Home Again
Chapter Two - Persevere
By: Paramour Party


Note:

There's a bit of a time-jump from the first chapter to this one, but don't worry it's the only big jump this fic will have. Also, as we're currently set in France, assume all conversations are in French unless stated otherwise.


Friday, June 10th, 2016

Hermione was hunched in the back room, clipboard balancing on her knees and a pen in hand.

"What are you doing?" A deep voice interrupted the silence making Hermione jump, clipboard clattering to the floor; the back of her head narrowly missing the edge of the shelf above her.

"What have I told you about sneaking up on me, Gladiolus!" She scolded with a scowl on her face. She picked up her clipboard. "And I'm doing the inventory. I wanted to put in the orders for some of the top-shelf bottles by tomorrow."

Gladiolus LeBlanc was a tall and built older man, his dark hair streaked with white. His eyes a bright grey. There was a scar that started above his left brow and cut towards his ear. He dressed in a crisp white button-up shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows showcasing the tattoos that covered his skin up to his wrists. His shirt was tucked into black pants that were fitted into combat boots. He took the clipboard from her and set it on a shelf with a nod.

"I'll finish this later. Let's get you home and I'll see you on Sunday."

Hermione blinked. "Sunday?"

Gladiolus nodded. "Sunday," he confirmed. "The bar will be closed tomorrow."

She narrowed her eyes up at him. "You're closing the bar," she repeated suspicion set in her voice. "On a Saturday? You never close the bar on Saturdays. Did something happen?" She had noticed he'd been acting strange and distant all evening. Well… more distant anyway. Gladiolus always kept to himself, in this world and her old one.

Than man merely wrapped an arm around her shoulder and guided her away from the backroom, placed her bag in her hands and ruffled her hair. Her scowl deepened at the clear avoidance. "It's nothing that concerns you, I have business tomorrow and so we'll be closed," he said.

He led her to his car, opened the passenger side door and motioned her to get in.

"It's a ten-minute walk home, I'll be fine." She insisted.

He rolled his eyes and the same hand that ruffled her hair gently pushed her head down and into the car. "Humor me."

Hermione frowned and relented. When Gladiolus was in this mood, it was usually best to just follow his lead. The drive was silent and short; a little over five minutes and they were parked outside a white three-story building. The flat and location came at Gladiolus's recommendation when he'd learned she'd been living in a sketchy part of town last summer. The building itself only had four flats for rent, two on each floor while the main lobby housed the amenities and mailroom. Her flat was on the top floor on the left side and the one next to hers was vacant. She didn't fight him on the matter of moving into the place, the security tech he'd put around her flat was a nice incentive and it didn't hurt that it was so close to her work.

She turned to Gladiolus, looking at him searchingly, but even after two years, she knew he only gave information when he wanted to. Always kept his cards close to his chest until he was sure of what hand he was dealt. "Stay safe with your business, and call me if you need anything. Anything," she stressed as she exited the car and shouldered her backpack.

He huffed. "I've been doing my business longer than you've been alive."

"Doesn't mean I can't help." She leaned against the car door for a moment, waiting until she got a nod of acknowledgement from him. "I'll see you on Sunday?"

He nodded again. "You'll see me on Sunday. Stay safe."

"Thank you for the ride," She said as she shut the door and walked up to her building. She scanned in with her key fob and took the stairs up to the top floor. Her front door needed a passcode to be presented the keyhole. Once she was in the safety of her flat, her wards washed over her. When she closed her door, she pressed her hand on a sequence of runes she'd carved onto a silver square that she then fastened on to the side of her door frame. It activated the second and third layers of her wards, expanding out, one at around fifty metres and the other at hundred metres from her building. Neither warned muggles away, but it let her know if anyone with lethal intent approached or entered her building.

It took less than five minutes to power the three wards, and when she was done a soft mew greeted her. "Evening, Persephone," she greeted softly in return. She put her bag down on her couch and picked her cat up to cuddle. "I'm home a little early tonight."

Her small black cat with bright green eyes and a small patch of white fur on her front right paw meowed back. "I know," Hermione replied sagely. "It's very nice to be home early. And! I'm not working tomorrow."

She rubbed her cat between her ears and earned a deep rumbling purr in response. "I'm happy about it too. What do you think about sleeping in tomorrow, hmm?" She walked into her bedroom and set Persephone on the cat tree by the window and set about getting for bed.

Life in Paris was, for a lack of a better word, comfortable. Hermione had a job, a flat, some acquaintances, a friend in Gladiolus, and a cat. She had time to study and research a number of things, mostly catching up on this world's history which wasn't too different from her old world, but also in her search for magic.

Aside from the occasional wishes for home, she was content with the life she found here. And while she hadn't yet ever admitted it out loud, she felt like she was slowly coming to terms in finding peace with the fact that she might be here indefinitely.

Getting to Paris had been easy, she'd researched and saw the Eiffel Tower was exactly where it was in her old world. A few pops under the cover of night, she'd arrived on a cold November day almost two years ago.

