Love, Lies, and a Secret
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
AN: This chapter is almost a *filler* chapter…Obviously I want to get Harry and Hermione together, snogging senseless…but oh well! Don't you love the *drama*?
Oh, and I have half of chapter 09 so…if my headache gives me a break I think I can finish it before next week. I hope.
Thanks to Michelle Moonshine for the beta!
Chapter 08: Hit Wizards.
"Harry!" Tonks nearly squealed.
Ignoring her, Harry repeated the question, "What happened to Hermione, Alastor?"
With both eyes fixed on the young man, Mad-Eye groaned, "Nothing that concerns you, Potter. Now if you excuse us, we're in the middle of a meeting here."
"First of all, this bloody house is mine," Harry said firmly, and quite angrily, "and everything that concerns Hermione concerns me."
"Harry-"
"No, Remus!" Harry held up a hand, making the werewolf stop. "There's something happening here, and I want to know what it is right now! I heard you talking about a mission, and about Neville and Susan. Apparently, something's happened to Hermione and Boot. What happened to them?"
"Potter-"
"Kingsley, I know you're my boss, but I need to know what's going on. Don't make me fight you. We both know that I can hurt you badly."
"We're wasting time here," Moody spoke out. "Meet me at Longbottom's flat. Boot is there now." His magical eye wandered over the kitchen, before he disappeared within the fireplace's green flames.
*~*~*~*
Lavender's Flat
Ron woke up, noticing a strange weight across his chest. Despite the amount that he had drunk the night before, Ron knew exactly where he was. He knew what he had done. The redhead slowly opened his eyes, and saw a smiling (and naked) Lavender Brown smiling at him.
"Good morning, honey," she greeted him. "Sleep well?"
"Yes."
"You don't regret it, do you?"
"No, Lav," he replied, and that wasn't a lie. He liked Hermione a lot, and he knew she was the woman he would marry; the mother of his future children. But he had never felt the way he had the night before. He had never felt so alive, and so happy. He loved Hermione... and Harry too for that matter. Hermione was his girlfriend, and Harry was his best friend in the whole world, and the three had been through a lot together. However, even with the end of the war, Harry and Hermione seemed to have never abandoned the angst aura within them, and as a result, they sometimes made Ron feel like he was suffocating.
With Lavender he didn't feel angst or sadness. He felt normal, desirable, and happy. With her, he was an ordinary twenty old young man, not a bloody war survivor.
Of course, he had always thought that his first time would be with Hermione. After all, she was the woman of his life...However, things didn't go the way they were planned.
He had cheated on Hermione. Yes, he had cheated on her, and of course he was feeling bad about it. However, strangely enough, he felt worse about the thought of betraying her as a friend, not as his girlfriend.
"Ronald?" Lavender's voice broke Ron's thoughts. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, Lav," he said with a smile. "Just thinking."
"About?"
"Hermione."
"Oh," she said in a flat tone, looking away.
Ron put a hand on her chin, making her look at him. "I don't regret it, Lav. It was wonderful. You were...are...wonderful..."
"But?" she asked, with a small voice.
"But I'm with Hermione. And I don't want to-" she put a finger on his lips, making him stop.
"Shh," she said, "let's enjoy this moment then, Ronald. Just this moment." And she kissed him hard on the lips. Ron wrapped his arms around her waist, and prepared himself to take her again.
*~*~*~*
Neville's Flat
As soon as Harry, Tonks, Remus and Kingsley entered Neville's flat, Susan Bones greeted them. She looked tired.
"Oh, come in. Terry-" She suddenly stopped, looking at Harry. It was as though she had just noticed that he was there. "H-Harry?" she asked confused, looking at the others.
Before Harry could say anything, Kingsley spoke, "We'll talk about it later. Where's Boot?"
Susan nodded. "He's in the guest room with Neville and Alastor." She took a deep breath. "We managed to get the bleeding under control but-" She looked apologetically at Kingsley. "We don't know..."
Kingsley gave her a short nod, and he and others made their way to the guestroom.
*~*~*~*
When they entered the room, Harry's couldn't help but stare a glance at the beaten up figure lying on the bed. Terry Boot looked terrible.
"On my!" He heard Tonks crying behind him. Oh my, indeed. The former Ravenclaw had bruises all over his body, and his shirtless torso had obvious signs that the Sectumsempra had been used on him.
