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This Physical Fascination (HG/SS/LM)	By : Remarkable Category: Harry Potter > Threesomes/Moresomes Views: 71591 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: JK Rowling and associates own everything Harry Potter including characters and fandom. I do not own any of the aforementioned. I make no money from this work of fiction.

Chapter List
- 10
- 11
- 12
Don't kill me. First, I moved out from my ex's and I am taking 21 credits this semester. Second, I got caught up in writing my "Woman" Series and am staying faithful to beta'ing my friend's fic. And..... there is no sex in this chapter but it is a prominent transition to the story. I had a really hard time finishing this chapter up so if anything is unclear let me know and I will correct it. I've also gone through the rest of the fic and fixed the mistakes I've found but haven't posted the corrections yet. Thanks for staying with me on this fic. I thought I'd be finishing up with the next chapter but I think there will be a couple more yet. Mwah my lovelies!

Editors note: Sorry about the initial mistakes in the latter half of the chapter. They've been corrected.

Chapter 11

Hermione chewed her lip and stared at the big steps to the Ministry from across the street. This time of day there should have had dozens, if not a hundred or more employees coming and going. Even using the Floo and Apparition sites, there were a multitude of shops to cater to the enormous employer that was never silent any time of the day or not. Never silent.

It was deadly silent, and that was what worried Hermione the most. She picked up a stone and wandlessly hurled it across the way. With an almost electric buzz, Hermione was horrified to see it disintegrate amidst the red flash of Death wards. If she had tried to run up the steps she would be dead now. A high-pitched alarm sounded and Hermione cringed when a dozen black-hooded figures came running down the steps and looked around as if confused. She couldn’t see any faces but sure as hell recognized the deep, booming voice that sent chills down her spine.

“False alarm. Back to your stations, and be on the lookout for Granger! She’s bound to come snooping when she figures out something’s wrong and I want to be ready for her when she gets in.”

Shacklebolt. Hermione narrowed her eyes. The dirty rotten snake! How could he? He was the last person she had ever expected to be corrupted, especially by the seeming last of the uncaptured Death Eaters. If this didn’t spell the end to the Death Eater release project, she didn’t know what would.

“How do you know she’ll even get through the wards?” asked a voice that couldn’t be identified.

She heard Shacklebolt chuckle dangerously. “You don’t know her as I do. She’ll be back, and I want her alive when she is captured. Do not underestimate her. She’s the smartest, and soon to be the most sorry, witch of her age.”

With another booming laugh the assembled hooded figures retreated up the steps of the Ministry and back inside.

Harry. She had to find Harry!

Hermione avoided his flat and instead started towards the old Order Headquarters. No, wait. Any place Kingsley knew of wouldn’t be potentially safe. She had to get help. But where? Hogwarts. There was bound to be help there and Kingsley couldn’t be everywhere at the same time, could he?

Taking a gamble, the worried witch Apparated several times to hide her trail before landing just outside the forest a hundred or so yards from the gates to Hogwarts. She bit her lip, still worried but not knowing where else she could turn for help. The Ministry was too big for her to take on her own, and by the sound of things Kingsley was behind the corruption. By her deductions, the inquiry was a farce and things were much worse than even she had anticipated. A takeover had already happened but she didn’t foresee that he had a very large group to work with, more relying on his station and pre-emptive strike mode than brute force to retain control. Whatever happened next, she had to make sure they struck at the heart of the Ministry to take down the evil that had infiltrated its core.

Sending out her Patronus, the otter slipped from the tip of her wand. She sent her message straight to the Headmistress and waited.

After what seemed to be an eternity, a lone, cloaked figure approached the gates. Right away she knew it wasn’t Professor McGonagall. The figure was much taller and had a longer stride. Hermione gripped her wand tightly, prepared to cast a stunning hex if the figure so much as reached inside the robes.

Reaching the gates, the hooded figure looked around conspicuously and held out hands, palm side up to show he or she was unarmed. Not trusting, Hermione shouted from the trees, sending a brief shower of red and green sparks; this was her particular signature only the Order members knew of.

“Show me your wand!”

Slowly reaching into the folds of the cloak, she tensed when the figure pulled out a wand and sent forth a return pulse, three red and three green in rapid succession as recognition of the signal.

“Now put your wand back in your robes and show me your hands!”

The figure slowly complied, palms outward once more.

This time Hermione more confidently strode to the gates, her wand still trained on the figure.

“Show yourself.”

