1. A Farce of a Trial

Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise Harmony would have sailed.

A/N: My reply to the “Vigilante” challenge by Leochick, you can find it here: http://talk.portkey.org/index.php?showtopic=26730 . Hope you will enjoy the story, and please if you read review and let me know what you think of it, ok?

Thanks to my beta Gingercat!

The Vigilante

Chapter One: A Farce of a Trial

Hermione Granger was moderately bright, that morning. Working as a Magical Law Enforcement officer, she was in charge of most trials for criminals, who more often than not were remaining Death Eaters captured by one of her best friends, Harry Potter, currently on his way to become Head of the Auror Department, the youngest to do so since the Department had been founded a couple centuries earlier.

Today, Hermione would have to conduct yet another trial, and she hoped this time no funny business would happen. Since Kingsley had stepped down as an interim Minister and a regular election had assigned the spot to Darius Vunrabels, a charismatic man who knew how to pull the masses on his side with his eloquence and his long, charming speeches, Hermione had found her job becoming increasingly difficult, with obviously guilty murderers declared innocent by the jury.

She knew something strange was going on in the Ministry, and rumours of bribes being handed to the Minister to keep some people out of Azkaban were running through both her and Harry's department. It was in times like these that she wished she had followed Ron's advice and stayed away from the Ministry. Their redheaded friend was currently Keeper for the Chudley Cannons, his dream to play for his favourite team having come true thanks to extensive training, and the natural skill he found in their fifth year at Hogwarts.

So, one might ask why she was bright, albeit not too much, that morning. Well, she would have to conduct the trial for Rabastan Lestrange, and there was no bloody way the man could be declared innocent with all what he had done in both the wars. It had taken Harry months, but finally he had captured the man, and Hermione would do her best to make him pay for his crimes.

She was sure no bribe could stop her when confronted with such hard evidence.

“Rabastan Lestrange, you are here to be judged about these accusations: Being a Death Eater; having used the Unforgivable Curses in various occasions, ranging from Imperius to the Killing Curse; having tortured and persecuted Muggle-borns and Muggles” Hermione read from her parchment, while standing up in front of the whole Wizengamot. Harry was present too, as part of the security attending the trial. He gave her an encouraging smile, and Hermione felt her enthusiasm double.

She wouldn't waste long months of Harry's work. She could do it, Lestrange deserved Azkaban and that was what he would get.

Right?

Well, when Hermione was done with the accusations, she brought forth evidence of the crimes perpetrated by him, interrogating various testimonies and revealing that his wand had cast at least once the Killing Curse, as that was the last spell cast.

Using Unforgivables even once landed anyone in Azkaban, so Hermione felt pretty confident that this time she would succeed. However, she started having doubts when the defence started talking about him being under Imperius.

“Oh, god, not that bullshit again” she groaned, standing up again.

“Very well, then” she interrupted. “Let's use Veritaserum and listen to what he has to say” she suggested, and the smug grin of the defending lawyer chilled her to the bones.

They had something up their sleeve, she knew it.

“Agreed” he drawled, and the potion was brought forth. Rabastan Lestrange drank it, and then he was asked questions.

“Were you a Death Eater under your own will?” Hermione asked.

“No”

She looked at him shocked. “Were you under Imperius when you accepted to join Voldemort?” she continued nonetheless.

“Yes”

Now Hermione was almost shaking with rage. How could he resist the Veritaserum?

“Did you use the Unforgivable curses on your own will?” she asked then, almost desperately. Harry was frowning in the back of the room, and she didn't want to disappoint him.

“No”

Hermione slumped on her chair. “What is the verdict of the jury?” she wearily asked. “Those who vote for guilty, lift your hand”

Only twenty did.

“Who votes for innocent, raise your hand” she instructed then, already knowing what would happen. As predicted, all the remaining members of the Wizengamot voted for innocent, and Rabastan Lestrange was released, with excuses from the Ministry for the mistake, which he “benevolently” accepted.

Hermione gaped at the retreating back of the man almost incredulous. She couldn't believe another one had slipped through the fingers of justice.

“This is getting ridiculous” she muttered as she left the hall too, casually grabbing the empty vial of Veritaserum. She had a nagging suspicions that she would need to check later.

“Hey, Mione” Harry approached her.

“What?” she snapped, but then immediately softened. “Sorry, Harry. I'm just a bit tense”

“I can believe that” he said, giving her an apologetic smile. “I'm sorry it ended this way again” he said, pulling her into a comforting hug, as they Disapparated to her flat. A new habit Harry had started was to make lunch for Hermione, hopefully to cheer her up, on days when something like this happened, and she couldn't help grinning at him.

“You always know how to lift my spirits, Harry” she said as he put the still warm lasagne on the table, touching his hand with her own. He looked up, surprised at the gesture, but grinned back.

“You deserve it, and those jerks in the Wizengamot aren't worth your anger” Harry honestly said, squeezing her hand. “I've never really had much faith in them anyway” he shrugged, and Hermione nodded. Simply a year ago she would have fought him over his pessimistic views about the ministry, but right now she was pretty sure herself that the whole institution wasn't anything more than a group of corrupted buffoons who thwarted the hard work of the few who actually dedicated themselves to their job.

“That trial today has been a farce” she growled, picking at her food with her fork.

“Miss Granger, do I need to remind you that it's bad manners to play with your food?” Harry said in his best McGonagall imitation and she peered at him for a moment before she burst laughing, him following suit immediately after.

They finished eating chatting amiably about anything but the Ministry and the trials, then Harry checked his watch, and shot her an apologetic look.

