Please remember it's AU, so the time of the release of the songs, or any recognized trademarks has been shifted to fit the AU world.
Rating is M.
You have been warned.
The book cover for the story is made by Ibuzoo. Look at the cover, it fits the story. Thank you, Ibuzoo :)
Beta: Julie. fjad. Thank you so much!
My friend, Laura, this chapter is for you.
For those readers who are not familiar with Sherlock's world: here is a small description of who Jim Moriarty is, from Bakerstreetwikia. I based my Moriarty on the original one.
"A criminal genius, Jim Moriarty appeared to be an insane, sadistic and psychopathic individual. He exhibited the following traits: extreme intelligence, grandiosity, incapacity for remorse, arrogance, and an unhealthy degree of self-confidence. He also appeared Machiavellian. Much like Sherlock, he had a sarcastic, cynical, albeit childish sense of humour but unlike Sherlock he was also sadistic and often spoke in a tone that would intimidate or annoy his opponents. He had an incredible capability for changing his tone of voice and behaviour several times in a single sentence for psychological warfare - ranging from serenity, humour, mockery, childish, laid-back, to violence. Because of this, Moriarty is extremely difficult to read and anticipate."
—
Chapter Seven
Until we meet again
"I'm gonna pop some tags, only got twenty dollars in my pocket. I - I - I'm hunting, looking for a come-up. This is fuc—"
The singing stopped when the radio station changed by itself, and now they were listening to the weather forecast.
"Pumpkin, why did you do that?" The driver looked at her from the rear-mirror, his eyes leaving hers in reflection to check on the road.
"The song does not fit the scenery." Looking at the gorgeous purple field and the smell from the opened windows of the fresh, lavender aroma, and the light Mediterranean breeze, caressing her tanned face, the sounds of nature were much better than any song.
"But, pumpkin…"
"No, dad."
Hermione returned to the book she had to read for the program, so she decided to reread it, while they drove in Provence between the lavender fields. She had watched the purple fields that smelled divine for a few minutes, fascinated, but now she had something more important to do.
Mom was sleeping in the front seat, and dad was now looking into the rear-mirror, but not at her, and then his gaze switched to the side-mirror.
"Whoa, Hermione, look at that car. It's coming our way." Jonathan Granger sounded excited and a ten year old Hermione turned in her safety chair and looked out of the windows.
They were driving on a road in one of the villages in the south of France, but it wasn't the scenery that fascinated her dad. It was the black sports car that had an orange stripe at the bottom, and looked really expensive, coming quickly closer to their small Peugeot. The speed allowed was one hundred kilometres per hour, but this car drove much faster.
"Hey, look where you're going!" Jonathan screamed as the car started to overtake him from the right, pushing their car onto the counter lane. Hermione grabbed her seat's handle as she didn't know what to do, when the car started to swing on the road.
"Daddy!" Hermione screamed when the front lights of a coming car shined ahead, and their car went strong to the right, pushing back onto the correct lane and into the back of the sports car.
They stopped a second later, but it felt like eternity. Jane Granger, who had been awake for the last few seconds, turned and looked at her only child. "Hermione, are you alright, darling?"
"Are you fucking mad?" Her dad never swore, and he must have been really scared as well. Now he was getting out of the car and walking towards the black and orange sports car that had also stopped.
Hermione could see everything, and when the door opened, she couldn't believe her eyes. A boy, younger than herself, was coming out of the driving seat—and she saw the wheel on his side—, while the passenger was a man, who looked like the boy's father.
"What in the gods' name is this?!" Her father was still looking at the boy, while Hermione had already noticed three additional cars that had also stopped behind the sports car.
The boy had a baseball hat with a Minion on it and yellow sneakers, while the rest of his clothing was black, and he knelt to see the damage, not paying attention to her father.
The boy's father was wearing a business suit with an orange tie, and he looked very smart for someone so irrevocably stupid.
Who could allow a child to drive such a car at such speed and with such life-threatening situations but an irresponsible parent?
"Do you speak English?" If they were British, she'd be ashamed for her nation, but somehow she doubted it, and all Hermione could do was shake her head after opening her window to hear better.
