March 15th

Draco didn't linger long in the tent after she had reluctantly given him permission to stay there when he was in the village. Though he wouldn't give her any details, he admitted that he was supposed to be on some sort of raid that night. How he was able to keep his duties straight in his head while he was also partnering with the leaders of the Resistance was beyond Hermione's comprehension. It had to have been confusing to make it seem like he was following the orders of the Dark Lord while still mysteriously doing whatever it was he did for the Resistance. She still wasn't aware yet what that even was.

No one in the Jordan home stopped her when she announced she was moving to her tent on the edge of the village. If she was truthful with herself, she was sure there was relief on the faces of the parents. As much as they might have tried to to make it seem like she was just another house guest and an extended member of their family, she knew that she made them uncomfortable. She didn't blame them. If the roles were reversed and she was forced to house Ginny Weasley or Aberforth Dumbledore in her Hogsmeade home with her family, she wouldn't want Oliver to spend any length of time with them. They might teach him exactly what she didn't want him to learn.

Moving back into the tent was a strangely freeing experience. She thought it might be lonely to leave the warm family house to be alone in the tent. There hadn't been a single night that she'd spent inside the old canvas where she was completely alone. Either Harry and Ron had been with her or Antonin and Oliver. Or Draco. It was quiet and comforting. As soon as she had everything packed into her beaded bag and stowed safely on her person, she hadn't hesitated to return to the tent. Leaving her bag within arm's reach, she slipped into her old bunk and was asleep in moments.

One benefit she discovered the next morning to having the tent and its immediate area cloaked in a powerful spell was that she was able to sit in the tent flap sipping her tea and watch the activity on the edge of the village completely unseen. Either it was a happy accident that Draco placed it right by the unofficial entrance of the village or he was deliberate in his decision. She imagined it was likely the latter. No one was able to Apparate directly into the village for security purposes. Unlike Hogsmeade where the anti-Apparition wards were only triggered in times of confusion or attack, the Resistance took no chances with their safety. Most arrived just outside the wards only about ten or fifteen meters from the position of her tent. None of them even bothered to glance in her direction. Hermione loved the feeling of being invisible.

For such a sleepy village, there was a great deal of activity that morning. More residents were coming and going than she had ever noticed before. Everyone seemed to be in something of a rush. None of the laughter and cheerful conversation she was used to hearing echoed through the streets. A tension hung in the air that even she couldn't miss. Several of the leaders of the Resistance arrived just before noon. Appearing in ones and twos, she was able to see those she hadn't even been aware held any amount of power within the Resistance arrive. Some of them she hadn't laid eyes on since before the war was over.

Luna and Xenophilius Lovegood crossed the wards together. There had been rumors that the dreamy Ravenclaw witch met some traveller years before when she was hunting for one of the countless ridiculous creatures she and her father believed were real. Supposedly, she was married and possibly a mother, but no one could confirm that for certain. The few times that the Death Eaters or their associates had been able to catch a glimpse of her over the years had always been within the presence of her protective father. Hermione couldn't remember the details of how the crazed wizard was able to get released from Azkaban at the end of the war. Likely he had been one of those that had sworn allegiance to the Dark Lord in exchange for freedom only to turn around and defy the very wizard who had given him his life back. It disgusted her that so many of those people still were free to roam the earth unimpeded. She stared at the duo until they disappeared into the front door belonging to Tiberius Zeller.

Percy Weasley arrived alone. She hadn't seen him or heard a word about him since that day during the small meeting. It was a known fact that he had a wife and at least one child, possibly two, tucked away in a protected village in Belgium. As much as the regime might have longed to go after him for his crimes against their people, there existed a rather tenuous treaty with the Belgians that no one was in a hurry to upset. They had such a sensitive Ministry, after all. It was decided that he was fair game only when he was inside Great Britain. Unfortunately, despite his frequent visits, he was careful to the point of obsession.

Others came. Some she recognized. A few she had seen inside the Ministry only a short time before she had run away. She'd gone to school with many of them, even fought in Dumbledore's Army alongside a few. Plenty she only knew from being on the wrong end of their wand. Or, rather, they knew her from being on the wrong end of hers. A steady stream of arrivals continued well past the noon hour. About half-past, the last trickle wandered into the Zellers' home. She'd tried to keep an accurate count, but somewhere around thirty-one or thirty-two, she stopped. There had been too many pressing in at once to keep track.

