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 Eight: Useful Information
Once inside their suite, Harry retrieved the communication mirrors and called his boss.
"Chief Secret Wizard Hanlemore, here's SW Potter"
"Talk, Potter" his boss replied, his face appearing in the mirror.
"Well, today I spent the day with the suspect, and he evasively told me he has some trouble with his activity because of some laws recently passed by politicians. Since we found proof he's a wizard, is not hard to believe the local Minister of Magic might be the target of the speculated terrorist action. We also found out that our lad has a knack for poisonous and rare potion ingredients"
"And what would he use them for?" Hanlemore asked.
"We don't know yet, but my personal opinion is that they might be preparing a potion for their action. We don't know yet what potion it may be, though"
Hermione then interjected. "I planted the magic-proof, Disillusioned Muggle micro cameras in the suspect's suite, so if anything happens in there we should be able to know it"
"Well done SW Granger" Hanlemore praised her and Hermione gave a curt nod to acknowledge the praise.
Just before the communication was closed, Harry suggested they send notice to the local Ministry to reinforce surveillance on the Minister.
"Don't forget the target might be some Muggle politician too, Potter. Frikplask has been living as a Muggle for years, after all"
"We'll check on that too, sir" Harry confirmed, then put the mirror back in their "bag of tricks".
Finally relaxing, he sat on the bed and sighed, rubbing his eyes.
"Long day?"
"Well, it would be better if we had already solid proof" he grinned. "So, tell me about your day"
"Horrible. That wench is really insufferable and I'm quite sure she hates me, or better Alexandra, for being John's wife"
Harry chuckled. "Yeah, I got the impression she might want to have a go at dear ol' John too"
Hermione snorted, and lay on the bed near him. Harry instinctively pulled her close, and she smiled.
"You know, I wanted to hex you in the next millennium for leaving me all day alone and having to deal with her, but if you're being so gentle it's hard to stay mad at you" she said, letting her new feelings get the best of her for a moment and wrapping her own arms around his waist.
He chuckled. "I'm glad I've managed to avoid the business end of your wand for now, then" he retorted, tickling her, and making her squeal.
After a couple minutes of tickling each other, they found themselves with Hermione pinned to the bed by Harry, their faces mere inches from each other. Hermione looked up and found Harry's green eyes staring at her, darkened. She gulped at the raw emotion clearly visible in them.
"W-We should get ready for dinner" she breathed, and saw him close his eyes.
"Yes, we should" he agreed, and rolled away from her. Quickly gathering her things and scurrying to the bathroom, Hermione locked herself in, her heart still beating fast, and only then she let herself dwell on what had just happened.
--
It was almost an hour later when they entered the restaurant, and as usual they joined Frikplask and Michaela at their table.
"So, did you enjoy yourself today, John?"
"Oh, of course, Ethan" Harry replied. "Those marlins you got were pretty big, I didn't think you could get fishes that size with a simple fishing rod"
"That's because we didn't use "simple" fishing rods, John. Those are heavy duty ones, made for this kind of fishing" the other man explained with a smile.
"Boys, as much as we might be thrilled to hear your manly actions earlier today, why don't we order?" Michaela interrupted, not so subtly showing she couldn't care less of fishing. Hermione, for once, agreed with the blonde.
As they jovially ate, then, the topic of the conversation shifted to Sydney, and what was good to see in town.
"I guess we might not have so much time outside the room" Harry joked, earning himself a light jab in the ribs from Hermione, "but just to know what we're missing if we stay holed up all honeymoon" he finished, winking at her and making her blush.
"You know, the two of you are so cute" Ethan teased them before launching in a lecture about the Sydney Opera House, and the other interesting things in town.
As they finished their meal, Frikplask announced that he and Michaela were going to hit a dance club, and asked if John and Alexandra wanted to tag along.
Harry turned to Hermione, checking with her if it was okay. The brunette, now raven-haired because of the Polyjuice potion, shrugged. She wasn't ecstatic about the prospect, but guessed the more they stayed with their suspect, the more they might catch him slipping and thus giving them important information on his plans.
So, the four of the reached the dance club with Ethan's car, and Harry helped Hermione get out. Then, Frikplask talked a bit with the security at the entrance, and they were escorted to a table in the private area.
"Perks of being well known in town" Ethan winked while they settled at the table.
Five minutes later, Michaela grabbed Harry's hand, and stood up.
"Let's go dancing, John" she said, and Harry cast an apologetic look at Hermione, who was smiling but inside was fuming, and followed her. From their table, she watched the two of them, now and then nodding to let Ethan know she was listening, all the while seething at the sight in front of her.
Michaela had her arms around Harry's neck, and his hands were on her waist. Hermione could see Harry was trying to keep her as far as possible but the tart had other ideas in mind, and kept pressing herself into him, now and then leaning in to whisper something into his ear and remaining there more than necessary.
