Number 12 Grimmauld Place

As the clock struck eight, Harry and Hermione Apparated just inside door of Number 12. A sort of alarm rang as they did so, an several members of the order decended upon them ready for anything.

"It's only me." Harry said letting go of Hermione's hand.

"I home that filthy mudblood is not with you." Mrs. Black's portrait said from behind a sheet. Hermione stiffened and folded her arms at her chest.

"We have to be on a look out, now that Snape has joined the other side." Tonks said.

"Tonks!" Said Alastair Diggery

"Well, I say he should know what's going on. This is his property, and his life, and he's almost of age." Tonks countered.

"I agree." Came a very familiar voice from the Living room. Minerva McGonagall walked out on to the foyer. "It is what Albus would have wanted."

"Why haven't the wards been changed professor?" Hermione asked

"They have," she answered, "But I am no Dumbledore."

"Is Hogwarts staying open Professor?" Hermione asked.

"It is... There are a few students that want to return next year, mainly sixth and seventh years. Many others are headed to Beaubatonx." she answered, then she looked at Harry. "I understand you're not returning next year Mr. Potter."

"If I go back, the few students that come back will be in grave danger." Harry answered.

"Is that really your concern?" The Head Mistress asked.

"I have some things to do. I promised Dumbledore." Harry said.

"Well, our resources are always available to you Mr. Potter." She said and turned to go back to the living room.

"Professor." Hermione said following. "What about the end of year examinations that weren't done for the fifth years last year?"

"they will be done int the beginning of the year. The returning students have been asked to review and after two weeks they will do their O. W. L.'s Provided I find a new Transfigurations and Defense against the dark arts teacher."

"Oh," Hermione said

"If you weren't still a student, I would ask you to be transfigurations teacher." The Head Mistress said . "You are a brilliant witch."

"I will not be returning this year either." Hermione said, "Maybe Next year, I do want to complete my N. E. W. T.'s but Harry Needs me."

"I do not. I don't want you giving anything up for my sake." Harry said from behind them.

"I was never very good at indirectness as Albus was. But you could return to Hogwarts as my teachers if you take the N. E. W. T.'s at the end of the year." The professor stated bluntly. "Think about it." She added firmly and turned towards the fireplace. "Good night. Hogwarts." and in a flash of green fire, she was gone.

Harry and Hermione looked at each other for a moment. Tonks came up to them. "Hungry?"

"No." Harry said. "We've eaten, thank you."

"You've just missed a meeting. Apparently there has been an Accident in the Tube this morning. There were two wizards killed, and many more muggles where hurt." Tonks stated.

"We think that Voldemort is targeting major muggle areas. The ministry has only been able to cover for it by blaming muggle terrorists for it." Mad eye Moody said coming from the kitchen.

Harry and Hermione sat on the couch and listened to details of that mornings events. If this had been any other teen ager, they would have been overwhelmed by the senselessness of it. But this was Harry and Hermione, they had learned that Voldemort had no pattern of doing things. At least so it seemed to Hermione.

Harry understood that he wanted to cause confusion. It made him think hard about the Horcruxes. Did he want to tell the order about them. He needed to know weather they knew about what he and Dumbledore had talked about. He trusted Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, but they were preoccupied by Ron and Ginny. Harry looked over at the exhausted couple. Then he thought that they were more into protecting him and their children, than having him face Voldemort. He didn't know Charlie and Bill well enough to trust them. Fred and George, yes, but he didn't know what they knew. Maybe he could trust Remus. Yes, That's who I trust. He looked around and called Tonks to the other room with him.

"Where's Remus?" He asked.

"It's the full moon Harry." Tonks said a little pained. "He's been hiding. Slughorn has made him some wolfsbane, but he still prefers to stay alone on a full moon.

"Thank you for including me Tonks." He said.

"It's what Dumbledore would have wanted." She answered and headed back to the living room.

"I think I'm going to go to bed." Mrs. Weasley said

"Good Idea Molly," said Mr. Weasley leading her to the stairs. "Good night everyone."

"I think I'll Turn in as well." Harry said heading up behind them. Once in his room, Harry paced. He didn't know how to go about destroying the lost Horcruxe, and finding the other three. If he returned to Hogwarts he would have fantastic resources, and as a teacher he would have a bit more freedom on the grounds. He would certainly be safer there.

There was a knock on his door. "Come in." he said. Hermione padded into his room in stockinged feet.

"I've left all of my clothes in the Burrow." she whispered coming inside.

"Me too." Said harry sitting in his bed and kicking off his trainers. "Can't sleep?" He asked her. She shook her head and sat next to him cross legged.

"What do you think about going back to Hogwarts? I mean, we could research everything in a teaching capacity." Hermione said.

"I thought of that." Harry said Sitting with his back against the head board of his four poster bed.

"And, we could probably test the vanishing cabinet theory." Hermione said crawling to sit next to him at the head of the bed.

"I hadn't thought of that." Harry said. "I knew there was a reason why I liked you Hermione."

Hermione giggled, and placed her head on his shoulder. She had had such a good time with her friend that day. Traumatic experiences aside, so did Harry, and he was enjoying his proximity. He has never in his life had as much tender human contact as he had this past year with both Ginny, and Hermione. No one had given him more than Hermione, and had found himself wanting it again.

Hermione was confused. She really did like Ron, but at that moment she wanted Harry. She remembered the afternoon and craved that closeness again. In all the snogging that she and Ron had done, they had never gone as far as she and Harry had in one tortured afternoon.

Harry wrapped an arm around her. She looked up at him and smiled. He retuned the smile "you're going back aren't you?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah."