Harry rubbed his eyes, bracing himself before drinking a pepper-up potion. He hated the damn things but coffee wasn't going to work quickly enough for him to be at one hundred percent immediately.

His Auror badge had gone off just after three in the morning and he had gotten in late after a rough and tumble quidditch game with his family. His father and Sirius really really hated losing. So naturally Harry had to try his best to help them learn the art of doing so gracefully. Harry shook his head after the steam from the pepper-up potion stopped coming from his ears shuddering.

Bleh.

Harry set his shoulders back and smoothed down his black Auror uniform before stepping into Gawain Robard's Head Auror office. Robards looked up and grabbed a stack of paperwork from his desk before standing quickly. "Good, you're here. We're going on-site. There's been a bombing. The Greengrass Building. I already have cleaners and those schmucks from evidence collection on site."

Fuck. Who would hit the Greengrass Building? Harry was closely connected with the Greengrasses through his family. His little sister Zinnia had gone through Hogwarts in the same year as Astoria Greengrass and they were best mates. His best mate, Ron Weasley was engaged to the elder daughter of the family Daphne Greengrass. His mother, as one of the eminent magical healers for curses, had done extensive work for the Greengrass Foundation.

Gerald Greengrass had poured unimaginable amounts of money into the Greengrass Foundation to try to find a cure for blood malediction. His wife was dying and all the testing they had done showed that Astoria had a high chance of succumbing to the blood curse too. Greengrass' wife was currently kept asleep magically to slow down the progression of the curse while they raced against time to save her. Harry knew his mother thought they were already too late and her efforts were mainly to try to save Astoria from the same fate.

Harry and Robards walked quickly through the ministry towards a designated disapparation point and jumped to the scene. The site of the formerly impressive building was a scene of complete chaos with bits and pieces still smoking and flames reigniting randomly. The cleaners were busily popping in and out as they checked off areas of a map where muggles might have been alerted to magical activity. Their job was to keep the law of Secrecy intact.

It was the other team which was run by Elias Burke, a boy wonder who was honestly the best the department had ever had in terms of evidence collection. If there was a stray drop of blood or faint magical signature available Elias was going to find it. The problem Robards had with Elias was his age, he was twenty-two and looked even younger. And his T-shirts. Elias trotted up to them eagerly in a bright green wrinkled shirt that said, magic is science without the pesky rules.

"Harry! Good to see you, mate! How is your sister?"

"Not really the time Elias–"

Robards cleared his throat. "Findings, Burke."

Elias if anything got brighter, practically beaming at them. "We've got potion remnants we can't identify although we can confirm they were ignited with a bombarda. We've also got three unidentified magical signatures that we haven't yet matched up with those provided by Gerald Greengrass as authorized in the building. Several of my team have potion masteries so we're hoping to collect enough remnants to reverse engineer the potions and we'd be able to give more direction from there." The brightness dimmed a bit as the excitement faded from his face and he leaned forward to say the last so quietly they barely heard "There were no known fatalities. All the security guards and personnel apparated out as soon as the explosions began. But we've got traces of magic, blood, and remains that have not yet been identified due to potion exposure. Some on my team suspect that it may have been unicorns."

Shit. Harry recoiled slightly at the thought. Unicorns were protected worldwide by regulations set by the International Confederation of Wizards due to their rarity and the belief of some cultures that unicorns were the embodiment of magic. Killing one for whatever reason was a crime that would make the offender a criminal to the entire magical community.

Elias gave them a nod for emphasis. "Of course, that's only speculation because we don't know the potion material and there's always a chance it could have been something transformative and not just explosive, but that's the best assessment right now before further testing."

"Thanks, Elias." Harry dismissed him, waiting until he was out of earshot before turning to Robards. "This needs to stay between us."

Robards was nodding his head in agreement. "This is going to explode in our faces if any of that information becomes public especially after their building was demolished. The Greengrasses have done so much to move the healing profession forward even the Minister is considering dedicating the newest Quidditch pitch that's being built to them."

"It has to be someone who hates them, but why?" Harry ran his hand through his hair as he tried to come up with possibilities.

"You need to take point on this one. Unless you think you're too close to the family?"

"I'm close but it won't interfere with my impartiality. Ron though.."

"Yeah."

They both turned when they heard shouting at the perimeter of the cordoned-off section of the street.

Gerald Greengrass was fighting Aurors trying to get closer to the building. "I want to know who did this! I want to know who did this! Get out of my bloody way you bastards!"

Harry nodded at Robards to let him know he'd take point on the investigations and ran towards the confrontation. As soon as Gerald saw him he shouted his name, "Harry! Tell these bastards to get their hands off me! Harry!"

Harry nodded at the other Aurors who backed off quickly and he stepped in front of Gerald preventing him from getting too close to the crime scene. "Mr. Greengrass— Gerald."

"I just— I just—" Gerald was practically hyperventilating as his eyes frantically scanned the smoking scene. "She doesn't have time for this —she—" His breath shuddered and Harry reached out bracing him.

"Gerald."

Finally, the older man looked at him, his expression crumbling. "They've killed her, Harry. What am I supposed to do now?"

"Daddy? Daddy!"

Harry looked to see Daphne Greengrass running towards them with Ron behind her. Harry could see Gerald try to grasp his composure as soon as he heard his oldest daughter's voice and his shoulders straightened as Harry's hand fell to the side.

Gerald opened his arms as Daphne rushed into his embrace. "Everything is okay, Daphne."

"All the research. What will happen to Mum?" Daphne's voice was husky with tears as she pleaded for reassurance.

Harry met Ron's eyes and tilted his head indicating they should walk a few feet away to give themselves some privacy while the two Greengrasses were occupied.

"Fuck." Ron said softly so Daphne wouldn't hear. "When they told me the building had been demolished somehow I still thought there would be a structure left. Was anyone killed?"

"There's no one unaccounted for, but there are some things found that are concerning."

"Like?"

Harry paused, then shook his head. "You know you can't work this one."

"Fuck, mate, these are practically my in-laws already. You have to let me help. What about you? You're just as close with them as me."

"My sister is best friends with one, and my best mate is marrying one. I personally am not involved."

"Bollocks."

Harry shook his head. "You stay with her, watch and report. That's it. I'm going to be taking the lead on the investigation."

Ron ran a hand roughly through his shaggy red hair, making it stick up as haphazardly as Harry's own hair. "Who would do something so fucking terrible? You're wrong you know. Whoever did this — they did kill someone—they as good as killed Daphne's mum. And —" Ron sucked in a deep breath. "Fuck. Maybe even Tori. Merlin. Who could be so fucking evil?"

Harry turned as Daphne started sobbing into her father's shirt. "I don't know mate, but you can be sure I'm going to find out."

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Croaker sat in the conference room of the law enforcement division, his hands folded over his chest as he reviewed the evidence laid out in front of him on a large oval table. "I can have Clark assigned to monitor the questioning, she has a deep background in potions and knowledge of the illegal ingredients trade."

"Don't bullshit, Saul. You know this needs that new witch you managed to get. We haven't seen any ritual magic like we've uncovered here, and none of the families are going to willingly share their secrets." Robards snapped.

"I just got her- do you know how much she's costing my department's bloody bottom line? And you want me to assign her with Potter? I've had to ban your idiot aurors from my floor. I'm still getting howlers from Hargreeves for fucksake."

"Sir—" Harry interrupted.

"No—"

Harry leaned down towards Croaker, laying his hands flat on the paperwork as he got in the older wizard's face. "You hired her to work for the Ministry. What do you think Minister Longbottom will say when I advise you are declining the request for assistance —-"

"I'm not declining–"

"By not providing the best person for the job to help solve the biggest case MLE has had in years?"

"Don't threaten me, Potter!" Croaker slammed his hands on the table and stood up to face them.

"I'm not threatening you. I'm telling you. We have an unknown assailant or assailants using potions and rituals we are unaware of to destroy arguably the best medical research company in the entire magical community and you want to deny us the most qualified person to assist us. You can be damn sure I will speak to Minister Longbottom—"

"Fine! Fuck!" Croaker walked to the door and flung it open letting the door crash against the wall before turning to point a finger at them. "If a resignation letter lands on my desk because of this I'm filing an interagency complaint. I'll see how you handle that bullshit!" With that threat, Croaker stalked out of the conference room leaving silence behind.

Harry looked sideways at Robards and the other man's mouth twitched in amusement before he spoke, "You know I'm retiring in a few years Potter, you better start being a little gentler with Croaker before then."

"I think he likes me." Harry protested.

Robards started laughing. "Yeah, I can fucking tell." He sobered after a few minutes. "So you're sure you want to work with Granger? I'm sure Clark—"

"No. It has to be her."

Robards gave him a dubious look and raised his hands walking out the door Croaker had left open when he stormed out. "Don't make me retire early so you have to deal with your own bullshit consequences."

Harry grinned in anticipation as he started putting together a file to get his new partner on her feet in the case. He needed to draft a very professional interagency memo to Miss Hermione Granger letting her know who she was going to be working with for the foreseeable future.

Hermione had of course heard of the incident last night, and read the Daily Prophet even though the article had had scant factual information. There was rampant speculation on who the perpetrators could have been and what the agenda might be, whether it was a strike against the Greengrasses specifically or even against Magical Britain as a whole due to the significance of the medical research.

When she was informed by her new boss near the end of her day that she would be working closely with the Auror division moving forward it was with a kind of resignation as she reviewed the assignment noting the name of her new temporary partner.

Harry James Potter.

It would be fine, she tried to tell herself as her muscles tensed as she approached his desk in the far corner of the Auror division before heading home after receiving a very carefully worded memo from Auror Potter. Harry was bent over some paperwork, jotting down notes as he scanned through the documents.

"Auror Potter."

His head jerked up and his eyes met hers and for just a second she saw heat flare in them before it was extinguished, his face pleasantly blank and business-like. "Unspeakable Granger, please have a seat. Has Croaker provided you with the details of the case?"

"Ah no, he said you would do that."

Annoyance crossed Harry's face briefly before he nodded. "Of course. We have preliminary reports from our evidence collection division and some hypothesis regarding what the ritual remnants may be and also the potions. However, there are no firm conclusions as of yet, the investigation is ongoing. We are going to be questioning all the Greengrasses separately, which you will accompany me on, in addition to the normal casework. I'll set you up a desk here so we can collaborate more easily."

Hermione looked around the busy open office design of the Auror division. People were cursing and papers were zipping past at light speed. She didn't know how anyone got anything done here. On the Mysteries division floor, it was as quiet as a library, and she much preferred it there. "I don't think that will be quite necessary as I can come and collaborate with you as needed while I work in my own office."

"Considering you got the Auror division banned—"

"You! You got the Auror division banned—-"

"My friends!" A feminine voice called happily and Harry and Hermione's face both looked in the direction of the sound. Luna Malfoy smiled as she stepped easily through the chaos of the Auror bullpen.

"Luna." Harry greeted, his eyes looking for Malfoy. "Where's your lesser half?"

Luna ignored the question her gaze focused on Hermione's nails. "See! I told you it would be a perfect match. Don't they look pretty Harry?"

Harry who had been paying attention to other things previously, caught sight of Hermione's nails before she hid them tucking her arms to her sides mulishly. He gave her a cheerful grin at that. "My favorite colors."

"Granger." Malfoy drawled as he finally made it through the crush his wife had deftly navigated. "We meet again."

"What? Again?" Harry looked from Hermione who looked a bit bewildered at the two back to Malfoy. "You've met each other before?"

"Yes, hasn't Luna told you? We're all good friends now."

"Luna is his wife," Harry told Hermione a bit inanely.

Malfoy smirked. "Yes, I think she knows cousin."

"Why are you here anyway?" Harry demanded.

Malfoy's gaze dropped a bit, his hand going to Luna's shoulder to tug her a bit back from where she had approached Hermione who was still staring at them all. "I was just trying to see about talking to Minister Longbottom and perhaps set up a meeting between him and my father. We're here to support the Ministry, of course, considering the circumstances."

"You should come to dinner, Hermione. So we can get to know you better." Luna said still watching Hermione.

Three voices chimed together, "No Luna—" Before all three stopped a little awkwardly. Hermione shot an annoyed look at the two wizards who tried to answer on her behalf before turning back to Luna. However, as she was about to reiterate her denial, something about the expression on Luna's face made her hesitate and change her mind. It wasn't childishness or obliviousness, there was an eager kindness in her gentle blue eyes, almost as if Luna had truly missed her. That was silly though, wasn't it? They had just met so briefly.

But still, Hermione found herself softening her denial as she answered, "I'm not sure about dinner but maybe we could do lunch together one day? I can give you my mobile?"

"That would be lovely! Draco can help me call. Sometimes the little buttons don't do what they are supposed to do for me." Luna smiled at Hermione.

"Of course. I'll let you continue your conversation since my conversation with Harry was over—" She tried to stand and almost fell over as the chair stayed attached to her butt.

"It's not over," Harry said watching her right herself and sit back down, glaring at him. "In fact, I've barely begun."

Malfoy cleared his throat uncomfortably as the two decided to try to stare each other down and all four of them lapsed into silence. His wife seemed quite entertained, however, Draco disregarded that since Luna had a love of the bizarre. And whatever was going on with his cousin and this witch was more than a bit bizarre. "Er, so we will be going then."

Malfoy pulled his wife away while the two at the desk barely paid attention to them.

Harry saw the lash of Hermione's magic on the chair and his lip curled. "That's not going to get your arse unstuck."

Hermione stuck her nose in the air. "I'm fairly certain even in England, it is against regulation to stick your partner to her chair."

Harry sat back down. "There's a file for you to take home to review. I can walk you home to give you a briefing on the way."

"No, thank you. I'll read it and then follow up with you on Monday."

Harry shook his head, "No we have to conduct the interviews faster than that, I have a meeting with Gerald Greengrass in the morning to conduct the formal interview. I already spoke to him briefly on the scene."

"What time?"

