Note: You guys, it's good to be back and I'm so glad that you're happy about it!
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Hope you enjoy this chapter!
(Here comes the rain again - Hypnogaja, ShyBoy - Love this version)
May 1st, 2006
Wizarding Village in London
Harry crosses his arms, incredibly surprised by Dolohov's house. Different from all the others he visited with Hermione, this one is actually… pretty luxurious.
It's a big house and it looks new, taken care of. As if people live in it.
Chiara apparates by his side. "So, which one?" She asks.
He points out, not saying a word.
He wished… Hermione were there.
Harry grits his teeth. He can't stop thinking about her-
He hears another apparition sound and turns sharply to his other side to see… Hermione.
Harry widens his eyes. "What are you doing here?" He asks bluntly.
She squints. "I'm saving your ass, again." She says and raises her wand, performing a few spells, "I was monitoring the house and got a warning that you two were here." She glances at Chiara. "And like I'm sure you didn't check, there's an illusory charm around the whole place."
And just as she finishes talking, the charm lifts and Harry whistles at the sight of an utter destroyed house appearing where the other one was standing a few seconds ago.
"I don't consider that saving my ass." He murmurs. Chiara snorts.
Hermione lifts an eyebrow, annoyed. "You sure know that if you enter a charmed house like that you can get lost inside forever, right?"
"Of course I know." He rolls his eyes, turning to her, "But we just got here and I was going to check!" He exclaims in a low voice.
"Well, I beat you to it." She shrugs and Harry scoffs.
"Fine. Thanks, you can go now." He says and turns to look at the house again. Even if he wants her there… this is not so professional.
It's Hermione's turn to scoff. "I'm doing this with you." She states firmly and Harry sets his jaw.
Then he looks at Chiara, outraged.
Chiara is watching them with an amused expression that irritates Harry a bit.
"Chi, tell her to go." Harry says.
Hermione laughs, Chiara too. Harry opens his mouth.
"Well, if she wants to stay…" Chiara shrugs.
Harry exhales heavily. "I swear, I preferred when you clearly didn't like each other."
"Ah, you didn't." Chiara says, winking at Hermione, who, winks back.
He has no opinion about this- No. He does have one. Not good. They'll certainly team up against him at some point. He runs a hand through his hair and sighs.
"Fine, let's go, then."
In silence and very discreetly, they walk to the house. Harry can't deny that having Hermione there with him means the world. It gives him a warm sensation, some good feelings getting a hold of him and making it easier to face Dolohov and whatever they may encounter inside. They started this together, it's only fitting they end it together.
He glances at her, his heart squeezing inside his chest. He can't help loving her-
"We should try the back door, right?" Chiara asks in a whisper and his attention shifts to her and to what they're about to do.
"Better." Hermione says before he can, reaching for the door, but Harry takes a wide step to be in front of her.
"Let me." He says, wanting to check to be sure that there's no danger for them.
She nods and waits a step behind with Chiara by her side. Harry performs a spell, paying attention to the movements inside. Even with the spell… he can't tell. If Dolohov is there, he's very quiet or using a counter spell, which is improbable. The Auror has no idea the three are standing outside his door, right?
"So?" Hermione asks.
Harry shakes his head. "There's no way of being sure." He whispers.
"It's three against one. I like our odds." Chiara says, motioning to the door.
He looks at Hermione. She nods.
Harry uses an alohomorra to open the door and it starts to creak. Fast enough, Hermione murmurs a spell to fix it.
Gulping, he goes inside.
It's dark. Darker than it should be. Hermione is taking a step by his side and he moves his arm to stop her. Chiara stops on her own.
He shares a look with Hermione. She bites her lower lip, nodding. He wants her to be careful. And she's telling him the same thing.
Inhaling deeply, he moves, both doing the same, the three separating in a non verbal agreement.
The house looks like a maze. Harry can see four corridors and he hates the hairs on his nape rising. Hermione is entering one and Chiara another. The place is clearly enchanted and it complicates things.
Setting his jaw he enters the corridor right in front of him.
Harry goes slowly at first, then, he starts to walk faster, practically jogging, his wand in front of him, some faint light coming out of the tip. The corridor seems to go on forever-
A scream reaches him.
He stops.
Harry chews the insides of his cheeks. It didn't sound like Hermione or Chiara, so, it must be just a distraction. He resumes his walk. They're both very powerful and capable of taking care of themselves. Relax. They're fine.
He keeps going. Reality is surely distorted and he wonders if Dolohov did this by himself. Apparently he's one prepared former Auror. And Harry hates it. He needs to find answers tonight, he needs to have some new information capable of giving him a lead or even a notion of what happened on that Halloween night-
Another scream. And this one makes him shudder.
Hermione.
He's sure.
Not even thinking about it, he runs back to the entrance of the corridor. He saw each one she entered and-
Another scream. She's in pain.
Fuck. Fuck.
He goes faster, not daring to yell for her and reveal his presence. Harry grunts at the darkness, and increases the light in front of him.
Now he can hear her screams nearer and he sees red. If Dolohov hurts her, he'll kill him on the spot, fuck the interrogation.
Harry keeps running and- he reaches a dead end.
No.
Hermione keeps screaming and he blinks a few times, breathing hard.
"HARRY!" It's Chiara calling him. "WHERE ARE YOU?"
He knows she's screaming at the top of her lungs, but even so her voice reaches him faintly.
"ARE YOU WITH HERMIONE?" He screams to her, not caring anymore.
"YES! FUCK, IT'S BAD, HARRY!"
And Hermione lets out a scream so painful that- is almost as if it's hurting him.
He takes deep breaths, trying to calm down.
"SAVE HER, CHI! PLEASE!" He can't even think properly.
His left hand begins to burn. And he realizes it happens each time they're close and almost… dying.
He bangs one hand against the wall. Then he punches it.
"HERMIONE!" He calls her and the only answer is her scream. "TALK TO ME, CHI!"
But there's only a silence now.
Harry decides running to the other extremity of the corridor. And he goes as fast as he can-
To meet another dead end.