“Mione, I'm sorry but I really need to go back to work now, I've a meeting with Hellejorn in ten minutes. You rest and distract yourself. If I got him once, I can catch him again, so don't worry about that, ok?” he said, kissing her on the forehead, and then rushing out of the flat once she had assured him she would take it easy that afternoon.

Truth was that she spent the rest of the day analysing the remnants of the potion in the vial, and when around dinner time she got the final results, she growled, flinging the glass container against the nearest wall and shattering it in a million pieces.

“It wasn't Veritaserum!” she shrieked. “Now it's clear why that moron smirked smugly, he knew it already! It is clear someone has been tampering with the potion stacks of the Ministry, substituting the Veritaserum with Relaxing Draught!” she hissed, her eyes narrowed.

So much for a relaxing afternoon…

But this had to stop. Hermione knew until this Minister was in his place, things would never change in official trials. She had to figure out another way to punish those who deserved it.

The brunette witch skipped dinner, too wrapped up in her theories on how to ensure those who deserved it would turn themselves in. The Minister could do nothing against a written confession, after all.

It was almost two in the morning when finally she had the right idea, and so she smiled to the darkness still enveloping London.

“The Wizarding World needs a night-time vigilante, and I know just who can help me do this” she smirked to herself, finally deciding she better get some rest, and going to take a long, luscious hot shower to relieve her body from the tension of the day, before she changed into her nightgown and slipped under the sheets of her bed, the usual dreams about a certain wizard populating her slumber.

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2. Training, Part I

Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise Harmony would have sailed.

Thanks to my beta Gingercat!

The Vigilante

Chapter Two: Training, part I

That Saturday, like every weekend, Harry went to Hermione's flat. They had gotten into a routine of spending the day together, since Ron was always away with the Cannons and Ginny had moved to France with her husband. Neville was currently at Hogwarts as Herbology teacher so that left the two of them of their group of friends from school. Since both were currently single, they had decided they better not spend the weekend alone, and instead get together to relax a bit, maybe get lunch somewhere nice, and then go see a movie.

Imagine his surprise when he banged on her door, and no one replied. He tried a couple times more, thinking that maybe she had just been sleeping in and hadn't woken up yet.

It was strange though. In all the years of their friendship Hermione had never woken up later than eight o'clock, and right now it was half past ten.

The raven haired wizard was just about to unlock the door with his wand, worried that something might have happened to her, when he felt someone running up the stairs, and turned just to be met with the sight of a very sweaty Hermione, dressed in a sports bra and a pair of very tight shorts.

For a moment she seemed almost surprised to see him there, then she realized what day it was, and grinned.

“Harry! Sorry to have kept you waiting, I forgot today was Saturday” she said, unlocking the door and inviting him in.

Harry gulped as she walked past him, her hips swaying, her round bum wriggling in front of him with her every step.

“So…” he croaked, tearing his gaze away from her body. “Have you started running in the morning?” he asked, and she nodded, offering him a toast with strawberry jam, while she put the coffee on the fire.

“Yeah, I started a couple days ago, I haven't a lot of stamina yet but I can already see I'm improving” she said, obviously proud of her training program, and completely oblivious of Harry's discomfort at having her dressed like that. They were now sitting at her kitchen table and he could see her nipples pushing against the sports bra, which did nothing to hide how well developed her breasts were, the skin on her arms glistening with a thin layer of sweat, her brown curly hair styled in a ponytail.

She looked gorgeous, the hottest woman he had ever seen. Gulping again, he forced himself to focus on the conversation and not how good his female best friend looked.

He wasn't supposed to have those kinds of thoughts about her, right?

“Would you like to join me in my training program?” Hermione asked, putting her own plan into motion. If she could get him to help her tone her body, she would be much faster, given his experience both with Quidditch training in school and Auror training he would prove to be a valuable source of information on the most useful exercises and such. “Not that you need it” she hastily added, eyeing his broad shoulders, his tones arms, and wondering for a moment how would it be to be held by them, be crushed against his chest in the haste of a passionate kiss, how would it be to run her hands across those muscles of his.

Harry was no body-builder, but she had noticed how he had completely transformed from the scrawny eleven year old she met on the Express so many years ago into a young man with an imposing figure, a body that conveyed masculinity every time she looked at him.

Feeling the telltale tingle of her starting arousal settle between her legs, she knew she needed to stop staring, and forced herself to go check on the coffee, and bring him a cup of it, no sugar, as he preferred it dark and strong.

He nodded his thanks to her when she pushed the mug in front of him, and finally, after taking along sip, he answered her question.

“I'd love to. More physical training can't be bad, right?” he said, flashing her his signature boyish grin, and for a moment Hermione felt light-headed.

“Well, then, come on, you lazy pig. I'm already five minutes late for my push-ups and weight lifting!” she called, swatting him lightly on the shoulder as she passed near him, heading to the living room.

Harry followed her and was amazed to see it changed to a real gym.

“Don't worry, it's mostly transfigured equipment, it will go back to normal in a couple hours” she explained, and Harry followed her voice to the floor, where she was already doing some sit-ups.

The way her body moved was transfixing, and Harry found himself staring again, before he even knew it.

“What? Am I doing them wrong?” Hermione asked, self-consciously, when he kept gazing at her almost with his mouth hanging open. That shook him from his daze.

“Uh? No, no, you're doing them just fine” Harry said, starting to strip before joining her.

“I hope you won't mind” he said, after he had transfigured his trousers to a pair of shorts, “but I always do my training this way” he added, removing his shirt and remaining bare-chested.

“W-Why should I mind? I'm not much more dressed after all” she stammered, watching how his muscles moved under his skin as he started doing some stretching. When Harry finally joined her on the carpet, she was still staring, he caught her and smirked to himself.

“Seems I'm not the only one having fun watching” he thought.

All morning they worked out, and just before lunch they decided to have a shower.

Harry said he might better go change at home, but Hermione wouldn't have any of that.

“Nonsense, Harry. You're already here, and your shirt is not sweaty and when you change back your shorts to your trousers, they will be as good as new” she said. “You just need a good shower and you can do that here” she suggested. “After me, of course” she added then, smirking, as she ran inside the bathroom.

Harry dashed after her but she managed to lock herself in before he entered.

“Now behave, Potter, and no peeking, ok?” she called out and he grunted.

“You bloody witch” she heard him mumbling, and grinned to herself as she got under the hot spray of water, her hands caressing her skin, removing the sweat but also imagining it was Harry's hands running all over her. Merlin, how she would love to have him there with her right now!

She had always had a crush on him, since third year at least, but it was only during their Horcrux hunt that she came to accept the fact her fancy wasn't going away anytime soon, because she was utterly in love with him.

Sighing, she dried herself off, and after securing the towel around her body, she opened the door.

“Harry, you can come in now if you want” she said, wrapping her hair with another towel to dry it. Her best friend came in from the kitchen, a half eaten biscuit in his hand.

“Merlin, Hermione” he said, almost huskily Hermione noticed, “you want to give me an heart attack, don't you?” he said, snapping his eyes closed.

Hermione realized the reason of his reaction and giggled. “Are you embarrassed, Mr. Potter?” she coyly said, and heard him slightly groan before he rushed into the bathroom and locked himself in.

Hermione smiled to herself as she went to get dressed in her bedroom.

Meanwhile, Harry was taking a cold shower. Seeing Hermione with only that towel on made him want to take her right there in the hallway, but he suspected it was way out of line for best friends.

“But is best friends all I want to be with her?” he asked himself while he calmed down from his arousal.

It had been a while since he had started noticing signs of possibly being attracted to Hermione, the fact he had hated all of her boyfriends since she had broken up with Ron being the first, then there was the fact he always noticed how she furrowed her brows when something didn't please her, how she bit her lip in concentration, how she twirled her curls around her finger as she read…well, you get the meaning.

Resting his forehead against the glass of the shower stall, he sighed. He knew he was falling for his best friend and he didn't know if he had the strength to fight it. Heck, he didn't know if he wanted to fight it, either.

Finally turning off the water, he rinsed himself before he got dressed, and left the bathroom to go help Hermione with preparing lunch.

He would just need to be careful around her for the time being, and maybe having agreed on helping her with her training wasn't the smartest move in that sense.

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3. Training, Part II

Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise Harmony would have sailed.

Thanks to my beta Gingercat!

The Vigilante

Chapter Three: Training, part II

A couple weeks passed with the two of them going to run together every morning, then meeting at night for the rest of the training.

It was after one of those sessions, both of them being sweaty and tired, lying on the floor catching their breath that Hermione asked Harry for some pointers on flying.

He looked at her with his eyebrows raised, wondering why she would want to learn how to fly when she had always hated it before.

“It's just something I feel I have to learn, even if I'm not ecstatic to do so. I guess I can go on with our training routine on my own now, I feel I have a good grasp on it although I admit working out with company is much more fun that doing it on your own” she said with a smile and Harry grinned back.

“So you suggest from now on we meet for some flying lessons instead of running or training?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I think it would be for the best, so that I don't require too much of your time. I feel like I'm monopolizing you these days” she joked, and he rolled his eyes.

“It's not like there is someone waiting for me at home, you know” he said with a smile, nudging her on the shoulder. She stuck her tongue out at him in retaliation.

“Mature, Granger” he said, deadpanned, before forcing himself to stand up. “I guess I better go and catch some sleep” he sighed then, and she stood up too. Walking him to the door, she once more thanked him for his help.

“You don't know how much this means to me” she said, and he just grinned, nodding.

“No problem, Mione. You know you did much more for me back at Hogwarts. You'll just have to tell me why you go through all of this, one day, though” he smirked, and she snorted.

“You know if I don't want to, I'll never tell you, right?” she said, playing with her wand, and Harry's eyes widened.

“Ok, ok, I know when to pick my battles, and a duel with you is the last thing I'd willingly step into” he said, kissing her on the forehead before Apparating away to his flat, leaving Hermione to lean on her door, sighing, as she touched the spot where he had kissed her, knowing she would have to take care of her arousal on her own once more that night.

The next day, Harry arrived just after work and brought his Firebolt with him

“Ready for your first flying lesson?” Harry asked.

She nodded a bit warily, wondering if she was really doing the right thing.

“Don't worry, we will take it easy today. Just a bit of flying around together on my broom, so that you get acquainted with the feeling of being up in the air, then tomorrow we will start working on your technique”

“You want me to fly with you on your broom?” Hermione asked, wondering if she had heard right.

“Yup” Harry said, motioning for her to come, as he turned and headed outside the building.

Hermione followed soon, her mind reeling. A wizard and a witch, flying together on a broom…that was one of the many romantic images the Wizarding world offered, and the brunette felt a blush come to her cheeks at the prospect of sharing such a situation with Harry.

He instructed her to get on in front of him, and then he followed suit, his arms moving around her to grab the handle of the broom. Slowly, he kicked off, and Hermione fought the urge to snap her eyes closed.

“Relax” he whispered in her ear, making her shiver, and not because the chilly air of the night quickly descending upon them. That was not the best way to have her relax, she thought.

“You know I won't let you fall, right?” he added then, and she nodded, a small smile gracing her lips. She trusted him completely, and slowly relaxed, her body leaning against him, and she swore she heard him sigh contentedly when she did.

