Unofficial Portkey Archive

Harry Potter and the Triptych

By Vickles

Disclaimer: I went to post this only to find on my computer a lovely note from the characters, expressing not-so-subtle and blatantly sarcastic remarks about how grateful they are for my speedy writing of this chapter. *Sigh* I considered reprimanding them, but they have wands, so that idea faded quickly.

A/N: I realize how long it has been, so just to give everyone a quick reminder, there was an attack in Diagon Alley and Hermione was severely injured. She is now recovering, though not without roadblocks, and her, Ron, and Harry have begun training again. Ginny and Luna are back at Hogwarts, and Draco is still at Grimmauld Place, grim and sarcastic as ever.

~*~

Harry returned the smile, and though he could hear Ron muttering what sounded suspiciously like "whipped" under his breath, Harry was pleased that things were slowly going back to normal. As he set Hermione down and watched her happily dig into the lunch Dobby had set out, exchanging rude remarks with Malfoy, he grinned to himself. She would get better, and things would be okay.

Yes, he tried to convince himself, things would be okay.

~*~

Chapter 24: Testing

~*~

"How are you feeling today, Miss Granger?" Madam Pomfrey asked as she took a seat beside the bed. Draco, after grabbing a quick bite to eat, had retreated back to his room and Ron had gone to make preparations for his and Harry's afternoon trip to meet with a Mr. Jokin.

"Excellent," Hermione replied, "I think I'm ready to get out of this bed."

"Yes, well, we will see about that," the nurse told her, "Lie down please." Hermione did as she was instructed and Madam Pomfrey gently lifted her shirt, inspecting the mark. It was all Harry could do not to look away.

Madam Pomfrey's brow furrowed, "Miss Granger, have you felt any pain at the sight of impact?"

Hermione hesitated before answering, "No." After a stern looking from the nurse she sighed, "Yes. In the shower this morning."

"The shower?" Madam Pomfrey asked, looking at Harry.

"I would have stopped her," he defended himself, "but I was sleeping." He turned to Hermione, "You said you were fine."

Before Hermione could respond, Madam Pomfrey continued with her examination, "Could you describe the pain for me, Miss Granger?"

Hermione gave in, "It was very sharp - a hot, stinging pain, as if that part of my body were being burned. I don't think it lasted very long, if I recall correctly. I was just a bit sore for awhile afterwards."

"Hmm…" the nurse thought out loud, "Was that the first time you had an episode like that?"

"Yes."

Madam Pomfrey remained silent for a moment, then exhaled softly, "Alright, Miss Granger, you are now free to move about. However, you are not to do any serious activity for at least another week and I would appreciate it if you will try not to strain yourself more than necessary. I am leaving Mr. Potter in charge until I check up on you - same time next week. We will reevaluate your restrictions then. I will talk to the Headmistress about your condition and see to it that she informs your trainers. Am I understood?"

Hermione nodded, unable to suppress a wide smile.

"Very well, then. In the meantime, I will figure out what is causing the pain in your abdomen, because I have a feeling it will continue." She stood to leave.

Hermione, with great effort, remained sitting until the nurse left, "Thank you, Madam Pomfrey!"

"Do not make me regret this, Miss Granger," The nurse warned with a smile before Disapparating. While Hermione hopped out of bed, Ron walked in, standing beside Harry.

Hermione smiled at the two of them as she walked around the room, "Did you hear that? No more bed rest!" She began to skip, but got slightly dizzy and began to wobble. Harry put his hands on her waist to steady her.

He laughed, "Did you hear that? No over-exerting yourself." Ron snorted at this.

Hermione blushed, "Got a little excited, that's all."

"I know, but Ron and I are leaving in a minute and I'm wondering if I can trust you to not try anything more than you should."

Hermione's brow furrowed, "Where are you going?"

"We've got an appointment with Crazy!" Harry laughed at the use of the nickname they'd adopted, "How could you forget?"

"Oh!" Hermione nodded as if a light bulb turned on, "That's great. We've been putting it off for weeks. I was just reading up on his biography yesterday, actually. We don't actually know that he's crazy, you both realize, right?"

"Yes," Harry answered.

Ron agreed, "But even if he is, one must wonder why."

"Precisely," Harry smiled.

"Will you be using your aliases then?" Hermione asked.

"Of course," Harry replied, letting go of her waist and taking a pin from Ron and putting it on, "Will you do the honors?"

