Chapter 24

A/N: Thank you all for being patient with me. My 3 month old was in the hospital for a week in July, I know then why haven't I updated since she got out. Honestly as soon as we came home I had to go back to work. I worked for 8 days straight. I think I've only had like 4 days off since she was released. The week before she was admitted she had a fever and wasn't eating, her Dr. decided to get a pee sample and a blood sample, they could tell immediately that she had a urinary tract infection so they gave her a shot and we were to return over the weekend and get two more. Sunday morning at 6am her Dr. called me (who does that, God I love her Dr) and told us we needed to have her admitted because she had a blood infection. She was on a very strong dose of antibiotics the whole week, she had a rare strand of E Coli that had gotten into her blood stream. She is much better now and we have been thanking God for his miracles.

/

Draco knew instantly that Sharp had slipped him the potions how else could he have mellowed out after eating diner. Hermione was still sleeping but Sharp assured him she would wake up this time. He promised he wouldn't leave just in case she woke up, she would be terrified to wake up alone he told himself, but really he was terrified of what would happen if he wasn't there to protect her again. He would never be able to forgive himself if anything happened to her. He swore Travis would pay for not telling them sooner who the man was.

A movement on the bed shifted his attention. "Draco," she whispered.

He jumped up and sat on the edge of the bed so she could see him. "I'm here, Princess, do you need anything?"

"What happened? How did he get me? Where were you? Where is Travis? How-"

"Shh, sweetie, I'll explain everything." And he did, pausing several times to hold her as she cried.

"Why would he lie to us?" she asked questioning her brothers actions.

Draco shook his head. "I don't know, but I will find out." And he would even if he had to hex Travis within an inch of death. "You should eat and rest up. They said they were going to keep you for a few more days to make sure there are no lasting effects from the curses."

/

Hermione was finally released the week before they had to go back to school, she had been sitting in her drawing room in the mansion for a few hours contemplating the actions of her brother.

Draco was terrified to leave her alone again. Terrified that if he left her side again that her deranged uncle would get to her again. He would never forgive himself if it happened again. She tried to get him to leave her and rest but he couldn't, he wouldn't. She would never understand how he felt like so much less than a man when she had disappeared. Hermione was too prideful to admit that she had ever needed his help, but he knew she was just as scared as him.

Harry and his team of Auror had stormed the house but her uncle was long gone. There was no magical trace in the house at all, and according to Harry Travis was of no help. They had used legilimens on him to make sure he was being truthful because he turned out to be immune to veriatiserum. He had only been to that house and no other place to meet his uncle.

"Draco, have you heard anything else from Harry?"

Draco looked up from his book. "Yes, but it's not good. We'll wait for Harry to get here."

Hermione nodded. She was getting used to being left in the dark for some things. They were only doing it to protect her and for that she was thankful, too many bad things had happened to her in her short life. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to hear what Harry had to say. She didn't want her brother to be given the kiss or to be put back in Azkaban she just wanted her uncle apprehended so she wouldn't have to worry about him anymore.

They were supposed to return to Hogwarts in two days, would it be safe for her to be there. Her uncle had already appeared there once, what was to say that he wouldn't again. That was what scared her the most; the fact that he could do whatever he please. She felt his power when she his captive, he was far superior to Voldemort. If they had so much trouble defeating the Dark Lord how were they ever going to defeat her Uncle Strauss?

Draco noticed her fidgeting and figured she was worried so he got up and sat with her on the elaborate couch encircling her with his strong arms. He knew that until they caught Strauss they would never be able to relax. He was praying that with Harry's bad news would come good news as well.

Out of nowhere a storming of feet was heard in the hallway outside the door, causing Hermione to tense up, he rubbed her arm soothingly and waited for whomever it was to open the door.

"He shouldn't be here Harry! Let me take him back!" That was the unmistakable voice of Ronald but who was he talking about.

"No, the Aurors won't keep him, he's innocent he has done nothing wrong just associated with the wrong person. We don't have enough holding cells as it is. He'll be good. Won't you, Travis?"

Draco jumped up and stormed to the door, throwing it open. "I suggest you let Ronald take him away before I do things that I'll regret." Travis glanced shamefully at the floor. "Why do you have him Harry?"

Harry took a deep breath. "The Aurors have decided that he is innocent. So I was charged with getting him home, seeing as how this is Chantry Manor and he is a Chantry with no other residence I classified this as his home." He glance past Draco to look at a pale Hermione and mouthed 'I'm sorry.' She simple nodded. He looked back at Draco, "Can we please sit down. There is much worse to discuss."

Draco huffed like a child and stormed back over to Hermione making sure there was no room left on their couch for anyone to sit. Harry and Ron took the two open chairs and left Travis standing by the door. "Have you not found him?"

"No, wherever his is he is hidden well. Travis has told us that it would take a killing curse of great magnitude to kill him, possible several at once. I'm hoping that if the three of us stay close the next time he comes we can conjure pretty strong ones. But we don't know when he'll show himself."

"So I just sit in fear then?"

Harry nodded. "I'm sorry, Hermione, but Travis doesn't know of his other hideouts. If he did we wouldn't be here we would be searching them."

Hermione looked towards her brother. "Do you know that he crucioed me over a thousand times? Dr. Sharp says I'm lucky to be alive much less sane. He also used several other curses that will leave me lasting effects. For one, my heart now skips a beat ever two minutes, I will never be able to run again whatever he used damaged my spine, I'm lucky to even be able to walk. There is even a small possibility that I will never be able to bare children. Do you know how much I have wanted a family and now because you couldn't be honest with your only sister that may never happen for me." Her eyes were stinging with unshed tears but she refused to let them fall.

Travis only stared at her his face blank of all emotion. Five minutes of silence passed before he walked out of the room, several seconds later they heard a door upstairs slam.

Ron and Draco shared a quick smirk, but Harry shook his head. "That was a low blow, Hermione, he's been beating himself up for weeks."

She glowered at him. "Really? A low blow? He deserves to know what he could have prevented. He may be my brother but he has proven to me that he is a selfish git. I refuse to have him anywhere near me."

"Hermione he has nowhere else to go."

"I have plenty of gallons, I'll buy him a place."

"As a member of the Auror department I am ordering that he is under house arrest and is to stay here in Chantry manor."

"What the bloody hell?" they heard Travis yell and then heard his footsteps pounding down the stairs. "What the hell, Potter?"

Harry glanced down at his ankle. "Sorry, your sister was trying to kick you out, but now you can't go more than 100 feet from the house. I hope you like it here."

Hermione screamed. "Ugh, I'm leaving. Draco help me pack so we can go to Hogwarts."

Draco obeyed and they left the room, within the hour they were back downstairs. "Do not mess up my house." Hermione stated looking at Travis before apparating with a pop to the gates outside of Hogwarts. Draco appeared beside her and they returned to their room in the castle, unaware of the eyes that were watching them.