A/N: Hey, everyone. I apologize for not updating sooner. I've been writing but I just haven't been in the mood to update lately, I don't know why. Thanks for being patient with me. I've got a pretty heavy load for the next four-ish months but I'm going to try to make time every day to write and I think I'm going to aim to have an update about every four or five weeks. It might end up being longer (as it so frequently does), but I'll do my best. School always comes first for me, though.
I hope you're all well. Enjoy!
We may be some sort of crazy
But I swear on everything I have and more
You make the sound of pulling heaven down
You brought the rain's romantic pour
-Sound of Pulling Heaven Down, Blue October
Luna took the better part of a month to find anything remotely useful, and to give her more time to work on translating it, she had Neville comb through the archives. So far, Umbridge had accessed a considerable number of Hermione's old reports, and out of an abundance of caution, she had him check his, Luna's, Ginny's, Harry's, and Ron's. He hadn't found anything, and Hermione wasn't sure he would, but she wanted to know what else Umbridge might be up to.
She had been busy organizing a transfer to Azkaban and occasionally enjoying a conversation with Bellatrix here and there when she wasn't too busy. She let Draco help her since he asked how transfers worked and if they would be sent without a trial or not. This was where she got to explain the one change Kingsley made that she approved of. Azkaban now had a secondary location for people awaiting their trial if the investigation took longer than a certain period of time. It was not as bad as the actual prison, but Hermione thought it could be better. It was a long process, mostly paperwork, and once Draco realized that he grew bored.
"How much of your job do you actually enjoy?" he asked, sinking into his chair dramatically.
"What do you mean?" she asked, not looking up from the document she was filling out.
"It seems like all you do is paperwork," he complained, "Don't you get bored?"
She shrugged noncommittally. "It's part of the job."
"But do you like it?" he asked, emphasizing his question by snatching her quill out of her hand.
"I guess," she said, shrugging again and snatching her quill from him.
Ginny chose that moment to enter Hermione's office, an annoyed expression on her face. "Skeeter is here, and she's refusing to leave until she talks to you."
Hermione groaned, dropping her head onto her desk. She just wanted to be left alone until she had all the information she needed, until she had devised and carried out her plan to catch the rest of the Arthurian Order. She felt Bellatrix brush against her mind in an invitation, and as much as she wanted to join her, she couldn't.
"Send her in. I'll see what she wants," she muttered moving the stack of parchment into one of the drawers of her desk, "Draco, Hawkins is working on a case on some reports of unicorn trading, maybe you can help him out."
"It's better than this boring crap," he grumbled.
Ginny chuckled, sending Hermione a worried glance before jerking her head at Rita and following Draco in case Hawkins didn't need help. Rita entered her office with a satisfied smirk, her Quick-Quotes quill hovering over her notepad in wait. Hermione fixed her with a blank expression, gesturing to the chair across from her.
"Nice of you to finally answer my requests for an interview," she said as she sat, trying not to display any nervousness. Hermione still knew her secret, after all.
"This isn't an interview, Rita," Hermione said plainly, "You know I won't discuss an ongoing investigation."
Rita sighed dramatically, rolling her head around. "Just a little tidbit? Everyone is curious as to what's going on."
"It's against policy," Hermione stated, unaffected by her pleading.
She pouted. "How about I ask you some other questions, then?"
"I'm very busy," she said, even though she didn't look like it at the moment.
"Oh, very well," she sighed, "How about after the investigation is over? Before the press conference?"
Hermione inwardly groaned. She really just wanted to be left to her work for now. Rita was relentless, always had been, and as much as she tried to stay on Hermione's good side, she knew just how much she could get away with.
"Tell you what. Leave my department alone until then, and I'll give you an hour of my time once the investigation is closed and before the general press conference."
Rita grinned triumphantly. It wasn't what she was hoping to get today, but the promise of an exclusive interview with Hermione was too good to pass up. It was worth having to pursue other stories, she had never gotten a one-on-one interview with Hermione in all her years of trying.
"I'll be waiting," she promised, placing her hand on the doorknob.
"The deal is off if I see you in my department as a reporter," Hermione warned, "That includes as a beetle."
Rita looked back at the stern brunette. "Wouldn't dream of it."
