After Greg had been selected to work with the Magical Law Enforcement department, he found that he was very eager to meet the liaison with whom he would be working. After all, magic was real and he was actually going to be able to work with someone who was an expert in his field...as well as famous in the magical world...according to Mycroft. It was all quite exciting - even if he could not tell anybody about it.

When the time finally came, though, and they met at the scene of his first unusual crime that he thought might require magical assistance, he found that his new partner was not really what he had expected, at all. For some reason, he had not really considered the fact that he might actually be a she, despite the fact that he had worked with the very capable DS Donovan for years. Not that he cared about the gender of his fellow officers, but it was still a bit of a surprise...probably because he had imagined the new liaison as a long-bearded wizard with a staff. Apparently, all of his years as a fantasy reader, especially Tolkien, had left an impression in his mind that was not easily adjusted.

Special Investigator Hermione Granger may not have had either a beard or a staff...but she did have a wand...and she certainly made her own kind of impression. She was very pretty, very personable, very professional…and definitely the biggest surprise of all…very friendly with Sherlock! In fact, the two had arrived at the crime scene together almost immediately after he had texted the special number that Mycroft had given to him in case of a possible magical emergency. That could only mean that they had already been together beforehand, since Greg knew that he had not contacted the consulting detective. In all honesty, he would have actually preferred to keep Sherlock away from his first magical case altogether. Therefore, with that suspicion firmly entrenched in his mind, Greg could not help but watch with a bit of bewildered disbelief when the normally aloof detective even held the crime scene tape out far enough for his petite companion to shuffle underneath - even though Greg had seen the man leave John to scramble through such barriers on his own too many times to count.

"What the Hell? Is that our new SI or does the Freak actually have a girlfriend?" He heard Donovan mutter an echo of his thoughts beside him as she watched the approaching couple, as well. He was too distracted by the new woman's first words, though, to even reprimand his DS for her unprofessional name calling.

"Oh, Sherlock!" The woman quipped upon first seeing the corpse with the rune-inscribed knife still stuck through his heart. "You always take me to the nicest places."

"You love it!" the man stated plainly in return. Hermione looked at him with one raised eyebrow, but then gave a shrug of acquiescence that actually elicited a short bark of laughter from the detective. Several shocked uniforms stopped in their tracks at the amazing sound, but none were as dumbfounded as the DI himself when the woman turned and met his eyes with her own twinkling ones before she proceeded to grab Sherlock's hand to pull him over the rest of the way to where the DI and DS were standing.

Sherlock proceeded to make the introductions. "Lestrade, this is Granger. Hermione, this is…," Sherlock paused. "Actually, I don't remember his first name, so just call him Grant…and that's Donovan." He added the DS's name absentmindedly with a little dismissive hand wave towards her direction.

"It's Greg!" Lestrade managed to croak out while Donovan just humphed at his rudeness.

Hermione just smiled cheerfully at them both, however, as she held out her hand. "Hello, Greg. Hello, Donovan. It's Sally, isn't it?" She paused as they both eyed her wonderingly since her pleasant manners were the complete opposite of her companion's. "Please feel free to call me Hermione," she continued. "I don't like to stand on ceremony. Plus, Mycroft has told me a lot about you both, especially you, Inspector Greg Lestrade...and I have been looking forward to working with you." Greg noted that her voice was both pleasant and confident as he went to shake her hand…only to be interrupted by Sherlock again.

"Mycroft?" he asked her curtly. "When have you spoken with my brother?"

"Lots of times," she answered with quite a bit of sauce in her tone. "Most recently was last night, however."

Sherlock just looked at her blankly and she sighed with exasperation. "It was after I made you go take a shower because you smelled like sulphur from your little exploding science experiment in the kitchen," she clarified. Sherlock's eyes cleared and he nodded at the memory. She then turned back to the DI while Donovan made some sort of strangled sound beside him at the apparent meaning of the exchange between the newcomers. She was not the only one, either.

"Sorry about that," Hermione apologized as she ignored the looks of both shock and awe from the uniforms and detectives around her. "Shall we go see about that body now?"

After Greg gave her a thorough walkthrough of the crime scene, Hermione agreed that it seemed suspicious that nothing else was disturbed. There was not even any blood! She suspected that a Tergeo had been cast to siphon it all up. Therefore, she focused on the unusual knife itself. She cast a few revealing spells on it that caused the runes to glow and showed it to be indeed cursed…and thus the murder was proven beyond a doubt to be a magical one.

