Chapter 5: Rest and Relaxation

Friday, March 7, 2008 – 9:50 p.m. (United Kingdom)

"You're sure you don't mind watching him for so long?" she asked again.

Ron rolled his eyes and held up her Auror-issued duffel bag. "My answer isn't going to change any, so you'd do well to stop asking. Besides, Mum needs some help de-gnoming the garden this week. I'll bring Crooks along and let him chase the little buggers. He'll be so excited he won't even notice you're gone."

She grabbed her backpack from the nearby armchair, checked to ensure that her beaded bag was inside, and then gave her sitting room a final glance.

Ron cleared his throat. "So, listen. I went out for drinks with Seamus and Dean the other night, and Seamus said–"

She groaned. "If he knows what's good for him, he'll have said absolutely nothing," she mumbled.

"He said you two have been seeing each other for the last few weeks." Ron planted himself directly in front of the Floo, making it clear that she wasn't getting out of talking about it if she wanted to make her Portkey. "Why am I only hearing about this now?"

"It's casual, Ron." She pulled her rolling suitcase toward her and stood tall, giving him that look of hers that usually made Ron shrivel and get out of her way.

He stood firm. It was no use. He was in his element, wanting to tease, and nothing was going to stop him. "Casual, hm? Coffee and drinks casual, or drinks and sheets casual?" She flicked her wand at him, barely missing his legs with a Tarantellegra Jinx. Ron's eyes went wide, and he guffawed at her, pointing at her face. "Drinks and sheets? No! Hermione! I'm so proud of you."

She grabbed a handful of Floo powder and threw it into the hearth, eager to be out of range of his teasing. "You and your sister are a cut below the rest, you know that?"

"She's proud of you, too?" He leaned an elbow on the mantel. "No need to be embarrassed about having a shag or two, 'Mione. It's good for you, now and again." He clapped his hands in anticipation. "I can't wait to tell Susan it's true."

"Do not tell Susan anything, Ronald Weasley."

"She really could do with a good laugh, though."

She decided that the conversation was over and walked into the green flames.

Friday, March 7, 2008 – 10:05 p.m. (United Kingdom)

When she entered the International Portkey office and saw the state of the waiting room, she'd never been more pleased to be on the Auror team. It appeared that Ginny wasn't the only Ministry wife tagging along, and it looked like the tiny waiting room may need an Undetectable Extension Charm to comfortably hold all the people trying to cram inside.

She dropped her baggage off with a Porter, then strode over to where Harry and Draco stood near the front of the queue. Scorpius was bouncing excitedly between them. She tapped the little boy on the shoulder. "Mind if I join you?"

He jumped at her and hugged her, enthusiastic as ever, then pulled away with a smirk that made him look just like his father. "James and Al have to wait with everyone else, but I get to go with you."

Draco gave him a stern yet amused look. "Don't gloat about that, or I might send you along with them after all."

"No way!" Scorpius started a staring contest with his father. Draco looked unimpressed but held the boy's gaze with a bored expression on his face. The contest didn't last long as Scorpius got distracted when a large luggage pile vanished from the room with the Porter, and Draco snorted as the child resumed his bouncing.

Harry handed Hermione a small embossed envelope. She glanced down at the logo and blanched.

"The ICW approved this? It's one of the most expensive resorts on the island."

"Please tell me you didn't research all the resorts on the island just so that you could swot about them to us." The disdain in Draco's voice made her smirk triumphantly in his direction. She opened her mouth to retort, but Harry beat her to it.

"Why would that surprise you, Malfoy? She can't resist her nature." Harry shrugged. "Anyway, it's got a direct view of Kaho'olawe, and it's the only one in the area that had enough room to house all of the Aurors." He adjusted his glasses on his nose. "Room keys and all the usual pamphlets are in your envelope, Hermione. I made sure you got a room with a nice view."

"Are there any rooms without a nice view?"

"Not really," he quipped.

"Well, thanks ever so much for all that hard work, then. How can I ever thank you for this exclusive perk?"

Draco raised an eyebrow in disdain. "I'll thank you both to keep your witty comebacks to a minimum. It's much too late for this."

Hermione turned to him and grinned mischievously. "We can hold off until we get to the island. It won't be too late, there."

Draco glared at her. "Thanks for the reminder."

"You're not looking forward to the ten-hour time difference, then?" She glanced around the room and waved at Cadwallader. The younger man was bouncing almost as energetically as Scorpius.

"As long as I get a nap before we debrief, it'll be fine." He nodded at his son. "I doubt this one will let that happen, though. He's been spouting nonsense about sea turtles for the past week, and I have a feeling he won't let any of us rest until he sees one."

Scorpius tugged at Hermione's sleeve until she bent down so he could whisper in her ear. "Daddy is joking about taking a nap, right?"

She giggled and ruffled his hair. "Probably not." She crouched next to the boy. "He's got a very big job to do when we get to the island, so it's probably a good idea for him to have a nap so he doesn't get grumpy. No one likes it when he's grumpy."

Scorpius nodded in agreement.

She smirked and glanced up at Draco, who scowled and turned away. "How about you and I go down to the beach and swim for a bit once we get there? Daddy can sleep, we can try to find some sea turtles–"

"Like Crush!"

