Authors Note: Hello again all, no I havn't gone anywhere, just been lurking for over a year now. I am taking a break from writing my own novel to follow my muse back to Harry and Hermione. This is going to combine several ideas I have been mulling over that is, once again, my attempt to pick up the ragged pieces Mrs. Rowling left us with and gallantly carry on. I sail this ship and my heart will not let me step off no matter its course.
Disclaimer: No I sadly don't own Harry Potter or even Hermione Granger.
Chapter 1
When they got home it was dusk. Harry climbed out of the Dursley's car and quickly went to stand in front of Vernon. He stopped abruptly and grunted. Petunia and Dudley stared at him. "Thank you for the ride uncle. I'll be leaving now."
Vernon grunted again, "Well don't come looking for charity here." He continued walking Petunia and Dudley went around Harry and into the house.
Harry lifted Hedwig's cage from the car, "Bout what I expected eh girl." She looked at him and cocked her head. "Well let's get out of here." He closed the car door and went to the open boot of the car. Put the cage down and heaved his trunk free. It was much lighter than it had been in the past. He had left all of his old clothes behind.
He stepped out onto the curb of number 4 Privet Drive. Taking a quick look around through the gathering mist he pulled out his wand and waggled it. A moment later the Knight Bus screeched to a stop barely an inch from his legs. He ignored the near accident and stepped into the bus, hauling his trunk up with him. Stan took the cage and hung it from a hook beside another that contained a sleeping tawny owl. He pressed a galleon into Stan's hand and said, "Diagon."
The beds on the first floor were all vacant. He sat on the closest one and gripped the bar tightly just as the bus leapt into motion.
Stan walked over and tried to hand Harry his change, "Here you are Mr. Po… I mean Neville."
He held his hand as if to push Stan's hand away and said, "Keep it Stan." He finished sitting up and said, "I need some information instead."
Stan looked confused but asked, "Fair exchange then?"
He grinned back, "Depends on your answers. Can this bus take me somewhere that you don't know the address for?"
Stan sat on the edge of the bed beside Harry and slipped the change into his pocket. "Ya mean like Hogwarts?"
"That's a fair example but what if I wanted to go to my parents' home? The one they were in when I got this." He tapped his forehead.
Stan shivered before calming himself and answering. "Should be able to go anywhere, unless the place is hidden by a spell or such."
"Thanks Stan. We're going to test that later when I'm done at Gringotts."
Stan shook his head, "They close at sunset, won't open those doors again until sunrise."
He couldn't help but grin as he answered, "I'll call you when I'm done."
Stan shrugged and walked up to mutter with the driver.
Harry pulled out his wand and shrunk his trunk then slipped it into his pocket and lay back on the bed. It wouldn't take long to get to Diagon so he best not fall asleep. Sure enough, he felt the bus starting to brake and his grip tightened on the bars of the bed.
"Diagon, be careful sir."
"Can I leave Hedwig here? I'll be back shortly." When Stan nodded Harry pulled himself to his feet and stepped from the bus onto the sidewalk in front of The Leaky Cauldron. It was still early in the evening for the streets of London but the mist had apparently driven most indoors already. He didn't hesitate and was opening the door when the Knight Bus pulled away.
The room was crowded, silence descended when he was recognized. He skimmed his eyes around the room to see if anyone looked threatening. Everyone seemed to be waiting to see what he was going to do. He said, "Evening," and walked across the room. Many murmured a reply but most simply went back to what they had been doing. Tom waved at him from behind the bar as he walked past.
The passage to Diagon Alley was already open so he strode through into the magical world. He stepped to the side and disillusioned himself before continuing towards Gringotts. Wand in hand he walked quickly down the alley and up the stairs to the sealed doors.
Standing before the imposing doors he fished the key to his vault from his pocket. Once it was in hand he tapped the third panel on the left door with his wand. A small keyhole appeared in the center of the panel. He inserted his key but did not turn it. A moment later the door slid silently open, just far enough for him to slip inside.
