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"Aster, how's it going?" Harry asked as he entered his office and immediately sought out his friend, and the leader of their private Auror force; it was still hotly contested by many, but not enough so as to cause issues. All it would take would be one error and the majority would move from with Harry and Elaine, to against them.
As it turned out, sweeping reforms, reorganisation and the likeliness of removal for a majority of Ministry officials tended to make you disliked. Harry understood why, a large portion of Ministry staff were corrupt and needed to be removed… he could look the other way if it came to blackmail to have them removed. If not blackmail, fraudulent documents or the like to give Elaine and him the justification needed to remove whichever people were most troublesome. He knew just the same as she did that they couldn't be too heavy-handed, lest suspicion arises and all that he had tried to avoid came into fruition all due to old wizards and witches not knowing when the time came for them to back down.
"As well as you can wager with a force of thirty, more or less. All we do is sit in the office and train, Elaine doesn't tend to send us out on any tasks since she does the bulk of them herself, just like when we were all in Hogwarts — you?" Aster took a drink of coffee, the bags under his eyes more visible when the other young man leaned back in his seat and Harry sat in the chair before his friend's desk. There was little Harry had to do outside of repetitive and boring interviews and charity drives or the like; anything that would see public opinion rise. "Anything to keep me and the newbies busy, Pev? I'll beg if I gotta, but you have to know how shite this is for somebody like me, yeah?"
"I can guess easily enough," Harry agreed before he looked left and right, spotting a few lingering Aurors under Aster's control, and then back at his friend. Sans the personal Auror force and Elaine, the latter of whom was in her office for the day, there was nobody else in the office. "I think I have one task if you reckon you and the others are up to it. What'dya say?"
I won't make Corene fish for more information in Bavaria or Austria, wherever that rumoured place was. I'll let her focus on other whispers of Grindelwald and search for information about that room back at Hogwarts wherein more information might be hidden for our usage. I reckon Aster would like the chance to fight after all of the training this lot has gotten up to.
"Let's do it."
"I haven't even said what it is," Harry said with a snort as he folded his arms and looked at Aster with a touch of astonishment. Usually, the typically strategic boy was hesitant and ofttimes wanted every bit of information that he could get before he went anywhere. That was all the truer when it involved a chance for actual violence rather than hexes as retribution for a prank.
"You gave me the best of the best, most promising and highest potential people you could find. We've trained them up non-stop for a good deal of time, but training here only does you so much good. I may not be great out in the field like McMacson or Maxis, but these Yanks and the others we've recruited locally, they've got a chance to be great if we can get them a bit of practical experience," Aster reached into his desk, withdrew a slip of parchment, and pushed it immediately in Harry's direction. "I've been waiting for you and Elaine to ask for a team to help you on… well, whatever it is that you're doing, right? Those names and that group are the best I can put together with a moderate level of chemistry between them."
"Would you be joining them?"
Aster shook his head. "As I said, Pev, I'm not all that good in the field and with Elaine at your side, my mind isn't needed half as much as when it's just us blokes — she's one of the only people who's managed to beat me in wizarding chess. Truth be told, she still makes me feel odd or nervous too. I don't think I would've taken the job here if it wasn't for you. Hogwarts dormmates, we have to stick together. It's the same reason I'm trying to recruit Ash."
"Not Joseph?"
"He's gone," Aster said simply, a sad, fond smile on his face.
Harry hadn't heard about Joe's passing, he'd thought about the bow recently. He and Ash had been close with one another, and now, from Aster's words, Harry had learned that their group of six had shrunk again; they weren't even in their twenties, and already, only three remained of the original six; Ash, Aster and Harry. Even with all of the changes he'd made, successful as the vast majority had been, he couldn't keep his friends and those he cared about, alive.
In his mind, that fact alone told Harry he hadn't done as good a job as he should have.
"I'll make sure to get a few extra spells in for you if we run into anybody," Harry finally said with a shake of his head as he stood up and shrugged off the sudden wave of sadness and nostalgia. He'd make sure he did the same for Reinhard too, he only hoped the large, strong boy could see him do so from wherever he was in the afterlife.
"I'll be here for the story when you get back," Aster said with a grin as he stood up after Harry. He nodded toward a cabinet by his desk a second after. "Whiskey, for when you're back — bring the others too, won't you? With how strong you've gotten, I doubt there'll be too many problems and it'd be good to build your reputation with them, at least a little bit. They already love you and Elaine for all you've done for them."
