Hey all, so I'm back with the second chapter of the story. My apologies for it being so delayed. Some home problems resulted in me losing my internet and as such, left me unable to post the next chapter. So, enjoy and I'll see you at the end.

Unbeta'd

All Harry Potter related persons and placed are the property of JK Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.

Sumus Noctis

Chapter Two

Harry and Hermione had been dropped into a Muggle style holding cell: damp, cold, miserable and disgusting. He would have thought that the Ministry wouldn't use something quite so primitive, especially so Muggle. Both were just grateful that they had been put together. The Bond when first struck, despite this being the second time, was at its strongest and neither would have been able to handle being apart for an extended period of time, especially against their will. Not only that, Harry was strong but he couldn't be worrying about Hermione as well as concerned for his own fate, and having his Childe feeling his concern through the bond wouldn't have done well for either of them.

He was at least thankful that their shackles had been removed. The cells had magic dampening spells on them, so there was no way that they could get out. And even if they could, Harry wasn't that stupid, it would only bring the wrath of the Ministry down on their heads further. He wasn't really of a mind to test his strength on them or to wind up having to flee the country.

There was a single bed, though you couldn't really call it that- it was more a metal slab with a thin mattress placed on top and a small woollen blanket folded up in the corner. A sink and toilet were at the other side of the cell, both made of stainless steel, thankfully located behind a partition, leaving them free to use the facilities without being watched. The whole cell reminded him of the cells in movies.

"What are we going to do?" Hermione whispered. "Harry, I'm scared, what if they decide we're a danger to everyone?"

"Whatever needs to be done. We tell them the truth- we did nothing wrong. At worst, it'll come back on me, I'm the one that allowed Ron's death. I didn't move him out of the path of the curse," Harry muttered. "I won't let anything happen to you though."

Hermione nodded, her eyes filled with fear. Harry felt how afraid she was- she'd never been in trouble with the Ministry before. He did find the accusation of Hermione using an Unforgiveable ludicrous, because even in the war, she had refused to use them.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you, Hermione."

"It's not me I'm worried about- I'm scared for you," she whispered. "It's you that would be held accountable, the Childe can often be let off."

"I need to ask though, why do they think that you used an Unforgiveable?"

Hermione smiled and shook her head. "It wasn't me. Ron took my wand and tried to use the Imperious Curse on me. It looks like all your work on training me to block the curse came in handy after all."

Harry cupped her cheeks and kissed her head, then hugged her tightly for a moment, giving her some comfort when his Childe was so close to breaking. She hadn't even been this frightened when Ron had attacked her, tonight or six months ago, and Harry didn't enjoy seeing her so terrified.

"There's no need to be. If it came to the worst, I'd release you. You'd be able to carry on, find someone else to be your Sire, or take on a Childe of your own, if that's what you wanted," Harry told her.

"That's not what I meant, Harry, and you know it," Hermione sobbed, her hands trembling violently at the many thoughts of what could happen swirling in her head.

"Then what?"

"I don't stay with you because just because you're my Sire, but because you're my brother. I care what happens to you. You know I don't want my life without you in it."

"I'll be fine, Hermione. I doubt anything harsh will come of this," Harry sighed.

"Shacklebolt has to follow procedure. We're only here because when Ron died, he'd have shown up in the Book of the Veil as an unnatural death, with my name next to his since I inadvertently caused his death. He has to follow protocol," he continued, giving a smile of comfort that he truthfully didn't feel.

"Doesn't mean I have to like being thrown in a dirty, cold cell," Hermione glowered.

Harry laughed at Hermione's sudden switch to petulance- he knew neither of them could feel the cold, Hermione was really only upset at the cell not being clean. Despite being a creature that has to drink blood to survive, she hated getting anything on her clothes.

It reminded him of the first time she had fed. Being inexperienced, Hermione had ended up tearing the artery instead of just piercing it, blood had flowed down her robes, and Harry had been forced to listen to a ten-minute tirade on how they were her favourite pair. The Muggle had survived, of course, Hermione was well known for her healing abilities.

Much of the night was spent alternating between complete silencing and talking just to fill it. Harry was growing agitated, his skin itched after having ingested the Blood Reversal Potion through Hermione's blood and he desperately needed to feed.

Looking out the cell window, Harry guessed it was around nine in the morning. The sky had been light for a couple of hours. If they were the first hearing of the day, then someone would no doubt be down shortly to collect one of them. Harry was curious to see who would be brought up first. Probably him, seeing as he had committed the worst of the crimes mentioned last night when Dawlish and Tonks had arrested them.

