August 15th

Hermione's conversation with her husband gave her a great deal to think about over the next day. While she could certainly see his point about not being ready to get her hands dirty again, she wasn't sure if she appreciated him keeping her in the dark. Was she really so unpredictable that she would just wander away from safety to confront danger simply because she felt morally compelled to do so? She knew the answer to that was undoubtedly yes. Maybe she had been able to push aside her Gryffindoric tendencies when they didn't suit her in the past when her mind was muddled with potions and she was fighting for prestige and power in a regime she secretly despised. But maybe she wasn't able to any longer. It was why she ran out of Draco's flat and straight into the arms of the husband she believed to be abusive after all. She had to save Aberforth Dumbledore from the prison her mistake put him in. Perhaps Antonin had a valid concern after all.

With the day almost over, Hermione enjoyed a late-night glass of fire whiskey with Antonin and Augustus in front of the fireplace in the lounge. Oliver had been in bed for well over an hour, so they didn't have the added benefit of having him around as a buffer for the adults. There had only been a handful of moments throughout the weeks the Dolohovs had taken refuge in the safe house that the three adults found themselves alone together. It was an arrangement that would never be entirely comfortable for anyone involved. Too much history existed between all of them. When Oliver was around, they had excuses to stay away from the more volatile subjects. Without him, Hermione wasn't sure how the rest of the evening would go. She was tempted to call it a night herself.

She sat on the sofa with her feet tucked underneath her next to her husband. In a show of possessiveness that no one could miss, Antonin's arm was draped around her shoulders, gently pulling her against him. Augustus sat in his favorite armchair trying, and failing, not to be made ill at ease by the display on the sofa. If his mind was traveling to the same place Hermione's was, he couldn't help but remember a few incidents on that very piece of furniture months earlier that would've made Antonin leery of sitting on it. She had to bite back an amused smirk at the thought.

"It's going to feel strange around here when Ollie goes back to Hogwarts. I've gotten used to having him around." Augustus sipped at his glass as he stared into the fire. "I never got a chance to be around my boys at his age. I think I would've enjoyed that."

Rarely did either wizard ever allude to their time locked in Azkaban. It was a horrible chapter in their lives that they would like to forget. There were only a handful of times in twenty years that Antonin told Hermione anything about the prison he spent fifteen years in. As horrible as she imagined it to be, she knew it was infinitely worse. How those two men were able to escape from the prison with any of their wits still attached had always amazed her. Though neither of them would ever win any medals for optimum mental health, nor would she for that matter, they were able to overcome their traumatic experiences admirably. If she'd had to comfort each man at separate times after they'd woken up from a vivid nightmare, she had been glad to do so. She hoped that the dementors would be removed from the prison by the next leader. They were simply too cruel and barbaric.

"We can never thank you enough, Gus, for letting us stay here so long."

Augustus was uncomfortable with any show of gratitude, especially from his main rival of many years. It wasn't easy for Antonin to express his feelings either. Perhaps it was a naïve hope, but Hermione hoped that this experience would help them both put the past behind them. She much preferred when they were working together instead of at each other's throats.

"Glad to do it. Happy to help."

After clearing his throat, Augustus stood up from his chair with excuses that he needed another glass. Hermione bit back a smile. Were all wizards rubbish at expressing emotion and gratitude? She snuggled closer to her husband and leaned up to kiss his lips.

"You were very kind to Augie. Thank you. I know this experience hasn't been easy for you."

"I'd make a deal with the devil himself if it would keep my family safe."

"No, Antonin. No more deals with the devil. Too much of our lives have already been wasted following the devil."

Any response he might have had to her statement was halted by a loud knock at the front door. Hermione didn't understand how that was even possible. Wasn't Augustus' home Secret-Kept? Who else but the ones in the house knew the secret? She couldn't imagine Alain or Mr. Akingbade would've returned so soon after leaving. She was worried that none of the possibilities were good.

Augustus reentered the room only moments after the initial knock. Carefully pulling back the curtain covering the window next to the front door, he peered out at his unexpected visitor. His shoulders slumped.

"Damn!"

Whoever it was, he wasn't pleased to see them standing in front of his house. All hope that they were friendly disappeared at once. Antonin stood to his feet and helped his wife up. He turned his full attention to their host.

"Is it her again, Gus?"

Augustus only nodded. Quickly, Antonin picked up both his and Hermione's glasses of fire whiskey in one hand. With his other, he reached for Hermione's hand. She knew it was serious. Questions could be answered later when they were safe. She allowed her husband to escort her to the door that led to Ollie's attic bedroom. Once inside with the door closed, Antonin pushed the glasses to Hermione. Standing in the middle of the staircase, she watched as her husband pulled down a wall from a hole in the ceiling, effectively hiding the stairs to the attic and making the door seem to lead to nothing but a coat cupboard.

