New Beginning

Chapter 4


“Damn Ron!” Hermione walked briskly down the London street that would take her to the Leaky Caldron. “Damn him to hell!” She cradled Darien to her, the only saving grace she had was that he was sleeping through all of this, the magical sleep would be breaking soon and she didn’t want to return to the apartment. Ron had broken through the wards, he had ran sacked the apartment. Hermione had fled once she saw the destruction he had left behind. Her only thought was getting away, hiding. She didn’t like this feeling of being cornered. Harry had always been the one to step in between them when things got out of hand, now he wasn’t there to do it.

Hermione opened the tavern door and walked to the bar. Tom was behind the counter, the place was near empty this time of night. Tom grinned at her. “What a pleasure Miss Granger. Is there anything I can do for you?”

Hermione sat down at the bar, Tom glanced at the bundle in her arms and saw the haggard look on her face.

“Are you in trouble Miss Granger?”

Hermione’s shoulders slumped. “I need a room.”

Tom gave her nod and walked around from the bar. “Come with me. We won’t bother with the register.”

Hermione could have kissed him right there if she hadn’t been so tired. She had only taken what she thought she absolutely needed. Tom picked up the diaper bag and the other duffle and carried them upstairs for the girl. He hadn’t asked anything else about the child in her arms, but he figured she’d get aroun tel telling him what the problem was if he took things slow with her. He had seen a few witches in his time that were running from problems, more often than not they always ended up running from a wizard. This was nothing new to him, and when he took one of those lost strays in he always helped them out. It had been his wife who started this, God rest her soul, but he found himself not being able to let go of the job once she passed on.

Reaching the room he reserved for situations as this, he unlocked the warded door, it was one of the rooms in his private part of the tavern. This room had it’s own bathroom, so the person inside needn’t bother with being discovered if that was the case by using the loo down the hall for the other guest.

Hermione looked around the room, it was perfect. Not like home, but at least Ron didn’t know where she was. She looked up at Tom, he still hadn’t asked and she was grateful, but she knew she had to tell him something. “I…I don’t really know what to say.”

“Tell me in the morning. The door to the right leads to the stairs that enter the kitchen. Don’t bother going the normal way. You won’t be seen that way.” Tom gave her a reassuring pat and closed the door behind her and the child.

Hermione collapsed on the bed with Darien in her arms. She warded the door and prayed that Ron didn’t find h His His anger was bad enough. The first few times that Ron had hit her she had hid everything from everyone. Ron was abusive, and when she didn’t become pregnant that would send him off also. She shuttered when she remembered the abuse he would do to her. She pulled Darien closer.

“Well, I don’t know if you still have that knack for trouble finding you. But I think you do little one. You know what, even being a fully trained witch, I’m scared shitless.”

Darien nuzzled closer to her in his sleep and Hermione closed her eyes. She would have to think of something else in the morning. The morning would look a lot better she kept telling herself.


********


Severus stepped up on the landing and saw the door partly open, he drew his wand. Stepping closer to the door he called out. “Miss Granger, Potter?”

There was no answer.

He opened the door slowly. The room was a mess. Severus picked his wayoss oss shattered furniture, drawers that had been ransacked. He continued on in the apartment. Did Weasley do all of this? He looked around for any traces of blood, he didn’t want to find any that was for sure, but he looked all the same. Going back out of the apartment, he went back down the stairs. The night air was calm, to calm for his liking. Leaving his wand out he placed it in his palm.

“Point me Harry Potter.”

The wand spun and kept spinning. Severus glared at the blasted thing. What was wrong with it? It had always worked before. Stopping the wand he did another.

“Point me Hermione Granger.”

