A/N: I'd like to thank every one of you lovely reviewers for your support! Worry not, I will not stop writing the story (never had the intention to I merely pointed out no reviews make the inspiration go away, so it'd be harder). Here it is, the sixth chapter of Always and Forever: Prequel (I really need a new title for this, don't I?)

Just to clarify, things that happened in the book that I have not mentioned still have happened in my story, unless I specifically say it didn't. So Harry is still having his visions about Voldemort, Kreacher is now nice to people and loyal to Harry, and Dumbledore still left things to the trio in his will. I just didn't work them into my story because well, everyone here has read the books and it'd be repetitive to show those scenes again.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the world, nor the original story, nor the characters. I just like playing with them.


Chapter 6: Realizations

Despite the immediate recognition—she had lived with the woman for six years, after all—Hermione almost doubted it was Lavender who had just walked in. Her clothes were rumpled as if she had been using them to sleep on, her hair was dirty and tangled and her arms were covered in bruises and cuts. There was a nasty one across her cheek that was sure to leave a scar. Hermione wondered how long had she been in holding.

The questioning began.

"State your full name for the court." Hermione had to suppress a snort at that. Court. Right.

"Lavender Annabelle Brown." Hermione was impressed. Lavender's voice was firm and steady. Hermione knew she wouldn't have been able to stand there with a fate worse than death hanging over her head and speak so clearly.

"Blood status?"

"Pureblood, of the House of Brown. We are an offshoot of the House of Black." Harry looked sharply at her. He hadn't known that. That meant that she and Sirius had been relatives. Also, that meant that she and Harry were distantly related.

"Filthy blood traitor," Yaxley said on one side.

Umbridge went on as if he hadn't spoken, but Hermione could see the corners of her lips lifting. She lifted what Hermione recognized as Lavender's wand from a narrow box in front of her. "11 inches, cherry wood and dragon heartstring core. Is this your wand?"

"It is."

"Do you know what crime you are accused of?"

"Yes."

"You are accused of helping, assisting, aiding and supporting a number of the so called 'muggle-borns' escape the hand of justice. You are accused of harboring these thieves of magic in your home and of delaying the Ministry officials giving them a chance to escape when they went to apprehend them. How do you declare yourself?" Had she and her family really done that? Hermione was looking at Lavender with whole new eyes. This was not the gossipy girl she had shared a dormitory for six years! On the other hand, she had never really taken the time to get to know her.

"Not guilty. I see no crime." She kept staring unwaveringly at Umbridge. Only the knowledge gained through six years of sharing a dormitory with the woman clued Hermione in as to her true state of mind. She was licking her upper lick compulsively and she was clenching her hands so hard that Hermione expected blood to drip at any moment. Lavender was terrified.

"So you deny these accusations?"

"I deny nothing. I fail to see the crime in having a few friends for a sleepover. I also fail to see the crime in defending my own home."

Umbridge was starting to get red in the face. "No crime? You injured a Ministry official!"

"He murdered my parents!" Hermione had to work hard not to gasp at that.

"That is not the point! You were sheltering known escapees of the law! You are aware of the penalty that carries under the new regime." Harry looked over at Hermione. They had to do something! They couldn't let her be Kissed! Neither of them particularly liked Lavender that much, but that was a fate they wouldn't wish on anyone. Except maybe Voldemort. And Umbridge. Bellatrix Lestrange also made the list.

"They are witches and wizards!"

"They are Mudbloods!"

"They are people, you hag! And you will never find them!" Hermione just stared. Lavender had just signed her death warrant. Or worse.

"You will regret this, blood traitor! Jackson, get the Dementors! I will not wait for this." Hermione saw Fred leave the room, hopefully to get Ron. She wished she could just stun Umbridge and be done with it, but there were other Ministry officials to overcome. She needed backup. She turned to look at Harry and saw him nod.

"As soon as Fred comes back with Ron," she heard him whisper on her ear. She gave a short nod and turned to Lavender. Her façade was crumbling. She was sweating and her eyes looked teary. Hermione made eye contact with her and nodded. Please understand, Lavender.

