Part III. Conflict
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
End of June
The Hogwarts Express
Leaving Hogwarts left Hermione feeling emptier than she'd expected. The last train ride back to King's Cross was strange. She shared a compartment again with her Hufflepuff friends who were all a lot more emotional about it than she was. Not too surprising, she thought, considering that they'd spent seven years together while she'd only been with them for not even a full school year. Some of them already had promises of jobs or Apprenticeship agreements, but Hermione wasn't alone in not having solid plans already fresh out of Hogwarts.
She had considered setting up new Galleons similar to the DADA coins since notebooks were no longer an option according to what Septima had told her, but in the end she'd decided it wasn't a practical solution. The Galleons had been useful for communicating dates and times for meetings, but they were way too small for anything more. She also wasn't sure her Hufflepuff friends needed something like the notebooks. They felt so young, still, as yet unmarred by war and death and the need to fight for one's life. Besides, the technique was borderline Dark. They'd have to stick to owls for the moment, or Floo calls.
When they pulled in to King's Cross the train and platform erupted into a controlled chaos with students, former students, and families meeting and parting, with promises to write each other over the summer and exclamations over how much they'd grown. Hermione had said her good-byes already in the compartment, and stayed back a bit while the rest of the group found their families and left. She saw Kingsley and his father pick up Evie, Hestia was met by an older witch and a small boy, and Rhea was grabbed by the arm by a stern-looking wizard. Fidelma waited beside her, with both a Glamour and a Disillusionment to hide her from her family. Fidelma's brother and father were there, impatiently glowering at all the passing students while they appeared to search for her. When the coast was reasonably clear they quickly moved across the platform, making sure not to be seen, and headed over to a spot on the Muggle side by St Pancras station nearby.
Regulus appeared a little out of place, dressed in a Muggle trenchcoat that made him look like something out of a Humphrey Bogart film, standing stiffly outside a café with his hands in his pockets, most likely clutching his wand. He seemed to be surprised to see them, looking over both Hermione and Fidelma like he wasn't sure they were the persons he was supposed to meet.
"Hermione?"
"What did I warn you about when we first met?" She had her own wand in hand, hidden from view by her jacket.
He glanced at Fidelma before answering. "The cave. What is the name of my house-elf?"
"Kreacher. This is Fidelma Fawley, let's go." Apparently she needed to work with him a bit on coming up with good security questions, but at least he'd caught on to it.
Pure-blood manners took over and he bowed low over the pale witch's hand, causing Hermione to hiss at him to stand up straight so as to not draw attention to them from the passing Muggles.
"Her family is looking for her, you have to go," she urged again.
She breathed a sigh of relief when he nodded, tucked Fidelma's hand in the crook of his arm, and turned towards the back alley they could use for Apparition.
They landed in front of the Black summer residence. Hermione wasn't sure if it was due to the change in seasons or if someone had been working on the place, but it looked a lot better than last time she'd seen it. The house looked less shabby and the garden was well tended.
Suddenly the urge to leave grew unbearable, an almost palpable itch under her skin. "Right, I'll be in touch soon. Fidelma will you be alright?"
Fidelma nodded, still looking a bit dazed. Hermione smiled at both of them and Apparated away.
~oo~oo~oo~oo~
The house at Spinner's End was beginning to feel like home, but Severus was busy at the workshop so it was empty when she arrived and the cupboards were bare. She let Crookshanks out of his cage and filled up his bowls, then went back to the sitting room.
Suddenly reality hit, hard. She'd been too busy to think while at Hogwarts, but when she sat in Severus' old sofa everything came crashing down over her. She was alone again, without a plan, without a future, and the tasks ahead were beginning to feel insurmountable.
Crookshanks sidled up to her, batting a paw at her thigh. She absently scratched him behind his ears, making him purr, until her actions caught up with her. The half-Kneazle looked up at her and meowed as if to confirm her thoughts. She wasn't alone, not really. Not when Crookshanks was there, improbably joining her in this new reality as if he knew her from before.
Allowing herself a sigh she got up to fetch her notebooks, and started plotting. There were things to do, after all. Horcruxes to neutralise, plots to make.
~oo~oo~oo~oo~
Hermione heaved a sigh of relief when she was finally outside the Ministry building, even though it had been more deserted than usual for a Wednesday. People were probably already on vacation, enjoying the hot July weather in more appropriate locations than London. She'd made it to Amelia's office without encountering anyone apart from a few Ministry memos fluttering above her head in the elevator and the receptionist, a dark-haired witch this time instead of the bored clerk with a broom obsession.
