A/N- I won't bore you with a long note here, just be warned this is a long chapter and it will cover a lot. Also, slight mature content in the middle, not enough to warrant an in-story warning but it's there. Enjoy!
Part 2- Hogwarts
Chapter 4
July 20th, 1995
Ron and Mr. Weasley had not come down from the room upstairs, but Mrs. Weasley had appeared as Hermione and Ginny were nearly finished with the preparations for dinner. Her face was still red with anger, her lips pressed into a tight line. She didn't say a word to any of them, merely setting about preparing the table and serving the small group that was present.
Despite her silence, Hermione did not fail to notice the positively acidic looks the Weasley matron was giving her whenever she thought nobody was looking. Anger danced behind the woman's eyes, and Hermione had nearly choked on a sip of water when the memory of Molly cresting the stairs of the Grangers home in the future with all the fires of hell in her gaze flashed across her mind.
She coughed a few times, stifling it behind her hand. When she looked up a pair of green eyes had fixed on her from further down the table, concern evident in them. She waved him off, returning her attention to the small tome on the table next to her. Harry's naked concern for her had been a comfort, but now she could feel the eyes of both Weasley women trying to bore holes into her.
Let them be angry, she thought bitterly. While it hadn't been part of their plan for Harry to beat Ron into a bloody pulp, at least not so soon, she couldn't help but admit it had been wonderfully gratifying.
After Hermione had finished cleaning his hand Harry had excused himself and was gone for several minutes. To an onlooker it probably seemed like he needed a moment to himself after the brawl upstairs, likely to come to terms with the violence against a friend, but Hermione had known better. She'd bet her last galleon that Harry had been speaking to Dobby, setting the plan they'd formed this morning into motion.
If all went well, they'd only have to endure the next few days under the Weasley's thumbs. The knowledge gave her some comfort, but it didn't change the fact that not only were they trapped in enemy territory, now that territory was openly hostile.
They ate in relative silence, even the twins having been subdued by Molly's barely controlled wrath. Sirius made a point of striking up a bit of small talk here and there with Harry and Hermione, but it never lasted long.
Harry barely spoke, and his expression looked almost pained whenever he was able to disengage from Sirius's attempts to cheer him up. Hermione wasn't sure why, but it was likely concern over how this latest deviation would affect their plans. She'd been running the same calculations through her mind since he'd come downstairs with bloody hands.
"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Sirius barked out after spending several minutes staring at his plate. "It was just a quarrel between friends!" He said, laying down the fork he'd been twirling around idly. "You lot look like someone's died."
Molly turned several shades of red and opened her mouth, starting to rise from the table to no doubt start her own altercation, when the door to the kitchens banged open to reveal Arthur Weasley. He looked more tired than Hermione had even seen him, and when his gaze fell on his wife his eyes narrowed angrily and the scowl on his face deepened.
He walked over slowly and sat down next to her. She sat back down into her chair, seemingly mollified by his anger, if only temporarily.
Hermione didn't miss the way Harry had tensed when Molly had stood, nor the way he seemed to unclench when the older with sat back down, if only slightly. Despite the Weasley patriarch's arrival the air in the room was still thick with tension.
Arthur sighed heavily and leveled his gaze on the young man he considered his seventh son, his expression simultaneously weary and stern. The combination was concerning, but Hermione held her tongue as she waited to hear the fallout.
"Harry." He began after a moment. "I want to apologize again for Ron's behavior. Disagreements among friends are not uncommon, and I certainly had my fair share of tussles with my friends when I was your age, but drawing his wand was cowardly and uncalled for."
Harry nodded his acceptance but kept his silence. He looked torn between anger and remorse. Hermione suppressed a smirk. He was playing his role perfectly.
"That being said." Arthur said suddenly. "I am a bit concerned. Ron tells me that you started the fight."
The silence that followed Arthurs words seemed to stretch out for an eternity but in reality, it lasted only a second or two before all hell broke loose.
"My Harry would never do something like that!" Ginny cried.
"That's preposterous!" Hermione said, straightening up in her seat in indignation. White hot anger had roared to life at his audacity. How dare that traitorous bastard try to pin this on Harry!
The twins voiced their own objections to the explanation but were drowned out suddenly by the loud crash of a hand slamming down onto the ancient table with enough force to shake the glassware still left there from dinner.
Most tended to forget that Sirius was the scion of a noble house, in large part due to him abandoning his birthright during his formative years, but it was in moments like these they were reminded that he had been raised to be a lord. The room was instantly silent, all eyes turning to the heir to the Black family.
His expression was fairly neutral, but his normally dark eyes were alight with anger.
"That's a lie." Sirius bit out. "I was there, Harry just defended himself."
"How dare you call my son a liar!" Molly cried. A dangerous moment passed, and both seemed ready to draw their wands on each other when they were interrupted by a soft voice, speaking calmly from Sirius's side.
"Ron was telling the truth. I threw the first punch." Harry said.
A stunned silence filled the dim kitchen.
Harry was the only one who hadn't reacted to Arthurs words. He knew Ron far better than anyone gave him credit for, and he'd already assumed that his so-called friend would attempt to place the blame on him to avoid punishment. It mattered little to him. He was prepared.
"The question is, did Ron tell you why I punched him?" Harry asked, his face carefully blank.
"He said it was because you'd been making unwanted advances towards Hermione, and he'd confronted you to get you to stop." Arthur said.
Hermione gaped at Arthur, her mouth hanging open. She felt like she'd been slapped.
"That's ridiculous!" She said. "Harry's done no such thing! If anything, Ronald has been the one harassing me!"
