Note: Hello!
I've noticed email notifications are back and I do hope all the bugs get fixed eventually.
Thank you all for the support! It's an amazing boost!
And well… this chapter - my god. The only thing I can say is: prepare your hearts for this one and the next three chapters!
(Hangin' - Jetta)
May 4th, 2006
Meeting Room
"In another words," Chiara keeps saying, exposing everything they learned on their little mission. All the informations they got from people they interrogated outside the house. "It's a house where Moritz's clients go to enjoy his drugs and… sex." She makes a face of disgust.
"What do we need to get in?" Harry asks from his chair. He's sitting next to Hermione and they've been very quiet while listening to Chiara's report.
"All his clients carry this ring." Ginny says, their attention shifting to her. She raises two nice golden rings in front of everyone, setting them on the table. "The bigger one is for men. This smaller one for women."
"Nice work." Hermione says, fetching the smaller ring.
Ginny looks at her strangely, a bit… shyly.
They're all there. Except Pettigrew. Which clearly pissed Hermione off the moment she noticed he wasn't attending the meeting. Harry has no idea why, but it stirred some jealousy inside him. And he's starting to learn that this feeling is uncontrollable. Whenever he thinks about her with Pettigrew, his magic breaks something. And he did his best for this not to happen moments ago, succeeding for the first time.
He watches while Hermione raises from her chair and Chiara sits back down.
"So," She begins to talk. "It's an undercover mission. Head D'Angelo will-"
"I can go with Head D'Angelo." Cho volunteers and Harry puts a fisted hand over his mouth to stop a laugh. The way Hermione is murdering Cho with her eyes is a bit entertaining, he has to confess. But instead of giving Chang an answer, Hermione looks at him, some mischief behind her eyes and Harry knows that-
"Is that so, Auror Chang?" Hermione asks in a soft voice - filled with hidden venom - "Let's ask Head D'Angelo how he feels about it, then." Hermione is smiling when she looks at him again. "D'Angelo?"
Harry purses his lips, his eyes on Hermione, who raises one eyebrow, waiting to see what he's going to do with this situation. But yeah, like she said, he acted like a horny teenager - and a jealous prick. He shouldn't have kissed Chang that night and now he has to be extremely clear about it.
He looks at Cho. "Auror Chang, as much as I appreciate your enthusiasm, this is a complex mission and there's no one better to go with me than Head Riddle." He says firmly, but even so, Chang has an answer.
"But Head Riddle should stay here."
Hermione scoffs at the words. And it seems like Cho is going to keep talking. Harry knows exactly what he has to do.
"Auror Chang." His tone is a bit higher now, his eyes heavy on her. "I didn't want to do this, but since you're behaving unprofessionally I have to be clear." The others are barely breathing, paying attention to what's happening, amused. "We shared a drunken kiss and that doesn't mean you have control over decisions or over me. You even invaded my office, which is unacceptable. What happened was a mistake and it's not going to repeat itself, is that clear? You're our subordinate and I do hope you behave as so."
If a needle were to drop inside the room everyone would be able to hear it with the total and complete silence that settles after his harsh words. Harry wished he could have done this in private with Chang, but something told him that it wouldn't work, so, since Hermione gave him the chance, he took it.
Cho raises an eyebrow and lets out a sound of indignation, shaking her head and leaning back on her chair.
"So," Hermione clears her throat and Harry looks at her. She has a faint blush on her neck and he knows she enjoyed herself way too much with his words. And all he wants is to take her in his arms, but he leans back, listening to what she has to say. "Head D'Angelo and I are going on this mission. Auror Ferri and Auror Weasley are going to be responsible for this investigation while we're gone-"
"Shouldn't we wait for Pettigrew?" Draco interrupts. Harry hates it, but it is a fair question, after all, Pettigrew is part of this team.
"No. I'm removing Auror Pettigrew from this team. From now on he's not part of this investigation anymore and you're prohibited from sharing information with him." Harry widens his eyes, a warm satisfaction coursing through his body. Hermione glances at him. "If he's not committed to it, I don't think he should be included. It's the second meeting he misses and I've had enough." Her tone is final and Harry moves on his chair, some giddiness inside him.
He's sure she has other motives to be removing Pettigrew from this investigation. What they heard at the Hospital a huge factor on this decision.
"Indeed, that's a good call, Head Riddle." He says to her, his voice coming out a bit hoarse. He sees her gulping, their eyes are locked and-
"Head Riddle, please, continue." Chiara interrupts in a loud voice and Harry averts his eyes, knowing they were losing the professional aspect of their treatment to each other.
"As I was saying," Hermione centers herself fast, concentrating on the others. "The mission should last two days, agreed D'Angelo?"
He nods. "Yes. It's enough."
"We'll infiltrate the house and understand what's happening inside. I doubt Moritz himself is there, but maybe we can find some clues to his actual location. From what Auror Ferri explained, this house entertains its clients with demonstrations of his drugs mixed with sexual encounters."
"Yes," Ginny says, continuing. "We interrogated four people. Two men and two women and they were on the same page about this. But none mentioned Moritz himself."
"They talked about someone called Ludwig." Chiara says. "He's probably the one in charge of this house."
"And if I'm not mistaken," Harry talks in a low voice, "I'm sure there are more houses like this all over Europe. Some in Asia too."
Hermione nods, agreeing. "We need to discover if Moritz is the only one who can produce these powders or if he's passing along his technique. I highly doubt that's the case since I know for sure that he wants to be the only one profiting from this, but even so, we have to be certain."
"How will we communicate while you're inside?" Draco asks.
Hermione opens her mouth to answer, but Harry interrupts.
"No communication." He says. Hermione frowns at him. "We can't risk it. Whoever is in charge there will notice. We can't act suspiciously." She nods, agreeing with his decision. "If in two days we don't come back, you're free to barge inside, okay? But until then, you'll have to wait patiently."
"Good. That's-"
"Well, well, well." A grave voice comes from the threshold and Harry tenses his jaw when he sees Dolohov standing there.
The nasty man's eyes are fixed on Hermione. She crosses her arms, tensing.
"Auror Dolohov." Hermione says in a cold voice. "Is there something I can help you with?"
"There's a lot you could help me with, Head Riddle." He sneers. Harry fists his hand, moving a bit forward. Hermione only raises an eyebrow. "But right now I just wanted to see what you're up to inside this meeting room." His eyes go over the others and stop for at Harry. Dolohov squints. "I don't think we've met."
Harry stands from his chair, tall, his chest puffed out. He moves to stand close to Hermione, his eyes on Dolohov.
"Italian Head. Harry D'Angelo." He does not extend his hand to Dolohov. But he's a bit calmer now that he's close to Hermione. And she also relaxes a bit.
"I see." Dolohov says, his eyes keen on Harry.
"This is a private meeting, Auror Dolohov." Hermione says bluntly. "I'll have to ask you to leave."
