A/N: Sorry, busy week. Hope you're all well and still enjoying this! Thank you for the reviews I received. I am cruel and I'm sorry that's how it worked out. The problem at the moment is that I have a little more done but I'm not sure where I'm going with it. Are we interested in just rolling on? Or would you like a defined ending. I am very good and just dragging things out so we can do either.
For disclaimer, see Chapter 1
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The Muggle industrial estate that he landed in was away from everywhere. The desolation was apparent as he crouched down behind an abandoned car and looked around. A few of the buildings had faded letters still visible, but most were gone. He realised he'd have to search for her either way.
He crept towards one of the buildings, casting a spell that would reveal what was inside. The first one had a family of foxes, but otherwise nothing. The second, he accidentally disturbed a squatter and had to stun him to stop him from shouting. He wasn't too worried, but he dropped a fifty-pound note next to him in apology. The third, fourth and fifth were a bust and it left two giant warehouses remaining. He looked at both of them, finally deciding to go with the one on the right first, casting the spell and realising quite quickly that the size of the buildings was working against him.
He had to go in and do a sweep of the whole building.
For the first time in a long time, he missed his Auror unit. The main room was a long, empty space and he knew she wasn't in there. The downside was that he had to cross it to get to what he thought were maybe offices, at the far end. It was why he brought his cloak.
He tucked it around him and set off, searching and searching and eventually coming up empty. His heart was in his mouth as he dashed across the street and slipped inside the remaining building, desperate for a glimpse of his love. He'd made two passes, his hope fading when he felt it. The second pass had become slightly more erratic as he got more and more worried and as he brushed against something he skidded to a halt. He knew that feeling, he'd felt it every day for a year. The notice-me-not charm had a very distinct feeling, once you knew. And he felt it now. Cursing his stupidity, he cancelled the spell and fell to his knees.
Minerva was tied to a chair, wearing a beautiful red dress, her hair was messy and tangled and her head was dropped forward. There was nobody else around and he crept forward, pausing as he peered at the rudimentary potions set up that was sitting next to her. He smelled parchment and coconut and he paused, feeling confused.
It hit him. Amortentia. A love potion. He spared himself a minute to smile, that his love potion smelled like Minerva before realising that this was nearly finished. He cancelled the flame and stirred it three times anti-clockwise, watching it turn black. It was ruined now and he nodded.
He turned back to Minerva and slipped off his invisibility cloak.
"Min?"
Her head snapped up and she looked around apprehensively.
"Harry?"
"Min!"
"Thank Merlin, you're here," she sighed. "He was so sure you'd never find us. He's been," she winced as he released one of her hands. "Pontificating and -"
"Merlin, I love you." Harry interrupted, blinking the emotions out of his eyes and untying her other hand. "I thought I'd lost you."
"He planned on drugging me," she said imperiously. "ME!"
"I know," he chuckled, rubbing her thighs with his thumbs. "Little upstart."
Minerva glared at him and held his face.
"You are a sight for very sore eyes." He looked at her and saw how bloodshot they were. "Whatever he gave me did not agree with my eyeballs."
"Hermione and Poppy are working on it now. It seems to be a Muggle drug, but we don't know much more than that. Hermione thinks she knows a Muggle detective that she is sending a sample. I'm just happy you're okay!"
"NO!"
He turned, finding Logan running towards them, his wand in the process of a long arc around his body. He paused.
"Harry! For Merlin's sake, pay attention, will you!"
She grabbed him around the neck and they fell to the floor as a bolt of green shot over their shoulders.
"He, fucking, did not!"
Harry rolled and sent back four spells, and conjuring a wall in front of them, listening as Logan grunted. Harry stared at her. He blinked, realising she was still strapped to the chair and he untied her quickly, pulling her into his arms.
"Are you okay?"
He ran his hands over her body maniacally until she held them still over her stomach.
"I'm fine," she whispered, her eyes so green he got lost in them for a moment. "I managed to cause him as much trouble as he caused me, once I woke up. He went on and on about how we were destined to be together," she spat. "He could have done anything to me while I was passed out but he wanted to wait" she sneered. "So I could enjoy it, he said. The Amortentia was the second lot. He ruined the first."
"Did he," Harry looked at her dress and saw the rip.
