Summer Time - But The Living Ain't Easy

Disclaimer: Last time I checked, the characters were not mine. I only take them out to play and make them do things that JKR doesn't. Like Disappearing the magic. Or making Hermione fall in love with the greasy git of the dungeons. I solemnly swear to return the characters once I am done being up to no good.

* * *

Chapter II

Summertime ... But The Living Ain't Easy

None of the last of Hogwarts' residents were quite certain where to go, let alone what to do about surviving in a world without magic. Whilst Remus and Tonks were keen to return to number twelve, Grimmauld Place, they were also reluctant for fear that the former home of the Blacks and headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix had fallen apart, now that the magic had gone.

Pansy downright refused to even consider returning to her parents. She had received her injuries from Death Eaters and had no doubt it was because she had refused to take the Dark Mark. Her family, staunch followers of the Dark Lord, had been more than a little disgruntled with their daughter's disobedience.

Over the last few days, Seamus had developed a genuine liking for Pansy. The two had been spending much time talking while Pansy was recovering in the hospital wing. Both had been surprised to enjoy the other's company and were becoming inseparable.

Once the small group of witches and wizards had left Hogsmeade behind and found themselves in the Scottish countryside, one after the other slowed down until, eventually, everyone came to a halt.

"Dang!" Seamus exclaimed. "We don't have any Muggle money! How are we going to get anywhere?" He looked at a complete loss. Everyone stared at him in disbelief. None of the others had thought of the need for Muggle money. Without magic, Apparating, Floo, even brooms were unavailable for transport, and Muggle transport was unavailable without money.

Tonks said, "Great. Not that I'm sure where to go in the first place, but I have no way of getting there." She sighed deeply.

Hermione's face suddenly brightened. "I know what we can do! We'll walk to the next village, and I'll phone my parents. They'll help us out with money."

Everyone looked relieved, now that the money problem was to be solved. The next problem was to decide where to go.

Seamus had invited Pansy to go with him to stay with his parents until they found a solution to bring the magic back or until they had to integrate in the Muggle world if the magic stayed away. It was a thought neither was willing to entertain.

Remus and Tonks decided to return to London. Even if number twelve, Grimmauld Place, proved to be inaccessible, they were more likely to find other Order members there and hoped that among the brighter minds, they might find a way to bring the magic back into the wizarding world.

Hermione had decided to return home to her parents for a few days, hoping to recover from the trauma that had been the Final Battle. She was feeling tired and drained and in dire need of some peace and pampering. She hoped her parents could provide both. Then, she planned to go and find Snape. Maybe Dobby had spoken the truth... But even if he had not, Hermione figured she would never know unless she actually went to track down Snape.

* * *

The young witch was almost certain that a lot of wizards and witches would go mental, succumb to illness, or even commit suicide if the magic stayed away. She, a Muggle-born witch, missed the magic dearly and could not even begin to imagine what great a loss it would be for someone who had been born into a wizarding family without ever having had much contact with Muggles. Soon, an entire world would be lost, unless its survivors started to work on finding a way to return the magic. Her mind made up, she started to speak.

"Right, people. It's going to be a couple of hours before my dad's money arrives. I think we should spend them constructively and formulate a strategy to get the magic back."

"Good idea," agreed Tonks. "First of all, we should exchange Muggle-style contact details, so we can communicate with each other. Somehow, I doubt that we'll find owls who deliver mail..."

"I will see if my dad continues publishing The Quibbler. He can run a classified section for people looking for someone from our world. Colin's mum has some contacts in Muggle publishing ... maybe she'll help us. Then we might get an idea of the number of survivors." Luna sounded her usual serene self, as if the loss of magic was merely an inconvenience.

Pansy stated quietly, "I need to heal first before I can be of any use, but I'll gladly help if anyone knows how."

"You will heal soon," Seamus assured her, his voice filled with affection. He added, "Don't you worry, Pansy. Your family can't find you without magic, and with that threat gone, and a bit of loving care, you'll be well again in no time."