Hermione smiled and muttered the incantation, watching as their appearances changed into that of Joseph and Greg Brill. Her own appearance would be that of their `sister' Linda Brill, but even she knew better than to put herself in danger at the moment. As the youngest, her alias was just seventeen, while Ron, or Greg, was twenty and Harry, or Joseph, was twenty-two. Both had brown eyes and wavy brown hair. They used their aliases more than she did, since they went out the most often, but still she was unused to it.

Harry grabbed his cloak from the chair he had laid it out on, removing the pin and replacing it on the outer material, causing his appearance to waver for a moment. "See you later," he told Hermione with a smile as he gave her a peck on the forehead. She nodded, giving Ron a quick hug, and then they headed out the door.

"We need to stop by and see Malfoy before we leave," Harry told Ron as they walked through the hallways.

"Okay," Ron replied, "But why?"

Harry clenched his teeth, "I have to ask him for a favor." They reached Malfoy's room and knocked on the door, waiting for a few moments before he came to it, blinking as he opened it for them.

"Yes?" he asked, sitting on his bed and yawning as they both walked in. He had seen them with their masquerades once or twice previously.

"Were you sleeping?" Harry asked, surprised.

Malfoy shrugged, "Yeah. Is that what you came here for?"

"No," Harry replied, sighing, "I want you to watch Hermione while we are gone."

"She can't take care of herself?" His irritation was not masked at all.

Harry rolled his eyes, "I just meant for you to keep an eye on her in case something happens."

Draco eyed him suspiciously, "Something like what?"

"She's been experiencing some pain. If it gets really bad or if she over exerts herself and something goes wrong, I need you to get a hold of Madam Pomfrey."

Malfoy grinning at this, "Say that last part again."

Harry raised an eyebrow, "What part?"

"The part where you need me."

Harry sighed, "Will you do it or won't you?"

"I'll do it, Potter. Bloody hell, you don't always have to get your knickers twisted up."

"I don't. In fact, it only seems to happen when you're around."

"I am honored. Who doesn't want to be the stick in Harry Potter's arse?"

"Now that's just…"

Ron cut in, "I hate to break this up; I really do. But don't you think we should get going, Harry? Er…Joseph?"

Harry backed down, "Fine. Let's go." And without another word, they were gone.

~*~

Harry wasn't sure what he expected when he walked into the back room of the Dragonskin Pub, but Imja Jokin, pronounced Im-Yuh YO-kin as Draco had informed them a few weeks back, was certainly not it. He was seated at a small round table by the fireplace, calmly drinking his tea. His suit was well tailored, and he was freshly shaved. Though he appeared to be getting on in his years, he seemed perfectly healthy, both physically and mentally.

That does not necessarily mean anything. Looks can be deceiving. Harry smiled and shook his head. There was not even a question anymore about whether or not that voice inside his head sounded like Hermione. Standing beside Ron - or Greg, rather - about two or three meters away from the man, Harry recited the words Draco had given him, "It is a pleasure to meet with you, Mr. Jokin. May we have a seat?"

The pub was located in Stockholm, Sweden, and had a warm, yet damp feel to it. The main area had reeked of testosterone from the abundance of drunken middle-aged men, and two scuffles had taken place as Harry and Ron were led to the back. The room itself was rather large and an elliptical shape. On an adjacent wall to the fireplace was a single large window, covered with hangings, and scattered around the room were various pieces of furniture. Opposite the fireplace was a door, leading to a storage closet, Harry assumed.

Imja Jokin nodded and gesture to the other two seats around the small table. Once the two of them were sitting, he spoke, "It is my understanding that the reason for this appointment is your curiosity about old Red Eyes."

"Actually," Ron replied as he and Harry accepted the drinks politely, "We are a bit more curious about Tom Riddle."

"One in the same, one in the same, but I see what you are saying. What information do you seek?"

Harry felt himself smile, "Any information you can give us. It is my understanding that you have a few stories to tell."

This earned a smirk from Jokin as he raised an eyebrow, pressing, "Crazier men than you have called me mad."

Harry only shrugged in reply, "Saner men than you have been known to lie."

A laugh erupted from Imja Jokin's throat, short and crisp. Harry and Ron were surprised, as they considered the subject matter more somber. The man sighed, giving in. "There is in fact only one story I have to tell, but it is first important that you know how I came upon it. You see, before I became the rich man I am now, I worked as a servant in the house of Lord Kavanagh. He was very prosperous, and a nice man from what I knew of him. He and his wife were not blessed with a son, however, but rather a daughter. Her name was Aislin. Aislin Kavanagh."