"Oh, how rude, Head Riddle." He says in a mocking way. "I thought you treated your subordinates equally-"
"This is also my investigation and you're not my Auror, so, leave. Now." Harry says through gritted teeth.
"The door was open-"
Without thinking about it, Harry moves his hand in a swift gesture and Dolohov is shoved out, the door closing on his face. Hermione inhales sharply by his side. Harry looks at her, not sure if he did the best thing or-
She wets her lips, her eyes on his. He recognizes the look. The same one she always gave him when she wanted him. Just before they kissed or had sex-
"There. Problem solved." Harry whispers.
"I can see that." She whispers back to him. Her eyes going to his mouth, one of her hands squeezing her necklace. But then she takes a deep breath and blinks, clearing her throat. "So," She says to the others, Harry pockets his hands, going back to his chair. "Two days, no communication. We'll disguise ourselves and enter the house using the rings. It's clear that the place functions as some kind of hotel." He notices a faint blush on her neck. He knows what he did to Dolohov aroused her immensely. "If we don't come back after two days, then you're free to invade the place. We leave tonight, D'Angelo." She says in a final tone, Harry only nods. "Any questions?" There's none. "Good. Do you wanna say something?" She asks him directly.
"I trust Aurors Ferri and Weasley to steer this investigation accordingly while we're away. Don't forget we have a prisoner that must be questioned. This Alchemist surely knows more about Moritz and we can't lose this opportunity."
"Harry," Chiara says, "If he refuses to cooperate, should I let him go? Proceed with our misguided procedure?"
"Yes."
"Ah, I'm sorry, what?" Ron asks.
"It's something we often do with members of the Mafias in Italy." Chiara explains. "We interrogate them with silly questions, already knowing the answers. Then we let them go, give them some space and the false idea that they're free-"
"But in fact we're tailing their every movement." Harry completes. "And I think it'll work amazingly in this case. The Alchemist might lead us to another location. Do it."
Chiara and the others nod.
"Good." Hermione says, her voice coming out strange. "I think there's nothing else for us to discuss, so, I need to go."
Harry turns to look at her, but she's already walking out of the room, going fast. He moves to go after her, but he stops abruptly.
He knows what will happen if he goes.
They want each other badly.
And it's getting more and more difficult to control this. But it's the notion that he'll spend two whole days with her that stops him. They'll have a lot of time to talk. In private. So maybe it's best to let go for now.
He convinces himself of this while he walks to his office.
Hermione's house
She's pacing inside the living room. Crookshanks is looking at her from the couch, his posture relaxed, his expression one of disinterest in what his deranged human is doing.
"Am I boring you, Crook?" She asks in a high pitched voice, still pacing. "Fuck, I'm too nervous. Two days with him and- I have no idea what's going to happen. No idea if we-"
A knock sounds on her door. Hermione takes a very deep breath. I just need to keep my hands to myself.
She opens the door with a neutral expression, not surprised to see Harry standing there. But he does look edible in his social clothes - a navy shirt, black trousers and a nice pair of shoes. She's also dressed accordingly and for a moment he observes her. It feels too much like their last date and she clears her throat, moving aside and welcoming him in.
"Harry, come in."
The hesitation on his face and posture are clear to her. She has no doubt he's thinking about the last time he was inside her house. The notion cuts her open. Hermione also hates that day, what she did and everything that happened after.
Closing the door, she watches while he takes a few steps, snorting when Crookshanks comes to rub himself on his legs.
"He's gotten fatter." He states to Hermione, fetching the cat and grunting. Crookshanks meows to him in response.
"It's Ron's fault." She says, amused. "I think feeding Crook was the only way he found to control the little beast." She chuckles lightly and Harry smiles with her.
They say nothing for a moment, until-
"You look nice." He says in a low voice.
"Only nice?" She provokes him, gulping.
"Gorgeous."
Damn. It hits her how impossible these two days are going to be.
Harry averts his eyes from hers, putting Crookshanks down and pocketing his hands.
"So? What's our disguise?" He asks.
Their Portkey is set to work in twenty minutes, so they don't have much time to discuss this. Hermione knows they should have spent the afternoon together, talking about these details, but she was too agitated. She couldn't stop thinking about Dolohov's audacity. It boiled her blood the way he entered the meeting room- and then how Harry shoved him out… if they'd spent the day together she's sure she would have kissed him.
But now she's calmer. Cool. Keep your cool.
"We have to stay together all the time." She says and he nods. "I… well, husband and wife is the obvious choice, but since I know that things are… strained between us, maybe brother and sister?" She completely hates the idea. But it was the best she could think of given the way-
Harry snorts, shaking his head and taking two steps to her. His eyes are narrow, his expression tense.
"If you think I'm walking inside a 'sex house' with you as my sister you're very wrong, Hermione." His voice is hoarse and she bites on her lower lip. "There's no way I'm letting anyone touch you."
Her heart might explode.
She could tell him that she's the one who decides who touches her or not, but she says:
"Husband and wife, then." Because well… she doesn't want anyone touching him either.
He nods and moves his hand in the air, a velvet box appearing. "I always have one prepared for missions." And he opens it.
Two golden wedding bands are inside. Her eyes raise to meet his. He's breathing hard and Hermione can't quite process rational thoughts at the moment, so, to stop her from doing something stupid, she takes the smaller ring and puts it on her ring finger on her left hand. Clearing her throat, she also puts Moritz's ring on her right index finger.
Without a sound Harry puts on his own rings.
"Okay." She has no idea how her voice is even coming out. "We need to change our appearances. But not too much or else it might look fake. Not to mention that a lot of changes make it harder-"
"To maintain the charm. I know." He opens a soft smile, taking another step to her, the distance between them almost nonexistent. "Can I… charm you?"
She raises one eyebrow. "Oh. Sure."
Harry takes out his wand, flicking it in front of her face. Hermione has no idea what he did, but her hair is black now. Just as his. She tilts her head.
"Your turn." He says, waiting.
Snorting, she changes the color of his eyes, hair and beard, surprised by the huge difference it makes.
"Do my eyes look exactly like yours, Miss Riddle?" He asks.
"Yes. I would bet mine are emerald green right now, aren't they?"
He shrugs. "You might be right. I mean, now they match your dress."
Hermione chuckles. "Okay, we need to go."
"Ah, our names." He raises a finger in the air. "I like Leo."
"Leo. I like it. I think I'll go with Juliette."
"Leo and Juliette… Jones?"
"Good. It's one of the most popular surnames in the UK." She winks at him.
"Amazing, so, let's go."
Hermione can't help shaking a bit when she summons the Portkey to her hand. It's a simple key chain and Harry chuckles when he finally embraces her waist. His scent engulfs her and Hermione can't help thinking about his taste, the way his skin always felt warm under her tongue or-
The Portkey takes them away.
The house in Germany
Night 1 of the mission
Harry doesn't think about what they're going to do.
He acts.