"Eight."

"Then I'll meet you here at seven just in case I have questions."

"Fine."

Harry looked at her and Hermione saw the exact moment he decided they had concluded their "business" and he moved on to personal things. That curve to his lips came back and his eyes softened. "How has your first week been?"

Hermione sighed and leaned forward a bit to rest her elbows on his desk, not quite able to get comfortable since her arse was still stuck to the chair. "Pretty hectic."

"Yeah?"

"I found out that one-night stands can be notorious liars."

"Interesting. I've been working on my wards since I discovered that a certain witch masquerading as a muggle can break them."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "I can break any ward."

Harry shrugged. "We'll see about that. And I wasn't the only one lying, Miss Harmony."

Point to him. But Hermione ignored that. She was stuck here so they were apparently going to do this while trying not to attract an audience, which was a failed endeavor since she had caught more than one interested glance coming their way. "Look I'm sorry for my behavior and I just want to be clear I'm not— not looking for any type of um – affair— especially with a co-worker."

"Affair sounds so late-night drama. What about a normal healthy relationship?"

"I don't do relationships. I work."

"I thought you wanted to change that? Isn't that what you told me?"

"Look we slept together once—"

Harry held up two hands, his fingers showing the true number of times they had "slept" together. Hermione's eyes widened as they darted around the Auror floor and she grabbed Harry's hands slamming them into his desk. "-slept together several times over ONE NIGHT—"

"And the morning."

There was sheer devilry in his green eyes and that damn curl of his lips. Her thighs pressed together and she could feel a blush heating her cheeks. Bloody hell how was she going to survive this.

"I am not sleeping with you." She gritted, her hands keeping him pinned.

"You already did. Several times." He wiggled his fingers under hers.

Hermione pressed his hands down harder, stopping that annoying little wiggle. "Again. I am not sleeping with you– again ."

Harry gave her this grin, that was kind of rueful, as if trying to trick her into thinking he was some normal kind of wizard. She was not going to be fooled by him and all the magic sexual wizardry he possessed.

"Hermione." He said softly, and despite herself, she leaned even closer over his desk toward him. "Can you please let my hands go so I can give you the file for our case?"

Hermione realized she still had her hands pressed down over his like she was holding him captive. Damnit. She snatched her hands back and dug into her pocket to clench her wand to try to get her arse free of the blasted chair again.

Hermione knew Harry saw her as he slowly put the file together, the faint glow showing her magic tackling the chair with every counter curse and charm she knew, going more and more obscure as she shifted slightly and realized that the chair was still firmly attached to her bum.

"Auror Potter–"

"Call me Harry please."

"Harry–" She gritted, her jaw clenched.

"May I call you Hermione? It's such an unusual name."

"Let me out of this chair!"

"What's the magic word?"

"Or I will figure out a way to sick Hagatha on you for the rest of your unnaturally charming life!"

"That wasn't quite the magic words I was thinking of, but it's definitely effective," Harry muttered, reaching into his desk drawer for a bottle of Wheezes Unsticky Remedy before leaning forward to pour the solution as close to the seam of where Hermione's butt was stuck to the chair.

As soon as the potion seeped between her bum and the chair Hermione sprang up, snatching the bottle for further study from Harry's hand. Why hadn't she thought it would be a potion? Double damn. Without another word, she stormed off getting all the way to the door before turning right back around and marching back to his desk.

Harry smiled at Hermione as he held out the file and she snatched it from him, resuming her storming away.

Ron ambled over to where his mate was staring after the witch whose bum he glued to his office chair with lovesick eyes. "Mate. Maybe you shouldn't—"

"Shut up, Ron."

"Yeah, alright."

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Zinnia texted her mother:

Zinnia: mum
Zinnia: muuuuum! &*#! #&!) #*&! #&*
Zinnia: #$(&* #(&* #)(*& #

Zinnia:mum he glued her bum to his chair!

Zinnia: hes lost his bloody mind!
Mummy: HE IS JUST LIKE YOUR FATHER! OMG

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Sometimes the key to remaining unnoticed was just being quiet and still, keeping any thoughts from entering your head and just waiting as the information floated by.

"Did you get the meeting with the Minister?"

"No."

"You know how important it is we talk to them and find out what they know."

"I know. Believe me, I know."

The voices moved further away then, too far to hear even with straining ears. The words circled around in their mind.

...how important it is...

...believe me, I know...

Did they really know? How unexpected.

Their hand trailed along the thick velvet rope for the curtain they hid behind. The strands of the rope were tightly bound together, making something far stronger than any individual strand. That would be them eventually the knowing whispered to them. They needed to be bound tightly together as they fought because they were stronger together than they were apart.

Who would win the battle?

They did not know.

The knowing was silent despite their need for reassurance.