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The Case of the Escaped Death Eater, Epilogue
Title: The Case of the Escaped Death Eater
Author: shiiki
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom/Hannah Abbott, various others
Fandom: Harry Potter
Summary: Five years after the end of the war, Aurors Weasley and Longbottom find themselves working together to capture an escaped prisoner on a tight deadline: before the full moon. However, the case is not as straightforward as it seems, especially when the witches in their lives appear to be involved as well ...
Chapter Listing
In this chapter
Chapter Title: To the Future
Rating: G
Characters: Neville Longbottom, Hannah Abbott, Hermione Granger, Dumbledore's Army
Word Count: 2,418
Chapter Summary: With the case wrapped up, Dumbledore's Army is able to meet and drink to a better future.
Hannah hummed as she spelled the bits and pieces of plaster she couldn't seem to fit back in the wall into the dustbin. The repairs to the pub were almost complete. They hadn't taken long -- she'd been discharged from St Mungo's to find that Neville, who had been let out days earlier, owing to the fact that they'd wanted to hold her for testing thanks to the residue of the Cruciatus Rookwood had subjected her to before Neville had showed, had already started on the repairs. He hadn't said a word about it when he'd visited her (several times each day!) in the hospital.
She and Neville were ... well, she wasn't exactly sure where they were in terms of an actual relationship, but there was something, and that was enough for her for now.
She could sense that Neville needed to resolve the issues he was currently struggling with first. It turned out that he had been taking a leave of absence from the Aurors. He'd mentioned needing to get his head together about the whole thing. Hannah hoped he'd figure it out, and not just for her personal interest. It had been increasingly obvious to her over the past couple of weeks that Neville wasn't meant to be an Auror forever. He was a fighter, to be sure, but it bothered him to fight.
He needed to be away from all of this, thought Hannah, and while it pained her to think of Neville far away, she told herself sternly not to be selfish.
She sent an owl to Luna Lovegood.
There hadn't been a reply yet -- understandable, since the last any of them had heard from Luna, she'd been tracking one of her outlandish creatures in Outer Mongolia or somewhere like that.
So for now, Neville was still spending most of his time around the Leaky Cauldron. Right now, he had just popped out of the Floo -- the first thing he'd had repaired while she was still in St Mungo's -- and hung his cloak over the back of a chair.
'Looks like you have this well in hand,' he said, marvelling at the work she had been doing.
'Thanks,' said Hannah. 'I think I'm ready to open again by Saturday. Just in time for the weekend crowd.' She directed the last bit of crumbling debris into the bin and straightened up to look at him properly. Neville leaned forward and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. (It was enough to set her heart fluttering every time he did this.)
'Nice timing,' he said softly. Hannah was puzzled, until she thought about the date and realised Memorial Day fell over the weekend. When she'd first taken over the Leaky Cauldron this year, half the old Dumbledore's Army had shown up to celebrate and she'd promised they could have their annual Memorial Day party (though it was more of a full out drinking session) here. In the wake of Rookwood's attack, that promise had nearly been driven out of her mind.
'Oh,' she said. 'I almost forgot.'
'I was at St Mungo's with Gran this morning,' said Neville. 'Saw Ernie there. He asked after you, of course, and said that he was happy to host the DA gathering at his place. I told him I'd check if you were up to it first.'
'Of course I am! Ernie should know better. I promised, and that's a serious matter to us Hufflepuffs!'
'Well, no one would hold it against you if you couldn't manage after Rookwood and I nearly decimated your pub.'
'Neville Longbottom, you're not still blaming yourself!'
He hung his head and Hannah knew it still weighed on him. All the more reason to have him away from here for a bit.
Just then there was a sharp tap on the window. Hannah turned in time to see the delivery owl raising its beak to knock again before the glass exploded inwards, all over the pub floor. She winced.
'That was one of the windows I fixed,' she sighed. 'Don't think I did the spell work very well.'
The owl seemed to agree. It squawked indignantly as it stepped carefully through the hole and fluttered up to drop two letters unceremoniously on the floor in front of her before turning and flying out.
'It could be that whatever spell broke it in the first place was too strong for a simple Reparo,' said Neville. 'I'll check it for you.'
