Hermione returned home at nine o'clock to find Hugo and Lily sleeping soundly on the trundle bed in his room. It had been one of the most mentally exhausting days she had experienced, and her mind hadn't stopped racing for a moment. Harry and Ron had been off on a raid since Sunday, leaving Hermione and Ginny to their own devices until tomorrow.
Tonight, with both their youngest children tucked into bed, their devices consisted of wine. Through the times that the boys were off on their operations, the two women had become even closer than they had found themselves during six years at school.
"Rough day, was it?" Ginny asked, noting Hermione having rather slumped her cloak off. She was seated on the sofa, going over some of her notes from the quidditch matches she had seen over the weekend, preparing them for her next article titled, "The Legacy." One of the professional women's coaches from Wales was retiring this year, leaving behind one of the winningest records in the history of the sport.
Hermione joined her there, helping herself to Ginny's glass of wine that had been sitting on the coffee table. "That obvious?"
Ginny had her head down in her notes and had reached for her glass. Grasping air instead of her stem, she looked up. "Hmm," Ginny objected. "I'd say so, you thief," she laughed, summoning another glass, as well as the bottle, from the kitchen.
Hermione smiled, which she had almost forgotten how to do today. "It was just awful, Gin," she crossed her legs and drank deeply. "There's something peculiar going on at work, and I think it could be quite the ordeal," she explained as Ginny poured her second glass. "Shacklebolt had some strange conversation with me today in my office, and I haven't had a moment of peace since."
"You're not the only one," Ginny interjected. "Harry's stag arrived today, just after you left for Hogwarts."
Hermione raised an eyebrow at her sister-in-law. "Go on," she pressed.
Ginny sighed, brushing a stray lock of red hair from her eyes. "He told me that they lost a senior auror this morning just outside of where their headquarters had been established for the raid."
"What happened?"
"They don't know," Ginny responded. "That's the strange part. They've been unable to identify the cause of death at the scene," she explained.
Hermione swallowed hard. "No magical trace?"
The younger witch shook her head. "Harry wasn't able to give me all the details, but it sounded like it was definitely magic. There were no marks on his body, and all scans for poisons or toxins came back negative," she whispered, careful not to wake the children with the conversation at hand.
"So if it was spell work, why weren't they able to identify it?" Hermione questioned further. Today, it would seem, was a day for curiousness.
Ginny handed Hermione her freshly filled glass. "Nothing worked," she stated matter-of-factly. "Harry and Ron are going straight to St. Mungo's with the body after they close operations tomorrow morning."
The two witches exchanged looks that reached depths beyond empathy. When Harry and Ron were out in the field, news was sparse. Harry occasionally sent word, but only as he could. They were highly encouraged to not communicate at all, but Ginny worried when she didn't hear from them at least once a mission. "It'll be good to have them back," Hermione stated honestly.
Ginny nodded her agreement and raised the glass to her lips, polishing off its contents. She kicked one of her legs onto the sofa and cradled her head on her hand, resting on the arm. It was silent for a moment before a yawn broke the stillness.
Covering her mouth with the back of her hand, Hermione stretched. "I can't thank you enough for watching Hugo during the day," she stated graciously. Ginny was great with the youngest of the Weasley children.
Both women rose from their seats, beginning to straighten up the area they had been in. Hermione took the glasses and wine back into the kitchen, and Ginny neatly stacked all her papers into her briefcase. "It's really no problem," Ginny replied. "He's got so much character that I don't find much time to be bored during the day," she added.
Hermione stood in the doorway and folded her arms gently, sleep starting to take her. "I'm glad he and Lily get on so well," she smiled.
Ginny took her briefcase under her arm and moved to bid Hermione goodnight. "They do, really," she embraced the older witch. "It makes my heart smile."
"Mine too," Hermione agreed, squeezing Ginny a little tighter. They separated and parted ways, Hermione moving to her bedroom and Ginny to the guest room. "Good night, Gin," Hermione whispered.
"Night, Hermione," she replied, closing the door behind her.
Ron and Harry sat impatiently in the St. Mungo's waiting area. Both men were tired and haggard looking, despite having shaved and dressed in fresh robes for the first time since they'd been in the field. Aside from the death of one of their senior aurors, Harry had closed the mission with little trouble. Despite their team's success, the two men were feeling extensively drained. Losing an auror never got easier, and they hadn't suffered a loss in years.
They'd had orders to go into Dover, the first mission that had kept them in country for over six months. It was a defense-based mission to establish perimeter wards on the southeastern coastal city. When Harry had been briefed by the Minister, he'd been told that an encounter was unlikely, and that the sole interest of the ministry was to separate the city and its rural area into quadrants. Each grid would be equipped with enchantments that would alert them to future enemy presence.
Now assessing the situation in hindsight, Harry was unconvinced that he'd received all the details prior to their departure for Dover. His mind ticked in time with the clock in the waiting room, his breathing long and quiet. A strong feeling in his gut told him the ministry had been watching the port city longer than they had let on…and that they knew someone had been there.
The question in Harry's mind was who that someone was.
The lightning flashed and the sirens began to scream, rain beating down on Harry's shoulders in the fourth grid. He looked back in the direction the sirens were sounding, from the grid they had established as headquarters. "Get back to the tent!" he shouted over the sounds affronting their ears as five bodies disappeared into the dark.