The kids had been insisting on watching Finding Nemo during their Wednesday play dates at Harry and Ginny's over the last two weeks. Ginny had shut Hermione down immediately when she'd tried to explain to the children that the movie was set in Australia and not Hawai'i. She much preferred being called a swot to her newest title, "Hermione – Destroyer of Imagination".

"Yes, just like Crush," she said indulgently, pleased that this fact, at least, was true. Green turtles cold be found in both locales.

"And maybe we'll see Mr. Ray!"

"We'll see." She didn't much like the thought of running into a large ray with Scorpius in tow. She didn't think Scorp would much like it, either, when he realized the creature didn't actually sing.

One of the Porters appeared with a long length of bright orange yarn, which Hermione assumed was the Portkey. She stood back up and gazed around the room once more as everyone began moving toward the front of the room, confirming that everyone scheduled to work the case was present. Other than Henry O'Rourke, who was across the room checking on his wife and their young son, everyone was accounted for. She caught Seamus' steady gaze from across the room. The same steady gaze that had been trained on her figure as she'd let her dress fall off her body in his living room earlier that week. She felt heat pool in her stomach as she recalled that evening. She'd have to throttle him later for saying something to Ron. Even if he'd probably enjoy the throttling.

She tore her eyes away before he used the opportunity to make her blush.

Draco had Scorpius' backpack thrown over his shoulder and was holding his son's hand as the rest of the Aurors moved forward to the Portkey. His eyes flicked to Seamus before focusing on her. "Ready, Granger?"

She nodded and took Scorpius' other hand as they walked to the Portkey. "Sand and sunburns, here we come."

Friday, March 7, 2008 – 6:45 p.m. (Mau'i, Hawai'i)

The sunset was glorious, a burning orange glow rimmed with pink and lavender hues, with nearly phosphorescent wisps of white cloud streaking across the sky. Hermione had seen some beautiful sunsets during her days camping with Harry and Ron, but none had been like this. The ocean reflected the light, and the very land beneath her feet seemed to sing with it. The beach continued to radiate the sun's warmth back into her body, even as the air started to cool around her. Her hair flowed freely in the gentle ocean breeze.

Scorpius stood knee-deep in the waves, repeatedly bending forward to scoop his hands into the water and fling them into the air. The drops of water hovered in the air for longer than they should in a subtle but beautiful display of accidental magic, like hundreds of glittering gemstones caught in a spider's web. In the rain of seawater that followed, he giggled endlessly. He was so joyful, so carefree. Exactly the way a little boy should be. She wished Draco had come to the beach with them, that he could candidly watch his son's happiness in this moment. She thought it might do him some good.

10:18 p.m. (Molokini Crater)

The water sparkled like a Christmas bauble dipped in silver glitter, stretching all the way to the horizon, uninterrupted except for the dark monoliths of Mau'i and Hawai'i to her left, and Kaho'olawe to her right. It didn't feel like she was at work, on a covert mission to stop a global trafficking ring. It felt more like she was dreaming, imagining the exact opposite of the cold winds and bleak skies of London to conjure this dreamlike place with its warm temperature, gently rolling waves, and endless clear sky. It was no wonder that Polynesians were so gifted with navigation, and that Polynesian wizards were masters of Astronomy. This far from the light pollution of the continents, Hermione could see more stars than she'd thought existed. They felt closer to Earth, somehow, without a cityscape or mountains blocking them from view.

She hung over the side of the boat and gazed down into the clear waters the sleeping coral structures below. Somewhere down there, Christy Caldwell was meeting with the leaders of the Polynesian clan, called the Mo'o. The name roughly translated to "water spirits," and had been used to describe Merpeople in this region of the world for thousands of years. The rest of the mission would be much more effective with the assistance and blessings of the Mo'o. It was possible to proceed without them, but for Draco's sake, she hoped the Merpeople would choose to cooperate and assist with the investigation.

She glanced back at Draco, who was sitting on the other side of the small skiff with his elbows on his knees, staring down at his clasped hands instead of at the beautiful surroundings. With a smirk, she dipped her hand into the water and flicked some at him, startling him out of his reverie.

"Bloody hell, Granger," he growled, wiping the water off his face and throwing his sodden hair back from his eyes.

"I had to get your attention somehow."

"A 'pardon me' would have sufficed, you know."

"Yes, well, I there's a time to be boring and a time to have fun."

He shook his head and leaned over the edge of the boat, looking down into the waters below. "Now's not the time for fun, Granger. Caldwell could come back any second. I don't want them to find us flinging seawater at each other like children."

Hermione refused to let his sour mood get to her. "Alright, we'll save the water fight for later, then." He scoffed at her, but she ignored him. "Scorpius did accidental magic today."

He peeled his eyes away from the water and looked back at her. "He did? Where, at the beach? Did any Muggles see?"

She crossed her arms and leaned back against the edge of the boat. "Of course not, I'm not an idiot."

"No… no, you're far from that." He leaned forward on his seat, his surliness dropping away. "I can't believe I missed it… there's not many firsts left once they get to be his age. What happened?"

She hadn't realized it was Scorpius' first display of magic. "I'll show you the memory when we get back to the hotel. It was lovely, really. Much more graceful than my first accidental magic. He made something beautiful happen today, whereas I turned the hair on my cousin's troll doll from a pale lavender into a color like sick because she'd been picking on my haircut."

"Who on Earth would make a doll of a troll?" Draco asked, momentarily distracted. "Especially one with hair? That sounds hideous."

