Moving On

Chapter - 9

Gringotts

"I don't think it was a very good idea, Hermione" mumbled Harry, looking at the nearly snarling goblin guard.

"Well... If they wanted to attack us, they would have done it when we entered, won't they?" Hermione questioned back with a heavy doubt in her mind.

"I am sorry, Hermione. I should have thought about this... I am really sorry."

"Don't be, Harry. I too should have realized this would happen. Now we are here, let's just approach the teller. It would be as bad as to try to escape now... Let's just see what happens." she replied.

Both noticed a teller goblins muttering something to the other, eyeing them. Thinking that their goose is truly cooked, they stood there, rooted to the ground. Cursing themselves for even thinking about going to Gringotts after what they had done, let alone do it. Both felt something cold and sharp being held at their back.

"Walk to the door on the left." said a voice, one that clearly belonged to the goblin. Using the blade to herd them towards the door.

"Hermione, I am so sorry, especially for asking this now... Umm... I always liked you... You know... like... If we get out of this alive, I promise to do much better than this." bracing himself and calling out his Gryffindor courage which had seemed to go on a break, he blurted out "Iloveyoumione,willyoubemygirlfriend?". Looking at the girl next to him expectantly, thinking whether he did a mistake of asking it?

The girl in question was stunned, should he choose a moment like this to ask this? As she thought about it, she realized, how much she liked him. How she felt whenever she was with him every time, cursing herself for being to such an extent to attribute such a feeling to a living stomach, which went on to hurt her at every chance. She mentally berated herself for not realizing that.

Why she did not notice this? The so-called brightest witch of her time, being this stupid! She questioned herself. Her mind whirred, thinking how she did such a mistake, part of her was happy that he asked first, while another part of her was full of joy, thinking how bad her life would have been if she did not break up with her not-so-loving-lover and to have finally realized who she really liked, really loved, even if it was late.

Suddenly realization hit her like a train, how she was forced and demanded from the first to help that shit from homework's to test, how she like a love-sick puppy, even jinxed a broom without thinking about it. How she was willing to take the traitor back, even though he left her, made her jealous. Something was wrong, she thought. She was not just fooled, it was something more than that, she tried to think what was that, why she acted like... un-like herself?

As she was deep in thought, the one next to her was nearly dying as he waited for her reply, he could see that she was thinking. Never before he ever wanted that much to know what she was thinking. He nearly whined as he said "Hermione! Please, I am literally dying here!".

That brought her out of her thinking, as she put it out of her mind for then, she realized that they both had very less time. From spending time with him these days, she knew that she loved him. She would have asked that question to him herself, and only waited for the perfect timing, which she again realized that she would not get anymore. She looked at him, she could see the panic in his eyes that had nothing to do with the trouble they were in now. She replied softly, "Yes, Harry. I too in the past few days realized that I love you too. I did it from the very beginning. From the day you saved me from the troll. I don't know why I went after that prat. But I know now. That I love you, and only you."

She leaned forward, slowly as she closed her eyes and softly kissed him on the lips. Which froze the wizard on the other side for a second, before he returned it with the same tender.

"Ahem..." coughed the goblin, with an amused look on its face, which still could have only been recognized by others of his own kind. "As much as beautiful as this, get going, you have broken Gringott's law and must answer to the justice," he said while again pushing the blunt end of the blade further, to get them moving.

While Harry had a grin that would have done a Cheshire Cat proud, Hermione was blushing heavily.

"I love you too, Harry. I think something is very wrong, I should have realized it, we both were not our self for a long time. They had done something, I won't stop till I find out, how and make sure they suffer for this!" snarled Hermione before continuing "Even if we don't make out of this alive, just know that... I love you."

Speechless was the exact word that could have explained Harry's then-current state. Thinking about what she said, he too realized that he was not himself before, something had happened, but he did not want to keep on thinking about it for long. He wanted to spend time with the one he loved, but he could see that the chance of them getting out of this alive was far too less. But he made up his mind, if they get out of this alive, then he would make sure that he would never mess up things with Hermione, and do his best. And also to find the reason for him missing this, this long.

