Lost Love

Hermione entered the luxurious entrance of the Ministry of Magic; Rome precisely seven minutes after leaving Ginny and her tired boyfriend at Rosco's café. She was still thinking about Ron's wedding and seeing everyone there when she entered the lift.

“Level 3,” she said to the massive metal doors that had just closed. Before she had a chance to tell herself to stop over-reacting, the metal doors were opened and she stepped out into the hall that lead to the clean and probably empty auror office. Upon feeling Hermione's presence the two golden metallic doors opened to admit her in.

`Everyone's not here yet? Hmm, I'll have to mention that at the meeting today…'

There were a couple people there, tiredly walking around the cubicles that were neatly laid in the rows on the other end of her. Maria, Hermione's secretary was also there, actually working. The pretty blonde witch must have been writing those letters to the wizengamot, discussing court dates for the wizards found trying to use an unsticking charm on the `Mona Lisa' to steel it and sell it o the black market. Hermione felt happy about that, since she told Maria just last night to have them done by morning. At least someone was respecting her authority.

“Maria do I have any messages?” Hermione asked her, walking up to her desk.

Maria looked up and responded in a heavy accent, “Yes, Ms. Grangi-er, you have a team meeting at noon, International Magic Cooperation ver vondering if they could per'aps borrow one or two of our men, oh, and…” Maria paused, flipping through the stack of papers on her desk. “Oh, yes, Ministry of Magic; London flooed requesting a meeting vith you and the latest I could set that for would be at 7 tonight.

Hermione looked at Maria questioningly.

“Ministry of Magic; London? What would they want to request a meeting with me for?” Hermione asked Maria, giving her a quizzical look.

“The latest is for tonight, huh?” she said more to herself, “It must be important then. Um, let I.M.C have Peranio and Lianzo. Send memos to Peranio and Lianzo about that. Have a file clerk ready for me in a couple hours to take the reports to the file room. Send memos out to the team and remind them about that meeting at noon. No one is to be late.” As Hermione made all of her request Maria jotted them down on a piece of parchment. Hermione walked down a small hall with a single door at the end. On the name plate of the door it said Ar. Granger Squad Leader. Hermione entered the room, set her briefcase down and hung her cloak on the door hook. Sitting down at her huge desk full of papers and reports gave Hermione a sense of pride and misery. She was definitely proud because by the hundreds of paper and reports that landed on her desk daily, she still managed to be very organized. The misery was having to read and check all of these reports. She had done it so much in her time as Squad Leader that it was now considered boring beyond belief. But she was Hermione Granger, and Squad Leader; she did have a reputation to uphold.

With that thought, Hermione took the first report folder of the top of the pile, opened it and started reading.

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About three hours later, Hermione sat back in her chair in bewilderment.

`Italians,' she thought to herself unbelievingly. This was a weekly ritual when she was done reading a large stack of reports.

`Some either exaggerate beyond belief or others act as if they are blind. Why can't anyone just tell the truth about their missions?!'

Hermione had managed to separate the pile of fifty folders into two piles, the ones that weren't too much rubbish and could be filed, and the others that were complete rubbish and that needed to be revised by the mental auror that wrote it.

“Maria,” she spoke into the small framed mirror on her desk. Maria's face appeared.

“Yes, Ms. Grangi-er?”

“Do you have that file clerk ready?”

“Yes Ms. Grangi-er.”

“Send him in.” Maria nodded into the glass and her face faded away. Seconds later a young man with mousy brown hair entered, slightly bowing before Hermione.

“Right, I'll need these,” she said picking up one pile, “to be filed. And if you will,” she said picking up the last pile, “take these to Maria and have her send them back to the appropriate auror, thank you.” She finished, dismissing the boy. He gave another small bow and left.

Hermione sat at her desk again and looked at the clock.

`30 minutes tell the meeting.' She thought to herself. Usually when she had finished everything she would study and plan out scenarios for the forth coming missions. But on the rare occasion she went out into the outer office to check on her fellow aurors. Since she was appointed squad leader she only really got respect from the younger men aurors who would always make attempts to kiss her hand when they said hello. But really she wanted the whole teams' respect. She wanted them to know that she wasn't some ditzy foreign girl, only wanting a job like this for kicks and that the fact that she was younger, smarter and foreign would an advantage at her job.

