A/N: I am so frustrated. Not with you guys, don't worry. I had a whole update ready to go and then I pressed the backspace, but my computer thought I wanted to go back on the internet browser, and deleted the entire post. And it was really good! So later tonight when I get home from work I'm gonna try to recreate it for you. I remember what it was for the most part, so I'll redo it. But in the mean time, please enjoy this story. :)

Also thank you to Lilith Jinx and clanmei for reviewing! And all the wonderful people who subscribed and favorited :)

Shot

Hermione stared out the window. Snow was falling, but the wind whipped the flakes through the air, making it hard to see outside.

"Miss Granger, please stay away from the window." It was one of the officers who was in charge of her protection.

"I think I can look out a window, officer. There's no way he can see in this weather." Hermione said, annoyance plaguing her voice. But the officer insisted that she step away from the window and go back to the middle of the room. Hermione, annoyed that she was being treated like a child, walked out of the room into the kitchen. She was followed by most of the officers from the other room.

Hermione hated having these officers watch her every move. However, supposedly they were needed for her protection. Hermione was the sole witness of a mass murder of people. She had been shot twice herself; once in the left shoulder just above her heart, and once in her abdomen. The one in her abdomen looked terrible because she had been shot point blank by a shot gun.

It was in times like these that she wished she still had her magic. Shortly after graduation from Hogwarts, Hermione decided to give up her magic. The memories of the war were too terrible. She gave up her magic, and rejoined the Muggle world. Within a few months she accidentally got herself involved in this, and now wished desperately for her magic back. The shot gun wound hurt so much if she moved the wrong way, or twisted on accident. But she had insisted to the doctors that she would be fine at her own home. The police had said that for her protection a squad of officers would be on guard for her protection at all times.

As Hermione made a few potfuls of boiling water, she always tried to make enough tea for all the gentleman, she heard their radios all switch on as a voice informed them of something or another. Hermione turned the heat on and went to go tell them that she had put the kettle on for tea, when the officer in charge stepped forward.

"Miss Granger, there have been sightings of the shooter just outside your neighborhood. Reinforcements are on the way, please stay put." The officer spoke so formally Hermione always wanted to laugh after he talked.

"First of all, please call me Hermione. I got enough of 'Miss Granger' at school to last me a lifetime. Second of all, please inform your officers water is on for tea and they can do whatever tactical positions please them to come and get a cup of tea when the water's done." Hermione hoped it was sarcastic enough and made a point on the officer, but he just nodded and motioned to his men before slipping into the other room.

"Black ops men." Hermione breathed, rolling her eyes. Her life had become something of a joke to her in the past few weeks. Hermione knew it would be months, if not years, before she ever left this house alone. They had to catch the guy, then wait for his trial. And of course there was the little disagreement about whether Hermione was going to need to go into Witness Protector or something of the sort. It was an American device to keep people, such as herself, safe. She had no idea what it did, and most of the officer's thought it was poppycock.

Hermione was deep in thought when a large commotion alerted her to the presence of every officer she probably would ever know in her kitchen. She began counting the men, and got out the appropriate number of cups and all the teas she had available. To her dismay nearly all her Earl Grey was gone and she had just bought some. These men went through it way too fast for her liking.

"Alright, form a line." She said loudly, and they all got in line. She was always allowed to go first, mainly because it was her house. She retrieved her tea bag and a cup and poured some water in. She inhaled the aroma of the tea and immediately felt better. After they had all gotten their tea, they went back to guarding the house, all with cups in hand. Hermione always enjoyed the sight of the officers, in their tactical gear and armed to the teeth, holding mugs of tea. It was a sight that not many people in this world would ever see. Unless Hermione took a picture of it and posted it on the internet somewhere.

Another radio communication pulled her out of her own thoughts. She continued drinking her tea, but watched the head officer for details she should be aware of. He noticed her staring and seemed to smile at her quickly.

"Yes, Hermione?" He asked using her first name like she asked.

"What's going on on the radio?" She asked politely, taking another sip of her tea.

"A few more officers are going to be joining the squad today. Just some extra protection for your own safety, and a sniper team is being installed on the stores on the other end of the block." Hermione knew that he had been pushing for a sniper team for awhile. Then the squad would just serve as extra back up, and the sniper team would be the first defense.

"Oh, well that's good to hear." Hermione said sipping more tea.

"Yes, it seems that the people at fault for your shooting want to make sure no one can make a stand against them. So we think they're going to try to take you out sometime soon." He said adjusting one of his guns.

"Oh, how will they react to the officers? We can't have them running off, we need to send them to jail."

"Well, we have a feeling that they'll try to do whatever it takes to make sure there are no witnesses. They worked systematically, they're a very well developed team with a-" But his sentenced was never finished. Before he fell to the ground, Hermione saw the bullet in his head. He fell to the ground and she knew she had to, too. Screaming, officers went into action. They all flooded into the kitchen, saw their head's body and her cowering in a ball, before forming a shield for her. They all watched for some movement, for something that would reveal the location of the shooter. But Hermione knew that they wouldn't find anything.

He had been right. They were systematic and calculating and did this for a purpose. They would get away with it, even if it meant killing every single officer to get to her. Hermione, crouched on the ground, started crying. She would never escape from the horror of the war, would she?

"Officer's! Attention!" A loud voice brought all the officers to a standing position as she remained on the ground crying.

"Casualties?" The voice asked, stepping towards the guard of soldiers.

"Just Officer Hensley. He was in charge, sir." One of the officers spoke up.

"Damn."

"Sir, aren't you in charge now?" Apparently the officers knew the new comers.

"I believe that is now the case. And where is Hermione Granger? Is she still alive?" Hermione caught the sound of hope in his voice, the slight familiarity in the way he said her name. But she didn't know any Muggle officers other than the ones surrounding her right now.

"I'm right here." The guard stepped just out of the way so that the new guy could see her. Hermione didn't pick up her head, why should she?

"Miss Granger? Aren't you going to insist on getting to know the head officer? You did with Officer Hensley." An officer said quietly, kneeling down next to her.

"What's the point? He's just going to die too. All of you are. You should go back to the precinct and just let them kill me without more innocent people getting killed." Hermione said, standing up to go sit on the couch.

"Miss Granger, you are an innocent person and our duty is to protect you. We will not allow you to be killed and if that means we die in the process then we died in the line of duty. I can't speak for the other officers, but I would gladly take a bullet to protect you." Hermione looked up at the officer, unsure if he really meant it. But as she looked in those silver eyes, and saw the truth she knew he wasn't bluffing. "Plus, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. I don't plan on dying any time soon." Draco whispered quietly into Hermione's ear as he pressed something into her hands.

She felt the shape of the object, the familiar feel it had in her hands. She felt the warmth circulating through it, and she knew it was responding to her magic. She smiled as she twirled the wand around in her fingers, and allowed the magic that had been dormant for sometime to flow through her veins. She looked up into the eyes of her fellow Wizard and realized that this fight just became even.