Disclaimer: I'm still sitting in the extremely small place that has my only internet source. So, no, I still don't own it.
Foreword: Say hello to Hermione Granger.. :) FYI, when there's mention of "football" it's actually English soccer, and if you can find the reference the Relative-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named, even if it's way too brief, kudos to you. Also a small Warning: I can't remember exactly what consists of a 'Teen Rated' story, but this chapter, and later succeeding it will be having language that most teenagers today use. I'm sure that most can relate to it, hopefully they don't but it's understandable.
Harry crossed his arms and groaned, sliding down into a lumpy chair in the 'Second Chief' to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement's office. It was only noon and his body hurt like none other despite that he'd reached the maximum intake of Pepper-Up Potions. His dad sent him to another job (also known as 'Mission Torture Harry: Part Three') and he couldn't refuse because this time it was backed backed by the second in command. Unlike his other new disciplines, like washing all the dishes without magic, Harry stuck to Bounty duty for two weeks.
It couldn't have helped his case that he'd ditched home and work the night before at ten and didn't return home until two that morning. Neville was home from school, had been for a little less than a month, but being put under house arrest made it so Harry barely ever saw his best friend. When Harry finally snuck out, it was rather late and the both of them just laid around, too lazy to actually get up and play Exploding Snap. Harry snorted, the lucky sod was probably still asleep in his bed.
"C'mon now, Junior, my job isn't that bad." Harry sleepily opened his eyes to grin at Sadie Waters. He watched her toss her robes over her chair and tie her long brown tresses hastily at her neck before she picked up a folder from her desk and lazily began flipping through it. Her authority, yet carelessness, was one of his favourite things about her. "One would think you'd be over the moon."
Blue eyes met emerald and her quirky grin turned to a frown. "You know you can talk to me about anything, right?"
"Of course," said Harry, a mask of aloofness and a smirk on his face. He watching her huff and walk from her bookcase to behind his chair. He grinned toothily up at her as she stared down at him. He distracted, "You look, funny, when you're upside down."
Sadie responded, "Well you look funny all the time." Harry snorted and jumped slightly when her lips caught his. Chuckling, he reached for her neck behind her hair and pulled her impossibly closer. Running his tongue at her lips, he laughed against her when she melted. Kissing her lips softer each repeated time, he pulled away taking a deep breath and watched her blue eyes flutter open. He raised a questioning eyebrow.
"So, do you always seduce your visitors like this?"
Sadie rolled her eyes. "Of course. I did grow up in France. It is customary to greet those you care for with a kiss." She gave him a peck. "But sometimes I reserve the steamier ones for my boyfriend."
Harry gently pulled her back down by her collar, "That's good to know. I'd hate to have my girlfriend snogging every bloke that came in here." Sadie giggled against his lips, soon losing herself and dashing her tongue in his mouth before he could ease them into a deeper kiss. Moments later, Sadie sighed as Harry trailed kisses from her lips to her chin and ear.
"So, love, what do you have for me today?" Releasing her neck and licking his bottom lip, Harry chuckled as Sadie stood still, blinking. "Love?"
"Oh, right." She slowly shuffled her feet to stand behind her desk. Harry watched her sink into her chair with a small crease between her eyebrows. "There's a small one at the Leaky Cauldron. Room two twenty three. Woman by the name of Lola Summers and she's a real treat, so you'll have fun."
Harry rubbed his forehead, "What's she wanted for?"
"Causing ruckus in a muggle neighbourhood," Sadie ran her fingers through her hair, "Stripping in broad daylight too."
"Sounds like a peach." Harry rolled his eyes and hoisted himself up. Sadie giggled as he made his way to her, moving her hair behind her ear and laying kisses on her neck. "I'd much rather stay with you. Rather than some streaker."
She swatted him away, "Oh I see, you just want to see me starkers. Get lost, Potter." Harry smirked, pecking her lips before standing up.
"Nothing I haven't already seen before." Sadie frowned, horribly hiding a growing grin as her emerald eyed boyfriend winked. She bit her lip and watched his jean clad hips move as he walked toward the exit. He suddenly stopped, halfway through the door.
"You were checking me out, weren't you?" Harry paused, rolling his eyes. 'I hate it when you do that.'
Sadie smirked, pulling out her hair and giving him her sauciest wink. "Maybe if you get that cute bum back soon I'll pull a Lola Summers for you." Harry yanked open the door and shot straight toward the Floo Network. With Sadie's laughter still ringing in his ears he was engulfed with green flames.
As it turned out, just as Harry escaped the many arms of Ms Lola, I-don't-wear-clothes-when-I-answer-the-door, Summers and brought her into the Ministry with a over sized robe, Sadie was missing from her office. He cursed his bad luck for a moment longer than he should have and ran into the most annoying new Aurror in the elevator.
