This time as she made her way down the valley's side, to the cabin against the cliff, her mind was awash in questions.
She was unsurprised when the door opened before she could reach it and Dolohov stood framed in the light behind it. The darkness was truly falling now and Hermione was cold but almost there so didn't cast any charms on herself.
"Malyshka." His tone wasn't overly concerned but it was questioning.
"The pair." She explained and he nodded before gesturing her in and appraising her in the light. No doubt she looked a mess. Dirty and half dried. She could feel it in her clothes, even after a scourgify.
"Nearly done then." Was Yaxley's comment and she appreciated him glossing over her current appearance.
"Yes. I will be glad when it is." Her tone made it clear that she meant it. Then she gave a run down of what had happened and waited for something. Dismissal or further questioning.
"What?" Dolohov's question was not barked but it wasn't gentle either.
"Nothing relevant." She gave a weak smile and moved to stand. A shower would be nice. Very nice.
"Sit." He barked then and Yaxley returned from the kitchen with a grilled cheese and soup for her.
Blowing softly on the steaming soup she began to eat. Thinking still about what she had noticed and what had been said.
"Speak." It wasn't a bark but it was a demand she looked up in time to see Yaxley shoot him a glance. Clearly not agreeing this was the correct tact to get her to speak. If he wanted her to then she would ask one of the questions she had.
"The last one. The one you watched. Is he, does he study under your own master?" She felt awkward and as if it was none of her business. Silence and she looked back to her half eaten meal and picked up her spoon again. If he didn't want to answer, that was his right.
"Yes." The answer came after a minute and she looked up and nodded. So that was as she had put together then. Both were watching her and she didn't know what to say. Silently she finished her meal and thanked Yaxley for it. Nothing was said for a few minutes and she waited, trying not to fidget. Eventually he gave her a nod that was her dismissal, and she thanked them both and headed for the door. Knowing their eyes were locked on each other's behind her.
Standing in her empty house, she wasn't sure what to do. It wasn't often that she felt small and a bit sorry for herself. Especially after taking down two against herself. Today though, all the words they had said just repeated in her mind. Over and over. Things she had wondered about and some were her own personal insecurities that she had acknowledged. She could feel the mud in her boots and knew that a shower was the most relevant task. Lev watched her from the foot of her stairs as she walked past him and climbed them slower than usual.
The bathroom filled with steam and she peeled her disgusting clothes off and stepped into the hot water. After standing and watching the dirt slide off of her for a minute, she began to scrub. Her hair and her body were subjected to a thorough cleaning. Harry was with Astoria and Luna in France for a few days, with a magizoologist she had been writing back and forth with. She wanted Finn but wasn't sure what she would say. When she had no further reasons to stay in the sanctuary of her shower she reluctantly got out and then dressed herself. Comfortable leggings, her tornadoes hoodie and her favourite yellow fluffy socks.
Then she went downstairs and after wandering around, grabbed herself a glass of wine and curled up on the couch. Lev came then, and sat curled up on her lap. Closing her eyes, she tried to force herself to calm down.
"It matters not, if she wins. Never will she get recognition. A woman. Disgusting muggle. Magic won't clean her." The shorter one used more words but wasn't quite as cutting as the taller one.
"I don't need your approval. Just get on with it." She ground out. This had been half an hour of insults and demeaning comments.
"Your Master's though?" The taller one taunted and Hermione scoffed.
"Liniya and a blood purist. As you say here. Discerning, we say at home." The taller one spoke as if he was educating her. She didn't reply but sent a faster barrage of spells and began putting up different wards in between.
"Did you beg?" The shorter one asked, sounding curious as he spun from her latest jets of light and sent several back at her.
"We are sought out. It is an honor to be asked. One you will not have." The taller one was shooting wards up as the shorter one kept her engaged.
"Beating his successor will gain you nothing." The shorter one took a tripping hex to the knee and she began pressing him while letting her magic search out the wards she could feel closing around her.
"You will always be as you are. Lesser. To him. It is said you bear a scar." She clinched inwardly at their knowledge and its truth.
"He is a legend among us. Came late and achieved more than any other. Legend too, fighting for the place of women and the purity of magic." With that the wards began tripping and Hermione had no time to think it over.
The ground swallowed her and as it closed over her head, she let her anger rise.
Hermione felt several things but the most distressing was the tinge of shame. Having left the two facing each other so they would have someone to talk to through the long night. Without excess pain or fear so she didn't have anything to doubt herself about in that way. It was the feelings about herself and the people around her.
She knew that the papers and people talked about the Death Eater taking on a muggleborn and the possible reasons for it. Reasons she had gotten them out or relationships that had existed before his incarceration. It hadn't bothered her too much, there wasn't anything she could do about it and that hadn't been why she had done it. Now though, all of that was stirred up and she realised that she did want his approval. Of her as well as her magical skills.
They had been together nearly everyday for months now. Hermione hadn't thought too much about the relationship she was building with him, it just happened. As things happened their dynamic changed until she didn't think he hated her. Had almost forgotten that he had taken her on almost unwillingly.
The floo chime sounded and she felt Finn. Nothing to be done about it, him being here. It wasn't that she didn't want to see him, just that she felt exposed and vulnerable. Neither of which she liked, at least not this way.
"I'm here." She called and winced inwardly at the tenor of her voice. She smiled though, when he came into view, he was so handsome. His smile fell though and he scanned her.
"Little witch." This time it was a question and she smiled a bit harder in response.
