Italics: past/flashbacks.

Non-italics: present day.

Hermione drew her hood lower over her face, trying in some vain attempt to hide her all too recognisable features. She had entered Diagon Alley distracted, Harry had failed to meet her at their first checkpoint in a local muggle cafe, the backup, just outside Gringotts Bank was almost deserted, the pearly white building seemed to be the only life in the old street. Her glamour had been erased the moment she had passed through the archway; the many runes that covered the old stone were scribed by someone with an extremely untidy scrawl.

She shivered as she past broken windows, boarded up doors, shops, once so vibrant and full of life, now inconsolable. Flourish and Blotts, she saw with a pang of her heart, had been burnt to the ground, only the blackened remains of its once high bookshelves remained, smiling up at her from the charred body of the place that had once held so much knowledge.

Hermione looked up, her vision impaired due to the hood that was draped dangerously low over her eyes, but she immediately froze. Harry wouldn't be stupid enough to stay in the open, where he was so easily recognisable. Hermione inwardly slapped herself and slowed to a slow walk, allowing her senses to take over as fear imbedded itself deep within the recesses of her mind and heart.

Diagon Alley, she realised was eerily quiet, even with Voldemort on the rampage, many would still be forced to come here for the necessities. But no one? No one but the few men who lingered near Gringotts, or near the dark, foreboding entrance of Knockturn Alley. Hermione swallowed and turned her head slightly, appearing to look to a boarded up shop, her peripherals noticing the three men who seemed to be in step with her, ten feet behind.

Their faces were cast in shadow, but judging by the expensive robes and calm, yet sinister demeanour she came to one conclusion. Death eaters. Hermione's breathing grew rapid and she bit her lower lip tentatively, grasping her wand with new force. Where was Harry? Had he been captured? Why was she alone now?

Hermione continued forward towards the bank, knowing that the Goblins would not appreciate the war being brought into their territory. She felt tears swell in the back of her throat when she passed the boarded up store of the Weasley twins. Hermione knew something had happened, something that had driven everyone from Diagon Alley, by the state of some of the stores, Hermione quickly realised. Voldemort.

Whispers of smoke still rose in characteristic spirals, the heat from some of the dying embers still warm from the inferno. A cool wind enveloped her, the air now crisp, magic seemed to reverberate within the tiny particles emitting from her lungs. She froze, feeling the overbearing presence of a man directly behind her. Her breath caught when she felt an arm snake around her waist and she immediately raised her wand, pointing at her enemy's throat.

"Don't." was the one word issued from his lips and Hermione leaned into his chest. She looked around her and saw many men frozen in place their eyes rolling angrily in their sockets, glaring at them. "Do you have what you need?" he murmured and Hermione nodded shakily. She felt his grip tighten as they disapparated with a loud crack.

Harry looked down at his best friend confused, he hadn't moved an inch in the past five minutes, her hands still shook as her eyes moved frantically, surveying their surroundings for any immediate danger. Harry moved forward and reached out nervously with his hands, placing them gently on her waist he frowned when she stiffened under his touch.

"Hermione." He whispered against her neck and felt her shiver under his fingertips. It was then that he realised, that was their first encounter with death eaters in almost half a year, last time she hadn't been surprised. "It's okay 'Mione, I've got you." he whispered, hoping that his words somehow reached her. She turned swiftly, looking up, her large doe eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

Her eyes held something acquainting to strength, yet somewhere deep within the recesses of her heart, something darker lay, something that was deeply troubling the bright woman.

"I'm afraid." She uttered the two words so fast Harry had to take a moment to make sure he had not misunderstood. Her teeth sunk into her bottom lip in a lame attempt to stop the tremor running through its soft flesh.

Harry's brow furrowed as he closed the distance she had forced between them and wrapped his arms around her, his body almost encompassing her lithe frame. A small sob escaped her throat and he felt his arms instinctively tighten, his hands resting on her lower back and head.

"I'm scared… about all of this… we are so alone… Harry what if you had-had-" her voice broke off and she buried her face into his chest, her tears soaking through the thin shirt he wore. A sudden guilt washed over him as he held her close. His thoughts kept drifting to kissing her, kissing away her tears and then an immeasurable sadness for causing so much pain in her life.

"If you need to leave, just go, it's okay… really." He whispered his voice monotonous. He felt the absence of her body the moment she pulled away, and imagined for a moment that she was taking his words seriously; his hand twitched reflexively, his body wanting to once more be close to her.

There was a fire in her eyes as she shot him a glare, not one of contempt of hatred, but one of disappointment and anger. "Don't you dare say that! How can you, I will never leave you! I need you… and… I like to think that you need me. I will not leave." she stated her voice trembling under the strain of fighting of her tears. Harry brought her tightly into his embrace, his cheek resting on the top of her head, his hands running soothing circles down her back.

Hermione felt an odd warmth spread from within her centre to the ends of her body as his hands caressed her gently. His breath was hot and moist against her ear. "I need you… you are the only reason I am alive, you Hermione, you have saved me."

