Reunion
"Shit!" declared auror Nymphadora Tonks as she ducked underneath another Avada Kedavra. Rolling behind an over turned table, she sent spell after spell at the horde of death eaters.
"It figures..." she muttered as more spells splashed against her make-shift shield. "One of the order is finally here before a DE raid, and no one else will bloody show up to the call."
"Now now, little cousin..." tutted ex-fugitive Sirius Black as he dove to her side. "skepticism such as that doesn't befit a member of the most noble house of Black."
"Which would be a problem if I was a Black. My mum was disowned, remember?"
"Oh...right. Remind me to remedy that."
Growling, Tonks sent another volley across the deserted picnic ground. The two had been enjoying a quiet bit of family time when the raid had begun. This had been the norm lately. Death Eaters would attack random muggle areas to instill fear in the populace. Usually they would trash the place and leave, but this time they'd been met with obvious resistance.
"Why the fuck haven't I quit Dumbledore's little social club?" Demanded the pick-haired young woman, staring at her cousin.
"'Cause you're the only bloody source of their info that we have. Me and Mooney can't stand to be around Dumbles after what he did to Harry."
"Yeah, but why does it have to be me? I don't like what he did either."
"I know, but we still have more of a con..." Sirius was cut off as a large explosion shook the ground. The two peeked over the edge of the battered table to see the DE ranks strewn around a large crater. A cursory glance showed around half of the twenty-strong raiding part had vital areas of their persons blown off.
"What the bloody hell?"
Before an answer could come, the remaining raiders struggled to their feet and start tossing curses desperately. The spells, however, were aimed in random directions. It was like they were valiantly attacking an invisible opponent.
"They've lost their damn minds!" laughed Tonks.
"I'm not too sure..." Sirius replied as he saw the jugular of one of the masked men seem to open itself.
As they watched, the spells stopped flying even though the eaters still shouted the incantations. They saw more than one of the raiding party spin on their heels or grip pendants around their necks. When no one disappeared through apparation or portkey, panic began to set in.
That panic escalated as a new person faded into view. The man was draped in ragged roes and held two vicious-looking blades. Each knife was curved forward like a raptor's talons, the serrated inner edges dripping brilliant red blood. Sirius and Tonks were able to make out a head of messy black hair as the man dashed forward.
The two closest death eaters raised their wands as the stranger approached. Each yelled the dreaded killing curse, only to be surprised as the spells still didn't come. Their surprise didn't last long. Ducking low, the stranger slid within their guard and brought his knives up. The blades were embedded between two pairs of eyes, killing them instantly.
The silver-eyed stranger wrenched his knives from the two skulls before throwing one. The dagger flipped end over end until it stuck in a robed chest. The death eater cried out in pain before trying to pull the steel from his chest. His attempts were rendered redundant as a hand slammed into the handle palm first, forcing the knife into the rapidly beating heart. Within the same movement, the other knife slashed twice, cutting two more throats.
Leaving the knife stuck into the corpse's chest, the warrior sprung over the sixth raider. Landing behind him, the knife was brought up and across the man's neck. Flowing from the strike into a spin, twin bolts of vibrant green light flew from blood-drenched fists and struck two of the remaining three enemies, killing them instantly.
The last eater could only watch, frozen in fear, as the man approached him. Silvery green eyes bored into the masked face before the bloody knife was raised.
"Stop!" yelled Tonks, rushing forward. The blade halted in its descent as the shaggy head turned slightly. She could feel the intense scrutiny as she slowed to a walk, raisin her hands in a peaceful palms-out gesture.
"You got a reason to stop me from killing him?"
"Yeah...he could have valuable information. It was bloody brilliant how you were able to beat 'em, though."
A grunt answered her as the blade was rotated until the handle hung over the death eater. With a quick movement, the handle savagely impacted on the hooded skull. Tonks heard the sickening crunch as the , now unconscious, man crumpled to the charred earth. His work done, the stranger made to walk away.
"What's wrong, pup...you too bloody busy to greet your godfather?" The man stopped as Sirius' voice carried over the small battlefield. He slowly pivoted until their gazes locked. Tonks looked in between the two men confusedly.
"Um...Sirius?"
"You seem to think you know me." stated the warrior.
"Ah..." replied Black, "It may have been five years of Azkaban induced makeover, but I know your scent anywhere, Harry."
Tonks gasped as she shifted her focus to the man. She stared at his silver-green eyes before looking up at the famous scar.
"H-harry..." she breathed.
"Make one move, auror Tonks, and you'll join these pathetic lackeys." Harry rumbled, subtlety flashing his bloody knife.
"I know how you feel about aurors at the moment, Harry, but Tonks is on your side." declared Sirius, cutting through the tension. "Why don't you and me get out of here before the ministry shows up."
"How do I know that you won't tell anyone you saw me, Tonks?"
"Hmm..." mused Sirius. "Oh! How about an oath?" taking the stoic silence as an affirmative, he raised his wand and spoke clearly. "I, Sirius Orion Black, do swear on my life and magic that I will not betray Harry Potter. So mote it be."
As the resulting flash settled, Harry's gaze remained on the nervous form of Tonks. Catching the hint, she raised her wand.
"I, Nymphadora Andromeda Tonks, do swear on my life and magic that I will not betray Harry Potter or reveal his whereabouts. So mote it be."
Harry nodded before making his way to the line of bodies and yanking his knife from the masked corpse. A quick surge forced the blood from the blades, leaving them spotless. He slid the weapons into his sleeves and walked over to his godfather. Sirius gripped his shoulder and the pair vanished with a soft crack.
