A/N- Well hello again, everyone. Sorry this chapter took so damn long. I've been amazed by the love this story is getting, so I'm going to do my best to be a bit more consistent with the updates moving forward. Anyways, here's chapter 5. As always reviews are appreciated!

Part 1: The Return

Chapter 5:

July 8th, 1995

To say Lucius Malfoy was displeased would be an understatement. Currently, the Lord of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Malfoy was standing in his lavish study in his home in Wiltshire, downing what must have been his third glass of Odgen's Finest in one gulp. The blonde man grimaced at the burn of the alcohol going down his throat, but it did little to quell his anger.

Frowning, Lucius poured himself another glass. He took it with him as he stepped away from the ornate cabinet that held his finest liquor and strode over to the window, swirling it absentmindedly as he started out at the dark sky. It was just before dawn, but one could hardly tell. The light rain of the early evening had quickly risen into a maelstrom overnight, and now rain fell in heavy sheets outside, the windowpanes rattling against the onslaught.

Three days. When the sun rose, it would mark three days since the disaster in Diagon Alley.

Lucius had no idea whom among the faithful had given those two buffoons orders to go there in the first place, and in full Death Eater regalia no less! Worse yet, they had tried to attack in broad daylight! The only thing in this whole situation that worked to their advantage was that neither of them had been marked. If they had, then the Dark Lord's return would've been exposed, and their careful planning over the last few months would have been undone. Had that happened, Lucius had no doubts that, as the Dark Lord's lieutenant, he would be dead.

Closing his eyes, Lucius took a deep, shaky breath to calm himself. The more he thought about it, the more his anger began to be supplanted by fear. If he didn't deliver the culprit soon…

The blessed silence of the morning was broken by the sound of the fireplace roaring up behind him, bathing the room in green light momentarily before fading back to normal. Lucius's blood froze, and despite himself he started trembling slightly. Outside of his himself, his wife, and his son only one living being could floo directly into Malfoy Manor. He'd run out of time.

The being behind him moved confidently and fluidly. The creature, for it could no longer be called a man, barely made a sound as it crossed the large room to stand just behind Lucius, the only indication of it's movements was the soft flapping of the black robes it garbed itself in and the light slap of bare feet on the ornate floors. When it spoke, its voice was madness itself. Instead of one voice, it sounded like many speaking all at once in different pitches and timbers, ranging from whispers to screams.

"Lucius." It said softly.

"My L-lord." Lucius said shakily. Swallowing thickly, he turned, bowing lowly as he did so. He didn't dare meet its eyes for fear of the retribution he knew was likely to be coming.

"I gave you a task, Lucius." Voldemort said. "Have you discovered whom among us defied me?"

"N-no my Lord." Lucius said after hesitating for a moment, still bowing. A monstrous growl from the monster before him made him clench his eyes shut in fear. He started sweating.

"Stand up, Lucius!" Voldemort said savagely. Lucius straightened and meet his lords gaze. Voldemort began to move, walking in a slow circle around Lucius. "Why do you tremble before me, Lucius?" He asked. Lucius hadn't failed to notice the wand in his masters hand. "Do you fear me?"

"Yes, my Lord." Lucius said, knowing far better than to lie to his master. Quick as lightening Voldemort was in front of him again, his face mere inches from his own, red eyes glowing like jewels from the pits of hell.

"As you should!" Voldemort said venomously. He stood there for just a few seconds more, studying him, but to Lucius it felt like an eternity. Finally he moved away, the slits on his face flaring as he took in a deep breath. He turned from Lucius, striding over to the large desk and lingering there for a moment before speaking again. "You may relax, my old friend. I shall not harm you." He said, his left hand fingering the tip of his wand idly as he turned back to Lucius.

"T-thank you, my Lord." Lucius said quietly. Voldemort's words allowed him to unclench, if only a bit.

"I AM disappointed." He said, the serpentine pupils in his red eyes narrowing. "You still have much work to do to regain my trust, Lucius. And this oversight nearly cost us dearly. You are fully aware of our plans for the winter."

"Yes my Lord."

"Then find the one responsible, Lucius. Today. I want the punishment for acting without my approval to be swift and decisive. The only reason I haven't done so myself is my desire to remain hidden for the time being." Voldemort said, striding over to the fireplace. He grabbed a handful of powder and threw it into the fire. "If I am forced to become further involved, I will hold YOU responsible, Lucius."

And with that, The Dark Lord stepped into the flames and vanished with the sound of a roaring inferno.

Lucius couldn't move, he could only stare at the fireplace, willing his fear to leave him. His normally regal face split into a snarl, and with a cry of rage he threw the cracked glass in his hand at the mantle.

