Chapter Three - Looking Forward, in Anger and in Love
"America? If you're going to America about that house-elf, why are you studying muggle sports?" Ron sat on the back of the couch, reading over Hermione's shoulder.
Without looking up, Hermione sighed and lowered the book onto her lap. "Because if I'm going to have to convince them I'm actually interested in this baseball, then I have to know something about it. Though I think there must be a bit of magic involved, they keep mentioning invoking the `infield fly rule' and it seems to force the infielder catch the ball whether he wants to or not. And I'm not going to ask how the pitcher is transfigured into a `designated hitter' once every three innings or so."
Leaning back so her head was resting against Ron, she looked up at him. "This is maddening. And you might want to tell Arthur that baseball is nothing like cricket."
Making a rude noise, Ron shook his head at her remark. "This has no more to do with baseball than it does with house-elves. This is about you gallivanting around on another of Francis Bethune's oh so mysterious errands."
Watching him for a second, Hermione nodded. "Yes, but since you never want to talk about my errands for Francis until I get back, I thought that baseball and house-elves would be safe enough topics to discuss tonight. Obviously that isn't going to work tonight."
Turing a bit pink around the ears, Ron scowled at her. "You don't have to do this, you know. Your work with the elves is enough to keep anyone busy."
"And you could work for George, or tryout as keeper for the Cannons, Merlin knows they need one, and that would be enough to keep you busy. But you don't."
Shaking his head, Ron stared at her. "That's different. What Harry and I do is important, we make things safe for folks."
Her voice becoming a bit guarded, Hermione looked back down at folder on her lap. "And what I do for Francis isn't? I think the Minister would disagree with that characterization."
Shaking his head, Ron smiled thinly. "That's not what I meant and you know it. All I was saying was that what we're doing is more of a career, like your house elf work. You can't flit around running errands for Bethune for the rest of your life."
Without looking up at him, Hermione closed her eyes. "Ronald Bilius Weasley, if it's your opinion that I'm nothing more than a glorified `errand girl' then I'm beginning to wonder exactly how well we do know each other."
Shaking his head, Ron looked down at her for a second. "Are we ever going to talk about this?"
Shrugging, Hermione closed her eyes as she rested her head against him. "Talk about what, Ron?"
"Us? The way our life has gotten to be?" Staring at her, he frowned as he could see the hints of emotions playing across her face as she thought with her eyes closed. "How I'm always the last to know when something is going on with your life."
Sitting up, Hermione carefully placed her briefing materials on the table and then tucked her feet up under herself. "You're not the last to know. I called my parents to tell them I was going to America after I told you."
Sliding down off the back of the divan, Ron ignored the look Hermione gave him as he turned to face her. "But I wasn't the first, was I?"
Looking slightly amused, Hermione shook her head. "No Ron, you weren't the first person I talked to about the trip." Shaking her head, she wrapped her arms around her knee and stared at him for a few seconds. "After Francis and I talked, I went back to my office, waited for the `request' for a home visit to that wizarding family that's living outside Cleveland to come down from the Department, along with my cover story from the muggle government, cleared my calendar for the next week, reassigned that home visit up in Fort William to Carra, sent Harry a patronus for his input..."
Growling in frustration, Ron stared at her. "That's exactly what I'm talking about. Why is it that Harry rates a call before I do?" Shaking his head, he leaned back and glared.
Looking truly perplexed, Hermione shrugged. "Perhaps because Harry was in the States recently? In case you don't remember, your partner just got back from that conference with the Americans in Chicago a fortnight ago. I thought he might have some suggestions about how to blend in a bit."
Rolling his eyes, Ron blew out a noisy breath. "I was over there not that long ago, remember? You could have asked me."
Smiling, Hermione leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm. "Ron, you were in Canada last year. In the Maritimes. Chasing smugglers across, as you so eloquently put it, `the arse end of nowhere'. Not quite the urban environment I am headed for."
Jumping up, Ron began pacing the room. "It's really annoying that you always seem to have an explanation for everything."
Laughing, Hermione tried to stop when she saw the look on Ron's face, but was only successful in stifling her laugh back to a chuckle. "Ron, for almost ten years, you and Harry have come to depend upon me having an explanation or answer for everything. Suddenly it's a problem?"
Shaking his head, Ron leaned against the fireplace and nervously fiddled with the small items Hermione kept on the mantle. "I thought that the idea was when we both moved out and got flats of our own we were going to work on our relationship, move it forward. Instead, it's the same thing as when we lived in Grimmauld Place with Harry, except now you're on the floo to him or across town in his library rather than just down the hall in his library all the time."
Shaking her head, Hermione studied Ron for a few seconds before responding. "Ron, I don't think this is about my trip to America for Francis anymore." Taking the slight shake of his head for confirmation, she bit her lower lip. "Our relationship hasn't progressed very much since the end of the summer we moved to London. Living in our own flats or living back at Number Twelve, things haven't changed that much and I'm not certain why. We still fight as much as we don't, and we've never come close to doing anything more than talking about moving things along to a different level. Every time I bring it up, you either change the subject or we end up in yet another row about something detail that pops up and distracts us."
As he turned and faced her, Hermione could see that his face was taking on that thundercloud aspect it did every time they were on the verge of one of their monumental rows. Holding up her hand to him, Hermione tried to smile. "It's not your fault any more than it's mine. We just seem to be stuck in a holding pattern and we can't seem to break out of it."
"So let's change things. Start with a new piece of parchment. You move in with me, or I move in with you." Seeing the skeptical look on Hermione's face, Ron shrugged. "We chuck both flats and find a house. Actually do something to move us forward."
Closing her eyes, Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to ward off the headache she could feel coming on. "Ron, without any other changes, that's not forward, it's back. Instead of being at Number Twelve, where there's room for us to calm down when we row, we'd be on top of each other in one of these flats or in a small house. Where we live isn't really the issue here."
Glaring at her, Ron stared in disbelief. "If we took the next step and lived together, we'd be able to settle into things and work out the problems we have."
Standing up, Hermione walked around the divan until it was between them. "Ron, for all intents and purposes, we `lived together' from the time we were eleven until we moved out of Number Twelve and into these flats. It didn't help. If anything, things were worse because we didn't have anywhere to go when we annoyed each other."
Shaking his head, Ron closed his eyes. "You mean when I annoyed you, don't you?"
Shaking her head, Hermione watched him carefully. "No, I meant exactly what I said. I'm fully aware of the fact that I'm just as annoying to you as you are to me, once we get started. Heavens Ron, I'm not under the misconception that I'm blameless in this situation."
Starting to turn red in the face, Ron glared at her. "Then exactly what do you think is wrong here?"
Looking at him, Hermione could feel the tears start to form in her eyes. "Honestly, Ron, I'm not certain. Things aren't working, and we really can't seem to make them work. I care about you desperately, but all I can see is that we mostly make each other very unhappy. I don't think we can live like this."
His body rigid with emotion, Ron balled his fists and then unclenched them. "Then how should we live?" His voice was low and controlled, but Hermione could feel the tension radiating off him from across the room.
Taking a step back, Hermione watched him for a few seconds. "We need to try something else, because this is obviously not working. Maybe take a step back. We both feel pressured to `make things work'. If we could get back to the point where we were having fun and enjoyed seeing each other, maybe we would find what we're looking for."
Ron's face went pale, as the colour drained out of him and he slumped. "I can't believe it's coming to this."
Shaking her head, Hermione sighed. "It hasn't come to anything, yet. Ron, can you look me in the eye and honestly say you've been happy these past six months?"
Refusing to look her in the eye, Ron glanced around the apartment. "Do you want me to go to the airport with you in the morning?" Fixing his gaze on a side table that had pictures of them from when they were at Hogwarts, he sighed. "You know I worry about you when you fly."
Nodding, Hermione blinked back tears. "That would be wonderful. Do you want to meet there or come by here in the morning and go together?"
Shaking his head, Ron looked up at her for a couple of seconds, pain and regret written in his eyes. "That wasn't my thought, but since they're my only options, I'll meet you in the Ministry lounge at Heathrow. I'll floo from the atrium and be there at seven." Without waiting for her to reply, he turned abruptly and apparated out of her living room.
Her warning to him not to apparate died unspoken as a small chime sounded. Shaking her head, she looked over to her fireplace as green flames erupted and a familiar face appeared.
"Everything all right Hermione?" Harry's voice sounded guarded as he smiled at her.
Shaking her head, Hermione sank to the floor and cradled her head in her hands. "Harry, I don't know what I'm going to do about Ron."
Looking at her intently, Harry shook his head. "Mind if I come over?"
Looking up at him, Hermione smiled thinly. "You might as well. Technically, I'd say you're partially here already. Besides, you need to reset those annoying apparition wards you've got on my place; I'm too tired to think about them."
Shaking his head, Harry pulled back from the flames. A few seconds later, he came tumbling through the connection and landed on his feet with a small flourish. One of the handful of silver tokens on the side of Hermione's fireplace briefly glowed as Harry entered. Shaking his head, Harry smiled as Crookshanks appeared out of nowhere and began winding his way between Harry's ankles.
