Chapter 4

"Ah. I'm afraid you're late on that front, my dear."

Whipping around so fast that her tangled curls smacked George in the face, Hermione stared up into the twinkling blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore. He stood on the other side of the gate watching her, those eyes keen over his half-moon glasses. Feeling the sly tendrils of his mind attempting to probe hers, Hermione slammed her occlumency shields into place and frantically looked back to George. Dear Merlin, she hoped he could occlude.

Blessedly, despite his inner turmoil, George somehow managed to slide instantly into the charm that had so often saved him and his brother in school.

"Ah, professor! We didn't mean to disturb you, sir. Apologies. I'm afraid my fiancé and I have had a brush with some dark wizards. Figured this might be a safe place, with you here that is." Exaggeratedly looking around, pausing long enough to pat Hermione gently on the cheek—snapping her from the shock at being claimed as his fiancé—George breathed a sigh of relief and smiled tiredly up at the shrewd old man. "Just the risk of the great Dumbledore was enough to scare them off, it would seem."

One long, silver brow arched in curiosity as Dumbledore took George's measure. That damned twinkle still firmly in place, the old man nodded in understanding and smiled serenely as the gate creaked open to allow them entry. Hermione did not miss the way his eyes flicked around the trees and village behind them, scanning for their made up threats.

"Well, let it not be said that Hogwarts denied sanctuary to those fleeing dark wizards. Perhaps you could join me in my office for some tea and conversation?" Gut churning, Hermione looked to George.

He tried to demure. "That's alright sir. I'm sure you're exceedingly busy and we should be alright to make our own way now."

"Nonsense! You both look to be in quite the state. Albus Dumbledore is never too busy to help those in need."

Although his face was the picture of grandfatherly generosity, Hermione knew better than to ever take the old wizard's demeanor for granted. He wanted to know who they were and what, if any, threat they posed to his no doubt already grand scheme. Honestly, they were suspicious so she wouldn't hold that against him. She would not, however, be stupid enough to tell him the truth. A conclusion that George had, thankfully, come to as well.

As he helped her to her feet, Hermione did her best to silently convey her confusion and apprehension to George. He frowned slightly and glanced at Dumbledore's retreating figure as he casually meandered up the path to the castle ahead of them, evidently expecting to be followed. Returning her concerned gaze, George merely squeezed her hand before ushering her along after their former—future—headmaster.

They were quiet as they made their way to the school. Each taking the time to push down their distress and grief for the moment and think of anything they could tell the seemingly omnipotent man about themselves. More than once along the way, Hermione wished she was skilled enough at legilimency to pass her thoughts to George.

Eventually, he pushed open the grand doors to the main hall and guided them along towards his office. He did not rush them and occasionally pointed out things of interest along the way, evidently deciding they had not been students. When they finally reached his office, he said as much.

"I don't think I recognize either of you as former students. Neither of you look old enough to have been out of school terribly long I'd judge, could I have missed you amidst the throng of students somehow?"

Finally finding her voice, Hermione tried to match George's weary ease as she thought quickly. "No, sir. My parents have family in France and we'd been living with relatives when I turned eleven. I attended Beauxbaton's. I'm a muggleborn but one of my French cousins by marriage is a squib. It was so nice for my parents to have someone to talk to about everything in the family and she spoke so highly of the school that we stayed."

When he only met her revelation with bemused acceptance, Hermione let out a small breath of relief. If there was one thing she'd learned about lying and misdirection from Fred and George, it was that the best lies were always mostly true. She really did have family in France on her mother's side, and one of her cousins was married to a squib. Though, perhaps due to jealousy or simply because she'd gone to Hogwarts, they'd never actually gotten on particularly well after she'd started school.

Realizing it was his turn to speak up, George didn't hesitate. "George Prewett, sir. Not the main branch of the family, mind. My parents homeschooled me. Never cared much for Ministry oversight, you'll understand." He looked at Hermione with such a believable loving smile she felt a blush heat her face. "Rather forward thinking about muggles, they are. Even for our family."

Dumbledore nodded again, as if that all made perfect sense, and offered them lemon drops with their tea. They both politely declined and Hermione glanced around his office as he helped himself to one while fixing his own tea.

She had only ever been there immediately after his death, but it looked almost exactly the same. In fact, the man himself looked how she remembered him too; same garish robes, same deceptive grandfatherly charm, though perhaps a few more dark hairs in his prolific beard. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see George taking similar stock of their surroundings.

A clearing of his throat drew both of their attention back to the ancient wizard, his genial smile belying shrewd calculation.

"So. Tell me how the pair of you found yourselves beset by dark wizards. As you must know, these are very dark times indeed. Any information you may be able to share could prove useful."

Releasing a tired sigh, Hermione met George's eyes and he gave her a barely perceptible nod. He was leaving this bit to her. Well, that was only fair considering he'd practically had them married. Trying to remember what little she knew of the first war, she made sure to allow a sense of worry and fear to seep past her shields—not that it required any acting. Just to be safe though, she reached out and retook George's hand. They needed to sell their story to Dumbledore more than anyone.

