Note: Omg, you have no idea how hard I laughed at my own obliviousness because of a review on last chapter. An anon reader asked why they kept calling Lily Lilian and I was like… isn't Lilian her name? So, I went to Google and… LOL. Her name is indeed LILY, but I swear I was sure Lily was just a nickname. Like Theo for Theodore, or Ron for Ronald, or Ginny for Ginevra and so on… So, dear anon reader, I could feel your anger when reading the wrong name and I've corrected it in all chapters and from here on there will be no more Lilian. I know it doesn't ruin the whole experience when reading the story, but well…

Still talking about reviews, of course there's hope for them and I don't know if you'll like this information but, there's a lot to happen till we reach the end.

(on another note, I've left a comment on my own story Our Lives. I'm not sure everyone who reads this also read that, but I'm getting a lot of questions about that story. And, yes, I'll finish it, but only when I'm done with Blurred Lines, okay?)

(Part Goddess, Part Gangster - Madalen Duke)

And on with the chapter! Hope you enjoy it!

(…)

November 27th, 2005

Hermione's house

It's been some good hours and she's still staring at the vial. Taking it wasn't her best decision. She clearly betrayed his trust and she hopes Harry doesn't notice that the vial is gone until she's able to return it where it belongs: inside the drawer of his nightstand.

It's a memory.

One that she still hasn't seen.

She keeps asking herself if she should. Maybe it's just a silly thing and she has no idea why she's making a big deal out of it. Maybe it's just something that reminds him of his ex. But…

It can't be something huge, right?

It can't because it was just… there. Inside his drawer. With the potion for his cuts. If he was hiding something inside this memory he would surely protect this vial better, wouldn't he?

She makes a face. Harry is brilliant, but he has moments of mild stupidity. And Hermione can feel that this was one of them. To leave this memory there, sure that no one would take it… a bit stupid.

Hermione opens a tiny smile, regardless. She sighs, thinking about him. She never considered herself a prude, but also not a sex addict, but with Harry… just the thought of him, of his eyes, his mouth, his smile, his hands, his body, his cock, it all makes her squirm inside, her organs turning into jelly. She takes a deep breath, her neck is hot, she's blushing. Hermione groans, butterflies in her stomach. Shit, D'Angelo.

She confesses she's a bit obsessed. She thinks about just being with him constantly now. She wouldn't mind a whole afternoon sharing kisses in his arms. At all.

Okay, focus.

Taking the vial into her hand, she plays with it between her fingers, pondering. If she watches this memory, there's no way of going back, whatever is there is knowledge she'll absorb. She makes a face. Maybe she shouldn't watch it. She knows she needs to discover his secrets in order for her to fulfill her side of the binding obedience contract, but the more Hermione thinks about it, the less she wants to find reasons to turn Harry in to her father.

Truth is… she doesn't want to. Period.

And she knows this will be a problem. She has to be loyal to her father, but at the same time… her feelings for Harry are escalating and changing every day. She needs to find a balance. A point where she can enjoy what they share but also keep some distance. Keep it casual. Just sex. He confirmed to her that they're only having fun, after all.

Groaning, she decides that even if she doesn't use the information inside the memory, she needs to see it. She needs to know.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione opens the vial and pours it into the pensive.

November 28th, 2005

Ministry of Magic

She can't take that memory off her mind.

When she first saw the picture of Harry with his parents, she considered the idea of him being adopted. And now she's sure. The memory told her that. He's not the legit son of Bianca and Marcello. Not Matteo D'Angelo's grandson. Not by blood.

And what they said. That his parents were dead. That he couldn't say a word about this to anyone. That they were protecting him.

She presses her lips together.

Maybe now she knows what question she's making. Maybe now she can answer it.

Someone knocks on her door and Hermione raises her head. She knows it's not Asmo. Peter keeps soliciting, as counselor, that his son is allowed to investigate with him some leads of his own. Hermione didn't want to concede, but her father made her do it. In a way it was for the best since he's not around much, which is a relief.

She clears her throat allowing the person inside.

It's Ginny.

"Hey." The red haired says with a smile. "Wanted to check on you." She sits in front of Hermione, frowning.

Hermione blinks a few times, her mind was so far away thinking of Harry that- "Check on me?"

"Yeah, is everything alright? You're acting strange today." Ginny points out, crossing her legs.

