1,008The council room was as tense as Hermione had ever witnessed, a pained, all-encompassing silence hanging over the Nocturnus council as Hermione, Draco, and Hugo finished regaling the rest of their experience in the Alba stronghold earlier that morning.
Merlin, it felt like it had been days ago. The action of the early morning, coupled with only a handful of hours of sleep the night before, weighed heavily on her mind with a tug at her eyelids. She still wasn't sure whether Hugo had slept at all.
In fact, he looked significantly worse than he had even that morning, and a twinge of remorse passed through her to recall that he had likely been witness to his guards' murders.
If Cosette hadn't recognised Hugo's value to the council—to the Lunae Ortus himself—Hermione couldn't help but wonder whether he might have faced the same fate. But instead, Cosette had used him as bait, drawing them towards her. Hermione wondered what might have happened if Draco hadn't thought fast in using the affiliation to break her invisible shield.
Snapping back to the present, she shared a quick glance with him as the silence lingered, painfully prolonged.
Finally Elias Bergen spoke, the tips of his fingers pressed into his temples as he rested his elbows on the table. "Let me get this straight: the three of you went to Italy without telling anyone, stormed an Alba fortress—which you knew nothing about—and caused irreparable havoc, including the loss of life of two Nocturnus guards."
Beside her, Draco bristled at Bergen's tone. Hugo swallowed, his skin tone a pale greenish. Folding his hands on the table, Draco said, "We regret the circumstances regarding the guards. We were caught unaware by Cosette's sudden arrival." His eyes flickered to Dagomir, who looked visibly distraught.
Bergen drew in a long breath. "It sounds as if you were unaware of most every aspect of this poorly contrived raid." He fired Hugo a scowl. "What possessed you to undertake such a dangerous mission without proper preparation? You completely disregarded protocol and put the lives of your Lunaes at risk—"
"With all due respect, adviser," Draco cut in, an edge to his tone as Bergen fell silent. "Hugo did what was asked of him. And we nearly lost him today, through no fault of his own."
Clearing his throat, Hugo announced quietly, "It is my belief that someone within the advising team is not trustworthy. We could not inform too many people of our intentions in case the wrong ears heard of our plans."
Glenneth was the one to interrupt the simmering tension between the pair of Swedes. "This is a heavy accusation. Are you certain?"
"I am not." Sucking on his teeth, Hugo leaned back in his seat, resolutely avoiding looking at his father. "It is only probable, given certain events wherein private Nocturnus information has been leaked to Avance."
"Ultimately," Hermione breathed, cautious as every eye swivelled towards her, "though the mission did not go entirely as planned, we were able to extract Arcand's wife and daughter from the fortress, and they are securely away in a safe house."
Releasing an aggravated sigh, Bergen tapped an anxious rhythm on the table with his quill. Hermione sensed he was making his best efforts to compose himself, although Hugo remained shrunken in his seat, his shoulders low and the line of his jaw hard. Elias faced the table and announced, "Claude Arcand has absconded from the Minister's seat in France. Francois Laurent has stepped into the seat in a provisional capacity. An interim election will be planned."
Hugo's eyes flickered up to meet hers from across the table, and Hermione nodded. "This is good news. We must assume Arcand has joined his wife and daughter at the safe house."
Rubbing bleary eyes, Hugo muttered, a bit of a slur to his voice, "He has. There are three magical signatures residing in the safe house."
Irritation hovered once more at the edge of Bergen's words. "And where is this safe house?"
"I am currently the only Secret Keeper," Hugo said in a clipped tone that was remarkably similar to his father's. "I will reveal its location to the Lunae Ortus and Lunae Amor at the earliest convenience."
Elias Bergen's expression tightened on his son once more, but he didn't say anything else.
"So," Draco said, breaking through the familial tension once more as he swept a hand along the back of his neck. "Today's mishaps in Italy notwithstanding—we have the French Ministry."
"As we speak," Dagomir announced, waving a hand, "Nocturnus guards are making their way to France in an effort to keep Francois Laurent safe from any and all possible acts of retribution from Avance. We will need to ensure Laurent is elected during the interim election if we want to keep Avance down."
