The world of Harry Potter belongs to JKR
Severus awoke. He sat upright in bed, his heart pounding, seized with terror, his hands going to his throat just at the raised lines of his scars. He breathed shallowly, his hands shaking. He tried to calm himself. He blinked away the image of the snake poised above him, of a cloaked man with his wand pointed towards his chest. It was only a dream, it was only a nightmare...
He looked down at Hermione who shifted onto her side, still asleep, her left hand under the pillow, her right curled to her chest. He then looked to the cot, his eyes adjusting to the darkness to make out the infant, his chest slowly rising and lowering with his breathing, his head turned to one side.
Severus leaned back onto his pillow, his eyes wide open, his left hand still placed upon his neck, only just now managing to get a handle on his breathing. The nightmares had come back for the first time in years, and were appearing at an alarming frequency. He would have considered taking a Draught of Dreamless Sleep if it wasn't for the fact that it would leave him incapacitated if Lucan needed him in the night, or if... if something else were to happen.
He raised his left hand and stared at his forearm, at the skull with its two dark eye sockets, at the snake twisting, writhing, as though alive. It sickened him. He looked down at Hermione again. He'd considered sending them away, somewhere safe, somewhere Lucius could not find them, but this was just history repeating itself - first his mother, now his wife and son, forced into hiding, because of him. Always, because of him.
He lowered his arm. Hiding them and hoping for the danger to pass was what a coward would do. And if Lucius came for his family, he needed to be there to protect them.
Anger seized at his stomach, and it was not for Lucius, or for himself, but for Albus Dumbledore. He had him to thank, for this. For Severus to have been most useful to Albus, he had to forge his way into the Dark Lord's inner circle. Albus had only too easily accepted the sacrifice Severus would have to make to cement his allegiance - taking the permanent mark of a Death Eater. It was a necessary evil, easy enough to agree to when it wasn't Albus's forearm that was being disfigured in this way. Severus rubbed the Mark, which stung faintly. He had placed his trust in the old Headmaster, and what did it cost him - even now?
It had taken much too long for Severus to realize that he had been a pawn to Albus, just as much as Harry had been. Perhaps not only a pawn, but a pawn nonetheless. 'I sometimes think we Sort too soon,' yes, thought Severus bitterly, the Headmaster's own words coming to mind. Albus's masterful manipulation of those around him to reach his own goals, noble or not, was spectacularly Slytherin-esque.
Severus turned onto his side, restless, staring at the outline of Hermione's shoulder. Perhaps it was time to agree to what she had been suggesting for over a week now. He did not have great faith that it would make any difference, and it was fairly injurious to his sense of pride, but it would be foolish not to suffer it. There was too much to lose to risk otherwise.
It would still be quite some time before he closed his eyes again. He listened to his wife and child's slow, even breathing, lulling him into a calmness which, finally, allowed him to nod off to an untroubled sleep.
.
.
.
Harry, too, had found it difficult to sleep well in the past few weeks.
His job was fairly stressful at the best of times, but the string of incidents over the past year had unnerved him. Particularly because, once again, it was those close to him who were being targeted. And when Hermione told him about the Dark Mark bleeding out on Snape's arm a few weeks ago, he had become afraid in a way he had not been in a long time.
He now sat on his settee, leaning forward, watching the fire expectantly, nervously twirling his wand between his fingers.
Suddenly, Hermione stepped out of the green flames, Lucan in her arms.
"Hermione," Harry breathed, grinning at her. The sight of her always brought him relief, even now. He stood up, embraced her, and looked down at the child who held a teething ring to his mouth. "He sure has grown a lot in the past few weeks!" he exclaimed.
"Isn't it crazy how fast they grow?" she tittered, smoothing out Lucan's ruffled hair.
And now emerging from his fireplace was the form of his old Potions master, eyeing the room quickly and then looking down his hooked nose at Harry.
"Mr. Potter," Severus acknowledged.
"Professor," replied Harry, clearing his throat, feeling 'Snape' was much too impolite, and 'Severus' much too informal.
