Week Two - Part Three

There were not enough words in the English language to adequately describe how humiliated Hermione was after she realized how quickly Rod left his cabin. Once she was aware that all of his personal belongings had been cleared out of Sada's cottage, she had been sorely tempted to follow his example. She returned to the refuge of her own temporary home to start about the business of soothing her wounded nerves.

Even with over twenty-four hours to process his abrupt departure, she still couldn't understand why he had run off. That certainly didn't stop her from attempting to dissect every single moment to try to figure it out. His bloody fantastic kissing had clearly been a mistake. They had each had too much wine to drink. Emotions had been high due to the sensitive nature of their conversation. What had compelled her to be so open with him anyway? She shared parts of herself with the enigmatic wizard that she had never shared with anyone else. Not even her own husband.

Maybe her vulnerability had terrified the man. He clearly had been used to living an uncomplicated life alone in the middle of a beautiful countryside with no one to bother him but his two dogs. That wasn't exactly a person who was able to easily segue into any kind of relationship, romantic or otherwise, with a woman he hardly knew with a myriad of her own personal problems that she had yet to deal with completely. She had never been easy to live with as it was. Toss in her baggage from her marriage with Ron and she couldn't blame the man for running the first chance he got.

Still, he could have at least waited a couple of days before disappearing into the night. Maybe said goodbye. Or at least made an effort to keep her from believing that everything that happened had been one hundred percent her fault. Had she thrown herself at the shy man? Though he might have said that he had already begun to mourn the loss of his marriage before his wife died, that didn't necessarily mean he was ready to move on.

Was she too young? Despite marrying a man several months younger, she had always been attracted to men that were much older. Some might have claimed that she had issues that needed to be resolved with the help of a professional, but she knew she wasn't looking for a father figure. She merely appreciated the more mature men who didn't seem as if they wanted nothing more from life than one long party. It was exhausting being told over and over again that she was 'no fun'. Sometimes the older men offered a stability and a security impossible to find in those closer to her own age.

Remaining in Sada's cottage was likely to turn into a nightmare. In just the single day since he'd run off, she lost count the number of times she looked out the kitchen window hoping for a glimpse of the man who fascinated her so. There would be no more rest and relaxation for her in that place. As much as she didn't want to stay, she also didn't want to leave. Against all odds and her own pessimism, she'd been able to find some happiness in her forced vacation. It seemed that whatever joy she'd found was at an end.

In the morning she would start thinking about where she would go from there. Until then, she climbed into the massive, empty bed, closed her eyes, and desperately tried to forget what it felt like to have Rod's lips against hers.

Rodolphus stood in the middle of the rented room he'd procured in the middle of a less-than-respectable Knockturn Alley inn. Millie stared at him with an adorable, canine sneer on her face. Even his puppy wasn't pleased with the surroundings. Unused to anything beyond the cottage she'd spent the last several months in after leaving her mother, she was not happy to be stuck in the dingy room with the outdated furniture and the indescribable smells that assaulted both of their sensitive noses.

Knowing that his business shouldn't take him more than a day to complete, he sought out one of the inns in the rundown section of London. No one there would be likely to pay him any mind. After all, many of them were attempting to be as invisible as possible themselves. Everyone had their secrets in that Alley. He would be left alone.

Millie's growl of disgust at her surroundings made Rodolphus laugh. He could sympathize. A quick transformation into his Animagus form to have a discussion with her on the importance of remaining silent was needed. She seemed to understand that they wouldn't be there long and agreed to lay quietly on the bed while she waited for his return. He rewarded her with several scratches behind the ears and a lovely rub of her belly. It was enough to satisfy her in the short term.

Before he stepped out of the room, he glamoured his face. He knew that the enchantments wouldn't hold up in Gringotts where he was going to liquidate his vault, but he wasn't worried. He had a goblin on his side. One that he had been bribing for years to keep silent about his existence. As long as he was paying the creature, he knew he could trust him.

Walking through Knockturn Alley and then into Diagon Alley had an odd effect on the wizard. It had been so long since he allowed himself to wander through the familiar districts that it almost felt like it was the first time he was experiencing them all over again. With a completely nondescript face, no one paid him any mind. He was just another shopper enjoying the brisk chill in the air. It felt strangely good to be back in London. Out of his very legitimate fear, he'd been avoiding the city for years.