Hermione pulled the paperwork out of her desk once the door was closed behind Rita, reaching out to Bellatrix. The other witch welcomed her, and Hermione let herself drift into the space Bellatrix created for them, relaxing immediately.
Good morning, she teased.
Are you busy? Bellatrix asked, taking it in stride.
I'm just doing paperwork.
Sounds dull.
Light laughter echoed through her mind, and Hermione let a little of her own mingle with it. It had taken her a while to get used to the idea of Bellatrix being able to sense her emotions through their bond, and she had hastily constructed barriers to keep them to herself. They weren't great, but Bellatrix never pried at them and she had been getting better at letting select emotions through.
Draco said the same thing. A beat passed. I guess it isn't the most exciting work, but it's still part of my job.
Bellatrix didn't think anything back for a while, and Hermione almost closed the connection when she heard a quiet, almost shy question.
Do you ever get tired of working there?
Hermione set her quill down, staring hard at the parchment on her desk.
Sometimes, she admitted, the thought barely loud enough to reach Bellatrix.
What would you do if you weren't at the ministry?
The question made Hermione smile, and she made sure she let Bellatrix feel it.
I dunno. Minerva has offered me a job several times.
You'd make a great teacher.
Hermione felt her cheeks flush, throwing her emotional walls up more securely so something didn't leak out without her wanting it to.
Thanks.
She felt reassurance from Bellatrix and she relaxed a little bit.
I started working here because I thought I could help make things better. That I could help change things. She took a deep breath. The war made me realize that even though we were "the good guys" we still had a lot of improvements to make. Did you know that I'm the highest-ranking muggle-born in the ministry? And the only reason I am is because I'm a "hero." I've tried to fill my department with a variety of people but the other departments stick to what they've always done and I wish it wasn't like that.
Annoyance slipped through her barriers, and she tried to draw it back, slamming her walls up.
Do you wanna know the best way to change things?
How?
By teaching the younger witches and wizards what's wrong with the world. When they're old enough, they'll be in positions to make changes, more of them will believe in those changes. That's how Voldemort convinced so many people to join him. We were taught from a young age that anyone who wasn't a pureblood wasn't worth the dirt under our shoes.
Hermione was a little unnerved by Bellatrix's casual admission. She knew about it already, but hearing her say it- well, think it- was different. Bellatrix had accepted it and moved on, but Hermione still couldn't put the war behind her so easily. Her unease was palpable to Bellatrix through the bond, who could feel the brunette pulling away. She seemed to catch herself, lingering uncertainly near the edge.
You can go if you need to. Bellatrix sent out calming waves, hoping it was enough for her to stay.
It's just...You were so casual about it. Not that that's bad. I'd like to be able to get there someday, but I just...I'm having trouble getting there.
I've had a lot of time to think about everything. There hasn't been much else to do, I don't have something I can throw myself into to avoid it.
Shame washed over Hermione. The instinct to pull away grew stronger and she knew Bellatrix wouldn't let her feel the disappointment, but she knew it would be there.
I've got to get back to work, Bella, but you could keep me company?
I'd love to.
Hermione felt Bellatrix's happiness mixing with her own and it made her heart flutter a little.
I'll have to go once I'm done.
That's okay, don't feel obligated to stay.
She smiled down at the parchment on her desk, realizing that she had inadvertently gotten ink all over her hand. To herself, she wondered how she had ever gotten lucky enough to have Bellatrix in her life. She always knew just what to say or do to settle her thoughts and she finally felt strong enough to work through everything. Bellatrix would always be there, no matter how far away she was. It was comforting to Hermione to be so connected to someone, especially someone who could keep up with her.
You okay, cub?
Hermione smiled at the nickname, biting her bottom lip as she cleaned the ink off her hand.
Yeah, just thinking about how lucky I am to have you.
A wave of affection passed over her, and she wasn't sure if it was her own or if it had been from Bellatrix.
I think I'm lucky to have you, too.
Hermione felt her cheeks heat up and she bit her lip harder to suppress her smile. She felt...nervous? She wasn't sure what exactly to call it. It felt like nervousness but not in the way she had ever experienced before. She did know it was because of how she felt toward Bellatrix, but she wasn't ready to talk about that yet. She put the finishing touches on the paperwork she had been filling out, trying to think of a way to stall so she wouldn't have to leave Bellatrix's company so soon.