He strode over to the window and raised his wand at it. Hannah let him get on with it while she looked at the letters. She slid the first out of the envelope and unfolded it.
It was from Luna.
Dear Hannah,
I do understand what you're saying and I quite agree that a holiday would do Neville good. I am in the Indo-Chinese region at the moment and I expect I'll be around here for a while. There have been many sightings of Hischinthes around and I think it would be lovely to have a proper documentary of them over the next month for The Quibbler. Neville would of course be welcome to join me if he wishes.
I have written to Neville as well, so I imagine you will hear if he decides to take up my invitation. In the meantime, do keep him away from the Wrackspurts. From your description, it sounds as though he has been suffering from some attacks.
Take care,
Luna
'That ought to stay,' said Neville. Hannah tore her eyes from the letter. Neville had already put the window back together. He was tapping it experimentally with his wand. He nodded and smiled at her. 'Is that from anyone I know?'
'Luna,' said Hannah, realising exactly what the other letter was. She didn't need to check to know that the name on the envelope was Neville's. 'She -- um -- said to be careful of --' Hannah glanced at the letter again '-- Wrackspurts.'
Neville grinned. 'Sounds like Luna. Oh, I do miss her.'
Hannah forced a smile. 'This one's for you,' she said, and held out the second letter with terribly mixed feelings inside her. It was done -- Luna had invited Neville to go wandering about in East Asia and Hannah was fairly certain Neville would take her up on it. She would encourage it -- she'd suggested the whole thing, for Merlin's sake -- but she would miss him terribly.
Neville took the letter, looking puzzled. A moment later, his expression turned to comprehension, but he seemed a little shell-shocked.
'Luna -- she's -- she asked if I'd like to join her. In Asia.' He looked at her and she could see the conflict in his eyes. The idea obviously appealed to him, but there were other responsibilities, commitments holding him back.
Hannah took a deep breath. 'I think you should. It'd do you good.'
'You think so?' Neville's finger traced a line Luna had written. 'It's a big decision, though. I'd have to leave the Aurors ... it's a whole new continent ... and not just a short trip, if I do go ...' None of that seemed to bother him as much as his next, regretful words: 'I'd be leaving you, wouldn't I?'
She was one of the reasons he was hesitant. Hannah felt touched. All the same, the more he wanted to stay for her, the more she knew she had to let him go.
'It's not forever,' she said, trying to make her voice sound light. 'You need this, Neville. Go clear your head. I'm not going anywhere.'
Neville took a step closer to her and stared, his eyes taking on an intensity that made her feel bare before him. 'Hannah, I know you -- care about me, and I -- er -- I care about you, too, and I'm sorry I can't seem to figure out what it is I want ...'
'Go find out, then,' she said. And then, feeling very bold and very Gryffindor-ish, she pulled him to her and kissed him.
He melted into her embrace, meeting her lips with a heat and fervour she'd only ever dreamed of. He was so close, Hannah could feel his heart beating so strongly against her own.
They were both breathless when they broke apart. Neville was the first to speak.
'I don't know if I can leave now that I know I have that here,' he tried to joke. 'I don't suppose I could bring you with me?'
Hannah laughed a little. 'I have a pub to run,' she reminded him. 'But I'm not going anywhere. I mean that. I -- I'll wait for you.'
'Well,' he said, 'that's good to know. I'll still have to think about this. But I'll -- I should give Luna an answer soon.'
Hannah already knew what his answer would be.
---
The first year they'd done this, Hermione had felt a little uncomfortable joining Dumbledore's Army on Memorial Day. She, Ron, and Harry hadn't been at Hogwarts with the others, after all, and it felt a bit like intruding.
'Nonsense,' said Ginny, 'you founded the whole thing, and you guys won the war. You're one of us.'
And so they had gone, got themselves spectacularly drunk, and it had all been therapeutic somehow, though Hermione couldn't figure exactly how (she certainly didn't buy Ron's theory that enough Firewhisky was a balm for anything). They hadn't needed persuading to take up the invitation on subsequent years.
