Unofficial Portkey Archive

Thank-you to those of you who have reviewed. As mentioned before, this is a short story (or a novella of sorts) and so we're actually nearing the end! In this chapter, I have borrowed a line from "Love Actually".

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Chapter Six: An Eventual Ending

When Harry woke up in the morning he didn't need to open his eyes to know that he was alone in the bed. He had a vivid memory of the activities of the night before which awoke another part of his body and made him wish he wasn't alone in his bed.

Grabbing his boxer briefs off the floor where they had been carelessly discarded he checked the clock to see that it was on 6 AM. Where did she sneak off to at such an early hour? he wondered. The bathroom was empty so he proceeded to take a shower, resolving to search for her once he was cleaned up and a bit more awake. When he came out dripping wet and wrapped in a towel she had already returned and was dressed, packed and ready to go.

"Ugh, forgetting something?" he asked upon seeing her, feeling very anxious that something was clearly wrong. "Don't we have a cursed object to find?"

"Already did" she said matter-of-factly. "I used your invisibility cloak to sneak into the vault where they keep the poker chips. At 4:30 AM not many chips are out on the floor, so most of them were all rounded up nicely. I should have thought of it in the first place! Anyways, my hunch was right. It was a poker chip that had been cursed. I was careful not to touch it, and now we're all set to head back to the cavern to diffuse the thing. Also, an owl came from Roderick and he had a list of 20 suspects who can translate various dialects of ancient Chinese, and...."

"That's great!" Harry interrupted. "Is something wrong?"

"Not at all!" she said, her tone falsely bright. "Maybe if we cross reference that tattoo you saw on the assassin's neck..."

"You know that's not what I'm talking about."

"There's nothing to talk about Harry. We were both consenting adults and it's only natural that we would end up sleeping together at some point. We're single and we spend all of our time together. Hell, we wouldn't have time for a relationship with anyone else even if we wanted to. So we had a few drinks and we had sex, it doesn't need to change anything."

The words a relationship with anyone else hit him like a kick to the gut and he turned away so she couldn't see his expression. It was all so logical when she laid it out that way, and they were best friends and single, so there was no reason the so-called "friends with benefits" scenario couldn't apply.

"You're right" he said when he had composed himself. He flashed her his best smile. "It doesn't change anything. Let's get back to the cavern."

*****

It was hard to avoid each other but Harry was quite sure that Hermione was trying her best to refrain from any sort of close contact and prolonged conversations. Since they had returned from the casino they had been working on narrowing their list of suspects and thus had been spending long hours in the cavern.

Every morning when he arrived to work she would already be there, plowing through some massive book or another. She would always have a list of resources for him to find, and when he found all those she would have another list. At the end of the day she would voice how exhausted she was and say she was going to fall asleep as soon as she got home, which prevented him from visiting.

The whole thing was beginning to grind on his nerves but he wasn't sure how to approach the situation. He wasn't sure that there was a protocol for "you shagged your best friend and now she regrets it and can't stand to look at your face". The sex had been good. No good, didn't cover it. It had been phenomenal, mind blowing, explosive. They had both always been intensely passionate and the jolt of being intimate together had been like electricity mixing with water. We've always been two parts of one whole... the head and the heart like Roderick said.

Clearly she wasn't seeing it that way though, so he kept his mouth clamped up as they went through the daily motions. After a week had passed the silence was finally broken when she loudly exclaimed that she had found something.

"I figured out what that tattoo was referencing" she explained as Harry and Roderick gathered around her. "It was incredibly difficult to find because it's the symbol of a very ancient order. The orb was actually a globe, or the planet Earth to be more specific, and the hand is holding it to represent world dominance. The order was called the Sect of the First Power. They believed that wizards and witches were the first mortals and that muggles evolved separately. They considered muggles to be another species altogether."

"What about muggle borns?" Harry asked, not liking where this was headed.

"They had no issue with muggle borns. They considered them to be blessed. But they felt that muggles themselves had stolen the world from the magic community and they sought to exterminate them. They sought to `restore the first power' as they put it."