He dropped his disillusion as the door slid shut and plunged him into darkness. He put his key back into his pocket and flicked his wand barely speaking, "lumos." As instructed he held his ground in the small chamber between the outer and inner sets of doors.
It was perhaps a full minute later he heard hurried steps on the inside of the bank. When the door finally opened he was relieved to see an elegantly dressed goblin. "Mr. Potter, this way please."
The inside of the bank was not as deserted as he had believed. Many goblins remained at their posts, no doubt checking today's counts. The goblin led him to a desk and he himself stepped behind it. Harry's letter was on the desk along with two sets of papers.
The goblin took the thicker stack and turned it so Harry could read it. "Please read this over carefully before authorizing it sir. We have covered all wizard laws of which we are aware in attempting to follow your directions." He motioned behind Harry and a thick plush chair appeared, "Take your time sir."
Harry ignored the gesture to start reading the parchment. He got lost after the first three sentences of legal gibberish and sighed. "Does this give her full access to my vault and anything else that I may yet receive?"
The goblin nodded quickly, "In effect sir it amends her name to all legal documents bearing yours. She shall be treated as yourself once this is authorized."
"Good enough then, the other is for the transfers I requested?"
The second parchment was spun so he could read it. The amounts checked out; five hundred thousand pounds payable to Hermione and fifty thousand galleons for Ron. He picked up the quill and dipped it into the inkwell set into the desk.
Carefully he scribed his full name to both parchments. The goblin took them and blotted them before pressing a wax seal onto the base of each. The parchments then went into the drawer of the desk. The goblin handed Harry a small sheet of paper, it was a bank check from the Bank of London payable to Hermione for the 500,000 pounds, and a duplicate key.
"We cannot deposit directly into a muggle account. The amount for Mr. Weasley has been transferred into his account. Per your instructions the new balance of his account will not be reflected in any official statements."
He slipped the key and check into his front pocket, "Thanks."
"A pleasure Mr. Potter. We look forward to assisting you in the future."
He emerged into a deserted Diagon Alley. He was disillusioned but still felt exposed as he hurried back up the alley. He had to tap the bricks to reach The Leaky Cauldron and didn't bother to cancel his disillusion before entering the building. He took his time working his way through the crowded bar. It took a few minutes waiting by the door before someone else left and he snuck out with them.
Fortunately the man summoned the Night Bus and Harry slipped inside it with him as well. The man paid for his destination and went to find a bed. The bus was much busier than earlier. Harry grabbed the nearest bedpost and checked on Hedwig. She was sleeping in spite of the rough motions of the bus. He waited for the bus to leap into motion again before removing his disillusion.
"Hello again Stan."
Stan spun and turned ghostly white, "Shouldn't do that to a bloke sir. No you shouldn't."
"Sorry Stan, I didn't want to be seen leaving. Ready for that mystery destination?"
"Godrics Hollow then sir?"
Harry shook his head, "Maybe another day. I want to go to my friend's house. Hermione Jane Granger's home please."
Relief flashed on Stan's face, "Yep ready to try it." Stan walked back to the driver and gave him the directions, before returning to Harry. "You're in the queue now sir. Could be a bit, we're pretty busy now."
Harry shrugged, "Just make sure I get there. How much do I owe you for this trip?"
"Nothing, you paid enough on the first trip. Asides I want to know if this works."
Harry shrugged and walked to the only open bed he saw on the ground floor.
*
Hermione sat in the living room with both of her parents. The three of them were in the middle of a day long discussion, about school, Harry, and responsibilities. Tonight the conversation had turned nasty when she pointed out that at seventeen she was legally able to do as she pleased.
She wiped fresh tears from her cheeks. She had tried to get Harry to see reason this year by following his example. Obviously that had backfired in the worst way she could imagine.
She still hadn't quite stopped crying. This summer had been the worst yet. Her parents had not taken her news of not returning to school lightly but she had made a resolution, whatever he needed she would provide. He meant too much to her for anything less. Never again would she ignore is needs or concerns. Yes she would temper them with her own information and reasoning but ignore them, never again.