This year Hannah Abbott was hosting the 'party'. She'd declared that she'd had more than enough time to get ready even after the attack that had put her in St Mungo's for a week. Hermione was sure Neville had helped her a great deal; Ron had mentioned that Neville had taken a well-deserved break off work. It was obvious where he'd spent his free time.
He certainly looked a lot better than the last time Hermione had seen him, at St Mungo's: haler, like he'd got some good rest since, and there was a something in the way he moved that suggested that a burden had been lifted from his shoulders recently. Hannah, thought Hermione, must be good for him.
Neville was talking to Hannah now in a low, serious tone. He must have said something shocking, because there was a sudden crash and the whole room turned to see Hannah drop her glass onto the ground.
'Oh!' she gasped.
'Oh dear,' murmured Hermione. She hurried forward and spelled the shards of glass back together quickly. 'Are you all right?'
'Yes, yes,' said Hannah distractedly, but she was looking at Neville, who looked stricken. 'Sorry, Neville, I expected this, I just ...' She shrugged and smiled up at him. 'I've already told you what I think. Nothing's changed.'
Hermione looked between them curiously. Neville glanced sideways at her.
'What's going on, Longbottom? Hannah's not going to need one of us to protect her honour, is she?' called Ernie Macmillan to loud guffaws. Neville shook his head at him.
'I suppose the rest of you'll want to hear this, too,' he said. 'I -- er -- I handed in my resignation from the Aurors today.'
'What?' cried Ron. 'Are you mental? You're a great Auror!'
'Thanks, Ron, but I've realised it's not what I really want to do.'
Slowly the other members of the DA came to crowd around Neville and Hannah. The comments and questions came flying, fast and furious.
'What are you going to do, then?'
'I've always thought you'd get into Herbology once you could.'
'Going to run the pub with Hannah?' said someone cheekily.
'I'm going to take a holiday,' said Neville over their voices. 'I had an invitation from Luna. It seems I'm going to spend some time with her and her creatures.'
Judging from the baffled looks many of the others were giving Hannah, Hermione wasn't the only one who was now wondering exactly where the two of them stood. Ernie looked extremely perturbed.
'Now see here, Neville --' he began.
'Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist, Ernie,' said Hannah. 'It was my idea.'
'Your ...'
'Yes, my idea. I wrote to Luna to suggest it.' She looked at everyone defiantly. 'Neville deserves a good break and I think it's splendid that he's going to get it.'
Neville eyes met hers and Hermione recognised the look that passed between them. It spoke of a common understanding, an unspoken promise ... Hermione had shared the same with Ron on many occasions.
Strangely -- especially as she hadn't thought of it for a long time now -- Hermione remembered the long, Ron-less days of the Horcrux hunt. And then the relief mingled with exasperation and anger when he returned, followed soon by admiration at how much he'd seemed to have matured during that time away.
This was hardly the same situation; but perhaps, thought Hermione, it was just good to run away a bit and get your head clear.
'I think you're right,' said Harry. He clapped Neville on the back. 'We'll miss you, mate, but I reckon it'll do you good.'
'Now if only I could get you to take a break,' Ginny cut in smartly. Harry grinned at her sheepishly. Everyone laughed.
'Thanks,' said Neville. 'I'm not leaving right away, of course -- need to put things in order before I go and all, but as of today, it's finalised. I will be gone by the end of this month.'
'Don't miss us too much,' warned Seamus. He winked and raised his glass. 'To Neville -- may you have plenty more adventures out there!'
Neville laughed. 'I think I can do without the kind I've been having here, thanks.' He raised his glass as well. 'It's been five years, and I think most of us are happy with where we're going.' He nodded to Harry and Ron. 'The Aurors may not be the place for me, but you two are fantastic there and I trust you to keep our world safe.' To Hermione, he said, 'I know you'll never stop crusading for what's right and you're happy there.' He grinned at Ernie. 'I've known since the Army you were bloody good at patching us up when we're down, and I saw firsthand how you were still doing it spectacularly. With luck I'll get my head together about where I'm meant to be and I hope we'll all figure that out. To all of us. And the future we're still forging.'
They drank heartily to this. Hermione thought of the next five years stretching before them and felt optimistic.
