Just a Wizard

Chapter Thirteen

Ron woke up the next morning and stretched, looking around the guest room he was now using at Remus'. He had much preferred to sleep with Hermione, but Remus had started grumbling about that and he had to admit, it was getting to be almost impossible to stop himself from making love to her. He wondered why he was even waiting, but the answer came to him in a flash. He respected her. A smile tilted his lips up as he thought about her. He also wanted to drive her absolutely wild for him, make her as frustrated as he possibly could. That way she'd be ripe for the picking, more than ready for her first time in more than a year. Plus he had firmly decided he wanted her in his own home with him, not here where she was always being watched over. Now all he had to do was persuade Remus to his way of thinking, and he had a feeling it would be difficult. In the meantime he was enjoying dating somebody and making out, it made him feel free.

His eyes shot to the door when it opened and Hermione popped her head around it, looking to see if he was awake.

"Don't you know how to knock?" he asked her, smiling.

"I was hoping you'd be starkers," she joked.

"Feeling confident are we?" he drawled, motioning her over to him and grinning wickedly when she got within arms reach and he grabbed her. His other hand threw back the covers and he watched as she went red.

"No," she wavered, her eyes darting from one part of his body to another.

Ron smirked wickedly and pulled the covers back over his body when he heard faint voices outside his room.

"Looks like a lucky escape, Ninny," he drawled, his grin getting worse when Remus called Hermione's name and then tapped on Ron's door. "See?"

Hermione gave him a disgruntled look and went to open the door, smiling innocently up at Remus as he looked in the room to see what was going on.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked her, frowning at Ron over her shoulder.

"I just came in to wake Ron up," she explained, giving a happy sigh and taking Remus' arm. He was in protective mode again for some reason but she didn't mind one bit.

He looked down at her and patted her arm, a warm smile making him look younger.

"Well, that's good. Let's go get some breakfast," he said and looked up at Ron. "You going to join us?"

"Yeah, I'll just grab a shower and I'll be with you," Ron said, winking at Hermione as Remus pulled her out of the room.

Ron stretched again as they left and he found himself smiling yet again. He did that a lot, he thought, since he had reacquainted himself with Hermione and it was a good feeling. He just hoped there weren't any storm clouds on the horizon to spoil it all because he had an odd feeling for the last couple of days that he couldn't shake.

Later that day Hermione was surprised when Harry showed up in the workroom.

"Hey Ninny," he said, giving her a friendly grin.

"Hi, Harry. What's that?" she asked, indicating the garment he was clutching.

"It's a pair of my jeans. Tabitha said they needed to be wired. I was going to wear them on the assignment tonight... would you mind" he explained, sitting down in a vacant chair near her giving her a pleading look.

"Sure, hand them over," Hermione said, examining the seams. "This won't take long, do you want to wait?"

"Yeah, why not? I tell you what, I'll go get some tea for us. How's that?" he said, standing up again and raising his eyebrows.

"That would be really nice, thanks. I could use a cup," she admitted, smiling.

She always liked Harry, in a purely brotherly way. She flicked her wand and a needle started sewing the tough fabric as he left the room, her mind already narrowed down on to what she was doing. The faint ringing of a telephone didn't get through to her for a few seconds, but then she frowned and wondered where it was coming from. She knew there was a muggle pay phone on the wall in the corridor so she put down Harry's trousers to go and see if it was that. No one else was in the corridor when she walked outside and she looked at the phone with a frown. Who would call a pay phone, especially here, when the place had been bought from muggles by Remus and Emmeline and converted for their use as the Agency's headquarters, unless it was someone who had dialled a wrong number? She shrugged and picked the phone up, saying hello.

"Hello, pretty. Surprised?" a voice growled in her ear and she jumped, a gasp breaking from her lips.

"How...?" she said breathlessly, her eyes widening.

"How did I get this muggle number? How did I know where you were?" Roman asked, laughing sarcastically. "I'm very resourceful when I want to be. What you really want to ask yourself is how I knew you weren't at home."

Hermione swore she felt her heart stop when he said that, then it kicked up again beating twice as fast. She looked around her to see if he was watching her from somewhere near her, but she couldn't see anyone.

"That's it, you little slag, see if you can find me," he said, making all the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. "I'm watching you, and I'm waiting. And as soon as I think the time's right, I'll be coming for you."

The line went dead and Hermione shakily replaced the receiver, her breath puffing in and out frantically as panic overwhelmed her. She felt a hot tear slide down her cheek as she pressed her back against the wall and looked up and down the corridor. Oh, Merlin, he was here. It would almost have been better if she could see him then the fear could be centred on something. To know he was watching her and she didn't know from where, was awful.

Harry rounded the corner with two cups of tea and looked puzzled when he saw her standing there like a statue. But when he got nearer his puzzlement turned to concern as he saw her white face and the way she was shaking. He put the cups down and stood in front of her.

"Hermione? What's wrong? Has something happened?"

She was staring at him blankly, and his words jerked her out of her trance.

"He...he...phoned me...here, he..." she broke off and tried to breathe normally, panicking again when she couldn't take a deep breath in.

