Day by Day

DAY BY DAY

By Lady Jane

Chapter Fourteen: "The One About Hermione's Monday Morning...And Afternoon AND Tuesday Morning, Afternoon And Night!"

Hermione's Monday Morning

Hermione walked to her office with a smile on her face, wondering what Harry would do to their bedroom, thinking about "christening" it that night. Too bad I've got two appointments this morning, she thought, otherwise I could be home, with Harry... As she walked past Priscilla's desk, Priscilla asked her where she got off looking so damn chirpy and downright happy on a Monday morning.

Hermione laughed, stopping and sitting on the corner of her friend's desk beside a precariously balanced stack of books. 'I'll let you in on a little secret, Priscilla, you were right!' With that, she stood up and swung into her office, humming to herself. This guaranteed that Priscilla would immediately follow her in, demanding to know what she'd been right about, just as Hermione knew she would.

Hermione sat down behind her desk, putting her wand in its special drawer. Priscilla plonked herself down in one of the armchairs facing Hermione and crossed her arms.

'Not leaving till you give it up!' she announced, smiling grimly at Hermione.

Hermione put her elbows on her desk, resting her chin on her hands, her eyes sparkling as she smiled smugly at her colleague and friend. 'I took that hop, skip and jump down the hallway.'

Priscilla sat up, her eyes widening, her hands clutching the arms of the chair, pushing herself forwards.

'You don't mean - I mean, did you - you didn't! Did you?'

'If, Miss Laycock, you are referring to whether one of my best friends is now much more than my best friend, you would be correct.'

Priscilla's mouth dropped open. 'Oh sweet Merlin! Harry! I was right! Oh, Hermione, you are sooooooo lucky - he is dropdead gorgeous!'

Hermione nodded as she sat back in her chair, looking sternly at her friend. 'And if you are truly the friend I know you to be, you will keep this to yourself until further notice!' She knew she'd taken a risk telling Priscilla, but she was aware that Priscilla could keep things to herself despite her reputation, if she chose to.

Priscilla groaned. 'Hermione! You're killing me! The hottest piece of gossip ever and you want me to keep my lips zipped? I'm in pain here!'

Hermione's demeanour became serious. 'I mean it Priscilla. I know how you love to gossip - you live to gossip! - but I know you can do this, for me. For Harry.'

Priscilla slumped back in the chair, then smiled ruefully at Hermione. 'Of course I can. I am actually the repository of a number of secrets I've never revealed, believe it or not!'

'I know and I'm impressed!' said Hermione as she picked up the parchment that listed her schedule for the day and looked at her watch. 'Only fifteen minutes before Mr Kidde and Mr Knapp arrive.'

She smiled as she realised what she'd read. Kidde and Knapp? They must get a lot of ribbing about that, she thought.

Priscilla stood up to leave. 'You must have lunch with me today - if I can't talk to anyone else about this brilliant piece of gossip, at least let me talk to you!' she begged.

Hermione shook her head, smiling. 'Afraid I can't! Harry's taking me to lunch.'

Priscilla groaned. 'Afternoon tea, then! And I'm not taking no for an answer!'

'All right!' laughed Hermione, 'Now shoo!'

The two wizards arrived punctually, both dressed in rather elaborate robes in a style that had been in favour many years ago. The receptionist showed them straight into Hermione's office, closing the door after them.

As they sat down on the other side of her desk Hermione, as she often did during an interview, wrote snippets on a piece of parchment she always had handy; she usually wrote key words that would mean something to her and jog her memory later.

'So, gentlemen, what is the exact nature of this assignment?' she asked, writing "9.30 Kidde, Knapp.'

'We're interested in the connection between the Malfoy family and the Dark Lord's Death Eaters. The history of this connection.' They had counted themselves as very clever coming up with this idea.

Hermione wrote, "Assgn: Dth Etrs - Malfoys? History."

She noticed the two men looking at each other, then the wizard on the left, the shorter and stouter of the two, leaned forward a little. 'Actually, Miss Granger, it's more a case of us being on an assignment here.'

'Mr Knapp?' inquired Hermione, continuing when he nodded, 'what do you mean?'

