The Light

Chapter 77- The Church

AN: I lied...

Chapter 77- The Church

May 1980

"A Death Eater?" Lily questioned when Hermione next went to visit her at Godric's Hollow. It appeared she was on 'house arrest' as the redhead had grudgingly dubbed it, claiming James would not let her leave the house, even if it was to the new Headquarters.

In her absence, the Order had erected a new place of meeting in an abandoned Muggle clinic. On the outside, it looked no more in use than its title suggested, but the glamour was deceiving and the wards placed on it had been thoroughly and deceptively applied. Inside, on the other hand, was a headquarters worthy of the Order of the Phoenix. Marlene and Lily (before James had refused to let her out) had altered the layout, resulting in a division of seven bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and planning room. Hermione had moved into one of these rooms, and when Sirius and James had returned her safely, she had been greeted by a crowd of people, all cheering and grinning at the soundness of her wellbeing. Even Dumbledore was stood in the corner of the main room, watching her closely. Hermione had avoided looking at him altogether; she had a feeling he would be able to see through her, see her every conversation with Voldemort and Hermione wasn't sure why, but the thought unnerved her. She hadn't really felt like partying anyway, however, and had retired to her new room, pausing in the doorway when she saw the little box on her bed.

A frown creasing her eyebrows, Hermione had moved closer, taking the lid off and sucking in a breath when she saw the contents.

"I saved what I could," Caradoc said from behind her. He moved further into the room and leaned against her desk.

Inside the box was her flower press, her beaded bag, the photographs Peter had given her for her first Christmas in the past, and her battered and beloved copy of Peter Pan. Hermione felt her heart leap into her throat at the sight of it, and she ran her finger over the gold decoration.

"Thank you," she whispered. Caradoc simply nodded and turned to leave.

He paused in the doorway, looking back. His eyes were earnest. "I'm glad your back, Granger."

Hermione had told them all about Datner- she had to- but she was almost surprised at the lack of emotion she felt when retelling the story of his forced betrayal. The Order had been consumed in silence for a moment or two.

"That's why Fabian and Gideon died," Benjy had said, the first one to break it. He was no longer the carefree and spirited joker he had been when she'd first met him. Their deaths had impacted him greatly.

"He didn't do it by choice," Caradoc gritted out. Hermione felt a sliver of pity for him; she knew, as the leaders, they'd been close.

Emmeline looked between the two of them anxiously, then back at Hermione and said, before anything more could be said on the matter, "What else happened? Did they do anything to you?"

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, but hesitated. There was no point worrying them all about whatever Voldemort had done to her. Admittedly, now she was back home, she didn't feel scared, nor particularly concerned about it. That's a lie. Hermione pretended she couldn't hear this voice. You can still feel the darkness.

It was true that she could. The darkness seemed to linger around everything; a think smog that curled by her feet, touching everything in her world. But she tried to ignore it, because Hermione Granger didn't like what she didn't know.

She definitely wasn't going to tell them about Avery.

"No," she answered. "He just came in and goaded me a lot, informing me of his victories against you, knowing I could do nothing to stop him."