Yo...sup...here's chap three...I'm really happy that I have six reviews...it's the most I've ever had...but you can make me even happier if you keep reviewing...so read and let me know...

Disclaimer: Not mine...though it really should be...

Afternoon Rows

"Mum are you here!" called an impatient voice again after getting no response the first time.

It was close to nine o' clock in the morning, and Hermione Granger was standing at the top of the stairs taping her foot. She was trying to figure out where it was that her mother had gone for she knew that neither her mother nor father had work that day.

Could they be off doing something fun without her? They seemed to be doing that a lot lately. Almost as if they had forgotten that she was home for the summer holiday. Feeling a little left out Hermione turned and went to her room again. She had been in the middle of writing a letter but decided that she couldn't focus on it any longer. She was going to go out for a walk.

So slipping on her Reeboks, Hermione grabbed her key and her wand slipping both in her pocket. She left her room and started down the stairs. She was out the front door in a moment and walking down the street of her cozy and quiet suburban neighborhood.

It was a beautiful day for a walk. The sun was out and the sky was a powder blue with little wisps of clouds here and there. The trees provided cool shade over the sidewalk as she walked. She waved to the muggles that she had known all her life as she passed them washing their cars or watering their gardens. It wasn't too hot of a day but just warm enough to run through a sprinkler.

She just followed the sidewalk to the end of the street where there was a patch of trees. Hermione knew, on the other side of them was a little stream. She had walked there when she was younger, before Hogwarts. She used to go to think. It had been so long since she last visited the place.

She traveled carefully down the wooded path being sure not to trip on tree roots or get snagged on the ugly thorn bushes. When she saw the clearing up ahead she sped up a little.

'This place hasn't changed a bit.' She thought as she sat on the bank of the stream. The water slowly moved past her in what looked to be only a trickle. It wasn't a strong current but it could sail a paper boat as her and her friends used to do when she was about seven.

She remembered all her muggle friends. She saw them every once in a while when she came home from Hogwarts. They had grown and changed just as she had. They had little in common anymore because she was so into the wizard world and all its problems that she wasn't up to date on the muggle worlds. She hadn't talked to any of them this summer though she saw them from her window from time to time.

But the strange thing was that she hadn't heard from her wizard friends lately either. She had been writing a letter to Harry to ask him how he'd been so far this summer. She was planning on writing Ron and Ginny as well. But now that she thought about it none of them had sent her an owl once in the last three weeks. With everything that happened at the end of the year she thought that they would be none stop correspondence.

She picked up a pebble and tossed it into the stream. The splash was tiny and the current carried the ripples away. Hermione felt almost like those ripples, being carried away by some big coming event. She knew that this summer and upcoming school year, were not going to be easy. In fact they would probably be the most difficult years of her life. She really wasn't even sure what made her feel that way. It was just a feeling that she was having. A feeling of dread towards the weeks and months to come had overcome her just a week before Dumbledore died something she hadn't told anyone. Now all it did was intensify.

She spent a good deal of time sitting beside that stream. Every once in a while tossing another rock in to watch any evidence that it sank travel down stream with the rest of the water. It was calming to both her body and mind to be sitting there among the trees hidden from all people and things in both worlds around her.

It wasn't until lunch time that Hermione got up. She started for her home passing few people because they were probably all inside eating as well. It had grow hotter outside, not that she noticed, being in the shade of the trees. She reached her house just as an owl flew through her open window.

Hermione jogged to the door and unlocked it with her key. She jogged up the stairs to her room and saw waiting for her on her desk was Harry's white owl Hedwig. She clutched a letter in her beak that Hermione took. Hedwig received a handful of owl treats before flying to the perch Hermione had set up in her room.

Sitting on the bed Hermione opened the heavy paper envelope that only had her name written on the front. She wondered why Harry would put it in an envelope but then realized that it must not have been Harry sending the letter. When the letter was out of the envelope and unfolded in her hand Hermione began to read.

Dear Hermione,

Hello dear, I hope your summer is going well. Things have been a little hectic over here because of all that happened at the end of the school year. That is why I'm owling you in fact.

You see Hermione, Remus doesn't think that it's safe for you where you are. You are a great asset to our side as I'm sure you know so we would like to have you here with us to keep you safe. But there is one problem. Since Grimauld Place was broken into by Narcissa Malfoy two years ago it can't be used as Headquarters. However, it has been made safe enough to use as a residence. There is a connection using Floo between our house and Grimmauld Place making it easier for any adults to go back and forth as we please.