"So that's what they're doing now" Harry deduced. "But it makes no sense. Don't get me wrong, these little curses are evil and all but they're not exactly decimating the muggle population."

"I have a theory about that " she said, biting her lip in a worried fashion. "I think that these curses have just been tests. They are learning to master the curses, that's why they're always different and they're only tried once. That's also why they've been using these curses all over the world; they were hoping that if their little experiments were spread out globally nobody would notice until they were ready for the real attack."

Harry saw the sense in it but it hurt his head to think about. "So what do we do to stop them?"

"Well, we have narrowed the list down to five suspects. I guess we seek each of them out and question them."

"We'll have to be discreet about it. If word spreads that we're looking for a wizard or witch who can translate multiple forms of ancient Chinese dialects, then the one we're looking for will probably go deep into hiding. They already know that we're onto their `experiments' with the cursed objects, but they may not realize that we've found out about the Sect of the First Power."

"Okay, we'll have to devise a plan then" Hermione said, feeling very bone weary. It all seemed like such a burden and for the first time it felt outside of her ability to manage. It felt like the horocruxes once more; riddles and clues and death. "I need to sleep on it. I know we don't have much time, but I doubt I'll much use at this point."

Harry gave her a cryptic look she couldn't read and just nodded. She bid farewell to Roderick and then took the floo network back to her big, empty house. It had been hard on her and Ron's relationship when the kids were both off at Hogwarts and all that was left was each other's habits and mannerisms to pick at and fight about. The house had resumed an air of peacefulness since Ron had left, but it could also be lonely at times. Especially since Harry hadn't come over in the past week.

What can you expect, you've been doing everything to avoid him she admonished herself. And yet still she felt that he would come anyways, would insist on talking about what happened at the casino, would make her see that it was more than just a one night hook up. Why would he tell me that? That's all it was, a mistake. We're both too old for this nonsense, we should have known better.

She tried not to think about Harry or about work for that matter. She decided a cup of tea and good book in bed would set her straight so she headed into the kitchen. Not a moment after she set the kettle on the stove there was a loud POP from behind her and she jumped.

"For Merlin's sake Harry, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Don't you know it's rude to just apparate into people's houses unexpected?"

He didn't look sorry for scaring her. In fact, he looked rather grim with his arms crossed tightly across his chest, his lips pursed.

"What?" she asked, suddenly concerned. "Did something happen?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, something did happen in case you've already forgotten. We slept together and now you're avoiding me and it's not bloody fair."

"Avoiding you?" she stammered, suddenly regretting her secret wish that he would confront her about it.

"Don't play games Hermione, we're too old and we've known each other too long. You know it's true."

"I suppose yes, it's awkward. But I thought we agreed that-"

"I take back whatever agreement we made. We were nearly blown apart at the casino and things are likely to get increasingly dangerous in the next phase of this mission. I can feel that something bad is going to happen and I know you can to. And damnit, I don't want either of to get hurt and not tell you how I feel first."

She felt her heart pounding hard in her ears, fearful of what he was about to say. She wanted to interrupt him or somehow distract him. If she'd still had the time turner she felt she might even be desperate enough to break all the rules and somehow stop them from sleeping together, stop them from ruining their friendship.

He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze, suddenly appearing as though he had forgotten what he wanted to tell her. "You should know that I- that what happened between us- that for me... what I'm trying to say if that I enjoyed it."

She blushed instantly at his words, suddenly having the surreal realization that this was what many referred to as a booty call. Unable to look at him she was relieved when the kettle began to whistle and she took the opportunity to turn away from him and busy herself making tea. "I'm glad Harry, I enjoyed it too, but I really don't think..."

He had moved so silently across the room that she wasn't expecting it when he grabbed her from behind, forcing her to turn and face him. "That's not what I meant. I've never been with anyone but Ginny and I'm sort of a disaster with this whole romance thing, but what I meant is... oh fuck it..." he stopped talking and pulled her in to kiss him and instantly she felt the spark she had experienced in the elevator and again in the hotel room.

This is a terrible idea she thought as she let him pull her closer and deepen the kiss. This can only end badly... she pushed him away suddenly and he let go easily, a confused look in his eyes. "I don't want my heart broken again" she heard herself saying.

