Authors Notes: Insert the next chapter! Read now! xD

'Dirty Work'

The Hero's Return

Did he just call out to her? Did that thing just say, "Hello, Hermione?" Impossible. Hermione blinked again. And again. This could not have been what she was really seeing. She was so unsure of whether or not to answer. This thing could not have been Harry. Her dead Harry. This one was... alive. Breathing, smiling... walking towards her.

"It's you," the figure told her, with wide open arms, with so much happiness in his voice. And could it be? Were those green eyes watery?

Hermione couldn't help it. She backed away. "Who are you?" she asked, with a nervousness in her voice. The figure stopped dead in his tracks. Was it possible that he seemed hurt at her tone? Why was she acting like this?

"You know who I am," he told her softly, as he began walking towards her again. She took another step backwards.

"You can't b-be... you're not... real." she insisted, not knowing whether she wanted to believe it or not.

He laughed softly. Hermione gasped. She loved hearing Harry laugh. It was one of her most favourite noises in the world. His bark, but gentle chuckle. It was just like his. An exact imitation. Hermione was beginning to think... this really was her Hary. But how? Why? He can't have just... come back from the dead.

"I am real," he said to her with a great, convincing tone, "and I'm alive." he said, as he gave her a warm hug. She did not return it. She was more confused and surprised than happy at the moment. How could this have happened?

Instead of returning his hug, she pulled away, and held him out in her arms. Slowly, she ran a few fingers through his raven black hair. She fingered the glasses that were perfectly rounded and unbroken. She traced his smooth and unscatched cheeks, and finally, used two fingers to touch his lips... pale and soft. This was her Harry. It was.

"...Harry," she said, as if trying to convince herself it was him. Everything she touched, everything she felt that was his, were all real. There was no denying it anymore. This man was truly real. "Harry!" Hermione blurted, all the while trying to stop herself from crying. She pulled him in, and hugged him, kissing both his cheeks and neck. She held him, running hands down his back, and through his hair. This was him.

"Hermione," he said, through tears of happiness. "Oh Hermione..." Harry continued, as he smiled at her. "I'm so glad... I'm so glad to see you, you have no idea. I've missed you so much all these months. I've needed you so bad..." he pulled her in for another hug. Hermione truly could not believe it.

"You're here..." she said, breathless. "You really are... oh my goodness, Harry, it's you..." she continued, without so much as inhaling properly. "You're alive!" She said, with great surprise. It's as if she had not noticed this at all. "How?" she asked, through the tears that were streaming down her face.

"I'll tell you," he said, bringing her over to a bench that was to the side of the cemetery. Hermione almost forgot where she was. He sat her down and gave her one long hug. They held each other, as if they've never seen each other before. The scene, had one been there, was heart warming.

"I'll tell you everything," he said, once he sat himself down, "When we get back to the flat." Hermione looked up to him in surprise. Their flat. She had almost forgotten they had shared it before he was... "killed." Nodding quickly, she took him by the hand and began running towards the funeral home.

"Hermione," he said, with the laugh that she loved, "we're not going to be running there. I don't want to start a riot once everyone see's me. Let's apparate," he said, all the while chuckling. Hermione couldn't believe it. Already they were laughing together? And she had just found out her boyfriend was back from the "dead?"

"Of course," she said, nodding vigorously. She took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers. They stood side by side, smiling at the other. And in a flash, they had apparated away together.

As the two arrived in Hermione's flat, she settled him down on her couch, and bustled around, making coffee and giving him all the food and desserts she had in her fridge. He was laughing, teasing her as she made a fuss out of his appearance, and even tried cleaning up a little. She had so quickly forgotten that he was about to explain to her why he was still alive.

After Harry got her to calm down, and to stop shaking (which wasn't very good, as she spilled her coffee everywhere), he steered her over to her couch, and told her to relax. "I'm fine, Hermione," he consoled to her, as she fussed about his pale face and his weight. "I was just about to explain things to you, remember? I thought you wanted me too?"

"Of course I d - !"

"Then let me explain," he said to her with a smile. She went quiet. And then began babbling again. "How are you alive?" Hermione blurted once she sat down. "Why are you alive? We thought you'd been killed - !"

"Fortunately, that wasn't the case," he said, squeezing her hands as he spoke. He stroked her hair for a moment, as if he hadn't felt something so soft in years. He pressed a kiss to her lips, and pulled away. Hermione had not even the chance to kiss him back, before he began explaining to her once more. "Don't make a fuss, Hermione, really. Just let me explain." Again, her mouth went shut. As if re-telling a traumatic attack, he took a deep breath.

