Chapter 25
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Hogwarts, 1995
Harry was walking off to his first night of detention with Umbridge. Hermione didn't have a good feeling about it but at least he wouldn't be alone, Susan Bones had detention too. She had somehow gotten in trouble for trying out a spell during class and had questioned Umbridge without raising her hand.
But Susan only had it for two nights while Harry had them until Friday night. Hermione still didn't like it but couldn't dwell on it since she was leaving the castle for the night after her patrol with Ron.
Her patrol partner had already left to check the grounds so she slipped away towards the dungeons. Hermione hoped he actually looked around instead of straying to the kitchen.
She had already brought her beaded bag, one that she never unpacked in case she had to move quickly, like now. She touched her waist and felt the familiar chain that was always wrapped around her. She was going to use it for just one day.
To save Adalene's father.
The corridor echoed with voices of professors so she slipped a corner and made her way down to the dungeons. She found him rubbing his arm, the one with the Dark Mark. Dimitry had said that they would have a revel tonight. Even if he wasn't one to attend he still felt the pain of the call.
"Does it hurt a lot?" she asked as she pulled her cloak on.
He shook his head as he shut the bag of potions they were bringing along. Dimitry hadn't said what kind of wounds but she wanted to be prepared so they had packed everything they could think of. Severus rubbed the mark once more before slipping his own cloak on.
"No, but I know he is calling others for a revel. I only ever feel the pain if it's more than ten followers being called. I don't attend the revels but he still sends reminders in case I ever wish to go."
They quickly left the school grounds and he got her through the school gates with the free pass that he got from Dumbledore. Plus it was the only place that was safe at the moment to use the time-turner. The trees offered them protection as she wrapped the chain around both of them and flipped the time-turner.
Once it was done, Severus wrapped an arm around her waist and apparated them to her villa. They had literally left it three days prior so it wasn't in need of cleaning like when they had used it before.
Severus immediately set up a cot and set out potions while she quickly made her way to the cupboard in the hallway that was always stocked with towels and extra clothing. As she pulled them out she saw something from the corner of her and yelped in surprise when Zephrine's voice sounded from beside her.
"Now why are you both in such a hurry? Aren't you supposed to be in school, Hermione?" Zephrine asked, her voice full of suppressed laughter.
Hermione whirled around with towels flying in every direction. "Don't scare me like that, Zeph!" she exclaimed with a slightly hysterical note to her voice.
She couldn't help it. A woman's voice had been the last thing she had expected to hear. But she wasn't upset about it as she set aside the towels and hugged Zephrine.
Hermione had dropped all the charms and spell that had masked her appearance so she had also taken the time to drop her shields to rest before anybody arrived. Which was why she yelped like a scared puppy.
"Well, I am here to clean up the Villa since Dimitry sent word about needing to use it. I got here about two minutes before you did. Now, why are you here?" Zeph asked as she picked up the towels that had fallen.
Hermione took a deep breath as she pulled out the note that Dimitry had sent her. She didn't know why he hadn't just written in the notebook, she would have to ask him later if she remembered. She followed Zeph down the hall to Severus; who had already checked with Hermione and knew that Zeph was here too.
Hermione set down the towels and handed Zeph the note. It didn't take long for her to read it. When she raised her eyes to meet hers... Yes, how injured the person was would affect little Adalene one way or the other.
They all set to work on individual things after that. Zeph cleaned the kitchen and made food for an army although she did call for Nemis, their house elf, to bring vegetables and fresh fruit from the main manor. Severus went outside to reset the wards and Hermione went through her plans for the next couple of hours.
It wasn't until Hermione felt a sharp pull that she swiftly stood and pulled her hair up in a loose knot. She had changed into some jeans and one of Severus shirts he had left previously since she didn't want to stain her school clothes with blood.
Now she opened the door just as Severus walked through with a man levitated in front of him. The man shocked her for a second, his face in person looked so much like Regulus.
Severus took control of the spell to lay the man down on the cot he had transfigured earlier. Hermione only spared one glance towards the woman that had come in after Dimitry and turned her attention to the man named Gabriel Black Bellamy.
The left side of his body was literally pulsing with Dark Magic. Hermione waved her hand in a silent Episkey to get rid of minor injuries and was thrown back in the next instant.
She heard Zeph's shout and was shocked to find herself against the wall. Her backside throbbed instantly but otherwise wasn't hharmed.