Severus swept into the room, placed a hand on Hermione's back, and she placed Lucan on her hip before saying, "All right. What can you tell us, Harry?"
"Right," he said, pocketing his wand, "if you just... follow me."
He led them out of the living room and into his kitchen. It was warm and inviting, with light wooden cabinets and floors, wooden beams across a white plastered ceiling, a large range cooker, and views out onto rolling fields. "Tea?" he asked politely, removing the cozy from a teapot which had already been sitting on the side.
"Can I just set Lucan in here?" she asked Harry, gesturing to James' high chair.
"Of course," Harry agreed, setting out three mugs on the countertop.
Hermione sat down in one of the chairs, pulling out a few crackers and placing them on Lucan's tray. He was to her left, at the head of the table, and Severus slid into the chair to her right. His eyes drifted around the room and returned to Harry, who placed steaming mugs in front of his guests before sitting down opposite Hermione.
"Well," said Harry, clearing his throat again, "just a few days ago we were able to figure out how the break-ins have been happening."
"How?" asked Hermione, on edge.
"It seems at though they have been entering our homes through the Floo."
"The Floo?" she repeated. It struck her as unusual, because it was common safety to close the Floo when it wasn't in use. Allowing one's Floo to remain connected to the rest of the network was similar to a Muggle keeping their doors unlocked – it allowed anyone entrance. "But surely you would have closed it, when you weren't using it."
"Of course we would have - that's the worry. I know for a fact that ours was closed when our house was entered, which was why we didn't look into it. The thing is, if someone has learned how to cross that barrier, then we can assume any house could be entered." Hermione had picked up her mug and was holding it with two hands, sipping quietly. Severus had not yet touched his.
"So then, the question is, how can someone cross the barrier?" Hermione asked.
"We know the Floo Network Authority has a way of connecting a hearth to the network from the outside, in case of emergencies. However, they are less than keen on telling us how exactly they do this."
"Ever helpful," Hermione said, bitterly.
Harry sighed in agreement. "I know that you believe Lucius is somehow involved. I have looked into it, and found that just last year he had given quite a large grant to the Floo Authority, which is funding a charity hoping to connect every wizarding family to the network."
"That seems strange," Hermione responded. "What would he care about that for? There must be some hidden motivation." She glanced over at Severus, who was intently looking at Harry.
"Well, we brought Lucius in yesterday for questioning, but nothing came of it. If anything, he now knows he's being watched. He may be more careful, but also more unpredictable." He let this sink in before continuing. "We've been tailing a few others - Nott, Rowle - but we've not really been able to pick up any leads. Unfortunately, the department doesn't really have the resources to dedicate to it. We've tried to apply for a warrant to search Malfoy Manor, but it was denied. They say there's not enough reasonable suspicion to act upon."
Severus shifted in his seat, causing both Harry and Hermione to look at him. He pulled out his wand, pointed it to the button at his left wrist and swept it down his forearm, the sleeves of his jacket and shirt rolling back at once to expose the black, writhing Mark below. "Is this not reasonable suspicion?" he asked, speaking for the first time, his dark eyes boring into Harry's.
"I believe so, yes," Harry asserted, firmly, acting as though the Mark before him did not cause him to feel uneasy. "But it's not up to me to decide. Besides, there's no real way to know that Lucius was the one to reactivate it."
"I should not think anyone else would have the capability," insisted Severus, running his wand back along his arm to roll up and button his sleeves. "Or the desire."
"I agree, but, as I say... there's nothing more we can do about Lucius, besides watching him and waiting for him to make a mistake."
Severus stowed his wand, his gaze fixed on Harry. "Pity that the Ministry is perpetually willing to turn a blind eye when it comes to Lucius."
"Plenty would have said the same about you, Severus," Hermione pointed out. "We can't simply expect the Ministry to send people to Azkaban based on public opinion." Severus's face expressed deep displeasure at these words. Harry was staring at the tendrils of steam rising from his mug, acting as though he had not heard. "So, what now?" she asked. Lucan drummed his hands on the tray, and Hermione handed him pieces of a banana she had brought in her bag, which he took and began to eat slowly.
