Unofficial Portkey Archive

Harry Potter and the Infernal Plan Part X
by Jori
e-mail: [email protected]
web: http://www.like-bunnies.com/hidingout/

Set during and after their sixth year at Hogwarts, Hermione asks something of Harry that will change their lives forever.

NC-17

Spoilers for all five books. Previous parts edited for Order of the Phoenix but some of the ideas brought up in that book couldn't be fully added into this story.

This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

***********

Wandering the corridors for hours under his invisibility cloak, Harry looked at as many portraits and paintings as he could before his eyes began to sting and his legs grew heavy from exhaustion. None of the faces looking back at him from inside the many frames seemed remotely familiar. Some were frozen in place as if they were in some Muggle gallery while others were snoring away or chatting with friends but he could see no pattern as to why it was this way.

He tried to keep a mental count of all the empty frames and where they were located so he could check again tomorrow but he was growing too tired to remember them all. The cloak was even beginning to feel heavy but before he went to bed, he wanted to check one more room.

Once inside, he shed the cloak, letting it drop to the floor. This was the room where they had found him, unconscious on the floor underneath the painting. The painting still hung on the wall but when he tried to get close to it and touch the canvas, he was repelled by a barrier charm.

This was now one more thing he'd have to get through. Just one more problem to work out on a list of problems so long he didn't even know where to begin. He knew what he had to do first and that was to find the girl who was haunting his dreams. Harry couldn't even be sure that she was someone from one of the many portraits hanging in Hogwarts but he had to find out. Maybe she was the key to getting him back there to help Lupin get back out.

Harry turned and looked at the dim and dusty room, his thoughts shifting to the time he and Hermione escaped here to celebrate Valentine's Day together. Everything between them was still so new then and their biggest wish was to spend the night together. Now he left her alone in her room, sleeping. He was going to be in so much trouble in the morning. He looked at his watch and realized it was already nearly morning and he had no clue what his first class was. It didn't matter because he had no intention of going anyway. What was one more day at this point?

Sitting down on the cold floor, Harry stared at the unsightly painting that was part of all of this. There had to be a reason Professor Dumbledore left it here and didn't destroy it as soon as Harry returned but he would never tell him why.

He would just have to find out why by himself -- or maybe with a little help from his friends. Did he really want to pull them into this and endanger their lives again? He wasn't sure but he knew he couldn't hide this from Hermione forever. They were far too close and she was far too observant for that to happen now.

************

Harry could sense that someone was standing behind him as he pulled several books from the library shelf. He hoped that if he ignored them, they would go away but he soon gave that up.

"I'll be done in a minute," he said, checking the spines to make sure these were the titles he was looking for.

"Hey, Harry," a soft voice said and Harry turned to find Zoila Witherite with a heavy book bag over her shoulder and several scrolls clutched in her hand.

"Hi, Zoila," Harry said, tucking the books under his arm. He didn't really want her to know what he was up to even though there was no chance she'd ever figure it out just from the title of a few books. Hermione might be able to, but not this girl.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to you last night but it's good to have you back. I designed a few more plays while you -- over the summer. Would you like to look at them?" she asked, passing the scrolls from one hand to the other. Harry looked down at his watch and shook his head. He didn't really have time for this right now. The library would only remain quiet like this in the morning for so long and he didn't want too many people to see him here.

"Now's really not a good time. Perhaps we can meet later in the common room? I'm sure Ron will want to join in the discussion," Harry said and Zoila smiled at him.

"Ron was a good acting team captain but it will be nice to have you back on the pitch," she said and Harry couldn't help but smile back at her.

"Thanks," he mumbled and her cheeks got a touch rosy.

"Er -- okay. Tonight, then. I'll meet you after dinner? How does that sound?" she asked and he nodded in agreement, watching her walk off, her robes slipping off her slight shoulders. She gave him a little wave before she disappeared from sight. Harry carried his books back to the table he had been at all morning. It was already covered with books and each time Madam Pince asked if she could put some away, he told her no, he needed all these books to catch up on his missing assignments. That seemed to appease her for now.

He was going to find out who she was and he hoped that the answer was in one of these books. It might take him the rest of the day but he was going to find it. He flipped through page after page of the new books, his eyes scanning over the words and the drawings.

Feeling someone standing over him, Harry didn't even bother to look up before speaking. "I said we could talk later, Zoila. I have to get this done."

"I'm not Zoila," Hermione said and he looked up from the page before him to find his girlfriend standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

"Hermione... I'm sorry. She was just here asking to go over Quidditch plays. I figured... what are you doing here?" he asked.

"What are you doing here?" she asked back, sitting across from him.

"Er - catching up on the work I didn't finish over the summer. Why? Is something wrong?"

Harry quickly closed a rather cumbersome tome on the history of magical art that Madam Pince had been rather hesitant to give him. Professor Dumbledore probably had something to do with that and he had to work hard to convince her it was for one of his classes. He set it aside and pulled his bag over the pile.

"I could ask you the same thing," she said, tilting her head to the side as she considered him closely. Too closely for his comfort and he looked away.

"Nothing's wrong. I just have a lot of studying to catch up on and I never finished my homework that was assigned for over the summer. Why do you ask?" Harry grabbed for the scroll he had been taking notes on before she could see it, rolling it up and shoving it in his bag.

"You disappeared from my room without even saying goodbye and then you weren't at breakfast or in our first class this morning. I was worried. I even checked the hospital wing before finding you here," she said, looking around as if this was the most unlikely place on earth she'd ever find Harry skivving off to.

"I must have lost track of the time," Harry said with a shrug and Hermione picked up one of the many books on the table. "As for last night, I'm sorry. I couldn't sleep and didn't want to disturb you. Besides, it wouldn't be wise to get caught sleeping in the head girl's room on my first night in the dorms."

"Next time, wake me up and say goodnight before you go," she said, her voice low so the others in the library wouldn't overhear them.

