Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and the OCs I created specifically for this fic.
A/N: So here it is... The long anticipated sequel to When In Rio. After more than a year the first chapter is finally, FINALLY posted!
The original posting date was tomorrow; but its my birthday tomorrow (review to wish me a happy birthday?! No? That's okay I still love you all!) and I have so many things to do that finding time to actually post this would be impossible. So instead of postponing it you get it one day early!
Timeline:
When In Rio took place in April of 2006 in Rio de Janeiro where Edward was tracking Victoria and Hermione was holidaying with her parents.
Choices takes place five years after the events of When in Rio. Although the story chronologically starts around March of 2011, the real action doesn't start until April, specifically April 25th, St Marcus' Day in Volterra.
The rating is a strong M and yes that means sex. But all explicit scenes will be censored before posting here. When the time comes you'll be able to find the uncensored chapters in my Live Journal account.
Augustus Pye: HP canon character. He was the Trainee Healer at St Mungo's, who treated Arthur Weasley in Order of the Phoenix. For the sake of this fic, let's say he became a Mind Healer after he finished training.
Choices
Prologue
"It's okay, you are safe."
"That was unexpected."
Gold, shimmering eyes.
"Will you calm down?"
Soft, melodic laughter.
"A celebrity, huh? Should I ask for an autograph?"
A cheeky, crooked smile that melted her insides.
"Goodnight," a husky whisper.
A searing, burning kiss that drove all reason from her mind and rendered her speechless.
The feel of his cold body pressing her against the wall of an elevator.
Strong, cold fingers tracing every inch of her body.
An icy, moist tongue touching her most intimate parts...
Their bodies moving together, in and out, in and out, the headboard bumping against the wall with each powerful thrust and the pleasure coiling low in her belly, threatening her very sanity.
"OH GOD!"
Hermione bolted upright on her bed, her skin clammy with sweat and her whole body thrumming with arousal. Her knickers were practically soaked through and she swore; clumsily getting out of her bed, she stumbled to her dresser, picking a new pair of knickers, her breathing laboured.
She hadn't had that particular dream in years.
It was a long forgotten memory or so she chose to pretend it to be. Truth was she had never really forgotten the bronze haired vampire who had stolen her heart and broke it into tiny little pieces.
And although she felt she should have regretted her decision to gift him her virginity, the most precious thing a woman could give her beloved, Hermione never regretted the night they spent together in his hotel room in Rio.
She might have told him, spat at him really, that she regretted ever meeting and loving him, but the truth was she cherished the memory of their night together.
The night she became a woman in the arms of a man she loved.
The next morning might have been one of the worse in her young life but she had worse.
The months after their affair for example were a nightmare.
Apparently vampiric semen was quite potent despite the small insignificant detail Edward was technically speaking dead.
It started just three days after her return at Hogwarts; her mornings were spent in the bathroom, hugging the toilet and puking whatever she had the misfortune to eat the night previous. Even the whiff of fish and coffee – her favourite morning beverage – made her nauseous and she had weird cravings for foods she had previously detested.
Usually a morning person, she found herself having trouble getting up in the mornings, and was sleepy by the time the sun set. Not to mention the severe mood swings, and crying fits. Poor Neville had learned the hard way not to joke about her weight after she cursed him and then ran away, crying hysterically.
Ginny had joked about her being pregnant, the ginger the only one who knew Hermione's amorous week with the century old vampire. Although Ron's sister, Ginny knew he and Hermione would never work out. They were just too incompatible.
Hermione had refuted her suppositions, stating it was not possible for the symptoms to manifest so early if she was indeed pregnant.
For Merlin's sake there hadn't even been two weeks since she had slept with Edward!
Unfortunately for her, her condition only worsen.
It came to a standstill when one morning eighteen days since that night Hermione noticed a small bump in her flat belly after her morning shower, and thoroughly freaked out.
Madame Pomfrey had been shocked when a distraught Head Girl arrived in tears, Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood at her side with grim expressions on their faces.
The matron had confirmed the pregnancy and demanded an explanation when the tests showed the unnatural growth of the foetus and her scans turned unsuccessful. Her womb was coated in a diamond hard sustenance that she later learned was vampire skin. Apparently she was carrying a half vampire half human baby.
That day she had her first fainting spell.
Of course the headmistress had been notified and Hermione had been forced to admit her fling with Edward Cullen.
