November 1st

Following her unexpected but brief meeting with Fred in Hogwarts, Hermione sat at the bar in the Three Broomsticks and drank until she could almost forget how wretched her life was thanks to the fucking worthless Dark Lord. She'd wanted to be numb, like she always felt when she drank a vial of her favorite potion. Alcohol was a poor substitute. Not caring that those behind her back were celebrating the holiday, she continued to drink. She only had a very vague recollection of a large, muscular body carrying her up the stairs over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and dropping her on top of the mattress with hardly any care or gentleness. At least she didn't have to worry about Thorfinn taking advantage in her intoxicated state. He wanted nothing to do with her. Likely a sense of responsibility because of her husband or nostalgia because of their past friendship was the only reason he bothered to make certain she made it back to her room safely.

She spent most of the day after Halloween recovering from her unwise indulgences. Even with all of the magic potions available to use, hangovers could still be a serious, uncomfortable problem. Sadly, magic didn't cure everything. If it did, her life would've been a lot easier. In so many ways, having magic only made her life more complicated. She didn't believe Muggles had to worry about nearly as much as she did.

After spending almost the entire day hiding under the covers, Hermione was bored. Bored and furious with herself. Why was she wasting so much time being afraid? Did someone throw her back inside her broom cupboard when she wasn't looking? The depressing thought that maybe she was still stuck in that damned broom cupboard and the last twenty years of her life had been nothing but a figment of her imagination made her laugh. How awful would that be if it turned out to be the truth? She certainly was crazy enough to believe the possibility. Life wouldn't be that cruel to her, would it?

But, after entirely too much time thinking and feeling sorry for herself, Hermione knew she had to do something. When darkness fell, she stepped outside of her temporary home to cast the tracking spell on Aubin's silver button. Even if she didn't end him that night, she wanted an idea of where he was hiding. She had her suspicions, of course, and wanted to know if she was right. Pushing away the nagging thoughts that she was being foolish by even considering tracking the cretin who tried to murder her alone, she clutched the button glowing blue with the spell and Disapparated.

When he feet landed in the same clump of trees she hid in with Draco the day she witnessed her husband's infidelity with Ginny Weasley, she wasn't surprised. No, it was exactly where she thought she would end up. Ginny's relationship with Rodolphus was still something of a mystery, but not hers with William Wood. She would protect her best friend at all costs, even if it meant harboring his insane ex-boyfriend too.

She had to know for certain that her brother-in-law was in the house before she considered her next move. Creeping up on the small house was deceptively simple. Not once did she sense any indication that protective wards were in place in the immediate area or around the house. Antonin had been the best teacher she could've asked for when it came to protective wards and enchantments. The obvious absence of them was a serious cause for concern. Did Ginny care so little for her safety or was there something sinister at play? They were living in dark times after all.

Nothing prevented her from being able to sneak up on a window. She expected that the glass would've been enchanted to hide what was actually inside. To not find even the barest attempt at concealment bothered Hermione immensely. Did someone want her or anyone else to stumble upon the house to see what was happening within? Any further questions racing through her mind were temporarily silenced by the entrance of her brother-in-law to the room she was spying on. Ginny crossed in front of the window moments later, seemingly unbothered by an attempted murderer in her house. If the two of them were present in a house together, it was only natural to assume that William Wood was inside as well.

Hermione was outnumbered to a dangerous degree. While she would confidently fight any two of them together, the addition of a third was cause for concern. She might be victorious, but she really didn't care for her odds. Her first thought was to track down her husband for assistance. As much as she'd always felt confident and reassured with Antonin at her side during battle, he didn't feel like the right choice. She didn't completely trust him when he claimed he wanted his baby brother dead. He might change his mind when actually faced with the chance. And how would he react to Ginny being there? He claimed he wasn't in love with her and Ginny supported his claim. That didn't mean that he wouldn't still feel some sort of obligation to keep her safe. There was also the possibility that Maisie was in the house. Hermione wasn't ready for Antonin to know she existed. Maybe she never would be.

Her list of allies was frightfully short. Draco was out of the question. They hadn't even spoken since she left his flat. While she didn't doubt that he was still tracking her and reporting back to his uncle, he'd never made the effort to make his appearance known. Besides, he wasn't exactly known for his ruthlessness. He was the one to track down enemies and bring them to the others who actually bloodied their hands. Other than Draco, she might have been able to call on Augustus for help, but considering his relationship with Alecto and the amount of time she supposedly spent at his house, she couldn't guarantee it. And there was also the possibility that he was still in France.

There was one person she felt confident would help her if she only dared ask. Her worry was that the price she would have to pay would be too high. Desperate times, however, called for desperate measures. Sneaking back to the safety of the trees, Hermione took a deep breath and considered her choices once more. Reaching out to him for help could very well turn into a terrible decision that she might regret. Unfortunately, she had little choice. Barging into Ginny's house alone could very well lead to her death. She needed someone whose side she'd fought at before.

