Hermione and Ron sat with Neville outside of Susan�s room at St. Mungo�s. They waited as the hospital�s team of medi-witches and healers looked her over. Susan appeared to have sustained no other injuries except for whatever had knocked her out. Ron was thankful for that because he didn�t think Neville would be able to keep it together if there had been anything more. He watched the other man out of the corner of his eye and knew he was very close to crying. Ron didn�t blame him; he remembered his own reaction to Hermione being sick and understood what Neville was going through. It was then that Ron knew that Neville�s feelings for Susan were deeper than just a friend.

�She�s going to be okay, Neville. The healer in there is the one that helped with Hermione. She�s bloody brilliant. They�ll soon have her awake,� Ron said in what he hoped was a cheerful voice.

�Yes, Neville,� Hermione said from Neville�s other side. �Esme is wonderful. And remember Winifred woke up only after a few days and they expect Mandy to wake soon as well.�

Neville nodded his head as though he really hadn�t heard them. Ron shared a glance with Hermione over his head. There didn�t seem to be any way to console him.

�I�m not just worried about Susan, you know,� Neville said softly and Ron glanced sharply at him.

�I want to find Ginny safe too, I do... I just... I just want to make sure nothing is wrong with Susan. Does this make me a bad person?� Neville asked him, his eyes wide. Ron shook his head and was thankful when Hermione hugged the other man.

�No, Neville, of course not,� Hermione said consolingly. �Ginny would want you to be here for Susan, don�t worry. She�d understand. She knows how much you care about her.�

Neville started crying at Hermione�s words and Ron looked away. He understood Neville�s feelings, but still... it didn�t mean he knew what to say to comfort him. Getting up from the chair, Ron walked over to Susan�s room and tried to look in the window but didn�t see anything except a group of witches and wizards standing around a bed. He sighed. He knew Neville needed their support right now but he wanted to be out looking for Ginny again. Although now since they knew it was Dex that had been behind the girl�s disappearing... Ron let his mind wander. He couldn�t really believe it. He�d been so sure that Louis Fagan had been behind everything and here all the time it had been Dex! Dex, who had worked every day with his sister, Dex who�d been to the Burrow to eat dinner! The absurdity of it all made Ron�s head spin.

Ron knew from talking with Fred and George briefly at the Ministry that they had given Dex a very thorough shake down. They had probably been a bit exuberant with their handling of the situation, but Ron didn�t blame them one bit. He felt shocked and dismayed to know that someone he�d thought of as a possible interest for his sister could be so deranged and sick. And what of Ginny now? Was she tied up somewhere? Awake, starving, wondering if Dex was ever going to come back and hurt her? Was she knocked out like the other women? Would they ever find her?

Ron had to put his faith in Harry. If anyone could find his sister, it would be Harry.

The determination and power that he had witnessed in his friend during the war with Voldemort was nothing compared to what he saw in Harry now. On the surface, Harry was holding up very well, Ron could see that. It was only from years of knowing him like the back of his own hand that he knew Harry was about at his breaking point with frustration. But Ron also knew that Harry would do everything within his ability to find Ginny. Harry would die to save his sister; he knew that as well as he knew he�d die himself to save Hermione. He glanced over at her and suddenly felt his heart swell with love for her; for them together. Throwing off his feeling of awkwardness, he walked back over to where Neville and Hermione were sitting and sat down next to her, wrapping his arm around her back as she continued to comfort Neville. She turned her head and he met her eyes, they seemed to be full of something- gratefulness, thankfulness? He didn�t know. He mouthed the words �I love you� to her and she smiled gently. She removed one of her arms from Neville and joined her hand with his. Ron gave her hand a squeeze and the three of them sat, connected by shared history and love. The sound of Neville�s small sobs filled the empty hallway and Ron found himself wishing for the sound of Ginny�s voice, laughing, scolding him, telling him off- anything. Just to tease her one more time or to hear her and Hermione talking about him when they didn�t think he was listening...

Wherever his sister was, Ron hoped she knew how much they all loved her.

To say Louis was upset was putting it mildly. Ginny had proven rather hard to take advantage of and too many weak girls had dulled his reactions a bit. He wasn�t used to the women he had taken to fight back. He should have remembered how strong she was.