The man smiles, "I must say that she was, and continues to be, the most beautiful creature I've ever had the opportunity to lay my eyes on. She was heir to a fortune, and kinder and more giving than the saints themselves. Any man would have been lucky to marry her. I used to fancy the idea of marrying her myself one day, in fact."

Harry and Ron listened, curious and confused. What did that have to do with Voldemort? After a sip of tea, Jokin continued, "Miss Kavanagh had many suitors that came to court her, but the rumor amongst the household staff was that her honor was at risk."

"Her honor?" Ron asked, not used to such language.

Imja nodded, "An orphan, they said. I never gave it much thought. I believed Miss Kavanagh was above such behavior. Then, one day when she was supposed to be out, I was ordered to tidy the bedroom. I used the servants' entrance, but before I could enter, I saw them."

Harry swallowed, feeling uneasy.

Mr. Jokin went on, "He was sitting on the edge of the bed, helping her retie the back of her dress. When he finished, he stood, wrapping his arms around her waist. She glowed beautifully in the morning light, and her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. I remember he smiled, took her hand, and said, `Marry me, Aislin.'

"Miss Aislin shook her head sadly, letting go of his hand, `I would, Tom,' she told him, `But my parents would never allow it. I'm heir to a fortune, and you are a penniless orphan.' He then asked her to run away with him, and again she refused."

Imja Jokin took a deep breath, "He began to tell her his plans. He went on and on about how one day the world would be his, and he only wanted the love of his life, Aislin to be at his side. Miss Kavanagh wanted no part of it, and would not hear of killing Muggle-borns and Half-bloods. She asked him to leave, and never return."

"Tom was crushed and tried to persuade her to his wishes, but she threatened to scream. It was then that he held his hand up, and Miss Kavanagh began to act very queer. Her eyes seemed glazed and she began to say all of these odd things about how she would love to be his bride, his loyal servant for all eternity."

"The Imperius," Ron said, nodding.

Jokin continued, "Riddle leaned in to kiss her, however the glazed look began to fade and she wouldn't return the kiss. Furious at this point, he grabbed her by the elbow and the two of them Disapparated together. For three weeks no one heard from her, but on the third week she was dropped off on her parents' doorstep, dead. The Dark Mark made its first appearance that night."

Ron looked at Harry; clearly feeling like this was a waste of time. Voldemort in love? Perhaps when Peeves dies and becomes a saint. Imja did not notice this, however, and continued in a theatrical voice, "I believe that day in the bedroom was the last day that Tom Riddle walked this earth."

Harry nodded, trying to figure out the quickest way to leave, his unease making his hand want to twitch towards his wand, "Thank you Mr. Jokin. That was just what we were looking for."

"You know," the man continued, ignoring Harry's subtle hint, "I used to have a picture of Aislin around here somewhere, but I'm afraid I gave it to a young lady quite a long time ago."

"That's quite alright," Ron replied, clearly following Harry's lead, "We should be going now anyway. Thank you for meeting us."

Imja Jokin smiled and nodded, extending his hand, but Harry knew the time to leave had already come and gone. He could sense the room practically crackling with energy, and was positive that a quick look around the room would show that they were surrounded. As he stood to shake Mr. Jokin's hand, Harry used his other to surreptitiously reach into his pocket and touch his wand. Once Harry was sure that Ron had taken similar actions, he let go of the old man's hand. He ducked under the table just in time to avoid a purple streak and then the fight was on.

~*~

How much longer would they be? Hermione asked herself as she lay curled up on the bed. Her abdomen felt as if it was on fire, and it was all she could do to keep from screaming. It had been going on for a while, though she had no idea how long exactly, and she could barely force herself to think, let alone move. Hermione tried to focus on anything but the pain, but she could not concentrate enough to open her eyes.

In the back of her mind she heard the door open, and she thought for a moment that it might be Harry, but then she her the drawling voice for Draco Malfoy. "What's wrong?" He sounded startled. Clearly, Harry had asked him to keep an eye on her and, clearly, he had not taken the job seriously.

Hermione tried to open her mouth and reply, but the only sound that came out was a pathetic whimper and the choking of her tears. "I'll fetch Madam Pomfrey," Draco replied, seeming to get the idea. Hermione heard his footsteps leave the room and was left alone again.

She was not sure how much time passed before Draco was back again, but when she forced herself to open her eyes, Hermione saw that Madam Pomfrey was not with him. Draco pulled a chair up beside the bed, and, taking a seat, reached out to lift up her shirt. Hermione immediately slapped away his hands and turned away from him.

"Granger, I have to see your wound to make sure we know what's wrong with you. Do you understand?"

