So I'm back to normal Friday uploads this week! Last time out was a one off because of the date, but also something I doubt I'll do again so things should be back to being regular now.
This chapter has one moment that has spawned weeks and weeks' worth of funny moments over on one of the OC specific Discord Servers I'm in, and as a result I hope you guys enjoy it just as much as they did!
The sound of heavy traffic was a relief to Hermione as after the sensation of Apparation, she opened her eyes to the sight of a dark alleyway. She took one second to make sure that nobody could see or hear them before pulling both of the boys towards a wall to take cover behind a large metal skip, with Hermione wobbling slightly on her heels as her legs were still recovering from the quick escape. The chaos of the wedding still buzzed in her ears, but at least they'd made it out. They were alive. For now.
"Where are we?" Ron asked her frantically, looking around for any signs he could recognise, and Hermione saw the frustration in his eyes when he couldn't.
"Tottenham Court Road." Hermione panted, looking back out to the busy main road at the end of the alleyway that was filled with Muggles and cars. "In the centre of London. It was the first thought that came to mind… we need to blend into a large crowd and get somewhere safe."
"Blend in?" Ron asked incredulously, gesturing to his dress robes, singed slightly at the hem from their escape. "We look like we've just been kicked out of a fancy dress party."
Hermione didn't bother responding to the Weasley. She instead pulled her beaded bag from her shoulder, yanking it open roughly and sunk her arm deep inside it, rummaging around until she pulled out a bundle of Muggle clothes. "Change into these. Quickly. We don't have time to waste." she ordered as she slipped out of her heels, tossing a t-shirt and jeans to Ron and a hoodie and jeans to Harry, thinking that if anybody needed the extra layer to hide themselves, it would be him.
Harry, much to Hermione's appreciation, quickly began stripping out of his robes as he listened to her, but Ron hesitated. "Uh, Hermione." he said, eyeing her red dress. "Your dress looks nice don't get me wrong… but you won't exactly blend in if we both dress down while you…" He trailed off, his eyes gesturing to her dress.
Hermione froze at his words, her hand clutching the hem of her dress that fell just above her knees as she glanced into the bag at the comfortable outfit she'd set aside for herself, admonishing herself for being so stupid and playful less than an hour earlier. "I'm getting changed." she said quickly, then added. "But you first, and then make sure we aren't being watched!"
"What? Why?" Ron asked, bewildered. "You said we don't have time for this..."
"Just turn around, Ron!" she snapped, her voice an octave higher than usual.
Harry, already half-dressed, shrugged and turned around without complaint. Ron however was confused at the conflicting orders coming out of her mouth, but years of experience with Hermione's glare had taught him enough and so he did the same.
Hermione let out a shaky breath, her cheeks burning. She stared at her dress and then at the leggings and jumper she needed to put on. 'This is ridiculous', she thought. But as she reached for a clean pair of underwear to put on before removing her dress, her blush deepened, the memory of that night still fresh in her mind…
"Are you getting dressed or what?" Ron asked impatiently over his shoulder. "You were the one that said…"
"Turn around properly, Ronald!" Hermione barked, snapping back into her current reality, her tone being sharp enough to make him flinch.
The red-head frowned at her tone, but he once again turned to face the wall. "What's the big deal? We've shared living spaces so many times before, you've never been shy before…" Ron muttered as he turned around slightly, catching Hermione with a comfortable pair of knickers in her hand halfway out of the bag. Then, as if a lightbulb went off, he snorted, his face morphing to a wide and amused grin. "Wait a second… Hermione, were you at the wedding commando!"
Harry barked out a laugh, but quickly caught himself as he tried badly to disguise it with a cough, not wanting to earn any more of Hermione's ire as he faced the main road protectively.
That ire, however, was focused on the Weasley. "I was not!" Hermione snapped, her face now as red as her dress, before she froze, her voice now barely more than a whisper. "Leo has them."
"Leo?" Ron echoed, frowning, and Hermione was once again reminded that Ron had all the subtlety of a sledgehammer and hadn't worked it out. "Why does Leo have your…" His eyes widened in sudden realisation. "Oh my God. You two… at the wedding… you didn't… did you?!"
Hermione's jaw dropped, mortified at how they had suddenly gone from fleeing Death Eaters to talking about her private life. "Ron! Now really isn't the time..."
Ron turned fully around however, his face a mixture of disbelief and smugness as he began to piece things together. "You did! I can't believe it! While everyone else was dancing and having cake, you two were off… disrobing!"
