Unofficial Portkey Archive

Chapter Thirty

-

Three more weeks later proved one of the most wonderful in Harry's and the others lives. Owls arrived in the middle of the day from Dumbledore.

"Return home, time for you to rest…"

The whole camp was positively gleeful and everyone was laughing and joking as they started packing.

"Can you believe it?" Ron asked as he threw his things messily into his bag.

"No, I honestly can't," Harry answered. He hadn't started packing yet, he just couldn't process what they had been told.

"Can you imagine Hermione's face as you walk into the camp?" Ron said trying to get a response out of Harry, Harry's eyes drifted away and Ron smiled. "Mind, we probably won't be able to show ourselves, we are supposed to be abroad protecting your wealth and all that… but still…. Maybe I can see Luna, and eat some of mum's mince pie…" Ron said dreamingly and Harry wondered what would come first in order with Ron.

"She might not be there," Harry mumbled.

"Course she will, my mom never leaves for long," Ron shrugged.

"I mean Hermione," Harry answered rolling his eyes. "She's probably on some mission for Dumbledore."

"Nah, he'd tell her to come back wouldn't he. If he knew you were coming," Ron said surely as he continued throwing sock into his trunk. "He's good like that!"

"Do you think so?" Harry asked hopefully.

"Sure, you are married and all…" Ron added.

"Yeah, but no one knows about that though. Only you and some of the men in the army know, and Viktor - but he promised he wouldn't tell, and I believe him. We never even told Sirius or Dumbledore!"

Ron turned to him and stopped packing for just a moment.

"She'll be there!" he promised.

-

Harry felt very nervous as they touched British ground. When the lorry neared the forest where the camp was his hands started shaking and as they wandered on the small path towards the camp he felt completely sick to his stomach. Everyone was with him; it was far too dangerous for anyone to return to their families. Those who could, would meet their loved ones in the camp, but the rest would have to suffer through it.

They got closer to the camp and Harry held his breath. The cold February air hurt his lounges and he had to stop himself from running. It wasn't so much about his nerves about seeing her; it was the fear of hearing that she was away… or worse.

The camp became aware of their presence and people started running towards them and soon everyone got separated.

Harry searched the faces around them but there were far too many. He had no idea where she was, and he was surprised at the amount of people there.

He searched for just one familiar face.

"Hermione?" he asked, "Hermione Granger?" but everyone shook their heads. There were so many, of course they wouldn't know everyone by name.

He ran towards her tent, bumping into people at every step, everyone was running towards the group of soldiers, desperate to find someone they knew or loved among them.

He yanked open the tent and saw that it was empty. He turned back around and saw Ron hugging Seamus Finnegan gladly.

Harry suddenly saw Cedric Diggory hurrying towards him. He ran forwards and grabbed Cedric by the shoulders.

"Is she here?" he demanded.

"No", Cedric shook his head. "No she's not!"

"Where is she?" Harry demanded and Cedric looked around. He nodded towards Hermione's tent and they walked inside.

"What?" Harry demanded.

"Dumbledore sent her on a new mission."

"Alone?"

Harry's heart beat fast.

"He told us that we had to wait for a while with the children, it was getting too dangerous and there was no safe way of doing it. Hermione told him about rumors we had heard…"

"What rumors?" Harry demanded desperately.

"It's nothing really, it's just that once we were on a ferry and we heard some wizards talking about Blaise Zabbini and Hermione thought there was something there…"

"So she's spying on him" Harry asked.

"Yes."

"And why aren't you with her?" Harry rounded on Cedric.

"I couldn't."

"Why?!"

"Because she' working in his bar," Cedric mumbled and looked away.
Harry clutched at his stomach.

"His stripclub?"

Cedric nodded. Harry staggered over to Hermione's bed. So she was in the middle of everything, in the middle of the place where the Death Eaters met and frolicked. He wanted to be sick.

"She's just a waitress, she's not a stripper or anything," Cedric assured him. "They won't hire muggleborns."

Harry's mind flashed back to the night he had been at the club.

"May I treat you two to a private dance? Have your pick of the girls!" Blaise gestured like a true host at the girls. He did it so casually he might as well have pointed to bottles and asked what they wanted to drink.

"No thanks, I think we'll wait. Maybe another time;" Harry said and raised his glass in a gesture of gratitude.

"So no one catches your eye?" Blaise sounded disapproving. "the waitresses then, do you want anyone of them?"

"Do they dance and wait?" Harry asked.

"If I tell them to... They are not supposed to, generally speaking. I only hire purebloods to dance. But if you would like one of the waitresses…"

"No." Harry answered determinedly.

So Hermione had to work there? He knew how Blaise treated muggleborns, his stomach churned again. Cedric left him alone and Harry reached for a quill. He didn't care what Dumbledore, Sirius or Mad-Eye would say. He started on his letter to Dumbledore.

A.D

Making a public appearance tomorrow. Officially returning to Britain. Just thought you'd want to know. Can't believe you let her work there!

H

He dotted the spot a bit too hard, but he was just a bit too upset at the moment.

