Most ardently by Swift Night Chapter 17, the world reappeared
as her feet crashed down onto the soft dirt path in front of
the Burrows garden gate. Hermione steadied herself,
tucking in the snitch that delivered her home into her
pocket. She'd been unprepared for the
sudden downpour that drenched her within seconds.
The sky had been clear over Wiltshire all day, and the shift
in leather reminded her of just how far she had travelled so
quickly. A crack of Thunder made her
jolt, breaking her from her frozen trance.
When the path of lightning lit her path, she followed it.
The wards welcomed her home and she shut the door behind her
before pulling her wand and attempting to dry off her soaked
cloak and dress. She peeked her head into the
sitting room only to find it unexpectedly empty for this time
of night, though she wasn't alone for long.
A set of footsteps on the stairs was her only warning before Luna
appeared, looking quite perplexed at Hermione's rapid
return. Hermione forgot her damp clothes
as she wrapped her sister in a tight embrace, feeling the
heartbreak of Jeannie's disappearance all over again.
Has her hand on the clock changed?
Hermione asked, breaking the silence between them.
No. Luna shook her head.
Mother had it moved to her room. I gave.
Her a sleeping. Draught this evening but she's
still been restless. I sent.
Priscilla and Charlie. To bed while I stayed with her.
And then I saw your hand change to home and I prayed to.
Merlin, it was. True.
Did Father make it to London? He did, though.
Without any leads. I'm not sure how.
Long he'll be able to. Stay, especially considering
Mother's state. Hermione nodded at Luna's
explanation before her sister countered with an interrogation
of her own. Hermione, how did.
You get home so quickly. You told me you were spending.
The day in. Wiltshire.
And I only. Sent my letter.
This afternoon, aye, Hermione's words failed her.
The snitch in her pocket felt heavy, and her guilt would not
allow her to hide this truth from Luna, even if it was only a
partial truth of all that transpired.
Mr. Malfoy was visiting the inn when your letters arrived this
evening, Mr. Malfoy. Luna raised a brow.
You saw him? Yes, We crossed paths earlier
while he was visiting Lady Greengrass in Kent.
He is not as unkind as I once accused him.
He saw my distress and offered to acquire a porky to return me
home. I tried to refuse, but he
insisted. Sighting our carriage troubles.
I see. The way that Luna was looking at
her made Hermione feel that she had learned far more than she
had said. Everyone will be surprised to
see you. No need to wake them or make a
big fuss. Hermione insisted.
Not when there is so much else to worry about.
We can tell them I returned home in the morning.
All right. Luna conceded.
Go upstairs and try to get some rest.
I'll wait until Mother settles before joining you.
Hermione released a sigh of relief.
Thank you. When she tried to walk past her
sister on the stairs, Luna's hand reached out to wrap around
her, causing her to pause. I trust.
You know what? You are doing when it comes to
Mr. Malfoy, Hermione. I know he's friends with Mr.
Zebini, but I don't. Want you to be indebted.
To him, simply because I desired your home.
Her voice was filled with concern.
He assured me I owe him nothing. Hermione squeezed her hand.
Besides, it is unlikely our pass will cross again.
Luna's blue eyes appraised her, but she seemed to pass the
witch's inspection. They walked the first flight of
stairs together before her sister snuck back in to check on
Missus Weasley while Hermione continued up the rest of the
stairs into the comfort of her room.
She had just finished combing the tangles out of her wet air
and braiding it back when Luna joined her once more.
Hermione prepared to defend her acceptance of Mr. Malvoy's
Porky, but Luna did not bring it up again, and both witches
crawled into their shared bed. Sleep took Hermione quickly,
overwhelmed with the day's events.
She hoped that tomorrow would bring with it better news and
hopefully the return of Jinny. As much as Hermione desired a
quick resolution to their troubles, the week dragged on.
Her only consolation was that her mother and sisters had been
too preoccupied to question how she'd managed to make it home in
record time. Hermione spent most of the last
few days trapped inside her parents bed chambers, listening
to her mother's anguish and verbalized fears.
Why did the diggeries let her out of their sight?
Mrs. Weasley bemoaned again. I always thought they were unfit
to take charge of her. Hermione continued to stare out
the window, seeing no point in informing her mother that she
had actively encouraged Jinny to attend the World Cup with the
Jiggerys. And now she is ruined.
Priscilla added sadly. My dears, it is far worse than
that. You are all ruined, she sobbed.
Who will take you now with a fallen sister?
And my only watched each of her sister's shoulders slump at
Missus Weasley's assessment. Jinny's recklessness may have
just crossed each of them any chance of happiness.
