A/N: Apologies for the wait…I needed a bit of a break from writing :(

Hope everyone enjoys this chapter…even though it's a shorter one than normal. Much Love! :)

Disclaimer: Characters and world belong to J.K Rowling. No copyright infringement is intended.

Into the Black

Chapter 34: Dinner at the Burrow

Hermione was nestled between Theo and George at the old, rickety table outside in the garden at the Burrow. The group was sheltered underneath a huge tent – the same one, Hermione figured, from Bill and Fleur's wedding the year before. Although it was snowing and somewhat chilly out, someone had casted numerous heating charms throughout the tent. It was cozy and warm.

Hermione sighed as she attempted to get more comfortable on the hard wood bench. She didn't understand why she and Harry hadn't thought about a heating charm when they were on the run a year ago. The horcrux must have prevented that from happening. Messing with their minds. Weakening them and infecting them. She shivered at the thought.

She looked up from her finished plate of dinner and caught Harry watching her with a sad look on his face. He was thinking the same thing as her. He gave her a subtle nod and a grin. They made it through regardless.

"Alright 'Mione?" Ron asked her from the other side of the table, next to Ginny. He was pouring Lavender Brown another glass of red, goblin-made wine. Her fourth and it was beginning to show.

"I'm great Ron…just thinking about some things. Memories." She gave him a smile, finishing her glass of pumpkin juice.

She felt Theo's arm travel around her shoulders, pulling her in for a side hug. She turned her head to take him in, giving him a grin as she did so. He really was a beautiful man. Inside and out. Smart, strong and kind – she wanted nothing more than that and he had constantly delivered. He was hers, and she was his. She felt her face heat up with the realisation that she would do anything to protect him. To show him how much she cared for him.

Theo, spotting her persistent blush, returned her grin and kissed the side of her head. Well-aware of their audience.

The large group of people were slowly finishing up their hearty meal. Molly Weasley had made a delicious feast. The group was relaxed and chatting aimlessly with those nearby. Regulus was a few places down the table next to Remus and Tonks. Teddy in her lap grinning at the bubbles streaming out of Remus' wand. His little hands reaching out to touch them. Shrieking when he popped one in his little fists. His hair changing from black to red to blue in his excitement.

Theo cleared his throat, drawing Hermione's attention. "Do you want another glass of pumpkin juice sweetheart? Or did you want something else?" he asked her quietly, motioning to the bottles of wine and firewhiskey in front of them courtesy of the Weasley twins.

Hermione shook her head adamantly. "Nope," she said with a pop of her lips. "No alcohol for me. I wouldn't mind another glass of juice though."

Theo reached in front of him and grabbed the pitcher of pumpkin juice, pouring the two of them another glass. Harry and Ginny were also nursing glasses of pumpkin juice rather than alcohol. A show of solidarity and support, the couple informed them before they sat down for dinner with the rest of the family.

"Oh," Lavender said, sounding sickly sweet. "I just assumed you'd have firewhiskey Theodore." She sipped her glass of wine, trying to hide her grin.

Hermione looked closer at the blonde, easily spotting the proud expression on her face. Dark eyes traveling back and forth between Hermione and Theo. The witch was still trying to hide her grin and was failing miserably. A haughty look plastered on her made-up face.

Hermione's eyebrows rose infinitesimally in disbelief. The bitch thought Hermione was in the dark about Theo and his drinking. Daft cow.

She felt Theo tense beside her. She placed a hand on his thigh to calm him down. Giving his leg a squeeze in reassurance before she grinned at the blonde girl on the opposite side of the table. She knew her eyes were cold, ruthless. She also knew Lavender wouldn't notice – too proud of what she knew about Theo.

"What are you talking about Lav?" Hermione asked her dumbly. She wanted to know how much the other girl knew before doing anything.

"I saw your boyfriend buying Firewhiskey in the alley beside the Hog's Head a few weeks ago. During your Hogsmeade weekend. Multiple bottles, Granger. He obviously is hiding something from you." The witch had the audacity to look like she cared deeply for Hermione.

Hermione shook her head in disbelief. The blonde reminded her of Umbridge with her false empathy.

Lavender took a long drink from her glass of wine. "Trust me from experience Granger…he was probably celebrating the holiday season with another girl before he was forced to spend time with you," Lavender paused for effect. "Or…maybe he needed the whiskey to be able to stand being around you. He wouldn't be the first."

The table went from a loud and boisterous affair to a muted hum in a matter of seconds. The attention of everyone was now on the two former classmates.