"Do you remember, Hermione, when people told you that I was on the top of the hill, holding Voldemort's wand?" She nodded vigourously.

"And that a death eater, who we thought was dead, used the killing curse on me?" Again, she nodded. "Then they said that I had died." Hermione looked down sadly. Harry held Hermione's chin, and brought her face up, and smiled at her. "It's okay," he whispered kindly. Hermione smiled weakly.

"Obviously," he began again, while standing up, and pacing the room, "I hadn't. The green light that flashed throughout the area blinded people from what really happened. " Hermione's ears perked up as he got to explain the mystery of his disappearance.

"Before the curse hit me, I protected myself using the shielding charm. It was strong enough for the curse to protect me, and bounce back to the death eater who said the curse, but it wasn't strong enough to stop the force of the blow from making me topple down the other side of the hill."

"The death eater, as I presume, died once the curse got reflected back to him. I don't think anyone noticed that, as they all went into chaos when they didn't find my body. I think the rumours were that the curse was so strong it completely destroyed me from the earth completely, leaving nothing of my body behind. The other one, where it said that my body rolled down the hill, and the death eater's didn't give it back, I think was almost accurate."

"When I recovered from the blow of the hill, it was night time, and I found myself in a sort of cave. I was tied to a chair with devil's snare, and the only reason it didn't suffocate me was because of the fact that I was asleep and not panicking." Hermione nodded in understanding.

"Well... after a while of being tied up and trying not to freak out (for the devil's snare would suffocate me), a few death eaters... maybe five or six came inside the cave and surrounded me, none of them with wands, except one, who was holding mine. They explained to me that the only reason I was still alive, was so that they could kill me themselves, and not in my sleep. They told me terrible things, Hermione... terrible things." he repeated, shaking his head. Obviously, he did not like this.

"They said after they were finished with me, they would kill what was left of my family... The Weasley's... The Order... you especially. It was torture trying to stay calm in devil's snare. The death eater with the wand pointed it at me, telling me that if I even tried escpaing, they would kill everyone I loved. And even if I did, they would still hurt and kill you and everyone else I know, till I surrendered myself back to them."

Hermione shook her head angrily. "Those vile, evil creatures..." Harry nodded in agreement. "How come they didn't just finish you off right away?" she wondered.

"For torture." he answered her simply. Hermione stared at him, horrified. "I don't know what they would have done to me if I hadn't escaped," he said, sitting back down beside her.

"And how did you?" Hermione asked, eager for his reply.

Harry smiled. "Well, you know how if you stay calm long enough, once you're aware of the devil's snare, it loosens, and stops trying to kill you?" She nodded. "Well, I pretended to struggle in front of the death eaters. Like kick my feet at the ground, when I was really just moving them from side to side. When it was loose enough, I made a very quick movement of taking it off before it could tighten again. I did it while they were still threatening me, so they almost had no idea. After a lot of blood and cursing I finished only two of them off." Hermione looked at him skeptically.

"Two?"

"I was tired," he said, smirking. "Anyways, I ran for it, taking my wand which they disarmed from me while I was unconscious as I did. I was ducking and hiding in bushes and trees by the time I had made it out. The death eater with the wand followed me inside a forest, and we battled it off. Of course, it was him or me, and so I finished him off."

Hermione smiled. "So you got away without a scratch." she stated.

"Without a scratch," Harry said, grinning from side to side.

"What happened then?" She asked, wanting more of his story.

"Well, I knew that if the rest of them didn't get some sort of sign that their buddy had killed me instead of the other way around, they would still be hunting me, and my family. So, I did what any smart man would do. I took the blood of the death eater and spread it all around the forest. I ripped some of my clothing and broke my glasses near the battle sight and left them there, so they would think that I had been killed."

"I waited three days. I knew by then that they would have seen my clothing and 'blood,' so I came out of my hiding place and fetched my glasses and clothes and repaired them. I knew the rest of them couldn't be dead, and must have scattered since their chase for me. They were still alive and I knew it, so I waited and waited till I found news that they were all dead. And I had no idea how long that would be. I've been living in muggle London since then, and getting the Prophet delivered under the name of another wizard. That's how I found out that the death eater's had died."

Hermione's eyes widened at Harry's words. "So that's why you never came back?" she said, almost hurt. "Because the death eater's were alive?" It sounded so dumb to her. Harry had not come back just because the death eater's were still around? She did not understand it. Instead of congratulating him for his actions, she walked stood up and walked away from him, and went inside her bedroom.

Confused, Harry followed her. He did not bother to knock at all. He just walked in and took a seat beside her on her bed. She moved away.

"What's wrong?" He asked softly, making a move to carress her arm. She moved it away.