Afraid that she would talk herself out of it if she didn't leave immediately, Hermione thought about the Lestrange Estate. Moments later she was standing outside the gates. She took another deep, fortifying breath to calm her nerves before she crossed over the boundaries. Never did the walk to the Dower House seem to pass so quickly. She was standing in front of Rodolphus' front door long before she was ready. A single knock brought a surprised, yet pleased manipulative arsehole to the door.

"Are you here to finally take me up on my offer? Does the Three Broomsticks have bedbugs?"

"I've found Aubin and likely Wood too. Did you mean what you said about wanting to make them pay for what they did to me?"

Anger that she hadn't seen him display in long years crept up into Rodolphus' eyes. Even though it wasn't directed towards her and it was even because of what was done to her, Hermione still felt nervous. Had she made a mistake? The wizard was unpredictable, terrifying. Without hesitation he stepped outside and closed his front door behind him. She didn't even need him to answer her question. He was all in.

Outside of the gates, she reluctantly took his hand in hers. Feeling his skin against hers and the tightness of his grip when he squeezed made her want to run away. Convinced she'd made a terrible decision, it was too late to stop. Rodolphus would insist that she take him to where the two men could be found. He would never take 'no' for an answer.

Based on the muttered curse that came out of his mouth when he saw where they ended up, Rodolphus knew exactly where they were. It made Hermione even more curious about his partnership with Ginny. How closely was the redheaded bitch working with the insane man? His anger from earlier hadn't dissipated in the slightest. If anything, he was even more furious once he recognized the small house in the distance.

"Are you certain that they're here?"

"I know Aubin is."

That was all the encouragement he needed. Rodolphus headed straight for the front door. A single spell from the end of his wand blasted the door off of its hinges. Hermione ran to catch up. She didn't want to miss a single moment.

There was chaos inside. Within seconds of crossing over the threshold, Rodolphus sent a stunner straight to William Wood's chest. The wizard collapsed to the hardwood floor before he could even pull his wand completely out of his pocket. Hermione was glad to see that she wasn't wrong about him being there. Ginny came running out of the bedroom with her wand out, ready to fight. When her eyes landed on Rodolphus and Hermione, she looked sick. No longer wishing to engage them, she turned around to run back inside the bedroom.

Aubin pushed Ginny out of the way in his haste to get out of the main room of the small house. The bedroom door slammed in her face and she screamed. There was a panic in her actions as she tried to open it back up. Hermione didn't get the impression that she was worried about her unexpected guests attacking her. No, she was more concerned with what was happening in the next room.

Before Ginny was able to blast the bedroom door to pieces, it opened all on its own. Hermione felt like she'd been punched in the stomach when she saw her worthless brother-in-law step outside of the bedroom holding little Maisie against his chest. The poor girl was terrified, sobbing. She looked as if she'd just been woken up from a deep sleep. A stuffed green dragon toy fell out of her hand when Aubin tightened his grip. His wand was pressed against the little girl's head. There was no mistaking what he was willing to do if the next few moments didn't go as he wished.

Ginny wanted to rip the man to pieces. When she lunged at Aubin, Hermione was right behind her to pull her back. Frustrated at being impeded, Ginny struggled against her grip.

"Stop, Ginny. He'll kill her."

Aubin's laughter proved he was more amused by the situation he found himself in than frightened. Maisie's cries only made him more confident in his movements towards the front door.

"The Mudblood whore is right. I don't care if she is my niece or not."

Though it had been many years since Hermione found herself in a similar situation with an unhinged person using a human shield, she knew that she had to remain calm. Pushing aside her personal feelings for Ginny was surprisingly easy in that moment. All of her concern was about the innocent child.

"Let me out of this house or I'll hurt her."

Rodolphus was tempted to allow Aubin to carry through with his threats. What did the little girl mean to him? Absolutely nothing. She would just be another bit of collateral damage. Certainly wouldn't be the first time an innocent was injured or worse while he was on a mission. Realizing that he was very close to allowing Aubin to hurt Maisie, Hermione released her hold on Ginny. She was at Rodolphus' side in moments. Hermione was the only person present who could persuade him.

"No, Rodolphus. We can't let him hurt her. She's just a child."

The wizard's narrowed gaze was cold enough to send a shiver down Hermione's spine.

"I'm not sure I like all of the changes you've undergone, my dear. You used to not be so bothered by other people's children. Or your own for that matter."

"Roddy, please."

He rolled his eyes and stepped away from the hole where the door once stood. It was a gamble to let her brother-in-law run out of the house with the little girl in his arms, but they didn't exactly have a choice. Aubin wasn't the sort to make idle threats. Ginny was sobbing. When the sound of Aubin's Apparition filtered into the house and they watched him disappear with the girl, she was inconsolable.

Hermione didn't think that Aubin would keep Maisie for long. Just long enough for him to get away. Once he was safe, he would probably drop her and run again. The man had no morals or feelings beyond self-preservation. She watched the distraught Ginny pick up the dropped dragon toy. Holding it tightly, she cried without shame. The weight of the silver button in her pocket felt heavy. It wouldn't take long to track him again. But, if she was right, her husband's daughter was still in grave danger. Her choice wasn't easy. After pulling the button out and staring at it, she knew what she had to do.

"Ginny, give me her dragon. I'll find her."