You sure I'm not distracting you?
Weren't you just telling me the other day that I work too hard?
Bellatrix's chuckle echoed in her head, and she couldn't help but imagine hearing it right in her ear. She shook the thought out of her head, hoping it hadn't leaked out to Bellatrix.
My paperwork is all done, Bella.
I'll see you when you get home, Hermione.
She felt Bellatrix's absence and immediately missed her, wishing that she had waited just a little bit longer to tell her. The sooner she was finished with her work, the sooner she could go home and actually be next to her. She had stopped staying so late at work, much to everyone's relief, to spend her evenings with Bellatrix in the library reading to each other. Tonight was Bellatrix's turn, and she couldn't wait to lay her head on the older woman's shoulder as she read to her and stroked her hair absently.
Hermione stood from her chair, shrugging on her jacket and gathering the paperwork into her hands. Just filling out the paperwork for the prison transfer took her entire morning and some of her afternoon, and she would be damned if it didn't happen today. Ginny glanced up at her from where she was leaning over something on Hawkins's desk, giving her a small nod. Hermione sent her a thankful expression, hurrying to the lift (that she still despised) to take her to the floo network.
It was a short ride, although she did almost miss her floor, and she was grateful for it. She was in a rush to get over to the prison to hand over the paperwork so the transfer could be finished today, and she hated riding the lift, but it did beat walking from her department. Hermione didn't have to wait long to use the floo, either, since it was early afternoon and most people weren't ready to go home yet. She grabbed a handful of powder and ducked into the fireplace, announcing her destination.
Hermione emerged in the secondary prison, immediately greeted by the warden. She had tried to convince Kingsley to use this prison for the criminals that committed less serious crimes, but he had worried about the effect it would have on its intended purpose. She supposed it made sense, even if she didn't really agree.
"Afternoon, Miss Granger," the warden said.
"Afternoon," she greeted, handing him the bundle of paperwork, "I need this transfer authorized and carried out as soon as possible."
He took it from her, glancing over them with a slight frown. "I'm sorry, but I can't authorize a transfer until the end of the week."
"What? Why not?" she asked, resisting the urge to shout.
"We don't have the manpower, I'll have to request additional guards," he explained calmly.
Hermione pinched the bridge of her nose. "What if I temporarily reassign some of the agents in my department until then?"
"I'm sorry, but that isn't how it works. The end of the week is the earliest I can do it." The warden began to grow nervous, worried Hermione would take her frustration out on him.
She inhaled slowly, forcing herself to stay calm. "Okay. I understand. The end of the week it is. Thank you, Warden."
He nodded to her back as she entered the floo. Hermione knew the protocol, but she really just wanted them out of the ministry. Every day that passed put her more on edge, especially as the plan to draw out the other members of the Arthurian Order developed. She sat heavily in her chair when she was back in her office, leaning her head in her hands. It was almost late enough that she could go home for the day, and where she would usually stay late, she wanted nothing more than to be home.
She brushed her mind against Bellatrix's, hoping for a response. Hermione waited for a few minutes before she gave up, resting her head on her desk and lightly banging her forehead. She heard a knock on the door and she composed herself, flicking her wand to open the door. Ginny entered, immediately seeing through her facade.
"What happened?" she asked, shutting the door and going over to Hermione, putting her arm around her shoulders.
"The transfer was authorized but it can't be done until Friday, Neville hasn't found anything, Luna is still working on the book, and we have absolutely no idea if the other members will even show up to the fake press conference. Umbridge is our only lead but we can't follow it until we have more information and it just feels like we've hit a wall that we can't get around," Hermione ranted, finding it difficult to stop once she started, "I don't think I even want to work at the ministry anymore but I feel like I'm stuck here until this case is solved. I just want to spend time with Bellatrix and work on moving on from everything that's happened without having to take care of so much other bullshit."
"You've been doing so well, Hermione," Ginny whispered, squeezing her shoulders, "I promise you we will get this dealt with and you can be done with the ministry. I'm sure Neville and Luna will be done soon and we can go after the rest of the Order."
