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Chapter 35

10am: the dreaded auror visit

After breakfast, Luna and Blaise took the Floo home as Luna had no desire to see any of the Aurors from her inspection. She offered to help clean up from breakfast first, but Hermione waved her off.

Hermione took a few minutes to set up the humidifier in the bedroom before going into the bathroom to do her makeup. She wanted to make sure that she looked her best for the visit. It felt a bit like armour as Narcissa was fond of saying. After she finished, she made a mental tally of everything that needed to be done and then immediately started on it.

She needed to make the two guest bedrooms look lived in. Working quickly in both rooms, she put Draco's dirty clothes in one and Theo's in the other. She rumpled the blankets and sheets and then tidied them half-hazardly. She added a cup half full of water on the nightstand next to each bed.

Hermione ran about the house like a madwoman, making sure everything was just so. She shook the boys awake and placed breakfast trays on the bed. She had some basic trousers and shirts for each of them, which would probably be painfully baggy considering how thin they both still were.

She hid all the nutritional supplements in the back of her pantry. The inhalers and other medications went into a bathroom cabinet behind her menstrual supplies. There were so few female Aurors now that it was unlikely that anyone would look further if they saw that.

Hermione was back in the kitchen, cleaning up the remains of breakfast, when Draco came in holding the plates and flatware from breakfast.

"Oh here, let me take those. Can you go and sit on the couch by the telly? Get Theo, too if you can. I'll check on you shortly. The Aurors are coming to inspect us this morning and I'm a bit stressed about the whole thing." Hermione spoke without truly believing that Draco would react or respond to what she was saying.

She was already turning around and so didn't see Draco's pensive expression and nod, before he went to hunt down Theo.

She's just barely finished cleaning up breakfast and cast a quick cleaning and drying charm on her robes, when she felt a ripple through her wards.

Harry.

Hermione took a deep breath and set her face into the mask of herself that Harry expected to see.

She poked into the sitting room and was surprised to discover the boys sitting together on the couch as she had asked. "Alright this might be awful, but let's all try to be good and not get you two sent back to Azkaban, yeah?"

She began to say more, but pounding came from the front door and she sighed, leaving Draco and Theo alone.

...

Leaning over, Draco whispered to Theo, "Let's just try to not talk while they are here. I'm pretty sure that this is real. I don't want to go back to Azkaban."

"Agreed," Theo replied, nodding. They sat as still as they could waiting for the shoe that was sure to be dropped by the Auror visit.

...

The person on the porch continued to pound on her door, so she pulled the door open and Terry Boot's fist was in front of her face as he had been about to pound again. He sheepishly dropped it when he saw her face in front of his fist.

"Terry," Hermione's voice dripped scorn, "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't damage my front door. I'd definitely send the DMLE a reimbursement invoice." She looked past him, "Good morning Harry, Dean. Come in gentlemen. Let's get this over with, shall we?"

...

The pounding at the door was aggressive and set Draco's nerves on edge. He could hear Hermione greeting the Aurors at the door. His blood boiled when he heard Potter's voice in the house.

Gods, he hated that git.

Potter wasn't alone though, there were other men's voices as well. Draco wanted to go to Hermione, to protect her. It couldn't be safe for her to be so exposed like this.

What if they found Aunt Bella's wand that Hermione had squirrelled away?

Draco watched as Hermione was taken by Potter into the kitchen away from them; he started to rise to follow her, but Theo laid a hand on his thigh and shook his head in warning.

Theo pulled back just before two of their former schoolmates walked into the sitting room, wands already out.

"Good morning Death Eaters," Terry Boot said with a sinister smile.

"Let's find out what you've been up to here in Ms. Granger's house." Thomas' face was angrier than Draco had ever seen it, a contorted mask of rage. "Why a war heroine like her would contaminate her home with your filth, I will never understand. You both belong rotting in Azkaban, not being here in comfort." Thomas grabbed Draco's collar, thumb running over the soft fabric. "Far too good for pieces of shite like yourselves."

"Well, let's get this started." Terry Boot sneered, casting a stinging jinx on both Theo and Draco's feet. Draco could feel his feet swelling and itching.

"Have you touched Ms. Granger, attempted to hurt her?" Thomas asked, casting a nerve fire curse on both Theo and Draco's hands, their hands often shook as a result of all the Cruciatus that they had both been subjected to, but the pain of this was intense. It stopped quickly, but the pain lingered.