"I won't... I wouldn't..."

"I don't know what you think happened between us Harry, but you'd best forget about it. We've both had our hearts trampled on and we're lonely but hooking up with each other will only complicate things and I really can't deal with that. You are the only stable thing I have in my life right now, and I need it to stay that way."

"So... it meant nothing to you?" he asked and hurt in his eyes was so evident that it shocked her. As an auror he had gotten very good at hiding his feelings, but now they were pouring out at her and she wanted nothing more than to kiss him again, to reassure him, to make him feel better. As she tried to collect her thoughts his shoulders sagged and he just nodded. "I understand... I as foolish to think..."

"It meant TOO MUCH to me!" she half shouted at him, feeling a wall she had long ago built up inside break down. "I fell in love with you years ago Harry, and despite the many times I tell myself that it was just a crush it wasn't. No matter how much I hid my feelings or tried to deny them, they've been a part of me since first year! And admitting that, it's painful. It's incredibly painful to know that all those years that Ron accused me of loving you more, there was some truth to his words. You and I are a scary thing Harry, something I've been trying to avoid since I first had an inkling that I might be in love with you. And now you've gone and made me say it, and it feels like all these defenses I've built are failing."

"You're in love with me?" he asked in a quiet voice, surprised.

"I know you thought of me like a sister when we were younger, and obviously that changed at some point, probably out of loneliness more than any actual reason. And I don't blame you for that Harry, but understand that what happened can NEVER happen again. When I woke up in the middle of the night and you were sleeping there, I knew right away that it had been a mistake."

"I NEVER thought of you like a sister" he said, looking incredulous.

"That's not what Ron said. Ron said you told him..."

"I told him that because I wanted the two of you to be happy together. At some point during the horocrux hunt I realized I had rather strong feelings for you. In fact, I realized I was rather enamored with you. You were brilliant and strong and smart and hell, you're pretty much the only person who has always been there for me. But when Ron left you were so sad all the time and I realized he had your heart, and I know you had his. So I lied to him, and eventually my feelings for you lessened, but don't think for a second that you've been alone in this, or that what happened at the casino was some MISTAKE!"

She was crying suddenly and she didn't know why. When Ron had left them she had been heartbroken, but in a youthful sort of way. She did love Ron, but she hadn't cried herself to sleep every night because she missed him. She had cried because his abandonment confirmed everything she feared about herself; that she wasn't worth being loved.

"I know I probably don't deserve you, I don't think I ever had and now that I botched up my marriage I'm probably the last sort of guy you want in your life..."

"You need to stop thinking that" she admonished, glad to have somewhere else to focus the emotions welling up inside of her. "When you were with Ginny I used to envy the way you two were together. You never seemed to fight and you had things you both liked, like Quidditch and-and"

"And really just Quidditch" he said with a small smirk. "And of course we both loved our kids but the lifestyle she wanted just wasn't one I could give her..."

"No, you could have given it to her Harry. You didn't want to. You couldn't do the 9-5 job thing, and live the picket fence lifestyle with vacations to Aruba while you knew people were out there dying. I get that, I've always gotten that about you. You didn't give Ginny what she wanted, but she also didn't give you what you wanted, whatever that might be."

"A partner" he said quite simply. "I wanted someone who wouldn't judge me when I had a hard day at work and was upset, someone who would help me remember the good things in life during dark times, someone who would take care of me and not just expect me to take care of them. I wanted you."

She felt her heart well up but she tried to keep herself in check still. Stay clear headed and logical. All of these emotions of his might just be based on loneliness, and when they fade away it will kill me. "Why would you want me?" she asked. "Ron threw me away without a second thought."

"Ron regrets what he did every day" Harry said, moving closer to her, his hands on her arms as though touch could communicate sincerity. "He knows that maybe you weren't the best match for each other, but he also realizes most of it was him. He told me about all of it; his jealousy, his feelings of insecurity. He said that when some girl showed him attention he jumped at the chance to feel special because he could never believe that you loved him. And he regrets that now, but you have nothing to regret. You are amazing... to me, you are perfect."