Hermione nodded, another embarrassing whimper escaping from her lips as she tried to lie on her back. Draco carefully lifted up her shirt and looked at the wound, holding both of her hands in one of his as he gently prodded the scar, sending burst of pain throughout her body. Hermione winced and tried to move her hands to stop him but his grasp was firm, though he muttered an apology that sounded surprisingly genuine. She watched through watery eyes as he leaned in an examined it carefully before letting her hands go and tugging her shirt back down. He then began telling her things but Hermione could no longer hear them as she began to let herself be enveloped by the pain.

"Granger. Granger, look at me. Granger! Hermione!"

The use of her first name caught her attention, it being such a rare occurrence, and Hermione forced herself to open her eyes and focus on him as he spoke. Draco took her hands in his, this time to try and keep her focus, and began talking rapidly, "According to Pomfrey, your body is rejecting the residual dark magic left by the death orb, but the magic is fighting back. Until the good and bad magic reaches a temporary impasse you will be in pain. But listen, Hermione, this is important," he shook her and she looked up at him, "You have to stay conscious and alert, or your body will start to give in. If your body gives in that means you may die which means that either your boyfriend will kill me or I will be kicked out on the streets and someone else will kill me and then we will both be dead, which is quite a loss to civilization, don't you think?"

Hermione nodded, a tiny smile reaching her lips as she managed to speak, "Yes."

Draco returned the expression, "Exactly. Now since I am currently in charge of you I am going to proceed to talk until your ears fall off or until Potter gets home and takes my place, alright?"

Hermione nodded again, the pain spreading to her hands.

"Perfect. Now did I ever tell you how positively bushy your hair is? At times I swear there's a dead animal on top of your head."

~*~

"Stupefy!" Harry shouted, knocking down another one. Looking around, he saw that none were left standing, and that Imja Jokin was nowhere to be found, probably having escaped during the shuffle, though Harry could not be sure when. "Greg?" he asked, looking around the destroyed room for his friend.

"Over here, Jo," Ron replied, climbing out from under pile of mud, undoubtedly conjured at some point.

"Stand back while I bound them and round them up," Harry instructed. Ron obeyed with out question and Harry held out his hand, instantly binding them with ropes, and then motioned, moving them all to one side of the room, lined up on the floor. "Grab their wands," he added, studying each one of them. Once Ron had a hold of all of their wands, Harry revived the one that he had noticed shouting orders to the other during the fight.

The man, about the same age as Greg and Joseph - meaning a few years older than Ron and Harry - looked around for a moment before his eyes landed on Harry. "What do you want?"

Harry crouched down so that he was at eye-level with the man, "Funny you should ask, because that is exactly what I want to know."

"I'm not telling you anything."

Harry, using his wand as a prop so as not to give away his powers, tightened the ropes around the man's neck just enough to cause panic, and then patiently waited a few moments until the man spoke.

"Alright, alright!"

Harry loosened the ropes, "Who sent you?"

"No one. Mr. Jokin wanted us here."

"Why?" Ron pressed.

"Why have you been snooping around?" The man asked.

Harry tightened the rope again for a moment before replying, "We're asking the questions here, not you. Answer him."

"It was a test. You passed. Expect to hear more from Mr. Jokin in the future."

Harry shook his head, looking at Ron, who shrugged. Not knowing what else to say, he stupefied the man again, and then helped Ron stick there wands under one of the floorboards. Harry sighed, "I think we should get out of here before more show up."

"I agree," Ron nodded.

"And I think you should just pop straight into your shower," Harry laughed.

Ron looked down at himself, completely covered in dirt, "I agree." The two of them Disapparated.

Once inside Grimmauld Place, Harry headed for his bedroom, surprised to find a sleeping, though clearly formerly-crying, Hermione with Malfoy in a chair beside her. Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Malfoy raised a hand, stopping him, and then led him out into the hall.

"What happened?" Harry asked as soon as they were outside.

"What took you so long?" Draco asked in return.

"I asked first."

"My question is more important."

Harry sighed, "Just as we were ending our meeting, Ron and I were ambushed. Any idea how that could have happened, Malfoy?"

"You don't honestly think I would set you two up…"

"Maybe I do. That's not important at the moment, though. Tell me what happened with Hermione," Harry replied, undeterred.

Malfoy sighed, "Pomfrey says that in order for her to heal, her body has to repel the dark magic inside of her. Apparently this is not a very pleasant experience, as you may have observed, and in order to keep her from succumbing to said magic, I had to keep her focused."

"Why could Madam Pomfrey not come?"