Remus Lupin smiled and pulled down the hood to the cloak.

Hermione smiled back tentatively but asked, “How do I know it’s really you?”

“When I taught Defense Against the Dark Arts, you were injured in a mock duel against a Slytherin. The cut was infected and wouldn’t heal properly despite the spells we cast. I had to have Severus make a special salve to put on it. When I applied the bandage, you told me your mother always used to kiss it better. You said you missed the days when everything was simple and you didn’t have to worry about anything.”

Hermione nodded and put her wand away. Walking through the open gates, she took his hand as they walked and gave it a light squeeze, pleased to see her old friend, filling him in on the developments but leaving out her involvement with the two detainees. The less anyone knew about that, the better, although she’d yet to find out how Kingsley knew about it when none of them had told him. The only other person who knew of her triad was Harry.

Remus had frown furrows indenting his brow more deeply than Hermione had ever seen as she relayed her tale. It didn’t surprise her to learn that the Hogwarts staff was aware of the crisis only just, but was shocked to learn that it was Harry, battered and bloodied who had relayed the news. He had only escaped capture by sheer luck, having been next to one of the Floos at the Ministry while being engaged in combat and being flung back by a stunning hex into the Floo seconds before it was shut down. He had immediately Apparated to Hogwarts to warn them, and Remus chuckled that ‘Great minds think alike.’

Although Hermione was greatly relieved to be in a place she’d always felt at home, she was very much afraid of this turn of events. What on earth had made Kingsley turn against everyone? He certainly had given no indication as to his mental state when she’d last spoken to him. Remus squeezed her hand tightly as they hurried through the halls of Hogwarts, ghosts greeting them as they passed and returning students staring curiously after the odd pair. Up and up they went to the Headmistress’s office.

As they came through the door, a small group of professors and Harry rose to greet them. McGonagall, Flitwick, Hooch and Sinistra were all present, and a tall, imposing man that reminded her very much of Severus, except he had longish brown hair and piercing blue eyes.

Hermione let go of Remus and skirted everyone in their midst, having only eyes for Harry. His green eyes went wide as she grabbed the front of his robes and shook him hard.

“How could you do that to us Harry Potter? I trusted you!” Hot tears finally let loose and streamed down her cheeks as she continued to shake and pound his chest. Harry just stood there, dumfounded, trying to make sense of what she was on about.

The gentle hands of her friend reached around her and pulled her back. Hermione sank into Remus’s arms, turning around and sobbing ineffectually.

Harry looked from one person to another and stopped when he saw the ugly sneer of Everett, the Potions teacher with the imposing manner.

“What? I haven’t done anything!’

“You have obviously done something of import to upset her, Potter. Witches don’t just go around accusing others of betrayal over a morning cup of tea.” Everett folded his arms and shifted his weight from one foot to another.

Minerva came from around her desk and around Hooch and Sinistra, past Flitwick and over to the sobbing witch.

“Miss Granger! You must get ahold of yourself! There is so much more we need to know and only you are in a position to give us that information!”

Hermione wiped her tears on the proffered handkerchief amazingly given to her by the new Potions master.

“T-t-thank y-you, Professor,” she sniffled, blowing her nose lightly.

Everett merely grunted and rolled his eyes, deciding the ceiling was more important than this display of feminine weakness and ineffectuality.

Settling her into a chair, Hermione continued to gaze at Harry accusingly. Minerva was wringing her hands, glancing from one young person to the other.

“What have you told them?” Hermione asked with a bite to her tone.

“I- I was telling them how I went to talk to Kingsley this morning and as I was walking back to my office I heard footsteps behind me. I dodged a stunner and all hell broke loose. I’m really not sure how it all started, but when I turned around and dove, Kingsley had been the one firing hexes at me! For sure, I thought I was seeing things but he kept blasting and the new contingent of Aurors was right behind him. There were three or four hooded figures, the costumes like the Death Eaters wore, masks and all. Hermione, they weren’t stunning everyone else. They were killing people. At least six or seven dead Ministry employees were lying around me when I made for the Floo and the tail end of a hex blasted me back into it. I’m sure it would have really done some damage if they’d been aiming straight. ”

Hermione continued to shoot looks of her own that would have killed if they’d been Avada’s. “You told Kingsley about us,” she whispered accusingly. “He told me they told him about us, but it was YOU!” Her voice rose to a sharp, shrieking decibel and Everett lunged at her, causing Flitwick to draw his wand and Remus to growl low in his throat.