I suppose a high pay, housing, food allowance and training beyond most other countries' Aurors earns you the respect of your best Aurors.
"I'll make sure the group stays safe, you've got my word… and that whiskey best not be flavoured Aster. You know that shite's terrible."
Aster snickered and gestured for Harry to head out, and Harry did with a laugh as he looked back down at that list of five names. Who knew, maybe he'd make some new friends from those he would soon be seeking out. He could certainly hope so.
When Harry left his friend Aster, he sought out the next Auror of the Minister's force and asked for the five names listed on the parchment Aster had given him, to report to his personal office. It didn't take long for those listed to join Harry. Three of them were new hires, Yankees, one was Canadian, and the last was British. All five were unfamiliar with Harry.
The first was a woman, she had red hair that reached down to her shoulders. She was tall and slender, but it wasn't until she spoke that Harry realized how young she actually was. It was like much of the force that had been put together post-war. She told him that she was from New England and made a half-hearted joke thereof. Her personality was comedic, light, and bubbly. He liked her immediately. The next two were both men and her countrymen. One wore glasses, another had a patch over one eye, and they each had dark brown hair and eyes, or rather, in the case of one, eye singular. Each gave a handshake, which he returned in kind. They seemed very comfortable around one another as if they'd known each other for some time. Unlike the redhead, whose name was French in origin, that being Marie, these two had personalities that were far more reserved. Once their introductions were done, Harry moved on to the Canadian Auror, favouring his countrymen for last.
The Canadian was also female, and unlike the red-headed woman from New England, she had dark hair, tanned skin, and blue eyes. She had a very serious look about her, which Harry found reassuring. She held herself with confidence, and there was no hint of nerves. When they were introduced, she shook his hand firmly, much as the two Yankee men had. Her name was Valarie and she said that she had come to the Ministry after graduating from Auror school in the commonwealth, and when she'd heard a call was put out for assistance. She thanked him for the opportunity to work with the Ministry of Magic in her family's historical homeland and promised not to let him down.
Finally, Harry greeted his countryman and the final of the five Aster had put together. Unlike the other four, the man was older, grizzled, and scarred, but most importantly, he looked like he knew what he was doing. His voice was gruff, and his manner was one of great authority. Harry felt as though he could trust this man implicitly. His name was Frank Bryce, and he had served as an Auror for twenty years. Upon meeting him, Harry thought he would make a good mentor for the younger members of the team; he was old enough, experienced, and knowledgeable enough to offer insight and wisdom where needed.
Harry stood and shook hands with all five of them, thanking them for volunteering for service and assuring them that they had nothing to fear about this first outing, Frank seemed a bit put out at that, but the others, they seemed a bit more at ease. They likely didn't know what to expect, but Harry was sure they would be fine, especially if Aster had hand-picked them as he had.
"Aster told me that you five are the best of the thirty," Harry opened up once the introductions were completed. "I don't know much about the five of you, but if he's said that, I would wager you gave him reason to think so. Tell me truly, are you all ready for an assignment? It'll be dangerous, and I won't fault you for not wanting to go out — I'd also like to stress, once again, that what we do for the Ministry and for the country is of paramount importance. We've been fighting Grindelwald and his followers for a good deal of time, and the tasks we'll be doing for the foreseeable months will be cleaning up his mess."
"Relief missions, Deputy Minister… sir?" the redhead, Marie, asked tentatively.
Harry shook his head, earning a confused expression from the young woman; one that could be a year or two older than he was. He wouldn't let that get in the way of him thinking of her as young, though, since he likely had far more experience than everybody in the rooms sans Frank. That older guy might be the only one that could challenge Harry on that basis alone.
"We'll be doing some investigating. Our targets will be information, lists, pieces of parchment — anything that'll help us find sympathisers, people that formerly followed Grindelwald, stashes of stolen items, and anything else that falls under the umbrella of his actions," Harry said. He wouldn't mention Horcruxes, but after swallowing and glancing between the group of five, he'd mention something that would be vague enough so as to avoid appearing as an outright lie to his team. "There could potentially be dark artefacts with magic that would more than likely be very dangerous if handled without the appropriate care. If you come across such things, tell me as soon as you feel or see them, and I will personally handle them. Leave anything you're uncertain of to me, if you have questions, ask, and should you not wish to come, speak now. By and large, you'll be backing me up and ensuring I don't get trapped or overwhelmed, not that I think we'll be expecting any large show of force from any place we're investigating."