Fred opened the door, and before she could see who or what walked behind him she heard Harry shout Stupefy! from behind her. She turned her wand to her left, sending a silent stunner at the scribe beside her at the same time that she saw Fred and Ron stun the two other security guards. For security guards, they weren't putting much of a fight. When she turned back, Harry had already subdued Yaxley. Lavender was staring wide-eyed at them, not daring to believe her luck.

"Fred, get anyone else in the trial waiting area and get them out of there. There are bound to be some muggle-borns in there." Fred nodded and disappeared behind the door Lavender had walked in from. Moments later, he reappeared with a group of terrified looking people and started directing them towards the entrance. Meanwhile, Hermione had taken out the locket, duplicated it and left the copy around Umbridge's neck. She took the real Horcrux and gave it to Harry. The sooner that thing was safe in Grimmauld Place, the better.

She took Lavender's wand from in front of Umbridge and made her way down and offered it to Lavender, who quickly took it back. She swished it once, sending red and gold sparks out of the tip. "Thank you, thank you so much!"

"We couldn't let them do that to you, Lavender! Come on now, you're leaving. Ron, you and Harry get her out. Fred and I have to stay here to keep our cover. It'll do us no good to lose Hestia her job."

"What about Reggie?"

"Magical Maintenance works half days on Fridays, remember? We'll be back by five o'clock, five-thirty, tops. Go, now!"

Ron and Harry took Lavender by the arms, intending to lead her out of the courtroom, but she twisted and disentangled herself from them. "Ron? Harry?"

Taking her by the arms again, they steered her in the direction of the doors. "Yeah, it's us. Come on! There's no time for this, we'll explain later!"

"We better start reviving the others soon, or they'll wake up on their own. You don't have long, guys. Move!" As soon as they were out of sight, Hermione started counting. When she reached one hundred, she and Fred started reviving the people around the courtroom. They saved Yaxley and Umbridge for last. With a sigh, she cast a quick, although very weak, Ennervate on Umbridge, while one of the other guards revived Yaxley.

"What happened? Where is the blood traitor?"

"It appears that Runcorn was an impostor, Dolores. He stunned us and freed her."

"All of us, Hestia? I find that hard to believe!"

"This person must have planned it carefully, Dolores. I'm afraid he took us by surprise."

"Have you sounded the alarm?"

"Oh, I… I just came to. I don't know how long ago they were here, I only thought of checking if everyone was OK."

"They might still be in the building! Yaxley, sound the alarm, they must not leave!" Yaxley, however, was slow in coming around. Hermione suspected Harry had hit him with something more than a simple Stunner. "Useless! Jackson, you go!"

Fred saluted briskly. "Yes, Ma'am!" Hermione wondered how the toad had missed the scorn in his voice.

"The minister will hear of this, Hestia! Impostors in the Ministry, it is unthinkable!" No sooner had she stopped speaking, than a blaring alarm went off. "There is no way Jackson got there so fast! The impostors must have been spotted leaving the building!" Hermione blanched, hoping that Ron, Harry and Lavender made it out okay. She silently hit Umbridge with a Leg-Weakening Curse, and stood up. Umbridge made to follow but her legs wouldn't hold her.

"Oh, dear! You stay here, Dolores, I'll swing by the security room upstairs and have them send down a Healer from the infirmary. Not to worry!" She left swiftly, not giving the toad a chance to answer. She dashed up the stairs, remembering the layout Arthur and Hestia had drilled into their heads. To the right was the security station where she saw Fred, still disguised as Jackson, talking to some of the guards who looked like they wanted to rush out into the atrium. "Wait! Wait! We need a Healer. Down in courtroom 10!" One of the guards rolled his eyes at her and went back inside to send a memo to the infirmary. The paper plane rushed out of the office and went straight into the elevator.

They took advantage of the moment of distraction and made their way up to the Atrium. They got there just in time to hear some of the Death Eaters yelling about having Potter in their hands before he'd slithered out of their grasp. Hermione and Fred looked at each other. "His Polyjuice must have run out!"

