Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the other characters, J.K. Rowling does.
A.N.: Say no more!! Part three is here. Sorry for the delay, though; but it worth it.
A Memory
It was a calm night in Matsurumi village, the heavens glistened with stars and the meadows danced to sounds of the wind. It was this weather that Kojiro Tatsuya, the old seer and swordsmith, loved most. He took a deep breath catching the scenting the fresh grass of the meadows, before returning to his usual activity; polishing old swords. It was during this moment Fawkes chose to appear.
"Fawkes!" said Tatsuya in startle as he saw the regal bird appear out of his usual twirl of flame "Is everything alright? Something happened to Harry-kun?" Fawkes didn't sing as he often does, instead it extended its leg exposing a piece of parchment that was attaches to it.
"What's this?" the elder swordsmith said as he took off the piece of parchment, and found that it was a letter from Harry. He scanned the letter quickly and his eyes fell on the part concerning Hermione.
"It is as I predicted …" he muttered to himself, then gave Fawkes a pondering look for a second before commanding "Go, Fawkes"
The crimson bird sang in refusal at Tatsuya's astonishment and stood its ground "I said go!" but Fawkes refused to go, and nibbled the letter with its beak. Tatsuya didn't understand it at first, but then it came to him.
"So …" The old seer muttered "He wants you to return with the answer. Alas, the answer is more than mere words to be scribbled down" then he looked at the phoenix firmly "You have to wait for some time"
The brilliant bird sand in approval and went straight to its old perch. Tatsuya, on the other hand, picked up the old sword and addressed it casually, as if he was talking to a friend "Sorry Ichizawa, your polishing is postponed until further notice" then he eyed the horizon in concern "Right now, I have to look for a viable source on this troubling matter"
He returned the sword to its rack then looked at the parchment again. At first he regretted sealing the Ancient Library, but he shook his head 'No matter, I will satisfy myself with the scrolls at hand' he entered his study and gathered all his knowledge scrolls in one pile and pulled back his sleeves "Now, let's get busy"
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"I told you Mr. Sobenski; your neighbor is not what you're thinking of" said Hermione with apparent impatience.
"You're wrong, detective" replied the said person; who was a skinny middle-aged man, with a case of constant shakiness.
"Sorry to say it, but I'm not" she retorted "I tracked him constantly and he did not show any sign of suspiciousness"
"And did you think that a spy would walk around holding a sign that says 'I'm a spy, arrest me'?! Of course he concealed his motives" the paranoid man barked "I saw his cat spying on me once when I was about to leave my apartment; I took a quick glimpse of it hasting toward it's owner's apartment… There is nothing more suspicious"
"Mr. Sobenski …" Hermione said with utter determination "I'm afraid that this case is not of my expertise; I will refer you to a person who can help you"
She scribbled something down on a piece of paper before handing it to him. He took it half-heartedly and reached for his wallet, but she stopped him firmly "No need to pay me, Mr. Sobenski; this case wasn't solved, so payment is not required"
"Thank you, Detective Granger" he shook her hand graciously before leaving the office, and she sighed in relief "Finally, what an annoyance"
She leaned back on her chair deciding to use this moment of peace in resting her mind, and she intended to benefit from her training in Occlumancy as Harry taught her. It was a month after the events if Harry's last mission and the beginning of their training together, and she was getting the hang of it.
She closed her eyes and started the procedure, which prevented her from hearing the door opens. The intruder tiptoed unnoticed until her reached her, and neared his mouth to her ear "Knock, knock"
She gasped and turned around sharply slapping the intruder in process, and she looked upon a pair of green eyes.
"I deserve that ..." said the intruder, who was no other than Harry Potter.
"Harry …" Hermione said breathlessly "You shouldn't have sneaked up on me like that"
"It's good to see that our training together fruited such decent skills" the raven haired man said with a smile, then boasted comically "Am I a good tutor or what?"
"Harry Potter! You are such a foxy boy" Hermione blurted, then she gasped and clapped her hands on her mouth and redness crept to her face when she realized the bad choice of words. Harry laughed loudly.
"So, you think I'm foxy; why thank you" he remarked cheekily, and she blushed even more "Harry!!"
"Okay, okay" Harry backed off at her outburst "I just wanted to see how you are doing, and the only this I got is this heated welcome"
"Well, I'm not doing good" she said gloomily "I just shook off an annoying client"
He raised his eyebrows in query "The one I happen to bump in, I presume" she nodded, and he smiled at her "Well, that does not happen every day. Although, I have to say that he seemed a bit distraught; did you greet him properly?"
Hermione didn't like the meaning behind the question, but answered anyway "Well, his case was a bit complicated, so I recommended him a specialist"
"And who might this specialist be" he asked inquisitively, and she answered even more gloomily "A psychiatrist"
She explained everything to Harry, and how that man suspected a cat, and he couldn't help but laugh at the last statement "So, the big case you went on enthusiastically was nothing but a paranoia case"
Hermione said as she covered her face in shame "This is nothing to be laughed at Harry"
"Sorry for that, but I couldn't help it" said Harry as he tried to restrain himself from laughing even more "But to know that you fell for it …"
"How could I know that he was mental?!" she retorted angrily "I even refused to take money from him; it would be a cheap move"
"So, it's hard to know if you feel sorry for the man or his money" he retorted cheekily again, and she got infuriated "Harry Potter! If you threw another rude remark, I will-"
"I think that you are a bit tense, 'Mione" Harry cut her mid-sentence "So, how about letting off some steam in a training session?"
Hermione's eyes gleamed "Training, you say" she smiled mischievously "I'm more than glad to comply; at least your cheekiness shall be squared, Potter"
Harry smiled ambiguously "We'll see, Granger … We'll see"
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"Begin" Harry cried firmly, and Hermione rushed at him with a Bo staff at hand. She landed several fierce hits at him which he blocked rather easily; and in one of those blocks, he pushed her off-balance.