"You're right to be prepared, Deputy Minister Peverell," Frank said, speaking up when Harry was finished with a glint of approval in his eyes and a nod that reinforced the glint. Clearly, the man thought fondly of Harry thus far, and being that he was older and seemed to have a fondness for Harry, the younger man assumed the older one, Frank, had supported Harry during his stint in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement too.
It was good to think of this man as a friend, and one that approved of him rather than an adversary or person who would be problematic on account of age.
"I have a question, sir," Marie said as she raised her hand and smiled politely. "These dark artefacts, how do you know which ones to look out for or what they are? I've only ever read about them in books, is all."
"Oh, that's easy," Harry began with a friendly smile. "We'll be looking for anything that feels off, you'll know the feeling and anything that has a Deathly Hallows symbol. Dark objects tend to bear those when it comes to Grindelwald, he had a love for the symbol, and if not for that, as I said, you'll feel them. They're hard to miss based on the sensations they cause one to feel, believe me. Right, and if I could give all of you one piece of advice that you'd be best to follow at all times whenever we're out on duty, it would be to avoid touching anything wheresoever we go. That'll do much to keep you safe."
The redhead nodded and looked back down, clearly nervous. She wasn't the only one, but it appeared the others had their own nerves that made them uncomfortable. That was expected, to be honest, but there was no point in letting it get to them. Frank, as Harry suspected, was the only one without worry or trepidation, and Harry knew that he would be able to rely on the older wizard to guide the others. Experience, after all, was invaluable.
"Any other questions?" Harry asked as he look around at the four youths near his own age and Frank. "Now's the best time to ask them."
"You said we're not expecting to fight, but that you're bringing us along to ensure you're not overwhelmed if we do?" Valerie asked.
"That's right, and yes, that would be the case," Harry agreed. "Should we encounter trouble, I'll push into the contact, whatever it is, and you five will follow Frank's lead behind me, to make sure I'm not surrounded. All of you will be able to use your magic to its fullest and without limiting yourselves to aid me in that regard as well, so just be mindful of the fact that you may end up in the middle of a battle and need to be ready to act quickly and decisively, and without constraints. We won't be going into combat willingly, and we're definitely not seeking it out, I want to be clear about that... but if we are, then we're all in it together and afterwards, we'll break away, homebound."
Again, Harry asked around if there were any questions, and this time, there were none. The group, more or less, seemed ready for whatever task he was going to send them on. Harry sent them off to prepare themselves, be it with supplies they'd go out and requisition, missives they'd send to loved ones or anything in between.
They would leave in thirty minutes, and Harry would hope all the while that Aster had done his homework on the five he'd be sending alongside Harry. The last thing either wanted was more fallen Aurors. Not with the war practically over, and not when all that remained was exterminating Grindelwalds accursed soul and the fragments he'd left behind of it.
Merlin, I really hope this place is a solid lead… maybe I'll go and speak with Elaine before I leave, just to make sure. She might insist on coming, and if she does, I don't think I'd mind. She might dislike the thought of taking some company with us, but going into Grindelwald's homelands, where a large majority supported it, I reckon it's smart of us.
He sighed and started toward her office.
"I hear you are preparing for an outing, lover," Elaine said no sooner than when first he stepped into her office. "Would you enlighten me as to what it's about beyond a little trip to Bavaria, near the Austrian border and atop a mountain's peak? Our mutual friend, maybe?"
He nodded and shrugged. She'd 'guessed' it in one, not that he had ever doubted her ability to find out the information she desired to know. "Right in one. I'd gotten a lead from Corene that there might be an old refuge and favourite spot of his there, and so I thought, finally, that we'd bring along some Aurors under Aster to get them some experience working alongside us — they're meant to be a good basis for our power, and an extension of our reach when we need them to be, aren't they?"
Elaine smiled at him in response, letting him know that he was right in one as she stood up, practically swam towards him with the degree of fluidity she showed, and stopped a foot in front of him. "Very correct, my love," she said as she leaned forward to kiss the tip of his nose. "So smart, and you're so mannered too — 'we'd', you said, as if you were counting on me finding out or that you intended to invite me in the first place."
