Chapter 25 – A Confrontation in the Forest

Hermione glanced back hesitantly as she and Remus lead the way towards the spot where their confrontation had first occurred. Remus was quiet and solemn, although maybe he was just thinking of his strategy for facing his long forsworn enemy. Sirius and Severus were on opposite sides of each other, apparently trying to discover who had the longest stride. James was bringing up the rear with Peter, who was panting and wheezing at the fast pace that had been set.

"Are you sure?" Hermione burst out, again. This had not been the first time that she had voiced her concerns about the plan.

"Yes," Remus and Severus said at the same time. Both sounded frustrated, but Severus was quieter, trying to soften his tone.

"The prophecy makes perfect sense in these conditions," Severus explained for the umpteenth time.

"But, isn't it the people the prophecy concerns that make a prophecy fulfilled?" Hermione asked, posing the same argument.

"And this is the perfect prophecy for defeating the Dark Lord, I doubt that a better one will come our way," Severus said again, replaying the argument they had had not five minutes ago.

"But does it have to be us? Surely there's a better way. More experienced people." Hermione sighed as Severus groaned loudly.

"Dumbledore has an Order that will help when the Final Battle occurs, but he needs more help than what he has. That's where this plan comes in. If we have the Therianthropes and the Werewolves, we'll be unstoppable."

"I thought the Therianthropes went into hiding to avoid war!"

"And murder at the hands of dark wizards! Do you think they'd avoid a war that meant they could come out of hiding?!" Severus yelled, annoyed.

Hermione groaned, "We've had this argument a thousand times already! I'm still not convinced that this is the right thing to do!" She turned and pointed at Severus angrily, "This was your idea and you can't seem to come up with a better argument than 'that's what the prophecy says'. Well what if the prophecy was a hoax!? I've never thought much of Divination, and I thought you didn't either!"

"I don't!" Severus yelled loudly, "But the plan will work if every one of us is ready to make it work!" Severus growled. At this point, the walking had stopped and Peter and James had caught up. Peter was watching what was happening with interest, almost like he was taking notes.

Severus and Hermione glared at each other until they both realized that they were at an impasse, the plan was going to continue as arranged, despite the reservations that Hermione had.

"Are you sure we're going the right way?" She asked, sulkily. Instead of Severus answering with his sullen voice, Remus answered.

"We are, this is where they came from during the last full moon, surely they would've taken the shortest path, which is a straight route. We've discussed this already."

Hermione nodded and continued walking. She could've argued, but what would be the point? She needed to accept this plan as what would guarantee herself a life of peace. Otherwise, Voldemort would track her down and kill her. And Severus when Voldemort found out that he had a relationship with her. Plus, all of the other people that Voldemort might decide to kill between the time a better plan was thought of and it actually happened.

So she raised her head and continued walking, feeling almost as if this was going to be okay, as if they weren't going to possibly get their heads ripped off in a moment. So she slowed her steps and waited until Severus had caught up with her. Then, she reached out her hands, not saying anything. He slowed until their steps were in sync and then he reached out and grasped her outstretched hand and squeezed it.

Remus was fine leading the way. He was more in touch with his 'furry passenger' so tracking the path of the Theriantropes relied mainly on him. Remus seemed at east, doing his wolf thing while the rest just trailed behind. Sirius sighed loudly, often. He wished he could just live the simple life of a dog. Sleeping whenever he felt like it, running wherever and whenever he wanted, and going wherever he wanted. Peter and James trailed behind, Peter was still gasping for breath despite the rest that he had been granted. James, who had no trouble keeping up, was beginning to get annoyed.

But he was good at hiding it. Peter, however looked like he wanted to just give up and go to sleep. Maybe, if he transformed into his animagi James would carry him? But he doubted it. But it wouldn't hurt to ask… Peter opened his mouth and looked at James, he shot Peter a glowering look which pretty much said that he knew what he was about to ask and had better not. It also said suck it up and pick up the pace.

It seemed like they had walked for ages, which was semi-accurate. It seemed that the Therianthropes either had left early, before the moon rise, or were able to travel vast differences. Suddenly, Remus stopped, causing Hermione, Severus and Sirius to stand next to him in confusion. Meanwhile, Peter and James ran to catch up. They arrived to hear Remus breathing deeply in the air with a perplexed expression.

"I don't get it… the scent's gone. And the trail… it ended about a foot from here. It's like they disappeared." He turned and sniffed the air again. It was almost comical. He turned and walked back towards the slightly trodden path that led to the clearing they had come to. He breathed in deeply and stared at the trees and ground around him. Then he crouched down and surveyed the land. "It's like they dropped off the face of the earth, I don't understand."

A hush had come over the woods and the sinking sun began to give their surroundings an eerie effect. The group huddled together nervously. Peter was shivering, and not from the cold. Although with the sinking sun it was beginning to get chilly.

"What're we going to do now?" Hermione asked morosely.