We have already sent Harry Ronald and Ginny there to stay. We would like you to join them. Fred and George are also staying there just to help, almost like a guard. We will be at your home tonight by car to pick you up, at seven sharp. Please be ready for Arthur and I must be back at our home for a meeting at eight.

With love,

Molly Weasley

Hermione read through the letter one last time.

Things were getting worse. The tight knot in Hermione's stomach from the dreaded feeling returned and she lay back on her bed hoping that it would go away soon.

She was going to go stay at Grimmauld place because they didn't think that she was safe. Did they think that the Death Eaters were really going to come after her at her home? They wouldn't care enough about her to do that, but deep down inside Hermione knew that was a lie.

Hermione knew that she was just as important to this as anyone else. She had been beside Harry from the beginning as was Ron. The Golden Trio had been the affectionate name given them by the Order. They were inseparable and fought like the three musketeers, all for one and one for all. Voldemort knew this just as much as she, but Hermione just didn't want to believe it.

She hated fighting. She hated the danger and the fear. She didn't like being worried that she would be caught off guard or getting someone that she knew and loved killed. She hated Voldemort for starting all of this and she hated his Death Eaters for following him. But most of all she hated Snape. He killed the one person who would be able to help Harry to defeat Voldemort.

Harry had been right all along. Snape had been fooling everyone but Harry. Even Ron had been fooled once or twice. But Harry never seemed to be wrong about Snape. Hermione just wished that she had believed Harry. Then maybe there would have been a way to stop Snape sooner.

After waiting a few minutes the pain in her stomach began to subside and Hermione got up and went to the stairs. She started down them but stopped in the middle as the doorknob turned and her mother pushed the door open.

Her mother stalked into the house not even noticing her daughter on the stairs. She looked angry, angrier than Hermione had ever seen. She stomped her way down the hall as Hermione backed up the stairs to the landing where she could properly hide herself. She knew that her mother had to be mad at something and wasn't sure if she was the reason.

But a moment after Hermione had ducked down behind a fern sitting in a corner on the landing her father stormed into the house throwing the door closed behind him. The slam seemed louder from where Hermione was crouched as she watched her father follow the lead her mother had set.

Hermione wondered what had both her parents so upset. She wanted to go down the stairs but didn't want to be caught spying. As she sat as close to the wooden bars as she could she heard her mother begin to speak.

"You are so embarrassing sometimes Ted." Her mother said with such malice that Hermione cringed.

"Well you're not exactly the trophy wife!" Ted cried. She knew that her father was pacing before the mantle because that's what he always did when he was angry.

"You bastard!" Nancy Granger screamed. Hermione heard a crash and her eyes opened wide. "Don't you dare insult me like that. I cook your food, wash your clothes, and even work in your office sometimes when you have to many patients. I'm the best damn wife there is."

"If you were such a good wife than why do I have to go to my receptionist to get any kind of pleasure!" At that point Hermione ran to her room. She closed the door as quietly as she could.

'This isn't happening. This isn't happening.' She repeated over and over in her mind hoping that it would make it all better. All that did was make it seem worse. She had read a book on psychology and knew that she was in the denial phase.

She sat on her bed staring at the back of the door. Her eyes welled with tears as she stared hearing the muffled screams and occasional shatters. It had all happened so quickly. She knew it had happened over weeks and months but it all seemed so fast.

She had heard her parents fighting a lot lately. It hadn't been an everyday thing but in between the fights neither was in a very good mood. They hardly spoke to each other much less her; both wrapped up in their own problems. Now that she thought about it her father had been leaving a lot telling them that he had work to do at the office, lots off files to go over. Her mother would always just nod not saying anything though she had to know that it was a lie. Her mother was a shrewd woman and could tell a lie from the truth.

Hermione buried her face in her hand and started to cry. All the while the fight continued. As she cried the tears running down her cheeks to her chin or squeezing between her fingers, she blamed herself for not paying enough attention to her parents needs. A hoot brought her suddenly from her thoughts.

"Hedwig." Hermione said softly. It was at that moment that Hermione felt trapped and the sudden urge to escape.

She hurried to her table and scribble down a note. It was a simple note asking if Mrs. Weasley could come to pick her up immediately instead of waiting. She tied it to Hedwig's leg then handed the owl a treat.

"Take this to Mrs. Weasley as fast as you can please."

Hedwig only hooted before soaring out the window into the high noon sky. Hermione stood at the window for a moment watching the bird fly then turned and began packing for she wanted to be ready to leave as soon as possible.

So that's it for number three...what a sad way to begin a summer...let me know if you like it and I'll try to get my next one up soon...I'm not one for leaving things unfinished...

Starry