Chapter Twenty Nine

Waking up to the sounds of waves crashing against the shore and seagulls squawking in the distance always brought a smile to Hermione's face. Add in the crisp smell of salt water blowing through the open window on the breeze and she was content. Feeling the warm bare chest of her dark and broody wizard pressed against her back made her feel positively euphoric. She could close her eyes and almost forget the previous three weeks. Feeling Antonin's steady breath on the back of her neck tickling her hair made everything she experienced feel just like a bad dream she was finally waking up from.

She could forget almost dying at the hands of a pissed off Alecto Carrow and push down any lingering resentment towards her former friends and allies who no longer trusted her around their families. Thorfinn's heart wrenching expression when he told her he loved her and she told him he terrified her could almost have been a memory from someone else's life.

She felt safe and protected wrapped up in the arms that had proven willing to kill on her behalf more than once. It was more than a little strange thinking how much her life had changed in the almost year she'd spent sharing a bed with the fearsome Death Eater. At times she couldn't remember what life was like without the man who once haunted her nightmares lying next to her. He made the past too easy to forget with his silent promises of the future. Once he desired to end her existence. Now it seemed he longed to fill it with toe-curling memories and assurances of a brighter life together than apart.

The exact moment the usually quiet man wormed his way into her heart could never be certain. It had been gradual, never rushed. Hermione pushed the reminder of the conversation she had with Thorfinn about whether or not her feelings for Antonin were true or a side effect from an unusual case of Stockholm Syndrome aside. Surely she understood her own feelings better than anyone else. Their story was not traditional. She certainly couldn't have imagined one day being positive that she actually loved Antonin Dolohov when she was lying in the infirmary recovering from his curse or modifying his memories while he lay unconscious on the sticky floor of the tacky Muggle café.

All Hermione knew for certain was that she would rather wake up each morning safely cocooned in the confines of his rather impressive arms than just about anywhere else her imaginative mind could construct.

"I missed waking up with you," she whispered to the room as soon as his soft snores ended.

She felt his arms tighten around her frame slightly before he placed a kiss on the top of her mess of morning curls. Antonin tried to stifle a yawn mid-kiss that only made her smile widen. If anyone else knew how delectably adorable the wizard could be first thing in the morning there would be a lot fewer people in the world who feared the man. Best keep this my own little secret to not bruise his fragile ego, she thought to herself with another bright smile.

Carefully, Hermione turned her body within the circle of Antonin's arms to face the still sleepy wizard. His deep brown eyes remained closed but a hint of a smile ghosted his full lips when she snuggled into his chest.

"I hated every minute you were gone," she said softly.

Antonin pulled her body closer to his at the confession. She laid her head in the safe spot just below his chin. Her hair must have been tickling his sensitive face, but he didn't complain. He placed several gentle kisses on the top of her head before finally opening his mouth to speak.

"I missed you too. I was miserable without your ice cold feet finding their way up my pajamas each night."

Hermione snorted. He still hissed and jumped every time her feet sought out an extra bit of warmth. The curses he practically shouted each time only seemed to encourage the cheeky witch into repeating her actions any time she could. He never failed to make her laugh.

"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry," she teased in a sickly sweet, insincere tone. "That must have been awful for you."

"It was," he agreed, lifting her chin up with his free hand to cover her lips with his. "I've grown used to being annoyed every time I try to sleep. I wasn't sure what to do with myself."

"I wish you didn't have to leave again."

Antonin released a heavy sign and leaned his head back onto his pillow. Neither of them really wanted to address the issue of his frequent summons away from the safety of their refuge, but Hermione couldn't stop the words from spilling out. They both knew that it would only be a matter of time before he was called away again. Next time he might not come home. As long as he was subject to the whims of a mad man, they weren't safe. They could never truly plan a future together because at that moment in time the future didn't exist. Only the present.

"I am very sorry I wasn't here to protect you from Alecto," he whispered after several silent, uneasy minutes.

"I wasn't looking for an apology, Antonin," she replied. "It's not your fault."

As the last few words dripped off her tongue, Antonin sat up straight in bed, knocking his witch off to the side. Hermione pushed herself up to a seated position to get a better look at the fire raging through her wizard's eyes. He was angrier than she had seen him in a long time. She could practically feel the static of his raw magic radiating out from his tensed body.

