Disclamer: Once again I would like to say that none of these characters belong to me. They belong to the unic J. K. Rowlling. I am not trying to take credit for her work. This is just my vision of the world she had created.

Summary: This chapter has more action and drama and the "kiss" will be a surprise to all of you. Hope you enjoy it and please review my story.

"Harry Potter and the Return of the Dark Lord", By cris.carla

II

The Kiss

On the 30th of August, just as it was planned, Harry, Ron and Ginny got ready to go to the Diagon Alley. Convincing Mrs. Weasley to let them go had been arduous and strenuous. They had to literally beg and use all the tactics they knew to soften her at least a bit. Some Wizards had recently disappeared and the fear was spreading fast. Mrs. Weasley feared now more then ever an attack on Harry and on the members of the Order. She was kind of like a big mum to every one of them and she worried about they're safety more then anyone else.

After frustrating hours she had finally agreed in letting them go but under one condition. They had to be accompanied by Bill, Fred and George, during the whole time. The twins had recently joined the Order and Molly couldn't find anyone else available to join Bill so she had to ask them. All the other members of the Order were too occupied gathering information about the Death Eaters whereabouts and recruiting new members for the Order.

Mr Weasley, Lupin and Charlie had a special mission for that day. They had to finish the last arrangements to get the new Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix ready. They had had to leave Grimmauld Place for obvious reasons. Sirius was now dead and the Dark Lord and his followers knew that they used his place for their meetings and even though they could not get in, they could wait to catch them outside.

Dumbledore knew that Kreacher had told them the exact location of the Headquarters so he decided to find another place for the meetings. For now the actual members of the Order where the only ones who knew where it was and that of course did not include three minor wizards whose curiosity was a little hard to control.

The youngsters got up really earley that day because they where all anxious to finally see Hermione again. They ate as fast as they could without choke and as much as they could stand. They knew Molly wouldn't let them leave without watching them eat a very large amount of food. After they finished their meal they had to listen all her recommendations and warnings about their own safety and she only released them after giving a tight hug to each and everyone of them.

Then one by one they entered the fireplace and used the Floo powder. They all ended up at The Leaky Cauldron and rushed in to the Diagon Alley to go and find Hermione. They looked for her at the usual places: at the Fortescue; at the Flourish and Blots; at Madam Malkin's. But they couldn't find her anywhere. Ron had been very grumpy in the last few days and he was getting worse every minute it passed without finding her.

He was so upset that he started swearing and Harry and Ginny quickened their paces so that they could maintain a secure distance from him. A few minutes later Ginny looked behind to see if they where far enough from her brother and she ended up bumping into someone. Ginny looked disgusted at Draco Malfoy and he gave her back a look of disdain. He was of course sided by Crabbe and Goyle and he was smirking at them.

"Gross! " said Malfoy "Now I'm going to have to disinfect myself you little weasel" Ginny gave him a furious look.

"Shut up Malfoy or I will take that smile of your face with my fist."

"Look! Potty is here too. Decided to take a walk with your little weasel girlfriend? Her family must be very proud after all she's dating the scar head and God knows they love a filth blooded."

"You are really disgusting. You are the one who would have to pay to make a girl notice you." Malfoy tried to grasp his wand But Harry was quicker.

"Don't even think about it you little Death Eater miniature."

Draco's face turned red and Crabbe and Goyle were giving menacing looks at Harry and Ginny.

"One of these days Potter." Said Malfoy gritting his teeth "One of these days…"

But Malfoy didn't have the chance to finish his sentence because he hit the floor when someone pushed him very hard.

" Get of my way you smelly ferret."

Ron had just tossed Draco into the air and he had continued swearing without even stopping. Bill, Fred and George that had been left behind by Ron were now laughing hard at that scene. Draco Malfoy's blond hair was all messy and his clothes were wrinkled and filthy. Goyle and Crabbe where trying to get him up but he kept stepping on his robes and falling down again.

"Laugh while you can you Mudblood lovers. But it won't be for long. He has arisen once again and he will show no mercy to blood traitor wizards like you."

Harry and his friends stopped laughing. They all knew he was right about what he was saying. The Dark Lord was known to be unmerciful and he was now ready for payback. As it was they were obviously the number one targets of his vengeance.