Silence descended on the room again.
Molly was the first to react. Her face once again went through several shades of red, the last deeper than Hermione thought possible. Her mouth split open in a vicious snarl as she made to jump up from her seat, Merlin knows what kind of venom about to spill from her mouth, but was stopped by Arthur's hand grasping her arm tightly as he forced his wife back down in an entirely uncharacteristic show of violence. His face was hard as he stared her down.
"What do you mean, Hermione?" Arthur asked her quietly. Hermione took a calming breath to regain some composure, and then she did.
"From the moment I arrived here Ron has been following my every step, and he keeps trying to get me alone." She said quietly, making sure to have her voice quiver a bit as she spoke. She felt Harry's green eyes boring into her from his end of the table. Despite his lack of expression, she had no doubt he was pleased with her. "I know he is… interested in me, but I've told him over and over that I just want to be friends." She paused there, allowing her words to linger in the air before continuing. "He keeps accusing me of being… involved with Harry… and I… well I suppose he gets jealous… and then…" She trailed off, casting her eyes down towards the table.
"This morning Ron got angry with Hermione for having tea with me after our meeting with Dumbledore. We were both a little shaken afterwards, so we took a moment to collect ourselves. When Ron came down for us we left to come back, but when I got to the stairs I realized they weren't behind me." Harry told them. "When I came back, Ron was standing close to Hermione and gripping her arm. She tried to pull away twice before he let her go. I don't know what he said, but Ron looked angry and… well..." He trailed off, his eyes lowering to the table for a moment before flicking suddenly back up to meet Arthur's head on. "Hermione looked scared."
"Harry…" Arthur began, but Harry cut him off, continuing his story.
"The fight happened when Ron told me to stay away from Hermione, and when I tried to tell him whoever Hermione spends time with is her business, he got angry. I tried to walk away and he grabbed me. I've been a bit jumpy since… since the graveyard… so I suppose I just reacted."
"It's true." Sirius said. "I've seen the way he's been following her about."
"We have too dad." Fred spoke up.
"That we have." George said.
Hermione felt a rush of gratitude towards the pranksters. It had to have taken quite a bit of resolve to speak out against their brother. She offered them a small smile in thanks for their show of solidarity, which they returned with a simple nod each.
The table was as silent as a graveyard as each of them worked through this latest development. Arthur looked even more troubled, while Molly's expression had gone curiously blank. It took Hermione by surprise. She'd expected the Weasley matron to be exploding with anger, maybe even sending a few curses her way at this point, but she'd suddenly lost steam when the twins had spoken up in support of her. It worried her.
She chanced a quick glance at Harry, and saw he was eyeing Molly as warily as she was. Something was off.
"Clearly," Molly began as she looked around the table, "There is a problem here. One that must be addressed swiftly." She told them, leveling an icy stare at Hermione at the end.
Arthur heaved a sigh but nodded in agreement with her.
"Molly is right." He said heavily. He looked around the room, as if trying to get a feel for how they all felt, before continuing. "Molly and I have discussed it, and the only sensible solution to this is to remove the source of the problem before it can escalate any further."
Hermione felt her stomach drop.
"What does that mean?" Harry asked, leaning forward in his chair.
"It means..." Arthur began, locking eyes with Harry. "It means that we will be returning Hermione to Oxford in the morning."
For a moment, nobody spoke. Hermione's heart began thundering in her chest. Her eyes widened and she couldn't help but look directly at Harry, naked fear evident on her face. She cared little about going back to Oxford. The Weasley's clearly weren't aware that she'd warded her parents so that it was nearly as impenetrable as Grimmauld was, but the thought of being separated from Harry again chilled her to the bone.
He wasn't looking at her; instead, he was glaring at Arthur as if he might destroy the poor man. Hermione was too enthralled by her fear of being separated from him to realize what was really happening. Harry was almost positive if Hermione went back to Oxford, he'd probably never see her again.
She realized the truth herself a few seconds later, and her jaw fell open in shock as ice pumped through her veins.
The kitchen exploded once more. This time though, it wasn't many voices. It was only one.
"Absolutely not!" Harry growled. "Have you all gone mental? You brought her here to protect her from Voldemort! How is sending her BACK out there going to protect her?!" He asked them, his voice rising with each word.
Arthur held up his hand in an attempt to command Harry's silence.
"Harry, you have to understand…" He began, but Harry cut him off.
"Like HELL I do!" He barked, rising from his seat. "You're not sending her out there and into danger just because Ron is being an arse!"
"Harry…" Arthur tried again, but Harry cut him off once more.
"I won't have someone I care about out there on their own. Not while Voldemort is still a threat. If Hermione leaves, then so do I."
"ENOUGH!" Molly roared, now rising herself. "It is far too dangerous for YOU to be out there Harry! We cannot risk you getting hurt! And Arthur and I are members of the Order and are needed here, so we cannot send Ron away!" She told him. She gestured over to Hermione. "Sending her back to her parents is the only option we have thanks to you!"
Harry stared at Molly, his green eyes hard. Molly met his eyes unfazed, anger still simmering in her own but a small, victorious smirk beginning to show on her face. It only angered Harry further. Hermione could feel his magic beginning to slip from his control. She was suddenly afraid he was about to throw all caution to the wind and just curse the wretched woman when another voice interrupted them.
"Molly Weasley, you've no right nor authority to send anyone from this home, child or otherwise." Sirius said. His tone was low and dangerous as he glowered at them from his end of the table. Molly recoiled as if she'd been struck.
"Albus placed me in charge of Headquarters!" She sputtered out, trying to regain the momentum she'd had before.
Sirius rose from his chair slowly. He'd placed his hands on the table, and was now leaning over it slightly, supporting himself with his arms. His magic suddenly began to permeate the room, and Hermione was taken aback by how strong it was. It was a far cry from herself and Harry at this point, but with their strength being suppressed by their rings he was clearly the most powerful wizard in the room. Belatedly Hermione remembered that he'd been an Auror before he'd been sent to Azkaban, and he'd been more than adequate at the job if the stories she'd heard from Mad-Eye and Tonks were to be believed. It seemed that despite his time in the harrowing cells of the wizarding prison, Sirius was still powerful.
"This home belongs to the Black family." He began. "And seeing as I am the last of them, I am the Head of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. The Order of the Phoenix uses this place as their headquarters with my blessing. A blessing that can be revoked if you try to send this young woman from here."
"You'd go against the Order?" Molly asked him defiantly. She didn't say it out loud, but it was clear she was asking if he would be willing to go against Dumbledore's orders.
"Absolutely." Sirius told her without a moment's hesitation. "Hermione would be at just as much risk as Harry out there because of their friendship, if not more so because of her parentage. She represents everything Voldemort and his lot are looking to destroy in the world, and I will not allow her to be put into danger because your son can't reign in his ego."
A wave of powerful affection for Sirius rushed through Hermione, so much so that she had to fight back tears. She'd known he would do anything for Harry, but such a blatant declaration towards herself hadn't been something she'd expected from him. She met his gaze and the sheer determination on his face shocked her. For just a moment, Hermione was reminded of how her father used to look at her before she'd wiped her parents memories in the future. It moved her more than she could comprehend.
"Perhaps I'm mistaken, but last I checked the mandate of the Order was to protect those who couldn't protect themselves."
All eyes turned to the door to the kitchen, where disheveled Remus Lupin stood with his hands in his pockets, watching them all with his usual indulgent expression and sharp attention to detail.
He'd only been there for a few moments, but everyone at the table had been so engrossed in the argument they seemed to be having that they'd missed him coming in. He was travel weary, but when he'd received Sirius's patronus about the situation developing at the Black family home, he'd left right away. He was glad he'd done so, now that he'd seen just how serious things seemed to be.
Sirius's magic was practically crackling in the air around him, and he knew enough about house magic to know that he meant what he'd said about expelling the Order members if things kept unraveling.
Molly had whirled about when Remus had spoken and had stood there with her mouth hanging open comically.
For her part, Hermione wasn't sure how to feel about Remus's presence. She'd already surmised that Sirius must've reached out to him, likely wanting some backup against the Weasley clan if things soured as they were now, but she still wasn't sure they could trust him. Sirius himself was clearly in their corner, but Remus owed Albus Dumbledore a great deal, so his allegiance wasn't quite as clear.
Still, he seemed to be agreeing with his old friend for now.
"Our mandate is to do what's best for the greater good!" She growled at him, finding her voice once more. "And right now that means keeping the peace in here, no matter what!"
Remus pointedly ignored her, his gaze shifting over to Arthur instead.
"I think the greatest good at this particular moment would be for us all to retire for the evening. We can all discus this again in the morning with cooler heads." He said amicably. It was an obvious attempt to defuse the situation, if only temporarily.
Arthur seemed to consider Remus's offer for a moment before his shoulders sagged and he let out the breath he'd been holding.
"I think you're right, Remus." He said, taking the offered lifeline.
The tension in the room lessened greatly then. It took several long, awkward moments but slowly they began to disperse. First Ginny then the twins, although they wouldn't leave without a nod from Harry first. Molly was still practically boiling, but Arthur had silenced her with a glare. She stormed out of the room, muttering darkly as she passed Remus.
Arthur stood to leave too, but halted when Remus approached him.
"A word, Arthur?" He asked pointedly. The older wizard blinked a few times at him but nodded. Remus then glanced over at Harry and Hermione, who'd congregated with Sirius at the end of the table when everyone had started moving. "You two should be getting to bed as well." He told them. "Separately." He added pointedly.
Hermione had the good graces to blush at his implication, but Harry didn't seem phased by it. He opened his mouth to speak, but Sirius put a hand on his shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze.
"Don't worry pup. I won't let them send our girl away." He told him warmly. "Now up to bed. I'll stop in on my way to my rooms."
They did as they were told then. As they retreated from the room Hermione looked back over her shoulder, watching as the three men sat down together at the table. Obviously, some sort of parlay was going to take place. She understood now why Remus was there. He was the calmest of them, and most likely to approach the situation logically. He would be a good mediator, but she was still wary of the outcome.
Both remained quiet as they made their way up the stairs, not wanting to chance being overheard. When they stopped in front of Hermione's shared room, Harry took her hand for a moment and gave it an encouraging squeeze, and to her surprise he let a bit of his magic roll over her. They'd been careful to attempt to contain their magic here, Hermione even having taken the liberty of warding his room prior to their last encounter there, but she was grateful to him as it washed over her briefly, warming her better than any fire could have.
True to his expectations, Harry had only been alone in his room for about an hour after his godfather had left before his door opened just wide enough for someone to slip through, then closed. It had happened silently, and if he hadn't had been glancing in that direction already he might've missed it. Now he sat up on his bed, watching as Hermione appeared before him as she canceled the disillusionment charm on herself.
He raised an eyebrow at her, and she gave him an exasperated look as she cast the privacy charms on the room.
"Molly was watching the stairs." She told him, irritation dripping into her tone. "And Ginny took forever to fall asleep. I had to wait until she was fully out before I could leave."
"We'll have to ask the twins how they dosed her before." Harry muttered as he swung his legs over the edge of the bed, making room for her to sit. Hermione opted for the chair instead.
"Excellent idea." She told him. "What did Sirius have to say? I heard him come up earlier."
"Not much. Only that they'd worked it out, at least for now." Harry responded. He raked a hand through his hair as he spoke. Hermione knew the gesture meant he was distressed.
"What is it?" She asked him, leaning forward and taking his hand. He met her gaze, exhaustion and concern evident on his face.
"I can't be sure, but I'm worried Molly may be going to Dumbledore in the morning."
Hermione suppressed her groan of frustration, but couldn't help the grimace on her face.
"I suspected as much." She said with a sigh, closing her eyes and leaning back into the chair as she spoke. "She may have already reached out to him."
When she opened her eyes again Harry was staring at her intently, his expression a mixture of concern and a fierce protectiveness that made her insides melt.
"Our plan is in motion, but I honestly don't know if we can wait. It should happen within the next day or so, but we may have to leave before the Goblins have the chance to make the announcement." He told her. "We need to grab the locket and be ready to leave right away. We can use Dobby since he can come and go around the wards."
"What do you mean, grab the locket?" Hermione asked him, eyes narrowing.
"I mean we need to get the bloody horcrux from Kreacher!" he told her, his tone exasperated as he raked a hand through his hair.
Anger flared in her at his words.
"Harry Potter, do you honestly think so little of me?" She asked him crossly. The look she was giving him could tan a dragon's hide. Harry sensed her ire and froze.
"Have I missed something?" He asked, blinking in confusion. He'd been caught off guard by her sudden change in demeanor and was eying her warily as a result.
"I've had the locket since the day after I arrived here, Harry." She told him flatly.
Hermione watched with no small amount of satisfaction as Harry's expression went from being completely gobsmacked by her revelation, to exasperation, then to guilt in less than a few seconds.
"Of course you have." He said, shaking his head and chuckling darkly. "I'm sorry I underestimated you Hermione. Truly. But you could've told me."
"I forgive you." She said. He looked unsure so she leaned forward and reassured him with a quick kiss. "And I'm sorry I didn't tell you before. We've had enough to worry about with the Dementor escape and Dumbledore coming around, I didn't want to put more on you."
"Where is it?" He asked her.
"Oh, I found a wonderful place for it. It's underneath the floor below Ginny's bed." She told him, her tone deadpanned. Harry looked at her appreciatively.
"Oh, that's just cruel." He told her, a grin breaking out on his face. "It's no wonder she's been acting out."
"Quite." Hermione said. She did feel a bit guilty about it, truth be told. She knew the horcrux was likely influencing Ginny to become more erratic, but as she'd told him before, it would be better to deal with her sooner rather than later. That being said, now that they were likely to be leaving in the next day or two, she would need to remove it. "Given the most recent developments, I think it would be prudent for Dobby to retrieve it tomorrow morning while we're downstairs and take it back to the Manor." She told him.
"I agree."
"I also think we should have him reach out to Gartooth again. The goblins owe you for the debacle with the will, so I don't think it would be too difficult to get them to make the announcement first thing in the morning."
"Sounds like we have a plan, then." Harry said, standing and moving over to her.
"Which version of that plan are we on now?" Hermione said, sighing ruefully as she looked up at him. Harry was now towering over her, leaning down with a determined look on his face. His hand came up to cup her face gently, and while she leaned into his touch, she still watched him, her brown eyes concerned.
"We'll get through this Hermione." He told her soothingly, pressing his lips to her forehead as the hand on her cheek swept up into her brown curls. She hummed softly as some of the tension left her, her shoulders dropping as she wrapped her arms around his waist. Harry looked at her intently, eyes hooded as he closed the distance between them. Hermione felt a sudden and not at all unwelcome spike of desire flash through her, arching its way through her body from head to toe. She flushed, and when his lips met hers, she whimpered with need.
Hermione allowed herself to indulge in his heated kiss for some time, but eventually she managed to pull away, leveling her chocolate orbs on him. His adorably exasperated expression nearly made her laugh.
"Much as I'd like to, I can't stay long." She said softly. Harry's response was to lean back down and press his lips to her neck just below her jaw as his free hand cupped her breast, squeezing her softly. She was in her sleepwear, so the only layer between his palm and bare flesh was her thin nightshirt. Her nipple quickly hardened under his touch, and she bit back a moan as ran his thumb over it while his lips began to descend towards her collarbone. "Molly's still awake Harry." She tried, but she was arching further into his touch while pulling him closer as she spoke.
"We can spare a few minutes." Harry told her as he knelled down in front of her, giving him better access as she shifted towards him. The shoulder of her shirt had fallen, and Harry had pulled it down to partially reveal her chest to him.
"Oh to hell with it." She whispered, giving in to her desire and moaning throatily as his lips closed on the peak of her chest, taking his head in her hands and holding him close to her.
July 21st, 1995
Albus Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a silent sigh of irritation. When he'd awoken that morning, he'd expected to busy himself with the typical and blissfully mind numbing summer duties of the Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He'd been looking forward to an early start of a long and quiet weekend on the grounds after having spent most of the week trying to control the fallout of the Dementor escape and the disaster in Little Whinging. Between meetings with the Ministers staff, who were now slowly becoming open to Albus's input once more, meetings with the Order, and meetings with the staff, he'd been just about at his wits end. Or so he thought.
He'd just settled into a warm cup of tea, window open allowing a pleasant breeze to circulate into his office when the fireplace had roared to life and the scowling face of Molly Weasley greeted him.
Very, very few people had access to the floo in the headmaster's office, but he'd been forced to allow it to her, as she was a crucial piece in his manipulation and subjugation of the boy. Apparently, the disagreement that had occurred the night before between Potter and Molly's runt of a son had constituted enough of an emergency in her mind to risk his ire.
The incident had been reported to him almost immediately, by Molly and by Remus in separate letters. The Weasley matron's letter had been far more passionate than the one penned by the werewolf. Based on Remus's accounts, the incident had been barely worth mentioning. A simple brawl between two teenage boys wasn't something he was terribly concerned about. Still, he'd have to humor Molly, at least enough to hear her out.
Of all his acolytes, she was one of the two that could undo him. If her mission and the deals that had been struck between them as compensation for it ever became public knowledge, the consequences would be dire.
So he'd allowed her through, and now she stood before him, ruining the peacefulness of the morning and simmering in quiet fury as she waited by the hearth.
The headmaster had risen from his seat as she'd come through the fire and was looking out the window, a pensive expression on his face. She'd been wise enough to allow the him time to collect himself before speaking.
Albus took another long breath before schooling his features and returning to his ornate desk. Only once he'd seated himself, elbows resting on the table and hands tented before him, did he turn his piercing eyes onto Molly Weasley. His gaze was suddenly and uncharacteristically hard. It had the desired effect, the woman instantly deflating under his scrutiny.
"We had agreed, I believe, that the access I had given you to this office was to be used only under the direst of circumstances." Albus said calmly.
"This is an emergency, Albus!" Molly bit out, trying to control her tone. She'd made the mistake of losing her temper with Albus before. It was one she wasn't eager to repeat.
Dumbledore was silent for several long moments before he spoke again.
"I hardly see a row between two teenagers as an emergency, Molly." He told her. Molly turned a rather interesting puce color, and Albus got the distinct impression that she was teetering on the edge of collapsing in fear or exploding in anger. He couldn't help but be curious which it would be.
"This wasn't the plan." She bit out.
"No." He said heavily. "No it was not, Molly. Tell me what happened." He commanded her. She opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off, fixing her with his icy blue eyes. "Just the facts Molly. I've no time for anything else."
"That ungrateful little bastard assaulted my boy!" Molly snarled, forgetting herself. "We should lock him up! We should torture him for what he did! We should…"
"Molly." Dumbledore said in warning. His tone had been soft, and to an observer it was almost the same patient, paternal sort of tone he used when speaking with most people. But there was an underlying coldness to it that made Molly Weasley freeze, her words dying on her lips. "How did it start?" He asked her. Both letters had been lacking information in that area, as Remus hadn't been present for the altercation, only arriving afterwards, and Molly's had been more focused on demanding punishment. The old wizard had his suspicions, though.
"It was over HER, of course." Molly spat, contempt dripping from her voice as she confirmed his line of thinking. "That filthy little mudblood whore! Why Ronald wants her I'll never understand… he could do so much better… Even the Lovegood girl would be an improvement over…"
Moly continued to ramble on, but Dumbledore's eyes had narrowed sharply.
"Is the bond manifesting?" Dumbledore asked, cutting her off.
Molly grimaced, wringing her hands together nervously.
"It… It could be…"
"Have you not taken steps to prevent this, Molly?" He asked her, his voice soft, but deadly in its intensity.
"Of course I have!" She cried. "I've followed your instructions to the letter! The mudblood has been getting dosed every evening! And I've been dosing the boy as well, but… well… they're… they're not responding…" Molly told him. Her eyes fell as she spoke, and she seemed to shrink before him. Albus took no small amount of pleasure in her fear. The woman knew she was failing him, and she also knew doing so had consequences. Dire ones.
"Explain." The headmaster ordered, his voice seeming to echo from all around.
"I've been encouraging Ronald to make a move on the girl, to get things moving. The same with Ginny. But the mudblood seems to only get angry and Harry barely looks at my Ginny!" Molly told him.
Albus leaned forward in his chair, his expression turning pensive as he tented his hands before him and rested his elbows on the ancient surface of his desk.
"That is troubling." He said aloud, more to himself than to her. Molly Weasley was famous, or infamous depending on how you looked at it, for the strength and quality of her love potions. For them to be having little to no effect indicated that the bond may be far stronger and advancing faster than they'd anticipated.
"What are we going to do, Albus?" She asked him.
In truth, Albus wasn't entirely certain how he should proceed, or if he should even bother intervening at all. He was confident that his plans could still proceed even if the bond between the boy and that little thorn in his side was able to be completed, but it would make things much more complicated. He was also fairly certain that Molly's fear would keep her in check if it came down to him being forced to abandon their arrangement, but the woman had surprised him before, and he was in no mood to gamble. At least, not yet.
"Has the bond been consummated?" He asked her.
"No. I checked her yesterday morning, and him last night. The charm was negative for a fulfilled bond with both of them." She told him. "I've been checking them both at least once every other day since he arrived." She added hastily.
"Then all is not lost." Albus said, leaning back. "If the bond hasn't been fully consummated then we still have time to disrupt it as we did before." He told her. His eyes met hers. "For the time being, keep them apart as much as possible. They are not to be alone together." Albus commanded her. "If the bond is realized over the summer, there will be nothing I can do once they return here. The compulsion charms I've cast on them recharge via the latent magic around the school, so if you can keep them apart the issue will resolve itself when they arrive for the next term. I can also intervein more directly while they're in the castle if for some reason my charms are also less effective."
Molly seemed to contemplate his response for a time before nodding.
"Very well. But it won't be easy. The house's magic doesn't respond to my commands and its owner has been less than helpful." She told him.
"I will speak with Sirius." Dumbledore said, a hint of weariness in his tone. Molly seemed to be struggling with something, and Albus simply arched an eyebrow at her in question.
"Couldn't we just send the little bitch back to Oxford?" Molly asked him hurriedly. "We could tell the boy that she'd have protection there."
Molly left the part of having Granger murdered as soon as she was returned home unspoken, but Albus was able to read her intentions. While the idea had merit, it would likely only make the situation worse.
The headmaster contemplated this for several moments before answering.
"You may suggest it, but I doubt they'd go along with it. The boy's emotional state is very fragile right now, given what happened at the end of last term and what recently occurred in Surrey, so we must be very careful not to break him. Sending the girl away could cause more harm than good. But I leave it to your judgement."
Dumbledore was amused at the look of shock on Molly's face, which was quickly replaced by excitement, then just a quickly with a queasy sort of resignation.
"I…" She began, her hands clenched her skirt in apprehension and she swallowed thickly. "I tried to send her away last night. But the boy refused. He said he'd follow her and then Sirius forbade me from sending anyone away." She blurted out hurriedly. "If it came from you yourself, maybe they'd listen." She added.
The only thing about her latest revelation that surprised the old wizard was the dog's opposition. This was the second time she'd mentioned him being difficult. Anger flashed across his eyes at the thought. Perhaps he needed to be reminded of whom he served.
The boy's reaction was cause for concern. With everything that happened he should be fragile and malleable, even more so than he usually was. His outburst with Molly's runt hadn't been unexpected, but him threating to leave with the girl was unexpected. It confirmed his fear that the bond was manifesting.
"The die is cast then." He said after a long moment. "At this point it would be too much of a risk to separate them. We can't allow the boy the opportunity to act recklessly."
Molly opened her mouth to protest, her face reddening once more, but the headmaster cut her off quickly and harshly.
"Enough!" He told her, his voice loud enough to make her shrink with fear as he slammed his hands down on his desk in anger. "You'd do well to remember my designs for the boy supersede our arrangement, Molly Weasley."
"Yes, Headmaster." She said, her tone and mannerisms that of a scared schoolgirl.
Deciding she was sufficiently cowed, the headmaster allowed his presence to recede from the room and slipped seamlessly back into his patented persona of the kindly old wizard.
"Do not fear Molly. As I said before all it not lost, but I understand the sacrifices that you've made, and I've ensured that even if our plans fail you shall be compensated for your efforts."
The Weasley matron nodded stiffly, and she turned to leave.
"One more thing." He called after her. She froze in front of the fireplace, turning to face him rigidly. "Rein in your children. Their time will come soon enough, but we can't have them making the situation worse by acting rashly." He told her pointedly.
"Yes, Headmaster." She said obediently.
Dumbledore allowed a rare, decidedly feral smile to grace his features as he watched the flames die down.
It would be incredibly irritating if his game to control the boy were to unravel, but it wasn't an entirely unforeseen outcome. Ultimately, it mattered little to him if he managed to complete his bond with the mudblood now. When he'd begun his dealings with Molly, he'd needed her to ensure Potter would be monitored closely and kept pliable and reliant on him. But now his puppet Riddle had finally returned, and he and the boy were already on the path to facing each other.
Soul bonds were tricky things, rare even among the magical world and notoriously difficult to keep from forming. But severing one, on the other hand, was simple. If their bond were to become too much of an issue, he'd simply kill Hermione Granger himself.
A clatter at the window shook him from his machinations. With a raised eyebrow, the aged wizard strode over to the owl waiting on the windowsill. It was a simple post owl, and he immediately recognized it's package as a copy of the Daily Prophet.
A strange feeling of unease fell over him, so he took the paper and unrolled it immediately, instead of waiting to read it with his breakfast like he normally did.
The moment he'd read the headline, every piece of glass in his office exploded at once, the windows blasting out as the sheer force of his rage fueled an outpouring of his magnificent power that shook the entire tower, cracking mortar and stone alike.
Among the debris that now floated down as his magic retracted was the torn remains of the paper. There was a picture on the front of a goblin with the Potter family crest emblazoned on his jacket, taken on the steps of Gringotts. Printed in big, bold letters the headline read:
POTTER WILL UNEARTHED BY GRINGOTTS, BOY WHO LIVED NOW A LORD!
July 23rd, 1995
Harry sighed heavily, sitting back in his now familiar chair in the parlor as he raked his fingers through his hair tiredly and closed his eyes for the first time in what felt like an eternity. He'd finally shed the false glasses he'd been wearing to keep up appearances, and was back into clothes that fit him and that he was comfortable in. He breathed deeply, feeling a modicum of safety for the first time in ten days. Glancing to his left, he confirmed his betrothed was still where he'd left her for the fifth time in the last half hour.
Hermione was sleeping soundly on the plush couch by the window. She'd barely had the energy to manage some food when they'd arrived and had promptly fallen asleep the moment she'd laid her head onto the cushions. He couldn't blame her. They'd not stopped moving since the previous morning, and it was well after midnight now, meaning they'd over well over thirty-six hours without sleep. Not to mention that as much as he felt safer here, she probably felt even more so, finally having escaped Ronald. Even if it was only temporarily.
He'd turned his chair so he could watch over Hermione as she rested while he collected his thoughts, so he saw his godfather come striding into the room. He looked nearly as haggard as Harry himself, and it was clear in his sluggish movements that he was close to collapsing himself.