"Not my fault?" he asked, bitterness and pain falling off his tongue. "It's not my fault that you weren't even safe in our home?"

"Antonin…"

"It's not my fault that I left you vulnerable and alone, a prime target for a psychotic bitch that hated me and wanted to make me suffer? It's not my fault that you almost died?"

The atmosphere in their bedroom was heavy. Hermione knew he would never hurt her intentionally, but she also knew the beginnings of an uncontrolled magical outburst when she saw one too. Antonin ran his hands through his hair with such force that she was certain he was ripping out clumps by the roots.

"I was thousands of miles away when you were lying in our home bleeding to death, Hermione! I brought you to this cottage because it was protected and far away from our enemies. Even that wasn't enough!"

Crackling could be felt in the air from the man's rage. Hermione's hair was standing up on its own. If she didn't know this wizard, she would've been terrified to be alone with him in that moment. All of his considerable anger was being turned around and directed inwards. A powerful wizard like Antonin could bring about his own massive heart attack or a stroke if he wasn't careful. She risked being shocked by the waves coming off his skin to place a gentle hand on his arm. Even his raw magic didn't hurt her, but she did feel a curious tingling up and down the scar he'd given her years earlier at the contact. It was imperative that she find a way to calm him down immediately.

"I wasn't alone, Antonin," she reminded him. "You left me here with Argos. I wasn't unprotected. He saved my life."

Her words hit their mark, sort of. His flushed cheeks lost some of their color as he began laughing a harsh laughter. While his rage was somewhat abated, she wasn't naïve enough to believe this outburst was over.

"Yes, I left you alone with a fucking dog! Good on me! You do realize, of course, that if he was an actual dog I would've come home the other day to find both Alecto and you dead in the living room?"

His brown eyes shined with unshed tears. He was clenching and unclenching his fists. His arms were trembling. He was breathing erratically, obviously trying to take a deep breath and failing.

Hermione ripped the bedcovers off of him in one swift movement. She straddled his hips and gripped his cheeks in either hand. Her nose brushed against his as she forced him to meet her eyes. It was a struggle at first. As soon as he realized she wasn't going to leave him alone until they made eye contact, he allowed her to stare into the deep brown pools that always made her shiver when she felt them rake her body.

"I. Am. All. Right. Antonin."

She punctuated each word individually to make certain her point was made. His fears were genuine. She would never tell him he had no right to fear what he did, but in this moment, they were unnecessary. Thinking about the 'what ifs' was counterproductive. They could spend the rest of their lives wallowing in their mistakes and worries about what could have happened if they hadn't been lucky.

They stared at each other for a long time without speaking. Gradually she could feel his trembling lessen. His breathing deepened and slowed. When he ceased the clenching and unclenching of his fists to place his hands on her lower back, Hermione exhaled deeply. She hadn't realized she was holding her breath. He closed his eyes causing the tears he wouldn't cry to slip beneath his eyelids. Hermione used her thumbs to wipe them away just as he had done for her countless times before. His arms enveloped her, pulling her head down to his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his back holding to him with all of her strength.

"You have completely bewitched me, woman," he whispered into her hair much later. His voice was hoarse, but steady. "I fear for you more than I ever feared for myself."

She tightened her grip on him. He tightened his grip on her. They stayed in that same position until they were both calm and breathing normally. Hermione could feel his pulse slow. Antonin was finally the one to shift so he was lying back on his pillow with his witch half-lying on top of his chest. Neither of them was sure what to say next. It had already been an intense morning.

"So Argos is actually a wizard," Hermione said, desperate for something to fill in the uncomfortable silence. "That's pretty weird."

Antonin snorted causing her to start giggling. In only a few moments they were both laughing hard enough that they were once again struggling to breathe. It was the perfect statement to break the tension.

"Are you not angry that he's been deceiving us all along?" she asked when they were able to speak once more.

"Honestly, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all. I might still be in shock."