"I-" She gulps. Then, she smiles. "I'm fine. Just a bit worried. I don't think we're getting any answers in this investigation." She makes a face.

Ginny agrees. "Whoever is doing this planned things very well. Who do you think is the traitor?"

"I have no idea." She lies. She has a few ideas. "I think it's more important to understand the motives than to find the culprit." She says in a low voice, her eyes meeting Ginny's. She suspects Sirius. Remus. Eleonora. Even Molly and Arthur. She doesn't want to suspect her friends. Gin, Ron, Draco. But it's pretty hard not to. They're all close. And she wonders if Ginny knows anything about the attacks.

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I do. To betray my father like this… I'm sure it must be some hell of a motive."

Ginny squints. "True. But are you sure you're alright, Hermione? It seems like other things are troubling you."

She sighs. "I feel bad for what happened to D'Angelo." She's talking about the attack at the funeral. "The man's been here less than a month and almost died twice already."

Ginny snorts a laugh and Hermione laughs with her. "He's a great Auror." Hermione raises an eyebrow at the remark.

"What do you think of him, Gin? As a person? Do you think he's… reliable?"

Tilting her head, her friend says, "I think he's nice and committed." Hermione nods. "But… I also think he's dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"Not in a bad way. But he's a powerful man. You look at him and you know it. He can be deadly. But even so… he's mostly soft, isn't he?"

Hermione can't help smiling. Indeed. He's so strong and so… thoughtful. Ginny is watching her closely and Hermione clears her throat to end her smile.

"He thinks we should investigate in Muggle London." Hermione shares.

"A bold move. What are you going to do about it?"

"I think it's a great idea. But you know how my father is… to even suggest this…" Hermione trails.

"And you know how he hates when you listen to your subordinates." Ginny makes a face while saying this, mocking the statement.

Hermione snorts. She avoids taking their ideas to her father because they've already had some fights over this. But Harry's might be worth another fight.

"Yeah. I'm still thinking what I'm gonna do." She sighs. "And how are you? Are you okay?"

"Well, I actually wanted to share with you that Draco and I decided that… we're finally ready to have children!"

Hermione gulps, feeling cold inside and also so very happy for her friend. "That's amazing, Gin!" She says, "I'm ready to spoil this child." She jokes, her heart squeezing inside her chest.

This will be her life, won't it? Spoiling her friends' children. Not her own.

Smiling, Ginny says, "You'd better! And we'll be ready to do the same with yours and Asmo's."

Hermione sets her jaw, nodding her head and forcing out a smile. Suddenly she wants to cry. Except for her mother, no one knows that she can't have children. She even obliviated the private healer. Hermione couldn't risk having such delicate information about the Riddle Heir in the hands of a stranger.

"That'll be nice." She says, her voice wavering. This reality saddens her.

And then Ginny begins to talk about other stuff, but Hermione barely listens, her mind is far away. She never told any of her boyfriends about this, mostly because none ever got real serious with a chance of marriage, so why reveal her secret?

But now with Asmo…

He still hasn't proposed but she's sure he'll soon. And then what?

She blinks a few times, her attention going back to Ginny.

Putting a smile on her face, she pretends there's nothing wrong.

Like she's been doing her entire life.

November 29th, 2005

Hogwarts Grounds

She knew the meeting with her father was going to be disastrous, but she had to try. Him not accepting the idea of investigating in Muggle London wasn't a surprise, she already knew he wouldn't agree to it, however she wanted to go through some protocol, show her father that she still obeys him.

Yeah, right.

But what really made her uncomfortable and angry was the way he talked about her and Harry. The clear confirmation that a relationship between them is an impossibility. In that moment, Hermione was glad she hadn't ended things with Asmo. If she had, she's sure Harry would already be gone, sent away back to Rome and banished from England.

It infuriates her that finding her supposed soulmate is less important than keeping up appearances and having a conventional marriage with the son of one of his followers-

But the way Harry rejected the idea of them… It hurt. Of course she knows they're only having fun, and Harry doesn't care about the Traditional or about what it means - he kissed her forehead, for fuck's sake - but it's hard not minding. He said he still wants Sally. Well, that wrecked her. But it's fine. It's all fine. She has Asmo and-

Ginny said he bought a ring.

She's not ready. Not ready to say yes to him. She wasn't before Harry and the Traditional, and now she's even less. When she pictures Asmo proposing the only answer that comes to her mind is a resounding 'NO'.

