Chapter Seven
Being held against that firm chest was both terrifying and thrilling. If she was somehow ever able to make it out of the bizarre mess she found herself in, Hermione knew she needed to see a capable mind Healer or even a proper Muggle psychiatrist. There had to be a number of serious problems within her if she was more pleased to be captured again than scared. Only her fear of what was going to happen to Harry kept her from fully enjoying the moment.
A bright light burst out of the end of her captor's wand, fully illuminating the immediate area. As soon as they could all see, the arms released Hermione and stepped back. Confused and not just a little disappointed, she spun around.
"I'm so sorry, Miss Granger. It's so dark down here I thought you were the old woman."
For a man usually of few words, Auror Savage tripped all over himself to apologize for grabbing her in the dark. Hermione had to push aside her disappointment to put on a show of how glad she was to be rescued. It only took her a few moments of faking it before she truly was relieved. Of course it was better for all of them that it wasn't Antonin who found them. Harry might already be dead if he was.
"Harry needs help. I'm almost certain he has a concussion."
Spurred into action by her urgency, Savage flicked his wand in rapid succession to send over a dozen red beams of light upstairs. She was on the verge of asking the auror what he was doing when the door to the upstairs burst open to admit a large team of more aurors. Hermione could take a deep breath. Harry would be all right and she would be out of the dismal house soon.
"We'll take Potter to St. Mungo's. What about her?"
One of the aurors Hermione didn't know spoke to Auror Savage as if she wasn't even there. Under ordinary circumstance she would've been quite annoyed by that sort of treatment, but after the ordeal she'd gone through, she was glad she wasn't expected to take charge and make decisions. All she wanted was to go home. Her adventure had been little too exciting for her tastes.
"Do you need to see a Healer, Miss Granger?"
She was surprised by how clam and comforting Auror Savage turned out to be. Based solely on his appearance and his reticence, she assumed when he spoke he would be gruff, even unkind. He had the opposite effect.
"No, I'm fine, thank you. I'm not hurt. I just want to go home."
When the unknown auror acted as if he was going to argue and demand she see a Healer, Auror Savage stepped in to offer to escort her home. She was grateful again. The last thing she wanted was to have an obtrusive Healer poking and prodding and asking her personal questions. Anything she said would end up in some sort of official report she was certain.
"You know Robards will want her to see a Healer."
"If she says there's nothing wrong with her, there's nothing wrong. I'll take her home."
"She'll need to provide her official statement."
"And she will. Tomorrow. After she's slept all night in her own bed."
Hermione had to smile. Never did she want to find herself an enemy of the determined auror. He was clearly the loyal type who would stop at nothing to ensure those in his protection were well cared for. She was nearly certain she sensed a Hufflepuff. As far from being one herself as it was possible to be, the older she became, the more respect she had for members of that particular House. Most of them possessed personality traits she wished she had.
"Fine. Take her home, but I'll be letting Robards know it was all your idea."
The other auror stormed off with an annoyed expression on his face. Auror Savage only sighed. He turned back towards Hermione to offer her a half-smile.
"Don't think too hard of Williamson. He's a good auror. Just likes going by the book a little too much."
"And it's normal procedure to take me to St. Mungo's?"
"A kidnapped witch? Absolutely."
Realizing he'd perhaps said more than he intended, the slightest pink tinge appeared on the skin not covered by facial hair. She almost laughed even if she was embarrassed by the assumption they all seemed to have that she'd been violated by the big, bad, evil Death Eater. Auror Savage cleared his throat. She chose to take pity on him.
"I was not harmed, Auror Savage. I promise. Harry only offered me his robe because I was wearing a nightgown and it was very cold down here."
She wondered if she would ever stop feeling guilty for telling lies. Both Harry and the kind auror just wanted to make certain she was all right. It felt wrong to pretend like nothing happened even if she couldn't deny the largest part of her wanted everything that happened when she was alone in that room with Antonin. And more.
"Good. I'm glad. Let's go upstairs and get you back home."
There was no need to convince Hermione to leave that dreadful house. Even before she'd been abducted and was only there to help search the premises years earlier for illegal items she hated it. Dark and dreary, the best years were far behind the family home in the past. All that changed between visits was it had somehow become more depressing. She wasn't invested in staying inside a moment longer than necessary.
Up the cellar stairs and then out the kitchen door to the dark back garden was the most direct route outside. Auror Savage reached for her arm to Side-Along her home, but before he made any motion to Apparate, he stared at her with a sickened expression. Hermione was worried. What was going to happen next? She wasn't sure she could handle much more.