"At first I thought you'd be a bit busy or not have the ability to take some time out of your day," Harry said initially, and when Elaine looked ready to interrupt him, he continued quickly, and without letting the silence linger a few seconds longer as he'd wanted to. "I figured I was wrong though. It's you, and you can do whatever you want to by the look of things, so I reckoned I'd get the team together from Aster, speak with them, give them some time to prepare and then come over and speak with you. I assume you're good to go in the next half an hour, right?"
"Corene said it will not be half as naturally hazardous as the area that we had previously taken an outing to. Whilst that means less preparation by way of anti-venom potions or magic meant for countering specific beasts or creatures, that does mean that we'll need to be extra careful, for he would know there's a lack of natural security to keep the location away from those that would raid it. You've thought about that, have you not?" Elaine had switched in the blink of an eye from affectionate and loving, to business-oriented and serious, her voice doing as it oft did when it switched, and that being to turn more gruff and husky.
He didn't mind that switch in tones. Elaine's deep voice was sultry enough that he reckoned she could get him to do whatever she wanted when she used it. He hoped she didn't know that, but knowing her, she definitely did.
"I have, and I figured you'd be able to counter just about anything he did or set up to wait for us. I'll help you, I've learned a lot, and even if you weren't able to come around, I figured I was ready to go on this little adventure with just the team," Harry grinned when Elaine narrowed her eyes, and then he raised his hands. "Relax, relax, I know you're coming with me, so I'll be fine."
"Correct, lover. I wouldn't dream of leaving you sans my company, least of all with fresh new Aurors the likes of which we remain, at the present, uncertain of in their capabilities. I would have preferred it if Aster would have joined us, but I know he wishes to remain here, away from combat," Elaine sighed, her faux anger passing as she pressed herself against his chest. "I believe Reinhard's passing still causes him much pain. I wish we could alleviate it."
I wish we could too.
"What could we do?" Harry asked, genuinely interested as to what Elaine thought they might do for their friend.
"Aster is fond of Muggle items, and whilst they would do little to replace Reinhard, they would prove a good distraction — don't look at me as you are, did you think me unknowing when that simple servant of his bought for Aster Muggle military ware?" Elaine snorted, and from the slight height advantage he now possessed, looked up at him with a victorious, smug grin.
He supposed he should have known better.
"I'll go and find something for him then. It shouldn't be too hard, not with the war having just recently ended. I'm sure we could scrounge up a German uniform, a second British, maybe a sailor this time — he might want a Yank or Soviet one too, I reckon I could manage one or the other," Harry furrowed his brows, now deep in thought. Aster was the person, if there was anybody, that deserved a good rest and some distractions. He hoped Elaine's idea, one that he should have thought of, would serve his friend well.
"In the evening. I trust you know where to go for your desires of Muggle items," Elaine's face nearly concealed all of the disdain when that sentence was said. He could still make out a level of dislike, not hatred, thankfully enough, but it was still as evident as ever that she was not fond of Muggles in the slightest.
He wanted to learn about that past of hers all the more so, and whilst it was something she loathed to discuss before she had been 'given' the home she'd previously resided in, he knew one day they'd discuss it. Maybe he'd reveal more about who he was to her by then too… he should probably ask about her father and what came of him. Merlin, he hoped the man hadn't simply been forgotten in that locked room whence they'd first met. That would be a horrible fate.
"So…"
"Whilst the others prepare, I'll do the same," Elaine said, her tongue sliding out from betwixt those perfect lips of hers as she gazed at him with dark eyes and intentions that he imagined, were far from pure. "Return in ten, lover, and if the others are not yet ready, mayhaps I'll have something for you to do."
I couldn't begin to guess what that something would be, Harry thought sarcastically.
He was more than certain he knew what it was that she had in store for him if Marie, Valerie, Frank and those other two weren't good by then. Oh. Right. He should probably get the two Yankees' names, they'd not really told him what they were, nor the reason that one of them was missing an eye.
Maybe there was an interesting story there. He'd go and find out whilst Elaine packed.
Harry leaned forward, pecked Elaine on the lips and grinned when she grabbed his shirt to press a 'real' kiss against his lips. Afterwards, he returned whence he'd come outside of her office and sought after the two men from the United States. Marie was ready and speaking with Aster, Frank was sitting on a couch with his eyes closed and seemingly asleep, and Valerie… he couldn't see.
"So," Harry started as he found the two male Yankees in the back of the Minister's personal Auror office. "Could you two tell me your names? A bit about yourselves? The other three were a lot more talkative than the either of you, but I reckon if we're going on this assignment together, it'd be best if I knew the same about you as I do the others."
