Charlie stomped away with seemingly no intention of ever looking back at his former mentor. He didn't even look when he cast a Levitation Charm to bring Doru's body with him.
Neither Hermione nor Charlie said a word on their way to where the Aurors conducted their investigation. Not that there was much for them to do; all the puzzle pieces had been handed to them. Now it was the Aurors' turn to recreate the picture Hermione and Draco had already assembled and make sure that justice was served.
Charlie cancelled the Levitation Charm and dropped the most critical puzzle piece at two Aurors' feet. "I believe this is the culprit you're looking for."
Julia, Markus, and Aurel gawked. The Aurors looked equally bewildered.
"Isn't this Doru Pichler, the senior dragon keeper you told us was Confunded alongside the other night patrol members?"
Charlie folded his arms. "Confunded, yes, but I expect that when you get a testimony out of him, it'll come out that Doru first Confunded Markus and Aurel, then used that time to steal the horn before Confunding himself to avoid suspicions. And instead of coming to Verdell to get checked at the hospital like we all thought, he came to meet up with the Seven Brothers."
The Aurors hounded him with follow-up questions but Charlie deflected them all. His intentions set on Julia as he pulled her in for a kiss, long and hard. It was the kiss of a man who had no doubts about his feelings and needed to make that clear.
When they broke, Julia blinked at him, confused, but not one trace upset. "What was that for?"
"I'll explain later." Charlie cupped both sides of her jaw. "But I need you to know how right you were for never trusting Doru and how relieved I am that you're safe."
The internal knots Hermione had let loose immediately retightened. Julia may have been safe from Doru's attempt to frame her, but Draco was somewhere getting treated for his injury, ultimate safety still unknown.
"Miss Granger?" The shorter of the two Aurors stood before her. "I'm Auror Stoica. We require your account of this week's events."
She only part-considered Auror Stoica's request. Her eyes roamed the nearly nonexistent crowd, desperate for a glimpse of white blond hair.
"Where's Draco?" she asked, neck craned and tiptoes raised. He wasn't where she'd left him with the Healer. He wasn't standing either. "Shouldn't we give our accounts together?"
She needed some sort of assurance that he was okay. What if the Stasis Charm didn't work on that curse? What if it was getting worse? What if, at this moment, he was slipping into critical condition and she hadn't been there? Had spent this time with Charlie, and Doru, and—
"He's been transported back to the Sanctuary where specialised Dark Arts Healers are treating him," the other Auror said.
Hermione felt momentary relief. It wasn't confirmation that he was healed, but it meant that Draco was being treated by experts. People who could help him more than she ever could. Yet that knowledge did little to ease her remorse that she wasn't by his side or, more regretfully, the one being treated. He had taken that spell for her. She should be the one the Healers were monitoring. The one who currently had her flesh split open, the curse threatening to dig deeper.
Hermione straightened her spine. "I want to see him."
"Auror Vulpe and I are under strict orders that we need your statement first," Stoica said. His voice was even, matter-of-fact. "But I'll see what I can arrange after."
Behind her, Charlie was listening. Julia, Markus, and Aurel, too.
Aurel rested a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get back to the Sanctuary and make sure he's all right," he assured her.
The knots in Hermione's stomach stayed firmly in place: wild, twisted things that showed no sign of releasing until she laid eyes on Draco. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if the spell caused any sort of permanent damage.
Hermione considered her options. With the wards still up and no coin to summon her, Hermione couldn't get into the sanctuary on her own. Apparition to the visitor's entrance wasn't an option; the Anti-Apparition Jinx was still in effect. And while a small part of her was tempted to cast a Disillusionment Charm and escape the Aurors entirely, she knew that her job was not yet done.
The dragons came first. They had always come first. Even now.
With Draco indisposed, Hermione's account was the Auror's primary source to everything they had uncovered. She had a duty to share that information as soon as possible—no matter how much her feelings pulled her elsewhere.
Reluctantly, Hermione agreed. "Okay, but I need a couple minutes first."
She pulled Charlie aside and told him to take out his charmed coin. Hermione pressed her wand tip to the embossed dragon as she said, "Geminio." A duplicated coin appeared in her palm.
"Keep me updated with everything that happens with Draco," Hermione said when she returned the original coin. "If something happens, I need you to summon me. Immediately."
Charlie gaped at where Hermione had stashed the duplicated coin in her pocket. "You can cast a Doubling Charm without it going Dark?"
Hermione snorted, thankful for the excuse to smile. "Clearly the keepers all need to learn that charm," she teased. "Or just purchase more forks."