"I will," he said but he wasn't sure she heard him. She was more interested in the books on the table than anything else at the moment and there was no way he could hide them all from her without it looking too obvious. He needed more time before he told her about any of this... about his plans and about the dreams.

"It's about time you read this," she said, holding up a copy of 'Hogwarts, A History' before leafing through it herself.

"I haven't read that one yet," he said and she made a soft huffing sound. He watched her, unable to look at any of the other books while she was there. Hermione snapped the creaky old book shut loudly enough that Madam Pince stuck her head out from between two stacks and 'shushed' her loudly.

"I think we need to get to our next class. You've already missed a considerable amount of material and you shouldn't miss more," Hermione said, looking nervously at her watch.

"I'll meet you there," Harry said, unable to hide his disinterest in whatever class was next. He didn't even know for sure what class it was he already missed and he didn't really have a clue as to what class it was he was supposed to be in next.

"Do you want me to tell Professor McGonagall that you aren't feeling up to returning to class yet?" Hermione asked.

"Why would you do that?"

"That's your next class and for some reason, I don't think you're going to be there," Hermione said disapprovingly.

"I'll be there. Go on ahead so you aren't late. I have to put these books back," Harry said.

"You'll really be there?" she asked.

"Yes," he said and judging from the look on her face, she knew he was lying. There was no way he could quit looking now but in order to do so, she had to leave him alone. This wasn't how this scenario usually played out. Typically, he was the one trying to get her out of the library while she sat surrounded by a pile of books and not the other way around. He looked into her eyes and smiled. "I love you. Now go away."

She laughed and stood up, smoothing out her robes. "Will you at least be at lunch?" she asked.

"Do you think it would be wise to skip all my morning classes and then show up for lunch?" he asked.

"Probably not. I'll come and find you and we can do something together for lunch," she said and he agreed. With that, she turned and left him alone with the big pile of books on the table.

He wasn't searching for long when he finally found something close to what he was looking for. It was a listing of all the artwork in Hogwarts Castle complete with a map of where the paintings were located. Or at least where they were located several years ago.

"Damn," he muttered to himself as he started to search the list, his eyes skimming name after name, hoping something would jump out at him. If he was lucky, the art didn't get moved very often and the diagram would lead him to her. If only he could remember something. Anything.

Harry almost missed it as he ran his finger down the page, his eyes darting about.

Untitled painting. Artist unknown. Main subject, a female, wears a violet dress. Located on the west wall of the sixth floor corridor.

Something about that description told him this painting had to be it. That had to be the portrait of the girl who kept visiting his dreams. If not, he would just have to keep searching until he found her and the answers to all his questions.

**************

He wasn't sure how many hours he had been staring at the empty portrait, waiting for its occupant to return. He hoped she was somewhere in the castle visiting another painting but as the hours slowly passed by, Harry began to have his doubts.

His whole body was stiff from sitting on the floor, watching and waiting. Looking at his watch, he realized he was now two hours late for the appointment he had with Madam Pomfrey. She would be looking for him soon enough, demanding that he take another dose of that disgusting potion she insisted he needed daily for the next week.

From out of one of narrow windows, Harry could see that the sky was brushed in the soft colors of twilight but he wasn't ready to give up yet. He couldn't give up yet. It was then that he heard the footsteps coming toward him and he knew immediately who it was.

Hermione sat next to him, taking his hand in hers, their fingers entwined. "Like with many things that have happened in your life, I won't pretend to know what you're going through right now but I'm here if you want to talk about it."

"You're not here to give me a lecture about missing class today?" Harry asked and Hermione squeezed his hand.

"I'll get to that later but first, I want you to tell me why you spent the day in the library and sitting on the floor?" Hermione asked and Harry didn't answer right away. "You know something, don't you? You remember something."

Harry swallowed hard and answered her. "A girl... a woman. I remember a young woman. Or at least I think I do. I think she's from this painting." He tipped his head toward the empty frame.

"Oh?"

"For a few nights, she was in my dreams but last night it was like she was really there. That's why I left you. I have to figure out who she is because she's so familiar and I know she has to be a part of this. And then I think I might..." Harry stopped before he said too much.

"Might what?" she asked. "Might what, Harry? You aren't thinking... you are!"

"I have to! I can't leave him there, Hermione. He went in to save me and now I have to go find him," Harry said. Hermione let go of his hand and folded her own hands together on her lap.

"Were you just going to leave? And how about Ron? Did you think you could just do this without telling either of us?" Hermione asked, her voice growing rather impatient.

"That isn't it at all," Harry said with a heavy sigh. He was going to put this off but now he couldn't. "I need your help. You need to help me figure out how to open up the portal so I can go back in there. Right now that painting is protected by some sort of charm so first we need to break that and then --"

"Harry, are you sure this is a good idea? Lupin must have known what he was doing when he sealed--"

"Then I'll do it myself."

"No you won't! What if something happens to you once you're inside?" Hermione asked, turning to face Harry.

"What if something happens to you?" he asked and they fell silent. Both Ron and Hermione knew that close calls were part of the deal with being his friend but everything changed so much over the last year. At least it had with Hermione.

"I've made it this far, haven't I? I just want you to think about this more before you go rushing off to save someone. You have to consider the consequences. You need a plan so no one else ends up..." Hermione's voice trailed off and Harry looked down at his hands. She was right. Nothing would ever erase the memory of the last time he went off without a plan. He almost lost Hermione and he did lose his godfather.

"We need to hurry, though, Hermione. We don't know what's happening to him in there," Harry said and Hermione looked up at the empty portrait frame.

"So, who is she?"

"I don't know. She doesn't have a name as far as I can tell and I'm not even sure if this is really her portrait. No one has mapped them out for a few years or if they did, they didn't leave a record of it," Harry said and Hermione made a soft snorting sound. "What?"