Her magic was a whole nother thing. It made the hair tie in her hair snap as she stood up. Severus shot her a worried look as he removed the man's clothing.
"I'm fine, but now I'm curious. All I did was use Episkey to get rid of all the minor wounds."
That should not have thrown her across the room so violently.
Dimitry walked up to her and checked her over for wounds even as she waved him away.
He spoke as he turned to the woman, Heidi Desrosiers, before glancing down at the man on the cot. "I tried the same when I came across them. They had gone out of the country but were coming by to pick up any hint of news before heading out again when I came across them. They were fighting Pyrites and Thorfinn Rowle. I thought I saw Yaxley too but I wasn't sure until I saw the effects of the spells. The spell is one I saw him use back in the first war. He was young, too young to know such Dark Magic. But Yaxley only ever uses it when he wants something from the victims," He paused as the man on the cot made a harsh sound, his face etched with pain that could have rivaled Severus's when he would arrive from one of Riddle's torture sessions.
Dimitry continued as the pain seemed to knock the man out. "His wife and I tried many things but nothing seemed to work."
Heidi Desrosiers spoke up for the first time, she had moved over to stand beside the cot as she tried and failed to keep a blank face. "I have a bit of Veela blood so I tried to heal him with it but it only seemed to work for a couple of minutes. That is why he hasn't died yet."
Regardless of her terrible attempt at being detached, her voice betrayed her. It was full of worry and anger.
That didn't sound good for her husband but nobody stated the obvious. Hermione snapped around as she thought of something and wasn't surprised when she locked eyes with Severus. They both had come up with an idea but neither knew if it would work. Severus moved back and gave her room to kneel down by the cot.
She heard the others move around her so that they stood in front of the cot. Hermione pulled out her wand, not the fake on around her wrist but her true wand that caused the white vines on her right hand from re-bonding.
It was usually strapped to the holster that Dimitry had given her but now she held it loosely with her her wand tip pointed at cut on her right arm. The wound was still bandaged up in case the skin split. Not that it mattered anymore as she reopened the barely healed skin after unwrapping the bandage. She didn't see the looks of worry that had passed between Dimitry and Zeph but she felt it through the blood bond.
But now wasn't the time to talk about it so she watched the blood once again drip down her arm and let it reach her palm before she flattened her hand against the man's shoulders. He came awake the instant her blood seeped into him.
Just like before, her blood began to spread and move across his body. But it wasn't the same, where she would have once gone into a memory she kneeled there instead and watched her blood fight the Dark Magic that should have killed him. It should have unsettled her but it didn't and wondered if the others thought the same.
His body writhed in pain, his face flushing with perspiration. His throat muscles were standing out harshly against his pale skin. But it wasn't an instant heal since his body would probably always carry traces of the spell that had been used against him.
He didn't voice his pain as he finally opened his eyes. Eyes the same color as those of the Black family. They were glazed in pain but that didn't dull the intelligence she could see shining through. Severus reached for her arm and pulled it off the man. She had used enough blood to set him well on the way to healing.
She just hoped it actually worked.
"That should help for now. We might end up doing another one in a couple of hours." Severus said as he pulled her up. He had already started to apply the same paste as before. He gestured towards the phials of potion lined up to the side.
"Make sure he drinks those and eats."
Heidi Desrosiers met Hermione's eyes and smiled for the first time. It was a tired smile that showed age lines around her mouth but it did nothing to hide the Veela beauty from beneath.
Adalene had been right. Hermione used to have eyes that looked like her mothers. Now, the shade of brown they used to be there was merged with tendrils of gold.
"Thank you. Really, I thought I was going to lose him after all. Thank you." Heidi said as she kneeled down by her husband's side.
There was no reason to thank her but Hermione acknowledged it with a dip of her head as she turned away from the couple, only to bump into Dimitry. He stood directed in front of her, his face set in harsh lines as he gazed down at the wound that had already stopped bleeding. But she didn't understand why he looked like he wanted to Avada her into the next century.
Yet, he only followed her down the hallway and walked inside of the room she occupied when she was in residency. Hermione pulled her hair back up as Dimitry stepped inside followed closely by Severus; who didn't step further in and instead leaned against the door frame.
"What is it?" she demanded as she grabbed a fresh bandage from her bag.