The wand pointed north. Severus head in that direction. It took a very strong wizard to make a point me spell work through wards. Most of the Aurors couldn’t do it. Albus had showed him how do concentrate on the point me spell in such a fashion that he would be able to find anyone. His mind went back to the spinning, when he had command the spell for Potter. It should have worked. He would have to ask Albus. Potter hadn’t been able to ward himself that well not to have the point me spell work. Severus had checked on Potter not but six months ago. It had become a habit to check up on the boy, even while he was at the University. He always told Albus what he had found out. The first year the trio had been at the University Severus thought he would have to intervene at one point, it seemed that throwsrows of depression were in full swing with him. Severus was afraid the boy would do something foolish like take his own life. Albus had this fear also, they had seen it on the night he left Hogwarts, seen it in his eyes that the boy didn’t want to live.

Severus Apparated further north and checked the spell ever so often, it finally pointed him in another direction soon he was standing at the door to the Leaky Caldron and stepped inside. Weasley was at the bar. Sevenarrnarrowed his eyes as he watched the young man along with two other Auror. Weasley was a full traineror ror now, he had been accepted as one this past year.

“So you didn’t see her Tom?” The brown head asked.

“I haven’t seen Miss Granger. I haven’t seen her since the last time she was in, that was about four months back, she came in with Harry Potter.”

Severus noticed that Ron grimaced at this. Good! What he saw back at that apartment made him clearly mad. But Auror could get away with certain things, and ransacking an apartment was one of them. Severus walked silently to the shadow of the bar, they hadn’t noticed his presence. He had years of practice with this. He knew Hermione was here, knew Tom was lying to protect her. Albus would be proud, the Leaky Caldron was a safe haven for anyone on the run. The younger Weasley wasn’t in the Order, but he doubted whether or not Molly or Arthur would tell their son about this place.

A few more questions were asked nothing that Severus could glean from. The three Auror left and Severus came out of the shadows. Tom glanced up at him and narrowed his eyes.

“How much did you hear?”

“Enough to know that you’re lying.”

Tom grinned at Severus.

“What can I get you?”

Severus took a seat at the bar. “Butterbeer. Nothing strong tonight.”

Tom gave him a nod and poured him the drink and took a seat himself beside Severus.

“What’s going on, Severus?”

“Not sure, I’m still trying to work that out for myself.”

Severus and Tom in in silence for a while, and then Severus told Tom everything he knew about the situation, Tom in return told him everything he knew.

“She’s upstairs and fine then?”

“I wouldn’t say fine. She wasn’t hurt, but she was frightened, I know the look. She was clutching that child like it was a lifeline.” Tom took the last drink of his butterbeer and walked to the front door of the tavern and locked up. He walked back behind the bar and poured himself another and refilled Severus’s as well.

“She won’t be safe for long with Aurors after her.” Severus said out loud.

Tom nodded in agreement. “Just wish I knew what she was running from.”

Severus swirled the butterbeer. “I want to see her Tom, just to check on her. Its not that I don’t trust you. I do.”

“No need to say it. Dumbledore would shoot us both if I didn’t let you check on her.” Tom stood up. “Come on.”

Severus followed Tom up the stairs and to the door, Tom undid his wards that he had cast on the door after he had shut it, and tried the door, it wouldn’t open. Severus smiled, she warded the door, smart girl. Severus said some spells and tried the door for himself, not smart enough, he opened the door and stepped inside. Tom and Severus both looked at the young woman asleep, her brow was furrowed, she wasn’t sleeping peacefully. Severus glanced at the child that was lying in her arms, he had come out of the covers, and his hair was black with red tint on the end. Not Weasley’s. He walked closer to the bed and studied the child more, he looked like Granger, but a part the of him didn’t. That little nose, so much like Potter’s. Even the brow of the forehead. This had to be Potter’s child. But where was Potter? Severus looked back at Tom, he gave the man a slight nod and turned and left the room. After Tom shut the door Severus put up his own wards. No Auror could break into that. Severus sat down in the only chair in the room and waited for morning. He wanted answers, and the only person who could give them was lying in the bed asleep with a little boy in her arms.