Chapter 2- Dealing With the Enemy

Disclaimer: thanks to Christa- I must specify one point: I'm German and Spanish, and I've been learning English for about one year, so, although it's quite embarrassing, I don't know what quotation marks are, so I can only hope it's "".

And Vix- thanks for the compliment. I'll try to upload regularly.

PS: I apologize for the mistakes.

Harry Potter tenderly watched his wife, and thought once more how much he loved her. He remembered the day when they had met, in the Hogwarts Express, when he would never have thought the girl with the rabbit-like teeth and the grind-looks would ever be more than just a medium friend to him. Well, he had been wrong. First, Hermione had become one of his two best friends in the world, and they had become so close that they would have died for each other. Then, Harry had felt he was falling in love with her. He had asked her to marry him, and had thought a man couldn't be as blissful as he was when she had agreed. And now, he loved Hermione more than his life. More than anything.

He gently kissed her cheek without waking her up, he got dressed and then he went to work. He had become an Auror at the same time as Hermione, with nearly as good marks as her. They were worthy of each other, everybody said it. A marriage between the two had been expected for long, so it wasn't a surprise for anybody when they had received the invitation to the nuptials of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, both aged 21. Hermione's parents, Muggles, had not immediately agreed, because they thought Hermione was much too young to wed, but then they had agreed that there would never be a husband which would be better for their daughter than Harry Potter.

Hermione had never been as much as a beauty, but Harry hadn't been able of taking his eyes of her when she had walked towards the altar, towards him, like a vision of heaven, delicious in her simple but pretty white dress. A crown of white daisies had adorned her brow, and Harry kept in mind how one of the flowers had fallen down, and how he had picked it up and smelled its delicious perfume…

Suddenly, the ringing of his mobile phone tore him away from his day-dreams.

"Hello?"

"Hi Harry, this is Ron. How are you?"

"Fine, thanks. And you?"

"Alright. I just wanted to tell you you should send someone to catch this dangerous Death Eater we talked about yesterday."

"But Hermione did it yesterday."

"Herm? No, she missed him."

"Missed him? But she knew that new spell…"

"Well, I don't know, the fact is that she missed him but he fled before harming her."

"Oh. Right. I wonder why she hasn't told me, but never mind. Where has he been sighted last?"

"Well, your wife met him close to the Battersea Park, but he'll be far away now."

"Why, I won't go. It's Hermione's territory, so she should just send one of her disciples."

Ron agreed, and then hung up, leaving a surprised Harry with his thoughts.

The plan of catching the famous Death Eater had seemed infallible to him, and besides, Hermione was a skilled and experienced Auror, so how the hell had she managed to let him flee?

***

Hermione had always disliked make up, but this day, she felt the urge of putting on some mascara. When she had finished, she looked at her reflection in the mirror and smiled satisfied. She hadn't ever wanted to be especially beautiful either, she thought. It was strange she suddenly wanted to look well, but, instead of fighting this new push for, she put on her pretties clothes, black leather trousers, a red top and a black jacket. Then she combed her rebellious brown curls into a half-pony-tail. She looked different than usually, with her make up, her hairstyle and her nice clothes, but certainly better. Smiling, she walked down the stairs and was about to cross the street to take her car when she met Ginny Weasley, who lived quite close to the Potters.

"Hi, Hermione", the girl said.

Hermione smiled at her, in an excellent mood. She thought how pretty the youngest of the Weasleys had grown, at the opposite of her brother Ron, whose face was full of spots. Ginny's straight hair shone like fire in the sun, her white skin and her dark eyes made her look a bit like a modern version of Snow-white with red hair. She was dressed simply, but with good taste, wearing a short blue gown with thin suspenders.

"Hi, Ginny. Don't you think it's a bit too cold to wear such a dress?"

Ginny smirked and blinked maliciously.

"It's because of that new Auror who works in my office. He's so fucking gorgeous I'd like to kiss him right now."

Hermione laughed gently, and invited Ginny into her car, because she knew the young girl had no money to have one herself.

"You know, she said, we went out yesterday evening", Ginny went on. "Well, we didn't really, because actually we only went to search a book, but it was nice nevertheless. And he promised to repair my mobile phone and to give it back today."

Hermione smiled, but then she frowned suddenly.

"Hang on", she muttered. "Your mobile phone doesn't work?"

"No. For one week I've had to strive without it, and, believe me, I really miss it."

