To a Better End

Chapter 55

March 10th 1978

Since the first time Regulus burst into her shop door, bleeding and nearly dying, he had made three more similar visits. Most of them were in the night, near or after closing hours. Hermione began placing special charms on the shop to notify her if there was a surprise visitor in the dead of night. Merlin forbid something happened to Reggie just because she wasn't there to heal him. No one knew where she actually lived, assuming that she stayed in the shop or in a remote place picked out by Kai Malfoy.

Needless to say, the experience had Hermione worried. She was constantly looking over her shoulder. She sent a ridiculous amount of owls to Reggie only to be met with too simple replies. Of course, he was hiding something. Hermione knew it. She knew what Regulus had to do during his time under Voldemort. And, ultimately, it would lead to his final actions.

Final.

Hermione couldn't think about it. It was... No. She could save him. Right?

It was a slow Friday, which Hermione needed to be honest. The stress of everything was getting to her and a quiet day was what she needed. Except every time the door opened, she panicked. Maybe it was Reggie, dying before he should. Maybe it was Draco, finally getting found out for who he really was. Maybe it was Tom, seeking to lay claim to her after all this time.

But each time, it was just someone browsing or picking up a book they had on hold. Except when the door opened and no one walked in. Hermione had been helping another customer and she wrote it off as the wind. She and the witch she was wrapping a book for nervously laughed it off. But fear was an emotion that hovered beneath the surface of fake smiles.

The witch left and apparated as soon as she stepped out of the doors. Hermione didn't blame her.

Pulling out her wand, she called out, "Whoever is there, show yourself before I make this a very unpleasant day for you."

The movement in front of her was so quick and startling that Hermione nearly shot a curse at the wizard before her.

Remus held his hands up. "Woah. It's only me, Mina."

"Remus," she gasped. "What the fuck?"

He laughed at her crude language, something she usually hid from him and the others. "Today's my birthday, and that basically means it's 'give Moony whatever he wants' day."

The fear and stress were already melting away. It was a common effect Remus had on her, even when she was a teenager. He would have made an amazing father.

"So you asked for James' Invisibility Cloak so you can go book shopping?" she asked with suspicion thick in her voice. Maybe a bit with a mocking tone too, but Remus didn't notice. Or maybe he didn't make it seem like he noticed.

"We both know that I'm the swot of the group," he admits with a laugh.

"Hmm, maybe that's why we get along," she joked.

"Maybe."

She noticed the way he tentatively reached into his pockets. His nervous stance. His eyes glanced at the door more times in the minute he's been visible than should have.

"Why did you really come here?"

Remus dropped his eyes, almost like he was embarrassed that he had an ulterior motive for showing up. "There's a war underway."

"Yes," she said cautiously.

He was the embodiment of a nervous teenager. He was fidgeting, pushing his hair away from his face, and rocking on his feet. "It's pretty common knowledge among the seventh years that Dumbledore has a group of sorts."