Hermione sighed, laying her head on her desk. "I should never have worked for the ministry."
"You thought it was the right path. And maybe at the time, it was, but that path has changed now, and that's okay. Come on, it's almost time to go home. Just another half hour and then you can lay in Bella's lap all you want while she reads to you."
"Ugh, I can't believe you walked in on that the other day," Hermione groaned, but Ginny's slightly teasing voice did make her laugh a little.
"I could've walked in on worse," she pointed out, moving away when Hermione moved to swat her, "I'm just saying."
Hermione's face was bright red. "Shut it."
Ginny held her hands up in mock surrender, unable to stop her laughter. "At least I cheered you up."
"Thanks, Gin," Hermione mumbled.
"I wouldn't be a very good friend if I didn't at least try to talk you out of being miserable all the time," she teased with an eye-roll before saying sincerely, "It's no problem, 'Mi. I'm just glad you've finally got a reason to not work so much."
"Me, too," she admitted quietly, smiling to herself.
Ginny nudged her shoulder. "Back to work talk. It makes me nervous that we know people are trying to kill you but nothing has happened for months."
"I'm not sure what to make of that. Umbridge hasn't been hanging around the department and we have all of The Long Arm in custody. I'm not sure what they're planning," Hermione mused. The thought had crossed her mind, too, but she hadn't wanted to bring it up for fear she was overthinking.
"I just hope we catch them before they try anything," Ginny mumbled.
Hermione nodded in agreement. "How are the other cases going?"
"I think Draco helped Hawkins make a breakthrough. Dean is ready to make a big bust on that dragon smuggling ring. I don't think there's anything else of note, most everyone is still following leads." Ginny leaned on Hermione's desk, half sitting on it.
She hummed, running a hand through her hair. "Tell him to hold off on it until the transfer, I don't want to crowd the holding cells more than they already are. The same goes for anyone else ready to make an arrest, even if it's just one person. Actually, I'll put out a memo first thing in the morning. I'm meeting with Kingsley tomorrow afternoon, is there anything I should bring up with him? I can't think of anything."
"Have you told him about Umbridge, yet?" Ginny asked.
"Not yet, I'm waiting until Neville is done, I don't want her to hear about it and I want as much evidence as possible before I start accusing her. And we still need to work on our plan, so I don't want to rush it." Hermione glanced at the watch on her wrist. "Merlin, I've never wanted to leave work so badly before."
Ginny laughed, nearly falling off Hermione's desk. "At least someone can get you to see reason."
She rolled her eyes, giving Ginny a light push without knocking her over. "I know I can be a bit of a workaholic-"
"A bit?" Ginny interrupted.
"Yes," Hermione said, continuing, "But I do appreciate you letting me do what I feel the need to do while encouraging me to do what I actually need to do. And I'm sorry I didn't listen earlier."
Ginny smiled at her. "Better late than never. And I do believe we can now officially go home."
"Are you staying over?" Hermione asked, shooing Ginny off her desk so she could organize it for the next morning.
"Until this is solved, I think I'd like to," she answered.
Hermione nodded, grabbing Draco's book for him. "Good."
"Scared?" Ginny teased.
"A little worried," she admitted quietly.
Ginny gave Hermione a sympathetic smile, opening the door to her office. "We got this."
Draco had his hand raised to knock when the door opened, and he teased, "Hermione leaving work on time? Are you under the Imperius or something?"
He shared a laugh with Ginny and Hermione shoved his book into his hands, rolling her eyes. "I have a good book waiting for me."
"And a witch," Ginny said, covering it with a fake cough.
"That's my aunt!" Draco hissed, hitting Ginny with his book playfully.
Hermione's face turned red and she grabbed them by their collars, dragging them along. "Let's just go."
Ginny and Draco shared another laugh which quickly led to coughing as their collars tightened around their throats. It had been a warning, but an effective one and they were more than happy to talk about Quidditch on their way to the floo. Hermione pretended not to listen to their conversation, but she actually enjoyed hearing them get along so well. They didn't have to wait too long to use the floo, and to Ginny and Draco, barely any time had passed because they were so absorbed in their conversation. Hermione had gone through first, and she wasted no time going straight to the library, where she knew Bellatrix would be waiting for her.
