Authors note: I feel like such a klutz. I totally forgot to thank all of my lovely reviewers in theprevious chapter. I truly apologize.
Disclaimer: See chapter one.
When Hermione left, Harry had sent an owl to Professor Snape mentioning the fact that she was taken to St. Mungo's, nothing more nothing less. Surely, Harry wouldn't want him to know the true reason. He already blamed himself enough with letting her date Draco, and with everything that has happened as of late, he wouldn't want Snape doing the same thing no matter how much of a grudge they both had for each other. He decided to wait it out, at least for a little while and when he asks he will tell him.
He knew that it will be a hard thing to go through and there would be many questions from Ginny and the others but most of all Ron, the boy that had fallen in love with her so many years ago. Remembering, Harry cursed himself that he told Ginny that Hermione was coming over for tea today. He sent her an owl as well and told her that Hermione had to reschedule, a new case came up and her boss wanted her on it. Harry knew, however that there was no new case but he hoped that Ginny would believe it. He would have to make up something believable when she comes home later this evening; he just hoped he would be back by then; he didn't want to leave Ginny all alone in the house considering Fleur was visiting her parents in France and who knew where Ron would be.
When he arrived at St. Mungo's he saw a clock above one of the main doors announcing it was dinnertime. He approached the main desk where a woman sat, Harry read the nametag on her chest that her name was Vicky, and he told her that he was here to fill out the paperwork for Hermione Granger. She nodded and said with a smile, "Let me get the papers for you Mr.…?"
"Mr. Potter." Harry was not surprised by her reaction as many other people before her. Her eyes grew wide as saucers and she started stuttering incoherent words but Harry just droned her out and turned his attention to two witches that were passing him by. He overheard them say that dinner was running late and the kitchen should get a move on. If Hermione would be here to hear about this, Harry thought. Then he realized again that she was. You put her here.
When the witches were gone, Harry turned back to Vicky, who had gotten her speech back in order but now had a seductive smile on her face, "Hermione Granger arrived a couple of hours ago so she should be settled in by now. If you want, you can go see her before you sign anything. You aren't together are you?"
Harry didn't have to think it over he immediately, "No we aren't together we are just close friends. Where is her room located?" He seriously hoped this girl wasn't looking for a nice shag.
Just as Vicky was going to call over one of the medi wizards, a man approached the desk. At first Harry thought it was Victor Krum and was about to hex the life out of him for killing Hermione's parents, but when he looked more closely he didn't have the same eye or hair color. He had long black hair and startling green eyes and looked to be in his mid twenties and his stature seemed to be the same as Krum. He wore the same dark green robes as the rest of the staff. But there wasn't the wand and bone on his crest; he had an unusual crest of brown, blue, white, and red with two intertwining wands. Harry had never seen anything like it before and noted to ask on the way to Hermione's room. "Could you bring Mr. Potter to Ms. Granger's room please? It's the new addition room," Vicky said. "Right this way," the Viktor look-a-like said and led Harry to Hermione's room that was not too far from the main desk. He performed an unlocking spell that he didn't recognize and then he left; Harry then grasped the handle and opened the door to see the room was empty. He thought that maybe she was in her bathroom and knocked on the door calling out her name, "Hermione, it's me Harry I've come to see how you're doing. Hermione?"
Harry knocked one more time but no answer, thinking that maybe she was angry with him he thought that he should open the door nonetheless and apologize. So Harry slowly opened the door but it was empty, for the exception of a toilet, sink and shower.
This is odd.
Harry was certain something was not right. He checked to see if any magic besides healing spells were performed. Nothing, everything seemed normal besides the obvious fact that Hermione was missing. Maybe she was relocated, but Harry seriously doubted it. He went back to the main desk and said to Vicky, "Everything is perfect, but I just wanted to know something before I sign anything. A friend of mine had placed cameras around the building and I just wanted to check if they have been working properly."
"Of course, they have been such a help to us. If you want to see them, they are just down the hallway on your left. Take your time." Vicky said pointing in the direction.
Harry went down the hallway and thought that he shouldn't say anything, yet. He first wanted to check if anything happened since her arrival. He opened the door and saw that no one was inside. Thank God for small miracles. When he stepped inside, he saw that the wall opposite him was filled with several televisions all recording down a different hallway of the facility. He looked at each one and hoped that Hermione's was one of them. Bingo!
Harry used his wand to rewind the tape and then play the scene when Hermione was brought in. He conjured up a chair knowing that it would be a couple of minutes of watching the tape, but he was so glad he did conjure it for he would have fallen down in shock of what he saw.
