Chapter 2: Gone!

Editing is fun! Anyways, thanks for reading! Enjoy and don't forget to review!

It was only nine in the morning when Cat woke up. She was surprised that her mother hadn't already tried to wake her up for breakfast, which Hermione was very prompt about getting on the table by nine. Cat was also aware that Lavender and Ron were visiting that day, which meant that Hermione would have woken her daughter up even earlier to help her tidy up their house a bit. But, ignoring that, Catlyn got out of her bed and went into Hermione's room to see if she was there. In seeing that she wasn't, she went downstairs to look for her mother. Panic began to fill her as she searched the whole house for even a note from her mother, but nothing was found.

"Mummy? Mum, where are you? Mum, please stop hiding! Come out, please! Please come out!" Catlyn cried out, tears streaming from her eyes. She curled up into a little ball in the living room, crying hard into her knees out of fear, panic, and worry.

"Hermione? Catlyn?" called Lavender's voice, the back door opening. Lavender and Ron soon appeared with their daughter Madison and son Kyle right next to them. "Catlyn sweetie, what's wrong? Where's Hermione?" Lavender asked, seeing the child curled up in a ball.

"I can't find my Mum! She's gone!" Catlyn wailed. Lavender rushed over to the girl and enveloped her in a huge, Madison gently petting the hair of her friend in attempt to calm her.

"I'm sure Hermione wouldn't just leave you. She must have left a note," Lavender said, looking around for any sight of Hermione.

"I looked everywhere! She's gone! My Daddy left me and now my Mummy has!" Catlyn cried into the shoulder of Lavender.

"That's impossible, Cat. Hermione loves you more then your father ever could have and I'm sure that there is a good explanation for all of this," Ron said. He could feel his blood boil in anger at the reminder that his best friend had left his past secret crush heartbroken and pregnant. He hated Harry for first stealing Hermione and then leaving her.

"But she's gone!" Catlyn said, looking at Ron with red, wet eyes.

"Daddy, why would Aunt Hermy just leave Cat?" Kyle asked his father, tugging at his pants.

"Hermione didn't leave Cat. I'm sure of it," Lavender told her son.

"Lav, stay here with the kids. I'm going get Ginny over here. Maybe she knows what happened. After all, Colin and her live just down the street," Ron said. Ginny had indeed married Colin Cleverly, the romance having blossomed in their 7th year. Ginny was one of the main supports of Hermione during Catlyn's first year so she figured it would be best if she lived nearby if anything happened.

Ron returned moments later with Ginny and Colin, their son Paul with them. Ginny rushed over to her godchild to help Lavender and Madison console her. Lavender told her the only information that she had gathered from Catlyn and Ginny sat there, trying to think of where her best friend could be. She suddenly came to a harsh realization.

"Oh Ron, you don't think she could have been…?" Ginny asked, looking up at her brother.

"No Ginny, don't even suggest that! That's too much for us to handle right now," Ron insisted.

"But it's possible," Ginny insisted.

"She's right Ron. It's a possibility. After all, it's not as though they'd ignore her what with her history and everything," Lavender said.

"But that doesn't justify why they took Hermione. Wouldn't Catlyn have been the wiser choice? Or better yet, Amber?" Colin asked.

"Obviously they know of their history together. I'm almost fully positive he knows about Catlyn and what happened between them after news got to him. She's a useless target. And besides, he's always wanted revenge on her for our Hogwarts days. We all knew that one day he'd strike out against her," Ron replied. The adults in the room all exchanged worried glances, the four children completely clueless.

"What?" Catlyn asked, looking at them all.

"Ron! Stop talking like that! She'll figure it out and get even more scared," Lavender snapped.

"What are you talking about Aunt Lavender?" Catlyn asked the Gryffindor alumni.

"Someone just tell the poor child. She has a right to know," Colin said.

"Listen Cat, there is a really good possibility that your mother was kidnapped by the new Dark Lord in order to lure your father to them," Ron asked to the girl reluctantly.

"Who's my father?" Catlyn asked. The adults all exchanged nervous looks, knowing that telling her would affect her whole life.

"Harry Potter!" Madison happily offered. Lavender and Ron groaned slightly at the big mouth of their little girl.

"No he isn't! Mum hates him. You're just a big liar," Catlyn insisted.

"She's not lying, Cat. It's all true. But I'm sure that your mother will be home soon once the Dark Lord realizes that she isn't good bait. Harry would never come for her," Lavender said.

"No! You're all lying! Harry Potter is a great man! He'd never leave my mum. He'd never leave me!" Catlyn cried out in disbelief. Catlyn broke away from the women with tears streaming down her face.

"Oh Cat," Ginny said, reaching out for the girl. Catlyn pulled back roughly.

"Get away from me! Don't touch me! You're all liars!" Catlyn screamed.

"Cat…"

"No! Get away!"

"You heard the child; leave her alone," a voice said calmly from the door. Everyone turned in shock to see the person that they all loathed. He was tall with unruly black hair, emerald green eyes behind glasses, and a thin, lighting bolt shaped scar that was a trophy from his very first triumph.

"Harry, how in the world did you find this place? Why are you here?" Ron asked.

"I had Hermione tracked down by the Ministry. We have to sort out this whole business with our child," Harry said. He looked around the room. "Where is Hermione? And why is Catlyn screaming at you all?"

"None of your business. Leave this house now," Lavender snapped, glaring at Harry through her brown eyes.