"He did not," Minerva smiled, tears in her eyes. "But he tried. He touched me, he spat on me when I burnt his hand. But no, he did not violate me. He vastly underestimated my wandless skills."
"One should never underestimate my Minerva, even without a wand," her eyes widened as she watched him dig inside his cloak and withdraw hers. "Even so, I think she needs to have it back."
She kissed him, taking it back. As they pulled apart, her eyes widened.
"Harry!"
He dived on top of her as a spell blew up the wall, sending chunks of stonework around them.
"I want you to go," he said, turning and firing at Logan again. The man was quicker this time and started running towards them, having dealt with Harry's initial spell, firing shot after shot. "Let me deal with this."
"I'm staying."
"Min?"
"Harry."
"Go, please? We still aren't sure what he hit you with. I need you to be safe, Min. I'll take care of him."
"He ruined my entire evening," she growled. "And I want him to pay."
"He will," Harry promised. "I'll make him pay."
She looked at him and cupped his cheek.
"I did not want this."
"Oh, love, I know. Had he not drugged you, I'd simply cover that gorgeous behind and let you deal with him, but you are more important to me than anything else. I need you to be with Poppy so she can make sure you're alright."
"I never wanted you to have to fight again."
"I will gladly do this," Harry said, feeling his anger burning. "You are worth it. He's going to pay."
"Please don't kill him. Please don't let him damage your soul, my love. We have fought enough."
"I'll do what needs doing," he grunted a Protego as Logan's spells pressed down on them. "Now go."
"I love you. Only you. Always."
"Go," he muttered, glancing back and seeing Logan advancing. "Let Poppy look you over," he told her gently. "But go. Now."
She nodded and he stood, covering her while she got to her feet as well. His feet slid back a little as a barrage of spells hit his shield.
"You can't hold it forever," Logan growled. "I'll have her."
"Mr Logan?" Minerva said loudly, making him pause. "You never had me, even when you did. You are sloppy, inept and downright pathetic, but in the meantime?" Logan stood watching her. "I will leave you in the capable hands of my beloved."
"He's a whelp. You need a man. A strong man."
"I have one," she said pleasantly, opening her arms as if she was introducing a hero. "My lover," she met Harry's eyes. "My very capable lover."
"He is NOT!"
"Also," she called, stepping out of range of one of his spells and waving at him childishly. "You're fired."
"NO!"
She apparated away and Logan screamed frustration into the sky. Harry, on the other hand, stood, looking straight into the man's eyes.
"Oh Logan," Harry said, taking a deep breath. "How pathetic you are. Didn't even bother casting an anti-apparition net. You really are utterly useless."
Harry suddenly remembered how Albus used to duel. How frustrated his enemies would get with him. He remembered how frustrated Voldemort was whenever he was standing before him. He'd thought it was the man himself that had frustrated them, but he knew differently, standing here. Harry smiled at the memory in the Ministry. Albus had done more to throw their enemies off without even saying a word. He was one of the most powerful magical users that Harry had ever seen, but he had won or lost the duel before the first spell had even been cast. Harry had just never realised it because he'd never hated anyone as much as he hated Logan and he'd never loved anyone as he loved Minerva.
"You think you're better than me?"
"No," Harry said gently, breathing steadily and coming back to the present. Logan had advanced and was now standing about twenty feet away, breathing hard. "I know I am. You poor, insignificant prat."
Logan screamed again and began firing. Harry waited until it hit his shield and dissipated before cancelling it and firing himself. Logan's eyes widened as Harry started duelling properly. He was a much better dueller than Harry gave him credit for initially and after a tiny lapse in concentration, Harry was surprised when a slicing hex grazed his arm.
"The great Harry Potter," Logan muttered. "Falling beneath my wand. Don't think I don't know all your secrets, you bastard. Once I'm done with her, I'll move onto your little friend. That sanctimonious little bitch who thinks she's better than everyone else." Harry glared. "After I do away with her children, of course. Then I'll have been between both your women's legs. Maybe I'll even have them do each other for sport."
Harry felt the burning hatred inside him and swallowed the bile rising in his throat. He realised why Albus had always seemed so calm during these moments. Every duel, Albus had barely moved, goading the attacker into firing and talking and tiring themselves out. Indeed, the only time Harry had ever seen Albus falter was that night on the Astronomy tower and for a long time, he'd thought that it was the concept of death that had frightened the late Headmaster. Then, their conversation at that mystical place after he, himself, had died, had discounted that theory. The confusion had been something he'd lived with every day since.
