Chapter thirteen – Keeping steady in a whirlwind

Harry raced towards Hermione, his heart aching in his chest. He reached her and rolled her gently over on to her back so he could see her face. His rib cage relaxed when he saw her eyelids flutter open. She took in a shaky breath between her gritted teeth.

Harry still had his wand in his hand, but loosen his hold on it, as he stroked her forehead.

'Hey babe.' He whispered. 'Are you okay? I'm going to get us out of here.'

Hermione slowly nodded her head. Harry not knowing whether she was agreeing that she was okay, or that she agreed with the fact that she wanted to get out of here, picked Hermione up and let her rest her head on his chest as he slowly walked out of the kitchen. He had no idea what had happened and if there were Death Eaters around he wanted to be ready. Once he got into the sitting room, he gently placed Hermione and himself in the fireplace, grabbing the floo powder, he threw it down while shouting out 'The Burrow.'

When they gushed out of the fireplace, Mrs Weasley immediately rushed towards them.

'Hermione was attacked. We were at Grimmauld place. Please help.' Harry said, struggling to form sensible words as she lay in his arms.

Molly using magic lifted Hermione up onto the table and started busying herself around, picking up ointments, potions and manuals.

She started pouring a potion down Hermione throat. Hermione grimaced when the sour potion hit the back of her mouth. Soon however Hermione's daze started to return to normal, and her faintness seemed to fade. She closed her eyes, and realised that she felt really tired, and she was wondering why she was lying in Harry's arms. Though she wasn't complaining.

'Hermione, how are you.' Molly asked gently unsure what the response was going to be.

'Um… Fine, I guess. Why? Shouldn't I be?'

Molly pulled Harry away from her. Harry was looking at Hermione, making sure she was all right, but he continued to listen to Molly.

'Harry, I shouldn't worry. The potion I gave her can have the side effect of making the person temporarily lose their short-term memory. She should get it back, a little later today.'

Harry nodded his head in understanding, and swept past her and gathered Hermione up in his arms.

'Do you fancy going upstairs. Ron should be back a little later.' Harry asked.

'Uh… okay.' Hermione said a little confused as to Harry's unusual behaviour.

They made their way up the stairs. Hermione still unsure why she was feeling so tired, as she had only recently woken up.

Molly turned away from the two teenagers making their way upstairs. She turned towards the fireplace, and took a handful of floo powder. She threw it into the fireplace and called Dumbledore's office. Her head swirled throw the fireplace, and it appeared in the fireplace of an office. Even though it was the summer holidays, Dumbledore was at his desk, with a far away look in his eyes. They focused when Molly called out his name. He made his way to fireplace and listened carefully to what Molly said.

Reaching around his chair he took his cloak and flooed to the house where a lot of questions were to be answered later that day.

Harry and Hermione had settled on a bed, and Harry was stroking Hermione's hair, his heart tense with the thoughts still going through his mind. Hermione's head was lying on Harry's chest, and she could feel how tense he was. She also sensed that whatever it was he wasn't going to tell her. They both seemed to breathe a little easier when a knock at the door broke the tension slightly.

Dumbledore walked through the door, to see two of his favourite students in each other's arms. He could see however that they both tensed up when he walked in, and he didn't blame them, thinking about their last meeting.

'Relax; I'm here to talk to you about what recently happened at Grimmauld place. Do you remember anything Hermione?'

'Um… things are starting to come back to me.' Hermione said, nodding her head.

Dumbledore smiled and turned to look at Harry. 'Harry would you mind stepping outside so I could speak to Miss. Granger privately.' Harry was about to make a fuss, but stopped when he felt Hermione rub his arm. She smiled at him, when he looked down at her.

'Go on, Harry. I'll be fine.' Harry took a shaky deep breath, and kissed Hermione. Not caring that Dumbledore was in the room. He stood up and side stepped his professor.

'You do anything to her, and I will, kill you.' Harry said in a quiet voice so only Dumbledore could hear.

Dumbledore took a stressed breath 'Relax Harry I'm only here to find out what happened. This has nothing to do with our last meeting.'

Once Harry had left the room, Dumbledore turned to Hermione and stared to ask the question that was playing on his mind.

'Miss Granger, I was wondering whether you could tell me what you remember from when you where back at Grimmauld place?'

