Disclaimer: If I were J.K. Rowling, all these characters would be mine... But I'm not, which is probably why she's the millionaire.

Chapter ten: Awakenings

Her entire body ached as she came around. There was a flurry around her when they realized that she was awake. Hermione tried to focus at the black-haired blob before her. "Harry?"

"Jesus, Hermione." Harry expelled a withheld breath. "What possessed you to stupefy yourself...I mean what the fuck?"

"Language, Harry dear."

"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley."

Hermione felt the familiar warmth and love of Molly's hug. "My dear, dear child." Tears fell from Molly's eyes unto Hermione's bed.

"Where am I?"

"Apparently your favorite place to be, Miss Granger." Headmaster Dumbledore stepped closer so that the young witch would not have to struggle to focus. "The infirmary."

"Uh, Hermione...You stupefied yourself for God knows why." Harry fell back in to a chair in relief.

"I had to get away. Malfoy was reaching for a portkey. I had to stop him and I know that I couldn't stun him. So-"

"You decided the best method would be to stupefy yourself, of course what was I thinking?"

"Better than dead." With her surroundings in complete focus, Hermione could see the look on Harry's face. "Look I'm not hurt, just stunned-"

"As you knew that you would be." Dumbledore smiled at his Head Girl. "The potion...I suppose that you have read up on the subject."

"Yes, the baby is protected from magic remember, Harry? As for myself, well, I've been through much worse... I was really hoping that I would have stunned Malfoy as well... Where is he?" Molly's eyes flooded with tears again. Harry clenched his jaw in anger. "He didn't...couldn't have... escaped?"

"I'm afraid that Lucius Malfoy is also a fugitive just as his son is... Harry-" Dumble started but knew better than to stop the wizard from leaving.

"And the twins? Are they alright?" Hermione's eyes began to water as she took in the reactions. Molly sobbed as Dumbledore gravely placed a supporting hand on her shoulder. "Please, Professor, what is it?"

"Lucius cast a dark invocation spell intending to hit Fred. George took the attack for him-"

"Yes, I remember... George?"

"Lucius cast the Charon Donum curse. Calling upon a carrier of souls to take-" Dumbledore paused as Molly sobbed even harder. "George's soul has been taken and delivered to Voldemort as a gift."

Hermione shook her head. "No... George."

"There is still hope for him...We must remember this, Molly. George still lives and will as long as his soul is kept..."

"You mean as long as Voldemort lives?" Hermione gasped, realizing the implications. "We must let him live long enough for us to figure a way to retrieve George's soul?" The wise wizard nodded as Hermione clung to Molly in a reassuring embrace. "Where is he?"

"Come, sweetheart. He's in the bed beyond your curtain." Molly smiled bravely as she helped Hermione stand.

She saw Angelina first. Leaning over Fred's back in a strong embrace, she looked angry. When Angelina saw Hermione, she stood up and embraced her. "Hermione, been awhile."

"Yes, it has...Fred?" She knelt beside him to try and meet his eyes. Hermione tried to hold back a gasp when she looked at the face of the usually jovial twin.

Fred stared at the floor in a disturbing state of shock. Every ounce of laughter and good spirits was gone when he felt George leave him. He clutched his twin's surprisingly warm hand and refused to move at all. Angelina knelt opposite Hermione and placed her hand over her fiance's hand, causing him to flinch but not enough to make him acknowledge either of the two witches. "He's been like this since he regained consciousness. Just sat up, walked over here and without saying a word took his hand... He's my best friend, 'Mione...And it's like, like his soul's gone too. I guess in a way it is. When I imagine our lives years down the road, I can't imagine it without George there as well; can't imagine Fred without him. Until we figure a way for George to get his soul back..." Hermione looked at Angelina, just as she quickly wiped the only tear that she allowed to escape. "We'll loose them both."

Harry knew where he'd be. His sobs could be heard from the stands as he circled the Quidditch field. Unable to watch or listen any longer, Harry called out. "Ron!"

Moments later, Harry and Ron were sitting in the team trenches. "Listen Ron, I'm sorry about George."

