A/N: I will make this short. Enjoy!


The Prisoner


It was not possible. What were the chances of finding one of my best friends here? My eyes must have been playing tricks on me; the loneliness I felt was just making me see what I wanted to.

However, was I okay with that explanation? Could I leave without knowing for certain? Could I take that chance? No.

I coughed and fell down on the floor, groaning in pain. Unlucky for me, I had fallen directly on my injured shoulder. "Harry! Harry are you alright?" Claire exclaimed as she knelt down beside me and turned me on my back. "What happened?" I opened my mouth a few times but no words came out. My eyes were shut so I couldn't look at Claire's face. I winced as I felt her hands examine my wound. "The wound has reopened. We will have to return you to your bed."

"No... No I... am fine." I croaked.

"No you are not." Claire said in a tone which indicated that her decision was not up for debate. I kept silent. The pain in my shoulder was collateral that I could accept as long as I could prolong my stay here without raising any suspicions.

Another nurse came to my assistance and along with Claire's help I was escorted back to my bed.

When I was made comfortable, relatively speaking, Claire removed my bandages and applied some cream which numbed the sting before wrapping fresh bandages around my shoulder. I gave a dry chuckle. "What is so funny?" Claire said without looking at me as she adjusted the bandages.

"If you haven't noticed, I'm turning out to be a rather injury prone person. It seems as if some higher power is plotting against me or something. I just can't return to a normal life, can I? Do I even have a life that I can return to?" I turned my head away from her, sighing in pain and defeat. There was some truth in what I had said. I didn't know what to do anymore. I was just going along the flow, waiting to see where I was being led to. It was so frustrating...

"Harry" She turned my hand around when I didn't respond. Her soft hand on my cheek was giving me goosebumps. I looked in her soothing eyes as she spoke. "You cannot give up so soon. You are still young and have a long life ahead of you. What you are going through now is just a bad phase which would be over before you know it. Be strong, you can pull through this. You need to believe in yourself."

I stared at her for a moment before breaking eye contact. "I don't know what to believe in anymore..." I trailed off.

"Harry, look at me... Look at me." I reluctantly met her eyes again before she continued. "I... believe in you. You just need to believe in me. Can you do that? Do you trust me enough?"

I didn't know whom to trust. Claire hadn't given any clear indication yet but I could perceive that something was up. I didn't voice my doubts though. "Yes I do."

The smile on her face was breath taking. I just couldn't pull my eyes away. "Thank you. I really appreciate it." She looked at her watch before looking back at me. "I guess you will have to wait a bit longer before you could see your new home." I gave her a small smile before she resumed. "I have to go. I need to return to base to make a scheduled run to check up on my patients. You will be fine without me, right?"

I gave a small laugh before looking at her. "I can take care of myself." If ever there was a bigger joke. We both realized this and started laughing which we quickly muffled. Noise was not appreciated in the general ward and drawing attention was the last thing I needed.

Claire stood up and with a last look she walked away. My expressions eased into a blank mask as my eyes moved around the ward.

All her sweet talk was not going to make me trust Claire any more than I already did, which wasn't much. Call it paranoia but it had been keeping me alive for the past few years. If someone had given me a glass eye and a wooden stump and I could have almost done a Mad-eye Moody.

I spent the next half hour studying the people around me and examining their behaviour with close scrutiny. Everything seemed normal but I did notice prolonged stares in my direction, enough to make me suspicious. Was I under watch or was it just my imagination? As far as I knew, I hadn't given any reason to the muggles to make them suspicious of me. Or did I?

One way or the other, this had to be done. This loneliness was driving me crazy.

Making my decision, I stood up slowly, gritting my teeth as the pain in my shoulder flared due to the movement. I noticed two pairs of eyes move towards me briefly. My suspicions strengthened as those eyes followed my movement even though they tried to remain discreet about it. However, they didn't know who they were up against.

One of those eyes belonged to a warden. I decided to move towards him. The warden's discomfort became apparent as I closed the distance between us. So I was indeed under watch. I so wanted to use Legilimency on him but the risk was not worth taking. "Could you direct me to the nearest washroom? I don't think I can hold it any longer." I looked embarrassed as I waited for instructions.

