TEN

Everyone knew the Final Battle was drawing closer. Voldemort had given the Order a message through the murder of a Muggle family.

With the date set for May 2nd, Severus, Draco, and Hermione drilled the Order members into the ground- Harry especially. One particular day was awful. He was training with Hermione and was Stunned for the fourth time in a row.

"Merlin, Harry, would you put up your shields and open your eyes?! That could easily have been the Killing Curse!" She scolded.

"If you'd just let up for a minute-''

"The Dark Lord won't let up for a minute, Harry! He'll kill you the second he gets a chance!"

"What the bloody hell are you worried about? You probably won't even see the Final Battle!"

Severus, training Ron, heard this and immediately stepped in front of Harry, facing Hermione. "Don't do it. We need him around."

Ron could see Hermione was seething and backed off along with Harry and the rest of the Order. Severus only got closer to her.

"Stay away." She warned.

He stepped closer and pressed her against a wall. "Don't bottle it up. It'll only increase the rate of spreading. Go on, Mione… hit me."

"No." she whispered.

"Better me than Potter, though he could use it once and a while."

"No."

Seeing he was getting nowhere, he switched tactics. "You know he's right. You won't see the battle. You were stupid to think you could, stupid to think I've actually been searching for a cure for you. You're just a burden to the entire Order!" his voice was cold and sharp, cutting Hermione down.

"NO!" she snapped and kicked him away from her, casting a simultaneous Stinging Hex at him.

Severus gritted his teeth and dealt with the pain, knowing it was far less than hers. He gasped as it suddenly ended.

Hermione also gasped and ran to his side, kneeling next to him. "Oh, Merlin, Severus. I'm so sorry- I don't know what happened to me." She was crying.

"Don't worry about it. I've gotten much worse from a lot more sadistic. And don't cry. You know I can't comfort you here."

Hermione subconsciously rubbed the finger where no one but her and Severus knew her rings were. She nodded and stood up. She walked over to Harry. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted. I know how much it means to you to win this war. It rivals even my reason. I'm also sorry for asking for what you were never given."

Hermione let out a small laugh and hugged him. "Forgiven and forgotten." She smiled again and turned to Severus. "Three…"

Severus's eyes widened slightly, but he moved his wand to his left hand, a sword appearing in his right. "Two… are you sure about this?"

Hermione repeated the process with her wand and sword. She took a swipe so close, he bent over backwards to dodge it.

"Whoa! What happened to 'one'?"

Hermione shrugged. "You talk too much, you know that?"

She took another swing and this time he blocked it with his own weapon, vibrations going up both their arms. Tangible energy circled around their feet; Hermione's was a deep purple whereas Severus's was a dark green.

Albus watched with slight amusement as the energy grew and brightened. This was sure to be an entertaining fight, indeed.

Draco's gaze went from the pair of spies to the Headmaster and back three times. Finally, he said something. "We need to get behind shields! Any stray spell could injure us beyond fighting- Potter especially!"

"You are correct, Draco." Albus closed his eyes and the room produced shields and everyone took cover behind them. "Now, watch and see why they are the best choice in spies we had."

Swords still connected, Severus and Hermione began circling. Their eyes never wandered and their wands were pointed at the ground. It wasn't until curses and hexes flew from the energy rings did the Order notice their wands were magically connected to the energy.

Severus was the first to move his weapon. Hermione followed him with her eyes and dodged the stab, ducking under a swing where her head just was.

Staying low to the ground, she got closer and closer to him, dodging every blow, spell, swing, and stab he sent her way. The Order looked on, once again mesmerized by the duo. No one had known she was so flexible, not to mention lethal.

When Hermione got too close, Severus's energy ring flew up a shield and threw her back three feet. She groaned as she hit the floor. She got up and glared at him with a deathly gleam in her eyes. She repositioned her sword and her own energy ring glowed brighter and brighter and surrounded her from head to toe.

"Now that, Hermione, is cheating." Severus said.

"What? Only you're allowed to be Slytherin?"

"Until you graduate, it is your job to be the Gryffindor Princess. What kind of example are you setting now?"

Behind the shields, Draco snorted. He had heard this conversation several times over.