"Honestly Ronald!" Hermione exploded, her voice echoing down the street, to which Harry quickly had his wand out, waving it slightly. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides as her anger began to take over. "We're out here on the run from Voldemort and his followers, not knowing where to go, who to trust, or even who back at the Burrow is even still alive! We had to abandon your family because of what we have to do going forward to try and win a war! And all you can focus on is… is… is my bloody knickers!"
The sheer force of her words made both boys freeze, their expressions a mix of guilt and alarm. For a moment, the only sound around them was the faint hum of the city around them as pedestrians, thankfully, were completely oblivious to them, a product of whatever spell Harry had cast, Hermione presumed as she nervously played at her hem.
"Alright." Harry said finally, his voice quiet. "We're sorry. Let's just… get changed and figure out where to go next."
Ron nodded sheepishly, turning back around. "Yeah, sorry, Hermione." Hermione didn't respond to either of them however, instead grabbing her knickers and a pair of leggings, quickly slipping them on before pulling her dress over her head and replacing it with a baggy jumper, her face still flushed with anger and embarrassment. As the boys moved towards the main road she pulled on a pair of trainers, magically tying them as a faint but unmistakable crack echoed somewhere in their vicinity, and Hermione froze.
Another crack followed, louder this time, and the three of them turned slowly, their faces white with dread. "They've found us." Harry whispered, being the one to voice their fears as he pulled his wand slowly out of his pocket. "We have to go. Now."
Ron and Hermione had done the same, pointing their wands at the source of the noise. "Where?" Ron asked.
"Grimmauld Place." Harry whispered sharply. "Nobody would go there… not after the fire. We start there and figure something out." Then without any warning he grabbed Hermione's arm and yanked her down, saving her from a flying bolt of purple light by mere inches. "Now!"
Ron Disapparated first with a deafening crack, and with one final look at Harry who was now solely focused on the source of the spell, Hermione pictured herself travelling to Number 12, that familiar feeling of being sucked through a tube following immediately afterwards.
Hermione felt a large sense of trepidation as they Apparated onto the dark and dismal street, realising the full extent of the damage that the Fiendfyre and the Horcrux had caused. Somehow, Number 12 was still mostly intact with just a few windows blown out and major charring to the paintwork. The spaces that should have shown the houses either side however were completely empty, a few fences with the names of Muggle construction companies attached to them as it became clear that the few weeks since the explosion had been focused on clearing out the rubble.
"Come on." Harry said urging them on, having appeared behind her with a trail of blood dribbling down his cheek. "We can't stay here."
Hermione nodded as she focused on their safety, her wand frantically waving as she tried to decipher as much of the magic as she possibly could that was still there. From her basic tests she could sense that the Fidelius was still in place, though with the death of Professor Dumbledore that meant little if Snape had spilled the secret, but it did mean that for the most part, they would be safe from the Muggles around them and it also explained why Number 12 was the last burned house standing, given nobody knew that the building was even there.
Once they were inside, the true damage to the house could be seen. The once-dark, foreboding structure was now even more sinister, charred beams hanging precariously overhead, the walls scorched black from Fiendfyre. Ash and soot coated every surface, the air thick with the stench of burnt wood and something far darker that made Hermione's eyes water. "Blimey." Ron muttered, stepping over a collapsed beam. His voice echoed hollowly in the silence. "Sirius really didn't hold back, didn't he?"
Hermione covered her mouth with her hand as she spotted the splintered frame that once housed the portrait of Leo's grandmother Walburga, before stepping over that, her eyes scanning the damage to try and work out if being there was a mistake. The house looked like it had been through a war, but even amidst the destruction, she could see areas where the structure still held firm. The ceilings were holding at the very least, though Hermione was hesitant to put too much weight on them by actually going upstairs. "There's enough here to give us shelter for the night." she said, her voice quiet but steady. "We'll be safe for a few hours while we figure out where to start tomorrow."
Harry nodded; his jaw set as he spotted a metallic object lying beneath the melted Troll foot coat stand. Hermione watched as he leant down and picked up a locket, half hanging off of its hinges, but the faint remains of an S could be seen on the outside. "Slytherin's Locket." Harry explained. "Leo was right… it's gone."
