A/N: Good morning, good morning. And yes, depending on where you are, you may have danced the whole night through, but still. The Olympics are over, and we are nearly at an end. BUT, today is sesfx3's birthday, and I wish them a most excellent birthday :D

I hope you all enjoy the chapter, next one is sooner than you think, but I'll explain it when you see it.

Thanks, as always to Spin, who managed to fit this in between all the other amazing work she does! Peace out folks :D

-0-

Hermione woke up with a start on Thursday morning, her nerves tingling. She had a terrible feeling about how her day was going to go, as for some reason she was dreadfully nervous about the Defence Against the Dark Arts exam - more so than about any of the others she had already taken. She sat at the breakfast table with Ron and Harry; the latter of whom didn't seem to share Ron and Hermione's nerves and was stuffing his face with bacon and eggs, making Hermione's stomach churn.

"Do you have to eat that?" Hermione asked, turning up her nose.

Harry just grinned at her and continued shovelling in food.

"I don't know what you're worried about, it's Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor Lupin has been the best teacher we've ever had for this subject, we're going to ace it."

"Easy for you to say mate," Ron mumbled into his goblet. "He likes you."

"Come on, just remember all the things we read last night and we'll be fine," Harry said with an easy smile, standing from the table. "Come on, or we'll be late."

What they found upon meeting at the designated spot was something Hermione could only gape at. She desperately hoped that what she was seeing wasn't for them.

"Harry, Harry, what is that?" she said, pointing towards the rather practical-looking exam set out next to the Black Lake.

"Good morning," Professor Lupin said, drawing their attention back to him. Hermione cringed when she saw his face. He looked particularly awful this morning and she bit her tongue when Ron commented on it. They were so close to the end of term, and Hermione was not about to break now. She hadn't even told Minerva her suspicions about their teacher, so she clamped her lips together and ignored Ron's gossiping, instead listening intently to Professor Lupin's instructions.

They lined up in alphabetical order, meaning Hermione would have to go first of the trio. Her heart rate increased to a point where she was sure it was going to jump out of her mouth, and suddenly all she could think about was disappointing Minerva. She knew this would be the one she would have the most trouble with, she recognised that flaw in herself, how she was prodigious in theory, but less so in practice. It was something she vowed to work on as Professor Lupin nodded for her to start.

She walked forward, looking tentatively at the small pool she knew she had to cross. Frowning at her cowardice, she took a deep breath and waded through the water, trying not to wince at how cold it was. She set herself, preparing for what might come, thinking about all the creatures they had learnt about over the year. It was then she sensed it before she saw it, struggling for a moment with the grindylow which was trying to pull her into the deeper part of the paddling pool. Soon though, the rational part of her brain took over and she shot a spell, breaking its tight grip on her ankle and letting her move back onto dry land.

The second task was a little harder. As she picked her way through a series of potholes, Hermione's heart was once again beating quickly, but she relaxed into the pace of the exam, knowing that despite everything, Professor Lupin wouldn't give them something to handle that they hadn't learnt about in class, so she kept her eyes peeled. When she saw what she was up against she smiled; Red Caps, deadly for Muggles, but not so much against wizards. She danced her way through the potholes, a smile threatening to make its way into her face. She could do this, and then she wouldn't disappoint Minerva and it would all be all right.

She made it into the marsh, only tripping once on her way there, but dealing with the Red Caps effectively as she did. She scanned the area, her brain immediately supplying the creature she would no doubt find in here. Lighting the tip of her wand she weaved through the marsh, desperately trying to ignore the lights she wanted to follow. She laughed triumphantly as she escaped the mist, but it died quickly as she faced the final obstacle.

This was something she couldn't have prepared for. Without a doubt there was a boggart inside this trunk and Hermione had never faced one before. Harry had, thanks to his lessons with the Professor, but for all her worry about Cheering Charms, Hermione had never thought to ask Minerva to show her one. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and opened the trunk.