When they were finally high in the sky, she gasped. The scenery was truly breathtaking from up there, the stars and the moon seemed so close, almost at arm length, and under them London lay, her inhabitants minding their business, unaware of the couple watching them from over their heads, protected by Disillusionment Charms to avoid being spotted.

Harry moved over the town, slowly at first, then gaining speed, attempting some mildly bold moves, now and then one arm circling Hermione's waist as he secured her position on the broom and loving the feeling coming from the contact.

She shrieked now and then, when he got a bit carried away with the speed, but overall it was a pleasurable experience. She was once more amazed at his ability as a flier, and knew she would never be able to repeat some of those moves with the easiness he did them, not even if she practiced for years.

When they finally landed again, Hermione insisted on cooking dinner for him, and Harry knew he couldn't refuse without her suspecting he was avoiding her for some reason. He had started taking a shower at his own flat after their nightly training. She always reminded him there was no need as long as he had a change of clothes with him.[Author ID1: at Thu Apr 17 09:44:00 2008 ]Â [Author ID1: at Thu Apr 17 09:44:00 2008 ]

So, he accepted, knowing it would be torture for him to see her leave the bathroom in only a towel, and knowing he would need the best of his self control to rein in his lust for her. But he was confident he could manage, as long as it happened now and then, not every day.

It was hard enough to have to run and train with her, when she was wearing so little, and see her everyday at the Ministry during their working hours, without snogging her senseless or taking her against the nearest wall.

While Hermione showered, Harry was sitting in the living room, mentally preparing himself for the sight he would be met with in a few minutes. However, when she appeared in the doorway, a white towel wrapped around her body, her brown curls still wet, and told him the bathroom was all his, the raven haired young man knew whatever he did to prepare himself, such a sight would always affect him.

Struggling to maintain control and not do something he might regret, he quickly entered into the bathroom, letting the cold water of the shower spray calm him down.

The rest of the evening went on quietly, both of them sneaking glances at the other, both having a hard time keeping their feelings hidden, and yet both determined to not ruin their friendship with a possibly meaningless fling, or so they told themselves.

Hermione had proved to be an excellent cook, and Harry thought her lasagne and roasted chicken were the best he had ever eaten, even better than those from Molly, but be careful to no let her know that!

When they were done with dinner, Harry helped her wash the dishes, and finally Apparated home after thanking her for the delicious meal.

“It was nothing” Hermione blushed at the praise. “You're being so kind to help me, I thought I could do something nice for you too” she whispered, and he grinned, pulling her in a hug.

“You didn't have to, but thanks all the same” he said, before releasing her and wishing her good night. A couple moments later, he was gone with a soft pop.

Hermione sighed, and closed the door after her as she went to the living room for some duelling practice with enchanted dummies.

That was a part of her training she didn't share with Harry for fear he would see through her intentions and discourage her from going through with her plan. The fact he was helping her with the physical part and the flying was going to be risky enough when she would start the second part of the plan, but it couldn't be avoided.

It was well past midnight when she finally stripped to go to bed. While she brushed her teeth in the bathroom, a healthy habit she had picked up from her parents, them both being dentists, she noticed something crumpled in a corner of the room, and went to pick it up, realizing it was Harry's shirt.

With a mischievous smile, she Scourgified it, then removed her pyjamas top and slipped it on. That night, she would sleep comforted and engulfed by Harry's musky scent, and the simple thought made her feel giddy inside.

“Maybe this is a sign he will be on my side no matter what” she thought to herself with a smile as she let sleep engulf her.

At the same moment, in his flat, Harry realized his shirt was missing.

“Must have forgotten it at Hermione's” he mumbled while he downed a Butterbeer. “I'll get it tomorrow”

Minutes later, he was asleep too, his rest filled with a certain brunette witch and her hot, luscious body, involving in pleasurable activities with him.

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4. Administering Justice

Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise Harmony would have sailed.

Thanks to my beta Gingercat!

The Vigilante

Chapter Four: Administering Justice

It had been a month since Hermione had started her training, a month during which more trials had turned out to be jokes, as the guilty were let walk away free. Finally, she felt confident enough in her flying, one-on-one combat and duelling abilities to start handing out her own justice.

It would be tiring, she couldn't leave her work altogether, so she would need to do it at night, but it needed to be done.

While she was training, Hermione had also taken time to develop a costume for her to wear during her “vigilante rounds”, so that she wouldn't be recognized. A tight black suit covered all of her body, including her hair. Her face was covered by an equally black mask, and she had applied a couple charms to change her voice when she talked through it too.

You can never know who you might encounter in these situations, and anything that might get her recognized needed to be gone.

Her attire was completed by a couple of leather fitting gloves. Flexing her arms, Hermione seemed satisfied enough with her job in developing a disguise, so she finally left, the shrunken Firebolt she had bought hid in an easily accessible pocket.

With a last sigh, and hoping she wouldn't make a fool out of herself, she started looking around the last known residence of Dolohov, one of the many who had escaped the life sentence to Azkaban thanks to the corruption still lingering in the Ministry even after the second war.

Her wand was just a flick of her right wrist away, hidden in a concealed holster, and Hermione felt confident she could “convince” Dolohov to turn himself in, if only she could find him.

Suddenly someone shouted behind her.

“Who are you?” she turned, and realized her target was exactly in front of her. He was already pointing his wand at her heart, but with a quick roll she moved out of his sight, just to Apparate behind the man.

Twisting his arm, she made him drop his wand, and kicked it away. Then she elbowed him in the stomach, and he fell to the ground in pain.

“Antonin Dolohov, you will turn yourself in for your crimes, and spend your deserved time in Azkaban” Hermione hissed menacingly, her voice sounding like one of an imposing military man.

“I won't do such a thing” the man sneered, and she kicked him hard in the face, before firing a series of hexes at him, leaving him bruised and panting on the ground when she was finished.

