Chapter 53

March 31, 2002

Hermione smiled to herself as she ran her finger over the day's Daily Prophet headline. Smiling wide to herself she giggled at Azkaban Guard Imperius Cursed?: Thoros Nott and Lucius Malfoy killed in their cells. It was hilarious to see the entire cover of the paper full of her machinations and not a single mention of her name.

She loved the photo of Adrian and Ginny kissing that had made it below the fold, she should cut it out and owl it to them. They'd probably frame it. She smiled softly to herself. Someone deserved some happiness in all of this.

She'd have to wake Draco and Theo soon and tell them that their fathers were dead, she supposed. She could have predicted how they'd each take the news before the war, but she wondered whether they'd be conflicted or just grateful that the threat their fathers posed had been summarily dealt with.

The pounding on her front door surprised her, but she knew immediately who it had to be.

She was still in her dressing robe, but didn't bother to dress. She opened the door to see Harry standing there in the early morning mist, his Auror uniform wrinkled and unkempt as though he'd been wearing it for more than a day, perhaps he had slept in it. She wondered if he even remembered he could charm the wrinkles out.

"Harry," Hermione said in mock surprise. "I wasn't expecting you."

"Have you seen the Prophet?" He asked without a preamble, his jaw tense. The dark circles under his eyes gave her more joy than they should have and she forced her face to stay neutral.

"I was just reading it with my coffee. Is it true? Murdered in their very cells?"

"Looks that way," he replied, running his hand through his hair. "I'm going to need to test your wand."

"Mine? Why?" Hermione almost laughed.

"You threatened to kill them during the war," Harry replied.

"So did you, so did everyone in the Order," Hermione pointed out as she pulled out her vinewood wand from the hidden pocket where it rested against her leg.

"Everyone from the Order's wands have been tested," Harry said, casting the spell that revealed the past five spells that Hermione had cast: a stasis charm on dinner, warming charms, a scourgify, a couple detangling charms from washing her and Theo's hair. Harry didn't seem surprised by any of them and handed the wand back to Hermione without any comment.

"Where are your parolees?"

"Upstairs asleep most likely," Hermione replied. "You can't suspect them. Neither of them are well enough to be a danger to the weeds in my back garden, let alone their fathers in Azkaban."

"Malfoy killed Dumbledore, Hermione, he's more than capable." Harry rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand.

"That was never proved, Snape took credit, remember," Hermione pointed out, annoyed with Harry for his inability to let what had really been the mercy killing of a dying man go. "And he hasn't been outside of my wards and the magical blockers are still in place. Do you not think I'm able to handle two invalid Death Eaters?"

"I still have to question them. Its protocol and I have forms that I need to fill out," Harry sighed with exhaustion colouring every syllable.

"Why don't you sit for a minute and I'll get you some coffee and breakfast." When he started to argue, she cut him off, "Harry, you can't live on pepper-up potions. It's not good for your health. I'll get you settled and then bring them both down so you can question them. Want one at a time?"

Harry gave in with a drop of his shoulders. "One at a time would be great. And you have cream for the coffee?"

Hermione laughed. "I'm a civilised witch, Harry Potter."

Leaving Harry nearly falling asleep into his eggs and toast, Hermione quietly rushed up the stairs. Draco was asleep, but Theo was pulling on pants and looking at Hermione's frantic face in alarm.

"I heard voices," Theo admitted, nervously struggling to tie the string on his pyjama pants.

"Harry is downstairs, something's happened," Hermione admitted, unsure how much to say. "He has to question you."

Theo blinked at her in confusion. "What am I supposed to have done, now?"

"I don't know if I should tell you, so you can be properly shocked when Harry accuses you."

Theo nodded, pulling on the matching pyjama shirt and his fingers failing to slip the buttons into their holes. Hermione stepped forward, stilled his shaking hands and deftly buttoned them for him.

"I'd kiss you, but I don't want to look freshly kissed," Theo murmured, his lips just above hers. "Just know I'm thinking about it."

Hermione smiled reassuringly at him, "You go answer Harry's questions, and I'll get Draco up. Then once the constabulary has left us in peace you can kiss me to your heart's content."

"Ah, then love, we'd starve before I ever let you leave the bed," Theo laughed low, although Hermione had a hard time finding humour in starvation, he had barely stopped looking as though he was going to die. The weight gain potions and Muggle medicine were finally helping and Hermione would consider murdering Harry if he hurt her beloveds today. "I can get downstairs on my own, and if I'm out of breath then all the better. You'll need the time to get Draco ready for being a functional person."

Hermione nodded and let Theo make his way out of the room without her help. It took all her restraint not to go after him and help him down the stairs. She shook herself and went to wake Draco.