He regarded her silently, his eyes still telling her that he was pissed about something. She had never dealt with this side of him so she wasn't sure how to tread. He seemed to collect himself and gestured to her arm.
"That isn't new but I'm guessing you came back with more?" he questioned.
His tone wasn't one she could read aside from the underlying fragment of anger that colored it. She sat down as she wrapped the bandage around her wound. It pulled at the wound causing her to wince as she rubbed the cut the wrong way. He sent her a glare and kneeled down to do it himself. Hermione watched him work and answered honestly.
"I did get a new one. It's on my back."
He stepped back and waited. She gave a huff and stood up. The shirt she wore covered it up well so she turned her back to him and pulled it off in one swoop, leaving her only with a bra on. The scars on her back weren't bad.
She personally thought they were beautiful but the blue streak that came from the man behind her obviously didn't agree with her. She pulled the shirt back on and turned to see Dimitry pinching his nose. He had his eyes closed and was breathing deeply.
"Dimitry. I understand why your upset but do you remember what I told you years ago. That I would shoulder what I can. I didn't do this just for spite or attention. I did it because I can and I must. Regardless of the cost to me." she said as she stepped forward and hugged his body. He immediately wrapped his own arms around her and dropped his chin on top of her head.
"I know that. But things are different now."
Hermione made a rude sound and pushed back from him. "I have to live with most of you being in Riddle's presence. So you will deal with it too. We all have to deal."
It was either that or scream at the unfairness of it all.
o0o
After a few hours, the sun was soon to set and the injured man, Gabriel was sitting up on his own finally. Hermione had just finished the second healing in the lower half of his ribs. They had to make cuts in order for her blood to penetrate again and now they watched as the skin lost a bit of the black marks.
She glanced up at him and was really reminded of Regulus. She pointed at his wound with her wand as she tried basic healing spells. They didn't throw her across the room so she counted it as a good thing.
"The wound will probably never fully heal. I don't know what the curse was but it doesn't look like it will come back now that it has my blood mixed with it. I did what I could but I'm not a medic so for now just continue to take the potions." she said as she stood a little to the side.
Severus had left them alone and secluded himself in the lab while Zeph stood to the side with a couple of bags. Dimitry had left hours ago but had just returned with the proper papers and a portkey.
Gabriel Black just threw her a wide smile that lit up his whole face. One that she found pleasing to look at and understood why his wife had fallen for him.
"That's fine. I'm alive and those of my family can't really say that can they? I was more worried about leaving my wife alone. She also mentioned that you wanted something from us?" he asked as he made room for his wife on the cot. Heidi sat down and both turned their attention to Hermione.
"Yes, I do. I know now why they wanted you. It was mostly to try and get Sirius on their side by using you. But I don't know how they found out about you before we did. Not that it matters now that everybody knows. But, as long as you both are out there by yourselves anybody can use you as leverage for either side," she paused when she noticed the look they shared.
Heidi nudged her husband and he only gave a slight nod in return. Heidi reached down for her duffle bag and pulled out a crumpled letter. She handed it to Hermione. The letter was opened but that wasn't what got her attention as she opened it. It was the name at the bottom of the letter.
Dumbledore.
"That old man. What would he have gained from this?" she asked as she passed the note to Dimitry; he had just come in with Severus. Both looked bored, their faces blank. She understood why though.
She waited for them to read it before turning back to the couple in front of her. "What do you both think? I know you both have an idea as to what I will ask but I want to know what decision you will make."
Heidi shrugged her shoulders. "We were told many things by Gabe's mother who knew everything about her partner's family. I knew of them too since my family has a bit of relation with a few pure-bloods here. But I always knew that they would find out about us. We were just living on borrowed time. But Albus Dumbledore found us before anybody else. He knew about us somehow but asked us to stay away. Now he asked us to come and meet him for protection."
Her husband hadn't moved an inch the whole time but now he brought their attention to them as he shifted forward.
"We don't know what he plans to do so we wanted to check out everybody he knows or speaks off. We wanted to meet with my cousin but Dumbledore advised against it."
That didn't make sense. Hermione didn't need to communicate with Severus to know that they were on the same wavelength.
Plus, they had already seen her and she didn't have the time to prepare them to block against somebody as powerful as Dumbledore.
Her symbol wouldn't hold too long either.
So, she had no other choice.
