Ron briefly contemplated the possibility the memory was tampered with, but he doubted it. If Cyrus wanted to make Antonin look good, he probably also would have edited out the part where he killed his two uncles. He could easily have left the blame on another unknown entity. Plus, they wouldn't have included something he could so easily verify by simply contacting his mother. He figured he would do that first. "I have a few questions about this," Ron said.

"I thought you might," Cyrus said. "In truth, I only watched it right after the memory was extracted, which was a long time ago, so my own memory of it isn't perfect."

"Oh!" Ron forced a smile. "I was wondering, could I make a call to my mother? Just to let her know that we are all ok."

"Of course." Cyrus nodded. "Do not tell her where you are and don't use any names. It is possible the floo network is a bit buggy, if you know what I mean."

"Deal," Ron said. Cyrus agreed to let him contact his mother way too easily. Could he fake a communication with her? He decided he would test the person on the other end to make sure it really was her.

Much to Ron's shock, Astoria walked in only a few moments later. "He wants to call his mom. Could you help him with that?" Cyrus requested.

"I would be happy to." Astoria nodded.

Ron thought he needed to get his hearing checked. He just sent his beautiful daughter, the same one he didn't want him dating, to assist in making the call. He would question it, but why look a gift horse in the mouth?

Astoria led him out of Cyrus's office and down a hallway.

"I thought he sent you to bed," Ron asked being a bit surprised.

"I decided I didn't want to do that," Astoria shrugged with a laugh.

Astoria took Ron to another small, cozy room that emanated warmth and comfort, adorned with a sofa and a magical fireplace at its heart. The walls were painted in a soft creamy beige creating a soothing ambiance. There was a plush, oversized sofa, inviting them to sink into its luxurious cushions. It was covered in a sumptuous velvet fabric, offering a luxurious experience. Adorned with an assortment of decorative pillows in various textures and patterns, the sofa provided a perfect nook for relaxation.

Nestled against one wall, Ron noticed a magical fireplace. The fireplace exuded a mesmerizing aura, with flames that danced and flickered as if alive. The mantelpiece was crafted from aged wood, adorned with intricate carvings that depicted mythical creatures such as unicorns and hippogriffs. Above the mantelpiece, an enchanted mirror reflected a warm glow. The magical fireplace not only provided comforting heat but also possessed the special abilities wizards used for transportation and communication.

"This room is a great place for snogging," Astoria suggested.

"I am sure it is, but right now, I must call my mom," Ron replied. "But afterward, I am up for it if you are." Astoria nodded. "If you could just stay out of sight while I make this call."

"Sure." Astoria hoped he liked her enough to want to introduce her to his mother but guess not. She sulked and began to have second thoughts about that snogging session. Then she conjured up a newspaper.

Ron contacted his Aunt Muriel and asked to speak to his mother. Of course, Molly took the call. "I have been so worried about you."

"Is everyone safe there?" Ron asked.

"Yes, we are all safe, for now," Molly assured him. "Are your other two friends safe too?"

"Yes, they are," Ron said. He smiled as he now saw an opportunity to test his mother. "And that monogrammed towel you gave him for Christmas a few years ago, really came in handy. He really loved that gift."

"Towel? It was a sweater," Molly said feeling a bit confused.

Ron smiled feeling satisfied that he really was talking to his mother. "I meant sweater. Yes. You really made him feel like part of the family."

"Good, because as far as I am concerned, he is," Molly said. "I am just glad you are alright. Last time I was this worried about you was that time your sister tricked you into taking an unbreakable vow."

"Sister? It was my older brothers, and it was dad who stopped that prank," Ron said, sounding surprised.

"Thank Merlin, it really is you." Molly breathed a sigh of relief.

"It looks like you both passed each other's test." Astoria laughed while keeping her face hidden behind the rather large newspaper.

"Oh, mom, this is As…" Ron remembered he promised not to give names. "A really great girl I met. I would love to introduce you to her, but it could compromise her safety."

A wide smile spread across Astoria's face. She loved being called a great girl and the knowledge that Ron would have been willing to introduce her to his mother was sweet, but didn't over concern for her safety. The snogging was definitely back on.

Then Ron took on a somber tone. "But unfortunately, that isn't what I am contacting you about."

"What is it?" Molly asked, totally sensing the seriousness in Ron's voice.

"This isn't easy to ask and the last thing I'd want is to make you revisit that horrible night, but it's really crucial for me to know," Ron said.

"What do you need to know?" Molly interrupted.

"Do you remember the night your brothers were…" Ron's voice trailed off with tears in his eyes.

"Yes." Molly began to tear up too.

"Where you there with them on the day that they died?" Ron asked.

"Yes, and I ran away when the fighting started." Molly sobbed.

"Did he go after you?" Ron asked.

