Author's Note: Yes, I know that there are a hundred other things that I should be doing right now. However, I was thinking about the premise to this story last night in the car. Unfortunately, my muse grabbed onto the idea and wouldn't leave me alone until I sat down and wrote it. She's quite a bossy thing! However, she does tend to get things done! Now, if I could only find a housecleaning muse... ;)
Harry Dresden was out taking his customary nighttime walk with his dog, Mouse. It had already been fully dark for about an hour and the park had seemed to be completely empty when they had entered. This suited Harry perfectly, since he just wanted to be somewhere quiet. Mouse was also thrilled to have the place to himself so that he could run free and not have to obey the strict daytime "leash law" – as if he was just any old ordinary dog! Therefore, both man and beast were enjoying themselves when, all of a sudden, a slightly annoyed feminine voice carried through the air and the sound broke into their quiet solitude!
"Bloody hell! There's another one in my hair!" exclaimed the lovely voice in what Harry considered to be a very pleasing British accent – even couched, as it was, in a considerable amount of irritation. "I didn't know that Windy Lake pixies traveled in groups! We're not even near the lake, you crazy buggers! Here, let me help you get back up into your tree. Oh, you're nesting, aren't you? I guess that explains it, then! See if you can stay up there, though, and out of my hair, please!"
Harry froze in his tracks. Windy Lake pixies were magical creatures. They were annoying, but essentially harmless. However, ordinary humans just couldn't see them. That meant the owner of the voice was something other than just ordinary herself. Even though he was curious, for just a minute, he debated not getting involved. After all, he was trying to enjoy a rare moment of peace and quiet. Just then, he realized that he didn't have a choice about it anymore because Mouse had already taken off towards the sound. Harry sighed deeply and took off after him, muttering under his breath about a new dog skin rug for his hearth.
He found the dog just a moment later wallowing in the arms and attention of a pretty young woman who was probably in her mid 20s. She would have seemed normal to the ordinary passer-by. However, Harry could see that her amazingly lively hair practically sparked with the force of her power. No wonder the pixies had been attracted to it! he thought. He also noticed that she had a wand stuck in her back pocket, as well. Therefore, this was no ordinary girl. She was something much more interesting. She was a witch!
He walked towards her silently, but saw her tense at his approach anyway. Before he could blink, she had disengaged from Mouse, and had spun around to face him - wand in hand. Harry noticed this and took a defensive position himself, even while marveling at her quick reflexes. However, before either of them could make the first move and throw a spell, Mouse ambled over between them – wagging his tail and his message was clear. We are all friends here!
"Oh," said the young witch, "he belongs to you." She relaxed visibly and lowered her wand. Mouse ran back over to her joyfully to continue to receive that attention that he felt he was due.
"Yes, he does." Harry replied with relief after determining that there was no immediate danger. "His name is Mouse."
"I was talking to the dog," she replied with such a mischievous grin that Harry had to struggle not to return it. "He is a Tibetan Temple dog, and a Foo, as well, if I am not mistaken. Therefore, he obviously belongs to nobody but himself! However, he wouldn't be associating with you if you were…" Her words were interrupted here as the topic of their conversation then butted her legs to regain her attention. She looked down at him and saw that he had rolled over on his back, eager for a belly rub. She laughed as she knelt down beside him and complied with the request. She looked up at the man, who was obviously a wizard, and asked with a good deal of humor in her voice, "Mouse, though, really? How did you come up with a name like that? He is almost as big as I am!"
Harry just shrugged, thoroughly surprised by the knowledgeable witch, but not wanting to give too much away until he knew who she was. Experience had taught him to be cautious! However, he could tell that she was obviously not a threat to him or Mouse wouldn't be behaving like a frisky pup with her. Therefore, Harry didn't even try to hide his next laugh - especially when Mouse pushed the witch over into a sitting position and crawled into her lap.
"Is this normally how you meet women?" she asked him, arching an eyebrow while peering over the huge beast in her lap. "You have your dog batter them into submission with his impressive canine charms first?"
