A/N: Hi, guys! I am back! I am sorry if I have not replied to your reviews yet but since it has been a while since I posted the last chapter, I thought that you would prefer to go on with story rather than receiving a reply to your review. Nevertheless, I shall reply to all your reviews tomorrow. Thank you so much for your support! I love each and one of your reviews!
A huge thank you to my Beta-Reader, MWolfe13!
It took Hermione a couple of seconds to find her balance again as she found herself on the soft snow more than twenty feet away from Hogwarts' gates. As soon as her head stopped turning, she searched Severus with her eyes. He was right beside her, looking skeptically towards Hogwarts.
"Severus?" She asked hesitantly, taking a few steps towards him, still a bit unbalanced.
"You should go inside, Potter and Weasley will be worried." He answered coldly, with his back still turned to her.
She sighed, wondering what the matter was this time. "So everything went as planned?" She tried to break the ice that had formed between them already back at the cottage.
"Exactly as planned." He replied with a sneer that she could distinctly hear in his voice, even though she still couldn't see his face.
"Then what's the matter?" Asked Hermione exasperated, exhausted from the few last hours.
"Apparently nothing: you will only risk your life day in and day out, which – you are right – is something that happens so often that we really should not give a second thought about it." He snapped, finally turning around to look at her with his deep black eyes.
She couldn't help a relieved smile at his perpetual scowl that only deepened in front of her sudden relaxation. He had opened his mouth again, probably to retort some other nasty remark, but she didn't care as she quickly closed the distance between them and hugged him. Less than one day had gone by from the last time she had been able to do this, but still, it felt like thousand years. She really didn't want to go back thinking about how difficult it would be in the next days.
"Are you finished?" She whispered unable to avoid some amusement to transpire from her voice.
"Not quite." He replied harshly as he hugged her tightly, his words coming out confused as he lowered his face to her neck.
They stayed like that a few minutes, and she indulged herself in that missed warmness before moving slightly back to better see his face. She traced his contours with her hands, trying to impress them in her memory as she tried not think about what would happen in a few minutes.
"You have to go." He said in the end even though he didn't look that convinced by his own words as he let her keep touching him.
"I know, I know." She couldn't help but reply, a bit annoyed by that reminder. He smiled, he merely smiled amused by that reaction. Indignant at his response, she kissed him fiercely to wipe away that smile from his face. She let her tongue reach out for his lips, her teeth scraping the soft flesh of his lower lip as she attacked him with no remorse at all. At the beginning surprised, he remained dumbfounded for a couple of seconds before a low groan came out directly from his chest as his hands grabbed her back to crash her to him painfully.
"Go back inside." He almost growled as he put a few inches of distance between them.
Undecided whether to follow his suggestion or tempt him – and her too – a bit longer, she stood there nodding absently as she barely heard his words.
"Hermione, go back inside." He repeated in his most authoritative voice that instead of scaring her, aroused her more.
She smirked as she erased the distance that separated them and ignoring his scowl of fake anger, Hermione kissed him again, this time more gently as she let herself enjoy that precious moment.
"When can I see you again?" She panted as she ignored the snow that had started to fall again.
"In a couple of days, you will have to meet the Headmaster again. I will try to be there but I can't promise anything. Just... be careful and don't come back here unless it is necessary." He grabbed her face and looked intently into her eyes, trying to discern whether or not his words had been listened to. "Promise me." He added, knowing too well how her mind worked.
Regretfully, she nodded before adding a hesitant "Yes, I promise." She squeezed his hand one last time. "Make sure to be there" She breathed, closing her eyes and mustering all the courage to get away from him and inside.
"I will do my best." He replied already detached as he looked as she opened Hogwarts' gates without looking back. She couldn't, she really couldn't look back, or she would never leave him again.
Warmness! That was her first thought as soon as she was inside the castle. She had missed it so badly! She didn't have much time to enjoy it, though, as she ran through the stairs to get to her Common room. The school looked deserted as she had not met even one living soul – nor dead, at that - on her way back to her chambers.
Briefly wondering where everyone had gone, she got her answer as soon as she was inside her Common room. All of her Gryffindor classmates were all there, some ready to leave with heavy luggage, some other still packing quickly as they moved their glance back and forth from their bags to a clock. Others were chatting silently as they buttoned their coats.
She looked around for Harry and Ron, and soon she found them talking conspiratorially near the fireplace.
"Guys?" She asked, and they both turned to look at her surprised before jumping to give her the tightest hug she had ever had.
"Where the bloody hell were you, 'Mione?! We were so damn worried, we have not seen you for two days and Dumbledore is dead, and Death-Eaters were here, and we couldn't find you, and we thought... we all thought that they had taken you. We spoke to McGonagall, but she just didn't say anything, and we were so sure that..." Finally, they had stopped talking and just hugged her as firmly as they could.
