A/N: Hey Elizabeth! Thank you for reading my story and I would just put in an addendum in this chapter. For the continuity of this story, Hermione had to be out of school. This chapter would explain it. But I do hope you still read this story. Thanks for reminding me about the black quill and Dolohov's curse on Hermione.

Hi to pianomouse, SereniteRose and to everyone else who've taken the time to leave reviews!

To everyone who read this story and is still reading it, I hope you enjoy this chapter too.


Hermione had not told anyone about how Dolohov had cursed her but had not been able to use the incantation because of the silencing charm she put up. She had felt pain at the start but she ignored it since there was no obvious wound. But by the second month after the battle in the Department of Mysteries, Hermione started vomiting blood.

Lau had been about to tease Bong that his girlfriend might be pregnant, but he panicked when he saw Hermione unconscious near the toilet bowl and blood surrounding her. The only discernible source was that she vomited it. Bong rushed into the bathroom after he heard Lau shouting for him and they rushed Hermione to St. Mungo's.

Once there they found out that Hermione had severe internal bleeding caused by an unknown curse. Its effects can be cured by several potions to be administered daily and religiously, but the patient needs to have her blood replenished first and her organs healed individually. The healer who admitted them wondered how the patient had been able to tolerate such pain for an extended period of time.

Lau went off to get Bong a change of clothes, the streaks of blood reminded him too much of that day when he found Bong after his girlfriend committed suicide and the man had not even changed out of the clothes he wore when he found her. He tried to shake off the negative image in his mind and resolved to call his wife to ask her how she'd been.

Even after they've administered the first round of blood replenishing potions, Hermione looked as white as paper due to her blood loss and Bong blamed himself for not seeing her in pain. She probably didn't know what the pain was about but he had no such excuse. He is an Auror, he should have known that she had been cursed, he almost lost her.

He saw that they un-wrapped the hand Hermione kept bandaged. He knew that she often applied murtlap essence to it and has tried a huge variety of scar ointment. He thought that it was one of the wounds she might have received from the battle with the Death Eaters but upon seeing the scars bearing the words "I will not break rules", he knew that it wasn't only Harry who had been punished by that horrid Umbridge.

He felt tears running down his eyes as he repeatedly kissed the scar that became a badge of her loyalty. If only he could take her away from all of this pain, hatred and anger.


Bong would take to reminding Hermione to take the ten different potions every day, which were sent by Madam Pomfrey, Hogwarts' school nurse, daily. She was supposed to take these potions for the next few months. He found out that she had been very lucky because if Dolohov had been able to utter the incantation, she would have been dead from that moment. Thus, despite her protests, he'd taken to pampering her, rarely allowing her to do anything for the next few months until she got angry and told him she's not an invalid and he's suffocating her. Lau could be heard laughing in the background and told him that Hermione probably couldn't take their horrible cooking anymore. Bong relented but still hovered over Hermione and did not allow her to lift anything he deemed to be heavy.

He didn't reprimand Hermione for not telling them of her pain, seeing that she had suffered enough but he told her that she could tell him everything. He'd also taken to kissing the scar on her hand, which made Hermione feel guilty for not telling him about it. But he assured her that he understood that she didn't want him to worry, and he just wants her to know that he will always be there for her.


Lau watched as Bong practiced dueling with Hermione. Even if he had known about magic for three months now, it was always a wonder to see magic in action. He understood that there were also magical sports, and Bong had promised to take him to one of those games after this is over.

For Bong, difference between Asian and European magic is that Asian magic stresses more on battle magic, which Bong surmised is why Voldemort had been extra ordinarily skilled as a dueler. He believes that the Dark Lord may have had practiced dueling in Asia in his years of travel, using techniques that European spell casters have not learned much about. European magic leans more on protection, the maintenance of home and creature comforts, which their Asian counterparts did not bother to learn much about seeing that they mingle more often with their more technologically advanced muggle neighbors. So while he taught Hermione about the magical theories and reviewed what she's supposed to be learning for her exams, he also taught her to duel better and to do actual battle beyond defense.

As Lau watched the two in their mock battle, he realized what had been missing with Bong's other relationships. Hermione is Bong's equal. Rachel, even before she had cheated on Bong, had always been quiet and submissive. One can say that it was always Bong who made the decisions, they do not even fight or argue given how Rachel was. Her personality was easily dwarfed by his partner's bigger one. Rachel had been a party girl who had to stop because Bong had been traditional in his views and saw drinking as a vice that is not needed. It was because of the fact that she didn't argue with whatever he says that got her lost within the relationship.

Sai Fung would have been a better fit in terms of compatibility with Bong, but she does not know when to reign him in. Given her job, he could even say she, along with his depression, was one of the causes of his alcoholism from before. While he knows that Bong practically told her everything, Lau wasn't sure how much of it she understood or how much of it Bong simplified. While Lau agrees that she is an insightful girl, she doesn't stand a chance whenever Bong actually starts thinking. Besides, she has only ever seen the man depressed or drunk or getting there, so she doesn't really see him in his entirety. Some men would like to have a simple girl as a girlfriend but seeing how things had been with Rachel, he knew that Bong would not have been one of those. Neither is he for that matter. His wife is one of the most intelligent women he knew.

Hermione on the other hand seemed to be an illogical decision. She is a good 9 years younger than his partner. But she is absolutely brilliant and can understand his fast train of thoughts and even how his mind works. Despite the age difference, Hermione can more than stand up to him and hold her ground. He had seen the two work harmoniously, understanding what the other needs to be done even if not a single word have passed between them. He knows that many would achieve this without years of being together. She knows when and how to stop him from his depressive thoughts or from drinking. She challenges Bong and he, surprisingly enough, is willing to put in the effort to make it work and to be with her.