There's nothing she can do about all of this, at least, right now, she can't see a solution. And… Harry. The memory. She needs to know if she's crazy or not. And she's here to get some answers.

She keeps walking to the castle. She loves this place. This school saved her life. If it wasn't for Hogwarts and its sturdy walls - and Dumbledore - she has no idea what more experiments her father might have done with her, no idea if she would even come out alive.

Her eyes find one hoop of the Quidditch field and she smiles. She has great memories of playing. It was a personal satisfaction beating Slytherin. Which is odd when she thinks that she grew up yearning for the moment that the Hat would call out the 'Slytherin' for her. When it didn't happen she wasn't sad about being sorted into Gryffindor, but she surely was afraid of her parents' reaction.

And her father was indeed furious. He kept saying that it was in his blood, the Lineage and stuff. That she couldn't be his daughter. That he should disown her.

Hermione snorts. She was eleven. Eleven and her father was saying such things.

Like always, it was her mother who stepped in and calmed Hermione. There was nothing wrong in being sorted into another house because they knew she would be the best, regardless.

And she was. The best. In every little thing she committed herself to.

Even so, it was not enough for Tom Riddle.

She crosses her arms, there are many students outside, all chatting and laughing. Enjoying their youth. It brings a smile to her face.

"Hermione." She turns on her heels. Minerva - her former Transfiguration professor - is right there with a smile on her face.

"Professor." Hermione smiles, hugging her.

"Please, I already told you to call me Minerva a thousand times." Hermione chuckles, nodding. "Come, let's talk inside my office."

They talk amenities while they walk through the halls. Minerva is a warm and fierce older woman and Hermione admires her very much, since she was a little girl. She remembers spending countless extra hours with Minerva just because she wanted to learn more. Ron and Ginny couldn't believe her, but she never minded what others would think. It was new for her. Learning without being taken to exhaustion and yelled at if she failed.

She sighs. Hermione feels nostalgic. And she smiles when she remembers that Harry was actually dressed as a Hogwarts' student on Halloween-

She freezes. What connection or attachment could he possibly have with this school, if not-? Fuck, it was right there before my eyes. She bites her lower lip. He wrote a message to the ones he lost that night. His parents.

Before they reach the classroom, a few students stop Minerva to talk about homework and Hermione leans at a corner, giving them time. Her mind is going so fast she's not sure what she's thinking-

"Hermione Riddle."

She closes her eyes. She recognizes the voice, of course. She turns to greet another former professor.

"Professor Trelawney." Hermione opens a tight smile.

She was her Divination teacher. Totally bonkers.

"I can see that Destiny has found you. Finally."

Hermione tries not rolling her eyes or making a face. This woman used to predict suffering for her almost every class. Not that she was totally wrong if she thinks about it, but…

"Hasn't it found us all, professor?" She asks ironically.

"Oh, dear," Trelawney comes closer and Hermione widens her eyes when she touches her arm. Then the professor recoils, a bit startled. "I see great suffering." Hermione purses her lips, what's new? But before she can utter another snarky remark, Trelawney continues, "And also great happiness." Hermione opens her mouth. "Oh, but how unbalanced they are-"

"Trelawney." Minerva comes to them, smiling.

Hermione barely pays attention to what they're saying. Great happiness. It's the first time ever that someone predicted something good for her. It makes her feel… hopeful.

And she's sure Trelawney is talking about Harry. She knows. He's what's new in her life. What changed.

Not that she ever believed in her predictions. Ironic, huh?

She tries focusing when she resumes her walk with Minerva to the classroom. She's here for a reason.

When they finally settle inside, Hermione gulps. "I need a favor." She says to Minerva.

"Of course, dear. What is it?"

"Do you remember those coins you gave me on my fifth year? For us to schedule our extra lessons more easily?" Hermione is sitting on the chair in front of Minerva's desk.

"I do! They're a nice little trick, aren't they?"

"Yes." Hermione smiles. "I tried replicating them on my own, but I guess there's something only you know, Minerva, and I really need some of these coins, so…" She trails.

"I see." Minerva says and starts searching for something in one of her drawers. "You probably forgot about the incantation capable of making the portal look like a coin."

Hermione frowns. "What?"

"Well, Hermione, these," She raises her hand filled with at least six coins, "are in fact magical portals that may look like coins or anything else. How do you think the messages go through? Not to mention the way it can be used as a Portkey." Minerva winks at her, handing over the six coins.

