A/N: Hi all, first update in a while- I know! I lost steam on this fic for a while. Thank you to all you kind, mysterious Guest reviewers! Thanks also to sara-nadia, Retrograderabbit, Serenity and Ann for your reviews :) You and the lovely Guest reviews made me decide to come back to this fic.
Hermione and Tonks stepped out of the room, shutting the door with a firm click.
"Why did you have to kick us out?" Harry whined. Fleur was folding her arms too.
"I have to agree with Harry, its not like that's the first inappropriate thing someone has said under veritaserum," Fleur pouted.
"She's right there… Its actually quite usual for a perp to make a lewd comment or two about Fleur while we're interrogating them under veritaserum," Tonks smirked.
"Tonks—priorities," Hermione cut in waspishly, "Pansy just said that Blaise is planning on killing a senior member of the Order."
Fleur looked more serious at this, but Harry appeared unconvinced and a little pained.
"Are we sure? I mean remember what happened when we thought Sirius was in trouble and went to save him?" Harry said, paling. Hermione wasn't sure that she had heard Harry bring up the trap that led to Sirius' death in years.
"Well we can hardly do nothing, Harry," Hermione pressed.
"Senior member of the Order…" Fleur mused, "Who could that be?"
"Jokes on them if they picked old paranoid Moody," Tonks said, "He once stunned me when I brought him a cup of tea unannounced."
"Well at any rate, its already mid-morning so we need to follow this up," Hermione interrupted seriously. Fleur smiled at her and took her hand.
"And to think I doubted whether you would make a good auror," Fleur said with a kiss to Hermione's cheek.
"Wow, it is weird seeing you guys say nice things to each other," Tonks joked.
"A senior member of the Order… It would have to be someone prominent…" Fleur murmured, returning to her thoughts of the target.
"Its got to be McGonagall, Lupin or Moody," Harry cut in, "They lead the main decisions of the Order and its commonly known."
"It could be one of the lesser known senior Order members," Hermione piped up. Harry shook his head.
"Outsiders or new members would only really have heard of the leadership of McGonagall, Lupin or Moody," Harry asserted.
"Great, Fleur can take McGonagall, Hermione and Harry can take Lupin and I'll take Moody. We can meet up right after at Grimmauld Place and talk next members to check after that." Tonks said with a nod.
It didn't take Harry and Hermione long to find Lupin, who seemed perfectly fine, if not a little alarmed at the latest developments.
"I'll head off and spread the word—meet you back at Headquarters later," Lupin said firmly, turning on the spot to apparate away immediately.
Harry and Hermione headed back to Grimmauld Place where they found Tonks and Moody in the living room. Moody was predictably irritated.
"Lettin' in a bleedin' Death Eater into the Order!" Moody was fuming again, "An' now we find out he's after Order members? This woulda never happened back in my day!"
"Lupin's okay then, I take it?" Tonks asked, stepping away for a respite from Moody's latest lecture. Harry and Hermione nodded.
There were popping noises outside and McGonagall entered, looking severe, followed by a sombre looking Fleur and Lupin.
"Oh thank god!" Harry exclaimed. Hermione felt anxiety grow in her stomach as she noticed none of the trio that had just entered even quirked a smile.
"Tonks?" Fleur gestured, and waved Tonks over to talk to her and McGonagall while Lupin slowly walked over to join Hermione, Harry and Moody.
"What's going on?" Hermione asked, looking past Lupin at Tonks talking to Fleur and McGonagall. As she watched, the smile fell off Tonks' face and she paled.
"The intel from Pansy was correct… Today Blaise assassinated a senior member of the Order," Lupin said solemnly, "Andromeda Tonks is dead,"
Tonks let out an anguished scream and fell to her knees. Fleur knelt and threw her arms around her.
"Oh my god," Hermione exclaimed, horrified.
"It gets worse," Lupin sighed, "The boss at the auror's office has just released Pansy Parkinson. I don't know the details, but I know we can't rely on her veritaserum admission anymore. My suspicion is some money has changed hands in the Ministry…"
Hermione sat up late that night talking to McGonagall, Moody and Lupin with Harry and Ron. Later Ginny came to join the group, similarly horrified at Blaise's actions. Eventually, the candles were getting low. Fleur had taken Tonks up to her room to put her to bed and comfort her. McGonagall reached into her battered carpet bag.
"I think after the day we've had we all need a brandy," McGonagall said solemnly, conjuring up some glasses for them all and beginning to pour generous portions.
"Andromeda had just been backing off from the more full on Order activities," Moody said gruffly, looking down intensely at his glass. Lupin patted him on the shoulder. The two men turned to reminisce about early days in the Order with McGonagall.
Harry moved over to sit by Ron, quietly sharing his guilt over convincing the others earlier that Andromeda wouldn't be likely to be a target. Ginny took the opportunity to come and sit by Hermione.
"I wanted to talk about our argument," Ginny said, swirling her glass of brandy. Hermione sighed.
"Do you really think now is the right time?" Hermione said tersely. Ginny frowned.
"Hermione, we're in the middle of a war… Another person has just died… We have to talk about things while we can," Ginny said earnestly. Hermione thought about it. Maybe she shouldn't be making things so hard for Ginny. Ginny had been so patient with her when she had been working with Hammond and going against her morals.
"Fine… what do you have to say?" Hermione said finally.