“Changed your mind yet?Â I can turn my wand on you a bit more if you are not convinced I mean business” she teased him and the man widened his eyes in fear.

“Who the hell are you?”

“Think of me as a vigilante” she said, then tapped her wand against her left hand. “So, will you turn yourself in or not?” she growled, aiming it again at his head.

“I will! I will! But for Merlin, don't kill me!” he whimpered, and Hermione snorted. “I won't, if you keep your promise. If you don't, know that I'll find you again, and it won't be pleasant” she menaced, before quickly vanishing in the darkness of the night, leaving a bewildered and very scared Antonin Dolohov wondering what the hell had happened.

The man didn't sleep a minute that night, and was in the Ministry first thing in the morning.

Harry was mildly amused at the man's tale, and that after all the atrocities he had committed in his life, a “vigilante” could rough him up so much and scare the hell out of him so that he would turn himself in. After all, he had corrupted the Minister to keep him out of prison not more than three months earlier…

At lunch, he shared the news with Hermione, albeit still feeling a bit wary around her since he kept having dirty dreams at night involving himself and the stunning witch currently sharing a Caesar's salad with him.

She seemed amused, and smiled brightly when he told her how scared Dolohov had seemed.

“Funny, isn't it?” Harry said, seeing her expression, and grinning himself, as he took a sip of his Butterbeer.

“Definitely” Hermione replied. Harry noticed she seemed to not have slept too well, as her eyes looked a bit tired. “You ok, Mione? You seem tired…” he voiced his concerns, and Hermione just shrugged, keeping her faÃ§ade but internally swearing at his uncanny ability to read her perfectly. Going to punish criminals at night was not the best way to look rested and fresh when going to work the next day.

“Didn't sleep too well last night” she admitted, knowing if she didn't Harry would only press the matter more.

He nodded, still a bit worried but glad it wasn't anything important. “So, what do you think of this vigilante? I don't know who he is, but he sure did a thorough job last night. Not that I condone his methods, I mean, the ministry should deal with criminals, not a civilian, but hey, if the Ministry is so corrupted…” he said.

“Well, it is not legal to go beating known murderers, of course, and it is dangerous too” Hermione said, frowning like she was upset at the vigilante's antics, to cover her true “identity”.

The rest of the day passed smoothly, and once she got home, Hermione gulped down some dinner, then changed to go and do her new and self-appointed job.

It soon became a routine for her, and many criminals turned themselves in after being roughed up by her. She was satisfied about how it was going, and knowing the Minister was growing more and more anxious at her actions made her feel even more happy with herself.

The paper had started talking about her too, with an article on the front page after the tenth criminal who had claimed to have been convinced to turn himself in by a vigilante.

The Vigilante: Blessing or Nuisance?

By Rita Skeeter

Today we will talk about the lately risen Vigilante. This mysterious figure keeps harassing criminals at night, forcing them to turn themselves in, and many see it as a blessing that makes the Wizarding World more secure, eradicating the last remains of You-Know-Who's Death Eaters, and other minor dark wizards too.

Many think the Ministry has been slacking off in that aspect, and this Vigilante is just what our society needed to rid itself of the trash. We have interviewed one of the most famous Aurors, Harry Potter, who seems to agree that with his unconventional methods, this vigilante is being more effective than the Ministry regular forces in assuring important arrests.

Potter also mentioned the fact that the vigilante makes their work easier convincing the criminals to turn themselves in because this avoids new trials, and the arrested can be immediately brought to Azkaban. He mentioned how trials have become unreliable lately.

When we asked him about that, considering one of his best friends, Hermione Granger, is often in charge of those, Potter shrugged and said, “when there are stronger forces working against you, there's little you can do”. He seems to imply that bribes were handed to keep those suspects out of Azkaban in regular trials, although he never said it openly.

However, there are also many who think this Vigilance is a menace to our society.

“He can't go around intimidating honest citizens and forcing them to voluntarily be sent to Azkaban without any kind of proo[Author ID1: at Fri Apr 18 07:57:00 2008 ]f. Mr. Dolohov, for example, was a most respectable member of our society, and now he will have to spend years in Azkaban for nothing” Miss Dolores Umbridge told us. If I have to be honest, I tend to agree with Potter's position, and would like nothing more than to interview this vigilante to know his reasons”

Hermione rolled her eyes at the article. “Figures that Umbridge would defend Dolohov and his kind” she snorted, while Harry chuckled. She took his hand in her own, and gave him a soft smile.

“Thanks for defending me” she said, and he gulped, mesmerized by those chocolate eyes.

“It was nothing. I just said what I thought” he replied with a sheepish smile which warmed her heart. In fact, she wanted nothing more than to snog him senseless, but the fact they were in the Ministry cafeteria prevented her from doing that. Merlin forbid what Skeeter might write if they were caught kissing in such a public place!

When they were finally finished with lunch, Harry escorted her back to her office, and just before she closed the door after her, he spoke, somewhat awkwardly.

“Would you like to have dinner together tonight?” he asked, fidgeting with his Auror robes while looking hopefully at her.

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5. First Encounter

Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise Harmony would have sailed.

Thanks to my beta Gingercat!

The Vigilante

Chapter Five: First Encounter

When Harry was called into the Minister's office, he knew the man was pissed. He had a right to be so, after all, because the mysterious vigilante had been operating at night for two months, and every time he “convinced” some criminal to turn himself or herself in, the Ministry's credibility on the matter of assuring the safety of the British Wizarding community decreased, and with that, the Minister's credibility.