"Well... there aren't many options," Harry explained. "One of which - if you truly believe Lucius is going to target you - is to go into hiding."
Severus crossed his arms at this, his lips still thin. "Hiding?" asked Hermione, quietly.
"Yes - we could find you somewhere to stay, keep you safe with the Fidelius Charm." Severus thought briefly of Spinner's End, but no, he could not take his wife and child there. He could not bear it.
"And for how long?" She looked at Lucan when she said this.
"I... I really don't know. Until we get more evidence. Until something changes."
The silence hung heavy between all of them.
"I think we both agree," said Hermione, trying to catch Severus's eyes, "that surely Hogwarts is already the safest place?"
"Well," Harry said, pushing his hair away from his eyes, "from what we can tell, the Hogwarts Floo has remained impenetrable. It has never been breached. I would agree that it's the safest place to stay, if it wasn't for the fact that we think they have the Marauder's Map."
"The 'Marauder's Map'?" asked Severus, his fingers on the handle of his mug.
"It was stolen from Harry, during one of the break-ins. It's a map of Hogwarts," explained Hermione, delicately. "It shows the name and location of everyone inside the castle."
Severus had whitened at this. "Everyone?" he asked, his hand now flattening upon the table.
"Yes," she confirmed, uneasily. "Everyone. Even those under Invisibility Cloaks, Disillusionment Charms, the effects of Polyjuice Potion, or otherwise disguised." His eyes glittered.
"And how would one use this map? Is it not protected in some way?"
"It is - it looks like a piece of blank parchment, unless someone were to tap it with their wand and say a specific phrase to reveal its contents."
"Which is?"
"'I solemnly swear I am up to no good'." Harry reddened as he recited the words. There was a pause.
"How inscrutable. I'm certain that will keep them busy guessing for all of five minutes." Severus's eyes narrowed. "And how did you come to own this map, Mr. Potter?
Harry cleared his throat. "Fred and George Weasley gave it to me, when I was a student."
"And they created it?"
"No - they found it in Filch's office."
"So, we are uncertain of the true origin of this map?"
Hermione desperately willed for Harry not to say anything. Harry's face flickered with a range of emotions. "Well... actually... it was made by my dad and Sirius and-"
Severus's face looked venomous enough for Harry to abruptly stop speaking. They could only watch as the realization swept over Severus, his eyes blinking, his hand going to his mouth and then flat against the table. "I have clearly underestimated your father, Potter," he seethed quietly, his voice acerbic, bitter. "Nearly twenty-five years in his grave, and yet still managing to keep me in mortal danger."
"I don't-"
"Severus-"
He ignored them both, his gaze not shifting from Harry. "You surely realize, Potter, that this map of your father's has allowed for my family's exact location to be handed to Lucius Malfoy on a silver platter, and not only mine but everyone in the school, like sitting ducks-"
Harry's eyes were hard on his. "That was never his intention-"
"How would you have known what his intention was?" he spat. Severus was on the knife edge between maintaining and losing control. "You're an Auror, Potter - you should know by now it is not the intention that makes the thing dangerous, it is how it is used. Your own father-in-law has made a career from that notion." His gaze was unflinching, his eyes so piercing that Harry felt he might catch on fire, and his voice was low again, almost a whisper, as he said, "It is very much their style, though, isn't it, Potter? It wouldn't be the first time what they thought of as a bit of fun would end up endangering the lives of innocent people, but then what would they care as long as they got their two minutes of enjoyment out of it-"
"Enough!" exclaimed Hermione. They both looked at her. "It doesn't matter who made it." Her voice was firm. "It doesn't matter their intention. They have it, they've almost certainly been able to figure out how to use it. How are we going to use that to our advantage?" Lucan began to grizzle, and Hermione took him out of the chair and into her arms, quickly placing the dummy clipped to his top into his mouth to suck.
