I hope you understand the feelings I am experiencing today. Ten years ago, I began reading HGSS and I always read the novel length works- I treasure the best of them- Hypnobarb's Looking For Magic, zeegrindylow's Where Your Treasure Is, snarkyroxy's Before The Dawn, the lamentedly abandoned Golem by Lilith Janvier... I could go on and on and on and there are many more.

Today, my fic joins the rank of the HGSS 100,000+ words category. I feel like this puts me among giants of their craft and I am so, so humbled. I have read and reread all of those stories above like they were old friends- I can just pick a chapter and dive in and the feeling is comfortable and right. I only hope that somewhere out there, there is another girl just starting to read this magnificent ship and she happens upon this and it becomes a treasured life-long friend like those have become for me.

I could not have done this without my beta, Inness, or any of this fic's loyal readers.

I will be forever humbled and grateful.

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"Get Fleur- right now!" Hermione shouted, her face flushed and jubilant as she clutched the finished sketch of the tiara. Draco looked bewilderdly up at her, but got up and dutifully walked out the door, confused.

In her stocking feet, Hermione uncharacteristically leaped onto her made bed and bounced ecstatically, her hands hitting the ceiling on every jump. This is how Captain Malfoy and Sergeant Major Delacoeur found her.

"Ermione?" Fleur asked, looking up at her breathless commander. "What eez going on?"

Hermione bounced again, this time landing on her bum and thrusting Draco's drawing under her nose, which she batted away in irritation before taking it and looking down.

"What do you see, Fleur?" whispered Hermione.

A furrow formed between her brows, "Why did 'ou call me down 'ere to show me a peencil sketch of zee tiara I wore at my wedding?"

Draco's mouth dropped open unattractively, and Hermione shot him a triumphal look, "You mean- Ravenclaw's- oh, wow."

"Zis eez zee diadem? Zee horcux?" squawked Fleur, "Eet must be a mistake! I wore zat!"

Hermione shook her head, "It's possible that Aunt Muriel's tiara was a reproduction of Ravenclaw's, but it still points us in the right direction! We could figure out who made it and trace the whereabouts from there. But, it's exact, isn't it, Fleur?"

The Frenchwoman nodded, still staring at the tiara, "Wouldn't I 'ave know eef I was wearing a- a- horcrux?"

Hermione shook her head, "I don't know. We never really wore any of them- the locket we could have, but it was destroyed before we had the chance. It just sat in the drawer at
Grimmauld."

She began to look distressed, a look Hermione realized spelled disaster in their world.

Apparantly, Malfoy had picked up on it as well, because he stepped in, "Why don't you get Molly and the two of you can start dinner?"

Fleur nodded, "I won't tell anyone anything."

"Good girl," Hermione muttered as she left the room, closing the door again for privacy. "Malf, do you know how to work the phones?"

"Um-"

"Call Severus- find out when he and Captain Weasley will be back," Hermione said, tossing her cellular onto the bed before turning to leave the room. "And, good work, Captain."

"Thanks?" he called as she turned the corner.

Up the stairs to the third floor where Ron, Tonks and Lupin were sitting around playing a game of chess. The Patil twins sat nearby, Padma's feet on Parvati's back, bracing herself as she braided down her sister's long length of hair.

"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, "I've got to see you and Tonks right away."

"We know when we're not wanted," smiled Padma, tieing up Parvati's braid. "We'll help you unpack your clothes into your room, Remus."

"What's going on?" asked Tonks as soon as they were out of earshot. Her hair was rapidly fluctuating between burgundy and dark purple, picking up on Hermione's excitement.

Hermione cleared her throat, said nothing, and laid the sketch over the pieces on the chess board.

"Aunt Muriel's tiara?" Ron puzzled.

Beaming, Hermione replied, "Nope. Guess again."

Tonks got it first, her face lax with surprise, "You mean-"

"Yeah, it is," she replied.

"Oh my god."

Ron interjected, "You don't think Aunt Muriel's tiara is Ravenclaw's- oh, shit! You think Ravenclaw's diadem is actually Aunt Muriel's tiara!"

"I think that Muriel's tiara is Ravenclaw's diadem, but yes, I do," Hermione confirmed, "This is the rough sketch from what Malfoy read in the book."

"Granger!" came a yell from the second floor, "Granger, where are you!"

Hermione returned, chuckling a bit, "I'm up here, Malfoy. What has you screaming like a girl?"

Malfoy bounded up the stairs, carrying the journal, his face pale, "It talks!"

