Ultimatums

Chapter 59

Hermione was hooked onto Rabastan's arm as they strolled through Diagon Alley. The lampposts and shops were decorated for Christmas. Tinsel and baubles hung everywhere, glowing lights and fire bringing warmth around them. It would've been romantic if she wasn't secretly supposed to be repulsed by the man.

Her old Slytherin scarf was wrapped across her nose as the snow fell around them, and her mind wandered as Rabastan carried on about some sort of mission Voldemort had sent him and his brother on the other day. It sounded gruesome. He was describing blood and bone and bruises and a barbaric nature that all Death Eaters had to have, no matter how deep it was buried in them.

She'd agreed to go out with him so she could try to make her way into his vault, but it was proving difficult to bring the topic away from Death Eatery. He'd moved swiftly on to a rendition of Bella's latest tyrannous escapades.

Hermione realised Rabastan had stopped speaking. He was looking at her expectantly.

Batting her eyelashes with expertise, she asked "Pardon?"

"Where to now?" Rabastan repeated, goodnatured.

Hermione smiled "The bank, perhaps? I need to recover some old texts for my mother. Something about the Manors library missing them"

He nodded, steering her in the opposite direction.

As they moved into Gringotts, Hermione prayed that no one would make a comment about their proximity. A scene like the one Lestrange had caused with poor Ms Everclott was something she wished to avoid.

She stood silently like the perfect docile woman as Rabastan handled all the talking for her, even though it was her vault and her information. When the gates finally opened, she allowed herself to be pulled along again like a boy might drag his doll across the floor.

Her vault was far deeper than the Lestrange one. She doubted Rabastan had even gone this far into Gringotts depths. Hermione's mother had refused to have the dragons guarding theirs, insisting the bank's other security was sufficient enough, so getting to the actual room was quick.

Rabastan's eyes widened at the array of jewellery and riches that lined the vaults walls. However not only was it filled with anything a money hungry man could desire, it also held photograph albums and literature and childhoods mementos both Regulus and Hermione's.

Hermione swept down and picked up a random tomb, inspecting it and dusting off the cover.

"This is the one" she announced, also picking up some money for safety purposes and placing them in her handbag.

Also in the bag was the pouch that had the found horcruxes inside just in case the mission was successful. They'd discussed what potential objects they could be. It boiled down to anything that has meaning. Voldemort picked things which held significance to him and his life. There was also the idea that you would be able to know it was a horcrux by the magical radiation if you tuned into it. Hermione crossed her fingers "Anything you need while we're here?"

Rabastan didn't say anything for a while and she started worry he was catching on. A completely irrational thought, but don't they come along with going against the grain?

"Sure. It's Rod's birthday soon and I need the coins"

They hopped back into the cart and let it drive them further up from the depths of the bank until they reached the Lestrange vault. The goblin scurried along and rang the bell, hurrying to bypass the dragon. Hermione cast her eyes down.

The Lestrange vault was almost glitzier than hers, gold and silver sparkling everywhere. As Rabastan searched for the specific amount, Hermione let her palm glow faintly. She waved it along the shelves, searching for any sort of feedback. Suddenly, her heart stopped and her hand began to tremble. Hermione looked up to see a cup, small but clearly valuable, with the Hufflepuff badger engraved on it clearly. The horcrux.

She went to reach for it, but retracted her hand just as quick. Anything could be protecting it. Hermione cast a bunch of detecting spells and came up with the doubling charm. Encasing it in purple, she levitated it into her bag, praying only human touch would enable the charm.

Back home at their kitchen table, Hermione and Regulus reviewed their progress: Three horcruxes in their possesion.

"So now you've got it, get rid of Lestrange" he said, an edge in his voice.

She nodded slowly, not really focusing on his words. "How many more do you think?"

Regulus frowned and scratched his head "I don't suppose there's a way to really know. Unless they give off some kind of radiation suggesting completion. But that's not something we can count on is it?"

"Can we count on anything?"

☎️

Another funeral, just days before Christmas.

The deaths of Fleamont and Euphemia Potter shook the Wizarding World, the pair dying of dragon pox.

Hermione had made her piece with them, having spoken to them at length, but their deaths still didn't hit as hard as she expected. Regulus had said that she'd come to terms with losing them years ago. Sirius and James were beside themselves.

She gave Lyra over to Sirius, the little girl dressed like a doll in a black mourning ensemble, letting her be his rock for the rest of the day. He doted on her, and so she kept him generally sane.

Hermione spent the day with the Weasleys, chatting to Bill and Charlie, who didn't really know the Potters well enough to grieve, and playing with the mischievous twins. That kept them occupied.

James made a speech. He spoke about how kind, caring, loving the Potters were. But Hermione couldn't really connect or relate to the stories he told until he got to the last one.

"Me and my parents didn't know what to do with my little sister Mia." His teary eyes met her dry ones " She was different to us in almost every way, which was strange. And all three of us did things I'm sure they weren't proud of. But I have one last story that I think shows that she was genuinely loved, and we were a family.

A while back, probably before a few years into Hogwarts, we all went to visit our Great Aunt Sylvie. She was like 124 or something. And long story short, Hermione had been smacked across the face by the old bird. Mum... well Mum went mental. We were banned from all their functions and that.

Never saw Sylv again actually. Dad never spoke to those relatives again. And that's what I'm commending. Mia must've been fifteen, sixteen then. And if you know us then you know Mia's teen years with us were rocky. But they sacrificed majority of their blood family because of that. And that's what I think the Potters represent"

James stepped off the podium and took Harry from Lily before making his way to wear Hermione sat with the Weasleys.

He looked at her with uncertainty "did you mind?"

Hermione wiped at her face "I would've liked for you to have asked, James. But no. It's what eulogy's are for"

James went to turn away and walk back to the front pews before stopping. He looked at the dual coffins, flowers gracing the tops. With his back still turned he said "you can come for Christmas if you like. It'll be quiet"

She wiped at her face even more, the tears clogging up her throat as she laughed "sure. We need to visit Reg first, Sirius was going to come. But we'll swing by after"

He nodded, smiling just a bit. "Okay"