Chapter 3

When Hermione returned to Hogwarts, her thoughts were focused on the intricacies of the school's wards and the happy news about Severus and Katie. She quickly stepped out of the Floo and through the headmaster's office, heading down to the living quarters for the professors. In her preoccupation, and her desire to surprise her spouse, she didn't notice passing Cho and Charlie on the way.

"Oh, Hermione!" The voice seemingly out of nowhere made Hermione jump into a defensive posture. Once she recognized Cho, however, Hermione smiled at her.

"I'm glad you're here," Cho said, entirely unaware that she had been in any danger from startling Hermione. "We're getting some strange emanations from a couple of sections of the old castle that really shouldn't be there. There are also traces of some type of magic that feels quite familiar, although I haven't identified it. But I'm not quite trained enough to handle the two sites by myself." Cho had spoken so quickly, she made herself breathless.

Hermione slowly tucked her wand back into its holder. Charlie smiled ruefully; he had noticed Hermione's reaction and was very glad she had been quick to recognize him and his wife. I need to talk to Cho about this. We have become a bit complacent, but not everyone has, and we certainly don't need to be felled by friendly fire.

Hermione hadn't noticed Charlie's ruminations. She said, "I'll look into it. It's too bad we haven't found Bill yet. He could help us. Why don't you find me after dinner?"

Cho nodded.

Charlie spoke quietly, his shoulders drooping at the thought of his brother. "You are certain he isn't dead, Hermione?"

She smiled up at him. "Yes. Absolutely. We just need to find him. Fenrir still won't give anything up." Her eyes shifted, focusing on the far wall, and Charlie knew she was thinking hard. She shook her head, waved vaguely and hurried in the direction of her and Viktor's rooms.

"It must be nice to want to see your spouse that badly, don't you think?" Cho asked Charlie.

"I wouldn't know. We haven't been apart for weeks on end." Charlie didn't add the "luckily" on the end. He figured it was implied.

Cho couldn't decide whether Charlie meant that he was glad they hadn't been separated for that long or he wished they had, so she just let the subject drop. She was too unsure of her marriage to push.

***

Hermione kept moving until she reached their shared quarters. She had several topics vying for top spot in her thoughts. Katie's pregnancy. Hogwarts' wards. Cho's little mystery. Charlie's distress over his brother. Hermione knew Bill was still alive. Access to The Book of the Dead was restricted to Unspeakables, and she had checked and rechecked Bill's status. The actual mystery was Harry, but neither she nor any other Unspeakable knew what the wavery symbols hovering over Harry's name meant. It was a mystery she was determined to solve. She shook her head at her wandering thoughts and started the intricate wand movements that would keep Viktor from noticing she was entering the room, when he came to the door.

"Nin! You are here early!"

"Being sneaky, Vitya? What did you add to my wards?" Hermione teased her husband with a smile.

"Just something to let me know if your magical signature vas vithin fifty yards of the vards. I vouldn't haff known you were approaching with your settings, othervise."

Hermione beamed at her husband. "Just another reason I love you, you know. You can keep me on my toes."

Viktor picked up his wife and swung her around. He kissed her passionately. After they broke off the kiss, he asked, "Do you haff some news for me? Is that vhy you are back early?"

"Oh, yes. I get to work on the wards here and help with the restoration of the closed off parts of the castle. It dovetails nicely with my current assignment because I am supposed to help find the victims of our imprisoned werewolf."

"Vith one certain red-headed wictim in particular?"

"Yes, darling. You do remember who my boss is." Hermione laughed. Viktor was under a variation of the Fidelius and couldn't tell anyone about Hermione's work, but she was allowed to talk to him about it. It was a common request from the Unspeakables for their spouses, especially for those not married to other Unspeakables.

Viktor laughed along with his beloved wife, then followed her into their rooms. He began to slowly remove her clothing, backing her into their bedroom.

"Vitya! What has gotten into you?"

"I think you haff vhat I vant to do reversed, loff."

Hermione laughed and nodded her agreement. Delighted by her capitulation, Viktor gave up trying to remove her clothing by hand and Vanished all of it. He also gave up trying to get to the bed, picked her up and drove himself into her, bracing her against the bedroom door. Hermione gasped in pleasure. Viktor rarely was rough with her, but when he was, he always made it good for her.

They had just finished enjoying each other when they heard the Floo. Only a couple of people had unlimited access to their quarters, so they hurriedly dressed, then went to see who it was.

"Oh, my. Did I interrupt anything?" Katie Snape snickered at their dishevelment.

Hermione straightened their clothes and hair with a wave of her wand. "Just the cuddling."

"As long as it wasn't anything important... " Katie left off with a smile as Viktor growled at her playfully. "I just wanted to make sure you were coming to dinner. Sev would like to make sure Hermione eats and is not caught up in her warding."

"Uncle Sev knows my girl vell, doesn't he?" Viktor was amused.

"Your girl is right here, you know! And who is Uncle Sev to talk? He's the same way, not to mention most everyone else in the castle right now." Hermione huffed, then laughed. "We are going to dinner. Then I'm going to go with Cho and Charlie to see about this section of the castle where they found some strange magical emanations."

Viktor looked at her hopefully. "I vould like to come as vell, if that is all right vith you, loff." He continued, "The elves haff been so cryptic, talking about heroes and circles, I vonder if this is vhat they are talking about."

"It would answer a few questions, wouldn't it?" Katie replied, knowing both Viktor and Severus's frustrations with the elves' evasiveness.

