"What do you think?" She asked Sabrina and watched the girl turn around slowly. This was her third slow motion twirl and she blinked at her. Obviously this trip in answer to their questions about summer plans had been a surprise.
"You chose this?" She asked her and then her disbelief showed.
"Yes." She said and then glanced again at the boy who had just about made it down to the broom sheds. It was nearly all viewable from here. Except the beach was hidden behind the stand of trees that protected the cliff edge and separated the views. It was almost like they were inland. A thick belt of forest between the garden areas and the long stretch of beach. A three quarter size pitch was in the bottom back level and Sinclair had seen the hoops from his bedroom window. Five minutes after they arrived there. So outside they went and Sabrina had been quiet. As in not said a word until Hermione had asked her.
Hermione had cast sun protection charms, in addition to the ones on the main wards, when they left the house so she wasn't that concerned but she was hot. It was totally foreign to be this hot in late June. Nearly at all unless she was out of the country and it had been years since she did that. Until she went looking for a place. It had evolved and Blaise had just kept upping the ante and listening to her thoughts about what she wanted then looking for things and sifting through the extensive lists of contacts they were making. She had leased two of the Rosier homes for six months. As favours to people who wanted to come for private reasons. It was interesting to learn about something as complex as real estate and facilitating things with an agenda.
"Why?" They had reached the conveniently placed stand of trees with wooden lounge chairs under it and were watching Sinclair strap his helmet on and then he climbed onto the broom. She watched as he stopped before kicking off and looked for them. Then she gave a thumbs up and watched him shoot off the ground and fly once around before beginning the exercise routine Hinny and him had decided on in their latest meeting. She has been training a lot and he would go and watch when no one else was. Slytherin wasn't welcome or he felt like they didn't want him but Ginny loved it and wrote Hermione detailed letters until she realised she was asking Harry what it meant. Now it was simplified and Harry got the detailed lists of ideas for the boy.
"At first I was looking for a house or even a flat if it was in a good spot. Then I started thinking about what we wanted to do here." She looked over at Sabrina who was listening to her but watching Sinclair. A quick glance with a grin and then she spoke.
"I wondered what was going on at Easter and Sin asked me if you were thinking about moving or something. It was confusing. I thought we were coming her for a vacation. Like a hotel or something." Hermione waited for her to look again and then took her eyes of the boy flying zig zags and switching which hand was holding the broom.
"That's what I started out with too. How could we do that though? I couldn't have you two just milling around in a place that is essentially public. He couldn't fly either and we couldn't just be. Neither of you like being in public at home." She answered and then waited. Knowing Sabrina wouldn't like that assessment.
"People are always watching us Hermione. Always. Even when we went through the leaky entrance into London last break it was the same. Still people whisper and talk. About sin too." She said lowly and Hermione understood. She did.
"Exactly so it would be less here. Until people knew where we were. It was in the papers two days after Blaise and I came home last month." They shared a glance and smile for the number of people who had to be told they were leaving the bloody country for the night. Ridiculous. Two apparition jumps. Long ones but they could do it. Regardless it had been a production and the kids thought it hilarious. Emergency contacts and paperwork they thought needless.
"So you wanted somewhere that no one would know where we are." She said slowly and the Hermione watched her look around. "Where are we?" Was the startled question. It was funny and she laughed genuinely at its sincerity. Then at Sinclair who was yelling as he flew slow loops.
"Between Bordeaux and The Spanish border. The ocean is down a rocky path behind a half acre of those trees." She pointed in the direction and Sabrina looked up at her.
"Will you explain what you were thinking when you made this choice. I really want to know." Sabrina asked her and Hermione smiled at the request. So honest and direct. Things had changed a lot even since Christmas and Sabrina was more confidant with her. Even in public with her. She worried about Sinclair though.
"There's that it's big enough for no one to know it's here. Or that we are here. Been warded for hundreds of years and the sale was vault to vault so only Gringotts paperwork. It's not as big as the Dale, only two floors so a bit flatter. I want a place for us to come. To hide even. To just be. Where it feels like we are free. Home is good. We like it. All of us I think but we have to be Rosiers there. Or each of our versions of that. I'm thinking this is our vacation home. No formal dinners we don't want. No shoes or even plush carpets. Less formal and more a getaway. Books, Sin can fly, it's nice here for about six months a year. Let's build some gardens and see if we can grow some plants. Somewhere we can make our own too. Zavi was thrilled and I got the agreement that we can make decisions too so that's more than at home. Nicer all year than England and we can apparate anywhere we want to in France or even a bit further. Permanent floo connection home so we can come and go." She trailed off and they watched him start his next set of one field length repetitions.