Draco shook his head. Never. I would never hurt Hermione. Never. He wanted to cry out, but he kept it restrained inside of him. He knew from dealing with the Azkaban guards that they wouldn't believe anything that he said anyway. He just needed to stay silent and take whatever they wanted to inflict on him. The Dark Lord and Aunt Bella had almost certainly done worse.

...

Hermione let Harry lead her into the kitchen, despite not wanting to be separated from Draco and Theo. Who knew what Terry and Dean were doing in the other room. Hermione tried to peek into the other room, but Harry blocked her view. He wasn't even particularly subtle about it.

"Could I get a cup of tea, 'Mione?" Harry smiled at her.

She hated that nickname, but she smiled instead of snapping at the Chosen One.

"Of course, Harry," Hermione turned and started making tea the muggle way, because it would take longer and this was obviously a tactic that Harry was using to keep her in the kitchen. "Do you think Dean and Terry would like a cup?"

"No-no," Harry replied, shaking his head, "I think they'll be fine."

Hermione made a noise of agreement. Harry sat at the table and moved the chair so that he was obscuring her view of the other room. Hermione felt increasingly uneasy at what was happening there, but she needed to play her role to perfection if she was going to keep the loves of her life safe.

She poured his tea and her own, pulling out the sugar bowl and the cream, joining Harry at the table.

"So, how's this week gone for you?" Harry asked, sweetening and adding far too much milk to his tea.

"Relatively easy," Hermione replied. "They are both extremely malnourished. They've been sleeping for most of the time. They wake up to eat and then both go back to sleep again. Neither of them have really spoken, I was expecting at least a few insults and complaints to be thrown my way."

Her eyes watched the tremor in his hands and they way he looked away briefly, letting Hermione know that he was preparing himself to lie to her.

"Do you have any idea why they'd be so quiet, Harry?" Hermione asked. "I mean refusing to talk to me makes some sense, but they aren't even talking to each other or in their sleep or anything."

"No," Harry lied, "No idea why they wouldn't be speaking. That does seem really odd."

"Yes…odd. Regardless, it makes it all very easy." Hermione wanted to string him up and do unspeakable things until he told her everything he knew, instead she smiled. "How's everything going with the wedding planning?"

Harry looked relieved at the change of subject. "Other than having the hardest time memorising my vows, it's going fine. Molly is handling pretty much everything."

"Well that's certainly convenient," Hermione smiled, "Especially with the long hours lately with all the Death Eaters 2.0 and Muggleborn Liberation Front problems."

"Ugh, you have no idea how much I miss you in the office. The MLF is completely off their rails. They took three Pureblood members of the Wizengamot hostage last week for ransom." Harry rubbed at his face. "Luckily they were returned safe and sound once the ransoms were paid, but now I have to worry about what they are planning with all these galleons that they now have in their coffers."

Hermione clucked her tongue. "Hopefully they won't do anything too terrible. I hate to think other Muggleborns would cause real destruction like the new wave Death Eaters are."

"Kidnapping isn't nothing, Hermione." Harry raised an eyebrow.

"I know. I know. But at least they haven't been killing people," Hermione pointed out, "I wish we knew who they were."

"No arguments from me on that last bit," Harry said, "It's hard when I have to worry about several people in the DMLE being involved."

"You can't really suspect Dean and Justin can you," Hermione lowered her voice.

"Have to at least consider the possibility," Harry rubbed his temple and poured himself another cup of tea. "You are the only person Kingsley and I really trust not to be involved in either of the terrorist organisations that we're dealing with right now."

"Well thanks for that, I guess. Faint praise and all that." Hermione sipped her tea, straining her ears for any sign of what was happening in the next room.

They sat in awkward silence for a minute or two until the sound of the sharp crack of a blow followed by Theo screaming had Hermione out of her seat and flying past Harry, despite his attempt to stop her by grabbing her arm.

...

The Auror that Theo vaguely remembered being a Gryffindor Muggleborn that had spent some time in the Malfoy Manor dungeons was deeply angry with them for even existing. He took pleasure in each small hex that he cast on them, watching for every sign of pain that they showed involuntarily.

"Tell me Malfoy, how does it feel to know that you are the prisoner now instead of me," he asked. Draco stayed silent, so the Auror drew back his hand and hit Draco across the face so hard that the sound made Theo cry out. Draco stayed silent and tried to curl up into a foetal position to protect his face.

