Author's Note: Sorry about the long time in between updates...busy time of year! I'll try to do better :) Due to the many reviewers who do NOT like the name "Colin," I have gone back to referring to Scabior by his last name (I thought he looked like a "Colin" in the movie!). This is going to be a "nicer" chapter after the very intense last one...enjoy :)

-I do not own any of the characters (sigh)

Chapter 8: Comfort

Hermione stared at Scabior, unable to speak. He saw the look on her face and quickly glanced away.

"I..I'm so sorry." He spoke softly. "I no longer have the memory, but the echos of the emotions it left behind are still with me. I am sorry you had to see that. I should have taken it back into me..."

"No!" Hermione shouted, and her voice cracked. "I never want you to have to see that again. You had to live through it so many times over! Leave it where it is, we can use this to finally clear your name!" Feeling a strong need to comfort him after what she had just witnessed, Hermione went to him. She hesitated for a moment, and then shyly touched his shoulder. He sighed and leaned into her. Feeling braver, she moved her hand over his shoulder, then his back, until she was hugging him. He accepted her embrace and pulled her closer.

"You said something about clearing my name." Scabior murmured into her hair. "What do you mean?" Hermione pulled away slightly and looked up at him.

"Crouch is dead...he died four years ago." She quickly told him the story of how Crouch had been murdered by the son he had broken out of prison. "I suppose the ministry would have kept that quiet. If only news of his death had reached you..."

"Yes." Scabior looked into the distance. "Killed by his own son. How fitting." The bitterness startled Hermione, but she understood why he would feel that way. "So you really think that if I can get ministry officials to see those memories, I would finally be..."

"Free." Hermione finished. She reached up and placed her hands on either side of his face. Almost as if seeking permission, she slowly lowered his head to her own until their lips were touching.

Gently, she kissed him.

Scabior moaned and tightened his hands around her. His mouth pressed more forcefully against her, and Hermione felt his teeth nipping at her lower lip. She instinctively parted her lips slightly, and felt his tongue gently brush them before slipping into her. The kiss lengthened, and their embrace grew tighter.

When she finally broke the kiss, she leaned her head against his chest, feeling his heart beating. He caressed her hair and back.

"You must be hungry." He whispered. Her stomach growled in response, and he laughed.

"Yes, a little." Hermione answered, with a smile of her own.

"Come with me down to the beach." He said, taking her hand. "I don't think those fish I caught earlier are any good now." He quickly removed the protective wards, and then not bothering to replace them, led her out of the cabin.

They arrived on the beach after a short walk through the woods. Hermione closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh sea air, enjoying the feel of the breeze on her face.

"Are you warm enough?" Scabior asked. Without waiting for an answer, he quickly spoke a warming charm.

"Thank you." Hermione smiled. "It's beautiful here."

"It's okay." Scabior said, looking at her. She blushed, and he grinned. Scabior summoned a couple of fish from the water, and after Hermione conjured her signature blue flames, had the fish cooking. "We seem to work well together." He said.

"Yes," she agreed, "for some reason my wand is more powerful when it's combining the magic from both of us."

"Interesting.." He said, drawing out the word. Hermione felt a rush of heat throughout her body that had nothing to do with the fire or warming charm. "I wonder what else would be powerful when combined combined between us."

Unable to stop herself, she moved closer to him. He removed the fish from the fire, conjured up a couple of plates, and placed one beside of her.

"Eat first, love." He laughed. "I'm not going to have you pass out from hunger."

Hermione joined his laughter, but she also felt slightly embarrassed. The logical part of her mind was telling her that it made no sense to feel such an attraction for this Mannheim had kidnapped her, taken her wand, and held her prisoner! It was most likely the trauma of the whole situation combined with viewing that horrible memory, she reasoned. She ate her fish in silence, resolving to have better control of her emotions. Still, she felt the heat rise within her whenever she thought of that kiss they had shared, as well as the feel of her hand in his, how close she was sitting to him...

"I can't get over the fact that it was my fault." Scabior spoke suddenly, staring into the fire. "I should have been more alert when they came. I should have protected her."

"I thought you no longer have the memory..." Hermione started to say.

"I know what happened, even if I can't remember it in detail." He explained. "I still have the memories of how much I loved her, how I failed her."

"You were a victim." Hermione told him. "and you were not the only one that Crouch hurt." An idea formed in her head, and she quickly put it aside for later. She would talk with Harry at the first opportunity and see what he thought. Feeling the overwhelming desire to comfort him again, she ran her hand up his arm and then began kissing his neck. So much for controlling myself. She thought wryly. He responded immediately, taking her in his arms and kissing her passionately. He moved against her, and Hermione felt her body being lowered to the sand. He lay over her, kissing her, moving his hands over her arms and sides.

"Comfortable?" He whispered against her neck, and she shivered.

"Yes." She breathed back.

"I love touching you, you feel so good..." He slid his hands under her shirt then he was slowly pulling it over her head. Hermione shrugged out of it, and then tentatively put her own hands on his chest. She felt his strong muscles ripple under her touch, and tugged his shirt off.

His mouth moved to her neck and his hands slid lower. "Is this okay...?" He murmured.

"Yes...please..." Hermione moaned, pressing herself up against him. "I want to be close to you.." Scabior growled and squeezed her tighter. Soon, they were very much closer as all clothing was removed. Hermione closed her eyes and heard the pounding of the surf mixed with the cries of gulls above them. She felt the warmth of the fire and Scabior's body moving above her. She clutched on to him and cried out as she felt him enter her, and soon their moans mingled together. Scabior held on to her hand, intertwining their fingers together. Hermione sensed her wand, which was laying next to them, vibrate slightly, and glow a soft golden color. The magic flowed out of the wand, through both of their bodies, and merged together in a shower of warm sparks as they both came together.

They remained on the beach for many hours afterward, holding each other in the sand before the glowing fire, talking, touching, laughing. At one point Scabior started to apologize for taking Hermione from the ministry against her will, and she silenced him with a kiss. This distracted Scabior, and soon they were making love again into the night.

Eventually Hermione began to feel anxious to work on her idea to clear Scabior's name. The sooner they formed a plan and made their way back to the ministry with the memory, the sooner Scabior would have his life back. It was a life that she hoped would include her in some capacity, but she was reluctant to think that far ahead just yet. They both slowly got dressed and, hand in hand, began to make their way back to the cabin.