"Why didn't you come back?" She asked, turning to face him, her eyes a bit watery. "You have no idea how hard it was to move on when you were gone. And you were alive all this time? And you never came back? Why?" Hermione asked sadly.

"And just because a couple of death eater's were alive. So what? You were alive and I missed you. I missed you so much! You didn't even bother to somehow give me a message that you were still alive? I don't understand!" she complained.

Harry brought her into him, no matter her complaints and pushes, and hugged her. He placed his chin above her head, and she stopped fidgeting, letting him hold her even though she was quite angry at him, and a little confused.

"Don't you see, Hermione? I told you about their threats. If I escaped, and they knew that I was still alive, they would hunt and kill my family till I surrendered myself back to them. I didn't want them to hurt you!" He exclaimed defiantly.

"And I'd be damned if I even let them touch your hair, Hermione. You see? You see why I didn't come back? To protect you, Hermione!"

She looked up at him, crying. "Then why didn't you just go into Ministry protection? They would have protected y -"

"Ministry protection has leaks every day! I couldn't risk that... especially since it's me. They wouldn't be able to keep it private and safe, and I knew that."

Hermione looked away, crying softly in his arms. Four months gone, and she had realized right now how much she really missed him. She was angry. So angry, but Hermione knew it, and so did he, that she could never really be cross enough to refuse his affection. She stopped her sniffling and looked up at him again.

"You're alive," she said breathlessly, running a finger down his cheek. "And I still can't believe it..."

Harry smiled at her. "Are you still angry with me?"

Hermione shook her head slowly. With a chuckle, he brought her in, and kissed her, never minding the fact that her cheeks were stained with water. Hermione sat properly in her bed, as they continued to kiss, and as he wrapped his arms around her. Quickly, they were both very mesmerized in their kiss, and the sun was already going down.

Four months. Four months since she had kissed Harry. Four months since she had spoken to him. Four months since she'd seen him. And there Hermione was, in bed, kissing him, cherishing each moment, lest this be a dream. She was so afraid this figure would disappear and evaporate in her arms. So she held it tightly.

Although the sun was down, but night time had not completely come, both Harry and Hermione figured that it was time for bed. The talking they could do later, and same with spreading the news. This was their moment, and it was no time to waste it. So, down and dirty in the covers they went.

With a start, Hermine awoke, tangled in her bed sheets, tired and confused. Had she just dreamed the last few moments? Hopefully, everything she thought she just did was not a figment of her wild imagination. Quickly, she turned over on her bed, hoping to find Harry's face right beside hers. And luckily, it was.

His hair was messy, as always, and his eyes were closed. He was obviously still sleeping. With a sigh, Hermione kissed his cheek, and got up with a different blanket, having it cover her body, to her closet, where she prepared some of her house clothes, and walked out of the room, leaving the door open.

After a refreshing shower, where she was able to think of the days events, she sat down on a stool in front of her kitchen counter, drinking her usual cup of coffee. It was 10:30pm, and still dark out, meaning she hadn't slept for long. It was odd, thinking that everything that had just happened were hours ago, but felt like days. She was so happy she couldn't even express it.

As Hermione got up to fetch herself another cup of coffee, the door of her room creaked wider open, and out came the tired face of Harry, who was scratching his eyes with one hand, his other holding his glasses. His waist down was covered by Hermione's blanket, which was wrapped around tightly.

His appearance was quite the same. Same face, his hair a bit longer and messier, but the same, muscular and toned body Hermione always knew. He smiled at her.

"Checking me out?" he asked playfully. Hermione chuckled.

"You wish." He came over to her and gave her a kiss on the forehead, and grabbed a cup of his own from the cupboard. He poured himself some coffee.

"Let's talk about what I've missed," he said, after taking a generous gulp. Hermione scrunched her forehead in thought, and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Ron and Parvati got married!" She said happily. To her surprised, Harry nodded with a smile.

"I knew that. Remember, I was getting the Prophet still when I was in hiding? It announced that on the paper. You have no idea how surprised I was."

"Really?" Hermione asked. "And you still didn't come for that?"

"Not if all the death eaters were around," he said plainly, taking another swig. "But I was there. At the wedding. Remember?" He asked her.

Hermione looked at him confused. She had not seen him at the wedding. She only saw a hundred Weasley members, Parvati's family and a few friends. And then she gasped.

"Was that your hair I saw?" She asked him.

"Indeed," was his reply, a smirk across his lips. "You didn't think I wouldn't at least try? I wouldn't miss Ron's wedding for the world. I concealed myself very well. Hiding in bushes... transfiguring myself as a bird..." Hermione smiled at him.