A small, proud grin pushed up Charlie's cheeks. "I'll add it to the budget if I do end up assuming Doru's position."
Charlie Weasley: Senior Dragon Keeper. Hermione quite liked the sound of that.
"Miss Granger, we—"
"One more minute," Hermione called to the Aurors.
"We should get to Draco," Charlie said, but Hermione wasn't finished yet.
"I— there's something I need to tell you first." Hermione glanced down at her shoes, not sure she could withstand the inevitable hurt in Charlie's eyes when she told him. "But you deserve to know that until an hour ago, Draco and I actually suspected Julia."
The crack in Charlie's voice was enough for Hermione to immediately regret ever doubting Julia and their relationship.
"What? How?"
Hermione let a deep breath inflate her lungs before facing Charlie's stung expression.
"We've been doing our own investigation on the side."
She was relieved when a short, amused huff broke through his hurt. "Now that's the least surprising thing I've learned today," Charlie remarked. The hurt quickly returned. "But why suspect Julia?"
"We didn't want to believe it," Hermione said, needing Charlie to at least know that, as little solace as it may be. "But we got a copy of the apothecary's ledger that showed Julia's initials having bought the ingredients for Sleeping Draught. And with Sleeping Draught found in the dragon's veins, and what you said about Julia being bitter about being passed over for the Norwegian Ridgeback keeper position, and the hidden bag of coins we found in her cabin—"
"You went into her cabin?"
Hermione flushed. "A breach in honesty, I know, but we were following the best lead we had."
Charlie looked defeated. Disappointed. "If you had just asked me…"
"We didn't want to jeopardise your chance at the promotion by making you think you had to tell Doru and Llewelyn," she tried to explain, but it did nothing to change his reaction.
"I'd always put you and Draco before Doru and Llewelyn," Charlie said. He looked hurt that Hermione would ever think otherwise. "The first day you got here, you and I said no more secrets between each other. And I meant that. You and Draco are just as good as family. Same with Julia."
"I know that now," Hermione said. "But all our evidence pointed to her. Especially after the Sleeping Draught ingredients."
A tinge of guilt coiled inside her despite knowing she and Draco always had the best intentions. Surely Charlie understood that. But there was conflict in his face—like there was more that he wasn't telling her.
He glanced over his shoulder at where Julia was busy talking with Markus and Vulpe. A weak grin crossed his lips before he took a deep breath.
Quietly, he said, "Julia struggles with insomnia. Has for years. She usually sleeps better when I'm around, but everything going on has made it worse—especially the past week with me gone most nights. She wanted to help out and do something productive with her insomnia by volunteering for night patrol too, but Doru rejected her."
Hermione could manage nothing more than to open-mouthedly blink at the newfound knowledge. "I had no idea."
"Of course you didn't," Charlie said with a sigh. "Julia tends to be blunt and honest but keeps personal matters closer to the chest. She doesn't mind people knowing. She just… doesn't like to talk about it."
Her mind temporarily sidetracked, sparking a small internal glow. When Hermione paused to consider, this new information didn't surprise her. Charlie was trustworthy. The type of person one could open up to, no matter their struggle. It was what drew Hermione to him the summer after the war. What ultimately made him and Draco close. And if Hermione had to guess, it was part of what made him and Julia work. He needed a partner who understood his passion for dragons and she needed a partner in whom she could confide and find comfort.
Hermione wished her mind would leave it there, but she couldn't. Her curiosity had not yet been sated. "I appreciate you sharing that with me, but why would Julia make her own Sleeping Draught when pre-made vials are so readily available?"
"It's cheaper," Charlie answered simply. "Helps her send more money home. She feels guilty not being able to send enough as is."
She didn't press for more. Charlie had already shared plenty. Hermione knew Molly refused any money her children tried to send home, but other families relied on it. A brief memory reminded Hermione of Julia saying how many younger siblings she had. Of how sparse Julia kept her room. She was saving all the money she had.
Yet another person at the Sanctuary struggling for minimal financial security.
"You all deserve living wages."
Charlie snorted, a short dismissive thing. "Tell us something we don't know."
"Now, Miss Granger!"
Stoica's patience had run out.
She gave Charlie a hug. "Keep me updated."
"Not gonna ask me to give him a kiss for you?"
Hermione swatted Charlie's chest, and his beaming smile brought joy back into her heart. Nothing in their friendship had—or would—change.