"Well, as you leave the ward, turn right and you will find the washroom a few steps away."

I thanked him and followed the directions. I already knew where the washroom was. And more importantly, I knew that the washroom had two exits since parallel corridors ran on either side of the washroom.

Luckily there was only one patient in the washroom who was too preoccupied with examining his scarred face in the mirror. I moved towards the cupboard and fished out a pair of clothes that I had noticed from my previous visit.

After changing into the new clothes, which was painfully slow after taking my damaged shoulder into consideration, I left from the other door. I had ten minutes at the most and finding her within that time span needed luck.

I contemplated asking someone about Hermione but was that advisable? Her presence here alone raised a lot of questions. Was she in hiding or was she undercover? Would my interference blow her cover? Was she also working here under a false name?

I was walking blindly as these questions ran through my mind. I had to take the risk. There wasn't enough time to weigh the consequences.

I approached the first nurse I noticed. She seemed to be in a hurry which I could use to my advantage. "Excuse me... excuse me, nurse?" I called out. The nurse turned around to see who had called for her as she slowed down. I hurried up to her. "I am sorry to keep you from your work. I know you are busy." I began but this only seemed to frustrate her. I decided to get right to the point. "My friend was admitted here recently. But I don't know where he is. I checked the front desk but they couldn't find his name in the list of people admitted."

"That means he must be in another hospital."

The nurse began to turn around but I stopped her. "No wait! I spoke to him over the phone. He told me he was here. He was being attended by a nurse called Hermione Granger." I paused but that name didn't ring any bells if the expression on the nurse's face was anything to go by.

"I am really sorry. I don't know who you are talking about. I am new here, so are many of the other nurses. We don't have enough time to socialize with what has been going on. So if you please excuse me." She walked away, along with any hopes of me finding Hermione.

"My friend told me that she had bushy hair and brown eyes." I made one last desperate attempt. And it worked!

The nurse slowly turned around with a glow of recognition on her face. "I think I have seen someone that fits that description in general ward six."

I sighed and gave her a wide smile. "Thank you. Thank you so much." A faint blush crossed the nurse's face. "Could you direct me to where the ward in question is? I am dying to meet my friend and see if he is okay."

"Go straight ahead and take the third right." She told me with a pleased look on her face.

"Thanks again." I quickly strode towards the ward, ignoring the pain pushing through my shoulders. I rounded the corner and I found myself standing in the entrance to ward six. From where I stood, I counted six nurses but none of them was the person I was looking for. I ventured in further and looked towards the small cubicles towards the right. Two nurses were working along with a couple of doctors in one of them. As I moved closer, one of the nurses turned her head giving me a complete view of her face. Hermione! Yes, it was definitely her. There was no doubt about it.

So I hadn't gone insane. I had to speak with her. I was not aware of how nervous I was. Neither did I notice the faint tremble rippling my body. Hermione had my complete and undivided attention.

I approached the cubicle trying to make eye contact with her but she seemed engrossed in the discussion. I tried to remain casual and for the moment no one was giving me much attention. Suddenly, the doctors stood up and moved to leave the cubicle along with the nurses. I quickly turned around, showing my back to Hermione. I moved slowly as the doctors moved past me. Hermione and the other nurse were conversing with each other behind me. I turned around and looked at her again. I couldn't believe that Hermione was standing there right before me. I slowly moved towards her as there conversation reached my ears. It was definitely Hermione's voice.

"... discussion is required on Mr Griffith's health. I think another analysis should be arranged to re-evaluate his condition." I heard Hermione say to the other nurse.

"I agree. I will inform Mr Griffith." The other nurse turned around and walked away.

Hermione turned in my direction and for a second we both froze. The widening of her eyes, the hint of panic, the dilation of her pupils, the beads of sweat rolling down the side of her head happened in that very second. "C... can I help you?"

For a moment I didn't say anything. I was certain she had recognized me. However, something was holding her back from giving me a bear hug as she usually did. I decided to play along. "Actually, yes. I am looking for my friend Harry who has been admitted here. He is in ward three, bed nineteen. I just can't find my way there."

