A/N: Thank You. Thank You, Thank you! I never thought that tis story would reach over a 100 reviews. You guys make me so happy with every single review, every follow, and every favorite. I started writing this story to keep my mind busy and fight my bit of depression and I never thought it could have made me so happy when I decided to share it with all of you. I just want to say a special thank you to my wonderful reviewers for making me have this huge smile on my face right now.

So special thanks to: Bluefirefly5, Sandysmom, xxTemporaHarknessxx,Rinou, not written, violet1994, TheDarkPlume, Angel897, I love power ranger7135, Ice Roza, , ThePenIsMighty, Lover of Fantasy, Worrywart, dragon1009, everything-is-black-and-white, fangirlbob, ziva10, and SnarkyG

Love you all

XOXO

Chapter Twenty-Six

"You're a git, Ronald!" I screamed at him from across the room. My words echoed from the walls and his face reddened with anger. Thank the Fates that everyone had already left tonight's D.A. lesson. Harry looked like he wanted to intervene but he didn't know who to choose. Me or Ron? He would honestly choose Ron over me. I'm not one of the boys. It's happened before and it will happen again this time. I just wish Ron didn't have to be so cruel about it.

"And your bloody stupid Hermione." Ron screamed back at me.

"By the Fates, how am I stupid when I'm apparently the brightest witch of our year!" I sneered. I looked down at him, with fury in my eyes. "What am I?"

"I didn't even do anything wrong and you're mad at me for a month! Your bloody mental that's what you are," he spat out. How dare he not think he did something wrong. That insensitive little prick!

"You know what Ron, fine I'm mental," I yelled at him furiously. "My parents died and you told me to what? That I can't treat you like a friend asking two of her other friends for some bloody fucking space. Maybe I expected some comfort from the both of you. Maybe just being there telling me that if I needed an ear that you would be there. Even if I didn't want to talk about it, but I guess that's way too much to ask for." I ranted out. I saw Harry about to speak but I held out a hand for him to stop. "Don't Harry. I'm sick of this. I'm sick of this friendship where Ron has an emotional range of a teaspoon, gets mad at me for things he's done wrong and every single time I get left alone by myself. I care for you both, you are one of the first friends I've ever had. But I'm done with this. When you're ready to apologize to me I'll accept it. We can still be friends but I'm done with before. I am not going back to how the both of you treats me." I walked across the room, stomping my way to the exit. Holding the doorknob I turned around to the both of them. "And Harry?"

He looked at me with widened eyes. He was shaking a bit, the both of them were at my outburst.

"Yeah, Hermione?" His meek voice said.

"Don't forget, tomorrow at Rosemerta's, you can bring Cho if you want." I slammed the door shut behind me not waiting for Harry's respond. I was completely furious. How dare he be so inconsiderate? He's supposed to be one of my best friends yet he couldn't even be there. I pulled at my hair frantically as I made my way down the through the corridor. I placed my hand along the wall letting the magic of the castle ripple on through granting me access to the hidden passageway. I knew the path well enough and I walked on through in a haze finally ending up in the familiar quarters of one Severus Snape. He wasn't in the sitting room, it being late enough, he wouldn't even be in his office. Yet the room was surprisingly empty. The Dark Lord couldn't have called him again so soon?

He'd been free from any summoning for the first two weeks of term but the third week he received two from his ex-master. The fourth week he'd gotten two more. But even then, this was too much. He'd been gone everyday this week, missing breakfast each time and looking quite haggard from the lack of sleep.

I sat down in my usual chair, grabbing the book I had previously been reading the night before from the side table. I opened it trying to read the words that had been carefully written by the writer himself on the ancient fragile parchment. It was a rare book that I normally would have easily found myself lost into but my mind kept wandering away from me. I needed a drink.

Getting up from my seat I poured myself a drink the muggle way, instead of using magic. Being too dependent on magic wasn't going to get me anywhere if I ever went outside this world. I took a sip of the firewhisky letting it slide and burn my throat. I downed the drink letting it burn through my body and I felt myself relax at the effects of the alcohol. Sitting back in my chair I set the empty glass down and opened the book again. Much better.

"You should be in your own dorm, Hermione," Severus' voice startled me and I jumped from my seat. I looked at his worn expression as he set down his mask, letting his robes billow around him before sinking into his own chair. I got up from my seat poured him a drink and handed it to Severus. Much like I did, he downed it to try and numb his mind.

