October 6th

Rest and a frightening amount of potions helped Hermione start to feel like normal. At the very least she no longer cringed in pain every time she took a breath. Despite being very inept and out of their depth, her brother-in-law and William Wood were effective in almost causing her downfall. They should be proud of themselves. That was, of course, when they weren't fearing for the moment that she would eventually get back up and come after them. She was done being so passive. Wood had been a mere annoyance that she didn't take seriously. That had been her mistake, one that she wouldn't make again.

When she felt strong enough to actually get out of bed on her own, she made her way slowly to Draco's bathroom. Her previous stay in the flat gave her an appreciation for the luxurious bathtub he possessed. Though not nearly as comforting as the one that was blown up when her Hogsmeade home was destroyed, it was still quite nice. She needed to soak her battered body in the hot water. As she turned on the taps and watched the bathtub fill up with soapy water, she tried to push away thoughts of what she was going to do next.

Every moment of her life stretched ahead of her caused her a great deal of nervousness that she didn't want to admit to. How was a Gryffindor who was once one of the most feared high-ranking officials in the regime of Lord Voldemort actually scared of the unknown? Hadn't her entire life been a series of unexpected trials and tribulations one after another? She'd survived those. There was no reason to be afraid.

But, she was. Slipping under the water, she allowed her mind to clear as the heat of the water covered every inch of her tired, bruised skin. The calm didn't last long. Long before she was ready she was back to considering her next move, the options for the rest of her life. Forgetting what was happening outside of the flat she was in was impossible. As much as she might have wished to live within a protected bubble of ignorance, she knew she couldn't. That sort of existence was unsustainable. Eventually, the outside always came inside.

Should she try to find Antonin to warn him about his baby brother? A petulant part of her believed that he wouldn't even care what happened to her if he learned. He'd already made it clear that he didn't want her in his life any longer. Even when he felt an obligation to keep her safe after she was attacked in St. Mungo's, he hadn't been willing to look past her mistakes to move forward. Sleeping on the sofa in the next room hurt her feelings more than she really wanted to admit to. Was it just petty insecurity that kept her from rushing out of the flat at the first chance she had to warn him?

She was worried that Aubin might hurt Oliver. That would be the only reason she would seek out her husband, to let him know that his brother held such hatred for his nephew. Thankful that he was tucked away somewhat safely in the castle, she allowed herself to relax ever so slightly for the time being. A time would come when she would have to make it crystal clear to all of those that might wish harm on her son that to do so would mean the end of their pathetic existence, but she knew she would have to wait. Going after her enemies when she wasn't at full strength would only put her in danger. She was weak in that moment. She had to be patient enough to heal and improve.

Aubin had been a surprise that she never would've expected. While she had never been under any delusions from the moment they met that her brother-in-law didn't hate her, she was unaware of the degree. Did he really blame her for Antonin's refusal to seek out the power of the Dark Lord for himself? She knew he was a selfish man who wouldn't lift a finger to do anything unless he could be certain that it would benefit him in some way. She simply didn't understand how he could've let it get so out of control. To participate in torture and attempted murder just to get back at her? He was every bit as unstable as the wizard he'd apparently had an ongoing love affair with.

"Mind if I join you?"

Draco's voice cut through the worst of her thoughts. She hadn't even been aware that he was home. Either he'd just returned or he'd been kind enough to remain perfectly quiet while she rested. Half of his clothes were already pooling on the floor before she met his eyes to smile. It wasn't as if she could really deny him entrance into his own bathtub, especially not when she considered what a lovely distraction he would make. She leaned forward to allow him enough space to climb into the water behind her. The moment he was settled in comfortably, he tugged her backwards until her back rested on his chest.

It felt so bizarre to be back in his flat, almost like the previous several months never happened. She wasn't the same person she was back in May when she was unsure what she was going to do about the trouble she was in with the Resistance. No, but she was still uncertain about her future. Maybe a part of her would always seek out Draco and the safety of his flat when she didn't know where to go next. Hadn't he proven after nine months of following her around that he could help calm her down at least? Somehow the future didn't seem as frightening when she was hiding in his flat. It was an illusion, of course. Not meant to last forever. Perhaps she should look throughout the flat for hidden vents pumping out calming potions in aerosol form. Or he was slipping something to her in her food that made her not worry so much. Anything was possible.

"You're deep in thought."