They had talked about Hermione's future over tea and shortbread in Amelia's office, including NEWT scores and potential careers. She had thought she could find a place to work at the Ministry, either in a low-level position as a temporary solution before the war ended or in something she could turn into a career, but she wasn't sure where to look. Amelia had a lot of connections and insider information, but none of the departments sounded instantly appealing.
No, the Ministry wasn't an option for her. The reason why had become instantly obvious when there was a rap on Amelia's office door followed by someone immediately trying the door handle. Amelia had allowed the wards to lift, and a wizard stuck his head in. "You wanted information when we discovered something on the Norwood case."
Hermione had felt her stomach turn to ice when she saw who it was. Augustus Rookwood. The man frowned when he noticed her sitting there but didn't appear to pay her any mind. Taking a chance when Amelia was about to dismiss him, Hermione Confunded him with a quick spell. He winced, shaking his head before shutting the door behind him, and Hermione was left to face Amelia who looked at her with a frown. Confunding Ministry employees was hardly accepted behaviour, after all.
"He… he's a Death Eater. I can't have him remember seeing me here."
"Are you sure? If he figures out you Confunded him…"
Hermione nodded. "I'm certain of it. Please keep a close eye on him. Thanks for your time, I think it's obvious that I have to look elsewhere for a job. Being here would be way too dangerous. Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it."
Amelia didn't protest when Hermione let herself out, casting a quick Disillusionment on herself and making her way back to the atrium. She hoped she hadn't burned a bridge with the older witch, but there was no way she could let Rookwood see her there.
~oo~oo~oo~oo~
Gringotts looked the same as it ever had, looming precariously out over the street. There were no guards by the entrance as Hermione approached, and the heavy doors swung open silently to let her in. Despite not having a meeting scheduled, she walked past the rows of goblins that sat in the entrance hall, muttering to themselves over the ledgers or glowering at the witch or wizard standing in front of them, waiting to make a withdrawal or deposit. Another goblin asked her to state her business, and soon she was shown the way to the one she sought.
Gargnak nodded at her over the gargantuan desk as she took a seat in front of it. "Yes? Yes."
Hermione shook her head slightly, not understanding what he meant. Yes what? "Erm, thanks for letting me see you, Elder Gargnak. I wanted to discuss what opportunities there are here at Gringotts for an employment."
The goblin grunted.
After waiting for him to say something, Hermione plodded on. "I don't yet have my NEWT scores but I should expect high if not top marks in Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Charms and several other subjects. Given out mutual history I also think I could be an asset to you…"
Gargnak held up his hand to stop her. "I already answered, didn't I? I know your worth, Granger. You can start the day after you sign the contract."
"Oh…"
Before she could draw breath to ask the next round of questions, he leaned forward slightly over his steepled hands. "Gringotts is not like your Ministry, Granger. We will give you tasks to do and a place to do them in. Depending on your skills, you may then end up in different roles. Curse-breaking to Potential Probability Predictions to Warding to clerking, it's all the same in the end: to serve Gringotts."
He reached for the set of brass tubes behind him and muttered something in Gobbledegook. Before long, a scroll was spit out from a chute higher up the wall. He deftly caught it and placed it in front of her.
"Read, don't sign too fast. We take contracts seriously here."
Hermione unfurled the scroll and started trying to decipher it, still feeling rather bewildered at the sharp turns the discussion had taken. The contract was long and convoluted, outlining her responsibilities and that of Gringotts, but after a while she started to understand the flow of it. Unlike what she'd expected from a Ministry contract or a Muggle work contract, outlining a specific role, Gringotts required her to simply do what she was able to offer. She would have to learn Gobbledegook, too. There was no mention of work hours or even payment, but the contract continued to outline what Gringotts would do in return. The bank would take care of her needs and wants, making sure she was suitably compensated for her time and effort.
"There is no information about ending the contract? What if I would want to leave?"
Gargnak grunted. "A Voided contract is no longer a contract. Since you are human, I understand why you're asking. There are ways to Void a contract but it's not considered polite to speak of them."
Hermione frowned. Goblins… she knew next to nothing about them. "I'm sorry, but I need to understand what I'm accepting."
Gargnak nodded again sharply and pulled down the brass tubes again, speaking rapidly in Gobbledegook before settling in to half glare at her, hands clasped on his desk. He didn't say anything and Hermione didn't dare to ask. She continued scanning the contract, still feeling rather confused. After a couple of minutes a small goblin arrived with a cart loaded with books. Gargnak snapped at the junior goblin who hastily deposited the books on his desk and scurried away.
