A/N: Thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! A slight preface to this chapter that I certainly do not claim to know everything about the criminal law/trial process, so take it with a grain of salt. Only one chapter left after this one. You can follow me on tumblr (nauticalparamour) where I post sneak peeks, story updates and answer questions!

Please let me know what you thought of chapter fourteen and be on the lookout for chapter fifteen soon!


Hermione had gotten across London in record time, though it felt as if it had taken hours. When she finally found him, he was sitting out in his back garden, chain smoking furiously in the spitting rain.

It was almost as if he hadn't seen her at first, as he nearly jumped out of his skin when she pressed her hand to his shoulder. "Rabastan," she said softly, before sitting down on the retaining wall next to him. With a sigh, she dropped her head against his leather covered shoulder.

"Hermione," he answered, breathing out her name as if it was the oxygen he survived on. "I fucked up, didn't I?" he asked, before wrapping his arm around her shoulders, pulling him into his warmth.

"You did," Hermione confirmed, biting at her lower lip. Even though he hadn't been caught, she pretty much didn't see a way that he was going to be getting out of this.

Kicking his leg back against the brickwork of the wall they were sitting on, Rabastan swore loudly. "God, I wish I hadn't listened to them," he said, sadly, pressing his hand across his eyes. Hermione wondered briefly if he were truly crying.

"It's...nothing you've done can't be fixed," she promised, letting her words sink in for a moment. They could fix it, he could get back on top of this. It was just a momentary slip up in his otherwise good behavior after prison, and she was sure that they could figure it out. "But, we won't solve anything sitting out here in the rain. Let's go inside, and I'll make some coffee."

Rabastan nodded, letting her herd him inside where it was warm. Hermione blushed, remembering the last time that they'd been caught out in the rain, how they'd been so eager to get one another down to nothing and how passionately they'd fucked in her bed. It was so different to now. Rabastan didn't look the picture of confidence that he had before, instead looking broken.

She found his coffee grounds easily enough once they were inside his flat, while Rabastan sat slumped at the table, unable to meet her eyes. Bustling around, she added some more food to Salazar's bowl, even though the charcoal gray cat was far too caught up in his human's sadness to want food at the moment. When the coffee went, she poured them each a mug, sliding one into Rabastan's waiting hands.

"Alright, why don't you start from the beginning," she said, looking him up and down. His normally mischief-filled green eyes looked hollow and far off, but at least he was looking at her again.

With a dispassionate voice, he told Hermione everything, from the very beginning - the day at the grocery store. He told her about all of their planning, and how they had threatened her if he didn't agree to work with him, and how he had thought that this would be his last job. "You have to believe me, I wouldn't have done it if they hadn't brought you into it," he swore up and down.

Hermione bit her lower lip, not sure of what to believe. "Are you sure that the money didn't tempt you at all?" she asked, feeling guilty. "That's certainly a lot of money."

He shook his head no, resolutely. "It is a lot of money, but I was enjoying earning money with my own two hands. I didn't want it, not really, but I haggled with them in the hopes that they would think I wasn't worth it."

After he told her all of the lead up, he explained again what had happened that night, how he was ready to go through with the whole plot, even stealing a car in the process. He told her about the nearly divine intervention from the waiting police officers, and how he'd done nothing to try to tip off his brother and sister-in-law. "I just walked away," he said, sounding miserable, before dropping his head to his hands. "I don't know what to do, Hermione."

She swallowed thickly, know that there was only one thing he could do. "I think it's rather obvious what you need to do, Rabastan, but I don't think that you are going to like it," she explained, waiting for him to look her in the eyes. "You need to go to the police."

Rabastan made a noise of disagreement, hardwired to mistrust the police. "I don't know if that's a good idea, Hermione," he argued, thinking that it was a good way to get himself in trouble. "I mean, they don't know that I'm involved at all, and well, I don't want to draw undue attention to myself."

Hermione reached across the table and took hold of his cold hand, lacing her fingers through his while she thought about how she wanted to form her argument. "How long are the police not going to know about your involvement? How long before your brother tells them about what happened? You've said it yourself - he is going to be pissed when he realizes that you weren't there."

He looked like a child who had been caught trying to take cookies out from the cookie jar. "Yeah, I dunno what he will do," Rabastan agreed, running a hand down his face.

"I know that you've been taught a code...where you don't rat on each other, but Rabastan, that code has only hurt you," Hermione reasoned, hoping that he wouldn't take what she was saying the wrong way. "I think that Rodolphus is going to do whatever he can to get out from under this, even if it means throwing you under the bus."