"Certainly! We can use anyone with magical strength and experience. You know that I would love to work with you," Hermione answered.

Plans settled, the three headed for the Great Hall. The Great Hall had been one of the first things repaired and restored. Currently, though, there weren't any house tables, or even the High Table. There were a couple large-ish round tables where everyone fit and could enjoy each other's company.

As they entered, Hermione gasped. She had been expecting her usual companions at the "family" table: Draco, his wife Luna, Neville and his wife Daphne, Severus and Katie, and whichever of the Weasleys were present, considering both Charlie and Percy were on staff. Often, the elder Malfoys were present, when Lucius's duties as Minister did not preclude his presence, but sitting at the table with Charlie and Cho were Arthur and Molly Weasley. How did Arthur get her back? I'm surprised she's in one piece, considering her condition when Voldemort gave her to Mr. Crabbe. Remembering her training, though, Hermione restrained herself from asking a million and one questions. I can't believe anyone tolerated me with the way I behaved. I'm so glad Narcissa took me under her wing. Dumbledore worked so hard to make sure Muggle-borns were kept ignorant. Molly had looked at her fearfully, only to visibly relax when when the intrusive questions didn't come. Molly may have ignored quite a bit of her upbringing on the advice of her husband, and to play up to Albus Dumbledore, but in times of great stress, she liked the world around her to behave properly. It also kept magical mayhem limited because there was no accidental magic released.

In a voice gravelly from disuse, Molly said, "Hello, Hermione. It is good to see you looking so well."

"Oh, Molly! I'm glad to see you. May I give you a hug?" Hermione asked, considering what the older woman must have gone through.

Molly nodded. Hermione reached the large table, inched past Draco and gave her a gentle hug, which Molly returned, pulling the younger girl close. "Thank you for helping my Ginny. Rabastan is seeing to her well, and if it weren't for you, she would have had the same problems as most of my family. My Ron gone because he could not keep quiet, and George, my George, asking to be with his brother on the other side of the Veil... I did no great service to my younger children, did I?" Her thanks alongside her quiet self-recriminations made Hermione cry.

Hermione nodded at the older witch through her tears. "I blame Dumbledore. He was the biggest evil of our day. More so because he didn't want powerful people in charge. I was always surprised he allowed you all to survive, given that, with the exception of Ron and Percy, all the Weasleys were magically powerful."

Arthur interjected, "I tried very hard to have him underestimate us, Hermione. But magic can be like a muscle. If you don't exercise it and develop it, it atrophies. Unfortunately, Ron was lazy, and so he never worked up to his potential. I sometimes wonder if Dumbledore didn't have some sort of compulsion on him. And while Percy is not as powerful magically, he almost has a sixth sense about survival and politics. That type of gift is a variation on an empath. His gift was sidetracked, especially because he could see that there was something wrong with Dumbledore, but he could not find a way around the system in place. His choices became questionable. He is much better now, especially with Susan working with him." Arthur spoke elegantly. She could see why he usually kept quiet. It was harder for him to hide his true nature when he spoke, revealing his wisdom and knowledge.

Figuring that no one else at the table would ask, even if they were dying to know, Hermione asked, "I hadn't heard anything through the Ministry grapevine, Arthur; so how is it you were able to get Molly back safely?"

"Voldemort did not dissolve my marriage, Hermione. He just gave Molly to Mr. Crabbe. After he fell, Minister Malfoy managed to get a quick writ through the Wizengamot, giving the Unspeakables authority to retrieve those spouses who were treated in this manner. We quietly contacted all the people who were given women in such a way last week, granting amnesty if they returned them to us relatively unharmed. All but one did, and he is currently languishing in Azkaban." Arthur's face turned grim. He had known Macnair was degenerate, but what the Hit Wizards had found in his home would turn the stomach of even the most hardened assassin.

Hermione hastily changed the topic. "Where are Ginny and Rabastan?" she asked, hoping it was good news.

At that question, Molly lit up. "I'm to be a grandmother! They are at their appointment with the Healer today."

That announcement started some happy chatter at the table, which became silence when Katie Snape exclaimed, "Oh, I'm so glad I won't be going through this alone!" The rest of the table turned to Severus and Katie at her unexpected pronouncement.

"Yes, yes, fine, since my wife cannot keep a secret, yes, we are expecting as well." Severus's droll tone followed by a wince made the table break into happy chatter.

"What did you do to him, dear?" Molly leaned over to ask Katie.

"I pinched his thigh. The man can't keep good news to himself anymore, and I'm the one who cannot keep a secret?" Katie sniffed, then laughed when Severus, who had overheard her, leaned over to kiss her cheek. Who would have thought I would learn to love his sarcastic sense of humor?

Dinner was finished with little fanfare. Severus and Katie returned to their rooms; the headmaster always had some work to do. Arthur and Molly headed for home to wait for Ginny to contact them with the news from the Healer.

"Charlie, Cho, I am ready to go see this spot of yours. Viktor will be coming along with us," Hermione spoke briskly, her tone familiar to everyone who had been at school with her.

"I would like to come as well. Hogwarts seems to be pulling me in that direction," Luna spoke dreamily, but seriously.

"I'm coming too, in that case." Draco chimed in.

"Unfortunately, I need to return to my studies," said Daphne.

"I would like to go with you, as well," interjected Neville.

"Anyone else?" asked Hermione, looking around, then realized there was no one left. "Well, then, let's go!"