Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or make any profit from this. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter, and she is amazing. Buy all her books.

A/N: Thank you so much for your response to the last chapter! So many took the time to read and share kind words. I'm immensely grateful. I know it was all flashback, but here are the answers we've been waiting for...

Chapter 37: Wakened

"It's the least you can do." Severus whispered. "You had better live, Hermione." He added dangerously. "You aren't going to make me do this alone." Survive. He wasn't supposed to survive, after all. Lily was supposed to live, not him. Harry was supposed to like, to kill Riddle and be the damned hero, not him. Hermione was young and bright and innocent. She was supposed to live and free elves and help muggles and all the weird little things her heart desired. What was he going to do?

What was he going to do?

"How is she?" Potter asked as he paced.

"There's no change." He admitted, his chest squeezing tighter. "You should be questioning that auror of yours!"

"May's in no shape to be questioned." Weasley said darkly, still staring at the floor from where he sat in his chair, hand on his mouth.

"You're not pitying her." Severus took his anger out on the younger man. Potter knew it, cutting him off.

"You know he's not." Potter snapped, not pausing his back and forth. "Just stop it."

Ron stared paled-faced at Snape for a moment seeming to formulate his words. When he did speak, it was very slowly. "You see that girl?" He indicated Hermione.

"I see no girl." Snape sneered.

"Right." Said Ron sarcastically. "That's our Hermione." He jabbed himself in the chest with his thumb. "Our Hermione. It wasn't you that saved her from the troll first year, or went and saw her every day she was in the hospital wing petrified! You weren't fighting by her side in the ministry when Sirius died or at Hogwarts when Dumbledore died. You didn't live with her for years or nearly die together a dozen times. We did. That was us. We loved her first. I loved her first." He voice cracked.

"Ron," Harry began softly.

"No, it's not fair." He shook his thick red hair. "She's not yours just because you decided to stop mocking her. She's our Hermione."

Severus nodded. "You hear your freckled friend, Hermione?" He said softly, knowing her friends could hear him in the otherwise silent room. "He's said something intelligent and you've missed it." He kissed her hand in his own, but it was still cool and limp. Her face was slack, though bandaged, not peaceful. She wasn't sleeping.

"My!" A breathless headmistress burst into the room at St. Mungos. He supposed in retrospect he should have summoned her. He had not been able to think of that when it happened. He had not been able to think at all.

Weasley too had crumpled when he barged in Black's family home. Though it was hard to recall anything from the moment, Severus believed the redhead was sobbing. Potter alone assessed the situation, clearing the house. He was the one who realized Hermione still had a faint pulse and took her to St. Mungo's, practically wrestling her from his arms. Weasley retrieved May once Potter explained that Severus would guard Hermione and that they would need May to find out what she had done.

May's wand revealed what spell had been cast. It wasn't a killing curse at least, nor was Hermione's, but what else had happened they could not know.

"Well, someone tell me what on earth has happened." Minerva looked at them each.

Severus remained hunched at Hermione's bedside, across from Ronald Weasley who sat in a chair at the foot of her bed on the opposite side. Between them and the headmistress was Harry Potter who had paused in his pacing and exchanged a glance with his best friend. Snape sighed, "It is unclear as of yet."

"May and Hermione dueled at my place." Potter explained. "We're not clear why."

At that moment, Severus stood, not letting go of Hermione's hand, as Minister Shaklebolt entered.

"Potter. You are needed at once. The Director asked me personally to come get you."

"I quit."

Severus even turned to Potter at that. Weasley stood slowly.

"Potter?" McGonagall was the first to recover.

"Sorry, Minister. I just—I don't want to do this." His hands were flat, pressing down towards the floor. He glanced around the room as he spoke each word as if he were looking at what he did not want to do. In a way, he was. Dueling was one thing; the daredevil inside him would never stop enjoying that electric moment. The aftermath, however, was unexpected and cold. It consisted of graves and sickbeds and narrow misses accompanied by lifelong scars.

And sometimes, the exhilaration died away in the still evenings and let in the fear, the questions, the second guessing. And other times, his intuition that something was about to happen was false and his senses we perked for nothing and heightened vigilance would never lower. It became like living inside a locked house, Severus knew. Potter could feel it happening, and surprisingly he was stopping it.

