The Art of War

“It is easy to love your friend, but sometimes the hardest lesson to learn is to love your enemy”
Sun Tzu, The Art of War

The emerald dress had been burned, salve had been put on the bite and bruises, and she transferred to another safe house. The charm on Crookshank's collar meant she could find him nearly anywhere. And now that Luna had been found, she wanted to bounce ideas off the eccentric witch.

Her bag over her shoulder and the few possessions she traveled with on her, she ushered Crookshanks into the new safe house and glanced at one of the newer recruits.

"Lovegood. Where is she?"

The younger wizard stammered before gesturing to the stairs. "End of the hall, Morrigan."

That name was still so odd to hear. Scooping up her fat orange cat, at least one of them still ate well, she carried him up the stairs to the blonde's room.

Knocking with her boot, both women beamed when they saw each other before she was ushered in. She'd been given the authority to share what she was researching with Luna now that she was back and cleared for duty. There had been the fear she was being controlled. But she was fine. In the clear, as it were.

"Researching muggle mound making is just... mind-numbing. I know it has something to do with Stonehenge and something to do with what He wants, but I'm at a loss," she grumbled, sitting on the floor with books spread out as her orange cat took over Luna's bed. Again.

"You look like your head is full of gnargles," she said, voice still airy but less filled with wonder than it has been in school. This war was taking a toll.

She was thinner too. The entire insurgency was malnourished and took what they could get. It wasn't the best way to live, but at least they were actually living.

Petting Crookshanks, Luna paused a moment. "Didn't muggles use to think Stonehenge had something to do with protection or sex?"

Protection or sex. Why did sex have to consider how she got her most recent bruises? She grimaced and flipped a few pages. "Well, we know they weren't bloody right about bloody protections or none of this," she paused and gestured vaguely around. "Would be happening. We're lucky they're still figuring out what to do about magic, or they'd start coming after us again, and then everyone would side with Them."

They both grimaced as she flipped through the book, chewing at her bottom lip.

Luna was often underestimated. Always had been in school. The war had changed her, in some ways for the better, but she always felt like she was kept at a distance. Even those closest to her, though she surmised it was the nature of the beast.

"They used to have bonfires there, muggles that would call themselves druids. And there was that time traveling series..." a book she'd seen in too many hands from a young age. A brick she might have read one summer.

"You think maybe the stones are for time travel? No...that couldn't be it either. He's already in power..."

A sigh left her lips as she shifted to lay out on the floor, flipping through pages as she paused. "....could it be more limited than that? Something he wants that he can't get because time has passed? He is greedy and power hungry..."

But what could that be? He still had the elder wand, and she had no idea if he knew it should be Draco's by wand lore, and she couldn't think of anything he could want.

"This doesn't make sense..." she sighed and closed her eyes momentarily. The fact that she found the ground comfortable proved just how tired she was.

"Rest, you can always look in the morning. Oxford is close to Stonehenge. I'm sure they have scholars on the matter you can approach..." School had been such an easier time. The fact that the muggles still managed to live as if it were business as usual sometimes surprised her.

Some studies had been limited, discontinued even. Anything that could be used to thwart magic in any way.

"I can't afford to rest, Luna.....they gave me a time limit on this assignment," she muttered. On this assignment and Malfoy in general. How would they handle it if she didn't succeed in this, as she succeeded in most things?

"You can't afford not to rest. You'll just give him an advantage," she said gently.

She wasn't like Harry. They wouldn't merely hide her from the public eye for just the right moment to strike. She'd pay the price, whatever that was, and likely be even further out of the loop than she was now.

Rubbing at her temples, she swore under her breath before rolling onto her back. "I'm glad you're back, Luna...I was worried about you," she admitted with a small smile. Attachments were dangerous. But she couldn't shut them down completely.

"I'm glad to be back too," she smiled gently.

Thinking a bit more about that, she smiled a bit more. "Scholars would absolutely still be doing history research...and things that they might think are strange anomalies might actually be something magical..." she actually laughed softly. "You're brilliant, Luna. I'll let leadership know," she half teased and half promised, barely containing a yawn. She'd been running herself into the ground. She had two weeks left to do what she needed to.

