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Union Station

Platform 9-B

09:18

Ginny linked arms with Hermione as they stepped off the train, heading towards the exit.

'New York, here we come,' Ginny said with a grin and Hermione frowned.

'We're not here on holiday, Gin...'

'Come on, 'Mione. I know we've got a job to do, but we're in America. We should take some time to see the sights...'

'I guess we could visit the Smithsonian...' Hermione conceded and Ginny gave her a kiss on the cheek.

'Now you're talking,' she said as a dark haired woman stepped down from the carriage ahead of them.

'Come on,' she said, a man with a straggly beard following her onto the platform as she rested her hand on the hilt of her wand. 'Walk ahead of me, Mr Quinn. Slowly.'

As they approached one of the station guards, the woman reached inside her coat and pulled out a black leather wallet, flipping it open.

'Auror Goldstein on prisoner transfer,' she said and the guard nodded, waving her past with a nod.

'Yes, Ma'am...'

On the other side of the station, a thin-faced man rose from a bench and started walking towards her.

'Ginny...' Hermione hissed, grabbing her arm as the man reached under his coat and drawing his wand.

'Stupefy,' he yelled, a red bolt lancing out from the end of his wand. However, the woman was already drawing her own wand and she deflected the spell before grabbing Quinn and shoving him back under an archway. Screams erupted around them as the passengers started to run, pushing and shoving each other in their bid to get to safety.

'Get down,' Hermione yelled, ducking behind a pillar and pulling out her own wand as Ginny crouched next to her. As she watched, a dark-skinned man and a willowy woman pushed their way through the crowds and drew their own wands, their stunning spells striking the archway where Goldstein was hiding.

'Stupe...' she began as she rose from her crouch, her spell being cut off as Quinn jabbed his elbow into her stomach. As she stumbled backwards, he snatched his wand from her belt and broke into a run towards the others.

'Stupefy!' Hermione yelled, aiming her wand towards him. However, Quinn ducked, her spell passing over his head and she snapped of a shot of his own that forced her to take cover again.

'About time, Davenport,' Quinn snapped as he reached the others, shoving the dark-skinned man ahead of him. 'Meyers, grab Griffiths and let's get out of here...'

The woman nodded, grabbing the thin-faced man and they raced towards the exit. Ginny drew her own wand, snapping off another stunning spell, but Quinn deflected it. Before she could fire again, they had reached the exit from the platform and dived through the wall, disappearing from sight. As Ginny watched, Goldstein rose, slipping her wand back inside her coat, just as a voice yelled

'Goldstein!'

'Yes, Mr Graves?' she said, her face going pale as she turned towards the tall man with strong cheekbones who was storming towards her.

'You were given one responsibility, Goldstein,' he hissed. 'One responsibility. To escort Mr Quinn to our custody...'

'Sir, I assure you, I can find him...'

'You'll do no such thing, Goldstein,' he said. 'I've already seen what you're capable of. Consider yourself suspended from duty until tomorrow, when you will attend an inquest at 9:00. Dismissed, Goldstein.'

'Yes, sir...' she said, turning on her heel and marching away, Ginny getting to her feet and dusting herself down.

'You alright?' she asked, turning to Hermione and holding out her hand.

'Yeah...' Hermione said, taking her hand and getting to her feet.

'Good. Come on. I want to talk to her...'

'Ginny...'

######################

'Are you okay?' Ginny asked and Goldstein looked up at her from the bench she was sitting on.

'...I'm fine,' she said, standing up and putting her hands in her pockets. 'Thank you for your help back there...'

'Where are you going?' Ginny asked and she glanced over her shoulder.

'I'm going to find Quinn and bring him back...'

'Are you crazy?' Ginny said, catching up with her and blocking her path. 'We can't let you go alone...'

'I can take care of myself...' she said and Ginny frowned.

'In case you've forgotten, there's four of them and one of you...'

'I don't have a lot of choice,' Goldstein said. 'If I don't bring Quinn back, then I won't have a career tomorrow...'

'That's a stupid reason to get yourself killed...'

'It was my mistake and I need to fix it...'

'...alright. What's your name...?'

'...Tina...'

'Okay, Tina. We'll help you...'

'Why would you do that...?'

'We're not just going to let you get yourself killed,' Hermione said and Tina hesitated for a second.

'...okay. Thank you. Come on, we need to get moving...'