"Fucking Malfoys. First Draco rapes 'Mione and gets her pregnant, then Lucius destroys George and Fred... Did you see how Fred is? I'm tired of this and it hasn't even started yet...I wanna kill them. Both of them..."

"So do I." Ron turned to Harry in surprise. "Yeah, I want to kill them too. Draco, for everything he's done to Hermione and Lucius for putting me in an even bigger bind. All this training to kill Voldemort and I can't. Not until we save George. Maybe I shouldn't say this to you, I don't even know why I am... What if's time and he still owns George's soul? I can't kill someone that I've come to love as a brother."

"You won't have to. I'm sure Hermione and Dumbledore will find a way-"

"Then why are still you crying?" Harry stood and began to pace. "We've let the Malfoys get away too many times. I'm tired of waiting for the fight to come to us. I want blood and I will get it."

"Why are you saying this to me?" Ron asked, although he already knew the answer.

"I just thought that you would be interested in some revenge. I could use the practice with the 'Great Battle' coming around the corner. What do you say?"

The red-haired wizard jumped to his feet. "I'm in."

"Me too." Both turned and gaped in surprise at their former captain.

"Angelina!" Harry shook his head violently. "No, this isn't for you."

"How do you figure? Ron, you can avenge your brothers, Harry, you're going to get Draco. What about my desire to avenge Fred? You can avenge your fiancee but I can't mine?" Pulling up a commanding presence that she never really mastered as Quidditch captain, Angelina held her ground. "You can't shake me, so don't even try. Remember I know enough of your plans to inform Dumbledore or worse, Molly."

Ron and Harry looked insulted. "We could use the help." Ron reasoned, or more like gave in and Harry nodded.

Angelina smiled and uncrossed her arms. "Great! I know just where to begin..."

Bill Weasley walked towards the infirmary in huge strides. He was not angry, just determined to get to his brothers as quickly as possible. He paused for a moment by a set of windows that overlooked the Quidditch field where he swore that he saw three people fly away from the fields towards Hogsmeade but did not have time to think much about it. Entering the hospital ward, the eldest son walked towards his parents, hugging both of them and pulling Ginny into his lap as he sat on a chair. He heard already that George was stable but nothing could have prepared him for Fred, who still had not moved from his position beside his other half.

Bill smiled at Hermione who had returned from the library with several books that were obviously from the Restricted Section. Dumbledore must have given her access. Just as studious as the Head Girl, he quickly accio'd a book and began to read through as Ginny placed her head on his shoulder.

"He's watching. He's ready for you to come and avenge me." Ginny and book fell from his lap as all gathered around George.

"Who's watching, George?" Bill looked to Fred, hoping for some sort of reaction; none came. "George?" The moment had passed. George continued to lay as he were. "Who is waiting?"

"Voldemort," Hermione answered as she read from a book. "'Once accepted, the soul that was offered is bound to it's Keeper until its release from the Keeper or through the Keeper's death. It has been known that souls can retain it's strength by attaching to the Keeper.' Voldemort thinks that we'll go seeking revenge. Who would do so without the Headmaster's consent?"

"Who else always does things without consent as if he were above the law?" A vicious snarl indicated Professor Snape's presence. "Who also has not been seen for awhile?"

Molly's eyes widened. "Harry! Wait...Has anyone seen Ron?"

"Angelina's gone to find them," Hermione started. "But she hasn't returned yet."

"Ron, Angelina, and Harry." It hit Bill suddenly. "Oh, shit!"

A/N: Sooooo sorry for the lapse in updating. I'm suddenly getting kicked in the rear work and with some other stuff, I've just been really busy. This will hopefully be the longest lapse in updating but don't quote me on that. Also, I know that the summary said that Harry would not leave her side and that was what I intended but the more I thought about it, the more I realized. This is Harry Potter... and there is no way that he would stand around with all this drama happening, am I right or am I right? Great, now I need to update my summary... aw crud!

P.S.: One of my reviews included a censored reaction to Hermione stupefying herself. Seemed like an honest reaction (I'm big on those!) so I threw in the not so censored reaction from Harry. Thanx to all who've added me to faves (stories and author) an everlasting gobstopper of love to those who are sticking w/me on this and continue to review. Yay, team! See ya!