The two men shared a quick glance before nodding to each other. "My name is Nick Hargreaves," the taller of the two, the one with glasses said and turned to face Harry. Upon closer inspection rather than the brief earlier one, he was a wiry young man with dark brown hair that was almost black, a pair of dark brown, possibly hazel eyes, and skin that appeared as though it had been tanned by the sun. "This is my brother, Thomas," Nick added. "I've known him since we were both kids… haha, and he's always been the protective sort, it's how he came across that eyepatch."
Thomas grunted. "Yeah, that happened when I was ten. My brother got into a fight with some other Magicals, they were trouble, their family was violent and their kids turned out the same way. One day, they pulled out their wands and we pulled out ours, and it went from there..."
Harry nodded. If that was all that Thomas wanted to say about the incident that had cost him his eye, he wouldn't press the matter. His earlier thought about the two being comfortable around one another made sense too, now that he knew they were the pair of brothers he'd hired. It was hard at the time to tell, since their files didn't have pictures therein.
"Well," Harry said. "I'm glad to have the pair of you on our time. I saw your records when you applied, and it's the reason you have the job that you do. I truly look forward to seeing how you lot do here... oh, before I forget too, what states are you from? New England, maybe, like Marie?"
Nick nodded. "New Hampshire, sir, born and raised. Why?"
"Curious, is all. I don't know every state, but that one, I think, is in New England too, yeah? Marie wasn't very specific, but I did a quick little search to find out the six states. I hope it's not rude to say, but you lot all look French and British, but I guess New England, that makes sense," Harry finished with a grin, hoping that the two would take his ribbing lightly. He truly didn't mean it as anything negative.
"Don't worry about it, sir, and yeah, it's in New England all right," Nick said, smiling himself. "We get that a lot too. Our mom's French, and our dad says his family is mainly English. They're both first or second-generation Americans."
Harry grinned. He knew he'd been right. "Wicked. I suppose I'll stop bugging you and go check on the others then. I'll see you both in a few minutes when you're good and ready, yeah?"
They nodded in turn, and Harry left the room, heading down the hallway toward the next door on the left which had the sign 'Ready Room' wherein the Aurors would be waiting for information, and what have you, typically. This time, he was using the room as a means of portkey travel, or rather, Elaine was. That was far more her field of expertise than his.
Well, anything that they shouldn't technically be doing was Elaine's expertise. She'd had plenty of time to perfect illegal activities or the like. He tended to stay more in line with everything. He'd been an Auror, the Head Auror to be precise, and then the Deputy Director of Magical Law Enforcement. It was hard not to try and keep everything by the cook or as close to the standards that laws oft set.
"Deputy Minister," greeted Frank as Harry entered the room. Much to the latter's surprise, Valerie and Elaine were in the room too, the two were standing at the front of it and seemed to be deep in conversation. He found that strange.
He definitely hadn't spent ten minutes speaking with the conservative Hargreave brothers. Elaine probably went and got one of the others to put together her list of necessities, or she's gone and called Laddey to do it for her. I wouldn't put either option past her.
"Hey, Frank," Harry greeted the older man with a nod. "All set, yeah?"
"Ready as ever," Frank agreed with a second nod before he reclined back in his chair and yawned. He raised a hand to cover his mouth and Harry decided then he'd leave the man to the little bit of rest he'd claim while they waited for the others. Whilst they did so, in the meantime, Harry would go off and speak with Elaine.
Soon enough, they'd be off and start that trip to Bavaria, atop a mountain whereupon Grindelwald has — supposedly — left behind something valuable to him. By Merlin, did Harry hope it was a Horcrux. That would make his week.
Harry and the group of five, plus Elaine, left the Ministry thanks to the usage of a portkey, and then a second one upon landing in France. That second portkey saw them to Bavaria, at the base of a mountain that was peaked with snow. He was certain by sight alone and the sheer scale of the mountain, that there had to be something of high importance where they were headed, for the scale was massive. It was a thing of beauty, and he was certain, of untold danger. The mountain itself, surrounded by ice and snow, was also devoid of any human life, and the entire area was heavily enchanted to prevent any magicals from even reaching the base. As Elaine had told him to feel for the magic in the past, he could. It was, perhaps, one of the strongest fields of magic he'd ever witnessed.