Harry grabbed her and dragged her the short distance to her workroom, realising she was hyperventilating. He flicked his wand and conjured a paper bag and then he held it over her mouth.

"Breathe into this, come on," he demanded, his words gentle despite the authority in his voice. He watched with concern as she breathed jerkily in and out, the sounds lessening and then becoming more even as the paper bag did the trick. "Better?" he asked, removing the bag and running a hand over her hair.

She nodded. "Thank you. Harry, he's here," she whispered, her eyes huge as she looked at him.

"He? That guy who floo-ed you the other day? Does Remus know?"

"You're the first person I've seen," she explained, and Harry put his arm around her and cuddled her.

"I'm sorry Hermione, you don't deserve to have this psycho on your back all the time. Come on, let's go tell Remus and he can get security on it."

Hermione let Harry walk her to Remus' office, his arm still around her shoulders as he offered her the only comfort he could think of.

To Ron's eyes it didn't look like comfort at all. He saw them walking away as he came around the corner, and he had no idea Hermione was upset about anything. His brows drew down as he watched one best mate pulling the other, his girlfriend, against him, the touch anything but innocent in his eyes, and he felt his temper start to spark, his self doubts rearing up again. He had believed Harry when he had told him nothing was going on, but now he wondered if that had been the truth. But what of Hermione? She had been genuinely upset, hadn't she? He shook his head and tried to banish the thoughts, but they wouldn't quit. It had happened before with Lavender, what was to stop it happening again with Hermione? He would have to talk to Harry, and try and remain calm this time, give him a chance to explain. He didn't want to make another enormous mistake.

Lavender watched everything that happened from the shadows and stared with curiosity at the large man who had been growling threats into his shell phone whilst he watched Hermione. She moved to stand behind him as Harry and Hermione disappeared into the workroom, then reappeared and walked away, seeing Ron standing there looking furious as he saw them go. A smile curved her lips and she gave a soft laugh as Ron, too, walked away. The noise startled the big man and he swung around to see who was behind him, his eyes running over the slender figure of the tall woman he found there.

"Who are you?" he asked her, scowling.

"I could ask you the same question," she said, a smirk making her look less attractive than he had first thought. "You're not supposed to be here are you?"

"What makes you say that?" he asked, striving to retain a cool demeanour.

"Oh, nothing much, just the threats you were issuing to that girl," she said, her smirk intensifying.

Roman Castleton ran his eyes up and down the woman's figure again, and wondered if he shouldn't just use the killing curse and be done with it. Her next words made him change his mind.

"Don't get me wrong, I don't mind those threats at all. In fact, I think we may be able to help each other out."

"How's that?"

"Well, I'm no fan of little miss perfect there, but you obviously are. It's her boyfriend I want, and I think that if we help each other, we may both get what we want. What do you say?" she asked, raising one eyebrow confidently.

"I think you've got yourself a deal. So, tell me, what's the plan?" he asked, smiling at her for the first time and Lavender smiled back, linking her arm in his and walking along the back corridors, taking a route that very few people used so they wouldn't be seen.

"Here?" Remus bellowed, jumping out of his seat and hitting the desk with such force that both Hermione and Harry jumped. "How the hell did he get in?" He picked up the floo powder and called the security desk, shouting into the fireplace and then shouting even louder when he didn't get the answer he wanted.

Hermione sat down and let her shoulders slump, hating the fact that she was bringing any trouble to Remus when he had been so good to her. She felt Harry take her hand and allowed him to hold it, knowing he only meant to comfort her and right now she needed that comfort. She just wished it was Ron sitting here with her instead.

Remus eventually yanked his head from the floo and looked at Hermione, giving a frustrated sigh.

"They haven't let anyone in matching his description," he said, surprising Hermione into looking up again.

"But he said he was watching me...he knew what I was doing when I picked the phone up, he..."

"Maybe he was guessing, maybe he got lucky, who knows? But if he is here, they haven't seen him," Remus said, breaking into her speech.

Hermione's face fell as she looked at him. "You don't believe me do you?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Oh Hermione, of course I believe you!" Remus said, moving to crouch down in front of her. "I've got security agents searching the building now to see if he's still here, if he really was here. I believe what you told me, and there is every possibility he was watching you at that moment. But he didn't come in here through any of the doors, so it's equally unlikely he got in at all. The wards here rival Hogwarts. Do you understand?"

Hermione nodded. "But it really sounded like he was watching me, with what he said."

"I know, Ninny. Let's just hope he was simply trying to scare you," Remus said grimly, standing up and bending to kiss the top of her head.

"He succeeded," she mumbled, taking a deep, shaky breath and feeling Harry squeeze her fingers right at the moment that Ron walked into the room. She had to fight to keep herself from pulling her hand away from the other man as Ron glared at them with narrowed eyes. He didn't say a word, however, and with a slight nod he left the room, slamming the door behind him.

"What's eating him?" Remus asked, frowning as he checked his door over to see if it was damaged.

Harry gaped at the closed door and then shook his head.

"Not again," he muttered, his lips thinning in anger. He looked at Hermione's bent head and felt sorry for her. After having that slimy git call her again, the last thing she needed was Ron pissed off at her. "I'll go and find him," he said, disengaging his hand from hers and leaving the room.

