Control by Excalibur

Rating: R
Genres: Romance, Suspense
Relationships: Harry & Hermione
Book: Harry & Hermione, Books 1 - 5
Published: 04/09/2004
Last Updated: 04/09/2004
Status: Completed

[One-Shot] The war is over, Harry Potter and his friends prevailed against the darkness.
Hermione Granger has found love in one John Dinkins. But unbeknownst to her and her best friend,
the past is something that will turn this romance on its ear. Response to the challenge The Young
and Abused by angel_of_fire.




1. Control [One-Shot]
---------------------

Control. That’s what he said it was all about. That’s why he never drank or took drugs. Control
is why he always had a cell phone and insisted that she carry one as well. It wouldn’t do if there
was a problem and they couldn’t get in contact with one another. Control over one’s destiny, over
one’s life, over another person’s life. But the fact was he was the kindest, gentlest person
Hermione had ever met aside from Harry.

She sighed contentedly as her boyfriend of six months diligently cut his lawn, then trimmed the
bushes and pruned the trees in his back garden. She had been steadily cleaning the kitchen and
cheated a bit with a cleaning charm. Being a witch had its perks and she still kept that a secret
from John, her Muggle boyfriend.

Hermione could still remember the day that this beautiful man bumped into her at the library. He
was an avid reader and as it turned out spent quite a bit of time reading at her favorite London
book repository. He was carrying a stack of self-help, philosophical and history books while she
was returning a wide variety of books from different genres. The two collided at the checkout and
laughed nervously as they helped each other pick up their messes.

Life, from that point on, changed for the plain, bushy-haired young woman. A woman who’d just
recently finished her magical education and transferred to a Muggle university in an attempt to
learn more about the world around her. John proved to be a wonderful new friend in the Muggle world
and within the span of three months he’d successfully wooed the bookish girl he’d met that fateful
day.

Hermione was taken aback when her newest friend began flirting with her. When she’d first met
him, she was shocked that someone as good looking as John Dinkins was interested in Hermione ‘Plain
Jane’ Granger. The six foot tall, blonde with the bluest sky-blue eyes she’d ever seen had taken
her breath away. The fact that he was nervous around her was enough to endear him to her. It was
her naughty side that took in the shape of his definitely male physique and nearly swooned on the
spot.

John, it turned out, was heavily into exercise. He was also a stickler for schedules and
timeliness. To top it all off, he was a neat-freak. His house was always spotless, his CD
collection always alphabetized (and all the CDs were upright in their jewel cases), and his
wardrobe was sorted according to the day of the week, color, and categorized by how professional he
wanted to be at any given time. Hermione was in heaven. To push everything over the edge, he was
clean. He’d never tried cigarettes, drugs, or even alcohol. The young man was striving for control
over his life, from his pressed boxers to his career path. Having a gentle and calm demeanor made
the deal sweeter in her eyes and he seemed to make her laugh at a moment’s notice.

John was the only man Hermione had met that she could compare to Harry Potter and come away with
top marks aside from the wizarding heritage. The mere fact that he, Harry, and Ron became very good
friends gave her the ok to accept his offer to date and she’d had the happiest six months of her
life.

Just the other night at tea, he’d confessed he was falling in love with her. Hermione thought
her acceptance to Hogwarts and the subsequent survival of her best friend during the last weeks of
the war were the happiest times she’d ever seen. She was sorely mistaken when she heard those words
spill from the nervous man’s mouth. Not once in her life had she heard someone confess their love
for her. She’d heard her parents tell her how much they loved her, but another man? She’d never
thought the day would come for her after watching all her school friends get married. Even
Millicent Bullstrode had landed a man, though in Hermione’s mind, Gregory Goyle wasn’t a good
catch, even for the Amazonian half-Troll of a woman she’d once dueled.

No, Hermione had relegated herself to a life of friendship with Harry and Ron. The two of them
were enough to scare away most men who showed an interest in her, but when John arrived and the
three began going to football matches, Hermione was stunned. She was happy, but stunned.

And here she was, helping John clean his house for her imminent arrival. She knew her wizarding
heritage would have to be explained to him sooner or later and the thought of that eventual
conversation terrified her.

“Love? Are you listening to me?” John asked with a bright smile as Hermione snapped from her
reminiscing.

“Oh, John, I didn’t even hear you come in!” Hermione said with a laugh as she covered her heart.
“You scared the daylights out of me!”

“I didn’t mean to scare you, Hermione,” John returned with a chuckle and he drew her into his
arms. “You’ve done a marvelous job here! How did you clear up the iron stains in the sink?! I’ve
been working on that for the past two years!”

“It’s an old family secret,” Hermione said with a snort of laughter. Her arms snaked around his
neck as he kissed her gently on the cheek.

“Well, after seeing this, I find myself anticipating you moving in even more!” he laughed
heartily. “But that’s still not for another three weeks... Are you sure you don’t want to join us
tonight?”

“John, tonight’s a guys’ night!” she retorted with a beaming smile. “I’m flattered that you want
me to come along, but I’d rather revise for my final exam tomorrow!”

“That’s right, physics...” John replied with a grin. “Just how is it that such a beautiful and
intelligent woman is in my arms right now? Do I even deserve you?”

“Don’t go into that low self-esteem act again,” Hermione said with a crooked smile. “You know
very well that you’re a great catch! And you should head to the pub soon or you’ll be late!” she
added with a laugh and tried to turn him to the door.

John laughed as he kissed her again, this time on the lips, and obediently turned to the door.
“Ok, ok,” he said as he grabbed his coat from a peg on the wall. “I’ll be home at midnight sharp,”
he said methodically. “I’ll call you five minutes later and I expect you to get some sleep after
that or you’ll be too tired to take that exam.”

“I’ll talk to you then,” Hermione said with a laugh. “Now shoo so I can get to revising!” John
kissed her again and with a wave, left the house to a woman who couldn’t stop smiling.

Hermione had returned to her parents’ house and retired to the room full of boxes that had been
hers for the past eighteen years. With a goofy grin still on her face, she opened her textbooks and
notes to study for her last exam of the summer term. It had been a grueling six weeks of hard work
and dedication but she’d pulled through it as she always had, with top marks. Physics was her least
favorite subject but she plugged away at it mercilessly anyway. Knowing how things worked and
didn’t work without the use of magic was a passion of hers and she thought this course was a
perfect way to find out.

She didn’t know how long she’d been reading through her notes and scribbling new ones in a fresh
notebook but when she looked up and saw that it was one a.m., she jumped.

“John didn’t call?” she asked herself aloud before pulling out her cell phone. The battery was
charged to full capacity and the phone was switched on. Hermione hurriedly checked her voice mail
and found that the only message was a reminder from Harry concerning their upcoming trip.

Suddenly worried, Hermione dialed John’s number and waited for him to answer. The phone switched
over to his voicemail.

“*I’m sorry, but I’m most likely snogging my beautiful girlfriend and don’t want to be
disturbed...*” his voice played from the recorded message he’d created the other day. Hermione
smiled slightly at the memory as the message continued. “*Well, either that or I don’t have the
phone on. Leave your name, number, and a message after the tone. No name and number, no returned
call. Have a smashing day!*”

The mentioned tone sounded and Hermione cleared her throat. “It’s Hermione, Love. I’m calling
from my cell, which you have on speed dial,” she said with a chuckle. “You didn’t call at five
after twelve like you planned and I’m worried. I’m going to your house to make sure you got home
ok. Love you!”

She hung up the phone then quickly donned her shoes and jacket. With a soft pop she apparated to
an alley a few blocks from his house. A shiver raced up her spine when she realized just how creepy
the neighborhood looked and felt at night. Hermione reached her boyfriend’s house to a sight that
terrified her.

John was lying on the steps of his front porch in a puddle of vomit. Without a second thought,
Hermione rushed to his side only to stumble back a step at the rancid smell of beer that was so
strong, it seemed he’d been swimming in it. She recovered quickly and checked him over to find that
he was completely pissed.

“John?” she asked worriedly as she helped him into a sitting position.

“Oh, you’re here again...” John slurred angrily. “Do you enjoy breaking my heart? *DO
YOU?!*” he bellowed suddenly, taking Hermione by surprise.

“What are you talking about, Love?” Hermione asked as she tried to help him into the house
again.

John pushed her away forcefully and stumbled to his door, fumbling with his keys. He acted like
she didn’t exist during this process and Hermione rushed to him once again when he began to tip to
the side.

“GEROFF!” he shouted directly in her face. “I’ve got it under control!”

“John, I’m only trying to help you...” Hermione said softly as she placed a hand gently on his
shoulder.

He’d gotten the door open and in another surprise move, grabbed her by the arm then shoved her
roughly into his house.

