Once again, thank you for your patience. I tried to make this one a longer one for you guys :) some big stuff happens in this chapter! I hope you enjoy it. I wanna throw a huge thank you to my best friend/ beta, she's been a wonderful help in filling in some gaps and adding some depth to places where I needed more.

Enjoy guys :), the interesting parts will be starting soon.

xxx

Harry stormed past a very puzzled Hermione, throwing open the doors to Kingsley's office.

Kingsley stood, but Harry's wand was at his throat before he even knew what he was doing.

Kingsley's eyes went wide.

"Give me one good fucking reason why I shouldn't have you arrested on the spot right now for treason!" Harry spat. "Torture Kingsley? Is that really what we're resorting to now? "

Kingsley opened his mouth to respond but Harry wasn't finished.

"Directing members of MY office to use illegal methods of interrogation Kingsley. You authorized Dawlish to use a curse in a noncombat situation that could put him in prison for life, and probably will when I bring this information to the Wizengamont!"

"Harry!" Hermione yelled from the doorway. "Harry Potter put your wand away right now! He is the Minister for Magic!" Harry shifted to the side so he could see Hermione, while still keeping an eye on Kingsley. "Hermione walk away. Shut the door and walk away." He said more calmly than he thought possible at the moment. She just stood there, gaping at him. "HERMIONE SHUT THE GOD DAMN DOOR!" He yelled, losing his patience.

She shook her head, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. "I can't do that Harry I'm sorry, put the wand down or I'm going to have to call security."

Harry was dumbfounded. He felt betrayed, Hermione was going to side with them.

"Hermione they're torturing people! Lives have been lost! Lives have been put in danger because of them!" He pleaded with her.

"And if I hadn't already known that Harry, you would be tried for treason on the charge of mishandling classified information. Now please put your wand down!"

Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. She knew? Hermione knew and she was letting this happen?

Harry turned to look Kingsley in the eye and in that split second his wand was soaring accords the room to land in Hermione's outstretched hand. "I'm sorry Harry, I really am" she said tearfully, "minister what would you like me to do?"

Kingsley calmly beckoned for Harry to sit. "Shut the door if you would please Miss Granger, Auror Potter and I evidently have much to discuss, please keep his wand until he leaves and then you may give it back to him"

Hermione nodded and closed the door. Harry defiantly took his seat, contemplating the ramifications of leaping over Kingsley's desk to physically assault the minister.

The two men sat staring at each other for a moment. "Talk, Kingsley"

Harry finally choked out through gritted teeth.

Kingsley looked at Harry as though he wanted to to reprimand him for his disrespect, but he didn't. He wordlessly rose and poured two glasses of an expensive looking dark liquor. He sat one of the glasses on the desk in front of Harry and went to stand behind his desk at the window, watching the bustling muggle street below.

A long silence passed before he finally spoke.

"Harry. When I took this job, we were, and we still are in a state of war." He said. "I took leadership of the ministry with goals and hopes much like the ones you shared with me upon taking your new job the last time you sat in that chair.

I had visions of reform, of dismantling the corruption of the establishment. Corruption that Fudge turned a blind eye to, corruption that Scrimgeour embraced. Little did I know how far it had saturated into the mechanisms of the Ministry itself. There are things you don't, and can't know about Harry, it is the order of things. There are certain things that your new position afford you, new knowledge. I am assuming from your outburst that you witnessed Dawlish's actions against Persius Parkinson? Harry this is nothing new. Twenty years ago, during the first war I sat exactly where you are right now outcrying my adamant opposition to these tactics. Dumbledore opposed them. Ministry covert operations and 'advanced interrogation methods' were implemented long before either of us Harry. The Minister at the time of Grindelwald's reign was a Lestrange did you know that? It shouldn't surprise you to learn that he was the one who passed an executive order against the Wizengamont's wishes, to allow the methods we still use today.

These methods were used in the first war against Voldemort. They were more widespread then. Now it has become an emergency measure only. When I first became an Auror it was the standard procedure for every Death Eater we brought through those doors.

"Harry don't think for one minute that I approve the methods we've had to use. We did everything we could do to glean the information we needed. This war has lasted far too long. We'd been searching for Lestrange for four long years. I want this war to end Harry, and I confess that I thought it would with Lestrange being brought to justice.

So yes Harry, when Dawlish came to me after a week of not being able to get Parkinson to crack, I approved his use of the Criciatus curse to get the information I needed. The board, and the Wizengamont were both required to vote on the decision as well as witness my signing of the document.

"Torture is not something I or the members of my administration take lightly Harry, but in some extreme cases it is a dark necessity of the job. I pray that someday maybe it won't be, but for now, in extreme cases, it is. I know that a lot of information you have taken in today is probably burning a hole in your brain at the moment, and I will do my best to answer any questions you have. That being said, I will warn you once and only once Potter, if I ever find your wand at my throat again without due reason, I will have you thrown in Azkaban for the rest of your days, chosen one or not. Do I make myself clear?"

Kingsley held out his hand, and after a solid hesitation, Harry shook it. He still didn't like it, but he had bigger problems to deal with now.

