Hello, everyone! I am humbled by the response to the previous chapter and my comeback, thank you very much for the reviews, alerts, faves and pms. It means a lot to me. I decided that this story will be my last multiple chapters story. I will make one more short story after this and then I will focus on my actual book but the plan is to actually finish this one.

This is the next chapter, huge thanks to Marla1 for her amazing help and support, without her this story wouldn't have continued.

Enjoy...

Chapter Ten – For the Greater Good

The bedroom was quiet and beautiful with its, heavy furniture but in beautiful colors. The curtains allowed light to shineed through the windows. The couple on the bed was spooned together on the bed.

Harry's eyes opened slowly, and he planted a kiss on the crown of Hermione's head before him, making her stir.

He still couldn't believe they had made it. Last night they decided to give it a shot, they were married after all, halfway to happiness.

'Morning,' she mumbled and he kissed her head again, her curly hair all over the pillow.

'Good morning,' Harry whispered back and felt her moving around so they could face each other. Only then he realized he was rock hard and he knew she had noticed too.

'Sorry for that,' he admitted sheepishly but she only smiled. 'It's the morning' he added and she laughed sleepily.

'It's ok, Harry…' she replied with a smile, there was no cause of embarrassment, especially between spouses… 'Actually, it's more than okay…' Hermione added daringly and Harry felt his body reacting to her suggestive words, his arms tightened around her and brought her even closer, if this that was evenwas possible.

Their lips met in a passionate lock. Last night they got went to bed both exhausted both from the recent trip to the States and what had happened during it. Only when they admitted to each other their feelings, the burden left their shoulders and the actual mental and physical exhaustion kicked in. Now they had no idea what time was it, or what day it was to be exact. , Tthey only cared for their kiss and the new territory ready to be explored, that of their marriage.

And so far, with the kiss turning hotter, the new territory felt beautiful and welcoming. It was so natural for them to share their thoughts, their feelings, their bond for the past two decades. Now, at last they were also sharing their bodies and affections, they didn't remember clearly their first time but they could make up for it.

'Harry…' Hermione moaned against his lips, her voice husky and full of passion, making him even harder, he was ready to move above her when a sound on the window started the distraction.

'Ignore it,' he commanded in a groan as they resumed their kiss after Hermione glanced at it behind him. They kept on kissing, their bodies melting against each other, a second tapping noise started to accompany the first one, distracting and annoying the couple.

Tap tap tap, toup toup toup tap tap tap toup toup tap

'Oh for fuck's sake,' Harry cursed as he collapsed against Hermione, they were both out of breath as they looked at the window. and They saw two of the most stupid looking owls that the Owl Post Service could use, tapping the window like crazy. 'Alright, alright,' Harry murmured as he struggled to stand up from the bed and his wife, get rid of the sheets that had wrapped around him and reach the window. Both owls held the prophet with one leg.

'We need to cancel one of our subscriptions to the Prophet now that we'll be living together. And we definitely need to cancel the premium service of it.' Hermione stated and Harry shot her a smile at the mention of living together. The Prophet had granted them premium status of customers as they were war heroes, not that they asked for the upgrade,. t They didn't need to read propaganda first thing in the morning, and especially after its service interrupted their encounters…

The owls flew inside the room, threw the newspapers on the bed, flattering their winds with noise, they turned around midair and got out ofleft out the same window they got in and that Harry kept left open for them. Silly birds, but he liked them and missed his own.

Hermione took one of the copies of the newspaper as Harry reached the bed, sat close to her and took the other. The title was glaring with large letters.

THE POTTERS TURN THEIR BACK TO THE WORLD CUP CELEBRATIONS
While We All celebrated, Harry & Hermione Potter didn't bother to show
themselves to share the happiness.
No word from the Minister's office about their meeting
or the charges against them during their stay in the States.

Wood: "I have no idea where Harry is."
Ron Weasley: "No comment…"

Harry and Hermione looked at each other as they set down the copies with the massive title and their photograph from the previous day in the ministry's atrium. They didn't expect less of a reaction from the press; of course they would be their new toy for the next weeks if not months. The only problem they now realized was the actual silence from the Burrow. They hadn't seen Ron in the past days, ever since he stormed out of the room after Hermione's explanation to him and now they felt almost grateful he didn't stir the fire with some kind of comment on the whole situation.

