Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
A/N: Oh… my… God. I'm so sorry for the wait guys! Wahh I'm so mean! And with that cliffie… man, I'm sorry! Giant thanks to all of you for being so patient… and to the wonderful talianne812 who betaed for me. And… a small apology to anyone who was offended by my comments last chapter. I was merely expressing my irritation at the differences in the English language. I mean, come on, we survived for hundreds of years spelling English "properly" and then Webster decides it'd be nice to change some of it so it's "easier" to spell. I just don't see the point. Small things like that irritate me, just be glad you don't have to listen to me ramble on about it.
Anyway! This chapter… Moody isn't so referred to. I'm sorry, I kinda made him a major *gasp* character in the last chapter. Oh well… I hope you like it, and I hope you'll forgive me for how short it is. This is an official notice though - this story is being put on pause indefinitely. Trials sweeties… they hurt. In two weeks I will have finished my exams for now and hopefully I'll be able to write new chapters. But I'm not sure. Also, if you've got a problem with how much Shacklebolt trusts Hermione, remember that they fought in the war together. He has immense respect for her intelligence.
I hope you like this chapter!
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The Return
Chapter Eight: Conspiracy
Last Chapter…
"Someone's coming," he said quickly, frowning.
A second later, ten loud cracks sounded and the room was filled with hooded wizards surrounding the couch, all pointing their wands at Harry.
"Move away from Potter, Hermione," the voice of Mad Eye Moody sounded behind one of the hoods.
---
"Please move, Ms Granger," Kingsley Shacklebolt's voice sounded behind another hood.
Hermione frowned and said, "No. What on earth do you want?"
"Potter," Moody growled, moving forward slightly.
"Why?"
"He just dangled a man off the balcony and dropped him to the ground!" a younger voice said quickly, sounding rather outraged.
"Yes well, that man broke in here in the hopes of catching a story," Harry said calmly, standing up. "If you want to arrest someone, it should be him."
"You don't tell us who to -"
"Is this true Ms Granger?" Shacklebolt cut across the younger wizard, lowering his wand slightly.
"Yes," Hermione said exasperatedly. "Harry and I were talking and Mark… appeared to tell us he wanted to know where Harry's been so he could write an article about it. Harry cast a levitating charm and levitated Mark out of the apartment and from the balcony down to the ground, safely," she explained, putting much emphasis on 'safely'.
The Aurors paused for a moment before Shacklebolt lowered his wand with a small sigh. "Alright. Lower your wands," he ordered the other Aurors.
With some low muttering, the wands were soon put away and Shacklebolt removed his hood. His face had a large scar down his left cheek, but apart from that he still looked the same as when Harry had last seen him.
"You'll still need to come with us," Kingsley said, glancing at the scar on Harry's chest. "Just for a statement, we're not going to lock you up Harry," he said, seeing Harry look unsure.
Harry continued to look unsure and he asked, "Would you be willing to let me use Legilimency on you to prove you're not lying to me?"
Kingsley paused and then said, "Alright."
"Just… look at my eyes. It won't be painful if you let me look," Harry said, "Ready?"
Kingsley nodded and focused his eyes on Harry's.
Harry closed his eyes for a moment, before opening them, that divine white-blue light flooding the whites of his eyes again. He gazed past Kingsley's exterior through to the depths of his mind, sorting through memory after memory…
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"Crucio!" a Death Eater screamed at a young woman on the ground, pointing his wand at her.
"No!" Kingsley shouted, launching himself in the path of the curse. It hit him, and he fell to the ground, writhing and screaming in pain.
The young woman quickly jumped to her feet and yelled, "Stupefy!" The Death Eater, certainly not expecting such a turn of events, didn't shield himself and fell to the ground, unconscious.
Kingsley stopped shuddering in pain, and lay on his stomach, groaning and breathing very hard.
"You idiot," the woman muttered angrily, crouching down next to him. "I thought I told you I didn't need protecting?"
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"Sorry," Harry muttered, faltering slightly, "Wrong memory."
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"… and he just dropped me to the ground! I was lucky someone cast a softening charm on the ground before I landed," Mark said defiantly, glaring at Kingsley.
"Do you have witnesses who can verify this?" Kingsley asked, almost sounding bored.
"The people who helped me up off the ground."
Kingsley sighed and stood up from his desk, "Alright. We'll go over there, but we're not arresting anyone until I hear Potter's side. And what Ms Granger has to say."
"He could've killed me!"
"Yes, but he didn't. I don't arrest people solely on one person's word. Or a reporter's word."
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"Alright." The white-blue light faded away from Harry's eyes and he stepped back from Kingsley. "I'll come with you."
Kingsley nodded and turned back to the rest of the Aurors. "You will escort Mr Potter back to my office. I'll be back very soon; I'd just like to try to find this Mark person in the crowd."
The Aurors nodded and Hermione frowned and spoke up, "I'm going with Harry."
"No you're not!" the younger voice who'd objected before said suddenly.
Hermione glared at the hood where the voice had come from and said in a very firm voice, "He's still wounded. I'm a qualified healer and I'm taking care of him."
"Ms Granger goes with you," Kingsley said firmly, "Don't speak up like that again, Preston."
The hot-headed Auror's hood drooped as he held his head in sorrow slightly. "Sorry Mr Shacklebolt."
"Have you got a portkey for Harry?" Hermione asked pointedly. "You need a shirt too," she muttered, turning around and fetching his shirt from the couch, helping it over his shoulders.
