The adults went through into the big Institute sitting room, and Teddy and Rose vanished off upstairs with Amatis and Gabe. While Ron made small talk, admiring the old fashioned leather armchairs and wood panelling, Hermione discreetly made sure her wand was within reach. These people clearly weren't muggles; the place reeked of magic, but not any magic that she recognised.

This definitely needed further investigation, and only one thing sprung to mind as an option. Turning to Clary, she asked "Could I just use your toilet . . . ?"

To Clary's surprise, Jace answered, all friendliness. "Sure – I'll show you where it is." He looked round at the others "Then I'll go have a hunt in the kitchen, see if I can find something to drink."

He showed Hermione upstairs, then did indeed go into the kitchen. A suspicious observer, though, might have felt that he didn't appear to be looking very hard for drinks. Come to that, the same observer might have felt that Hermione seemed to be taking rather a long time in the toilet.

When she finally came out, Jace was leaning idly against the wall at the top of the stairs, watching the door. "I'm guessing" he said, neutrally "that you are the nasty suspicious minded person in your family?"

Hermione didn't say anything. For once, she seemed lost for words. Jace continued. "That's not an insult, by the way. I'm undoubtedly the nasty suspicious one in our household. I'm also guessing that you've been sat in there finding out exactly who and what we are. Am I right?"

Hermione remained silent. Now, Jace thought, she didn't so much look lost for words, as poised and wary, ready for action.

He spoke again. "Would it help if I confessed that I have been downstairs in the kitchen, doing exactly the same thing?"

"And - what did you find out?" asked Hermione.

"Well, I spoke to a good friend of mine who's a warlock, and who's been around a while. He's met people like you before – witches and wizards, he says. Live quite separately from the Mundane world, don't have anything to do with it as a rule, that's why we don't run into you. He seemed quite surprised that you were here, to be honest." He paused. "So, are you going to share what you found out?"

Hermione considered for a moment, but she couldn't see any obvious reason not to reply. "Shadowhunters; otherwise known as Nephilim. Live amongst but hidden from what you call mundanes, see themselves as sworn warriors with a vocation to fight demons"

Jace raised his eyebrows. "How dull. Nothing else?"

Hermione sighed. "Well, if you must know, I think the actual quote was 'They're a bunch of total psychos, spend their time wandering around draped in magical weapons throwing them at all and sundry, pausing now and then for an emotionally traumatic doomed love affair.' Oh, and I think he also said that one of you nearly caused the end of the world a few years back?"

"Now that sounds more amusing. Shall I share some more? My source tells me that there are light wizards – and witches, I assume – and dark. That the dark variety get their kicks in all sorts of charming ways, including torturing mundanes, and probably cute fluffy animals and small children as well. He also mentioned that one of these dark wizards nearly took over the world not so long ago, with the stated intention of killing all mundanes and reducing everyone else to servitude. Does that sound about right?"

Jace fixed Hermione with a close stare. "His considered advice was to take you by surprise, overpower you and remove your wands, and then confine you somewhere safe until he could get here and modify your memory, then send you safely back off to wizard-land remembering nothing at all about us. "

Hermione smiled, wryly "Strangely enough, I was given similar advice. 'Get down there quick, obliviate the lot of them, and get out. We don't want that lot knowing about ordinary decent wizards' "

"Well" said Jace. "It seems that we are at something of an impasse. Looking at that rather shiny stick you're trying to point at me unobtrusively, it seems that I may be a little late to catch you by surprise and remove your wand. But then here I am, spoiling your rituals, which I imagine will make your magic rather more tricky."

Hermione looked at him. She raised her eyebrows. "Rituals?" She twitched her wand towards a chair sitting in the corner of the landing. There was a brief flash of light, the chair vanished, and a rather large tortoise sat in its place. "I don't know what sort of magic your warlock friend does, but I am a real witch."

A flash of light shot towards Jace; unfortunately for Hermione, by the time it reached him he had moved several feet to the left. He still managed to look casual. "A very fine tortoise. But it would seem that you have to actually hit whatever you are aiming at. It may be worth mentioning at this point that I am generally considered to move a little faster than your average chair."

"I think you may be underselling yourself, Jace Herondale." As she spoke, Jace realised that despite all his vaunted suspicion, he had underestimated her. She continued; "My sources tell me you are generally considered the best fighter of your generation of Shadowhunters. However, I am generally considered to be the strongest witch of my generation. And no-one is going to think about overpowering me and taking my wand away."

With the last sentence, a blizzard of flashes hurtled around the hallway. Jace managed to avoid being hit – just - dodging behind pieces of furniture, and retreating further down the hallway. As the flashes subsided he lifted his hands, palms out.

He spoke calmly. "I only said that the advice was to overpower you. I can see that it was obviously a very bad suggestion, and I would like to be very clear that I have gone right off the idea of trying to take your wand away. You also seem to have the advantage of me; sadly my source didn't get as far as telling me your name."

"Hermione Granger." She had the grace to look embarrassed. "I was only trying to Stupefy you, you know. It wouldn't have done any real harm, it's very temporary."

"So you're a good witch? Light? Whatever the word is - you don't aim to hurt people?" Jace was thinking fast.

"Of course not." Hermione sounded rather offended.

"And yet, Hermione Granger; you don't act like someone who has no experience of fighting. The way you reacted when you came out of the bathroom and saw me in the hallway, that volley of spells, harmless or not. This dark wizard who tried to take over the world – I imagine that might have taken some stopping."

Hermione nodded, almost imperceptibly. "It was a long time ago – we were just children, really, but yes, we fought Voldemort." After a moment, she added, "And we won – just."

"We have something in common, then." He also spoke softly. "We also won – just." He stepped forwards, hands still held out. "It seems a shame if we have to forget each other, or if one of us has to win. Perhaps we could go downstairs, spend a pleasant evening, and then agree to both walk away, with no more said?"

Hermione nodded, thoughtfully. "Perhaps we could." She lowered her wand, and Jace relaxed a little.

"Let's go back to the others" He started towards stairs, then paused. "Except - I don't suppose you could. . . .?" He indicated the tortoise with one hand "The children would love it, but it isn't our house, and the owners might have been attached to the chair."