"Weak" he said indifferently causing steam to rush up her head. She got up and picked up her staff.
"So, you think you're tough, huh? I'll show you then; I've read a lot about Bo techniques" she said as she assumed another stance, and Harry did the same.
"Talk, talk; that's all what you've been doing until now" he said with the same provocative tone, then he smiled confidently "Show me …"
His words had the desired effect on her; she got flared up, and her attack became fiercer and less accurate. One of these hits landed over Harry's head, and he blocked it like all the others before; however, it's power caused him to stagger a bit. Hermione rejoiced and prepared to land another hit, but suddenly she felt herself dropping off-balance as a fierce hit sent her staff flying, and when she dropped down, she saw Harry grabbing her flying staff; the fight was concluded.
"I won, Granger … Again" Harry said in a funny formal way and she couldn't help but smile even though she's defeated.
"I give up …" she said "I should've known than to challenge the mighty Harry Potter"
"Everyone makes mistakes" he replied with a smile.
"But don't forget that I almost knocked you over" she retorted as she sat on the floor "Although I have to admit that your last counter was the winner"
"Your staff has two ends, why not using them both" he replied with the same smile as he handed her lost staff to her. She took her staff pondering at what he said for a second before extended her hand with a sweet smile on her face "Well then, would you help a young lady getting up?"
Harry took her hand and pulled her up. Then out of the blue, he felt himself losing balance for a sweeper kick she landed on his calves. And as soon as he fell, he saw her on top of him with her staff under his chin. He tried to retaliate with the weapon in hand, be she knocked it off his grasp with the other end of her weapon; and now the roles have reversed.
"I won this time, Potter" Hermione said in triumph, but Harry couldn't reply for he was utterly shocked.
"Okay, I admit my defeat" he finally said "Could you … I mean – Ahem" he looked down at his abdomen with a meaningful look, and when she looked down she understood what he meant; she was sitting on him.
"Oh, God …" she got up quickly with her face turning crimson red "I'm sorry, I mean- I didn't-, I wouldn't … I'm terribly sorry"
"I think this concludes our training for the day" Harry retorted with awkwardness "I will make quick meal for us"
He left in haste as if he was trying to escape this awkward scene himself, leaving the embarrassed Hermione all by herself. She cursing for her clumsy move and went to her room deciding to take a bath.
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With the bath full, Hermione stepped in and sighed deeply when the warm water touched her skin. Since their last mission, Harry and Hermione exchanged flat keys and lived together as best friends, with each on of them sleeping over the other's place whenever he or she wanted, but not 'sleeping together' as Ron have implied; although the idea appealed her, but neither she nor Harry dared to make the first move.
She finished her bath and put on her bathrobe, then looked for something to wear, and decided on a white shirt and a pair of jeans. When she finished drying her hair, she heard knocking on the door.
"Hermione …" Harry's voice came from outside "Lunch is ready, but I'm gonna take a quick shower, though; so wait for me, okay?" she heard his footsteps fading away, then got off her bed, and want to check on the lunch. Frankly, it was not a simple lunch, but a full dinner; green salad, soup, steak, and peas were served neatly in plates.
"Sweat …" she said when she saw the delicious meal, and wanted to taste some, but refrained herself in the last moment when she remembered Harry's request.
'If I waited any more, I'll eat up the whole bloody table. I better look for a way to busy myself until Harry finishes his shower' she thought to herself as she stepped out of the dining room, and the first place came to her mind was books. But where is the bookshelf? She presumed that Harry is not fan of boring newspapers and senseless magazines, but she was disappointed when she found it was the one thing she can eye on the shelves.
When she was about to give up hope and be contented with these magazines, she saw it; gray, sturdy with peculiar marking, it was a door that was barely hidden beside the shelf, a door that she never saw before. She opened the door and stepped into the unknown room behind, and what she saw in that room made her rejoice.
It was a small study that even with the light so dim, she still can recognizes what's in it; a full bookcase, a simple yet elegant desk, and a perch. Anyone would consider the perch as an out of place item, but she knew it is not, for its bird is very important.
'Fawkes …' she thought to herself 'It has been a long time since I saw it, where did it go?' she didn't ponder in this matter for more than a minute, then she threw it aside and checked Harry's desk. It was an old and simple desk, yet it retained some kind of elegance she couldn't pinpoint. On top of it, there was an odd mixture of pens and quills; it would be normal for a wizard to see, but a muggle like her does not see a quill everyday.
'I feel I'm back to Shakespeare's days' she said touching one of the quills, then she shook her head violently "No time for that; what I truly need now are books, books, books …" she said eyeing the bookcase hungrily before picking the first book.
When she pulled out the book, she already had a pre-made a picture in her mind of Harry's taste in books, being General and all; but she didn't expect them to be that complicated.
'Wizard Total war: History of Wizard Wars' 'Death Trackers: Wizard Anti-Terrorism Force' 'Elemental Magic: Know Your Element' 'Sun Tsu: The Art of War'. These were some of the books she saw in the case; she was surprised to see a non-magical book like SunTsu's in his set, but then again, it was a book that cannot be turned down by a common general, let alone a leader like Harry.
'A war machine' she thought gloomily 'That's what he said to me once; that's what he's turning himself into' she returned the book to its place, but when she pushed it in, she felt some resistance from an item placed inside its space. She removed the book and looked inside the hole, and she saw it.
Coverless and unidentifiable, a white booklet was placed deep inside the space. It was hard to notice if she hadn't felt it when she pushed the book in, and wondered why it was hidden this way, like it was intended to.
Out of curiosity, she pulled the booklet out and looked at the title, only to be hit with astonishment at what she read.
Close-Quarters Magic:
A New Era in Magic Duels
By:
Harry J. Potter
She couldn't believe what she saw; in fact, she thought that she read it wrongly due to the dim light, but she read it again and again; it was real.