After Charlie and the other keepers returned to the sanctuary, Stoica and Vulpe led Hermione to the Dennfyre where they spoke in the privacy of her room. She told them everything. From the gold-dusted vision she'd seen of a cloaked figure attacking Viscer, to Doru claiming to go to the Romanian Aurors after Norberta's stolen egg, to everything that had unfolded tonight. She didn't have all her notes—those were still somewhere with her missing beaded bag—but she showed them the ledger and told them where they'd find the stolen horn.
It was nearly four in the morning by the time Hermione finished, but she wasn't a lick tired. Adrenaline kept her awake, bolstered by the charmed assurances Charlie sent via the coin. Draco was stable. He was in his cabin. The wound had sealed. The best thing for him to do now was sleep and let his body finish healing naturally.
Still, the second the Aurors completed their questioning, Hermione was more than ready to return to his side. She needed to see for herself. To hold his hand as he slept and be there when he awoke. After the past two mornings together, she couldn't imagine not waking up in his arms.
Auror Stoica handed Hermione the parchment documenting her account and asked her to review the statement for accuracy. After two easy corrections, Hermione signed the designated line. Stoica and Vulpe signed their names next to hers before Vulpe rolled up the document and Apparated back to the Romanian Ministry.
"We thank you again for your cooperation, Miss Granger," Stoica said as he wordlessly shrunk the ledger small enough to fit in his robes pocket. He stripped a pillow of its pillowcase and cast a Portus charm on the fabric. "If we have any follow-up questions while completing the crime report, we will contact you back in London."
Hermione blinked at the outstretched pillowcase, certain something must have been lost in translation. "Oh, that Portkey won't be necessary. I'm staying in Verdell through the weekend."
Stoica's expression flattened. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid we can no longer permit that," he stiffly stated, not sounding very sorry at all. "For your safety, it is best for you to stay out of Romania while we track down the remaining Seven Brothers. Your Portkey leaves in twenty minutes."
Hermione's stare turned arduous, refusing to believe her ears. "But that's not what I was told when I agreed to this interview," she said, words sharp enough to counteract his bluntness. "I did my part, now it's your turn. I need to see Draco."
"All I said is that I would see what I could arrange," Stoica said. He remained entirely unfazed. "But after hearing your account and considering the potential backlash you may face from the other Seven Brothers, the best thing for you to do right now is return to London and—"
"No."
Hermione refused to take the Portkey. She'd already waited hours to see Draco by cooperating with the Aurors and answering every question. Merlin, she'd essentially done their job for them. Now they were trying to take away the few days she and Draco had to themselves?
They couldn't make her go.
"Whatever protections you have in place for me in London, I promise I will be just as safe in the sanctuary."
"The Ministry is closing the sanctuary to all visitors until we've completed our investigation."
"But I'm not just a visitor! I was a part of the investigation," Hermione protested.
It had no effect on Stoica.
Hermione's mind raced with another excuse. Anything to help her stay at the sanctuary.
"And I was granted permission to reside on the grounds earlier this week," she added, hoping that her desperation didn't reveal itself too obviously. "The sanctuary gave it to me as an employee for the British Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures."
Stoica lifted a sceptical eyebrow. Not the reaction she wanted.
"Are you implying that you conducted a British Ministry sanction investigation without the authorisation of the Romanian Ministry?"
Hermione quickly backtracked. "As I already told you, I acted completely of my own free will."
"Then we must treat you as a private citizen," Stoica concluded. "And as a private citizen, our Auror office dictates that we keep witnesses safe to the best of our abilities, which, in your case, means that you must go back to London where the British Auror office will provide protection for you. I sent them a precautionary owl before the interview began, just in case that was the decision I made."
Hermione hesitated at the new information. The British Auror office had already been informed of the events? It was the middle of the night there as well. Had they contacted Robards directly? Would Robbards owl Harry and Ron?
Harry. Ron.
Just like that, Hermione remembered everything about her life in London—the bad and the good. She wasn't ready to return to the dull humdrum of the Ministry (would she ever?), but the vast majority of her friends and family were in England. People she cared about deeply. Friends who wouldn't hesitate to protect Hermione from any harm the remaining Seven Brothers tried to inflict. Because that was who Harry and Ron were. Who they always had been. Loyal friends, through the war and beyond.
They were part of what made it impossible for Hermione to stay in Verdell forever, no matter how much the other part of her wished that she could. But this was never how Hermione expected to leave.
How was it just a few hours ago that she and Draco had been lying in bed, saying that this wasn't over? That they weren't over yet? Hermione had always known their time was limited, but this was even shorter than they expected. The Portkey would take her away before she got to see him again.
The charm coin connecting her to the sanctuary played between Hermione's fingers. Even if she coded a message right now, Draco would be asleep. He wouldn't answer. Wouldn't summon her through the sanctuary's wards for one last kiss before half a dozen countries stood between them.