His steps took him past the rather whimsical shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. He'd been curious about it ever since the lovely afternoon he spent with Hermione in the village near their cottages. She'd described it in vivid detail. As she discussed it, she had nothing but positive things to say about the shop her twin brothers-in-law created. They both sounded like truly remarkable wizards, and not for the first time, he regretted his part in the force that was ultimately responsible for the death of one of them. He might not have uttered the curse that brought the wall down on the unfortunate Weasley, but there had been a time when he willingly associated with the one who had.

As he reached for the front door of the shop, he tried to convince himself that he was absolutely not entering the establishment in the hopes of getting a good look at the wizard Hermione married. That seemed somehow like a violation of privacy. Something he would never do. At least, not in his human form. Pushing aside the thoughts of impropriety that had been plaguing him since the first time he entered Hermione's cottage as Orville, he stepped inside. There would be a lifetime ahead him with chances to chastise himself for his deviant behavior.

Due to it being in the middle of a Friday while Hogwarts was in session, the shop was fairly quiet. Business was slow for a joke shop when its prime shoppers were stuck in a castle hundreds of kilometers away learning to transfigure a raven into a water goblet. Rodolphus wandered through the aisles of the shop examining the products for sale. Several of them were quite ingenious. He could see why they had become such a success.

It seemed strange to him that no one had even bothered to greet him or ask if he needed any assistance when he entered the establishment. Most of the shopkeepers in the Alley could be frustratingly pushy when it came to customers. Perhaps that had simply been his experience as a member of a wealthy Pureblood family, he decided. With his anonymous face and his simple clothing, he didn't stand out as anyone particularly special.

When he turned a sharp corner somewhere near the impressive selection of dungbombs, a bright red head of hair caught his attention. Careful to step back into the aisle to keep himself mostly hidden, Rodolphus took his opportunity to get a better look at the man Hermione married. Instantly, he was convinced that she had settled far beneath her. The wizard had a sour expression on his face as he sorted through a stack of what must have been receipts behind the counter the till sat. Every few seconds the cretin sighed and continued flipping through his paperwork.

Rodolphus wanted to hurt him. Badly. How could he let a treasure like Hermione go? He would never understand how Ronald Weasley could even think about touching another woman when he had his remarkable wife coming home every single night to sleep in his bed. If he had her in his bed, he would never let her go. He would spend every second making sure that she knew how desired and wanted she was. Nothing in all of Creation could ever induce him to cheat on Hermione. He would have just been thankful to hold her hand. Thoughts of their heated kisses and the feel of her hands running up his chest brought a flush to his cheeks. It was a pity that they would not get the chance to explore their undeniable chemistry any further.

Just as he was convinced that he had lingered too long in the shop and needed to get moving to the bank, a witch dressed in the lurid magenta robes worn by the staff suddenly appeared from the back room. Weasley's entire countenance lit up at the sight of his coworker. Rodolphus felt his eyes narrow. He concealed himself further behind the shelf to keep a close eye on what was going to happen next.

"Did you read the paper this morning?"

The witch spoke in one of those sing-song tones that brought pain to his ears. His late wife would speak that way when she was getting ready to share some particularly juicy gossip. As amused as the horrid witch appeared to be, he assumed she was every bit as malicious as his Trixie had been in the misfortunes of her fellow humans.

"You know I didn't, love. Mostly lies in that thing anyway."

"The Daily Prophet is speculating that your wife is locked up in some kind of asylum and that's why no one has seen or heard from her in so long."

Rodolphus' first instinct was to jump immediately to being affronted and angry on Hermione's behalf. Ron Weasley's first instinct was to chuckle softly. The former Death Eater felt a rage build up in him that he had allowed to lay dormant for many years. How dare the worm joke about his wife's sanity? Not only was it absolutely nothing to joke about, it was completely untrue. And if she had been forced to spend some time in a hospital to overcome the stress she had been under, was it any wonder with a horrible husband like him? Did he truly believe that the thought of his wife losing her mind was something to laugh about? He felt his fists clench, his fingernails digging into his palms. He wanted to break everything around him, starting with Ginger's jaw!

"She would love to read that article. Another of Skeeter's?"

The vapid cow nodded her head with a giggle. Weasley laughed again.

"Used to hate that reporter, but I've found lately that I'm enjoying hearing about what she writes."

"Do you know where your wife went?"

"No, and I don't care. I heard what happened at the Ministry. I'd be embarrassed if I wasn't so pleased she was there to file for a divorce."

