Disclaimer: The story is mine the characters are not. Enjoy!

Note: I have long long mulled this story over and now I'm ready to put parts out at a time. For those of you who follow my stories, yes it's like I'm writing quite a few stories at once and it's true. For the moment it's the way my mind is working and I'm just not fighting it. As such, please know I will and usually do finish all my stories. I do admit that as of this moment I have 5 or so chapters planned, but not more...and that defo does not finish the story. So I am keeping my mind open and looking for inventive ways to give this story the twists and turns it deserves.

I'm also going out of my way to make Hermione the "sexual aggressor" in this story. For those of us who love SSHG we usually revert to our beloved Potions Master being the lead in sexual situations. This story will be (hopefully) different. I'm pulling some influence from Atomic Blonde and other spy stories I've been watching or reading. So this should be fun. Our poor Severus won't be prepared for what is coming his way ;-)

As always your comments, suggestions and improvements are welcome.

Prologue: The Making of Agent Lazarus

Wizarding London, October 1994

A darkness was descending on wizarding London, the kind of which had not been seen in many years. Hermione Granger needed to do something and she needed to do it quickly. Gathering the last of her possessions in her trunk she took only the darkest alleyways, making the most convoluted route to her predefined meeting point. Once there she, and her trunk, hid in the bushes waiting for the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, to appear.

It was amazing to her how calm she was, how she had been able to cut all the things that had mattered until now out and just focus on her survival. In a matter of hours London would be engulfed in war, in a war that no wizard or Muggle would want to fight. Though it had been her intention to stay and fight with her friends, mostly half and purebloods, the Headmaster had thought it pertinent she go into hiding. It would not be a normal kind of hiding though, nothing in this world was so simple or so clear. Professor Dumbledore had other plans for her, the very thought of which excited her beyond measure.

The sound of a light pop could be heard in the square, the body of Albus Dumbledore appeared from thin air. At this sight Hermione stood, then made her way to him with her trunk in toe. The old man smiled at her serenely as he beckoned she come closer.

"It is exactly as I suspected Miss Granger, we must move quickly." The older man began.

"Yes sir, I have everything I need here." Her heart was pounding out of her chest.

"Good. Now listen to me very carefully my dear. Tomorrow morning the Death Eaters will sweep through London, attempting to purge it of all Muggle-borns and their families. We have already arranged it so that you and your family will be counted amongst the dead."

Hermione simply nodded, her chest tightening up even more.

"You must never use your name again. Is that clear?" His eyes were serious, almost scared.

"Yes sir." Was all she could say.

"We will refer to you from now on as Agent Lazarus in all communication. My brother is waiting for you in Australia where he will train you in all the arts and principles of espionage."

"Thank you for trusting me with this job sir. I won't disappoint you."

"I hope not." Was the Headmaster's response as he quickly continued, "This experience will change you fundamentally. You will…" he paused for a moment trying to find the right words, "...you will be a weapon, not a person."

"Sir. I understand the dangers and the consequences. We Muggle-borns need to stand up and we need to claim our place in the wizarding world." It was surprising to Hermione how little emotion her voice held. She had prepared for this moment as best she could, done all that she could to make the transition easy.

"Good girl." Albus said, looking her over one last time. He made a cylindrical motion with his wand, opening a pathway for her to step through.

Hermione took a deep breath, steeling her nerves as she prepared to go through the pathway.

"And Agent Lazarus." Dumbledore said, making her turn to look at him. "Be careful."

A smile crossed her lips and she nodded. It was time for her to start her new life, a life that would involve high espionage with the hopes of toppling the Dark Lord. There was nobody more ready to do this than she.

