Author Note:- finished this one a little quicker than usual, so I ran it past a few betas for once. Thanks to JediYoda for beta, making me change the start and yet again for making the challenge. Also thanks to Sweet_Mione_Potter for her beta work as well. I'm sorry in advance for the evil ending, I am very much expecting flames in any reviews you are kind enough to leave. I'm stunned to have received over 50k hits to the story, though I am still certain half of them are mine when I check for any new reviews every 5mins. Most of them are in the first chapter, I suppose the part about Ginny is scaring off a lot of people, Thank you all who have kept reading, I hope you are still enjoying the story.
Harry appeared in a dark room, pale moonlight streaming through a tall window was the only light source in what seemed to be an entrance hall of a rather large house. He resisted the urge to draw his wand from the spring loaded pouch on his wrist and instead looked around. Behind him were two large wooden doors, obviously the front doors to the building itself. To his right was a smaller set of double doors likewise with his left.
Ahead was two sets of stairs along either wall curving around to an upper balcony, he noticed a faint light from the left side of the balcony. The stairs were solid marble so he wasn't worried about creaking steps as he scaled them quietly. The balcony itself was a different matter. The faint light was the glow around a doorway. The room behind was brightly illuminated. There was a man asleep on a chair next to the door and a quick glance over the balcony spotted a second empty chair in a corner by the place he entered. The security was present but lax. His thoughts were distracted by Hermione, guilt plaguing his actions. He knew he should have listened, but this opportunity was too good to pass up. He was going to cop holy hell for it from Ginny and Hermione but if it worked he'd gladly accept that.
The guard outside the door turned his suspicion to confirmation, the room had to be the lab else why would there be a guard posted. Harry coughed quietly awakening the sleeping man who turned his eyes on Harry and gulped in fright.
"We shall talk about this later," Harry scowled, his voice imitating Rodolphus' as best he could, "is Yaxley inside?"
The terrified guard nodded and stood to attention as Harry knocked on the wooden door.
"For Merlin's sake, who is it at this hour?" he heard grumbled from behind the door, it sounded like Yaxley's voice, "Well, open the door and find out!"
A moment or two later and the door swung open revealing a tall dark haired man that Harry didn't know. The man instantly moved aside and dropped to a knee, Harry took the opening and walked in like he owned the place, which he probably did.
"Rodolphus? What brings you here at this time?" Yaxley inquired from behind a desk covered in vials and bubbling beakers.
"I wanted to make sure your assistants were being helpful in your efforts." Harry replied.
"Bunch of incompetents, can't tells Mullein from Hemlock and don't get me started on which measurements and containers," Yaxley complained, "Still, they are useful for moving my things when I'm watching them to ensure nothing is dropped."
"Should I see into getting you some more then?" Harry replied, searching the room, noticing one more man by the back wall.
"No, no, the four is enough, but you could look into exchanging them for someone who passed their Potions OWL." Yaxley replied dismissively, the men turning red and looking to the floor.
"If there are four of them, why do I only see two here helping you?" Harry asked.
"Sleeping, I switch them in shifts, it's hard enough to watch the potion let alone supervise four others. I trust the raid on Shernborne is still on schedule for Wednesday? I need those components by Thursday or this potion is going to be ruined and I'll have to start from scratch."
Harry kept the surprise from his face as he made a mental note of the new information.
"Nothing to worry about," Harry replied dismissively, "Well, nothing for you to worry about anyways."
He flicked his wand and let it drop to hand and quickly brought it up and shot off a pair of stunners, one at each of the two assistants. The first hit its target, which sent the man flying back into a table of beakers. A loud crash echoed through the room as he toppled over and hit the wall, the impact shattered many of the delicate instruments. The second man by the door was slightly more alert and dived behind a table. The door burst open as the guard came through to discover the cause of the noise. Harry quickly delivered a back kick to his chest, knocking him back out of the door.
"Expelliarmus!" Harry shouted, turning back on Yaxley who was about to throw a book at him. Harry bounced over the table and grabbed the elderly wizard and attempted to apparate them away.