The camera was positioned just outside the door that Hermione had occupied so the door to her room was in full view. Harry checked the clock on the television, which revealed it was 5:50 p.m., when Harry noticed someone entering her room; they were clad in the same dark green robes that the staff wore. But a hood was on their head and muggle clothes were in their left hand. They performed the same unlocking spell on the door as Vicky had done while Harry was there and then entered her room. A couple of minutes later Hermione was dressed in the clothes that the figure previously had in his hand and she held a confused look on her face. But that wasn't what made him rewind the tape several times. The hood was no longer on the persons head, now Harry noticed that it was a man. But not just any man for he had that familiar platinum blonde hair and a scar that was on his right eye. Malfoy? He saw them walk over to the fireplaces and then disappear.
She wasn't lying. "What the hell is going on?" Harry asked to no one in particular, not expecting anyone to answer back. "You can say that again," said a familiar voice from behind him. Harry stood and turned around and would have loved to face anyone but the person that was standing in the doorway.
Snape did not know what to do. He was stuck in this room and he didn't know who was outside. He didn't want to step out of the room and let whoever was out there seeing him first, and he really didn't want anyone to see this room. Picking up his wand from the floor he slowly inched towards the door and he saw that no one was in the kitchen. He turned a little bit more to get the living room in his line of sight and saw a shocking head full of red hair walking towards Hermione's bedroom. Weasley.
Taking the opportunity he called out in his classroom voice, "Ms. Weasley, or should I say Mrs. Potter." He could see her stop immediately in her tracks. Perfect. "May I ask as to what you are doing here?"
She turned around and faced her old potions Professor who saw that a small shade of red graced her cheeks from his previous statement and said, "I was looking for Hermione."
Snape thought that it wouldn't be healthy for the girl to see the room he was previously in so he took a step towards her, "She isn't here."
"Oh I thought Hermione would be. Considering she usual works at home when a new case would be assigned to her."
"A new assignment? Who is it?" asked Snape curiosity getting the better of him.
"I don't know Harry didn't say. He just said that it was important and she wouldn't be able to make it to afternoon tea that we had planned. So I thought I would check up on her. Why is this so interesting to you all of the sudden, Professor?" Ginny asked.
Snape knew he was stuck. Maybe he was lucky and Hermione had told the red head about her relationship with the Bad boy of Hogwarts, but he seriously doubted it.
Then just when he was about to open his mouth to explain to her, another pair of visitor arrived looking shocked to see him here. Oh, this is going to be good. Snape thought.
When Draco spoke of doing research, she thought of an impressive library or the Ministry of Magic. Any place but where she was now. He brought her to a cabin in the mountains, when they arrived it was gently snowing, and she could feel the cold reaching through her clothes. When she looked at the cabin, she could see that it was a two-story house. When walking through the front door there was the living room with two couches and a fireplace, on the right a small kitchen. Walking through the living room Hermione saw a back door and a small porch, and beyond it in the backyard was a lake, which was frozen over but it stretched on for miles. The stairs to the second floor were hidden away in one of the corners of the living room. On the second floor was a bedroom and a bathroom, overall it actually looked quite beautiful but Hermione wasn't thinking of real estate at the moment. They got themselves freshened up when they arrived and considering Hermione was now being hunted by the Ministry and St. Mungo's it required her to perform no magic whatsoever. Of course it was no trouble for her considering her parents were both muggles, it was just the fact that her hair would be a tangled mess without the help of her wand in the morning.
Right now, they were sitting opposite each other in the living room, the fire was crackling in the background but neither of them was paying any attention to it. Draco had told her that she should relax for a bit and get the chill out of her bones. She was wrapped up in a blanket in front of the fire watching him as he did the research that he had said that they were to do.
Hermione was so into her thoughts that she didn't take hold of what she was doing. She approached Draco who just like her wasn't paying attention of what was going on. Not until Hermione sat down next to Draco and gently stroked his right cheek were they both aware of what was going on.
"It's really you isn't it," Hermione whispered.
Draco looked at her and spoke in a soft reassuring voice, "Yeah it's me."
"Where have you been all this time? Did you actually die? It was unbearable to learn about your death in the paper." Hermione said feeling that familiar stinging behind her eyes. "Please tell me what happened."
"There must have been so many unanswered questions that raced through your mind through all this time. If you want I can answer any questions you have, we have a bit of time. No one knows of this place anyway and it will be the last place anyone looks for us. So go ahead and ask."