The French she'd learned growing up after spending summers in France with her parents was an asset, and the time she spent perfecting her French with Fleur was something she was now extremely thankful for.

The first week, she'd stayed at a hostel paid in cash and fake IDs she'd copied from the American. She familiarized herself with what was the same and what was different from her old world; searched for any wizarding equivalents this city could have to offer but unsurprisingly came back with nothing.

From there, she'd gone searching for Gladiolus Black. In her world, Gladiolus was the son of a son of a disowned squib. A squib himself but still fully involved with the French Wizarding World. He'd owned a bar called L'Etoile Tordue, or the Crooked Star. There he had entertained questionable clients both mundane and magical where he dealt in information. Information on curses or equipment, information on a person or technology. If you needed something or someone, he knew who or where to direct you for the right price. He'd run his little bar with simple rules: you see nothing, you hear nothing. His bar had been almost neutral ground assisting anyone whether they'd aligned with dark or light magic for years. Of course, that was until he'd banned anyone with the dark mark from stepping foot onto his land after a Death Eater murdered his sister during the war.

Hermione tried not to feel guilty about already knowing this history without meeting this world's Gladiolus. She knew that the chances of their histories and personalities being very similar were high, and it felt a little manipulative taking advantage of it. But she resolved knowing if he'd been in her place, he'd have had no qualms about using his own acquaintances to his advantage.

It was one afternoon, on her second week in Paris that Hermione found what should have been a somewhat rustic-looking bar. Instead, a posh one, all modern clean sleek lines and black exterior stood in its place. In white cursive writing at the top of the entrance, read Pur. Hermione wondered if the family motto still rang true in this world.

Inside was just as modern looking as the outside. The walls were painted a dark velvety grey. The furniture was all black, sharp edges and detailed with gold trimming. The bar was a square at the centre of the floor, gold lights hung from the ceiling. There were only two patrons in the bar this early in the afternoon, but they sat by the corner and ignored her presence completely.

The man who looked a lot like Gladiolus was hunched behind the bar writing in a notebook and referencing from a laptop when she approached. "You can sit wherever you like," he said preemptively without looking up.

"I'd like to work here," she said instead knowing he appreciated honesty and getting straight down to business. "I'm Hermione Granger."

He had a cold grey stare, similar to the one from her old world, but she didn't look away and returned his steady gaze. "Non," he said and turned away, typing on his laptop. "You look like a soft breeze will knock you over."

"It won't," she said, "I won't be in your way. Please let me work here. I'll see nothing, hear nothing, and keep my mouth shut—"

He rose a hand. "What is it that you really want?" he asked still looking at his laptop. After a moment to finished what he was working on, he stood to his full height towering over her. Even with the counter of the bar separating them, he still had an intimidating presence.

"A job."

He twisted his lips. "You come here expecting me to believe that? Who sent you? Who are you?"

Hermione blinked, confused. "No one sent me. My name is Hermione Gran—"

He interrupted her again, turning his laptop to face her and pointing at the screen. He kept his voice low but the underlying threat was heard. "Try again. You'd think I'd be so stupid to believe that? You, an outsider, coming into the underground, into my space, with a fake name or a fake face, spewing I see nothing, hear nothing, do nothing, and expect me to believe the only thing you want from me and my time is a job? You have one last chance to tell me. What is it that you want?"

Hermione stared at the screen of his laptop. It looked like a database of some sort. Rows and rows of photos of women, all looking different from the last, different ages, different flags on the corner likely stating where they were either born or maybe where they were currently living- she couldn't be sure. The one thing in common with all of them was the listed name underneath each photo. Hermione Granger. She gulped knowing her photo would never show up on any database.

"I swear to you, I am who I say I am. I— I can't explain that," she said pointing to the screen, "But I'm being honest. I'm just looking for work until I'm settled and if you're displeased, you can fire me. But I need this."

Something passed over his face, an emotion that Hermione couldn't identify because it was gone too quickly.

"I see," he hummed more to himself than to her. He turned the laptop around to face him again and didn't clarify. Hermione took a seat cautiously on the bar stool in front of him.

"What do I have to do, to make you trust me?" She asked.

"Honesty."

Before Hermione could answer he continued. He shut his laptop and focused all of his attention on her.

"Yes, you are being truthful about looking for work. But in this community, in the underground, things aren't always so simple. A job is a means to an end, and what is that end for you? Are you looking for something? Or are you running from something?"

"I... " Hermione rubbed the back of her neck, thinking about her end game and she had a feeling that Gladiolus found an answer in her hesitation. "I'd like to go home, but that's not something I'm currently able to do, or something you'll be able to assist me with. So, a job instead would be appreciated."

She could see him trying to piece together a story as he leaned forward, placing his hands on the bar in front of her. She could see the scars all over his hands and took it as the warning it was. "A month," he said, "And you'll be in the backroom out of sight before I decide. Ghosts like you need to earn my trust and if you don't, you'll really become a ghost."

Hermione held her sigh of relief and nodded.

"I understand."