"That's all rational and makes sense. Maybe not for others but it does for us. What else? We had talked a couple times about going muggle here. Why not that road to anonymity?" Was her eventual question and it came with a look that meant she wanted to know what she thought. Just Hermione. For herself. A last shared glance with Sabrina and she decided.
"The Dale is nice and I like it there. It won't be mine, or yours and Sin's either though. We've done a few rooms and it's comfortable enough now but it is Josh's and will be Daphne's. It's formal though. Not a place for us to just be. Ours. This is though. Mine not the Rosier estates or anything." She stopped and Sabrina looked back at her and held her gaze.
"Josh won't make you leave." She protested and Hermione smiled at her vehemence.
"Probably not. I've never lived with him though. He's not comfortable with me either. I hope that in time we can become family, feel like it. I hope you know what I mean." Sabrina nodded and watched her while her eyes flicked to the boy doing fast figure eights. Then she met those blue grey eyes again.
"Rowle, your brother, he seems more comfortable with me. Or more confidant. Doesn't seem to think I can't do things or whatever. Like I will break under the weight. Josh does though and I don't know what to think. Stolford said we should be able to get a few select properties added to the parole terms so they could come here. You don't want to go home and it's been over a year and a half since you were there. I don't think their homes were happy places for them. Even Josh. The way he talked about the happiness in the photo of Christmas. It's hard to explain." She let some of her frustration show at not having words and they both turned to Sinclair who was slowing down.
"So you want a haven or something. For all of us. A place to disappear to without the heavy memories or responsibilities." Sabrina spoke quietly and as if she were deciphering Hermione's thoughts, or trying to.
"That's close enough. It means that different people might be here and need different things. We will kit out the Library and set up a potions lab and spell casting room. Come here for some sun and shopping too. Eventually they won't have parole terms and maybe sometimes we could do things. Like a regular family. Out for the day or even a weekend. I'd love to go skiing again and we don't have a snowy chalet in the mountain but it's two jumps to Switzerland and the second one is short enough that you could do it alone with no problems. I don't know Rina." She broke off when Sinclair flew toward them and then they watched him try a slow moving dismount and fall. It was tricky and Harry had talked it through with her. They had skeletons if he broke a wrist and he was wearing a helmet. She smiled and then elbowed Sabrina when she laughed loudly at the disgruntled face.
"A pitch Rina! I can't believe it. Where are we Hermione? I'm sorry I was so rude and excited but I wouldn't believe it. The air is cooler than Nice and I could see the water when I circled the hoops. It's grey so is it the Atlantic?" He asked breathlessly. Having taken the few steps to reach them and holding tightly to his broom. A bead of sweat dripping down his temple now that he wasn't being cooled by the wind.
"You are so smart. Yes it is. Between Bordeaux and the Spanish border. I'll show you on a map. Take that helmet off and let's go get a drink." She said and he nodded then ran off toward the house calling for Mitts and pulling off his helmet.
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked the table of three good looking tall wizards who were looking at her with mostly bemused expressions.
"It is nothing. Certainly he can come after practice five days a week for at least two hours." Desmond assured her and then she watched him look to Blaise beside her.
"Dinner Mademoiselle?" He asked her and they all nodded.
"One day certainly but we have just arrived and I've got so many things to do. I didn't expect this. Only hoped for some suggestions." She too looked to Blaise who grinned at her and gave her a look. It's all you Cara. That's what it meant and she scowled slightly, knowing he would see it.
"Bien. We will see you on Monday then." Versende seemed to be confirming and then passed her a card with the floo address scrawled on the back.
"The receptionist will expect you." He smiled at her then and she couldn't help but smile back. This situation had been so much easier than she expected.
"Au revoir." Was chorused at her and Blaise received handshakes and in a minute they were alone at the circle of low settees around a cocktail table in a lovely pub in Toulouse.
"That wasn't what I expected." She said quietly and Blaise laughed lowly. Then scooched closer to her and nudged her good nature fly.
"I don't think either of us expect things to go so well. It's a nice surprise though and Sin will love it." He said and he had a genuine smile on his face though it fell at her less happy expression.
"What is it Cara?" He asked her and put some of the snacks on a plate for each of them and they settled back into the comfortable lounge seating.