"I'm sure Drew's mother did. She was fascinated by the art here. Drew took advantage of that knowledge," Hermione said and that started something spinning in Harry's brain.

"Where is she? What happened to her after everything?" Harry asked.

"She's in St. Mungo's now. After everything she had been through with Drew and his father, she needed some help. If she ever gets out of there, she'll probably end up in Azkaban for her part in your abduction," Hermione answered.

"Can we ask her about this particular portrait? Maybe she'll remember something," Harry said, staring at the nearly empty canvas, hoping to see movement of any kind in the rest of the painting. It was an pastoral scene -- where did he learn the word pastoral? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure of so many things except that he had to get to Lupin.

"I don't know if she's well enough, Harry, but we can try. We are going to be in so much trouble. You know that, don't you?" Hermione asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"I'm afraid if I don't do this, I'll regret it for the rest of my life," Harry said. Something clattered down the corridor and they both looked but saw no one. Harry lowered his voice. "Maybe we shouldn't talk about this here, Hermione. All I have to say is I have enough regrets already."

"So do I," Hermione said. She reached out for him and ended up tucked under his arm, her head against his shoulder.

"What do you regret?" he asked.

"The many times I should have stopped you from doing something but I didn't and this might be just another one of those times. I regret that I didn't know more about Drew and I let him do what he did to you. I regret what happened to your family including Sirius..."

"Those are all regrets for me and my life but what about you, Hermione?" Harry asked and she didn't answer right away but instead snuggled further against him, placing on her hands on his thigh.

"Our first time could have been different--" Hermione started to answer but Harry interrupted her.

"I didn't think it was that bad. I know it wasn't great for you but it could have been much worse--" This time it was Hermione's turn to interrupt him.

"That's not what I meant. What I mean when I say I wish it had been different is that I wish you and I had gone about it differently. That I hadn't been using you like I did. I wish we had done normal things like dates in Hogsmeade and hiding out in broom closets to make out. I've never done that with anyone I liked. Not Viktor. Not Drew... that one was far from normal," Hermione said with a sigh.

"I don't think anything about our relationship is ever going to be normal, Hermione," Harry said, leaning over to kiss her on the top of her head. "How could it be? People, including your old boyfriend, keep trying to kill me."

"But in your life, that one thing should have been normal. You should have known that the first person you went to bed with loved you..."

"I did know it."

"But..."

"I'm pretty sure I've loved you since I was eleven. I didn't know what it was then because I had never felt it before in my life but it was love, even if we were just friends. I wouldn't have admitted it then but it was there. I'm sure you felt the same way about me. You weren't in love with me but you did love me, probably more than any other girl I might have gone to bed with for the first time," Harry said and Hermione sighed.

"I still wish I could change it. You asked me what I regretted for myself but I guess that's something I regret for both of us," she said.

"We could go out on a date on our next Hogsmeade trip if that's what you fancy. I just never really thought of you as the type who would want that but we could try starting over again," he suggested and she laughed.

"Pandora's box has been opened, Harry. I don't think we can forget the things we've done together and I wouldn't want to," Hermione said.

"I could cast a memory charm on you," Harry said, pulling his wand out of the pocket of his robes. "Then I could ask you out and we could do it differently."

"What if I said no?"

"I could brew up a love potion..."

"With your marks in Potions? I would never drink it!" she said, laughing now.

"Then I would just have to be me and hope that one day, you'd figure it out. You're a smart girl. You would eventually," Harry said, laughing along with Hermione now. The moment passed and they both sighed. "I wasn't joking, though. If you want to do it right, we can. There will be hand holding and dates in Hogsmeade. Then when the time is right for you, we will... you know."

"You're willing to do this?"

"Are you?" Harry asked, not sure he could go through with it. Besides the fact that he'd miss all the shagging, he also had to work on this problem with Lupin. Would there even be enough time for dates and hand holding?

"I don't know," she said, sounding very cautious. "It's a lot to give up."

"It will be dreadful but I can do it if you can do it."

"I'm sure I can. I know I can since I just gave up several months of being with you. This isn't going to take months, is it?" she asked.

Harry sighed again and looked up at the empty portrait before them. "I don't think we have months."

*******************

"What's up with you two?" Ron asked as he sat down across from Harry and Hermione at breakfast. The room was just starting to fill up with people slowly waking up on a Saturday morning and the three of them were somewhat secluded from the other students. It was the day of the first Hogsmeade visit of the year and the third year students were all buzzing about in conversation, trying to decide what it is they wanted to do first.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"All this hand holding and kissing lately. It's disgusting," Ron said rolling his eyes. Harry looked down at Hermione and his hands, fingers entwined between their plates of sausages and eggs.

"You wouldn't say that if Tullia was sitting next to you," Hermione said pointedly.

"I miss her," Ron said with a dreamy, faraway look on his face. Harry cleared his throat and snapped his friend out of his reverie.

"Someday, Hermione and I will tell you exactly how we ended up together and we'll explain all this," Harry said, holding up their hands for a moment. "Or we'll try to but for now, can you meet us at this afternoon at The Three Broomsticks? We have something we need to talk to you about."

"What?" Ron asked, sitting up straight and leaning towards Harry and Hermione. "Not some new secret group or anything?"

"No, nothing like that. I... we need your help with something and I don't want to talk about it here," Harry said, dropping his voice to a whisper. "What are your plans for today?"

"Ginny's going to meet me to help pick out a birthday present for Tullia. She doesn't think I'm capable of doing it myself. Thinks I'll buy her some awful candy or something. Then we're supposed to meet Shamus and Dean at The Three Broomsticks. I can meet up with you there later," Ron said.

Harry wished they had somewhere less crowded they could go and talk in Hogsmeade but knew that The Hogshead was less reliable than the busy pub all the students gathered at. Anyone could be listening there whereas at The Three Broomsticks, it was mostly students enjoying their butterbeers and having a laugh.