'You think we should find and talk to Ron?' Harry asked and Hermione sighed.

'You think he will listen to anything right now?' Hermione asked back and Harry shook his head, as they knew him very well, even though their lives had changed ever since the war, they still knew his reactions. Ron had been out of his mind with the locket's vision; Harry didn't want to face more drama now that he was actually married to Hermione. The two men hadn't fought the other day only because Hermione had been clear with Ron and the redhead had channeled his anger at her words and not their actions.

Harry could only realize now that Ron was right all along, Harry and Hermione had something everyone could see, some feared but only the couple had at first failed to see and then tried to deny for years.

'Lets read the letter from Kingsley,' Hermione brought the issue again. They had achievedtried to control the damage with her parents, avoid charges from the ministry, and got the bookstore was ready to be open. bBut they still had to deal with the Prophet, the community, their friends and above all, the stone who had brought back Harry's parents. Then, they could start exploring their relationship as a married couple.

Hermione had brought the letter with them into Harry's bedroom the previous night and now she was now reaching for it. She had insisted on reading it first thing in the morning. She broke the seal of the ministry and unfolded it before she could start reading. There were two different handwritings, one was quick and the rest was calligraphic.

The following letter is for Harry J. Potter& Hermione J. Granger
After reading it, please come to my office immediately.

Kingsley

Dear Harry

This letter was written during my search for the Horcrux Locket of Tom Riddle. My days are numbered so I am enclosing the Resurrection Stone in your first Snitch in my final will and testament. , Miss. Granger will receive a book and Mr. Weasley, my deluminator. I am writing this in hopes that the ministry will respect my wish for this letter to be accompanied by the Snitch to your hands. I wish I could protect you from the faith of them but I know you will be wise enough to rise above their power. I already gave you the Cloak a few years back and now I am sending you the Stone to help you defeat Voldemort by becoming the Master of the Hallows.

Although you have told me about you and Miss. Granger's platonic relationship, I know that the following years will be challenging and you two have a knack for turning to each other for help and support. I hope this tendency will bloom into deeper things. If so, I need to inform you, my dearest student, that as the Master of the Hallows, you will be sharing their power with your wife, in my sincere hopes that it will be Miss. Granger with her wise and brilliant mind to help you win over the destructive power of them.

The Hallows are as powerful as Horcruxes, and they can be as addictive. I am sure, as Miss. Granger will read in the tales of the Bard, you will understand that Death made the Hallows as punishment for the Three Brothers. and His Gifts are designed to absorb as many souls as possible. Please, if you share this power with your wife, put an end into the Hallows' circle by destroying them before they destroy you.

For the first time in my life I wish I would live longer to help and guide you through the final part of your fight against Voldemort, please do forgive me I won't be there to do so.

The Last Enemy that shall be Destroyed is Death
Albus Dumbledore

Harry and Hermione looked at each other with horror in their eyes. This letter never reached them when Minister Rufus Scrimgeour had presented Dumbledore's testament at the Burrow the day of Bill and Fluer's wedding. The ministry had hidden the letter from Harry. This letter was explaineding the Stone, the Hallows, it would have saved them months from off the Hunt, and it might have even saved them half the trouble. Harry felt anger rising up inside him like fire.

At that moment he couldn't focus on Dumbledore's prophetic words about him and Hermione getting together. He could only focus on the fact that this letter would have saved them valuable time from the search, the ministry not hadn't only abandoned them before it fell in Death Eaters' hands, it also made their life harder by keeping this letter from them.

Although he had survived the war and the Hallows, now not only one of them was stolen and used to harm him, he also had to find it for Hermione's sake along his. They were sharing the Hallows' power or for better description, the Hallows' curse. He felt guilty as he looked with fear at his best friend and wife.

'Don't you dare take that look at with me like that,' Hermione actually ordered him and he took a deep breath. 'We've been through worse.' She added and Harry nodded as she took his hand in hers and she moved closer to him, letting the letter fall by their bodies. 'Last night you asked me if I want to grow old with you,' Hermione stated and he nodded as she moved even closer and actually straddled his lap, he wrapped his arms around her for support. 'You also said you love me,' Hermione added and Harry nodded again as he looked at her chocolate brown eyes.

