Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry, oh how I wish I did and I could have my way with him and so many other ickle characters. Alas, I am poor and pathetically obsessed with the world of Harry Potter so I only can write about him.

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I'll give you countless amounts of outright acceptance if you want it

I will give you encouragement to choose the path that you want if you need it

You can speak of anger and doubts your fears and freak outs and I'll hold it

You can share your so-called shame filled accounts of times in your life and I won't judge it

(and there are no strings attached to it)

You owe me nothing for giving the love that I give

You owe me nothing for caring the way that I have

I give you thanks for receiving it's my privilege

And you owe me nothing in return

You can ask for space for yourself and only yourself and I'll grant it

You can ask for freedom as well or time to travel and you'll have it

You can ask to live by yourself or love someone else and I'll support it

You can ask for anything you want anything at all and I'll understand it

(and there are no strings attached to it)

You Owe Me Nothing In Return

from under rug swept

Alanis Morissette

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Hermione watched as Snape walked out of the kitchen. 'How could he be so rude,' she thought. 'It's obvious that Harry hadn't had a good summer... I mean all you have to do is look at him, and you can tell that.'

Her eyes raked over him again, taking in his pale skin, the dark shadows under his eyes, and clothes that were baggier than ever before... However, she then thought, 'When did Snape ever really pay attention to Harry? Well, pay attention to him when he was not getting into trouble.'

Harry and Snape seemed to have a hate/hate relationship, and it had been that way ever since they first laid eyes on each other. She remembered that first Potions class... Those silly questions, it was really more like a battle of wills. Let's see if I can break you, but of course, Harry would not break. In fact, he gave him a cheeky answer instead.

She shook her head slightly, clearing all thoughts of Snape temporarily from her mind. Harry, while usually obtuse, could at times notice things, things you never wanted him to find out. And, her crush on Snape was one thing she definitely wanted to keep to herself.

She looked back at Harry and noticed him watching her, with an odd look in his eyes.

"What?" she asked.

"What's going on between you and Snape?" he asked.

"It's Professor Snape, Harry, and nothing is going on... Why do you ask?"

"Well, you just stared after him, for like the last five minutes," he answered.

"Oh, well... I just thought it was terribly rude for him to come in here and yell at you. And, he never did tell you what time you were supposed to meet Professor Dumbledore in the morning."

"I guess he didn't. I wonder why... Do you think he didn't tell me, so I would get in to trouble and he could yell at me again?"

"He probably just forgot. Everyone around here has had a lot on their minds recently..." She trailed off, not wanting to give him too much information.

Harry's head shot up, and he gave her a piercing glare. "What's been going on?"

"I don't know a lot, Harry. You will most likely find out more in the morning," she answered.

Changing the subject quickly, she managed quell his questions.

They continued to talk quietly until he had finished his snack. Once the dishes were done with a quick spell, they traipsed upstairs to the room where Harry would be staying. His trunk was already placed at the end of his small bed and surprisingly, Hedwig sat in her cage, hooting happily.

"When did Hedwig show up?" he questioned.

"I am not sure. She wasn't here earlier today. She must have known that you were going to be here. I don't really know how, but an owl can deliver post to a person without knowing their address, maybe they can also sense where there owner is?" She continued lecturing. "Professor Snape told me that all animals have some form of inert magical ability, and this might be the owls' ability."

"You know, now that I think about it, that makes sense. I never really wondered how an owl located someone... It was always just something that they did," he stated.

Harry walked over to pet Hedwig, his snowy white owl. Hermione could hear him whispering softly to Hedwig, but could not make out what exactly he was saying. Once Harry had stopped petting his owl, he walked over and gave Hermione a hug. "I've missed you this summer. You, Ron, and well, everyone... I didn't know if everyone was okay or what was going on in the world," he said.

"Oh, Harry, there has been so much going on... I don't even know where to start," she answered, as they settled on to his bed. "Mum and Dad were placed into hiding. Voldemort has really stepped up his activities; it seems like every week there is an attack. It's as if he is flaunting his power over everyone. I think he is trying to lure Professor Dumbledore into a confrontation."

"What makes you say that?" he questioned.

"He is starting to attack the parents of Hogwarts students, and just last week he raided Hogsmeade. We were lucky that no one was killed. However, there was significant damage done to several shops. I sometimes wonder if he wants to prove that Hogwarts is not invincible, you know, by attacking that close to home."

Harry's eyes flashed in anger. He did not want to be sitting here doing nothing, while this mad man destroyed the only place he called home. "Hermione, I have to do something, I can't just sit here and twiddle my thumbs. I should be out there... fighting him."

She quickly interrupted his rant, "What we need is for you to be ready to face him. What are you going to do? Storm his hiding place and then what... get yourself killed? You told me about the... the... prophecy, Harry. Do you want the Order to lose? What would happen then? What about all the Muggle-borns and half-bloods that will die, because you couldn't wait?"

"You know I don't want that. I want that bloody bastard dead. That's what I want," he yelled.