Looking up at him from her place on the floor, Hermione smiled. "Don't you dare feed that mooch. He ate not an hour ago, just before Ron arrived."
Kneeling down, Harry ran his hand along Crookshanks' back, eliciting a contented purr from the feline familiar. "Crooks isn't hungry tonight, he just wants some attention, don't you?" Harry chuckled as the kneazel-mix glared at him when he stopped paying attention to him for a second. "You run along, I'll spoil you later."
Crookshanks stared at Harry for several seconds, pushed his head against Harry's hand and then looked over his shoulder at Hermione. Sneezing once, he stalked off towards the open door that led to Hermione's bedroom.
Shaking his head, Harry stood and walked over to where Hermione was sitting on the floor. Holding out his hand, he waited for several seconds before sighing and sitting on the floor beside her. Putting his arm around her shoulder, he waited for her to settle in beside him before reaching over and gently stoking her hair. "It'll work out. You two will be fine."
Looking up at him, Hermione studied his face for a few seconds before she haltingly shook her head. "Harry, I don't think so. We row at the drop of a hat, these days. We can't seem to talk about anything without turning it into a power struggle." Shaking her head, she rolled her eyes. "He actually suggested moving in together, for Nimue's sake."
Sighing heavily, Harry nodded. "I know. He was looking at a house in Loch Maree yesterday."
Sitting bolt upright, Hermione stared at Harry for several seconds. "He what? A house? In the loch?"
Smiling, Harry shrugged. "Well, technically the house was on an island in the loch. The islands up there are a Conservancy area for the muggles, and there's a growing community of wizards and witches forming on the islands. It's even got its own loch monster, to remind folks of Hogwarts."
Staring in disbelief at the look on his face, Hermione shook her head. "I can't believe you knew about this and didn't warn me."
Shrugging, Harry smiled mischievously. "As far as I knew, this was only the second place he had looked at. And he only looked at the first one because Molly made him go look at the Kellerman place in Ottery St. Catchpole last Sunday when neither of us were at the Sunday dinner. The pace Ron usually works, I thought I had about four more months to warn you before he'd actually spring it on you."
Shaking her head, she leaned back against him and sighed. "After tonight, I don't think he'll be looking at any more houses." Sitting up and looking at Harry, she shook her head. "The Kellerman place?"
Smiling, Harry nodded. "Molly tried to get Bill and Fleur to look at it before their wedding, and she took me by to see it six months ago, a few weeks before `the incident', as she so charmingly puts it." Closing his eyes and leaning back, Harry missed the look of concern in Hermione's eyes. "She seems to think that being within walking distance of the Burrow is a selling point for a young couple."
Snorting in disbelief at that last comment, Hermione chuckled. "At least if Ron's delusional enough to think we should live together right now, he's sane enough to pick the far end of Scotland to keep me from hexing Molly after the first week of unannounced drop ins." Leaning over, Hermione placed her hand on Harry's arm. "Are you doing fine?"
Opening one eye, Harry shrugged. "I'm a bit peckish, but other than that, I'll live. You two eat before you started rowing?"
Shaking her head in exasperation, Hermione smiled. "That's not what I meant, and you know it. And no, we didn't eat. Indian or Chinese?"
Smiling, Harry launched himself upright from his seated position with one flex of his legs. "I'll do the honors, milady." Walking over to her fireplace, he glanced at the floo tokens attached to the side and saw that Ron's was still attached in its usual spot beside his. "Why didn't the git just floo home rather than busting your wards like that? We go to all the trouble of setting you up with a restricted access floo and he pops out of here like its Victoria Station after a football match."
Shrugging, Hermione sighed as she got up from her spot on the floor. "Who knows? Half the time he forgets. Tonight I think he was so annoyed that I didn't ask him to stay the night that he just left before it could get any worse."
Shaking his head, Harry reached into the small clay container on the mantle and took a pinch of floo powder. Tossing it in, he called "Chuck & Vicky's Takeout" as the flames turned green. The flames resolved themselves to show a harried looking young woman with long dark hair sitting in front of two portraits, one of Queen Victoria and the other of Prince Charles. Starting into her spiel "Welcome to Chuck & Vicky's, the wizarding home of the best tandoori chicken in London…" she looked up and smiled. "Wotcher Harry. Slumming in Kensington tonight with Hermione I see."
Smiling Harry nodded. "Hey Premila, how's the shop tonight?"
Shrugging, the dark eyed young woman smiled at him. "Eh, so so for a summer evening. Have you seen my cousins recently?"
Nodding Harry smiled. "Padma was in just this morning for a meeting with my team. I don't see her sister as often now that she's an Unspeakable. How's University going?"
