Toeing the Line

Hermione entered the boys' flat without even knocking, and really hoping she wouldn't regret it later. The flat was like it always was- tidy. Despite Ron's ability to turn anyplace he lived into a disaster zone, Harry managed to keep it clean.

The flat, at first, seemed to be empty, but she eventually heard the faint sound of the shower turning on at the back of the flat, and then, a much closer rustling.

She walked around the couch and found Harry lying on the plush carpet, a book in one hand and the other grabbing a handful of M&Ms out of a huge bowl on the carpet beside him. Without acknowledging her presence, he threw an M&M up in the air, and tried, unsuccessfully, to catch it in his mouth. She lay down beside him and grabbed a handful herself, throwing them up and catching each and every one of them perfectly in her mouth.

"Show off..." Harry said, not taking his eyes off his book.

"Well..." She answered, propping herself up on her elbow and grabbing another handful of M&Ms, "I think I have a little more practice than you do..."

Harry cocked an eyebrow and turned to look at her for the first time, and they both burst out laughing.

"What did I miss?" Ron said, coming out of the bathroom fully dressed.

"Nothing..." Hermione said, not bothering to sit up.

"You guys aren't moping again are you?"

"Shut up Mr. I-have-an-endless-suply-of-dates-but-nothing-ever-comes-of-any-of-them," Harry teased.

"Yeah. What was it... Monica on Monday... Carla on Tuesday... Cloë yesterday... Who's tonight Ron?"

"Cloë," Ron answered, going to the fridge.

Both Hermione and Harry sat up, looking at him over the couch.

"Wasn't Cloë yesterday?"

"Yep."

"And today?"

Yep."

"Same person or just a coincidence?"

"Same."

"Was she extremely drunk when she said yes to another date?"

"Nope."

"You didn't take an irresistible potion did you?"

"Nope."

"Care to explain then?"

"Not really..."

Hermione gave him the "look" and he put his arms up in surrender.

"I like her, okay! What else is there to say?"

"You haven't slept with her yet have you?"

"No."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I think I'm going to have to meet this woman..."

"How bout tomorrow? She's coming for dinner here." Ron said while he went to the kitchen in search of food.

"You've got a third date planned before you've even gone on the second- you must really like this girl..." Harry commented, going back to his book.

"I said that already... Do you guys want a drink?"

"Yeah..." Ron sent a beer floating around the corner for Harry.

"I don't want one- I have to work tonight."

"Again- I swear Herm- you're only 22... you're going to run yourself into the ground, like back in third year."

"I'm a hospital intern at two different hospitals... what the hell do you expect?"

"Take some vacation."

"And what- stay here and sulk with you while Ron goes out on another hot date?"

"Yeah, that's basically it."

Ron floated a bother of Smirnoff Ice around the corner, making it bounce over Hermione's head. "You know you want it..."

"Ron..." She shook her head and gave up. "Accio Phone." She called the hospital and got her shift off, pleading sickness, and Harry popped the bottle open for her.

"You guys are a very bad influence on me."

"We know..." Harry and Ron both said in unison.

"What time are you out of here, Ron?"

"Now, actually." He walked over to the couch and planted a kiss on Hermione's forehead, and Disapparated before either of them could make another sarcastic remark.

Hermione lay back down next to Harry after taking a swig of her drink. "So, what was the excuse this time? It's not you, it's me; we've grown apart; this just isn't working; or you were horrible in bed?"

Harry smiled. "'This just isn't working' basically sums it up...'

"Oh well... You're single again..." She shrugged.

He laughed. "Hungry? M&Ms aren't exactly filling..."

"Mmm... Yeah. How about Gr-"

But she was interrupted by an alarm going off.

"Shit..." Harry exclaimed, sitting up.

"Please don't be red- I had no intention of visiting the Auror centre tonight..."

"Yeah, me neither..." Harry got up and ran to his room, and came back shaking his head. "Only green, you got off lucky." He lit a fire in the fireplace and seconds later, Sirius' head popped out of the green and blue flames.

"Hey, Sirius!" Hermione greeted him.

"Er, Herm- what are you dong behind the couch?"

"Well, I was moping with Harry until your stupid alarm interrupted."

"Sorry- I need my operative."

"Well you're lucky it wasn't red, or there would have been hell to pay..." She laughed.