The other wizard, a tall, thin, emaciated looking man who must be Mr Kidde, then stood up and pointed his wand at her. She frowned, feeling confused and the first stirrings of fright. When he was joined by his partner and she found herself staring at the points of two wands, she felt real fear, dropping her quill.

She stood up, trying to keep her voice steady as she said, 'What do you think you're doing?'

'What we're doing, Miss Granger, is taking you away from here. And you will co-operate because if we don't Floo our partner - with whom we believe you are acquainted, Draco Malfoy, and who is in Miss Weasley's office as we speak - that we have you, safe and sound, he is going to harm her. If you come with us, she will be released, unharmed.'

Hermione felt disgust and anger rising within her. 'What the hell is going on? What are you talking about?' she demanded, then added, 'And what are your real names?'

"Kidde" smirked at her. 'None of your business Mudblood and we don't have time for this.' He glanced at his watch, then looked at her, evil satisfaction in his eyes. 'We have only five minutes before the deadline is up. If we don't tell our comrade we have you, well, we're not sure what he has in store for her but I doubt it's pleasant.'

'You're lying!' yelled Hermione, for the first time cursing the silencing charm that lay permanently over her office.

"Knapp" shrugged, a cold smile on his face. 'Then let's sit here for, say, ten minutes, then go and visit your friend. Or what's left of her.'

Hermione's thoughts churned, she felt sick; she couldn't think clearly. They could be lying, they must be lying - but...what if they weren't? She wouldn't take the risk and she was sure they knew it, were counting on it in fact. She stood, trying to surreptitiously open her wand drawer but the two men came around each side of her desk so swiftly she was unable to retrieve it before they took her arms, "Kidde" saying, 'You speak the charm to get us through the Protectors on your office. We know you can do so in an emergency. We'll go first to your home and we'll take it from there.'

Cursing to herself that she didn't have more time to perhaps leave some sort of a clue, she did as they asked thinking grimly how pissed off Neville would be at further damage to the Ministry's Protector Charms. They had no sooner Apparated into her loungeroom than they Disapparated, arriving in a rather gloomy and dingy room. Hermione looked around but was only able to take in the fact that there was a lounge, a single arm chair and a small table by a blackened fireplace and that the curtains drawn on the window before one of her assailants pointed his wand at her, saying, 'Petrificus Totalus!'

The one who called himself Knapp then levitated her onto the lounge and covered her with a ragged old blanket.

'We'll be back soon,' he told her. 'You won't be harmed if all goes to plan.' Both men then Disapparated, leaving Hermione feeling infuriatingly helpless and sick with fear.

Monday Night

By the time Kidde and Knapp (she had no other names for them) returned that evening, Hermione was exhausted despite the fact that she hadn't been able to move. She'd lain there with nothing but her thoughts and fear for company and it hadn't taken her long to realise that all hell would break loose when it was discovered that she'd "vanished". Thinking of Harry's pain alone caused an ache inside her. Still, she was sure he'd somehow find her. And Ginny - if it hadn't been an empty threat about Malfoy hurting her, had he done as her captors had said and let her go?

They released her from the spell so that she could walk around and stretch, go to the bathroom and eat the rather pathetic, limp sandwiches they'd brought back for her with a bottle of pumpkin juice. Limp or not, it was the first food she'd had since breakfast and she ate it all.

The two wizards, sitting side by side on the lounge, watched her eat while they drank a couple of glasses of firewhiskey each, talking in low voices. They told her things were going well so far.

Hermione glared at them. 'Is Ginny all right? And why the hell would Malfoy want to kidnap me?'

Knapp laughed. 'Yes, I believe your friend is fine.' He sounded as though it was the last thing he cared about. 'And Mr Malfoy doesn't tell us any more than we need to know; we just do as we're told.'

Hermione thought that was a bit strange, these two men didn't seem subservient, but said nothing else. When she'd drained the last drop of pumpkin juice they told her to lay on the lounge and pull the blanket over herself and to get comfortable after which they performed the binding spell on her, the same one Neville had used on Malfoy in his office (you can't sleep under the effects of the Petrificus Totalus spell).

