Chapter Twenty-Four

April 23, 2007

Ministry of Magic Reopens With Temporary Coalition Government

After remaining closed for nearly a month following the recent unpleasantness experienced across our country, the Ministry of Magic will reopen this morning to allow all Ministry officials to return to work and with hope, to a sense of normalcy. The doors to the London office were locked last month during a volatile period of transition. Though not yet operating at its usual level of efficiency, the officials who remain employed and out of Azkaban will be assisted by officials from other Ministries of Magic across the world for the immediate future.

The change in leadership was made official last week. Former Minister for Magic Dolores Umbridge has yet to be found. A search…


The feel of the mattress dipping down behind her woke Hermione out of a sound sleep. Forgetting for the moment where she was and all that happened in the hours before, she assumed it was just Antonin returning to their bed to take his usual place. Only when she felt strong arms wrap around her did she remember. Fully awake in an instant, she turned to her other side to find Charlie smiling.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. Thought I was being quiet enough."

She threw her arms around his neck and held him tightly against her body. Despite all of the assurances from Viktor, Minister Levski, and the Healers that everything would turn out all right, she knew she wouldn't believe them until she saw evidence with her own eyes. Minutes ticked by as neither of them wanted to let go. When her curiosity finally got the better of her, Hermione leaned back from the embrace to look at Charlie's face. If he tried to keep anything from her, she knew he wouldn't be able to keep it from showing on his face.

"What happened after we left? Is everyone all right?"

It was strange to realize that she cared very much whether Antonin was all right or not. She wasn't sure when she started caring about him, but she couldn't deny it. Part of her would always care about the man who was forced to be her partner despite the initial bad blood between them. And those couple of times he tried to kill her long ago. Charlie seemed to understand her concerns at once.

"Antonin is okay. Physically, I suppose."

"What does that mean? What happened?"

As he opened his mouth to speak, they both were startled at the sound of a woman's scream. Hermione moved to jump off the bed, but Charlie held her too tightly on purpose. She wasn't sure who the scream belonged to even though it was undoubtedly familiar.

"Thorfinn attacked one of the aurors who didn't know about the rescue. They tried to stun him, but Savage killed him before he could kill Proudfoot."

Her stomach dropped at the horrible news. It wasn't exactly a surprise to hear Thorfinn attacked someone. He struggled to keep his temper under control, especially where Hannah was concerned. His feelings for his witch made him irrational. She pitied the man even as she felt anger that he would be so reckless. Of course the first time she ever saw him truly reckless was in the heat of battle the night Professor Dumbledore was killed. Thorfinn killed one of his fellow Death Eaters because he couldn't think clearly when full of rage. It was something of a miracle he even made it through the war alive.

"Poor Hannah. She must be devastated. I should go to her."

Charlie tightened his grip even more. If it was in his power to keep her on the bed, that seemed to be his purpose. When she tried to pull away a second time, he pressed his lips against her temple. The gesture helped calm her enough to listen to what he wanted to say.

"Hannah doesn't need any more pitying faces looking in on her right now. Ernie and Justin said they were going to tell her and Oliver promised to find Susan. She's well-looked after by her Hufflepuffs."

"But, I…"

"No, Hermione. It's not your job to fix everything for everyone. Hannah doesn't need you right now. You would only be in the way."

Though his words were harsh, she knew they were true. The two women had become closer friends living in the same cottage, but Hermione knew that their friendship was hardly as strong or as important as the one she had with the others from her House. Knowing that Ernie and Justin were there was enough. The three of them reminded her so much of her friendship with Harry and Ron that she knew Charlie was right. Susan was an added bonus. She would be all right. Or as all right as she suspected it was possible to be given the circumstances.

"They were so close to getting off the island together. It's not fair."

"No, it's not. Dolohov tried to stop him, but Thorfinn wasn't thinking. Maybe he didn't realize it was his mate or maybe he didn't even care. Just pushed him to the ground. I saw the aurors about to defend Proudfoot, so I made sure Dolohov couldn't get back up."

"That was kind of you."

"I don't like the bloke. Never will. He killed my uncles. Broke my mum's heart. My grandmother never recovered and she died the next year. I was only nine, but I'll never forget them. But I know that you like him or at least would mind if something happened to him, and after all the Ministry has put us through these last several years, it seemed wrong to let someone else get killed for nothing right here at the end."

