Title: Jealously and Good Intentions
Author: Michelle
Status: Unfinished
Disclaimer: All rights belong to J.K. Rowling and her publishers. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/U: Hey, guys, I decided to write this before I went off and became a lawyer. I'm warning you that this has a lot of "legal formalities" as they would say. But just because I'm a very nice person I added a lot of H/Hr hints in there. I think it's cute…well besides the crying. Sorry, more drama!
<3 MK
Chapter Seven
"Looking for this?" He asked, holding up Harry's wand. "You'll never get…" He stopped short as the wand flew out of his hand with alarming speed into Hermione's hand. She handed it to Harry who pointed it at them.
"Now, move." Hermione said forcefully. They flattened against the wall, revealing a very confused and very scared looking Jim.
In that moment there was a silence where the Dursleys looked panicked and Hermione had stopped dead in the middle of whatever she had been planning to say next. Jim looked like…well, like someone had just told him magic was real. Harry probably hadn't contemplated the consequences of everything that had done in the last ten minutes or so.
No one spoke at all when they heard a loud thud behind them. Harry and Hermione whipped around to see the minister of magic. This one they didn't recognize at all.
"Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and you…" He pointed at Jim whose eyes widened considerably. "Come with me." He said. Hermione looked close to tears. Harry was getting angry. All his life he had to deal with the burden of Voldemort and the Dursleys but the second he does something for himself he's suddenly the bad guy.
Their wrists were bound by the guards that had come in behind the minister. Harry was struggling at the magical ropes and Hermione was crying now. Jim looked too shocked to have any other emotion inside of him.
"Please, no, you don't understand. We had…" Hermione was cut off by the minister.
"No, I understand completely, you have violated more laws in ten minutes than I care to explain. You have used magic in front of not one, but four muggles. Not to mention you are still underage. You have violated the very strict secrecy laws that could endanger that magical world. Of course, that doesn't even begin to cover you, Miss Granger. As for you," He pointed an intimidating finger at Harry. "You have used another witch's wand…" He pulled out a slip of paper. "Alohamora was used twice. In that effect you have destroyed property and also have used magic in front of muggles." He finished with a quick glance at Jim.
"Is there anything either of you would like to say for yourselves?" He asked looking back and forth between them and without waiting for an answer they were escorted outside where they were to take a portkey directly to the ministry.
Harry felt a strong pull at the back of his navel and was suddenly desperate to get out of there. He was dizzy by the time they hit the marble floor. Harry looked up to see Dumbledore standing in front of him. He didn't say a word but only shook his head disappointedly at both of them. Harry wasn't sure if he was crying or not, but he didn't care. He looked back at Hermione who was still crying. He wanted so badly to comfort her but the binds on his wrists kept him from doing so.
They were taken into a room where the binds were taken off. The guards left them alone informing them that someone would be in to see them shortly. The second Hermione was freed she ran to Harry and wrapped her arms around his neck. As she sobbed into his shoulder Harry decided that he was not going to let this happen. Too long he let the ministry own him.
"Everything will be okay…Everything will be okay." Harry whispered repeatedly into Hermione's ear. Harry heard a sound on the other side of the room. Jim was pulling frantically at the door handle. "That's not going to work. Everything here is magically locked." Harry said simply holding Hermione close to him.
The door opened revealing another guard who escorted Jim out of the room, leaving Harry and Hermione alone.
"Where are they taking him? Is he going to be okay?" Hermione asked between sobs. Harry could have told her that he had helped break into a house and that he was probably going to be handed over to cops, but that wasn't going to help anything right now.
"He'll be fine, Hermione. Everything will be okay…Everything will be…" He was interrupted by the door opening again. It was Arthur Weasley. "Mr. Weasley!" Harry exclaimed.
"Harry, Hermione. Sit down." He said. Harry could tell that he didn't want to be here.
"I'm fine. We're fine." Harry said still holding Hermione.
"Mr. Potter, I'm going to need you and Miss Granger to cooperate." He said, not looking them in the eye. Harry sat Hermione down and sat down in his own chair. Harry had never been called Mr. Potter by Arthur except when they had first met.
"Why are you doing this to us? Can't you help us?" Hermione asked, no longer crying but still shaking slightly.
