Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling. Characters places, ect belong to her. Not me

Hermione:

Hermione Granger was not stupid. She had read the signs and was done with doing nothing about it.

"Harry?" She asked

"Hmm?" The wizard sitting across from her said, not looking up from his book.

"Are you abused?"

Ron dropped his pack of Bertie Bott's every flavor beans and Harry set his book down. "No."

Hermione sighed. "You hate the Dursleys, you don't talk about them, and I saw a scar when your shirt rode up the other day."

"What, this scar?" Harry asked, rolling up his shirt to reveal a long, jagged scar.

Hermione nodded.

"That's from Ron's dad's car; I caught myself on it when getting out of the forbidden forest." The boy answered.

"Ron said you were imprisoned in your room before second year." Hermione countered.

Harry didn't look phased. "That was to keep wixen out, not me in."

"Your uncle was angry." Ron said. "When we got you.

"Yeah, you were obviously wizards." Harry said, at ease still. "He was scared you all were going to hurt me, I told him all about Voldemort."

That… made sense.

"Are you lying, Harry?" Hermione asked, searching his eyes for some sort of lie.

"No." Harry's reply was calm and Hermione couldn't help but trust him.

Hermione looked at the ash in front of her, sure she was angry, but she didn't mean to set fire to the letter.

The young witch was awaiting the arrival of her transfiguration teacher, her bags not packed and her mind racing.

It was only the second day of break when Hermione had received a letter from her headmaster, Professor Dumbledore.

Miss. Granger,

I hope this letter finds you well. Unfortunately I must warn you that Professor McGonagall will be arriving at your residence in two days' time at eleven AM to retrieve you and send you to a secret location. Sirius Black, the Weasleys, and yourself will be the long-term residents.

This location is where you will meet the Order of the Phoenix, a secret organization focused on destroying Lord Voldemort. You will spend the rest of the summer here. You will unfortunately not be allowed to leave or contact young Mr. Potter due to the possibility of the letters being intercepted. Mr. Ronald Weasley and Miss. Weasley will also not be able to contact him, and you mustn't tell him anything about where you are going or why.

I recommend sending a letter now saying you, Ronald, and Ginerva will be unavailable, but he may contact Mr. Longbottom as he wishes. Do not tell him anything about the order, it is for his own safety.

Best wishes,

Albus Dumbledore

'Like hell' Hermione thought to herself. Harry had just watched a classmate die, been tortured, and barely escaped death himself. And now Professor Dumbledore wanted him to be ignored for the rest of the summer?

Hermione thought it insane. She had shown her parents the letter when it had arrived two days before, and they agreed. Harry had been through so much and Hermione cherished her friendship - and hopefully something more - to Harry more than the Headmaster's wishes.

There was a knock on the door and Hermine descended the stairs to see her favorite professor at the door.

"Are you packed, Miss. Granger?" The woman asked.

"Yes, of course," Hermione lied. "But I was wondering if you could explain more fully to my parents and me before I leave?"

Professor McGonagall nodded and sat at the chair across from Hermione and her parents. "The Order of the Phoenix is a secret organization." She started. "It is located in Sirius Black's home and we have a meeting once a week."

Hermione nodded, she doubted she would be allowed in these meetings are sure enough-

"You will not be allowed, nor will any of the Weasley children still attending Hogwarts, and we will not be allowed to tell you what is happening in the meetings."

"Then what is the point in me going?" Hermione asked.

"I have no idea, but I do have a hunch." Professor McGonagall said. "But you are not to tell anyone I have told you this."

Hermione nodded. "I will tell no one but Harry."

A hint of a smile played across the professor's lips. "You have not packed, have you?"

"No ma'am, but I do wish to know why I am supposed to go and why I cannot contact Harry."

"Well the Headmaster said he must distance himself from Mr. Potter this year. He did not explain why, but he did say it was because of the prophecy."

"What prophecy?" Hermione asked eagerly.

"I cannot tell you the contents, but the order is protecting a prophecy in the ministry." Professor McGonagall said.

"You weren't supposed to tell me that, were you?" Hermione asked shrewdly.

"I was not, tell no one but Mr. Potter." The transfiguration teacher said, sounding nowhere near apologetic for her 'slip.'

"But what do the two have to do with each other?" Hermione questioned.

"I have no idea." The professor said blandly.

Hermione sighed. "How many people are going to tell me to stay with Sirius and the Weasleys if I don't come with you?"

"I know the headmaster is adamant you stay there, but I do not know how many times he will attempt to get you there."

Hermione nodded. "Where does Harry live?"

Professor McGonagall laughed. "Number 4 Privet Drive."

"That's like two hours by tube, right mum?"

Mum nodded and Hermione turned back to her professor. "Anything I need to know before I go see Harry and ignore all other wixen for the summer?"

