Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long to update, guys! I've been really busy, with finals and all. This may be it for awhile - staff training at the summer camp I work at starts next week. I only get three hours a day off after that. Sorry guys, but like I said in the last A/N, I love camp too much to quit and spend my time writing.
Here's the story. Enjoy!
Six Days Later...
Jennifer searched frantically for her sunglasses. Where were they? She was always losing the damn things...
FInally finding them, she rushed out to her car. She was going to be at least fifteen minutes late to the docks, where she was meeting the others.
She pulled her car into the parking lot twenty-five minutes later. Traffic had been horrible that day.
Jen pulled a small travel trunk out of her car, along with a knapsack on her back. Afterwards, she double-checked her car to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.
Ok, Reeve said Dock Nine, Jen thought, squinting in the midday sunlight.
Spotting it, she lugged her things over to the dock, gaping at the huge boat.
Happens every time, Jen mused. No matter how many times I go to the island, I see something new.
"Jen! There you are!" Reeve clambered down the ladder leading to the boat's deck. "I was starting to worry."
"At last! We can finally leave!" A bushy-haired girl walked up from the boat's interior. "My name is Allison Marshall," she offered her hand.
"I'm Jennifer Vaisell," Jen shook the girl's hand.
"Welcome aboard. Would you like to meet your fellow shipmates?"
"Sure. Lead away," Jen replied, adjusting the weight of her knapsack to her other shoulder.
"Follow me," Reeve stepped in cheerily.
Jen obliged, following her boss down some steps into the interior of the boat.
~*~
Harry and Ron were playing a game of Gin Rummy. Hermione had taught them when they were bored once, while visiting her muggle parents and had no exploding snap cards around.
Unfortunately, they were currently bored and still had no exploding snap around. To make matters worse, Dr. Reeves' assistant was a muggle.
"Ha! Beat you again!" Harry exclaimed, laying out his deck.
"Okay, so you're the first to go out. So what? I have more points than you," Ron pointed out, counting his cards. "Which currently brings me to an even five hundred, to your measly two fifty. Which means I've won the tournament twice now."
"Oh, sod off," Harry protested. "I'm busy basking in glory."
"What glory?" Ron smirked.
Harry was about to tell Ron just what he thought (and in colorful terms, too), when the door behind him opened.
"Gents, the lady of the hour hath arrived," Dr. Reeves announced.
"Oh, please, Reeve," the woman complained. "I wasn't that long."
Jen eyed a pile of light luggage in the corner. Walking over to it, she recognized Reeve's bags by the I Luv (insert any city name - no, really!) stickers. Rome, Paris, Athens - you name it, Reeve had the sticker.
After dumping her bag onto the floor with a loud thunk, she turned around to eye the two other men in the room.
"My name's Jen," she offered her hand to the closest one.
"I'm, uh, James Stagson," Harry replied.
"Pleased to meet you," Jen smiled. "And you?" she turned to Ron.
"John Lawrence," Ron replied, shaking her hand firmly.
Jen had no clue why, but she suddenly had the strangest urge to give him a certain handshake that she had perfected years ago. But that was impossible; she didn't even recognize this man, or his name.
"Have we met before?" Jen suddenly asked,
"Perhaps in another lifetime," Ron grinned.
"We've heard all about you from Dr. Reeves," Harry began.
"Oh, really?" Jen narrowed her eyes at Reeve.
Harry could have sworn that the man shrank several inches shorter.
"I, uh, am gonna go get some fresh air," Reeve practically bolted out of the room.
Jen smirked and turned around. "So, what are you guys playing?"
"Gin," Harry replied.
Jen froze for a second. "What do you mean, Gin?" she said carefully.
"You know," Ron said easily. "Gin Rummy."
At Jen's blank expression, he pressed on. "The card game?"
"Oh," Jen said, relieved.
"What did you think we meant? We certainly weren't talking about the liqueur," Harry laughed.
~*~
An hour later, they arrived at their destination.
Jen shaded her eyes excitedly. "Finally! We get a real adventure!"