He didn't have to even ask. Just stated it as fact. Hermione sighed. Did she want to talk to him about what was bothering her? Yes, they might have set up an odd sort of truce inside his flat, but that didn't mean they were on the same side. Once they were outside, they were enemies. He'd already proven more than a few times that she didn't have his loyalty. If it would help him to get what he desired, he would betray her. Hardly a good reason to stay in his flat and relax with him in his bathtub. She was so contradictory at times that she drove herself mad. Had she always been like this? Thanks to her potions and whatever it was that Rodolphus did to her mind, she wasn't even sure who she was any longer. Or even who she'd ever been before.

"I was thinking about my horrible brother-in-law and whether or not I should warn Antonin what he did."

"Do you not think he deserves to know that his brother tortured and tried to murder his wife?"

There was a note of anger present in Draco's voice that she hadn't heard very often in their previous interactions. She felt the corner of her mouth curl into a private smile. What would he do if he was faced with those two men again? Would he make them pay for what they tried to do to her? She hoped that he would. A stray thought that perhaps his only concern for her well-being was because Rodolphus ordered his minions to leave her unharmed soured the brief thought. It was always possible that Draco only cared about following orders. He'd made no secret of the fact that Rodolphus was his family's ticket to respectability again. Nothing else mattered to him than making it so his family was no longer a joke to the rest of wizarding society. If he had to get his hands dirty to keep her protected, he would. He might not even like her or want to have her in his flat. She tried to ignore the disappointment that the thought brought.

"No, you're right. He does deserve to know. His brother is a lunatic. It's only a matter of time before he hurts someone else. Maybe you won't be there to stop him next time."

"Do you know where your husband is?"

She sighed again, wishing that they weren't spending their time in his bathtub talking about her husband. It was awkward to think of the man she was married to and the one she dreamed of having a future with up until recent days while she was naked and in the arms of another. Even if Draco hadn't touched her inappropriately once since the night he saved her life, it felt wrong. She didn't want to imagine Antonin talking about her when he was alone with Ginny or with that bitch Andromeda when she was still alive.

"No, I don't. I have a suspicion though."

"Ginny?"

"Probably. I should find him and warn him. It's only fair."

The weight of the last several days seemed to fall on her shoulders again. Sensing the tension in her body, Draco gently ran his hands over her arms, offering what comfort he could. She appreciated the gesture, even if the feel of his touch made her question a number of other things that had absolutely nothing to do with her husband or his younger brother. It was hard to concentrate when he was touching her, a sensation that wasn't entirely unappreciated. She liked that she could be distracted.

"So why would your brother-in-law want to kill you?"

"Who knows? He claims it was because he thought I was the one who was standing in Antonin's way of becoming the Dark Lord, but I think he'd get rid of me for no reason other than he just hates me. Like I said, he's a lunatic. I hope he gets that from his Malfoy genes and not his Fawley. I don't want my son at any further risk of going crazy."

"What? His Malfoy genes?"

Hermione gave him a brief overview of what she knew about Elspeth Fawley Dolohov and her inability to stay inside the bed of her own husband. Evidently, Antonin had more in common with his father than he wanted to claim. Draco listened to the theory that his grandfather Abraxas was the father of the horrible man with little emotion or surprise. Extramarital affairs were common in the Pureblood circles. Usually, the guilty parties were more careful at preventing pregnancy, but accidents happened.

"I've heard the name Aubin Fawley before, but I didn't know who he was. No idea that he was Antonin's brother."

She rolled her eyes.

"Not surprised he doesn't go by Dolohov. He's no more a Dolohov than you are."

"He's been meeting with Rodolphus. His name is actually on the list I gave you."

In the excitement of being tortured and then being stuck in bed under strict supervision from Draco, she hadn't yet had an opportunity to look at the list he'd compiled. There was no need just yet. When she was feeling better, she would study it in detail. Hearing Aubin was potentially working with Rodolphus didn't surprise her in the slightest.

"What does he want with Rodolphus?"

"To be part of his plan, I'm sure."

"Are you ever going to tell me what that plan is?"

Draco's chuckles told her all that she needed to know. He wouldn't be spilling any of his uncle's secrets any time soon. Though it frustrated her, she'd grown used to being around men who kept her in the dark. She would learn what she needed to without his help, if necessary. Besides, the feel of his lips on the sensitive skin of her neck distracted her from considering the matter any further for the time being.