"A book, Harry …" she muttered to herself "You plan to write a book! That's surprising" then added with a smile "Yet interesting …"
She leafed through the booklet but couldn't make any of it, for it was still a draft with many rough sketches that cannot be understood clearly in a good-lit room, let alone this room with dim lights; so she looked for the light switch around the room and found it, but before she turned it on, she looked outside and made sure that Harry was no there yet.
'I feel like a common thief' she thought to herself before turning on the light, not knowing that she hit the wrong switch, which was the trigger that changed her whole life.
Much to her surprise, the lights of the room didn't light up; instead, a single spotlight lit up revealing a showcase that was hidden in the darkest corner of the room and contained several items.
"Amazing …" Mesmerized by her new findings, Hermione approached the showcase, recognizing Harry's sword at the first sight. Some other items caught her attention even more, though.
Among these items was a tattered old book, a rather huge fang, a piece of wood, golden locket, a severed head of a snake, and a magic wand.
The items were incoherent, and had no connection whatsoever, at least in her opinion; but she couldn't deny that they caught her attention, especially the magic wand.
She looked closely at the book, and noticed that it was stained with ink and had a hole in the middle of it, which is almost the same size of the huge fang. With the ink stain she noticed on tip of the fang, she assumed that the book was damaged by piercing the fang into it.
However, this fang was not from the severed snake head, which was the most disgusting item in the showcase. She pondered on why Harry would place such a repulsive thing in a showcase, but the answer can only be obtained from Harry; and she cannot risk asking him about something she found during her sneaking in his secret study. She overlooked this matter and moved through the showcase again, the locket and the piece of wood didn't have anything unusual, except the phrase written on the wooden piece 'Nimbus 2000'; and she's already acquainted with the sword; so she passed them straight to the main even, the magic wand.
Since the spotlight was turned on, this very wand caught her attention; as if it had its own oomph. Harry's sword didn't do anything like that when she saw it the first time four months ago, not even Harry's wand; but this piece of wood was the contrary; and with its queer design, two serpents carved helically from the handle to the tip, its something can't go unnoticed.
Mesmerized by the wand, Hermione reached to it by hand; and as soon as she touched it, she felt as if someone spilled cold water on her, and felt herself twirling endlessly before she suddenly stopped. She opened her eyes only to be shocked beyond the shock itself.
She was no longer standing in the study; instead, she was in the middle of a blizzard in the middle of the night in the unknown, the strong winds whistled in her ears; oddly enough, the tempest itself had no effect on her.
'What is this place' she thought to herself as she looked around hoping to find someone or something alive, but nothing was there; then suddenly she felt a tingle on the back of her head; a strong current was coming from behind. She turned around sharply and her eyes widened at the revelation.
A strong magic spell was coming at her direct; and with her current position plus her inexperience with such things she wouldn't be able to dodge it. She closed her eyes tightly in fear and waited for the spell to hit her, only to feel nothing. She opened her eyes and looked for any injury on her body and found nothing, then she heard the explosion coming from behind, she looked around again and saw that the spell hit someone else, so she rushed to see if she can help. When she approached the person, she saw that she was a woman.
"Are you okay?" Hermione asked, and was surprised to hear herself sounding deep and echoing. However, the wounded woman didn't answer her, and began to cough blood in addition to the blood that oozed out of her injuries. She tried to help her or at least ease her pain, but she didn't have anything on her, so the only thing she could do is to rest her head on her legs. She reached for the woman's head which its hair was, oddly, dyed pink and left it up. But, to her surprise … Again, all what she did was to pass her hand through head.
"What the …?" he jolted back looking frightened at her own hands, before feeling another spell coming from front this time. She dodged instinctively, but it passed through her anyway, just like the previous time; then she heard a horrible slashing from behind, like someone was cutting through flesh; so the looked around one more time and saw a dead body of a person that was now there before, and saw his severed head near him.
"Tonks!!" she looked at the source of the voice, which was the same source of the latter magic spell, and she saw a man with a red hair coming toward her; she recognized him instantly.
"Ron!!" she called happily for seeing a familiar face in this insane situation, but he didn't heed her; instead, her kneeled beside injured pink-head woman and looked at her in fear "Merlin … Tonks"
"Don't care about me …" the pink-head replied weakly between coughs "He missed my vitals, I will live. Go and help Harry, he's dueling You-Know-Who now"
"But …" Ron tried to argue, but a stern look from the pink-head prevented him from doing so.
"This is an order, auror" she said in a stern albeit weak tone "Your comrade needs you at the moment; my condition is the concern of the healers, not you"
Ron gave the injured woman a long look before getting up and muttering "Sorry …" then he left her toward a certain direction. Hermione, understanding her situation, went straight behind him.
'So, this is nothing more than a memory' she thought to herself 'But … A memory inside a wand; how can it be?!'
Her thoughts stopped the moment she saw Ron stops. He then approached a group of aurors who were standing in front of a huge dark-red force field.
"Auror Weasley, sir" a nearby auror addressed him formally "The death eaters are eliminated, sir"
"Where's Harry?" Ron asked in worry, and another auror pointed at the force field "Auror Potter and You-Know-Who are behind this force field"
"Then dispel it and push forward, dammit" Ron bellowed at then and was about to walk through the field, but was caught in the last moment by two aurors.
"Sir, don't!!" one of the aurors cried "This is not a normal force field; anyone tries to push through it gets shocked immediately; we tried that ourselves, sir"
"But … Merlin … Harry …" Ron stopped fighting and dropped to the ground in frustration.
'Harry …' Hermione thought as she pushed through the force field unharmed; she knew from a past experience that, as a guest to this memory, nothing can harm her in any way. She climbed the hill hastily, and then she saw them.
Harry was at one side facing the ugliest being she's ever seen; she noticed that the ugly man was holding the same wand that brought her into this place.
'Is this … You-Know-Who?' she thought to herself 'So, it was his wand' she looked at Harry 'Why do you keep such thing, Harry? Why do you keep such hideous memory?'