He's trapped.
His left hand is burning hot and he chews the insides of his cheeks, nervous. He's feeling a bit mad.
Harry can't hear her screams anymore or even Chiara's voice.
He's sweating, panting.
And he feels a pain so strong in his left hand that he screams. It's like the connection they share is being… severed.
He closes his eyes.
Harry raises his left hand in the air, the wand in his right one, and, mustering magic inside him, he thinks of a spell capable of destroying all the illusions and enchantments inside the house. He knows it might be dangerous for them, but the alternative is just as terrifying.
He won't let Hermione die.
With a grunt, he utters the spell and feels the magic leaving him, searching the many spells inside the house and breaking all of them simultaneously. Harry inhales sharply. The magic comes back to him in a rush.
He grits his teeth. And opens his eyes.
The interior that revealed itself for him is very small, just one barren room actually. And Chiara is crying on the floor, kneeling. Hermione is lying down, her head on Chiara's lap.
She looks dead.
"No." He whispers and kneels, taking her from Chiara's lap, cradling her, taking her left hand in his. "Hermione!" He calls to her.
There's nothing when their left hands touch.
An unparalleled despair takes over him.
But he won't give up. Never.
Come on, I've done this before, I can do it again.
With everything he has inside him, Harry focus on their jointed hands, thinking about her and every little detail he loves so much.
Hermione can't leave him. Not like this. Not so soon.
The v neck from her t-shirt allows him to see a scar close to her heart. It's vivid red, as if burning. Probably from the spell that was casted on her. It looks odd and he touches it with his right hand. Immediately he feels dark magic emanating from it.
And he breathes relieved.
She's not dead.
She's in a deep slumber caused by this magic.
Harry chokes, crying. "You'll be okay." He touches her forehead with his, kissing hers gently after.
"I- didn't know what to do and-" Chiara is crying. "Cazzo. I freaked out! I'm sorry, Harry-"
"It's okay, Chi." He says in a low voice, thinking about the many counter spells he knows capable of dispelling this dark influence. "We can't stay here." He says, and ponders if it's safe enough to apparate with Hermione like this.
"Right." Chiara says, a bit calmer. "Let's apparate to the flat. I think she'll be okay."
They nod to each other and on the next second they're in Harry's living room. He's trembling a bit, the moment very much like the one they shared when they rescued mother and daughter. He summons a pillow for her head and gets rid of her t-shirt with a flick of his wrist.
Now he can see better. Her necklace. And the scar. It looks worse. Red with dark veins coming out of it and taking over Hermione's skin.
"What happened?" He asks Chiara, taking a deep breath. He wants to heal her as fast as possible, but knowing what hit her might be helpful.
Chiara is very shaken. "I heard her first scream and was able to reach her pretty fast, I briefly saw Dolohov but I don't think he saw me." Harry sets his jaw, squeezing Hermione's hand. "I mean, they were dueling. You know how powerful Hermione is and she looked so sure of herself, but- I heard her uttering a protective spell and it didn't work, Harry. She failed and his curse hit her with full force."
Harry blinks. "She- That's very…"
"Strange, right? Since when her spells don't work?" Chiara makes a face, looking a bit calmer, but also very confused.
Harry sets his jaw. He can't quite think about this now. "What spell hit her?"
Chiara tells him and he chews the insides of his cheeks, nodding. He knows what to do.
With their left hands together, he puts his right one over the scar. It's like the thing is pulsating on its own, which gives him a terrible sensation.
Bringing her left hand to his lips, he closes his eyes.
Even if the tingle is not there, what they share is very much alive and it's not hard for him to seek it out in their connection. And he soon finds her magic. As bright as the sun. Harry opens a smile, swimming in her power, embracing it, lending his own, merging.
The dark magic is like a nuisance and he focus on the healing spell. Harry can't help thinking about the difficulty he had with wandless magic like this when he first came to London. Hermione helped him a lot. From the Patronus to his sheer despair in healing her in various occasions.
"Wow, shit." Chiara says and he opens his eyes.
It awes him. The bright light coming out of their jointed hands and taking over the living room, bathing them in a good sensation.
And Hermione moves, taking a deep breath.
It's hard for him to even measure how relieved he is. Harry gulps and recoils his hand from the scar, only now realizing he was practically touching her breast and- his eyes fall on her lacy bra-
Chiara jumps on Hermione, hugging her tightly.
"Thank fuck, crazy woman! Don't you ever do that again!"
Hermione chuckles and Harry blinks a few times, a bit amazed by their proximity. He releases Hermione's hand and the bright light disappears. She hugs Chiara back with her right arm, her left one is resting on his thigh, her hand squeezing it.
"I'm fine, Chi." She says to Chiara. "You're crushing me."
Chiara laughs loudly and releases Hermione. "Do you want some water? I'll get you some." And she stands, going to the kitchen. Harry knows she's only giving them some privacy.
Hermione looks at him, their eyes lock. "I guess we're even now." She says, provoking him.
"Please, you owe me." He winks at her and she sighs.
Not resisting it, he leans for a hug, bringing her to his arms. She goes very willingly, squeezing him. He breathes her in. He really thought for a second he had lost her forever. And it was the worst sensation ever.
He can feel some tears in his eyes.
"I'm fine." She says in low voice, kissing his neck gently.
He squeezes her even more, kissing her neck, rubbing his cheek on hers, feeling her, his hands squeezing her bare flesh. It's very intense and exhilarating. He missed this kind of contact with her. This intimacy.
Harry moves his head back to look into her eyes, their foreheads touching.
She leaves a peck on the tip of his nose.
And he feels his heart growing a size. This. Doesn't matter the status of their relationship, when, in whatever situation, they come close to death, their true feelings and desires surface.
"Aw, aren't you the cutest?" Chiara's voice comes from the kitchen and they chuckle.
Harry finally releases her and both stand from the floor. For the first time Hermione realizes she's not wearing a t-shirt and she blushes, moving her wrist to cover herself. He can't help thinking how adorable she is.