"What?" Tonks blurted.

"I swear to Merlin," panted Draco, "I was putting things away and I asked it a question- why did you choose me- and it wrote me a response!"

"Don't trust anything you can't see where it keeps its brain," warned Ron, eyeing the book with mistrust.

Tonks interrupted, "What did it say?"

Draco colored brightly and mumbled, "It said I was the prettiest."

"You've got to be joking," whispered Hermione. "Give it here."

Taking the diary from Draco, she was suddenly emboldened and pulled at the strap. It slid out effortlessly and she looked down warily.

If you wanted to read so bad, you should have just asked.

But I haven't had company in a while, and he really is pretty.

Hermione shrieked.

No need to yell.

She continued, slamming closed the covers. "Ron, get your brother."

"Which one?" he questioned, heading for the stairs.

Yelling again, she retorted, "Which one of your bloody brothers works with cursed artifacts, Ronald?"

Throwing the book onto the floor, Hermione threw up every containment spell that she knew until the area around fairly hummed with magical energy. For good measure, Tonks added another few.

"Think it's... for real?" Tonks whispered, her wand trained on the journal, which laid innocuously on the carpet.

Hermione shrugged, "When Bill gets up here, we should have him move it to the basement. I don't want it around the troops."

"Do you want to run any diagnostics?" asked Draco, looking nauseated still.

"I wouldn't even know where to start. Bill really is the best of his kind," Hermione complimented, peering through the enchantments, half expecting the book to move.

Like elephants rumbling across the Savannah red haired Weasleys thundered up the stairs.

Bill chuckled upon seeing the wards, "I think one or two would suffice."

"You want me to take chances with my troops?" Hermione retorted. "What the fuck is going on?"

He took down twenty three wards in a matter of only seconds and picked up the book, holding it carefully in his lap, "I don't sense any dark magic."

"So what is it?" demanded Hermione, her fists balling on her hips.

Vaguely irritated, but still the same old good-natured guy, Bill retorted without any malice, "You aught to go downstairs. Snape and Gin've just gotten back from London. I'll have some answers when you get back."

"I'll just go with you, Commander," Draco mumbled, heading down the stairs before Hermione could answer.

"Just go relax for a few minutes," prodded Tonks, mentally and physically.

Hermione weighed the options as she was pushed closer to the edge of the first tread, "A cigarette does sound heavenly."

Tonks nodded encouragingly, "Go. We'll take the journal to the cellar and I'll let you know what he finds as soon as he finds it."

Thanking them, Hermione went back down the stairs in a daze and to the back porch where Ginny and Seveus were portkeying in.

"Evening," Hermione sang, rather loopily. Ginny gave her a confused look and Severus dropped his head to kiss her temple as he swept inside and through the house.

Ginny questioned, "Erm, he didn't really tell me what was going on."

"It seems," Hermione chuckled, "that your Aunt Muriel's tiara is none other than Ravenclaw's diadem."

"You've got to be shitting me," exclaimed Ginny, rubbing her arms for warmth, her breath coming in long puffs in the cold air.

Hermione said that she wasn't. "And Ravenclaw's diary called Malfoy pretty."

"Now I know I'm in an alternate universe," she muttered. "You really shouldn't smoke those. They cause cancer."

Hermione stuck her tongue out at her Captain, "Wizards don't get cancer. Where'd you hear that?"

"Radio," Ginny explained casually. "So it talked to Malfoy? Why him?"

"I've'nt a damn clue," grumbled Hermione. "Give me a status update. How was the sighting?"

"Over a cuppa," Ginny insisted, opening the door to the kitchen. "Come on inside when you're done."

As Hermione smoked, she felt her nerves come back to normal- it had been a very stressful day! Ravenclaw's journal had opened for Malferret, who had abducted a doctor the night before, followed by her little chat with Lavender and Remus, then the tiara and the bloody book talking...

Hermione put on her angriest face, pounded her feet a few times on the frozen deck and clenched her fists.

She felt better.

Inside, Ginny had made a pot of tea and taken it to Hermione's room to get out of the way of Fleur and Molly's stress channelling- there was something going on with blow torches- creme brulee?

"You were right," Ginny said, handing Hermione her cup. "There were letters all over the place for you- the Leakey, Flourish and Blott's, Gringott's even. I didn't open them."

Hermione took the letters, separating them into piles- three from the Spanish interim leader Amaranta Morales, two from the French Fabien Roux, and one each from Switzerland's Karsten Schloemmer, Orsino Delveccio from Italy and Leora Dalessena of Greece.