Harry looked at the so-called You-Know-Who in determination and pointed his sword at him "Come, Voldemort; I've waited so long for moment to come"
"Are you this eager to die, Potter?" the said person spoke in a voice suited his terrible exterior "But you are still lacking"
Hermione looked at Harry, who looked the same for her; yet there was something missing. She didn't ponder for long as she saw a large shadow approaching him from behind.
'HARRY!!' She cried at the top of her voice although she no it was useless. Harry felt the presence behind him, anyway, and dodged the attack in the last moment.
"Nagini will do the job for me" Voldemort said in a mocking tone; and watched the ensuing battle between Harry and his pet with sheer amusement. Hermione, however, was utterly tensed; although she knew it was a memory that Harry has survived, but she couldn't help but to feel nervous.
After dodging the attack from Nagini, Harry holstered his wand and grasped the sword with both hands, which Hermione noticed that it was not the same sword he has in present. He waited for another attack from the giant reptile before attacking himself, and it was.
Nagini glided toward Harry at an unbelievable speed and leaped with a strong charge similar to the first one, but Harry dodged it again. Hermione noticed another thing; Harry did not use his ultra-fast reflexes; either he is too tired to use them, or he does not have them at that time.
She could not believe what she's doing at a time like that 'Noticing useless things … Girl, you are hopeless'
That strong charge left Nagini vulnerable for attacks, and Harry did not waste such chance. He swung his sword swiftly, and it landed on the snake's neck. Much to Hermione's surprise, Nagini screamed a high-pitched scream that forced her to cover her ears; and she saw the huge twitch several times before it stop forever.
However, Harry's swing was too much for the attack; the sword kept descending due its momentum until it hit a rock on the ground and shattered instantly. Voldemort, who was infuriated by the death of his beloved pet, rejoiced at the destruction of the last remnant of Gryffindor's house.
"Alas, the last relic of Gryffindor was destroyed" the hideous man jeered "Such a waste in this time of need, eh?"
"The sword served its purpose" Harry said calmly, and Hermione looked at him and saw the sheer confidence in him; the Harry she knew "And you too … Tom"
"Don't you dare call me this name!!" Voldemort shouted at him while aiming his wand "I am Voldemort, the strongest sorcerer in the world"
Hermione fear rose again; Harry had his wand holstered during his fight with Nagini, and that Voldemort won't let him get it in any way possible.
"Crucio" Voldemort mouthed, and her fear doubled when she saw and heard the spell used by him; it was none other than the spell she hated most, the spell that harmed her father 'Harry!! Get away from it' she yelled in desperation although she knew that he can't hear her. But what Harry did caused her and Voldemort an utter astonishment.
The curse that Voldemort sent was stopped by a shield of light; Harry's own aura. Hermione felt relieved at the outcome while Voldemort couldn't hide his fury.
"An Aura, eh?" the snakeface muttered in hatred, hardly believing that one beside him and Dumbledore could achieve such feat "Most interesting" he said as his dark aura began to appear "But it won't stop the next one … Avada Kedavra"
The sickening green jet rushed toward Harry, whose aura began to fade. Hermione's heart fell as she imagined the upcoming scene 'Why turning off your strongest defense, Harry?' she thought 'This is madness'
Harry smiled when he saw the green jet rushing toward him, and held up his palm in sheer confidence. The curse came in contact with his palm, and to everyone's surprise, he deflected it back to Voldemort.
Voldemort, who was for the first time in is life on the defensive, couldn't believe his eyes. Hermione, on the other hand, sighed in relief 'Harry, you show-off'
Forced to a defeat, Voldemort began to shack in fury, and eyed Harry with sheer loathing "How could you …" Harry eyed him indifferently and answered calmly "You couldn't kill me once, you won't do it ever again; that was my motivation"
"No one should ever mock me!" Voldemort bellowed in madness "I am the strongest sorcerer in the world!"
"Old news …" Harry retorted indifferently "Let me show you the new age, Tom … Fondus"
Voldemort's eyes widened and tried to dodge the coming curse; but due to the fact that he didn't dodge any curse for a long time, his reflexes became slow. The curse hit the bull's eye, causing the snakeface to shriek in pain. Hermione saw his skin wavering and his fingers falling before he explodes in a big bang. Strangely, Hermione felt this last bang, and felt herself being pushed backwards and twirl in the newborn winds. Seconds after, she felt herself dropping to the ground; she was back to the study again, but this time with Harry standing at the door.
"Harry …" he said breathlessly, but Harry did not utter any word; instead, he eyed her with a glare that caused her body to shack in fear.
"Harry, I …" she tried to explain but he ushered her to stop, then she felt the wand and the booklet flying out of her hands into his, and she saw him putting the items in their respective places before heading to the door.
A pang of regret hit her heart when she saw his treatment, and she cursed herself for her killing curiosity 'Curiosity killed the cat; when will you learn that'
"Come on …" she shivered when she heard Harry's indifferent voice "The food will get cold" he left the room after these words; leaving Hermione alone again. She sighed in frustration and muttered "Not only the food is cold"
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Amelia Bones paced across her office in immense concern; exchanging glances between the grandfather clock and the door. She kept pacing for several minutes until she heard the door opens and saw a bright-pink-haired woman coming in.
"Minister, I was informed that called for me" said the pink haired woman formally, and the minister beckoned her to be seated and assumed one herself "Have a seat, Director Tonks. You took longer than expected
"My apologies, madam; I had to supervise that raid personally; for it was-" Tonks tried to justify her situation, but was ushered to silence by Amelia "No worries, there is another matter I want to discuss with you, an important one" then she got up "But first …"
She walked toward the office entrance and spoke to her secretary outside "Carrie, I'm in a private Tonks; no body is allowed to enter during this meeting"
"Yes, Minister" the stern secretary replied, and Amelia returned to her seat "Now, we can speak freely. Do you remember asking me for a replacement director of the Law Enforcement department?"
