Under The Cool Shade Of Virtue

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"You said to us once before," said Hermione quietly, "that there was time to turn back if we wanted to. We've had time, haven't we?" Hermione, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
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Hope and Solace


…four years earlier.


“What in the world is he doing?” Ginny sat down next to her on one of the leather chairs lined around the spacious hall of the Ministry of Magic. She looked annoyed and Hermione understood her friend very well. She wanted to see Harry and she was also a little worried over her brother who was twenty minutes late already.

“I think he can’t find the ownership declaration. Harry said it was in one of the drawers in the kitchen but Grimmauld’s Place is huge and you know Ron…he’s all over the place.” She mussed out loud. They were on their way to meet the notary that was going to sign the ownership contract when Ron realised they actually forgot the said document.

“Yeah…”Muttered the younger girl.

On the other side of the large hall Molly Weasley was pacing while her husband was sitting on one of those leather chairs speaking and trying to calm her. Hermione strived to hear what they were saying but it was impossible, they were too far.

Charlie, George and Will were in a corner chatting animatedly while Percy was preparing the meeting over the counter with a rather reticent and aggravated looking witch.

“I still can’t believe we are here Herms. After one year and I still can’t believe we are fine…” said Ginny starring in the distance. A small serene smile was playing on her lips and Hermione thought that, at least for a moment, she overcame her torments. She didn’t have a problem listening to her friend’s frustrations, or rather, in the name of friendship; she tried to convince herself it was so. At times it was heard to listen to the same wallowing and she was willing herself to do it despite the cringing feeling she had.

If not anything else Hermione Granger was a patient person, caring, understanding, helping and always the first to come with a solution. It was tiring but in time it became a sort of unpaid job, people would confess to her instinctively. She wasn’t even hearing half of the things that were being said to her but they didn’t have to know that, they only had to believe that she enjoyed the discussions and that she was interested in their problems and they would flock to her. The reason for the effect she seemed to have on people was still a mystery to her.

“I am still a little worried about Harry but I have some hopes after what Connelly said. I mean she is one of the best healers, she knows what she’s doing…Right?” asked Ginny

“Yes Gin, Fiona Connelly is one of the best, she has ten Healer merits and countless other prizes and her specialty is neurology…he’ll be fine. She told me last week that after some two months of treatment he will not have to return to the hospital.” She reassured her friend.

“Yeah, yeah I know she told mum the same thing…I just - I don’t know, I’m just being exaggerated I think. It’s just that every time he falls and has those spasms I’m beginning to wonder Hermione – wonder whether he can actually do this…if he is capable of restoring all that was broken. If it’s not too much for him, he’s only nineteen Hermione and look what he has to do, this entire world, our world – which is not a small one, he has to carry on his shoulders…” The girl looked close to tears and Hermione felt a mixture of sadness and dread in her heart.

“That is why we are here, aren’t we Ginny? And anyway, he is a man, not a boy anymore…actually I wonder whether he ever was a boy.” She realized then that she really believed what she was saying; Harry never had time to be a boy. Sad but true.

“Yes, I think you are right, he isn’t exactly a boy anymore. Still, it’s difficult facing all he has to face every day. And there still are so many out there…”

“That is where we come in, right Gin? We are many and now they are few, we will find them all and they will receive what they deserve. He definitely is not alone, people all over the world are fighting to find every last one of them. Anyone in our world would do anything for Harry Gin, like he did for all us.” She recited one of her empowering speeches that she had used one too many times during her life.

The girl smiled at her friend and Hermione was glad that she had brought a bit of colour in her pale cheeks.

“I’m being such a cry baby sometimes. Thank Merlin I have you to get me back on my feet. Don’t tell anyone about my silly reaction, ok? You know how I hate to be seen like this.” She said wiping her tears with the back of her hand and straightening her back.

“Did I ever tell anyone about your soft side Ginny?” Asked Hermione and Ginny laughed quietly approving to her friend’s discretion. Hermione had seen her in this state of mind many times before and was still wondering why she always controlled herself so much in front of anyone else. This is what means to be the little sister of six brothers, you must act like one of the boys to be taken seriously, she thought in amusement.