She blinked her eyes as Minerva stood before her, looking so utterly sad that Hermione's heart clenched painfully.

"Min, I,"

"Hermione, I can't believe you, you've failed everything! After all I've done for you, everything I've sacrificed for you, and this is how you repay me? How could you do that to me, how could you?"

Hermione could feel the tears rolling down her face as she listened to the witch that had come to mean so much to her carrying on and on about how badly she had failed both her exams and the woman herself. In the end all Hermione could do was curl up in a ball and sob until someone came to rescue her.

"Hermione? Hermione, it's just a boggart," Professor Lupin said reassuringly as he led her into a little tent that was set up. However, Hermione didn't seem able to pull herself together, a fact that wasn't lost on Professor Lupin as he sent a note up to the castle. "Relax Hermione, it's all right, it's going to be all right."

"Remus? Whatever is going on?"

Hermione cried harder when she heard Minerva's voice once more and she curled up on the little bed and sobbed into her knees, refusing to look up, even when she felt a hand on her arm.

"Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head and struggled to breathe properly as her sobs turned into hysteria.

"Oh baby!"

Hermione felt two arms wrap around her shoulders and a warm body beside her as she hiccupped, trying to get more air into her lungs.

"Sweetheart, look at me please."

Hermione refused, but it seemed that Minerva wasn't going to take no for an answer. Hermione felt her head being lifted from the pillow and she met a pair of very worried green eyes.

"Min!" she sobbed, throwing her arms around the kneeling woman, knocking her off balance. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry I failed everything, I didn't mean to, I really thought I did could do well, and I can't believe I did that, I'm so sorry!" she said, pulling back immediately and fishing for the long chain around her neck. "I don't deserve this and I understand if you never want to see me again. I'm so, so sorry Min."

"Hermione, stop!"

It was as if someone had cast a spell on her, and her body stilled at the terse tone from her Head of House.

"Hermione, it was just a boggart. I doubt you've failed your exams any more than I doubt Professor Snape enjoys braiding his hair."

Hermione couldn't help the giggle, and she smiled a little wider when Minerva gently cupped her cheek.

"Baby, I thought we talked about this? I couldn't be more proud of you than I already am. Aside from it knocking your schooling back a little, I don't care what marks you get on your exams, I just, sweetheart, I want you to be happy."

"I am happy," Hermione said, still hiccupping a little. "I just, that was awful, and so horribly realistic."

"Are you all right now?" Minerva said, running her finger down her nose, tapping the end of it lightly.

"I think so," Hermione nodded, leaning in for one more cuddle.

"Good, because I had to leave Fred and George Weasley in a classroom on their own. Merlin forbid I stay any longer."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Hermione said, hopping off the woman's knee immediately.

"Nonsense. You needed me, so here I am," she said with a smile, pressing a kiss to Hermione's hair. "Now, what's next?"

"Um, the boys have Divination," she paused as both she and Minerva wrinkled their noses, "and I have Muggle Studies."

"Well then, do your best my darling," Minerva said, pressing one last kiss to Hermione's forehead before leaving the tent and returning to the castle.

Hermione met with the boys much later, after all their exams were finally over. The weather was a little gloomy, matching their mood as they gathered their cloaks and headed out of the common room and down to Hagrid's. Tonight was the night Buckbeak would be executed.

-0-

"Hello my love," Albus said pressing a kiss to her neck as she marked the homework she had collected this week. Despite it being exam time, she was not about to stop teaching her students what they needed to learn, even if she did have to suffer their moaning and groaning to do it.

"Hello," she said, smiling coyly as she signed her name on the final piece of parchment.

"How was your day?" he asked, taking her hand and pulling her up into his arms.

"Mm, it's was good," she said, letting him rock her gently to no music. "Hermione had some trouble with a boggart, but other than that she did excellently according to Remus."

"Hmm, he must be exhausted," Albus said, nibbling at her neck.

"Is this how it will always be with you?" she said, barley concealing her smirk as he tickled her collarbone with his beard.