"So what do we do about Pansy?" Harry asked. "I don't even know how you view it Kingsley, maybe she's just collateral damage to you, but for some god unknown reason I care about this girl. It's our fault the Death Eaters are after her. We're responsible for this. She will not be safe until this war is over and you know that. So what the bloody hell do we do? This is a young, innocent girl's life at stake, she has a bright future in front of her if she survives this war, and because of us she has a huge bloody target on her back!"

Kingsley smiled at Harry from across the desk. "I don't know Harry, what would you like to do? This is your investigation, she is your responsibility, you are Head Auror. I will go with your call on what you think we should do"

Harry had a plan already, he just hadn't thought Kingsley would be so easy to convince.

"I want to keep her safe" Harry said simply. "It doesn't need to be a full blown ministry operation, I don't need to use up that many resources. She would be too easy to track if she had the full protection that the ministry had to give her. You say that I'm making the decisions here? Well this is what I want to do. The ministry has its slew of safe houses, but we haven't moved locations on any of them since we secured ourselves from Death Eater infiltration. I want to set up a new, secure safe house for her. I'll need two of my men. That is all the resources I'll need from my department. I will personally take over the role of her main guard and all that you know that entails. Before you object I know that I'm the head Auror and I have my own duties to perform. I will move into the house full time until the case has been resolved, and I will come to work every day just like I normally do. I will still perform my duties. This is why I need the two other men. I want two solid men that I can trust, there to guard her at all times when I'm here. We'll need a small team to set up wards around the house, but I don't want them knowing the location. They can teach me how to establish the defenses. I don't want anyone but myself and the other two men knowing the location Kingsley, that includes you or the board or the Wizengamont. This will be a minimal risk, minimal resource operation, the smaller I keep it, the smaller the risk of getting caught"

Kingsley looked at him in silence for a moment and Harry could see the gears turning in his mind.

"I can't see any of your requests being an issue Potter. I will back your plan in full, but we still need to run it by Arthur, and the board. They'll need to approve it as well. I think you've put a lot of thought into this, and it's a solid plan. It shows me that I really did pick the best man for the job. Go to St. Mungo's and discuss this with Pansy, it's her life we can't force her into hiding. Don't reveal any classified information Harry, she can't even know that her father was a Death Eater. The public story is all the information she gets to know, I'm sorry but that's the way it has to be. While you do this I will present your plan to the appropriate parties and try to get it approved, meet me back here in two hours and I'll have an answer for you."

xxx

Pansy just gaped up at him. "And how long does this last exactly, Potter?" She asked, Harry had known she wouldn't be thrilled about the idea.

"Pansy, I honestly don't know, this could be a long term thing. It's the only way we keep you alive. They're still out there and they're still out for your blood, they want to send your father a message and they won't rest until it's painted across the walls in your blood. I promised you I wouldn't let anyone hurt you anymore and this is me keeping that promise."

She looked at him critically, taking in all the new information.

"You're not coming to live with me Potter. That's all there is to it. You can check on me whenever you want, you can sit outside my door all damned hours of the night…. I may even invite you in for tea occasionally, but you are NOT coming to live with me"

The defiance and finality in her voice was just triggering Harry's frustration.

"Damn it Pansy!" He growled, smashing his fist down on the table, causing her to flinch.

"You still don't get it do you?" He said, "with everything you went through I would think you would know full and well what they're capable of. That you would want to do everything in your power to make sure it doesn't happen again!"

Her eyes deadened out and she stared at him with hollow eyes, "Trust me Potter" she said, "I will never forget what those monsters are capable of".

Harry hadn't meant to strike a nerve, but he had to get it through her stubborn head how much danger she was really in.

"Pansy don't make me force this. We can put you in witness protection, and I'll have to fill out a lot of paperwork, you'll go to a seedy, run down safe house that we can't be sure the Death Eaters don't know about. You'd have round the clock Auror protection, and it would be trainees. Witpro isn't a job for the high profile Aurors. You would have no privacy, no life for yourself. I can force you to do that. That's not what I want to do. What I'm offering you is a nice place, once that meets your standard of living, with the best protection I can offer, and the Head Auror personally protecting you at all times. I will give you whatever privacy you need, and unlike Witpro, you'll even be allowed to leave the house and have a life. Certain measures will just have to be taken to ensure your safety."

She looked at him as if daring him to force her into witness protection, but Harry would do what he had to do to keep her safe.

Finally she spoke, "Fine Potter but the first time I find you raiding my panty drawer… You'll have to throw me in Azkaban to keep yourself safe" Harry could see the hint of a smile playing at her lips, and he was relieved that she had agreed amicably.

"Thank you" Harry said. "I just want to make sure you don't have to go through what you went through again".

She looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression. In a rare moment of softened humanity she asked, "Harry, not that I don't appreciate it, not that I honestly haven't come to enjoy your company, but why do you care so much? You're the head Auror, surely one of your little minions could have taken my case. What makes this, what makes me so important to you? You've been sweet and kind and compassionate through this entire ordeal. Do you forget that just four years ago, I tried to sell you out to Voldemort?"

