Author's Note:

I've been really busy. I haven't even started on my summer reading because I've been so busy, and I really should get started soon...It doesn't help that I just got a new puppy. Mojo. And that I need to bond with said puppy/ teach him that shoes are not food. Especially since I really love my shoes. He's currently not allowed to visit the whole house just the kitchen...but he's been trying to eat my slippers every time I enter the kitchen...

Anyway, I did get this chapter done...and I've been stuck on the beginning of the next one because there are two ways I could go and while both will end in the same conclusion I have absolutely no idea if I should go ahead and write it differently from last time or not...because the original way was going to be really much longer and this might add a shortcut that I didn't think of last time.

I think I also haven't written because I haven't had more than two hours at the computer without something to do that really required my attention. So hopefully I can write the next chapter soon.

Anyhow, enjoy this one. It was fun to re-write and play around with it a little.

Summary:

Three months have passed since that fateful night when Dumbledore was killed and Harry vowed to kill his murderer, and it's been a year since Harry found out Severus Snape was his father, but this time it is not the worries of making a relationship work that cloud Harry's mind but how he will deal with the war that has now become all too clear, how he will find the Horcruxes in solitude, and how to distract himself enough to not think about his father. But how can he accomplish all of this when he's worried sick about his best friend and he has no idea where to begin searching for the pieces of Voldemort's soul.

Disclaimer:

I don't own anything but maybe the plot, Faye, Imogen, Echo, Artemis, and I almost forgot him...Sawyer.

Chapter Twenty

The Truth

September 19, 1997

Hermione woke up when she heard a crash. The hospital wing was dark and Hermione silently cursed Harry for not waking her up when he had been told to. She sat up in her cot and wondered what had fallen to wake her up. And then she saw a shadow, someone walking towards her. She couldn't tell who.

"Hermione," Harry's voice whispered.

"Harry?"

"Yes, it's me. I figured I'd let you sleep some more. I didn't want to talk in here anyway. Ron's waiting for us in the room of requirement. I fell out of the floo, but we can go that way. You'll be back here before you know it. Just…promise me you'll listen."

"Yes…yes, alright," Hermione said. "Help me stand."

He rushed towards her and helped her out of bed. Her feet made it into slippers that she was sure Harry had brought with him and then he helped her across the room. How he could see where he was going was beyond her, but she allowed him to lead her without asking questions. Madame Pomfrey liked to sleep in her office when she had patients to take care of, and a first year had come in with a broken arm earlier, so Hermione tried to not make any noise as they walked to the fireplace.

How Harry had managed to get a hold of floo powder was yet another thing Hermione wanted to know, but as he led her into the fireplace and shouted out their destination she forgot all of this, because they weren't going to the room of requirement.

Instead Harry called out an address that she didn't recognize. When they stepped out of the fire, Hermione found herself in a warm nice looking drawing room. Ron was already there, stuffing his mouth with biscuits, but he seemed to realize what he was doing when they came in. He looked sheepish for a moment and then after swallowing began to laugh.

"It's good to see a familiar attitude towards food," Hermione said and then turned to Harry. "You lied to me! Where are we?"

"Home," Harry said. "Well, my home. At least…well, I consider it that now. I have to for the wards to work, but that's not the only reason."

"I though the wards were destroyed when they died. You're of age, Harry, how could this…" she trailed off and Harry laughed.

"Not his Uncle's house, 'Mione," Ron said. "He explained only that to me, but I've…well I know a bit more than you do seeing as you were…well, that is to say…"

Hermione laughed. "Alright, well, while Ron continues to stutter, mind leading me to somewhere I can sit. I'm still unsteady on my feet, you know."

Harry nodded and at once settled her down in a comfortable couch. He took a seat next to Ron and sighed. "This is a really long story," he said. "One that I've guarded and for good reason. I didn't think the room of requirement or Hogwarts was safe enough to disclose this, but here I feel comfortable talking. McGonagall said you can stay the night if you want. I had to clear it with her first of course. Anyway, do you want tea or something to eat, Hermione? Best make you guys comfortable."

"If it's no trouble some tea would be nice, and I am famished," Hermione said.

"I'll get something for you. Ron?"

"Like you need to ask," Ron said and rubbed his stomach.

"Right, then, I'll be back in a few."

Hermione turned to Ron the moment Harry had left. "What is this place?"

"Safe house I suppose," Ron said. "Not one of the ones I've visited before, but it's really a nice place isn't it in comparison to Grimmauld Place ? I wonder why headquarters couldn't have been here. It's big enough. A little bigger even, if you ask me."

Hermione chose this time to look around. The house was kept clean but it had a lived in feeling. It was put together nicely.

"Does he live here alone?" Hermione asked.

