Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling is the possessor of this magnificent creation.

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The next two days were like molasses, slow and easy. Thursday was finally here and Hermione couldn't wait to see Harry and Ron and give them the news. Hermione sat at the professor's table at breakfast and slowly sipped her orange juice. Dumbledore had said the meeting would be carried out thru the first few classes, which was great considering her first couple of classes were her worst. She looked over to Draco who was eating his eggs and biscuit at the same time, practically being a pig. She let out a light giggle and preceded in finishing her breakfast. Dumbledore had already left the table and was probably sitting in his office talking with Harry and Ron, whom Hermione had seen on her way to breakfast, alone. She had finally finished and rushed from the Great Hall towards Dumbledore's office. As she came around the corner she noticed Draco stepping up to the griffin outside the office.

"Draco wait." Hermione yelled.

Draco turned around. "Oh hey, I forgot you had to come to this meeting." he smirked. "Would you like to join me?" he gestured toward the now revolving stairs.

"Sure." Hermione stepped up with Draco beside her and they let the stairs carry them to the large oak doors to Dumbledore's office.

Neither one of them opened the door it just swung open as Dumbledore beckoned them in. "Come in, come in." he pointed to two chairs that had just appeared as the door closed. "Now I know that you are all wondering why I have drawn this meeting." Hermione looked around and noticed that Harry and Ron weren't the only ones there, besides her and Draco, most of the Order of the Phoenix was there and some others she didn't know. "Things have begun to get out of control in the world today. Mainly the use of underage magic, but also the wanderings of many dangerous magical creatures."

"But sir this doesn't seem like much that the Ministry can't handle, why do we need a meeting?" Ron spoke up, for once Hermione subconsciously agreed.

"There is a certain rumor going around that it is work of dark magic. Children who have no magical background whatsoever and who are not even witches or wizards are performing spells and enchantments that are well beyond my skills or any of yours for that matter. Magical creatures who know their place in this world are wandering far beyond their assigned grounds. I do not know who is behind this but I want you all to keep an eye out for anything unexplained, here at Hogwarts," he nodded towards Draco and Hermione, "and out there." he pointed outside. "Now I need to speak to the four of you alone." He gestured toward Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Draco. Everyone else gave a nod in agreement and just somehow disappeared. "Hermione I have heard from these two here that things have gone terribly wrong at home."

Hermione glanced over to Harry and Ron who had tears in their eyes. "What is it?" she asked mainly them not Dumbledore, but her answer came from him.

"Todd as committed a crime."

Hermione's eyes widened in fear. "Yes?"

Ron turned to her, "Ginny's gone and it's because of you." he spat out.

Tears began to fall from her eyes. Draco took her hand and turned to Dumbledore, "Professor is there anything we can do?"

"Why do you care, Malfoy?" Harry screamed.

Draco blushed, "It's my fault." Harry and Ron held confused but hurt looks. "I told Hermione she needed to break up with Todd."

"Oh so you listen to him but not your friends. Real great Hermione, just great." Ron said.

"It's not like that, Ron." she put her head in her hands. "I was scared." she whispered.

Harry and Ron leaned closer. "What?" they said simultaneously.

"I was scared." she screamed. "And he was there to comfort me, all you did was yell at me and make things worse."

"Now it's my fault." Ron screamed back.

Dumbledore cleared is throat and everyone looked at him. "She is safe from what I know. But I think if Todd doesn't get what he wants she may not be for long."

Hermione knew what he wanted, "He wants me." she said, but she didn't want to go back to that. Dumbledore nodded. "Is there anything else we can do?" she pleaded.

"We could get the muggle police involved." Dumbledore answered.

Draco stood up, "How is that going to solve anything?" he screamed. He looked towards Hermione who had flinched, "I know told you to call them but that was before he kidnapped someone." she just nodded.

"Mr. Malfoy sit down. Now the muggle police also have prisons, and they will lock him up for a long time. I assure you."

"What do I have to do?" Hermione said.

"Hermione no." Draco whispered.

"I have to." she whispered back. "I'll do anything to save her." It was her fault after all.

