Hey thanks for the great reviews again, and yes I do realise that it has become kind of obvious about who is sending the notes, but I have never been very good at keeping secrets…. hope you enjoy the next chapter
By Friday, Hermione had been given a new room, it was adjoining to professor Snape's, in the dungeons. She had agreed with Dumbledore to keep the location of the room a secret, telling only Harry and Ginny and Ron and Jessica, and as much as she didn't want to they told Alex.
At first Alex had been shocked, but then angry as she promised her mother that she would not tell anyone of what was going on. Alex had of course wanted Hermione to tell Blaise where she was staying. But Hermione couldn't, for some reason she just couldn't face Blaise at the moment and she didn't know why.
Well actually she knew why, but she was afraid that if she saw him or was alone with him then she would just blurt it out and scare him off. Until she got things sorted she was fine with being less than friends with Blaise, then afterwards he would have to deal with being only friends with him.
Alex had kept her promise to her mother and had not told anyone what was happening to her family. The only problem now was that she had also promised she wouldn't walk around the castle alone, meaning she had to stay in Gryffindor tower or with her friends all the time. By Saturday she was going crazy.
She sighed, but continued to write in her blue book as Nicole and Draco played a game of exploding snap. Sam literally entered the common room with a bounce and sat with Draco.
"Hey, has anyone seen Riley?" she asked brightly, and when neither Nicole nor draco replied, Alex looked up to find them staring at her.
"What?" she asked.
"You seen Riley?" Draco asked, eyeing her carefully, not wanting to make her made or uncomfortable.
"Well, let's see, I've been here in the common room with you and Nikki for the whole afternoon? Do you think I've seen Riley?" she replied, she was really getting sick of the three of them, and Riley had said he was going to talk to them.
"Oh, yeah right," he muttered before turning back to the card game and Alex turned back to her writing.
Alex couldn't concentrate on what she was writing, and had written the same three words over at least ten times. Screw this she thought, I'll go crazy if I stay here. So without a word to the three playing the exploding card game, Alex stood and swiftly exited the Gryffindor common room.
Alex made her way to the astronomy tower, and was disappointed to find it empty, and as it was now getting quite cold at night she left almost straight away, instead choosing to go and visit her father.
She wondered slowly through the corridors of Hogwarts, until she came to the main stair case, although now that she was there she had no desire to venture into the cold dungeons, even if it was to see her father, instead Alex continued to walk through the castle corridors.
Soon she found herself near the Defence against the dark arts classroom, and was startled when a door opened.
"Oh, Alex, I thought I could hear someone walking around," Ginny Potter said as she looked out from the open door.
"Um, yeah, I just felt like going for a walk I'd been in the tower all day so…" Alex trailed off as Riley came and stood behind his mother.
Ginny Weasley suddenly felt a wave of sympathy for the young girl.
"Do you want to come in?" she asked her, "We have hot chocolate."
Knowing it would be extremely rude if Alex ignored the invitation, she followed the two redheads' into the cosy room. She sat in a big armchair and began to look at the pictures that had been placed all over the mantle place and coffee table.
A silver and black frame caught her attention, from the three people moving inside of it. She picked it up and looked closely at it. She guessed Riley would have been seven or eight and was trying very hard to get out of his parents reach, Ginny looked very much the same and was struggling to hold onto the small boy, Harry, Riley's father was only grinning at his wife, while tickling his son, causing him to run away.
Next she picked up a frame, which held an older photo. The picture it self wasn't old enough to be in black and white, but Alex could tell it was more effective than if it had been printed in colour. There were many people in this picture, all of them teenagers. They were sitting on the steps of Hogwarts, all of them laughing and joking with each other, most of the people Alex didn't recognise, but she knew it had been students in the order, on the higher steps sat Ginny, between her brother Ron and Harry, while on the step below sat her parents.
Alex couldn't help but notice how happy they looked, with Hermione's hand in his, while he pushed stray hairs away from her face. Alex put the picture down, suddenly mad with herself for thinking her parents could be the same once they met again, she couldn't force people together.
"Here," Riley said as he handed her a mug, before moving to the desk where his father was sitting. Alex had moved to get up, but was stopped when Ginny sat in the chair opposite her.