"No. He said he lives with two others. Order members he assured me. They're probably sleeping by now."

Hermione nodded just as Harry re-entered the room with two trays floating in front of him. Hermione noted that Harry didn't even have his wand out, and she noticed one more thing, his glamour was off and he looked nothing like the Harry she had seen earlier when she had woken up. But this was still Harry.

"You look different," Hermione said. "You're not even wearing glasses."

"I know," Harry said "and I will explain that." He handed her a cup of tea that was done just as she liked it and allowed some mini sandwiches to float in front of her on a plate.

Ron had his own sandwiches and tea but Harry sat down only with his cup of tea held between his hands.

"I wonder if maybe a stronger drink may help," Harry said with a small laugh. "But I doubt I could find anything."

"Just tell us, Harry, it can't be that bad," Hermione said.

"I took what Myrtle told me really well," Ron added.

Harry laughed. "I didn't tell you earlier Ron, but you have it all wrong."

"But she said…and I…but your appearance…"

"Just let him tell us, Ronald!" Hermione snapped.

"I've missed you, Hermione," Ron said. "Only you could yell my name like that."

Hermione chuckled as she reached for a sandwich.

"It was maybe one am on my birthday last year…that's when I learnt my aunt and uncle and cousin had died. Anyway, a box arrived that night, time sent from 1981. It was from my parents. My dad – well, James had written me this letter and I was so afraid of what it said that I didn't read it that night. The next day we celebrated my birthday and another box arrived. I thought it was the same one or another one sent to haunt me because I hadn't read it yet or something. I didn't realize then it was addressed to someone else and also from my parents."

"I remember you freaked out and Remus said to just leave you…we were leaving anyway," Hermione said. "What – what happened?"

Harry took a sip of his tea. "I read it that night. Forced to by Snape. He – well, the other box was for him. By this point we had almost gotten past a few differences. He was realizing I wasn't my father and we had a better professor/student relationship. He came to tell me this and then made sure I read my letter. He stood there on the doorway watching me."

"That must have been awkward," Ron said. "What'd the letter say?"

"I have it," Harry said. "I think James explains better than I would be able to."

Harry reached into his robes pocket and pulled it out handing it to Ron. He walked towards Hermione with it and angled it so they could both read it. Neither, it appeared, wanted to do it out loud.

"It's actually Snape!" Ron laughed ten minutes later. "And I thought…I thought Lupin." He laughed a bit more and then he seemed to sober up. It was as if realization of what this meant had finally hit him. "Wait, what? You're father is Snape? Snape who killed Dumbledore? Snape…that traitor!"

"He's not a traitor. He did that on Dumbledore's orders – killed him, I mean – and he really is my father."

"You look like him," Hermione said softly. "A lot. Except I guess there's more of your mother in you now, too. It explains so much. But…Harry why didn't you tell us sooner? I – this is big…and you deliberately hid it from us."

"Snape!" Ron exclaimed. "That bloody bastard. He's your father and your mother and James…and they arranged it? I don't know if I can handle this. It's a wonder you weren't in Slytherin."

Hermione's mind was running faster than it ever had with numerous thoughts that seemed to infest her at Harry's revelation. And there was more. She knew there was more. Harry looked as if he were waiting for Ron to finally get it before he continued, but Hermione could see him weighing the options of telling them the rest.

"There's more, isn't there? More that you haven't told us. That you've kept secret. Explain this to me…how did you expect us to react when you finally told us all of this? Why didn't you tell us? We're your best friends. I thought out of anyone it would be us that you'd go with this. Snape may be your father, but only until recently. We've been by your side since we were eleven – six years, hasn't it been?"

Harry looked offended and Hermione thought that he was going to say something that she knew he would end up regretting later, but instead he shook his head. Hermione felt a spiral of something coming towards her, not Harry shook himself and turned away.

"No!" he exclaimed. "Not now."

Before Ron could stand and go to his side and before Hermione could pull out her wand someone appeared next to Harry and enveloped Harry into his arms. It took a moment for Hermione to realize this was Snape. Perhaps because he was hugging Harry or the oddly stripped pajamas that he was wearing as he whispered words of comfort to his son.

It was than that Hermione realized that she had missed too much to be able to pass judgment on Harry's choices. And Ron having been awake all that time she hadn't for some reason had not acted like Ron. The shock had been there, but he had not lost his head, instead he had done everything possible to imagine what his friend had said as real. Perhaps those four months she had been unconscious had been enough for Ron to mature under the watchful eye of Lavender and he had begun to accept that Harry was keeping secrets. But she, still in many ways younger than her friends despite her age had not known how to take one of them lying to her for little over a year. And now she watched as what she had caused was fixed by Severus Snape. Maybe Harry did need him in his life…and maybe he did have a reason for lying.