“No you didn’t, that’s our dirty little secret isn’t it, said Ginny with a shrewd side glance. “I wonder how you do it though…After everything you kept your life under control, saved your parents, fought in the war and, to top it all, even managed to finish Hogwarts. Do you actually have a soft side or you hide it even better then I do?”

Hermione laughed at the question and was just about to tell her that she could never afford a soft side but refrained from it when realizing that it would only encourage the younger woman to want to develop the subject - and she wasn’t in the mood for female bonding.

She remembered a moment in her sixth year when she did broke apart in front of Harry because of a certain someone.

“Ginny, my soft spot is Ron.” She announced making her friend beam the most pleased smile she had. She definitely looked proud of her brother being adored by a woman.

“And you are his, said Ginny standing up and hugging her tightly. “I am so happy we are family Herms, you have no idea. It is too perfect to be real!” She returned the hug and smiled at her.

The fire in one of the floo hearths of the Ministry blazed and turned blue and a frowning Ron appeared. Everyone stopped and looked at him like he was some exotic bird. Hermione already received those looks fifteen minutes ago, in the meantime people got accustomed to her and stopped eyeballing her, but now a new “specimen” appeared and this one called for a more thoroughly assessment as it was a male and the Ministry was full of women at that time of day.

They were used to these reactions now after a whole year, so used actually that they were on the verge of enjoying the pampering attention they were receiving.

“That’s it I found it,” he announced waving a thick envelope in front of her eyes with a pleased but also rather flustered expression on his face. “Merlin ‘Mione you should have been there, that house is a mess, I had to turn the whole place upside down. And that drawer Harry said they were in was filled with kitchen towels. And that crazy old bat had a fit in the meantime…Ugh! He said in agitation, fingering the side of the envelope.

“Let’s be thankful that it didn’t take you longer. Molly was about to talk to some aurors.” Hermione said quietly and looked at him meaningfully. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.

“Thank Merlin you came. Mum is going ballistic,” whispered Ginny striding over to her brother’s side. “Oh Lord, here she comes…” She bit her lip and turned around the other way to avoid the upcoming storm.

“Oh no…” cringed Ron scratching a spot on his chin with a little more fervour than necessary.

“Where have you been? I was worried sick you silly, silly little boy! Don’t ever do that again you hear me – EVER!” She yelled the last word making everyone ogle them with even more intensity than before.

“Mum, mum calm down, people are starring. I was only twenty minutes late. I’m fine, I’m here, let’s just go, alright.”

“So? Let them stare! You should have been more careful, you know what could happen, you know the horrors we have all been through, you saw the things Harry showed us…” She trailed off breathing deeply to gather her scattered wits. She was red like a beet and Hermione was afraid she will get a stroke with that temper of hers.

“Mum for Merlin’s sake, relax!” exclaimed Ginny in exasperation.

“Mrs. Weasley, please calm down, you are getting yourself sick” said Hermione firmly while grabbing her by the arm and dragging her to one of the chairs. “There sit down and breathe.” The older woman complied and she threw a glance at a relieved looking Ron.

“Yes, thank you dear…you should take care of this one he is as organized and responsible as Arthur in a muggle summer fair.” Everyone laughed and she seemed to think they did not believe her. “I’m serious!”

“Talking about me again Molly?” said Arthur laying a large hand over his wife shoulder and smiling down at her.

“I never miss a chance to talk about you dearie.” She gave him a smile and all the others seemed to have instantly relaxed.
Hermione herself breathed out relieved and stepped away from the older couple to join Ron.

Molly Weasley took the death of her son, Fred, very hard and she became excessively fearful, wallowing in a perpetual state of worry. She would count the moments when she was waiting for someone and if they were one minute late she would start pacing while agonizing over the most horrid explanations she could come up with for the person’s delay.

Hermione was dreading the redecorating of the house she and Ron were about to sign for. It was a lovely, period stone mansion in Godric’s Hollow that was said to have belonged to a descendent of the Peverell family. The said descendent now dead, it rightfully belonged to Harry and he decided to give it as a present to Ron and Hermione saying that they needed a stable, depending property, an investment that would always act as a last resort. They reluctantly agreed after Harry made some hard persuasion work on them. The house was old and needed new wards and Hermione knew that Molly Weasley, in her manic phobia, would go as far as putting it under the Fidelius Charm.

