Je ne sais quoi
Rating: PG for the moment
Genre: Drama
Warnings: None.
Summary: Why did she ever think her life had become humdrum? And why did she ever regret it?

Chapter 5: Through the Looking Glass

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Hermione muttered. She pulled a black ski mask over her head and double checked all her pockets to make sure she had her wand and the various charms Antigone gave her. Satisfied, she stepped behind Malfoy, dressed in the same ridiculous ninja-like outfit, and looked at Antigone in anticipation.

"You'll be fine Granger," the other witch said. She checked over Hermione, then Malfoy and finally the last and newest member of the group, also dressed in black, Blaise Zabini. "All set then."

"First sign of trouble…" Daphne called out from the other side of the room as she poured herself a drink.

"I know," Antigone said and threw a handful of powder into the Floo. " Morton Street."

Hermione was in and out last and as always slightly dizzy from the trip. Zabini caught her arm as she wobbled and his eyes, the only available feature of his face, looked like they were smiling.

Antigone tapped on one of the walls of what looked like a rundown room, and a panel popped open, revealing a set of keys, a knife and a small bottle. She packed all three away and headed for the door. It opened into darkness.

"Lumos," Malfoy said and thrust his wand forward, revealing a passage.

"Keep behind me," Antigone said and started down the stairs.

Hermione did her best to walk silently, an easy task in the boots she was wearing, but all that silence only made other things louder. She could hear Malfoy breathing really softly, like a kitten, though she generally liked kittens. She could hear the very faint crinkle she was sure was coming from Zabini though she couldn't figure out what it was. She heard nothing from the other witch but that was expected. During the war, the Order liked to refer to her as the ghost. She wasn't sure how long they walked, some of the passages curving around and splitting, their leader always picking one of them without hesitation.

"Bloody hell," Malfoy exclaimed as he tripped over a scurrying rat and Antigone whacked him with her elbow in the side without turning around.

Zabini snorted.

"Hush," Hermione whispered. She trusted Antigone as far as their safety but better safe than sorry, right?

"No one can hear us in here," Antigone said. But her own voice was soft as a whisper. Finally she stopped, Malfoy almost running into her back. "Turn out your wand." As soon as the light was gone, she opened the door, emerging into a courtyard. She slid along the wall, gesturing for the rest of them to follow her. A few windows were alight but most empty and dark like the night sky above them. She handed Zabini the knife and the key set and pointed at another door a few steps away. He took the lead.

Hermione looked on curiously as Zabini picked a key and applied it along with the knife to the lock. He was whispering something but she couldn't tell the words apart. Little, dark sparks danced around under his hands and then she heard a click. Zabini handed back the tools and stepped back. Antigone was in first and as Hermione watched her go, she pulled out her wand, feeling safer with the slim wooden implement in her hand.

They took the stairs, quietly walking up three flights, then paused as one as a badly off key tune drifted through the open door. Malfoy lifted his hand, about to pull off his mask but Antigone smacked it away. They slipped inside the hallway, pinpointing where the voice was coming from and Antigone slipped away into the shadows as Zabini confronted the guard head on.

"Hey mate," he called out, his voice just loud enough to reach the man.

"What?" the guard said and spun around, whipping out his wand.

It was long enough and from the corner Hermione saw the man go down, knocked unconscious by a blow to the head. The other witch then pulled out a rope and length of cloth, which Zabini and Malfoy took from her, tying and gagging up the guard before depositing him in a closet they found nearby. As they were closing it up, Antigone was already moving down the corridor and Hermione hurried to catch up, doing her best to do so silently.

It seemed none of the occupied rooms were nearby so they walked through without any interruptions until Antigone stopped again, holding out her arm to halt them. She peeked around the corner then dug something out of her bag, a small ball that she touched to her eyes and sent rolling into the unknown. Her eyes closed for a moment, then opened and she held up two fingers.

As previously agreed, they cast their shields now, the magic settling in a buzz on skin. Zabini nodded and took Hermione's arm, pulling her around the other way. Two against four wasn't much of a fight but they wanted to do it quickly so they decided attacking from both sides would be best. They dashed through the corridor, already knowing it to be empty, slowing down when nearing the spot that the map they memorized earlier showed to be the opposite end of the hallway. Hermione touched the coin in her pocket, knowing the spells would now be warming the coins Malfoy and Antigone had to assure them they were in position. Her coin pulsed and Zabini turned to her, hand up. Slowly he unfurled one finger, then a second and as the third came up, they burst around the corner, sending Petrificus spells at the guards who were so helpfully standing in the light.

One went down immediately, the other using his frozen body as a shield as he fired back red tinged spells.

"Infernum," yelled Malfoy, and a gust of flame shot at the man, aimed carefully just a breath away from him. Hermione grabbed his distraction with eagerness, following up with another Petrificus that hit right on target.

"Alright boys," Antigone said and her indigo eyes shone brightly, "take each corner. Granger and I have some real work to do."

They went down the very long hallway side by side, sconces coming alive as they passed and dying behind them. The door at the end was heavy and ornate with brass plating.

Antigone made a sound.

"What?" Hermione whispered.

"Blood magic in the shielding," she said with disgust. "Fucking purebloods."

"You're pureblooded," she pointed out.

Antigone made another sound, a soft, annoyed snort. "Think you can unravel it?"

"I believe so," Hermione answered. She knelt next to the door, her gloved fingers flowing softly over the rusty rune marks. Then she pulled her wand and tapped them in succession. "Basic entry code…" A glowing ball popped out of the door, sharp whites and blues swimming inside it.

Antigone pulled off her glove and pulled out the knife. She dragged the tip over her palm, staining it with her blood, and handed it to Hermione. Then she replaced her glove.

Hermione held the knife almost absently as she examined what looked rather like one of Trelawny's crystal balls. "This is amazing. I don't think I've seen this sort of warding mechanism… well… ever. I've read about it though."

"Save it Granger," the other witch said. "We don't have time."

"Alright," she said and almost with regret began to cut shallow runes into the ball with the scarlet painted tip of the knife. Each rune was the opposite to the ones on the door and as she finished one after another, the colors inside the ball began to change, glowing red and orange like a dying sunset. "Invictus… cognatio… ingressus… libere… honorarius…" she muttered and then as she stabbed the knife deeply into the orb, the Latin words began to run quickly together, indecipherable. Fire crawled through her limbs, pooling in her stomach, sliding through the very air she breathed and exhaled in a chant. She twisted the knife with a violent jerk and then it shot back out, the force shoving her backwards. She felt Antigone's hands on her shoulders, steadying her and then winced as the ball blew up, the light melting into the door.

"Good," Antigone said and that was as effusive as she ever got. "Catch your breath." Then she shoved open the door and walked into the door.

Hermione leaned against the wall, playing with the knife as she waited for her heart rate to slow down and her lungs to stop burning. The former Slytherin's slim form moved around the small room quickly and efficiently as she pulled out scrolls and books from every place she could find any.

"Anything?" Hermione called softly.

"Patience," Antigone replied as she unrolled another scroll.

Hermione laughed under her breath. The other witch wasn't known for the virtue she just mentioned.

"Got it," Antigone said and tied a bundle of scrolls together. "Too easy."

Hermione shrugged as she got to her feet. "Better than too hard."

"Maybe."

They were only a few steps away from the door when the coins began to pulse.

"Shite," Antigone forced from gritted teeth. She handed the bundle to Hermione and pulled her wand, edging slightly ahead. They ran down the corridor, soon hearing sounds of curses shot back and forth. Malfoy and Zabini were herded by six wizards in their direction and several unconscious bodies lay some feet away.

"Jump," Antigone screamed and shot off a spell a moment later. The ground shook, sending some of the newcomers stumbling and she hurtled herself into the fray, moving like hurricane with flames erupting from her wand in every direction. Hermione stayed back, that old battle calm descending on her as she played backup, shooting Ferio spells to shove the wizards away.

Zabini moved next to her as Malfoy lunged forward, slamming into a man who pulled out a sword. They went rolling.

Hermione smiled behind her mask when a man she hit crashed into a wall and fell limply.

Several others were down, scorched and groaning. Antigone continued her assault, blasting another one as she spun around, her elbow crunching into a wizard's nose.

Malfoy kicked his opponent off himself and sprung up. "The left is clear!"

"Get her out of here!" Antigone yelled back. "I got this." Two wizards were left and she was taking aim again.

Malfoy maneuvered back, Zabini guarding Hermione's other side as they escaped for the exit. They could still hear Antigone's voice and the odd crushing sound even as they ran down the hallway.

"Did you get it?" Malfoy asked between dragging in loud gulps of air, taking the stairs two at a time.

"I got it," Hermione said, thankful she wasn't wearing robes. "Is she…?"

"She'll be fine," Zabini replied, his voice low and oddly tense. "She's always fine."

She though Malfoy said something under his breath and it sounded something like… sucker? Anyway she didn't have time to contemplate it anymore than she allowed herself time to wonder how she ended up on this wholly illegal venture with a wizard she hated from childhood, his best friend and a witch who had always made her nervous. As they burst through the doors into the chilly night air, she remembered.

Besides, it wasn't like this was the first time she did something wholly illegal for the best of reasons.