Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did, Harry and Hermione would be married right now.
A/N: My take on the challenge "Secrecy" by reptilia, you can find the requirements here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=26369 . Hope you'll like it, and if you read, please review to let me know how I'm doing ok? Thanks!
Secret Wizards
Chapter One: A Troubling Test
It was nine o'clock of a bright, sunny morning when Harry Potter entered his office in the Ministry of Magic. More precisely, in the Auror Department.
"Morning, Harry" came the greeting from his right. He turned, and grinned at his best friend of ten years now.
"Morning, Hermione. Already at work as usual I see" he teased her. Hermione Granger had always been an early morning person, while Harry and Ron enjoyed staying in bed until late. At least, she thought giving him a smile, Harry was able to arrive on time at work.
The same couldn't be said for Ron, who still had to show up, and if all the other mornings were an hint, the redhead would not do that for at least another half an hour.
"Fancy a cup of coffee?" Harry said after settling his jacket on the rack.
Hermione adjusted her now curly, not bushy anymore, hair with a clip to stop it from falling in front of her eyes, and shook her head.
"Your loss" he winked while leaving the room. Hermione snorted at his antics, and he flashed her a grin of his.
As she was once again alone, she wondered why his grin had always affected her this much. "Maybe because he has never really been able to do it freely before, and I associate it with him being happy, something I've always wished for him to be" she mused, sucking on the end of her quill. They weren't sugary and flavoured like those from Honeydukes, after all this was a real quill, but once she got the habit, it was hard to stop doing it.
Harry returned shortly after, three mugs in his hands.
"Here" he said, leaving one on her table, in front of her.
"Coffee, one spoon of sugar, and a sprinkle of milk for you, miss" he joked, and she felt her heart swell. He remembered exactly how she took her coffee.
"How did you know?" she asked, actually glad that he had brought it to her even if she had refused to go with him just minutes before.
"Is it so shocking that I pay attention?" he said, feigning to be hurt while placing one mug on Ron's desk with an Always Warm Charm on it, and finally taking a seat behind his own desk.
"No. It's nice, in fact" she replied with a smile. "Now, if you would just take a look on your table, you might find some paperwork that needs to be done. I did my part but as the leader of our team it's up to you to complete it"
Harry groaned. If there was something he hated of the job was paperwork. He was good at fighting, arresting Dark Wizards, but paperwork was boring.
Knowing exactly what was going through his head, Hermione gave him a stern look, but he knew she was faking it. In fact, she wasn't particularly fond of paperwork herself, and that was saying something.
As Harry finally started reading the sheets he needed to fill, Ron barged in.
"Good morning Harry, good morning luv" he called. Yes, the redhead and Hermione were a couple. They had been dating since the end of the war, just like Harry knew would happen. He wasn't jealous, as he had Ginny. They were all happy from this point of view, and Molly was delighted at the situation.
She never failed to drop anvil sized hints that she might be quite happy with a couple marriages in the future, especially if that future wasn't so far away. The four of them had always rebuked her attempts till now, but Harry had a feeling soon or later one of the two couples would give in and the other would soon just have to follow.
It was only a matter of who was the first to fall, and Molly knew it too, thus her continuous efforts.
"Nice of you to join us at half past nine, Ron" Hermione scolded him, and he sheepishly grinned, which earned him a scowl, that broke into an affectionate roll of eyes and an half smile when he kissed her forehead.
Harry was amused at their antics, but also a bit jealous. Why couldn't he have his own girlfriend in the same place where he worked?
Squashing the thought, he resumed his reading while Ron settled and started to work, not before gulping down the Cappuccino Harry had so gently brought him, though.
The three of them then all concentrated on their occupations. After an hour or so, Harry started rubbing his eyes.
"Bloody Hell, this thing's never-ending!" he moaned, realizing he still had ten pages of paperwork to complete.
Ron chuckled, and resumed working on the plans for their next field mission. Being so good at chess, it was just logical that the redhead would be the tactical brain of their team. Team that was composed of Harry, Ron, and Hermione, no one else.
The three of them had expressly required to be assigned to the same team because of their so well built understanding, and the Head of the Department had agreed, deeming good collaboration and quick understanding with each other pivotal for a successful field mission, especially against the remaining Death Eaters or their wannabes.
