Author Note: We meet a few new people including the before mentioned but never shown Thelma!
Harry scowled at Hermione. "Why do we need to talk to him? I doubt he's going to be very helpful. He hates me."
"I don't think he hates you harry. I think he has very complicated feelings about you." Hermione suggested.
"I still do not like this idea." Harry grumpily stated.
"I'll wear the red thong tonight." Hermione said temptingly.
"I might be starting to like the idea." harry said cautiously.
"I'll let you watch Luna spank me, while I wear the red thong. And just the red thong." Hermione continued enticingly.
Luna chirped up, "And then the oral sex?"
Hermione confirmed, "And then the oral sex."
Harry grinned, "Okay I like this idea. I'm all for this idea."
"I knew you'd like it Harry." Hermione said taking his arm.
===xxx
They knocked on Professor Snape's quarters. Several times before he finally opened the door. His sneering expression was not a warm welcome.
"What. Do. You. Want?" he slowly drawled.
"We wanted to speak with you about something. Sir." Hermione said politely.
Snape looked at them tiredly, "And what exactly is it you want to palaver about?"
"Uh. Its not exactly something we should talk about in the middle of the corridor sir." Harry said tapping his left forearm.
Snape narrowed his eyes at the three of them with pursed lips but stepped aside to let them into his chamber.
Once inside he sat in his chair facing the three of them, "So you seek to have inside information into the death eaters, I wondered how long it would be before you came crawling to my door."
Harry narrowed his eyes, "I told you this wouldn't work."
"Of course not. You have not given me any motivation to help you." He said crossing his legs. You obviously do not understand how these sorts of things are done.
Harry glared at the professor whose slight smirk made him angrier. "Oh and what sort of motivation could I offer you?"
"You. Lack anything that I want. So therefore there is nothing you could offer myself. However your friends have a great many things to offer." Snape said coldly looking at Hermione.
Hermione sourly shook her head, "I'm not having sex with you."
Snape scoffed, "You think I was speaking of your flesh? If I desire a female I know where and how to find one without having to resort to blackmail. Plus they are of legal age to perform the acts I prefer."
Hermione looked disgusted and confused, "Then what do I have to offer that you would want?"
"You are a muggle-born. Your family has certain connections to elements of muggle society that can acquire things I would have difficulty in doing so." He explained.
"Like what?" Hermione asked cautiously.
"Certain recreational and medicinal substances that muggles use. I can give you a shopping list." He stated.
"You want muggle drugs?" Hermione asked in confusion.
"Essentially correct. Not for personal use Potter. I will not sully myself with such materials. However in the magical world there are other uses for those materials. Surprises for other magicals unprepared for muggle drugs."
"And you'll give us the inside information on the Death Eaters, and the Dark Lord's Horcruxes." Harry asked.
"I will give you as much of the information you desire, as I can, without compromising my position." Snape countered.
Harry looked at Hermione who sighed, "Alright. Give me the list and I'll see what I can do. It may not be today."
"If you desire the information then you will return with the items by dinner or do without. This offer is very time limited." He said moving to his desk to write down a series of drugs. Handing the list to Hermione she scanned it with a determined look.
"You want all of this by dinner?" She demanded with a frown. "That's going to be impossible?"
"I have learned that throwing sufficient amounts of money at muggles can be quite motivational for them." Snape countered. "Tick tock. The clock is running. You may not want to dally."
Harry glared at the man but Hermione took the list and left so he and Luna had no option but to follow.
===xxx
"Hermione are you really going to get him that stuff?" Harry hissed once they were alone.
"Harry he is in a unique position. He supposedly works for both sides but I think he's working for himself. Playing both sides against the middle."
"Okay so now what?" He asked.
"Well I guess you need to send Dobby to get some gold from your vault and exchange it for muggle money then we go talk to Mum and Dad, then uncle Paul."
"Its Saturday afternoon. We should have some time before she goes to the club." Luna pointed out.
"Alright Luna go tell Neville and the others we are going to step out for a few hours. How far will those headsets reach?" Harry asked turning to Hermione.
"Theoretically they should have no practical range limits."
"Okay suit up. At least the body suit and Luna stay on headset. I don't like going out in the wilds without at least a little bit of protection. We'll remain in contact."
Luna stood up straight and saluted before skipping off.
"Well Things got more fun." Harry grumbled.
===xxx
Harry, Hermione and Dobby appeared in Hermione's bedroom in Crawley. Dobby popped back out.
Hermione called over the commset, "Luna can you hear me?"
"Yes, very well Hermione." Luna replied clearly.
"Okay good. We're at mum n dad's will contact you if anything happens."
"Okay good."
Hermione had called her mum and dad to warn them they would be coming so they found them down stairs with Emma doing some stretches in the dance room wearing a skin tight leotard. She stopped when they showed up.
