Chapter 5

The Worst Laid Plans

Harry had called Kreacher and was halfway to the ministry before he reconsidered his actions. He wanted to ignore what Conner had said, stomp into Kingsley's office and head back to the cottage with nothing less than an army. Three years ago Hermione probably would've agreed with him. She probably would've told him he couldn't back down in the face of threats and if she was to die she would be doing what was right. However, Harry had spent a few precious hours with Hermione as she was today, and Hermione today had Lily. No matter what sort of monster Conner was and what he had done to Hermione, Hermione's daughter didn't deserve to be harmed.

Harry was ashamed when he felt his eyes sting with frustration. Conner had known he was there. The cloak couldn't help him, even if he returned alone and didn't speak to her. He couldn't tell Ron, Ron had even less control than Harry himself and he wouldn't hesitate to go charging into the cottage without a second thought. He wasn't supposed to tell anyone or Hermione's life would be lost, according to Conner. Was it possible Conner could have people watching Harry, even now? According to Hermione he traveled to London at least once a month on business, usually for a few days at a time. That suggested he at least had colleagues near Harry, if not friends.

Obviously the easiest solution would be to watch her and wait for him to leave, then take her and her daughter away. Without the invisibility cloak as a way to spy, Harry was afraid to chance the idea of getting caught. If Conner could see through cloaks a disillusionment charm would surely be ineffective. Even if he were successful, what of Hermione Slate? She would think Harry himself the monster for stealing her and her daughter from their home.

Harry ran his fingers through his messy hair in frustration. Then there was explaining to Kingsley that he'd illegally hopped out of the country with a house elf, not the best way to begin asking for a favor. Even 'The Chosen One' was supposed to follow the law.

Well, at any rate, Conner had gotten what he wanted. With his threat he'd succeeded in sending Harry straight back to London. Another thought suddenly occurred to Harry, a thought that made his blood run cold. What if Conner had convinced her to leave? What if his plan had been to scare Harry away long enough to move her and Lily away? Where would they go next? How many years before he would find her again? Would he find her at all? How many years before he killed her? Was the threat empty, or completely valid?

His heart pounded inside his chest, a horrible aching, sick, feeling, that flooded his body, a poison he didn't recognize until it burned through his veins. It was a pain he couldn't stifle or control. Pain beyond the lost love Dumbledore had predicted. Unprecedented, he had no tape to measure this pain by, other than losing her the first time. Why hadn't he grabbed her in the cafe? He berated himself for allowing her to slip through his fingers once again. For the first time in a very long time, helpless tears fell down his cheeks. He swiped angrily at them with his sleeve. He desperately wished he had someone he could talk to about it, but fear for Hermione's safety kept his lips sealed.

The ever-present ache of Sirius' absence rippled through him in his desperation. Sirius would know what to do. He wouldn't take this lying down, he would have had answers. The hard truth was that Sirius was gone, everyone Harry wanted was gone. Hermione was probably gone too.

It was this thought that broke the dam. Harry stepped through the threshold of Grimmauld Place and crumpled where he stood. Allowing the sobs and pain to have their way, if only for a while. His chest burned with the sheer unfairness of the situation. Hadn't he lost enough? Hadn't he given enough? Now he'd lost Hermione twice. Surely, he'd earned the chance to have just one loss back? He let the sobbing continue, helpless to end it in his growing despair.

"Master Harry?" Kreacher's voice was uncertain and concerned and Harry looked up at the small elf standing next to him. Embarrassment washed over him. It was hard enough to be a grown man sobbing in the foyer of a rotting old house, let alone having someone witness it, even an elf.

As ashamed as he was by his emotional outburst he couldn't help looking at Kreacher with some excitement, "Kreacher, can you become invisible?" He asked tentatively.

Kreacher wrung his ears with a sad expression on his face, "Master Harry, house elves is not being invisible, just good at hiding."

Harry deflated a little. Although, being good at hiding was something and if Conner could see through cloaks anyway perhaps being invisible wouldn't have been terribly useful. Perhaps his house elf's considerable skill could still be of use.

He was frustrated, and exhausted from his emotional outburst. Harry desperately wanted to go to bed, but he feared sleep would only turn his panic into nightmares. Instead, he commissioned Kreacher to deliver a message to George. It was simple and revealed nothing, Harry was quite proud of it, honestly.