She sighed, glad to have pulled him out of his moodiness. "Muggle thing. I'll show you a memory of that, too. It's not what you're thinking, they're actually very cute."

"Trolls are not cute."

She started to describe the popular Muggle toy but was interrupted by the sound of multiple somethings breaking the surface of the water next to the boat. Both she and Draco looked to their right towards the sound.

A large group of Merpeople had surfaced. Unlike those living in the lochs of Scotland, Merpeople who called the ocean home spent a considerable amount of time above water, sunning themselves on beaches and rocks, and even occasionally lighting driftwood bonfires to cook seabirds. Objectively, Hermione knew this – but she hadn't expected them to look so different from those she'd met in the Scottish loch near Hogwarts. These men and women looked less wild and at once more human and ethereal. They were tanned and toned, and every face she saw was beautiful…unnaturally so. Even in the dark, she could see that their hair and scales were brilliant pastel and jewel tones that would glitter in the light of day. It was no wonder that MACUSA and the American Muggle government had agreed to create a protected area for them following the disastrous events of World War II.

Christy Caldwell broke the surface just in front of the Merpeople and swam toward the steps at the side of the boat with a huge grin on her face.

Draco reached out a hand and helped her climb into the boat. "I'm assuming this means it went well?" he asked quietly, his voice tense. "Did they agree to help?"

One of the men approached them. He had long dreadlocks, pale as Draco's own hair, which were tied back with a length of what looked like seaweed. His scales were a pale silver, barely discernible below the water due to the glittering moonlight. With a powerful flick of his tail, he rose out of the water to casually rest his arms on the side of the boat. "It's about time someone came to get those poachers off our lands," he stated. Hermione was surprised enough that he was speaking plain English, let alone that his accent was distinctly Kiwi. "We can keep them off the beaches well enough, but anywhere past the tide line and we're a bit out of our depth, if you get my drift." He caught Hermione looking at him in awe and winked at her playfully.

Draco looked shocked and was completely speechless as he glanced back at Hermione. Christy laughed and squeezed the water out of her hair over the side of the boat. "This is Zidane Wilson – he's the clan's liaison with ICW. Zidane, this is the mission leader I spoke of, Draco Malfoy, and this is his second-in-command, Hermione Granger."

"Pleasure to meet you both." He reached out a hand to Draco, who shook it despite still looking bewildered. His handshake was firm. Hermione briefly wondered where he'd learned this particular human custom. Was it something he'd learned as part of his work as a liaison with ICW? And since when did Merpeople have surnames?

Zidane nodded toward the group of men and women behind him. "We'll meet with your team tomorrow to coordinate efforts. In the meantime, I've brought a few volunteers who are able to take watch tonight. The poachers are hardly ever active during the full moon, so it should be clear, but just in case..." The merman gestured across the waters at the island. "Anywhere you'd like them to watch, in particular? Or just a perimeter of the island?"

Draco bit his lip and glanced up at the dark expanse of Kaho'olawe. "We've got some satellite pictures from the Muggle government that shows they tend to stick to the southeastern point of the island, near Kamōhio Bay. Perhaps a loose perimeter and a few individuals in the bay to spot any craft coming through?"

About half of the group of Merpeople immediately sank below the water and darted away, cutting through the water in brilliant flashes of color. Zidane nodded to Hermione and pushed himself off the boat, returning to the remaining Merpeople and explaining the plan to them in Mermish. Before long, the rest of the Merpeople had vanished as quietly as they'd come.

Zidane approached them once again, this time staying low in the water. "I've given Christy the coordinates for a Portkey. We can meet around 5 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. It'll give your team a chance to adjust to the time difference, and all the whale-watching boats will be off the water by then. Less chance of the Muggles spotting anyone on the beaches from far away."

"Does that happen often?" Hermione asked, intrigued.

Zidane shrugged. "Often enough. The Obliviators and Legilimens at the ports do a good job catching anyone who gets a glimpse of us. Still, better safe than seen, right? Especially with you lot here. I imagine MACUSA didn't inform the Governor that you were coming. We'd do best not to tip them off." Without waiting for an answer, he raised an arm to bid them farewell before sinking under the waves and darting away.

Draco stared after him before turning back to Christy. "How in the bloody hell did he know that?"

She sat next to Hermione and reached for the towel she'd left in her bag. "We got lucky with him. He knows quite a bit more than we do, I'm afraid, at least about the situation out here."

Draco moved to the back of the boat and tapped his wand twice on the stern. They began to move slowly through the water, the boat automatically turning to avoid the shallowest coral formations. Hermione turned to Christy. "What happened down there?"

Christy gazed up at the stars as they reached the edge of the crater and began to speed up. "I spoke to the Chieftain for a short time. He was pleased that we came for permission before setting up a perimeter on the island. Seems happy to help, too – the traffickers have been causing problems for the Mo'o who live here for at least two years. Some of the protected inlets the Mo'o use as nurseries for the young ones have been netted off. It looks like the traffickers are using them as holding pens for any aquatic creatures they bring through. I honestly don't want to think about a kelpie getting loose over here, can you imagine all the fuss that would cause with the Muggle tourists?" Christy grimaced. "The hunters have been using blow darts and the like on the smugglers to keep them off the beaches, but that's the best they've been able to do. They stopped trying to get the inlets back when the smugglers started destroying coral shelves."

