Be Careful in the Dark

“Call the aurors...” Hermione came awake with a jerk. She blinked a couple of times, looking around the hospital room. She let her body relax. She was in Hogwart’s. Whatever had happened, it was done.

She turned her head at a rustling. Snape rose from a chair in the corner, tucking a book under his arm. She hadn’t even seen him. His dark eyes met hers and he curled his lip slightly before exiting the room. Hermione sighed. My life has gotten really weird.

A murmuring of voices outside the door warned her to expect company. Dumbledore entered, looking much better than the last time she’d seen him, along with two men. Judging by their robes, they were aurors. The one on the left was blond, blue-eyed, and built like a brick wall. The one on the right was also blond though a much dirtier version, his eyes were dark, and while he was as tall as his partner he was whipcord thin. He also had a scar running down his face. Something about the second auror made the muscles in Hermione’s right eye begin to twitch.

“Miss Granger, I am so pleased to see you are awake. This is Mister Aberfroth and Mister Rastilan. They’re hoping to discuss with you the events of the... the attack.” Dumbledore stumbled over the phrasing and Hermione bit back a grin. How he got anyone to believe the doddering old man act he had going was beyond her.

Aberfroth and Rastilan, she still wasn’t sure which was which, walked up. The big blond one shook her hand and grinned. The thin one pulled out a clipboard.

“Um, first, can someone tell me... are Harry and Ron, ok? What about the school? What happened?”

“Sorry Miss Granger, I’m afraid we need to ask our questions first.” The thin one said to her.

“Which one are you?” She asked as she fought to keep her anger from showing.

“Uh... I’m Mister Rastilan.” He answered, his mouth tightening.

“Well, Mister Rastilan, I’m not answering a single question until someone tells me whether or not anyone I care about is dead.” Her voice climbed as she asked the question and she clenched her jaw, and tried to slow her breathing in an attempt to control her temper.

She was not the only one clenching her jaw. Both aurors’ faces had shut down and Rastilan looked like he might throttle her at any moment. Let him try.

“Gentleman, do try to remember that Miss Granger is still under Hogwart’s protection as one of its students, recovering from an injury, and that you are here as a favor. Miss Granger, Harry and Ron are all right. Please answer these nice gentlemen’s’ questions.” Dumbledore said quietly.

The aurors had the grace to look chastened. Most of Hermione’s anger faded with the news that her closest friends were okay. She met Rastilan’s eyes and nodded. He asked her questions and she answered in short sentences. She left out the fact that she had managed to take her animagus form.

“So, what you’re telling us is that you...” Aberfroth’s eyes flicked over her in confusion, “killed two death eaters by... by accident?”

He sounded so incredulous that Hermione bit back a giggle. It escaped. And another followed after that. She found herself giggling madly in front of two aurors and the Headmaster which only made her giggle harder. Somewhere in the middle of it all, she started to cry. She put her hands over her face. She was racking up a hell of a body count and she hadn’t even graduated yet. It was ridiculous. She was a rule-abiding bookworm... a good girl... who was killing left and right. How, how did this happen to me?

“I really didn’t mean to.” Hermione said when the tears slowed down enough. She had to lift her hands long enough to mumble coherently at the men around her bed.

She snuffled loudly and tried to wipe her face off. All she managed to do was spread the wetness around. A handkerchief appeared in front of her face. She reached out and took it, flashing a smile of gratitude to Dumbledore. She pulled herself upright and plumped her pillows before leaning back on them. Then she wiped off her face and noisily blew her nose.

“I realize laughing isn’t really the best way to respond to the fact that I killed two people but...” She trailed off. She didn’t really know what to say since she didn’t really know why she had started laughing.

Both aurors were looking at her with blank, careful faces.

“It’s not... that unusual.” Rastilan said finally. “Though…” He trailed off and stared at her, as if trying to read something written across her skin. Hermione suppressed the urge to shift uncomfortably.

“Some people react to stress this way.” Aberforth said with a smile. It looked a little weird since he was also shooting his partner a warning glance.

“I think we’ve heard everything we need to hear, Headmaster. Thank you for your time, Miss Granger.” Rastilan nodded to Dumbledore and then to her. Both men turned and left the room.

Hermione blew air through her lips and closed her eyes. Her head hurt.

“So, Headmaster, would you be so kind as to tell me what the hell has been going on?” Hermione said, and then grinned. She sounded like she was asking for two lumps of sugar in her tea.