She kissed him then, all inhibitions gone. Emotions she had suppressed for such a long time overwhelmed her as he wrapped her in his arms.

*****

When he woke up in the morning light was streaming through the thin white curtains of her bedroom. He rolled onto his side and was much relieved to see that she was still there, her body wrapped in the sheets, only her bare shoulders exposed as she inhaled and exhaled in a gentle rhythm.

He moved in closer to her, enjoying the scent of her skin before kissing her gently on the neck, waking her. "We're late to work" he said as she yawned, rolling towards him.

"Well, if we're already late than another fifteen minutes can hardly make a difference" she smiled, sliding her hand first down his bare chest and then lower still.

"I can't argue with that fine logic Ms. Granger."

*****

When they arrived in the cavern Roderick gave no sign of concern about their tardiness. They spent most of what remained of the morning pinpointing the location of their five suspects.

"We need to seek them all out at once" Harry noted. "If we go to find them one at a time one of them might make a fuss about being interrogated and it'll raise a red flag for one we're looking for."

"Well that's problematic" Hermione sighed. "There are three of us and five of them."

"We could use the pendant Roderick used to lure us here" Harry responded, looking at the squat little man now. "Bring each of them here and detain them until we have found the one we're looking for."

"The pendant only enchants a person if the one using it does not intend them harm. I believe our desire to incarcerate the perpetrator may be construed as willing harm upon them" Roderick said.

"Okay... then we need to call in backup."

"Nobody can know about the cavern!" Roderick reminded them fiercely.

"Then we won't tell them WHY we need to bring these suspects in, just that they need to be arrested. We'll only call in people we trust on this one. I nominate Ron and Teddy."

Hermione looked wary at the mention of Ron's name, but for the first time she didn't feel the jolt of pain she normally experienced when thinking about him. "I second your nomination Harry. Both are loyal and field trained. If we tell them not to ask questions they won't. And we can always memory charm them afterwards."

Roderick looked uncertain about this but eventually agreed. They didn't have much of a choice and he seemed to deduce that. Harry volunteered to go recruit Ron and Teddy and they all made a plan to rendezvous at Hermione's house so that Ron and Teddy would not know any more than they needed to about the cave.

Harry started off by visiting Teddy. He felt this would be the easier recruitment and he was right. He found his godson sipping a mug of coffee over a stack of papers in his office at the Auror's department and he was more than happy to have an excuse to take the day off and do something exciting, albeit potentially dangerous. Nonetheless, he did try to pry Harry with questions before consenting 100%.

"So, this mission has to do with your current assignment, the one you are working on with Hermione?"

"Yes, Hermione is my work partner" he said, realizing it would not hurt to acknowledge that fact at this point.

"And where exactly is it that you work? Nobody ever seems to see you, but you seem to travel a lot..."

"I told you, no questions" Harry warned. "It's for your own good, trust me."

"Oh, I do trust you godfather, I'm just a curious young man" Teddy joked, standing as he finished his last gulp of coffee. "I just a have one last question... when did you and your `work partner' start shagging?"

Harry's eyes widened, surprised that he was so obvious. "How did you know-"

"I didn't, not for sure. I just suspected there was something between the two of you and now I confirmed it. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone, it's great news really. Now that you're getting laid maybe you'll be less grumpy all the time. I mean, good for you, really! She's rather gorgeous actually, I'll admit I had a little crush on her when I was a teenager..."

"Okay, enough of that" Harry warned in his sternest tone, but he was smiling in spite of himself. "I'll see you soon, and try to keep that damned mouth of yours shut for once."

"My lips are zipped" Teddy responded with a gesture. "But I am happy for you. I know you loved your wife but I could always tell that you felt something for Hermione and I'm glad it could happen for you. Life is a curious thing huh? Miraculous, but curious."

"Yes, but I doubt Ron will agree with that exact phrasing" Harry mumbled, and then he set off to find his red headed best friend, wondering what he was in for.