Draco was pacing the length of the boat. "And I'm assuming the Chieftain sent emissaries to the authorities for help, and received none?"

Christy nodded. "The Hawai'ian Governor at the local MACUSA headquarters did nothing. At first they assumed it was just MACUSA being MACUSA – you know how they are about magical creatures – but then they realized that every time the smugglers are on the island, one of them makes a trip over to Lahaina."

Hermione shook her head. "Does that trip usually involve delivering sacks of Galleons?"

Christy nodded. "Right in one."

Saturday, March 8, 2008 – 6:00 p.m. (Honokaiai'a Bay, Kaho'olawe)

Hermione couldn't help gaping at her surroundings. The Mo'o littered the lower portion of the beach. More were draped along the rocks at either side of the bay, and still more were lounging in the shallows. They looked like part-human versions of tropical fish, ostentatious and absolutely unforgettable. In the brilliant late-afternoon sun, their scales sparkled.

She hadn't expected this when Zidane had asked the team to meet at the coordinates he'd given to Christy. She'd expected a short meeting to introduce the Auror team to the Merpeople who would be assisting on the case. It had certainly started that way, but then Zidane had mentioned that the Chieftain wanted to give the Auror team a proper welcome. This apparently included a celebratory dinner, complete with kālua pork roasting in traditional Polynesian imus just past the tide line, tended by Merpeople who slithered up and down the damp sand like snakes. There was also a shellfish and sashimi banquet that some tribe members were preparing near the waterline, and plenty of coconuts filled with rum. Hermione was sitting at the waterline with Harry and Zidane, shaking hands with or accepting shell necklaces from multiple curious tribe member who had shown up to get a glimpse of the human visitors.

Harry leaned over to her during a lull in the line of visitors. "What the hell kind of mission is this?" he whispered.

Hermione took a sip from her coconut and shrugged. "I've been thinking the same thing."

He pulled away and took a sip from his own coconut. "Oh well – it's probably just the eye of the storm, anyway."

Zidane, who had been observing the proceedings quietly while braiding lengths of seaweed to dry and use as rope, glanced up at Harry. "It'll be a storm, alright, if it's anything like it was when they came through in December. We very nearly had a late season hurricane when they were here – we're lucky some of the north side reefs weren't destroyed."

Harry nodded, leaning back on his hands to enjoy the sunlight. "We caught up with them in Ireland in January. They were trafficking multiple Thunderbirds."

Zidane whistled appreciatively. "No wonder, then. I've not seen one of them since I visited the Outback with my family as a kid, and that one caused a flash flood." He shook his head, and Hermione admired the tiny colorful beads that were woven into his blonde dreadlocks. "All of that red dirt flowing in a sudden rainfall like that… it was like a river of blood coming at us. I'll never forget it. Mum was screaming so much you'd have thought she was a banshee."

Harry paused, looking confused. "The Outback? But you're-"

Zidane abandoned his seaweed, leaning back on his elbows and raising his flukes out of the water. "These are a relatively new development, mate. Believe me, I'd much rather be running alongside all of you when you catch these bastards."

Hermione had a burst of understanding. No wonder he'd seemed so comfortable shaking Draco's hand, so familiar with human customs. "They changed you. Just like the stories."

He nodded. "Not just like them, but – same idea. I didn't have much of a choice, really. I'd have died otherwise."

Harry looked dumbfounded. "I am not following."

"Oceanic Merpeople are much different than the loch clans in Europe, Harry – they're more human in appearance, and in their mannerisms and customs, too," Hermione explained.

Harry cut her off and leaned conspiratorially over to the Merman. "This one knows pretty much everything. It's bloody annoying, really."

Zidane laughed, a contagious, a clear tenor. "We're more human with good reason. Many of us were human once." He gestured around. "A lot of the people you see here are children of men the tribe saved after the attacks on Pearl Harbor. Some of us nearly died in shipwrecks – her, for example." He pointed at a small, dark-haired young woman who was watching some children out in the waves. "She was trying to sail around the world on her own and got caught in a storm. She almost didn't make it through. Most are like me – young, stupid, and lucky someone was around when death came calling."

"What happened?" Hermione asked, her voice hushed.

"Surfing accident. I was out here to research humpback and cetea whale migrations - trying to determine how often they interact, population numbers for each species, if they are mating, if magical qualities pass on to the next generation if there's inter-species procreation, that kind of thing." He reached for a piece of seaweed and started picking at it, tearing it to shreds. She'd seen Ron do the same with bits of paper back in school to keep his hands busy when talking about uncomfortable subjects. "One of the locals who worked with us knew about the Mo'o, so sometimes they'd join us to catch a wave or two. There's a big wave spot called Jaws on the north side of Mau'i, so one evening when it was popping and we knew none of the Muggles would be out, we went for it.

"I was lucky the Mo'o were there. I went down hard, hit some coral and broke my back. My right leg had a wound down to the bone, right through an artery, I think. Couldn't feel my legs at all, but the upper half was still working well enough. If it weren't for the bleeding, I could have made it to the beach and waited for someone to Portkey healers in from Oahu. Anyway, I didn't have time." He pointed out into the bay. "See her, with the pearly white hair? That's Enea. She gave me the choice, live or die. I knew I'd never see land again, but I figured I spent most of my time in the water anyway, with my research. So – that was that."

