Disclaimer: I do not own any Harry Potter characters.

Chapter 3:

Hermione wasn't just mad at them, she was most mad at herself. That meant that they were all in danger.

She had known that something was wrong, but she had done nothing because of her insecurities.

"Why was I not the first one informed of this?" she practically shrieked. "They're my family! My friends!"

She had known that something was amiss when her mom didn't reply by owl. It had been five days since she sent her letter, and she knew that her parents would at least send something whether or not Jennifer replied. They would take two days at most!

But rather than thinking, she had dwelled on her insecurities. She had thought that they wouldn't care enough or was too busy to write.

"I am sorry, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said tiredly, "An old man's mistake. We were concerned with your safety and knew that if you had known, you would immediately leave this holding and go to them. The hospital may be protected, but if it was a trap to lure you, or any of our members," he sighed further and sagged in his seat as the weight of his responsibilities appeared to physically burden him, "we cannot risk losing our members. Voldemort will win."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't play the greater good card, Dumbledore. I had a right to know." She replied in cold anger. "They have been in the hospital for five days. Chances that he has set a trap there is slim to none. So am I to understand that even now, you don't want me to go see them?"

"There is nothing you can do there, Miss Granger," Dumbledore looked at her over his crescent spectacles. "I still advise you to stay here."

She looked him steadily in the eye, and just when he thought she agreed, she stood abruptly, causing the wooden chair to loudly slide backwards and fall. Then she spun on her heel and walked out the door with Sirius, Remus, Arthur, Moody, Tonks, and Dumbledore looking after her.

Walking out the door, Cedric immediately matched her purposeful steps up the stairs. "Are you going?"

"Yes."

"Who's going with you?"

"No one."

Cedric frowned and grabbed her elbow. "You are not leaving by yourself! It's too dangerous!"

Hermione glared at him accusingly. "You knew."

He unconsciously gulped. There was burning rage in her eyes but her voice could have freeze hell over. "I found out this morning." Her accusing eyes were disappointed then.

She wrenched her elbow out of his grip and slammed the doorin his face.

Everyone thought to give her time and space. They thought that she would see reason soon, and that everything will be good tomorrow morning.

That was what everyone voiced anyway, but they all knew differently, especially those who saw Hermione's face upon learning that the Dark Lord sent his Death Eaters to the popular plaza in London to terrorize and especially torture her parents and friends. Especially, when they saw her face upon learning that they were still in the hospital and have been for five days. Especially when they saw the disbelief and pure anger that came off her in waves when she learned that the Order not only knew, but purposely hid the fact from her.

The people she had most trusted had betrayed her, and she made sure they knew it with her accusing eyes and crisp heated words.

The next morning, Hermione disappeared from her room.

No one was really surprised.

Tonks immediately rushed out the door with Remus not far behind her upon knowing. He was being dragged back by a protesting Sirius who wanted to come along as a dog. And not far behind him, was Cedric who was practically fighting his way out the door as he pushed the other boys out and said in a defined voice, "I'm going."

It wasn't hard to get out of Grimmauld's Place.

She pretended to have already left, and while everyone was distracted searching for her; she slipped out the front door with little fanfare.

Hermione wasn't stupid.

She immediately knew something was amiss upon request after request for the Daily Prophet were either forgotten or simply denied for some illegitimate reason.

The little time she spent with Tonks, she knew that there was something hidden from her. There was also always some underlying guilt that appeared beneath her colorful eyes, and the woman always found some excuse to leave her quickly. Not to mention, her old professor always seemed to have a haunting look when he set his eyes on her.

Begging and pleading to Tonks with silent tears, the woman had finally explained the situation to her, and she confirmed it with her old professor. And when Dumbledore refused to see her, she simply stormed into the Order's meeting.

And now, she waited at the edge of the broomsticks for the people who were supposed to go after her. She wasn't going to go to the hospital by herself and possibly get killed or kidnapped.

They stared at her in shock, expecting her to already be at the hospital.

"You owe me," she simply stated.

Cedric was the first to recover. He grabbed a broomstick and nodded for her to climb on behind him. Tonks followed suit, grabbing a broomstick.

"We should go back, Hermione," Lupin tried.

Hermione coldly glanced at him before she looked back at Tonks. "I would like to be there before visiting hours end."

Tonks nodded with an impossibly bright smile. "Best to go now then."

"Tonks!" Lupin tried again, although his yell wasn't really loud.

The two kicked off and flew into the sky.

Lupin shook his head. He couldn't shake the image of Hermione's cold regard towards him. She had once been quite the warm, intelligent young girl who always looked up to him. And now? He really had betrayed her. She did deserve to know. And rather than being her trusted professor, he decided to simply follow orders.

With a heavy heart, he flew after them.

Hermione didn't know where she was walking, but she was quick in her steps and followed the signs to the Intensive Magical Care and room 303.

Cedric kept with her pace with slight panting as did Tonks despite their height.

Hermione smiled a wide smile of relief upon reaching their room.

"Mum! Dad!" she knelt between their beds as tears streamed down her face.

Cedric and Tonks stayed outside the room and watched the reunion through the large glass view. The nurses were constantly walking back and forth down the hall, always alert to the patients' conditions through the glass. They weren't out of the woods yet.

"Oh, honey," her mom kissed her forehead.

Hermione saw that they were both pale and shaking with effort from just lifting their hand towards her. She quickly wrapped her hands around them. "How are you feeling?"

Her mom smiled. "We've been better."

"And we're a lot better off than your friends." Her dad added.

