Chapter Nineteen: The Clock Ticks
Dawn.
How could they have come to this?
This same thought ran through the minds of the two men who faced each other on that grey and misty morning. The grass was wet under their feet from the morning dew and little puffs of their breaths hung in the crisp air. They had shown up to the appointment, faced each other, walked their paces then spun around to deliver their curses.
But they didn't.
They stood apart, wands drawn but nothing was said.
Harry didn't want to do this. He was angry at his godfather, surprised by this turn of events that he had initiated but he didn't want to hurt him. And he could. He knew he could. Whether Sirius was aware of that fact, he didn't know.
Sirius did know. He knew Harry was a powerful wizard, more powerful than he and that at any moment, his godson could deliver a terrible curse. But he didn't. Oh, what would James think of him? A silly old man. That's what he'd think of him and he'd be right.
Harry's hand tightened around his wand. What was he doing here? He was wasting time, he should be out somewhere looking for his wife, his Hermione. But he was here to defend her honor, defend their love. It was Sirius who spoke first.
"You know that she is the woman I care most about in this world," he said.
Harry lowered his wand. "She loves you," he answered back.
Sirius scoffed a little. "But not in the way she loves you."
Harry didn't know what to say to that. He watched as Sirius put away his wand and walk towards him.
"I do care about her," Sirius said quietly. "Hell, I may even love her. But she's rejected me so many times that it almost became a game with us. But it still hurts when she's chosen the best wizard in the world to be her companion." He stopped in front of his godson. "She may love me, but she's truly, passionately and deeply in love with you."
"I love her more than life itself," Harry replied sincerely. "I am only half a person without her."
"I remember the day at the Lovegood's when I walked out onto the balcony and saw you two together. I knew then that you two were meant for each other. You reminded me so much of when your father first met Lily. But it still stung a little to admit defeat."
Harry looked at his godfather. "Believe me. I know what it is like to be consumed with jealousy over whom Hermione puts her attentions. And it will still take some work to accept that I am not the only man in her life." He looked at Sirius pointedly. Sirius grinned and offered a hand. Harry took it and Sirius led him into a short embrace.
"A truce then," he said jovially, clapping him on the back. "But if you ever make her unhappy, then I will not hesitate to swoop in and steal your wife."
Harry forced a laugh to match his godfather's as Sirius led him back toward the Granger Manor. The comment was meant as a joke but Harry would always wonder, even years from now, how much of that was wrought in truth.
"Come now, Harry. We have a battle coming our way," he said.
"About that, I think we need to go over the Malfoy ledger in detail and…" Sirius was laughing at him. "What?" Harry asked.
"Finding Hermione is first priority but I'm talking about an even bigger battle. Hermione's father will be here any moment and you will have the pleasure of breaking the news about his daughter to him…all of what's happened to Hermione," he emphasized this last part.
Harry swallowed nervously. Mr. Granger. His father-in-law.
~*~
Draco was angry.
Angry at his father. Angry that his plans were fallilng apart because of him.
It was his own idea to take Hermione aboard the Maria Cristobel, his own idea to set her up in his cabin. If his plans had gone accordingly, he would've had Sirius Black groveling at his feet and Miss Granger ravished several times already.
But his father had taken over as soon as he set foot aboard the ship. Hermione still stayed in his cabin but was guarded at all times, a Death Eater stationed at her door to deny anyone into the cabin. Especially him.
His father was protecting family lines more heartily than he thought he would. Now, he was stuck on a boat, the Dark Lord nestled safely below deck, the object of his unrelenting lust was locked in his cabin and his father hadn't yet made a move to bring Sirius on board.
"We've had a bit of a complication," a Death Eater had informed them. "Mr. Black and Mr. Potter have had a duel this morning."
"A duel?" Lucius asked.
"Something about Mr. Black and Mr. Potter's fiancé," the Death Eater answered.
Draco smirked. "Miss Lavender Brown, eh? Now we know why the engagement was called off."
Lucius frowned. "Are you sure Sirius has not said anything to him about Miss Granger's disappearance?"
"I don't know," the Death Eater shrugged.
Lucius leaned forward. "Then why don't you find out?" The Death Eater scrambled away.
Draco looked at his father. "I hardly think that Mr. Black would bring up Miss Granger's kidnapping in the middle of a duel, I'm sure his head was in a different place. Besides, I doubt Potter would listen to anything he had to say."
Lucius was still frowning in thought. "Be that as it may, I am interested to know the outcome of this duel."
Draco scoffed. "Potter doesn't have it in him to kill his own godfather."
"We had better hope so or else this plan is for nothing. Nevertheless, if Potter doesn't kill him, let us hope that Sirius hasn't said a word of this. The last thing the Dark Lord needs is for Potter to get wind of this plot."
"Even if he did, Potter has no reason go after his godfather or Miss Granger," Draco said lazily.
Hermione stifled a little gasp. She had pressed herself flat against the floor to listen underneath the door and heard every word. She sat up quickly and leaned against the wall.
