A/N. To those who left reviews - thanks. They were very helpful. I'll be keeping them in mind as I write the rest of this story.
This is a transition chapter. As I mentioned the plan is to leave the angsty present (most will be relieved) and put that on hold until we find out what really happened.
Warnings : Not much direct HHr interaction here. While Ron isn't going to have an appearance, the squeamish might find some of Hermione's internal dialogue about him deplorable. :rolleyes:
The first part is a continuation of the last chapter - Harry85, it was the best way I could come up with to explain why Harry chose to let Hugo go.
The second part is still from Harry's POV but of the past - a continuation of Hermione's first day back at work after the incident at the Japanese restaurant where she and Warren have a 'disagreement'. I had a lot of fun with this one.
The third part is a quick overview of where the major players of the story were in their lives back in 2003. The reviewer comment about Ginny seemingly being everywhere is not unwarranted. I need to show Harry's relationship with Ginny because he did end up marrying her and even though Past!Ginny will be leaving to join the Harpies at Holyhead soon, Harry and Hermione will have to talk about her and who she is to Harry at some point.
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Chapter 16 - Finnigan's
"What do you want me to do?" Ted asked him.
It took Harry a fraction of a second to answer Ted's question.
"Let them go, but keep close. Call the standby team into action."
Ted acknowledged and hung up. Ginny realized what was happening and didn't like it.
"What are you doing? You can't let him go back there."
"What do you propose I do? Lock him up and force information out of him?"
"I would," Ron said.
Harry did not argue and let the challenge slide. Ron was not going to make Harry feel that he was a lousy parent compared to him. Since intercepting Hugo's message to his Muggle friends the Head Auror had thought about this long and hard. It was a difficult choice to make but what made him finally decide was seeing Hugo just before they left for the Leaky Cauldron.
It was painful to watch the boy withdraw as Al and Lily made very little effort to hide how they felt about him being their brother. Lily even insisted on going back to Hogwarts that night. Just as Harry was afraid of, their rejection solidified Hugo' guilt about hurting them for being who he was. Illogical as the guiltiness was, sadly enough, at thirteen he would have felt the same and wouldn't want to stay either.
"I can't believe you're putting him in harm's way," Ginny pointed out.
"I don't want him to go but you saw him tonight. Not only does he want to find justice for his Mum, he's desperate to leave and be with those he can't hurt by who he is."
Hugo wanted to be amongst people who accepted him for who he was and Harry could relate to that. After all, he ran away from blood relatives who hated him and once longed to live with his godfather when he was around Hugo's age. Harry couldn't deny Hugo that which he was currently not able to provide.
After Hugo rejected Ron's final appeal to tell them how to find Warren, it was apparent he did not have faith in them not to turn his uncle in (and he was absolutely right not to). He would never willingly part with the information. It would be like ratting on family.
So while coercion would have been the easier and safer route Harry went with his gut. For now he would cut Hugo some slack for not doing so would drive the kid further away. Over time he would introduce himself into his son's life; the first major thing he had to do was gain Hugo's trust.
"But he belongs here. Hermione sent him here," Ginny was still understandably concerned, "There has to be a better way. If he gets hurt..."
"Give me a little credit, will you? I promise you I won't let anything bad happen to him. I am good at what I do and I do know what I'm doing."
"I still don't like this," Ron was shaking his head but he wouldn't understand because he had never ever been alone in his life.
"It's my decision," Harry replied with finality, then got on the phone with Rocco from Ministry Security office.
"Will someone explain what's going on?" Seamus pleaded, still in the dark and very confused.
Ron and Ginny spoke with Seamus and filled him in while Harry got the confirmation he needed from surveillance cameras at the CFO's office. Rocco sent him the image of Warren's wolf-like Patronus delivering Jessie a message.
"Warren has Jessie," he showed them the picture.
He held on to the other conclusion he arrived at, his pulse rapidly beating just thinking about it. Jessie told him she was with her sick sister, not once but twice. She had to have been referring to Hermione. Hermione was alive.
Logic took over and it made perfect sense. Warren had Jessie, Jessie was with Hermione, Warren had Hermione. Harry looked at Ron and Ginny. There was no point telling them until he saw her with his own eyes.
What worried him was that Hermione was obviously very ill. Hermione would never fake her own death and allow Hugo and Rose to go through all this. She would have sent word if she was alive and well enough. Survival mode or not Warren better have a good explanation for not telling them she was alive.
With Hugo travelling the Muggle way there was plenty of time to set a trap. Harry was ninety-nine percent sure Hugo was going home and it made sense that Warren was going to be nearby.