"Hi guys. What was the problem you wanted to talk to us about?" She said grabbing a towel and a water.
Hermione sighed, "Well we have an opportunity to get some intelligence from someone who works with the other side. Only they want some things in trade." She said holding the list out to her dad who showed it to his wife.
"These are some serious drugs on here. What are they planning to do with them?"
"I don't know. To be honest I'm not entirely certain I want to know." She said honestly.
"Well Paul might have some people that can get some of this. I suppose we can get some of this from the clinic but, it would require committing some fraud. A couple of these things are controlled substances, that would require a lot of paper trail." Dan said with a frown.
"Don't do anything that'll get you guys in trouble. We'll talk to Uncle Paul and see what he can do." Harry said. "We'll figure something out."
Handing Hermione back the list Emma said, "Alright but if this is important we want to help."
"I think he's really just testing us to see how far we'll go." Hermione stated.
"Well just don't lose yourself okay?" Emma said.
"Okay. If Paul can't do it we can figure out how to get this stuff. Maybe stage a break in." Harry said.
"Well I'm not going to tell you that this stuff is available at most clinics and apothecaries. You should be able to find it and with your magic you should be able to get around most of the security systems." Dan said.
Harry thought about his invisibility cloak and grinned, "Right. Okay. Thanks dad." He said giving the man a hug.
"Okay. No problem. I always enjoy corrupting the youth." He joked.
Calling for Dobby the teens headed for a meeting with Paul.
"DO we want to even consider what's going on?" Dan asked.
Emma shook her head, "No this is one of those trust and pray moments dear." She said tiredly.
===xxx
The two appeared in a bright white and chrome restroom. "Dobby where are we?"
"Mistress Hermione said to take to Uncle Paul. This is as close as Dobby can bring Potters to uncle Paul without breaking secrecy."
"Okay thank you Dobby. I think I figured out where we are." Hermione said looking at the urinals.
"Dobby did not make a mistake?" Dobby's lips quivered.
"No Dobby did good. Thank you. Now you better vanish before someone sees you."
Dobby nodded and faded out.
"So where are we?" Harry asked turning to Hermione. Before she could say anything the door opened and a at least six foot tall person entered the room. They reminded Harry of a half sized Hagrid as they had long thick brownish black hair, a thick bushy beard that looked like they could breed sparrows in and was as wide as the doorway. They were also wearing a red checkered gingham dress, ruby slippers and more makeup than Hermione owned he thought. The person stopped then grinned, "HERMIONE!" They bellowed in a deep voice that made Harry think of Hagrid even more so.
"Thelma!" Hermione enthusiastically replied before being picked up in a crushing hug.
"Oh hey babydoll. What are you doing here? And who's the eye candy?"
"This is my boyfriend Harry. And I was needing to talk to Paul. Is he around?" Hermione asked.
"Yeah they're over doing final run through before tonight. Last I saw him he was in the stalls." The person said as they headed for the urinals.
"Okay thanks. See you."
"Not if I see you first." They laughed.
Going out into the corridor Harry looked incredibly confused, "Who or what was that?"
"That was Thelma. Thelma is." Hermione paused trying to find the right words to explain it to Harry, "Well Thelma is Thelma and we don't try to delve deeper than that. Okay?"
Harry just nodded and followed Hermione up the corridor. His world expanding just a little bit more in a direction that he knew would cause the Dursleys head to explode. If they thought magic was freakish, he wondered how they would handle this.
Walking into a thick padded carpeted corridor they turned and headed for a pair of thick ornate oak doors. Harry looked at the posters along the wall of various plays performed at what was obviously a theater now. Plays like "Alas, Yorrick", "What the Cat Saw", "Edge of Madness" and the classic "Ethel the Miller's Daughter."
Entering the actual theater area they saw Paul leaning back right outside the orchestra pit. On stage there were several people running through their lines and movements. Harry recognized Terry who was dressed like a minstrel playing a lute in front of a woman, he thought it was a woman but after meeting Thelma he wasn't sure he should assume anything, her dress was very tight and she had cleavage that put him in mind of Lavender's ample assets.
Hermione had reached the row with Paul and a few others sitting beside him she was whispering in his ear before they got up and headed back the way they had come. Harry saw another pair of people come on stage, one was a female whose dress seemed to consisted entirely of strategically placed handkerchiefs and a man whose codpiece had to be stuffed to ludicrous proportions. Shaking his head he hurried to follow Hermione and their uncle.
In the corridor Paul took them to a small side room, "Okay. This is some serious shit you're looking for."
"I know but we need to trade it to someone for intelligence on the people we're fighting." Hermione said.
"Its that important?" Paul asked rubbing his chin.
"Yes Uncle Paul. It could help us immensely." Hermione said.
"Alright. I know a guy who deals. This is not going to be cheap and is not going to be safe."
