Runaway

Runaway I

"One butterbeer," Hermione Granger said faintly , disguising her voice with a charm she'd learned during her years at Hogwarts. 'The good times,' she thought as she put the silver mug to her lips. Rainy days Harry, Ron, and herself came here to enjoy their free time - away from Professors, homework, and Filch.

"That'll be five sickles," the bartender replied. He extended his hand. She averted her eyes to her leather pouch - tucked safely away in her robes. Taking out five sickles, she paid the bartender. "Yah new in town eh?"

"No. I'm quite familiar with the area," she replid pertly. "I used to go to Hogwarts." She glanced around the Three Broomsticks. Not much had changed since her own Hogwarts days, mainly because there was a boom in business every time the Hogwarts students came to visit. Savoring the sweet taste, Hermione stood up and walked out of the cafe as quietly as she had come in. Stopping to take a look at the message board, there was her picture - as plain as day. "Hermione Granger, $150,000 reward - wanted alive."

Outside the Three Broomsticks, she hurried away to her cottage on the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest. It had been three years of non-stop running and desperately keeping herself hidden from the Wizarding World. She was known to take stops along the way. How'd she end up like this? It was a daze of emotions that caused her to murder, if one should call it that, one of her fellow Hogwarts students - not to mention a first year Hufflepuff!

Hermione felt sick. She leaned against the door post. 'No doubt the Ministry is looking for me.' Anger was the key ingredient, and she knew that Voldemort had nothing to do with her outrage of anger. Her silence, for seven years of her life, had costed her freedom. 'Ron's posted outrageous claims against me. Perhaps it was my love for Harry and not of him that caused him to write it. Harry's defending justice ; moreover, Draco Malfoy's on the good side for once. Out to hunt me.. Great,' Hermione rolled her eyes and clutched her stomach as the butterbeer came to her throat.

--

Back in his office at the Ministry of Magic, Ronald Weasley - newly elected Minister of Magic tapped his desk in anxious news from Harry and Draco about Hermione's location. "How'd it happen, Hermione?" Ron asked himself silently. 'Just three years ago, you were clean of any record. Then they had your wand snapped, but you escaped from Azkaban - disappearing from the Wizarding World.. I can just remember your face. The tears rolling down your red, flushed cheeks as you watched your trusty wand snapped in half, the sparks shooting all over, and then there was no more. It was a sign that you'd been abandoned by the Wizarding World.'

Ronald Weasley had been elected Minister of Magic by uttering the regretful words, "I will bring Hermione Granger to justice. Let justice prevail." It had won him the election, and he wasn't about to back off on his own words. 'Look at Cornelius Fudge,' Ron thought to himself. 'He's bankrupt - all because he went back on his deal-' A sharp rap on the door signified that Draco and Harry were here with the reports.

"Come in," Ron said as he composed himself and checked the mirror. He glanced over at Harry Potter, still playing his part in banquishing evil - with a new side-kick. 'Of all people? Draco Malfoy?' Ron chuckled silently, it was an unlikely pair - but none the less, they'd been stuck together. "What have you got for me today?"

"Apparently, Granger was spotted in the Three Broomsticks. We don't know much about her aliases or where she resides. I believe she apparated from there. No. I know she apparated from there because we would have tracked her. Justin Walden , the bartender there, said that she'd just gone a few seconds before we arrived at the Broomsticks," Harry said pausing for a brief moment. His black hair was just as untidy as it had been in his Hogwarts years, even more so. His lightning scar, green eyes, and taped glasses were still there - leaving his mark in history. "Ron do you think it's neccessary to continue to search for Herm-" Ron shot him a look of venom. "Granger, I mean chief. She's been listed as Project Runaway for three years already, and we haven't come any closer.."

At that moment, Glenda Crandan burst in the door. "Sir, you have a phone call from Phillips! He says its urgent, and he must speak to you at once. It regards Project Runaway." In a flash, Ron picked up the telephone on his desk and pressed line seven - the emergency line. There was noo doubt in his mind that they'd come closer to capturing Hermione Granger. "Weasley!" Ron barked into the telephone - preparing to hear what was neccessary.

--

"Open the door! This is the Ministry of Magic!" The mens' voices bellowed outside Hermione's cottage. Terrible fear struck Hermione, and she panicked. Not having contact with wizards from years, Hermione shrugged. "We have this area sealed off! You can't apparate!" Hermione snapped her fingers in despair, 'Just my luck. They sealed it off already.'

The darkness of the cottage was lit by a lumos charm. "We know you're in there Granger..." Hermione whispered 'nox' and the lumos candle disappeared. Silently, she stood there - waiting for them to break down the door. She had nothing of value there, well except her journals from Hogwarts and several memorabilia from her happier years , but it meant nothing to her. Although there was - she was interrupted as the glass window was shattered by rocks. For nothing could save her from her fate now. As the door was broken open, six armed Agency agents barged in holding up their wands.

"Raise up your arms and place them over your head so we can see them. Don't make any sudden moves, or we will have to immobilize you." Hermione silently allowed them to snap the handcuffs on them, and bowed her head gracefully as she was pushed roughly out the door.

--

"Blimey! We've got her at last!" Ron jumped up and congratulated Harry and Draco. "She'll be put on trial. Alert the press! Shower the confetti! We've got our criminal at last." Harry stared at him as if he was crazy. Draco shrugged and picked up the phone to call the Daily Prophet. The Hufflepuff's name was Madeline Danquell. "Mr. and Mrs. Danquell will be eager to hear about the capture-" Ron's victory was interrupted by a cough by Harry.