Slowly Alex took a sip from her mug and let the warm chocolate touch her tongue.
"Hows your mum?" she heard Ginny ask her, but Alex simply shrugged in reply. The truth was the last time she had seen her mother was with Dumbledore and she hadn't really had the chance to talk to her.
Alex looked down at her hands, fidgeting with her watch.
"You know, you really shouldn't be walking around the castle by yourself," Alex looked up as Harry spoke and sat next to his wife. Alex shrugged again and looked toward Riley who was still seated at the desk, she wasn't sure if he was listening or not.
"I can take care of myself," she said, just quietly enough for the two adults to hear.
"Maybe," Ginny replied taking her hand, "but I'm sure your Mum wouldn't want you walking around by yourself. No matter what the circumstances are."
"I guess," Alex, replied as the older woman let go of her hand, she picked her warm mug up and quickly drank the remainder or the drink. As she swallowed, she looked at her watch.
"I should probably go back, it's late," she stated, standing up.
Both Harry and Ginny stood aswell, "your right, it is late, so that's why Riley will walk you back." Harry said grinning slightly.
Alex waited by the door as Riley hugged his parents good night.
I guess he doesn't hate them as much as he says he does. She thought to herself.
"Good night Alex," Ginny said as Riley opened the door and they both walked out into the corridor, "Good night Professor Potter," she called back as the door closed.
They walked in silence on their way back to the Gryffindor Tower.
"I won't tell anyone," Riley said, finally breaking the silence.
"Huh?" Alex asked, being broke from her thoughts, "tell anyone what?"
"About what happened to you Mum," He said quietly.
""Oh," Alex said, biting her bottom lip, "thanks…"
They continued to walk in silence, until suddenly the candles began to flicker in and out.
"That's weird," riley muttered to himself.
"What?" Alex asked, stopping in the corridor, "What's weird?"
Riley stopped too, "nothing…well it's just all the candles in the corridors are supposed to be enchanted to stay on until after the curfews, which is still about an hour away," he looked at his watch.
Suddenly all the lights in the corridor flicked off, leaving the two of them standing in a pitch-black corridor.
"Riley," he heard Alex's voice say, panic clearly obvious in her voice. He grabbed her hand, hoping it would help to calm her down.
"Riley," she said more urgently this time, "I don't have my wand. I left in my room."
"It's alright," he whispered as he reached into his pocket with his free hand.
"Lumos," he said and the tip of his wand lit up, it was so dark in the corridor the light from his wand only made enough lit for him to see the outline of Alex, who was now standing closer to him, her hand still in his.
"Riley," Alex whispered, "what's going on?"
"I don't-" he stopped as he heard footsteps, coming from the direction they were heading before they stopped. Silently he began to pull her back towards his parents room, they were closer to them than they were to the Gryffindor tower.
As the footsteps behind them quickened, Riley pushed Alex in front of himself.
"Go get my dad," he said pushing the wand into her hand.
"What about you?" she whispered.
"I'll distract who ever it is, just hurry." He whispered back urgently as the footsteps stopped.
"Do you think they'll be all right?" Ginny asked her husband as she changed into her pyjamas.
"Who?" Harry asked, as he pulled their quilt back.
"Alex and Riley, maybe one of us should have gone with them…" the worry clear in her voice.
"Gin, they'll be fine." He replied, looking at his wife, "besides if what Nicole's been telling Fred and George, they've probably stopped to snog each other by now."
"Harry," Ginny sighed, as there was knock on their door.
"What…" Harry said as he walked toward the door, "we used to do it, Blaise and –" he stopped as he opened the door; to reveal the young girl he had just sent off with his son.
"Alex," he said, seeing the panic on her face he grabbed his wand, "what's happened."
"Were walking…. and then…then something happened…the candles went out…. Riley made me come here…. he heard something…. he doesn't have his wand…."Alex said breathlessly.
In one quick movement Harry had left the room and was moving along the corridor to Gryffindor tower. Alex went to follow, but was stopped by Ginny.
"I think it would be best if you just left it to Harry, we don't want you to get hurt." She said, taking the girls hand. But instead of leading her back into the room, she led Alex up through some stairs.
"Where are we going?" Alex asked urgently.