She hoped it was the end, but didn't think she could trust it. So much could still happen and she couldn't shake the unnerving feeling that before everything truly was over, something terrible was going to happen. It made sense after all. Given all that Umbridge had done so far to ruin her life, she wouldn't give up so easily. The bitch was out there waiting for another opportunity to fuck with those she hated. Hermione knew she hadn't heard the last from her yet. Maybe when Umbridge was dead she could finally relax.

"What do you think is going to happen now, Charlie? Are we really free?"

"I don't know what's going to happen next, love. I don't. Tomorrow will be waiting for us in the morning. But I do know…"

One arm loosened its hold as the other pulled her closer until their noses were almost touching. Hermione tried to remember to breathe. His thumb on his free hand traced her bottom lip. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so nervous being alone with a man. Or nervous, in general.

"…that right now, all I want to do is something I've wanted to do for years. Since even before the island."

An attempt to ask him what that might be was cut off by his lips on hers. Her heart pounded in her chest so hard she was sure he could feel it too. There was no rush, no sense of urgency to their first kiss. They had all the time in the world. No one and nothing else mattered.

Many times since Hermione first realized she loved Charlie she dreamed what it would be like to finally be able to kiss him and touch him and everything else a young couple in love was free to do. She never expected it would actually happen. For months she feared Charlie was dead or lost to her forever in Azkaban. Even when he returned she believed she would be stuck in the program until she died, never able to be with anyone other than Antonin. She tried not to fantasize. Those too few precious moments were always tarnished when she had to return to reality.

Charlie was the one to break their first kiss. Disappointed at first, Hermione reminded herself that there was nothing stopping them from having a second kiss, a third, a thousandth. Choosing not to waste another moment keeping her thoughts to herself, she was honest.

"I don't like being away from you, Charlie."

He pressed his lips against hers for another second or two.

"Good because I have no intention of going anywhere."

They were both exhausted. Between the stress of the evening's events, the return of their magic, and the potions they were given, it was difficult to keep their eyes open. Charlie snuggled behind her again with another promise that he wasn't leaving. Hermione was sure she'd never slept so well in his arms.


Two trays heaped high with food under warming charms greeted Hermione and Charlie when they finally woke up. Next to the small table holding their breakfast were two sets of clean clothes sitting in a chair. The hospital staff had been kind not to disturb them as they slept or insist they stay in their own rooms. It was encouraging to Hermione to see so many people, almost all complete strangers who had no reason to give a single damn about any of them, show such compassion. Would that continue once they were able to leave the hospital?

She always knew that she and the other participants in the program would be stigmatized when they were released from the island. In the early days when she still dared to hope that it was even possible to complete the terms of the program and the Ministry would actually honor their promises, she thought about how they would be received on the mainland. There would always be a taint about them, some foul reminders that they'd been nothing but animals to their government they were supposed to trust. Maybe everyone would be polite to their faces, but whisper and wonder behind their backs if they were somehow damaged or unstable because of their ordeal.

Would it even be worth it to return to what was once her home? Her parents were lost to her. Even if she was able to somehow find them in Australia and restore their memories to them, how could she explain what she'd done to them and why it took her ten years to find them again? They wouldn't understand what happened. She'd been so careful about keeping as much of it from them as possible. There was always a fear that if they discovered what danger she was always in each time she returned to Hogwarts that they wouldn't let her return. Some days she wished she'd told them. Maybe she could've been saved a lot of pain and heartache. Or maybe she wouldn't have been. It was entirely possible that without her by his side, Harry would've died much sooner. At least he was able to take Voldemort with him when he died.

Thinking about Harry was never easy. She tried to do it as infrequently as possible. Too much dwelling on the past would make her too sad and weak for what might come in the future. Because even as she felt Charlie's deep breathing behind her and the strong arms that hadn't left her body since they fell asleep, she had a deep dread in the pit of her stomach that something was wrong. It was entirely possible that she was simply being melodramatic. After what she'd been put through in the previous ten years or so, she knew she might never be able to fully relax without that lingering expectation in the back of her mind that everything was about to come crashing down around her when she least expected it. Maybe that's why she didn't try that hard to keep the thoughts out of her mind. If she was always expecting something, she wouldn't be caught off guard when it finally happened.

