Chapter Twenty-One
Very few times, if any, had Hermione been so nervous in her entire life. A hundred different things could go wrong. She wished there had been more time to come up with a better plan she felt more confident in, but time was definitely not on her side. Rabastan Lestrange had a family. Eventually, no matter how much they liked him or not, they would miss him at some point.
Besides, it probably wouldn't even matter if she had years to prepare for the break-in at the bank. What she was going to attempt to do was foolish no matter how well-prepared she might have been. So few burglaries had been successful in the hundreds of years that the bank had been open that she knew of only one. Voldemort used his minion Professor Quirrell to break into the vault containing the Philosopher's Stone when she was a first year. It was all for nothing as the vault had been emptied out earlier that same day.
Breaking into Gringotts would either be successful or it wouldn't. She knew that she couldn't afford to waste a lot of time trying to think up a better plan. Muggles of the past had a disgusting saying. 'Shit or get off the pot'. Never really understanding it before, she finally could see the sense in the foul, impolite expression. Either she jumped in and tried or she should just sit around waiting to die. There wasn't really a choice when she put it into those terms.
A few select trusted members of the Order helped her to come up with a plan that wasn't complete rubbish. With the expertise of Bill Weasley, who still maintained that it was a foolish idea that would probably get her killed, they were able to plan out a plausible way that the impossible task could unfold. None of them trusted the fact that Thorfinn was truly on her side. Every one of them, including Kingsley, feared that if it all started to go wrong, Thorfinn would just use her as a bargaining chip to save his own sorry arse. They were probably right. She didn't care. It was going to happen.
Less than forty-eight hours passed from the night she learned Rabastan Lestrange was a hostage in her father's library to the moment she stood in the same house urging her Death Eater ally to hurry up. She hadn't wasted any time telling him the details of the plan she had come up with. Though he was just as nervous and unsure that it would work as the Order members who hated him, he seemed to have a little more faith in her abilities. Or he was just better at hiding his fears. That was likely a trait that served him well as a Death Eater.
"Just remember, Princess, we don't have to do this. We can still run far away and never look back. Ever been to Fiji? I hear it's delightfully warm."
More as a way to shut up his suggestions that they actually try to have a future together, Hermione leaned up to press her lips against his. Always one to appreciate the physical touches, he gladly reciprocated. She had to cut him off very quickly, however, when he had the bright idea to try to get back into her knickers. There would be no distractions until their goal was met.
"We need to get going. The sooner we start, the sooner it will be over."
Gently pushing his hands off her body, she approached the large mirror in the entry hall near the front door. As a known Undesirable, she had to disguise her features. No one would let Hermione Granger just casually walk into Gringotts even if she had a Lestrange on her arm. Dressed in robes that she transfigured to look far more traditional and expensive than she normally wore, if no one looked too closely at her face, she almost looked like the sort of witch known to be in the company of a proper Pureblood snob like him. Using her wand, she cast multiple glamour spells on her face to change the features entirely. It was strange looking at herself and seeing a stranger looking back.
"Your nose should be pointier than that. Something about the Sacred Twenty-Eight girls. They all have terrible noses."
"Isn't Rowle one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight families?"
"Yes, and that's why you aren't the first Muggle-Born witch I've had in my bed, Princess."
Thorfinn's dramatic shudder at the thought of some of the less attractive Pureblood witches available actually made her laugh. It was a much needed moment of levity in what was sure to be an otherwise tense day. If she was honest with herself, it could very well even be their last day if they made too many mistakes.
"You're not a very good Death Eater, are you? Aren't you supposed to think all witches like me are better off dead? Us 'Magic-stealers'?"
He rolled his eyes, but didn't immediately respond. How could he deny what she was saying? Death Eaters had a very specific plan for the world in mind. She knew she would never be a part of it beyond anything painful and degrading. For someone who seemed so eager to be very intimate with 'Mudbloods', it didn't make a lot of sense for him to be in the group.
"Maybe half of Death Eaters actually believe in blood purity."
"I'm not sure I believe that."
"When has there ever been a group of people of any size who agree one hundred percent of the time with each other?"
Hermione hated that she immediately thought about the poor fools left over in the Order of the Phoenix. Even if they were, in theory, on the same side, their arguments could get heated and uncomfortable. No, they all had different ideas about how to go about their lives and fighting the war. Each person had their own unique set of values.
"I've always thought that if two people claimed they agreed with each other one hundred percent of the time, either one of them is lying or they don't have their own brain. You would be surprised the different reasons we all have for following the Dark Lord. Maybe only a couple of us are one-dimensional baddies who only want to be evil for evil's sake."
