How to Succeed in Magical Law Enforcement Without Really Trying

Harry always looked queasy after Apparating. His nostrils were flared, and his eyes were blinking rapidly. He shook his head and then looked at Susan. "All right?"

She nodded, smiling brightly (and falsely). Susan hated Apparating. It was her deep, dark secret. Aurors didn't complain about Apparition. Apparition was like breathing to Aurors. Yet, even now, her leg tingled unpleasantly at the memory of her first Splinching in her sixth year at Hogwarts. Even worse, the tip of her right little finger was forever lost - left behind somewhere near a plinth on Bodmin Moor during a family holiday. Every single time she Apparated she kept her eyes closed for three extra seconds, while mentally taking stock of all her body parts. This time had been fine. This time she was still whole.

Harry patted her on the shoulder and gestured towards the crumbling, old house. "Let's go."

Susan's stomach burned with nervous excitement. Harry had insisted on accompanying her on this, her first mission. While she was flattered, she couldn't help but worry that his presence was aggravating rather than calming her nerves. He was only a year ahead in their training, but in Harry's case "training" was just a formality. He knew what he was doing; he'd had more experience fighting Dark Wizards in the last two years than many of the more seasoned Aurors had had in their lifetimes.

And, Susan had to admit to herself, he was rather distractingly hot. She'd always had a bit of a crush on him, but now that he was grown and had saved the Wizarding World from Voldemort... well, she really couldn't blame herself for being a bit preoccupied with the way his hand made her shoulder tingle when he touched it.

Susan was determined to prove herself, however, and pushed all thoughts of Harry, naked but for his wand and the Sorting Hat, far out of her mind. It was the rare Hufflepuff who chose to become an Auror, and Susan wasn't going to be the one to confirm her house's stereotypes. The fact that she'd recently learned that Harry's relationship with Ginny Weasley had ended was neither here nor there.

She'd thrown herself into her training, which up until today had consisted of paper pushing interspersed with infrequent, non-dangerous missions in the field. It did bother Susan that she rarely got to see any action. She hoped it was because she was a relatively fresh entry into the Auror programme and still had to prove herself. She worried that it was because they were dumping all the tedious office work on the Hufflepuff.

So, as they approached the house, Susan watched Harry closely. He looked as focused and determined as he always did before a mission, but there was something extra in his eyes today, a sort of gleam that she had to look away from because it was making her lose her own focus.

The house was brown and gabled and looked uninhabited. Many of its windows were broken, and the garden surrounding it was overgrown, yet three-quarters dead. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement had received word, thought a complex series of informants and undercover agents, that this was the place in which Amycus and Alecto Carrow had been hiding since the end of the War.

As they entered the house, Susan went over her mental checklist - wand, eyes, ears, nose. Her wand was held firmly in her right hand. Peering through the murky light of the entrance hall, she noticed that the thick dust on the cracked marble floor was smeared with footprints. She heard nothing but the muffled sound of a bird singing somewhere outside. She smelled stale air and mildew.

They crept up the stairs, slowly, gingerly, one at a time. When they reached the landing they paused. Susan listened. She heard faint sounds coming from a room down the hall. Harry looked at her and raised his eyebrows. She nodded at him. They moved forwards.

They approached the doorway from which the sounds emerged. Snores. Regular breathing. Nothing else. They stopped to survey the room. Against the far wall Amycus and Alecto were asleep in bed. They were lying with their backs to each other, both curled up like enormous, brown snails. The room stank of their breath and bodies. Harry pointed his wand at Amycus, while Susan covered Alecto. Then, as Susan lifted her foot to cross the threshold into the room, she noticed Harry looking at her with wide panicked eyes. She tried to take her foot back, but it was too late, her weight had shifted and she had to step forwards. Her foot made contact with the floor and there was a pop followed by a loud whooshing sound.

Shit. She'd forgotten to check for magical seals. The two of them were thrown violently backwards. They crashed into the wall behind them and fell to the floor. Harry immediately sprung up again, staggered, and then rushed into the room. Susan's head was spinning and there was something wrong with her arm. Dammit. God dammit. She was furious with herself. She gritted her teeth, stood up and followed Harry.

The fight was a blur of screams, spells and crashing bodies. The Carrows fought brutally, desperately, without holding anything back. Susan ducked and barely escaped the flash of green light that burst from Alecto's wand. She felt her heart beating, adrenaline flowing through her veins as she thrust her wand forward, shouted "Incarcerous!", and heard Alecto screech as her body was encircled by ropes. Alecto fell to the floor and lay wriggling like an enormous grub, her shrieks piercing. Susan ran and checked that the ropes were tied fast, then turned to Harry.