His face was thrust sharply in front of her own, his gravelly voice deep and threatening, hands clutched on either side of the great chair she sat in. “You will stop this insane posturing and get to the point, witch! There are those of us with better things to do than listen to your inane prattling for all eternity!”

“Jeffrey! Enough!” Minerva admonished, rising and leaning across her desk.

The imposing wizard with steely, ocean blue eyes flashed angrily before shoving back from the chair and stalking to the fire and putting his hands towards it.

“Don’t mind him, Miss Granger. He’s an old crab from way back. ”

A small titter from around the room was silenced by Remus’ gentle observance. “Hermione, what are you referring to?” He had a feeling her already knew. His sense of smell was very keen and not much got past him, but it was her tale to tell.

The young woman looked toward to floor miserably. “I can’t tell you,” she whispered. “I can’t get them into any more trouble than I’ve already caused. ”

Harry knelt in front of Hermione. “I’m sorry, ‘Mione. I thought it was safe to tell Kingsley about it, considering he’s our boss and well, it’s my job,” he finished lamely. He knew damn well he should have kept his mouth shut. “Are they in any danger?”

“I don’t know, but if they are, it’s your fault,” she accused, her tears gone and anger in its place once more.

Remus gave her shoulder a squeeze and she looked up at him. He smiled warmly and nodded, encouraging her to tell everyone what was radiating off of her in heady waves.

With a resigned nod she let go of her anger and squared her shoulders. Harry moved aside, and she moved to the edge of her chair. With deliberate slowness, she unraveled the story of a couple weeks gone by, the trip to the work site, her subsequent mistake in visiting the flat of her lovers, the ensuing escalation at the Ministry and Jack’s mistreatment of her lovers, her confession to Harry after the confrontation and her plan to figure out what was going on that had been thwarted by the seemingly sudden takeover and turnabout by Shacklebolt and the new fill-in Aurors.

When she finished, the room was very quiet, save for the pop and crackle of the fireplace. No one spoke, or even looked in Hermione’s direction. She felt as if everyone’s eyes were on her although they were elsewhere and her cheeks burned with shame. Remus was her saving grace once more.

“Hermione, love. ” He knelt beside the chair, pulling her shaggy head into him, tangling his fingers in it. “You’ve been through so much, and you’ve always been a brave girl. Now look at you. All grown up, and we’re so very proud of you. ” He looked around the room and received murmurs of assent from the others present.

“No one is going to judge you for the choices you’ve made. We’re all adults here and have made our own share of mistakes. What is happening at the Ministry is not your fault. None of us knows what is going on but you are certainly not the cause. ”

He buried his nose in her hair and was overwhelmed with the scent of the two other wizards that had shared her. It gave him an instant erection and he had to adjust his robes discretely. Residual magic practically crackled off of her in waves and he was amazed no one else seemed to notice the effect it was having on her emotions. It was certainly causing him to think less than pure thoughts about her, and he was being much more forward, however appropriate his behavior remained, toward her in the presence of others.

“I think you should stay here,” he finished, speaking low although his voice carried.

“What? Why?” Harry countered, pacing toward the pair. “If we’re going to come up with a plan, Hermione’s got the right to be there more than anyone. This affects her the most!”

For only the second time in his life Harry was on the receiving end of Lupin’s wrath. “Don’t you think I know that? What will it mean to Severus and Lucius if she is killed! They’ve already bonded, don’t you see? If she is harmed, all three of them will die!” He stormed towards Harry, the young man backing away.

“I-I didn’t know, Remus. I-I’m sorry!”

Remus brought his hands up to his face and scrubbed at his eyes. Hermione’s magic and pheromones were affecting his wolf. He felt as if he were drunk now and trying to reason through a haze. It was common knowledge that the three in a blessed triad were linked, and what happened to the witch happened to all three in the mortal plane.

“Are you quite alright, my boy?” Flitwick squeaked, knee high to a grasshopper but very much in command of his faculty.

“I need to- I don’t feel so-, oh Gods….” And Remus growled, a distressed bark at no one in particular.

“Get him out of here!” shouted Everett. “Can’t you see he’s in distress?”

Harry and Flitwick helped the deteriorating Remus out the side door to the parlor and shut the door. Tired of the inaction, Everett placed himself in front of the Headmistress’s desk. “We must act now. They won’t be expecting us to hit them while the iron is hot. ”

“And what, pray tell, Professor Everett, do you think a handful of witches and wizards can do in the face of a takeover at the Ministry?”

