Hello my pretties- here I am writing another chapter- I'm still not sure which direction I want to take the story- I guess that's good- leaves u in more suspense…. Hehe

A good friend sees the first tear, catches the second and stops the third.

-unknown-

Harry,

Please, this is important. Can you meet me in the park by your house in twenty minutes (at 3:20 a.m.)? I need to talk to you. Send me an owl back.

Love,

Hermione

Harry re-read the letter to make sure he had seen correctly. It was three o'clock in the morning, yet Hermione had just sent it to him.

'That's odd,' he thought. 'Hermione said she'd be here in a week. It's only the 27th though. I wonder why she's come home early.' He quickly scribbled a note back to her and tied it to the leg of the waiting owl.

He hastily changed into sweat pants and a t-shirt and left the house quietly.

Reaching the deserted park, Harry checked his watch and saw it was only 3:14. he sat down under a nearby tree to wait for Hermione. As he sat, he wondered what she could need to talk about so desperately.

Harry stood up quickly at the sound of footsteps nearby. He squinted into the darkness and could make out the small siloute of a young woman, around his age, with familiar looking hair.

"Hermione?" he called.

The figure stopped short. Harry could now tell that the person, whoever they were, was shaking. Cautiously he approached her.

"Hermione, is that you?" he asked.

The girl nodded and brushed aside a strand of hair, revealing a tear-stained and darkened face. Harry became alarmed and moved closer to her.

"Are you okay?" he questioned her.

"Um- yea, just a little on edge," she said lightly.

Harry was now by her side and saw that the darkness of her face was not only due to the shadows of the night, but also a large, spreading bruise around her left eye and a smaller bruise on her jaw.

"Hermione," he whispered. "What happened?"

Hermione looked up into his emerald green eyes and sighed. She breathed in and out a few times and tried again but still could not bring herself to talk to Harry.

"Do you want to sit?" he asked her tentatively.

Hermione nodded and Harry led her to a nearby bench. Hermione collapsed onto the bench and closed her eyes. Harry looked her over and saw that it was not only her face that was bruised. The portion of her back and neck that was visible from the cut of her tank top and her arms were darker than they should have been as well.

"Hermione, who did this to you?" he asked.

She again looked up at him with huge brown eyes wide with fear. "I can't tell you," she told him slowly, as if each word pained her. "They're following me. I know it."

"Who?"

But Hermione had expended all she could in her last few words and leaned back in exhaustion, slipping into unconsciousness. Harry looked around to make sure no one had witnessed their exchange.

Gently he picked Hermione up and headed back to the Dursley's house. It was three forty when he reached the house so no one was awake yet. Quietly he opened the door and let himself in, still carrying Hermione. He made his way up to his bedroom and softly placed Hermione on his bed. Harry crossed the room and retrieved a chair taking it and placing it next to his bed. Leaning back he readied himself for a long night.

Hehe- suspense…. Who did that to Hermione? Well you'll eventually find out- wOOt

I still need a beta- puh-lease….. -D review