Chapter 7

Fleur's screams echoed through out headquarters. She had been in labor since yesterday morning, contractions now coming one on top of the other. Molly, Susan, and Ginny circled the expecting mother each had a task to see completed, each offering their strength and encouragements as Fleur gave her final pushes, moments later a beautiful baby girl was born.

Bill had made it back to headquarters in time for the birth of his daughter. He arrived exactly one month after he departed carrying a rectangular black box. He handed it over to Hermione without a word or comment, she knew what was inside with out him having to tell her. He had just delivered to them the fourth horcux.

The small family left Headquarters three days later, returning home to shell cottage, just off the coast. Molly and Arthur worried about their safety, Bill reminded them that he was one of the best curse breakers in the world, they would be fine.

Hermione had relinquished the task of disposing of the cup to Harry and Ron. Each taking on the task with far more dedication than she currently felt towards anything.

Hermione was stuck. The sixth horcux being the snake, which would have to wait until they actually faced Voldemort, but the last. They weren't even sure there was a seventh and to go about finding possible candidates would be like searching for a wand in a bushel of sticks.

Dumbledore had been dead for three weeks, the erosion left the order in a particularly difficult position. Headquarters wasn't as secure as they had hoped. Dumbledore had been their secret keeper, and with his death all that knew of the house's location at the time in turn became secret keepers. They had to find a new headquarters. As of now all in residents were sitting ducks waiting for one of their own to turn traitor.

Not to mention Voltemort's numbers. Wizards and magical creatures alike lined up to do his bidding. The adult understood the significance. They were losing a fight they had to win. The pressure for Harry to reveal what he was up to became at the foremost thought in alls mind. They needed hope, they needed a miracle.

It was the fallowing morning in the clutches of a ruddy barn owl that the miracle they had hoped for flew in an open bedroom window and landed in Hermione's lap.

The large rectangular parcel was pushed to the top of the bed with a balled up blanket. There was no return address, nothing to indicate that this had come from a friend. It was hard for Hermione to no be suspicious as the only thing written on the out side was her first name in elegant green script.

Slowly she edged off the bed and to her trunk. She took out a pair of dragon hide gloves, a letter opener and pocket knife. She went to work performing all the revealing charms she knew, dark and common hexes alike.

When they all came up empty the gloves where slide on, letter opener in one hand the muggle pocket knife in the other. She was precise when opening the brown wrapping, cutting along the seal, careful not to touch whatever laid inside.

It was a book; no it was the book. The book she had been searching Hogwart's library for. The book that would bring the order victory.

The black leather cover moved, making Hermione shrink back in response. She could feel the evil magic that radiated off the object and suddenly felt that perhaps it had not been a good theory and she should end the obsessive curiosity of such a spell now and forever.

She was kneeling on the floor one hand over her heart the other bracing her weight, when the barn owl screeched. Hermione turned to look at the bird sitting patiently on the window seal. It looked back at her an then to the bed. The curiosity proved to be too much for her as she picked her self up off the floor edging back over to the bedside.

A letter that most certainly wasn't there before laid to the right side of the evil book, her name once more written in elegant green script.

Hermione picked it up to read.

My dearest,

I hope you don't mind but I took the liberty of looking at the books you were studying in the library, I came to only one conclusion; this is the text you need for the spell you are working on.

To prove my sincerity and promise not to tell a soul what you are working on I have sent this copy from my own personal collection to you.

Don't respond, for to do so would put us both in a very compromising position.

With all my most sincere wishes,

D~

P.S. Don't touch the book without dragon skin gloves, or look directly at the text without a pair of ambrosia spectacles; For both are sakes.

Hermione scoffed at the indecency. How could she possible take anything from him. She looked at the book knowing it was exactly as that thief described. The order's miracle.

But why? She thought; knowing Draco Malfoy was not one to give without expecting something back in return. She knew what he wanted, understood the profound pack she would be making by accepting his gift. The Order's victory for her soul.

Without letting deep contemplations take over she wrapped the book up in the blankets on her bed picking it and the letter up before heading down stairs in search for the one person she knew she could turn to for a rational response.

Hermione found Professor Snape in the library alone with her mother. Both in deep discussion over something she could not hear.

"Sir?" Hermione interrupted giving her mother a shy smile, hating that complete honesty was just not an option with her any more. Most of her secrets being something her non-magical mother couldn't understand.

"That would be my cue, I suppose." Susan said kindly getting up. "This evening?" She asked Snape.

"Yes. I think that most wise." He answered. Hermione realized that perhaps her mother had her own secrets. Susan kissed Hermione's brow before exiting shutting the door behind her.

Hermione stood dumbly at the door, forgetting why it was she came. Severus just looked at the befuddled girl wondering how much she knew or assumed about all the time he was spending with her mother. He hoped she caulked it up to an affair.

"I suppose you interrupted my conference with your mother for some reason?" Severus asked not sounding nearly as snide as his words entailed.

Hermione blinked once then smiled, realizing the whole situation had caught her off guard. "Yes. I received a parcel today from a murder and thief." Hermione announced.

Snape's back straighten at the suggestion. "I assume you have more of a problem then a security breech." He asked hiding the anxiety bubbling under his skin.

"Indeed. The ferret seemed to know what book I was looking for and has most obligingly sent it." She told him the sarcasm dripping from her words. She sat the object in question down on the table unwrapping it for him to see.

Snape contained any out ward reaction to the evil book that laid before him, though he felt the dark magic in his bones, what with having secrets that laid in the object tattooed into his arm.

"Do you understand at what price this book has cost?" Snape asked his heart constricting. He could not look at Hermione as he questioned her.

"I know he would not send this with out an ulterior motive. He is not a generous man." She answered hating to admit aloud what she had no option in. Herself for the Order. Herself for Harry, for Ron, for Ginny, for all her friends, family and for all those bore with the gift of magic but without the blood. It was a price she would pay.

"So you have already accepted, willingly the consequences." Severus asked looking up and into the pretty face of his most prized pupil.

"Begrudgingly accepted. There is no other way." She told him. The lines in her brow evident of her commitment to such a cause.

The potions master thought her brave. "You are foolish if you think he won't collect."Snape said taking the dragon hid gloves Hermione offered him.

"It's a good thing I've never been foolish, and even better that I have you watching my back." Hermione told him setting across the table in the vacant set her mother had been setting in.

Snape smiled. A real genuine smile. The girl was far more cleaver and observant than he had given her credit for, and he had always held Hermione Granger in high regards.

"It's a good thing you have me and your mother watching your back." He clarified before taking out a two pairs of multicolored lenses spectacles. He handed one to Hermione and placed the other on his long nose, before opening the book that would save them all; Well all save for one.

Susan was crying. She wielded the scissors with steady hands as she chopped off the braided strand of hair. It was long and tight, coiled to such perfection it would remain sturdy in it's task. She did not know for how long it's purpose would hold but knew the charm would hold long enough to save her daughters life.

Severus Snape had explained as much. Hearth magic, the most basic and purest of its form. Something anyone could perform; anyone with true belief. Blood was not what held the charm, but love.

Love was something that could move mountains if it were true enough, Severus had told Susan before going through each precious step with her. Explaining the important self giving and whole hearted dedication to her task. Susan had taken it on in just that fashion. She gave her only daughter all she had as she braided and wove her own hair in a charm of protection a charm to lead Hermione to the path of salvation