"So, where were you?" They asked again, and she really didn't know what to answer.
"I was helping Professor McGonagall, that's all." She replied dismissively, trying to find something to change the subject.
"But we asked her! And she never replied clearly, we thought she didn't know where you were but didn't want us to worry!"
She smiled trying to look reassuringly. "Really, guys, I am fine, she knew exactly where I was. I can't believe what happened in the last few days." She knew that the subject of the last events would have them all distracted from her previous whereabouts. As soon as her words were out, Harry and Ron both were saddened again as they shook their head in disbelief.
"I knew we should have done something. I knew Dumbledore was not really that aware of Snape's intentions. If only I had insisted a little bit more, if only..." But he shook his head more vehemently without finishing his speech.
"It is not your fault, Harry. The Headmaster knew... who Snape was." She ended lamely as she couldn't really tell that the Headmaster had known very well what was going to happen since he had been the one to organize it all.
"I don't think so, Hermione, had he known he wouldn't be dead right now!" He snapped angrily, his nostrils flaring as his green eyes were fixed on hers.
"What I mean to say is that he knew who Snape was, but maybe he had... underestimated him." She didn't really want to offend Severus either, it wouldn't be fair knowing what she knew, and after all, she had never been a good liar. She decided that from then on she would try to avoid to talk about Snape or she would find herself in big troubles.
"Well, I think that's obvious." Harry snapped sarcastically, looking at her as if she had completely lost her mind.
"So now what?" She hastily changed the subject.
"McGonagall has told us that we will have early Christmas holidays since the school has no headmaster anymore. Ron and I have decided to go back to the Burrow for the time being and then... I don't know, we will see what happens, I guess. I hope to be back at Hogwarts in the next month, but in the meantime, we can't really just twiddle our thumbs: I will try to find a way to look for the remaining Horcruxes as soon as possible. I have to kill Voldemort, and I have to do it soon, no one else has to die, no one." He chanted in a whisper as his eyes filled with tears. If only he knew, Hermione thought, if only he knew...
"So, are you coming with us?" He asked after a while, a bit uncertain
"Of course!" She replied fast, squeezing his hand in solace.
Hermione went back to her room to prepare her luggage in a hurry. Sighing, she realized how long it would be before she would be back in that castle, if ever. She knew it was the less important thing to worry about in a moment like that, but she really couldn't help to be nostalgic: all her life as she had known it would change from then on and truthfully, she didn't know if she felt ready for it. The Headmaster had deemed her capable of facing those new and enormous responsibilities and even though a part of her felt entirely overwhelmed by that yearned praise, she still felt a mere child in front of situations bigger than her. She couldn't fail. Ah! If only the fact that she couldn't meant that she wouldn't!
"So, two down, four to go, right?" Ron asked as he sat with his legs crossed on his bed in his room at the Burrow. A candle was lit so that they could at least see their faces without alarming the others occupants of the house as they slept in the other rooms.
"Exactly: Tom's diary and Marvolo Gaunt's ring have already been destroyed. We just need to find the other four." Harry whispered as he nodded in Ron's direction.
"Well, I wouldn't really say 'just,'" Ron added skeptically as she sent him a meaningful glare as not to ruin the relative happy moment.
"So... do we have any clue what the next Horcrux may be?" She intervened before Ron could say some other tactless thing.
"Well, actually we do," Harry added uncertain, as he raised his head to look at them both guiltily.
"Then why didn't you tell us before, mate?" She sent Ron another sign to keep his voice low as he practically shouted his disbelief.
"I have not had the time, really!" Said Harry defensively. "It happened just the night before Dumbledore was killed. He told him he might have a clue on the Horcruxes whereabouts and I asked him if I could go with him, help him... I really didn't think he would say yes, but he did. So we Apparated to a remote cave by the sea. It was scary! Dumbledore was scary! To retrieve the locket, he had to drink a potion that made him weak, really weak, and then I was trying to save him but ended up evoking the Inferi. Anyway, long story made short, in the end, we were able to retrieve the locket, the Slytherin's locket, but it was a fake. Inside of it, there was a note signed by a certain R.A.B. That says that he/ she had stolen the real locket to destroy it. Then Dumbledore died and... nothing, that was it." Harry ended extracting the fake locket from his pockets to show them.
"Who is R.A.B?" She asked.
Harry simply shrugged. "I don't know, I have got no idea, do you?" He looked at them questioningly, but they both shook their heads.
"So we have got no clue what to do next." Ron summed everything up with his usual tact.
