It's Sunday - publish day. I have a fair amount of this story written (doing ch 11 at the mo) but it seems to be running away with me. This is actually the second story I'm writing but this plot bunny just wouldn't let go to let me finish the other story so here we are. I haven't had any comments about the last chapter, so I hope the end was okay - as far as romance goes that's pretty much it for the next few chapters (the real romance won't start until much, much later).
Anyway, here is the next chapter - hope you enjoy!! Comment if you want!!
Chapter Four
It was well past eleven o'clock in the morning when Hermione left her hotel room to begin her tasks for that day. She wanted to go back to the New York Public Library to continue her research for the project she was working on, as the magical section there made the collection at Hogwarts seem small in comparison and she hoped to find answers for her theories before she ran out of time. She also had to find an apothecary, and before she'd left England Madam Pomfrey had given her the address of a friend who ran a store in the City, close to Central Park, where Hermione could pick up some ingredients and replacement potions during her stay in New York as they hadn't known how long her search would take. As Hermione stepped into the lift she was grateful to find it empty as a residual spasm wracked through her spine knocking her off balance, despite having taken her potion before she went to sleep. Straightening as she regained her balance she decided on finding the apothecary first.
xxxx
Mac and Danny had spent much of their night reaffirming their love and commitment to each other, but hadn't actually talked about the situation they found themselves in, which was beginning to cause some concern for Mac as he tried to concentrate on the blackmail case the Chief was so anxious about. The fact that his personal life was effecting his concentration at work was a further cause of unease for the normally unrelenting detective, and he wondered how Danny was faring back at the lab, trying to process his evidence for his homicide case with someone's life hanging on his decision for the future. And Mac knew that, ultimately, it was Danny's decision to make, though he hoped they would make it together.
He and Don Flack had spent the last couple of hours interviewing faculty members at the State University of New York College of Optometry after Adam had traced the majority of the blackmailer's emails back to an IP address located at the college. Luckily the computer in question was located in a secure lab, which limited their number of suspects, though this still meant checks on six people. As they left the building Don suggested that the cross the road to the cafe in Bryant Park to pick up coffees before heading their separate ways to check out the suspects.
The two men had just purchased their drinks and had taken a seat at the edge of the cafe to discuss what they had learnt that morning when a voice from the Library entrance stopped their conversation.
"Hermione Granger in a library, what a surprise!" The male voice sounded young, the tone was both teasing and annoyed at the same time. "Please tell me that you have not just spent the last three days in there!" This time the voice held only annoyance.
"Harry!" Hermione identified the speaker, followed by the sound of running feet and the sound of an impact as body met body in what Mac thought might be a hug. "And NO, I haven't, I was just doing a little research this morning that's all."
There was the sound of chairs moving a few tables behind as the two sat down.
Mac was suddenly annoyed at his choice of seat as his back was to the voices, but then realised that if he couldn't see the girl, maybe she wouldn't recognise him and he could learn some more about her. Flack had sat beside him, so was probably able to see them him his peripheral vision if he tried, but Mac didn't want their presence known just yet so subtly signalled this with a finger to his lips.
"Probably Harry Potter, the kid I told youse about." Don identified the boy, keeping his voice down so only Mac could hear.
"Hermione, you're supposed to be here looking for this Santorini guy, not doing research." The boy continued his annoyance changing into concern. "We have to find him."
"I know this Harry, and I have been looking. According to what I have managed to find, he's stationed somewhere in Manhattan, but even then if I do find which station he belongs to the chances are that he could be out in the field somewhere. It's not exactly an easy task, you know."
Mac and Don shared a look - she was making it sound as if she hadn't found Danny yet.
"Even for you?" Harry sounded as if he were teasing again. "Come on, you're Hermione Granger, you should be able to find one guy in a city of -"
"8 million?!?. Even I'm not that good Harry. Honestly sometimes you expect too much from me. Besides," there was a slight pause before she continued "with the crime rate in this city, it's possible that he could get killed before I can find him. Especially as we know he's a policeman."
The two eavesdroppers were confused, she seemed to be lying to her friend, and setting it up to eventually tell him that Danny was dead. Why would she do that? She had to know that she would die if she didn't marry Danny, didn't she?
"No, don't say that. He's alive, and we will find him, and in plenty of time. We have to. What am I supposed to do if you're dead?" The last part was barely audible from where the two men sat, but the emotions behind the words were very clear, as well as confirming the fact that the girl was under a death sentence.
'Not girl, woman. If you go through with this you have to stop thinking of her as a child.' Mac thought to himself as the conversation at the other table continued.
"I'm going to help! Between the two of us we should find him faster." The boy continued.