"My goodness," Hermione exclaimed, "It looks like I'm going to have to spread out the groups a little more... Switzerland, Italy and Greece are pledging support."

Ginny's face split in two, her grin piercing through the dim light of the room. "That's amazing," she whispered.

"New lists to be drawn up, then!" she pronounced, standing on the bed and erasing her previous marks on the wall. "What else happened while you were gone?"

She began to make headings for each of the countries on the wall.

Ginny stared for a moment, then snapped out of it and reported, "We were seen at the apothecary again, Gringott's and in a pub off Knockturn Alley, which was disgusting. No one made any attempt to apprehend us."

"The ministry is still under full control of the Death Eaters?" questioned Hermione, marking down Draco to lead the Spanish team, Severus to lead the French team and Ginny for the Greek team, "How do you feel about some warm weather? Want to lead the Greek team?"

"I can't wait to be warm again!" Ginny exclaimed, flopping back onto Hermione's pillows.

Hermione smiled, "Who do you want on your team?"

"Give me Nev and the twins," she answered. "Speaking of giving, while we were gone, Severus picked up a little something for you..."

Giggling, Hermione replied, "And I suppose he's sworn you to secrecy?"

"Of course," Ginny affirmed, "but he didn't give me specific instructions not to tell you that he had gotten something for you. You're one lucky girl if he's as good in bed as you say he is."

"I never said he was good in bed," said Hermione off hand. "But he is. Lovely. Do you think that Tonks is ready, emotionally, to lead the Swiss team?"

Ginny considered, "She'll be fine, as long as Remus seems to be recovering all right."

"He's fine," Hermione answered shortly, but then softened. "I need her to be in top shape. I'll give her Bill as well- he's strong enough to hold her up if things get bad."

"You should talk to Bill before you announce that to the whole Order. He'll want to know why he wasn't picked to lead a team," reasoned Ginny. "Can I look through these letters?"

"Sure," agreed Hermione. "Have at it. Ron for Italy? I think so..."

Ginny suddenly remembered what she was going to pester her best friend about and laid aside the diplomatic missives. "So, 'Mione, have you figured out who is going to be on the firearm squad?" she wheedled.

Hermione blew out a slightly amused puff of air and pointed with her wand to a double folded piece of lined paper sitting on top of her keyboard without turning around.

Letting out a squeal of excitement, Ginny seized the page and flipped it open, her eyes landing on the third name on the list:

Commander H. Granger
Lieutenant Colonel R. Weasley
Captain G. Weasley-

"I'm so excited!" she shrieked, quickly scanning down the rest of the list.

Hermione laughed again, "I take it that this is to your liking?"

"Is it ever!" she exclaimed. "When are you going to announce this?"

Not turning, but erasing and moving around a few names, Hermione replied, "I thought you would, and this list of assignments, at dinner."

"You want me to do it?" goggled Ginny, "I'm just a captain."

Hermione finished the last flourish on her lists and sunk to the pillows to rest her head on Ginny's shoulder. "I was thinking of advancing you to Second Lieutenant Major and Draco to First Captain, Charlie to Second Captain and Kingsley as Third. Thoughts?"

"Ahm, well, yeah? Great?" Ginny stammered. "Why?"

"You've done well," reminded Hermione. "And I want Kingsley in my upper Ranks. Or, I could make Snape into a Lieutenant Colonel and move Bill to Major and you to Lieutenant Major. Regardless."

"Well, thanks," Ginny answered, her eyes a bit starry.

Hermione joked, "Now, what did Severus bring me from London?"

Gasping and throwing her hand over her heart theatrically, Ginny replied, "You're bribing me!"

"No, no!" giggled Hermione, "I'm just asking...please?"

Ginny shook her head violently, "I crossed my heart. Snape's scary- he'll kill me- literally."

"I'll demote him," threatened Hermione.

"Commander!" yelled Bill suddenly from outside the door, "You've got to see this!"

Hermione and Ginny were up and out of the comfortable bed in an instant and flying out the door.

"What is it, Lieutenant Major?" Hermione cried.

Bill smiled broadly, "You've just got to see for yourself. Come on."

He led them down the steps and into the room that the survivors of Rona had been using. On the coffee table sat the book, which Severus was scribbling in. Tonks looked over his shoulder intently, the most still she had ever seen the other woman.

"What are you doing?" asked Hermione, irritated that Severus of all people would be writing in a book of that value, that indescribable value.