Hermione took a deep breath. 'Well I went to the kitchen, and that looked okay. Better than the sitting room. And then. I think, something.' Hermione stopped, looking deep in thought. 'I know this is going to sound weird, but I think Kretcher walked in. or he was there. And then everything started spinning, and things were flying all over the place, including him. But, I was in the middle. Like everything was flying around me. It was really weird, and then something flew out and whacked me across and I was just all over the place. Then I woke up here.' Hermione still looked confused, and was shaking slightly as she remembered what had happened.

Dumbledore nodded his head. 'Well I certainly knew he was powerful, but this is beyond what I thought he possessed.'

'Are you talking about Kretcher?' Hermione asked.

Dumbledore shook his head strongly. 'No, no, no, my dear. I am talking about Mr. Potter. I think it would be best for me to explain it to everyone.'

Dumbledore walked over to the door and opened it to find Harry there standing outside the door.

Harry looked at Dumbledore and walked past him to Hermione. He looked at her, and whispered, 'are you okay?' Hermione smiled and nodded her head. She took his hand and they walked out the door following Dumbledore.

When they had all met in the kitchen, it turned out Ron had arrived a few minutes earlier and Molly had already informed him of what she knew. Molly and Dumbledore along with the three teenagers were sitting around the kitchen table, nursing cups of tea, while Dumbledore was preparing what he was going to say.

'I'm going to sum up, what Hermione told me.' He began 'A type of whirlwind started the moment Kretcher entered the kitchen, where Hermione was.'

Harry took a deep breath, and grabbed Hermione's hand. He looked at her, but she was looking at the grooves in the wooden table.

'Did he hurt you, oh why am I asking that, of course he did. God I'm going to kill him.' Harry said starting to stand up, making his way to the fireplace. He was thrown back into his chair, and looked up to see Dumbledore holding his wand out.

'Let me go. How can you stop me doing this? He killed Sirius and nearly Hermione, I'm not going to let him get away with it.'

'He didn't kill Sirius. You know that. And also if you stopped a few minutes you'd also realise that he didn't nearly kill Hermione.' Dumbledore said. Harry slumped slightly when the spell was taken off him.

'I understand you recently obtained the Black's estates. Well when they were signed over to you. They would have taken some of your magic, and mixed it with the power it already has. Everyone in the room knows how powerful you are Harry. Anyway I'm getting off the point slightly. When Hermione, someone I think we all know you care about a lot. Came in contact with Kretcher, one of the beings you hate a lot. The house having taken over some of your power and also understands what you like and hate. Would have been trying to protect Hermione from Kretcher. Even though Kretcher wouldn't have done anything, the house and you probably would have thought if him and Hermione were in the same room, then she would be in danger. Am I right?'

'Of course I would think she's in danger, kretcher is a sly and dangerous monster. I wouldn't let him anywhere near her.'

'Exactly. The house sprung a defence for Hermione. Making a whirlwind, which she was the centre of. Obviously so nothing would go into her, but around, and hopefully and successfully into kretcher. The strength of how much you feel when Hermione is in danger fuels the strength of the spell. I have to say that with the strength of the whirlwind I'm surprised Hermione managed not to get hit, before. But as we all know. The stronger the power the more likely it is to lose control. Something must have flown out of the whirlwind, struck Hermione, throwing her into it. That's probably when you arrived.'

'So I did this to you?' Harry said looking down wringing his hands, feeling even guiltier.

Hermione stared daggers at Dumbledore. She turned to Harry and listed his chin. Leaning in, she hugged him, and whispered into his ear, so only he could hear.

'Harry, baby. Don't listen to him. You were trying to protect. Not hurt me. The house mimics your personality. And it just wants me safe. Don't feel guilty or anything. We're just going to learn how to control it. So if something might happen then the house would be able to protect me but after practising it won't hurt me. Please Harry. I don't like it when you blame yourself.'

'Yes but just the fact that because of how much I care for you, you still get hurt. It's my entire fault. You'll always be hurt if you're with–'

'Do not even finish that sentence Harry. I would choose you, over being safe. I would rather have one life with you than thousands without. Please don't think that I wouldn't want you because I might be unsafe.'

Harry nodded his head against her skin, closing his eyes, wanting her to realise just how much he cared for you, wanting to be close to her. Closer than skin to skin, he wanted her. And she was thinking exactly the same thing.