-

Harry walked quickly through Diagon Alley. Every corner he turned caused new wizards to turn and point at him. He was aware of the shock they would suffer. One of the richest people in magical London had returned.

Word would spread quickly. He had Ron at his side, it would be weird otherwise. He hurried down the street to the Leaky Cauldron. Blaise's bar wouldn't open for a couple of hours and it was better for him to be seen by a few more people before he went there. A few new shops had opened and some had closed. There were fewer people in Diagon Alley than before the war. Harry guessed some were in hiding, some were battling in the war, on different sides of the battle.

Ron held open the door for him at the Leaky Cauldron and he stepped inside.

"Harry, Ron!" a few voices called out in shock. Angelina Johnson ran up to them and shook their hands. "So good to see you," she smiled widely at them.

Angelina was one of Dumbledore's spies. She was a famous Quidditch player in Britain and her career made her popular in the Pureblood society. "Come join me," she nodded at her table, with her was fellow Quidditch players Marcus Flint and Miles Bletchley. They nodded and Harry followed her as Ron made his way to the bar.

-

Hermione was helping one of the strippers tighten her leather corset.

"Harder!" she hissed menacingly at Hermione. It was funny, Hermione thought, that so many hated her for being born a Muggle. Of course not everyone at the bar was the same. The others who were just waitresses were muggleborn as well or just deemed too ugly by Blaise.

When she had finished with the girl she started putting on her own outfit. It was nowhere as awful as those who had to strip, but she still really hated it.

She wore a shiny black shirt tide just under her bosoms', it was long sleeved and flared but that was the most she could hide of her body.

She wore black hipsters on the bottom, and under she had fishnet stockings. She had leather boots that were dangerously high and she was just waiting for the day when she'd break her ankle.

"Are you done with the red lipstick?" Eloise Midgen asked. She was a pureblood, but Blaise told her to her face that she was far too ugly to dance for his customers. She couldn't even be a proper waitress; she had to stay behind the bar. He told her she'd scare away dogs, and even make blind men sense her ugliness. Even though Eloise had been a Slytherin in school, being constantly told how ugly she was, didn't leave much left of her self-image.

Hermione handed her the lipstick, they always had to look the same every night. Long black eyelashes and blood red lipstick.

Hermione had to straighten her hair or wear it up, Blaise had told her that she looked like the end of an old broom when she wore it naturally.

She heard one of the girls who stripped chatter excitingly.

"Marcus Flint is here!" she giggled excited and clapped her hands. It was the girl Hermione had helped with her corset, her name was Christina and she was a very curvy girl with long blond hair to her hips.

"So what? He's got a girlfriend hasn't he?" someone asked.

"Oh sweetie," Christina rolled her eyes, "You weren't here last time were you, he asked for a private dance and he tipped me something wicked!"

Two other dancers stood up.

"How much?" a dark girls asked.

Christina bit her lip and looked away, obviously teasing them, trying to get them more curious.

"More than Peter Pettigrew," Christina finally said and the girls "wowed" and "ooed".

Hermione had no idea what that meant but she cringed when she heard the mention of Peter Pettigrew, he had been in the club a lot of times and he was absolutely vile. He was treated like a king for all the money he threw around him but he was absolutely nasty. Hermione had gotten more than one indecent proposals from him, and more than often he had smacked her bum as she walked by. She loathed him, but then again, she detested most of the wizards at this god forsaken joint.

"And what did you have to do?" the darker girl asked.

Hermione took a small step closer to them, and wished she could extend her ears because Christina frowned.

"Are you talking about Marcus Flint or Pettigrew?"

"Flint of course!" the girl made a face, like even thinking about Peter Pettigrew made her slightly sick. Christina lowered her voice.

"You know, just a little dance…"

"And?" a third girl asked. Christina lit a cigarette.

"I just danced, might have showed a little more than I usually do," she snickered.

"And did you go home with him?" the dark girl asked.

"No, his girlfriend was at home. But I hope I will tonight," she reached for a glass of wine and swept it.

"Or one of us," the dark girl giggled. Christina slammed the glass down.

"You better stay away Ava," Hermione stopped inching towards them, Christina had gotten very mad and she shouldn't push her luck.

"Sorry," Ava mumbled.

"I danced for him first, keep away! But he has loads of rich friends with him so you are welcome to anyone of them. But they brought some broad with them so watch out if she's a girlfriend. But I think she's a Quidditch player or something so she might as well be here for a dance for herself." They all snickered.

"Something for you then," the dark girl said to an Asian girl called Nanni, getting dressed. She shrugged and answered:

"I'll dance for anyone who pays enough!" They laughed and Nanni started covering herself with glitter. "Who's starting?" she asked but got quiet quickly as she saw something. Everyone turned and they all straightened up at the sight of Blaise Zabbini entering. Hermione took a deep breath and looked down at her shoes, they were polished enough weren't they?

"Babes," he said and looked around, his glare stopped at Nanni for a moment and he licked his lips, "Looking good tonight Nanni!"

She winked at him.

