A/N: Hey SereniteRose! I totally agree with the stupid as a turnip, I guess that could work for some girls but I just couldn't see myself like or even falling in love with a guy like that. I can be friends with those kinds of guys even see them as an eye candy, but for anything longer term than a first date? No way!

Hi pianomouse! I really can't agree with that no contact thing either, seeing that solitude can drive a person nuts. You can only imagine what it does to someone especially if you're locked up in a small cupboard somewhere.

Thank you to everyone who've enjoyed and read the previous chapters and I hope you enjoy this one too!


Bong had heard about the new DADA teacher, he'd met the flirty ugly woman once. She seemed to be obsessed with the color pink and it looked horrid on her. Hermione had a lot to say about the nasty woman and none of them had been nice. He once offered for Hermione to consider transferring schools seeing as she could either be home schooled by a witch or wizard who've already taken and passed their NEWTS (him) or attend Mahoutokoro, which is a day school with a school service that caters for the whole continent of Asia (she can stay with him). He knew Hermione was tempted but she reminded him that her parents might not approve even if she is at 17, already of legal age by the wizardry world standards.

Even as Hermione prepared for her OWLS, the horrible stories continued and not even his work comforted him from what she went through. He practiced dueling and brushed himself up from his lax lifestyle, there was a feeling that he would need these skills in case he needed to get Hermione. He found himself seething with rage at the activities of the Inquisitorial Squad. Later, after they've talked, he would find himself wishing that he could have pelted things at the horrible woman when he found out what the woman did to Hermione and her friends. It wouldn't have been so bad if it was just Umbridge being nasty, but he knew that there was a real problem at hand when he heard that Albus Dumbledore had been forced away from Hogwarts, he immediately told his superiors about the situation.

Upon seeing their lack of action, he took it upon himself to petition about the possibility of an impending war that might leak into their borders. His father, an influential member of the Enclave Council also supported him. But as with any bureaucracy, its system moves at a snail pace. So while the rest of the council and its members are deliberating what actions they would take next, Bong took it upon himself to take an extended leave of absence from work and travel to London. He felt his heart stop when a few hours after he'd arrived, he saw Hermione's last note had been to tell him that she and her friends had gone to the Department of Mysteries to rescue Sirius Black. This proved to be fortuitous as his wand would be the wand that saved Sirius Black from the pull of the veil.


Sirius Black had been about to lash out at Kreacher for what he did only for Harry to finally stop him. He explained that he had been needlessly cruel to the house elf that has done nothing but to serve his family loyally. It wasn't his fault that he was put into a tight corner and it had been Sirius who kicked him out at that point.

Harry understands where he was coming from, but he also have to understand where Kreacher is also coming from. Sirius, at Harry's and Hermione's bidding would start treating his family's house elf better. This interference from Harry would give him the respect of the elderly elf and would unknown to him, bring an unexpected help in their last battle.


Hermione stood in Bong's temporary hotel room, seeing that both didn't want to talk about this matter in front of others. This is the first time they've ever fought. Hermione had an inkling of this when Bong told her they needed to talk somewhere in private. "I'm not leaving England." Hermione stated. "You're in danger here." He reiterated. "I will be in danger everywhere. I've already been tagged as Harry's friend." Hermione replied coldly. "I want you to be safe." Bong repeated.

Hermione closed the space between them and sat with Bong on the edge of the bed. "You wouldn't leave your former partner, Lau in danger, wouldn't you?" Hermione asked silently. He shook his head understanding where her conversation is heading. "I will stay here, until this is over." Hermione said, squeezing his hand. Bong nodded. "Then, I will be with you." He answered determinedly. "This isn't your war." Hermione told him. "Neither is it yours, it's a war of people who hates others for the most trivial reason." He answered.

Hermione didn't know what to say at that and just allowed him to pull her into the bed with him as he lied down, he held her into his arms. He felt relief that he could hold her when he had been so scared that something bad might have happened to her during the earlier battle. It was the first time anyone held Hermione and she now realized what the hype about cuddling was all about. They relished the feeling of comfort for a while before Bong spoke up again. "We can't just rely on magical instinct or guessing game in battling these Death Eaters." He said looking at her. "What do you suggest?" Hermione asked looking up at him.


Hermione sat beside Bong as he talked with his former partner who now owns a private investigation firm. Bong had received permission for a special breach in the International Statute of Secrecy in order to bring his partner into the case. Lau Ching-hei specializes in profiling criminals and predicting their next step through this profile. It took a while but the man is now starting to believe that Yau Kin-bong wasn't just pranking him.

"You're a wizard and you didn't tell me? Can you imagine how much easier solving our cases would have been if you've used your powers?!" Lau exclaimed. Bong rolled his eyes. "There is an international law that prohibits me from telling you and…" He said exasperatedly. "I get it, laws and all. So what do you want?" Lau interrupted. "Well, the ministry has offers of several contracts with your detective firm if you do this thing right." Bong offered. "I got that the first time. But what am I supposed to do?" Hermione took over the explanation as she explained what was going on with the wizardry world and how they need to see what course of actions the Death Eaters would be taking.