There would be no end to her maddening thoughts if she gave into them. Careful not to wake up Charlie as she extracted herself from his arms, she needed a task to keep her mind from going where it would only drive her mad. Ignoring the food that smelled delicious for the moment, she picked up the set of clothes that was intended for her use. A door inside the room led to a small, but clean bathroom. Perhaps washing the stink of the island off her once and for all would help her mood.

It helped somewhat. At the very least her new clothes looked nothing like the standard issue clothing the inmates were given on the island. She could almost feel normal again. When she found Charlie tucking into his large breakfast back in the room, she felt good enough that she couldn't help but tease him.

"I expected you would try to join me in the shower when you realized I was gone."

His cheeky grin removed about ten years from his face. The damned program made them all age too fast. Even with their wizarding blood that would give them an extraordinarily long lifespan as compared to Muggles, the physical complications of their incarceration left their scars.

"Don't think I wasn't tempted. Thought about it. Thought about it last night too. It's a wonder I was able to fall asleep at all."

"What stopped you?"

He shrugged his shoulders. His smile slipped reminding her again of all they'd been put through.

"You deserve more than scratchy hospital sheets or a shower we can barely fit in. There's no need to rush. We've been patient this long. What's a little bit longer?"

She crossed the room in just a few steps. Placing both hands on his cheeks, she leaned down to kiss him firmly on the lips. What he said to her meant more than she could express in words. More than just imagining, planning a future finally seemed possible. When they broke apart, his cheeky grin returned.

"Now sit down and eat." He pulled her down to sit on his lap. "I don't know what kind of eggs these are, but it's the best egg I've ever tasted."

It was tempting to hide away in the hospital room all day with Charlie sneaking kisses and sharing plans about what they would do next. Once their bellies were full with the surprisingly delicious food the hospital provided, they lay back down on the bed to doze and talk some more. There were few sounds out in the corridor giving them the impression that everyone else was taking advantage of their new surroundings just as they were.

"What do you think is really happening outside, Charlie? They wouldn't tell us anything last night. Viktor just told me that we were safe and there was nothing to worry about."

"And you just hate being told not to worry your pretty little head about something because the wizards are taking care of it?"

She snorted out a laugh. Even on some of her worst days on the island, he knew just what to say to make her laugh. Would it become easier when they moved on and had a fresh start? She hoped so. She wanted to see him smile and laugh and sleep without worry.

"I don't know details, but I'm sure the Ministry, at least Umbridge's Ministry, is collapsing. Or it's already collapsed. Even reading the newspaper every day is useless. Never know when they're telling the truth or just parroting a Ministry lie."

"I'm not sure I'll ever believe a single word I read in print again."

"Nor should you. When I was back in Azkaban there was a witch in the cell next to mine who was arrested only because she said something critical of Umbridge and one of her minions overheard. A society can't last long living under that sort of oppression."

Hermione sighed. There was great fear inside her of what the world would be like outside of the hospital. What was the first step? And the second? She felt lost. Sensing her unease, Charlie pulled her closer and kissed the top of her head.

"Let's not worry about anything that is happening outside of this room for now. Not until we're ready. We are supposed to be using this time to rest and recover."

Charlie got up from the bed to pick up two potion vials that had been delivered with their lunch. As he climbed back in beside her, he offered her one. Escaping reality for another few hours of dreamless sleep certainly was appealing, but Hermione knew it would only get more difficult to face the future the more she tried to escape it. She watched Charlie knock back his entire dose with a single swallow. With his encouragement she lifted her vial to her mouth. His eyelids were already closing when she removed the vial from her closed lips. He didn't see her wipe drops of the potion off her mouth with her sleeve.

What her plans were while Charlie slept were unclear. All she knew was she wanted the chance to get out of the hospital room to give herself some time to think. Her entire life she'd been accused both by the ones who loved her and the ones who hated her that she thought too much. It was one of her least Gryffindor-like traits. Of course she had her moments when she acted without thinking or planning. She wouldn't have remained friends with Harry for very long if she didn't. But usually she analyzed and fretted a problem to death. With so few opportunities in the past decade to do anything other than think, she'd gotten worse.