"Hermione and I have somewhere to go first and then we'll meet you there," Harry said. Hermione squeezed his hand with hers and Ron gave them a questioning glance. Harry could feel a blush rise to his cheeks as he muttered, "A date. We're going on a proper date. Now that even the professors know about us, we can do that."

"Good on you! It's about time you showed Hermione the respect she deserves though I don't know if you can call it a proper date if you're going to meet me," Ron said and Harry couldn't tell if he was being serious or not. Hermione didn't help matters by pulling her hand away and continuing with her breakfast.

"It's the only time we have away from Hogwarts. Besides that, after this, it's going to be all schoolwork and Quidditch practice and... oh, bloody hell!" Harry said, grimacing.

"What?" Ron asked, stuffing a piece of toast in his mouth.

"I was supposed to meet with Zoila about some new Quidditch plays and I forgot," Harry said, looking down toward the end of the table to find her there with her other third year friends, chatting away excitedly. It was their first trip in Hogsmeade and she looked like Quidditch was the furthest thing from her mind. At the moment, it barely was even in Harry's thoughts. He had too many other issues to deal with.

"We have a week until the match," Ron said, shrugging it off. One week and it had been months since Harry had been up on his broom. Just thinking about all the things he had to catch up on sent his head spinning.

"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, putting her hand over his. He stared down at his plate and hoped the feeling went away.

"Dunno. It gets to be a bit overwhelming at times, having so much to do and having missed so much. There are days I feel like I was gone years and not just a few months," Harry said, looking up to find a concerned Ron staring at him.

"Hermione and I will help you catch up. She can help you with all the boring schoolwork you missed and I can help you practice Quidditch," Ron said.

"Besides that, no one expects you to do it all in one day," Hermione said, giving his hand a gentle pat.

"Except Snape. He probably does," Ron said, stabbing a sausage and putting it on his plate. "But why worry about it today? Go do your date thing and then I'll meet you later. What exactly are the two of you doing for a date?"

"Er-- I, uh, I don't know," Harry said, realizing he really was no good at this part of a relationship.

"Don't worry," Hermione said with a smile. "I have it all planned out."

***************

It wasn't as horrid as the last time Harry was here (only because he was with Hermione) but all the same, it was bad. Madam Puddifoot's would never be Harry's favorite place in Hogsmeade but Hermione was leading the way today and she wanted to go here.

He was no longer threatened by the all the couples around them kissing and holding hands. Actually, he was holding Hermione's hand on top of the table and he noticed some poor fifth year boy glancing their way, looking extremely nervous that the girl across from him might make him hold her hand any second now. What a difference a few years -- and being in love -- made.

"This place is dreadful," Hermione said, looking around at all the frilly decorations.

"You should be here on Valentine's Day. It's worse," Harry said and Hermione's eyes met his.

"I'd rather next Valentine's Day be like last Valentine's Day," she said in a voice that made his cheeks flush. Hermione laughed and asked, "Am I not supposed to talk about those things while we're attempting to go on dates?"

"If you want the dating idea of yours to last longer than one day, perhaps it would be best if you didn't," he answered, wanting to kiss her badly. The nervous boy a few tables over was still sneaking glances toward them so Harry held off on the kissing, sure the boy would suffer some sort of attack if he thought he had to do that next.

"Are you ready to leave?" Hermione asked, turning to look at more couples come through the door.

"I thought you wanted this," Harry said, motioning to all the frills surrounding them.

"I just wanted to see what it was like. I'd rather be forced to serve detention for a month with Snape then be here," Hermione said, wrinkling up her nose. Even though Harry disliked this place, he was hoping that something like this was what Hermione felt they missed out on. Now he was confused. "Besides, Harry, we have far more important things to do. You know that."

"Er -- I just wanted -- do you mean meeting Ron?" Harry asked, not really knowing what to do or say.

"I think that would be a better idea than sitting in here, don't you? We have work to do," Hermione said, pushing her chair out and standing. Harry quickly dug some coins out of his pocket and left them on the table to pay for their unfinished tea and then followed Hermione out the door. They set off towards The Three Broomsticks, not holding hands and not looking like they were on any sort of date at all. Instead, Hermione was listing off things they needed to consider before they went any further on their rescue mission.

"Perhaps we should wait until we're inside. Less people and all," Harry suggested, looking around at all the people who might be listening. Hermione opened the door to The Three Broomsticks and the place was crawling with Hogwarts students. There wasn't an empty table in site. Harry sighed. "Or maybe more people."

"No one will be able to hear us over all the noise," Hermione said, waving to Ron who was holding a table for them near the back.

On their way to the table, they passed Zoila and her third year friends gathered around a table. She glared at Harry and then whispered something to one of her friends. This didn't escape Hermione's notice and she leaned in close and whispered to Harry, "You're in trouble now."

"I think a team meeting might be in order," Harry said, wondering if the entire Gryffindor team (with the exception of Ron) was upset or just the ones he forgot to meet with.

Ron had two butterbeers waiting for them at the table and after sitting next to Hermione, Harry took a long sip, rinsing the taste of Madam Puddifoot's from his mouth. Ron gave them an awkward look before starting in with questions about the so called date they were on.

Hermione shrugged off his questions and looked at Harry. "Do you want to tell him?"

"Tell me what?" Ron asked.

"I don't know what," Harry said, still looking at Hermione. Did she want him to explain how awful Madam Puddifoot's had been?

"About the rescue mission," Hermione said, turning her attention to Ron. "We're planning a rescue mission."

"Another one?" Ron asked, cringing. He was obviously remembering the last few rescue missions with distaste.

"Just because the last one failed..." Harry started to say, staring down at his butterbeer.

"What do you mean? The last one got you back, didn't it?" Ron asked and Harry looked up at his friend.

"I meant before," Harry said and Ron nodded and the two of them remained silent while the other students all buzzed around them.