Ron looked to be a foul mood when Harry found him in the conference room trying to fix the coffee machine. He looked to lighten up a bit when he saw Harry. "What brings you here mate? Not going to take the position of Head Auror from me are you? Not that I'd really put up much of a fuss... this job is a lot more stressful than you gave on."

"I need your help on a mission" is all Harry said, sitting down heavily in one of the chairs at the massive conference table after carefully silencing the room. "I need you to apprehend a suspect in a case I'm working on. I can't tell you why he's being apprehended or what he's done, I just need you to bring him in by yourself. We'll also need unrestricted access to the holding cells with no interruptions. Nobody can know that you're doing this for us or that we're even in the building for that matter."

"Bloody hell, that's asking a lot Harry!"

"If it helps we do have the okay from the Minister. So, will you do it? I need you not to ask any questions either. Simply follow your mission directive. The suspect may be very dangerous."

"Of course he would be dangerous" Ron groaned. "And of course I'll do it though, I know I've been a git over the past year but I'm still your friend."

"I know that Ron" Harry said, feeling a strange tug of guilt in his chest suddenly. "Listen Ron, I should tell you something..."

"What, Hermione is working with you? I've already deduced that much. I'm not a total idiot, contrary to popular opinion. I can deal with seeing her as long as she agrees not to hex me or anything. Not that I wouldn't deserve it..."

"It's not just that. Her and I, we... well, I think you should know that we..."

"You what?" Ron asked, tensing up and suddenly gripping his coffee mug with such ferocity that his knuckles were turning white.

"I'm in love with her Ron. And I think maybe she feels something for me too."

The recently repaired coffee machine suddenly burst, releasing a cloud of steam whistling up towards the ceiling. "I knew there was always something between you two, I knew that she preferred you. I was what... the bloke she settled for? Yes, that's exactly what I was."

"It's nothing like that Ron. She married you and became the mother of your children because she loved you. I married Ginny because I loved her. And yes, maybe there were some feeling between Hermione and I but they were deeply buried for a very long time. I know that she was your wife, but you left her and she had a right to be happy."

"Yes, I know she does. But not with YOU" Ron growled.

"You can choose not to accept this Ron, but it's happening" Harry said finally, standing up and running his hands through his raven hair. "If you can get past it, meet us at your old house in an hour. If not than I'll find someone else to ask. But we could really use your help. And... and I don't want to lose you as a friend, despite it all."

Ron looked like he wanted to say something but he snapped his mouth closed angrily, looking away as Harry walked off.

*****

They sat around the dining room table, all looking at each other and not speaking. Teddy was staring quite openly at Roderick, as though staring would allow him to deduce some information about the mysterious man. Ron still hadn't shown up and Harry kept shifting uncomfortably in his seat until Hermione grabbed his hand from beneath the table and calmed him.

"Well, it looks like we'll need a fifth" Harry said after fifteen minutes passed. "Any suggestions as to who I can recruit?"

"Wait just a bloody minute" said a voice from the other room. "I'm here, no need to go replacing me so quickly." Ron gave Hermione a pointed look as he entered the room but she just glared back at him, not so easily phased. "So what is this potentially deadly, top secret mission you have for me?"

Harry took point as he handed each a piece of parchment with a name and location. He also passed out a variety of odd items that were clearly portkeys. "You are each to use this portkey to go to the location written on your paper and identify the person you have been given the name of. Once they are identified, you will apprehend them and activate the portkey a second time, which will bring you and suspect back to the holding cells at the Auror Department. Once they have been secured you will have no further dealings with them. Roderick, Hermione and I will do all the questioning. We simply need you to bring them in and be as fast and quiet about it as possible. Only one of these suspects is guilty, so take care not to hurt them. They may even come quite peacefully, but don't let your guard down."

"Well, that's all very cryptic but consider it done" Ron sighed, stuffing the piece of parchment with his mission details into his pocket.

"Sync your watches. We all leave at exactly at 23:00 tonight, that should give you enough time to prepare. Good luck, and be careful." Harry felt the surge of pain he always felt when sending people he cared about into potentially dangerous situations but he tried to mask it.