"It's still relatively early. Not even past curfew yet," I mumbled. He shook his head softly at me and he set his glass down.

"It's past curfew. It's one in the morning already." My head snapped towards the clock just above the fireplace. It really was past one. I looked at the book I was reading, noticing just how much I had read in one sitting.

"I didn't notice," I said softly.

"You hardly ever do," he gave me a small smirk making my heart flutter. It didn't help I nearly came here every night since the time I had first slept in his room. Although there hadn't been a repeat episode of that night since.

"What did the Dark Lord want?" I asked the burning question. His smirk disappeared and he went back into his more restrained façade. The forming lines on his face seemed to deepen and he scowled at the thoughts of Voldemort.

"Bellatrix has made a full physical recovery now, but I cannot say the same for her mind. The others have recovered as well." He mentioned motioning for another drink. I got the glass again and poured him another. He took a small sip this time and I was thankful he didn't down it like he had before.

"Bellatrix? Lestrange? She and several others performed the cruciatus curse on Neville's parents until they were mad, right?"

"Yes, unfortunately they did. I admit, the Longbottoms were adequate aurors." I could tell the gloomy expression on Severus' face that he was revisiting a memory from the past. One that was not very pleasant to remember from the look of it. How he did it, I don't really know. When the time comes, I would know. Better than others but never as good as him. He was, after all, the one that would be the most at my side when I act.

"She really did push them into insanity. Awful thing really." I said rather serenely. It bothered me yes, but it was the past. I could hardly change that, but I could surely change the future. That much I'm certain I would do.

"We will be doing such things as well. Whether by our hand or others." Severus warned me. It was true and we'd discussed it several times already. Even so, it worried me just how much lives we would be effecting because of our meddling.

"How does she behave? I've never asked you before but can she be of some use to us?" Definitely not as a comrade but a pawn perhaps. I didn't have any expendable pieces in my game at least not one on the other side. Severus and Draco were irreplaceable, along with Luna. The switch in topic was noticeable but he took it by stride.

"She is unstable enough to be manipulated perhaps, but if we do so we must trek carefully. As I said she is unstable." He grinned at his words. Severus didn't like her apparently. She had this obvious psychotic and threatening air around her than I could tell from simply looking at her pictures from the prophet and hearing about her from Severus. "She was a devout follower during the first war. Azkaban has made her obsessive in that aspect."

"Will you be able to plant a seed in her head that Malfoy will ruin the mission?" My question was plain manipulative enough but my voice made it sound like just a simple question. I could have asked him how his day went with the same tone, even with my question as it was if people overheard they wouldn't think much of it. The tone sets off the warnings in their heads and mine did no such thing. It didn't faze Severus and he thought about it carefully. He took his time assessing her behavior, her patterns and everything about her.

"I can," he drawled out carefully.

"Good. Very good." I was happy at that news. Malfoy would be easier to shift to our side if Bellatrix proved to be a pain, and of course he would be home free should the mission go wrong.

"Any news of Malfoy?"

"He is beginning to suspect the Dark Lords want to have him punished and by extension his family." Severus voice was calm and almost seemingly bored, but I could tell he had a form of pride in his eyes for his friend's suspicion. They were awfully close despite both men's tendency for spiteful words towards others.

"You've told him of his options?"

"Subtlety. Only that there are ways to ensure the Dark Lord's favor even if the prophecy is not fully delivered. Of course as a Slytherin he knew there was a catch and did not press for more information tonight." He grinned from the memories no doubt and I could only nod at his words. "He is skilled enough legillimence and occlumence to avoid the Dark Lord's intrusions and attention for the while being."

"Does he trust you enough to hear our plan?" That was the catch. It was all really up to Severus to get Malfoy and his wife on our side. Even with Draco, the Malfoy patriarch wouldn't simply go to our side. He trusted Severus enough but he needed more than that and his son's trust in me. For him, Draco was a mere young wizard who did not have enough experience in life to choose the right person to place his trust on. AKA me.

"He trusts me enough. And I know Lucius well enough to know he will come to me for my plan. At that time we will need to introduce you. It will not be wise to not show him who on this side is making the decisions when it all comes down to it." He grimaced and I knew he thought along the same line as me. The elder Malfoy had not liked me very much for my blood status the first time he had met me, nor the following times. It would be hard to convince him to join me. Then again, just a year ago I would have thought it impossible for Draco and I to not be anything more than mean towards one another.