Harry and Sirius dueling? Did Sirius tell Harry and the Order? The Dark Lord was involved?
The Dark Lord.
She looked down at her left hand and saw the gold ring on her finger. She set to work on it, coaxing it off her finger. She held it in front of her.
"I'm so sorry, my love," she said as she kissed the small object. She stuffed it under her mattress to hide it. The Dark Lord would use her to torture Harry if he ever found out about her. She remembered how the Death Eater's attempted to kidnap Lavender to bring Harry to his knees and beg for her release. She wouldn't allow them the pleasure this time.
~*~
Mr. Granger was a tall and stately man with brown hair that was graying at the temples, his voice was deep and venerable and his very presence sent the servants scurrying to their tasks.
"Sirius!" he boomed as he bustled into his office. "I want to know exactly what's going on…" He made a move to sit behind his desk but gave a pause when he saw Harry standing with Sirius. "You didn't mention your godson," he looked sternly at Sirius.
Sirius nudged Harry sharply on the back and Harry nervously jumped.
"Uh…s-sir, my…my name is…"
"Harry Potter," Mr. Granger waved his hand impatiently as if brushing away a gnat. "Sirius, what is going on with my daughter? My business is cut short when two young wizards turn up and tell me that there is an emergency back home. Not only that, they see to it that I am escorted the entire way, with wands! Nearly ruined my meeting," he muttered angrily, "two people showing up waving sticks in the air. You do remember that I work with muggles as well?"
"It is a most urgent matter," Sirius replied. "We believe your daughter may have been kidnapped by Death Eaters." Harry came to life and placed the ransom note they sent to Sirius. He eyed Mr. Granger's hands as he took the paper, noting the length and strength of his hands. Could Mr. Granger kill a man with those bare hands?
Mr. Granger was silent as he read the note, his eyes narrowing in anger. He set down the paper and looked up at Sirius.
"It says here that you are not to contact Mr. Potter, yet here he is in my office," he said nodding to Harry.
"He can be trusted, he's a member of the Order and in charge of her recovery," Sirius said dismissively.
"The Order?" Mr. Granger's eyebrows rose. "You contacted the Order as well? I assume then that Dumbledore is aware of this?"
"We are working round the clock to find Her-Miss Granger," Harry checked himself.
Mr. Granger turned his gaze on him. "By dueling?" Harry and Sirius opened their mouths to protest but Mr. Granger held up a hand. "I was informed of the activities of this morning. Tell me, young man," Mr. Granger turned to Harry. "What good would have done my daughter to have the point of contact killed in a duel?"
"I wasn't going to kill him," Harry muttered lamely, shuffling one foot on the floor as he hung his head.
"No harm would've come to either of us in this duel," Sirius defended.
Mr. Granger picked up the ransom note and turned it around in his hands so it faced the two men. "I understand you lead a smuggler's life but I was mislead to think you could read as well as write." Sirius again opened his mouth to say something but Mr. Granger spoke over him. "It states, quite plainly I might add, NOT to contact Albus Dumbledore, NOT to contact the Order and NOT to contact Mr. Potter, who is standing right here in front of me!"
"Immediate action needed to be taken," Sirius defended.
"It was all done discretely, the Death Eaters would have no idea what Sirius has done. We would not jeopardize Hermione in any way."
Mr. Granger blinked at the young man, slightly taken aback by his daughter's given name being spoken from a stranger. He looked back at Sirius.
"Please tell me that you aren't in charge of her recovery," he said.
"No…I'm not," Sirius said slowly.
"Thank heavens for that," Mr. Granger grumbled.
"I'm in charge," Harry spoke up.
"WHAT? No, no, no," Mr. Granger shook his head. "Hero he may be, I want Dumbledore in charge of this."
"I can assure you that Harry is the best person for this job," Sirius said.
"Nothing means more to me than bringing Hermione home safely," Harry said sincerely.
"That's another thing that worries me, Sirius. Adequate for this job or not, I've read the Prophet and I don't think some young hot-shot with a reputation for ruining young ladies' future's should be in charge of this. I've been too lenient with Hermione and the company she keeps and look where it has led her. No, the last thing I need is someone like Mr. Potter around my daughter."
Harry and Sirius exchanged a nervous look.
"What?" Mr. Granger asked.
Harry nervously stepped forward and licked his lips before speaking his own death sentence. "Uh…sir. Your daughter…Hermione…"
"I know who my daughter is, thank you very much."
"Of course you do. Yes…well, weelopedandweremarriedafewdaysago."
Mr. Granger had a blank look on his face. "Huh?"
Harry took a deep breath. "Hermione and I were married a few days ago. We eloped."
Silence.
Harry was afraid to breathe. Mr. Granger didn't say anything but Harry could see a vein pulsing in his forehead. He had his elbows on his desk, his finger's laced together.
"Sirius," he finally spoke. "Will you please leave me and this young man alone?" Sirius complied and left Harry by himself to face his formidable father-in-law.
~*~
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