A:N: Apologies for the delay. Life got a little busy, it's storm season here in Texas and I have *trauma* and then, quite frankly, I needed a break. I think the pressure to deliver these few chapters is kinda heavy too, so let's hope we get there! Thanks for sticking around, loves.
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Hermione was between Minerva and the unknown Auror when he held up his hand and Minerva pulled her back against the wall.
Are you going to introduce me at some point, love?
Hang it all. Sorry love. This is Trevor Elliot and the one who took the snatchers, Daniel Sanderson. Both former students. There was a pause. Like yourself.
Not like me, thank you very much!
Minerva didn't snort but she did reach forward and squeeze Hermione's hand. There was a group of people lingering at the end of the corridor and their Auror turned back to look at them.
He made a motion with his hands and Minerva nodded. She pulled Hermione back from the corner.
"Notice-me-not," Minerva whispered. Hermione felt the magic and shivered. It had been a long while since someone had cast over her like that and Minerva realised it promptly. Her hand tangled with Hermione's and she met her eyes.
I'm fine.
Minerva took an extra second to really look and came to the same conclusion as their bond neutralised the feeling. They breathed out at the same time, making the Auror frown but they didn't stop to explain. Minerva was just about to turn away when she cupped Hermione's face.
"I do not think today is the day for the grand reveal."
"What?" Hermione almost hissed. The sting of being told what to do was not something she would take lightly. The magic in the Ministry was doing funny things to her and she wanted to let it out.
It was right there at her fingertips.
"Hush," Minerva pleaded. "Hush, Leannan. Bi ciùin, mo gaol." [Be calm, my love.]
"How am I supposed to -" She glared. You would take this away from me?
No, Minerva said gently. I am saying that revealing you or us to be Dragonvir right now, would be ill-advised. We are alone in this, we do not know where the others are, Albus is apparently shielded; we are not prepared for war and you, though mighty, cannot do it all on your own. We will live to fight another day, Leannan. Think with your head. Remember?
Hermione threw off her hands and breathed. The Auror was getting frustrated with them and Minerva grabbed his hand to alleviate some of it. She held up a finger when he opened his mouth to protest, or perhaps ask questions. Hermione let Minerva handle it and instead rolled her shoulders and wished she could spread out her wings at least.
In the clarity, she realised she needed to make time to practise more with her wand. Her raw power was immense but in moments like this, she needed to be able to be subtle to, at the very least, keep up appearances. and she had allowed that to wane a little.
Minerva cupped her cheek and met her eyes.
You are more than capable, Leannan. It will be okay.
The Auror had finally had enough and made a hand gesture to Minerva. She allowed one more moment to meet Hermione's eyes then nodded sharply. They slipped out into the corridor and scurried down the hall. Their charms worked a treat and nobody batted an eye as they rushed past. He led them on and on, switching corridors with pace enough to lose even the most skillful of trackers, until they settled on the outer edge of the Atrium.
Hermione looked around in wonder.
She'd never been to the Ministry before and she wondered what it looked like when it wasn't occupied territory. Right now, it was dark and close, but Minerva touched her elbow softly and supplied a memory of the same room, resplendent on a summer day. She smiled appreciatively and followed Auror Elliot behind one of the fireplaces that she surmised people used to Floo to work.
"Wait for Daniel, I'll scout ahead."
He didn't wait for an answer and Minerva rolled her eyes as he slipped away.
He is frustrated with us, Hermione offered. I'm not surprised he wants to ditch us.
It's to his detriment, Minerva mused. I know you are frustrated, love, I'm sorry. I just don't think we should -
Don't, Hermione sighed, if only in her head. You're right and I know it. I just -
Want to rain down fire and ash onto their heads?
Hermione smiled and their little fingers tangled together while they stayed quietly hidden. Hermione leaned out around the fireplace and caught a glimpse of a snatcher party coming back from the inside.
Here's a question?
Hmm? She did love it when Minerva was rather indulgent of her curiosity. She got a little squeeze on her hand for her trouble. Are the snatchers the only enforcement here? Because if so? Why aren't we just doing away with all of them so we go where we like?
I imagine that the heavier magic users would be in positions of power, Minerva explained. Hermione immediately felt a little stupid. Of course that was who they were trying to avoid. You have not long been at war, love. Dinnae fesh ye'self.
Hermione stared at her hotly and Minerva rolled her eyes affectionately instead.
"Alright -"
Both of them jumped a little and looked sheepish when they did so.
"Sorry," Hermione muttered. "That's my fault."
He didn't comment but he did glance at Minerva for a long moment before he addressed them both.