"Deutsch." The boy's possible father confirmed her thoughts , looking at the setting sun, while his possible son inspected all the damages. It wasn't a very big dent, but it was there, and the scratches…
"Oh, Jane, why do we go to France learning French and not German? I speak French. And English." Jonathan almost whined at his wife, who was now also outside, before turning back to the man and the child. And the three additional cars she could see.
"This is a child. A baby." Hermione almost snickered at the disbelieving look on the boy's face as he turned to look at her father.
"Ich?" The boy's high voice really brought out a smile onto her face, as she understood his "Me?"
Hermione watched her father throw his hands in the air before he managed to calm down and pursing his lips, glare at the man in the suit.
"You cannot be so irresponsible!" Jonathan almost screamed before turning to Jane, looking for support. "What kind of idiot do you have to be to let a child drive at all, not speaking of the dangerous speed and style? Jane, who can be so stupid?"
She felt better now, when her dad was showing this crazy family what justice meant. She couldn't wait for the police to come. Mom was already looking for the number in her phone, when Hermione heard the first shot. Then her father's cry, followed by the second shot.
Hermione screamed and the echo of it resounded between the lavender fields.
Her father was on the ground, crying in pain as he stared at his shot knees, and the man in the suit held a gun in his hand.
"I don't shoot you in the head only because you're partially right. As a parent, I understand it and therefore, I also carry the heavy burden of responsibility. My son made a mistake. Again."
Hermione could barely breathe from horror and terrible fear for her mom and dad, looking at the obviously British psychopath.
"I always, always tell him to do that, but does he listen? Our children are our sins, don't you think so? We love them so much and give them everything, and they are the only ones who we do everything for without asking for anything in return, and what do they do when they grow up?" The man pointed the gun towards their car, and her mom started to cry.
"Come out, little girl. You can help your daddy by answering a few questions. Deal?" He frightened her, he really did, but she loved her dad more, so Hermione took off the belt and hopped down through the now-opened door.
"Hermione, stay where you are!" was followed by "Hermione, return into the car, immediately!", but she didn't pay them attention, concentrating on the man instead.
"Good girl. Now, Hermione, tell us, what rule did my son break?" The man asked the question and Hermione thought carefully about what to say to a psychopath with an armed guard in the middle of lavender fields after he had shot her father. Twice.
"He drove irresponsibly. He should have kept the speed to the allowed limit and not tried to overtake a car from the right, especially where it wasn't allowed to overtake, while endangering the lives of innocent people."
"And?" It was the son who asked, and Hermione looked closer at the figure of the boy.
The cap hid the boy's face partially, but Hermione could see his green eyes glare at her.
Shortie.
"And you're too young to drive in the first place." Hermione added, her voice setting lower towards the end, when she saw the man in the suit shake his head.
"Again and again, I repeat and repeat, but he always, always forgets. FUCK IT!"
The man's scream caught her off-guard, just like her mom, who screamed before closing her mouth at the aim of the gun. Dad was trying to stay quiet, but looking at her and mom with an expression full with love and worry. And pain.
She had to cooperate, but she didn't know what the man wanted to hear, so when three armed men appeared out of the nearby parked car and moved towards them, Hermione moved closer to her mother, hugging her tightly.
"What the hell? What did I forget again? I had the belt on!" The boy screamed at the man while kicking the sports car.
Hermione and her family were moved by the guards towards the lavender fields on one side, further away from their rented Peugeot.
She had never felt fear like that, hugging her mom and supporting her dad's weight as he sat up.
The man in the suit shook off his jacket and took a baseball bat that had a metal head, and moved towards their blue car.
The father turned to his son and pointed with the baseball bat towards the windshield of the rented Peugeot. "This can happen to your car when you don't want it if you forget one thing." Hermione listened with held breath, clutching her mom's hand.
The man swung the bat and the next second the sounds of broken glass interrupted the serenity and charm of lavender fields, and then again and again, not stopping before all the windows were broken.
"THE FUCKING BLINKER!" The man roared and smashed all the blinkers, both in the front and in the back, before quickly moving towards the sports car and demolishing the blinkers as well.
"Oh maaaan…" The boy moaned and hid his face in his palms.
"Drive how you want, but THE BLINKERS MUST BE ON when you perform an action of overtake! WHAT'S SO DIFFICULT ABOUT IT?!"