"Why don't you just start at the beginning? Say anything that you find important to this matter. Maybe explain why you weren't your usual self that night when I found you in the library." Hermione said anxious for his answer.
"Don't worry that day ties in with what I'm going to tell you." Draco said while putting his notes and book that lay on his lap aside. He turned to face Hermione and started at the beginning.
As Ron came home from helping out at Fred and George's work for a couple of hours, he turned on the T.V. and turned on the Wizards network. It was his daily routine, during the commercials he went to the kitchen, made himself a cup of coffee, and was barely listening to it until he heard the music for the "breaking news". This was new considering nothing important would be under the "breaking news" category unless it really was important. He looked at the T.V. and saw a young witch with curly blonde hair reporting from St. Mungo's. "Just a couple of hours ago the famous witch Hermione Granger, friends of the famous wizards Ron Weasley and Harry Potter, was admitted here. Harry Potter was the wizard that brought her in but now the witch is nowhere to be found. If you have any information regarding this incident please contact the Ministry immediately." Ron's coffee forgotten, he immediately apparated to St. Mungos to see if the news were true. He approached the main desk and asked Vicky, "Has Harry Potter been here regarding a new patient Hermione Granger?"
"Why yes he was. And if I'm not mistaken he should still be here." Vicky said oblivious to the fact that Hermione was missing from the premises.
This surprised Ron, "What do you mean still here?"
"He asked to check on the cameras, maybe he is still there. The room is just down the hallway to your left if you wish to check."
Ron not even thinking twice about what Vicky said or to stop for a thank you, he immediately rushed toward the door. He opened it and surely, there was Harry Potter sitting in a chair in front of the many televisions but his attention was mainly focused on one. Then he heard him ask no one in particular, "What the hell is going on?" But Ron took this as the perfect opportunity.
"You can say that again," Ron said angrily and he knew that Harry was surprised for he stood up and turned around and shock clearly written across his face. Ron slammed the door and he was sure that it would attract the attention of the people walking down the hallways. But they were sure to be too preoccupied with Hermione's disappearance than to go and inspect the "camera room". After a couple of seconds of Ron and Harry staring at each other Harry spoke with a determined voice.
"There are some things that I need to tell you."
"You bet your ass there are. I come home and turn on the television and guess what I see? The "breaking news," reporting that Hermione was taken to St. Mungo's by you? This better be some sick joke." Ron said as he advanced on Harry with him being just a few inches taller than Harry it didn't really have any affect on him.
"There are some things that need to be cleared up before I say anything, but you have to promise that you won't overreact."
"What could it possibly be? It couldn't be as bad as Hermione running away with Malfoy Sr. and is currently involved in a secret love affair with him." By the look on Harry's face Ron leaned against the wall and asked, "You aren't serious are you?"
"No I'm not. But you have to promise that you won't overreact." With a nod from Ron Harry began. "Back in our fourth year, during the triwizard tournament Draco Malfoy and Hermione started seeing each other. I found out by accident and I talked to her about it. She said that she didn't want anyone knowing, most of all you because she knew how you would react, and as much as I hated Malfoy I could see she was happy and I didn't want to interfere further. So I let her be and, their relationship continued in secret. Up until the day he died, from what I know, but he remained with Hermione in her thoughts. She would talk about him with me during every chance she got. But then today she came storming into our house claiming that he was back. Your reaction was the same one I gave Hermione, I didn't believe her…I couldn't believe her…so that's when I called St. Mungo's and they took her away. But when I came to fill out her paperwork a couple of minutes ago, she wasn't in her room. I didn't mention it to anyone but I asked about the tapes that were recorded with the cameras that your father installed and this is what I saw…" Harry said and replayed the video that he watched only minutes ago.
When Harry was just about to show the tape a third time, Ron interrupted him and asked in a desperate voice, "Where is she now? Where are they now?"
"I don't know," Harry said.
"Well when she was at our house did she mention anything that could give us a clue as to what is going on or what happened? Besides the obvious?"
"Hermione did say that she visited Professor Snape."
"What would she want with that greasy bastard," Ron asked in disgust.
"Did you forget that they work together?" Harry asked turning off the tape and walking towards the door. "I think that we should check out her flat before we visit our dear potions Professor. I do think that there is something there that we will find." Harry said thinking of the shards she had mentioned all over her carpet. He hoped he was just having a horrible nightmare and would awake soon in his own bed. But he seriously doubted it.
Please review! I hope you liked it.
I do apologize that I had to cut it off here but if I were to keep on writing it just wouldn't fit in with the chapter.