Harry could see the remorse in her eyes, she almost looked timid as she waited for him to answer. Truth be told, Harry didn't have an answer. At first it had been guilt, but now that feeling had been pushed aside, Harry no longer felt like he was solely responsible. The blame could be mostly placed at Kingsley's feet for the decisions he had made after they had information on Lestrange. Harry had spent time with this girl over the last few days and come to the conclusion that she wasn't nearly as bad as everyone thought she was.

"There's more to you than meets the eye, Pansy Parkinson. You're not who I thought you were. Who you are, this you that I have spent the last few days with, I'm more than curious to find out a little more about that girl" he said, causing her to flush slightly, throwing Harry off guard, he had never seen Pansy Parkinson blush in all his years of knowing her. It was actually kind of pretty.

Oh god! Was he…. Was he flirting with Pansy Parkinson? What's more was she enjoying it?

"Well, I guess you'll have plenty of time to get to know me if we'll be living together for the rest of the war" she said meekly.

Harry cleared his throat and nodded, "I'd better be getting back to make the preparations. We need to have everything ready by the time you're discharged so we can move you directly to the safe house"

As he got up and walked to the door Pansy called his name, causing him to look back. "I'm - I'm a little interested in finding out more about you too. Harry Potter, not the boy who lived, just the boy."

This couldn't be happening.

xxx

Back at his office Harry's head was spinning. Kingsley had gotten his idea approved, and they were now taking the necessary steps to secure Pansy's safety.

The first item on the agenda had been to find a house. Harry had informed Kingsley he would be taking Pansy out of the country as it seemed like the best way to make sure her day to day anonymity was intact when she was out and about. Kingsley had come back stating that the British Ministry would not legally be allowed to purchase property for government use in another country. At first this had seemed like a problem but the more Harry thought about it the more it seemed to be for the best. They still didn't know if they were one hundred percent free from Death Eater infiltration, and a large property purchase coming from the ministry would look rather suspicious to outside eyes. In a spur of the moment decision Harry had offered to pay for the place out of his own pocket. Being heir to both the Potter and Black fortunes as well as the sizeable salary he now made as head Auror, afforded him the resources to be able to live more than comfortably.

"I've always wanted a summer home in Italy" Harry joked to Kingsley.

After meeting with a realtor, it hadn't taken Harry long to pick out a place with plenty of room that he and Pansy could share comfortably. It would be nice as a get away once the war was over and she had moved out as well. So all in all, it wasn't a waste of his gold. It was a beautiful old villa on the Italian mountainside, overlooking a vineyard. There was a sizeable wine cellar, a lot of land, and plenty of seclusion. This would make sure Pansy would be hard to find, but it was still close enough to a small town that she would be able to get out and enjoy some freedom so she didn't feel like a prisoner.

Harry spent a good portion of the week making plans and preparations. When it came time to organize the defenses and wards around the house Harry had mixed emotions about who the Department of Mysteries had sent.

"The apparition point will be here" Alexandra said, pointing to a place on the map. "Once you are past this point, all transport magics will be nullified. There is no flooing in or out of the house, brooms will hit a solid barrier upon contact." She laughed lightly at the mental image and Merlin, Harry could probably produce a Patronus with that sound alone for months.

She definitely noticed the turn his thoughts were taking, for she continued talking with a corner of her lips quirked upwards in half a smirk, "There will be a fidelius charm placed around the entire property so that the whole place is visible only to you, and whoever else needs to come and go out of necessity."

Harry really was trying to listen, but her dress was riding up her thighs as she bent over the map, and he really couldn't help but track his eyes down her legs. Her skin was tan and inviting, flawless over toned muscle. It almost made his mouth water. He shook his head to clear the thoughts from his mind as he tried to remember to stay professional.

It seemed like she had an endless amount of charts and graphs to go over, as well as spell theory so Harry could apply the defenses to the house himself. They were keeping the operation very secretive, the defense team wouldn't even know where the house was. Alexandra would come up with the plan, teach Harry the theory, and he would apply the wards himself. She had no idea what she was protecting or where, just that it was incredibly important to keep everything out of the property Harry showed her.

To visualize the complex warding system, Alexandra dimmed the lights and wordlessly conjured a perfect model of the house and grounds above the table between them. She illuminated the ideal wardstone anchor points to show Harry for what she had planned already and where he should focus his defenses in case of attack to cover the weaker areas.

"How's your Elder Futhark, Potter?" She asked with mirth dancing behind blue eyes. The light given off by her conjuration set the room in a warm golden glow and did things to her skin tone and jawline that he wasn't going to think about. He wasn't.

Harry was suddenly apprehensive. "Passable, why?"

That laugh again, but it wasn't as enjoyable when it was directed at him.

"Potter, you will need that alphabet to translate the Western Sumerian script into something you understand. I've based this entire schema on intent and purpose. Sumerian has the most characters out of any known runic language. The Western dialect, so to speak, is the most descriptive Sumerian gets, ergo, the most descriptive any runic language gets." She exhaled, in frustration or resignation, he didn't know.