To her dismay Madame Pomfrey had refused to treat her; the elderly matron had no experience with such pregnancies and she had insisted that Hermione and the baby needed specialised care.
By the nurse's calculations the baby would be fully developed within three months.
The Healer who had taken over her care had informed her that due to her magical blood, the growth process had been slowed down. If she had been a mere Muggle, the baby would have been fully developed within six weeks.
Things got even worse when the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures had been alerted of her condition and expressed their displeasure on her breaking the law. A few of the still fanatical pure bloods in the Ministry tried to get her prosecuted for fraternizing with an immortal in her quest for eternal life and absolute power.
Hermione agreed to be subjected to Legilimency and take Veritaserum to convince them it was never her intention to become a vampire.
They were forced to drop the charges but she had been under close observation and scrutiny. Rita Skeeter had extract her revenge on publishing every minuscule detail of the procedure, and subtly questioning if her child was going to be a danger to the wizarding world. It was bound to be magically powerful and according to sources, the baby would be immortal. That was if s/he would be allowed to live.
Hermione by then knew she would have to fight for her baby's chance to life and was ready to do so. She had her friends and family with her - Ron admittedly was hurt by her choice to have a relationship with another man but he was still her friend and loved her dearly - and a good portion of the wizarding population supported her. They had not forgotten how she fought against Voldemort, and how she was a vocal supporter of equality and fair treatment despite one's blood status or social station.
.
She had underestimated the power of hatred though and she had come to regret it ever since.
The day after she had finished her NEWTs, and just a few days till her due day, Ginny had managed to convince her to join them at Hogsmeade. Parvati, Lavender, Padma (all three young women had surprisingly stood up for her, and became close friends) and Luna would be with them, and Hermione had apprehensively agreed.
She had been feeling under the weather the previous days – exams' anxiety Madame Pomfrey had told her and scolded her for stressing herself in her condition; her Healer had agreed, and advised her to relax.
Hermione still remembered the few, precious hours she had spent with her girlfriends in the magical village; Parvati and Lavender had dragged her to a baby shop she had never noticed before, and gushed over the cuteness of baby clothes, and Padma had wisely advised her to allow the duo to organise a baby shower if she didn't want them to hound her for days.
None had seen them coming; Death Eaters suddenly swarmed the village, their viciousness unprecedented as they wrecked havoc, blowing up shops and houses, attacking anyone who opposed them, even if they were children.
Her friends had tried to shield her as they had fought to find shelter, but they were soon overwhelmed. Tears streaking down her face, Hermione had failed to notice the burly Death Eater sneaking behind her, and the curse hit her in the back; Hermione had fallen, curling herself to a ball and cradling her protruding stomach with her hands, hoping to shield her baby from harm, as she screamed, the pain excruciating.
Till today, she had never found out if she was the real target or she had been at the wrong place at the wrong time.
Rodolphus Lestrange had managed to hold her under the Cruciatus curse for more than three minutes and when he was taken down by an enraged Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley, she was profoundly bleeding between her thighs and agonizing contractions caused her to scream herself raw.
It had taken a team of highly skilled Healers and a magical creature expert specialised in vampires to save her life.
Her baby hadn't make it.
The curse had caused the placenta to detach, causing the baby to slowly suffocate. Her baby had futilely tried to chew its way out of her, but her magic had attacked it, leaving Hermione to slowly bleed to death.
If it wasn't for the collaboration of Muggle technology and magic Hermione would have died. In a stroke of luck - Healers words - the baby's venom caused her injuries to heal but the healing team had been quick to extract the poison from her system before she was turned.
It had been no consolation to know her baby had saved her life when the cost was so great.
Hermione had cried over her baby girl's limp body, her hand softly caressing the soft auburn hair, refusing to allow anyone to take it from her, delirious in her grief.
That day, the day she had held her daughter's corpse in her arms, knowing she would never see her grow up, never hear her laugh and call her mum, it was the first day Hermione had felt real hatred. She loathed Rodolphus, and wanted him to pay. She wanted him to suffer.
That day she had asked Harry to make it happen. To make Rodolphus pay for taking her daughter from her.
Solemnly, Harry had swore to see it happen.
And he had.
He used his influence, and assured the Death Eater and his brother received the Dementor's Kiss; but not before they had been tortured almost to death and had been reduced to shells of their former selves.
Only then - three months after her daughter's funeral – had Hermione allowed herself to mourn for her loss.