"Is he alright?" Ron was asking. "What was that?"

"I shall leave it for Harry to explain. I certainly am glad he chose here to tell the two of you. I don't want to even think about the pain this would have brought him if it got out of control," Snape said.

He said it so casually, so much like her own father would say something of the kind that Hermione began to believe that maybe Snape being his father was not that much of a bad thing. It was the lying that hurt her…but she would be hypocrite to say she didn't keep secrets as well.

"I'm okay," Harry said. "I really should watch it with the emotions."

"If you're sure," Snape said. "This could all wait for tomorrow, or the day after."

Harry laughed and it was welcome to Hermione's ears as laughter that Harry rarely let out – it was carefree and unguarded. "You should have seen this coming," he said to Snape.

"Yes, well, I did not suspect you were so unstable, still. I had hoped we did not need to talk about that night in Godric's Hollow, but it might be important to the development of your magic. I think I'll have…well, someone will have to take a look at it. If you're well, now, continue on, otherwise go to bed."

"Thanks," Harry said. "Goodnight."

Snape nodded Harry's way, then turned to Hermione with a penetrating gaze. "I've heard it's best to not interrupt a story until the end…and to not make conclusions until then."

Hermione nodded once and said nothing as she watched him walk up the stairs.

Ron broke into laughter the moment Snape had climbed all the steps. "Did you see him, Hermione? He was wearing stripped pajamas. They weren't even black!"

Hermione sighed deeply and was afraid that perhaps Ron had not understood after all and he was just suffering from some brain malfunction that led to his laughing at everything.

"Right," she said. "I guess, I could learn to listen now. And I do promise to listen to everything."

"I didn't tell you guys because of him," Harry said.

"What, Snape? That bastard," Ron said. "Did he just refuse to let you tell us?"

Harry laughed. "That would have been simpler. I would have told you regardless of his wishes. Especially with our rocky relationship at the time – I did wish to tell you, but there were…well, it wasn't easy thinking about everything that could happen if I did tell you.

"Why, Harry?"

"Why? I was so scared the two of you would desert me or something now that Snape was my father. Ron in particular, he hated him far more than I did. And I didn't want to lose either of you."

Hermione frowned. "You know we will always be there for you. We're not going anywhere. We made this choice when we were eleven. I don't know how long Ron has lasted at Hogwarts without you. I did notice you weren't wearing robes."

Harry blushed.

"I want you to explain all of that too," Ron said. "Leaving like that. I think it might have added to this obsession Ginny has with you. She claims you kissed her before you left."

Harry blushed if possible even harder. "She might have jumped me on my way out," he said. "I ran."

Ron laughed. "Oh, god, and she didn't get a clue."

Harry laughed with him. "I forgot to ask earlier, what did Lavender want?"

"Oh, she caught Ginny trying to leave the grounds to go find you or something with a tracking spell. Dark magic, apparently, so Lavender took her to the library with Luna and they wanted to know what we should do with her, because she could turn really dangerous but they didn't want to take her to McGonagall before asking me first.

"She's been getting pretty out of hand. I don't know…but she's not acting like herself one bit. I had hoped it would go away, but…anyway, I sent her to McGonagall and last I heard my parents were being called in. But it's probably better that way."

"Poor Ginny," Hermione said. "I wonder if it could be a spell doing this to her."

Ron shrugged. "Anyway, what were you saying Harry?"

"That I couldn't tell you," Harry said with a forced laugh. "If he had captured either of you or somehow you had accidentally let this out, my father would have been killed for his connection with me. I was protecting him, mostly. I also wanted to get to know first, I think. I wasn't ready for everyone to know. And I don't think he wanted everyone to know either."

Hermione sipped her tea and watched Harry. He had sat back down after Snape had left, but he looked ready to stand again within a moment's notice. And as she began to look at him closely she could see the resemblance he had to Snape. His movements and expressions gave him away, even. She wondered if he had acted this way back in May.

"Our relationship began in this house. I stayed here for the summer and everything began to change then. I grew to really love this place. I came her for Christmas. I surprised him by decorating the house…he got hurt then at a meeting and…I…well, it was then I realized how much I really cared about him. I've been here only a few days and I've already realized how much I left behind.

"I got really angry at him at one point at the end of last year. And then he went and killed Dumbledore and told me nothing about Dumbledore's orders…and – I'll have to explain all of that later – but I was really angry at him for a long time and when he finally brought me here. Oh…I guess I have to tell you about that too…I didn't realize how much I missed this place."

The fondness in Harry's voice when he spoke about Snape scared Hermione a little bit. She had never heard him speak about an adult like that, that wasn't Sirius and she realized how much she had missed.