Hermione looked around, chewing her bottom lip. "And Laurent will do his best to overturn Arcand's aggressive anti-creature policies?"
The man offered a curt nod.
Even if the situation with Avance was in shambles, they could still do their part to calm the churning political seas that had spread throughout France like a contagion. And there was no telling what sort of damage they had done that morning—especially with Draco revealing his control over the lunar affiliation to Cosette herself.
Dagomir stared for a long moment at Draco; beside her, the blond swallowed thickly and offered an almost imperceptible nod. The Head of the Guard frowned, scratching his thick beard. "Our actions in Italy and France today will leave no doubt. We have declared war on Avance, and unfortunately, the entirety of our Nocturnus forces has been sent back home. We now have only the Nocturnus guard to protect this manor."
"Cosette spoke like she's playing some sort of game of strategy," Hermione said, and Draco's elbow nudged against hers at her side. "She wants this drawn out—she wants to see us suffer."
Nodding, Draco added, "I don't think she will attack the manor outright. At least not right away. For all we know, she's biding her time, building her forces. What we need is someone inside Avance."
Bergen considered the thought for a moment and shook his head. "That is what we do not have. Beyond speculation, we cannot say what Cosette is planning."
A resigned silence fell over the group again, and Hermione bristled at the thought that Avance had somehow infiltrated their organisation but they had not done the same in return.
Hugo shifted in his seat. "My contacts in Italy—"
Elias' sharp hiss cut him off, and Hugo rolled apathetic eyes in the direction of his father. "They are not your contacts." Crisply, Elias adjusted his tie, looking out upon the rest of the council. "It is my opinion that Hugo Bergen's actions last night and this morning were immature, reckless, and harmful to our greater cause. I would call a vote to see Hugo Bergen removed from this council, effective immediately."
"What?" Hugo exclaimed, eyes wide in surprise.
In the same moment, Draco snapped, "No. Everything Hugo did was a direct request." Turning narrowed eyes on Bergen, he added, "You were the one who wanted Hugo to investigate the situation in your stead, given someone has been tracking your movements. Had we taken the time to address the council, Avance may have been tipped off and had time to move Arcand's family."
Shrinking back slightly, Bergen's nostrils flared. "Regardless, Lunae—costly mistakes were made. Perhaps it is simply the case that Hugo is not ready for this level of responsibility."
Draco sat back in his seat. "I disagree."
When Hermione glanced across the table, Hugo's jaw was clenched so hard she feared he might shatter his own teeth. Remembering how he had gone above and beyond to make sure everything was lined up for the extraction of Arcand's family, her heart clenched.
"As do I," she announced to the council. "There has been a prolonged concern with security in the inner circle, and Hugo went out of his way to keep his investigation below as many lines as possible to avoid the wrong people listening in."
A quiet murmur rose around the table, Glenneth and Dagomir speaking softly to one another as Oro paused, his face stricken and quill frozen in mid-air.
"Very well," Bergen said, pressing his hands into the table. "I believe Hugo's intentions were good—and some good has come from the situation, as far as the matter of France. However, this was the last chance of many, and at least for the time being, I do not believe he should continue sitting on this council. As per Nocturnus Order code, any council member may bring forth a vote, majority rule."
Hermione cast a hesitant stare sidelong towards Draco; with an outward grimace, his hand found hers below the table, entwining their fingers. Fear flashed in Hugo's face as he straightened in his seat, evidently lost for words.
It was cold, to think that Elias Bergen would throw his own son to the wolves—but from everything Hugo had ever told her, it was always Nocturnus first. Hugo hadn't been an ideal candidate for the position, and it wasn't until recently he'd been taking his role seriously.
Tensions had been high since the meeting had been called to order, and it wasn't altogether surprising that emotions had boiled over.
Briefly, Hermione tried to consider what Bergen must have thought to hear his own son had nearly been murdered by Cosette. A flicker in his stare resembled something like fear or concern.
"Very well," Draco ground out through clenched teeth, his expression stoic but just barely concealing a scowl. "In the vote regarding the removal of Hugo Bergen's status as Treasurer of the Nocturnus Council—those in dissent."