She had even agreed to her friends' pleads and scheduled an appointment with a Mind Healer. Their weekly sessions had helped her cope, but the pain never really left her.
Healer Pye had quietly told her that it'd never go away; all they could hope for was for her to learn to live with it.
And she had.
Eventually.
Every Sunday she visited the cemetery near her parents' house, telling her Rose her news and leaving her baby's namesake, white roses on her tombstone.
If she didn't have her friends and family Hermione wasn't sure she would have made it. But they were there with her, every step of the way, despite her screams and harsh words at her bad days, and her apathy at her worst days. They never gave up on her, edging her on and helping her come back to her self.
It wasn't long before Hermione decided that staying home wasn't helping her much; if she wanted to get better, she'd have to get out, find something to take her mind off of what could have been and would never be.
So she got a job.
Despite her most recent scandal, Hermione Granger was still a hot commodity among the various Ministry Departments and private employers. With her War Heroine status, and her perfect NEWTs scores, Hermione had her pick of job offers.
She wanted something to stimulate her mind, something that would require effort on her part and would ensure her mind was occupied, leaving her little time to remember.
Her mind was her worst enemy those dark months, and she had to keep herself busy if she didn't want to lose herself to pain. Hermione was smart enough to realise her mental stability was shaky at best, so with that in mind, she joined the Unspeakables.
The Department of Mysteries offered numerous distractions, and she was soon immersed in the study of the Veil in the Death Chamber.
At first, when she exhibited interest in that particular chamber, her superior had denied her. Knowing his reasons, Hermione calmly explained her interest had nothing to do with her dead daughter, and told him all about that strange dream she had in Brazil of Sirius Black after Dolohov attacked her.
Robert Front, the Department's Head, had been leery of her at first; she was a mourning mother showing interest in a way to bring the presumed dead back to life; if that wasn't suspicious, he didn't know what was.
But Hermione was honestly more interest in the Veil itself and its mysterious nature than any shady plan. Her reasoning was logical – Sirius had fallen through the Veil while still alive, where Rose had died.
After all when Sirius talked to her in her dream, he had been coherent and aware of her situation. Perhaps the Veil's victims were still somehow alive on the other side?
Her innate curiosity demanded her to research, find out if that dream was real or her imagination had been playing tricks on her.
Months were spent in the alluring Death Chamber, her time divided between studying the arch and trying to decipher the runes and glyphs carved into the stone pillars and raised dais. Her research partner, a wizard she couldn't bother to remember his name, provided her with helpful books from the Ministry's library and did a lot or research himself.
After nearly a year, they came to the startling discovery that the Veil was a Portal; a portal to another realm, one existing outside of time and space, and the victims were trapped there in a state of limbo, quite literally floating around in darkness.
They didn't starve or need water, they didn't sleep or got sick, they simply... existed.
If her theory was correct, they could not communicate with the 'normal' world normally, but the more stubborn and strong ones, could somehow forge empathic links when an individual's mind was unguarded and more open to outside intrusion, when someone was asleep for example.
If that individual had proper training and was receptive to the contact they could converse with their 'visitor'.
When Hermione figured this particular bit out, she laughed. She had never before felt thankful for her tendency to be an overachiever than when she realised her decision to study Occlumency and Legilimency in the months the trio spent camping, assured Sirius could communicate with her.
She was merely adequate in both arts until she struck a friendship with none other than Draco Malfoy, who turned out to be a Master of the Mind Arts, and he offered to teach her. After sufficient and proper training, Hermione was capable of withstanding even the most powerful Legilimens.
Her boss was thrilled with her discoveries regarding the Veil; he assigned her the task of finding a way to save the trap souls, and gave her free reign in the Chamber along with the liberty to form her own team.
Along with the promise of a very generous bonus and two extra weeks of paid vacation, Frost implied that if she succeeded, she would be promoted to Deputy Head of the whole Department.
Like she needed a motivation to do her best!
Two years later her team managed to save fifty people from the depths of the Veil, among them was one delirious Sirius Black.
After a long stay in St Mungo's, the heir to the House of Black reclaimed his title and fortune – Harry willingly gave it back – and took great pleasure in making people nervous when he went out for casual strolls.
The Wizengamot, after Harry and Kingsley took Sirius' case to them, was forced to pay Sirius a handsome sum of money. He was awarded a Merlin's Order Second Class for his contribution to both Wizarding Wars and a formal, public apology for incarcerating him to Azkaban for twelve years without a trial for a crime he had not commit.
