Note: The Poll is still open on my profile! So far, you do wish to get future chapters in Hermione's POV.

And are you ready for the emotional rollercoaster from this chapter on?

Hope you enjoy this one!

PART THREE

January 3rd, 2006

Grimmauld

As the little gathering goes on inside the house, Harry ponders what he should share with the others. After his conversation with his grandfather before he left, he feels lighter and a bit more aware of his surroundings. Maybe he's trusting all of them too much, or maybe just enough, there's no way of knowing. Certain things he surely doesn't need to share, however, there's one he wants to:

"I paid Lestrange a visit." He says as he puts a silencing spell around them.

They all - Sirius, Remus, Ron, Draco and Ginny - stiffen a bit when he tells that the man is dead. Harry doesn't mind. He won't feel bad about this. Not anymore. Or else he won't be able to go through with the rest.

"Well. He deserved it." Sirius says with narrowed eyes, a dark expression on his face. "Were you able to get any information from him?"

Harry leans back on the couch. "Yes. The whole Persecution was a lie. Riddle knew from the start where James and Lily were, he just wanted to test you." He points at Sirius and Remus. "James' friends."

"A lie?" Remus whispers. Then he scoffs, angry. "Of course. All those articles, all those statistics about how Muggleborns would tarnish the pureness of our blood. The way he twisted the situation to make them look dangerous…"

"It's not that surprising, but… I wonder." Sirius holds his chin with a hand, thinking.

"What?" Harry asks.

"If he knew where they were… why he waited so long to strike?"

"Because he wanted to make a show out of it." Harry says.

Sirius clicks his tongue and shakes his head. "I'm not sure that was his only reason. It's at least strange… I mean, we were there. You remember how eager he was don't you, Remus? It's astonishing that he waited years."

Harry frowns, thinking. The others are also considering Sirius' words. And just then Sally sits by Harry's side.

"Hermione is coming." She states with an amused expression. Harry widens his eyes.

"Really?" Ron asks.

"You invited her?" Harry asks.

Sirius tilts his head. "Why wouldn't we?"

Harry shakes his head-

"I just saw her outside with Asmo, they're having a little fight." Sally says. Then she narrows her eyes and opens a mischievous smile. "I hadn't thought how fun this is going to be now that we can openly pretend to be a couple, Harry." And she sits on his lap, her arms around his neck. "This is payback. I'm going to make her so jealous." She whispers in his ear.

Harry purses his lips. Sirius is shaking his head, already walking away with Remus. Ron and Draco are laughing together. Ginny on the other hand has a cold expression on her face.

"Don't be mean, Sal." She says.

Sally just shrugs. "Harry here owes me this fun for cheating on me." And she blows a kiss to Ginny.

Harry hasn't seen Hermione since the day they went to Lestrange's. He got back yesterday and Hermione wasn't at the Ministry today. Nor her nor Pettigrew.

Sirius had already invited him to this little gathering at Grimmauld to welcome this new year and Harry accepted promptly. They've been mostly talking about his grandfather's election and speech.

But he can't deny his mind was on her. On what she might be doing and why she changed so much after that night they had. Hermione didn't reach out to him and he didn't either. He has no idea why she wasn't at work today and no one knows. Riddle wasn't there either - Sirius just told him.

It was strange coming back. He felt odd stepping on that Atrium, but the smashed statue brought a smile to his face. And the day was as dull as possible. He was hoping to see her, his heart beating fast. But when Ginny said she wasn't there, a bucket of cold water ran over him.

And now-

Now she's entering the house with Pettigrew. Looking as gorgeous as ever in high heels and a blue dress that comes to her mid thighs. Harry watches from the couch while she takes her overcoat and scarf off and purses her lips, looking at the floor. Something is troubling her and Harry wonders why they were fighting outside. Pettigrew puts one hand on her lower back and they walk inside.

Hermione's face changes completely when she greets Sirius and Eleonora. A smile on her face.

And then Harry's eyes fall on her engagement ring.

The knife twists.

He averts his eyes only to land on her right leg where he knows there's a concealed tattoo. A tattoo that's practically twin to his. While his phoenix is roaring its rage, hers is coldly calculating its next move. Sides of the same coin. Complementary.