"What else is going on then?" He asked her, with a weird look that Hermione couldn't read.

"Not much, to be honest," Hermione said truthfully, not thinking what else there could have been. "Our friends are great... no one else got married... um... nobody died, I can gladly say... and work is... well, actually - " she said, remebering the ball. Yet, she stopped dead in her sentence.

She was working on the ball. With her partner. Draco.

Choking on her coffee, Hermione coughed a little, and placed her cup down roughly. Harry looked at her concerned, and made a movement to help her, but she held up her hand to stop him.

"No, no, I'm okay," she said, with a fake smile. "That was an accident."

Harry looked at her and smiled. "What about work, sweetie?"

Hermione gulped. Hard.

"Well..." she continued, not knowing where to begin, "since the war caused a lot of devestations, a number of people wanted to help out with rebuilding the community..."

"Oh," said Harry, interrupting her, "the Charity Ball! I read that in the paper as well. I'm so silly, I can't believe I forgot," he said apologetically. "You're the journalist uncovering that story, hmm?" He asked her proudly.

"Y-yes," Hermione answered, trying not to feel guilty. "But... you know who is spear-heading the ball, of course?"

"Oh yeah," said he, snorting, "Malfoy. A bit surprising really. But I'm not arguing, it's a good thing." He told her. "Hope he hasn't given you any trouble."

"No, no, no!" Hermione said, suddenly going defensive, "He's been great! A really nice guy, Harry. Draco's changed a lot in fact - "

He snorted once more. "You just called Malfoy by his first name," he raised an amused eyebrow. Hermione stopped talking immediately. "He really must have changed for you to do that." She relieved a breath.

"Wait," she suddenly said, holding a hand up, "you say you've read the paper. What else did you read?" she asked, a little panicked. Of course, Hermione hadn't forgotten Skeeter's rumour article on her and Draco. If Harry had really been getting the paper regularily like he said, then she was in deep water.

"Not much. The same old news," said he, shrugging. "Sometimes I never even got it. When there were big stories, I would get mailed an apology letter with a coupon of some sort, telling me that the copies were sold out. That happened on one day, and I never got to read what happened then." Hermione looked up at him, surprised. "Oh well though, right? Probably the same boring news."

Quickly, she nodded. That must have happened with the article on her and Draco.

Harry, noticing her uncomfortableness, gave her an odd look. "You okay, Hermione?" He asked her. She nodded once more. "You seem a little tense."

"What?" she asked, with fake amusement, "Maybe being back is doing things to your head." She laughed.

Harry looked at her with a smile. "Maybe."

Wanting to change topic, Hermione voiced something in immediately. "So... how did you find me at the funeral home today?" She asked Harry.

He gave her a wide smile. "The Ministry tipped me off," said he. Hermione looked at him, confused.

"The Ministry... tipped you off?" She asked.

"Yeah! They know I'm here. I alerted them of my still being alive, and I swore many to secrecy until I told you. I'm surprised many of them kept the secret. I had to agree to an interview, a couple of biographies, and some other things in order for them to stay shut, but turns out they kept their word."

Hermione looked at him, with oval eyes. "The Ministry knows? Harry, the reporters will be swarming here any minute!" She made a movement to walk over to the door and barricade it, but he stopped her.

"No, no, they won't. I told them the only reporter or journalist I would accept writing the story on me was you, of course, and if even one came to our door, all our deals would be off. I thought this through, don't worry." Hermione sighed in relief.

Harry laughed and took a drink out of his coffee cup, looking amused for a moment. Hermione watched him, squirming in her skin, wondering if he could see where Draco had touched her. Where he touched her hand, her waist. Kissed her lips. Oh, he wouldn't be to happy at all.

"You were at the funeral home with Malfoy," Harry stated, but not sounding accusing at all. Hermione looked up in surprise.

"Er... yes, I was. I was accompanying him for his Father's funeral..." Harry nodded sympathetically.

"I heard. That was so nice of you, Hermione." She smiled weakly.

"Enough of this talk Harry. Let's talk about you. I wanna know what you've been up to, where you've been hanging out and everything else. Since I'm going to have to take my journalist act up soon to interview you, I want as much quality time as possible."

She walked over to him and gave him a hug, and he returned it, almost half heartedly. Hermione was completely surprised by this. She pulled away from him, looking confused. He just smiled at her, with his crinkly eyes.

"Okay, that's fine with me... but... I just want to ask you one more thing before we get onto me, Hermione," he told her. She gulped and nodded, not knowing whether she should be prepared with an answer to his question.

