Unofficial Portkey Archive

Thanks to my reliable beta, Joyce Cohen! (Go read her fics, they're great!) This fic wouldn't be what it is without her help. ^_^

Harry Potter sighed and trudged up the stone steps leading to his home. He had had a rough day at work and, to tell the truth, wasn't feeling all that well. He hoped Hermione would have some sort of remedy up her sleeve. Knowing her, she would. Harry was thankful for that; his head was pounding.

The sight of the house in front of him considerably cheered him up. He, Ron, and Hermione had purchased the grand Tudor almost immediately after graduating from Hogwarts. It was a large house, but not so large that it wasn't homey. Boasting five large bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and ample living space, they had plenty of room to have guests over - and they usually did. They had even dubbed the family room the "Common Room" in honor of their Hogwarts days.

Upon taking up Herbology, Hermione had planted many gardens, inside and out. Her prettiest ones were located on the rear grounds. The grounds in the back of the house were extensive, including a gazebo, greenhouses, and a large pond. Harry and Ron had taken it upon themselves to install a regulation-sized Quidditch pitch. "If you can have your gardens," they had tried to reason with her, "then we can have a Quidditch pitch." She had ignored them and left to go to work.

Harry laughed at the memory of Hermione's face when she had come home and seen the pitch in the back of the house. She had been surprised, to say the least. "You weren't supposed to actually install one!" she had gasped. "I thought you were just teasing! Honestly, I can't leave you two alone for more than a few hours without coming home to find something like...something like...this."

Harry pushed open the front door. "I'm home," he called, hanging his cloak in the front closet. He set his bag down and walked over to the doorway of the Common Room. "Anybody home?"

"Oh! Harry! I didn't hear you." Harry turned around. Hermione's head was sticking out of the kitchen door; her hair arranged in a messy pile on top. She had flour streaks across her face and was wiping something that looked like marinara sauce off onto her apron. She grinned at him. "How was work?"

Harry walked towards her, rubbing his forehead. "Not very good. I have a migraine. Got something for me?" Hermione turned and walked back into the kitchen. Harry followed.

As Hermione rummaged around in the cabinets for a potion, Harry looked around the kitchen. There was food on every counter, and she had four different pots bubbling on the stovetop. "What are you making?" he asked, dipping a piece of bread into one of the pots. "Mmm...tastes good so far."

Hermione turned around. "Here it is--Harry! What are you doing?" She crossed the large kitchen and handed him the potion. "Drink this, and stop taste-testing the food."

Harry grinned. "I wanted to know what it was, and you didn't answer me. Whatever it is, it's really good."

Hermione smiled at him as she neatly cut vegetables and dropped them into the salad bowl. "Well, I'm making a salad, and then for the main course I'm making spaghetti and meatballs. I put in a hamburger pie, too, if anyone wants some of that."

Harry leaned against the counter, finishing his piece of bread. "What about dessert?"

Hermione laughed. "I don't know, maybe I won't make any." Harry's jaw dropped.

Every night save Fridays, Hermione and Harry prepared dinner for the household. Granted, it was only the three of them, but it was something fun to do. Harry, Hermione, and Ron all had day jobs, so dinner was a time when they could catch up with each other.

Harry was most famous for his main courses, and Hermione made fabulous desserts. Ron...well, Ron couldn't cook if his life depended on it. He usually liked to hang around taste-testing whatever Harry or Hermione were making.

"You aren't making dessert?" Harry asked her, disbelievingly. "You have to make dessert!"

Hermione laughed at his expression. "Of course I'm making dessert. There's two different pies in the oven right now." Harry relaxed. "So, how's Lenore?" Hermione asked, trying and failing to mask her mocking tone.

Harry sighed. "I don't really know what you have against her, but it doesn't matter anyway. I broke up with her."

Hermione's head snapped up. She stared at him as she stirred the sauce. "You did what?"

Harry returned the look. "You heard me right. I broke up with her. She made an awful scene, she did."

Hermione looked torn as to be happy or sympathetic. "Why did you break up with her? You two have been going out for so long. I mean, she was so very nice...to every guy on the street, beautiful, not very intelligent, shallow, ditzy...why on earth would you dump her? It's not like she was after your money or anything."

