Chapter 31

Proof

It had taken a while to bring Clem up to date and Hermione knew that it was still a risk to tell him everything, but she didn't really have a choice and with Draco gone, she needed help. He listened intently, not interrupting her once until she had finished the tale. He then asked her some questions, his serious face pale, his eyes concerned. After they had talked for a long time she felt she had done the right thing telling him. She had no proof that he wasn't involved but if he was, then he must be a very good actor to manage to pull off the surprise he had shown and to ask the insightful questions he had asked her.

She'd left him on watch in the store as she had to find the children and check they were okay and then explain the whole thing to Luca so that he could help them too. Aria and Max were both in the kitchen.

"Have you got a minute?" Hermione asked, trying to sound calm. She actually felt very anxious about Draco, about telling Clem, about trusting Clem, about telling Luca and about who might turn up any moment to try and steal the blood. "You Father has had an accident. Don't panic, he will be okay but he has a nasty break and they have taken him to hospital to fix it properly."

Aria put her hand to her mouth. "Will he be alright?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, he will."

"You're not just saying that so we don't worry?" Aria asked, obviously wise to how adults sometimes tried to protect children from the truth.

"No, I'm not. I wouldn't do that. He will be fine but it may take a while to fix his arm. There is going to be quite a lot to do, so I'm going to need you to look after each other and sort yourselves out something to eat."

"I can cook us something," Max nodded. "We can amuse ourselves, don't worry."

Hermione smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you – that will be a great help. I know it's a bit of a bad time with your mom and your dad both not well."

"You and Luca are here so we're okay," Max said and Hermione looked over at him in surprise.

"Thanks, Max."

"It's true," Aria gave Hermione's arm a squeeze. "We will be fine – you can leave us to it."

Hermione went to find Luca and filled him in on Draco's accident and then tried to give him an edited version of the blood thefts. Luca listened quietly until she had finished.

"I'm happy to help. I can't believe someone might be doing this to Father!" he said. "Does Father know you're asking me to do this?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, he knows."

Luca looked mildly surprised. "And he agreed?"

Hermione smiled. "Yes, it surprised me too. Are you sure about it Luca? You feel confident? You won't be in danger unless you let them see you, so you mustn't do that. That is imperative, or I can't let you do it."

"I'll stay hidden, I promise. I want to do it – you can trust me, Hermione."

Hermione squeezed his arm. "I know I can – that's why I suggested that you help. I'll go and relieve Clem now as he will need to help with the dragons. Can you come early morning to relieve me? Don't let anyone see you!"

Luca shook his head. "No, I'll do the night shift – I'm good at keeping awake and you look really tired."

Hermione shook her head. "I can't let you stay up all night."

"Why not?" Luca looked at her challengingly.

"I promised your Father I'd look after you and it's not right leaving you alone all night – especially as I'll need to sleep."

Luca shook his head. "Either I can do this or I can't. I don't need babysitting and if I do then I shouldn't be involved at all."

Hermione looked at the young man in front of her and saw such a resemblance to his father that it made her smile. "You sound like your dad," she said and Luca grinned at her.

"I'll go and get something to drink and eat and you get some rest," he was now the one giving instructions. "I can send a Patronus if I need help."

Hermione grinned at him. "Yes boss!"

Hermione slept fitfully and was awake and dressed before dawn. She did herself a little bag of snacks and drink and then quietly snuck down to the store, keeping an eye out for any other early risers on the way.

Luca was wide awake, laid out on some straw. "Morning – you're early!" he whispered and Hermione nodded.

"I couldn't sleep – tossed and turned all night," she explained.

"In that case you should do a short shift this morning," Luca said.

"No, I'll be fine."

"If you fall asleep then we've all wasted our time," Luca sounded very grown up and Hermione stared at him. "I'll ask Clem to come in 4 hours."

"Okay," Hermione agreed. He was right, if she fell asleep and someone arrived then she would have totally ruined the whole plan.

"Have you heard about Father?" Luca asked, climbing down the steps.

"Yes, they've set his arm and all seems well. I expect he will arrive back later today but we can't let him help. He will insist but he will need to rest and can't risk injuring his arm."

Luca nodded, now at the bottom of the ladder. "I agree – we can stand up to him together." He flashed her a grin. "See you later, Hermione."

It was a few hours later and Hermione realised she hadn't made any allowance for how utterly boring this was. She wondered how Luca had managed to stay awake all night! She gave a long yawn and stood up, stretching. Maybe they had made a mistake and not made it obvious enough about the blood. Amid all the chaos of Draco's accident, things hadn't exactly gone as planned.

She had bought a pad, brush and small tube of paint and she tried to distract herself by sketching a few ideas about the family portrait and also drawing some dragons. Suddenly she heard movement outside the store and froze. It didn't mean anything that someone was around – it was early morning now, so staff would be out and about, tending to the dragons. She looked down at what she was lying on and realised that if they needed dragon food or hay, that could be a huge problem. She thrust her brush and the paint into her pocket, slipping the pad under a sack and then snuck behind a large chest just in case.

She was about to give up and move out from her uncomfortable hiding position, when she heard voices and the barn door swung open.