“Thank you for saving my life, Miss Granger.” Dumbledore said. Hermione lifted her eyes and met his. He smiled sadly. “I did not think I would be alive much longer until you appeared.”

“I...” She cleared her throat. “Well, you’re welcome Headmaster. What would we do without you?”

“You would manage, Miss Granger.” He shot her a knowing look and Hermione lifted an eyebrow at him.

“How long have I been out?”

“Just over a week. Your injuries were quite extensive and we wanted to make sure that you weren’t permanently scarred or impaired.”

“My god. What about the NEWTs? I’ve missed them!” It seemed ridiculous to be upset about such things when people had died but... damn it that was her future.

“Do not concern yourself Miss Granger. The tests were delayed for a few days for all of the students. Your tests have been delayed even further. You will take them as soon as you are better. However, you must remain isolated from your classmates until you can take them. I am sorry, Miss Granger but it is a minor miracle that I have managed to delay them at all.”

Hermione wanted to smile and frown at the same time. It was a relief to know that she wouldn’t have to wait a year to take them. She could move her plan forward. However, she really wanted to see Harry, Ron, and the rest of the Gryffyndors in the flesh, reassure herself that they were really all right.

“What happened, please?” She asked.

“Ron raised the alarm in time. Many of the younger students were able to flee. The older students showed a surprising level of organization,” Dumbledore looked over his glasses at Hermione who kept her expression bland. “Ron was in the lead... he seems to have a knack for battle strategy. The Death Eaters were unprepared for resistance and broke apart with the arrival of a solid force of aurors. A handful of them were caught behind Borgin and Burkes. There were apparently numerous apparating points. We had some injuries but no deaths. They weren’t as lucky... in no small part due to you.” Dumbledore stopped and paused for a long time.

“There is more to this story. You might as well tell me so I don’t have to go snooping around for the answers.” Hermione kept her tone light, hoping to elicit a smile from the old man. She succeeded.

“I don’t think the primary goal of this attack was to kill anyone. I think they were looking for something.”

“Yes?”

Dumbledore hesitated again.

“I think it might be best if Harry and Ron were here for this conversation and that we have it in a more secure location.” Dumbledore said faintly. Hermione nodded, surprised that he had said as much as he had and that he’d said it so bluntly. She looked at him, weighing him.

He twinkled a little bit at her and she couldn’t help but smile back.

---------

Hermione shifted on the wooden bunch and tried to relax her hands. She had the second half of one NEWT left—the practical component of Defense Against the Dark Arts—and she was ready to be done.

The last time the NEWTs had been delayed had been almost 500 years ago when a potions experiment had gone awry. Anyone within a hundred feet of Hogwart’s had burst into uncontrollable laughter. It had taken most of the summer to resolve the issue and several weeks for authorities to find an acceptable alternate location. The proctors of the NEWTs were immensely displeased that the tests had been delayed for all the students and even unhappier that it had been further delayed for a single student. Their glares, sighs of irritations, and the drastically more difficult test questions had worn on her nerves over the past few days. However, Arithmancy, Charms, Potions, and Transfigurations were all completed. She’d finished the exam portion of Defense Against the Dark Arts this morning.

The door to her left opened. She stood, smoothing her workout clothes down. She’d debated endlessly about whether or not she should wear her uniform and finally decided that the uniform was a hindrance that she did not care to have.

She stepped through. The room was a large, square, and the walls, the floor, and the ceiling were all the same unvarying shade of glaring white. Rastilan stood in the middle of the room. Hermione stopped and tried to control her face as her temperature spiked. This test had just become infinitely harder. He knew she could kill. He knew she was experienced and she couldn’t let him know how experienced. And yet, her inner student screamed at her to display her abilities to their fullest. Her eye started to twitch.

He curled his lip at her attire and she found herself sneering back at him. This man irritated her just by breathing. It was a new sensation for her... to have someone so thoroughly and immediately get under her skin.

His wand snapped up and the fight was on. She threw a defensive shield up to block the sudden rain of razor-sharp metallic circles hurtling her way. She pointed her wand back at him, thinking fiercely. The ground underneath him exploded and the auror was launched in the air. He barked a spell and landed lightly on his feet. He shouted another spell that Hermione didn’t recognize and she launched herself wildly to one side. The place where she had been standing burst into flame. Rolling to her feet, she fired several spells back at him. Though he moved quickly, one caught him in the arm and blood began to pour from the wound. He snarled and jerked his wand. An enormous fist pounded into her and she slammed into the wall behind her. She could feel the bruises blossom under her skin. Even as she spat blood from her bloodied mouth, she pointed her wand again. This time, she threw a wave of darkness at him, obscuring his vision. She pointed her wand at the ceiling and screamed.