"Anti-Apparition and Portkey wards over the building except the lobby you fool!" Yaxley hissed as he struggled in Harry's grip.
Harry swore and stood, holding Yaxley between him and the other wizard.
"Reducto!" Harry bellowed, obliterating the table the Death Eater hid behind, the force knocking the man unconscious.
Pushing Yaxley before him he hurried out of the door. As they stormed out of the room Harry threw Yaxley at the door guard, he bounced off the larger man and fell to the floor. Harry rushed out and quickly punched the guard with his free hand. His eyes momentarily on the lower floor he reacted quickly and grabbed the dazed guard and pulled him close to block a hex sent from the lower floor. The guard from the lower floor was back and sending up curses, with a quick swish and flick he shouted the levitation charm in his mind and jolted the rug the man stood on. He tumbled to the ground for a moment and Harry shot a few stunners down at him.
Not caring if they hit just yet he grabbed the back of Yaxley's robes he held him up as a shield as he fired more stunners down at a pair of Death Eaters who emerged from doors on the other side of the balcony. His aim was fouled by Yaxley suddenly turning and trying to hit him. Harry dodged the swing and brought his knee up into Antony's stomach driving the air from him. Throwing him back down to the floor he ducked just as a stunner flew over his head. Grabbing his Portkey cuffs he quickly locked up Yaxley's wrists behind his back and brought up his wand.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Harry caught the first man with the body bind curse as he made it across, the solid body of the first falling back into the second. Harry quickly threw Yaxley at the wall and kicked out at the second man, sending him and his partner tumbling down the stairs.
He grabbed his prisoner again and kept firing stunners at the last man as he made his way down the stairs. Harry shot off a stunner at the same time the Death Eater fired a curse back, the spells hit in mid air. The curse hit the ground harmlessly while the stunner flew into the air, barely missing the large chandelier hanging above the lobby. With a loud crack the room was suddenly filled with a dozen more Death Eaters, led by the real Rodolphus.
"Well, well, who do we have here?" he sneered at Harry, "Give up and we'll just kill you, resist and we'll see how long before you crack under the Crutiatus curse."
"I think I'll choose option c, leaving with my hostage or you're going to loose your potions master's head." Harry growled, putting his wand tip to Yaxley's jaw.
"Who are you?" Yaxley hissed.
"Well, I'm sure there is plenty of witty responses here, Death, Justice, Your worst nightmare. But I'm afraid I'm just Harry." He grinned as he dropped his illusion.
"You!" Rodolphus scowled, "How did you get here!"
"It would seem that you might have an informant in your little band of 'Truly Loyal' Death Eaters. How else do you think we found out about your raids on St. Mungos and Little Thirkleby?" Harry grinned, knowing full well it was Rodolphus himself who showed Harry how to find this place and told him of the raids. The suspicion of a traitor would cause havoc in the Death Eater camp come morning.
"Well this time your little informant has led you to your death at last Mister Potter, I suppose I'll have to revoke the swift and easy death, we'll need information from you, I suppose your only option is how much we have to torture you to get it."
"I'm still thinking option c you know, but since you don't seem to have any regards for Yaxley's head it would seem I'll have to make my own exit," Harry moved his wand in a moment, he aimed upwards and yelled, "Reducto!"
The curse shot up and hit the chain holding the chandelier, sending it hurtling down to the lobby floor. The room was suddenly filled with flying men, swearing and shattered pieces of metal. Harry threw Yaxley forward and dived after him shooting more redactor curses, he crashed to the marble floor with a heavy grunt. He reached out and grabbed the Portkey Handcuffs.
"One, Two, Three" he hissed quickly, feeling the hook behind his navel as he and Yaxley were suddenly transported to the cells below the Ministry.
"You, hands now! Drop the wand," Harry looked up at the voice, spotting the Head Guard along with three other prison guards with their wands aimed at him.