Hermione reached over and grasped Zidane's shoulder. "I'm sorry you had to make that choice. But I'm glad you're still here."

He nodded. "Thanks for that. I appreciate it. It's really not terrible, but there's things I miss." He sighed heavily. "Iced coffee, for one. I'd give my right leg for some iced coffee." He winked at Hermione, and she giggled. Perhaps she should slow down on the rum. "I'm still doing research on the whales, and they've got me lined up for a survey on Hawai'ian monk seals next. I get to serve as a representative for the ICW, so that's been a really interesting opportunity I'd never have otherwise. My friends try and bring me treats from the island every now and again, mail letters to my parents for me. I've not gone back to New Zealand yet, but my parents moved to a house on the beach, so I'll be able to stay near there when I go back to visit. In the meantime, my family came out here last year - they rented a houseboat for two weeks so that we could spend time together. It's all worked out fine. I'm just grateful to be alive, really."

They sat in silence for a moment, watching as the sun continued its slow migration toward the horizon.

"So how does that work? The changing?" Harry set down his coconut and folded his hands over his knees.

Zidane flipped his fins to splash a nearby sand crab, and they watched it scurry away. "There's a method… it's old magic. Being who you are, you're already familiar with the concept, and you're not going to like it." He looked apprehensive now.

"Is it a secret?" Hermione asked.

"Sort of."

"Is it illegal?" Harry asked, grinning mischievously.

Zidane cocked an eyebrow. "Sometimes."

Hermione jumped in, trying to rescue Zidane from Harry's curiosity. "Well, then you don't have to tell us."

Zidane waved her off. "Just promise you won't arrest anyone here, Harry Potter."

"The only people I'll arrest here are the smugglers, if given the opportunity," Harry stated. "Otherwise, my interests lie in good conversation and coconut rum."

Zidane laughed, and his apprehension faded slightly. "You aren't going to like it," he warned again. "The person doing the saving gives the other party a piece of themselves. A bit of soul, if you will, for safekeeping." Hermione and Harry glanced up sharply, and Zidane groaned. "Told you."

"It sounds like very familiar dark magic," Hermione whispered, glancing worriedly at Harry.

Zidane shrugged. "There's no doubt that it can be used for dark reasons." He gave Hermione a boyish grin. "How do you feel about a little history lesson?"

"Oi Hermione, he speaks your love language," Harry quipped.

She kicked sand at him, then nodded to the Merman.

"It's got a dark application, but it didn't start out that way. Dark wizards first learned it from the Greek sirens during the time of Odysseus. It's called "ōru'xí" among the Merfolk. Means "gift of life". The Greek sirens used it to transform sailors they wanted for their own, which is the darkest it ever got among the Merfolk. Then they taught it to humans, and the humans experimented with planting the given piece of soul into solid objects, usually metal or something that doesn't easily degrade, instead of a living being." Hermione blanched, and Harry reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. He was much calmer than she'd have anticipated in the face of this news.

Zidane's sounded disgusted now. "The way it was used against you was a crime against man, against nature. Among the Merfolk, using this magic for one's own benefit is punishable by death. It can only be used with pure intent, to save someone. And that's how they saved me."

There was a long silence. Hermione wished she'd known more about this magic all those years ago, wished she'd understood how this magic which had changed all their lives came to be.

"So, you'll die?" Harry asked, his brow furrowed and concerned. He motioned out at the girl who had saved Zidane. "Whenever she dies, as the container for her soul, you will perish, too?"

He shook his head. "No. It's the intent that makes the difference. The gift of life transforms and heals the body and tethers the recipient to life in their time of need. It is not about protecting the giver, but about the recipient. The piece of soul given melds with their own soul over time. I am my own being, and the woman who saved me is her own. We are connected, certainly. But now that I've healed, my life no longer depends on her's. It's a different magic than the bastardized version that nearly destroyed Britain, that nearly killed you. It's the light to the dark you knew."

Harry glanced back at the beach where Aurors were beginning to line up for food. Hermione wasn't sure what he was looking for, but when he turned back to Zidane, his face looked grave.

"Do me a favor and don't tell Draco Malfoy any of this." Zidane looked confused, worried, and he turned to follow Harry's gaze up the beach. Draco was standing near one of the ground ovens, laughing as one of the Mermen showed him how to remove the coals and banana leaves from the pit.

"If anyone was going to be upset over this, I'd have thought it would be you," Zidane muttered, looking surprised.

"I'm far from upset. It's good to know that the magic was meant for good. Draco, though… He recently lost his wife to a blood curse," Harry explained. "If he finds out there was something we didn't try that could have saved her, something we just didn't know about, he'll be devastated. He's a right foul git most of the time, but… he's had enough pain."

She distantly heard Zidane promising to be discreet. Despite the heat, Hermione's blood suddenly felt like ice.

Thursday, March 13, 2008 – 2:08 p.m. (Lahaina, Mau'i)

Draco looked like an absolute ponce in a Hawai'ian shirt and shorts, Hermione thought. It wasn't just that he carried himself so haughtily and thus looked distinctly uncomfortable in such relaxed attire. No, it was also his skin – already considered pale back home in London, where it was normal to have a fair complexion. Here, he stood out. Unlike Draco, she looked right at home. She'd inherited her mother's Mediterranean skin, and after only a few days in the constant sun, she'd already tanned to a healthy shade of bronze. With a wide-brimmed hat, a flowing, sarong-style sundress, and her trusty old beaded bag, she looked every bit the Muggle tourist.