"Bella!" she said, striding into the library and throwing her arms around the older witch. She blushed as she realized how forward she had been, but she couldn't resist.
"Nice to see you home so early, cub," Bellatrix husked, pulling Hermione down onto the couch with her. She felt Hermione shiver but chose to pretend she hadn't noticed anything.
Hermione's face was bright red, and she was beginning to wonder if her face would permanently look like a tomato as she said, "It's nice to be home, I've been looking forward to our reading time. But first I wanna know how your day was."
"Well, I woke up a bit late today, and after we talked, I sat with Narcissa in the parlor drinking hot chocolate. I couldn't finish it but I was able to keep it down, which she said was a good thing. Andy came over and they tried to help me stand. Still can't do much on my own but I can walk a few steps with both their help. Maybe walking isn't the right word, but I can lift my feet and they moved me forward and held me up so I didn't fall." Bellatrix smiled as Hermione moved closer to her and looked up at her with shining amber eyes as she listened. "And I've just been sitting here waiting for you for a few minutes."
"That's amazing, Bella," she breathed.
Bellatrix felt her cheeks flush and she distracted herself from it by asking, "How was your day?"
Hermione groaned, sinking into the couch. "Not what I was hoping for."
She nodded, aware that Hermione could only disclose so much. "Hand me the book and I promise to take your mind off it."
Hermione couldn't help but imagine other ways Bellatrix could take her mind off of her day at work. She pushed the thoughts out of her mind, leaning forward and grabbing the book they were reading off of the table. Hermione handed it to Bellatrix, tucking her legs under her and leaning her head on Bellatrix's shoulder. She relaxed when Bellatrix's hand absently went to her hair as she began reading.
Bellatrix could feel the tension leave Hermione as soon as she started reading, a soft sigh escaping the brunette as she stroked her hair soothingly. Hermione rarely let herself relax, even when she was asleep, and Bellatrix couldn't help but feel victorious that she had that effect on her. Even when Hermione read to her, she was just as relaxed as she was now. She wasn't sure how they had first started reading to each other, it sort of just happened one day. Normally, Bellatrix would never read to anyone, nor would she let anyone read to her. She always preferred to devour books on her own, and reading aloud was slower, but she didn't mind being the source of Hermione's relaxation, and she didn't mind hearing Hermione's voice when she read.
She had no idea how long she had been reading when Narcissa poked her head quietly into the library. She smiled at the sight of them, gesturing for Bellatrix to look at Hermione when she looked up. Bellatrix turned her head carefully, feeling a smile form on her face as she realized Hermione had been relaxed enough to fall asleep. She stroked her cheek lightly, afraid to wake her up. Hermione gently nuzzled into the touch without waking, a contented sigh leaving her as she exhaled. The sudden urge to press her lips softly against Hermione's slightly parted ones overwhelmed Bellatrix, and she swallowed hard, turning back to her sister.
"Dinner time," she mouthed, and when Bellatrix nodded, she closed the door softly.
Bellatrix admired Hermione for a few more moments. It was rare to see Hermione without her brows furrowed and a slight frown of thought on her face. She was startled by how young Hermione looked when the weight wasn't pressing down on her before realizing that Hermione had been young when she started in the war. She was so used to seeing her look older that she sometimes forgot Hermione was only in her twenties. Hermione also acted much older than she was, the responsibility she had been saddled with leaving very little room for childhood. Bellatrix could relate to that.
"Hermione," she said softly, cupping the younger witch's cheek.
Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing amber pools Bellatrix would be content to get preserved in. She felt her breath catch as Hermione's eyes focused on her, a sleepy smile on her face.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep," she mumbled, blinking slowly.
"It's okay," Bellatrix whispered, "But it's time for dinner."
Hermione nodded, sitting up and stretching her arms above her head. "Are you coming? Or do you wanna stay here?"
"I'll join you," she said, not even finishing her sentence before Hermione had scooped her into her arms.
The rest of the week passed in a similar fashion until it was finally Friday. Hermione almost had a skip in her step as she walked into work two hours early. She had left a note for Ginny and Draco, telling them to come in when they were ready. Ginny would probably scold her once she arrived, but she enjoyed the peace of the ministry before it was bustling with employees. She wasn't even bothered by having to take the stairs. Hermione was in an unusually good mood between the transfer finally happening today and talking with Bellatrix about everything. She was feeling better than she had in a long time and she wanted to be preemptive with her work so she could go home early and come in late on Monday.