"It's a difficult language with an even more complex alphabet. Sumer was one of the first and largest human settlements, six to seven thousand years ago. The language developed with the people who settled there for thousands of years, the Empires that rose and fell, and the many people they traded with in distant lands. Western Sumerian is a snapshot of European contact and influence on this ancient civilization thousands of years ago, which is why you will need a fluency in Elder Futhark to cast these wards."

Harry swore under his breath. Ron and Hermione were the runic experts.

She slumped her shoulders and clicked her dark stiletto nails on the handle of her wand in thought. He noticed it was ashy and pale, nearly a bleached yellow wood with thin swirling bands the color of burnt blood and small black dots that might have been scorch marks on the tree it was sourced from.

"Potter, Harry… I'm not expecting you to learn two dead languages in a handful of hours or days, though there are potions for that." Illegal, went unsaid but understood by the both of them.

"But," she huffed, "you do need to be able to properly intend the result of the wards you're setting up around this property. I don't know why you need something this intense, or what you're protecting, but it seems important and I want to help you succeed. Sumerian runes will guide your intent better than freecasting these wards. There are maybe a dozen and a half ways to describe a singular action in this alphabet that we only use one or two words for today. The bane of all intent warding is wording. I essentially eliminated the intent loopholes for you. It will be a lot to learn in a short period of time, but it covers all your bases."

She idly tugged on a strand of hair framing her face and seemed to reach a decision. From the floor by her chair, she pulled up a stylish black leather tote with gleaming silver metalwork decorating the sides. The giant packet she retrieved from it was definitely too thick to fit without an expansion charm on the bag. She silently duplicated it and banished the second packet across the table to him in one flick of her wand. Harry was impressed, he knew the wand movements to both of those charms and she didn't use either one.

"Here, Potter. This is a copy on all the notes I've made on this particular warding scheme. I've been advised that arithmancy and runes aren't subjects you've specialized in, so just trust that they work and that I did specialize. Very early in my education, at that."

She smiled at him, "So, just skip over them if they make your eyes hurt."

Harry chuckled and ignored the taunt in favor of opening her notes. Her handwriting was a spidery cursive that, while legible, lent an ambiance of formality to them, making him think the subject matter belonged in an old handwritten textbook. And maybe it did, these were the most ancient of ancient runes.

Alexandra pushed her chair back and got up from the table. On her way out of the room, she paused and gently placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"This magic is old, Potter. Take care when you charge these runes, the usual rules do not apply."

He nodded and flipped forward a few pages, still entranced by her thought process.

She squeezed his shoulder in parting and adjusted her bag.

"There's a translation table at the back, but like I said earlier, I used Elder Futhark, not English. I'll be in my office if you need help, just ask the spinning room in the DoM for my name and it'll sort you out."

He was then left alone with his churning thoughts, the subtle smell of spice and white florals, and a thick book of notes that he had to memorize in a scant few days. Harry hoped that Pansy would finally be safe from here on out.

xxx

Harry hand picked the other two Aurors that would accompany him on the case, swearing them to absolute secrecy under threat of perjury and mishandling classified information. He picked Dean Thomas who had become quite an accomplished Auror on his own, and he picked Blaize Zabini, out of the sheer fact that he felt Pansy needed a friend.

After the initial meeting ended Harry pulled Blaise off to the side.

"You swore an oath Zabini, and I won't take this lightly. If I even get a hint you've spilled any of this information to your little friends, I will strip you of your rank and toss your ass in Azkaban. I know your friends are concerned for her, but this is what we have to do to keep her safe, am I understood?" Harry put all of the authority he could into his voice. Zabini just nodded gracefully "Completely understood sir, I just want what's best for my friend"

xxx

At the week's end it seemed all the plans were finally in place, Harry rose with a stiff back from the sofa in Pansy's room at St. Mungo's where he had once again slept. She was full of nerves and apprehension about what was to happen today, so Harry had stayed with her to help her keep calm.

He apparated back to his flat, looking around as it would be the last time he saw it for a while. His bags and necessities had already been moved to the safe house, along with a plethora of things he'd bought for Pansy. It had been too dangerous to go back to her parent's manor to get anything of hers, so he'd just bought her some clothing and necessities. She would have a monthly allowance from the ministry to spend on anything else she needed as long as she was in hiding.

Harry's nerves were shot as he quickly showered and shaved, mentally preparing himself for what was to come. The last time he had executed an escape plan like this, had been the escape to The Burrow on his seventeenth birthday, and that had not gone at all as planned. He freshened up, making sure he looked his best, and went over his speech again, today was to begin with a press conference, the ministry had leaked to the Prophet that there was some news in the Parkinson case and all of Wizarding Britain was waiting with baited breath.