Rolling her eyes, Premila laughed. "Not bad. You two want your usual?"
Looking over his shoulder and seeing Hermione shake her head, Harry sighed. "Let's try something different tonight. Any suggestions?"
Smiling mischievously, she nodded. "I'll start you two with Batak Hara Pyaz and Achari Murgh. We'll follow that up with buttered chicken, and finish it off with Mum's special. What are you two lushes drinking tonight?"
Shaking his head, Harry thought for a second. "Are you guys stocking that new brew from Vannin?" Seeing her nod, he smiled. "We'll take four of them." Leaning closer to the floo, Harry lowered his voice. "And could you send someone next door a pick up a quart of Rocky Road and add it to the tab?"
Rolling her eyes, Premila shook her head. "They're at it again?" Seeing Harry's nod, she sighed. "If she ever gets tired of it, let me know. I have a cousin who's dying to be introduced to the fabulous Hermione Granger." Seeing the scowl that crossed Harry's face, she amended. "Or, maybe not."
Shaking his head, Harry grinned. "Sorry about that, I'm certain your cousin is an excellent fellow." Looking over his shoulder at Hermione, who was bringing plates and flatware to the table, he smiled and turned back to the front. "How long?"
Looking over her shoulder towards the kitchen, Premila shrugged. "Eh, between fifteen and twenty. " Handing him a small bronze token through the floo, she glanced down at the sheet in front of her. "That'll be eight and seven."
Smiling Harry nodded. "Make it an even twelve and put it on the Grimmauld account. I'll send Kreacher around in the morning to settle up."
Nodding, Premila smiled mischievously. "Roger Harry. By the way, my cousin has a cousin who would like a second chance with the fabulous Harry Potter. Seems she wants a rematch from the Yule Ball."
Laughing Harry shrugged. "Since Parvati's an Unspeakable now, she not only knows whether I'll ask her out, but whether or not we'll have a good time. Seems to take all the fun out of it."
Winking at him, Premila nodded. "True, but that means she also knows whether or not she'll be having breakfast at Grimmauld Place the next morning." A slight look of panic crossed her face as she looked over Harry's shoulder. "Your food will be there in ten minutes. Namaste." Abruptly cutting the floo connection, Premila's face disappeared.
Without turning around, Harry shook his head. "I think you scared the poor girl."
Sounding a tad waspish, Hermione stepped up beside him. "And exactly who will be having breakfast at Grimmauld Place?"
Shrugging, Harry wrapped his arm around Hermione's shoulder and steered her back towards the sofa. "She's hinting that Parvati is looking for a rematch to make up for the bad time I showed her at the Yule Ball." Seeing the skeptical look in Hermione's face, he grinned. "She started off by mentioning that she has a cousin who was interested in meeting the `fabulous Hermione Granger'."
Shaking her head, Hermione laughed. "If you'd stop ordering ice-cream for me every time Ron and I row, she wouldn't make those suggestions."
Shaking his head, Harry groaned. "I'm getting predictable in my old age, I suppose."
Rising up on tiptoe, Hermione kissed him on the cheek. "Wonderfully so." Seating herself on the couch, she patted the cushion beside her. "Sit. Do you want to hear about the trip or the fight?"
Lowering himself to the couch, Harry tossed the delivery token to the coffee table. "The trip. We'll talk about the fight with dessert."
Turning so he could look at her, Harry smiled as Hermione tucked her feet up under her and leaned back into the back of the sofa. "You know, part of the problem is that he worries about you going off on these expeditions for Francis."
Grabbing a throw pillow and hugging it to her, Hermione nodded. "I know. You both worry about me, but at least you're willing to credit me with a bit of common sense and ability to take care of myself. Ron sees me as a walking menace, I think."
Shaking his head, Harry smiled. "It's not that as much as it is he's as much a victim of FTS as Ginny is."
Biting her lower lip for a second, Harry could see the wheels turning as Hermione tried to puzzle out his last comment. Finally shaking her head in exasperation, she looked at him. "FTS? What in Merlin's name is that?"
Chuckling, Harry nodded. "Fairy Tale Syndrome. Ginny always expected me to be this immaculate knight in shining armour out of some story. Ron sees women, primarily women he cares about, as damsels in distress, whether they are or not."
Staring at him in disbelief for several seconds, Harry could see that she was trying desperately not to laugh. Biting her lower lip, her eyes began to light up as she gave way to laughter. "Harry… that...was…" Finally losing control, she leaned back and just started laughing uncontrollably.
