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!
Many of you might not like how calm I made Ginny here but I think she has had time to think while Harry was away and realize that their marriage is more or less dead anyhow, and accept it before actually confronting him.
Secret Wizards
Chapter Eleven: New Beginnings
Harry had been unconscious for three days, and Hermione, albeit still in shock for the experience she had been through, and for almost killing Michaela, had never left his bedside in the Australian branch of St. Mungo's.
She had barely slept, and kept holding his hand, hoping he would wake up soon. They had to talk, of course, as not everything between them was ok, but at the moment she just wished he would wake up and flash her one of his trademark grins, probably inherited from his father James.
On the third sleepless night, finally her eyes gave up and closed. It was half an hour later that Harry groggily lifted his eyelids, and the sight of her, sleeping with her head leaning on his legs, her left hand still holding his right one, her curly brown hair splashed around her head, made him smile tenderly. He wished he could reach out to her to push back a few loose tendrils that had slid in front of her face.
Instead, he stood there, still, looking at her, his beautiful angel, because that was how he saw her, and he was glad it was him in the hospital bed, not her. If she had been hurt because of his foolishness…
Lost in his thoughts, he didn't notice the warm chocolate eyes staring at his face. He was aware of her being awake because of her shout though.
"Harry! You're awake! Thank Merlin, you had lost so much blood!" she shrieked, enveloping him in a bear hug, despite the awkwardness that had been between them after she found him in bed with Michaela.
He chuckled, forcing his arms to close around her form, hugging her the best he could.
"I'm sorry, Mione" he whispered, and she knew he meant it.
"Ssh" she said. "We will talk about it when you'll be out of here" she cooed, pushing back some hair that had stuck to his forehead.
--
It was a couple days later that Harry was released, the healers had monitored him even once he was fine just to make sure the dark curse hadn't left some kind of effect. Now he was back to his full strength, and they were meeting with the local Wizarding authorities.
"I don't think you will be needed here for the trial, Auror Potter" the Head of Australian Auror Department, Dietmar Bauer, a wizard of clear German origins, told them.
Their boss Hanlemore had officially qualified them as Aurors, and had assured Bauer that they had clearance with their Ministry for being there on Australian soil in their undercover operation.
The existence of the Secret Wizards was known to no one apart those who were part of the force, and the Wizarding Ministries across the world, and so it should remain.
"Thank you for the quick intervention" Harry said, shaking the man's offered hand.
"No problem. And by the way, nice tricks you had up your sleeve" the brown haired man grinned. "I'd love to have some of those in my daily equipment"
Harry chuckled, and Hermione gave the man a warm smile. "I fear some things are going to remain prerogative of the British Ministry of Magic" she said to cover their special equipment. Not that the twins would object to selling their items to all the Aurors in the world, mind you, but after all those equipments were reserved to the Secret Wizards.
As they started walking away, Bauer called Harry back for a private word.
"She's a bright lass, I'd try to not drive her to do something rash next time because it's difficult to find partners like her" he said, referring to what Harry had told them of the events of that fateful day, and why they had found themselves in such a sticky situation.
"Don't I know it" he said with a fond smile. She then turned and looked up at him, wondering what they were whispering about. He nodded at her and with a last nod at the other man, moved to join his partner.
"What was it about?"
"The Head of Auror Department likes you" he teased her and she blushed. After all, Dietmar Bauer was an handsome man.
Harry felt a surge of jealousy rushing through him at the sight of her blush, but he willed it to vanish. He was married to Ginny, after all, and he had already forgotten it long enough during the mission. Still, he knew it would not placate the feelings he had started developing for Hermione.
She had always been his best friend, even more so than Ron since she never left his side if not for a couple of brief times when he pushed her away, for example in their third year at Hogwarts. She had always been his rock when he was down, and he could always confide in her, whatever it was that troubled him.
This, he already knew.
He had also always vaguely known that she was a girl, first, and a woman, later, unlike Ron who seemed to have discovered it suddenly in their fourth year. But having to share a bedroom with her and see her in a bikini drove home the point that she wasn't only a woman, she was a really beautiful one too.
And when he realized they had been discovered and she had unknowingly walked into a trap, he felt his heart turn to lead. He couldn't live without her and if those terrorists had killed her, he would have lost half of himself, especially knowing it would have been his fault for blowing their cover.
That was the moment he realized it wasn't just a physical attraction that he had developed. He realized he was in love with Hermione.
What he would do about it, well, that was another matter altogether. He was married to Ginny, and the Weasleys had already had to endure the pain of Ron and Hermione splitting up.