"You haven't gone to Dumbledore yet have you?" I asked as he got up lazily from his seat. "You know you can go to him tomorrow and just rest for now." He looked so worn although he looked much healthier now than he did the start of the school year.

"I must go. I forgot about Dumbledore." He admitted wearily. "You should as well. You shouldn't stay here so late every night." He said gently. Severus laid his hand on the wall and the passageway opened at his command. "I'm not the only one who needs to sleep, Hermione. You've worn yourself out this past month."

"I can't sleep very well anymore. I get nightmares but I never remember them anymore." I could feel his stare on me. The sympathetic tint in his emotion seeped into his magic, perhaps unknowingly or not.

"You should still try. You exhaust yourself staying so late here before heading to your dormitory." His voice was but a whisper but I heard it clear enough in the silent room. I looked up to him hopefully and his lips slightly pursed seemingly knowing what I was thinking of.

"Can I stay for the night?" I breathed out. I couldn't seem to breathe again afterwards as I waited for his reply. "Please, Severus. I have hardly slept since." I nearly pleaded. I hated what that night did to me. One night, just one night was all it took to completely mess the situation up. As our relationship grew closer though still somewhat platonic throughout the evenings following that night, my sleep became less and less. Nightmares plagued me and I eventually took to napping in Severus' rooms when he was gone. Just one night, and I became dependent on him, more so than he probably knew. "Just one more night?"

He seemed to think it through before he slowly bowed his head in his defeat. "I will be back soon enough. You may sleep on the bed, I will take the couch." He said slowly, carefully choosing his words.

"Why not share like last time?" My question came out as quick as the words formed in my mind and I couldn't seem to stop it from coming out. He seemed shocked at my question and he stilled. It was like he was paralyzed even though it was only for a brief moment until he finally recovered.

"I am your teacher and you are my student. It would be inappropriate for us to share a bed. Even though we shall not be doing any other activity such as-" He ranted on uncomfortably and while his face remained as pale as ever I could see the back of his neck heat up and the tips of his ears grow red.

"I'm not just a student and you are not just a teacher. No one will truly know if we share a bed to sleep and only sleep, Severus." I tried to reason with him. I was being selfish wanting him to stay by my side like that but I needed him desperately. I needed him with me and as selfish as I was acting I didn't care. I just wanted him to hold me again for a night.

"Hermione," Severus whispered.

"Always. That's what you said." I whispered back. He took a deep breath letting it out slowly. Turning away from me he stepped inside the tunnel.

"I expect you to be sleeping by the time I come back. One more night, Hermione. Just one more." I could tell he was slightly frustrated at me or maybe it was the situation he was frustrated at. However, even with that I let out a sigh of relief as he disappeared through the tunnel.

"Tilly," I called out. He came to me slightly weary from being roused from his sleep. "Sorry for waking you but can you bring me one of my night gowns and my mint green dress that flows all the way to the floor with the coat and shoes to match with it." He nodded at my orders giving a tiny squeak of his understanding before he left. Soon enough my nightgown appeared and I went to ready myself for bed.

I crawled into Severus' bed and immediately found the comfort I had wanted. The black silky covers slide around me gently as if caressing my skin as soon as I hit the pillows.

I fidgeted in my sleep as I heard the rustle of clothes and the shifting of the bed under Severus' weight. He laid down slowly next to me, he was so close yet so far as he inched away making sure there was a measurement of space between us.

"Just hold me, you git," I grumbled as I scooted closer to him. I heard him chuckle and I laid my head on his chest, my hands pressed tightly against his smooth muscles. He slowly wrapped his arm around me and breathed out a sigh of content, falling into the temptation of having someone in his arms for just one more night. "How was the meeting?"

"Boring since I didn't have much news to say. A few muggle deaths to celebrate the others recovery, but other than that no other news." He whispered into my hair.

"I'm glad you're back safe," I mumbled into his chest. "I hate it when you leave," I was drowsy and I knew I shouldn't have kept talking. But I felt too safe in his arms, safe enough to even speak what was on my mind. "Don't ever leave me," I whispered sleepily. He brought one of his hands to rest on my cheek and made me look at him. His thumb swept across my check gently and I couldn't help but lean into his touch.

"I won't," he said softly. I could see his eyes shining at me through the darkness. He had the strongest determined expression on his face and I smiled at him like I never had before.

"I won't leave you either." I admitted as I sank back into his chest.

"Always?"

"Always."