DONT OWN ANYTHING NOT EVEN THE PLOT

Chapter 1

CORNWALL, ENGLAND, DATE 1800s

Miss Hermione Weasley groped her way toward the ocean cliff, guided only by the sound of the waves and scent of salty water in the breezy night, clouds streamed across the starry night blocking out the moonlight ,causing her to lose her footing and go skidding down a few inches before she realized she'd reached her goal.

Sitting down hard, she pulled herself to safety , then scooted back and huddled in the rough sea grass .Pebbles scattered down the steep slope to the beach on the Cokeworth estate,and she listened for the shouts that would mean she'd been had.

There was none. Just the endless rocking of the waves of the beach below.

Sitting there she began to reminisce,it had been three months,Three months of lonely torment as she pored over her brother's diary and tried to decipher his cryptic scrawls. Three months of futile visits to the London townhouse where Harry Potter ,the Earl of Cokeworth, resided and kept an office ,three months of listening while Potter assured her the government would avenge Ronald's death.

Three months of knowing that he lied.

A boat crunched on the sand below as it drove onto the beach. Shivering with chill and fear,she pulled the dark hood over her brown hair and scooted back to the edge of the cliff, the moon had been blotted out by clouds and it was so dark she could hardly see her hand in front her face,she nevertheless observed as covered lanterns flashed like fireflies. They showed bits of light only as the men deemed necessary,and in their movement she counted at least twenty smugglers.

Eight unloading the boat ,eight receiving on the beach , and three men just standing just keeping watch .One tall figure moved back and forth,and from the consideration all the men paid him, it was obvious he was the 's diary mentioned him only as The Keeper,but Hermione feared she knew his identity. She strained her eyes wide and prayed for just one moment of light and when it came she stood in indignation.

"He is the smuggler."

As if her words caught in the wind and blew to his ears alone ,Potter turned and looked up toward the top of the saw the glint of his eyes ,and with the instinct of a hunted creature,she crouched behind a rock and froze . She didn't want Potter to see her couldn't let him find her her ugly suspicions had been proven true,and if he had killed her brother to silence him,she doubted he would hesitate to murder her, too.

Her heart pounded and she wanted to flee with unrestrained panic,but she'd come too far and too much was at stake for her to lose control now Straining to listen ,she could hear men's voices above the lap of the waves,but no shout of discovery gave her reason to had to keep her head ,get back to the inn,and write her report to give to the would be difficult to convince them that a member of the House of Lords was nothing but a common criminal, but with Ronald's diary as corroboration she'd do it.

She had to, for Ronald's sake.

She crept backwards. Her skirt caught on her heels , rocks ground into the palms of her hands,she stood finally , and leaned to dust off her skirt. When she straightened and squinted toward the horizon,she realized a tall figure blocked out the light .She stared,pinned by fear ,then with a yelp and a start ,she whirled and ran.

She could hear the boots pounding behind her ,roots and foliage grabbed at her skirts, the ruts of the road moved and twisted in snakelike fashion. The wind whipped at her back and carried a man's warm breath to touch the nape of her rose on her flesh,Moaning softly she clutched the stitch starting in her side she could run no longer, she dared a look behind her.

All she could see was black,the stars had disappeared completely and the upcoming storm splattered the first raindrops in her 'd imagined Potter when he wasn't a sigh of relief ,she slowed to a walk and trudged toward the stupid and cowardly she'd been in her precipitous flight!But for weeks she had dreamed about Potter chasing 'd seen his face on every dark haired man who walked the about Potter made her want to run and never stop.

It hadn't always been that way. When Ronald had been killed,she'd gone to meet Potter for the first time,confident he would help her. After had been Potter's first secretary,and he spoke of Potter in dazzling terms.

Instead ,Potter had actively and personally repelled her inquiries. According to him,she should remain at home like a proper lady,and the smugglers would be brought to justice when the time just couldn't bear being patronized, and certainly not by just clenched her teeth and faced up to him, ignoring the breadth of his shoulders,his perfect sculpted face,and her own untutored desire to hurl herself into his arms and let him care for her . Early on she might have done just that,but from the very beginning some instinct told her that his placid demeanor hid something deep,potent,and deceptive.

Still weary she glanced behind her,Ronald had always said she was to straightforward to sneak around and to blunt for diplomacy,but now that she'd read his diary she learned that her brother had led a secret life. He had her convinced he was nothing more than Potter's secretary,when actually he had worked to uncover the ring of smugglers.

A frown puckered her face,he hadn't told her because he didn't want her to worry for him. He'd been protecting her,and now she was alone with no one to avenge his death but her.

She would do it she'd make sure those responsible suffered as she had suffered with his loss.