Preston reached into the pocket of his robes and brought forth an assortment of muggle marbles. He waved his wand over them and they turned blue for a moment, before handing them to Harry. After another second, Harry felt the jerk behind his navel, meaning he had been transported safely.
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"I don't like the way that Preston spoke back to you," Harry muttered darkly while he and Hermione were waiting in Shacklebolt's office.
"I agree," Hermione said, glaring over her shoulder at the closed door leading out to the rest of the department. "It's like he wanted to take you away for himself."
Harry nodded, "He did. You remember how Voldemort could tell when people were lying to him?"
Hermione nodded.
"'Preston' was feeling terribly guilty and excited as he objected to you coming with us," Harry said thoughtfully. "But I don't see why he'd want to…"
"Do you think Mark might have… bribed some of them to bring you straight to him?" Hermione asked suddenly, sitting up and turning to look at Harry worriedly.
"Unless he wanted me to smash him into the street the next time I dangled him off a balcony," Harry said, frowning. "Maybe it's got something to do with the media as a whole."
"Maybe," she agreed, pursing her lips and gazing back at the door.
"Shacklebolt's coming," Harry said suddenly.
Hermione focused her attention back to her front, and a moment later Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared on the other side of his desk.
"We found this Mark individual," he said tersely.
"And?" Harry asked irritably.
"I've got some men questioning -"
"Are you sure that's wise?" Hermione asked.
"Why on earth wouldn't it be?"
"It depends who you've got in there," she said slowly. "Is that… Preston in there talking to him?"
"Yes. He's a very good interro -"
"Have you ever thought that you might have a leak to the media?" Harry asked, cutting across Kingsley.
"Actually," Kingsley sighed, sitting down on his chair, "Lately we've been having a few problems with top secret information."
"Maybe you should let someone like Moody talk to Mark," Hermione suggested.
Kingsley laughed softly, "No, he only came out of retirement to help bring Harry in because I thought Harry would cause us a little trouble. Moody knows how to handle you," he added to Harry. "Mark's only a reporter. He only just got the marks to pass his NEWTs. I doubt it would take more than one Auror to take him down if he causes any trouble."
"Moody doesn't take bribes and would never leak any information out to the public," Harry said firmly. "There's more than a chance that Preston could be your leak."
Kingsley frowned, "As much as you like solving mysteries Harry, this is not yours to solve. If I think anyone in my department is guilty of leaking secrets to the media then I will look into it. For now, I would like you both to make a statement to me and sign it."
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It was very late when they were finally finished. Hermione felt as though she could just drop off to sleep, since there was a nice fire crackling peacefully in the fireplace next to Kingsley's desk.
They took a portkey back to Hermione's apartment and she helped Harry limp back to her bedroom sleepily, taking his clothing off him and letting him collapse back down onto the bed.
"It's been a long day," she said softly, tugging the bed sheets back up and over his body.
"Mmm," he murmured sleepily, watching her through slitted eyes.
"I'll be out on the couch," she added, turning to walk out of the room.
But Harry caught hold of her wrist and held her steady, frowning up at her, "Stay," he said firmly.
She sighed and sank down to the bed, sitting on the edge of it and yawning widely. "I'll be fine on the couch Harry," she said reasonably, covering her mouth as she yawned again.
"But I won't be fine in here on my own," he replied, pulling her on top of him with that amazing strength.
Lying on top of his body meant her face was parallel to his, and she watched his beautiful green eyes search hers for a sign that she'd give in and stay.
"Please?" he added, slipping his arms around her back to hold her steadily.
She sighed sleepily and leaned down to kiss his cheek softly, "Alright," she whispered, pulling back. "Let me go get changed and we'll go to sleep."
Harry nodded and let her go, watching her slide to the ground and walk out of the room. A moment later, she came back with her pyjamas over one arm. She took her robes off, hanging them up in her wardrobe, before beginning to unbutton her blouse, with her back to Harry.
"You're going to do that there?" Harry asked, sitting up slightly in the bed and watching her back with wide eyes.
She smiled easily and took her shirt off, letting it drop to the floor before unhooking her bra expertly with one hand and slipping her pyjama top over her head quickly before the bra fell away from her body.
"Yes," she said softly, undoing her skirt and letting it fall to the ground. She bent over slightly and put her pants on, tugging them up, much to Harry's disappointment. She turned around to see his eyes riveted to her waist.
"W-why'd you do that?" he asked, allowing a small grin to grace his face.
She smiled warmly and crossed the room to slip into the other side of the bed, tugging the bed sheets over her body and moving closer to Harry. "Harry, I love you," she said softly, fixing him with a chocolate-brown eyed stare. "I don't see why you shouldn't be able to watch me change," she added with a small and bashful grin.
"Considering you've been undressing me for the past week," he said, smirking slightly, wrapping his arms around her body and pulling her closer. "Let's go to sleep," he said, leaning to kiss her forehead softly.
"Mmm, okay," she murmured, sliding down into the bed with him, letting her arm slide across his stomach, tracing the ridges of muscle there. "Ginny's coming tomorrow," she muttered suddenly, opening one eye, "We mustn't sleep in Harry."
"We'll get up on time, I promise," he murmured back, moving one hand down to her hip to rest it there, touching a small, smooth sliver of skin. A moment later he whispered, "I love you too."
She smiled and looked up at him. "I know."
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