Smiling as he watched his best mate lose control of herself, Harry flinched a bit as Crookshanks launched himself from somewhere into Harry's lap. Ruffling the ginger feline's ears as Crookshanks settled himself into place, he leaned over and whispered into the cat's ear, "See, and you were worried about her." Looking up at him with a haughty expression, Crookshanks rubbed his head under Harry's chin a couple of times before settling down and watching his mistress try to regain control of herself.
Tears running down her cheeks, Hermione smiled at Harry as she tried to regain her breath. "That was the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. A pureblood witch and wizard suffering from Fairy Tale Syndrome?" Laughing again, she reached up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I never thought of it in those terms, but it exactly explains both of them." Shaking her head, Hermione stared at Harry for several seconds. "What am I going to do with him? He's never going to credit the fact I don't need saving every time I turn around."
Before Harry could answer, the delivery token shimmered once, the sound of windchimes was heard and a tray with their dinners on it appeared. Next to the tray was a small carrier with four brown bottles sitting in it and a padded bag marked `Chilling charm 45:59 ` with the numbers counted down in one-second increments.
Inhaling, Hermione smiled. "Harry, that smells heavenly. Even if she's an interfering, matchmaking busybody, Premila certainly does know how to select a menu."
Laughing, Harry summoned a pair of beer glasses from the kitchen and proceeded to pour their first drinks into them. "She means well. Face it, the fact that you and Ron row as much as the Cambridge University Boat Club is not exactly a secret and Molly's the only person in England who isn't aware of the fact that Ginny and I are, mercifully, history."
Shaking her head, Hermione accepted her glass from Harry as she levitated their plates into position. Conjuring a small saucer, she placed a couple of bits of chicken on it for Crookshanks before she looked up him. "Ginny's finally given up the chase?"
Nodding, Harry swallowed a bit of his duck and smiled ruefully. "It looks that way. I think she finally realized that she was meeting blokes left and right who were dying to chat her up and more, so why spend any more time chasing after the `Boy Who Got Away'."
Nodding thoughtfully, Hermione watched Harry for a couple of seconds. "You're all right with that?" she asked as she took a forkful of the duck from Harry's plate.
Shaking his head, Harry returned the compliment by snagging some of her achari murgh before answering. "It's way overdue. I just hope she finds someone who can actually make her happy, since I couldn't ever seem to do that."
Rolling her eyes, Hermione laughed. "Harry, no one can make anyone else happy, you can only contribute to her happiness. The two of you weren't very well suited to each other, really. I suppose you're correct about that fairy tale business, she was looking for something in you that no living man could have provided."
Feigning outrage, Harry drew himself haughtily. "Are you implying that I'm not Prince Charming?"
Smiling, Hermione shook her head. "Not at all, I'm just saying you're obviously not Ginny's Prince Charming, and I don't think anyone this side of Godric Gryffindor could be." Looking at him with a faraway look for a second, she smiled shyly. "You'll make the right witch very happy someday."
Shaking his head and blushing slightly, Harry smiled. "Care to tell me about your latest excursion for Francis, while you eat my duck?" He quipped as Hermione was in the middle of taking another forkful from his plate."
Smiling warily as she returned the purloined forkful of food to her plate she nodded. "Nothing much, just a quick pickup from some of Francis' `cousins' in the States. Some trinkets got picked up by mistake here in England and we need to bring them back before they're missed." Smiling at the incredulous look on Harry's face, she nodded.
Shaking his head, Harry sighed. "I'm not Ron; you don't have to cloak everything. We both know what's going on; at least I'm mature enough to think about it directly."
Smiling sadly, Hermione nodded. "Sorry Harry, I just get used to having to talk around everything, trying to avoid a row with Ron. As I was saying, a couple of smugglers stole a pair of enchanted items from a castle up in Scotland and are in the process of peddling them to some group in Canada or America."
Nodding, she accioed the briefing packet to her and handed Harry the sheets on the two missing items. "One of them, the Fairy Flag of Dunvegan is actually quite powerful and potentially lethal if they're not very careful. Francis and the Ministry want them back before they cause an incident that can't be explained easily."
Nodding, Harry looked thoughtful as he glanced at the datasheets. "Makes sense to send you, I suppose. No one on the outside ever suspects you're death on two legs until you unleash on them." Grinning at the shocked look on her face, he looked thoughtful. "Going to take a side trip down to Mobile to finally meet Marysue?"
"You're as bad as Ron. I swear that if I'd known how he was going to react, I never would have agreed to Francis' plan. I spent thirteen weeks transfigured as Ms Marysue Carter so I could go through the physical and combat training part of Auror basic with you and Ron without attracting attention." Stabbing an innocent portion of buttered chicken into submission on her plate, Hermione scowled at Harry. "Except for you, every auror candidate in the place and most of the instructors hit on me at least twice a day. Why couldn't they have picked someone more normal?"
