Here, There, and Everywhere

Here, There, and Everywhere.

Chapter 04: The New Partner

The first thought that came into Harry's mind was to shout.

And then destroy something.

'WHAT THE HELL?!'

But he knew- ah, what years of experience can do to a person- he knew better than that.

And above all- he knew that she was expecting something like that.

No, Harry Potter would not give her the pleasure.

With his jaw set, Harry asked through his teeth, his voice falsely calm, "What do you mean by partners, sir?" He did his best to not look at her. "I was not aware she was qualified for this work."

Before Kingsley replied, Harry noticed with devious satisfaction that Hermione had suppressed an indignant huff.

Serves her right.

"Granger is very qualified, Potter," Kingsley said. "She has been working as an Auror for almost four years now. Of course, she only graduated from the Auror training in Hungary last year, but even as a trainee she was the best Auror in there." Out of the corner of his eye, Harry could see Hermione beaming at the praise.

That's great. Another thing that I didn't know.

"But I am still her senior," Harry replied almost bitterly, getting a raised eyebrow from Kingsley and narrowed eyes from Hermione. "I finished my training six years ago, not last month." He glanced quickly at Hermione. "I don't think its fair, sir."

"Fair? What's not fair?" Kingsley asked, confused.

Harry shrugged, rolling his eyes. He knew he was being a prat- actually, more than just a prat. An arse, as a matter of fact. But he simply couldn't help it. "I am not willing to work as a baby sitter, sir. Maybe she could be placed with another-"

Kingsley Shacklebolt looked back and forth between the two of them for a moment before asking with narrowed eyes, "Is there a problem that I should be aware of?" Neither one said a word. "Good. Because you two will work together. If there is any problem I want it to be solved right now! I remember when you two used to be best friends, but now you look like you have to work with a Malfoy, Potter!"

Harry felt a pang of shame in his chest but didn't look down.

"It's okay, sir," he heard Hermione speak before he could say anything. "Any problem Harry has with me will be worked out." Her voice seemed clear and strong, with a kind of determination that Harry hadn't heard for a very long time.

In another time, he would have smiled.

"Good, good," Kingsley said. "Now, let's finish with the pleasantries and talk about your work." He half-turned his body towards his desk and took two files. "This is the information I want you seek." He gave each one a file. "I have already talked about it with both of you, Potter. Granger in a previous conversation."

"Is this about the fake wands?" Harry asked. "I thought that was already solved. We arrested the dealer last month."

"It was only a distraction, Harry," Hermione answered. "The man you arrested wasn't the real culprit."

Harry stared angrily at her. After everything, now she was questioning his work as an Auror?!

What the-!

"Are you saying that I didn't do my job, Hermione?"

Hermione gave him a slight smile, gently touching his arm.

Her touch.

It had been so long since the last time he had felt her soft touch; and even with all his bitterness and anger towards her he couldn't help but feel himself calming down.

"Of course not," she said quietly. "The man you arrested was Polyjuiced."

"Polyjuice? But the Potion could have been taken off while we were doing the interrogation." He was confused. "We did tests on him when he refused to say anything and no trace of potion was found in his system!"

"The real Mr. Blueberry has been seen in Bulgaria, Harry."

"How do you know-"

"I was told by a very truthful source," she said simply.

"Potter," Kingsley interjected, "when I realized that the man we had could be an impostor I asked Granger to examine him."

It wasn't really a surprise that Hermione had been asked to perform tests on this man; before she went to Hungary, Hermione had been researching the combination of Potions and Charms in the Dark Arts. Actually, that had supposedly been the reason she had been invited to work in the Hungarian Ministry of Magic: the proximity to Durmstrang.

However, what caught Harry's attention was another detail.

"You went to Azkaban?" he hissed, unable to control himself. Even if he was angry, Harry couldn't stop his protective instinct towards her. "Alone?"

It was clear that Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes. "No, Harry," she replied trying to sound exasperated but not very convincingly. "Actually, I went there with another Auror. Kingsley." She looked briefly in Kingsley's direction, who gave her a nod.

"Anyway," she continued, "I performed some tests on the man, and what I found was-" She stopped for a moment, biting her bottom lip.

"Was what?" Harry snapped.

"Disturbing," she replied soberly. "He had a kind of magic inside of him that I've never heard of before. It was a combination of several potions and charms."

"I don't understand."

"He was given a very powerful Polyjuice potion. It was more like a combination of a Polyjuice Potion with a Disguised Charm, making him able to control when the effects wore off, not the length of time since he had taken it. Also in his system I also found some kind of spell, or potion- I'm still not sure- that makes him immune to Veritaserum and immune to the basic checking spells."

"That's why the Polyjuice couldn't be detected," Harry spoke almost to himself, a set of various and utterly deadly possibilities beginning to play in his mind.

"Yes." Hermione nodded. "I'm still doing tests, but it's something I've never see before." She shrugged, looking helpless. "I don't know what to look for."

"Did he say anything?"

She shook her head. "No. He refuses to speak."

"I just- why all of this? All of this because of some fake wands?" It seemed too much for such a measly purpose.

"That's the problem, Potter," Kingsley replied seriously, "I'm starting to believe that it isn't only about wands. It's a very tricky matter and you'll have to be extra careful. Until we figure out how to counter part of this new potion, or whatever- everyone is a suspect or a potential enemy." He looked between Harry and Hermione. "For now, I want you two to have lunch together..."

