Saving your life

After several minutes of thinking what exactly she would say, she finally woke them with a flick of her wand.

Confused they looked at her towering over them, hands on her hips and looking like she was trying hard not to curse them.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing here?” she raged before they could say a word.

“We…we,” Ron stammered

“We were worried, thought you might need some help,” Harry continued, and had the decency to look slightly ashamed.

“If I needed your help I would’ve asked for it. How did you find me here?” When none of them answered she continued “Did you follow me?”

She heard Ron mumble something under his breath.

“What was that?”

“We saw you writing on that parchment yesterday, it said you were meeting someone here.”

“So you were spying on me and thought it would be great fun to show up and mess everything up, didn’t you?”

“We didn’t mean…”

“And what exactly did you mean? I asked you please to stay out of this and you wouldn’t listen. What do I have to do to make you understand? This isn’t school, it’s real life. You can’t go meddling in other people’s business like this every time someone refuses to tell you what you want to know.” She let silence fill the room again before saying worriedly

“God, if someone saw you come here…”

“No one saw us,” Ron said “We checked.”

“Oh, you checked! Well, that makes me feel so much better. There’s no way any Death Eater could’ve seen you come in here if you checked,” she mocked. Snape had told her no one had followed him, and after he’d stunned Harry and Ron he’d made sure there wasn’t anyone else around, but she wanted to scare them, to make sure they wouldn’t do something like that again.

“You could’ve gotten us all killed,” she said, and they just looked at her in silence.

“We have to go, it isn’t safe here. Get up.”

“Hermione, we”

“Don’t,” she interrupted “I don’t want to hear anything from you two. I thought you trusted me, I can’t believe you did this. I’m so disappointed in you.”

They looked ashamed, and she felt her anger start to falter. “Let’s go,” she said, trying to sound upset as she opened the door and stepped out.

“You know, there’s something I don’t think you understand,” Harry said as they followed her out.

“What?”

“We didn’t come here to find out who you were meeting, or what you were discussing, or because we didn’t trust you. We came here because we love you; that is the only reason. We knew you’d be meeting someone dangerous, and even when we were sure you’d be mad at us for coming, we couldn’t let anything happen to you. No matter what,” he said in a soft voice, just as they left the building. They both looked at her for a second before apparating away.

Well, she certainly hadn’t expected that. Now she was the one feeling guilty about what had happened. She shook those feelings away, at least for the time being. She had a lot to do.

She walked back to the Leaky Cauldron, and then entered Diagon Alley, heading back to headquarters, barely noticing anything around.

After Snape had stunned Harry and Ron he had hurriedly explained his new plan. She had never met anyone so intelligent, and she was sure his idea could work. The only weak spot was her part, getting the Order to do what he’d asked. That would prove to be a challenge, and the fact that he’d said he trusted she could do it only made it worse.

She had approached the entire Order during a meeting the previous evening, asking them to send the prisoners to Azkaban. That had been a bad idea. They’d started asking questions she didn’t have an answer for, and when she’d said she couldn’t tell much they’d gone back to wanting to know who was passing the information. Last time she had been lucky, they had given up on the subject after a few minutes. This time they only stopped after she left the room, and she could hear them from the hallway still discussing it, some even questioning what side she was fighting for.

If she wanted the plan to work, she would have to talk to one of them alone, and by the time she was standing back at headquarters she had decided which one it would be.

She stepped in and walked silently up to her room. She could hear Harry, Ron and Ginny talking in the library, and decided she didn’t want to confront them again just yet. She skipped lunch and spent there most of the afternoon, only leaving when she heard voices downstairs. The meeting was finally over.

She rushed down the stairs, and just as she was hurriedly entering the kitchen she painfully collided with someone and fell to the floor. She looked up at the man she’d hit as he loosed balance and almost fell too.

“You should be more careful, Hermione,” Kingsley smiled as he stretched out his hand to help her up. She gladly took it and mumbled “Sorry.” just as her face went red.

“Are you staying for dinner?” Mrs Weasley was asking, and Hermione was glad for the distraction. When she let go of Kingsley’s hand he looked down at it frowning, and then back up at her.

The pleading look on her face was probably what kept him from asking anything as he put his hand into his pocket, the piece of paper with it.

“Kingsley?”