The low fire roared up from the alcohol, painting the room with light and shadows before dimming back down to almost nothing, leaving Lucius standing alone in the dark.

"Try harder, Harry!"

"I am, Hermione." Harry muttered angrily. Currently he stood in the middle of an open field, a light breeze playing in his dark hair. A light sheen of sweat coated his forehead, both from the midday sun beating down on them and from the exertion.

Currently the two were in wales, along the coastline near Pembrokeshire. The field in which they were currently standing was near the edge of the boundaries of the Potter family estate. Roughly two hundred yards ahead of them were the cliffs wales was known for. They could smell the salt of the sea and hear the dull roar of the ocean. To their left was more open field, and to their right and behind them was a patch of forest cultivated specifically for the property. Behind them and up the hill was the Manor: a stately and sprawling, albeit slightly run down tudor house. The two had come there not long after the incident in Diagon Alley, and despite Hermione having to regularly pop out to keep up appearances with her parents, they had spent almost all of their time there.

Hermione was standing some twenty yards away, arms crossed over her chest as she watched him. Her expression was one of irritation, not necessarily at Harry but at the situation.

Harry took a deep breath, trying to ease his own growing frustration. They had been at this for hours but had nothing to show for it. So far, neither of them had been able to tap into the power that they'd used three days prior to defend themselves from those two Death Eaters. The first two days they spent regrouping, coping with what happened, and making sure none of their other plans hadn't been compromised. Today though, Hermione was determined for them to get moving again, and her first order of business was to begin training to control their new abilities. Now here they stood, taking turns drawing on their magic and trying to summon their new powers to the surface.

"Perhaps its tied to emotions." Hermione muttered to herself. "Harry!" She called over to him. He glanced over at her; his irritation obvious on his face. Hermione frowned but tried not to take it personally. They were practically baking in the summer sun, so it didn't surprise her. Shaking her head, she grabbed a bottle of water and went over to him. "I think it may be an emotional response. Try drawing on your magic and then concentrating on what you were feeling each time." She said as she handed him the bottle. Harry took it and downed half of it in a few gulps, making her smile. "Better?"

"Much." Harry said. He stood there a moment, running her advise through his mind. It was true that both times he'd drawn on his new powers he'd been under extreme stress. Vernon had attacked Hermione the first time, and the second time Hermione had been grabbed by that Death Eaters.

Hermione turned and went back to her previous spot, watching him intently.

Harry closed his eyes and stood still for several moments, breathing deeply to calm himself. He focused on the fear and anger he'd felt in those moments. Fear of loosing Hermione. Anger towards her attackers. As those feeling coursed through him, he felt something shift in the magic within him.

When his green eyes finally opened, they were glowing with power. From her position Hermione felt the air around them shift slightly before a pulse issued from Harry's body like a small shockwave. Magic poured from within him thickening the air around them and pressing against her. For a brief moment it felt like she'd been plunged deep underwater. So strong was it that Hermione had to release a bit of her own magic just to be able to withstand his presence.

She straightened back up, gaping at Harry with unconcealed wonder. This was the most powerful magical presence she'd ever felt!

Harry himself couldn't believe he had this much power at his command, but he could feel more coming. Focusing his emotions, he drew even deeper. Hermione watched in astonishment as Harry's magic changed around her. It went from being oppressive to down right raging. Even though she couldn't see it, she could feel the difference as darkness began to intermingle with and distort Harry's magical signature. The temperature dropped slightly, and when she met Harry's eyes his right was once again crimson.

"YOU DID IT!" Hermione yelled, grinning at him. Harry grinned back at her before extending his arm towards her. Before she could speak Hermione was lifted off the ground by some unseen force and floated over to Harry. She touched down softly next to him, as he took her hand in his. Hermione met his gaze, not the slightest bit of fear evident on her face. "How does it feel?" She asked. "Can you maintain it?"

"I think so." Harry said, his voice rough with concentration.

"Try using it!" Hermione urged.

For a moment Harry just looked at her, and Hermione felt a strange sense of being drawn in emanating from his right eyes. Suddenly the world around them changed. Hermione stepped back with a gasp as they were enveloped in shadows, as if the sun had suddenly vanished.

From behind her she heard a noise that confused her briefly. It was like… wings… fluttering wings. She turned quickly, but whatever had been there was gone. Only a few black feathers floating to the ground left in its wake.

A loud caw from her left made her spin again, and this time she could see the source clearly. Hermione's jaw fell.

"My god…" She whispered softly, fear finally finding her.

