Chapter Text
Chapter 6: Encore à Guerre
A large bucket bulging with mussels, clams, crabs and cockles carried between them, the bounty of a mornings fossicking in the sand and the nearby estuary mudflats, Luna and Dean ambled along the beach, heading back to Shell Cottage, enjoying the glorious mid spring sunshine beating on their backs.
Ollivander was leaving the next day and Luna had insisted they put on a farewell feast. She regretted that there was no nearby freshwater lake where she might have found her favourite plimpys, at least none that was safe to visit, but she would be able to make a passable imitation of her famous soup with the clams and cockles. Fleur was going to makes moules mariniere and they would surely find something delightful to do with the delicious brown crabs they had caught.
"He's a strange old codger, Ollivander" said Dean. "There's something, I don't know, a touch cold-blooded about him."
"He died a little at Malfoy manor, I think. He had already been there a long time before I came, often alone. He was tortured too. That does things to you, just look at Hermione."
"She sure is jumpy. I made the mistake of coming up behind her the other day. She had her wand out and in my face before I realised she had even moved."
"All three of them are like that. They are afraid too. They will be leaving here very soon, I am sure, going back into to danger again."
"Damn it," said Dean, almost halting, jerking the bucket and wrenching Luna's arm. "I feel so ashamed. All I've done is run, trying to save my own skin. And now I'm skulking in the safety of this haven. You have fought them, Luna, I have done nothing."
"And I ended up in a dungeon and Daddy in Azkaban."
"You regret what you did?"
"I would not change what I did, but I did it not really thinking about the price I had to pay."
"Harry, Ron and Hermione know the price and it is not stopping them. I cannot stay here, I am going to offer to help them."
"They will not accept. They will not even tell Ron's family what they are doing or accept help from them."
"I can't just stay here doing nothing."
"Then do as I intend to do. I can no longer help the DA so I will join the Order of the Phoenix if they will have me."
"Then I will do it too."
"Dean, do not join just because you are ashamed. This war will go on and on. A fighter who does not truly understand why they fight is like a hippogriff colt, unpredictable and a danger to those near them."
They reached the cottage and delivered their catch to the kitchen. Dean made himself scarce as Luna began cleaning and preparing the seafood. Later that afternoon she saw him in serious discussion with Bill while Harry, Ron and Hermione once again locked themselves away with the goblin.
Luna thought about her father, now in Azkaban. Forgive me Daddy if you have to pay the price for what I now intend to do.
oOo
The feast began after sunset, starting with Luna's "plimpy" soup. Ron, in particular, looked at his bowl with apprehension.
"I know it's not the same without real plimpys, Ron, and I couldn't find any cudweed so I used a little feverfew and some St. John's wort. Daddy says with a little imagination you can always win through."
"Imagination is important to your father, isn't it?" said Ron earning him a kick under the able from Hermione.
"Oh yes, without imagination how can you create the future?" said Luna looking at Hermione.
"Well the soup is delicious," said Bill. He nudged Fleur, who had a sour look on her face.
"Ah oui, it is trés, trés …er, I forget the English word."
"Well I think it is delightful, my child, one of the finest soups I have ever tasted," said Ollivander.
Luna beamed, forgetting for the moment that Ollivander was complaining, just the other day, how he was losing his sense of taste.
Griphook had declined to join them this night and this upset no one. Griphook always had a dampening effect on spirits around the table and there was always tension between the wand maker and the wandless goblin.
Everyone finished their soup. Bill and Dean even had seconds. Then Fleur brought in the main course, steaming bowls of mussels, platters of French fries and steamed crabs accompanied by fresh aioli.
"Oh this is marvellous," said Hermione, her eyes alight. For once she beat Ron to the food, ladling a large portion of mussels into her bowl. Dean and Bill both dug in with gusto.
Harry and Ron were slower to jump in. Seafood was rarely on the menu at either the Burrow or Hogwarts and the Dursleys would never waste money on such foolishness and didn't approve of continental food on principle. Battered fish, deep fried in dark oil with greasy chips was the only proper dish to come out of the sea.