Hermione also stopped a hapless uniform from touching the cursed weapon by levitating the knife away from the body and into a magically sealed container for further testing at a later date in a more secure location. Then she proceeded to summon her ghost-like otter patronus and sent it to St. Mungos to notify the morgue there to come and collect the body for identification. After that, Greg watched, extremely impressed, as Hermione slightly modified the memories of Donovan, and the uniforms with them, to forget about the amazing magic they had just seen and heard. To them, it had simply been an ordinary case. However, Greg knew better. In addition to that, he also knew that he was already hooked…on both magic...and on the new SI.

He knew that there was nothing he could do about his attraction to Hermione, however – especially if she was with Sherlock. He was even magnanimous enough to admit that he could see the appeal that the man might have for her. Sherlock may not have been nice, but he was a good man. Plus, even though Greg was not interested in men himself, he would have to be blind to not realize Sherlock was quite attractive, as well. Add being brilliant and scarily efficient at his job to the list, and it was obvious that the two were perfect together. After all, even after just one case, Greg could tell that Hermione displayed all of those same qualities, as well – with just one exception. Unlike Sherlock, she was genuinely nice and considerate. She proved it when she thanked all of the still slightly dazed uniforms for their hard work…and when she grabbed Greg's hand to shake it again and tell him what a great job he had done on their first case together.

His good feelings from that interaction all but disappeared, though, when she looked back at Sherlock. "Come along, Holmes," she prompted with a warm smile. "Let's get back home to Baker Street. Mrs. Hudson promised to have some fresh biscuits waiting for us, you know."

Home? Greg thought incredulously. They're not just seeing each other. They actually live together!

His intense disappointment must have shown on his face, however, because Sherlock paused on his way out and looked at him intently for just a moment…before a wide smirk crossed his features and he turned to follow Hermione.

…

It was not until they were all together again for the next case before Greg understood the knowing look that he had seen on Sherlock's face during the previous one. Donovan was not in attendance this time around, since it was obvious from the beginning that the case was a magical one and, consequently, all nonessential personnel were excluded. At any rate, a wand, one that presumably belonged to the victim, had already been found at the scene. In addition to that clue, the body of the unfortunate man was unidentifiable due to the thick yellowish-green liquid and giant blisters that covered it. Everything smelled strongly of petrol, as well. Greg had never seen anything like it...but apparently Hermione had.

"Undiluted bubotuber pus," she had declared after just a glance and a sniff. She then looked down at her hands as she remembered the pain from her own anonymous attack with the stuff in response to Rita Skeeter's lies in the Daily Prophet years earlier. "The poor bastard," she said with feeling as she shook her head in commiseration. "That's such a terrible way to go. The killer must have set up a silencing ward, as well...or the neighbors would have heard his screams." She looked so troubled by the thought that Greg was tempted to wrap his arms around her and comfort her. However, he knew that such an action would seem very unprofessional - especially since they did not know each other that well, yet. Therefore, he settled for simply patting her on the shoulder instead. The simple act of comfort seemed to work, however, because Hermione's eyes cleared and she smiled gratefully at him before she pulled herself together and set to work.

That smile continued to give Greg a pleasantly warm feeling as he and Hermione carefully collected the evidence to send it off for testing while Sherlock watched. Even though he did not offer to assist, the consulting detective had been annoyingly close all night and had observed the interactions between the DI and the SI like a hawk. Greg did not know what the man was up to, though, not until after Hermione had set the privacy wards to allow the medi-wizards from St. Mungos to collect the body without being seen by the muggles in the neighborhood. Then, after their part of the initial investigation was wrapped up...and they had recovered somewhat from the unpleasantness...he received an unexpected text when he was right in the middle of a conversation with Hermione.

Somehow they had gotten on the subject of books, and Greg was thrilled to find out that she was also a fan of Tolkien. In fact, she even suspected that the man must have been a wizard himself because he knew too much about so many magical species. For his part, Greg was amazed to find out that so many of what he thought were just fictional characters were actually based on real life beings in the magical world. He also found that he was enjoying their conversation so much that he hated to excuse himself even just long enough to check his message. He was worried that it might be important, however, or related to another case, so his strong sense of duty and responsibility eventually required him to go ahead and do it. When he finally pulled up the offending message, though, he was in for a surprise.

Ask her out for coffee...dinner...anything to get that pathetic look off of your face. –SH

What are you on about? Greg texted back, unsure if Sherlock was messing with him or not.

You're mooning over Hermione. It's disturbing. Stop it immediately and ask her out if you must. –SH

You want me to ask your girlfriend out for a date? What is wrong with you?