"Yes …" replied Tonks with a hint of hop, and the minister pulled out a sealed envelope and handed it to her "Well, it appears that the search is over; the Council of Warlocks has already chosen one, and this particular person is a very bad choice, for us at least"
The pinkhead opened the envelope eagerly and eyed the written name on the letter before looking back at the minister in greater shock "Of all the people, they chose him!"
"The same thing came to me" said Amelia holding her hands in front of her "The problem is that the majority of the council voted for him"
"Everyone in the ministry knows that he and Harry are on bad terms" retorted Tonks in annoyance; and Amelia nodded in approval "Yes, they know. But most of the council members are on bad terms with Harry as will; don't forget that he defied them in more than one occasion, and proved to be more publicly influential that them"
"That's because he is, Madam" Tonks retorted firmly "They kept arguing and arguing while Voldemort increased his powers; only Harry was the one able to stop him before it's too late"
Amelia stopped talking for a minute, arranging her mind and fighting to prevent her body from flinching at the mention of the previously-forbidden name; then she spoke again with resolution "This is neither the time nor the place to discuss Harry's gifts and traits; we have to warn Auror Potter about these unexpected hardships"
"What do you want me to do?" the pinkhead asked in determination, and Amelia looked at her for a minute before answering "The council will announce him as the new Director within the upcoming weeks. Your mission is quite simple; I want you to warn Auror Potter so that he can think of a way to solve this problem, in addition to completing his main mission of capturing Flint" she smiled before continuing "You may help him reaching his objective, that if you really want it"
Tonks couldn't help but to rejoice at what she said; working under Harry's command is her life dream; no auror had ever been under the command of previous student, especially on as promising as Harry "Of course I want to" Tonks said in enthusiasm "Thank you Minister"
After thanking Amelia, Tonks went for the door, but was stopped by Amelia's call "And Tonks …" the minister said "Consider it a mission from the Order"
"Yes, Madam" Tonks saluted her superior and left the room; Amelia, on the other hand, picked up the council letter and sighed as she read it again "Of all the people, they chose him"
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Dinner went completely cold, or that's what Hermione thought. There was nothing with the food, though; but Harry's indifference was the major event.
'Of course he would be mad, silly' she thought to herself 'Intruding one's privacy is a serious action'
She didn't dare to voice her opinions, as Harry was still in indifference mode. However, she tried to lighten his mood as the first step to know the reason behind his uneasiness.
"Good meal" Hermione complimented him "I never knew you're a good cook" she swore she saw a hint of smile on his mouth, but refused the thought immediately; it might be her imagination. So, she carried on with her plan.
"I've never been a good cook myself" she said "One night I sneaked into the kitchen at home, and pretended to be one, but the result was burning half of the kitchen in addition to my both arms. Ever since, the kitchen became a taboo for me"
At this point, Harry couldn't keep his disinterested face for long; he began to chuckle at her statement before laughing loudly.
"See, you can keep being clod with me for long" Hermione said in victory; and Harry retorted while wiping a tear off his cheek "Sorry, I just can't imagine a person with no cooking skill at all, let alone a woman"
"Hey, I never said I'm failure" she replied in disapproval "It's just that me and kitchens don't mix will"
"And that's something unusual for women" Harry retorted with a smile before chuckling again, and Hermione huffed angrily "That is what I get from being friendly; I'm better off with books"
That last statement stopped Harry's laughing and reminded him of something "By the way …" she said "How did you enter the study?"
Hermione was taken aback by the unexpected question, but she answered anyway "It was open already, Harry; what's up with this strange question?"
Harry did not answer; instead he gave her strange looks. The door was open alright, but it was magically concealed.
"I thought you would ask about something more important" Hermione continued on talking and did not notice Harry's looks. He soon returned to his normal face and replied "Right, I must've forgotten to lock it"
"How unusual of you, Harry" she scolded funnily "I may expect this from Ron, but not you. If I was another person, I would've taken something precious"
"And what were you doing there in the first place?" Harry asked with an evil smile, and Hermione froze like a statue "You reminded me yourself"
Hermione felt like a fly caught in a spider, Harry was not someone to play with in interrogations; she witnessed that personally "Well, I was just looking for a book to read"
"And you mistook that wand for a book, right?" he said smiling more evilly, and she gulped soundly; it was an interrogation indeed.
"Also, that booklet was hidden for a reason" he added, and she sighed in surrender "Okay, I give up. I was getting bored at waiting for you and tried to pass time with reading. With no books in your bookshelf outside, I tried to look for another shelf; it was then when I found the door to your secret study, and you know the rest"
Harry listened carefully to her, and his face reacted to the events; then he spoke "That does not explain the wand I saw in your hand"
"As for that one, I turned the spotlight of your showcase accidentally, and was astonished with my finding" she answered "And don't blame my for the memory I saw"
"What memory?" Harry said abruptly, and she flinched at the way of questioning 'He does not know about the memory' she thought 'No need to concern him, then'
"It's just that locket reminded me of one that belonged to my cousin" she answered while burying her face in her juice. Harry did not buy it, though; but didn't push the matter.
"Now it's your turn, mister" Hermione said in a funny stern way "What was that booklet about? I didn't have time to read anything but its title"
"None of your business" Harry said coolly while sipping his juice, and she got infuriated "None of my business, you say; then how about I go there and read it myself. You plan to write a book behind my back!"
Harry smiled at her fury, and saw no harm in answering her question "Okay, I'll talk just to relieve my poor ears from further trouble. I'm planning to write a book on a brand new style of magic …"
"Yes, yes; I know" Hermione interrupted "Close-Quarter Magic, you called it. But I haven't heard of it when Ron explained magic to me; he spoke of spells, curses, jinxes, etcetera, etcetera … But not that type of magic"
"You know it pretty well …" Harry retorted vaguely "You remember my shockwave"
Hermione's eyes widened "You mean … It is the same!"