Hermione had retired to her room after the meeting, the rest of which, was spent thinking of a plan of getting Ginny back and getting Todd in prison. It was decided that Hermione would write Todd a letter saying,

Dear Todd,

I'm truly sorry. I will be coming home Saturday, but first I must finish up my teachings here at Hogwarts. All I ask is that you let Ginny go. Which I'm sure you won't until you see me, but as long as she is fine I don't care. It was foolish of me to leave you, and I'm sorry.

Yours Truly,

Hermione.

No one really liked the idea of sending Hermione back to Todd but it was the best way to trap him. The police which Dumbledore had talked to, he had a man on the inside helping them out, would be following close behind Hermione and ready to apprehend Todd for kidnap and domestic violence. Hermione lay in her bed, truly freaked out about the whole thing, just thinking about Saturday. Harry and Ron had returned home and Draco was in his classroom, seeing as how the day wasn't over with yet. Dumbledore had dismissed Hermione from the rest of her classes that day, since this was a major ordeal for her to go through.

She lay in bed for most of the day until the beginning bell for the last class of the day rang. She got out of bed and slowly walked down to the dungeons towards Draco's classroom. As she got near his door she could hear his voice ringing throughout the class for every student to hear. Hermione found it quite amusing to hear him teach and had became accustomed to coming down here on her free period for the past four days and listening to him waiting for him to stop so they could talk. She heard the usual screeching of the chairs as he was telling them to go and get their ingredients and then the screech of his own chair as he pulled it back to sit down. She lightly tapped on his door and heard his chair was again and the swift footsteps of his walk.

He opened the door and smiled down at her. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?" Draco walked out into the hall and shut the door.

"I don't think I can do this." she said.

Draco pulled her aside so incase there were any students standing by the door listening. "Stop thinking so much. Everything is going to be ok. Dumbledore says so, and I thought you were the one who always believed in him."

"Yeah you were always the one who didn't. God this is all upside down." she shrugged. "But if something goes wrong and Ginny gets hurt, Harry and Ron are going to hate me forever."

"No they won't because nothing is going to go wrong." he said as if he was so sure. Hermione gave him a questioning look. "Don't worry, even if something does go wrong I will be right there to back you up. I promise."

She hugged him. "Thank you Draco. But I really think you should get back to class, look." she pointed at the door where smoke was coming out from underneath it.

Draco ran to the door and flung it open. "What the bloody hell." He stared across the room to Sean who was possibly the one who had started to fire. "It was a simple memory draining potion. How the bloody hell do you get it to explode." Draco screamed.

He was about to start on another row of outburst before Hermione laid her hand on his shoulder. "Draco, it was an accident."

Draco nodded and walked over to Sean to help with the fire which was almost out with the help of the students. "Now Mr. Bewr, please explain what happened." he said in the calmest voice he could muster.

"I… I… I'm n-not sure sir." Sean stuttered.

Draco was fuming and Hermione could see he was about to blow. "Well I'm sure it's nothing we can't fix." Hermione said still standing in the doorway. She walked over to Sean and looked at the board where the ingredients were scribed. "You added to much wolfs bane. You only needed a pinch." Hermione said looking at the smoldering potion.

"How do you know you're the Ancient Runes teacher." a Slytherin said from the far back.

"She was the smartest in our grade and was always the best at potions." Draco admitted.

"Thank you Draco. But if you'll excuse me I need to get ready."

"Are you leaving?" a sweet Hufflepuff girl named Lucy said.

"Yes I'm afraid I am. I will be here for only one more day."

"Does that mean Williams is coming back." another student asked.

"No he is still ill, you will be taught probably by a ghost if no other teacher can be found." Groans filled the room. "I'm sorry but there are matters at home that I must attend to. I will miss you all though." Hermione said before leaving. Tears began to well up in her eyes as she was walking back to her bedroom. When she got in she noticed a letter laying on her bed along with a tray with pumpkin juice and Turkish Delight on it. The tray was from Cozter, but the letter was from Harry and Ron.

Dear Hermione,

Dumbledore is making us write this letter, but we really mean it. We're sorry about today. And we're sorry that we didn't help you when you needed it instead of judging you. We really don't want you to go Saturday, but we don't want anything to happen to Ginny either. Seeing as how I never really did have a good grasp of the law when I was growing up I know how the police are and they won't let him get away (Harry). We hope you forgive us. Oh and thank Cozter for giving this to you.