She looked over to the counter to see the state of the arrangement that Percy was making. It seemed that he was just in the process of signing some files or others.

After the war everything that had to do with properties, real estate investment or title deeds called for an excessive and maddening amount of paper work, agreements and even legal charms and vows. It made no difference if you were a war hero or even the Boy Who Lived himself; Kingsley made these laws to avoid all the loopholes that existed before, there were yet no known routes to illegal actions of ejectment or phony land claiming. It was a necessary action after the chaos that the war ensued. In that disorder and confusion people from both sides stole from homes and stores, pillaged and vandalized or even took residence in houses that did not belong to them, usually the old stately homes of pure blooded families were in this situation.

Percy turned around suddenly and waved discretely for them to approach. She took Ron by the arm and went to the counter.

“Is everything alright Percy?” She asked the rather frustrated looking man.

“Ah…yes, yes! She wants you two to pay the visiting tax personally because that’s what the law says…” sighed the man.

“I’m sorry Miss Granger but these are the rules. We don’t want you coming back saying that someone else paid for you out of your account…” The secretary shrilled over the counter with a bored expression on her face.

“I was going to pay it from my own account…”Said Percy in exasperation

“The ticket is charmed with a tracking and recognition spell. It associates the payer with their personal information and no one else may enter but the payer,” she made a show out off scrutinizing them over her thin spectacles before adding gravely, “also, only two people may be present in the ministries notary office at the same time, those two people must be you and your Mr. Weasley, not any random Mr Weasley obviously…Also -” she wanted to continue but Hermione raised her hand and came closer to the counter.

“Alright, alright, we’ll pay the tickets, we got your point.”

After both individually paying the visiting tax they took the elevator to visit a Mr. Ciaran Moseley, the public notary of the Ministry.

One hour later they were descending the wide marble staircase looking tired and carrying some new stacks of papers. Everyone left in the meantime; only Ginny, Molly and Arthur were left waiting for them.

After another tiresome visit at Gringotts they were proud to say that the contract was sealed and all that was left now was the traditional title passing ritual that was going to be performed when Harry was out of the hospital.

*

Diagon Alley was deserted in the scorching heat of the afternoon. The stores stood with their doors wide opened, the red-faced witch fanning herself while waiting for customers at the entrance was the regular sight they were met with.

The Weasley seniors were walking in front of them with Ginny in their toe. She took the moment to slip her hand through Ron’s arm and pull him down for a kiss. She was met by a smiling pair of blue eyes. She smiled back and he pulled her close to him. They were hot and he was sweating heavily but she didn’t even noticed, that oblivious love made her.

She couldn’t even analyze her reactions like she used to because they seemed so ordinary, adoring everything about him was like breathing or like water, so vital that it became a habit.

They took a turn to the left towards a small, half opened cubicle in the wall of a building and found the apparition spot marked with red on the ground.
One by one they entered the cubicle and each vanished in thin air after pronouncing clearly, “St. Mungo’s Hospital”.

*

The hospital was still full of people with different conditions, most of them left over from war. A year and two months have passed since that terrible day and still so many were returning with magical wounds from spells and curses thrown at them. Hermione knew this all too well after the volunteer work she did the summer after the war and the numerous times she accompanied Harry since then when he had his fits. The hospital, no matter how clean, still held a pestilential combination of potions, human sweat and the oily smell of canteen food. She hated this smell because, to her, this was the smell of disease, of calming draught induced hallucinations and pain delusions. If there was a Hell, in her mind this is how it smelled.

Her heels clicked down the hallway as they made their way to Harry’s hospital room, she tried to concentrate on the sound of her shoes to prevent the bile that was threatening to rise in her throat at the loathsome smell.

They were ushered in by a frowning young nurse who practically pushed them in the room after throwing some sanitary robes on their backs and some bushy browed glares at their hesitant smiles.

Ginny flounced herself through the door enthusiastically cooing over the messy mop of black hair that was sticking out on a bespectacled head. He smiled to her from underneath the sheets that were brought up to his chin.