Without ceremony he crossed the room and flung himself into the other chair by the fire. Normally that one was occupied by the young woman sleeping several feet away, but Harry was still glad for the company. Sirius smiled tiredly at him.
"That was some day, pup." He said softly.
"Tell me about it." Harry replied, closing his eyes again.
"To tell you the truth, I never thought I'd be here again." Sirius said, his voice thick with emotion.
Harry opened his eyes and saw that his godfather was staring into the fire. The firelight seemed to age him as he watched the flames dance, and his expression was one of raw, unfettered grief.
"I always wondered what would've happened if they'd just stayed here." He murmured.
"When was the last time you were here?" Harry asked him quietly.
"Last time they were, I suppose. I helped James move everything when they went to Godric's Hollow." He said softly. "Lily was pregnant with you, and James refused to let her lift a finger. He was a good man, your dad…"
After a long moment Sirius seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in, straightening up in his chair and clearing his throat. He passed a hand over his face to hide his sparking eyes from his godson.
Harry turned his gaze away, giving his godfather time to compose himself while he mulled over the events of the last day and a half.
Extricating themselves from the Weasleys had been shockingly easier than they'd expected it to be. Their plan had unfolded almost perfectly, which given their recent success rate had surprised the both of them, and in truth they were both still wary of their success.
The Profit had arrived the morning after his fight with Ronald, right as most of the inhabitants of Number 12 had been finishing breakfast. The paper had landed in the middle of the table, and a quick bit of wandless magic had ensured that it fell open with the front page on display for them all to read.
Ginny had seen it first, dropping her glass of orange juice so that it shattered on the floor. The look of sheer shock on her face was one that he was sure he would treasure for the rest of his life. He had to applaud her quick thinking, because she'd made to snatch it away before anyone else could read the headline. She'd ultimately failed as Fred, or maybe George it was hard to tell sometimes, grabbed it and then the twins read it aloud to the rest of them.
To say chaos had ensued would have been an understatement. Arthur immediately tried to calm everyone down, while Ginny tried to all but throw herself at Harry to congratulate him. The twins had been talking so fast nobody really knew what they were saying. Remus had been too stunned to speak, and Harry made a wonderful show of rereading the article a few times and then getting angry. To their surprise, nobody had reacted as badly as Sirius had. The man had practically exploded, demanding that they be taken to Gringotts at once to review the will.
Remus tried to help Arthur in calming the group down, but it had been of little help. Then an owl from the bank arrived, with a similar portkey to the one that they'd used before. Sirius had demanded to go with them, and after extensive debate with Arthur and Remus they'd acquiesced to his demand, though only because the letter from the Goblins had stated they would be taken directly to the bank.
It turned out that while the Goblins were bound by wizarding laws, exceptions would be made for the last surviving heir to one of their oldest accounts.
The entire time they'd been debating, the twins had been throwing themselves on the floor at Harry's feet, making a show of bowing to him. Hermione had laughed at their antics, but she'd not let Ginny out of her sight. The girl had been giving her the same acidic looks her mother had been the night before, and she'd looked ready to attack at any moment.
Just before they'd grabbed the portkey two things had happened. First, Ron had come storming down the stairs, having slept in and been awoken by the racket. He'd read the headline on the paper, which had been left discarded on the table as they talked and turned red almost instantly. His bellowing had been drowned out quickly though, as Molly had come storming into the kitchen from the parlor just as Harry and Sirius reached for the coin. She'd instantly known something was amiss when she'd entered the room, having heard Ron yelling about Harry being a spoiled brat and that he didn't deserve to be a Lord. Once she'd looked down at the table towards the article, she'd finally put what was happening together. Then she'd realized what they were about to do.
To Harry's shock, she'd pulled her wand on them, although he'd never now if she'd actually cast anything. Right as she drew it Sirius had grabbed the coin and they'd been jerked away. Hermione had surreptitiously made her way to Harry's side and had grabbed his arm right as they left, cutting off Remus, who was supposed to have gone with Harry and Sirius.
And just like that, they'd been removed from the Weasley's clutches.
Then had come the really trying part.
Sirius accompanied them to Gartooth's office where they had almost the exact same meeting that they'd had before, but with the glaring exception of not having a fully trained scion of a noble house with them. Sirius had spent hours upon hours going over the will, the Potter family's accounts, holdings, and a whole host of other legal documents. Gartooth had been shocked by Sirius's presence, and more than once as they went through everything Harry got the impression that his forced favor with the goblin had likely reached its end.
The entire time Sirius had begun what he'd referred to as a "crash course in not cocking it up". Essentially, he'd given Harry a brutal lesson in wizarding high society and what it meant to be the Lord of an Ancient and Noble House. Even after many hours spent pouring over parchment together, Sirius had eventually told him that he'd need another tutor. When Harry asked him why, Sirius had laughed.
"Pup, I've been educated in all this since I was able to walk, so I can teach you a fair bit about customs and how to act, but when you get into the real politics of being a Lord… I've never actually done it. The whole time I've been Lord Black I was locked up or on the run. I've no idea who's even controlling our seat at the moment."
Ultimately, he'd suggested that Harry reach out to Augusta Longbottom, as she'd historically been an ally to House Potter and would likely be willing to do so again. Hermione had agreed, and subtly suggested that Sirius look into his own house's affairs. He didn't know it, but they'd already begun to form a plan to clear his name and allow him to rejoin wizarding society.
They spent so long in the goblin's office that cots had been brought in and meals had been served, though none of them really rested much. Despite not being officially affiliated with House Potter, Hermione had hung on every word that was spoken. Gartooth had kept his word regarding not mentioning their betrothal, and thankfully the documents mentioning it at the Ministry were sealed by Harry's orders.