"Did you call me yesterday evening?"

"No. Why?"

"Because Mildred told me you had called me because you needed help with a Death Eater."

Ginny's nearly non-existent eyebrows arched with surprise.

"Really? Well, I didn't call. "

"That's weird. Well, perhaps she's confounded you with someone."

Ginny Weasley hunched her shoulders and continued telling her stories.

***

Harry sat down on his chair and stared at the crystal ball thanks to which the wizards communicated over a long distance and he sighed. He was already tired, and he hadn't even started working.

"Mr. Potter?"

Harry turned around surprised.

"Mildred? What are you doing here?"

" An urgency, Sir. We've heard the famous Death Eater is torturing people in Battersea."

"Mildred, I know he's there. But I guess I've repeated too many times it is not my territory. Send Mr. Shafer or Miss Parker."

Mildred Prebble shook her pretty head and replied:

"No, Sir. They're busy. And since Mrs. Potter is your wife I've thought you might go."

Harry groaned angrily but he got up and grabbed his wand, glancing at Mildred as if it was her fault. Then he vanished. Mildred smiled in a way no one had ever seen on her when he left, and then she walked away, her high heels making an irritating noise on the parquet.

***

Hermione sat down on her desk, slightly motivated thanks to Ginny, who had once more influenced her with her indestructible optimism.

"Life's beautiful, so why the hell should we use time complaining about it?" she used to say whenever Hermione told her of all she would criticize if ever she was allowed to talk to God (she didn't believe in God, but she protested anyway).

"Hi, Herm", said Ron, sitting down in front of her. "I don't understand how you can smile like this at half past seven a.m."

Ron's laughing brown eyes were encircled by dark rings, his hair was obviously uncombed, and he had put his trousers inside-out. She decided to annoy him a bit:

"Are you aware that your robes are in a state and you haven't brushed your hair?"

"And yet it still looks better than yours...", he joked, though her hair was lovely.

"Have you forgotten to drink your coffee today, dear?" she asked mellifluously. "Cappuccinos usually wake up even the most sluggish wizard. Oh, damn it! You're a case for the asylum, even a strong cappuccino would not wake you up correctly."

Ron smiled amusedly, but then his expression darkened all at once.

"Have you heard about this Death Eater who haunts Battersea? Oh, of course you are. You met him yesterday. He's good, isn't he?"

Hermione blushed suddenly, ashamed of not having caught him when she had had the opportunity.

"Well, he trapped me from behind; I couldn't do anything but let him go."

"Of course. I'm not criticizing you."

But it looked like he was; Hermione Potter couldn't help noticing it.

"What about a dinner tonight?" Ron proposed to cheer her up. "Stella has got a really fascinating new friend which I'd like to introduce to you and Harry. Oh, and Ginny and her new boyfriend could come to."

Stella was Ron's young wife, whom he had married directly after Hogwarts as a consequence of her unexpected pregnancy. She was a friendly but very shy and reserved plump young woman, whom both Harry and Hermione liked very much. Ron's and Stella's young son, Will, was now four years old, and a really adorable young boy, with his mother's light brown curls and his father's freckles.

"I'll ask Harry", Hermione answered, this thought angering her a bit (she hated depending from a man). "But I think it's alright."

"Fine. Then I'll tell Stella to cook something nice."

This notice was nearly useless, since Stella was an excellent cooker, and Hermione didn't understand how Ron could be so slim while living with her.

Hermione nodded tiredly and turned to her crystal ball, silently wondering whether she couldn't watch something more interesting than other Aurors while no one looked at her.

"Mrs. Potter! Mrs. Potter!"

Hermione sighed and turned around, already knowing it was Mildred.

"What-is-it?" she asked, trying to sound calm though she actually wanted to cut her throat of. ´

"Well, I just wanted to greet you, Mrs. Potter."

"Oh. Alright. Hello, Mildred."

"Oh, and I wanted to inform you that your husband has left this morning for Battersea, about half an hour ago, because he was chasing this famous Death Eater over there."

Mildred smiled stupidly and crossed her legs under her mini-skirt, and then looked at her red nails.

"Battersea?" Hermione repeated. "But it's my territory!"

"Yes, but you weren't here, and neither Miss Shafer not Mr. Parker were free, and so Mr. Potter had to go."

"Goodness", Hermione muttered while she got up nervously.

