Hermione stifled a groan as she rolled over. The reprieve she had experienced on Christmas day didn't last. The last two days she had suffered from a migraine and an attack. Her body felt like it had been slightly crushed and then expanded again. Her nerves felt raw and sensitive to the slightest touch. As she inhaled to yawn she felt her lungs seize a bit with the effort to take such a big breath. Hermione turned her head to look for Harry but found the other side of the bed empty. She had no idea what time it was but the light coming through the edge of the drapes seemed soft and dim. She remembered falling to the floor the day before but nothing after. Knowing what day it was she felt a sense of panic grip her that Harry was not there. Her panic shot adrenaline through her body. Hermione sat up and stood beside the bed feeling the need to act. She needed to find Harry. Her vision swam, making her dizzy. One step and her body protested. Pain radiated deep in her muscles and she gripped the post of the bed to keep from falling. Her heart was pumping loudly. Worrisome thoughts plagued her mind. Tonight was the night the Aurors were going to attempt their capture of Atticus. She knew Harry had been anxious about it and she worried about his history of rash behavior. As Hermione tried to steady herself she closed her eyes to calm her mind and escape the spinning of the room.

Harry had spent the morning training and getting an update on the plans that were to be executed that night. His boss had reluctantly given Harry permission to be fully informed on the details of the upcoming mission but had made it clear that he was not to interfere or be present in anyway. Harry had agreed to the terms but had no intention of following them. Ron had tried his best to talk some sense into him but his mind was made up. He reassured his friend that he was not going to take chances and would play it safe. This was too personal, too close to home to sit out.

Harry returned home to check on Hermione. He was growing more worried about her with each passing day. She had suffered extensively the last couple of days and had slept a great deal. Upon walking into the bedroom he was shocked to find Hermione on her feet, though it seemed she might collapse at any moment. Her eyes were closed and she was swaying slightly. "Hermione!" Harry quickly made his way to her and took her gently by the shoulders. "Sit down sweetheart." He helped her sit on the edge of the bed. The wheezing of air in her lungs didn't escape him. Her face was devoid of color. "Are you alright? Where were you headed?" Her eyes were tired but seemed to meet his with palpable relief as she smiled at him and wrapped her arms around him.

Hermione heard Harry's voice and felt his hands on her shoulders. Opening her eyes she found the safety of his emerald gaze. "I wanted to find you. I was worried," she admitted.

"Worried? What for?" Harry asked somewhat confused.

"I know what day it is. Or at least I think I do. I didn't know what time it was and you were gone. I thought you might have gone off and done something dangerous."

Harry suddenly understood. He wanted to comfort her but also knew he couldn't lie to her. "It's going to be alright my love. Now, how are you doing? I'm glad you are awake."

Hermione recognized his tactic and wasn't going to let him go. She sat up and looked at him fully. "No, Harry. Don't turn this around. Please, please tell me you aren't planning on doing something foolish."

Harry should have known she wasn't going to let him get off so easy. The pleading in her voice pricked his insides. He raised his hand to her cheek and felt her lean into his touch. "I promise not to be foolish. But you know I have to go Hermione."

"You don't! You don't have to go. Let them do what they are trained to do. Stay here with me."

"I can't. I can't Hermione. This is too…personal. I'll do my best not to interfere but I have to go. I have to be there. Hermione, this has to work. I can't sit here and wait and hope any longer. I'll go mad. I have to do this, for you, for us. If there is even a small way in which I can make this happen successfully I have to try." He hated the way her eyes were welling with unshed tears. He held her close and felt her body tremble.

"I know."

Harry hardly heard her. It was a declaration not of acceptance but of resignation. He turned and kissed her head as it rested on his shoulder. Her voice reached him again. "I wish I could go with you." This surprised him and he set her up and looked at her questioningly. "There's only been one time I haven't been with you Harry; when you were doing something crazy. And that one time…Voldemort killed you. I just wish I could be there for you."

"As I recall Voldemort failed," Harry said with a slight smile.

Hermione didn't return his smile. "Yes, but in that moment… that moment when Hagrid held your limp body…you were dead Harry. Dead to all of us. I never want to see that….I never want to feel that again…I failed you. I was sure I had lost you."

Harry had never really talked to her about that night. To hear her now, he suddenly realized the agony she must have gone through in those minutes before he had revealed himself. He wrapped her in his arms. "Oh, my love, I am so sorry. You didn't fail me. You were one of the reasons I came back."

"What?" Hermione pulled away from him and looked at him in some confusion and astonishment.

"I had a choice…after I died. I had a kind of…vision I guess. I saw Dumbledore," Harry confessed. He had never told anyone of this.

"You did?" Hermione was astonished by Harry's account of his supposed death. She had never asked him about it and could tell he was a bit reluctant to tell her.

"I know it sounds crazy," Harry said.

"No. No, it doesn't. I always believed in an afterlife." She gave him an encouraging smile. "Go on. What happened?"

"Well, he said I had a choice. I could go on with him or go back." Harry felt Hermione squeeze his hand and continued, "For a moment I thought I wanted to go on. See my parents, Sirius…. Just be done. But then I realized the snake was still alive. And then I thought about you. I couldn't leave you to finish the fight I had started. I didn't have any hope of being yours back then but I knew I wanted to make sure you would be happy. You saved me."

Hermione felt a couple tears roll down her cheeks. She didn't have words. Harry took her face in his hands and put his forehead against hers. Hermione took a shaky breath. Harry's next words were soft, but penetrated her heart. "It's my turn to save you."

Harry felt her let out a small sob and he gently brushed her tears away and pulled her into his arms.

"Be careful," Hermione whispered.