Raising an eyebrow, Harry smiled at her. "Normal? She seemed normal enough to me. Not quite as pretty as you, but definitely normal."
At a loss for words, Hermione shook her head. "Normal women who become aurors aren't `Miss Hog Wild Festival' queens." Smiling smugly, she settled back to eat more of her meal. "Well, at least her spending the same amount of time transfigured as me helped to slow down her social life back in Mobile."
Chuckling, Harry shook his head. "I don't know. When I was in Chicago, there was a trio of very earnest young agents from the Alabama Bureau who were highly impressed when Marysue mentioned that I'd been your best mate since school days. Marysue blushed Weasley red when Agent Mayhew asked me to tell you he was looking forward to exchanging whipped cream recipes with you again on your next visit to Alabama."
Staring at Harry in horror, Hermione shook her head in disbelief. "Harry, please tell me you're joking. Why didn't you mention something about this when you came back from Chicago?"
Shaking his head, Harry smiled at her. "I covered for you. I told him that I was the only wizard that you swapped recipes with these days, and I was certain that my technique with whipping cream was much preferable. He took one look at my scar and suddenly remembered he had another seminar that he was going to audit."
Staring at Harry as if he'd just burst into flames, Hermione shook her head as he calmly went back to eating. "How could you?"
Smiling knowingly, Harry shrugged. "Did you or did you not rave about those gooseberry pies I made last spring?"
"Well yes, but what's that got to do with it?" Looking exasperated, Hermione started turning a bit pink around her ears.
Looking innocent, Harry shrugged. "I doubt Agent Mayhew could make those as well, and since the whipped cream was part of it…"
"Harry James Potter, that wasn't what he was talking about and you bloody well know it."
Smirking, Harry nodded. "Language Hermione. We don't know anything of the kind. But if he thinks I'm talking about whatever it was he might have been talking about, it'll keep him from pestering you if he ever runs across you in a social or work setting in the future."
Picking up a throw pillow and heaving it at him, she laughed when he wandlessly deflected it. "What about the you're the only wizard I swap recipes with part?"
"I gave you my mum's recipe for gooseberry pie; you gave me your mum's recipe for treacle tart. Have you swapped any recipes with any other wizards?"
Shaking her head slowly, she sighed. "Well, no."
"QED, what I told him was nothing but the unvarnished truth." Sitting back, Harry wandlessly snagged the throw pillow from the floor and swatted her in the back of the head with it.
Shaking her head, Hermione stared at him for several seconds. "Did it ever occur to you to hint that I was swapping recipes with Ron? That would have defused the situation just as easily, you know."
Chuckling, Harry cleared the last few bits of chicken from his plate. "Not a chance. If your Mr. Mayhew ever ran into Ron, Ron would either be totally confused about the entire conversation, giving the game away or he'd pummel the young man into blood pudding if he figured out what he was getting at. Safest thing all around was to make myself the brooding, possessive wizard who was firmly entrenched in your life."
Smiling innocently, Harry proceeded to snag the last bits of dinner from the table in front of them. "There isn't anyone on the planet who doesn't think something's gone on between us, at some point. We finally found a situation where it works for us."
Rolling her eyes, Hermione sighed as she reached for another bottle. "Harry, he's not `my Mr. Mayhew', he's Marysue's. And for another thing…"
Whatever else she was going to say was interrupted by a brief flare of green fire from her fireplace and a leather valise landing in the middle of her hearth with a resounding thump.
"There are times I bloody well hate my job." Getting up gracefully, she walked slowly over to the case and carried it back to set it gently on the table in front of them. Smiling at Harry, she picked up her wand and tapped the valise twice on each latch. "I solemnly swear I first met Harry James Potter on the Hogwarts Express." The latches opened with an audible snap.
"And what does your boss think about your pass phrase to get into your top secret compartment of your valise?" Chuckling, Harry's eyes got a far-away look as he remembered that day when Hermione first came bustling into his life.
"I've never had to open it in front of him, but I doubt he'd be surprised. The Ministry is in debt to your father and the rest of the Marauders for that little security device they created for the Marauders' Map." Grinning, she blushed a bit as she remembered the day when she and Harry first met. "Let's see what they've got for me to take on my little trip." Opening the case, she looked at the various envelopes, binders and a slim book of spells that lay in the case. On one side was an old-fashioned black wool tam with a white silk cockade attached.