"I owe you an apology, Miss Granger. I was the auror assigned to keep you protected this morning and I failed. You were taken under my watch and I'm very sorry that I failed you."
Her earlier assumption that he was kind was even more apparent to be true. She had to smile. The poor thing must have been in agony all day while she was missing. He took his responsibilities very seriously.
"There was a portkey hidden under my pillow. It was very small. No one would've known what it was even if they saw it. It's not your fault I was taken. You couldn't have stopped it even if you were in the same room when it happened."
Her explanation seemed to only slightly relieve his guilt. It was better than nothing she supposed. Savage nodded once before spinning in place to Apparate.
Seeing her front door again brought Hermione a tremendous amount of relief. Some of the fear and worry she'd been trying to ignore since the whole ordeal began crashed down on her at once. She nearly burst into tears.
"Are you all right, Miss Granger?"
"I'm just happy to be home. Earlier today I wasn't sure I would ever be back here again."
She wiped at her eyes with the back of Harry's sleeve, embarrassed she wasn't able to contain her emotions until she stepped inside. Auror Savage gently pat her back. It was sweet, if a bit awkward. He didn't seem to know what to do with her tears any more than she did. Fighting Dark wizards was something he understood better than comforting an upset witch.
"I'm sorry I'm crying."
"Please don't apologize. There's really no need."
Two aurors stepped outside her house through the front door. She was glad of their arrival. Auror Savage could turn his attention to his comrades while she tried to compose herself.
"You found her! What a relief. Was she at the Fawley house?"
"Yes, she was. Dolohov got away though. We're going to leave a guard on her house at all times until he's found. Both of you are to remain here until you're relieved in a few hours. Once I check every centimeter of her house myself, I'll be going back to the Ministry to coordinate the guards."
Hermione was glad to know Auror Savage was taking charge. There was something about him that put her at ease. Already she knew she could trust him.
"I'm going inside now. Come inspect when you're ready."
When Hermione opened her front door she nearly cried again. Seated on her sofa flipping through one of her books was Oliver. After what they went through their first evening together, she wouldn't have been surprised if he never wanted to speak to her. Because of a maniac's obsession with her, he could've easily been killed.
Oliver jumped up to his feet when he saw her enter the room. In just a few strides he was across the distance between them to pull her into his arms. His tight embrace made remaining in complete control of her emotions nearly impossible. She was so thankful not to be alone.
"I was so worried about you. When the Ministry announced you'd been taken, I hated myself for leaving you."
"No, no, it's not your fault. Everyone wants to blame themselves when only one person is responsible."
"Still, I'm so relieved you're all right. I've been waiting here for hours, driving the aurors outside insane with my constant questions if you'd been found yet."
With a discreet clearing of his throat, Auror Savage entered the lounge. Oliver released Hermione from his hug, but didn't let go of her hand. He needed physical proof that she was still there with him that she was glad to provide.
"If you'll allow me, Miss Granger, I want to check for myself that every door and window is locked and secure."
"Of course. Please do."
Perhaps Oliver had something of a suspicious nature, but he didn't like anyone, including an auror, wandering around the house unsupervised. Still holding her hand, he all but forced Hermione to join him in following the auror. Not that she really minded. It was for her own peace of mind that she wanted to be sure there weren't any surprise entrances Antonin could find.
Just as he promised, every single window and door was checked and double-checked before Auror Savage was satisfied that she would be safe within her own home. To ensure there were no other hidden portkeys she might stumble upon, he cast a spell she didn't know to search out portkeys. It was frightening to discover Antonin took the time to hide half a dozen around her house. He had been determined that she would end up in his mother's cellar.
All of the hidden portkeys were the same tiny scraps of parchments that anyone who wasn't specifically looking for might overlook. Once Auror Savage had them all gathered and deactivated he dared to take a close enough look to read what they said. For a second time that night she saw his skin flush pink. She was mortified. If they were even just half as bad as the one she actually read, she could only imagine how inappropriate Antonin's filthy notes were. The auror incinerated all of them with a spell before Oliver could reach for them. Hermione could've kissed him in gratitude. How was she going to explain her ordeal to the wizard when they were alone?
"It looks like everything is secure, Miss Granger. As I said earlier, there will be two aurors outside of your house until we catch that arsehole. If you need anything at all, ask them."
"Thank you for everything, Auror Savage."
He offered her another half-smile, but somehow she knew for him that was far more genuine than full smiles from a lot of other people. Hermione returned the smile as she closed the front door. The loud click of the lock seemed to echo in the quiet house. Relief settled all over her. She was so glad to be home.