She stared at the meeting place, hardly blinking, for at least an hour. The eerie silence of the village was unnerving. There was a great temptation to try to sneak over to the house in the distance to try to discover what they were talking about, but she forced herself to remain right where she was. It wouldn't do her situation any good to be caught lurking in the shadows attempting to eavesdrop. For those who were still convinced that she was a spy sent to infiltrate their ranks, they would have all of the proof they needed.

No one was smiling when they exited the house sometime around two in the afternoon. Whatever had been discussed was not a cheery topic. Very few spoke to each other and most of the Resistance rushed out of the wards as quickly as possible. It had taken the better part of an hour to get the leaders of the rebel group to the village and hardly a quarter of an hour before they were all gone. Hermione considered stepping outside of the cloaking spell to walk down to speak with Lee Jordan. He might share some of what happened if she asked. Just as she was about to stand up, she was startled by a voice.

"Hermione? Are you about?"

Charlie Weasley spoke in quiet tones to keep his voice from carrying. She had been so focused on watching the departures that she hadn't even seen the dragon keeper sneak up on her hiding place. With his back to the tent he could not see, he waited for a response. Clearly, he didn't want to draw attention to his actions. Draco made the promise that no one but those who needed to know would be able to find her. Feeling confident in the fact that Charlie had never once raised his wand in her direction in all of the years they'd fought on opposite sides, she felt somewhat secure revealing where she was.

"Walk towards the tree behind you."

A couple of minutes later found them both seated at the simple wooden plank table staring at the other. Not immediately forthcoming with the purpose of his visit, Charlie took his time. They could have simply been old friends enjoying the presence of the other if an uninterested bystander got a glimpse of them. When he finally spoke, it was not about the meeting he'd obviously just come from.

"Are you settling into the village since we last spoke?"

She felt her eyes narrow at the question. He wasn't an unintelligent man. How could she possibly "settle in" to a place filled with enemies? His polite attempt at conversation rankled her nerves. Deciding to play along to see if he would come right out with the true purpose of his odd visit, she sighed.

"As well as can be expected."

"I heard about you leaving the village the other night. Why?"

"I didn't want to be here any longer."

"And what brought you back?"

Draco. Of course, she couldn't admit to it. Not even to herself. For reasons she had as yet still been unable to discover, she only returned to the village because of him. Why? She wasn't sure she would ever understand fully.

"I didn't have anywhere else to go."

His sigh spoke of great disappointment and exhaustion. She was all too familiar with that brand of sigh. Unsure what to do with her, Charlie appeared to be trying to figure out some kind of common ground for the both of them to stand upon. One of the more rational members of the Weasley family, he had had to develop a strong sense of calm and logical thinking to spend a lifetime working with unpredictable dragons. A single wrong move could mean not only his death, but the end of others, possibly even the end of the dragon.

"I truly wish for the best for you, Hermione. Just as I've always held out hope that one day Ronnie would see the error of his ways and come home, I hoped the same for you. I don't want to see you get hurt."

"Thank you."

"I also hope that you aren't just fooling everyone about your intentions."

She could have claimed until she was blue in the face that she had no plans to betray him or any other member of the Resistance. It would have all been for nothing. Words meant very little. Actions spoke much louder. Charlie would be a fool to just trust her words at face value. That was how little Gryffindors got hurt. Rising to his feet to indicate that he had made his point clear, he didn't even ask for permission before he enveloped her small frame in his arms. Over almost as soon as it began, she appreciated the embrace. He might not trust her, but he hadn't completely given up on her either.

"You know I always liked you, right?"

A hint of a smile tugged at the corner of her lips when he made his confession. She remembered a time when she was young, naïve and fancied herself half in love with the wizard. Every kind word and gesture she'd clung to, convinced herself that he was in love with her too. How silly she had been! How silly they had all been.

"Always thought you'd end up with one of my brothers."

"Ron?"

"Maybe. Though you and Fred would've made a better match. You would've complemented each other. Calmed him down a bit. Loosened you up some. Guess we'll never know."

Talking of the past made her stomach twist in knots. She was pleased when he slipped out of the tent flap moments later to leave her alone with her thoughts.