The Gloriana Set

Crimes and Punishments

Hi all: Thank you for all the great comments! I'm thrilled you're all still with me. 

Here's a reward ...

It's a nice big chapter that sets all kinds of things up. We're over 230,000 words, so of course it's time to set up some new stuff. :) I myself squealed a few times while writing this chapter, especially at the end. It only lacks the Squeaky Mice.

Love, 

Thebe

"Please, Hermione," Harry begged.

"I fail to see how a visit from me would do any good," Hermione said primly. "I wouldn't like to waste the good Healers' time."

"I'm not giving up on this," Harry said.

Hermione and Ginny both looked at him with irritation. They had withdrawn to their bedroom Saturday afternoon to relax with butterbeers and chocolate, not to listen to Harry's wheedling. The assistant auror had followed them from the common room, levitating above the stairs to the girl's dorms. Now he was planted on their sofa and refused to leave.

"I don't know why you need to interrogate Celeste Rosier anyway," Ginny said, stretching on her bed like a cat. Her red skirt rode up on her thighs. "Surely you've gathered enough Death Eater dirt from Macnair." Hermione had filled her roommate in on the events at the Hunting Shack and afterward. Honestly, she should have just made copies of her auror statement and passed them out in the Entrance Hall.

"Kingsley just wants credit for the capture," Hermione grumbled from her spot on the sofa beside Harry. She was already halfway through her butterbeer—it had been a long week. "Nobody believes that Pygmy Puff is really Celeste, do they, Harry? Harry?"

Ginny was pulling her hair out of its ponytail and letting it ripple down over her shoulders, over her white top. Her red bra was clearly visible under the knitted fabric. Harry swallowed. He was technically off duty, wearing jeans and a Weasley jumper, but he hadn't touched his butterbeer and wore an auror badge on his belt.

"Harry," Hermione repeated. "Harry!" He looked over at her, startled. "I said, the aurors want credit for Celeste, right?"

"It's important that people know she's been apprehended," Harry said earnestly. "But nobody will believe it the way she is now. Hermione, you have to change her back."

She shrugged. "Can't. Sorry. You'll have to find another way to interrogate her."

"We've been trying," Harry said. "Kingsley even drew a grid of letters on the floor, hoping Celeste would, uh, roll from letter to letter to spell things out. But she won't."

Ginny snickered. "Some powerful Aurors Office, can't even intimidate a Pygmy Puff." She sat up and crossed her legs.

Harry rose to his feet, looking severe. "Alright, I've had about enough of this." He stalked over to Ginny's bed. "You want my attention, Ginevra? Well, you have my attention. You have my full, complete and undivided attention. Is there anything I can possibly do for you?"

Ginny looked up at him with a smile. "There are many things you could do for me."

Harry flushed. "What, you've learned some new tricks from Zabini? Eager to try them on someone else?"

"Harry!" Hermione cried.

"Stay out of it, Mi," Harry said, not taking his eyes off Ginny. "She knows exactly what she's doing. She wants me to play some Slytherin game. Well, I'm not a Slytherin, Ginny, and I don't play games with women."