December 16th

Being married to a high-ranking Death Eater, even when she was one herself, came with a lot of frustrations and aggravations that Hermione hoped would one day no longer be a problem. Waiting around and being patient had never been her greatest strength. If she had a choice, she would have rather been out in the middle of the excitement than sitting back home counting the minutes until Antonin returned home to tell her what happened. Some wives were capable of enduring those uncertainties with grace and patience. She wasn't one of them.

Shortly after they finished their breakfast the morning the previous day, there was a familiar buzzing in Antonin's trousers that brought their pleasant morning to a screeching halt. Thorfinn wouldn't give him any details where either Hermione could hear or anyone else who might've figured out how to charm their mirror to hear all of the conversations. The wizards spoke in a sort of code that made no sense to outside ears. With a swift kiss to her lips, her husband promised her that he would return as soon as he could. Moments later he was rushing out the door with no further explanation.

He didn't come home that night. It was hardly the first time in their marriage that Hermione had to spend the night alone in their shared bed. That was part of being married to the Dark Lord's most trusted general. Likewise, Antonin had to endure the same when his wife was stuck at the Ministry down in Level Eleven with a particularly stubborn or important victim. While she always felt more comfortable with him close enough that she could brush the tips of her fingers against his skin if she needed to reassure herself that she wasn't alone, it wasn't like she didn't know how to be by herself. It was just one more inconvenience she'd had to allow herself to become inured to.

When he didn't return the next morning, she tried not to worry. Afraid to leave the cottage just in case he returned while she was out, she didn't stray even once out the front door. The holiday cottage was well-stocked with food thanks to the foresight of her husband and with the cold weather outside, she didn't have any reason to leave anyway. It still bothered her that Draco found them. Was he still waiting out there for her to step outside again? If he was, that was just one more reason to stay inside. She didn't know all that he was capable of. The next time their paths crossed, he might not be content to just talk.

Over twenty-four hours passed with no sign of her husband and no message assuring her of his well-being. Even that wasn't terribly unusual. He'd disappeared for days at a time before. No matter what, he always came back. She tried to remind herself of that truth as she climbed into bed for a second night alone. Antonin was a dangerous wizard who knew how to take care of himself. Why then could she not shake the overwhelming feeling that something was terribly wrong? She'd been merely unsettled for most of the time he was away. That was normal and to be expected considering what was happening outside. She knew enough to understand nothing was settled even if no one would give her any details. It was only as she tossed and turned in her empty bed that she could no longer ignore the twisting and churning of her belly.

Something was seriously wrong. She didn't know what it was or even where to begin to discover the truth, but she just knew. Her instincts saved her countless times in her lifetime, especially as one of the Dark Lord's faithful. Each minute that passed only further encouraged her to believe something terrible happened. Unable to sit still another moment and certainly unable to sleep, Hermione got out of bed at half-past eleven. She had to do something, anything to try to keep her fear under control.

Thorfinn's house was the most logical place to start looking for answers. A thorough sweep of their entire cottage came up empty for a single possession owned by her husband. He'd even tucked his discarded pajamas and dirty clothes into his own leather bag he carried everywhere. Not for the first time she was angry at herself for giving him his watch back. If she'd known he was only going to get it stolen by Draco, she would've kept it. The moment she was dressed and wrapped up in her warmest cloak, she exited the safety of the cottage to begin her search.

No one was home in the Rowle house. Usually moving forward and distracting her mind helped Hermione to push away the feelings of dread and doom that plagued her, but every second that ticked closer to midnight only made her feel worse. Trusting that Thorfinn would understand and forgive her impertinence later when she had a chance to apologize, she blasted through the wards covering the front door to his house and invited herself inside.

"Thorfinn?"