Hermione smiles. "Thank you. You should sell these for a living, Minerva. I swear, you would make a fortune." She says playfully, fondly.

"Oh, dear, please. I'm more than happy just teaching here."

Hermione pockets the coins and grits her teeth, thinking. "Minerva, can I ask you about… James Potter?"

Minerva stops breathing for a second, her eyes narrowing. "What about James Potter?"

Hermione gulps. "Well, he was a Gryffindor, wasn't he?"

"Yes."

It annoys her how talking about the Potters is almost taboo. "What else can you tell me about him?"

"Hermione, why do you wanna know? For what?"

"I'm just curious-"

"Hasn't this already caused you enough trouble when you were twelve?"

"Yeah, well, I'm not a child anymore. I can make these questions." She doesn't intend for her tone to be harsh, but it is. Minerva sighs.

"There's not much I can tell, to be honest. He was a great student, dedicated and happy. He used to get in a lot of trouble with Remus, Sirius, Peter and Lucius." Minerva shrugs. "He was an excellent Quidditch player and-"

"Yeah?" Hermione didn't know about this. "Do you have a picture of the team?"

She tries not sounding anxious. She needs to see a photo of James. Then, she'll be sure. She tried looking for one, but it was impossible to find. She has no doubt that all existing photos are inside that file on the Persecution that rests in her father's office. Maybe Sirius or Remus might have one with them, but she won't dare asking for it.

"A picture?" Minerva raises an eyebrow. "Well, I might have." She gives Hermione a look before sighing and getting up, going to a cabinet at the corner.

Of course she does have one. Every year they take pictures of the Houses' teams.

Hermione waits, her heart pounding inside her chest. She has no idea what she's going to do if her doubts are confirmed. She saw a picture of Lily and James only once, when she was thirteen. She can't quite remember it, but that's what gave her the sensation that she was not seeing something important when she looked at the picture of Harry with Bianca and Marcello.

"Ah." Minerva says, a frame in her hands. Hermione can't see the photo from where she's sitting and she doesn't stand. She waits for Minerva to bring it to her. "Here. He was indeed a handsome boy."

When Minerva places the framed photograph in front of Hermione, one of her fingers pointing to James Potter, she has to hold her chair's edges not to faint right there.

Hermione takes the frame in her hands. She doesn't know why but she wants to cry.

If she didn't know that the boy she's looking at was James Potter, she would surely mistake him for Harry D'Angelo.

The notion gives her a headache. Oh, fuck. What am I going to do now?

There's no doubt left.

The same hair, the same face, the same smile.

But not the eyes. No. Harry's are Lily's eyes.

"Indeed." Her voice is barely there. "It's a shame what happened."

She blinks many times, completely shaken and lost. Breathe, Hermione.

"Are you okay, dear?" Minerva asks.

"Yeah, sure." She opens a tight smile, handing the photo over to Minerva. "I just remembered that I need to head back to the Ministry." She stands up fast. "Again, Minerva, thank you." She hugs her professor. Minerva makes a face but doesn't question her any further.

Hermione leaves the classroom with heavy steps.

He's a Potter. Harry D'Angelo is Harry Potter.

This is insane. Insane.

Insane!

Her mind is not functioning properly, but she thinks about how it all fits perfectly. Harry is twenty-five. They died twenty-four years ago.

He was a little more than one.

Oh. Fuck.

Her father was the responsible for their death.

Hermione walks faster out of the castle. She needs to reach a certain point to be able to apparate back. She doesn't notice a thing around her while she goes.

How he survived?

No one knows about this. There's not even rumor that the Potters had had a child.

She can't believe this is happening.

Hermione stops when she reaches the tree that marks the limits to apparition. She wants to vomit. And she does, bending over, crying now.

She calms down leaning on the tree. It's obvious that Harry is now in London seeking revenge. That's his secret. That's why he looked at her with incriminating eyes when he found out her name. He hates the Riddles.

Pressing her lips together she shakes her head. But the way he treats her, how he looks at her, the way he kisses her- it doesn't seem like he hates her. He saved her life!

She has no idea what to think. Or how to handle this.

Telling her father or anyone else is out of question. Harry would be dead in a second-

Lucius.

