A/N: I fixed some spelling errors and added a bit of detail…

Chapter Five

Accomplishments?

Another year had passed by; and life had gone on. The recovery from the war was almost complete and the peace that had lasted since was appreciated by all. The British wizarding nation had become an example to the other wizarding nations. Everyone lauded the efforts of several of the recovery groups, with the Weasley's at the forefront. They had been awarded several awards by numerous groups, and their standing in the wizarding world had skyrocketed to one of the most prominent wizarding families, not for money and power, but one of the most respected.

ooo

People in the Department of Mysteries were diving to the side as a blur shot down the halls. Hermione burst through Gavin's door, waving a piece of parchment excitedly. He raised his eyebrow in a questioning manner, as he glanced at the teacup he had just flung in surprise.

"Gavin, I did it! I managed to translate the runes from the Veil!" Hermione said. She shut the door, and sat down in the chair in front of his desk. "I found that if the runes are translated and read out loud in proximity of the Veil it would cause the noise I heard."

Gavin leaned forward in his chair and looked over her notes. She waited patiently for him to finish. He set the parchment down and continued to look at his desk with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"So, tell me what the runes say," Gavin said.

"'An innocent prisoner may be freed, but only the selfless will escape the penalty.' Now I think that since I had an ulterior motive for translating the runes, that the penalty is what I was hit with," Hermione explained. "Now the second set of runes on the bottom of the archway was the actual incantation to active the Veil. That was the part that I was working on when I heard the noise."

Gavin sat back in deep thought and pondered the message she had read. He came to the conclusion that this should be kept classified. But then a thought occurred to him.

"Now why did the Veil activate the penalty? Surely you did not try to activate it," Gavin said. Hermione blushed and looked down at her feet.

"Well, the incantation has to be read by pronouncing the runes. I have a bit of a habit of sounding them out when I write them down," she mumbled. She heard Gavin shove down his laughter with a snort. "Yes I know, it's a bit of a bad habit, but it helps me to translate them faster." Gavin broke in with another thought.

"So what grabbed your cloak during the first incident? Were you working on the same section of runes?" Gavin asked. Hermione nodded in the positive. "Well, that would explain what grabbed onto you. Well, now that we know what the Veil is, and what it can do, I think we should post it as off limits to all but key personnel. Now that you have finished your translation, would you like a new case? I just got an interesting one in this morning that you might have a bit of a tough time with."

Hermione perked up and snatched the parchment he was holding. She scanned the page quickly, her eyes widening as she read.

"Gavin? Could this be true? I mean, I thought the Sorcerer's stone had been destroyed years ago by Dumbledore and Flamel. Is this the original one or another one that was created?" Hermione asked.

"It seems to be a new one, but this is what really confounds us. It seems that this stone can do more. I need you to study it, and find out what the extra attributes are to this stone. But first, we need to retrieve it. That is where you start. The location it is at, is guarded by a spell that the maker of this stone set to have a password. Unfortunately, the password is something we have not been able to crack. Would you mind taking a trip with me?" Gavin explained. Hermione nodded her head enthusiastically. She was excited to get an opportunity like this. "Meet me here tomorrow morning at half nine. We will be taking a portkey to the location that we were sent by the maker of this new stone." Hermione raised her eyebrow in interest that the maker would want this found. "And here is another thing that I did not show you right away." He handed her another parchment. She scanned the page and her jaw fell open.

"The maker of the stone requested me?!" she exclaimed. "Why would the person request me?"

"I'm not sure Hermione, but the letter was adamant that it was you who was the one to be there. Tomorrow, when we get to the location, we will give you the rest of the information. There will be aurors there for protection in case this is a trap for some of the remaining undesirable elements still on the loose. Now in that case, you can continue with your day, and I can clean up the tea off my desk," Gavin said. Hermione flicked her wand and the mess was cleaned up.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to startle you," she said sheepishly. She waved her goodbye and strode from the office. Hermione reached her office, and finished the report on the Veil. She set it into her outbox, so it could be filed away. She finished her recommendations for the Veil for Gavin to approve. By the time she finished all of that, it was time for her to go home for the day. She reached the Ministry atrium and flooed to her flat. She was supposed to meet Ron for dinner to catch up on things. She had heard he had graduated from the Auror academy second in his class the week before. The only person who had beaten him in marks was a newcomer to Britain from America. Her name was Sharon Carver, and it was rumored that she and Ron were sort of an item. Hermione planned to take the mickey out of him about it that night at dinner.