"Here, take those with you. Read, come back when you want to sign. I want the books back."
With a nod and another round of thanks Hermione soon found herself outside the bank, the books and contract in safe storage in her beaded bag. It felt right, somehow, but she wanted to be certain.
~oo~oo~oo~oo~
The following evening Severus and Hermione Apparated to the Black summer residence where she'd arranged a meeting with Regulus via the notebooks. There were flowers in the beds in front of the house, and the lawn sparkled with recently fallen raindrops in the summer sunlight. There were puddles along the gravel path as well. Severus strode just slightly ahead of her, his wand in hand but cloaked in the sleeve of his robes.
She didn't see Fidelma anywhere. Kreacher opened the doors for them and gestured at them to wait in the lobby, Regulus hurrying down the stairs to meet them.
"Are you sure we can meet here, Regulus?"
"Yes, Father is in Germany this weekend and Fidelma is busy. It's fine, Hermione."
Regulus gestured for them to follow him through the not very large house. They ended up in a sunny drawing room overlooking the slightly overgrown garden. After warding the room carefully against eavesdroppers and others Hermione filled them in on the details for the next Horcrux, the one in the cave. They knew it was there and she knew the dangers they would be facing, so she hoped it was the right choice. The other option would have been the one in the Gaunt shack but since she didn't have any first-hand memories of it, or even a first-hand story recollection like with the cave, she'd rather wait with it.
"So there's a cave you can't get to, filled with Inferi and a boat that is basically a wreck already, and you have to drink poison to get to the locket?" Regulus sounded a bit sceptical.
Hermione nodded. "At least we know what we're dealing with this time. Can you work out how to neutralise the potion, Severus? From what I heard the poison made you hallucinate and become extremely thirsty. I think Harry said it was green?"
Severus stared at her for a long minute before nodding slowly. "I… I'll work on it." He looked pale, for some reason, but didn't elaborate.
Hermione moved on to the next point on the agenda. "Good. Then we need to figure out how to get across, and back again, without triggering the Inferi. As far as I've read, only Fiendfyre works on them. I'd rather not try that unless it can't be avoided, it would be really dangerous to all of us."
She shuddered again as memories surged of the Room of Requirement and a mad dash on a shared broom through a room where fire tried to devour them. It would be difficult but she also didn't want to involve anyone else if she could avoid it.
"Think we can use brooms in there?"
"Doubt it, but I don't know what wards he put in there." Although Harry had only done what the Headmaster asked, she suspected that if there'd been an easier way than the boat, they would have taken it.
It took them a while but in the end Hermione thought they had a reasonable plan for the Horcrux although there was no way to verify some of their assumptions before they went. It was more solid as a plan than all the mad ideas Harry had concocted, at least, but perhaps that wasn't saying much.
They ordered some food and talked about other things, such as Regulus' work and the latest news from the Daily Prophet. Apparently Death Eaters were starting to harass shopkeepers along Diagon Alley. Neither Regulus nor Severus knew more about it, but some shops were closed with notes on the front door saying the owner was on vacation. She also wondered a bit about why the Death Eaters were targetting North Ireland so heavily. It was strange, considering the fact that most political and magical power was to be found in London, and the way it might connect to the Troubles and things she'd recalled her father talking about at home when he thought she was asleep.
"How's Fidelma doing, by the way?"
Regulus shrugged. "She keeps to herself, mostly. We need to figure out what to do long-term, I can't keep her here without Father noticing for too long."
"Who's Fidelma?" Severus asked, frowning.
Hermione explained the situation but it was difficult to figure out what to do about it. She needed to talk to the other witch, but it would have to wait. There were other things that were more important to solve. A meeting spot, for one. The Black summer residence felt a bit too unsafe, not having full control of the space. Maybe if they kept all material away, at Spinner's End perhaps. She knew Severus would never consent to letting others in to his house, he probably wouldn't have let her in either if she hadn't forced his hand by crashing down next to him back in September.
"We need a name," Regulus said suddenly.
"Dumbledore's got the Order of the Phoenix," Severus muttered. "And the Dark Lord the Death Eaters and the Knights. I doubt Phoenix Eaters would work."
"Phoenix… there's an Irish phoenix, isn't there?" Hermione said. "The Augurey?"
Severus snorted. "What, like the Augurey Association then?"
Hermione grinned. "Yes, exactly."