Pansy offered him a hesitant smile, which led Hermione to wonder just how much abuse the young witch had experienced by the hands of her pureblood family. She could not help but to feel admiration for the Slytherin witch for putting her conscience before the safety of her life.

"Any ideas how we can get the magic back?" Remus asked glumly. Everyone looked away, not knowing any answer but a brutal "No" and not willing to say it.

"I think," Hermione started slowly, "to get an idea of how to bring the magic back, we first of all have to look into how the magic disappeared. I find a problem is always easier to solve if the cause of it is known. If we can figure out what caused the magic to leave, we might even be able to reverse the process."

Professor Sprout nodded. "You have a point... I wonder if the forms of magic that Muggles use have disappeared, too. Is there a way we can find out?" She looked into the round questioningly.

Tonks' tone was unbelieving. "What do you mean, Muggles use magic? It's all illusion stuff they do!"

Hermione shook her head. "No. There is a difference between a magician who creates illusions and a Muggle who practises magic," she explained.

"And exactly what kind of magic is it that Muggles practise?" Tonks sounded as mocking as Snape now, but her face carried an expectant look nevertheless.

"Some Muggles are adept in the healing arts, such as Reiki. Some, especially those who follow the Pagan ways of life, are capable of manipulating events, like say, bringing love to their lives or being offered a better job. They do this by way of rituals, and many of them have better knowledge of lunar influence on earth than witches or wizards do. Then, I know of Muggles who are capable of divination so correct it would make Trelawny turn green with envy. And then, there are those who communicate with the dead or with beings from higher dimensions," Hermione lectured.

Seamus nodded. "Yes, my dad used to visit a medium who channeled some high dimensional beings. It was fascinating stuff!"

"Really?" Pansy was astounded. "I'd love to meet someone who communicates with beings from a different dimension," she added, and her face took on a dreamy expression. "Just imagine... A being from a higher dimension might even know how we can get the magic back."

Hermione drew in her breath sharply. Who would have thought that Pansy Parkinson of all people might come up with a possible solution to their dilemma? "What a brilliant idea, Pansy," she praised the Slytherin. "You and Seamus could find that medium and see if he or she can help us!"

"Yeah, if that lady is still around, then I'm sure my dad will know about it. I'll let you know," Seamus agreed, putting his arm around Pansy's shoulder and giving her a look full of admiration.

"You do that," Remus agreed and, holding Tonks close to him, added, "Tonks and I will look for our kind in London and see what we can achieve there." He turned to face Hermione. "And what are you going to do?" he asked her.

She took a deep breath and answered, "I think the only idea I can come up with is to investigate Dobby's statement. I'm not sure if I want to see Snape again, but I will do anything to get the magic back. And if that means working with him..." She shrugged, sighed, and then shuddered at the mere thought of having to face Hogwarts' most hated former professor, a killer ... and her life saviour.

"It sounds worse than it's likely to be, Hermione," Pansy tried to comfort her. "I know everyone outside Slytherin hates him, but he really isn't bad at all. A lot of his persona was put on because he knew better than to assume the Dark Lord would not have others spy on him."

Tonks snorted. "Well, I'm glad you're not saying he's nice at least, Parkinson. The man killed Dumbledore!" Tonks made no secret of her dislike of the Slytherin witch or, in fact, of anyone Slytherin. Turning to Hermione, she remarked, "I don't know if it's a good idea to find him, Hermione. I wouldn't be comfortable around a killer."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Someone remind me why I used to like her, she thought.

"All we know for certain is that he killed Dumbledore. As to the why, we can only speculate until Snape tells his version. I thought him a murderer, too, until he saved my life by killing several Death Eaters. That, to me, means there has to be more to it than Harry knew. Snape had no reason to save me, and if he truly was on Voldemort's side, he wouldn't have done it," Hermione stated defensively.