Rabastan winced, but nodded in agreement. "I think you might be right," he said, his hand clenching in a fist. "Rodolphus has only ever been interested in himself. And he didn't care when I said I didn't want to do it. But the police...I don't know, Hermione. It might be better to just say nothing, keep my head down."

She licked her lips, knowing how terrible that idea must seem to him. "I know it goes against everything that you know," Hermione said finally. "But they really do appreciate it if you come forward first, instead of having to track you down. Tell them your side of the story, be honest, and I think they will understand."

"I just, I don't know if I can testify against them," Rabastan said, his shoulders slumped, already thinking several steps ahead of himself. "Facing Dolph in court, it's too much..."

"One step at a time, remember?" Hermione said, giving his arm a squeeze. "Maybe they won't even need you to testify at all. But you don't want Rodolphus muddying the waters and telling them something that isn't true. And if you do have to testify, I promise that I'll be in the courtroom with you."

Rabastan took a deep breath, thinking over everything she said, before giving a sullen nod. "Alright, I'll...I'll fucking do it," he said, though it was clear that he was still not enthused by the idea. "What's...how do I...do you think I just go down to the station and turn myself in?" he questioned.

"Let's reach out to your parole officer," Hermione said, proud that he was going against his instincts. "You are doing the right thing, Rabastan," she told him, unable to hide the smile from her face. "Come on, let's get you in bed so that you can get some rest. We'll go first thing in the morning."

"You'll go with me?" he asked, sounding hopeful and boyish, looking up at her like he almost couldn't believe that she was real.

Hermione nodded eagerly. She had been so upset and angry at him when he'd brushed her concerns aside. She knew that she should still be angry at him because he almost went through with his brother's plan to rob someone, but she couldn't be. He had been right - he had lived a completely different lifestyle from her, and she couldn't understand what it must have been like to grow up with Rodolphus as a brother, or the consequences of doing something the wrong way. It wasn't like having your friends stop talking to you. It could mean actual physical violence.

So she could understand why he was looking so adrift at the moment, when agreeing to go to the police was the last thing he ever would have done. But, if he was serious about turning a new leaf, this is how he would have to do it. Pressing a kiss to his cheek, Hermione gave him an affirmative nod. "Of course, I'll even go to court with you if it gets to that."


Stepping out of the courtroom, Rabastan loosened the tie at his neck. Hermione had helped him pick out his attire for the court, telling him that the judge wouldn't take him seriously if he rolled up in his trusty leather jacket and jeans. It felt inauthentic to wear smart trousers and a tie, but he'd been able to see just how favorably the judge responded to it.

Several weeks ago, when he'd arranged to meet up with his parole officer, and he revealed the full sordid story of what had happened with Rabastan and Bellatrix, he had thought that he was making the worst decision of his life. He couldn't imagine it turning out the way that it had.

His parole officer had been suitable annoyed with Rabastan for ever agreeing to speak with his brother again, chiding him. The only way he'd gotten through it was Hermione's tiny hand tucked in his. Then, when they'd all went down to the police station together, he'd had to be separated from her and he felt all of his nerves come back. If it wasn't for her hesitant smile and promise that he was doing the right thing, he didn't know if he would have ever gone through with it.

Hermione had been endless help throughout the whole process. She hadn't said anything when he cried to her, telling her that Rodolphus really had already tried to put it all on him and Bellatrix, just held him and let him get the words out. She'd managed to find a lawyer to represent his best interests, using her connections at the University. He knew he would have been fucked if it hadn't been the for the man who'd agreed to take his case pro bono.

But the hardest part had been having to face Rodolphus and Bellatrix in court, where they had strong-armed him into testifying. It felt as if his heart was being squeezed by a vice when he met his big brother's seething eyes across the room, but he knew that he had to do what was right for himself, once in his life.

He'd stumbled over his words at first, feeling the glare intensify as he told the honest truth to the judge. But then, he'd looked past Rodolphus and saw Hermione sitting there in the row behind him, beautiful and untouched, and he knew that the only way to protect Hermione was to make sure his brother went back to prison once again. Seeing how fucking proud she looked had only steeled Rabastan's resolve, and he could feel himself coming more confident as the whole story came tumbling out.

And now...well, all of it paid off.

Walking out of the courtroom, Rabastan was pleased to say that his brother and sister-in-law weren't likely to get out of prison any time soon, having each been sentenced to thirty years a piece. This time, it hadn't been a knife, it had been a gun, and Rodolphus had (unfortunately for him) gone off the rails this time and shot an undercover police officer in the side. Personally, Rabastan thought it was a bit of a stretch to call it attempted murder, but he wasn't about to complain about it.