The professor looked anxious for a moment. "I want to know if he is abused."

Hermione broke down in tears. "I-I think he is! He said he's not, but he's a good liar"

Professor McGonagall swallowed thickly. "I know."

"Mum?" Hermione asked

"Yes dear?"

"May I have money?" Hermione asked. "I love you a lot, but Harry needs me and I want to go camping with him so he can get away from the Dursleys without getting into trouble with the order."

Hermione's mum nodded. "Yes. Can you get to Diagon Alley from Harry's home?"

"Yes." Hermione said with conviction, she wasn't sure but she and Harry would find a way.

"I will shrink your trunk." Professor McGonagall offered.

"Thank you, ma'am."

Forty five minutes later Hermione was standing in front of number 4, Privet Drive with a shrunken trunk and more money than she could count in her pocket.

"Hello?" A horse-faced woman asked. She seemed polite enough, but Hermione wasn't stupid.

"Hello ma'am, I am Winter Tale, the daughter of Officer Tale. I have been called here to speak to Harry Potter about a crime we believe he committed." Hermione lied. "I will be taking him to the station to see my mum about possible consequences."

The muggle nodded. "There is no way he didn't do it, he even came home with bruises and refused to tell us where he got them."

Hermione's heart sank, if she was warned about bruises they were obviously hiding something.

"Vernon! Get the fre-boy down here, they know what he did!" The woman yelled.

Hermione tried not to react to Harry being called a freak, but she felt her heart clench painfully about how much her friend had suffered.

A minute later a fat man came downstairs, pulling Harry by the ear.

The boy looked very pale and looked terrible. Harry had two black eyes and Hermione could see finger marks around his neck. There was also blood trickling down from a wound under his hair and his eyes seemed to have lost their carefree look.

Harry's eyes widened when he saw his friend, but he didn't give any other indication he knew who the girl at the door was.

"Harry Potter, you are under arrest for suspected murder, you will be in custody until further notice." Hermione said, both grinning and crying internally.

The boy nodded and pulled himself from his uncle's grip.

The second the door was closed, Harry pulled her into a giant hug. "Hermione, I love you!"

Hermione, startled, hugged the boy back. "Erm- Did you just say you love me?"

Harry nodded. "A day ago I was worried I would spend the entire summer with them, but my heart told me I was wrong so I promised myself I would tell you the truth if you saved me." He said sheepishly. "It's okay if you do-"

But he was cut off as Hermione violently kissed him. Harry was startled at first, but kissed her back passionately after a moment.

"I need to know what happened." Hermione said as they broke apart. "Why did you need rescuing?"

Harry grabbed the girl's hand and led her to the closest park. They sat behind a thick oak tree and Harry took a deep breath. "Don't freak out."

"Did your relatives hurt you?" Hermione asked, her usually controlled emotions seeping through her tone.

"Yes."

That was all it took. Hermione threw her arms around Harry and cried into his shirt. "Why did you never tell me?" She asked thickly.

"I was ashamed, but I found there was no reason to be recently." Harry said, his face red.

"You are right, nothing they did to you was your fault." Hermione assured the young man.

"I met a girl at the beginning of last year. She was a second-year and she was abused." Harry looked like a weight was being lifted off his chest as he spoke. "I first saw her after McGonagall's first class; she seemed to have a broken arm. I asked her to go out to the quidditch pitch with me where I asked what happened."

Harry took another deep breath. "She told me she fell, the same excuse I have given plenty of times. I asked her why she hadn't gone to Madam Pomfrey and she told me she would tell me if I promised not to tell anyone."

"Did you agree?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head. "I said no and told her I would tell her about my less-than-ideal childhood if she told me what happened. She agreed and told me her father got drunk and hit her."

"That's terrible!" Hermione exclaimed.

"May I finish, please?"

"Sorry."

Harry smiled at Hermione. "I told her about my childhood and I sent her up to Madame Pomfrey. We continued to talk and she told me to tell someone about my own abuse." Harry sighed heavily. "I answered her evasively, but luckily that was taken off our minds when she was removed from her father's custody."

Harry now had tears rolling down his face. "But she didn't forget, she gave me a choice. Either I could make an unbreakable vow not to lie to the next person who asked about the Dursleys or she would tell someone right that instant."

"You made the vow," Hermione said quietly. "But I asked you before we got off the train if you were okay and you lied."

Harry nodded. "I lied to her, I never told her I was still abused, I said it was better but she saw them after we got off the train." The wizard looked down, ashamed. "I told her the truth: they were still abusive, and she lost it. She yelled at me for not telling me the truth and that's when she made me take the vow."

Hermione and Harry sat there in silence, tears running silently down their for a while longer before Hermione spoke. "Take off your shirt."