Harry turned to her. "Will you be okay here? Go ahead and order something from Creevy's- put it on my tab."

"When was the last time you paid Dennis for food from his restaurant?"

"He won't let me pay... Ever since I saved his life- thinks he owes me something..."

Hermione shook her head. "You won't keep him too long will you, Sirius?"

"Just a few hours."

"That is what you said last time."

"I'm sorry... I'd invite you to come along too... But I don't really want to waste time briefing you on the whole case we're working on."

'It's okay... I'll stay here... Just don't keep Harry out past his bedtime okay?"

Sirius winked before his head disappeared from the flames. "I promise."

"You sure you'll be okay here, Herm?"

"Yep... I've got my notebook- I think I still have some paperwork to do anyways."

Harry shook his head. "Same ol' Hermi." He blew her a kiss. "See ya later."

He stepped into the fire and disappeared.

Hermione sighed, thinking that she should have gone to work, shaking her head at the influence her best friends had over her. She pulled out her notebook and a pen, attempting to do some of the loose paperwork stuffed in it, but her mind drifted to the dream she had had the night before.

Her dreams had always been realistic, as many peoples' were, and she often dreamed of things that haunted her thoughts during the day. Why things happened... And how... From a young age, Hermione had always sought to know, and more importantly, understand all. Something, in her later life, she realized was impossible. Yet her mind flew ahead the logical and still wondered, just like everyone's.

In her dreams she wondered.

Her notebook was full of scribbles, doodles, sketches- as well as random thoughts, ideas, quotes, and song lyrics.

Pieces of herself.

And of the others that made her.

And her pencil flew across the paper, sketching a house she had only once seen a picture of, a house that now lay in ruin- in her dreams, and in reality.

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Harry entered his flat hours later, exhausted. Sirius had promised two hours, that slowly had turned to four hours.

Hermione was passed out on the couch, her frizzy hair coming loose from its tie, her notebook open in her lap.

Harry walked towards her, eyes darting to her notebook. The drawing there caught his eye and he picked it up.

His eyes widened as he examined it. He knew the house well- he only had one picture of it, and the small sign at front hung still on its perch.

Potter

With curiosity, he flipped through the rest of the notebook, knowing, or hoping, that Hermione wouldn't mind.

There were dozens of her favorite quotes, poetry, even her own thoughts. One caught Harry's attention:

"It's seems, in a way, that we've all become so desensitized by the world around us. Horrible things are continually ceasing to shock. It's scary: If there's nothing shock us, amaze us, how can we be deemed normal- Or human?"

There were also a bunch of lyrics to songs and almost diary-like journal entries. One of the newest pages had a song scrawled on it, and Harry quickly read it:

Wishful Thinking

I will wait for you
Like I promised I would do
Although it brings me pain
And you always knew
What to say to lead me to
Believe it's not in vain
I was safe and secure
When you were with me
But it only could last
'Til the day that she
took you back again

So I get by
On wishful thinking
That when you come home
You'll want to stay
Give me your hand
Save me from sinking
Another day of
wishful thinking

Sometimes it's lonely
And faith don't come easy
And dreams begin to fade
Then you reassure me
How good it's gonna be
When you come back someday
You said you'd be back
After you said goodbye
I have to believe that
it wasn't a lie
And you'll be here again

So I get by
On wishful thinking
That when you come home
You'll want to stay
Give me your hand
Save me from sinking
Another day of wishful thinking

I was safe and secure
When you were with me
But it only could last
'Til the day that she
took you back again

So I get by
On wishful thinking
That when you come home
You'll want to stay
Give me your hand
Save me from sinking
Another day of wishful thinking
Another day of wishful thinking

Give me your hand
Save me from sinking

Beside it was a journal entry and Harry couldn't help but read it.

The song says, "I was safe and secure when you were with me but it only would change the day that she, took you back again." She, huh? I still don't think I've figured out who "She" is... Time, maybe? Fear? Reluctance? Doubt? Who cares though... We'll just label it as "She". It also says "I was safe and secure when you were with me". Well... that doesn't really make sense... I don't know... it just seemed kind of appropriate... Maybe when he was all mine? Didn't care about the others? Hmmm... You, know me... Mood writer of the century... Comes and goes. Well- inspiration does... My particular problem just stays... Hey, I've lived with for a while now... A little longer won't kill me will it? Well... As long as I don't have to go to his wedding... LoL... Really, it is kind of laughable. Wishful thinking is right... Thinking I could keep a journal and not go batty that is... Okay, maybe not. I'm not one to make excuses, but I'll make excuses. Absurd, huh?