"Harry wants to try to get Lupin out of there -- wherever there might be," Hermione said and Ron looked from one to the other.

"All right. When do we go in?" he said without giving it much thought.

"We're not going in. I'm going in," Harry said, motioning to himself.

"You aren't going anywhere alone!" Hermione said and Ron quickly agreed.

"Someone is going to have to stay on the outside in case something happens," Harry said and Ron sat back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest, sulking.

"A rescue mission for the rescue mission?" Hermione said and Harry closed his eyes. They had so much to consider in order to avoid any fiascos like in the past. Upon opening his eyes he found Ron still sulking.

"What's wrong with you?" Harry asked.

"Obviously, you're going to pick Hermione to go with you," Ron said, a jealous tone Harry hoped was long gone intruding into his voice.

"Once we have more plans in order, I'll figure out which one of you will be the best choice to come along," Harry said and now Hermione sat back in her chair with a huff.

"Or we could talk to Ginny and then the three of us can go," Ron said, smiling brightly at his idea. He grabbed his butterbeer and took a giant sip. Hermione didn't make a move.

"Or we could do that," Harry said, happy that for now, Ron was done pouting.

"What exactly are the plans?" Ron asked and Harry looked to Hermione, hoping that explaining what they had already considered would be enough to make her stop moping.

Hermione shifted in her seat and pulled some notes out of a pocket of her robes. She put them all on the table and even Harry was impressed by the effort she had put into this since they first discussed it.

"It's not going to be easy," Hermione said with a sigh.

Ron nodded, making a face at how complex Hermione's notes were. "It never is going to be easy, is it?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not," was Harry's only reply.

*************

"This dating thing isn't going to work out," Harry said bluntly and Hermione looked confused for just a second or two.

"Obviously!" she said, wrapping her legs even tighter around Harry's waist. Hermione's jeans, jumper and undergarments were abandoned somewhere near her door and she was balanced on one of the window sills in her room. Harry's hands were pressed against the cold glass and he couldn't imagine how she could stand it against her entire back but she wasn't complaining.

"It seemed so important to you," he said, struggling to focus on his thoughts and words and her body wrapped around his all at the same time.

"Giving this up was bloody stupid. It certainly wasn't one of my better ideas," she said, her fingers digging into his upper arms.

"No, but coming back here was. Oh... yes..." Harry said as Hermione slid closer to him, allowing him to sink in even further. Harry started thrusting faster and her hands went from his arms to the edge of the stone sill to hold on.

The taste of her was still on his lips and the room was scented of both of them now. The air was heavy with the smell of sweat despite what the temperature was on the other side of the cold glass and Harry's eyes moved from Hermione's to over her shoulder. If he continued to look at her, this would end too soon. Instead, he tried to focus on a blurry landmark outside the castle and think about Quidditch.

All that did was make him think about the time they did it right before he had a Quidditch match and that didn't help much. Hermione let out a soft, low moan and now there was no helping him. A few more thrusts and he was done.

Light exploded through the window around Hermione, haloing her in a soft glow, and Harry came inside of her. His hands slid down the window panes until they ended up on her shoulders and when he was done, she pulled him to her.

"This is one of the best parts of dating you. I don't think I should consider giving it up again. I should have learned my lesson the first time I tried to give it up. Or the second time when you were gone and I had to give it up. I'm not doing it again," she whispered into his ear and he couldn't stop smiling.

He lifted her and she held on tight as they stumbled across the floor to her bed. Tumbling onto the bed, their arms and legs were tangled up but neither of them cared. Harry sighed, utterly content at the moment and Hermione yawned drowsily.

"If we take a nap, will you still be here when I wake?" she asked.

"You don't have time for a nap. We'll miss dinner and we told Ron we'd meet him there," Harry said, the warmth of the room and Hermione beside him making him a little drowsy, too.

"That was a foolish thing to do," Hermione said, pulling herself away from him long enough to tug a quilt over their bodies. Harry realized then that they were going to be late in meeting Ron. Very late.

"We should at least meet him in the common room after dinner," Harry said and Hermione mumbled something he couldn't make out but might have been a yes. "Actually, we shouldn't discuss anything there. Perhaps the Room of Requirement? Do you think that will be safe?"

"Don't know, Harry. I thought the library at home was safe and look what happened there," she said, making a good point.

"We have to discuss our plans somewhere. We can't wait until the next Hogsmeade outing. How about in here? Can Ron sneak in here, too?" Harry asked and Hermione thought about it for a while.

"Won't people talk?"

"About what? No one even knows I'm in here. We certainly won't let them see both of us... you weren't being serious, were you?" Harry asked after Hermione took the time to open her eyes so she could roll them at him.

"No, I wasn't. I don't think people even notice what we do anymore. Or maybe they stay away from us out of fright," Hermione said and they both laughed. Harry propped himself up on an elbow so he could look at Hermione.

"I'm not even sure this room is safe. I'm not sure there's a single safe place anymore. They'll reach us wherever we go," Harry said gloomily. "Maybe I'm just being paranoid."

"True. And you of all people have no reason to be paranoid. No one is ever out to get you," Hermione said, smirking.

"I know you're out to get me," Harry said

"Of course I am out to get you. Especially if I can get you naked in my bed every night," Hermione said, touching Harry's chest and moving down.

Before she could get very far, he grabbed Hermione and pulled her until she was straddling his hips. Somehow it turned into a tickling match until they were tangled up in the quilt, laughing hard.

"I wonder who Malfoy sneaks into his room?" Hermione asked when the laugher died down and Harry groaned.

"I still can't believe Malfoy is Head Boy. What was Dumbledore thinking?" Harry asked, flopping his head down onto a pillow. "He could have at least picked Ron."

"I don't know what he was thinking, Harry. Maybe he hopes..."