Sydney Australia, Safe House, January 2006

She hadn't even taken the time to peel off her bloodstained clothing or tend to her wounds. Her battered and bruised body screamed out for attention, two fingers almost certainly broken along with some ribs. The information she had in her head was too precious, too valuable to wait. Hermione Granger sat at a desk in the dark room living room of her safe house in east Sydney, lit by only a single candle, and painfully pulled silver memories from her temple, placing them in a small pensive. With each silvery string a new pain, with each new pain the hope that she had gotten the information she had been searching for all these years. Information that would turn the tide of the wizarding world, end this war once and for all.

Satisfied that she had emptied her mind of all the pertinent information, and having added the other vials of memories she had stolen, Hermione stripped off her clothing unceremoniously and walked into the bathroom. Flicking her wrist toward the tub she filled it with warm water and slowly lowered her trembling body inside. It hurt, her body hurt more than it had in a long time - but if felt good to be alive. She exhaled deeply, sliding her body down so that just her nose stuck out of the water. She could barely suppress her excitement as to what she had recovered from Crankshaw and what it could mean for the cause.

Bringing herself to a seated position she grabbed a hand mirror from the side of the bathtub, touching it with the index finger on her right hand. It was never sure when Dumbledore would reply, sometimes it was almost instantaneous other times it took 24 hours. So she used the mirror to assess the damage to her face, not caring what the old man saw of her body. Her fingers she would heal tonight, some of the cuts and contusions would require some salve...the soreness time.

The mirror heated up in her hand and she brought it to her face.

"Agent Lazarus." The old man had not changed a bit in all this time, still bright eyed and grandfatherly.

"Professor." She began. "I've been able to suppress news of Crankshaw's death for a few days."

He nodded, waiting for her to get to the point, not paying any mind to her battered and naked appearance.

"Also, I have them." She tried to stay as calm as possible, not betraying her own personal emotions. Above all she was a professional.

The old man was mulling something over in his mind, "Could you interpret the memories?"

Doing her best to keep her face expressionless she answered, "No."

"You're saying you don't have the list?" His voice was calm and collected, but Hermione knew he must be raging inside.

"The list is there sir, but it's jumbled, it's…." she needed to find the words to express what she had seen, what she knew. "...it's in a sort of code that only somebody close to the Dark Lord could understand."

"That's your opinion?" there was a slight edge to his voice.

"No Professor. I'm sure of it. I'm sure that if somebody could watch these memories with a better background than I, they could construct the list of horcruxes." She didn't want to seem too desperate, too eager, it was hard to keep her cool.

Albus Dumbledore furrowed his brow slightly. Then after an eternity considering the next move he said, "Come home Agent Lazarus. You're needed here."

This time she didn't suppress the smirk that crossed her bruised face. "Yes sir."

They broke their communication link then, and Hermione tilted her head back in relief. She was going home, after years of deep cover she was going home. Hermione almost jumped out of the tub, stopping to view her naked body in the mirror. She'd changed so much since she came here, there was almost nothing of her old self left. She was taller than when she was 15, lean and muscular. Her riotous curls an asset, no longer the bane of her existence. No one back home would recognize her if they saw her, or even heard her. But then again, London had changed too. It was not long after she left that the war between Voldemort and Dumbledore had started. They had fought and fought, both sides gaining and losing ground. It was only after several years of war that the sides began to settle, that a wall had been constructed to divide the city. The West was controlled by the Order of the Phoenix and was 'free' for lack of a better term. The East was controlled by Voldemort and heavily policed. Anybody caught on one side or the other, stayed there. It divided families, lives and the entire wizarding community. The agreement between the sides was a de-magicalized zone between the two halves of the city to make sure war could not easily start again. So what had began as a physical war, pitting wizard against wizard, had become a war of information and espionage. A war of agents and spies.

Hermione's stock had gone up, she had become invaluable to the Order. One of their few hopes of ending this war. She smiled, wanting nothing more than to drive the proverbial stake through Voldemort's heart, and the list of Horcruxes was the first step in the right direction.

"Agent Lazarus coming home." She breathed, a sinister smile crossing her otherwise innocent face.