The passion with which he made his argument was impressive. She wasn't certain until that moment that there was anything he believed in with much conviction. Especially once she started to see a side of him that she hadn't before, she didn't understand how he could be dragged into the foul ranks of his brotherhood. He seemed too smart for that, too willing to help a scared Muggle-Born save her parents from harm. Perhaps just like the Order, there were dozens of different motivations for witches and wizards to pledge their lives to the Dark Lord. If she had the time, she might have been interested in exploring more, but that was an analysis that could be made when the war was over. She had far too much to accomplish first.
"Here. Let me. I'll give you the most proper Pureblood princess nose you've ever seen."
Looking for an escape to the conversation that was getting darker by the second, Thorfinn pointed his wand at her face. Her first reaction was to flinch and wait for the painful curse he wished to inflict. That feeling only lasted a moment as she felt her nose morph and she could see it grow pointier. Stepping back to examine his work, the wizard shuddered again.
"You look exactly like the sort of witch my father would force me to ask to dance."
"That bad?"
The witch looking back in the mirror at Hermione wasn't someone she would call ugly, but she understood what he meant. It was weird using all of the glamours on her face. She wished she still had some of the polyjuice potion that had been in her bag. Those vials were some of the first items Dolohov removed when he was inspecting her possessions. No doubt he was worried she would steal one of their hairs and use it to get past the Dark Mark barrier. Bastard.
From out of the library Thorfinn led a still seemingly content Rabastan Lestrange. The ropes had been removed but the Imperius Curse had been reapplied. He smiled when he saw Hermione's new face for the first time and extended his hand to greet her. She had to hide her disgust when his lips pressed against the back of her hand.
"And who is this charming young witch?"
"You really hit your head hard, didn't you, mate? This is your fiancée Eugenia. She's been worried sick about you."
Some of the contentment on Rabastan's face melted away at Thorfinn's explanation. He seemed terribly confused. Only a matter of a few moments passed before he was willing to believe what the other wizard told him. Being stuck underneath the illegal compulsion spell was an experience Hermione never wanted to repeat. After the very unorthodox lesson Barty Crouch Jr conducted in her fourth year when he was impersonating Mad-Eye Moody, she hoped to never again feel what it was like to have someone else in complete control of her actions.
"My darling Eugenia! Of course I remember. How could I forget this beautiful face?"
Convinced she was the witch he was destined to marry, Rabastan became far more handsy than Hermione was comfortable with. For the sake of the charade, she endured it and didn't immediately hex him. She even somehow managed to summon up a smile that she hoped he thought was genuine.
"Yes, my dear. Do you remember you were going to take me into your family's vault at Gringotts to get my engagement ring?"
His brow furrowed for a couple of seconds as he considered her words. Thorfinn had to nudge him down the correct path to make certain their convoluted plan had any hope of success.
"Ahh, yes, that's right. My mother's diamond engagement ring. I've been saving it for just this happy occasion."
Once it was fixed into his mind that he was getting married, Rabastan seemed excited by the whole trip to London. Never taking his hand off of Hermione for even a second, he didn't even seem to mind when she insisted they Side-Along Apparate to Diagon Alley together. She didn't want to risk him being out of her sight for even a moment. If she lost him, there would be no other way to get into the vault that she knew of. Everything about their plan was fragile. A tiny mistake could make it all come crumbling down.
There were few shoppers out in the shopping district that early in the morning. Most of the shops were just opening up. Hermione wanted to get into the bank as quickly as possible with as few others inside. Too much could go wrong if they had too many witnesses. Still gripping Rabastan's hand, she all but dragged him down the Alley towards the massive marble building. Thorfinn was only two steps behind.
Entering Gringotts to approach one of the goblins at the tall desks was exceptionally nerve-wracking. Every second that passed she felt certain that they were going to get caught. It was a possibility she was prepared for, one that Kingsley spoke to her at length about the night before.
"I need to enter my family's vault. My fiancée and my bodyguard will accompany me."
The goblin they addressed narrowed his eyes when he looked at Hermione's false face and then at the blond brute standing behind them looking menacing. If he said the word, the entire bank would be shut down and they could be arrested. In an effort to not appear nervous, she tried to think how a proper Pureblood witch would act in that situation, one who felt she had every right to be there. Looking down her nose at the goblin, she used a cold tone she could hardly believe came out of her mouth.
"We cannot stay long. I have a fitting at Madam Malkin's for my wedding robes in half an hour."
Rabastan, charmed by the thought that they were getting close to the big day, offered her a wide grin and kissed her cheek. The show of affection disgusted Hermione. She wasn't sure how she managed to keep her composure.
"Right this way."