"Hopes he won't turn out like his father? I don't think there's much hope in that. And the thought of some girl wanting to do this with that git... makes me shudder," Harry said, giving an exaggerated shake.

"Crabbe and Goyle then?" Hermione asked and they laughed again.

"Thank you very much for putting that image in my head. Now I'll never get any sleep."

"That's good because we really need to go find Ron. As much as I'd like to hide away up here forever, we have to get up," Hermione said, pulling the sheets and blankets from off of Harry. He pulled them right back over him.

"Do we have to?" Harry protested.

"You were the one reminding me that we have to meet Ron just a minute ago."

"I changed my mind."

"This rescue mission was your idea, Harry. Are you changing your mind about that?" Hermione asked and Harry sighed.

"No."

"Not long ago, you would have run off already..."

"Not long ago I had so much less to lose," Harry said thoughtfully. "But you're right. We can't leave Lupin there much longer. I have to figure out how to get him back."

"We have to figure it out, Harry. And we will."

******************

Harry and Hermione rushed down the corridor, Hermione reading as quickly as possible the Owl that they had just received from St. Mungo's in reply to one they sent out from Hogsmeade the other day.

"Mrs. Rowntree is still incapacitated, Harry. They won't even forward a letter to her," Hermione said, her voice filled with disappointment.

"She can't possibly be the only person who can answer our questions," Harry said. Due to the amount of homework he had to catch up on from when he was gone, they were going to be late for dinner. Hermione was helping him get through it all but the work seemed harder than ever. He was finding it hard to concentrate on his work when his mind was on so many other things.

"You and I have both been through every book about the artwork here in Hogwarts. I have written to wizards who are experts in this field and they don't know. As far as they're concerned, that piece of art doesn't even exist and have no idea why it's even listed in that one book. Someone could have put it there. That's the problem with all this magic -- you never know what's real and what's not," Hermione said with a sigh. Harry pulled open the doors to the Great Hall and they were greeted with the boisterous noise of four houses all convening for dinner.

"The good thing about magic is it can't be that hard to find out of it's real or not," Harry retorted and they made their way to the Gryffindor table, finding Ron and Ginny waving to them.

"Where were you two? Never mind. I don't want to know," Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"For your information, we were studying. Harry is still trying to catch up and since he doesn't seem to care about Potions anymore, it hasn't been easy," Hermione said, reaching for some pumpkin juice and pouring it in her cup.

"I care. It's just I care about other things more," Harry said, serving himself some steak and kidney pie. They had filled Ginny in on their plans earlier and she was all ready to go in to get Lupin that very day.

"When are we meeting again?" Ginny asked, her voice so low that she was hard to hear. They had been getting together in Hermione's room and so far no one had noticed. Hermione had spent hours placing various protection and silencing charms in her room in order to make it secure for their planning sessions. Harry was thankful his girlfriend was Head Girl for so many reasons.

"Harry has more studying to do tonight," Hermione said.

"And we have Quidditch practice tomorrow night," Ron added.

"So I guess that means Thursday?" Ginny asked.

"Thursday will work."

"Same time?"

"Yes, just try to be more stealthy about it this time, Ron. We don't want to alert all of Hogwarts that Hermione has the 'Rescue Lupin Club' going on in her room," Harry said and Ron blushed and Ginny laughed. Hermione had instructed Ron on how to make it so the stairs to her room thought he was a girl but he forgot to use the proper spell before he headed up there. They all had to lie about why the alarm was blaring at midnight but after the noise stopped, most people just muttered something about going back to sleep, not even concerned about the cause.

"How come the stairs never give you any trouble?" Ron asked Harry.

"Oh, I made him a girl permanently," Hermione said with a big grin. Now Harry blushed and Ron laughed.

"And here I thought you liked boys," Ginny said.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "They're okay."

"Hey!" Harry said, playfully punching Hermione on the arm. They all laughed and Harry looked at Hermione, enjoying her smile. So this is what normal is like, he thought. And he liked it even though he knew it couldn't last.

**************

Harry could barely keep his eyes open and he realized that he had been staring at the same page of his charms book for the past two hours. At least Professor McGonagall was being reasonable about the amount of time it would take for him to make up all his missed assignments unlike Professor Snape who wanted them done immediately. But it was still a lot of work trying to keep up with the present assignments and finish up the older ones.

It was so late that even Hermione had already left him behind in the library to go to bed, having helped him as much as she could for one evening and also finish the large Arithmancy assignment she had due in the morning.

Harry yawned and packed up his books, unsure of how he was going to stay awake long enough to get back to Gryffindor Tower. Madam Pince came out of nowhere to gather up the library books that were at his table, tutting about the fact that he had been using one of his quills as a bookmark.

"I believe this is yours," she said.

"Oh, right. Thank you," he said, taking it from her and putting it in his book bag. His hand brushed up against all the letters Hermione and he had received from more wizards and witches who were knowledgeable about art and he sighed. It was a big dead end.

"Good night to you, Mr. Potter," Madam Pince said, nodding toward the door. Harry was the last student left in the library.

"G'night," he mumbled, leaving the library behind. He hadn't gone very far when he heard someone calling his name and he turned around, expecting it to be Madam Pince telling him he forgot something. Instead he found no one in the corridor with him.

"Who's there?" he called out.

"Over here, Harry. I'm over here," he heard a voice say and it was vaguely familiar and he wasn't sure in a good or a bad way. Still looking around his eyes finally settled on a portrait in a shadowy recess. Something was motioning for him to come in that direction.

He did, slowly pulling his wand out of his back pocket and holding it by his side.

"What do you want?" Harry said, approaching cautiously.

"Here I am. Don't you remember me, Harry?" the voice from the portrait asked and Harry got in close enough to see the face from his dreams lurking in the corner of a huge painting. "And put your wand away. You don't need that thing."

"It's you!" he said, moving in even closer and putting his wand back into his pocket. "You're the girl who I met inside of... wherever I was. You're her."