"It is my business. Hermione is one of my best friends and Catlyn is my daughter," Harry said with equal hatred in his voice.

"How could you ever say that? You haven't been around for seven years to take care of your supposed 'best friend' and a child that you're just now claiming is yours," Ginny snapped now.

"You're Harry Potter?" Catlyn asked, looking up at the much taller man. Harry looked down and examined the child. Her face structure was much like that of any innocent child, beautiful and flawless. Her hair was a dark honey color and in a mass of curls. As of those features, she looked very much like Hermione. But her eyes were what gave her away for being a Potter child. They were surrounded by a golden hazel, but nevertheless, they were as green as his.

"I am," Harry replied calmly. Catlyn suddenly kicked him with a furry.

"Mum said never to talk to you! You're mean and cruel and horrible for leaving my Mummy and me! I hate you!" Catlyn shouted at him, running up to her room.

The sound of Catlyn's door slamming was soon followed by an amused chuckle. Now standing in the doorway was a beautiful woman with dark red-brown hair and amber eyes, one of her hands going up to rest on Harry's shoulder. "I told you she'd be a spoiled brat and that that mother of hers would turn her against you," She said in a smooth voice.

"She seemed really upset about something Amber," Harry replied.

"Oh, so you're Amber Potter. I've read so much about you and seen so many pictures, but none give justice to the conniving gold-digger bitch that you really are," Ginny said, not editing herself, even in the presence of her child and family. She had wanted for years to let her anger out at the woman who had hurt her best friend so much and she wasn't going to back away from the chance just because her three-year-old son was listening.

"Why yes I am. And who might you all be? I'm almost positive that the Ministry report said that only Granger and the child live here," Amber asked in an almost mocking voice.

"I'm Colin Cleverly and this is my wife Ginevera and our son Paul," Colin said.

"Of course we've already meet, but you haven't meet my wife Lavender and our children Madison and Kyle," Ron said. Ron and Amber had worked in the same division during the war with Harry. They had always had their difference and Ron was furious that she had driven Harry away from Hermione.

"Well darling, aren't you going to introduce you're family?" Amber asked.

"Of course, dear. This is my wife Amber as you all know and these are our children, Delila and Corria," Harry said. Two little girls came forward and everyone was sure that they were the exact replica of what Amber looked like as a child. They bore no resemblance to Harry.

"Charming," Lavender managed to spit out, although she could have cared less.

"Now that we all know each other, would anyone mind filling me in? I need to talk to Hermione about Catlyn. Apparently Catlyn still bears my last name is her legal one and I'd like it to be dropped from the title," Harry said.

"Well, Mr. Cold Hearted, Hermione's not here. Catlyn woke up to find her gone," Ginny said.

"Where is she?" Harry asked, getting impatient.

"She was kidnapped," Colin said.

"What do you mean by that? Who would want to steal her? If anything, they should have gone for the kid," Amber said.

"We mean she was taken in the middle of the night. I'm going out on a limb here to assume that you're both intelligent enough to figure out where she was taking," Ginny replied.

"You can't be serious. Why would they take her?" Harry asked, bewildered.

"Yes we are serious, and to lure you obviously!" Ron replied.

"What makes him think that I'd go after her?" Harry asked, sounding absolutely revolted at the idea.

"You mean you're not going?" Ginny and Lavender exclaimed at the same time.

"Of course I'm not going! I could lose my life fighting for someone that I don't even care about anymore. Besides, it could be a trap. They might be trying to lure me to a location so that they can kidnap Amber in her weak state," Harry said.

"Weak state? The woman is hardly a few months pregnant. I can recall Hermione fighting off Death Eaters when she was eight months pregnant with your daughter," Lavender said.

"Every woman is different with pregnancy, Lavender. Amber wouldn't be strong enough to fight off Death Eaters if they came to my home while I was gone trying to save Granger," Harry said. Ron, Ginny, and Lavender winced slightly when Harry referred to Hermione that way. She hadn't called her that in years.

"So you're basically telling us that you'd rather risk Hermione's life and Catlyn's in order to save your own? And who cares about Amber? Hire some wizards to watch the house while you're gone if you think she can't cast a simple spell to protect your sorry-arse family," Ron said. When Harry just shrugged, Ron glared at him. "I thought I knew you better, Harry. I seem to remember a time when you told me that you loved her and would do anything for her. I slept better and managed to move on knowing that Hermione would be safe and loved with you. Had I ever known this would happen, I probably wouldn't have ever given her up to you." Lavender tried to hide the hurt she felt as her husband expressed his past feeling for Hermione but also understood that Ron did truly love her.

"I don't need this right now. I'm leaving," Harry said, turning and leaving the house. When he Apparated to the outside of his house, he summoned his broom.

"Harold James Potter, where the hell do you think you're going?" Amber demanded as her husband mounted his broom.

"I'm going to save Hermione," Harry replied.

"What? You're going to leave me here all alone with the girls just so you can go after some whore who claims that her bastard is your child? Our girls are ours and so is this baby, and that we have proof of! For all we know, the Mudblood could be lying and just taking advantage of you!" Amber said.

"Don't ever call her those types of names again," Harry said, readying his hand to smack his wife at the insult she bestowed upon his lover. He stopped himself though, knowing that his girls were already scared with the behavior of their parents. Without another word, he sped off.

"Prepare yourself, Malfoy," he sneered into the sky.

-End! Well, what did you think? Better or worse? Please review! Thanks!

-Serenity