"And the aero-slash; and the flaming arrow …" he replied "I've got dozens of new magic spells that I want to share with the magical population"
"Magnificent' Hermione thought breathlessly and smiled to herself; Harry didn't know the reason of that smile.
"May I know what's funny?" he asked indifferently, and her smile widened "Nothing, I just thought to my self; aren't you the perfect chap?"
Harry choked in his juice and his cheeks reddened at the compliment; Hermione giggled at the reaction "I haven't said something wrong"
"It's not that …" Harry retorted "It's just that no body ever complimented me on my achievements; as if they were expecting my to do everything"
"No body is perfect" she said firmly; then smiled again "Except, maybe, you. Tell me, is there something you can't do?"
'Getting you is one …' Harry thought to himself, but didn't dare to voice his thought; instead, he buried his face in his plate and muttered "You said it yourself; no body is perfect"
Hermione felt the change of winds in this subject, so she just sipped her juice and never spoke of it again. The rest of the dinner went in silence; until Harry broke it "Yes, I forgot …" he said "We are invited to dinner at the McLadens"
"Really!!" said Hermione happily; it was long since she saw her friend and former partner "When did pierce called you?"
"Actually, it was Ginny" Harry said while smiling; and Hermione's face changed "I met her on the street just before I came to you in the office; and she invited both of us"
Hermione didn't smile; in fact, she felt a pang of jealousy hitting her that almost surfaced on her face. Ron has told her of Ginny's old crush on Harry; and with that she thought of her as a rival, even when she got married to Pierce, she is still her rival.
"Hermione, are you okay?" Harry said when he felt her uneasiness; fortunately for her, he didn't associate between it and Ginny's invitation. With his call, Hermione snapped out of her dark thoughts "Yes, I'm alright"
"Really, you looked spaced out to me" her stated in concern, but Hermione smiled at him "I was just thinking; if there is a party tonight; then a girl needs to get ready"
"You don't mean …" Harry said with a hint of panic, and Hermione smiled mischievously "Yes, it's shopping time"
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Two hours passed since they've been shopping. For Harry, it was two hours of hell; all his life he hated shopping, and the times when Lavender or Parvati used to ask him to go shopping were the worst. But know he is in a whole different situation; he is with Hermione, now; and she seems to enjoy it.
The other thing that kept him feeling uncomfortable is watching Hermione trying on; this is a side of Hermione he never saw before, 'Girlie Side' he might call it. He kept his interaction with Hermione at the minimum friendship zone, but this time it is too much for him to take.
"Harry, are you alright?" Hermione's voice pulled him out of his thoughts; he looked at her blankly for a second before answering "Yes, I'm okay"
"I'm finished, if you want us to go …" she said "Although you haven't chosen any clothes yet"
"Don't worry about me, I have enough at home" he said then ushered her "So, shall we?"
"If you say so …" she retorted and then both went for the cashier, the woman at the cashier did her job and said "126 $ please …" Hermione reached for her wallet, but was stopped midway by Harry.
"Harry …" she said in annoyance "Not again"
"I told you before; any price higher than eighty is my treat" replied Harry while pulling out his credit card "Besides, I want to lighten the encumbered account of mine"
"In your dreams, Potter" Hermione retorted funnily, and they both laughed. The cashier finished her job and handed their things to them.
"There you are …" the cashier said while handing the bag to Hermione "You are lucky to have such a generous boyfriend; I wish I was that lucky"
The statement caused both of them to blush furiously "Actually, he's not my boyfriend …" Hermione said coyly "He's just a friend"
"Well, it's good to have such a generous 'just a friend', anyway" the cashier retorted "Enjoy it while it lasts"
"Thank you …" Hermione said hurriedly and rushed out of the shop with Harry lagging behind her. They soon reached home with no words uttered between them; that cashier's words sure made its effect on them.
Finally, when they entered Harry's flat, Hermione muttered "I'll go and get ready" then went to her room not waiting for an answer; while Harry looked at her trail for a minute before sighing feebly 'To think she hated it that much … Your dream will always be a dream, Potter'.
'I don't believe he didn't care about these words' Hermione, who sat on her bed, thought the same thing 'Of course he wouldn't; why would a celebrity like him care for a common girl like me' her thoughts got her angry of her weak self.
"That's it" she said firmly "From now on, we are just friends; I will not be the pitiful one" she picked up her new clothes harshly; and paused for a second pondering "But I have to give this a shot first"
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"Hermione, come on … It is time" Harry said for the umpteenth time, but got no answer from her; so he dropped on the sofa angrily muttering nonsense.
'Why do all women take that long dressing up?' he thought to himself; them his face reddened as an image of Hermione getting dressed up appeared in his head "That's enough" he said sharply slapping himself hard. The slap caused his head to twirl for a minute but he was pleased that the image disappeared.
"That's good" he muttered 'Never think of your friend like that; even if she was lovely and pretty and curvaceous and … AAH' he slapped himself again for his dirty thought, which caused a ringing in his ears that prevented him from hearing the door opens.
"I'm ready, Harry" he heard the voice of Hermione, and signed in relief "Finally, I was wondering if you have fallen as-" He couldn't complete his sentence, for an unusual sight stood before him; the most wonderful sight he's ever saw.
Wearing a light bluish-green satin skirt, with a matching blouse over a tank top; Hermione glanced at him with a slight blush on her face that adorned her light makeup. Her hair was no longer bushy; it was made into neat wavy locks. It was the first time he saw this side of Hermione; she looked so different, so … Feminine.
"What happened to your face, Harry?" she said in concern; and he touched the sore on his cheek "Nothing to worry about; a fly thought I was a lemon drop, so I had to slap it away" he blurted, causing Hermione to chuckle lightly.
He looked at her for a minute and thought of complimenting her "B-By the way" he said stuttering a bit "You look somewhat different"
That was all he could say; but she smiled anyway at his 'somewhat' compliment "Is different good … Or bad?"