Harry was swamped with reporters as soon as he stepped in the ministry, guards and other Auror's having met him at the entrance to keep them back. Camera flashes assaulted his eyes as he tried to make it through the crowd to the podium. It was as if he was walking in a daze as he climbed the steps to the wooden stage, straightening his tie as he went. Looking over the crowd all he could see were people hungry for a scrap of story, they didn't even care about the person involved, just their story. Harry squinted into the lights pointed at the stage, barely able to make out the sea of reporters beneath him, and he began the speech he'd been rehearsing for days.

"Witches and Wizards of Wizarding Britain" he began, "My name is Harry Potter, and I am the Head Auror for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. As many of you know, the Ministry of Magic has these past few months, tripled our war effort against the shrinking band of criminals known as the New Death Eater Order. We at the ministry view it as prudent to keep the community at large informed of what's happening on our side of the war effort, and as you may know, we've made staggering progress in the last few months. Just one month ago, I myself led a highly trained squad of elite Aurors into a stronghold in Wales, where we cut the head off the dragon once again, just like we did four years ago with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Rodolphus Lestrange was killed in a brilliant firefight between the Death Eaters and the squad of Aurors. We lost two very good men that day, may they rest in peace and their memories live in places of honor in our hearts. For the two we lost, a good portion of Lestranges men were eliminated in the raid. I tell you this so that you can sleep easy knowing that we are pushing as hard as we can back at these monsters.

Upon my return to London, I was given another very high profile case. A kidnapping. Persius and Persephone Parkinson stood fast against The Dark Lord during the war, staying neutral against all expectations from the Death Eaters. They did not sink to the level of common criminals, they held themselves up with dignity and stuck to their beliefs. For this their daughter Pansy was kidnapped, and put through an indescribable, inhumane month of torture at the hands of these animals. We were able to find Mrs. Parkinson relatively quickly, she was being held captive at a safe house by a circle of Death Eaters led by Antonin Dolohov. While Dolohov and several others escaped the raid, we were able to rescue Mrs. Parkinson and subdue or kill a good portion of the Death Eaters present in the manor.

Mrs. Parkinson was admitted to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries two weeks ago. The healers did everything they could, but unfortunately the injuries Mrs. Parkinson sustained at the hands of the Death Eaters were too much, she passed peacefully in her sleep last night at just after eleven o'clock.

It is with a grave heart that I bring you this news, as the Ministry will never take life lightly. I went to school with Pansy Parkinson, and while it was well known that we were not friends at school, we had both put any issues to rest that we once had with each other.

Pansy was a bright young witch with a wide future in front of her, a brilliant flame snuffed out by the darkness at the prime of its life.

I and the ministry wish our deepest condolences to any friends and family of Mrs. Parkinson that may be listening to this on their radio at home. She was and will be remembered as a brilliant soul who was taken too early in a time far too dark. Mark my words, her death will not go unpunished, and it will not be in vain.

We are pushing closer to the end of this war and the Death Eaters are running scared like dogs with their tails between their legs. We will finish this, and those who have stood against this community and terrorized it for far too long, will be brought to justice!

The ministry has no further comment at this time".

Harry finished his speech to a round of thundering applause, he shook Kingsley's hand as they traded spots, "Good luck Harry" he whispered as the men leaned towards each other. Kingsley took the podium and began to speak, and Harry rushed off the backside of the stage, all but sprinting down the hall to the elevator.

Upon entering his office Harry made sure his desk and door were locked, and all his things were packed away, he wouldn't be back for a while, as to help Pansy settle into her new arrangement.

Taking some powder from the jar on his mantle Harry stepped into the fire and floo'd to St. Mungos.

Upon his arrival Harry was met at wand point by several of his men. They had the floo network blocked off from any traffic but his own fireplace today, the Hospital citing that it was running routine maintenance and that apparition to the foyer would be the only access point for the day.

Harry strode with purpose towards Pansy's room, six of his best men on his tail, Ron directly to his right. Pansy was standing on her own when he arrived, dressed for the first time since she'd left the dungeons, in something other than a hospital gown. Harry had instructed her to dress warm, and so she wore a pair of jeans, a plain black hoodie, and a very fashionable scarf. Some things never changed. Her long black hair was tied up in a ponytail, and she wore warm boots on her feet, she looked better than Harry had so far seen her, far less vulnerable on her own two feet. She looked ready to travel.

Pansy's eyes were wide with anticipation as Harry strode into her room, this wasn't the Harry who had been by her bedside nearly every night just to make sure she was ok, this wasn't the Harry that had taken care of her since she's been rescued. This was the Harry Potter she'd seen down in those dungeons, tall and full of purpose, Harry Potter the Auror, he who had brought down the Dark Lord.

Scanning the room, Harry barked orders at his men and they scrambled to obey. Smiling warmly at Pansy he handed her his invisibility cloak. "Put this on, it's just an extra bit of security until we get out of here, I'll need you to hold onto my arm so I know you're still there, but as soon as we're gone you can take it off." He said to her, and she nodded her understanding.

Preparations made, it was time to execute the second phase of the plan. Harry led his men down the hall, Pansy gripping his hand tightly, leaving his other arm free to keep his wand at the ready. They went up the service stairwell, all the way to the roof, where Harry's men barricaded the door behind him. Harry told Pansy she could remove the cloak, and she did, stuffing it into her enchanted bag for safe keeping.