Taking her hand in his and intertwining their fingers, he strides to the front door.
The house looks abandoned. But appearances are deceiving and he can feel the heaviness of numerous spells around it.
As Chiara explained to him, he touches the ring on the door and it swings open for them. Hermione also touches her ring at the entrance and without a single problem they walk inside.
In silence they go through a dark and long hallway.
Harry can hear the clinks from Hermione's high heels on the floor and he inevitably thinks about her dress. Velvet green, mid thigh, thin straps and a considerable cleavage - the necklace showing. He almost snorts thinking about her ludicrous suggestion: brother and sister. Not in a billion years.
There's no way of knowing what awaits them inside, but from what the others explained, it's obvious that there are very few rules when it comes to sex and the powders. And he can't bare the idea of Hermione being touched by other men. No way. He's ready to play the part of a monogamous and possessive couple the best he can. It won't be hard at all.
After minutes of walking, they finally hear some faint music. They're getting closer to the real entrance and he can't help tensing a bit, so, he stops.
Hermione stops by his side, her hand coming to his nape. They can barely see a thing.
"What's wrong?" She asks, her breath hot on his face.
"Just… be careful. Please." He murmurs, feeling overprotective, remembering the way Dolohov looked at her earlier-
"Hey." She gently kisses his cheek. "I can take care of myself, Leo. You know that." She's already playing their part and he fully brings her to him, their bodies touching everywhere.
"I know, but that doesn't stop me from worrying." He kisses her neck, his mouth moving to her ear. "And the way you look absolutely ravishing distracts me, Juliette. I can't stop thinking about fucking you."
She inhales sharply. It's easier to say what he wants when pretending, when playing the part… because there's no way of her knowing for sure if it's him talking or-
She tugs on his hair, pulling his head back, exposing his neck, kissing it. He closes his eyes, squeezing her waist. With the tip of her tongue, she goes up to his jaw and then ear.
"Don't provoke me." She says in a low voice. "I may not resist."
His heart skips a beat and he's ready to-
Hermione moves and takes his hand, walking. He follows.
As he tries to slow down his heartbeats, Harry ignores a certain nervousness that is seizing him. He has no idea why he's so hesitant… call it a gut feeling or whatever, but there's a shadow over his heart, bugging him.
They finally reach an insane open space that is truly enormous. Bigger than the main living room at Riddle Manor or at the Villa. A red light is the only kind of illumination and with the loud music both make the perfect background for what's happening inside.
There are many sofas scattered around the open space and in all of them couples or trios - or more - are sitting and kissing, touching. Many others are dancing while drinking. And at a corner they can see what looks like a counter filled with powders.
The place is packed.
Gulping, he takes one step closer to Hermione, his arm going around her shoulders, bringing her to him while they keep going. Her arm goes around his waist and they walk together. There's no need to voice it, both know their destination.
The counter.
Only a few people pay attention to them, the majority is preoccupied with getting wasted, but Harry does notice a few men looking at Hermione, their eyes roaming her body, lingering. It angers him, however, he manages to keep his cool, walking calmly with her, until-
He stops and she follows his lead, in a beat they're dancing, holding each other tightly. Harry presses his mouth on her ear.
"Five wizards." He whispers. Her hand goes down on his back, reaching his butt. "Probably security. Heading towards us."
She squeezes his ass in understanding and he kisses her cheek. Both keep moving in place, a bit sensually. He cups her cheek, his eyes going over the room, searching for the wizards that look too sober to be part of this. They're indeed getting closer. Harry knows there's no way of them escaping this interception.
Hermione knows the same. It would be useless resisting it or keep moving to the counter. They're new faces inside, the one in charge - probably Ludwig - will want to have a word with them.
He touches her nose with his, closing his eyes. His thumb goes to her lips. Hermione kisses it gently, one of her hands on his back, the other still on his ass. Harry wets his lips. He can feel the loud music's rhythm beating with his heart.
Denying would be ridiculous.
He wants her. It's a need. An undeniable pull. And maybe he should give in to it. Kiss her-
It's instinctual.
The same moment he decides he's doing this, she moves forward and their lips meet.
It feels surreal.
His mind stops working. Harry can only feel her. Feel her warmth close to him, her soft lips on his. They're both hesitating a bit so their lips are not moving, just touching. But it feels monumental. And he's ready to take the next step-
Someone taps on his shoulder. The music stops. Hermione moves away from him and they widen their eyes at the commotion. Everyone, literally everyone, is looking at them.
The five wizards Harry spotted are circling them and the crowd opens for a man to pass. He's young - probably their own age - and Harry is sure most women find him good-looking. Blue eyes, black hair, prominent jaw and nose in a way that works.
He stops in front of them.
"Hello, newcomers." His voice is deep and his eyes set on Hermione. Harry brings her closer to him, his jaw set. "It must be your first time, I'm sure. Come, follow me."
And the man turns on his heels, striding to a door that they can only see now because people are not standing in front of it anymore.
They share a look. And two wizards poke their backs with their wands, a clear sign for them to move or else…
Harry moves first and Hermione goes with him, both calm. In honesty the only thing he can think about is the brief but intense kiss they shared. It was nothing more than a touch of their lips, but it meant more than most kisses he shared his entire life.
When they reach the door, the music comes back on and the five wizards stay behind, at what Harry can only think as the Saloon. The man keeps going in front of them, not minding that is just the three of them now.
Hermione looks at Harry and they wonder what the hell this man wants to talk about.
It doesn't take long for them to find out.
The man opens another door and enters a huge study. That has a bed inside. With two sleeping women. Naked. Hermione stiffens a bit and Harry kisses her head, walking to a sofa to sit.
Hermione doesn't quite sit close to him, but Harry pulls her, their thighs touching, his arm around her waist firmly. There's no way he won't be crystal clear about how possessive he can be. Her right hand lands on his thigh while she crosses one leg over the other, looking at him. He only raises one eyebrow.
"Do you wanna drink something?" The man asks.
"Some Firewhiskey, please." Hermione says fast. Harry asks for the same. They can't deny. It would look suspicious.
The man smiles, going to a tray filled with booze. "You know, I have to be honest, you spiked my interest." He says in a smooth voice. "Newcomers at this particular house is surely a novelty." He magically sends the glasses over to them, fetching one for himself and sitting in front of both.
Again, his eyes set on Hermione. Harry sips on the Firewhiskey while Hermione waits, moving her glass and watching the liquid inside swirl. This is standard procedure. They can't be both poisoned at the same time, so one has to wait for the other to drink to be sure there's no risk. But she makes it look very natural, her eyes on the man in front of them. Harry hates the hint of flirtation in her posture.
"This particular house? I thought it was the only one." Hermione says softly.
The man smiles at her, but he doesn't answer. A few seconds of silence settle, until Hermione breaks it again:
"So, are you revealing your name or is that confidential information?"