As they turned, Hermione's eyes widened when she noticed the blonde was kissing Harry's neck.
"Sorry, I'm gonna have a dance with my husband" she excused herself with Ethan, and quickly made her way to the pair.
"Mind if I cut in?" she said with false sweetness in her voice, and Michaela was about to retort that they were fine like they were, but Harry was quicker.
"Was wondering when you would ask" he grinned at her and in a flash his hands were on Hermione's waist, pulling her close, while hers latched around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder as a slow song started playing.
Michaela stomped back to the table, annoyed.
"You shouldn't play with fire" Ethan told her taking a sip of his bourbon.
"Whatever" the woman grumbled, asking a waiter for a Caipirinha.
On the dance floor, Harry was nuzzling Hermione's neck.
"I'm sorry" he said, and felt Hermione relax.
"Don't be. I know it's all her doing" she smiled, and they kept dancing close to each other, their bodies pressed together. Finally, Harry leaned in and kissed her hard on the mouth, never stopping their slow movement.
She moaned into his mouth as she kissed him back, and at the moment she wanted nothing more than to Apparate back to their suite and shag him senseless.
Soon later, they excused themselves with the other two, claiming a taxi would be fine to reach the hotel, and that they didn't want to spoil the other couple's night.
Ethan then told Harry he was going for another round of fishing the next morning so not to worry if he wasn't around, and that he didn't think Harry would be up for another day away from his "gorgeous wife", as Ethan put it.
Harry chuckled, replying that he would probably have to make it up to her for that day already so a repeat was definitely not going to happen soon, and they left.
As they settled for bed, Harry shared his thoughts with Hermione.
"I have a suspicion he might be up to something tomorrow" he said. "Fishing is going to be an excuse"
Hermione nodded, while changing for bed, and Harry gulped when he turned and saw her just in her underwear as she was putting her nightgown on. She was back to her normal self, having taken the antidote to the Polyjuice. They used to sleep in their true form, as they weren't completely comfortable with their alternate selves' bodies.
"I never guessed she was so beautiful" he thought, while slipping into his side of the bed. She soon later joined him, and the lights went off for a few hours of rest. Or at least that was what Harry hoped, but judging by how the image of her in her underwear seemed burned into his brain, he somehow doubted he would get much sleep.
--
Next morning, they were up early to set the surveillance measures for the day. Using the excuse of being newlyweds, they had decided to stay in their suite and do a bit of spying into the suspect's one.
Hermione found the micro cameras perfectly covered all of the space outside the bedroom. They noticed Ethan reviewing some papers, sitting on the couch, and Michaela leaving, dressed for the beach, around nine o'clock.
Half an hour later, people started Apparating in.
Harry and Hermione watched attentively on their screen, recognizing some old Death Eaters between the people in the room. Others were Dark Wizards from other countries, however there was no doubt about what kind of meeting was going to take place.
"You lot sure that no one followed you?" Frikplask barked.
"Sure, sir" one of the foreign dark wizards replied. "And we have the potions almost ready"
"Very good. The final ingredients are here" he said, passing the man a bag.
"That must be their Potions Master" Hermione commented, and Harry nodded.
As they continued following the meeting, they took notes of who was there, their names, and what they were talking about. They also guessed what the role of everyone was in the organisation, based on what they spoke about.
Apart for the Potion Master, it was easy to find out that a wizard from China was responsible of wards, both making them for their hideout and taking down any that they might encounter when going to act. Other easily spotted ones were the spies inside the Australian Ministry, as they were the ones relating all the Minister routine.
When everyone left the suite and Frikplask was once again alone, Hermione switched off their screen and gasped.
"Hanlemore was right, their plan is to take out both the Muggle Prime Minister and the Wizarding one in one single attack!"
"And we now know what their potions are for" Harry grimly commented. They had found out later in the meeting that the terrorists planned to brew some banned potion that acted like a liquid Imperius curse, only ten times stronger, and turn all the Ministry their way, and the Muggle government too, and another one to kill the two Ministers, so that Frikplask would then rise to be Minister of Magic in Australia.
Harry suspected that it would be just the first step, because once he was Minister, Frikplask would gain access to the other Wizarding Ministers of the world, as they had to meet now and then, giving him a chance to use Imperius on them, or that potion that acted like the curse, and have them act like he wanted them to, thus having control over the whole Wizarding World.
The killing of the Muggle Prime Minister in Australia was to put someone in Frikplask's inner circle in the position, making it easier for them to control the Muggles and make them their slaves.
"It's just like Voldemort again" he wearily commented while taking the mirror to relate the news to their boss, while Hermione soothingly hugged him.
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