“Inflixi Ruo!” A corner of the ceiling crumbled, the large chunks falling down on the auror. The darkness around him faded, and Hermione saw him on his back, his legs and robes askew. She rose to her feet, wanting to press her advantage. The plaster and wood blew off and Hermione threw of a deflecting shield to protect herself. She looked up and saw Rastilan’s enraged face behind his wand.

Shit. No time.

She dropped into a crouch and formed a small, heavy shield around herself. As her world was reduced to explosions, crackles, and lightning she wracked her brain for a plan. This wasn’t normal. Exam proctors were not supposed to try to kill you. Was this a plan from Voldemort? What was going on? She turned her head and stared at the other wizard, waiting for her moment.

She saw him pause for a breath and dropped her shield, screaming her spell.

“Vitiosus Ventus!” The wind began to howl, cold and cruel, all centered on the man across the room. He struggled to lift his wand but the wind was too strong.

Hermione broke out in a dead run, off to his left. As she reached the wall she muttered a spell under her breath. “Agravitas.”

Suddenly, the weight of her body became negligible. She launched herself at the wall, forcing her body up. When she reached the right height, she dropped both spells and hurtled towards Rastilan. He looked up, his wand moving, but he was too late. She slammed one knee down, aiming for his face. He jerked his body back, so she adjusted, catching him with her elbow instead. His nose broke in a splatter of blood and the two tumbled to the ground, Hermione on top.

Her wand forgotten, Hermione tried to strangle the man under her with her bare hands. With a snarl, he also wrapped his hands around her throat. The two of them were growling at one another, animals fighting over the same territory.

“Petrifucus Totalus” A male voice shouted and Hermione froze where she was. Rastilan froze too. Panic washed through her in a tidal wave. It was a trap. There’s more than one of them. I am going to die. Shit. Shit. Shit.

Booted feet tromped up to her and Hermione desperately tried to roll her eyes upwards but couldn’t. Strong arms wrapped themselves around her middle and then the spell was released. She fought, kicking, screaming and hissing but the arms pulled her off the still frozen Rastilan and tossed her into the center of the room.

She dropped into a defensive crouch and met the blue eyes of Aberfroth. He was pointing his wand at her but looked extremely uncomfortable.

“I think things have gotten entirely out of hand. Miss Granger, my partner did not come here today to kill you. He can be... overly enthusiastic sometimes.” Aberfroth cut his still frozen partner a nasty look.

“Overly enthusiastic? OVERLY ENTHUSIATIC??!!!” Hermione’s voice hit an octave so high it could shatter glass and Aberforth winced. “That’s what you call that? He bloody well tried to kill me. Maybe he’s working for Voldemort! Maybe he’s a traitor. Maybe he’s completely lost his mind!” Hermione snapped her mouth shut. Do not babble. Do not babble.

“He’s really not. He’s just... well he’s just an idiot.” Aberfroth blew air through his lips and looked down at his partner with pinched lips. Then he reached down and tucked both Hermione and Rastilan’s wands in his pocket. He leaned over his partner and growled at him. “Explain this or so help me, I’ll turn you in to the authorities myself.”

Rastilan unfroze and scrambled awkwardly to his feet. He brushed plaster from his robes, straightening them with jerky movements of his hands. He finally raised angry eyes to look at Hermione.

“You’re hiding something.”

“What?” Hermione straightened up in surprise and stared at Rastilan.

“I can smell it. I could smell it when I interviewed you. I could smell it before I even started talking to you. You’re lying... about a lot of things. And I just can’t help but think that it’s extremely dangerous to have a liar in the position you’re in. So I decided I’d test you and then I would ask you a few questions.”

“That’s your explanation? ‘I think you’re a liar so I am going to bloody try to kill you?’ Were you planning on asking your questions after I was dead?” Hermione snarled.

“Er, yes, well... you put up a bit more of a fight than I was expecting.” Rastilan swallowed and shifted his eyes to look over Hermione’s shoulder.

“I...” She squeezed her hands into fists and counted backwards from ten. When she had more of a grip on her temper she spoke. “And how were you planning on getting the answers you wanted?”

“There’s a potion Aurors’ use. It doesn’t sap your will, so it’s legal. It just relaxes you so you don’t worry so much about the consequences.” A red stain was climbing up Rastilan’s neck as he continued to stare over his shoulder.