Remus looked down at Hermione and shook his head, sighing as he pulled her up into a hug. "If it isn't one thing it's another, isn't it?"

Hermione nodded and closed her eyes, wanting to go home and just sit in her own room, alone. "Why does he have to be like that?" she mumbled, frowning.

"Ah, Ninny, he's just jealous, that's all. At least you know that he cares about you, because otherwise he wouldn't feel anything when he saw you holding Harry's hand."

"But now he's going to be all horrible like he was the other day," she said, drawing back to look up at Remus with worried eyes. "I think I'd rather just not face him."

"I can see how you'd feel that way, what with the phone call you just had, as well. I'll get a car to drive you home if you like, if I can make sure you won't be alone? I would let you apparate, but you'd have to walk five blocks."

Hermione thought about missing Ron's assignment and frowned, not liking the idea of not being there for him but she wanted to go home.

"I think it might be best," she said slowly, her mouth drooping as she said it.

"Okay, I'll make a call in a second. Er...first, though, I haven't had you sign a contract yet have I?" Remus asked, going back around his desk and shuffling some papers.

Hermione looked puzzled. "No, I didn't know I had to."

"Everyone who works here has to, it just slipped my mind," he said, with a strange smile. "Ah here it is!"

He pushed a big pile of papers towards her and pointed to where she should sign.

"Shouldn't I read them first or something?"

"There's no need, it's just standard stuff and you know you can trust me, Ninny. Just sign there and then there," he said, turning pages for her. She didn't notice that he was only lifting the edge of the paper so she could sign each successive one underneath, and when she got to the bottom of the pile he took them away from her and nodded with a big smile, putting the whole bundle in his desk drawer and locking it. "Great, all done." Remus motioned for her to sit down and then floo-called Emmeline, Daphne and Neville, frowning deeper after each successive call. "I'm sorry Hermione, there isn't anybody to go back with you, and I don't want you there on your own."

Hermione shook her head. "It's okay, I shouldn't really be running away anyway. I'll go and do some more work, it'll help keep my mind off things."

Remus nodded and watched her go, admiring the way she straightened her shoulders and got on with it, even though it was obvious she was upset by the days' events. He wondered how long it would be before she stopped letting things get to her so much, knowing that it would eventually happen now that she was living with them. He just wished she were already strong enough to cope with the crap she was currently going through, for her own sake.

Ron was slamming things around in his office when he heard a faint knock at the door. He wasn't in any mood to see anyone right now, not after seeing Hermione and Harry holding hands again. But the knock sounded again and he sprinted toward the door, flung it open and glared at the figure beyond it. His glower instantly turned to surprise when he saw Lavender standing there, smiling hesitantly up at him.

"Hi Ron," she said softly, trying to make herself sound as feminine as possible.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he barked at her, frowning fiercely as he looked her over. Her hair colour had changed, he noticed, and then he kicked himself for actually noticing anything at all about her.

"I just thought I'd come and... well, I thought I'd see how you are. It's been a long time," she said.

"It hasn't been long enough," Ron muttered, feeling like slamming the door in her face. But something about the way she was looking at him stopped him from doing it, and he couldn't quite work out why.

Lavender grimaced. "Look, this was probably a huge mistake... I'm sorry, forget I was here," she said and turned away, preparing to leave.

"Wait, why did you come?" he asked her suspiciously.

Lavender gave a triumphant smile and then quickly wiped it off her face as she turned around. "I wanted to say sorry, if you want the truth. I know it's too little, too late, but I can't bear to think about the way I treated you."

"Is that right?" he asked doubtfully, still frowning.

"Yes, as a matter of fact it is. I guess it was too much to expect that you'd believe me, but I needed to say it just the same." She searched his face for some sign of softening towards her and was pleased to see his frown getting less tense as she spoke, not that she showed her emotions to him.

"Well, now you've said it, you can go," Ron said, still feeling the shock of her sudden appearance.

Lavender managed to look genuinely contrite and she gave a shrug. "I guess I should. I wish I could change the past, Ron, I really do."

"No-one can change the past, and no-one can make up for it either," he told her coldly, folding his arms across his chest and then glancing up as he saw Harry walking towards his office.

Lavender saw his eyes flicker upward and turned to watch the dark haired man walk over to them, his eyes relaying his incredulity at seeing her there.

"Hullo Harry, long time no see," Lavender said, not bothering to smile. Harry had hated her since she started dating Ron, and she him, and that would never change, but she couldn't pass up this golden opportunity. "I saw you earlier and you have a new girlfriend don't you? A pretty little brunette?" she added for effect, seeing Ron flinch out of the corner of her eye.

"She isn't my girlfriend, and you know full well exactly who Hermione is," Harry said tightly, giving Ron a worried look and then glaring down at Lavender again.

Lavender looked surprised. "Oh, I'm sorry, I must have gotten it wrong. It's just..." she paused for a second and then shrugged again. "It doesn't matter."

"You're right it doesn't," Harry said. "Now why don't you get the hell away from me so I can talk to Ron?"

