Games are Afoot Chapter 6
Card Sharks
Everyone in the room looked up as Hermione and Charlie walked in. Bill had an odd smile on his face and he seemed to be looking over Hermione's head. She assumed the look was meant for Charlie and thought no more about it. Bill and Ginny were sitting at the far side of the now round table. Bill must have transfigured the coffee table. Fred and George were on either side of them and Ron, his back to her, was directly in front of her. She stopped walking and wondered what she was supposed to do now. Charlie had not expected her to stop as he was still having an unspoken conversation with Bill and walked right into her nearly knocking her off her feet. She grabbed Ron's shoulders for balance as Charlie grabbed her quickly around the waist and steadied her. Hermione's face burned red and Charlie's wasn't any better.
"Charlie. Charlie. Charlie. Not like you to be so clumsy mate." Bill chuckled as he shuffled.
"It was my fault, I stopped without warning. I-I-I am not sure where to go." Hermione stammered, very aware that Charlie had not yet released his grip on her waist. Charlie must have realized this too because he rapidly dropped his hands noticing that Fred and George were also smiling at him, amusement glinting in their eyes.
"Hermione, you can sit by me." Ron uttered as he half-turned and pulled out the chair at his right.
"And Charlie, you can come sit between me and Fred." Ginny added patting a stool on her left.
After they were all settled, Hermione placed her stack of cards in three piles in front of her just like everyone else. She was incredibly anxious about this game, but she tried to remember to wipe her face clear of emotions. Her poker face Charlie had called it. She glanced at the others at the table while Bill shuffled again and then began to deal. Ron nudged her arm and whispered, "Ante up," quietly in her direction. She hastily added one of her ministry cards to the middle of the table.
Ginny was smiling her normal smile as she waited for her cards. Fred and George were blatantly staring right at her. Charlie was fussing with his cards and Ron seemed as relaxed as if he were playing wizard's chess. Hermione tried to breathe as normally as she could. When the others picked up their cards, she followed suit. She discreetly glanced at her cards. A five of diamonds, a seven of spades, a nine of spades, a jack of hearts and a two of clubs. Hermione faced her cards to the table as she thought of her possible options. It was George's turn to open and he bet two academic cards. Hermione was more curious about the cards than the bets being placed. Fred folded and suddenly it was her bet. She could feel everyone's eyes on her but she only looked at Charlie who nodded as she put in her two academic cards. 'Breathe normally' she told herself. George wanted three cards. Bill took two. Charlie only took one. Ginny wanted two. Fred had folded. She picked out the jack and the two and Bill handed her two new cards. She forced herself to raise them slowly and look at them only once. They were a six of clubs and the eight of diamonds. It was a straight. She tried to keep the excitement out of her eyes as the realization hit her. Poker face. Poker face. She could feel someone looking at her. She glanced up slyly and realized Charlie was staring right at her. 'Poker face. Poker face.' She chanted to herself in her mind as she stared right back at Charlie and quirked her eyebrow. 'There," she told herself, ' Not happy. Not sad. Nothing to give away with that expression." She was so busy trying to outstare Charlie and keep her face expressionless, that she had no idea how many cards Ron had taken. This game took a lot of concentration she decided. George bet one quidditch card, two more academic cards, and a ministry card. Bill folded. Ginny raised two more academic cards. Charlie raised two more ministry cards. It was her turn. She took her time. She met the bet but did not raise. Ron called. Everyone laid their cards on the table. Ginny had a pair of aces and a pair of tens. George had a pair of twos. Charlie had a baby straight 2,3,4,5,6. Hermione turned to look at Ron's cards. He had three queens. Everyone looked at her and she looked at the table. It took her a minute to realize that she had won the hand.
"Beginner's luck!" muttered Ron.
"Bloody well played, Hermione!" Charlie cheered. She looked up to meet his face and he held his hand up for a high five which she returned. Ginny laughed.
"Is that a sigh of relief because she didn't make you look bad, Char?" Bill teased. "She made the teacher look good." The entire group broke into laughter. Bill gathered the cards again and started shuffling. Hermione looked at Charlie and mouthed, "Thank you!" to which he winked at her. Hermione felt her face turn red again and looked at the cards Ron had passed her from the pot.
"Oi, Granger," Fred jarred her out of her reverie, "That was one, let's see if you can do it more than once."
"Worried are you, Fred?" Hermione teased coyly.
"Not by you Granger. You have to be sneaky in this game and you are too by the book!"
"Maybe I have hidden talents Fred," Hermione countered boldly.
Ron coughed to cover his sudden laugh. He was well versed in Hermione's hidden talents and knew she was full of surprises. He desperately wanted to see the look on Fred's face if she conjured another one to humble him. Hermione could be impressive. Ron draped his arm across the back of Hermione's chair and leaned across her to address Fred.
