DISCLAIMER: J.K. Rowling owns most of the characters and settings here—I own the rest.

Again, thank you to all who have reviewed/followed/favorited so far. Don't forget to read the Author's Notes at the beginning of the story-if you are wondering what the heck is going on, they may assist.

(TL/DR version: My fancast Walden Macnair is Joe Manganiello, and NOT the various dudes from the films.)

I'm hoping to see Fantastic Beasts this upcoming weekend-definitely looking forward to it!

NOTHING ELSE MATTERS

Chapter 8 - Nevermore

Supper was so silent that Walden wondered if his Mum had surreptitiously cast Muffliato around his Da, but he chose not to say anything-other than polite requests to pass things-for fear of breaking the spell. Binkus brought a bottle of single-malt along with the dessert-raspberry cranachan-and Gavin said nothing as Walden tucked quickly into both.

It was only when both wizards had taken their pipes out and started to smoke that Gavin finally remarked, "Maybe it's time ye went and talked to him." Walden had actually been mulling just exactly that over in his mind, but he had a number of reservations. "Da, I canna go ta the school alone, ye know that. And I canna go to Hogsmeade, either, although that's not a rule, I just dinna think it's a good idea, I'm sure I've worn out me welcome there."

"That Sassenach was down there last week," Gavin said. "If he can go, so can ye."

"He wasna alone, though, I wager," Walden replied.

Elspeth interjected, "Nay, he was with his son and some others we didna recognize, and we didna stop ta talk wi' them, but they did come out of the Broomsticks," and at that last, she stared knowingly at her son.

Walden looked down at his empty whisky glass. "I canna go in there. And I canna go in the Hog's Head, either, I'm sure Dumbledore would toss me out. And I canna use any...well, if I do go, I have no way ta hide... " He'd read and re-read his wand booklet, and noted that many of the rules seemed rather specific to the magical specialties his former Master had so prized...Dissolution Charms were proscribed, as was the use of Polyjuice. Further, his Invisibility Cloak had been confiscated and burned by the same hated Auror who'd snapped his wand. (He'd remained silent through that procedure, as well.)

Gavin tapped his pipe on the side of the ashtray and then started to load more tobacco into it. "I guess ye're fooked, then, son, nae sure where else ye think ye'd find 'im, the Hogsmeade Menagerie just closed."

"Aye, I saw a notice in the Prophet about that."

"Master Walden?" Binkus abruptly appeared next to the table. "There's someone at the door for you!"

Gavin stood up. "Whoever it is, ye should be telling me, Binkus!" He stomped away from the high table; the elf scurried along beside him, wringing his hands. Elspeth and Walden stood up.

"I'm sure it's nothin' bad, son. Yer father will take care of it if it is."

After Ginny Disapparated, Hermione stared into the empty space left by her friend for several minutes, whilst clutching at her beaded bag. There seemed to be no reason to stay in London-she'd already made the arrangements to close up her apartment for at least two months via mail the previous week, and she knew none of her neighbors-mostly professional-class Muggles-would notice her absence. Whether or not they'd notice the ravens, though, was anybody's guess. They likely weren't specifically charmed, but every minute that she continued to not be at Walden's side seemed rather distressing, and she wasn't sure if that was due to her abrupt manner of departure-which was, in fact, quite impolite, she'd concluded-or something else entirely, something that she'd rather not cast her mind over at the moment.

She waved her wand, lowered her wards for a moment, turned on the spot, and Disapparated.

Although she'd not yet visited there, she knew that Rait Castle was situated rather closely to the Muggle town of Nairn, and she wondered, as she appeared next to a blackthorn hedge, a branch of which scraped over her, if she'd made a mistake and possibly been spotted, but the area was deserted-it was a rainy winter evening, after all. A glance around the area revealed the flickering lights of a nearby farmstead, and further on, the lights of the town, which abruptly ended at the Moray Firth. She stared up at the building, which was actually a large-ish two-storey stone house, rather than a towering castle, like Hogwarts; however, like that latter building, it also appeared as a ruin to the Muggles, and was rumoured to be haunted by a gruesome, handless ghost. She'd seen the pictures on the castle's Web site, but that didn't prepare her for the rather imposing sight of a closed portcullis at the top of a long flight of stone stairs.

