Hello my lovely readers! I am back with the next chapter! I hope you guys are enjoying this story so far. Also, if you like Dramione, then maybe you will like my other story, Our Differences. I am so sorry for the wait for this chapter, my mom got admitted to the hospital and had to have surgery, so we have been more focused on her then anything else and then I started a new job so I have not had a lot of time to write.

I do want to say though, thank you so much to everyone who has favorited, followed, and reviewed my story, you guys don't know how much it warms my heart to see people actually enjoying this story! All of you have made my day, thank you so much!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, that stays with J.K. Rowling.

It is in the room where everything is hidden. If you have to ask, you will never know. If you know, you need only ask. - The Grey Lady

Chapter 4 - Shock

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"Hermione?" The mass of brown curls slams into Harry as he turns from the front door of 12 Grimmauld Place. He thought that he was going to be alone when he arrived here and he could take things at his own pace. However, either by a stroke of luck, or lack of luck, the girl who had been on his mind is now here, in his arms like he had dreamed about for months. His confusion over liking her is overwhelmed, considering that him and ginny were together at first. However, over the course of the time that him, Hermione, and Ron were searching for the horcruxes, he couldn't help but fall for the brilliant witch. Especially after Ron left them and it was just the two of them.

Hermione can't help but tighten her hold on the man in her arms. Unwillingly, her eyes well with tears and they fall down her checks as she buries her head in the wizards shoulder. Harry, feeling her tears start to soak through his shirt, tightens his hold on her as well, burying his nose in her hair as he sighs with relief. He can't help with the happiness he feels at being able to see her again after the long 5 months away from her. However, as soon as those thoughts come into his mind, they snap him back to reality. Hermione was with Ron, his best mate and she is probably heart broken over this news that he is dead. Harry can't do this, he can't take advantage of her suffering over her dead boyfriend.

Hermione slowly pulls back from Harry, her eyes filled with still flowing salty tears and she furiously swipes at them as she offers Harry a watery smile. He braves a smile as his heart feels a heavier than it did before.

"Where have you been Harry? I have been searching for you since the night of the final battle. I was getting so worried because I couldn't find anything all this time and I started to fear that I wasn't going too..." Her voice trails off as she looks away, her eyes downcast at her still trembling hands that are linked in front of her. Harry's heart takes a terrible tumble at this revelation and he can't help but step forward and gently cup her cheek in his right hand, causing her eyes to slowly trail back up and find his.

"I'm sorry that I made you worry Hermione, but for where I was, that is a story for another time. For now, I think that we need to focus on Ron and figuring out what happened to him." At the mention of the red head's name, Hermione nodded but her tears started to flow again and Harry couldn't help but to pull her into another hug, mentally kicking himself for bringing it back up. After a few more moments of her quiet sobs, she lets a rattling breath and slowly pulls away again, wiping the remainder of her tears away with her hand. Harry smiles weakly at her and places a comforting hand on her shoulder before he turns to start down the hallway. However, a figure at the end causes Harry to stay rooted to the spot.

"Hey, Harry, good to see that you have rejoined us." The voice wasn't friendly but it also wasn't cold, just painfully neutral.

"George? What are you doing here?" the red head just shrugs and walks off, heading to the stairwell that leads up to the rooms and disappears. A few moments later, the two in the hallway can hear a door click shut above them and then silence. Harry turns to Hermione with a bewildered look, slightly hurt and the coldness from the other redhead.

"Follow me into the kitchen, we have a lot to discuss about what has happened since you have been gone." Harry nods and the two take off for the kitchen, sitting down at the bar before Harry turns to Hermione expectantly.

"Where to begin?" Hermione asks herself tentatively as she fiddles with the daily prophet that still lays on the counter, turning it over so she doesn't have to see the headlines anymore. Harry gently lays a hand on her shoulder and she turns to him, biting her bottom lip in nervousness.

"Why don't you just start by telling me what happened after I left?" Hermione takes in a deep breath and then starts telling him everything that happened after he left, about her and Ron, what she saw at their apartment, her journey through their old camping spots and then arriving here at Grimmauld place to find George already staying here.

"I don't really know what has been going on with George, most of the time, we just eat dinner and go to bed and he doesn't talk much during those times." Harry absorbs all of the new information, anger and sadness mixing together after he heard what Ron did to Hermione and the lengths that she had gone through to try to find him.

"I'm really sorry for everything that you had to go through over these last 5 months, Hermione, and I am sorry that I wasn't here to help you through it." Harry looks down at the stained wood of the counter, feeling ashamed. However, Hermione covers his hand with her own and gently squeezes it.