Author: shiiki
Rating: PG-13
Characters/Pairings: Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger, Neville Longbottom/Hannah Abbott, various others
Fandom: Harry Potter
Summary: Five years after the end of the war, Aurors Weasley and Longbottom find themselves working together to capture an escaped prisoner on a tight deadline: before the full moon. However, the case is not as straightforward as it seems, especially when the witches in their lives appear to be involved as well ...
Chapter Listing
In this chapter
Chapter Title: To the Future
Rating: G
Characters: Neville Longbottom, Hannah Abbott, Hermione Granger, Dumbledore's Army
Word Count: 2,418
Chapter Summary: With the case wrapped up, Dumbledore's Army is able to meet and drink to a better future.
Hannah hummed as she spelled the bits and pieces of plaster she couldn't seem to fit back in the wall into the dustbin. The repairs to the pub were almost complete. They hadn't taken long -- she'd been discharged from St Mungo's to find that Neville, who had been let out days earlier, owing to the fact that they'd wanted to hold her for testing thanks to the residue of the Cruciatus Rookwood had subjected her to before Neville had showed, had already started on the repairs. He hadn't said a word about it when he'd visited her (several times each day!) in the hospital.
She and Neville were ... well, she wasn't exactly sure where they were in terms of an actual relationship, but there was something, and that was enough for her for now.
She could sense that Neville needed to resolve the issues he was currently struggling with first. It turned out that he had been taking a leave of absence from the Aurors. He'd mentioned needing to get his head together about the whole thing. Hannah hoped he'd figure it out, and not just for her personal interest. It had been increasingly obvious to her over the past couple of weeks that Neville wasn't meant to be an Auror forever. He was a fighter, to be sure, but it bothered him to fight.
He needed to be away from all of this, thought Hannah, and while it pained her to think of Neville far away, she told herself sternly not to be selfish.
She sent an owl to Luna Lovegood.
There hadn't been a reply yet -- understandable, since the last any of them had heard from Luna, she'd been tracking one of her outlandish creatures in Outer Mongolia or somewhere like that.
So for now, Neville was still spending most of his time around the Leaky Cauldron. Right now, he had just popped out of the Floo -- the first thing he'd had repaired while she was still in St Mungo's -- and hung his cloak over the back of a chair.
'Looks like you have this well in hand,' he said, marvelling at the work she had been doing.
'Thanks,' said Hannah. 'I think I'm ready to open again by Saturday. Just in time for the weekend crowd.' She directed the last bit of crumbling debris into the bin and straightened up to look at him properly. Neville leaned forward and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek. (It was enough to set her heart fluttering every time he did this.)
'Nice timing,' he said softly. Hannah was puzzled, until she thought about the date and realised Memorial Day fell over the weekend. When she'd first taken over the Leaky Cauldron this year, half the old Dumbledore's Army had shown up to celebrate and she'd promised they could have their annual Memorial Day party (though it was more of a full out drinking session) here. In the wake of Rookwood's attack, that promise had nearly been driven out of her mind.
'Oh,' she said. 'I almost forgot.'
'I was at St Mungo's with Gran this morning,' said Neville. 'Saw Ernie there. He asked after you, of course, and said that he was happy to host the DA gathering at his place. I told him I'd check if you were up to it first.'
'Of course I am! Ernie should know better. I promised, and that's a serious matter to us Hufflepuffs!'
'Well, no one would hold it against you if you couldn't manage after Rookwood and I nearly decimated your pub.'
'Neville Longbottom, you're not still blaming yourself!'
He hung his head and Hannah knew it still weighed on him. All the more reason to have him away from here for a bit.
Just then there was a sharp tap on the window. Hannah turned in time to see the delivery owl raising its beak to knock again before the glass exploded inwards, all over the pub floor. She winced.
'That was one of the windows I fixed,' she sighed. 'Don't think I did the spell work very well.'
The owl seemed to agree. It squawked indignantly as it stepped carefully through the hole and fluttered up to drop two letters unceremoniously on the floor in front of her before turning and flying out.
'It could be that whatever spell broke it in the first place was too strong for a simple Reparo,' said Neville. 'I'll check it for you.'