He makes a face when Sally takes his hand and puts it on her thigh. She raises an eyebrow to him and cocks her head in defiance. He rolls his eyes. Wanting it or not, he needs to play the part. After all, Asmodeus is there. Hermione is with her fiance. The man she chose. And she acted so oddly the last time they saw each other that-

Sally kisses him, her hands on his hair and neck. Harry corresponds the kiss and squeezes her thigh in front of everyone. He knows he might regret this later, but right now there's not much he can do. Faintly he hears Hermione's voice pretty close, she's talking to Ginny, probably seeing their kiss. Sally bites his lower lip and he groans, a bit annoyed at the show they're putting on.

"Merlin, you two, get a room." It's Ron who says in an outraged tone.

Sally finally pulls back. Harry takes a few seconds to open his eyes. He knows how it looks. He's disheveled and his lips swollen, probably smeared with her lipstick. His hand still on her thigh. It takes him a few seconds because he knows that if he saw Hermione and Pettigrew like this he would lose all rational thought.

When he opens his eyes he indeed meets Hermione's. She's standing there, talking to Ginny. Her posture is relaxed, easygoing. Asmodeus is by her side, his hand still on her lower back.

But her eyes.

Hurt. Jealousy.

Harry tries not flinching when Sally kisses his neck. He closes his eyes again.

"Is she looking at us?" Sally asks in a low voice, her mouth on his ear.

He moves the hand that's on her thigh to her nape, forcing her to look at him, then he hides his face on the crook of her neck, pretending he's kissing her, his voice low.

"Enough, Sal."

She sighs, pretending he just told her the sexiest thing ever. And he feels her hand going down his neck, his chest, lower. Harry closes his eyes and sets his jaw. She can't be serious.

"D'Angelo." They both freeze. "Sally." It's Hermione. "Nice seeing you." Her voice. It's so cold. So different from the tone Harry is now used to, warm on his ear, pleading. "How was Rome, D'Angelo?"

Harry, with some courage, looks at her. Dio. She's so incredibly angry. And to his utter disbelief, she sits on the couch, by their side, her body angled to them, as if she's there to watch the show. Harry opens his mouth a bit. Not even Sally was expecting this since it looks like she has no idea what to do next.

Hermione actually smiles. A creepy smile, though. Harry gulps. He still has no words, so Hermione fills the silence:

"I think I owe you some congratulations regarding your grandfather, right? The new Ministro. He gave quite a speech." She's ignoring Sally completely. Her eyes going from his face to the woman's hand that's resting on his belt. "And the pictures," She clicks her tongue, "the D'Angelos and the Ferris have a tight relationship… I mean, the way you were squeezing Chiara Ferri's waist-" She finally looks at Sally. "I would pay some attention to that if I were you, Sal." And she opens the creepy smile again.

Harry can't believe this. If he was still trying to marry Sally, this kind of provocation Hermione is making and the obvious thing she's implying would certainly earn him a fight with Sally… but Hermione doesn't know that they're only pretending, she has no idea and because of this-

Sally laughs out loud. "Hermione, dear, I trust Harry." And she kisses his cheek, her hand still very low on his body. "He told me everything about Chiara." He didn't. Sally doesn't even know who Chiara is, but she played her cards well.

Hermione flinches. More hurt swimming in her eyes. But before Harry can say a thing, Pettigrew sits by his fiancee side, taking her hand and kissing it gently. Harry and Hermione hold their gazes, though, one trying to say things to the other.

And then Pettigrew is talking to Harry:

"Happy that your grandfather is Minister now?" Pettigrew's voice is filled with disgust. "Mixing of bloods." He scoffs. "I really hope Riddle sacks you tomorrow, D'Angelo." Harry finally looks at Pettigrew. The man is sneering. "He won't accept you inside our Ministry anymore."

It's Sally who snorts. "Honestly, Asmodeus, why are you always such a pain in the ass?"

Harry laughs, his hand squeezing Sally's waist. Pettigrew narrows his eyes. Hermione is frozen, her eyes on the way Harry is holding Sally now.

"Yeah, Pettigrew, why?" Harry says, a hint of amusement on his tone. "And of course I'm happy my grandfather is Minister now, why wouldn't I be?" He shrugs. "But to be honest, I have better things to do than stay here listening to you." Harry moves and Sally stands from his lap. He takes her hand in his. "Nice seeing you, Hermione." He says in a low voice before he stands too and guides Sally inside the house.

He doesn't look back.

He enters the bathroom on the second floor and closes the door with force. Harry utters a spell to lock it shut and grunts. Since Hermione arrived with Pettigrew things are going terribly. Sally apologized when she saw how angry and hurt he was, but Harry only nodded, unable to say a thing. He doesn't know what to think. Or how to act.

Not just that but he's furious that his grandfather's speech might get him fired. If what Pettigrew said is true, Riddle is just waiting a few more days to do it.

Harry chews the insides of his cheeks, leaning on the sink. How much would this affect his revenge? He already knows who the other Aurors were and Hermione will give him their locations, won't she? Maybe he doesn't need to be an Auror to fulfill his revenge.

But what about Riddle? He wants to take him down. And to do that he needs to be inside the Ministry. Needs to have his position as Auror respected so people might believe him in a way, back him up.

The bathroom is not big, in fact, is very narrow, so, Harry conjures a little stool for him to sit the furthest from the door. He sighs, running both hands through his hair. Could Hermione stop Riddle from sending him away? Does she even want to? He's not sure, especially after what she just saw between him and Sally.

He clicks his tongue. He understands Sally's need to provoke Hermione, but Harry is feeling dirty. Bad. Wrong on all levels.

A knock sounds on the door. "Occupied!" He says.

He takes the coin from his pocket, flipping it. He wants to talk with Hermione. It wasn't just mere jealousy. He could see the actual hurt in her eyes while Sally touched him. "Fuck." He says in a low voice.

Is she feeling the same he is? Could Hermione be in love with him? His heart beats faster.

But she acted so strangely when we met that last time.

It's hard to comprehend her signals.

While he kissed her tattoo and told her every single thing he loved, he was sure she might feel the same. The way their Patronus behaved is also a strong indication, but she was so off the next day-

Someone knocks again.

"Occupied!" He repeats.

Harry keeps flipping the coin. Should he meet with her? Would she find a way of ditching Pettigrew?

The door opens. Harry lifts his eyes, startled.

Hermione closes the door behind her, murmuring another spell to lock it.

Harry exhales heavily and pockets the coin slowly. She sets her jaw, leaning against the door, not saying a word. He stands from the stool.

Both grunt, meeting at the same time, their lips coming together. His tongue invades her mouth, battling hers and losing. Hermione groans and bites his lip. Harry pulls back, his tongue going over the little blood there. She's still very angry. He squeezes her waist, their eyes locked.

Harry touches her forehead with his.

Hermione kisses him again, very gently this time. He melts in her arms. And she makes him sit back on the stool, straddling him. They keep kissing slowly. Harry's hands roam over her body, squeezing her waist, her breasts, her thighs. Her arms lock around his neck and she doesn't let go for nothing.

He moves from the kiss to nibble on her jaw, her neck.

Hermione rocks her hips, luring him. He groans, holding her. "Don't do that." He says in a low voice, close to her ear, biting gently. She does it again. "Hermione." He warns. She tugs at his hair for him to look at her. "If you do this I won't be able to control myself and we can't do this here with everyone downstairs."

"Do you think I care, Harry?" Her voice is hoarse. "Do you think I give a fuck?" She rocks her hips again, her lips finding his neck.

He only grunts, not sure of what to do… but her hands are already going down his chest the same way Sally's did. She stops at his belt, her eyes on his.

"I can't bear the thought of her touching you like this. Just to imagine-" She closes her eyes.

Against all odds, her words make him angry. "Stop. Your fiance might come in looking for you." And his eyes fall to her engagement ring. To her left hand, the hand that is on his belt.

"He won't. I confused him. It will take a while before he notices I'm gone."

He holds her hands, though.

And they share a look.

Harry wets his lips. There's a lot he wants to ask her. A lot he wants to say to her. But he has no idea where to begin with. No idea what she might respond. He fears opening up and taking this knife out of his chest just so he can bleed even more with what she might say.

They still haven't talked about what happened between them in Rome. It was different from anything else they shared.

And even so- Even so the ring is still on her finger. They also haven't talked about her decision to marry Pettigrew.

But as he observes her, it becomes clear that Hermione is not open to any kind of conversation. Not right now. She only wants one thing. And he'll give it to her, gladly.

His lips find hers again. And his hands seek her panties under her dress, going over her thighs, squeezing. Hermione is already unbuckling him, unzipping his trousers, her hand finding his cock, stroking.

She motions to stand for him to push down her panties but he grunts and tugs at the sides, tearing the fabric, ruining it. Hermione chuckles, her mouth on his and Harry finally finds her sex. His thumb massaging her clit. Hermione frees his cock from his underwear and he moves a bit for her to push his trousers enough to not get in the way. He's already very hard.

Never breaking the contact of their lips, she moves and Harry moans when she comes down on his cock, slowly, maddening, in a way that he feels every bit of her stretching for him. He holds her by the hip on both sides and Hermione's tongue invades his mouth. Harry grunts, breathing extremely hard when he's inside her almost to the hilt. Hermione tugs his hair, her teeth raking over his neck, her nails digging into his nape. She's taking a moment to adjust to him and Harry waits, squeezing her thighs.

And when she starts to move… he lets her set the pace and do whatever she pleases with him. He holds her throughout the ride, their lips still pressed together, their tongues sliding into each other's mouths.

Their heavy breathing and the contact of their bodies are the only sounds they can hear. And the only thing Harry can think of.

The rest is irrelevant.

Biting on her lips, he starts to move with her a bit, his hips bucking up slightly, his hands bringing her down faster, increasing the rhythm. The stool squeaks under them.

"Harry." She moans against his lips. "Harry." She says again, her voice strained. It's like she's praying to him, saying his name over and over again. Hermione brushes her cheek on his and he closes his eyes.

I love you.

He gulps. The words are there.

So dangerous.

So inviting.

He wonders what would happen if he said them, if he dared. Would she be surprised? Would she say them back? Would she reject him? Would she end things with Pettigrew? His fingers dig deeper into her flesh.

He's nearing his orgasm and Hermione is already trembling in his arms, her back arching, her hands on his neck and hair.

They kiss and he keeps thrusting until he comes saying her name in a plea. A plea of mercy. Mercy for his heart-

She'll break his heart. He knows.

They're panting. Hermione looks into his eyes. He can tell she wants to say something. He cocks his head in question. She opens her mouth and-

The stool comes crashing down. With a laugh and a groan they hit the floor. Harry taking the fall and cursing under his breath. She's chuckling.

He looks at her, his hand on her face. "I love your laugh."

Hermione inhales sharply and goes stiff.

And just when he thought she would stand and walk away, she kisses him. Deep. Slow.

Hermione pulls back and says, "I don't like Sally touching you." Her eyes are sharp. "Or Chiara. Especially Chiara." Hermione closes her eyes. "You're mine."

He's sure his heart stops. She's casually claiming him…

He exhales. "I am."

She presses her lips together and touches their foreheads. "Fuck." She says under her breath, herself shaken by their words.

Harry seeks her hand and brings up the ring again. "But you're not mine." He whispers, hurt.

Shaking her head she pulls back a bit to look into his eyes. In a low voice, she says, "When we're like this, when it's just the two of us… I am, Harry. I am yours."

What if that's not enough?

Boldly he opens his mouth to say such words but a knock on the door stops him. "Harry, mate? Are you there? You've been here for a while, is everything okay?" It's Ron.

Hermione gulps and kisses him briefly. Then she's just gone.

Harry stands from the floor, using a spell to put him and the stool back together. "Mate, I'm not feeling well. I guess I'll just head home, okay?" He says through the door. "Tell Sally I said goodbye."

He hears Ron outside. "Okay. See you tomorrow at the Ministry?"

"Sure."

And with a heavy heart he apparates to his flat.

January 4th, 2006

Ministry of Magic

He tries not fidgeting, but as the minutes tick by he feels more and more anxious.

Tom Riddle summoned him to his office. To talk.

And now, as Harry sits on an armchair, Riddle in front of him, both men not daring to break eye contact, he feels himself cold inside, nervous. He doesn't know for sure what Riddle wants with him, but if Pettigrew's words yesterday were any indication…

The Minister narrows his eyes, his posture stiff. Harry does his best not to chew the insides of his cheeks. The moment he arrived at the Ministry a memo found him immediately and he had no time to seek Hermione or anyone else before taking the elevator and entering this office.

"Why are you here, D'Angelo?" It's the first thing Riddle asks him.

Harry discreetly grits his teeth. "You summoned me, sir."

Riddle only stares at him. "You try my patience. I've had enough of this, D'Angelo. I should have fired you the day you stood on that cell and defied my orders." The Minister leans forward and Harry has to admit that the menace in his eyes makes him freeze. "Head Riddle gave you that leave to spend the Holidays in Rome, but if it was up to me I wouldn't permit. Do you have any idea what image it shows to our world? How you stood there with your grandfather? A man that is against everything we stand here… it tarnishes my image, D'Angelo, after all, I welcomed you inside my Ministry."

Riddle stands. Harry clears his throat. "Sir-"

He raises a finger for Harry to stop talking. He obeys.

"If it wasn't for you saving my daughter's life, you wouldn't be here anymore." Riddle hisses, clearly annoyed. "And since you arrived things have been… chaotic." Harry purses his lips. He knew it was too much of a coincidence. Someone clearly wants him to take the blame for everything that's been happening. Riddle walks slowly to his desk, retrieving a glass of water. "But I'm going to give you another chance of proving yourself, of proving that you're here because you want to be here, because you believe in what we believe. I'm going to give you a chance to prove that you aren't Matteo D'Angelo's spy." Riddle settles the glass of clear water in front of Harry with a clink. Their eyes meet. "Drink."

A chill goes down Harry's spine. The worst kind. As certain as he is that the sky is blue, he is that there's a lot of Veritaserum mixed with this water. He gulps.

"I'm not thirsty, sir."

Riddle stands straight. "You will drink. Or else you can take your things and return to Rome. I'll be glad to banish you from England as a traitor."

Harry ponders for a moment. There's no way of running. If he doesn't drink he'll be forbidden of entering England and his revenge is over. Whatever he has with Hermione also. If he drinks… he'll spill all his secrets, expose the revenge, expose Sirius and the others, expose Hermione, expose his identity.

He sets his jaw… he hates both outcomes and even if he can see that one is clearly worse than the other-

He extends his hand and fetches the glass. Riddle opens a vicious smile.

There might be a third option…

Harry stands up, Riddle is patiently waiting.

Matteo D'Angelo said that his new position as Ministro could help Harry, and as he stares at Riddle and then at the glass in his hand, he knows his grandfather was right.

He moves the glass and the clear liquid inside swirls. "What are you waiting, D'Angelo?"

Harry is fed up with Riddle. With the way he acts as if no one can challenge him. Fed up with the way he treats Harry's nationality and looks down at his Italian inheritance. And how he speaks of the D'Angelos. Not to mention the obvious… not to mention what he did to his parents and the way he treats Hermione.

"I'm not drinking this." His voice is low and menacing, and he raises his eyes to meet Riddle's. There's only hatred there. Disgust. But Harry knows it's mutual. "I'm an Auror and I'm under Hermione Riddle's orders, not yours. And giving a respected Auror Veritaserum is not something society will look upon with good eyes, especially one that saved the Head Auror's life. Or one that is related to a foreigner Ministro." He straightens his back, it feels good to see the clear doubt in Riddle as his eyes widen a bit. "I never gave you reason to doubt my loyalty, sir. If you're doing this only because I was with my family on the Holidays-"

The door opens with a thud. Harry turns on his heels to look at- Hermione.

Her eyes go immediately to the glass in his hand and then to his and then to her father. She looks calm, but Harry can see that she's shaking a bit.

"Hermione." Riddle says her name with distaste. "I'm in a meeting with D'Angelo. If you need to talk to me you can come back later."

"What is this meeting about?" She asks, her voice low. She already knows what's happening.

"None of your concern." Her father says.

But she moves into the office. Riddle is fuming. Hermione stops by Harry's side.

"I really hope this glass isn't filled with Veritaserum, father."

Harry's chest swells with her words. Again, she's defying Riddle to take his side, to protect him. Of course she knows that if he drinks he can also spill her secrets, but…

"It's absurd and borders the ridiculous. As his superior I report to you on a regular basis that D'Angelo is as loyal as any Auror." Harry grits his teeth at her words and the information. Of course she makes reports on his behavior. "Matteo D'Angelo is Ministro now and I can't even begin to imagine what he would do if he found out you made his grandson drink this without a plausible reason."

Harry purses his lips.

He wants to ravish her the moment they step outside this office.

She practically repeated his own words. He could see that Riddle was going to give up, and now with Hermione there, saying these things, he's sure.

Riddle narrows his eyes to Hermione but she doesn't even flinch. And then she takes the glass from Harry's hand and sets it back on the table.

"Enough of this, father. I need D'Angelo for our investigation." And with a steady hand she grips Harry's forearm. "Are we clear to go?"

Riddle clicks his tongue. Then to Harry's utter and unimaginable surprise, he nods and waves them away.

But when they're about to cross the threshold, Riddle says, "I have my eye on you, D'Angelo."

Hermione squeezes his arm and they step outside, closing the door behind them. She keeps going, still holding him until they reach the elevators.

When they're finally inside, alone, he turns to her but she puts a hand on his chest and raises one eyebrow, then presses a finger to her lips. He closes his mouth, nodding his understanding.

"Interrogations regarding what happened to Lucinda Summers and her daughter will begin shortly." He makes a face at her. "Since we lost our only lead to what happened at the Fair, things are on hold for now." The elevator is reaching its destination. Hermione takes the coin from one of her inner pockets and Harry observes while she sends him a message. "The counselors are still digging into what happened at the Manor. No clue on who murdered the Muggle or destroyed the statue. And I think that's it for now. We have a long day ahead, D'Angelo." And he feels the coin like ice inside his own pocket.

Harry smiles. She smiles back to him. And in an imprudent move, he halts the elevator with the sheer force of one of his spells. Hermione opens her mouth but he closes the distance between them, kissing her hard. Squeezing her in his arms.

It's brief, but intense. A promise for later.

Then he takes a step back and the elevator goes back to its natural course. They reach the Auror's floor and when Harry steps out, Hermione is still gaping at him, blinking a few times and breathing heavily.

He strides to his desk and ignores the others. Hermione does the same.

Just later he fetches the coin to read:

Tonight.

Your place.

Harry's flat

He falls back on the couch.

It was a long day indeed. And he's sure some adrenaline from what happened inside Riddle's office is still running through his body. He feels ready for a run and ready to sleep at the same time.

Then the interrogations about Lucinda Summers that took all day and were sincerely ridiculous. Harry rolls his eyes. Pettigrew was the one in charge because he was the Auror who suffered the attack that night when Lucinda and her daughter were rescued. Hermione had already gone through Pettigrew's memory to ensure that he was impartial.

Ron, Draco, Ginny, Hermione and Harry were interrogated by the man. They were the only ones who knew about the transference beforehand. The Aurors on guard at Azkaban were informed ten minutes before, the same as the ones who were with Pettigrew.

Pettigrew was gentle to the others comparing to the hell he put Harry through. Insane questions, over and over again. But Harry had the perfect answers. He had prepared in case things came to this. And even if he can trick an interrogation bubble, it's not an easy task and it demands a lot of concentration, something Pettigrew tried taking from Harry with the repetitive questions.

He sighs. Reality is, he was more nervous during Hermione's interrogation than his own. But she lied with a certainty that surprised him. He would believe her blindly had he not known the truth.

The others also tricked the bubble. After all, they know Harry did it and for the first time it seemed like they remembered a woman was with him. But none questioned it further. If they suspect it was Hermione, they didn't say a word.

Closing his eyes he thinks about what Hermione did today. She probably heard her father had summoned him and went as fast as possible to stop what she was sure was about to happen.

He bites his lower lip. Maybe he should get some Veritaserum of his own. Maybe he should take it and find a way to lie. After all, this might save him. Because everyone knows is the most effective way to make someone spill the truth and it's obvious that Riddle wants to shove it down Harry's throat.

He finds the coin inside his pocket and flips it. Hermione asked if he could change the wards around his flat for her to be able to apparate inside directly. He's still pondering…

Allowing her in without any kind of restriction at all times is a bit risky. For her to be able to appear any time… and what if she goes there without him? Even after everything, even after he accepted that he loves her, he knows that he should be a bit more careful with certain things.

The same number of times - or even more - that someone asked him if he was in love with her, people also warned him to be careful with her.

And he can't deny that the way she so easily lied today struck a chord in him.

How much does she lie to me?

He can't possibly know. Yes, he knows she omits things, but when he asks about them directly, she answers sincerely…

Harry chews the insides of his cheeks. Hermione already altered her wards. He can apparate into her living room whenever he feels like it. Shouldn't he show her the same trust?

Not dwelling on it, he flicks his wand and alters his wards.

Then he stands from the couch, still feeling both exhilarated and exhausted.

Harry walks to his bedroom and bathroom, entering the shower. All the way through it his mind remains on Hermione. On how much they need to talk and everything he wants to say to her.

They need to talk about their tattoos. They need to talk about what happened in Italy. They need to talk about the tingle and the bolt of magic that coursed between them-

He stops inside his room with the towel wrapped around his waist.

Hermione is already there, sitting on his bed. Legs crossed, a seductive smile on her face. She's shamelessly looking at his bare torso. "Well, being allowed inside whenever I want certainly has its advantages." She clicks her tongue and stands, coming to him.

Harry is smiling, shaking his head. They hug, squeezing the other, his hands on her ass. She's still wearing the Auror's uniform.

And in a beat she's kissing his neck and jaw, then his lips, her hands falling to his towel, ready to get rid of it. Which she does with a tug. Harry grunts on her mouth and hoists her up, her legs around him in a lock while he walks to the bed.

Hermione groans, her hot breath against his skin. "We don't have much time." She says, her lips on his cheek, on his temple, her hands on his hair. And in a blink all her clothes are gone.

Harry settles her on the bed and kisses her breast, taking one of her nipples in his mouth, hovering above her. But she takes his face and brings his lips to hers again.

"I'll be fast." He says under his breath and she snorts a laugh.

And he's true to his words. Kissing her all the way down to her navel, he teases her with two fingers, eager. Hermione closes her eyes, breathing hard. "Tell me you're mine." She says.

Harry doesn't hesitate. "I'm yours."

She moans. He kisses her hard, his fingers still teasing. Then he moves to her neck.

"I was so afraid today when I entered that office." She says with a trembling voice.

"I know, I know." He kisses her cheek, their eyes meeting. "I also was. For both of us."

She nods. He squeezes her thigh, making proper room for him to fit comfortably between her legs.

"And the interrogation after-"

She stops talking when he enters her. He doesn't mind cutting the subject because, as she said, they don't have much time.

Harry rocks his hips, grunting, taking her. Taking all of her.

"But it's fine. It's all fine." He says to reassure her.

They share a heated kiss, slow and promising.

And he moves. Thrusting hard, fast. She pants under him, her nails digging into his broad shoulder. Harry keeps kissing her, actually fascinated how they seem to never get enough of each other.

"Dio, I love this." He says between kisses. "I love being inside you."

Her nails dig deeper into his flesh. "I do too." She says in a low voice. "I-" She shuts her mouth, moaning and closing her eyes, her orgasm washing over her in a powerful wave.

Harry nibbles at her neck, still thrusting. She's nuzzling him, saying his name. And he can feel it, the pleasure taking over him and sending him to the edge. He says her name when he comes.

And after a little while he rolls to the side and closes his eyes.

It's not enough.

This.

What they're sharing, the sex and the moments they steal to be together.

Not enough. Not nearly.

Hermione moves and lies on top of him, her body hot against his, her eyes on his. "What are you thinking?" She asks, her hands together on his chest, her chin resting on them.