"Well," Severus began. Then he trailed off, slouching in defeat. He ran his hand over his face, "I thought this would be easier, but I should've known better. They've been in hiding for years, what could I have expected? Of course they'd be good at hiding!" He berated himself some more, but Hermione had tuned him out. But Sirius and James seemed interested in this moment. Remus, however, was very interested in the swaying trees and the shadows that were on the ground.

"Maybe somebody should go back and tell Dumbledore that we're having trouble. Maybe he'll be able to help somehow…"

"But who?" James asked. He looked pointedly at Severus.

"It can't be Sev," Hermione said, glaring at James. "We need him as a reliable source for Voldemort's plan of waging war on the wizarding community. "And Remus needs to be here to speak as a Werewolf representative and I need to be the Therianthrope liaison…" Hermione trailed off and stared at James, and then looked slowly around at Sirius and Peter.

"Well, I guess that leaves us…" Sirius said, gazing overtop of Peter's head at James. Then, simultaneously they looked down at Peter.

Feeling their gazes, he looked up and started backing up, shaking his head. "No! I'm not going out there on my own…" His gaze was frantic. James groaned and looked down at Peter.

"Fine, I'll go with you."

Peter smiled happily, but a frown crept over his face.

"What's the matter? Pete? Are you okay?" Sirius asked, peering closely as a shadow played across his face, illuminating the troubled expression he wore. Sirius put his hand on his shoulder and drew him closer, so he was out of the shadows. The shock of the movement caused Peter to snap out of whatever was plaguing him.

Then he said, "I'd think it'd be better if Sirius were to go with you James, I'm just too slow." Slowly, he glanced up at James.

"I really think it's best if we went together…" James said, curious about his odd behavior.

Peter crossed his arms and stared down the two imposing figures which he used to admire. He glared and did not stop until the stepped back and crossed their own arms and glared at each other.

Hermione watched the confrontation with little interest. She was more concerned about the rising half moon and the growing shadows. She watched Remus nervously as he paced from the wooded area into the clearing, his head raised into the wind and lowered to the ground. He looked like a great big dog, which would cause anyone to laugh about it in normal circumstances. But now she was too worried that their plan would go up in flames just as she decided to go with it. Hermione vaguely heard the argument continuing.

Exhausted, she turned towards the arguing boys, "Why don't the three of you just go!? That way, you'll be fine in case you get attacked. It is the Forbidden Forest."

They were silent. Grudgingly, they agreed to all go see Dumbledore. Hermione watched as the three figures trudged off to go see Dumbledore. There was one short and round boy, Peter, a tall and lean one, Sirius, and a short solid built boy, James. Remus walked past her sight again, hunched over and just about ready to pull his hair out.

"What are you looking for, exactly?" Hermione asked, frustrated.

"Anything to explain why their scent disappeared so suddenly!"

"Could they have transformed back? Maybe that made their scent change…." Hermione suggested helplessly. Remus frowned and put his nose back in the air.

"Well…" He walked away, into the middle of the clearing, and breathed in deeply. Then, he began turning in circles, his nose stuck into the air. He looked like an ungainly ballerina. "That would explain the other scent…" He jumped forward and, funnily now, sniffed a tree.

Hermione sidled up to Severus, "I wish we could tape this so we could watch later. It would be so funny," she whispered. Severus glanced at Remus and then back at Hermione. He was smirking because he had seen what she was talking about.

"He's like a scent hound…"

Hermione snorted, "That's so true!" She laughed and wrapped her arm around his skinny waist. She leaned her head on his broad shoulders. She laughed at how odd Remus looked, running around the clearing frantically. She closed her eyes and didn't move while she listened to Remus run about. Severus was silent next to her, but his arm was around her waist so she would be warm and he had his wand raised and lit at the end for Remus.

She didn't open her eyes until she heard a branch snap behind her. She turned and looked into the woods but saw nothing but shadows. She didn't think much of it because at that moment, Remus let out a yell. He was at the edge of the light and neither could see him that well. Hermione, thinking of blood and dismemberment, ran towards him without even thinking, pulling out her wand as she ran.

"Lumos!" She yelled, illuminating the way in front of her as Severus ran to catch up. He was running with more caution and more skill. Hermione had almost forgotten that he was – or is? – a Death Eater. But Hermione brashly ran head first into a possibly dangerous situation. But Remus was standing in what looked like a deer path in the forest.

"Found it!" He yelled, dancing in a circle, his arms swinging wildly. Hermione stepped back and observed. Where was the camera when it was needed most. Hermione decided that as soon as they got back to the Gryffindor common room she would remove this memory and put in her pensieve – handmade in an attempt to learn the complete truth of her past. Thus far all she had managed to remember was the attack that had sent her to the past and that brief flash of Hermione on Christmas day.

"What did you find?" She asked, breathless. Severus had just crept onto the path and realized that everything was okay. Hermione was momentarily distracted from hearing the answer by Severus.