"We don't even know if this R.A.B. Was successful in destroying the locket or not. I guess the only thing we can do is to wait and see what happens. Right now, I am quite tired, I really can't think about anything else, I just... Dumbledore... I just need some rest." Harry replied confusedly as he turned away from them and lay on the bed. She exchanged a meaningful nod with Ron before getting up and exiting the room as silently as possible.
The situation was not as desperate as it might have looked to Harry and Ron since Dumbledore was not really dead and since she hoped that he at least had a vague idea about who R.A.B. Could be. One more day and then she would be able to ask him, and she would be able to see Severus again, hopefully.
Even though she really felt heart-broken when she had seen Harry so desperate after Dumbledore's death, she knew it would be for the better if he were oblivious to their plan. He was too connected with Voldemort, and the more people knew, the more there would be the risk that Dumbledore's survival was made public. All their efforts would be wasted: Severus would be discovered, and in the best scenario, they would not have a useful spy anymore, and in the worst, they would lose a valuable member of the Order, and she would lose the person she loved. No, it was precisely that fear that forbid her to confess the truth to Harry.
She would wait other 24 hours and would go back to the cottage to inform Dumbledore of the latest developments and then they would try to find a solution together. Something would have to come up sooner or later.
In the meantime, she wondered what the other Horcruxes were. If they found this one – because she really doubted that whoever that R.A.B was had been able to destroy the locket – they still had to find a way to destroy it and then find the other three remaining Horcruxes. Practically, it was not something that could be done in a few weeks. It would take them months before they were able to find and destroy all the Horcruxes, which didn't mean that Voldemort would wait patiently for them to destroy all his soul pieces. He would attack, and she reckoned that it would happen sooner rather than later. Right now, he thought he had the upper hand: Dumbledore was out of the picture, and he was sure that the second strongest wizard was by his side. Long story made short, they were all doomed.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione went back to her and Ginny's room to catch a few hours of needed sleep in a comfortable bed. The younger girl was already fast asleep when she opened the door, and she thought it was exactly the perfect fluke she needed the next night. She couldn't be happier that the Weasleys were all sound sleepers that wouldn't hear even the Second World War bombings.
As soon as her head touched the pillow, she couldn't help a satisfied smile to appear on her lips. She really, really had needed this. She knew the next day she wouldn't be as lucky since she had to wait for them all to fall asleep before getting downstairs and Apparate back to the cottage and she knew perfectly well she wouldn't be back to the Burrow before 1 in the morning. She really didn't mind as long as she could see Severus again, even just for a couple of seconds. Merlin, she missed him already. One day and she missed him already. She had gotten so used to seeing him every day in the past few months that she actually believed that she had developed some kind of addiction to the man, especially after they had kissed and... all the rest – she thought with a malicious smirk. What she wouldn't do for having him right there and then, by her side, on a soft bed, feeling his hot skin touching hers... She squeezed her eyes shut trying to erase those memories that wouldn't let her sleep, and she really didn't have time to satisfy her needs on her own in a moment like that: she needed sleep! She could think about all the rest, including Severus and all his naked body parts, the next day. For now, she just needed to sleep for a while.
Being used to always having something to do, especially in the last months, Hermione was surprised when after one day at the Burrow she was already bored to death. A few days before, she had had plenty to keep her busy: the Potion, the lessons, her relationship with Severus, finding a way to save the Headmaster. Here, she had nothing to do at all, not even dinner as Molly presented her a full dish of roasted sauces and potatoes on the table.
"Here, dear, you should eat more! Yes, I really believe you have lost a few pounds." Affirmed Mrs. Weasley as she established her weight with a well-assessed gaze. If she had to eat everything that Mrs. Weasley put in her plate, it wouldn't take one week before she burst.
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley." She had already learned not to contradict the older woman when it came to food: when she had tried it that morning when she found a plate full with three scrambled eggs and two toasts in front of her, Molly had not moved her gaze away from her until she saw that the dish was clean.
She briefly wondered how all the Weasleys had such fit bodies when they ate all the time. Well, she thought that playing Quidditch and being over-active did the trick.
"Any news about Hogwarts?" She asked as soon as Mr. Weasley came through the door after a day at the Ministry.
"Well..." He started hesitantly, looking at the all family reunited around the table. At his insecure word, they all turned their gazes towards him.
"It appears that..." He kept the suspense as they were all ready to lynch him.
"Yes?" They all chorused after another two minutes of unbearable pause.
"It appears that Severus Snape will be the next headmaster." Mr. Weasley was finally able to finish his sentence as a grave silence reigned over the room. Nobody even dared to breathe as they all weighted the consequences of that fact, everyone except her: she had known for a few days now that Snape would be the next headmaster and she couldn't help but take a sigh of relief at that confirmation. Severus would try to keep things at bay, as much as he could.