'I do,' he said in a hoarse voice.

'Then don't start with the guilt and fear for me,' Hermione responded and he sighed. 'I have been target number two because of our friendship and my blood status. I have been captured, tortured, stabbed and cursed.' Hermione recalled all her hardships and Harry was ready to protest but her finger on his lips halted him. 'But it was my choice to stand by your side, during those cold nights at the tent, in our battles, and I was a teenager. I was there because I loved you and I love you now even more.' Hermione continued her words and her logic; her matter-of-fact voice almost calmed him his from the anger for at the ministry. 'The Horcruxes were my problem as much as it they werewas yours. It was, same with the Hallows, when you used my wand as easily as you used yours, we were fine. , when you left for the forest to fight Voldemort, it was the only moment you didn't allow me to come. But you know I would go with you as I had told you.' Hermione recalled again and Harry sighed and nodded. 'We're in this together,' she added and he remembered the times she had told him the same words in the past.

'Have I ever told you what I saw when I stabbed the Cup of Hufflepuff?' Hermione asked and Harry shook his head, he had wondered but never asked. He was, not sure if he should bring it up, especially after the experience he had with Ron stabbing the locket. 'Isn't it obvious, Harry? It was you dead; it was me without you. It wasn't failure like with the boggart, it was you away from me., sSo don't say a word about the Hallows and our sharing of them. I take you and the package of your destiny with the Prophesies and the Hallows and the saving people thing... I have chosen you as you are for a long time now.' She concluded and Harry could only hug her to him and kiss her.

She was the only one who could put up with all this. She was the only one who had done it anyway. The rest waited for him, she pulled him through. This is what he always needed, someone by his side, not behind him, not before him, by him. , tThey were two equal forces of magic and nature and he had to admit, they couldn't be with anyone else but each other. No one else had experienced what they did; no one else could understand the two of them, only each other, without drama, with trust in their weak moments, knowing how to break through each other's barriers and obstacles.

The night before he was finally getting to her for the truth of their feelings, now she was putting him in his place for his reflex of guilt and fear for her. He couldn't be afraid for her, she was powerful, and he believed she was more powerful than him, she had proved it countless times.

'I love you, wife,' he could only say and she smiled and laughed, even now, with a new problem in the list, she was the one to help him through. He loved her laugh.

'I love you too, husband,' she replied and he smiled and pecked her lips before he could stand up and take her with him, she let her slender legs touch the ground and they remained against each other. 'We better go to Kingsley.' Hermione stated after another kiss, he nodded.

Only problem was, no one could floo into the minister's office and, only floo out of it for security reasons. That meant they had to go through the atrium of the ministry again, where all the reporters were waiting for yet another day. At the thought of the ministry keeping secrets he felt the anger returning.

'It's back in the past,' Hermione said as if she was reading his mind and he only nodded. 'I'll meet you at the fireplace in ten minutes, ok?' Hermione asked and he nodded as she left the room to go to her own and get dressed. They needed to move their stuff in one bedroom. She had to move in from her apartment in London, even though half her stuff were was already in Grimmauld as she always spent half her days in the house. Despite his anger, he could only admire her as she moved out of the room. His feelings had been a rollercoaster, he won the cup, got married, his parents were there, her parents half accepted them, their friends didn't, the Stone was activated, they admitted their feelings to each other, the hallows were something they now shared, the ministry had hidden things from them.

'It's interesting to have a wife, isn't it?' James' voice was heard and Harry looked at his father's ghost, he smiled.

'I don't think I have realized it yet,' Harry admitted to his dad who nodded and chuckled.

'Every time I looked at your mother, I always needed a moment to accept she had actually allowed me to be with her,' James replied and Harry smiled. 'It's amazing when you realize you got the right person finally.' James added and Harry could only admire his parents' relationship, even if brief, it was a model for others.

'Hermione is unique,' Harry stated and James nodded his head.