Chiara is watching them with a huge smile, but a bit mischievous… Harry is sure she's ready to say something else, but Hermione is faster:
"Dolohov was waiting for us." Her words fall heavy inside the living room and their expressions change. "This never happened before, Harry. Do you think… my father knew? Warned him?"
Harry sets his jaw, Chiara crosses her arms.
"I… don't know. Dolohov could have heard about his fellow Aurors… dying." He says the word and swallows hard, his eyes on Hermione. Another secret that he's not ready to share. Not ready to confirm her suspicions and show this side of him. Her expression changes, turning a bit colder. "Maybe that's the reason why he was prepared. Did he say something to you?"
Hermione inhales deeply. "Not really. But he saw my face, clearly. We forgot about charming ourselves and thinking about it now I'm sure it was because of some influence he casted around the house along with the other spells." She shakes her head. Harry can tell that she's angry with herself for not realizing it. But none of them did. "I- if he goes to my father…" She trails.
"He knows who you are?" Chiara asks. "I mean, maybe he doesn't. There's barely any pictures of you around on these papers-"
"My engagement." Hermione whispers. Harry feels bile in his throat. That fucking photo. "The picture is new and maybe the third one ever they took of me."
His eyes go to her left hand. She's not wearing the ring. As she never does when she's with him. Somehow this thought gives him peace, but… she's playing with her necklace and Harry can't stop thinking that Pettigrew gave it to her. And she never takes it off. Never. Since the first day he saw her with it.
Swallowing his jealousy, he says, "Do you think your father maintains contact with him?"
"I have no idea. But it's possible. I mean, Dolohov was living right here. In Wizarding London. In a nice neighborhood. And if he prepared so well… it doesn't feel like he lost his sanity like the other Aurors. Which is…"
"Unsettling." Harry finishes for her, running a hand through his hair.
"I think we never talked about this… Crouch was also prepared, Harry." She gulps. "We got distracted that day with other things, but if we think about it… he knew we were there or heading there-"
"Maybe he prepared himself when he realized we were inside-"
"I doubt that-"
"I don't." He says firmly, wanting to reject her idea. Seriously wanting to disregard the fact that maybe Riddle-
Hermione snorts, pressing her lips together. Then she takes one step to him, narrowing her eyes.
"Stop underestimating my father, D'Angelo." Her tone is totally different.
"He can't know everything." He says through gritted teeth, feeling the tension in the room. They were fine minutes ago, but now it seems like they're about to start a fight.
"But he might." Hermione sighs and relaxes a bit. "I should go. Regardless if Dolohov reaches out to him, I don't have time or energy to worry about that now. See you."
And not waiting or saying another word, she's gone.
Harry raises an eyebrow and turns to look at Chiara. She's smiling.
"What are you waiting for? You desperately wants to be with her, Harry."
He snorts. "There's a lot I need to consider. I'm not going to have this conversation again."
"Fine." She rolls her eyes. "But she's right, you know? Riddle might know everything."
Harry knows. And it scares him.
May 2nd, 2006
Ministry of Magic
She's looking at the memo in her hand. Her father is calling for an extraordinary meeting at the Atrium. He wants all Aurors to be there.
Hermione doesn't like it.
At all.
Shit. One more thing to worry about.
She's been back for three days and she's already exhausted. How can this be?
She crosses her arms, pacing inside her office, thinking. The way Harry held her yesterday still brings her some warmth. It was so sincere and loving. It's-
Do they still have a chance? Even if he's a bit resistant…
I need to show him what I want.
And she wants him. Desperately.
So, maybe her days of doing things in the shadows are over. And I'm tired of carrying everything by myself. Harry already proved to her that she can count on him, that she can ask for his help whenever she feels like it.
He saved my life again.
That's exactly why she moves out of her office and strides fast to his. Now she regrets putting him in a room so far away from her.
She knows their relationship is still very frail, but it's way better from what she imagined it would be and Hermione won't complain. From the complete mess she felt when she threw him inside a cell, she's feeling amazing right now.
And their bond felt so good yesterday that-
She stops on the corridor.
Her bond to Harry.
Fuck, of course.
They- what if they tried healing Bellatrix together? Would it work? Would it be enough? She gulps. It might be better not getting her hopes up…
With a new found need to see him, she walks faster. His door is closed and she knocks, waiting. Hermione smiles at the little inscription there: Head D'Angelo
It would be nice if it were Head Potter. She tilts her head, smiling-
But her smile dies when the door opens.
It's freaking Cho Chang standing there in front of her. Inside his office.
The jealousy consumes her and Hermione presses her lips together, squeezing the memo in her hand, crumpling it.
"Yes?" Cho Chang asks, as if she owns the place.
"What are you doing here?" Hermione asks with a strange voice.
"Isn't it obvious?" Chang mocks and Hermione wants to hex her.
Where is Harry? "Shouldn't you be in the meeting room? With the others? Studying the case?" Hermione crosses her arms, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, I was supposed to spend my afternoon with Harry. Thought you knew-"
"I didn't." She cuts, her blood boiling. "Regardless, you're here to help everyone, so, go to the meeting room-"
"Chang." Harry's voice reaches them and Hermione turns on her heels, he's coming with Chiara by his side, his face a clear question. "What are you doing inside my office?" He asks, squinting.
"I was looking for you, Harry." Chang says and exits the room, Hermione wants to put her foot in front of her for the woman to trip. She internally chuckles at her thought. "You told me to meet you here-"
"What? No, I didn't." He says, stopping very close to Hermione and pocketing his hands.
Chiara has an expression on her face of sheer boredom. "Get lost, Chang." She says sharply. "We have things to do." And she waves a hand, moving past all of them and entering the office.
Hermione scoffs. Chiara is really amazing.
Without looking back at Chang, Harry puts one hand on her lower back and leads Hermione inside. Then he closes the door behind him and crosses his arms.
"Can you believe her?" He asks, pointing out to Chang.
"Well, what did you expect?" Hermione snaps. "Kissing her on her first day here like a horny teenager!"