Their only solace was that while Mr. Potter had been placed on
the Undesirables list, Jinny was noted as his victim, not an
accomplice. A minor distinction that did
little to help the fallout of having a sister involved in a
scandal of this magnitude. Knowing it would be enough to
dissuade nearly all eligible suitors going forward, it was
unlikely to be forgotten within the coming social seasons.
The Auras are searching for them too, Mother Charlie offered in
the hopes of comforting the older, which before her
hysterics could resume, though it failed to be effective.
You girls better hope they find him before your father does.
What do you mean? Priscilla asked.
I thought father went to London to find her himself.
He'll have to duel for her. Honour, Missus Weasley
proclaimed. My poor husband will have to
fight the providious Mr. Potter and then be killed.
He is an aura, after all, and a far better jeweller than your
father ever was. Hermione wanted to cut in and
say that it would not come to such violence, but she
refrained, not able to say the events were entirely out of
character for Mr. Potter. After all, Mr. Malfoy had
confessed to having scars from their jewel.
She could only hope that her father would not find himself on
the other end of Mr. Potter's want.
She could not imagine the heartbreak of grieving the death
of her father. On top of Jinny's betrayal, her
mother seemed to have decided she would grieve her husband
prematurely. And then?
We should be dependent on the kindness of his nephew Ronald,
who could simply decide to throw us out of the Burrow before your
father is cold in his grave. Luna reached forward to attempt
to console Missus Weasley again. Do not be so alarmed, Mother.
Our cousins are in London helping him search, and they
shall be there when he finds her.
Missus Weasley did not seem to hear a word Luna had said, her
eyes trained on the Weasley clock, a single spoon resting on
lost. Chinny must know what this is
doing to my poor nerves. How can she do such a thing to
her mother? The spasms and flutterings all
over me. I shall not rest until my sweet
baby Chinny is returned to me. The girls all crowded around
consoling their mother as she could only seem to keep crying.
Luna called for more tea and after a heavy dose of calming
draft was added to Mrs. Weasley's, the witch finally
settled. That evening brought news that
Mister Weasley had failed to find any trace of Jinny or Mr.
Potter and had set out for home with the assurances that cousins
Fred and George planned to continue the search.
Talk began to swirl in the papers of some author named Rita
Skeeter who'd been concocting fictitious lies about Mr. Potter
and his past involvement with the Weasley family.
The witch had somehow concocted a story about how Mr. Potter's
true interest had been in Hermione, but her attachment to
the Bulgarian Quidditch star Victor Crumb had caused the
wizard to seek out a new vulnerable target.
Hermione couldn't help but snort at the outlandishness of such a
story, seeing as she had only met Mr. Crumb for a single
evening and have not spoken to him since their dance.
Mesquita's tale had increased public awareness and therefore
public pressure on the Ministry to locate the wizard.
Overnight, he was declared undesirable #1 much to the
Weasley celebration and dismay. As Mr. Weasley's carriage pulled
up into the drive of the borough the following day, the witches
waiting for him were all feeling quite discouraged.
Hermione had tried to summon her Otter to cheer up her sisters,
but she found that since she had used the memory of all of them,
including Jinny, swimming in a stream when they were all
younger, she could no longer summon her corporeal Otter.
The discovery had left her feeling particularly forlorn, as
her father dismounted and offered a solemn greeting.
He insisted on all of them eating together as a family,
though Missus Weasley still refused to leave her bed in a
desire to establish a sense of normalcy.
It turned out to be a quiet affair, with no one speaking
aside from a few hushed tones asking for the plate to be
passed down the table. They were nearly finished when
an owl tapped on the window and their heads snapped up in
unison. Charlie jumped before anyone
else could move, dashing to the window.
I don't recognise the owl, she said as she united the letter.
It is addressed to you. Father.
Hermione felt the owl was familiar, but couldn't place
where she had seen it before. Bring it here.
He instructed the second youngest, throwing down his fork
and clearing the space in front of him.
Hermione watched as her sister returned the envelope, handing
it off, but she tried to read it over Mr. Weasley's shoulder.
That is cousin George's writing. Hermione shouted out, unable to
contain her nervous energy. I can't make out his script.
Her father complained. May I?
She asked, already reaching for the parchment.
When Mr. Weasley did not fight to keep hold of it, she took it
as permission and devoured its contents.
Uncle Fred and I have found them.
Mr. Potter had taken them to the Black family home he had
inherited on the death of his godfather and after requiring a
way past the blood wards we were able to enter.
Jinny is safe at my home in London under the watchful eye of
Angelina. Mr. Potter has declared he will
marry her in two days time on the 5th of June if you agree to
send him 50 galleons a year. As for the Ministry, the
wizard's name has been cleared of the charges of abandoning his
post and the abduction of a witch.