Lunch together?

"But sir-"

"No buts, Potter!" Kingsley spoke firmly; his tone clearly stating that that was the end of the conversation. Harry refused to look at Hermione.

I bet she's smirking!

"I want you two to have lunch together at the 'Golden Magic'. Mr. Blueberry, or whoever he is, was seen there before the arrest. I think it's a good place to start." He paused a second before continuing. "You must pay attention if there is any kind of strange activity in there. And, of course, the fact that you two are best friends is just perfect. No one will see you two as Aurors, but as two friends that haven't seen each other for a long time. Perfect." Kingsley clasped his hands together and looked straight into Harry's, and then Hermione's, eyes. "That's it. I hope there's no problem with this."

Forcing a smile, Harry replied through clenched teeth, "No, sir."

They exchanged some other details and then Hermione and Harry left Kingsley's office.

And thank Merlin for that, mind you!

Harry just wanted to get out of there and go straight to his office.

However, no such luck.

As soon as he, and Hermione, stepped out Kingsley's office Harry was ambushed.

"We'll talk right now, Harry Potter!"

"Love!" two female voices spoke at the same time, making him blink in bewilderment.

Hermione and- Muriel. For less than a second, Harry wondered what the hell his girlfriend was doing there but then the realization came to him - she worked there, just in another Department. And, really, she wasn't supposed to be there.

He truly felt like groaning.

Heaving a sigh, Harry turned to Hermione and before she could say anything he said, "Hermione, whatever you have to say I get the impression that it'll take some time." He paused a moment, half expecting that she would interrupt him, but she didn't. Hermione just continued staring, her lips pursed in a thin line. "And seeing that we have to have lunch together-" At this, she finally held up a hand for him to stop.

"You don't need to continue, Harry. I get it." Her tone seemed hard and maybe a little too formal, but the strange wet glint in her eyes caused an odd feeling in his gut.

He didn't understand why he was acting like that. Why he had suddenly turned into such an annoying guy?

He didn't understand.

He didn't understand: why couldn't he be happy for having his best friend back? For knowing that she had met a good guy, someone that truly deserved her?

She had even apologized, said she was sorry, but still a part of him couldn't, almost wouldn't let himself let the matter go.

He looked at her again and almost smiled sadly. She just gave him a short nod and then walked away.

And Harry watched her leave, immersed in some kind of painful fascination.

Hermione looked the same, but at same time, very different.

And even with her usual, but, now, not so pronounced bushy hair- he knew.

She was beautiful.

"Love?" his girlfriend's voice brought him back from his reverie.

"Yeah, Muriel?"

"Love, you're not paying attention to what I am saying!" Er, was she saying something? "Who's she?"

"I am sorry, Muriel," he apologized, "but, I've already told you that I don't want you calling me 'love', 'honey', or 'sweetheart' here in the Ministry."

"But ho-"

"Please," he interrupted her, "no."

She nodded, giving him a smile. "I went to your apartment last night and you weren't home," she pouted.

"I had dinner at Ron's parents' house. I thought I had mentioned it," he said shortly. "I have to go, okay?"

"Oh, right," she replied forcing a smile.

He could see that she was fighting an urge to shout at him. "What about we have dinner tonight, Harry?" she asked, and he really wanted to say no. "You could cook, and I could give you some dessert." She smiled slyly, licking her lips.

"Of course, that would be great." He still had the false smile on his lips. "Now, I really have to go. Bye!" And he walked away quickly, without giving her even a small kiss on the lips.

It wasn't even 09:00 am and Harry was already tired.

*~*

Golden Magic

London

12:15 pm

"So, are you still going to act like a spoiled arse?" Hermione blurted out as soon as they ordered their lunch.

Harry had managed to avoid Hermione all morning. He had even done some paperwork in an attempt to delay their talk.

Yes, he knew he was being childish.

And he simply didn't care.

"SO?" she insisted, looking hard at him.

She has beautiful eyes.

"What you want me to say, Hermione?" he replied with exasperation. "I was supposed to be your best friend and then-" He shook his head. "I have nothing against Charlie. He really sounds like a great guy, and-" He sighed. "That's not... let's forget it, okay? We came here to work. I accept your apology, okay?"

"No, that's not okay, Harry!" she hissed. "It's not okay when you don't mean it. What do you want me to do, Harry? Do you want me to humiliate myself? Do you want me to give up this job and go back to Hungary?" Her voice was low and hard. "Sorry, but I won't do any of that. Yes, I should have-" She suddenly stopped, shaking her head lightly. "This is not the place, or the time. If you want to talk, you know where I live." She sighed. "Oh, well, did you read Shacklebolt's report?"

Harry gazed at her, and everything seemed so wrong that it was almost insufferable. They were supposed to be best friends. No, best friends would never have let things get this far.

He had missed her intensely during the years that she had been away; cursing himself for not being with her when she needed him. And then, when she was finally back everything had turned upside down in a way he had never expected.

And, seeing her looking back at him, her eyes widened slightly in confusion at his silence, Harry came to an uneasy realization.

He wasn't really angry, or shocked.

He was hurt.

He just couldn't understand exactly why.

***