"One of the students that had been attacked at the train station was having terrors."

"How did you keep Hermione focused?" Harry asked.

Draco shrugged, "I talked to her."

Harry ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath. After several moments, he reached up and awkwardly patted Malfoy on the shoulder, "Thanks. We'll discuss the attack later."

Draco looked back at him, confused. "Um…Okay," he replied, uncertain and thrown off by Harry's sudden lack of hostility.

Without anything left to say, Harry headed back into the room where Hermione was still fast asleep. Smiling at her peaceful form, Harry reached to cover her up more with the blankets, only to feel an unexpected weight on top of them. He looked down at what it was, finding his mother's journal, closed. Though he was burning with curiosity about why Hermione had had this out, Harry decided it could wait until she woke up. After placing it on the nightstand, Harry headed downstairs to fix himself a snack, figuring it would still be awhile before Hermione would be awake. Once he'd had his fill he headed back up to the room and, a little tired, decided to rest his eyes for a moment.

"Harry?"

He woke with a start, "Yes?" He turned to see Hermione looking at him as he sat up.

Hermione's eyes were wide, as if she had only just woken up herself, "When did you get back?" She sat up as well, stretching tenderly.

Harry looked down at his watch. It was already seven o'clock, which meant he had completely fallen asleep, "About four hours ago."

"What took you so long?"

Harry bit his lip, "We can talk about it tomorrow." Though Hermione did not seem to like that answer, she nodded as Harry went on, "I would have said hello when I got home, but I did not want to wake you."

This made Hermione smile sadly, "I would have rather you did, actually."

"I'll make a mental note for next time," Harry replied, taking her hand and giving her a kiss on the cheek.

Hermione nodded, growing quiet and looking down at his hands. "Madam Pomfrey was finally able to get here just before I fell asleep. She told Draco that it looks like I'll have several more of these `episodes' before I'm fully recovered. Sometimes they'll only be short spurts of pain, like I had in the shower this morning, but other times it will be more like this afternoon. She still doesn't know how often they will occur, and mentioned that I may have as many as three a day or I may go a week without having any. She does not know how long they will go on."

Harry nodded, taking it in, "Okay. Do you need anything right now?"

Hermione bit her lip, "No, I'm okay. I need to talk to you about something else, actually."

Reaching back, Harry took his mother's diary off of the nightstand. "Does it have something to do with this?"

"Yes," she admitted, "I just have this feeling that she knew something about all of this Harry. I know it is a long shot and that most of the information will be nearly twenty years old, but it is still one of the best resources we have."

Taking a moment to consider this, Harry nodded, "Okay, though I still stand by my position from earlier. You can read it, but I only want to know what you need to tell me."

"I assumed as much. There's a problem, though," Hermione replied, "Open it."

Trusting her, Harry did as she said. The lock was already unhinged, so all he had to do was lift the cover. As he looked down though, he was only greeted with a completely blank journal. "She didn't write anything down?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head, "I highly doubt that. The leather on the binding is highly worn in and the bracelet that unlocks it was found on her wrist only weeks before her death. I bet if I went back there tomorrow I would find that she is wearing it in most pictures."

"So that can only mean she charmed it," Harry finished.

"Exactly. I am going to start researching different masking charms immediately. I used the ones we already know, but obviously the charm is more complicated than that. I think that if I can…"

"Did you try writing in it?" Harry asked abruptly.

Hermione shook her head, "That would only work if your mother had actually split her soul, Harry. Based on what we know about her, I have to believe that she would never do that. So I don't risk writing over anything important, I am saving that as a last alternative."

Harry nodded, suddenly not sure which thought was better. What if his mother had chosen to split her soul? Remus has commented that she kept up to date with what went on in dark circles. Had she dabbled in the Dark Arts? Would it be better to know that his mother had done something horrible, but a part of her was still alive, or would he rather she be the image of perfection and gone forever?

Reading the look on his face, Hermione summoned the chessboard and pieces from the nearby table. Changing the subject, she said, "Come on, let's play some chess. You might actually stand a chance of winning against someone besides Ron."

Thankful for the distraction, Harry nodded, "You're on."

~*~

"Is she okay?"

Surprised by the sudden presence of another person in his room, Draco woke up immediately, sitting upright and smacking his forehead into someone else's. "Who's there?" he asked, grabbing his wand.

"It's Ginny Weasley, you wanker! That hurt!" She held her palm tightly against her forehead as Draco lit the wall sconces with a wave of his wand.

"What the hell are you doing here? I was sleeping, if you did not notice!"