"Well Professor Dumbledore helped us get the trace off our wands so we can cast magic outside of school. Plus we have our knives and suits."
Paul shrugged, "Okay. I'm gonna trust you two."
"Thanks Paul." Hermione said in relief.
Paul made a couple of phone calls and then said, "Okay we're meeting Ed in an hour. I need to go tell Terry."
"Okay. We'll wait here. We can have Dobby take us to the meeting and he can help too."
Paul nodded before stepping out.
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Harry asked.
"I do. Snape is going to have the information we need." She declared.
"Maybe, but I still don't think he's just going to give it to us. Even if we bring him everything on his list." Harry grumped.
"We have to try though Harry."
They waited in silence until Paul returned. Dobby popped them out quickly when Harry called after looking at Paul for a few seconds to get an idea of where they needed to go.
===xxx
They landed in a seedy, dirty public housing area. The buildings all looked like they had been given the bare minimum of care. Paul frowned and started walking towards one particular building.
"This guy is a jerk, untrustworthy and an ass. You want anything drug related he's your guy."
"Do I want to know how you know him?" Harry asked.
Paul chuckled darkly, "I met him in Ledbrook he need a daddy to protect him."
"So he owes you?" Hermione asked.
"Kinda. Here he is." He said knocking on a door that looked pretty much like any other.
The medium height chubby man with short curly brown hair tha opened the door grinning said, "Hey Paul. C'mon in. Who's your friends?"
"My niece and her boyfriend."
"Ahh playing hooky from school?"
"Something like that. We are in need of certain things." Hermione said when they were in the rather disorderly apartment. She held out the list. Paul and Harry both looked at her in surprised admiration at the steely tone in her voice.
Taking it the dealer whistled softly, "Bugger me, having a helluva party?"
"That is none of your concern. How long will it take to get the items on the list." She calmly demanded.
"Well some o this gunna take a day or two to get. I don't carry nuthin on hand. Gotta meet the supplier. So can ye come back tomorrow?" Ed said bored.
"We can pay extra, We need this in our hands by dinnertime." Hermione declared forcefully.
"Hell this is gonna cost ye yer left nut as it is. A rush job will double it."
Hermione growled and pulled Harry to the side.
"Yer niece is a bit high strung." Ed sidled to Paul.
"You don't know the half of it." he chuckled in response.
Hermione came back with a wad of money in her hand. Presenting it to Ed she huffed, "Will this do?"
Ed's eyes looked like they were trying to escape his skull they grew so wide. He mutely nodded.
"Just know this. If you try to double cross us, take advantage of us or otherwise do anything, and I do mean anything, other than acquire the things on that list you will beg for the sweet mercy of death. Do I make myself clear?" Even though Hermione never raised her voice, keeping it a low even monotone, the threat of malice that it carried in her tone made Ed gulp and nod again. "Good we will return in an hour."
Hermione spun and showed herself out. Harry shrugged and followed her while Paul looked at Ed who was staring at the spot where Hermione had stood.
"You might wanna get busy on that. My niece is not a very patient girl." Paul laughed nervously though.
Catching up with the teens Paul said, "How the bloody hell did you manage that neat trick?"
Hermione grinned, "Its a simple glamour that Professor Dumbledore sometimes like to use. He taught it to us."
"Nice. So what next?"
"Well we take you back to the theater then Harry and I have some more shopping to do."
===xxx
They had taken Paul back to the theater and were now standing in a medical clinic. Hermione had destroyed the recording equipment and alarms with several banishing spells. She pulled her gloves out of her utility pouch and told harry to do the same.
"Where are we?" He asked pulling his gloves on.
"Well this is another dentist in Crawley. He and my parents have a bit of a tiff going on. He's not part of the NHS so he charges exorbitant rates, drives a Mercedes, wears Armani. That kind of stuff. He's a rich snob."
"Uh, but your family isn't exactly poor." Harry pointed out.
"No, but we don't flaunt it Harry. Big difference." Hermione countered as she banished the door off of a locked cabinet. Taking a pouch she scooped vials off the shelves.
"That and he knows about mum's other job, and has been rather snotty about it." Hermione said in an annoyed tone. "I don't like it."
"Right okay." Harry said, "So we're looting his office to knock him down a peg or two?"
"Maybe."
"You know you're turning rather bloodthirsty." Harry said pointedly.
Hermione sighed as she scooped the last vials into her expanded bag. "I know. But he has insurance for all of this so all it will be is a minor annoyance. It's not like we're going to burn the place or destroy anything important. Just take a few things that will cause some issues but nothing big."
Harry nodded, "Okay."
Looking around they found a big bag of lollipops and some cookies which Harry took. Hermione checked the time and their list before returning to the the housing blocks that Ed was staying at.
===xxx
Knocking on the door Ed opened it and invited the teens in. "Where's Paul?"