He raises an eyebrow and presses his lips together, trying to hold a smile.
"Hermione's right, you know?" Chiara agrees with her and Harry widens his eyes, raising a hand in front of him.
"We were a little drunk-"
"Spare me." Hermione cuts him, exhaling angrily. Then she performs a little spell inside.
"What are you doing?" Harry asks, going to sit on his chair.
"Checking what the fuck Chang was doing alone inside the office you should take better care of." She's still angry, jealous. Then she gives Chiara the crumpled memo.
"What's that?" Harry asks Chiara and Hermione finishes her spell.
"A memo." Hermione tells Harry. "Chang did nothing, she just sat here for twenty minutes or so." She clears her throat. "My father is calling a meeting at the Atrium, for all Aurors. Apparently it's a big announcement."
Harry makes a face. "I didn't get a memo."
"You're not an Auror here anymore, Harry." Chiara says ironically.
"I don't like this." Hermione says, leaning on his desk, her back to him while she faces Chiara. "He never does this kind of announcements. And since my mother is in a coma, I think he's feeling more… free to do stuff the way it pleases him."
"How is she, by the way?" Harry asks and Hermione turns to him.
"The same." She sighs. "But I want to talk to you about an idea." He nods, paying attention. "What if we tried healing her… together?" He opens his mouth and Hermione goes on, turning a bit more serious. "Harry, we- I think we share a magical bond." She voices her thoughts, confessing to herself that it wasn't that difficult.
He frowns. "Wouldn't that be impossible? I mean, I felt it since the first time we touched and magical bonds need more to happen, right?"
"Yes. But it's a bond, I'm sure, Harry. There's no other explanation, nothing else that comes close to this."
"But how?" He asks, really intrigued.
"I've thought about it a lot, and… I have no idea." She exhales.
He chews the insides of his cheeks. "Magical bonds are extremely powerful, Hermione." He whispers.
"I know." She whispers back. "And incredibly rare."
Chiara scoffs. "Look, maybe my opinion isn't the most important here, but from what I saw yesterday, it's most definitely a magical bond. There's no way that brightness would exist without something more."
Hermione nods. "I know. I saw it when I healed you from the werewolf bite, Harry. It's very strong. And I really think we should try it with my mother." She doesn't want to sound desperate, but she is.
Harry cocks his head and she fears he might hate the idea, after all she's asking him to save another Riddle and-
He opens a smile. "That's actually brilliant. I think it'll work. When do you wanna do it?"
She blinks a few times, surprised and also very happy that he took her idea so easily.
"Tonight?"
"Sure." He nods, still smiling.
They stare at each other for a while. An understanding passing between them.
"Please, I know you two are not aware, but you're fucking each other with your eyes and I'm not into voyeurism." Chiara says, amused.
Hermione clears her throat and Harry looks down to his desk. Of course they've been keeping a distance, but- Hermione feels like they're back to a point where both want the other but are having all kinds of doubts. And she's okay with it, more than okay to be honest.
She never even dreamed with this. She thought Harry would hate her forever. She thought it was impossible to change things after her betrayal, but maybe not. Maybe they can figure this out. Maybe they'll find their way back to each other. And she'll wait for as long as it takes.
Because it'll be worth it.
"On another news." Chiara cuts through their moment. "I had a meeting with the rest of the Aurors this morning, and, a location in Germany that Elias Muller went back to check matches with the same place one Alchemist mentioned."
Both Harry and Hermione turn their full attention to Chiara.
"Why are we only hearing about this now?" Harry asks.
"Because we were actually walking back here so I could tell you?" Chiara mocks him. Harry rolls his eyes.
"Explain it to us." Hermione says, serious. This could be a huge lead. "What kind of location is this?"
"It's an abandoned house. From what the Alchemist explained at the interrogation, Moritz used to gloat about this place, but not to everyone. It became clear that he was very picky when it came to revealing personal stuff."
"So how this Alchemist knows about this house?" Harry asks. "I want him behind bars, as soon as possible." He glances at Hermione, asking if she shares the same opinion and she nods.
"I'll send a memo to Ron. He'll take care of it now." Hermione moves her wrist, already writing the memo down.
"It didn't seem alarming when the Alchemist said this, but after Elias came back, he pointed out that this place was the same. Elias explained that the house looks abandoned but he's sure there's some kind of spell around it. However, he can't figure it out. It looks like something extremely exclusive."
Harry and Hermione share a look.
"We could burst inside." Hermione says.
"Or we could go undercover." Harry states. "Less messy, don't you think?"
She scrunches her nose. "Not that much. If something goes wrong we're fucked inside the enemy's house."
"If we barge inside we can die in a second." He leans back on his chair, tilting his head.
Hermione opens the tiniest smile. Harry knows he won this one. Are we still keeping score?
She snorts.
"Fine. Indeed. We should go undercover."
Chiara claps her hands. "I love undercover missions!"
"You're not going." Harry says.
"Ah, come on!" Chiara whines. "You're no fun."
Hermione already knows what Harry is thinking. "I'll go with Harry. You have to stay behind to lead the other Aurors along with Ron if something goes wrong."
Chiara crosses her arms. "The two Heads are going undercover? Are you guys crazy?"
"I wouldn't normally think about this, but…" Harry begins and shares another look with Hermione. "The bond we share is an advantage. It could save us and the mission."
"Indeed." Hermione agrees, moving inside, heading to the door, looking at the clock on the wall. "I need to go. Chi, send the team to this location, I want them observing the place for 24 hours." Chiara nods. Harry also agrees. "Good. Don't forget to be at the Atrium in ten minutes."
They nod and she leaves the office, her heart beating in a joyous rhythm.
"Do you have any idea?" Ron asks by her side. Hermione shakes her head.
There's a huge platform in front of the statue for her father to go on up and announce whatever he wants to.
Ginny and Draco are also there. She can see all her Aurors talking and wondering what is this about. Then she sees the counselors and Asmodeus comes to her, a smug smile on his face. With the corner of her eye she can see Harry and Chiara near a fireplace, in the shadows.