Saturday, June 11th, 2016

With the unexpected day off, Hermione took advantage of her newfound free time to check up on the ley line node she'd found last summer and charge it for an hour or two before heading home. She packed up her bag with food and water and clipped her harness bag in place. She fed Persephone and promised a quick return.

Destination. Determination. Deliberation.

She was off-trail somewhere between Port Pin and Calanque d'En-Vau. It was nice and sunny out which meant the people were likely going to converge on the beach at the base between the cliffs. She'd have to trek fast to avoid anyone straying from the hiking trails and make her way into the cave she'd disillusioned with a ward and technology she bought off Gladiolus.

Finding the ley line had taken nearly a year of research and mapping and hiking and dead ends. But Hermione was determined and when she found this node, dormant and unprotected like the one in South Downs, she nearly cried in relief. Before this one, she'd discovered six other nodes but all of them had been dead and unresponsive to her magic and she'd been steadily losing hope on finding more.

Even after relocating to Paris, she had taken the time to go back to South Downs every few months to work on the warding around the ruined circle of stones. Under the cover of night, she brought the warding up slowly to Gringotts standards, managing what she could even with the limited equipment and supplies she had to power the ley line along the way. She hoped that if she could connect and power enough of the ley lines together, she could somehow use the energy to send her home. It was her current theory anyway after the first few plans failed spectacularly.

The cave, even without the illusion or cloaking tech hiding it, was still hard to spot if you weren't looking for it. The shadow of the entrance blended in with the rock face making it look like a flat surface and not a space you could enter. Hermione stood at the mouth of the cave and the runes she'd carved into the stone glowed briefly, almost as though it was welcoming her back. She'd quickly learned that the ley lines and the magic around them were almost sentient. She wondered if this was because it was her magic she was using to feed the line or if they'd always been that way.

It was dark but the ground was smooth for the first ten metres from the entrance before becoming jagged and rough. Getting to the centre required more climbing than walking at that point. Hermione, taking every opportunity she could to practice wandless magic, conjured a series of bluebell flames and had the orbs go ahead of her to light the way.

It was at least thirty minutes of climbing, before she made it to the node at the centre of the cave. There was a break in the ceiling letting in a streak of light from the left. Off to the right side of the cave was a small body of water glowing faintly from the magic she'd been imbuing into the space. A little deeper into the cave was a break in the walls that looked like a pillar and directly connected underneath it was the node of the ley line.

She sat at the base of the pillar and inspected the runes she'd been painstakingly carving into the surface to match the obelisk back in her old world. Each rune sequence was for powering, protecting, and moderating the flow of magic. She sighed in relief when she saw they were settling into the stone nicely and not cracking or damaging the pillar.

When she touched the powering rune and started channelling her magic into it, her necklace began to glow gold, noticeable even underneath her shirt. With her free hand, she pulled it out and smiled at the small obelisk stone from the field she'd converted into a pendant. Like magic called out to like magic. It was how she knew even if most of the ley lines in this world were dead, the dormant ones could still be connected after she woke them. She settled there for an hour letting her magic charge the pillar, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

The only thing that kept this location safer than the circle at South Downs was the fact that's it's natural landscape worked in her favour of staying hidden. Then, all the technology she'd come into contact with while working at Pur with Gladiolus had given her even better insight on how to rework her warding to keep her spaces hidden.

Magic thrummed a little stronger through the cave as it usually did after she did a charge. It wasn't enough to show up on any tech, but it was enough for her to feel it in the air. If she closed her eyes and imagined strong enough, it almost felt like she was home. She hadn't noticed it in her universe, how the energy of magic seemed to thrum everywhere within the Wizarding World. When she'd come here, the air seemed dead with the lack of magic, it left a strange empty feeling that only eased when she found time to relax around an active ley line. The dimming glow from her pendant brought Hermione out of her memory.

She stood, sighing and feeling stiff from sitting in the same position for so long. Stretching her stiff muscles, she spun slowly in a circle taking in the cave and ensuring her ward was still active. Finished and happy with her work for the day, she smiled and turned back the way she came.

When she was home and settled back at her dining table with her researched, she let Persephone leap onto her lap, brushing back her fur as she thought. Mapping out more potential locations for other nodes was time-consuming, but easy. It was activating them that was proving to be the real issue. When she'd first powered this ley line, she hadn't realized the pulse of energy she'd caused when awakening it had been felt causing whispers to erupt amongst the intelligence community in the underground. It hadn't been a pulse as big as the one she'd caused with her arrival, but still noticeable for those looking out for it. She hadn't been as invisible as she'd first thought.

She'd never forget the week after she'd activated the new ley line and been found out by Gladiolus.

It was another inventory night and she knew her boss was out on business and shouldn't have been back until the following day. Thinking she was alone, she was levitating a heavy box of wines to the top shelf in the storage when she heard the door behind her slam shut.

Hermione lost her concentration but luckily when the box fell, it was with a solid thus on the shelf, bottles rattling together but still kept intact. She whirled around, pale and eyes wide as she stared at Gladiolus's looming form at the doorway. He had a folder in hand and was looking at her expectantly.