She could certainly empathize. The day before had been one extreme moment after another. It was hard to believe that twenty four hours earlier she woke up in Thorfinn's bed and her world turned completely upside down. She no longer had allies in the Resistance. People she had loved and respected for years had physically turned their backs on her. She somehow managed to elude both Walden Macnair and Theodore Nott. All of that paled in comparison to finding out that her dog was actually Bellatrix Lestrange's supposedly dead husband. It was enough to make anyone's brain hurt.

"It's certainly a weird situation," Antonin continued. "But honestly, I can't exactly blame the man for going to such extreme lengths to get away from his wife."

"Neither can I," agreed Hermione.

"Personally, if it were me, I think I would've just murdered the crazy cunt, but Roddy's never been one for violence. Too soft. Caused endless problems in the first war. It's amazing that he was able to kill Alecto in such a brutal fashion. Must really care about you, daragaya."

"What do we do now? With him?"

Antonin sighed. He hadn't really had a lot of time to think over this particular situation. Everything happened so quickly the night before.

"You realize that you owe him a life debt, right?" asked Antonin.

Hermione nodded. She'd felt a strange connection with the dog and then with the wizard after he was revealed that she hadn't really experienced before. It was almost an overwhelming urge to protect the man. Of course, that could've simply been explained away by her being a rash Gryffindor with a penchant for hopeless causes.

"We have to keep him protected," he continued. "For your sake as well as his. If something was to happen to him and you had the ability to protect him, the debt could cause some uncomfortable side effects that we want to avoid at all cost. Life debts are a serious form of magic."

"What can we do?"

"We can't turn him out. If Rabastan knew he was alive, he wouldn't hesitate to turn Rodolphus in to the Dark Lord."

"His own brother?"

The thought of betraying his sibling made Hermione angry. Harry wasn't even her brother by blood, but she certainly could never imagine an instance where she would willingly give him up. Hadn't she proved that when she lied under torture for him? When she used her limited powers in the moments before they were captured by Snatchers to attempt to hide his true identity? Rabastan had always disgusted her and yet, this was so much worse than anything he'd done or imagined doing to her at the manor.

"The Lestrange brothers have never been close. Rabastan hates Rodolphus and Rodolphus has always just wanted to be left alone. Both of their lives could've been much different and much happier if they'd switched places in the birth order. If Rodolphus is proven to be alive, he's the heir again. Rabastan would absolutely turn in his brother if it meant he was going to lose his inheritance."

"That's barbaric. His own brother!"

"I agree. My little brother only lived to be two years old, but I was always fiercely protective of him. Can't imagine that would've ever changed."

Hermione snuggled closer to the man. He could be such a mystery at times and then randomly announce parts about his past that she didn't expect. He'd never spoken about a little brother. She'd always assumed that he was an only child. Once again she made a mental note to remind herself to bring that up in conversation at some point in the future. She made lots of mental notes.

"He'll have to stay with us until we can think of something better," Antonin said. "But I won't deny that I like having someone else here when you're alone. He might not be a violent man, but Rodolphus is a powerful wizard with a desire to keep you protected."

"You actually trust him alone with me?" she teased, lightening the mood considerably. "He's a relatively handsome man under all of that facial hair, I assume, and you know he likes to watch me bathe."

Antonin laughed.

"Among other things, the damned dog, but yes, I trust him. More than that, I trust you."

To prove the value of his words, he captured her lips in a gentle kiss. They broke apart after a few seconds. Hermione laid her head back on his shoulder. She never grew tired of simply sitting in his lap with his arms around her. It was comforting and familiar.

"Rodolphus can stay in the guest room after Thorfinn leaves," Antonin added. "Or hell, he can keep sleeping on the rug for all I care. It's our responsibility to make sure he has somewhere safe to hide. We owe him."

Hermione wasn't sure what to respond. Of course she wanted to do everything in her power to pay Rodolphus back for his sacrifice. She snuggled up even closer to Antonin's side. He continued running his hand through her curls. The act calmed him better than any words she could speak.

"How was Russia?" Hermione asked. She'd been wanting to ask him about his mission and why he'd been gone so long since the previous night, but the opportunity for discussion hadn't presented itself until then.

Antonin released a loud, dramatic sigh. She didn't really have to ask him after all. His nonverbal communication was working just fine.

"Bloody miserable," he answered. "It was cold. There was nothing to find. Every lead we had turned out to be another dead end. No one was cooperative. I hardly slept. Kept thinking about this witch back home and I couldn't concentrate on anything else."

"That sounds awful," she replied grinning.

"It was. Just awful, but I did manage to get thoroughly pissed on my birthday with Theo Nott."

Hermione sat up abruptly at his words.

"Your birthday? You didn't tell me your birthday was while you were gone."

"I honestly never thought about it. Never been much for celebrating the day."

"That's terrible. You should've told me."

He pulled her reddened cheeks close enough to kiss them both.

"Hermione, I spent fifteen birthdays locked up in Azkaban. This was by far not my worst."

"That's a horrible scale to judge your birthday on. 'Not as bad as being in Azkaban, so I'll consider it a success.'"

Antonin shrugged his shoulders. Obviously growing another year older wasn't a cause for celebration in his mind.

"How old are you now?" Hermione asked with a wink.

"Too damn old for you, krasavitsa."

"Oh, well, if you think you are too old," she said as she climbed over his legs to get off of the bed. "Then I guess I shouldn't give you a special birthday present."

One foot hit the bare floor before his large hands wrapped around her waist to drag her back on the bed. Antonin brought her back to her earlier position straddled across his hips.

"I like presents," he said, his voice a husky whisper.

Hermione met his eager lips in a searing, breathless kiss. Antonin's magic was still sparking all around them, causing every inch of her skin to tingle with the tiniest current. She knew that when someone was suffering from an almost spontaneous outburst of unintentional magic that they required an outlet as soon as possible to prevent even more dire consequences. Usually she relied on just going outside and blowing up innocent boulders or ugly weeds. Her inquisitive nature wondered if perhaps there was another outlet she had yet to consider trying.

Antonin wasted no time in removing the pajama top she had been wearing. The man had a fascination with her bare skin and took every opportunity he could to explore it in great detail. Hermione certainly never minded. She allowed him to break their kiss to run his lips and his talented tongue down the column of her neck to her collarbone. Every inch that his mouth explored increased the tingling from earlier tenfold. Her soft moans and quiet gasps only encouraged the man further. Before his mouth could latch on to the breasts he had yet to grow tired of touching and suckling, Hermione pushed him off of her.

His dark brown eyes were almost black with the intensity of his desire. If she could've seen her own eyes, Hermione was certain hers would look similar. Antonin protested being pushed away and tried to reassert his dominance to no avail. His witch simply pushed him until his back was up against the headboard. With an impish smirk that needed no explanation, Hermione slithered down his long legs, pulling his pajamas down at the same time.

Her wizard groaned the moment his engorged erection slipped between the young woman's lips. She always loved the power she felt when she sucked him deep into her mouth. To many, it was a dominant position with the giver at the mercy of the receiver, but Hermione knew better. She knew she held all of the power and it was intoxicating.

"Fuck," Antonin hissed.

He was back to clenching and unclenching his fists for an entirely different reason than earlier in the morning. Hermione could feel his entire body tense despite all she was trying to do to get him to relax. Long before she was ready to quit, Antonin ran a hand through her curls, carefully pulling her head up. Their darkened eyes met across the bed once more. If Hermione didn't know her wizard, she would've been frightened by the intensity she witnessed in his eyes. With what felt like a single motion, Antonin threw his witch onto her back and removed the rest of her clothing. Her legs were wrapped around his waist and he was sliding inside her taut body before she could even formulate a protest in her mind.

Not that she would dream of protesting of course. She wanted him every bit as much as he wanted her. Their early morning sessions rarely lasted long and with the three week absence hanging between them, they made every second count. Antonin knew how to make her body sing.

"I want to feel you come apart around me."

As he often did when they were in the middle of a passionate encounter, Antonin switched languages. Some things were easier to say in the heat of the moment, especially when the woman had no idea what he was saying. She could've listened to him read a shopping list for the market in Russian and it would've had the same effect.

"Don't you fucking stop, Antonin," she panted. "Don't you fucking stop!"