"He had something to do." Hermione said, "Do you have what we sent you for?" She had activated bitch mode Harry noticed.
"Well there was a bit of a glitch." Ed rubbed the back of his neck.
"What. Sort. Of. Glitch?" She said emphasizing each word.
"This sort of glitch." A tall seedy man with three gold teeth visible followed by two obvious thugs said walking out of the other room. Harry chuckled as he had a vision of Draco and his goons at the moment.
"What's so funny kid?"
"Nothing yet. Just laughing at what's going to happen to you." Harry said.
"What you think you two rich brats are gonna take us down." The one thug pulled a knife out while the other one wrapped a chain around his hand. The tall seedy one drew a revolver. "You're in over your head."
Sighing Hermione tilted her head, "So I take it, you think that you're going to beat us up, steal our money, and maybe try to rape me?"
"Damn the girl has it figured out. So what say you just play along and make it easy on you." The leader sneered.
"Dobby could you please give the leader here a bath in the Thames." Harry casually said. The elf appeared grinning madly grabbed the leader then popped out.
Hermione took the opportunity to draw her wand and point it at the one with the chain wrapped around his hand. He suddenly found himself with ab right green viper wrapped around his hand which he tried to fling off quickly before passing out. It flew across the room turning back into a chain before it impacted the wall.
The third one with the knife was standing closest to Harry swiped at Harry. Harry grabbed his arm, moved, twisted, and with a snap broke the man's forearm.
Harry then threw the man against the wall bouncing him off of it so hard that when he spun back into Harry's fist his eyes crossed then closed.
Ed stood whimpering in the middle of the room. Looking at Hermione who had stood calmly in the middle of the chaos.
"Feel better dear?" Hermione drolly asked.
"Yeah. A little bit." Harry grinned.
"Now. Ed was it? Do you have the things we wanted?"
Ed shook his head, "Bertie there had it. You dumped him in the Thames. What was that thing?"
Hermione took her wand and said, "Stupefy." Ed collapsed on the floor like a puppet with his strings cut.
"Great now what?"
There was a pop as Dobby returned. He had a large sack over his shoulder. "Dobby persuaded bad man to help Dobby get things Harry's Hermione wanted."
"Uh thank you Dobby. Where did you leave the bad man?" Harry asked in concern.
"Dobby took bad man to safe place. Bad man will be fine." Dobby assured Harry.
Harry nodded, "Okay Thank you Dobby."
Hermione put her wand between Ed's eyes and said obliviate, she repeated that for the other two. "Okay let's get out of here. These guys won't remember what happened."
Harry sighed and took Dobby's hand.
===xxx
Hermione placed the vials and bags of the drugs Snape had requested on his desk. She stood as he examined them. Smiling he said, "Well, well, you must have committed some rather morally ambiguous actions to acquire these things so quickly. I am impressed."
"The information you have is important. We need it to end this." Hermione said. Harry stood beside her glaring at Snape.
"Yes it is important. And I feel you are willing to actually do what is required to end this. Unlike Albus who fights to redeem them you fight to destroy them." Leaning back in his seat steepling his fingers he said, "Come to my office after dinner. I will have a list of members, a list of secret safe houses, other details and information."
Harry blinked, "For real? No other tests, or tasks. No other games to play?"
"No. I have been observing your efforts. What you did to Umbridge last year, under her very persistent nose, you have the skill and power required to do the task. I just was uncertain if you had the will to do so. Recent events have shown that you and your group have grown up. Amazingly enough you are not as much of a disappointment as I thought you might be."
"Coming from you sir, that is high praise indeed." Hermione said. "We'll be back after dinner."
===xxx
After dinner Harry and Hermione returned to the potion master's office.
"Ahh very good. Here is the information you need." Snape said handing Harry a moderately thick notebook. Flipping through the pages Harry looked surprised but happy at the professor.
"Thank you. This will be very helpful." Harry said.
"Yes. Well put it to good use Mr Potter. I am certain you would like to put this miserable situation as far behind us as possible. Now I do find myself in need of some assistance with a potion I have been asked to produce."
"I thought that Professor Slughorn took over that for you at the school?" Hermione asked.
"Yes he did. For the school. It would seem that my services are still required by others outside of this edifice." Snape stated.
"And you want us to help you?" Hermione asked.
"While Mr Potter has been showing remarkable improvement in his potioneering skills he is still insufficiently skilled. You Miss Granger would be far more capable of helping me at this juncture." Snape sneered, "Besides I thought this information was essential and vitally important."
Hermione sighed, she seemed to do that a lot around him, "Alright. Harry go take that up and get everyone working on analyzing the threat. I take it you do not want the Headmaster to know where we got this?"
"I would actually rather he not be made aware of any of this at all." Snape stated.
Hermione shrugged, "Okay Harry. I'll be up later."
