Hermione awoke with her book lying upon her chest. She looked around the room. Apparently she had fallen asleep reading. She glanced over to the clock. 6:30 AM. Her shop didn't open for another hour and a half. She creased her brow in confusion. She looked back over at her clock noticing her alarm hadn't been turned on. Her crease deepened. But then she heard a small tap on the window. She sat up quickly the covers falling off her shoulders, and she looked over at the window. Percy's owl stood on the window seal gently tapping his beak against the glass. She stood from her bedside as if automatically, her skirt from the day before awkwardly sticking to her legs. She walked to the window, looking down only to see Percy waving up at her a smirk on his face. She unlocked and pushed up the window yanking the letter from the owl's beak ignoring his squawk of indignation. She slammed the window back down before the bird could fly in. Hermione looked out the window one last time and saw Percy's smirk widen to a sadistic grin, obviously forcing to hold back laughter. She walked back over to the bed slowly opening the letter as she walked. She slipped it out and sat back down on her bed. She opened it slowly.

My beautiful Hermione,

I had a good laugh when I realized you placed an anti-apperating spell upon your shop. Very clever, my dear. But do you honestly believe that a simple spell like that can keep me out? If so you really underestimate me, my love. Nothing could keep me away from you. Oh yes, that reminds me. I must congratulate you on your Gemini spell. Of course I made a few modifications to it. For example, I can see through my clone's eyes, and hear what he hears. And he reciprocates my motions. It is quite realistic as you have seen if you looked out the window. Where am I then, you ask. Oh, don't worry beautiful, you'll find out soon enough. Won't you do me a favor babe? Give Amor some treats. I want him to like you. Oh and I suggest you get ready. You're almost too late to open your adorable shop.

Percy.

She stared at the letter slightly hyperventilating. She shoved her wand into her skirt grabbing a jacket and running down the stairs and out the door. The echoing sound of laughter urging her on.

Harry opened the door, his hair up in ever direction and his glasses slightly askew.

"Hermione," he asked groggily, "what are you doing here?"

She pushed past him and into his house. "Ron told you right?" she asked going into his kitchen and searching the cupboards for the relaxing tea she had bought Harry for Christmas the past year.

"Told me what?" he asked sitting down at his table and putting his head on his folded arms.

"Percy is back." She said coldly.

"WHAT?" Harry asked immediately awake, sitting up and twisting to turning to face her. "Are you ok? Has he tried anything? You have to--"

Hermione cut him off. "Tell Dumbledore or someone."

"Well… yah."

She sighed as she heated up the water. "I didn't want to, but I think it's the only way."

Harry stood wrapping his arms around her waist. "Are you going to be ok?" he asked.

She rested her head back on his shoulder. "Not really," she said softly, fighting back tears. Now that she was close to someone she knew that cared about her, it felt as if her strength was slipping away and her real emotions were resurfacing. "Here." She slipped the letter into his hands as she loosened his hands from her waist to take the tea off the stove. Harry opened the parchment.

"Hermione there is nothing on this paper."

"What?" she asked looking over the top of the paper. Sure enough there were no letters of any kind on it. She took the paper from his hand and searched it for words. There were none. "Harry…" she said looking up at him after a few moments. "I swear to you it was a letter."

"Hermione, I believe you thought you saw words on this paper."

She looked at him sharply. "What are you saying, I'm crazy?"

He backed down. "No way, just… tired."

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Uh huh."

"What else would it be?" he asked her doubtingly.

"Invisible ink? Or maybe a spell that once it was read the words would disappear." She thought, brainstorming aloud.

"Hermione you know that's far fetched."

"This is PERCY for god sakes. Percy, the 'you will be mine' Percy. Of course it's far fetched, Percy himself is far fetched." She said, slipping slightly into hysteria.
He placed his hands gently on her shoulders. "Ok, so maybe it's whatever you said. Then what? We have no proof."

"Isn't this proof enough?"

"What?" he asked unsure of what she was talking about.

"Me freaking out. You know I'm always levelheaded. But when it comes to Percy I just… I can't be myself. Because he changed me. He made me… like this. And I've tried to heal, but him coming back is just tearing me open all over again. Please Harry."

He nodded, "Ok."

At that moment Ron walked through the door.

"Ron!" She said rushing over to him. "Why didn't you tell Harry Percy is back?"

He stopped. "Percy's back? Are you ok? Has he--"

"Tried anything. You have to tell Dumbledore or someone."

He looked at her. "Yah."

"Ron, we've had this conversation before. Remember? Outside my shop before the Death Eaters attacked?"

"No…" he said gently.

She saw Harry get up out of the corner of her eye. He walked over to the sink filling it up to do the dishes. She turned on her hell to face him. "Harry." she said expectantly.

He didn't answer her.

"Harry, what do you know that you aren't telling me?" she asked.

"Nothing." he said, ducking his head down.

"Harry. You're doing the dishes. You never do the dishes unless you're hiding something. Now tell me before I hurt you."

He turned around his body tense with the instinctive fight or flight impulse. He was preparing to run. "I think you told Malfoy, not Ron.

She looked at him clearly showing her disbelief. "Uh-huh. And Ron here is the Easter bunny."

Ron looked offended.

"No Hermione. See… Malfoy works for us, works with us I mean. I slip him Ron's hair and he uses polyjuice to tell me what the death eaters are going to do."

She paused and sat down wrapping her hands around the mug of her forgotten tea. She took a sip calmly. "And you knew about this too?" she asked Ron.

"NO! Not in the least bit." He said his eyes wide and denying.

"Oh, come on Ron. How did I get your hair then?"

"You pulled it out when I was sleeping." he said defensively.

"You guys, shut up. I don't care who knew. I just hurts that no one thought it was important enough to tell me." She took another sip not looking at either of them.

"'Mione, we couldn't tell you, he made us promise."

She sighed. "Whatever, it doesn't matter now. What matters is Percy is in my shop. Right now. And I can't go back."

"Why not?" Ron asked obliviously.

Harry shot him a look.

"What?"

Harry turned back to Hermione. "If you want, I can go over to your shop and check to see if he's gone."

"That would be perfect Harry. Thank you."

Harry sat beside her. "You know Ron could drink some Goyle polyjuice and tell Malfoy about Percy."

"Well he knows." Ron said.

"No I mean about where he is and how bad it is getting." Harry said.

Ron sighed. "Fine."

"No." she said quietly, her hands tightening around the cup.

"What?" Ron asked.

"I'll drink it." She said looking forward towards nothing.

"No!" Ron said.

"It's too dangerous, Hermione."

She looked at him determined. "Well that's just too bad."

A/N: Review