Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter
A/N: This story takes place approximately three years after the end of book 6: the Half Blood Prince. The main pairing will eventually be Hermione and Pansy, so if girl/girl (or Slytherin/Gryffindor) relationships bother you: Consider yourself warned. Other pairings include: Ginny/Luna Neville/Susan and Draco/Daphne
Chapter 1: Old Friends
"What can I get… you…" Hermione trailed off as she recognized the man at the corner table. He'd filled out considerably and his shaggy black hair hung down to cover his forehead. However, when he looked up at her, the bottle green eyes were the same.
"Just a beer, please," he said with a small smile. His voice sounded slightly hoarse, as though he didn't use it often any more.
She nodded mutely and strode across the empty bar to retrieve the drink. She hadn't seen Harry in over a year. No one had. He'd been hunting horcruxes alone, staying off the grid and several steps ahead of the Death Eaters. Other members of the Order helped him when he needed it or continued the fight on other fronts.
Hermione had been living in the muggle world for the last year. Her and several other survivors of the last great battle had moved away from the war torn world. Without a high school diploma, there weren't a lot of muggle job choices. She'd been hired at this small, dingy London bar ten months before. She always kept her wand with her, but hadn't done a single spell since then.
She set down the bottle and snapped the cap off expertly. He cocked his head at her slightly before taking a sip. "I'm off in an hour," she said softly before walking away.
"What's wrong?" the cook asked when she walked into the back. "You look like you've seen a ghost." He wiped his hands on his grease-stained apron and walked to where she'd set her tray down.
She glanced up and met gray eyes that were narrowed in concern. "Harry's here." Her voice was barely above a whisper.
His mouth opened and closed soundlessly for a moment. "Harry P-" She clapped a hand over his mouth in alarm and looked around wildly. Uttering the full name out loud would bring Death Eaters down on their heads in an instant. A taboo had been placed on the name the year before, along with Voldemort's. She slowly lowered her hand and sighed. "Sorry," he muttered. "But what the bloody hell is he doing here?"
"I don't know," she glanced at the wall that separated them. "I was going to wait until closing time to talk to him." He nodded distractedly and wiped his hands again before turning back to the grill he'd been cleaning. She took a deep breath and composed her features before returning to the front of the bar.
Harry sat quietly nursing his beer and not looking up, and the hour seemed to drag by. Finally it was closing time and she returned to his table. "So where do you want to go?" she asked him softly. "There's a café around the corner that's open all night, would that be ok?"
He nodded slowly. "Is anyone else around? I could use all the help I could get."
She frowned, thinking. "A few. Neville lives in our building-"
"Our?"
"Draco and I," she clarified. He raised an eyebrow and she smirked at him. "We're just room mates, Harry," she said with a chuckle. After his mother had been killed, he'd left the magical world as well. For a while, he'd been hunted but things seemed to have settled down recently. When he'd switched sides they'd eventually become friends and now they shared a small flat several blocks away.
"Anyway," she continued, smiling slightly, "He's just finishing up in the back so I can ask him to come if you'd like."
He leaned back in his chair to consider. "Actually, he'd probably like to hear this as well," he said finally. "Who else?"
"Well, Luna's probably still at work…" A noise behind her made her turn. Draco was hanging up his apron and replacing it with a thick jacket. His platinum hair was pulled back in a short ponytail and covered with a backward cap. "Well, this is a surprise," he said good-naturedly as he strode over.
He held out a hand and Harry looked down at it for a moment before shaking it. Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes. The old grudges were clearly still on Harry's mind. "So, boys, shall we go get some early breakfast?"
Hermione wrapped her scarf a little tighter as the three of them walked in silence down the deserted street. It was mid-October and the air was cool. She was relieved when they reached the café. They were the only customers. The dark haired waitress smiled and set down her crossword when she saw them. "Hey guys," she said cheerily as she moved to greet them.
"Hi, Daphne," Hermione gave her a quick hug before sliding into a booth. Draco grinned and waved, then slid in beside her.
Harry was still standing, glancing around uneasily. His gaze hardened slightly as it fell on the waitress's back. Daphne Greengrass had been in school with them, in Slytherin, and Hermione wondered if he recognized her.
She cleared her throat. "Have a seat," she gestured to the empty side of the booth. He seemed to remember himself and quickly sat down.
When Daphne turned to him, she did the slightest of double-takes and her eyes widened. "What are you doing here?" she choked out. He narrowed his eyes at her and she flushed slightly. "I mean… how- how are you?"