"I see. Well, I have a proposition for you both. One that isn't dangerous. But one that will take you away from your daughter. I don't know how long either. But it will keep you safe from Dumbledore's clutches. Here, I have a folder with new identities as well as money to help you. No need to repay me except with loyalty. I ask you to work for me from afar and near. Messengers really. I know you have almost no reason to help us, especially me but I will ask either way."
Heidi was the first one to speak after Hermione told them exactly what she wanted from them.
Which wasn't a lot in the big scheme of things?
"I think it will be hard, especially since it will take us away from our daughter. But we do want to make our lives here in Britain so either way, we would have gotten involved. Where is it that you want us to meet this man?"
Hermione smiled.
"Egypt."
o0o
They left soon after by portkey.
It had almost been too easy.
She had given them a phial of her blood to see if they could find a way to completely erase the damage. Hermione had thought it would have taken them longer to travel but Gabriel had wanted to go and recover as soon as possible.
Heidi hadn't argued and instead had given Hermione a letter for their daughter. Hermione had promised to look after Adalene.
Now, she sat outside, waiting for her boys to come.
Zeph had told her they would arrive right before dinner was ready. The revel had ended but not for those that had important roles to fill.
So, her boys were the ones that she had to wait for. It wouldn't be long either. She was proven right when two soft popping sounds could be heard and two large figures appeared the next instant. They had apparated right outside of the wards.
She abandoned the cup of tea on the railing and ran towards them. Adrian wrapped his arms around her just as Marcus closed his own arms around both of them. They stood like that for several minutes. Just taking comfort in each other. It was one of the best feelings in the world to her.
Zeph called for them so they let go and grabbed an arm each as they went inside. Neither one said a word as they passed the others and headed to her room.
Once there, they pulled her onto the bed and caged her in. Not that she complained.
Adrian pulled her hair loose while Marcus checked her bandaged arm. Adrian finally spoke after a few minutes of pure silence.
"I heard from Severus that you were okay after coming back but you don't look like it. What happened while you went away."
His face showed his emotions so clearly they hurt her to see them out in the open like that.
So, she told them the truth.
Everything she did for all of them. Their expressions were easy to read and when she showed them the claw marks on her back, they lost it.
Marcus, her beloved boy, growled his anger but his eyes held something more as he pulled her down.
Adrian ran his mouth with blue curses just like his father had done but it was the helplessness in his eyes that really made her give in to their tempers. It was better this way, their anger would push back the hurt.
But everybody had to pay a price and they accepted in the end. There was nothing else to say about it so they spent an hour in comfortable silence with the occasional jinx thrown around.
As soon as dinner was done, Hermione hugged the boys one more time. She also hugged Dimitry and Zeph goodbye.
She wished she had longer but they had to go back.
It was a bittersweet night but one that she cherished with all of her heart.
o0o
Hogwarts, 1995
It was the last Friday of September and Hermione was feeling a bit better now.
She hadn't done much in the week expect to check in with Adalene's parents who had been staying with Halima and Xenophilius.
They were going to take turns coming and going so she left the planning to them. She had been surprised when Adalene had been happy instead of sad when she had read the letter from her parents.
Hermione had snuck it in instead of directly giving it to her in order to avoid answering her questions. Hermione had asked her why she was happy and was again left in awe in her response.
"Because they said they are safe."
But one thing did get grab Hermione's attention. It was Harry.
He had been acting a little different. Others around him didn't seem to notice, not even Ginny or Chang. But she did. She was very attuned to him and so she had watched him through the marauder's map but hadn't seen anything amiss.
She was sure that something was wrong but every time she asked he would shrug it off with his usual smile. But he wasn't good at hiding it from her. But she had thought that somebody else would've of at least taken notice.
o0o
She was walking across the Wooden Bridge when she saw Theodore Nott walking up to her. She glanced around but didn't see a soul near them. Not that many came to the bridge anyway.
He stopped a couple of feet from her and blankly turned to the side to stare down at the ravine below the bridge.
"From the looks of it, you don't know...about Umbridge and Potter?" he inquired, his fingers twirling his wand back and forth. A habit she had as well.
But one she hadn't seen him do before.
Hermione didn't let him get to her as she leaned back against the cold wood of the bridge.
"Spit it out, Nott. I'm not somebody you want to play or taunt at."
