A/N: Sorry that it's been a while.

O X O X O X O X O X O

NOW WHAT?

Tonks wanted to vanish. To literally disappear. Unfortunately, she knew that even if she was at full strength, there was no possible way to apparate out of Hogwarts. Sighing, she shot her gaze over to wear her raven-haired boyfriend stood, still facing off against the one person that could legitimately ruin everything for them.

"Mum…"

Andromeda Tonks turned her gaze towards her daughter, the eyebrow over her right eye gracefully arched in question. "Yes, Nymphadora?"

The younger witch winced at the tone, memories of her strict childhood rearing back, no matter how much she tried to tell herself that she was now an adult and could make her own way in the world.

Unfortunately, her attempt at reasserting some type of control was taking too long as the formidable woman decided to take over… like she always did.

"Well, such a fine mess you've gotten yourself into now." Her voice was crisp. "Not only are you no longer an auror… employment that your father and I were against from the very beginning; but to add to it all, I have to learn that you are apparently… involved, yes, involved with Mister Potter…"

"Mrs. Tonks…"

"No, Mister Potter." Andromeda interrupted. "I believe that I was speaking." As Harry fell silent, the woman nodded. "From Witch Weekly, no less. My FLOO was bombarded with fire calls as absolutely everyone that I have every known decided to inform me of the sexual habits of my only child."

Refusing to succumb to the blush she knew wanted to appear, the metamorphmagus sighed as she shot a silent apology to her lover. "I'm sorry that you had to read about it in the paper, mother."

"Sorry? You're sorry?"

"Yes, mother. I apologize that you were inconvenienced with rumours of my personal life and…"

"Rumours?" Her mother wrinkled her nose as if smelling something distasteful. "So. You and Mister Potter are not in a relationship?"

"Mrs. Tonks." Harry spoke up again, waves of his ire almost palpable. "I'm sure that what might or might not be happening between your daughter and I is any of your business."

"Really?"

Harry nodded at the older witch's gaze, refusing to show weakness. He'd faced off against Voldemort several times now. How bad could the mother of his girlfriends actually be?

Turning to look back at her daughter, Andromeda dismissed Harry with her very posture. "I wish to speak with my daughter alone."

Harry stood straight then, his eyes hard. "I don't think…"

"I doubt you've ever actually thought, Mister Potter." The sister of Narcissa and Bellatrix cut him off again. "And while I am sure what you want is important to you, it bears no weight here and now."

"Now listen…"

"Harry." Tonks whispered, closing her eyes against the accusatory look she was sure he was giving her.

"Tonks…"

"Please, Harry. Let me talk to my mother."

Cracking her eye open, she watched as Harry looked at her, his expression clearly hurt at being dismissed. After watching her for a moment, he finally nodded once and brushed past her mother, anger radiating from him in waves.

She watched as her mother moved over to take the seat that he had occupied just moments ago… trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach as she realized that the room seemed so much more… empty, without Harry here.

"What do you want, mother?"

"I'm here to take you home, Nymmy." Andromeda finally stated into the silence.

"WHAT!" If she had been able to free herself from the restraints holding her down, Tonks would have been on her feet, her face in her mother's at the very audacity to suggest such a thing. "I'm not leaving… especially no where with you. What makes you think that…"

"It's already done." Andromeda responded, ignoring the Tonks was still talking. "The arrangements have been made. As soon as the headmistress and the medi-witches so you are safe to be moved, you're coming home."

"Absolutely not!" She tried to keep her voice calm, steady. "There's too much…"

Her mother sighed dramatically. "Dear, try not to over exaggerate everything. I know that you feel that you are indispensable, but the fact is that without the badge and resources of the Auror Department at the ministry, you simply are not ready to handle what is coming."

"Mum." Tonks could feel the tears coming. "Harry needs me. Things are too…"

"Harry?" Andromeda shook her head sadly. "You're doing all of this for that… that… well, that boy. I know that you were under Dumbledore's tutelage and his private mission against You-Know-Who… and I know that he had some type of, well, special bond with Mister Potter, but I will not let this joke continue."

"Mum!"

"No, Nymphadora. Not another word. How you allowed yourself to become involved with a boy, not even an adult, and so much younger than yourself." The woman grimaced. "It's done."

"He's over seventeen, mother. And what do you mean done?"

Her mother's lips were pressed in a thin line. "I've already taken the liberty of resigning your position as Transfiguration professor here, especially as the medical teams have all stated that you will be several weeks in recovery time."

Tonks opened her mouth, but the older woman just glared at her. "The… relationship… with this boy is over. Your father is preparing your room for you."

"But Harry…"

"Mister Potter will just have to deal with the fact that it is over."

Tonks growled in frustration as she tried to lift her arms from the restraints, to somehow free herself. She should never have gotten Harry to leave the room. "I'm not going."

She knew it sounded childish, but she was left with nothing else.

Harry… forgive me.

O X O X O X O X O X O

"Here!" Harry shoved a bag into the twins' hands, his tone cold. Distant.