"I understand." Kingsley said. "But you and Weasley are needed at once at Azkaban for Malfoy Rex's conditional release."

Severus cringed. "Wonderful. When she wakes up, I'll get to tell her they released that lunatic."

"It can't be helped, which is why we need our best men there." Kingsley said calmly.

Harry nodded reluctantly, glancing at Severus. The taller man nodded in the affirmative. He would not leave Hermione alone. McGonagall was watching him, not bothering to hide her question. For the moment, Severus ignored her.

Ron shook his head no, not wanting to leave.

"We'll go and come back." Potter announced, seeming to speak to them both.

Weasley reluctantly followed.

"Severus." Kingsley acknowledged. Snape returned it, retaking his seat at the bedside. Hermione had not stirred.

Minerva approached, gapping at him. He did not respond. "Severus?" She asked quietly.

He gathered his thoughts, or tried to, but they were fluttering too wildly to capture, flittering with his heartbeat. Even in the midst of the chaos- her friends voices arguing his own pleading- Hermione would not move. Her chest barely rose and fell with breath. He had been so sure when he found her…so sure she was gone. Perhaps it was his memory playing tricks on him, he was ashamed to say, but she still looked gone...

"Severus, what is the meaning of this?" Her voice wasn't outraged. It was beseeching. She did not want to believe it was true, not after how she had laughed at the rumors, defended him, let them meet again and again, barely clad late at night. He had, as far as she knew, betrayed his vow as a teacher at least in thought. He had betrayed them all, Albus, Lily...

He forced his eyes closed slowly, his face still not turning away from his former student. He was silent again for a while.

"Headmistress, I will not be returning to school right away. Would you be so kind to make arrangements for my classes and I shall send word to you at once when there is any improvement with Miss Granger."

"When? So, so she will be alright?"

"Yes." He replied too forcefully. "She will be fine." He added quietly, rubbing her hand the way her had during their lessons.

"Severus." Minerva's voice was quiet but firm at Hermione's other side. She gently stroked the young woman's other her hand. She was her student, her house. And what a golden pupil she had been even before she was a little hero. Of course McGonagall loved her too. "What exactly is she to you?" She asked him, though it was not a question, not really. It was a request for the truth at last.

The woman's presence was enough to make him swallow hard before replying. He answered honestly. "I don't know."

She said nothing. He did not glance up to see her frown unapprovingly, to see her eyes dark with disappointment. He put Hermione's hand to rest on his forehead, sighing, draining his energy with holding back emotions fighting each other to escape first. "I don't know." He repeated quietly.

Minerva nodded, leaving it for later given the circumstances. "Whatever she is, whatever happens, send me word immediately. I must return to the school. Tell her when she wakes that I was here."

He glanced up at her note of hopefulness and received her nod as she left, only bowing his own head in return. He knew he should feel more shame than he did. It would come later. For now, all her felt was worry. All he felt was fear.

Hermione's eyes flickered open. "Welcome back." Someone murmured in her ear.

Immediately she sprang up from where she had fallen, her hand feeling around frantically for her wand. She registered the scene around her had changed, but she responded as fast as she could, reaching for an object on a table at her side. She wrapped her bandaged fingers around it and slung it forcefully into the face of her attacker.

Strong hands captured her wrists. She grunted and shouted in her fury, struggling to escape the grasp of someone with a serpent tattooed on their arm—a dark mark.

"Hermione!" A deep voice bellowed, holding her aching body down on a bed. Wait. A bed. Her eyes snapped up to make contact with two black ones. A familiar face watched her. "Please calm down. You'll injure yourself."

She froze, Severus hovering over her. "You're in St. Mungo's." He explained at once, just as she needed. "We found you. You appeared to have dueled with the auror girl and destroyed most of Black's home." He stopped as he watched the emotions flitter through her face.

She covered her mouth in horror.

"I didn't kill her did I?" Hermione said breathless. "I didn't kill her did I?"

He couldn't answer honestly it seemed. Luckily, he did not have to as Weasley ran into the room.