Ginny sat down, frowning, "You talk in your sleep and had already responded to me being here. I thought you were awake."

"I wasn't."

"I got that."

"So why are you here, waking me up in the middle of the night? Aren't you supposed to be at school?"

Ginny sighed, "I was doing paperwork for Madam Pomfrey when you showed up this afternoon. Luna and I were worried, so I flooed here."

"How'd you managed that?"

"Does it matter?"

Draco rubbed his eyes, "And you couldn't bug one of your friends because…"

"Because, like you so intelligently pointed out, it is the middle of the night, which means Hermione and Harry are snug in each other's arms, a visual I am not totally comfortable with yet. Ron, for all I know could be talking in his sleep about shagging Luna - also another visual I can live without. There's also the added bonus of waking any of them up in the middle of the night and receiving a lecture about leaving school."

"Right. Well Granger's fine, so you can go."

"What happened?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "How about you act like a rational person and send them an owl?"

Ginny merely crossed her arms, hoping to show that she was not backing down, but Draco simply shrugged and turned out the lights, assuming the conversation was over. As he began to lie down, Ginny nudged him on the shoulder.

"What now?"

"Never mind."

"Okay."

Nudge. "Yes?"

"What do you do during the day?"

Draco sat up, "Now you're just trying to irritate me."

"Maybe," Ginny admitted, "Or maybe I'm making sure that you aren't here to kill my friends."

This earned a dark laugh, "If I wanted to kill them I would have done it already."

"That depends."

"On what?"

Ginny grinned, "On who you are trying to kill. I doubt you could take Harry. Can you turn a light on? It's rather dark in here."

Draco lit a lamp by his bed, "I could take Potter any day."

Ginny scoffed, "Voldemort can't take Harry any day."

Draco shuddered briefly, before replying calmly, "I read. And I sleep."

"Pardon?"

"You asked what I do during the day. I read and I sleep," Draco answered.

"That's it."

"Unless your friends have me do something else. Granger had been helping me brush up on my fighting technique before the attack, but other than that… nothing. I'm a fairly simple person."

Ginny nodded, "Okay."

"Are you leaving now?"

"Do you want me to leave?" Ginny asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes," he replied without hesitation.

"Oh, right. Well I'll just go then."

"You do that."

"It was nice talking to you."

"Bye."

"Bye." As Draco turned the lamp out, Ginny left the room, shutting the door behind her.

~*~

"I think that Draco should start coming to our Triptych training with Tonks," Hermione announced the next morning at breakfast.

Harry swallowed his food slowly, "Why?"

"Well, he'll be fighting with us, won't he?" Hermione asked, "It only makes sense that he knows what is going on."

Ron shook his head, "I don't trust him, and aside from that, I doubt in my ability to concentrate when he's there. I know that I was doing okay yesterday morning, but transferring my powers is really a challenge, and you two have not even tried it yet. I think it is a bad idea."

Hermione sighed, "I trust him. He already comes to dueling practice and is helping out with everything else. Why not this as well? I do not like the idea of him staying in his room accomplishing absolutely nothing while we train. We are preparing for war here, or have you two forgotten? We need to get back onto a schedule and I think we should use the extra muscle to our advantage."

Harry narrowed his eyes, "I have not forgotten, and I agree that getting back on schedule would be good. Ron and I will not be going out again too soon, so…"

"That's right. You said you'd tell me what happened yesterday," Hermione interrupted right as Tonks popped in.

"Ready to go?" she asked.

Harry and Ron nodded. "We'll talk about it later," Harry said quietly as they headed to the attic.

Hermione rolled her eyes, "Good, because this discussion is far from over."

"Alright then," Tonks smiled as they sat in a square on the attic floor, "It's good to see you up and about, Hermione."

Hermione smiled, but Harry spoke, "No dueling for another week - Madam Pomfrey's order." Hermione scowled, only earning a shrug from him, "She left me in charge of making sure you don't overexert yourself.

Tonks held her hands up, "That's fine, Professor McGonagall sent me an owl and filled me in. Kingsley will be taking over dueling from here on out, anyway. He's much more experienced than me, and since you all have the basics down he will push you much harder than I will. Starting tomorrow he will come in the afternoons unless one of us tells you otherwise, okay?"

The three nodded. Tonks clapped her hands together, "Okay. Today I want to work on Harry's ability in transferring strength. Hermione, go stand over there by that old icebox." Hermione did as she was told and Tonks continued, "Harry, take a seat on the chair next to the opposite wall. Good. Now, Harry, can you lift the ice box from where you're sitting?"

