March 25th

Another day passed with no sign of Draco. Hermione was frustrated, but made the decision to ignore her feelings. Maybe his decision to stay away hadn't been personal. His position within the regime meant he was expected to come running when summoned. While it often left him a great deal of time to do as he pleased, when he was needed, he had no choice but to drop whatever he was doing in a moment. Perhaps, after he calmed down but before he had a chance to return, he'd been summoned.

Idleness was the only reason why she even had the opportunity to try to decipher another's motivations or emotions. In her old life, when she was kept busy with her family and with her role as a respected Death Eater, she rarely had time to stop and think too long about anything. She could see how someone could go mad after too long wrapped up in their own thoughts. Or how a person could become paranoid and unrealistically convinced that the world and everyone in it was out to get them.

For the first time in all of the many years that she'd known him, she began to understand the appeal of Antonin's garden. She'd lost count the number of times she'd teased her deadly, ferocious husband for liking to crawl around in the dirt tending his tiny plants or how he enjoyed sitting on a bench overlooking the small part of the world he'd been able to tame to his rigid specifications. It allowed him the chance to think about something other than the insanity of the world they lived in outside of the rickety gate he'd fixed a hundred times. When every other part of his life was uncertain, he could find a minute amount of control in planting and caring for the various plants. It was his way of grabbing hold of the last bit of sanity that hadn't been stripped from him in Azkaban.

Learning how to cloak her magic would give her something worthwhile to do in the time she was left alone. There might even be a flicker of hope that she could finally have something within her control again. Waiting on Ginny to return with the decision of the other Resistance leaders was not an easy task. She was beginning to believe that William Wood was right. They would be foolish to teach her their tricks. A day might come when she might use it against them.

Sunday mornings were typically lazy in the village. Very few in the wizarding world ever rushed off to church services. Faith in a higher power was almost unheard of in the community that could bring forth fire and death at the end of a stick. Its lack was an oddity that once upon a time interested her. She knew a Muggle-born wizard who rose as high as the Head of the Magical Maintenance Department at the Ministry. When her duties brought her to London, she'd engaged in many interesting discussions and debates with him about why organized religion hadn't gotten its hold on those with magic. Sometimes her mind would travel back to those days and she wondered what ever happened to the man. Had he survived all of the numerous purges that plagued the Ministry over the years? Or was he still wandering through the building making certain that the floors remained mopped and shiny?

Knowing that she would likely remain unbothered if she went out to enjoy the early morning sun, Hermione stepped out of the tent. After a quick survey of the immediate area showed that no one was about and looking in her direction, she crossed over the invisible barrier protecting her unusual home. No one else appeared to be outside, a fact that she was glad to discover. Walking alone was a much more attractive prospect.

"I was just on my way to your tent."

The witch's voice startled Hermione out of her thoughts. Spinning around, preparing for an attack she knew would one day come, she didn't immediately loosen up when she realized that Ginny Weasley stood only meters away. No matter how civil the two of them had been since their paths crossed again, they were not friends again. They never would be. If they one day ceased to be enemies, she would be surprised. Too much had gone on to wash away the past entirely. Ginny showed no visible reaction to her bizarre behavior and clear mistrust. Likely they were having similar thoughts.

"I spoke with the others."

Hermione, curious to know what the next words coming out of her mouth would be, relaxed only slightly. She couldn't afford to get too comfortable around any member of the Resistance. That was how one ended up dead. And she should know. Plenty of complacent foes ended up on the wrong end of her wand. Whatever came out of the woman's mouth next would determine whether or not Hermione even entertained the possibility that she would become a spy for them. She meant what she said. Either they would teach her how to cloak her magic or she wouldn't lift a finger.

"I imagine that couldn't have been an easy discussion to have."

Ginny's lips turned up in a small smile. She was amused. After a moment to think over what the older woman said, she shook her head and let out a quiet chuckle.

"No, it definitely was not."

Part of her wished that she could have been there to witness the event. Not as a participant, of course. More like the fly on the wall. It was probably for the best that she couldn't. No doubt lots of unpleasant statements were made about her that she didn't want to hear. Hermione knew enough about her shortcomings and failures without needing her enemies to freely discuss them where she could listen.

"What was the decision?"

She prepared herself for rejection. It made the most logical sense. If the situation was reversed and Ginny was living on the outskirts of Hogsmeade amongst the most loyal and powerful of the Death Eaters and their families, Hermione wouldn't have wanted to offer her the same. Any weapon in an enemy's hand could be the instrument in their death or the death of a loved one. She understood that there would be many within the Resistance who would prefer she remain unarmed. Readying herself for the sting of rejection wasn't the only internal preparation she was making. Her decision was made in that moment. If they told her 'no', she was leaving. There would be no point to stay.

"Several were against it. I'm sure you're not surprised to hear that."

Hermione shook her head. She began planning her next steps. Maybe she could go back to Fenrir's for a few days. Just until she had a better plan.

"But, in the end, we decided that it was a fair request. We're asking you to put yourself and your son in danger."

A few beats passed before Hermione grasped that her condition hadn't been rejected. The Resistance was actually going to share with her their secrets. She could hardly believe it.

"Someone will be by your tent tomorrow."

Ginny nodded her head in her direction and took off walking towards the center of the village. There was no need to follow her. She'd said all that she would on the subject. For the first time in longer than she cared to remember, Hermione could feel the tiniest bit of hope begin within her. Whether she ended up actually following through with spying or not, she would know how to cloak her magic, how to use it without alerting her husband or any of her former comrades.

She was almost free.