Surprisingly more politically conscious than he ever was, Sirius openly supported Kingsley, and claimed his family's seat in the Wizengamot much to his fellow members' horror. He knew if there was a chance for their society to change and accept equality, he couldn't just stand back. He needed to take action, show the world the Black House supported change and welcomed Muggleborns in the wizarding community.
Immediately after he was cleared from the hospital, he sought out Andromeda and little Teddy Lupin and had them move to Grimmauld Place; he wanted his family close by, and now that his last best friend had fallen, Sirius decided to watch over his son like Teddy was his own.
Sirius didn't forget Hermione's role in his salvation; he made it exceedingly clear that he saw Hermione as his ward. Contrary to their friends' lewd comments and the press' suppositions, Sirius and Hermione's relationship was platonic.
Sirius saw her as a daughter, and was very protective of her.
Currently Sirius was the DADA professor at Hogwarts; after Voldemort's death, the curse on the position had been lifted, and the students had demanded a feast as celebration for his return the second year of his employment.
Never one to take advantage of her status and connections, Hermione had to admit that having the Master of the Most Ancient House of Black acting like your guardian, was convenient in her professional interactions with purebloods who still considered Muggleborns beneath them.
Having established some necessary connections, and feeling satisfied with her work in the Department of Mysteries, Hermione asked for a transfer. Robert hadn't been happy, but he didn't deny her request.
So for the last year, Hermione was working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures as the Deputy Head.
Her co-workers hadn't been pleased with her success, and some, like Daphne Greengrass, had snidely commented that she used her relationship with Harry and Sirius to advance her career and hinted that she got the job because of her proclivity to sleeping with magical creatures.
Hermione had ignored the cruel taunts and gossip, keeping a professional front that had the double advantage of pissing them off and making her look better in her superior's eyes. She had simply refused to let the lies of Greengrass hurt her with her callous words and sour disposition.
Especially when everyone knew the real reason the haughty brunette despised her, was her jealously.
Not only Hermione was rapidly ascending the proverbial steps in her career ladder, but she had managed to get her hands on the most eligible bachelor three years running according to Witch Weekly.
Draco Malfoy turned out to be a rather decent person after the whole War débâcle. Still acidly sarcastic and arrogant, he had matured and nowadays was more introspective and kind.
Not to mention the man was bloody brilliant.
Their friendship was a weird mix of heated debates, subtle praise, and snide comments, but it worked for them. Hermione respected him, and loved to discuss various topics with him, finding his sometimes controversial views inspiring and surprising given his strict and traditional upbringing.
They had tried dating just to shut up their friends but it didn't last. They only had five dates, and physically had never gone farther than snogging shirtless in her living room couch. Simply put, it was too blood weird for them, not to mention they was no spark; after they admitted it to each other, they were happy to return to just being friends.
That was over a year ago.
Since then she had tried dating; one tried to force her into having sex with him. She sent him to St Mungo's with a black eye and shrunken genitals. The second one was Draco's close friend Theo Nott. She only agreed to the date because Draco was whining about her pathetic love life.
Translation: He thought she needed a good shag because her bitchiness drove him insane.
Theo was lovely and all but it was blatantly obvious to anyone with eyes that he was gay. He only agreed to the date because his boyfriend, an Italian wizard, wanted to meet the famous Muggleborn. The three of them had a lovely evening and Hermione even agreed to visit them in Italy some time.
Draco's jaw had dropped when she casually told him how her date went; even thought Theo was perfectly okay with his sexuality, the sad truth was that wizarding England was just not too progressive enough to accept homosexuality, so he had chosen to maintain a low profile.
Her last relationship had lasted four months.
To Harry and Ron's delight, she had stumbled on Oliver Wood, former school mate and famous Quidditch player, one day in Diagon Alley. They had hit it off immediately, and started going out soon after.
But her dedication to her job caused a strain in their relationship, especially after Oliver admitted on wanting a family soon. Unwilling to lead him on, when she knew she wasn't ready to settle down, Hermione ended it.
Their break up was amicable, despite any residual feelings on his side, which was fortunate. Who knew what her two pigheaded friends would do if she told them she dumped a Quidditch star? For her job nonetheless?
In the year she was working in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, she had accomplished only a handful of meaningful changes.