"At least they got away. I hope Ron's Polyjuice lasted. It'll do your family no good if people find out he's not dying of Spattergroit." The rest of the day was spent filling reports about the break-in, both Fred and Hermione taking care to drink a sip of Polyjuice potion on the hour, every hour. Finally, five o'clock arrived and they made their way separately to the exit.

Hermione got out of the public restroom and quickly ducked into an alley. The Polyjuice was about to fade and she and Fred had to walk beyond the border outside the anti-apparition wards around the ministry. She saw Fred quickly move into the alley, his red hair coming back. She hugged him tightly when he reached her. "Oh my God! I can't believe we actually pulled it and got out okay!"

"We aren't safe yet. Come on, give me that pill, I have the vodka here." They had decided to use Disguise Shots for the walk home: they were less likely to be stopped if posing as random people. They each took a pill and a swig of alcohol and felt the distinct sensation the change had. Just in time, too, because they heard someone approaching their hiding place.

"I'm telling you, I saw Hestia duck in here and then that Jackson fellow followed her! Wait until we catch them, this will be pure gold! His wife will be heartbroken!" One voice said gleefully.

Her companion didn't sound so convinced. "That's impossible! I know Hestia and she would never have an affair with someone from the office!"

"Play along," she heard Fred whisper on her ear. He hooked her right leg over his hip, pressing her against the wall. He started peppering her neck and jaw with kisses. Catching on, she ran her hands through his hair, her head turned towards the back of the alley. Her pulse quickened and she couldn't help but wish this was not a ploy to distract the ladies.

Thankfully, the persona she adopted when drinking Polish Vodka could be easily mistaken with Hestia from behind. They sprung apart when they heard the two gossiping ladies give a startled "Oh, Dear!" and "See? I told you!" She hoped Fred didn't realize her flushed appearance and ragged breathing were not pretend.

The ladies seemed thoroughly disappointed when they didn't recognize them, apologizing profusely for interrupting a private moment. Well, that's Hestia's reputation and Jackson's marriage salvaged, and a whole new can of worms for me. Giving them a dashing smile, Fred took Hermione's hand and led her out of the alley. She clung to him, nibbling on his earlobe. The two ladies cooed about 'young love' before turning and seeing to their own business.

They Apparated as soon as they got out of the perimeter of the wards. When they got into the house, they each dashed into their rooms, barely looking at each other. Hermione sat on her bed and cradled her head between her hands.

"Shit," she said. "This really complicates things. Damn you, Fred Weasley!"

Little did she know that on the twin's room, Fred was having a similar reaction. He had stormed into his room, startling poor George awake from his nap. He had sat on his bed and looked straight at George.

"I'm in trouble."

"So you fancy Hermione, that's alright!" George said brightly, sitting up.

"I fancy—huh? How did you know that? I didn't know that until right now!"

"Fred, brother, everyone knows that. Except you and Hermione, of course."

Fred looked sharply at George. "What do you mean?"

George couldn't help but snickering. "Well, it's rather obvious! The way you hover around her and always seem to be touching her. The way she'll smile at you whenever you enter a room. It's sickening really." To highlight his point, he started doing silent retching impressions.

"Oh, stop it! I do no such thing. She does no such thing! You're hallucinating, brother o' mine!"

George smirked. "Of course I am. But you do fancy her, right?"

"I… yes. Yes, I do."

"Good for you, brother, good for you! So what are you going to do about it?"

"Do about it? Well, nothing!"

George rolled his eyes.


"Language, Hermione!" Hermione turned around sharply only to see Lavender sitting on the chair she had set up by the window. She had been so distracted when she came in, she hadn't noticed her. She was now clean and her wounds healed, but her face was thinner than it had been before the summer and there was something in her eyes that was nothing like the Lavender she thought she knew.

"Lavender? What are you doing here?" She didn't want to be rude, but it came out a little harsh. Lavender didn't seem to mind, though.

"Well, where else would I be? You do remember you got me out of the Ministry's clutches this morning, don't you? Harry and Ron brought me here."

"Wha—yes, yes, of course. But that's not what I meant! I meant what are you doing here in my room." Her eyes followed Lavender as she stood and made her way to her closet, throwing it open and idly running her fingers through her clothes. She stood up and hastily closed the doors. She looked expectantly at Lavender.

