It is your duty (Hermione)

With the help of Sirius, Talon had been spirited into Hogwarts through the vampire's means, as he knew the school much better than most people who had ever attended. Being left in the room of requirement, Talon waited patiently in an empty white room, his back turned to the door, as he waited for Hermione Potter, so he could complete his task of bringing her back into action. Sirius had assured him that she'd meet him there, and little did he know Sirius had warned her through the use of a fireplace, and told her that at a certain time, in that same day, she had to come meet him in the room of requirement.

As classes for the day were complete, Hermione sighed, her one night not doing detention duty and Sirius had to speak to her. Typical. Though she loved the man to no end, sometimes his involvement with the war was trying.

Hoping there wasnt any sort of trouble she moved down to the room of requirment her robes whispering along the floor. Students greeted her, waving and calling hellos as they headed to dinner.

Slipping past them she finally found herself in the hallway leading towards the room. Taking a deep breath she plastered the happiest smile on her face before opening the door that had appeared, "Sorry i'm late sirius" she said as the door slammed behind her and shrank into the wall. She turned and tensed, not recognizing the man before her, "Hullo" she said softly, "I dont think i know you" with a flick of her wrist her wand was in her hand.

As he heard the woman step into the room Talon smirked at how she addressed him as Sirius, before understanding he was a very different person. Turning on his heel slowly, Talon held out an open palm, his wand sliding down the sleeve of his other arm, and falling to the ground, "Talon Burke," he introduced himself now holding out the hand he had previously held up, for her to shake, "Order of the phoenix. I'm an ally, not a foe, Mrs. Potter," he winked at her waiting for her to shake his hand, having dropped his wand to ease Hermione into a conversation.

She eyed him warily, silently she cast accio and caught his wand in a free hand. She slid his wand into the sheeth where her own wand usually was and kept hers in hand as she stepped forward to shake his hand. "Surprising to see a Burke amongst the order" she said not missing his genealogy, "though its surprising times to say the least. Sirius sent you i presume?"

Beneath his jacket Talon had a small bag of peruvian instant darkness powder, so he did not fret over Hermione taking his wand. However, that did not mean he liked it, "Do you think it's fair to take my wand after I lowered it?" he asked with a raised brow not caring enough to respond to her slightly racial comment. What did his family name have to do with the conversation? Was she waiting for him to be like the rest of his family, and follow the evil leaders just because they back blood purity? He had no fucks to give regarding that, he could simply not care less, "I've heard so much about you and yet, it's quickly becoming obvious that you're... overrated," he tipped his head in response to her question, the one regarding Sirius sending him to meet with her. "They figured someone had to talk to you, and since it's so surprising to you that a Burke is in the order, imagine how surprising it would be for the dark lord, Mrs. Potter. If someone does see me in the school, I can simply pretend I'm my brother, who's a firm believer in the cause of the man we oppo-... My apologies, I oppose," he added with a hint of sarcasm in his tone.

Her eyes narrowed and her grip on her wand didnt loosen but her fingers flexed and tapped along the wood, the only sign of the temper that had helped her keep Harry and Ron in line all these years. "Excuse me if I am cautious Mister Burke" she said cooly "But had you lived like i have over the last sixty seventy years you too would be wary of everyone. No matter what pretty words they speak. I was under the impresion i would be seeing my god father in law, a man i trust with my very soul. Not a new recruit." she met hm insult for insult, her distrust clear, "though your skill with words are not unheard, you insinuate i support the man who killed my husband. Now explain your accusation before i send you back to the order with your foot coming from your throat."

Taking a few steps closer Talon was not afraid of what she'd do to him, because what could she do to him? She wouldn't kill him, or maim him, she had no rightful reason to, this disregarding the fact he would not just up and let her, "Now where oh where did you hear me say you support the minister? I simply stated what everyone knows," he inquired his eyes piercing into hers, "I oppose him, you don't. I try to do something about him, you don't," he stated the unadulterated truth "And that sixty seventy year crap stopped being an excuse the day your husband was killed. If you loved him, you won't give up and you won't make up excuses, Harry Potter's tale will live on until the day the wizard race ceases to exist, now, do you wish for only the tale to live on, or his legacy as well? I know you have a son you have to protect, but Sirius Black and Remus Lupin also survived that sixty seventy year trauma, and they can protect your child literally forever. Why be afraid to fight back? To fight for a world worth living on? Where Albus can grow in peace, and where you and I can live without worrying that the next day of our life may very well be our last" he asked showing his obvious support for the order and for the cause, and trying to bring Hermione's will back to her, she was a fighter, the entire wizarding world knew that by now.

Her lip curled, hearing this stranger speak of harry made her heart hurt. "Oh hush you" she said turning from the stranger, sensing her need the room provided a decanter of whiskey of which she walked to poor a drink for herself. "You speak as if you know the horrors. As if you have seen what I have. I held his body after he left this world. I screamed so loud i swear he heard me in death. I do not want my son to mourn me the same way, nor do i wish to mourn him. My purpose now is t to protect him."

