CAUGHT

"And this is satisfactory to you both?" Headmistress McGonagall's voice was sharp, clipped. She could tell by the wide-eyed faces that there was no doubt in the minds of either figure sitting across from her that she would carry out her threat if it became necessary.

"I'm trusting you with the safety of this school and the lives of all in it. Both of you." She amended. "And while I can sympathize with what you might or might not be going through, I will not allow for a… well… a lover's argument to disrupt this school again."

Harry opened his mouth to retort, but McGonagall shot him a look that dried the words up faster than any silencing hex. "I do not care for the particulars, Mister Potter. You are Head Boy and you are to set an example for the other students. To have something like this brought to me is unacceptable… that you would engage in such behavior, disrupting class. Never in all my years…"

Sighing, he ran his fingers through his hair, his green eyes cold. "Fine."

Apparently, that was exactly the wrong thing to say. "It is not fine, Mister Potter. I will only allow this to slide once. There will be no opportunity after this. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"You may wait outside." Harry considered waiting… but the look the witch across the desk was shooting at him was enough that he could only nod. Standing, he went to the door and opened it quickly, ignoring the looks that many of the portraits in the office were giving him. Minerva watched as he seemed to fight within himself for a moment, the decision to leave apparently too much.

"To you dorm room, Mister Potter. Immediately." She reiterated. Harry looked at her before deciding to follow her orders. The door clicked shut behind him.

McGonagall nodded before her hawk-like gaze settled on the young woman sitting next to where Harry had been, her eyes downcast. "And you." The woman flinched, though it may have been more from the lack of attention from Harry before leaving her alone than any words of reprimand coming. "What were you thinking, getting involved like that?"

Professor Tonks looked up to meet the headmistress' eyes, her own eyes finally allowing the tears that had been threatening to fall since everything had blown up this morning slide gently down her cheeks. "I know… I'm… sorry…"

Minerva reached over and pulled a kerchief from a desk drawer and handed it to Nymphadora. As the young professor wiped at her nose, Minerva considered that maybe acquiescing to Harry Potter's demands for returning to Hogwarts had been a mistake. After all, no matter how well Tonks did as the new Transfiguration professor, it was definitely not a job so one so young would have ever been offered if not for needing a legitimate reason for having her here.

Tonks, on the other side of things, thought of herself as a complete failure. Sure, she and Harry got along great when it was just the two of them and they'd been able to sleep in the same bed together… eat together. But now separated… her alone in the teachers' area and him alone in the Head Room… and not even alone, the jealousy coloured everything. He shared it with Hermione. Nearly a month of sharing a room with her.

"I'm jealous." Her hands clinched into fists. "So jealous it hurts."

Minerva nodded sagely. "I know." She stood from her chair and walked over to a cabinet, the key for it around her neck. Tonks barely watched as the older witch opened the worn doors and pulled out a bottle of something.

"Drink?"

Tonks laughed as she nodded. She so needed a drink right now.

Minerva set two glasses down and poured a bright blue liquid into each tumbler. Setting the bottle back down, she waited until Tonks had chosen a glass before picking one up herself. Hoisting her drink in the air, she looked at Tonks over the tops of her spectacles. "To the men that drive us to drink."

"Hear, hear." Tonks took a sip. She felt her eyes widen at the taste, the alcohol scorching her tongue before moving down the rest of her throat, leaving no inch spared any pain. "Wh-w-what is this?"

The headmistress shrugged. "No idea. Albus left it to me in his will. Said one day I'd need it. Guess that's today."

The metamorphmagus nodded and took another sip before carefully setting the glass down, wanting to not make an even bigger fool of herself by accidentally taking a heavier drink. That stuff would put hair even on her chest.

"What did happen?"

Tonks looked up at the question. She started to reach back for the tumbler, but decided to wait. "Everything has been horrible…."

"Everything?"

She blushed. "Well, not every thing. But it's been hard. The library is so much bigger than I remember and we were having no luck finding what we needed. It was even me that made Harry talk to Hermione, to ask her for her help. She always was good at research."

Minerva nodded at the compliment to her favorite student, but quickly returned to what the Transfiguration professor was saying. "I just didn't realize how much I'd hate them spending so much time together… not that they were doing anything wrong. Harry was always business. They looked through books and discussed possibilities…"

She finally reached out and took another sip of her drink. "We've been apart so much… my teaching and him in classes… all classes that she is in. And her friends… the snide comments that they all say about me, always when I'm close enough to overhear but never when I can confront them."