She backed away pressing herself against a shelf to keep some space between her and her boss. She liked him, trusted him even, but you just never know how anyone in this world would react. Some people thought mutants were like mudbloods in this world. Her hand reached to her side where she'd tucked her wand. "Gladiolus! You're back early," she said weakly, putting her hands into her pocket to look unassuming, but she held onto her wand. Just in case.

"We need to talk," he said, reaching to the side his hand feeling along the back of one of the shelves. There was a hiss and then he was pulling open a door she hadn't known was there. There was a small flight of stairs leading down and he nodded his head at her to go ahead into the darkness.

She gulped but followed direction. The light from the back room died when he shut the door behind him. Hermione's breath hitched in worry at the silence and the darkness, and then flinched when a light flicked on.

A quick glance around, Hermione saw no visible exits, but she knew if things went south, she'd just disapparate. The room was surprisingly large, the walls cream in colour. There was a large brown leather couch with a coffee table on the left side of the room. In front of that on the right side was a desk that took over the whole wall. On the desk was a computer and multiple screens.

He sat her on the couch and slapped the folder he was holding onto the coffee table.

"One of the only things I ask for is honesty," he said folding his arms over his chest as he leaned back against the desk. He touched each of the screens and they came to life showing a camera feed of his whole bar. Hermione paled further, feeling a little dizzy by her stupidity. How hadn't she thought of cameras? She wanted to scream at herself realizing he must have seen her do her magic several times before today, likely biding his time before approaching her.

She pursed her lips in thought, but straightened her shoulders. Gladiolus wasn't threatening her like she'd seen him do to several clients of his. He was giving her an opening for communication.

"I haven't told anybody about my abilities," she said slowly, "And if you hadn't seen it for yourself, I don't think I'd have ever told you."

He frowned not liking the answer but didn't argue. "I understand. But I hope… I would like you to know that you can trust me."

She smiled at him softly, very aware of how trustworthy he could be. If he hadn't been, she wouldn't have searched him out in the first place. "I know, Gladiolus. It's why I came to you… I just don't like talking about it."

His finger tapped on his arm as he thought and Hermione didn't interrupt. She knew that even if he'd been aware and biding his time in approaching her, it was still something to come to terms with once faced with the reality of it. "This is why you're a ghost in the databases."

It wasn't a question. Hermione shrugged. "Yes, in a way."

He leaned forward and opened the folder. Inside were photos, grainy and not super clear, but it still made fear settle in her soul.

The first photo was the circle of stones, and a figure was standing near the ruined archway. It was her. Tell-tale curly hair, harness bag strapped to her left leg that day, and her notebook in hand had the Hogwarts crest visible on the cover. All things that Gladiolus has seen before. There was a date on the bottom right corner stating November 15th 2014.

The next few photos were similar, all of her working in and around the circle dating between the 15th to 20th of November. One of them was even of her at the nearby town at the market talking to the clerk. A hand came up to her lips to cover her frown. The other trembled as she reached for a photo. This… this answered the question that'd been plaguing her since she ran. This was how they knew who she was.

"Where did you get this?"

He moved from the desk and crouched next to her. "I found it. They were documented before the HYDRA and S.H.I.E.L.D files were released to the public on November 30th 2014. I've been slowly decrypting the files for my own personal interests."

"So anyone can get these?"

"Yes, but the amount of people who have the time and patience to decrypt the sheer amount of HYDRA files are few. As far as I have found, no one has yet figured you out, but that doesn't mean that other… organizations aren't aware of your existence and your apparent ability to manipulate a potential power source. I'd received a few inquiries over the weekend already asking if I'd found anything."

Hermione shook her head, dropping the photo back onto the table. "I don't understand what you're saying. How did they get these photos? I should not have been visible to technology!" She tried to keep her voice contained and calm the nervous energy coursing through her. Unable to keep still, she paced the length of the room.

Gladiolus scoffed and stood approaching the desk once more. "Whatever powers you have, HYDRA will always try and find a way to work around it or control it."

She clenched her fist, eyes narrowed. "Well, I'm going to find a way to work around that."

He nodded in agreement. "You'll have to, because whatever you did near Calanque d'En-Vau… there are whispers of another potential power source, and people are looking to me. There's only one photo, and it's not clear or as definitive as the ones from 2014," he said pulling a screen forward and flicking the information until it was a photo of the hiking trail near the ley line she'd activated. It was her again, but her curly hair was braided back and mostly hidden beneath a cap. She hadn't had her harness bag in this photo luckily, just a backpack.

"This photo is just speculation because they cannot confirm this person is the one who caused the power surge. But, satellite surveillance gives the impression that this person was the only person in that vicinity two hours before and after the surge." He puts the screen back in position when Hermione looked away. "Regardless. I know this is you. You told me you'd be in Cassis for your vacation. Others likely will not make the same connections that this occurrence, and the one in 2014 are by the same person. At least not right away. I have the advantage of knowing you. I know you came from Britain, I know you move here in November of 2014. The final report on those photos say you were last seen at the power source on the 21st. I know you showed up at my bar a few weeks later asking for a job."

