"Watch out, there are two on the stairwell and one behind y–
There was the unmistakable sound of a scuffle. Hermione could hear a series of muffled grunts and the sound of fabric scraping against a microphone. Then there was a crack that made her wince before an out-of-breath voice came over the line.
"No there aren't." She rolled her eyes. That Potter. She could hear the grin on his face.
"How's the door looking?" Hermione consulted her screen. The camera was blurry, but she could see Harry looking between it and the door. Iron, extremely thick and shut tight. She asked if Harry could hear anything but he shook his head. So instead, they turned their attention to the keypad in front of him.
"Tell me the–"
"Letters they used, yes." She watched Harry take out a special light, shining it over the pad while her own hands rested on top of her keyboard. After a glance behind him, he began to read them out.
"Weasley, mind the cameras for a bit," Hermione said. The redhead behind her gave a middle finger while slurping some of his soda, but watched them nonetheless.
"Whiskey," Harry said, "Romeo, Tango…uh, Oscar." Hermione's hands entered the letters as he said them.
"Alpha, Sierra, Golf, Hotel," he finished.
"Hogwarts," Hermione said. She hadn't even looked at the computer.
"What? You're not serious."
"It can't be anything else."
"What a shit password," Harry said as he began to type. But before he entered the last two letters Hermione stopped him.
"Hold on, that was too easy–could be a trap. Weasley, can you tap into the cameras on the other side of the door?"
"Mmph–I mean, already done. There are two. One's armed–hang on, both are. Left has a knife." The redhead had a sandwich in his mouth now. Hermione swore that if he'd gotten grease on her screens she'd have him on desk duty.
"You hear that Potter?" she said into the mic.
"Loud and clear."
"Alright, you're a go. I'll send Weasley in after you've cleared the place of snakes."
"Granger?" Hermione watched as Harry stretched a bit and looked up at the camera again.
"Yes?
"If I beat your record I'm on top tonight."
Hermione smiled. "You won't, but I might let you anyway."
Weasley nearly choked on his drink.
"Get a room, you two."
"Arriving at 2400 Hours. Open the cauldron," They were driving down a quiet street in London. It was late enough that the streets were nearly deserted, save a few irresponsible desk workers who spent their evenings hiding from their wives behind a glass of beer. The only sounds after Hermione's speech were tires on asphalt and the tap, tap of her finger pressing a button twice. This ended the transmission and caused the keyboard to retreat into the glove compartment. She then reached up and adjusted the rearview mirror so she could see Harry.
Agent Harry Potter was sitting in one of the folding chairs, his green eyes turned turquoise by the blue liquid in front of him. As if sensing her gaze, he looked up and flashed her a quick smile. This made the bruise developing on his cheek all the more obvious to Hermione. Even worse, they'd run out of Bruise-B-Gone.
As she watched, Harry's concentration returned to the vial in his hand. From the moments Hermione had held it, she knew it was warm to the touch and seemed to glow very slightly in the fading light. With the doors of the van closed, the vial's shimmer was even more pronounced. Judging from the furrow in his brow, Harry did not like it one bit. Hermione couldn't blame him.
"Hold on!" Ron said suddenly. Hermione's head whipped around just in time to see a man dive out of the van's way. Ron swerved, tires skidding before he managed to right them and continue on. Hermione gasped, and looked at the side-view mirror to see if they needed to stop and help him.
Except there wasn't any man to see. It was as if avoiding the van caused the figure to disappear entirely into the night. There were enough corners and broken street lamps to allow a person to disappear, but not for her. She should be able to detect movement and there was absolutely none.
Clatter.
"Shit! Shit shit shit shit shit," Harry was pulling one of his gloves on and scooping up the vial to check it for damage. Clearly, the surprise had unbalanced him. The raven-haired man breathed a sigh of relief and quickly placed the vial in its foam nest, closing its case with a snap.
"What the hell?" he was sitting behind them now, looking at Ron with unmistakable annoyance.
"Sorry mate," Ron replied, glancing sheepishly at him, "He came out of nowhere!"
"Right. Aren't you Mister 'I just got clearance to drive two weeks ago '?"
"I'm serious! Hermione, tell him." Harry was looking expectantly at her now, and Hermione nodded.
"Even Ron's not that bad," she said, earning a playful 'hey!' from their redhead friend, "The man wasn't there, and then he was...and then he wasn't."
"Damn," Harry cursed again, leaning back unceremoniously in his chair. He rubbed his temples, and for a while they rode in silence.
"I thought I got everyone," he said finally, "You double checked, right?"
"Yes," Ron and Hermione said in unison.