So she sat holding a tome on Occulmency that she was trying to read for the third time. They were across the room in a heated but nearly silent discussion, about what next to say to her no doubt.
The front bell rang. Hermione tried to keep reading as her father went to answer it. She slipped her hand into her pocket and gripped her wand. Just in case, she told herself. The voices were muffled and a moment later she heard the door close. She looked up as her father walked back into the room, he was followed by Harry.
Harry was carrying Hedwig in her cage and looked rather proud of himself but when he saw her his face fell. She must look a mess, she had been arguing and crying for well over an hour. She turned away, tossing the tome onto the couch and pulled some fresh tissues from the box beside her.
Harry started talking, "Hello again Mr. and Mrs. Granger." There was a pause, she still didn't look up. "This is all my fault I'm sure," that made her look up. Hedwig's cage was sitting on the small table at the end of the couch. Harry was across the room with his back to her while her parents stood in front of him. "I'll admit that in the past when I have made my own decisions most of them have gone pretty badly." That wasn't a good place for him to start. "The fact is that my fate was decided before I was born. Tom Riddle and I must fight and one of us will die." The room was silent, "I need to find and destroy some things before that fight or I can't win." He turned to look at her. "I have no chance of success without Hermione."
She tried to encourage him with a smile, he stood a little straighter and turned back to her parents.
Her mother said, "That is basically what she has told us. What Dan and I don't understand is why her? Isn't there some group in the magical world that can help you more?"
He shrugged, "Professor Dumbledore ran a group but it was one of the members of his group that killed him, I can't trust them. The Minister of Magic is not helping me either. Truthfully I just don't trust anyone else to give me honest answers. If she doesn't know an answer or thinks I'm wrong, she'll tell me. I need someone who is honest with me. Not telling me what they think I want to hear."
She had risen and walked to stand just behind him. Her parents looked at her, that caused Harry to turn and see her there. He said, "I need you."
She nodded slightly and said, "I know." Looking up at her parents she continued. "I have to help him. We are in a war, a war we must win."
Harry turned back to her parents, they were both scowling. "For Hermione's sake I need the two of you to get far away from here. Until we tell you it's safe you need to stay away from England." He held up his hand to stop their protests. "Everyone in the Wizarding world knows Hermione and Ron are my closest friends. Because you are both non-magical folk you will be primary targets for the Death Eaters."
Dan and Emma exchanged a pained look before Emma said, "We can't afford anything like that Harry. Our practice would have to be sold."
"The only things you would need to do are to get your clients transferred and pack for your trip. Hermione is of age, she can pack everything in this house in under ten minutes. I'll cover the cost."
She saw the skeptical look on her parents' faces. Harry was still dressed like a street urchin after all. "Harry is very rich in the Wizarding world. He inherited a fortune from his parents and then again from his godfather. These are the clothes his aunt and uncle allow him to wear. Trust him, or if you can't manage that then trust me."
Her parents exchanged another pained look. Their hands intertwined and they looked back at her over Harry's shoulder. Her mother said simply, "Where do we start?"
Harry turned to his side and knelt saying forcefully, "Dobby!"
Hermione came around him and hugged both of her parents tightly. She spoke softly to them both, "Thank you." Then she turned back just in time to see Dobby appear in front of Harry, a tall stack of her hats upon his head.
"You called Harry Potter sir?"
"Yes my friend. I have a job for you."
She saw Dobby swoon at being called Harry's friend but Harry was continuing. "These are Hermione's parents. They are going to go away so the bad people can't find them. I need you to store all the furniture and things they don't want to take with them. If you need to I authorize you to open a larger storage vault for everything at Gringotts. Can you take care of that for me, I mean for us?"
Dobby nodded so vigorously all of his hats fell off and he spent the next minute picking them back up.
Harry stood and looked back at them. "There, now all you need to do is get everything sorted out. I'm not of age just yet so I won't do any magic just in case its being monitored."
Her dad stepped up, looking curiously at Dobby but focused back on Harry to ask, "How are we to pay for this trip? Do you have a credit card or something?"