Hermione was immediately on edge when she reached her floor. She let her wand slide into her hand, drawing comfort from the familiar object. Something didn't feel right, and she wasn't sure what. Part of her screamed to turn around and leave until there were more people at work, and part of her whispered to investigate. Nothing was noticeably wrong, everything looked as it should, so why did it feel wrong?
She knew she should listen to her gut. She knew she should leave, she should've never come in early alone. In her moment of deliberation, she hesitated too long before she began backing down the stairs. She couldn't see anyone but she suddenly sensed that someone was behind her on the stairs. The alarm would've gone off if anyone had broken in, but then she realized that someone had let them in and the alarm would have to be activated manually. She turned, leveling her wand at...nothing. Hermione frowned at the spot. Her shoulders tightened as she fired a wordless spell, just in case.
In hindsight, it hadn't been the best idea to fire a spell at point-blank range, but she had no idea whoever had been standing there had been that close and she knew they were a threat. She had to cover her face with her arm as her spell impacted the person as it left her wand to avoid being temporarily blinded by the flash of light. It had been a simple stunning spell, but she could hear it had worked as the person slid down the stairs to the landing. Her wand flew out of her hand as she uncovered her face, and though she didn't need it, she missed its comfort immediately. She turned, scanning the room but not finding anyone. There was no quiver in the air that sometimes accompanied a disillusionment and she couldn't sense anyone else because they weren't close enough. She knew someone was there, though.
She didn't flinch as a spell impacted her shield, sending one where she thought it had come from. It missed, and she wondered if she would be able to make a break for either her office or the floo. If she made it to her office, she could barricade herself inside and trigger the alarm, but she had no idea how many people were in between the stairs and her office. A spell impacted her shield from behind her, barely missing her as she had shifted her weight. She threw up another, unsure what her best option was.
Her thoughts raced as she did her best to maintain the two shields against the now increasing onslaught of spells. She had no idea how many people were attacking, but it was at least five if she was counting right, which was a little difficult. It struck her as odd that none of the spells were lethal, though. There had been plenty of opportunities for them to use a deadly curse, but it was almost entirely stunners and a few that would only result in minor injury. Hermione knew she was at too much of a disadvantage to fight her way back to the floo, and as fast as she was, she didn't think she would make it to her office. Sending a Patronus to get someone for help also didn't seem to be a worthwhile pursuit. All of the assailants were invisible and she wasn't certain that she had counted accurately. It was dangerous to bring other people into this, and if she did, some of her assailants might get away.
Ginny is gonna kill me, but at least Bella can help her find me, she thought to herself as she took a deep breath.
Hermione knew her best option was the one that required the least energy expenditure. There was no guarantee she would be able to escape, and she highly doubted she would be able to, so it seemed pointless to spend the energy it would require. She could save it and use it for a later time when her chances of escape might be higher. The first attack was supposed to succeed, but whoever was coordinating this had clearly learned from their mistakes and put her in a position where fighting wasn't the best option. She wasn't sure why they weren't trying to kill her, but she knew it was her ticket to finding out who was behind this. As long as she could tell Bellatrix who it was, Ginny would find him, hopefully before he did kill her.
"I surrender," she said, her voice echoing strangely in the room.
The attacks stopped almost immediately, and Hermione took a deep breath before letting her shields fall. The spell hurtling toward her was not something that would kill her, but still took a lot of willpower to let it hit her instead of deflecting it. Her brain went foggy and her body went limp, but she wasn't afraid yet. On the brink of consciousness, she felt her body impact the floor and she could hear muffled footsteps approaching her. She knew it wouldn't take long for Ginny to notice she wasn't where she was supposed to be, and she knew that she would exhaust every resource to find her and bring her home safely. Darkness rushed in, and Hermione could no longer fight against the effects of the spell that had hit her.