"She's awake?" He demanded of Snape at once.

"She just woke up." He explained. Normally, she would have protested being talked about as if she weren't there, but she did not care, ripping off her sheets and struggling to sit up, stand.

"She wasn't herself!" She hurried to explain. She hoped May was not in Azkaban or worse. "She wasn't responding properly. She was trying to subdue me. I tried so hard to stun her, fend her off… please tell me she's okay, Ron, please." She begged.

"Get back into bed, Hermione." Severus told her without patience.

"I have to—"

"Now!" He snapped as he would have if she were in third year. She jumped. "Please." He added, his arm extended guiding her back.

Ron watched, catching his breath. "He's right, Hermione. You need to sit down. Both of you." He summoned himself a glass of water.

"Where's Harry?" She asked fearfully.

"Gone."

"Gone?!"

"Um, away. He's chasing Rex, but I don't think he's going to catch up to him…"

"He went after him?" Hermione asked, afraid Harry had jumped to that action with her in hospital.

"Let me explain," Ron swallowed. "Okay. We were at Azkaban to escort Rex and Malfoy safely from the prison, but as they were at the exit, Harry noticed they exchanged a look. Then, Malfoy knew Rex's first name. Rex should have never met Malfoy Senior and Malfoy certainly should not have known a Gryffindor younger than his own son by name… Malfoy wasn't allowed a paper, of course, and his correspondence were monitored...so Harry jumped into action at once, but Rex was prepared."

"How?" She asked.

"I'll get to that. There was a fight, but it was fast. Rex escaped, but Malfoy was stopped." He struggled. "By D-Draco." Severus' eyes went wide.

"Draco?" Hermione was confused.

Ron just nodded, as shocked as they all were. "Apparently, Lucius had been plotting with Rex and Carrow unbeknownst to his son."

"But how? From Azkaban?"

"Through his wife and her family." He answered. "Three guesses where Rex's mother went to school."

"Bueaxbatons." Hermione breathed.

"That's what we were doing right before we got your message." He explained. "We had just got word she had been a student there when Narcissa was. May had to move then, knowing we were going to get the records about Moody killing Rex's mother. Turns out, Rex's mum was a collector of cursed objects. The ministry had been trying to destroy some of them for ages, seized others as 'artifacts of important magical and historical significance.' Riddle valued the objects too, their old magic. Riddle had traded with her family before, possibly for one of his Horcrux objects. He probably knew of her family through his work at Borgin and Burkes. It was rumored Rex's grandfather began a collection that included Ravenclaw's Lost Diadem he'd found in Albania. Three guesses what Riddle may have traded for that."

Hermione looked on in curiosity, her eyes and ears open. "The Slytherin ring."

"That would have been very appealing to Riddle, that ring, which explains why he would have had it." Severus spoke slowly. "But he would have traded anything for that diadem. Then he'd need Gaunt's ring… That would be even more valuable to him."

Ron nodded. "So two collectors wanted to protect powerful magical objects, it was not hard for Riddle later to convince Rex's mother to help him in some way, even help hide his horcruxes since her family's hiding places and her own skill at concealment charms was, apparently, world famous. After our first year, the Malfoys contacted her to retrieve Riddle's diary from her family's protection. See, Rex's family was the diary's original safe keeping place. The Malfoys offered to trade the Gryffindor ring for it."

"Why would Malfoy have a Grffyindor ring?" Hermione inquired, puzzled.

"It was originally supposed to be deadliest to Slytherins while the Slytherin one was most deadly to Gryffindors, hence the reversal when they sent them to you. The legend, really only told in Slytherin House says that,"

Severus picked up the story, each word rising with realization. "The rings were made to sow discord amongst the founders, appearing to be gifts which would actually hurt the recipients. While the victims would be bright and powerful enough to survive, death was not the true objective. Following an argument between Salazar and Godric, the ring was sent to Slytherin as if an apology gift from Gryffindor, but Godric denied sending it. It's blamed for their falling out, Salazar leaving. I'd almost forgotten because it an old fable and no description of the ring was in it." He explained, eyes on Hermione.