Harry nodded, demonstrating by holding out his hand and moving the icebox a few inches closer to Hermione before setting it back down, "No problem."

"Excellent. And, obviously, Hermione cannot lift it on her own. Hermione, I want you to put your hand in the handlebars and, without straining yourself too much try to lift the icebox. Don't stop until I tell you to."

Tonks walked over to Harry, speaking so Hermione could not here, "I want you to focus on giving Hermione the strength to lift the icebox. It sounds simple, I know, but the trick is not lifting the icebox yourself. If you lift it, you've achieved nothing. You have to pass the power onto her, and be able to keep it there. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded, "Yes."

"Okay, go ahead, and try to remember the techniques I used with Ron yesterday."

"Right." Harry closed his eyes, focusing on Hermione, who was pulling lightly on the ice box. He tried to figure out what different muscles she was using. From what he could see, her arms and hands were flexed, as well as her shoulders and pecs. Harry flexed the same muscles on his own body, trying to imagine how it would be if he were in her position. Then, looking at Hermione, Harry attempted to pass the feeling onto her.

Hermione's eyes widened as she lifted the icebox for a few moments, then watched as it fell back to the floor, out of her hands. She, Tonks, and Ron all smiled at Harry.

"That was brilliant!" Ron exclaimed, "And to think, just two days ago she could barely lift a finger."

Harry sighed, looking at Tonks, "I was not able to maintain the connection, though."

Tonks nodded and crossed her arms, "Why do you think that is?"

"I'm not sure," Harry shrugged, "But as soon as the link between us was forged, I suddenly needed to use twice as much muscle and power than I normally need to. It was really difficult."

Hermione placed her hands on her hips, "I think we should try again. Maybe all it takes is some conditioning."

After checking to make sure Harry was ready, Tonks nodded, "Let's do it."

Harry went through the same process several more times, and Tonks began to time his progress. Once he had reached two minutes, she began to challenge him by distracting him as he tried to sustain a connection. As he began to ignore her, she through Ron into the mix, having Harry forge a link with two people at once. He was only able to do it for up to twenty seconds, but once they had done it several times and Harry was clearly exhausted, Tonks called it a day.

Ron shook his head as the three of them headed down for some lunch, "That was wicked, mate. Can you imagine how helpful that would be in battle? Insane."

They entered the kitchen to find Draco eating one of Dobby's sandwiches, looking rather tired. Hermione smiled in an all-too-friendly matter as she took a seat beside him, "Good morning, sunshine!"

She ruffled his hair and Draco scooted away, "Did I do anything that implies you touching me was okay?"

"What's up with you, Malfoy?" Harry asked, annoyed, "Did you not get enough sleep or something?"

Draco rolled his eyes, "I would get plenty of sleep if things weren't waking me up in the middle of the night."

Ron raised an eyebrow, "What woke you up?"

Draco paused to take a bite of his sandwich, "Nothing. Just this house."

Hermione nodded, suspicious, then turned her attention to Harry and Ron, "So what happened yesterday? You've stalled long enough."

They exchanged a glance, then Ron sighed, "You tell her."

Harry reached across the table and took Hermione's hand in his, "Don't get worked up, okay? Ron and I are fine."

"Harry…"

"When we went to meet Imja Jokin yesterday we were ambushed."

Hermione removed her hand from his, "How?"

Harry shrugged, "They somehow got in. In any matter, we managed to get out okay, but we think there might have somehow been a leak about our true identities."

"But how would that even be possible?" Hermione asked.

Ron narrowed his eyes at Draco, "Ask him."

Draco looked up from his sandwich, "Are you kidding?"

"Does it look like it?"

"Why the hell would I tip them off? How in the hell would I tip them off?"

Ron shrugged, "You tell us."

Harry put a hand on Ron's shoulder, "I don't think it was him, Ron. Remember what they said about it being a test? And even if he did rat us out, that's not the point." He turned back to Hermione, "The point is that I think the Brills should lay low for awhile."

Hermione nodded, "Alright."

"Wait a second," Draco spoke up, "What was the ambush like?"

Harry narrowed his eyes, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, did they sneak into the room while you were talking to him?"

"Yes."

"And did he somehow get away?"

"Yes."

"And did they use the Killing Curse?"

Ron and Harry looked at each other. "No," Ron finally answered, "They didn't actually."

Draco nodded, "It was a test."

Hermione turned to him, "A test?"

Harry tilted his head with interest, "You mean he was actually telling us the truth?" Ron seemed surprised as well.