"I'm pretty sure Dan has the barracks emptying. If I know him, and I do, he'll probably be on his way here for a grand entrance. Hang the bloody oaths. I'm tempted to join them and that will leave you to go wherever it is that you need to go. Would that be alright, Professor?"
"That would be fine," Minerva said quietly. "I know where we need to go. Thank you."
He hummed and looked out over the Atrium.
"I would wait for the distraction to start before moving," he muttered.
"We will be okay, go."
He glanced away again and looked back.
"Professor." He touched an imaginary hat and grinned, finally cracking his serious demeanour. Hermione reckoned, suddenly, that he could be quite charming when he wanted to be.
"Be careful. Now and beyond."
"And you."
He slipped away, leaving them alone.
"Well?" Hermione asked quietly.
"We will wait for the distraction." Minerva adjusted herself on the floor and snorted when Hermione gave her a look. "My bottom is quite numb from all this skulking."
Hermione bit back a laugh. Their hands tangled together and they sighed jointly as it settled them.
"War is hell," Hermione muttered. "Also they're not great at being on their guard, are they?"
"Do not jinx us, Leannan. That is all we need; for them to be aware of us before time."
Hermione hummed.
"So the Aurors?" Minerva nodded. "They're bound to the Minister?"
"Rather the Ministry itself. It is an unfortunate oversight that people -" She gave Hermione a look. "Myself and others have railed against it for a long time. Kingsley and Alastor, for example, swore their allegiance to the Order and so, quite by accident, superseded their oath to the Ministry. The rest are bound to the building itself and whoever is in control of it, by default. The Wizengamot has long been lazy in their leadership. They got comfortable in peacetime and forgot the battles we fought."
"I'm sorry," Hermione whispered.
"Don't apologise for others, Leannan," Minerva sighed. "Let them face their own stupidity head on. The Aurors will choose their own consequences, just as we will face our own."
"I think Kingsley might be a really great Minister of Magic," Hermione mused quietly. "Maybe Hestia?"
"Hestia does not have the stomach to lead. But I concur, Kingsley would be steady. At one time, or another, Leannan, I quite thought you would be a rather excellent Minister?"
"I no longer have the room to be ambitious," she chuckled. "Plus," she whispered conspiratorially. "I kind of promised my woman a life of luxurious peace once this bullshit is over."
"Goodness," Minerva smirked. "Lucky woman."
"I dunno about that, but I am," Hermione smiled.
"You are sickeningly romantic, have I said that?"
"Once or twice," Hermione chuckled.
A low rumble made them jump to their feet.
"I rather think that's our cue to get ready to leave."
Hermione squeezed her hand and withdrew her wand and her knife.
"Just in case," she chuckled when Minerva gave her a look and pulled out her own.
"I am unsure if I am ready to use it, but you are not wrong. Perhaps just as well."
-0-
Hermione looked resplendent as a crack of thunder broke the silence of the Atrium. The flash of lightning and the explosion of fire didn't frighten Minerva, but rather energise her. She could feel Hermione's need to fight and sought to bring her back to the moment.
"Listen to me, Leannan. We need to be smart about this, we need to choose our movements carefully."
"Minerva?" Hermione said quietly. "We are going to go up there and get our people and get the hell out of here."
"But we have to wait," Minerva insistently. "Wait just a moment. The first distraction is the one that will draw them in. There will be a second wave in a moment, once they have corralled the first responders."
"How the hell do you know that?" Hermione snapped.
"Because that is the way the Ministry teaches them to do this."
She watched as Hermione tried to rein it in but she was only partially successful. Her eyes were golden and the fire and lightning was reflected in her golden streak. She looked magnificent and Minerva couldn't help but appreciate her young lover.
"War might be hell," Hermione hissed with a sly grin. "But it's sexy as fuck."
Minerva laughed, no longer afraid of being heard while all the Ministry's focus was on the impending force trying to make its way into the Atrium. The one thing they had all underestimated was the sheer number of Ministry defenders they were facing. Minerva and Hermione watched as they poured in from what felt like every entrance.
"How many Aurors are here?" Hermione asked, feeling just a little trepidation.
"Enough to give them hell," Minerva grunted as another flash of fire illuminated them for a moment. "What I wouldn't give to have a dragon here."
"Don't tempt me," Hermione growled.
"Oh, well, how about -"
Minerva stepped away from the fireplaces and set her feet. She waited as Hermione set her feet as well, correctly realising that Minerva was about to do something rather impressive. Even if she did say so herself.