"I'm taking you to Dumbledore. This is a short cut that the teachers use." She said gently, as she pushed back a tapestry and ushered Alex through it.
It had taken Ginny less than a minute to get Alex to the Headmasters office. Ron, who was having a meeting with the Dumbledore about his problem furniture, was in there at the time and was shocked to see his little sister, rushing in the office in her pyjamas, with his god daughter, Alex Granger, who by the looks of it was close to tears.
"Ginerva" Dumbledore said as she interrupted their meeting, "what's happened?"
Ginny explained everything that Alex had told her.
Dumbledore stood as she finished speaking.
"Ron, would you please get Hermione and Blaise and bring them here." Then he turned to Ginny, "Ginny I'll send Riley up aswell. Please keep them here until I return." He left with his wand securely in his grasp.
Riley stood completely still, listening to see if the person was still following him. He couldn't hear anything, but as he took a step forward, away from the person, he heard his follower take a step forward too.
Taking a deep breath riley took another step forward, this time to see a small light ahead of him.
"Dad?" He whispered, the light stopped.
"Riley?" he heard his father ask into the darkness.
"I'm here," he quickly stepped forward, noticing the person following him did not move this time.
Harry stepped in front of his son, "Stay behind me," he muttered.
Riley stayed in the spot behind his father as he stepped forward, his wand raised.
"Acendio Lightus," he said, the candles flickered on, but not long enough for either of them to see who else was in the corridor.
As the lights went out Riley heard the other person run.
"Riley, go back to our room," Harry yelled back at him, running after the other person.
Halfway of Riley going back to his parent's room the lights came back on in the halfway, he waited for them to flicker back off, but this time they stayed on.
"Riley," Dumbledore said as he approached him, " your mother's waiting for you in my office."
Riley nodded and watched as the headmaster continued to walk briskly in the direction of where his father had just headed.
Hermione was sitting at her desk, in her new room. it was a lot smaller than the room she had near her charms class room. She sighed and looked at the pictures on her desk. One was of Alex, the other was when she went to Hogwarts with Harry and Ron.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door, Hermione didn't have to walk far from her desk to the door and could already hear who the voices from outside her door belonged to.
"Ron, I thought you said we were going to get Hermione…" Blaise said as she opened the door.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked looking at the two men standing outside her room.
"You need to come to Dumbledore's office. Now," Ron said looking at her, "I'll explain when we get there."
Alex sat in a large purple armchair and watched her mother's friend pace around the Headmasters office. She was still holding Riley's wand and was feeling guilty for leaving him by himself.
"Riley!" Ginny exclaimed as Alex looked up as the boy entered the office. She stood, but sat back down again as Ginny almost suffocated him in a Weasley hug.
Before any of them could speak, however, Ron entered the office with both Hermione and Blaise, both fully aware of what was happening since Ron couldn't keep anything secret for longer than five minutes.
Hermione immediately headed for her daughter and hugged her tightly.
"Are you alright?"
"They didn't hurt you did they?"
"Which way did they go Riley?"
"What were you doing out so late?"
As Alex heard so many questions, and finally felt the release from her mother, she knew that everything was her fault. If she had of stayed in the common room, then none of this would have happened.
"I'm sorry," she said and everyone in the room turned to look at her.
"What for, you haven't done anything wrong." Blaise said kneeling in front of his daughter.
"If I hadn't left the tower…then none of this would have happened," she said in a small voice and looked at Riley's wand which she as still holding, "Now Professor Potter might get hurt and it's because of me."
"Alex," Blaise paused, he didn't want to upset her even more, "Harry and Dumbledore… they know what their doing. This wasn't your fault." He hugged his daughter, who then crawled into his lap as if she was five, not fifteen.
Hermione picked the wand up that Alex had now dropped and watched as she crawled into her fathers lap.
"Alex," she said, "this isn't your wand."
"That's mine," a polite voice said. Hermione looked up slightly startled as she remembered that Ginny and her son and Ron were also in the room. She handed the boy his wand.
'Thanks," he said stuffing it into his pocket.
"Riley, did you see who it was?" Ron asked him eagerly.
"Ron!" Ginny snapped.