Hermione's shoulders tensed, she knew she could trust him, but the fight or flight instinct was doing its best to kick in. She shifted subtly into a defensive stance. "What happens now then?"

Gladiolus rolled his eyes and moved to sit on the couch. "Fuck those HYDRA bastards. I do my very best to decrypt their files so that I can do everything in my power to fuck with them and their mission. Hermione, I'm offering you what protection I can. But I need the full story to help you."

And just like that, the tension dropped again. She settled back onto the couch next to him when he patted the space in invitation. She sighed and thought over what she was willing to share. "Before I do… you've mentioned Hydra a few times now. What the hell is Hydra?" The only one she knew of was the Hydra of Lerna from greek mythology.

He pulled out the last page from the folder on the table and it was a printed report about the circle of stones. She ignored the text, she barely even heard Gladiolus explain that HYDRA was a paramilitary organization hellbent on world domination. Instead she focused on the insignia at the top centre of the page. A circle with a skull and tentacles fanning out underneath.

Why was it always skulls, she thought.


Tuesday, June 14th, 2016

It was a nice warm and quiet evening at the bar. The only patrons in the bar were people she knew were part of the underground finding a moment of peace in neutral space. She knew Gladiolus was still holed up in his office, and the cook Etienne, her only other co-worker had stepped out for his third smoke.

Hermione stood behind the bar, a book open in front of her but eyes unseeing. Gladiolus had been acting strangely since Friday. She didn't think anything could spook her friend and boss, but something had him unsettled, which made her unsettled. The normally stoic man looked almost worried when he'd cornered her the moment she arrived at the bar on Sunday afternoon asking when she'd last been to London. And then asking how often she'd been back since she left.

She had answered truthfully, she'd only been back about six times since she'd ran. "What's happening?" she asked.

His tall frame seemed to sag but the expression on his face steeled. He hesitated before patting her shoulder gently, "Be vigilant, if you see or suspect anything, I want you to go to the backroom and get to safety. Even if it means teleporting."

"If that was your attempt to reassure me, Gladiolus, you're doing a shite job of it," she replied, hands on her hips in a questioning stance. "Is it HYDRA?"

His expression darkened, "It's complicated. I'm not sure yet, but I'll find out."

The hyper-focus Gladiolus got when he was working on a lead was something that Hermione understood so she just made sure he had water and food, and left him to that side of his business, barely seeing him outside of checking in at the start and end of shift.

She startled when he stormed out of his office at the same time the front door of the bar opened.

Hermione had never seen Gladiolus so furious, in this world or the old one. His normally neutral expression looked all sharp and angular, brows furrowed, a snarl on his lips, teeth bared, and he was looking for a fight. She'd heard rumours that a Gladiolus on a warpath was a sight to see. And honestly, it was so very true but also terrifying. The expression, if looks could kill, fit her friend all too well, and the man at the end of his glare would have been dead a million times over.

The room went silent as everyone looked up from what they were doing, gaze frozen at the entrance. Even Etienne, the normally unflappable cook, who she knew used to be a bare-knuckle fighter in the underground for years, looked hesitant as he aborted his attempt to stop the newcomer from coming in.

Everyone seemed to know the newcomer and while Hermione didn't, she wasn't stupid. The man oozed danger. He was tall and sturdy. His stride was smooth and confident, and there was a power in him that had Hermione up in attention. Even dressed as a civilian in simple jeans, layered baggy tees, and an unzipped hoodie, Hermione had the feeling he'd be able to rip everyone apart with his bare hands. The man's blue eyes locked on her for a second, and for that one short moment, Hermione felt like he'd read all her secrets from her very soul. She reached for her wand in her pocket, but Gladiolus was there in the next instant. He blocked her from view and pushed the man into his office, the door barely had time to slam shut before he was yelling.

Slowly, the patrons seemed to have gathered their wits, all spooked. They came up Hermione quickly paying their tabs and left as silently as they'd arrived. One man, Francois, looked her in the eye, a soft pat on her hand. "If I know Gladi as I do, he'd close the shop for a little while. He won't get angry if you go home now, and if he does, I'll have a word with him. No one wants to be around when the Winter Soldier is here."

Hermione blinked but he was gone before she could answer, a hefty tip left in her hands. Etienne agreed with Francois. "We can't just leave Gladiolus!" She said but the cook shook his head.

"Trust me. Trouble follows that Soldier and we shouldn't get caught in the crossfire," he said as he packed his things and left, "He'll call us when he's done if he decides to re-open for the day."

Hermione bit her lip, watching him leave. Her phone beeped with a message from Gladiolus confirming the lock up and that if she didn't let go of her stubborn loyalty she should at least be out of sight.

She flipped the sign on the window and turned off the lights. Hermione didn't want to leave Gladiolus with a man everyone deemed dangerous but she knew better than to risk his anger when he was already upset. So she locked the front doors and walked to the backroom, she kept the lights off and felt along the walls for the hidden notch for the door of the safe room.

She tapped each of the screens from their sleeping state and settled on the couch. A quick messaged told Gladiolus she'd set up in the safe room and if he needed her, she'd be ready.

