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 Six: Breaking In and Tailing
Slipping out of their suite with Harry's cloak draped over her head, Hermione walked down the stairs to reach the floor where Frikplask's own suite was placed.
Making a quick work of the locked door, Alohomora coming quite handy in that situation, she slipped in, unseen, only to soon enough find herself facing an unexpected situation.
Michaela exited the bathroom just moments after Hermione had entered the bedroom, and Hermione's eyes widened noticing the attire the other woman had slept in. It was something many would call "minimal" but to Hermione that was more like "non-existent".
The blonde walked right toward Hermione, the closet containing her clothes behind exactly behind the witch's unseen position.
The brunette quickly moved aside, and quietly moved back toward the living room, leaving Michaela alone to dress, reckoning highly unlikely that Frikplask would discuss anything of importance with the tart, and even more unlikely that he would hold a meeting with his accomplices in the bedroom.
Taking a look around the suite she noticed it was almost identical to her and Harry's one, so it wasn't difficult to find ideal spots to place her Disillusioned Muggle surveillance systems.
Now she just had to wait for the wench to leave, and she could set to work.
Hiding near a plant, Hermione stood still for ten minutes before Michaela walked past her in her bikini top and a pair of tight shorts.
"I'm going to have some fun with the boys on the beach today" the blonde gushed as she left the suite, and Hermione was disgusted with the bimbo's attitude.
"No wonder many still think women are only good as baby-makers" she scowled, while starting to set the micro cameras in the spots she had selected.
Since she was alone in the suite, Hermione took her time roaming between Frikplask's properties, and found some interesting things.
First of all, she had proof Ethan was a wizard, he had been living as a Muggle for years but his work bag had a magically concealed compartment. Taking out the sheets hidden there, she copied them with an handy charm, and placed them back into the compartment.
Hermione then left the suite and went back to her own, where she plopped on the bed and started reading the copied documents.
--
In the meantime, Harry was following Ethan through Sydney.
Their target made a stop to the harbour to hire a boat for the next day, and Harry remembered he had mentioned wanting to go fishing. Then, the man stopped by a Muggle jewellery and bought something, probably for Michaela.
At lunch time, Ethan stopped to a fast food, eating a couple sandwiches and drinking a beer. Harry wondered if following him had been a waste of time, and of energy as he had to change his glamour now and then to not raise suspicions about the same man following Ethan everywhere plus he had to walk all day following the guy, but late in the afternoon things became more interesting.
After following his target into the Australian Diagon Alley, and spying him make various harmless stops, Harry tailed him into a dark alley, that he thought must be the equivalent of Knockturn Alley.
There, his man made very interesting purchases of rare and venomous potion ingredients.
Harry documented it with his Muggle camera, hiding behind a corner.
"Fancy thing, that is" someone addressed him from behind. He turned to be met by the glare of a dark robed wizard, his wand drawn.
"I'm sure the man you're spying will be interested in seeing it" the man sneered then, but Harry Obliviated him with a silent wandless charm, then moved away.
The encounter made him lose track of his target, and he cursed under his breath, but luckily he spotted the man just at the end of the Alley, and quickly caught up.
Soon later, Harry found himself outside the hotel they were both staying in, so he walked some more, keeping pretences that he wasn't following Ethan around, found a deserted spot and finally Apparated into their suite.
"I'm back" he called, and seeing that Hermione wasn't in the living room, entered the bedroom.
"Hi" he said, seeing her scribbling furiously, a tray with half eaten lunch on her left side.
"Hi" she smiled, looking up. "Had a good day of tailing our man?" she joked, and Harry nodded.
"Yes, although I'm a bit tired right now" he said, plopping on the bed too.
"So, what did you find out?"
"Our target has a liking for the local Knockturn Alley and rare, dangerous potion ingredients" Harry replied, rubbing his eyes and stealing a strawberry from the bowl on the tray.
"Hey! That was mine!" Hermione scowled, and he gave her a boyish grin.
"Come and get it back" he challenged her, putting the fruit in his mouth.
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, and then turned back to her notes.
"I guess it makes sense. I've entered their suite, placed the Muggle surveillance system there and found some Gringott's papers in his bag and there are regular withdrawals of high sums of money, more or less on a monthly basis, since May. I was trying to think why he would spend so much at regular intervals but if he is storing rare, thus expensive, potion ingredients, he will have to buy them at intervals. It's unlikely a great quantity of every rare ingredient is available all at the same time, which would explain the high sums and their regular withdrawal"
"Well, we don't have proof that he buys those things every month yet, but it's a theory. Think we should report it to Hanlemore?"
"Nah, should wait for something more concrete, I guess" she said.
As she moved from the bed, Harry called her back.
"I knew you wouldn't stay here all day, you know" he said softly and she smiled warmly at him, with a wink.