Hermione lifted her hand, chin held high, relieved to see Draco do the same at her side. Hugo's hand was tense as he raised his own, mouth twisted to the side.
Bergen's hands remained resolutely planted on the table; Dagomir and Glenneth exchanged a look, and Oro stared down at the table.
With a slow shake of his head, and a long exhale out, Draco said quietly, "Those in favour."
Offering an apologetic grimace, Oro lifted his hand, along with Bergen, Glenneth, and a half-hearted Dagomir, his cheeks flushing.
"It is settled, then," Bergen said, leaning forward in his seat, his expression faltering for a moment. Draco blinked slowly and turned towards Hugo. "We will look to consider reinstating at a later date—for now, Hugo's position as treasurer will be filled by someone with more experience in these matters."
Gaping, a heavy furrow in his brow, Hugo stared at each member of the council in turn. Hermione thought his eyes looked glassy, and an unpleasant twist settled in her stomach. Then he rose to his feet, the legs of his chair scraping on the marble, and offered a stiff nod before pacing towards the door.
Draco huffed a curse under his breath, looking down at the table as he sucked in a deep breath. Then with a click of his tongue, he announced, "This meeting is adjourned."
Silence hung, thick and heavy, once more in the council room as he rose to his feet, adjusted his tie, and, with a quick glance in her direction, made for the door.
Frowning, Hermione stood as well. Thinning her lips, she said, "Hugo is more committed to this council and this Order than any of you realise—I implore you to reconsider. He may be young, and he may not always act it, but when it counts, he has been there for us."
Uncertainty flickered across Elias Bergen's face as he stared towards the door. But he turned back to her, offering a tight sort of smile and a brief bow of his head. "Lunae Amor."
The air was stifled as she turned on her heel and followed her husband from the room.
Draco drifted idly through the corridors of the Manor, hands shoved into his pockets. It was late—well past midnight, but he had been unable to properly sleep since the night before the party. Between everything that happened in Italy and the ill-fated council meeting that followed the evening prior, his mind had been left churning with thoughts that didn't make sense.
Making his way towards the kitchens, he allowed his mind to drift. Arcand was out of France, and Laurent was settling into the position instead—with great success, from everything Draco had heard. He wondered how furious Cosette had been when she learned of the depth of their intrusion in her stronghold.
While this maneuver dealt with some of the issues Avance presented in France, there remained the much deeper and more unsettling problems surrounding Cosette and her history with Alba.
Draco didn't know the extent of Avance's power lingering beyond their plays within the French Ministry—didn't know the truth of the situation in Italy. He rubbed a bleary hand at his eyes, intent on a pot of tea to help him sleep. There hadn't been a gathering of the council since Hugo had been less than ceremoniously relieved from his position, and Draco's mind still reeled over the matter so much that he didn't even know if a new treasurer had been appointed.
On many occasions, Draco himself had wondered whether Hugo was cut out for his position on the council or if he was too young and unfocused—but when it had mattered most, Hugo had stepped up to the challenge. He regretted the way he had often questioned Hugo's dedication.
Stopping short, Draco blinked several times when he saw Hugo already in the kitchens, nursing a ceramic cup himself. The man looked even worse than he had following their mission to Italy. Dark circles bruised the skin beneath his bloodshot eyes; his skin was pale, hair and clothes rumpled. The irreverent sparkle to him that had seemed ubiquitous since they'd met was gone.
Hugo glanced up, expression blank as Draco drew out the seat across from him and slipped into it, summoning himself an empty cup with a wave of his hand and pouring himself a cuppa from the teapot at the centre of the table.
As he stirred in a splash of milk, Draco eyed the man, who had remained silent. Taking a cautious sip to test the temperature, he mused, "You look like shite."
"Yes, well." Setting his cup down, Hugo fiddled with the handle, gaze fixed resolutely away. "I suppose I feel like shite, so it's fitting." He gave a low, humourless snicker.
Summoning a plate of scones, Draco selected one with raspberry preserves and broke it in half. "Couldn't sleep either, I presume."
Hugo released a quick breath and shook his head. "Haven't really…" Pressing his lips into a thin line, he scrubbed at his eyes with his hands and looked back up, finally meeting Draco's stare. "I keep seeing their faces."