Severus folded his arms again. "There is hardly any advantage to be had in our positions being known, if there is to be an attack."
"Yes," Harry agreed, tentatively, his arms crossed as well. "It's not easy to defend yourself, if they know exactly where you are."
"Can't we do... something?" she asked, plaintively.
"Our priority is our safety - it cannot be anything else." Severus was emphatic on this point, as he looked upon her and Lucan.
Harry's hands went to his knees. "The only alternative, then, if you don't want to leave Hogwarts, is to wait out the autumn solstice and hope they are unable to get through the defenses around the Hogwarts Floo." He bit his lip before offering, quietly, "Would you want an Auror to stay with you, until the period has passed?"
Severus again looked at him. "That is simply out of the question."
"Severus! Surely that can't be a bad idea," Hermione snapped.
"I am more than capable of taking care of us, Hermione." He then said, snidely, "The Auror Potter sends us would likely have been in nappies the last time the Dark Lord rose to power."
"You've just said yourself that our priority is our safety!" Hermione watched Severus struggling with himself, his face a mask. "Harry's just trying to help!"
He felt like his control was slipping away, minute by minute, and he couldn't bear resorting to this, to allowing a stranger into their home. He couldn't believe he had thought this meeting would be a good idea, that Harry could offer him anything he hadn't already been able to think of.
"If this is the best they can do, I don't believe I will be rushing back to request services from the Auror Department anytime soon." He pushed back his chair and stood up, his patience having worn out. Harry had gone pink, and then red with anger, and got up from his own chair. Hermione followed suit, her expression tense.
Harry led them into his living room. He looked stricken. "We will send through any intelligence we have as soon as we get it, but until then... we can only wait and see what happens. You must let me know if you change your mind, about anything." He spoke mostly to Hermione, glancing only momentarily at her husband.
After he had finished speaking, Severus turned and left through the fireplace first, without another word.
Hermione immediately turned towards her friend, the infant in her arms babbling quietly. "I'm so sorry, Harry - you must believe me, he's not usually like this. It's the fear, and he's not been sleeping well, not since the Mark. He's scared - we both are - and he blames himself for putting us in danger. He doesn't know what to do." She lowered her voice. "When the time comes, there is something that I will want to do, something... I don't think Severus would approve of. But I don't think we have any other option."
Harry looked at her, thoughtfully. "Maybe we should meet again, another time. He will be wondering what's keeping you," he said, looking towards the fireplace, as though expecting his old Professor to reappear.
"Thank you so much Harry," she said, embracing him. "I'll send you a letter." And then, before entering the Floo, she said, "Please don't judge him too harshly - I promise you, he is already doing that to himself."
She stepped through into their chambers, the anger she had felt returning to her at the sight of her husband.
"Severus, how could you!"
He had been standing at the mantel, waiting for her to reappear, and now stepped backwards, away from her. His face was twisted in anger. "How could I? Hermione, that was a fool's errand."
"You didn't even give him a chance!"
"His attempt to help was half-hearted, at best," he fumed. "He offered us nothing of consequence."
Lucan had began crying in Hermione's ear, and she cupped the back of his head with her hand. "Just because you're too prideful to accept his help-"
"Pride has nothing to do with it, Hermione! How am I supposed to keep us safe, when-"
"Hiding like rats does nothing to keep us safe!" she snapped. She did not continue, her son's cries now wails, his cheeks red, his eyes glistening with tears. Hermione turned away, hushing him, bouncing him in her arms, patting his back. He quieted down, grizzling again. "I'm going to go try to put him down," she whispered, not looking at Severus.
The fire popped loudly, and both of their heads snapped to it, both alert, on edge.
Severus stared at the flames, as though it was an evil thing. "No one is to come through the Floo," he muttered, almost to himself. "I will set up extra precautions." He twisted his wand towards the grate, murmuring under his breath, spells following one after the other into the fire.
Hermione left the room, bitterly disappointed, feeling more isolated and uneasy than ever.
.
.
.
