A/N: Look no author's note. How weird is that! Oh! But, I will say thank you, on the whole, for all the support, emails, reviews, kudos and bookmarks. It's humbling and lovely and if anyone wants a chat, drop me a PM or something, I'll get right back to you. Being physically distant doesn't mean you have to be emotionally and mentally distant. We're a solid bunch of lovely people so don't hesitate, if you want to. A few already have and I'm enjoying conversing with my new friends immensely.

I knew it was too good to be true. Obviously I spoke too soon.

As always, Spin is my rock. We're the dream team dearest.

For disclaimer, please see Ch2.

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Hermione heard them arguing from her new room. How could she not? To be honest, she almost felt comforted by it. Her parents had been volatile people. Never towards her, but they were passionate for sure. So much so that she wasn't a stranger to finding them in compromising positions. Making out on the sofa, she grimaced, or worse. She laughed out loud.

How time had changed her life. How stupid she had been in her youth to imagine it all being perfectly planned out. She tried to get back to her thoughts, but she couldn't. Standing with a huff of frustration, she went to the window and looked out over the grounds. She wondered, absently, what Ginny had told Harry and just hoped that she'd kept her mouth shut otherwise.

It was one thing, Harry, letting her in on the Horcruxes. She could help with that, even if Dumbledore wanted it to be a big secret. But it was quite another to tell everyone that she'd tried to kill a fellow student.

She traced a raindrop down the window and hugged herself tightly, leaning against the stonework. It was exhausting being strong. She wouldn't cry though. There was no emotion left to cry anymore. Life was more messed up than was possible to straighten. She was, truly, on her own.

"Miss Granger?" She spun, blinking at Professor Dumbledore's presence. Her eyes darted behind him, looking for Minerva, but he smiled sadly. "Just us."

"That's fine, sir," she murmured.

"Sit, my dear," he said kindly, though the twinkle had gone from his eyes.

"I'll stand, thank you," she replied, clasping her hands together at her front. "Are they coming to get me today?"

"You seem very eager to leave, Miss Granger," he said pensively. "Prison is not a place you should wish to go."

"I do not wish to go, Headmaster," Hermione spat, forgetting herself for a moment. "I deserve to go there."

"No," he said, holding up his hand when she opened her mouth to continue. "No, you do not. And you will not be going anywhere. You will especially not be going to Azkaban."

She gaped at him.

"What do you mean? I nearly killed her!"

"And then you saved her life, and frankly, her behaviour towards you this last six months has been tantamount to emotional torture, Miss Granger. Her accusations were baseless and designed to cause a reaction. To hurt you. She has done nothing but continually attack you for months," he sighed.

"That's not an excuse! I'm stronger than that bitch!"

"I know," he said quietly. "On both accounts. But I have seen how you have been caring for Minerva. I have seen how you care for her in ways that are not so obvious and how you take care of Harry when I put him through so much. I have seen the way you love and I would give my wife the world," he whispered. "You already know, clearly, that we are married." He paused as she nodded. "Has Minerva told you that I will likely not last the year?"

"Not outright," Hermione said quietly. "I had hoped that I was wrong."

She watched as he chuckled.

"It is my understanding that you are very rarely wrong, Miss Granger."

She ignored the compliment and stared at him.

"So what, you're just letting me off?"

"No," he said, looking slightly more stern than he had a minute ago. "I am merely not reporting it to the Ministry. Miss Weasley, I have no doubt when I speak with her, will keep your secret and Miss Brown will wake up none the wiser."

"Madam Pomfrey saved her?" Hermione asked, needing clarification.

"Rather her husband, Healer Pomfrey, the Head Healer of St Mungo's Surgical department."

"But he did?"

"He did," he chuckled, a twinkle in his eye for barely a moment. "William McGonagall is the best healer St Mungo's has had in many years."

"Wait, William Pomfrey?" she stared at him. "Min-" she cleared her throat. "Professor McGonagall's brother? Married Madam Pomfrey?"

"Indeed, nearly forty years ago now, but that is not what is important. What is important is that Miss Brown will wake up with a few new scars but no memory of the incident."