Harry frowned but did not move.
"Go ahead Harry I'll be fine." She repeated emphatically.
"As if I would harm your precious love. I merely have the need for her assistance to produce the potion demanded in the time frame required by the contract." Snape snorted at Harry.
"Fine. I'll see you later." Harry said before giving her a hug and kiss on the way out.
Once Harry had left, "I will defend myself if you do try anything sir."
Snape sighed, "Why do all of you persist in thinking that I care enough one way or another to harm any of you pathetic worms. If I had served the dark lord I could have killed you while you were petrified by the basilisk, Mr Potter could have been killed or handed to the Death Eaters at any point."
"You haven't been very helpful either." Hermione countered.
Snape shrugged, "No I have not. I have done the bare minimum to serve both sides. I would prefer to leave and be left alone. However both sides have presumptions that I am blindly totally loyal to their side. Presumptions I would prefer not to dissuade them from having."
"So why are you telling me all of this?" She asked in confusion.
"Because no matter how misanthropic I may be I am still a human being and do desire to speak with someone on an equal level. You have proven yourself close enough to that." Snape stated with an ironic smile. "Your actions today proved you are pragmatic and determined to achieve your goals. Very good Slytherin traits."
Hermione raised her eyebrow and drolly said, "I'm flattered."
"Yes. You should be." Snape sneered, "Now I actually do need some assistance with a potion I have been contracted to create."
"Oh okay. What do you need me to do?" She asked looking at the potions lab.
"I need you to lactate a cup of your milk."
"Excuse me?" Hermione glared at him, "I thought you said you could get females to give you anything you wanted elsewhere."
"If it was merely sexual I could. However due to a very specific and limited need for this potion only your breast milk or that of Miss Lovegood would work as an ingredient." Snape stated leaning back in his chair.
Hermione thought for a long moment, "Would this potion happen to be for your Lord and Master."
"It would appear you do have more brains than boobs. Yes. His lordship's physical structure is breaking down. The link with Potter has been flooding him with positive feelings, emotions, love. The magical energy that created his lordship's body is unable to handle it." Snape stated like he was reading the back of a cereal box.
"Then if he's dying why would I want to help save him?" Hermione growled at Snape.
"Because he is not dying. His physical structure is breaking down. Resulting in him becoming another free ranging spirit. This means he would have to possess a body, I do believe your friend Ronald and his sister are both still in Saint Mungo's. Ronald's mind could be wiped completely clean and then his lordship would have a strong, young healthy body that would not have the difficulties and weaknesses this magically constructed body would have. However you and Potter would have the horror of knowing that your friend's mind was erased and his body used to host the dark lord. Potter would have to strike down and kill his friend's body."
Hermione knew Harry still checked on Ron and hoped he would come back. Especially since Ron had been responding so well to the treatment. "And how do I know Ron is in danger?" She asked.
"Because I was asked to brew this potion and if it fails to work their forces in Saint Mungo's will remove him from the hospital. They will do so under the auspices of taking him to a special clinic."
"It seems like you know a great deal about what's going on." She declared in suspicion of him.
"Due to a great, effort, by myself I am one of the inner circle. I rub elbows with the elites of the Organization." Snape almost proudly said. I have served his lordship under his orders for many years and gained his trust. Or as much trust as his lordship ever has for anyone."
Hermione sighed, "And this potion will do what?"
"It will retard the breakdown of his physical structure, nothing more. The feelings flooding across the link will still block his ability to know Potter's thoughts, and vice versa. You will remain unharmed and unaffected." Snape said with a shrug, "However it will only last for a year and a day. So you will have that long to complete your tasks. Fortunately the information I have given you will do a great deal to help."
Hermione frowned before saying, "Harry doesn't find out about this."
"There are a great many things I do not reveal to others, not even you." Snape agreed.
Hermione exposed her breasts and cast lactus on herself. Swelling up she began to express herself into the beaker that Snape provided. True to his word he had gone to prepare the rest of the potion and did not watch.
"Do you mind if I watch you prepare this potion?" She asked when she had emptied one and switched to the other.
"As long as you do so silently and covered." Snape stated without glancing her direction.
"I'm not that ugly." Hermione pouted slightly.
"No. Aesthetically you are somewhat attractive, however you are not compatible with the visage I find bewitching." He conversationally said.
Hermione finished and redressed. Handing him the beaker he measured the contents and chuckled, "Well it would seem your children shall be well fed at least."
"Mum says the women in her family are rather, zaftig and good at production." Hermione declared proudly.
"Oh joy. That is rather like bragging about the capabilities of one's livestock. You do realize there are potions that could cause you to produce a gallon out of each of your mammaries every four hours. Your size could be reproduced with a wave of the wand or the proper potion. That is why there was so much laughter and debate about their size when you first began to flaunt them."