"No!" Hermione's rather panicked reaction to her friend's suggestion surprised the three men, but she quickly regained her calm. "I told you, this is a very personal matter, Harry. I mean," her voice became quieter and she seemed to choose her words carefully as they were in public, "how would you like it if some stranger walked up to you and demanded that you marry her. Then there's having to convincing him that your mothers had ... arranged it. Not to mention ... the other aspects of this whole thing. It's not exactly going to be a pleasant conversation Harry, and I know you, you'll try to ... convince him, but you'll just make matters worse. Really, this should just be between him and me."
Mac couldn't help but acknowledge the maturity within her reasoning, re-enforcing Don's assertion that she shouldn't be thought of as a child.
"I'm not suggesting I be there for the conversation, though maybe being close by could be a good idea - we really don't know anything about what kind of man he is after all. I just meant that I could help you look for him, maybe find out more information about him. Like what his reputation is. For all we know he could be a wife-beater - in which case I kill him. Course, he ever hurts you, I get to kill him anyway."
The last words were spoken with such calm certainty they sent a shiver down Mac's spine, and he was convinced he had just heard a promise, not an idle threat. A quick look at Flack confirmed that the taller detective believed the words as well.
"Harry James Potter! You can't say things like that!" Hermione was quick to admonish her companion.
"Sure I can. Hermione, you're my best friend, and my only family. The only person who's always stood by me, and you're being forced to marry some guy we know nothing about, or die. I'm not going to let you die without trying to do something to prevent it, but I'm not going to stand by and let him hurt you either. Not again."
From the corner of his eye, Flack watched as pain flashed across both young faces at the last words and wondered at the reason. Had she been hurt in the war? Turning his eyes back to Mac he saw the same question within the hazel orbs.
Hermione took the opportunity of the offered distraction.
"That's actually what I was researching in there." Mac imagined her indicating the Library behind them all.
"And? Do you think you got somewhere? You know what she did? What did you find?" The questions were asked in rapid succession, and only served to increase the concern and confusion of the two detectives listening.
"I'm not really sure. I think I might have a lead, maybe. Or not." For the first time since meeting her yesterday, Mac thought her voice sounded uncertain, almost defeated, and found himself reluctantly worrying about the young woman.
"Okay, so we research this afternoon, and look for this guy again tomorrow. Come on Miss Research, let's go."
"We?" Hermione's voice was just audible over the scraping of chairs as Mac imagined the boy, Harry, standing them both up.
"Yes, we. Third day means third night. You didn't really think I wouldn't be here, did you? Besides, there's no point in finding this guy if you're going to die one morning anyway. So, research it is."
Their voices faded away as the two friends made their way back into the Library, Flack managing to watch them without being noticed. Mac was staring, unseeing, at the tabletop trying to process the conversation they'd heard. There were too many missing pieces, things that had been left unsaid. They needed more evidence, and Mac decided that the best way would be to speak to her again.
"Did you find out where she is staying?" He asked Don.
"She arrived by plane into JFK, but den I don't know if she took the subway, shuttle or taxi to wherever she's stayin', so I'm still working on dat. But if she's at dis branch of de Library, she could be stayin' nearby. I'll look into it." He paused before asking the question he'd wanted to ask all morning. "Did you and Danny decide what youse gonna do?"
"No, not yet. Do you know any more about her? Or what they were talking about?"
"I don't know much more than I've already told ya. Dose two were involved in a fight against a would-be dictator, and a group callin' demselves Death Eaters who enjoyed killin' and torture, and usin' the Unforgivables in particular."
"Unforgivables?" Mac interrupted.
"Illegal magic. Dree spells dat get ya sent to Prison if ya use 'em. One kills, one controls ya, and the last causes pain beyond anythin' ya think ya know. Mac, if dose two were caught, dey woulda been tortured, an' surviving dat ain't necessarily a good ding. When Potter killed their leadea most of the Death Eaters were rounded up, but last report I had there were still a few who'd escaped, and probably want dose two dead."
"Could I read these reports?"
Don wasn't surprised by Mac's question, but he'd hoped to avoid it. They were breaking the laws as it was, even if there were mitigating circumstances. Plus, telling Mac Taylor that there was another criminal element in the City patrolled by Aurors like Flack, would only lead to more questions about laws and procedures than he had time to answer at the moment.
"Legally? No. Sorry Mac. If youse was actually married to a witch, den we might be able ta argue mitigating circumstances, but as it is - we shouldn't even be talkin' now. Ya got questions, I suggest goin' to the source."
They dumped their now empty cups in the nearest bin and parted ways, both men deep in thought about the information they'd received that morning - both about the case, and about the pair from England.
xxxx