Harry turned to Ron, embracing his friend. "Be safe mate" Ron said thumping him on the back. Harry nodded, his nerves too bundled in his stomach to allow proper speech.

Harry's Firebolt was waiting propped up against the ledge, and Pansy's eyes widened. "Harry NO!" She yelled. "I don't do heights Potter, it's not proper for a pureblood young lady, can't we just apparate?"

Harry rolled his eyes in slight annoyance, his Auror gruffness coming out a bit too strong.

"Parkinson I don't give a flying fuck what is 'proper' right now. Your safety is my priority and this is the only method of travel that can't be traced, watched, or intercepted, and unless someone physically follows us, which I have wards up to prevent, then we can make it to our destination safely. Now get on, hold tight, and we'll be done before you know it."

Pansy hesitated, not used to him talking to her like that. She understood that he was stressed, trying to do everything he could to protect her, and making sure this well thought out plan was executed perfectly. She nodded timidly and climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms right around his waist and squinting her eyes closed.

As soon as she was situated Harry kicked off in a thunderous gust of wind, rocketing into the air. God how he missed flying, it had been too long.

Harry couldn't remember the last time he had actually flown, probably before the war. It had been entirely too long, and he almost lost himself in the pure thrill of it.

Harry rocketed upwards and spun in a full out barrel roll, coming to rest just above the clouds. He would have forgotten Pansy was even there had she not been screaming the whole time.

He sat with his eyes closed, taking in the fresh air, the sunshine on his face, and remembered why he had developed such a love for flying in the first place. It was freedom.

"I'm not going to let you fall Pansy, at least try to enjoy it. The fresh air, the sun, the feeling like you can reach out and touch the clouds."

He turned to give her a slight smile, they were going to be on this broom for quite a while, he didn't want her to be stressed the whole way.

Pansy's arms tightened in a death grip around his waist, but she actually opened her eyes. A small whimper escaped her throat as she realized how high they were. Up here above the clouds, London was just a series of tiny dots below them. "I'm sorry Pansy I know that you're scared" Harry said, "but this is going to be a long ride. I'll do my best to keep you comfortable, and I won't force you to stay up here all night. We'll make a good amount of progress, stop for a quick lunch, go some more, and then we'll find somewhere to bunk down for the night. We should still make good time early tomorrow"

Pansy seemed to steel herself, determination to not be afraid evident in her eyes. Once again Harry couldn't help but wonder at how brave this girl could actually be when she wanted to, and it struck him at how scared she must have actually been all those years ago as she tried to hand him over to the Death Eaters.

Harry urged his broom forward, rocketing off through the clouds, trying to keep the ride as smooth as he could for Pansy's sake, but nonetheless keeping a constant speed so they would make good time.

They flew for hours, long enough for Harry to grow uncomfortable, so he knew Pansy, who was unused to being on a broom for long stretches, was probably far worse off. Finally sometime just before sunset they dropped below the clouds. The both of them were wet, and Pansy was shaking. Harry hovered just below the cloud line scanning the horizon, trying to gain his bearings. They had to be somewhere over France by now.

Harry angled towards the ground and flew lower until he started to see familiar landmarks. With a plan in mind Harry put down just outside of Macon.

As Pansy dismounted the broom her legs gave out and Harry rushed forward to catch her. Their faces inches apart, her breath caught in her chest as his eyes searched her face. Harry's heart was pounding and he didn't know if it was from adrenaline, or something else all together. As if suddenly realizing their position, Pansy placed her hand on his shoulder, using him to regain her own footing, and putting some space between the two. She cleared her throat, and he averted his gaze, the two looking anywhere but at each other.

Harry's mind was buzzing at what may have just almost happened, he chalked it up to her vulnerability, and the rush of flying, he couldn't honestly want to kiss Pansy Parkinson. Could he?

Harry shook it off, yet as he stretched his own cramped muscles he could feel Pansy's eyes burning a hole in his back as she stared.

Harry shrunk his broom to the size of one of the miniature broom models wizarding children played with, and handed it to Pansy. Her bag was the only luggage they'd brought with them, so it seemed she was the designated pack horse for the duration of the trip. Reaching into his pocket, Harry felt cold metal as his fingers wrapped around the objects he was searching for. He held a pristine diamond ring out to Pansy, and she cocked an eyebrow at him, looking at him like he was stupid. "Just… Erm…. Just while we're here… I … Er that is to say… The ministry thought it would be good for our cover if we uh…. Well we're supposed to pretend to be honeymooning" Harry stuttered out, not entirely sure why he was so embarrassed.

Pansy actually laughed. Out loud. "How exactly is that supposed to work Potter?" She asked between giggles. "You're the Wizarding World's most eligible bachelor, cover of Witch Weekly and the Prophet every other bloody day. Don't you think people here will recognize you? You can't exactly be married to a dead girl can you?"