I noticed the gulp as she cleared her throat. I understood how she felt. There was so much we needed to talk about. However, that moment will have to wait. "As you leave this ward, walk straight till you reach another corridor and turn right. Move straight ahead. You should be there in a minute."

"Thank you" I replied but I didn't move away. I could see her eyes moving over me, examining me. I was doing the same thing. She was Hermione Granger without a doubt. I spotted a badge pinned on her coat with 'Nurse Granger' written on it. So she was using her real name. She had become slightly thin and her cheek bones were slightly more prominent. She looked fine but it was her eyes that told the real story. I wondered how she was feeling, thinking that I was dead all these days and suddenly finding herself face to face with me in the least expected circumstances.

I turned around and walked away. It was more difficult to do than I imagined. My time was up and I quickly made my way towards the washroom. I slowly opened the door and peeked through the door. It was good that I did since I found someone looking around the cubicles. It was the same warden. He turned around and walked out of the door he came in. I looked around but no had noticed me peeping into the washroom. I quickly walked in and extracted my patient overalls from the cupboard which I had carefully hidden.

Looking the same way as I was earlier, I walked out of the washroom and returned to my bed. I had some thinking to do. The strange way in which Hermione reacted made her situation more confusing to me. What was she doing here anyway?

***B***

"Director, I have Sergeant Willis on the line." A female voice spoke from the other end of the phone.

"Activate the scrambler."

"Already activated, Director."

"Thanks Martha. Patch him through." Director replied as he picked up the handset after ensuring that his office was secure. "What do you have for me, Greg?"

"Director, we haven't yet been able to break the prisoner but we are working on it." Sergeant Willis informed.

"What is taking so long? The most trained soldiers would have caved in within a few days. Are you sure you have exhausted all possible avenues to extract information from him?" The director asked with frustration. He knew he couldn't hold back the news of the capture any longer from the defence office. Time was of the essence and this delay would only harm this operation.

"Let me reassure you Director, we are doing our best. I understand your position and so do my men. It is just that our best efforts have failed to drill through his head. It's as if there is an impenetrable wall around his mind." The sergeant replied.

"Why am I not surprised." The Director paused before taking deep breaths. The situation was far from ordinary and the subject under interrogation was anything but normal. "I see. Do whatever you can."

"We will Director."

The Director looked around once again and made sure that the speech absorber were active. Someone listening on this conversation at the door was the last thing he needed. "What about Project Turncoat? Any recent updates?"

"The research team has been on standby but we still need to confirm the status of the subject."

"Greg, you know what is on the line here, right? This is our best shot if we wish to make a fight out of this one-sided battle. We have invested a lot of man power and resources in this and failure is out of the question, do you understand?"

"Loud and clear Director. My best agents are on this task and if there are any developments, you would be the first to hear about it."

"I would be waiting. Good luck."

"Thank you." The phone clicked and the Director replaced the handset. His brow furrowed as he massaged his forehead. The next few days to come would be extremely crucial.

His phone buzzed again, bringing him out of his stupor. He pressed the speaker button. "Yes Martha?"

"The Defence Minister is on his way."

"Escort him in."

The door opened as the Defence Minister walked in. "Stay outside." He told his security detail. He closed the door behind him and turned around to find the Director of AMF standing behind his desk.

"Please take a seat Minister." The Director indicated towards the empty seat opposite the desk.

Without a word, the Minister sat down and spoke, staring right at the Director. "What is it Charles?"

A hint of a smile appeared on the Director's face. The Minister was not one to beat around the bush and straight to the point; the thing he most liked about him. "My intelligence network has heard chatter going around, which a few of my reliable resources have confirmed."

"Which is about?" The Minister looked on with interest. It was highly unusual for him to come to AMF himself. It was usually the other way around. However, the Director had made it clear the topic of discussion was of a delicate matter and he didn't trust Minister's Office.

"Some of the colony generals are seeking outside help to deal with our problem." The Director explained.

"Outside help being?" The Minister had a hard look on his face. He knew whatever he was going to hear, it wasn't going to be very good.

"Mercenaries..."

The Minister stood up in his chair and placed both his hands on the table. This was bad news. "Are you sure about this information?"

"Yes Minister" The Director had a solemn look on his face.