"Don't bother, I have nothing to say to you," Ron said sharply, making them both stare at him. He was positively vibrating with pent-up rage, and Harry scowled at him, curling his lip in disgust.

"When did you turn into such a prick?" he asked him, unable to believe that Ron thought he was playing around with Hermione. Again.

Ron gave Harry's glare back with equal intensity, a powerful mix of emotions making him totally unreasonable. "Go fuck yourself, Harry. Better yet, go fuck Hermione, why don't you?"

Harry gritted his teeth and lifted his chin. "You know something? That's not a bad idea!" he snapped and walked away, wondering vaguely if Ron would come after him and try and take his head off. But apart from a few choice words he heard him fling at his head, he made no move to follow him and Harry eventually disappeared from view.

"Ron?" Lavender said, making him suddenly become aware that she was still there. "Is something wrong? I thought you and Harry were best mates?"

"So did I," Ron muttered, and sighed. He was confused and incredibly jealous and he couldn't reconcile his emotions, which made him get angry. He looked down at Lavender and found himself wondering if she'd really changed. A thought occurred to him and his frown returned. "Why did you think Harry was going out with Hermione?"

She lifted her shoulders delicately. "I saw him with her and they seemed very close."

"So why did you assume they were a couple?" he went on, needing to know if there was a good reason behind his suspicions.

"When I see two people snogging I automatically assume they're having a relationship," she said, looking genuinely confused, at least to Ron's eyes.

"Snogging?" he said quietly, feeling his chest clench painfully.

"Well, yes... Ron whatever's the matter?" she asked, placing a hand on his arm when he paled slightly and suddenly punched the wall.

"They were snogging?" he hissed out the question, his eyes narrowing on her stunned face.

"Yes... but, I don't understand, what's wrong with that?"

He didn't answer her. Hermione and Harry had been snogging, sneaking around behind his back. Why would they do that? he thought Harry was his friend. His fury faded to be replaced with a coldness that made Lavender smirk, quickly wiping the look away before he saw her. His head was so muddled that it didn't occur to him, even once, that Lavender was lying or that she had been the one trying to spread gossip in the first place.

"Ron, I know I'm probably the last person you want to be near, but will you come and have some tea with me? You look like you could use it, to be honest," she said gently and he looked at her for a few seconds before giving a nod and closing his door.

They ended up in the building's large restaurant, and Lavender had to work hard to try and make conversation because Ron was positively morose. She chattered on about meaningless things until he seemed to be coming out of his trance-like state and then she got around to their past again.

"I regret what happened Ron, I really do. I had rampaging hormones and they sometimes made me a bit... well, a bit of a bitch. I know," she said, holding up one perfectly manicured hand when he started to speak, "you have every right to hate me, after all I did have an affair but that's all it was, Ron."

Ron sat and stared at her, his brain starting to work again. He had thought himself in love with this woman once, but he had been roughly disabused of that notion, and she had been the one to do it.

"Just an affair? You got pregnant and tried to make out I was the father!"

Lavender plastered a sorrowful look on her face and lowered her eyes so he didn't see the calculating glint in them. "I was desperate Ron, I don't suppose you can understand that sort of feeling. I didn't want to lose you over something that was completely my fault, but I lost you anyway, and I'll regret that until the day I die."

"Really?" Ron drawled, still looking at her suspiciously. "You didn't sound like you regretted it the day I kicked you out."

"I was hurt," she said, forcing a few tears to her eyes and finally looking at him. "I wanted to hurt you back, so I said things... it doesn't matter anymore. I'll go." She stood up and went to leave and Ron grabbed her wrist, surprising himself. Something about the apparent dignity with which she was giving up made him think again that maybe she was a different person now. She gave him a sad smile and shook her head. "I wish things were different."

"What happened with the baby?" he asked her reluctantly, watching as she sat down again.

"I had the baby, of course. It was a boy and he's a real sweetie, sleeps all night and barely cries. I guess I'm lucky," she told him.

"And what about the father?" Ron asked, looking at her coldly again as he thought about her affair.

"He left. I suppose its poetic justice really that he should leave me on my own just when I needed him, like I did with you."

"You didn't leave me, remember? I made you leave," Ron pointed out.

He frowned as his senses started really kicking in. What the hell was he doing sitting here with this woman? he thought. His eyes darted around the restaurant to see who else would see him with her, and when he saw Carter and Tabitha walk in, his heart sped up, becoming faster when Hermione walked in behind them on her own.

Carter was the first to spot him and he looked like someone had thrown a brick at his head, his mouth hanging open and his eyes widening. Tabitha was confused and followed Carter's gaze to Ron and Lavender, then gave the same look. Ron wondered what Hermione would make of it, and then, not seeming to care, he cast a cold smile. Payback was a bitch, he thought, and he took Lavender's hand in his just before Hermione saw him.