"Mate, she's not called the brightest witch of her generation for nothing. I would be VERY careful throwing down the gauntlet in front of her." He turned to look at Hermione, who was slightly pink from his compliment. He realized how close he actually was. He could see the flecks of green in her eyes and the cluster of freckles on her nose. She didn't blink.
"Are you trying to see my cards Ron?" She challenged with a wicked grin.
Ron abrubtly sat back up straight. "No! I was just---I was—oh bother, let's just play!" He stammered. Another round of laughter beset the group as Bill finished dealing. Hermione glanced at her cards. Two two's and the rest garbage. She remembered to ante all on her own. Charlie opened with two ministry cards. Everyone was in. When Bill passed her the three cards she asked for she looked quickly and then tried very hard to look as if she was thinking. She didn't really have to think for this hand. She should probably fold. If it wasn't for Fred's taunting she probably would have. She had an idea. She looked at her hand again and then at Charlie. He was watching out of the corner of his eye frowning that she had looked at her cards again. He had told her not to do that. She looked again and tried to look like she was trying not to smile. The bet came around to her.
"I raise four quidditch cards!" She practically yelled. Everyone smiled knowingly shaking their heads. They were all thinking, "Rookie!" George, Bill, Ginny, and Ron all folded. Fred looked at Hermione who was trying her best to squirm in her seat while looking like she was trying to control herself. Fred folded. Now it was just her and Charlie. They stared at each other. Charlie saw the bet and raised her four more quidditch cards. She met the bet and raised him two more. Then she quirked her eyebrow at him and he folded. She had won again! Ron handed her winnings to her. She was turning to thank him when Fred grabbed her cards.
"Hey! I thought I didn't have to show if everyone folded!" She yelled at him sternly.
"A lousy bloody pair of twos! You only had a pair of twos!" Fred could not believe she had tricked him! "You don't bet galleons on twos! What were you thinking!"
Hermione looked him coldly in the eye and said, "I wasn't thinking. I was bluffing. Or did you think that was beyond my abilities?"
The room burst out laughing except for Fred, but eventually he joined in too. Bill began shuffling again when there was an extremely loud clap of thunder that rattled the shutters. Everyone jumped as they were startled. Bill and Charlie were on their feet in a flash with their wands out.
"That was really loud." Ginny said quietly stating the obvious. Everyone held their positions and then a streak of lightening flashed followed immediately by another booming roll of thunder. Following the noise the silence was almost deafening as they waited. A soft sucking sound could be heard. Charlie tossed everyone their wands as Bill said, "You lot stay here. Charlie and I will be right back. Stay together."
No one said anything while Charlie and Bill were gone. They sat there and looked nervously around. The lighthearted mood that had filled the afternoon was suddenly gone, replaced by a palpable tension. The only sound was steady breathing and the clock ticking in the background.
After ten minutes that felt like hours, Bill and Charlie returned, dripping wet and looking solemn.
"What did you find?" George asked more seriously than Hermione had ever heard him.
"Footprints," muttered Bill. He and Charlie exchanged a glance and Charlie moved to the fireplace. He conjured his patronus, which to no one's surprise was a dragon. He murmured a quiet spell and put a handful of floo powder in the fireplace. The patronus was gone instantly.
"Ron, Bill is going with you so you can pack. Fred and George, stay together and pack quickly. I will go with the girls. Keep it light for now. We will be leaving shortly." Charlie said firmly. The look on is face was intimidating. Seriousness plagued the room.
"Where are we going?" Ginny asked tentatively.
"We can't tell you just yet, but you'll understand when we leave." Bill spoke solemnly.
Bill pulled Ron by the elbow, "Let's get to it." They left the room and headed up the stairs. Fred and George followed quickly behind. Ginny led Hermione and Charlie to her room.
"I'm scared Charlie." Ginny said calmly. "Who do you think it was?" Charlie pulled her under his arm in a protective hug.
"It was probably nothing. The wards on the house prevent anyone from coming in, but most of our friends know that. It doesn't look like anyone tried to get through, just that they were here. So it's suspicious, but not dangerous right now. We have been waiting for something like this for awhile. This just made the decision to move you lot that much easier. No question now really." Charlie explained.
"But where will we go? If the burrow isn't safe, where is?" Ginny asked, her voice just slightly quivering.
Charlie hugged her. "We will explain soon. For now, just pack. And Gin, be quick okay?"
Charlie let Ginny go and looked at Hermione who had quickly packed a ruck sack and her school bag. It looked heavy.
"What's in the second bag, Hermione?" Charlie asked suspiciously.
"My books. If we are heading somewhere unknown for an undisclosed amount of time, I want something to do." She replied without question and without apology. She didn't look nervous. She didn't look scared. She only looked thoughtful.
"Who is 'we'?" She asked.
