"What, in Merlin's name, is this?"
"I already said, I don't know."
"Do not lie to me!" she snarled, whipping out her wand and pointing it directly into Neville's face.
"Christ, such a pleasant way to thank me for saving your life." He muttered, taking a few steps away from her bubbling anger.
"I already thanked you profusely and I will be eternally grateful, however," she continued, shoving the small amethyst coloured sphere she had found attached to her ear that morning, into his face.
He swallowed visibly, a dark blush blooming in his cheeks.
"Why was this tracking sphere hidden behind my ear?" she hissed.
He took another few steps back.
"Kingsley..." he began quietly, his hands stuffed into his pockets and his eyes wide with guilt.
"For Merlin's sake, Neville!" she screeched, grabbing her bag from the floor and hurling it at him.
It hit him with a pathetic thud and he barely flinched. She growled in frustration and moved even closer to Neville.
"Don't ever, and I mean ever, do something like that again," she snarled.
Neville nodded immediately. She hesitated for a few more moments then let out a sigh. The tension seemed to flow out of her body and she sagged, falling forward into Neville's arms.
"I'm sorry, Neville," she murmured.
Neville stiffened, then relaxed slightly.
"I'm just glad I got there in time."
She gave a short humourless laugh.
"So am I," she replied.
They stood there in comfortable silence. Two old friends who had been through too much together. Two people who had never known peace. Two people who would always be at war.
"I convinced Kingsley to permanently remove your tracking device," Neville finally said.
"I expected nothing less," she responded, finally turning away from him and placing her bag back onto the dresser that stood in the middle of the hallway.
"He was afraid you'd overdo it with the Malfoy case. He did it to keep you as well as the Auror office safe," he continued, following her into the empty kitchen.
"It doesn't matter, Neville," she sighed, closing the door behind him and gesturing for him to sit down.
"Where's Remus?" he asked quietly.
She shrugged and set the kettle onto the stove.
"Tea?"
Neville nodded and smiled gratefully as she sat down beside him. She let her head fall into her hands and groaned quietly. Her morning sickness was still a very real part of her daily routine.
"You OK, Hermione?" he asked gently.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Just a little tired," she replied.
The kettle whistled loudly and she jumped up.
"Let me," he said, brushing past her and pouring the boiling water into the two mismatched mugs on the countertop.
"Thank you," she breathed.
A few moments later he set two steaming cups of milky black tea onto the table and sat back down beside her.
"You take sugar, don't you?" he asked nervously.
She nodded weakly.
Several minutes of complete silence passed. The two of them lost in comfortable stillness.
"Neville!" a warm voice suddenly called out.
Hermione whipped around and couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips when she saw Remus in the doorway, his arms laden with paper grocery bags.
"Remus! I've missed you, mate!" Neville said, getting up from the table and wrapping Remus into a bone-crushing hug.
"Hermione, my love," Remus said softly when Neville had stepped back, placing a soft kiss onto her clammy forehead.
She leant into his embrace and closed her eyes. Another wave of nausea coursed through her body. A shudder ran through her body.
"Do you need to rest?" Remus asked, his thumb brushing over the flushed skin of her cheek.
"I think I might do just that," she admitted.
She turned to Neville and gave him an apologetic glance. He smiled warmly and wrapped her into a slightly more delicate hug.
"I'm glad you're OK," he said.
"Thank you, Neville. For everything," she whispered.
She turned towards the door but gave Remus a lingering kiss on her way out. He smiled at her and gave her a glass bottle filled with a rose coloured liquid.
"Sirius gave me this yesterday. It's meant to help against nausea."
She took the bottle and smiled gratefully.
"Wake me up for lunch. This little one needs to be fed after all," she said, her hands wandering to the slight curve of her abdomen.
Neville's eyes widened in understanding and he opened his mouth to speak. She winked and left before he could question her.