January 30th

Curiosity was something of a two-edged sword. Over the years of her life, Hermione had experienced the euphoria of quenching her curious urges as well as the pitfalls of being too inquisitive. There was danger in wanting to know more information than was readily offered. Though she had some success in her younger years keeping her best friends alive thanks to the knowledge she'd hunted for and gathered, there were certainly times she wished she hadn't been so damned eager to uncover every last tiny detail.

She knew that it wasn't wise to be too interested in what was happening at the Leaky Cauldron that night. Alecto hadn't minced words when she told her that she needed to stay as far away from the gathering as possible. There were too many unpredictable and caustic variables to contend with. If the Dark Lord suspected that she was nearby and she was somehow captured, he might believe that she was coming back to repent for her disobedience. Depending on his mood, she could either be welcomed warmly back into the fold or she would be made an example of. Neither option sounded attractive.

But, she also thought it strange that they were gathering in London. Why? The Dark Lord hadn't strayed far from Hogwarts in a very long time. When the war was lost and he reigned supreme, he chose the ancient school as his headquarters, his court. Lord Voldemort desired having the children close by. He wanted to shape their ideals, their thoughts into something that he could manipulate. Control the children and one controls the world. Over time, it just became a necessity that he remain where he was. Though no one was foolish enough to say so out loud, they all knew he was weakening to an alarming degree.

Would the Dark Lord even be a part of the meeting? She couldn't imagine that he was. Rarely could she remember there being a time in the past when he had sent out invitations to his Death Eaters to attend a meeting in advance. Their notice was usually only a burning of their Dark Mark and moments to Apparate to wherever their master was calling from. To bring in those he sent out to other countries as a representative of his government was even more curious.

If she was perfectly honest with herself, she was tempted to go to the Leaky Cauldron for no other reason than to attempt to set her eyes on the Dark Lord's representative to France. It had been a long time since their paths crossed, since they last were within speaking distance. Even longer since the last time they were close enough to touch. Theirs had not been a happy story. So few had been in those days.

When their master made the determination that it was time that they stopped behaving like a conquering force and begin the business of actually growing and improving their society, he had had very strict orders for his most faithful of followers. Marry and breed. He was intelligent enough to understand that the most fervent support he would receive would come from those who were raised within close proximity to power. Those they'd managed to subjugate continued to grow their families. Some of them would be loyal, some of them would be recruits to the Resistance. It was better that the children of his Death Eaters outnumber the children of those living underneath their thumbs.

Some of the Death Eaters hadn't hesitated to marry when it was ordered of them. Especially the younger ones. With all of the emphasis of the previous several years placed on fighting the Resistance and ensuring the bloody acts of the regime weren't in vain, there had been very little time for any of the pleasures of the most domestic kind. There had been plenty of opportunities to get caught up in the carnal pleasures, however. The Dark Lord began to find their debauched revels and 'live for the moment' attitudes unpalatable. He wanted stability, a world that wouldn't crumble.

Hermione had been one of the last holdouts. At first, she believed that his orders wouldn't apply to her. After all, she was one his favorites. Often he allowed her to sit on the floor at his feet while every other member of the Inner Circle was forced to remain upright. There had been a time when she actually enjoyed being little more than his pet. She was faithful and loyal. Never questioned his orders. Sought out his approval. She killed and maimed just for the sake of his pleasure.

Besides, the only person she had any desire at all to marry was already married. It didn't matter that his wife had left him decades earlier when he was first arrested by the Ministry of Magic. She'd taken their three small children and fled to another country. When he'd broken out of Azkaban during the mass breakouts of the nineties, he'd been horrified to learn that she hadn't stayed. The embarrassment of having a known Death Eater as a husband had been too much for her. She was afraid of what their children would experience remaining in the country with the stigma of their father hanging over their heads.

When Hermione was informed that she would also have to enter into the bonds of matrimony with another loyal Death Eater, she was incensed. Not only was she afraid that she would be less valuable to her Dark Lord's eyes when she was filled with some bastard, but she didn't want to be paired up with just anyone. Her protector had had the same idea. He wanted to offer what sanctuary to her that he could. He'd pled his case to the Dark Lord. Begged him to allow him to set aside the wife that abandoned him for Hermione.

It had all been a waste of breath. Instead of allowing the divorce in absentia, Lord Voldemort ordered him to leave the country to find his wife and family. He needed to set an example to the rest of them of a stable, loving family. It didn't matter that his wife cursed his name or that his children feared and reviled him. When he was ordered to put aside his foolish hopes of marrying the woman he loved, he couldn't do anything but leave. Comply or die.

So, she had been left to marry a man she did not and could not love. There were no other options. Not even Ron. Of course, she would've rather shot an Avada straight to her own heart than even entertain the idea of marrying her altered ex-boyfriend. His rather thorough training and reprogramming under the tutelage of Rabastan Lestrange turned him into a dangerous shadow of the wizard he once was. Never again would he be anything like the funny, Quidditch-mad child she used to adore.

A replacement husband was appointed. Her new husband had been thrilled with the Dark Lord's refusal to allow Hermione to marry the one she wanted. With her as his wife, his status rose exponentially in the ranks. She, however, had been less than pleased. What woman loved being nothing more than an opportunity for her husband to get ahead? She resented his eagerness to wed her, to bed her. She determined to get pregnant as quickly as possible. Not only to please her master, but also in a foolish hope that her new husband would leave her alone.

Only one of her wishes came true. The Dark Lord set them up as an example of how all Death Eaters should behave. They were taking their orders seriously. Because of their loyalty, the regime would last for generations. Unfortunately, her thickening waist and swollen breasts did little to dampen the ardor of her infatuated mate. If anything, he found her even more attractive ripe with his child.

Alecto's warning that she stay out of London and away from the Leaky Cauldron fell on deaf ears. It was idiotic to go towards a gathering of her former brethren, insane even. But, she wanted to catch a glimpse of what was happening. To call all of the Death Eaters together was no small feat. Curiously, she hadn't felt a burn in her Mark. Had all Death Eaters except her been summoned?

She found a dark, hidden corner a short distance from the famous tavern to hide. No one would believe she would be foolish enough to be that close. Perhaps that would be enough to keep her protected. It wasn't long after her arrival that the assembly of the most feared and dangerous men and women in the country began. She saw most of the familiar faces: Alecto, Ron, Corban. When her husband appeared on the street, she felt her lip curl up in disgust. There was no one alive she hated more.

Through all of the arrivals, one face she longed to see was missing. Any number of reasons could explain his absence. Alecto might have heard incorrectly. He might have already been inside when she got there. Maybe he used the floo. Whatever it was, she was disappointed. Where was he? Had something happened to him while she was away? No, she thought, Alecto would've told me.

She couldn't be sure how many hours she sat in the cold waiting for the meeting to end. Long enough for her limbs to feel stiff and her cheeks to burn with the freezing air maliciously scraping across her face. If she allowed herself to stop and question why she was still waiting, she'd have to tell herself she was just wasting time. And for what? To maybe catch a glimpse of a man who once meant more to her than breathing?

The bells around the city began their midnight toll, jarring her back to reality. She needed to get as far away from their meeting as possible. Her legs were still stiff from her inactivity in the cold. Her movements weren't nearly fast enough. The door to the Leaky Cauldron opened to release one of the attendees. She couldn't get away fast enough. A strong hand caught her upper arm, squeezed, and pulled her back into a shadowy corner.

Light from a nearby lamppost was only just able to illuminate the amused features of notorious Death Eater Augustus Rookwood.

"Now this is a pleasant surprise. Never expected to run into you out here, Madam Dolohov."