"How is he, Neville?" Remus asked. Neville, who's head had been down, for he was changing some of the bandages on Terry's arm, looked up.
"He-" Neville suddenly stopped, noticing Harry. "H-Harry?"
Alastor Moody gave an impatient groan, "We'll deal with Potter later." Harry wanted to protest but decided to remain quiet. He also wanted to know what had happened to Terry and...Oh God, Hermione! He felt his chest tighten.
Neville nodded, and then spoke, "He was seriously beaten, Remus. Susan and I detected some traces of Crucio and Sectumsempra." He bit his lip, looking nervously at the others around him.
"What? What is it?" Tonks asked hurriedly.
"He took the Potion," Susan spoke for Neville.
There was a loud gasp after that. Harry looked around, confused. "What potion?" he asked.
"The Potion?" Remus voice interrupted him, as he looked directly at Moody. He emitted an angry groan that made everybody jump. "I can't believe you, Alastor! I told you not to let her take this case! I told you that it was too much of risk!" Alastor Moody remained in silence, both his regular eye and magical eye boring into Remus.
"You know what she's like, Remus," Susan spoke. "She won't give up. And we don't know if-"
"For Merlin's Sake, Susan!" the werewolf cried, exasperated. "She's missing! If they made Terry drink it..." He stopped, taking a deep breath. "But how is he?"
"Alive," Neville replied, heavily. Harry was somewhat surprised by the tone his former classmate was using. "I believe he...I believe he'll be alright." He paused a moment, and looked directly into Remus' eyes. "He's a pure blood so...Well, but Susan and I think that it isn't safe to Enervate him. We know that the Potion messes with the magical level so...it's better if he wakes up on his own."
Wait? But what about Hermione?
"Wait? But what about Hermione?" Remus' voice echoed Harry's thoughts exactly. "We can't just wait. Alastor-"
"We must, Lupin," Moody said. "We can't risk Granger even more."
"But-"
"You know he's right, love," Tonks said quietly. Remus just nodded.
Moody was about to say something else when Harry decided that he had had enough. He had to know what was going on.
"That's it! I want explanations right now!" he cried in exasperation. "I want to know what's going on!"
The others exchanged looks until Moody began to talk, "Granger and Boot are Hit Wizards, Potter." Harry let himself fall into an armchair, dumbstruck. "As are Longbottom and Bones." Harry looked at Neville and Susan; the two of them blushed, and gave him a nervous smile.
"B-But how?" Harry managed to ask. "Hermione never said anything."
Alastor Moody groaned impatiently. "That isn't something you spread in the wind, Potter. The only ones who know about this are the people in this room, and the Minister. Nobody else."
"But she could have told me!"
"No, she couldn't have, Potter," Kingsley replied. "Hit wizards can't tell anybody about their real jobs, not even their family."
"But Remus knows!"
"He's also working with Granger and Boot-"
"But how? He's a Werewolf! I know the Ministry can't hire..." Harry looked apologetically at Remus. "Er, sorry, Remus."
Remus gave him a small smile. "That's alright, Harry. And yes, I can't work at Ministry. But I'm working for Alastor as a ' security source'. Not even the Minister knows about me."
"B-but Moody is retired..."
"Boy! Being a Hit wizard isn't something you tell people about," Moody cried, exasperated. "All Hit Wizards have other professions such as Aurors, Healers-" Harry looked at Susan and Neville, who nodded. "…and so on."
"Right, and you Tonks- are you?"
"Oh, no, Kingsley and I only help with the background." She smiled. "Being a Hit Wizard isn't easy, Harry. It isn't like Aurors that have action practically all the time. Hit Wizards normally spend their time researching and in low profile investigations."
"So, that's why she-" Suddenly Harry felt a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Hermione and Terry Boot weren't having an affair. They were working. They were undercover. Harry felt sick as he remembered his reaction. He had been a total ass. Hermione probably hated him.
Noticing Harry's demeanor, Remus put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Harry. Hermione's well aware that you didn't know."
"But-"
"Harry, what we need now is to try and find a way to locate Hermione."
Harry nodded, and then finally asked, "What were they doing there?"
"There have been some rumors in the underground about a new Potion," Kingsley started to explain. "A terrible Potion."