Harry Potter looked at all of them from behind Ginny’s arms and gave them a tight smile. Hermione scanned him up and down and asked him how he felt. He looked livid white with dark circles and red, puffy eyes. At his reassurance that he was perfectly fine she almost snorted.

Molly bustled in and produced a tiny box from her voluminous handbag and placed it on Harry’s side table. She waved her wand a few times and the diminutive box became huge and was soon occupying the entire bed stand. She opened the box and the room was filled with the smell of Molly’s famous cooking.

“Here you have pumpkin soup, just the way you like it, some sausages, a kidney pie – it’s a little spicier how I saw you prefer it – some cauldron cakes and five chocolate muffins,” she said pointing to the various steaming specialties while Harry seemed to look a bit nauseous at the sight of so much food. “I placed a warming charm on everything but now it’s broken so they’ll cool down. You’d better dig in or soon they’ll be good for nothing,” she admonished him shaking a finger in his direction. She widened her eyes and rummaged through the box once more. “Ah and almost forgot - you also have a bottle of pumpkin juice” she said proudly holding a thin, long flask filled to the brim with orange liquid.

“Mum leave the poor sod be, don’t you see he’s on the verge of puking? You alright Harry?” asked Ron coming towards his friend and sitting on the side of his bed.

“Yeah Ron I’m fine, said Harry in a weak voice. “Mrs. Weasley, thank you for looking after my well being! I do not know what I would do without your kindness…” He smiled to the older woman who now looked even more pleased than before.

“It’s alright Harry, you know you are like a son to me," she said with tears brimming under her lashes. “I don’t have Fred anymore but I have you now…”she trailed of in a futile attempt to stop the tears going down her cheeks.
Everyone shuffled awkwardly and Arthur wrapped an arm around her shoulder protectively.

“There, there dear, don’t cry. Poor Harry doesn’t want to see tears now in the state he is in.” The man cooed over his weeping wife.

“I – I kn – kn – ow Arthur, I just remembered our poor, beautiful son and – and…” She gave up trying to speak and buried her face in her husband’s shoulder sobbing instead.

“Come on Molly let’s have some water, shall we? Let’s leave the young ones catch up, said the elder Weasley directing his wife to the door. “Sorry Harry, we’ll be back in a moment.” he mouthed to the guilty looking patient on the bed.

“I don’t know when she will be normal again…she is taking this so hard, it’s like she doesn’t even want to live her life at least a little normal.” said Ron in resignation.

“Understand her Ron, it was her son. She will get over it, you’ll see.” Hermione came and stood by his side rubbing his back.

“And it was my brother too...Fred wouldn’t have wanted this…if only she would understand…I’m worried about her health.” Ron sighed and shook his head. His sister was watching the whole scene with thinned out lips.

“Just have patience, my friend, she will be fine,” said Harry quietly taking Ron’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “Talk to her, make her understand that he would have wanted her to be happy and she will forget in time,” said Harry and Ron nodded in agreement. After a while he looked up at Hermione and took a deep breath. “The visiting hours will soon be over, so we better talk about what I asked you to do before they kick you out. How did it go at the ministry?” he asked with slight excitement in his voice.

“We went to the notary and finished all the paperwork. All we need now is to make the actual Handing Ritual and we can start renovating.” Answered Hermione matter-of-factly.

“That’s very good guys. I knew it would all go smoothly, what with ‘Mione’s flair with words,” he said smiling and livening up a little. “I’ll be out of the hospital tomorrow, so next week we’ll be able to complete the ritual.”

“Harry are you sure you don’t want to live there with Ginny, I mean it’s yours after all,” said Hermione. “It’s such a beautiful place; you deserve to stay there more than us. You can’t prefer Grimmauld Place over the Peverell manor.”

“Yeah, ‘Mione is right, we’ve been talking about this – “

“No Ron,” said Harry abruptly “we have been through this before and I told you it is my gift to you. It is why I gave it to you, so you could have a place to build your future in.”

“Sorry mate, I didn’t mean to be annoying or anything like that it’s just that…it’s pretty hard you know, to accept a house for free…not a house really a small castle for Merlin’s sake!”, said Ron looking at Hermione who nodded back at Harry in an attempt to show him that she was of the same opinion. Harry merely shook his head at both of them.