"Thank you so much," Hermione said, holding the large, buzzing crate awkwardly in her arms. "George has been trying to get his hands on Billywigs for a while - to make something new for the shop."
"Don' say nothin' 'bout it," Hagrid cheerfully replied, standing in the pumpkin patch and tending to the vines, cutting off dead leaves and adding fertilizer. He wiped the sweat off his brow, leaving behind a streak of dirt across his large forehead. "It's yer birthday, isn' it?"
"Yes, it is," she replied, smiling back at him.
"Well, 'appy birthday. Nice weather fer one..."
"Thank you," she replied, shifting her weight from one leg to the other.
"How's yer babber?" he asked, leaning onto a post which slowly sank down into the earth, struggling to support the half-giant's weight.
"Oh, he's napping now, otherwise I would have brought him down. I'll bring him next time; he's beginning to crawl and he won't ever keep quiet, now that he's discovered he can make noises. And his hair's growing longer, it's curling a bit at the ends," she said, fondly smiling to herself.
Hagrid's little black eyes sparkled as she spoke, the only way she was able to tell he was smiling beneath the tangled mass of his beard. "Well, give 'im a cuddle fer me."
"Of course," she replied.
Hagrid suddenly stood up straight and looked up behind her at the sky, saying, "Looks jus' like Harry's owl."
Hermione turned around, spying a barn owl descending rapidly towards her. It swooped low and landed on a fence post between her and Hagrid. She placed the buzzing box on the ground and untied the scroll of parchment from the owl's outstretched leg. She unfurled the paper, a hastily written message upon it.
Nott overheard, tonight, 9pm
She crumpled the parchment and stuck both of her hands into her pockets. They were shaking. "I'd better be going," she said to Hagrid, watching as the owl flew to the post next to him, begging for some treats which he soon offered. "I'll see you soon. Thank you again, for the Billywigs." She had taken her wand out and levitated the box so that it floated beside her.
"Anythin' fer a Weasley," he responded good-naturedly, petting the owl before returning to his work, yanking several large weeds out of the ground.
Several hours later the Snape family sat at their table, eating dinner. Lucan was in his high chair, eating crackers and cheese, his large grey eyes focused on his mother. Hermione brushed his hair to the side, lovingly, before picking up her fork and eating her meal of salmon, asparagus, and new potatoes. She placed a forkful of the fish upon Lucan's tray, watching as he took a small handful and pushed it into his mouth before pushing it back out with his tongue, unsure of the flavor and texture.
Severus seemed troubled, rolling his wand between his fingertips as they sat on the settee after dinner, Lucan nursing and cradled in his mother's arms. Hermione played with her son's chubby little hands, feeling their warmth and softness, and caressed his little feet and legs, and then his fat cheeks. When he had finished, Hermione sat him on her thigh so that he faced his father. Severus leaned forward, pressing his large nose against his son's forehead as Hermione pressed her nose and then lips against Lucan's ear. Lucan squealed again, pulling at his father's long hair before letting go.
Hermione bathed him and put him to bed as Severus sat, watching the fire. She joined him, feigning reading a book he had given her for her birthday, stealing glances at the clock on the mantel from time to time, careful to shield her agitation and anxiety. The time slowly, inevitably, was winding closer to 9.
At ten to 9, a loud knock sounded upon the door. Severus, already high-strung, nearly leapt to his feet. He swept to the door, his wand held out before him as he opened it. Hermione watched, her heart in her mouth, as the leering figure of Filch appeared.
"What could you possibly want at this hour, Filch?" Severus demanded.
"Slytherins out of bed, in the Astronomy Tower, Professor," he growled, his bulging eyes fixed on the Potions master.
"And can you not take care of them yourself?" he snarled, standing over Filch.
Filch's mouth opened and closed several times, as if he could not think of anything to say.
"Utterly useless!" Severus raged, leaning over him quickly, causing the Caretaker to back up against the stone wall and, in shock, slide down. "A Flobberworm would be more competent!" Severus looked back to Hermione. He did not want to leave her, not now.