"I didn't hear anything about it," commented Harry.
"Of course not," Moody groaned. "They don't expect that anyone find out about it until-"
"Until is too late," Remus finished for him. Moody gave him a short nod.
"But what is this Potion? I assume that Hermione and Terry found out something about it, right?"
"Yes," Kingsley continued, "they found a trail that lead to that club's bartender, Pierre."
"I told her it was too dangerous!" Remus cried nervously, and Harry felt a little uneasy about his former teacher's concern towards his best friend. "You should have sent another agent, Alastor!"
"What's done is done, Lupin!" Moody said firmly.
"But what if she took the potion?"
What came after was a tense silence. Harry could see that even Alastor Moody seemed a little uneasy about that possibility.
"Er, but what this Potion does? It can't be that serious, right?" Harry asked no one in particular. "I mean, Terry is alive..."
Tonks bit her lip, taking a deep breath. "This Potion doesn't work properly in people like Terry, Harry."
Harry looked at her quizzically.
"Terry is a pure blood. This Potion is meant for Muggleborns," Tonks explained.
The young wizard felt a sense of dread. Hermione is a Muggleborn. "W-What does this potion do to Muggleborns, Tonks?"
"It reaps off their magic."
Harry gasped in shock. "WHAT?!"
"It reaps off their magic," Tonks repeated.
"YOU!" Harry shouted at Mad-Eye, anger boiling inside him. Now he could understand Remus' reaction. "YOU LET HER GO ON THIS MISSION!"
"It was her choice, Potter," was Mad-Eye's reply. "She knew what she was doing."
"But-"
Tonks put a hand on his shoulder. "She knew what she was doing, Harry."
Harry sighed heavily, trying to control his anger and nervousness. "And we'll be here, doing nothing? Why don't we go to that club and talk with this Pierre person...we can make him talk."
"And what Potter? Bring more attention to this?!" Kingsley said sternly. "We keep a low profile. I sent some agents to watch the club. We need to wait for Boot."
"But Hermione might have been turned into a Muggle by then!"
"She'll be lucky if she's still alive," Neville spoke up seriously.
Unable to say anything, Harry covered his face with his hands, his body trembling uncontrollably. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't.
*~*~*~*
Harry and Ron's apartment
Ron was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking a Butterbeer. He had arrived from Lavender's flat thirty minutes ago, and was relieved to see that Harry's bedroom door was closed. That could only mean that his friend was still asleep.
'He must have worked all night,' Ron thought to himself. Truth be told, he didn't know if he could manage to face Harry right now, and have to lie about why he had just come home at that time.
He had so much to think about now.
Ron sighed. "Merlin, what am I going to do?"
His thoughts were interrupted by an insistent knock on the door. Ron took a deep breath, and went to answer the door. "I am coming! I am coming!"
As soon as he opened the door, a very angry, red-faced Ginny Weasley, stepped in. Before he could say anything she asked, "Where's Harry?"
"Sleeping, Gin. Now, why don't you-"
"Good! Now we are going to have a talk, Mr. Weasley!"
"Gin-"
"Shut up! Don't Gin me!" she snapped at him, and he looked to her in surprise.
'What the bloody hell was that?!'
"You and I are going to have a nice talk, Mr. Weasley."
"Gin, I'm really-"
"How could you, Ronald Weasley?!" Ginny hissed hatefully. "I thought I knew you better. How could you do something like that?!"
Ron looked at his sister in confusion. "I don't know what you are talking about, Ginny!"
"Lavender, Ron! You and Lavender! Last night!!"
Ronald Weasley immediately turned pale; white as a ghost. "I-I don't know what are you talking about," he stammered.
Ginny gave a dry laugh. "I saw you, Ron! I saw you and that - that witch!"
"It wasn't-" he tried to explain.
"Oh! So, you were just examining her throat!"
"You don't understand, Ginny," Ron said, as he sat down on the couch. "I-I made a mistake."
Ginny sighed, sitting by his side. "Yes, my dear brother, you made a terrible mistake." She put a hand on his shoulder, and her eyes wandered over his clothes. "You slept with her," she finally said; her voice didn't sound angry anymore, but… sad. He looked at her in mild surprise. "You are wearing the same robes that you were wearing last night, Ron." To this, he just nodded.
