CHAPTER 5 Pestering Paparazzi and Strange Visitors
As they rushed out of the café, Harry's grabbed Hermione's wrist, pulling her along, as witches and wizards ran towards them, cameras in hand and quick quotes quills at the ready. They came rushing up to Harry and Hermione, holding quills and shouting at them, obstructing the way through.
"Harry Potter, Harry Potter, could we have a quick interview with you for a second", one witch shouted out, holding out her quick quotes quill to start taking notes.
"Mr Potter, could you please tell us about your little lunch with Miss Granger here?" another witch asked.
"Mr Potter, are you an item now, because our readers would really like to know about our favourite bachelor who defeated the dark lord", a wizard asked, while another flash of a camera went off.
"Miss Granger, any wedding plans yet?"
"Mr Potter, will there be anymore dates in the near future?"
"Miss Granger?"
"Mr Potter?"
"Mr Potter what do you have to say about being caught during such an intimate lunch?"
"No comment", Harry replied gripping Hermione's wrist tighter and pulling her through the crowd. The two Ministry wizards were waiting for them and they quickly made it out of the crowd and Apparated back to the Ministry Atrium. Quickly they rushed down to the Department of Mysteries levels and made their way to Hermione's small library/office. As Hermione searched through the hidden compartments, she indeed could not find the book and concluded, after half an hour of thorough searching and questioning of her work colleagues, the book was indeed stolen.
"Oh god this is terrible. Jesus what are we going to do?" Hermione asked becoming panicky. "Oh god Mr Hodgkins is going to kill me", she added her voice turning rather shrilly.
"Don't worry Hermione", Harry said soothingly. "It could only have been stolen by a Ministry official or someone who has contacts in the Department of Mysteries. It isn't that many people and they can be traced down quickly enough. We will find the book, plus the Ministry does have a security system similar to that of muggles".
"I know, I know", Hermione said taking deep breaths and calming her erratic breathing. "Its just I'm about to get a promotion soon and losing probably the most powerful book while it was under my watch the first day, doesn't sound too good".
"Come sit down Hermione", Harry said leading her to a chair. "I'll get some of my men onto it, no problem. We will have the book back soon enough. Plus since I'm the head of this investigation, it is still my responsibility".
"I know", Hermione replied smiling at Harry.
"I just want to know who did it and how?"
"Don't we all?" Harry chuckled.
"The Department of mysteries is very well guarded with many charms and curses and the revolving door room is rather off putting, unless you had your wand configured to show you the right door. Something like this would have taken months".
"Well I think it was the same dark wizards group that I got the book off. Seems the only plausible explanation, but how they could have planned to steal it from the Department of mysteries, when I only recovered the book last night. I really don't know. There's more too all of this and I want to know what", Harry said musing.
"The only thing that I can think of, is that it was planned", Hermione said thinking hard.
"But that would mean our raid on the warehouse was set up. This certainly complicates things. Hermione I could really do with your expertise and know how on this case".
"Sure no thing Harry. Since I'm involved now, I'll be only too happy to help", Hermione replied getting up and shuffling through some papers.
"Good, I'll have a talk with Mr Hodgkins, explain the situation and I'll get him to drop your other cases for the moment. We need your full attention", Harry said feeling happier already. "I suppose I had better talk to him now, no point delaying the inevitable", Harry said smiling sheepishly. Obviously Mr Hodgkins reputation for having a temper had reached Auror headquarters.
"Oh and Harry?" Hermione asked as Harry turned around in the doorframe to look at her. "Thank you, especially for the lunch. Even if those pesky journalists spoilt the end. It was very nice".
"Sure no problem, and we'll see exactly how bad it will get with the paparazzi tomorrow morning, when they print whatever new article they wrote about my latest flame or catch", Harry said grinning. Hermione smiled back and he left her office that could be mistaken for a very untidy library. It wasn't even an office, Hermione certainly didn't know exactly what it was, so she just called it her Den.
***************************************
Hermione awoke the next morning, bright and early as usual, to a bleak sun shining into her upstairs bedroom. She should really have gotten new curtains for they were the colour of cream and very thin. Every morning, even when Hermione wanted a rare lie-in, the sun would shine through the thin curtains and wake her up without fail. She stretched and got out of bed, almost springing out of bed, for today was a new day and she was in a happy mood. She was finally working on another case with Harry, which should be fun, he was taking her out to dinner that night to tell her all about the Weasley family dinner party, though Hermione really didn't want to know about that. That was at least what she told him, but deep down, she wanted to know how her ex boyfriend and first love was doing right now, whether he had another girlfriend, yes she had heard about the other ones, and whether he was okay. She reasoned with herself it was only because she really cared for the Weasley family and still regretted not staying in touch with them after the fight and break-up, but deep down she could not be fooled. When it came to Ron Weasley she would have a soft spot and she reckoned it would never go away. She supposed it was because he touched her heart. Hermione quickly pulled on a bathrobe and made her way into the hall and onto the bathroom, stopping only briefly to collect towels, to have a good shower. After the shower, with her bathrobe on once more, and her wet hair hanging down to almost her waist, she walked to the front door and checked for mail. None today, she sighed as she went over to her owl's cage to see if Daniel her grey owl had returned with some mail. But his cage was empty. She opened the window a little wider for him and proceeded onto the kitchen, with an older and arthritis ridden Crookshanks. His coat had dulled and grey hairs could be seem quite clearly and he was not as energetic as he used to be. Hermione had no idea how old he was, the woman who sold him to Hermione, had not told her how old he was.
"Come on Crookshanks", Hermione said walking to the fridge and taking out a tin of cat food, serving some into his bowl and pouring more water into his water bowl. She stroked him a few times, while he ate and went to make herself a cup of tea. Since her wand was still lying on her bedside table, she decided to do it the muggle way, filling the kettle with fresh water. She made herself some cereal as she waited for the water to boil as she stared out of the window of her seventh storey apartment in south London. She spotted the London Eye in the distance, Big Ben being only remotely visible and the Thames, or rather its bridges in the distance. When the kettle stopped boiling she made her cup of tea, taking it upstairs as she went to change.
Ten minutes later she was ready, finishing off her cereal and stroking Crookshanks once more, before locking the door and Apparating to work.
She finally sat down in her chair behind her desk as she stretched her legs. It was only half past nine and she already had to run after three people whom she needed work off, had to track down Harry, only to find out he would be in later and had an argument with Mr Hodgkins about her closed case on the repeating prophecies. She sighed before sitting up straight in her seat and taking off her boots, she should never have worn to heels, and stretching out her feet. She sighed once more, but was interrupted when a secretary came rushing in, looking rather nervous.
"Miss Granger. There is a Miss Weasley in the Atrium waiting for you and it seems urgent. She got extremely mad when I told her she wasn't allowed into the department of Mysteries. I think you had better hurry she seems very angry", she said nervously.
"Very well Betty", Hermione said sighing as she put her boots on once more and left her Den. As the elevator travelled upwards she wondered why Ginny, all of a sudden wanted to talk to her so urgently. After all the two hadn't talked since Hermione broke up with Ron three years earlier. This was most strange.
As they rushed out of the café, Harry's grabbed Hermione's wrist, pulling her along, as witches and wizards ran towards them, cameras in hand and quick quotes quills at the ready. They came rushing up to Harry and Hermione, holding quills and shouting at them, obstructing the way through.
"Harry Potter, Harry Potter, could we have a quick interview with you for a second", one witch shouted out, holding out her quick quotes quill to start taking notes.
"Mr Potter, could you please tell us about your little lunch with Miss Granger here?" another witch asked.
"Mr Potter, are you an item now, because our readers would really like to know about our favourite bachelor who defeated the dark lord", a wizard asked, while another flash of a camera went off.
"Miss Granger, any wedding plans yet?"
"Mr Potter, will there be anymore dates in the near future?"
"Miss Granger?"
"Mr Potter?"
"Mr Potter what do you have to say about being caught during such an intimate lunch?"
"No comment", Harry replied gripping Hermione's wrist tighter and pulling her through the crowd. The two Ministry wizards were waiting for them and they quickly made it out of the crowd and Apparated back to the Ministry Atrium. Quickly they rushed down to the Department of Mysteries levels and made their way to Hermione's small library/office. As Hermione searched through the hidden compartments, she indeed could not find the book and concluded, after half an hour of thorough searching and questioning of her work colleagues, the book was indeed stolen.
"Oh god this is terrible. Jesus what are we going to do?" Hermione asked becoming panicky. "Oh god Mr Hodgkins is going to kill me", she added her voice turning rather shrilly.
"Don't worry Hermione", Harry said soothingly. "It could only have been stolen by a Ministry official or someone who has contacts in the Department of Mysteries. It isn't that many people and they can be traced down quickly enough. We will find the book, plus the Ministry does have a security system similar to that of muggles".
"I know, I know", Hermione said taking deep breaths and calming her erratic breathing. "Its just I'm about to get a promotion soon and losing probably the most powerful book while it was under my watch the first day, doesn't sound too good".
"Come sit down Hermione", Harry said leading her to a chair. "I'll get some of my men onto it, no problem. We will have the book back soon enough. Plus since I'm the head of this investigation, it is still my responsibility".
"I know", Hermione replied smiling at Harry.
"I just want to know who did it and how?"
"Don't we all?" Harry chuckled.