"Go," she whispered. "But be back soon." His eyes held hers before he quickly turned away, sweeping down the corridor and out of sight.
Hermione, now, was on her feet. She quickly went to the doorframe, peering down the corridor to ensure Severus was gone, and then looked down at Filch, who was doing the same. He then looked up at her.
"My word," he muttered, under his breath. Suddenly his hair grew thick and long, his limbs longer, his skin white, his face thin, his voice now feminine, the voice of the body's true owner, as Eileen changed into her real appearance. "I should hope Severus doesn't normally behave like that."
"You did brilliantly, Eileen," Hermione praised, extending her hand to help Eileen stand up, which she did quickly. "I only have a few minutes - I have to go, now."
Without another word, she entered their chambers, quickly walking into her and Severus's bedroom. She reached down into the cot and pulled out Lucan, who was in such a deep sleep that he did not stir, a heavy weight in her arms. She brought him up to her shoulder, quickly, and then walked back into the living room, twisting her wand towards the fireplace to remove the protective spells Severus had put in place. Eileen still hovered, behind the settee.
"You should go," she told Eileen. "Severus will be back soon." Her hands shook slightly as she tossed a bit of Floo Powder into the fireplace, stepped through, and flew through the network of thousands of hearths until she reached her destination.
She stepped into the living room of the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley was standing in front of the fireplace, nervously waiting for her. Harry had been sitting on the settee with Ginny and Mr. Weasley, and they all abruptly stood when she appeared.
Now that she was here, in front of them, the thing she had been planning to do all this time was the very last thing she could have wanted.
"I must hurry, I only have so much time," she said, stepping towards Mrs. Weasley. Ginny had joined them, placing her hand on Hermione's arm. Everyone in the room appeared grief stricken as Hermione kissed Lucan's forehead and, achingly, handed him to Mrs. Weasley, who carefully accepted the sleeping baby, bringing him to her shoulder. "Everything you'll need is in here," Hermione said, pulling out her charmed bag from deep within the folds of her dress and placing it in Ginny's hands. "Please, take care of my baby," she said, her eyes filled with tears. She ran the back of her hand across his cheek, her heart feeling as though it was being wrenched from her chest.
"Of course," replied Mrs. Weasley, her eyes glistening as well.
"Good luck," Ginny whispered.
"You'll be fine, Hermione," Harry said. "Don't think otherwise."
Mr. Weasley smiled at her kindly. "We'll be here, waiting for your message."
She wiped her eyes again, devastated, looking upon them all before turning and walking into the fireplace.
She emerged in her own chambers, her arms feeling strangely light without the weight of her child in them. Eileen was still there, however now looking like Irma Pince, standing nervously, her wand in her hands. Severus had not returned. Hermione turned back towards the fire, replacing the protective charms upon the Floo, her eyes going to the clock. Three to 9. It would not be much longer now.
"You really must go," Hermione said, almost an order.
"I'm n-not leaving you alone, not until Severus comes b-back."
Hermione turned to face her. "Eileen, now is not the time to be... heroic!"
"Speak for yourself!" she exclaimed. "You d-don't know what's going to be coming out of that f-fireplace! If you had any sense, if you really thought Lucius Malfoy was a threat, you and Severus w-would have taken Lucan and hidden, at least until-"
"I can't hide!" she said, emphatically. "I refuse to! I can't live that way, Eileen!"
At these words, Eileen looked hurt, as though Hermione had slapped her. They both look sobered.
"I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
"No - you're r-right," she said, looking at the wand between her fingers. "That's the d-difference between you and I. You're so much braver, and I know Severus loves you all the m-more for-" She was interrupted by a deep rumbling issuing from the fireplace. Hermione leapt away, quickly joining Eileen who was now crouching behind the settee. "Oh!" Eileen cried, "I sh-should never had said the Astronomy T-tower, it's much too far away! He won't be b-back in time!"
