August 28th

It was humiliating sitting in the darkness waiting for Alecto to leave Augustus' house. Hermione hated every single moment of it. There was simply no way they were going to be able to stay in his house any longer. She made the decision as she stewed in her own anger that as soon as Oliver was on the Hogwarts Express, she and Antonin would move somewhere else. Even if it wasn't as safe and secure as the home she'd come to feel comfortable in in Cornwall, she couldn't bear to be around that wretched woman another second. Besides, now that it was known by someone who wished her ill that she was in the habit of going there, it wouldn't be long before Rodolphus or Rabastan or one of their other wretched allies tried to catch her there again.

Frustrated and angry with the entire trajectory of her life, Hermione sat down in the grass with her back up against a tree trunk. She hated feeling helpless. For too much of her life she felt like she had no control over anything. That was the main reason why she decided to become a Death Eater even when Antonin begged her and begged her to reconsider. With the Dark Lord dead, she had no more power. She was back to being the helpless, afraid weakling that she despised. Remaining there, hiding in Augustus' home was getting her nowhere. Maybe she didn't want to fight in a war or become the next leader of the regime or even see another single drop of blood, but she couldn't just sit there waiting. Her life was passing her by.

She kept thinking about those days she spent in Draco's flat against her better judgment. For a brief period of time, she'd been able to ignore the outside world. At least for a little while she wasn't afraid or worried or planning her next move. Well, that was until she came up with the reckless decision to return to Hogsmeade to free an old man from a prison he deserved to be in. It might have been her mistake that got Aberforth arrested, but it wasn't as if the wizard hadn't already spent over twenty years fighting against the regime. His arrest was bound to happen sooner or later. Or so she tried to justify to herself when she couldn't make up her mind to help him or not.

Where was Draco? She'd told him to go away, to leave her alone after he all but admitted that he betrayed her to Rodolphus, but did that mean he actually listened? And what was his role in the whole ordeal to begin with? Rodolphus considered him family even though there were no blood ties. He cultivated an alliance with the Malfoys when no one else in their society even wanted to look down their noses at them. Desperation could turn even the most docile of animals into dangerous enemies. Someone along the road should've considered the very real possibility that the Malfoys could become a problem if they were ignored and humiliated for long enough.

Hermione didn't know who to trust. The secret alliances that she knew about and the ones she suspected were enough to make her head burn with agony. Why couldn't one of these ridiculous factions interested in taking over the authority left behind by the Dark Lord's murder just get on with it? While she could understand the reasoning behind waiting around in hopes that another less-capable group would get the job of eliminating their enemies out of the way, it didn't make the waiting around any less infuriating. The entire country felt like a powder keg waiting to blow. It was enough to drive anyone mad and she hadn't been at her peak mental performance in longer than she cared to acknowledge.

Somehow, even in the midst of her anger, she was able to drift off to sleep. The countryside was peaceful enough that it really shouldn't have been much of a surprise. She was startled awake by the feel of an arm being wrapped around her shoulders. Opening her eyes in sudden fear, she relaxed when she realized that arm belonged to Antonin. He was seated next to her in the grass, leaning his back up against the same trunk. Pleased that it wasn't an enemy intent to do her harm, Hermione laid her head on him and allowed his arm to pull her tighter to his body.

"What time is it?"

"Just a little after midnight. Alecto just left. Gus thinks she's running off to tell Rodolphus what she knows."

"I wouldn't be surprised."

Neither one of them said the words aloud that they were both thinking. They were no longer safe in Cornwall. When they first moved in they knew it would only be a matter of time before they had to leave again. With Rodolphus aware that she was known to visit Augustus' home, it wouldn't take long before the entire area was under surveillance. She tried to ignore the chilling words Alecto spoke about Rodolphus not being done with her yet, but it was difficult. Likely they would continue to haunt her for some time yet. Bringing a voice to their concerns, however, would ruin their temporary serenity. There was no hurry.

"You couldn't have given me a little bit of warning that she was in there? When I left for my walk, Augie said he didn't have plans to see her tonight and it would be perfectly fine."

"I'm sorry about that. She arrived so quickly that Ollie and I were only just able to get upstairs."

"I'm not a Seer, you know. I can't be expected to just know that there's an enemy inside the house. It's supposed to be safe after all."

She was exhausted and falling asleep against the tree didn't help matters. All she wanted was the freedom to go on a walk along the water to clear her mind. Why was that too much to ask for? Evidently, they needed to have a better system put in place so that never happened again. Or, even better, they could just find somewhere else to be. Since Alecto started making her trips there it hadn't felt like a place she wanted to linger long in. Antonin and Augustus should have figured out a way to get a warning to her. He could've also just taken the wretched slag straight to his bedroom. If her ex-lover put in half as much effort with Alecto as he used to with her, Alecto would've been too distracted to hear the front door open. That could've given Antonin enough time to slip out of the secret staircase and pull her upstairs. But, no, Augustus had to just keep on with his filthy actions right there where everyone could see it. Merlin save her from horny wizards thinking about nothing beyond their own cocks!

