It crashed. Twice. So it hasn't been that easy to update. But because this chapter has taken me ages and ages to post. I promise I'll have the next one up much faster. Thanks to all the reviewers and people who have added me to their author alert lists. Please review, it would be really really nice….. In the next chapter we'll find see more and more people targeted by the Death Eaters and the Aurors will have a small breakthrough on the case. But what happens when the Death Eaters turn on others that aren't muggleborns and what does Draco Malfoy have to do with all of this? All will be revealed in the next chapter.