The delay of his gratification with her was a small set back, but one that hurt. Louis knew she was probably up there, right now, trying to come up with ways to get out of that room. But he smiled despite his foul mood. She would just have to wait it out. There were things he could do, to knock her out, of course, but waiting suddenly seemd the best way to deal with the uppity witch. He�d leave her up there for days, if that was what she wanted. By the third or fourth day she�d be so hungry and physically weak that she�d probably do anything for some relief.

He�d weakened her before, after all. He could do it again.

Louis felt better at having made that decision and decided to visit his father. See if he could find out anything about what was going on with �the investigation� Potter was running.

Whistling as he went to go take a shower, Louis put the thought of the woman locked upstairs out of his mind.

Harry and Remus met with Amelia Bones and Mr. Weasley. Arthur wanted the two of them to handle the searching of Dexter�s flat, but only on the condition that they would inform the Ministry of anything they found before acting on it. Harry had nodded his head yes, but his heart had said something else. He wasn�t surprised when Arthur made him promise twice.

They passed Donald Fagan on the way out and Harry was tempted to ask him about where they could find his son, but pushed the thought away. All that mattered right now was finding a clue about where Dex had kept the women he had taken. All that mattered was finding Ginny, safe and sound.

When they reached Dex�s flat, Harry was surprised by its location because he had always thought the man lived closer to Diagon Alley. It was also smaller than he would have thought and didn�t look very homey, despite the fact that the other man had called it home for the last two years.

�Well, this shouldn�t take us that long, at least,� Remus said as they entered the living room. Luckily for them, Dex had not put up any special warding spells or protections to stave off unwelcome visitors. That would have made getting in to search a bit trickier.

Harry nodded and poked his head into the kitchen. They could probably rule this room out. The living room had a small bookcase and a table that looked like it acted as a desk. The life of the lonely bachelor, indeed, Harry thought cynically. Remus came back out of the hallway and looked at him.

�There�s a bedroom and a lavatory and that�s it. He�s got a big closet though and it looks full of personal stuff. You want this front part here or the back?� The older man asked him.

�I�ll take the back, it doesn�t seem as though this part will take you long. We�ll tackle the closet together, how�s that?�

Remus nodded his agreement and made his way to the bookcase. Harry made his way down the hall and stopped to look at a painting Dex had stuck on the wall. It was a pastel rendering of a little girl with red hair, standing on a hill, overlooking something out of scene. It filled Harry�s stomach with sickness for some reason. Maybe because the little girl reminded him a little bit too much of Ginny when he�d first seen her, all those many years ago at King�s Cross. With new resolve, Harry entered Dex�s bedroom and got to work. The quicker they did this, the quicker he could go back out and start looking for his love.

Dex pretended to be sick; but ironically, it wasn�t far from the truth. His head felt as though it had been thrown against a brick wall one too many times. Strange images kept popping into his head and he wasn�t sure if they were real or something planted in his brain by Louis. As the Aurors prepared to remove him from the Binding Room, Dex tried to figure out a way to get loose as they took him to St. Mungo�s.

The Auror that was to accompany him to the hospital, Terry Boot, glared at him as they waited for the okay to leave. Dex was sure they were taking every precaution necessary; he knew Arthur Weasley wouldn�t want any mistakes to be made. Dex coughed and made a sick face, to enhance the dire need of the situation; to prove he really was feeling ill. He�d muttered something about the tea Potter had given him earlier and immediately activity was set in motion, confirming his belief that the tea had contained some sort of potion designed to make him remember. Dex didn�t blame them, but he now understood why his head hurt so badly. If the Ministry thought he was having an adverse reaction to one of the Memory Potion�s ingredients they would be more likely to have him looked at by a healer. He was using that to the best of his advantage. All he needed was a small moment in time to slip away... or perhaps he could pretend to pass out at the hospital...

Another man came in and said something to Boot and they both turned and looked at him. Boot cleared his throat. �You ready?� he asked him roughly and Dex merely nodded. The other man walked over to him and pulled him up from the chair. The motion made Dex�s head spin faster and he fell forward a bit, playing it for all it was worth. Boot grabbed his other side and gave him a dirty look, leaving no doubt in Dex�s mind that Boot thought he was faking it. He wondered briefly if he could manage to somehow get sick on the other man just to anger him, but decided even he wasn�t that good an actor.