And she knows Harry is looking at them when Asmo kisses her on the lips, his hand squeezing her waist.
"Hey, love." He says and she opens a tight smile.
"Asmo." She says back to him, her voice low.
And before they can say another word, her father comes from the elevators, he's wearing his cape and he looks menacing. Hermione narrows her eyes. Asmo keeps his arm around her and she hates it.
The Minister calls for their attention.
"I have an announcement to make." He raises his voice, waiting for silence and taking a few moments before he goes on, "This Ministry is known and respected due its seriousness when dealing with transgressors of the law. All of you, Aurors, are the ones responsible for maintaining the peace and the fair Society where we live in." He looks directly at Hermione. "I have my daughter to thank for this, my amazing Head Auror who's always doing her best and keeping her subordinates on the line with brilliancy." Hermione grits her teeth, moving a bit uncomfortable in place. Asmo smiles to her, kissing her temple. "But many years ago, my Ministry also depended on the best Aurors, especially when dealing with our most infamous case, the Potters' Persecution." She holds her breath. A few murmurs break out in the crowd and her father raises both his hands, asking for silence. "I fear we're facing dark times again, and I want to make sure that we have the best with us." He opens a creepy smile. Hermione is cold from head to toe. She wants badly to turn to Harry, but she stops herself, keeping her face straight. "I introduce to you, Auror Antonin Dolohov."
She widens her eyes when the man that threw a terrible curse at her just yesterday steps into the Atrium.
Oh, fucking shit.
Dolohov has a smile on his face and he's walking very sure of himself, just as a peacock. Hermione gulps, the counselors, except for Peter, are all clearly shocked. The same as Ron, Gin and Draco.
She can't imagine what's going through Harry's mind.
"Auror Dolohov," Her father resumes his speech, "was the leader at the Potters' Persecution and he was the one who dealt personally with the threat they posed." Hermione fears she might start to shake. From fear. From anger. From outrage. "Hermione, please, come up here and welcome back Auror Dolohov into our Ministry and into the Auror Department. He'll be of great help, I'm sure."
She doesn't react when Dolohov sets his eyes on her. He looks physically good for his age, but there's a viciousness to his smile and features that turns him into one nasty man. Of course he knows who she is now. And she's not sure what to think. Why her father is bringing this man back is just-
Hermione walks slowly, trying to recompose herself until she reaches the platform. There are a billion things going through her mind. But when she realizes, she's already in front of Dolohov. And he's looking at her in a way that-
Her father raises a silencing bubble around the three when Hermione shakes the man's hand. She tries pulling her hand back fast but Dolohov squeezes it, holding in his. She looks at her father with a raised eyebrow.
"Now, Hermione, I know this is just a formality, right? After all, you already met Dolohov, didn't you?" Her father presses his lips together and she feels her heart pounding inside her chest, terrified.
"Did I? Have we met, Auror Dolohov?"
The man chuckles ironically. "Oh, you're good, Head Riddle." He winks at her father. "She's indeed a handful, Minister. But worry not, I'm sure we'll get along just amazingly, won't we, darling?" And he moves her hand to his lips, giving it an open mouthed kiss.
Hermione wants to vomit.
When he finally releases her hand, she recoils it fast, gulping.
"Of course we will, Auror Dolohov." She has no idea how her voice is so firm. "I treat all my Aurors with respect and expect them to treat me the same way. So," She takes one step forward, to the man, defying him. "If you ever call me darling again or touch me in a way I don't like, I'll kick you very fast from this Ministry." She ironically winks at him and narrows her eyes at her father.
Hermione can't understand the smile on Tom Riddle's face.
He extinguishes the silencing bubble and turns to the others. "Great! You're all dismissed. Go back to work."
She doesn't move, even if everyone else is leaving the Atrium. Her father gives them one last look before he goes.
Dolohov is still in front of her. Mocking her.
"Tell me, princess." He says in a low voice, "Did it leave a scar?" He raises one eyebrow to her, his eyes falling to her cleavage.
She clicks her tongue. "Don't play with me, Dolohov." She says in a serious tone.
"Uuuh." He keeps mocking her. "I'm not afraid of you, little Riddle. And do you really think your father is going to let you sack me?" He snorts. "You should think twice, then." He leans to her. "I'm here to stay. In fact, I should have never left. This place where you're standing, this position you're filling as Head, it should be mine." He hisses.
She doesn't react.
"You're just a pathetic old Auror who my father wants to keep close to him, Dolohov. Don't delude yourself." She clears her throat. "I'm sure you heard all your fellow Aurors died a tragic death… maybe you should be worried about that."
And without waiting for another snarky response, she walks away, to the elevators.
She only stops shaking when she reaches her office and double checks the lock.
This complicates everything.
Harry's flat
He's waiting for her. Hermione will be there shortly and Harry can't stop thinking about Dolohov. He keeps remembering the man's nasty smile when he took Hermione's hand, when he said something to her in a clear provocation. Harry's not even sure how he kept his cool. All he wanted was to stride to that platform and punch Dolohov, kill him, take Hermione as far away as possible from him.
But he had to swallow all his anger and leave the Atrium with the others, trying not to be noticed by Riddle.
A dead silence filled his office when he went back inside with Chiara. His mind kept going fast, wondering why Dolohov was there, sure that this man has his memory intact, or else Riddle wouldn't protect him this way.
And Harry is dying to know why. Dying to ask-
Hermione appears in front of him. She's still allowed inside his flat. She's always going to be.
She looks serious and nervous.
"Hey." He says to her, standing from the couch, pocketing his hands.
"Hey, where's Chiara?" She looks around the place.
"She decided to go with the team to observe Moritz's location. Draco and Ginny also went. Ron stayed."
She nods, exhaling heavily. "Good. We need to know who goes in and out. And exactly what the place is." Hermione crosses her arms. There's a fair distance between them and none move, but their eyes are locked. "My father knows I was there yesterday, Harry."