It was while Harry thought this that he heard footsteps approach their cell. A red-eyed Tonks appeared at the bars of the cell. He guessed she had been crying most of the night, her eyes looked red raw and the skin puffy, her normally cheerful face was pale and thin-lipped.

"It's time, Harry. Hermione, I'll have to collect you for your hearing separately. I tried to explain about your Bond and that being separated would be worse for you, but they wouldn't listen. I'm sorry," Tonks whispered brokenly.

"Don't worry, it won't be for too long," Hermione said with a brightness that she truly did not feel.

Tonks unlocked the cell door, waved her wand at Harry's hands and he felt the shackles from the previous night bind his magic once more. Tonks threw him a look of apology, Harry just smiled softly and shook his head, signalling he was okay with it and understood that she didn't want to place them on him. He knew that she didn't have a choice- giving him small leniencies would cost her position as an Auror, and he knew she loved the job.

He turned to give Hermione an encouraging smile, leaving with Tonks for his hearing. He could feel the pull of the Bond being stretched as he walked further away from her, though not yet painful, it was uncomfortable. He could only hope that he was kept relatively near to her, the stretch of the Bond would be worse for her.

They walked a series of corridors before boarding one of the elevators. Choosing their floor, the elevator did a simple upwards climb before coming to rest two floors up. Harry gave a silent thanks that it wasn't like just before his fifth year, when he had been brought in by Arthur Weasley for performing the Patronus Charm in front of his cousin, Dudley. The elevator had juddered and swung all over the place and it had taken every ounce of Harry's will not to vomit that day. He was sure that he had been a curious shade of green by the end of it.

Courtroom ten was not a place he wanted to revisit, the room was done all in black and had an oppressive feel to it before one even entered the double doors. The only person who had actually spoken out for him besides Dumbledore had been Amelia Bones, someone he still liked to this day.

At least by being only two floors up, he wasn't as far from Hermione as he could have been, making it a little easier on them both- more especially his Childe. Harry took a deep breath, not that he needed it, and steeled himself to face whatever they threw at him.

Entering through a set of double doors, Harry was met with the stern faces of Ministry officials, the members of the Wizengamot, Shacklebolt, Aurors and other people who Harry could only assume were witnesses to the hearing. Tonks manoeuvred Harry to the chair in the centre of the room, leaving the shackles on- not that he really expected them to be removed. He faced the Minister and the Wizengamot.

"Harry James Potter, you have been brought before the Ministry and the Wizengamot on the charge of murdering one Ronald Bilius Weasley. How do you plead?" Shacklebolt began.

"Not guilty, Minister," Harry replied calmly.

"Come now, Mister Potter. Your name appears in the Book of the Veil next to Mister Weasley's name. You were clearly involved in his death. We also have an eye witness to the event," Shacklebolt continued, his face taut.

"Yes, Minister, I was involved in his death, but I did not bring about his murder, that was another. For starters, I didn't cast the curse that killed him," Harry fired back, his eyes taking in the way Shacklebolt kept shifting around as if uncomfortable. Something was going on, and he knew straight away that it wouldn't bode well if things suddenly did not go his way.

"Mister Potter, we have an eye witness," a member of the Wizengamot repeated the Minister's words.

"I'm sure you do, Minister, but did they see me cast the curse? I think not. Do you have Avery in custody for casting the Unforgivable: Avada Kedavra?" Harry said, biting back the urge to snarl.

"Why would we have him in custody?" Shacklebolt asked shocked, a twitch forming under his right eye.

"You have Hermione Granger in custody for supposedly casting an Unforgivable. So if you know she cast one, then you must know that Avery cast one also. Though, in my honest opinion, Hermione is innocent."

There was a mass of murmuring among everyone in the courtroom- clearly no one had been made aware of that fact. All except Kingsley Shacklebolt, whose eyes suddenly looked anywhere but at Harry. He instantly knew that something was amiss, smelling trouble. Harry suspected who their eye witness was- he would stake his immortality on it being Avery.

"Minister, perhaps you could perform Priori Incantatem on my wand, the last spell I used before Ron's death was Evanesco in the bar," Harry stated as a matter of fact.

Without waiting for word from Shacklebolt, Tonks said the incantation and indeed, the last spell used was Evanesco, then Scourgify and finally another Evanesco. No record of Avada Kedavra being used.