He shrugged, still watching her intently. She squirmed slightly under the scrutiny and Hermione decided to intervene. "Harry, you remember Daphne? She was at school with us." She decided to leave out which house she'd been in. If Harry didn't remember, that was fine with her.
His expression instantly cleared. "Of course, sorry. I'm doing alright, how about you?" He smiled at her and she visibly relaxed.
"I'm not too bad," she said with a grin. "What can I get you? The usual?" she raised an eyebrow at Draco and Hermione, who both nodded.
"Nothing for me, thanks," Harry said quickly. He waited until she'd returned with two cups of tea and a plate of bacon sandwiches before speaking. "So what have you heard about the state of things lately?"
"Just what we read in the mug- in the papers," Draco replied. "Accidents, disappearances, unexplained deaths…" He sighed and picked up a sandwich.
Harry frowned at them in confusion. "You don't get the Prophet any more?"
Hermione shook her head sadly. "It wouldn't be safe to receive owls at our flat. As far as anyone knows, we're just perfectly normal people."
He seemed to think this over. "I suppose I can understand that. It doesn't matter anyway, it's just more of the same." His eyes were dark and far away.
"So what did you need our help with?" Hermione prompted gently after a long silence.
"I need you to get everyone together that you can. We're going to be breaking into the Parkinson estate." His eyes settled on Draco, who paled and set down his sandwich quickly.
"Why?" he asked in a whisper.
"There's some information I need that's kept there," Harry said shortly. "Possibly more, but you're safer not knowing the details. Just get everyone together that you can by tomorrow afternoon."
Hermione hastily pulled a pen from her purse and scribbled down their address. "Here, we can get everyone together at our place," she said as she slid the paper to him. "Maybe around three?" He glanced at it and nodded before shoving it into his pocket and standing. He gave her a tight smile and strode out without another word.
They stared in silence at the door until Daphne slid into his vacated seat. She leaned toward them, frowning. "What was that about? Has something else happened?"
Hermione tore her eyes from the door to the worried girl in front of her. She didn't know what to say. After everything they'd all been through, watching friends and family die all around them, he wanted them to come back. They'd left that world behind them. However, she knew she'd help him. How could she not?
She sighed heavily. "Daphne, are you free tomorrow?"
That same night, a lone figure was making her way from a warehouse toward a nearby convenience store. She pulled up the collar of her jacket against the evening chill, eyes constantly watching the shadows around her. She shivered slightly and a short lock of sandy hair fell into her eyes. She tossed her head slightly, but didn't want to take her hands from her pockets to fix it.
When she reached the store, she glanced around anxiously. She smiled in relief when a thin girl emerged from the back room, shrugging on a jacket. Luna smiled back when she caught sight of her. Her dyed black hair was caught up in a messy bun and dark makeup lined her wide blue eyes.
"Hello, Ginny," she slipped her arms under the jacket to hug her. "How was work?"
"Alright," Ginny mumbled, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl. "You?"
Luna looked up at her, studying her features. "The same as always," she said airily. "Ready to go home?"
"Definitely." She twined the fingers of her left hand with Luna's, keeping her right hand in her pocket and gripping her wand. It was their routine every night that when Ginny got off work, she went straight to the store to pick up Luna. Luna, even though she got off a half hour earlier, always waited there until Ginny had arrived so they could walk home together. Even though they'd been away from the wizarding world for a year, they still had to be extremely careful.
They walked the quarter mile in silence, both watching for any movement on the quiet street. When they reached their building, Luna typed in the door code while Ginny kept an eye on their surroundings.
By the time they reached the third floor, Ginny's legs were beginning to ache. They'd been extremely busy at the warehouse that evening and she'd skipped her break. Tiredly, she reached into her shirt and extracted the key that hung around her neck to unlock their front door. She shouldered it open and staggered in to collapse on the couch with a groan.
Luna carefully locked the door and turned to her with a soft smile. "Are you alright?" She walked over and placed a kiss on top of her head.
Ginny smiled and caught her around the waist, pulling the smaller girl onto her lap. "I'll be fine, it was just a long day."
Luna giggled and twisted in her grip to kiss her neck. "Anything I can do to make you feel better?" Before Ginny could reply, the phone rang, causing both girls to jump. The device was one of many muggle things that took some getting used to.
"Who'd be calling this late?" Ginny muttered as Luna sprang up to answer it. She sank into the cushions and closed her eyes, not wanting to look at their sparse furnishings and peeling wallpaper. Both of them worked full time, but money was always tight. Ginny missed the world she'd grown up in and often thought about what their lives would have been like if they hadn't been forced from it.