He strode over to the window and raised his wand at it. Hannah let him get on with it while she looked at the letters. She slid the first out of the envelope and unfolded it.
It was from Luna.
Dear Hannah,
I do understand what you're saying and I quite agree that a holiday would do Neville good. I am in the Indo-Chinese region at the moment and I expect I'll be around here for a while. There have been many sightings of Hischinthes around and I think it would be lovely to have a proper documentary of them over the next month for The Quibbler. Neville would of course be welcome to join me if he wishes.
I have written to Neville as well, so I imagine you will hear if he decides to take up my invitation. In the meantime, do keep him away from the Wrackspurts. From your description, it sounds as though he has been suffering from some attacks.
Take care,
Luna
'That ought to stay,' said Neville. Hannah tore her eyes from the letter. Neville had already put the window back together. He was tapping it experimentally with his wand. He nodded and smiled at her. 'Is that from anyone I know?'
'Luna,' said Hannah, realising exactly what the other letter was. She didn't need to check to know that the name on the envelope was Neville's. 'She -- um -- said to be careful of --' Hannah glanced at the letter again '-- Wrackspurts.'
Neville grinned. 'Sounds like Luna. Oh, I do miss her.'
Hannah forced a smile. 'This one's for you,' she said, and held out the second letter with terribly mixed feelings inside her. It was done -- Luna had invited Neville to go wandering about in East Asia and Hannah was fairly certain Neville would take her up on it. She would encourage it -- she'd suggested the whole thing, for Merlin's sake -- but she would miss him terribly.
Neville took the letter, looking puzzled. A moment later, his expression turned to comprehension, but he seemed a little shell-shocked.
'Luna -- she's -- she asked if I'd like to join her. In Asia.' He looked at her and she could see the conflict in his eyes. The idea obviously appealed to him, but there were other responsibilities, commitments holding him back.
Hannah took a deep breath. 'I think you should. It'd do you good.'
'You think so?' Neville's finger traced a line Luna had written. 'It's a big decision, though. I'd have to leave the Aurors ... it's a whole new continent ... and not just a short trip, if I do go ...' None of that seemed to bother him as much as his next, regretful words: 'I'd be leaving you, wouldn't I?'
She was one of the reasons he was hesitant. Hannah felt touched. All the same, the more he wanted to stay for her, the more she knew she had to let him go.
'It's not forever,' she said, trying to make her voice sound light. 'You need this, Neville. Go clear your head. I'm not going anywhere.'
Neville took a step closer to her and stared, his eyes taking on an intensity that made her feel bare before him. 'Hannah, I know you -- care about me, and I -- er -- I care about you, too, and I'm sorry I can't seem to figure out what it is I want ...'
'Go find out, then,' she said. And then, feeling very bold and very Gryffindor-ish, she pulled him to her and kissed him.
He melted into her embrace, meeting her lips with a heat and fervour she'd only ever dreamed of. He was so close, Hannah could feel his heart beating so strongly against her own.
They were both breathless when they broke apart. Neville was the first to speak.
'I don't know if I can leave now that I know I have that here,' he tried to joke. 'I don't suppose I could bring you with me?'
Hannah laughed a little. 'I have a pub to run,' she reminded him. 'But I'm not going anywhere. I mean that. I -- I'll wait for you.'
'Well,' he said, 'that's good to know. I'll still have to think about this. But I'll -- I should give Luna an answer soon.'
Hannah already knew what his answer would be.
---
The first year they'd done this, Hermione had felt a little uncomfortable joining Dumbledore's Army on Memorial Day. She, Ron, and Harry hadn't been at Hogwarts with the others, after all, and it felt a bit like intruding.
'Nonsense,' said Ginny, 'you founded the whole thing, and you guys won the war. You're one of us.'
And so they had gone, got themselves spectacularly drunk, and it had all been therapeutic somehow, though Hermione couldn't figure exactly how (she certainly didn't buy Ron's theory that enough Firewhisky was a balm for anything). They hadn't needed persuading to take up the invitation on subsequent years.
