Chapter 10

Unsure of what Carol would be expecting, I showed up in a sundress with a bouquet of pink lilies. I had thought about bringing a bottle of wine, but Carol was a character without the addition of alcohol. I had a feeling that tonight would be interesting.

When I knocked on their door I heard Carol hiss, "Go get the door, Charles."

"But I was-"

"Go."

A harried-looking Charles answered the door. "`Lo, Hermione. Come on in, we nearly have everything ready."

After I had stepped inside, Charles hurried off before I could thank him. "Mum, put that china down, you'll throw out your back."

The two bickered until Charles won, and Carol came over to greet me. "I'm so glad you could make it, Hermione darling. Charles is busy fussing, but he's such a fine young man. The spitting image of his father, he is."

From the kitchen Charles called, "Mum, I'm adopted."

"I was there, you know," Carol huffed indignantly. "But he has his father's temperament. God bless my Henrik up in heaven."

The name froze me. As casually as I could, I asked, "Your husband's name is Henrik Lewis?"

"Yes," Carol said with melancholy. "He was such a good man. I just hope one day someone finds out what really happened. The autopsy couldn't find a cause of death."

Pieces were falling into place, and I was itching for a notebook. Instead I said, "I'm so sorry. Do you have any family around to ease your burden?"

"I'm afraid not," Carol said. "My parents have both passed, and Henrik was estranged from his family years ago."

He would have been, if he was who I thought he was. Henrik Lewis, a cousin of the Parkinson family who had been a Death Eater at the rise of Voldemort, but after a few years he disappeared, not to be seen again until after Voldemort's downfall. Henrik had still been incredibly secretive afterwards, and his death was the first in a string of former Death Eaters. Everyone assumed it had been due to him abandoning the Death Eaters, but marrying a muggle and adopting yet another muggle was more than enough reason. It had made him target number one.

I smiled thinly. "At least you have Charles."

"Yes…" Carol smiled fondly at her son. "But that's enough of that. We have a delicious dinner waiting. Those lilies are lovely by the way…"

Carol chattered throughout the meal, mostly extolling her son's virtues. Charles was quiet, but he was looking at me oddly. I found it was easier to deflect questions by giving simple (and vague) answers and then asking a question that gave Carol an excuse to continue elaborating on the wonders of Charles's character.

The food was delicious, and it also gave me slight reprieve. A well-timed bite gave me a few moments to collect my thoughts and ready my deflection. I was prolonging a bite, taking care to thoroughly chew the piece of roast when I heard a frantic knocking on the door of my apartment.

Carol dabbed her mouth with a napkin. "That must be important if we can hear the knocking over here. Go on and get that dear."

As I thanked her I didn't miss the spark of interest in her eyes. I heard her foot make contact with Charles's shin, and he shot up to get the door for me. Nodding my thanks to Charles, I stepped out. "Harry, what are you doing?"

Harry rounded on me, looking startled. "Hermione. Did I get the wrong apartment? I could have sworn-"

"I was at dinner with my neighbors," I said to cut him off. Harry was in quite a state, his eyes frantic. "Is everything okay?"

He opened his mouth, but before he could say anything Charles interrupted, "Is that Harry Potter? Are you Harry bleeding Potter?!"

Both Harry and I turned to gape at Charles. "I thought you lived in a muggle apartment complex," Harry hissed.

"I checked, there were no registered wizards here," I muttered.

"Oh, come in both of you," Carol said, gesturing grandly. "Neither Charles nor I have magic, but Henrik, God rest his soul, was a fine wizard."

Harry's eyebrows shot to his hairline. "You were married to Henrik Lewis?"

"The love of my life," she sighed. "Come in and shut the door. That must be why Hermione's name sounded so familiar. Every day Henrik would get his newspaper and pour over it. He had a sense about him, because our family just happened to go on an extended vacation out of the country whenever things would get truly bad."

"You were nothing more than bedtime stories for me for years," Charles said to Harry. "Even when I was a teenager I wouldn't go to sleep without Da telling me his news from the day. It didn't feel real to me, but I loved the stories of you tow and the whiny red-haired bloke."

I couldn't help but snicker at Charles's description of Ron, and I noticed Harry snicker a fair bit as well.

Carol carefully folded her hands. "To what do we owe the pleasure to have a visit from the savior of the world, as well as the girl who kept him alive so he could save the world?"

Harry choked. "I think you underestimate me, ma'am."

"No, my husband kept me well informed. You, young man, saved your folk and us ordinary ones alike. That man. Moldytort, he hated us ordinary folk and he would have killed all of us eventually," she said seriously. "We had no way to stop him. So thank you two, from all of us."

I looked at Harry and his cheeks were a bit pink. Even now, years later, neither of us knew how to react to someone who was so eager and genuinely thankful.

Carol cleared her throat. "Mr. Potter, would you mind joining us for dinner today? We would love to have you."

Harry cleared his throat. "Yes, thank you."

Charles swiftly retrieved another place setting. His eyes were shining as they shot between Harry and me.

"I knew your name sounded familiar," Carol said as she piled food onto Harry's plate. "I never saw any pictures of you tow. I loved my husband and his magic, but there were a few things that were simply too much for me, and photographs that move are one of them."

"It does take a while to get used to," Harry acknowledged.

The four of us continued chatting for too long. Charles would ask questions here and there, but I could tell it took a lot of self control not to drown us in questions.

Finally Harry and I managed to extricate ourselves from Carol's apartment. Once locked inside my apartment, the mood turned serious. "We're going to have to move a little more quickly," Harry said. "Hazel is extremely eager to help you, and she has a few days next week that she could help you navigate America. She expedited all of your various licenses and paperwork. Additionally, our absent aurors are scheduled to come back before you leave, so we need solid evidence sot hey don't take over the case."

I blew out a long breath, trying to dissolve the anxiety that was raging in my stomach. "I don't like this, Harry. I'm looking for Draco Malfoy, but Death Eaters are conspiring against the whole of the wizarding world, and we're about to be in the thick of it."

Harry looked pained, his eyes resting on my hand, which I hadn't realized was tracing my ugliest scar. His green eyes met mine. "You really don't have to do all of this, Hermione. You didn't choose to be an auror. We can handle this."

I sighed. "I'm just scared. I thought-stupidly-that the days of being hunted by Death Eaters were over. But I can't- I won't turn my back on Malfoy. I know what you're going to say, but I'm already vested. Scared, but vested."

"I'll always be ready to help you, Hermione Jean Granger," Harry vowed seriously. "But honestly, with your mind on the case, the Death Eaters will be running for the hills."

I laughed airily. "Thank you, Harry. I can tell you're worried about something else, though. What do you need help with?"

Harry paled. "I need to figure out how I'm going to propose to Ginny."

A/N: Funny side-note, but I actually wrote the majority of this chapter at a national literature conference. I like keeping tabs on things I wrote in fun places.

As always, thanks for the reviews and favorites! It always inspires me to write!