"So they have gone behind my back and approached a third party's assistance without my sanction." The Minister was not one to show emotions but the Director could hear the frustration in his tone. "How will this affect our plans?"

"It should not. From the intelligence report we have received, the mercenaries would most probably be working outside our boundaries. Their operation will not endanger the colonies security. I will assign more men if you want to monitor their activities."

"You do that. It has taken us nearly three months to secure a perimeter where we can protect and manage our people. I don't want a bunch of fools to compromise that."

"I will make that a priority Minister." The Director paused before continuing. "What about the colony heads who were responsible for this premature decision?"

The Minister gazed at the Director for a moment. "Charles, we are in an extremely fragile situation. An internal investigation of that magnitude would only cripple whatever system we have in place. We will just have to let it pass for now. I will look into it when the situation allows it. Until then no action will be taken. Just keep a close eye on them and keep me apprised of any developments."

"I will Minister."

"If that is all..." The Director nodded and the Minister left.

***B***

"How are you feeling?" Claire asked a few hours later.

"Better" I replied as I took account of my current state. There was nothing else I could do to stall here. I had waited for Hermione but she didn't come. I was certain she had understood my message. What had held her back? Was she alright?

"Good. The doctor has cleared you for discharge. If you are up to it, we could leave right away." I looked up at her and gave her a nod along with a smile.

After changing into my regular clothes I walked along side Claire as we once again navigated through the crowded corridor.

I felt Claire's small hand slip inside mine, sending shivers down my spine. I looked at her questioningly but she only grinned and said. "We don't want you falling over for me again."

A chuckle burst from my throat as I broke eye contact. I was doing my best to hide my embarrassment and move on. My emotions were still not in my complete control yet.

"So how did you spend the morning?" Claire asked me with a casual tone. I saw red as I desperately tried to come up with a story to cover my tracks. She was most probably aware of the time I had been unaccounted for if my suspicions about her were true.

However, I didn't let the internal panic show up on my face. "Grinding my teeth as I fought down the pain, staring at the ceiling and the busy people around me were the only things I could do." I said bitterly and stopped speaking. However, before Claire could say something I gave her the story I had come up with. "I did have a bit of an adventure though. Actually, call it a misadventure."

"An adventure? Here? I am listening." Claire looked more interested than she should have but I acted as if I didn't notice.

As we walked into the lift, I spoke. "I had visited the washroom but when I left it, I thought I was lost. The corridors didn't look the same and I couldn't find my ward. I was getting really worried until a helpful nurse told me how to reach my ward. Only now did I realize what had happened. I had left the washroom through the wrong door. I still can't understand how I made that mistake." I looked disturbed and stared at the buttons on the lift.

Claire gripped my shoulder reassuringly. "It's alright. There is nothing to worry about. The pain might have disoriented you. It does happen often and I am sure it's only temporary."

"Is that what happened? Nothing is wrong with my head then, right?" I gave her a doubtful look. It seemed that she had found my explanation plausible, buying me some time to stay under the radar. I needed time to get away from here.

"If you mean apart from forgetting everything about yourself, no, there is nothing else that should be of concern to you." She gave me her smile and I found my lips stretching before I knew it.

"Okay" I nodded as we left the hospital. We walked in the general direction of a black unmarked car. "We would be using that to get to your place?" I asked warily.

"Yes. I requested it from the military base camp." She informed me. I nodded but I didn't feel safe as I got into the car.

***B***

"I know it's small but you will have to make do with it." Claire told me.

"No it's alright. I appreciate you going out of your way to help me. I don't know what I can do to express my gratitude." Even I was good at sweet talk. Two could play at this game.

Claire beamed at me. "It's alright. Tell me if you need anything."

I looked around the room which was mostly bare except a bed which occupied one corner of the room and a small desk which stood next to the only window looking out from the eleventh floor. A door leading to a small bathroom was the only other thing worth a mention. I turned around to find Claire watching me. I smiled at her. "I am fine for the moment." I looked at the inviting bed. "I guess I will rest for a while."