Harry laughed again and went to sit down next to them on the ground. "Not usually! However, that's not a bad tactic - now that you mention it. It seems to be working rather well for me tonight, at any rate!" he said playfully. She was quite attractive, after all! Mouse then wiggled himself around until his front half was in the witch's lap and his back end was draped over Harry. "Ugh, I always get the bad end of the deal!" he exclaimed snarkily and found himself promptly beaten in the face with Mouse's happy and enthusiastic tail wagging.
The witch laughed at the sight of the wizard with his mouth full of fluffy dog tail. "I'm Hermione, by the way," she introduced herself - completely at ease now.
Hermione, he thought. That's an interesting name… but it suits her. "Harry," he replied. "It's nice to meet you! I would shake your hand, but Mouse seems to have pinned both of them down.
Hermione laughed again at that and Harry smiled at the lovely sound. "Harry?" she replied and her smile intensified. "I like that. My best friend back home is named Harry."
All of a sudden, the puzzle pieces started clicking into place for the wizard. She's a young English witch with the unusual name of Hermione, her best friend is named Harry…and she has some of the fastest fighting reflexes that I have ever seen. "You're Hermione Granger!" he said aloud with some surprise. No wonder Mouse was smitten with her! She was one of the main players on the side of the Light during the British Wizarding War a few years back – even though she was apparently just a school girl at the time.
"Oh no! Is it that obvious?" she asked and her smile turned into a small frown. She had only been here in Chicago for a couple of weeks and had managed to avoid most of the magical community so far – with the exception of the Goblins, of course. She had really been enjoying the relative anonymity of her situation here in the States – especially with the occasional portkey visits from her friends back home to keep her from becoming lonely. It made a nice contrast to her life of being constantly in the public eye back in England. In fact, the search for some peace was one of her main reasons for applying for the curse-breaking position here at the Chicago branch of Gringott's. She realized that this was the step that she wanted to take as soon as Bill brought her attention to the fact that a transfer position was available. She and Bill had been work partners, as well as good friends, for the past several years. However, he – as well as the rest of the Weasley clan and her Harry - knew that she needed something different. She had never been able to get comfortable in her post-war role as a celebrity like the rest of them had. Therefore, they all helped her to inconspicuously leave the country when the time came. It had turned out to be a good move for her. She was much happier here and her life had better balance. Her days were spent with the constant excitement and challenge of her curse-breaking work and her weekends and evenings were spent relaxing or exploring the city. She especially enjoyed the peace she found while walking in this park near her flat in the evenings. At least, she normally did when the pixies weren't dive bombing her hair! At any rate, her thoughts were back, full circle, to the wizard in front of her, now. She sighed and continued, "I have been trying to keep a low profile. How did you know?" she asked this Harry - the first person here to realize who she was.
"Well, some of us upstart Yanks still pay attention to the important stuff happening across the pond, you know - especially if it involves a war that bleeds over into our part of the world." He said all of this in a lighthearted voice that was also deadly serious at the same time.
"What do you mean?" she asked suspiciously. "What bled over?" She started to tense up and, almost unconsciously, reached for her wand as she started remembering the rumors that some of Voldemort's uncaptured followers had fled to America. Before they had disappeared, they had vowed revenge – especially on the Golden Trio. "Death Eaters?" she whispered and wondered if she would always have to watch her back - even on another continent. Well, she had always kept herself prepared, in case this day ever came. She was ready!
Harry noted her actions and the steely look of determination, along with a tiny bit of fear, that crept into her eyes. He could practically see her magic building and manifesting as she prepared for battle and was amazed at this simple display of latent power. She is magnificent! he thought admiringly. I can only imagine how incredible she is when she is not holding it back! However, he knew he could set her mind at ease - on this note, at least. "Not anymore!" he told her with grim satisfaction. "I personally headed up the hunt for the Dark wizards once they started recruiting here. You don't have to worry about them. They have been permanently disbanded." This was all said with strong feeling as he remembered the destruction and death that the handful of rogue wizards had left in their wake. Yet, this fascinating young witch had faced down an entire army of them – and lived to tell the tale! At his words, her magic had settled back down, but she still looked a little on edge. Therefore, he continued to explain. "Dolohov was the last one, and probably the worst of the bunch, but I took care of him personally after catching him in the act of torturing some unfortunate tourists who just happened to cross his path."