"Hurry up the stairs, my darling. We don't have much time to get into Ollie's room."

She didn't need to be told again. Scrambling up the last few steps, she was glad to see that the excitement hadn't woken their son up. Being a heavy sleeper could be a blessing. Antonin closed the door behind him and cast a silent enchantment over the wood. Seeing his son asleep, completely unaware that they could be moments away from discovery, he circled his bed in silencing spells. Hermione was hopeful that he would continue to sleep without knowing his parents were hiding up there with him. He didn't need to be any more afraid than he already was.

Antonin pressed his hand against the wall opposite from their son's bed. A small window appeared in the paneling. Hermione rushed to his side, eager to see what he was seeing. He moved over enough to give her room to share.

They stared down into the lounge with a perfect view of the front door. Augustus crossed the room wearing his dressing gown, his hair dripping. There was another knock at the front door, much more frantic than the one they heard earlier.

"I'm coming! Give me a moment."

Augustus' voice was only slightly muffled. Whatever gave them the ability to see downstairs also allowed them to hear. Hermione could feel her heart beating against her chest. The late-night visitor was obviously a woman, but Hermione didn't have the first clue who she might be or what her true purpose for coming by meant. Were they going to have to fight? She hoped not. It had been too long since she last had to. And besides, Antonin was right. She wasn't sure she had the stomach for it any longer.

"Oh! Hello there."

Augustus' demeanor changed entirely when he opened the front door. Even his voice took on that seductive husky tone that rarely failed to excite Hermione when he turned its power on her. Still unable to see who was standing just outside the house, she no longer needed to wonder why the woman was there. There were only a few reasons why someone would stop by just before midnight. Based on Augustus' tone, it was for a much more pleasurable reason than a fight to the death.

"You caught me just as I was finishing up my shower."

"What a pity I didn't arrive earlier. We could've enjoyed one together."

Hermione knew that voice. Knew that voice very well. She tried to push down a bubble of both rage and a hint of jealousy. How long had Augustus had enough of an understanding with Alecto Carrow that she thought she had the right to just drop by his home late at night? What other surprises were in store for her as the night wore on?

"Perhaps there will be a reason to take another one later."

"I certainly hope so, Augie."

The casual use of her nickname for Augustus made Hermione very angry. No one called him that but her. What sort of sick game was Alecto playing and why was Augustus allowing it? Sensing that his wife was growing steadily more infuriated as the moments progressed, Antonin placed a supportive arm around her waist. It helped calm her only slightly. She took a deep breath to keep from storming down the staircase to rip the bitch's head off of her neck with her bare hands. Maybe she'd been wrong earlier about her desire to fight.

"When you didn't answer at first, I thought you might have someone else hidden away inside."

"Of course I don't. Feel free to cast a Homenum Revelio if you don't believe me."

Alecto stepped inside with a giggle most unbecoming a woman in her fifties. Did she not understand what a fool she was making of herself? She removed her wand from her pocket.

"I think I shall just to make sure you're not being a naughty boy. Homenum Revelio."

Hermione tensed up at the casting of the human-presence revealing spell. If Alecto knew there were others hiding in Augustus' home, she wouldn't rest until they were rooted out. Antonin increased the pressure of his hand on her waist, but it didn't help calm her down. They were about to be discovered! When the familiar wave of energy dispersed by the spell didn't crash over their bodies and Alecto put her wand away satisfied that she was indeed alone with Augustus, Hermione was confused. Antonin kissed the top of her head and pulled her tighter against his side.

"I designed this room to be completely undetectable. It's covered in enough wards that she could cast a thousand Homenum Revelios and never know we were here. It's soundproof as well. No one can hear anything inside this room if they're outside of it and no one inside of it can hear what happens outside unless they're standing right here with the window open. Why else do you think I haven't been terribly concerned whether or not our son could hear us in our bedroom downstairs?"

She looked up just in time to see his satisfied smirk. No longer in fear that they were about to be found and their hiding place ruined, she granted him a smile even as she rolled her eyes. Sometimes he was entirely too proud of himself. At least she was less afraid.

"So this is where you were all of those days you left for hours at a time and wouldn't tell me what you were up to?"

He nodded.

"I had to get this place finished as quickly as possible. I hoped we would never need it, but I'm glad we have it. I'm grateful to Gus. Because of our rather volatile past, no one will ever suspect we're here."

Hermione pushed away thoughts of Draco. There was someone who knew where to find them. Why she hadn't told her husband the truth was still a bit of a mystery to her. They weren't entirely safe. Not like Antonin would like. It was possible they never would be. She focused on what was happening downstairs to keep from blurting out the truth.