He recognized Harry, of course. And he tried killing him when he had the chance. He looks too much like James. She wonders if everybody else recognized him… there's no way of knowing. No one has manifested the idea until now. She would know if they had said something to her father-

How come he didn't recognize Harry? Is her father blind? He wasted four years of his life going after the Potters and he can't even see when an young man that has the perfect age to be their son looks exactly like James Potter?

It can't be. Or…

Maybe her father's ego is just too big. He doesn't even entertain the idea, it doesn't cross his mind that the Potters would have been able to hide a child so well.

And what about the D'Angelos? What is their role in all of this? How they found Harry? Were they even looking? Were they close to the Potters?

Well, she found the answer to one question. But now she got another hundred in return.

Hermione looks at her watch. She needs to go back to the Ministry. No one can know that she was here, especially her father. He hates when she visits Hogwarts.

Taking one coin from her pocket, Hermione magically draws the Uroboros symbol at one side. Then she does the same with another coin. This will be the sign that will unite her coin to Harry's.

She gulps. I have to act as if nothing happened. I can't show him that I know who he is.

Using a simple spell she knows that's able to calm down some anxiety, she apparates back to the alley close to the Ministry.

She'll be watching Harry. Closely. She needs time to think about what she's going to do with this information. Apart from her logical deduction and clues that she put together, there's no actual concrete proof that demonstrates that he is a Potter. So, she just needs to be careful while she tries understanding him and his motives. She has to find out what his plans are. What he truly wants.

And she knows exactly where she'll be looking for clues.

November 30th, 2005

Harry's flat

Well, she's not allowed to apparate inside, but Hermione can pick a lock - such a mundane and clever ability she learned a long time ago. And Harry, as all Wizards, has no secondary lock, so, she smiles to herself when the flat's door clicks open.

She knows he's not home because she overheard Ginny yesterday inviting him for dinner. With Sally. She scrunches her whole face into a nasty expression, the jealousy burning inside her. It's awful to know that they're all together having a great time while she has to refuse such invitations constantly.

Because it's not proper for a Riddle to be indulging in such things almost every week.

Bullshit.

Hermione only obeys this nonsense because she lacks the strength to fight about this all the time. But it surely feels like her father wants to keep her away from everything and everyone that makes her happy. Something he wasn't capable of doing when she was away at Hogwarts.

She closes the door behind her and inhales deeply when she takes one step inside the empty flat. It's dark and she uses a spell to turn on all the lights.

His flat is pretty simple. Clean, cozy and modern. It's actually the perfect choice for a single man in Wizarding London. She nods to herself at his good taste.

Then, the first thing she does is walk straight to his bedroom, the memory vial in her hand. His bed is a mess and she shakes her head, putting the vial inside the drawer carefully. She doesn't think he noticed a thing. Which is a relief.

"Okay. Now what?"

She wants answers.

Hermione crosses her arms in the middle of the room. She tries not thinking about the way he said they can't keep having sex. It was like a slap on the face. But knowing who he truly is… she understands his reasons. It would be catastrophic for him if someone found out about them and she doesn't want that.

And maybe it's better if we keep this distance. Maybe I can think more clearly.

Because with her legs wrapped around him she can't think at all.

"Revelio." She murmurs inside the room, waiting for something to happen.

But all her spell is capable of doing is revealing a sock that was forgotten behind a wardrobe. She chuckles. Shaking her head she enters his bathroom. Hermione looks at herself in the mirror.

"Lost all your principles, huh? Taking his stuff, breaking into his flat." She groans to herself. She knows it's wrong, but she can't think of another way of being one step ahead. She needs to do this.

There's nothing inside the bathroom and she sighs. His smell is all over the place and she inevitably thinks about the way they fucked inside that cabinet yesterday. Well, that was something. It was intense. And the way he looked at her…

She goes to the living room.

Hesitating for a moment, she decides sitting down on the only couch. It's a big and nice couch. From there she can see the open space of the kitchen and the dinning table. There's also a nice window that gives the perfect view of the night outside.

Hermione squints. There's a wall on the opposite side of the couch. She crosses one leg over the other.

"A wall." She tilts her head. It's strange for someone to have a couch just facing a wall like that. She puts a hand on the pillow bellow her. "Do you sit here a lot, Harry?" She can tell that he does. Hermione presses her lips together and takes out her wand. "Revelio." She murmurs.

At first, nothing happens. But she clearly sees a thin layer of protection on the wall, its surface shining and then going back to normal.