"Antonin Dolohov?" she whispered the name and the relief in her tone made him look over at her sharply.
"Yes! You knew him?" he asked carefully. Then he watched in amazement as she gently pushed Mouse off of her and rolled up her shirt in response. His jaw clenched in anger when he saw the huge angry purple slash of a scar that diagonally bisected her abdomen. It looked like someone had tried to disembowel the witch!
"You could say that," she replied with a hint of sarcasm. "I was sixteen at the time."
Harry sat there lost in thought for just a moment. He now understood that little glimmer of fear that he had caught a glimpse of in the witch's eyes earlier. Harry knew that he had been the cause of quite a few deaths throughout his life and career. He even regretted many of them. However, he now knew without the tiniest bit of doubt that Dolohov's death would never be one of the regrettable ones! He looked over at the witch next to him and felt an overwhelming urge to reassure her. He pulled his hand out from under Mouse and reached over to grab one of hers. "I can assure you that the bastard will never hurt anyone else ever again!" he exclaimed with feeling.
"Good!" she answered with grim satisfaction and returned his hand squeeze. Then she smiled brightly at the wizard as his identity finally occurred to her. "Harry Dresden, Chicago's Only Professional Wizard," she said, gesturing with air quotes while stating his advertised title. Then she paused to return his look of surprise with a saucy one of her own that said, I know stuff, too! "There is no way that I can thank you for all you have done, but would you and Mouse like to come up to my flat…I mean… apartment…for some dinner? It's right around the corner and there are some nice takeaway places between here and there."
Harry didn't even have to think about it. He could not remember a time when he was lucky enough to be in the presence of a funny, intelligent, powerful, and lovely single witch. This was especially true when that witch was one that had been preapproved by Mouse and, therefore, could be deemed as completely trustworthy. In fact, this was really an unheard of situation for him! This could get very interesting, he thought, looking into the witch's soft brown eyes as he quickly nodded with agreement. He then finished shoving Mouse off of his lap and stood up, holding out his hand to help up Hermione, as well.
A lovely smile bloomed across her face as she took his hand again. She had just gone through a similar thought process to his and had reached the same conclusions. Therefore, she continued to smile as she brushed off her jeans. Then she looked over at the huge canine as a thought occurred to her. "I will have to disillusion Mouse until we get inside, though, if you two don't mind. Big dogs aren't allowed in my building, but I know that he will behave himself. Does he get along with cats, by the way?" At this point, Mouse barked happily and wagged his tail frantically. "Well, I guess that answers that question," she said with another little laugh as she reached down to scratch behind his ears. "Crookshanks is half-kneazle, anyway, so I suspect that you two will get along fabulously!" In fact, she thought to herself while smiling up at the intriguing wizard in front of her, this could all get very interesting!
Hermione's prediction turned out to be correct! Mouse and Crookshanks got along that night almost as well as Harry and Hermione did (and those two stayed up most of the night - drinking wine, laughing, sharing stories, and comparing scars). Also, surprisingly, the usually standoffish half-kneazle was as affectionate to Harry as Mouse was with Hermione. Therefore, additional plans were made for the next night at Harry's place, so that Crookshanks could meet Mister. He was Harry's huge and unusually intelligent, but essentially nonmagical cat. After an initial standoff, which was broken up by a playful Mouse, the two felines decided to become friends, as well. In fact, it was only a few nights later that Mouse, Mister, and Crookshanks were all curled up together in front of the fire while their wizard and witch were curled up together in bed. Things had gotten very interesting, indeed – and all of this magic had stemmed from a walk in the park!