The wizard who didn't deserve to spend a single moment in Hermione's presence reached for the ridiculous witch. His lips sought out her neck. The obnoxious giggle and the indecent moan that came out of her mouth should have been illegal. Did neither of them have the least bit of shame? They were in public, for Merlin's sake!

"Go into the stockroom. I'll meet you there in a minute."

The harlot giggled again as she walked off. Rodolphus was furious with how brazen they both were being. His eye caught an interesting product sitting on a nearby shelf. Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. Digging around in his pockets for the exact amount, he placed enough coins on the shelf to more than cover the purchase of a single box. He was no thief after all. Fumbling with the packaging, he waited until Ginger walked right past him again, not even noticing he was there.

Rodolphus pointed his wand at the disgusting excuse for a wizard. He wasted no time casting a painful stinging hex straight to his groin. As Weasley screamed out in pain and fell to the floor, he threw the darkness powder onto the ground. Using his keen sense of smell to find the exit, he ran for the door, the unfortunate wizard's cries following him out of the shop.

Part of him knew that he should feel guilty for what he had just done, but he didn't. If he was honest with himself, he actually felt pretty good about his actions. Deciding to put off his plans at Gringotts for the moment, he walked into a nearby teashop. There was a stack of old newspapers sitting on an empty table. He sat down in the empty seat and immediately began flipping through the pages to find the articles he was certain would be there. Starting with the first day Hermione came to the cottage.

By the time he had finished reading only a few of the newspapers, he was so angry he could hardly see straight. The complete load of thestral shite printed on the parchment wasn't worth printing. One of the overly perky witches employed by the shop stopped at his table to refill his cup. When her eyes landed on the front page of the edition he was reading, she chuckled.

"Can you believe that scandal? That's all anyone can talk about. I was at school with her. Didn't know her very well, but she always seemed a bit unstable. That Rita Skeeter is amazing. You wouldn't believe all that she's uncovered about the so-called Golden Girl."

She rolled her eyes and walked away. Rodolphus felt his blood pressure spike. What he had read was bad enough, but he feared it would only get worse the more he continued. When he finally reached the end of the stack and was completely up-to-date with all of the articles written about the public breakdown of Hermione's marriage to the slug he hoped was still wallowing in misery in the floor of his shop, he was angrier than he could remember ever being. He couldn't believe that anyone would read the rubbish the Skeeter bitch wrote.

He rose from the table, stormed out of the shop, and left Diagon Alley. Gringotts could wait. There was someone else he needed to see first.

Saturday was a little easier for Hermione than the previous couple of days. At the very least she had had enough time to soothe her injured pride with mass amounts of wine and embarrassingly trashy novels she never wanted anyone to know she read. Most of the immediate desire to vacate the area dissipated with the passing of time. She felt less like she needed to run away. Maybe it was silly of her to throw herself at the man who lived next door, but it wasn't her fault that he couldn't handle a little bit of positive female companionship.

He would've gotten a lot more, most likely, if he hadn't run out the front door. There had been a moment, likely the exact second his hands grabbed her arse, that she felt pretty confident they were going to go a lot further than snogging like a couple of lovesick teenagers. She'd wanted to feel every inch of his skin underneath her hands. Wanted to know what it felt like to have the weight of his body on top of hers. It had been so long since she felt desirable. So long since she knew that a man wanted her. It had been far more intoxicating than the wine.

Hermione sighed and snuggled down deeper in her blankets. She had plans to do nothing but alternate between reading and sleeping. Just like the day before, she had no desire to get out of bed. Later, when she wasn't feeling so emotionally vulnerable, she would chastise herself for letting the reactions of a single man affect her so deeply. Until then, however, she was going to tell her inner voice to 'shut the fuck up' and just let her sleep.

Sleeping in the foul Knockturn Alley hotel room was virtually impossible for Rodolphus. Even though he had allowed her the unheard of freedom of sleeping in the bed with him, Millie was miserable. She hated every second they were away from home and showed her displeasure by whining. He could agree with his puppy. There was nowhere he'd rather be than back inside the cottage he'd made his home.

Somehow they managed to pass enough time until he was prepared for a meeting with his solicitor the next morning at nine. The wizard had been surprised to see him the day before, but he was always willing to make time for one of his best clients. He didn't care that Rodolphus was a fugitive as long as he continued to pay his retainer. Understanding that he held most of the power, he didn't hesitate to walk into the man's office carrying Millie under his arms. His solicitor might have been annoyed, but he did all that he could to pretend like it was perfectly normal to have a rambunctious puppy at an appointment.