Hermione knew that roar would forever stay imbedded in her mind, together with the insane, brown eyes and the pissed off expression on the lunatic's face.
"Hey, wait a minute now! This is my car, and now it's ruined. Just like the last one. And the one before that. I HAVE NOTHING TO DRIVE!" The boy sat onto the ground and started to sob. Theatrically, for everyone to see.
"Oh, oh, HJ, come on, I'll buy you a new one! A better one!" The man was scratching his head with the muzzle of his gun, quickly calming down from the screaming match with his son, who was now looking at his father with large, watery, green eyes.
"It was my new Bugatti Veyron, your present for my birthday," the boy was now shaking his head, crying "oh, whyyyy", his father was looking at his distraught son with a small smile on his now relaxed face, still holding the gun in his hand.
Psychos, both of them.
"I'll get you three new cars, tomorrow. " The boy's wailing suddenly stopped, and he—HJ, or so the man called him— got up from the ground, and kicking his Bugatti, he happily went behind the wheel of the now partially crashed sports car.
"Come dad, let them be."
Hermione was barely breathing, clutching her mom's and dad's hands, when the man with the gun rocked on his heels and nodded, putting the gun away.
"Was a pleasure meeting you. Have a nice stay in France," the man added before climbing into the passenger seat and taking out his mobile, not looking at the road at all. "Let's go, HJ. Pedal to the metal and don't forget the blinkers, even if they are broken."
"Aye, captain!" Hermione could only hope that this was the end, as the Bugatti turned around and with wheels turning faster than normal, it took off, roaring, with the rest of the cars one by one following it.
They drove away.
"Mommy, daddy…"
"Oh, Hermione, baby, you're so brave, my girl. So, so brave," her dad was muttering while also sobbing, just like her mom and her.
Hermione was shivering from fear but she had to take a grip. She turned to her father to inspect his wounds and call the police if she found a working mobile, when she heard the roar of a very powerful motor, and it was coming closer.
They were coming back to kill them.
"Run, Hermione. Run to the fields and hide!" Her mom's desperate plea was pushed aside as Hermione shook her head. She wouldn't leave without her parents.
They couldn't hide in the fields, as her dad was wounded, and Hermione heard her mom whisper "I love you" to her and dad, not sure if they would survive the outcome.
A second later the car returned and the man got out of it, while the boy rolled the windows down, and looked at them from behind the steering wheel.
"Tell me, did you not see my car coming? You saw it, I know you did." The boy was now addressing her dad while the boy's father took out a long, thin candy and started to bite it piece by piece.
"We wanted to leave, but we couldn't really leave you all alone here. Dad is so unpredictable!"
The man laughed when Jane started to plead for Hermione's life.
"Hey, dad!" HJ screamed at his father and made a motion with his hand, that his father understood immediately and moved to the side, and then the Bugatti's engine started to roar.
"If you see my car, then you get the fuck out of my way. When I am on the road, the road is mine!" The boy barked at them through the opened window and then Bugatti took off, speeding and crashing into the rented Peugeot, before driving in reverse and repeatedly hammering the heap of metal that used to be a car.
The Peugeot was now lying on its side, and the last hit from the Bugatti made it roll onto the lavender fields, and the boy finally stopped demolishing both cars.
"I was driving away and the car was humming with irritation, so I had to return. Hate nervous cars!"
The boy was now also out and came now closer to the them, squatting near her dad's legs.
She was so afraid…
"Please, we won't tell anyone!" Her mom's voice was shaking, and Hermione squeezed their hands tighter.
"Well, of course, you won't! What is there to tell?" The boy's father now held something in his hand, other than a gun, and he stretched it out so that the boy could take something from his palm.
"What are you going to do?" Hermione asked, trying not to show just how afraid she was. Not for her life, but for mom and dad.
A pair of arms suddenly ripped her away from her parents, and Hermione started to scream when she and mom were dragged away from her father and the psycho-boy.
"Don't hurt my daughter!" Jonathan begged the boy and sobbed, when one of the boy's hands gripped his shot knee.
"Why would I hurt her, eeem…" The boy trailed off and looked after a pause at one of the guards who was now looking through mom's wallet. "Jonathan and Jane Granger," the guard said while going through the papers in the wallet.