They stayed still in silence at the ramifications. On paper, their job seemed easier with one less item to find, but Hermione knew that they had an advantage with the Locket that they didn't have with any other Horcrux. Ron eventually broke the silence. "I'll put up some protection spells." He said as he pulled his wand out of his pocket. Hermione frowned, repeating his words in her head as she registered them, though her look only caused Ron to smirk at her. "What? No need to act surprised, I've been learning basic safety charms from Bill. It's not just you who can throw up wards, you know."
Hermione gave him a faint smile, though the adrenaline within her system was starting to fade as she realised how tired she was. Ron started toward the entrance, muttering incantations under his breath. Just before he left the room however, he glanced back at her and said with a cheeky grin. "Though talking of surprises, we need to talk more about you Hermione… sneaking off with Leo at the wedding and coming back pants-less."
Hermione's face burned with anger once again at the fact that Ron was still banging on about her situation despite everything that had happened that night. She opened her mouth to retort, but he was already gone into the next room, muttering a vast number of protective spells.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked gently, catching her attention again. She stared at him, seeing that he was tightly holding the locket in his hands, almost as if to keep himself reminded that it had actually been destroyed.
Hermione sighed and sank onto the edge of the broken staircase, brushing soot from the hem of her jumper. "No." she admitted, her voice trembling slightly as she finally released the pent up emotions she had been suppressing since leaving the wedding. "I'm not. I've been worried sick about everyone… I can't stop thinking about if my parents are safe in Australia now that we're finally on the run… my house is definitely about to be raided and I just hope they aren't there. I'm worried about everyone we've left behind at The Burrow and now Ron keeps…" She trailed off, her gaze distant. Harry sat down beside her, grabbing both of her hands with his free one comfortingly, waiting patiently as she collected her thoughts. It took a moment for her to feel like her voice wouldn't break with any more words, and she could finally continue. "It's just…" Hermione began, her voice barely above a whisper. "What happened with Leo… it wasn't just some careless thing like Ron is making it out to be. I didn't just trip into bed with him by accident… It was about… fear, and love, and… not knowing if we'd see each other again." She noticed Harry's eyes widen at the love comment, and she wondered if he had ever even contemplated the depth of feeling she was keeping bottled within her. "We knew we'd be separated, and everything right now is so uncertain. It felt like all we had was that one moment, and…" She wiped at her eyes quickly as the tears started to freely fall, the image of Leo's face as she disapparated still burned into the back of her eyelids. "And now I don't know if he's safe, or if I'll ever see him again."
Harry nodded slowly, his own face etched with worry as he let go of her hands and wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling Hermione close. "I get it. I've been thinking about Ginny non-stop since we left. Wondering if she's okay… if she's safe back at the Burrow or if they…" He swallowed hard, unable to finish the thought that Hermione knew she was fearing too. "It's terrifying, not knowing."
Hermione glanced at him, her expression softening. "It is." she agreed quietly.
Before they could say anymore, Ron reappeared, his footsteps crunching on the ash-covered floor. He hesitated when he saw their faces, his earlier grin replaced by one wracked with guilt.
"I, uh… I heard." he said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. "About what you said, Hermione. I wasn't trying to be mean earlier. I was just… trying to lighten things up, you know? Distract us from all this." He gestured around the ruined house. "I'm sorry if I upset you."
Hermione gave him a small, grateful smile. "Thank you, Ron. I appreciate it."
Ron lowered himself down onto the ground across from them, his face uncharacteristically serious. "I'm worried too. About everyone. And you're right… we've got no idea what's coming next. I just…" He trailed away, before offering them a shrug of his shoulders. "Making jokes is easier than thinking about it all sometimes. A lot of the time."
"We know." Harry said, his voice steady. "We all deal with it in different ways."
The three of them sat in silence for a moment, the weight of their situation settling over them like the ash that blanketed the house. But in the quiet, there was also a sense of understanding, of solidarity. They were all scared, but at the very least, despite their worry about some of the people they loved most in this world, they would always have each other.
Their quiet moment of contemplation was broken as through the wall a silver jackal came bounding, running around the three of them before stopping in front of Ron, speaking clearly in the voice of Bill Weasley. "Everyone Safe. Do not reply. We are being watched."
The breath of relief that escaped from all three of them was uniform, and though none of them said another word, it wasn't long before they moved into the kitchen, setting out their sleeping bags to try and get a few hours of rest before they began their long, arduous hunt for Voldemort's horcruxes.