Tonks' condemnation of Snape was getting on her nerves. 'She has no idea what it's like to have someone save your life by killing others,', she thought bitterly. The knowledge of owing a life debt to someone she had disliked for years, to someone she had perceived as a murderer for the past year, weighed heavily on her.

Remus made an effort to calm the situation. "Come on, girls. We'll each do what each thinks is best. Our first and foremost goal is to find our magic again. Once we've achieved that, we can worry about Snape's motives." He cupped his lover's face in his hands. "I know how you feel about Severus. If it hadn't been for his constant mocking, Sirius would never have run to the Ministry of Magic that night. He might be still alive. That's what you think, isn't it?"

Tonks nodded sadly, the memory of losing one of her best friends welling up inside of her. "Yes, Remus. That's what I think."

Hermione voiced a new worry. "Please, people, let's put any differences we have aside for now. If we can show a united front to find the magic again, it'll be easier on everyone. We're more likely to be successful, rather than wasting our energies with arguing pointlessly," she pleaded.

"True," Remus agreed and added wistfully, "I'm sure if our world had been more united against Voldemort, we would have lost far fewer lives."

His daring statement hung uncomfortably in the air, and it was a while before anyone spoke again.

Pansy finally broke the silence. "The Dark Lord apparently used to get a kick out of the way the wizarding world was split over him. My parents used to snigger about the Ministry of Magic being so busy policing everyone that they had no time to concentrate on his defeat."

"I can imagine," Seamus commented dryly. "My dad always said that the Ministry of Magic was no different than the Muggle government, always busy finding new ways to curb people's freedom under the guise of crime and all that."

Hermione smirked. "Funny that! My parents shared that opinion when I told them about the toad and all the ridiculous decrees she imposed on us with the help of Fudge."

The group did manage to part on friendly terms. Even Tonks, although she had required a dose of calming and quietly stated reasoning from Remus, finally agreed to put all differences behind for now.

Neville remarked, "Hey, at least if we wait until we get the magic back, we can argue in style, with hexes and spells!" His comment left everyone amused.

After Hermione made another reverse charge call to her parents and visited a bank to get Muggle money, it was finally time to part company and face a world devoid of magic. The good-byes were emotional, and the promises to communicate via Muggle means fervently spoken.

* * *

It had been one week since Hermione had arrived at her parents' home, and she felt increasingly restless. In the first couple of days, her parents had tried hard to make her as comfortable as possible, more so with little gestures and a decided lack of words beyond the mundane. But on the third day, the questions began, instigated by a concerned Mrs Granger whose medically-trained mind feared for her daughter's mental well-being if the trauma was not talked about.

All Mrs Granger knew was what had transpired in the first phone call from some small Highland village. "Voldemort is gone, but so is the magic, and the few of us who have survived can't get anywhere..." And even that had come secondhand from her husband who had taken the call.

No matter how hard Hermione's mother tried, no matter how cunningly she phrased her questions, the young witch refused to humour her mother. She was not ready to discuss the events with any Muggle. "Yes, Mum, Voldemort is gone. I don't know who did the act. A lot of witches and wizards died in the battle, and it finally ended when Snape killed a group of Death Eaters," she replied impatiently to her mother's careful prodding. "Look, Mum, I know you think it's important to talk about the whole mess. No disrespect, but you can't possibly have any idea how I feel. I mean, you've never known magic, so you don't know what it's like to suddenly be without it." She left the kitchen and a speechless Mrs Granger behind, retreating to her own room.

After more days of Grangeresque prodding, suggestions to take a job, and even the promise to finance her through university, Hermione knew she had to leave, or else her goal of finding a way to bring the magic back would fade out of existence. 'I cannot let the people down who introduced me to the wizarding world and nourished my magic. If I stay here any longer, I'll be half-comfortable amongst Muggles because that's how my own world was until I learned of Hogwarts, and it won't take long to get used to it. One day, I'll regret not looking for the magic, and then it'll be too late,' she thought dejectedly.