There was a sudden flurry of movement among the people sitting in the room. Tonks quickly grabbed her wand and shouted 'Incarcerous'. Ropes shot out from the end of her wand and wound themselves around the body of Avery, knocking him to the ground.

Harry watched on in amusement as Avery was dragged back kicked and screaming. Dawlish went over, relieved Avery of his wand and cast Priori Incantatem, and sure enough, the last spell used was Avada Kedavra. It at least cleared Harry of Ron's direct murder, but he still had to clear himself of being involved in his death, and though he planned on asking to have Veritaserum used, he was aware of the dangers of it. Unless asked a direct question about something, he would be able to omit certain information- however, if asked a direct question, he would be forced to tell the truth, and the Ministry unfortunately had a habit of bringing up subjects not pertinent to the questioning.

Dawlish used a silencing spell, stopping Avery's screaming. Shacklebolt turned back to Harry and resumed questioning him. "So clearly you didn't cast the Killing Curse," Shacklebolt sighed, a tightness about his mouth that belied his suddenly calm tone.

Giving a damn good impression of Professor Snape, Harry growled. "Obviously."

"Yes, well, it still doesn't clear how you were involved in Mister Weasley's death. How do you explain yourself there?" Shacklebolt queried.

"It's a long story. It would be easier explained through seeing the memory," Harry sighed. A memory was like watching a film, no-one would be able to know his feelings or intentions at the time.

"We don't accept memories as a form of evidence Mister Potter."

"Really?" Harry scoffed. "That's interesting because Albus Dumbledore's memories were accepted when clearing Professor Snape of Death Eater activity and the murder of Dumbledore."

"They were mitigating circumstances, Albus wasn't here to speak for himself."

"No, but his portrait would have been able to," Harry retorted evenly. "Forgive me, Minister, but you seem to be rather pointedly avoiding any way in which I am able to prove innocence."

"We are not here about Severus Snape or Albus Dumbledore, Mister Potter. We are here about Mister Weasley's death," Shacklebolt roared, ignoring Harry's final comment.

"Fine. Use Veritaserum then." Harry remained calm.

"Veritaserum doesn't work on your kind," Shacklebolt spat.

The Minister quickly realised his mistake the moment he finished speaking- he had just openly insulted Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, and a Vampire. Not only had they recently passed a move that allowed more reasons for a Vampire to take on a Childe, but they were immensely powerful creatures. A Vampire wasn't someone they wanted a grudge to hold over them.

"My kind?" Harry hissed, his eyes cold. "My kind being a Vampire? Let me assure you Minister, I had no choice in becoming one. I woke up alone and changed, I have no idea who my Sire is!"

"Veritaserum doesn't work on Vampires."

"That's bullshit and you know it! The only people that it doesn't work on are those with strong Occlumens abilities and Werewolves, who have a natural barrier to Veritaserum and Legillimency. Perhaps if you bothered to do your homework, you would know this."

"Dawlish." The Minister's voice rang out. "Bring a vial of Veritaserum, we'll give it a try."

He reappeared a few moments later with a small vial of clear liquid. Harry remembered from his fourth year when Snape had threatened to use it on him. He thought Harry was stealing ingredients to make Polyjuice Potion, though it had turned out to be Alastor Moody, or rather, his imposter. Dawlish uncorked the bottle and tipped a few drops into Harry's mouth.

"What's your name?" Shacklebolt asked, testing out the reaction.

"Harry James Potter," Harry's emotionless voice drifted over the room, a sort of fog hazing his mind, making him feel somewhat lethargic-relaxed, even.

"Who are your parents?"

"Lily Evans and James Potter, they're dead now."

"Did you see Ronald Weasley before he died?"

Harry gave a momentary squirm. "Yes, on a couple of occasions."

"When?"

"Twice in the last six months, before then nearly every day."

"What happened on both those occasions?" Shacklebolt asked, nearly pouncing on the information.

"The first was six months ago. I went to his flat and told him in no uncertain terms that he was to stay away from Hermione. He was never to approach her again, under any circumstances. The second was in my club last night, when he tried to apologise to me," Harry answered.

"Why did you tell Mister Weasley to stay away from Miss Granger?" Shacklebolt asked confused.

"Six months ago, Hermione turned up at my house, bloodied, beaten and badly hurt. I had to take her to St. Mungo's to be treated. Upon treating her, they found that she had been forcibly entered. He raped her."

They was a unified gasp in the room, no-one had expected that. If anyone decided to look up Hermione's medical records at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries they would see that she had been admitted with severe bruising, many wounds and a rape examination had taken place.