"We have famous Quidditch players here tonight; I need you all to do your best. Even more than that, I demand that you to give that little extra. Dig some gold for me, okay! And we have some of the regulars here, some new people.... Don't disappoint me, just go that extra mile tonight!" he ordered and spun around, just before he left her turned slightly and said. "Nanni, why don't you come and see me later?"

Nanni looked very proud and honored when he had left.

"You!" Christina suddenly yelled at Eloise Midgen.

"Yes," she hurried over and Christina's friends laughed with her.

"Get me more wine," she hissed at her. "And hurry!"

Eloise turned to hurry to the bar when Christina kicked with her sharp heel at the back of Eloise calf and she stumbled forwards. Being on such high heels made her stumble quite hard and she limped away.

Christina sneered at her. Hermione's blood got hotter and she bit her lip. That was nothing really, she had endured much worse while working here but she felt like slapping Christina hard in the face and she knew she couldn't.

"What are you looking at?" Christina shrieked at a waitress sitting next to Hermione.

"Nothing!" she assured her and looked down at her feet.

Hermione glanced over at the clock, just a few more minutes.

The first hour, the bar was tended to by a few bar men, Blaise was convinced it would build up to the anticipation of getting girls out there.

At nine o'clock every night Hermione's shift officially started, and she worked until six in the morning. Eloise hurried inside and gave Christina her glass, she didn't look at Eloise as she sipped it.

Hermione clutched the dark red lipstick in her hand which she knew was Christina's favorite.

"Where's my lipstick?" Christina shrieked angrily when the wineglass had blotched her lipstick. No one answered, no one knew where it was. Christina was known for being messy. The other stripper's couldn't be bothered with her tantrums.

Christina spun around at her makeup table and looked around.

"You!" she turned and pointed at Eloise, "Did you take it?!"

Eloise looked frightened and shook her head.

"I'll help you," Hermione volunteered and ducked under Christina's makeup table. Christina would never bother ducking down herself so Hermione took the opportunity to look down the bin under the table. Nothing of importance in there, a few business cards from men trying to suit her, an empty pack of cigarettes an empty can of "Witch Weight", Hermione held down a snicker - everyone knew "Witch Weight" was such a fake!

"If you stole it I will have Blaise beat you down in front of the…"

"Here it is!" Hermione called out from under the desk just as Christina was about to tell Eloise what would happen to her. She heard Christina sigh contently and take another sip of her glass.

"You're such a good girl," she said and patted Hermione on the head as she excited from under the table.

"Just call for me tonight if you need anything!" Hermione said.

"You know I will, Hemmy!"

Hermione smiled kindly at her and received a gently caress on the cheek from Christina. Hemmy had become the nickname some of the girls used for Hermione, and she despised it.

"Time!" a guard called out and everyone got to their feet while Christina shoved her lipstick in her bra. Loud music started and the strippers got ready to enter the stage. Hermione and the others waitresses snuck through the side door and hurried to their places in the dark.

Lights went off and the girls walked out, a salsa song swayed and in a practiced dance the girls on the small stages danced. Hermione watched them and looked around the club. There were quite a lot of people there already but she couldn't see the faces, the crowd was completely dark and all lights were on the stage. It would only be like this during the first songs.

"Drinks!" a man shouted at her and she hurried forwards. She was still behind the bar; she usually didn't start the rounds until after the first song.

"What can I get you?"

"Fourteen "Dirty Wands"," he yelled over the music and Hermione hurried along.

-

Hermione was just setting down four drinks at the table at one of the regulars table at the club, they all worked at the ministry and usually came to the club every day after work. She felt something close to a burn on her neck. She couldn't place it, something was just bothering her, and she almost felt like an insistent mosquito was trying to bite her neck.

Someone was watching her, staring at her. She turned around and looked at the tables on the other side of the bar. It looked pitch black, but since she had a light right in her eyes she knew she was blinder that she should have been, the men around her started clapping happily and she looked over at the stage. One of the girls had just thrown her jacket aside and was now in her red lace bra.

She hurried back to the bar and leaned over at Eloise almost yelling over the music:

"Six firewhiskeys, four bare barons and one extra overflown elfemeade."

She felt watched once more and turned again to the side where she had just looked. It was dark but the disco light had started to calm down and she knew that the "parlor" light would soon be returning, the club would return to its normal state and she would be able to see the other patrons.

The song changed again and she searched the patrons on the other side.

Without her mind comprehending what was happening, she suddenly let out a loud groan and clutched the counter. Her knees were so weak that she could hardly stand. She had met his stare.

His green eyes seemed to light up the room more than any of the rays around the room.

He was staring fixedly at her and suddenly the music around her felt like it was thunder in her ears. The lights in the room changed and drowned his table in complete dark, consuming blackness. Was it really him? she thought panicked.

"Here!" Eloise thundered in her ear.

"What?"

"Six firewhiskeys, four bare barons and one extra overflown elfemeade." Eloise repeated and shoved a large tray of drink at her. Hermione took it dazed and walked out from behind the bar, she tripped her way over to the table that had ordered the drinks. She turned again towards her "hallucination", this time she knew.

She saw him much closer than last time.

Her heart jumped a beat before suddenly beating harder and faster.

Without a doubt… she knew…

It was Harry!

~~~

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