"To you I can reveal almost everything, my beautiful." Harry clears his throat, setting his glass down on the table in front of them. "Ah. A jealous husband." The man clicks his tongue. "I'm afraid there are no such rules inside this house-"
"I'm the only one allowed to touch my wife." His voice is low and firm, but he's almost snarling. Hermione squeezes his thigh, sipping on her drink. "I don't care about your rules or lack of."
The man's eyes glint. "Huh. We'll see about that." He winks at Hermione, who squeezes even more Harry's thigh to stop him from saying a thing. "So, I'm Mr Ludwig. What about you?"
"Juliette and Leo Jones." Hermione answers. "I have to say that I'm very… bewitched by this place, Mr Ludwig."
"You've seen nothing, beautiful. I'm more than ready to show you everything."
"Is that so?" She tilts her head, a small smile on her face.
"Of course, on a private tour. Just you and me."
Harry snorts.
"Oh, love, don't be so jealous." Hermione kisses his cheek and they share a look. He knows that for this mission to work she has to roam around, but he hates the idea of leaving her alone with-
"Indeed, Mr Jones. I can leave you here with my two lovely ladies. I'm sure they can entertain you."
It's Hermione's turn to snort. "I'm afraid I might also be insanely jealous, Mr Ludwig." She sighs. "I'm the only one allowed to touch my husband." She winks at Ludwig, a smile playing on her lips while she kisses Harry's cheek again. He squeezes the side of her butt. "So, I guess you can take both of us or none of us." She shrugs nonchalantly.
"Hard to get, Mrs Jones? I like it." Harry on the other hand hates the tone and the insinuation of his words. He gulps. "So, do explain to me where you got your rings."
"We're good friends of Lena and Ulrich." Harry says both names of the ones Chiara got the rings from. "They told us we had to try it. At least once."
Ludwig squints. "Indeed. They were here a few days ago. Interesting." He plays with a dangling golden chain from his trousers pocket.
"But they were very cryptic about it, Ludwig. Can I call you Ludwig?" Hermione asks, her voice mellow. Harry presses his lips together.
"Of course, gorgeous. You can call me anything."
She lets out a fake chuckle, batting her eyelashes. "Well, can you explain to us exactly how this house works?"
Harry knows she's only doing this to get informations from Ludwig, but it irritates him. So much. He kisses her temple and she moves even closer to him, her hand sliding to his inner thigh, dangerously close to his crotch.
"We're open 24/7, sweetheart. We have many hidden rooms where our guests can spend as many days and nights as they wish. We also have the main attraction, our club, which you've already seen." He magically produces another glass of Firewhiskey for himself. Harry notices there's a faint purple color mixed inside. "There are no rules here. People, especially married couples, come here to free themselves from invisible shackles society likes to imprison us with. Feel free to do whatever you want. We even organize orgies if-"
"What about your special… powders." Hermione cuts him, still smiling, her voice soft. "I've heard a lot about them."
The man licks his lips. "They make this experience worthwhile, Juliette." And he leans forward on his chair. "We have a lot of samples here, but our guests are only allowed to choose one at each time. It's not the safest to mix them." He leans back on the chair, his eyes briefly going over a cabinet perpendicular to where they're sitting. Harry moves his hand to Hermione's waist, squeezing. She squeezes back his inner thigh. She saw it too.
Ludwig has samples inside the study.
"Really?" She says. "Interesting. We're eager to try some, Ludwig."
"I have to warn you that we're not… cheap. I mean, for you, my goddess, I would give all the samples gladly. But that's not an offer I should be making to a married woman since my price is… sex."
Harry inhales sharply, feeling hot from sheer anger.
"Indeed. One sample is enough, then." Harry says fast, through his teeth.
Hermione gulps, tilting her head. Harry blinks many times. She can't be considering this- to have sex with this man just to get the samples-
No. Don't you dare, Hermione.
She clicks her tongue and chuckles softly, though. "I think my husband is right. That's a price I'm not willing to pay."
"That's a shame. I'm sure I can take you to places your husband can't." He winks at her again and Harry explodes.
"Enough!" He says in a higher tone. "What kind of host are you, Ludwig? I've made it pretty clear that no one messes with my wife-"
Hermione cuts him with a kiss. Harry widens his eyes, taking a moment to understand that she's kissing him for real, her lips on his, her tongue invading his mouth. He squeezes her in his arms.
But it ends fast.
She pulls back, smiling at Ludwig. "He's very protective, Ludwig. I apologize for my husband's behavior."
Harry tenses his jaw, seeing red. He wants to take her to a room as far away as possible from this nasty man. And the kiss is burning on his lips. Just like she did many times before, she's branding him as hers. Leaving her taste in his mouth. Reminding him that her touch will linger and burn, stay with him. He gulps.
"I can see that." Ludwig says, shrugging. "Well, you can go back to the club and select one powder. We register it in your rings and this is our only rule. Do not take another powder. If you do, we'll know and you'll be thrown out. You're only allowed to take another powder if you stay another day. Is that clear?"
"As water." Harry says, his hand fisted by his side.
He wants to get out of there.
But Hermione has other plans.
"Ludwig." She moves from Harry's arms, leaning forward, her elbows on her thighs, her eyes on their host. The man is paying the utmost attention to the way her position emphasizes her breasts. He's openly staring at her cleavage. "Maybe you could take me on that tour, I mean, my first reaction was a bit… hasty. Love," She turns her head to Harry in a way that Ludwig can't see her expression. And she widens her eyes to him, looking at the cabinet. "We're here to experiment, right? I'll just go with Ludwig and you can enjoy those lovely ladies. I'm sure you want to, don't you?" Hermione purses her lips.
Harry stops himself from having an emotional reaction. They're on a mission. Hermione is very powerful. She can take care of herself… except that one of her spells failed against Dolohov and what if it happens again and he's not there to help her?
She seems to understand what he's thinking and her eyes soften.
"Don't worry about me, love." She says to him, giving him a peck. "Enjoy yourself, okay? We'll be back in a bit, won't we, Ludwig?"
She finally turns to look at the man. He has a smile on his face.
"Sure." Standing very fast, Ludwig extends one hand to Hermione. And the moment she takes it, Harry really wants to hold her back.
But he watches while she goes.
She doesn't look back when she leaves the study with Ludwig.
Harry runs a hand through his hair, feeling mad but even so, focusing on what he has to do. They won't be too long and he has no idea which kind of spells are protecting the many cabinets the study has.
He stands and goes to the one Ludwig directly looked at. It's obviously locked.
With his wand he tries figuring out the protective spells and he smiles when he realizes Ludwig is kinda of stupid. The spells are very basic and Harry opens the cabinet in a blink with the right counter spells.
His mouth drops when he looks at the content inside. Countless vials. Of all colors. Powders and more powders.
"Fuck." He complains.
They're probably all accounted for and Harry performs another spell to check.
