Glancing down the hallway, Hermione released the wards on Madeline's door, gave a brief knock, and slipped into the room. It was a formality, given they were able to see what she was doing anyways other than one corner for privacy, but Hermione didn't want to simply walk in.

The only person who had been spending any time with Madeline was Hugo, who wasn't in danger from her. He'd opted to stay in the same room with her and neither Hermione nor Draco had the heart to ask him otherwise when he'd done so much. Including turning his back on his own father.

Madeline glanced up in surprise from one of the books they'd given her. A thin, cautious smile spread across her lips, and she peered behind Hermione, as if expecting Hugo to follow.

"Hugo's outside with Draco," Hermione said by way of greeting. "They're working with the guards to prepare a few things." She kept her words intentionally vague, just in case.

Draco had also spent the better part of the morning working on drawing his magic without her assistance, and she'd left him to it.

Marking her page carefully, Madeline set the book aside. "Thank you for coming to see me." Offering a bit of a placating smile, she said, "I don't read as fast in English as in Swedish. These books will keep me busy for a while."

Hermione gestured towards the bed, where the other girl sat cross-legged. "May I?"

"Of course." Madeline shifted, and Hermione perched on the edge, one foot reaching to the floor.

"I found something you might like," Hermione ventured, brandishing a deck of cards. "Do you know any games?"

Worrying her bottom lip, Madeline shook her head. "Not any Muggle games, I'm afraid. Hugo might."

"I can teach you some." When Madeline's eyes widened in surprise, Hermione pushed on. "When I was a child I didn't have a lot of friends—and when I started presenting magic, I was mostly left alone, so I played a lot of card games with my parents and on my own. One of my favourites was a game called Solitaire."

As she spoke, Hermione began laying out the cards on the quilt between them; Madeline's eyes darted along, watching the setup. Then idly, Hermione began playing through a round.

"I can't help but wonder," she said after a while, flipping the cards as she spoke, "why it is that your loyalty didn't shift. Not entirely, anyways." Her gaze drifted up, meeting Madeline's bright blue stare. "You haven't made any effort to attack me."

"I don't mean you any harm," Madeline breathed. "I have a theory of my own, but I… I'm afraid to voice it out loud."

Hermione froze, fidgeting with one of the cards before she stacked it on another. "I'd love to hear it. You can be honest with me. Any information you might have will help."

The girl's cheeks pinked, as if with embarrassment, and she glanced away. "I believe my loyalty to Hugo is greater than to the Order. I think that's why I've been able to fight off the voice—for the most part."

"Voice?" The thought of it resonated through the back of Hermione's mind. "What do you mean?"

Madeline whispered, "Cosette's. I believe it's how she's containing the rest of the Order."

"Like the Imperius Curse?" The game lay between them, forgotten, as Hermione stared hard at Madeline. "Is she forcing people to do her bidding?"

Madeline shrugged, making a face as she considered her answer. "Not quite—not the same, I don't think. It's more like… she's using it to shut out any loyalties to Nocturnus and redirect them to herself. It happened automatically—I felt it in the moment—when the affiliation was seized from the Lunae Ortus. But I think Cosette fears the loyalty to her isn't true. It's only taken."

Hermione wasn't certain she was breathing as she took in everything Madeline was saying. "So that's why you tried to attack Dagomir?"

Madeline's cheeks pinked again. "At first, I wasn't so adept at blocking it out."

Glancing away, Hermione proceeded idly with her game, smiling when Madeline reached forward and shifted one stack of cards onto another. It appeared she was a fast learner.

"I don't blame you, by the way," Hermione said quietly. "That you're more loyal to Hugo. I can't say for certain, since Draco and I only came to know one another by way of the Order, but much of my loyalty is to him as well. You and Hugo were together for many years before all of this began."

Madeline carried on with the cards, as if to keep her hands busy, and she said, "My parents wanted me to be the Lunae Amor. They thought if I presented myself to the Lunae Ortus, and showed my best qualities, that he might have selected me."

