"You will stop." Dolohov's voice was hard and there was a look on his face that she couldn't quite pin down. He wasn't disappointed. Nor was he angry. Reflexively she nodded her agreement. Something told her this was serious and she wasn't to be childish or stubborn.
"Can I ask why?" Her voice was a bit smaller than she would like but it would take time to speak with more confidence. She was tired and doing her best.
"You will do it here only." Again she nodded her acquiescence. Thinking through his words and tone.
It was about the consequences of messing up. She met his eyes again and held his gaze. Letting him see her understanding. Then her gaze shifted to the two men duelling, or attempting to, across the field. Rowle needed a better match with a wand. It was just not sensitive enough. It showed, as he slammed into the ground again.
He hadn't said it was a bad idea or it wouldn't work. No scoff or dismissal. In fact he had looked thoughtful for a moment before the severe look had taken over. He was trying to communicate, even if it was without words. So it could work them, there was a possibility.
She was distracted from that interesting thought by the slight noise he made. She looked up at him again. This was by far the longest she had ever spent in his presence. It took her a moment to realise he was asking her a question, sort of. Anything else?
"I'm working on a broom, I don't think that will be of interest. There are two wards I want to try for potions, that can wait a bit though. Other than that it's just the people I want to do some wards for. Harry and I have a combination for Narcissa. A thank you. Some ideas for ones that might help Luna too." She ventured, musing a little bit. She was done in. The assessment had been draining in several ways.
First there was the rapid fire wards he threw up and she had to take down. Then the reverse and she had to put up what he requested. Four complex straight arithmancy equations and five hundred rune translations finished the actual assessment. Now she was sitting down at a table outside with him and they had briefly discussed her ideas.
"Tomorrow you will demonstrate the wards you want to use for others." All she could do was nod.
"Leave now." That was rude, or would have seemed so. She knew exactly what cruelty sounded like from him and this was more of a dismissal. Feeling the other two coming toward them she nodded and stood. Then turned to face him, remembering what all that work had been about.
"So, how am I doing?" He was looking at her with some scrutiny and she tried her best not to fidget. For a moment she let herself hope she wouldn't always feel so small when he really looked at her. Cursing herself for not asking earlier. Yaxley and Rowle were nearly there and she could tell they were paying attention.
A nod. That was it. A Merlin cursed nod. It didn't tell her anything. She could feel her emotions on her face and twirled away from him, so he couldn't see her. Closing her eyes she tried to relax, it was harder when she was tired like this. Mentally and magically. Even physically. Jumping around casting wards and taking them down was decent exercise.
When she thought she had a handle on herself she opened her eyes. Blue and purple eyes were watching her. Rowle looked a bit amused, he was an ass. Yaxley looked thoughtful and then looked past her to his friend. She turned and faced Dolohov again, in time to see something in response to Yaxley's unspoken words. A minute passed in silence and then the man behind her began speaking.
"You agreed to this yesterday. She even was smart enough to envision this very scenario. Very well then. Miss Granger, Hermione." He added on her first name in response to her slight frown. She had insisted twice earlier in the day. Granger would have been fine but the Miss was just too formal. She spun to face him again.
"The last two tasks, as you call them, before the pity equation, were his midway trials in his own apprenticeship. Is that enough to tell you how you are faring. I haven't seen you cast as much as I've seen you take down." He was looking at her straight on and she could see no sign of this being a joke. Rowle looked a bit bug eyed at this, she was sure she did too. That couldn't be true. It was easy enough to know though. She gave the older wizard a suspicious glance and turned back to the silent man behind her. Nothing, no movement at all. So it wasn't true. It seemed cruel to.
That thought was cut off by the firm single nod. He agreed. Was substantiating Yaxley's words. His midway trials. Suddenly she felt much better about her skills. Knowing that wouldn't please him and would lead to set downs she did her best not to let it show. Then blurred out her first thought.
"Well that took more than two years." There was silence and then the two behind her chuckled and even Dolohov had a facial tic under his left eye. Impulsively she decided to just ask the only person who might know. Spinning around again she spoke to the man with such unique eyes.
"Does the tic, under his left eye. Is it like an eye roll? Exasperation." Rowle stilled and she could hear the wind in the leaves. His eyes were on her and she couldn't tell what he was looking for. Then they were behind her and she could see slight shifts on his face.
"I am not at liberty to answer that." It was said solemnly and she nodded. That was a yes, she thought. Before she could unwisely revel in her discovery Yaxley spoke again.
"Go get a wand Thorfinn. Nothing else for it." She looked to the younger wizard and could see the resignation. He agreed, so did she, not that her opinion mattered really. She had to go after the war. Bellatrix's wand worked but it didn't want to. She had mastered it, mostly, and then let herself get a new one. A fresh start. She turned yet again and nodded at Dolohov, then began walking to the path that led out of the wards, waving at the other two. She mused that she could have walked in any direction, it would probably be further though. She was pondering shaping wards without rune stones when the crunch of jogging feet told her Rowle was coming up behind her.
"Plans?" He asked.
"Not until dinner. Meeting the girls." She answered, still mostly thinking about wards and not the man beside her. On purpose.
"Come with? I get it if you don't want to." That spawned a thought and she stopped at just about at the apparition line. Expecto Patronum, her little otter danced around her.
"Do you want me to drop off the scroll? Signal if yes and I'll summon it. My legs are tired." She spoke to it and sent it to Dolohov. It had just occurred to her that they had to file it today and he probably wouldn't want to go in there. The whole apparition ward fifteen feet in front of them lit up for a second in a vivid green and then faded from view.