Darius Vunrabels was a charming man and had used that to his advantage in obtaining his current position and understandably he didn't want to lose it now.[Author ID1: at Fri Apr 18 07:57:00 2008 ]

Harry thought that if he really wanted to keep the position, maybe he should start acting like he was a true leader and have all the peoples best interest at heart.Â One way to prove this was to stop accepting bribes from those who wanted to stay out of Azkaban when they were know murders.[Author ID1: at Fri Apr 18 07:57:00 2008 ]

The raven haired wizard had been really worried for his best female friend, and lately something more, at least on his part, because the brunette had grown more and more irritable with each one of her failures (which both her and Harry knew didn't depend on her abilities).

This vigilante had Harry's sympathy for another reason, then. Since his rising, Hermione had been much more relaxed, and took her failures in the trials much better. Probably, Harry mused, because she knew sooner or later the vigilante would force those who wormed their way out of the justice's grasp to take responsibility for their actions.

So, yes, Harry really thought this vigilante was a good thing for the Wizarding World, whoever he may be.

“Potter” the Minister acknowledged him.

“Minister” Harry nodded, taking a seat in front of the man.

“We have a dire problem, Auror Potter. This vigilante is making us look ridiculous, especially the Department you belong to, and me as the Minister”

“With all respect, Minister” Harry interjected, “my department is not being diminished by the vigilante's actions. If any, it is the MLE department, and the juries who are in charge of the trials, that should worry about his actions. If anything, all the criminals he convinced to turn themselves in proved we Aurors did our job well, since we had previously arrested all of them, just to see them released after the trial” Harry said.

“Are you implying someone else is not doing their job well, Potter? Because, most of those trials had been led by your dear friend Granger” the Minister nonchalantly said. “It seems you're suggesting she wasn't able to bring them to justice. Maybe we should remove her, so this vigilante wouldn't have to do his “job””

Harry's eyes darkened. “I attended all those trials, being part of the squad who arrested the suspect, Minister, and I know for sure that any jury in the world would have declared them guilty, with the facts Hermione presented them. Maybe it is someone else who should be removed, someone who might care more for his pockets being full than the credibility of the post he represents” Harry snapped, and the Minister glared at him.

“Potter, don't forget that I'm the minister and I can get you kicked out of the Auror Department in no time, even with your perfect file and the suggestions to promote you as Head of the Department”

Harry growled. “Are you blackmailing me, Minister? I assure you, your already low popularity won't gain a single point if you do that”

Darius Vunrabels smirked. “Still, I can do that, Potter. Don't forget it. Now, on the subject of this meeting, I trust you and your team will do your best to capture this vigilante. He's a danger to the society, and needs to be brought in. This assignment has priority over anything else you're working at the moment. I expect comforting results very soon, Auror Potter”

And with that, Harry was dismissed. He had to take a long walk before returning to his office to let off some steam after the conversation.

Nonetheless, he would do what the Minister had asked him to. If anything, he was curious to know who this vigilante was.

It took Harry more than a month, considering that he wasn't really working as hard as he should on the case, to get some useful info that would allow him to confront the vigilante.

The Minister had had to do some hasty press declarations to cover himself and Harry enjoyed the fact a single stealthy man could put the most important person in Wizarding society under such a large amount of stress and make his popularity fall so low.

Now, however, the moment had come to meet this man, and Harry waited, wand in hand, crouched in a corner, near the house of Rabastan Lestrange.

The raven haired wizard had analyzed all the information on the mysterious man's activities, and developed a pattern. It seemed that this vigilante was going to punish all of those who had come clear from trails, following a chronological order. It hadn't thus been difficult to guess who would be the “victim” tonight.

As predicted, Harry soon noticed a dark figure slithering through the darkness of the night, and graciously landing in front of the door of the house.

From his position, Harry couldn't see too well, but he soon heard the door being smashed by a Reducto, and then some cries of surprise from inside, some coming from a woman.

“Figures” Harry thought, rolling his eyes. Rabastan was known for his sexual habits, he would pick a new mistress every night, it had been how they had captured him the first time, using an undercover Auror to trap him.

Soon he noticed the scantily clad wench running away from the house, while male shouts came from inside, followed by crashes and grunts of pain. It was evident Lestrange was getting a good lesson, and Harry decided to wait for the vigilante to finish his thing before trying to arrest him.

It took another ten minutes before he heard the former Death Eater whimpering and promising he would turn himself in the next morning. The voice of the vigilante didn't sound familiar to Harry, so he guessed he didn't personally know the man.

Waiting for him to get out, Harry readied himself and cast a stunner at the quickly moving figure. He missed, and the spell alerted the vigilante of his presence.

Harry was confident, he had used the time of his wait to set anti-Apparition wards around the block and no one had ever bested him in a duel, excluding Hermione.

Soon, a stunner left the vigilante's wand, and Harry shielded himself, before casting a volley of hexes at the retreating figure. He must have figured there were anti-Apparition wards in place because he didn't even attempt doing that, just rolled out of the hexes paths with exceptional speed, and Harry was impressed.

The duel lasted for a few more minutes, during which Harry wondered why the vigilante kept only defending himself, casting a stunner now and then but mostly never attacking. If he could best people like Lestrange and Dolohov so easily, why wasn't he trying to best Harry too?

Suddenly, as Harry had to duck behind a garbage bin to avoid a hex, the other man took a broom from his pocket, enlarged it and took flight. Harry was soon after him on his Firebolt, but he realized his mistake when the man managed to get past the anti-apparition wards, and vanished with a soft pop.

“Bugger!” Harry swore under his breath, landing and, frustrated, kicking a pebble away with all his force.

He then sighed, and Apparated home to take a long, hot relaxing shower.

