Chapter 29

Sirius returned to Grimmauld Place in much better spirits than he'd been when he'd left.

Seeing Draco had been shocking, to say the least. The young man was obviously pained, in more ways than Sirius really knew how to handle. But the important thing was that Draco had him now, and wasn't that a riot? Him, Sirius Black, finding himself able to actually help someone, to actually be of use?

The annoyed anguish he'd felt when trapped in this house, when all he'd wanted to do was join the war effort, make a difference, help the Order, was now nothing but a memory. Someone needed him, and despite having no real experience in matters like that, he would do his level best to help.

And through him, Draco and Harry were related, in a way. Maybe they could find it in themselves to move beyond their animosity and actually become friends. Or, at least, not enemies. Draco had asked about Harry, and he'd seemed curious, not malicious, to learn that Harry was happy, healthy, and godfather to Draco's cousin Teddy.

They were all linked in so many ways.

The only thing missing was the one person who'd really made all the difference. Hermione. Grimmauld Place was stark and austere without her, her presence like a balm to the wounds the hated house had left on his soul. When she was here, it didn't feel ugly or lonely.

Sirius had fucked up before, but he was learning. He never wanted Hermione to leave again. So Kreacher was gone for good, and Sirius planned to make use of his extensive library to see if he could find some manuals on household spells. He'd make her proud. It might take a little time and a lot of ingenuity, but thankfully, he had both.

He waited at the kitchen table for her for to return. He'd been there almost an hour, slipping into a sort of daydream-y trance, thinking on all the things he would say...and do...to her when she returned. He'd apologise, of course. She needed to know he was sorry for lying. That he understood why he shouldn't have done that. Lying about what he'd done was worse than his actions, he realised. His actions could be construed as selfish and lazy, but lying... that was deliberate. So, he'd apologise. And she'd forgive him, because she was good like that. She had a heart big enough to see past his mistakes. And then... he'd make love to her. He'd show her with his body what he felt inadequate saying with words.

He'd make love to her.

And she'd be happy that he understood why she'd been hurt, and she'd promise never to storm out in anger again, even if it was just to finish the shopping.

Which made him realise she'd been gone an awful long time, just to do shopping.

So, she's left me, Sirius thought a little blankly. Well, no matter. This was one time he wasn't going to take her decision to heart. Once, he'd forced her out. Now, he'd force her back.

Well, he'd at least make her want to come back.

Sirius was certain he knew where she'd go if she were distressed. She and Ginny had been spending a lot of time together, now that there was a wedding to be planned. He would just go to Harry's and make sure Hermione was okay, and maybe speak with her a little. If nothing else, he'd tell Harry how he felt, and Harry would give her the message.

Sirius called out, "Godric's Hollow!" after the Floo powder sparked in the hearth. A moment later, Harry's head appeared.

"Sirius! It's good to see you!" Harry's head looked very pleased. Maybe Hermione wasn't as angry as he'd thought.

"You, too, Harry. Can you ask Hermione to come to the Floo? I really need to speak with her."

Harry look confused. "Hermione's not here... I don't think. One moment."

As Harry called out for Ginny, Sirius heart started a beat a little unevenly. Where else would she go? She did have a few friends, none as close as Harry and Ginny, though. They would have been the first people she'd have gone to. Unless she wanted to be alone, in which case, Sirius might never find her. But she really wasn't the type to do that. If nothing else, she'd have let someone know where she was, especially after Harry's warning about those Death Eaters taking revenge.

When Harry returned to the Floo, Sirius had a very sick feeling in his stomach.

"I'm coming through," Harry announced, and Sirius had only enough time to shift to the side before Harry and Ginny both strode in.

"Did Hermione leave? Why? What's happening?" Ginny's questions were rapid-fire, but Sirius kept up.

"We had a fight. She left, I thought to finish the shopping. She should have been back hours ago."

Harry drew a deep breath. "It's going to be fine. I'm sure she just needed some time to think. Nonetheless, I'll call it in to the Corps, and we'll start looking."

Sirius nodded numbly. He desperately hoped that they would find her at the grocery store, angrily avoiding buying his favourite items.

