A/N: I totally cannot wait for your feedback on this chapter.

My Cheating Heart

By: tweety-src-clt9

Chapter Thirty-one: Wicked Discoveries and Wicked Schemes

Kei Irie, after having found all the hidden tomes containing details on how Osiris and Isis became the Master and Mistress of Death, decided that it was time to record all his findings in a letter that he will be sending to the Chief via owl post. He knew that they initially agreed to talk via their communication mirrors regarding any information he could find, but since it's Christmas season, he reckons that sending a letter would be best.

Besides, the Chief must be so busy right now… He could vividly imagine his prim and proper boss getting shagged to her heart's content by her drop-dead gorgeous Lord surrounded by satin sheets in a large king-sized bed. Hermione Granger, you are one lucky witch!

He had a fond smile on his face as he thought about his dear friend. If anyone deserved a good round of shagging, it would be Hermione Granger. After all, she deserves to be happy. For all the excellent work she contributes to healing the sick, he could not think of one person who deserves to be happier. Seriously, despite Harry Potter's major screw-ups in the past, it is very obvious that the handsome Lord is head over heels in love with his boss. So, if he makes her happy, then he is thrilled for them!

Harry and Hermione Potter are the perfect power couple. Who else but the Most Powerful Wizard in Britain could ever deserve the Brightest Witch of the Age? Hmmm… Should they decide to have another wedding ceremony, Vangie and I will tag team as wedding planners!

He summoned a blank parchment as he dipped his quill in ink. This letter will surely make the Chief happy…

December 25, 2010

Dear Chief,

Happy Christmas!

I totes love your Christmas present, and so, I decided to go all out for your research request, as promised. I do hope you and your gorgeous Lord enjoyed my present though. HAHA. I'm sure the extra vibrations add something special to happy times, eh?

I know we agreed to talk on the mirrors but I know you and Lord Potter must be busy (wink wink). You have ten years of worth of kinky shagging to make up for...sigh.

Anyway, after submitting my reports to the Supreme Mugwump, I visited the Hall of Archives yesterday afternoon. I just summoned all documents and books that contained information on Osiris and Isis, thankfully, there were only three. Since I have to rush home because my parents and I have plans, I created password protected duplicates of the three references. I've been up all night reading about the first Master and Mistress of Death.

Below is a summary of my most important findings:

1.) There are no documented details on what sort of magical communion ritual is used by Osiris and Isis in the past. I reviewed some hieroglyphs and the only clue talked about was the merging of blood, flesh, and magic. (We can look into ancient marriage rituals when we are both back at HQ.)

2.) Osiris was a powerful wizard who once served as a warrior to protect Ancient Egypt. One day his sister, Isis, was kidnapped by enemy warlords who wanted to take over Egypt. It's rather hazy but it was clear that Isis was sexually assaulted. Anyway, she was never the same after Osiris was able to rescue her from her captors. Sometime later, while boat riding along the River Nile, Osiris fell off-board. Due to his brute strength and his magical abilities, he survived. Buried on the riverbed, he found some sort of treasure chest (it has a complicated name in the tome, so whatever). That chest contained what is now known as the Deathly Hallows: The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone, and the Cloak of Invisibility. Upon docking his boat safely, he found a cave and he tried putting the cloak and the ring on, as he held the wand. There, it was stated that he talked to the Creator. He was offered to be the Protector of the Gates of the Afterlife upon his death. He accepted the great task but he asked for a huge favor in return. He wanted to be made the ruler of Egypt so that he could protect his sister. He also requested for her memories of her tortures to be removed so that she could be well again. When his wishes were granted, he married Isis because she could no longer trust any other man, except for her brother. Osiris and Isis ruled Egypt during its peak of prosperity. Their non-magical subjects presumed they were gods because of their magic. The Deathly Hallows was handed over to their descendants when they passed on. It was stated that the last Pharaoh from the bloodline of Osiris was punished for abusing his gifts. Hence, Egypt was faced with the Ten Plagues (yes, the story of Moses from the Bible). The line of Osiris was defeated by the Ptolemaic Dynasty which is founded by one of Alexander the Great's generals. The line of Osiris was made to serve the Ptolemy dynasty, they became the priests, priestess, and magicians for the conquerors of their nation. With the last known descendant serving the last Pharaoh of Egypt, Cleopatra the VII (the one who dated Julius Caesar and Marcus Antonius). No one knows what happened to the line of Osiris after that.