The pain in his chest was as bad as it had been since Leo had splinched himself when he woke up the morning after the wedding, though in his early morning haze the 17-year-old wasn't sure if that was due to the strenuous previous day, or the large ginger cat that had somehow decided that the best place to sleep was directly on top of him. He shifted gently so he didn't frighten the animal, but the urge to get out of bed just wasn't there. He kept replaying the events of the night before in his mind, the sight of Hermione Disapparating, the helplessness he felt as he was caught by Avery…
He scowled at the thought of that man, the murderer of his Mother, getting away once again, and it was that anger that forced him to swing his legs over the side of the bed and pull on some shorts and a sleeveless shirt, before slipping into a pair of shoes and making his way downstairs as he gently tried to massage the pain out of his chest, with a now fully awoken Crookshanks slaloming between his legs. "Careful." Leo muttered, almost tripping down the stairs over the cat.
The kitchen table was shrouded in a solemn atmosphere. Ginny was there already pushing around some porridge in her bowl and staring over at the famous Weasley clock, presumably at Ron's hand which was currently locked in at Mortal Peril. Mrs Weasley was over by the sink, washing up the dozens of drinks glasses from the night before.
"Morning Leo." Ginny muttered, not shifting from her position.
That grabbed Mrs Weasley's attention however, and the Matriarch swivelled around, her eyes red and puffy, but still smiling as she saw him. "Leo, dear. Sit, sit down and I'll get you some breakfast."
"Thanks, Mrs Weasley." Leo muttered, his left hand still not moving from his chest. "And some of that pain potion from yesterday wouldn't go amiss if you have any left?" He asked hopefully.
She tutted. "Not today. Over reliance on those will lead you down more trouble than it's worth. Make sure you eat, and then you take it easy for the day, the pain will ease."
"I don't want to be a burden." Leo complained, hauling himself down into the chair opposite Ginny.
"Nonsense!" Mrs Weasley said, a bit too brightly. "You are always welcome here my dear. Just hang on a minute and I'll go and fetch some eggs from the chicken coop." She patted him on the cheek before hurrying through the doorway outside.
"She likes the company, I think." Ginny said, her eyes still trained on the clock. "Bill and Fleur have gone to their new place, the twins live in London, as does Percy when he wants to have his girlfriend round. It's just us and Charlie here now, though where Charlie's got to…" Her eyes flickered across. "Mortal Peril, figures." She scoffed.
"I'm here." The second eldest Weasley sibling yawned from the stairs. Leo turned, noticing that even with his new, shortened haircut being scruffy after sleep, the Dragon Tamer still looked undeniably cool. "Is this us?"
"For now." Ginny nodded, returning her gaze to Ron's clock hand. "Percy said he'd be back this afternoon to help tidy up, but the twins want to stay in Diagon Alley for the time being to keep an eye on the shop… that's what set Mum off this morning, she's worried." Charlie nodded, sitting down beside his sister and grabbing her bowl. "Oi!" Ginny exclaimed, finally looking away from the clock in time to see Charlie stick a finger into her porridge and eat it.
"We'll hear if something happens to Ron." Charlie explained, pushing the bowl back. "Trust me, they'll be fine. They have somewhat smart heads on their shoulders after all."
Ginny nodded, but her face remained downcast as she stared down at her bowl, returning to just pushing the porridge around instead of managing to eat it. Leo instead tried to feel as if he was doing something proactive and asked Charlie. "What's the plan then, what do we do?"
Charlie sighed. "There's not a lot we can do if I'm honest. With the Ministry fallen… we'll all be put on watch lists so I don't even know if the Order can meet safely. They certainly can't here anymore with the protections gone." He put his arm around Ginny protectively. "I'm going to stay for a bit though… at least until you go back to Hogwarts."
"But your job?" Ginny asked. "Romania?"
"Can wait." Charlie stated bluntly. "I'm needed here, Gin. The guys in Romania… they have family that lived through Grindelwald, they understand."
"Will they help?" Leo asked quickly, barely thinking his thought through. "If we can gather allies abroad…"
Shaking his head, Charlie doused the flames of that idea quicker than it had formed. "Grindelwald's revolution… that part of Europe still hasn't fully recovered from it, his name is still feared there. They don't want to get involved in what they consider to be a British problem."
It didn't sit right with Leo as he mulled it over. "We should still get the word out… France, Germany… none of our neighbours should be watching us now and thinking that this is acceptable."
