Cast Aside

Aurors and Difficult Conversations

A/N I'm not 100% on this chapter but I don't know how to make it any better. I hope it satisfies!

Chapter 18

Halfway through putting George to rights, three more cracks of apparition set them all on edge. Arthur and Gideon ran out of the house ready to fight, everyone but Hermione waiting with bated breath, only to return a minute later with three Order members. Her suspicion at Dumbledore's involvement resolved into certainty when she recognized two of them, Alastor Moody and Kingsley Shaklebolt. 

But she couldn't worry about that until after George was healed. Pushing her anger back behind her shields, she ignored the newcomers and pulled Molly and Fabian back to his still bleeding shoulder. 

Over an hour after they'd begun, the soft tissue in George's shoulder was as good as it ever would be. Unable to mend the bones shattered by Greyback's mauling however, they had been forced to banish his clavicle and scapula. Skele-gro Molly had thankfully had on hand waited on the counter for when he woke. He would be alright, badly scarred, but whole. Having some idea how painful the night ahead would be for him, Hermione wished there was anything more she could do. 

He had been in and out of consciousness as they worked over him, mumbling her real name more than once, calling Molly, 'Mum' and most of all, crying out for Fred. Clearly confused and no doubt compiling a list of questions, Molly had done her best to ignore him as she helped Hermione and Fabian. Part of Hermione wanted to avoid the conversation, maybe obliviate the memories. But it was thoughts of their future, hers and George's here in the past, that made her reconsider. 

Unfortunately, that important conversation would have to wait. There were three Order members in the other room that Gideon had asked to stay so that they might feel her ire. By the time she trudged into the sitting room, Alastor was standing impatiently by the fireplace. 

"And who are you to have demanded that we stay here, Missy? We need to report to Dumbledore, not wait around for bossy little girls."

Too exhausted to rise to his bait, Hermione crossed her arms and stared the paranoid auror down. "I'm Helen. Ask Dumbledore, he knows who I am. And while you're at it, you can ask him how the bloody hell he knew to send you here and why the bloody hell he waited so long to do it! As you can see, you were a little late. And, I don't recall anyone here sending word to Dumbledore when those bastards arrived."

Kingsley shifted uncomfortably where he stood beside them but Alastor was undaunted. 

"Oh I'll be asking Dumbledore plenty, but I want to hear it from you. And don't think just because you're part of their little hat project you're above suspicion."

Scoffing, Hermione shook her head and turned away from him. Gideon moved between the two of them, holding a hand up to stop the auror following her as she sank into a chair. "Calm down, Alastor. Her fiancé's just been nearly killed by Greyback. George,  is his name. A Prewett and our cousin. She went to school in France and they've been living there for a while. You don't know every witch and wizard on the Isle. Just because they're not in the Order doesn't mean they're Death Eaters."

"Greyback was here?" Cutting in for the first time, Kingsley spoke to Hermione. "Were any of the children hurt? Did you manage to kill him or did he get away?"

She sniffed and crossed her legs. "The children are fine, obviously. Do you think anyone would give a toss about you or Dumbledore if they'd been hurt? Greyback was badly injured but unfortunately, he did escape. None of the other four survived."