"It could have been nothing," Hermione tried, "They could have been a drunkard and I just didn't catch him slumping in an alley or something."
"You don't just miss things, Granger." Harry was looking at her again, this time with an intensity that only seemed to be reserved for her. It was the same look he'd given her on their first assignment together. Don't you dare doubt yourself, you brilliant woman. That's what he had said, and after they'd come home with their target intact he'd shown her just how brilliant he thought she was.
Hermione shook her head, determined not to get distracted.
"What do you think, Ron? Go immediately to Director McGonagall or just put it in our written report?"
"If you think I'm going to put 'might've missed one of the bad guys' in writing, you're mental," he said. Though she rolled her eyes, Hermione had to admit Ron had a point. Director McGonagall would hear them out. Kingsley, however, was not as forgiving.
At this point, the roads were getting thinner. Ron slowed down, and Harry clambered around the back and shut down all the computers. He flattened them against the van's frame and latched the pull-down desks on top of them. Beneath the desks were a few crates of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey, which Harry pulled out and braced near the back door.
"We're nearly there," Ron said, "Got the drive, Granger?" Hermione gave him a thumbs up, Indicating a small hard drive slipped in the pocket of her jeans. Harry was rubbing Glamour Powder on the side of his face to dull the appearance of the bruise. He finished just as the van came to a halt beneath a worn, swinging sign.
The sign read The Leaky Cauldron in fading gold letters, with the silhouette of a cracked cauldron oozing some kind of liquid in the background. Below it hung a much newer sign, which was plastic and read "London's Top Ten Themed Spots!" in bold print. Because the Leaky Cauldron was indeed London's most popular themed bar and accompanying hotel. The worn appearance of the sign was done on purpose. In fact, The Cauldron was a booming business on the verge of becoming a chain. Both Locals and Tourists fought to get a spot at the bar's limited seating and even ordered their drinks to-go. Their hotel rooms were sold out six months in advance. It was always a lively scene, and while it was always tempting to stop and socialize, the three Agents in the van knew this establishment served a far more important purpose.
"Hermione! We haven't seen you in ages!" said a loud voice. A startled cat darted out from behind a fire hydrant and skittered into the alley.
"Hello, Mason," Hermione said, waving at the blonde man that came out to greet them. He leaned on the windowsill, a lopsided grin on his unshaven face. He didn't budge when Hermione made a move to open the door.
"I still can't believe someone like you is working for a Brewery, and on delivery, too!" He was leaning further now, and Hermione responded by leaning back. He completely ignored Ron's wave and didn't notice Harry opening the back door of the vehicle.
"Seriously, let me know when you'd like to come work for us. We could always do with another pretty bartender."
"And I have told you," Hermione said, "That I am perfectly fine where I am." She forcefully opened the door, knocking Mason backward a few paces just as Harry rounded the corner. He was smiling ear to ear and carrying two crates of Firewhiskey in his arms. These he thrust into Mason's hands. Sensing defeat, the young bartender waddled awkwardly back into the building.
"Bring Tom out, will you?" Harry called after him. It wasn't long before another man came out the door. To Hermione's relief, Mason wasn't with him. She focused her attention on Tom, leaning against the van while Ron stayed in the driver's seat and Harry ambled around back. They both appeared outwardly relaxed, even tired, but their eyes were darting side to side and their ears seemed to twitch with the strain to listen and watch.
Tom was much older than Mason and appeared to be something straight out of a fantasy novel. He'd always looked the part but had grown an enthusiastic habit of making himself look more grizzled and warlock-like through the use of makeup. It made Hermione smile. She was a little sad they weren't able to visit him more.
"I've got a place for you to park out back," Tom said.
"How long do you think we should stay?" Hermione asked. She reached up and pretended to wipe a bit of dirt from his face, but in truth, she was trying to tell him to stop glancing every which way.
"The weather's fine. You can leave tomorrow." She heard a loud sigh from Ron and had to hold one in herself.
"Everything is booked?"
"Through October, unfortunately." It was June. Hermione nodded and gave Tom a long, warm hug. Then climbing back into the van with Harry, they drove around the side of the bar to a shabby wooden gate. "Employees Only" it read. After a few moments, the gate was opened and Tom ushered them through, closing it behind them with a snap.
They were alone again. The spot behind The Leaky Cauldron was utterly devoid of activity. Even the sounds of the bar seemed far away. To their left, there were a few shards of glass, and right in front of them was a brick wall. The buildings on either side had no windows and a network of ledge and pipes made them impossible to be seen from the Inn. If someone did see them, they would think the trio were nuts when Ron stepped on the gas and the Ogden's Firewhisky Official Delivery Van drove straight at the wall.
