Dear Wizarding Britain
Disclaimer: I own nothing. I'm not even sure I can claim the plot, since I have read plenty of fanfics that go along with what I'm currently thinking about as I write this.
Warnings: I'm not sure if this chapter will be triggering for anyone or not, there is an almost rape, but it's interupted. The scene is marked with ******** in case anyone wants to skip past it.
A/N: Sorry about the missing asterisks, I've replaced them with a bunch of Xs, so hopefully those show up.
It was now the month of December. Three months had passed since Harry Potter had washed his hands of Wizarding Britain and his life had never been more peaceful, the presence of the Weasley twins with him on the island notwithstanding.
The arrival of the twins had come as a bit of a surprise, but he was definitely glad for the company. Dobby and Winky weren't really the best of conversationalists after all, though he did try his best to educate them on speaking better English.
Thankfully, the twins' arrival was not an indication of their being in danger, they just didn't feel the need to remain in Britain any longer, as they felt that Harry was more their family than anyone else. The three of them were currently making plans to open up a new shop, but under a new name; however, the name of the shop was still up in question, because anything too obvious would only lead their enemies to them.
Harry shook his head as he watched the twins squabble back and forth. Finally he cast a silencing charm on them both and said, "Look, regardless of what we call the shop, the fact remains that if we set up a new joke shop, using the same products no less, you may as well be waving a fucking flag that says, 'Here we are.'" Then he rolled his eyes when he saw the twins' eyes finally light up and then dim in comprehension and disappointment.
After Harry removed the silencing charms, Fred sighed audibly and George frowned and then asked, "Then what do you suggest we do? We have all of our inventory with us, it's been our life's work to open and run a joke shop."
Giving an understanding smile, Harry said, "I know. Look, mates, I suggest you continue to run your joke shop business under the current name, just do it by owl order and make sure your location cannot be traced." Then he got a gleam in his eye, "But I'm also suggesting that we open a shop other than a joke shop under a new name and assumed identities."
Fred frowned in thought, "But what would we sell in the new shop, and what would we call it?"
"That's the question, isn't it?" Harry responded. When the twins didn't respond, Harry sighed and said, "Look. I obviously don't need money. I have enough to last me several lifetimes, even if I have loads of little Potters. You know I have no problems with sharing with you two, you're my family."
George frowned and said, "Well, yeah, but we want to be able to take care of ourselves, not rely on someone else for handouts."
"Yeah, we're not Ron," Fred agreed.
Rolling his eyes, Harry responded in exasperation, "I get that you want to support yourselves. I support your decision to do so wholeheartedly."
"But?" Fred asked curiously.
Harry shrugged and said, "I'm only trying to say that we've got time to decide on the other shop. Sell the rest of your inventory through owl order, and relax and train with me during your down time. I'll even help tutor you so that you can pass as muggles and perhaps be able to go to a university for a business degree."
"I don't quite fancy more schooling," George said with a frown.
"Dammit, George, I'm not telling you to go back to school, I'm just trying to tell you that you have time and options." Harry said in frustration. "Hell, if you get a muggle business education, you could open up a muggle joke shop, if you are really set on having a joke shop. The idiots in Britain would never see any coincidence in a pair of muggle twins running a joke shop in the muggle world. It would be as if you're pranking them by hiding in plain sight."
George's expression turned rather thoughtful after Harry's rant, and Harry noticed Fred looking rather thoughtful, too.
Fred, in a rare show of diplomacy said, "Let's table this for now. You've given us some things to think about. You are our business partner after all, and we do value your opinion."
Harry grinned and said, "Deal. Now, come on, let's go practice our dueling."
The Order of the Phoenix found themselves cramped up and gathered around the kitchen of The Burrow, due to the fact that Grimmauld Place was now inaccessible to them. Dumbledore studied those present, making note of the absences, Tonks and Remus being the most notable, those two had seemingly vanished without a trace and no one had heard from them.
Making sure his grandfatherly facade was firmly in place, Dumbledore decided it was time to start the meeting. He knocked his knuckles on the table to get the groups' attention, when the chatter had died down, he started. "Well, let's get started, shall we? Has anyone had any luck with the search for Harry Potter? It is of utmost importance that he is brought back to Britain for his safety."
Mad-Eye snorted and said, "If what he wrote to the Prophet was true, and the fact that no one has been able to find him yet, I'd say the lad's pretty safe wherever he's hiding."
Dumbledore cleared his throat to mask his growing irritation and responded. "Be that as it may, he is our only hope to defeat Voldemort."