He didn't. She complied with his request only short moments later. Her high, keening wail and the gasping of his name combined with the spasms of her internal muscles squeezed his own completion out of him at the same time. He collapsed on top of her, pinning her to the bed as they both struggled to catch their breath. Hermione ran her hands through his hair and peppered his flushed face with soft kisses. Antonin slipped out of her body, wrapped his arms around her and rolled them so she was lying on top of his still heaving chest.

"Did you like your birthday present?" Hermione asked with a tone of mock innocence.

His warm laughter brought a smile to her face. She would never grow tired of hearing that sound.

"Very much."

"Good." Hermione leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "You are impossible to shop for."

He laughed again and pulled her even closer.

"Did you know you missed my birthday too?" she asked.

"No, I didn't."

"It was two weeks ago. I spent it being force fed potions in a smelly hunting cabin, but at least I wasn't alone. For my nineteenth birthday I was completely alone in a tent that smelled like cats."

Antonin dropped another kiss on the top of her head. She wasn't trying to bring down the mood; the words simply slipped out before she could stop them. Hermione sat up gesturing to Antonin to remain lying down. It was past time for her to get up and face the day.

"Well, I certainly owe you a birthday present," he said with a wink. "I have some ideas already."

"I will take you up on that later," she responded. "You, however, are going to stay in bed all day."

Antonin smirked and reached for her again. She was practiced in batting his hands away.

"No, you will stay in bed all day alone, sleeping."

His smirk disappeared and he began to resemble a petulant child more than the old man he claimed earlier to be. Obviously her pronouncement was not a welcome one.

"No arguments, Antonin. You are exhausted. I want you to spend all day catching up on your sleep."

She ignored his continued groans to finish climbing out of their massive, comfortable bed. It was the hardest part of her day. Their bed was made for relaxing and she hated getting out of it. Throw in a gorgeous, willing wizard and it was damn near impossible. Hermione wrapped her frame in Antonin's comfortable bathrobe. It smelled of him even after he'd been gone for weeks.

"Stay there," she ordered with a smile. He was adorable when he pouted. "I will be right back."

A grin was still present on her face when she closed the bedroom door behind her. There were certainly worse ways to wake up in the morning. As soon as she turned towards the kitchen she was met by two sets of familiar eyes. Immediately her cheeks flushed red. Thorfinn was seated at the small kitchen table finishing his breakfast and reading the morning edition of the Daily Prophet. Argos, err, Rodolphus was sitting on his back legs while he hovered over the food bowl that Thorfinn likely filled.

"Sleep well, Princess?" Thorfinn asked, looking over the top of the newspaper. "I would say 'Good morning', but from the sounds coming out of your bedroom, that's not necessary."

She could feel her cheeks flush. They were used to living alone and a silencing charm never even occurred to her that morning. Her houseguests were the last thing on her mind.

"Shut up, Thorfinn."

Hermione crossed to the cabinet where she and Antonin kept their already brewed potions. If she was wanting Antonin to stay in bed all day to catch up on his sleep, she knew she was going to have to encourage him to take a Dreamless Sleep potion. There would be too much temptation for him to get out of bed otherwise.

"Why is Rodolphus still in his dog form?" she asked, grasping at the first thought she had to steer their conversation away from what she had been doing in the privacy of her own bedroom with her wizard.

"His Mark," Thorfinn replied. "We were talking about that this morning before our conversation was interrupted by your delicious squeals."

Hermione left the door to the cabinet open longer than necessary to hide her face from Thorfinn's gaze. Their relationship had shifted irrevocably the morning he admitted to being in love with her. She knew that there would never come a time when they could forget the conversation they had in his hunting cabin. If she stared in a mirror at that moment she knew she would see bright red cheeks. He seemed to love making her feel uncomfortable.

"What does his Mark have to do with his transformation?" She chose to ignore his previous comment. It was easier that way.

"The Dark Lord tracks us through our Dark Marks," Thorfinn explained. "As long as he is in his animagus form, the Mark doesn't affect him. He said that he only feels a slight tingle when the Mark is active. I'm not sure how it all works, but he can't be traced as a dog. I remember the Dark Lord announcing that he could no longer sense him at a meeting soon after he disappeared. The crazy bitch he married was overjoyed."