As they stepped away from whence they'd used the portkey, Harry could feel the cold immediately. It was so intense that he felt the need to wrap up in his cloak and double up on his gloves, the others did much the same. This was the first time he'd ever been to Bavaria, and he was a bit surprised that there were no signs of any houses or buildings, at least not near the mountains. He had thought the Austrians and Germans lived on and in them, but the place was devoid of life. There were trees and shrubs, ice and snow, and that was all.
"This is the place?" Harry asked, looking around at the bare trees and grass. "It looks barren. Elaine?"
She looked over at him as well. "Yes, it does, doesn't it? It makes for a wonderful place to put objects that you wish not to be found," a look flashed across her face whilst she was looking at him. He had the sudden sensation based on her devious grin that he might just be an object she didn't want others to find.
"How do we get past the barriers?" Marie asked, uncertain of herself as she stayed between the two Hargreave brothers for warmth whilst her eyes sought out Harry and Elaine.
Harry nodded over to Elaine. "Elaine's brilliant at destroying whole barriers and ward schemes, believe me. If this was put up by one of Grindelwald's followers, or even the man himself, she'll have it down and destroyed before you can blink. Let us do the hard work, and you and the others just watch our rear to make sure we're not being watched."
Marie nodded and turned back around, watching for any movement. She seemed to relax after a moment and then turned to the other four Aurors whilst Harry and Elaine worked, her uncertainty somewhat gone in a scant few seconds. "You guys are quite alright with going in blind like this, aren't you?"
Nick chuckled. "Sure, why not? We're Aurors, remember? We need to get experience somehow, and besides, we're with the two people that defeated Grindelwald twice over. I have no fear, neither should anybody else."
Harry knew the others couldn't see him, not with them all watching the various directions he and Elaine had left to them, but he grinned nonetheless. He knew he'd licked Nick and his brother, Thomas, for a reason. They might be a bit overconfident, sure, but he preferred confidence to nervousness, and the latter quality was one that Marie seemed to show in spades.
Valerie was silent and watchful, he noticed with a quick look over his shoulder, and Frank was as a sentinel. There didn't seem to be an ounce or flicker of emotion on the man's face as he did his duty with his wand limply by his side.
"Interesting," Elaine remarked as if she was truly impressed.
That caught Harry's attention, and so he looked back at her and away from the group of five they'd brought with them. "What is it?" he asked as he drew a step closer to her, only just fighting the urge to wrap her up and keep her warm. "Is there something you've noticed?"
"It's not one ward scheme, but a series of them that seem to have been placed by different people across different times. Grindelwald somehow managed to seize control over all of them with the scheme he used, though I can tell it's caused a few to work not as they should," Elaine tutted, the sound patronising. "I could have done better, but I suppose for an old man that had begun to lose his mind, it's not horrible. If only we could study this. If only we could study him."
"One day, maybe," Harry said with no real authenticity in his tone. He didn't care about studying Grindelwald or the bloke's magic. All he cared about was a safe world away from the maniacs like him. If that could be had, life would be perfect.
"I'd not be opposed," Elaine said simply, and then she gestured to Harry's wand. "Raise your wand and speak the incantation I taught you. I can overcome his work with brute strength if need be, but I would rather preserve the magic and deftly work through it, and your strength will aid me in doing so. We wouldn't want to be trapped in some burrow or cave if the mountain came down, would we?"
"Not at all," Harry said.
When she huffed, a little pout on her face, he couldn't help but chuckle. It was only Elaine that wanted something such as that to happen. She'd probably be able to spin it in a way where they could escape, but only after they cuddled close together for warmth and survival, or so she'd say.
Only Elaine, he thought with a wistful smile on his face.
Slowly, the minutes ticked by and all the while, the others maintained three-sixty around them, security well-established and constantly reaffirmed as they looked around and, on occasion, cast various spells to ensure their safety. Since they were outside of the barriers Elaine was currently working on as well, all was well and said to do so long as nothing was directed at the aforementioned area.
He imagined with the group they'd brought along too, that none of them would be so stupid as to do so. Least of all when he'd ordered them to look everywhere but forward since that was the entirety of the reason they'd been brought along.
"You know," Elaine said, her eyes and wandwork maintaining their focus and the intricacy of her movement even as she spoke with him. "This was far more intimate when it was nought but the two of us. I miss it."
"Please. You just liked be standing right behind you or pressing into you at all times," Harry said with a playful scoff.
