The sound of a body hitting a mat echoed in the room Pansy and Hermione used to train. Draco blinked and had a momentary thought. Where did the ceiling come from? Hermione leaned over him, slightly out of breath and smiling. Her hair was coming out of the braid she'd put it in and stuck to her sweat covered forehead. Draco thought she looked kind of hot that way.

"That's 53 flips for me and none for you," she said, laughter in her voice. "Ready to give up?"

They'd been grappling for a few hours after Hermione had put Draco through his paces on the obstacle course and track. He'd been interested in grappling after Hermione had told him about some of her more interesting cases where she'd taken down some of their more uncooperative suspects.

"No way," Draco said. "I'm wearing you down."

Hermione laughed. "You wish, ferret man," she said. Draco use to hate being referred to that creature, but Hermione made it seem less of an insult and more of a term of teasing. "I got energy to spare."

"Then maybe you could use it to help out with our first case," Pansy said.

Hermione looked over at her partner as she walked in. Pansy wore her service uniform and Blaise stood next to her in official looking robes. "We have a case?" she asked.

Draco rolled to his side and shot his leg out. His intent was to trip Hermione, but she jumped over his leg, landed, and sat on his back, pinning his shoulders to the mat with her knees. "Ugh," Draco said.

"Nice try, but you'll have to be faster than that," Hermione said. She ruffled his hair and got up. She walked over to Pansy and repeated, "We have a case?"

"As soon as you're done creaming Draco," Blaise said. "That was pretty good. Can you show me how to do that?"

"Sure," Hermione said. She grabbed his arm and flipped him over her shoulder. He hit the ground and groaned as the girls laughed. "Not cool," he said, groaning.

Pansy looked at Hermione and said, "We don't actually have a case of our own. We're sort of helping Gibbs out."

"Like research?" Hermione asked. "Asking around for them about something?"

"Not exactly," Blaise said, getting up and rubbing his back.

Pansy continued for him as he took a seat on a bench. "Gibbs and his team are investigating the murder of 6 Marines, 6 sailors, and 5 Army soldiers. The murders all look like heart attacks. Gibbs has a firm suspect, but he left the States and is in London."

Hermione paused at Pansy's tone. There was something that she wasn't telling. "What aren't you telling me, Pans," she asked.

Pansy looked at Draco and Blaise. They nodded, as if answering some sort of question. Pansy turned to Hermione. "There are spells that are dangerous," she said. "Spells that torture and even spells that kill without leaving a mark." Hermione stiffened, instinctively knowing something was wrong. "They look like heart attacks."

"So," Hermione said slowly. "You're saying that...the murderer is...a wizard?"

Pansy nodded. "To simplify a long story, Gibbs has refused to shift the case over to us and is coming here on a priority flight. He's asked that you help on the investigation. He said he knows you and he's worked with you before. Didn't sound that friendly when talking to me."

Hermione paled. "Gibbs? Here? Snooping around the wizarding world? That's not good."

"Not good at all," Blaise said.

"What are our options?" Hermione asked.

"We could allow Gibbs to do his investigation and obliviate his mind about what he's seen after everything," Pansy said. Hermione knew about some of the spells and knew what obliviate was. She didn't feel too great about doing that to Gibbs.

"Other options?" Hermione asked.

"We could minimize his exposure, sending some Aurors out to search the wizarding community and let Gibbs handle the muggle side," Pansy said. "Any wizarding things he sees that we can't 'explain', we can obliviate the small pieces."

Hermione nodded. She didn't like the idea of messing with Gibb's mind, knowing he'd suffered amnesia for a while, but if it was the only way, she'd have to make sure that it was at a minimum. "Alright," she said.

"We'll steer him away from the wizarding sections and put him some place that isn't the military base." Pansy said.

"Why?" Blaise asked.

"Because our paper work says we're suppose to be there helping out with training their boys. We can't have Gibbs hanging around a place where we're suppose to be working, or he'll realize that it's a lie. But, with Gibbs, you never know what you're going to find out," Hermione said. "What time did he say he was going to be here?"

Pansy thought for a moment and said, "Around ten tonight. He gave the address for the airport."

Hermione looked at her watch and said, "That gives us three hours until they get here." She rubbed her face and turned to Blaise. "You'll need to put them in a muggle hotel. Someplace that they're not going to cause too much trouble."

"You expecting trouble?" Blaise asked.

"I've worked with the group on a lot of cases. There is always trouble," Hermione said. "It seems to find them everywhere."

"I'll see what I can do," Blaise said, standing up. "I'm eager to meet this group of yours."

Hermione smirked. "Just don't wear your robes," she said. "Wear a uniform or civilian clothes. And nothing too stylish. A suit like thing or something."

"Want me to shine my shoes, while I'm at it?" Blaise asked, giving her an odd look.

Hermione smiled, knowing he thought her advice was a bunch of bull. "It wouldn't help," she said.