She chanced another look around the fireplace and nodded and Minerva took a deep breath. Hermione was right, the magic in this place was palpable and she felt it tingling on her skin as she sought to draw from her own. She tested her wand in her hand and felt it agreeing to the magic she was about to cast and started the incantation. The arc she tore through the air was visible as she swirled it around and around. Hermione, who had begun watching the Atrium for any stragglers that might notice them, had abandoned that completely. Her eyes were wide and fiery as she watched. Minerva grunted as the statue fought against her bidding but she would not allow it to do so. She drew on Hermione's power as well and Hermione's eyes flashed when she did so.
Finally, with a jerk, her spell finished and there was a great wrenching sound through the air that shook the whole building.
She opened her eyes and grinned at Hermione's shock. The whole Magical Brethren fountain had exploded into life and she chuckled as Hermione turned to her with her mouth still open.
"How the hell did you do that?"
"Practise, my love. Practise and a little bit of obnoxious belief."
"My god, you're fucking sexy. Not obnoxious at all."
Minerva laughed and glanced to see the trouble her spell was causing. Pleased with her progress, she nodded towards the stairs at the opposite end of the expanse.
"We need to go up those and at the top of them, turn left. There's a lift down at the end of the corridor and from there, to the fifth floor. I cannot recall what it's going to open up to, but I have no doubt from there, we should be able to figure it out."
"You're telling me that as though you're planning on going somewhere," Hermione muttered. "You aren't. You're going up there with me."
"I'm just making sure that if something goes sideways, you are equipped to do as we need you to."
"Minerva," Hermione growled.
"Come," Minerva nodded. "It is time."
Hermione followed her, despite being upset with her and the managed to get across without being noticed. Just as they began on the steps, a small group changed direction and headed towards them.
"Go," Minerva hissed. "Go, don't stop."
Gratified to see she was being heard, Minerva turned and took the steps backwards while she fought off the chasers. There were six of them and while they weren't particularly good magic users, there were six of them and only one of her.
For the love of -
Hermione appeared beside her and despite her arguing in their heads, Hermione standing beside her helped slow them down at least, while they turned and ran up the steps. The lift was exactly where it was supposed to be and Minerva summoned it with her wand while Hermione kept watch down the corridor. Minerva turned in time to see the initial six snatches and a group of their friends round the top of the stairs and charge after them. Explosions of colour surrounded them as their spells hit hastily conjured walls and obstacles and they put in the path. They scrambled in and Minerva hurried it up with a little more magic.
"I was so wrong," Hermione chuckled in the precious silence of the enclosed space.
"Wrong how, Leannan?"
"Just thinking back to that conversation," Hermione chuckled ruefully. "About me accidentally treating you like you were incapable." She blushed. "Sorry again."
"Please don't apologise for trying to take the pressure off me, love. I appreciated it, truly. And I think it is easy to get into that accidentally. Especially when you are full of all this power that only you have."
"I just need you to keep doing stuff like that, okay? Hard to forget when I see you do that."
Minerva smirked and they leaned in and stopped just before their lips came together as the lift opened. Three, very confused, uniformed Ministry officials stood and stared at them as they couldn't believe what they were seeing. It helped them immensely and they stunned them quickly. They dropped awkwardly and Hermione used her strength to shove them into the lift and away from where they were.
"Good timing," Minerva chuckled as she sent the lift elsewhere. As far as she could.
"Right. Now what?"
Minerva looked around.
"I honestly don't know. I assumed they would be up here - but actually I don't know. They might be -"
"No, I think you're right," Hermione muttered. "I can sense that Arthur is nearby. But we need to figure out where Albus is as well and that might be more difficult."
"Let's get Arthur first and he can fill us in."
A shout stopped them in their tracks and Minerva glanced at Hermione before she sent a wide stream of magic at the enemy that was advancing. Hermione squeaked as she was drawn into Minerva's arms and kissed hotly.
"Go and get Arthur and, if you can, Albus. I will catch up with you."
"Min -"
Go, Leannan. Save our family. I will see you afterwards.
I am not going -
You are. Minerva looked up into her eyes and saw the moment she won the argument. Go, my love. I will see you back at Hogwarts.
Hermione, this time, snapped her wand to her hand and a number of the advancing party were thrown backwards into the other members of their party.
If you need me, I am coming straight to you. And so help me, if they -
You apologised to me for not trusting me, Minerva winced internally at bringing it up, but she needed Hermione to hear her. I will deal with them and you shall get our family out. I cannot sense them like you can. But I can do this. You have already seen that I can. Let me.
Hermione winced at the last line and sighed.
I don't ever want to be that person who tells you what to do, but I want it noted that I hate this plan.
Duly noted, lover. Now go.
Hermione kissed her hotly and turned and ran. Minerva let herself watch for just a moment before she turned and took a deep breath. It was not ideal, but she was certain it would be easier this way.
She would see Hermione again.
She was sure she would.