He shuffled between the two men as they led him out of the room. Another group of Aurors waited outside for them and Dex was surprised by the number. Getting free might be a bit trickier than he�d thought. He saw Louis�s father standing among them and felt a strange emotion. Donald Fagan had always been completely blind to his son�s problems and Dex had to wonder if he even had a clue what Louis was up to now. Donald knew he and Dex were close friends; they had grown up together after all. As Dex stared at the other man, Donald Fagan looked away, not meeting his eyes. Dex wondered if his family knew already... if someone, maybe even Donald Fagan himself, had owl�d his father and mother in America....

It appeared they were going to St. Mungo�s by portkey. Dex cursed to himself, he�d definitely need to fake something when he was at the hospital. As they waited for the portkey to activate, Dex felt a strange sensation at the back of his neck and turned to look around the room. A few of the men met his gaze, but Dex knew the feeling wasn�t coming from them. He wondered suddenly if... Dex was pulled away from his thoughts by Boot roughly jerking his still bound hands forward to touch the cup they were using as a portkey. Before Dex could think, he felt himself being pulled forward by his navel, traveling towards St. Mungo�s with seven Aurors in tow behind him....

Louis returned to his house in a state of anger and fear. He threw off the invisibility cloak he�d been wearing with a panicked motion and looked around the room, not knowing what he was looking for.

They had captured Dex and they had given him, from what he had learned from his father, a very potent Memory Potion. So far his father had said Dex claimed to remember nothing except to say that he wasn�t the one responsible for taking the girls. Louis knew then that he probably should have not messed with Dex�s memory again; there was no telling what effect the potion would have on him once his head cleared.

If Dex remembered bringing Ginny to him and if he mentioned this house.... Louis slammed his hand into the wall, not feeling the pain. He should have erased all memory of this house out of the other man�s mind... he should have covered his tracks more carefully. Louis wondered briefly then if he should just abandon everything and leave Ginny locked upstairs.

No! a voice screamed in his head. He had waited too long and planned everything to the last detail to let her slip out his hands again. He would not tolerate being made to leave her. He would not break the vow he had made to himself. But what to do?

Louis stared at one of the few paintings he�d allowed Dex to hang in the kitchen and suddenly an idea came to him that was so natural, so absolutely brilliant that it made his own heart catch. Of course. It�s the ideal place. No one around for miles. No special warding spells required, except the one to make it so she can�t apparate. No one will know where to find us....

Louis laughed and his voice echoed off the empty walls. No one would know where he�d taken her- not even Harry Potter. With a determined air, Louis walked over to the painting and snatched it from the wall. Ah Dex, if you only knew how your sentimentality just saved me.... of course, even if you do point people here, you�ll never think of this place, you never understood the significance.....

Louis grabbed his wand and made the painting disappear. He started up the stairs, his fear and anger abating. He had a girl to get ready. He had a trip to pack for.

He was taking Ginny to his home. His real home. He would make her his again and then he would kill her and bury her out amongst the old stones...

It was too perfect for words.

Ginny knew he had removed the Silencing Charm because she could hear him moving outside of her door. She stood up quickly and braced herself as she moved to stand in front of it. She held one of the heavy bookends from the desk in her hands. She was going to clobber the bastard as soon as he poked his head in. Or if he apparated in again, she�d chuck it at him first thing. She was ready.

But Ginny wasn�t expecting something to slide underneath the door and didn�t notice anything was amiss until she felt a strange sensation in her legs. With a start, she looked down and realized the ropes had been wrapping themselves around her legs, coiling tighter and tighter against her. She felt faint and light-headed, not noticing the bookend falling out her hands. She slumped against the door, trying with all her might to wake up from the stupor the ropes were putting her in. They coiled tighter against her and she knew he had done something to them to make them overpower her. The ring on her hand flared briefly, as though it were fighting the poison, but it was too much and Ginny felt her world turn upside down. Darkness overcame her and she heard a scream inside her head... her last thought before she lost consciousness was that she didn�t understand who was screaming so loudly, she didn't understand that the sound she was hearing was her own voice.