Ultimatums

Chapter 58

Lyra sat on the end of the bed, watching Hermione dart around the room.

"Right, this one or this one?"

Hermione held up two dresses, wiggling them around, one a light lavender the other a burgundy red.

The girl thought for a moment before pointing at the red. Hermione nodded and began to change.

She had a date with Rabastan that night, though she didn't know where. Regulus was sulking downstairs, so Lyra decided to help her change.

Hermione decided to go with a nude lip, double red seeming too forward, and had her wild curls down.

"You look pretty Mum" Lyra yawned, laying back into the pillows.

She stiffened at the compliment, her heart melting as she searched for a matching clutch. "Thank you, baby"

"She's right you know"

Regulus stood in the doorway. He looked uneasy, but he didn't say anything that Hermione knew he wanted to. Anything about how he thought she looked too pretty, or how he wished she wasn't going. He just nodded and looked over at Lyra.

She was fast asleep, snoring softly away into the pillow. He'd carry her to her own bed later.

"Have a nice night Nita." he said quietly, before jogging down the stairs and back to the living room.

☎️

Rabastan kissed the back of her hand in a greeting, letting her hold his arm delicately.

"Where to?"

He smiled a small, playful grin but didn't answer. He guided her down the street, playing the careful gentlemen. There was something in him that she hadn't recognised in Hogwarts. A pleasantness. "It's not far"

It was cold, the wind blowing against them fiercely. Rabastan muttered something, but before Hermione could say pardon she noticed the wind seemed to bend around them.

"Thank you"

He winked "Anything for you Potter"

It had been a while since she was referred to by her last name without malice. She smiled up at him. Rabastan had grown since Hogwarts, filling out and gaining a few inches. He put Rodolphus to shame when he stood by him.

They turned a corner and appeared outside a theatre. It had been built several hundred years ago, a historical building by definition. The architecture was beautiful, cherubs and angels playing scenes in the brick. Hermione's breath was taken away for a moment. Memories of James whining in boredom as the show unfurled in front of them. Her mother hushing him, as enraptured by the performance as she was. Her father buying them icecream at the interval.

Rabastan handed over the tickets, not noticing her silence. He led her up the stairs, finding their seats in the box at the side. "Was the surprise worth it?"

The delighted answer she gave wasn't fake or false.

After a few minutes of hushed conversation, the curtains fell back and a scene of bright colours and intense choreography stole her attention.

"Its a reenaction of the Salem Witch Trials" Rabastan whispered, but Hermione could only nod, not being able to take her eyes away from the binoculars.

☎️

Once the curtain fell for the final time, Hermione felt elated. "That was brilliant"

"I agree" Rabastan nodded "Though that Bridget Bishop was a bit pitchy"

The rest of the night (for they went to a restaurant and back to his house for drinks afterwards) was filled of talk of the theatre and the arts. It felt normal, like a casual date, and Hermione felt guilty that she was having such a fun time.

When it was time to leave, Rabastan insisted on walking her to wherever she was going. They debated on his doorstep for quite a while. So long that an elderly woman walking past took notice and scoffed arrogantly. Rabastan moved Hermione out of his way gently to see who it was.

"May I help you, Mrs Everclott?"

"Well" she said, turning her narrow nose upwards. "Is this not at all inappropriate to you?"

Rabastan frowned "I don't see how you come into this, ma'am"

The woman seemed to shake, irritant. "I am merely reminding you. Regulus Black is hardly in the ground! How dare you both besmirch his honour. "

Hermione shivered and Rabastan turned to her, wrapping an arm around her protectively. Even though they hadn't ever been intimate, Rabastan had cared for her for a long time.

"Goodnight, Mrs Everclott"

"She's a harlot, Lestrange. A scarlet woman"

Rabastan whipped around, his wand in a ready position. "I should strike you down right now. If you were not a woman of seniority... speaking of Hermione Potter in that way. Do you know who she is? Do you have any idea -"

Hermione placed her hand on his arm. "Stan. It's fine. I'll floo home"

He looked between the two women before storming inside. Hermione nodded to the woman before going to follow. "Goodnight, ma'am"

When she turned, however, she walked straight into Rabastan's chest, silently noting how firm it was.

"Crucio"

The curse hit the woman in the back as she had already carried on walking. The hoarse scream echoed in the street, horrifying people in their homes.

Hermione bit down on her lip and forced herself to look at Lestrange in admiration instead of the disgust that was buried in her gut. He was looking down at her with a twisted smile. "I had to"

She nodded with a pretending to simper "Such a gentlemen"

☎️

Peter rang the doorbell to Dorcas's house, the Order meeting in full swing when he arrived. There was no answer, so he checked his watch and rang again, the wind whispering in his ear. It said all sorts of awful deserving things. The paranoia was settling in.

Dorcas opened the door out of breath, a warmth behind her tired eyes as she welcomed him inside. That warmth convinced him.

He took his usual seat between Remus and James, not noticing the slight stiffness as he accepted a tea to warm his bones. Sirius regarded him with the cold smirk he used to use when he was teasing Snape or Regulus back in the day. Peter hadn't seen it in a while.

"Alright Wormtail? We're discussing the ultimatum the ministry received recently."

Peter feigned curiousity. In reality, he'd been hearing about this plan for weeks. All the details had been ironed out right infront of him. "Ultimatum?"

"A decision between two things that cannot be avoided. For example -" Remus was cut off prematurely in his definition.

"I know what it means" Peter bristled. They always assumed that he didn't know things. That he was stupid. That he was always at the back of the runners while they were jogging at the front, begging everyone else to catch up so they could have some competition. "What is the actual choice?"

Dumbledore said softly, his eyes twinkling in the low light "The Death Eaters have captured some Muggles from all over the country. I would say between twelve to fourteen thousand at this point. In return for their safety they want complete control of the Ministry"

Disagreement and outrage rumbled steadily but Peter ignored it. "What's our plan?"

The Marauders exchanged glances. They'd informed Dumbledore that no true information should be shared in Peter's presence. That is why they told him the wrong time, so they could get the real plan without him.

"We are to ignore it. Let the Death Eaters do what they will. It's for the greater good"

Peter frowned, but didn't say anything at all. He mentally stashed it away to tell Voldemort at the next opportunity.

"To the greater good" Lily raised a glass.

"To the greater good!"