Harry rolled his eyes and groaned, he'd have to be subjected to all the identity tests now because he'd arrived uncuffed via the prisoner Portkey. On the plus side he wasn't dead or captured so he'd have to endure.
"Hi Frank, how's the wife?" he asked as he slid his wand over to the Head Guard and stuck his hands out behind to be cuffed.
"Potter?" Frank replied with an exasperated voice as he leaned over to cuff the young wizard, "What in Merlin's name were you doing to warrant following your captive through a Portkey to here?"
"Just fancied a free ride I suppose." Harry replied.
"Wife's fine by the way, pregnant again though. Sorry about all this you know, but we're going to have to check you anyways, procedure and all."
"No worries, wish someone would get around to improving the flavour of the anti-Polyjuice though. I'll ask Fred and George to look into it one of these days. Glad to hear about the new baby though, three now isn't it? Julie should be just about to go into second year at Hogwarts, she like it?"
Harry and Frank continued their casual conversation as he was hauled through the checks. The only way to arrive in that room was through special activated portkeys, the ones only Aurors were given. Thus anyone who landed was sent by an Auror and was immediately arrested if they weren't already cuffed. The procedure guarded against Polyjuice or Metamorphmagus prisoners passing themselves off as official and getting away.
"Oh Frank?" Harry asked as he winced from swallowing one of the numerous foul potions to check his identity, "Why were there four guards today? There aren't any raids today are there?"
"No, pretty quiet until you arrived, we got a call from Kingsley about an hour ago, he said to increase up the guard down here, four in the room, another six on standby. I thought he was going to send out a raid. But I suppose it was all just preparation for whatever you were doing, should we expect some more?"
"No, I got the one I wanted, went solo so no-one else to send you prisoners, suppose Kingsley just over-estimated me," Harry chuckled, then added mentally, "But he ordered extra guards before he spoke to me and Hermione, so he knew I'd take the bait and go off alone. I'd like to say I'm outraged, but I suppose I'm just predictable"
"Well, must admit when I saw it was you I was surprised it was only one prisoner, who was it anyways?" Frank asked.
"Antony Yaxley," he replied, he noticed Frank's confused expression and added, "Death Eater, important one."
"Ah good, one less to worry about, how many did you have to kill to get this one?" Frank asked with a grin.
"No killing, stunned a few though," Harry answered dismissively and then sighed as he saw Frank's inquisitive expression, "I didn't keep count but there was a few more than a dozen which is why I grabbed this one and left. Took down four then a lot more arrived so I legged it after making a distraction. Now I have to try and think up good story for Kingsley."
"Not necessary Potter," replied Shacklebolt evenly, Harry sighed and turned around to see the head Auror behind him, "Fortunately I overheard your conversation which will save you conjuring a story for me. I'll vouch for him personally Frank, you can release him."
Frank nodded and removed Harry's cuffs. The younger wizard rubbed his wrists and offered a fake scowl at Kingsley.
"You couldn't have got down here before they made me drink all those potions?"
"If there were no discouragement for last putting yourself into such a position you had to use the last resort escape then it might start provoking dangerous ideas," Kingsley replied as they walked back to his office, "However once I was informed you had arrived with a suspect I came down as quickly as possible, I trust the suspect in the cells is Yaxley?"
"Indeed, he is to be taken to the veil?" Harry asked.
"Not immediately, the Wizamgots council wants to offer him a reduced sentence for information. Not my choice admittedly as I doubt he has anything useful for us that you aren't about to get, however we'll see."
"Well for information I'm going to get they can still summon at very little notice a dozen death eaters despite losses at this time of night. So unless they were planning something their numbers are still pretty high unfortunately," Harry commented, "And speaking of planning, Yaxley mentioned a raid on Shernborne site on Wednesday. However I might have messed that up with my presence, I mentioned to Rodolphus that an informant within their ranks gave me access to Yaxley. They might alter the plans or abandon them now they've lost their potion master."
"Interesting, we'll be issuing the standard notifications of Snape's transfer tomorrow, we'll see how well informed the Death Eaters are. Now you've captured Yaxley I'll use the excuse of moving the potions expert to a more secure location in case of rescue attempts."
