Chapter 1

He knew they were in trouble. Nevermind, he knew they were in trouble when he let his friends come with him to the department of mysteries, he knew they were in trouble when not even the night guard was there, no alarms rang out, when the death eaters attacked. Yeah, Harry Potter knew they were in serious trouble, and all because he believed what he thought to be a vision of what was actually going on. Sure he could have, should have, questioned more, but that was not important right now.

No, what was important right now was staying alive. BOOM! That's another explosion off in the distance, why did they split up again? Seriously thinking about it, it made no sense. There where what, twelve death eaters, and not just any death eaters but several powerful, fully grown, fully trained, and dangerous members. 'I mean we have Lucious Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange, two of the most deadly people in the Dark Wankers forces and we SPLIT UP!'.

Seeing that it was just him and Hermione together right now in a room that was obviously some type of amphitheater, though what was with the arch he had no idea. He had no idea where the others where and could only hope they were ok. " Hermione, I know its not the best of times, but if we get out of this alive and in one piece, what do you say to going to hogsmeade with me?"

Hermione, looking at him as if he was insane, at least on this surface was of several different minds right then as she processed multiple things. She wasn't a genius for nothing. On one hand, the young man she absolutely loved just asked her out. The fact that they where fighting for their lives weighed in, but if that's what it takes. On the 2nd hand, they where fighting for their lives and that was by far the most prevalent thought in her head. Also swimming around in her head was the simple thought that there was something on that arch that was not only glowing, but seemed to be growing stronger. Was it also pulling them?

She noticed Harry was staring at her with an almost look of scared acceptance. 'Why would he look at me …. Like…. crap , he asked me out, and I haven't answered him!' "Yes Harry, I would love to, and I'll make you a deal. We get out of this alive, I'll do something to make sure you don't have to go back to those relatives of yours. Don't argue." She knew he was about to say something, and knew what she wanted to do. She knew that if she wanted to keep him, the secret crush of her life, alive an safe, she needed him to do a couple things for her. Oh she knew she loved him.

It had started as a crush on an idol type figure before the firstie train by reading about him in the books. Meeting him had been another thing. Those green eyes even as a pre-teen set her heart aflutter. Being saved from the troll solidified her crush and she was determined to at least be his best friend. Hearing what happened to him throughout his life while she was petrified, she never told him she heard, but it had broken her again and again. Riding on Buckbeak had made her realize that her crush was changing to love. Last year in the tournament had made her relish every moment, every innocent touch, every lingering gaze.

Then this year happened and that toad Umbridge happened. She had wanted to hold him, to let him know it would all be ok. She knew from the previous years that the professors would do nothing, and in the end it would be up to Harry, and whoever was with him, to fix things again. And for what, a few points, a pat on the back, and then he would go back off to that house that was nothing more than a prison. And she would be foisted back into playing the perfect little princess for her parents. To go to parties where her parents would want to introduce her to different suitors. Nevermind that she was 16, and therefore underage, her parents wanted her to marry well, or in other words, a business deal.

In many ways her parents were like the pureblood snobs in what they expected, wanted, and decided how the rest of the world was based on their pedigree. "Harry, look at me." The sounds of battle where all around them, the crashes, the bangs, the explosions, screaming and yelling, the chances of them surviving dwindling every second they were here. "Harry, we both have our own demons, neither of us have what would be considered a good homelife, or family. So if we get out of this, lets make a pact, no matter what, me and you, till the end of time, just us and we'll go where we want, do what we want. Forget everyone else, just us. No matter what."

She breathed a deep breath holding it, waiting for his answer. She was tired of him always having to fight for the idiots of the world, be they muggle or magical, elite or sheep, and she was sure that if they kept going as they were, they would end up dead sooner rather than later. She still wasn't sure they would survive tonight as it was but if she had to die, at least it would be at his side, where she felt she belonged. Looking around again with her eyes, she noticed the runes on that arch , the one that seemed to hum magic like there was no tomorrow, were glowing brighter, and more of them. Starting in a certain order, what it meant she didn't know but she did know that it was important. She just couldn't remember what.

Harry looked at Hermione, the girl he had secretly fancied for years. Whenever they were close his magic sang and it had only grown stronger over the years. There was the troll, it made a mistake in attacking her. Was it any coincidence that he then fought it? The basilisk had dared to harm her, the dementors of third year had dared to look in her direction, the second task had nearly driven him insane, and umbridge this year would one day pay for making her use a blood quill. He didn't know what it meant, just that he needed her. He needed her to be safe, to be wherever he was and to be with him. "Hermione, where you go, I go. To the end of time, to death and back. I trust you with my life Hermione, so, i guess….. What im saying is…. Um…."

Looking at her he saw the one thing he always hoped to see in her eyes, more than just caring, more than just friendship or understanding. No, what he saw was an emotion he had no real experience with, but he connected it to one he could only assume was love. He would do anything to keep that look there. He knew they would never know true Peace, so he would put everything into his life for her, his life, his caring, his soul, his Passion. He would draw Strength from it, and from his strength he would gain power. Power over himself, power over his life, and in the end he would gain power to attain victory. Victory would only be attained, he knew when they where both safe, when everything that tied them down, every Chain was broken. They would be free then.

As he was thinking this, the magic in the room thrummed, it started to pulse, and the archway, what was known to others as the Veil of Death, started to warp. The power radiating off of it caused both teens to look at it. Surprise and shock on both of their faces, power whipping off of the arch, the stones, and through the very air, there hair whipping about them in an invisible wind. The curtain that seemed to drape across the stone and arch shifted. First color appeared, color in all shades from red to green to blue, white and yellow, and more. Then shapes started appearing and taking definition.

Something was niggling away in Hermione's mind, she knew something, some random fact, some random piece of information, but couldn't recall what it was. What appeared before her seemed to be a place, seemed to be safe, well atleast safer than where they were. Looking at Harry, there eyes met, and as many times before, an entire conversation happened in the briefest of glances, a consensus reached, and agreement made. Grabbing each others hands, together they turned to the arch, to the scene, to the power that radiated off in waves, and they ran to it.

Step, Step, Step, breathing, not slowing, not looking back, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger ran through the arch, and instead of appearing on the otherside of the arch, they where gone. The moment they stepped through, the arch send out a wave of magical power so grand and so fierce, so powerful with one purpose, to speed the two brave souls on their way and to guide them there. In doing so, the chamber, the Department of Mysteries, and the Ministry itself shook as if hit by an earthquake. Cracks appeared in the walls, the ceiling had pieces fall to the ground, the death chamber itself seem to fold in on itself and back out again.

The problem was that both passengers needed to be freed of their binds and chains before they could fully pass through. In the moment they went through, all the bindings on their magical cores where shattered, every potion and charm on them designed to control them was wiped away, the foreign soul in the head of Harry was ripped away, and when all was said and done, the two where on there way to true freedom.