"We need to interrogate her throughly before putting her on trial." Ron gave him a funny look, as if to say 'are you questioning my authority?' "It's innocent until proven guilty. We haven't had a chance to prove her guilty . Seeing as you scare her away, we've never gotten a chance to talk to Hermione."

"How dare you! You're telling me as Minister of Magic what to do? I'm doing whatever I see fit! You still harbor the same feelings when you had a bloody good shag in our last year." Ron's face was red and his hands were balled into firsts. "You thought I wasn't jealous of you two? Always whispering to each other about what you hoped for in the future. I wanted her to die.. Wished that she would leave our friendship alone. Then she became your girlfriend," Ron's voice trailed off.

Harry replied calmly to Ron's outrage, "Hermione and I are broken up. We haven't officially broken up, but it's good enough to say so. We haven't spoke for three years. Three years of you not allowing me to say my love's name. I loved her, Ron. You went from girl to girl, looking for a perfect match. I'd found mine. Then she ran off. Became a runaway... a legend.. a myth. I'm heading to Azkaban to interrogate her. I don't care what you say. The law says innocent until proven guilty, and I wish to abide by that fact."

Draco stood there, baffled with the thought of old pleasures, romances, and the thought of Harry and Hermione - well.. doing it. "The Daily Prophet's been notified," Draco said - easing the tension. "What will I do eh Chief?"

"Run over to the Agency and congratulate Phillip," Ron said as he sat down in the chair. He saw Harry's scowl as he marched out the door - slamming it in the process. "Watch Harry. He's in way over his head. He doesn't know how much Hermione's changed."

--

"Granger, Hermione," hissed the jail-keeper who was accompanied by a Dementor. "Mr. Potter is here to see you." Hermione nodded, as she was now wearing her black and white prison uniform. Sweat dribbled down her back, partially from nervousness about the Dementor, and partially about the heat. It was a stone room with no windows or means of escape, not that she felt afraid of Harry.

She'd wanted to see him in the past. Then she heard he was in the Ministry of Magic's secret organization called The Agency, and she was scared of even seeing him. He was leaning back in his wooden chair and checking his watch. "Hello, Hermione," his voice was soft , like the whispers that still echoed in her ears.

Silence.

"You're probably wondering why I'm here."

Silence. Hermione stared curiously at him. The door was shut and Hermione heard the satisfactory click of a lock. Azkaban had strict rules of visitation, but considering that Harry was already a first class wizard - did not monitor him. Besides, all he need was to utter 'dementincendo' in the slightest whisper then the Dementors would come in and administer the kiss and that would be all. All the prisoners in Azkaban knew this. That was why hardly anyone started a riot in Azkaban.

"Well Ron was going to give you an unfair trial without evidence that you were guilty so I thought I'd check you out myself." Hermione gritted her teeth as she looked at Harry longingly.

"I killed her.. There's nothing more to say about it. I don't deny it."

Harry looked at her stunned. "Why?"

"I don't know.. It came out of no where. It wasn't Voldemort. It was my own cruel intentions to kill the poor girl. I can't even remember her name. It was so long ago.. Oh Harry.. I wanted to confess. Confess that I'd murdered an innocent and deserved to be put in Azkaban. I wanted to confess that I loved you more than my whole miserable life put together." Her bitter tears streamed down her cheeks. "If I could get one more kiss, life would have been worth living.

"So you haven't lost your feeling for me have you Herm?"

"Never. I love you for life. You know that. I'd rather die than not to have met you. To have shared a short romance, even though it remains in my heart, with you." She smiled faintly, her cheeks rosy with emotion. "Yes. I do still love you, and I'd rather die than not confess it here." She paused shortly to conclude, "I'll end up dying soon. Weasley's bitter hatred for our romance in seventh year will have me executed shortly. I wouldn't be surprised if he banned you coming to see me."

"Why would he?"

"Wake up and smell the salt air," Hermione exclaimed. "Ron hated this relationship from the beginning, and you know that he bloody did. He walked in on us shagging our arses off that one time after the Yule Ball. Since then he'd felt uncomfortable, even just him and I alone in a room. I could tell he was sensative about you, but more about me. It's like he was an older brother looking out for me, Harry." She glanced at him, meeting his gaze for the first time. "Come on, Harry. Say something."

"I madly in love with you Hermione," Harry whispered in her ears, which shot tingles up her spine. The flames rekindled with their kiss, and as abruptly as he had come, Harry broke their kiss and left Azkaban with a determined grin on his face.

--

"Hermione and Potter were an item?" Draco asked himself as he glanced at his girlfriend, Danielle Eagleton. Then he remembered, it was news that they'd been caught red-handed by Ronald Weasley up in the Gryffindor tower. Then again, Draco didn't really believe Pansy Parkinson. Despite how much he'd hated Potter at the time, he didn't believe that Potter would have lost his virginity before he did. Malfoy, the bad boy compared to Harry, the golden boy of the Wizarding World.

He could just imagine them. Passionately caressing each other's hair. Harry kissing her neck. "Oh shit." Draco muttered, as he felt himself becoming aroused. It didn't take much for Draco. It had come from his father's side, and he wasn't proud in saying so. Hopping off the bed, Draco headed for the bathroom to get a cold shower.

--

Back in Hermione Granger's cottage by the Forbidden Forrest - a baby howled for her mother.