From Wiltshire, With Love

Chapter 22

"Down on the ground, Granger! Thirty! You too, Midgen!"

Hermione and Eloise dropped to the stiff, frozen grass and reluctantly started yet another round of push-ups. Dedalus Diggle stood above them and yelled at everyone else. "Protecting your partner is just as important as protecting yourself! Don't cut corners on Shield Charms!"

Eloise was grunting alongside her, and Hermione's arms were burning. It was freezing outside, but no one was cold. Hermione could already tell she wouldn't be able to finish the set.

She groaned inwardly.

"Midgen! Granger!" he barked. "You heard what I said?"

They were gasping in between each push-up. "Yes, Auror Diggle!"

Hermione's arms trembled. Eloise turned her head. "You got this!" her shaky voice rasped in encouragement.

Hermione collapsed on the twenty-third. Eloise was still at it.

Barely.

"Can't finish?" he taunted from above her. "You know what that means. Get going, Granger!"

Struggling to get up, she heard Ron laughing behind her as she broke into a slow jog around the acreage at Paddington safe house.

"You find that fucking funny, Weasley?" John Dawlish's voice rang out, making Hermione smile.

Serves him right.

Ron's laughter abruptly stopped.

"No!"

"No, what?"

"No, Auror Dawlish!"

"Go join your girlfriend!" Dawlish ordered.

She heard Ron curse under his breath as his feet pounded on the ground behind her.

~

"You're really coming along with the Confringo hex, Ron."

Hermione went up the stairs of Paddington safe house, practically dragging herself by the railing. Her muscles were throbbing. She didn't think she'd be able to move tomorrow without a muscle salve. The wooden stairs creaked with her and Ron's ascent. Everyone else had retired from a long, grueling day by the time they finished their laps around the grounds. She and Ron had just finished their laps.

"Thanks," his voice echoed up the staircase hallway behind her. "It means a lot to hear you say that. I don't know which of the Aurors drives us harder. Proudfoot keeps hitting me on my side, but I can't keep up with Diggle. He looks old, but he's quick."

Sometimes Hermione wondered if she was too hard on Ron, making him overly dependent on her approval. He didn't grasp the fundamental theory behind each spell and charm as easily as she did, and often struggled with hexes. But he worked his arse off during combat training and was shaping up to be a competent fighter regardless.

Hermione reached the top of the stairs and turned around to wait for him. From his gait as he pulled himself upwards, it looked like he was also suffering from the exertion of tonight's training.

She rolled her shoulder. "I don't think I'll be able to move tomorrow."

"Yeah," Ron agreed, stretching with a wince after arriving at the top floor. "Remus and Diggle were pretty hard on you." He rubbed the back of his neck. "When this is all over, if I'm still going on about being an Auror, remind me of how painful today was."

They were alone on the top floor and the only light was dim, creeping out from the crack underneath the bathroom door. His red hair glinted orange, a bit like fire, from the angle of the light below. She peered up into his tired eyes.