George,

Come to my place for a drink, bring Crooks back please. She's dearly missed and I worry when she's away, anything could happen.

Harry

Harry could only hope George would read into the incorrect gender of the cat and see what he didn't say. It wouldn't do to have Kreacher intercepted.

The truth of it was Harry needed to tell someone. The weight of this secret was nearly suffocating.

After he'd sent Kreacher away he paced in front of the fireplace for a quarter hour nervously running his fingers through his hair. He supposed it was nearing midnight and perhaps that was why George was taking his time, but it didn't make waiting any easier.

When George finally stumbled out of the fireplace he looked slightly disheveled in lounge pants and a very battered shirt. He was looking irritable and holding an equally annoyed Crookshanks. "What's gotten into you Harry? It's the middle of the damn night and you send a house elf to fetch me? Angelina's ready to give you -" he didn't finish his tirade, and instead gave Harry a very concerned look. Crookshanks used his distraction to leap from his arms and streak off up the stairs. "What happened to you? You look awful. Have you been crying?"

Harry felt that familiar shame again and dearly wished he'd thought to spend some time in front of the mirror. Instead he responded brokenly, "I've found her George. You can't tell anyone." George was sweeping his eyes over the room as though she might pop out and announce her presence. "She's not here, I really need to tell someone but you have to keep it to yourself, if anyone finds out I told where she is she'll be killed. I need your word George." George seemed to be considering it for a moment then gave him a hesitate nod. Harry pulled the newspaper clipping from his pocket and spread it on the surface of the table, he started from the beginning. He told George about the library, Hermione's family, and the few memories that she still had.

When he finished the story and explained Conner's threat, George sighed loudly. "Well, she's alive, that's something. What's the plan then boss?" He asked lightly.

Harry was taken aback by the question, he hadn't actually gotten that far. He had planed to send Kreacher to spy on her but even that idea had him jumpy with nerves. Could he trust Kreacher with Hermione's life? That was exactly what was at stake here. Kreacher was a changed elf, of this Harry was certain, but just how changed? Changed enough to protect Hermione with his life? It would be a gamble, but he had to trust Kreacher. It was the only chance. Conner probably wouldn't expect a house elf, and Harry couldn't do it himself. "I was going to send Kreacher to spy on her, what do you think?" He asked George.

Again George sighed, "I don't know Harry, house elves are clever but we still haven't worked out how Conner knew you were there. He might find Kreacher. What about this little girl, are you sure it's Hermione's? I mean, what if he just made her think the kid was hers?"

Harry smiled, "oh, Lily is definitely Hermione's, George, wait 'til you see her. Her hair is just awful, she's got these horrible buck teeth, looks exactly like Hermione." He smiled fondly, "there's other things about her though, she's quiet, Hermione says she's got a temper too."

"I really should be mad at you, you know." George said matter-of-factly.

"What for? It's just a cat George, I've had you watch him before, I'm sorry for disappearing but, really, you know I had to." Harry really didn't think this was the time for a lecture about his trip.

"Oh not that. I meant about leading my sister on, and stealing my brother's girlfriend. Not very nice of you mate." George twirled his wand nonchalantly between his fingers as he spoke, "only reason I'm not mad is I honestly think you're too stupid to know it."

Harry scoffed, "you sound like Dumbledore and you're both wrong."

"Wouldn't be so bad to sound like Dumbledore, smart man. Can you imagine what the shop could be if I'd had his brains?" George had a wistful expression on his face, "shame he devoted all that talent to following the rules." He shook his head sadly. "Anyway Harry, you've been in love with her a long time. Her and Ron have been over a long time, you're allowed to admit it, at least to yourself."

Harry was quiet for a long moment, was George possibly right about him? Of course not. It was laughable. Hermione was his friend, besides that, she loved Ron. That's when he felt it. That sharp pain to his gut, the idea of her coming home, the real her, and being with Ron. Maybe George was right. Harry sighed heavily. "It's not relevant George." He told him bluntly. "I'm sending Kreacher, it's all we've got and I need to do something." George shrugged.

