5th Year Part Eight: Chapter 26

"Love is giving someone the power to destroy you… but trusting them not to."

~.O.~

Hermione sat on the counter of Grimmauld Place looking up to Severus who stood in front of her, having just told her the Headmaster had ordered him to give Harry Occlumency lessons. The hands behind his neck played with his hair absently.

"Does the Dark Lord know of this?"

He raises on dark eyebrow at her, "He has been informed. And he has also ordered me to teach Potter to close his mind to outside attacks to the best of my ability." It was then Hermione's turn to then raise her own brow in imitation of his own actions, prompting him to continue with his explanation before she spilled into confusion, "You know just as well as I that in order to properly learn Occlumency you must weaken the mind in order to build up stronger defenses. The Dark Lord's hope is that this newfound bond between him and the boy is something he can explore without him knowing, the extent of their all confounding mind- link. If he somehow manages to build up decent enough defenses to lock him out, he has every confidence in you to find out any useful information from the boy."

Hermione pinches the skin on the back of his neck and twists while nodding at his words, knowing how fun he had in underhandedly disparaging Harry's intellectual capabilities without her holding his hand. It had often been on her mind of the connection between the Dark Lord and Harry, never completely leaving her thoughts even when occupied with other things. If it had something to do with the prophecy the Dark Lord so wanted held within his pale hands. Such as Severus' large ones rubbing up and down the length of her thighs as he did in this moment in an effort to pull her from her tendencies to worry about anything and everything all hours of the day.

Her breath stained his lips as he watched her eyes flicker between his own eyes and mouth, cocking his head to the side, "You trust me, girl?" he asked, although it was phrased as more of an assertion than an actual question.

Her smiled up at him slightly confusedly, her thoughts having successfully been clouded with lust for the man who held her in his arms. "I love you, Severus. I think it is kind of implied that I trust you after everything we have been through."

She gazed up to him with such simple truth as he looked down to her young face, Severus couldn't help but love his girl all that much more for granting him such a complete trust as no one else had ever given him before.

"Then trust me when I say we will find what the connection between Potter and the Dark Lord means, what exactly the prophecy means."

Hermione smiled against his lips, "I know we will, Severus." She said before firmly pressing her mouth to his in confirmation of her belief in him, and further clouding her mind with thoughts of him and not war time plots and questions.

Severus pulled her to him with his fingers digging into her pelvic bone, causing her to gasp loudly as her chest pressed flush against his tightly buttoned up one. Her hips bumping against his which set off a line of fire moving slowly along his spine in an anticipatory sort of pleasure, his manly length hardening between their bodies. Just as Hermione's hand slipped beneath his trousers, wrapping around him with the thought of being caught making their little tryst all that much more enticing, they heard light footsteps on the other side of the kitchen door. The girl groaned lowly against his mouth, echoing his silent thoughts as she jumped away from him to a respectable distance away. He admired her slightly heavy breathing and stained cheeks as she calmly as could be with a shaking hand slid him a cup of steaming tea just as Sirius padded into the room.

"I will get Harry for you, Professor." She told him, choosing to once again ignore the fact that Sirius was looking all too closely between herself and the dark man she left leaning against the counter beside the teapot.

Sirius saw a perfect opportunity to finally get to end of the mystery that was the relationship between Hermione Granger and Severus Snape. For years he had been watching, waiting to figure out how exactly a man such as Snivellus had become so close to his godson's best friend. The beautiful girl who was practically the sister Lily and James never had the chance of conceiving. Now, as he watched the other man stare blankly at him, he sniffed the air and inhaled simply Hermione permeating the air around the other man.

"I can smell her all over you," he growled lowly in his chest, the scent of female arousal all too appealing to his animagus form that had a tendency to take over at times. As was the price in becoming part animal. An itch forming beneath his skin that could only be scratched by two things, finding his own female that surely wasn't the one whose smell was still within his nose, or clawing the man in front of him whose own scent could still be scented to the lowest degree under the girl's. Tainting the pureness of it all… It appealed to the territorial side of him, the one that called to protect those who he considered his own even if they did not return the sentiment. The simple fact that Harry considered the girl his family automatically called for her to be under his familial protection regardless of anything else.

Long ago, when he had talked over the man and girl's close relationship with Remus, the werewolf simply told him to let it go. But he could not if the darker man insisted on walking around smelling in such a way as he was now. Flaunting an absolutely revolting relationship with a young girl who was supposed to be under his charge. It mattered little that they both seemed to wear masks of emotion he had only ever seen once more before years ago, an expression that graced the likes of Lily and James Potter whenever they looked to the other when they thought no one else was watching.

Severus continued his silence at Sirius' simple observation, knowing full well that Hermione's scent was no doubt clinging to every inch of him with her potent scent he himself could smell no matter how used to it he became.

"Trying to rock the cradle, Snivellus?" Sirius tried goading the man out of his stoic silence, his temper slowly rising as he got no reaction. "Wanting to tell your other Death Eater mates about how you are corrupting Harry Potter's best friend right beneath his nose?" His face was flushed red around the parts of his beard that was not covering his cheeks, "Do you really think she loves you? How could a young thing like that love someone as old and horrible looking as you?"