Taking a deep breath when he finally got out into the fresh air, his eyes were immediately drawn to Hermione again, dressed up in a camel colored skirt and cream colored blouse. She looked so beautiful and he knew he was lucky to have her in his life at all; he just prefered it when she wore jeans and too-big sweaters. She was standing with his lawyer and the police officer that had handled him since he turned himself over to their mercy.

"Congratulations, Mr. Lestrange," the police officer said, tipping his head to the other man. "We thank you again for your assistance in securing a conviction for the two individuals."

He gave a brief smile, unable to believe that it had actually worked out. "I'm happy to help," he said with a shrug of his shoulders, still feeling as if his life hadn't rebalanced yet. "I am glad that my brother finally got what he deserved."

"I've just come from chatting with the prosecutors and they've agreed with me," the police officer said, gruffly. "Because of the assistance that you've given us in this particular case, they've decided not to pursue the case against you for your participation."

"Do you understand what this means, Rabastan?" his lawyer asked, barely able to hide the grin from his face at looking at Rabastan's dumbfounded look. "There is no jail time for you on this one. You've dodged a massive bullet. Your life is yours again."

Hermione smiled up at him, her look blinding in the sunlight. She was so beautiful that it hurt sometimes. He wondered just how he'd managed to find her. How lucky he'd been when she'd knocked on his door all those months ago. He had thought that he'd hit the jackpot and had sex only on his mind, but she'd proved to be invaluable to him in the interim. "I knew that it would work out for you, Rab," she said giving his arm a squeeze.

"Really? It's done? I'm good?" he asked, feeling far too stunned to believe the trios words. Good things didn't happen to snitches where he came from, and he found it hard to believe that it had actually paid off for him this time, despite Hermione's promises that it would work out.

"Well, you'll have a some additional hours of community service," the lawyer said with a shrug. "And, they would like you to try not to associate with any known felons, your family included, but yes, they've agreed not to pursue charges in thanks for your cooperation. A fair compromise, I think."

Hermione, suddenly not caring about the propriety of it anymore, launched herself into Rabastan's arms, hugging him as tightly as she could. "It's over," she repeated again and again, until the message finally could sink in for him. Rabastan returned the hug enthusiastically, before grabbing Hermione by the chin to tilt her face up to look at him. Leaning down, he caught her in a passionate kiss, one that had his lawyer blushing in surprise.

When the finally broke apart - having kissed a bit longer than was considered socially appropriate - he smirked at the other two men. "Apologies, but I think my girlfriend and I are going to go celebrate the good news," he said, grabbing Hermione around the waist, uncaring if they thought he was a possessive neanderthal. Hermione didn't seem to mind.

They were barely able to keep their hands off of one another the whole tube ride home, and Rabastan knew that they were attracting more than their fair share of attention. He was too wrapped up in Hermione, in what she represented, to care what anyone thought of him. He stopped to kiss her several times on the short walk from the station back to her flat, but she eventually became fed up, grabbing him by the hand and pulling him inside.

"I wasn't sure, but I got some champagne to celebrate," Hermione whispered, pressing up onto her tiptoes to reward him with a tiny kiss, before slipping into the kitchen. There had been an unspoken cloud over their relationship these past weeks, unsure if Rabastan would be sent back to prison despite his testimony. When she returned, she pressed a glass of the bubbly liquid into his hands. "Cheers!"

The clinked glasses together, toasting to the occasion, before retiring back into her living room. Hermione kicked off her high heeled shoes, curling around his body, and Rabastan stripped off his button down shirt, leaving him in his comfortable white undershirt.

He was suddenly struck by just how welcoming Hermione's flat seemed. Rabastan felt more at home here than he ever had in his neighborhood. Like he belonged there. Really, he didn't understand why he felt so at ease, so himself, when he was with her, but he did. Like he could finally breathe easy.

He let his fingers tangle in her hair, turning her head so that she would look at him. "So, am I completely forgiven?" he asked, knowing how much their relationship had suffered from agreeing to work with his brother. He never wanted to chance losing Hermione again. She meant more to him than anything in the world.

Hermione grinned at him, catching his lips in a kiss once again, playfully nipping at his lower lip. "Hm, I suppose you are forgiven, but only so long as you promise to never do anything like that again," she said cheerfully. "I couldn't stand it if you had to go back to jail."

"I swear it, Hermione," he said looking her dead in the eyes. Nothing could even tempt him away from her, not when he... "I love you, and I don't want to do anything to jeopardize that."

Her eyes widened at his sudden confession, but he cut her off with a kiss, pressing her back against the couch before she could respond. She eagerly responded to him, deepening the kiss with a moan, before breaking apart. "I love you, too," she said, before pulling him back down against her.

All thoughts of champagne were left floating away in their glasses. Rabastan was too busy making love to her right there on the couch to care about anything else.