"Yes," he said, finally capturing her lips. She sniggered as they kissed, relaxing and letting the tension of the day melt from her as she accepted the love she had so long ago yearned for.

"All right then," she said as they broke apart, pulling him towards her rooms.

"Ah, my dear, perhaps a raincheck? Tonight is the night of the Hippogriff's execution, and I said I would be there for Hagrid. I want to be there," he clarified and Minerva couldn't help but smile.

"You and your soft heart Albus Dumbledore," she said, pressing another kiss to his lips.

"Does that mean you'll wait up for me?" he said wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, making her laugh.

"I expect Hermione to visit sometime tonight, but yes Mr Dumbledore, I believe I will wait for you. Besides which, you owe me." Minerva watched Albus frown as he tried to remember what he did to deserve the I.O.U.

"Um, my darling I don't recall –"

"Oh, no you wouldn't, but if I say it is so, then it is," she said with a wink, leaving him alone in her office as she went to take off her teaching robes.

"He'll work it out," she laughed to herself, contemplating a soak in the bath while she waited for Hermione. "I think I will," she muttered. "It's not quite the same, but I could use a good soak."

-0-

She wasn't sure how long she had been in the bath when Albus came bursting into the room, calling her name.

"What on earth is the matter?"

"I need you to come with me," he said, heaving her up and out of the bathwater and drying her in a moment with a flick of his wand. "Fawkes?"

Minerva only just managed to throw her jumper on when the very same bird appeared before them and transported them instantly into the hospital wing. Minerva's eyes went as wide as saucers as she realised just who was in the three occupied beds.

"What on earth?" she muttered, unaware of who else was in the room.

"It's quite obvious, Minister, that Sirius Black had confounded them, and was using them to get to Potter," Severus said, making Minerva turn sharply.

"Sirius is here?"

"Yes, where is he again Severus?" Cornelius Fudge said in the voice she had come to loath over the years. He was a simpering weakling, made so even more when he asked for Albus' help on matters he should be able to deal with well enough on his own.

"He's currently in the tower, awaiting your orders Minister."

"Yes, well, I think we should perhaps go and fetch the Dementors. Severus, be a good lad…"

Minerva watched on in horror as Severus smirked before departing.

"Albus, I –He can't be serious?"

"I'm afraid I am my dear," Fudge replied instead, making her lip curl slightly as she watched him follow Snape.

"Ridiculous," Minerva said, turning towards the. She knew Albus was following her, but she refused to even look at him.

"They can't do this, surely?" she said, as soon as the doors closed.

"I'm afraid they can, and they will," he said, his usual twinkling eyes clouding as he thought. "I have an idea though; will you go and amuse Fudge?"

"AMUSE HIM!" she squeaked. "What am I, a toy?" She ignored his eye roll in favour of the glare she was already sporting as she let him hold her.

"Go and take him the long way to the tower. Just, stall him," he said, nodding to her as she tried to fathom what he was doing. "Trust me love."

At this, her ire faltered and she kissed him gently.

"I do Albus, I always have."

Minerva left the hospital wing and caught up with the Minister quite quickly, whether because of his confusion over the simplest of things, such as switching staircases, or because of her rather quick gait, she wasn't sure. She smiled as the stairs changed with them on it, locking into place and preventing them from going down any further and she mentally thanked the castle for helping her. It would take them much longer now, and she walked silently, making the appropriate noises as Fudge continued to rabbit on about who knew what until they reached the next set of stairs on the other side of the castle.

They reached the final staircase just as the clock struck midnight, when an almighty howl went up from somewhere above them.

"I'LL BLOODY KILL HIM!" Severus thundered as he raced down the steps past Minerva and Fudge. It took all of her strength of character to keep her face straight when she realised that whatever plan Albus had concocted had worked.

"Oh dear, I wonder what could have happened?"

"HE'S GONE! He's bloody gone!" Came the disembodied voice of Severus from further down the corridor, startling Fudge a little.