"I do not flaunt my breasts. And I just thought that was Pansy being a bitch?" Hermione huffed.
"Many pure-bloods are still trapped in the Victorian era. They consider large breasts to be revolting and unnatural. Something that only whores and the nursing mother have."
Hermione did remember how much Millicent seemed to be ashamed of her body. Hermione had just thought it was the sort of body shaming Pansy had dealt in, but it might have been even more. "Sir what sort of home life does Millicent have?"
Snape glanced at her, "Compassion for Miss Bulstrode?"
Hermione sighed, "Well Neville likes her and her sister has pretty much been adopted by all of us. I was just wondering how things were for her at home. She has let some things slip."
"Her father is a rather demented man, even as Death Eaters go. He is an experimenter. One who has studied breeding and what I believe the muggles call genetics. Using magic to blend creatures together into a new form. He is quite proud of his results." Snape had gathered all of the materials.
"Now I am about to begin my work. So make this your last question for the night." Snape stared unblinkingly at her.
Hermione thought for a moment, "So Millicent and her sister are one of his experiments?"
Snape smiled, "Once again your ability to process information serves you well. Yes. Millicent and her sister are the result of his experiments. He considers them both failures though. For anything further follow the information in the book I gave you. Now either leave or be silent."
Hermione nodded and fell silent. Observing his actions.
===xxx
By the time she got back to the common room it was past curfew and she found Harry sitting at their table holding the Marauder's Map.
"Hello Harry. So how did the review of the notebook go?" She asked.
"Well this thing has a complete run down of everyone of the inner circle. Who did what to whom. Who was sleeping with whom. What major crimes they've committed. Who is paid for on the inside of the Ministry. I already sent those names to Susan to give to her aunt. Uh. This is a complete road map to take down the bad guys."
"Does it mention what the Horcruxes are and where they are?"
"No. Unfortunately he doesn't know what they are. He says that even asking about them is a good way to get the cruciatus. He does know that Bellatrix is involved in hiding one and of course Malfoy had one. He confirms that Tommy boy has a weird fascination with the founders though."
"Well that might help us." Hermione said.
"Yeah. Luna went to go talk to the gray lady. See if she could help." Harry explained.
"The who?"
"No not them, the Gray Lady. Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter, Helena." Harry smirked slightly.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Okay. That's good. So everything is under control and moving along fine."
Harry shrugged, "As much as it can."
"So you thought you'd watch me to make sure I was okay and not going to be molested or taken advantage of. My Hero." She gasped.
Harry chuckled, "Actually it was more like not wanting you to get charged with murder for stuffing him into a cauldron and kicking him into the black lake."
Hermione laughed, "Well that still deserves a reward." She snickered as she crawled under the table.
Harry peeked under the table as she pushed his legs apart, "You do know we are in the common room and anyone could still come do-ow-n." He stretch the last word out as she had unzipped his trousers and pulled his member out.
Laughing Hermione purred, "That's part of the fun." She said proceeding to lick him like a favorite ice cream cone.
Harry stopped arguing and leaned back. Relaxing while Hermione went to work. Taking him in causing Harry to gasp.
Harry made some soft whimpering noises as Hermione had begun to hum and work him deeper into her throat until he was gasping as he released himself. Hermione taking all of it before finishing off with a lip smacking pop.
She was looking up at him with a wide grin when there was some polite applause from across the room. Harry glared over to see Lavender and Neville standing there with grins.
"Fine performance Hermione. I wondered what Harry's O face looked like." Lavender teased.
Harry scrambled to cover himself as Hermione crawled out from under the table.
"Well you know me. I like to make sure I do my best at everything." Hermione said.
"I thought you guys had gone to bed." Harry grumped after he had recovered his dignity.
"We had. We just came down to see if Hermione had made it back yet." Neville said.
"Yes. I did. Snape behaved himself and just wanted me to help with a potion." Hermione said with a shrug.
"Great. Extra work with him." Neville shuddered slightly, "Not my idea of a fun evening."
"No wonder you needed to get naughty with Harry as soon as you saw him." Lavender laughed.
"Yeah, well I did have to reward my hero for watching over me." Hermione said putting her arm around Harry who grinned and put his arm around her waist.
Hermione swallowed her feelings about not telling Harry, but at least it would save Harry from having to face Voldemort wearing a Ron meat suit. She didn't know how Harry would take that but probably not very well would be an understatement.
===xxx
Hermione and Millicent were talking in the Room of Requirement as it was in warehouse mode. They were still investigating it, both to see what was in it as well as to try and figure out what Draco kept coming back to do. Harry, Neville, Lavender and Luna had gone off to explore the room. So there were three groups carefully mapping and trying to identify everything.
"Millicent can I ask you a few questions?"
"Wha abou?" She asked looking at Hermione suspiciously.