A deep, frustrated growl came out of Argos' mouth. Hermione reached across the kitchen to rub his fluffy head. The animagus calmed down almost immediately under her ministrations. She'd learned the exact way to pet him to calm him over the past several months. It would've been just a touch strange to think about if she chose to remember that he was actually a wizard.

"My sister and Lucius figured out a way to block the Mark. Lucius was apparently researching how to do so for years before the Dark Lord ever came back. As soon as Reina revealed to me who she was, she wanted to take me into hiding with her. They had to find the right spell before that could happen," he continued his explanation. Hermione pushed earlier thoughts of embarrassment in the man's presence aside. She'd had many questions about his inert Mark that had never been explained. "At Azkaban my sister found me just after one of the rebels hit with a curse. She stunned me, otherwise I wouldn't have gone with her. When I came to in their safe house, the Mark had already been charmed."

"Do you think they could charm Rodolphus' Mark?"

The wizard in question whimpered at the mention of his name. His wide eyes stared into Thorfinn's direction begging for an answer.

"I trust my sister more than I trust anyone else. If she can, she would help."

"I will have to ask Antonin if it is all right to bring them here," she replied, scratching Argos behind the ear as she did so. "He doesn't want a bunch of people to know where we live."

Thorfinn nodded in agreement and the animagus rubbed his head against Hermione's legs. With the potion clasped in her hands, she returned to their bedroom. Despite his earlier protests of staying in bed all day, Antonin was almost asleep when she returned. She hadn't even been gone a few minutes.

"Antonin?"

He slowly opened his eyes at the sound of her voice. She climbed back in the bed next to him. As soon as she was settled with her back against the headboard, Antonin laid his head in her lap. He would never come out and admit so but he loved when she ran her hand through his hair every bit as much as he loved doing so to hers. It was a relaxing and intimate act that they never grew tired of.

"I was just in the kitchen with Rodolphus and Thorfinn. There is a way to block Rodolphus' Dark Mark so he can stay in his human form, but we need help from Reina and Lucius."

Antonin's entire body tensed. He turned his head to look up at the woman.

"I will not allow Lucius in my home."

"But Antonin, we owe him."

"Absolutely not. If Thorfinn wants to take him somewhere else to meet Lucius, he can, but I will not have that man in my home."

She sighed. Experience had taught her when she could talk the wizard into his changing his mind and when he could not. His problems with Lucius were likely to never go away completely. She didn't understand them all and was fairly certain that she didn't want to know the complete truth.

"What if just Reina came?" she suggested. "You told me yourself that you liked her."

"I'd like her a lot better if she had better taste in men."

"Antonin, please."

The wizard laid his head back down in her lap to think over his next response. Hermione felt her clenched stomach loosen the longer he considered the proposal. At least she could tell that he wasn't going to reject her suggestion outright. After several tense minutes, Antonin sighed and rolled over. She watched him pick up his wand and a knut from his nightstand. When she realized he was making a portkey, she couldn't hide the smile from her face.

"Reina only," he said, pushing the knut into her hand. "Lucius is not allowed."

Hermione leaned down to kiss the man on the top of his head. He didn't seem pleased by his decision. She handed him the vial of potion. With a grimace on his countenance he looked back up into her face.

"What is this?" he demanded, his earlier grumpy mood becoming even more prevalent.

"Dreamless Sleep potion."

"I don't want it."

He moved to give it back to her, but she refused to take it.

"You're exhausted, Antonin. When was the last time you got a full night's sleep?"

When he didn't answer, she continued.

"Just take it and spend the day catching up on your sleep."

He stared at her for a few moments with a defiant gleam in his eyes. Hermione was prepared for a protracted battle if the need arose. He was an infuriatingly stubborn man at times. Ripping the cork out of the vial, Antonin swallowed the contents of the entire vial in one swig. She leaned down to kiss him again on the top of his head before she slipped out of bed. Hopefully he'll be in a better mood when he wakes up.

"Antonin said that he will allow Reina to come to the cottage, but only Reina," Hermione announced to Thorfinn and Rodolphus. They'd relocated to the living room during her short test of wills with her wizard. "I have a portkey to send her if she is willing."

