"Harry Potter and the Casino Royale"
By Loki Palmer
Author's Note: Harry Potter and all related characters are the property of J.K. Rowling. Casino Royale is the property of Ian Fleming and Columbia Pictures. O children, rejoice, for in this chapter, our favorite couple gets to meet again! SQUEEEEEEE! H/Hr flashbacks galore! :)
Chapter 3
Harry was sitting down in his train seat, when he saw a woman with chestnut brown hair sit in the seat across from him. Upon seeing her, his memory flashed back to all the times the two of them had gone through as students at Hogwarts. She gave him his first hug in first year, right before he went to meet Professor Quirrell. In second year, when she was Petrified, he was so angry he wanted to slaughter whatever was responsible – and he did so. In third year, he joined her in a trip back in time to save Buckbeak the hippogriff and his godfather Sirius Black. Fourth year saw the coming of the Triwizard Tournament, a frantic hug from Hermione before facing a dragon, and Rita Skeeter's rumors of them becoming a couple.
As for the Yule Ball, it was a complete disaster. Harry felt like smacking his head against a wall whenever he thought of it. "You idiot," he thought to himself, "if only you weren't so obsessed with Cho the ho, you could have asked Hermione before Viktor Krum did!" Ron's stupidity and jealousy just added to the mix, making the night awful for the three of them.
Fifth year saw the disaster of an attempted relationship with Cho Chang, which never got off the ground due to the fact that she was still heartbroken over Cedric's death, not to mention her jealousy of Hermione. Hermione's humorous response to this was, "It wouldn't hurt to tell her how ugly you think I am." Harry responded with an honest, "But I don't think you're ugly."
Fifth year also saw the battle at the Department of Mysteries, and Antonin Dolohov was lucky that Harry was not thinking straight when Hermione went down to that dark flame curse. Otherwise, Harry's anger would have seen to it that he wouldn't just go out as stiff as a corpse, he would go out AS a corpse! When Voldemort tried to torture Harry into madness, one of the key memories he thought of was Hermione impacting into him like a bushy-haired missile in the Great Hall after she recovered in second year.
Sixth year was an overall disaster, due to factors like the Potions book from the Half-Blood Prince (who, it turned out, was Snape). Hermione surprised him by snapping at him for using the notes written within the margins to do better than her – surely, she would have been ecstatic that he was doing better in Potions? Apparently not in this case! Also, since WHEN had she shown any interest before in Ronald Weasley, the Troll-Brained Sidekick who made her cry all the time? As to what he thought of Ginny, she was a good friend and nothing more that year.
After the funeral of Headmaster Dumbledore, Hermione and Ron showed up at 4 Privet Drive to meet with Harry. Hermione had heard small details over the years of Harry's maltreatment, and as she hexed Vernon Dursley, her anger was so terrible to behold that Ron had to run and hide! Harry was quite impressed that she could cause so much pain and suffering, without casting one Cruciatus curse! After all this, the three of them left on their camping trip...
All these flashback memories, among others, occurred to Harry in the matter of seconds, when he saw her wand pointing at him, and he pointed his wand back. "To what song," he asked, "did I first lead you in dancing after Ron Weasley left our company on the camping trip?"
"You led me in dancing to the song 'O Children' by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds," she replied. "Now, Harry, answer me this question: What was the suggestion I made to you in the Forest of Dean?"
He replied, "You suggested to me, 'Maybe we should stay here, Harry … grow old.' "
They lowered their wands, glad of having confirmed each other's identities. Harry asked, "So, Hermione, what leads you to accompany me on this mission?"
"M thought I would be the best person to hold your reckless behavior in check, Harry. As you might have also guessed, I'm the money."
Harry gave a small whistle of appreciation. "Every Knut, Sickle, and Galleon of it."
"Harry, as much as we would like to enjoy our time together, we need to pay attention to the mission. LeChiffre must not win, or else the Ministry will be responsible for indirectly funding terrorism. Considering this factor, I'll be keeping my eyes on the Ministry's money, and off of your perfect Quidditch-toned arse," she finished with a small blush.
Harry smirked back at her, saying, "You noticed?"
~[James Bond riff]~
Getting off the train, the both of them entered Harry's car, which chirped, "Hello again, Harry."
"Miss Granger, it is my pleasure to introduce you to Hermione. If Q is your father, she is doubtless your mother."
"A pleasure to finally meet you, Hermione. What would that make Harry – my boyfriend?"
Hermione burst out laughing at this, as Harry muttered, "Of all the bloody cheek –"
"I HEARD THAT!"
"Will you kids quiet down?" said Q through the radio system. "Q branch is having way too much fun listening to the repartee between you." Indeed, George Weasley's laughter was unmistakable in the background. "I assume that Hermione found you with no problems, Harry?"
"No problems whatsoever, Q. She seems to like your car's cheeky sense of humor. For what other purpose have you called?"
"It is actually thanks to Q branch that we are able to keep in contact with you on this mission, Potter," said M. "Congratulations on finding him with no problems, Granger. We hope you can keep him safe and out of as much trouble as possible."
"I can do my best to keep him safe, M, but keeping him out of trouble is going to be something else, you know."
"I agree with Hermione," said the car. "He's going to need all the help he can get."
"So, M, what are the recommendations for name cover, if any?"
"Miss Weasley seems to have found a good one … Miss Weasley?"
"I'm right here, M. Hi, Harry, hi Hermione. The cover I have found for you is perfect. Harry, your cover name is Daniel Radcliffe, and Hermione, your cover name is Emma Radcliffe."
"Don't you mean Emma Watson, Ginny? We both know she isn't married to Dan in real life."
"Yes, but you're playing the part of his wife, Hermione … who better to pull that off than you?"
"Can you explain to me why Daniel Radcliffe, Ginny?" asked Harry.
"You look a lot like him, Harry … except for the fact that his eyes, in real life, are blue."
"Isn't something like this against the Statute of Secrecy, M? I really respect Daniel Radcliffe as an actor, and I don't want to see him getting into trouble for something that I might do. Also, what about putting up with paparazzi? Daniel's very popular these days, you know."
"One question at a time, Potter. It's just a suggestion for a cover name, though I am sure LeChiffre's people will have sniffed you out soon, so it's up to you whether to use your cover or not. The reservations are in Daniel and Emma's name, but measures have been taken to keep the paparazzi away – FAR away."
Harry breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, M, that means a lot to me." The last time he met a paparazzo, he knocked him out and smashed his camera to bits. In his work as an agent for the Ministry, Harry felt he could never be too careful.
"You're welcome, Potter. We wish you and Granger the best of luck. Over and out."