She lowers her head. Maybe everything she's looking for is right there. And she's not so sure she wants to know. She's not sure she should have this knowledge. It might be dangerous for both of them.

But she's here for this.

"Revelio." This time she puts an extra effort into the spell and after shining, the wall reveals itself for her.

She inhales sharply. Her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.

"Fuck, Harry." She whispers.

All their names are there. The families.

She gulps. There's one line that confirms who he is. In case she still had any doubt:

- Destroy the lives of everyone remotely involved in what happened to my parents.

His parents. The Potters.

She holds her head with a hand, closing her eyes.

The risk he's taking.

Is his revenge worth it? He's her subordinate, for fuck's sake. She's Hermione Riddle. She could call her father right now into this flat and show him all of this. Harry wouldn't wake to see the next day.

And they fucked. They share the Perfect Harmony. "I might be in love with him." She says to herself, her voice low. Hermione snorts, laughing right after. "Oh, Trelawney, you have no idea."

The mess.

What is she going to do? A Potter. Alive. This is huge. This could change everything. Could alter their whole lives. Does Harry has any idea? How strongly most part of the Wizard population hates her father?

They only need a spark to start a real big fire.

And Harry is this spark.

But does he know?

Her eyes go back to the wall.

Surprisingly, she snorts a chuckle when she reads: - Punch Pettigrew's face. She wonders if he's talking about Asmo or Peter. Probably both.

But then she has nothing to laugh about: - Kill Tom Riddle's family.

As Head Auror, this single phrase would be enough for her to arrest Harry and send him to Azkaban to die. To be executed. No Dementor's kiss or a life in jail. Just death.

This is treason.

However, it doesn't faze her. Would he? Kill her? For real? She gulps. For a man that saved her life when he had the chance to let Tom Riddle watch his own daughter die…

Her eyes focus on her name. It's circled. She opens a tiny smile. "Do I intrigue you, Harry?" She feels butterflies in her stomach at the thought.

She must be crazy. Even with this wall in front of her, knowing that he's a Potter and that he plans to kill her family, she… wants him.

Hermione lets out a strangled sound, covering her face with both hands.

She needs to think.

There are two paths in front of her.

She could end this here and now. Call her father, arrest Harry and send him to his death. End of story. No more Potter, no more nothing, things go back to normal and that's it.

Or.

"I could help him."

The thought surprises her. But it makes sense in a way. She always wanted to discover what really happened to the Potters. It never settled right with her that even when they were running away, clearly wanting to start over in another place, her father kept going after them. She knows that six Aurors against a civil couple was an act of cowardice.

It was murder.

Is Harry that wrong for wanting revenge? No. He isn't. She would do the same.

She massages her temple, thinking.

It could be a chance to discover what happened and keep an eye on him at the same time. If she's aware of his steps, there's no way of him surprising her or catching them unprepared. And maybe I can stop him from doing stupid things.

She grunts. There's a lot in her hands already, shouldn't she just deal with this?

"As if." She murmurs.

Hermione is trying to pretend that she hasn't decided yet. Of course she'll help him. If she almost died herself when she saw him bleeding on that floor, how in the world is she sending him to his sure death? There isn't the slightest chance.

"It won't be easy, though."

At all.

She has the binding obedience to think about. And now she knows one more secret. Her father wants her to make sure that D'Angelo is not a threat to him. She shakes her head and laughs hysterically.

"Not a threat, father, just a Potter." She says still laughing at the irony of it all.

She reads again what's on the wall. He suspects Peter - or/and Sirius and Remus - betrayed his parents. Asmo likes to say that it was his father who found out where they were hiding… and knowing Peter, Hermione thinks that's just about right.

But if Harry suspects Sirius this much, what is he doing with Sally? She squints at that. Could it be that he doesn't actually feel something for her? Is Sally just a way for him to infiltrate the Blacks?

Am I also? A means to an end?

The notion unsettles and angers her.

Is he using her like this?

No. It was her who took the first step after the Traditional. If anything, he was still resisting, probably because of all the implications, especially because she's a Riddle. She lets out a heavy breath. He's been nothing but respectful with her, gentle.

Does he feel something more?

It could be.

Hermione doesn't think a simple attraction would make him risk his entire revenge… not to mention what he saw that night in the Mirror. But he saw both the way they were standing, using the Ball clothes. It was not a desire of a future or something more. He was probably yearning for them because they'd just fucked. This makes more sense than any other explanation because in a way she knows that he would never forgive himself if he felt something for a Riddle.

