Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! :)

A/N: Hello, everyone! I finally got a chance to update!! Internet and phone accessibility has been very limited in the past couple of weeks and I apologize for the delays. I'll be on vacation in North Carolina in the next week, but the Internet connection there should be better than here in Iowa.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's basically just set-up for the next one :)

Ron held his head in his hands, breathing deeply and evenly. His eyes were closed and all he saw were faint, streaking lines of color that disappeared before he could really focus on their shape or meaning - simply tiny fireworks to occupy his thoughts. His breath came in and out and the beating of his heart amused his ears. The swift thrum of blood in his veins kept him rocking softly from side to side. It was easy to become absorbed in his own body.

There was a knock on the door and then it swung open. Hermione stood in the door frame, leaning on it with her arms crossed in front of her. She quietly watched Ron relax and felt a twinge of guilt. They had been fighting only twenty minutes ago. Ron had wanted to go for a run before the sun set completely. Hermione had opposed the decision wholeheartedly - the sky was already a deep purple. It was a silly tiff that had escalated to screaming and shouting and unpleasantness. Ron had roared a final 'Fine!' and stormed away to his bedroom, knocking over a shelf of books in the process.

Now the sky was black and it was time to settle the matter.

"What is it?" the low grumble of his voice seemed to come from nowhere. The only thing that illuminated the room was the dim light from the hallway. Hermione blinked.

Her mouth opened and she could not think of the right thing to say. She wouldn't apologize - not outright, anyway - because her position on the matter had been completely justified. They had been specifically told not to go outside after dark for their own safety. Ron wasn't even going to take Gus.

"Are you still standing there?" Ron murmured, his fingers working over the skin on his forehead. His raging migrane had disappated to a headache in the time he had spent alone. He found that retreating to his room was the best possible idea for most of the fights they had gotten into. Often, if he didn't remove himself from the situation, things were broken or torn or set ablaze accidentally.

"Yes," Hermione replied.

"Forgive and forget?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione nodded, her lips trying to hide a satisfactory smile.

"Get out of here."

Hermione turned and retreated back to the hallway. She hadn't won the final say of the argument, but she hadn't lost anything either. It was acceptable. Her fingers skimmed the textured skin of the wall as she walked down the hallway to main room. There was a crossword that needed to be completed.

Surprisingly, the whole other side of the house had gone dark. Hermione's heart lept involuntarily as her walk slowed to a creep. She had not turned off the lights since exiting the kitchen. Now her hand was flat against the wall, the coolness of it calming her some. She briefly thought about turning and fetching Ron to investigate for her. She was far too close to reverse direction and so she went on.

"Evening," a hearty voice came from the couch.

Hermione gasped, jumping. Her brow furrowed as she donned a severe look. "Who's there?" she called into the dark. "Viktor?"

A shrouded figure rose from the couch and came slowly towards her. "Of course it's me."

All the familiarity of his voice came flooding back to Hermione and she snorted loudly into the blackness. "Where do you get off, making such an entrance? Who shuts off all the lights as a way of saying 'Oh, hello, I've arrived!' You nearly gave me a heart attack."

"Sorry about that," Viktor replied, grinning faintly. "I guess my landing was a bit more... windy than I thought. Took a wonky portkey. It's the devil getting here anyway."

Hermione stood only a few feet away from him now. Her hands were on her hips and she put all her weight on one leg. There was a scowl on her face aimed directly at him. She was a perfect image of her stubborn, overbearing self three years previous - the normal Hermione. Viktor had to take a breath to deal with the familiarity. He was extremely pleased to have her back, though he wouldn't venture to say it.

Through her tough front, Hermione's heart was leaping. Viktor had arrived - there was news - finally. Her mind raced to Seamus and then to images of home. It was all she could do to remain cool.

"What are you doing here, Viktor?" she asked seriously, trying to keep the tremble from her voice. She coughed to cover it.

Viktor moved away from her as his face drooped a bit. He found the unlit candles on the walls and began to light them with a snap of his fingers. He hated to come again - he would not be taking Hermione or Ron back to London and he had no good news to keep their faith alive - and wished there was some easier way to ask the question that was on his mind.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Hermione assumed with a quivering lip. She bit down hard on it and watched Viktor's great bulk become sharper in the growing illumination. He would not turn to face her until all the candles in the living room had been lit.

Viktor sighed and walked towards her. "It's about Seamus," he said in a husky tone of voice.

"You found him?" Hermione swallowed.

"No," he replied, eager to get the conversation over and done with. "We haven't found him yet.."

""Then what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to make sure that he hadn't shown up here since the last time I visited. We're all looking and we've got a few leads, but there's no sign of him anywhere." Viktor cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I don't think that he would just desert a mission-"

"Instead," Hermione interupted with baited breath, "you think that he's been captured." Her eyebrows knit together. "This visit is the final straw, isn't it? You wouldn't step foot in here if it weren't for him - you're just double-checking everything before you officially declare him abducted. I know the procedure, it's the same thing that kept me in that cell for so long. So, the answer is no. He hasn't been here."