Not when she didn't know this Slytherin. They were on the same side now but she didn't yet trust him or see him as a friend. He was a little too alike to Draco Malfoy. Which was why it didn't surprise her when he mentioned Malfoy next.
"Malfoy asked to speak to me late last night. I wasn't sure why since I don't normally speak with him unless it has to do with Riddle. But he did drop Potter's name."
"What about Harry? What did he say about him? I didn't think he would stay away from Harry but so far he has."
Not that it mattered. But it somehow did. Nott didn't look up at her as he continued to talk all while looking down at the ravine.
"He sort of made small talk and for awhile I thought he was just trying to distract me when he said that Umbridge was given something by his father, Lucius, to use against the students. Especially Potter."
Hermione became quiet, almost too quiet. It wasn't until she realized why that she understood. Her Occlumency shields had gone up instantly, with almost no effort on her side.
But using true Occlumency shouldn't have closed off the link between her and Severus.
Yet, it did.
It wasn't something she liked doing and it was something she rarely did but right now she was strung tight. Her emotions would only get in the way. This was the real occlumency.
The one that didn't allow any sort of emotional links like the one she held with Severus and the others.
She fingered her wand as she waited. Nott finally looked up at her and explained to her exactly what Lucius had given Umbridge to use. All while watching her with a questioning gaze of somebody that shouldn't have been concerned for her. Not that it mattered now.
The quill sounded just as bad as the woman who wielded it.
A Blood Quill.
Dark Magical Object that was made specifically for torture. One that never ran out of ink since it wrote with the blood of the handler. Hermione coldly examined the information but knew she had never read about it directly from anywhere. But to use that for punishment surely was against the school rules.
And she knew Dumbledore wasn't at the castle anymore. She had only seen him once the whole week and that had been in the Great Hall for dinner. So, Harry couldn't have gone to him or more like Harry felt abandoned by him. That must have been the reason he had avoided her until now as well.
She didn't thank Nott but did pass him a message from Severus. The next revel would be Saturday night with a special guest. Hermione left him and went in search of Harry. Her shields holding even though she did feel a slight probe from Severus.
It wasn't until she passed the courtyard that she saw Luna and Neville. Trying not to let it show how cold she was feeling, she smiled and asked them if they had seen Harry. Neville shook his head and watched her intently while Luna jumped up onto the marble stairs beside them and bowed her head to side, seemingly uninterested insaid topic.
"I saw him go towards the Owlery with Cho Chang. That was a few minutes ago," she said, her eyes closed as she jumped off the stairs and landing gracefully onto the bench Neville occupied.
Neville didn't startle.
Hermione thanked her and walked away from them but not before she heard Neville scowl Luna to be more careful. It should have been funny but Hermione wasn't amused. She was cold inside. She dropped the fake smile and went hunting.
There were several people out, despite it being chilly, many wore light attire under their house robes.
Hermione brushed past them and sidestepped an oblivious Ron. She was halfway up the owlery when she saw Filch coming down the stairs, his voice loudly cursing Harry. Hermione slipped into one of the larger alcoves and watched him make his way past her.
She wasn't sure what that was about but shrugged it off and made it to the top stairs only to still ince more when she heard Chang's voice claiming loudly how Filch must have been told by Umbridge to spy on Harry.
Hermione cocked her head and loudly stepped up the stairs. She stuck her head in first. She saw them both jump just as she walked inside. Harry sent her a guilty look while Change narrowed her eyes at Hermione.
"Hermione! I thought you went to the library." said Harry, face turning pink and not from the cold. Chang's already pink face went crimson.
Hermione raised an eyebrow and leaned forward to grab his arm. "I need to talk you to about something. If you'll excuse us, Cho?" Hermione asked Chang even as she pulled Harry towards her.
Chang had no other choice unless she wanted to seem rude and nodded her head. Harry shot Hermione a confused look as he followed her reluctantly.
But he at least didn't turn around to see the unpleasant expression on Chang's face.
She got him to follow her all the way down and it wasn't until they passed a group of students that he called her name.
"Hermione. What is it? Can't we talk now?" he said, his voice sounding embarrassed.
But she didn't stop. Not until she had dragged him to their common room; which was empty for once. Since she didn't see anybody, she headed to the boy's dormitory.
They passed the twins in the hallway but paid them no mind. Once in the room, she let go of him and whirled around to face him.