"Yes, and he threatened to kill me if I didn't apparate out of there, just like he did to my brothers," Molly sobbed.

'If you don't want to end up dead like your two friends back there, you better apparate out of here,' Ron remembered what Antonin actually said, and he realized what his mother thought it meant was a very valid interpretation, but also not entirely true knowing all the facts.

"But I didn't. I had to see for myself. I used a cloaking spell and went back to check on my brothers…" his mother said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I shouldn't have run. I should have stayed and helped them fight. Maybe we could have beaten him."

"Several more of them showed up after you left. If you had stayed, you would have been tortured and killed too," Ron said.

"How do you know?" Molly asked.

"I can't talk about that now, but I am just thankful he didn't kill you too," Ron said.

"He probably thought I was too pathetic, no threat to you know who, and not worth killing." Molly continued to cry.

"That isn't true," Ron said.

"Then why did he spare me?" Molly asked her son.

"I don't know," Ron replied. "But I will find out. Even if that is what he was thinking, it isn't true. I love you mum."

"I love you too," Molly replied before they ended their call.

Ron settled in next to Astoria on the plush cushions, their hearts pounding with anticipation. Astoria leaned in for that first kiss which Ron accepted willingly. Their lips met in a tender kiss, the warmth of their affection enveloping them, and for a fleeting moment, the world seemed to fade away.

Ron disparately wanted to get lost in the moment and enjoy kissing the beautiful girl right in front of him, but all he could think about was that death eater. While it was true that Antonin killed his two uncles, it clearly wasn't an act of malice. It could even be argued that it was an act of mercy, especially coupled with the fact that when he acted on his own against his mother, she was left completely unharmed. Yet at the battle at the department of mysteries, Antonin behaved like a psychopath. He seemed to have no qualms about attempting to kill anyone who got in his way. In Hermione's case, he nearly succeeded.

As they embraced, Astoria sensed something off in Ron's touch, his kisses felt strangely distant and awkward.

Curiosity and concern flickered in Astoria's eyes, and she gently pulled back, breaking the kiss. "Ron," she whispered softly, "is everything okay?"

Ron's cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and honesty. "I'm sorry. It's just..." He hesitated, searching for the right words.

Astoria's fingers brushed gently against his cheek, encouraging him to share. "You can tell me," she said, her voice gentle and reassuring.

He sighed, his vulnerability surfacing. "It's not you, really. It's just that... my mind keeps wandering. I can't seem to be fully in the moment."

Astoria listened attentively, her understanding gaze never leaving his. "Is there something bothering you?" she asked, her concern evident.

"I am a little nervous about your father having a Death Eater as a guest in his house," Ron admitted.

"I understand. I really do. The first time Mr. Dolohov showed up here was during the summer break a couple of years ago. I knew who he was, and I knew his reputation. It went off in my head like a five-alarm fire. I was wondering if we were going to be forced to join Vol," Astoria gulped. "The dark lord or die. Surely, he would show up with lots of his friends and have us all killed, or worse, was dad already a death eater? At first, Daphne and I hid in our tree house."

"Tree house? That sounds cool. I would love to see that some time," Ron said.

"Sure." Astoria said. "I would love to take you there sometime. Anyway, my fears were very unfounded. It was pretty much the exact opposite of what I thought."

"What do you mean?" Ron asked.

"Dolohov wanted to leave you know who far behind. He was hoping my father could help him find a safe exit strategy," Astoria said. "Not as simple as it should be. The dark lord's inner circle isn't exactly something you can expect to just leave amicably."

"Most certainly not," Ron said with a chuckle. "They probably hunt down and kill defectors…" Ron's words trailed off as he realized Astoria wasn't laughing.

"Yep, that is exactly what happened to Igor Karkaroff," Astoria said in a somber tone.

"Why am I not surprised?" Ron's jaw dropped.

"Add on the fact that Antonin is a wanted criminal, leaving isn't exactly safe. Of course, dad agreed to help him," Astoria said.

"How exactly is your father helping him?" Ron asked.

"I am not really sure," Astoria said. "Why?"

"Based on that memory I witnessed, it just seems he has changed a lot and not for the better," Ron admitted.

"Maybe, but totally understandable. Fourteen years of dementors does wonders for your mental health," Astoria said sarcastically.

"I see your point," Ron shuttered. "Yeah, still it does leave for an uneasy feeling. You know, being in the same house with him."

"Let's see what Mr. Dolohov is up to. Hopefully this will put your mind at ease." She got up and touched one of the tiny jewels on the frame of the mirror. "Antonin Dolohov." She expected to find him sleeping or reading a book. Instead, the image in the mirror changed to show something resembling fireworks of deep crimson red and blues silently exploding on a black background. "Rats! He is using a privacy charm."

"Does he usually do that?" Ron asked.

"Maybe because Daphne mentioned it, it reminded him that is something he should be doing too," Astoria said.