Once everyone had departed Harry and Hermione were left alone in the house, both sitting quietly submersed in their own thoughts. "You gave me the easiest target" she said after some time had passed.

"So he's a bit old, that doesn't mean he'll be easy to apprehend. Dumbledore was well past 100 before he died and still quite formidable as I'm sure we can both recall."

"Still, I know you did it intentionally and while I don't need you to protect me I thank you for caring so much anyways."

"I know you don't need my protection" he said with a soft smile, reaching across the table and taking her hand. "In all reality it's been you who has saved my sorry arse most of the time. But, I can't help but be worried. I have a bad feeling about all this, a sort of gut instinct. You tend to trust these instincts when you've been in the field for as long as I have."

"Do you think Roderick will be able to hold his own if it comes down to a duel?" she asked, eager to change the subject so her nerves wouldn't be rattled.

"Yes, I somehow sense he's a lot more powerful than he looks" Harry smirked, thinking of the round man with his flat affect. "I think I may try to take a nap. I didn't get as much sleep as I normally do last night."

"I wonder why?" Hermione responded, smirking herself this time. "I'll join you if that's alright... I doubt I'll be able to sleep but it'd be nice to just lie next to you."

"I'd like nothing more."

*****

They left at exactly 23:00, using the portkey to vanish from her house. They were both nervous but hid their anxiety well. It was hardly the first time either of them had done something dangerous, and on the grand scale of things this was far less tormenting than facing Voldemort or battling on the blood soaked grounds of Hogwarts.

Harry arrived in an alleyway just outside of a tenement in Tokyo. It was early morning and out on the streets the hustle and bustle of the workday had already began. He appeared to be alone in the quiet alley but he un-holstered his wand anyways, keeping it tucked beneath the sleeve of his jacket. He casually strolled up to an emergency exit and used a simple "alohomora" to gain access.

His target was a middle aged woman named Abishag Porter who had been born in Britain but had spent most of her life traveling throughout Asia and studying different dialects of ancient languages. Little was known about her, in fact, despite the fact that she was a known expert on ancient linguistics, she had never been published. While there was nothing particularly dangerous sounding about this target, Harry felt that she was their best bet. Someone who went to such lengths to avoid public attention could very well be hiding something.

As he approached the apartment she was listed as living at he paused to see if any wards had been set up. He felt nothing coming off of the property, not even the slightest glimmer of magic. In one swift move he kicked open the door and entered the dark hole of an apartment.

His eyes had to adjust from the bright fluorescents of the hall he had just come from. The apartment was dimly lit by candles and piles upon piles of papers, books, broken crates and other rubbishy looking items filled most of the space. "Abishag Porter?" he called out, trying not to sneeze from all the dust and pushing himself to hear any little rustle that might give away her location amidst all the trash.

"Who is asking?" responded a shrill voice, and he picked up his pace, taking a fast right to find a frizzy haired woman sitting at a candle lit desk with a broken quill in hand. To say she was disheveled would be an understatement; she wore a terribly frayed and faded kimono and her greying hair stuck out in so many directions that it appeared to be attempting to flee her head. She was ghastly pale and her light blue eyes stared out at his sharply from behind a pair of taped together glasses. "Could it be... Harry Potter has come to visit me?"

"How do you know me?" he asked sharply, pointing his wand.

"Everyone knows you!" she shrieked, joy evident in her voice. "Just because I left Britain years ago doesn't mean I stopped following you! I would have gone to Hogwarts with you, if I hadn't been so lazy at magic. I'm practically a squib! Dumbledore told my parents he would find a place for me anyways, if I'd like to go, but I had other interests. The summer before what would have been my first year- our first year- my parents took me to China for the first time and I discovered the love of language. As you can see, it's been my passion ever since!"

She gestured around her at the piles of dusty parchment, broken broom handles, rusted pots and other oddities. He could hardly see what any of it had to do with magic, but he was quite certain she was more than a little insane. As he looked around the room he also noticed a wall covered only in pictures of himself.

"You are my second greatest passion, you should know" she continued, clearly unaware of his sudden discomfort. "I bumped into you once, in Diagon Alley, not that I'd expect you to remember, we were both just teenagers, but I felt a real spark. And now you've come to see me again!"