ooo

She finished getting ready, and she still had about twenty minutes to get there. She apparated to Diagon Alley, and proceeded to tour Flourish and Blott's for a few minutes. She located an interesting volume on Alchemy, and she decided that it would help her with the project she was taking the following day. After paying for the book, she made her way to the restaurant they were meeting at. Ron arrived five minutes early, much to Hermione's surprise. They were seated in a back corner of the restaurant. When the orders were placed, they turned matters to more serious subjects.

"Hermione, I just wanted to let you know, that I will be one of the Aurors there at the site tomorrow. There are going to be four of us, and then your team. Now please, if you notice anything out of place, please let us handle it. Because if you get hurt, I'll have to hunt down the berk who set this up, and deal with him without magic," Ron said. Hermione smiled and nodded her assent. Ron nodded back and sighed with relief that she agreed with his request. Hermione's expression shifted to a more mischievous grin.

"So, I hear that you might be seeing someone," Hermione said playfully. Ron groaned and hid his blushing face behind his hands. "And even an American! Oh Ron, you know I'm just teasing you. So tell me about her!"

They talked for about an hour about his budding relationship. Hermione listened to him talk about Sharon, marveling at how much he had matured from his days at Hogwarts. He talked about her with such a passion, that she was sure they would end up together for a very long time. She was even amazed on how Ron even knew how Sharon liked her toast in the mornings. Listening to him talk, she began to think of Harry, how much she missed him and how her feelings had changed. Ron noticed her wistful expression, and shifted the subject from him and Sharon.

"So no word from Harry yet?" Ron asked seriously.

"No, not since he brought me home from the Leaky Cauldron that night. But it's strange, it's almost like I can feel him watching over me. I often have this feeling that someone is following me, but I know that the person doesn't want to hurt me. It's almost like Harry is my guardian angel," she explained. Ron looked at his hands, and sighed. He looked up and his face took on a curious look on his face.

"Hermione, I have a question. Now please before you cut me off, hear me out," he said. Hermione nodded in the positive. "I know you care for Harry deeply, but I think it runs deeper than that. Here is my question. Do you love him?" Hermione blinked a few times.

"Well, of course Ron, he is one of my best friends. You are the other, of course I do," she said. Ron shook his head and grinned. She was just trying to hide what he knew; he was just trying to get Hermione to admit it.

"You misunderstood me, Hermione. I mean more than a best friend. Are you in love with him?" he asked. She choked on her tea for a moment, and got a surprised look on her face, but Ron saw right through it. He chuckled at her expression. "That's what I thought." Hermione's façade fell and her head thumped to the table. She looked up after a minute.

"Am I that obvious?" she asked despairingly. Ron snorted.

"Yeah, you are. I was just trying to get you to admit it. When did it start for you?" he said. Hermione bit her lip and looked down. She didn't want to remember that day when she first thought about that. It brought up too many painful memories. Ron saw her face and grimaced. "Oh, that day…" His face crumpled and a few tears leaked out. Hermione wiped the tears off her face and reached to grab Ron's hand. They had not seen Sharon arrive and she had heard the conversation. She reached out and laid her hand on Ron's shoulder. He looked up in surprise, and half smiled when he saw her.

Hermione looked up and looked at who must have been Sharon. Hermione saw the sadness in her eyes while she comforted Ron. Sharon was tall, almost as tall as Ron, and she had long dark blonde hair. Sharon wrapped Ron in a hug, as he silently wept over the memories of Ginny. Hermione started to get up and leave the two some privacy, but two hands yanked back down into her chair and pulled her into the hug. They sat like that for quite a few minutes. After all three had calmed back down, they steered the subject to more about Sharon. Sharon had seen the Ron and Hermione in the restaurant and she had to come and meet Hermione, as Ron had talked about her so many times. Sharon wasn't worried about anything between Ron and Hermione, but knew that the two were very close friends.