"It's that bad?"

Nodding, Tonks took another gulp, the burning rush not so startling after a few sips. "The story of the cookies is out there now and most people sympathize with Hermione, which means I'm to blame for keeping Harry and Hermione apart." She snorted. "And those few that don't want them together still hate me because I'm with him."

Minerva finished off her drink and poured herself another, while topping off Tonks' which still had some left in it. "Go on."

The woman that currently was the target of so many sighed dramatically. "Today in class was just the final straw. I couldn't help it. One minute, I'm discussing NEWT's and the next, Hermioen is in Harry's lap. I just lost it…"

"His lap?" The headmistress paused from taking another sip.

She nodded. "Miss Brown set it up… one of the Patil twins, I can never get them straight, set loose a Jelly Leg hex just as Hermione was standing up… she fell and Harry caught her…"

Nut…"

Tonks interrupted her. "Then…" Minerva nodded. "Then I had to listen to Lavender whisper in a voice loud enough that it was heard on the Quidditch Pitch that 'they looked right together' and that she hoped 'he soon woke up.'"

"And you took it out on Harry?"

"No. I was after Lavender, but Hermione got between us. I didn't care… she was just as good a target as the other. Then Harry stepped in the way."

At this, Tonks set her glass down, almost all of the alcohol gone and began crying. Minerva stood and walked around her desk and put a comforting arm around the young woman. "I just don't know what to do… the fate of everything and all I can think of is running away."

McGonagall gasped. "Are you only staying with Harry because of his destiny?" Not waiting for a response, Minerva pressed her hard. "You are doing a much greater disservice to Mister Potter by staying if you don't…"

"No… No. You don't understand." Tonks blew her nose into the kerchief. "I think I'm in love with him… I am in love with him…"

"Love should make you happy…"

Tonks snorted again, her voice dark. "Happy? That's a fairy tale. Hermione is in love with Harry and she's miserable. I'm in love with Harry and I'm miserable. Hell… Ron and Luna are in love and they're both miserable. Where did you get the idea that love was happy?"

And who does Harry love?" Minerva asked quietly.

Reaching over for the bottle, Tonks waited until the older witch nodded before pouring herself another glass. She was well on her way to getting right pissed. After taking three large sips, she sighed as she leaned back into the chair where she was sitting. Minerva stayed leaning on the desk next to her in case Nymphadora needed a shoulder to cry on again.

"That's the question now, isn't it?" Tonks took another sip. "I want Harry to be happy… and we were, but now we're here and there's so much going on. No… I don't just want him to be happy. I want him to be happy and in love with me."

O X O X O X O X O X O

There was was usually something about reading a good book that helped calm her nerves. The smell of the pages and ink… the mustiness of the binding. A good book had the smell of leather, too. The aroma of knowledge just filling her up Even something as pointless as a romance novel… a spy thriller or the occasional fantasy bestseller. Just the fact that she could lose herself in a book helped stave off the miserable state of her world currently.

It wasn't working right now.

Realizing that she'd been reading the same page for nearly an hour, Hermione carefully marked her place with an old photograph of her and Harry during happier times. It had been her bookmark ever since Harry had first used it as one, pulling it out from his wallet and closing the book before kissing her one day in the library. No other bookmark would do, now. She'd thrown away a box full of them.

She tossed the book aside and leaned back on her bed. It had been over one month since starting her seventh year at Hogwarts and she still couldn't get over the idea of having a room to herself. She'd grown accustomed to the whispering and snoring of the other girls… their presence. Now, lying alone on a huge bed (much too big for just one) in a room that had her own desk, vanity and mirror, chest and access to a bathroom that she only had to share with one person… it should have been fabulous.

Everything had seemed to go fairly well for the first few days. Harry had been civil. No, they hadn't talked about anything, but for the moment (and per Lavender's advice), she was willing to wait. Harry had to set the pace for anything.

She'd teased him about his new look. He'd blushed for a moment, his eyes dancing like days now past, before grinning that he'd needed a change. Hermione had started to retort, but Harry had done something then that had shocked her to silence. He reached out and pulled at her shorter, hair… running the strait locks through his fingers. Changes all around, he'd laughed.

They'd had a meeting with Headmistress McGonagall that first night, each promising to respect the rules of the school and to not let personal matters interfere. Hermione had blushed then, but Harry had only nodded. Silence had been tense between them after the meeting… their footsteps echoing along the corridors… a silence that Hermione had been terrified would never be broken, but Gryffindor came to the rescue.