"Hermione commented that setting up the transfer would be practically a death sentence for the guards escorting Snape," Harry mentioned, looking over to his boss as they walked.
"I am aware, I've made the guards aware and only taken volunteers for the transfer. We've specially planned the route and believe there is only one logical place for an ambush or attack. Thus we'll have backup ready and hidden there already, once Snape is loose we'll go in full force and ensure either a retreat or complete capture. The backup and guards have been informed of an undercover, but I could not afford to risk getting you compromised by revealing anything else."
"Understood, Sir," Harry replied dryly as they entered the office, "Sir, what happened to the Death Eater I hit with the killing curse?"
"So that's what you hit him with, the other Aurors were a bit tight lipped and I can understand why now. He's alive still, surprisingly, but unconscious still, he's resisting all forms of magic to awaken him. This new bit of information might be the piece to tip the scales to awaken him."
"When he's awake I need to question him, so make sure he isn't marched through the veil before I get the chance, Sir."
"Understood, I'll do my best. You knew he was alive still? Even though you hit him with the killing curse?" Kingsley asked with a raised brow.
"I knew before the spell hit him, I don't understand how but it's all to do with emotion. I was hoping he was revived already because it would give me something to use against any Auror I should meet, but the risk is too great at the moment if they can't be woken." Harry sighed, "I'll just have to miss with the AKs and hit the stuns, remind me to apologise to anyone I hurt."
"I realise you will have to maintain your appearance, but try not to put too many of my Aurors in the hospital wing Potter."
"Would rather I put them there than one of my fellow death eaters put them in the morgue, Sir"
"I agree, I trust you'll use your best judgement, now I believe you have an undercover assignment to get back to," Kingsley looked up from his paperwork, "Unless there is anything else Potter?"
"I've probably forgotten something, but I can't figure it out, I suppose I'll have to get a Remembrall. We'll try to keep you updated, but we'll have to see how the mission goes tomorrow. At least with Yaxley out of the way it's a little less pressure. Now we just need a headcount and then to see what we can do about reducing it."
"Just keep yourself and your partner safe, I wouldn't recommend running off from this one again Potter."
Harry smirked and saluted then clicked the little button on his watch, using the Portkey to send himself back to the hotel room and Hermione. With a familiar lurching feeling he was transported back to the Leaky Cauldron. He landed on his feet but unsteadily, he wobbled for a bit before he was able to turn around into the flying fist.
Harry hit the ground hard, his head ringing and a loud voice yelling at him. The air was knocked out of him as something heavily landed on his stomach and then more blows rained down on him. He raised his arms to protect himself, trying to bring his head into focus, fearing that they had been caught.
"… been so worried! No bloody messages, no contact then you just waltz back with that bloody smirk! You could have died for all I knew Harry!"
"Hermione?" he hazarded.
"Well who else do you think it was?" she replied.
"Judging by the ringing in my head, a truck? Nice right hook you've got there, still seeing double." Harry groaned.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to hit you that hard, but you can't say you didn't deserve it." She apologised testily and she hugged him tight, "I'm glad you're alive."
"Me too, well I will be once this black eye stops stinging."
"Stop complaining you wuss."
"Easy for you to say, you weren't just decked by a mad woman."
"Well maybe if you listened you wouldn't have been either, how did it go?"
"Got him, sowed a little distrust into the ranks, broke a rather nice chandelier, the usual."
"How many?" she asked critically.
"Only two when I arrived, two more were hidden away and right before I left a dozen arrived, so I legged it like I promised."
She examined his words for lies or omissions then nodded, her breathing returning to normal. Harry couldn't help but notice how her hair smelt as she was still laying on him hugging him tight. Her body pressing against his was starting to cause an uncomfortable side effect and he willed his libido to cool.
"Think about George in that daft dress" he thought, bringing the mental image of George wearing the pranked pink dress. That image shifted into Hermione wearing the dress, then the next stage and then the pink teddy. He winced and tried to shift the image to anything else. His erection was straining against his boxers and it was only because Hermione was sitting so high she hadn't noticed.