"I promise," Harry assured her.

A few hours later found Harry huddled under his cloak. He was peeking out from around a tree. The sky was dark. The clouds obscured the moon and stars making the night feel oppressive. Harry frowned. The intense darkness could complicate things. Atticus had been tracked to a run down, old cabin in the woods outside of a small town. The Aurors were pleased they didn't have to worry about muggle neighbors and the secluded spot did provide some cover for stealth. However, the seclusion also meant that there were plenty of escape routes that Benton could take should he anticipate their attack on him. From his vantage point on a small hill behind the house, Harry was able to see the shadows of advancing Auror's. He saw the light of a wand off in the distance that told Harry that one of the senior Auror's had cast an anti-apparition spell around the area. It wouldn't do for Atticus to just pop away. There were sure to be protective spells around the cabin and as soon as they were breached Atticus would know something was up and then Harry was sure all hell would break loose. The ten shadows surrounding the cabin suddenly surged forward. He heard one of the Auror's yell for Benton to come out. Everything remained quiet. The Auror yelled again but still there was no movement. Harry watched as five Auror's made their way closer to the cabin and heard the loud bangs as the doors were bombarded open. He saw a couple Auror's enter the cabin, the balls of light from their wands bouncing around in the windows. This was wrong. All wrong. Where was he? Did he leave? They had gotten into the house too easily. Things were too quiet. Harry's eyes scanned the surrounding area looking for anything that might show him where Atticus was hiding. He moved through the trees to get a closer look. The Auror's outside the house were scanning the area but the darkness made it difficult to make out much. A voice from inside the house announced it was empty. Harry's insides burned with anger. The clouds suddenly moved and the moon spread it's dim light through the small clearing. Something to Harry's left caught his eye. When he looked again he couldn't determine if he had seen anything at all. He stayed still and continued to look to his left. There it was again! A slight blur, or shimmer. Was it possible Atticus had an invisibility cloak? Perhaps he was using a concealment charm? He waited and continued to stare at the spot just near the tree line. When Harry saw the strange visual anomaly again he decided to act. Raising his wand and pointing it at the last spot he had seen the blur hesaid quietly, "Revelio."

Thirty feet to his left, Harry was now starring at Atticus Benton. Benton realized his concealment charm had been broken and he looked around with a worried expression. Raising his wand he asked, "Whose there? Where are you, you bastard? Too afraid to show yourself?" Harry stayed hidden under his cloak refusing to rise to the bait. When Benton was turned from him Harry sent up red sparks from his wand. He knew his plan had worked when he heard one of the Auror's yell, "There! Over there! It's him!" He heard Benton swear as he began to move into the trees. Harry made to follow him. Without warning there was a sudden deafening explosion. The night was lit up by a huge flash of light. The cabin, or what was left of it, was ablaze with fire. The air was full of shouts of surprise as well as cries for help. Harry turned at the sound of the explosion and prayed Ron was alright before sprinting into the trees. He heard an Auror yell, "Into the woods! Find him! Quickly!"

Harry knew he had the best chance of catching Atticus. He was closest. His lungs heaved with the effort to keep Atticus in his sight as he dodged through the trees. Harry wanted to throw a spell at him but knew he would most likely hit a tree and that it would alert Atticus to his position. Harry watched Atticus slow and stop behind a large oak tree breathing heavily. He could tell he was listening, trying to determine if the Auror's were closing in or if he had lost them. Harry tried to quiet his own breathing. As he approached the man, Harry stepped on a twig, snapping it. Atticus turned sharply, wand raised. "Where are you? Show yourself you coward!"

Harry waved his wand and Atticus fell to the forest floor, ropes binding his hands and feet. With another flick of his wand Harry held Benton's wand in his hand. The man yelled, "Show yourself!"

Harry sent more red sparks into the air as he moved closer to his enemy. He wanted nothing more than to give the man a good beating. He resisted the violent urge. As Harry heard running footsteps approaching he threw down Atticus's wand and simply yelled, "Over here!" Harry moved aside as Ron and a few other Auror's appeared through the trees.

"What the blazes?" A senior Auror by the name of Gibbs asked. The man was obviously confused how Benton had come to be tied up. Instead of ponding it he ordered, "Secure him! Where's his wand?".

"Here!" Ron said as he kneeled down and picked up the discarded piece of wood. Harry saw Ron scan the trees as if looking for him.

"Let's get this scum back to headquarters. We need to clean up this mess." Gibbs declared. Benton gave a low laugh. Gibbs turned toward the captive, "Something funny Benton?"

"Didn't expect me to blow it up did you? Lose anyone?" Benton asked with a wickedly hopeful grin on his face.

Harry watched Gibbs kick Benton in the face causing the man's nose to bleed. Harry's stomach turned at Gibbs reaction. It most likely meant there were indeed casualties. Benton spoke again but his voice was a bit dense as his nose was now swollen. "You think you've won." He scoffed condescendingly before he said, "I still have the upper hand."

A cold feeling swept over Harry right before the amulet around his neck made his chest burn. Benton said, "You can tell Potter she's still mine!"

Gibbs kicked the man in the side before grabbing him roughly from the ground. "Shut up!"

Harry's anger bubbled and the only thing holding him back from revealing himself and attacking Benton was the burn of the amulet. Hermione needed him. He edged toward Ron and whispered, "Come see me when you can." To Ron's credit he only inhaled sharply at the unexpected voice and gave a slight nod to show he understood. Harry walked a few paces before spinning with a soft pop.

Please leave a comment! I sure would appreciate it. I know some of you were looking forward to an epic battle here but that's just not how things worked out. I will say there will be more of a fight to come. Stick with me. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks!