February 10th, 2006
Harry's flat
He enters the bathroom, a bit angry. It's unbelievable that Chiara is there. Not because he doesn't want to see her, but did she have to arrive minutes before his date with Hermione? He makes a face and sends out a message through the coin:
Sorry.
Need to cancel.
He lets out some air through his mouth. He still doesn't know what Chiara is doing there. When he greeted her inside with a hug, he immediately excused himself to the bathroom.
What?
Why?
He chews the insides of his cheeks.
Chiara showed up here.
He's not sure he should share this information, but he wants to be honest with her.
Are you serious?
He rolls his eyes.
Unfortunately.
He waits but there's no answer from her for a while and Chiara calls him from the living room. Sighing, he sends Hermione a final message:
I promise I'll make it up to you.
Sorry.
Grunting, he runs a hand through his hair. Then he finally steps out of the bathroom. Chiara is sitting at the living room, her crossed leg going forward and back. She looks gorgeous in an orange one piece. Her blond hair shining and as usual, she's wearing black stilettos.
"Hey." He says. "I'm sorry, I really needed to pee." He shrugs and she chuckles.
"It's fine. And I'm sorry for showing up like this."
Harry sits on a chair in front of her, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees. "Are you okay? Did something happen?" He asks, worried now.
"Well, don't hate me for this, but… this is not a casual visit, Harry." She tilts her head. And when she's about to say something more, the cracking sound of apparition startles them.
Hermione is right there.
Harry freezes. Chiara blinks a few times, unsure. There's a total silence while Hermione's eyes go over Chiara. And then over Harry. He can't help noticing how beautiful she looks even with a simple black skirt and a white blouse. And also stilettos.
He opens his mouth. And clears his throat. Then he stands up. "Chiara, this is my boss. Hermione Riddle." He waves a hand to Hermione. "Hermione, this is-"
"Chiara Ferri." Hermione completes for him, taking a step closer. Chiara finally stands from the couch.
Harry knows this won't be good the moment Chiara opens a sarcastic smile and extends her hand for Hermione to take it. The handshake is fast. "Took some time from hunting down Muggleborns to visit your subordinate?" Chiara asks acidly. "What a nice boss." She looks at Harry. "Maybe I should be apparating into my Aurors' living rooms. Is this common practice?"
Hermione opens her mouth and Harry interrupts. "Chiara, come on." He says to her and she crosses her arms, annoyed. Hermione looks murderous. Harry gulps. "Hermione, is there something wrong?"
He widens his eyes to her in a clear warning. It's better if she leaves. But it doesn't seem like she will.
"Well, you said you would come with me tonight, D'Angelo." She stops briefly for the words to sink in and Harry feels hot. "To investigate." She says in a neutral tone. Harry clicks his tongue.
"Can't you see he's busy?" Chiara takes another step and one of her hands rests on Harry's arm. Hermione's expression is cool but her eyes are blazing.
"Is he?" She raises an eyebrow. "It happens that, maybe differently from how you treat your work with your Aurors, mine take their jobs seriously." Hermione says sharply.
Chiara snorts by his side, squeezing his bicep. "Why such hostility, Miss Riddle? Is your father breathing on your neck because your Ministry is crumbling down?"
"Okay." Harry says when Hermione clicks her tongue. "Enough! What the fuck, Chi?" He turns to her and she looks at him, blinking.
"Sorry." She shakes her head. "Sorry, amore." She looks at Hermione. "Sorry, Riddle." She sighs then and sits back on the couch. "Regardless, I need to speak with Harry and this is not some casual visit, so, I'm sure the Head Auror can investigate on her own, or even maybe call another Auror. Isn't your fiance one?" Chiara smiles tightly.
Harry sets his jaw. "What do you mean when you say it's not a casual visit?" He asks Chiara.
"Well, I'm here representing the Ministro." Chiara snorts. Harry lets out a sound of outrage and sits back down.
"Nonnino has lost his mind." Harry says. Chiara agrees faintly.
"I think he wants to annoy us." She says and Harry scoffs.
Hermione clears her throat. Harry looks back at her.
"Hermione, sit." He says and pulls a chair by his side. And before Chiara says a thing, Harry raises a finger to her. "If this concerns the Ministry, there's no problem for the Head Auror to hear what you have to say." He discreetly winks at Hermione when she sits by his side, crossing her legs.
"Indeed." Hermione says, amused.
Chiara doesn't look happy at all. But then her words drop like a bomb inside the room. "Fine. She can stay, since I'll be here for the whole week, we'll have many moments to share in private, Harry." And she winks at him. Harry gulps. Hermione is stiff by his side.
"A week? What the hell is happening?" He asks.
"Her father must know by now, I'm sure." Chiara says, looking at Hermione.
"If he does, he didn't share." She says sharply.
Chiara sighs. "Well, fine. As Matteo said on his victorious speech, he wants to use the International Wizarding Order to… tighten Italy's foreigners relationships." She gives Harry a pointed look. He's giving her all his attention. "And believe it or not, Harry, he did it. Not even two months after the election, Matteo already found a way of," She looks at Hermione, hesitating, "getting himself closer to England. Yeah, let's put it that way."
"So what are you saying?" He asks. "Are you here on a diplomatic mission or something? And why you? You're Head Auror, Chi, you can't leave things there. No one can deal with the Mafias the way you do it." He's being totally honest and Chiara opens a wide smile.
"Thank for your confidence in me, amore. Like always." She tilts her head, her voice soft. "But, Matteo thought I would be the best choice because we have… a connection." She says, talking about Harry and her. "And now that you're here, being his grandson and such, he thinks it'll be easier-"
"I'm not exactly loved by the Minister." Harry grunts.
Chiara makes a face. "Who really cares?" Then she looks at Hermione. Harry also gives her a side glance and he regrets immediately because she's all kinds of angry. Already going through portals of anger. He wants to take her hand. He doesn't, obviously. "It's just so you can introduce me in a more informal way. I don't want to step inside that Ministry with a cape showing the Italian flag! Honestly, I'm too gorgeous for that."
Harry chuckles. Hermione moves on her seat. Chiara's eyes are sharp on her.
"Maybe I can introduce you, then." Hermione says, her voice low, menacing in Harry's opinion.
Chiara lets out a loud laugh. "You, Riddle? And why would you do that?"
Hermione presses her lips. "Because, believe it or not, I don't exactly think like my father. Some things need to change." Her voice is firm. "And as long as I think your intentions and ideas are good, I'll support them, regardless."
Chiara stops at that, squinting. Then she looks at Harry. "What do you think, Harry?" Chiara asks him. Hermione snorts.
"I think… it's a good idea, my presence could… spoil things." He makes a face. "Not that I won't be there, but I don't think I should… take charge of this. You understand, don't you?" He asks Chiara.
"Perfectly." She says fast. Then, with a more welcoming expression, she turns to Hermione. "Okay, Riddle, let's do it, then. I mean, Harry would introduce me with compliments, I know," She winks at Harry and he shakes his head. She's impossible, "But maybe I can give you a list of all my achievements-"
"No need." Hermione cuts her. "I know pretty well who you are." And she opens a tight smile.
Harry feels like he's in the middle of a duel. Both are ready to hex the shit out of the other. So, he resumes the conversation.
"But what exactly is your mission here?" He asks.
"Well." She sighs, and moves on the couch, exchanging crossed legs. "Matteo and the IWO thought it would be nice if I stayed for a while to observe. At the same time they allowed me to participate in any investigation that might be happening, and I can also say and do whatever the cazzo I want and the Minister can't interfere." She honestly chuckles. Harry really laughs.
"Dio. Are you setting the city on fire?" He asks, mockingly.
"Maybe I should, shouldn't I? Because it fucking stole you from me."
Hermione clears her throat. "That's impossible." She says, "You can't have this much liberty-"
"Oh, don't be so nervous about it, Riddle. I'm not here to ruin your Ministry or anything. To be honest, Matteo insisted I should come. I wanted to stay home." She emphasizes the word. "But well, he's my boss now, isn't he?" She makes a face.
"And you helped him get there." Harry says, joking, and she throws a pillow at him. He throws it right back at her.
"Fuck you, Harry." She says in a serious tone.
And as they did many times, he playfully blows her a kiss. Not thinking.
Hermione stands from the chair. He looks at her, suddenly reminding himself of where he is, who he's with. For him it's easy to play with Chiara because she's his friend. And he sees her only as that. But he understands Hermione's reaction.
"I'm gonna grab some water." Hermione says.
He widens his eyes. "Oh, I can grab it for you, I'm sorry-"
"No need, really." And she goes to the half-open space that holds his kitchen.
Chiara is… analyzing him with her keen eyes. Harry tries not turning red. She knows him too well. There's only silence between them until Hermione gets back.
Then Chiara continues, "But that's basically it. Some kind of collaboration, nothing more." Her voice is gentler now, she seems more comfortable in Hermione's presence. Which does not happen on the other way around. "And then you can show me this awful city, Harry." She moves a hand in front of her, looking at her perfect nails, "Introduce me to your fellow Aurors and such. Maybe I can meet the woman that you're infatuated with." Harry opens his mouth. Hermione downs the rest of her water in one go. And Chiara smiles. She's the devil. "So I can beat the shit out of her." She tilts her head. "Tell me, Riddle, did Harry tell you we almost married?"
"He did." Hermione answers fast. Her voice calm. "He also told me the awful way you cheated. Bummer." She clicks her tongue.
Chiara opens a smile. Harry knows it won't be good and then- "You know… funny thing, cheaters. But can I ask you, where is your engagement ring? I saw such a beautiful picture of it. Of you and Pettigrew."
Harry clears his throat and stands from the chair. "So, let's start by seeking out a hotel for you-"
"Oh, no way!" Chiara stands too. "I'm staying here."
He clicks his tongue, crossing his arms. "No, you're not."
"I can't believe you would do that to your best friend in the world!" Chiara says dramatically. Harry rolls his eyes.
"Honestly-" He begins, but Hermione interrupts.
"I should go." She says, standing. Harry turns his head to her, tense. "I have things to do and you obviously have this solve." She motions between them. Chiara is ironically smiling now. "Nice meeting you, Ferri." Hermione says politely. "D'Angelo, see you."
And she's gone.
"Charming." Chiara says. Harry is still looking at the void Hermione left. He needs to talk to her. Chiara snorts. "You can't fool me, you know that, right?" He frowns, raising an eyebrow and looking at her.
"What?" He asks faintly, his mind on Hermione.
"I cannot believe you're screwing your boss." She says bluntly. Harry widens his eyes. "Don't try denying it." Chiara crosses her arms. "She's a Riddle, Harry. And she's about to get fucking married! Her fiance would murder you. Not to mention her father-"
"You can't say a word about this." He gulps. There's no use in fighting this. Chiara would discover sooner or later.
"Are you in love with her?"
"Yes." He looks down.
Chiara grunts. "Well, she's pretty. Not very nice, though." She sighs. "Does she feel the same?"
Harry grits his teeth. "Yes."
"Why is she marrying Pettigrew, then?"
He clicks his tongue. "It's complicate."
"Sure. It was her in Rome, wasn't it?"
"Nothing goes past you, does it?"
"I just know you too well."
Harry groans, annoyed. Then he sits back on the chair. "It's a fair mess." He says in a low voice, hiding his face on his palms.
Chiara puts a hand on his shoulder and he can feel her leaning closer. "Look, Harry. Since we talked in Rome, I… I've been trying to let things go. I've been trying to be your friend again. Believe me, seeing you in love with someone else hurts. A lot. But I really don't have a say in this and regardless everything, I want you to be happy. You deserve to be happy." He looks up at her, there are some unshed tears in her eyes. "So don't worry about me. I won't tell a thing, okay? Your secret is safe."
He takes her hand and kisses it gently. "Thank you. For being my friend."
She opens a tight smile. "And as your friend, I have to warn you. She'll break your heart, Harry." He gulps. "You know so."
"We'll find a way."
Chiara sighs. She takes a few steps from him. "I'll look for a hotel. You should go after her. I think she was a bit pissed." She snorts.
Harry stands and hugs Chiara. She corresponds embracing him tightly. "You also deserves to be happy, Chi." He says in a low voice.
"Well, thing is… my happiness is with you, amore." They stare at each other for a long minute. "Never mind." She waves a hand in front of her face and takes a step back. "But don't think that I'll give her an easy time." She winks at him. "Hermione Riddle won't see me coming."
He laughs with her. "Oh, I think you two will understand each other just fine." Harry knows pretty well Hermione won't listen to Chiara's acid comments in silence.
She kisses his cheek. "It's just hard letting go." She whispers, their mouths close. And Harry lets her give him a little peck on the lips. Then she takes a huge step back, heading to the door. "And don't forget to change your wards to let me inside the flat! This week will be fun, don't you think?" She winks and opens the door, leaving him.
Harry pockets his hands. There's a smile on his face. He's happy Chiara can understand him. He knows she won't be this easygoing with what he has with Hermione, but for now, for tonight at least, he has all the time in the world to go after a certain badass Head Auror.
Praying for Pettigrew to be in some hole in hell, Harry apparates to Hermione's.
Hermione's House
He walks very slowly inside the house. Not even Crookshanks appeared to greet him and Harry doesn't know where Hermione is. As he approaches her bedroom, he stills. Please, she can't be with Pettigrew. The door isn't closed and he pushes it gently to peek inside.
Hermione is lying on the bed. On her side. Her back to him. Crookshanks is there with her. A fluffy orange ball close to her body. He can tell she already got rid of the clothes she was wearing and he wonders if she's asleep.
Magically taking off his clothes and leaving on only his boxers, he walks to the bed. Crookshanks perceives Harry and meows away. He slowly gets himself under the covers and embraces her from behind, pulling her body to his.
She's not asleep.
Hermione sighs, her left hand finding his above her stomach. The tingle comes to life and Harry kisses her neck.
"Hey, beautiful."
"Hey, handsome."
Her voice is off and Harry keeps kissing her neck. Gently. Softly. Their legs find each other's and he holds her tightly against his chest. She's wearing a nightgown.
"I'm sorry about tonight." He sighs. "I had reservations at a nice restaurant. But we can go another time-"
"What are we doing, Harry?" She asks in a low voice. "We… shouldn't-"
He cups her face and turns her head for Hermione to look at him. "I love you." He says, their eyes locked. "That's the only thing that matters to me now."
"Did you kiss?" She gulps.
Harry squints. "She gave me a peck." Hermione closes her eyes, turning her head back to the side.
"She knows, doesn't she?"
"Yes." He grits his teeth. "She won't say a thing, Hermione."
"How can you trust her so blindly? After what she did-"
"This is different."
"Why?"
"When she cheated… we were engaged. Now she's here as my friend. And as my friend, Chiara was always the best one I could possibly get."
Hermione snorts. "If she's so wonderful maybe you should get back together with her."
"Hey. Stop."
He moves on the bed, positioning himself above her. Hermione pouts angrily. Harry kisses away her pout, his hands moving and caressing her body. Hermione sighs against his mouth. He pulls back to gaze into her eyes. Her fingers go into his hair.
"I love you." She says. "I'm sorry for being so jealous, is just that-" She exhales heavily. "Chiara has all the liberty in the world to be with you, to scream at the top of her lungs how much she loves you. She can take your hand in public. She can kiss you if she wants to. The same way Sally can and…" She purses her lips, "I can't."
He touches her forehead with his. "You think I don't feel the same about Pettigrew?"
Hermione sighs. "Is she staying with you?"
"Of course not." He snorts, spreading kisses on her jaw. "But I don't wanna talk about her. Or about what she'll be doing here, okay?" He rocks his hips. "This is our date night and I have you all to myself." She smiles.
Hermione kisses him with passion, her breaths already short and heavy while they just enjoy some caresses. He rakes his teeth on her throat, his hands pulling up her nightgown. Hermione helps him. She's naked under it. And in a second his boxers are also coming off. Both sigh when their naked bodies touch.
"Harry." She calls between kisses, her hands on his back. He stops and looks at her, tilting his head.
"Yes, love?" He asks while one of his hands go down her body, teasing and squeezing.
"I-" She bites her lower lip when he finds her entrance with a finger. As always she's so ready for him. "I've never loved anyone the way I love you."
He stops. His eyes widening, his heart beating like a crazy drum inside his chest. And then he smiles. He beams at her. And she smiles right back at him.
"Likewise." He says in a low voice, kissing her eagerly.
And she moves, changing their positions on the bed, she's on top now. Hermione holds both his hands above his head with hers. Her hair is like a curtain around their faces.
Only this matters.
"You know," She begins, moving her hips, teasing him, rubbing herself on his cock, "We forgot to use that blindfold."
Harry wets his lips. "We did. You looked so hot-"
She moves a wrist and suddenly everything is dark. Harry chuckles.
"Indeed, you look hot." She says. "Even if I love your eyes, your mouth is just" She traps his lower lip between her teeth, sucking a bit, "perfect." He smiles, both his hands squeezing her waist.
Hermione moves to kiss his jaw and neck, taking her time. Harry enjoys it, not trying to speed things up or anything, his hands behaved, occasionally moving from her waist to her ass, squeezing her flesh. She goes even lower, her tongue on his chest, reaching one of his nipples, then the other. He shivers at the contact of her hot tongue and scraping teeth. "You have nice nipples." She says in an amused voice.
"Everything about me is nice." There's a permanent smile on his face, even if he wants to bury himself inside her immediately.
"True." She kisses his stomach, going lower. His hands move to her neck.
It's pretty intense not being able to see what she's doing.
Her hands squeeze his thighs, then she kisses his navel, close to his cock. Harry lets out a heavy breath, filled with anticipation. She strokes him, teasing.
"Do you want me, Harry?" She asks and he can't even answer, her tongue going over the tip of his cock. "Would you beg?"
His fingers go into her hair. He grunts.
She licks his length and then she closes her mouth around him and Harry moans hoarsely. She moves slowly, very slowly. Up and down. He tugs at her hair. She lets out a breathy laugh.
"Impatient, are we?" She asks, back to kissing his navel, her hand stroking him.
"Please." He says, begging.
Hermione groans, her hands moving to his thighs, her nails penetrating his flesh. "You have no idea how hot, how delicious, it is to have a man like you begging me." Her voice is so- so filled with desire. And he's sure she's opening that devious smile.
"Please, Hermione." He says again. Because that's exactly how he feels. He won't stop begging for her. Never her.
But he feels her pulling away from him and he frowns. Before he can take the blindfold off, he feels her hand stopping his, and then… then she's coming down on his length.
His hands blindly seek her breasts, squeezing. He barely moves. He knows she wants to be in charge of this and Hermione does. She leans forward, kissing him, rocking her hips, sliding up and down. In and out. He only moves his hands to her butt, moving with her.
They don't stop kissing, sloppily, yes, but deliciously. And it feels so good to have all of her rubbing on him. Not seeing it just makes everything more pleasurable.
She bites his lip, increasing the pace. And not holding it back anymore, Harry moves. He sits on the bed, bringing her up with him. Hermione groans against his mouth but her arms go around his neck, her mouth still on his. She keeps moving and he enjoys this position better. It's better for him to kiss her, for him to squeeze her ass, her thighs, her waist. Better for his fingers to find her clit.
And their touches. Their sounds. Their smell. It's them and it's so perfect his heart aches a bit.
He wants more of her.
In one motion, holding her in place, Harry turns them over, him on top now. He thrusts fast and hard. She moans and he knows she's reaching her orgasm.
And he follows, saying her name, lost in the feel of it.
He crumbles down on top of her, kissing any bit of flesh he can find, licking the thin layer of sweat on her skin. He can tell she's shivering. Her fingers on his hair.
"Fuck." He says. "Making love to you is my favorite thing in the world."
She laughs wholeheartedly.
Harry tries moving to the side not to crush her, but Hermione holds him. "Careful! The bed is over!" She's still laughing.
Harry takes off the blindfold, blinking. "Oh, shit." He's indeed almost falling to the floor. Just where Crookshanks is sleeping. He turns back to her, his eyes on hers. "Imagine if I fall down on Crookshanks?" She laughs harder.
"It would be a bloodbath."
He caresses her cheek with a thumb, mesmerized by her smile. "You're so beautiful."
Her eyes soften at the words. And she moves on the bed to give him space. Harry freshens the sheets and them with a spell. Hermione sighs and moves to attach herself to his side. He holds her close, kissing her head.
"I have a question." She says after a while. Harry raises an eyebrow. "Would you still think I'm that beautiful if you saw all my scars?"
He moves his head to look into her eyes. "Would you? Show me?"
She sighs, shuddering a bit. He turns serious. He realizes this is huge for her. Harry clears his throat and sits on the bed, his back on the headboard. She kneels in front of him. There's some distance between them.
For the first time since he met her, Hermione looks… timid, unsure… maybe shy.
She shrugs. "Do you want to see?" She asks.
He nods. "I do."
She bites her lower lip. He waits. Letting her decide. "It's-" She purses her lips, her chin trembling.
Harry takes her hand. "Hey. It's okay. If you don't want to-"
"I do. I want to, Harry. It's just," She sighs, a tear falling down her cheek, "inevitably I think about what gave me these scars and… it's not nice." She makes a face.
"I understand." He nods. "Maybe…" He moves his other hand and reveals all his scars, along with his tattoo. "Well, I guess you know all of me now." He opens a tiny smile to her.
"Oh." She widens her eyes. He can see her doubts are gone and now she's worried with him. "Shit." The first scar she moves to touch is the one close to his heart. It's kinda of big. "This one was almost fatal." She whispers. "What happened?"
"It was on a mission. Against a Mafia. They don't like using spells that much, you know? There we get very used to fighting hand to hand or using Muggle guns. And this one was a very sharp hunting knife the boss of the Mafia plunged into me." He clicks his tongue. "But my Aurors saved me in time."
"Chiara?" She asks honestly, no hint of jealousy on her tone. He only nods. "And this one?" Her finger moves up to one on his neck, close to his jugular vein.
"A crazy woman bit me." He laughs. "I swear." She laughs with him. "I think she was hexed, I don't know, but she came at me like a beast and before I even noticed what was happening, she was biting me. Of course that after I had healed, it was hilarious, but I got really scared at the time. It was so out of the blue." Hermione shakes her head. "Or maybe it was just because I'm delicious." He winks at her and Hermione pinches his chest. He laughs.
"These ones I know." She moves her hand down his torso. She's talking about the cuts from the Sectumsempra. She stops at one on his left thigh.
"Well, this one was a shard of glass that went through my whole thigh, coming out at the other side."
"Fuck. How?"
"An explosion. The glass from a window flew directly into my thigh. It didn't help that I kept going with it lodged inside me. Took me months to recover the muscle. Rehabilitation was a pain in the ass."
"Why didn't you heal it? Before going?"
"I- I wasn't thinking. It…" He purses his lips.
"What?"
"I don't like talking about this mission." He looks away. Her hand finds his.
"Tell me."
He chews the insides of his cheeks. "It was one of my firsts as Head." He says in a low voice. "We were supposed to find a valuable stolen magical artifact. And I had everything planned out. There was no room for mistakes… and things went well for about thirty minutes." He sighs. "Then hell broke loose. It was- it was a brutal battle. We didn't know but the culprit was in reality a section of one Mafia. They're very violent. Extremely. I lost track of my Aurors. I trusted their training to save their asses." He clicks his tongue. "But then… the explosion. I was pretty close and lost my hearing. My vision was blurry. I could feel the pain on my thigh. Could smell my own blood. I felt dizzy. But when my hearing came back, I heard someone calling for help close by…" Hermione visibly tenses, "I-" He chokes, "I tried saving him. It was one of my Aurors. The youngest."
"Oh, shit, Harry."
"He was…" He closes his eyes, "practically smashed by one huge piece of concrete that fell from the ceiling. When I looked at him I knew no magic would be enough to save his life. He was spitting blood, barely aware-"
Hermione moves closer to him on the bed, her hand still holding his. "What happened?"
"The Mafia fled. The house was burning down and I- I was in shock. I stayed there, kneeling in front of the Auror for almost an hour, trying to save him. I was bleeding, almost fainting from the loss of blood." He gulps. "Chiara had to use a spell to put me under so she could take me to the Hospital."
Hermione sighs. "It was not your fault." She says in a soft voice.
He tries not making a face. He still thinks it was. "It's very hard not thinking that. He was under my responsibility-"
"Yes. He was. But it's not our responsibility as Heads to do everything, Harry. The most important task when you have a group to lead is knowing how to delegate. Knowing who to choose for a mission-"
"Exactly!" He says a bit more fiercely. "He was too young! I shouldn't have-"
"Stop. If you took him to the field you trusted that he was good enough for it. This explosion was unexpected and even you, the Head, got hurt. It was a fatality, Harry. It fucking happens."
He tries not minding the tears rolling down his face. Hermione moves to kiss them away. He gulps, holding her close. And he lets himself remember that day and how guilty he felt.
"He trusted me." Harry whispers.
"I know." She kisses his cheek, sitting on his lap, their brows together. "And you did your best, my love. Never feel bad about doing your best. Or it will destroy you from inside out."
He sighs, kissing her gently. "Thank you." She opens a small smile. "For this… I- I never talk about these things."
Hermione hugs him. Then she puts one hand on his forearm. "I guess these were from Bellaverde, right?"
He chuckles softly. He has burns on both arms because of the Dragon. "Yes. When she was getting too big to stay with me. It was an accident, but it hurt like fucking hell."
"I can imagine." She makes a face, her eyes looking for other scars.
"There's only a few on my back now." He says in a soft voice. Then he takes her hand and guides it to his left ass cheek. She raises one eyebrow. Her fingers feeling the healed tissue. "This one I got training with my grandfather," He gulps. It's kind of a miracle that he only has one scar from all the training with Matteo, "when I was eleven." His voice is thin. Hermione sets her jaw. "He wanted me to perform a perfect levitation spell on myself," She widens her eyes. It's absurd to ask this from a child, "Of course I failed, and when I fell… let's just say there was an ornament with horns waiting for me." He makes a face.
Hermione inhales sharply. "Tough." She says, her eyes scanning his face. "Did you train a lot with your grandfather?"
He tilts his head. "Yes. And to satisfy him there was no other result than-"
"Perfection." She completes for him. Harry nods, caressing her cheek. He knows she must have gone through similar stuff with her father. Hermione looks down. And he takes her hand again, guiding it to one scar on his back…
"This one I got taking a bullet for a certain badass Head Auror, you know?" He whispers. She opens a smile, tears in her eyes. "It was totally worth it." He whispers before kissing her. When they separate, Hermione keeps kissing his whole face, tenderly. He can't help smiling, squeezing her in his arms. "And oh, I have one on my right foot!" He raises his foot in the air. "But this one was just the silliest thing ever. I stepped on a rock at the beach and it cut my foot open." He snorts. She chuckles with him, her eyes on his.