"You put on quite a convincing show in there, love."

"Don't start with me, Antonin. It's late and I don't have the energy to fight."

"Who said anything about fighting? I was impressed. Think Gus might've been a little too enthusiastic in playing his part. Propositioning my wife when he knew I could hear him?"

Antonin's chuckle seemed to indicate that he wasn't upset by the performance, but Hermione knew him better than that. It must have been maddening for him to be standing upstairs watching the action unfold and unable to do anything. Likely he was only moments away from storming out of the hidden room to curse Alecto and Augustus at the same time. It was an amusing enough thought that Hermione found herself chuckling right along with him. At least they could pretend for the briefest of moments that nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

"And what would you have done if I said 'yes'?"

"I never doubted you would reject his filthy offer for a second."

"But what if I did?"

"Then there would be two cooling bodies on the floor in Gus' house and I would've carried you back to our bedroom to show you, using very effective methods, just how wrong you were to make that decision."

She couldn't help but laugh at his violent and creative solution. So few people ever got to see the side of her husband that she did. Leaning up to kiss his cheek, she showed him a dramatic roll of her eyes.

"You're such a Neanderthal."

"Only when it comes to you, my love. I can hardly think straight when you're in my presence. You have thoroughly bewitched me."

The tension in the air grew thick around them as it always did every time they skirted around discussions about their true feelings. Antonin was a difficult man, a dangerous man, but he hadn't held back since she returned to Hogsmeade about how he felt for her. Not since the night he walked up behind her in the kitchen and made her a promise that he would spend the rest of his life trying to make up to her for his failures as a husband. She allowed herself to believe him too. Even knowing that traveling down that road left her open for all sorts of pain and heartache, she found herself interested in the journey. Maybe it wouldn't end in the failure that she always imagined it would.

He was staring down at her with an expression that could only be described as expectant, hopeful, pleading. Nothing he desired more in that moment was for her to reciprocate, to declare her love for him. This wasn't the first time in the twenty years that they'd been in constant close quarters that she witnessed what she was seeing. For a man who could be mysterious and secretive when it suited his purposes, there were times when he was alone with her that he couldn't tell a single lie. The truth was always splashed across his handsome face. She couldn't bear to break his heart, not again. It was better that she remain silent or change the subject than to tell him a lie.

"We can't stay here any longer. Not with Alecto blabbing to Rodolphus that I've been here. It'll only be a matter of time before he comes looking for me here."

"You're right. We can't."

His sigh held a great deal of meaning and frustration. Not just about the topic of their conversation, but about what they weren't talking about. As guilty as she felt, Hermione knew that she couldn't lead him on or even allow herself to feel the guilt she already did. There was too much at stake. Proving that he'd already given their predicament some thought, Antonin continued.

"It would probably be best to wait for Ollie to leave for Hogwarts first. I know of a place we could go, but it's not ready yet. We can spend just a few more days here. It'll take Rodolphus and his idiots some time to come up with a suitable strategy to approach the house. I believe that we should move all of our belongings up into the attic and spend our nights there."

"I think you're right. We'll just have to be much more careful until we can get him on the Hogwarts Express."

"The war is about to start, Hermione. Can you feel it?"

"I'm afraid I can."

They returned to a companionable silence, neither wishing to expand upon their feelings. There was always an eerie calm before a major storm. The idleness of the weeks since the Dark Lord was murdered was just a preparation for when the action truly began. Part of Hermione wished to just get it over with, to find out one way or another how it would all end up. Mostly, however, she didn't want to be a part of it at all. Maybe some would call her a coward or tell her that she was weak, but she didn't care. They could go fuck themselves. This was her life, her decision. Hadn't she spent enough of her life fighting a never-ending war? When would she finally be allowed to rest? To recover from the wounds that hadn't ever really healed?

"So… you and Alecto, huh?"

Hermione appreciated Antonin's attempt to lighten the mood. It was growing far too dark for her tastes. Realizing how he was shifting the conversation, she snorted and rolled her eyes again. His lips tilted up into a smirk. At least some of the earlier tension was gone. They would return to it later, no doubt. In that moment, however, she was glad for something else to discuss.

"It was a long time ago, Antonin. Before you and I were even married."

"How much wine are we talking about? I've seen you drink an entire bottle by yourself and…"

She playfully smacked his chest with her palm only making him laugh harder.

"You know, I never would've imagined that you and I would've ever been with the same witch, love. Should I be jealous?"

"Maybe. It was quite memorable."

"Well…"

In a single swift movement Antonin had Hermione away from the tree's trunk and laying on the soft grass. His powerful, gentle hands divested her lower body of any pesky clothing article that would get in his way. She could hardly breathe in anticipation of what she knew was going to happen next when he settled her bare thighs on his shoulders.

"… then I suppose I shall have to work very hard to be better."

It didn't take him long to prove to his wife that she'd prefer a night alone with him over a thousand drunken nights with her former friend every single time. There truly was no competition.