Hermione had only come along to get some food at Tabitha's insistence, and neither she nor Carter knew about the phone call that morning or Ron's weird behaviour. She looked around with dull eyes and then froze, seeing Ron sitting at a table holding a woman's hand in his. Hermione immediately recognized her as Lavender Brown. Although her hair colour had changed and she'd aged, looking older than her 24 years, the woman was unmistakeably Ron's ex-wife. She was vaguely aware of Carter turning around and looking at her, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from the scene in front of her. Ron turned his head in her direction suddenly, and looked right through her as if she didn't exist, turning back to Lavender and smiling warmly in a way that made Hermione shake. She whirled around and ran out of the restaurant. Not thinking about where she was going and not seeing anything through the tears in her eyes, she ran smack bang into someone and almost went flying backwards, had it not been for their hands holding her up. She blinked away the tears and looked up to apologize, then froze again, this time in abject horror.

"Hello pretty," Roman Castleton said, giving her a smile so evil she almost fainted on the spot. "Not going to give me a welcome kiss?"

Hermione tried pulling out of his hold, feeling his fingers bruising her upper arms, but she couldn't make him let go and she started struggling furiously, surprising herself with her violent movements.

"Stand still, you bitch," Roman said through gritted teeth and gave her a shake, pleased when she seemed to shrink within his grasp, her face paper white. "Don't panic yet, sweetie, I'm not ready. I only came to get a good look at you, remind myself what it is I'm going to shag senseless." He let go of one of her arms and grabbed her chin, lifting her face up as he lowered his, his eyes looking up as he heard a shout and saw Carter rushing towards him. "I'll come for you real soon," he whispered, dropping a kiss on her startled mouth before he abruptly released her and walked away.

Hermione sagged in relief when Roman left, her legs trembling so much she crumpled instantly to the floor. Carter arrived a second later and gently pulled her to her feet by her armpits, then put an arm around her for support. Both he and Tabitha were staring at her with concern. Before they could ask anything Harry appeared, having been due to join them in the restaurant, and he frowned when he saw Hermione's pale face.

"What's wrong?" he asked quickly, putting one hand on her shoulder.

Hermione couldn't speak through the terror clogging her throat and she just shook her head. Carter spoke up. "Some bloke had hold of her. We came out of the restaurant and saw her struggling then the fellow kissed her and left. He's only just gone," Carter murmured, pushing her towards the darker man so he could support her instead. "I'm going after him."

Harry looked down at her. "Was it him?" At her nod he grimaced and pulled her against him, his arms closing around her shaking body as he comforted her. He was surprised she wasn't crying. Her fear went too deep for tears now.

Tabitha chewed her lip as she watched Carter disappear around the corner and she glanced at Hermione.

"Will you be okay?" she asked.

Hermione nodded, closing her eyes and letting herself relax against Harry, wishing he was Ron. That thought made her frown, thinking of him with that... that... cow at the table.

"I'm going to find Carter," Tabitha said, giving a small smile to Harry and then leaving in the direction Carter went.

"Let's go and tell Remus," Harry said, startling Hermione.

"Okay," she murmured, finding herself gripping his shirt and not moving at all. A sound some distance behind her made her turn her head and she felt a hysterical urge to giggle. It seemed fate was playing with her today, because Ron had just walked out of the door and his eyes were fixed on how close she and Harry were standing. Lavender walked out behind him, but Ron ignored her and started towards Hermione, fury written in every line of his powerful body. Hermione actually started moving, trying to back away, but Harry kept hold of her, giving her a reassuring smile. "Don't panic," he whispered, as Ron got closer.

Hermione swallowed and looked up when Ron reached her, meeting his eyes with some difficulty. She had expected him to say something, but he just stared at her, his eyes so cold that she finally had to look away. As soon as she did he looked at Harry's hands holding her so possessively, and then at the man himself, seeing that coldness reflected back at him.

"Problem?" Harry asked, glaring at the man who, even now, he still considered his best mate.

Ron took a deep breath to try and stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth, but it didn't help.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" he growled, briefly indicating Hermione.

"Exactly what you told me to do," Harry answered, giving a smile that felt alien even to him as he deliberately provoked him. He was damned if he would just let Ron walk all over him.

Ron's frown, if possible, deepened. "Meaning what?"

"You told me to go fuck her, I'm just doing as you suggested," Harry said, seeing Ron's temper splintering and unobtrusively moving Hermione slightly away from him. "Of course, being the gentleman I am, I decided maybe I'd wine and dine her first...."

His words were cut off when Ron threw a savage punch at his chin, knocking the smaller man backwards and into the wall. "You bastard!" he yelled, moving to go after him and continue what he had started.

Hermione surprised all of them by standing in front of him and blocking his path, her face as white as chalk, but still she stiffened her spine and glared at him.

"You leave him alone," she told him shakily.

Ron sneered. "Why? So you can get some action? Merlin, you little slag!" he spat the words out at her and she shrank back from him, horrified at what he was saying.

"I'm not," she said weakly, feeling the pain taking her breath from her.

"How the hell could I be so wrong? You managed to make me think there was nothing going on, and you did it by playing on my emotions. I guess that's something you're used to doing. Does Remus know what a worthless little tart you really are?" he asked her coldly, the way he looked at her making her flesh crawl.

She shook her head in denial. Unable to believe he could say such things to her. "I don't deserve that," she whispered through numb lips. She looked the long way up at the man she no longer recognised before she turned and ran, heading for the lift so she could get to Remus' office.