Indeed. The number appears in front of him. There are ten types of powders there. And each one contains more than twenty samples. He needs to think fast. They still have this night to spend inside this house. They can't just leave after arriving, mostly because Harry doesn't want to blow their cover in case they need to go to another house or such. They also need next day to search for clues about Moritz's whereabouts.
So, the only way of Ludwig not doubting him right now is…
He looks over at the two women on the bed. They're obviously hot and Ludwig is expecting him to have something with them on this brief time he's gone with Hermione.
Groaning in frustration, he takes one sample each, hiding inside a little box Hermione enlarged inside with a clever spell and putting it back in his pocket. Then, he closes the cabinet and locks it up with the same dumb spells.
Chewing the insides of his cheeks, he walks to the bed, already taking off his shirt and unbuckling his belt. He really didn't want to do this, but he knows this action will shock both Hermione and Ludwig, distracting the man from any other thought or suspicion.
Against his will, he wakes one woman. She has a beauty that doesn't even seem real. And maybe it isn't. After all, they have no idea what these powders can really do.
She opens her eyes, lazily, not surprised at all to see a strange and shirtless man in front of her. And Harry doesn't even have to say a thing, in a blink she's smiling and pulling him by the neck, kissing him.
"You're handsome." She says when her mouth leaves his.
He's not corresponding, but she's leaving a trail of a very red lipstick all over his face, neck and chest. And the other woman suddenly wakes, her hands on his back, her lips finding his skin.
Harry's not sure how Hermione will react to this.
And he doesn't have to wonder that much. He hears footsteps outside the door and makes a face before playing the part and kissing the woman, one of his hands on her breast while-
"Oh my! Look at that!" Ludwig exclaims, excited. Harry pulls back from the kiss, releasing the woman, his eyes searching Hermione.
She has her arms crossed, a dark expression on her face. She's not angry.
She's totally murderous.
"Having fun, Leo?" She asks in a clipped tone. Then she fetches his shirt from the floor and throws it at his face. Harry opens his mouth, unsure.
"I guess he didn't want you to have your fun, my beauty. But now things changed, didn't they?" Ludwig puts a hand on her waist.
Hermione doesn't move, her eyes still on Harry, on the way he's kneeling on the bed. But he moves when Ludwig kisses her cheek.
Harry stands fast, angry, but she stops him with a look, a clear message to not mess with their host. Still with murderous eyes, she opens a tight smile.
"Indeed, I think I'm allowed to have my fun now, aren't I, Leo?"
Her tone is enough for him to understand that there's no way of acting like a possessive and jealous prick now. So, he swallows his pride, jealousy, and utter anger. Then he puts on his shirt. The women on the bed are watching him. His belt unbuckled but his fly firmly zipped shut.
With a lazy smile on his face, he says, "Of course, love. I have to be fair." He moves one hand in front of him, buttoning up his shirt, gulping at the visible marks of lipstick on his skin.
Hermione presses her lips together, making a disgusted face when Ludwig nuzzles her neck. Harry fists his hands and stops himself from yanking her from the man's arms.
"Amazing." Ludwig says, "What do you say, Juliette? Maybe you should spend the night-"
"Ludwig." She cuts him, a hand going to his chest in a gentle manner, however she puts a fair distance between them, "Maybe tomorrow? This night I'll spend with my husband." She winks at the man. "He needs some punishment, I think." Her voice is so sharp. Harry has no idea if she's only keeping up their covers or if she's talking seriously.
Ludwig smiles and nods. "As you wish. Now, I invite you to go back to the club. Pick your powder and enjoy your stay."
He moves to the side, clearing their path. Hermione thanks him and without looking at Harry, she goes. He follows, not even bothering to nod at Ludwig.
Harry only catches up to her when they're already back at the Saloon. She doesn't wait for him, Hermione walks to the counter and when he touches her lower back, she moves away.
"Let's choose a powder." She says through her teeth, not looking at him.
He inhales deeply. "I had-"
"Not now." She cuts him and he sighs loudly, irritated.
Hermione crosses her arms and also sighs, then she finally looks at him. Without a word, she waves her hand and he knows she's wiping away the lipsticks' marks from his body. He opens an apologetic smile and she shrugs, understanding. It's part of their mission.
He takes her hand and she squeezes his, her thumb going over his skin in a caress. A bit calmer, they focus on the counter.
There are fewer samples exposed here. Harry can only see five types of powders, all of them white. But a simple tag stands in front of each row and he reads them swiftly:
'Taste'
'Smell'
'Touch'
'Hearing'
'Sight'
"The five senses." Hermione murmurs, a wrinkle between her brows.
"Do the powders take them away or enhance them?"
They share a look. There's no one there to explain a thing-
"Newcomers?" A woman asks by their side, close. Harry has no idea from where she came from. It's like she materialized herself there in a blink. Her eyes roam both of them. She has a friendly expression on her face but her smile gives Harry the chills.
"Yes." Hermione answers, "We-"
"Don't worry, darling." The woman stares at Hermione intensively. "If the bottle has a sign, then it'll enhance the sense you choose. If it has a - sign it'll take it away."
"For how long?" Harry asks.
"It depends on the quantity you inhale. Since you're newcomers, I suggest you… take it easy." She winks at them and in another blink, she disappears.
Harry gulps. "Creepy." He whispers in Hermione's ear and she chuckles softly.
"Which one?" She asks in a faltering voice.
"I'm… not sure." Each and every choice has a downside and an upside. However, he's sure both agree they can't take away any sense, so, they'll have to choose one to enhance.
He extends his hand to the 'hearing' row, this could help them listen to important conversations. Hermione nods, understanding his train of thought. In a way this one is a boring choice, if they weren't on a mission, Harry has no doubt 'touch' or 'taste' would be his choice. Just to imagine kissing her-
Harry inhales a pint. Almost nothing of it. His ring turns cold and shines briefly, the powder being registered. Hermione gulps. He extends the vial to her. Not thinking about it, she does the same as he.
The vial magically goes back to the counter. Harry snorts. "Clever. Now what?"
He doesn't feel different at all. Hermione shrugs. "Let's dance. Roam around."
They walk slowly, behaving naturally. It's not hard for Harry to take her hand again and be close to her. It takes them a few more steps before the effect from the powder hits.
Both make faces. They didn't think it through that well. The music is too loud and now it feels like it's playing directly inside their heads. Every conversation in the room reaches them and Harry wished he could block out the many moans he can hear now.
Hermione steers him from the middle of the dancefloor. He's not sure where she's going, but he follows. And after bumping into too many people - all of them missing at least one piece of clothing - they reach a small space that's a bit further away from the others. There's a sofa there and a little tag: Hearing Space
They share a look and sit.
Indeed. There's a spell around the sofa and… silence.
Harry sighs, bringing her to him.
"A mistake." He says, scrunching his nose.
Hermione snorts, her hand again on his thigh. He loves it.
