The Death Eaters escape the trap. Rowle loses his captive but gains approval and permission. Hermione faces Anthony as they talk about her recent captivity and their future.

The Death Eaters popped into view on the street in front of the joke shop belonging to the twin gingers. They looked around warily. 'Where the hell was that little brat, Potter?' Suddenly spells were flying at them from all directions. 'A Trap!' They all fell into formation around Voldemort. Rowle laid down a ring of fire around them as Voldemort gathered them close and prepared to Disapparate the entire group.

They landed back at the Manor in time for Narcissa Malfoy and the house elves to come rushing out. They were babbling about a raid! The Order of the Phoenix had just left! They'd taken Granger! Rowle roared in anger as he rushed into the house. He ran to the drawing room, then his bedroom. She was gone, damn it! Damnit! Damn it!

He came back out to Mulciber claiming it was no great loss. He rushed at him, remembering that he had slapped Granger while questioning her. He knocked the other Beater down and started punching the bloody hell out of him.

"Merlin, Rowle! She's just a damn little Mudblood! What's your problem?!" Mulciber snapped, trying to get in a punch or two. "It's not like you're going to marry the little bint! She's not a pureblood! You'd never get her accepted!"

"That's what YOU think! You couldn't get away with marrying her but I can! My family isn't Sacred Twenty Eight! And just so you know, I DO fully intend to marry her! She WILL be the mother of my children! And YOU will not lay another hand on her! Sacred heir or not, the next time you touch her, I'll kill you!" Rowle growled angrily at him. He beat Mulciber unconscious, then stood up. He walked over and knelt in front of Voldemort, shamelessly unrepentant.

Voldemort looked down at the young man and laughed. "Very well. I can see not even torture will change your mind about the Mudblood. I hereby declare the Muggleborn Granger as your reward for saving me so faithfully, young Rowle. When you catch up with her again, you have my full permission to marry her and produce heirs with her."

Rowle smiled and nodded. He stood and walked back to his room. Locking and warding his door, he went to the bed. Laying down, he remembered her there with him. He glanced at the bedside table. He reached over, pulled the drawer open and smiled wickedly as he realized HER wand was still in HIS possession.

Three days later

THE GREAT FAKEOUT by Rita Skeeter, the Daily Prophet

"Greetings, it is I, your faithful reporter, documenting the not so great confrontation supposedly arranged by the CHOSEN ONE, the Boy Who Lived! Yes, I'm talking about Harry Potter himself! We were all anticipating a final battle yesterday and what did we get? A great, big fake out! The SUPPOSED encounter was scheduled to be fought in front of the WWW joke shop! Instead we had the Dark Lord and his followers but no Harry Potter or the Order of the Phoenix to be seen. We are now told it was all a hoax put in motion to run to the 'rescue' of presumably 'kidnapped' Hermione Granger! Miss Granger, last seen in the company of Anthony Goldstein, has apparently taken up her old habit of collecting the hearts of Quidditch players as she has now stolen the affections of one Thorfinn Rowle, the eligible bachelor who plays Beater for the Ballycastle Bats! She was seen in an intimate embrace and enjoyed a cozy evening with him, only to turn tail and flee, crying 'kidnap!' As of right now, we still have NO positive confirmation of a crime committed. Neither Mr. Goldstein nor Miss Granger have bothered to give any statement on the matter. More to come."

"Oh, great! Just what I need! A story like this!" Hermione wailed in despair. "Anthony will hate me forever! The wedding is ruined. I'm never going to get married!"

"Hermione! Calm down! Just because Anthony hasn't been by yet is no reason to panic! He loves you and he's looking forward to marrying you!" Ginny tried to soothe her into looking at the bright side. As of yet, Hermione couldn't SEE a bright side. All she could see was her fiancée breaking up with her for sleeping with another man. Especially as said other man was also a confirmed Death Eater!