"I love you." She says in a low voice. He sees that same pain in her eyes. Harry sets his jaw. Why is she suffering? What's happening that he doesn't know? What is she hiding? He takes a deep breath.
"I love you too."
She closes her eyes and then she murmurs the revealing spells. He watches while her tattoo appears… and-
Harry opens his mouth. He was not expecting this. Hermione gulps, pressing her lips together. "See, I said you wouldn't find me that beautiful after-"
"No. No." He shakes his head, cupping her face. "You're not beautiful, Hermione." She frowns. "You're gorgeous. Perfect." But he knows his eyes are telling her how shocked he is. "Tell me how you got them, I mean," He gulps, "What happened?"
Biting her lower lip she moves from his lap and he can see red dots scattered almost all over her body. They're not big scars, but visible ones and it's clear they all follow some kind of pattern. Which is strange. There are perfect groups of nine red dots, three lines of three, one under the other. He can see them on her arms, on her torso, on her legs. She's already crying and he wants to soothe her, but he also knows she needs to talk about this.
So, he waits.
Taking some deep breaths, her eyes find his. Harry smiles to her, taking her hand and kissing it gently. There are red dots on it also. He swallows hard.
"My-" Hermione sobs, "My father-" Harry widens his eyes, squeezing her hand. He can't believe Riddle did this to her. He takes a deep breath not to say certain things. But he sets his jaw, pursing his lips. She's crying like a baby. And it hurts him. Harry brings her back to his lap, cradling her, kissing her face, his arms around her in an attempt to shield her from everything else. He summons a blanket, covering them, rubbing her arms. She's shaking.
"It's okay, love." He says in a low voice. "It's okay. I'm here. I'm here." She holds tightly to him, sobbing.
And he seeks her left hand with his. The way she relaxes is visible. They stay in the same position for a while until Hermione stops crying. She has her face buried in his chest when she talks again.
"At a pretty young age I started showing signs of powerful magic." She starts saying, he internally nods, "My mother told me that I would levitate things only by looking at them. Or I would explode things. Or transform things. Or fuse them. It depended on my mood." She stops for a second. Harry stays in silence. "My father is draw, addicted to power. And I had raw, untamed power. I was just a child." She chokes. Harry squeezes her. "And he was sure he could experiment on me, enhance this already amazing power I was born with."
Harry sighs. "I hate him." He says honestly. "So much, Hermione. For-"
"I-" She turns her head and kisses his chest. "I know." He tries holding back a few tears, his chest hurting. "He… he made me go through all kinds of experiments, Harry. He began when I was two and I don't remember things that well, which I'm thankful, but he kept me up at night… he was trying to drive me to exhaustion to see if the magic would act differently. And sometimes it did. Others it didn't. The nights he did allow me to sleep, I couldn't." She shudders. "The moment I closed my eyes I used to have nightmares. Always the same nightmares that I have no idea what they mean. My mother couldn't handle this, so, she began giving me potions so I could have some rest. I remember they used to fight a lot about this."
Harry chews the insides of his cheeks. Bellatrix is a better person than he first imagined. And it surely is a surprise… for her to be with someone like Riddle.
"And then, when I was a bit older he started…" She lets out a heavy sigh, "He would take my blood for testing. These are all needle marks." Her voice is barely there. Harry blinks many times. For these to have formed scars… that much scars.
"Dio." He doesn't know what to say. "Why would he do that?"
"For him the blood is all that matters, Harry. He wanted to study my blood. Understand why I'm so powerful." She shakes her head. "Not to mention many other things. He would expose me to extreme heat and then extreme cold." Harry fists one hand. He's so furious. "Then he would make me repeat spells for hours. Hours of the same thing. I barely remember a day I wasn't exhausted."
"Fuck, Hermione." It's all he manages to say in a broken voice.
"I only had some kind of normalcy growing up because of my mother." She lets out the smallest chuckle, "She tried very hard to give me love and affection. She used to take me to the Weasleys. To the Malfoys. My friendship with Ron, Draco and Ginny comes from a young age, but they had no idea what was really going on with me. And I didn't dare say a thing. I was afraid of what my father might do if he found out I was telling his secrets." She gulps. "But things got better when I turned eleven and started going to Hogwarts. Like… way better. Insanely better."
Harry turns her head for her to look at him. When their eyes lock, he says, "You're the bravest and most wonderful woman I've ever met. And I know you don't need me to say that to you because you know who you are, but even so, let me say this. You're amazing, Hermione. And you deserve so much to be happy." He kisses her gently. "None of what happened was your fault, you know that, don't you? It's his fault."
"Harry." She whispers his name, kissing his lips.
And he just kisses her back. Everything she told him is a lot to process. A lot to wrap his mind around. He feels for her, for the childhood that she had, so different and yet similar to his since they were both stolen something. They were stolen the joy a child must enjoy, carefree, without worries, knowing that they're loved and protected by the adults they trust with all their hearts.
And this mere fact stole many more things from them along the years.
He brings her with him to lie down on the bed, their lips still touching. Harry pulls back to look into her eyes. She's so strong. Hermione had no other choice than to be strong or else she would break completely. She could have. She chose not to.