Love Forever,

Harry and Ron.

Hermione smiled at her two best friends and their silliness. She knew that they would always be there for her no matter what happened come Saturday. She sat down on her bed and ate her little treat that Cozter always brought her. She sat there eating little by little waiting for Draco to get done with his last class so they could talk more. 10... 15... 20 minutes went by she was still waiting, only 30 minutes left. Hermione got up and decided to write in her diary, something she hadn't done for about two months.

Dear Diary,

Long time no write, huh. Yeah I know I've been busy. For one things with Todd have gotten a hundred and one times worse, he's kidnapped Ginny and now everything is screwed up. But on the flip side the inn is doing really well, I'm teaching here at Hogwarts, and Draco and I are friends, or we're dating, well I really don't know it's complicated. But back to Todd. Monday I broke up with Todd because Draco kind of made me, but I'm glad about it. Even though that is the reason why he kidnapped Ginny. But Saturday I'm going to go back to him. No not for good, the muggle police are going to help us out and hopefully they'll arrest him and he'll never be able to hurt anybody every again. Hermione paused in her writing as she heard Draco open and close his door. Wow, 30 minutes already. Well thanks for the chat diary, but I have to go.

Hermione.

She put her diary back in her trunk and headed next door to Draco's room. Of course she knocked and waited for an answer but none came. "Draco?" she knocked again and again. "Draco?" she said once more. Still no one came to the door no acknowledgement of her even being there came. Hermione slowly turned the doorknob to Draco's room and stepped inside. The room was dark and Hermione could hear the faint sound of someone breathing in the corner. She pulled out her wand "Lumious" her wand lit up and she crept to the corner. As she reached it she sat Draco crouched up holding his wrist. She bent down next to him and soon saw the blood on his robes and the blade on the floor. "Draco." she gasped. She reached for his arm but he jerked it away. "Why?" she whispered too afraid to talk.

He shook his head and tried to get up, but was too weak from lose of blood and slumped back down.

"Draco let me see you arm." he shook his hand again. "You helped me, now let me help you." She grabbed his arm and waved her wand over it whispering an incantation, the wound sewed itself up and the blood disappeared. She picked the blade up and wrapped it in the handkerchief she had pulled out of her robes. After she cleaned the blade she put it in her robes and tried to lift Draco up. "You can't just lay there all night help me help you." They got to his bed with a help from Hermione. "Now why did you do this to yourself? Who or what has caused you so much pain that you do this to yourself." Hermione had seen the multiple scars on his wrist and had seen some fresh ones.

"What would you care." he whispered.

"What would I care. What would I care? I'll tell you Draco Malfoy. I would care because you got me out of a fucking abusive relationship and I will always be thankful for it. If I could do anything to repay you for it I would, and seeing as how you are in pain I think this would be my payment." She stared down at him coldly.

Draco looked away. "You know nothing. You wouldn't understand if I told you." she just glared at him. "Fine you want to know. You really want to know." she nodded. "Ok. I've been doing this for years, since 5th year. After everything my father did to me and my mother, even with him dead I still can't get the pain out of my head. Recently I've been doing better here without a care in the world but the welfare of my students. But then you came along and I could tell that I liked you and you told me what Todd did to you it hurt to know that even though my father paid his price Todd got away. And now he has Ginny and it's killing me. I can't take it. I won't let him get away with it Hermione."

She felt the tears streaming down her face and just hoped that Draco couldn't see them. "You're doing this because of me. Because you know the pain I've gone through and you feel like it's your fault he got away." she saw him nod. Hermione crawled onto the bed beside him and wrapped her arms around him. "I'm sorry I've brought this back to you."

If he couldn't see her tears earlier he could sure feel her shaking from them now. He rolled over to face her. "I won't let anything happen to you, I promise." He kissed her, not a light peck but one full of passion and lust.

They fell asleep like that in each others arms, feeling each others pain wash away in their tears.

Gemini: Hey you guys, I know this chapter is really sad and I'm sorry. Please don't beat me for it. The next one will hopefully be a happier one. Thanks for reading. Oh… and please review.