To a Better End

Chapter 54

January 7th 1978

As far as their families knew, Hermione and Draco went to France for a lovely Christmas getaway. But what they actually did for their honeymoon was go to America and go to a roller disco in each state. It was childish. It didn't help in the mission at all. But it was exactly what they needed. Hermione pushed her guilt down and enjoyed every cheesy dance move Draco did.

It was like living in a little dream, but everyone has to wake up sometime.

They went back to their jobs, waiting for something. Anything to happen that would give them a clue as to where they could intervene. Could they? She felt the doubt creeping in more and more.

The winter break was calm. Not many visitors, which wasn't out of the normal per se, but it felt lonely. Bella and Rodolphus were both gone on some trip that neither were able to talk about much. But Hermione was pretty sure it was another task their Dark Lord had placed on them.

The sun had been down for a few hours, and the snow outside was falling at a fast pace. Winter was a beautiful time. Everything felt crisp. All the fresh powder covered so much that no one could see the dead ground that lay underneath. It was like the earth's way of occluding.

Hermione turned away from the door and started her nightly closing routine, humming a tune from a muggle Christmas song. Even though the holiday passed, the snow made it feel like she was still in the season. Just as she began her sweeping charms, the front door burst open with a chill that had her shivering immediately.

She was ready to lecture whoever it was that was storming into her shop at this hour until she saw the figure. Regulus was in dark robes, hunched over and holding a scarily familiar mask in his hand.

"Reggie, what the hell-"

"Mina," he groaned.

Hermione ran over to him, and that's when it was clear, the mask was covered in blood and Reggie was dripping the red fluid onto the floor. She was hoping and hoping that it wasn't his blood as her hands scanned his body, but it was there. A clean cut to his side. At least this wouldn't be hard to heal, and Draco has potions so she could call him.

He all but fell into her arms as she brought him a few steps further, laying him on the floor. He was shaking, and Hermione wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the blood loss.

"Reggie, I'm going to heal you, but you need potions I don't carry on me. I'm going to have to send a patronus to Kai."

"No," he said weakly. "No one... can... know."

"I..." Hermione was at a loss for words. Her cousin was dying in front of her and he didn't want outside help. "Your blood loss."

Reggie coughed up some blood before he was able to get the words out."I just need you to heal me so I can apparate home."

"Apparate?! You'll splinch yourself." What an idiot.

"I can do it just FINE." His coughing increased with more blood spilling out. His voice was raspy and he looked so tired. "Damnit, Mina. Just heal me."

Hermione pulled her wand out, letting the incantations fall from her mouth like a familiar song. She shook her head at the young wizard as his skin began to knit back together. "You're bloody ridiculous, you know that?"

He shot a boyish smile at her. "Runs in the family, cousin."

The only potion she had on hand was a Pepper-Up, which Reggie readily accepted. She made a mental note to hold a whole slew of potions in the loft in case he sought her out again. And something told her that he would use Hermione as his personal healer to avoid whatever backlash this would cause in the ranks. Injuries meant that you were weak enough to be killed, and Tom was the sort to make a point.