He and Ron went back to the Ministry and went over the plan of action with eight of the best British Aurors on active roster hoping they would be up to the challenge of getting Warren into custody if his plan to talk his partner into giving up fell through. Warren was a messy and unfair dueler who would not care about civilians and Harry wanted to avoid combat with him as much as possible.
After giving Ron further instructions about how to handle the Minister, Max, and Hank, he Disapparated and joined Ted in time to watch the black pick up truck drive into a gated community.
As they waited, Harry speculated why Warren chose to do what he did. With that came a memory of how his relationship with Hermione first started. They had come a long way from that and it always made him wonder what if he never interceded.
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29 January 2003 - The Ministry of Magic - Head Auror Office
Harry stood in between Hermione and Warren keeping them apart and both at arms length, still wearing the white chef's outfit with the name 'Takeshi' on his chest. He was trying to resolve a juvenile argument between two very irate Aurors. They had been called in by John Dawlish to debrief the Wasabi Hut incident some two hours before and when the Head Auror had to leave unexpectedly to address the public relations fall out from what happened, he was left with this current volatile situation.
"Time out!" Harry said with authority but neither his partner nor his friend, both his subordinates, seemed to have heard him.
"You should have backed off when I told you to!" Warren yelled at Hermione, his appearance now his usual self.
"Right! Because we normally do whatever potential suspects tell us to do!" Hermione bellowed in return, "We didn't know about the operation! We weren't even aware there were operatives in the area!"
"Because you're fucking idiots!"
"Warren!"
"And you're a pompous arrogant dickhead so we're even!"
"Hermione!"
This was deteriorating into abysmal name-calling. Dean was finding it all amusing.
"A little help here?" he said to the other Auror, miffed at Dean's preference not to get involved.
Hermione's partner replied, his hands up, palms facing Harry, and chuckling, "No way. I want to see her kick his ass."
Harry didn't want it to come to that. And really, he wasn't sure who would kick whose ass. Warren would not stand down just because Hermione was a woman.
"Look here," Hermione said to Warren a bit more calmly, "I'm sorry about your partner being injured. I'm sorry about setting your case back. But you should have arrested Gaunt when you had the chance. I just reviewed his rap sheet. I can't figure out what else he would have to do for us to reel him in."
"Honey," Warren addressed Hermione with every intention to get on her nerves even more, "That information is on a need to know basis and you don't need to know."
Maybe he should have warned Warren about this. Telling Hermione there was information she couldn't have was like putting raw meat in a shark's cage. Hermione was looking at Harry as if he was the raw meat.
"I'll speak with John," Harry caved, knowing he wouldn't have a chance anyway.
"Hell no! I don't want this chick on the case!" Warren protested.
"Did you just call me 'chick'?!" Hermione asked in disbelief, her voice cracking from irritation.
Warren ignored her, "This is as much Canuck as it is Brit and I won't allow some airhead who thinks she knows it all to muck it up."
"Fuck off you chauvinist pig!"
"That's enough!" Harry said aloud and he got into Warren's face, "Don't ever call her that. She isn't one, okay?!"
"Okay," Warren answered promptly, stepping off the dispute.
"And you, mind the language!" Harry scolded Hermione, too, astonished by the colorful language she seemed to have acquired recently.
"Sorry," she replied somewhat embarrassed but still annoyed, "Come on Dean."
"Shouldn't we wait for John?" Dean, who had been guffawing moments earlier, was now confused.
"We can't be at this debriefing."
"John asked you to be here," Harry reminded her.
"John is wrong. Section five point five point eight point three point ten of the 2002 revised British Magical Law Enforcement Auror Manual of Operations states that personnel not directly involved in a covert case should not be allowed to attend any meetings or discussions concerning aforementioned case," she rattled off, pausing only because she was out of breath, "And under no exception will this rule be violated."
"Really?" Warren scoffed, thinking she was bluffing.
"Really," Hermione replied stoically then wandlessly sent the six inch thick bound document flying from the nearby bookcase straight at his partner's chest, causing Warren to grunt on impact and left with no choice but to grab a hold of it with his arms, "Look it up yourself. I suppose that despite being a Neanderthal you can actually read. Do you need an English-Canadian dictionary?"
Warren gave her a scowl then said to them as they were on their way out the door, "The paperwork is on your desk. They need to be filled out before the end of the day. Ten feet of parchment, each."
"Ten feet of parchment?" Hermione asked, stopping at the doorway with a querying expression but a glint in her eye.
"Yes, honey," Warren replied, smug about it.
Harry groaned knowing what was about to happen.