Harry winced seeing the blond. Craig Johnston was a douche, and only proved it when he hit on Sadie not even a week ago, in front of Harry. Johnston was a Hogwarts alumni, fresh from the two year training program, did everything by the book, and in an annoyingly nasal voice to boot. "Hullo Potter." Harry tried not to screw up his face in agony. The blond's voice seemed to get worse every time he spoke.
"Craig." He responded, even though his every fiber told him not too. Crunching into the back corner of the lift, Harry crossed his fingers and prayed under his breath that the bloke didn't follow him.
"Did you hear about the sighting less than twenty minutes ago?" The twenty-year old's shoulder's dropped heavily in defeat. Obviously he couldn't take a hint.
Harry rubbed his forehead, not finding the time to care, "No. Who is it this time?"
"Blimey, well if you haven't been told I guess I shouldn't." Harry glowered as Johnston grinned. "I suppose since you haven't been in the office lately you wouldn't know."
"Who is it Johnston?" Craig grinned at the sound of Harry's impatience, turning his back to the youngest Potter he walked from the lift.
Craig Johnston turned at the last moment, with a look practiced surprise. "Why LeStrange, of course."
Thirty minutes before hand and approximately a two and a half hour car ride from the Ministry, a small battle broke out in a Muggle cafe in Bloomsbury. Life had been fine and dandy for a brunette, sixteen-year old up until the door chimed and in stormed a spit fire of testosterone. She was a month finished from her sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the day after returning home she replaced her books with a calm and familiar coffee shop that had university bound students working in deep purple aprons.
Waitressing didn't inspire her mind like studying Transfiguration did, so usually she recited her latest reading material while on the job. Not even once did she ever slip up and utter a spell under her breath. Honestly, Hermione Jean Granger is the Brightest Witch to grace Hogwarts in over a century. But like all brilliant minds, Hermione was hiding something. Never could she contain something so terrible, but it was something all right.
"Who needs you anyways, you selfish whore!" The testosterone who had stormed in a moment earlier, was purple in the face and screaming, in what Hermione found was an embarrassingly public place. Her respected place of employment at that. "Hell, if I'd gone out with your sister, I would have gotten more action!"
Hermione scoffed, hiding her hurt as she said under her breath, "Obviously he needs to consult a dictionary -" She continued pouring coffee, ignoring him while the rest of the shop watched with morbid fascination.
Hermione Granger had many standards for herself, often showing how mature she was for such young an age. Her number one was being perfectly content to never meddle in others business, even if it was her younger sister's love life.
Not many people knew she had a younger sibling, because of their many differences and Mary never went out of her way to tell people she did have one. Mary Louise was everything she wasn't, small figure, tamable hair, giggly, fairly tall and athletic whereas Hermione was short, a little on the round side, opinionated, owner of a frizzy mast of hair and would seriously break something if she ever came in contact with a football. Their parents always joked that Mary got her fathers looks and her mothers character while Hermione got the opposite. Then there was the final fact that Mary was as Muggle as they come, and Hermione was an extremely bright witch.
Carrying on in the small cafe as a waitress, Hermione was flagged down by an impatient business man with about two chins accompanied by a horribly small mustache and was nearly run over by the purple-faced boy. Apparently he was on a quick getaway as he didn't stop to pick up the small booklet she dropped in shock.
"Wait!" A petite girl, unknown as her sister, was chasing after him not a moment after he'd given Hermione a scathing look. "Jake wait!"
Hermione finished giving the large man his tab, wishing him a good day before she heard the bell above the door ring. She bit her lip, feeling the smallest bit out of place for once in her life. Mary racing after a boy wasn't new, but Mary racing after a boy who apparently only wanted her for her womanly bits was totally unacceptable. At least in Hermione's books. Although maybe she could have just been running away from the embarrassing scene just created. It was rather hard to read someone like Mary, even more when Hermione spent three quarters of the year shipped off at Hogwarts.
All eyes were searching around the cafe in bemusement and Hermione was surprised to find it made her feel sorry for her baby sister. It was familiar to know that no one in their family liked being the center of attention, but she was probably the only one could understood why Mary ran away. Considering that after six years at a 'prestigious boarding school' where she was treated like the plague, Hermione knew exactly what it was like to want to make a quick escape. So it was only natural for her to do what older sisters do in situations like these.
She cleared her throat and said loudly, "Coffee, anyone?" With a nervous grin she watched hands fly into the air. It was her job to take the attention from Mary, even if it made her uncomfortable, because it was what sisters did.
The next ten minutes of pouring and making more coffee was one of the most hectic experiences since studying for her end of the year exams. One of the other girls left for an unannounced smoke break, leaving Hermione alone to take orders, pour more coffee and deliver meals. She most definitely would have noticed the locking front door after a wild haired woman walked in wearing a robe. Yet, as Hermione was elbow deep in waffles, she jumped in shock when a frier in the back erupted into flames.