“JOHN!” Hermione yelled when he slammed the door behind him. “What happened? Why are you pissed
and acting like this?!”

“You haven’t changed, have you?” he growled as he threw his jacket to the floor carelessly.
“Make me fall in love with you then you try to change me into something I’m not!”

“I’ve done no such thing...” Hermione pleaded with him. “Please, calm down, Love...”

“*YOU WON’T TELL* ME *WHAT TO DO!*” John shouted in uncontrolled rage. With reflexes
that belied his current drunken state, the man Hermione was in love with rushed at her with a
balled fist that connected with explosive force to her left eye.

Hermione fell into the coffee table in a heap. She looked up at the man who was radiating
bestial rage and felt her eye close as it swelled. “JOHN!” she screamed in a terrified voice. “WHY
DID YOU JUST HIT ME?!”

“SHUT UP!” he retorted through gritted teeth, spittle flying in every direction as he grabbed
her by the hair and dragged her into a standing position. “YOU DON’T SPEAK WITHOUT *MY*
PERMISSION!” As if to accentuate his point, his knee connected with her stomach. Hermione would
have doubled over if he hadn’t had such a stranglehold on her hair. Instead, without the ability to
breathe properly, she fumbled wildly for her wand.

Hermione’s one good eye widened when she spotted it near the fireplace, lying several feet from
their position. “WHY?” she pleaded but received a backhanded slap that knocked her to the floor.
Hermione tried to stand but the weight of his body was immediately upon her, pinning her to the
cold, unfeeling tile at the bottom of the stairwell.

“*I TOLD YOU TO KEEP YOUR MANIPULATIVE FUCKING MOUTH SHUT, HELEN!*” he shouted mere
centimeters from her ear.

“I’m not Helen,” Hermione squeaked in fear when she couldn’t move or fight off her attacker.
“I’m Hermione...”

She was expecting another punch, kick, or other physical punishment. Her eyes were closed
tightly, not wanting to see the retaliation John would visit upon her. Instead, she felt a wet drop
land on her cheek followed quickly by several more.

“H-Hermione?” John asked tentatively in the same voice a frightened little boy might use.
“What-what have I done?”

Hermione chanced a look at the man she thought loved her and caught the terror that had taken
residence in his blue eyes. John shuffled away from her as quickly as he could and curled into a
ball next to his sofa.

“John?” Hermione asked tentatively, wincing at the split lip he’d just given her. “What
happened? Who’s Helen?” She made no move towards him and her eye darted to her fallen wand then
back to her boyfriend.

The man who was quickly becoming her ex-boyfriend broke down into tears at Hermione’s muffled
voice. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “H-Helen is my ex-girlfriend. She-she tried to use me for
money a year or so ago... I ran into her tonight with Ron and Harry...” he explained in a rush, not
meeting her eyes during his confession. “She was with another bloke and started taunting me. I had
enough of her quips so I had a few drinks... The next thing I know I was leaning over you just
now...” John looked to Hermione with pleading eyes. He radiated regret and shame as more tears fell
down his cheeks. “I-if you want to leave me, I don’t blame you... After this, how could you ever
forgive me?”

Hermione looked at the fallen man who broke down even farther and her rising anger dissipated.
“Promise me that you’ll never do this again,” she said with a steely tone in her voice.

“I won’t, I promise,” John choked out as he looked into her eyes. “I love you, Hermione, I
didn’t mean... I didn’t realize...”

“Shh,” Hermione said quietly as she slowly moved to his side. “It’s ok, you promised me, and I
believe you...” she whispered. Hermione put a tentative hand on his shoulder and when he didn’t
flinch, slid her arm around him. “When you’re sober, we’re going to talk about this,” she said
tenderly as he wrapped his arms around her and sobbed into her breasts. “For now, I think it best
if I go home so I can try and rest for my exam...”

“I’m sorry, Love,” John said quietly. “I hope I haven’t made things difficult for your
exam...”

“Shh,” Hermione cooed quietly as she stroked his hair. “Let’s get you cleaned up and in bed
before I leave... I found you lying in a pool of vomit.”

Wordlessly, she helped her boyfriend to his feet and into the shower. She’d reclaimed her wand
and made a mental note to purchase a holster for it on her trip to Diagon Alley. Hermione went back
upstairs and helped John into bed, where he fell asleep almost immediately.

She looked nervously at her sleeping boyfriend before finally leaving the house and apparating
home. Hermione went straight to the bathroom where she gingerly checked herself over and sighed at
the number of bruises that were already beginning to appear on her soft, alabaster skin. Her left
eye was fully closed and swollen, blackening even as she prodded her split lip with a cotton ball
loaded with antiseptic.

Hermione took her wand in hand and tried to heal herself, but her swollen lip and cheek made it
impossible for her to correctly pronounce the healing charms. Tears began to well in her eyes as
she gave up her futile attempts to remove the bruises and she slipped into her night clothes.

Her head had just met the down-filled pillow and her one good eye closed when her alarm sounded.
Hermione looked up with surprise to find that she had only an hour before her Physics final. Tears
came freely after that and it was a truly exhausted Hermione that pulled herself out of bed.
Fifteen minutes later, with liberal amounts of makeup, baggy clothes, and sunglasses she left for
her final exam.

The questions she needed to answer were much tougher than she thought, even without the lack of
sleep. For the first time, she didn’t feel that she’d done a good job on an exam.

It was a few hours later when Hermione walked out onto Diagon Alley with a new holster for her
wand. It was a sleek job, and concealed the long shaft of wood rather nicely along her left side.
Throughout the day, her fingers had found their way to her swollen eye and split lip. Worried
thoughts raced through her mind at the implications of what had happened the previous night. John
was still at work and it would be a short time after that when she’d be meeting Harry for their two
week trip abroad.

John wasn’t happy when he’d learned that his girlfriend was going to travel around Europe with
another bloke. It had taken a considerable amount of effort for both Harry and Hermione to calm him
down and explain that the two of them were very close friends, nothing more. The only way she could
placate her boyfriend was to promise that she’d call him once every four hours to let him know she
was fine. Not to mention the two best friends had already made all the reservations and plans long
before Hermione had met John. The trip was their reward for surviving the war and finally finishing
their instruction at Hogwarts.

After that, John, Harry, and Ron had also become good friends. Every Wednesday night turned into
the guys’ night out. Hermione was happy that John had been accepted by her two best friends and he
didn’t run from the two over-protective men.

“Harry...” Hermione said with a sudden flash of insight. She pulled her phone from her bag and
swiftly dialed his home number.

“*Hello?*” Harry’s voice drifted over the receiver.

Hermione couldn’t help the sudden sense of security that she felt when she heard his voice and
fought to control the tears that threatened to leap from her eyes. She cleared her throat and
smiled, trying to project a cheerful demeanor. “Hi, Harry,” she said as cheerfully as she could
muster.

“*Hermione, what’s wrong?*” Harry asked immediately. She could feel the concern radiating
over the line and cursed to herself when she remembered just how easily he could read her emotions,
even over the phone.

“Oh, nothing, I finished my physics final... I don’t think I did well,” she admitted
half-truthfully.

“*I’m sure you did well,*” Harry said tenderly. “*You’re the most brilliant witch I
know... So, what else is wrong?*”

“How do you do that?” Hermione asked with a snort.

“*Easy, I love you and I know when you’re in pain... Now what else happened?*” he retorted
with a smile that she knew was on his lips.

“John—”

“*Is it about that Helen girl from last night?*” Harry asked with a hint of disgust to his
voice.

“What happened?” she asked curiously. Hermione didn’t doubt her boyfriend’s story, but her
curiosity took over, she wanted to hear the story from Harry’s point of view.

“*This cow of a woman started on him last night at the pub,*” Harry spat angrily. “*If
Ron and I weren’t such nice guys, we would have shown her what it feels like to live in a roach
motel...*”

“She was that bad?” Hermione asked in surprise. “What did John do? I found him pissed on his
front steps...”

“*John took it in stride and after a few minutes of her accusations, he started drinking
everything in sight...*” Harry said with a hint of admiration in his voice. “*I wouldn’t have
gone to the sauce as fast as he did though. But after something around ten pints and a few shots of
whiskey, he stumbled out of the pub without a second glance at us...*”

“That’s what he told me last night,” Hermione said in a whisper. “He said he blacked out after
he started drinking and the next thing he knew he was at home with me...”

“*With the amount he tossed back and being a non-drinker? I’d say he’s lucky to still be
alive,*” Harry said after a moment. “*Alcohol poisoning is a tricky thing... do you know if he
vomited?*”

“He was lying in a pool of vomit,” Hermione said concernedly. “I hope he got enough of it out of
his system!”