Ginny had to refrain from stomping all the way to Hermione's office, Draco trailing along behind her. She had some words for the brunette who seemed to not even care about her own safety. Nothing had happened in months, but that didn't mean they should let their guards down, especially when they suspected a ministry worker as being part of it. She knew Hermione had wanted to come in early so she could spend more time with Bellatrix over the weekend, but she could've at least woken her up and let her come with her. The words she was prepared to say died on her tongue when she opened Hermione's office to find it empty, with no sign that she had even entered it. Dread tore through her, replacing her anger as she grabbed Draco's collar and shoved him into the office, closing the door behind her.
"Maybe she went to the prison?" Draco suggested.
Ginny shook her head, frowning at Hermione's desk. "Look at her desk. The first thing Hermione does when she gets here is mark the time, and she never did. She never even made it to her office, which is where she told us she would be. Hermione would've left us a note if she was going there, but she hasn't."
"What should we do?" he asked, deciding not to offer alternatives.
"Continue to help Hawkins with his case. Do not mention anything to anyone," she instructed.
"But what about-" he began.
She interrupted him with a stern look. "Luna, Neville, and I will work on it. Until we've figured out what happened and who was part of it, carry on as normal."
His mouth formed a pinched line as he nodded, leaving the office. Ginny swallowed hard, a mix of anger, worry, and regret pooling in her stomach. She sent a Patronus to Neville and Luna instructing them to come straight to Hermione's office. Heavily, she sat down in Hermione's chair, wishing that she was dreaming. It felt like Neville and Luna took an eternity to enter the office, acting as if everything was normal until the door closed.
"What's happened?" Neville asked.
Luna drifted over to Ginny, placing a hand on her shoulder as she told them, "Hermione left a note this morning that she was going to be early, but when I got here, there was no sign of her. I have no idea where she is or what happened."
"Well, we sort of know who took her," Neville said, "We could always bring in Umbridge and see what she knows."
"I think that's a good start, Neville," Luna said airily, "But we need to be careful with believing her. She might try to mislead us."
Ginny nodded, looking up at Luna. "How's the translating going?"
"It's all finished. I just need to see if it works, it might need some modifications," she answered.
"Okay. Luna, see if you can get the ward to work. Neville, you'll help me question Umbridge and we'll see if we can get her to admit to being part of the Arthurian Order," Ginny decided.
"What about the prison transfer?" Neville asked softly.
"Fuck," Ginny grumbled under her breath, "That'll take nearly all day, and delaying it would only cause more problems."
Luna gestured for Ginny to breathe as she suggested, "Harry could do it."
"If you think he can handle it. We don't know how much time we have to find her, so let's get to work," Ginny said, collecting herself.
Neville and Luna nodded to her. The three of them strode out of Hermione's office, with Luna diverging from them when they turned toward the holding cells. It felt like a long walk to Ginny, but she knew she was just on edge. Her mind was preoccupied with finding Hermione, and she didn't want to have to waste her day supervising a prison transport instead of looking for her. There wasn't much she could do at the moment, anyway. Luna, Harry, and Neville had it under control, but she hated having to see to her other duties and wished she could drop them all.
"Morning, Ginny, Neville," Harry greeted when they reached the cells.
"Morning, Harry," Neville greeted, "I need your help with something while Ginny oversees the transfer."
He could sense something was bothering both of them, so he nodded tersely, following Neville. Ginny sent a Patronus to the prison, making sure they were ready for the influx of people. When she received the go-ahead, she began directing the Aurors present. She hated transfers because only one prisoner was sent through at a time. They had already separated them into individual cells in preparation for the transfer, but each prisoner had to be escorted all the way to the new cell by four Aurors. Not to mention the wait time as the prison prepared the next cell, not having done it the night before.
Ginny was not in a good mood six hours later. To transport the 15 members of the Arthurian Order that were in custody had taken much longer than it needed to, and she was mad the prison hadn't prepared the cells ahead of time. She nearly threw Hermione's door off its hinges in her irritation. Neville, Harry, Draco, and Luna were waiting in Hermione's office, ready to convey their progress.
"Please tell me you have good news?" she asked, pinching the bridge of her nose.
They shook their heads, holding their breaths in preparation for Ginny's outburst.
She inhaled slowly, forcing herself to stay calm as she asked, "Nothing?"
"Sorry, Ginny," Luna said, "I tried to get the barrier to hold, but it isn't stable for long enough."