"Er yes... I have some questions for you if you'll come with me" he muttered, suddenly quite sure she wasn't their evil mastermind, but knowing he had to follow protocol nonetheless.

"I rarely leave the house, especially not when I'm in the middle of a translation, but for you, of course!" she leapt up from the crooked rocking chair in which she had been seated and took his arm without asking. Quite eager to leave, he activated the portkey as she stroked his bicep, gazing up at him lovingly.

Once they were in the auror holding cells he managed to excuse himself from her and lock her up and a quiet room while he waited for the others. Broderick was the first to arrive, a tall, grey haired, gap toothed man at his side who was making quite a fuss.

"I don't understand what jurisdiction you have sir" said the man, a slight lisp trailing along his words.

Much to Harry's surprise Broderick just rolled his eyes and stunned the man. "He was a real pest, quoting all sorts of law at me. Not that I don't know the magical code of law quite well, but I hardly have the time. Nevertheless, I don't think he is the one we're looking for."

"Neither is the ever lovely Abishag Porter" Harry responded, sarcasm thick in his voice.

"Still, I suppose I should interrogate them both. I'll check to make sure they haven't been under the control of any curses or potions either."

"Very good" Harry said, barely caring. He was hoping Hermione would be the next to show up. The bad feeling had returned to his gut and he was very nervous once more.

There was a loud POP and a moment later Teddy appeared with an elderly woman who seemed rather grandmotherly and amiable. Ron followed shortly afterwards with a stern looking man who looked rather surprisingly like Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"Harriet? What are these buffoons doing taking us into custody?" the man asked in a voice that matched Kingsley's in pitch. Apparently he recognized the old lady, which wasn't terribly surprising considering there weren't all that many wizards and witches who were internationally renowned experts in ancient linguistics.

"Don't worry yourself Samuel, I'm sure they have good reason for bringing here. It's for our own safety, isn't that right young man?" she gave a kind look to Teddy and then turned her gaze to Harry. "Ah look, Harry Potter is here. He's a good man, he'd never mean us harm. Where do you want us?"

Harry felt slightly ashamed for having the old lady arrested but he led her to a sound proofed holding cell nonetheless. None of these people seem like they could be guilty of radical hate crimes against muggles he thought as he closed the door firmly behind each of them, first ensuring that they had been properly disarmed.

When he returned to the main hall Teddy and Ron were still standing there, looking uncertain about what to do next.

"Thank-you both. Your job here is done" Harry said sternly.

"Is Hermione back yet?" Ron asked, concern clear in his voice.

"No, but I'm sure she'll be along shortly" Harry hoped his tone was assuring, but he didn't feel comfortable lying to them.

"Listen Harry, I know that you need to keep this case confidential and I trust you have your reasons. But this is Hermione we're talking about... we're not bloody leaving until we know she's safe" Teddy spoke quickly before Ron had a chance to voice his clear disagreement.

Hearing what Teddy had to say Ron nodded furiously. "She's the mother of my children, and despite what's happened in the past few years she will always be my best friend" Ron said after a beat.

"Alright, let's go find her" Harry said, relieved that he wouldn't have to wait any longer out of a sense of protocol. "It'll take me a bit to get a portkey activated for her location and then we'll go."

It didn't take him more than a few minutes to come back with a portkey but for Teddy and Ron it felt like an eternity. Without even letting Roderick know where they were headed, the three of them grabbed the item and were spent spinning to the sleepy wizarding village of Avalon, which was located in Northern England.

The cottage where Hermione's target resided was innocent enough looking from the outside. It was the middle of night so it was very dark, and from the inside there was a bare glow that appeared to emanate from a low burning fire in the hearth. Harry silently gestured for the other two to split up from him and flank the sides of the house, heading towards the back as he approached the front door, wand poised.

I hope this bad feeling is just a fluke he thought to himself as he tested the front door and found it unlocked. I hope I find her inside drinking tea with the old man and laughing about some ancient riddle. He knew that wouldn't be the case though. If Hermione had found the old man she would have done her job and apprehended him, even if she thought he was innocent. Hermione was nothing if not a stickler for protocol.