Fleur demonstrated the spell commonly used in France for cracking open crab shells and exposing the sweet flesh. Hermione was delighted. "This is so much better than those heavy crab crackers and long forks."
Bill waved his wand and bottles of French wine and a jug of Belgian beer appeared on the table.
"Beer goes really well with the mussels," said Bill.
Hermione poured herself a little beer. "This reminds me of when my parents and I stayed in the seaside village of Honfleur in Normandy and we had moulles et frittes. They even let me have a little beer. She felt a moments sadness as she thought about her parents, then she lifted her glass. "Here's to better times."
"To better times," they all chorused. Then they all fell to the serious business of eating.
When they all finished, Hermione noticed some crab juice and a dollop of aioli on Ron's chin.
"Really, Ronald, can't you eat without needing a bath afterwards?" she picked up her napkin and wiped his chin clean.
Fleur smirked and then waved her wand and all the dishes rose in the air, stacking themselves neatly and floating into the kitchen. She flourished her wand again and a ramekin appeared in front of each person.
Hermione pierced the crust of the dark brown soufflé and then closed her eyes in bliss as she was overwhelmed by the aroma of the warm flowing chocolate. She consumed her dessert, delighting in every spoonful.
She noticed Ron smiling at her in a strange way.
"What are you grinning at, Ron."
He picked up his napkin and wiped her chin. "I don't know how, but some of the chocolate managed to escape."
Hermione felt herself flushing. She was rescued by the tinkling of glass and the sound of Ollivander clearing his throat. His voice was raspy as he began to speak..
"I would like to say a few words of thanks, first to you, dear Mrs Weasley. You kindness and care over the last few weeks have been overwhelming, capped off by this splendid meal. I will never be able to repay the hospitality shown to me by yourself and your fine husband. I thank you both. To the younger Mr Weasley and Mr Potter, what can I say, you saved me from that house of horrors and I will be eternally grateful."
Ollivander sipped some water before continuing. "As, for you, my dear Luna, beautiful spirit, I would have died in that dreadful place, given up on life, if you had not restored my soul. May no harm ever come to you again." His glass shook as he once more drank some water. He dabbed his eyes with his napkin.
"What will you do now, Mr Ollivander," asked Luna.
"It is not safe for me now in Britain or, I daresay, in Europe. I have a nephew in the US, in Louisiana. He is also a wandmaker. I hope to escape to America if I can. I hope you will all try and flee. There is nothing left for any of you here."
"We intend to keep on fighting," said Harry frostily.
"Harry, Ron and Hermione are heading out again in a couple of days," said Luna.
Hermione stared open mouthed at Luna, how did she know that?
"You cannot win Mr Potter, surely you know that."
"I do not accept that, we must keep on fighting."
"If he now has the Death Stick, as you claim, the Dark Lord is now invincible. And he will not rest until he kills you, Mr Potter. His grip on England gets stronger every day. Soon, not even places like this delightful refuge will be safe. It saddens me immensely, but I am afraid no one around this table will be safe unless you flee."
"No! You are wrong," said Ron. He jumped to his feet and was shaking. "I will not cede my home to that monster. I will not allow him to destroy everyone and everything I care about. Sod him. I will fight him till my dying breath and we will win."
"You will lose, Mr Weasley. The advantage of old age is that you see things as they are, not how you would wish them to be."
"You confuse old age with cowardice," said Ron. "Excuse me, I need some clean air. Thanks, Fleur, Luna for that marvellous dinner." He turned his back on Ollivander and headed outside.
"It appears I have upset our brave young man, I apologise if I gave any offence."
"It is because people were afraid to oppose him, even when he was weak, that He Who is an Abomination is now so strong. He thrives on fear and defeatism. You aid him when you talk as you did," said Hermione.
"And you, Mr Potter, are you so determined to ignore the truth that you will lead your two friends to their assured death."
Harry looked as if struck by an iron bar. He stood, glaring at Ollivander, his face flushed with anger. "How dare you!" He stood and then left the room followed by Hermione.
oOo
They found Ron not very far away and they joined him sitting on the sand.
"Remind me why we bothered saving the old coot," said Ron.