"Yeah, why would I hurt the kid when you are the irresponsible one, Jonathan?"
Hermione wished for her abnormal abilities to appear now and protect her family, but alas, nothing was happening.
"I-I?" Her dad was sweating from the blood loss, and Hermione was ready to pass out from the tension.
"Of course you! Look what you've done to the cars, you mad junkie! And your kid was in the car as well!"
Hermione's and Jane's screams sounded at the same time, when the boy stuck a needle into her dad's neck, and emptied the syringe before moving his palm slowly over her dad's arms.
"Jonathan!"
"Dad!"
"Santa Claus!"
Hermione's teary eyes were looking into the laughing green eyes, and she had never wanted to hurt someone as much as she wanted to hurt that boy.
"Why Santa?" The boy's father asked, mock-whispering, as he also squatted down, near the boy.
"I like his reindeers, they don't cause crashes and have no blinkers for you to yell about." The boy stuck out his tongue at his father, who rolled his eyes and muttered something about delicious reindeer meat, and how he liked it mid-rare.
Her mom was sobbing silently, understanding that no help would come, as the few cars they had seen on the road quickly sped away upon seeing the parked black jeeps.
Mafia.
Her father's eyes rolled and he started to drool.
"Look at this grown up adult, Junior. Drugged out of his mind and driving a car with his family in it. What do I always say?" The man turned to the boy, his voice relaxed and curious, face kind and smiling.
"Put the blinker on?"
"WHAT BLINKER IF I'M TALKING ABOUT YOU?!" The yell was insane, and Hermione saw some spit land on the boy's face, as his father almost foamed at the mouth from the rage, that left as quickly as it came, when the man's son rounded his green eyes and bit his lip, wiping his face with a tissue.
It looked like normal conversations were something this family did not practise, at all.
"Oh, oh...Use drugs wisely." The boy's voice changed to mimic his father's ever-changing intonations, and the older man lightly bumped the boy on the head, smiling now.
"Correct. Now this is what 'unwisely' looks like." Hermione swallowed the tears as the boy started hiccuping from the laughter, as his father made a face that resembled the mask of pain and obvious intoxication on Jonathan Granger's face.
Bastards.
"Young master, your milkshake." One of guards had brought a tall glass full with pinkish contents from one of the jeeps.
"Did you add the whipped cream?" The boy asked the large man as if he were a simple servant, which he probably was, considering the title 'young master' and nervous gaze. "I did, sir."
"Did you hear any mixer working, dad?" HJ turned to his father, who shook his head with serious eyes, looking at his guards with a frown.
Where was this boy's mother? Even a devil's spawn had to have a mom, but probably not this one.
Hermione didn't hear any mixers, but then again, she thought she wouldn't be able to hear anything for a long time, as the roar from the engine was still in her head.
"Did you use the mixer? DON'T LIE TO ME!" The only one who didn't react was the father of the boy, while the rest flinched at the high notes.
Why couldn't the two speak normally, without changing the intonations all the time, from being childish to dead-serious in a millisecond?
"I- I used the spoon, sir…" The green eyes shone with rage now, and Hermione could see that the guard was seriously scared of the boy."I used it very quickly, sir. Better than a mixer," the man offered pleadingly, and looked at his boss, the boy's father.
"What are you staring at me? I don't drink milkshakes. Junior, how is it?" The boy took a sip and gave the glass back to the guard.
"Five minutes more, and without cheating!" The guard took the glass as if it were a Holy Grail and bowing, he quickly ran towards one of the jeeps.
She was dreaming and seeing a nightmare.
"Anyway, Jonathan, look into my eyes." The boy's voice changed and now had a lulling tone to it, her dad opened his eyes and stared directly into the green ones, not blinking at all.
A few seconds went by—or maybe minutes, as she lost the track of time—before the boy smirked and got up.
"Now Jonathan will be more responsible," HJ explained to them and took a sip of the now returned milkshake, nodding to the sweating guard, who almost dropped onto the floor from the relief that was visible on his face.
"Ah, ah, ah, ah, staying alive, staying alive, ah, ah…" Loud ringing tone interrupted the silence and Hermione saw the boy roll his eyes, before calling the milkshake-guard back.