She managed to convince Remus to get someone to take her home without really telling him anything about what had happened, but he was suspicious and she could tell. Luckily he didn't push her for answers, intending to talk to some of his employees when she had left. He called Neville and told him he had no choice but to take her home and keep an eye on Hermione. As it turned out Neville didn't have a problem with that, having done what he came to do, and he showed up at Remus' office a few minutes later, smiling at Hermione as he took her hand and drew her out of the chair she was sitting in. He frowned when he saw how pale she appeared and looked at Remus for answers, but the older man shook his head and shrugged.

"Right, we'll get going then. See you later?" Neville said, nodding at the werewolf and guiding Hermione out of the room.

The ride home was silent and Neville didn't try making her talk, sensing her deep emotions and wondering what the matter was. From hearing of her more recent past he knew she had good reason to be withdrawn, but from what Remus had told him, she had been well on her way to showing her true personality. So what the hell had happened to make her close up like a flower denied the sun?

When they arrived at the house, Neville let her out of the car at the steps and then went and parked it in the garage, coming back to find she had already gone inside and was making her way up the stairs.

"Hey wait up," he said, making her stop her progress and glance briefly at him. "Come and have a drink with me."

Hermione tried to speak and couldn't, so she just shook her head and looked away, making Neville frown worriedly. He went up the stairs to where she was standing and took her arm, shocked to find her shaking like a leaf.

"Merlin, Hermione, what's the matter?"

He waited for an answer but she didn't speak, closing her eyes and shaking her head again. "Come on, come and have a drink, I think you need one," he said softly, drawing her back down the stairs and into Remus' study where he poured something amber coloured into a glass and thrust it under her nose. "Drink."

Hermione automatically did as he said, taking a large swallow of the liquid and then choking as it burned its way down her throat. But it had the desired effect and brought her partially back to reality.

"What was that?" she asked huskily, her eyes watering.

"Firewhisky, best thing in the world for shock," Neville told her, smiling wryly.

"Shock?" she asked, her brain working slowly.

"Yes, shock. That's what you were acting like, exactly as if you had had a shock. Want to tell me about it?"

Hermione thought briefly that these people must be sick to death of her crying and looking tragic most of the time, but they had never once complained, always being there for her, more now than ever. She made a concerted effort not to cry as she told Neville about Roman's visit. She didn't say a word about Ron, though, and she couldn't analyse why. Maybe it was because she knew what Remus would do, and what Neville would do too. Remus would fire Ron, and Neville would try and fight him. She didn't want that to happen, not to either of them. Neville hugged her, kissing her on the forehead when she said she wanted to go and have a rest.

He watched her walk out of the room and waited until she was well out of the way upstairs before he went to the Fireplace to call Remus.

"This is getting out of hand," Neville muttered as he yelled Remus' name and waited until he answered, rattling off what she had told him as soon as he did.

"This is ridiculous," Remus muttered. "Thanks Neville, I was going to ask around here to find out what was wrong, so you've saved me some trouble. I'll get on to the Aurors again and have a little word with security. They aren't doing their jobs well enough."

The two men said their goodbyes and ended the call, and Neville filled the glass again, sitting down and sipping slowly at the spirit as he thought about what he'd do to Roman if he ever caught him.

Back at the Agency Headquarters, Ron was sitting in his office cursing roundly. Lavender was sitting there with him, watching him as he worked his temper out and thinking in amazement that he had never gotten quite that angry with her. He must care about that little know-it-all a lot, she thought. It was a good job she would soon be out of the picture so Lavender could sink her claws into him with more ease.

She leaned forward and took Ron's hand in hers, drawing it up to her face and planting a kiss in the centre of his palm, the action stopping his thoughts as he stared at her in astonishment.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?"

"Oh Ron," she said softly, injecting some desperation into her voice and standing up. "I hate seeing you like this. You're so wound up," she purred and abruptly planted herself on his lap, her arms twining around his neck as she leaned in and kissed him, putting everything she had ever learned about men into the kiss. Her knowledge was vast.

Ron jumped when she placed her mouth on his, his eyes staring at her incredulously, and he moved his hands to her arms to get her off him. But Lavender held on, rubbing herself over him until he felt himself start to harden underneath her. He took a shocked breath and stood up pushing her violently off him and watching as she smiled seductively, not in the least bothered by his actions.

"What the bloody hell is the matter with you? I don't want you anymore Lavender!" he said, angry with her and with his own body.

"Yes you do," she said, looking pointedly at his crotch. "Come on Ron, I can make you feel better, get rid of some of that tension," she said, moving closer again and running a hand over his chest and down, grabbing his erection through his jeans and rubbing.

Ron groaned helplessly as his body reacted to her touch, but his mind refused to give in. "Get off me, Lavender!"

"Make me," she whispered, dropping suddenly to her knees and opening his jeans before he had the presence of mind to stop her. As he lifted his hands to make her stand up she grabbed his hard flesh and drew it out in front of her, closing her mouth over him and sucking expertly, the feeling making his knees shake and his hands grab her head.