Ducking and leaping, Harry and Amycus exchanged curses at a high velocity. Susan shot a stunning spell at Amycus but he threw his body onto the bed, rolled and was out the door in an instant. Harry and Susan bolted after him, listening to Alecto's cries growing weaker as they ran.

Taking the stairs three at a time, Amycus fled upwards. Susan and Harry followed. By the fourth flight, Susan was winded and each sucking breath burnt her lungs. Finally, Amycus sprinted away across a landing and disappeared through an arched opening.

He was already halfway out the window by the time they caught up with him. Harry flung himself forward and grabbed one of Amycus's bare feet. It easily slipped through his fingers. Amycus disappeared out the window. To Susan's horror, Harry immediately followed. She ran to the window and leaned out to see Amycus teetering on the ledge, giggling maniacally. Harry took a step towards him, stretching out his arm. "Take my hand! Take it, you idiot!"

Amycus scooted away from Harry. Harry scowled and moved towards him again.

"Harry, be careful!" hissed Susan.

"Come and get me, Potter," cackled Amycus, and then he waggled his tongue at Harry.

Harry was breathing quickly. His face was sweaty, but his expression was determined. He slowly began to pull his wand out of his pocket.

Amycus quickly drew his own wand and pointed it at Harry. Harry stared at it, as if mesmerised. He licked his lips. Susan sucked in her breath. She heaved her upper body out the window and held her own wand at the ready. The window frame dug into her abdomen. What the hell was Harry doing?

"Come on, Amycus. You've got nowhere to go. Give me your wand. Give me your wand and come back inside. It's a long way down."

Amycus, shook his head, grinning. "I won't go in, Potty boy. Why should I? I've got yeh right where I want yeh. Avada..."

"Stupefy!" screamed Susan. Amycus jerked to the side to avoid the jet of red light, teetered briefly on the ledge and then fell.

"No!" yelled Harry, his voice cracking in his throat, and threw himself after Amycus.

Susan watched in horror as he plummeted out of sight. Gripping the window frame with one hand she instinctually threw her body forward and shouted "Wingardium Leviosa!"

Their fall was halted. Harry floated in the air, one hand clutching the hem of Amycus's robes. Amycus hung awkwardly, his robes pulling up from beneath his arms and long-john clad legs, kicking the air. He was still giggling, but his eyes were wild with panic. Harry stretched his free arm out to try and grab another handful of robes. There was a ripping sound, and Amycus plunged downwards, emitting a high-pitched shriek as he fell.

Susan watched, transfixed, and counted to herself. One, two, three... Amycus hit the ground. A cloud of dirt flew up around him.

Harry was struggling desperately in the air. "Susan! Susan! Bring me in!"

Susan tore her eyes off of the small, still heap that was Amycus, and said, "Accio!" pulling Harry towards her with her wand. When he reached the window, he grabbed the frame and pulled himself back into the building. Susan tried to help him, but they became entangled and fell to the floor. There was a quick moment in which Harry was lying flat on top her. They looked at each other, and Susan was sure she saw something sparkle in Harry's eyes. Then, he pushed himself up, off of her body and leapt to his feet. He ran out of the room without saying a word, and Susan immediately followed.

He sprinted recklessly down the crumbling stairs. Susan was sure they were both going to trip and break their necks, but she kept up with him. As they ran, the sound of their pounding footsteps was accompanied by Alecto's continued shrieks. Susan followed Harry out the front door and around the side of the house to the spot where Amycus lay. Harry ran to his side and fell to his knees, breathing in ragged gasps.

Susan caught up to him. Amycus lay awkwardly, half on his side, one leg bent at an impossible angle beneath his body. His eyes were open but unfocused. One pupil was completely dilated; the whites of the other one had turned red. He was whimpering in pain. Susan felt her stomach turn. During the war she'd seen bodies damaged in all sorts of previously unthinkable ways, but she was always shocked anew at the sight of human suffering.

She knealt at Amycus's side. She'd received and Outstanding on her Healing N.E.W.T. and was sure that was what had garnered her acceptance into the Auror Training program. Reaching into her pouch, she pulled out a small vial and tipped the contents into Amycus's gaping mouth. Harry watched her intently. Amycus's eyes cleared. She straightened his broken leg and cast a temporary bone binding charm on it. It would do for the moment.