Tuesday Morning

Hermione woke before dawn hoping her captors wouldn't be so affected by the firewhiskey they'd drunk that they'd sleep in too late. Thankfully, it was less than an hour later, just as it was getting light that they appeared. The released her once they'd made breakfast which consisted of hot tea and plain buttered toast.

Hermione wasn't allowed to do anymore than sit up on the lounge until she'd eaten her breakfast after which she was escorted to the bathroom once more by Knapp.

When she returned to the lounge, she asked them whether Malfoy was going to come to see her at all and they both laughed harshly.

'Not a chance, Mudblood!' sneered Kidde. 'He wouldn't soil himself by being in the same room with you! He's above that.' If she could've, she would've sneered. How typical of Malfoy! she thought.

Tuesday Afternoon

By mid afternoon, Hermione was finding it harder to remain in anyway composed. She was, in fact, becoming quite frantic. Harry must be going crazy! she thought, feeling sick. And Ginny and Dean - and Ron and - everyone! Tears that she wasn't able to wipe away slid down her face. She wanted to yell and scream and hit something - or someone! Malfoy! The unforgivable, slimy, horrible BASTARD! She hung on to the thought that Harry would find her. And then the same word came back - the one word that had echoed through her head since this had first happened: "Why?" Why kidnap me? Why? She was sure her captors knew despite their denials.

By the time the two wizards came back Hermione felt emotionally spent but was, nevertheless, grateful for the sandwiches they brought her, although this time they were rather stale and dry. I should ask them where they get their sandwiches and make sure I steer clear of the place, she thought wryly as she ate.

The two men this time were almost gleeful. The spoke to her about rumours being successfully spread and that they could smell success! They grinned sadistically at her, taunting her with the fact it was thanks to Malfoy that it may not be long before she'd be free. 'You should be grateful to him!' they said sarcastically.

'You're really going to let me go?' she queried sceptically, ignoring their sneers and insults.

'If you're wondering about why we would do that when you could recognise us, never fear Mudblood. We'll simply use "Obliviate". They can't say we really harmed you and we will have returned you.' Both of them were sneering at her now.

Hermione shuddered inside; she'd seen the results of that spell. She wondered if any progress had been made on reversing the effects of that spell remembering Gilderoy Lockhart.

Tuesday Night

Kidde and Knapp had left her still sitting on the lounge, telling her they'd be bringing back some left overs from the Leaky Cauldron for her later for dinner. Big improvement on the lousy sandwiches, she thought, even cold, the food from the Leaky Cauldron would be better.

However, it wasn't long before Hermione found despair settling over her. She'd spent so much time trying to think of a way she could escape yet she knew it was useless. Unless one of her captors made a serious mistake when she was unbound and she was able to grab one of their wands, she was powerless and there's nothing more infuriating or depressing. She couldn't even call out and hope someone outside might hear her as of course they had put a silencing charm on the place. She was also held a tiny, niggling fear for Ginny although they'd said they thought she was fine she couldn't be certain until she saw her for herself. She still had faith that Harry would find her, somehow

She let her eyes close, wondering how much longer this was going to go on for when she heard a loud crack.

Harry had Apparated into a dark, dinghy loungeroom in which everything seemed to have been painted or covered in shades of grey. Although it was still light outside, the curtains were drawn and there were no lights to push back the gloom. He muttered, 'Lumos,' giving himself enough light to see around the room. He could see a fireplace on the far wall, full of ashes and on the tattered old lounge in front of it he saw her.

'HERMIONE!'

'Harry? HARRY!' It was him! Hermione was trying in vain to turn around to see him, but she couldn't move.

Within seconds he was across the room, kneeling in front of her, crying "Finite!' and she was free. His eyes flickered quickly over her face, filling with relief when she smiled weakly at him, whispering his name.

Harry pulled her to him and she fell to her knees in front of him, throwing her arms around his neck, tears once more sliding down her face. 'Harry, I knew you'd come, I just knew you would! I knew you'd find me!'

He was nearly crushing her his arms were wrapped so tightly around her, his face buried in her hair; she could hear him moaning, saying her name over and over She could feel his heart pounding, knowing hers was doing no less. She didn't know that he was thinking of that moment years ago, in the Department of Mysteries, when he thought she might be dead until Neville had said he'd found a pulse. The relief he felt now was tenfold. This ordeal had been much longer and even more agonising than that.