"Are you positive Mister Weasley raped her?" Shacklebolt asked, his deep voice giving away his disbelief at such an accusation.

"Of course I am."

"How so?"

"When I went to his flat to confront him about it, he said that she had wanted him, that things had just gotten a little out of hand. I told him I didn't understand how things could get so out of hand that her clothes were torn to pieces, her body covered in cuts and that the hospital were having to perform a rape examination on her," Harry spoke in a monotone.

"Was there any violence involved when you went to Mister Weasley's residence?"

"...yes. I did lose my temper and punch him." Harry admitted after a brief pause as he wanted to fight the potion, but the relaxed feeling took back over and words spilled from his mouth.

Shacklebolt blinked. "Do you not see how we can make the conclusion that you are responsible for his death?"

Harry shook his head. "I had no motive until you learnt what Ron did. But even then, Hermione is more than capable of taking care of things, she doesn't need me to deal with him."

Shacklebolt decided to move the line of questioning on. "So when he turned up at your club to apologise, what happened?"

"Nothing eventful. I said that he needed to apologise to Hermione, not me."

"He refused?" Shacklebolt asked.

"Yes."

"Very well. Take me through what happened just before he was killed, and when he died."

Harry blinked a moment before responding. "Hermione was upset after what Ron said, so I told her to take a break. The last I saw of her, before later on, she was headed to the bathrooms. When I closed up for the night, I cleaned up for a bit and went to look for her. I checked the toilets but she wasn't in there. I went out for a smoke and called out for her. When she didn't answer I heard yelping and scuffling. I looked for her, found her surrounded by Ron and former Death Eaters. Avery, Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, both junior, and a couple of others that I didn't recognise."
Harry paused while someone jotted down the names mentioned.

"Carry on, Mister Potter."

"It came to light that he had used the Blood Reversal potion on her, changing her back to a human. He'd also bound her magic to his, essentially leaving her no better than a Muggle or a Squib. Ron threatened to kill her maker, so I grabbed him by the throat and held him against the wall, told him that if he wanted to kill her Sire then he had better kill me. When I looked over at Hermione, she was staring at something behind me. I kept hold of my grip on Ron, turned us both so he was in front of me. I didn't want my back to him, and I didn't trust him. I saw a flash of green light and Ron went limp in my grasp. Avery had cast the Killing Curse, and because Ron was in front of me, it hit him."

"Back up a moment, Mister Potter. Blood Reversal potion?" A member of the Wizengamot asked, a frown marring his young features.

Harry nodded. "Yes. It's a potion that was created a year or so ago, though I don't remember who by. If the drinker takes it within twelve months of being turned into a Vampire, then they return to being human once more. There is an out to it, though. You can become a Vampire again, so long as you are bitten and changed in an hour. If it goes beyond that, you can never become one again. I suppose it's a sort of loophole, just in case it was ever forced upon someone." Harry shrugged.

"Back to Mister Weasley's death. It was an accident?" Shacklebolt hastily turned the questioning back around to Harry.

"Yes."

"Then how do you explain your name next to his in the Book of the Veil?" The Minister all but accused him of lying.

"I can only assume it was because I was holding onto Ron when he died. I did have him held by the throat," Harry said almost flippantly.

There was a brief smattering of voices before a member of the Wizengamot stood and addressed the Minister. "Minister, we of the Wizengamot have heard all that we need to, allow us a few minutes to decide a verdict."

Shacklebolt looked infinitely uncomfortable. "Surely there is more to this than is being said."

"That is not for you to decide, Minister."

With that said, a silencing spell was erected and Shacklebolt directed Dawlish to give the antidote to Harry, who sat patiently and waited for his fate to be decided. It wasn't long before the Head of the Wizengamot stood.

"We are all agreed that one Harry James Potter be found not guilty and cleared of all charges. Additionally, based on what Mister Potter has told us, we move to have Miss Granger cleared of all charges and released back into the care of Mister Potter."

"Forgive me, sir, but Miss Granger is charged with the attempted use of an Unforgivable, that is a most serious offense," Shacklebolt cried out.

Harry frowned at the Minister's behaviour. There was a time when he and Shacklebolt had gotten along brilliantly, and now, it seemed that he would do anything to have Harry silenced.

"I know for a fact that Hermione would never use an Unforgiveable. Even during the war, she wouldn't use them, it just goes against the nature of who she is," Harry said bluntly.