3.) The Deathly Hallows come and go from anointed family to anointed family. If the descendants, who hold the hallows as symbols of being blessed, destroy the Creator's trust, then it will be found by another deemed to be worthy. Although it has been said that finding the Hallows come with a great challenge. It's like a test of some sort to prove your worth and magical abilities.

4.) Oh, the last thing I discovered about Osiris and Isis is that their magical communion, per the hieroglyph's inscription, happened on the first new moon of the first lunar cycle (not certain about the specific time frame since they followed a different calendar system, but basically it indicates the first day of the first month of a new year).

That's all I've uncovered so far, Chief. I hope it helps.

Cheerio,

Kei Irie

Kei Irie gave his letter one last run-through before he was satisfied with the information he listed down.

"Kei-kun, yushoku no junbi!", his father called from the kitchen. When Tadashi Irie calls you for dinner, you better respond immediately. His father makes the best katsu ever!

"Hai Otou-san!", he ran to the kitchen as he forgot to prioritize looking for an owl to send the letter...

"Daddy…you didn't save mummy! How could you let her die! I hate you daddy", Viola Lily sobbed. Her emerald green orbs seething in hate and anger.

"Harry why did you not save me", those were Hermione's last words before she succumbed to death. Blood was oozing from her chest. She had bruises all over her body. She could barely be recognized.

"You are weak Harry Potter! You don't deserve Hermione Granger", Voldemort said with a cruel laugh…

"Ahhhh! No! Hermione! No!", Harry Potter was drenched in sweat. He was writhing in agony because of his nightmares.

"Hermione! I'm sorry!", he was still asleep but he now had tears in his eyes.

Hermione woke up from her peaceful slumber to the sound of Harry's anguished screams. Oh, Harry… She gently shook his shoulder to wake him up. When his eyes opened, her heart broke at the grief and horror reflected in his emerald green orbs.

"Oh, Harry! It's just a nightmare", she said comfortingly as she kissed his forehead.

"Hermione…you're here….and alive", he whispered.

"I'm safe Harry… And so are you", she pecked him on the lips this time.

Harry slowly sat up on the bed which she immediately followed. She was nestled between his legs as she wrapped her arms around him in a loving embrace.

"Hermione, what if… I can't keep you safe?", he whispered.

"You always will Harry… Just like you always do. Besides, I can take care of myself. You need not worry too much", she tried to reassure him.

"But we still don't know who is after you", he was still very worried about the sinister plot against her from an unknown enemy.

"We can't live in fear, love…We'll be fine…I promise", she was confident in that statement.

"But how could you say that?", he muttered.

"I'm Hermione Granger, I'm always right", she huffed which got her desired result. It made him chuckle.

"Tomorrow, I'm meeting the aurors in the morning. I'll be sharing the memory you showed me. Of that creepy man from the hotel. It might just be a coincidence, but we have to be sure", his voice is now filled with determination.

"Alright love. But promise me you won't obsess about this, okay?", she was staring intently into his eyes.

"But I have to –"

"No! Promise me. You can't be obsessed with that one incident. Besides, I'll be back in Switzerland in the second week of January. I'll be safe, love", she reassured him.

"Fine. I promise. I won't obsess about that man. But I will have my aurors look him up", he insisted.

"Okay. That sounds fine to me", she rolled her eyes at his over-protectiveness.

"What are your plans for tomorrow morning?", he asked. Tomorrow, it will already be December 26th.

"Well, I will just give one final check on the vaccine formula. After that, when I give my approval, then it could be distributed to the non-pureblood kids who came in contact with that toy. Abim and Rosier will be handling that. So, my afternoon will be free", she informed him.

"My afternoon is free too. Do you want us to go somewhere with the rest of the family?", he asked.

"Hmmm…well, we spent Christmas with the foundation kids which I greatly enjoyed. On the 27th, you said you have a surprise for all of us… Why don't we just spend the rest of the afternoon here at home? Just bask in the glory of being together. Besides, we can do so many things here…"

"You have a good point…Maybe, I can spend some time with Teddy as I give him tips on how to play guitar…Yeah, we can do so many things here", he agreed.