“*I’m sure he did if he was coherent after you found him...*” Harry said concernedly.
“*Maybe you should check on him to make sure he’s ok...*”

“Thanks, Harry,” Hermione said worriedly. “I’m going to head to his place now and make sure he’s
gotten off to work alright... I hope nothing’s happened...”

“*Don’t worry too much,*” Harry said concernedly. “*I’m sure he’s fine, but get on over
there just in case...*”

“On my way,” Hermione said quickly then smiled softly. “Thanks for the talk, Harry.”

“*I’m always here for you, Hermione,*” Harry replied seriously. “*Now get over there, ok?
I’ll see you tomorrow morning but call me if there’re any problems.*”

“I will, Harry, Love you,” Hermione said with a slight smile.

“*Love you too, Hermione*,” Harry said, again, Hermione could tell he was smiling.

She hung up and after quickly grabbing her wand, apparated to the alley not far from John’s
house. Hermione nearly ran the few blocks to where he lived and sighed in relief when she saw the
vomit had been cleaned up. A sharp pang of fear rang in her heart just as she stepped to the front
door and rang the bell. The previous night suddenly flashed in her mind and Hermione readied
herself for any kind of attack.

It was John’s lunch hour and if he was keeping to his schedule, she knew he’d be home. Hermione
hadn’t been mistaken when his door opened and John smiled brightly at the woman on his front
stoop.

“What a pleasant surprise, Love,” John said cheerfully and reached to hug her. Hermione,
however, involuntarily flinched and his smile faded. “What’s wrong?” he asked concernedly as he
stepped aside to let her into the house.

“I-I’m sorry,” Hermione said with a shake of her head. “I’m still dealing with what happened
last night.”

“What happened last night?” John asked bewildered. “What would cause you to flinch when I hug
you?” he asked with an unmasked hurt in his voice.

“You don’t remember?” Hermione asked incredulously.

John stared blankly at her and shook his head. “All I remember is running into my ex-girlfriend
while Harry, Ron, and I were at the pub,” he explained methodically, going over each event in his
head. “The next think I know, I’ve got a hangover from hell. I was surprised to find the coffee
table was broken and I don’t remember vomiting on the front steps...”

Hermione looked at him in disbelief. “You don’t remember hitting me? Kicking me in the stomach
or giving me this?” she asked as she pulled off the sunglasses. Hermione watched as John’s face
fell and tears came freely to his eyes. He made to reach to her face but pulled back
immediately.

“I-I did that to you?” he asked in a terrified squeak of a voice. “Why would I do that? I love
you...”

“You called me Helen and kept accusing me of things...” Hermione explained warily. “You beat me
up last night and when you realized it was me, you backed off... You promised that you’d never do
this again and we cleaned you up...”

“Oh, God, Hermione...” John said with wide eyes. “I didn’t mean to... I-I would never willingly
hurt you!”

Hermione watched the fear settle in his eyes at his confession and she shook her head. “Relax,
John,” she said softly and guided him to the sofa. “I’m not going to leave you... Only because you
promised that you wouldn’t do this again. And because I love you...” she said with a soft
smile.

“You’re not going to leave me?” he asked incredulously, his face brightening somewhat.

“No, I’m not, but we have to come to an understanding,” Hermione said evenly. “If you so much as
raise a hand to me again, you won’t see me in your lifetime and I’d hate to see what happened to
you if Harry and Ron got their hands on you...”

“I won’t raise my hand to you!” John blurted out quickly. “It abhors me that I even did so in
the first place! I love you too much to drive you away!”

Hermione nodded and with a sigh, let him embrace her. “I love you too, John,” she whispered into
his chest even as tears streaked down her cheeks once again. “You really damaged our relationship
last night...”

“I’m so sorry,” he said through a sob. “I wish I could remember what happened, I really do... If
I could have stopped myself, I would have... You’ve got to believe me...”

“Shh,” Hermione said softly and looked up to his stricken face. “It’s in the past now, Love.
True, we’re going to have to rebuild the trust we once had, but everything will be fine...”

“I can’t believe how lucky I am,” John said in a whisper before he gingerly kissed her uninjured
cheek.

“You are lucky,” Hermione said with a soft smile and kissed him properly, ignoring the pain from
her still split lip.

“How did your final go?” John asked after a few minutes of holding her in his arms.

“Horrible,” Hermione sighed into his chest. “I’d finally gotten home and tried to sleep but my
alarm went off right as I got into bed. I was so exhausted when I took the exam that I’m sure I
failed it...”

“I’m sure you did well,” John said in a whisper. “You’re the most brilliant woman I know...”

“That’s what Harry said,” Hermione said with a smile. “You two sure know how to cheer me up, you
know that?”

“Speaking of Harry,” John said with a chuckle. “When are you going to pack for the trip? Isn’t
he picking you up tomorrow morning?”

“Oh!” Hermione said with surprise. “I have so much to do still!”

John laughed heartily, causing Hermione’s anxiety to slip away as she watched him. A smile of
her own spread across her lips and thanked whatever beings that watched over them that it was the
alcohol that caused John’s spell the previous night.

“You should head home and get ready then,” John said warmly as he tenderly stroked her cheek and
lip. “I’m sorry—”

“We’ve put that behind us,” Hermione said with a soft smile. “It won’t happen again...”

“But what about Harry?” John asked seriously. “He’s bound to notice the bruises...”

“I’ll tell him I got mugged,” Hermione said with a sigh. “It might not work since he knows when
I’m lying...”

“Don’t lie,” John said evenly.

“John, Love, I don’t want friction between you three...” Hermione said softly, cupping his
cheek. “I don’t want to choose between you and them.”

“I don’t want you to lie to cover up for my stupidity—”

“You are *not* stupid,” Hermione said quickly. “I’ll tell him I was mugged, he’ll have to
accept it because that’s the only story I’m going to tell him.”

“I still don’t think you should lie,” John said in a whisper then kissed her tenderly. “I love
you so much...”

“I love you too,” Hermione said with a shy smile. “I’ll see you in the morning before we leave,
ok?”

“I’ll be waiting...” John said with a soft smile as he led Hermione to the door.

After the door closed, Hermione rang Harry’s house and another familiar voice answered the
phone.

“*Hello?*” the deep voice of Harry’s godfather said after a moment.

“Sirius!” Hermione said happily. “When did you get back?”

“*Hermione, hello!*” Sirius said with a laugh. “*I got in a few minutes ago via Floo, did
you want to talk to Harry?*”

“You know me oh-so-well, don’t you?” Hermione laughed in return.

“*Hey, is everything ok?*” Harry asked after Sirius passed the receiver to him.

“He’s home for lunch and though he has a hangover, he doesn’t remember a thing about last
night...” Hermione admitted with a sad smile.

“*Well, it’s good that he’s ok, Ron and I were worried about him...*” Harry said with a bit
of concern to his voice. “*After everything that Helen said about him, I’m surprised he didn’t go
to another pub...*”

“Well, he’s home and doing fine now,” Hermione said with a soft smile. “Everything is going to
be fine... Listen, I should head home and finish packing. I promised John I’d see him before we
left tomorrow...”

“*Alright, take care and I’ll see you tomorrow! I love you!*” Harry laughed as Sirius poked
fun at him in the background.

“Sirius is just trying to rile you up, Harry,” Hermione said with a laugh as well. “I love you
too, now I need to go!”

She hung up and smiled to herself as a goofy grin spread across her face. She walked back to her
disapparation point, working out a story involving a mugging so she could cover up for last night’s
events. Hermione was incredibly happy that they’d gotten past that little outburst of John’s last
night and though she was still hurt that he’d done it in the first place, she was already
rebuilding her trust in the man who had captured her heart.

A few hours later, Hermione was crawling around on the floor of her room, looking under her bed
for something she couldn’t find. She sighed in exasperation as she slumped back against the
wall.

“MUM, HAVE YOU SEEN MY BROWN BAG?!” she called down the stairs a few moments later.

“DIDN’T YOU USE IT FOR TOILETRIES WHEN YOU WENT TO JOHN’S?” her mother called back from the
kitchen.

“THANKS!” Hermione called back as she lightly knocked her head with her knuckles. “Right, I
forgot that I left it there...” she said with a widening grin at the memory of that weekend. If her
parents ever found out about those two days of bliss, her father would be visiting her boyfriend’s
house with a shotgun.

Hermione grabbed her coat and holstered her wand before disapparating and briskly walking to
John’s house. She was relieved to find the lights were still on and after checking her cell phone
for the time, frowned.

“John shouldn’t be up right now...” she said with an air of mild concern. “He’s usually in bed a
half hour before this...”

Hermione rang the doorbell and a few minutes later, the smell of beer wafted through a crack in
the door.

“Hey, Love, I need my brown bag for the trip...” Hermione said with a concerned smile.

“I think it’s in the bathroom,” John said dismissively as she kissed him gently on the
cheek.

