Chapter Seven

Live Bait

"I don't like this plan..." Ginny grumbled.

I smiled at her. "Imagine how I feel."

True to my word, I had told her nothing of my real mission. Mars had fabricated a clever plot for me to tell her. It hurt to lie to her. But if she knew the truth it would be much worse for her. She would insist on coming and I couldn't take that risk. I couldn't bear to see her hurt.

Mars had told her I was going to Ireland to check up on a rogue leprechaun who had failed to show for a court date. Unfortunately for him, Ginny was persistant and had demanded who I was checking up on. Even more unfortunate, he had pulled a name out at random, the name happening to be none other than Jack Savant.

Any one who has lived in the Wizarding world as long as I have has heard of Jack Savant. Mars, however, does not follow anything beyond his own realm of control. The fact that he actually knew the name said something for the stupid git.

Every body in our world knows Jack Savant. Jack is about seven hundred years old. Pretty old for a leprechaun. But age didn't slow him down. Jack was just as much trouble now as he had been for the past six hundred years. Naturally no one would presume to send a rookie against someone like Jack.

No one but Mars Catcher.

So now Ginny was convinced that I was going to meet my doom at the hands of the world's most notorious leprechaun. Mars was just great with that whole assurance thing.

I neatly folded the final shirt into the small back pack that I was taking. With any luck, the mission wouldn't take more than a few days.

Ginny pouted. "Why you?"

"Because Harry's still on his mission and I'm the only one Mars trusts." I parroted obediently.

Ginny wrinkled her nose. "Bull shit. Mars just wants me miserable."

I smiled at her again. "Then bug the hell out of him until he brings one of us back."

Ginny laughed. "Maybe I will." She sobered as I tied my hair back in a high pony tail.

"I wish you didn't have to go." She whispered.

I forced out a laugh. "I bet you said the same thing to Harry."

She looked up and met my eyes. "No, I didn't."

She rose from the bed and took me in her arms. My breath quickened and I knew if she tried, I wouldn't stop her.

But I had to. She still didn't know about Harry and I couldn't compromise my feelings now. I had a mission to complete.

I removed her hands from my arms, staring deep into her eyes as I did so. "No." I whispered. "I can't. Not now."

She bit her lip. "Please Hermione. I need it. I need to know someone loves me..."

I folded. I took her by her upper arms, bringing her close for a swift feirce kiss. I hoped I wouldn't regret it.

Then I broke the kiss and swept from the room like a hero after the heart ache has come.

888

"Just like a paper back novel

The kind the drug stores sell,"

I muttered the words in a near silent voice. I lay on my stomach, binoculars glued to my eyes. Some how the words described my relationship to date to a T.

"When you get to the part,

Where the heartache comes

The hero would be me."

I winced and zoomed in on the camp across the river. I was almost certain that was where Harry was. I had spent the past two and a half days, tracking all his possible paths and each and every one crossed here. Whethere I liked it or not, I'd have to go in there tomorrow.

"You won't read that book again

Just because the endings' just too hard to take"

I sighed as the sun began it's descent. Time to call it a day.

I returned to the camp I had set up, still singing the words to Gordon Lightfoot's classic ballad.

It wouldn't be until the next day that I realized my mistakes.

(A/N: I love Gordon Lightfoot.