A/N: Here's the new Chapter! Which also means the next four chapters are up on my Patreon for early access as well as the chance to vote on the direction of the story!

Harry gets surprised and then decides to stretch his legs~

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“Hermione… come to the Yule Ball with me. As my date.”

Those big brown eyes, which had been looking down at where he’s still holding her hand, snap up to meet his, going wide in response. Hermione’s mouth opens and then closes for a moment, her blush intensifying before she finally finds the words.

“E-Excuse me?”

Ah, it’s probably a bit sudden, isn’t it? And also, Harry is telling Hermione what to do, not asking. He’s gotten too used to being able to order around the witches in his life, hasn’t he? Flashing her a grin, Harry shrugs.

“You don’t necessarily have to attend, but as a champion I do… and I need a date too. So come with me, please. It can be just as a friend if you-mmph!”

He’s not expecting it, funnily enough. He’s not expecting for Hermione’s reaction to be to all but lunge over the length of the table they’re both sitting at, going up on her tip toes if not off of her feet altogether so she can grab him by the front of his shirt and pull him in to a surprisingly deep, passionate kiss. Harry’s emerald eyes widen and he finds himself frozen in place for a moment before returning the kiss right back. Of course, his has a bit more tongue to it, making Hermione let out a muffle squeak and pull back in embarrassment.

The brunette bookworm looks like she might just flee from him right then and there but two things stop her. Number One, Harry is still holding her hand and he has no intention of letting go until they talk about this a little further. But fortunately Hermione doesn’t force him to hold her in place because Number Two is that she finds the resolve to stick it out all on her own.

His best friend since the age of eleven gets this cutely determined look in her eye, even as she looks at him with a sort of resolute expression on her face.

“I would love to go to the Yule Ball with you, Harry. And I don’t… I would rather not just go as friends, if it’s all the same to you.”

Blinking rapidly, Harry finds himself truly caught off guard in a way that very much had not happened all that often since coming back in time. He had thought he knew everything there was to know about Hermione Granger. But now, staring at her determined expression… he realizes he might be more ignorant than he thought.

“… I… I certainly have no objections to that. I’m just surprised is all. I didn’t think… rather, I didn’t know you saw me that way, Hermione.”

The brunette blushes even harder at that, before glancing down at their hands again. He probably should pull his hand back at this point, but she seems to be enjoying the contact. Perhaps its anchoring her in a way neither of them realized she needed.

“… How could I not, Harry? You saved my life from a Troll. You saved the entire school from a Basilisk. We traveled through time together. Maybe I… maybe it wasn’t entirely clear to me what my feelings were for you at first, but I’m old enough at this point to know what I want. And what I want… is you.”

He’d tensed up when she’d mentioned time travel, only to realize that she’s talking about using the Time Turner to save Sirius in their Third Year. For Hermione, that was last year. For Harry, that was a lifetime ago. Still, he finds his memories cast backwards, not to them saving Sirius… but to seeing Hermione descending down the staircase at the Yule Ball the first time through. Realizing in that moment that she wasn’t just his friend, but a very beautiful woman who any man would be lucky to have.

Only… Harry had never really thought HE was the man destined to have her. Even when Viktor Krum had swept Hermione’s feet out from under her, Harry hadn’t been upset on his own behalf… but rather, on Ron’s behalf. He’d thought… or rather, he’d assumed that his friends were going to get together. Because that’s what happened in the other timeline.

Now though, Harry was forced to reconcile with the truth. Viktor Krum had only gotten the ‘yes’ because Hermione had correctly deduced that Harry wasn’t going to ask. Meanwhile, Ron was Hermione’s second choice. And apparently Harry was her first. He was just never confident enough to reach out to her. He’d pulled back and let Ron have her because he thought that was what both of them wanted.

Of course, setting all that aside, Harry is a Time Traveler from an Apocalyptic Future that’s come back in time to save magic through any means necessary. He can’t tell Hermione the truth… not yet anyways.