Harry waited for her laughing to subside before he answered. "There's a reason I picked this town Pansy" he said gently,

"The Ministry has used this little hamlet before for some of their more delicate intelligence operations. It's population is almost all Muggle, little to no wizarding populace at all. It's actually quite peaceful to come here where no one knows who I am."

Pansy's laughter subsided abruptly "No magic? There are no wizards here at all? So you expect me to live here like a muggle for the night?" She asked, the disgust evident in her voice. Hints of the old Pansy were creeping to the forefront. Harry couldn't help but grin, "Pansy we'll be here for a week. The plan is to lie low for a little bit and lose any type of tail we've picked up. Muggle territory is always the best place to lose a Death Eater. They don't think like I do. Why would a couple of Wizards want to spend a week among the filthy Muggles?"

Pansy folded her arms across her chest and glared at him. "You're pushing your luck, Potter" she said icily, reminding Harry of the girl he'd grown up with at Hogwarts. This was going to be a fun trip.

xxx

Harry allowed Pansy to wander the small town while he found them a room for the week. It wasn't like she was in any danger, the ring he had given her had half a dozen protective enchantments layered into it. Alexandra had personally placed the wards on it herself. He figured that after all the time she'd spent trapped in that dungeon, followed directly by being cooped up in a hospital under lock and key, that she could really use a little freedom to make her feel better. He could see her from the window of the inn, he smiled as he watched her creep from storefront to storefront exploring the wares of this sleepy French village. Occasionally she would enter a store, and leave soon after with a new bag or two. Harry had given her enough Muggle money to buy her heart's desire, as everything she now owned had been picked out for her and nothing her choice.

Harry couldn't help but notice that she really had become quite pretty. Maybe she always had been, but Harry had never seen her like this. The sunset glittering off the French Riviera behind her, her long black hair in a braid down her front, her usually icy blue eyes full of a calm and a peace he'd never seen there. She had lost the constant scowl that usually adorned her face, and Harry found himself staring at the way her lips parted and her eyes widened in excitement whenever she saw something she liked. He watched her safely into another store, the sun was setting and he hoped she would come back soon, or else he would have to go and pry her away. She may be safer here than in London, but the night still held dangers they weren't equipped to face alone.

Harry turned to the desk, his half full glass of rum sitting next to the letter he'd begun for Kingsley. He sat and finished the letter, and the rum, sealing the envelope with a quick spell. With no owls available in this remote location, there was only one way to send the letter. He took the small vial of

floo powder from his robe pocket and tossed it into the fire. "The office of the Minister of Magic!" He said clearly, and tossed the letter into fire. Harry watched as it swirled up the chimney and disappeared, and sat back to enjoy another glass of spiced rum just as Pansy entered the room.

She dropped her bags on the bed, all but one small brown paper package she tossed at Harry, which he caught with a confused look on his face.

"Up Potter!" She cried, waving her arms. "I picked you out an outfit, you're taking me to dinner! It's the least you can do for trapping me here. There is an adorable looking little nook down near the docks that I'm dying to try, it smelled divine" she gathered up three or four of the bags as she spoke, heading into the bathroom. The door locked behind her and Harry was left sitting with the package in his lap, still processing what had just happened.

Harry heard the water in the bathroom turn on as Pansy prepared herself for a shower, and he deftly unwrapped the package to reveal a very well made white button down Oxford, and a silky black tie. Underneath was a handsome suit jacket and pair of dress slacks. A note attached to the tie in large and loopy writing said "Everything has been enchanted to fit properly, this is custom cut and very expensive, if you're to be portraying my husband, you have to dress the part. I may be in hiding, but I still have standards, Potter -Pansy."

Harry couldn't help but chuckle to himself as he laid the suit out on the bed. She was right about one thing, this outfit had to have cost a small fortune. How much money had he given her anyway?

Harry dressed in silence, and instead of waiting around the room, decided to go and check out the bar in the lobby of the inn, he had noted an impressive looking collection of drinks while checking in earlier.

Sitting at the exquisite oak bar some minutes later Harry sipped his scotch in silence as he gazed around, watching the comings and goings around him. Happy couples sat languidly in booths all around the bar. The dim lighting making for a romantic setting.

"Est-ce que cette place est occupée?" A silky voice whispered in his ear, and Harry whirled around. His jaw must have dropped.

Pansy stood behind him, from head to toe a vision of beauty. Her long black hair was swept up in an elegant updo, the makeup around her eyes subtle, yet just dark enough to bring out the piercing blue gaze that was settled on him. She wore a smear of some darker shade of lipstick, and her mouth was quirked in a half cocked smile. The dress she had chosen was a satin black, knee length, slit up to her thigh. It was strapless, and Harry honestly couldn't help but stare. She wore glittering silver diamond earrings, and a necklace to match, and dangerously tall black stilettos, which Harry couldn't help but notice, only accentuated the curves of her legs. The black fabric hugged all of her curves graciously and Harry marveled at how much Pansy Pug Face had grown into the gorgeous young woman standing before him.

"Pansy… You - You look…" Harry stuttered, standing to pull out a seat for her.