"Not that I'm complaining or anything, but this is the second time today we've been lying on the floor together with you preventing me from getting up." Harry commented as casually as he could.
"You only get hugs when you need them or you do stupid things that scare me."
"Why do you think I do them?" Hermione rolled her eyes and sat up, punching him in the stomach before she climbed to her feet.
"So what next?" she asked as he awkwardly got to his feet and recast portus on his nexus stone for the next time.
"Continue with orders I suppose," Harry slumped onto the couch to recover from his beatings, fidgeting to hide his crotch as Hermione sat next to him "With Yaxley sorted it will be easier to control myself I hope, but until we get the information we want I'm still hoping we won't run into her."
"I doubt that, she really likes you."
"It's just ironic, the burning hatred I have for her is what attracts her to me which just fuels my anger and in turn her lust." Harry complained.
"Well, at least you don't have to worry about her trying to kill you right off the bat like I do, far as she's concerned I'm competition." Hermione replied casually.
"Well, just stick with me so she doesn't get the opportunity."
"I'm sticking with you so she doesn't steal my boyfriend when I'm not looking." She teased.
"Yeah, I'm thinking that's one worry you don't really have."
"Sorry,"
"Not a problem," Harry waved his hand dismissively, "Tomorrow we're about to dive into a hornet's nest I took the liberty of whacking with a rock yesterday. We should be out of suspicion since we are arriving after all the trouble started, but we're going to need to be alert at all times."
"Constant Vigilance then?" she asked
"As always" Harry replied with a flicker of a smile.
"Want me to fix that eye for you?"
Harry raised a finger to his eye, feeling over the swelling flesh. He rolled his eyes and nodded.
"At least I don't have to worry about you holding your own in a fist fight. I feel sorry for Viktor should he ever give you cause to whack him."
"Something he has had to worry about in the past, but not anymore, we broke up, Hermione said bluntly, "I got his reply we went back for the raid."
"Oh, I'm sorry Hermione."
"Don't be, there's been problems for a while, mostly the distance and his disapproval of my job and specifically this assignment." Hermione sighed, "It's just like fourth year again, he's jealous that we're partners."
"Not something you can fix?" Harry asked.
"Not something I want to fix really, it was flattering that he sought me out and we had some fun, but he's just not the one I want to spend the rest of my life with, you know?"
"Err"
"Of course you don't" Hermione sighed, "You're lucky you know, hooking up with the right one right after school."
"Who said I have the right one?" Harry mumbled
"What?" Hermione asked immediately.
"Err, was that out loud?" Hermione nodded and eyed him critically, "I've been having some strange dreams recently, I've been wondering how in love we are, I mean we don't spend any time with each other, I barely know her except that she's my fiancée."
"I've booked two weeks off once this mission is done, just spend some time alone with her you know, get away from work for a bit and get my head and feelings sorted out," Harry continued, "Ginny was a great distraction from Voldemort in sixth year and after I just assumed we'd get back together and have a happy life with lots of kids. But Bellatrix and the others got away and I've spent seven years trying to sort out this world."
"How can you bring kids into a world when you've still got such enemies?" he asked rhetorically, "Once Bella is out of the way I can spend some time with Ginny and sort everything out."
"Still want lots of kids then?" Hermione asked.
"Well I'd hardly call it lots, but a few, I want at least two, don't want an only child, they'd need a brother or sister to play with. I was thinking two boys and a girl, Ginny adores the idea of a girl, but I think she wants a much bigger family."
"Merlin help the teachers at Hogwarts when your kids roll through, combination of Ginny's temper and stubbornness with yours."
"I'm sure McGonagall will have her hands full. Though she might be busy enough trying to get Ron and Luna's kids to pay attention." Harry chuckled softly.
"Oh, your eye! It's getting pretty swelled up now," Hermione observed as she took out her wand and cast a few healing spells, "That should help, one moment I have some of the twin's anti-bruising cream in my packs."