But when the three of them opened the front door to start the search and saw the groceries strewn as if dropped across the stoop, Sirius fell to his knees.

"Frankenhodge... Jimothy... you can't do this. You know Harry Potter is my best friend. You'll be sent to Azkaban."

The man laughed a little desperately. "I don't care about all that. After I have what I need, they can do whatever they like to me."

Hermione breathed deeply to remain calm. She did have experience in these sorts of situations, and hyperventilating to the point of passing out would be dangerous on a number of levels. The man was obviously disturbed, and this was clearly about more than a silly little article.

"What exactly do you want from me?"

"I want you to be quiet for a few minutes," he ordered.

Frankenhodge was walking them both down some sort of walkway. Hermione had a covering on her head and could see nothing. Frankenhodge's grip on her arm was insistent, and she stumbled, trying to keep up with him.

"We're here," he announced as if that could possibly mean anything to her.

Suddenly, the head covering was whipped off. Hermione squinted, trying to focus. She drew a sharp breath, realising where they were.

Renworth Alensky's house.

"Your fucking wards ended my Apparition more than thirty metres away! You could have warned me," Frankenhodge snapped.

Hermione turned to see whom he was addressing. Renworth was sitting in an armchair, seemingly casual, but when he shifted, Hermione could tell he was magically bound. His clothing was bunched in a manner that indicated ropes, though they were invisible. He looked very sorry to see her.

"I had a lot on my mind," Renworth said dryly.

Frankenhodge tossed Hermione onto the sofa, cast Incarcerous on her, and sat heavily in another armchair. She struggled against the bonds, but they held fast, as she knew they would.

The reporter dropped his head into his hands, wand held tight in one. She thought he was foolish to take his eyes off his hostages, but he didn't seem to think them any great threat. And likely, they weren't. He had Hermione's wand in his pocket, and she doubted Renworth had retained his.

"What's going on?" she asked quietly, addressing either man.

Renworth only shook his head slowly.

"Okay," Frankenhodge said in the manner of someone gathering great strength. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. Granger, you're going to brew the potion and cast the spell. Alensky had told me everything he can; he's of no real further use, but I will let him go free if you co-operate."

Hermione tried to keep up. "What potion? What spell?"

"And it's actually good that Alensky is still here. I'll need someone to help me carry... carry... the... the body. And I don't want to use magic on... it. Her. On her."

Body.

Hermione was beginning to feel more than a little ill. "What... what have you done?"

Frankenhodge looked at Hermione as if for the first time. "I know it can be done, so don't say it can't, okay? He said it can't, but I don't believe him! It worked for you. You got him back. And now you're happy, right? Everything's okay?"

"You have to tell me what's going on!" Hermione shouted. Panic was definitely setting in. There was already a body, and Frankenhodge had intimated that he'd have no compunction killing Renworth if she didn't go along with whatever mad plan was afoot. Sirius had no idea where she was, and no reason to think she'd be back any time soon. She'd left before, after all. And he hadn't come looking for her, then.

"May I?" Renworth said in a low, soothing voice. Frankenhodge stood up and left the room, waving his hand at them as if to say, 'Whatever you want.'

Hermione quickly turned to face Renworth. "What the fuck is going on? He's not... not a Death Eater or something, is he?" Hermione was all too aware of Harry reminding her about constant vigilance.

"I don't think so," he said slowly. Sighing deeply, he continued, "To be honest, I haven't got a very good idea of what's going on. He came here this morning, carrying something in a large cloth bag. I'm assuming it was the body he was referring to. I haven't seen it since. He immediately stunned me and bound me. He wanted to know all about you, the Veil, everything. Very detailed questions. I told him what I could. He tried to use Cruciatus, but I don't think he has it in him. It was very weak."

"Why would he be asking about the Veil? I got owls from him, but they didn't seem so urgent as to cause this..."

Renworth shifted in his seat, but comfort was obviously not to be had. "At first, he would ask about Sofie and Rolpho, how Rolpho brought her back, specifics like the incantation and the potion. But I couldn't remember exact details, only generalities."

Hermione nodded. "And then he came to get me. He knew I'd have more details."