"Were you being honest when you said you were all right? You don't have to spare me, Hermione. You can tell me anything."
For only a brief moment she considered telling Oliver every single embarrassing, disgusting moment. No doubt he would regret making such a claim. She was trouble. If he was smarter, he would run as far away from her as possible. She would bring nothing but sorrow and pain to anyone who dared get too close. Oliver deserved more than that. She wasn't nearly good enough.
"Yes, Oliver. I'm all right. He locked me in a hidden room in his mother's cellar and taunted me. He didn't have a chance to hurt me before the aurors found me."
He exhaled heavily in relief. She hated herself for lying to a good man. Why was he even still there? No one would blame him for thinking it was all too much. In an effort to distract herself from her downward spiraling thoughts, Hermione reached into Harry's pocket to remove Oliver's wand.
"I managed to get this away from Dolohov before he got away again. Thought you might like it back."
Oliver stared at the wand she pressed into his hands with a look that was equal parts amazement and incredulity. No doubt he never expected to see it again. He granted her a wide smile before pulling her back into his arms to kiss. For the briefest of moments while his lips pressed against hers and his tongue slid into her mouth, she could forget everything dreadful and confusing that happened to her since she woke up that morning. The wizard had a powerful effect on her, every bit as strong as what she felt when she was locked in that hidden room with Antonin. All too quickly, however, the magic of the moment ended when Oliver pulled back.
"Thank you for getting this. I'm sure it wasn't easy."
Her curiosity got the better of her as it usually did. Perhaps she was being foolish to ruin the mood and make it awkward, but she had to know.
"Why are you still here, Oliver? Most men would've run away without looking back."
He shrugged his shoulders with a shy smile that somehow managed to make him appear even more handsome. How was that possible?
"To be truthful, I've been interested in you for a very long time. Last night still seems like a dream. I was hoping we could be more than just a one-off."
It was so sweet to learn why he didn't run that she didn't know what to say in response. She would be a complete idiot if she didn't feel the same way about him. Choosing to kiss him in response instead of trying to figure out what words would work, she felt the earlier magic return. There really could be something substantial between the two of them if she could somehow keep her homicidal stalker from ruining it all. Was she kissing her future?
The emotions of their moment could've easily escalated to falling back in bed together if the obnoxious rumbling of her stomach hadn't made Oliver laugh. He resisted all of her advances and pleas to ignore it.
"You must be starving. Let's get you fed first before we lose our minds completely."
Finding anything to eat was usually a challenge in Hermione's house. Often she forgot to eat entirely or just picked something up in the Ministry canteen to eat at her desk. Oliver teased her about her bare cupboards, but somehow managed to find enough edible material to make her a decent sandwich. She was sure she would never get used to his kindness.
"If you want me to spend more time at your house, which I really hope you do, you're going to need more food."
She chuckled. He had a delightful way about him that helped her forget for a few minutes here and there how awful the world could be outside. How much happier would her life have been if she'd gone out with him for drinks the first time he asked? There had been a lot of wasted time and opportunities.
"In that case, I'll make sure I go to the market first thing tomorrow morning."
"Good. Thank you."
"Any particular requests?"
Oliver didn't answer her question, only smiled. There was a lot on his mind he wanted to talk about, but didn't seem to know how to ask. She knew the look well enough. They were seated across her small kitchen table as she diligently chewed the sandwich that was surprisingly delicious. After at least a minute of awkward silence, she knew she couldn't take much more. Suspecting he wanted more details of her ordeal, she blurted out more than she intended.
"Dolohov didn't kill me because he admitted after watching us last night through the windows that he wanted more from me first."
His eyes closed as she sighed. She could only imagine what he was thinking. The most un-Gryffindor part of her was too much of a coward to ask. She took another bite of her sandwich to keep her mouth occupied.
"I was afraid of something like that."
"You suspected?"
"An escaped prisoner locked up for a decade with an obsession for a beautiful witch? Of course I suspected. Who wouldn't? If murder was all he really desired, he would've killed us both in our sleep. Frankly, I'm honestly a little surprised to still be alive."
"Don't say that!"
Though she felt the same way, having Oliver actually say it out loud was much worse. Tears filled her eyes and she couldn't swallow another bite. Oliver slid his chair over to take her in his arms again. There were some truths that should never be uttered aloud.
"Harry found me before he could hurt me."
"Then the next time I see Potter I'm going to kiss him right on the mouth."