Harry stiffened at whatever he saw in her face and lost whatever color he had before. Hermione wanted none of that and asked in a voice he had probably never heard from her before.
"What exactly has been happening in detention, Harry?" she questioned as she cocked her head to the side. He didn't answer right away but he did automatically hide his left hand.
The one he didn't write with. In a move so sudden that it didn't seem to register in his mind until she grabbed his arm and pulled his hand up. She wasn't sure what showed on her face the instant she saw the words on his hand but Harry balked before yanking his hand away from her and used both hands to cup her face tenderly.
"No! Hermione! Please listen. Listen to me. You can't do anything. Not this time. I got myself in this but today was the last day of detention and I-"
She didn't let him finish as she pushed him back and stalked away. She felt cold anger began to seep through her shields so she dropped them.
They were of no use now. It would only scare him.
"Harry, have you told anybody of this? Are you the only she has done this to?" she demanded icily.
The cold in her head slowly leaving but in its wake was a terrible rage that threatened to consume her. But it wasn't cold anymore. She also felt the link between Severus and her snap open. The immediate link also shadowed her harshly as Severus's own fury reached her.
"Hermione. Why did you cut it off?"
"No, I think it was just me and Susan. There were others there for detention too but I can't be too sure if they used the same quill. I didn't want to tell you, Hermione, since I knew you would react this way.
Both men spoke at the same time, making it hard to answer either one of them. She could feel Harry's stare and Severus's emotions so she swiftly pushed Severus away with a 'later' and turned so that she met Harry's troubled eyes.
"The problem here Harry is that she shouldn't have done that to you in the first place. I suppose you haven't told Dumbledore or McGonagall?" she asked as she pulled her beaded bag up and acciod the dropper.
The only thing that would work against such wounds would be Murtlap Essence. She motioned him forward and spread it across his wound. He hissed in pain but didn't pull away as she gently healed him.
She threw it back into her bag and sat down on his bed while he remained standing. Harry finally answered her earlier questions as he crawled up beside her so that he lean his own back onto hers.
"I didn't want you to know. But I also knew I couldn't go to Dumbledore since I didn't want to bother him or cause him trouble. I know that Umbridge is keeping a really close eye on him. It's the same for McGonagall. Anybody that is on his side is being watched. Except for Snape. Everybody knows who's side his on."
Hermione ignored the last part. Harry could think whatever he wanted. For now at least. She stood up and walked towards the door but stopped and turned her head just before opening it.
"Susan Bones, you said she was given the same quill?"
Harry nodded, sealing Amelia Bones fate to Umbridge. As well as with Hermione's.
So, she went looking for Susan. Who normally hanged around with Hannah Abbott since both who were in Hufflepuff; Cedric Diggory's house. Hermione brushed that thought aside as she made her way down to the kitchens.
She passed by other Hufflepuffs but wasn't looked at strangely since she was a prefect. She asked one of the younger ones for Susan and was told that she had been called by Umbridge thirty minutes ago. Hermione stilled but thanked the young one. She didn't have to guess as to why she had been called.
Having dropped her Occlumency shields, she now felt the void of silence that was her link with a man she was coming to fall in love with. One that she was sure was pissed off with her for daring to dismiss him.
But she would make it up to him later. Right now she needed to find Susan Bones and bring her in. The stairs seemed to go on forever before she reached the corridor that housed Umbridge's classroom but she didn't have to go further since she saw the girl herself tucked into a nook at the end of the corridor. Hermione approached silently and noticed right away the muffled sniffles.
She called to her gently and was shocked to find herself facing a girl with bloodshot eyes and who gasped when she noticed it was Hermione. Susan hid her hand right away and stepped away from her just like Harry had done. She wanted to roll her eyes but instead, she snagged her hand away, ignoring the slight tug and plea to let go, read the blood red words engraved on the back of her right hand.
So, she was a lefty and had also not said anything to Sprout. It was easy to read the girls mind so she didn't have to ask or even make eye contact. She let her go and met her eyes for a second before turning on her heel.
"Follow me. I'll explain in a bit but keep your head down for now."
Not one to wait for others, she headed back the way she had come and didn't wait to see if the girl did as she said. But a few seconds later, she heard shuffling feet and suppressed a sigh. They didn't talk to anybody on the way ti the dungeons. Once their she carefully looked around. She called to him softly, hoping he heard her and wasn't kept waiting as the door opened.