Having decided that her best plan of action was still to go and find Snape, her next step would be to figure out what to do if she could not find him. Hermione could not be certain that he was still at Spinner's End, the location that the tracking charm had revealed when the Room of Requirement was still functional. It had been an entire week, and she had no idea how he was faring without magic. For all she knew, he might have been forced to take on any Muggle job in order to maintain himself. Or maybe his half-Muggle heritage had ensured that he kept some ties to the Muggle world, although she doubted it, given his obscure allegiance to Voldemort who had despised anything Muggle.

Her thoughts about Snape made her feel uncomfortable. He had, after all, killed Dumbledore; there was no doubt about that. Tonks' words about not wanting to be around a killer rang in her mind, but Hermione gave herself a mental kick. Get real, Granger. It was a war. Any soldier will kill in a war, so quit freaking about meeting the greasy git. He did save your life!

She then concentrated at the task at hand ... work out the best plan of action if she could not locate Snape. I don't want to come back here. Mum and dad mean well, but I know they'll push me to get fully integrated in the Muggle world, as if the magic has gone for good. The thought made her shudder. She knew she could easily live like a Muggle, but had no real desire to do so as long as there was hope to find the magic again. What about all the witches and wizards who likely were facing tremendous difficulties by not having magic?

It's probably best if I meet up with Remus and Tonks first. If number twelve, Grimmauld Place, is still there, I could probably use that as a base and stay there until... until whatever, her thought finished abruptly.

As uncomfortable as she felt about facing her former Potions professor, she absolutely did not want to think about the possibility of not being able to find him or what she would do if he was not at Spinner's End.

When Hermione heard the front door close and the voice of her father, she left the sanctuary of her room to talk to her parents. She hoped it would be a little easier if her father was present. He often saw reason in her actions where her mother did not.

And it was easier. "Honey, you do what you have to do. As much as I love having you here, I'm happier knowing you are happy. And if that means being somewhere else, then so be it. Your happiness is more important than us being selfish by wanting you home."

Hermione hugged him tightly. "Thanks, Dad," she choked, desperately trying to keep away the tears that were welling up inside of her.

Her mother sighed, "If that's what you want to do... I'll miss you, love." She was not happy about her daughter leaving so soon.

"I'll miss the two of you, too. And Mum, it's not really that I want to go and find Snape, but if it means finding the magic again, then it'll be worth it."

"We understand, honey," her father assured her.

When Hermione returned to her room, she let out a sigh of relief. The talk with her parents had gone far better than she had anticipated, and she was glad to be able to leave on friendly terms with the full support of her parents.

* * *

The next morning, the young witch headed for London and spent the entire train journey wondering whether number twelve, Grimmauld Place, was still standing, and if not, she hoped at least the Leaky Cauldron would still be there. I'll bet number twelve is still functional. Otherwise Remus would have phoned or written to let me know his new location, she thought, trying not to think of any what ifs.

When Hermione arrived at Grimmauld Place, she felt her spirits lift considerably. Not only was the house there ... the Fidelius Charm must have disappeared with the magic ... she also spotted Tonks opening a window on the first floor.

"Tonks!" Hermione called, waving at the witch.

Tonks waved back and yelled, "Come over. I'll open the door for you!" She disappeared from the window, and by the time Hermione had crossed the road, Tonks stood at the open front door, beaming.

"Isn't it great?" Tonks asked. "It's still standing, even without the magic! And it's still hell to keep clean," she added, laughing. "But at least all the magical pesty creatures are gone." She motioned for Hermione to go inside and closed the door. "Go through to the kitchen. It's still the cosiest place."

Hermione noticed that Tonks seemed to have lost all her clumsiness. Making and serving coffee was accomplished without any incidents.

"Remus should be back in a couple of hours," Tonks said and then offered more of an explanation. "We've been taking turns searching for magical folk, in case any Order members show up here."