"You will drive my Bugatti and then destroy it. Got it?" The boy told the guard, who quickly nodded and ran towards the sports car that was half-there.
"And you...If you tell anyone…" The boy trailed off when Hermione's mom started shaking her head quickly, letting him understand that they wouldn't tell a soul.
"Mr. and Mrs. Granger from Norfolk Street 17c, London, do you understand everything?" The boy's father had ended the call and was now addressing them.
"Yes, we do, sir. We do." Jane Granger repeated many times, looking into the brown eyes of the man.
Oh, how I hate you. Why don't strange things happen when they are needed?
"Alright, time to go, Junior!" The man murmured while searching for something in the inner pocket of his expensive suit jacket.
The boy looked one more time at Hermione and then at his father. "Can you leave her some money for a normal dentist and a hairdresser? Look at her front teeth, she looks like a beaver who has been electrocuted."
She could only purse her lips and blush from the rage she felt inside.
I HATE YOU!
"I don't hate you, but I definitely wouldn't date you. Maybe in the cinema, where it's dark, but then again, you could do so much damage with those fangs of yours, so thanks but no thanks."
The man stepped closer and demanded she opened her mouth, which she did, holding back the tears of hurt and humiliation.
If she refused, her mother would be shot.
"It looks really bad, you're right, Junior. A new set of teeth would be more preferred in such atrocious situation, to be honest."
She could feel the gun's muzzle click a few times as it touched her teeth, while the man inspected her mouth, using a gun instead of a mirror.
Mom, dad...
Hermione could hear her mom sob, while her dad simply drooled further. She didn't care about herself, when she thought about her poor parents.
The man straightened and pat his son on the shoulders, "We're not charity. Do her a favour, HJ, and we're leaving. Busy, busy day ahead." The older man twirled something in his hand, as he moved closer to the destroyed Peugeot, and threw it into the wreck of a once shiny, blue car, before turning and winking at Jane Granger.
"Buzz, come here and do the right thing for the young lady," the boy called over one of the large guards, who then stepped closer to Hermione, while HJ stepped back.
"I don't hit girls," the boy said in a light tone, and then Hermione saw the guard raise his hand.
The next second she saw the stars as a hard fist collided with her face, and the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth.
She heard her mom's scream, but all she could do was spit the blood and the teeth onto the ground, trying not to lose consciousness.
"There you go, Hermione. Like a beauty-queen! Don't forget to thank me later!" The boy saluted at her with the hand that held the milkshake, and hopped into the Jeep, behind the steering wheel.
Through the pain and the hate, Hermione looked at the grinning boy one last time before the cars took off, roaring, leaving them alone for good.
A loud explosion boomed and through the smoke and fire, Hermione's eyes focused on the now burning Peugeot.
The flames were licking the car wreck and Hermione could feel the emotions of hate, anger, hurt and revenge rise in her heart, just like the flames.
She would kill the boy and his father if she could.
I'll give my life to properly say "thank you", HJ. You have my word.
You wait...
xxx
She was very unsure, but at the same time, she had no other option but this one left.
The world looks rightful and full with justice before you find yourself in trouble, and you are on the other side of the so-called law.
Her father had been charged with DUI, as his hands were—somehow—full with marks from needles, which doctors described as "the obvious signs of the long-term drug-use", and the insurance refused to pay for his father's shot knees—that he had shot himself while he was high—, or Hermione's broken teeth—that had resulted from the crash with her junkie father—, and additionally demanded the rented car to be paid in full price. All their savings were gone in a second, carried away with the smell of lavender fields.
Her mother was heavily-depressed and after an article appeared in the newspaper, her mom had to close their practice, as no one would come to the dentist who had crashed his car while using heroin on a daily basis. What he could do to your teeth if he had done that to his car, was what their previous patients had asked themselves.
Junkie-psycho dentists weren't everybody's cup of tea.
Social services visited them weekly now, but that was not the worse of it.
A week after the encounter with the British psychos, a family of five filled papers where it was said that Hermione's father had crashed his rented Peugeot into their new mini-van and caused health problems for three of the passengers, and moral damages for the rest.