"Well it's …" wonderful, magnificent "Nice …" the only word he could say "It's good to change once in a while"
Bad choice of words it was; but that's what Harry is; the ultimate success, and the ultimate failure. Hermione smiled weakly and he saw a hint of sadness in her eyes; she then stepped out of the flat and called for him "We'll be late …"
He cursed himself for his tactless statements; why couldn't he just say that she was beautiful? 'Is it that hard?' he thought to himself; but he didn't bother to answer his own thoughts as he went after her.
Their trip to the McLadens was without incidents; but during the trip, stole glances to Hermione and saw that the sad look was still there. He thought about making amends for his dumb compliment, but refrained from doing so in the last moment; he has done quite a disaster until now; so, no need to turn it into a catastrophe.
Thirty minutes later, they were standing on the doorsteps of the McLaden. Harry rang the bell, then the door opened and a familiar face looked upon them.
"Howdy ex-partner …" the gray-eyed, dark-haired police detective greeted Hermione; who jumped up his neck.
"Pierce! It's good to see you live and well" Hermione hugged him fiercely, which did not impress Harry at all; in fact, he was surprised at his jealousy.
'You are in no position to get jealous, you dope; not after the disaster you almost caused' Harry thought to himself assuming a mask of joy as he shock Pierce's hand.
"Well, if it ain't the super duper Harry Potter" Pierce greeted him with his usual sense of humor; which Harry returned appreciatively "You still seem to retain the smart mouth of yours, Pierce"
"And you seem to be affected by your life in the US; your fancy England manner is almost pointing to empty" Pierce knocked the joke back.
"Maybe I need a refill, then" Harry retorted, and the two men laughed, before Pierce commented "Well, if we keep this game up, we won't finish until midnight … Come in"
Harry nodded in agreement as he ushered Hermione to enter; although he couldn't help but to be surprised at his eloquence. If he was that good, why couldn't he say something better to Hermione? Dismissing the thoughts out of his head; Harry followed Pierce and Hermione inside; where he saw Ginny waiting for them.
"Harry!" Ginny called hugging him in brotherly manner "O, I missed you so much"
"Me too, little sis" Harry said funnily "Sorry, I forgot to bring some chocolate with me"
Ginny giggled at his witty remark, which Hermione didn't appreciate that much, nor his close contact with her self-deemed rival; but she did not dare to voice her opinions. The moment after, she and Harry thought they saw a little devil entering the room; however, they recognized this little devil on the first sight; it was Sherry, daughter of Pierce and Lydia McLaden; Pierce's diseased wife, and the adoptive daughter of Ginny Weasley-now-McLaden. She is now a hyperactive-over-a-year-old toddler who has the tendency to topple over everything with her new walking experience.
"Here you are sugarplum; come and say hello to Uncle Harry and Aunt Hermione" Ginny picked up her adoptive daughter and handed her to Hermione, but the little girl cowered at the sight of the newcomers and clung to her mother.
"Sorry about that …" Ginny apologized to them "She's not used to strangers"
"Don't worry about that" Hermione said in a friendly manner and gave the little angel a kiss on the cheek; however, Pierce interrupted them with one of his cool jests "I hate to interrupt this happy reunion, but my stomach aches me. How about we skip the warm grouping and go for the dinner?"
The trio laughed at his joke and Ginny remarked "Typical Pierce, always thinking about his stomach. Dinner is ready, anyway … Come in everyone"
Ginny led them to the dining room, where they found the diner placed neatly. It consisted of different dishes typical to an American family, with some of them being pure English; Ginny had her touch in the house, after all. When everyone was seated, they said their grace before beginning; everything went as tranquil as they hoped, except for Pierces jokes, of course.
After dinner, Sherry was completely drowsy, so Ginny took her to her room before cleaning the table, and Hermione volunteered to help; leaving the men alone in the living room, which suited Harry very well.
"Well then …" Harry said aiming to begin a conversation "I assume that you don't plan to have a brother or sister for Sherry in the near future"
"Nah, it would be too hard on Ginny to manage two toddlers at the same time, and she wanted to finish her concern with that medical fellowship of hers before she can have any more children" Pierce answered fully, before leaning forward at Harry with a sly "How about you, Harry … And Hermione"
Harry was dumbfounded at the straight question; he busied himself with his cup of tea as he stuttered "W-What do you mean by that? Hermione and I are just friends and partners"
"Don't play around, Potter; I saw how she looked at you before, and I saw how she looks at you now, this girl has a massive crush on ya', if she wasn't already in love"
"I-In love?!" the awestruck Harry said, and Pierce nodded heavily "Yes, in love. If you haven't noticed, she was glancing at you the whole dinner; and these pretty clothes she is wearing, she wore it for you; for you, Harry"
"But why me?" Harry retorted sharply "What's the special in me?"
Pierce leaned back in his chair sighing deeply "It might sound sad, but you remind her of him"
"Who?" Harry asked curiously, and Pierce answered "Her former partner and ex-boyfriend; Joseph Crane"
"I haven't heard of him before; she that open with me, if you know what I mean" Harry said.
"That is because this particular memory is not the type we share with anybody" replied Pierce, reminiscing the painful past "Joseph was Hermione's former partner; and the first one she met when she first came to the states. He was like you; young, brave and determined; not to mention he was gentle and caring. When she first arrived, he was working on the Cartel case you know; she helped him in it, using both her smartness and wittiness; which helped in bringing them closer together. From that moment, we knew that they will hook up sooner or later"
Pierce silenced for a minute, but Harry urged him to go on "And what happened?"