“Oh ye of little faith,” he scoffed. “I guarantee you that that is not Kingsley in charge. I’ve known the man since we were first years in school. Even under Imperius he would never resort to the kind of carnage Granger’s talking about. He’d kill himself first. ”

“Then who do you think it is?”

“Barty Crouch Jr. That little snake had help from inside Azkaban. Think about it. He escaped just after Milton took over as head of the prison. There have never been any escapees before or since Sirius Black, and since Milton took over there have been what, three, four break outs? How many have gone from there we don’t about? Has anyone actually been there to check on the rolls of prisoners? And if what Granger says is true, there is an agenda in place here. Seems to me Duggan and Crouch have some kind of scam going with Milton, and whatever Shacklebolt was about to uncover was getting too close to the truth. Trouble is, they weren’t expecting Potter to get away so fast. Probably figured Granger was in the office at that hour too. ”

“How do you know it’s Barty Crouch Jr.?” Hermione asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowing.

Everett raised one brow and gave her an ugly smirk very reminiscent of her lover. Did the job as Potions master have a pre-requisite for git as part of the job description?

“I have my sources. Your Snape isn’t the only one with connections. ”

“But if you knew of all this illegal activity Jeffrey, why didn’t you tell me? For Heaven’s sake, I could have brought this to Kingsley-“

“-And then we’d all be dead by now. Honestly, Minerva, do you think that if I had anything more than speculation and rumor to go on that I’d let you just charge in to the Minister, wands blazing? Look what happened to him! He’s out of the picture and we have no idea what they’ve done with the poor sod! Now Harry’s said he doesn’t recognize any of the new Auror personnel. We don’t know what we’re up against, but I have an ace up my sleeve. ”

The man looked smug and stared down the Headmistress until she finally huffed, exasperated by his antics. “Out with it, man!”

“I’m one of the wizards they contracted to come up with the anti-magic bracelets that work with the tattoos the prisoners on the work release program are required to sport. I’m also the only one who knows the counteraction to remove either one. ”

Hermione interrupted. “I thought the patent for the entire restraint was filed at the Auror office?”

Everett continued to look smug. “It was, but I took it a couple of weeks ago to tweak the removal process so it wouldn’t have the painful side effect when they release the detainees from parole in a few years after their parole is up. It would have left a burn mark on the skin. Anyway, I got sidetracked and haven’t gotten around to bringing it back. I’ve got it in my quarters, warded and safe. ”

“So if any of the people at the Ministry were counting on letting others free they won’t be able to because the release patent is here!”

“Touche’, Granger,” he conceded, a sweeping bow taking her by surprise.

Minerva looked from her Potions master to the other teachers in turn. “We need that patent up here right away. Hermione, you work with Jeffrey to get Severus and Lucius here, and any other parolees you may be able to round up. ” She studied Everett closely, scrutinizing him carefully. “I still don’t like how sure you are about the knowledge it is Barty Crouch Jr. in charge, here. ”

Everett had that smug look back on his face that she wanted to wipe off so badly. “This is his style; I can’t explain how I know, just trust me. ”

Minerva gave him a thin-lipped, disapproving look before nodding. “You’ve never given me any reason not to trust you, Jeffrey. Rolanda, Sarah, go check on Mister Potter, Remus and Filius. We need to get organized. Jeffrey, please get going with Hermione and come back with whomever you can. We’ll meet in the Room of Requirement. I will make sure the prefects have all of the students in their dorms so there are no witnesses to our incoming guests. Now, let’s get on our brooms and get moving!”

Everett grabbed a startled Hermione by the wrist and yanked her to her feet. “I hope you have a strong stomach, missy,” he grinned and laughed as she sputtered, pulling her into the hall. “We’re going by broom, witch. ”

“I don’t do brooms!”

“You do now!”

With that, he pulled her unceremoniously down a little used back passage from the Headmistress’s office, ignoring her swearing and threats to hex him the entire way.

Minerva let the corners of her lips curl into a semblance of a smile as she addressed Rolanda. “Let’s hope Everett is in one piece when he gets back with Miss Granger. I have a feeling he’s going to regret underestimating her temper. ”

The two swept from the room into the adjoining parlor to assign other duties and get moving with the preliminary part of their plan to infiltrate the Ministry.
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This Physical Fascination (HG/SS/LM)