######################

A sharp crack broke the silence of the street and Tina, Hermione and Ginny appeared, crouching in the shadow of an alley wall.

'This is it...'

'You've said that about the last two places we looked,' Hermione said.

'You said you wanted to help,' Tina retorted, without looking round. 'He'll need somewhere to lie low and this is one of his known hideouts...'

'Exactly,' Hermione said. 'His known hideouts. He'll have to know that you'll be looking for him here...'

'He will. Which is why he won't stay long...'

'Quiet,' Ginny hissed. 'Look...'

Following her gaze, they saw Meyers cross the street and, after glancing over his shoulder, disappear into the house.

'He's here,' Tina said, drawing her wand from inside her coat. 'I can take it from here...'

'We've come this far,' Ginny said, drawing her own wand and glancing at Hermione, who nodded. 'Let's finish this...'

'Alright,' Tina said, slipping out of the alley and crossing the street, Ginny and Hermione following behind her. Reaching the door of the house, Tina pressed her back against the wall.

'Alright. We need to do this quickly and quietly. Once we open the door, I'll go in. If it's clear, come in behind me and cover the doors...'

'You don't need to protect us,' Hermione began and Tina cut her off.

'I'm not,' she hissed. 'If there's someone on the other side, I'll need you to cover me...'

'Alright,' Hermione said, reaching out to touch her wand to the lock as she whispered

'Alohomora.'

With a faint click, the lock opened and Ginny pushed open the door, Tina stepping through.

'Clear,' she whispered, Hermione and Ginny slipping through and moving to flank her.

'What now?' Ginny asked, just as the door next to them opened and Davenport emerged.

'Petrificus Totalus,' Hermione said, her wand flicking out and he went as stiff as a board. Even before he started to topple forward, Tina darted past him into the room.

'Stupefy!' she yelled and Ginny followed her in time to see Meyers slumping backwards in a chair, her wand falling from his hand. Griffiths was also rising from his seat at the table by the window and Ginny threw herself behind an armchair, his stunning spell zipping over her head.

'Expelliarmus,' she yelled, his wand flying out of his hand as Hermione entered the room, her stunning spell slamming him back against the wall. Quinn's hand darted towards his wand, Tina raising hers and he froze.

'Colby Quinn,' Tina said. 'You're under arrest...'

######################

Hermione emerged from the fireplace with Ginny, their wands trained on the Griffiths, Meyer and Davenport, their hands bound with ropes that Hermione had conjured. In front of them, Tina was standing with her hand firmly gripping Quinn by the shoulder and, above them, rose a bronze statue of twelve figures standing together with their wands raised.

The first twelve US Aurors. Wilhelm Fischer. Theobold Fontaine. Abraham Potter. Mary Jauncey...

'Goldstein!'

Hermione was snapped out of her thoughts by the shout and turned to see Graves storming towards them.

'What is the meaning of this?' He demanded and Tina shoved Quinn towards him.

'Returning my prisoner to custody,' Tina said.

'So I see. Disobeying my direct orders in the process,' Graves said, holding her gaze for a second. 'Carry on, Goldstein.'

'Sir?'

'Transfer your prisoner to custody...'

'Yes, sir,' Goldstein said, grabbing Quinn's arm. 'Does this mean I still have a job?'

'For the moment...'

'...yes, sir...'

######################

Tina stepped out of MACUSA, massaging her neck with a groan.

'What are you going to do now?' Ginny asked and she turned round, seeing her and Hermione walking towards her.

'Go home,' she said. 'And have a hot bath. What about you?'

'See if we can find a hotel, I guess...Anyway, good luck...'

'...hold on,' Tina said. 'Listen, I owe you for your help. If you want, you can stay at my place tonight...

######################

'...they make a very cute couple,' Queenie said and Tina stopped with her hot chocolate halfway to her lips.

'What do you mean...?'

'They're a couple. Don't tell me you didn't notice...?'

'They're gay...?'

'They're in love,' Queenie said, picking up the other two cups with a grin.

######################

'Come in,' Hermione said and Queenie pushed open the door, carrying two steaming mugs.

'I brought you some cocoa,' she said, putting them down on the bedside table.

'Thanks,' Ginny said. 'And thanks for letting us stay...'

'Don't mention it, hun. If you've got some free time tomorrow, I can show you the sights. Well, good night, loves...'

Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Any comments, reviews or constructive criticisms very welcome.