"And?" Hermione asked expectantly. "Have you found anyone yet?"

Tonks let out a long sigh. "No... Yes. Remus found Mundungus Fletcher. Only... Dung didn't recognise him. He seems to have turned into a tramp, without any idea as to his identity or past." She looked down and studied the mug of coffee on the table, unhappy to report such a lack of progress. Then she went on, "And Kingsley came by very briefly. He's still working at the Muggle government place, and he said he wanted to talk to us. But he couldn't stay and promised to pop in again. He sounded... strange."

"What do you mean, strange?" Hermione inquired. Tonks' report did not seem encouraging.

"I'm not sure how to describe it." Tonks sounded hesitant. "He looked kind of haunted, as if he was paranoid that someone was following him or checking on him. And he... he sounded so... dejected; desperate to talk to us on one hand and afraid on the other. It was as if he was not himself," she finished.

Hermione remained silent for a while. There was nothing she could think of saying about such little and disheartening information.

Tonks said, as if trying to comfort herself as much as Hermione, "Of course, it's only been just over a week. We can't really expect to find everything to be all chipper so soon after the battle, even though the reptilian bastard finally did snuff it."

Hermione could not help grinning at Tonks' choice of words to describe Voldemort. "No, that's true. It's only been a week," she agreed and then continued, "I'm just so glad this house is still here. Surely any surviving Order members will pop in as soon as they can."

"Oh, absolutely," Tonks replied, filling their mugs with more coffee. "Moody shows up every other day to exchange any information we might have of others. He hasn't had any luck so far, either. I have a suspicion, though, that he might try and corner Kingsley. You know how paranoid Moody is ... he reckons in all seriousness that the Muggle government has made the magic disappear with their ultra-advanced technology..." She sighed as memories of various scenes starring Moody's paranoia entered her mind unbidden.

"So, the loss of magic hasn't changed that trait of his?" Hermione enquired, grinning.

"Nah. He's too old to change, I think," Tonks replied matter-of-factly.

"Who is too old?" Remus' voice startled the two young women. Neither of them had heard him enter.

"You're back early," Tonks commented as she stood up to kiss him in greeting. "Is that a good or a bad sign?" She looked at him expectantly.

Remus teased her by pretending to ignore his lover and, instead, greeted Hermione.

"I didn't think of telephoning you to let you know that we're staying here! I'm having a bit of trouble with this concept of using a telephone instead of an owl," he admitted, a little embarrassed.

"I know what you mean, Remus," Hermione offered. "I keep catching myself using my wand and only remember when nothing happens. And I spent my first eleven years as a Muggle," she added.

"Oh! But... You know, we should make an effort and continue using wands! Even if only for a few minutes every day. But that way we'll keep in practice and know exactly when the magic comes back," Remus commented. Then, he corrected himself hesitantly, "If the magic comes back."

Tonks evidently had enough of her lover ignoring her. "Oi!" she exclaimed. "You do have some news; it's written on your forehead! And it better be good news, or else I'll punish you for averting my question," she threatened.

Remus grinned and took her into a fierce hug. "You know me too well, woman," he stated, still grinning.

Then his face took on a somber expression. "Let's say, if every day from now on will be as rewarding as today, I'll gladly live for another hundred years." He smirked. "I... Merlin, it's been an amazing morning." He took a sideways glance at Tonks and took a deep breath. "Love, let me quickly reiterate, so Hermione knows what's been happening here. I trust you already told her about Dung and Kingsley?"

"Yes, Remus! And Moody. That's how far I got. Now, get on with it," Tonks demanded.

Remus turned to face Hermione. "You see, up until yesterday, the Leaky Cauldron was closed. The building's there, but it's been locked up. A few wizards and witches turned up whenever I was hanging around there, but nobody I knew. Well, when I got there this morning, it was open and Tom was inside. He had some news and the evidence to prove it."