Now, though, he understood. Albus, until that point in front of Severus and Bellatrix LeStrange, had known that he would win. Because there was simply no way he was going to let anyone else hurt those he loved. The Astronomy tower had been the one difference because he knew those he loved were going to get hurt. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to protect anyone after his death and it had frightened him more than death itself.
Harry finally understood.
"WHY ARE YOU SMILING!"
Harry chuckled and blinked, having heard Voldemort say a similar thing while they were fighting for his own life at the Ministry. If Logan was intelligent, he could have sent a spell at that moment, instead of shouting.
"You think you will win," Harry shrugged, watching every movement the man made. "You think that you, a pathetic nobody who has nothing to show for himself. could beat me," Harry opened his hands. "Harry Potter, Order of Merlin: First Class. Hero of the Wizarding World. You think that for one moment, you could ever take those I love dear? You think you can make my woman!" He apologised to Minerva in his head. "For yourself? With a potion?" He laughed maniacally. "You actually think that you are going to be able to kill me in this moment?" Logan's face fell. "Because you're going to have to kill me now, Logan," he whispered, making the man lean in a little to hear. "You have just threatened everything I hold dear. And you should know something about me, Logan. I take care of my own, and when my people are threatened," he clicked his tongue. "Well, the last person who threatened my family, I killed," he grinned. "I was 1 when I killed him the first time. I was 17 when I killed him the last time. And between that? Well," He watched as Logan's eyes widened. "I fought in a war, I freed a murderer from right under the Minister Magic's nose. I flew with a dragon," he chuckled. That was a good memory. "And on a dragon! I hugged a werewolf, fought off a hundred Dementors, I killed a Basilisk," Logan's eyes widened. "Before I was 14," Harry added. "I have imprisoned more bad guys in twenty-six years than you could even name."
He rocked on his heels and watched as Logan's wand finally fell by his side. Harry smiled again.
"The bottom line, Logan, is that you are a stain on the bottom of my shoe. You're not worth the magic I'm going to waste on you. I'm going to have you delivered to the Minister of Magic, he's a personal friend of mine, and Minerva's, did you know that?" Logan swallowed. "If I know anything about her at all, I know that by the end of the week, you'll be in Azkaban until you die. Because when you threaten my family, you threaten Minerva's. And when you threaten Minerva McGonagall?" Harry scoffed. "You're well and truly fucked, my friend."
Logan didn't hesitate again, sending spell after spell. Harry was again impressed with the rate in which he cast, but his words had the desired effect and Logan's spells were sloppy. It seemed that he was simply keeping Harry occupied while he figured out a way to run. Harry waited for the right moment, summoned his cloak and apparated. He landed behind Logan silently, his invisibility cloak falling over him.
"Logan," he whispered, moving all the time in a circle around his enemy. "It's time to go now."
He swung around, searching and then again when apparition cracks sounded all around them. Harry threw off the invisibility cloak as he saw Hermione appear and socked Logan between the eyes, breaking his nose.
"FUCK!" Hermione laughed as he threw off his cloak and Logan went down like a sack of bricks. Harry waved his hand around like a fool. "That hurts! Why the hell would anyone choose to do that, instead of hexing someone," he whined as Filius incarcerated Logan and levitated him off the floor. "Wait, is Min okay?"
"She's fine, Poppy's seeing to her," Rolanda muttered. "I missed the action," she grumbled.
"It wasn't impressive. He's sneaky, but he wasn't good."
Rolanda was partially mollified and nudged Logan with her hip as he went by. Filius swore as he dropped him onto the ground.
"It's less than he deserves," Rolanda muttered as Filius grumbled at her.
"I need to -"
"Go," Hermione said. "The Aurors are on their way. She's fine. A little bruised and very angry, but she's okay."
He nodded, kissed her temple.
"Wait," he said, about to apparate. "Where are the kids?"
"Evan's watching them," she mumbled.
He nodded, not able to give it the time of day, and cracked away, sprinting from the gates and into the castle.
"Professor?" One of the kids attempted to stop him.
"Not now," he called, throwing himself around corners and sprinting upstairs until he slid into the Hospital Wing.
"Mr Potter," Poppy smirked. "It seems as though your penchant for accidents is catching." She nodded towards the back. "She's in the back room."