"There isn't enough of us to fight the fight here and gather international support." Charlie shrugged. "We'll do our best, but…" He paused, stretching back to look outside. "Shit… she's crying again." And without another word Charlie bolted out of the kitchen and out of the back door. Leo could hear the faint sounds of him comforting Mrs Weasley, but felt awkward and out of place in the middle of their kitchen, sat like an invalid.
"Where do you think they'll start?" Ginny asked, making the most of the room being emptied.
Leo wished he knew, as the temptation to just abandon everything to go and join them… go and join her, was getting to be too much. "I don't know." He admitted, hating the fact. "I just hope they make contact soon."
The afternoon after the wedding was Leo's first back inside the house at Goblin Coombe in what felt like ages. His room felt different, although nothing had been moved other than a handful of his books, while the grounds around the house somehow seemed bleaker, though that might have had something to do with the almost torrential rain that seemed to hammer down in the immediate aftermath of the wedding.
The following day, more change came. With all of the working Weasley's independently announcing that they noticed that they had been followed throughout the day, the decision had been made to send Ginny to join Sirius and Leo in the lesser known and by now, far more protected location. Officially the Weasley's had all independently announced Ron's spattergroit to whoever they could tell and Ginny was at her Aunt Muriel's, but unofficially, Harry's room in the house now had an occupant.
The first evening that Ginny had spent in the house was a quiet one, with all of the occupants worrying about the three teenagers now presumably roaming the countryside looking for any of the Horcruxes that they could find. As they thought amongst themselves the radio was sounding in the background, with a news bulletin asking for sightings of Harry Potter grabbing all of their attentions until Sirius clapped his hands together, causing the other two to turn their attention away from the radio. "We should be productive instead of moping around." Sirius exclaimed. "Come on, let's see how much you've learned."
He waved his wand and a trio of cushions moved onto the carpeted floor of the living room, indicating where they should each sit. Leo did as he was asked, crossing his legs and taking a deep breath, focusing on everything that he had learned about Occlumency so far. Once he felt calm, he pictured the locked door of the Restricted Section, checking the dozen locks to make sure they were all tightly fastened. "Ready." He said.
"Legilimens." Sirius called out, and Leo immediately felt the locks begin to rattle and shake as an ache in his head appeared. He held firm though despite four locks snapping open in quick succession, eventually manage to replace two of them before the pressure in his head lifted and he felt comfortable enough to open his eyes to see a widely grinning Sirius. "Very good! You're almost there. Once you can replace those locks as quickly as your opponent can break them, then you will be ready." He grinned, his widest grin since… well, he didn't want to think about that while Sirius and Ginny were practicing breaking into one other's minds. Sirius then turned to Ginny. "How are you getting on?"
The red-head huffed. "I can't get a good enough barrier. Leo kept breaking through at home. I tried things that meant a lot to me… my room, the Common Room, the Quidditch changing rooms…" She trailed off. "Leo saw it all." The morning after the wedding Ginny had seen Leo trying to clear his mind and asked him to help her learn too, but the Weasley so far had struggled, and Leo had seen far too much of Harry Potter's tongue than he ever had wanted too…
The image on his face must have been projecting his thoughts as Sirius barked out a laugh. "That's the best form of motivation." He told Ginny kindly. "Don't worry, I won't go poking through your innermost secrets, just try and think of something strong, a memory that represents utter secrecy to you."
"What's yours?" Ginny asked as a silvery swan soared gracefully into the living room.
"Now."
Sirius froze for a second before he leapt to his feet. "Andi." He whispered. "I have to go… stay inside, both of you." He urged before rushing towards the door, pausing as he grabbed the handle, not looking over at Ginny as he answered the question. "Azkaban. My barrier is Azkaban." And with that he shot off.
The room felt colder at the mention of the prison, and Leo looked over at the Weasley woman who seemed to have had a dark realisation. He gave her some time, going to the kitchen to get two butterbeer bottles before sitting back down, Ginny's expression having since turned defiant. "Are you ready?" He asked softly.
She merely nodded, turning to face him as her eyes remained firmly shut. Leo raised his wand slowly and whispered. "Legilimens."
He was pulled into the Seventh Floor Corridor, with the portrait of George von Rheticus having swung open as Harry and Ginny were kissing. It was a sweet scene, Leo thought, until from behind him he heard. "OI!" They broke apart and Leo jumped out of the way to see a very red eared Ron Weasley glaring towards his best friend and sister. "What the bloody hell… WHAT IS GOING ON!"