***

Life after that day seemed different, it was as if the sun shone just that bit brighter in the morning, the air was smoother, tangible. She reached her fingers out and smiled when the early morning rays hit her fingertips, immediate warmth spreading throughout her fragile bones. Washing her face with a quick splash of water she journeyed back through the canvas flap and into the tent that Ron hadn't taken with him. Hermione's personal tent was small, extremely so compared to the boy's which had housed most furniture and tools the trio had used, when they were a trio.

Now the duo were forced into a cramped, confined space. A small space was dedicated to Hermione's books, notes, maps and parchment, the rest, two beds the heads of each touching each other in the rectangular room. They couldn't risk enlarging it; the magical signature would be too easy to pick up. Hermione carefully stepped over a pair of Harry's trainers, haphazardly dropped the night before as he collapsed onto his bed.

Hermione smiled down at her best friend, his hair was stuck up in all directions, as per usual, his mouth open slightly in slumber. Hermione reached forward and placed a hand to his, but withdrew with a gasp, her hand covered in a glistening burn, her hand shook as she took in deep shuddering breaths her throat constricting in pain. Harry's brow was furrowed, a look of complete concentration on his face.

"Harry." Hermione said with a slight tremor to her voice, quickly swallowing her tears. "Harry wake up!" Hermione exclaimed desperately, once more reaching out with her bad hand and touching his forehead. Her hand seemed to fuse into his head, her skin slowly melting, a magical current being sent through her body.

An image flashed in her mind, one of herself, her face contorted in pain, another man was over her, his black cloak covering her body from view, she saw Harry to one side, six men restraining him as he screamed her name over and over again. He reached forward trying in vain to reach her whimpering body. The crowd jeered when the death eater entered her with one swift movement, her cry mingled with that of the icy laugh of Voldemort, the man, Hermione realised, was on top of her.

Hermione's hand was repelled from Harry's forehead as she flew backwards hitting the canvas wall with a slight crash, the force making the entire tent shiver. Hermione collapsed to the floor, cradling her useless hand tenderly a soft sob escaping her lips.

Harry woke with a start, the image of Voldemort over Hermione, too much for him to bare. He heard a soft sob and turned seeing her small body shaking uncontrollably on the ground, cradling her bloodied right hand. Harry threw off his covers and fell to his knees by her side, her body only two feet from his bed.

"Hermione?" he asked nervously and removed his shirt, wrapping it around the bleeding wound. A single word seemed to be trying to escape her lips and Harry leaned in closer to hear.

"Wand." Harry reached into her dressing gown and frowned when he found nothing. He opened the gown and swallowed heavily when her silk night gown was revealed to him, her powder rose buds pushing up the fabric. The vine wood of her wand just protruded from between the valleys of her breast. He reached forward and quickly snatched it placing it in her good hand.

Hermione swallowed and removed Harry's shirt with a trembling hand. She murmured a spell under her breath and watched in relief as her skin began to resew itself together, the skin still a cherry red. Hermione reached into her night gown and retrieved her beaded bag, reaching in a pulling out a small jar. Hermione rubbed the thick jasmine smelling lotion into her palm, watching as the redness slowly decreased into a faint pink glow.

Hermione looked up into the guilty eyes of Harry Potter and let out a sigh. She reached out timidly and let her hand lightly skim the surface of his face, tickling him accidently. She smiled smally when no pain erupted from her still tender hand and Harry frowned.

"I'm starting to think that sorry isn't good enough anymore. Not for everything I have done, the word has just lost all meaning." Harry murmured and Hermione sighed sitting up and cupping his face in her hands. She watched as he closed his eyes, slight bags hanging low beneath his sparkling orbs of light.

"Nothing loses meaning if you say it with your heart." Hermione whispered and watched as his eyes flicked open to stare at her with a piercing gaze.

"I'm going to go for a walk… grab some firewood." He whispered and moved to stand. Hermione grasped his thigh and he froze.

"You, Harry Potter are an awful liar." Hermione called his bluff and Harry raised an eyebrow curiously.

"How do you know I am lying?" he asked and Hermione rolled her eyes and ruffled up his hair.

"Because I'm Hermione Granger… your best friend… and you can't lie to me." she stated it as if it was a statement of fact that she had read in one of her novels, a statement he had no hope of refuting.

"Then tell me now Hermione, am I lying when I say that I love you?"

She grasped her bedspread violently when she woke, her heart pounding, those words resonating within her mind. Hermione stood and growled at her clock, in three hours she was expected at the ministry, not for work, but to meet with Albus Dumbledore. Why? She didn't know. But she knew that it didn't forebode well, at least not for Hermione Granger.

AN sorry for the delay... have been busy with exams, actually its the middle of exams right now... but ididnt want anyone thinking i had abandoned! um next update wont be for a while.. exams

but reviews are nice :D