"How is it they knew we were there?" Harry asked in a hushed tone as the quartet quickly made their way out of the coffee shop.
"Maybe you still have the Trace on you?" Hermione suggested.
"Can't be. Trace breaks at 17. It's wizarding law," Ron explained.
"Exactly," Ellie agreed. "Must be something else. Perhaps our apparation."
Hermione suddenly stopped in her tracks, a face of regret forming on her face. Ellie looked to her girlfriend worriedly and took her hand.
"What?" Ron asked, turning to look at Hermione.
"We didn't celebrate your birthday, Harry. Ginny and I, we prepared a cake," Hermione whined.
"Yeah, I would've helped, but I probably would have burned down the Burrow," Ellie added, hoping to bring some amusement.
"We were going to bring it out at the end of the wedding," Hermione continued in a disappointed tone.
"Hermione, honestly. I appreciate the thought, but given the fact we were almost killed by a couple of Death Eaters a few minutes ago..." Harry trailed.
"Right," Hermione agreed. "Perspective."
"We need to get off the streets, get somewhere safe," Ron suggested.
--
The quartet arrived at 12 Grimmauld Place just moments later. Ellie watched in fascination as the brick wall expanded to create another apartment.
The four of them entered the building, shutting the door behind them. The hallway lights illuminated as a cloud of smoke appeared, taking the form of the late Dumbledore. It began to rush towards them, reaching its hand out for intruders. Hermione let out a scream as she clutched Ellie's arm in fear. The smoke had disappeared just before them, leaving the four of them flustered.
"What was that all about?" Ron asked in a shaky voice.
"Probably Mad-Eye's idea, in case Snape decided to come snooping," Hermione suggested. She took a step forward, withdrawing her wand. "Homenum Revelio."
Nothing happened, though a low "swooping" was to happen if a human was detected.
"We're alone," Hermione announced disappointedly.
They settled in the living room for the night, exhausted from the day's events. They had awoken at just the brink of dawn, Ellie finding that Harry and Ron were gone. Hermione sat next to Ellie, rubbing over her forehead lovingly.
"Good morning, beautiful," Hermione whispered as she placed a kiss on Ellie's forehead. "How'd you sleep?
Ellie's lips curled into a smile at the sight as she slowly rose to sit up, her arms naturally moving to embrace Hermione's waist.
"I slept okay. You?" Ellie replied, her voice raspy. Ellie had a happy tone in her voice, which was rare, considering the Hufflepuff wasn't a morning person. Hermione made a mental note to wake her girlfriend with a kiss in the future.
"Fantastic," Hermione grinned as she quickly pecked Ellie's lips, making the Hufflepuff smile even wider.
"Harry? Ellie? Hermione, where are you?" Ron's voice called out from afar. "I think I've found something.
The lovers rolled their eyes synchronously, clearly bothered by the disruption of their alone-time. Hermione helped Ellie stand to her feet as she followed the sound of Ron's voice. Now with Harry, the four of them stared at a disheveled room, seeming to be upturned.
"Lovely," Hermione commented plainly.
Ron swung the door to make the front seen. On a metallic sheet was a name engraved in black letters.
"Regulus Arcturus Black," Hermione read out loud.
"R.A.B," Ron confirmed.
"Obviously," Ellie muttered sarcastically, earning a wary look from Hermione.
The four of them assembled at the dining table, the fake locket set aside as Harry read aloud the message on the piece of parchment.
"I know I will be dead long before you read this. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it," Harry read as he came to a realization. "R.A.B. is Sirius's brother."
"Yes," Hermione confirmed. "Question is, did he actually destroy the real Horcrux?"
A sound suddenly came from a closet, the quartet turning to look. Harry approached the door and opened it cautiously. He grabbed the elf that was hiding inside and dragged him out to the light, the creature protesting.
"You've been spying on us, have you?" Harry confronted as the rest of the group stood up.
"Kreacher has been watching," the elf responded in a hoarse voice.
"Maybe he knows where the real locket is," Hermione suggested.
Harry turned to grab the locket sitting on the table, holding it up for the elf to see.
"Have you ever seen this before? Kreacher..."
"It's Master Regulus' locket," the creature replied as he cowered behind the counter.
"But there were two, weren't there? Where's the other one?"
"Kreacher doesn't know where the other locket is."
"Yes, but did you ever see it? Was it in this house?" Hermione pushed, stepping forward.
"Filthy mudblood! Death Eaters are coming..." the elf yelled, stepping out from behind the counter.
Ellie lunged at the elf but was held back by Harry. On the other hand, Ron also lunged as he attempted to hit it, but was held back by Hermione.
"Ron. Ellie," Hermione stopped as she took hold of Ellie as well.
"Blood traitor, Weasley," the elf continued.
Harry stepped forward, showing the locket close to the creature's face.
"Answer her."
Kreacher took a look at the dangling locket. "Yes. It was here in this house. A most evil object."