"Sometimes I don't understand you," she commented, shaking her head. "Sometimes I wonder why you don't just break up with Hermione."
"Why?! Because I love her!" he cried indignantly.
"Do you, Ron? Do you love her? So why did you cheat on her? Why did you treat her so badly?" Seeing that he wouldn't say anything, she continued, "This is everything but love, Ronald. You don't love Hermione. You don't respect Hermione."
"Of course I respect her!"
"No, you don't! If you did, you would never have done what you did-"
Ron was about to say something, but Ginny cut him off.
"I'm not talking about Lavender! I'm talking about the way you treat Hermione! Your constant jealousy, your disdain! Ron! I know that a relationship isn't only about kisses and flowers but you… you are never satisfied! You are never happy and you're making her unhappy too." She took a deep breath. "You made a mistake, and of course everyone has the right to, but..." She was about to say something but decided against it. "Talk to Hermione, Ron. Tell her."
"I-I can't!"
"You know I could just tell her… or Harry." At Harry's name, Ron felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He knew that if Harry found out about Lavender, he would be a dead man. "But I won't. I'm letting you do it."
"I-I can't," he repeated, weakly. "I can't lose Hermione!"
"You rather lose her as a girlfriend than as a friend, Ron," Ginny said seriously, standing up. She was on her way to the door, almost opening it, when she turned around, and faced her brother one more time. "Oh, and you better hurry. Malfoy saw you last night," she said before leaving.
Ron buried his head in his hands. "I'm screwed," he muttered.
*~*~*~*
Neville's Flat
The Living Room
Harry was sitting alone on the couch, waiting for Terry to wake up. He had never felt so impotent, and so useless. Of course he wanted to search for Hermione right away, but he also knew that Kingsley and the others were right. He couldn't risk her life.
Kingsley had said that other agents had gone to the club and found out something more about that Pierre person. The main problem was that no one knew exactly how far Hermione and Terry had gone.
"That's the problem with the Hit Wizards", Tonks had said. "No one knows what they are doing."
Harry's eyes wandered around the room until his gaze fell on an old photographic. It was a picture of Neville, Luna, Ron, Ginny, Hermione and himself, taken in their fifth year at Hogwarts. With trembling hands, he passed his fingers over Hermione's image. She looked so happy.
Merlin, he couldn't lose her. Without her, Harry Potter simply didn't exist.
He was so absorbed in his own thoughts that he almost had a heart attack when someone, behind him put a hand on his shoulder.
"What!" He snapped, turning around quickly. It was Susan. "Oh, hi Susan."
She smiled weakly. "Sorry for that."
"That's okay. I was distracted."
She bit her lip. "Everything's going to be alright, Harry. Hermione is a tough woman."
"Why didn't she tell me, Susan?"
"You know why."
"Yeah, yeah...she couldn't," he replied bitterly.
Susan shook her head. "Not only that. She knew… she knows… that you would be concerned-"
"Concerned?! Ha!" Harry laughed dryly. "I'm bloody scared and furious!"
"She knows how you feel about her fighting. She told me about it the day she had told you she wouldn't be doing the Auror training. She said you were-"
"Relieved," Harry finish for her. "Yeah, relieved. I couldn't bear with the thought of her being hurt...I just want her safe, Susan."
"It was her choice, Harry, like me and Neville, and Terry. It was our choice." She took a deep breath. "It isn't easy being a Hit Wizard… and I'm not just talking about the risks themselves, but the lies, and the cover ups. It isn't easy when you have to lie to the ones you love."
He gave her a short nod. "But this mission was - is - too dangerous! Lupin is right! They couldn't risk her like that! What if - what if she took this potion…?" He ran a hand through his hair, panic in his eyes. "Oh god!"
"It's a risk," Susan said honestly, "but we don't have a real proof that the Potion is working properly. It seems that it was still being tested...That's what Terry and Hermione were trying to find out about."
"B-But there was another case… I mean, another Muggleborn that - that took it?"
"Yes, it was when we started the investigations."
"A-And what happened to this person?" asked Harry, dreading the answer.
"He didn't lose all his powers."
Harry took a deep breath, relieved.
"But his magical level decreased a lot."
Harry was about to say something when Remus showed up. Harry and Susan looked at him.
"It's Terry! He's awake!"
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Oh my! What happened to Hermione? Any guess?
What do you think?