“You fucking jackass! You slack-brained nitwit!” Hermione shrieked, stamping her foot. “Of course I’m lying. OF COURSE! I’m standing at Harry Potter’s back in the fight against one of the most powerful wizards alive and I’ve been doing since I was 12! I’m lying through my teeth most days.” Hermione was panting in rage.

“That’s not good enough! You’re in a position to take out the best weapon we have against Voldemort!” Rastilan shouted back.

Aberfroth cleared his throat and both Hermione and Rastilan swiveled their heads to glare at him. “Roland, you know you’re out of line.”

Rastilan just snarled at him wordlessly.

Aberfroth pulled a small box out of his pocket. With a wave of his hand, he enlarged it and let it float gently to the ground. It opened to reveal a heavy crystal decanter of firewhisky and four matching glasses. “Give me the merlins bliss.” He said to his partner. Rastilan looked sullen.

“I’m not drinking that. I’m not drinking anything from you two.” Hermione snarled, folding her arms over her chest. Her ribs hurt. Actually, her entire body hurt.

“If you decide to join the aurors, Miss Granger, you will learn. First we beat the crap out of each other, then we drink.” Aberfroth said it with a smirk and a wink and Hermione had to suppress a laugh. “Besides, it’s not for you... is it Roland?”

Roland Rastilan cut his partner a look that should have flayed the bones from his body.

“I told you not to do this. I told you it was going to blow up in your face. Now you have to save your ass. She can file charges against you. At a minimum, you’ll get booted to a desk. You want to push paper, Rasti?” Aberfroth said pleasantly as he transfigured some of the fallen plaster in a plush rug with pillows. He sat, pouring three generous helpings of firewhisky into glasses. “Now, give it to me.”

“You’re an asshole, Frothy.” Rastilan said with a bitter twist of his lips. He pulled a small vial from inside his robes. It was a bright blue, the color of the summer sky, and it glowed a little. Aberfroth poured a large dollop into his partner’s drink.

Well, that’s a bit unexpected. Let’s see where this goes. She sat down and glared at Rastilan who glared back.

“How’s your nose?” She asked with a smirk.

“I’ve had worse.” His eyes flicked up and down her, dismissing her fighting abilities.

“I can see that.” Hermione said, looking at the nasty scar running down his face. It was unusual for a wizard to have a scar... especially one so obvious.

“Yeah, well, betrayal’s a bitch.” Rastilan turned his eyes from her and down to his glass. He lifted to his lips and downed the whole thing. Aberfroth matched him and so Hermione did too. Aberfroth poured them all another drink.

“So, Miss Granger, ask my partner whatever you need to. Reassure yourself that he wasn’t out to kill you.” Aberfroth said, with a small wave of his hand. Rastilan had a goofy grin spreading across his face.

The firewhisky has burned a trail down her throat and she felt heat spreading through her body. She picked up the glass again, vowing to be very careful with her alcohol intake.

“What do you mean, you can smell that I’m lying? Why on earth did you think this was a good plan? Who the hell do you think you are?” She snapped the questions out, still angry.

A small frown appeared between Rastilan’s eyes and he flopped over to the side, plumping some pillows up underneath him.

“Ask simpler questions, Miss Granger.” Aberfroth said, unsuccessfully hiding a smirk behind his glass.

Hermione pressed her lips together.

“Where did you get that scar?” She finally asked. Aberfroth nodded in approval and took another drink.

“Miranda.” Rastilan picked small pieces of plaster and wood off his cloak.

“Who is Miranda?” Hermione asked, nerves grating at having to shape her questions to suit a small child.

“She was my partner.” Rastilan said with a small smile. “Before Frothy here. We’ve only been partners for... oh six months?”

Aberfroth nodded and the two clinked glasses. Hermione cleared her throat in annoyance.

“Why did your partner scar you so badly?”

“Well, I didn’t let the mediwitches fix it. I wanted to remember.” Rastilan stretched out and starting poking himself in the face and giggling.

“Remember what?” Hermione asked through gritted teeth.

“That she was lying, betraying bitch.” He sounded grim, even through the drug.

“What did she do?”

“She went over to HIS side... took a bunch of auror intel with her too... safehouses, passwords, personal information. We had to completely reorganize the entire department and still... He’s been kicking our ass ever since. He knows too much.”

A chill swept through Hermione. “How come I haven’t heard anything?”

Rastilan snorted. “What? We’re going to announce to the entire country... no, the entire globe... that an auror turned and we’re now even more vulnerable than before? Bloody brilliant plan.” He gave her a thumbs up sign from his prone position.