"Right." Said Ron. "Malfoy told us the Gryffindor ring went missing from his home after his first year- same time the diary popped up. No one talked about it. It was raid of dark objects where Rex's mother was killed by Moody—at Borgain and Burkes actually; turns out that's how the cabinet was broken. So to Rex, she was just innocent and brilliant. His father did not understand at all…"

She felt no pity for him, surprisingly. "So Rex plotted this?"

"Rex and maybe his mother's side of the family, related by Narcissa's marriage to Malfoys and the Blacks, Narcissa's father's side, who had the other two rings. Rex wanted them eventually. He was probably going to trade, Draco figures. Once Rex got caught, he enlisted Narcissa Malfoy's help with the promise of getting Lucius out of prison with his plot. Draco Malfoy figured it out when he found the other two specially ordered boxes in Malfoy Manor, and he came prepared to the release too.

"It was all planned, see?" Ron ran a hand through his hair. "Carrow attacked in broad daylight because of Narcissa Malfoy's tip. He was supposed to get taken so Malfoy could get out of Azkaban for assisting us with the capture and Rex could get out for being compelled by Carrow. Mrs. Malfoy used Carrow, must have promised him something… or someone."

"But why would Carrow agree to that attack?"

"May doesn't remember much, as she was under imperious- you were right, Hermione- but Snape was able to recover some of the memory. Carrow alone attacked her, waiting for you. That's why she claimed there were two of them; Carrow made her believe that to throw off suspicion. But he did not kill her. An auror was too valuable; he used her to get closer to us all."

"Why not just kill me when he attacked in Diagon Alley?"

"He may have been trying to," Ronald shrugged. "He may not have been in on the whole plan." Ron suggested. "If he was working for Mrs. Malfoy or Rex, he may have been under an order not to kill you, or Rex knew the chances of you surviving, especially with us all there, were good. He knew you were a brilliant witch, Hermione." She supposed it was a compliment. "Considering the rings were not deadly, Rex's attack, the articles… We think Rex has been trying to ruin your reputation and agitate you into a state of... he doesn't want to kill you,"

"He wants to destroy her." Severus finished.

"Once we were closing in on their plot, though, May was forced to act fast. She delivered the rings to Narcissa Malfoy, who was controlling her then—May was supposed to be meeting her for information while we snuck the files. May spelled the house and attacked you."

"But why?"

"We can't be sure of the entire plan, but Malfoy's was to get himself, Carrow, and Rex out of Azkaban. Two were going to walk free today unless we connected them first. But when we left, we had no solid evidence and couldn't string it all together, not until Harry saw their little exchange and snapped. They came prepared for Harry's jump. Rex's lawyer was able to get their wands in, and Narcissa gave hers to her husband in the chaos."

"Umbridge." Hermione said through gritted teeth.

Ron nodded. "In the fight...everything was happening so fast and she, well, she was kissed by dementors." No one spoke for a moment. Hermione would not wish this on anyone, but it still seemed she had finally gotten what she had coming. The woman had too many second chances, and each time she chose to become more deplorable. Ron went on, "Now Harry's under investigation but so is Rex..." He frowned in confusion. "It's a bloody mess. They are playing the victim, as usual." He spat. "Saying Harry's unstable and attacked for no reason, which I guess it could have looked like..." He trailed off, brow creased in worry. He shook it off.

"It seems May was supposed to deliver you to Carrow and the rings to Rex, through Narcissa's control, effectively paying them both for getting her husband out of prison. It didn't work. I stopped Carrow from escaping in the midst of it all," Ron said with pleasure. "Draco got his father, and Harry went after Rex. But he's left the country along with Narcissa Malfoy. I don't know when Harry will come back." He looked dejectedly at the floor. "You know Harry."

"So Rex wanted revenge, but he also wanted the rings. Why? Stupid family legacy? Why throw away Hogwarts, give up his future, everything for those rings? They aren't even lethal."

"It was your last year there, his only chance, his only way to get to you and thereby Potter, me, and Snape, muggles- everyone. He'd learned everything he thought he needed already from school." Ron shrugged. He was right. McGonagall had said Rex was ahead in his studies, gifted.