"Gone?" he asked Minerva, and once again she had to control her eye movements as they threatened to practically roll out of her head.

"It appears that way Minister; perhaps we should follow and see what is to be next?"

Minerva walked two paces behind Fudge until they reached the door to the hospital wing, just in time to see Severus brush past Albus and fling open the doors.

"Where is he? You!" he said, rounding on Potter. "Where is he?!"

"Severus, he hasn't left his bed," Albus said calmly, but Minerva knew immediately that he had, and she glanced at Hermione, who, curiously, was pretending to sleep.

"He did it, he helped Black escape. I know it!"

Minerva moved past the men and stood in between Harry and the Potions Master.

"Severus, if Albus says he did not leave his bed, then he did not. You went up to the tower from the Entrance Hall, correct?" she said, waiting for his tense nod. "Well, the Minister and I came the other way, and I can assure you, as the Minister can too, that neither Mr Potter, nor Mr Black, came past us on our way."

"But, he, he –"

"I shall have the Dementors start a search."

Minerva tuned out after that and nodded for Harry to lie back down in his bed, as she surreptitiously plucked a feather from his jumper, cocking an eyebrow as she did.

"'Night Professor," he whispered with a smile, not quite as practiced as she was in schooling his features.

She was curious as to how they had managed to free both a hippogriff and the most wanted fugitive in the Wizarding world in one night, and she had a terrible feeling it had something to do with her beautiful girl lying in the bed opposite next to a gently snoring Ron Weasley.

She waited until the others had left the ward before she rounded on Hermione, standing over her and tapping her foot impatiently.

"You had better start explaining young lady, before I get cross."

She watched as Hermione stopped pretending to be asleep and opened her eyes, looking incredibly guilty.

"Um, well, we –"

"They used the Time Turner," Albus said from behind her, making her spin around, her eyes hard as she glared at him.

"It's not all his fault Min," Hermione said quietly. "We, well we broke the rules first, then we couldn't just stand by, he's, he's Harry godfather after all."

Minerva once again deflated and she conjured up a chair, Summoning Potter's bed to Hermione's side, sitting and waiting for an explanation.

It didn't disappoint.

By the time the two children were done talking Minerva felt like she had been on one of those Muggle coast-rollers.

"I cannot believe you three did that, that, I just…" She stood up and paced for barely a few seconds before sweeping onto the bed and hugging them both.

"I'm so glad you're all right," she smiled as she lifted their chins to meet her eyes, sighing as they looked up at her. "I suppose, knowing it is both of you, that I cannot say never do this again, because undoubtedly you will, as trouble always seems to find you, but, at least try not to get into so much trouble next time. You," she paused as she tried to get her sudden erratic breathing under control, "you both could have died tonight, all three of you in fact, so please, please try not to do this again."

"One werewolf is enough for me Professor," Harry said cheekily, nodding his goodnight to Albus before she leaned over Hermione to pull the covers around his chin.

"I'm sorry it didn't work out, Mr Potter."

"Thanks," he replied, settling down as Albus magicked his bed back to its original position.

"You, I just, I can't believe you did that Hermione," Minerva said quietly.

"In her defence –" Albus started, only to be hexed into silence by Minerva.

"NO! Don't you dare say anything, I am incredibly angry with you right now," she said with a glare, before turning back to Hermione.

"You though… I am just so glad you're all right."

"I love you Min," Hermione whispered in her ear as she held the girl close, still not quite able to believe what her girl had been through this night.

"Oh my darling, I love you too!" she whispered as Hermione failed to stifle a mighty yawn.

"I'm sleepy, goodnight," Hermione mumbled into Minerva's shoulder, falling asleep in her arms. Minerva sighed and gently placed Hermione back on the pillows.

"Sleep well darling," Minerva said, pressing a kiss to Hermione's forehead and leaving her to sleep.

"I want a word with you," she said to Albus, cancelling her spell, but not stopping to hear his excuses as she stalked away. He definitely owed her now.