Truth, the lives of house elves had significantly improved, but many other creatures were still treated horribly; in some cases they were even hunted like common animals! The penalties for hunting a magical creature were laughable, and not enough to keep anyone from breaking the law, and Hermione was disgusted by it.
Recently she had finished drafting a new bill regarding the treatment of werewolves, and presented it before the Wizengamot. With it, she ensured werewolves had free access to wolfsbane, and she insisted on the eradication of anti-werewolf legislation. Fenrir Greyback, she had noted succinctly, was a sadistic monster yes, but most werewolves were only products of the resentment and prejudice they faced in society.
By the time she had finished her presentation, cleverly pointing out Remus Lupin's sacrifice despite his mistreatment throughout his life, Sirius had tears in his eyes.
Being unable to actually verbalize his sincere gratitude, he chose to show her how grateful he was on behalf of his friend by buying the flat she was renting for her.
If she wasn't used to Sirius' extravagance and generosity, she would have been upset. But this was Sirius; he had bought Teddy a horse when the child said he liked ponies last year.
Hermione was intelligent enough to avoid getting involved in laws regarding vampires; but when she did, she made sure to have valid arguments and solid proofs backing up her propositions, based sorely on facts and reports from specialists.
Her mishap was not forgotten, and the purebloods that still opposed her used it to sabotage her attempts, superciliously hinting at conflict of interests.
So far they had failed to disgrace her, much to their chagrin.
Unlike what her spiteful co-workers believed, Hermione was not a workaholic with no life outside her office. She worked dutifully and fastidiously, but always took an hour long lunch break, often enjoying it with her friends at the cafeteria or in one of the many small diners close to the Ministry.
Every Friday night, she joined her friends at the Leakey Cauldron for after work drinks, and talked about their week and plans for the weekend.
Saturday was a busy day for Hermione socially; she had lunch with her friends, and later went out with her girlfriends for dancing and drinks, or they had a girls night in with dinner, movies and lots of ice cream.
Every Sunday she had brunch with her parents and went shopping with Ginny and Luna. Some weekends she wanted solitude, she visited her parents' beach house, and others she visited one of the numerous Black estates all over Europe. Sirius had given permission to their lot to use them whenever they wanted; it wasn't as if he needed them after all.
All in all, Hermione lived a balanced and happy life, and if she occasionally got a little obsessed with her work, she had her friends and family to remind her to live.
And what if she didn't have a lasting relationship?
She was twenty four, not forty! She had time to find 'The One' and settle down.
She was just not ready to do so now!
It had nothing whatsoever to do with a certain bronze haired, gold eyed vampire. Nothing at all.
Shaking herself back from her memories, Hermione sighed heavily and go into her shower, turning the water to ice cold. After that dream, she needed to cool down.
xxXxx
"You look like shite."
"My, don't you know how to flatter a woman, Harry. I can just tell why you are so irresistible." She sarcastically replied walking to her office. With a nod of her head, Harry obediently open the door for her since both her hands were occupied. In one hand she held her required morning espresso and with the other she held a stack of files on her chest, while simultaneously holding a paper bag with her morning bagel.
Smelling the cinnamon, Harry felt his mouth watering. He had slept late and had to skip breakfast, and now his stomach was punishing.
"Sorry," he chuckled at his rude words. "But you do look terrible. Haven't you slept?"
A deep sigh; she redeposited her files on her desk, walked around to sit on her comfortable chair and settled her eyes on her best friend.
"Not really." She admitted finally, motioning for him to take one of her visitor's chairs. He did so with a concerned frown. "I had a, uh, bad dream."
No matter how close friends she and Harry were, there was no way in Hell she was going to admit to the nature of the dream. There were simply some things she could only discuss with a female friend; a sexual dream was among them.
"Bellatrix?"
"No... Edward."
Silence.
"Is this because of Amos' request? Because I can talk to him, you know. You don't have to do it."
Amos Diggory, her boss, had asked her for a personal favour last week.
About two hundred years ago, the International Confederation of Wizards had decided that the various Ministries around the world couldn't afford to spent funds in seeking out and Obliviate every Muggle who came across a magical creature/being.
To reduce the expenses, the ICW had decided that the sentient creatures and half human beings such as centaurs, merpeople and vampires would be required to keep their kind in check.
Of course, the various tribes were required to report any significant events yearly, but so far their system had work without a hitch.