He didn't answer.

Hermione waited, wand at the ready. Taking cues from Gladiolus was usually a good indicator on the level of potential danger. He was more angry than worried right then, so no matter how dangerous this Winter Soldier was, safety for himself was no concern of his; although… like most important men in Hermione's life, Gladiolus was very much like Harry in the way that they both had very little regard for their own safety if others were involved.

She sighed, waiting and watching the screens and the camera feed. The camera in his office had been turned off but when she concentrated enough, she placed a discreet intent ward around the bar. It told her there were still two people upstairs, both feeling high levels of frustration.

An hour passed before there was movement on one of the screens. Gladiolus's office door opened. He prodded the winter soldier to the front door, opening it for him and watching with crossed arms, likely waiting until the man was out of sight.

Moments later, Gladiolus was at the entryway of the safe room, deep scowl and grumbling. "Damn Americans. Or Soviets. I don't even know anymore."

Hermione stood immediately at attention rushing to him. But he directed her back to sit on the couch "What was that? Who was that man? Everyone just left, even Etienne said I should go home before he left. They called him a winter soldier?"

Gladiolus dropped down next to her with a huff. "You should have listened to them. I would have rather you been home as far away from that man as possible."

"That doesn't answer my questions," she replied. "What is a winter solider? I'd never seen you so angry. The last time you were angry didn't even come close to how you looked at him and that was…" she trailed off and leaned back, eyes narrowed at him. "Is he HYDRA?"

Gladiolus clenched his jar, his hand rubbing against his trimmed beard. He sighed. "I'm not sure. He's… the Winter Soldier was an asset to HYDRA but he- if the intelligence is accurate, defected."

"What did he want? Why were you so angry if he's not HYDRA?"

"Because! He has one rule. He comes when the bar is closed or he doesn't come at all. He and his kind bring too much trouble," he growled.

Hermione rubbed her face, feeling drained now that adrenaline wasn't keeping her alert. "Okay, so he's not allowed in the bar when it's open. What does he want?"

Gladiolus looked away.

"That is not a good sign," she said pointing an accusing finger at him.

"He wants information on the power sources you've been working on."

Hermione paled, words caught in her throat. "Does he know who I am?"

Gladiolus snarled again. "I deflected him when he showed me your photos. But that damn bastard came here, because he knew I lied about you and now he saw you." He hunched forward, hands brushing through his hair. "I'm sorry."

Hermione shook her head. "You don't have to apologize, Gladiolus. This is not your fault. We knew that something would have caught up to me eventually if it wasn't HYDRA." She wrung her hands together as she thought. "If he's not HYDRA, who is he working for, and are they trustworthy?"

He took her hand into his. "I'm looking into it. But I need you to promise me, if you see him or if he approaches you, you run. Do your teleporting."

She wanted to argue and insist that she was more than capable of taking care of herself. But the look on his face, and his glance at the photo on his desk, she knew this was more than just about her, this was also about the sister he doesn't speak of.

"Okay. I promise."


Wednesday, June 15th, 2016

After all the excitement yesterday, Hermione had to fight against not showing up to work. "I'm not a princess you can just lock up into a tower, Gladiolus!" She yelled at him. "We already agreed I wouldn't go to Calanques until this all blew over. But you can't keep me from work too."

He relented, and everyone pretended that the Winter Soldier's visit hadn't happened. Everything was business as usual.

The night wore on, a little busier than a regular Wednesday night. But mostly it was acquaintances or contacts from the underground coming around to get in on the gossip. It seemed that no one ever comes out alive after seeing the Winter Soldier.

Hermione, frustrated by her ignorance, went through the files Gladiolus had in the safe room for some information. The rest she got from a few of bar patrons who had surprisingly loose lips when it came to ghost stories.

Etienne had already clean up and left for the evening since the kitchen was the first to close. Hermione had about another hour before the bar itself closed, and about thirty minutes after that for clean up, quicker if she used magic. Gladiolus was at the bar scowling at his phone and whoever he was messaging.

"If you have business, you don't have to wait for me. I've closed the bar hundreds of times by now." She leaned against him trying to peek at his screen.

He laughed at her attempt and waved the screen in front of her, "Have you decrypted my code yet?"

She pouted at the taunt and saw that his messages were all in the new code he'd finished putting together last month. "You're stingy on your keys."

"I thought you were smart. You said puzzles were fun and accepted my challenge."

Hermione rolled her eyes, but couldn't deny him. "I'll figure it out eventually. Regardless, you're deflecting. I promise you, I won't burn the bar down if you have to leave early. It's only about two hours on my own and I'm a big girl."

He frowned down at her, there was a moment of hesitation but then nodded. "Okay. But anything happens, you call me right away."

"I promise."

He focused on his phone again typing away. Moments later he was packing up and heading out to whatever meeting he'd just arranged.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. She did her rounds ensuring all the remaining patrons were well attended too and when the last two customers left fifteen minutes before close, Hermione was all too eager to get the cleaning done fast so she could get home.