“Is it hard, as you say, to accept generosity,” he asked the couple.

“No Harry, it’s just that…” Hermione was interrupted by Harry’s next question.

“Is it hard to accept kindness?” he asked calmly.

“No,” said Ron a little taken aback by his friend’s obstinacy.

“Is it hard to accept a friendly gesture?”

“Harry we understand. We have been through this so many times; we were just wondering what would be the right thing to do. We are not unthankful at your gesture, believe us. We were just worried,” said Hermione with a slight smile in the corner of her mouth.

Harry simply looked at her unyieldingly and took Ginny’s hand into his; the girl squeezed his hand tightly and kissed him on the forehead.

“Guys, you are my best friends and I want what’s best for you. We are more than friends, think about it, we will soon be family,” he announced smoothly looking up at them. Hermione was finally relaxed at seeing him so composed and calm after all the suffering that his fits gave him. “We need to build this world back and how could you do it without a proper place to live. Anyway, the Peverell mansion is one of the few empty residences that don’t belong to a former Death Eater so there will be no grim war reminders in it,” he looked at Hermione who sighed and then he continued. “You know as well as I do that those left unoccupied will be taken by the ministry and turned into Merlin knows what. I want to leave it in the care of someone I know and trust,” he said resolutely with a vigorous nod of his head.

“But you two, where will you stay?” asked Ron looking with questioning eyes from his sister to his future brother-in-law. Harry looked at Ginny with a tired and weak expression.

“Please Gin – tell them what Kingsley is planning. I am tired,” he said with hooded, sleepy eyes. His girlfriend hurriedly took away the large pillow that kept him in an upright, conversational position.

“Sure Harry, I’ll explain everything to them,” she whispered lovingly to him as he slowly lowered himself back underneath the warm covers. She turned her attention to the couple and looking at her brother, who was currently still sitting on the bed, closer to her, she smiled benevolently as if she wanted to excuse herself about something. “We are to wait the minister’s offer, Kingsley said that he wants us to have the best place in all Britain and he will make some offers. There are many places he has ordered to be cleaned and prepared for allotment, because he thinks that the best way to erase the awareness of the evil that was is through rehabilitation and not destruction.” She searched their frowning faces for agreement, all she found was puzzlement. “Honestly, I think he is right, I agree with him a hundred percent.”

“So, wait a second there Ginny,” said Hermione lifting one palm at her friend’s explanations. “You are saying that all the homes that once belonged to those foul people will be up for grab? For God’s sake, what is he doing, does he have any idea what people could stumble upon in those places? Not to mention the owners or their relatives…” she finished her shocked little rant whispering more to herself than to anyone else.

“Harry is this true,” asked Ron in a tiny whisper afraid not to disturb his dozing friend.

Harry opened his eyes slowly and looked at Ron through his lashes.

“Yes, it is Ron. And I think it’s for the best, what could he do, demolish them all? They are worth millions of galleons and despite everything they still are part of the old Albion’s patrimony. They are hundreds of years old and have been raised with powerful magic, bringing them down could mean disaster,” said Harry in a weak but determined voice.

“Not demolish them Harry, but – but not let people actually live in them for God’s sake,” exclaimed Hermione with an indignant look in her eyes. Harry rolled his eyes and pinned her with another unwavering look.

“Hermione, may I remind you that in the past wizards didn’t just build houses like they do know, they actually created them, gave them life almost – you cannot just leave them uninhabited, if you do that they either crumble to a pile of stones or develop a magic of their own, becoming hostile dumps like the Shrieking Shack or Grimmauld’s Place,” he spoke in a calm, clear voice, making a pause either to rest or simply for effect, she could not tell, she suspected it was a combination of both. “Do you understand the notion Hermione,” he asked with just a bit of temper rising in his tone.

“Yes I understand the notion Harry,” she spoke in a whisper that was close to an angry hiss, managing to control her annoyance at him only out of respect to his pitiful condition. “I still think it’s dangerous, not to mention stupid. Think of how tedious it will be when the former owners will come out claiming those properties…Has he even thought about that,” she asked challengingly.