"Kreacher!" Harry called. The little elf popped into the kitchen and bowed in front of him, "Kreacher you don't need to bow, just stand up, here." He shoved a scrap of parchment into the elf's tiny hand. "This is where Hermione lives. I need you to listen carefully, she has a husband and a daughter, she doesn't know anything about magic or that she's a witch. You cannot be seen. I need you to spy on her, give me reports in case she leaves. Her husband is a dangerous man, you have to protect Hermione if he figures out you're there. Her daughter too, bring them here if you think he's on to you. She's going to fight you, she doesn't know about elves. You can't let her stop you. Do you understand Kreacher?" Kreacher nodded, looked at the parchment and was gone before Harry could say anymore.

"I'm still trying to wrap my head around Hermione having a kid, it doesn't seem real." George told him.

"Tell me about it," Harry responded. "She said it was an accident, but Hermione doesn't have accidents like that, I think her husband must have planned it. She's so young to be a mother, but she seems good at it."

"Well she's been mothering you and my brother since she was eleven, so I'm not terribly surprised. Although, Angelina's going to be jealous. We've been trying, did you know? She's not thrilled your house elf interrupted, if you know what I mean." George gave Harry a wink that made him distinctly uncomfortable and Harry groaned. "On that note, I think I'll go home, you need some rest anyhow. We'll sort this tomorrow, yeah?"

Harry just nodded and gestured vaguely to the fireplace. So he supposed there was a chance he had feelings beyond friendship for Hermione. As if he needed one more complication thrown into this disaster. He didn't make it to his bedroom, instead he drug his exhausted body to the sofa in the sitting room and fell into a fitful sleep.

The next day he knew he hadn't slept enough. His limbs still felt heavy with sleep and he could barely lift his frame from the sofa. He dragged himself sluggishly into the kitchen. Kreacher had yet to return so he'd have to make do with toast, he wasn't interested in cooking.

After a meager breakfast that still sat heavily in his stomach, Harry wasn't sure what to do with himself. Kreacher had yet to return and even though he could use more sleep he was certain it would evade him.

He had even considered paying Dumbledore another visit, but was afraid it may frustrate more than help him. In the end he had found himself spending most of the day reorganizing Hermione's things, the few he had, and his collected notes. It was tedious and did nothing to calm his mounting nerves at Kreacher's continued absence. George had stopped in briefly, to see if Kreacher had returned, and left just as quickly to help with the rush of Hogwarts students flooding Diagon Ally.

Night was falling before Kreacher finally returned. When he did he was bloody and holding Lily, she was nearly his size and he wobbled dangerously under the weight. The child was screaming for her mother and Kreacher made no move to comfort her, just set her carefully on the floor.

"Kreacher, what's happened to her?! Where is Hermione?!" Harry shouted over Lily's continued sobs.

"Kreacher is injured Master Harry, not the baby," and as Kreacher said it Harry noticed the deep cut above his bulbous right eye. Blood was pouring into his face and he swayed as though he might soon faint.

"What about Hermione, Kreacher?! Where is she?! Can you take me to her?!" Harry's mind wouldn't slow, every nerve in his body had become terror, pure adrenaline and fear. His breath came in short, terrified pants. "Can you take me to her, to Hermione?!"

"Kreacher can take you, Master Harry, but Kreacher is too injured to help Master Harry. Missus Hermione, Missus Hermione's husband, he's a monster, Master Harry, a wolf. Missus Hermione told Kreacher to take Lily to you, she is dead now, Master Harry. She's dead."

Harry felt as though he'd had a building dropped on him. No. No she wasn't, she couldn't be. He would save her this time. He hadn't three years ago but he was going to now. Kreacher had to be mistaken. Harry took a deep breath, "Kreacher, listen closely. Take what I say next as an order, do you understand?" Kreacher nodded and blinked more blood from his eyes. "You're going to take me to Hermione, and her husband, and no matter what, you will leave once you've gotten me there. You will come here and take Lily, take her to George and Angelina Weasley, and you need to tell George where I've gone, do you understand?" Kreacher nodded again. "When you have done that I want you to go to Hogwarts and find Hagrid, tell him I've asked him to patch you up, let him Kreacher. Can you remember all of that?"

Kreacher nodded again and stretched his hand out for Harry to take. Harry took a steadying breath and felt the pull of apparition as he disappeared.

Authors Note: So the next chapter, Conner's identity will be revealed. I will tell you that he is not a character of my own invention. Conner Slate is an alias I created for an existing character. I intend to update again before the weekend is out.