A small smile curved her lips, and she yawned, mulling over what she said. If she was exhausted, then she absolutely would give him an advantage. "Alright...mind keeping an eye on Crookshanks while I go get some sleep?" It was a gentle request, speaking more softly with her just as she did a few others of their friends. Rubbing at her eyes, she chuckled a little to herself. "Probably don't need to sleep as much as usual. Had a very good night's rest not too long ago."

No one would ever hear the why of her having such a good night's rest. She'd thank being exhausted, but she hadn't been. Not more than usual. It was the damn endorphins from after that tryst.

Luna gave the ginger cat a pet. "I can keep him company," she offered gently. "A good night's rest? Any reason I should know?" There was a glimmer in her eyes. It wasn't often there were other topics to broach than war and all it entailed.

A faint bit of blush filled her cheeks, and she chuckled. "Just had a good night with some rather intense company. Helped me sleep," she winked with a bit of a smirk before she took her leave. There was no way, even if she could tell Luna, that she would say who she slept with.

"Good intense, or short of a healer night?" There weren't too many options left, and she felt she would know if it had been the latter of the options.

Pausing in the door, she kept blushing. "...good and strange intense," she admitted. "I'll try to fill you in later," she promised before going to find a bed to fall into with her things for a quick nap.

Luna nodded her head and watched her friend. "We all have our moments," she reassured her friend.

A nap came easily enough. The bed was lumpy, but at least it was a bed. But she only slept a few hours before a knock on her door brought her a directory of academics at the university.

Taking it, she poured over the catalog and crossed out names she thought wouldn't be useful as she laid out on the bed. In the comfort of the safe house, she was in an oversized button-down and a pair of shorts. She could almost pretend things were normal.

Names were getting crossed out based on their specialty, and some were getting stars put next to them. She'd call those ones in a few hours once the sun was up.

The safe house creaked whenever someone moved, almost reminding her of the Burrow. A sigh left her lips, and she rubbed her temples.

"Okay....three possible academics that might know something....to approach them or break in...." she mumbled to herself, fiddling with the charms on her bracelet.

"Hope I'm not interruptin' anythin'," Woods voice chimed through as he entered her quarters. "Brought the thing you asked and a nightcap," he grinned at her.

She had offered it last time, and then life had happened as it so often did.

Rolling over to sit up on her knees, she smiled a bit more with a chuckle. "Just flying in circles as I try to figure things out. That thing that I-" she stopped, and her eyes widened. Harry. "Oh you delightful man," she declared as she got off the bed and raced over to him, raising on tiptoe to plant a kiss on his lips. "You are clearly the best man ever," she praised, taking the offered note.

She started to open it as she spoke. "Let me read this, and we can enjoy that nightcap. I haven't had this good of a reason to drink in awhile." Him and the note were a delight.

Wood laughter and mirth had filled the room, only quietening to indulge in those lips.

“Missed ye too lass,” he pressed his forehead to hers. “Read, I’ll wait. Mind if I sit?” He motioned for the bed.

A soft chuckle left her at that. He was so gentle and soft. It was a shame that she didn't pursue anything anymore. "I'm glad you're well. You can sit. Not a problem."

She read over the note quickly, recognizing his handwriting. It made her expression soften further. He was okay. He was bored in his safe house and moved constantly, but he was okay. "I really do owe you for this, Oliver. Kingsley would be livid," she sighed.

As she always had to, she read over the note once more to commit it to memory so she could write a response, and then burned it, letting the ashes float out the window before it shut and she joined him to sit on the bed.

Oliver beamed. "He'll live," he winked with the perfect mix of charm and flirtations."Hope Firewhiskey is acceptable," he set the bottle down to conjure two tumblers. "Been a long week. How's your..." he didn't say more. He knew what she had to do, but he also knew better than to say anything.

Hermione actually giggled at that, brushing her hair back from her face. "I suppose he will. What Shackelbolt doesn't know won't hurt him."

"It's more than fine." She agreed and took a glass as it was conjured, letting him pour some in it before she downed some of it, the burn pleasant on her throat. "It's been....challenging. Still have two weeks before I'm moved onto something else..." She trailed off. That was if she was lucky. They might leave her at safe houses if she failed.