Hermione however was more interest in Riley's answer than Ginny yelling at her older brother, but was slightly disappointed when Riley finally shook his head.
"It's a he though," he stated simply sitting down, just as Dumbledore and Harry entered the office.
"Did you get him?" Ron asked almost automatically.
Dumbledore however did not reply and Hermione felt Blaise stiffen next to her, the same why he would during the war when he knew there was danger near them.
"Well?" Ron asked dumbly.
"Ron," Ginny hissed at him, "shut up."
Dumbledore didn't speak until he sat behind his desk.
'Riley, Alex, could you please wait outside while I talk to you parents," He paused and watched as the two teenagers exited his office into his waiting room.
He put a piece of black parchment on the table. Hermione stared at, recognising it to be the same that had been left in her room.
"The person who was following your children, unfortunately disappeared before either myself or Harry were able to identify them,"
Hermione felt Blaise stiffen again, and unconsciously she put her hand on his knee.
Blaise lent forward,"is he still in the castle?" he asked.
Dumbledore simply nodded, "I believe that it would be best if the children do not return to their dorms tonight. Ron, if you would take Ginny and Riley back to your room, I would like you help along with Harry to search the castle."
"I'll help too, professor." Blaise said.
"No, Blaise, I want you to watch Hermione and Alex until we know the castle is secure." He replied and Blaise nodded.
Hermione, who still had her hand on Blaise's knee, gave out a sigh of relief in knowing that Snape wasn't going to be the only one watching her. Not that he wouldn't have been a good protector, but knowing that Blaise was going to protect her made her feel a lot safer.
Dumbledore continued to talk, but Hermione was now too preoccupied with the way Blaise had slipped his hand gently in hers. She hadn't realised but the entire time she had been shaking, although now she stopped when Blaise squeezed it.
Dumbledore escorted Blaise, Hermione and Alex back to the dungeons.
"I think it would be best if you stayed in Hermione's room, that way Snape will be close aswell," Dumbledore told them as they walked past Blaise's door.
Once inside the small room, the three heard Dumbledore put a locking spell on the outside
Blaise watched as Alex scrambled into her mothers bed, and fell asleep almost immediately, he himself choose to sit in a small armchair and watched as Hermione sat on the small couch.
"Hermione," He whispered, as not to wake his already sleeping daughter, "You should go to bed."
She simply shook her head in reply, "I'm not tired," she whispered back.
They sat in silence, for almost an hour before Blaise finally began to speak.
Careful to avoid her eyes, he asked her the question that had been haunting for weeks now, "Why were you going to leave me?"
"Blaise…What? I-" She stopped when Blaise cut her off.
"I heard you. I didn't mean to, it was an accident, but I heard you tell Ginny you were going to leave me. I want to know why." He said, looking at her now.
Hermione took a deep breath and looked over towards where their daughter was sleeping.
"Blaise, we were young, too young…it wouldn't have worked out anyway," she said in barely a whisper.
"How do you know?" Blaise asked her quietly.
Hermione shook her head, "Blaise I tried so many times to talk myself into not leaving you, but I knew something would go wrong," she looked away from him down at her hands, " and when that night…that night with Ginny happened, it just made it easier for me to leave. That way I could tell myself it wasn't my fault and it didn't hurt so much."
"Hermione," Blaise said, his voice cracking slightly as he moved on to the couch next to her, "I never meant to hurt you."
Hermione looked up from her hands to find Blaise sitting next to her, his face looked so sad and Hermione felt a stab of guilty for causing him the pain.
"I know," She whispered, "I'm sorry I left."
Blaise looked at her, unsure as to what she meant.
"Blaise," she said moving closer to him, "I love you. I always have, I think I always will."
"I love you too," He whispered back as he pulled her closer and kissed her softly on the lips. The soft kiss soon turn more passionate as both Hermione and Blaise realised just how much they had missed the feeling, however movement from across the room caused them both to break apart, each remembering their daughter was only sleeping a few metres away.
Blaise wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him, where she rested her head against his shoulder. Soon both were asleep, content with being in each other's arms.
A/N: Finally some action…. haha…I really enjoyed writing this chapter so I hope you all enjoy reading it!…Review and tell me what you think!
Luv emgurl