"Maybe not." She says and they look at each other, they're very close and his eyes inevitably fall to her lips. "We need to go to a quiet place from where we can focus on specific conversations, at least try."
"To our room?"
They're talking in whispers. And he sees the moment her eyes fall to his lips at the mention of their room. Harry can feel the way she takes a deep breath before looking back into his eyes. He sets his jaw. His hand on her waist moves down, to her thigh, squeezing. Hermione closes her eyes. He gulps, kissing her cheek. Her hand goes to his nape, her fingers in his hair.
Harry kisses her cheek again.
They should be working.
Hermione moves back a bit and her lips find his. It's gentle. Unsure. She's asking for permission and he gives it to her.
His heart squeezes inside his chest. He knows they're a bit under the influence. From drinking, from the powder and from the place.
But even so, it feels just as amazing as it always felt. He didn't forget the sensation. The perfection of it. Hermione moves away, but their lips are still touching.
"We shouldn't." She says.
He smiles. "We really shouldn't."
Harry kisses her again, this time pulling her to his lap. Hermione doesn't resist. And even if they're controlling themselves, kissing slowly and profoundly, this could take them to having sex in a blink. He squeezes her waist.
Fuck. He missed this. He missed her lips.
Hermione lets out a single moan, biting on his lower lip, but moving away again. They're both panting.
"We need to stop." She says.
"Yes."
He takes her lips in his again and she steers his head to control the kiss, claiming him as hers. His hand moves to her ass and he squeezes it, he can't help smiling a bit, fascinated by how eagerly she responds to his touches.
But suddenly Hermione moves, standing from his lap, breaking their kiss and looking down. Harry observes her. She's smiling but also shaking her head. She looks back at him, her lips are red.
And he can see that Head Riddle is back. He raises an eyebrow, sighing and nodding, agreeing that they have responsibilities and such.
"Okay, fine." He says, winking at her and clearing his throat, trying not to think at how horny he is now. "To the room, then?" There's a provocative smile on his face while he says this and she rolls her eyes.
She takes his hand, their thumbs caressing each other while they go. Hermione seems to know where the room is and Harry is sure Ludwig showed her on their little tour. The jealousy flares inside him.
But for now he ignores it. Along with the loud sounds reaching them. The only thing that matters is that…
They kissed. For real. Both wanting it.
It gives him butterflies in his stomach. Maybe he's ready to-
He makes a face at the thought. It won't be an easy conversation.
Hermione stops when they reach the extreme opposite of the room, and she presses the ring on the wall. It opens outward for them.
Harry slightly opens his mouth. It's a long corridor again, but this one is wide and luxurious. The doors on both sides are numbered.
"Right?" Hermione asks, watching him. She probably had the same reaction. This business Moritz is conducting is no joke.
And indeed, inside the corridor is quieter, the voices and music are fainter and he's thankful for it. He's walking a step behind Hermione, their hands together still… his eyes fall to her hips as she walks. He bites his lower lip. Harry wants her so much.
But… it feels wrong to do this in here. To make love to her in such circumstances. Call him a romantic, but he can't deny that what they have is too precious and special to be treated lightly after what they've been through this past month.
They finally reach their room, number 7. He frowns, noticing that they're not in a proper order. He has no idea why. He doesn't care either.
She opens the door with the ring and they step inside. Hermione moves away from him fast, putting some distance between them. She raises a hand in front of her. Then she puts one finger over her mouth in a clear sign of silence.
The room is luxurious and big, but it looks like any other hotel room. It lacks some coziness.
Harry pockets his hands and watches while she performs a few spells, being sure of how protected the room is, if it is at all.
He walks to her while she does it and Hermione sighs when his hands rest on her waist again. He kisses her neck.
"You're distracting me." She says, annoyed. He doesn't mind. He kisses her again, this time really pulling her to him. Her arms wrap around his neck. "The room is secure." She whispers.
Harry doesn't care. He kisses her again and Hermione moves, he pulls her up, her legs around him while he walks to the bed, she's tugging at his hair, her heart beating as fast as his. Their tongues are sensually battling, meeting in an experienced dance.
But before he can set her down on the bed, Hermione stops the kiss.
"We're here on a mission." She states in a serious tone.
Harry groans. He hates that she's right.
Not the time or place to do this.
And, letting out a breath he sets her down on the floor, on her feet. She touches her forehead on his.
"Later, okay?" She asks in a fragile voice.
"Later." He nods, giving her a peck. She opens a small smile.
"Okay." She takes a few steps away from him, but the distance is secondary to the way she looks, her lips red from their kisses, her dress a bit crumpled- He stops the moan at the back of his throat. He knew he'd missed her, but he had no idea how fucking much exactly. But Hermione seems to be ignorant to the huge effort he's making not to ravish her right there. "I think that if we use the right spells combined with the powder we inhaled, we might be able to hear what we want, choose a conversation."
"Ludwig, maybe?" He asks, running a hand through his hair.
"I expect his study to be protected, but, who knows? Did you find the vials? Before getting in bed with those women?" He can hear the jealousy, clear as water. If he wasn't so sure that she'll do everything to keep a distance between them, he would kiss her again to send this jealousy away.
"I did." He takes the box from his pocket and opens it, there are ten vials inside and he shows to Hermione. "I have no idea what they do. We need to be careful."
"Were there a lot of them?" She crosses her arms, the wrinkle between her brows.
"Yes, a significant amount."
"Ludwig told us about the other houses without even noticing… maybe tomorrow I can take this information from him-"
"By having sex with him?" He asks sharply, angry. "I know you considered it for a second."
She grunts. "It's a mission! We have to consider every possibility." He crosses his arms. "But don't worry. I guess the only one allowed here is you, right?"
"I had to do it." He states firmly. She makes a face but says nothing more.
Changing the subject, they focus on the right spells to listen to others' conversations. Both move naturally inside the room, Hermione takes off her high heels and puts her hair up in a bun, taking a few things from the enchanted little box while Harry gets rid of his shirt and shoes, relaxing a bit. He sees the side glance she gives him when he sits by her side.
Maybe he wants to provoke her, just a bit.
But the work is dull.
Hermione was right about the spells and each is listening to a different conversation at the same time, trying to find something interesting. It's been the most boring hour ever. And they didn't consider a vital circumstance: they're in Germany. Most people speak German.
Not that they couldn't translate the conversation, but it would take too long and too much. So, they agreed on focusing only in names in case someone mentions Moritz or Pettigrew… maybe even Riddle.
But Harry needs a break.
He sighs and ends the spell, noticing that he might be a little deaf now. Shaking his head, he stands from the chair and squeezes Hermione's shoulder when he goes past her - she kisses his forearm in return - heading to the bathroom.
He closes the door and after peeing, he leans on the sink, sighing while he washes his hands. This will get them nowhere. The 'hearing' powder was a poor choice and maybe they should call it a night, sleep and think about what to do tomorrow…
He smiles when he thinks about falling asleep with her in his arms.
