A/N: I wrote a new oneshot! I am telling you all here because FFN's email alerts still aren't working, and I thought it turned out pretty cute :3

It is called 'Benefits'. I hope you like it~! :)

Talking with Tom had reminded Hermione of another obligation she had – fixing Azkaban before all the prisoners froze to death.

Hermione wanted to be recognized as the Valkyrie when she did it. Ostensibly, she needed to be the Valkyrie in order to get amnesty for her 'crimes' from the Ministry, but Hermione was excited that she could use this opportunity to help add to the growing mythos of the Valkyrie. But there were a couple issues with that. The first was that if Amelia Bones was there, she might recognize Hermione as the Valkyrie, which would fairly doom any sort of ambiguity about who she was from the start.

The second was to help add veracity to her claim, she would be best off to return to Azkaban in the same way she had gone before. That meant Tom at her side as her guard – but Tom couldn't come alone anymore.

"It's not worth the risk," Tom said flatly. "I'm not likely to be recognized, but Voldemort definitely would be. It would only take a glimpse of him to utterly ruin the reputation of the Valkyrie."

"I could hide in the graveyard," Voldemort offered. "I could entertain myself with the bones of the dead—"

"Absolutely not," Hermione snapped. "Do you think we're stupid?"

Voldemort snorted. "Yes."

Annoyed, Hermione looked back at Tom, ignoring Voldemort's selfless suggestions of what he could do to hide himself and be inconspicuous if she took him along.

"It will be dark," she said thoughtfully. "Do you think one of my other friends would be able to fill in as you?"

"It's possible," Tom said, considering. "They would have heard reports of a young man with dark hair and pale skin. None of the prisoners would have identified me by name."

"Dark hair and pale skin," Hermione said. "That takes out Draco and Blaise. Harry can't do it either – he's too recognizable. That leaves just Theo."

"Theo could work," Tom said. "He's not as good-looking as me, certainly, but like you said, it will be dark. He could pass for me in the shadow."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I'll ask him, then," she said. "He might be up for a bit of an adventure. Who knows?"

Theo, as it was, was not enthusiastic about going to Azkaban while Hermione repaired it.

"You are asking me to go in front of a Ministry official, as myself, and expose my identity," he said flatly. "This is all risk, no reward. Why would I do this?"

Hermione winced. "When you put it that way…"

"No. This is foolish. Hermione, find another way," Theo said, exasperated. "If you're worried about them not believing you're the Valkyrie, fix the prison while on your bloody wings of fire. I daresay they'd believe you then."

"Oh…" Hermione paused. "Tom thought it was a good idea…"

"Tom wants to spend as much time with you outside the diary so he can manipulate you into making him a body," Theo said curtly. "Of course he wants you to think taking him along is a good move. He's got nothing meaningful to lose and everything to gain."

"Do you really think so?" Hermione worried at her lip. "He's been working on healing his soul from the first tear. He's not who he was before…"

Theo rolled his eyes so hard Hermione thought he might injure himself.

"He's still the boy who became the Dark Lord," Theo told her. "I think he's manipulating someone every time he opens his mouth."

Hermione resigned herself to going alone. She didn't want to risk her friends unnecessarily, as Theo had said, and it was her mess to clean up in the first place. She decided, as part of her determination to let her friends in, that she would at least run the idea by Pansy. She had planned on asking Pansy for help with her hair anyway.

Hermione was explaining the issue to Pansy, cross-legged on the bed in front of her with her back to Pansy, when Tracey and Millie entered the dorm room. Hermione froze, stopping mid-sentence. There was a long moment where Hermione and Tracey just stared at each other, before Pansy yanked sharply on Hermione's hair.

"Either forgive Tracey and move on," she said curtly, "or figure out a way to kick people out of the Shadows. Got it?"

Tracey flinched, and Hermione rolled her eyes. She took a deep breath, before letting out a sigh.

"Fine," she said. "Listen. Maybe you guys have ideas that could help…"

She explained the hole in the wall of Azkaban and the amnesty offer again, as well as the need for Tom as a minion (which she couldn't do). Pansy continued braiding her hair in the meantime. Both Millie and Tracey looked concerned when Hermione had finished explaining.

"You would be at risk," Tracey told Hermione seriously. "It's a minimal risk, at least – if spells start flying, you can jump a line and flee in a split second."

"Better make sure they don't hit you with anything," Millie said dryly. "All it would take would be one stunner to ruin everything – can't hop a line if you're knocked out."

Hermione jerked around to look at Millie, prompting ire from Pansy.

"Can you sit still?" Pansy hissed. "Do you want to look intimidating or like a half-plucked chicken?"

"Sorry, sorry…"

Hermione settled back down, trying to sit still, but Millie's point stayed in her mind.

"Do you think they might do that?" Hermione asked, anxious. "Try and hit me with spellfire? Even though I'm helping them?"

"Yes," the other three chorused immediately.

Hermione was taken aback. "…wow. Okay then."

"Sometimes I wonder about you," Pansy said, her tone snarky. "How did you get sorted into Slytherin at all?"

"Ambition," Millie said, smirking. "Clearly."

"Hermione, think about it logically," Tracey pleaded. "Or from the other side, at least. If you were the head of the DMLE, what would you do?"

Hermione bit her lip, considering.

"I'd set up a trap," Hermione admitted reluctantly. "I'd wait until the Valkyrie was almost done fixing Azkaban, and then I'd try to stun her or catch her. I'd probably still let her go," she hurried to say, "but… I'd want to know who it was too badly to just let her escape."

"Exactly," Tracey said. "It makes sense that they would betray you. The guards have no loyalty to you, and they probably barely care about the prisoners either. You should take backup. You really should."

Hermione sighed.

"Well, who am I supposed to take, then?" she said, annoyed. "Theo won't go, and Draco, Harry, and Blaise are all too recognizable."

"Take one of us, you misogynistic moron," Pansy snapped, tying off the end of one braid. "Do you think we wouldn't be able watch your back?"

Hermione turned to look at Pansy, prompting another groan as her hair tugged out of Pansy's hand again.

"The Valkyrie was reported with a young man watching her back," Hermione explained slowly, as if to a child. "Given none of you are young men—"

"—the press will presume that the Valkyrie has more than one follower," Pansy said curtly. "Obviously. As a matter of fact, we should all go. Just to drive that point home, in case anybody misses it."

"Oh," Hermione paused. "…that's not a bad idea."

"We can't take everyone," Millie said. "For one, Susan can't come – if her aunt is there—"

"No, obviously not," Pansy said, exasperated. "Luna not either, probably – her hair and eyes are very distinct. But the three of us – our coloring is similar and not uncommon. We could get away with being faceless followers in hoods."

"Then it's decided," Tracey said, brooking no room for argument. Her eyes glinted with excitement. "After Hermione's hair is done, everybody put on your black robes and boots; we're going on an adventure to Azkaban."