'That she is,' the ghost confirmed with a smile, the two men looked very much alike indeed, although now Harry looked older than his father, the paradoxes of a magical life. 'It's a good thing she keeps you in check, your mother did the same with me,' James added and Harry smiled, she never backed down, not while he screamed and lost control, not when she reached her own limits, she was always there. He was a married man now; he would do his best to be a good husband.

'Any advice to keep her happy?' Harry asked his dad who smiled and shook his head.

'You always keep her in your mind, as far as I know, son. You always felt the need to be a better person for her; and you achieved so this without too much of a struggle. for your character, y You just take care of her like she does with you. You want her to be happy, you respect her., I'm not sure I can advise you with something more. You have it all.' James simply stated and Harry smiled, he was enough…

The moment the couple flooed in the atrium the same scene unfolded with tens of reporters approaching. Again and Harry pusheding them aside so he and Hermione could move through the crowd to the elevators. They reached it without commenting on anything, both dressed in cloaks above over their casual muggle clothes.

They reached the minister's office and by the time Harry got in the place, the letter from Dumbledore was burning a hole in his cloak's pocket. The moment he got inside the office he saw Kingsley with a serious expression on his face, nothing like the face he had when he first saw them a day ago.

Kingsley waved his wand once and a note was flying pasts them and out of the office before the door behind them could close. Harry took out the letter and slammed it on the desk.

'Why the ministry hid this from me?!' Harry asked in a voice that broke in fury. Kingsley took a deep breath.

'Please, Harry, Hermione, sit down.' The minister offered.

'I don't want to sit down, I want an answer!' Harry this time shouted and Hermione touched his arm as she reached the desk of the minister by Harry's side.

'Kingsley, I don't think taking longer than needed for the explanations to be given will help here. Just answer us.' Hermione spoke in a much steadier voice but in a strict tone, there was no reason to ask Harry to sit down neither either, she too wanted to scream at the minister herself.

'I understand, but it's more complicated then you think, so please, both of you, sit down.' Kingsley insisted and Hermione looked at Harry who only nodded and let himself onsat in one of the chairs, he could go with the minister's waters, only because Hermione was there with him. 'Minister Scrimgeour had kept this because at the time, the ministry was trying to help you. The testament of Dumbledore was opened by the Aurors in the minister's presence before he could reveal it to you, we were at war, and we had to act undercover for some things. The ministry had hoped that it would be able to help, you were just children and the best of aurors had taken the letter for inspection. However, the night following the revelation of the testament to you, the attack in the ministry took place.

'Scrimgeour was murdered and the aurors defending you from the Order were able to save the letter and take it away from the ministry in secret, it was one of the very few things we salvaged before the Death Eaters could take over that night. I was the keeper of the secret but since you two and Ron achieved everything on your own, I had promised that I would reveal the truth to you before you would get married,, Harry so you could know that the power of the Hallows will be shared with your wife. I just never thought that you'd get married in the middle of the night in Vegas… my plan was to inform you before you would were to get married, not after. Like Dumbledore, I half knew and hoped it would be Hermione by your side. Another thing I didn't expect was for the Stone to be used again… I thought we'd have time.' Kingsley's words were met with silence. Of course it would be one of the ministry's failed ideas of helping. Even if he didn't like it, Harry could see the reasons in Kingsley's way of thinking, the ministry of course had screwed up but he could see the failed potential. Before Harry or Hermione could speak a word there was a knock on the door and Kingsley answered it.

A man and a woman entered the room with hard, solemn faces; one was holding a box with a double chain around it. Harry and Hermione stood up as they both recognized Vanessa Crickerly, the head of the Aurors' office and Joseph Flint, the head of the Department of Mysteries and Chief Unspeakable for the ministry. Harry looked at the box the man was holding and he felt his stomach uneasy.

'Minister,' Flint acknowledged in a deep voice as he set the box on the table, between the couple and Kingsley, he moved back close to his colleague., Bboth employees of the ministry were around their sixties and in obvious discomfort. Harry didn't like that.

'What's in there?' Hermione finally asked for the both of them and Kingsley sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose.

'Harry had decided to put the Elder Wand back in Dumbledore's tomb to keep the curse of it under control. But the ministry had decided it wasn't a safe place, after all Voldemort had already violated the tomb and everyone knew about it and…'

'WHAT?' Harry screamed this time, even the tiny bits of sympathy for the minister's failed plans for the letter evaporating before the plot about the wand behind his back.