Don't be stupid. Open your eyes. Not my girlfriend. –SH

Don't you live together?

What does that have to do with anything? I used to live with Mycroft, too, and I am certainly not dating him. Now stop being dense...and ask! -SH

Greg read the last text in disbelief before he glanced up at the detective who nodded at him in a surprisingly conspiratorial manner. Had he really gotten it all so wrong? If so, there was only one way to find out. Just as he opened up his mouth to ask, though, Hermione spoke first.

"If you blokes are done talking about me, then I could really use a cuppa. After all, it's been a long day. Greg, would you like to join me so that we can continue our discussion? And no, Sherlock, as much as I adore you…you are not invited! You will just poke holes in all of the story plots that we talk about. In fact, why don't you go visit John and Rosie while I'm gone, instead?" Sherlock nodded at that idea and she gave him a grateful hug. "Give them my love," she called after him as he headed out of the crime scene and down to street level in order to catch a cab.

After Greg admitted, a bit sheepishly, that he would love to accompany her, he was treated to a dazzling smile...then to his own embrace. He was confused...but he certainly was not going to complain about the intimate situation. Then Hermione gave a little laugh, told him to "hold on tight" and that hug turned into his very first experience of being squeezed through a tube during their consequent side-apparation to Hermione's favorite all-night café. After he fought down the resulting nausea and regained his momentum, he realized just what had happened.

"Wow! Magical teleportation in the arms of a beautiful woman! I think that might be the coolest thing that I have ever done," he admitted breathlessly. Hermione just grinned cheerfully again and then led him in from the back alley where they had materialized into the little cafe for the promised cuppa...and maybe some dinner, as well.

That evening in the cafe turned out to be their first date...but it was far from their last one. In fact, they found each other's company to be easy and fun because they had a lot in common right from the beginning. They were both divorced, senior members of the same profession, and had a mutual friend whose exploits made a great conversation booster whenever inspiration for other topics lagged. Besides the fact that they met frequently at crime scenes, they also sought out each other's company for dinner, the cinema, the theatre, and trips to bookstores. Occasionally they invited Sherlock, as well...and sometimes he even accepted.

Their first kiss happened in the cab on their way home after that night in the cafe since Hermione insisted on seeing where he lived. "I can't apparate to somewhere I have never been, after all," she said with a suggestive smile. Then she leaned forward and let her lips tentatively brush his. Greg, however, unable to believe his luck, returned the gesture with such enthusiasm that they were both grinning madly when they finally separated.

A couple of months later, their first night together occurred when they took comfort in each other's arms during the intense relief of the aftermath of the harrowing struggle to thwart little Rosie Watson's would-be kidnapping...and to keep her father and godfather from killing the man responsible.

The first "I love you!" was subsequently murmured, and then echoed, during one of Sherlock's long danger nights that soon followed that event. During that difficult time, they grew closer to both each other and to their friend in the Baker Street flat while they provided the support and distraction that kept Sherlock from slipping back into his old unhealthy habits after John had announced his completely-reasonable-yet-still-painful decision to leave his dangerous life behind in London in order to better protect his daughter from future threats. The problem was that, unfortunately by extension, meant leaving Sherlock, as well.

Despite all of the drama, however, Hermione and Greg's relationship flourished. Consequently, exactly one year after their first date, Greg nervously bent down on one knee in front of her in the very same all-night café where they had their first cuppa together. She said yes, of course - especially since there were no doubts at all this time around - only happiness!

The occasion was made even more joyous for Hermione when Ron attended the wedding with Harry and the rest of the Weasleys...and even offered his sincere congratulations...as well as a few long overdue apologies...afterwards. Finally having that closure with one of her oldest and best friends only added to the perfection of Hermione's special day - especially when it became obvious that Ron was trying to put forth some effort in getting to know Greg, as well. It was still clear, however, from all of the snarky comments and dark looks that passed between her ex-husband and the best man, that the two of them were never going to be friends.

It is a small price to pay for such happiness, though, Hermione decided as she danced and laughed with each of the men in turn...as well as John (who had returned with her little flower girl for the wedding) and all of the Weasleys, as well. After all, everyone was together and, for once, there had not been even the smallest of murder attempts. That alone was certainly worth celebrating! As a result, she and Greg were able to leave with light hearts for their blissfully relaxing honeymoon in the Caribbean (which was their generous gift from Mycroft - even though he had decided not to attend the ceremony)...and the rest was history.