Harry dropped the diary like it was a hot iron. He shook his head, and looked down at Hermione, still fast asleep, and his face softened. He picked her up and carried her to his room and she woke up when he laid her down.

"Harry... What took you so long..."

"Sirius."

"He promised..."

"You should learn not to take Sirius Seriously."

"Umm... Seriously, huh..." She said, closing her eyes.

He pulled the blankets up over her, and then got into his pajamas, slipping into the bed beside her. Hermione rolled over in bed, her arm strewn across him, and Harry lay awake for a long time, trying, unsuccessfully, to think of nothing.

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"Hermione... Hermione... Wake up... HERMIONE!!!"

"What..." She said, rolling over in bed.

"Look..." Ron said impatiently, pointing over to the bedside table. There was crystal there, about the size of a fist, and it was glowing red.

"Shit..." She said, sitting up in bed. "Where's Harry?"

"Already over at the Auror Centre... Come on. Do you have to go back to your place to get your robes?"

"No, I left some here, just in case." She got out of bed and went to Harry's closet, digging for her the crimson robes she wore at the Auror Centre that represented her rank and were embroidered with the words 1st Lieutenant Granger. Pulling the robes on right over the clothes she had worn the day before, and had slept in, she declared herself ready after setting her hair in a bun with an anti-frizz charm and a holding one.

"Do you know what's up?" She asked as Ron grabbed the Floo powder container from the mantle.

"I have no idea... But I think it has something to do with the case that Harry's been working for the past few days."

He stepped through the fire and she followed, bellowing "Auror Centre Floo Room!"

Harry was waiting for them, eyes shinning in contract to the bottle green robes that he, as well as all the others who shared the rank of major wore.

"So..." Hermione asked. "What's up?"

"We've been assigned to a recognizance mission."

"What? Are you serious? Harry- Why aren't they using the Recog. Division? We're more field work and analyzing... Besides, were only doing this part time..." Ron said.

Harry shrugged. "Because the person who brought us the information that makes the mission's even possible refuses to have anyone but us do it." He led them down the corridor towards the conference rooms.

"Who is it?" Hermione asked, but before Harry could answer they had the door to conference room # 17 open, and the answer to her question was apparent, as he was sitting right there.

Draco Malfoy.

"Malfoy." Ron acknowledged, both their eyes boring into each other's.

"Weasley, Granger." Malfoy's eyes briefly turned to Hermione, but then went back to Ron.

Stop it, both of you," Harry interrupted, sitting in a chair across from Malfoy. "Sit you guys."

"May I ask," Ron started, "Why a Death Eater's son is in the Auror centre."

"Being the son of a Death Eater doesn't make me one, Weasley..." Draco returned vindictively.

"Close enough..."

"Why are you here, Draco?" Hermione asked, but, unlike Ron, her tone wasn't vindictive or sarcastic, just tired.

"My father has gone to far."

Ron snorted. "And you just figured that one out."

Hermione glared at him.

"Malfoy has kindly offered us some information." Harry said.

"In exchange for what?" Ron glared across the table.

"My father's ass in Azkaban."

"Sounds fair," Hermione said.

"And why in hell would you want us to help you with this, Malfoy?"

"Because apparently, you guys are some of the best Aurors around- and your Pride, Weasley, would stop you from ever refusing to help me. Can't you just see it? Your name in the newspaper... Weasley catches major Death Eater! Maybe they'll even have a parade..."

Ron's face reddened, but Hermione intervened before Ron could say anything.

"Will you guys stop it!!" She exploded. "We're not eleven anymore! Try twenty-two! If we are going to work together we don't need you two going at it like little children!!!"

Ron sighed. "So, how are we going to go about, to quote Malfoy, 'putting his father's ass in Azkaban'?"

Harry smiled mischievously, and Hermione recognized it immediately... He used to wear that look all the time during their adventures at school.

Before someone tried to kill him, that is.

"Draco's going to get us into Malfoy Manner."

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