--oo00HPR00oo--
Harry's letter had quickly replaced the cloak as Hermione's comfort thing. In the two weeks since he'd left it, the only time it wasn't on her person was when she was in the shower. Obsessive? Maybe...but she really didn't care. This note proved that Harry loved her and she wasn't about to let it go.
A soft pop pulled her from her reverie and she looked down at the small creature that had appeared.
"Yes, Dobby?"
"Excuse Dobby Harry Potter's 'Mione, but yous be having visitors."
"Who is it?" she asked, smiling at Dobby's designation for her.
"It bes Harry Potter's Dogfather and a 'Riddick', miss. Does yous be wanting Dobby to let them in?"
"Yes. Thank you Dobby." replied 'Mione, wondering who the hell this 'Riddick' character was.
The little creature bowed deeply before pooping away. She heard the door open, quickly followed by a high pitched sobbing. Jumping to her feet, Hermione rushed to the entry hall. What she saw brought tears to her eyes.
--oo00HPR00oo--
Standing outside Hermione's home, Riddick shifted nervously from foot to foot.
"You know? You usually don't get to see a hardened killer nervous about seeing a girl." laughed Sirius.
Harry glared at him as the door opened to allow them entrance. He was able to briefly glimpse a tastefully done hallway before he was tackled at the knees by a sobbing little creature. He looked down to see the tiny form of Dobby the house elf, who was sobbing so hard none of his words were discernible.
"Dobby? What the bloody hell are you doing here?"
More jumbled sobs answered him as a grasp drew his gaze to one of the doorways that lined the hall. Silver-green eyes met watery chocolate-brown. Sensing the shift, the still crying Dobby released his true master's legs and stepped back with a smile that spread from one over large ear to the other.
Harry rose to hes feet, only to be tackled to his back for a second time. This time, however, there was a soft pair of lips fused with his. His arms automatically surrounded her thin waist and pulled her even tighter against him. Both of them poured years of repressed feeling into their joined lips.
Sirius tapped Dobby on his tiny shoulder and gestured in the direction of the kitchen. Nodding so sharply his ears flapped, the little elf followed the wizard away from the reunited couple.
After a few minutes, the two lovers separated due to lack of oxygen and stared into each other's eyes. Slowly, they disentangled and got to their feet. Hermione gripped Harry's hand and pulled down the hall. They entered a cozy kitchen to find Sirius and Dobby sitting at the small table, drinking tea. Seeing them arrive, the hyper little elf hopped up from his specially made chair and poured two more cups.
"I was really starting to worry about suffocation, there for a minute." stated Sirius jovially as Hermione pushed Harry into a chair and sat on his lap.
"Yes, well...lost time and all that." she replied primly.
Dobby deposited their tea cups before them and returned to his seat. Harry picked up his cup and sipped slowly, savoring the taste.
"Ah..." he sighed, setting the cup down, wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist, and inhaling he scent of her hair. "Been a while since I smelled beautiful."
The others smiled warmly, 'Mione with slightly tinted cheeks as Harry pulled away from her brunette curls and looked around the table.
"What are you doing here, Dobby?" he asked, confused.
"Dobby is sorry, Master Harry Potter, sir. He will go."
"No, Dobby." interjected Hermione. "I think he is asking why you are working for me, keeping in mind my views on House elves."
"Oh." replied Dobby, regaining his seat.
"Well..."she started, "Not long after you were..."
"Locked up?"
"Yes...after that, Dobby found me at Hogwarts. He actually sat me down and explained that House elves need to be bonded to a person or a family to survive. Right, Dobby."
"Yes miss. Dobby thought that yous should know that before he told you of his master."
"Master?" asked Harry. "I thought that you were a free elf."
"Now. Dobby knew he would slowly die if he didn't have a master, so Dobby picked one."
"Who?" There was a sinking feeling in the pit of Harry's stomach as he saw Dobby's averted eyes.
"You, Harry. He bonded himself to you the night you freed him."
"But, I thought that the old goat-fucker hired you to work at Hogwarts."
"He dids, Harry Potter sir. Dobby knew that your Grangey would not like Dobby being bonded to yous, so Dobby accepted sos that he could still be close to his master."
"Then why are you here?"
"After Dumbledores and the Weezeys hurt Harry Potter, Dobby stopped working at Hogwarts. He knew that Harry Potter's dogfather had not betrayed him."
"Yeah. He came to live with me until Hermione here graduated, top honors of course. Good thing, too. I'd recently found out that that little piece of filth Kreecher had been running to my cousin, Narcissa Malfoy. He'd been leaking secrets to her. I immediately gave him clothes, but he wouldn't leave the house. Eventually, he chose to kill himself rather than leave his "mistress'" house."
"Ain't that a bloody shame?" droned Harry in a monotone.
"Yes, well after I'd gotten an apartment, Dobby came to work for me."
"Even though yous still tried to pay Dobby, miss." the elf shot with a wry smile that seemed incredibly strange on his disproportionate face.
"Sue me." Hermione replied, smiling.
Harry watched on, shocked, at the free banter between his elven friend and the woman in his lap. Dobby was demonstrating a side he'd never seen. The pair went back and forth for another three minutes, giving Harry time to connect some dots.
'That slick little bastard.' he thought, smiling, as it all came together.
"Hey, Dobby?"
"Why don't you drop the act?"
Sirius and Hermione, still seated in Harry's lap, stared at him strangely. Harry's gaze, however, was still locked on Dobby's shocked face.
"Dobby should have known that the great Harry Potter would be able to see through Dobby's disguise."
"Dobby..." growled Harry in his Riddick voice, while still staying some what pleasant.
"Alright, alright. Sunnuva bitch...didn't have to get so bloody serious on me, master."
"I'm Sirius..." come the quiet reply from the lord of house Black as he fainted. Hermione quickly followed suit, slumping into Harry's chest.