She watched as he dug in his front pocket. He pulled out a small folded piece of paper took something small from the fold and handed it to her while he showed the paper to her father. She took the object from him without really looking at it as she was looking at the paper. She saw it was a bank note with a lot of zero's on it.
Harry handed the check to her father then cleared his throat. "I stopped at the wizard bank before coming here. This is to help cover our expenses in the muggle world while we fight the war. I figure we need half of it. You can deposit the rest of it in your account. Hermione told me she had her own account. This should be split so you two can do your own scheduling."
Her mother spoke softly, "Harry dear this is half a million pounds."
He looked at her, a worried expression on his face, "Do you think you'll need more? I can get more if you do."
Hermione felt like hugging him he looked so worried, so she did. She was proud of him when he gently returned the hug. "That's plenty Harry. In the morning we'll go to the bank and deposit it." She stepped back from Harry, her right hand still clenching the object he had handed her. "Dad I think you should call a travel agent tonight and get a flight booked for early tomorrow. Mum, go with Dobby just tell him what objects need storing. Keep the beds for tonight, we shouldn't need much else." Her mother immediately walked off, Dobby bouncing behind, eager to be of help. She took the check from her father's stunned hand and gently pushed him towards the den. He nodded and walked off.
When they were gone she turned back to Harry. He was looking at her a little smile twitching at his mouth. "Care to fill me in on the rest of your plan yet?"
"Sure, that's another key to my vaults." She finally opened her hand and looked at what he had given her. "You have been amended to everything I own. I had them deposit 50,000 galleons into Ron's account. We can use that account when in the wizard world and yours in the muggle one. That should cover our expenses while we search for the horcruxes. I think we should go muggle as much as we can. Voldemort would have a much harder time finding us." It made sense so far so she nodded, and tucked the key into the front pocket of her jeans. He continued, "I think we need Bill Weasley's help on the horcruxes. Maybe he knows how to destroy them or has a better way to detect them."
"We need to keep the number of people who know what we're doing minimal though."
He nodded, "I don't see it going beyond that. Maybe McGonagall and Remus will need to know."
She ticked them off on her hand as she named them, "So the three of us, Bill, Fleur, Remus and Professor McGonagall? That's seven, a good Arithmancy number."
He shook his head, "I don't think we need to tell Fleur do we?"
"Yes, this will greatly impact the wedding and their plans. She needs to know. Remember the goblet picked her as a champion. She has to at least be the strongest witch from Beauxbatons and as much as I hate to admit it she is very smart."
"Maybe we shouldn't involve Bill then?"
"No, you're right. I think we need his help, or someone with his experience. I'm certain some of the places we will need to go will be protected with things we can't think of."
He shrugged, "Ok, I'll send him a note that we're going to need their help for the next few months against Tom. I guess the sooner the better so they can change their plans. Where should we meet, somewhere in Muggle London would be best."
She thought for a minute, "Tell him to meet us in Hyde Park at the gates to Kensington Palace at, um, four tomorrow afternoon."
He rubbed his stomach briefly and said, "Ok, I'll get to work on that letter." Then he pulled something out of his pocket and set it on the floor. "Can you expand this? I shrunk it on the Knight Bus."
He was hungry. Those people hadn't bothered to feed him anything. She smiled and pulled out her wand and expanded his trunk. "I'll go make you a sandwich and check on the preparations."
"Thanks, I should have stopped to eat at the Cauldron but I was in a hurry to get here." He started digging in his trunk for writing materials.
She walked out of the living room and went to check on her father. She looked into the den and saw he was on the phone so went on towards the kitchen. She could hear her mother and Dobby talking upstairs as she passed the foot of the staircase. In the kitchen she made Harry a ham and cheese on wheat with lettuce and tomato with just a little mayo. She cut it in half and grabbed two bottles of Coke and opened them, taking a big swig of one before heading back to the living room. Harry was bent over the coffee table writing his note. She set the sandwich and one of the Cokes down, he looked up and smiled his thanks. She just nodded and walked back to the Den. Her father was just getting up from his desk. She took another sip of her Coke and listened as he outlined the plans so far.