The two guards whose lives had been claimed by Cosette. Draco swallowed. "So you saw it happen, then."
"Yes. First time I've… you know."
Offering a bit of a stilted nod, Draco felt a clench of commiseration in his chest. He could still vividly recall the first time he had seen someone killed in cold blood. "It never leaves you."
"Right." Hugo nodded. "Good." Then he took another long sip of his tea, and by the way no steam emanated from the cup, Draco surmised he had been seated there for a long while. "I'll be out of your hair tomorrow. I'm going back to Stockholm."
Draco's head snapped up. "What? Why?"
Delicately, Hugo traced the pattern on his mug and said, "You heard the council. I'm unfit for my position. At least I can go home to Madeline and see her more often—that is, if she'll still have me, disgraced and dismissed without honour from the most important position I could have imagined."
"Don't be ridiculous," Draco scoffed.
At last, the man's lips twitched. "It's what I do best—or haven't you noticed? You'll get a better treasurer, I've no doubt about that."
Cracking a bit of a wry grin, Draco muttered, "Anyone would be a better treasurer than you."
Hugo's lips thinned, but he didn't deny the fact.
"But," Draco went on, leaning forward in his seat, "I don't want a better treasurer. What happened in Italy wasn't your fault—and when you realise that, you'll stop replaying those guards' deaths in your mind. We made that plan together—and despite anything else that happened, we got Arcand's family out. We dealt a massive blow to Avance's influence in France. You did that."
Shaking his head, Hugo released an exasperated sigh. "Promise me you'll be careful. I don't know the extent of it, and I don't know who, but I think someone in the Order is passing information."
"I know." Taking a long sip of his tea, Draco stared at the table. "I think it goes deeper than we initially thought. And you're one of the only people I know I can trust."
Silence hung between them for a long moment. At last, Hugo looked up, his eyes glassy as he swallowed. "Thank you, Lunae. That means a lot—all things considered."
"I trust you, too," a third voice intruded, and Granger settled ungracefully into the seat between them around the small circular table. Her lips curled into a hint of a smile and she added, "Looks like I found the party."
"Lunae Amor," Hugo murmured, brandishing his cup as if in salute. "Welcome to the 'unable-to-sleep-club'."
She helped herself to a cup and offered the pair of them a grimace as she stirred a spoonful of milk into her tea. "You can't leave, Hugo. Not now when we need you—forget the council."
"She's right," Draco said, nudging her foot beneath the table. "As always. Your value to us isn't in tracking the Order coffers. It's in trust—a far rarer commodity."
With a half-hearted smile, Hugo topped up his cup with fresh tea and added six cubes of sugar; Draco met Granger's wide eyes with a hint of a snicker. He could only imagine her parents—Muggle teeth-healers—wouldn't approve.
"Fine," Hugo said with a sigh as he took a sip. They both winced. "I can't deny either of your wishes, so I'll stay. There are already arrangements in place to remove me from my council quarters, though."
"Plenty of rooms," Granger said with a dismissive wave, glancing around the empty kitchen before leaning in, her eyes tentative as they met his. "Draco and I would keep you on in an unofficial capacity."
Chewing on his tongue, Draco nodded. "This is all uncharted territory. We don't know what comes next, and we don't know what Cosette has up her sleeve. Hell, we don't even know what sort of power and influence Avance really has and how far their reach goes with Alba. All I know is that we need everyone we can get, and if someone in the Order is spurning their Nocturnus oaths, I need to know."
As realisation dawned, a smile pulled at Hugo's lips. "You want me to find out."
"I want," Draco began, delicately as he took a sip of his tea, "for you to find out everything you possibly can. And together we're going to bring Cosette down."
With a wave of her wand, Granger prepared a fresh pot of tea, leaning back in her seat. Gaze swinging between the two men, she mused, "It sounds like we're going to be here for a while."
Author's Note: Thank you for reading. It's a crazy world out there and it means so much that anyone is still making time for this little story. I so greatly appreciate your reviews and comments. I hope you're all keeping well.
Alpha and beta love as always to my wonderful team, Kyonomiko, LadyKenz347, and ravenslight.