"Me too, 'Mione, Me too," he said, looking into the brown eyes of his love, as they went through the door, waiting to see their fate.

The Leaky Cauldron - Diagon Alley

It was nearly midnight as a lone boy was sitting at one of the tables, drinking from a half-empty bottle of fire whiskey as the barman was looking at him worriedly as another empty bottle rolled down to the floor, escaping getting shattered only due to the cushioning charms on the floor. Tom was sure that the boy was clearly a blood bigot of some kind, he could get that much from the slurs he was using.

What his predicament was that, should he report this boy to the Aurors or not? The boy was clearly too young to be a marked death-eater, but he clearly seemed to support their policies. He could leave the boy be and let him go, but what if he decides to go after the people he was cursing about. That was one less thing he could not worry about if he reported him.

Taking the stand to be safe than sorry, he quietly moved towards the floo and whispered "Auror's" into it while throwing the powder in. As he waited for a few moments, the face of a young man who looked to be in his mid-20s' appeared in the fire.

"Auror Steven here, What's the problem?" the man spoke in a tired voice.

"A boy is drunk and cursing about someone, he clearly looks like a bigot and planning on killing someone" he stated.

"We are so stretched at the moment." the man shouted, emphasizing each word, before continuing, "And you call us for drunk idiots!".

Mumbling about inexperienced rookies, Tom shouted back, "Boy! I have been in both the war's and I have dealt with all types of people, so let me tell you something you don't know. This boy is clearly dangerous! If you don't arrest him right now, you'll be arresting him for a crime he will surely commit. That's one less crime that we can do without. Or just, call Robards, I'll talk with him." he finished with a smug look as he mentioned the Head Auror.

"ALL RIGHT! Move! I'll come over!" he shouted as his face disappeared briefly before he came out of the fire. "Where's the boy you said?" he asked as the barman pointed behind him, looking over the barman's shoulder to see a drunk boy with red hair who looked barely 20, cussing about some other boy and him taking the mudblood who was rightfully his, a typical behavior of a spoiled pureblood, but what alarmed the Auror was the venom in his voice. But as he was only a boy and did not commit any crime still, not wanting to risk the Head getting involved or a low-level crime, he decided on apprehending him for the moment and deciding things later.

Not wanting to waste time or to risk the boy getting away, he quickly cast a stunner and grabbed the boy and apparated to the holding cells, giving a brief nod to the barman.

Malfoy Chateau - France

"Lucius, I too agree. But we can't just sit here while those mudblood lover's take all our wealth away!"

"And for merlin's sake! Tell what can we do, Nott?" nearly shouted Malfoy Senior, "The only reason we are not in the hands of the DMLE is because we managed to escape before the dust settled. Do you even realize that it is a death sentence to even step into Britain now? We can do NOTHING for now."

"Not nothing, Lucius. Not nothing." said an impeccably dressed old man who entered the room. "We still have a lot of people in the Ministry."

"And what we can do with them, Parkinson? It's not like we can take back the Ministry. There's too little of them to that! We cannot even get our gold from there." grumbled Lucius, as Nott nodded in agreement. Both with a somber look on their faces, sad about their lost wealth.

"Now stop whining like a child! Sad Abraxus is dead, he would have happily crucioed you for being such a cry-baby." snarled Parkinson Senior, before continuing, "We have enough of them to save the worthy ones of our fellow comrades. The Dark Lord may have died but his goals did not. We may not be able to return to our own land, for now, that's not by our mistake, it would be, if we let it be that way. For now, let's concentrate on getting our people back."

Lucius appeared ready to murder, his hand twitching towards his wand, which did not go unnoticed by others in the room too.

"And don't even think about touching the wand or I'll show you why the Dark Lord considered me the next best to Bellatrix. Now, Nott," he paused, as he took a piece of parchment out of his pocket," You are to visit this man. He was a friend of mine, and I am sure that he will help our cause. Get going. Lucius, come with me, I have a plan for the traitor and I think you will like it." he finished as he put an arm around Lucius Malfoy, leading him out of the room. Nobody the wiser of the girl hiding behind the couch - disillusioned.