Hermione sighed dramatically. "For the last time Lavender, my family name is Black. It's probably something you should remember before you make false claims about Theo and insult myself." She paused for effect, well aware she had an audience. "I mean…I'm no expert or anything but if I were to try to one-up someone with information that I thought I had, I would at least try not to be inebriated and make myself look a fool. Especially in front of the heiress and head of a family as ancient and noble as mine." She grabbed her glass of pumpkin juice and took a small sip, grinning. "And touching on your experience that you mentioned. Well…I spoke to Blaise the other day, we're great friends you see, and he confessed to carrying out a secret relationship with you before Winter Break in sixth year. The time you were supposedly in love with my best friend. He was ashamed of his behaviour but came clean to myself, Harry and Ginny."

She took a look around the table, every face was watching her. Regulus gave her a wink as he took a drink of wine. Fleur was hiding her grin behind her hand, her fiery eyes connected with Hermione's. Molly was red-faced, about to burst in anger at the soon-to-be-ex-girlfriend of her youngest son. Hermione looked back to Lavender, sighing. "Not that I'm against sex, or casual sex for that matter. I love it as a matter of fact. It's a healthy part of a relationship when it's done right." She squeezed Theo's thigh once more. "What I am against however, is the betrayal that one commits when they cheat on their partner. Their supposed loved one." She smirked at the pale witch across from her. "If you don't want to be with someone anymore, break up with them. It's not difficult to do. Of course, it may be counter-intuitive, I suppose, if you wanted to raise your status. Nothing says higher status for you, Lavender, than dating one of the heroes of the War, one-third of the 'Golden Trio'."

Ron shifted away from the witch beside him, his face red. He opened his mouth to say something to her but was cut off by his mother.

"You bitch!" the matronly women screeched from the far end of the table, standing up and pressing her hands into the hard surface. "Get away from my son…my family this instant." Her voice was quivering with emotion. She went to step around the table to move closer to Lavender before Charlie stood up from his spot at the table and pulled Molly aside.

"I got this mum," he said to her quietly. "Go sit down."

The dragon tamer made his way down the table towards his youngest brother and Lavender.

"I'll get you back for this you cunt," Lavender hissed at Hermione as she stood up from the table, staggering as she fought to keep her balance. The centre of her face suddenly erupted into something slimy. Her bogeys were flapping victoriously against her face. Slapping her cheeks with a vengeance. Lavender shrieked, trying to wipe the enthusiastic bogey wings off of her face as she was led away by Charlie.

Harry cleared his throat, looking at Ginny with admiration. "Remind me to never piss you off," he said as his kissed his girlfriend's forehead.

Ginny snickered. "What can I say…I've been practising my non-verbal hexes for defence class."

Regulus coughed, trying to cover up his laugh. "Five points to Gryffindor I think, for perfect casting." The table collectively chuckled.

Hermione was watching Ron closely. His face was still red. Refusing to make eye contact with anyone. "I'm sorry Ron. I apologise for making a scene."

Ron shook his head. "It's alright 'Mione," he gave her a tired grin. "I was going to break up with her anyway. She's bloody annoying. I was just going to wait until after the holidays, when I go back to work so I could avoid her." He sighed rubbing his face. "I suppose I don't have to deal with that fall out anymore." He shrugged, taking a small sip of his wine.

"When do you go back?" Hermione asked him.

"Day after tomorrow. I just have the usual four days on, four days off that everyone else has. Me and Tonks lucked out with having Christmas Day off." He gave Hermione a grin.

The younger part of the group continued to chat with each other, laughing and joking at Fred and George's stories they had from their time in their shop.

Further down the table the older group found themselves in numerous smaller conversation groups. Arthur was talking quietly with Molly, who was still emotional from her earlier outburst. Bill and Fleur were huddled closer to Regulus, Remus and Tonks, chatting about the auror training program in place.

"So," Regulus began. "Do you think everyone who's in the program now will make it beyond their first year? The examination?" he asked Tonks as she began to feed Teddy.

She shook her head, hesitating. "I would say…it's probably fifty-fifty. Not everyone is cut out for it. I don't think the majority of the trainees realised how much paperwork there is with the aurors." She paused, thinking. "It's a very important part of the job. Especially today. There needs to be a paper trail for everything to help prevent corruption from occurring. There needs to be accountability for everyone's actions. When I first started with the aurors, a fair number of the aurors already there had gotten there because of their connections. Take Yaxley for example. He was a suspected Death Eater during the first war, yet he was still there. There was no evidence – other than Mad-eye's suspicion – that suggested he was associating with those sort of people. That suggested he was a Death Eater. I found out recently that the man had the Dark Mark for fuck sake. No one thought to check out his forearm." She shook her head at the stupidity of the auror department.