If she felt nervous entering the bank itself, that was nothing compared to how she felt when they were all crunched into the cart to take them down to the vaults. Despite his large size, Thorfinn insisted on being with them every step of the way. It was odd how that brought Hermione a little bit of comfort even as one of his knees kept bumping into her back.
There were a dozen different ways at least that the goblins protected their treasures from thieves. Bill Weasley told her all of the ones he knew about working as an employee of the bank, but he knew he didn't know all of the secrets. Each turn of the cart down another track made Hermione's stomach twist and turn. The trip seemed to take hours. Expecting to be taken under the Thief's Downfall and all of their efforts at disguises removed and their true purpose revealed, she couldn't breathe properly until the cart made its abrupt stop.
Deep into the underground caves beneath the bank, she knew she had never been that far before. Her small vault wasn't that far from the entrance. As one of the newer customers, she didn't have any need for the massive, ornate structures that the wealthiest families required. It would have been an impressive sight if she didn't fear any moment she would throw up all over the goblin escorting them or her fake fiancé.
Seeing the blind dragon chained up for who knew how many years was horrifying. Even though she could admit to having a very healthy fear of dragons, she couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor creature. Her first instinct was to say something, but she quickly bit her tongue. It was more important that she ignore the injustice and the cruelty for the moment. One crusade at a time was plenty. With the horrible sound of the clankers still ringing in her ears, she rushed to the entrance of the vault.
One touch of the door by the goblin melted the entrance away. Confident in his right to be inside the large room, Rabastan walked straight inside, pulling Hermione along. Thorfinn was right behind them again. As soon as they were amongst all of the treasures, the entrance closed up again, leaving them confined inside. If the goblin refused to open it up for them, they would be trapped. She tried to push those worries out of her mind.
It was hard to believe that one family could acquire so much even in the several centuries it took. While she had heard rumors that the Lestrange Family was wealthy, seeing the treasures within was far from what she could imagine. From the floor to the very high ceiling were piles of gold coins. She would need years just to count the money alone. That didn't even take into consideration all of the other precious objects made of goblin silver and jewels. More than once she found herself just standing still in the midst of the vault with her mouth open in complete awe.
Being inside the Lestrange Vault seemed too easy. There had been no resistance from the moment they left her parents' house. She worried that it was all going to fail very soon in a spectacular fashion. Maybe when the vault was opened again they would be confronted with an army of Death Eaters ready to take them straight to Voldemort. She struggled to believe they could actually be inside.
"Stay right here, my darling. I will find my mother's ring."
Remembering why she was really there, Hermione began to scan the many shelves for the gold cup. There were a number of shiny objects that kept catching her eye. Could she even be sure which one it was if she saw it? A sickening worry fell over her that maybe they were wrong. Maybe Snape sent them on what Muggles called a 'wild goose chase' for his own satisfaction. Or he could have been the one to alert his master what they were going to try to do. Every second she didn't see the cup, she was terrified she made a mistake.
"Ow, fuck!"
Distracted by the hiss of pain behind her, she spun around to see Thorfinn drop a handful of gold galleons to the floor that immediately duplicated into another stack. A red burn mark appeared on his hand.
"Were you stealing?"
"What? They have enough they won't even notice."
Rolling her eyes, she turned back around to look at the shelves. A flash of light shone off a small gold cup. She thought she could see engraving on it that would prove it to be Helga Hufflepuff's cup. With no other option, she ignored Rabastan's demand that she remain where she stood to get closer. In her haste to reach the shelf for a better look, she knocked over a stack of galleons that burned her hands and duplicated just like what happened to Thorfinn.
"Now be careful, my darling. There are spells protecting my family's treasure from anyone who isn't a Lestrange. Until our vows are sealed, you will have to tell me what you desire."
She plastered a fake smile on her face and pointed to the cup.
"That cup is beautiful. I would like to have it."
Rabastan's eyes went slightly wide at the sight of the object she referred to. Did he know that it belonged to his Dark Lord? Somehow she doubted he knew exactly what it was, but based on the fear that began to creep up on his usually cool demeanor, he must have known it was important to his master.
"No, Eugenia. I can't…"
"Give her the cup, Lestrange. Now."
Still very much under the strong Imperius Curse, Rabastan leaned up on his tiptoes to grab the gold cup off the shelf. He didn't look like he wanted to touch it and he certainly didn't want to give it to Hermione, but he wasn't able to deny the compulsion. Mechanically, he pushed it into her waiting hands. The dark magic was easy to feel. As soon as she touched the cup, she had no doubt it was the horcrux she was looking for. Snape had been right. Unfortunately, half the battle remained. She wouldn't be able to celebrate the victory until they were out of the bank and far away from any danger.
"Give me a thousand galleons, Lestrange."