"I know you do. But, think for one moment. It's not as if we have been sitting here, doing nothing all summer, Harry. Wait. Find out what the Headmaster and Professor Snape have planned."

She watched his face harden at the mention of his hated teacher. "How can you trust him? He hates me, Hermione, in case you haven't noticed?" he seethed.

"You know he is not a spy for the Dark. How many times has he saved your life? If he wanted you dead, Harry, you would be dead already."

"I know that," Harry said, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "All right, Hermione, I promise not to run off and face Voldemort. I will listen to what they have to say... I know I won't like what I hear, but I will listen. Please, let's not fight. It's been a long holiday already, and I want to know everything you have been doing."

She hated the fact that she felt the need to walk on eggshells around him. However, right now she found herself more inclined to try and shake some sense into him. Taking deep breaths to calm herself, she let the anger leave her body. She knew that the time he spent at the Dursleys' was hard on him. He always returned sullen and slightly aloof. However, now was not the time for him to be falling apart on them. She knew in her heart that something was in the works, and Harry was going to be playing a big part in whatever it was.

"Alright, Harry. I won't fight with you. So, um, I have already told you most of what I have been doing this summer. Why don't you come here and tell me what you've been doing this summer?" Hermione said, as she sank down on Harry's bed. She lightly patted the bed beside her, inviting Harry to come and sit by her.

Harry climbed onto the bed and wrapped an arm around Hermione. "You know, I missed you?" he questioned.

"I know. And, I missed you too. I just worry about you. I think of you as my brother and wouldn't want anything to happen to you."

"I worry about you too," he stated. "Whatever would I do without you?"

"I am not going anywhere," she answered.

Feeling slightly better, he started to tell her about what had been going on since they last had seen each other. They talked late into the night, neither one noticing when they dropped off to sleep.

---

It was early the next morning when Professor Dumbledore, Professor Snape, and Molly Weasley sat at a small table in the slightly grubby kitchen, drinking strong breakfast tea. The silence, while not menacing... was not quite friendly either.

Three very different people...Yet they were very similar at the same time. And, it was because of those slight similarities that it was of no surprise that while their thoughts wondered in different directions, they were centred on the same person.

Molly Weasley had not been at the Order's headquarters very often this summer. After the problems that they had faced last year, it had been decided that it would be better if Ron and Ginny were housed elsewhere. Their curiosity had become quite an annoyance, and while she could understand their need to know what was going on, it was really safer if they did not.

Ron, Hermione, Harry, and lately Ginny were know to run off with half-baked schemes and not fully informed with all of the pertinent facts. Molly's heart still fluttered at the memory of their "adventure" last year. Really, the sheer idiocy of those four was enough to give her grey hair. Who in their right mind would take off after receiving an anonymous letter claiming that Sirius Black was alive? Moreover, not only did they leave Hogwarts, unprotected, they walked straight into a Death Eater's trap.

Escaping with their lives, only because Neville Longbottom found the letter they had left laying on Harry's bed and reported it to Professor Dumbledore. Quickly, he called the Order together. They wasted no time and Apparated to the desolate grove, finding the children completely surrounded, trying to defend themselves against twenty Death Eaters.

Luckily, the Order had managed to surprise the Death Eaters, and after a ferocious battle, they managed to defeat them. However, winning was not with out harm to themselves. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks had both been gravely injured. It had taken many months before they were able to leave the care of St. Mungo's Hospital.

Just the memory of all the injured and the bedraggled look of the teens, when they were brought back the Order headquarters, was enough to give Molly nightmares for months. She wished she could take all of them far away... somewhere that they would never again know the pain of war. However, she knew that would never be possible.

So right now, she settled with keeping her kids safe and away from the fray, even if it was only for a summer. At least she knew that they were safe for a short while.

She had pleaded with Dumbledore to let Harry come to the cottage with them for the holiday, but he would not hear of it and instead, sent him back to those awful Muggles.

That was the reason she was here this morning, for as much as she enjoyed the cottage they were staying in, today she needed to put her mind at ease. She considered Harry a son and they had not heard one word from him all summer. Her worries about him were weighing heavily on her mind.

She knew that the Order had collected him from his relatives' house last night and even though everyone had told her that he was fine, she needed to see it with her own eyes.

Molly had been at Grimmauld Place since eight this morning, and she had yet to see either Harry or Hermione. She was beginning to wonder what was keeping them.

Professor Snape got up from his chair and started pacing the floor. To Molly, he looked like he was going to explode soon. He was well known for his temper, and it was a little too early in the morning for her to be able to deal with it.

"I will just pop upstairs and see when Harry will be down," she told the men.

"I told Potter that we would be waiting for him," Snape sneered. "That insolent brat thinks he can just laze about. I will go get him."

"Severus, calm down. I think it would be best if we let Molly knock him up. I am sure he just lost track of time," Dumbledore said, calmingly.

"Yes, I will just pop up there. We'll be down in a moment," she said.

---

Harry opened his eyes slowly, noticing that the room was still fairly dark and there was a strange weight on his chest. Looking down he saw a mass of bushy hair... 'Oh,' he thought. 'We must have fallen asleep.'