Lau sees Hermione as loyal to a fault, but so is he, which is why he has not left yet even if he had finished his profiling. When questioned about his ability to be in a battle, he told that guy with a swiveling eye, Mad Eye Moody, that he might not be a wizard, but he's good at finding a hiding spot and shooting bad guys.


Months passed and so far their researches and profiling are gaining positive results. The Order managed to nab a good number of Death Eaters, some are even recruits from other countries.

Given that Hermione had exceeded even the requirements of her year level, she moved on to prepare for NEWTS. "At least I would have finished my preparatory education before I get killed, right Lau?" Hermione once noted pessimistically.

Hermione found out about the attempts at Dumbledore's life and immediately thought about Draco. Now, the boy isn't really evil, nor is he really as malevolent as Ron and Harry see him to be. Distant from the stress of bullying and peer pressure, Hermione saw him as just misguided and a product of his upbringing. She could also see how easily he could be swayed to do Voldemort's bidding, for fear for both his life and that of his parents'. The Weasleys thought differently, however and were of the opinion that Draco is evil but Hermione brushed that up to their intergenerational family feud.

Whether it was because of her difference in perspectives or because he trusted her to do the right thing, Dumbledore would one day appear at their apartment's doorstep with an offer teach both Bong and Hermione how to use the fidelius charm to hide their apartment. Hermione then knew that something was up. She was shocked and gasped when the Order's leader showed his withered hand. He told Hermione that he was dying and he would use his death to propel Severus Snape, whom the Dark Lord now partly suspect, into a better position in the Dark Lord's circle and so that Draco would not have to kill him.

Hermione was angry, furious even. She pitied her former professor and the decisions he was forced to make. She knew that not many people would believe her and Bong even if they say that Snape had been Dumbledore's spy to the end, if he kills the said man. People tend to have a narrow perspective, which would make them unable to understand why his death would be necessary. Bong had suggested that the goblins are good curse breakers but Dumbledore cut him off by saying he already tried but what he has is terminal and it had only been Snape's potion making skills that had been hindering the spread of the curse towards the rest of his body.

"You just need to help him "pretend" to die. His name might be cleared later, but people will still vilify him for all the things he'd done. I have enough to get him a new start in life. I will put it with your keeping and out of my will so you can move in secrecy." Albus said. Hermione, defeated, couldn't help but just nod and listen as he told them yet another one of his plans.

With the help of Professor Dumbledore, Bong would cast the fidelius charm to hide the apartment the very next day.


Hermione may write Harry every day and she may help him out in his homework now and then, but there were things she couldn't write about. She didn't tell him of her plans to modify her parents memories.

She didn't tell him that their work (Lau, Bong and hers) spells out the death of Death Eaters to decimate their numbers before the last battle even started. It wasn't the bad part of it, what bothers her is the guilt that they indirectly caused the death of these people even if they were akin to Nazis. She didn't tell him that she is growing disillusioned with the magical world and that the temptation of just being a muggle grows as each day passed.

She didn't tell him of how she now understand that feeling of imprisonment Sirius Black suffered as the three of them stays here, almost trapped in this apartment, with only Lau being able to go out since he had not been identified as a member of the Order or a supporter of Harry Potter.

She didn't tell Harry that she often felt anger over the fact that he is like an innocent lamb waiting to be slaughtered and would ultimately be sacrificed by the people he trusted seeing as they expect him to fight the Dark Lord. She didn't tell him of how she'd grown to hate the Weasley's enthusiasm and narrow perspective of dark and light, amidst the growing darkness that she can easily see. She knows that she could be a big target and possibly one of the first casualties. She wished that she can convince Bong to just go back home even if she knew by now that he would never consent to that.

If Lau's consolation is the fact that this apartment has a big tele, Hermione's and Bong's consolation is the company of each other. Even if there was a certain bitter-sweet feeling that whatever they have can easily be turned into ash by the fires of the upcoming battles.


Ever since Dumbledore told them about his planned death at the hands of his most trusted spy and with the apartment under the fidelius (Bong insisted on the practicality of being their own secret keeper), Hermione had taken to cuddling beside him at night.

He knew that it was her fear that drove her to the safety of his arms but he is only too aware that he could only give her so much protection. He had even stopped the pretense of sleeping in the sofa bed in the living room as Lau had often come across him and Hermione sleeping beside each other in the cramped space, and just shared her bed in her bedroom.

He knew of her plans to modify her parents' memories. He offered that instead of doing that, they could easily just send them to Asia to stay with his parents but Hermione balked at that, seeing that she couldn't quite explain the problem to them.

He thought that they should just go out and tell her parents about the problems in the wizardry world. But Hermione stated that the very knowledge that she is their daughter could lead to their deaths. He asked her if she would have modified his memories had he not been a wizard or as involved as he is in this war, and she stared at him for second before saying, "Yes, I would have. I love you too much to lose you. I actually wish you could be safe from all of this."

The realization that she loves him back changed everything for him. He wanted to keep her in his arms and never let go. He wanted to bring her home with him so that she doesn't have to fight in this war anymore. "I love you too, Hermione. I wish you could be safe from all of this too." He said as he enveloped Hermione in his arms. He could feel her hot wet tears on his shirt and he closed his eyes wishing just for all of these to end.


A few hours later, Bong would remain awake and sat in front of the window looking out the streetlights of the still busy London street below. Hermione would rouse from her sleep and saw him. She hugged him from behind. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

He turned to look at her and shook his head. "I know of a protection spell. You don't have to agree to do this but it would really give me some sort of peace of mind…"