"Lumos Minima!" she intoned, as she started to trudge up the stairs, in order to give enough light so that she wouldn't stumble. As the hour was growing late, and it was possible that Walden had either not shown up or already departed for his lodge, she'd probably be attempting to explain her presence to either Binkus or his parents...and only the former prospect was appealing. Gavin Macnair was an imposing wizard-he'd been a Gryffindor like her, she recalled, and Elspeth, his wife, had been a Slytherin, and was related to the Macmillans, thus giving Walden his "Sacred Twenty-Eight" legitimacy...not that she cared about that last bit.

At the top of the stairs, to the immediate left of the portcullis, a small window opened, and she saw the batwing ears of a house-elf poking up over the ledge.

"Er, hello?" she said, tentatively.

"Missy! You is here to see Master Walden!" Binkus said, and she was exceedingly glad to see him.

"Yes, and would you please tell Mr. Macnair-that is, Gavin, that I'm very late, and I'm dreadfully sorry..." and her voice trailed off, as Binkus abruptly vanished, and the rain picked up. She pulled her cloak over her head and waited for what seemed like a rather long while, until the creaks and groans of chains began to sound and the portcullis slowly rose. Behind that, an imposing wooden door stood, and as she watched, it quietly swung open to reveal Binkus and a tall wizard with white hair.

Hermione stepped forward, and, recalling the many hours listening to the excruciatingly detailed Malfoy testimony, dropped a quick curtsey. "Mr. Macnair, it's a pleasure to see you again. I'm dreadfully sorry to, er, abuse your hospitality and appear on your doorstep at such a late hour; I'm certain my invitation didn't extend this far, but, you see..."

Gavin cut in and said, "I know why ye're here. Doona stand out there, lassie, it's miserable, come inside!"

"Thank you," Hermione said, as she walked into the entrance hall. It was, surprisingly, quite warm and cozy-large tapestries covered the stone walls on either side, and she really wanted to examine them in detail, but she managed to tamp down her curiosity as Gavin and Binkus led her through a doorway in the center of a ornate, crenellated wooden screen that reached very near to the hall's lofty ceiling. Through the doorway, at the other end of the hall, a high table was placed at the top of three steps...and Walden and his mum were standing next to it, in quiet conversation.

"Master Walden, see, the Missy is here for you!" Binkus said, dashing ahead of Gavin and Hermione.

"Thank ye, Binkus," Walden said, quietly. Elspeth stepped toward Hermione and took both her hands and led her to the table. "Welcome...if ye'd just sit here," and she gestured to an empty seat, and then used her wand to move it away from the table, "we'll get ye something warm to drink, and maybe something to eat?"

"I, er...I had some ice cream and a gillywater earlier," Hermione stammered. "So I'm not very, er..."

"Mulled wine," said Elspeth. "And some broth, and bread, Binkus," she added. "And my son will sit here with you," and she used her wand to pull another chair, next to the first, out. "We'll be in the library-do stop by once you're done," and with that, she led Gavin, who was staring with very Gryffindor-like curiosity at Hermione, down the stairs, toward a semi-circular side door. "And doona just stand there like a numpty, son, take her cloak!"

"Aye, may I take that, Miss Granger?" Walden muttered, not looking her in the eye.

Hermione waited until Gavin and Elspeth were safely out of earshot before replying. "So, we're back to formalities, Mr. Macnair? Of course you may take my cloak." She started to shrug it off her shoulders but he was too fast and quickly moved behind her.

