Aurors: The Fist of Mars

Lavender Brown

Life stayed busy over the next few days. Ron and Harry went to work where they both grinded away working on their respective cases. In the evenings, Harry and Ron went to help George at the shop (except for Tuesday, when Harry had dinner with Andromeda Tonks and baby Teddy). On lunch breaks and after work—before they were due at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes—Harry and Ron would casually follow Dawlish, Proudfoot, and Gray.

On Monday after Proudfoot caught Ron following him to The Leaky Cauldron, Ron had to pretend he was going to eat there all along. Proudfoot invited Ron to sit with him, and Ron spent the next forty-five minutes trying to act casual while discussing Quidditch and family and the new band on the WWN, Purple Niffler.

After that, Ron wasn't allowed to follow Proudfoot, lest it caused suspicion. He tailed Dawlish for the next two days. Dawlish was a very dull man. His routine involved going home to an empty two-bedroom outside of the city and staying in until it was time to head back to work. His file had said something about a grown child in America and a deceased Mrs. Dawlish (before the war). Watching him mostly made Ron sad but not very suspicious.

* * *

On Wednesday, when Ron came in from helping out at the shop (they were addressing hundreds of catalogs for shipment to past customers and Hogwarts students), he found a letter waiting from Hermione. It was just what he needed after two days of watching his lonely superior.

Dear Ron,

How are you doing? I know it's been a week since my last letter, but I am just swamped with school work. We're starting History of Magic in this century!!! Binns is requiring us to source our materials this year—which means outside research. So exciting!

Anyway, things are going well. I am sure that you heard about Gryffindor's victory over Hufflepuff in the match on Saturday. Ginny has put together a quality team. It is quite bizarre to be taking so many courses with her (though she is not in Arithmancy with me).

Everything is a bit strange, actually. I am so well known since everything that happened this spring. A few members of our class came back, but mostly I'm with the year below, and people who never spoke to me even once at Hogwarts (even when I dated Krum) are suddenly acting like they know me. I sometimes get worried that I am supposed to know their names. What if I have met them before and I am just being daft? I think I understand how Harry felt for all those years.

How are you and Harry? How are your investigations going? To be honest, it is a bit strange to have so much peace at Hogwarts. For the first time in...ever...I do not have to worry about a murderous serpent or escaped convict. With no threat of Voldemort looming, life can be quite dull. I know, I know! I should count my blessings. I just wish I were out there with you and Harry tackling real problems, like house elf bondage or vigilante wizards. How is that going? What can you tell me?

Before I run out of parchment, I wanted to tell you that we have a Hogsmeade visit this Saturday. Please come and see me if you do not have to work. Tell Harry to come, too.

Love,

Hermione

Ron folded up the letter and tucked it in his night stand. He got out a piece of parchment and a quill, but he wasn't sure what to write. He couldn't tell her about the investigation of his boss, lest it be intercepted. He couldn't give very many details about Protego, though he wasn't sure what he knew that the press did not. The thought of Hermione at Hogwarts without him was sad, and Ron was sure that—alone in the castle with Ginny off at Quidditch practice all the time—Hermione didn't need to hear that. She did not need another reminder that he and Harry were off in the world making change while she was separated from them.