It hits him so suddenly that it takes his breath away: He wants her to be the mother of his children. This woman that will have the most precious love to give. Because it's pure and bright. It shone even in the darkest times.
He smiles. She smiles back.
His hand on her cheek is warm and she leans slightly to kiss his palm. "I've never shared this with anyone else." She whispers.
"Did he ever-" Harry gulps, "Did your father ever apologize for what he did?"
She makes a face. "I don't think that kind of thing exists in his personal world. I've never seen him apologize for absolutely nothing. Not really."
"How do you… still manage to be a loving daughter?"
Hermione looks down, frowning. "I know he's not the ideal father. I know that what he did was wrong. It hurt me. The man who was supposed to protect me." She wets her lips, taking a deep breath. "And I'll never forget this. I'll always remember what he put me through. But-" She blinks a few times, more tears rolling from her eyes, "He's also my father, you know? The only one I have. He's difficult but he has moments of affection. We used to have long talks… we still do. He taught me a lot, not only magical stuff, but also intellectual stuff that helped me throughout my life." She stops for a moment. Harry is totally silent. It's twisted and fucked up, but he gets what she's saying. "And deep down, don't we have this need to please our parents? Don't we want them to be proud of us? I guess in a way I'm still trying to prove myself…"
He sighs. Doesn't he do the same with Matteo? Is he not still seeking for approval? Gritting his teeth, he nods.
"I understand." He says in a low voice.
Of course Hermione stands against her father when she thinks it's the right thing to do, but Harry's not sure she would betray him. He knows he wouldn't do it to Matteo. Never.
He closes his eyes and a comfortable silence fills the room.
His mind is going a million miles an hour. Pressing his lips together, he knows he needs to tell her who he is. He needs to reveal the real reason why he came to London. She needs to know. And even if he dreads her reaction, there's no way of them working out without talking about this.
But maybe he can wait a little longer. Since he told her how he felt, he's been calmer, less anxious. Opening up about being Harry Potter can definitely wait until the last Auror, for sure.
He runs a hand through his hair. Hermione is asleep in his arms. She looks peaceful and he's grateful for that. Even if he can't turn back time and change what she had to endure as a child, he hopes that telling him everything made her feel better in a way.
And the many reasons on his list to kill Tom Riddle just keeps growing.
February 14th, 2006
Ministry of Magic
Harry laughs out loud.
Chiara is talking about the many ways she drove people crazy on the Law Enforcement floor yesterday. She can't stop laughing, imitating their incredulous faces when she said the Minister shouldn't be the judge.
They're just walking inside the Atrium.
He's been spending a lot of time with Chiara for the last three days since the morning Hermione introduced her to Tom Riddle in a meeting she called at the Atrium itself. It was priceless seeing Riddle's face.
And not just that, but Harry couldn't be more entertained with the way Hermione and Chiara are treating each other. It's bizarre how they seem to hate and like one another on the same intensity.
"Could you imagine if-" Chiara stops talking. Hermione is right there in front of them.
Harry opens a tiny smile to her and she discreetly smiles back. Chiara rolls her eyes. "Please, spare me." She says. Hermione presses her lips together and Harry clears his throat. "What do you want, Riddle?"
"Good morning to you too, Ferri." Hermione's tone is sharp, but amused. Chiara makes a face. "We're having a meeting in ten, you're invited."
Harry tilts his head. He has no idea what this meeting could be about.
"Amazing." Chiara says slowly. "I can't wait to give some advice to a fellow Head Auror."
Harry looks down, pursing his lips, holding back a laugh.
"D'Angelo, if you laugh, you're fired." Hermione says in a low voice and Chiara actually chuckles.
"Sorry, it's just too amusing." He says in a whisper while they walk to the elevators.
A few Aurors approach Hermione. Harry and Chiara resume their talk while holding back a few laughs. He can't deny that he's surprised by how well Chiara is dealing with being here. She's not abusing her liberties but she's also not watching everything in silence. Her remarks are actually pretty damn on point, many things Harry would point out himself if he had the chance.
After she was introduced to everyone by Hermione, Riddle only spared her a glance with a nasty welcome. And now, as they enter the Auror's floor, Ginny and Ron greet Chiara with wide smiles. They all instantly liked her, which Harry was sure was going to happen. She's crazy, but she's also captivating. It's no coincidence he left her in charge of the Auror Department in Italy when he left.
They keep walking to the meeting room and meet Draco on the way, who also opens a wide smile to Chiara. Harry internally wants to snort at the way all men like to fight for Chiara's attention in some degree.
The only one who didn't like her was, of course, Pettigrew.
Harry, as always, tries not minding the half kiss and hug Hermione and Pettigrew share when they enter the meeting room, but it's getting harder and harder to deal with this. Chiara sits by his side, giving him a side glance, probably observing the same thing that he is. He discreetly shakes his head to her, however, he knows she'll want to talk about this later.
He relaxes a bit back on his chair when he realizes this is just a routine meeting. There's nothing new for them to discuss and he's sure Hermione only called this one for Chiara to watch and see how they deal with things, which was nice from her. He wants to smile at the thought, but he notices Pettigrew watching him while he watches Hermione and Harry looks down. He hates the whole thing.
"Wait a second." Chiara cuts Hermione's phrase. Harry squints, one hand on his chin, waiting.
"Yes, Ferri?" Hermione asks, her tone neutral.
"Who was in charge of this?" She asks. Harry doesn't know what she's talking about because his mind was far away, but before Hermione can answer, Pettigrew interrupts.