"What, you think that Mayan expedition last year -"
"Excuse me, but who was it that suggested - no, insisted - that we take a certain 'shortcut' and got us lost? We were stranded in the jungle for days," Jen interrupted.
"You don't call that adventure?"
"Not when I'm riddled with bug bites, a sprained ankle, and am permanently traumatized by waking up to find a huge snake in my sleeping bag," she retorted.
"You know, sometimes I think that the biggest mistake I ever made was hiring you," Reeve grumbled.
"Come on, Reeve, you know you can't go on without me," Jen teased. "Admit it. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be the man you are today. You need me."
"That's right," Reeve declared. He then began an awful rendition of a popular song, gesturing to Jen at the appropriate points in the lyrics.
"I neeeeed yooouuuu to need me. I waaaaaannnnnnnt yoooouuuu to want me," here Reeve paused and kneeled down, holding his arms out to Jen. "I'D LOOOOVE YOOOOUUUU TO LOVE ME!"
Jen began to edge away from her boss in horror as the rest of the team laughed.
"Uh, this is the treasure expedition, right?" A voice said behind them. The boat had docked, allowing others to come onboard. "I'm fairly sure Dad didn't hire a band on the sly.
"Jake!" Jen screeched as he appeared in the room.
The gentleman in question took one look at Jen's face and stepped directly behind Reeve.
"Forgot to call her back again?" Reeve asked drily.
"Yep," Jake peeked above his friend's shoulder. Cautiously, he edged out from behind his makeshift shield, heading slowly towards Harry.
"I'm Jake Lirretson. My father owns the island. Well, the part that you'll be excavating. He's up at the house right now, getting some last minute things done before you all arrive," he offered his hand first to Harry, then the others.
"I'm James Stagson. This is John Lawrence and Allison Marshall," Harry gestured to the other two.
"You guys better get what you can carry. While you're at it, get a pair of comfy shoes, if you don't already have any on," Jen said as she walked up to them. While they had been talking, she had gone to grab her knapsack. "We've got one heck of a trail to hike."
~*~
Harry and Ron were gasping for breath by the time they'd hiked to the top of the Hill. That's right - the Hill, Harry thought sourly. With a capital H.
"Come on, you two! We're almost there," Hermione and Jen were standing a ways in front of them, hands on their hips. Jake and Reeve had gone ahead, leaving Jen to navigate the trail for their slower companions.
"How much further?" Ron wheezed.
Jen rolled her eyes. "You boys are such babies. We just need to follow this trail a bit further."
The girls turned ahead and resumed chattering as Harry and Ron exchanged weary glances.
"I guess this'll teach us not to rely on Apparition so heavily," Harry remarked.
Smack!
"Oops, sorry John!" Jen called out. "Thought you'd caught that."
"Oh, I caught it, all right," Ron muttered, wincing as he rubbed his chest where a swinging branch had hit him.
Harry chuckled as they walked out of the clearing. "Hey, how much further did you say-"
As he stepped out of the clearing, the house came into view. It was just a small, cozy two story cottage with several smaller buildings scattered around it.
"Come on, you two! I'm anxious to get inside!" Hermione called out.
Harry and Ron exchanged glances again before hurrying to join up with the girls.
"It's about time!" Jake threw open the door just as they all stepped on the porch. "Come on, Dad's discussing things with Reeve. I'll show you to your rooms."
"Um, would it be all right if they had a sip of water first?" Jen suggested.
"I'll have something sent up," Jake replied, motioning for the group to follow.
As they walked through the house, Harry realized that there were more corridors and rooms then there should have been. It has to be magically enhanced, he realized. He made a mental note to mention it to Ron later.
"Guys, you will be staying in these rooms," Jake stopped and pointed at two doors across from each other.
"Blimey," Ron gasped as he walked into the closest room. There was a large bed, a walk-in closet, and a door on the far wall led to a spacious bathroom.
Ron couldn't remember ever seeing anything so, well...rich.
"If you boys are done ogling this room, Allison and I are going to find ours!" Jen called out. The boys barely answered, so she shrugged and followed the other two out to the hallway.
"Your rooms are in a separate part of this wing," Jake said as they climbed another set of stairs.