But this wasn't a farewell. She'd be back. She knew she would be. It wasn't a matter of if, but rather a matter of when.
Draco's words rang through her memory.
"We'll find a way to work it out."
Conflict gnawed on her psyche. She couldn't abandon Draco. Not after what they had been through—what he had done for her. A simple Confundus Charm would do wonders on Stoica's sudden forgetfulness about what he intended to do. But Vulpe had already returned to the Romanian Ministry and had no doubt told the Head Auror about their plan to send Hermione back to London. If she didn't comply now, the Aurors could establish much harsher restrictions, regardless of what she'd done for the case.
It defied everything Hermione wanted, but she could sacrifice the short term if it ensured their future.
They would still work it out. Hermione refused to accept any other outcome. They would just have to do so a thousand miles apart.
Brain a colossal blur of emotions and thoughts, Hermione packed up what few belongings she'd kept outside of her beaded bag. It wasn't hard to fit into the conjured tote bag. A handful of toiletries, a jumper left out on a chair, the free reading book she hadn't opened since her first full day on the grounds. Her eyes fell to the desk where a box of leftover desserts rested next to a vase of fresh pink and white lilies. Something tugged inside her chest at the thought of leaving behind the flowers Draco had given her only a few hours prior. She cast an Everlasting Protection Charm on the petals and put them in the tote bag before moving to the nightstand to retrieve the framed photograph of Hermione with her parents.
And then she saw it. Right where Draco had left it yesterday morning.
Her heart constricted; her mind flared. She seized the green ribbon and turned to Stoica, determined.
"I need to go back to the sanctuary." When Stoica—predictably—didn't look convinced, Hermione continued, "My beaded bag. The one I told you about. I just want to check one place to see if it's there." Her hard gripped tight around the ribbon as she pleaded, "I've complied with everything else. Five minutes. That's all I ask."
Stoica hesitated, and for a heart-stalling moment, she thought all her hopes were crushed until he released a reluctant sigh.
"You have exactly five minutes."
That was all she needed.
They Apparated to the visitor's entrance where Stoica removed the new protections. As soon as there was a sliver large enough, Hermione darted to the circle of cabins, green ribbon still clenched inside her fist.
The cabins were all dark when she arrived, but she only cared about one. She found the familiar cabin, breaths short as she approached, and quietly pulled the door open.
A dim blue glow illuminated the room, providing just enough light for Hermione to see without a Lumos. Her heart panged the instant she saw him. With his eyes closed and the covers pulled up to his shoulders, Draco looked just as peaceful as he had when sharing a bed with her. The stable diagnostics from his charts partnered with his steady breaths slowed Hermione's hammering heart. Draco was safe. He was expected to make a full recovery. But that's not why Hermione came to his cabin.
On the table, Hermione found the book Draco had left out: the same one from a few days ago. Hermione gently snorted to herself. Since spending the night with her, Draco hadn't been able to maintain his morning routine of reading before breakfast. Not that he was complaining, Hermione was sure. But whenever he awoke next, the circumstances would be entirely different.
Hermione opened the book to where Draco's note was still tucked between the pages. Beneath his scribbled "I'll explain when I'm back," Hermione added a note of her own.
I'll be back soon. Promise.
A small heart punctuated the end.
She slid the green ribbon up to the spine and left the book open.
Through the window, she saw Stoica standing watch, the pillowcase in his hand.
The Portkey glowed in warning.
One minute.
Hermione approached the bed, unable to resist seeing Draco up close one final time. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and she didn't try to stop them.
"I'm sorry we didn't have more time," she said, now wishing more than anything that he was awake for this. After everything they'd been through the past week, it felt wrong. Like she would be leaving a part of herself behind the second that Portkey activated. But Draco had promised that they'd find a way for them to work it out. It was the last thing he'd said to her. And Hermione knew how strongly Draco Malfoy stood by his promises.
She kissed him on the forehead. "I promise to find a way for us to work it out, too."
Hermione turned for the door, the Portkey's glow bright in its final countdown, but stalled when she heard the rustle of sheets.
"Hermione."
At even the faintest sound of his voice, she fell to her knees and grabbed his cold hands. "Draco? Draco, I'm here. I'm still here."
But his eyelids remained shut. Draco was already back in deep slumber.
An urgent knock pounded on the door. "Time to go!"
Their time was up.
Hermione sniffed back her tears and took hold of the pillowcase.
Her heart shattered as she watched the sanctuary swirl away.