'Harry…. You were a child and the ministry…' Kingsley tried but Harry wouldn't have it.

'I was a child who saved everyone's asses! I WAS THE MAN WHO SAVED YOU ALL EVEN WITH YOU HIDING THE HELP I NEEDED WITH THAT FUCKING LETTER BUT I WASN'T OLD ENOUGH TO DECIDE FOR THE WAND? I AM ITS MASTER!' He bellowed and hated the possessiveness he felt over the damn thing, it was corrupting him and he hated it. It shouldn't have been before him but in Dumbledore's tomb as he had decided.

'Mr. Potter…' Flint tried as Kingsley remained silent and Harry glared at him as he made a small step closer to the couple. 'You need to understand, before the letter and before Dumbledore, everyone believed the Hallows were a tale for children... But you proved otherwise and the ministry had to take care of the artifact. We kept it secret and safe here in the Department of Mysteries, studied it and took care of it in the Death Chamber. Some things have owners and some other things are to be studied for the future generations.' Flint explained and in his fury, Harry laughed bitterly.

'Kept it secret and safe in the same Department I broke into with my friends at age fifteen?' Harry asked sarcastically and Flint narrowed his eyes at the young man, insulted by the comment. 'Same Department that needed years to learn that Rookwood was a spy for Voldemort?' Harry added, and this time Flint opened his mouth to answer but Hermione interrupted him.

'You haven't done a good job "saving" the Stone however!' Hermione spoke finally and Harry looked at her, the Wand was almost humming to him from inside the box after so many years away from him. He hadn't realized in the brief days he had it how powerful it was as he had been exhausted and vulnerable from the Hunt and the Horcruxes. He was sure Hermione could also feel it now, they had been through magical objects and their corrupting powers like the locket but after so long, they had almost forgotten.

'Mr. Potter here lost the stone,' Flint replied through gritted teeth.

'I didn't lose it, I threw it away,' Harry retorted and Flint clenched his fists.

'Because you had no idea what you were doing, because you were a child, unable to decide upon important cases like the Deathly Hallows!' he retorted.

'Flint, enough!' Kingsely almost barked from behind Harry who was already moving closer to the man.

'Because I was about to die for everyone, facing Voldemort alone so now you can pretend to be the infamous and successful Unspeakable!' Harry rasped out of his teeth, his wand feeling heavier in his pocket, begging to be drawn. Hermione rushed close to the two men who remained an inch apart, breathing heavily atbefore each other.

'Harry, no,' Hermione whispered and pulled him back and away from the older man.

'This is something we've been trying to fix ever since 1998 and that was the reason all the affected heroes got were required to go through evaluation and therapy. We kept used the information everyone gave to create a puzzle. We knew of the Stone because of the letter and we knew it was somewhere in Hogwarts grounds but we couldn't find it and you never left with it. We searched every inch but someone had taken it., wWe tried with the centaurs but they had nothing, same with the merpeople. We hoped that through therapy, someone would tell us where it is but we came out empty-handed.' Crickerly explained and Harry this time rubbed his face with his hand. All this was too much.

'So you kept the Wand behind my back, searched for the Stone and when you didn't find it you set up a program for us to interrogate everyone about it…' Harry summed up and Kingsley took a deep breath, Harry was losing trust in a man he respected.

'You make it sound awful, Harry everything happened for the Greater Good.' Kingsley said softly, another failed father figure. His words could have been those of Dumbledore.

'He makes it sound exactly as it is, Kingsley.' Hermione replied for Harry and he moved closer to her instinctively. They had been through a lot in that same ministry; they had almost died in the Department of Mysteries. All this failed trying of the ministry to save them and study the Hallows only rewarded justified their choices to stay away from it and its politics. 'Has it crossed your mind that since you never put the Wand to rest, as Harry requestedhad, the Stone also remained active?...'Hermione wondered and looked at the ministry people. 'Or you simply didn't not care in hopes of studying the Wand and expecting to detect signs of the Stone being used…' She confirmed in her own voice as she saw the lowered faces. 'So for more than a decade you've been playing with fire, waiting for either the Wand to drive its Master mad with need away from him or whoever got the Stone to finally use it loud enough for you to notice…' Hermione added and was greeted by silence.