… Perhaps if he were a better person, he’d push Hermione away in this moment. He’d find a way to make it so that she didn’t want him anymore. They could still be friends, it had worked out that way before after all, but it would probably be better of him if he spurned her romantic advances. And yet… and yet…

This time it’s Harry who leans forward over the table. Hermione flushes but doesn’t pull away as he winds a hand slowly through her brunette locks and pulls her in for another, longer kiss. This one has tongue too, but this time Hermione isn’t scared away by it. She lets him makeout with her and makes out with him in turn as the two of them enjoy each other’s presence for a while.

He wasn’t the Harry that Hermione thought she wanted. That Harry still lived on inside of him, but he’d become a different person over time. The kind of person who did what had to be done… no matter what. Still, he could at least give Hermione this much. He could give her what she thought she wanted and explore her feelings with her. And when the time came to tell her the truth, they would see if she could accept him for who he really was or not.

Kissing takes up the rest of their time together. Harry doesn’t push any further than that. He doesn’t want to rush Hermione, nor does he intend to push her into the ritual that would bind her and her magic to him at this time. Instead, he lets himself relax and simply enjoy the moment. There will, after all, still be plenty of work to do once this moment is over.

-x-X-x-

Four weeks until the Yule Ball. Three months until the Second Task. With Hermione secured as his date, Harry and his foreknowledge of what the Golden Egg contained, Harry didn’t exactly have to worry about either at this point. Meaning he could turn his attention to more important things, such as his next conquest.

Hermione’s feelings for him had been a wake up call, truth be told. On the one hand, it was proof that he wasn’t omniscient. He didn’t know everything there was to know about everyone in the wizarding world. Sure, he knew a lot… but ‘a lot’ wasn’t enough. He needed more information. He needed eyes and ears on the ground.

Rita Skeeter was the obvious next conquest, all things considered. He’d been slowly stringing her along, getting her more and more addicted to him. At this point, she was the one arranging their meetings. And yet… and yet, Harry had decided he would continue to let her simmer. She would come to him in her own time, at her own pace, and he would claim her.

In the meantime, Harry had decided to be proactive. Meaning, he’d decided to range outside of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Technically, he wasn’t allowed to leave the school grounds during the week. But with the power of two witches and a wizard’s stolen magic at Harry’s beck and call, obfuscating his departure and absence from those in charge of Hogwarts was… child’s play.

As was infiltrating the Ministry of Magic, all the way to the depths of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. The Office of Madam Amelia Susan Bones, the Director of the DMLE, was of course warded to hell and back. The entire Ministry was. But… not well enough to keep Harry out. Not even well enough to provide ample warning that he’d gotten IN.

Hidden from her perception, Harry stands in Madam Bones’ office, watching her hard at work behind her desk. Amelia was… not someone that Harry had ever gotten to know personally in his past life. The only time they’d ever met, in fact, was at the disciplinary hearing that would have taken place in the upcoming Summer before his Fifth Year. Harry didn’t expect that to occur now, of course. He’d remove Dolores Umbridge from power himself before he let her send Dementors after him or anyone he cared about.

That said, the reason Harry and Amelia had never met again or gotten the chance to get to know each other better was because the woman had been killed by Voldemort a year later. By all counts, she’d put up a valiant fight, but in the end the Dark Lord had murdered her.

It had… galvanized Susan Bones. Lit a fire under the beautiful red head’s ass. She’d thrown her all into becoming an Auror herself, following in her Aunt’s footsteps all the way to the top. Susan Bones had been the last Director of the DMLE as a matter of fact… before the Ministry of Magic had collapsed, of course.

In the apocalypse that had followed, Harry and Susan had gotten closer. Not too close, but close enough that Harry had learned some things about Amelia from her niece. Two things in particular that Harry was going to make use of tonight, as a matter of fact.

Number One… Amelia Bones prized competence and strength. This, Harry could collaborate himself, still remembering the unreserved astonished awe on the woman’s face when he’d proved he could conjure a corporeal Patronus that day in the courtroom. Madam Bones had a preference for people who knew what they were doing and could back up talk with action.

Of course, that led into Point Number Two. Amelia Susan Bones… was lonely. Unbelievably, unbearably lonely. Her niece had been sure of this, the few times they’d talked about her aunt. She’d bemoaned the fact that Amelia had been so alone more than one to Harry. The DMLE Director had never married. She’d never even dated. And besides Susan, she’d lost practically her entire family in the First Wizarding War.