She'd locked the door, first worked on clearing out the register and putting the funds in the safe. She glanced at the bar's shelves and took note of which bottles were finished.

When she stepped out of the storage room with a box in hand she froze. A man was standing by the bar and she knew the lock on the front door wouldn't have kept this supposed super-assassin out if he wanted in.

"You're not allowed to be here," She said, heart racing as she stared the Winter Soldier down. She approached a table slowly to put the box down. With her hands free, she reached for her wand but didn't draw it out.

The man didn't approach her, he raised his gloved hands in surrender. "I'm not here to hurt anyone," he said softly in English. "I just want to talk."

She circled further back, as her other hand reached for her phone. "Well, maybe I don't want to speak with you," she replied. "Gladiolus will be upset to know you're here right now."

The Winter Soldier's expression didn't change, just stayed carefully void of anything. She wondered if that was because of all the brainwashing he's endured. "Upset is an understatement."

Hermione's lips quirked at that but it was gone seconds later. "You should leave."

"We just want to help you."

Hermione scoffed. "To help me? Or do you want me to help you?" she crossed her arms over her chest daring him to refute her.

He shook his head. "We want to help. We know that you're protecting the… power sources."

She widened her stance and clenched hands. "So you say. But who is 'we' and what do you gain from helping me, access to the source? Intelligence on how it works? No thank you. I don't want your help." She held a hand up and pointed to the front door. "Now please leave, before you force my hand, or worse, Gladiolus gets here."

The man stared at her for a moment, coming to a decision. She tensed when he reached into his back pocket, but it was only a USB key that he put on the counter. "We are the Avengers," he said before he turned, footsteps silent as he left.

When he was gone, Hermione locked and warded the door to let her know if he came back. Heart still racing, palms sweaty, she swallowed the nerves that she'd contained. She called Gladiolus and told him what happened, and he insisted she leave, and he'd handle the rest of closing when he got back.

She paced for a moment, worried that he was still somewhere outside. Taking a deep breath, she headed to the safe room, locking it behind her before disapparating home instead just in case.

The pop startled her cat, and she apologized to Persephone as they sat on her bed cuddled.

Sleep didn't come that night, her thoughts racing about the man and the USB she left in the bar counter.


Monday, June 27th, 2016

Everything had been quiet. Hermione didn't want to live on paranoia, but she was suspicious by the lack of tension and how smoothly the last few weeks had gone. Gladiolus had the USB checked for any tracking or bugs, but found it clean. He read the contents within the key and said it was the full decrypted file HYDRA had on her and her power sources, there was a new document, though not by HYDRA, that detailed the occurrence in Calanques.

"Why would he give this to me?" she had asked when it was handed back to her after the Gladiolus's inspection.

Gladiolus glowered, but he shrugged. "I don't know why the Winter Soldier does anything. He could do whatever he wanted now that he's a free agent… well perhaps not so free if he confirmed he's associating with the Avengers."

She sighed rolling over in her bed and staring at the USB on her bedside table. She hadn't opened it herself. Even though the check came back clean, she was too worried about opening it from home. She'd even kept it warded to block any signals it might give off. She trusted the information that Gladiolus gave her. Instead of looking through the documents, she'd spent her time looking into the Avengers.

A team whose purpose seemed to be protecting the world and not dominating it. She'd read article after article, everything that the internet had to offer. When she'd used up all those resources, she'd turned to the underground. There was a lot of mixed opinions about them, but the one thing the great majority seemed to agree on was that if something threatened earth and it's people, they were happy these supers were willing to put their lives on the line for them.

"Oof," the breath escaped her when Persephone jumped onto her stomach. "Good morning 'Seph. Hungry?" she asked and got a series of meows.

Hermione sat up to stretched and agreed to make breakfast. She paused after kissing her cat on her forehead. Nose wrinkled at the scent of smoke on her cat. "Did you sneak out of the flat again to make friends with the neighbour?" She asked her cat knowing she'd never get an actual response. "I've warned you to be careful about that. Remember the last time you got locked out?"

She stood heading into the kitchen and checked on the wards she'd doubled on her floor. She frowned noticing a few pings show up on the warding notification history again. None of them had woken her because the intent wasn't lethal, but it showed her that the new neighbour that'd moved in last week had yet again, brought several firearms into their flat. She hadn't seen them yet, their schedules seemingly the complete opposite of each other. But the amount of weapons they seemed to carry made her suspicious. She reviewed the notification on the outer boundary she set up and saw that several armed people had been in the vicinity throughout the evening but didn't get closer than the lobby doors.

Something in her gut was telling her to be on guard.

Everything continued to be quiet at work but the worrying feeling still persisted. "Why are you frowning?" Gladiolus asked taking the glass that she'd been drying for five minutes from her hand and putting it away.

"Things feel… too quiet?" She said.

Gladiolus nodded and returned her frown. "I understand," he said, "People are gearing up and staying out of the underground if they can help it."

She turned to him in confusion. "Why?" she asked. She didn't keep up with all the gossip in the underground, not wanting to get involved in anything that wasn't her business.