Seamus and Dean had decided a party was called for, as it was their last year. Hermione had been reluctant, but Harry had smiled and had voiced that it was a wonderful idea. He'd jumped into the fray and had even offered her a dance as the night had turned into morning.

Hermione smiled at seeing Harry so alive again. Lavender had just been happy to see her eat the next morning, her voice excited about being so near her love again… though they all told her to relax, that Harry wasn't hers again yet and that there was still a long way to go. Almost as if to punch their words home, Harry had chosen that moment to come into the Great Hall, Professor Tonks next to him laughing and smiling.

It had been a kick to her system, but Lavender and Ginny had been there as support, helping her to come to grips with the glances that Harry and Tonks seemed to share. It had been almost impossible, but she'd done it.

With a game plan slowly being formed, the next obstacle was Ron. She sighed as she remembered that Ron had taken the whole thing horribly, but in the end had agreed with everything that Hermione told him… both of them in the middle of a classroom with plenty of people all around to see that they weren't alone… not touching. Nothing.

No. Ron had agreed that if she wanted Harry that he would have to fade out for a while, for the two of them to not be so much around each other. Besides, he'd laughed at her nervousness, he wanted Luna and he'd known that things would have to be different for a while. Hermione had frowned when Lavender had smiled, telling her that things were going good. She wasn't with Harry and now she had alienated Ron so that she could try to get Harry back. How were things looking good?

"Hermione?" Harry had approached her, his whole body screaming nervous, as he approached the library table where she was studying.

Shaking her hair out of her eyes as she looked up, she could feel her pulse race at his approach. Instinctively, her gaze moved around in the hopes of finding Lavender or Ginny… even Susan at this point, someone that would offer her some support. They were nowhere to be found.

"Yes, Harry?"

The love of her life smiled a bit more then, apparently satisfied that she wasn't going to yell at him for interrupting her. "I need your help with…"

"Homework?" She offered cheekily. Humour wasn't her strongest subject, but she knew that if she could act like his friend again, he'd open up some more. "Is Professor Ku'une too tough for you?"

He'd smirked, his demeanor relaxing further. "Oh yeah… it's so hard to figure out how to do a shield charm." She'd snorted. While the new DADA professor was at least competent, he still hadn't seemed to grasp how advanced his seventh year class was.

"What do you need then?" She was glad that she was already sitting, the shaking in her knees hidden by the table.

"The library…" He'd spread his arms wide. "This place. I need to find out some things about… well…"

"Oh." She got it. The horocrux. He needed to find the last one, and he thought the information was here. "Okay. What do you want from me?"

He'd sat down then, his eyes suddenly lost as he looked at her. "I need to talk to you first… I need to know that we can work together."

"Of course we ca…"

"No." His voice had been a whisper. "I don't intend to break my promise. I need to let you in on some things."

"I know you and Tonks are together, Harry." That her voice had sounded so calm was a miracle from the heavens. "I don't like it, but I understand."

She'd shocked him. Harry had started to say something, but then thought better about it before looking down at the table between them, his finger tracing designs across the wood. At least he hadn't tried to deny it… much as she had prayed it not to be true. "As long as you understand that she and I are together… I mean, it was her idea that I talk to you."

Hermione had nodded, so glad for all of the coaching that Padma and Pavartia had provided. "I'm glad she did, Harry. I told you that I wanted to help… that I would never break your trust…" He'd become uncomfortable then, his eyes jumping up to hers as she finished what she'd been told to say if the opportunity ever arose. "I haven't purposefully ever broken that trust… and I won't, Harry. Tell me what you want me to do."

It had nearly broken her heart to see Harry then… the pain that crossed his face as she'd said those words, the dagger digging into his chest.

She watched as he licked his lips, his eyes looking at hers before he finally spoke. "It hurt too much, Hermione. I wanted to be stronger for you… but all I can see every time I see you is you and Ron together." She tried to interrupt, but he shook his head, his eyes pleading. "I will love you for the rest of my life… and I do not blame you… it's not fair to you or me that this happened, but I can't help it."

Harry had stood then. "It just hurts too much to love you so much that I can feel it inside, but when I see you I can only see that morning."

Hermione hadn't even known that she had started crying after he'd walked away, the hint of tears on his face. Hannah and Ernie had come to the table, loaded with books for Ancient Runes class… both of them dropping everything to ask her what was wrong.

How could she tell them that everything was both wonderful and horrible all at once?