Hermione sighed as she and Millicent still were not what you could call close friends. Millicent was far more comfortable around Susan, Lavender and Neville. "Well. Your dad. I was wondering if you were close to him?"
Millicent frowned at Hermione, "I don't wanna talk about home."
"I'm sorry Millicent. But you know what your father is and what we're trying to do. If he's hurt you, or hurt Maggie we want to help. We want to stop him from hurting anyone ever again."
Millicent had picked up a strange doll that had three arms and two heads. She was staring at it with an odd expression. Finally she carefully set it on the shelf of a nearby bookcase. "He does stuff to me and other girls. Stuff I don't like. Stuff I don't want him doing to Margaret." She said in a voice so quiet Hermione had to strain to hear. She kept quiet letting the bigger girl speak at her own pace.
Millicent turned around, "I've tried to fight him but he put a curse on me that makes it so I can't hurt him. I have to do what he says. No matter what."
Hermione did not want to ask what she meant by things as Millicent's voice held a lot of pain and venom.
"I don't want him to do that the Maggie. She's starting to get boobies and he's noticed. Cause he examines us." Millicent said with a frown. She then fell quiet before looking at Hermione with her nostrils flaring, "You'd stop him hurting us? Hurting the other girls."
"What other girls?"
"Since no magical would want to marry him. Too many slanders? He said. He goes and gets muggle girls and uses them for his stuff." She said angrily.
"That sounds like something we should stop. Definitely." Hermione agreed before she heard her name called by Neville.
Her and Millicent jogged down the path between piles to find the group, minus Harry and Lavender, standing at a magnificent bust of the Goddess Artemis which had a spectacular diadem of silver and gems on its head. The diadem was a roughly stylized pair of wings sweeping backwards away from a central oval with a deep blue sapphire in the middle of it.
"What is it?" Hermione asked as she came upon the group.
"Its Ravenclaw's lost diadem." Luna whispered in awe.
"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked looking around quickly.
"Over here. I got close to the thing and got a massive headache. I heard it whispering things." Harry said from a side passage. He was sitting on the floor massaging his head while Lavender knelt beside him watching and checking on him.
"Yeah I think so. Just its one of them." Harry declared.
Hermione turned to glare at the diadem as if it was the dark lord himself. She inhaled before telling Luna to find some rags and a box to put the diadem in.
"We aren't going to destroy it?" Harry asked.
"We will, we'll just do it someplace that isn't in the middle of an ancient storehouse of who knows what that is also a pocket dimension, inside of a pocket dimension." Hermione stated.
"Ah, Good point." Harry said.
"Neville go ask the headmaster if we can borrow the sword of Gryffindor. I would send Luna but I'm not sure he is over the last time she held it."
"Right." Neville said with a laugh.
"I am very careful when holding swords Hermione." Luna said carefully wrapping and putting the silver crown into a large wooden box. "I always hit exactly what I am aiming for."
"Yeah its the things that get in between that we worry about." Hermione said lightly.
"Okay guys lets get this thing out of here. And destroyed." Harry forcefully said, "Its putting my teeth on edge."
"No problem, I am all about dental health Harry." Hermione said giving him a kiss. Turnign to the other girls she said, "Ladies let's get this thing out of here."
===xxx
They had borrowed the sword of Gryffindor from the headmaster who came with them to the secluded cove along the black Lake Luna had said would be most effective. There was a large oval flat topped boulder in the center of a circle of small menhirs about thirty feet across. Luna had carefully unwrapped the diadem and placed it on the central stone. It glittered and shone in the bright sunlight belying the foul presence it contained.
Dumbledore looked around, "Ah. I believe this is one of the ancient Druidic circles that dot the valley. A very good choice Miss Lovegood."
"Thank you sir. It still feels very pleasant here. The positive energies will help in the ending of the foul device." She sadly said.
Hermione rubbed their blonde friends back, "I know. I wish we didn't have to destroy it either but Riddle's the one that defiled it. And you said you promised the Gray Lady it would be destroyed."
"Yes, a historical artifact that was lost. It would be nice if it could be saved but we have not found a way yet." Dumbledore said carefully. Standing beside Harry who was looking thoughtfully at the diadem.
"Do not worry Harry we will find a way to remove the one from your head that will not kill you." Luna said without looking at him as she took a sketchbook out and began to draw the diadem.
Everyone silently waited while she finished her drawing. Hermione resting her head on Harry's shoulder holding him, while Lavender stood next to him on his other side. Neville nodding to Harry in support. When Luna was finished and had placed her sketchbook back into her messenger bag she said something in what sounded like Gaelic before walking out of the circle.
Lavender followed her as the Headmaster handed the sword to Neville. He took it and with a couple of practice swings lined up with the diadem. Bringing the sword over his head he lowered the blade quickly into the metal just at the heart of the oval. The central gem shattered in an explosion of smoke and sound.