Hermione motioned to the book, "You might as well read section five point five point eight point four point ten about reports. I won't tell you what it says because I don't want to insult your intelligence, not that you have much of it. I'll move the paperwork to your desk."
"Fuck…"Warren was pie faced.
"Darn," Dean said faking a frown, "And I was so looking forward to doing that."
"Me too," Hermione sighed.
"Airhead know-it-all one, chauvinist pig zero," Harry overheard Dean say to Hermione as they hi-fived and left John's office laughing.
"What section did she say it was in, again?!" his frustrated partner asked, furiously leafing through the MOO.
Warren definitely had a lot to learn.
"Do yourself a favour mate. Don't bother," he advised, mentally preparing himself for the long afternoon he had to spend filling out forms, "Didn't I tell you not to mess with her?"
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The sun had just set when a section of Diagon Alley lit up with designer fireworks created by Weasley Wheezes. A display of Irish green and Gryffindor red splashed the sky and the corner of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley was teeming with well-wishing wizards, witches and beings.
Her first day back at work had been brutal and she stopped by the Ministry pool to do a few laps to unwind. Hermione almost didn't make it in time but found Dean, Luna, Ginny, and Jessie amongst the boisterous crowd just as the Gryffindor red ribbon was cut in half. A beaming Seamus Finnigan had a pair of very large lion shaped scissors in his hands and there was thunderous applause as Finnigan's, Seamus' very own bar and restaurant opened its doors to the public for the first time.
"First round's on the house!" the owner announced.
Not long after they were inside, holding on to their drinks, listening to the Irish Rockgods perform live on the temporary stage beside the bar, intermittently trying to talk over the music and the buzz of excitement from the rest of the crowd. It was SRO. Hermione was wired seeing many of her Hogwarts friends and acquaintances there probably because she hadn't seen them in such a long time and it was the perfect occasion to catch up on what everyone was up to.
She and Ginny managed to extricate Luna from Dean. Luna snuck out from the Scamander camp in Greenland just so she could be there to support Seamus. She excitedly told them about a job offer from the Australian Ministry to be co-lead investigator for a study on the nocturnal Seven Legged Jumparoos of Southern Australia to hopefully find out why the national magical beasts were dwindling in number. Aside from needing to live in Australia the only other catch was it would take at least three years (the species' pregnancy cycle) to complete the study. It was something she had yet to mention to Dean.
"He won't be happy about it," Luna said but as usual, if she was concerned that never ruffled her calm and buoyant exterior. "He's probably going to say 'no', especially because I would have to work with Newt's grandson."
Newt's grandson Rolf, and this was Dean talking, was a 'little twit' he wanted to pummel for being too good looking and for openly admiring Luna during a recent charity event held in London. In truth Rolf was a good-natured guy who wasn't shy about being attracted to the Ravenclaw. Dean would definitely say 'no'.
Ginny asked Luna, "What if he does?"
Luna shrugged unconcerned, "I don't know. But my Mum always said, if something is meant to be, nothing will get in the way of it happening and if it doesn't happen then it's not meant to be."
Hermione could never get Luna nor her Mum and she stopped trying a long time ago. In her opinion, 'not meant to be' was just some lame excuse for not being able to get a desired outcome despite working for it. But while in the past beliefs opposite hers grated like mal-aligned molars and annoyed her so much so she always had to try and make the other see things her way, her new mantra about it was 'to each his own'. She did however find that difficult to apply to certain people, one in particularly seemed to come to mind. Hermione scanned the crowd again but didn't see her ex. It was just as well he wasn't here.
"Is Ron coming?" Luna asked her innocently with her big blue eyes as if reading her mind.
Hermione shrugged and mumbled not knowing. She missed him and not only because they hadn't seen each other in a long while.
Don't even go there, she internally scolded herself. Bad things usually happened when she started feeling this way and she always had regrets after. It was a good thing she had a sane moment and deleted Ron's contact info from her phone's memory a while back.
"He's working graveyard these days," Ginny answered. "And they're always short staffed up north."
Ron transferred to the North Quadrant team right after they last split up. He was apparently dating his boss' granddaughter who Ginny said was like 'twelve' in mental age. Loyal friend that Ginny was it was requisite ex's new GF bashing; Ginny was trying to make her feel better. As Luna asked Ginny more questions about Ron she had to excuse herself and quickly looked for someone else to talk with.
She found Neville Longbottom. He was all smiles as he told her Headmistress McGonagall had interviewed him for the soon to be vacated Herbology professor position at Hogwarts. It seemed hopeful that he would be accepted as Professor Sprouts' understudy for a year. Neville then listened attentively as Hannah Abbott told them about her recent promotion as an assistant manager in a downtown Muggle five star hotel. Ernie Macmillan shared his success in sending a notorious professional burglar to Azkaban recently while Justin Finch-Fletchley talked about his and Susan Bones' plans to market their fledging catering business.