“Why are you up so late?” she asked as she headed for the stairway. “And you’re drinking
again?”

“I liked the taste,” John said with a shrug and followed her to the stairs. “I lost track of
time is all... Is there anything else you need to take on your trip?” he added slightly coolly as
Hermione met him half-way up the stairs.

“No, I just forgot that I left my toiletry bag here,” she said with a smile. “I’ll need it
before tomorrow...”

John looked up to her and Hermione’s heart stopped cold. The look in his eyes brought back vivid
memories of his attack and she suddenly became very nervous.

“Well, don’t let me stop you from heading back home,” John said icily.

“What’s this?” Hermione asked nervously.

“What’s *what*?” John retorted as he turned to walk back down the stairs.

“The attitude all of the sudden... you know Harry and I have been planning this trip for over a
year...” Hermione said with an exasperated sigh. She looked pensive for a moment before swallowing
the ball of nervousness that seemed to be caught in her throat. “John, you seem different when you
drink...”

“What’s wrong with knocking back a few every once in a while?” John asked hotly.

“You’ve never drunk before the other night...” Hermione said softly

“That was a *mistake*!” John growled menacingly.

“I know... we’ve put that behind us...” Hermione said tenderly, trying to calm him down. “I just
don’t think I like it when you drink...”

“It’s not for you to like,” John said evenly. “I’m in control and I don’t need you telling me
I’m not!”

“I didn’t, Love,” Hermione said cautiously.

“Oh, *Love* is it?” John said venomously. “You keep telling me that, you keep calling me
that, but can I believe you?” he spat accusingly.

“WHAT?!” Hermione asked angrily. “I wouldn’t tell you that I loved you if I didn’t mean it! You
know that, John!”

“So, when you tell someone you love them, you really mean it?” he asked in a softer tone.

“Yes,” Hermione said with relief and set her hand on his shoulder.

He took her hand in his and squeezed it but kept squeezing tighter and tighter. Hermione let out
a surprised cry of pain and tried to pull her hand out of his grip.

“John, you’re hurting me!” she said as she tugged at her hand.

“No more than you’ve hurt me,” he said angrily and gave a great tug on her arm. Hermione’s eyes
went wide as she was summarily thrown the rest of the way down the stairs and she instinctively
covered her head.

“JOHN, YOU PROMISED!” Hermione yelled in panic as his body flew down the stairs at her.

“Promises don’t mean anything to a two-timing whore like you!” John retorted hotly as he spit
upon her and in one motion pulled her from the floor and lifted her to the wall. Hermione was
shocked at how strong he actually was and cried out in pain as her head connected with the plaster
behind her.

“John, put me down!” Hermione gasped before his hands went around her neck and began
constricting her windpipe. She scratched feebly at his hands even as she paled from the look of
hatred in his eyes.

“You won’t discard me for that *asshole* Potter!” John growled angrily. “If I can’t have
you, *NOBODY WILL!*”

Hermione’s options having just run out, she desperately reached for her wand to find that it
wasn’t in its holster. Instead, she found it lying on the floor just behind her enraged ex-lover.
Having no recourse, she fell back on her instinctive need for survival. With a great burst of
energy, she kicked John squarely between the legs and felt his grip loosen immediately. Her mind
raced frantically when she realized that she couldn’t speak and her breathing was rather labored.
She grabbed her wand and did the first non-verbal spell she knew. Immediately, a stream of thick,
slippery grease spread on the floor behind her as she raced towards the back door.

“WHERE DID YOU GET THAT OIL, YOU BITCH!” John bellowed behind her as he slipped on the floor and
landed hard on his hands and knees. “THIS WILL TAKE FOREVER TO CLEAN UP!”

Hermione’s attention, however, was on getting out of the house as quickly as she could. In a
frantic scramble, she got to the back door and unlatched the three locks that held it secure. How
she wished she could use Alohomora just then, but she’d gotten the door unlocked and opened.

All was for naught, however, when John ran her head through the back porch door, shattering the
pane of glass in the upper section of the door. Hermione had gotten her arms over her face in time
and though she felt a trickle of blood slipping down her forehead, she’d saved her eyes from being
damaged by the shards of glass.

“I DON’T THINK SO!” John said venomously as he threw her into the kitchen table.

Hermione looked up in a stunned stupor as John reached for one of the long knives that he liked
to use for chopping vegetables. Her good eye widened in terror when he turned on her, the murderous
intent apparent in his wild eyes.

“JOHN!” she croaked pitifully even as she raised her wand. “I thought you loved me...”

“I do, and you don’t love me!” he said in a curiously detached voice as he stalked closer to
her. “Do you think that stick can save you?” he asked with a hideous laugh.

Tears were running freely down her cheeks at the realization of how far gone he was and that he
really did intend to kill her. “I’m sorry...” she croaked again. “*stupefy*,” she said as
loudly as she could. The spell came out in barely a whisper, but the telltale red light flew from
the tip of her wand and struck him between the eyes.

John looked at her incredulously for a moment before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and
he slumped to the floor unconscious.

She didn’t want to be around the man who had filled her heart with happiness then brutally
ripped it open for the second time. Hermione kicked the knife away from his hand and ran around the
house in a frantic race to collect her things. She wanted to be as far away from this man as she
could before he regained consciousness.

With one last look around the sitting room, Hermione raced to the front door. Her heart tugged
at her, forcing her to look back to the kitchen, to silently say goodbye to the man she knew she
still loved. Her eye widened in fear when she found his prone form missing. Without further delay,
she opened the door to rush out, only to find an angry man holding his discarded butcher’s
knife.

“Looking for me?” he asked in an almost cheerful tone. “Well, you’ve found me,” he laughed as
his empty fist connected with her stomach. Hermione’s breath was forced through her constricted
windpipe and though her knees went weak, she tried to backpedal from the murderous man. “It’s not
going to be so easy to get away from me, *Love*,” he mocked as he stepped into the house and
closed the door. “I can run faster than you,” John taunted as he locked the door once again.
“There’s nobody in the other houses who will save you,” he turned towards her and adjusted his grip
on the knife as he kicked her in the ribs. “Not even your *boyfriend* will be able to help
you!”

Hermione found it hard to see, she felt dizzy and the hope drained from her heart as he knelt
beside her.

“I don’t know how you made that red light, but you won’t be able to do *that* again when
your pretty little throat is sliced open!” John raised his knife and brought it down in a swift
motion when Hermione realized that she didn’t need to speak to apparate. Just as she felt the air
from his strike graze her neck, she disappeared with a pop and appeared in her bedroom. Her hands
immediately went to her neck and she broke down in sobs when she found that he hadn’t cut her
throat.

Though the healing spells were well out of her reach due to her constricted windpipe, Hermione
wasn’t top of her class at Hogwarts for nothing. As soon as she’d regained her composure, she
quickly pulled out her advanced potions textbook and began searching for a healing draught. She
found one almost immediately and set about preparing the thick concoction. It took her most of the
night but she was successful. Hermione greedily gulped the result of her brewing and felt the
tightness in her throat relax.

All Hermione had to do now was wait and she’d be good as new, physically. She looked in the
mirror and watched the cut on her scalp stitch itself together and finally felt the aches and pains
in her ribs subside.

Her eye and the other injuries she’d gotten more than a day prior didn’t show any improvement
and she sighed in desperation. Hermione picked up the book and reread the potion’s effects. “Wounds
within the past twenty-four hours,” she croaked, still feeling tender in the throat. Hermione’s
parents had already left for their holiday, judging by the time on the clock when a sudden panic
overcame her. *John knows where I live!*

As if fate were listening intently to her inner fears, a crash sounded from downstairs.
Hermione’s hands immediately started trembling, barely allowing her to keep a grasp on the long
shaft of wood with the unicorn hair core. No matter how hard she tried to swallow the lump of fear
in her throat, it continued to creep its way towards her mouth.

Suddenly realizing what she had to do, Hermione quickly closed the door to her bedroom even as
heavy footsteps hurried up the stairs. She was able to mutter a locking charm on the door when
someone’s body slammed into it with a tremendous force.

“I KNOW YOU’RE IN THERE!” John’s ravenously angry voice sounded from the hallway.

Hermione jumped and the lump in her throat found its escape when a bloodied fist burst through
the door. Her blood curdling scream echoed through the house and left her hoarse as she backed away
from his maniacal face in the newly created hole.

“I don’t know how you disappeared, *Love*, but I knew where you’d be...” John said with icy
calm as he reached for the lock to the door. “How the hell do you have this locked!” he said
angrily when he found no key. Instead of waiting for her answer, he kicked at the door and went at
it again with his fists.