Thorfinn rose from the sofa with a bright smile. He picked up a discarded quill and piece of parchment left on a side table to pen a quick missive to his little sister. Hermione pasted the knut on to the end of his letter with a sticking charm before attaching it to the leg of Antonin's surly, unpleasant owl. As she watched the spectacled owl fly out the window she was thankful that she had very little occasion to need to send post. She'd already been nipped several times by the exotic owl. If it didn't return from its destination she wouldn't be sad in the slightest.

"How do you feel about your sister and Lucius?" Hermione asked as they began the long process of waiting for a response or a visit.

The blonde wizard shrugged his shoulders. They'd only slightly touched on the subject of his younger sister living with the much older wizard during their time secluded in his cabin. It wasn't a subject that he was terribly comfortable with, but Hermione's curiosity was strong that morning.

"I wasn't pleased at first," he answered. "Your wizard can attest to that. I had some unkind words to say to my sister that she made me regret later after our meeting at Lucius' manor with Antonin. I've always worried about the girl. She's not exactly… well, she's not exactly like other witches. Never has been. Too damn trusting."

"She's sweet. No wonder you think she's odd. Nothing like you," Hermione teased to lessen the tension in the room.

Thorfinn scoffed.

"Do you remember that first dinner party at Rabastan's?"

"Yes, I remember you propositioned me in the library."

They both laughed at the memory of their meeting over fire whiskey in the library.

"Yes, well, after you made that splendid display in the study and told Rabastan to go fuck himself, the discussion turned to you. Rabastan made a comment to Antonin that he needed to keep you under control. Macnair asked Antonin to give you to him for a few days and he would bring you back more willing to obey him."

"That's disgusting."

"I agree. I couldn't stand being in the same room with that man a moment longer. Just stood up and stormed out of the manor. I almost made it to the gates before Lucius caught up with me. He promised me that he would use his contacts to find out what they could about Reina's whereabouts. Didn't know it at the time, but he left that night and spoke with the rebels to find out where she was. By the day after the blasted party she was already living in his manor."

"Wow, that seems uncharacteristically kind of Malfoy."

"I might not always care for the bloke, but my sister loves him. He loves her too if you watch them for half a second. He's not the obvious choice, but I know he will keep her protected and treat her like a queen. That's all a protective older brother can hope for, right?"

Her response was cut off by a firm knock on the front door. They both rose from the sofa in the same moment. Hermione was pleased to see the Hufflepuff waiting outside. With a smile, she gestured for Reina to enter. Thorfinn wrapped his younger sister in a warm, protected embrace. They had seen each other a few days before, but with the dramatic events of the previous day, he was obviously grateful to see his sister was all right.

"Thank you for coming on such short notice, Reina," Hermione said as she led the siblings over to the sofa. "Would you care for some tea?"

"No, thank you," Reina answered with a warm smile. "You have a lovely home, Hermione. I'm honestly a little bit surprised to be invited to it."

"Thank you. Antonin returned from his mission last night. Long story, but he found us and allowed Thorfinn to stay in our guest room."

Reina turned a puzzled expression in her brother's direction. He simply shrugged his shoulders in response.

"Your letter was very short, Finnie."

"Yes, well, it didn't seem like the sort of thing I should expand on too much in a letter," he answered. "We were wondering if you could help us."

"You know you don't even have to ask. If it is within my power, I will help you."

"Don't be so quick to make promises," Hermione muttered.

Rodolphus entered the room at that moment still in his Argos form. He spent a lot of time with the blonde witch when Hermione was sleeping at Calliope Smith's home. Reina's face split into a cheerful beam when the Saint Bernard bounced over into her direction. Not caring that his fur would cling to her dark robes, Reina leaned down to snuggle the dog's massive head in her lap. Both parties seemed happy with the arrangement if Rodolphus' furiously wagging tail was any indication.

"I don't even really know where to start," said Hermione.

"Argos is actually Rodolphus Lestrange in animagus form," Thorfinn blurted out.

"Yes, well, I guess that was one way to explain it," Hermione mumbled.

Reina did not seem perturbed at all by the knowledge that the large dog she was happily scratching and bestowing kisses on was actually a well-known Death Eater and Azkaban escapee. Hermione thought the woman was handling the news much better than she did the night before. After an awkward silence where Reina continued to pet the animagus' head and scratch behind his ears, she finally burst out in loud laughter. Thorfinn and Hermione exchanged worried looks with each other at the outburst.