Centaurs disliked humans as a principle so they kept to themselves but other humanoid creatures needed to have a form of surveillance.
The most prominent was the vampire species.
It was based on observation on the vampire species that that policy came into effect.
For the last three millennia, vampires were governed by the most powerful coven, and had laws to keep their existence a secret. Currently, the leading coven was the Volturi, having taking over from the Romanian coven fifteen hundred years ago. The three leaders originated from Greece, and were based on the small Italian city of Volterra. They were feared among their kind, and managed to keep vampires in check, destroying the ones who risked exposure.
Hermione had intimate knowledge of them, having discuss them in depth with Edward, and so she was more familiar with their ways and history than her co-workers.
That was the reason Amos requested she represent their Department to the Volturi's great celebration for the anniversary of their fifteenth century in power. Hermione was the most prominent member of the Department, and Amos was of the opinion that Aro, the de facto leader of the Volturi would appreciate her attendance more than Amos', despite him being the Head of their department.
On top of her exemplary work record, she was, well, Hermione Granger. Her various achievements and fame far outweighed Amos' importance.
She had been hesitant to accept, knowing her history with Edward might cause a problem, but Amos had assured her it was not an issue. Hermione had been cleared of all charges, and she was far too professional to allow personal feelings to interfere with her job, something she had proven sufficiently.
After much grovelling on Amos' part, she had acquiesced.
It was probably going to spectacularly blow up in her face but she knew Amos' arguments were valid and rational.
So Hermione was expected to leave for Italy in just four short weeks.
A week long celebration – full with city fairs, extravagant dinners, and various games – would culminate in a grand ball on St Marcus' day, April 25th, where representatives of Magical Ministries from all over the world, would be attending.
Hermione was expected to arrive earlier, to acclimate herself with the city, properly meet the three vampire leaders and conduct all diplomatic meetings before the ball.
Her schedule for her two week stay in Volterra was booked, but she did plan to enjoy Volterra in her free time, as little as it was. She did have to purchase souvenirs for her friends and family after all – although she'd have to disappoint Padma. Hermione very much doubted that she'd manage to find 'a hot Italian man' to bring back to her friend, so Padma would have to do with a scarf or something. She was pretty sure kidnapping a guy was illegal in all countries, not just UK.
"No, its okay. I'm actually looking forward to my visit." She smiled reassuringly at her friend.
At Harry's inquiring look, she rolled her eyes.
"Merlin Harry; Aro, Caius and Marcus are almost three thousand years old! Do you have any idea how much they have seen? They are like living, history books! But more credible because they don't just write what they can verify from different sources; they've livedit. They've been there. They are part of history and if anyone can provide solid, conclusive facts, its them! This is the chance of a lifetime!"
Harry chuckled at her sudden enthusiasm, her previously pale face now flushed with colour, her eyes bright with excitement.
"Now, that's the Hermione I know and love."
Standing up, he pushed his glasses up his nose and flashed her a crooked smile.
"Don't let memories of that arse bother you, love. You are better off without him. You do know that right?"
"Yes Harry. Edward was... He was a mistake. You can say the allure of the forbidden got to me. I knew it would never work out, not just because it was against the law but I would never give up my life for something so trivial as immortality. Eternal life sounds boring don't you think?"
"I do. Life is interesting and full of surprises. We only enjoy seemingly insignificant things and trivialities because life is so short and unexpected. Anything could happen at any given time, so we've got to live and enjoy every second of it."
They looked at each other, one of her eyebrows raised.
"Since when you turned so... philosophical, Potter? Should I be worried?"
"Bite me Granger. I can say some wise stuff once in a while! You are not the only smart one!"
"Of course." She scoffed. "And telling Ginny she looked fat last week was proof of your intelligence I take it? Considering the fact she's carrying your baby."
"Jesus Christ, I didn't say she looked fat! She asked me if she did, I looked at her-
"And that's right there is where you went wrong, Sherlock." Her smirk was Malfoy worthy. Draco would be proud. "When a woman asks you - especially if that woman happens to be your pregnant wife - if she looks fat, you don't look; you answer automatically, reflexively if you want. And there's only one correct answer. NO! A loud, resonate NO! Because trust me on this, you smart arse, she's going to remember it and you'll pay for it in a subtle unexpected and hurtful way some time in the future."
"Remember when Ron told you to write a book about female psychology back in fifth year? Maybe you should reconsider your decision not to. Just saying."