"These last minute flights cost a lot. I got us on the 12:30 flight to Florida from Gatwick tomorrow. We'll go to one of those resorts in Florida for a week then head somewhere else. We should be able to keep moving for a while, maybe rent a house for a month or so somewhere. Will you be able to contact us wherever we are?"
"Yes, we can send an owl or a house elf, probably Dobby. I wouldn't want to send an owl half way around the world. Just keep on the move and try to enjoy yourselves."
"Are you sure the two of you won't come with us? I can get two more tickets added to the flight?'
"No dad. We're in the middle of this fight and I won't leave Harry to face this without me."
He nodded slowly then put his hands on her shoulders. "I know better than to tell you this but you seem to be avoiding it yourself. Tell him how you feel. I was once a boy his age, we're oblivious to how your species thinks at that age dear. Spell it out so he understands, he wouldn't be here if he didn't trust you with his life."
She felt her cheeks go hot but looked her father in the eyes. "I just decided yesterday I had to do that. Now that Ron and I have settled the same issue I have a clean conscience to talk to Harry about it."
Her father cocked his head and lifted his left eyebrow, "Ron?"
"I tried to date him this year. I made it pretty damned obvious. Yesterday he finally told me he just wanted to be friends."
He hugged her and patted her back, "Sorry to hear that darling." He pulled back, "Are you sure about Harry then?"
"Positive, I've thought of little else for the last six years. Now that I finally got Ron to discuss his feelings I don't have to worry about hurting his and Harry's friendship."
He patted her again and stepped towards the doorway, "I'll go tell your mother what's going on."
She took a long sip of her Coke and followed him out. Harry was done with the letter and half done with the sandwich and Coke. She sat on the couch, put down her Coke and picked up the note to look it over.
Dear Bill and Fleur,
Sorry to spring this on you but Hermione and I just came to the conclusion we need your help against Tom. Dumbledore gave me a mission to accomplish and Ron and Hermione are going to help me do it. This will be very involved and I need to meet with you to discuss it. Please meet us in Hyde Park, tomorrow at 4pm, at the gates to Kensington Palace. We will reveal the details then.
HJP
P.S. Please bring Ron if you can.
She looked across the table at him; he was looking at her while he finished chewing the last of the sandwich. "Direct but vague enough so if it gets intercepted it will not hurt us too much." He swallowed then nodded and took another swig of his Coke. "Mind if I send it then?" He just gestured to Hedwig with is Coke. She folded the note and went to Hedwig's cage. The snowy owl was looking at her already. She opened the cage and Hedwig hopped onto her hand. "I need you to take this to Bill Weasley, he may have a reply, please bring it back to us." Hedwig nodded her head several times then took the note in her beak. Harry was already at the side window pulling it open. She waited for him to pull it open and launched Hedwig into the night. Harry closed and locked the window.
Hermione looked back into the rest of the house, decided she could take a few minutes more before getting sleeping arrangements settled. "Harry, I need to tell you a few things."
He looked a little apprehensive but didn't say anything.
"I finally got Ron to tell me how he feels about me. He just wants to be friends. This may not make a lot of sense to you, at least my dad doesn't think it will so here goes. I didn't want to get in the way of your friendship with Ron so I tried to stay neutral. He seemed to be interested in dating me so I tried to make that happen last year. He was too shy to actually tell me how he felt, ok maybe he was too worried about how I would react. Anyway I finally got him cornered yesterday and asked him flat out. He finally admitted he didn't want anything more than to be my friend." She looked over her shoulder again, still no sign of her parents. She looked back to Harry, he seemed to be taking her speech well so far. "So, now with that settled I can finally tell you. I've been a right idiot."
"You're never an idiot, trust me I are one!"
In spite of herself she giggled at him. She shook her head, "No Harry that you are not." She stepped closer to him and looked him in the eyes, "I know this isn't a good time for all this but I want you to know that I'm here for you."
"Thanks, I really need your help. I-"
She stopped him, he didn't understand. Dad was right. "No Harry. You don't understand. I want to be your girlfriend, wife, mate, lover, and mother of your children."