He looked down at her with desire and disgust equally mixed and then swore loudly. Fine, if this was what she wants, he thought, then she'd better be ready for it. He grabbed her face so she couldn't move and started pushing into her mouth in long, fast strokes, feeling her throat spasm as he forced himself down it, not in the least concerned with her comfort as he drove himself to completion. He groaned harshly as he held himself deep in her mouth, letting the brief pleasure skitter over his nerves before releasing her and zipping himself back up. He looked down at her kneeling there trying to catch her breath, and grimaced with distaste, disgusted with what he'd just done and with whom. Crouching down so she had to look up at him, he grabbed her chin and sneered.

"Was it everything you'd hoped for?" he asked sarcastically, and she let her eyes fill with tears, choking back a sob theatrically as she jumped up and ran out of the room. As soon as the door closed behind her she smiled and wiped her mouth. Regardless of whether or not Ron wanted her, she would eventually get him. She pulled out her shell phone and punched the icon Roman had given her, wincing at her sore throat.

"Hello?"

"Hello Roman, it's me. I think it's time we carried out our little deal, don't you? Tomorrow morning. Meet me at my hotel at nine, then we'll both get what we want," she said, grinning happily into the shell phone as he agreed and she hung up. She could hardly wait.

Remus looked at Hermione across his breakfast and frowned, his eyes moving to his wife and seeing the same look mirrored in her face. It seemed that Roman's visit had turned Hermione back into the frightened mouse she had been when she had first come here, and he didn't like it one bit. But something else was bothering him too. There was something she wasn't telling him, he was sure of it. He shuddered to think what that something might be, because for her not to tell him it must be worse than the threat of Roman Castleton. He would give her space to think, and then hopefully she would come to him with any problems she had. It didn't occur to him that the problem could be with Ron. His absence last night and this morning was expected since he and Harry were on an assignment. Had Remus known the events of the previous day, and that young Hermione Jane Granger had officially been hurt one too many times... he'd have torn the bigger man's balls off.

"Emma, did you send those forms off?" he asked his wife, with a raise of his eyebrows.

The elegant blonde woman looked up and gave a knowing smile. "Oh yes, I sent them off. It should only take another couple of weeks now, what with there being no one to contest it," she said, smiling mysteriously when Daphne and Neville shot her a confused look.

"What papers?" the younger woman asked.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with just yet," Remus said, glancing once at Hermione and then back at his stepdaughter. "You're not working today are you?"

Daphne shook her head. "Nope, I need to do some Christmas shopping later on, it's only a few days away now. Why?"

"I want Hermione to stay here today, and I want someone here with her. If you want to both go shopping that's fine, but I'll have someone come with you, okay?"

Daphne nodded and Hermione looked at Remus, not offering any argument. He raised his eyebrows.

"Is that okay Ninny?"

"That's fine," she murmured, turning her attention back to her breakfast and pushing it around the plate.

"Hmm. Well, I have to get going, some of us do have work to do," Remus said, blotting his mouth and standing up, Emmeline following suit. "Well come on!" Remus said, eyeing Neville still sitting there eating.

"Okay, okay!" the younger man said, smiling and then rolling his eyes as he took a last gulp of coffee.

"Hey," Neville said to Hermione, putting his hand on her shoulder when he stood next to her, "I thought I'd bring Harry and Carter back for lunch today, maybe Carter's girlfriend...what's her name? Tabitha isn't it? What do you think?"

Hermione brightened a little and gave a wan smile. "That would be nice."

Neville nodded and messed her hair up with one hand, grinning like a kid. "Great. See you later...oh, you do realise you'll have to make lunch though, don't you? Tilly's off for the rest of the day."

Daphne threw her napkin at him and then laughed as he rushed out of the house, her parents following at a more sedate pace.

"Well, looks like a girl's morning then. What would you like to do?"

Hermione shrugged and glanced out of the window at the thick snow that still covered the ground. "I don't know, really. I wouldn't mind going for a walk around the grounds before we go shopping, I feel a bit restless."

"Okay, but you better bundle up nice and warm, otherwise Remus will kill me. The last thing you need is to get the flu again!" Daphne said, grimacing. "I'll clear this lot up and then we can get walking. To tell the truth it'll probably be good for me, I feel like I haven't had any fresh air for ages!"

Hermione watched as the older witch went about clearing the table and she got up to help, glad to have something to do to take her mind off Ron and the horrible things he had said. But nothing helped and she just kept thinking about it, replaying the scene over and over again as she tried to make sense of it all. And then there was Lavender, Hermione hadn't even let on that she'd recognized her, she and Ron were holding hands, something that had hurt the worst. She frowned. Was that how Ron had felt when he saw her with Harry? she wondered. If it was, then his actions were a little more understandable she supposed, although she would never have said those sorts of things to him.

When Daphne was satisfied that everything was spotless, they both went and got their cloaks on.

She looked Hermione over when she came back downstairs and stood in the hallway. "No, no, no, this cloak isn't warm enough. Hang on a second," Daphne said, rushing back to her room and returning with a long black cloak. "Here, wear this one, that way I'll know you're warm enough."