"I did everything that you asked me to do, Mr. Lestrange. Is there anything else you require?"

"I don't believe so. Thank you for everything."

He stood up from his chair to shake the hand of the solicitor that had been serving his family for decades. Millie squirmed in his arms, ready to be released. Even she could sense that their time in the stuffy office had come to an end.

"Will you still be moving abroad?"

"I haven't decided yet."

Only minutes later he was walking out of the door of the office, spinning in place, and landing in front of his cottage. At the sight of her home, Millie barked and wiggled out of his arms. Rodolphus laughed when she rushed immediately to the couch to fall asleep. It must have been terribly exhausting for her to be forced to stay in the dingy inn.

He stood in the doorway of his cottage staring at his puppy peacefully napping for several minutes. As much as he wanted to rush next door to announce he'd come back, he was nervous. Hermione was going to be angry that he just disappeared without a word and he couldn't blame her one bit. She probably thought that he ran away because he couldn't handle her secrets. Or worse, maybe she was embarrassed and thought he didn't desire her. He truly didn't believe he could hate himself any more than he already did.

Finally, he talked himself into traveling the short distance to the other cottage. He knocked loudly on the front door. There was no answer for over a minute. Perhaps returning had been a big mistake. Just as he was about to turn around and leave, the door opened. Rodolphus had to remind himself to breathe. She stood there in a dressing gown with dripping wet hair. Even in her state of dishabille, she was stunning.

"I thought you left."

"I did, but… I came back."

The hurt expression on her beautiful face made the wizard long to dig a hole in the garden and hide. He felt terrible. Running off had seemed like the best choice in the moment. He was an idiot. As much as he didn't want to hurt her, he had.

"Do you need something?"

Her tone was cold. So unlike how she had been around him before he left. He deserved that and worse.

"I came to apologize for running out of here the other night. And then for leaving so abruptly yesterday morning."

She was still upset. He longed to kiss her again, prove that he meant what he said, but he doubted he would ever get another chance. He was such a fool.

"Why did you leave?"

"Because I'm an old fool who doesn't deserve to be in the same room with you."

"Why don't you let me decide who's not good enough for me?"

Rodolphus sighed. Some of the tension between them began to loosen ever so slightly.

"Where did you go?"

"To London. I was going to empty out my vault."

He wasn't sure why he was being so honest. She didn't need to know the full truth. It was too dangerous. What if she was able to figure out who he actually was? He needed to be more careful.

"Why?"

The chill in her tone was enough to break any reservations he had about being even more honest. She deserved to know his reasons. It wasn't fair to seemingly reject a woman who had already been so publicly humiliated and tossed aside. She was worth much more than that.

"I was thinking that maybe I've gotten too complacent in my life. This place was only supposed to be temporary."

"So one kiss with me and you were ready to be done with this area forever? Nice."

Hermione began to close the heavy door in his face. Before she got very far, Rodolphus put his foot in the path. When she met with resistance and opened it back up, he stepped into the doorway. They were only inches apart. He longed to reach for her again, prove to her that the very last desire of his heart was to walk out the door again.

"I was afraid, Hermione. I've been alone for so long. I've forgotten how to be anything else."

It was the painful truth that he could no longer ignore. Before he could allow his mind to talk him out of continuing, he blurted out that he'd read every single newspaper that had been printed since the day she was forced to leave the Ministry. Red-faced and embarrassed, she lowered her eyes to her feet.

"Why would you do that?"

The rest of his story came bursting out of him in uncontrollable torrents. He told her about stopping in Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes and seeing the contemptible slug that was her soon-to-be ex-husband. How he couldn't stand to hear the words he was saying about her, how the newspapers were awful and full of lies. The Skeeter woman didn't deserve to speak Hermione's name.

"So I bought the paper."

Her watery eyes snapped up to meet his. Feeling confident, Rodolphus continued.

"I had Rita Skeeter sacked. All future articles that even hint at your name have to be personally approved by me."

She was shocked. No words came out even when she opened and shut her mouth several times to try.

"And I may as well tell you the full truth."

His confession of the spell he sent straight to Ron Weasley's bollocks came tumbling out of his mouth. When he admitted that he shouldn't have let his temper get the better of him, Hermione reached for his collar and dragged him the rest of the way inside the cottage. She was already kissing him before the door closed shut.