It had been three days since she was rescued. Realizing that Rowle had seemed to have a fixation with her, she'd been afraid to stay at Grimmauld Place. Especially after she realized the Order had been in such a hurry to get her out of there, they'd neglected to get her wand! It was still in HIS possession! She'd also vetoed Anthony's home. Rowle hadn't questioned the fact of her engagement nor who she was engaged to. He'd just questioned whether she was happily engaged. She wouldn't put it past him to grab her from there. So she was currently staying at the Burrow with Ginny. Anthony had sent her a note, telling her he would be by soon. That was two days ago!

She was sitting in the kitchen, talking to Mrs. Weasley and Ginny when they heard the Floo. Mr. Weasley and Anthony walked into the kitchen together. She jumped up and ran to him. He held her tightly. They walked back to the living room. The Weasley's stayed in the kitchen, giving them some privacy.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do it. I tried to resist." She dropped her head in shame. "I'll understand if you don't want to have anything else to do with me." She finished in a low whisper.

"Hermione, what are you talking about? Why wouldn't I want anything to do with you?" he took her shoulders in his hands. "Look at me." He waited until she looked at him. "Did you want to stay with him?" she frowned at him as she shook her head.

"No. I didn't." she reassured him. Staying with Rowle had been the last thing she wanted to do!

"Did he force you?" Anthony cocked his head at her. He knew about her weak spots but he'd never pushed her further than she was willing to go.

"No." here she began to cry. It was why she was so worried. The fact that Rowle hadn't really forced her to sleep with him was scary. What if he'd been right? What if she really wasn't happily engaged? Would this happen again? "He didn't force me. He just-."

"-Used your weak spots against you. He seduced you." Anthony finished. He could see how much the very thought upset her. "Hermione, I'm not mad. Not at you anyway. I was more worried that he HAD forced you. I know about your weak spots. Ron told me about them. Right before he threatened to beat the bloody fuck out of me if I ever used them against you." He surprised a small giggle out of her then.

"Ron threatened you?" she asked. He smiled at her. He'd thought that would get her attention!

"Yes, Ron threatened me. Right after we went on that third date and came back so late. We'd gone to the movies, remember? And came back all rumpled?" he chuckled as she cupped her face and turned red.

"Oh, Merlin! I'd forgotten about that. He had Lavender and Ginny sit me down and give me 'The Talk!" she laughed. '"Now, Hermione! You should know there are guys out there who will try and take advantage of you! You need to be on guard at all times!"' they laughed together. Then her smile faded as she remembered that someone HAD taken advantage of her weak spots!

"He took my first time, Anthony! That was supposed to be for you! On our wedding night! It was SUPPOSED to be for you!" she began crying. He pulled her into a tight embrace. She laid her head on his shoulder. He kissed the top of her head.

"It's alright, Hermione, it's alright!" he smoothed his hands over her back. He pulled her down onto the couch with him. "So we are still getting married, right?"

"I was afraid you wouldn't want me now. I'm damaged goods." She hiccupped. He tipped his head at her.

"Hermione Jean Granger! You are NOT damaged goods, not by any means! Of course, I still want to marry you!" he exclaimed.

She sagged in relief. She'd been so worried! "I love you. So very much. I'm so sorry. He got into my head. I was afraid that he was right. That I wasn't happy with you. That I would keep letting other men turn my head."

"I love you, too. You have to remember, Hermione. He's older than you, vastly more experienced and he's a smooth talker. He's a player. He knows how to read girls and he knows how to get the reaction he wants." He smoothed her hair back from her face. "None of which makes the slightest difference to me. It doesn't matter that he took your first time. I'm still the one you're marrying. That's what is important to me." Anthony told her firmly.

"We're still getting married!" she giggled in relief, cuddling against him. He laughed and pulled her into his lap. The Weasley's came into the living room to find them happily discussing when they wanted to have the ceremony. Hermione had made up her mind the day she was rescued. If Anthony still wanted her, come hell or high water, they were getting married as soon as they could! No more waiting! It had cost them enough!

Two days later, in the living room of the Burrow, Hermione Granger and Anthony Goldstein were married. All their friends were there to congratulate them. They announced that they would only be there a short while longer. Soon they would be going to America. Anthony had distant relatives who had moved there years ago. They weren't taking any more chances on Rowle attempting to kidnap Hermione again. She would stay hidden at the Burrow until he had all the arrangements made.