"Really?"
Hermione rolled her eyes at the audacity the wizard possessed. Not once did they ever discuss the possibility of them taking more from the vault than the cup. Robbing the horrible man felt wrong even as she held the cup in her hands.
"They won't even notice."
As Rabastan began to scoop up handfuls of gold coins to hand over to Thorfinn, she knew she had to hide the fact they were ever there. She pointed her wand at the cup. Ignoring the roiling in her stomach as the feel of Voldemort's evil soul seeped out of the metal, she cast a duplication charm on the cursed object. By the time she had the fake cup back on the shelf and the real one in her pocket, Rabastan was done handing over some of his family's treasure.
"We should leave."
No arguments came out of either wizard's mouth. With her heart pounding in her chest and Thorfinn's pockets jingling with his own loot, the small group exited the vault to return to the cart. Before she could climb inside after Thorfinn, Rabastan pulled on Hermione's arm. Worried that he was fighting his curse and was on the verge of reclaiming the stolen horcrux, she spun around ready to curse him, if necessary. Seeing the wizard down on one knee with his mother's beautiful diamond ring held out in front of him wasn't what she expected to see.
"I'm afraid that due to my injury I don't remember when I asked you to marry me, my darling. It's a terrible shame. Hopefully, with some healing potions and rest my memories will return to me. But, it feels wrong just handing over this treasured ring without any fanfare."
In the corner of her eye, Hermione could see Thorfinn biting his lips to keep from bursting out in loud laughter. At least someone was enjoying the show. They were so close to getting out of the bank. Why did the idiot have to waste time with an elaborate show that meant nothing? She chose to just let him get it over with in hopes that they could get out of there faster.
"It would be my great joy for you to wear this ring that belonged to my mother. She wore it every single moment from the time my father placed it on her finger until she passed away."
"It's beautiful."
She felt like she had to say something. Just standing there staring at the wizard was awkward enough. Her simple compliment seemed to bring him a great amount of joy. Before he slid the diamond ring on the appropriate finger on her left hand, he made another dramatic show of kissing the piece of jewelry. It was all she could do to keep from rolling her eyes. Once it was snugly on her finger, Rabastan wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. The passionate kiss he forced on her caught her entirely by surprise. It was all too much for Thorfinn who could finally not hold his laughter in to himself.
Very uncomfortable by the whole display, she tried to act like the shy, inexperienced Pureblood girl Rabastan assumed she was. The bright grin on his face was impossible to remove as was the amused one from Thorfinn's face. She gladly accepted help into the cart. The sooner they got out of the bank, the sooner the whole embarrassing, awkward mission could be over.
Returning to the surface didn't seem to take as long as going down to the vault. When they reached the top after just a short journey, the fear in Hermione's guts returned. Everything still felt like it was too easy. How could they have gotten through the entire morning with no real complications? Even as she accepted Rabastan's arm to walk back out of the bank, she kept one hand on her pocket where she kept her wand. If they had to fight their way out, she wouldn't be caught unaware.
Only steps from the main entrance to the bank and their escape, the large doors opened. Their small group nearly ran straight into a furious Bellatrix and a big man behind her she thought must be her husband. Had someone informed them that they had gone down into the vault? It would make sense that the horrible witch would demand to be kept abreast of the comings and goings in the vault. Likely it was even a standard practice for the most high-security vaults.
"Rabastan! What are you doing here?"
Their plan was going to fail. It wouldn't take much to unravel the compulsion charm on Rabastan. His brother and sister-in-law would know he wasn't really engaged. Just a few spells could reveal Hermione's true identity and worse, a quick examination of her pockets would uncover the stolen cup. Voldemort would know his horcruxes were being hunted the moment his most faithful follower reported the attempted theft.
She was grateful for the extra weight of the items in her pocket that some of the more resourceful members of the Order thought might come in handy. While the Lestranges' attention was focused solely on Rabastan, Hermione reached in to remove the small packet of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder Fred made certain she had before she left. She dropped enough on the ground to throw the entire front hall of the bank into complete darkness.
In the immediate chaos that ensued, she had to think quickly. So much could go wrong. Pointing her wand in the approximate area she knew Thorfinn stood and then again right next to her where she could still feel Rabastan's arm, she obliviated them both at record speed. Practice was making her much more effective at stripping memories from her targets. Neither one of them needed to remember why they were ever in the bank to begin with.
She thought she knew where the front entrance was. Running full speed in the darkness towards it and ignoring all of the confused shouts around her, she was able to reach the exit. Yanking open the door, she made it out into the harsh morning sunshine. A strong hand grabbed her from behind, but she shrugged it off before she Disapparated from the steps of Gringotts to the first place she could think of.