"Funny" said Malfoy " I don't see the Mudblood Granger. I wonder where she is and if she's still breathing. Who knows? Maybe the Dark Lord has already taken care of her. I know he wants to do it with his bare hands."

Suddenly Draco was on the ground again and a very furious Ron was looking down on him.

"How dare you threatening Hermione's life? How dare you?" Malfoy's nose was now bleeding and he looked pretty scared "If he dares… If he touches one of her hairs I will kill him. I swear will."

Crabbe and Goyle finally got Draco up.

"Don't make me laugh!" said Malfoy, but his voice was trembling "Do you really think you would stand a chance against the greatest wizard of all times?" Ron raised his fists at him and Malfoy's bodyguards got ready to protect him. He was obviously in disadvantage so Bill decided to intervene.

"Cut it out! And as for you" He said looking at Malfoy get lost and take your lousy bodyguards with you."

The Slytherin's did not hesitate and left as quickly as they could. Bill was twenty-five and he was an experienced wizard. They knew he could hex them all in a second. Ron was not going to let them get away with it but Bill stopped him from following them.

"Let them go. They're not worth it." But when Ron looked at him he could tell from the look in his eyes that he was in angst and he had to do something about it.

"Look Little Brother. I'm sure she's fine. Don't worry OK? We will find her. I bet she's just having the fun of her life in some knew bookshop and she forgot about us. Let's go find her now Ok?"

As they continued their search Harry's heart kept getting smaller and smaller. He knew the others were feeling the same way by the look on their faces but Ron seemed to be beyond that, he seemed distraught. It was obvious now for every one of them that Ron's feelings towards Hermione where much deeper than a simple friendship. He was empty when she was not around and he was nothing without her.

Harry looked at his watch it was twelve o'clock already and no sign of Hermione. Ron wanted to keep looking but Bill convinced him to go to the Leacky Cauldron to grab a bite. They ate a few sandwiches and they were off again. They all knew by then that she was simply not there but none of them had the courage to talk. Then suddenly Ron started running.

"Hermione!" He screamed " Hermione wait."

The rest of the group followed Ron as he started chasing the siluet of a girl that could only be Hermione. She had the same hair and the same way of running. But why was she running away from them. Maybe someone had her under the Imperius curse. In that case she was probably leading them to a trap but there was nothing Harry could do. Ron was running like hell and he was not going to listen to what he had to say.

The girl entered the Leaky Cauldron and Ron went after her with the rest of the group following him close. When Harry sighted Ron again he was leaving the Inn. They followed him and entered the Muggle Street that was crowded at that time of the day. They went on street after street until their feet got tired of running.

Harry's heart was pounding and he could hardly breathe. After a while he noticed that they were now on narrowed and deserted streets. Suddenly Ron stopped, the girl had just disappeared from their sights. The sunlight was fading even though it was just four o'clock and the air got cold all of a sudden. Ginny came closer to Harry and she was shivering so he put an arm around her to warm her a bit and when he looked at her she was flushed. She mumbled something about asking Bill for advise and she freed herself from his embrace.

Fred and George approached Harry, they had obviously noticed what had just happened and they where surely going to tease him.

"Hey Harry! Are you and Ginny having a secret romance?" asked George smirking.

"Well. It's not very secret. I mean they're making out in public." said Fred grinning.

"We were just talking, that's all."

"Talking with your arms around her? Is that what you call it nowadays?"

Harry said nothing and went to check on Ron.

"Ron, are you OK?

"She was right in front of me and I lost her." Said Ron looking around confused.

Without warning the daylight was gone and all went pitch black. The air froze instantly and Harry knew what was going to happen next.

"Dementors" screamed Harry and they all grasped their wands.

But none of them was ready to face a Dementor, not even Bill. Harry was the only one who knew how to make an effective "Patronus" and it was up to him to keep them away from his friends. And, though he knew it would be extremely difficult to have a happy thought, he would use all his energy, all his concentration because Ginny was there. He had to be strong for her.

Without prior notice Harry fell down on his knees. His mother was screaming on his head and Sirius was falling down behind the veil. He was about to faint but then he looked at Ginny's face she was terrorized. He took a deep breath and he put all his thoughts on the moment he had put his arms around her.

" EXPECTO PATRONUM!" he screamed.

A weak light sprang of his wand it was not much but it drove away the nearest Dementors. It was their chance to run off.