Another Order member piped in and asked, "Does this have anything to do with that prophecy the boy mentioned in his letter to the Prophet?"
Masking his anger at the mention of the prophecy, Dumbledore nodded and said, "The boy is the only one who can defeat him. It is his destiny, and he's chosen to run from it, rather than accept it."
Moody frowned as he studied those around the table and said, "Albus, you know as well as I do that you can't put much stock in a prophecy. It can be interpreted many different ways and most of the time it's only after the events have taken place that the meaning of the prophecy actually comes to light."
Before Dumbledore could respond, Fletcher piped up. "If Potter's really so important, why not publish this prophecy in the Prophet to draw him back?"
Moody snorted and said, "That's a sure way to make him dig a deeper hole. Not to mention the little fact that Potter himself said in his letter that he eliminated the whole 'marked as his equal' bit, which I take to mean a line in this so-called prophecy. Based on the context, I'd say he's made it to where the prophecy no longer applies to him."
Dumbledore was silent for a few minutes in thought, as the members around the table began to bicker among themselves, although Snape only sat there with a sneer on his face, not contributing to the discussion at all.
Arthur, who had been silent for the most part, finally decided to address the hippogriff in the room, "Did you really intend for the boy to sacrifice himself to save us all?"
Dumbledore fought for calm, as immediately all chatter stopped and the attention was brought back to himself, as they were all waiting for an answer. Dumbledore said sternly, "It is his destiny. Whether he thinks the prophecy no longer applies or not is irrelevant, it is still his destiny."
Hestia Jones struggled with that revelation. "Does that mean you believe he's destined to die for us no matter what?" She asked. Adding in a whisper, "He's just a boy."
Dumbledore looked at the Order members gravely and said with conviction, "The boy has been prophesied to be the only one who can defeat Voldemort."
"And based on the fact that you turned down all my offers to help to train him, you expected him to die in the process," Mad-Eye stated with a grim look on his face.
Dumbledore didn't have an answer for that.
Fletcher mumbled, "Well, if all our hope hangs on a runaway kid, we may as well all stop fighting and join You-Know-Who."
Hestia frowned at Fletcher and said, "I refuse to join the likes of You-Know-Who. I'd rather die fighting than live enslaved to a madman."
Fletcher shrugged and said, "But at least you'd be alive."
Hestia shook her head and said, "That's not a life worth living."
Fletcher frowned in thought.
Hermione cursed to herself. Hogsmeade weekends had been cancelled and all of the secret passages had been blocked, so she had been forced to wait until the Christmas holidays to make her escape. She managed to avoid Ron and Ginny pretty well, spending some time with Luna and Neville, but spent most of her spare time in the library making herself copies of every book she could manage to make a copy of and storing them in the small bag she had managed to charm to be extendible and undetectable. She now carried everything important with her in the little bag, keeping it tucked into one of her socks, that way she would have everything she needed in the event she was able to find a way to escape the confines of the castle.
She was alone and trying to get back to Gryffindor Tower from the library before curfew when she found herself surrounded by Slytherins.
"Well, well, if it isn't our resident Know-It-All Mudblood," Draco Malfoy drawled, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle, all three had their wands pointed at Hermione. She cursed herself for not having her wand in her hand, but hidden up her sleeve.
"Looks like Potter and the Weasel aren't here to save you today," Draco said, as he hit her with a body bind. "I'm very much looking forward to putting you in your place," Draco whispered in her ear, as he slowly looked her body up and down. "The only place for a mudblood like you is on your knees," he whispered, while she could only stare wide-eyed.
Turning to Crabbe and Goyle, Draco said, "Quick grab her before someone comes along and finds us. I've got the perfect place set up for her in the dungeons."
Hermionie's mind was racing. She had a fairly good idea of what Draco intended to do to her and she didn't like the idea one little bit. She couldn't move while in the body bind and wouldn't have been strong enough to physically overpower Crabbe and Goyle even if she could move.
After what felt like hours, without having run into a single person in the halls, they finally arrived at the room Draco had alluded to. There were chains hanging from all different places around the room with shackles on them; some hung from the ceiling, some hung from the walls, and the floors.
Draco directed Crabbe and Goyle to shackle her up on the chains hanging from the center of the room where he removed the body bind and just as quickly had her feet spread and shackled to the floor, with her arms stretched out above her head, with a metal bar between the shackles on her wrists, preventing her from being able to reach for her wand. Draco stepped back with a smirk as he met her tearfilled eyes. Then he directed Crabbe and Goyle to leave, which they did, but not before Hermione saw Draco hit them with an Obliviate.