Leo had no interest in hearing this argument again and so gently removed himself from the memory, opening his eyes once again to see Ginny looking frustratedly at the floor. "Why can't I do it." She grumbled.
"Occlumency is an advanced magic, Ginny." Leo explained. "Harry struggles a lot with it… and you're 15."
"16 in a week." She grumbled.
"But still underage." Leo insisted, handing her the butterbeer bottle. "We have time, we'll keep at it, I promise."
The red-head sighed, nodding slightly. "I just… Harry's told me a lot. I don't want to betray him…" She went silent, staring over at the still switched on radio that was now explaining about a dementor attack over in Stoke-on-Trent. "I'm going to go to bed… see if I can clear my mind." Ginny mumbled. Without a word Leo let her go, wondering as she shut the door behind her how he was going to help her before they were due to go back to Hogwarts.
The Chamber was very dimly lit, so much so that Leo had to squint in order to see anything in front of him. Either side of the narrow stone walkway stood stone pillars, carved serpents having snaked around them in order to hold up the ceiling… wherever that was in the darkness up above. In the distance in front of him stood a large statue carved into the wall of the chamber. He moved towards it, his footsteps echoing in the damp, dark cavern.
He recognised Salazar Slytherin from the portraits dotted around the school and the sketching's in many of the history books. He was tall and thin, with a balding head and a long beard that would even have put Professor Dumbledore's to shame reaching near his feet. At the foot of the statue he saw a small, red-headed girl holding a black book.
"Ginny…" He whispered, walking quicker to reach her. As he neared however, the most horrible hissing sound escaped her mouth and the mouth of the statue started to open…
Before he saw anything slither out of the Founder's mouth, a feeling like a rope tightened around his midriff and Leo was launched backwards, flying through the air as he weaved neatly through the long forgotten passageways and out through a thick, bronze circular door, being thrown against the rocky walls as the door slammed itself shut, and the 15-year-old Ginny in her muggle clothes stood defiantly before him.
"No." She said firmly, holding her wand out towards him as the scene around them melted, and instead of the cold and dark chamber, they were standing out in the cloudy open, the garden of his house spreading all around them. He could see the sweat of exertion on her face as she was breathing heavily, trying to catch her breath.
"That was fantastic!" Leo exclaimed. "Well done."
Ginny, however, did not look happy. Her brown eyes exuding nothing but anger. "I don't even remember that! How did you…" She closed her eyes tightly, stamping her leg on the grass. "Did you go looking?"
It would be a lie if Leo said he hadn't, and so he walked closer to his friend as he spoke softly. "I figured that seeing you and Harry together, or you and Corner, just wasn't bringing out the right emotions within you to be able to get the hang of it. Occlumency works best through calmness it's true, but you need to have a building block to work from. Getting you to the Chamber… your worst memory so to speak, I hoped that would bring what you needed out." He then tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. "And it did… you threw me out of there quickly."
She opened her eyes, the angry blaze somewhat dimming. "You should have warned me." She muttered.
"If he had done that." Sirius' voice sounded from the bluebell patch he was tending too, and the two teenagers looked over towards him. "Then the result wouldn't have been as strong." He placed the watering can on the ground and moved closer. "I take it you've taken a step forwards?" Ginny nodded. "Then let me try, Leo is getting there with Legilimancy, but he's still not refined enough." He then grinned slightly at Ginny's worried face. "I'll be gentle, I promise."
Eventually, she nodded, and Leo watched as she stood defiantly, her eyes shut tightly once more as Sirius cast the spell, dropping his wand around ten seconds later with a pleased grin on his face. "That is brilliant." He encouraged her. "That door… is that?"
"The entrance to the Chamber." Ginny whispered. "I never wanted to see it again."
"I never wanted to see Azkaban again." Sirius shrugged. "But there's nothing quite like a wizarding prison surrounded by Dementors to keep out unwanted guests." He patted her on the shoulder. "Nice job, seriously, but I think that's enough for today." Leo could only agree, feeling drained as he thought more on the Chamber of Secrets, a horrible, historical based fascination to go down there and see what it was actually like.
After a hearty dinner from Kreacher and a final lesson from Sirius on their Patronus charms, with the adult now trying to get the two students to get them talking as the Order could, Leo moved up to bed ready for a long nights sleep. He got himself undressed, the heat outside making his usual pyjamas almost unnecessary as he tucked himself in. Sighing, he picked up the mirror as he did every night, looking at himself for a moment before he said. "Hermione Granger."