Harry groaned. "All right, all right. I know how you feel about her; you don't have to rub it in. I just did some thinking and decided that you were probably right about the money thing. I mean, every time we went on a date she asked if there would be reporters there. I don't really know why I went out with her in the first place."

Hermione grinned. "She's beautiful, anyone can see that." She reached for another pot, and carried it over to the sink to drain it.

Harry watched her. "Yes, I suppose. Always right, you are. Well, no matter, I never shagged her anyway."

Hermione snorted. "Thanks for sharing that information, Harry. I'm sure Ron will love to hear that. He was always wondering why you didn't give any details."

Harry laughed. "Not like I'd tell him anyway. I'm not a man to kiss and tell." He smirked at her, leaning on one side against the counter. Hermione stifled a laugh.

"Right."

Harry feigned a look of mock anger. "You don't believe me, Granger? When would I ever lie to you?"

Placing the pot back onto the stove, she smirked at him. "Never. You would never lie to me, Harry." She reached for yet another pan and began stirring. "Unless it was for Ron's or your own benefit."

He laughed. "Okay, okay. You got me there. Since you took up my role with dinner, is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, walking over to Hermione's side.

She turned her head to look at him, attempting to blow a piece of hair out of her face at the same time. Harry reached over and gently tucked it behind her ear.

Hermione stuttered, "Err...you can take the meatballs out of the oven. They're just about ready to go into the sauce, second burner from the left."

Harry nodded and crossed the room to the stove, pulling on oven mitts as he went. Hermione let out the breath she had been holding and turned back to the pot she was stirring.

"Why didn't you go to work today, anyway?" Harry questioned, leaning into the oven. He retrieved the meatballs and carried them over to the sauce, as Hermione had instructed.

"I don't know. I didn't feel like going in--"

Harry cut her off with a grin. "Hermione Granger didn't feel like going in to work?"

She scowled at him. "I was tired, that's all. And besides, I haven't taken a day off since I started working at St. Mungo's, you know that. I just needed a break."

Harry laughed. "Okay. How are things at work, anyhow?"

Hermione shrugged. "Good, I guess. Nothing interesting."

Harry nodded. There were a few moments of silence, then Hermione spoke up. "Would you mind cutting the Italian bread? It's over near the sink," she nodded over her shoulder.

Harry walked over and picked up the bread and a knife, returning to sit at the island across from Hermione, who was now stirring two pots at once.

He looked up from cutting the bread as the front door opened and shut.

"I'm home!" a voice bellowed. Within seconds Ron was in the kitchen, sniffing the air. "What's that heavenly smell?"

Harry snorted. "You look like a Niffler."

"Hello, Ron, how was work?" Hermione glared at Harry.

Ron punched Harry in the shoulder playfully. "Hallo, mates. Work was good today," he winked. "Guess who my new boss is?"

Ron worked for Quality Quidditch Supplies and had recently been promoted to assistant manager. "Who?" Harry asked. He very well knew who it was, but wanted to hear Ron say it.

Ron grabbed a piece of bread from Harry and dunked it into the saucepot. "Jill." He closed his eyes appreciatively as he bit into the bread. "Mmm, Herm, this is delicious."

Hermione's head snapped up. "What is it with you two?" she huffed. "Can't you wait until dinner to eat the food?"

Harry laughed. "Hey, maybe she'll ask you out on a hot date," he said to Ron, both of them paying Hermione no attention.

Ron grinned, waggling his eyebrows. "Maybe. Hey, maybe we could double date!" he added, excited. He looked from Harry to Hermione. "You guys could come along with Jill and me!"

Harry stared at Ron, while Hermione flushed a deep red and busied herself with yet another bubbling pot. "Oh, I don't know, Ron..."

"Oh, c'mon! It'll be loads of fun! We can go out dancing and then out to eat!" Ron urged them, seemingly oblivious to his friends' discomfort. "Okay, well think about it, then."

Harry nodded and brought the bread bowl over to the table. Hermione followed with the spaghetti and meatballs.

