Partners?

A/N: Don't own a thing, especially not HP. I hope you enjoy chapter fifty-six. Italics denote thoughts. Bold is for spells. Also, thank you for the great feedback.

Chapter 56: The attack

There was a flurry of activity as the Aurors Squads were dispatched. One team was headed to Spinners End to apprehend Severus Snape, the other four teams were preparing to travel to the Granger home. Tonks and Hermione vanished with a pop heading to the Granger 's dentist office. Harry and Amelia were left standing in the bullpen. "Alright Mr. Potter-Black, you are with me..." She said leading him towards her office.

"Madam Bones?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for this. I don't have many friends, especially not now. Everyone expects me to be the Harry Potter they wanted, instead of the one I am." He said softly.

"A very wise man once told me 'you can only be who you are'.." She thought back to that day,

"It's okay 'melia..." Harry Fawkes said as he held her, "I'm not going anywhere.."

"But..why did it happen?" Amelia had been ecstatic when she she found out she was pregnant. Even better, her boyfriend had been happy as well. Then came the miscarriage. She had been chasing a suspect wanted for questioning in a series of murders. Half-blood and Muggle-born wizards had been turning up dead. Amelia had rounded a corner with her partner, Auror Katherine McHew into an ambush. McHew died from a killing curse and Amelia had been hit by a bone exploder. Barely having the strength to apparate away she had collapsed the moment she appeared at the Ministry.

She had lost the baby from a combination of the curse and the strain of the sudden apparation. She had told Harry everything, expecting the worst but he had embraced her.

"I'm going to resign, I'm not cut out to be an Auror..." She said miserably, her face not leaving the crook of his neck. "Amelia," Harry's voice was soft but stern, "You can only be who you are..and you are an Auror, it's as much a part of who you are as that red hair of yours.."

"But I..I failed..I lost our baby...Katherine died because of me.."

"Did you cast the killing curse?"

"No..but.."

"You didn't kill her then."

Amelia looked at Harry Potter-Black, for some reason she did not want to think about at the moment, he kept making her think of her own Harry. Maybe its the messy hair and green eyes...maybe its the fact that the universe keeps dumping its waste all over him.. "Alright Mr. Potter...Harry.. please take my hand and we'll go see the Grangers...I've sent word to Alastor, I think we'll have some help from your Order as well.."

The dental practice in Crawley was buzzing with its usual energy. Hermione led Tonks, thankfully with hair a sedate brown color, inside the clinic. They were both dressed in muggle clothing, a fact that Hermione was grateful for as her parents clinic was full of clients. She stood at the reception desk, waiting for the nurse to look up from her files.

"Can I hel- oh hello Miss Granger, what can I do for you?" The older nurse, Sharon, Tonks noted on her name badge, asked.

"Hello Mrs. Bridges, I just need to speak with my mother and father, are they free?" Hermione said. "Yes, they are in their office, go on back."

Hermione steeled herself as she and Tonks walked through the clinic into the back where her parents office sat. Sweet Maeve I have no idea how I'm going to explain this... She thought as she opened the door and ushered Tonks in. "Mum, Dad, this is Dora Potter-Black, she's a friend of mine..she's also an Auror, a constable in the wizarding world...we've heard about an attack on our house.."

Scene Break

The plan Madam Bones suggested was the best one. Hermione and Tonks went together, while Harry and Amelia apparated next. Before too long the Granger household was starting to fill with a mixture of Harry's wives, aurors, and the order members they knew they could trust. Harry was surprised to see Remus Lupin standing beside Alastor Moody talking beside a curio cabinet. He went over towards them, "Professor Lupin, what are you doing here?"

"I'm a member of the Order Harry, if Voldemort is going to attack someone, then I want to be there to defend them. Besides..I owe it to you..you were right, I should have came to see you when you were younger..hell I should have told you who I was from the first moment we met on the train.."

"Damn right." Tonks walked up, her arm going around Harry's waist. Harry leaned in against her for a moment, "Good to see you pulled your head out of your shaggy ass."

"If we could put an end to this, I think it's time. Auror Potter-Black, I want you beside the Grangers. The moment Miss Granger casts a spell I want you to get them out of here." Amelia sat coming to their side handing Tonks a black leather belt. "This is a portkey, it will take you all back to the Ministry."

"I should stay and fight..Harry can handle the portkey." Tonks said handing the belt to Harry.

"Auror Potter-Black, you will do as you are ordered. You will escort the Grangers and your husband back to the Ministry and allow the Aurors and the Order members to deal with this." Amelia said.

"I am a bloody Order member!" Tonks shouted, "Yes, and you are, after Harry, the single biggest target the death eaters would have. Now, you will listen to me or I will stun you and send you back to the Ministry holding cells." Amelia countered.

"Dora..please, I want to stay and fight but..she's right. If something were to happen to you here..that would kill me faster than any curse." Harry said. It's not fair...Tonks thought as she took the belt back from his hands.

"Alright, places people. I want Auror Potter-Black, Lord Potter-Black and the Granger family in the center of the room." Amelia said, directing the flow of people so that the Harry and his group were in the spot that Hermione's family usually had their couch.