"Draco, you really should have sent Harry along with me, instead," she muttered as she snapped another picture of the Banyan tree at the center of Lahaina's tourist area. She needed to maintain their cover as a pair of honeymooning Muggle tourists. The man they were tailing sat across the square on a park bench identical to the one they'd occupied for the last forty minutes. He was a middle-aged man with a round belly that hung over the waist of his pants. His hair had receded, but what was left was a light brown color. He'd hidden his face behind a Hawai'ian islands tourism guidebook, but every five minutes or so, he'd drop the book and look impatiently at the marina across the street.

"If I ignore you long enough, will you stop nagging at me?" he asked irritably. Hermione watched him fiddle with the flip-portion of the Muggle mobile phone she'd purchased for him at a local shop earlier in the week. That was the thing about staking out Wizarding criminals… if you visibly used Muggle technology in any fashion, more often than not, they simply ignored you. With her professional-style camera, which would be great for catching still-image proof of the government official's illicit activities, and Draco's cell phone and the prop video camera she'd given him swinging around his neck, they would be completely forgettable – if not for Draco's pale skin and awkward body language.

"He'd have looked more natural out here, that's all," she continued. A warm wind blew through the area, and she leaned her head back to enjoy gentle sunlight on her face.

Draco suddenly leaned in close, his arm draped over her shoulders and his lips close to her ear – the image of a man whispering sweet nothings into his new wife's ear. "Potter is recognizable anywhere. I just look like a European asking for a sunburn." He smirked at her. "Anyway, you think I'm going to give up my rare opportunity to do undercover work? No chance."

She giggled and trailed her fingers over his cheeks. They'd played newlyweds on stakeouts before, and the territory was familiar enough. Still, this closeness felt strange now, with Astoria's request in the back of her mind. She tried to ignore it. "Please tell me you wore sunblock," she teased him. "I don't want to have to look at you for the rest of the week, pink as a pig's rump, and say I told you so."

He playfully squeezed the top of her leg, looking equal parts amused and irritated. "Yes, Granger, I wore the cursed sunblock. Anything to avoid your nagging." He scoffed. "Not like it worked." His phone rang, and in a move that looked shockingly natural, he pulled it from his pocket and flipped it open. Hermione suspected he'd been practicing. "Malfoy, here."

He was still sitting closer to her than he normally would, and she could see a faint shadow beneath his eyes. He'd been working around the clock since they'd arrived, and the lack of sleep was beginning to show.

"It's about bloody time. Nice catch, Finnegan." He tensed against her, eyes flashing. She watched as his eyes flicked to the man who was still sitting on the opposite side of the square, then toward the marina across the street. "How long until they dock?" A pause. "I'd estimate 60 meters or so." He listened again, then pulled back, casually looking around. "Too many Muggles about, and not enough dark corners, I'm afraid. Granger and I will manage. There's someone in the marina?" He nodded to himself, decisively. "Talk soon."

He put the phone back into his pocket, then immediately stood up and grinned playfully at her, tugging on her hand to pull her to her feet. "Come along, Granger. It's nearly showtime." He draped his arm over her shoulder and led her leisurely around the banyan tree toward the boat dock.

"What's the plan?" she whispered, resisting the urge to look back at the man they'd been tailing all morning.

"We'll get visuals of the handoff from that jewelry shop on the corner. I'll follow the smuggler and see if he does any additional business while he's on land. You tail our man as long as possible. Bad luck if he Disapparates… hopefully he'll stick around and give us some new leads."

She nodded, then pulled out of his close hold, threading her arm through his as they crossed the street. "I take it they've finally arrived on the island, then?"

"Yes. One of the Merpeople alerted Seamus about the boat leaving the island, and shortly thereafter the rest of the group Ported in." He paused in front of the door to the jewelry shop, gripping her elbow. "Listen. Don't be a hero while you tail him. If anything gets questionable, just leave it."

She raised her eyebrows at him. "What makes you think anything will get questionable?"

"Nothing, really, I'd just rather you be cautious. Scorpius would be miserable if you had to go back to hospital because you were being reckless."

She smirked. "Oh, Scorpius, hm? I see." He rolled his eyes at her and ignored her mockery, pulling open the door without waiting for her to promise she'd play it safe. They stepped into the jewelry shop, which appeared to specialize in pieces made from local pearls. Hermione glanced toward the front window, which had an excellent view of the entry to the marina and the banyan tree, and took up a position behind a case full of ankle bracelets.

She tried not to listen as Draco conversed with the shopkeeper at the counter, but she still heard him ask if she might have a full strand of pink pearls in the storeroom before he Confunded her. She always hated this part – it reminded her too much of that last moment with her parents. The last moment they'd still been her parents. They'd never talked about it, but from the minute he'd found out what happened to her parents, he'd automatically performed any confusion or memory charms that were necessary in the field.

He returned to her side a moment later, waving his wand at the door to cast a weak Muggle-repelling charm. Now that they were certain they wouldn't be interrupted by any Muggle patrons entering the shop, she allowed herself to admire a delicate ankle bracelet made of amber colored pearls and tiny rose-gold beads shaped like sea turtles. It reminded her of watching the sunset with Scorpius and snorkeling with the children.