Hermione left the office and started walking down the halls of cubicles, sometimes peering in from time to time, making sure everyone was doing something constructive. When she reached Vinci de Lamana's cubicle, she stopped and walked in. Vinci was sitting at his cramped desk, flipping through pictures of convicts at Meridall, the Italian wizard prison. As Hermione walked in he turned his attention from the book and stood up immediately. Vinci was tall, tan, short dark hair, with broad shoulders and chiseled arms.

“Hello, Ms. Granger,” He said with a goofy grin, kissing her hand.

“Mr. Lamana,” was all Hermione said, saying it with a smile. “How is the Bostrellio case going?” Vinci smiled at her and sat back down.

He was a good auror, definitely of higher class for his age. He had a habit of work then play. But he completes his work quickly and errorless, so Hermione really didn't have a problem with that.

“I sent a letter to Meridall, asking for a questioning date with him. I'm still concerned with who the other person is that the witches were describing. So far Bostrellio hasn't said anything about having an accomplice. But it isn't possible for one man to smuggle over 500 wands out of the country,” he finished shaking his head.

“Well, you'll figure it out.” She said giving him an encouraging smile.

“About last night,” he started, smiling back at her.

“Oh yeah, I'm sorry. It's just, I think- it's too soon. And with everything going on with work we-”

“I understand,” Vinci said sincerely. Hermione smiled.

“Actually, I came here to ask you a question. I have an unsuspected meeting tonight with someone from London's ministry,” Vinci's smile suddenly turned to a frown.

“They didn't say why?” he asked, his brow now furrowed.

“No. I don't even know who I'll be meeting with, but I know I'll feel better if your there.” She said, flashing him a reassuring smile.

“What time?”

“Seven.”

“I'll be there.”

“Great,” she said, standing up from the bench she was sitting on, “Now you have a meeting in about 10 minutes, so I suggest you get ready for that.” Vinci smiled as she walked out of the office.

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Hermione walked into Meeting Room 2, 10 minutes later to find her entire team seated around a large rectangular table. At the head of the table was an elevated podium which Hermione walked towards. As she put her folder on the podium and sat her briefcase down on the side the room was hushed.

“Hello, everyone.” she started. Many nodded there heads around the table. “ Let's get started shall we? First order of business-”

BOOM

The wall across from the podium suddenly exploded, sending splinters, rubble, and aurors flying across the room. About 11 figures wearing pitch black robes ran into the room, wands drawn. Hermione instinctively ducked behind the overturned podium and grabbed for her wand.

“TEAM ASSEMBLE!” she roared over the crashing down of rocks and wood. Hermione took her wand out from her robes peeked over the podium and pointed her wand at one of the dark figures chest. “STUPEFY!” she yelled, sending the figure sprawling back. The person that Hermione it really woke up it's fellow acquaintances, for now they were also shrieking curses at Hermione's team.

“Reducto!” yelled a person.

“Bossemo!” screamed an auror. Following the auror's curse there was a frigid scream and then a loud thud.

“Stupefy!” screamed Hermione, hitting a cloaked figure that was trying to get past the podium. Hermione looked over the podium and screamed another curse that sent two figures shooting backwards. Hermione briefly got a look at the room before ducking back under the podium. There were only a few aurors crouching below wood pieces, preparing to have a duel with one of the figures. The rest were scattered on the ground, not moving. Hermione hated to realize it, but her team was severely out-numbered.

“Stupefy! Stupefy!” screamed Vinci who was battling two figured from his position behind the upturned table.

“Expelliarmus! Petrificus Totalus!” screamed a young girl's voice. Hermione knew it was the voice of Audrey Neveu. The girls attempt at cursing one of the figures resulted in a deep laughter, then a cruel voice speaking one of the most horrid curses known; Avada Kedavra!

“NO!” Hermione yelled behind the podium. Before she could stopped herself she had jumped up and over the podium and had pointed her wand at the figure that was standing closest to Audrey's still form. The figure was pulling his fallen hood back over his face before he turned around to look at Hermione. The man began to raise his wand, but Hermione was too quick for him.

“Sectumsempra!” The man dropped his wand and hurled backward while admitting a horrible, high-pitched scream. Hermione looked at him, wiggling on the floor. Hermione knew he was in much pain. Quick movement on Hermione's left caught her attention. One of the figures had jumped up and was trying to escape. It had already made it's way out of the room and through the ruined outer office, (Seems the figures hit the secretaries too).