Eventually they finished their audit, and the three of them had gone down to the vaults together, and Harry had "found" his house ring and put it on.
After returning to Gartooth's office the goblin spent another few hours helping them prepare a brief statement for the press explaining what had happened and his immediate intentions, which was basically just to take control of his family. Once again, Hermione had been intentionally left out, as they wanted to keep the nature of their relationship a secret until they returned to school. The statement would be issued jointly with Gringotts, and the goblins would release it on his behalf within the next few days.
All throughout their time in the bank letters kept arriving for Harry, Sirius, and even Hermione from Molly, Remus, and Dumbledore. The goblins had screened them for dark magic, and most of them had been allowed to be delivered, although the howlers from Molly were vaporized immediately. Most were pleas for them to contact them, but they were ignored. Even Sirius had ignored his own letters, as he'd begun to suspect something was off in the Potters accounts as they'd gone through them.
Finally, they'd finished their immediate needs at the bank, and then came the decision of where to go. Ultimately it was Sirius who suggested that they try to enter Potter Manor. After Molly had pulled her wand, he didn't feel safe returning to Grimmauld Place. At least not until he could speak with Remus. Hermione had the forethought to suggest resetting the wards when they'd arrived (in truth they'd already done this, but it had been a good opportunity to plant the seeds of distrust with Sirius regarding anyone that wasn't the three of them).
Sirius had agreed, having already begun to distrust Molly and Albus himself, so the three of them were transported using a portkey the Goblins had made for them and entered his family's ancestral home.
Since then, they'd been scouring the place for any sign of tampering or magical surveillance. Some of the spells Sirius had been looking for had been unknown to the two teens, so they'd taken to helping him with renewed fervor despite their exhaustion. Once they were finally sure that there was no unknown magic on the house, they asked the Potter family elf Elain, as well as Dobby to bring them food.
Some time was spent explaining who Dobby was and his connection to them, which Sirius accepted after listening to the elf expound about Harry for most of their meal.
Then Hermione had taken her place on the couch, and Harry had seated himself by the fire just as his godfather had returned to the room.
"I think you two should get up to bed." Sirius said, breaking Harry from his thoughts. Harry smiled at his godfather as he rose from his seat.
"I agree." He said wearily.
"Don't worry pup." Sirius told him, rising to stand next to him. "We'll get this all sorted. And I'll take care of the Order. As far as I'm concerned, this house is the safest place for you in the entire country. It's much older than Grimmauld, and the wards nearly as strong as the one's around Hogwarts." He said, placing a hand on his shoulder and giving it an encouraging squeeze.
"Thank you, Sirius. For everything." Harry said, turning to face his godfather. "I know my parents would be happy that I'm here with you." He told him, voice thickening with emotion as he spoke.
"Don't thank me, Harry." He said heavily. "I failed you. If I hadn't been so rash and gone after Peter… Perhaps I could've made sure their will was read properly… I could've been there for you…" Sirius said, his eyes clouding with tears as he spoke.
To his surprise, his godson pulled him into a tight embrace, hands clapping on his back.
"You're here now." Harry said, fighting back tears of his own. "That's what matters."
Many long moments passed between them before the two separated. Sirius clearing his throat again as he clapped Harry on the shoulder once more.
"Off to bed with you." He said, his voice returning to normal.
"Goodnight Sirius." Harry said. He walked over and scooped Hermione up into his arms, intent on carrying her upstairs.
"Oh, and try to keep it down will you? I'd rather not have to hear my godson shagging."
Harry had the good graces to turn red as a tomato as he left the room without a word, the sound of Sirius's barking laughter fading behind him as the door to the parlor closed.
He took his time climbing the stairs, mindful of his own weariness as he carried her towards the master bedroom. A sniffle from the bundle of blankets in his arms alerted him that she was awake.
"What is it, darling?" He asked her softly as they made their way down the hall.
"I'm just so happy you have him back." Hermione whispered. Her eyes were sparkling with unshed tears as she looked up at him. Her hand rose to cup his cheek, and she felt wetness there. She nuzzled closer into his chest as he carried her, her hand coming down slowly to rest over his heart.
"I promise we won't lose him, or anyone else this time. Not ever again." Harry told her as he lay her down in the ornate four poster bed in their soon to be shared suite.
"I know." She said softly.
Harry pulled off her shoes before toeing off his own and climbing into the bed next to her. He pulled her so that her back was flush against him and wrapped his arms around her. She gladly pressed herself to him, basking in his presence, in his scent as they laid there together and drifted off, safe in each other's embrace.
Downstairs, Sirius Black swirled the firewhiskey in his glass absently as he stared into the slowly dying fire. He allowed himself to enjoy the feeling of victory, knowing that the only two people he cared for in this world were safe. But he couldn't help the anxiety that was gnawing at him, slowly building in the pit of his stomach despite his best efforts.
While he hadn't discussed it with Harry yet, what he'd seen in the Potter account records disturbed him deeply. And while things had gone well enough so far, if suspicions were correct…
Then they may have just declared war.
A/N- I apologize for the EPIC delay. This was one of my worst bouts of writer's block when it came to this story, but here we are. I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter. I admit I was a bit nervous to post it. I know this one was long and information heavy, but I wanted to get through Harry's public emancipation so we could get the story moving again. The next chapter is already forming, and will deal with quite a bit so it'll likely be another long one. We've got about one chapter to go before they finally get to the castle. Next time, alliances and inquiries.
As always, I thank all of you for your continued support of this story. It's what ultimately keeps me writing. Reviews are always appreciated!