One by one they reappeared in the first grid, wands at the ready and eyes searching the darkness frantically. With a 'crack' masked by the thunder overhead, Ron apparated and counted the lights emanating from each wand in the squad.
Three. All accounted for.
Harry appeared behind him as they stood back-to-back, peering out into the grid. The only thing they could see was the shine of the rain falling around the tips of their wands. "We're all here, Harry," Ron relayed. "It's all clear."
His breathing was quick, hesitant to agree with the all-clear. He couldn't make out much except the outline of the tent, as all the lights had been extinguished by whoever had tripped the alarms. "We need to surround the tent," he replied, his breath frosting slightly in the chill of the autumn storm. "They could still be here."
Ron released the signal from his wand, a faint yellow orb arcing from its tip. Immediately, the remaining three aurors swiftly enclosed upon the tent as Harry and Ron completed the circle around their base of operations. The lightning split once more, and Harry caught a glimpse of a body lying on the ground, rain shining off his black coat and skin eerily white against the flash that had streaked the sky.
"Potter," the healer called, interrupting his thoughts. Ron and Harry got up from their seats and followed him through the doors.
"I'm healer Alderman," the older wizard clipped, offering his hand to first Harry, then Ron.
Harry nodded his head. "Good morning, Sir," he greeted politely. "What news of Marksbury?" he asked as they wove their way through an extensive mass of corridors.
Alderman passed his gaze from the two aurors down to the floor, scratching his head beneath the cap. "It would behoove us to hold our conversation until we reach the office, gentlemen," he stated plainly, looking back to Harry. "This way."
The three of them continued on past ward after ward, until they reached an access hall that required the healer to place his hand into a small chamber to the right of the door.
A moment later, the doors opened, leaving Harry and Ron to glance questioningly at each other. But Alderman didn't slow his pace, leading the two onward through a part of St. Mungo's they'd never before set foot in. "This is a classified hall in our hospital," they continued, slipping past healers in dark gray robes that eyed the three of them curiously. "We don't often have visitors this side of the ward," he explained.
They arrived at a small office, and the door slid open as Alderman strolled through, Harry and Ron close behind. The healer seated himself at the desk in the center of the room and ushered the two to join him. 'ROOM 478 IS NOW SECURE.' A female voice was heard throughout the space as the doors closed behind them.
Ron and Harry seated themselves as worry began to sink into Harry's chest. "So, I'm assuming you've brought us here because there's something wrong with Marksbury's autopsy," Harry began, not wanting to delay the morning anymore. He was thoroughly exhausted and anxious.
Alderman picked up on Harry's need for urgency. "Yes, your assumption proves most deductive of you, Mr. Potter," the healer removed his cap and sat it on the desk. "Marksbury's death has been currently coded as acute heart failure, but I'm afraid the exact cause cannot be determined by any of the staff here at St. Mungo's."
"So what's next for the body?" Ron questioned. "We've got his family to notify, you know," he added.
Alderman looked from Harry to Ron and sighed. "We can't release the body until cause of death has been determined, gentlemen," he answered, his voice gaining slight volume.
Ron shook his head and rested his chin on his knuckles. "So if you can't determine the cause, who can, Sir?" Harry asked, aware of Ron's understandable agitation. "We've never run into this situation before."
The healer opened his desk drawer and pulled out a recently compiled folder on Marksbury's autopsy. He opened it, pulling out a single document. "This is a release form, Mr. Potter," he explained as he handed it to Harry. "I suggest you sign it, as our deceased Mr. Marksbury will need to make a trip to our counterparts in Germany."
"Germany? Are you mad?" Ron stood from his chair, but Harry grabbed his arm. Ron had always been passionate about the team, and Marksbury's death was taking its toll on him.
"Yes, Mr. Weasley, Germany," he continued calmly as Harry convinced him to retake his seat. "This is simply beyond any expertise or resources we have available here, and I've already spoken to the lead over there via floo this morning."
"I'll sign it," Harry whispered, defeat lacing his response. "Have you got a quill?"
Alderman opened his drawer once more and gave the quill to Harry. He scratched his name at the bottom of the release form and stood immediately. "We need answers," Harry stood, Ron joining him as the healer kept in his chair. "And we need them soon."
Without another word, Harry and Ron departed the office, leaving Alderman behind. "Thanks, Harry," Ron looked to his best friend. "I can just imagine the look on Pippa's face," he said, voice breaking from the swell of hot tears threatening to emerge. Pippa was Marksbury's wife, now widowed after less than a year of marriage.
Harry placed a firm hand on Ron's shoulder. "We'll get his body back, Ron," Harry assured him. "And we're going to find out who is responsible for this."
Ron wiped the moisture from his eyes and stood a little straighter, a determined square gracing his shoulders. "Yeah," Ron agreed, clearing his throat. "I suppose we will."
They caught each other's glance and the two men nodded. "Right," Harry breathed, scanning the corridors for some familiarity. "Now how do we get out of here?"
AN: Hope you've enjoyed the chapter. You've been getting pieces and parts of the plot, and I look forward to everyone's thoughts on what might happen! As always, do drop a note in the reviews. I'm *dying* not just spilling what's actually going on in the story. Love to all and a Happy New Year! You may see another update from me before then. ;)