A few of the former inmates were moving around outside of their rooms. Most gathered in small groups to whisper and speculate. Afraid she might be dragged into a discussion she didn't want to have, Hermione rushed towards a door at the end of the corridor marked with a picture of a staircase. No one attempted to get her attention.

An arrow pointed up inside the stairwell painted on the wall seemed as good an option as any to follow. Hermione needed some time alone. Maybe there would even be a way out onto the roof. She couldn't deny she was intensely curious about their location. "Somewhere in Bulgaria" was hardly an adequate answer for where they were. She only had to climb three staircases before she was on a landing with only one door as an option.

The sunshine was bright enough that Hermione had to shield her eyes with her hand. Inside the building she hadn't realized how dark it was. Relishing the feel of the warm sun on her skin, she had to laugh when her eyes adjusted to the change. She wasn't the only one who had the same idea to sneak away for a chance to breathe.

"I should've known I'd find you out here brooding and alone."

The corner of Antonin's mouth threatened to curl up into a smile that never came. She knew how infrequent a true smile was from the man, so she considered even that small of a gesture a win. He didn't say a word in greeting, only looked back over the landscape he'd been admiring before she arrived.

At once it was clear that they were in the middle of a large city. Sounds of such a busy place were harsh to her ears. How long had it been since she'd been anywhere a fraction that noisy? She was tempted to cover her ears with her hands, but didn't want Antonin to think any less of her. He didn't seem bothered. If anything, he seemed as peaceful on the rooftop in the city as he did standing on the shores of the island.

"It's Sofia. Have you ever been here before?"

Hermione shook her head. There was always a plan to visit Viktor in his home country, but it never happened. She felt sadness at the loss of the opportunity. He used to write such lovely letters about his home and how much he wanted to show it to her.

"I was here once a long time ago. Probably before you were even born. That's Vitosha." He pointed to the dome-shaped mountain that the city was built at the foot of. "My brothers and I thought we could climb to the top. We were wrong."

His soft laughter had a sadness to it that brought tears to Hermione's eyes. Never, not if they lived to be a million years old, would she understand that man completely. Each time she thought she knew him, another layer would be revealed. He was the sort who kept his past and his secrets to himself, only showing glimpses of what he wanted others to know. And he didn't want them to know much. Perhaps sensing he was letting his guard down, Antonin cleared his throat and turned his attention away from the mountain.

"I'm surprised that you're out of bed. Must have been a long night for you last night."

"Charlie wanted me to stay and take another nap, but I was restless."

He smirked. She felt her cheeks burn.

"Glad to see Weasley didn't waste any time. He's smart. Life is too short and tomorrow isn't promised."

"It's not like that at all. We just slept."

"Hermione, it's none of my business who you invite into your bed or what you're doing in it. Unless you invite me back into it, of course."

His cheeky wink made her laugh. There was another layer. Few people alive had ever heard him make a joke. Most thought him too solemn to even dare try. Rescue from the island must've put him in a grand mood.

"We usually had some fun."

"I'll say. You certainly improved over time." She had to laugh at the waggle of his eyebrows. "That thing you do with your tongue? Very nice. Always enjoyable. Weasley won't know what hit him."

"Maybe I should give Penelope a few pointers. Tell her some of my secrets."

The very instant the words came out of her mouth she realized it was the wrong thing to say. Antonin's shoulders drooped with the heaviness of his sigh. She didn't know what happened between the two of them the night before, but clearly it wasn't as encouraging as what she experienced with Charlie. Part of her assumed that the moment the silver rings were off of his wrist, he would seek out Penelope and never let her go. At least that's what she hoped would happen. Didn't they all deserve a little bit of happiness after the hell they'd been forced into?

"Did you do something stupid, Antonin?"

"No, I did what was right. I walked away. She deserves better than me."

"Yes, well, what we deserve and what we want are rarely the same thing. It's painfully obvious that she wants you. Why are you rejecting a chance at happiness?"

She wasn't exactly surprised that he would do something so foolish. Living in the same cottage with Penelope gave her the opportunity to see how often Antonin would avoid her when she would walk into the same room. Likely it all started when she was arrested. He had a tendency to take responsibility for events that weren't his to accept. Even if he was right about his rejecting Umbridge's offer being the impetus that ended up with the object of his affections on the island, he couldn't be blamed for one woman's insane and unhealthy grudges.