Tonks sighed, looking at little Teddy. A small smile on her face as she brushed his hair with a thumb. "A lot of the kids who are in the program think we just kick down people's doors and arrest them. But…it doesn't work that way. Everyone gets a trial, Kingsley made sure of that. Everyone, regardless of what they are accused of doing. To go to trial there needs to be evidence that stands up to scrutiny. Nothing shady. A good lawyer would get the case thrown out for anything like that."

"I take it Ron is one of the ones who you don't think will make it," Bill said quietly, making sure his mother wasn't listening in on their conversation.

Tonks looked at Bill and shook her head sadly. "He's a great kid…a great person but he isn't cut out for it. His mock reports are atrocious. His paperwork is some of the worst I've seen. He keeps trying to get someone else to do the work for him. Wanting to check out their assignments, to see what they did." She sighed, adjusting Teddy in her arms. "He is very aware of his environment when we are at crime scenes, which is great don't get me wrong. But, the lack of skill at writing will prevent him from carrying on past the examination." She swallowed, looking between Bill and Fleur.

"Unless he drastically improves his reports and assignments," Bill said quietly. "Maybe I can have a chat with him. Somehow. Maybe give him some advice." He grimaced, a hand running along his face. "That or he can try out something else...another department maybe."

"What about Gringotts?" Fleur asked quietly, looking at her husband.

Bill shook his head. "I'd be surprised if he even wanted to. Gringotts is more brain than brawn…not saying my brother isn't intelligent. It's just not for him. They require a fair number of NEWT levels to even get an application form from them. Ron didn't return for his seventh year. He hasn't done his exams. Nor will he." He shook his head again. "He's probably safest at the Ministry in a department somewhere. There's something for him there."

The small group agreed with Bill's assessment of his brother. Regulus hesitated, not wanting to overstep his boundaries as a father. "Hermione was thinking of Gringotts," he informed Bill quietly.

Bill turned to look closer at Regulus, nodding at him. A grin plastered on his face. "That's good to hear. I think she'd be quite good at it. Do you know what she wants to do specifically?" he asked.

"Right now she's working on a translation in her Ancient Runes class. An ancient book that Gringotts allowed to be translated by some of the students." Bill nodded, indicating he knew what Regulus was talking about. "She mentioned back in September that translating was something she was interested in." He grinned. "I'm not sure if she still is feeling that way..."

Bill nodded again. "It's a good field for her. There are a handful of translators with Gringotts but there is always room for more. Most of it though is done on a contract basis. She may not necessarily work right in Gringotts all the time; they like to hire people on a case-by-case basis if you will, but there is almost always something that needs a translation." He paused, thinking. "I think too it could fit better with her Wizengamot aspirations than say curse breaking would."

Remus hummed in agreement. "Her Werewolf Law looks interesting," he told the small group. "She has some great ideas, what she's told me about so far at least." He paused, a small grin on his face as he looked at his son. "She definitely has the proper connections to get things done properly. The influence."

"Time to finally use that influence for good, I think," Regulus muttered quietly as he took another sip of his wine. Remus nodding in agreement.

…

…

"You handled Lavender well," Theo muttered to Hermione as the two of them got ready for bed.

Hermione yawned, it had really been a long day. "I don't know…I was quite rude to her. She did threaten me – said it wasn't over." She sighed, pulling on a huge t-shirt. She shrugged to herself. "I don't know what she can do, really. Or what she thinks she can do to get me back. Honestly…the worst thing she could do is tell the Daily Prophet that you have a drinking problem."

Theo shrugged, pulling his pajama bottoms up. "I'm not ashamed of it." He huffed in amusement. "Let me rephrase that: I accept that part of me. At least, I am beginning to accept that I have a problem with alcohol. If someone outside of you and Regulus, and our friends find out about it, I don't think it'd be the end of the world for me. I don't think it would harm me too much. Everyone is struggling with the war, with the effects of the war. Not just me." He grinned at Hermione. "It's not a weakness. It doesn't make me weak…you've taught me that."

Hermione smiled at Theo. "I'm glad you're beginning to see that." Another yawn erupted from her mouth. Her hands slapped to her face in a futile attempt to hide how tired she truly was.

Theo chuckled and pulled back the covers of her bed. "Get some rest, love," he stepped to the side to allow her enough room to slide under the sheets. He slid in after her, arm wrapped around her. A kiss on her forehead. A sigh.

"Good night love,"

"Good night Theo."

A wave of her hand and the lights extinguished, leaving them in the dark.