"You don't have to feel sorry or ashamed for what happened, Harry, I know that you were hurting and I wish I could have been there for you but you are here now, and that is all that matters to me." Harry snaps his head up, staring at her in astonishment. It amazes his how this beautiful witch in front of him always knows what to say to make him feel better and how it seems like she always knows what he is thinking. Harry can't help the gentle smile that graces his face and he nods, squeezing her hand back.

"Now then, let's go over what we know about R-ron's death." Her voice cracks a little but she manages to steady herself as she flips the prophet back over and pushes it to the middle, between them, so they both can see it clearly.

"I noticed while I was looking at the paper that it shows an R carved into his chest, just below his left shoulder and it looks like he might have been hit with the killing curse. My questions are though, why was he in that alley and who was it that killed him?" Hermione looks down at the paper, searching the photo for anything that might be able to tell them what he might have been doing there.

"I don't know what would have taken him out there, when I left, he was with Astoria so the only thing that I might be able to assume is maybe he was with her and they got attacked on their way back. I don't know why else he would be there unless he was date shopping again." Harry examines the article for a few minutes as her words sink. He pours over the time and place that his body was found, and nothing comes to mind of what would be there for Ron to want to go there.

"Hermione, do you still work at the ministry?" Hermione, who was also looking back over the article, moves her eyes up to look at Harry before nodding.

"Yeah, I have been so busy though, I haven't even had the time to try to search for any leads as to who did this to him." Harry nods and looks up to meet her eyes.

"I know someone who might be able to give us some answers though. If you are free, why don't we go pay him a visit?" Hermione perks up at the mention of a potential lead.

"Who is it?" Harry smiles and looks back down at the paper in front of them.

"Kingsley, the Minister for Magic." Hermione audibly smacks herself in the forehead for not thinking of paying him a visit before now.

"I think that is a great idea, hopefully he will have some type of info that he can give us." Harry nods and stands up from the counter, Hermione following suite as they links hands and Hermione turns on the spot, her beaded bag clutched tightly in her hand. When the two arrive at the Ministry, there is utter chaos erupting around them. Ministry workers are running from one place to another and others are shouting to each other as they pass from one area to another. Harry and Hermione look around in shock, the mayhem is not what they were expecting when they came here.

"What is going on here?" Harry asks as he takes a step forward, Hermione, who is still clutching his hand, following after him as they start to make their way through the crowded atrium. They are being shoved all over the place as the two push and shove their way the panicked crowd, making their way towards Hermione's office so she can grab a few things before they head for the Minster's office. As they break through the crowd, they rush for Hermione's office but as they approach, their footsteps slow as shock overtakes them at the sight before them. A large crowd is formed outside of her office the group whispering amongst themselves as the two approach the group. They shove the onlookers aside and as they break in front, a large gasp and a choked scream force their way out of Hermione's throat. Harry, out of instinct, pulls her to him, forcing her face into his shoulder so she doesn't have to see the gruesome sight before them. There, laying on her desk, her outfit shredded and her face almost unrecognizable, is Julia, Hermione's assistant. Like Ron, on her chest, just below her left shoulder is the letter R carved into her skin.

Harry stares at the scene for only a moment longer before he turns his head and starts barking orders at the loitering crowd to disperse as aurors come rushing down the hall to attend to the scene.

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The man sits back in his chair as a knock sounds on the door, the sound bouncing through the room as his booming voice rings out.

"Enter." A smaller man, his dark hair falling over his eyes as he keeps his head down as he slips into the room, rushing over to the foot of the man's chair to kneel down at his feet.

"Sir, everything has been attended to like you requested." The smaller man's voice quivers as his nerves get the better of him but he forces himself to stay still as the man in the chair leans forwards slightly.

"I saw in the paper that the war hero," he spits out the two words like they burn his throat, "has been taken care of. What of the girl?"

"She is back where she belongs, and is being shown the proper appreciation for her completion of the task." The man in the chair cackles and leans back once again, his arms draping lazily over the arms of the chair as he lays his right leg over his left knee and relaxes.

"Good, and the other task that I gave you?" The smaller man can't help the shaking in his body now as he speaks.

"It has been dealt with sir, everything is going according to plan. The girl has seen the message we left for her." The older man nods his head in happiness.

"You have done well, now leave." The younger man squeaks and scurries out of the room and clicks the door shut behind him. The older man can't help the gleeful feeling rushing through him at how well everything is going. It won't be long before the next phase of his plan is set in motion and he can't wait. For everything that she has done, justice is finally being served to her. The man leans his head back and closes his eyes, a wide smile on his face as he drifts off into sleep, his dreams consumed of her look of despair.

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I am so sorry that this has taken me longer to get out, I really hope that this chapter some what makes up for it. I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can. See you guys next time!

HL