"What?" Luna's startled voice broke her from her melancholy thoughts. Ginny leapt to her feet and raced into the kitchen, her earlier soreness forgotten in a rush of adrenaline. "Alright, we'll be by first thing tomorrow," Luna said as she hung up the phone.
"What's wrong?" Ginny demanded immediately. But Luna's face showed only confusion. She let out a shaky breath as she hugged the smaller girl tightly. After years of war, there was hardly anyone left to lose and she was constantly worried about the few people still in their lives.
Luna pulled back slightly and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. "Everyone's ok, love," she reassured her. She caught her hand and led her back to the couch. "That was Hermione. She wants us to come by tomorrow."
Ginny sighed and turned to lay her head against the threadbare arm of the couch. Luna immediately moved to rest her head against her shoulder and cuddle against her. "Did she say why?"
"Harry's back." Ginny tensed at the news. No one had seen Harry in months. He'd gone off on his own to find a way to destroy Voldemort and only appeared when he needed help on his quest. The idea of fighting again sent an involuntary shiver through her, but she wasn't sure if it was fear or excitement.
Luna cuddled closer to her, tucking her head under her chin. "Did she say what he wanted?" Ginny asked as she ran her fingers through her girlfriend's hair.
"No," Luna mumbled distractedly. "She just said to come by tomorrow." Ginny nodded and reached down around Luna to retrieve the television remote from the floor. It snapped to life with a short buzz of static and she smiled. It was one of her favorite muggle contraptions, a wonderful distraction from the world. She flicked through the channels and settled on a movie that seemed vaguely familiar. Hugging Luna closer, she watched until she finally fell asleep.
"Would you relax?" Draco said moodily, "You're making me dizzy." Hermione paused in her restless pacing to glare at him. He was sitting at their small dining table with his hands clenched around a mug of tea. She sighed heavily and sat across from him. "How can I possibly relax?" she snapped, then dropped her head wearily. "I just can't believe we're going to be fighting again after all this time. I wonder if this war will ever be over."
Draco sighed and dropped his gaze to his rapidly cooling drink. "I know," he said heavily. "Sometimes I just want to leave. Move to another country, another continent. But we can't, can we." It wasn't a question.
She looked up at him and smiled sadly. "We can't," she agreed. "But sometimes I wish we could." There was a knock at the door and both their heads shot up. Draco snatched his wand from the table as he stood up. She twisted in her seat and tightened her grip on her own wand as she waited.
A moment later, Draco returned, followed by Neville and Daphne. Hermione stood and quickly embraced them. Daphne had her long hair pulled back in a ponytail and was wearing jeans and a heavy sweatshirt. She looked like she'd just woken up. Neville, on the other hand, had clearly come straight from work. His knees were grass-stained and he still had on the hat that displayed his company's logo. He worked for a small landscaping company which made him the only one of them doing anything close to what they'd planned at Hogwarts.
Hermione poured Daphne some coffee and the four of them settled around the table to wait. Fifteen minutes passed in silence before there was another knock.
Hermione answered this time, gripping her wand out of habit. She looked through the peephole and saw Ginny and Luna. "What's your favorite team?" she asked through the door.
"Hollyhead Harpies."
She smiled and unlocked the door, ushering both girls in. They hugged tightly and Hermione stepped back to look them over. Ginny's hair was shorter than last time she'd seen her but both of them still had their hair dyed. They both looked tired, but otherwise healthy. They followed her into the kitchen and greeted everyone.
There was a loud crack and six wands instantly pointed to the figure who'd just apparated into the increasingly crowded kitchen. Harry smiled at them uncertainly but no one lowered their wands. "Who gave you your Firebolt?" Hermione demanded shakily.
"My godfather, Sirius Black," he replied, holding up his empty hands. Slowly the wands were lowered and returned to where they'd been stowed. "Sorry to startle you," he said sheepishly, "I thought it'd be better if no one saw me walking up to your place."
"I suppose," Draco muttered, returning to his seat. "You could've bloody warned us last night, at least," he added with a smirk.
Harry chuckled and glanced around the room at everyone. "I'm glad you all could make it." His eyes widened slightly as he looked past Hermione and she followed his gaze to where Ginny was standing. She had an arm wrapped protectively around Luna and was watching him with an unreadable expression.
Everyone watched the silent exchange for a moment until Neville cleared his throat discretely. "So, Harry, what did you need our help with?"