"She's young and has her entire life ahead of her…"

"And you're just ancient, are you?"

"Yes, in many ways I am. But beyond that, what sort of life could she expect by my side? It's going to be difficult enough to move on from this damned program, but to add an old Death Eater like me into the mix? She's better off feeling a little hurt right now than she would be years down the road with the damage an association with me would cause her for the rest of her life."

The overwhelming urge to slap the man right in his face was almost unbearable. How could he be so frustrating? Hadn't they been through enough already? Why would he insist on causing himself more pain than was necessary?

"If that's how you plan on living the rest of your life, Antonin, you should just walk off this roof right now and be done with it."

Antonin seemed startled by the suggestion that he end his life. Staring at her with cold eyes that once frightened her but now only made her sad, he didn't seem to know what to say in response. Or he was shielding his true thoughts from her again. It was impossible to tell at times.

"I mean it. If you're just going to wander through the rest of your life being miserable and punishing yourself for crimes that you may or may not have committed, there's no sense in even breathing. Just end it."

"I won't allow that woman to outlive me. She deserves to die for everything she has done and I plan to stick around long enough to make sure she does."

"Good. It's important to have a goal. Even if it's just short-term."

Something in her retort amused him. Another chuckle and there was a flicker of warmth in his eyes again. Though she got the overwhelming impression that he wanted to be alone with his thoughts, she didn't want to walk away until they settled something. Or at least began the discussion.

"We are going to save Henry from that monster, but then what? What happens after she's dead?"

"I haven't thought that far ahead."

"I don't believe that, Antonin. You must've thought about it."

Their close proximity to each other for four years gave Hermione an advantage over the man whether he wanted to admit it or not. Just as he likely knew her better than anyone else alive, including Charlie, she knew him. There were secrets, of course, but she understood him well enough to know that he'd been thinking about what he would do once he was off the island since the day they arrived there in the first place.

"What are we going to do about our children? I've never gotten the impression that you had any desire to be a father, but…"

Another sad smile appeared on his lips. Just as the nostalgia of thinking about his brothers when they were all young was evident earlier in their discussion, she could almost see the man looking back in his past to what must have been happier days.

"There was a time when I wanted nothing more. We couldn't decide on a name. Used to drive us mad. I worried that our baby would be born long before we could agree."

Another layer. She nearly didn't recognize the man standing next to her with the wistful smile. Never once did he ever mention that he had a family in the past. Any time she tried to find out more about him, what he was like before Voldemort ruined his life, he would shut down. He didn't want to remember what he'd been like. He offered only inconsequential crumbs to shut up her questions.

"You had a baby?"

"Almost." He looked away from her to stare back at the mountain. Seeing the unshed tears in his eyes made her feel like an intruder on a private moment. Only her curiosity kept her from leaving him alone again. "Our baby was four and a half months along when it…"

Hermione was certain she'd never seen him look so sad. Not even after each of their three children were taken from them. There was a pain still inside him that even after so many years hadn't been healed. Was that why he felt like he didn't deserve happiness? Did he believe he was in some way responsible for the loss? She wiped at her eyes, hoping that he didn't see her tears. It felt wrong. He didn't notice. Just kept staring at the mountain.

"I was working on the nursery that day. My house wasn't very nice and neither of us had much money, but I was determined that the nursery would be perfect and ready long before our baby was born. I was tired and she had a long day at work. We were laying in bed arguing about our wedding. I couldn't stop touching her stomach. It never got old feeling my baby growing inside her. But that night I couldn't feel it anymore."

"Oh, Antonin, I had no idea."

He turned to look at her with the same sad smile. She didn't even bother to try to hide her tears. Never had he been so open and vulnerable with her. What else was he hiding?

"Of course you didn't. It's not something I like to talk about. I was very young. We both were."

"Was she your Hogwarts sweetheart you told me about? The Ravenclaw? Anna, was it?"

"No. Anna was my first love. You must remember your first love. It was all so very intense that I couldn't imagine it was possible to love anyone so much. I thought I'd never get over her when she moved away to Canada, but then… I did. Wasn't expecting it or looking for it. She just sort of breezed into my life and then I realized I didn't even know what love was until her."