"Since when has Francis started making fashion suggestions?" Harry asked as he watched her gently take it out and place it on her head. Smiling, he moved his wand in a circular pattern and the air in front of Hermione's face shimmered and turned into a reflective surface that showed her how the tam looked while she was wearing it. Smiling her thanks, she tilted her head and turned slightly so she could see Harry in the mirror along with her own reflection.
"It's something that might make some of the people I'm to meet a bit more receptive to working with me. The other things are just standard issue for a trip away, stop worrying." Smiling impishly at his reflection, she raised an eyebrow and asked "Does this mean you're volunteering to go shopping for me the next time I need to find something new for my wardrobe?" Laughing at the look on his face, she added "I'm much less painful to go shopping with than Ginny, it won't kill you."
Smiling Harry nodded. "I've gone shopping with you before. I seem to remember one Saturday before Easter last year when you decided you needed yellow heels to go with that dress you were wearing the next day. We spent seven hours, went to fourteen different stores in three different towns and you tried on forty-two different pairs before we went back to the first pair you tried on that morning just as Harrods was closing."
"Just that once, I'm usually not that bad, I'll thank you very much." Dispelling the mirror with a flick of her wand, she quickly turned her head and caught him watching her. "If you want painful, I'll tell Bill that you're willing to accompany his wife. Fleur is much more `demanding' than Ginny or I about clothes."
Chuckling, he reached into the case and picked up an official looking muggle folder. "Diplomatic Credentials?"
"If I get caught doing something I shouldn't by the local muggle authorities, those credentials will give me a pass out of being detained. Eventually. Unless it's simpler to just adjust their memories and let me go on my merry way."
Shaking his head, Harry smiled at her blithe explanation. "You know I do worry about you." Seeing the look in her eye, he held up both hands in surrender. "I never worry about you being able to handle things. Merlin knows, you're twice as smart as Ron and I put together." Seeing that dangerous glint begin to fade, he put his hand lightly on her arm. "I just worry about you being all by yourself on these things. When I'm undercover, there's a whole group that knows and is ready to come find me if something goes wrong. With Francis' missions, if something goes wrong I don't trust them not to pretend nothing ever happened if it suits their purposes."
Smiling sadly, Hermione nodded. "Harry, I worry about you and Ron while you're out running around saving the world, but you're correct. What I do is different." Stepping close, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him. "I have every intention of coming home to you from this, don't worry."
As Harry returned her hug, he held her for several seconds before answering. "You know that if something happens, I'll be over there tearing that place apart until I find you, rules or not."
Nodding, Hermione smiled at him. "Harry, let's sit down and divvy up that ice cream you ordered, and I'll explain my backup plan to you."
Sitting down, Harry grabbed the briefing folder from the table and began looking over the background materials on the flag and glass again. Hermione summoned a pair of bowls and spoons from her kitchen and broke the seal on the protective bag surrounding the ice cream. Filling both bowls, she set them in front of Harry and slid onto the divan beside him, ducking under his arm and leaning across him to see what he was so fascinated with.
Watching him for a second, she shook her head as she picked up a bowl. "I would have thought that you would have been more interested in the flag."
Frowning in concentration, Harry shook his head as Hermione held a spoonful of ice cream up for him. Absentmindedly taking the proffered bite, he smiled, as he tasted the dessert. "Um, that's good. I can see what you see in this. But no, I think Francis is wrong in his thought that the Fairy Flag was an add-on. I think they were sent to collect both items. There's a connection, something that links both items other than the fact they were both conveniently housed in Dunvegan Castle."
Looking thoughtful, Hermione closed her eyes while eating a spoonful of ice cream. Shrugging, she opened her brown eyes and frowned. "A MacLeod who's a candidate to be Queen of Scots?"
Chuckling, Harry nodded. "That's one possible answer. All hail Minerva, Queen of Scots."
Giggling, Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't think the world is quite ready for that, as appealing as it would seem to us Gryffindors." Grinning cheekily, she nodded, "Of course, it could be an elf that's heir to the Scottish throne."
Smiling, Harry took another bite of her ice cream as she shook her head at the thought. "You were saying something about a backup plan?"
Nodding, Hermione smiled. "If I mention, December 26th, what do you think of?"
Furrowing his brow, Harry looked puzzled. "Your backup plan is Boxing Day?"
Shaking her head, Hermione laughed. "Not exactly. If I said the day after Christmas our seventh year?"
Frowning, Harry shook his head. "Since I'm certain your plan doesn't hinge on either of us pulling out the Sword of Gryffindor at a crucial moment, you're talking about Ron coming back to us while we were on the Hunt."