The two witches looked at him expectantly. "Right now, the body of Fenrir Greyback is residing in one of the spare rooms of the Leaky Cauldron until the weekend. Tom said that if it doesn't get picked up by then, he'll have the Muggle authorities dispose of it."

His voice had turned forceful as he reported the events, but when he continued, it had a wistful quality to it. "Just imagine. Kids will be safe again... None of the young ones will have to suffer that particular fate..." He shuddered, and Tonks wrapped her arms around him, offering comfort.

"Oh, Merlin. Remus, that is the best news I could hope for! Greyback dead! Did Tom know anything about how he died?" asked his lover.

"Yes..." Remus was fidgeting. "I... spoke to the one who killed him." He allowed a sigh to escape but continued talking, "Hagrid. He gave me a detailed account of it, but quite frankly, I have no interest in recalling it. Let's just say I feel I owe him something equivalent to a life debt..."

Both witches gasped. Hermione was the first to find words. "Remus! Hagrid loved all of you Marauders! He surely did that one act to avenge the Marauders, not just you as an individual. It was his way of avenging you, James and Sirius."

"You're probably right," Remus admitted. "He was mumbling something about Harry having done the deed with Wormtail, but he did not go into any details." He glanced at Hermione, looking hopeful.

"Wormtail struck down McGonagall, and Harry went after him and knocked him down with the Killing Curse," Hermione recalled softly. "Just before Lucius got him..." She felt her eyes well up.

Both Tonks and Remus jumped up instantly to comfort her. "Oh, goddess, Hermione, why didn't you tell anyone?" Tonks asked, hugging her tightly.

Hermione had no answer. All she could do was sob, crying her heart out. She thought for a moment how she had been unable to collapse like that in the safety of her parents' home, the place she'd known as home as long as she could remember. Why did she break down like that now in this still uncomfortable place, still not clean, still not cosy, except maybe for that long kitchen table and the crackling fire nearby?

"I don't know," Hermione choked. "I didn't feel comfortable talking to my parents about all that happened. I didn't think they'd understand... They wouldn't have understood..."

She continued crying. Now that the tears were flowing, they seemed unstoppable. She cried for Harry, whose life had never been easy and then cut short so cruelly. For McGonagall, who had spent decades looking after her Gryffindors only to die trying to protect her charges. For Pansy Parkinson, who had survived, but the scars, both physical and emotional, would remain with her for the rest of her life. For Ron and his family, who had been Vanished to Merlin knew where.

And finally, she cried for herself. For losing the first love of her life with whom she had planned a future together. For being forced to rethink her entire future when she should be having the time of her life, enjoying this short span of time during which she wasn't a child anymore but not yet seriously considered an adult, enjoying not having school to worry about, enjoying the occasional anticipation of starting her future as an adult and an apprenticeship in Transfiguration with McGonagall. And for having to face Snape again.

Eventually, Hermione was all cried out. Tonks got up slowly, and Hermione realised at that moment that she had been holding onto her and sobbing into her shoulder. "Sorry, Tonks," she murmured, uncomfortably aware that, for once, she had been the one in need of comfort rather than being on the giving end. She was also startled by the fact that she did not care who it was that was comforting her.

"Don't be daft!" Tonks replied while busying herself making fresh coffee.

"Tonks is right, Hermione," Remus commented before Hermione had a chance to say anything. He continued, "We spent our first few days here just arguing and crying because of all that happened and the uncertainty of a magical future. I dare say it's a normal reaction."

Hermione considered his words and nodded hesitantly. "I guess..." she allowed lamely, not quite able to label her outburst as yet into any particular emotional drawer.