"But you wanted to stay with Hugo."

Distantly, Hermione remembered something Draco had said the first time they'd been to visit the Nocturnus Castle together. That Madeline hadn't stood out at the open call.

The girl nodded, keeping her eyes carefully averted. "I grew up in Nocturnus, of course—both Hugo and I did—but I've never felt the depth of loyalty and devotion he has. It didn't matter to me whether I was selected, and in fact, I hoped I wasn't." Madeline frowned, staring at the last few cards. "I don't think there are any moves left."

Hermione shook her head, tapping the deck at the top corner. "The cards you need are trapped in here. You'll need to start over." She collected the cards, demonstrating how to shuffle the deck, before handing it back to Madeline. The girl began to lay the cards out again as Hermione had shown her.

"I don't know that I would have acted any differently," Hermione admitted, "were I to present myself to someone else—a stranger—knowing it would mean walking away from the one I loved."

With a bit of a stuttering nod, Madeline's eyes finally slipped up towards hers again, a smile tugging at her lips. "I appreciate that you understand. I never meant to betray the Nocturnus Order."

Hermione mused, "Does Hugo know about the voice?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I thought if you knew you would ask me to leave."

"I don't want you to leave," Hermione stated, meeting the girl's stare again. "Although I would like to know what she says and when. This could give us insight into Cosette's plans."

Madeline nodded, her face brightening. "I can do that."

Rising to her feet, Hermione said, "I'll leave you to it—maybe you'll join us for meals soon." She turned to walk for the door before turning back. "And Madeline?" The girl's head lifted from her cards. "I'm glad Hugo has you, especially now. He doesn't deserve everything that's happened with his father and Cosette."

"I agree," Madeline said quietly. "Thank you, Lunae Amor."

Offering a belated nod, Hermione slipped from the room.

Draco was discouraged, whilst simultaneously trying to convince himself not to be discouraged. Even though he knew his magic wasn't gone for good—though only small efforts, he had been able to use it the day before—he hadn't been able to make it cooperate without Hermione's support to bolster him.

And if she was right that he needed to believe in himself, then allowing his faith to wane would certainly do no one any good.

So he kept trying.

He wandered to the edge of the property, until he could feel the tingling of Hermione's wards against his skin.

In an effort to draw strength from her magical signature, he lingered within the boundaries, lifting his wand in another attempt. But nothing happened, as nothing had happened with each try before.

He couldn't manage to cast any spells with his wand, and he also couldn't feel the flare of the affiliation in his opposite hand. He felt bereft, desperate to feel the pulse of his magic in his veins.

The only consolation was that he knew it was still there, dormant below the surface. And somehow, implicitly, he knew Hermione would help him.

She had been by his side through so much that it was now difficult to imagine a time without her. Before his Ascension, and before everything else.

Through the years during and after the war, he had slogged along in a bitter existence until things just started to function again. A wry smile tugged at his lips when he thought of Hermione and the infrequent occasions when they used to see one another out and about in London.

In a strange way, this entire devastating mess had brought them together, and selfish though it might be, he coveted the thought that she was his.

Her magic tingled against his skin, reassuring as it prodded at his own unresponsive core; flexing his palm, he cast a glance down towards his marked hand. He slipped his great-grandfather's ring from his finger, wondering, not for the first time, at the power it possessed to contain and command the affiliation.

A mid-summer breeze washed over him, skimming through his hair as he gazed beyond the limits of the wards.

Somewhere, whether in Italy or France or elsewhere, his adversaries sat, smug in their own assessment of victory over him.

But Draco had been knocked down before—and he'd risen from the dust and the ash of battle. Alone, and struggling in the darkness.

Gazing at the ring, he slid it back onto his finger, feeling a shudder race through him.

He'd rise again, because he wasn't alone this time. And by the time Avance realised what was happening…

Draco clenched his hand into a fist once more, the curves of his nails digging into his palm as he clenched his jaw. He would see Cosette in the dust if it was the last thing he did.