Hermione learned that Sharon was originally from Dallas, Texas, and she was a muggleborn. Her father had been in the United States Army, and they had moved around a lot. Sharon's mother was a lawyer that did a lot of pro-bono cases. Her father had taught her how to fight when she was young, and it made her a natural choice to go into the Auror academy. She had transferred over to Britain's academy during her first year because her Father had been assigned to work with the British Government and the Ministry of Magic to better educate the new generation of aurors about the muggle combat capabilities. Sharon's mother had managed to get a job working with a solicitor in the wizarding world so she could assist in defense of wizards or witches who could not afford a solicitor. They talked a bit more and eventually called it an evening, as they had a big day coming up.

ooo

Hermione woke the next morning and got ready excitedly. She arrived at her office around eight in the morning, and got a few materials together. When she had everything she needed, she started for Gavin's office.

"Ah, good morning Ms. Granger, I trust you know Auror Weasley and Auror Carver," Gavin said. Hermione nodded and waved to the two. "The other two shall be here shortly." A few minutes later Tonks and Kingsley Shacklebolt arrived to fill out the compliment.

"Tonks!" Hermione exclaimed. She ran over and gave the Auror a hug, and shook Kingsley's hand. While they waited for the portkey to activate, Hermione and Tonks excitedly chattered away about nothing in particular. When half nine arrived, they all felt the tug behind their navels and they were transported to the mysterious location. When they hit the ground, all four of the aurors were set in a defensive pattern just to be safe, circling Hermione and Gavin. Once they were satisfied that the area was safe, they fanned out, and stood guard.

"Alright, Ms. Granger. Here is the original letter we received," Gavin said as he handed Hermione the parchment. Hermione's eyes widened as she read over the parchment. She eyes shot to Gavin, who just grinned. "Yes, Hermione, it's real. I wanted you to accept the project on the premise of a good project, not because of who created the new stone."

Her hands trembled and a wry grin appeared on her face.

"Mr. Frost, may I show this to Ron?" Hermione asked. Gavin nodded his assent and she waved Ron over. He read the parchment and his eyes widened as well.

Hermione,

I hope this note finds you well. I have a project for you. Yes, a true mystery for you to unravel. I managed to get a copy of the notes Nicholas Flamel made when creating the sorcerer's stone, from a mutual deceased acquaintance. I worked on reading the notes and I must have read a section wrong. But it seems I have succeeded in creating a new sorcerer's stone, but with a few twists.

I do not have the time, or knowledge to unravel what I have done. The stone is protected by a powerful spell that is deactivated by speaking the password. If anyone tries to get past the spell without the password, be careful where you step. There may be more than a few slugs around, and possibly some remaining body parts…

I leave this to you Hermione, please figure out what kind of mistake I made. And as always, I solemnly swear I am up to no good.

Harry

Ron and Hermione shared a knowing look, and said in unison:

"Mischief Managed!"

There was a loud pop, and all of the people in the immediate area felt a wave of magic burst forth. Hermione knew the spell was broken, but before she could stop her, Sharon reached for the box.

"No Sharon!" Hermione shouted, but she was a second to late. There was a loud bang and a puff of smoke that enveloped Sharon. They heard her shriek, and then she was silent.

When the smoke cleared, there was a purple rabbit, with a gaudy pink bow around its neck, tapping its foot impatiently. Ron doubled over and fell to the ground in laughter, and Hermione was stifling a case of the giggles. Tonks was trying hard not to laugh, but kept snorting into her hand. Kingsley let out a deep laugh, and Gavin was biting his fist with tears streaming down his face. They all heard the indignant squeak from the rabbit, which sent Ron further down the road of laughter. Hermione burst out laughing, and picked up Sharon.

"Awww, isn't she so cute!" Hermione cooed excessively. Sharon turned around in Hermione's hand and raised her rear end to Hermione. She put Sharon down, and within five minutes, an annoyed looking Sharon was standing there tapping her foot at Ron, giving him a death glare.