Hermione watched as the two Weasley boys both flinched at Harry's manner, neither one having looked forward to the meeting that was inevitable. She watched, not sure exactly how to feel at the moment. They had been responsible for everything… all of the pain she and every one else had been forced to endure. All for a stupid bet.

Looking down at the bag, Fred forced himself to look back up, to meet the hard, emerald gaze of the young man that had meant so much to them… to their entire family.

"Harry…"

"No." His voice was harder than any hex could have been. "All because of your betting… your desire to be the big men on Diagon Alley."

"Look, mate… we really…"

"Mate? Mate?" Harry's eyes seemed to almost glow in anger. "What is it with you Weasley's, huh?" At their blank looks, he chuckled harshly. "You ruin my life, Hermione's life. Everyone that cared for you and supported you… and you think that means we get to stay mates?"

George moved closer. "It was a mistake…"

"Just take the damn money." Harry sighed. "There. Five thousand galleons. Take it and do whatever it is that you want."

Hermione looked over to where Arthur and Molly Weasley observed, both looking like their world was over. Maybe, in some way, it was. The matriarch of the family… a woman she, herself, considered a second mother (once upon a time…), broke out into tears.

"Harry."

"No, Mister Weasley." Harry briefly shot a look at the older redhead. "This is it. My last good deed… maybe forever."

Her heart broke again to see the resignation in Harry's very posture.

The love of her life looked at the two Weasley entrepreneurs. "This is it. All that you're ever going to get. You make it or break it on your own."

Fred smiled warily. "We'll make it up to you, Harry."

"We swear, on everything we have…" George added.

"We'll pay you back."

Hermione watched as Harry shook his head. "No, guys. You don't get it. This is it. All of it. There's nothing left between us. Consider it over."

"B-but, Harry…" George gasped.

"You're our partner."

"No." Harry crossed his arms over his chest, the same blood splattered robes he had been wearing earlier. "Take it all. I don't want anything to do with you or your shoppe ever again."

They both tried to argue his decision, the desperation in their voices lent weight to the sincerity of their apologies, but Harry was having none of it. She couldn't help the small amount of satisfaction she felt at seeing the two of them suffer. Hermione had known that their pranks would some day get them in trouble. She had just never expected to be in on the one that finally caught up with them.

"Harry, dear." Molly moved away from where both Fred and George had sat on the couch to approach her surrogate son. "I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am at all of this."

No one could miss the way the older witch flinched when Harry pulled back from her, refusing her offer of comfort. She felt her own eyes begin to itch with the threat of tears as Harry shook his head, some internal struggle going on as he moved towards the door and left.

Waiting only long enough to watch as Molly fell into her husband's arms, sobbing, Hermione moved to chase after Harry.

Out in the corridor, she glanced both left and right before she finally caught a glimpse of his retreating form headed back to the infirmary, most likely to check in on Tonks. It had been several hours since he'd arrived.

"Harry!" She called after him. He didn't even pause as he continued on.

Moving after him, she ignored the fact that he kept moving. Pushing past the pain of her leg, the salve having healed it to where she knew that she was well over seventy-five percent, she jogged across the stone floor and caught up to him just as he reached to turn a corner.

"Harry."

He looked at her then, finally pausing. Hermione took a moment to catch her breath, even such a short exertion enough to wear her out. Harry seemed to wait patiently as she slowly got herself under control.

"H-Harry… I… I'm so sorry."

The raven-haired man just looked at her as he absently ran his hand over his head. "Why are you sorry, Hermione? They did this to you, too."

"I know." She sighed as she looked deeply into his eyes. "But for you to have to lose even more…"

"Thanks, I guess."

She nodded as he turned back to the doorway. As he moved, she pulled her shoulder upright and girded her Gryffindor courage. "Can I… can I come with you to see Tonks?"

For a moment, she took pleasure in the evident surprise on his face, noting that he seemed genuinely shocked. "Are you sure, Hermione?"

She nodded. "Please. No matter anything else that has happened, I would never want her to be hurt."

Harry continued to look at her, his gaze seeming to look into her soul. She hoped that he found her worthy. Finally, he smiled, though softly, before he pulled open the door and gestured for her to enter before him.

Gulping, Hermione moved into the infirmary, her gaze immediately drawn over to the doorway that the elves had created for Ginny to have some privacy. It had been there where Draco had approached her earlier to tell her that Harry had almost killed Tonks. Promising herself that she'd check on her friend (was she still that?) later, she moved across the room top the next newly created space, as Harry directed her.

Reaching the door, she paused as Harry moved in front of her and turned the knob slowly, his left hand rapping gently against the wood to alert the occupants inside that he was coming in.

There was no response that she could discern, but everything seemed in order as Harry opened the door and stepped into the room. Hermione moved to follow, but ran into him when he stopped still in the middle of the doorway.

"Tonks?"

Looking around him, she could see that the room was empty. Stepping to the side, she allowed Harry to return back out as her eye took in all of the details that she could find. The room had recently been occupied, proof in the messed up bed covers and the empty mugs and vials on the bedside table.

Maybe Tonks had stepped out… but, everything she had been led to believe was that Tonks had been seriously hurt and couldn't move.