He grabbed Hermione's elbow and whirled her around, facing her with a livid expression. "Don't you EVER do that again!" He yelled, his pale face turning bright red and a vein sticking out of his forehead, sweat forming on his forehead. He was so angry that as he yelled, spit came flying out of him mouth to land on her cheeks. "You DO NOT run into an unprotected area without first running a reconnaissance! And if you hear someone yell in pain, you wait for back up!" He was so angry that Hermione could see the tension. Suddenly, silence filled the forest. Hermione's eyes were wide as she stared into Severus's dark eyes that looked black and haunted.

She felt her eyes fill with tears, an involuntary action. Severus was seething, but when he noticed the glistening of the tears on her face, he slumped in defeat. Then, he wrapped his long arms around her body, pulling her close and burying his face in her shoulder, surrounded by her curls. She felt moisture on her neck and wrapped her arms around him, running her fingers through his long black hair.

Despite Remus' jubilant feelings, he turned and let them have this moment.

Severus, meanwhile, had completely forgotten that Remus existed. He was so wrapped up in knowing that Hermione, his Hermione, might've just died. When he saw her running off towards Remus, facing certain death he was sure, he felt his heart stop. He had almost put her in a full body bind but knew that she would never forgive himself. He was kicking himself for not doing so. What if she had died? He'd rather never speak to Hermione because she was angry with him than because she was dead.

Next time, he swore, he would just curse her. But he didn't really want to think about that now. All he wanted to do was bury his head in her hair and smell her scent and try not to break down completely. But it would've been ironic (but not at all funny) if she had died. Because she was the only reason he was allied with Dumbledore.

But, Severus had to have a good mental laugh at that. Because he had made some major life decisions based on women. He tried to forget his humiliation with Lily by trying to be all powerful at the side of Lord Voldemort and he had forsaken that future and risked death beyond compare for the love of Hermione.

He thought it was a pretty good trade off, all in all.

Shakily, he stepped away from Hermione, his hands still on her shoulders. "Okay?" He asked, hoping that Hermione wouldn't take his blow up badly. But she obviously understood how he was feeling because she just nodded, the tears in her eyes were for an entirely different cause. Severus began to turn, but Hermione pulled his hand so he was facing her again. Then, she pulled him towards her and kissed him deeply.

She didn't stop until she was interrupted by an uncomfortable Remus who cleared his throat. The first time the happy couple didn't notice, but by the third time he had largely increased in volume and sound. Hermione broke off and looked around, dazed. When she saw Remus, she straightened but was still slightly dazed. "Huh?"

"We've got to find the secret den of the Therianthropes in hopes of having them join us and the werewolves, which we have to also convince to join us, in order to defeat the darkest wizard in the history of the wizarding world," Remus said, deadpan. "So, when you're finished snogging, I think we should get going. I've found the scent."

Hermione and Severus stepped away from each other. Hermione cleared her throat and Severus straightened his clothing. "So," Severus said, "Do you want to lead the way?"

Remus rolled his eyes and turned, heading down the barely visible path, heading deeper and deeper into the Forbidden Forest. It was deeper than Severus had ever traveled before, even though he had many excursions into this dark wood. They were traveling so far that Severus began to wonder if they were even technically inside the forest. Remus walked swiftly along the path, his nose in the air. Suddenly, he stopped short.

He turned, his face puzzled. "It stopped again."

Hermione stopped and turned around, looking around. "Where'd it go?"

Remus looked at her quizzically and suddenly began to laugh sporadically. Severus rolled his eyes, "Maybe we should focus?"

Shaking his head, Remus cast his gaze around the forest and sighed. He walked into the woods and began looking for something to indicate where the scent went.

Suddenly, a voice behind him spoke, "You're looking in the wrong place." Remus jumped and spun around. Severus spun and shot off a curse so fast that Hermione didn't get a chance to even get a good look at the person behind them because she was blinded by the flash of light. But Hermione saw the flash fly off in a different direction entirely so she knew the curse was deflected. Then she heard the voice of a woman laugh and Severus shooting off another curse.

That curse was deflected as well. Finally Severus stopped shooting off curses that didn't do any good. "Lumos," He shouted, letting light fill the area. That's when we saw a short brunette on the path of the woods. Her hair was short and flipped out, her clothing was cotton and seemed homemade. She was a skinny girl, her hips clearly visible above her cotton pants with her shirt showing about an inch of skin.

"Who are you?" Severus asked in his best Snape-Bastard-Extraordinaire goloss.

The woman laughed a musical sort of laugh and looked around her. "I'm Marra."

"Should I know who you are?" Snape asked, stepping forward so to draw more attention to himself than to the two behind him.

"You should, I'm the leader of the People."

Snape laughed, "What are you talking about?"

"The People, otherwise known as Therianthropes." She laughed loudly at the stunned expressions on the faces of the people before her. But she was most interested in the bushy haired girl in the back. That was her new sister? She sighed and decided that she would reserve judgment until she had proven herself.