He seemed to remember himself. His gaze hardened and shifted to Hermione. "I'm going to be breaking into the Parkinson estate-"
Daphne gasped softly, then blushed when she realized all eyes had turned to her. "Sorry," she said in a small voice. "It's just, Pansy and I were friends…"
"You don't have to come if you don't want to," Harry said harshly.
Daphne blushed harder and shook her head. "I'll go, don't worry."
Harry nodded and turned slightly away from Hermione, who was glaring at him. He looked at Neville instead as he continued. "I'm breaking into the Parkinson estate. There are some things that are kept there that I need. I can't have anyone with me who is a known Order member, that's why I came to you."
Everyone was silent for a moment. Finally Ginny spoke. "What sort of things are they keeping?" Hermione turned in her seat to watch the younger girl. Her eyes were blazing with a fire she hadn't seen in a long time.
"You're safer not knowing," Harry said simply.
"You want us to risk our lives and you're not even going to tell us why?" she demanded.
Harry's jaw clenched. "You know why." Ginny looked away sharply. They all knew why, the ultimate goal. Defeat Voldemort. When no one raised any more objections, he cleared his throat and spoke again. "We should leave immediately." He glanced around and settled on Draco's empty tea cup. He pulled his wand and pointed at it. "Por-"
"Don't!" Hermione shouted, snatching the cup from the table and holding it protectively. He raised an eyebrow at her. "We don't do magic here, ever." She placed the cup gently in the sink.
He nodded, frowning slightly. "Well then, where should we go?" He sounded annoyed, but Hermione didn't care. They'd worked very hard to stay invisible from their own world. None of them used magic at all, not even the simplest of spells. There was absolutely no indication of what they really were.
"Why don't we head down to the park?" Neville suggested uneasily. "It's only a few blocks away." Harry looked mildly disgruntled but he agreed.
They ushered everyone out and as they closed the door, Draco slipped his key ring from his jacket pocket and locked the single dead bolt. Harry stared at the door, then at Draco, dumbfounded.
"That's it?" he hissed. "That's all the protection you have here?"
"All magic leaves traces," Draco replied, replacing his keys and zipping his jacket. "Anything extra would be like a bloody beacon that wizards lived here." Harry scowled, but didn't comment further.
Harry fidgeted in the cramped elevator and Hermione had to bite back a smile. He'd been raised around muggles, but he seemed more uncomfortable in this setting that the pure-bloods. In the lobby he nearly jumped out of his skin when someone hailed them.
"Hello, Neville," a raspy voice called.
Neville smiled and turned to the older woman who was smiling benignly at them. "Hello Mrs. Harris, how are you tonight?"
She gave a long suffering sigh. "This rainy weather always makes my bones ache…" She gave his companions a beady stare. "Where are you kids off to tonight?"
"Just out on the town for a bit," he replied breezily. "We've all got the day off tomorrow. You remember 'Mione and Drake?" He gestured to them and they both waved cheerily.
"Hello dears," she smiled widely, revealing several gold teeth. "Neville, if you've got the day off you must come by tomorrow for tea. I picked up the loveliest potted lily! It's imported from Africa, I know you'll love it!"
His eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically. "That'd be great! Is it-" he broke off when Harry cleared his throat loudly. "Um… I'll stop by tomorrow then." He blushed lightly and waved again. She glared briefly at Harry but smiled and waved to the rest of them.
Neville and Draco led the way to the park with Harry close behind with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Luna was next to Daphne, talking softly. Ginny dropped back to walk with Hermione. "He's changed," she said quietly.
Hermione nodded, staring at the back of her former best friend's head. "I suppose it's only to be expected…" she agreed sadly. She thought back to the old Harry. The three of them had originally gone together to search for horcruxes. Her and Harry and Ron. Ron… That had been the point when he'd changed. They'd met up with the Dark Lord and his death eaters and barely managed to escape with their lives. Voldemort had cast a spell on Ron that had left him in a catatonic state, and nothing they'd tried had been able to reverse it. He'd been in St. Mungo's Spell Damage ward for nearly two years. After that, Harry had decided to disappear. He didn't want to put her in any more danger and wouldn't be swayed by her tearful arguments. In the beginning, she'd visited Ron, but it had become too painful.
"Here we are," Neville's voice brought her out of her memories. The park was a single city block, with some shabby benches and a small pond.
Harry nodded, looking around carefully. He spotted a waste bin and picked an old drinks can out of it. "Everyone ready?" he said hoarsely. They crowded closer, nodding determinedly. "Portus."