Disclaimer: the characters belong to J.K.Rowling.

Chapter XVII – The Great Expectations

"What was that?" Hermione wondered confused.

"It was another test! Damn, I hate this place!" Bill was relieved and angry he was alive. "I really hope that was the last one, 'cause I'm sick and tired of this shit! Let's move on!"

Oliver was silent. He understood that he had been caught in another test, in a false reality, but he was surprised by the nature of his trial. He couldn't help doubting her now. What if she'd really chose Harry if she had the opportunity?

"Oliver! Are you all right?"

Her voice showed concern, but this didn't make him feel any bertter. After the cold shower of the previous test, her presence didn't have the same mesmerising effect. He looked at her and acted his part, smiled and assured her he was fine, but something had changed.

Satisfied that they were all safe, the three began to look around. They were in a small room, dimly lit, looking very much like the one in Hermione's trial. Clutching at Oliver's hand, she walked towards the light. No dangers lurking in the background, no monsters crawling out of the dark…

The table, the candle… Hermione felt she was back in her test. She reached for the manuscript, but, much to her surprise, all she found was a note. Written in Arabic.

"What does it say?" Bill inquired, nervous. "Is it another test? Please tell me it's not another one!"

"It's not" but she didn't sound happy. "It says «Call the cops!»"

"What?"

"It's signed: Isis"

"Who the f… is Isis?"

Hermione didn't answer that. She had been warned. Madeleine's letter said as clearly as the paranoid old witch was able to say " you must be prepared for disappointment. Some things, no matter how important or how useful, do not pass the test of time." However, the letter also said: "I do have the answer you're looking for. Be careful what you ask though.". She could hardly wait to get out of there and "debrief" her. But this had nothing to do with Bill Weasley. Or even with the Institute. She considered telling Oliver. She felt she could trust him.

*I'll cross that bridge when I get there. Now let's see how are we going to get out of here!*

"Do you mean we did all this for nothing? It was just a wild goose chase? Bloody hell!"

Oliver kept silent. It didn't seem all that important now. He pulled himself together.

"Let's get out!"

He took the scrap of papyrus from Hermione and put it in his pocket. He had to explain to his superiors the failure. No Osiris in Port Said.

The road to the light was less eventful. They dodged all the new traps and found themselves outside. It was a clear night, very appropriate for a romantic stroll under the bluish moonlight, but the stench of defeat cut short such impulses. They parted, disapparating to their homes. Bill left first, quite unhappy about the morning meeting with his boss. Hermione looked in Oliver's eyes as they disaparated. Something felt wrong. She chose to think it was the exhaustion, but her instinct buried an alert signal in her subconscious. Oliver couldn't shake the doubt. The trouble with Harry… was that he was bloody perfect.

How was he to compete with the boy who lived?

~~~~~~~

Another letter from Madeleine was waiting for her. She couldn't take another revelation that night. But curiosity got the better of her. Under Oliver's gaze, she read it.

"Dear Hermione,

I hope this letter finds you well. I'm writing from your room. Apparently, you didn't understand my warning. In that case, you're pretty disappointed by now. Port Said was designed to hold the manuscript, but in the course of time, it grew less secure. Unfortunately, far from discouraging you, Gandalf's maze probably increased your appetite for the treasure.

If you want to know more, come by. I'm staying in Gizeh for another week. Things got weird around here.

Have I ever told you the secret of life?

Low expectations.

Madeleine"

*I hate her! She says the manuscript doesn't exist anymore. But I have to know. And she's leaving! Again! What the hell is wrong with her? Old people are supposed to be wise. She's a nightmare! Do I tell Oliver about this?*

Hermione handed him the letter. To Oliver it said nothing interesting. All he could read was "Dear Hermione, would you like to accompany me on a shopping spree in Diagon Alley this weekend? I got a bonus and two days off. Hope you come. Madeleine. P.S. I need another wand. Long story. M."

"Well?" he asked.

"Don't you think we should go?"

"I got the impression that she wants to spend some time with you. Shopping and gossip. Girls stuff"

"What are you talking about?" she understood instantly. "Oh, the letter is charmed. She has a lot of reasons to be paranoid"

She read him the true content of the letter and asked him again.

"How could this girl know anything like that?"

"I suppose I have to tell you" Hermione sighed. "The point is, this isn't my secret. Please, promise me you're not going to tell anyone about it"

"Promise" Oliver was flattered by this proof of trust.

She told him the little she knew about her friend's past. Oliver was impressed.

"We should definitely pay her a visit. But, don't expect too much! She doesn't sound like the most reliable source. She didn't go through all those lives without hiding a lot of things from a lot of people"

Hermione agreed. Friends or not, Isis hadn't been a nice person. There was no reason to believe everything Madeleine would tell them.

~~~~~~~

Hermione was thinking about this when she felt Oliver next to her. His presence was electrifying. The embrace started tenderly, but it soon turned into a sensual foreplay. He knew just how to arouse her. It came as natural as breathing. Without any effort, he took her mind away from the million questions buzzing in her mind. She wanted to say something, but it felt so good…

*Tomorrow* Hermione decided and let herself go with the sensations.

~~~~~~~~~

That night, Oliver didn't make love. He had sex. Wild and passionate. As far from his nice guy personality as he could. Nice guys never get the girl! He thought little about her needs. He didn't know how long she was going to be in his arms, so it was best to take advantage of the time they had together.

Hermione noticed the change, but for someone used to being lucid and in charge all the time, she enjoyed relinquishing the control. Even without trying, Oliver was able to give pleasure to his partners.

Many times that night, Hermione felt like giving up treasure hunting, research and all the answers in the world for a never-ending night with him.

~~~~~~~

Oliver watched her sleep. The morning will soon call her back to reality. He felt his soul shredded in the new knowledge. Hermione was too good for him. She was up there, with the myths of their world. She was in Harry's league. Witches and wizards hundreds of years from now will know her name. Her name linked with Harry's. The two of them had stopped the darkness from taking over. Harry and Hermione. No one will say Oliver and Hermione. No one will learn of their adventures in Egypt. They were under contract with the Institute. Their experiences, their shared hardships were classified information. They'll end up in reports, lost on the shelves of a forgotten archive. If they found the lost teachings of Osiris… things would be different. Now… they didn't even share a discovery. All they had to show for themselves, for all these months, were dead ends.

~~~~~~~~~~

*Oliver?* was the first conscious thought in Hermione's mind.

She opened her eyes. He was there. He was by her side.

"The strangest dream…" she whispered and moved closer to him. "I dreamt I lost you. It felt so cold, so dark…"

He stroked her hair gently.

"Shhh! I'm here" his voice masked well the cold inside. "Coffee?" he asked, instead of questioning everything else.

"Yes, please"

They parted without an embrace. Hermione stared at her image in the bathroom mirror. She tried to find the bright-eyed, bushy-haired enthusiastic girl who usually stared back at her. That child simply refused to come to light.

*Look on the bright side! At least you have Oliver* she tried to cheer up her defeated self. *It's not the end of the world that you couldn't find it!*

There was one scary thought, lurking in her subconscious, digging its way to the light. What if Oliver was disappointed? What if this was the end of their professional relationship? What if that was the end? Hermione ended the "what if" torture with a splash of cold water on her face. The sheer force of will drove away the negative energy she was accumulating. She will make it work!

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Sorry it took so long! I hope you didn't give up on the story. I didn't!