The three sat down to eat in amicable chatter, not noticing the furtive looks that Harry kept sneaking at Hermione when he thought no one was looking...except Ron.

Harry took a deep breath. Glancing about him again, he reached out a hand and confidently knocked on the door. As he waited for someone to answer, he surveyed the house in front of him.

It was a run-down, abandoned shack. It was also the current headquarters for the remaining Death Eaters.

After Harry defeated Voldemort, his followers hadn't given up. They had regrouped, and were currently being led by a man who called himself Gideon. Constantly moving around, it hadn't been too hard for them to evade capture. Yet.

The Ministry did not believe that there was still a threat and therefore did not allow any Aurors to investigate the obvious Death Eater attacks on certain cities, mostly in England and Scotland and some elsewhere. Because of this, Albus Dumbledore had regrouped the Order of the Phoenix once again. Consisting of Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher, Severus Snape, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Harry Potter, and Dumbledore himself, the group united of some of the most powerful wizards in the entire magical world.

As footsteps neared the door, Harry quickly pointed his wand directly ahead of him. Comforted in knowing that the rest of the Order was hidden around him, Harry smirked at the Death Eater who flung it open. "It's about time, where were you? Gideon--"

The Death Eater's face quickly lost all its color. Dumbledore had intentionally planned their attack on the day of the Death Eaters' monthly meeting, knowing that they would be easily granted access. The Death Eaters would more than likely not be too cautious about opening the door, assuming that the newcomer would be just another of them.

"Stupefy," Harry said quietly, and turned to motion to Sirius, Remus, and Snape. They crept forward out of the shadows, and followed Harry over the body and into the house. Looking around, they heard voices coming from a back room. Perfect, Harry thought. The rest of the Order was waiting by the back entrance for a signal.

Snape quickly went ahead of Harry, stepping into the back kitchen. He silently opened the door, letting the rest of the Order in. Quietly splitting into two groups, they surrounded the room where the meeting was being held. Fletcher nodded, giving the signal, and Arabella Figg stepped through the doorway into the room.

"Why, hello boys," she said cheerfully, aiming her wand at the group of utterly shocked faces. "If you're looking for Goyle, he won't be returning to this meeting. But, I did bring some friends that would love to hear what you're all about." She grinned, and all at once, the room was filled with Order members.

Within minutes, the entire group of Death Eaters was Stunned or in a full Body-Bind on the floor. Sirius looked around. "Where the hell is Gideon?"

Mundungus Fletcher let out a frustrated yell. "You mean, we went through all of this and he isn't even here?" Notorious for his moodiness, Mundungus was one of the most aggressive in the group. He reached down and grabbed a Death Eater by the front of his robes. "Where is he?" he roared.

The Death Eater stared blankly at him. Harry hid a snigger, and said carefully, "Mundungus, he can't speak - he's Stunned."

"Oh, yeah," Fletcher said gruffly. "Well, there isn't anything we can do about Gideon. Round up the remaining Death Eaters, and let's get out of here."

Arabella and Sirius went back to get the Death Eaters that were lying stunned outside, while Harry helped Fletcher, Lupin and Snape Apparate the rest of them back to their Quarters.

Albus Dumbledore sat at his desk, filling out paperwork and talking to Fawkes. "Wonder how they're doing?" he asked the phoenix. Suddenly, Remus Lupin appeared in his office. Albus grinned. "How did you do?"

"Sorry, Albus, we were too late for Gideon," Remus said regretfully. "But we were able to take the entire group of Death Eaters that were present at the meeting into custody."

Dumbledore sighed. "That's all right. We can use the group that you just brought back for information regarding Gideon's whereabouts and plans." As Remus left his office, Dumbledore sat back down in his chair slowly.

Gideon needed to be found. Before he could carry out his latest plan...Dumbledore shook his head. He hadn't told anyone of what he had learned. He couldn't afford for Harry to know; Harry would simply lose control. And Dumbledore knew that by telling one person the information, Harry would find out soon enough, through word of mouth. He just could not afford for that to happen.

Harry Potter had had quite enough sorrow for one lifetime, in Dumbledore's opinion. He sincerely hoped that he would be able to prevent any more befalling the poor boy.