He would try to make his marriage work, for their sake, for the sake of those who were a second family to him.
Maybe it was time to think about having a baby.
As he was wrapped up in these thoughts, he didn't hear Hermione calling him.
Finally, she nudged him on his shoulder, and he looked up, locking eyes with her. Those warm milk chocolate orbs were staring at him, waiting for him to say something. And as he looked into them, he knew he would never be able to love Ginny like she deserved and that their marriage would not work, whatever he did to try and patch it. Thinking about having a baby in such a situation was simply crazy.
"Sorry, I spaced out a bit here. What were you saying?" he asked with a grin, and she smiled one of those smiles she reserved for him.
"I was wondering if you'd like to go to the beach before we leave later this afternoon"
"I'd love to. The sight of you in that blue bikini is still burned in my mind" he teased her, pulling her close. He was so happy that she was ok, he wouldn't have known how to go on if he lost her.
She blushed crimson red, and swatted him lightly on his chest, but made no attempt to move from his embrace.
"You silly git" she said in an affectionate tone, as he took her hand and Apparated them to their suite in the hotel.
There, they changed into their swimwear and then headed down to the white sand of the beach, casting glamour spells to them to look like John and Alexandra long enough to get there, then they removed them. It was their last day in Australia and they wanted to enjoy it as their real selves.
All day they sunbathed, swam, laughed, for once free of any care.
As they were sipping a cold drink while having lunch, Hermione finally asked something that had been on her mind since she got captured.
"Harry, how did they find out about our true identities?"
He sighed, and ran an hand through his hair. "I told Michaela about it" he blurted out. Seeing the shocked expression on her face, he elaborated.
"When we came here to have a drink that day, she offered to get my one for me from the bartender. She somehow spiked it with a powerful Lust Potion, which led to the two of us having sex" Hermione grimaced at the mental image.
"Pretty horrible, I know" he said, squeezing her hand. "I can't stop berating myself for my stupidity" he said, almost forgetting she was there. He then focused again.
"Well, after we did it, she claimed she was thirsty and fetched us two glasses of iced water. In mine, she poured a vial of Veritaserum, and then…well, I guess she asked me questions and I told her everything. I understood it the next morning. You were gone so I decided to revise some of the papers you copied from his bag, and something glinting in the sunlight caught my eye. It turned out that two empty vials were under the couch, I cast the potion revealing charm and found out what potions were there before, and it all made sense" he said. Then he looked up at her, caressing her cheek.
"I'm so sorry, Hermione. Once again my foolishness almost cost you your life" he said, his voice full of regret. "I wanted to use her to find out more about Frikplask and she played me instead"
Hermione snorted. "Harry, as dunderhead as she might have been, you must really have seen too much 007 movies to think about using her as a fount of information"
He looked at her shocked, then both of them started laughing.
"Yeah, I guess I did" he admitted. "But as Bond girls go, I think he would be hard pressed to find one better than you. Beautiful, smart, good in a fight, what else could you ask?" he said with a veil of adoration in his voice.
She blushed. "Don't be silly, those are super sexy actresses"
"And I am saying you're no less sexy" he retorted, huskiness now permeating his words. Her breath caught in her throat as he leaned in, unable to resist her anymore, and that was the moment the waiter brought them their dessert, breaking the moment. Hermione was glad for the distraction because she wanted to stay mad at him, or at least not have him affect her in that way for a bit longer, but he was making it pretty hard.
Harry instead thought the blasted man couldn't have worse timing. "Even Ron isn't this bad" he found himself thinking. Sighing, he looked up at her. "Are we ok, Mione? As friends, I mean?"
She looked up at him, and nodded. "I'm not sure how long it will take for me to forget that image" she admitted. "But I know now that it wasn't your fault, not completely at least. I guess I've always known, you know. It seemed so out of character of you to do something like that…"
He nodded, taking a sip of his drink.
--
Eventually, the day came to an end and they caught the International Portkey arranged for them by their boss. No use travelling as Muggles now that they didn't have a cover to go by.
In a minute or so, they landed in front of Chief Secret Wizard Hanlemore.
"Potter, Granger" he acknowledged them. "The operation has been a success. Not a complete one because of some events that almost jeopardized it" he commented then, his steely gaze fixed on Harry.
"It won't happen anymore, sir" Harry said.
"I hope so, Potter" he said coldly. "On your credit though, you reacted in an amazing way to the situation and the show you put on in that warehouse was five stars, really. We might not be here discussing it right now if you hadn't, so well done on that aspect" he then praised him. Harry was a bit shocked.