If he wanted to best this man, he had to be more creative and find a way to stop him from fleeing. Now it had become a personal matter, he wanted to know who the man was, how could he be so fast at avoiding hexes and why didn't he attack more heavily to end the duel.

Too many questions, which threatened to give him a headache, so he resolved to forget about it for a few hours.

Meanwhile, at Hermione's home, the brunette slumped on the couch, exhausted.

“That was close” she muttered under he breath. She could have fought Harry harder, and probably end the duel faster, but she didn't want to harm him, even with childish hexes.

Luckily, he had only placed wards on the surroundings, and the flying lessons he gave her were enough to make her fast enough to escape him. But if he was on her tail she knew it was just a matter of[Author ID1: at Fri Apr 18 07:57:00 2008 ] time before they would have another confrontation[Author ID1: at Fri Apr 18 07:57:00 2008 ].

She needed to be ready.

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6. Second Clash

Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise Harmony would have sailed.

Thanks to my beta Gingercat!

The Vigilante

Chapter Six: Second Clash

Harry reported to the Minister about how he had almost caught the vigilante last night.

The man seemed disgruntled at how the confrontation had ended, but nodded all the same.

“Good job, Potter. Keep it up, I'm sure we will catch him soon” Vunrabels said, dismissing the Auror. Harry returned to his office, still thinking how to trap the vigilante. He hated failure and the fact the man had managed to best him didn't go well with his pride.

Still, he knew he shouldn't let anger cloud his judgement, especially since his opponent was so skilled.

All day he stayed there, mumbling to himself, planning several ways to approach the mystery guy and arrest him, then discarding them based on what he had seen during their first meeting.

He analysed what had happened that night, focusing on two points. First, the man didn't attack him, merely defend himself most of the time, like he knew Harry personally and didn't want to harm him.

Then, there was the fact he didn't recognize the voice, which clashed with the idea the suspect might be one of his friends. But, a spell could alter it to make it unrecognizable.

Finally, there was the broom escape. Sure, it didn't last long enough to let Harry catch up with him, still the way he chose to escape seemed to convey the man was confident of his flying abilities, especially because Harry's skill on a broom was well known in the Wizarding World. Even more so, if the man really was one of his friends.

However, Harry had a really hard time figuring anyone he knew doing this, and with such grace and speed in the movements. Surely not Ron, or the twins, who would use some of their trademark jokes to attack the criminals.

Neville had grown out of his shyness, but he and broom would never go together.

Seamus and Dean didn't have enough interest in security matters to pull off something like this. Plus, they weren't amongst the better fighters he knew.

This left him in the dark, as he had finished his options of people who knew him so well that they would restrain themselves from attacking him, and were males.

He seriously didn't think a woman could be behind this, and public opinion seemed to back up his beliefs.

Finally, as the sky started darkening with the descent of night, Harry sighed and left to go home. There was no point in trying to corner the vigilante again, if he had not a plan to trap him for good.

That night, Hermione nervously did her duty as vigilante, fearing Harry might show up again anytime during her mission. She really didn't want to harm him but she also couldn't let him know her true identity.

No one could know, as much as it pained her to keep it from Harry. She was also sure he would approve, but the fact the ministry had issued an arrest warrant for her might force his hand to bring her in, if he discovered the truth.

She couldn't take such a chance.

It was thus with a long sigh of relief that she arrived home after punishing another couple of criminals, and threw her mask away, slumping on the couch.

Her body ached, and she jerkily shrugged out of her tight fitting black suit, and trudged to the bathroom for a long, relaxing hot bath, where she could let her mind travel to a certain raven haired young man, and how much she would like for him to be there with her in the bathtub. She could certainly think of some things she wanted to do to him if they ever got in such a situation.

An hand slipped between her legs, fingers dipping into her core, as she released a long moan, dirty thoughts running through her mind, wondering how long she could still go before she jumped the poor man.

She wasn't totally sure he would mind, though, seeing the hungry looks he had given her lately.

A week had gone by, and Harry had tried to catch the vigilante again for two nights in a row now, but didn't manage to spot him.

He was getting frustrated, because he had finally developed a plan to stop him Disapparating away, and couldn't wait to test it in a real situation.

As he walked around the block, his ears strained to get the faintest sound of a fight happening, he finally caught some shouting a few streets away.

He quickly ran toward the noises, and hid in a dark alley. There it was, the vigilante, his back to him. When the beating was finished, he would have a really good chance to strike him.

Waiting, Harry watched the mysterious figure hitting repeatedly an already badly bruised burly man that he couldn't recognize. He was sure however the blonde man had deserved the treatment he was now enduring.

Finally, the beating came to an end, with the criminal who scurried away, promising to go to the Ministry as soon as possible.

Harry tensed, and then fired his stunner, but the vigilante was quicker and rolled out of its way.

Harry didn't stop and finally showing himself, he fired curse after curse at the man, who just like last time only defended himself, deflecting Harry's spells or avoiding them, just now and then firing a stunner.

It was going like Harry had planned it for now, and he kept the fight up. Finally, the vigilante took his broom, restored it to its normal size between avoiding Harry's spells, and took off. Harry was soon after him, and cast some anti-Apparition wards aimed at the back of the escaping figure, who seemed much less quick in its movements when on a broom. He avoided the first two spells from Harry but was hit by the third one.

Harry grinned and once they were past the local Anti-apparition wards, he grinned much more when his target found out he couldn't Apparate away this time.

Harry pushed his Firebolt forward, trying to gain on his opponent, and he slowly but constantly did, while they flew over Hyde Park. He was glad it was the middle of the night and they were Disillusioned, because otherwise there would be hell to pay to Obliviate all the Muggles spotting them.

The vigilante directed himself toward a group of tress, trying to lose Harry there, but the raven haired wizard was a much more skilled flier and kept closing in.