"There's more?" Ron asked. "Don't tell me you have a brother or something."

Harry laughed. "No," he said. "But there are things I've hid from you. Things that have happened since I left Grimmauld Place this last summer."

Harry took a deep breath and stood up as if he were looking for the right words. He walked across the room and paced in front of the fireplace. Hermione and Ron waited patiently. He stopped suddenly and turned to them with an intense gaze.

"Do you remember how Neville dropped the prophecy…the one with my name in the Department of Mysteries?" Harry asked them, suddenly.

"How could I forget!" Hermione said. "I still have nightmares about Dolohov sometimes." She gave a great shudder.

"Well what about it?" pressed Ron ignoring Hermione completely.

Hermione shot Ron a glare that made Harry grin before he continued.

"That was only a recording of the prophecy, and that night in Dumbledore's office he let me hear the entire thing. It was what they were protecting. Voldemort wanted to know if the prophecy foresaw his destruction when I was one and if it told him how I had done that. He…he doesn't understand the power of love."

"What did it say?" Ron asked.

Hermione looked at him with a shocked expression. She had wondered for a long time what it could have said and why it had anything to do with Harry. But after not hearing it mentioned again she had forgotten it, and now Harry was bringing it back up and he was claiming to know exactly what it had said. And for once Hermione didn't want to be imparted with this piece of information. What if it said something terrible!

"What did it say?" Ron asked.

Harry closed his eyes as if to remember, or from the pain of remembering, and then said, "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives."

-

-

-

Harry waved his wand over the sleeping Ron and levitated him up the stairs. He led him to one of the guest room and dropped him gently on the bed. Ron who was a deep sleeper noticed nothing, not even Harry struggling to pull off his shoes. Instead, once Harry had completed his task, he turned and let out a loud snore. Harry covered him and gave him one more look, before leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Hermione was still in the drawing room and Harry thought that she might like to remain there for the rest of the night. Unlike Ron who had taken everything as well as, or even better than Harry had expected him to, Hermione was still a little shocked at the revelations of the night, and that was without her knowing about the Horcruxes which Harry thought of as need to know information. They almost had all of them anyway and despite Hermione's quick thinking, Harry didn't think that she or Ron would be much help with finding them. Not like Draco would be, even though he would not admit that to the blond.

Hermione looked up when Harry entered. "I still can't believe so much has happened so fast," she said. "I feel like it is still May and Dumbledore just died. And yet, you and Ron talk about him so casually."

"He was sick. He was dying already," Harry said despite having explained this earlier.

She had remembered about his father murdering Dumbledore an hour ago and she had not let it go, despite Harry's explanations. Her argument was that if he could kill Dumbledore so easily and continue working for the man that had ordered Dumbledore's death in the first place there had to be something wrong with him and he could still betray Harry to Voldemort…that maybe that was his plan all along.

"I don't understand how you can trust him after what he did," she said.

"He's my father, Hermione," Harry said. "And yes we may not have known it until a year ago, but he is still my father and when he showed me those memories I knew that he wasn't lying. If you can't trust him, then trust me."

Hermione frowned at him. "I do trust you, Harry," she said. "It's just that people are always trying to hurt you, Harry, and you're very needy of a father figure. First it was Sirius and now it's Snape and I fear that eventually it will lead to you getting hurt and not in the same way as with Sirius, but with it somehow involving Voldemort."

"Hermione, you don't know him like I do," Harry said with a shake of his head. "I know you're just worried, but…he's my father. This is not as if he had adopted me. He is my flesh and blood and he wouldn't betray me like that. Just like your parents wouldn't."

Hermione opened her mouth to argue, but decided against it. "I'll be there when you fall, Harry," she said instead.

Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes. Hermione was just as stubborn as ever, but eventually, he knew, she would come around.

"I'm to head to bed. You coming?" Harry asked.

"I'll stay down here," Hermione said. "I'm not tired and I think I see a good book collection over there."

Harry laughed. "I guess we're agreeing to disagreeing, then? Don't exert yourself reading. You still need rest. I'll leave a mark on the room you can use upstairs. Can you even make it up there? Might be best if you slept down here, there's a room just down the hall to the right. It might be a bit dusty, but you can use it if you want."

"Thanks, Harry," Hermione said. "And promise me to at least be careful."

Harry nodded with a roll of his eyes. "I wonder if you would have to tell Ron to be careful when he is going home."

"You know that's different…" Hermione began.

Harry laughed. "I think in time you'll come to realize that it isn't that different. See you in the morning." And with that said, Harry turned and walked up the stairs glad that he had followed his father's advice and told them, and glad that it had turned out far better than he had expected it to.