"You're right," Ginny said, "We aren't as close as we used to be… And I think that's been making me act out. You and the boys were only supposed to be on the road for a few months… But you were hunting horcruxes for years. I finished school, I studied to be an auror… I had a whole life while you were gone. But you and the boys were never far from my thoughts. I was always so terrified that I would never get to see any of you again. Then you came back and… I don't know… Things were the same, things were different… I guess I'm just learning how to be your friend again."
"Jeez, Gin… I never knew you felt that way…" Hermione said, sipping at her brandy, "But what has that got to do with you being a jerk to Fleur?"
"I guess I'm just jealous," Ginny admitted. Hermione choked on her brandy. "No-no, not like that!" Ginny added, "I mean because she spends so much time with you and you two are becoming so close. I miss being the one you'd confide in and rely on."
"Gin… I still rely on you," Hermione said softly. Ginny looked down at her brandy.
"I'm sorry, 'Mione… I'll try to be better," Ginny said, "I mean I can't promise anything—Phleh—Fleur is annoying as hell… But I'll try,"
Hermione's lips quirked into a smile, "That's all I ask."
Hermione lay in bed later that night, staring at the ceiling. Fleur was still next door with Tonks, who Hermione could hear crying through the wall. Her mind turned to Blaise. She still felt like an idiot for trusting him… But now she had a white hot rage for him burning in her stomach.
Hermione awoke, stretching to sun streaming in the windows. She looked over and saw that the other side of the bed didn't look slept in. Getting ready for the day, Hermione padded downstairs.
Hermione ate her breakfast in solitude, reading The Prophet. Predictably, there was zero mention of the murder of Andromeda in the news.
Finishing her breakfast, she realised she still hadn't seen Fleur yet. She made a couple of coffee's and carried them upstairs, knocking gently on Tonks' door before entering. Fleur and Tonks were still asleep, tangled up in each other. They were facing each other and locked in an embrace, Tonks' head tucked into beside Fleur's neck.
Hermione felt an uncomfortable pang in her stomach at the sight, but tried to push the jealousy down.
"Hey, guys?" Hermione called out, her voice a little hoarse. Fleur and Tonks stirred, Fleur smiling as she saw Hermione standing in front of them brandishing coffee.
"Ohh, ma belle, just the medicine I need," Fleur purred, eying the coffee happily. She sat up as Hermione handed her the coffee. Tonks rubbed her hands over her face, exhaling heavily.
"I don't want anything," she said stonily, rolling over to turn her back to Fleur and Hermione. Fleur shot Hermione an apologetic look.
"It was a rough night," she explained, turning to look at Tonks. She ran a hand down Tonks' back, "It'll be okay,"
Hermione shuffled awkwardly, "Erm… Okay, I'll catch you later?"
"Oui, thanks for the coffee," Fleur said softly, still looking at Tonks with concern. Tonks was sniffling a little.
Hermione walked out again, running her hand through her hair. She knew she was being dramatic, Tonks had just lost someone close to her. It was entirely normal for Tonks' best friend to be comforting her.
She shook her head, deciding to go out and get some air. Stepping outside of Grimmauld Place, Hermione apparated to Diagon Alley.
It was nice exercising a freedom she had scarcely had since returning from the horcrux hunt. Hermione took her time shopping to replenish her stationery supplies before picking up a few new books to read. She stashed it all in her expanded bag before strolling to pick up a sorbet from Florean Fortescue's.
She was already relaxing as she walked along the length of Diagon Alley, dipping her small spoon into her sorbet and allowing herself to zone out. She walked past Gringotts at the end of the Alley, smirking a little at the fact that the goblins still glared at her years after breaking into Bellatrix's vault.
Hermione had just finished her sorbet and was looking for a bin when she became aware that she had strolled all the way out of Diagon Alley and into Knockturn Alley. Shivering, she tossed out her sorbet cup and spoon before turning to leave the alley. Walking briskly, she paused when she saw two familiar figures leaning against Borgin and Burkes. Clad in all black were two young men. One had slicked back platinum blonde hair; one had slicked back black hair. The one with black hair was smoking a cigarette.
"Blaise?! Malfoy?!" Hermione exclaimed, stepping over to them. Blaise took a drag on the cigarette before tossing it on the ground, narrowly missing Hermione's foot.
"Shouldn't you be off finding more Death Eaters to bring into the Order?" Blaise sneered. Malfoy laughed.
"Shouldn't you be in Azkaban?" Hermione countered. Blaise chuckled.
"Nope. Its funny how… forgetful… witnesses are these days," Blaise smirked. Hermione drew her wand.
"I ought to arrest you both right now… You killed Andromeda. You stunned and tied up a bunch of Order members," Hermione said through gritted teeth.
"Yeah… stunning a bunch of nerds doesn't carry a very harsh penalty," Malfoy smirked, "Neither does being a Death Eater it seems… Pansy's already out after paying a generous fine. Her father has already made a large donation to the Ministry and explained that she misunderstood a simple joke I made about Blaise taking out a senior Order member. So unless you have any proof it was us behind the passing of my dear aunt, I suggest you run along, Mudblood."
"The net is closing on you all," Hermione threatened, "Your connections, money and backhanded spells can't work forever."
"You're quite confident," Blaise smirked, stepping forward, "Are you that confident in that animal that you're seeing?"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione hissed.
"She's a Veela… She's just gonna jump in bed with the next person that stands too close to her, its in her nature," Blaise sneered.
"She's not like that," Hermione barked, temper rising.
"Really? You really trust her? How many people did she date before you? How many people fall for her thrall?" Blaise smirked.
Hermione drew her wand, but the two boys immediately apparated away with hoots of laughter.
"Fuck," Hermione cursed. She should have called for Order backup when she had the chance.