"There you are." The relief palpable in Hugo's voice drew Draco back to the moment, and he stowed his wand with a grimace.

"What is it?"

Hugo's head dropped into a vague tilt towards the villa. "When you're ready, Dagomir and Ben need to talk to you."

Offering a sharp nod, Draco fell into step with Hugo as they made an idle route towards the makeshift barracks. He hadn't been inside yet, as the guards had worked well into the night to establish their quarters and Draco hadn't been keen to interrupt their work.

"Hugo," Draco bit out, shaking his head slowly. "It amazes me how focused you've been through all of this. Through everything with your father, with Madeline…"

A hint of a flush bloomed on Hugo's cheeks that had nothing to do with the glowing Spanish sun. "I suppose keeping my mind occupied on our next steps here has helped to distract me. And having had a few days to think about it, I can only wonder how I didn't realise what my father was up to." He frowned, falling silent for a moment. "He taught me everything I know about Nocturnus. I just… I never could have imagined."

"It's easy to fall blind to those we trust most," Draco allowed with a grimace. "I believed him, too. I relied on him more than anyone on the council."

Hugo nodded, sliding his hands into his pockets. "I know what has to happen. When we see them again." His eyes flickered to Draco's, and below their vibrant green, Draco saw fear. "I can't be the one, Lunae."

Draco only replied softly, "You won't."

He'd been trying not to think about the fact that Elias Bergen, as a traitor to Nocturnus, would face the same fate as Cosette herself. Death by affiliation would be his preferred choice, if his magic would cooperate.

"That said," Hugo went on darkly, "I wouldn't say no to a chance at Cosette."

Recognising the deep well of pain below Hugo's words, Draco clapped him on the shoulder. "When the time comes, my friend, I'll let you take the first shot."

Cosette had wronged them all—had dug beneath the surface into their pasts, their fears and regrets—and had strategically plotted their demise. But Hugo's pain was more visceral and more personal than anyone else's.

Privately, Draco wondered whether Hugo had it in him based on how he'd looked the entire time at the Nocturnus fortress in Italy the night of the battle. But seeing his raw anger below the surface now, Draco nodded. To defend his family, and his Order, he believed Hugo to be capable enough.

Arriving outside of the guards' quarters, Hugo turned to face Draco, dropping his head into a bow. "Thank you, Lunae."

"Thank you, Hugo," Draco returned softly, "for your loyalty."

With a wry smile quirking his lips, Hugo gestured towards the entrance, and Draco ducked through the canvas doorway, gazing around.

From the exterior, the barracks looked like little more than the large white tent that had been set up at his Ascension or the bonding ceremony. But from the inside, he could see networks of pathways branching towards private rooms, and within the centre was a large gathering and training space. They'd obviously utilised the same expansion magic that was used in magical tents.

Dagomir leaned over something on a large table in what appeared to be a facsimile of the war room at the fortress, and a jolt chased through Draco at the familiarity of it.

"Lunae," Dagomir said with a sharp nod. "Thank you for joining us."

Stepping closer to the table with Hugo at his side, Draco peered closer. Almost instantly, he recognised it as a technical drawing of the Nocturnus castle. He forced a swallow, glancing up to meet Dagomir's stare.

"Are we preparing for a raid?" he asked with a bit of a chuckle. Everyone present knew they stood no chance against Avance's forces right now.

But Dagomir shook his head, absently marking out several spots on the map. Draco watched as he conferred with the guards alongside, and together they analysed the map for several more minutes before Dagomir looked up again.

"Weaknesses," the man said by way of explanation. "Blind spots that our guards only discovered from extensive searching of the grounds."

One of the guards tapped several of the marked locations. "Much like the fortress, the castle features underground Apparition channels."

Draco's heart leapt into his throat, recalling that their plan was espionage and reconnaissance.

"This is dangerous," he breathed, catching Dagomir's eye. "Avance will not hesitate to kill any of us on sight."