"My, my, what a temper! I came to say thanks, of course."

"Oh, that's… it was no—"

Lavender cut across her abruptly. "Don't you dare say it was nothing, Hermione Granger, it's my soul we're talking about." She ran a hand through her locks and gingerly sat on Hermione's bed. "Look, I know we've never been the greatest of friends and that whole… thing with Ron last term didn't really endear us much to each other, but," she raised her voice to restrain Hermione's protests. "It'd be stupid to go back to school so I'm staying here for now. I would like it if we could… put the past behind us, if you'd like to. I don't think we'd ever be able to be best friends, but…" By the end of her request her voice was so soft Hermione had to strain to hear it. She took the time to get a good look at her and had difficulty finding the bubbly, carefree Lavender she had known all those years in this woman's eyes. In these eyes she saw fire and determination, but also a great deal of insecurity.

"I'd be glad to, Lavender."

Lavender's face brightened instantly. "Oh, Mione, that's awesome!" She said, throwing her arms around a surprised Hermione. Apparently, one didn't have to dig too far to bring bubbly-Lavender back to the surface. She was still dazed when a squealing Lavender exited her room, presumably in search of Fred since he'd be the only one she hadn't thanked yet. Not two seconds had gone by when Lavender's head appeared on her doorway once more. "Oh, and we're talking about your crush later, Mione, don't think you can escape that!"

Hermione only had two thoughts circling in her head at that moment: "How am I supposed to get out of this one?" and "Where the hell did 'Mione' come from?" Well, coming from the woman who had nicknamed Ron 'Won-Won', she supposed 'Mione' wasn't all that bad.

With a sigh, she plopped back on her bed, her head hanging off the edge, only to be startled back up by two pairs of feet making their way to her.

"Hermione! We were so worried!" The combined voices of Harry and Ron greeted her. Despite not being in the best of terms with Ron at the moment, he was still one of her best friends, and there was something about that fact that just soothed her.

"Harry! Ron!" She threw her arms around them, glad that they had all made it out fine. "You have to tell me everything! People saw you, Harry! They were talking about how Potter slithered through their fingers!" She wasn't sure if she was angry at them almost being caught or relieved they hadn't been. She decided to wait until the end of their story to know for certain what to feel.

"Lupin and Mr. Weasley just got back and floo-called Moody. They sent us up to get you and Fred and George. We have to go down for a meeting with them. I guess you'll hear everything there. Come on, Hestia is already on her way down."

"You guys go get Fred and George. I'll meet you there in a few minutes." She had been so immersed in her thoughts she was still wearing Hestia's clothes, which were too big for her. Truth was, however, that she needed a few minutes to compose herself to face Fred. Shaking her head as if to eradicate all treacherous thoughts, she made her way to her closet and picked up a comfy pair of jeans and a snug sweater. By the time she was finished and made her way down, Moody had arrived and they were waiting for her. She had to suppress a groan when she noticed that the only available seat was next to Fred.

"Now that everyone is here," said Moody, his gruff voice ringing through the kitchen. "We would like an explanation." He didn't sound pleased. Actually, he didn't look pleased at all. When Hermione saw what he was pointing at, she very nearly growled. It was the Evening Prophet. The headline was clear for all to see "POTTER BREAKS INTO THE MINISTRY" and just under it "Undesirable Nr. 1 still at large!" The name Rita Skeeter seemed to shine from the page just beside the headlines.

"Just you wait! I will sink that woman!" Hermione was surprised to hear herself speak out loud.

"That can wait, Hermione. What Moody is trying to ask," Lupin shot a look at Moody as if saying 'you-need-to-learn-how-to-ask-better'. "Is what exactly happened that you ended up in the Evening Prophet."

Hermione explained how the morning at court had been, the discovery of the Locket, Harry arriving just before Lavender's trial and how she and Fred had had to spend the rest of the day filling reports. Fred interrupted every once in a while to add something of his own, but mainly let her tell the story.

"…so we made our way to the exit, got out and ducked into an alley just as the last of the polyjuice was fading. Took one of the Disguise Shots and—" here she hesitated, not really wanting to explain the whole nosy ladies episode.