He sets his jaw, anger and fear seizing him. "Do you think he's doing something about it?"
"Not really. I think he already did. I mean, bringing Dolohov back is…" She trails, shaking her head. "He wants my head. He made it pretty clear when I greeted him into our Department."
"I would like to see you kicking his ass." He says seriously and Hermione opens a tiny smile to him.
"I- Harry." She takes one step to him. "I know you want to interrogate Dolohov, but things changed with him inside the Ministry. Please, don't-"
"I won't." He also takes one step to her. "Don't worry. I- we'll think of a way."
"We?" She asks softly.
His heart quickens. "Yes, we."
They almost don't breath for seconds, their eyes still locked. He wants to do this with her. He wants to have her by his side. And maybe he… should tell her this-
"Are you sure? Because I totally understand if you don't feel like-"
"No." He cuts her with a gentle tone. "I want to do this with you." Hermione gulps, her hand going to her necklace, squeezing it. "I want you by my side." She presses her lips together. Harry can tell her heart is pounding by the way her chest is moving up and down. "Even with everything, Hermione, I- you almost died yesterday." He gulps, the dread he felt coming back in a rush. "And I'll be honest with you, I'm still unsure. Confused. Hurt. But-" He closes the gap between them, stopping very close to her. "Look, I don't understand a lot and I wanna take baby steps, but I can't keep my distance from you. I just can't." And his hand moves to hers.
"Me neither." She whispers, looking down. "I-" Hermione takes a deep breath, then her eyes are back on his. "You told me once that when I felt ready to fight for us you would be there, ready to do it." Harry's not sure, but he might be shaking a bit. "I'm more than ready, Harry." He closes his eyes at her words, his stomach filled with butterflies and a warm sensation. "But I also know that… some things stand between us." He nods at that. His fear of telling her that he's a Potter bigger than anything else. "Now it's my turn to wait for you to feel ready. To wait for you to fully trust me again. And I'll do it. I'll wait."
His hand moves to her waist and in a blink he's bringing her closer to him, his other hand on her cheek. He touches her forehead with his, gulping. There's an insatiable need of her inside him. He wants to kiss her, hug her.
"Okay." He says in a whisper, pulling a bit back. He knows that hearing all the explanations from her would speed this up, but in a way he feels that… does he need to know her reasons to trust her again?
Hermione smiles, her palm on his cheek, her thumb caressing his face. He loves her touch. And she leans forward, kissing his other cheek.
"Okay." She repeats his words. Harry also kisses her cheek and with smiles on their faces, they put some distance between them, wanting to… be sure.
Because that's it, isn't it?
If they kiss, if they go back to what they had, this time it'll be for real. No more secrets or lies. And both know it. Both understand this part of their agreement. Hermione voices it, though, wanting to make sure that they're on the same page.
"If... when the time comes, Harry, there will be no more secrets between us. None." Her voice is low but sure. "It's the only way things will work out."
He gulps. "I agree. No more secrets."
She nods, inhaling deeply. "So," Hermione tilts her head. "Ready to go?"
"Yeah, let's go."
Outside St. Mungo's
Hermione turns to Harry. They're hidden at a corner, probably the same one he held her two nights ago. It's-
She doesn't think her heart was ever this full with hope.
Hope for them. And hope for her mother.
"So, I don't think you should just walk inside with me." She says and he snorts, agreeing. "I also don't think you'll like my idea, but…" She takes a Polyjuice potion from the inner pocket of her jacket and makes a face at him, Harry already has his eyebrow raised and arms crossed. "It won't last long, just enough for us to go inside and heal her. Then you can hide. Or leave."
"Who is it?" He asks, pointing to the potion he easily recognized.
"Asmodeus."
He snorts, then he sets his jaw. Hermione can see how it angers him. She thought about Ron but they decided this so fast that she took Asmo's hair the moment he hugged her at the Atrium and-
"Fuck, Hermione. Fine."
She exhales, relieved.
"Okay. I know my father is at the Manor, because I checked before going to your flat. Usually at this hour my mother is alone since they don't allow other visitors without family."
He nods. "Just give me that, then."
Harry downs the potion and makes a terrible face. She tries not flinching when Asmodeus appears in front of her. Hermione purses her lips. Harry is so dissatisfied and it's so clear in his expression that she wants to… laugh.
"Don't you dare." He warns her. But she does. He crosses his arms while she chuckles, a hand over her mouth. "You'll pay for this, Riddle." This only makes her laugh even harder.
"Oh, I'm sorry." She wipes one tear from her eye. "Fuck." She's trying to stop.
Harry just keeps watching her, totally uncomfortable, but with a resigned little smile on his face.
Hermione finally stops and inhales deeply, taking his hand.
They walk to the Hospital's entrance together and she suddenly tenses. If this doesn't work, she has no idea what to do next, no idea if she can even save her mother or if-
He squeezes her hand and leans closer to her. "Relax. It's going to work."
She turns her head and kisses his cheek in a thankful gesture. Harry intertwines their fingers, kissing her hand.
They reach Bellatrix's room extremely fast. There's a Healer inside and Hermione clears her throat. The Healer turns around and nods at them.
"Any change?" Hermione asks.
"I'm sorry, Miss Riddle. None so far. Mr Pettigrew." The Healer's face is not very good and Hermione dreads that he might be sparing her from the worst. But he's fast to excuse himself and they're left alone inside with her mother.
Pressing her lips, she shares a look with Harry and discreetly checks if there are any spells inside the room, any kind of surveillance or something of the sort. Knowing her father, Hermione is sure this is very possible, but she's surprised to learn that there's nothing.
Harry closes the door and walks back to position himself behind her. Hermione inhales sharply when his arms close around her waist, their left hands already touching on her stomach. She briefly closes her eyes at the staggering sensation.
"So, how do you wanna do this?" He asks in her ear, leaving a gentle kiss there. She squeezes his hand, thinking that they'll be insanely horny after performing this spell.
"I think…" Hermione moves and takes her mother's hand in her right one, the left clasped to Harry's. "We should just heal her. Together. Simply that."