"Excuse me?" Charlie asked.
"The 'we' that you mentioned would explain soon. Who is 'we'?" She repeated.
Hermione was sharp.
"You will understand very soon. Please don't ask me questions that I cannot answer." Charlie said simply. Hermione could see that he wasn't deliberately being evasive and appreciated that he had given her as direct an answer as he could. "Are you both ready?" The girls nodded. "Let's go back to the lounge then." The group left and headed back down the stairs with Ginny in the lead.
"Thanks for not pestering me with questions." Charlie growled low in Hermione's ear. "I know you see more than you let on." Hermione just nodded as the growl made her skin tickle.
Once everyone was gathered again in the lounge by the fireplace, Bill waved his wand in a complicated pattern and muttered a nearly silent incantation. The green flames roared and soon someone stepped out of the fireplace. Hermione found herself staring. The someone was only a few inches taller than she was and of slender build. She tripped getting out of the fireplace and Bill caught her with a chuckle.
"Somethings never change, yeah?" He said warmly to the woman.
"Right as rain, Bill, right as rain." She chuckled back. Hermione's jaw dropped as the woman's hair blazed orange and then back to neon pink.
"Hey Tonks!" Charlie said enthusiastically.
"Wotcher, Charlie!" She responded with equal animation. "Fred. George." She nodded at each in turn.
"Tonks!" The twins exclaimed in unison.
"We haven't seen you in ages," Fred began.
"Liked the blue hair better myself, " George continued.
Ron, Ginny, and Hermione could only silently watch as her hair turned a shocking royal blue.
"You must be Ginny." Tonks stated as she moved toward her. "My name is Tonks. I am an auror and an old friend of these lot," She said as she waved her hand at the four older boys. "Went to Hogwarts and spent my fair share in detention with them too!" She continued merrily. Everyone chuckled. It was hard not to feel happy with Tonks around. The mood in the room was lighter again.
"Do you have the parchment?" Bill asked.
"Yep, ok you lot let's see…Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Hermione….yes that should do it." She said as she handed each a small piece of parchment. We are going to apparate to that address in intervals. You need to read the parchment silently to yourself and then memorize it. We will then destroy the parchment. Any questions?" She asked looking at each of them.
"I don't know how to apparate." Hermione said quietly.
"You younger lot will be doing side along apparition." Tonks said. "Fred and George, did you pass your test?"
They both nodded. "Ginny and I will go first. Follow quickly and I will show you what to then. Five minutes later Bill and Ron will come. Five minutes after that will be Charlie and Hermione's turn. By the way, Char. Try not to splinch the poor girl will ya'?" Bill laughed. Charlie grimaced.
"Oi Tonks, you aren't ever going to let me live that down are ya?" Charlie muttered.
"Nope, can't say as I will." Tonks answered grinning broadly.
"Should I be aware of something?" Hermione asked cautiously.
"No, nothing to worry about. I just like to take the mickey out of him for not passing his apparition test the first go round." Tonks replied brightly.
The five studied their parchment and then when they were ready they burned them in the fireplace. The mood in the room had grown serious again.
"We have to go out to the broomshed now as we can't apparate out of the house. It's pouring buckets, but we will be dry as soon as we get where we are going. Let's go."
Bill said with authority. Everyone followed quickly and obediently.
They made their way through the muck and rain to the broomshed that was situated approximately 100 meters from the house. From the outside the building looked as if it would fall over in a strong wind. It looked much sturdier from the inside but it was dusty and cramped inside with so many people. The dust coated their wet, dripping clothes and faces creating mud. Ginny and Tonks left almost immediately. There was no need to talk. Fred and George followed one minute after the first group. For five minutes Hermione stood quietly with Ron, Bill and Charlie. Ron and Hermione shared a look just before he and Bill departed. Once they were gone, Hermione shivered slightly.
"Are you cold?" Charlie asked quietly.
"A little, but I'll be alright." Hermione answered softly.
Charlie moved behind her and hesitantly rubbed his hands up and down her arms in an effort to warm her. "Have you ever apparated with anyone?" Charlie asked her knowing the answer. Hermione just shook her head, enjoying the warmth his hands were creating on her arms.
"It feels a bit like your insides are being sucked out, but it goes away quickly enough when it's over. Bit like a port key but stronger."
Hermione nodded again but didn't say anything.
"The thing is, it's a little awkward, but for the first time it would be easier if I held you really close. That way if you felt weak at the end, you won't fall."
Hermione turned around and looked Charlie directly in his eyes. She studied them for a long moment and then said, "I trust you Charlie."
"Okay then. Let's go." Charlie pulled her into a bear hug. He noticed her hair smelled faintly like flowers and her head fit perfectly under his chin. She wrapped her arms around his waist and held on firmly. Charlie turned and with a 'pop' they were gone.