"I agree. I will see you later." She left, closing the door behind her as I snuggled into my new bed. The damp smell was missing which indicated that the pillow and the bed sheets were unused or had been recently purchased. However, I was too tired to make any conclusions from it as sleep overcame me.

***B***

"Harry? Harry? Wake up." I heard a voice as I felt someone tapping on my shoulder. I opened my eyes as I rolled over onto my back. The light had been turned on. It was probably well past six if the darkness outside the window was anything to go by. Claire had backed away and was looking at me with amusement.

"I am hungry." I said truthfully, which for some reason made her laugh. Deny it as much as I wanted to, I really did like the sound of it.

"That is all you have been doing up till now. Eat and sleep. It's about time you do something different." Claire said with a teasing tone.

I stood up from the bed and righted my clothes. "And what would that be?"

"Not at the moment. The priority now is to sate your hunger."

"You sound as if you are on a mission." I joked but the flicker on her face was unmistakable. I acted as if I didn't notice. "I will wash up and meet you outside."

"Okay"

I cleaned myself up and examined my shoulder. It was sore but the pain was almost non-existent. I left my flat and found an opened door on my right, most probably leading to Claire's flat. I knocked on the door. "Claire?"

"Yes Harry. Come in will you. I am just finishing up here." I heard Claire's voice. I pushed the door open as my eyes examined her flat. The lighting was calm and inviting and the walls were painted with soothing colours. The furniture which occupied the room was modest but they added to the homely nature of the room. The television was turned on which was tuned to the news channel. It seemed Claire's flat had an extra room where she most probably was.

The door opened as she walked out. She looked different to me but I couldn't make out what had changed in her. She no longer wore the white coat she had on earlier but still that was not what had changed. "So how is it?"

I gazed around the room once more and then looked back at her. "Very nice and comfortable. You have got yourself a really nice place here."

"Thank you" Did she just smile bashfully at me?

"D-do you live here alone?" My throat had gone dry for no reason. Suddenly, I just wanted to get out of here.

I heard an unmistakable sigh before she replied. "Yes"

"I see" I really didn't know what else to say to that. This all looked so normal to me. Was my paranoia just a figment of my wild imagination? Was I just seeing things?

***B***

"That was good." I said, smacking my lips. Claire just smiled as she watched me clean my plate. "Do you always eat out?"

"Rarely, in fact. I cook at home mostly. Eating out is usually reserved for special occasions." She informed me, as we sat waiting for the bill.

"I am truly honoured." I had a tough time keeping down my smile.

Claire chuckled in response. "Ha! You wish." The spark in her eyes made me gulp and her cheeky smile flipped my insides. What was wrong with me?!

I eyed the bill as the waiter placed it on our table. I felt extremely uncomfortable as Claire paid the bill. She caught me watching in spite of my indiscretion. "You know Harry, you should cut yourself some slack and let me help you. I am just doing my bit to help you get a hold of your bearings and resume your life. If you are finding it so difficult to accept my assistance, then take it as a debt if you like. You can pay me back whenever you like." I looked in her eyes and it seemed she meant her every word. I was finding it very difficult to word my gratefulness. All I could do was to give her a weak smile.

We walked down the street, with her by my side. It was a strange feeling but I felt safe with her in my company. If only I knew what was going to happen next.

We turned into a narrow alley which directly lead us to the building where our apartments were. The alley was deserted aside from the stray dog working its way into a trash can. And suddenly two men walked into the alley from the other side. At first it seemed they didn't notice us. I wouldn't have worried about those two if it wasn't for Claire who stopped in her tracks as soon as she spotted them. The genuine fear in her eyes which I noticed as I glanced at her worried me slightly.

The two men were shabbily dressed with their dirty hair falling over their faces. I could even smell the strong stench of cigarette and alcohol from where I was standing. "Oh! Look who we have here!" The two men had realized that they had company. "Our sweet little Claire." The leery tone was alarming to say the least. "You don't know how much we missed you."

"And who is this with you? Your little boyfriend?" The accusatory tone was a certain indication of a dangerous situation. Our only escape route was behind us but it was quite a distance away before we could escape the alley and break into a crowded place. The trembling hand of Claire was making the situation worse. A scared person was much more difficult to handle.