Once again the image began to cloud and darken, and Leo was ready to place it back down on his bedside table, when all of a sudden the darkness shifted, and the image showed the other mirror being pulled out of a bag, and Hermione Granger's face could be seen. "Leo!" She cried out happily. "I've tried you three times today!"
Laughing, Leo felt his eyes well up at the sight of her. She looked rough, her hair was a mess and she had bags under her eyes, but despite all that Leo couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful he thought she was. "I must have been downstairs." He laughed. "I've tried you nightly for a week! I'm glad you're alright. What in Merlin's name happened to you?"
She sighed. "What hasn't happened." She muttered, before she launched into an explanation of what happened immediately after the wedding, of travelling to Tottenham Court Road and being found instantly, something which worried Leo most of all and he insisted he would have the Order look into it, and then she explained about their night at Grimmauld Place before apparating to the countryside. "I won't say where though." She said softly, her eyes darting around her tent. "We've been extremely careful with what we've been saying out loud since the first night. It's been a bit awkward really, not really knowing what we should be saying…"
He nodded, wondering what she must have thought of him as being the reason Grimmauld Place was the way it was. "Was there anything… salvageable?" He asked, more in hope than expectation.
Hermione shook her head. "The entire building was a husk… I'm sorry, Leo. The muggles are rebuilding though, and nobody was hurt, we overheard one of the residents talking to the builders just before we left."
He was more annoyed about the library than the house itself being destroyed, but he was grateful that she had news of the locals. "It's been quiet here really." He began to talk on his own week. "Ginny is here… we figure it's safer than The Burrow with everyone being watched. We've just been learning Occlumency." And he rushed into an explanation then of how his mind barrier worked and his progress, before adding. "Perhaps Harry needs to think of that approach… picture something secure that means something strong to him, good or bad."
"I'll let him know." Hermione told him, looking over to one side to what he assumed was the area the boys were sleeping in. "We overheard the news about Hogwarts today…"
While the announcement of Professor Dumbledore's replacement hadn't officially been announced yet, the news of the morning had been that attendance was now compulsory for all magical children between the ages of 11 and 17, something that had never been the case before. "Yeah, we're preparing. Diagon Alley will be a struggle though." He admitted, knowing that half of the Order expected a blood bath whenever known Order sympathisers took their families. "Sirius has been trying to get me to transfigure his fur in Animagus form to try and disguise himself."
"Please be careful." Hermione insisted. "Not just for your own safety… but Ron said this morning that he has a really bad feeling about Hogwarts this year… we need people like you there to help the students and protect them."
"I have a plan." Leo said honestly. "It makes me feel sick inside… but I need to use my blood status to my advantage." Hermione looked confused. "That was later in the article, blood status will need to be stated and shown, meaning I get to prance around the bloody place showing off the fact I'm Pureblood…"
"Merlin…" Hermione whispered, horrified. "What do you think they'll do to the Muggleborns?"
Honestly, Leo didn't even want to imagine it. "Nothing good." He stated morbidly. "We've only heard bits from the Order… nobody wants to gather in one place while everyone is being watched, but there's changes being made at the Ministry. Percy is still Junior Assistant to the Minister, though Dad thinks that's just to keep a Weasley close by in case of anyone causing trouble."
"Is he…" Hermione trailed off, the worry in her eyes telling Leo everything about her fears.
"He's not a part of the Order, no, we don't want to put him under any further risk than he's already in." Leo shook his head. "To be honest I'm not really sure if there is a proper Order at the moment, we need to try and work out who will lead us now Moody… that will come, I'm sure. We're just all trying to survive."
It was a sentiment they both agreed with, and the following silence as they both mulled over the current state of things was interrupted by a loud hooting of an owl coming from the mirror. "It's late, we should get some rest. We're off again tomorrow." She explained, seemingly wanting to share more, but stopping herself at the last minute. "I'll try and contact you tomorrow at the same time."
Smiling, Leo nodded. "Please do, we're all worried about you." He expressed softly. She returned the smile, though her lip had started to quiver. "Go, get some sleep." He then insisted.
Chuckling weakly, Hermione nodded. "I love you." She told him.
"And I love you." Leo returned the feeling, waiting until Hermione had cancelled the connection to put the mirror back down, gazing up at his ceiling once he had glad at finally knowing that she was alright.