Pansy hid a smile and cleared her throat. "She's saying, Blaise, that you shouldn't show up in a hoody and baggy jeans. I've met Gibbs a few times and he's not one to anger. Now that I think about it, you should probably make sure that the hotel has a coffee maker in the hotel room."

Blaise looked at the girls, looking from Pansy to Hermione and back again. "Weird," he said, but he gave a slight nod before turning and leaving the room.

Pansy smiled at Hermione. "Speaking of appearances, you might want a shower. You're starting to stink," she said.

"You know you love it," Hermione said.

"Oh, yeah," Pansy said, turning to follow Blaise. She looked over her shoulder and said, "Sweaty woman smell always turns me on."

Hermione laughed as Pansy walked out. Draco raised an eyebrow. "Do I want to know?" he asked.

"Marine humor," Hermione said.

"You Marines are weird," Draco said, walking out of the room. Hermione kept pace with him.

"That's the best adjective you could use?" she asked. "I've heard everything from insane to, and I quote, 'Those crazy sons of bitches'. And that's in polite company."

Draco chuckled and shook his head. "Why be a Marine?" he asked.

Hermione faltered for a moment, but said, "I joined the Marines after I had already been sent to boot camp. It was that or I go to jail. I enjoyed the training, that I went back home and signed up. Been with the corps since then."

"You don't strike me as a problem child," Draco said.

Hermione looked up at him as they stepped into the lift. "I had gotten into trouble because of some...incidences."

"What kind of incidences?" Draco asked, though it seemed that he already knew.

"Things would explode near me or something would move," she said. "It's wasn't so bad at first, just fusses burning out and vases falling over when I got angry. Then it grew until, when I walked into stores, the alarms would go off and things would fly into my bag. The judge finally gave me a choice of jail or boot camp. My parents sent me off and the rest is history."

Draco was quiet for a moment. Hermione knew he was taking everything in, but she knew that he was going to have to trust her. That meant telling him about her past. He needed to know what he was getting out of a partner. She was sure that she'd learn about Draco's past some day, but now, he just needed to soak in the story. And say something. Hermione always hated quiet elevators.

The lift dinged and the doors opened onto Hermione's level. She stepped out and turned to Draco. He was quiet, his head slightly lowered in thought. "You okay?" she asked.

He looked up at her with a serious expression. "Tomorrow," he said. "You're with me for the day."

"For what?" Hermione asked.

He straightened. "You gave me some of your Marine training," he said. "Now, you're going to go through my magic training."

"Magic training?" Hermione said, surprised and confused.

"What you've described to me is what happens when a witch or wizard has no hold on their magic," Draco said. "It's dangerous. The discipline from the Corps has probably kept the magic in check, but you're in the wizarding world, now. You need to know how to use that. Whether you stay or leave is up to you, but you need to harness that which is in you."

Hermione blinked and smiled. "You've either been watching too many martial arts movies, or read too many fortune cookies. You're starting to sound like them."

"They use the same ideas," Draco said. He pushed a button and said, "Tomorrow, you're mine."

"Possessive," Hermione said. "Cute."

"Funny," Draco said. "See you to pick up your friends."

Hermione nodded. "Get a shower, though. I think sweaty looks good on you, but Gibbs might not think so."

"As long as you notice," Draco said as the doors closed.

Hermione laughed and headed to her room for a shower.

Hermione stood by the car and scanned the area. Their plane should have been in by now.

"They're over there, Hermione," Pansy said. Hermione looked up and saw Tony, Ziva, Tim, and Gibbs walking toward them with their bags. Hermione smiled and walked over to greet them.

"Hello, Gibbs. Guys," she said. "Nice flight?"

"Well, it was not Gulfstream, but it was still nice," Tony said.

"Good to know," Hermione said. She turned slightly and said, "You remember Pansy, right? These are our liaison officers. Draco Malfoy and Blaise Zabini."

"Interesting names," Tony said.

"Family names," Blaise said. "Not like we could pick them."

Introductions were quickly made before Hermione said, "We'll take you to your hotel rooms."

"Then you can show me all the awesome cafes," a new voice said. Hermione turned and smiled as she saw Abby dressed in her Gothic apparel.

Hermione walked over and hugged the woman, smiling. "Glad you're here," she said. "But this means you won't be getting my letter."

"Does it have pictures?" Abby asked.

"Of course," Hermione said. "And they're good ones."

"Sweet," Abby said.

Hermione looked over her and was puzzled. "Where's your bag?" she asked.

"Oh, it's over there," Abby said, gesturing to a luggage cart. Hermione turned and watched the men unload a large steamer trunk. The trunk was panted black and red and had raven and skull stickers over the surface.

"You have enough things?" Pansy said.

Abby smiled and looped her arm with Hermione's. "Introduce me to your friends," she said.

Hermione did the quick once around. "The blond one's cute," Abby whispered as they piled into the van. Hermione giggled and slid into the seat next to her.

Everyone climbed in and buckled up. "Let's go," Blaise said, sliding behind the wheel.

AN: Hope you enjoyed the chapter.