Harry splashes some water on his face, ready to talk with her.
But when he opens the door, he stops on his tracks. And acts fast to block a spell coming his way. Harry raises a powerful shield around him and takes in the scene.
The room is trashed, there are four wizards inside with Ludwig. And Hermione is pressed against the floor, Ludwig is holding her arms behind her back, his knee pressing on her spine. Harry knows she's having a hard time breathing.
"What the fuck?!" He yells, taking one step- one wizard points a wand at him, a clear warning for him not to take another step.
"Now, Leo." Ludwig says and clicks his tongue. "Behave or your wife will suffer a few consequences and we don't want that, do we? She's so pretty." And Harry watches while Ludwig lowers himself to lick Hermione's cheek, she tries avoiding him, but there's no way. "I know you took vials from my study. I want them back." Ludwig opens a nasty smile. Dangerous. Harry realizes the man is totally crazy.
"Let her go." Harry says in a low voice, trying not to lose all rational thought. "Now."
Ludwig laughs and the other wizards follow.
"I give the orders here. First, the vials, then I might let her go." And he presses his knee further into her back. Hermione bites hard on her lower lip to stop a scream and Harry sets his jaw. "Look, I understand the curiosity, you're not our first guests to do this, but I can't let this pass, so, the vials. Come on."
"Don't." Hermione lets out, almost a whisper.
"Crucio." Ludwig says and Harry feels livid at the sight of her contorting on the floor from sheer pain.
In a blink he's holding the vials, showing them to Ludwig.
"Here, here. Stop. Fuck, stop, right now!"
Ludwig lifts the curse and Harry squints, feeling murderous- his odds aren't the best, he knows Ludwig has Hermione too close for her to escape in time if he decides to attack all five of them. And he hates how vulnerable they are. They left their guard down and Harry can't understand how this happened so fast.
One bodyguard moves to take the vials and Harry has no other choice them to give them to the man. Hermione is crying on the floor, frustrated and hurt.
Ludwig raises from the floor, bringing Hermione with him. Now Harry can see that she has a bruise on her face and he takes another step forward, ready to kill all these motherfuckers. He just needs to reach her in time and-
A bright light invades the room, some smoke takes over it and Harry knows it's the same powder that put them to sleep inside that night club in London. They'll be taken as prisoners. Tortured.
Thinking fast, he uses a powerful spell to speed up his velocity and in a blink he takes two steps to Hermione fetching her from Ludwig's grasp and punching the man with force, Hermione groans, but their left hands touch and in an exhilarating moment they perform spell after spell with ease.
All the bodyguards are down in a second - as insignificant flies - and when he's ready to take back the vials, Ludwig is faster. The man disappears with them, a lunatic laugh filling the room.
"Do we have a safe house?" Harry asks her, supporting Hermione, knowing that she's in pain. She nods. He feels sleepy already- "Take us, now."
He watches while she raises her hand and another Portkey goes flying to it - it's a nail polisher - and in a blink they're gone.
Safe House
Harry lands on the floor. But Hermione doesn't. She crumbles down and he holds her.
"Hermione!" She passed out in his arms.
Gritting his teeth Harry seizes her, lying her down on the huge bed at the corner.
It's a simple house. A bed, a table for them to eat, a bathroom and a tiny space for them to cook. That's it. He looks out of the window. There are only trees around. Tall and imposing. They're in the middle of nowhere. But Harry can hear a river running close. Apart from that it seems like they're totally alone.
He swears under his breath, looking at her. She's too pale. The blood drained from her face.
Right now he doesn't care about anything else. The only thing he wants is to make her feel better, heal her. He can't deny he's a bit sleepy, but he takes her left hand in his, nonetheless.
The power of their bond courses through him and Harry inhales deeply to do this. She has many bruises all over, her injuries far more serious than what he anticipated at first. And he thanks the heavens that he's able to do this for her, to heal her so profoundly.
It takes endless minutes. And he wonders what the fuck happened. How Ludwig and the others got inside and took Hermione down so easily.
Shit.
Not noticing how tense he was, Harry only relaxes when she opens her eyes, grunting, making a face. He sighs, squeezing her hand.
"I'm losing count on how many you owe me now." He tries joking and she actually chuckles, bringing a smile to his face. "Fuck. That was close."
"But we left without the vials." She whispers, looking at the ceiling, her eyes lost in clear disappointment.
"Hey." He leans to her, kissing her softly. "Screw the vials."
Hermione gulps, then she looks at him. "I- my spell failed again." Her voice falters and he understands what happened in a blink. "Not just that but they caught me totally by surprise, I'm sure they were under the influence of many powders… Ludwig at least was. His Cruciatus was like nothing I ever experienced before."
Harry moves closer to her on the bed. "Why?" He asks in a gentle tone. "Why are you failing?"
She closes her eyes and he sees a few tears running down her cheek. He brushes a thumb on them, wiping them away.
"I- Harry," Her eyes are studying his face, looking for a hint of something. "Do you really wanna know?" He frowns. Of course he does- "Because it involves everything that happened to us, the Veritaserum and such."
He gulps. "Tell me."
She wets her lips, sitting on the bed, her back against the headboard. He's nervous. He wants to hear this, but at the same time he's not ready to open up to her, to- just to imagine the look on her face when she hears the truth about who he is… he dreads this moment. Too much.
But right now he's too curious why she's failing her spells and-
"I don't even know how to start." Hermione whispers, her eyes a bit lost, her face showing some hesitation. "When you first arrived in London…" She gulps, "My father wanted me to be close to you, learn your secrets, find out if you were a threat to him."
He blinks a few times, it's not that surprising, but at the same time…
"Was that the only reason why you-"
"No." She says fast. "No. I wanted to be near you. All the time. I- regardless his suspicions or worries, I was personally intrigued by you. Attracted to you." She shrugs apologetically. Harry opens a tiny smile.
"I guess I can say the same." He whispers.
She visibly gulps and her hand searches his on the bed. "But it wasn't a simple request, he… binded me to it. With ancient magic. It's called a binding obedience contract that can be made between parents and their offspring."
Hermione stops talking, looking down.
Harry blinks, unsure of what to think. "I never heard of this." He states, "How does it work?"
"It- I need to fulfill his request, I have no choice. And he uses it to make sure that I won't lie to him. To make sure that I'll stay loyal to his wishes."
He tenses his jaw, his hand squeezing hers a bit. "What's the consequence for not fulfilling it?"
She inhales deeply and her eyes find his again. "Death."
Harry widens his eyes, snorting and shaking his head right after. It shouldn't surprise him, he knows what kind of man Riddle is, he knows how-
"What an amazing father, Hermione." He mocks in a bitter tone.
She purses her lips. "I- the idea that I would possibly betray him is so absurd that a contract like that shouldn't be a problem."
"Are you defending him?"
"No."
But he pulls his hand from hers and Hermione visibly flinches.