"I'm quite busy as it is." She shoo'ed him out with a giggle. "I have no free time to help clueless men like you Mr Potter. As my mum always says, you made your bed, now sleep on it."
"I think I preferred you when you were all moody and miserable. At least then you weren't such a smart arse."
"Ah Harry. You better get used to mood swings. For the next six months you'll be living with a hormonal, temperamental harridan whose mood swings will give you whiplash. God knows how you'll manage to survive."
"Ginny loves me. She'll never harm me."
"Famous last words." She snickered gleefully. "Just make sure my godson is okay. I want a baby to spoil soon Potter!"
"It's a girl."
"Yeah, yeah. Go to your office. I'm sure you have work to do."
xxXxx
Level 9, Department of Mysteries, Ministry of Magic, London
"Do you think this is possible, Frost? I mean its-"
"Far-fetched, unheard of, probably the work of a lunatic yes." The dark haired man cut in, his coal black eyes glinting in the dimly lit office. "But this parchment was found in a chest protected by ancient, archaic and very dark magick. Whoever hid it there, put a lot of thought and effort to ensure it remained hidden and safe. It took seven months for the most qualified curse breakers Gringotts had to offer to break through the first layer of protective enchantments alone, and another seventeen months to finally break the lock. We had specialized linguists and ancient runes experts try to break the codex but so far nothing."
"And what makes you think Granger will manage? She's smart I'll give her that, but this just might be more than even she can handle. Despite what her fans think, she's not a genius."
"You are right. But she is smart. But most importantly she's good at figuring out riddles and solving puzzles. She's analytical, logical and observant. She picks details that most people would miss, and she's brilliant at connecting the dots when presented with a challenge. Most importantly, if something picks her interest, she won't rest until she finds the solution. It's in her nature."
"But this is little more that a scavenger hunt! We don't know if the cure even exists!"
"And that's why I'm putting Granger in charge of this investigation, Alaric! We are not talking about the common flue! We are talking about the real deal! Chiron's legendary panakeia! The cure for all illnesses. Think about it. If we find it... Lycanthropy, vampirism, cancer, everything! We can save millions of people!" His dark eyes shone. "Our names will be in the pantheon of the greatest wizards ever lived!"
The grey haired man watched the fanatical glint in his superior's eye. Robert Frost was a man on mission and nothing would stop him from achieving his goal.
Alaric Saltzman hoped Granger would be luckier than her predecessors and manage to crack the codex; Merlin knew how many people, magical and mundane, this cure would save.
A/N: Hope this chapter answered some of the questions you had (only one reader of When In Rio actually noticed and commented on how Hermione and Edward had unprotected sex and the consequences of that fact).
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Panakeia (pah-nah-kee-ah) is an ancient Greek myth. It was some kind of plant if I recall correctly, that could cure every illness. I haven't read mythology for more than ten years now so my facts might not be accurate but that's okay. The important thing is that panakeia was supposedly real and I use it in this fic.
Any thoughts?
OCs:
Alaric Saltzman: As you can see he's named after my favourite Vampire Diaries' character who tragically died in the end of season 3. They only share a name though.
Alaric is in his late sixties, grey haired with brown eyes. He's Hermione's height with a round belly and square glasses. He joined the Department of Mysteries straight after Hogwarts' and worked until recently in the Brain Room. Two years ago he got promoted and became the Deputy Head of the Department. During both Wars he and his family fled to his maternal home in Salem, America due to his status as Muggle Born.
Robert Frost: The Head of the Department of Mysteries in this fic. I searched but could not find who was the Head of that department. Any clues?
Robert is a tall, dark haired man with black eyes. He's in his mid forties and twice divorcee with two kids, twin girls, away in Beauxbatons currently in their seventh year. Both girls are fans of Harry Potter.
He's a pureblood but acknowledges the fact inbreeding will eventually lead to the magical gene extermination. His second wife was a muggleborn and his first a half blood. He was a member of the first Order of the Phoenix although he opted not to join the second.
He graduated from Hogwarts with six Outstandings and two Exceed Expectations NEWTs. He completed his Healer programme at the top of his class and worked two years at St Mungo's. He was recruited by the previous Head Unspeakable though and was persuaded to join the Department, his love for research a great factor in his decision. Specifically he started at the Ever-Locked Room or most commonly known the Love Chamber, then moved to the Hall of Mysteries. After the end of the Second War he became the Head Unspeakable.