Amycus began to stir. He couldn't quite manage to sit up but his mouth worked fine. "I'll kill yeh, yeh filthy sprog, yeh upstart!" he screamed at Harry, ignoring Susan. "Where's Alecto? What have yeh done with her? I'll tear yeh limb from limb!"

"Stupefy!" said Harry. Amycus lay still and silent.

They were finished. Susan had succeeded at her very first real assignment. She and Harry looked at each other and simultaneously broke out into enormous grins. Susan threw her head back and started laughing, the feelings of relief and joy made her feel slightly hysterical.

Harry reached out and rubbed her shoulder. "Not bad, Susan. Not bad at all for your first mission, I..."

She couldn't have stopped herself if she'd wanted to. She leapt on him, squeezing him with her arms and legs. Harry, squawked and staggered and then fell to the ground beneath her with a heavy thump. Susan was splayed on top of Harry. She looked down at him, shocked by what she'd done, suppressing more laughter. Harry's eyes were wide. He looked completely bewildered.

Fuck it, Susan thought. I've gone this far... She leaned down and kissed him, clumsily and more tentatively than she would have liked to, but, nevertheless, with feeling. When he didn't respond, at first, she felt her stomach clench. She pulled back, watching her career flash before her eyes, and began to blurt out an apology.

She never got the chance to finish it. "Shhhh," Harry said, and then he took off his glasses, pressed a hand to the back of her head, and pulled her down for another kiss. Then his fingers were in her hair and Susan felt a wave of heat, tinged by panic, rush through her body. She kissed him back, hesitantly and then hungrily as his mouth became harder and his tongue pushed against hers. Oh lord, oh Merlin.

Harry angled his body upwards and to the side, rolling them both over, until they'd exchanged places and he lay on top of her, lying between her arms and legs. He continued to kiss her, his strong fingers on her scalp. Susan wrapped her legs around him and arched her back to push against him. His mouth was so wet, so hot. She felt his teeth, his breath; her fingers pulled at his hair. They twisted together, and Susan felt as if she wanted to bite him, to tear at him, to hurt him for making her wait and want him for so long. She felt panicky and out of control. If the way he was sucking on her neck wasn't making her abdomen ache with feverish need, she's have been tempted to push him away and run.

Then his hands were beneath her robes, and she stopped thinking at all. She wanted his skin; she needed to feel his skin against hers, so she pulled at his robes, but they held fast. Harry drew up slightly and looked at her. His eyes were hooded and glazed, his lips parted. Susan ran her hand down his body. He closed his eyes and groaned. The sound made Susan's own breath catch in her throat.

Harry took his wand and drew it carefully down the front of her body, slitting open her robes and her bra and knickers beneath them. He pushed them away and buried his face in her breasts. Susan whimpered and dug her fingers into his shoulders.

Harry was still fully clothed. It wasn't fair. "Take off your bloody robes," Susan growled.

Harry laughed, and began to gather his robes and pull them over his head. Susan helped. After several awkward tugs and untwistings they were off, and Susan could finally feel his chest against hers. The feel of his skin was gorgeous.

Afterwards, he collapsed on top of her and buried his face in her neck. They both remained silent, catching their breath, coming down from the intensity of the episode. A strange quiet descended upon them; it was that awkward, "What the hell do we do or say now?" moment. Susan wriggled a bit and asked, "So. Does that happen after every mission?"

"Absolutely," replied Harry, and Susan could feel him grinning against her neck. "That's why I avoid partnering with Moody." He lifted himself up on his arms and looked down at her, smiling. Susan smiled back up at him. He leaned down and gave her a soft, sweet kiss. "We'd better get going." He gestured with his head towards Amycus. "Get this one and his sister to Azkaban. You know... work."

Susan nodded. "Guess so." She looked down at her ruined clothing. "Um..."

"Heh," said Harry, and did his best to repair the damage he'd done earlier. When Susan finally stood and examined her robes, she saw that they were bunched in some areas and hung too far down in others. She sighed.

Harry had pulled his own clothes back on and they got to work -- Encarcerating and Reenervating the Carrows, owling the office and notifying Azkaban of the immanent delivery of two fresh convicts.

When all was done and dusted, Harry turned to Susan and asked, "So, would you consider your first mission a success?"

Susan, feeling oddly shy all of a sudden, smiled and replied, "Well, if they all go that well, I can forsee a long and rewarding career ahead of me."

"Definitely. I can definitely see that," said Harry and, once again, he kissed her.

~ The End