"He asked you to keep an eye on me and made this contract to be sure that you would deliver."
"Yes. That's basically it. And I knew I had to… find a way of saving you in the process, Harry."
There's a lump in his throat. An uncomfortable feeling. It claws on his chest.
"You were sure I had killed Lucius." He whispers.
Hermione nods. "You told me someone tried to choke you, making the connection wasn't that hard. And when I asked you about it, I- I knew you were lying to my face."
He runs one hand through his hair.
"If you were so sure, why didn't you send me to jail right then?"
She stares into his eyes for a long and never ending minute. Harry doesn't avert his.
"Because I was already in love with you."
It's- Harry takes a beat to understand her words. They exhilarate him. But at the same time…
He gulps. "Why were you with Pettigrew, then? You weren't engaged yet." The words leave a sour taste in his mouth.
She averts her eyes, crossing her arms. "It wasn't an easy decision, Harry."
"I don't see the conflict, Hermione. If you're in love with someone, you do whatever it takes to be with that someone."
Hermione shakes her head. "You do have a romantic perspective of life. Things are not that simple."
"To me they are." Harry raises from the bed, chewing the insides of his cheeks. And he gives his back to her, putting both hands on his waist, looking down.
His heart is aching. He can't understand her relationship with Pettigrew. He can't wrap his mind around a solid reason why she keeps herself chained to that stronzo.
Ignoring his internal conflict for the moment, Hermione continues, "The binding obedience was slowly killing me because I already knew something on you and it was urging me to tell my father. I asked for no time limit for this, that's why I was able to… resist longer." She stops, but he has nothing to say, his mind is truly reeling. "I was living on the brink, Harry. All the time on those past months. It was no coincidence I fell sick and-" He turns to look at her, Hermione is brushing away a few tears. "I began to take some insanely strong potions to carry on." She makes a pained face. "I think I'm failing my spells as a side effect from them. They're collecting their price now."
He takes a deep breath, pacing inside, it's complete silence around them and her words echo inside him. She had no other choice. Of course. At some moment she had to hand his head to her father-
"Why didn't you tell me?" He whispers, hurt, still not looking directly at her.
"My father-"
"Fuck!" He yells, fed up. He's had enough of Tom Riddle. "Fuck, Hermione!" He finally catches her eyes with his, her expression is cold. "If you'd told me we could have found a way out of this! Do you think our bond wouldn't be able to break this binding obedience or whatever? What we share is stronger than anything else and even so you chose to-"
"I couldn't tell you!" She also raises her voice, standing from the bed. "If I had he would've know!"
"And so you decided to stab me in the back and throw me in a cell?" He's yelling. She winces. "Then you thought it would be best to simply be a bitch to me? Decided it would be best to let me believe that you hated me? That what we shared was a lie?!" He snorts, running both hands on his hair, wildly.
His chest hurts.
"I'm sorry." She whispers. "Fuck, Harry, I'm so sorry."
He turns away from her again, trying to calm down, taking deep breaths.
"I- I don't always make the right choice." She says, her voice faltering. "Maybe I should have dealt with this differently, but I can't say I regret everything. I can't say that because it worked, Harry. You're here, alive. Safe."
He pockets his hands, his head down. Then he feels her hands on his bare back - he's still without his shirt - coming to rest on his stomach, embracing him. She kisses his shoulder blades gently, squeezing him in her arms.
Her touch is soothing. But-
"How were you so sure your plan would work, Hermione?" His voice is barely there. "If it wasn't for my grandfather-"
"I made a Vow with him."
He widens his eyes, turning on his heels to look at her. "What?"
They're close, but not touching anymore.
"I… went to Rome and made a Vow with Matteo." She states, her eyes watching his reactions.
"When?" He can't believe this, it's-
"The day after Christmas."
He opens and closes his mouth. Baffled. Shocked.
"He knew what you were going to do? He- you told him about the binding obedience and-"
"Yes. I told him everything and explained that… he should be the one to save you. I gave him things on my father, Harry. For him to use and set you free."
Harry feels the floor disappearing beneath him. This-
He knew.
Matteo has been trying to keep Harry away from Hermione for more than a month now and he knew she was doing this because she had no other choice, she planned everything and-
He takes a step back, chewing the insides of his cheeks, looking down, feeling lost.
It can't be.
But he believes her. She's telling him the truth. And now he has no idea what to think or how to feel.
His grandfather was set on turning Harry's love to hate. Sure that Harry had no other choice than kill Hermione or anything close to that.
He wants me to kill my soulmate.
"Harry-"
"This is… a bit too much." He says and takes more steps away from her.
He knows there's a lot more Hermione still needs to tell him, but he's not sure he wants to hear, not right now.
And it strikes him that-
"You knew, Hermione. From the very first time we kissed. You knew how we were bound to end." He presses his lips together, his chin trembling a bit. He can feel tears behind his eyes. "All we've been through. All we shared. The loving words and- you looked at me every time you said you loved me and you knew that-" He chokes. "You led me on. You played with my feelings. With my love. A love that-" He bites on his lower lip. "A love that was everything to me."
"I-" She's crying now. Silent tears running down her face. "Nothing I say can justify this, but it was too fucking hard letting go and-"
He snorts, throwing his hands in the air, angry. "Was it hard for you? Imagine if I had thrown you inside a cell and told you I never loved you!"
She sobs, one hand over her mouth. They know there's nothing they can say that changes the reality of what happened. And a heavy silence fills the room.
Harry furiously wipes away a few tears, and then he makes the question that's been eating him from inside out.
"Why are you still engaged to Pettigrew? Are you really going to marry him?"
Hermione visibly gulps and sets her jaw, her eyes are pleading, but her answer-
"Yes."
"Fuck, why? Why?!" He yells the last word, losing rational thought, seeing red. Something explodes inside a cabinet and Hermione lowers her head.
But she doesn't say a word. She keeps crying, bracing herself.
"Do you love him?" It sounds absurd.
She snorts. "No."
The pain in his chest eases a bit, not that much but…
"Did he really know about us?"
"Yes." He barely hears her.
Another explosion inside the cabinet. And another.
Again, this feels like too much. He almost can't look at her right now.
"Harry, please, let me explain-"
He raises a hand. "I need time to think. I need to digest all of this."
She sighs. "I understand."
And he looks at her. The way she's totally heartbroken tears him apart. Inevitably he closes the distance between them and her eyes search his, some hope glimmering there.
"Do you feel good enough to go back on your own?" He asks, his body close to hers.
She makes a face. Harry knows she was expecting him to say something else. "Yeah, I think I do."
He nods. "Okay. I'll- I'll see you at the Ministry."
He's about to leave, but she takes his hand. Then, she cups his cheek.
"I only wanted to protect you, Harry."
He sighs, touching her forehead with his.
"I know." He kisses her forehead. "But sometimes I wish you hadn't."
And with that, he apparates.