"Now that we have that settled, let's sleep. We need to rest because we had too much fun today", she said with a grin. They had a lot of fun at the orphanage today. It makes her so happy to know that Harry had been helping all those children ever since he started the foundation.

"You know, I'm not sleepy now. We could try Irie's gift. It seems interesting", he said with a naughty grin. When they were opening Christmas presents in the morning, she blushed when she opened one of Irie's gifts. Her horny friend dared to give her a vibrator; it even came with a racy note.

"We can do that next time. I'm tired", she yawned.

"Good night, love. You need to rest", he kissed her forehead. They settled themselves on the bed once again. His arms wrapped around her. The steady beating of his heart is such a comforting lullaby to her ears.

There may be unknown threats out there, but Harry will always be there for her. He defeated a troll for her at eleven, slain the basilisk that petrified her at twelve, taught students how to defend themselves at fifteen, and killed a dark lord at seventeen.

Whatever it is, Harry Potter will defy the odds in his favor. His love for people he held deep within his heart had always been his greatest strength. And given how overwhelming his love is for her, she really could not ask for a better protector…

So yes, she is very confident that he would always keep her safe.

If only he didn't obsess about it too much. He should believe in himself. Because I have faith in him… I always have. And I always will.

"I love you Harry", she whispered before closing her eyes.

"I love you, Hermione", he whispered back.

Harry Potter walked the familiar halls toward Hermione's temporary office at St. Mungo's. He now felt more secure about his fears for his wife's safety. He already shared the memory of her encounter with that mysterious man to the rest of the aurors. Sure, it could be a false lead, but he just wants to be certain if that incident is somehow connected to the mysterious leader of the Red Triangle. Or maybe that creepy bastard is just a randy bloke. Or he could be part of the syndicate, although he wishes that is not the case.

Aside from the threat to Hermione, this Christmas season seems to be a quiet one as far as security issues in magical Britain are concerned. Everything is all peaceful and happy. Even the ICW has no updates regarding the syndicate. Despite the jovial mood, his gut feeling is telling him that something will turn out wrong… After all, his nightmares are rarely mistaken.

He decided to just barge into her office as a surprise. When he opened the door, his mouth formed the perfect shape of an O.

It was a sight that is unbelievable.

Hermione is talking to Ginny Zabini. Okay, so Hermione is focused on young Julianna… But still. This is the first time that Hermione is openly interacting with Ginny.

"Harry! What are you doing here?", Hermione gasped in surprise as she looked up.

"My meetings are done. So, I decided to fetch you", he shrugged.

"Oh, well, I'm done as well. Julianna and her mum just decided to visit me", she said.

"Hello, Harry", Ginny greeted him.

"Hi, Lord Potter", Julianna said with a grin. Even if he despised the mother, he still smiled at the little girl.

"Hello, Julianna. Mrs. Zabini", he said politely. It was more for the child's benefit than anything else.

"Juli, could you leave the room for a few minutes, please. I just want to speak to Lord Potter and Chief Healer Granger for a minute", Ginny addressed her daughter who nodded.

"Thank you once again for saving my life, Miss Mione! Someday I'm gonna be like you", the child said cheerfully as she wrapped her arms around Hermione's waist.

"You're welcome, sweetie. Maybe someday you'll be the Chief Medical Researcher of the ICW too, eh?", Hermione winked at the little girl making her giggle.

"Maybe… Although that would require me to be super smart. My mummy and Uncle Ron say that you are the smartest person they have ever met", Julianna said thoughtfully.

"Sweetie, you wanna know a secret?", Hermione said conspiratorially.

"Ahuh", Julianna giggled as she leaned in closer to her hero.

"The secret to my success at being smart is hard work. If you study your lessons in advance, then you will get smart. Talent can only get you so far. It's determination and dedication that will take you to places. That is my secret", Hermione said with a grin. The child smiled and gave a firm nod before leaving her office.

"Chief Healer Granger – ", Ginny started.

"Look, Ginny, if you're gonna apologize again... Just save it. If you're gonna thank me, you don't have to. I'm just doing my job", Hermione interrupted.

"Chief Healer – "

"You may call her Lady Potter", he said.