"Hermione," he stated, his voice rough with sleep. "It's time to wake up."

"Just five more minutes," she grumbled, as she buried her face into his chest.

Harry chuckled lightly at her response. He had known Hermione for many years now and usually the only time she was not up, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at the crack of dawn, was when she was overworking herself.

And, it was obvious that she was overworking herself this summer, though what she was concentrating this much energy on was, at this point, still a mystery. However, it would not be a mystery for Harry much longer. He was going to find out what was going on around here. Hermione had given clues in their late night talk, but no specifics. All he knew was that it was something that involved him and he was not going to wait any longer. He was going to march down and make them tell him everything.

With his mind made up and with a new determination to find out the truth, he moved his arm to shake Hermione.

Before he could even move, the door opened gently and Mrs. Weasley's face poked into the room. "Harry, Professor..." she trailed off, her eyes taking in Harry and Hermione lying in the bed together. Her face grew bright red with anger.

"What do you think you are doing?" she screeched.

"Mrs. Weasley, its not like it looks... we just fell asleep," Harry hurriedly answered.

Harry, however, had no further chance to explain, because at that moment Professor Snape quickly entered the room, with his wand drawn. He took in the room with a sneer on his face. His eyes narrowed when he noticed Harry and Hermione under the covers, in the bed.

Harry looked over and saw Hermione's face pale at the hard glint in the professor's eyes. She quickly jumped out of the bed and straightened her clothes. "Sir, please. It's not what it looks like."

"Did I ask you for an explanation? It is lucky we're not yet at Hogwarts... It would have been most unfortunate for you to be facing expulsion... Wouldn't it Miss Granger?" Snape sneered.

Hermione's breathing became hitched and she lowered her head to hide the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.

"Potter, I suggest you hurry. The headmaster is waiting for you downstairs. Miss Granger, follow me."

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Hermione followed Snape downstairs and into the library.

"Sit down," Snape told Hermione.

She picked her favourite stuffed green chair and sat down. Keeping her eyes locked on the floor, she hoped he would not be able to tell she was crying.

"It is apparent that we have been too lax on you so far this summer. Believe me when I say that this will no longer be the case. Inappropriate displays of juvenile lust... Have you lost your mind?"

"Sir, I am sorry, but we just fell asleep. We were talking and we must have dozed off. I swear there is nothing going on between us. He's like my brother. It would be sick for anything to happen between us."

"Be that as it may. Remember appearances are everything, Miss Granger. If you are to be the Head Girl next year, your character must be above reproach. And being found in the bed of a boy could lead to many unfortunate rumours." Snape lectured silkily, "Also... as my assistant, your mind needs to be focused on potions, not some silly boy. Go get dressed, and hurry. I have many potions for you brew today."

Snape watched Hermione scamper from the room. He took a deep breath; it had been almost painful to see her in bed with Harry bloody Potter. While he knew, his growing feelings for her were inappropriate, that could not stop him from having them.

These feeling had started when Dumbledore forced him to take her as an assistant. Slowly, their stilted questions and answers had turned into almost friendly conversations, and their awkward silences were growing into companionable silence.

However, he had to admit that not all of his new feelings were of a friendly nature. He knew that she would never return his feelings. So, he tried to keep her at an arm's length and that did work somewhat. Well, it worked until she started haunting his dreams.

He remembered the first time that had happened; it had seemed so real that he had woken up expecting to find Hermione in his bed. It was then, after that first dream, he had almost pled with Dumbledore to remove her from this project. However, the headmaster would not hear of that. That would have been too easy of a solution.

So now, he tried to limit their time alone, but that was almost impossible. In addition, the amount of time that they were going to spend would be dramatically increasing in the next few weeks. He did not know how he was ever going to stand it. To see someone he desired, and yet could never have, was incredibly painful.

He almost wanted to use this morning's indiscretion as an excuse to have her removed from Grimmauld Place and placed into the cottage with the Weasleys. Nevertheless, he knew he would not do that, for as much as he wanted to remove the temptation that would place her right in the hands of that Weasley brat.

Ronald Weasley. Now there was one person he did not want around his Hermione. Twice last year he had come upon them hidden in Hogwarts alcoves... that dunderhead trying to convince her that he loved her and if she loved him too, she would sleep with him. Just the thoughts of the simpering little weasel laying his grubby paws on her... It was enough to make his blood boil.

She might not return his feelings, but she was still his and no one else was going to touch her.

Well, he decided she might not return his feelings yet. However, he was going to do everything in his power to change that. Right then, he vowed that he was never again going to see her in the arms of another man.

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Authors note: I was going to include the meeting with Dumbledore and the upcoming attack on Diagon Alley... Um, I meant staged fight, yes-right fight.

Thanks to my beta GingerGurl. Who makes this story much better.

Just to let you know, this story is now AU, as of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, but I will continue.

Oh, and before I forget... knock up someone is British slang for waking up someone, I swear Molly was not going upstairs to get poor Harry pregnant.

Please take a moment and review.