"A pipsqueak? Is that your taste? What was wrong with us that you had to resort to the likes of him?" I was a bit annoyed by the way they were talking about me but I didn't let it show on my face. Provoking them was the last thing I wanted. I tried but couldn't think of a way to talk ourselves out of this mess.

"Claire?! Talk to me. Who are these men?" I whispered to her urgently without looking in her direction.

Luckily, she responded but the terror in her voice was evident. "Th-they are tramps. I had them arrested earlier for trying to- trying to-" She couldn't complete and I noticed a tear rolling down her face.

"What are you two whispering about?" The two men started approaching us. Their malevolent expression worried me.

"Stay away!" I ordered with the strongest voice I could manage. I stepped back, pushing Claire behind me.

"Or what?" They challenged, without slowing down. "You gonna poke us with your puny little hands?"

"Tell you what, you make a run for it and leave her to us. You don't want to get hurt, do you?"

Was this the moment where I could make my escape? The moment I had been waiting for? However, as I looked behind me, those pleading eyes pushed me to make my decision. "Stay behind me. I won't let them hurt you." I said calmly, not letting the internal panic show in my face or voice. I knew I couldn't do much in my current state. I had been trained in hand to hand combat but my frail and damaged body wasn't up to it. All I could do was delay the inevitable.

I spotted a wooden stick and quickly grabbed it. "Run Claire! I will hold them back!" I shouted at her. The ruffians made a dash towards us but a wild swing of the stick stopped them. "Go Claire!" The pain in my shoulder intensified and I felt as if a hole had been burned through it. Dark spots began to block my vision as I desperately fought to remain conscious. I had to hold on.

"What about you?" Claire's scared voice spoke behind me.

"I'll be fine. Just go!" I swung the stick again as the two men tried to find a gap or an opening to take me down. My shoulder was hurting like hell but the adrenaline was doing well to mask the pain. I heard the running footsteps behind me. I needed to hold them of a bit longer to ensure Claire made her escape.

"Get out of our way!" One of them lunged towards me and brought down the stick on him, striking his hand. The man yelled in pain but he didn't stop as he managed to run his shoulder into my gut. I felt my lungs collapse under the impact and I went down, the stick falling from my hands. The other one tried to jump over us and run towards Claire but I made a desperate grab for his leg, bringing him down.

And then suddenly, I blacked out.

***B***

Pain. After so much I had been through, I would have thought that I would had gotten used to it. However, it seemed that each time was a new experience. And that was what I woke up to.

I broke into painful fits of cough as I began to regain my consciousness. I could vaguely hear someone calling for a doctor. I felt someone open my mouth and pour warm liquid down my throat, which managed to ease and eventually subside my coughing.

I slowly opened my eyes and the first thing I noticed was Claire looking down at me with concerned eyes. She said something but I couldn't hear it. "You alright?" She repeatedly loudly.

I nodded in response as I took a long tentative breath. She smiled in relief and clutched my hand. I closed my eyes as I began to assess the condition of body. My face felt slightly swollen, the pain in the chest was refusing to go away and the pain in my shoulder was back in business. Aside from that I could feel the cuts and bruises burning all over my body.

"What happened?" I managed to croak after a while.

Claire had been patiently observing the rise and fall of my chest. She looked at me strangely before responding. "I ran into a cop and along with the help of a few bystanders, we managed to scare those goons away. Unfortunately, they disappeared before they could be arrested. The police are still looking for them though." I could only nod. My throat still felt too dry to speak. "The doctors say your injuries are all superficial besides the bruised rib. You should be fine by tomorrow." I had this sudden urge to laugh but I somehow managed to hold it in. "Come on Harry, say something."

"Are you okay?" I said with words flowing out more smoothly this time.

"Yes and it's all because of you. You saved me. You-"

"I really didn't have a choice." I interrupted her. "I couldn't let them hurt the only person I know and trust."

"You-you were so brave... I am so grateful..." Claire's eyes glazed and only now did I look more closely at her. Her hair was frizzled and her cheeks were flushed. She looked more beautiful than ever. It was only a moment later that I realized that I had forgotten to breathe.

