Unofficial Portkey Archive

Disclaimer: Don't own HP or M&MS
Mr. & Mrs. Evans
Chapter 7: Caught

[AN]: A bit of a shorter chapter today but still an important one. Next week will be a much longer one, you can count on it.

Thank you to Cosmo and Ahsun for the beta.

...

All other thoughts seemed distant and unimportant at the mention of Hermione divorcing Harry. She had shared a life with him for six years- it wouldn't be normal unless she was with him.

"It's your choice Mrs. Evans," he started with a sympathetic look, "It's easy to say though that your life as an agent in Europe is over."

Hermione struggled to swallow, "So it's my husband or my job..."

"You were aware of the risks of having a spouse when you entered this business." Father tried in a comforting tone but also wanting her to see things his way.

"Sir, I was already engaged when you recruited me!" she said back, trying to remain respectable. If it had been anyone else trying to patronize her that way she would have gave them a right deserving earful.

"Of course," he said sincerely, "And again, the decision is yours. But you must ask yourself what you want more- a man to sleep next to every night or the ability to save innocent lives from rising terrors."

"Sir-" she started heatedly but was cut off,

"That'll be all for today Miss Granger," he said, purposefully using her maiden name while giving a quick glance to his watch, "I expect you'll get back to me when the time is suitable. Also, might I stress the importance of keeping my roguish good looks to yourself? I don't think your fellow colleagues could handle my description," he finished good-naturedly, giving her a charming grin.

Hermione sighed in defeat and offered a weak smile, "Of course, Father."

...

Ginny took a deep breath as they stood in the alley next to the restaurant they were meeting Donavinci in. It was a posh looking place called Pescatori's- perfect for the Italian man who they were supposed to be meeting with.

She looked over to Harry who was standing next to her and smiled at him, "Ready Mr. Haines?"

Harry smirked, "Ready, Mrs. Haines. You remember everything?"
"Yep. Innocent chit chat for the first part before declining it and getting up to leave. Then I spill something on Pinns' crotch, to make sure he gets up and goes to the bathroom," Ginny recited quickly, grabbing Harry's hand and leading him out onto the side walk leading to the restaurant.

"Right," Harry muttered as the walked into the restaurant and approached the hostess, "Hello, we're supposed to be meeting Mr. D-"

"Are you the Haines?" asked the hostess in a sweet voice.

Ginny smiled, "Yes we are."

"You're the second of your party to arrive, Mr. Italy is right this way." She turned and led Harry and Ginny through the restaurant and sat them down at a table that was occupied by a short, balding man with light brown hair and a crooked moustache.

Ginny and Harry had to bite down on their bottom lips to keep from laughing at his appearance.

"Mr. and Mrs. Haines I presume?" he asked in a heavy accent as the hostess left.

"Aye, call me Chris, and this is my lovely wife Patricia," Harry said sitting down after he pulled out the seat for Ginny.

"Lovely to meet you," Ginny greeted politely.

"Likewise," Donavinci said uncomittedly.

"I have to ask, what's with the disguise?" Harry asked cheerfully, grabbing a breadstick a ripping a piece off in his mouth.

Donavinci flinched as Harry chewed with his mouth open, "The discretion of my identity is the utmost importance to me. I'll have you know that this is not my true appearance as well."

Harry laughed and pointed at Donavinci's face, "I was gonna say mate, that moustache is all out of proportion!"

Donavinci scowled as Ginny patted Harry's thigh, "Sweetheart, don't embarrass our future business partner."

Harry looked over at Ginny and smiled sweetly at her, "Right love. Anyway, where is the little gadget? I would have thought it'd be with you so we could play with it a bit?"

Donavinci cringed at the volume of Harry's voice, "No, Mr. Haines. The device is safely locked up back in Italy. If everything works out then I have a portkey here with me that will transport us back to my warehouse where you can claim it."

"Smart move by the I-talian," Harry said again with a mouth full of food.

"Right," Donavinci drawled, casting a disapproving glance at him before turning to look at his wrist watch.

"So what are we waiting for then?" Ginny asked, reaching for Harry's hand on the table.

"I also extended an invitation to another man who should be here shortly," Donavinci told them, barely able to contain his disgust for Harry.

"Well bloody hell, does that bloke know how to tell time? I won't be waiting forever and a fortnight for the wanker so you better hope he gets here soon, the bloody git," Harry added before biting into another bread stick. Ginny took a sip from the water before her to keep from laughing as Donavinci continued to look at him in severe abhorrence.

...

Sienna looked up as she heard the office door open and emit her best mate.