Regulus nodded in agreement. It was a good name, one that would suit their purpose.
~oo~oo~oo~oo~
Friday, early July
The Workshop
As usual on a Friday evening, Severus worked late, pushing down all thought of going home early to see Hermione. Warrington was out somewhere, the fresh Apprentices had been given time off to study since they were useless in the lab for any actual work, and Severus was writing a paper for his Mastery while checking the status of a batch of Veritaserum for the Dark Lord. He'd already finished the poison antidote. It was rather easy since he'd been the one to brew it in the first place. Menace was dozing perched on the back of a chair nearby, so he wasn't completely alone. Suddenly he dropped the quill with a hiss when the Dark Mark began burning on his arm.
Severus sighed inwardly before preparing for yet another Apparition, fetching his robes and mask. He quickly pushed down his reactions behind his mental shields, making sure only devotion remained, but it was getting harder and harder to do so. It had been a gradual process, turning away from the Death Eaters, but part of it had been almost instant: the moment the odd witch who crashed in the forest had smiled at him, he was lost. She'd said she trusted him, and apparently that was all it took.
With a shake of his head he pushed the thoughts down again, and let the Mark pull him away.
It was an initiation. Three new aspiring Death Eaters, one wizard he didn't recognise, one who was fresh out of Hogwarts and one older Ministry employee, with all that it entailed. Severus had to slam his mental shields down in several layers around the memories of his own initiation and for once he was grateful for the mask, to have something to hide behind. The darkness of the dungeon also helped. He wasn't quite sure where they were, it wasn't one of the regular haunts for the Dark Lord, but the dungeon was large and suitably adorned with chains, smouldering torches, stone pillars and roughly hewn wooden beams. The room was probably enlarged and decorated for the occasion, he thought, and once again pushed his mind to go blank before taking his place in the circle. Not too close to the Dark Lord, those spots were taken by the old Knights and by Dear Bella, obviously, but also not at the far end where the new and unproven recruits ended up, pretty much opposite the Dark Lord which was a dangerous spot when it came to drawing His attention.
The robed and masked Death Eaters silently formed a circle around the three newcomers, with the unmasked Dark Lord on a raised dais at one end of the room, flanked by his Knights Lord Malfoy and Lord Nott. Severus spotted his Master too, a few heads away from Lord Nott. Bellatrix was as usual the only Marked witch in the room, standing next to Lord Malfoy. The Knights of Walpurgis never wore masks and usually didn't have their hoods up, their black robes lined with gold to set them apart from the common Death Eater rabble. At least it made them easy to recognise, Severus thought, but he had learned to recognise quite a few of his Masked brethren too, out of necessity. Lucius was there, as was Regulus, both of them standing not far down from the Knights on the opposite side to Severus. Torches and magical lights behind the Death Eaters made it easy to see the three initiates but they would have a hard time seeing the faces of those surrounding them.
He tried to shut out the others, focusing on breathing. In, out. Steady. When the three Muggle men were brought in he barely registered the Dark Lord speaking about superiority and ruling Wizarding Britain, then all of Britain, then the world. How he would lead them into glory, all those who followed him, and how all others would be forced to obey. Severus let it wash over him, wondering why he had ever believed in it, why he had let himself be lured in by these ravings of a madman who promised everything and delivered nothing.
Initiations usually followed roughly the same pattern. They were tasked with something either violent or illegal, usually both. Something to pull them in, to make them realise there was no way out. Not that there ever was anyway, but it became more obvious when they were tasked with doing something that would get them sent to Azkaban if the Aurors found out, witnessed by their supposed brethren. After that there was usually a duel followed by the actual Marking, and then another task which was supposed to be a reward of sorts but again with the added humiliation of performing in public and often with an unwilling partner, resulting in yet another crime being committed. The Dark Lord tweaked the tasks and participants carefully based on what outcome he wanted, such as if he wanted the initiates to breeze through or if they were supposed to fail. He didn't want to consider what that must have meant in his own case, his father — No. He pushed down all the memories again, hiding them within layers and layers of other memories. They still grated, like an infected wound, like a loose tooth, a half remembered thought.
The Muggles were defeated. At least one of them had put up quite a fight, but in the end they got the outcome the Dark Lord wanted. One of the men lay groaning on the floor in front of one of the initiates, the others must have been cleared away already after their beatings. They were usually Obliviated and dumped somewhere, outside a pub or similar to give them a plausible explanation for their bruises.
"So you've bested the Muggles, now you have to prove your worth against one of our own," the Dark Lord said, scanning the room until his eyes lit on Severus.