Hermione immediately placed her wand upon her wedding band and concentrated, knowing that this would send Severus a warning. Beyond that, she did not know what to do. She could only be thankful, with every fiber of her being, that Lucan was safe at the Burrow.
"We should go, now, while we can," Eileen pleaded. The rumbling continued, as though a large boulder was being rolled away from behind the hearth.
"You go," insisted Hermione. "Go, find Severus, quickly!" Eileen didn't move. And then, suddenly, there was silence.
Hermione and Eileen looked at each other, frozen. Hermione quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm over both of them, hoping that it would buy them some time, at least until Severus returned.
The sound of footsteps appeared and Hermione, hoping to take whoever it was by surprise, sent several curses over the top of the settee. A man groaned, petrified, a loud crunching noise issuing from him as he fell over the coffee table. Curses and hexes issuing from in front of the fireplace were now shooting in their direction, some hitting the kitchen table, which splintered, then overturned, others hitting and shattering the glass doors of the cabinets behind them and the jars they contained.
Hermione crawled to the edge of the settee, peering around the side, sending a curse towards the feet of another man. He fell over, knocking his head against the mantelpiece, and crashed into one of the bookcases, several volumes falling out upon him. She sent another spell towards the hearth, stupefying a Death Eater who had been sending curses towards the kitchen, and he fell backwards.
But there were simply too many, figures still appearing from the fireplace, four now in her living room, fanning out. Eileen must have sent the whirlwind of books upon them, batting them over their heads, pages tearing themselves into pieces, swirling around the men in a frenzy. Hermione sent a heavy cauldron flying from the kitchen, which they all managed to dodge. Stuffing from the now-battered settee spilled forth, and Hermione sent this flying into the nose and mouth of one of the men. She could only hold them off for so much longer. Where was Severus?
One of them had seen where Hermione's last spell had come from and pointed his wand at her. She parried the curse he sent at her, but in doing so she had given away her location. Hermione tried to move away, but he deftly hit her straight in the chest with a stunning spell. She collapsed, her wand falling from her hand and rolling under the armchair, the Disillusionment Charm she had cast over herself and Eileen now failing. Two figures dressed in hooded black robes stood over her, the other two having now cornered Eileen, who had very nearly made it out into the dungeons. Eileen scrambled backwards until she was sitting against the wall, holding her hands in front of her face, cowering as though to deflect a curse. It did not come.
Instead, a tall man stepped out of the fireplace, lowering his hood to reveal a length of silky blond hair. He eyed the rooms, his nose upturned. His gaze found his quarry. His mouth opened.
"Good evening, Eileen." The old librarian's eyes grew large, and he looked from her to Hermione. "Stun her," he instructed the rather large, ugly man beside him, his chin jutting out towards Eileen. "And check the bedroom for the child." Hermione and the three men she had managed to incapacitate were levitated and sent through the fireplace.
A fear seized Eileen's heart as the man cast the spell from his wand, hitting her square in the face. How had he known her name?
.
.
.
Severus prowled the passageway leading to the Astronomy Tower, growing more annoyed at Filch with every step. His eyes took in the door blocking entrance to the spiral staircase, finding it to be locked. Any Slytherin who had been up on the tower was long gone by now, nothing out of place, this door fastened securely behind them. This had, it seemed, been a waste of time.
Suddenly, Severus felt a slight sting on his left hand, and he shook it, unsure what had caused the pain. He looked at his fingers and now noticed a slight glow, issuing from his wedding band. The bottom of his stomach dropped.
He brought his hand close to his eyes, and he stared at the ring. No message came. The glow went out.
"No," he whispered.
As quickly as he could, he made his descent into the dungeons, taking the stairs two steps at a time, fearing the worst, knowing that as much as he hurried, he might be too late, it would only take a second, one spell-
He turned the corner to his chambers and realized that the door was wide open. He was highly alert, his hands beginning to shake as panic set in, his wand clenched so tightly in his hand, he thought it might break.
His legs somehow carried him to the threshold where he stood, frozen, surveying the damage before him, damage which told him what had happened as much as words could have.