Nodding, Hermione smiled. "Albus' deluminator allowed Ron to find us when we spoke his name in our tent."
Looking puzzled, Harry tilted his head a bit. "If you get in trouble, Ron and I set around with the Put-Outer waiting for you to call for us?"
Shaking her head, with a twinkle in her eye, Hermione grinned. "Ron will be panicking and doing random, useless stuff while you'll be coming up with a brilliant plan. To make it a bit easier, I've spent the last six months working on these." Holding out her hand, a small velvet bag sailed out of her bedroom door and into her waiting hand. Opening the bag, she removed two familiar looking silver objects.
Whistling, Harry shook his head in disbelief. "Scrimgeour said that Dumbledore's was unique."
Nodding, Hermione looked very happy with herself. "It was, and it took a great deal of genius for him to create that out of whole cloth. It didn't take quite as much genius on my part to reverse engineer his to create our own." Nodding at Harry's gobsmacked expression, she handed him one of the pair. "One for you, one for me, and the original for Ronald."
Placing her hand on Harry's arm, Hermione stared into his eyes for several seconds before speaking. "Harry, I have one, because I'm just as much a part of this as you and Ron. If you ever need me, call for me and I'll come for you."
Silence descended over the room for several moments, only broken by the gentle crackling of the floo. The tableau was broken when Crookshanks appeared out of nowhere and landed heavily in Harry's lap, noisily demanding attention.
Nodding, Harry looked down at Crookshanks as he rubbed the fur along his back. "You know I will, just as I'll come when you need me."
Smiling, Hermione nodded. "Harry, can you do two things for me tonight?"
Looking up, Harry nodded, "Of course. Just name it."
Smiling, she got up to begin clearing the dishes from the table in front of them. "When you go back to Grimmauld Place in the morning, could you take Crooks with you and let him run around the house until I get back?"
Smiling, Harry rubbed Crookshanks under his chin and nodded. "Yes I'll spend the night and yes Crookshanks can stay with me until you come back for us." Looking at the blush on her cheeks, he sighed. "That row with Ron was worse than you've let on, no?"
Blushing, she shrugged. "I just don't really feel like being alone tonight. I know it's silly, it seems we've spent more nights together on the chesterfield here or at your place than we haven't."
Gently setting Crookshanks on the cushion beside him, Harry stood and began collecting the remains of dinner. "Nonsense, there's nothing to apologize for. We've both had nightmares from time to time, and we've both been there for each other." Leaning over, Harry kissed her on the top of her head. "If you'd like, I'll talk to Ron while you're gone."
Shaking her head, Hermione bit her lower lip for a couple of seconds before answering. "I'm a big witch, I can handle him. But honestly, I think the time is coming, and coming soon, when we're going to have to acknowledge the fact it hasn't worked and it's not going to work between us."
As she looked up, Harry could see the tears in her eyes. "Does that make me a bad person?" she asked, quietly.
Shaking his head, Harry smiled ruefully with a strange expression on his face. "Hermione, you couldn't be a bad person, if you tried. You're simply honest. I'll back whatever decision you make. The two of you have been particularly adept at making each other miserable for the past while, and I don't think it's going to get any better until you come to terms with where your future lies."
Taking her hand and squeezing it gently he nodded. "You know I'm in your corner with this. I made quite a few mistakes over the years trying not to choose between the two of you and I've regretted every time I didn't choose you. I'll never make that mistake again. You know you're the most important person in my life, and you always have been."
Nodding her thanks, she smiled a watery smile. "Harry, that means a great deal to me." Looking towards her bedroom door, she nodded. "You've still got clothes in the wardrobe in my room. I'll tidy up in here and in the kitchen if you want to grab the first shower."
Seeing him nod, she smiled as he gave her a lazy grin and ambled towards her bedroom. Gathering up her briefing materials, she placed everything in her valise. Closing it, she paused for a second, until she heard the water start in the bathroom before taking out her wand. Tapping each lock twice, she smiled and whispered, "I met the love of my life on the Hogwarts Express, and he doesn't know it." Both locks sealed with an audible click as she gathered up the remaining dishes and headed for her kitchen.
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Just after two a.m., while Harry and Hermione slept on her sofa, the gently crackling fire in Hermione's floo flared up and turned green as one of the tokens on the side of the fireplace glowed. A red-haired wizard watched the scene before him, the two best mates sleeping on the couch with Hermione's head on Harry's chest and his arms wrapped protectively around her. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes as the floo connection closed, his face disappeared, and the flames died back down. Crookshanks' eyes glittered balefully in the flickering light as he kept a protective watch over his mistress and the wizard who slumbered beside her.
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