Draco looked between Luna and Ginny, whispering, "I might have an idea. Mum has always been good with wards, she might be able to help."
"We couldn't even find Umbridge. She never logged time this morning, and there's no floo record. We asked Kingsley and he said she had requested the day off, but we checked her house and she wasn't there," Harry said.
"Okay," she sighed, "Let's all go to Malfoy Manor, we can continue working there. Hopefully, Narcissa will be able to help, but we'll scour the library as well. I know Hermione already has, but now that we have a specific problem, we might have more luck."
They nodded, following her to the floo dejectedly. It had been a disappointing day for all of them, but they weren't going to give up. Hermione would never give up on one of them, so they would never give up on her. When they were all gathered, Ginny felt her heart sink as she realized she would have to tell Narcissa and Bellatrix what had happened. She swallowed as the blonde witch strode into the foyer, her face abnormally expressive as she noticed their expressions and Hermione's absence.
"What happened?" she asked, unable to hide the shaking of her voice.
"They took Hermione," Ginny said softly as the others shuffled their feet awkwardly.
Narcissa's mouth dropped open, and she brought her hand up to cover it, tears welling in her eyes.
"Mum," Draco said softly, "Luna needs your help."
"Of course," she said, clearing her throat, "I'll do whatever I can."
"The rest of us will be in the library," Ginny mumbled.
Luna grabbed her sleeve, whispering in her ear, "Is Bellatrix here?"
Ginny tried to hide her shock, but Luna just knew things sometimes. She nodded, not bothering to question it because she wouldn't receive an answer.
"Her color is all over Hermione, she might be able to find her," she whispered.
Ginny nodded again, not sure what Luna was talking about but she trusted Luna's intuition. "Draco, can you take everyone to the library? I'll join in a bit."
He nodded, gesturing for the group to follow. Narcissa sent Ginny a grateful look as she led Luna outside. The redhead steeled herself to break the news to Bellatrix, summoning all her courage as she climbed the stairs. The former Death Eater turned to look as soon as she entered, expecting Hermione. Bellatrix felt her heart drop into her stomach as she realized it wasn't Hermione, but Ginny.
"Where is she?" Bellatrix rasped, already feeling tears threatening to fall.
"We aren't sure," Ginny whispered, sitting next to her on the bed, "But we're trying to find her."
Bellatrix bit her lip hard, shaking her head back and forth and glaring at Ginny. "No."
"I'm sorry," Ginny whispered, her voice cracking, "She went in early today by herself and she never made it to her office. I didn't know she left early until I saw the note she left."
A sob tore through Bellatrix, and Ginny felt her own tears begin to fall. Ginny knew it wasn't her fault, but she had been trying so hard to keep Hermione safe and she felt like she had failed. Hermione had finally been making progress and she suspected Hermione had gone in early so she could leave early and come in late on Monday. She knew Hermione had planned to spend the weekend with Bellatrix, getting her used to being on her feet and spending time reading to each other. Hermione hadn't been avoiding anything by going in early, which was entirely new, and she had misjudged the safety of the ministry. Ginny had gotten too comfortable and hadn't been keeping as much of an eye on her, and she wished she had.
Bellatrix brushed her mind against Hermione's again, hoping for a response and feeling panic set in. She knew Hermione was still alive because she could still feel her mind through the bond, but Hermione never responded to her and her mind was closed off to Bellatrix. She hadn't tried to push through, thinking she was just busy with work but now she was certain that Hermione was unconscious. As soon as Hermione was awake, she would know and she would find out who had taken her. She wouldn't stop trying for a response until she got one, and she would figure out where she was being kept and tell Ginny so the redhead could bring her home safe. Then, she would tell Hermione how she felt because she'd be damned if she never got the chance to tell her.
"I haven't been able to reach her all day. I just thought she was busy," Bellatrix cried, "I never got to tell her. And now I might never be able to."
Ginny clenched the blanket in her fists and it took her a while to process what Bellatrix said. "What do you mean reach her?"
"Our bond. We can talk to each other in our heads, but I haven't felt a response from her at all today," Bellatrix explained.
"Keep trying. We'll bring her home, I promise."
Bellatrix nodded, her eyes still glistening with tears.