“’Mione, for God’s sake, perhaps we should trust Shaklebolt, he always took the wisest decisions, ever since he was a part of the Order,” Said Ron half turning to his girlfriend.

“Life sentence, Hermione…” Harry whispered from his bed in a harsh, ragged voice, completely ignoring Ron and looking straight at her. His voice sounded more and more haggard and she was just about to stop him and drag the two siblings out letting him rest. It was obvious that the discussion wasn’t doing his condition any good. Her line of thoughts suddenly stopped when she took in what he actually said.

“What?”

“They have been given life sentence, or have you forgotten? Each and every person that was found with a Dark Mark was given life sentence and their relatives and…associates are still in trial. I presume that most of them will be imprisoned too and those that won’t will be stripped of any title or authority. They present no danger Hermione, relax,” he said and then lifted one finger and stopped her just before she was about to press on with her other insecurity. “As for the dark magic of those places, the residences will be searched in and out and through the darkest nooks and crannies. Anything of a more darker nature will be disposed off and powerful cleansing rituals will be performed on the properties. Come on, even Ron came to his senses and I trust Kingsley, you should do the same,” he exclaimed and then made a low guttural moan as he tried to straighten his stiff neck on the pillow. ”Oh and another thing, Not anyone can buy those places, you know. The laws are very, very strict.” Harry seemed to force the words out of his mouth, his throat made his voice sound like it was coming out of an old, rusty radio on a fading frequency.

“It’s alright Harry, Hermione understands and believes you, don’t you Hermione?” asked Ginny looking at her worried.

“I believe him, it’s true, but it doesn’t mean that I understand.” She said bluntly. Ron turned to her with an incredulous glint in his eye, while Ginny sighed and shook her head. Harry’s stare never left hers and she detected there something akin to…satisfaction?

“Hermione, can’t you give him a break, at least now?” asked Ron.
The door creaked open and Arthur Weasley’s head popped in with a satisfied smile on his face interrupting the tense silence.

“Ah, finally managed to calm Molly. She is outside in the waiting room, cooing over a small baby boy. The nurse came by and said that it was time to let Harry rest.” he sounded a little breathless and Hermione thought that he was probably excited about his winning war with his wife’s emotions. He froze in place and frowned a little as he swept his stare over each of them, sensing the tension in the room. “What happened here?”

The pressure dissolved instantly, something that by contrast with their earlier irritation only seemed to strengthen the belief in Hermione’s heart that it was terribly wrong for them to squabble over such little, silly things after all the horrors they shared.

“Nothing Mr. Weasley, just a little disagreement between me and Hermione,” piped in Harry smiling weakly at Arthur Weasley who turned to her with a questioning look.

“We’d better all go and let Harry rest; the nurse will drag us out of here by the collars soon anyway for disturbing him. You will have all the time to discuss when he will be better. Wait, you will all be a big family, you have all your life to bicker!” The elder Weasley said light-heartedly but looking straight at Hermione. Everyone laughed at the joke but kept looking at her, waiting for approval, another polemic or perhaps some sort of excuse, she didn’t know.

She smiled the smile that brought the selfless mask upon her face. In her rather short life she discovered that one of the easiest ways to be inconspicuous is to seem innocuous and sometimes she was hungry for anonymity, even around her closest friends.

She looked at all of them and knew that she needed to get their attention off of her right now; it was pointless to infuse her uncertainties in others. She couldn’t persuade them, the only effect she had in that moment was to irritate them with her constant anxiety. Three of the people in that room had had enough fear and worry from their own mother – wife respectively - to have to stand her own insecurities. She smiled again and presented some curt excuses, kissed Harry and disappeared through the door as fast as she could. Everyone followed and to her satisfaction the little disagreement was left behind.

Maybe it was time to let go, maybe it was time to go with the flow and let everything in the hands of those appointed to take care of them. He was gone from the world, he encompassed all their nightmares, everything that meant evil in this world was him and he was gone. After all, he was the only reason for them not living a normal childhood and adolescence. It all lead to a logical conclusion, it was time for them to take care of their own selves now. No, erase that, it was time for her to take care of herself, only herself.

****

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