Hanlemore chuckled. "Mistakes happen, SW Potter, and we learn from them. I am sure next time you won't be so trusting, or so superficial to think someone who is not a direct suspect can't be equally dangerous"
After a quick de-briefing, they were sent on their way. Harry groaned.
"What is it?" Hermione asked curiously.
"Ginny. She will throw a tantrum for my absence, I'm sure" he rolled his eyes. "I better go"
"Yeah, you better" she said with an hint of a motherly tone. He stuck his tongue at her before Apparating away.
--
As Harry landed in his home, he prepared himself for what was to come.
"Harry James Potter, where the hell have you been for so long?" Ginny shouted at the top of her lungs. He cringed. That was not the kind of welcome he hoped for after such a mission.
"I had work to do" he said.
"Where?"
"You know I can't tell you!" he growled, already annoyed with the situation.
She moved closer, and narrowed her eyes at him. "You know, Hermione left the same day you did, and she's been missing for all this time too"
"So?" he said, having an half idea of what she was implying.
"So, I think you have been cheating on me" Ginny spat. "With her"
Harry wanted to laugh at the implication and the absurdity of it. But then, flashes of Hermione in her nightwear, in her bikinis, simply of Hermione, came to his mind.
While he hadn't actually done anything with her, if not kissing to keep up their cover, he still had wanted to. Merlin, if he had wanted to. And suddenly the idea of him cheating on Ginny with Hermione wasn't so absurd anymore. He had almost kissed Hermione earlier that day, when they were having lunch, after all, and that would have been much more cheating than sleeping with that bimbo under the effects of a Lust Potion.
.
His laugh died on his lips, and he sighed. "I think we should get a divorce" he said, knowing there was no way he could forget Hermione now that he knew he was in love with the brunette.
Ginny looked at him like he had sprouted a second head.
"So it is true" she shouted after a moment. "That wench! The nerve of her, she knows you're supposed to be with me!"
Harry grabbed the redhead by one wrist. "Don't. Insult. Hermione" he growled. "And yes, I have cheated on you, albeit because of a Lust Potion I have been slipped" he said. "Not with her though. Not yet, at least" he said. "And what's this rubbish about me being supposed to be with you? Supposed by who?"
After a moment of pause, he released her wrist, and sighed. "I am sorry, Ginny. I didn't want it to end this way, but I've realised I never truly loved you. Not like you deserve, at least, and you never truly loved me too. You have always been in love with Harry Potter, hero, not with just Harry, which is what I want to be loved for. Hermione, she has always seen me as just Harry, and I don't know if she loves me, to be honest. But I know I'm in love with her, and there's nothing I can do about it"
He paused once more, pulling his wife into a bear hug. "You'll always be part of my life, Gin, but not this way. I'm sorry, but we can't help who we fall in love with"
She felt tears welling up in her eyes, and she wanted to scream at him for breaking her heart, she wanted to slap him, but even in breaking her heart he was so gentle, she could do nothing of that sort. And, she deep down knew he was right. She would always see him as a knight in a shining armour, not just Harry.
"I wish for you to be happy, Harry" she said, and then stepped back from his hug, wiping the tears in her eyes. "I'll arrange for the barrister to give you the papers for the divorce. I actually had a feeling we would end this way and had them prepared some days ago" she snorted.
He was speechless.
Finally, shaking himself from his stupor, he scratched his head. "Well, I guess I'll take my things then"
She didn't say a word, and when half an hour later he had packed all his possessions and shrunk them, tucking the items in his pocket, he walked up to her and kissed her forehead.
"You'll find someone who truly loves you, Gin" he said, and she hugged him the last time, staining his shirt with her tears, before smiling shakily at him.
"Good luck" she said, and he grinned. "I'll need it" he replied, before Apparating away.
--
After leaving the Ministry, Hermione Apparated to her flat, and there she busied herself with unpacking, trying to not think about Harry.
She wanted nothing more than to be with him, but he had Ginny, and she would not come between them. Plus, she was still a bit mad at him for the Michaela incident, wasn't she?
"I don't know anything anymore" she thought, while sipping a cup of tea on her couch.
True, he had hurt her then, but it wasn't really his fault, since he was drugged. And, he hadn't looked twice toward the blonde, even with the wench's flirting, when he wasn't under the effect of a potion. He had, instead, been quite interested in her in their time alone, and she was sure he was going to kiss her few hours before, on that beach.
She wondered if maybe she was holding too much of a grudge over it, when suddenly a knock at her front door startled her.
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