"Do you think we can pull this off? I mean, in total sync?"
"I do." She has no doubt.
He kisses her neck. "Whenever you're ready, then."
Hermione inhales deeply, closing her eyes, feeling Harry, feeling their bond. It's bright. Powerful. From what they've seen so far, she's sure what they share is unique. She never read or heard of a bond like this and that's what fuels her hopes.
Harry is also concentrating on their bond. And this time it feels different from all the others. Healing each other was practically instinct when they used this magic. Gluing the statue back together was solemnly using the same spell with their bond open.
But this time they're navigating in its power, paying the utmost attention to it, marveling at how they merge together with ease.
They feel like one.
And it's amazing.
Without saying a word to Harry, Hermione begins to heal her mother. His magic is there with hers, their will to bring Bellatrix back very strong and focused.
It's hard to describe what's wrong with her mother, but there's a hint of foul magic in her veins, inside her very being, something no Healer or any other wizard or witch would notice in normal circumstances. Their bond allows them, though. It enhances their emotions, feelings and perceptions. It's… easy to take away this numbing magic and vanish with it, healing.
Hermione opens her eyes. Harry is breathing extremely hard behind her, his body glued on hers, his arousal evident on her butt. She shuts her mouth not to moan. She's throbbing for him, wanting so bad to-
Bellatrix opens her eyes, startled. Shocked. Lost.
"Mum." Hermione whines. Harry releases her, taking several steps back and she starts to cry, going to her mother, sitting on the bed.
Bellatrix blinks many times, finally focusing on Hermione and also crying.
"Hermione."
They hug.
Hermione thought she wouldn't see her mother's eyes again. Or hear her voice. Or hug her this tightly. Both start to laugh at some point, the happiness clouding Hermione's other feelings, muffling her horniness.
"I was so afraid." She sobs.
"My sweet girl."
Bellatrix moves to look at her. There's a huge smile on her face and she wipes her daughter's tears away, sitting on the bed.
"I love you." Hermione says, her voice cracking.
"I love you too." Bellatrix touches her forehead with hers. "You look well." She says after a while, after they calm down a bit.
"Do you remember what happened?" Hermione asks, marveled by her mother.
Shaking her head, Bellatrix says, "I remember feeling extremely exposed. I knew something was wrong and I had a fast reaction the moment I heard the first click of an explosion. I tried protecting myself." Hermione squeezes her hands. "How long have I been like this?"
"Three days."
Bellatrix sighs, "That's not much. Good. I-" Her eyes land on Harry. And she widens them. Then she smiles to Hermione. "I see." She whispers, raising an eyebrow. "D'Angelo. Nice seeing you here."
Hermione clears her throat and looks back at him. Harry is himself again and he has a smile on his face. He's standing a bit awkwardly - bending forward - and she knows pretty well why. The horniness comes back to her in a wave when their eyes meet. His are blazing. She squeezes her mother's hand to stop herself from standing up and kissing him right there. One of his hands is gripping the back of a chair so strongly that Hermione knows he's going through the same emotion.
"Mrs Riddle." His voice comes out strangled. "I'm glad you're well."
"I imagine I have both of you to thank for that." She gives Hermione a pointed look and she gulps.
"Mum, do you have any idea who might have-"
The door opens and Harry acts fast, hiding behind it.
The Healer walks inside, his mouth hanging open.
"Mrs Riddle! You're awake! When the monitoring spells showed that- I mean-" He's not even looking at Hermione now. "I need to warn your husband!" And he calls out to someone else, saying that the Minister's wife is awake, heading out in a haste, not even bothering to check how his patient is doing.
"Harry." Hermione says to him. "We should go."
"Don't you wanna stay with your mother?"
"No. My father will be here soon." She turns to Bellatrix. "Mum, are you going to be okay? I'm coming back tomorrow, I wanna talk to you in private, okay? And if anyone asks, we weren't here."
Bellatrix nods. "Go."
They share another tight hug and in a blur Hermione raises from the bed, coming to Harry.
She has no idea how they resist not kissing right there. But she takes his hand and murmurs a charm to conceal his appearance for a bit. Whoever looks at him will think it's Asmodeus.
With another flick of her wrist, she confuses the healers near by, making it impossible for them to be sure if she was there.
But they only take a few steps when Harry surprises her, pulling her to the side, hiding inside an empty dark room.
If his mind is working like hers, she knows what's about to happen. And it's fast and intense.
He kisses her neck, pressing her against the wall. Hermione makes a sound, incoherent, and he bites her flesh, squeezing her in his arms, his hips moving to meet hers.
There are no words for the bliss of the moment. And they're not thinking at all, just reacting.
She rocks her hips to his, disheveling him completely. They're both burning up. His tongue is going over her neck, his lips seeking her jaw, her cheek-
He stops when he's about to reach her lips.
They share a look, both panting.
He's very hard. And she's soaking wet. He rocks his hips slowly onto hers. Hermione gulps, tugging at his hair, her nails digging into his nape and shoulder. She opens her mouth, closing her eyes when he hits a sweet spot with the movement.
She's wearing just a simple dress. There's barely any fabric between them, except for his jeans.
But suddenly they stop, two people are talking close by. Both perk up, paying attention, still holding each other and breathing extremely hard.
However, she's too distracted by how close they are and she can't stop herself from kissing his neck, biting gently after, the desire coursing through her entire body. His smell is sinful.
His arms close more around her frame, his strong hands squeezing her flesh in a maddening way, but-
It's Tom Riddle's voice.
Hermione inhales deeply, trying not to go mad with how much she wants Harry and with the sudden fear that takes over her. He moves his wrist, a masked hearing spell making it possible for them to listen to her father's conversation.
Tom Riddle and Peter Pettigrew are talking outside, a few feet away from the room where they are. And their moment is dying down, the horniness disappearing slowly.
"You told me it would work!" Riddle hisses to Peter.
"But, sir, I was sure! I tested it countless times! I don't know what went wrong!"