With a soft smile, she pulled her gaze away and back to the magical government official they'd been following throughout the day. He still waited on the same bench across the street in the banyan pavilion, bouncing his knee impatiently. Hermione absentmindedly flicked her wand at her beaded bag, summoning a tank top, a pair of yoga pants, and running shoes. She gathered her mass of curls into a messy jogger's bun, then stuffed her camera and wide-brimmed hat into the bag. She briefly felt around in the bag before pulling out a second set of clothes and handing them to Draco.

"Put your things in here," she told Draco, holding the beaded bag out to him. He held it up and looked at it with amusement. "And turn around." She discarded her sandals as she waited for him to comply, then pulled the yoga pants on under her dress. Ducking down behind the jewelry counters, she quickly shoved her feet into the running shoes and pulled the tank top over her head, Finally, she untied the halter tie of her sundress to allow the fabric to drop to the floor, and stood back up.

When she turned back around, he'd already exchanged his Hawai'ian shirt for a light blue polo. It looked much better against his khaki shorts and light complexion. He tossed her bag back at her. "You know, it's amazing just how much worse this humidity makes your hair. I didn't think that was possible." Draco pointed at her bun. "It's trying to escape already."

"Yes, yes, I look like Medusa, wonderful. Keep your eyes on the prize, Malfoy." It was nice to hear him laugh, she thought, placing the bag on the counter in front of her. She tucked her sandals and dress inside, then checked that her wand was still in its holster just inside her bag. She didn't like that the wand wasn't easily accessible on her body, but it was much harder to hide in a tropical locale than it was back home in London.

Shortly thereafter, Draco leaned forward. A dark-haired man dressed in a plain white tank top, black Muggle board shorts, and carrying a Muggle backpack had entered the area and sat on the other end of the park bench. He looked so much like a typical Muggle tourist that if it weren't for the coincidental timing, Hermione wouldn't have suspected him. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lifted one to his lips. A moment later, he pulled it away from his lips and exhaled a cloud of smoke. She hadn't seen him use a lighter. "There's our guy," Draco murmured. "Stan's Self-Lighting Cigarettes and all." She'd tried Stan Shunpike's product on occasion, but something about them didn't taste quite right, and they didn't provide the same depth of satisfaction as the Muggle version.

The two men didn't talk. They didn't even look at one another. Rather, the smuggler sat for the length of one cigarette, then stood and walked away without his backpack. The government official didn't try to stop him.

Draco nudged her shoulder with his own, hands in his pockets. "Remember - no heroics, Granger." With a smirk, he flicked his wand to remove the Muggle-repelling charm, then sauntered out of the jewelry shop. He followed at a discreet distance as the smuggler crossed the street and returned to the marina, and they were out of sight within moments.

Hermione slung her bag across her body and watched casually as the middle-aged man gathered his suit coat and the backpack. He opened the backpack briefly, then placed his coat and the island guidebook he'd been reading inside. She noted that the bag didn't look any fuller as he slung it over his shoulder, despite the voluminous suit coat he'd stuffed inside, and wondered just how deep the Undetectable Extension Charm was. How much money were the smugglers paying the local magical government to look the other way?

Thursday, March 13, 2008 – 6:12 p.m. (Molokini Crater)

One day, Hermione thought, nothing about the Wizarding world would shock her. That day hadn't come yet.

She was sitting on the rear deck of the houseboat they'd rented, which was acting as a temporary HQ. With the Merpeople assisting on the investigation, they'd recognized the need to move HQ from a boardroom to a water-friendly locale. It helped that the boat could double as a 'round the clock station from which the Aurors could monitor activity on Kaho'olawe. Still – it wasn't every day that you got to see your international colleagues reviewing maps and making motive boards while walking around in swim trunks.

She glanced over at Zidane, who was staying out of sight below the rails and resting on a beach towel on the deck. He sipped reverently on the massive iced coffee Hermione had brought him from a Starbucks in downtown Lahaina, and occasionally curled his flukes in, looking pleased as punch. She supposed it wasn't every day that you got to hang out with a Merman in the middle of the most popular snorkeling spot in the Hawai'ian islands, either.

"Are you nearly done having an affair with that coffee?" she asked, her tone warm with teasing.

He shook his head no. "I'm savoring it. Who knows when I'll get another one?"

She laughed. "Tomorrow morning, if you'd like." The sound of people Apparating nearby pulled her attention away, and she heard a commotion inside the living room area of the boat. With a glance back at Zidane, who looked completely unperturbed, she pulled herself out of the lounge chair she'd claimed and made her way inside.

Draco and Seamus had arrived, accompanied by none other than Rolfe Scamander. Members of the Auror team from the UK were busy clapping him on the back and offering drams of whiskey. Draco gave her a quick once-over, making sure she was in one piece after her solo surveillance job, then nodded and moved to chat with the team leads from Canada, Japan, and the federal branch of MACUSA. Seamus caught her eye and held it, winking as he approached her. She flushed.

"How was surveillance?" He leaned in closer than was strictly professional and glanced around, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear while no one was looking.

"Eventful. I'm sure we'll all be talking about it soon enough."

He leaned against the door jamb, looking out at Zidane with a confused furrow in his brow. "It's not every day you see that, is it? This mission is bizarre."