"I'm aware of how I look Potter" she sneered, the hints of a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. "You don't look so bad yourself, I guess you do clean up nicely." She said, reaching up to straighten his tie. She sat down next to Harry and hailed the bartender. "I'll have a tequila please" she said, smiling.

They sat and drank, and talked for what seemed like hours, and once again Harry was simply amazed at the change he had seen take place in this girl over the last few weeks. The Pansy he had grown up with seemed to have completely disappeared, and Harry felt a pang of regret once again for the things she had been put through that had caused the drastic change.

When they left the bar, the moon was bright in the cloudless sky, and a warm breeze wafted through the small town. Pansy walked close to Harry as they strolled down the riverbank, and on an impulse laced her hand into his "to keep up appearances" she said. Harry had a strong feeling that it wasn't truly the case, but he wasn't going to complain. Maybe it was just something in the air in the French countryside, but Harry was actually enjoying this time with Pansy. He didn't know what his feelings were towards her, and truth be told they were all sorts of confusing, but he knew outright that something was building inside him.

Pansy led him to a small restaurant with an open concept dining room, more of a villa. The walls were non existent on two sides, allowing diners to get the feeling they were dining outside. The tables were lit with candles, adding to a more subtly romantic mood. They sat together in a booth and Pansy cuddled up to Harry, further complicating his emotions. He had no idea what was happening right now. Was she really just playing a part? Or was she sending him the most obvious signals? All Harry knew was that every point of contact between them was on fire. His senses were assaulted by the smell of lavender wafting off of her hair, and some perfume that he couldn't place. He was finding it very hard to focus. The way she sat, with her back curled into his chest, she might as well have been straddling his lap. She kept glancing over her shoulder at him and Harry could have sworn she was wearing a very cheeky smirk.

They ate several courses of bread and pasta, and enough wine for Harry to start to feel a good buzz, and they made small talk that Harry found it all too difficult to concentrate on. Her bum was warm against his leg, and he could feels every one of her curves pressed against him. He was stuck in a vicious cycle. She felt good against him, so his nerves flared, causing him to drink more wine to calm himself, but the more he drank, the better she felt. She kept up with him drink for drink, and all the bread at that dinner table couldn't have kept him sober.

The took the longest possible route back to the hotel, Pansy with her heels in her hand, so she could walk barefoot down the beachside. Her long dark hair, released from the constraints of her updo, swished behind her, and Harry watched the way her hips swayed to some invisible rhythm. He was far too sloshed to think straight. She was flushed from the alcohol, shifting softly in the moonlight to some melody only she could hear, and she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. The entire scene just had a serenity about it that Harry wished he could capture and commit to memory forever. The breeze was lightly blowing her hair, and he could see her bright blue eyes shining in the moonlight.

"Potter," she said softly, "dance with me."

Merlin, this wasn't happening. Yes, Harry thought, anything you want tonight, Pansy, and slowly lifted her hand to lead, placing his other on the small of her back. The look in her eyes was fire and he swore he could see constellations reflected in her icy blue irises.

Sand made for an awful dance floor, but neither cared. They were too focused on their joined hands, her head settled softly on his chest. The small circles she was working into his bicep with her nails sent a warm static straight to his stomach and Harry wondered if his hand on her lower back felt as warm and electric to her as she did to him.

Pansy lost her footing for a second, alcohol and sand mixing to create an unstable combination, but she caught herself on Harry's shoulder before she could topple the both of them to the ground. Harry didn't think the could get much closer than before, but he was completely focused on the way she absently drug her nails up the base of his neck to find a better hold and started working circles again, this time into the side of his neck. Harry swallowed thickly. Needing to take his mind off the way he could feel her breath warming his cheek, he smirked mischievously into her hair and spun her around into a classic dip, reveling in how such a simple and unexpected thing could elicit joyful laughter from her.

When they finally stumbled back to the hotel, Harry fumbled with the keys for far too long, and just as he'd gotten the damned thing into the lock, Pansy grasped his arm and turned him to face her. She was inches from his face, he could smell the wine on her breath, feel her racing pulse through her fingers. Her eyes searched his, darting back and forth like she was begging for permission.

It happened suddenly, his lips were on hers and he was soaring above the clouds. She tasted like wine, salt water, and chocolate and Harry was drunk on her kiss. It was slow at first, soft, but it didn't stay that way for long. She pushed him into the door, hungry for more of what he had to give, and their tongues engaged in an age old dance, a battle for dominance.

Her arms were around his neck, fingers twisted in his hair and his hands were running up her sides, taking in the feel of all her soft curves. The kiss lit a fire in his belly like nothing he'd ever experienced before. He turned them around so that she was against the wall, and her leg came up to hook around his hip. He ran a calloused hand up her creamy thigh, reveling in the feel of her bare flesh. She heaved herself up and wrapped her other leg around his waist so that he was fully supporting her weight against the door.

She broke the kiss and looked into his eyes breathlessly. Her lips were red and swollen, and she nodded. Harry fumbled for the doorknob and carried her into the room, kicking the door forcefully shut behind him as he reached for the zipper of her dress.