"I'm not sick anymore," Hermione grumbled, letting Daphne put the cloak on her regardless. It was warm, she thought, maybe too warm. It was extremely thick and made of some very luxurious material. She clasped the collar tight and then tucked a scarf around her neck, staring at Daphne and waiting to get her approval.

"Okay, that's better. Let's go!" the older girl said, and she grabbed Hermione's arm, dragged her out of the house, beginning the long walk around the grounds, their progress somewhat hampered by how deep the snow was in places. But it had the desired effect and Hermione felt herself starting to relax a bit, Daphne's constant chatter bringing a smile to her mouth. When she gave a shiver at the cold, the older girl stopped walking and put her hands on her hips, looking at her comically. "Why didn't you tell me you were getting cold? Remus will kill me!" she said, tutting and shaking her head. "Come on, let's get back and I'll make a nice cup of hot chocolate and we can talk about what you're going to buy your man for Christmas!"

"I probably won't be seeing him again, so it won't matter," Hermione mumbled, her mind firmly on Ron again now that Daphne had brought up the subject.

"What do you mean? Have you argued?" Daphne asked as they walked slowly back towards the house.

"Sort of," she replied and then shook her head. "It's nothing really."

"Well, it doesn't sound like nothing if you don't think you'll be seeing him again!"

"It's just something he said...I guess I'll have to wait and see," she muttered, trying to make it sound okay when she knew it was anything but.

"It'll be okay, Hermione, you'll see. Arguments like this always blow over as quickly as they begin. I bet he'll be banging on the door before the day's over!" Daphne said, smiling reassuringly at her. Hermione forced herself to smile back, not wanting Daphne to be affected by her current misery. "That's better. Now, about that shopping trip... oh, who's that?"

Hermione followed Daphne's gaze and saw a car sitting in the driveway near the house, and an uneasy feeling overwhelmed her. The fact that Daphne didn't know who it was baffled her for a second. She looked at the older girl and saw her frowning.

"Don't you know who it is?"

Daphne shook her head, and then shrugged. "It's probably an associate of Remus', someone I don't know. We'll let them know he's not here and then we can start getting lunch together for when Neville gets back."

"Wait..." Hermione said suddenly, grabbing the other girl's arm. "I really don't like this Daffy."

Daphne sighed, pulling Hermione into a hug. "I know you're scared Ninny, and I don't blame you either..."

"But..." Hermione said when the other girl trailed off.

"Look at it this way," she told her holding Hermione at arms length and rubbing her arms comfortingly.

"Remus did say he was going to send someone by to take us shopping. I don't recognize the car, but that doesn't mean anything. For all we know it could be a new company car. It could be Harry, Carter, any one of a number of people. I don't think that bastard is going to be bold enough just to show up here. Plus, he only seems to show himself when you're alone."

Hermione was quiet for a moment as she thought about what Daphne had said. The woman did have a point. Castleton always did seem to only come after her when there were no witnesses. The way he fled yesterday when he saw Carter coming was evidence enough of that.

"I... I guess you're right." She finally said.

Daphne took Hermione's hand in hers as they went around the front of the house and saw that the car was empty, and Daphne frowned again. "That's odd, they can't be in the house...."

"That's right, we can't be," Lavender said, making both women swing around to face her. Daphne's eyes widened and then she sneered, her lip curling up as she bared her teeth.

"What are you doing here?"

"Shouldn't that be 'what are we doing here?'" Lavender said smugly, giving Daphne an evil smile before turning to Hermione, her eyes filled with hatred. "I have a surprise for you."

Hermione saw the movement out of the corner of her eye and turned her head in time to see Roman step from behind some shrubbery, and she felt herself become boneless as shock paralysed her.

Daphne hadn't seen the man before, but Hermione's instant reaction to him let her know who he was.

"What do you want?" she asked fingering the wand in her pocket.

"Oh, this little tramp knows exactly what I want," Roman said, grabbing Hermione by her hair, and pressed his wand to her throat as he dragged her to stand in front of him, laughing as she cried out in pain. "And guess what, pretty, I'm getting it. There's no one here to stop me this time."

Lavender watched him and smiled gleefully. "Better keep your hands out of those pockets, Daffy if you don't want the little bitch to get hurt. As for me, I want Ron and I will get him."

"He would never go back to you Lavender, he has more taste than that!" Daphne spat at her, looking from one of them to another deciding how to move without putting Hermione in harms way.

"Really? Well, he didn't have any complaints when he had his dick in my mouth last night," she said, arching one eyebrow.

Hermione stared at the woman with wide eyes, feeling unbelievable pain course through her as she heard what Ron had done. And this woman was his ex-wife, someone he had professed to hate. She felt as if he had been playing with her the whole time. Roman's hand tightening in her hair jerked her back to reality and her eyes filled with tears of pain as he almost pulled the hair from her head.

"I'll have some fun with this one," he said, lowering his other hand and trailing it over the front of her body, the sensation thankfully numbed through the heavy cloak.

"You can have all the fun you want, afterwards," Lavender said, pulling a muggle gun out of her pocket, much to Daphne's shock. "What? You didn't actually think I'd come here with just a wand knowing you could both best me in that area? No, no, no, I'm not that daft! Now then, let's get inside and we can get the ball rolling."