"Really?" said Jen, interested. She hadn't seen this part of the house before. Last time she was here, it had only been for a day. And that was spent hiking one of the nearby trails. That had been the day she'd knocked Jake into the river.
Jen grinned as the memory came rushing back.
Jake stopped to open a door at the end of the hallway, revealing another flight of stairs. "These steps lead directly to your rooms. They connect, so one of you will have to go through another door to reach your room."
Hermione and Jen exchanged glances.
"Jen, I expect you'll explain about the dinner times and general house rules?"
Jen nodded distractedly while looking towards the stairs.
"Good. I'm going to stop by the guys' rooms, make sure that they know how to get to the dining room and such. See you two at dinner," And with that, Jake was off.
"Well, shall we?" Hermione grabbed her bag, which she had propped along the wall.
"Sure," Jen agreed. "Lead the way."
~*~
"Can you believe it? Who dresses for dinner anymore?" Ron complained, scowling at his muggle dress clothes. He did NOT like wearing a tie. No sir. Ronald Weasley, wearing a tie?
Never again, he vowed.
"Come on, we'll be late," Harry replied. He was wearing the same thing as Ron - white dress shirt, black slacks, and, of course, the blasted tie.
"There you are," Hermione and Jen came down the hall towards them. We were just going to come get you."
"We can't be that late," Harry glanced at his watch in alarm. Thankfully, they still had about five minutes until dinner was served.
"Come on, John. Let's go," Harry started.
But Ron didn't move. His eyes were riveted to something in front of him.
Harry followed Ron's eyes to see them set on Hermione. Her face was a bright red, which contrasted sharply with the white muggle dress she wore.
Harry just shook his head and turned to Jennifer. He took in that she, in turn, was wearing a long black dress that had a slit up the side. Not bad, he mused.
Jennifer, oblivious to Harry's appreciative gaze, turned and began walking down the hall. "I'm starved. You three can just stay here all night, that's fine with me. Don't expect any midnight snacks."
Hermione, grateful for the excuse to leave, turned and followed Jen quickly down the hall. The girls immediately began chattering.
"Wow," Ron breathed.
Harry just shook his head and smirked. His friend was, to put it politely, whipped.
He'd be buggered if he let it happen to him. Not the Great Harry Potter. No, he refused to be tamed. Harry liked his independence just the way it was, thank you very much. He didn't need a woman to bog him down.
At least, that's what's he told himself.
~*~
After dinner, the entire team headed into the study for a polite round of drinks.
In other words, mission debriefing.
Mr. Lirretson (Jake's father and head of the expedition), had a glass of champagne. Harry and Hermione preferred red wine, while Jake, Reeve, and Ron accepted a glass of whiskey. (Just one, Allison! I promise that I won't drink anymore after that!)
Jen declined any alcohol, preferring a cup of tea instead.
"I suppose you're all wondering what's going on," Mr. Lirretson began. "First, I don't own the entire island - just this half. However, Mr. Stagson and Reeve seem to agree that what we're looking for is on this side."
The man paused. "One thing that I should tell you," he began. "My brother owns the other half. He doesn't appreciate trespassers, and won't hesitate to take matters into his own hands."
"Second, seventy-five percent of the proceeds will go to a local museum on the mainland. The remainder will be divided equally among us all."
"Now, let me tell you a bit about the island," Mr. Lirretson continued. He went on for a bit, telling about the basic history of the island.
"Um, dad?" Jake raised his hand. "I'm sure that's all very riveting, but it doesn't have anything to do with what we're after."
His father looked slightly disappointed before launching into the next part of the story.
"Very well then. To make a long story short, the "money pit," as it's popularly known, is estimated to be two hundred feet deep at this point. It's been protected by elaborate booby traps by whomever originally built it. I gave up the search years ago when one of my men died while trying to get to it."
The room was silent for a moment out of respect for Mr. Lirretson's fallen comrade.
"In the eighteen sixties," the team leader continued. "Miners who were digging for the treasure finally struck concrete. Thinking that they would have their treasure, they went to bed in anticipation of the wonders they'd find the next morning."
"What happened?" Hermione leaned forward.