A chill ran along her spine. Moving to catch up with Harry, she found him looking around all of the privacy screens in the infirmary, his actions showing a rising level of nervousness.

"Harry…"

"I can't find her, Hermione."

"Maybe we should ask Poppy." She offered.

Harry came up short as he looked at her before turning to find the nurse in question. Hermione looked around the room, her gaze alighting on the school nurse juts a second before Harry did. She shook her head as she had to move quickly to catch up to where the Head Boy was nearly running.

"Ignoring the protests and looks of displeasure shot his way, Harry moved to where the woman was carefully running her wand over Lavender Brown, the expression of happiness on her friend's face enough to alleviate any worry Hermione might have had.

"Poppy?" Harry called out a few paces before he arrived next to the woman.

At hearing her name called, she looked up. Hermione knew the news wasn't going to be good at seeing the expression on the witch's face. Instinctively, Hermione reached out and took Harry's hand in her own.

"I'm sorry, Mister Po… Harry."

Goddess above… no!

"Tonks…" Harry seemed to crumble, the strong exterior that everyone always saw falling away. "Is she… is she…"

"Harry."

Hermione and Harry both turned at the voice calling from behind them. Looking back, they watched as McGonagall approached, her face carefully schooled.

"Professor?" He asked.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but Mrs. Tonks removed Nymphadora an hour ago."

Harry looked flabbergasted. "Removed?"

"What do you mean by removed, Professor?" Hermione asked.

"I cannot say how sorry I am, Harry." Minerva offered lamely. "There was nothing that I… or you, for that matter, could have done."

Harry turned, his face dark. "Where is she? Tell me where they went."

The headmistress was already shaking her head. "I do not know, Harry. Once Andromeda got permission from the healers from Saint Mungo's, she took her daughter out of here before I could even alert you."

Hermione tightened her grip on Harry's hand. "Can she do that?"

Minerva McGonagall nodded slowly. "Technically… yes. As Tonks is not considered pure, a metamorphmagus classified much like a werewolf might be, she is not afforded the same rights and privileges as others her age."

"They think she's dark?" Harry's voice seemed to drop an octave.

"Yes… and as such, she can be held under the control of her family until such time as she is married… then given to her husband."

"Th-that's… barbaric."

Harry silently agreed with Hermione. "Why has this never been brought up before?"

"She gained some leverage as an auror, a ministry employee, but after she lost her job…"

"Her mother got control back."

"I am sorry, Harry."

O X O X O X O X O X O

"It's just the way it is." Hermione felt her skin go cold at his tone. "Vernon and Petunia were right, I guess. I'm not deserving of love… everyone and everything around me dies."

They sat in the quiet of the Head Suite. Harry had been like a zombie at the headmistress' words. She had thought for sure that he might blow up or something… but he didn't do anything. She had watched as Harry had thanked Minerva for everything and then excused himself. Hermione had for a brief moment considered staying to talk further with the elderly witch, but common sense won out and she had chased after him, instead.

Glancing out the window, she saw only an inky sky, proof that many hours had passed. The food that Dobby had brought up lay where it had been placed, untouched, as the two of them sat quietly in front of the fireplace.

Through the tears that fell, Harry finally looked up. "I-I just can't do it anymore, Hermione… I can't." She leaned over and hugged him as the strongest person in the world finally broke. "I can't do it…"

"Harry…" She whispered, her voice easily heard in the silence of the room. "No matter what has happened between us… no matter where we go, I am here and I love you."

He barked out a laugh. "Run while you can."

"I love you, Harry Potter." At his look, she smiled sadly. "I can't help it. I think I might have been born to love you. It's as natural as breathing for me."

She watched as he shook his head, but she refused to stop. "And you can just forget about those horrible people… you do deserve love. You deserve happiness."

Grabbing his shoulders, forcing him to face her, Hermione pulled him hard into a hug. Harry continued to cry. Not knowing what else to do, Hermione softly cooed in his ear and ran her fingers through his hair. She tried to ignore the beating of her heart, once again in his arms. This was not a time to think of that. Harry needed a friend. Not a jealous ex-girlfriend.

When he did finally pull back, his eyes sparkling with wetness, she found her breath catch in her throat, as their faces were so close… so very close.

"Harry…" Her stomach started to flip-flop.

Instinctively, her eyes closed as she felt something in the air change, the tension in the room altering to something so much more powerful… primal. She felt the warmth of his breath dance along the skin of her face moments before his lips met hers.

No…. It was wrong… she knew this wasn't what either of them needed, not now… but her body betrayed her as she felt her mouth open as his did, their tongues immediately moving to meet. Digging deep, she managed to pull back, breaking the kiss, her eyes meeting his… somehow pleased to see the insanity in his eyes as much as she felt had to be in hers.

Shaking her head, she fought for some control. "I can't… we can't, Harry." She swallowed. "I can't go through the heartbreak of you regretting this… not again."

He didn't say anything, his eyes dark. She knew that she'd blown it, but he surprised her. His lips came back to hers, crashing into one another as the desperation in his movement, the way he felt… to once again be in his arms.

All attempts at control were lost as she silently prayed that they… she, could survive this.