Thus, bundled with a secrecy clause contract, couple of books and newspaper articles on the Wizarding community in London, the first wizarding war and the beginning of this war; Lau started packing for London merely giving his wife the exciting news of a lucrative long term contract for his firm. This experience would prove to be fortunate for Lau as it would show him the extremes of revenge and hate. He was almost crossing over to the dark side and had been motivated solely by his hate and anger, something which he would later on be forced to open up about.


Hermione and Bong went through another summer of sorting through documents and papers, this time with Lau. Hermione laughed when Bong once kid Lau that he's torn between him and Hermione. But that he might be leaning more towards loving Lau. Lau on his part confided to Hermione that this had been the happiest he'd ever seen his former partner in years and that it's Hermione who made him happy.

Bong had accepted for a while now that he is in love with Hermione but he's not going to force his feelings or affections for her. He's only going to enjoy what they do have. He knows that she may have affections for him but he is not going to initiate something that she might not yet be ready for. He knew that her parents trusted him and even likes him enough to invite him and his partner, Lau to dinner a number of times during this summer break. He couldn't break their trust. He vowed to never take advantage of Hermione by seducing her. But if he must be honest, if she did the seduction, he probably won't be able to resist for long.

As the three studied, Hermione started seeing a pattern, she went to the Black's Library, and directly to the books that Molly Weasley hadn't wanted them all to read because of their dark nature. She didn't bother arguing with her and instead directly approached Dumbledore who gave it a go signal despite Molly's arguments against it. Hermione had been furious with Dumbledore for not sharing the information he had when she came upon the same conclusion he did, that Voldemort used horcruxes, which made him almost impossible to kill.


Hermione had not told her parents of her plans, but she had decided to just "home school" for the next term and would just stay with Bong and Lau as she helped Dumbledore in his search for the horcruxes and as Lau created individual profiles for the known death eaters and who the other possible death eaters might be within the wizardry community. She would tell Harry of her decision and despite his insistence that he should help as well, she refused and joked that he could barely keep up with his readings what more the readings of this magnitude. Harry accepted her decision but saw that the situation must be more serious than the adults are admitting to seeing that it forced studious Hermione from school.

Despite Harry's initial thought that Ron was over Hermione seeing that he had behaved normally towards Hermione in their fifth year, he had been bitter and resentful over Hermione's decision to stay the whole term with Bong to "study".

But Harry cut him off and merely said, "She had always been loyal towards us and had always supported us. She didn't have to do this. She could have just taken him up on his offer to bring her home with him and be under the protection of the Asian Enclaves. But she didn't." Harry started. Ron started giving excuses and started trying to justify his vitriolic statements against Hermione only for Harry to cut him off again.

"I know you like her but you've never shown it before or you were unaware of it. I really don't know which. But you kept on pushing her down, making her feel bad about herself and I don't know how she managed to continue being friends with you when you have been so mean to her. You would have been willing to continue on with that route until somebody else realized how wonderful she was and they fell in love. She's also my friend and I don't like people putting down my friends. Also, unlike you she would disobey "orders" just to reach out." Harry continued; his bitterness from the previous year still raw in his mind.

Ron closed his mouth at this and decided to sulk instead for the rest of the journey. He had expected Harry to try to console him, but he waited in vain as Harry merely sat thinking about what might have been if Hermione had not helped them out in the previous years. He also felt shame that he often took Ron's side in the past, without considering Hermione's feelings.


Hermione had apparated to Grimmauld for a few other books and to bring Sirius some of the pasta she made. She left Lau and Bong to clean up after dinner. "I come home to a nice meal such as these every day." Lau said appreciatively. "Although, of course many of the dishes my wife makes is Chinese. But it's really nice to have a nice girl to come home to." Lau said.

"I used to live with my ex-girlfriend Rachel, remember? I know what it feels like to have someone to come home to." Bong retorted in a deceivingly bored tone because he knew what the older man is getting on.

"Hermione is not Rachel. She is loyal to a fault. She is brave, she would rather face problems than back down and she is completely devoted to you. You're the kind of guy who thrives in the care of a good woman." Lau added meaningfully.

"I don't need a nursemaid." Bong replied a bit coldly. "Not a nursemaid, a wife." Lau replied as he finished drying up the dishes. "She's still too young..." Bong answered. "But am not telling you to marry her or anything just to commit to her…" Bong jumped at this. "Yes, that's it!" He exclaimed.

"What is?" Lau asked his excitable friend. "There is a spell that our family has. It's a protection spell for a female fiancé, it protects the woman from being raped or hurt, and it allows for an easy way to find the other." Bong said happily.

Then, he stopped. "But the couple has to truly love each other. Our family never did rely on arranged marriages. It would only work if she loves me back." Bong said a bit glumly. Lau gave a small smile. "Then it would work." He said comfortingly.

"I can't. It requires more than hand-waving. It's blood magic, which I understand her people are squeamish about. I realized that it's almost a hand fast marriage and I can't do that to Hermione." Bong said determinedly.

Lau frowned at him. "You found a way to protect her and you wouldn't do it." He asked irritated. Bong did not say a word as he looked out the window and thought about other options.


Dumbledore arranged for Hermione to receive her exams even when she is not at Hogwarts and she had been the one whom he left a message for, "Severus Snape has his role to play."