"Draco reckons it was more than that. He wanted to hurt you, but he wanted to do it in a way that destroyed your image with it, make you look mad, tarnish all muggle borns, the golden trio and everything you'd been standing up for in the magazine… knowing he'd get taken, what defense he'd use and who he would get to present it... which newspaper writers to buy off… which Death Eater's to get to help. He planned the whole thing, played everyone. He wanted to show, Draco says, he could outwit everybody, and he sort of did. Remind you of anyone?"

And it did. Severus was silent, his expression dark.

It reminded her of another young half-blood who lost his mother, someone itching for revenge and obsessed with pureblood heritage, dark magic, and his own underappreciated brilliance. Someone cruel and young and talented. Someone dead.

It was a beautiful plan, she had to admit, intricate and delicate as a spider's web. Rex had wanted to torment her, make her look crazy, hurt her but not go to Azkaban for life for his crimes. But when he found the rings in trying to do that, he wanted them too. So was born a new plan that included manipulating the press, the ministry, and death eaters. Even if he had to set up the sexual assault scene and put on his mudslinging defense to do it, and even if Carrow accidentally killed her, Rex would ruin Hermione in one way or another and walk free with his family inheritance.

Malfoy was played because she only wanted Lucius out of prison. Carrow was played because he wanted revenge on the trio, possibly to use her a lure for Snape, the traitor, but he couldn't use Malfoy's help for that because Narcissa wanted to avoid prison... Even if May could not bring her in, Hermione Granger would only leave the attack dead or a killer of an auror, and no one would ever learn the whole story…

But Rex did not get everything he wanted. Hermione was free. Severus was free. And the new, young enemy was clearly afraid of Harry. Rex was forced to leave with his rings, Harry on his tail. But his family was known for their resources and their concealment charms, and if he'd planned all that in the span of months, how long would he have to plot his next move?

Ginny and Luna were quick to visit her, even the Headmistress dropped by, but Hermione was anxious to be on her feet again. She had things that needed to be done, she insisted. Though Severus and Luna assured her everything could be handled without her for a while on the publications and both Weasleys – Ginny and Ron—kept repeating school did not start for weeks, she had other plans in the making. Luckily, Bill, George and Mr. Welling came by, and she was able to quietly assimilate her references and a hatch a plan. She had a meeting with a Gringotts loan officer she could not afford to miss, so preying on their paranoia, she convinced Severus and her friends she was a sitting duck target at St. Mungos and could recuperate at Grim.

As Hermione was finally being released, May was taking a turn in the hall, regaining her strength with the help of Ron and Neville. It was a pitiful sight, a fit young woman leaning on two men to walk a few feet.

The moment was awkward when the saw each other at the end of the hall, just in passing. Ron stood stock still. Severus angled his body in between them. Neville scowled, looking from one to the other. May looked meekly to Hermione. Her mouth was open as if she wanted to say something, but she closed it.

Hermione pushed past Snape with one arm and went directly to her. Everyone was on edge, but they need not be. May put up no defenses, just managed to blurt: "Hermione, I'm—" before Hermione hugged her. "So Sorry." They said at once.

Hermione could feel the eyes on her as keenly as she felt her own sappy embarrassment, but she did not care. There was nothing so emotional as relief, and it was so thick it could have spilled from her veins. She thought she had killed someone, someone trapped in their own mind and body, having lost total control. Though if she had killed someone face to face it would have bothered her regardless of who it was, that possibility was somehow even more monstrous.

May hugged her back for a second, then looked into Hermione's shied face for reason. "Well, I suppose we can be friends now." Hermione smiled.

May laughed. "Sure. With friends like these, who needs enemies?"

A/N: So I realize Ron's story was kind of all over the place. I was trying to make it clear while still telling it in that confused, fresh, Ronald way. Hope it all made sense. What did you think of Umbridge's fate, etc.? And what is next for Severus and Hermione? Please take a second to review! Depending on how many are reading or reviewing during this busy time, I may be posting the final chapters for Christmas or I can post a chapter for Christmas and then end it for New Years! It's entirely up to you all.

Yours,

Elsie