She crosses her arms, bracing herself. They can't get too involved. They can't develop deeper feelings or anything like that. If they happen to fuck again, it must be strictly that. Sex and nothing more.

If having anything with him was already impossible, now it's just ten times more impossible.

Nodding to herself, she feels calmer. She'll help him. She knows their reasons to investigate the Persecution are very different, and his final goal is to take down and kill her father, but until then, a lot can happen. A lot can change.

She'll need to manage this, be in control.

Okay.

She sighs. "How am I going to do this?"

Hermione can't just walk up to him and say, 'hey, let's investigate the Potters' Persecution together?'. It would be perfect if he asked for her help, but she doubts he'll do it. Harry doesn't trust her, of course.

She sighs, standing up and using a spell to erase any evidence that she was there. She needs to clear her head, maybe a run is just the perfect thing for it. She opens his door and exits the flat, checking to see if the lock is perfect.

The idea of helping him and the reality of who he is needs to settle inside her, mature. So, she steers her thoughts to the investigation on what happened at the Fair. She'll follow through with Harry's idea. She knows that investigating in Muggle London will give them some kind of answer.

December 5th, 2005

Hermione's house

She throws a glass against the wall and watches it shatter into a thousand pieces.

What a fucking day she just had.

Hermione is furious. They were investigating behind her back, going into Muggle London as if they were untouchable. What the fuck was Ron thinking? Luna is pregnant!

She grunts and throws another glass on the wall.

And Harry.

She shakes, angry, letting out a breath. He's crazy. If he's caught in a situation like this and interrogated under Veritaserum he's truly dead.

If I weren't at the same shop, at the same time, I would never know about this absurd!

She throws another glass, aware that she's out of control.

Because on top of everything, she discovered this morning that Harry went through her stuff in her office! Hermione grits her teeth. The fact that he did it was kinda of expected, but it angers her that it was after they shared that intimate moment and-

She leans on her kitchen counter, breathing deeply. She needs to be smart about this. He saw the note with her few remarks on the Persecution.

Maybe interrogating him, being a bit harsh and then staying on his side… She raises an eyebrow.

Might be a good idea.

He can't deny what he did and what he was looking for.

What is he going to tell her, though? Not the truth, obviously. She's curious to know how he'll explain himself.

Crossing her arms, a few fingers tapping her own cheek, she thinks about the news she just got two days ago. Matteo D'Angelo is running for Ministro. And this changes things a bit. What's Harry's involvement? Is Matteo an even bigger threat? Are his parents the only reason why Harry is here or is he working with Matteo on another entirely different thing?

She makes a face and moves her wrist to glue back together her glasses. When they're perfect as new, Hermione puts them away inside the cupboard and-

Her eyes fall on the coin she shares with Harry. It's there on her counter. And it holds a message from him:

Are you home? Alone?

She clicks her tongue and chuckles. "Is this Destiny acting, professor Trelawney?"

Because she was just thinking about how she was going to get him somewhere for this interrogation and having him inside her house couldn't be more perfect for it. He surely wants to talk about what happened earlier today. Hermione flips the coin, thinking.

She has one shot at this and she needs to play her cards right. He needs to trust her… they need to do this together. How?

Harry is smart. She can't be too eager about it, but not too nonchalant either. Keeping her distance from him this whole week was the best decision. It cleared her mind a bit and she won't feel so bad for putting him in such a situation.

She decides and takes the coin to answer:

Yes

Will he come?

She widens her eyes when she hears the knocks on her front door. Her heart quickens and she prepares herself. She can't ruin this.

March 25th, 2006

Riddle Manor

Her mother is silent. She's been this way for minutes since Hermione explained how she found out that Harry is a Potter. She was unsure about sharing this, but from what she gathered at the meeting, it seems like Sirius and everyone else already know his true identity, so, telling her mother is not that crazy.

"So," Bellatrix finally says, sighing, "You know the truth."

Hermione widens her eyes, blinking. "What? You knew?"

"Yes."

Hermione takes the bottle of Firewhiskey. "Merlin, this is getting way too fucked up." She takes a huge gulp. "How, mum? How?"