This year Hannah Abbott was hosting the 'party'. She'd declared that she'd had more than enough time to get ready even after the attack that had put her in St Mungo's for a week. Hermione was sure Neville had helped her a great deal; Ron had mentioned that Neville had taken a well-deserved break off work. It was obvious where he'd spent his free time.
He certainly looked a lot better than the last time Hermione had seen him, at St Mungo's: haler, like he'd got some good rest since, and there was a something in the way he moved that suggested that a burden had been lifted from his shoulders recently. Hannah, thought Hermione, must be good for him.
Neville was talking to Hannah now in a low, serious tone. He must have said something shocking, because there was a sudden crash and the whole room turned to see Hannah drop her glass onto the ground.
'Oh!' she gasped.
'Oh dear,' murmured Hermione. She hurried forward and spelled the shards of glass back together quickly. 'Are you all right?'
'Yes, yes,' said Hannah distractedly, but she was looking at Neville, who looked stricken. 'Sorry, Neville, I expected this, I just ...' She shrugged and smiled up at him. 'I've already told you what I think. Nothing's changed.'
Hermione looked between them curiously. Neville glanced sideways at her.
'What's going on, Longbottom? Hannah's not going to need one of us to protect her honour, is she?' called Ernie Macmillan to loud guffaws. Neville shook his head at him.
'I suppose the rest of you'll want to hear this, too,' he said. 'I -- er -- I handed in my resignation from the Aurors today.'
'What?' cried Ron. 'Are you mental? You're a great Auror!'
'Thanks, Ron, but I've realised it's not what I really want to do.'
Slowly the other members of the DA came to crowd around Neville and Hannah. The comments and questions came flying, fast and furious.
'What are you going to do, then?'
'I've always thought you'd get into Herbology once you could.'
'Going to run the pub with Hannah?' said someone cheekily.
'I'm going to take a holiday,' said Neville over their voices. 'I had an invitation from Luna. It seems I'm going to spend some time with her and her creatures.'
Judging from the baffled looks many of the others were giving Hannah, Hermione wasn't the only one who was now wondering exactly where the two of them stood. Ernie looked extremely perturbed.
'Now see here, Neville --' he began.
'Oh, don't get your knickers in a twist, Ernie,' said Hannah. 'It was my idea.'
'Your ...'
'Yes, my idea. I wrote to Luna to suggest it.' She looked at everyone defiantly. 'Neville deserves a good break and I think it's splendid that he's going to get it.'
Neville eyes met hers and Hermione recognised the look that passed between them. It spoke of a common understanding, an unspoken promise ... Hermione had shared the same with Ron on many occasions.
Strangely -- especially as she hadn't thought of it for a long time now -- Hermione remembered the long, Ron-less days of the Horcrux hunt. And then the relief mingled with exasperation and anger when he returned, followed soon by admiration at how much he'd seemed to have matured during that time away.
This was hardly the same situation; but perhaps, thought Hermione, it was just good to run away a bit and get your head clear.
'I think you're right,' said Harry. He clapped Neville on the back. 'We'll miss you, mate, but I reckon it'll do you good.'
'Now if only I could get you to take a break,' Ginny cut in smartly. Harry grinned at her sheepishly. Everyone laughed.
'Thanks,' said Neville. 'I'm not leaving right away, of course -- need to put things in order before I go and all, but as of today, it's finalised. I will be gone by the end of this month.'
'Don't miss us too much,' warned Seamus. He winked and raised his glass. 'To Neville -- may you have plenty more adventures out there!'
Neville laughed. 'I think I can do without the kind I've been having here, thanks.' He raised his glass as well. 'It's been five years, and I think most of us are happy with where we're going.' He nodded to Harry and Ron. 'The Aurors may not be the place for me, but you two are fantastic there and I trust you to keep our world safe.' To Hermione, he said, 'I know you'll never stop crusading for what's right and you're happy there.' He grinned at Ernie. 'I've known since the Army you were bloody good at patching us up when we're down, and I saw firsthand how you were still doing it spectacularly. With luck I'll get my head together about where I'm meant to be and I hope we'll all figure that out. To all of us. And the future we're still forging.'
They drank heartily to this. Hermione thought of the next five years stretching before them and felt optimistic.