"Nooooooooo!" Theo cried, throwing himself between Draco and the Auror, "don't hurt him. Don't hurt him. Don't hurt him. Hurt me. Hurt me. Hurt me." Theo babbled desperately, his voice still scratchy and hoarse. Draco tried to push him off of him, but wasn't able to get the leverage as weak as he was.

"Dean. Terry. I'll thank you for not using excessive force in my home. There are very few charms to get blood out of upholstery I'll have you know." Hermione's voice was cold, formal and professional.

"Sorry Hermione," Thomas said, "Must have gotten a little ahead of myself, but the bastards wouldn't answer any questions."

"Well," Hermione leaned against her door frame, deceptively calm. "If you'd asked me, I would have told you that they haven't spoken at all since Harry dropped them off last week. Sounds like you got Nott to speak though."

Theo looked up at her, schooling his face to not react to her coldness. If this was real, she'd gone to insane lengths to get them here. He couldn't mess things up now.

"Sorry. Sorry. Sorry." Theo rocked slightly, continuing to mumble trying to look as pathetic as possible. It wasn't hard, he was weak and skeletal.

"Look at the state he's in now." Hermione sighed as though extremely annoyed. "I'll have to give him a calming draught so I can get some sleep tonight. What were you asking about anyway?"

"About whether they had tried to do anything to you this week," Boot admitted. Theo thought they had been partners once in Arithmancy now that he looked at him more carefully, fifth year. Boot had been in Ravenclaw? Or was it Hufflepuff? Theo had never been anything but polite to him when they'd been kids. Now Boot looked at him like he was scum on his shoe.

"Are you joking? These two? Try to do something to me?" Hermione laughed mirthlessly. "Hardly. They are weaker than kittens. A few more weeks in Azkaban and they'd have been corpses rather than dropped on my doorstep."

Theo stiffened because she reminded him a bit too much of Bellatrix. He wondered if Draco had the same thought because he stopped trying to push Theo off, one hand holding Theo to him where no one else in the room could see.

"Sorry Hermione," Thomas replied.

"It's fine. Next time just ask me," Hermione smiled, "Save yourselves the time. These two have been sleeping about 20 hours a day. I had to hose them off in the back garden because of how bad they stunk, but other than offending my sense of smell they've been fine. Do you really think I wouldn't report it, if they had?"

The two Aurors shook their heads like recalcitrant children.

"Thanks for coming anyway guys. Say hey to Pucey for me. Is he surviving with me on sabbatical?" Hermione smiled again, trying to put the two at ease.

"Oh," Potter said from behind her, "Pucey got injured and is on desk duty for a few weeks. Suffice it to say he misses you."

"Ah," Hermione replied, "I'll send him an owl and check in. Did you need to check where I'm keeping them? Look over my wards? Any other questions?"

"Nope," Potter responded, "No reason not to trust you, Hermione. I'm sure their rooms are more than adequate and I know that no one is getting out of your wards."

"Well, then. See you next week?" Hermione asked.

"I think we'll go to monthly inspections," Potter offered, "And next time it'll be just me."

Boot started to complain, but Theo caught the stern look that Potter gave him and he quieted.

"Sounds good. Shall I show you out?"

"Not necessary, 'Mione," Potter said, giving her a light kiss on the cheek. "See you soon."

"Sounds great Harry." Hermione gave him a tight hug before he waved at Boot and Thomas to follow him.

Hermione stood frozen until the door closed and she heard three cracks of apparition.

Theo pulled himself off Draco only then, finally sitting back in his space on the couch. Draco squeezed his hand and then winced, his hands red and swollen from the Aurors' hexes. Theo's own skin felt burned on his arms and chest.

Hermione dropped to her knees in front of them, and placed a hand on each of their knees, tears pouring down her cheeks. "What the fuck did they do to you? Are you alright? I'm so sorry that I had to leave you alone with those two. I'll fucking kill them. I swear. I swear I will."

"Hermione, love, I'll be okay," Draco whispered, putting his hand on her cheek. "Are you sure we are really here?"

"Pretty sure," Hermione said through her tears. "Sure as I am of anything."

Theo reached for her hand then and as their fingers touched the bond flickered like an ember finally getting some air.