"I thought your dog was a bit strange, Hermione," Reina admitted. "Just didn't realize how strange."

"We were wondering if you would be able to perform the same charm on his Dark Mark that you did on your brother's."

Reina sat in silence contemplating the request for another few moments. At the nudging of her hand with his head, Rodolphus whimpered and looked up at the woman with such soulful, puppy eyes that there was no way she could refuse. Reina dropped one last kiss on top of the dog's head before standing up.

"If you will please assume your normal form, Mr. Lestrange."

Rodolphus shifted effortlessly back into his human form. It was an impressive sight that Hermione couldn't help but feel a bit jealous of. To have the ability to shift into an animal would be a wonderful feat of magic. Maybe one day, she thought. As it was she had all of the time in the world to study if she wanted and having an animagus tutor could only help. She shook her head to banish the tangential thoughts her brain was chasing. There were important things to worry about at present.

"You don't have to be so formal with me, my dear," Rodolphus said to Reina.

She smiled at the man and grasped his left arm with her left hand. The process of placing the stasis charm on the Dark Mark seemed to take no time at all. Hermione watched without blinking for fear that she would miss something important. She had so many questions for the witch. If this could prevent the Dark Lord from knowing where his Death Eaters were, maybe it would come in handy in the future with Antonin. She still harbored fantasies about running away from the war with her wizard. This seemingly simple charm could make it possible.

"You have to strengthen the charm about every week or so," Reina explained. "I will teach you and Thorfinn both the incantation."

"Why haven't you shown me before?" Thorfinn asked, a hint of a pout on his face.

"Because then I wouldn't have had an excuse to come visit you as often as I did, big brother."

He seemed mollified by her response. Rodolphus stared at his lightly glowing Dark Mark with an expression of wonder and amazement. Hermione carefully led the overwhelmed man to an empty armchair.

"I'll teach you how to do the charm too, Hermione, if you want," suggested Reina.

"Yes, please!"

"That way you know what to do in case your owl turns out to be another defector," she teased. "I have some notes at home that I can bring back some time soon."

Reina settled back down on the sofa next to her brother. There was still a great deal they all needed to discuss. So much had happened the previous day that Hermione made the decision to summon the tray for tea. She sat down in the only remaining empty armchair to begin conjuring and boiling the water. It gave her hands something to do.

"What happened yesterday after you got Hermione's patronus?" asked Thorfinn.

"Lucius and I arrived at the cabin not long after. We were upset to hear that the cabin had been breached. Macnair was removed from the area. He will no longer be a problem."

"What did you do, Reinie?" He dropped his voice but everyone was still able to hear him clearly.

"What needed to be done. I'm not ashamed and I will never regret what I did."

Thorfinn wrapped both his large arms around his sister to pull her close to him in a warm embrace. He was whispering into her hair low enough that only Reina could hear. Both Hermione and Rodolphus turned their faces away to give the siblings some privacy. It warmed Hermione's heart to see how much Thorfinn loved his little sister.

"Now that Macnair is dead, there are two more to kill before I am satisfied," Reina announced to the small group.

Not for the first time Hermione admired the woman's courage. She was obviously not one of those damsel in distress types that relied on the men in her life to keep her protected. The glint in her blue eyes was dangerous and if directed towards Hermione, she would've been terrified. She wasn't positive which two Reina was talking about, but it didn't matter. Hermione had every confidence that they would be taken care of.

"Wouldn't life be a lot easier if we could just start taking out the Death Eaters one by one?"

Hermione didn't expect the actual audible words to slip out of her mouth. She had simply been thinking. Every pair of eyes in the living room turned to stare in her direction. If she didn't know any better, she would've assumed that they were all intrigued by her silly proposition.

"I like it," announced Rodolphus.

"Me too," agreed Reina.

"The world thinks you and I are both dead, mate. They wouldn't suspect us," Thorfinn added, nodding in the other wizard's direction.

"What are you saying?" Hermione asked. "Are you suggesting that we start our own little rebel group and start taking out the Death Eaters ourselves?"

Three smiling faces answered her question.