"He should be back later today." Pippa's voice was loud and clear and Hermione held her breath in case they might hear her.

"We can't store blood." Hermione was surprised to hear Liam again. What was he doing here again? And he was asking about the blood.

"I know we can't," Pippa sounded exasperated. "It wasn't exactly our priority last night."

"What do we need the samples for?" Liam asked.

"I have no idea," Pippa's voice was frosty and Hermione could tell she was annoyed at his questioning.

"What was Draco going to do with them?" Hermione heard Toby ask. It was strange all three of them being in the barn together.

"I just said, I don't know," Pippa snapped.

"I mean, if he was sending them off or taking them somewhere, I could do that for him," Toby sounded equally snappy and Hermione was surprised to hear him using that tone.

"Whatever we are going to do, it needs to happen quickly," Liam said. "Or I'll have to destroy them."

"No, there's no need for that," Pippa said. "Draco will be back and we can sort this then. I need to go - we have a lot to do today."

Hermione saw the barn door swing open then shut again as Pippa left.

"Maybe you should try and get hold of Draco," Liam said to Toby. "I won't let those samples stay there for more than a few hours – if they are found we can be closed down."

"Okay, I'll try," Toby answered him and the barn door swung open again. For a moment, Hermione thought they had all left but she heard movement and lent over the mezzanine. Toby was still here. He didn't seem to be doing anything, just standing in the middle of the barn, not moving.

Hermione felt butterflies in his stomach, this was creepy! What was he doing? After what seemed like ages, he went over to the barn door and looked out and Hermione knew in that moment that something wasn't right.

He closed the barn door and headed straight over to the fridge and Hermione felt for her wand, her heart thumping in her chest. Toby! It couldn't be Toby! It made her feel sick.

He opened the fridge and speedily took the samples from their holder, placing them in a soft pouch he had produced. Hermione watched with horror. He had come prepared! She tried to think logically – did she stop him now? If she did that, he would just make up some excuse about looking after the samples. She needed to let him leave with them and see what unfolded but she would have to hold her nerve for that.

He'd finished taking the samples and was closing the fridge and heading for the door. Hermione kept perfectly still until the door closed and then she sprang into action, clutching her wand. She realised they hadn't really taken the plan further than finding the perpetrator and now she was having to plan on the run.

She poked her head out of the door and looked both ways but Toby was no-where to be seen. She could not lose him! She stepped out of the barn and headed right, hoping desperately this was the way he had gone. As she approached the corner of the barn, she caught a glimpse of him turning towards the trees at the far end of the path. She picked up speed, keeping to the side of the buildings.

As she reached the next branch in the path, she slammed on her brakes because he had just gone around the corner. She raised her wand, her breath short, her palms sweaty. Taking a big breath, she rounded the bend and he was right there, right in her face. She couldn't even see him properly he was so close so she aimed a spell at him but he dodged it, grabbing her arm and trying to shake her wand from her hand.

"It's me, Hermione. Stop!"

She ignored him and managed to wriggle free, ducking under his arm and kicking him hard, making him cry out. He stumbled backwards groaning and swearing and Hermione seized the opportunity. She raised her wand to his throat and he froze.

"Bloody hell! Stop! It's me!"

She dropped her wand, recognizing the voice.

"Draco!"

"Who the hell did you think it was? What's happened?" Draco stood in front of her, his face flushed. He had a sling around his neck but neither arm was in it.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were Toby." Hermione looked at his arms. "Why haven't you got your arm in the sling?"

"I did have it in the sling until I was violently attacked," Draco awkwardly re-inserted his arm into the support, wincing. "That bloody hurt!"

"It's Toby, Draco – he's taken the blood. I thought you were him," Hermione looked around, lowering her voice again. "I've probably lost him altogether now."

"Bloody hell! Toby!" Draco was shaking his head.

"Yes. but we haven't got time for this now – we need to find him," Hermione raised her wand. "You stay here."

"No way! I'm coming with you."

"You're injured, you'll be a liability."

"I'm coming with you Hermione, let's go."

She hadn't got time to argue, so she let him follow her further along the path and into the trees. She felt deflated as they had almost definitely lost him. She was about to turn to Draco and say this when she heard voices just along from them by the reserve's outer fence.

She crept along, Draco right behind her and then stopped. She could see Toby leaning over the fence. He was talking to someone, passing them the tubes of blood but she couldn't see their face. Draco tapped her on the shoulder and she turned to look at him.

He mouthed the words to her, pointing his good arm as he said them. "You stay here, I'll circle round to the other side"

Hermione shook her head at him emphatically and pointed at his arm but he simply answered her by removing his arm from the sling and raising his wand. He moved away before she could stop him. She didn't know how long to wait or what they were going to do but she held her breath and her nerve, hoping it would all become clear.

"This is the last time."

She heard Toby's voice and strained to hear the reply but it was too quiet.

"No! I mean it, I won't do it again." Toby sounded upset and angry.

"Yes, you will." She heard the reply clearly now and it stopped her dead in her tracks. She knew that voice. She knew that voice really well. She felt her stomach lurch. This couldn't be happening!