"Och! This is wet and freezin!" he said, as he took the cloak, walked over, and draped it on a chair close to the enormous fireplace that loomed behind the table.

"In case you hadn't noticed, it's wet and rather cold outside," Hermione said, looking up at him. "And I'm sorry, Walden, I shouldn't have run off like that." Before he could turn away and sit down, she took his large, warm hand in hers.

He lifted her hand up and kissed it. "Sorry, but I read the letter, lass. I canna blame ye."

"He's being very rude," Hermione said. "I haven't even seen or heard from him since he was there for the trials."

"He has a right to be angry at me," Walden said, looking directly at her.

"Regardless of that, he's not my father nor is he my brother or any other relation, and he should have, at the very least, attempted to contact me before trying to interfere in my life," Hermione began, but she was interrupted in her recital by the arrival of Binkus, bearing a platter of lovely, steaming warm food and drink. Walden helped her into her chair and then sat beside her as she ate, silently staring into his glass of single-malt, watching the dancing flames as they reflected onto the cut glass, amplifying the deep, smoky amber color within.

"Oh, this is marvelous," Hermione said, as she sat down her spoon. "It's warming me up all over."

"Aye, Mum charms it to do that," Walden said.

"She quite reminds me of..." and Hermione stopped. "Er...another mum I know..."

"Weasley's mum?" Walden said. "I'm actually quite grateful to her," he added.

"Likely for similar reasons," and Hermione sat down her bread. "This is all so filling, but it's so good I don't want to stop eating it."

"It's all right if you doona finish, lass."

"I suppose not, I just didn't want to be impolite, it was bad enough that I showed up after supper was done," and she put her napkin up on the table and pushed her chair back a bit, before picking up her wine glass and sipping at it.

"Ye could never be impolite," Walden said, as he turned his chair toward hers, then reached over and gently took the wineglass from her hand and set it on the table, next to his whisky. "Come over here," he said, in a low voice. "Come here and kiss me, I'll warm ye up more," and with those last words, he pulled her up on his lap and encircled her in his arms. "Ye're trembling," he murmured, next to her ear.

"I...er...did you send birds?" she asked, as he slid his hand around the back of her head, pulling her closer.

"Might have," he said, before he closed his lips over hers, and as they both sighed at the contact he deepened the kiss, gently teasing her with his tongue, and Hermione felt the world shrink until all she knew was him, and his delicious mouth, which tasted strongly of fragrant tobacco and whisky. Each kiss seemed to increase in urgency, and as their breaths hitched, he pulled back from her, murmuring, "Want to take ye to bed, mo ghra, need to have ye now," and she felt his growing hardness as she shifted in his lap. "Yes," she whispered. "But, er...aren't we..."

"Och," he grunted. "Och, aye, sorry, we canna leave until we say somethin' to me parents, or Da will poke his heid in me bedroom fireplace when we're in the midst of things, he's done it before..."

"Rather awkward, I'd think," Hermione said, as she slid off his lap and stood up, her legs still trembling.

"Tried to keep him out but never found a spell that works," Walden said, as he stood up and shook out his robes. "And we, er, need to wait just a moment before we go in there." Hermione giggled as he took a deep breath and then reached for his whisky. "Will that actually help?" she asked.

"It willna hurt."

"So, about those birds..."

"Me ravens," Walden said. "Aye, they show up when I'm in need of trackin' something...and sometimes when I'm angry. They're useful, though, I can send messages with 'em, they're fast as the devil."

"So you didn't conjure them?"

"Nay, they just show up, although I can make more come out of me wand...well, nae this manky one," and he gestured at the one in his wand pocket.

"Well, there were rather a lot of them at my flat," Hermione said, "About two score...I figured it was your accidental magic...that pamphlet didn't specifically mention ravens..."

"Nice to know they let me keep somethin'," Walden said, as he picked up Hermione's cloak and offered her his arm. "Let's go be polite before I send more of 'em to the library; I doona want to upset me Mum."