Best Friends with Benefits

Chapter Nine - Pandora's Box

They first had to inform McGonagall as there were still students in the castle and both Harry and Hermione had to take the permission and exclusion since they still had duties like the patrols and the walks around the grounds and in the forest to keep students in order. After they gathered some of their stuff and took Luna's magical bag, in silence, they moved to the Headmistress' office and gave the password to go up the stairs.

'Come in,' her voice was heard and both Harry and Hermione entered the room, smiling slightly at the old woman. 'Harry, Hermione,' the professor acknowledged two of her best students with their names informally.

'Professor,' Harry said with respect and Hermione gave a nod. The older woman gestured for them to sit down and they did so, their eyes glancing at the seemingly asleep forms of the previous Headmasters. Dumbledore only opened his eyes for a few seconds and grinned at the young people.

'How can I help you?' McGonagall asked and both Harry and Hermione looked back at her.

'We'd like to take permission so we can leave the castle for about a week, we'll be back on the second of January, we hope you can arrange something with this short notice about the patrols and the rest of our duties.' Hermione finally said and Minerva gave a nod and spoke.

'You're allowed to go.' She said softly and the two young people exhaled in both relief and worry, so they were going to solve it all, trapped in a tent with no more excuses...

'I hope you two can solve your issues... and enjoy your vacations away from Hogwarts,' Minerva said and both Harry and Hermione widened their eyes at the first part of her words, being accompanied by a small chuckle from one of the portraits...

'Thank you professor,' Harry finally said as Hermione stood up first, said her goodbye and left the office first. McGonagall looked at him with stern eyes the moment Hermione was out of the office and in the stairs leading down.

'Take care of her... she's not only my best student and employee, I consider her something very close to a daughter... I know about Yaxley, the ministry informed me, and I can guess some other things...' McGonagall said and Harry even shocked for this slight opening of his professor in personal matters, he nodded his head and sighed. He had to take care of her, he had to protect her and not hurt her... a lot of things to handle as it seemed.

The apparition sound echoed through the forest of Dean as the two showed up there, they were still mostly silent and uncomfortable yet either of them had dared to chicken out of this, they needed to talk.

Hermione looked at the river by the place they had apparated, it was almost the exact same post she had apparated them years ago... in the middle of the war, again it was snowy, cold yet utterly welcoming and utopian. She was ready to set the tent but noticed Harry raising his arms with his wand in hand and started casting the powerful spells they had used in the hunt and a few more he knew from Auror training, she frowned at him.

'Is this about your fears about Yaxley?' she asked as she looked at the bubbles of magic engulfing the place they would set the tent and the feet around it. They were in the middle of nowhere and as far as she knew Yaxley could even be injured.

'I don't want to take any chances,' Harry said simply with his back at her and he knew her frown was increasing but right that moment, while he tried his best to protect her, he needed to focus so the spells could be strong, seeing her eyes and frown wouldn't help in his already tired and vulnerable state.

'Fine...' he heard her sighing under her breath as she started setting the tent up, after a few moments, he heard the fabric of it being moved, signaling Hermione's entrance. 'Oh honestly,' she was heard again and Harry decided to join her after he was done with most of the spells. He got in the tent and for the first time felt like chuckling at the image before him.