“Fuck!” Hermione thought when she noticed how near Harry was now. “Brilliant, Granger, trying to escape from Harry on his favourite mode of transportation, really bright” she berated herself, losing focus on her flying for a moment.

Soon she realized her mistake when she hit a tree branch, and fell from her broom, toward the ground.

“I knew it” she swore under her breath, just moments before a tremendous crash on the ground made her right arm snap, as well as a couple ribs.

She moaned in pain, and could see Harry landing just near her, graciously as usual.

She knew then her days as a vigilante, and possibly as MLE officer, were coming to an end.

Harry approached the moaning figure of the vigilante with baited breath. It was evident the man had something broken, and from the angle his right arm was bent, guessing what wasn't so difficult. Harry suspected there might be more though.

However, that was not the first of his concerns. He had a mounting curiosity about the man's identity, and so he slowly grabbed the mask and cautiously lifted it.

When he had completely removed it, he gasped, not believing his eyes.

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7. Surprise

Disclaimer: Not mine, otherwise Harmony would have sailed.

Thanks to my beta Gingercat!

The Vigilante

Chapter Seven: Surprise

When he had completely removed it, he gasped, not believing his eyes.

“Hermione” he whispered, awe permeating his voice.

“Hi Harry” she meekly muttered, wincing as that mere gesture brought her lots of pain from her broken ribs.

Realizing her condition, Harry snapped out of his stupor, and with a few well placed healing spells, he made her bones snap back in place. Hermione hissed at the sudden pain, but then she realized she was healed, her bones whole again, just a lingering soreness pervading her right side.

“I thought you needed Skele-Gro to mend bones” she said, looking at him questioningly. He grinned.

“That's what Poppy makes the students believe, to discourage them from being reckless and breaking their bones” he explained. “But there are healing spells to avoid drinking that awful stuff” he added then, crinkling his nose at the memory of having to swallow the potion.

She smiled softly at him, then sighed.

“I guess you will have to bring me in now. The minister will be happy to resume his corrupted ways, and I will lose my job. But it's been worth it, while it lasted” she wistfully said.

Harry smiled at her. “I'm really proud that you did this, Hermione. Our world truly needed a vigilante since the Ministry is so corrupted. I admired whoever was doing the job, and maybe given the training you went through I should have guessed it was you” he joked, and she blushed, making her look even more adorable. The tight fitting suit that exalted her body did nothing to make her less attractive, and giving Harry's new feelings for her, he was finding it hard not to stare.

“Harry” she said, sensing his reluctance. “Just do what you have to do” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “I'll be ok”

Harry's eyes focused on her own, green meeting brown, and he made a decision. To Hell with the Minister, he wouldn't turn his best friend and the woman he was in love with in.

Leaning down, he swiftly captured her lips with his own, and gave her the time to back out of the kiss. She didn't, instead she kissed him back, after a moment of shock, and asked entrance with her tongue, meeting his own.

For minutes they remained there, on the ground, snogging each other senseless, tongues fighting, clashing, hands roaming as they caressed the other's body.

When they finally had to part, Harry pulled her close.

“I won't turn you in, Hermione. You had the guts to do what I should have done long ago” he said, his eyes alight with new determination. “No, I won't give Vunrabels the satisfaction of keeping his post and continue corrupting the ministry. We didn't lose so much in the second war to let things go on like they did when Fudge was Minister. Bribes won't allow criminals to remain out of prison anymore” he said.

Hermione wondered what he meant to do.

“Harry, you've been given the assignment to capture the vigilante. You can't stall forever, or you will risk losing the chance to become Head of the Department. Really, I'll be ok” she said, trying to sound reassuring, but he wouldn't have it.

“I don't care, Hermione. Heck, I don't care if I lose my job. I'm rich enough to not have to work and still be able to spoil my family, when I finally have one. So that is not a problem. Doing what is right instead of what is easy, this is what I will do. Dumbledore always believed that it's our choices that make us who we are, after all” he said, with a sad smile, as he thought back to his deceased mentor.

Hermione knew she wouldn't be able to sway him from his decision, so she simply snuggled close to him, enjoying the warmth, as they lay under the stars, gazing at the serene sky.

“What are you going to do, then?” she asked, after some minutes of complete silence.

“I will let you continue your job. And, I plan to join you in your rounds, if you will allow me. At least, the papers will be partially right when they say the vigilante is a man” he added with a smirk, and she rolled her eyes at him.

“Prat”

“But you love me for it” he smirked, kissing her on the top of her head.

“That I do” she admitted. “I have for a long time now. I was just too scared to tell you”

He nodded, understanding. He had been afraid too, once he realized his true feelings for her.

Finally, he stood up, pulling her up with him.

“Let's go home” he huskily whispered in her ear, making her shiver.

“Ok” she agreed, picking up her broom, shrinking it, and then mounting on Harry's Firebolt, his firm grip keeping her from falling, and Hermione completely enjoyed the trip back home, leaning on his chest, feeling secure in the embrace of the man she loved.

In the following months, Harry kept his promise and joined Hermione in her rounds. She prepared a second suit and mask for him, and she had to admit he really looked good in it, his grown muscles flexing under the silky material making her feel hot through their “missions”.

It had become an habit for them to celebrate after a successful round with a heated shag in Harry's flat, where she had moved a couple weeks ago.

Tonight was no exception, and both loved to joke on the Prophet's title the following morning. Soon, the pressure on the Minister became too much, and Darius Vunrabels was forced to step down.

New elections took place, and this time Kingsley Shacklebolt was elected for real, providing no need for the two vigilantes to continue their job. However, their suits were neatly folded in their closets, ready to be used shall a new need arise.

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