I gave her an uncomfortable smile and tried to change the subject. "So are we in the same hospital as before?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I was thinking of making a reservation for a bed for me. It seems I might be making regular visits if whatever has been happening to me is anything to go by." Claire's worried expression eased into a chuckle. I responded with a small smile. "So what do you say?"

"Enough of that." Claire swatted at me. "You should get some sleep."

"Are you leaving?" I enquired as she stood up.

"Yes. Do you want me to stay?" She asked.

"No-no. I will be fine. See you tomorrow then." I quickly responded. I was trying to be less conspicuous about my plan. I desperately wanted to talk with Hermione.

"Okay. Take care of yourself. I will see you tomorrow."

***B***

Hermione wasn't there. I had made a series of rounds throughout the night in her ward but I didn't see her. To mask my real motive, I roamed in all the wards on that floor. I suspected someone was following me but whoever it was, was doing a good job. Since I didn't see her, I deduced that Hermione was probably working the day shift.

And so I waited, rolling over my bed, going over and over my plan of finally having a proper conversation with my best friend. It was only now did my loneliness hit me full in the face. I was anxiously waiting for the moment when we could speak to each other more freely.

Patients stirred as the hospital staff began making rounds, while I stayed still, waiting for the change in shift.

The clock struck seven and the shift change was most probably complete. I quickly rose from my bed and hurried towards the exit. In my haste, I bumped into a nurse.

However, I was so distracted with what I was planning to do, that I didn't even turn to apologize. It was only a few steps later did I feel something in my pocket.

As I turned around, I pushed my hand into the pocket and felt for the object. I spotted the nurse who had crashed into me, before she could disappear in the crowd. It was Hermione! I pulled out the object from my pocket. It was a mobile phone. I quickly put it back in and made my way towards the washroom. After locking myself in a cubicle, I examined the phone. I had watched Dudley use his phone and I had a rough idea about how it worked.

There weren't any contacts or messages stored on the phone. It seemed like it had been newly bought. However, after careful observation I did notice a message stored in the draft.

'HP, I will call you on this phone when I can. Make sure no one knows about it. Don't call me or text me. Delete this message after you have read it, HG.'

The message was disappointingly short and it didn't say much. However, I couldn't stop myself from reading it again and again.

After deleting the message and safely securing the phone, I made my way to my ward. I found Claire waiting for me at the entrance. I knew the road ahead was going to be very difficult and hiding a phone on me was going to be the least of my problems.

***B***

It had been more than twenty four hours since Hermione had given me that phone. The battery was dying but no call had come in yet. I had to turn the phone off to make the battery last longer. Purchasing a charger was out of the question. The only other option was to use Claire's and that I knew was going to be difficult.

After one of my routine checks of the phone, I noticed a message on the phone.

'Tonight, 11pm. Be ready, HG'

***B***

"Are you out of your mind?" My eyes nearly popped out after I heard Claire out.

"Come on Harry, what is wrong with my proposition? You have nothing to lose." Claire had her hands folded and her rigid face told me that making her think otherwise was going to be a rather uphill task.

"It is too sudden. It's been only a day since I returned from the hospital and I need time to adjust to this life. Also I am not even qualified for such a job." I contested her suggestion.

"What are you planning to do then? Aren't you going to get bored just sitting at home or roaming around? And since you don't remember much about yourself, you won't know what you are qualified for. You don't have the luxury to pick and choose a job. At least think about starting somewhere. The medical industry is shorthanded with what has been going on. Another person to help would be welcomed wholeheartedly."

I opened my mouth a few times but none of my arguments seemed to compete with her reasoning. Trying to resist was not going to do me any good. I might as well play along. I sighed deeply and looked away. "So what do you have in mind?"

"You could do an apprenticeship. You know, learn while you work." She told me but I knew there was more to it than what was being said.

"Could you be more specific?" I poked her.

"I had spoken with my superiors and they have approved you working with me as an assistant." She announced and then waited for my reaction.

My mind however, was in an overdrive. I again had the feeling that I was being played, lured into a trap. I knew who her superiors were. As far as I knew, the military would only let anyone work for them after careful background checks and vetting the sources. And I was the worst possible candidate to be chosen to work for them.