He opened the door as quietly as possible and scanned the room, looking for any sign of movement in the darkness. The fire was down to embers but his eyes were adjusting quickly and he realized the room was empty. He proceeded to move into the next room when he heard a muffled noise, so slight that it had almost escaped his attention. He paused, straining his ears, and he heard it once more.

It's coming from beneath my feet he realized, squatting down closer to the floor. There must be a basement. He proceeded to search for a door to the downstairs, but the small cottage had few rooms and he couldn't find any stairs. After taking a moment to think he started looking on the floor for a hidden door.

Getting on all fours he ran his hands along a tattered oriental carpet in the front room until he felt the bump of a small hinge hidden beneath it. Quietly rolling the carpet back he found a small square door. With his wand poised he ripped it open rapidly to find a dimly lit chamber concealed beneath with a rickety wooden ladder leading the way down. The fall wasn't far so he jumped, wand pointed and ready for action.

The room was empty except for a single chair in which Hermione was gagged and bound. With a quick flourish of his wand he released her and ran quickly to her side to see if she was okay, kneeling at her side as he touching her face where she had been bruised and inspecting a small cut above her eye.

"She snuck up on me" Hermione said as soon as the gag was free of her mouth. With shaky hands she took his face and turned his gaze away from her injuries and into her eyes. "I'm fine, but we need to find her. As soon as she heard you moving around upstairs she fled." Hermione gestured to a short set of concrete steps that led to a bulkhead outside.

"She?" Harry sputtered, "I thought your target was an old man?"

"She was using a polyjuice potion" Hermione sighed, standing now and ignoring the rubbery feeling in her legs from her close call. She could tell that Harry still wasn't prepared to relinquish his hold on her so she grabbed his hand and started moving to the exit. "When I arrived I found a crippled old man so I let my guard down for just a moment. And then she stunned me and I fell and banged my head. When I woke up I was bound up down here and she was no longer an old man but a young woman. She told me she has been using polyjuice potion for years now to hide her identity and she's been keeping the old man prisoner and making him assist her with the translations. That's all I got from her though. She was hoping that she would catch you in a trap when you came to get me."

"Then we should still be wary" Harry frowned. "It's unlikely she just took off if her hope was to capture both of us."

"Harry- she took my wand" she said, pulling him back just before he could push the bulkhead open.

"Then take this portkey and go back" he said, pulling it from his pocket.

"As if I would leave you here!" she scoffed. "Just- cover for me. I'll stay close behind until an opportunity presents itself."

He didn't like the plan but it wasn't exactly the time to argue with her. Besides, she had shown great resilience in the past. It was hardly fair to start doubting her now.

They burst from the basement and out into the quiet night air. Pausing he quickly picked up on a scuffle coming from the right side of the cottage. He ran towards the noise, Hermione close on his heels. He found a woman with long black hair dueling with both Ron and Teddy. Although she was caught in the middle she was putting up a more than adequate fight. Catching sight of Harry and Hermione she yelled out some indiscernible curse that filled the area with an eerie purple light. Harry quickly put a shield up around himself and Hermione, but the curse hit both Teddy and Ron, sending them sprawling to the ground.

She then focused her attention on Harry, sending a furious series of curses at both him and Hermione, causing his attention to divide and his work to double. They battled back and forth, moving across the dark yard, their spells lighting up the trees with brilliant colors. Harry was so fixated on his target that he did not notice as Hermione slipped away from him, sprinting across the grass to where Ron and Teddy were lying. Luckily, the attacker did not seem to notice either.

Hermione felt her heart stop as she looked at the bodies on the ground. Neither Ron nor Teddy were moving, both of them staring unseeing into the night sky. She wrestled Ron's wand from his grip, turning towards the ongoing duel and setting her aim to take out the suspect. Just as she was about to get a shot Harry charged forward, coming between Hermione and the black haired woman.

Hermione couldn't get a clear shot as Harry deftly dodged a curse, hurled himself at the woman, and then both of them promptly disappeared.

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