"After the Winter Soldier showed up in town, it has people worried. It's never a good sign for one to show up, and that it was The Soldier… HYDRA will follow. It's the calm before the storm."

She abandoned the glasses she was supposed to be drying completely. "But I thought you said he defected from HYDRA."

"Yes, he did. But that doesn't mean they don't follow him. An Asset is an asset. If they can't keep him, they'll work to kill him."

That was a horrifying thought. The more and more she learned about HYDRA and their actions the more her nightmares seemed to come back and plague her.

She tapped her fingers on the counter in thought and paused, brows furrowing. "Did… did your contacts confirm that the Winter Soldier left France?"

Gladiolus shook his head. "He's gone to ground. I spoke with him about the USB last week, but that was the last contact anyone has had with him. That, or someone is lying."

Hermione swore. Gladiolus looked at her in amusement. It was rare that Hermione swore in front of him. "Gods. I feel so stupid."

"What?"

"I… a new neighbour moved in last week. I hadn't seen them at all, but I work late so I thought nothing of it. The shields that I set up every night around my flat have been telling me that they'd brought weapons into their flat… that people have been approaching the building are also armed."

Gladiolus's expression was thunderous. "Are you telling me you think your new neighbour is either a HYDRA plant or worse, the damn Winter Soldier himself?"

"I don't know."

"You're not going back there."

"Gladiolus!" she tried to argue, but he was shaking his head.

"It's not safe—"

She slammed her hands on the bar to stop his tirade. "I can't just not go home, I have Persephone, I have all my notes!"

"Then you pack up your essentials and come back here. I'll relocate you until everything dies down."

"We don't even know for sure if I'm right, there a chance it's just my paranoia talking. I don't want to spend my life running."

He rose a brow. "Is that a risk you're willing to take?" He nodded at her telling silence. "I thought so."

Hermione shuddered thinking about what could happen if it was HYDRA. She wouldn't be able to stay if they were there for her. Not if they'd keep trying to get to her.

"Give me a week," she compromised with a sigh. "I'll start packing tonight. Could you pick up Persephone? She doesn't like it when I, uh, teleport."

"I'll pick up your cat if you pack in three days," he countered, "and if you thought I wasn't driving you home tonight, you're sorely mistaken."


Wednesday, June 29th, 2016

Hermione jolted awake from a deep sleep. She'd fallen asleep on her couch too tired after work and staying up late two nights in a row to pack. The time glowing on her stove told her it was just after 3 AM.

She stretched, brows furrowed, wondering why she was awake when she felt a pull in her magic. She shot up from the couch in a hurry looking at her wards. People with weapons and lethal intent just breached her furthest outer ward surrounding the building. In minutes she was strapping her harness bag in place and checking over the flat one last time. She lamented on having to leave her growing collection of plants behind, not having had the time to pack them safely.

A glance out the window showed her a group of people, dressed in the same black tactical gear she recognized on that first HYDRA agent she'd come in contact with, were slowly approaching. She braided her hair back as she reviewed the notifications on the wards for her floor. She knew her neighbour was now home, had been for only an hour. It showed that two people, armed, had come up to her floor that afternoon, but bypassed her flat going straight for her neighbour before leaving a moment later. That last notification had been a common occurrence over the two days.

She bit her lip. They didn't know or didn't care that she was here, clearly prioritizing her neighbour. Hermione opened the door to her flat softly and walked over to her neighbour's door. She pushed aside the hesitation, stupid foolish Gryffindor bravery taking the reigns.

She knocked twice.

Her previously anxious expression melted into a glare when the Winter Soldier answered. "I sometimes hate when I'm right," she grumbled and then gasped when he grabbed her, closing and locking the door behind her before pressing her against the wall. A hand was at the base of her throat, not squeezing, just a slight pressure and warning.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, his voice rough.

She tried not to show her fear, but she knew he felt her tremor because his grip loosened even more. "I should be asking you that," she retorted, "Did you move here to spy on me?"

He let go of her completely, stepping back to give her some space. She held a hand to her throat to ease the fear.

"I'm here to protect you," he said.

She gave a dry laugh. "I was doing fine until you showed up because HYDRA is outside right now, and they're not here for me."

He swiftly glanced out the window. The Winter Soldier cursed, grabbing her again and pulled her down and behind a couch. Then he was grabbing his coffee table and lifting it over their hunched forms like a shield.

The glass balcony doors shattered and rained over them seconds later.


Hello hello!

Thank you all so much for the feedback and interest from the first chapter and I hope this one will keep your attention and that you enjoyed it! I know a lot of it was kind of back story stuff, but I tried to keep it interesting!

Please don't expect quick/frequent updates because I can't promise that. I think it was a fluke that I managed to write this out as quickly as I did. I'm actually very surprised I managed this in 3 days when chapter 1 took me two weeks to write. I think I was just excited to get to the Bucky scenes haha.

My Beta Reader is the Grammarly app.
If you wanna chat, feel free to add me on discord if you have it. paramourparty#0867

Thanks again for reading!
Until next time. Stay safe out there!