*What do I do? What do I do?* Hermione kept screaming to herself in her mind. Her hand
involuntarily squeezed the hilt of her wand, causing her to suddenly remember that she was a witch
with formidable powers. She raised her wand to the wild man in her parents’ hall and shouted with
all her might, “*STUPEFY!*”

The telltale red light bellowed forth from the tip of her wand, decidedly stronger than her
previous attempt. As the spell hit the door, the now weakened barrier exploded into a shower of
toothpicks and continued directly into the chest of her raging ex-boyfriend.

John was summarily thrown against the far wall of the hall, leaving a large impression in the
plaster. He slid down the wall, falling to his knees then sprawling flat on his face in an
unconscious heap.

Hermione sunk to the floor, trembling uncontrollably as the adrenaline that had been building up
in her bloodstream began to ebb away. Her mind was reeling with the events of the past few nights
and she couldn’t believe what had happened with her gentle and loving boyfriend.

A sudden calm overtook her petite frame and Hermione realized that he’d seen far too much magic
for his own good. With a slow, staggering step, Hermione walked cautiously to the unconscious form
of John. Resisting the urge to cower from him, she knelt and dug the tip of her wand into his
temple.

“*OBLIVIATE!*” Hermione said in a controlled, even voice and watched his body twitch once
before going still once again. Methodically, she fished for his keys from his front pocket,
concentrated then turned them into a Portkey. Hermione put them into his bloody hand and watched as
the charm activated. John was officially out of her house and life, though something stirred within
her that she couldn’t quite recognize.

Almost as if she were a robot from one of the science-fiction movies that Ron had come to love,
Hermione traversed her house fixing everything that John had damaged in his rampage. She looked
around her room with a surgical satisfaction as she finished packing her bags then apparated to
Harry’s front porch. She rang the bell and plastered a cheerful smile on her face in anticipation
of Harry’s arrival. Just as she adjusted her sunglasses, the front door opened.

“Hermione!” Sirius said with a wide smile. “I’ve missed you, Luv!” he said with a grin as he
reached to pull her into a bear hug.

Hermione stepped back involuntarily and cleared her throat nervously. “H-hi, Sirius,” she said
with a tremor in her voice that didn’t go unnoticed by her friend.

“Is everything alright, Hermione?” Sirius asked concernedly.

Hermione sighed and with a shaking step, gingerly hugged Sirius. “I-I’m sorry, sunburn on my
back...” she lied and pulled back before he could respond to her. “It’s good to see you again...
I-is Harry up yet?”

“Sure,” Sirius said cautiously. “Come on in, he’s in the kitchen.” Sirius stepped back and let
Hermione in the house, watching her carefully for any indication of what might have caused her
reaction. “Harry! You have a guest!” he called loudly and instantly regretted the action when
Hermione winced.

She looked at him apologetically and opened her mouth to explain when Harry opened the door
excitedly.

“Hermione!” Harry said with a wide grin and came at her with open arms. Her seemingly shy
reaction to his exuberant welcome did not go unnoticed as he slowed down then saw the concerned
look on Sirius’ face. He immediately slowed and instead placed his hand on her arm. “Why don’t we
get some tea before we leave?” he asked tenderly as he shot a look at his godfather.

“I’ve got to get ready for work, I’ll see you off before you leave,” Sirius said with a small
smile before heading to the stairs then disappearing up the steep incline.

“Now why don’t we get that tea?” Harry asked again, the tenderness of his request pulling
Hermione back to the here and now.

“Sure, Harry,” Hermione said quietly as they walked to the kitchen.

“How’s John holding up after his binge the other day?” Harry asked conversationally as he handed
her a steaming cup of tea.

Said cup immediately shattered on the stone floor of the kitchen at the question and Hermione
looked down guiltily. “Sorry,” she said with a trembling voice, “I didn’t have a strong hold on the
cup.” Before Harry could issue another word, Hermione’s wand was out, the cup repaired, and the tea
cleaned.

Harry looked at her with concern and guided her slowly to the kitchen table. “Tell me what’s
wrong...”

“N-nothing’s wrong, Harry,” Hermione lied quickly as she nervously ran her fingers through her
hair, trying to placate a loose strand by slipping it behind her ear.

“Bullocks,” Harry said flatly. “Why are you wearing those sunglasses?”

“Oh, am I still wearing them?” Hermione lied again, she reached up to adjust them but Harry
caught her hand. She flinched and turned her head as if he were going to hit her, but when no
retaliation came, Hermione chanced a glance towards her best friend.

“Love, what’s wrong,” Harry asked quietly, reaching to her face and slowly slipping the glasses
from her face. His eyes widened and Hermione could see the rage boil behind his eyes. “What
happened?” he asked through gritted teeth as he fought to control himself.

“I-I was mugged,” Hermione offered weakly, regretting the lie as soon as it left her mouth.

“You were *mugged*...” Harry said in disbelief. “Why are you lying to me, Hermione?”

“Please, let’s just forget about it, Harry,” Hermione said softly. “It won’t happen again, I
made sure of it...”

“*What* won’t happen again?” Harry asked tenderly as he cupped her cheek.

Hermione recoiled from the contact, startling him. “I’m not going to hurt you, Hermione,” Harry
said softly, relegating his hands to his lap. Harry looked at her posture and the demeanor she was
exhibiting. “Who beat you up?” he asked softly.

“He won’t remember a thing,” Hermione said in a hoarse whisper. She looked into his moist eyes
and cringed at the amount of love she found waiting for her in his emerald pools.

“But you still do,” Harry said softly as he took her trembling hand in his. He could feel her
nervousness at his touch and he frowned slightly. “Hermione...”

“What did Helen say about J-John?” Hermione choked out.

“What? You don’t want to hear what that woman said...” Harry grumbled.

“What did she say, Harry?” Hermione asked more forcefully.

Her sudden mood swing caught Harry slightly unawares and he cleared his throat. “She said to
stay away from her, started calling him hurtful names...” Harry said quietly, watching her
reaction. “When he didn’t respond, she began yelling, asking him why he wasn’t hitting her for
speaking out of turn. When he turned away, she yelled at him some more, trying to get him to leave
the pub so she and her date could eat without worrying about him,” Harry paused at the tears that
were welling in Hermione’s eyes. “That’s when he started downing pints...”

Hermione nodded and crossed her arms over her chest as unbidden tears began to streak down her
cheek.

“Is that what’s wrong?” Harry asked gently, sliding closer to her tentatively. When she didn’t
flinch, he slid his arm around her shoulders and Hermione fell into him with a tremendous sob.

“How could I have been so *stupid*?!” she wailed as he wrapped his arms around her
protectively.

“Shh, you didn’t know, Hermione,” Harry whispered into her hair as his tears mingled with the
bush of brown that had forever adorned her head. He held her to him as she cried; waiting patiently
until her sobs slipped to whimpers, then subsided to small hiccups and sniffles. “Can you tell me
what happened now?” he asked tenderly as he wiped the tears from her red cheeks.

Hermione nodded weakly and told him what had really happened the night she’d found John on the
porch steps. She explained their conversation and how he’d reacted to it the next day, followed by
the way he turned on her the previous night.

“He chased you down to your house?” Harry asked in a low growl, softening immediately at the
frightened look in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Love,” he whispered tenderly as he stroked her cheek with
his thumb. “Memory charm or not, he’s not going to get away with what he’s done...”

“No, don’t do anything, Harry!” Hermione suddenly blurted with a pleading look on her face.

“He isn’t going to get away with this,” Harry said tenderly as he looked into her eyes. “Nobody,
and I mean *nobody*, hurts you the way he has...”

“Don’t stoop to his level! I’m not worth it, Harry!” Hermione said forcefully, gripping his
collar tightly in an attempt to make him understand something she couldn’t identify. Harry took her
hands gently in his and slowly pulled them from his shirt. He looked her square in the eyes, the
look of shock causing her to look away from him in shame.

“Look at me,” Harry said softly, almost reverently. Hermione refused to look him in the face,
the shame she felt overriding her need to be held by him. Harry cupped her chin and turned her face
to his with the tenderness of a down feather. “You’re worth the world to me, Hermione,” he said
quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m not going to let this bastard get away with what he did
to you.”

“You’ll kill him,” Hermione whimpered as tears spilled from her eyes again. “D-don’t... I don’t
want you soiled by that...”

“I won’t kill him, Love,” Harry said gently. He retrieved his wand and after a few waves over
Hermione’s body returned it to his holster.

Hermione, no longer bruised, grasped at Harry desperately when he attempted to rise from his
chair. “No,” she whispered desperately, “don’t leave me, Harry... Don’t go...” Hermione looked
pleadingly into his face and felt her heart crash to the floor when the heartache that was so
apparent on his face caused something to stir in her heart.