Renworth looked ashamed. "Actually, I told him to find you. I'm so sorry. I thought maybe we could help him... but as the day went on, he was clearly beyond help. I have no idea what he wants, but it's bigger than his article."

"So what do we do?" Hermione asked. All the while her mind was chanting Sirius. She just wanted to tell him he could keep his stupid house-elf if it meant that if something happened to her... he wouldn't think she was angry with him.

She opened her mouth to tell Renworth that, figuring that if she died and he lived, he could tell Sirius, but Frankenhodge re-entered the room.

"What are the ingredients?" he demanded hoarsely. If possible, he looked even worse than before. His eyes were sunken, his skin drawn tight.

"Listen to me, Jimothy. I don't know what's going on, but even if I knew all the ingredients and their amounts, which I don't, I wouldn't be able to get them tonight, and possibly not at all! The most important ingredient for the retrieval potion was essence of pure azure! And the most accomplished Potions master in Britain gave me the last of it! "

"No," Frankenhodge said simply. "We'll find more. Or we'll substitute. We can find this Potions master, and he'll tell us what would work just as well."

Hermione bit off a sob. Essence of pure azure had been the bonding agent. Without it, Sirius' soul would have left his body entirely, and she would have been left with a walking body, alive, but not there. Substituting it would be disastrous.

But maybe Snape will get us out of this, she thought. Snape would have Frankenhodge on his knees in seconds.

But Frankenhodge was speaking again. "No, the less people involved, the better."

At least that hope had been short-lived and hadn't had a chance to build up.

"Now, what are the ingredients? I have to go get them, and I need to do it as soon as possible."

He hurriedly pulled out a notebook, flipping the cover and posing a self-filing quill over the page expectantly.

Hermione haltingly recited the ingredients she remembered. She knew she'd missed quite a few, and only three or four of the quantities she noted were correct. Her brewing of the potion was ages ago, and she'd been in a strange state the entire time: determined to the point of single-mindedness. There was no way a potion made with her directions was going to have the desired effect.

She didn't mention the virgin's blood. Merlin only knew what Frankenhodge would do to obtain it; everyone knew ingredients like that were most effective when fresh.

But none of that mattered. Even if she'd told him every correct ingredient and measurement, without the soul bonding addition, there was no chance.

When she couldn't remember another thing, Frankenhodge smiled. It looked grotesque on his tight features.

"Okay, I'll be back shortly. Petrificus Totalus! "

Hermione only had a split second to gasp before the spell was cast a second time on her.

Sirius had sent owls to nearly everyone he knew with a handy replication spell. His owl would have a hell of an evening, but no worse than Sirius'. Even Andromeda and Draco had been dispatched for assistance in the search for Hermione.

Andromeda had volunteered to stay at Grimmauld Place in case Hermione returned. Anyone with information was to report there. Harry's Auror friends and those on duty were combing the area diligently.

Sirius wasn't even sure where to look.

The grocery store had yielded one employee who remembered Hermione because she'd looked almost in tears as she'd picked up a Chocolate Frog and added it to her purchases. It had been odd enough to notice. Sirius tried not to fall to his knees yet again.

She's not angry, he told himself. That treat had been for him, he knew. Wherever she was, she wasn't spending her time hating him. And that somehow made it easier to bear.

His second stop had been Hogwarts. Harry had accompanied him on that trip, because Sirius had said he wouldn't be able to bear it if she'd gone to see Snape.

She hadn't. But they had two more to add to the search party, as McGonagall and Snape both demanded to join.

Harry then went to Hermione's old Muggle house, as well as where her parents lived in Australia. Sirius visited all the places they'd liked to go together. The restaurant by Grimmauld Place that sold the best falafel in history (so he swore), and the Muggle music store she liked to visit, even though her music players wouldn't work in Grimmauld Place.

He checked in with Andromeda, having opened Grimmauld Place up to any Apparition. He didn't care who came in, as long as they had her. The kidnapper, if there had been such a beast, was free to return her. And she was free to Apparate right in, though he doubted she'd attempt to do so, knowing the wards Harry had set for her and having no way of knowing they were down.

Andromeda had no news from any of the searchers.