"We didn't, Dobby did," replied Harry bitterly. "I doubt the ungrateful bastard has given a moment's thought to Dobby's sacrifice since we arrived."
"What he said to you, Harry, was unforgiveable. We are each of us responsible for the risks we take and we have always made decisions together," said Hermione.
Harry didn't look convinced. "I can't ignore the danger you two have been in because of me. Harry Potter's best friend is not exactly the safest job in the world."
"The hours are lousy too, and so is the pay, but, mate, we volunteered for the job knowing as well as you did what it meant. We at least get a chance to fight back. In two days' time it will be four horcruxes down and we will one step closer to destroying the evil bastard."
"If there is a horcrux there, if we can get it and if we can get away safely. And then there are two more after that," said Harry.
Hermione put her hand on Harry's shoulder. "Neither Ron or I any longer have any illusions about how hard this is going to be, how long it is going to take or what it is likely to cost us. I don't think you do either. Any illusions we might have still had were blown away at Malfoy manor. I've had to comes to terms with that over the last few weeks, though if I am truthful, I am more scared now than I ever was, but more determined too."
"Same, mate. However long it takes, whatever it costs, I'm in it till the end. I'm in it for you and I'm in it for Hermione."
Even in the moonlight, Hermione could see Harry's face choked with emotion. He put his arm around both them and pulled them into a hug. "For each other."
"Forever," added Ron.
oOo
Bill awoke as the predawn light filtered into his bedroom. He had slept lightly all night, unable to shake a sense of foreboding. His brother, together with Harry and Hermione, were leaving this morning, heading off into Merlin knows what danger. The only consolation was that the goblin was leaving too, but it was a very poor one.
He had been instructed by Harry to stay in bed until they had left and not to look out the window. It was odd that he did not feel more than a moments resentment at been given orders in his own home and by his baby brother's friend, but Harry had developed an air of quite authority and seriousness. All three of them had in their own way.
Only a few short weeks before, they had arrived physically broken and emotionally shattered, but they had never for a moment lost sight of their goal. They had healed and regathered their resolve and he was glad that he had been able to supply the safe place that enabled them to do that. But he was full of fear.
It saddened him to see how much Ron's easy going nature had changed. He had always had a short temper, but it was always a momentary disturbance, like a short, violent summer storm that soon departs leaving behind a cleansed world bathed in bright sunlight. The good nature was still there but there was a fierceness that never left him and a determination.
What was wonderful, was the love his brother held for his brown haired friend. He was proud of the ferocity with which he protected her. That was what Weasley men did, protect the people they love. Off course it had been a pain in the butt at times, but that was OK.
One day, Hermione would likely be his sister in law, he judged, but with the inescapable proviso – if she survives, if they both survive.
He looked at Fleur, even more perfect in the soft light, sleeping peacefully, her long blond hair spread out on the bedcover and his heart filled with love for his wife. How hard it must be for Ron heading into danger with the woman he loved. Not that he could have stopped her.
He had learnt too that he could not keep Fleur from danger either, that he must accept that she had as much right to contribute to the war and to face danger as anyone. She had already taken part in the mission to move Harry from the Dursley home to the Burrow and several others for the Order of the Phoenix. He hated it, but he accepted it.
He heard the door of the adjoining bedroom close gently and soft steps going down the stairs. That would be Hermione.
So young to be taking on so much.
But she wasn't the only one. Luna had approached him about joining the Order of the Phoenix. She was even younger, the same age as Ginny, not yet of age. All the same he did not think the Order could turn her down, they were desperate and Luna was a combat veteran, having already fought against Death Eaters on two occasions. As had Ginny, he bitterly reminded himself.
The door to the guest bedroom banged closed, the goblin, they would be gone soon.
Dean had volunteered too, he was sick of running. They would take him too.
Bill heard the faint, muffled pop of several people disapparating. When would he see his brother again? Would he see his brother again?
He got out of bed and with heavy steps moved to the window and opened the curtains. The beauty could not lift his spirits. This war would go on and on and people he cared about would be hurt, even killed.
But he would continue to do what was needed today, and then the next day and the day after that. What else was could he do.
The End
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