"Be that as it may, the decision lies ultimately with us, and we have agreed that due to Miss Granger's most unfortunate circumstances, and while we do not condone vigilante acts, we do appreciate what she has been put through. For lack of better words, a lot of us would do the same if we were ever put through something like that. Do not test our patience, Minister," snarled the Chief Warlock.

Shacklebolt lowered his head in submission in acknowledgement of what he had been told. Tonks left the courtroom and returned moments later with a terrified Hermione. Harry felt his magical shackles release him and his magic flow through his body again. He rushed to Hermione and pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair. Fearing the worst, Hermione began to sob uncontrollably.

"I thought you might want to tell you herself," Tonks whispered in his ear.

Hermione let out a wail, her tears flowing faster down her face. Despite popular misconception, Vampires could cry. Harry held her all tighter to him, whispering gibberish in an attempt to calm her enough so she would listen to him.

"It's okay, everything's fine, we're free," Harry crooned.

"What? I don't understand!" She sobbed.

"The Wizengamot decided that we were in extreme circumstances, Ron's death was an accident, and your use of an Unforgivable has, for lack of better words, been overlooked."

"Yes, and don't make us regret our decision, Miss Granger." The Head called out.

Hermione hiccupped and nodded. "I won't, thank you so much." She didn't bother denying that she had used one, it had been struck from her charges and she did not wish to rile up the Wizengamot.

Harry held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "I told you I wouldn't let anything happen to you, silly girl."

Hermione laughed softly, thanking the Gods that they had been on her side. She didn't want to think of the alternative outcome. The mere idea of not having Harry in her life crushed her to the core.

Everyone stood and advised that they were free to leave whenever they wished, no-one wanting to force the pair to part when Harry was obviously comforting her. As they turned to leave, Mr. Weasley burst through the doors red-faced and stalked straight towards where Hermione and Harry stood. When he reached them, he struck Hermione across the cheek, the force making her head snap to one side.

He knew she didn't feel anything, but it didn't lessen the shock. Arthur Weasley raised his hand to strike her again, and Harry watched as Hermione did nothing, allowing him the chance to strike her again. Harry growled low in his throat. She may have felt guilty over Ron's death but he certainly didn't. Arthur Weasley's son was nothing more than a rapist.

"You killed my son!" Mr. Weasley screamed.

Tonks tried to reach them before all hell broke loose, but Harry was too fast for her. He grabbed Mr. Weasley by the front of his robes and hoisted him off the ground, baring his fangs at him and snarling in his face.

"You caught me off guard the first time, and Hermione may have been willing to let you hit her a second time. I however, am not! Don't you ever touch my Childe again, or I swear, Mrs. Weasley will have to plan for two funerals!"

Hermione grabbed Harry's collar and yanked him back. "Harry! Do not give the Wizengamot a reason to change their minds!" She hissed.

Harry let the man go and shook his head. "There was a time I looked up to you, a time when you saw no creature as less than a human. But now we are different, that all suddenly changes?"

Mr. Weasley lowered his head and sighed. "Harry, please, try to understand where I'm coming from."

Harry snorted derisively. "Don't give me that, sir. I didn't have a choice when I became a vampire, but you all turned your backs on me."

"It's not like that, Harry..."

"The hell it isn't. You've made your position perfectly clear. I'm sorry about, Ron, I really am. He was my best friend at once stage, until he hurt Hermione beyond all form of redemption. If you can forgive your son for such an atrocious crime, you could have still been there for me, you always told me I was like a son to you. It's obvious that no longer applies. I can't help what happened, Mr. Weasley, I wish it hadn't happened, but I'm stuck with it now," Harry growled. "But if you hurt my Childe again, I won't hesitate to tear you limb from limb."

Mr. Weasley sighed and shook his head miserably. "I understand your plight, I truly do. But how can you defend her? My son may have been heavy handed but he would never have laid a finger on her."

Harry snarled and advanced on him. "You dare call me a liar?" He bared his teeth and his fangs slid into view. "Do you really think that I would make something like that up?"

Hermione grabbed the back of his shirt and waistcoat, yanking as hard as she could, to no avail. "Harry, it isn't worth it. Let's just go home."

Arthur looked into Harry's eyes and shook his head. "Make it up? No. Exaggerate? Yes."

Harry roared in fury and reared back to strike.

"Harry, no!" Hermione screamed.

So, there you have it. I'm due to have my internet reinstalled next week so I'm hoping to be more on track with the updates. Until next time :*