"I can't believe this place is closing their entrance again and we have to get up and move the van tomorrow," Hermione said, frustrated. "We're going to have to drive all the way back to the Brewery and then all the way back again to one of the other entrances. It'll take hours!"
"D'you think he might just be paranoid?" Ron asked, "He is getting up there isn't he?"
"Dunno," Harry said. "I suppose he thinks this place is being watched. With the man you almost hit tonight, Ron, I think it's a good idea if we keep our cover. We're just a bunch of twenty-something idiots who deliver beer to pubs. Wouldn't make sense for this van to just disappear in the staff parking lot. Especially if–"
"–someone is watching," Hermione finished Harry's sentence for him, "Oh! We're in. There are the Guard Wizards."
The brick wall had turned to a strange gelatinous substance as the van made contact, swallowing it up and re-hardening once they were all the way through. Hermione never quite liked going through fake walls. It always made her feel like she would get stuck.
They were in a garage, but far from alone. As Harry, Ron and Hermione exited the van, a few very large people hurried up to them.
"Wands and chips please," they said in unison. All three Agents removed a thin black tool from somewhere on their body. Ron's sat perilously behind his ear, tangled slightly in his red hair. Harry's was in the lining of his coat, and Hermione's was tucked into her sports bra.
"What?" she asked as Harry waggled his eyes, "It's unlikely that anyone is going to touch me there."
"Anyone?" Harry whispered, smirking as the Security Guard placed a scanner next to his mouth.
"You know what I mean." They stood still for a second until the scanners placed next to each of their mouths beeped and went green.
"Welcome Agent Granger, Agent Potter, and Agent Weasley," said one of the Guards, "You have a debriefing with Director McGonagall in thirty minutes." Their wands were returned to them, and the Guards set about collecting materials from the van. One took the case containing the vial, one pocketed the keys, and another collected the drive from Hermione's outstretched hand.
"I wish we could wait until tomorrow," Harry said as they left the garage.
"I suppose McGonagall thinks what we've found is too important to wait," Ron said. He yawned and started to walk ahead. "Let's hurry. Maybe if we're there early we can grab some leftover biscuits or nap for a few minutes…"
Harry and Hermione watched him go but didn't bother to catch up. Hermione was too busy focusing on the way Harry's hand had brushed her bushy brown ponytail then snaked around her waist.
"We are on the job, Harry," she said, though she didn't make an effort to move away.
"No one's around right now, and it's not as if we're at the Ministry."
"Yeah, but the Creeveys are stationed here. Can you imagine finding pictures of us like this in the common room tomorrow morning? Fancy rude stares over breakfast?"
"Do you really care that much?"
"Well…" Hermione blushed, looking at the glossy tiled flooring, "Not really, I suppose. But I certainly do at the Ministry. My mum and dad don't ogle each other in between patients at their office."
"You don't know that," Harry said, waggling his eyebrows. Hermione swatted him. They kept walking, Hermione glancing at the offices and workshops lining the path on occasion. Most were closed, though she knew they'd each have at least one worker sleeping inside for emergencies. After a while, Harry made a small noise indicating he was thinking about something.
"What?" Hermione asked. That damn Potter smile was back, and he stopped so he could turn Hermione's body toward him.
"I really hope McGonagall keeps the meeting short," he said.
"Oh, but it's so important!" Hermione said.
"That it is, and I promise I will be the most attentive Agent in the meeting. But I still hope it ends before we're too tired."
"And why is that, Potter?"
"Because," he leaned down, kissing her sweetly before pulling back, though he was still staring at her lips, "I stunned fourteen tonight before getting hit. Last time you got, what, twelve?"
Hermione's breath caught in her throat. She already knew where he was going with this. Licking her lips, Hermione slowly brought her brown eyes up to meet his.
"And?" she asked.
"And, that means I broke your record."
A/N: Weeeeeeell here we go! I really wanted to write a Harmony Spy AU and the Harmony Discord gave us a prompt to do just that! That drabble turned into this. I believe it will be a comfort fic of mine, updated when I can. I am mostly writing it for myself, but if others enjoy it that is a major plus!
This fic has a basic plan but that could change as my whims do, so I'll add tags and characters as they appear. Expect to see (in minor and major occurrences)
- Draco Malfoy being a stupid coward
- Mild Dumbledore "bashing" but it's more like no one is taking his manipulative shit.
- No Weasley bashing whatsoever but I am definitely poking fun at Ron a little bit
- At least one gay ship
-Smut
- Trop-ey espionage
Let's have fun!