Tonks beamed. "Tell her, Bill!"

Catching his breath in his enthusiasm, Bill began to explain, "In ancient Egypt, one of the ways a person achieved eternal life is through the transfiguration of human to object, such as from person to a piece of jewelry to be worn by a loved one or a monument in a city if they were a king or noble. As it would seem-"

Tonks interjected, "Ravenclaw transfigured herself into a book! Into her own journal!"

"You've got to be shitting me," Hermione gasped. "That book is Rowena Ravenclaw herself?"

Bill nodded excitedly, "From what we've been able to find out from her is that when she got old, she purposefully transfigured herself into the journal."

"Why?" questioned Ginny. "Why would someone do that? Why not a vase or something?"

Tonks looked down, hastily reading the words that had appeared, "She says that she wanted eternal life- obvious. And she wanted to talk to people and not get bored as a potted plant."

"She's a bit snarky, it seems," Bill chuckled.

Interpreting, Severus, King of Snark, replied, "Am not."

"So does she know where the diadem is?" Hermione demanded.

Tonks, again, interpreted, "No. I haven't even heard of it since the dark ages. Last I heard, there was a family that was passing it down from generation to generation claiming that it was- oh my God- goblin made. As if goblins could make something of such superior quality."

"Ok," Hermione moaned, "We have a Weasley family tiara, a talking book that is really Rowena Ravenclaw with a crush on the littlest Malfoy and... Wow, what a day!"

Severus read the words aloud that had appeared, "He is- I'm not going to say that!"

"What did she say?" coaxed Ginny.

"For Merlin's sake!" Severus swore, handing the book to Tonks.

Tonks giggled, "It says, 'the blonde one is sexy', and then she goes on to say, 'Weasley doesn't sound like the name of the family that has the diadem. Was it Percell? Purvis?' She's trying to remember the name, I think."

"Prewett!" Ginny exclaimed, "The tiara is from my Mum's side- the Prewetts!"

Tonks looked down, "That's it! The Prewetts have the diadem."

"Excellent work, all," Hermione congratulated. "Now, I believe that we should be attending to dinner. Go ahead and spread around the good news. Severus, a word in my quarters?"

After hugging Tonks and Bill, Hermione dashed upstairs with the last reserves of her energy and into her room where Severus was waiting.

"Oh, hold me," Hermione whimpered. "It's been a terribly productive day, but I'm exhausted."

His hard facade softened and he held out his arms for her to crawl into, "We haven't much time for this, my girl."

"I know," she mumbled into his chest, his soft, cable knit Weasley sweater soft on her cheek. "What did you bring me?"

"Impetuous girl," a chuckle rumbled deep in his chest, "Did Miss Weasley tell you I had something for you?"

Hermione smiled, "Maybe. If not, I just confirmed it."

Shifting her slightly, Severus reached into the pocket of his traveling coat laying at the end of the bed and fished out a large, flat box, "Open it."

Gently, Hermione took the black velvet box from him and slowly opened the top, "Oh, Severus."

"They were my Grandmother's- the one that would have liked you," he explained.

Hermione tentatively ran her fingertip down one of the earrings that glittered fiercely from their velvet bed, "They're stunning," she whispered.

Taking them from their confines, Severus held them in his palm as he took out her plain silver earrings and lovingly threaded the wires through the holes. Surprisingly light and delicate, the earrings caressed the curve of her cheek, the rows of diamonds sparkling fiercely in their platinum art deco setting.

"I thought you would wear them to the dinner you've been invited to with the President of the United States. Apparently, she's known we were here the whole time," He said, kissing her on the apple of her flushed, excited cheek. "I think they might pledge support- what support the States usually gives to anyone."

Hermione gasped, "You took the letter! I didn't see it!"

"I thought it would be a nice surprise," he answered, brushing feather light kisses along her cheek bones. "The invitation was for you, but I'm hoping you'll ask me to the ball like a giddy third year."

"You're sweet, Severus," Hermione nuzzled into him, the cool diamonds on his warm neck. "Of course you can go with me."

He smiled, "Good girl."

"That just about makes up for the whole of the day," Hermione giggled, pulling back from the warmth of his neck. "Help me take them out. I don't think they're Weasley dinner worthy."

His nimble fingers made quick work of them, laying the earrings back onto their velvet pad. "I'm glad you like them."

"Love them," she replied, kissing him soundly on the mouth. Hermione pulled back just a fraction, her breath mingling with his. "I-"

"I know."