She was surrounded by a flock of crows. They all started calling now, wings flapping as the took flight from all around her. The roar of their wings filled her ears, the sound of their calls so loud her eardrums hurt from the sheer noise of it all. Heart pounding, she opened her mouth to scream but no noise would come out.

All at once, it was over.

Light returned, the crows were gone, and Harry was back. In fact, she was still exactly where she'd been, his arm around her midsection. She met his gaze and was shocked to see the red color receding from his eye. He was grinning wickedly.

"You can cast illusions!"

"Seems that way." Harry said. He stopped down and kissed her soundly. Hermione felt the heavy presence of his magic receding. When he pulled back from her, he was still smiling. "Your turn." He said cheekily. He stepped back, giving her space.

Hermione looked ahead, a look of great determination on her face as she reached for her own magic. She wouldn't let Harry have all the limelight!

Over an hour later, her determination was spent. It was now replaced by anger.

"GOD DAMMIT!" She yelled, stomping her foot in frustration.

Harry simply shook his head in exasperation. Hermione always got like this when there was a problem she couldn't solve. She was the most singularly focused person he'd ever met, but sometimes her powerful mind was her own worst enemy. When she was faced with a situation that couldn't be solved with research or study, she was prone to lashing out.

"Take a break, Hermione." Harry called over to her. He instantly regretted his choice of words.

"I DON'T need a BREAK! I NEED to figure this out!" She bit out. Harry's frown at her made her calm down. Sighing, she turned to him. "Sorry love, I just don't understand what I'm doing wrong. I'm doing the same thing you did!" She said, brushing her damp hair from her face as she spoke.

"Maybe you access your powers differently? Like not through emotions?" He suggested. Hermione looked thunderstruck.

"Oh gosh, sometimes I just…" She began, smacking the side of her head in irritation. "Of course it'll be different! You and I both have distinct personalities. You are very emotionally driven, so it makes sense for your power to come from your emotions! I on the other hand, am logical and try to think things through before I act." She rambled, pacing back and forth a bit. Harry grinned at her, and she smiled back as her brain went into overdrive once again. "I think I've got it now, let's just…" She said, stopping and holding out her left hand and focusing on a nearby tree.

For a moment nothing happened, then Harry felt her magic wash over him just as she had felt his. A moment later he felt the same shift, and if he'd been able to see Hermione's face, he'd see the same blank expression the Death Eater had seen three days prior. Giving in to his curiosity, Harry closed his eyes and drew on his own magic, feeling it pooling it his right eye. Instead of opening both eyes, he only opened his right, and was astonished at what he saw.

The light breeze around them picked up, growing more and more intense until the wind was ragging as if a storm had descended upon them. A moment later all of the wind shifted towards the tree, roaring across the small field. The tree bowed under the assault, and a second later several limbs flew off of it, severed by an invisibly blade.

Just as it had with Harry's power, it was over almost instantly. The raging winds were once again a gentle breeze, the only indication of what had happened was the rustling of the grass and the leaves in the trees as with wind died down.

Curiously, Hermione's power didn't retract.

Harry opened his mouth to speak, but Hermione cut him off.

"I think…" She said softly, stepping forward a bit, her arm still raised. "I think I can…"

She focused hard on the tree, despite the distance between them. They both watched in awe as Hermione channeled her magic. From the severed stumps where the limbs had been removed, new growth was beginning. Small saplings at first, barely the size of a pod, then larger and larger until the branches were nearly half regrown. Suddenly Hermione's magic retracted, and the growth stopped.

"Too much…" She said hoarsely, swaying on her feet. Harry was there in an instant, catching her as she fell over. He sank down to his knees, supporting the exhausted witch. She smiled tiredly at him.

"Hermione that was incredible!" Harry said. "What was that? At the end?"

Hermione took a moment to catch her breath before she answered.

"I can use elemental magic." She said. "I think, with some practice of course, that I'll be able to do even more."

"You made that tree grow, Hermione. That was brilliant."

"Why is your eye red again, Harry?" She asked, finally noticing it.

"Oh, I had the idea to activate it while you were using your abilities. See how it reacted."

"Well?"

"Hermione," Harry began, gazing at her intently as he spoke. "I could see your magic."

"Of course you could Harry, we both saw what happened."

No Hermione." He said. "I could SEE your magic. The energy itself. I could see it moving through you and the air around you. It was incredible."

Hermione open her mouth to speak but winced suddenly as if she'd been struck. Groaning she jumped up quickly, pulling Harry up with her.

"C'mon Harry we have to go right now."

"What is it?" Harry asked, his eyes narrowing.

"An alarm spell I put on my house. Somebody just apparated there." Hermione said, her voice betraying her fear.