"A memory charm?"

"Your idea," he admitted.

She sat, her teeth worrying her bottom lip until she looked up.

"I don't like the idea of that," she admitted. "If you need to expel me, you can. I'll be okay. I'll keep helping Harry wherever I can."

"You are a bizarre child," he muttered, sounding frustrated. "I have offered you a way out repeatedly and yet you insist on the full weight of the law being brought down upon you."

"I did the wrong thing," Hermione shrugged. "I, of all people, should have known better."

"For all your maturity, Hermione Granger, you are still a child," Minerva's voice said gently but firmly from the doorway. "If we are laying blame, it should firmly be at my feet. I should have destroyed that book years ago."

"Most of your spells are sound," Hermione grumbled. "You warned the reader that the spell was for enemies," she shrugged. "I forgot to take into account that some people grow up in a time of war far more apparent than the one we are fighting. So that when one says enemies, they actually mean it. I am to blame. Not you."

"Nevertheless," Albus sighed, waving Minerva's argument away. "You will stay in the castle."

"I can't go back there," Hermione warned. "I can't see her -"

"No, you won't," Albus nodded. "If Minerva has no objections, you will stay here."

"Of course," Minerva nodded, her hand resting on his shoulder. Hermione thought it a bit sweet. Knowing about and seeing their relationship were two very different things, even considering the circumstances.

"You will go to your lessons, and then you will come back here. Effectively, I am suspending you indefinitely from everything except your lessons and as you no longer have guardians, I will nominate Minerva to be so."

"What?" Minerva asked, looking between them. "What are you talking about?"

Hermione's stomach dropped.

"Um -"

"I shall let Miss Granger fill you in. But if you are not opposed?"

"No, of course not," Minerva said immediately, despite the obvious confusion on her face. "But you're -"

Professor Dumbledore took her hand and squeezed it as Hermione apologised with a look. After thinking about it for a moment, she realised that if that was to be the only way, then it was a sound plan.

"It makes sense," Hermione nodded. "May I have my things?'

"Your wand will be released to you on a case by case basis only, otherwise, Minerva will keep it under lock and key. You will dine here, you will sleep here and you are banned from leaving the castle."

"That's more than fair Professor, thank you."

They stared at each other for a beat longer, before Minerva patted Professor Dumbledore's shoulder.

"I will fetch Miss Granger's things," Minerva muttered.

"Professor," Hermione called, drawing Minerva back to the doorway.

"Yes?"

"The trunk is warded, so you'll have to cancel the spell. The password is 'braces'," Minerva gave her a look. Hermione shrugged. "It's a Muggle dentistry term. You'll have to pack things by hand as there's an enchantment on the inside, it will also be impossible to shrink, so you'll have to banish it, or get one of the elves to bring it."

Minerva stared at her for a moment.

"Anything else?" she said incredulously.

"Oh, yes and you'll need to tap the third brick from the left bedpost. The book is in there," she winced.

"Stop," Professor Dumbledore said dangerously, stopping Minerva as she turned to leave. His voice made Hermione shiver. "Was that brick already loose? Or did you create a compartment in the wall?"

"Um, I created one?" Hermione frowned. "Well, I just took a brick out. There's a space in the wall anyway. I needed somewhere that nobody could get to. I was not so stupid as to share it with anyone. Not even Harry, though he did see the book when I first discovered the notes."

Albus looked up at Minerva, who couldn't seem to take her eyes off Hermione. The silence lasted long enough that she began to get worried.

"Professors?"

"I will explain later," Minerva said crisply. "You," she touched Professor Dumbledore's good arm. "Should check on everything," she looked at him pointedly. "Then check in with Miss Weasley. And don't forget to release the students from the Hall."

He nodded, glancing again at Hermione before moving to the doorway.

"Do not test my patience, Miss Granger," he warned, and in that moment she saw the reason Voldemort was so afraid of him.

"I won't," Hermione promised. "I swear."

He nodded once and left her, closing the door as he did. She would be without a wand, but it mattered little to her. There was plenty to do that did not require one. And, she reasoned, it was the perfect time to practice some wandless magic.