"We've only been back in the country a few hours, we'd been in Burgundy visiting my family. When we arrived at the Ministry I immediately had a bad feeling." Here she paused as if from latent fear and George played right along, patting the back of her hand in a soothing manner. "They must have followed us. Perhaps someone from the international portkey office could have tipped them off? I am a muggle born witch marrying a pureblood after all. Not everyone is as accepting as his family."

Hermione hoped very much that she was selling the sweet, tremulous smile. She cared for George very much but they weren't in love and acting had never been something at which she excelled, much to her chagrin. Thankfully, George didn't miss a thing and after more gestures of comfort, he took over the narrative.

"Unfortunately, due to the late hour of our arrival both the Ministry and the muggle streets outside were nearly deserted. It was easy for them to follow us when we tried to apparate away. If she hadn't been so nervous, we might have gone home and been trapped there. Luckily there were only three of them and we managed to fight them off in an empty muggle park long enough to think of coming here. I hate to think what would have happened if they'd cornered us in our flat."

How she did, in that moment, envy George his skill at acting and quick thinking.

"Yes, these dark wizards have a particular penchant for casting anti-apparition wards on their victims' homes, thus trapping them and killing them in the most brutal ways. You are lucky to have survived."

Taking a moment to contemplate their story, Dumbledore took a long sip of his tea and watched them carefully. Hermione got the distinct impression that he did not entirely believe it, but neither did he think them a threat. After several tense moments, he finally spoke again.

"What do you know about the current state of things in Wizarding Britain? You said you had been out of the country. For how long?"

George raked his free hand through his short beard and sighed. "Several months. In fact we planned to return in the fall for good. With this Lord Voldemort causing more problems for people like my Helen every day with little being done to stop him, it seemed as good a time as any to get out." Holding in her surprise at the name he'd given her—her own mother's—Hermione looked back to the headmaster in time to see a rare lapse in the twinkling facade.

"You would abandon your fellow British wizards not fortunate enough to have the means to flee? And what if Voldemort is successful in overcoming the Ministry? Do you think he will stop at the end of the Isle?"

Hermione felt anger flare at his presumptions, especially with all she knew of his manipulations during both wars. Fortunately, before her ire could get the better of her, possibly giving them away, George squeezed her hand tightly and sat up in his seat. Attention snapping to him, she would have been surprised at the venom in his expression had she not known him so well.

"You can't be serious? Everyone knows that you're the only wizard in the country, possibly the world, that Voldemort fears. What are you doing to end his reign of terror? Anyone that dares to speak up against him ends up dead. Nearly every day the dark mark hangs over the smoking ruins of some muggleborn or blood traitor family or other. The entire country looks to you for leadership, yet you sit here in your school sending better wizards and witches to their deaths, fighting for you. Don't you dare look down your long nose at me, sir for doing the best I can to protect my family."

It took everything she had to keep her jaw from falling to the floor. Hermione had wanted to shout at the older wizard herself. But despite knowing something of how George felt about him, he was still a Weasley. Their entire family had always been devoted to Dumbledore, despite all his schemes had cost them. Watching him rip into the much more powerful wizard, without giving anything of their true story away… Their relationship was nothing but a cover story but for a moment she found herself unreasonably attracted to him.

This was definitely not the time.

Shaking herself, she glanced at Dumbledore, wary of his response. Anger flared briefly behind the half-moon glasses before fading to momentary weary resignation. "I am well aware, Mr. Prewett , of the personal toll this war has taken on your family and so many others. But I have never sent anyone to battle that wasn't eager and willing to die for the cause."

George did not respond, but neither did he look pacified. Unsure what to say that wouldn't cause a rather one sided duel, Hermione whispered his name and ran her thumb along the back of his hand soothingly. No matter how much anger they both held for Dumbledore, if he decided they were a threat to his plans it wouldn't be anything to him to be rid of them.

Giving Dumbledore one last baleful glare, he deflated as he turned his attention to her. "Sorry, Love. Guess I've been holding on to that."

"It's alright, you didn't say anything that wasn't true." She managed to keep the venom from her voice but the heavy sigh from across the large desk told her it had been felt anyway.

"Mr. Prewett , Miss...?"

"Wilson."

"Miss Wilson. Our differences aside, it would seem you may now be in need of somewhere safe to go. If you are correct about someone in the portkey office sending Death Eaters after you, it would be unwise to return home. As it happens, I know of a safe house…"

George scoffed. "Absolutely not!"

"With your relatives. Gideon and Fabian Prewett ? Are you very close with the main branch of the family?"

Suddenly all the anger and hurt melted away and George blinked rapidly, clearly surprised.

"Mum… Molly's brother's? You want us to live with Gideon and Fabian?"

A/N So. right after I said I'd upload 2x a week I lost all drive to write at all. Naturally. Anyway, I have finally written a few words after a week and will be adding chapter 5 tomorrow!