“Oh, Molly. No, I can’t stay tonight. Lots of work piling up at the office, got to take care of that.”

“Well, maybe tomorrow then. Hermione, dear, help Fred and George set the table, will you?”

“Of course,” she said, and walked over to where the twins were standing. Well, the first part of her plan had certainly gone better than she had expected. She could only hope the rest of it would go down that well.

She ate in silence, but everyone else was talking loudly and no one seemed to notice her. Harry and Ron had sat right across from her, and she knew they were trying to catch her eye, talk to her, probably to apologize so that things could go back to normal. She did her best to avoid them; she had other things to think about. There would be time for them later.

As they finished dinner she went back to her room. She changed her clothes, tied her hair and put on a dark robe.

She knew her friends well enough, and was sure even after what had happened that morning they would keep an eye on her, so instead of trying to hide she just walked back down the stairs, making sure they’d see her leave. They wouldn’t dare follow her again.

“You’re leaving, Hermione?” It was Ginny’s voice coming from the kitchen.

“Yes,” she simply replied

“You shouldn’t go out this late dear,” Mrs Weasley walked over to where she was standing, the familiar worried look on her face.

“I just feel like taking a walk, no need to worry.”

“Why don’t you go with one of the boys? I’m sure they’d love to go with you,” she said, looking at them like she was waiting for them say so.

“There’s no need, really,” she assured her, and glanced at Harry and Ron, silently daring them to say something “I’m meeting some friends from school later on, so I won’t be alone.”

Mrs Weasley didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t say anything else either.

“I have to go now, or I’ll be late,” she told her smiling, and she turned around and left before any of them had time to say something else.

By the time she entered the Leaky Cauldron she was so nervous she could feel her knees shaking slightly. As she walked in she searched the room, considering the possibilities, and finally settling on a table close to the door. She sat down, her back to the entrance, and checked her watch. She was just three minutes early. Her eyes quickly surveyed the place again, and they finally settled on a figure sitting at a table on the other end of the room, by the stairs. The hood covered most of his face, but his black eyes soon found hers. Him being there made her feel nervous and confident at the same time. They stared at each other for a few seconds before she noticed someone walk by and sit on the chair in front of her.

“Hello Hermione,” the voice said, and her eyes quickly darted away from Snape.

“Kingsley,” she smiled “thanks for coming.”

“Well, the note said it was important. I wonder what it is you couldn’t tell me back at the house.”

“Well, it’s complicated.”

“What is?”

“You’re Head of the Auror Department now.”

“Yes,” he answered, eyes suddenly narrowed

“I need your help with some things.”

“Like what?”

“You remember what I asked for the other night? During the meeting?” she said, leaning closer and whispering

“You wanted the prisoners moved to Azkaban. We’ve already told you it can’t be done, the Ministry would never allow it.”

“I know, but…” they were interrupted as a young wizard approached their table. They ordered drinks that were set on the table after a few seconds. The men then asked them if they needed anything else.

“No, thank you,” Kingsley said, and then waited in silence as he walked out of earshot again. Hermione sighed before continuing.

“Two of the prisoners are under the Imperius curse.”

“How do you know that?”

“They didn’t attack us of their own free will. They’re the least dangerous ones, and could be very useful.” she said ignoring his previous question.

“Very useful?”

“What I’m about to say to you, you can’t tell anyone else about it, at least for now. You have to promise me that,” she said, aware of the pleading tone in her voice.

“Why is that?” God that man kept answering with another question!

“Kingsley, please,” she sighed.

“Very well, I won’t tell a soul. Now how can they be useful to us?”

“If Voldemort found a way to get some of his men back, he’d do it.”

“What are you suggesting?” he asked suspiciously.

“And if he succeeded,” she continued, ignoring his question again “he’d be very grateful to the person that provided said details.”

“Hermione…”

“He would trust that person, and we could get important information,” she finished.

“Hermione, what have you gotten yourself into?” he asked her, clearly worried.

“The kind of information that could help us defeat him.”

She saw something in his eyes, an expression she couldn’t define.

“Show me your arm, Hermione,” he suddenly said.

“My arm?” she asked and stared at him, not knowing what he meant.

“Just let me see it,” he repeated when she didn’t move.