Severus refocused with a start after his neighbour — Justus Mulciber, he thought — elbowed him in the ribs. The Dark Lord was looking straight at him, one eyebrow raised.
"Bored, Severus?"
Severus shook his head. "No, of course not, my Lord."
"You will duel Padgett. Do try to keep him alive this time."
Severus bowed low and looked at the initiate. Padgett — Raphael? — had been a few years below him in Slytherin, but had been the type to stay out of trouble as far as he could rather than seeking out the older wannabe Death Eaters. It was a bit of a surprise to see him in the room, anxiously wanting to be initiated, but there was no way for Severus to know what lay behind his presence.
He whipped out his wand, and they were off. Padgett was fast but no match for Severus. The boy seemed terrified, his wand hand shaking even as he threw quick Stunners and hexes at Severus. One almost grazed his arm, and he could almost hear something snap as everything went white. Rage surged like a hot wave, powered by memories and guilt, and the young wizard opposing him turned into everyone else who had wronged him, everyone he had failed to protect. The Marauders, especially Black and Potter, with their taunts and gibes. Lily who turned from him. The Death Eaters, and his own stupidity for trusting them, for going through with the initiation and causing his father's death. His abusive arsehole of a father, whose unfortunate surname and nose he bore, setting him apart from the Wizarding society as much as it marked him a poor boy from the North among the Muggles. His mother, and Hermione, for the stakes being raised ever higher if he were to lose this time around.
Time returned when someone managed to bind him in an Incarcerous that was tight enough to make it hard to breathe. Padgett lay in a messy heap by Severus' feet, groaning, so obviously still alive. Reg was at his side, hissing at him to stand still and stop fighting, dammit, and judging by his exasperated tone he'd been trying to get through to Severus for quite some time.
"Stand up, Raphael Padgett."
The boy didn't move, not until Lucius moved to pull him up. Leaning heavily on the blond wizard, the young Slytherin slowly regained focus.
The Dark Lord approached slowly. He looked strong, powerful and almost otherworldly with his dark hair gleaming in the torchlight. He looked calm, benign almost, but Severus wasn't fooled. He stopped in front of the boy and Lucius who tried to shuffle sideways without it being too noticeable, but still had to hold the younger wizard up by the arm so he wouldn't keel over.
"You failed us, Raphael Padgett. You aren't strong enough to join us."
The Dark Lord fell silent again. After a long moment he looked around the room. "Who sponsored this failure?"
Severus heard more than saw the other Death Eaters looking amongst themselves, feet shuffling over the flagstones. He still couldn't move. Reg glared at him and raised an eyebrow. When Severus managed a nod, Reg released his bonds, causing him to stagger.
"This failure is mine, my Lord," a voice admitted from the far side of the room. Padgett Senior stepped forward. He was a slightly shorter wizard but all other features were hidden behind his robes and mask. He strode to the middle of the circle, not looking at his son who was still propped up by Lucius.
The Dark Lord gazed at his underling, an almost benign smile on his lips. He appeared every bit the strong leader, clad in black dress robes with gold and emerald brocade that glittered in the torchlight under a black open cloak with the Slytherin serpent as a clasp.
Finally he spoke. "Indeed."
With a gesture at Dolohov and Rookwood he turned away. Severus zoned out again as the screams began. Raphael would be Obliviated, his father hexed and beaten to within an inch of his life, and word would get out to get both of them shunned in society although Padgett senior would be able to regain his some of standing if he worked hard for it, or alternatively if he paid enough Galleons to the Cause.
The Dark Lord had moved on to the other two recruits but Severus didn't really pay attention to them reciting their oaths and getting the brands applied, their screams mingling with those of Padgett senior.
"It is done, let us feast and celebrate our two new brothers!" The Dark Lord gestured at one of the Knights. House elves arrived with drinks, Firewhisky and champagne and beer. Another Death Eater brought in the girls, as reward. About ten scantily clad witches sauntered in, some looking around wide-eyed while the others were smiling. These must have been bought or bribed with something, which was better than the alternative, since they actually walked into the room instead of being bound and Levitated. Two of them were dispatched to the new recruits while the others mingled with the Death Eaters before being snapped up, more or less in seniority order.
"My Lord." Regulus bowed his head as the Dark Lord approached.
Severus hadn't heard him coming. He focused on his shields again. Calm, serene, dumping all feelings into a lake and waiting for the water to settle.