"The miners awoke to find the tunnel flooded."
"Was it sea water?" Harry asked.
"Oddly, no. It was actually freshwater. Unfortunately, no one knows, to this day, where it comes from," Mr. Lirretson replied.
"Odd," Jen murmured.
"Of course, in recent years we have seen more modern technology. They have helped us to discover oak platforms that were buried every ten feet. From that point on, drill probes have discovered multiple levels of charcoal, putty, cement, and mud."
"Amazing," Hermione breathed.
Ron snorted. Only Hermione could be interested in different levels of dirt.
"What's down there?" he asked.
Mr. Lirretson smiled. "People have been asking that question for centuries, Mr. Lawrence. There are so many theories out there, that it's hard to make an educated guess anymore."
"Everything from Blackbeard's treasure to Shakespeare's original works," Reeve shook his head. "Makes me wonder where people are getting their ideas."
"Well, that explains it," Mr. Lirretson said. "Any more questions?"
"When do we get to go to the dig site?" Jen asked.
"Tomorrow," Reeve replied. "Be sure to dress for warm weather. Bring a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses, and whatever else you may need."
Mr. Lirretson glanced at his pocket watch "I'm going to retire for the evening. Jake, you need to begin your rounds among the staff."
Jake rose out of his seat. "Some of our staff live in small cottages around the house. I usually make rounds among them, making sure the locks are still safe, et cetera."
He drained his glass quickly before setting it on a tray. "Just put your glasses here for the night. I'll get them on my way in."
Jake then walked towards Jen.
"G'night," he said, giving her a quick peck on the cheek.
Harry didn't fail to notice, and was immediately irritated. Then he wondered why he was irritated. Then he wondered why he was wondering.
Reeve also excused himself, yawning as he exited the room.
That left Ron, Hermione, Harry, and Jen.
"So, tell me about yourselves," Jen broke the initial silence.
"We're from England," Harry began. "We decided to come here when a friend passed away. To carry on his mission, as you might say."
"That's honorable," Jen said kindly.
"Thank you," Harry replied.
"What about you? Why are you here?" Ron asked.
Jen rolled her eyes. "Besides the obvious?"
Ron stared blankly.
"I'm Reeve's assistant, remember?"
"Oh, that's right," Ron said. "I'd almost forgotten."
"Where are you from?" Hermione asked.
"Halifax. Reeve has his office set up there."
"But what about before that? You have the same accent that we do," Hermione pressed.
"Well, until my mid-teens, I lived in England," Jen replied.
"Why'd you move?" Ron asked.
Jen was quiet for a moment. "It was a rather... painful... experience for me. So if you don't mind, I'd rather not discuss it right now."
The subject was changed quickly when Ron announced that he was going to bed. He stood up, stretching, before walking over to where his fiancée sat.
Ron leaned down and whispered something in Hermione's ear that made them both turn pink before turning to climb the stairs.
That was when Jen noticed the ring on Hermione's hand.
"Are you two...?" Jen gestured between the direction Ron had gone and Hermione.
The girl nodded and blushed furiously before announcing that she,too, was going to bed.
"Who's - yours or Ron's?" Harry grinned as she headed up the stairs.
Hermione only turned to give him a look of shocked indignance before continuing up.
"Well, I guess I should go up too," Jen conceded. "I have to go through her room to get to mine."
"I've got a better idea," Harry replied.
"Really?" Jen threw him a questioning look.
Harry held up his hands. "No, it's not what you're thinking."
"Then what is it?" Jen asked.
Harry grinned as he pulled a muggle card deck out of his shirt pocket.
~*~
And now, for a few shout outs:
She Shoots, She Scores - You've put me on your favorites? Aw, shucks! You're an amazing person. I've really enjoyed talking to you in the past several days since Lamina's last update! Keep in touch!
GothQueen - I've already said it, and I'll say it again: you're awesome.
Rogue Angel - Yes, I know it's cruel, and I really am sorry. Hopefully, I'll get some work done in my off hours.
As for the rest of you, I'll get to you guys in the next chapter. Thanks for reading! Even more if you're reviewing! ;o)