A/N: Okay, so new promise. I will do my very best to upload a chapter once a week. Clearly the whole "every Thursday" thing isn't working. Review, favorite, follow! :)
An hour later, Colin, Padma, and Susan had all returned. With Hermione's help, the four of them had set up Colin's panes of glass in a box around the display holding the Elder scrolls. They all stepped back and, with a wave of his wand, Colin charmed the panes of glass to match the background of the museum.
"That's amazing," Susan breathed, walking around the display. "It blends seamlessly with the surroundings."
"It works," Colin said, a wide grin on his face. "It works perfectly."
"You've done an excellent job," Hermione complimented. "Really fantastic work, Colin."
"Thank you," he replied, smiling at Hermione.
"Now," Hermione continued. "Harry should be here soon with the auror team to set up in our office. Before they get here we need to-"
But before Hermione could finish, Harry and his team entered the museum.
"Hey, Hermione," Harry greeted her, then looked to the rest of her team.
"Hi, Harry," Hermione replied with a smile. "I think you already know my team, this is Colin, Padma, and Susan. Millicent is down in the work space."
"Hello everyone," Harry said in response, giving Hermione's team a smile before turning to gesture to his own team. "I think you know everyone on my team as well."
"Yes," Hermione answered. "Hello Ron. Seamus, Dean, and Katie it's nice to see you!"
"Hello," Harry's team chorused in response.
"Where can we set up?" Harry asked.
"Colin, Susan, and Padma can show your team where to set up," Hermione answered. "I'd like to speak to you and Ron for a moment."
Harry nodded to his team and they followed Hermione's team out of the museum. Hermione watched until they were gone and then turned back to Harry and Ron.
"What does your team know?" Hermione asked them.
"They know that Kingsley was murdered," Harry replied. "They don't know anything about Asylum.."
"They think we're investigating this on just Harry's suspicion that Kingsley didn't die from natural causes," Ron added. "Which is why we're working here so that no one knows what we're doing. They know the cover story is something was stolen from your museum which is why the outside world will think they are here."
"My team knows everything," Hermione told them. "They're available to help your team with anything you need."
"What could your team do to help?" Ron questioned. "They work in a museum and stare at monitors all day."
"Ron," Harry warned, as Hermione opened her mouth to yell at him.
"What?" Ron continued, ignoring Harry's warning. "Hermione wouldn't even have a team if we had dealt with the Death Eaters three years ago the way we should have."
"Ronald, that is enough!" Hermione shouted. "They can be saved!"
"No, they can't, Hermione," Ron shouted back. "They've already lived three years longer than they should have."
"How can you say that?" Hermione cried. "You haven't seen them over the last few years. They live extraordinarily normal lives. Without their memories, without their prejudice, they are good people."
"You're too close to this," Ron replied. "You can't see them for what they are. They're monsters, Hermione. Monsters that killed my brother. Or did you forget that?"
"No one has forgotten what they've done," Harry said, stepping between Ron and Hermione who had gone from a safe distance apart to nearly nose to nose.
He placed a hand on each of their shoulders and lightly shoved them apart.
"You two can't keep having this fight," Harry continued, looking first at Ron then at Hermione. "We all need to work together to find out who killed Kingsley and to figure out what to do if the Death Eaters get their memories back. Our teams need us to be a unit. Kingsley needs us to be a unit. Can you do that?"
"Yes," Hermione said with a sigh.
"Yes," Ron grumbled, refusing to look Hermione in the eye.
"Let's get downstairs," Harry said. "We need to get our teams working."
At that, Hermione, Ron, and Harry walked through the museum and, a few minutes later, joined their teams in Hermione's work space. Harry's team had taken over the two of the desks on the left side of the room and were talking quietly. Hermione noticed that her team was in the process of putting away the artefacts that they had been working on. Everyone looked up when Hermione, Ron and Harry entered the room.
"So," Hermione said to Harry, ignoring Ron. "What do we do?"
"For now, my team will begin by investigating Kingsley himself," Harry told the group. "Hermione, given your team's talents with research, I'll be asking that they help dig into Kingsley's life whenever they have time. We need to figure out who would want him dead."
"My team has worked out shifts that they're going to work in the back with me," Hermione told him. "So they're able and happy to help whenever they aren't on shift."
"What are they doing in the back?" Katie asked curiously.
"We have a couple of temperature and environment sensitive artefacts that we need to take care of so we have a special room where those are housed," Hermione replied, lying smoothly. "They also have to be handled very carefully so we ask that you stay out of that room."
"Fine by me," Seamus chimed in, already bored. "Is there anything else we need to know before we get started?"
"You've all been fully briefed," Harry replied. "Give me a moment and I'll give you individual assignments."
Ron walked away from Ron and Hermione to the group of aurors who had begun to unpack their things and set up a board with all the known information. Hermione held back when she felt Harry grab hold of her wrist. She looked up at him expectantly.
"What's the status of the residents of Asylum?" Harry asked quietly, looking at Hermione.
"So far, there's no sign that any of them remember anything," Hermione replied with a whisper. "Everything is normal."
"Let me know if that changes," Harry told her.
He slid his hand down from her wrist into her hand and gave it a quick squeeze before releasing her and walking over to the group of aurors. Hermione's team hesitantly joined the group after she gave them an encouraging nod. Satisfied that she wasn't needed, Hermione walked quickly into the monitoring room and ensured the door was locked behind her. She turned to see Millicent facing her instead of the monitors.
"How are things out there?" Millicent asked.
"So far so good," Hermione said with a smile. "How are things in here?"
"So far so good," Millicent replied but without returning Hermione's smile. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course," Hermione told her. "What is it?"
"What are the chances that they recover their memories?" Millicent asked.
Hermione looked at the girl before answering. It had taken them a lot to get to this point, Hermione knew, and for Millicent to trust her. To tell her everything that had happened prior to and during the war. So she was honest.
"They will likely all remember," Hermione replied.
"They'll come for me," Millicent whispered. "As soon as they remember I exist, my parents will come for me."
"We will keep you safe," Hermione told her, fiercely.
She closed the distance between the two of them and took Millicent's shaking hands in her own.
"We will keep you safe," Hermione repeated. "I promise you."
Millicent let out a shaky breath before giving Hermione a small smile. "You Gryffindors think you can save everyone."
Hermione responded with a grin and, releasing Millicents hands, gestured toward the monitors. "Everyone is worth saving."
At that, the two girls sat in companionable silence, watching the monitors, and waiting.