The Dark Lord nodded at Reg and then focused on Severus again. "You are hard on my recruits, Severus."
He bowed his head. "I will not apologise for giving you my best, my Lord." Recruits didn't necessarily need to win their duels to be accepted although it helped, but that meant the duelling Death Eater who lost would in turn be punished.
The Dark Lord chuckled. "Well said, my boy. You are right."
Bellatrix walked up to them. "My Lord, won't you come? Don't waste your time on Snape, he's a nobody. You'd have a much better time with me, I can promise you that."
The Dark Lord put his arm around her waist and let her steer him away. She glared at Severus over her shoulder before they disappeared in the throng of people.
"I have to leave," Severus muttered to Reg.
He didn't wait for an answer before escaping, and barely made it to a bush nearby after landing in Cokeworth before throwing up.
To his surprise, Spinner's End was dark and empty when he opened the door. He could see traces of Hermione though but she hadn't said anything about going out. It was nearly midnight, the revel would probably go on well into morning before the last of them left.
The Pensieve was left out on the table, she must have been working on something. It gave him an idea. Taking an empty vial he concentrated and pulled the memories of his own initiation from his head, watching as the wispy strands lazily landed in the vial. He could still feel an echo of them in his mind but it was as if a huge weight had lifted, or someone had removed a constricting band around his chest.
He went up to the bedroom to discard his Death Eater robes. Perhaps a shower would be in order although nothing would wash away the stain of another initiation.
"Severus? Are you in?"
She must have just arrived from wherever she'd been, he hadn't heard the door open. Hurriedly he put the vial on his nightstand and went downstairs.
Hermione looked flushed and happy, with her messy hair in a loose bun. She was wearing Wizarding robes for once, a summery set in pale lavender. It accentuated her waist but he found himself missing her arse in those jeans.
"Where have you been?" It may have come out harsher than he intended.
She flinched, her smile dropping. "Out with Hestia and Evie. We were at the Leaky for some drinks. What about you?"
He shrugged and went to put the kettle on, hoping it would help dissipate the wrongness of the evening. After a moment she joined him to pull out cups and tea from the cupboards. They settled in the sitting room with a cup each, and Hermione filled him in on what she'd been up to. Gradually he felt himself relaxing in her company.
"Did he call for you?"
Severus sighed and confirmed it with a nod. "An initiation. Raphael Padgett, he just graduated. He failed, though."
Hermione's eyebrows rose. "From Slytherin? I had Arithmancy with him, he was quiet and didn't seem the sort to seek out Death Eaters."
"His father's idea." He couldn't let guilt drag him down. The boy's failure to be a better opponent in the duel was his own fault, really. If he'd made a better effort the Dark Lord would have accepted him.
~oo~oo~oo~oo~
Saturday Morning
Spinner's End
Hermione woke up late when Crookshanks accidentally-on-purpose pressed a cold nose against her cheek and meowed in her ear. Grumbling a bit she went to feed him and Menace who sat perched on a kitchen chair, muttering to himself. Severus wasn't up yet, but Hermione put the kettle on for both of them anyway. It felt good to be back, and to have him back in the house.
Severus had been odd the night before but she guessed that was understandable after a night with the Death Eaters. Hermione didn't want to pry, he was allowed his secrets, and she trusted him to tell her if anything important had come up. That didn't stop her from wondering, however, or worrying about him and what he was up to when he was with the Death Eaters. She thought his heart wasn't in it, he'd said he was on her side, but what if he got lured back into it?
It had been fun to meet with Hestia and Evie outside of Hogwarts, even considering not even a week had passed since they parted at King's Cross. Hestia had sent in an application for the Aurors and Evie had interviewed at the Daily Prophet. They had met up for drinks at the Leaky and then moved on to another pub on Horizont Alley where they were joined by several other recently graduated seventh-years, including June, Martinus and Bertram. Hermione had begged off when the others were preparing to go to a fancier club, not quite feeling up for it.
The Gringotts contract was quite elaborate but at the same time very vague when it came to defining the job and what she would actually be expected to do. She was almost certain she'd sign it but wanted to hold off until they got back from the cave, hopefully all in one piece and with the locket safely retrieved.
She spent most of the day preparing for the cave, alone since Severus was busy at the workshop even though it was a Saturday. To her surprise he had brought her the antidote already, she'd have expected him to need a lot longer to counter an unknown poison based on just a brief description, but she didn't question it. Regulus had written that he'd prepared his parts, so they were as ready as they were ever going to be. She hoped it would be enough. It had to be.