"Hermione! You're back! My god, that took forever!" Sienna practically shouted, immediately hanging up the phone she was talking on and standing up to rush over to her, "So?" she asked excitedly.

"So, what?" asked Hermione turning back to her desk and grabbing for Donavinci's file. Hopefully the impending mission tonight would take her mind off Father's proposal for at least a little while.

"Hermione!" Sienna quickly scolded, moving in front of her so she would stop, "What happened? What'd he want to talk with you about? Did you see him? What'd he look like? Is he hot?"

"Sienna!" Hermione said wanting to laugh at her friends eagerness, but instead shook her head, "I'm not supposed to say what he looks like- it'd be compromising his identity, you know that."

Sienna rolled her eyes, "Okay then, can you tell me what he wanted to talk to you about?"

Hermione looked around her and motioned for the door to their private office, "Close the door."

Sienna obliged and when she came back Hermione started telling her the whole story about Father wanting her to run her own office in Los Angeles.

Sienna looked on intently as Hermione finished her story, "Wow... you're so lucky..."
"Easy for you to say," Hermione muttered, shoving a blue print back into the folder she was searching through.

"What are you on about?" Sienna asked baffled as she went back to her desk, "You're the only person who's ever seen him and really know who he is and he chose you to take over the whole company. It's horrible that you can't stay here, but still, you should be on cloud nine right now!"

Hermione shook her head, "It's not that easy. He wants me to go to Los Angeles as Hermione Granger- not Evans."

Sienna looked up at her, "So... you'd have to leave Harry?" she asked already knowing the answer.

Hermione nodded solemnly.

"Well are you going to do it?" Sienna asked, tucking a strand of perfect blonde hair behind her ear.

Hermione shrugged, not meeting her eyes, "I don't know if it would be worth leaving my husband of six years for a job..."

"But Hermione, this isn't just a job, this is your career! Practically your life! And I thought you and Harry haven't been doing so well lately?" she finished on a gentler tone, not wanting to cause any tension for her best mate.

"We could be better," she admitted ruefully, "But we're trying- we both are."

Sienna smiled at Hermione softly and reached for her hand giving it a squeeze, "Well for the record, I'll miss you terribly if you do go."

Hermione smiled, "You'd get in way too much trouble without me around."

"Hermione Granger, you've saved my French arse more times then I'd like to count," grinned Sienna.

"It's been that way since we were eleven," Hermione replied wistfully, thinking back to the first time her and Sienna had met. They were first years at Beauxbatons, and Hermione was getting teased by an older girl about her bushy hair and buck teeth and Sienna boldly stood up to the snobbish girl- telling her that her style of hair was so last spring.

Hermione was quiet for a few minutes as Sienna continued to examine her. Finally, she broke her stillness and started to shake her head.

"'Mi?" Sienna asked uncertainly.

"I can't leave," she said in a near whisper, her eyes trained on the floor.

Sienna sighed, "For him?"

"Things are starting to look up..." Hermione started quietly, disregarding the smudge of lip gloss she discovered on Harry's lips last night, "I-I can't just leave when there's still hope. I can't do that to him- or me."

Sienna nodded and again squeezed Hermione's hand, "You know I'll support you either way. I just don't want you to have regrets, you know?"

Hermione nodded and smiled at her.

"When did life get so complicated?" she asked more to herself than to Sienna.

Sienna shrugged but then smiled, "Come on," she said getting up, "I know exactly what'll make you feel better right now."

"A nice library?" she asked humorously.

Sienna rolled her eyes, "Gross. No, a bottle of Cristal and those crab cakes you enjoy so much."

Hermione grinned, "Pescatori's- Sienna you are too good to me."

Sienna nodded smugly, "You're damn right, I am. So what do you say?"

Hermione looked to her watch and smiled, "We have a half hour before we have to be back here to depart for Italy with the team."

"You wouldn't have been able to say no anyway," Sienna joked as she gathered up her belongings and followed Hermione out of the office.

They walked into the apparation portal and disapparated to the London office.

"You know, if he wants to let you run an office so bad then why doesn't he let you run this one? Why ask you to move a billion kilometres away to America?" Sienna asked as they walked out into the cloudy London streets.

Hermione shrugged, "Hardly anyone's ever there- everyone works from the French office. Honestly, I think the only reason he has that bloody thing is for check points and direct floo spots to France," she finished in a quieter tone as they started to walk amongst muggles.

"Who do you think he'll get to move to America now that you've decided not to take it?" Sienna asked interestedly, "There's really no one capable to do it besides you."