I was wearing a surprised look on my face. My eyes were full of doubt and Claire was trying to look into them to understand my response. "Harry, you don't have any problems working with me, right?"

I had given myself away. Some damage control was in order. "No, of course not. I would love to work under you. It's so sudden that I am feeling slightly overwhelmed."

Claire gave me a reassuring smile. "I can understand. You have me to guide you."

"That is what I am worried about." I joked, gaining the desired reaction from her as she laughed. However, I could see it in her eyes that something was wrong. I might have over-reacted to her suggestion and my stonewalling might have made her suspicious. Anyway what's done is done. I had to be more careful from now onwards.

One thing was clear though. I was walking a very fine line here. One wrong step and the game of deception would be over. Along with the little freedom I had.

"So when do I start?" I asked.

"From today onwards. Unless you wish to postpone it."

I knew Claire was watching my every movement, listening to my every word. "Hmm… I am very a busy person you know. I would need to check my schedule first."

Claire gave me a speculative look. "I am sure you could make some space in your busy schedule."

I regarded her for a while before saying. "If you insist. I might have to move around a few things but I will live."

For a moment we just looked at each other, then our lips twitched and trembled and then finally the room was filled with laughter.

***B***

I trailed behind Claire as she led me around the underground infirmary. She was giving me a tour to give me a feel of my work environment. I played along but my wary eyes scanned my surrounding as we moved on. The infirmary was enormous in size, fitted with machinery that I had never seen.

A side glance told me that Claire was enjoying being a tour guide. "... and this is a dormitory reserved for personnel working the night shift." I nodded as we moved on.

As we turned around a corner, I noticed a passage going in the opposite direction. There was something different about it. It was dimly lit and a stale stench was coming from it. I noticed a few doors lining the walls of the passageway which led into a dead end. I was about to ask Claire about it when her phone rang.

"Yes, Claire speaking." She paused, presumably listening to the caller. "Yes, I am in the infirmary." She gave me a signal to wait here and walked into a nearby room before closing the door behind her.

I looked around the deserted passageways. There was no one in sight. It seemed I was in the lesser populated part of the infirmary. I glanced towards the mysterious corridor. I had this strange unexplained feeling as I stared in the darkness of the corridor. My body made an involuntary motion towards the passage but froze after hearing voices from behind one of the doors in that corridor.

The muffled voices became clear after the door opened. "... wounds have been cleaned up. I would advise you to go easy on him for the next few days. His body can take only take so much pain. You don't want to mess up your only successful capture." A doctor clothed in a white coat stepped out.

"It's that bastard's own fault. He is refusing to talk. It's as if he has no tongue in his mouth. And anyway, I would advise you to keep your advice to yourself and just do your job. Is that clear?" A soldier in military overalls stepped out. I saw them stare at each other for a few moments before walking towards me. "Has he been sedated?"

"Yes, enough to keep him from moving around. I will be on my way then." The doctor glanced in my direction before leaving from where we had come from.

"Who are you?" The sharp interrogative tone unsettled me as I noticed the soldier's approach in my direction. His suspicious eyes were studying me as I fought to keep still.

"My name is Harry. I have been recently hired as an assistant." I forced my voice to remain as steady as I could. The soldier's look only hardened as he stared at my provisional ID card. "I have been assigned to work with Nurse Claire. She is in that room attending a call." The soldier's expression relaxed a bit and he stopped his progress towards me. Deciding that I had been tormented enough, the soldier followed the doctor with a smirk on his face. I sighed as the footsteps became distant.

The corridor was back to being empty and I once again looked towards the corridor. From what I could make of that conversation, it was easy enough to surmise who was behind that door.

I didn't move though. Everything that was happening was all too convenient and uncomfortably fast. I could almost smell a trap.

However, could I let this opportunity pass? I knew that learning the identity of the captured death eater wasn't going to make much of a difference. I wasn't thinking straight though. Seeing someone who could do magic was something that was drawing me towards the door. The fact that the above mentioned person was a death eater was irrelevant to me.

Throwing caution to wind, I moved forward with long strides and turned the door knob. Taking a deep breath, I opened it and moved my eyes towards the occupied bed.

Little did I know who I was going to find.

Draco Malfoy