"The Department of mysteries is very well guarded with many charms and curses and the revolving door room is rather off putting, unless you had your wand configured to show you the right door. Something like this would have taken months".
"Well I think it was the same dark wizards group that I got the book off. Seems the only plausible explanation, but how they could have planned to steal it from the Department of mysteries, when I only recovered the book last night. I really don't know. There's more too all of this and I want to know what", Harry said musing.
"The only thing that I can think of, is that it was planned", Hermione said thinking hard.
"But that would mean our raid on the warehouse was set up. This certainly complicates things. Hermione I could really do with your expertise and know how on this case".
"Sure no thing Harry. Since I'm involved now, I'll be only too happy to help", Hermione replied getting up and shuffling through some papers.
"Good, I'll have a talk with Mr Hodgkins, explain the situation and I'll get him to drop your other cases for the moment. We need your full attention", Harry said feeling happier already. "I suppose I had better talk to him now, no point delaying the inevitable", Harry said smiling sheepishly. Obviously Mr Hodgkins reputation for having a temper had reached Auror headquarters.
"Oh and Harry?" Hermione asked as Harry turned around in the doorframe to look at her. "Thank you, especially for the lunch. Even if those pesky journalists spoilt the end. It was very nice".
"Sure no problem, and we'll see exactly how bad it will get with the paparazzi tomorrow morning, when they print whatever new article they wrote about my latest flame or catch", Harry said grinning. Hermione smiled back and he left her office that could be mistaken for a very untidy library. It wasn't even an office, Hermione certainly didn't know exactly what it was, so she just called it her Den.
***************************************
Hermione awoke the next morning, bright and early as usual, to a bleak sun shining into her upstairs bedroom. She should really have gotten new curtains for they were the colour of cream and very thin. Every morning, even when Hermione wanted a rare lie-in, the sun would shine through the thin curtains and wake her up without fail. She stretched and got out of bed, almost springing out of bed, for today was a new day and she was in a happy mood. She was finally working on another case with Harry, which should be fun, he was taking her out to dinner that night to tell her all about the Weasley family dinner party, though Hermione really didn't want to know about that. That was at least what she told him, but deep down, she wanted to know how her ex boyfriend and first love was doing right now, whether he had another girlfriend, yes she had heard about the other ones, and whether he was okay. She reasoned with herself it was only because she really cared for the Weasley family and still regretted not staying in touch with them after the fight and break-up, but deep down she could not be fooled. When it came to Ron Weasley she would have a soft spot and she reckoned it would never go away. She supposed it was because he touched her heart. Hermione quickly pulled on a bathrobe and made her way into the hall and onto the bathroom, stopping only briefly to collect towels, to have a good shower. After the shower, with her bathrobe on once more, and her wet hair hanging down to almost her waist, she walked to the front door and checked for mail. None today, she sighed as she went over to her owl's cage to see if Daniel her grey owl had returned with some mail. But his cage was empty. She opened the window a little wider for him and proceeded onto the kitchen, with an older and arthritis ridden Crookshanks. His coat had dulled and grey hairs could be seem quite clearly and he was not as energetic as he used to be. Hermione had no idea how old he was, the woman who sold him to Hermione, had not told her how old he was.
"Come on Crookshanks", Hermione said walking to the fridge and taking out a tin of cat food, serving some into his bowl and pouring more water into his water bowl. She stroked him a few times, while he ate and went to make herself a cup of tea. Since her wand was still lying on her bedside table, she decided to do it the muggle way, filling the kettle with fresh water. She made herself some cereal as she waited for the water to boil as she stared out of the window of her seventh storey apartment in south London. She spotted the London Eye in the distance, Big Ben being only remotely visible and the Thames, or rather its bridges in the distance. When the kettle stopped boiling she made her cup of tea, taking it upstairs as she went to change.
Ten minutes later she was ready, finishing off her cereal and stroking Crookshanks once more, before locking the door and Apparating to work.
She finally sat down in her chair behind her desk as she stretched her legs. It was only half past nine and she already had to run after three people whom she needed work off, had to track down Harry, only to find out he would be in later and had an argument with Mr Hodgkins about her closed case on the repeating prophecies. She sighed before sitting up straight in her seat and taking off her boots, she should never have worn to heels, and stretching out her feet. She sighed once more, but was interrupted when a secretary came rushing in, looking rather nervous.
"Miss Granger. There is a Miss Weasley in the Atrium waiting for you and it seems urgent. She got extremely mad when I told her she wasn't allowed into the department of Mysteries. I think you had better hurry she seems very angry", she said nervously.
"Very well Betty", Hermione said sighing as she put her boots on once more and left her Den. As the elevator travelled upwards she wondered why Ginny, all of a sudden wanted to talk to her so urgently. After all the two hadn't talked since Hermione broke up with Ron three years earlier. This was most strange.