What was she worrying about? Harry could very well care of himself: he was a very talented wizard, and everybody knew he was the well-known child who survived, and this only made him an excellent reputation, not only among the good wizards. Even the Death Eaters were quite afraid of him.

But Draco… Nobody could frighten him. He would face Harry without blinking, and he was one of the rare persons that could really endanger Hermione's young husband. He could even kill him. Or else Harry could kill him.

Hermione shot up, convinced she had to protect Harry though he was an even better wizard than her.

"In the park?" she asked to a confused Mildred.

"Yes, Mrs. In the park."

"Tell Miss Shafer and Mr. Parker to go on with their work. I'll be right back."

"Alright, Mrs. Potter. Have a nice day."

Bitch, Hermione thought. How could I have a nice day?

Verifying that her wand was in her pocket, Hermione vanished, and immediately reappeared in the Battersea Park, where she had come the day before. It looked quite different by day, but she did not lose time contemplating it; instead, she pronounced the same spell as the day before, waiting for the shiny ball to lead her to Harry. And Draco.

But this time, the ball did not move an inch. It just stayed there, floating above her head, as if it didn't know where the two wizards were.

Damn it, Hermione thought. Where the hell are they?

A terrible thought struck her suddenly:

What if Harry's dead? What if Draco is dead?

She pushed it away furiously, and disappeared again, facing Mildred Prebble as she went back to the office.

"They're not in Battersea", she said.

"No? Well, that's weird."

"Maybe… maybe Harry has finished with the Death Eater. He surely has. Yeah, and that guy will be suffering in Azkaban by the time."

"Surely."

Mildred smiled again, but to Hermione, it looked like a cold smile, a smile which was not an incarnation of good temper and cheerfulness as usually, but a threatening. She stared at Mildred's pretty and well-known face, whom she had seen during so many years that she laughed about herself for having found something strange in her smile. She was dumb, that was all. There was nothing dangerous in her.

After the years of hunting Death Eaters, I'm becoming paranoiac, she thought.

***

Draco Malfoy repelled the spell Harry Potter had thrown on him as easily as if it were nothing but a hampering fly.

"Is this all you can offer, Potter? Living with a Mudblood has made you worse."

"Don't insult Hermione!" Harry shouted, pronouncing a paralyzing spell.

"Aww, does the famous Harry Potter have a crush? Perhaps his infatuation for his wife weakens him."

It was like he spitted the word "wife", but it wasn't clear whether it disgusted or angered him.

"Are you jealous, Ferret? I guess no woman would ever marry you."

"Well, I at least wouldn't humble myself marrying a mudblood."

"When will you learn something about humanity, Malfoy?"

"You mean weakness."

"You can't even understand it."

"No. That's why I'm such a great Death Eater while you've stayed a simple Auror. A famous one, but nothing special otherwise. And that's why I'm actually dating all the girls I want while you are miserably married to a mudblood."

Draco laughed cruelly, and threw a spell on Harry which missed him.

That's enough, Harry thought. He's going to far. Never mind our common past, I'm going to erase him from the world of the livings.

"Let's see if you can deal with that, Ferret", he said, and then pronounced the most frightening spell that had ever crossed his lips. "Avada Kedavra!"

As sparks coming from Harry's wand lit up the street, Draco's steel-gray eyes widened of fear for a moment, but then he began murmuring to stop the spell. He was seeing he would never get enough strength when suddenly, a scream interrupted Harry.

"No!"

Harry shot around and faced the pretty young woman that threw herself to his feet and grabbed his wand.

"Don't do it", she said. "Please."

"Hermione?" Harry stared at his wife and helped her up. "What the hell…?"

"I'm sorry, Harry. But please don't kill him. He's a human, after all."

"He's a Death Eater!"

"Paralyze him."

"Uhm, I'm sorry to interrupt this really moving conversation", Draco said, "But I don't need your pity, mudblood. I've got enough dignity to care of my own safety, thank you."

Hermione looked at Draco, and wondered why the evils always looked so good. He was gorgeous, she had to admit it, but that definitely wasn't going to stop her to give him his deserved punishment. Death was too much, but he should suffer in Azkaban for a while.

Draco smiled to her, and then he vanished suddenly.

"Herm!" Harry said. "Why the hell did you have to

meddle in?"

She couldn't reply. She didn't know it herself. Why did she have to interfere in? Draco was a big, fat fucking bastard. Well, he wasn't fat. He was slim and muscled. Oh, but he was a bastard anyway.