"So you do remember?" she asked quietly, looking behind her to see if she woke the old witch snoozing in the center of portrait.

"Not much. I thought that was the idea," Harry said, drawn in by the girl's eyes.

"That wasn't my idea. You have to believe me, Harry. I didn't want that to happen to you," she said, putting her hand out so it looked like she was reaching for him.

"Lupin? How is Lupin... do you even know?" Harry asked and the expression on her face fell flat.

"He needs you, Harry. We all do. You've got to come back in," she said, pleading now.

"I don't know how. I've been trying to figure it out with Hermione and we don't know how to get back in," Harry said, no longer feeling tired. Instead, his heart was pounding hard in his chest.

"Hermione?" she asked and Harry was puzzled. Surely he had told her about Hermione?

"Yes, Hermione has been helping me along with Ron and Ginny," Harry said and now she looked very disappointed. He tried to shake the feeling that he had done something wrong but couldn't quite manage it. "How do I get back in?"

"Come to the room with the painting... you know which one. Come there now and I'll get you in," she said and Harry took a step back.

"I can't without Hermione. Let me go get her and I'll --"

"No! You have to come now!" she demanded, frowning at him.

"I won't go anywhere without telling Hermione first. I couldn't do that to her," Harry said and now the girl in the portrait was glowering at him. "I don't even know your name."

"Ella."

"Ella?"

"Yes. You will have to hurry, Harry. I can't safely stay here much longer and opening that portal isn't that easy. You have to come now..."

"Let me get Hermione and I'll be there," Harry said but the girl continued to scowl. "I'll have it no other way."

"Fine! Get her. She might be of some use to us yet," Ella said, crossing her painted arms before her.

"I'll be there. Don't you worry about that. I'll be there as soon as possible!" Harry said as he turned and ran down the corridor to find Hermione.

*****************

"How can you trust her? Do you even know who she is?" Hermione asked, tugging her robes on as Harry lead her down the stairs towards the common room. She was struggling with her robes and her bag of books she insisted on bringing along and Harry wished she would move faster.

"She said her name is... Ellie? Ella? I don't remember what she said but she's the one," Harry said and Hermione fell silent as she came to a stop.

"We have to tell Ron --"

"I don't know if there's time, Hermione," Harry said.

"Don't you ever learn! We're going to tell someone what's happening. Ginny and Ron have been in on this for days now and we have to tell them. Ron should come with us -- we could use his help once we get there. Ginny can stay here and if something goes wrong, she can get help," Hermione said and Harry stopped pulling her along.

"Fine. I'll get Ron and you get Ginny. Meet in the common room in five minutes," Harry said, heading in the direction of the his dormitory. A while ago he had every intention of returning here to sleep but now he knew that wasn't going to happen tonight.

He shook his friend and then placed his hand over Ron's mouth before he could cry out or wake anyone else. "Ron, it's me," Harry said quietly.

"What do you want? What time is?" Ron muttered.

"You have to get up and get dressed. We have an opportunity to rescue Lupin and we have to take it now," Harry said and Ron blinked with confusion.

"Are we ready for that? I mean, what about the plans?" Ron asked and Harry rolled his eyes. He didn't need another Hermione at the moment.

"We don't have a choice! Lupin has been in there long enough. Hurry!" Harry said, throwing Ron's clothes onto the bed and pulling out his hand me down robes and thrusting them in his direction. "Don't forget your wand and bring your broom just in case. I'll meet you in the common room."

Harry grabbed his Firebolt and the invisibility cloak and rushed down the stairs to find Hermione in a rather heated discussion with Ginny.

"I'm not staying behind," Ginny said, her arms crossed over her chest defiantly.

"You have to," Harry said before Hermione could get another word out. "If something happens to us, you'll be the only one to know where we've gone. We need you, Ginny."

"Why don't you wake up Neville and tell him. He can stay here and then I can go --"

"If we wake up Neville, then he'll want to go, too. I don't even know if Ron will be able to come along. If not, the two of you can --"

"I bloody better be able to go with!" Ron said as he entered the deserted common room, his broom in hand. "If this is like any of our other so called rescue missions, you're going to need all the help you can get."

"That's what I've been trying to tell them but they won't let me go with," Ginny said forcefully.

"I already explained it to you, Ginny. Someone has to stay here in case we don't come back. Here is everything Harry and I learned about the spell to get into the portal," Hermione said, handing Ginny one tiny scroll that barely had anything on it.

"But don't you use that to follow us," Ron said, taking it from his sister's hand and looking it over. His brow furrowed. "Not that this will be of much use."

"I still don't understand --" Ginny started to say but one look from Ron let her know it was a losing argument for now. "How long should I give you?"

"I'm assuming if this Ellie-Ella person can get us in, she can get us out?" Hermione asked and Harry shrugged. He had no idea what the girl from the painting could and could not do because he couldn't remember her. Hermione sighed and went on. "It shouldn't take that long."

"Who do you want me to go to?" Ginny asked. No one said a word as they all thought about it. No matter who Ginny told, they would be in trouble.

"Talk to Hagrid first. He'll know what to do," Ron finally suggested.

"Right. Hagrid," Harry said, unsure of whether anyone would really know what to do.

"I'm going with you--" Ginny started to say but didn't get the chance to finish her sentence.

"No!" three voices said at once.

"What I was going to say is I'm going with you to wherever it is you're supposed to go so I know what's happening. No need to shout at me," Ginny said and Harry and the others looked rather sheepish.

"We better go before we lose this opportunity," Harry said and they all looked nervously at each other before he unfolded the invisibility cloak with a flourish and the four friends huddled in close. No one spoke as they made their way through the portrait hole and down the stairs except for when Ron stepped on Ginny's toes and she punched him in the arm. Hermione hushed them and Harry looked around to make sure they didn't attract the attention of Mrs. Norris.