No one cared that the dates were wrong, or that the mini-van looked older than her grandparents, and there was nothing she or her mom could do, when Jonathan Granger had been given two months in prison with additional fine of 600.000 pounds, to pay for the hospital bills for the family "of the other car." Now, over a year later, her always happy father was reduced to a paranoid invalid, who was afraid of light and lived in a room with draped curtains and closed doors, and her mother became hysterical and depressed.
Lies, lies and deceit—this is how she saw the world now, and she had no one to help her, even after a year of struggles.
Her mom did not know what Hermione had planned, and it was to remain like that for their sake.
She knew that there was surveillance on their house, and six times in the last year Hermione had seen unfamiliar cars stand near their house for hours.
But no matter what, she would keep on fighting. And this was her last chance, Hermione thought as she looked at the address, to make sure it was correct.
Baker street 221b.
She needed Sherlock Holmes.
xxx
Her hand already raised, Hermione swallowed, and keeping her head straight, she knocked. There was no answer, when someone called her from behind.
"Miss Hermione Granger?" A beautiful, well-dressed woman asked her, standing near a black, polished car.
"Y-yes, that's my name." After the meeting with the psychos, Hermione did not know what to expect anymore, so when the woman opened the door for her, Hermione stepped back.
Kidnappers.
"One very important person would like to talk to you, Miss Granger. Nothing will happen to you, and today in the evening you'll be brought home. It's just a talk, Miss Granger, but a very important one."
She wanted to run away, but if she did, what would she do then? Turn to police who swallowed the falsificated evidence from their colleagues in France, or complain on social media for no one to believe her? Her Twitter had only one follower, and that was her own dad, and he was damaged beyond imagination now.
Now that she knew about magic, she wanted to learn how to help her family, but magic could not pay bills and restore marred reputations.
Something in her was telling her to accept the offer for a talk with this unknown important person, and since her inner voice was her only ally, Hermione nodded after a minute of consideration.
She had nothing to lose.
xxx
They drove in silence, and Hermione had a chance to examine the woman, who sat opposite of her.
Expensive suit, manicured nails, perfect hair and make-up, and a mobile that didn't leave the manicured hands.
"Who is this important person?" Hermione asked, only to receive a mute smile from the elder woman.
Pursing her lips, Hermione looked out of the window to see an abandoned warehouse that they were quickly approaching.
Great. Just what she needed to add to her problems...Kidnapped and raped.
The car stopped and the woman motioned for Hermione to come out, not taking her gaze away from the mobile phone in her hands.
"You know, it's not polite to ignore people you invite over for a conversation," Hermione snapped at the surprised woman, whose name she didn't even know, and slammed the door shut, making sure the slam had been hard enough.
She was a idiot for agreeing, but now it was too late, and the only way was ahead, towards the illuminated darkness.
Taking step by step, Hermione looked around and saw abandoned warehouse with no humans around.
A perfect end for a perfectionist.
Ahead, in the illuminated area, Hermione saw a silhouette of a man, who was leaning on his closed umbrella.
"You have no reason to be afraid of me, Miss Granger." His voice was emotionless, and as she stepped closer, Hermione saw the man fully.
"I used to think so about many people, sir, but now my opinion has changed," Hermione said in a confident voice, demanding it not to shake from the nerves, and saw a hint of a small smile on the man's face. He was dressed in an expensive suit, and the memory of a madman appeared in her mind before Hermione managed to push it aside.
"After you meet Jim Moriarty, you have to change your priorities to stay sane, Miss Granger. I cannot really blame you for losing your faith in humanity."
Who?
The man took out something from his pocket and stretched his hand out for her to take the white envelope.
From the picture that was in the envelope a man in a straight-jacket was laughing at the camera, and Hermione almost dropped the photo as she immediately recognized him.
The British psycho-father!
Her disbelieving eyes were looking into the calculating ones of the man, whose name she didn't know, and then he took out one more envelope.
"You will find that right and wrong are defined not by our beliefs, Miss Granger, but by our connections. If you have the right connections, you can do many things wrong, but for others they will be seen as right. You can wreak havoc without any fear if you know where to turn to for support. You have no connections, and that is the reason why your father was given the full blame."
Hermione listened to the man, her heart beating wildly, before opening the new envelope, already knowing whose photo would be inside.
HJ.
"This boy has more connections than you can imagine, and that is why he's allowed to do what he wants, disregarding feelings of others and endangering the lives of the whole world."