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"Just so they can't grow a conscience and go tell anyone," Draco said with a smirk as he leered at Hermione. "I've been wanting to show you your place for years." He said, as he slowly walked back towards Hermione, hiding his wand away in the process, quite sure he would no longer need it.
Hermione trembled in a fear she had never felt before, as Draco was now standing in front of her, eyeing her up and down as he licked his lips. Then he gripped the front of her blouse and ripped it open, buttons flying all directions. His eyes dilated in desire as he got his first look at her bra clad breasts.
Sobbing, Hermione pleaded, "Please don't do this."
Draco smirked and said, "I'll do what I want, Mudblood. You're at my mercy. By the time I'm through with you, you'll have learned how to be a good little sex slave, just as a mudblood like you should be." Then he reached out and grabbed her breasts with a bruising grip, before ripping her bra away. He roughly felt her body up and down as he divested her of the rest of her ripped up shirt and moved on to her skirt and knickers, leaving her in just her socks and shoes, but vanishing the rest of her clothes, her wand clattering to the floor, which he kicked away with his foot.
Then he took a step back to admire her body, his length hardening when he noticed that she was clean shaven everywhere. "Aren't you a good little mudblood, already shaved clean for me," he said as he came close again to roughly touch her naked flesh. Then he whispered and said, "If you're really good, I might even be inclined to let you feel some pleasure as a reward." Then he roughly grabbed at her intimate place as she continued to sob. "However, if you keep crying and getting snot and tears everywhere, I'll be more inclined to hurt you."
Hermione hiccuped as she just repeated through her sobbing, "Please don't do this."
"So be it," Draco growled. "Just for that, I'm taking you up the arse first and you're going to be dry when I do." Turning away to divest himself of his own clothing. Taking his time to neatly fold his clothes and placing them in a neat pile, enjoying imagining the agony she must be feeling as he took his time. Walking around behind her, he pressed the length of his naked body against her back, grinding his cock against her arse. When she attempted to jerk away, he yanked her back against him as he twisted both of her nipples roughly in retaliation, causing her to gasp in pained sobs.
Draco was just getting ready to line himself up with her arsehole when he was blasted back by a house elf of all things, the last thing he heard was, "You is not to be harming Harry Potter Sir's Grangy!" before he blacked out.
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Harry and the twins were in the middle of dueling when Dobby popped in with a naked and sobbing Hermione. Harry quickly yanked off his robe and wrapped it around Hermione who started to scream and try to jerk away.
"Shh. It's me, Hermione. I've got you. You're safe." Harry said soothingly, as he continued to gather her close. Fred and George rushed over in alarm, but stood back not knowing what they could do to help.
"H-Harry," Hermione said in a broken sob, as she clung to him and cried all the harder into his chest. After a while, she had sobbed herself into exhaustion and fell asleep still clinging to Harry.
After Hermione fell asleep, Harry turned to Dobby and asked grimly, "What happened?"
"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter Sir." Dobby said morosely.
"Dobby, I'm not mad at you, but I need you to tell me what happened." Harry said firmly.
"Dobby almost didn't make it in time. Dobby found Harry Potter Sir's Grangy chained in the dungeons with no clothes, while bad old master was -" Dobby choked as he tried to put into words what had happened.
Harry's eyes narrowed, "Did Malfoy rape her?"
Dobby's eyes widened and shook his head, "No. But if Dobby had been one minute later, bad old master would have." Dobby said sorrowfully, then he handed Harry Hermione's wand that he had found on the floor.
Harry closed his eyes with a sigh, as he held Hermione tighter to his chest. "Thank you for saving her, Dobby." Guilt gripped his heart.
"Of course," Dobby squeaked.
"Winky," Harry called. When Winky arrived with a pop, Harry said, "Winky, I need you to prepare a room for Hermione.
"Yes, Master," Winky squeaked and then popped away.
Fred and George helped Harry stand up, as he carried Hermione in his arms and they made their way towards the bungalow.
"How dare Malfoy even lay a finger on her," Harry said with a snarl. Unknown to Harry, his eyes had started glowing in his anger and the twins noticed the wind had started to pick up, as if in response to Harry's temper.
In an effort to calm Harry down, Fred said, "Don't worry, Harry. We won't let him get away with it."
"No, we won't." Harry said grimly.