"You were content when you went to read and eat raw fish, what happened?" He came and sat beside her, pulling her into his chest.
"They came. The expected pair." She felt him tense and ran a hand down his arm. "It's fine. I'm fine and so are they." Half hoping that would be enough, she just rested her cheek against his chest and breathed him in. She felt her body relax and knew that it was better, with him here.
"That wouldn't put you in this mood." He sounded thoughtful and a bit cautious.
"Do you think I'm a witch?" She blurted and then felt her face heat up against his chest. When he leaned back to see her face she just buried it in his shirt and held on tighter. Feeling him settle, accepting her choice, he was silent.
"What can I say to that? Of course you are a witch." He sounded sure but also as if he didn't understand, which made sense.
"I mean do you think my parents being muggles, normal, makes me less?" Her voice cracked and she pressed her eyes closed in embarrassment.
"No. Before you ask anymore questions, I need some context. What happened?" He was less tense than before but she could feel the tension in his chest and arms.
"They were chatty. Wouldn't shut up and since there were two, one always had time to talk. I was right, the last one is apprenticing under his master." She knew he would understand and felt him nod.
"So they said things and it's got you questioning yourself?" He sounded a bit incredulous and maybe angry. She just shrugged. Not knowing how to explain.
"Try and tell me something please." He sounded as if he was forcing patience and that made her smile a wobbly half smile.
"Not myself. What others think. Before you say anything, I know that it shouldn't matter and what most people think doesn't. Some people though, I can't help it." Then she began to cry and he just held her for minutes and then began to speak.
"I don't know what they said little witch, but it doesn't change anything that is actually happening with the people you care about. Their jealous whining was for this exact reason. They are stuck somewhere and you are here. Crying over assholes and their opinions. I hope you didn't cry over every idiot who has underrated you and your magic over the years." He didn't sound angry but a bit defeated and now she felt badly. She hadn't meant for him to take this on himself.
"Not you." She blurted out. Then groaned a little and waited. Her turn still then. Forcing herself to look up she nearly started crying again at the look in his eyes. It was soft and concerned.
"Him. I didn't know that it was by invitation. You get asked to apprentice. He didn't ask me and you saw him. He didn't want to do it. Why did he then? Why would he want a mudblood girl as an apprentice? I should have just left it alone. I never do though. I can't. It's been so good. Even him. With Yaxley, I thought it was okay. Now though, I don't know." He nodded and looked thoughtful.
"Let's get you in bed. We can do this there, and you won't be all hunched up like this." She wasn't surprised when he scooped her up and carried her, holding her head to his chest with one hand. He did this, it was cute.
When they were laying in a similar but more comfortable position and his hand was running up and down her back, she spoke.
"There aren't answers. I know. Nothing has changed. I still want this more than almost anything else. I've worked hard and I will keep it up." Hoping her tone closed the discussion she waited and after he met her eyes, he nodded, a bit reluctantly.
"Alright. For now anyways." They lay together and she just breathed slowly until she fell asleep.
"Father." Draco's voice cut into the comfortable silence as they settled into their after dinner drinks.
"Yes?" He was thinking about the deal that had closed today and wondering about some of the contract wording, maybe that was why he didn't notice the look on his sons face.
"Do you think Hermione less, for her circumstances?" After scanning the three facing him, he ascertained that Draco truly wanted to know. How to answer.
"No. And yes." That explained it quite precisely he thought and was a bit surprised when his wife answered instead of their son.
"Please explain Lucius." Nothing showed other than interest and curiosity. He didn't shift in his seat but would have, Narcissa would notice.
"In some things I think her capable or more. I am not stupid nor unobservant. In other ways though, she is young and untried." That was well worded, he thought and noticed the three others nod thoughtfully.
"So you think her incapable of doing the warding required?" Theodore asked.
"Nothing is required of her." Lucius answered. He had spoken generally. Draco tipped his head to the side and thought about that.
"Thank Merlin she didn't agree." He caught Theodore's eye and they shared a look that was clearly agreement. He raised his brows in question.
"To think that I would have asked her to sit at a table, celebrate Yule even, with a man who thinks her little better than an overconfident chit." Draco remarked and Lucius watched his partners lip quirk.
"Dangerous surely." The other man replied. Narcissa made a sound.
"She wouldn't have punished you darling. Either of you." Narcissa mused.
"Father though?" Draco asked and Lucius couldn't help his scoff, elegant though he kept it.
"Perhaps you think that Hermione is the same witch who watched twitch on our floor. You are wrong." His wife flinched and he frowned in disapproval of his sons language.
"He has been away." Theodore put in, as if it made all the difference.
"Surely our opinions should have been asked then, if you aren't fully apprised of the situation?" His wife asked, all gentleness and curiosity.
"That aside Father, have you decided who you will ask to do the wards?" Draco asked him. A light in his eyes that perhaps was a challenge.
"As he said, there are other masters." Lucius calmly replied and gave an equally elegant shrug.
"Hermione's point about you having wards that you don't believe to be the best?" Narcissa asked and he could tell that she meant it.
"I ran into Shacklebolt today." Theodore spoke into the pause. All looked to him, at the seeming non sequitur.
"It seems Dolohov and his apprentice set up a fourteen stone array at his estate. Three days." He spoke as if they were discussing the weather. All of them were silent.
"Three days. That is quite remarkable." Was the last thing his wife said before she stood and kissed both younger wizards before sweeping out of the room. Left alone, Lucius wondered what he should do.