Hermione smirked, "Stop fishing for compliments, you know you're right up there with me in terms of skill. I don't know why he didn't call you in over me."

Sienna tried to cover the grin on her face as both the girls checked for cars before crossing the street, "Maybe because you're the boring old wife and I'm still the outgoing club rat?"

"I'm not boring," scoffed Hermione as the approached the restaurant.

"Oh please, I keep you young and you know it."

Hermione smirked again, "Coming from the woman who's almost a year older than me. I'll be the one keeping you young before long. Just think when you turn 30-"

"Oh shut it, I'm only ten months older than you!" Sienna shot back heatedly as they enter the restaurant.

...

"Mr. Italy, the last of your party has arrived," came the voice of the hostess as she approached with Pinns' familiar frame.

"Mr. Pinns," Donavinci greeted in a kinder tone, seemingly relieved that he was now there so he wouldn't have to deal with this dysfunctional couple by himself.

"Hello," Pinns greeted back, offering his hand to Donavinci to shake. He looked over to the other two occupants and frowned at the half eaten breadstick hanging out of Harry's mouth, "Hello."

"'Bout bloody time 'ou got 'ere," Harry said while trying to swallow the bread down.
Ginny giggled at Harry, "Love, be nice!"

Harry mumbled something in reply before looking back to Donavinci, "So can we start now that our boy Pinns is here?"

"Of course-"

"Splendid," Harry replied sending a cheeky look back to Pinns.

Pinns tilted his head and looked more intently at Harry, "Are you-"

"Are who?" interrupted Harry with an impatient look.

"You look like-"

"Like who?"

"Like Harry Potter," Pinns finished quickly before Harry could interrupt again.

There was a mere moment when Harry froze but quickly recovered by laughing, "Bloody hell, I wish!"

"As do I, I here he's a devil in the sack," Ginny said with a giggle.

"Oi," commented Harry, pinching Ginny's sides playfully before looking back at Pinns, "Do you really think I look like the great Harry Potter?"

"That's absurd," Ginny said, lifting a finger to point at Harry's face, "One, there's no glasses, two, no scar, and three, no dreamy green eyes." she finished, pointing out Harry's newly charmed brown eyes.

"Oi, what's wrong with my brown eyes?!"

"Nothing love," she amended leaning in to kiss Harry's cheek.

"Too right," he replied with a flirtatious smile.

"Mr. Donavinci," interrupted Pinns immediately, tearing his eyes away from the happy couple, "Let me just inform you that my people are willing to pay any amount for this amazing device of yours. It's very important to my employer that he has this-"

"'Ey, stop tryin' to get on his sweet side!" Harry interrupted them, pointing an accusing finger at Pinns. He sneered back at Harry,

"I'm not trying to get on his sweet side-"

"Are too." Harry said back.

Pinns scowled, "No I'm not-"

"Yes you are."

"No-"

"Yes!"

Pinns huffed at Harry and turned back to Donavinci who gave him a look like he was sharing his pain.

"Oh love, stop it! This is a business meeting!" Ginny admonished but with an adoring smile.

"Sorry baby, but you know I didn't want to stop shagging to come to this meeting. You know how I get if I don't get my five shags a day," he said seriously, internally smirking at the expressions on both the men's faces.

"Oh stop, we can continue when we get home," Ginny said, leaning in to nuzzle his neck.

Harry grinned at the two gentlemen, "Let's get this going then, eh? How much you payin' Binns?"

"It's Pinns," he corrected.

Harry smirked, "I bet it's really Binns."

"No, it's Pinns," he said, clearly frustrated.

"I bet you just tell people that," Harry challenged again.

"Why would I tell people my name is Pinns over Binns?"

"Don't ask me, I'm not the one who does it, am I?" Harry finished with an incredulous look at Pinns.

"But I haven't done it-"

"You just did it," Harry smirked, almost unable to contain his glee at the aspect that he was so easily getting under the wanker's skin.

Pinns shook his head and turned back to Donavinci, "So did you have a general price in mind?"

"2 million galleons," he replied immediately, looking very pleased with himself.

Harry however, banged his hands on the table, "Bloody hell! You tryin' to run me out of house an' home?! You're worse when I leave this lil' vixen alone with my Gringotts key!" he finished, affectionately tugging on Ginny's ear lobe.

"Christopher," she giggled, swatting his arm away playfully.

"No denyin' you're goin' for the whopper on this deal, aren't ya?" Harry asked, again stuffing another breadstick in his mouth.

"Do you think that price is out of your range, Mr. Haines?" Donavinci asked, steepling his fingers in front of him and levelling a look at Harry past his crooked moustache.