She repeated his name multiple times just in case he was inside. Known for being a heavy sleeper, a trait so few Death Eaters possessed, it was often joked that Thorfinn could sleep through the Hogwarts Express passing through his bedroom. Satisfied that she was indeed alone, she went straight to his bedroom. If Thorfinn wasn't with her husband, he would most likely know where he could be found. She was ready to demand Antonin give her one of his enchanted mirrors just for her own peace of mind. It wouldn't even matter that others could witness their conversations. Rodolphus had to have known by then that she was back with Antonin. Maybe that's why she had such a strong worry in her guts.

Thorfinn didn't own much in the way of jewelry beyond the simple wedding band Hannah gave him that he never took off. Even though she felt uncomfortable going through his personal possessions without permission, Hermione didn't believe she had a choice. She had to dig through the drawer in his nightstand to find an old gold ring with the Rowle family crest she'd seen him wear before. The moment the ring had a bluish glow thanks to the spell, she Disapparated out of his bedroom straight to his current location.

Her feet landed in a dark, gloomy Diagon Alley. Despite being so close to Christmas, the shopping district was empty at the late hour. She stood just outside of Teddy Lupin's store. Most of the lights were off inside the Junk Shop, but she knew she would find the burly wizard inside. Something felt eerie about the place. The gnawing in her gut hadn't lessened in the slightest.

One step inside the shop and the evidence that there had been a struggle was impossible to miss. Shelves were knocked over. Broken glass covered the floor. Unsure if the attackers were still inside, Hermione held her wand out, ready to attack at the first sign of trouble. It was tempting to call out for the wizard she was tracking, but she knew it was unwise to do so. She couldn't be certain who might call out in response. Confined spaces could be much more dangerous than open ones if one wasn't careful.

Finding Thorfinn wasn't difficult. He always seemed to take up too much room. Sprawled on his back, the wizard was out cold. Terrified at first that he'd been killed, she reminded herself of one of the facts she learned during her tracking lesson with Draco. The spell wouldn't work on someone who was dead. Just the very fact that she was able to track Thorfinn proved he'd only been injured, possibly just stunned.

A cursory exam didn't reveal any serious injuries that she could see. There wasn't even any blood. Taking a chance she cast a rennervate straight to his chest. Within moments Thorfinn began to groan and clutch his head.

"Are you all right? Anything hurt?"

"Just my head, I think."

"Oh, good. Then nothing serious or something you actually use."

Thorfinn snorted at her poor attempt at a joke. At the very least it helped to break the tension a tiny bit even if she still felt worried and unsettled. What happened there? Why was Thorfinn alone? He wasn't the easiest target to attack. Battle-tested and fierce, it was surprising to not see any of his own victims laying in a pool of blood at his feet. Who would attack him without getting injured themselves?

"What are you doing here, Princess?"

"Looking for you."

She held up the ring she'd stolen to track him. Concerned at first that he might be angry, she relaxed when he laughed and took it out of her hand.

"Well, you found me."

"What happened here?"

"Antonin and I came here to meet with…" He cleared his throat before he continued. She just rolled her eyes, annoyed that thanks to Rodolphus, no one was able to tell her anything. "Doesn't matter who. We were attacked from behind. Bloody cowards. Antonin was able to get a few spells off but they attacked me first. Stunned me. I don't know why they didn't just kill me."

Though she certainly was glad that he wasn't killed, Hermione thought it strange too. Most Death Eaters killed without thinking or caring much about the ramifications. A lot of changes had taken place in their world since her husband murdered the Dark Lord with a pillow, but not that much. Only someone acting on orders to not kill Thorfinn would've bothered to spare him. It was the smart move to get rid of Thorfinn as soon as possible. Clearly their attackers knew them well enough to know that fact.

"Thorfinn, where's Antonin?"

"He must be here, Princess. He was right next to me."

She was afraid to check the rest of the shop. What if she couldn't find him? Or worse, what if she did and he wasn't just stunned like his best friend? Her fear that something was terribly wrong hadn't gone away, but she knew she would only go mad with speculation if she didn't find out what happened to Antonin. Maybe there was still time to find him and save him.

