Okay so I know this took too long but the next one will come soon...(I hope)...no really I'll try and post more soon...thanks for reading...please leave comments on this one....

Chapter 20 continue

"Are you kidding me?" Ron exclaimed for the third time looking from Hermione to Harry completely taken aback.
"Does that mean that you're gonna go to jail, mum?" Rose asked terrified.
"No, Rose, she's not going to jail", Ginny answered before Hermione could.
"That's great Gin, but you know as well as I that it's only a matter of time before the aurors come here looking for me", Hermione sighed.
"Are you kidding me?" Ron repeated; Harry ignored him and sat next to his wife.
"Hermione don't worry; everything's gonna be okay", Harry told her but she shook her head.
"How did it happen?" Ginny asked Harry rubbing Hermione's back.
"I have no idea", he responded.
"Don't worry Hermione", said Ginny. "Sooner or later they'll know how wrong they were and they'll come crawling back".
"Yeah right", Hermione scowled. "It took them fifteen years to realize that Sirius was innocent, remember?"
"Hermione, I'm not gonna let what happened to Sirius happen to you", said Harry and Ginny nodded.
"It's already happening, Harry!" she exclaimed. "I'm accused for betrayal! I'm a fugitive!"
"Are you kidding me?"
"Ron!" Harry and Ginny shouted together rolling their eyes.

"What exactly did you expect to find, Matthias?" Harry asked his supervisor a couple of hours later as they were standing in the middle of the living room while the aurors were finally done searching every inch of Harry's house. Ginny and their kids were also waiting in the living room for them to finish with the searching.
"Harry try to understand", said Matthias wearily; he could tell how irritated Harry was but what choice did they had? "Hermione escaped; no one can find her or Ron or their kids and they were all formally living with you".
"Well, they don't anymore", said Ginny getting up from the couch. "So I'll be grateful if you could just get those..." she stopped and breathed, "...people...out of my house!" she added raising her voice in every syllable.
"Ginny I'm sorry for the disturbance..."
"Disturbance? You call breaking and entering in someone's house a disturbance?" Ginny shouted outraged.
"I'm sorry but it was necessary", said Matthias in a not so calm voice either.
"Harry is an auror for almost twenty years and after all of these that's what he gets?"
"Hermione was an auror for almost twenty years too and your friend for much longer than that", Matthias reminded her.
"Hermione..." Ginny started but as Harry glared at her she sighed and nodded. "Fine", she gave up. "Just get them out of here now, before I explode!"
"Gin, calm down...remember what the healers said. You shouldn't be getting upset or else the baby may be in trouble", said Harry kissing her forehead and she grunted and sat at the couch again next to her daughter.
"Look, I know how hard this is for you", Matthias sighed. "Hermione was someone that I would never have suspected too and it was big blow for me that she in fact was the traitor".
"Oh, come on!" James exclaimed as he stood against the wall. "Like you didn't hopelessly search for someone to blame everything on so you could make yourself believe that you're actually doing your job".
"JAMES!" Harry yelled warningly; the boy glared at his father for a few moments but then he lowered his head and focused on his shoes.
Matthias sighed and then walked out of the room with the last aurors following them. Harry looked from James to Ginny and then back to his son, who was avoiding his stare; then he followed Matthias outside.
"Matthias, James didn't mean to be so..."
"He was right", the old man admitted. "That was what the Minister wanted...something to show people he's doing job...and when Hermione escaped today..."
"What?" Harry asked as they reached the door of the back yard.
"Let's just say that I'll be retiring earlier than anyone had expected", said Matthias.
"What? When?" Harry asked unable to believe what he was hearing.
"They're throwing me a farewell party on the 31 of July...it's on your birthday actually", Matthias added with a bitter smile.
"And it's in five days!" Harry exclaimed. "Matthias, they can't do this to you!"
"They can and they did", the old man sighed.
"But..."
"If you have any information about Hermione you would give it to me right?"
Harry stared at him; he seemed desperate. But no matter how much he cared for Matthias, he couldn't let Hermione be harmed. He sighed.
"Yes, I would".


Two hours later they were all gathered at George's house, where Ron and Hermione had gone with their kids. After informing them about Matthias' retirement and his goodbye party, Harry left Ginny informing the others about the search and followed James upstairs to Roxanne's room, where the boy had sneaked into as soon as they arrived.
He knocked on the door and walked in. The two cousins were talking in low voices and Harry was certain that James was informing Roxanne about what had happened too. They both jumped when he opened the door.
"So I guess bursting into private areas is something all aurors do, even my dad, right?" James asked ironically. Harry narrowed his eyes.
"Cute", he replied using the same ironical tone. "Roxanne, can you please leave us?"
The girl glanced at James, who waved negatively at her and then she turned to Harry.
"Um...I'm sorry Uncle Harry, but this is my room. Are you kicking me out of my room?" she asked him crossing her hands in front of her chest.
"Um...let me think...yes", he responded and he held the door open for her. She sighed and gave a helpless look at James before she walked out. Harry closed the door behind her.
"It's not my fault, okay?" James started before his father could say a thing. "They're accusing Aunt Hermione while they could have been looking for the real person behind all of these! How can they possibly think that Aunt Hermione would do that to us? To me? Are they so stupid? Can't they see it's a set up? I mean it's so obvious that..."
"You're right".
"...a five year old could get it. What?"
"You're right", Harry repeated.
"I am?" James asked taken aback.
"Yes", Harry nodded. "You shouldn't have yelled like this to a man older than you, let alone my supervisor, but other than that you are right".
"So you're not gonna yell at me?" James asked confused.
"No", Harry replied. "I'm not. I promised myself that I'll do everything I can not to fight with you when there's not an important reason, Jamie, and I want to keep that promise".
James shook his head in agreement.
"Sorry for yelling at Matthias", he said.
"It's okay...just don't do it again; he really doesn't need more pressure now".
"Why?"
"They're making him retire earlier because Hermione escaped", Harry explained.
"Really? Oh, God, and I yelled at him!" said James falling back into the bed.
"Don't worry; he's not upset with you".
"Are you sure?"
"Would he ask me if your band can play to his farewell party, otherwise?" Harry asked back.
"Wait...what?"
"He wants Anasha to play on his farewell party on 31 of this month...and my humble opinion is that Anasha should accept this offer since there would be people form everywhere there...including people in the music business".
"Oh, really? That's great" said James forcing a smile.
"Okay you don't seem quite as excited as I thought you'd be", Harry pointed out. "What's wrong?"
"Its just that..." James started but then he regretted it and changed his sentence. "It's just that I don't have a quitar", added.
"So? We'll go buy one first thing tomorrow", Harry shrugged.
"But this thing is in five days and we haven't rehearsed since the very beginning of June and..."
"I have faith in you", Harry smiled. "Are you gonna do it?"
James looked at his father, who had just told him he had faith in him and he couldn't say no. He sighed and nodded.
"Okay, I'll the rest of the band know", he said and Harry beamed at him.
"Okay, then. You need to have some fun anyway", Harry nodded giving him a fleeting hug and walking outside the room, saying that he'll send Roxanne up in a minute.
James closed his eyes. Why did he say yes? He knew that he couldn't play with the scars in his hands and that his voice wasn't as clear as it used to be after all that happened to him. But most importantly he knew that he hadn't had the will and the courage anymore...

-Angie-