"How do you mean?" Harry pursued, stepping closer to Kreacher.
"Before Master Regulus died, her ordered Kreacher to destroy it but no matter how hard Kreacher tried, he could not do it."
"Well, where is it now? Did someone take it?"
"He came in the night," Kreacher replied, now cowering before the locket. "He took many things, including the locket."
"Who did? Who was it, Kreacher?"
"Mundungus. Mundungus Fletcher."
"Find him," Harry ordered.
Soon enough, Kreacher apparated, leaving the quartet on their own again.
--
It was August 4, 1997.
The wait for Kreacher proved to be unbearable, Ellie not being able to take another sound at Ron's terrible piano-playing. A couple of days had passed as everyone felt as if the walls were starting to close in on them. Hermione was teaching him, yet Ellie tried to push her jealousy aside while she chatted with Harry.
Ellie stood up abruptly, making her way to the two sitting at the piano.
"Ron, if you don't mind," Ellie said, gesturing her hand away from the piano.
Ron stood up hesitantly, giving a disappointed look to both of the girls. Ellie took his place instantly, sliding in close to her girlfriend. Ellie gripped Hermione's thigh possessively, making her giggle.
"What's so funny?" Ellie questioned.
"I was only just teaching him. Besides, you need two hands to play," Hermione giggled, glancing down at her girlfriend's hand on her thigh.
Ellie rolled her eyes sarcastically, smirking to her girlfriend. She proceeded to play what Ron had been struggling on almost perfectly with just one hand.
Hermione raised her eyebrows in shock, looking to see if the boys were looking in her direction. She quickly placed a kiss on Ellie's lips, lacing their fingers together.
"Seems like you don't need much practice," Hermione commented, clearly impressed by her girlfriend's hidden talent.
Hermione stood up from the bench, bringing Ellie up with her.
The girls made their way to sit in front of Harry, letting go of each other just before Ron's view.
Harry was holding his Golden Snitch, watching its wings flutter between his fingers.
"They have flesh memories," Hermione explained to Harry. "When Scrimgeour first gave it to you, I thought it might open at your touch. That Dumbledore had hidden something inside it."
A loud thumb was heard from the kitchen, the trio immediately standing up to rush to the door, Ron still seated.
There stood a familiar man, groaning as two elves clutched onto him, one at his face and one at his leg.
"Harry Potter, so long it's been," the smaller elf on the leg greeted.
The man suddenly fell to the floor, making pots and plan clatter everywhere.
"As requested, Kreacher has returned with the thief."
"Expelliarmus," Hermione incited quickly, catching Mundungus' wand.
"What are you playing at? Sending a pair of bleeding house-elves after me," the man grumbled.
The smaller elf jumped onto the table. "Dobby was only trying to help. Dobby saw Kreacher in Diagon Alley, which Dobby thought was curious. And then Dobby heard Kreacher mention Harry Potter's name. And then Dobby saw Kreacher talking with the thief, Mundungus,"
Hermione and Ellie started to corner the man who stumbled backwards helplessly.
"I'm no thief," the man claimed, walking backwards in fear. "You foul little... Git. I'm a purveyor of rare and wondrous objects."
"You're a thief, Dung. Everyone knows it," Ron added as he stepped into the room.
"Master Weasley, so good to see you again," Dobby greeted in which Ron complimented his shoes.
"And you must be Ellie Evans. Friend of Harry Potter. I've heard many great things. So nice to meet you," Dobby said humbly, extending his hand out to the Hufflepuff.
Ellie shook the elf's hand, earning a smile from Hermione and Dobby.
"Listen, I panicked that night, all right?" Mundungus continued, cowering to the corner as he sat down on a chair. "Could I help it if Mad-Eye fell off his broom?"
"Tell the truth," Hermione ordered.
"When you turned this place over... Don't deny it. You found a locket, am I right?" Harry questioned.
"Why? Was it valuable?" the man said sarcastically as Kreacher approached him.
Ellie inched her wand further at the man, making him gulp in fear.
"You still got it?" Hermione questioned.
"No, he's worried he didn't get enough money for it. Bleeding give it away, didn't I?" Ron continued.
"You greedy traitor," Ellie spat as she took a step closer, making the man cower further in his chair.
"There I was, flogging me wares in Diagon Alley when some Ministry hag comes up and asks to see me license. Says she's a mind to lock me up. And would've done it too, if she hadn't taken a fancy to that locket," Mundungus explained.
"Who was she? The witch. Do you know?" Harry questioned further.
"No... I." Mundungus glanced at the newspaper beside him, picking it up eagerly. "Well, she's there. Look. Bleeding bow and all."
Ellie took a look at the newspaper, seeing the wretchedly familiar face, dressed in all pink attire. Flashbacks of what had happened just two years prior flooded the quartet's memories, remembering all about her tyranny.
"You've got to be kidding," Ellie groaned as the quartet looked to each other with the same expression.