The Junk Shop was large and crammed to the ceiling with an eclectic inventory that certainly lived up to its name. She followed the clear path of destruction. A furious fight had taken place inside. Each step she took closer to the center of the store worried Hermione a little more. There was no sign of a body, unconscious or dead, lying on the floor.

Hermione was ready to give up her search when the light from the lumos she cast illuminated a silver object near one of the tumbled shelves. Afraid to trust her eyes, she didn't believe what she was seeing at first. How did Antonin's watch end up discarded on the floor in the middle of the shop? Was he able to get it back from Draco before he was attacked? Or did Draco drop it while he was attacking her husband?

There wasn't a clear path to the watch. She banged her shin against some hideous bronze statue and somehow managed to get tripped up in an old rug. The fall to the hard floor didn't take but a few moments, but she could feel it almost like she was moving in slow motion. At the last second she was able to put her hands up to keep from slamming her face into the hardwoods. It was embarrassing to be so clumsy in such a pivotal moment. Seconds mattered and there she was tumbling to the floor like a toddler just learning to walk.

She was able to get a closer look at the watch while she was on the floor. Enough to dispel all doubt that it was indeed the watch she gave Antonin on his fiftieth birthday. Not bothering to stand up first, Hermione reached out to grab the watch.

"Hermione!"

Thorfinn only called her by her first name in rare, serious moments. Princess had been what he'd called her since he tormented her when she was an awkward first year in the castle. Any time her actual name came out of his mouth she knew that it was for a definite reason. Her eyes caught sight of the blood on her hands only a second after he hissed her name. Confused because she wasn't injured and the fall hadn't been that bad to warrant so much blood, she stared at her hand trying to figure out why it was so red.

"Hermione…"

It made her more nervous when he repeated her name. Staring down at the floor, she saw for the first time what she couldn't see in the dim light of the closed shop. A large puddle of thick, red blood covered the floor. Somehow she managed to trip and fall in the very center. She didn't know whose blood covered the front of her robes and her cloak, only that it wasn't hers. A gentle tug on her arm from the wizard helped her to her feet.

"Whose blood is that?"

"I don't know, Thorfinn, but I found this."

She held out the watch that her husband took such pride in. He instantly recognized it. The same thought crossed both of their minds at the same time. Clear signs of a struggle and large amount of blood on the floor next to her husband's watch could very well mean that she was covered in Antonin's blood. There were spells that could be cast to find out for certain, but there wasn't time and she didn't know the incantations off the top of her head. Somehow though, she just knew.

"Thorfinn, where is Antonin?"

Emboldened by fear for his best friend, Thorfinn lost his temper. Both of them were scared, terrified that it was too late. He stomped through the battered shop smashing shelves and yelling out for the proprietor. Hermione could only stand perfectly still in the puddle of blood staring at her bloody hands holding the watch. Only a minute or two passed that felt like an eternity before she witnessed Thorfinn dragging a frightened Teddy down the stairs from the flat above the shop. Teddy's eyes widened even further when he saw Hermione standing there covered in blood that was not hers.

"Where's Antonin, Lupin?"

"I don't know."

Unhappy with his answer, Thorfinn wrapped a single hand around the young wizard's throat. It wouldn't take much effort for a burly man like him to crush the younger one into dust.

"I swear I don't know."

"Did you know this was an ambush?"

"No!"

"I don't believe you. You wanted Antonin dead."

"Why would I want to hurt him? He's the closest thing I've ever had to a father."

Teddy was telling the truth. Hermione didn't need to be an interrogator to know that. It was all over his eyes and in the cracking of his voice. As much as it still hurt to remember how much her husband cared for the boy's grandmother, she didn't believe Teddy had anything to do with what happened in his store that night.

"Thorfinn, let him go. He didn't hurt Antonin, but I think I know who did."

When he released his grip, she pulled the chain she'd stolen from Draco out of her beaded bag. She wasn't prepared to try to track her husband down yet. Not if the reality was bleak. But, at least with the other wizard she could satisfy her curiosity and perhaps curse someone in the face.