Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or any of it's characters and locations. This story is purely for entertainment, and I promise to give back all of the characters in relatively good condition.

A/N: Chapter 4 is almost finished, it just needs some editing. I should be posting it tonight.

Lunch turned out to be a variety of soups and sandwiches that Mrs. Weasley had prepared before their little discussion. Hermione refused to call it a meeting, it had seemed much too brief and informal, and she felt like they would be having a more official meeting once she was in Egypt. Well that was fine with her; she would still be doing something helpful, exciting, and educational.

"So how did you managed to get yourself inducted into the Order at sixteen, Mum's been ranting about it ever since I got here?" She arched an eyebrow. Sixteen, her? She tried her best to keep the irritation from showing in her voice.

"Has she now? I'm afraid your mother has left you misinformed. For some reason she always forgets that I was born before Ron, not after. I should be seventeen now, turning eighteen in September." Hermione said as they sat down at the small table in the kitchen, rather than at the dining room table.

"Should be?.. So you aren't actually 17 then?"

"Yeah, er,no. It's a really long story, but I'll make it short. My third year at Hogwarts I decided I wanted to overload on classes; I petitioned the ministry for a time turner and actually managed to get one. I used it for an entire year, so in reality I'm actually eighteen turning nineteen in September."

"Wow." She couldn't decipher the look that he was giving her, so rather than wait awkwardly for the next point of conversation, she continued her story.

"It's also how Sirius and Buckbeak managed to escape back on the night Sirius was captured at Hogwarts. Harry and I took a little trip through time."

"Unbelievable, I always wondered how he managed to get away on a hippogriff that was supposed to be dead, and Albus was rather close-mouthed about the whole thing."

"From my perspective now, I can say it was rather fun. At the time it was a disaster. Harry wasn't familiar with time-turners, so it was hard to convince him we needed to stay out of sight of ourselves. I suppose it was rather simple, it just seems like an odd thing to send the 14 year old out to do.

"Simple, eh? Maybe this really is the job for you." He said, laughing as he grabbed another sandwich. She gave a little sigh, telling herself she could be the person she wanted to be. Brave ad daring.

"Maybe." She replied while shaking her head. "But it really is amazing the three of us survived our time at Hogwarts."

"I'm sure I never got to hear most of it. But don't worry," he said laughing, "You'll have plenty of time to tell me about it." She grinned is response, but was busy noticing that he was even more attractive than usual when he laughed.

"You seem to have known about this plan a lot longer than I have." She mused while nibbling on the corner of her sandwich.

"About a week now. I wanted to send a letter to you when I found out, but Albus asked me not to. I'm not sure why he waited so long to ask you though."

"I have a pretty good idea, it's the way that he is you see. If I'd had a week to think about it, I'm not sure that I wouldn't have panicked and backed out because I didn't want to miss my N.E.W.T's. Knowing him, he knew that, and so he decided to just eliminate that possibility. It doesn't matter though, I looked it up earlier and I don't have to be a student next year to sit my N.E.W.T.s, I could just register at the ministry and take them on my own." Bill smiled, causing her to wonder if he was laughing at her studying. She shook her head; why in Merlin's name was she so insecure all of a sudden.

"I never really got that much information, only that they were going to ask you to help. Were you interested in curse breaking or did they just toss it at you?"

"I had told Professor McGonagall awhile back what I wanted out of a career. She suggested becoming an auror, and while Harry and Ron greatly supported it, I suggested that it would never happen. Curse breaking came up later in the conversation." She thought about asking him about why he became a curse breaker, and decided against it, relieved when he spoke instead.

"How much did he really explain to you?" Her eyebrows rose and she couldn't stop a small smirk.

"Not much really. The basics I guess, a book that can only be opened by me, some powerful plants and spells, and that about sums it up." She couldn't help but notice how comical it was, the way his eyebrows rose and his lips parted in shock.

"Wow. There's a lot that people have uh, failed to mention apparently, and it's best I do that before we start anything. Now or later?" She gave him a look that clearly said 'why even ask'.

"Might as well do it now. It's not like there's anything else we could do here that would be relevant, and once we get there... well, there's plenty." He nodded.

"Well there's the part you already know a little about. So far, I have a collection of rooms that should be completely safe, but I'm finding traps and rigs everywhere. There is no way she could have lived her daily life with all the traps set about the place."

"Unless everything you're seeing was just put there for you to see, right?" He looked at her for a minute, and she felt the need to continue. "I mean, Just because she had a huge palace doesn't mean she used it. Look at Hogwarts. It could be that there's a secret area, or just an area you haven't reached yet, and that was the only area she lived in. Or if she had servants who were witches they could have been instructed to place the traps after her death."

"I did consider that there was a living area that I haven't reached yet, but I haven't found any proof that her servants were witches, or even of a magical nature. We'll find out though."

"You really think her servants were muggle? Wouldn't that have caused problems for her?"

"Potentially, but I have to consider that the Muggle and Magical communities were much closer back then. Not to say that they got along, or even desired a relationship, they simply coexisted better." He looked like he was going to continue, but she couldn't help herself.