Draco nodded, "Though don't ask me why. The thought of you actually intimidating someone is laughable. At any rate, I had a feeling it might happen eventually, but I couldn't be sure. When new people start sniffing around various dark places, it is only a matter of time before the news circulates. Being part of the dark circles is like being in a special club. You have to be tested first, and only the strongest make it in. Did you take everyone down or did you escape?"

Harry tilted his head, "We took everyone down, then bound them and hid their wands after questioning one of them. Why?"

"That's good. You've proved that you aren't some mindless idiot out for a laugh and a few stories. I think you'll find you have easier access to information now. There's no reason to stay home."

"Why should we believe you?" Ron asked.

"Why shouldn't you?"

"Well, there's the fact that you didn't warn us about possibly being attacked," Ron pointed out.

Draco shrugged, "You wouldn't have died. These aren't Death Eaters you are dealing with. It's rich, snobby, pureblood families that have been tied to the Dark Arts for years. While they aren't stupid, I have seen you two duel. It was never a fair match."

Hermione bit her lip, "I believe him. Still, I think you two should wait a day or two before going out."

Harry nodded, standing up, "Sounds like a plan. If we're done here I think I'll go take a shower now."

"Wait a second," Hermione said, "What about Imja Jokin? We've been waiting to talk to him for weeks! Did you get any good information off of him?"

Ron snorted, "Oh yeah. Tom Riddle was in love with a girl and a broken heart led him to be the unfeeling bastard he is today."

"What?"

Harry nodded, "That's pretty much the gist of it. From what it sounds like I simply think a spoiled rich girl chose to use the wrong poor little orphan boy. According to Mr. Jokin she was his first victim, but we may want to see if we can verify that. He sure seems to enjoy telling stories. I would not be surprised if he embellished a bit."

"I'll see what I can dig up. I'm owling Professor McGonagall tomorrow to get permission to use the Hogwarts library, especially the restricted section. The library here is vast, but there are a lot of books at the school I could use," Hermione replied.

Ron perked up, "Tell me before you send it, okay? I have a letter for Luna."

Draco made a gagging sound and Harry spoke up before Ron could retaliate, "May I go take my shower, now?"

Hermione nodded, following him as he stood to leave, "I need to get something out of the bathroom first."

Harry looked at her questioningly as they walked up the stairs, "What do you need to get?"

Eyes sparkling, Hermione grinned, "Nothing."

The light dawned on Harry, "Ah. You do realize that I actually do plan to take a shower, though, right? Linking muscle and power made me incredibly sweaty."

"Incredibly sweaty?" Hermione asked as they entered their room, "Then you may be needing some help getting it all off, right?" She leaned close to him, her face less than an inch from his, "Especially in all of those… hard to reach places."

Just as Harry smiled and moved in for a kiss she leaned away and opened her drawer to grab her bikini, heading towards the bathroom. Harry reached a hand out and stopped her from across the room. Walking over, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck, "Do you know that I am so much in love with you it literally hurts sometimes?"

Hermione laughed, "I am aware of such things." She turned around and gave him a soft kiss, teasing him with her tongue before turning around and closing the bathroom door behind her. "Grab your trunks!" she called.

Harry stood with his hands on his hips, shaking his head, "Tease! That's all you are, Hermione! A big tease! Get a guy's hopes up with thoughts of taking a shower with his girlfriend…I ought to skip the shower and make you smell me like this the rest of the day!" Nonetheless, he grabbed his trunks and changed into them quickly before knocking on the door, mumbling to himself, "I am so whipped."

~*~

A/N: Okay, this note may be a little on the long side, but I've received a few emails and been alerted of a few concerns and would like to address everything:

First things first, YES, I will finish this story. I have no plans on abandoning or pausing it. That said, I make no promises of when chapters will be out. It could be anywhere from two weeks to two months. I realize that this one was longer, but there were many unfortunate circumstance. If you want a better answer feel free to email me at hogwartzchik@yahoo.com.

Second, if you want to be updated on when new chapters are coming, would like to read about the Potter children (you may have to go a few weeks back for those posts, but you might enjoy them), or would like to see excerpts from upcoming chapters as well as other stories, visit my live journal: http://xvicklesx.livejournal.com.

Last, if you have any angry words to say to me, email me please. I completely understand the emotion, but I would rather save the review board for comments/criticisms on the story, not on me.

That said, I've received a lot of support and encouragement over the summer and would like to say thank you all of you who have helped, as well as (and especially) Lady Starlight and madscientist who offered quite a lot of help with this. Thank you!

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