"Lady Potter, I –"

"Ginny whatever you have to say, I don't want to hear it. I like your daughter. She's sweet and nice. I only tolerated you for her sake. I've done my duty. So, the only thing I ask of you is to leave me alone. I forgive you. You and your entire family. I just don't want to be friends with any Weasley ever again. Except for the Weasley kids and Fleur", Hermione said sternly.

"As you say, La - Lady Potter", Ginny stammered.

"Now Mrs. Zabini, could you please leave? My Lady and I have some shopping to do", he was bored with all this drama already.

"Harry I – "

"Hardly seems fair if you call me Lady Potter but you call my husband by his first name, don't you think?", Hermione mused.

"Lord Potter I – "

"Just go, Mrs. Zabini. I don't want your apology for plotting to legally steal from me. But know this, I will never forgive you for driving a wedge between the Lady Potter and myself many years ago. Because of your insinuations and my stupidity for actually believing you over my best friend, I lost ten years with Hermione. And we lost our daughter. By bringing doubt in my head, you destroyed us. And I will never forgive you for that. The Lady Potter may be nice and forgiving but I am not", he said sternly.

"For what it's worth, I am very sorry. To the both of you. Especially you, Hermione", Ginny gave them a respectful nod before she hurriedly exited Hermione's office.

"My my Lord Potter… Quite a temper you have there", Hermione said with a chuckle.

"What? She's disturbing my time with you. We could have been snogging by now", he huffed playfully which earned him a smack on the chest.

"Is everything about sex and snogging to you?", she rolled her eyes.

"I would call it making love, not sex. And no, the physical side of our relationship is just icing on the cake. I rather find your wit and dry humor more stimulating", he smirked.

"But really, Harry! Excellent timing! In as much as I enjoyed spending time with little Julianna, I find being with Ginny just too awkward. So, thank you for rescuing me, love", Hermione said before kissing him on the cheek.

"You mean that though? About forgiving the Weasleys?", he inquired.

"Yes. I just don't want to see them again. I can forgive them. But I will never forget what they did to me", he could hear the seriousness in her declaration.

"You're clearly a better person than I, love", he mused.

"Of course, I am", she scoffed which made the both of them laugh.

"Come on, Lady Potter! We have to go home", he wrapped an arm around her waist as he led her to the door.

Hermione had a big smile on her face as the curtains closed to indicate the end of the first act. Harry surprised all of them when he announced that he bought tickets to see a production of Wicked at the West End. Since she loved theater, his surprise made her so happy.

It was also Andromeda and Teddy's first time to watch a show at the West End and it's rather funny to see their reactions to how the non-magical community portrays witches. Even if they found the depiction of witches as odd, it was very obvious that they loved the song numbers though.

Andromeda and Teddy's mouth gaped as Elphaba Thropp belted out her signature song, Defying Gravity. They were used to tunes by Celestina Warbeck and The Weird Sisters. Magic may be amazing, but in terms of music, the non-magical community is way ahead.

"Love, I'm just gonna go to the restroom, okay? I'll be back before the start of the second act", she turned to Harry who was seated on her right.

"Do you want me to come with you? I don't want you to bump into a scary stranger again", he insisted.

"I'll be fine. I promise", she reassured him with a kiss on the cheek. He relented with a sigh and she smiled at him before standing up from her seat.

She was walking towards the restroom when she spotted a woman who was crying in a corner. No one seemed to bother to help out so she decided to approach her. Besides, the queue is rather long. She could spot the line from where she stood. Maybe it's best to line up ten minutes before the second act starts…

"Excuse me, miss? Are you alright?", she said in a gentle voice as she approached the sobbing woman. They appear to be around the same age.

"Help me. My daughter, she's missing. I just – ", the distraught woman sobbed.

"Oh dear, I am so sorry. Let's go find security", she suggested.

"Here. Hold my purse for a second. I'll call my husband on the phone", the woman said in between tears. She nodded. She can't imagine the anguish she must be feeling!

The woman rummaged her purse for her mobile phone before handing her the large black leather clutch. She just accepted it without question.

"Activate", she was shocked when the sobbing woman said that. The last thing she saw was the evil smirk on the woman's face before she felt a tug from what could only be a portkey…