A few minutes later, Harry tried to lay Hermione down in the room that Winky prepared for her, and attempted to discreetly check her for any injuries, but the grip she had on his shirt tightened, so he just placed her wand on the nightstand and climbed in the bed with her and held her in his arms. After about an hour, Hermione started to wake up and stiffened when she felt the body next to her and she started to whimper.
"It's okay, Hermione, it's just me," Harry said soothingly, when he heard her start to whimper, and started to rub her back in comfort.
Hermione's breath caught at his voice, "Harry!" she exclaimed as she sat up in a rush, and then turned scarlet when she looked down and realized she was naked under one of his robes.
Harry sat up next to her and asked cautiously, "Are you hurt anywhere?"
Hermione gripped the robe tighter across her chest, but shook her head and whispered, "Just some bruises, nothing that won't heal." Then tears started running down her cheeks as she remembered what Malfoy had very nearly done to her. "I'd like to take a shower," she whispered.
Harry nodded and said softly, "Okay. Let me show you where the bathroom is." Then he stood up from the bed and waited by the door while she got up to follow him.
A minute later, they were standing outside the door of the bathroom. "I'll send Dobby back to Hogwarts to get your things," Harry said.
Hermione shook her head and whispered, "I've got my things with me." Noticing Harry's look of confusion, she added, "I've been keeping my things in an extendable and undetectable bag in my sock. I've been trying to find a way to escape Hogwarts ever since your letter was in the Prophet, but Hogsmeade weekends were cancelled and all the secret passages were blocked." She frowned and said quietly, "I just don't have my wand."
"Dobby found your wand. It's on the nightstand in your room." Harry said with a gentle smile.
"Thank you," Hermione said with a trembling smile, before she entered the bathroom and shut the door behind her. Then she turned the water on as hot as it would go and climbed in and did her best to try to scrub the feel of Draco Malfoy's hands off her body while she sobbed.
Harry still heard the shower running an hour later when he went back to check on Hermione, worrying when she hadn't shown back up yet.
"Winky," Harry called.
"Master Harry called Winky?" Winky squeaked.
"Will you please check on Hermione?" Harry asked in concern. "She's been in there a long time. I just want to make sure she's okay."
"Yes, Master Harry," Winky squeaked. Then she popped in and back out. "Miss Hermy beings needing you, Master Harry."
Harry sighed and nodded, "Thank you, Winky." he said before he turned the knob on the bathroom door to go in, where he found Hermione curled up in ball on the floor of the shower, skin bright red from the heat of the water and patches of skin that were bleeding from where it appeared she had try to scrub her skin clean off.
Harry turned the water off and softly said, "Hermione." Seeing her flinch at the sound of her name. Harry grabbed a towel and carefully wrapped it around her body as he crouched down to gently pick her up in his arms and carried her back to her room, as she listlessly laid her head on his shoulder, silent tears running down her cheeks.
Once in the room, Harry called Winky to ask her to bring Hermione's belongings from the bathroom and to bring him something to take care of her wounds. Then he gently set her down and toweled her dry, then laid her on the bed and he spoke softly to her as he gently rubbed in the dittany that Winky had brought him for her injuries.
"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, Hermione." Harry said softly. As he covered her up in one of his clean robes, after he was finished healing her wounds.
She gave him a watery smile and said, "I understand why you weren't, but I'm really glad you're here now."
Harry nodded and said, "I'll go get you something to eat."
Hermione shook her head and grabbed his hand tightly. "Please don't leave me."
"I'll stay as long as you need me to," Harry assured her.
Hermione gave him a sad smile and whispered, "I'll always need you, Harry."
Harry squeezed her hand in response, then called Winky in to bring them something light to eat.
Once the food arrived, they settled into a comfortable silence with Harry occasionally filling Hermione in on what he and the twins had been doing.
After they had finished their meal, Hermione said, "I need to let my parents know I'm safe, and that they need to get out of Britain for their safety."
Harry nodded and just said, "Your parents will be taken care of, don't worry."
Hermione gave him a grateful smile before she started to yawn.
"Why don't you lay down and get some more sleep?" Harry suggested.
Hermione bit her lip and looked up at Harry shyly.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"Will you lay with me? You make me feel safe." Hermione asked with a small voice.
"If you need me to stay, I'll stay." Harry told her, as he climbed up into the bed with her and she snuggled herself up in his arms.
A/N: I'm just going to warn y'all now, I'm not really a big Harmony fan, so I'm undecided as to whether or not this is going to turn into a Harmony pairing at this point.