There were others; the Patil twins, George and Angelina Weasley, Percy Weasley dropped by with his pregnant wife Audrey, some other Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff schoolmates and she even struck up a conversation with a decent looking guy working at the Ministry Communication Department. He asked for her number and, interested enough, she parted with it. The taking herself out of the market concept folded at the first real test it was subjected to. It was pathetic to have common sense overruled by hormones.
By the time she was done she was feeling a bit hungry as she had had almost nothing but hors d'oeuvres and alcohol since she got there. Unfortunately the kitchen was closed. It was almost midnight, the band had been replaced by soft jazz music and those remaining had settled down and found seats at the bar, tables and booths, the mood more subdued. There was still a good size crowd.
Luna and Dean had a booth to themselves and seemed to be in a serious conversation. She didn't want to interrupt. Ginny was at a corner table somewhat hidden from view, leaning in as she seemed to be genuinely listening to a man Hermione earlier noticed had been checking the red head out. Ginny laughed at a joke but Hermione could tell it was somewhat unnatural, as if her friend was forcing herself to enjoy present company. At least Ginny was trying, Hermione thought, then spontaneously wondered where Harry was and whether or not he had already dropped in. It was still hard to believe they weren't a couple anymore.
Hermione found Seamus relatively free (finally!) at the bar showing Jessie and her date some of the stuff behind the counter. She walked up to them hoping to properly congratulate him. She briefly did that earlier but he had been too busy and was swept away by his other hosting duties.
Seamus was still beaming as he saw her come up and then excused himself from Jessie and her friend, hoisting himself up and sliding expertly over the bar counter to meet her.
"So? What do you think?"
"This is wonderful Seamus!" she said hugging him as she did earlier, bursting with pride, "Absolutely amazing! You did it! I wish I was here to help out. I heard everyone had a blast of a time putting this together."
Dean told her how their old Hogwarts mates chipped in. Susan and Justin helped him with the menu, Dean, Neville, Harry, Ron and even George transformed the physical space, while Ginny, Luna, Susan and Hannah came up with the design, furnishings and décor.
Seamus was grinning from ear to ear when he poked fun at her, "Oh, I forgive you. We were actually relieved you weren't here to boss everyone around."
"Hey!"
They laughed. She was really proud of him. Just a year ago Seamus was working as a barkeep and struggling a bit, not knowing what to do, and now he had turned it all around. She was so happy that he made his dream into a reality.
"So, what do you really think of the place?" Seamus asked seriously, anxious for her opinion.
Hermione looked around appraising it meticulously for the first time since she got there. She remembered what the space looked like before and wouldn't have thought it could be shaped up to what she was seeing now. The ceilings were raised and peppered with special recessed lighting that was almost indiscernible, the dining area was adorned with tasteful Hogwarts artwork and memorabilia , the furnishings were elegant but not stuffy and the exquisitely custom designed circular bar that was at the centre of the room stood out invitingly just as it was meant to.
She had not looked closely yet but now that it was unobstructed by patrons she caught a glimpse of the intricate carvings etched along the wooden walls of the restaurant, unobtrusive to those who weren't looking but well defined to those who were. It was a memorial, names and faces of those who died and suffered in the hands of Voldemort, images depicting events that were part of the most defining moment of their generation. It was a tribute to those who were no longer with them, particularly those who perished at the Battle of Hogwarts. At some point she would come back, have a more private viewing and perhaps carve out her own personal dedications.
"I love it. It's just as you described it would be."
"Well, I have you and Ginny to thank for it."
"Don't be silly. It was your idea. This is what you wanted to do."
"If it hadn't been for you two pestering me to get off my bloody arse and do something with my life this wouldn't have come true. So thank you."
"Fine then. You're welcome but you do know we only pushed for it because we couldn't find a decent place to eat at and hang out around here."
That made them chuckle.
"There is one thing though that you might get some criticism for," she added.
"What?"
"For an Irish owned pub there's no green in it."
"You're bloody right," Seamus laughed, "I'd have to talk with the design group about that."
"This must have cost a fortune to build."
"Well, the labor was dirt cheap and Harry helped me out with a loan, then hooked me up with the goblins for fair financing terms."
"That reminds me, I haven't seen Harry. Has he come yet?"
"He just called, said he was on his way. Something about Ministry paperwork and the grief you're causing him your first day back."