“Did you love her?” Hermione asked, softly.

Rastilan sat up abruptly and stared at Hermione. Then he shifted his face and wiped a hand across his face. Hermione didn’t repeat the question. He had already answered.

“What does this have to do with me?” She finally asked.

“You look like her.” Rastilan said, slipping back down onto a pillow.

“I do?”

“No, I guess, not really. But you fight like her.”

“I do?”

“No.” Rastilan sighed. “You’re going to betray him.”

“What?” Hermione said, staring at him with wide eyes.

“Potter. I can tell you’re lying to him.” He tried to tap his nose and missed. He glared at his nose so fiercely his eyes crossed and tried again. He yelped in pain as he succeeded. “I’ve got the nose. I can always tell. It makes me a good auror.”

“I... lying and betrayal are not always the same thing.”

Rastilan gave her a pitying look from his position lounging among the pillows.

“So where does this leave us?” Hermione asked, including Aberfroth in the question.

They both shrugged.

A long awkward pause stretched out between them and Hermione polished off her second drink as she thought.

“Give me your hand, Roland Rastilan.” She finally said.

“Why?” Even the calming influence of the potion couldn’t keep the small thread of paranoia out of his voice.

Hermione pinned him with a nasty look and he slowly sat up and held out his hand. She reached out and gripped it with her own. With a wave of her wand, she began to create an unbreakable vow. Roland started and tried to jerk his hand away. Hermione hissed at him.

“I swear that I will not consciously or knowingly betray Harry to Voldemort or any of his followers on pain of death.” The spell snaked out in a red ribbon and bound their hands together.

She leaned back and met Rastilan’s eyes. His mouth was hanging open and his eyes looked like they might pop out of his head. Aberfroth had on a similar expression.

“And now, I want an oath from the two of you that you will do everything in your power to help and protect me as long as it does not involve the betrayal of your Auror oaths or the Light... and that you will never knowingly or consciously betray me to Voldemort. I will then consider this incident,” she waved her hand at the room around her, “forgotten.”

“I’m not promising anything that involves me dying.” Aberfroth said, setting his drink down so roughly that some of the alcohol slopped over the side.

“Fine. A nasty, permanent jinx is acceptable.” Hermione replied. She didn’t really want their deaths on her hands but she wasn’t going to leave two possible hindrances dangling out behind her.

“No.” Rastilan said.

“Fine.” Hermione got up, and headed for the door. The alcohol flamed through her but she still managed to walk in a straight line.

“Alright, alright.” Aberforth said when she was about six feet from the door. She turned around and sat back down on the carpet. “You drive a hard bargain, little girl.” Aberfroth said through gritted teeth.

“Were you really expecting me to walk out of here without some kind of guarantee?”

Aberforth pinched his mouth together and Hermione smirked at him.

“You’ll make a good auror.” Rastilan said from behind a couple of pillows.

“I’m not going to be an auror.”

They both stared at her in surprise.

“Why not?” They asked at the same time.

“I’ll be more useful as a researcher.”

Rastilan snorted loudly, rolled his eyes, and shook his head.

It didn’t take very long for the two to swear their oaths with the loss of a limb their punishment for breaking it.

“I think we’re done, here... don’t you?” Hermione said when they had finished.

“Well, if you’re serious about doing research..." Aberfroth paused in disbelief, "you should probably get some sparring practice in with us. You’re going to need all the fighting skills you can get... no matter what you’re doing” Aberfroth said, polishing off his third drink and lounging back into the pillows.

“What’s your first name, Frothy?” Hermione really looked at him for the first time. He looked tan and healthy, with a sweet smile. He had such a wholesome look to him that it was hard to imagine him as an auror.

“Atruellu Festus Finn.” He said with a boyish smirk. Rastilan started laughing uncontrollably into the pillows.

“No. Really?” Hermione started to giggle.

“The Third.” Rastilan howled in amusement.

“What? It’s a family name.” Aberfroth said at the same time.

Hermione laughed even harder. Finally she choked out, “Frothy it is.”

His wiggled his eyebrows at her and lifted his drink. “To your Outstanding in the DADA practicum, Hermione Granger.”

Hermione rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop a blush from spreading across her cheeks. She just loved getting good grades.

“And what about you Rastilan, do you want to spar with me?” Hermione asked with acidic sweetness.

“Well, I do owe you for this.” He gestured to his face. He smiled, a goofy smile with a cruel edge.

Hermione smiled back.