"I think that is a yes." Rowle commented a bit dryly. She laughed in agreement. Summoning the scroll non verbally was harder than it should have been. She felt her hand shake a little. Food would be needed.
"I could do that. I don't suppose you have a mirror?" She absently asked while putting the scroll in her ever present bag.
"No, but I can do this." With a twirl and a muttered word a sort of mirror appeared. The colours were all grey but she could see the frizzy pieces sticking out of her braid. She sighed and unravelled it before twisting it into a messy bun on her head. She couldn't wear it like this too often, it was heavy. She had charmed hair ties but she hadn't used one. It unnerved her not to feel her braid swing across her back.
"That was strange, but helpful." It was easy to be around him. She had noticed this morning. He had been there when she entered and had stayed, mostly quiet. Had it been just Dolohov and her, there would have been silence and the barest minimum of words.
Between Yaxley and Rowle there had been some chatter and it was nice. Made it feel more normal. If she had been asked, she probably would have turned down another person seeing her assessment but it just never occurred to her. It was nice.
Draco and Theo had been seeing her less, their plans still happened. It was that they didn't just drop in and invite her for tea. It was a bit posh but she enjoyed it, and them. Theo had twice actually but that made Draco's absence more pronounced.
Hermione hadn't considered at all what coming here with him would entail. To her it was just going along with a friend. Or something close enough to a friend. Apparently it was something else to the people in Diagon Alley. Ollivanders was more than halfway down the street, not far, usually. Now though, people were watching them. Without thinking they moved a bit closer together, not emotionally but defensively.
"This was a mistake." He said. Just as she spoke too.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think about my fame when I agreed to come here with you." Her tone was dry but she felt badly. He was going to be in the papers and people were going to talk about them.
"I think all that heat is for getting us out, so no worries." He tried to smile at her and she appreciated it.
"That's true, a bit. Thank god we are here. At least they aren't crowding us." They didn't rush into the shop but didn't slow and see the sights either. When they got in they both looked at the door then couldn't help but laugh.
"I didn't pull my wand." She pointed out, feeling like she deserved credit for that.
"I did." He admitted and she smiled.
"One of two isn't bad. It's something I've been working on." She admitted in return. Ollivander came in then and an interesting half hour was spent watching him get chosen by a wand and having a discussion about changing cores and woods.
"Brazen it out?" She asked.
"It's that or strategically exit separately. If we don't both exit they will know." It sounded a bit dramatic but it was true.
They strode out of the wand shop and chatted about Sabrina until they made their way to the apparition area. She smiled her goodbye and went home to change for dinner with Astoria and Susan, pushing the media firmly to the back of her mind
Entering Narcissa Malfoy's domain was more comfortable than before, still it was a bit intimidating. She also didn't know if this was just them or if the males would be included. It wasn't clear which she would prefer, the woman's full attention was a bit daunting.
Three light raps at the door and a come in. That was better than enter, she thought a bit desperately. This was the first reaction she would get. Other than Harry and Luna. She thought the Malfoy Matriarch a good choice for this. Dolohov hadn't agreed but he hadn't indicated disagreement in any way she could discern either. It would take three days for the scrolls information to become public record.
"Hermione. Come in and sit. How are you?" Narcissa didn't seem upset with her and looked relaxed.
"I am very good. How are you? Draco and Lucius?" She settled in the little armchair she liked, facing the garden view.
"We are well. The men are working at the moment. Or so I assume. After I told them they could take at least an hour to do as they wish." So they had at least that much time.
"I have something for you, while they aren't here." There must have been something on her face that indicated mischief as immediately she cast wards and leaned in. Putting down her teacup even.
"You should be able to learn it in this time, you'll have to practice to get quick though." With that preface, she slowly and as visually as she could, began casting the pattern of wards she had created for the witch. After each one she explained its purpose and its connection to the following one. Not in detail but enough that she would understand. That was part of casting combined wards, understanding how to combine them at all. Then she issued the warning not to meddle without help, hers or someone she deemed qualified. It was a bit odd to scold this witch. When she was finished she took them down and Narcissa did it twice. Not cleanly or quickly but she had the jyst of it.
"Thank you, dear girl. Now why did I deserve such a gift?" Narcissa looked excited, he eyes were sparkling.
"I thought of it at our first tea. A witch deserves privacy when she wishes." Hermione grinned at her and was surprised to receive what looked like a genuine one in return.
"Did Thorfinn get a wand then?" Narcissa asked. Referring to the article in the paper, of course.
"Yes. I always enjoy watching someone get a wand." Her smile was a bit lazy but honest.
"It is a special moment to be sure. Is there any truth to those headlines?" The witch didn't seem overly interested, but she had asked. Usually they ignored whatever the papers were saying. Deciding not to answer she spoke.
"Does it matter if there is truth or not? Some will always believe." Hermione spoke as airily as she could. Trying not to make what she was doing obvious.
"Indeed. It matters not at all to people who don't know you." Was her returning comment. So she was aware.
Hermione let a bit of her frustration show.
"I went with someone of the opposite gender to a public place. There he purchased an item and we left." Her words were polite and so was her tone.
"I suppose the next question is why were you with him? In the early afternoon." Narcissa clearly wanted to know. Hermione felt stubborn and very gryffindor in that moment.
"I came here with news to share. Dolohov offered me an apprentice scroll. I filed it yesterday evening." Narcissa froze. Actually went still. Hermione felt a bit shocked by her reaction. Clearly no one had thought this a possibility.
"Congratulations Hermione. I know this is what you wanted." Narcissa sounded sincere but there was something else in her eyes.
"Thank you. I appreciate that." There were no questions and they spoke of Narcissa's charity event in a few weeks until it was appropriate to go.