Remus wasted no time diverting her thoughts away from her misery. He said briskly, "Anyway, I have more news. I spoke to Mr Lovegood today. There is a phone booth on the Muggle side of the Leaky Cauldron from which one can make calls for free at present. I don't know if it's bewitched with lingering magic or simply in need of repair, but honestly, I don't care." He grinned wryly before continuing. "The more I'm confronted with Muggle things, the more I want the magic back. To me, it's just plain wrong to have to pay lots in order to communicate with someone. A token payment, like we do ... did ... at any owlery, I don't have a problem with, but it can't be that costly to maintain phone booths to justify charging the earth," he finished.

Hermione nodded in sympathy, and Tonks gave him an adoring look

"Anyway," Remus continued, "I'm making use of it for as long as it's there... Mr Lovegood told me he had been given a donation with the request to publish The Quibbler in the Muggle world. He said he had planned on doing so in any case, especially after Luna and Colin talked to him, but it would have taken him a while, given how much money one needs to publish a magazine in the Muggle world. Now, with the donation, he can do so right away, and he reckons that the first issue will be in print and in the shops within two months."

"Who donated that much money to him?" Hermione asked suspiciously. She did not know much about publishing, but had enough experience living in the Muggle world to take an educated guess about the cost of getting a brand new magazine published. As far as the Muggle world was concerned, The Quibbler was brand new. It would take tens of thousands of pounds if not more.

"Funny you should ask," Remus smirked. "The donor remained anonymous!"

Both Hermione and Tonks gasped. It had to be a wizard; there was no doubt about that. The vast majority of Muggles was not even aware that there was a magical world. But most well-to-do wizarding families were, if not openly on Voldemort's side, at least insistent that anything Muggle was looked upon disdainfully. Who would have donated such a huge amount of money?

Remus had not quite finished his day's news. "I also received a letter from Seamus Finnegan. He evidently thought sending Muggle mail to me via the Leaky Cauldron was safer than sending it here." He sounded amused.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, surprised at both Seamus' choice of address and the fact that after an entire week of barely anything worthy of reporting, a mere morning produced more results of news than the previous eight days. "Of course! It makes sense! If this place had been inaccessible, his letter wouldn't have reached you. He figured you were more likely to visit the Leaky Cauldron frequently, what with looking for survivors," she added. "So, what did Seamus have to say?"

Remus fished the letter out of his pocket and handed it to her. She moved over to sit next to Tonks, so both could read it at the same time.

Hi Remus, hi Tonks,

Seamus

The two witches looked at each other and then at Remus. "Any idea what this Red Cloud is on about, Love?" Tonks asked him.

"Oh, it sort of makes sense to me," Remus replied. "I presume he means you and me when he says couple, and the safe place is presumably here, number twelve, Grimmauld Place.

"I don't have a clue what civil servant means, but the only dark-skinned wizard I know is Kingsley."

"He would be considered a civil servant, working for the government," Hermione chimed in. "And from what Tonks was saying earlier, it sounds like he thinks he's in danger, too. Whatever the reason is..."

"Ah. Let's hope, then, that Moody succeeds in what we suspect he's trying to do." Remus grinned wryly and added, "Maybe that paranoia of his will finally come in handy!"

Both witches giggled, recalling their earlier conversation about Mad-Eye Moody and his notorious paranoia.

Remus interrupted them. "As to the last quote, I can only assume that the healing sanctuary Red Cloud refers to is the one that Pomona Sprout's sister runs. There is no other one I know of."

"I don't know of any others, either," Tonks replied.

Hermione merely shook her head. "I guess we'll have to wait for Seamus' tape to arrive, or maybe Pansy will have more information from her session. I have a small tape player in my luggage," she added, seeing two pairs of confused eyes staring at her. "Although, I have no idea how we can make the sanctuary safe..."

The ring of the bell suddenly interrupted the short silence that followed her words.

"It's probably Moody," Tonks sighed.

Hermione swiftly passed through the corridor and opened the door. Her mouth opened, and her eyes widened as she recognised the two ragged and worn-out looking youngest members of the Weasley family.

* * *

A/N

Big thanks to NSS for betaing.

Reviews are love.