"Or maybe he is up to something?" Ron said.

"Did you consider the possibility that he is just as nervous about being in the house with you and your friends as you are about him being here," Astoria suggested.

"No, I didn't consider that, but I guess that is possible," Ron said as he continued to watch the fireworks on the screen. Something about the color pattern looked to him like blood splattering against the mirror. "Hermione!" Ron's eyes open wide in concern.

"Ok, Hermione Granger," Astoria said as she touched the crystal again. She turned around and looked at Ron. "I will bet she is still in the library. When she was at Hogwarts, she practically lived there."

Sure enough, Astoria called this one right. The mirror showed Hermione sleeping over a stack of books in the library.

"She is asleep." Ron laughed.

Astoria turned around and looked. "I wonder how many times that has happened at Hogwarts."

"Not as often as you would think," Ron said. "What about Harry?"

The mirror went dark again showing a spectacular firework display mainly in fuchsia and purple. Astoria burst out laughing. "He is in my sister's room. We don't need the visual to know what they are doing."

"Definitely snogging, maybe something more," Ron mused.

"At least you know your friends are ok," Astoria said.

"Still, I would like to talk to Dolohov. I need to find the answer to mom's question," Ron said.

"Can't it wait till morning?" Astoria said with a mischievous glint in her eye. Her hand touched Ron's knee. Her fingers worked their way up his thigh. "What do I have to do to make you forget about him?"

"That is working," Ron admitted with a grin.

Hermione continued to read books. She yawned and the words on the pages seemed to get blurrier.

Then Antonin came back suggesting she take a break. He reached his hand out to her. "There is something I would like to show you," he said with his hand reaching out for hers. She just stood there silently and unable to move. The voices in her head expressed contradictory opinions. One screamed 'run' while the other insisted 'take his hand.' He just grabbed her hand and whisked her away in a swirl of bright lights.

They arrived in front of the Eiffel tower. Thousands of twinkling lights came to life, tracing the intricate lattice of iron that forms the Eiffel tower's graceful structure. The lights cascade down from the top, elegantly draping each tier like luminescent jewels, casting a soft glow on the surrounding landscape. The tower's distinctive silhouette, with its graceful arches and tapered spire, appears almost otherworldly as it pierces the night sky, reaching out towards the stars.

Of course, Hermione had seen pictures of the Eiffel tower before, but seeing it firsthand left her in awe. "It is so beautiful," Hermione admitted, for the moment being glad she didn't run away.

"Yes, very beautiful," Antonin said with his eyes fixated on Hermione, while ignoring the visual spectacle around him.

But then, Antonin's wand lit up with the same purple flamelike whip that he used against her on the horrible day in the department of mysteries. His previous words, spoken in a calm and soothing tone, echoed in her head. 'You are safe in this house.'

'But you are no longer in the house.' Hermione's own voice echoed an utterly terrified response.

"Duck," Antonin commanded. She did, and his purple flame stuck Bellatrix, who stood behind her with a dagger in hand.

"Oh," Bellatrix called out as she fell to the ground and dropped her dagger.

"Are you alright?" Antonin put his wand away and then hugged her as she got up. "I'm sorry, I don't know how she found us."

"I must admit, you gave me a pretty good scare," Hermione said.

Antonin leaned in close enough to kiss her. Hermione could feel the excitement and anticipation. "I promised I wouldn't do that again." He backed off. She couldn't help feeling disappointed and relieved at the same time.

"Hermione," an unfamiliar voice called out. Then she heard it again, slightly louder. Then she felt a slight tap on her shoulder.

"Huh!" Hermione woke up and looked at the stack of books in front of her. She realized she fell asleep in the library and Antonin obviously infested her dreams.

"You must be Hermione," Sophia said. Hermione nodded. "I heard quite a bit about you. I am Cyrus's wife."

"Oh, Mrs. Greengrass," Hermione said. "I wanted to thank you for the wonderful dinner."

"You are certainly most welcome. I am glad you enjoyed it. But please call me Sophia, or I will have to call you Miss Granger," Sophia answered. "And my apologies, I feel like I was interrupting a rather pleasant dream."

"Yeah, it was. I went to see the Eiffel tower," Hermione said.

"Where you alone or with someone special?" Sophia asked.

"Yeah, a guy took me there," Hermione admitted as her cheeks turned bright pink.

"So, is it Harry, Ron or someone else?" Sophia asked.

"Someone else. Just some guy I only started to get to know recently," Hermione said, feeling completely out of her mind that she was actually dreaming about Antonin.

"An older gentleman perhaps," Sophia inquired.

"I d-don't w-want to t-talk a-about it," Hermione blushed. She nodded, not even realizing she was doing it, thus confirming what Sophia suspected.

"It is alright. Don't be embarrassed. I went for an older gentleman too," Sophia said.