"Well, I've been gone for four months and that's a lot of time." She nodded. "A lot of things could have happened. Nothing happened to me, I can make sure of that... but... did anything happen to you?" He asked her. She looked at him, confused. "I mean... did you... go out with somebody? While I was away?"

Hermione looked up at him, very, very, surprised, and pulled away. "Why would you think that?" She asked him.

"Well... I wouldn't have asked it in the first place... but before we went into bed, you said, 'You have no ideahow hard it was to move on when you were gone.' It just... kind of made me wonder."

Hermione turned away, silently kicking herself for even saying such a thing. She had no idea what to do. Would she lie to him and have him find out from somewhere else about her and Draco, severing his trust for her? Or did she tell him now, knowing full-well that he wouldn't take it the best way? She turned around and faced him, confidence on her face.

"Well, Harry - "

"Hermione!"

Unexpectedly, her flat door barged open, a familiar face walking through. Hermione turned around to face who it was, and almost died right there. It was Draco. Walking to her living room.

"That letter from the Ministry. It wasn't for me it was for you - " he stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes just caught Harry. Hermione gulped. She turned around to look at Harry.

"What the hell - " Draco began, once he registered what was going on in his mind. "Is that... is that... Potter!" He exclaimed. Hermione rubbed her temples roughly and walked over to Draco, stomping all the way there.

"Draco, this isn't the right time - " she hissed, but he interrupted her.

"What are you... doing? Alive? Here?" He looked at Harry increduously. "You're alive!" He questioned surprisingly.

"Draco, just go - " Hermione pled.

"What's this?" Harry asked, stepping away from the kitchen counter. He was still covered around the waist with Hermione's blanket. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?" He looked from Hermione to Draco. "This is Hermione's flat. You shouldn't come barging in here - "

"I know that, Potter," Draco said, except not rudely. "I'm her boyf - " Hermione gave him a deathly look.

Saying that Harry looked stunned was an understatement. He was beyond stunned. He was caught off guard more than surprised. He looked again from Hermione to Draco, with half surprise and anger. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then closed it, and stomped off back to Hermione's room. He shut the door behind him. Hermione let out an angry breath.

"What are you doing here?" She hissed, angry that Draco had made Harry upset.

"I was just - I had to tell you - the letter." He fumbled, holding it out. "The one at the cemetery that the owl dropped off. It was for you, not me."

Hermione walked over to him, and snatched it from his hands. "Thank you. Now please leave," she said, as kindly as she could. Draco looked at her incredulously.

"Leave? When I just found out that your fiance is still alive? That Harry freaking Potter is still alive? Are you kidding?" He asked, walking over to her bedroom door. Hermione stepped in front of him.

"This isn't the time Draco!"

"Oh, I think this is the right time," said he, stomping his foot. He looked at her angrily. "Did you just sleep with him?" He asked, more surprised than hurt.

Hermione looked at the ground. She nodded. Draco cursed under his breath.

"Don't go yelling at him," Hermione warned him, "he didn't know," she whispered. Draco shook his head disappointedly, while walking away from her.

As Draco did so, Harry swung her bedroom door open, while pulling a shirt on. He was fully clothed now, and looking a little stressed, now that Hermione looked at him more closely. He turned away to Hermione's closet and did not look at her.

"I didn't expect this, Hermione," he said, without once glancing her way.

"Harry, don't go," but he had already begun putting his coat on. "Draco had to just drop something off!"

He looked at her to Draco, and smiled bitterly at him, while he looked guiltily to the floor. "Pretty happy with yourself, Malfoy? Knowing you snatched my girlfriend?" Draco never answered; just continued looking to the ground.

"I'll see when I see you," said he, as he opened the door.

"Don't go, Harry - !" But the door swung shut, leaving a harsh, reverberating noise across the flat. It was just her and Draco now.

She turned around angrily. "Look what you've done!" She yelled at him. Draco looked up, indifferently.

"Look at what I've done? Hermione; take a look at what you've done."

Hermione opened her mouth, to say a retort, but found she had nothing to say. Draco, not waiting for a response, went over to her door and held it open. He looked at her sadly, as if he was leaving something behind, and shut it softly behind him, now leaving Hermione all by herself.

His words were still ringing in her ears, as tears began to silently come.

Take a look at what you've done, Hermione.

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TBC.

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A/N: Yay! All is explained. xD. Yes, I realize there is no counter-jinx/spell for the killing curse, except for the method harry's mom used to save him but... i didnt know how else to explain it. HA, that probably makes me a bad author, but I'm sorry guys. Forgive me? Now, just the aftermath and a few touch ups, then goodbye! Hopefully this chapter wasn't crap.

Review if you read it! I love you if you do!

Yours always,
Sevengee/Lina.