He had stood at the threshold of a destroyed house before, nearly twenty-five years ago. He knew the telltale signs of a struggle. Pure terror seized at his heart, and he could not breathe. He could not bear this, when this time it was his wife, his child, that could be...
Severus braced himself for what he thought he might find, his wand out before him, feeling as though he was watching from a faraway place. He listened to the dripping of liquid from the broken jars in the cabinets, the crunching of so many small pieces of glass under his feet, as he walked through the destroyed kitchen and into the bedroom. How could he have left them unprotected, so close to the autumn solstice. He had thought he had more time. He had been so, very wrong. His breathing was ragged. The room was empty. The cot was empty. They were gone.
He turned back towards the living room, his heart beating erratically, his eyes flitting over everything, trying to piece together what had happened, the broken table, the books and the ash upon the floor. Then, peaking out from under the armchair, he spied the tip of Hermione's wand. He summoned it and it landed gently in his open palm. He held the beautifully carved wood between his fingers, and a feeling of devastation overwhelmed him.
He placed it before him on the seat of the armchair, pointed his own wand at it, and whispered, "Prior Incantato." A jet of red light shot out of the end of Hermione's wand, and it confirmed all of Severus's fears. She had been attacked.
Suddenly, the fire began to hiss and spit. In one movement, Severus summoned Hermione's wand, stowed it in his cloak, and raised his own. A man stepped through, and Severus gritted his teeth in shock and anger, glaring at the black-haired intruder. It was Harry, who seemed no more delighted to see his old Potions master.
"What are you doing in my chambers, Potter?" His voice held an anguish, a pain, that Harry had never heard before. Ginny now climbed out behind her husband, horrified as she looked around. All three had their wands raised.
"The Floo was left open," Harry explained, also taking in the damage, his face white. "The barrier has been destroyed."
Severus, his desperation now becoming rage, took Harry by the collar and pushed him back against a bookshelf. "WHERE ARE THEY, POTTER?"
"Get off him!" shouted Ginny, her wand still pointed at Severus. "We're on your side, remember?"
Both Harry and Severus acted as though they hadn't heard her.
"I don't know where Hermione is any more than you do," Harry retorted, trying to remain calm, the tip of his wand against Severus's left arm, pointed at his face.
His gaze did not break from Harry's, his hand still twisted in the fabric of Harry's robes, pinning him uncomfortably against the shelves. "YOU'VE JUST COME THROUGH MY FLOO-"
"We knew it was going to happen tonight-"
"AND YOU DIDN'T BOTHER TO TELL-"
"I TOLD HERMIONE!" Harry bellowed back.
At this, Severus's hand released Harry's collar, and Harry moved away from him, away from the bookcase, slipping on some of the pages strewn across the floor before righting himself.
"Liar," he spat, scorn for Harry upon his face.
"Harry sent her an owl this morning," said Ginny. "She knew."
Severus turned towards her. "Why-"
"Because she knew you wouldn't listen to her!" Ginny exclaimed.
He paused, unsure what she had meant, his brow furrowed.
The fire began to hiss again, and Severus pointed his wand towards it, waiting for another person to come through. However, it was not a person, but a letter, which shot out from the hearth and landed on the floor.
Severus summoned it, turning it over in his hands before breaking the green wax seal of the envelope and pulling out a small piece of parchment inside. Upon it, in green lettering, read:
We have them.
The gates are open.
Severus noticed something at the bottom of the envelope, and pulled it out. It was Hermione's wedding ring.
The parchment burst into green flames and Severus dropped it, watching as it curled up and turned to ash.
He closed his fingers around the small piece of metal that belonged to the person that meant almost everything to him, knowing very well that he could lose her. His face contorted with pain. She knew you wouldn't listen to her. He loathed himself, now, more than he could ever remember loathing himself before. He had so clearly failed her, and his son, over what - his own sense of pride? After all these years, after all his mistakes, had he really learned nothing?
He slowly turned to look at the young Auror, his face like stone. "All right, Potter," he muttered. "What now?"