"Henry." Her mom scolded, shooting him a slight glare before casting a glance at the other two beds across from them. "They're doing better as well honey, but they need a lot more rest than we do."

Hermione frowned. "What do you mean?" she squeezed both her parents hands before turning to the other two beds.

Jennifer no longer had her yellow tan skin tone and was instead porcelain white; Alan was almost translucent when he should have had a darker tan.

"They tortured them," her mom stated softly. "They were going to torture us, but Jennifer provoked them and Alan tried to protect her."

Hermione's eyes stung with tears. She made her way to their beds and stood there for a bit as she cried. She squeezed Alan's hand slightly as she moved Jennifer's hair out of her face. "Why aren't they awake?"

"They suffered the worst of it, dear." Her mom replied.

"The men were shouting Crucio again and again at them." Her dad explained, ignoring her mom's chiding. "The nurses say that their immune system is deteriorating and their organs can fail at any moment due to the fact that their body was tortured so badly. Or something like that."

Hermione nodded. Depending on the caster, the Cruciatus Curse can cause immeasurable pain, but directed correctly, it can attack a person's inner body and cause their eventual death on top of the suffering. Pins and needles to the inside of one's flesh.

"Miss?" a nurse snapped Hermione out of her thoughts. "I am going to have to ask you to leave if you can't control yourself." The rather elderly nurse cautioned her.

"Sorry," Hermione bowed her head in apology. She hadn't realized she had unleashed some of her magic from the anger.

"She's our daughter, Hermione," Henry supplied. "This is Nurse Gina."

"She's been very kind and caring to us, dear," her mom added.

Gina smiled and shook her head, "You don't have to mention that Helen. It's my job." The middle aged woman with teal eyes and honey curls turned to her. "Your parents are fine, they're just here so we can carefully supervise their healing. Your friends however," she frowned slightly as she looked from Jennifer to Alan. "Are still not quite recovering yet. They'll be in here for another good five days. Your parents may leave tomorrow though."

Hermione nodded. "Thank you." She said gratefully. "Have they regained consciousness?"

Gina shook her head with pursed lips. "No, but we are doing everything we can to make sure they do. Those men didn't just cast the Cruciatus Curse on them. There were a number of other curses as well." Seeing Hermione's wide eyes, she quickly added, "We are doing everything we can for them. They will recover. It's just a matter of time. We don't have a choice but to let the curses wreck havoc on their bodies before we can fully cure them. I'm not saying this is completely risk free, but we have the best doctors and mediwitches flying in for them."

Hermione frowned, surprised. "Is this Dumbledore's doing?"

Gina raised an eyebrow at Hermione. "No…as far as I'm concerned, Dumbledore has no part in any of this. He did come to visit, but we denied him permission. We were under specific orders to only allow you and perhaps who comes with you."

She blinked several times.

"You don't have to worry about a thing." Gina smiled comfortingly as she patted Hermione's arm. "We can provide you a bed here if you'd like to stay. Your friends won't be able to though."

Hermione nodded slowly as Gina smiled and with a waved her hand, a bed appeared in the corner of her parents side of the room. "Don't worry," Gina smiled widely, "We have excellent security here. Like I said, Dumbledore couldn't come here even if he tried."

Hermione wasn't sure she liked Gina's very warm smile then. There was a little victorious side to it that seemed dangerous there.

"You're staying the night?" Cedric asked incredulously. "You can't stay here! It's not safe!"

Tonks nodded. "We're taking you back!"

Hermione glared at the two. "No!" she said firmly. "I am staying here."

Lupin gripped Cedic's and Tonks' arms. "Let her stay."

The two turned wildly on him.

"Dumbledore couldn't get in here. We tried to visit her parents but the staff wouldn't let us come in. There are wards on the place, excellent wards," he emphasized. "We have men outside, and if anything, we can join them and increase security."

Hermione was finally allowed to sit down with her thoughts as they left and Cedric with a most comforting hug. Her parents were currently resting in their beds, sleeping upon taking their medication.

She glanced at the two opposite beds where her friends lie.

She knew Jennifer had family issues and that Alan is an orphan. She had thought it odd that she never once met the Aunt that takes care of the two, but never questioned it because the two always said their Aunt travels. A lot.

Alan alluded to the fact that she was something like, "The whore of Babylon" once.

Hermione assumed that the aunt wasn't very nice and never brought the subject up.

She's been to their place a few times. They had a very large flat, but their rooms were very bare. There is simply a single couch, a hot water dispenser, empty fridge, two sofa beds in the living room, and nothing in the actual rooms.

"The view of the city is wonderful at night," Jennifer told her once.

Hermione agreed with her upon spending the night once on the couch. Their whole living room wall was made of glass and the city was beautiful with all the bright lights.

"Jennifer doesn't like sleeping alone in a room. She's too much of a coward."

Jennifer smacked Alan for saying that.

"So we just crash in the living room. Don't need anything really. Just a place to sleep."

Jennifer nodded.

Despite the beautiful view, Hermione felt very empty the night she spent there. She also knew why Jennifer and Alan ran on so little sleep. She was very restless that night but she didn't utter a sound to break the silence even though she knew they were just as awake as she was. It was just how they spent their nights; in silence and without sleep looking at the beautiful but also sad view.

Now she wondered though.

Who are Jennifer Faye and Alan Hannigan?

Dumbledore is a powerful political figure. The Minister is right to fear Dumbledore.

How can they deny him access? How are they getting doctors – Muggle doctors – and mediwitches to fly in and take care of them?

What is going on?

She scoffed. People alike really do flock together.

She's not the only one with trust issues it seems.