"I feel better about Sinclair. They seemed encouraged by his young age and the letter Ginny wrote. Once they settled into talking about him. I guess it's that Blaise. The interest. Some private lessons would have been fine or even a public flying camp or something. I wrote the organization like Rowle suggested and now it's this." She gestured with her half eaten delicious sausage roll and he smiled at her and then sobered. He did this when he wanted her to listen.
"Some of this you will have to expect. Over time it will die down but you've been in the papers steadily since the wars climactic end. In Italy I saw your face everyday. Until I came home and that didn't take long. Have you read back issues of foreign papers?" He asked her and she chewed carefully and looked at him.
"No. Ours are enough." She replied shortly and he nodded. Then waved his wand discreetly and she knew he had made them unable to be heard.
"I read everything I could while waiting. It wasn't quiet that year. News leaked out with everyone that managed to get away and then the last few months were quieter. Small things. Speculation mostly and I had met a few people from Wngland. Looking for them really. Some of us met for drinks at one of the more discreet establishments in Zurich and would parse the papers of several countries. We met every two weeks. Then in May I got an owl from a curse breaker at the Italian branch of Gringotts. A message had come through that the bank had been breached and it wasn't Death Eaters." Hermione was riveted. He didn't talk much about that year. Not like this anyways and she watched emotions play over his face.
Then she grabbed the pad of paper and wrote whiskey clearly and waited a second before handing him the glass that appeared and setting his wine glass down. He enjoyed wine. Red especially and they drank it together often but this was a whiskey conversation. He liked the small sips and holding the top of the glass with three fingers while swirling the amber liquid gently.
Then she waited and kept eye contact when he looked up at her.
"Then nothing. Nothing for a full day. The evening headlines were the total silence from Britain. People looked as if the whole island had sunk or something. Then the French Ministry reported contact and that Voldemort was dead. Printed like that across the headlines and spoken out loud. It was crazy. Seeing his name in black and white. Then the morning editions had yours and Potter's names as well. Then the published lists of casualties, the captured lists took a few days longer. I was in shock I think. For a few days. We all stayed together and read everything we could. Sent owls and got them from people closer or who had immediate communication from Britain themselves. It was as if it was a second headline everyday from when I got here. No one could believe what was happening and then they did and it was better. That they didn't underestimate it but worse. Sometimes I went days without speaking English, just so I wouldn't get that look. The one that said 'what are you doing here and what is happening there.'" He stopped talking then and finished his glass.
"Let's Go. At home people know you. Here they know of you and wonder about you. The girl who helped her best friend take down a Dark Lord, nearly single handedly and then caught. They don't know how you guys did it but they know that you did. Potter gave you credit. Best he could without explaining." She took the offered hand and grabbed her light coat before they went to apparition point and then were in the Escape. That's what she had called the floo address and it seemed to stick.
Zavi popped in and reported the two were in the downstairs living room. There they went and it made Hermione smile. The two were on opposite couches. Stretched out on their stomachs with next year's school books and rolls of parchment. Talking quietly.
"How was dinner?" Sabrina didn't look up when she asked and Hermione grinned at Blaise before answering.
"We met up with a few people about Sin's flying lessons." Both heads came up at that and the boy was scrambling off the couch. Pushing his hair from his face and looking excited and apprehensive.
"It didn't turn out like she planned." Blaise put in with a tentative tone and Sinclair nodded once and then looked to Sabrina who looked at her. Something showed and the girl was quelling her smile.
"I'm sure we can figure something out Sin." She said and Hermione watched him lift his chin and meet her eyes.
"You start Monday. Two hours after their practice finishes four days a week. There were three from Toulouse there tonight and they said more will help." She said and watched his face blank. Or his version of it. Blaise and him had been practicing. Then he looked between the three of them and smiled. It was huge then he frowned and they all waited. Surprised by the lack of overt excitement.
"That's a professional team Hermione. I'm just a kid." He said quietly and she felt bad for approaching it this way. Teasing him. He was a dedicated kid. To his studies, to his languages, and to flying.
"They read Ginny's assessment and the list of what you have been doing and they know how old you are. They wanted to do this and if it doesn't work out for some reason then we will find another solution. Or I will stop being so obviously overzealous. It is clear to me now that this isn't a usual thing in the Wizarding world. Private lessons or whatever." She answered honestly and he smiled a bit at her self deprecation.
"Thank you. Both of you for doing this for me." He said seriously and then Sabrina caught her eye and smiled with so much emotion that she just tried not to cry too.