Susan gasped and called her name but Hermione only gestured for her to go in. Susan shot her a horrid look but still stepped in. Hermione glanced around when the back of her neck prickled in warning but didn't see anybody. Not wanting to linger she stepped inside and didn't talk until she pulled Susan inside of Severus's private quarters.
"Severus, can you find Amelia for us and tell her to come? I know it will compromise me in her eyes but it's the only way. It involves a Blood Quill as well as her niece." she said as she pulled out the Murtlap Essence from her beaded bag again.
He didn't question her and disappeared in a flash of green fire. Hermione turned to look at Susan, who stared at Hermione with wide and horrified eyes. Yes, this might be a bit of a shock to a gentle Hufflepuff.
"Calm down, Susan. I'll explain it all to you but for now, give me your hand."
Susan nodded mutely and raised her right hand. Hermione checked it over but didn't heal it. She needed Amelia to see it first.
"I'm friends with somebody that wants the best for the Wizarding world. She wants to protect all of us from Tom Riddle," she said as she met Susan's light blue eyes that filled with fear at the name. Amelia must have told her his true name. "Right now she's working behind both the dark side and the light side but neither knows. But trust me when I say that everything that will be discussed in this room soon, isn't bad. But neither is it good. I know what Umbridge did to you and Harry. She should have never messed with you or Harry."
The young girl straightened up, her eyes still afraid, her attention now fully on her since she mentioned her only living aunt. "But what about Dumbledore? My aunt believes in him and fought with him in the first war. Why would she follow this person that I haven't heard of?" Susan asked and jumped when the fireplace flared green with the arrival of Amelia Bones herself.
Hermione stepped back as Amelia charged forward and pulled Susan's arm up to look at the damage the quill had done. She then proceeded to color the air blue, her accent thickening as she cursed Umbridge.
Severus stepped through next and came to stand by Hermione's side. That let her know that even when he was seething mad, he would still stand by her. She sent him a kiss through the link and wasn't rebuffed.
They waited until both women turned to face them to speak. Hermione smiled tightly and handed over the Murtlap Essence to Amelia and waited for her to heal the wound. Susan winced as the essence was spread and it seemed to piss off Amelia even more. Finally, after a minute of silence, Amelia spoke in a tone that reminded Hermione of McGonagall when she was beyond mad.
"Umbridge did this?" she questioned Hermione.
Hermione nodded. "She used it on Harry Potter too. I just saw him too. He didn't tell me since he didn't want to cause trouble for Dumbledore."
That didn't seem to be news to her as she watched Hermione silently. "Severus, can you take Susan outside for a bit."
Severus didn't say anything and walked past them, Susan shot them certain looks but followed him out. Hermione left the link open so that he could 'see' through her eyes. Not that Amelia needed to know that. Not yet at least.
"I know what you are going to ask and no, she isn't here. Elizabeth isn't somebody that just can be summoned but I am the only one aside from Snape that knows what she's planning. I'm a bit useful to her since I'm best mates with Harry and Ronald Weasley. I keep watch over Harry for her and report stuff to her. She knows about this incident and wished for me to tell you."
A lie shadowed in truth.
Since Hermione didn't want to tell her she was actually Elizabeth since Susan would know and that wasn't a good idea.
Amelia cursed very loudly again, her body shouting her rage. "I see. I suppose you can tell her that I'm on her side for sure after this. I don't suppose Dumbledore knows about this?"
"No, he isn't in the castle at the moment. It leaves Umbridge in full control. The professors don't particularly agree with her either. But they know why she's at Hogwarts and even the students know but she has done this vile thing to students and Elizabeth won't stand for it. But right now she is occupied and you will see why tomorrow morning. She gave me something to for you." Hermione passed her the notebook that most of her people carried and watched the elder woman inspect it for a couple of minutes.
"You can contact her that way if you can't meet with her. Do you want Susan involved in this?"
Amelia tucked the notebook inside of her robes and shook her head. But her eyes held a different answer.
"I don't want her to be but that child has always done what she has wanted do so I won't stifle her. I will leave that for her to decide. I will go back now and decide on what to do with Dolores."
She left a few minutes later after speaking with Susan who kept glancing at Severus as if he were about to eat her.