"Look, Italian. Hermione is too nice to tell you to piss off, so I'll do it. Piss off."
Harry tenses on the chair, setting his jaw and murdering Pettigrew with a look.
"Asmo-"
But he also cuts Hermione, "No! This woman is walking around like she owns the place! It's fairly ridiculous and I expected more of you, Hermione. You shouldn't allow this."
Harry opens his mouth, but Chiara's hand on his arm stops him. She leans forward on the table, they're sitting directly in front of Pettigrew and Hermione.
"Excuse me?" Chiara says in a low voice. "Are you serious? Pettigrew?" She makes a face. "Is that your awful name? That's why you're such an ass? I mean I would be with that surname also." Pettigrew fists one hand, Chiara smiles. Harry moves forward. Hermione is watching him. "I've been nothing but polite since I got here, but I have to say, you do bring the worst out of me." She clicks her tongue. "I was ignoring your existence because the moment Head Riddle kindly introduced me to you I knew you were just a lazy prick who thinks he can boss people around just because he's screwing the Head." Hermione grunts, shaking her head and Pettigrew slams one hand on the table, all others inhale sharply. Harry is glad this is not a big meeting. He gravitates closer to Chiara. "Hermione Riddle is a great Head Auror and you should let her do her job instead of getting in the way. There's a reason why the position is hers and not yours, asshole."
Pettigrew stands up and points a finger at Chiara. "You're just a nasty whore-" Harry stands too, his hand swatting away Pettigrew's.
"Don't say another word, Pettigrew. Or I swear." He says to the man, himself in front of Chiara.
Chiara lets out a snort, standing too. "Harry, I know you love to be the gentleman, but I can handle myself, amore." And she smiles at Pettigrew. "You can say whatever you want about me, it won't change the excuse of a man that you are." She winks. "Riddle, sorry about this. But I guess I'm gonna go, you don't need my advice." And she heads to the door, but stops, looking back at Hermione, clicking her tongue, "You know what? There is one advice you do need." Chiara says, Hermione tilts her head, "You need to find a new fiance." And with that she's gone.
Harry chuckles.
"Let's see for how long you'll find things funny, D'Angelo." Pettigrew says in a strange voice that sends a chill down Harry's spine. It doesn't feel like an empty threat.
"Enough." Hermione says. "D'Angelo, you're free to leave if you want to."
Harry nods and indeed walks out, not looking back.
He searches for Chiara.
She's sitting on his desk, one leg crossed over the other. Her face isn't welcoming, but she opens a tight smile to him. Chiara likes to say that she doesn't need protecting or anything, but Harry knows this kind of thing hurts her immensely. He puts up a silencing bubble around them.
"He's a stronzo." He says to her.
She snorts. "Hadn't noticed." Chiara sighs. "You know, I think my time here is over. There's nothing more for me to do here, Harry. And I'm honestly tired. I want to go home and piss the Mafias. Nothing really happens here." She shrugs. He smiles, pocketing his hands. "And I have to admit that she isn't so bad."
"Oh, Dio. It's the end of the world." He mocks her. "I'm sure she'll say the same thing about you." He winks at her.
"It's strange that I kinda of like and hate her. But… don't get me wrong, what the fuck is she doing with that guy? He's a piece of shit." She points out.
Harry makes a face. "I don't know what's the deal, but there's something she's not telling me."
"Obviously." Chiara crosses her arms. "Not just that, but I swear, Harry, if she's making a fool out of you I'll beat the shit out of her." He chuckles.
"I know."
"And I mean… she's with you, but is she also fucking that guy?"
Harry freezes. "I try very hard not to think about that." He says in a low voice.
"You should ask her."
"I really don't want to know the answer." He gulps, feeling the knife - that was gone for a while - twisting.
Suddenly a Patronus reaches them. Harry freezes. It's Matteo's.
"You can leave if you want to, Chiara. It's fine. We need you here." His grandfather says.
"Oh, thank fuck!" She exclaims.
"I thought you were having fun here." He says to her.
"In a way… but… I don't know. I don't feel really welcome here and just because I'm Italian. I don't know how you can handle it."
"I learned how to ignore certain things."
"I'm sure." She stands in front of him. "I'll miss you, amore. Visit soon, okay? And put your shit together here with that woman. In a way I'm glad I'm losing you to her… she's kind of a badass." She shrugs and Harry hugs her tightly, a smile on his face.
"Keep sending me letters." He says and kisses her cheek.
She holds his face with both hands, his hands on her waist. "Can I have a last bit of fun before I leave?" She asks in a low voice and he frowns, not really getting-
Chiara kisses him. Like, really. And he tries not corresponding but, he inevitably does a bit.
She pulls away and winks at him. And then she says to whoever is behind him, "Guys, I'm leaving!"
She walks to say her goodbyes and Harry already knows Hermione is surely there. The one person who Chiara wanted to see the kiss. He groans internally. And when he turns around, Hermione has her eyes on him. He purses his lips, not making a move because Pettigrew is close by.
Coldly, Chiara and Hermione shake their hands in a goodbye.
"Harry will take me to the fireplace," And she takes his hand, guiding him away, "tell the Minister the IWO will get in touch with him soon."
"You're the devil." He whispers on her ear and she laughs.
"I know. But come on, she can handle it."
Harry clicks his tongue. Their walk to the fireplace is filled with provocations.
And then, when she's gone, the coin inside his pocket turns cold.
I love you.
He smiles. That's all that matters.