A deep greenish black smoke issued forth screaming vile invectives and horrible curses at Neville who stood stoically with the sword raised in front of him. The swirling vortex of smoke had a beam of bright blue white light come down from the sky and dissipate it in a violent interaction that caused everyone to flinch and look away.
When they opened their eyes and looked back the cracked and shattered diadem sat quietly on the flat stone. The gash caused by the sword only reaching the edge of the stone caused it to look relatively intact still.
Harry walked over and picked it up with a slight frown. "Well that's another one down."
Neville nodded as he sheathed the sword and handed it back to the Headmaster. "We'll get there Harry. Don't worry. They'll figure it out."
"Okay. I know." Harry said giving a dark laugh that never reached his eyes. "I think I'm going to take a walk.
"Very well Harry. But be careful. This is not the time to lose oneself in their thoughts too deeply." Dumbledore said before taking the diadem. "I believe Filius would like to see this, even if it is a bit worse for wear."
Harry nodded as he walked out. Hermione following him looking concerned.
===xxx
Harry had gone into the woods along the lake for several yards before he realized he was being followed. He was not surprised as he knew he was brooding again and that made Hermione and the others worried about him. He stopped and turned to find Luna standing quietly a few feet away.
"Hello Harry. I hope I am not interrupting your brooding. I know you need to do that every so often." She said in her usual soft lilt.
Harry chuckled, "Sorry."
"You do not have to apologize Harry. It is perfectly understandable. You have a great deal of stress placed upon you. One reason we are very happy to help keep you relaxed." She said walking across the pine needle strewn ground so softly there was no disturbance until she could take his hand.
"I know Luna. I'm trying not to brood but seeing that thing destroyed reminded me I have one of those in my head."
"True. Although we are working very hard to find a way to remove it without harming you. Professor Dumbledore's method still has the highest probability of success though." Luna said calmly.
"So you think I should just walk in front of another killing curse?" Harry asked. Somehow if it hadn't been Luna saying that he would have become angry he felt. With Luna it was just her sating what she saw.
"No. Not at the moment. You should hold out hope for as long as possible Harry." She said with a smile. "Hope sustains us. It is the light in the darkness that guides us."
Harry squeezed her hand. He felt that as long as she didn't give up on him he had no right to give up either.
The two of them found a log and sat quietly watching the reflections play across the water. Harry was not brooding, sitting with Luna did not lend itself to that very easily. Her small soft hand in his as they sat. Not expecting anything, not demanding anything. Just quietly contemplating the world and their place in it.
===xxx(Review Responses)
Thornhillrem15: No you're not rude, I just disagree with your position as we do not know for certain that Butterbeer is non-alcoholic in canon. We also do not totally know that it is either. So its open to writer interpretation in a lot of places. I see it as a near beer. Aka a 1.0 to 2.5 apv beer which is legally allowed to be sold to 16 year olds in the UK. (At least as far as I can tell from google searches). This might have enough alcohol to cause the issues we have seen with Winky but a human would have to blow through a bazillion bottles to get a buzz on it. Especially professional drinkers as some of the people I know around home. And trust me after growing up in Appalachia you can make anything fermented or distilled into some sort of alcohol. Anyhow I do agree that those stories where its as powerful as a whiskey or hard cider is rather annoying.
Panicanchef85: Cool. Thank you. I hope to keep writing more.
Wiebenor: This will remain a mostly sexy, and naughtier story than the want of a sister story. The characters are a bit older and more confident in themselves in this one. This story will have its dark moments and such but as the story does take place against the back drop of the blood war against the Death Eaters. As for getting detailed about the naughty scenes I'm not entirely comfortable with getting too much into detail both from a I have no idea who the heck is going to read this in the world, and a it always feels weird writing that kind of stuff position. I am trying to go a bit more than the usual romance novel level of description with this one so who knows.
Blueluver 5000: Thank you.
Dennisud: Things will come. They are on the cusp of things. As for Millie she is going to be an important part of things going on.
IdlemanRPG: lol. Glad you enjoyed. It is our pleasure to serve.
Soliel Sidus: Indeed. Nerds unite. I lean a bit closely to Neville's tastes in females so one reason I have no problem describing bigger women in terms of acceptance and beauty. My wife is a Earthmother type too and I'm very proud of her. It is a bit distasteful to put my mindset into that of the villains and use that language but dancing around the subject helps no one. Seeing the words thrown into someone we identify with in the story might make people think. If not then who knows what it would take to make them think. As for Trans I finally introduced and gave a glimpse of Paul's world. Thelma is based on a person I met back in college and I am not entirely sure how to describe Thelma or the real world Thelma (Who is dead now unfortunately of a drug overdose.) in ways other than how I had Hermione describe Thelma. Will they reappear, probably. Nothing weird in what you said. Its all good.