"You must be kidding me." Harry broke the silence as they all turned to look at him, all glad of that diversion.
"I am afraid I am not." Replied Mr. Weasley as he let out a displeased sigh and took a seat next to his wife.
"But... but he killed Dumbledore! How could the Ministry, how could McGonagall have let something like this happen? I may understand that even the Ministry was corrupted by Voldemort but McGonagall, she would never... no, she wouldn't." Harry kept repeating McGonagall name as if by doing so things could actually change. She reached out with a hand to touch him, to comfort him, to give him some solace, because she knew what he felt like at that moment. He felt betrayed, disappointed, and she couldn't blame him, but if only he knew the truth, he would see that they were all by his side. She at least hoped that when everything was over, she would be able to tell him that it was all for pretense, that Dumbledore didn't die, that Severus was actually on their side, that McGonagall had not betrayed them but was supporting them.
"We can never go back to Hogwarts now," Ron added as the silence stretched loud again in the room, but nobody answered, there was nothing to answer anyway.
Dinner was never over too soon as they ate in complete silence, all of them pondering what that new turn meant. It was 8 when she was finally allowed to go back to her room. In silent agreement, she and Ginny reached Harry and Ron's room, not caring if they were heard as they walked down the hallway as if they were zombies.
"I can't believe it, I still can't believe it." Harry kept repeating as the shock was soon swapped with rage.
"We have to keep calm. Yes, we can't go back to Hogwarts now, but at least we will have more time to look for the Horcruxes." She knew it was a tiny and miserable consolation compared to what they thought was happening.
"But Snape? How could the Ministry... no, I have no words. I won't mind if for killing Voldemort I have to kill Snape first." Harry shook his head repeatedly.
"No, that's not the right way to reason, Harry, we have to concentrate on Voldemort now, forget about Snape. He will have what he deserves once everything is over." A big, huge, thank you from all of them. That was the least he deserved.
"How can you... don't you even care? Snape killed Dumbledore, Hermione, how can you not want revenge?" He asked in disbelief as his big green eyes stared at her.
"Of course I care, Harry! But I know that revenge is useless: killing Snape will not bring Dumbledore back, it will just help Voldemort in defeating us. I know it is hard, but we don't have to let all this get to us more than it is necessary." She knew it was easier said than done but finally Harry seemed to calm down... for a while, at least.
It was 9 when she was back to her room, and it was 10 when finally Ginny started snoring slightly. Taking a deep breath, she slipped out of the room and descended the stairs, pondering whether to Apparate inside the house or outside. In the end, she opted to go out, better safe than sorry. After all, it was still early, and there were more than a few chances that somebody could still be awake inside the house and hear the light noise of the Apparation. As soon as she was outside, she tightened her cloak around her freezing form as she tried to concentrate well enough to remember the frugal insides of the cottage. Hoping not to flinch herself in the process and relaxing as soon as she thought that two of the most powerful wizards would be waiting on the other side, she finally Apparated.
It was the first time she Apparated that far and she discovered that the usual sense of bewilderment and light head was heightened when traveling that far. As soon as her head stopped turning, she saw the faces of the Headmaster and Severus staring back at her.
"Good evening, Sir, Professor." She said uncomfortably as she tried to find a way to move their fixing stares away from her.
"I see you have reached the place all in one piece. Severus was quite preoccupied and tempted to come fetch you himself." The Headmaster lightened the mood with his elegant amusement and gleaming eyes.
She briefly moved her gaze from Dumbledore to Severus, just to placate her addiction for a while. She didn't know whether to be offended that he had not believed in her or feel flattered of his attention and it seemed the Headmaster had picked on her internal battle as he hurried to change the subject.
"How is Harry?" He asked sincerely concerned.
"He is... not taking it so well." At first, she had been tempted to lie and tell him that he was moving on as best as he could.
"Yes, I can imagine. I hope he won't feel too betrayed once the truth will come out." Dumbledore replied a little bit hurt as he lowered his head in what looked almost like shame.
"If it will come out," Severus added with his usual mocking drawl.
"I don't know how I could go on without your optimism, Severus." Replied Dumbledore resuming his usual and more comfortable light mood. Even Hermione couldn't help a light giggle to escape her lips, which was met by Severus' cold gaze as she hurried to compose herself.
"Alright, I believe we should get to the depressing part: is there any news?" The Headmaster asked lightly as if he didn't know what "depressing" really meant.
"Quite a few, Sir." She replied as she pondered whether to sit or not as they were all standing.
"Well, does anyone fancy a cup of tea?"