Shaking his head at the woman's stubbornness he remained in the same place as she walked to pour herself a drink, "You want to prevent your son from becoming his father... yet I'm sure that's what the boy most wants to be," he spoke with certitude, because all boys wished to be like their fathers, it was nature at its best, even if they did not know it. "But like you, many wished for Harry Potter to be completely different from his father, for him to be away from wars, for him to not witness the horrors you speak of. Thing is, most don't understand, when you bear certain names, you are bound for certain things... Potters, Blacks, Malfoys, Gaunts... those families? If history tells us anything is that until they die out, they'll always be involved, whatever it might be, whatever their opinion on each matter might be, their hands will be forced and they'll have to act. James and Lily Potter survived up until hiding away, what makes you think your fate and your son's will be different, if you follow the same path? I understand, following Harry's ends up having the same consequences, difference is, following Harry's means you have a chance," he tried to explain, and despite looking like he was the sort of man that in hogwarts was most likely a chaser for some team, very fit, and who bullied others, Talon was actually a studious individual, who liked to enrich his vocabulary and to continue growing. "I am young, yes, but that doesn't mean I'm naive or unaware of the past. I am very aware of the past, that's why unlike my brother, I want to fight you-know-who!" he roared with passion in every word, the sound being muffled by the room they were in.

Hermione had to hold back a snarl, a nasty habit she had picked up from spending too much time around Sirius, the habit of snarling or losing control of anger. Something that she would suspect herself of prior to the last few years, when Remus and Sirius had been all she had to remain sane. He thoughts trailed to Sophie when he merely mentioned Gaunts, the former Potter had spoken simiarly and she laughed ruefully "a friend of mine said much the same dear mr. burke" she sighed turning back to him she leaned against a pillar and sipped her drink. "And like her you are wrong, I will protect my son. I will ensure he actually grows up, he is all i care for. He and sirius children are all i care for now. I have given my entire life to fighting the dark lord. And i have lost everything, he even killed my parents, muggles who i hid in the remote country of Austrailia, i watched them die, as I watched my Harry die. I am not so easily convinced of condemning the only love i have left in this life. I would give my soul to protect Albus, and if that means people like you and the order think I have become a coward or complacent, then so be it."

Sighing as Hermione continued to believe that the correct way to go was to hide, to try and outlive the storm instead of facing it, and if needed take it to hell along with you. That was the path of Harry Potter, and that would forever remain in Talon's mind, but if Harry's wife of all people had disregarded her lover's way of doing things, opting for the safer one instead of the right one, maybe she was indeed a lost cause... " You're neither of those, you've become a conformist" he responded quickly his tone showing that he was slightly disappointed, "Do you know what your way of life is? It's surviving, because that's what you want to do, you don't want your son to live you want him to survive. Because living is a whole different thing from whatever this is," he wiggled his eyebrow referring to what Hermione planned to do to continue to keep her son safe, "Like you I could give up. I could go home, forget my mission... but like you, I'm also very stubborn," he added with a now cocky grin.

At the word conformist Hermone's temper seemed to spike, with a raised hand she threw the man against the wall and slowly she turned to him, her eyes the same tone as rolling thunder "I am anything but a conformist" she hissed "I have bled and given my life to destroying that..thing you dane to call minister. You have barely even scented war, I have lived it. I do not want my son to suffer, do not begin to think you know what I or Harry would have wanted."

"You think living through a war makes you any better? Places in you in a higher standard that I should look up to?" he asked as he rose back to his feet his back no longer touching the wall "You attack a defenseless man, thinking that's going to get your point across? You have grown into something no different than Bellatrix Lestrange!" he spat his hand on the bag of darkness powder should she attempt to harm him again, all he had to was crush the bag beneath his fingers that darkness would cover the room, and he'd be able to retrieve his wand, but he wished it didn't come to that, "If you believe it is best to live under a madman that if one day discovers Harry Potter had a son, will tear the world apart looking for the child, that's your decision," he growled however attempting to control his rage, "And I'm pretty damn sure that, if we don't stop him now, you're definitely not going to stop him alone when he and his armies come for Albus," he roared ready to put the powder into action after that sentence. He wasn't trying to push Hermione's buttons, but it seemed like that was all that was left to do...

She shook with anger, with pure unadulterated rage her heart hurt so much and her wedding band was a weight on her hand, like a cross on her back. The walls of the room of requirement cracked, and dust rained downed around them. Suddenly a chalk board appeared, to Talon's left, with scribbles across it and pictures pinned to the board. Hermione's eyes widened and on uneasy feet she crossed the room, the chalkboard was over sixty years old now but the picture of cedric still smiled charmingly the picture of Dumbledore's army still waved at the camera, and above it all was a picture of the weasleys, with herself and harry all waving, mockingly pointing there wands at the camera. "Oh Harry" she sobbed her fingers grazing the image, she watched her younger self smile at Harry, and ee the smile being returned. She swallowed hard, "Harry.."

Still holding onto the bag Talon walked around Hermione looking at the board from a distance. From where he stood he could recognize the Weasleys, Hermione, Neville, and Harry... "Dumbledore's Army... Albus Dumbledore. He named his son after the one man who always tried to protect him no matter what; I know Harry would only want the best for his son, but Hermione, maybe the best is getting rid of the biggest danger to his life, wouldn't you agree," he asked his tone now softer in light of the sudden change of tone the room also took.

She let out another sob before slowly controlling her breath, "Your right' she said softly wiping her tears on her sleeve with out thinking. "I just want my baby to be safe, i failed Harry. I cant fail him."

Placing his hand slowly on her shoulder Talon firmly tightened his hold "And you won't," he responded reassuringly.