"Hermione, you said yourself, he looks exactly like James." Bellatrix shakes her head. "It was courageous of him to come here without disguising himself or something, but to be honest I think he was counting with the fact that no one would imagine that James and Lily had had a child. In a way it works, but if you pay enough attention, if you talk with him, it's clear as water."

"Do you think father knows?" This is her biggest fear.

"I think he… might have some suspicions. But not really. Harry would be dead by now if he knew."

Hermione nods. "Asmodeus threatened taking this information to father, I can't let him do this."

"But, Hermione, let him talk! You go there and say that he's lying-"

"Mum. He has concrete proof." She makes a face, sighing.

"Which kind? Let's destroy it."

Hermione shakes her head. "Asmo took Harry's blood to analyze. A blood spell. Peter had recognized Harry at the Ball and of course he told Asmo. And the whole thing with Lucius… Asmo began investigating Harry's life, that's why he was away all the time." She closes her eyes. "I- I said no when he proposed."

"Oh, darling."

"Yeah. And then he exposed everything he knew about Harry and said that if I didn't marry him, he would make sure that father learned the truth. You see," She exhales heavily. "Since he knew what he was looking for it wasn't difficult to link Harry to James. As you know, after you have a record, after you're interrogated by the Ministry, they hold samples of your blood in case they need it."

"Bloody fuck!" Bellatrix exclaims. "Asmo took James'." Hermione nods. "Yeah, that's some solid proof indeed. There's no way of going against this blood test." Bellatrix raises an eyebrow. "Apparently Harry can't lie under Veristaserum and even if he learned how to, it wouldn't matter with this."

"I know. I've been looking for these samples incessantly. He hid them too well."

"And the price for not revealing this is… you?"

"In a way. The marriage into the Riddles." She narrows her eyes, angry. "At least, my small revenge is that I can't have children. In this case it's actually perfect." She sneers. "All Asmo wants is an heir. A Riddle with the Pettigrew name. He'll wait his whole life for it." Hermione says in a low voice and drinks more Firewhiskey.

"He doesn't know, then?"

She shakes her head. "Only you know, mum."

Bellatrix purses her lips. "I already failed you too much in this life, Hermione. I won't let you marry this monster. We'll work together and find a way of destroying these samples, do you understand? You will get your happiness-"

"No. It's over now. It's-"

"Don't you dare give up!" Bellatrix takes her hand. "Listen to me. There's still hope. We can still fix this."

"Mum…" She whines, wanting to cry again.

"That man inside that cell under the Ministry right now, Hermione, he's your happiness and I'm certain that he wouldn't give up. I'm almost sure that after everything, he's still giving you some benefit of the doubt. Because he loves you. Because if he knew what Pettigrew is doing, he would willingly turn himself to your father."

Hermione sobs. "Exactly! I know. But our family already took too much from him, mum." She whispers. "I can't let him-"

"Stop. You can't control everything." Hermione grunts, crying. "I've never seen you so happy." Bellatrix hugs her again. "He's the light of your life, Hermione. Don't forfeit this. Haven't you gone through enough already?"

"I-" She chokes. "I shouldn't have-" She shakes her head, the words struggling to leave her mouth. "I knew what was going to happen and even so I stayed with him, mum. I said I loved him. I told him personal things. I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't."

Bellatrix sighs. "Don't blame yourself for wanting to feel happiness, Hermione. All of us want to love and feel loved. Safe." Her mother makes a strange sound and Hermione raises her eyes to her, frowning. "Look… I-" Bellatrix looks shy now, "I can't let you give up because I didn't."

"What?" Hermione whispers.

"When you left for Hogwarts I… I felt lonelier than ever, but even so, I found love." Hermione widens her eyes. "With John."

She opens her mouth, blinking, very surprised. "Are you serious?"

Her mother nods. "We used to spend every afternoon together and well," She opens a tiny smile, "it happened."

Hermione actually lets out a little laugh of joy. "For real? For how long?"

"It's been thirteen years and counting."

"Mum. That's… I don't know exactly how I feel about it, but if it makes you happy, I'm happy too."

Bellatrix smiles, hugging Hermione again. "No one even imagine this." She sighs. "I never knew I could find such happiness, never knew it existed and felt so good. I'm sure it's similar to what you feel with Harry."

Hermione stays silent for a while. Thinking about her and Harry. "Maybe we've had our share of happiness and now it's over." She whispers at last, closing her eyes.

The memories take over her.

(…)