Fred finished for her. "—and we made our way out of the wards and Apparated here." Apparently, he didn't want them to know about that either. Probably doesn't think it's important enough to mention, thought Hermione.

"Very good job, you two. Harry?" They all looked expectantly at Harry. This was a part of the story Hermione didn't know yet, and neither did anyone else. Harry must have wanted to wait for Hermione and Fred to arrive to tell his part.

"Well, things went well, at first. I managed to lose the interns not five minutes in…"


Harry ducked a corner as the rest of the interns followed a tall witch that reminded Harry of Mrs. Malfoy: her nose was constantly wrinkled as if she smelled something nasty nearby. He made his way across the Atrium to where the first floor offices were. He knew he'd find Umbridge's office among them. He made his way down a corridor, reading the plaques on the doors. He was distracted from his task by a rustling sound coming from the right. He made his way there ("That was unnecessary, Potter, your job was to find and search Umbridge's Office!"), to see what looked like a highly coordinated performance. Dozens of witches and wizards waving their wands in unison, making differently colored papers fly from one place in the room to another. It took him a minute to realize they were pamphlets

He approached the table by the end and saw the finished products: "MUDBLOODS and the Danger They Pose to a Peaceful Pure Blood Society". Another one read "UNDESIRABLE NR 1: Potter's Lies and a Guide to Contact the Ministry in Case of an Encounter" His own picture smiled tensely at him from beneath the title. Harry recognized it as a picture taken for the Triwizard Tournament what seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Hey, you! What are you doing here, eh?" A tall, broad man was striding over to where Harry was. His tall frame hovered over the short persona the Disguise Shot had given Harry.

"I, um—" thinking fast, Harry came up with a perfect excuse. He had always worked better when under distress. "I'm the new clerk for Courtroom 10 and Madam Umbridge sent me to get a file she forgot from her office, but I'm afraid I got lost." He tried to project sincerity as the tall man examined Harry with a critical eye.

"Third office on the left, down that hallway," said the man, pointing to the same corridor Harry had come from. He must have missed the door. With a shrug and a timid thanks, he made his way to the door the man had indicated. Without looking up to see the plaque, he opened it to find… a room full of filing cabinets! He ducked just in time to feel the stunner fly over his head. He ducked behind a cabinet in time to see the man lock the door behind him. Great, now he was trapped!

"You idiot! You think I, Albert Runcorn, can be tricked by such piteous lies? Think again!" he roared, sending Stunner after Stunner around the room, the cabinets they collided with exploding open in a rush of filing parchment. Harry took the momentary distraction to get the Invisibility Cloak from under his robes and put it on ("So now you remember you have it!") silently making his way to the door to make a run for it. Just as he was about to open the door, he realized he'd be making a mistake: Runcorn would sound the alarm about intruders in the building and their incursion would be for nothing.

He turned around and fired a Stunner right at Runcorn's back. He didn't have time to react and crumpled into a heap on the floor. Harry quickly stripped him of his robe, snapped his wand in two, tied him up to one of the cabinets, gagged him and finally took a few hairs from his head. He dropped them into the vial of Polyjuice he had been given in case anything went wrong and gasped as his body transformed into that of Albert Runcorn. He quickly put on Runcorn's robes, exited the room, placed a Silencing Charm around it and strode purposefully to the other end of the room to continue his search for Umbridge's office.


Harry quickly explained how he had not found the locket in the office but had nearly been discovered by Pius Thicknesse, the new Imperiused Minister of Magic. He told them of the files on the Weasleys and most known members of the Order. How he made his way down to the courtroom, where he found Ron hovering nearby (to whom he very nearly gave a heart attack), but he skipped the part where he was inside the courtroom, since Hermione had already recounted that.


They were on their way out, some of the other detainees had already made their way through the floo when beside them Lavender collapsed. A quick look around told Harry they were not being followed—yet. He supposed she was exhausted and that the adrenaline she had been running on so far had run out on her. He picked her up from the floor when he felt his skin bubble. His Polyjuice time had ended. He quickly made his way to the nearest fireplace, Ron making his best efforts to conceal exactly who was walking through the Atrium. They had almost made it when he heard something that made his insides freeze: a startled shout of "Stop that man, it's Potter!"