Finally, he lifted his head to look at her, his eyes devouring the sight of her face.

'Are you all right my love?' he asked her, his voice shaky. 'They didn't hurt you? They didn't...touch... you?' She buried her face against his chest, feeling overwhelmed by relief and joy at seeing him.

He heard a muffled, 'No,' as she spoke against his chest, shaking her head a little at the same time. She turned her head, 'I'm a little stiff from being kept bound but otherwise I'm fine,' she told him, a slight shudder running through her body. He fought back the tears that had, unbidden, sprung to his eyes, a product of relief and happiness.

She looked up at him, bringing her hands round to frame his face, her thumbs gently caressing his cheeks. 'I knew you'd find me. The whole time I was lying here, I was waiting for you, I knew you'd come for me.' She gave him a small smile as the tears that had filled her eyes while she spoke spilled over, running slowly down her face. Harry leaned forward and kissed them away with small, soft, lingering kisses. Hermione closed here eyes, revelling in the feel of Harry's lips on her face.

'It's so good to see you,' she told him.

'Not as good as it is to see you,' he replied, smiling for the first time.

'Is Ginny all right? Malfoy didn't hurt her?'

Harry looked a little confused. 'Ginny's fine, sweetheart. Why would Malfoy hurt her?'

Hermione shook her head. 'Let's talk about it all later. I just want you to hold me now.'

Hermione could feel him shaking and pushed herself back up on the lounge, pulling at Harry's arm so that he would sit beside her. He joined her on the lounge and then pulled her onto his lap, one arm around her waist, his right hand brushing her hair back from her face as he gazed into her eyes. She saw the pain in his and whispered, 'Oh, Harry, what you must've been through! Did you think they'd hurt me?'

He nodded, unable to speak, his eyes locked on hers. 'If they'd done anything, anything to you I'd have k-'

Hermione put her fingers softly on his lips. 'Shhh, you don't have to worry, I'm all right - I'm fine. Especially now you're here.'

Harry's hand slipped quickly behind her neck and she felt his mouth on hers, kissing her fiercely as though he wanted to reassure himself that she was indeed all right and that he was really holding her once more. As they drew apart, smiling at each other, they were startled by the sound of Neville and his two agents arriving.

'Here comes the cavalry!' joked Harry, making Hermione laugh.

Neville ran to the back of the lounge, looking down at them.

Harry looked up, still smiling. 'She's fine!' he announced.

Enormous relief washed over Neville's face as Sunny and Lucky came up each side of him.

In answer to Hermione's questioning look, Neville introduced them. 'Part of a rather large "cavalry"!' he told her, smiling.

Hermione smiled at them, thanking them.

'Our pleasure, Miss Granger.'

Hermione groaned. 'Call me "Hermione" please!'

Harry looked at Hermione. 'You all right to go home now?' he asked.

Hermione nodded vigorously. 'Oh yes! Yes please!

'Go,' said Neville, 'We could all do with a good night's sleep and we'll catch up tomorrow. Ginny and Dean and Ron and Luna are all back at the Leaky Cauldron waiting for news so I'll let them know you're fine and we'll all see each other tomorrow. We'll Floo or owl you first.'

Less than an hour later Ron, Luna, Ginny and Dean had all departed, satisfied that Hermione was all right as was Harry now that he had her back and that they would all see each other tomorrow. Neville sighed. He still had to get the two Death Eaters - now officially prisoners - and Malfoy, who was still in custody - back to the Ministry and then start on the mountain of paper work that would be generated by today's events. The curly haired wizard who'd looked after Ginny walked up beside his boss and grinned. 'Thinking about the paper work, boss?' Neville looked at him and laughed. 'Yeah, can't wait to start it Ben! Wanna help?' To Neville's surprise, the young wizard nodded, although officially he didn't have to.

Neville laughed. 'You'll be sorry, but I'll be glad,' he said, smiling, knowing the company and help would make a difference.

At least Hermione was all right because that meant a lot less paperwork. You had to be grateful for small mercies at times like this as well as the big ones, he thought wryly.

TO BE CONTINUED....