Harry watched as she grabbed the healing kit and pulled out dozens of potions, bandages and odd trinkets he recognised from the infirmary.
"Should I be worried that someone thinks we'll need this much healing?" Harry inquired as she found the cream.
"Standard kit for undercover missions with unknown durations I believe. But knowing it's you they might have added some more, you do have a reputation amongst the healers you know." She replied as she opened the jar and started to rub it over his bruise, gently as possible.
"Ginny told me a few times, I'm pretty close to having the biggest medical file in history and I'm only halfway through my twenties. Nothing as impressive as my discipline file in the Aurors but I do seem to cause a lot of paperwork for other people." Harry chuckled and winced as she pressed a little too hard.
"Sorry, that should do the trick, any other wounds you need seeing to from your adventures?" she asked.
"If I say no will you believe me?"
"Of course not,"
"Err, I banged my arm a little I suppose."
"Well pull up your sleeve then."
Harry tugged up his right sleeve to show the small bruise just above his elbow from where he landed on the marble floor. Hermione added a little cream and went to pull his arm closer but he winced as his arm moved forward.
"Just your arm?" she raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"Nice try, get that robe off lets have a look at the damage."
Harry sighed and stood up, relieved his erection had subsided already so he wasn't tenting his trousers as he pulled the robe up over his head then he unbuttoned the shirt beneath and slipped that off. Hermione gasped as she saw the extent of the damage. His right shoulder and along his right ribs were discoloured from bruising. His landing back during the arrest worse than he admitted. But in addition her shock was at the number of scars to his arms and body.
"I guess I've been wearing the dragon hide armour too long, can't take a knock anymore." He tried to joke the wounds off.
Hermione stood and fetched a cushioned stool and placed it before the couch, sitting on the sofa she pointed for Harry to move. With a sigh he sat down in front of her facing towards the wall. He sighed softly as her hands rubbed the soothing cream over his shoulder at first.
"How the hell did you get so banged up?" she asked as her fingers rubbed into his bare flesh.
"Small jump onto a rather solid floor without anyone to land on," Harry replied with a relieved groan as he fingers slid under his arm and started applying the cream to his ribs.
"You've worn Dragon Hide for as long as I can remember, how did you acquire all these scars?" she asked, as she ran her fingers over some of the older scars.
"Well a few were from my first missions, that's what encouraged me to purchase the addition armour. I earned a few from school and the Horcrux hunt, and some are lasting from my time before Hogwarts in the Dursley's … care." He added the last word after careful thinking.
"They were dreadful people Harry, I'm sorry you had to endure them for so long." Hermione commented.
"From the spells that Dumbledore cast over the house it might have been what kept me alive to the age of eighteen so I can't complain too much. It could have been better but it could have been worse … not sure how exactly but I'm sure it's possible." Harry replied tersely before giggling as Hermione caught a ticklish rib.
"The great Harry Potter has ticklish sides? I thought you were without weakness Mister Potter." Hermione teased, changing the conversation as quickly as possible.
"Oh no you don't you're healing me, not torturing," Harry looked over his shoulder and found himself looking upon a Hermione with a very evil grin on her face, "Don't even think about …"
He couldn't even get the last word out before Hermione started poking his ribs, he tried to escape her grip but she kept herself behind him. He spun in her arms and tried to push her back. His efforts were foiled when he tripped over the stool and fell to the floor. He gasped for breath between his laughs as she pursued her attack. Forcing himself to his feet he grabbed at her wrists and pushed her back onto the couch. He forced her hands over her head and pinned her wrists down, his body hovered over hers as they both fought for breath.
Harry looked down at his partner, all the recent lustful thinking forcing itself through his mind. She looked so sexy at that moment, beads of sweat starting to form on her brow, her breaths laboured and long. He longed to lean down and steal just one more kiss from her lips. He couldn't read the expression in her eyes as they caught each other for the longest moment.
"So … ribs feeling better then?" she asked.