"Right. It's not my fault he has a prick for a partner," she defended herself, knowing it was a jibe. "But I can't believe it's taken him all this time to get that done."
"Actually he checked in to see if the coast was clear thinking it would be too awkward with Ginny here."
That was just ridiculous. They had broken up two months ago and he was avoiding her?
"So what if she is?"
Before Seamus could answer, a man, Dean, got up on the table closest him and pumped his fists in the air, screaming at the top of his lungs, "Yes! She said yes!"
Hermione looked over to Luna. She was blushing, her eyes were twinkling and a steady flow of tears was streaming down her cheeks as she gazed lovingly at Dean's amusing display of exuberance. Hermione connected the dots right away.
"Everyone! She said yes! We're getting married!" Dean explained to the others who didn't get it.
People who knew them cheered and converged towards their booth.
"Well it's about time you asked her you bloody coward!" Seamus was the first to reach his best mate, "But get the fuck off the table before you break it!"
He offered Dean a hand. The latter jumped off and gave Seamus a man hug. There was no question who the best man would be. She and Ginny congratulated Luna who was now wearing a conservative Muggle diamond engagement ring, then as she got to Dean he lifted her effortlessly, hugging her as he swung her around.
"You were right!" Dean said to her as he put her down, "We talked it through and worked it out."
"Good for you," she was almost in tears watching Dean and Luna so excited and happy, and very curious about how they 'worked' it out.
Before she could ask, someone interrupted.
"What's going on?"
Everybody turned towards the familiar voice and stopped talking. It was Harry with another woman (who from now on she would refer to as Bimbo One). The celebration quickly died down. She sensed that it wasn't so much the presence of Harry and his date that was bothersome but the fact that Ginny was looking on a few feet away, as if she had been slapped in the face. A slow hiss of a curse word escaped Seamus' lips from somewhere behind Hermione muttering something about not knowing Ginny was still there. So that's why Harry called before coming over.
"Dean and Luna just got engaged," Ginny answered when the rest of them seemed to have lost the ability to speak.
Harry and his date congratulated the couple as did his partner Gates, who Hermione just noticed was with him. He too had a date.
The obnoxious man said to Seamus disparagingly, "And you call this a party?"
Seamus announced another free round of drinks for his best friend's engagement perhaps to relieve some of the awkwardness. He herded the newly engaged couple and a grateful crowd to the bar leaving Ginny, Harry and Bimbo One by themselves at the booth. Hermione hovered in the fringe in case she was needed.
"How are you, Gin?" Harry asked attentively.
"Just fine."
She was dying…Hermione contemplated to rescue vs. not rescue. It was a fine line between having your ex realize you were hurting by escaping versus him finding out anyway because you stayed too long and didn't. If only Ginny would give her a sign.
"And you?"
"I'm okay," he replied then Bimbo One cleared her throat. He introduced her, "By the way, this is um…um…"
At least he tried to. Hermione wanted to laugh.
"Jezebel Frump," Bimbo One extended a handshake. "And you are?"
Ginny did not take it , replying without emotion, "Let's not kid ourselves. You know who I am."
Bimbo One smiled and leaned into Harry suggestively, who being a typical man did not even notice. What a bitch!
"Gin, we're going to be late," Hermione got to Ginny, summoned their purses from a nearby table and made up a lie before her friend totally lost it, "Kyle and Justin are waiting."
Ginny was not together at that point. Hermione got her out of Finnigan's and back to her flat right away where she broke down and sobbed for a long time. Hermione held her but knowing no words of comfort would help, she didn't even try. It was better to just let it all out.
When it seemed Ginny couldn't cry anymore she pulled away and said to Hermione, "I've been thinking. What Luna said tonight makes sense."
"Which one?"
None of them really did…
"Maybe it's not meant to be."
Hermione could not blame her for finding comfort in Luna's words. To each his own.
"Maybe. What do you want to do?"
"I'm letting go," Ginny said quietly.
Fresh tears erupted from her eyes. Hermione kept her company until Ginny thanked her and then asked her to leave.
It was four a.m. when Hermione got into the Ministry owned flat she was renting, took a quick shower and went to bed. There was one burning thought on her mind as she drifted off to sleep.
Of all the other women in London, what the hell was Harry thinking going out with a floozy?
She would definitely have a word with him about that.
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A/N. Thoughts on the Hermione-Warren thing? Remind you of something?
Quick poll about 'meant to be'/'fate' - who do you agree with more (Luna or Hermione)?
Up next, the day after Finnigan's opened from Harry's POV and likely, Harry and Hermione dinner and drinks after work - looking forward to writing this one .