Seeing as our naive cousin confessed to leaving with Mr.
Potter willingly when questioned, the Ministry was
amenable to dropping the charge if the pair were married before
the end of the week. In regards to the other charges,
it appears Mr. Potter had provided his formal notice to
leave the Aura service 3 days prior to his departure, though
it had been incorrectly filed by a clerk.
Therefore, the error was on the Ministry's side for targeting
him without true 'cause head aura.
John Dawlish recovered the resignation letter.
He will be rescinding Mr. Potter's name from the
Undesirable list immediately, and the Ministry has agreed to
issue a full public apology for the mishandling of the
situation. It appears that it shall be
Minister Fudge's government that will be taking the fall in the
press, having seen a preview of Miss Gita's article for
tomorrow's paper. According to her reporting, Mr.
Kingsley Shacklebolt plans to use this scandal to launch his
bid to oust the mist of a magic in next year's election.
It is good news for us as it shall help pull any attention
away from the family and provide us with a plausible excuse on
their delay of the allotment. Fred and I are committed to
carrying out this wedding with your consent.
Please send your reply as soon as possible so we can confirm if
you agree to Mr. Potter's terms and we can all put this ordeal
behind us. If the wedding does happen, you
can expect them to arrive at the borough by Porky in time for
supper. Your nephew, George Pruitt, well
Priscilla inquired. Our cousins found them.
Hermione stated in shock at the contents of the letter.
Charlie couldn't contain her curiosity.
Are they married? Is Mr. Potter being carted off
to Azkaban? Apparently Mr. Potter's name has
been cleared with the Ministry and he has agreed to marry Jinny
should father pay him 50 galleons a year.
You will agree, won't you, Father?
Luna spoke up. Of course I shall agree, he
gruffed. Merlin knows how much your
cousins must have laid on that wretched man.
What do you mean, Father? Charlie inserted herself.
No wizard in his right mind would settle to marry Jinny for
a slighter temptation AS50 galleons a year.
My nephews must have been very generous indeed.
At the conclusion of his speech, Mr. Weasley stood from the table
and retreated in the direction of his office.
Priscilla and Charlie snatched the letter from Hermione's
grasp, eager to read it for themselves as Luna leaned over
her shoulder. Do you think he was offered a
large sum? Hermione nodded.
Mr. Potter is a fool if he accepted anything less than
10,000 galleons 10. 1000. Her sister exclaimed.
Hermione wished she could dispute it, but her knowledge of
the wizard could not discredit the claim.
When Priscilla and Charlie Rose to return upstairs to tell Mrs.
Weasley the news a short while later, Luna and Hermione joined
them. My Ginny.
Married, She exclaimed upon hearing the letter read aloud.
And. At 18 too.
The colour had already begun to return to her mother's cheeks as
she sat up in bed. She's not married yet, Mother.
Priscilla reminded her it'll be a.
Few more days still. Oh, but this news is still
wonderful. And Mr. Potter was cleared of
the charges against him. I always knew he was an
honourable gentleman. Missus Weasley declared.
If only it were not so late in the evening.
I would have loved to see Missus Brown's face, if I could be the
one to tell her myself. It seems the Daily Prophet will
beat. You to it in their retraction,
Luna said. This is.
Why I? Prefer the Quibbler?
They only print things that are true, Hermione.
Wanted to point out that the Quibblers editor believed in a
made-up creature called a Crumple Horned Snorcak, but that
felt like it would be veering too far off topic.
Mrs. Weasley continued as if her eldest child had not said
anything at all. Charlie tell the servants they
may each have a butterbeer to celebrate the news.
We should be thanking our cousin's mother.
Hermione's irritation finally got the better of her.
And so they should. Help.
Mrs. Weasley waved her hand in dismissal.
They are both far richer than us and have no children of their
own. No children yet, Hermione
mumbled under her breath, but her mother failed to catch it.
Her daughter married. She chirped excitedly, jumping
out of bed and putting on her shawl.
I must begin to prepare the house for their arrival.
Is that really all you? Care about?
The question slipped out between her lips.
Missus Weasley turned to face Hermione, her agitation
apparent. When you have five daughters, my
dear, tell me what else occupies your thoughts and then perhaps
you will understand. The witch left the room and the
rest of her sisters trailed after her until Hermione was
left all alone. She was quite certain that if
she had five daughters, one day. She would not be happy.
At the prospect of one of them getting married to a wizard they
barely knew, though, it was pointless to speculate about
such things. No matter her opinion on the
matter, it was now decided that Jinny would be marrying Mr.
Potter regardless.