"You and your son keep failing me, Pettigrew!" Riddle is incredibly furious, Harry can tell by just listening to his voice. Hermione makes a face at the mention of Asmodeus. Harry brings her closer by the waist and she leans to his frame. "I'm getting tired of it! You said it would kill her! And it didn't. Then you assured me that she would never wake! And now, she's awake! Do you see where I'm going with this?"
Hermione inhales sharply, fisting one hand.
Harry squeezes her waist, trying to soothe her in a way.
Riddle himself tried killing Bellatrix.
Fuck. He was right when he thought about this.
He presses his lips to her temple. Hermione is shaking. But Harry knows it's not from fear. It's from anger.
"Sir, please, give me another chance, me and my son can do this!"
"I sure hope you can!"
A silence follows and Harry can hear Sirius and Narcissa coming on the hallway.
In a beat they all go to Bellatrix's room.
Hermione lets out a single breath when they're far from their hearing shot. She turns to Harry, one of her hands going to his chest, seeking some support. He holds her.
"I- I heard what I think I did?" She asks, making a face.
"I'm afraid so." He says in a whisper.
She closes her eyes and presses her lips together.
"This fucking psychopath!" She exclaims in a whisper, fed up. Harry widens his eyes. "I can't believe this." He can imagine how shocking it must be to hear that your own father is trying to kill your mother- "But I shouldn't be surprised." She shakes her head.
"You… shouldn't?"
"I… found out a lot of nasty things about my father, Harry. Things he did to my mother." She bites her lower lip. "He gave her love potion for years." Hermione whispers and Harry opens his mouth, totally shocked with what he's hearing and with the way she's so easily sharing this with him.
"Fuck." What a bastard.
"And now he's trying to kill her." Hermione inhales angrily. "And what the fuck was he talking about? About Peter and Asmo?"
He hates hearing her say 'Asmo'. The intimacy of it irks him. But he ignores his jealousy for a moment. "Why is he trying to kill Bellatrix? Is she a threat? Why?"
Hermione looks at him strangely. "I don't know." She whispers. The wrinkle he recognizes well is between her brows and she's looking down, thinking hard. "If he makes her go back to the Manor, I- I can't leave her alone, I should also go back there and-"
"Are you sure?" He asks in a faint voice, he's nervous.
"Yeah. I can't leave her with him."
Harry gulps. "But… Hermione," He cups her face and their eyes meet, "With Dolohov and the fact that you failed to cast a spell-"
"It won't happen again." She says harshly, taking one step away from him. He misses her warmth immediately. "If something happens to my mother-"
"Stop. Please. I know-" He briefly closes his eyes, taking a deep breath, "Fuck, I know I can't demand things from you, but you can't put yourself in danger. Not like this." He whispers, closing the distance between them again, touching his forehead on hers. "If he's trying to kill your mother, his own wife, I- we- have no idea what he's capable of…" He trails, hinting the obvious.
Hermione only looks at him, pondering. But then, she shakes her head and says:
"I won't forgive myself if-"
"Maybe she could stay with Sirius." Harry feels hopeful at the way she raises an eyebrow, her face changing as she considers this.
She gulps. "Okay. It's a good idea. I'll talk to Sirius."
He breathes relieved. And with this out of their way, they realize how they're holding each other. His arms are around her waist and Hermione has one of her hands on his chest, the other one on his nape.
It's impossible not to think about kissing her. About having her like this again-
"I'm glad it worked out." He whispers to her.
She opens a huge smile. And his heart quickens. So beautiful.
"Thank you so much for doing this, Harry. I owe you one."
He smiles with her. Hermione's happiness was so strong and pure that Harry almost felt it inside himself.
"No problem." He whispers to her, his eyes falling to her lips.
Hermione bumps her nose onto his, softly. Like a caress. Like the kiss she knows he can't give her. Not yet. Not right now.
But he does hug her, inhaling her amazing scent. Hermione is the one who takes a step back from him, though, their eyes locked. He holds her hand and they slowly let go of each other while she heads to the door.
Without another word, she exits the room and Harry stays there, looking at the floor for a while. He's hot all over. As if burned by her touch. Tingling from their proximity.
And truth is… since the day he was thrown inside that cell he hasn't felt this good. The whole month in Italy wasn't what he needed to heal or feel better. He doesn't need revenge on her or to hear her motives.
The only thing he wants and needs is… her love. Their love.
He smiles when thinking about what she said. That she was ready and waiting for him. He knows it might take a little while for him to be back at this point, but just knowing that-
His mind stops.
She's still engaged to that stronzo.
Harry chews the insides of his cheeks. If there's something stopping him from fulling giving himself to her again… this something is her engagement. Hermione never explained it to him. She never changed her mind and it doesn't seem like she will any time soon. And he can't see a plausible reason for this.
He gulps. This is the question he should be making her. Because if she doesn't have a convincing explanation then… it's a deal breaker for him. As much as it pains him, as much as it wrecks his soul.
How the fuck are they going to be together if she's marrying another man? This is just-
He sighs and shakes his head. There's a lot he should be doing. Sending a letter to his nonnino is at the top of the list. But Harry leans on the wall, thinking about the conversation he heard. The Pettigrews are plotting something with Riddle. Something big. And Harry would bet everything that Moritz is in this with them.
Of course.
Asmodeus was away this last month doing exactly that. Talking to Moritz, testing his powders. And Harry has proof. He has all those pictures of him in front of the many night clubs-
Shit.
There's no way of exposing Asmodeus without taking Hermione down with him. Someone was Polyjuiced as her and Pettigrew knew that it was a shield for him. Many wouldn't blink in handing over his head, but it's another thing entirely when Tom Riddle's daughter is in the mix.
She probably was totally off the radar. If Hermione has no way of proving that she wasn't with Asmodeus then… there's nothing much Harry can do about it. Not to mention that everyone else thought she was with Pettigrew. They believe in this and she confirmed it when she got back. It's a complicated situation. And one that Harry is not sure is time to mess with.
So, still with his mind on her, he apparates to his flat.