; Harry remained without a wordsilent as she was the one working out the ministry's failed plans. 'If we hadn't told you about James and Lily Potter, you would still wait for it…' Hermione added and then her eyes widened.

'That means that whoever got the Stone might have been using it for years already, they might have lost their mind by now and now they triedy to get to Harry by showing him his parents.' Hermione explained and looked at her husband, her eyes mirroring the fear he had for her before. She then looked at Flint and Crickerly. 'According your reports during our therapy, who were the most unstable of us all? Who could have stolen the Stone?' Hermione asked but Flint shook his head.

'We searched through everyone, the reports are classified,' Flint responded curtly but Hermione herself moved closer to him in two strides, she didn't have to draw her wand, her index finger was enough, pushing against the old man's chest.

'Don't lecture me about privacy and answer the bloody question!' Hermione demanded and Flint glanced at Kingsley above the young woman who only nodded.

'Most of the Weasleys, both the Lovegoods, Neville Longbottom and many more failed our criteria; the ministry's criteria were very specific. If we go like that then there are many, many are suspects, even you Miss. Granger, or actually Mrs. Potter and your husband here. , yYou were on the borderline accepted by our program.' Flint replied in a tight voice. Hermione's eyes narrowed at him as Harry approached them.

'How very convenient...' She commented sarcastically. 'Just enough sane to keep the Wand and Stone if you ever found them both and we resisted on handing them over to you…' Hermione added and Harry sighed.

'Unlock the box and hand me the Wand, you had your decade of fun with it. Now hand it to me and we'll find the Stone on our own. You've done more than enough damage.' Harry stated and this time Kingsley stood up.

'I'm afraid this is impossible, Harry.' Kingsley replied and Harry turned to him.

'You really want to do it the hard way, Kingsely?' Harry challenged and both Harry and Hermione this time actually drew their wands. Flint and Crickerly did the same instantly, the atmosphere suddenly crackled with magical energy. 'We can take it and escape the ministry, become fugitives…let everyone know the good job that has been done here…. Everyone is interested in us since we got married after the World Cup…. Imagine if the whole truth was out and the ministry was showns in bad light all over again…' Harry suggested, in a rare display of his actual status as war hero and quidditch star.

'As a gossip or not, we'll be shown as the martyrs who cannot be accepted for what they are, the community still loves us. Do you want the new generation of people remember you like they do with Thicknesse or Fudge?' Hermione wondered this time. Kingsley looked at the young couple.

'I just don't want you corrupted by the Wand.' Kingsley tried softly but Harry and Hermione wouldn't have it.

'The Hallows need to be destroyed and you have failed even to find the Stone, let alone destroy the Wand. We are the Masters of them and we'll do what we should have done back then, destroy them both once and for all.' Harry pointed out. Everyone remained in silence for a moment more before Kingsley could wave for the two chiefs dolts to put back their wands away. He moved his hand above the box and the chains disappeared in little golden sparkles.

'Take it,' He finally said and Harry took the box. Crickerly moved a step closer but her wand was back in its holder.

'But Minister, sir…' She objected, Kingsley shook his head.

'If we want them to keep even an ounce of trust in us and the statute, we need to trust them first,' the man spoke wisely and Harry looked at him. He could see the older man's fear of them turning to the dark side. He could see the good intentions road that led to the current hell.

The couple left with the box in their hands by the floo network back to Grimmauld, leaving the heads of the ministry in total silence., tThey magically blocked the floo entrance to anyone the moment they stepped out of the fireplace.

They were alone again.

Oh I hope you liked it! I like big chapters with a lot of information inside. I wanted a hhr scene (even a short one) and for years I believed that the ministry (and especially the department of mysteries) wouldn't leave such thing as the Elder Wand untouched, what do you think? Did you like the letter from Dumbledore? what about the scene at the minister's office. I don't like the bad ministry vs good Harry dynamic, I mostly wanted to show how politics and govs work.

Remember, reviews are support and love, let me know what you think of it!

CP09