"P-Potter," Theo stuttered, struggling with his breathing a bit after the exertion of coming down the stairs, as he came into the kitchen, his legs wobbling a bit, so he gripped onto the door frame so that he wouldn't embarrass himself by falling in front of the wizard who had already been responsible for too much of Theo's humiliations. "G-Granger said-said you n-needed to question me?"

"Did she say about what?" Potter asked, gesturing at Theo to sit at Hermione's small kitchen table.

Theo shook his head and coughed. Potter had a look of surprise, Theo wondered what he was surprised about. Should Hermione have told him? Potter pushed the Daily Prophet in Theo's direction, and Theo shook his head.

"Azkaban did a num-number on my eyesight. I'm going to need gl-glasses I think. I don't suppose I could b-borrow yours?" Theo quipped, wishing that his breathing would get itself under control or that Potter would leave so he could use his Muggle medications.

"I'll give you the jist shall I?" Potter ran his hand through his already messy hair, sending it every which way. "Your father was murdered in his cell last night by a guard who we assume was under the imperius curse. He threw himself into the sea afterwards."

The inappropriate laughter burst from Theo and triggered a coughing fit that caused him to double over. "Radvam se, che e mŭrtŭv," Theo muttered under his breath. Before repeating himself in English for Potter's benefit, "I'm glad he is dead, but unfortunately I was not involved. When you find out who it was please tell me so I can send a gift basket and a bouquet." Theo was grateful that he managed to get those words out without stuttering. He still needed his Muggle inhaler, but he would get through this first.

"You don't seem too broken up, Nott," Potter observed.

"Because I'm not. He killed my mother when I was twelve," Theo responded. "I'm covered with scars from his version of paternal affection. It's well documented. No love lost, but unfortunately I am not quite well enough to plan an assassination while in Granger's custody." Theo already had his suspicions about who had killed his father, but there was no way this side of hell he'd share that with Potter.

"Did you plot with anyone about murdering your father?" Potter asked, his face hard as he glared at Theo.

"No, it's a little hard to plot with anyone while in solitary confinement in Azkaban under a silencing spell," Theo pointed out. Potter didn't look surprised about the silencing spell, and Theo restrained the urge to growl at the man. Heroes were just villains in a different colour it seemed.

"Did you bribe anyone to imperius the guard?"

"I don't have access to my vault because I was in, you guessed it, solitary confinement in Azkaban. And I haven't accessed any of my funds since I've been in Granger's custody. I'm not honestly sure what's left after the Ministry's reparations." Theo shrugged. "Again unfortunately I'm not involved in my father's murder. Seems as though Azkaban has really gone downhill since I left."

"Are you offering to go back?" Potter asked, finishing off the coffee in front of him.

"All things considered, I'd really rather not," Theo admitted.

Potter sighed, clearly annoyed. "You can go Nott, tell Hermione I'm ready for Malfoy now."

Draco was waiting outside the kitchen while Theo was questioned. He was exhausted today, but he could lay down once they were done with Potter and Hermione would bring him tea and it would be okay.

Everything would be okay.

Draco stepped into the kitchen as soon as Theo walked out, their fingers touching for only a moment when they passed each other.

Theo's eyes were haunted, but he said nothing heading back up the stairs to look for Hermione ostensibly.

Potter scowled and snarled, "Malfoy."

Draco only nodded, unwilling to give Potter back the level of animosity that had once characterised their interactions. He didn't have the energy.

"Your father was killed in Azkaban last night," Potter said without preamble. "A guard, probably under an imperius."

Draco was morose at the announcement, "Has my mother been told? Is she doing alright?"

"Yes. She's been informed. I was there this morning before I came here. She's been cleared from suspicion as well."

Draco only nodded. If his mother was ever going to kill his father, it would have been years ago.

"Was there something else you needed, Potter?" Draco asked when the silence dragged on too long.

"Were you involved in your father's murder?" The Chosen One asked.

Draco's look of shock was unfeigned. "No."

"Then that's all Malfoy. You can go." Potter waved him away and Draco left the room as quickly as he had come, his face falling into one of gratitude that he no longer had to worry about his father having Hermione or Theo killed. Tears ran down his face anyway as his conflicting emotions bubbled up for the death of the man that he had once been desperate to get the approval of.

...

Hermione saw Harry out and he seemed more than ready to go. She made some noises about him needing more coffee and a rest, but he waved her off. She stood on the stoop for a few minutes after he apparated away, just to be certain that he was really gone. She needed to floo Neville a flower order for Oliver, maybe some white roses and oleander. That seemed right to her.

Author's Note: I made a Daily Prophet cover for this chapter, it's on a03, but I'll also post it to tiktok.