Sirius went through the groceries for the third time, hoping for some sort of clue. The search had been going on for nearly four hours, and no one had any information as to her whereabouts.

The pulp-free pumpkin juice brought tears to his eyes. She always made sure to buy it, even though she preferred the pulpy kind. It had been the source of one silly fight, which had led to some lovely kitchen-table-sex. He didn't dare pour himself a glass now.

He vowed to tell her he had changed his mind...that he preferred the pulpy kind. She deserved to have everything she wanted, and he would never stand in the way of that again.

"Take this," came a low voice from beside Sirius. If he'd had the energy, he would have started to see Snape so close. The man was a fucking vampire, moving silently like that.

"What is it?"

"Poison, of course."

That earned Snape a baleful glare, but the annoying prick didn't even acknowledge it. "It's a very mild calming draught, combined with a stomach tonic. It will calm your mind without muddling it and settle your anxiety."

Sirius drank it. It was horrible, but then again, had it tasted good, it surely would have been poison. He didn't chase it with anything. It was sorry penance, but it would have to do.

"I've put together a list of libraries in the vicinity, both Muggle and wizard. I was planning on checking them myself, but it seems you could use a distraction. There are only so many times a man can read the ingredients on pumpkin juice," Snape continued, almost kindly, which made Sirius nauseous.

"I wasn't reading it, you git." But he didn't offer up what he had been doing, which was vowing to allow Hermione her way until the end of time.

"So shall I leave you to your... non-reading, or would you prefer to actually help in this search?"

After Sirius snatched the list from Snape's outstretched hand and Disapparated to the first location, he realised he'd been goaded into action.

And worse, he didn't even mind.

Hermione had no idea how much time passed before Frankenhodge returned with a paper bag, ostensibly full of useless ingredients.

He cancelled the Body-Bind on both Hermione and Renworth, but left them tied. He went to the adjoining dining room and began to set up a cauldron, a grill with a fire, and the ingredients.

He might as well have been brewing chicken noodle soup, for all the good it would do.

Frankenhodge eventually came back into the living room and cast Finite on Hermione's bonds. She stretched slowly, watching the harried reporter carefully.

"It's time to brew the potion," he said, gesturing to the dining room table. Hermione stood, not taking her eyes off him.

Renworth remained perfectly still, but she gained strength from his presence. As long as he was here, Hermione had a goal in mind. Keep him safe, get them both out. Had it been just her, she might have felt a little more hopeless.

Hermione went through the motions, brewing a potion that had no hope of success, creating a base with no key ingredients, tossing in items that were completely useless. She only hoped that the combination wouldn't trigger an explosion.

"Very good," Frankenhodge would encourage, watching her very carefully.

After the 'potion' was complete, Hermione turned the fire down and told Frankenhodge it needed to simmer for an hour. She wanted to buy them some time, though she had no reason to believe anyone would be able to find her here, even if Sirius did suspect she was missing and not just sulking somewhere.

"Now, the incantation."

Despite her protestations that she couldn't remember the entire thing, Hermione wrote down the spell to the best of her ability. It had been in another language, and she remembered a few words phonetically, but like with the potion, it just wouldn't be enough.

Writing the words brought Hermione back to when she'd been in the Department of Mysteries, in front of the Veil, bleeding out and floating above her own body, watching her blood flow toward the Veil, hearing those horrible hissing noises. But more than that, she remembered when Sirius had fallen through her door a week later, shaking and unconscious. How she'd nursed him as best she could. How she'd tried to help. The look in Harry's eyes when he saw Sirius for the first time. How Hermione had felt so accomplished, so proud. How she'd been so grateful.

"Very, very good," said Frankenhodge, reading over the spell. "Come with me."

Hermione followed him into the kitchen, dread filling her as she laid eyes on the cloth bag Renworth had mentioned. It was just the right shape and size to contain a body.

Frankenhodge drew the bag back, uncovering the face of a young woman. She was obviously dead. Tears sprang to Hermione's eyes.

"I'd like you to meet Stacia," Frankenhodge said quietly, pushing the hair away from the pale face of the young woman. "My sister. We're going to bring her back."