"Miss Granger, please use your wand to cast a spell."

Hermione nodded and pointed her wand at a book sitting on the shelf opposite her, "Accio!" The book flew into her hands.

"Very good. Now, Auror Potter-Black, please activate the portkey." Tonks cut her eyes at her boss but did as she requested. In an instant the Grangers along with Harry and Tonks vanished.

Amelia looked over to Alastor, "How are the wards?"

"When those bastards try to probe them they'll get a nasty shock.." Moody replied, an ugly grin on his face, "A little something I cooked up special.."

They felt a thud as something changed outside, "Anti-apparation and anti-portkey wards just went up," Auror Proudfoot said looking at the window into the forest outside, "I see...shit."

"What is it Proudfoot?" Amelia asked, her heart tightening at the rapidly paling face on her auror.

"It's not just death eaters Ma'am..it's werewolves."

Remus stiffened upon hearing that. Werewolves meant that Greyback would be here. He had wanted to kill Fenris Greyback since the day he been turned as a boy.

"Right, if it's werewolves then remember to use burning spells or crushing spells. Piercing spells won't do enough damage quickly enough." Moody said.

Scene Break

Cyril Parkinson watched as a fellow death eater began to check the wards outside the Granger home. "Hah, piss weak..everyone concentrate on this spot and we'll be inside in no time." The death eater said raising his wand. They all cast together, Cyril watched as the ward shimmered and then fell explosively, the last thing he saw was a fine red haze that used to be the man in front of him.

The death eaters who had managed to stay back were led by Antonin Dolohov, he looked over to the other leader, "Greyback, get your pack ready...we're down six death eaters already.."

"We are always ready.." The werewolf smirked, bringing his hand up and then down, a chorus of shouts following him.

Scene Break

The group arrived back at the Ministry, Hermiones parents collapsing onto the floor. Bellatrix rushed up and took Harry into an embrace. "I was worried.." She admitted, her lips not leaving his hair.

"Bella, this part went according to plan. Hopefully the part where they capture or kill the death eaters will go the same way." Harry said, squeezing her gently.

"Madam Bones made me come back..apparently a wife of Harry Potter-Black would be too valuable a target.." Tonks said, still angry that she couldn't be at the battle.

"She's right." Bellatrix said surprising Tonks. "We are targets now. It's part of being his wives."

"Wives?" Dan Granger said, looking to Hermione.

"Yes Dad, Harry has four wives...Dora and Bellatrix here, but also Narcissa and Fleur.." She held the smirk she felt forming when she saw the look of relief on her fathers face.

"I was worried for a moment there that you were going to tell me you had married a boy we've only met once or twice.." Dan admitted.

Scene Break

"Fucking werewolves!" Moody spat as he hurled a curse at a body, watching with a grim smile as the werewolf was nearly split in two.

Amelia counted the bodies now littering the property, Thank Merlin these people lived at the end of a private drive...Fifteen death eaters, ten..wait Moody just laughed that's eleven...and six aurors..

Then she spotted a familiar profile, Dolohov...he's had his mask knocked off..I finally have you, you son of a bitch.., She raised her wand and shouted "STUPEFY!" When the death eater dodged she cursed under her breath and ran forward. You took my baby from me, you took my Harry from me...no more..She began casting like a madwoman, throwing curses almost faster than she could shout their names.

Remus Lupin ducked against a tree, the battle was brutal now. Normally death eaters retreat...I suppose that's why they brought Greyback and his pack... He spotted Amelia Bones throwing curses at one of the few still standing death eaters, She's getting careless...I've got to try and help her.. He rushed forward just in time to see a sickly green light erupt from the wand of Antonin Dolohov. He threw himself forward, the green light hit him and Remus Lupin knew no more.

Amelia saw the killing curse coming, I guess I'll be with you soon Harry...She thought as time seemed to slow around her. She didn't know where Remus had came from, but he threw himself in between her and Dolohov, taking the curse. Dolohov brought his wand back up, but this time she had him "REDUCTO!" The force behind the curse caught Dolohov by surprise, for the second or so before it took the back of his skull away.

The last death eater had fallen, the werewolves disengaged. Amelia felt the wards fall, "Gather all the dead and wounded, bring them to St. Mungos, the Ministry if they are death eaters.." She ordered Proudfoot before apparating back to the Ministry.

Scene Break

Amelia arrived back in her office. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and then went to the bullpen where Harry, his wives, and the Grangers were waiting.

"What happened?" Harry asked crossing the distance to her side.

"Death eaters and Werewolves happened...We got the death eaters, some of the werewolves...I'm sorry to say that Remus Lupin died.." She said, calling upon her training to keep her voice calm.

"Professor Lupin is...what happened?" Amelia saw Harry's eyes darken with sadness, he might not have been on good terms with Lupin, but he definitely didn't want him to die..She noted.

"He saved my life...I was caught by Dolohov," Here, Amelia heard Hermione draw in a hiss of air, "He took a killing curse meant for me..."

"And Dolohov?" Hermione asked.

"Dead." Amelia stated the trace of a grim smile on her lips. You'll never hurt another person you bastard...Fawkes..I told you I'd get him..