"Thanks," he said, stopping to kiss her cheek.
"You're welcome," she muttered. He ran through the beds and slid to a stop, ignoring the door banging against the wall.
Minerva burst into tears and Harry's heart broke.
"Hey," he said gently, kneeling on the bed and bringing her close. "Hey. It's okay. He's gone. All forgotten."
"You killed him?"
"No," he showed her his hand. She held it gently, staring at it, confusion on her face. "Broke his nose instead."
"Merlin, I was so worried about you."
Harry did a double-take.
"About me?"
"I didn't want you to kill anyone, not for me. Not knowing what I know about you, why you gave up the Aurors. Your history."
"Merlin, you're so weird, Min," he chuckled, tipping her head back and looking at her. "I've been running around tearing my hair out for 12 hours and you're in here worrying about me?"
"There was nothing he could do to me that would hurt me," she whispered, cupping his cheek. She ran her thumb along his chin, smiling just a little at the stubble growing. "But he could have caused irreparable hurt to you and me, by making you take his life. You stopped fighting and I was stupid enough to let him -"
"You crazy crazy woman," he chuckled, smoothing back her hair which was definitely the messiest he'd ever seen it.
"Don't look at my hair Harry, I have a mind to cut it all off."
"You will not," he muttered, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Nothing about you ever needs to change. Nothing."
"Poppy made me take my glamour off," she whispered, rubbing her cheek on his chest. "And I'm not going to put it back on."
"Good," he whispered. "What else do you need?"
"You," she muttered, looking up at him. "Your lips."
He did as he was told, holding her gently and kissing her as softly as he knew how to. She shuddered in his arms and he felt the tears on her cheeks.
"I've got you."
"I've never," she shuddered. "I'm not crying because of what happened. I am so angry. He has annoyed me beyond measure and I cannot believe I got dressed up and ready to go and he ruined our first dinner together. But I am so annoyed at myself for letting him get the better of me. How dare he!"
"Minerva," he chuckled. "He was dirty. He didn't play by the rules and aside from all of that. You're beautiful. I'd take you out right now if I thought you'd let me. As long as you're alright. You are, aren't you?"
"I am," she sighed, resting against him. "I am a bit bruised but otherwise unharmed."
"You promise? He didn't touch you."
"Not anywhere of significance," she sighed, pulling him closer.
He glanced over his shoulder and closed the door with a wave of his hand and maneuvered them so he was lying beside her, his arms wrapped around her tightly.
"You promise?" he asked quietly.
"I swear it," she nodded. "I would not lie to you, or Poppy, about that."
"Okay," he nodded, kissing her hair. "Okay. And there are no after-effects of whatever he used on you?"
"No," she sighed. "Hermione's policeman friend got back to her. A well-known muggle drug, used to make people pass out, or some such nonsense?" she shrugged and yawned. "Poppy could tell you more, all I know for sure is that you shouldn't put it in your eyes. Will you stay?" she mumbled, her body relaxing into his. He pulled away, wrapping the sheet around her, but not him and pulled her onto his chest. He muttered a spell that banished her dress, which was covered in dirt and grime. "Trying to put the cart before the horse? Mr Potter?"
"Nobody in their right mind would equate you to a cart or a horse, Minerva," he chuckled. "Go to sleep, my beautiful witch. I'm not leaving. You're all wrapped up. I'm not getting ahead of anything. I'm planning on wining and dining you yet. Have patience, woman."
She breathed out, sounding suspiciously like a giggle and after a moment, started snoring softly. He sighed, letting his own tear roll down his face. He'd nearly lost her, after only finding her so recently. That same sick feeling he'd lived with for so long was back and his hands shook at the thoughts.
"I'm right here too," she whispered, kissing the underside of his chin. "We're in this together. I will do better, but you must trust me to do so."
"I trust you more than anyone else in the whole world apart from 'Mione," he whispered. "I just have more people to worry about now. You don't have to do anything differently."
"How about," she said gently, leaning on his chest and kissing him softly. "We worry about each other, together. Now," she blinked owlishly. "You look as though you slept as much as I did, so sleep, my divine love and tomorrow we will try again."
"I love you," he whispered, nuzzling her hair. "So much."
"I love you," she murmured, her lips on his neck. "Sleep."
And they did.