She had so many questions, but didn't want to upset him or interrupt. Rarely had he ever spoken so many words at one time even to her. Usually he was so guarded. Hermione supposed that he needed to talk. As she listened to him speak about his past loves, she understood him completely. Ron was her first love. Viktor certainly held a special place in her heart. It wasn't love though. At least not that sort. When she understood how much she loved Ron, she was certain that she could never feel anything so strongly for anyone else ever again. First loves were powerful. She understood how young people could lose their minds when they went through their first heartbreak. As much as she loved Ron, she loved Charlie more. Maybe it was the benefit of age or going through the same sorts of horrific experiences that made it feel more sustaining. It didn't really matter.

"She was very funny. No one would ever believe that, but she could make me laugh harder than anyone else I'd ever known. I used to be able to just feel when she walked into a room. Another sense, I suppose. And we never lacked for something to talk about. We could argue and debate with the best of them."

"She sounds lovely. I wish I could've met her."

"Who said that you haven't? Wizarding Britain is awfully small after all."

His knowing grin gave her pause. He was right, of course. Most everyone knew each other or at least had met each other in their little corner of the world. The way that he looked at her as he said that made it obvious she did know his great love. Many possibilities ran through her mind. Was it possible she'd been in the program with them? He never did explain his strange aversion to Alecto. Or was she someone she met during her visits to Hogsmeade? Madam Rosmerta was very pretty. She could understand someone losing their head over the witch. Could it have been the mother of one of her friends? Or one of her professors? She got the impression that he wasn't about to tell her. As much as it annoyed her, she would let the wizard keep his secrets.

"I was scared when I couldn't feel your baby. I didn't bring it up because I didn't want to scare you, but I thought there was something wrong with it."

"You should've told me."

"Yes, I know I should've, but it brought back memories of that night."

She reached across the short space between them to place a comforting hand on his elbow. Physical touch could mean so much to someone when they were reliving the difficult parts of their past. He offered her a small smile, but didn't shrug his arm away. Talking to her must have been helping him in some small way. Knowing him, it was entirely possible that he'd never spoken so openly to anyone about what happened. She would stay with him as long as he needed. Hadn't he been a support to her during some of her worst moments?

"When I told her I was concerned, she thought I was just being paranoid. 'Tony dear, you always worry too much'."

"'Tony dear'? I can't imagine anyone calling you that."

Her gentle teasing elicited a quiet laugh out of the man.

"She was the only one I've ever allowed to call me that." He shrugged his shoulders. "I was young and stupid in love. She could've called me anything and I would've loved it."

"I'm sorry about your baby, Antonin. I know it was hard enough to lose ours, but to know that you actually wanted it and you were in love? That makes it all the more heartbreaking."

"Thank you."

"Did you try again?"

The sad shake of his head told her more than words could. She could only imagine what they must have felt. Every time she thought about her miscarriage, she was sad. It was easier to live with the more time passed, but she knew there would always be a touch of sadness in her mind when she thought about it. Her mother experienced the same.

"Neither of us were the same people after that night. Never were again. Never could be again. We both may be alive in body, but who we were? Dead and buried long ago. Our younger selves wouldn't even recognize who we are today."

Before Hermione could think of something, anything to say in response, they were interrupted by the sound of the door to the roof swinging open again. Annoyed that their private conversation was coming to an end, she turned to glare at the new arrival. Seeing Viktor cross the rooftop purposefully towards them she reconsidered.

"Mr. Dolohov, you asked me to tell you if I heard anything more about your Minister."

Antonin nodded, the usual distant, serious mask he wore back firmly in its place. One would never guess how vulnerable he'd just been only moments before.

"We have a contact who received a tip where she might be hiding. The British Ministry asked Alexei to send some of his most trusted to help. I'll be leaving in a few minutes."

"And I will be coming with you."

"And so will I."

Viktor didn't seem to know what to do when Antonin made his declaration and he certainly didn't know what to do when Hermione chimed in. If he thought he was going to keep them away from the opportunity to hunt down the wretched bitch with them, he was in for a surprise.

"No, that won't be allowed."

"Viktor, she has our son. We are coming with you."

After Hermione's reminder of the high stakes, he couldn't find a reason to deny them.