The sound of the portrait outside in the living area that the Head Boy and Girl shared opening and closing brought her out of her thoughts. No one else knew the password for their suite, a promise that she'd extracted out of him when they'd first been shown their rooms. The last thing she needed was to know Harry and Tonks were in the next room… the idea that he'd agreed so readily because of a similar fear about her never crossed her mind.

Standing up quickly, she moved to the doorway and peeked out. Harry looked like he'd been through the wringer. She watched as he moved to the couch and plopped down on it, the strength of his legs just giving out. If this had been last year, she'd have run to him… caught him and held him. Now, she was stuck as she watched him stare into the flames of the small hearth of the Head living space… his mind lost to the fire.

Could she do what everyone encouraged her to do? Shaking her head, Hermione closed the door to her room and hid, her back pressed up against the hard wood.

Was she a Gryffindor or not?

Throwing everything to the wind, she turned and opened her door, striding out of her bedroom. Hermione watched as Harry glanced over at her, his face heavy with concern as she drew closer, standing almost directly in front of him.

"Are you okay?"

He laughed, though Hermione felt no warmth in it at all. "Not really…"

"Harry…"

"Why, Hermione?" He asked suddenly, his eyes catching the firelight and shining bright. "I know that none of this is fair to you… not to Ron… not even to me. I know that."

He took a breath. "Have I not been fair? Have either Dora or I flaunted anything in front of anybody? Merlin's beard! If I hadn't admitted to the relationship… would you have even believed it?"

She considered his words as he railed against her, not the response she had expected. Thinking back, she realized that even though Harry and Professor Tonks were close… they never acted like boyfriend and girlfriend. The shared looks and smiles, the laughter and quiet conversations… everything looked innocent.

Hermione looked at him. "No… I would have just thought it all some silly rumour."

"Why, then?" He stood, his body suddenly in front of her, the anger washing off of him in waves that made it almost to difficult to breathe. "Why is everyone tormenting her?"

"It's not like…"

"Not like what?" He moved away from her then, his arms gesticulating wildly. "So I'm imagining all of the cruel comments? All of the backbiting and Slytherin tactics?" Hermione started to answer, tears threatening again as he turned away from her. "It took Draco to finally spot it for me… that us not being together forced everyone to choose and they chose you."

"Harry… No!"

"No? No?" He laughed again, something dark and painful. "And who has been on my side? On mine and Tonks' side? Hmm?"

Hermione fell silent. What could she say? He was right.

"You know…" Harry looked back at her. I'm fighting with Tonks. We just had our first major fight in front of the entire seventh year class… and I was protecting you and all of your friends that have picked on her and made her cry… I stood up to her because what she was doing at that moment was wrong. She can't hex students… so I had to stop her"

Hermione couldn't look at him. Harry didn't seem to care. "I know you still have my mother's ring…"

She gasped at the thought of him taking it away… of giving it to Tonks. She could feel her heart beating through her chest, the pain of it making her want to cry aloud… to beg. Twisting her fingers together in front of her, Hermione felt like a little girl caught by her parents. "D-do you want… want i-it back?"

The silence of the room made her look back up. Harry was staring at her with a look that seemed to both break her heart and fill her back up all at once. It was love… but in that look Hermione saw all of the dangers, the hurt and the pain that true love could offer.

"No." He sighed. "The ring is your burden. I can't… can't ask for it back. You can give it back, but I won't ever be able to take it back."

She nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Harry… sorry for everything…"

"Tell everyone to lay off of Tonks, Hermione." He moved over to his own bedroom door.

"I am sorry."

He nodded. "I know… just ask everyone to back off. If she still has a job in the morning, maybe we can try all of this again."

As the door closed behind him, Hermione sank down on the couch in the same spot that Harry had occupied when she first came out here. Why was she listening to Lavender? In fifth year, it had been her listening to everyone else that had kept her and Harry apart to almost the end of the school year.

"I just don't know what to do…" Moaning softly to herself, Hermione curled up on the couch and fell asleep… dreams of Harry filling her head.

The next morning… a Saturday, thankfully, since she didn't wake up until nearly eleven in the morning, he was gone Sitting up, she stretched… there needed to be a new plan if she was going to regain Harry's trust. Shaking herself, Hermione wondered if the house elves would be willing to bring her a snack when she started in surprise. Sometime between falling asleep and waking, someone had covered her with her favorite blanket from home.

Maybe the trick was to not do anything at all…