"A year before you arrive at the states, Joseph was to infiltrate the Cartel's lower gangs; working his way up until he can reach their Kingpin, Muerte, and finish him once and for all. But an insider, which you exposed as the police captain Maronski, leaked this information to Muerte, causing the uncover of Joseph's true identity and, eventually, his death"
Harry scowled at the revelation, and Pierce continued "After that incident, Hermione shut herself off and, emotionally, lived away from everyone, she vowed to herself that she will bring Muerte down, and there you arrived"
Pierce pointed at him "A mysterious man who just bashed into her life. You reminded her of the dead Joseph; both young, both brave, both determined, and both are aiming for the same goal; the destruction of a strong gang of mobsters. For her, you were a gift from heavens. That's way she helped you; that's way she believed in you"
Pierce then pointed a warning finger at Harry "And that's way I'm warning you; if you ever hurt her, physically or emotionally; it will be your head on the line, Potter"
Harry took a minute to understand the meaning behind the story, before smiling confidently at Pierce "Don't concern yourself with that …" Harry said "Because I won't hurt her … Ever"
Pierce smiled at him, and didn't comment; his message reached the raven-haired man fully.
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"So, since when you've been together?" Ginny threw the question bluntly, and Hermione's towel dropped off her hands.
"What do you mean?" the brown-haired inquired, and Ginny rolled her eyes in boredom "Don't play games with me, Hermione; You and Harry; when did you start dating?"
"We did not" Hermione said fiercely "And why do you ask such rude questions?"
Ginny didn't answer; instead, she continued drying the dishes for some time before blurting again "You already know that Harry was my previous crush"
Hermione felt pang of jealousy hit her heart "Yes …" she replied icily; and "Well, I dare to say that I know him better than anyone around her; except for Ro, of course"
"Get to the point, please" Hermione said coldly; and Ginny smiled slyly and asked again "You do fancy him, don't you?"
"Well, he seems to be oblivious to that fact" Hermione said with the same coldness; and Ginny's smile widened at the revelation, and she hugged the other woman strongly.
"I knew it … Oh, I so happy for you, Harry" Ginny said while hugging the Hermione, and the latter looked at her in confusion "What's the meaning of this?"
Ginny sat down with her, and began to explain "First, I have to ask you; do you know why Harry is famous in our world?"
Hermione pondered for a minute before answering "Well, he is a war hero; and the one who saved you from that Voldemort"
Ginny shock her head negatively "That's not it, it is because he lived, while the others died" Hermione looked at her in confusion, and she explained "You remember Ron's tale about him; well, it is only part of the truth; everyone around Harry died either instantly or painfully; his parents, his godfather, his mentor, and his close friends; but what pained him more is that he lived"
Hermione was shocked at the latter information "But why?!" she asked "Why does that pain him? It was good fortune"
Ginny shock her head "This shows that you don't know Harry well; he is pained because the people began to look at him as a scourge, an ill-fate. Whenever someone is close to him dies definitely"
"But that's not his fault" Hermione objected, and Ginny smiled sadly "People believe what they want to believe; but that's not all. Oddly enough, they also looked at him as a symbol of life; he did not die even when he was ambushed by Voldemort several times. For them, he was immortal"
Ginny stopped for a minute regaining her composure; reminiscing that terrible past did take its toll from her emotions; then she spoke again "He then enlisted into the law enforcement, and volunteered for the high-risk missions; all that is because he wants to prove something" she looked at her firmly "He wants to prove that he can die"
Hermione couldn't believe her ears, and Ginny kept on speaking "And that's where she enters; a simple muggle girl who does not know about his current status, and seems to like him a bit. He also seemed to develop a sort of liking to her … This girl is you Hermione"
Hermione looked at the ceiling for a minute before muttering "You know, I always asked myself this question; why me?" she looked at Ginny "Naturally, I couldn't ask him, so I ask you …" she looked at her tiredly "Why me?"
"It is because how you treat him, Hermione" Ginny answered "Not the legendary Harry Potter, but Harry Potter, the man, and the friend"
"That does not mean I don't see him as a legend" Hermione retorted while rocking her chair "It's just he is more legendary for me by his traits alone; gentle, caring, and a lovely friend to live with"
Ginny smiled at her "It's the same way he looks at you; you are the friend he never had. Now, he knows that every time he returns from a mission, he has someone he can return to. He believes that you give him strength" Ginny looked at her straight in the eye "Hermione, he believes in you"
Hermione was dumbfounded at the last statement, and never believed what she heard. Ginny, however, got up her chair and resumed the dish washing "This is all what I can say, now; the rest is up to you, Hermione"
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'She believes in you'
'He believes in you'
These words rang in Harry's and Hermione's heads respectively as they waved goodbye to the McLadens. No one of them knew what the other was thinking, and they didn't know they were thinking the same thing. Plus, seeing how happy the McLadens were touched both of them deeply; they both craved for a family, especially Harry who did not experience the joy of a family except with the Weasleys, who spared no effort in making him part of them. But in the end, they were not his family, and certainly not his blood family.
The trip home was as quiet as the first trip, if not more. But when they entered the flat, they both had the same resolve on their faces; it's now or never.
"Harry, I ..."
"Hermione, I …"
Both of them spoke at the same time, then cut of immediately. Harry incited her to talk "Yes, you talk first"
"No, you talk first" Hermione said as the initial courage began to leave her. Harry, however, hesitated a bit before speaking "Well, I forgot …"
"Me, too" Hermione blurted, finding it a good excuse; they stood silent for a minute staring at each other, before both of them speaking again "I …"
Unfortunately, it was this moment Fawkes chose to appear. His appearance was as loud as usual; causing both of them to flinch.
"Fawks!!" Harry was the first to speak; he held his hand for the regal bird which he nibbled in fondly.
'Bad timing …'
Both of them thought, and Harry noticed the piece of parchment hung at his leg "Is it …" Harry took the piece of and scanned it hastily, before smiling vaguely, causing Hermione to eye him in curiosity.
"What's in it, Harry?" she asked, not being able to hold herself anymore; and Harry smiled even more.
"Believe it or not …" he said "Sensei requested an immediate meeting" then he smiled widely "With both of us …"
A/N: Okay, that's it for chapter one; I hope you satisfy yourself with it for a while, because this time I will not update regularly; I will not repeat the same mistake and make a rash story.
Read & Review Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease