Chapter 2 Visitors, Wives, and Fires Oh My!

Disclaimer: As everybody knows, I own nothing of Harry Potter that is all JK Rowling's.  Just the plot is mine. Also, Robert Frost made the poem 'Fire and Ice' and I do not own the couple of lines that I use of it. 

Hermione Granger-Weasley sat at her desk grading essays. She had been sitting there for hours, which seemed like an eternity, and finally stood up. As she walked into the kitchen to make some tea she noticed lightly that she couldn't walk, she tripped, because of a lazy, sleeping foot. She stopped walking. She thought she heard a noise and strained to hear it again. Nothing. And at the exact moment she started walking again, there was a knock on the door.

To her surprise she found a black robed man on the other side of the now opened door. He made no movement, but she quickly clutched her wand in her pocket. She seemed to have lost her voice, but managed a weak,

"W-who are you?"

"What? Don't recognize an old friend?" pretending to be hurt, the man's voice was strong, and his eyes were hard. Hermione was silent, not wanting to believe who she knew he was.

"Well I'll just invite myself in then," he smirked as he walked through the open space that was formally known as the door. It was all Hermione could do to back up.

The black robed man pulled back his hood to reveal white-blond hair. She was sure of whom it was now.

"Dr-Draco, what are you doing here?" Hermione's voice was shaky. It was a well-known fact that Draco Malfoy had joined in his father's footsteps in becoming a Death Eater.

"Not 'Oh Draco how lovely to see you,' or 'what a splendid surprise! How have you been?' Only 'what are you doing here?' Honestly, Hermione, I thought you would be happy to see me," the man pretended to be hurt again. Then he glanced down at her wand.

"Seriously, though. I am not here to hurt you, I swear it," Draco promised.

Hermione wasn't sure what to do. Her husband, she knew, wouldn't be home anytime soon. There was nobody else around to help her, either. She pondered on the thought that Draco was telling the truth. But that wasn't likely, was it?

"Then what are you here for?" demanded Hermione. To her surprise, Draco frowned.

"You mean Weasley really didn't tell you?" Draco almost seemed surprised.

"Dr-Malfoy, Ron's an Auror. Why would he…  What are you talking about?" Hermione asked.

"Hermione, I'm not really, I mean I am a Death Eater, but an undercover Death Eater. We couldn't tell too many people because, well, that would sort of blow the whole 'undercover' part," explained Draco.

"We?" Hermione asked.

"Honestly, you pick up on the smallest things," sighed Draco, but added, "I work for the ministry. Your husband's team mostly."

"And you expect me to just believe you?" pointed out Hermione. She wanted to believe what he was saying was true, but she had to be safe.

"Apparently not. But can't you owl, or something, to Weasley? It would be easier to believe me if he told you," Draco suggested, starting to sound desperate and impatient. Hermione looked like she was pondering over the thought.

"Well, I could call him," Hermione said thoughtfully.

"Call?" asked Draco but added after he saw her walking over to a muggle phone, "Oh, a muggle device. But doesn't Weasley have to have one of those things, too?"

"Yes, actually. I got him a cell phone," Hermione said matter-of-factly.

"A cell? Never mind. Do carry on," Draco said, sounding very confused.

Hermione picked up the cell phone and started to dial. While doing so, she vaguely wondered what to say. Oh hello honey! How have you been? Oh by the way there is a Death Eater in the house. Friend of yours? She thought.

"HELLO!" called Ron's voice, extremely loud. He had just gotten the phone and he wasn't quite used to it yet.

"Hi Ron. Remember, you can just talk regularly. Um, by any chance was there something you forgot to tell me?" hinted Hermione.

 "Actually yes. Um, I sent Mal-, I mean you know how Malfoy is all Death Eater-ish?" asked Ron.

"Yes," was the answer from Hermione.

"Well he's not really. He's an Undercover. Anyways, there has been lots of attacks on Auror's wives, must be some strategy, so I sent Malfoy over there-" Ron started.

"So you sent Draco over here to protect me?" interrupted Hermione.

"Yes, well, I was getting to that," Draco said, hearing Hermione's comment.

Ron continued, not being able to hear Draco, "Yeah, I figured if he was there he could protect you from any Death Eaters, and he could make it look like he was the one- he's there already, isn't he?" stated Ron.

"Took you long enough! So he's safe?"

"Yes. Was there anything else, we're sort of busy?" asked Ron.

"Nope. Bye honey!"

"Bye."

"So I'm safe then?" asked Draco.

"That's what I heard," answered Hermione.

"Great! Do you think you can put down your wand now?" said Draco.

"What?" Hermione asked as she looked down and noticed she was still holding onto her wand. She must have dialed and everything while holding onto it.

"Oh, right. Sorry," she said, as she put her wand back in her pocket.

"So how's life treating you? I mean besides the whole marrying Ron Weasley thing," Draco asked.

"I happen to like marrying Ron, thank you very much," pointed out Hermione.

            Suddenly a thought struck Hermione. If Draco isn't really evil, then maybe- but no, Ron would have told me. He wouldn't have made me suffer losing a best friend. But then again, we had gotten pretty close to Draco the last two years. And Ron had not told me about Draco. In fact, we had gotten really close!

"Hey Draco, who are the other Undercovers?" asked Hermione.

"Well I probably shouldn't tell you, but. All right, but you probably don't know most of them. There is David Stager, Sever-. Wait a minute, Hermione. You do realize Potter isn't an Undercover. Ron would have told you," Draco said.

"Right. I mean of course. Oh God, I hate my life!" Hermione said, practically shouting the last part. Then she fell onto her knees and started crying. Draco tried to comfort her by hugging her and patting her back, although rather awkwardly, since he had only done this a couple times. After about a minute she calmed down and stopped crying.

"Do you want to talk?" asked Draco softly.

"Yes, I think I would like that. Let me make some tea, first," Hermione said her voice just a little shaky.   


~*~*~*~

            Jeremy Rowlint was 19 years old, from America, and the only muggle born in his team. He had gone to school in Salem and graduated with high marks. Always wanting to become an Auror, he had taken the opportunity to go help out Britain. They, of course, needed a lot of Aurors to protect people from Lord Voldemort and all of his Death Eaters.

             David Riverback was 22 years old and was born and raised in England. He didn't go to Hogwarts, but instead a small school right outside of the muggle city Manchester, England. Deciding to follow in his father's footsteps he had been an Auror for two years.  

"So your wives are protected?" asked Jeremy.

It had been a very busy day at the Ministry. Sixty-three wives of Aurors had been killed by Death Eater attacks. It was hard enough to fend off the news reporters, especially the Daily Prophet, let alone comfort the Aurors, and deal with the dead bodies.

"Yup," answered Ron. He had just hung up the, what Hermione called it, cell phone.

"But David doesn't trust an Undercover. He sent an Auror," Ron added, irritably.

"And we come to the reason why I'm not planning on getting married anytime soon. I wouldn't be liking the fear of someone I really love dying," Jeremy said thoughtfully.

"Wise words my friend, wise words," said Ron patting the other man's back.

"What's so wise, if I may ask," asked David walking into the office looking extremely tired.

"Ah, nothing of importance. What do you say you go home? I do say seventeen is a great number of hours. One might think I was overworking you," Ron told.

"I will, give me a minute. The attacks on wives, did they increase?" asked David.

"In fifteen minutes, were there more attacks? No. But that may be because they are being protected," answered Ron.

"So we are still assuming they are killing Auror's wives to weaken us?" asked Jeremy

"Well killing sixty-three wives of Aurors might have at least half of those Aurors skip work for a long while. Some of them might never return. Other Aurors might be scared off to protect their families," explained Ron.

"Thus lowering our numbers and making us more vulnerable," added David.

"Ah, I see. Subtract the Aurors and make the wizarding world easier to control. Take over the schools, shops, and become like the ministry. Except in an evil, twisted sort of way," Concluded Jeremy.

Ron laughed softly and admitted, "Either we figured out their plans, or we are thinking something big out of nothing, random attacks. In that case we better hope there is no Death Eater spies around here, or we could be giving them ideas."

~*~*~*~

            Draco and Hermione did talk for a while. They talked about the good old times, Harry, and how things have changed. Draco tried to remind Hermione of all the good things in her life. After a couple of hours had passed they received word from Ron that the attacks were over. Draco said that he best be going, even though Hermione tried to convince him to stay a little while longer.

~*~*~*~

The Minister of Magic was having quite a difficult time. And it didn't seem like things would get better anytime soon, seeing as about eight black robed men had been spotted right outside the building. These figures circled the outside of the building and must have used a curse on their voices, because they could be heard inside the building, all of them apparently talking at once the voices said,

"Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire I hold with those who favor fire."

Then a single voice added, "Don't worry. This is only the beginning."  

With that, the Ministry of Magic building was on fire, and the eight men disapperated.

!~*~*~*~!

A/N - Okay, maybe not the best ending to the chapter, but oh well. Next chapter will hold part of the puzzle for Harry turning, although only a little bit of it, and special appearances from Sirius and possibly Lupin.

Special thanks to Myotismon13 for the great review, and my first review ever!!

Constantine1453 – Thanks for the review, MMH. I'm wondering if I should include you in my fic, seeing as you already are serving Voldie… :)

Arcee – Thanks for the review! Much appreciated!