"Sorry Sharon, but we should have warned you that Harry has become a practical joker. I believe that the prank was meant for me, as I would have been the first person to grab the box. However, I learned about a year ago not to trust anything that came from Harry, unless it was checked over for spells," Hermione explained. Sharon let out an annoyed huff and grumbled under her breath. "Trust me, if you do end up marrying Ron, when Harry gets back, you'll be a prime target for Harry."

Sharon grinned evilly, and Hermione could see the wheels of revenge turning in her head. Hermione walked over to Sharon and put her arm around Sharon's shoulders.

"I believe Harry is going to get it when he returns," Sharon said menacingly. Hermione's eyes turned sad, and her arm fell away.

"If he ever does return," Hermione mumbled. Ron had finally stopped laughing and put his hand on her shoulder. He gave it a slight squeeze, and Hermione nodded her thanks. She walked over to the box and ran a few detection spells. Harry had truly thought she would have been the first one to touch the box, because there were no more spells on the box. She grabbed it quickly, and turned to Gavin. "We should get this back to the office and place it under guard. Who knows how many people know about it, and we cannot let it fall into the wrong hands."

Gavin nodded quickly and made a motion for everyone to return to the portkey. When everyone assembled, Gavin muttered the activation word and they were whisked away back to the department of mysteries. Gavin took care of the security for the box Harry had left and set it up for Hermione and himself. When that was concluded, he informed Hermione where it was, and secured her oath of secrecy for that project.

The next day Hermione arrived in the secure room to start the study of the stone Harry had created. She carefully checked the box again, since she was wary of his pranks. When she was satisfied there were no more spell on the box, she carefully opened it. She gasped at the beautiful amber stone that was lying on a pile of velvet. When she opened the box all of the way, she notice another letter addressed to herself on the inside of the lid. She checked the letter, and there were no spells on it. She tilted her head in curiosity, and took the letter out. She took a deep breath and opened the letter and began to read.

My dearest Hermione,

I hope my little pranks did not get you too angry, just trying to spice up your life.

By reading this letter you figured out what my password was. Good work! I knew you would figure it out fast, as there very select few who know what I meant.

On to another subject. I have something to tell you, and I'm not sure how you will take it. I have finally gotten over what happened at the battle. It took a while, but I did it. There were so many times that I felt that I couldn't go on, and it was to the point I was ready to end my own life. But there was one thing that kept me going. It was you.

Through everything that had ever happened to me, you were always there for me. No matter what I said to you, or the stupid things I had done, you had been there like every time before. Not even Ron could hold to that. But every time I needed someone, you were there for me. You are the only person who understands me, not the Boy-who-lived, but me. The real Harry Potter beneath all of the titles, awards, and such things like that. No one ever stood by me, withstanding all of the crap I have had to deal with in my life since I was eleven years old, except for you.

I guess what I am trying to say, is that I think I am in love with you, but I am not sure how that would work, since I have not been there for a couple of years. I don't know if you have changed from the adorable woman I once knew. If I am way off the mark on this, I apologize for troubling you with this. I can only dream that you feel the same way. And it might have to stay a dream.

So I hope that I have not upset you. I still don't know when I will be back, but I know this for sure. I WILL be back. If anything, it will only be for you.

One more thing. Through my travels, I have run across a few suspected Death Eaters who escaped fate that day. There are rumblings of possible things to come. They seem to be restless, and they are searching for something. They are not violent yet, but their search is getting them closer to something I hope never happens. I have tried to stop them, but one person can only last so long in a fight, so I have been picking my battles. Be careful and WATCH YOUR BACK! Please don't let anything happen to you, for I know if something did, I know I could not take it. I would be right back at the point I was at after Ginny died, and then I would have no hope of recovering.

So please, take care and I hope to see you soon.

With love,

Harry

Hermione clutched the letter and pressed it to her heart, and her heart leapt. Harry felt the same about her that she did for him. But then reality came back to her and she realized that she had no way to tell him that. 'That's ok, I will wait for him,' she thought to herself. Come hell or high water, she would be there for him when he returned, which he had confirmed himself.