Disclaimer: It's all fun and games until someone get's their brains scrambled.

A Meeting Between Equals

It had been almost an hour since she'd set herself in the big chair, it seemed like a year. Every second she was waiting for the door to burst open to admit a dozen masked killers, every minute could be her last. She nearly wet herself when a knock on the door disturbed her revery.

"What is it?" she demanded.

"Potter and Granger here to see you," one of the Aurors on the detail called back.

"Send them in," she ordered, trying not to start cheering.

'Amelia' had a look of intense relief on her face when Phil and Harry walked into 'her' office.

"Who does Auror Tonks belong to?" 'Amelia' demanded.

"Me," Harry replied firmly.

"How many men do you have with you right now?" she demanded.

"Ten magical and my non-magical driver," Phil replied instantly.

"Are they in the office?" she asked hopefully.

"Right outside with yours," Phil agreed. "I take it that something happened?"

"You could say that," Tonks agreed, allowing her features to return to what passed for normal. "Be good enough to tell them to be on their guard please."

While Phil relayed the instructions to his men, Tonks was opening trapdoor to the panic room to let her boss out.

"I said fifteen minutes, Auror Tonks!" Amelia shouted, clearly unamused by how long she'd been imprisoned and by the fact that her orders had been ignored. "One. Five. Minutes. Which, I am sure you will note is a much smaller number than six bloody zero. What in the hell gave you the notion that it would be a good idea to lock me in there for an hour?"

"The fact that we've got moles in your security detail," Tonks replied. "I don't know what you're complaining about, boss. Your shiny new hidey hole comes equipped with food, water, and a toilet. Posh it is."

"You forgot to add an exit," Amelia said sourly.

"That would have appeared two hours after my death or removal from the office, which would amount to the same thing thanks to the new wards," Tonks giggled, feeling almost giddy now that it looked like she was going to live to the end of the day. "Later if your office was occupied."

"What's this about the new wards killing you?" Amelia demanded, eyes narrowing. And why hadn't anyone told her about that little detail.

"They'll scramble my brains if you're hiding and I'm removed from the office," Tonks admitted. "We didn't have the time or the skill to finesse it and I didn't want to chance betraying you with a loose tongue. No chance I will now, boss. If I don't have the guts to go down swinging then I'll go down the other way. Potential problem addressed, boss."

"I see." Amelia glared at her Auror. "We will have words about that later. What makes you think that my security detail has been compromised?"

"Because it has been, boss," Tonks replied. "We caught two of our own tampering with the wards, s'what caused me to burst in here. They broke after one of the retirees did something to them that you don't want to know about and I really wish I didn't know about and the two faced bastards spilled everything. It's bad, boss, it's really bad."

"Why were they tampering with the wards?" Amelia felt faint, her security was made up of her most trusted Aurors. If she couldn't trust them . . . her chances of surviving to the end of the year had just taken a major hit.

"Either to prepare for the hit on you or to grab Susan to work as a lever on you," Tonks replied. "Not sure, boss. They didn't know the why, just what they were supposed to do and how they were supposed to do it."

"Who can we trust?"

"Close security for you and Susan is all muggleborn, half blood, and retired. I'm pretty sure they're safe. It's the perimeter security that our traitors came from and now they're all tainted so far as I'm concerned," Tonks answered. "Got ten here, five with Susan not counting Moody, and another six off duty. Mr. Granger brought ten more, plus his muggle bodyguard, plus Harry."

"Thank you for that and for looking after Susan, Phil," Amelia sighed.

"Happy to help," Phil replied easily. "Also happy to suggest that you and she move in with us indefinitely."

"She'll take you up on that," Tonks interjected, not giving her boss a chance to reply. "Sooner than we'd planned, but better now than never."

"Auror Tonks, I-"

"I'm the boss when it comes to your health and safety along with Healer Rage," Tonks interrupted. "You're the boss when it comes to everything else. If you have a problem with the way I do my job, you always have the option of firing me, boss. But unless and until you do, you do what I say and I say that you are moving in with the Grangers because I am in charge!"

"True," Amelia agreed. "Keep the perimeter going around my house and set the wards to record daily portkeys from here to there. Let's let our friends think that I won't run and see what happens," she suggested. "I also want you . . . damn, you'll be at Hogwarts. Pick someone to poke through the perimeter, leave the bad apples and pull out anyone trustworthy. I'd rather not throw good Aurors away when the balloon goes up."

"No problem, boss. I'd also like your permission to trap the hell out of the place. If the bastards are going to hit your house, I wanna make them bleed for it, even if the place is going to be empty," Tonks said with a savage grin.

"Something Harry's company is happy to help with at depressingly reasonable rates," Phil interjected. "Assuming of course that they aren't too busy with their other contracts."

"You have a company, Harry?" Tonks blurted.

"We'll talk about it later," Harry promised. "For now, let me be the first one to congratulate you on making it to the top of Voldemort's hit list. It's always nice to have company."

"I hear it gets lonely at the top," Amelia commiserated with the boy. "Here's hoping I don't take your place."

"Here's hoping you don't lose yours either," Harry replied with a wide grin. "How likely do you think it is that Voldemort's purebloods would be able to track you if you used muggle transportation to get to and from the Ministry?"

"I can set it up so it looks like you're still coming and going by portkey everyday, boss," Tonks volunteered. "Would actually make your scheme with the wards easier to pull off if I didn't have to hide the extra trails."

"Make it so," Amelia agreed. "Any other business?"

"One piece," Phil agreed. "Hogwarts is being a bit difficult with security. I've managed to suborn their Defense Professor, but the Headmaster absolutely refuses to allow private security on school grounds except in an emergency."

"I'll have a talk with him about that," Amelia promised. "Might take a few weeks to pressure him into it."

"Might take less time if something happens," Tonks said sourly. "I want more men. Two thirds awake at all times, one third geared up and ready to leave at a moment's notice, one third ready to go in a few minutes, one third asleep."

"Done," Phil agreed. "I'm going to assume that Charlie is going to want to meet with you concerning this. We'll be by his office later today if you'd like a lift."

"Please," Amelia said. "One more thing. Could you have someone tell Susan that I'm alright? She worries about me."

"We can call home from the car and you can tell her yourself," Phil replied.

Tonks let her features shift back into her boss' face. "Let's go."

"You've got my face again, Auror Tonks," Amelia pointed out.

"Gives the bastards an extra thing to think about if they try to cause trouble," she replied.

"In that case, I'd prefer it if you looked like Harry," Amelia replied.

"I'd prefer it if you didn't," Harry said quickly, not wanting to throw away something he recognized to be a potential advantage in the event that things turned nasty. "They expect you to be here, they don't expect me."

"So?"

"So there's a good chance they won't even see me if they decide to make a move," Harry explained. "Bloody hard to explain but I have trouble noticing things that my brain doesn't think are important when I get into a fight."

"Tunnel vision. He's right, boss," Tonks agreed.

"Fine," Amelia sighed. "But if you get hurt, Harry, I'm going to make both your and Auror Tonks' lives a living hell. That goes for you as well, Auror Tonks. If you get hurt, I promise you to you will regreat it because I will ensure that you regret it."

"So long as we're all alive, you can do whatever you want," Harry agreed, unconsciously echoing Tonks' earlier statement.

IIIIIIIIII

The girls all looked up when they heard a soft knock on the door. The minutes had felt like centuries as they waited for some word on the fate of their loved ones.

"Come in!" Hermione yelled.

"Phone call for Ms. Susan, it is her aunt Amelia," the butler replied, holding out a highly polished tray with an antique phone. Two footmen trailed behind the man managing the long cord.

Susan snatched the device and stared at it, trying to divine its secrets.

"Hold this end up to your ear and talk in a normal voice," Hermione explained. She turned to the butler. "Thank you for bringing this, she was worried sick."

"Understandable," the man replied. "Will you be requiring anything else?"

"Some snacks would be good," Hermione replied after a moment of thought.

"I'll have them sent up shortly," the man agreed.

IIIIIIIIII

Amelia put down the phone with a relieved smile. Both Susan and Hannah were as safe as they were likely to be without leaving the country. Personal matters completed, it was time to get back to business.

"I need to have a meeting with M, if you please," Amelia announced.

"Of course," Phil agreed. "To the club," he ordered.

"Yes, sir," the driver replied promptly.

"Would you like us to wait or for me to send another car to pick you up?" Phil asked.

"A car would be lovely," Amelia replied. "Thank you."

IIIIIIIIII

Ron had worked hard on the essay in front of him, harder than he had on anything else in the past. Five times he'd gone over it to check the spelling, ten times he'd changed bits of it, and fifteen times he'd thrown earlier drafts away to start with a fresh piece of parchment.

"Mum," he said nervously. "Would you mind checking this for me?"

"Of course, dear," Molly agreed. "What class is it for?"

"It's for Harry," Ron replied. "The twins said that he's the best businessman they know and told me that he agreed to give me some advice if I'd give him a business plan."

"That was nice of him," Molly mumbled. She took the parchment out of his hand and began going over it.

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "Twins say they might have a big new client thanks to Harry and that they just need Harry to negotiate the deal."

"They're not taking advantage of him are they?" Molly asked.

"No, mum, they told me that they let him have a third of their company in exchange for his help." Ron grinned. "Not sure they told him that last bit though."

"Those boys." Molly shook her head in exasperation. "At least it's looking like their dreams might succeed."

IIIIIIIIII

Amelia glanced meaningfully at her shadow as they stepped into her colleague's outer office. Time for a bit of alone time.

"Wait here, Auror Tonks," Amelia ordered.

"Boss?"

"I'm going to have a quiet meeting with one of my counterparts in the muggle government, I shall not need you with me," Amelia explained.

"One of your armed counterparts," Tonks said flatly. "Best if I'm there to keep an eye on the situation, boss. Never know what could happen."

"Best if you do what you're told," Amelia growled. "Now, Auror Tonks," she added after it became clear that her Auror had no intention of following her orders.

"Yes, boss," Tonks sighed. She walked over to one of the seats and collapsed into it.

"Always the way, isn't it?" the secretary sighed. "We do our best to take care of them and they don't listen."

"How she even lived a week without me, I'll never know. It's like she doesn't understand that it's a big scary world filled with people out to get her. I know she knows it's not roses and kittens cause she came up through the ranks, but it's like she forgot all that the second she got the big chair," Tonks agreed. "I'm Tonks."

"Jane," the woman introduced herself. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Pleasure is all mine," Tonks said automatically.

IIIIIIIIII

Amelia walked into the office and went through the normal formalities while taking a seat across from the other man.

"Pleased to see me?" she asked.

"Pleased to see you in one piece," Charlie agreed. "Though it would have simplified things if you weren't."

"Bastard," Amelia laughed.

"Always on the look out for that mythical silver lining," he countered. "Cards on the table, Amelia, we're both hoping to recruit young Mr. Potter in a few years. I see no reason why we can't work out a deal now to save us all a bit of trouble later," Charlie said with a grin. "Forgive my rudeness, would you care for a cigar and something to drink?"

"Please," Amelia said approvingly.

"Gin alright with you?"

"As long as it's not watered down too much," she teased.

Charlie opened a cabinet to reveal an assortment of bottles and carefully selected one. "Navy Gin?" he asked, holding it up for the woman's inspection.

"It's fine," Amelia replied.

"Care to mix it with anything, tonic, bitters?"

"Straight," Amelia said.

"Right you are," he agreed, pouring two tumblers. "Started drinking the stuff on my midshipman's cruse and never gave it up." He walked back to his desk and slid one of the tumblers across to his guest. Then, he opened his humidor and took out two massive cigars. "My best man managed to steal several cases from Castro." Did a bit to make up for all the bloody headaches the bastard had caused over the years.

"Why not buy them?" Amelia asked, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. "I'm sure I saw a nice little shop down the street that might carry them."

"Now where's the fun in that?" he retorted. "Besides, everyone knows they wouldn't taste half as good if they've been taxed and being stolen makes them taste twice as good."

"Regarding young Mr. Potter." Amelia took a sip. "The main problem that I foresee is that you are focused mainly on dealing with external threats, while I am focused on dealing with internal." Another sip.

"Your Minister has made it quite clear on a number of occasions that he sees his reports to the PM as a formality," Charlie pointed out. "Leaving that aside, my duty is to deal with threats to the realm no matter where they originate."

"True," Amelia agreed. "There's also the fact that my department has been bitten by forces from overseas before. We do not have much capability to strike outside, but it is supposed to be one of the duties assigned to the DMLE. One of my predecessors snagged it, and the budget, when they were going through another round of reorganization."

"What's the budget?"

"Enough to pay one full time employee to have lunch three times a week," Amelia sighed. "It got cut to almost nothing in the same round of reorganizations that brought it to my department."

"We've got a few years before he leaves school to work that out." Charlie took a draw from his cigar. "All I'm hoping for now is for us to come to some sort of agreement that we'll reach an agreement in the future."

"How about that we'll reach an agreement about reaching an agreement to reach an agreement?" Amelia joked.

"I can agree to that," Charlie laughed.

"I have no problem with the concept of sharing young Mr. Potter if we manage to coax him into our line of work," Amelia offered.

"Smashing. Now that we've got that out of the way, I may be able to offer a bit of assistance with your loyalty problem."

"How much?"

"Three of my agents are magical, I know of fifteen more in various branches of the military, six in the police, and eight more in some sort of government service. Being from my world, they're unlikely to be compromised by your 'dark lord' Voldemort."

"I'd appreciate any help I can get," Amelia said gratefully.

"All else fails we can talk to the Americans and the Commonwealth. Though that's something I'd rather like to avoid, be a bit like dealing with a rat infestation by introducing dozens of snakes." Charlie flicked a bit of ash off of his cigar. "I'm also willing to provide a bit of non-magical assistance if you'd care for it." All threats to the realm meant just that after all.

IIIIIIIIII

All four girls were waiting eagerly at the door when Phil and Harry arrived back at the house from their outing.

"Where's aunty Amelia?" Susan demanded, obviously bracing herself for bad news.

"Having a business meeting with Hermione's godfather," Phil replied. "She's got Auror Tonks with her and one of our drivers is meeting her and will be bringing her here when it concludes."

"Oh." Susan relaxed a touch. "Do you know what happened?"

"Someone was testing your security," Harry said. "We're working with your Aunt to make sure you'll all stay safe."

"Okay," Susan sighed. "Thank you, Harry."

"Ron sent a letter to you by way of me, Harry," Hermione announced.

"Oh?" he prompted.

"It's his business plan, I took a look at it and it looks alright to me," she said. "I did make a couple corrections, but nothing major."

"Meaning the spelling and grammar isn't too bad," Phil sighed. "How did the business aspect look, darling?"

Hermione gave a disinterested shrug by way of reply. "I think it's okay, daddy, his sums were correct anyway."

Harry took the letter from his friend and gave it a quick read through. "I see two major problems that Ron's facing. The cost of materials and his lack of skill"

"Neither is insurmountable," Phil replied. "May I?"

"Sure," Harry agreed, handing over the parchment.

"Unless there's something I'm missing, the materials cost is monstrous," Phil agreed. "Did you have any ideas on how to approach the lack of skill, Harry?"

"Thinking of pointing him in the direction of a furniture maker or something," Harry replied.

"I have a friend at Holland & Holland that may be able to help with the skill issue," Phil mused. "Bastard had better, considering the amount of money the family has given his company over the years. Mind if I make a few calls, Harry?"

"Please do," Harry agreed.

IIIIIIIIII

Amelia walked out of the meeting and into the outer office to collect her Auror with a new sense of confidence. For the first time, she felt like they had a chance of winning things without having to pay a horrific cost.

"Come along, Tonks," Amelia said as she walked across the room. "We'd best be getting back to Susan before she worries too much."

"Jane had a thought, boss," Tonks said as she fell into step behind Amelia. "Dumbledore won't let me put security in the school, but we've already got a few researchers we're offering up to help with all the new spells Harry is inventing. Why not offer up a few more? They're still Aurors even if they mostly ride desks."

"Do it," Amelia agreed. "Good work, Tonks."

"Mostly Jane's idea," Tonks said modestly.

"Activate anyone on the retired rolls that we can legitimately claim to be a researcher of some sort," Amelia ordered. "See if we can get Healer Rage in the Hospital wing."

"Boss?"

"Something bad happens in the Department, I want rally points ready, see if you can move the Abbots to the Granger house too. Speak with the Grangers first, point out the benefits of having fully trained healers around."

"Don't think there'll be any problems there, boss," Tonks replied.

"Good."

IIIIIIIIII

Ron was waiting with his mother in the kitchen when Harry's owl arrived. With bated breath, he took the letter, slit the envelope open with his index finger and read the short note. His shoulders sagged as the tension left his frame. Should have known his best mate would know what to do.

"What did Harry say?" Molly asked. She was rather enjoying being a part of her son's new business venture.

"Harry says I have two big problems to take care of," Ron replied. "Says that he's going to see what he can do about finding a solution to both of them."

"What problems?" Molly prompted.

"Says I'm paying too much for the wood," Ron said. "Which I am, but I couldn't get it any cheaper from the broom company and couldn't get the right grade anywhere else. Says he has a few ideas that might work there."

"What was the other problem?"

"Says I'm good but need to be better, which is true," he admitted. "Harry's going to try to arrange something through his muggle contacts."

"Well . . . be sure to thank him for all the help he's giving you," Molly said after a moment of thought. Once again blessing the fact that her children had been able to make such good friends during their time at Hogwarts.

"Gonna do more than that, mum, gonna give him part of the company," Ron replied with a grin. "That way he has more motivation to keep helping me."

"Did the twins suggest that?" Molly demanded.

"It's a good idea, mum," Ron defended his older brothers.

"It is," Molly agreed. "Remind me to do something nice for them."

IIIIIIIIII

Amelia was immediately ambushed by her niece the second she walked through the front door, grunting as the girl threw herself at the only parent figure she'd ever known.

"I was so worried," Susan sobbed into her aunt's chest.

"So was Auror Tonks," Amelia murmured. "Can you believe that she locked me in a safe room for an hour?"

"Good for her," Susan replied firmly. "She's just doing her job."

"You tell her, kid," Tonks agreed loudly. Always nice to have influence with people that had influence with her charge. Maybe they could get the woman to take her security more seriously if they worked together. Tonks gave a mental snort, and maybe they'd get a Minister that could pour piss from a boot without the help of a dozen aides and a hefty bribe some day. May as well hope for a manor house on the moon while she was at it.

"What did I tell you about ganging up on me, Auror Tonks?" Amelia demanded in a low voice that warned all of a possible explosion.

"Can't chat now, boss. Far too busy, gotta walk the grounds and check the wards," Tonks said, making a hasty exit.

"What do you think about staying here the rest of the holiday?" Amelia asked.

"I'd rather stay with you, Aunt Amelia," Susan replied.

"What if I were to stay here too?"

"It'd be great, Aunt Amelia," Susan replied. "Hermione suggested having Hannah and I stay with her and Luna in her room."

"How big is it?" Amelia asked with a grin.

"Bigger than the entrance hall at home and it has a closet that's bigger than my room and it has a bathroom that's bigger than the closet and an attached library that's bigger than everything else put together," Susan giggled. "Hermione was terribly embarrassed that she didn't have another bedroom in her hall to give us without kicking Harry out and wouldn't stop apologizing at how cramped things were going to be."

It wasn't until Hannah had pointed out the fact that their rooms at Hogwarts didn't afford half as much personal space that the other girl had finally settled down. Susan's statement that she felt better being around other people had finished the matter.