But Dagomir shook his head, stepping back from the map. Hugo shifted uncomfortably, and Draco presumed he hadn't been aware of the depth of the plan either until now.

"We won't be going onto the premises," Dagomir explained, his gaze snapping up. "Not yet. Not until our forces are strong enough to fight."

Ben stepped forward with a nod towards those around the table. "Our primary plan for the time being is to learn as much as we can. How Avance is defending the castle—how many guards are present, and how well trained they are. Where and how our former Nocturnus are being kept. None of this will require invading Avance's wards or reaching too close onto the grounds."

"For now," Dagomir allowed quietly. He traced a boundary that appeared to delineate the edge of the property. "This is where our wards were established, and given they're forcing Glenneth to utilise his magic, it's reasonable to assume the wards haven't changed."

Nodding, Ben tapped his wand to the map beyond the wards in several spots, and Draco noticed they aligned with the locations Dagomir had referred to as blind spots. "We'll dispatch units beyond these points. It will be the safest place to observe Avance and learn more while being able to easily Disapparate if the need arises."

Although it sounded as if they'd worked through the plan, Draco was still hesitant at the idea of sending any more guards into possible trouble. Not when their numbers had taken a significant hit.

Furthermore, many of the guards—and Dagomir himself—were friends. Draco couldn't stand the thought of losing any more.

But even so, he recognised that the plan was the best way to learn more about Avance's present occupation of the Nocturnus Castle. And if they were going to infiltrate and attack at any point in the future, they would need as much information as possible.

Glancing sidelong, Draco met Hugo's gaze for an instant; he could see the caution in his adviser's stare returning his own, but as he turned towards the map again, Hugo nodded. "Obviously there is no need to tell anyone what we're up against here. Any guard contingents that even go near that castle will need to be as careful as possible."

"Right," Draco murmured, turning towards Dagomir and Ben. "If the option is an opportunity to learn something about Avance or to escape safely, your guards will choose the latter." Clenching his jaw, he added a gruff, "And that's a direct order."

Something flashed behind Dagomir's stare, and he offered a sober nod. "Very well, Lunae. I will be certain they all understand."

Ben folded his arms. "It's imperative that we get ahead of them. If Avance thinks we're holed up licking our wounds, let them believe it. Meanwhile we're preparing our offense once more. With all of their spies exposed, they have no way of knowing what we're up to this time. Let them see how it feels."

Feeling a surge of determination in his chest, Draco nodded, even as he felt a dull prod of magic reach for his damaged core. A smile tugged, almost unwittingly, at his lips as Hermione slipped up alongside him, lacing her fingers with his as she ducked in towards the map.

She gazed in silence for a long moment as the rest of them waited; Draco gave her hand a squeeze when she stood upright once more, her eyes tight on Dagomir.

"We're infiltrating?" she asked, her fingers tense in his.

"Not quite yet," Dagomir responded. Beneath the tension in his words, Draco could tell how badly the man wanted to storm in, wands waving. But they would only have one shot at their retaliation, and they would need to make it count.

Draco's lips twitched with a quiet, "We're spying."

"Good." Hermione huffed a humourless sort of chuckle, exchanging a brief glance with each of them around the table. "It's about time Avance has a taste of their own medicine."

Dagomir flashed a rare grin. "Indeed, Lunae Amor."

After their meeting with Dagomir, Hugo, and the guards, Hermione filled Draco in on what she had learned from her interactions that morning with Madeline. He'd been surprised to learn of the way Cosette was attempting to control the defected Nocturnus members and that she feared the loyalty would be swayed.

"I suppose I figured Madeline was a one-off," he said quietly, "since she's involved with Hugo."

"Same," Hermione mused idly as they wandered the grounds. "But it'll be interesting to see what we can learn—combined with Dagomir's plan for reconnaissance at the Nocturnus Castle."

"I still can't believe that," Draco growled, fury clawing at his throat once more at the thought of it. The castle was Hermione's favourite place, and he'd come to imagine the thought of them relocating there one day, once all of this was over. Maybe it had only ever been a dream.