A couple hours later, they entered the restaurant of the hotel, under their disguise.
"John!" someone called, and Harry turned to see Frikplask waving at them. Steering Hermione toward the table with his hand on her back, Harry smiled at their target, and soon the four of them were sitting at the same table.
As usual, dinner was quite pleasurable, the food was five stars, really, and Harry thought it would be hard even for the Hogwarts House-Elves to do better. They chit-chatted quite amiably, too.
"I had to attend a business meeting today" Ethan said, "but Michaela here tells me you two weren't around at all today. I'm sure you have found the bed quite comfortable for newlyweds' business, uh?" he winked, and both Harry and Hermione remembered how they had woke up that morning, blushing furiously, which went well with their cover, although they hadn't exactly done what Ethan had implied..
Michaela scowled the tiniest bit as their blushes kid of confirmed her suspicion that they had been shagging like bunnies all day, which made her jealous of Hermione/Alexandra for shagging an handsome man like Harry/John, when she herself hadn't.
Hermione noticed and gave her a brief smug look, which was lost by the men but not by her "enemy". It was like a challenge between the two was on, and for now it was Hermione on the lead, even if, actually, she and Harry had done nothing of what the other two had been thinking.
The brunette witch wondered briefly about this possessiveness of hers about Harry. It was not like they were really in a relationship, right? And yet, she couldn't stop remembering his muscular torso and back, how she was snuggling with him in the morning…
After dinner, the four of them passed some time together in the lounge, Harry and Ethan playing cards, while Michaela was sitting on Ethan's right side and Hermione was currently on Harry's lap, her arms around his neck, her mouth now and then kissing his neck or gently nibbling on his earlobe. They were, after all, supposed to not be able to keep their hands off each other.
After five rounds, three lost and two won, Harry called it a night.
"Seems your lady is impatient to get you back to the bedroom" Ethan joked, and both Michaela and Hermione giggled, although the blonde did so in a sort of forced manner.
Harry grinned, and nodded. "Won't do to keep her waiting, now, would it?" he said with a slight smirk, and after wishing the other two goodnight, he let Hermione drag him away hand in hand.
"Oi! John!" Ethan called.
Harry turned, while Hermione faked a pout at the delay.
"You up for that fishing tomorrow?"
"Which time do you leave?" Harry asked.
"Let's say we meet here at half past seven in the morning, if you want to go" Ethan suggested.
"That early?" Harry feigned shock. "Well, I'll see if my miss here lets go of me long enough to come" he winked. "Don't wait for me, if I'm not there by that hour you go and enjoy yourself" he added then, implying he might be busy in other activities with Alexandra. Harry wasn't going to miss such a chance to have a chat alone with Ethan though, so that was just for show.
After a nod from Ethan, Hermione resumed dragging him away.
They were by now out of sight, and yet she gave no sign of letting go his hand.
"Alexandra, relax, we are out of sight now, you can slow down!" Harry said, while she kept dragging him. After they had turned a corner, she came to an abrupt halt, and planted a searing kiss on his lips.
His hands flew to her sides, caressing them, as his tongue found hers, battling it fiercely.
Her hands were buried in his mane of black hair, and he could hear soft moans coming from her throat as he nibbled on her lower lip, backing her against the wall, and cupping her buttocks with his hands.
As they finally parted, due to lack of air, he rested his forehead on hers.
"Let's go back to our suite" he said, wrapping an arm around her waist as they entered the lift. He wondered if that kiss might have had nothing to do with their cover, as they were out of sight from their target when it had happened, but decided it wouldn't do to dwell on the matter. After all, they were still in a corridor of the hotel so they still had to keep the cover up, he reasoned.
As they prepared for bed, they discussed the next day.
"I really think you should go. Maybe he will say something interesting" Hermione suggested.
"What about you?" he asked.
"Oh, I can do some more research here"
Harry shook his head. "Remember that if I'm with him on the boat, you won't have the excuse of being locked here with me to not show up. I'm sorry to tell you this but I fear you'll have to hang out with Michaela all day"
Hermione sighed. "I guess you're right. Can't say I'm eager to do it, though, but for the sake of the operation, I'll have to"
Feeling less shy, he moved closer to her in the bed, and pulled her to him. "Can I do anything to make it up to you?" he whispered in her ear and felt her shiver.
"I might have a thing or two in mind" she played along, turning in his embrace and wrapping her own arms around him, resting her head on his chest. "Spooning with you this morning was quite comfortable. Will you hold me like that again?" she said looking up at him with innocent eyes, willing herself to be content with just that although she yearned for more.
Seeing her puppy dog eyes, it Harry found it extremely hard to not kiss her right there. It definitely would have had nothing to do with the mission, and everything with the strange feelings he kept having when he was alone with her.
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