He sets his jaw when he looks down at her, his eyes landing on the engagement ring. "That I want you." He says. "That even when I have you it doesn't seem enough."

She makes a face, pressing her lips together. "Harry-"

"I know." He closes his eyes and snorts. "You don't want me." He says in a low voice, looking up to the ceiling and avoiding her eyes.

He wants her to tell him he's wrong. Wants her to say that she wants him, that she also feels like it's not enough.

But Hermione says nothing. And her silence says too much.

But she kisses his chest. Small kisses, gentle. He caresses her back, his hand moving up and down.

It can't be.

It can't be that she doesn't feel the same. Maybe he should say the words, maybe he should tell her everything. Pour his heart out. Because with these veiled phrases and words… maybe the depth of what he wants with her is not clear-

"We need to talk." She says and he recognizes the tone. Badass Head Riddle. Harry sighs and nods. And she stands, leaving the bed, gathering her clothes.

He feels cold without her. Void. But Harry says nothing else. He just stands from the bed and opens his drawers to fetch a sweater and some sweatpants. When he looks over at her she's already dressed. Hermione motions to the living room.

Before sitting down with her, he fetches some water for both and she thanks him in a small voice, pulling a chair for him to sit beside her.

And Harry's eyes fall to the file that's on his table. He stops breathing for a second. He knows what this is. He knows what Hermione brought him. And suddenly his chest feels heavy. Because of the already twisting knife in it that she pushed a bit further inside just now… and because of the importance of this file and everything it means.

He takes a shuddering breath and waits for her to talk.

"So," She says, one hand above the file, "I brought you the file on the Potters' Persecution." Her eyes are intense while she watches him, "I'm leaving this here for you to look at it calmly, with time. I can't stay much longer, and I want you to read every detail so we can discuss later." He faintly nods, drinking some water. "I've read it at least ten times already and I think I know everything there is to know by now." Hermione sips on her water. "There are still four Aurors that we need to visit." He purses his lips, wondering if she ever went back to Lestrange's and saw what he did. If so, she shows no indication of it. "Since we need to be sneaky and careful with this, I thought that maybe we could do it one Auror a month. This way we have time to prepare and plan and set up the proper protection around us and the place. What do you think?"

He inhales deeply. Four Aurors. One a month. Another four months on this. He understands Hermione's precautions, but this is not ideal, at all. However, Harry nods - not fully agreeing.

Nothing stops him from going without her. She doesn't need to know about this little detail.

She nods in return and stands. Harry is frozen on the spot.

"I need to go." She says. He doesn't look up at her. Now his hand is resting above the file. Harry's not sure he's even thinking properly. "Harry?" He snaps out of it and looks up, she's standing close. "If you need me, send a message, okay?"

He gulps. "Sure." His voice is thin. He sounds like a child.

Hermione only narrows her eyes. He's sure she's about to apparate, but she leans to him, her lips seeking his.

It's the first time they kiss and he doesn't feel like it. And he's sure it shows. She pulls back, her eyes a bit wide, her face an expression of a question.

He looks down, back to the file. Her hand lingers on his shoulder. "I-" She begins.

"Look- forget what I said, okay? It's fine." He says in a low voice. "I'll just take my time with this file and then we can schedule a moment to talk about it." He shows how much he hates that he can't talk to her whenever he wants to, the way he wants to.

She sighs, still there, gripping his shoulder. But he can't look at her right now. He wants to say how he feels, he wants to open up… but this… the Persecution, his parents. This is more important. This is everything.

Hermione lets out a low strangled sound. "Okay." She says and then she's gone.

Harry releases a deep breath, choking a bit on it.

He's shaking.

And he lets himself cry.

He cries copiously for a while, then he stands from the chair, dizzy, the file in his hand. It's thick. Harry settles on his couch right in front of his wall. Uncovering it, his eyes wander to his many notes that changed throughout these few months he's been in London.

Before he opens the cover to reveal the first page, he strengthens the wards around the flat, especially from Hermione. He wants no one interrupting while he does this.

And finally. Finally, after fifteen years, he'll set eyes on all the answers he needs.

He's still shaking when he opens the file.

Note: Next chapter continues from here. Finally we get to see what this File holds.