It was uncanny how quiet the shop got before the highest level of screams started. Almost instantaneously after, Hermione spun on her heals to see a cackling woman waving a stick at the kitchen causing the grills to burst into startling, raging heat. Fumbling with the coffee pot still in her fingers, she saw it shatter against the tiles before she reached for her wand.
Suddenly an older gentleman she was just serving fell like a dead weight by her left leg, his eyes staring lifelessly at the ceiling. Hermione gasped and dove under a table, ripping her wand from under her t-shirt where it was stuck against her skin. More laughter rang out from above her, a sound of pure madness, as jet green curses shot near where she was hidden. She didn't need to be a genius to know what that spell meant. For a single moment, the thought of how her sister running from the cafe earlier made it a little easier to think clearly. If Mary was still here, Hermione couldn't imagine how difficult it would have been, trying to protect her and fight at the same time.
Hermione peeked her head from behind a booths vinyl seats, spotting the black haired lady before she pointed her wand. "Confundus!" "Aguamenti." "Furnunculus." Giving off a squeak she fell back, hidden under her table. Now that the woman realized she was no longer targeting defenseless Muggles, and unfortunately found a witch in her midst, Hermione muttered under her breath and bit her lip, thinking hard.
"Calamitatis." She whispered, glad that the loud sound of Muggles struggling with leaving in herds and the woman calling out in surprise masked her voice. The feeling of an egg being cracked over her head and her body tingling had Hermione breathing a sigh of relief before she slowly crawled from under the table, inching in a wide circle away from her attacker.
She looked familiar. Hermione watched the woman explode tables, moving down the line to the exact one where she just was, hunting for her. Now was not the time to laugh, but if it were, Hermione would have erupted into giggles because the wild woman had boils covering her face. Still creeping toward the side door, Hermione noticed the Muggles were watching the woman with wide eyes and banging at the doors, screaming just as loud.
"Why hello there, Finite Incantatum." Hermione stiffened, pausing her backwards crawling to turn and see Bellatrix was too near with a decaying smile. "You should watch your footprints, sweetums."
"Flipendo," Hermione stuttered, startling Bellatrix and herself as the older lady flew across the cafe and crunched her back into the front window. LeStrange's eyes turned dark and Hermione dove under another overturned table, gasping in shortened breaths as a riffle of curses hit the thick, marble table. Turning her wand on the pedestrians, she cast another Confundus Charm and barely shot a shield around herself when a yellow flame hit it.
"Crucio." Hermione cast another shield. "Reducto." She screamed hiding her face as a counter of clean coffee and tea mugs shattered and her shield charm wavered, sending shards of ceramic at her face.
Just has Hermione clutched at her face, turning dizzy at the sight of her blood, seven voices rang out shouting spells. Sagging with relief, Hermione rested her head against the cool floor and gasped for fulfilling breaths. Of course she was a Muggleborn herself and therefore didn't understand the exact efficiency of the Ministry of Magic, but she was hoping Aurrors would have come a lot sooner than when they did.
A large crack rang through the shop and Hermione closed her eyes in pain. It was the unmistakable sound of Apparation and she was more than sure that the Aurrors would not have left so suddenly.
A woman gasped, "James, so many Muggles -"
"I know, Dora." The responding voice sounded strangled and not at all angry, just disappointed.
"They're confunded," another replied, their voice much closer to the struggling and still alive Muggles, "for now." Hermione lay down, her eyes shut tight as she tried to rid the memory of an attack in her hometown.
"Oi, this one's breathing!" Hermione blinked, startling a man with honey hair. A clamour of feet soon reached her eyesight and Hermione flinched when a wand was pointed at her. She clutched her own wand tighter in response, barely noticing the small crowd gathered were watching her with wide eyes.
Hermione cleared her throat, "I think I'm going to throw up." She stared at a messy-haired man wearing a badge. Suddenly a trash can was conjured and she took it gratefully.
The badge spoke, crouching to her level. "Um, what's your name - miss?"
"Hermione Granger." She turned her brown eyes to him briefly before tucking her head between her knees. "You?"
"James Potter, Head Aurror." Hermione stuck out a hand, not moving from her position. She felt him shake it.
Hermione croaked weakly, "Nice to meet you, sir."
"Pleasure's all mine." He cleared his throat, James' voice changing from amused to serious. "Can you possibly tell me why a wanted Death Eater was here?" Hermione glanced at him, paling further.
"Stupid to think she'd be able to tell you that." A woman snorted, fixing the diner to a rightened state.
James huffed, "I thought I'd at least ask, Dora. Do you mind?" She shrugged and he continued. "So, Miss Granger, were you the caster of the Confudus Charm on these Muggles?"