They started running faster, their progress slowed by carrying Lavender's still form. Harry passed her over to Ron, who hunched his shoulders and half used her to cover his face, not wanting to lose Reggie his job, or have Ron found out if the Polyjuice ran out. Harry started whipping his wand, sending things flying behind him. The alarm boomed through the Atrium, alerting everyone to the presence of intruders. With a last swish of his wand, he conjured a wind that sent every parchment, quill and pretty much any and all small objects flying, took the last steps to the floo and exited the Ministry. A swift Bombarda spell at the cubicles assured them they would not be followed as they ran out the perimeter of the wards and Apparated to safety.


"A bit of trouble? A bit of trouble, Harry? That's what you call—" With no warning, Hermione stood from where she was sitting and walked around the table to deliver a well-deserved slap upside Harry's head. Ignoring his 'Ow!' of protest she made her way back to her seat, crossing her arms and huffing. "I cannot believe you, Harry Potter! That was not just a bit of trouble! That was a huge load of trouble! It's a wonder you could get out at all." His smirk, most likely at her reaction, did nothing to appease her mood. While normally Fred would have done something by now to calm her down, both still felt a little uncomfortable after their performance for the two old ladies.

"We'll be talking about this later, Potter," Moody's eyes were fixed on the people around the room. "What I'd like to discuss now is what to do with our guest."

Ron looked confused. "Who?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "With Lavender, Ron. Honestly! Who did you think he was talking about?" Ron didn't have the chance to look chastised as Moody spoke right over him.

"What do you know about her?" Moody addressed the trio, but it was Lupin who answered first.

"She's a good student, not top of the class, but can hold her own. Her best classes were Charms and Potions. A bit too enamored with Divination." His tone did nothing to hide the distaste he felt for the subject, quite the contrary. "Her parents were killed a week ago, and she went missing. Her family was helping muggle-borns hide from the new regime. This was most likely the reason for their death."

Hermione nodded. "She said as much during her trial." The contempt in her voice at the word 'trial' was clear for all to hear. "I talked to her when I got back. She's… different from how she was at school, but she's still there, under the surface. I think giving her something to do will help her cope. She's a gossip, but ultimately trustworthy." Harry and Ron were looking at her with wide eyes.

"Bu—but, you hate her!"

"I do not hate her, Ronald! We've had our differences, that's true. We're not… compatible, and we probably won't ever be best friends, but that doesn't mean I hate her. And how I feel about her doesn't change who she is or what her capabilities are." By the time she was done, she was half standing, her hands flat on the table. Ron, now more than ever, had a knack for saying things that set her off. She would've continued her tirade, but she felt a small touch on the small of her back. She didn't need to feel the tingles up her spine to know it was Fred's. She took a deep breath to calm herself and then turned to the adults. "She has my confidence in this," she said, and left the room.

"I'll go after her." Before anyone could stop him, Fred left to find her. Lavender entered the room just as he was leaving.

"I want to help." Her tone didn't leave room for argument. And truth be told, they couldn't turn down another pair of hands. They needed all the help they could get.


A/N: Another long chapter. I'm not 100% happy about it, but there you go. I hope I'm not moving too fast with Fred and Hermione's relationship, but bear in mind they've known each other for a long time, and have been working closely for a couple of months now, which I believe is enough time to start fancying someone. Once I again I ask you all to review and tell me what you loved, liked and/or hated. It really helps me build my story. I know I wanted to say something else, but I forgot what it is. Probably wasn't anything important.

I was thinking of writing some mini-chapters to upload in between my set days about a day in other character's everyday life. Say... a day in Malfoy Mannor, to get a peak into Voldemort's plans? Or maybe a day in Hogwarts, where we could follow Ginny, Luna, Neville or Draco? Let me know what you think and what characters you'd want to see. It might not come immediately, but I'll try to work them in somehow. Also, they won't disrupt the main story's uploading schedule. Let me know through a review!

Cheers!

C.