On top of that, her love for competence left her all but an island to herself within Cornelius Fudge’s Ministry of Magic. Because aside from Madam Bones, the number of competent individuals within the Ministry could be counted on two hands… perhaps not even that. She was effectively surrounded by morons and imbeciles.

Was it any wonder that Voldemort had killed her off so quickly during his Second Rise? The Dark Lord had known she would never willingly serve him and correctly deduced that she was one of the biggest threats to his rule. Which meant that she was perfect for Harry’s purposes. After all, the enemy of your enemy was your friend.

“Madam Bones.”

The older witch’s reaction time is admirable. She comes up out of her chair immediately, her wand out and a silently cast stunner already racing towards the sound of his voice. Of course… when it splashes across the shadows seemingly obscuring his form, Amelia reacts as expected, sending out a slew of even more powerful magic as a cover while she makes for her fireplace. The Ministry of Magic’s anti-apparation wards prevent even high ranking officials like her from teleporting away, so her only hope of escaping him is via the Floo System.

Or it would be, if the Floo System were still operational. The DMLE Director once again proves her intelligence by not even making it all the way to the fireplace before she slows to a stop and looks at him. Her magic has had no discernable effect that she could see. In truth, Harry had shielded and countered every single one of her spells, even the more imaginative ones. But from Amelia’s point of view, the shadowy figure that had shown up in her office unannounced and without warning hadn’t made a single move so far either way.

“… The Floo isn’t going to work, is it?”

Chuckling softly, Harry shakes his head.

“No, Madam Bones.”

Keeping her wand and eyes trained on him, Amelia still reaches up and grabs a pinch of floo powder, throwing it into the fire place. When the green flames fail to appear, she nods sharply and steps away.

“… Who are you? What do you want?”

They’d be here all night if he told her the truth, Harry reflects with no small amount of amusement. But then from the look of things, Amelia was going to be here all night anyways. No family to go home to. No competent peers to assist her with her work. The Director was truly being stretched thin, but that seemed to be the way she liked it. Throwing herself into her work, fighting the system… why, she would probably be grateful for what he was about to do, once she vetted his information, of course.

“I want what you want, Madam Bones. I want the corruption to stop.”

Amelia narrows her eyes at that, her lips thinning out.

“And what exactly does that mean?”

Harry lets his shadowy form ripple in the approximation of a shrug.

“You and I both know that the Dark Lord was not truly defeated back in 1981.”

The Director flares her nostrils at that but says nothing, allowing Harry to continue on. Funnily enough, he’s not even talking about Voldemort or his horcruxes.

“Voldemort might have been destroyed, but large portions of his followers got off easy by claiming they were under the effect of the Imperius Charm. Members of the Wizengamot. Members of the Ministry of Magic. Former Death Eaters, one and all. And they haven’t changed. They’re still the exact same monsters they were under Voldemort. They just got better at hiding it. Right under your nose.”

Amelia might value competence, but that doesn’t mean she likes having her face rubbed in her failures. Gritting her teeth, the Director of the DMLE all but hisses as she glares at him.

“Get to the point.”

Harry waves a hand of shadow, making her stiffen up… but the wave isn’t directed at her. Rather, it’s directed at her desk. Her eyes flicker over, only to widen at the set of papers that hadn’t been there mere moments before.

“Enjoy, Madam Bones.”

And with that, Harry ‘disappears’. He’s still there, but he hesitates for a moment before actually leaving. See, Harry has just given Amelia enough actionable intelligence to move against three Death Eaters who are committing numerous crimes right this moment. He’d confirmed all of it ahead of time with his own eyes, of course. Made sure that his information from the future was accurate to this new timeline.

If Amelia Bones acted upon what he’d just given her, three Death Eaters would be on their way to Azkaban soon enough. But would she? That was the question. And the test. Only, Harry wasn’t sure whether to stick around as a silent observer, somehow potentially tainting the test in some way, or leave and see what Amelia did from afar…

[ ] Leave her to it, focus his attention back on Hogwarts until something happens - 12%

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