Harry eased back into the chair next to his grieving best friend and wrapped his arms around her
once again. “I won’t go,” he choked as her arms tightened around him in return. *But he’s not
going to get away with what he’s done, memory charm or not...* he vowed to himself as Hermione
broke down in his embrace once more.

Sirius watched the scene from the kitchen door, his blood boiling beyond measure. The couple
that was tangled in each other’s arms did not see the cold face of Harry’s godfather as he turned
from the door and left for the Ministry.
* * *
Hermione stretched cat-like on her beach blanket just as a smiling Harry returned with a chilled
drink from the sea-side bar. “Mmm, just what I needed,” she purred as the cold, sweaty class was
set into her outstretched hand. “Thank you, Harry.”

“You’re welcome, Love,” Harry said with a smile as he sat next to her. “We’re off to Australia
day after tomorrow,” he reminded her with a content sigh.

“I can’t wait...” Hermione said with a distant smile. She looked up and down the shore of the
private beach that Harry had literally rented for their three day stay along the Mediterranean
coast. “Though I could stay here forever,” she cooed as Harry rolled to his side so he could see
her better. Hermione grinned and looked to her best friend. “What is it?”

“It’s good to see you smiling again,” Harry said with a soft, gentle smile. “How are your dreams
holding out?”

Hermione frowned slightly but recovered when she realized that he cared for her and was
genuinely concerned. “He’s still there,” Hermione admitted truthfully, “but not as often... I think
the distance is really helping.”

Hermione didn’t want to admit that it was Harry’s presence alone that had been helping her cope
with her recent experiences. She glanced at him from behind her dark sunglasses and he missed the
twinkle in her eyes as she looked over his tanned chest.

Harry smiled wanly at his female best friend, remembering the scene from last night when she
started running and screaming in her sleep. He’d gotten to her shortly after Hermione had let out a
terrified shriek, only to find that she was having a nightmare. He held her in his arms after he’d
woken her and she cried herself back to sleep. Even as her breathing slowed and Harry knew she was
sound asleep once again, he’d stayed with her for several hours afterwards cradling and rocking her
with soft whispers of comfort.

Hermione saw the concern pooled in his emerald eyes and lightly caressed his cheek. “I’ll be ok,
Harry,” she said softly, “I just need some time...”

“I’ll be here every step of the way, Love,” Harry said with a gentle kiss to her forehead.

It had been a week since she’d told him what had happened and each day he woke up with her
cradled like a frightened child in his arms, having fallen asleep while he comforted her in her
bed. She seemed to only have the nightmares when he wasn’t in the room and he planned on testing a
theory of his that night.

The rest of the day, they both tried to forget their problems and enjoy themselves. Running down
to the water for a swim, splashing each other, or simply lying in the sun seemed to ease their pain
and allow them a small peace of mind for the time being.

They’d just returned to their room from dinner and tired from the day’s romping about on the
beach, they both turned towards their opposite rooms to change for bed. Harry returned to their
common room to find Hermione’s light already out and he crossed to the silent door.

“Are you changed?” Harry asked quietly after a soft knock on the door.

“Yeah,” Hermione’s muffled voice floated through the door. “You can come in if you want...”

Harry opened the door and stepped inside, closing it again after locating her bed. “How’re you
feeling?” he asked tenderly as he sat next to the woman that meant the most to him in the
world.

“I’m ok,” Hermione whispered quietly, not turning from the wall to look at her friend.

“Bullocks,” Harry said with a soft chuckle, sliding under the covers next to her. It was then
that he felt her shudder from silent tears and without a word, wrapped an arm around her. “Shh,” he
whispered quietly, kissing her on the shoulder. “I’m here, nothing’s going to happen...”

Hermione turned in a flash and buried her head in his chest. “Why did he have to do that?” she
sobbed quietly. “I loved him, Harry...”

“I know,” Harry replied gently, hugging her tighter. “He doesn’t deserve someone as beautiful
and intelligent as you, Hermione.”

“How can I be intelligent if I didn’t see what was coming?” she asked pitifully. “Not once, but
twice! I should have left him after the first time!”

“Shh,” Harry cooed again, blinking away the tears that were welling in his eyes, “You’ve got a
big heart... If you hadn’t given me or Ron a second chance, where would we be?”

Something Harry had told her clicked and she pulled away to look into his eyes. “Did you say I’m
beautiful?” she asked with a look akin to a deer caught in the headlights of oncoming traffic on
her face.

“Yes,” Harry said gently, wiping the tears from her red cheeks, "you're the most
beautiful woman I know..."

“H-how can you think I’m beautiful?” she asked incredulously. “Look at my hair, my plain
eyes—”

“There’s nothing plain about you, Hermione,” Harry said as his voice hitched in his throat.
“You’re intelligent, funny, exciting, sexy, beautiful... any bloke would be the luckiest man on the
planet just to hold your hand...”

“Why are you telling me this?” Hermione asked in a whisper, her heart beating faster than the
cadence of a race horse’s hooves as it struck the down.

“It’s not the right time...” Harry said quietly. “You need more time to get over him...”

“Bullocks,” Hermione said with a slight grin on her face. “Tell me, Harry...”

Harry looked into her eyes and with a nearly imperceptible nod, cleared his throat. “D-do you
remember when we were in the Department of Mysteries?” he asked tentatively. “When Dol... when you
were hit with that curse?”

Hermione winced when he started to name the Death Eater that had nearly taken her life again
during the final battle. Dolohov had taken a sick obsession with finishing the job he’d attempted
so many years ago and tracked Hermione down with a one-track mind. If Harry hadn’t been there to
stop the Death Eater, Hermione wouldn’t be in Harry’s arms at this moment. With a deep breath to
calm herself and wipe away that fateful fight, she closed her eyes and nodded.

“I thought you died that day,” Harry said in a strangled voice, trying not to lose his
composure. “When I found that you were alive and later when you fully recovered, something lodged
in my head... What would I do if I lost you or Ron?

“Through sixth year, that same thought kept plaguing me so I worked as hard as I could to make
sure what happened that previous year would never happen again,” he admitted with a stroke of her
hair. “I was determined that I would become better than Voldemort and wipe the danger to you off
the planet... That’s one of the reasons I started Auror training.”

“But you never finished—” Hermione whispered, but Harry’s fingers placed on her lips stilled her
voice.

“By then all of Voldemort’s followers were in Azkaban or dead,” he continued softly. “There were
other dark wizards out there, yes, but my fight ended with Voldemort and his inner circle. I didn’t
want to be an Auror anymore, I could live my life as I saw fit, that’s why I invited Ron to move
into Grimmauld Place and expanded the library for you, but you’d found *him* by then...

“I was upset, of course, but he seemed to be a nice guy and you were happy,” Harry said with a
snort. “If Ron and I had taken that Helen girl at her word, we would have been there before you’d
been hurt...”

“You didn’t know, Harry,” Hermione whispered. It was her turn to wipe the lone tear that had
finally broken free from his eye.

“Nobody did,” Harry said quietly. “He’s hurt you so badly... how can you trust another man after
what he did to you?”

“I trust you, Harry,” Hermione said confidently.

Harry smiled wanly for a moment, a glimmer of something flashed in his eyes that she couldn’t
quite place from her accumulated knowledge of Harry’s expressions. “I’m glad you do,” he whispered
in a voice that she’d only heard come from him once, when he’d first found out what happened to her
and he’d admitted she was the world to him. “But you still need time to heal—”

“Harry, tell me...” she pleaded softly to him, the urgency in her eyes erasing the barricades
that held his tongue in check.

“I don’t want to lose you...”

“You won’t,” she reassured him gently, silently prodding him along with her eyes.

Harry closed his eyes, apparently trying to summon the courage to tell her his secret. He took a
deep breath and drew her tightly to him, afraid that she might bolt when he revealed what he was
hiding. “I love you,” he whispered hoarsely into her hair.

Hermione lay motionless for a few seconds as his admission worked itself in her mind. She’d
suspected, but to actually hear him confess his hidden feelings was still somewhat of a shock. “Are
you sure?” she asked tentatively, afraid that he was speaking of their friendship and not that
little something more she desperately needed from him.

“I haven’t been so sure of anything in my life,” Harry said immediately, pulling back to gauge
her reaction properly. “I have for a while now...”

“Why haven’t you said anything before now?” she asked quietly, her eyes locked on his.

“I was afraid,” he said simply, the uneasiness becoming apparent in his behavior.

Hermione mentally slapped herself for asking more questions instead of accepting his
declaration... With a shaky hand, she cupped his cheek and smiled softly. “No more questions from
me,” she said with a slight tremor in her voice then leaned in and kissed him tenderly.

Harry immediately returned the kiss, pouring every ounce of feeling into it and Hermione felt
the glorious warmth spread from their joined lips to the rest of her body. A weak voice piped up
telling her it was wrong to kiss her best friend, but an unseen force elbowed it out of the way and
gave her the strength to deepen their kiss.