Taking a deep drink of his cup, he settled more comfortably, the bed creaking under his weight. "Two weeks," he nodded. "Guess that doesn't leave us much time," he looked her over.

Ruffling out her hair, she glanced up at the scout with a crooked smile as she drank a bit more of her firewhiskey, relaxing beside him. "Or it means you get to celebrate with me in two weeks or less. I like how that sounds better."

"Yeah," he sounded.

He took another sip. "Manage that, and I might be able to keep you around," he grinned.

Resting one of her hands over her heart, she fluttered her eyes at him playfully. "Keep me around, Oliver? You'll turn a lady's head with talk like that."

It was mostly a tease. Hardly any of them dated anymore. It was usually an affirmation that they were still alive. It's how she had fallen into his bed the first time. After a job that had gone particularly pear-shaped. They'd lost quite a few people, but they had gotten what they needed and survived. And then suddenly, it was a rush of kisses and heat. Outside of that relief of being alive, he was a lot more gentle, caring.

He deserved someone as kind and sweet as he could be. Sure, they had all done questionable things. But he had grim determination, and she would sometimes grin like a psychopath over getting revenge. The war was tainting her. And if she didn't think that before, she certainly did after the other night.

“Aye,” he nodded. “Big things coming up. Can’t say anything, but I might have a say on my team…” he led on, his gaze never leaving her.

"Well, I wouldn't say no. Good company can be hard to come by..." she agreed easily as she looked back over at him with a fond enough smile. Working with him would be fine. And allowed for them to grow closer potentially.

But the thought of that had her stomach twist, remembering the way that Malfoy had touched her. She poured herself more firewhiskey and took another long pull from her glass.

He watched her down another glass and pour another. It wasn’t his first time seeing such things. A commonality across their camps.

“I can keep the glasses topped,” he offered with a cheeky expression. A few spells he’d learned as a good old Irishman. His fingers moved to brush against hers, testing that connection, not wanting to pry where he wasn’t welcome.

Letting his fingers brush hers, she returned the gesture and rested her shoulder against his. "Mmm, just one or two more. Have to keep working soon with that looming time limit."

Wood nodded and nudged her with his head to look at her. She looked so vulnerable on his shoulder.

“One or two more then,” he nodded, drawing ever so closer. Those plump lips of hers were just within reach.

As she was nudged, she glanced back up at him and smiled a bit more. "You're going to end up spoiling me."

Hardly. But joking with and teasing the few people she could help her feel almost normal. Like there wasn't something deeply wrong with her for what she did in this war.

His nose brushed hers. “I’d love nothing more, lass,” he whispered.

Leaving the safe house with a small pack over her shoulder and that small mirror she still hadn't poked at in her pocket, she was in a phone booth making calls to ask about certain scholars and office hours.

She even made a few calls to an American school. Something she was certain Malfoy wouldn't have thought of. And on the phone, her voice was just as calm as it had been with Wood. With Kingsley. Relaxed and a little more open.

Notes were written down in a notepad as she finished up another call. She'd hit the University tomorrow when they opened. She'd have to return to the safe house before too long.

Muffled sounds were coming from her pocket, and it had her draw out that mirror. She would be in such trouble if people knew she had it. But it was something she wanted to use to get to Malfoy. And maybe there would be something now...

No. He was talking to someone else. Which meant he'd been spying on her. Damn him.

I doubt I have to explain the importance of this.

Malfoy. The importance of what? Keep talking.

No, sir. I understand.

Pucey. What was he doing? Rising in the ranks? And how could she tell someone that without giving away the mirror.

The clanking of glasses could be heard, the pouring of something. Whatever they were doing was worthy of a good luck drink. Of course, it was. I can't give you anything more useful than what you have...but I can provide a map of Brixton to help narrow it down. Resources, after all. But Pucey?

Granger and the Death Eater seemed to wait silently, not wanting to interrupt. Her own heart was hammering in her chest. That was near the safe house.

If you see Granger, remember. She's mine.

She'd heard enough and it made her stomach coil and knot with dread. She'd have to apparate as close as she could to the wards and try to get everyone to leave.

And she didn't even have the chance to take out Malfoy in the process. Her need to succeed was becoming an obsession.