A few seconds later, Susan spoke up. "I don't want to forget. I want in on what you are doing Hermione. I always believed Harry. I believe that Cedric did die that day by...him. I never once doubted him like the others did. I want to help."
Hermione leaned back against the wall behind her and swirled her wand back and forth, her eyes tracking the cackling fire. She nodded, knowing exactly what to do with her.
"How well do you know the elves, Susan?"
o0o
Hours later, she still stood in his kitchen.
The rest of the day had gone by with no private time between them until now.
She watched him cook them dinner in silence. She had avoided Harry and Ron since she didn't want to talk to either one. She knew Harry had been looking for her but he would soon enough be too distracted to pay her mind. Severus hadn't asked her anything so she had been waiting all morning for it.
It wasn't until they finished eating that he finally spoke.
"What exactly happened earlier, Hermione?"
Ah, the use of her name sounded a bit wrong especially in that tone of his. But she wasn't going to act ignorant as to the reason why.
"I don't know how to explain it. It was different than my usual Occlumency shields. Before, I had to bring it on myself. But it wasn't complete like your's or even Dimitry's. Although, this time it felt different, even from yours and his. It was like they were amplified without me trying. I have been thinking about it all day and figured out that maybe the Sphinx really wasn't kidding when it said that everything would be different over time."
He agreed, but his eyes still shone with something akin to hurt. She cursed herself and went over to his chair and cupped his face.
"I'm sorry I hurt you," she shook her head when he opened his mouth to deny it. "I see that I did and I'm sorry for that. I suppose I really am overprotective of Harry. I just lost it a bit. I didn't like the way it felt even while I was behind it. I knew it was wrong and yet I still did it. I will have to work hard as not to fall like that again."
All he did was tumble her onto his lap in a move she hadn't expected, his strength surprising her at times like this. She lifted a brow in question.Her body liked the show of strength if her nipples were anything to go by. Hard as a pebbles.
He only stared blankly at her silently but she felt his forgiveness through the link. She checked the time and groaned. She was tired and only wanted to sleep but she had to patrol. Which brought up another subject she had been wanting to talk to him about.
"I have to patrol with Malfoy tonight. I was supposed to do it yesterday but Hannah and the others changed the charts so now I'm stuck with him on Friday, Saturday, and Sundays."
Severus raised an eyebrow in question. Hermione huffed and sat up before pushing her school skirt down. "I'll have to see how it goes. I'll see you in the morning. Make sure you pick up a paper."
He only inclined his head to the side. She leaned down and gave him a loud smacking kiss on the lips before picking up her robes. She didn't turn to look at him as she walked out. She was trying to avoid the need coursing through her veins. They didn't have time for that kind of play.
She also knew he had a meeting tonight with Dimitry and the others to make sure everything went smoothly for tomorrow.
She walking out of his classroom and headed towards the Great Hall. She ran into Malfoy; who had turned down the same corridor as her. She noticed the strain on his face as he ignored her but stayed by her side as they made their rounds. They stayed quiet except for when they ran across a stray student or teacher.
They had just arrived at the Astronomy Tower when he finally spoke up.
"Granger, what is your relationship with my godfather?"
Hermione froze just as she stepped on the spiral stairs leading to the very top of the Astronomy. For a second she stood there confused. At first, she thought he was trying to distract her from something until she realized exactly what he had said. His godfather, meaning Severus.
She forced herself not to over think it and shrugged her shoulders as she went up the stairs. "He is our professor, who also happens to be teaching us potions. What do you want me to say?"
Malfoy didn't respond and she thought he was going to drop it. She was wrong. She had just pushed the door to the top of the tower when she felt him a little too close to her back. The cold air hit them as they checked the top. She turned to head down and once again became still when he called her.
"Granger, I have seen you going inside of his office several times for hours on end. Now, I want to know what is going on with both of you?" he asked, his tone laced with pure frost.
Hermione forced herself to act nonchalant. "And I owe you an answer, why?"
He wrapped his fingers around her arm and found himself kissing the stone cold pillar to the left of them.
"Don't touch me as you please, Malfoy. Now, why should I answer you in the first place?"
The wind ripped his answer from her but she read his lips as he snarled at her.
"The Dark Lord is going to kill you soon. He hasn't forgotten about you."
…...o0o0o0o0o...
Thanks for reading! Feedback is most appreciated.
Edited 5/17/2019
Vanee