Before either of them knew what was happening, they were panting as their sweat-laden, nude
bodies curled into each other. Harry held Hermione to him protectively and within a matter of
moments, the two emotionally fatigued and sexually appeased lovers began to drift off.

“I love you too,” Hermione whispered before she fell unconscious.
* * *
Hermione woke the next morning feeling the most rested she’d been since before John had attacked
her. The previous night swam lazily through her cloudy mind and a wide smile spread across her face
when she realized that her pillow was the slowly rising and falling chest of Harry Potter. She
lifted her head slowly, so she wouldn’t wake him and her smile grew even larger when she saw his
sleeping face, one of her favorite faces that he could make.

Harry looked so peaceful and at ease when she’d found him sleeping next to her which was a far
cry from the stories she’d heard from Ron and Sirius over the past several years. For as long as
she’d known him, Harry was reported to wake with a scream from one dream or another, leaving him
tired and restless throughout the day. Only in the past week, when she’d found he was there to
comfort her, had she seen him so restful and at peace with the world.

“How long are you going to stare at me, Love?” Harry asked in his deep, morning voice that sent
chills down her spine.

Hermione woke from her reverie and focused on Harry’s lopsided-grinning face. “How long are you
going to let me?” she teased with a grin of her own.

Harry laughed and leaned in for a quick kiss that ended up lasting far longer than either had
anticipated. “Hmm,” he said as they finally broke apart, “as long as you like I suppose.”

Hermione laughed as he pulled her to him again, mumbling something about waking up like this
more often as she pulled away. “So, are we a couple then?” she asked quietly, searching his eyes
for any sign that he agreed with her assessment.

“Only if you’re ready for that,” Harry said gently, stroking her cheek as if she were the most
delicate china.

A tear welled in her eye and spilled out unexpectedly as she nodded. “I’d love that,” she
whispered quietly, “I love you...”

“I love you too,” Harry said with a smile and a lingering kiss that was so soft it drove her
mad. “I guess we’re a couple then,” he affirmed afterwards.

Their day in the sun and surf abandoned, Harry and Hermione spent the rest of the day in bed,
exploring their newfound feelings for each other. Or it should be said that they were long hidden
feelings finally seeing the light of day.

They kept to their timetable and their next scheduled Portkey deposited them in Australia, where
they were to spend the remainder of their holiday in Sydney’s wizarding district. They broke out of
their room for a few hours to do some sight seeing, but it was readily apparent that the only
sights they wanted to see could be had in their hotel room. So, without argument from either, found
themselves exploring yet again, only in the land down under.

The last Portkey brought them to the back garden of Grimmauld place where the two of them spent
a few more minutes saying their goodbyes for the time being.

“I don’t want to go home...” Hermione said quietly, resting her head against Harry’s chest. “I
don’t want to leave you...”

“Why not move in with me?” Harry asked suddenly, causing Hermione to look up from his chest
quickly. “There’s plenty of room, I’ve already enlarged the library to hold twice the amount of
books you own, and I could easily enlarge the master bedroom...”

A wide smile spread across her face and she nodded. “I’d like that...” she whispered before they
kissed again.

“Would you like me to help you with your stuff? So you’re not in the house alone?” Harry
offered.

“Would you?”

“Anything for you, you know that...” Harry said gently and with her nod, the two of them made
short work of shrinking the many boxes she had and bringing them to the wizarding home. She’d left
a note for her parents explaining that she’d moved in with Harry and she would talk to them when
they’d gotten home.

“Harry! You back yet?” Sirius shouted from the main hall when he’d gotten home from work. He
heard a thump upstairs and a few seconds later, Harry appeared from the stairwell. “It looks like
you’ve finally gotten some rest!” Sirius said with a fatherly hug.

“I sure did,” Harry said with a smile. “Listen, there’s been a slight change of plans...”

“What’s that?” Sirius said as he arched an eyebrow when Hermione appeared from the
stairwell.

“Hi, Sirius,” Hermione said tentatively as she walked up to him. “C-can you forgive me?”

“What for?” he asked with a grin and when he opened his arms for a hug, Sirius was relieved to
have her fill them. “I see you’re feeling better too?”

Hermione nodded and took a step back only to have Harry’s arm wrap around her shoulders.

“Hermione’s coming to live with us,” Harry said with a smile. “We sort of... got together over
the holiday.”

“Is that alright?” Hermione asked quietly.

“Why would my opinion keep the two of you apart?” Sirius asked with a laugh and clapped Harry on
the shoulder. “Nothing would have made me happier!” The old Marauder took Harry aside as Hermione
stepped into the kitchen for some tea. “Listen: come to my office tomorrow morning eight a.m.
sharp. I have a surprise for you...”

Harry looked at his godfather with a perplexed smile but before he could say anything else,
Hermione had returned with a tray full of tea accouterments. “Ready for tea?” she asked with a
bright smile as the two men followed her into the sitting room.
* * *
Harry hurried down the hallway the next morning and stopped at a familiar black door. He was
reminded, somewhat, of the door that led to the Department of Mysteries but the shiny, gold
nameplate on its façade told him he was standing in front of the office of one Sirius Black. With a
soft rap on the wooden barrier and the subsequent muffled invitation, Harry found himself sitting
on the opposite side of his godfather’s desk.

“What did you want to see me about?” Harry asked curiously as he watched Sirius pace back and
forth behind his desk.

“There are laws in the wizarding world that co-exist with those of the Muggles’,” Sirius
explained quickly. “The Ministry chose to adopt said laws because they made quite a bit of sense,
in addition to the lessened financial burden of maintaining the literature.

“Of those laws, there were a few that were amended to allow proper justice in cases of assault,
rape, and abuse...”

Harry’s eyes widened as the reason for his visit became apparent. “Are you telling me...”

“Even with the memory charm, John can be punished for his transgressions against Hermione,”
Sirius explained evenly. “I’ve already drawn up the order to have him apprehended and tried by
Veritaserum.”

“We need Hermione’s input on this,” Harry said quickly as he stood and began to pace himself.
“If she were to find out, and the Daily Prophet *will* catch wind of this... She’d kill
me!”

“Relax,” Sirius said quietly just as a knock came at his door. “Come in!”

“Is the paperwork ready yet, Sirius?” Hermione’s voice wafted in as she stepped into the room.
She froze immediately upon seeing Harry. “What are you doing here?”

“Sirius asked me to see him this morning,” Harry said tentatively. “Did... did you decide to
press charges?”

Hermione glared at Sirius before crossing to Harry and placing a hand on his arm. “I had to,”
she said confidently. “If I didn’t, then someone else would go through what I did.”

“Don’t be angry with me,” Sirius said apologetically. “Under the law, Harry, has the right to
confront him, as does Ron.”

“What?!” Hermione asked taken aback. “I didn’t read that!”

“This was drafted after you had left,” Sirius said quickly. “The law was amended just the other
day...”

Hermione glared at Harry who looked at her with shock still apparent on his face.

“I didn’t know anything about it,” Harry said truthfully. “I haven’t talked to Sirius or anyone
about what happened and I didn’t do anything to get this added!”

“He didn’t Hermione, I did,” Sirius said immediately, showing no regret in his voice or
posture.

“Why?” Hermione asked evenly. “Do you know what these two would do to him? I don’t want to see
either of them sink to his level!”

“They won’t,” Sirius explained. “They have as much right as you do to face him. All three of you
were duped by this bloke. I did some research on the git and I found that he could have just as
easily turned on Ron or Harry.”

“What?” It was Harry’s turn to look up in surprise.

“His name isn’t John Dinkins,” Sirius announced to a stunned duo. “Tell me, Harry, what happened
to the last Death Eater you faced?”

“He tried to apparate from a warded zone,” Harry said as he thought back on the last bits of the
war before he’d faced the Dark Lord himself. “I didn't think he'd be able to run, but the
anti-apparation wards had fallen and he disappeared...”

“That last Death Eater, do you remember who he was?” Sirius asked pointedly.

“Wait! You’ve got to be shitting me, *right*?!” Harry asked incredulously.

“No, John Dinkins was the transfigured form of Draco Malfoy,” Sirius growled as Hermione’s face
went white and Harry’s went red. “He’d taken the form of Dinkins before he tried to apparate. While
the ones disallowing apparation had already fallen, there were ones that performed a complete
memory charm on anyone who bore the Dark Mark; even if that symbol was hidden through
transfiguration.”

“I-I had sex... w-with MALFOY?!” Hermione shrieked.

“I’m afraid so,” Sirius said dejectedly. “He didn’t know how to change himself back, his wand
was lost, and with a new life and memories as a Muggle, he truly became John Dinkins... I’m sorry,
Hermione.”