"Miss Granger, I'm here to do my job. I need to support my family like everyone else. I just got a promotion and I can't risk this." He said, still not able to look up.
"How do you think that family of yours is going to feel when they find out that you put us in Wizard Juvi?" Hermione asked with some edge in her voice.
"There is nothing that I can do. Now, please cooperate or I will be forced to take you to court immediately." He said. "Both of you have committed a list of crimes in the vicinity of the following muggles: Jim Roling, Vernon Dursley, Petunia Dursley and their son, Dudley Dursley. I am aware, however, that three of the afore mentioned people were aware of the wizarding world before. So those charges will be taken off the list. However, there is still one boy in question. Do either of you know him?" He asked, looking up at them for the first time since he entered the room.
"I do." Hermione said, tears threatening to spill over again.
"And how do you know him?" He asked, writing things down on a pad of paper.
"He's my…He's my boyfriend." Hermione said, looking down again.
"I see." Mr. Weasley said, looking over at Harry who had found a sudden interest in his shoes.
"Doing magic in front of muggles is a major offence. All the memory erasing is going to take a lot of time and effort. Your reckless behavior has cost the ministry a lot of money today. Not to mention that this could be means to confiscate your wands. This could get you both kicked out of Hogwarts. Now I know that you probably meant well…" Arthur said, addressing them as if he knew them for the first time since they got there. "But there is nothing anyone can do to get you out of this. I honestly can't give you a good outcome for this." He said looking down.
"So, what happens now?" Hermione asked quietly.
"Well, now, Hermione, someone is going to come in here and take you to court where you will be able to state your defense and tell the story. I'm going to be one of the jurors but I don't know who's going to be your judge. I'm sorry that this had to happen and I'm sorry there's nothing I can do." He said looking down before walking out of the room.
"How long do you think we'll be here?" Hermione asked Harry standing up from her chair.
"I'm not sure Hermione. It could take hours." Harry said walking with her over to the two way mirror. They looked out into the ministry where people were buzzing and some were heading home after a long day at work to go to their families.
"Harry, I'm so sorry." Hermione said quietly. Harry looked over at her with concern.
"What? Why are you sorry?" Harry asked, putting his arm around her.
"I got us into this mess. If it wasn't for me and my stupid brain that thinks it can handle anything…" Hermione said, angry at herself.
"Hermione, if it wasn't for you and your brain, I'd be dead. Also, there will never be a day when Hermione Granger can say she's stupid and be right." Harry added. And it was the truth. There were so many times when Hermione had saved him. All three of them in fact would have been dead this very moment if it wasn't for Hermione. Ron had saved them as well. They were a team. And right now, Harry needed that. Even though things were rough between him and Ron he couldn't deal with all this. He just needed to get something off his chest. He wasn't sure what it was though.
"Harry?" She asked timidly turning towards the other side of the room they were in.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
"I'm sorry that I've been acting weird lately. I mean, I know I said this before, it's just I feel so bad all the time now. I couldn't lose you. I don't know what I'd do." Hermione said, trying to hold in the tears.
"Hermione, I'll be fine. Voldemort isn't going to win. Good always beats evil, remember?" Harry asked.
"Harry, this isn't a storybook. I mean, there's a chance that when you leave for that battle that I'll never see you again, ever, and I just don't' know how I'd live knowing that maybe I could have helped…" Hermione trailed off.
Suddenly Harry realized what he needed to say. He wasn't sure how Hermione would take it. Maybe it was a selfish thing to do. Maybe telling her, causing her more pain to get rid of some of his wasn't the right thing to do right now. But she deserved to know, didn't she? She had been his best friend for so long that he couldn't keep this from her any longer. He'd have to tell Ron too, of course. But that would have to come later, after everything between him and Ron had been sorted out. That's what he needed to do as soon as he got out of this mess. But first, here Hermione was. And he needed to tell her. Now.
"Hermione…there's something I have to tell you…I found this out last year…I don't really know how to tell you…" Harry said with his brow furrowed.
"Harry, what is it?" Hermione asked, walking towards him slowly.
"It has to do with the final battle…Remember when we went to the Department of Mysteries?" Hermione nodded. "Well, Voldemort had been looking for a prophecy…" Harry trailed off. Trying to find the right words to tell Hermione that it wasn't just a possibility that he wasn't going to be around after that final battle.
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