His joke helped ease some of the tension. She could even smile. Would it get easier with time to continue to lie to him or would she one day be unable to keep from telling him the truth? Antonin might've called him an imbecile, but Oliver was far from stupid. Maybe he was already aware she was lying. She hoped he would be able to forgive her if he did.
"It's getting late. You must be exhausted. I should go home."
"Please don't."
Hermione didn't want to be alone. Left by herself, her mind would inevitably travel down dark and twisty paths. Having Oliver near calmed her down. She felt less worried and anxious in his presence.
"Are you sure you don't want some time alone?"
"I'm sure. I was alone for a long time in that hidden room. I like having you here."
When Oliver was with her, her brain felt less fuzzy and confused. The polar opposite of Antonin, he was the wizard she should desire and none other. Maybe he could help her get over whatever insanity she was feeling.
"All right. I'll stay, but only to sleep. You and I both need it."
His cheeky wink brought forth delightful memories of the night before. No, there hadn't been much sleeping. He stood to clear off the table and clean up the mess he'd made making her a sandwich. That act alone should've been enough to make her fall madly in love with him.
"I want to take a shower before bed. Wash the cellar off of me."
"Okay. I'll finish in here."
"Are you sure you wouldn't like to join me?"
He chuckled, but didn't move any closer. Maybe he didn't trust himself to be strong if she was near enough to touch.
"That may be the most tempting offer I've ever received in my entire life, but no, I don't think I should. I'm a fool to refuse you."
"Another night."
"Yes. Many other nights."
She left the kitchen with a smile. Looking forward to better times ahead in the future was exactly what they both needed to put the horror of their wretched day behind them. She almost felt lighter as she searched through her chest of drawers for a clean nightgown. Was it wrong to be hopeful? Did she deserve a chance at happiness?
Thinking those sorts of thoughts were never a good idea. It wasn't unexpected to behave insanely in an insane situation. She would have to either be kinder to herself or figure out how she could forget everything she did and wanted when she was alone with the Death Eater. If she didn't pick one, she would only drive herself mad.
In her bathroom she was truly alone for the first time since she woke up from her nap in the hidden bedroom. No one seemed to want her out of their sight. For someone who spent most of her life alone, it was exhausting. She was glad Oliver didn't take her up on her offer to shower together. A few minutes alone to gather and order her thoughts was necessary. She recharged best when no one else was around.
The steaming hot water felt like bliss on her tired body. It was the first time since she saw the Azkaban uniform in Oliver's hand she could relax. She felt safe in her home, something she was worried she might never feel again after the two break-ins. With Oliver in the next room and two aurors standing guard outside, she had nothing to fear.
But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't shake the disappointment she felt. What was wrong with her? She should have been ecstatic that she was rescued and no lives were lost in the process. That was more than could be said for most encounters with Death Eaters in the not-so-distant past.
It all felt like a dream, a really, really weird dream. Being alone in the hidden room with Antonin… no, Dolohov. She couldn't humanize the monster by thinking of him by his first name. That was asking for more trouble and she already had plenty. Being with Dolohov was an experience she was sure she would never forget. It had been exciting in a way she never would've imagined possible. If they hadn't been interrupted by a well-meaning Harry, she was certain their encounter would've been even more memorable.
She felt ashamed she wasn't more horrified than she was. Something about that awful wizard excited her in a way she'd never been excited before. He wanted to murder her. How could she forget that for even a second? Of course remembering how his skilled and talented tongue felt sliding through her sensitive folds pushed more coherent thoughts right out of her head. Was death really such a terrible price to pay for sensations that made her scream and forget her own name?
If anyone could read her thoughts, Hermione knew she would have a permanent bed in the Janus Thickey long-term care ward in St. Mungo's. Maybe she would even be right next to Neville's poor parents. At least with their nearby presence she could be reminded what monsters Death Eaters were. They were evil, not potential lovers.
Hating herself even more for the thoughts she couldn't control, Hermione put her head underneath the spray of water and closed her eyes. Drowning herself might be the only option she had to keep from going insane. Slowly, she began to feel herself relax again. The steam helped, the lather running down her body cleansing away the dirt and grime from the cellar even more so.
She thought she heard the shower curtain. Before she could look, an arm slid gently around her waist. Her hair was carefully lifted at the back of her neck. Soft kisses placed on her spine sent delicious tingles all through her body. She smiled.
"Changed your mind about joining me, did you?"
The arm around her waist tightened its grip. She gasped.
"One scream and the imbecile is dead."