"Until the Rebellion of 1826, when secrecy statue was enacted. Before that, there wouldn't have been any need to have magical servants." She finished quickly, amazed that she hadn't considered that possibility until he practically waved it in front of her face. "What about testing though? If she created as much as she did, she would have needed to test results. Testing on muggles would be useless, their chemistry is too different." She watched as Bill nodded his head, thinking perhaps if wouldn't be quite as bad as she expected it to be.

"I've entertained the possibility that there were some muggle, and some magical, but I've only been there about four days. Apart from what we're supposed to be doing, I don't know much more than you do."

"Yes, what are the full details of what we're supposed to be doing?"

"Part of what we have to do is search the entire palace and grounds for secret passages, hidden chambers and the like. They want us to find anything an everything. Notes, objects, plants, anything that could be useful. There's also a few tomes and journals, written by her, that we need to find, but we're supposed to examine any written works, even if they aren't on the list. There's also the amulet."

"Amulet?" She asked, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. Albus hadn't said anything about an amulet, and one taken from the palace of a princess was bound to be cursed.

"Of protection. They're hoping that one of the potions in her Journal, when combined with the amulet, will repel the killing curse." Block the killing curse? No one had ever achieved that before… or had they?

"There are several other magical relics we're hoping to locate too, but I'll tell you more about those later, since the full list is in Egypt."

"That doesn't sound so bad." She reasoned that it could have been much worse. After all, it was just a few more items than the book.

"Did I mention that he's holding us responsible for locating all of the items listed, even if they aren't in the palace?" Her eyes widened a bit, no wonder he hadn't expected them to finish by September. She was really going to have to talk to that man about his idea of a mission briefing.

"This of course," he said pointedly, "Is supposed to be secret, and not meant for the ears of other nosy red-heads."

"I'll assume you mean Ron?" He nodded, trying to get the last of the soup out of his bowl. "Then you won't have to worry. Ron and I aren't exactly on friendly terms right now." He looked her over for a minute with a strange expression.

"What happened?"

"Nothing happened that wasn't in due course. I guess I just kind of snapped on him, because he was acting like a moron granted, but it made me realize I just need some space from him." Bill studied her for a minute, looking confused.

"Why?" The conversation was getting a bit more intimate than she would have liked, but she answered the question.

"Because he's a friend. One of my best friends. But that's all. There isn't anything more than that there, and he knows that. I think the problem is that -and don't take this wrong- your mum seems adamant in making sure there's something there, and that leads to everyone else expecting it, so no one wants to hear otherwise."

"Message received. No discussion of Ron." He paused, "That goes for Ginny too." He said causing her giggle.

"What? That my feelings are completely platonic?" He laughed and shook his head.

"Cute. But I meant the nosy redheads clause."

"So does that mean if you forget something you said, and ask me about it I shouldn't tell you?"

"No, it certainly does not you silly witch. Besides, I never forget anything I say."

"Well, I'll have to put that theory to the test, all your brothers are quite forgetful. Either that or they have a very selective memory." She watched as he laughed, wondering how to keep the conversation going. Her suspicion that the first few days were going to be quite awkward was growing larger by the minute. They would have to keep busy, or she wasn't sure she was going to make it.

"Would you relax, it's not going to be that bad." She frowned wondering if she was that obvious.

"It's not my fault you're…" She trailed off, realizing she had been about to say 'so bloody sexy.' He arched an eyebrow and gave her the smirk that only the two eldest Weasleys had mastered.

"What? So charming, wonderful, amazing… Should I continue the list?" Oh god, but he was giving her those eyes again. Oh Merlin, she shouldn't say it, she had to work with him, so she'd take the safe route.

"Oh, Absolutely. Each word leaves me even more amazed that you can fit your head through the doorway."

"Hermione! Dear! Could I speak with you for a moment please?" She refrained from groaning, not sure this conversation would be much better.

"Of course," she replied, glancing at Bill. "Excuse me a moment, will you?" She asked, although she didn't wait for a reply as she followed Mrs Weasley. She was barely out the door when she was guided down the hall.

"Hermione, dear, are you sure you won't reconsider?" Hermione shook her head, more out of disbelief that a desire to answer her question.

"Of course not. Who do you suggest does it if I don't? No one else meets the requirements."

"What about Ron? You won't see him all year." Her eyes narrowed slightly at the older woman.

"Ron and I aren't speaking right now." Mrs. Weasley made a face that indicated she thought Hermione was clearly insane.

"Well you can't blame him for being angry. You, running off to Egypt, not even of age yet…"

"I'm sure Albus explained it Mrs. Weasley, I'm actually eighteen. I was born before Ron, not after, and I used a time turner for a year."

"Oh nonsense. The Ministry would never allow it. Just remember that there isn't going to be anyone out there to save you. This job means you have to do the saving." Hermione felt her eyes narrowing. She could usually be pushy, but usually she was nice about it.

"I don't need saving."

"All four of you have gotten it into your heads that you're brilliant. Luck doesn't give you skill."

"Maybe we're smarter than you think we are."

"That may be the case, but you've never done this job, and it's a dangerous one. Don't you dare get my son killed." Hermione's jaw dropped open as she stood there speechless. Blinking back the tear that was threatening to fall, she headed out the front door, disappearing with a pop.