She released a long sigh as they both took a seat in one of the sporadic benches that dotted the grounds; this one faced a small garden that Narcissa had taken to tending each morning, and bright flowers had begun to bloom.

"I know," she said at last, gazing out towards the horizon. "But I suppose it's just another reason to do what needs to be done." Her gaze darted towards his. "Without hesitating."

Draco nodded, pursing his lips in consideration. "Hugo and I had a conversation… about his father. And Cosette."

Hermione hummed, idly drawing the affiliation into her palm; he felt a brief spasm of envy coupled with awe at how proficient she'd become in the days since they'd arrived in Spain. Pressing her palms together, she asked, "What did he have to say about it?"

"He wants Cosette," Draco said simply; her brows flickered in surprise, but she didn't say anything. "And he doesn't want to be the one to take out his father."

"Understandable."

Quietly, Draco admitted, "I wasn't sure whether he was going to argue that one."

Hermione thinned her lips as she separated her hands, each one shimmering equally with the power of the affiliation. "It's an impossible situation, isn't it? Hugo knows what's at stake, and he knows what his father's done. Under Nocturnus law, Elias should be sentenced to death for treason."

"He's still his father."

"True." The word was barely a whisper from her lips, and before Draco could say anything he felt her fingers curl around the muscles of his neck and shoulders; his eyes fluttered shut as his head pitched forward, the warmth of the affiliation infusing his tight muscles with relief. Hermione pressed a kiss to the curve of his jaw with a soft, "You're so tense."

He had never thought to utilise the affiliation for a purpose so banal, but now he wondered why he hadn't, feeling the magic and skill of her fingers as she kneaded a tight knot in his shoulder.

"That," Draco choked out, "feels amazing."

She carefully maneuvered him so his back was to her as she idly carried on. "So I had a thought, and hear me out—"

"You want something," he chuckled, "of course you do. Butter me up and—" a groan slipped his lips as she hit a tender spot "—this is very Slytherin of you, Granger."

"I learned from the best, didn't I?" she quipped, and he caught the curve of her smile when he glanced over his shoulder before she returned to her work on his seized muscles. "I know Nocturnus is ancient and archaic and hasn't changed its methods in millennia—"

Draco didn't even have any words to respond, given how her touch had him feeling. He was torn between melting into her touch forever or dragging her behind the garden shed.

"We're asking quite a lot of our friends, aren't we?"

The words snapped his attention back, and he rolled his head back towards her with a quiet, "I suppose we are."

"Of course, I know they're our friends," she went on, her fingers pressing into the lines of his collarbone. Draco could feel the brightness of the affiliation racing through him, seeping into his skin and singing in his veins. "But I wonder whether we couldn't offer them… protection in return. I mean, I know it's limited right now, of course."

"Protection," Draco drawled, tilting his head to one side to oblige her ministrations. "Do you mean in Nocturnus?" She fell silent for a long moment as she worked, and Draco processed the thought. "I can't say I haven't considered it."

"I've been thinking about it since you told Harry he was unofficial Nocturnus," she hedged.

Draco's gaze flickered back to meet hers, his heart leaping into his throat. "You're saying it should be official."

"We can alter the oaths," she breathed, "modify the phrasing to suit the council. I just… don't you think Nocturnus could stand to progress a little?"

"Hermione," he murmured with a low chuckle, "has anyone ever told you you're brilliant?"

Her soft lips brushed against the stubble on his cheek with a quiet, "Once or twice."

The wheels in the back of his mind churned as he turned his head to capture her lips in a kiss.

Author's Note: Hey everyone! Thanks so much for reading the chapter. It's really occurring to me that you are all absolute rock stars for keeping up with this story, especially those of you who have been around for a while. The world has been crazy for a while now and I know I would not have been able to follow a story like this. I love you guys for your support and encouragement.

Special hugs to Alyssa M for making my week.

Alpha and beta team love to Kyonomiko, LadyKenz347, and ravenslight.