"Why is that cheating?" Harry asked.

"Gryffindor Princess?" Ron asked at the same time.

"Yes, Weasley. Gryffindor Princess. As in, mess with her and you'll get set straight by the entire House of Gryffindor. Even I learned that one." Draco sneered.

Ron shrugged and turned to Remus, who was answering Harry's question.

"By using her energy ring to make a complete shield around her, the only hope Severus has of getting through it is distracting her enough for her to lose concentration on it. Like a Patronus, it only stays as long as you concentrate."

"How will he go about distracting her? She's the most focused person here!" Ron asked.

"There… is one way, but I honestly hope he finds some other way. Otherwise it could end in bloodshed." Remus looked to Tonks, Harry, and Ginny. They understood his meaning immediately.

"What way?" Molly demanded.

"Let me put it this way: if Hermione wins, you'll never have to know; if Severus wins, you'll know instantly."

Harry groaned quietly and Ginny and Tonks just looked uneasily at each other. This could either end really well or really badly.

They watched as Severus smirked and began to mutter something. The shock was clear enough on Hermione's face for everyone to find out she knew what he was saying.

Harry was confused. "What is he telling her?"

Tonks and Ginny smiled and Ginny whispered in Harry's ear. Understanding passed his face, then slight discomfort. "Why you two think that's sweet is beyond me." He said shaking his head.

"You remembered?" Hermione asked out loud.

"Of course I remembered. I was there, wasn't I?"

Hermione blinked and her shield came down. There were tears in her eyes. "Well, yes, but not many guys remember something like that."

Severus looked at her as if she'd gone insane. "Since when do I rank anywhere with 'other guys'?"

Hermione walked to him and stood so they were almost touching. "You've never ranked anywhere with other guys, Severus." She smiled and lifted her sword so it was right above his pulse point. "Except how easily it is for a woman to distract you. Toss your sword and hand me your wand."

He did as she said and growled at her. "That was a dirty blow."

She picked up his sword and returned his wand. "Like Harry, I was almost put in Slytherin. Can you imagine if I was the Slytherin Princess?"

"Sure. You'd have a reign of terror right next to Draco- the Slytherin Prince."

Draco stepped out from behind the glass shield. "Nah, I think that honor goes to you, Severus. I will forever be the Slytherin Sex God."

Severus and Hermione rolled their eyes, Harry and Ron gagged, Tonks and Ginny laughed, and Albus and Remus just watched with mild amusement.

"Draco, I hate to break it to you, but the day you become the Slytherin Sex God will be the day Minerva McGonagall becomes Head of Slytherin House." Hermione said in a mock-mothering tone.

Draco arched an eyebrow. "Had you been in Slytherin, you'd be singing a different tune, Granger."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "Severus, can I kill him?"

"No."

"You know, Granger, as the Slytherin Princess, you'd have a lot more… opportunities than the others."

"Can I kill him now?"

"No."

"Still, I may make an exception for you. You don't look half bad in green."

"Oh come on, Severus! It'll be quick and mess-free, I promise!"

"No."

"How do you feel about clubbing, Granger? Last time was kinda fun, actually. I'm sure you remember."

"Now?"

Severus sighed. "Go ahead. But stop at seriously injured. I don't want a dead body on my hands."

"Wait! Remus, you never told us what he did to distract her!" Ron said.

"Tell and you'll be out of Wolfsbane, Moony."

"S-sorry Ron. My lips are sealed."

"Mione, will you tell us?"

"Nope. Not my choice to make. Sorry."

"Professor Snape?"

"Why the hell would I tell you anything?"

"Harry, Ginny, Tonks?"

"Um, well, if I tell you, Remus is still screwed." Tonks bit her lip and looked at the floor.

"I'm not telling and Harry wants to keep all his bits, so he's not telling, either."

"Professor Dumbledore? You have got to know something!"

"I'm afraid, Ronald, if they do not wish to tell anyone, I am sworn to secrecy as well. Staff meeting in ten, Severus."

Severus nods and watches as Albus exits. "I can promise everyone in here will know only when Hermione is ready to tell you. Until then, kindly piss off." He followed Albus out the door.