Ginny looked over at Harry and spoke, "Actually Mr. Haines, it is."

"Yep," Harry added after belching, "If only we hadn't given that 2 million galleons away to those poor infant... elephants..." he said, thinking of the first thing that came to mind.

"Yeah, if only." Ginny stood up walked into the isle of tables without spilling her drink on Pinns like planned. Harry quickly looked up at her and gave her an alarmed expression but she didn't seem to notice anything.

Harry stood up next to Ginny and with some quick thinking took her hand, "Well yeah, it's been nice knowin' ya boys but I gotta get this bird home before I ravage her right here on the table." he finished sending a wink at Ginny.

...

"We have a table available now, Mrs. Evans if you'll just follow me," said the hostess coming back over to where Sienna and Hermione were standing.

"Oh great," she replied pulling Sienna along behind her. They had been waiting a good five minutes for their table and both were eager to sit down and eat.

"Hermione," Sienna said with a frown, looking ahead a few tables, "Isn't that..."

...

If this had been any other woman here on the mission with him, he definitely wouldn't have done what he was leaning in to do. But he had known Ginny since she was ten, and they had always been friends albeit the first year when she was being possessed by Tom Riddle and the years after that she had a crush on him that rendered her speechless around him... and that time in sixth year when they dated for a few months...

He didn't have any more time to think about it before he captured her lips hungrily, effectively pushing her back against the table and tipping Pinns' water glass over the edge and all over his lap.

...

Sienna clamped a hand over her mouth as both girls saw Harry dive in for the red head. She looked back to Hermione who was standing there, watching helplessly as her husband of six years cheated on her right in front of her.

...

"Fucking hell!" shouted Pinns, quickly scooting back from the table.

Ginny was to shocked to kiss Harry back and was somewhat relieved but saddened at the same time when he pulled away.

He took a deep dramatic breath, "Well," he started with a grin, happy that his plan ultimately worked. He was looking back up to send a insincere apology to Pinns when two familiar faces caught his eye, making his grin disappear.

His heart stopped at the look on his wife's face.

...

"That bastard," Sienna whispered furiously, to shocked to say it any louder. She was fully intended on going over there and slapping the dazed look off Harry and that slag's face but the look on Hermione's face stopped her.

Hermione's mouth fell open like she didn't know whether to scream or start bawling.

She knew it was Harry- if it wasn't the caught expression on his face that gave it away, then it was the fact that he was wearing the same outfit she had left him in earlier that day.

"Hermione," Sienna voiced gently. She could see that her and Harry were staring at each other, and she didn't like the pain this man was inflicting on her best friend at that moment at all. She had never seen the great Hermione Granger reduced to this ever before, and the look on her face scared her more than she liked to admit.

...

Not a rational thought had entered Harry's mind. Instead, he stood there, still holding on to Ginny, looking guiltily back at Hermione.

He was stuck.

If he left Ginny and went to Hermione that could jeopardize the mission and he knew that after last night, the Order couldn't afford another mishap.

But he also knew that as the seconds ticked away where he just stood there, his marriage was basically disintegrating away before his very eyes.

He barely noticed as Pinns jumped up and with a quick excuse to Donavinci, left for the loo to pat off his trousers.

Ginny also noticed Harry's stiff form and glanced up to see him staring at someone over her head. She swivelled her head to the side and seen him locking gazes with a pretty brunette that was standing there looking like someone had just died.

Ginny frowned, "Love, who is that?" She asked, catching herself before speaking out Harry's name since Donavinci was still sitting at the table.

Harry tried to say something but the words were choked in his throat. There weren't enough words to describe who Hermione was to him and instead of answering, he watched helplessly as Hermione turned and walked quickly out of the restaurant.
...

Again- sorry for the shorter chapter. Next weeks update will be much longer, guaranteed.

A reviewer asked me if Hermione even knows who Harry Potter is and now I think is a good spot to explain that:

While yes, Hermione and Sienna and everyone else has heard about Harry Potter and his part in the war with Voldemort- they don't know elaborate details. For instance, they don't know what he looks like, how old he is, that he's in close relations with the Weasleys etc.

Basically (since in my story the war didn't really expand outside of Britain) they were just educated briefly on the fact that there was a war in Britain and the wizard responsible for vanquishing Voldemort was Harry Potter.

Now that that's been cleared up, I would again like to thank the amazing reviewers for inserting their input and address those who haven't reviewed that it takes 15 seconds and you'll have a higher spot in fan fiction heaven if you do ;]

So thank you and…

/REVIEW\