When lunch time rolled around, signalled by Ron's stomach growling loudly, Harry was still buried neck-deep in work, so he remained in the room to finish what he was doing.
Hermione and Ron walked to the cafeteria to grab a bite, and the brunette thoughtfully brought back a couple sandwiches for their raven haired friend. Ron would have thought of that too, if he weren't so distracted by what he was wolfing down.
Hermione reproachfully glared at him as he attempted sticking something more in his mouth without swallowing, giving her an atrocious show.
"Ronald Bilius Weasley, I swear, your manners when eating are troll-like!" she furiously whispered at him as their boss walked by to go get something to eat himself.
Ron merely shrugged.
As Hermione placed the two sandwiches on Harry's table, he looked up at her and his green orbs locked with her milk chocolate ones.
"Hermione, you're a lifesaver" he gratefully said, while grabbing one and taking a bite.
"No problem, Harry" she said with a grin, winking at him and going back to her desk, which was directly in front of his. Ron's was on Harry's left, forming a kind of C with the other two.
Later that afternoon, Robert Glembers, Head of the Department since Kingsley Shacklebolt had been appointed Minister, entered their office.
"Aurors Granger, Potter, Weasley" he called and they all stood up, saluting him.
"You are all requested into the main briefing room. I'll explain once we are there" he barked, and left. The three of them hurried behind him.
"It's test day!" Hermione suddenly whispered, smacking her forehead.
"Test day?" Ron whispered back, dumbly.
"The every two years psychiatric evaluation, Ron" she explained, rolling her eyes. Harry stayed silent, as he wasn't aware of it, just like Ron, but he was wise enough to not let Hermione know, otherwise he wouldn't hear the end of it.
As they reached the room, Hermione's guess was proved right.
They weren't the only ones there, all the Aurors that had been hired with them had to do the test too. Taking their seats, they let their boss explain everything, then a form and a quill appeared in front of all the Aurors in the room.
"I'll be back to collect the sheets in an hour time" Glembers announced, before leaving them alone. Harry noticed that Hermione had already started scribbling, and sighed.
This was not what he needed after a day spent on paperwork. Rubbing his eyes, he set to answer the questions the best he could.
However, half-way through, one caught his eye, and he wondered how to answer it.
"If you had to lie to your friends and your family in order to protect this kingdom and its citizens, would you do it?"
The black haired wizard pondered over it for some time.
Could he lie to Ron in such a case? Could he lie to the Weasleys, his surrogate family, or to Ginny, who was probably going to be his wife?
He guessed he could, if a real need arose, albeit with an huge wave of guilt hitting him. But what about Hermione? Would he be able to lie to her?
Probably not. Better, he might attempt it, sure, but she wouldn't buy it. She never had, when he had lied to her.
However, the question wasn't if he could fool them into believing his lie. The question was if he could lie, he reasoned.
With a sigh, he scribbled his answer.
Yes.
When the hour was up, Glembers returned, as promised, and after collecting the sheets, left them free to go back to their offices. As they slowly walked back to the room, Harry asked his friends about that question, which was still now troubling him. He wondered what situation might call for such a dire need to lie to the people closest to him.
Hermione had a pained look on her face. "I said yes, albeit I'm not so proud of it" she said, looking down.
"So you'd lie to me if Glembers asked you to?" Ron said, flaring up.
Hermione looked at him, and nodded.
"But Hermione, I'm your boyfriend!" the redhead protested, and Harry knew one more argument was about to explode.
"And does this make you more worthy than the lives of all the British citizens?" Hermione asked hotly. "I already said I wasn't proud of it, but if the need arises I'll lie to you, Ronald, and to everyone else for that matter, so you better grow up and accept it"
Harry knew she didn't mean anything bad when she said it, yet the fact that she said "and to everyone else" thus including him too into those she would be willing to lie to, stung.
But after all, he had said yes too, so he was ready to lie to her as well. His hurt over the matter was hypocritical.
"Harry, you never told us what you put to that question"
"I said yes" Harry briskly replied, not wanting to dwell more on the possibility. Ron scowled and Harry guessed the redhead had put No.
"Maybe he's the right one this time" Harry mused as he resumed his paperwork.
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