"I thought it was just me, thinking that."

He shook his head. "No. Muggleborn or magic born, the last few days have been odd at best." Seamus cocked an eyebrow at her, letting his eyes trail up and down her body. "What are your plans tonight?" he asked eagerly. "I've hardly seen you since we got here."

Their conversation was interrupted as Draco called for the team leads to gather outside for a debrief on the day's activities. She walked back to her lounge chair near Zidane, and she patted the end of the chair to invite Seamus to sit with her. He smiled but shook his head, instead pulling up a normal desk chair to sit alongside her.

The other team leads gathered around in a circle near Zidane, who set the last of his coffee aside with a wistful glance. Draco pulled up a chair on Hermione's other side for Rolfe. Rolfe took it and reached over to shake Hermione's hand. "It's been awhile, Hermione. I heard about your shoulder. Glad to see you're feeling better. And Seamus… congrats on team lead. Well-deserved, mate."

Seamus reached out to shake Rolfe's hand in greeting, as well. "How are you holding up out there?"

Rolfe's expression grew dark. "I'm glad we're nearly done. The things they've done to those animals, and the things they've done to people to acquire them… they deserve the cages that are waiting for them."

Draco stood in the center of the circle and waved his wand at the deck. A map of Kaho'olawe appeared in the center of their circle. "Evening everyone. Up until now, I know this has felt more like a vacation than a case." Everyone around the circle nodded in agreement. "A lot has happened today, so without further ado – for those of you who haven't had the pleasure, this is Rolfe Scamander. He's been undercover on this case for just over eight months. We owe all of the progress we've made thus far to him."

Hermione clapped along with the others, and Rolfe ducked his head shyly in the face of all the attention.

"Rolfe arrived with a small contingent of smugglers today. Finnegan's team did some great surveillance work today. Their positions have been marked, and with Rolfe's help, we should be able to map out where the rest of the group and the animals will be positioned upon their arrival to the island." Draco paused next to Zidane next. "Wilson's team noted that two of the smugglers visited the bay that they commandeered from the Merfolk and reinforced the nets that were placed on previous visits. Rolfe – any commentary on what we can expect to be held in the bay?"

Rolfe bounced his knee nervously. "Two young sea dragons from the coast of Japan, and they're going to try and capture two or three cetea calves while they're here for a magical menagerie in China. They insist they've got the space and can control them, but…"

Zidane leaned forward. His good mood was gone, and he looked furious. "That's a fool's errand if I've ever heard one. Don't they know that you don't fuck with those whales? There's a reason all the old sailors and whalers used to tell stories about unexpected hurricanes, and about creatures ripping their ships apart." He tapped his flukes against the deck in agitation. "If they seriously think they can try to capture infants from nursing mothers, they've got a big, destructive surprise waiting for them."

"Zidane's a magizoologist specializing in cetacean studies," Hermione whispered to Rolfe. "I'll explain more later."

Draco frowned. "Yeah, that's a big problem. Rolfe and Wilson, we'll coordinate after the meeting. Wilson, I think it's safe to say that your people will need to take point on that one."

"Right'o. We'll handle it."

Draco continued to walk around the circle. "Well – at least that answers some of what we learned today. Finnegan's surveillance team was able to warn Hermione and myself that the smugglers had arrived, and that a boat was on its way to Lahaina. We were able to observe a handoff from the smuggler to a government official that we've been tailing for the past few days. After the handoff, I followed the smuggler. He made two additional stops on Mau'i at private docks, one on the outskirts of Lahaina, and the other near Black Rocks. I was able to follow him to Lanai, but he Disapparated after he'd docked the boat." He gestured toward Hermione. "What'd you find, Granger?"

"The government official made three stops in Lahaina. First, he met a woman at a park near a historical landmark. He was there for about half an hour. I got close enough to hear some of the conversation. He's an assistant to the Secretary of the Hawai'ian Magical Treasury." A chorus of whistles and murmurs erupted around the circle. She glanced over at the representative from MACUSA, who looked both livid and unsurprised. She returned her gaze to Draco, who was smirking proudly at her. "He made another stop at the Pacific Whale Foundation nearby and spoke with another woman there. I got visual confirmation of him giving sacks of Galleons to both women, but I wasn't able to figure out where the woman from the park was from. After that, I followed him to the old prison museum… it's got a guard-station and a wall, so I didn't follow him inside. He never emerged, so I'm assuming he Disapparated."

The representative from MACUSA nodded. "The Hawai'ian magical government has office space in that museum. We should place someone there to monitor comings and goings, and continue to monitor what we can at the Capitol building in Oahu."

Hermione nodded. "I agree. That would be best."

Draco finally conjured a deck chair and sat, joining the circle. "Looks like playtime is over, everyone. Let's figure out our next moves."

Sorry for the long hiatus, all. Thank you so much for your reviews! It's really nice to know there are people reading. (Please note - all of my work for the Harry Potter fandom is cross-posted at my other account on AO3, penname tofadeawayagain.)

Hope you enjoyed the latest installment. This one was already at 17 pages long with lots more of the Hawai'i case to finish, so I decided to split it. My goal is to have the next chapter up within the next week as it's already partially complete. Look forward to some quality time with Seamus and Ginny/the kids, high stakes on the case, and some uncomfortable conversations with Draco!