They slipped into the room and shed the cloak, Ginny quickly telling Ron off for her injured foot.

"Shush! We can still be heard in here!" Harry said and they fell silent. He walked cautiously, broom in one hand and invisibility cloak over his other arm, to the painting, waiting to be stopped by the barrier that had been in place just a few days earlier. It was no longer there. He reached out to the touch the canvas but Hermione pulled him back.

"Harry, wait. Don't you think we should consider this more carefully? How much do you really know about this girl from the painting?" Hermione asked and now Harry's cautiousness was replaced by frustration.

"Not much but I know she was in there with me the whole time. I don't know how, but I know she helped me. I can't explain it," Harry said and Ron cocked an eyebrow at him.

"I don't want to walk into a trap no one can get us out of," he said and Harry nodded.

"We've come quite far in our abilities since then. We know what we might be getting into. I don't think it will be the same," Harry said and Ginny crossed her arms and made a 'tsking' sound. "What?"

"A rescue mission for someone who may or may not need rescuing where you're going into a place you vaguely remember. How do you remember it, Harry? From your dreams? I don't know about you but this is becoming rather familiar," Ginny said and Harry opened his mouth to protest but Hermione gave him a gentle push.

"Either we're doing this now or we're all walking away," Ron said and he and Ginny began to argue about the intelligence of taking on this mission.

"You're just upset we won't let you go!" he said to his sister and she bantered right back with him. Hermione used this opportunity to pull Harry aside.

"Are you sure?" she asked him, holding his free hand in hers.

"I have to do something. She said to meet in here and she'd help. Lupin has done so much for us and we can't just leave him there," Harry said softly to her while Ron and Ginny bickered on.

"I understand you mean well..."

"You don't have to go if you don't want to. I'll understand, Hermione. I know that school is important to you and you have your studies and you don't have to do this just because you're my girlfriend now," Harry said.

"There's no way you're going on your own!" Hermione said rather loudly. It stopped Ron and Ginny's argument for a moment but then they started again.

"Ron will go with. I won't be on my own," Harry said and Hermione narrowed her eyes at him.

"What I mean is I'm not letting you out of my sight again. I won't do it. Wherever you go, I'll follow," she said and Harry fought the urge to kiss her hard on the lips right then and there. Before he had a chance, he heard Ron calling for him.

"You tell her, Harry. Someone has to stay behind if for no other reason than to be Quidditch captain. Tell her she can be the team captain," Ron said, pleading now and pointing the end of his broomstick at his sister.

"You just don't want me to have any fun," Ginny said with a pout.

"No, I don't want you to get killed. Mum would never forgive me if her one and only daughter died while in my care" Ron said.

"Ginny, you have to stay behind. We need you here," Harry said, taking matters into his own hands. Before he had the chance to tell her that she could indeed be Quidditch captain if that's what it took to make her stay behind, he heard a familiar voice coming from the painting.

"Who are all these people, Harry? I thought you said you were just bringing... what's her name again?"

They all turned to face the ugly brown piece of art and Harry expected to see the girl standing there inside the frame but there was no one.

"Ellie?" he asked, walking closer to it. Hermione grasped his hand and wouldn't let go.

"It's Ella. I told you that already," she said, a pout discernible in her voice.

"I'm sorry, Ella," Harry said, moving even closer though Hermione was pulling against him now. He gave her a tug until she was standing by his side. "This is Hermione."

Hermione waved at nothing considering there was no visible person in the painting and now Ron stepped up until he was standing beside them, leaving Ginny sulking in her spot.

"I'm Ron," Ron said and he nodded his head in the direction of his sister. "And this is Ginny. She's mad that Harry won't let her come with."

"Don't blame Harry," Ginny said and with that, they all waited for a reply.

"You said you were just bringing Herm-inn-enone," the voice said.

"Hermione," Hermione clarified but the voice didn't repeat it again. "Does it matter who comes with? It's our friend we're trying to save."

"It doesn't matter to me," Ella said and Harry waited for her to step into view but she didn't. His stomach was being to churn with anticipation and worry. This painting was like the one at the Muggle library -- the one who took him away from Hermione. At least this time, she would be going with him.

"What do we have to do, Ella?" Harry asked, trying hard to remember how this worked the last time.

"I already did the hard part for you and removed that barrier. If that's the best the people teaching here now can come up with, I feel sorry for the lot of you," she said.

"She's not haughty at all, is she?" Hermione whispered into Harry's ear and he shrugged his shoulders.

"What do we do next?" he asked.

"Touch the canvas," she said and now it grew even more familiar to Harry. Drew pushed him and he touched the painting and that's what started it all. Harry reached out but before he could get near the canvas, Ella stopped him. "I would suggest you all hold hands or figure out how to touch the painting at the exact same moment."

Harry was still holding onto Hermione's hand and Ron wiped his hand on his robes before he took Hermione's other hand.

"Ginny, if we aren't back in a few days, you know what to do, right?" Harry asked and Ginny nodded, looking rather disappointed to be left behind. "Now what?"

"Touch the painting."

Harry handed his broom to Ron, who fumbled around with two broomsticks before clasping them securely against his body. With that, Harry took a step toward the painting and touched it. A bolt of energy surged through his body and down his other arm to where he was holding Hermione's hand -- so much energy that it was hard to hold on tight but there was no way he was letting go. Then it felt like they were being pulled into a vortex. It was so much stronger than anything he remembered and somehow he knew it hadn't been like this the last time this happened. He could feel Hermione's fingernails digging into his palm as she struggled to hold on and then he heard her shout out but he didn't know what for. Then, when he was sure he could hold on no longer, they landed somewhere horribly bright.

"I remember," was all he said as he struggled to look around, his eyes not adjusting to the all the light. He moaned loudly and shaded his eyes, waiting for the pain to come but it didn't. "Hermione... Ron... I remember. Oh... no..."

****************

To Be Continued