"Don't do that," Viktor replied quietly. "I feel personally responsible for that. The guilt was overwhelming and I don't think I could take that again if it turns out that Seamus really is with them."

Hermione bent her head towards the floor and her heart sunk. Her throat began to close and the bite on her lip began to bleed a bit. She would not let the tears fall, but they pooled around her eyes anyway.

Viktor reached out and put a hand on her shoulder, unsure of how to handle such a situation. Hermione shook off his embrace, furious and sad.

"If the Shop took Seamus," Viktor told her, his hand hanging limp next to his side, "then this is the catalyst." It was a weird assurance for them both. If Seamus really had been taken by The Shop, then there would be a true war. "Skillen thinks that we'll send in agents again. That's for sure." Viktor sighed, running his hand over his face. "But he won't expect what we're planning."

Hermione tilted her head upwards. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, unsure of how to take the news.

"It's going to be over soon," Viktor continued vaguely. "Whether they have Finnigan or not, this mess will be finished soon enough."

The words settled heavily on both their hearts. Hermione nodded without speaking and Viktor accepted it. She sat in the armchair and then Viktor on the sofa. He conjured coffee for them both.

Hermione took her cup with delicate hands. She peered over the rim of it and said tartly, "We're not allowed to practice magic here."

Viktor tossed her a weathered smile. He shrugged and replied, "I can make special exceptions."

They drank in silence. The caffeine calmed their nerves and Hermione now felt more drained than angry. Her crossword was miles away from her mind. Her hands wrapped tightly around her empty cup.

"Where's Ron at?" Viktor's voice floated through her head.

Hermione blinked and turned to look at him. "Resting, I think. You probably shouldn't disturb him."

Viktor's large head bobbed in agreement. "I think I've learned my lesson from last time."

There was another tired silence that stretched on for quite awhile. It gave Hermione time to process the information and she was thankful for it. Viktor had always been one to give her space.

"Promise me," her voice was gravelly with sleep. Viktor's head snapped up to listen, glad to finally have something to listen to. "Promise me that you won't come back here until it's time for us to go home." It hurt to force the ultimatum out. "I care about Seamus very much, but I can't stand having you here. It kills me when all you have is horrible news. Don't come back until it's time."

Viktor could do nothing but agree with a heavy heart. It had been silly to think that Seamus would appear here. No one knew about it, void the trio in the house. He stood and planted a kiss on Hermione's cheek as a way of saying goodbye. He flashed her an exhausted, weary smile and disappeared.

--

Ginny sat in a chair in the corner of the bedroom, watching him pace back and forth. She had drawn her knees tight up to her chest and settled her chin atop her knees. Melancholy flowed fresh in her and she could not find the ability to assure him that everything was going to be fine like she did every other time he was preparing to leave. Instead, she remained silent and sad.

Harry spent his precious time throwing together a small bundle of essentials - mainly an extra change of clothes and a toothbrush. There wasn't really anything else that he couldn't conjure with his wand. Except, he thought, feeling the small, faded portrait of Ginny tucked safely in his pocket, family.

"Can you stay an extra day?" her voice was craggy from disuse.

Harry jerked around to look at his fiancee. Her face was stone, but there was a sort of pleading behind her gaze that was un-ignorable.

"I can't," his voice was filled with remorse. "I wish I could, Gin." He walked over to her chair and gently took her hands. He pulled her towards him and soon they were standing in a tight embrace.

"Can you stay a few extra hours?" she asked, breathing in his woody scent.

Harry smiled at her stubbornness and replied, "I think I can manage that."

"Good."

Ginny kissed him firmly, her hands spread wide across his chest.She tried to memorize his mouth, the way his nose bumped hers, the splay of his hands across her back. Phantom sensations were better than nothing, though they faded all too quickly.

Ginny's hands delved beneath the faded fabric of his shirt, pushing him backwards towards her bed. Harry laid back on it and drew her on top of him. Their clothes were soon forfeited to the floor.

They made love that was quick and passionate and filled with longing in the stolen time Harry had. They both had bit and scratched and shouted, trying to use sex as a way of ridding themselves of their grief and uncertainty. It had worked for the while, but it came creeping back as it always did as soon as their embrace was broken.

Rain began to drizzle through the sky as Harry pulled his shirt back over his head. Ginny handed him his glasses and he took them with soft hands. They barely spoke again until Harry's fingers were grazing his portkey.

"I love you," he whispered, though there was no one else in the room.

Ginny's eyes dipped to the floor for a moment. She sucked in a great breath and tried to smile. She grabbed his other hand and pressed it to her warm face. "I love you, too," she murmured into his calloused palm.

Harry stroked her cheek with his thumb. "See you soon." And then he was gone.

A/N: Did you like it?? I hope so!! And to answer one reviewer's question about Seamus not apparating away from the chase scene... it just slipped my mind, honestly. I hadn't considered that possibility and perhaps neither did he? Ha, I don't know. It just worked for the story. And for another reviewer, I've tried to shorten the paragraphs! I went back and re-read some things online and I guess I do enjoy rambling sometimes... like this!

Please leave a comment or question or suggestion for me! I love reading them. Have a great rest of the week!

Katie