“You can’t be serious,” she whispered in shock as she realized what he was thinking.

“I am,” he said simply

“I can’t believe this,” she mumbled, as she did what he asked

“If it isn’t you doing it then you’re working with a Death Eater. Who is it?”

“I can’t tell you that,” she answered

“You can’t trust those men, Hermione; you should know it by now; especially after Snape.” She did her best to keep her face neutral as she heard the name.

“All the information he gave me so far was true.”

“So that’s how you found out about the spy. And the attack.” She simply nodded.

“Even if it was helpful, what you’re doing is too dangerous.”

“I’d do anything to help Harry win this war.”

“You wouldn’t be the first to be blinded by good intentions.”

“I trust him, he wants to help us.” He sighed loudly, but apparently decided to go back to the main subject.

“What is it that you want then?”

“If those two men were taken somewhere for, say, interrogation, How would they be transported?”

“Probably with a portkey.”

“Don’t you ever use broomsticks?”

“Only when we’re headed to a secret location. Can’t risk using portkeys then.”

“And if you’re flying, it’s probably harder to guard them, right? There’s a chance they could be taken by someone if they attacked you on the way.”

“What are you suggesting?”

“After we captured all those Death Eaters, well, let’s just say Voldemort wasn’t very pleased with the man that planned the attack, so now he’s not in the best position to spy for us. If he told Voldemort some of his men were being transported, and it was possible to get them…”

“He’d be back on his good graces, is that what you’re saying?”

“Yes,” she said simply

“But two more Death Eaters would be on the loose.”

“They’re not really Death Eaters, and if the plan works correctly we would capture even more.”

“How?” he asked, and she thought he sounded slightly interested

“Well, if Voldemort got them back he would question them, do anything to find out where the other men were. If one of them recognized the place they were being held, maybe after seeing something familiar as they left, Voldemort would know it.”

“You’re saying we should set up another attack like the one at Grimauld Place?”

“Exactly like it.”

“Won’t that put your Death Eater friend in a bad situation again?”

“Not if he’s not the one planning it,” she said, ignoring the tone he’d used when saying friend.

“That’s a lot you’re asking, really.”

“If we plan it carefully, we wouldn’t risk that much.”

“And what if he betrayed you, what if he’s using you to get to us, to Harry?”

“He’s not. I’d never put Harry in danger and you know it. I trust him completely, I’ve told you that.”

“Why do you trust him?”

“That’s not important,” she said curtly

“I have to know who he is.”

“No you don’t. He’ll talk to me and I’ll talk to you. That’s how it’ll work for now.”

“Why just you?”

“There are spies still working at the Ministry, Kingsley, and he doesn’t know who they are. He can’t risk being exposed.”

“Then why are you telling me all this?”

“Because I need help with this, and I trust you.”

“Who else knows about him?”

“No one and it has to remain this way. You heard what they said about me yesterday, after I left the meeting.”

“Forget about that. We all trust you, Hermione. We know you’re trying to help.”

“So you’ll do it?” He was silent for a few minutes, thinking about everything she’d just said.

“I will, but I’ll need more answers.”

“You’ll have them when the time’s right; I can’t tell you anything else until then.”

“There will be a lot of planning to do; more people will have to know about it.”

“Just tell them what they have to do; they don’t need to know the real reason.”

Her eyes suddenly flicked over to the other side of the room, to the hooded figure that was getting up. Their eyes locked and then he slowly lifted a hand, showing her what looked like an old key, and then placing it back on the table before starting up the stairs.

“I hope you’re right,” Kingsley said, and she looked back at him.

“So you’ll help me?”

“Yes.”

“Thank you,” she smiled and he smiled back at her

“Just be careful, will you?” he said

“I will.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

“Good night”

He left a few coins on the table and then got up and walked out, squeezing her shoulder on his way out.

She waited a few moments and then stood up too. She made sure he was gone and then walked over to the stairs, taking the key he’d left on the table as she did.

There was a number printed on the key, and she searched for the correct room. She stood by the door for a few seconds, then took a deep breath and opened it.

---

New chappie, what do you think?
Thanks for the reviews on the last chapter, and don’t forget to send new ones for this, they make me write faster!!
PS: SorceressFujin thanks so much, I hadn't noticed it was cut :s fixed it now!