HJ.
The memory of the laughing green eyes wouldn't leave her even in her dreams, and now the eyes were looking at her from the picture without a cap with Minions on, but the boy was standing half-turned, so she could see only one side of the face. It was enough.
HJ.
"And there is nothing you can do because you're no one, and you have no powerful allies, Miss Granger, unlike that boy." The man was now smiling at her. "But you can change that here and now."
The man stepped forward and offered his hand for a shake.
"I am Mycroft Holmes."
Sherlock Holmes's brother?
"My younger brother—Sherlock, is not the one to help you in this situation, Miss Granger. I am."
How did he know everything? Then again, did it matter?
"I want him to pay for everything he has done," Hermione said honestly, looking Mr. Holmes in the eyes and pointing at the picture of the boy with green eyes and messy black hair.
"So do I."
She wanted to politely decline the shake of the hand, but her inner voice was pushing her towards the man, so she accepted his handshake.
"Can you really help me, Mr. Holmes?" Hermione was waiting with bated breath for the answer, while holding a cold, confidant hand in a shake, and smiled for the first time in a year, when she heard one.
"In more ways than you can imagine it now, child. Serve your country, and it will open all the doors for you. You won't be no one anymore, and then you can take care of our shared problem." Mycroft Holmes waited for her nod, and then smiled back.
There was only one issue, and Hermione didn't know what to do about it.
"Sir, there is something that you should know," Hermione trailed off, not knowing how to tell the man that she was a witch and was going to Hogwarts in less than a month. She wasn't supposed to tell muggles anything about the wizarding world...
"Be careful around Albus Dumbledore, Miss Granger." Her shock was visible on her face, as Hermione knew that only the Prime-Minister of Britain was aware of the magical world, or so the books said.
Just what position did her new ally have?
Who the hell was he?
"You will be our eyes and ears at Hogwarts, and in return, all your troubles will be resolved, and you can always turn to us with anything."
Our? Us?
"I work for the British government, and you will be working for the government as well. This is for real, for the whole nation, Miss Granger."
She had to spy on Albus Dumbledore?
She wasn't James Bond. And she was eleven.
"I am not a spy, sir."
The man looked very calm, and didn't show many emotions, so unlike Moriarty, who had allowed the boy to destroy her family, just because he could, however Hermione knew danger when she saw it. Mycroft Holmes was as dangerous as his adversary.
"I am fully aware of that, child. When you are in my position, you understand that patriotism has no age limit. You'll change your mind on the 1st of September, take my word."
A minute later, Hermione's brown eyes were filled with resolve and the need for revenge.
"He's magical, isn't he?" She asked with a heavy frown, pointing at the picture of HJ.
"He is."
She'd go to the same school as the little monster, who had ruined her parents' lives. How would she behave? How could she be in the same room as him if she knew what kind of nutcase the boy was? If she remembered what he had done...
"What is his full name?"
Mycroft Holmes seemed to think the answer over, before smirking at Hermione's clenched jaws with the new teeth.
"Patience is a virtue, Miss Granger. All good spies know that." So he wouldn't share the name, wanting to see how she would behave when she would meet the boy at school.
"How do I know I can trust you, sir?"
"I am the good guy, Miss Granger, like you are, and we have the same goal. Get rid of the world's dangerous maniacs, no matter the price. Don't you agree that what happened to your family must not repeat itself with others?"
Minutes ticked by, and with them the aroma of lavender and burning metal, shot flesh and screams echoed in her mind, followed by the shining, green eyes and the maniacal laughter, and the roar of the powerful engine.
"I agree, sir."
Until we meet again, HJ.
xxx
a/n Well, that was fun, right? :) As you may have noticed, there is no authorial pov, and there are characters' povs only. So if I want to influence your perception of the character, I have to select the situation carefully. Who doesn't agree with Hermione now, even if you dislike her as a character, and like Dark!Harry? ;) I am not a fan of the Weasleys and they will probably suffer, but I won't bash any character, nor reduce characters to being simply stupid. If I give a character a pov, then the character shall be opened in the short, or long run. I wanted to keep the chapters under 3.000 words, but sometimes they're much bigger, like now.
Thank you for reading and extra thank you to those who review.