"Cyrus? Or someone else before that?" Hermione asked. She wanted to take the attention away from the dream she just had.

"Yes, Cyrus. When I first met him, I had just turned fourteen and he was about twenty-six. He was dashing, charming, so good looking, quite the handsome devil. Of course, he still is. I was immediately smitten, but I knew he would see me as just a little kid. So, I brewed…"

"Let me guess," Hermione interrupted. "A love potion."

"No, an aging potion. I made myself look about a decade older," Sophia admitted. "After a little flirting, I got that date I wanted. I way underestimated how long the date would last. The date only ended because the potion wore off."

"How did he react," Hermione asked.

"He let me down easy. He told me I was too young for him. He told me I would obviously grow up to be one of the most beautiful women in the world, would have my pick of suitors, totally forget him and he would ultimately be the one to regret casting me aside. Sure, my friends tried to set me up with a bunch of other guys after that. They thought I should forget Cyrus. But none of them compared. I was pretty much ruined for all other guys. When our paths crossed again many years later, he told me how right he was, and I told him how wrong he was. He was still the only one I wanted. We got engaged about six months later," Sophia said.

"Wow, wow, wow," Hermione said. Then after another long pause she added, "wow." She yawned. "I guess I really am tired. Do you have anything that will keep me awake?"

"I think it is better if you get some rest. Let me take you to one of our guest bedrooms, so you can get a really good night's sleep," Sophia said. "Who knows. Maybe your dream guy will come back."

The very next morning, Cyrus and Antonin arrived at Gringotts Wizarding Bank about five minutes before they were supposed to open for the day and much to their shock found the doors already wide open. Before walking in, they cast the disillusionment charm, rendering themselves nearly invisible.

Inside they found the usual assembly of goblins, along with Lucius, Narcissa and Bellatrix talking to one of the goblins.

"With apologies Ms. Lestrange. The imposter had a valid id. We had to let them in," the goblin said.

"Them?" Bellatrix asked.

Antonin got a sinking feeling that his name was about to be brought up. "You, Dolohov and another Death Eater we didn't recognize," the goblin said.

"Dolohov? Another imposter no doubt, but why him? Going as my stupid husband would have made more sense," Bellatrix said.

Antonin breathed a sigh of relief that she assumed he was an imposter too.

"Antonin has been missing for a few days. Do you think Potter and his friends captured him and used him, so they have material for making Polyjuice potions," Lucius theorized.

"That could be. The third one being an unknown might be just because they didn't have any material to make another potion." Narcissa nodded.

"What a laugh it would have been if your husband had seen that. You, while the imposter you, hung all over Dolohov," the goblin said with a chuckle.

"Me, hanging onto him... Yuck!" Bellatrix frowned in disgust, "Those three pests didn't just try to make me look like a traitor to the Dark Lord, this sounds like a deliberate attempt to embarrass me while doing it."

Antonin wondered why Hermione was as the goblin put it, hanging all over him. At the time he didn't care; he simply enjoyed it. He was certain it wasn't a deliberate attempt to humiliate Bellatrix.

Narcissa chuckled. "Dolohov wouldn't have enjoyed looking like a traitor either, but I am sure he would have loved the idea of you hanging all over him."

"Yeah, I am sure he would, but that would never happen." Bellatrix laughed. "In his dreams maybe, but if I cheat on my husband, it will be with Voldemort, no one else, but Dolohov never."

For as long as Antonin had a crush on Bellatrix, he expected the confirmation that he essentially had no chance with her to hurt, but for reasons he couldn't quite articulate, he felt nothing. Instead, he acknowledged that Hermione was right; the torture curse didn't faze her if she would consider romantic relations with Voldemort.

"We will be sure to let your husband know," the goblin said.

Bellatrix pointed her wand at the goblin. "Crucio! You will tell my husband nothing." The goblin screamed.

Antonin facepalmed as he noticed Cyrus brandishing his wand. "Don't, you are going to give away our position."

"Imperio!" Cyrus took control of Bellatrix and forced her to end her spell.

Then the doorway to access the vaults opened up. Voldemort came out with Bellatrix's husband. Nagini slithered along at his side. "Looks like you will be having goblins for breakfast," Voldemort said, as he pulled out his wand. "Avada.."

"Imperio!" Cyrus took control of Nagini.

"I thought you couldn't control…." Antonin was going to say Voldemort, but then as he watched, he realized Voldemort wasn't the target. "You are going to get us both killed."

The snake wrapped itself around Voldemort and forced him to drop the wand.

"Everyone, get out of here," Bellatrix, who was still controlled by Cyrus, called out before leaving herself.

Lucius, Narcissa, Bellatrix and some of the goblins fled.

"Whoever is doing this better put a stop to it right now," Voldemort demanded as he tried to struggle out of the snake's grip.