Hermione gasped, her suddenly hyperventilating gone. "Oh sir! I didn't mean to inflict harm on Muggles! Did I break the decree of underage wizardry? Oh no, am I to be expelled?" James blinked owlishly as the small girl before him suddenly turned red in the face and thrust her head between her knees again.
"Well, not exactly." James awkwardly patted her hair, watching her body rise in panicked breaths. "You did the Ministry a favour in fighting back. If you hadn't, these Muggles as well as yourself, would have died. You did a great deed, protecting yourself and them."
"But some did!" Hermione's eyes started welling. She felt pathetic, here she was being the most emotional in her entire life in front of a complete stranger.
"Listen here Hermione," James sat himself down beside her. "You can't save everyone. You're a little young to learn that, but it's a lesson that people, especially Aurrors, need to learn." James' face suddenly turned down, and Hermione felt him run his hand across her shoulders soothingly. She didn't notice his change in expression.
She grumbled, "Good thing I'd rather not be an Aurror." Hearing small chuckles, Hermione looked up to see James grinning. Smiling shyly herself she watched him turn surprised to the doorway when it sprang open. Hermione's smile slid off her face, unconsciously sliding behind the man with a badge.
"Where is she?" Hermione tried peeking around her new friend, the Head Aurror, only to see another mop of black hair.
"She's gone," James sounded lethal, causing Hermione to shift away from him. "But I'd like to know what the bloody hell you're doing here! Did I not give you explicit instructions to not become involved with these cases?"
"You did, but what makes you think that I'm just going to let her go?" The man, similar to the Head Aurror but with green eyes instead of hazel, came forward. He glared down at both James and herself with what looked like fury. Suddenly she felt James retract his hand from her back and stand. It was surprising how her feeling of safety left and she placed her head back down to retch toward the conjured garbage. "Found yourself a new trainee? A little young isn't she? And skittish -"
James barked, "Harry, I want you to march right back to your Bounty Hunt. Stay away from LeStrange."
This Harry snickered, "In case you hadn't noticed dad, I'm turning nineteen in a week, the time when you could tell me what to do was my under seventeen years."
"Then I'm telling you as your superior, not as your father." Hermione tried to hide herself behind her knees, only to find she'd much rather actually be gone than just hiding. Standing on wobbly feet, she heaved herself along the newly repaired tables and away from the fighting father-son duo.
It surprised her to hear James' son asked after her, not his father. "Hey, where is she going?"
"Miss Granger?"
She turned sheepishly, "I figured it was a private moment." Simultaneously she watched both men roll their eyes. It was starting to freak her out at how alike they seemed.
"You must be daft," muttered Harry.
Hermione's blush spiked and she limped forward, "Excuse me? I am not daft!"
Harry frowned. "No one said -"
"I heard you!" She shrieked, not really knowing why she was suddenly defensive. After fighting in a battle she was sure she'd end up in a body bag, Hermione was past being relieved and panicked. "If I were a daft sixteen-year girl, would I have been able to best LeStrange by myself for fifteen minutes? No!"
Harry stumbled back surprised as she advanced on him. He watched Dora come from no where and sit herself down to watch. He glowered at her smirk before turning his attention back to the small brunette who was reaching up to poke his chest angrily.
"Well you did a horrible job if she got away!" rebutted Harry. Hermione's face morphed into fury, hobbling toward him and jabbing again.
"You've just got a stick up your arse since you're stuck dealing with overweight wizards late for their parole while I was up against a Death Eater!" Harry suddenly stood rigid and leaned over her.
"You listen here you, witch," Harry sounded much more ready to say a different word, "I've trained almost half my life for a moment like this and your petty hero card is not going to work against me like it must have on my father. You may have a couple scratches, but those mean nothing. The purple apron around your middle will be the life you're stuck with, so stick to your job and I'll stick to mine. Clear?"
"Alrighty then," Dora jumped from her high counter to intervene. James was rubbing his forehead in pain. "I think its about time you left Harry. Miss Granger did have a tiring day." The two teens continued to glare at one another. "Say goodbye Harry." Moving to grab his shoulder, he shrugged from her grasp before narrowing his eyes at Hermione before storming away.
Dora sighed, smiling toothily at the younger witch. "We haven't met, but I'm Tonks. They call me Dora but I prefer Tonks." She held out her hand.
"Right, nice to meet you," said Hermione shaking it, "I'm Hermione."
"I hear you're quite bright."
Hermione raised her eyebrows incredulously. Tonks shrugged gently steering the small girl away. "I thought it was at least worth a try. C'mon, it's time for some good ol' questioning."
Disillusion in Latin, can be translated to Calamitatis.
Hopefully this chapter was up to your standards. I'm almost done the next one. Please review to tell me what you think.