“I’m going to kill the bastard!” Harry growled angrily, but stopped and calmed himself to
comfort Hermione. “He won’t be able to touch you again,” Harry whispered quietly to his trembling
girlfriend. He didn’t know how much this news would affect their relationship, but he was sure as
hell going to keep it from falling apart by his inability to control his emotions.

“I’ll kill him myself,” she growled dangerously, causing Harry to start.

“There will be no killing,” Sirius warned the two of them. “I couldn’t contact Ron for the trial
since his family is out on safari in a dragon preserve, so it will only be the two of you.”

“Does Malfoy remember anything?” Hermione asked stiffly.

“We were able to unlock the memory charms placed on him by the ward and by you,” Sirius said
with a nod. “It wasn’t easy finding the combination that would allow us to remove your handiwork,
but the time you were gone was enough.”

“When is the trial?” Harry asked evenly, an arm around Hermione’s shoulders in a protective
stance.

“Tomorrow,” Sirius said with a sigh. “There was a lot of red tape I had to cut through, but once
they found he was a Death Eater, the trial took precedence,” Sirius turned to Hermione and smiled
softly. “There is an Auror squad at *John’s* house, waiting to let you collect what
possessions you’d left there. You can go over at any time before the trial begins, but the two of
you need to be present.”

Harry and Hermione nodded and waved goodbye before leaving the office.

“Does... does this change anything between us?” Harry asked quietly as they walked towards the
Ministry’s apparation point.

“What? Why should it?” Hermione asked, startled.

“I just thought... Malfoy...” Harry stammered.

Hermione shook her head and pulled him into a tight hug. “Harry, you don’t have to worry about
me leaving you, ever...”

Harry sighed in relief and hugged his girlfriend in return, burying his face in her hair. “You
don’t have to worry about that either,” he said quietly. “Do you want me to come with you to that
bastard’s house?”

“If it’s alright with you, I'd like to do this myself,” Hermione said with a small sigh. “I
need this closure, Harry...”

“Alright, Love,” he said with a tender kiss. “I’ll see you tonight then?”

“Sooner than that!” Hermione replied with a soft chuckle. “I need closure, not a lengthy
visit!”

Harry laughed then saw the love of his life to the apparation point and waved before she
disappeared with a pop. He sighed before turning back to Sirius’ office when someone shoved him to
the side with tremendous force. He sprawled to the floor in the hallway as a loping figure ran past
him at full speed.

“STOP HIM!” the voice of a wounded Auror echoed from the opposite direction.

Harry looked up to see a main of shaggy, blonde hair disappear around the corner. He growled
when he recognized the man who was running with every ounce of strength he had in him and Harry
took off as quickly as he could.

“YOU’RE NOT GOING TO GET AWAY *MALFOY*!” Harry bellowed as he quickly tailed after his
fleeing childhood arch-nemesis.

A burst of speed was Malfoy’s answer as he reached the Floo network and threw in a handful of
powder. He disappeared in a flash of green flame just before Harry reached his sneering
countenance.

“Where did he go?” Harry growled as he tried to track down a Floo tracker. He growled again when
he found out it would take a good fifteen minutes to track down the escaped convict and he started
pacing. His head snapped up in realization before running flat-out to the apparation point.
* * *
Hermione looked around the house with a fine-toothed comb. She didn’t want anybody finding
anything that could be used against her, now that she knew who she was dealing with. She shuddered
involuntarily when memories of her and *John* came to mind, his smiles, his kisses, what they
did in the sitting room that weekend.

“I should have known!” she growled to herself as she retrieved one of her CDs from the rack by
the fireplace.

“Ah, the Mudblood returning for more...” Draco spat as he lunged for the suddenly shocked
woman.

Hermione fell with a scream into the CD rack and her eyes widened in fear when she saw that
Malfoy had liberated her wand from it's holster.

With a few deft waves, his manacles fell to the floor and he stretched luxuriously at his
freedom. “Now, what to do with you?” he growled menacingly. “Did you know that great quantities of
alcohol weaken memory charms?” he asked as he leveled his wand on Hermione. “What the surprise I
found when it was you that I’d been dating in my *new life* as a *Muggle*.” He shuddered
at the thought, but licked his lips as he looked her over.

Hermione felt her anger grow within her but without her wand, she was frozen to the spot, unable
to do anything to the disgusting piece of refuse that was taunting her.

“I so cherished our weekend,” Malfoy said with an inhuman purr. “To have deflowered Potter’s
whore... a vengeance that I could have only dreamt of!”

“Sod off, Malfoy,” Hermione growled angrily.

“Oh, you still think you have any *control* over me?” He asked with a sickeningly sinister
sneer. “Let’s take this elsewhere, shall we? *STUPEFY!*”

Hermione’s eyes went wide as the red light sped at her and the last thing she remembered was
Malfoy’s high-pitched laughter.
* * *
Harry bounded up the steps to a scream and a shouted stunning spell. The flash of red light from
in the house told him everything he needed to know and with a properly placed spell, the house no
longer had a front door.

“Step away from her, *Malfoy!*” Harry spat angrily when he saw the Slytherin start towards
the unconscious form of Hermione.

“You always seem to know when to crash the party, don’t you, *Potter?!*” Draco spat in
disgust as he turned towards Harry.

“You’ve done enough to her, to my friends and family... to me,” Harry said angrily. There was an
unholy light that began shining from his eyes that made Draco step back with fear. “Now, it’s my
turn to show you how it feels...” he growled as a rumbling began to shake the house.

Draco Malfoy began to panic and began to cast every curse he knew at the terrible visage of
Harry Potter that was even now bearing down upon him. Each spell was deflected and crashed into the
walls around the advancing young man.

With one final hope, Draco raised his wand, a green light flaring to life on its tip. In one
fell swoop, he pointed the wand not at Harry, but at the sleeping form of Hermione Granger.
“*AVADA KEDAVRA!*” he shouted in a high pitched laugh that curdled Harry’s blood.

With a giant leap, Harry dove headlong into the path of the speeding curse. His eyes went wide
as he collided into the wall feeling as if his very soul was on fire.
* * *
“*ENNERVATE!*”

Hermione’s eyes fluttered open to a scene of devastation. The sitting room she had been in was a
shambles. There were holes in the walls and several Aurors were standing around scribbling their
reports.

“What happened?” she asked uneasily as she shakily got to her feet. Everything flooded in her
mind and she glanced around the room in fear.

“Relax, Malfoy is dead,” the Auror said quietly as he wrapped a blanket around her
shoulders.

“What? H-how?” Hermione asked confusedly. “He stunned me...” Her eyes fell to the floor only to
find a tuft of black hair sticking out of the top of a blanket. “What...”

“When the curse hit him, he was literally fried...” the Auror said in confusion. “I’ve never
seen the killing curse do that to someone.”

Hermione’s eyes closed tightly and she sank to the floor over the covered body. Tears streaked
from her eyes as her head began to shake from side to side. “No...” she whispered desperately. “Not
him...”

Wanting to see his face one more time, Hermione pulled back the blanket to reveal the piercing
blue-grey eyes of Draco Malfoy.

“Draco?” she asked in surprise.

“I’ve never seen the killing curse fry someone like that...” the Auror whispered as he pulled
her back to her feet.

“Who... who did this?” Hermione asked desperately.

“He did it to himself,” a familiar, yet weary voice said from the kitchen.

Hermione lost no time in crossing the room to gather Harry in her arms. “You bloody fool! What
happened?!” she wailed in a cross between a laugh and a sob.

Harry wrapped his arms around the sobbing woman that he loved so well and chanced a smile. “The
same thing that happened to Voldemort...” Harry explained with a slight grin. “When I was one that
is... It seems that the killing curse was reflected from me again and since he didn’t have the same
anti-death protections on him that Riddle did, he fried...”

“For a minute there...” Hermione sobbed into his chest. “I thought I’d lost you,” she whispered
hoarsely.

“I told you,” Harry said as he tilted her face to his, “I’m not going to leave you.” He
punctuated his promise with a tender kiss only to be interrupted a few minutes later to fill out
reports on the situation that had unfurled at the residence of one John Dinkins.
* * *
Several days later at Grimmauld Place, Hermione opened a letter that contained her final physics
marks for that summer term at university. With shaking hands, she unfolded the official stationary
and felt her jaw drop.

“What is it, Love?” Harry asked as he caught her reaction to the letter.

“I got perfect marks,” Hermione whispered incredulously. “I GOT PERFECT MARKS!” she shouted
exuberantly as she threw herself into the open arms of her laughing boyfriend.

**A/N:** There we have it, hope you liked the story! I took a few liberties, such as being
post Hogwarts, and I hope it lives up to the expectations of the challenge's author ;)