"Lumus!" screamed Bill into the darkness " Follow me."

The others did as they were told but the Dementors were too many. Harry didn't know what more could he do. His Patronus was fading and he couldn't concentrate with his mum's screams reverberating in his head. The creatures were now surrounding him and all was lost. He looked up for Ginny but she was lying on the floor unconscious.

She had an expression of pure horror on her face. Surely the Dementors had made her remind of the dark days when she had been under the control of Tom Riddle. She had almost died at his hands back then and that had been extremely disturbing. Ron was right next too her and he looked terrified, his little sister was there on the ground and he was powerless to help her.

Suddenly one of the dreadful creatures' approached Ron and he began to scream. The Dementor was about to "kiss" Ron and Harry panicked when it started sucking his friends' soul out. He tried to conjure the "Patronus" again but he couldn't. They were all going to die and there was nothing he could do about that. Voldemort had won. He had taken his parents and Sirius away and he had marked him for life. Ron's life was leaving his body and all of them would soon perish.

Then a silvery Unicorn came out of nowhere and repelled the Dementor that was sucking Ron's soul. He then chased off the other ones 'till they were all gone. When the danger had passed the Unicorn disappeared.

The darkness slowly faded away and Harry could see they where all OK. Ginny had already came round and Ron was less pale. He then took out of his pocket some chocolate bars he usually carried just in case and gave a piece to everyone. The Unicorn Patronus had saved them but who could have conjured it? The answer to that question came when a little familiar voice came from behind them.

"Are you OK Ronald?" they all turned around astonished.

The voice belonged to no other then Luna Lovegood. A man stood right next too her with a shocked expression. By the resemblances it had to be her father.

" Ronald?" she sounded extremely worried.

" Yes. I… I am." stammered Ron and she smiled in relief.

" Are you all OK." asked the man who was next to her.

They all nodded confirming.

" My little Luna really is brilliant, isn't she?"

" Yes, she is." said Ginny smiling at Luna "She saved us from those dreadful creatures"

"It was nothing!" said Luna with her usual dreamy look."

The man was her father indeed and after the introductions and the thanks came the explanations. Apparently Luna and her father were looking for a muggle shop when she had spotted them and as she was about to greet them the creatures had emerged in front of them and they all knew what had happened next. They then decided to head back to the Leaky Cauldron. They would be much safer there.

Ron, Luna and her father were walking ahead and the others were a little far away and Harry noticed that his friend was giving Luna a look of admiration, respect even affection. They were walking in silence for quite some time when Luna's father asked in a cheered voice.

"So you're the boy my daughter is always talking about. She has a great admiration for you and she told me all about your past deeds."

"Well…" said Harry in a small voice looking a little embarrassed "It was nothing really. I just..."

"It was nothing really." said Ron in a casual tone of voice but the others could tell he had been flattered with the complement.

Harry felt so embarrassed he wished he could die in the spot. Luna's father was not talking to him but to Ron. He looked around maybe he had spoken so softly that nobody had heard him. But then Fred and George started laughing hysterically and he knew that they would tease him to death. Ginny was smiling too and only Bill seemed not to have heard what he said.

Ron was having a cheerful conversation with Mr. Loveggood and by the time they arrived at the Inn it was pretty obvious that he knew everything about Ron. Apparently Luna had been talking a lot about Ron and her father had obviously noticed that.

Harry knew a person that was going to be furious with all that. He felt his stomach squeeze. That girl was not Hermione he was sure of that. Someone had used someone who looked like her to lead them into a trap. But where was the real Hermione. Where was his friend? Maybe Malfoy had told them the truth? No, Harry refused to believe that. The best he could do was sending Hedwig to find her. She would find her he was sure of it. As soon as they arrived at the Burrow he would send his Owl to look for her.

They said goodbye to Luna and her father and Harry grasped some Floo Pouder. He wanted to be the first to get inside the fireplace.

"Hold on, Hermione." Thought Harry as he stepped into the fireplace " Hold on."

A/N:So, Have you enjoyed it? I hope you have. I had a lot of fun writing it. Once again I ask you to please review it so that I know your opinion.

I woul like to thank Purinsu Endymion, She-Elfgirl for your flattering reviews and to xlostangelx for ading this story to the alerts list.

Thanks also to all the others who read it.

Evryone of you have made a little piece of my dream come true.