"It was very enjoyable," Elaine agreed. "I needn't say that the vast majority of the time in which I was in the lead, your eyes were on my rear. I've not felt that attention either."
"We should try and be a bit serious, and this could be pretty dangerous," Harry pointed out.
Elaine turned her head, her wand still moving even as she made eye contact with him. "We're as young as most of those we hired and younger than the vast majority of those we govern. I believe they'd expect public shows of affection and would appreciate the realness such affection would show. As for the 'danger', please, lover, the other area was far worse and that hadn't stopped you. Even with acromantulas near us… how bold."
Harry rolled his eyes and only just resisted slapping that arse of hers.
"Done," Elaine said. "Or, rather, I've been finished for the past thirty seconds, I just couldn't allow such a fruitful, joyous conversation to end."
"You're a minx," he said, earning himself a teasing wink and swipe of the lips from Elaine before he raised his voice loud enough for the others to hear. "Let's go," he said simply.
They fell in behind him, and they kept a level good distance lest traps… be… placed.
"Stop," Harry said, realisation dawning before they'd gone so far as to take a dozen steps. "Anyone here familiar with Muggle items or the like?"
Nobody said a word. He looked over his shoulder and saw them look at one another before they returned to looking at the areas they'd been assigned. When none spoke after a further fifteen or so seconds, Harry sighed internally. It would be up to him. Again.
"Elaine," he said, calling her attention to him.
"Lover?" she returned.
"Mines," he said simply. "They could be around us. Remember the old tomb in Belarus? He showed a fondness for them. We should be careful — we should've brought brooms, really. That'd be far better than walking."
Elaine folded her arms, and then she narrowed her eyes at him. "This is oft why I do the planning, I tend to take days to ensure we have all that we might need," she tutted at him and took a step closer, the snow marking where she'd previously walked. When she reached him, she tapped him on the nose. "You are familiar with the Muggle items more so than any of the others that are here. What must we do to overcome their inventions?"
That's a hard question. I only know a little bit about them, not how to find them or detonate them… that was only because the Dursleys watched the tele. Dudley and Vernon liked their war films.
"I don't really know, I just remembered to look for tripwires in the cave since they couldn't dig mines into the dirt. Here, well, they could be anywhere and everywhere. I'd wager the closer we get to the top, the more likely it is that he's had mines or what have you put there for us," Harry looked around, the frozen branches of trees covered in ice and snow, the lack of tracks save for those of animals… the whole place seemed far removed from typical human life.
Then again, he supposed if there were mines, there'd be evidence, right? An exploded animal or hole where one had set it off, maybe? Could animals set them off? The more he thought about it, the more he thought there was a weight limit or something like that. Merlin, he'd really goofed up by not bringing brooms for the group or a mine-detector… he thought that existed, maybe.
If it did, it was something he should invest in or purchase by this point. Especially if the place atop the mountain or inside of it turned out to be a bust. There could be two dozen or three dozen further expeditions that they'd take in the name of finding Grindelwald's Horcruxes, or possibly just one more if this place proved fruitful. Either way, having the item and not needing it was far better than needing the item and not having it.
"Might we move on before the others freeze?" Elaine asked, her eyes flickering betwixt Harry, the five Aurors that seemed to be a touch cold, and the way forward. It wasn't a path by any means, but it was most definitely the best they'd have.
Slowly, Harry nodded. "I can't say that it'll be completely safe… you really don't have a broom, do you?"
"I despise flying by way of the broom, unfortunately. There are, as you're sure to know, my love, other items in which I have a proclivity for being atop," Elaine's eyes bore into his after the raunchy comment, and the grin she had was self-satisfied.
He wouldn't tell her that his cheeks were red from the cold, no, he'd let her have this one if it got it out of the way. Harry hoped it would do just that too. The last thing he needed were further comments with those Aurors close behind them, it would do little to show that he and Elaine are more than teenagers in the midst of their love without care for the people they'd brought along.
"I can le—"
"Unacceptable," Elaine said in a sweet, doting tone of voice as she hopped away from him with a spring in her step. "Allow me to show you something I've been working on — if you would, please be ready to cast a cushioning charm. It's highly problematic and I've rarely had time to further the work involved to ensure it functions as I wish it to. Should it work properly, I'll teach you as soon we return home this evening… think of it as more time we can spend bound together."
Harry simply had to close his eyes and feel for that pull in his mind to remind himself that they were more bound together than any spell could ever imitate.