“Stupefy!” Hermione screamed again. The fleeing suspect came twirling backward behind Hermione and hit the wall, making an indenture. Hermione looked around the department. Cubicle walls were twisted and turned, papers littered the floors, along with a couple secretaries laying face down. Hermione looked to the front of the room for Maria. She also was laying flat on her stomach, her desk and chair pushed over. Hermione ran over and knelt beside her.

“Maria?” she said trying to turn her body. Maria had been knocked out and it also looked like her nose was broken. Hermione sighed, then cocked her head up to see what the commotion was. Vinci and Vincent Vaccari, another auror, where supporting Bochelli between them. It seemed that they weren't seriously harmed in the ambush. Hermione stood up and walked over to them.

“Are you okay?” asked Vinci to Hermione. Hermione nodded.

“Are there anymore awake in there?” she asked pointing toward the meeting room.

“Some are stirring,” Vinci responded grimly.

“I want all of our men out in this area. Vaccari, I need you to go down to police headquarters and tell them it's an emergency, and also send a letter to Chavelles and tell them we will need as many healers as possible as soon as possible.” Vaccari nodded and let Vinci fully support Bochelli before running of towards the golden doors.

“Here lay him down,” Hermione said to Vinci, offering a place to lay Bochelli.

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About ten minutes later, Hermione and Vinci had managed to get all of the 20 aurors and four secretaries in their department out of the destroyed meeting room and into the outer office. The figures were left in the meeting room, fully body-binded and roped. As soon as Hermione thought she had a moment to think about today's events Vaccari returned with the magical police and a staff of healers. The healers immediately went to the victims on the ground while the general of police came to Hermione.

“Ar. Granger what happened?” asked Generale Leonardi.

“We were ambushed. 11 people wearing dark robes exploded the west wall and attacked.”

“How'd they get in?” asked Leonardi.

`Stupid question, git.'

“I don't know. But isn't it the police's responsibility to have fully activated apparation wards on every floor?” Hermione asked him irritably. She wasn't going o take any rubbish from anyone after one of her men was killed.

“I'm terribly sorry, there must have been a fault somewhere,” he started to ramble, avoiding Hermione's glare. “Is there anything I can do?” he asked, finally looking up.

“Yes as a matter-of-fact, you can get your arse downstairs, find your bloody fault, and fix it!” she snarled.

“Um yes, ma'am, right away, ma'am.” he said trembling, turning on his heal and running out of the office. Hermione let out a heavy breath and walked over to a group of mindless police officers, looking at the ruined offices.

“Well, nothing constructive can be done by simply staring at it! You lot are in charge of repairing the department to it's original position. Move!” Hermione yelled to the crowd. Immediately they started casting `reparo', around the whole office. Turning away from the police, Hermione walked over to healers. There were 14 healers, all dressed in blue robes, hovering over individual aurors, waving their wands up and down their bodies. Vinci was sitting in a corner with his own healer, who was mending the cut on his forehead. Vaccari was assisting the healers, holding bottles, helping wrap bandages, etc. Hermione made a personal note to tell him how wonderful he had been today. She was interrupted when an older healer came over to her and addressed her.

“Ar. Granger?” the older woman asked.

“Yes, what's the damge?” Hermione asked grimly. She really didn't want to know the health status of her fallen aurors. She was ashamed as it was that one had bravely lost her life.

“Hello, my name is Healer Nince, I'm supervising here today,” she answered. Hermione nodded her head.

`Just get to the bloody point already…'

“I have good news and bad news. Good news is that 7 people are okay, they will be free to go after I am done examining them. 12 aren't in the best shape, I am requesting that they spend a night at the hospital. The bad news is that 4 are in critical, they won't wake up from being enervated. And I'm sorry but one is-”

“Dead,” Hermione whispered. How could she let this happen? The healer stared at her and nodded her head.

“With your permission I'd like to get going and take these people to Chavelles now.” Hermione nodded her head in agreement. She paused a moment and put her hand to her face. She looked up to find Vaccari staring at her, waiting for instruction.

“Vaccari please, follow the group to Chavelles and get the names and ranks of those injured.” Hermione said frailly. She looked as if she was going to throw up.

“Yes, ma'am.”

Hermione stood silently for a moment. She couldn't think with the noise of the police repairing the room. `Speaking of the police,' she thought, `Better go help the idiot repair the apparation ward.' And with that, she left the room headed for the magical police department.

(A/N:) Thank you's for reading. Just a warning that next chapter will be extremely short since it is just the meeting with the stranger from London. I was going to fit that in this chapter but I decided not to. Thank you again for reading.

My best regards-

Max