As Sirius continued to get no rise out of him he tried a different tactic, and if his suspicions were correct, he knew exactly how the other man would react even if he was the epitome of calm and cool in this instance. It was exactly something that would set even himself off at the merest hint of it. His wand slid from his holster on his forearm. Severus sliding his own in retaliation within the same moment he saw the other man's begin to peak out from his sleeve, and stood as he waited for the next words to come out of his mouth that would no doubt be just as ridiculous as his previous attempts to disparage him. But the dark man was wrong, utterly wrong in this assumption as the man turned the subject on himself in all the absolute right words that would cause Severus to live in a sea of fire veiling his vision.

"I heard what you were doing with her, you think she'd let me make her gasp like that? Rub against her like the dog that I am?" The Azkaban escapee's grin was slightly wolvish, even as inside his head warning bells began ringing throughout his little goading of a man who already hated him once he saw the already still man stop breathing. His chest going as still as the rest of him once his eyes began to glow, thus Sirius was filled with silent steadily climbing horror and absolute terror one he caught sight of the spy's teeth and fingernails sharpening to points right before his eyes.

He had gone too far… familial possessive tendencies held no coin when put up against the call of a male protecting his female's virtue… and his own instincts to rip out the one's throat who had threatened what was their's...

Severus resisted the urge to shift into his soul form, as if that were his true body rather than the human skin he now inhabited. Much like what Sirius was feeling in response to the threat he had created against himself. A feline- like growl rising within Severus' chest, he stalked the other man across the room until he cornered himself with a wall at his back and a territorial angry male in front of him. Light footsteps descending the stairs followed by heavier ones just in time was the last straw to Severus regaining his control, the scent of his girl getting closer to him calming him enough to pull back his clawed hands from Sirius' submissively bared throat. Though Sirius could see that they had hesitated slightly even then.

He rasped his only words to the dog cowering in front of him before the two children entered the room, "You ever speak in such a way about her again, and I will let her rip out your throat herself."

Sirius utterly believed the truth behind those last words, his eyes flicking towards the girl who had paused momentarily with Harry in the doorway as it was obvious they had interrupted yet another argument between the two older men. Although, he could not see the small girl harming even a fly, he could not disparage the truth and promise in Severus' voice. The children entered the room having no idea how close they were to simply encountering Severus simply standing above the bloody form of an eviscerated body.

Hermione showed no concern as to her own being as she closed the few steps it took to stand beside Severus, blocking his clawed hands from Harry's view. Her little hands grabbed those black nailed hands with no hesitation while Sirius quickly composed his body once again, noting the way the girl's nose flared slightly at the scent of fear staining the air along with her eyes glowing in much a similar way to Severus' still anger filled ones.

He had forgotten… she was an animagus too… albeit a small one, but even the smallest of creatures need only the sharpest nails and powerful legs to reach a man's more vulnerable parts…

"Everything alright in here?" Harry asked, keeping his position in the doorway.

The Black family heir ducked away from the couple and closer to his godson, airily lying his arse off as he straightened his immaculate coat, "Everything good in here, Harry."

Harry looked at his godfather with a shadow of disbelief crossing his face before turning back to Hermione and the professor, and as he was so used to seeing their closeness, found no fault with it this day in such a way that Sirius did.

"Hermione said you wanted to see me, Professor Snape?" he had to keep his manners after all no matter the situation, Hermione insisted upon it.

From then on, Sirius took special care to avoid the more temperamental of animagi inhabiting his home for the duration of Yule break, and felt absolute relief once the both of them eventually left to return to Hogwarts. Though the road had been rough and sharp, he now learned his lesson about letting his own feelings and jealousies of missed opportunities he could have had rule his life. Remus had been right in his assertions. As always. His sole purpose from now until the war was over, was to take care that Harry survived even at the expense of himself.

~.O.~

Hermione's bracelet, for the first time since gifting Severus and herself with their own connected Protean charms, began to heat up when Hermione was on the brink of sleep just days after Severus' encounter with Sirius who had been avoiding the both of them as if they had the plague. Her love would not tell her of what had caused him such anger at the other man, but knowing how the other man could light Severus' anger like no other, she did not even hazard a guess as to what it had been this time. Getting up silently with only the soft rustle of sheets indicating her midnight venture, Ginny's low breathing remained unchanged as Hermione pulled on her dressing gown. Closing the door behind her, she cast a light lumos to reveal Severus' one-word message.

Downstairs

The word faded until only her initial remained once again as she quickly made her way down the stairs, bare feet making no sound as it stepped lightly on the thickly carpeted wood. Severus stood in the dark as in mimicking a spectre, dressed in shadow black robes marking him as the Death Eater that he was, although he was absent his bone mask that gave way to expose the anxious look in his eye completely uncharacteristic of him. She could see only the barest hints on what he felt in his tight shoulders even with her enhanced vision as he suddenly grabbed her to push her lower back against the couch he stood next to. Then proceeding to kiss her until she was dizzy and short of breath before pulling back to cage her in his arms, his hands sliding to either side of her hips in order to grip the couch back and place his forehead against her own.

Her own hands ran up the length of his arms to rest on his shoulders, gripping the loose fabric of the robes, "What is wrong, Severus?"

"The Dark Lord has ordered us to free the prisoners residing within Azkaban," his voice was low as can be while his eyes remained closed, Hermione entering that certain state of complete stone- like stillness where she could feel every pulse point in her body.

He has truly gone mad this time… truly mad…

"For what reason?" her voice choked out, Neville suddenly coming to the forefront of her mind. Bellatrix Lestrange and several others involved in the breaking of the boy's parent's minds currently resided within the prison, and she just knew it would break something in the sweet boy if this foolish plan were to be played out. "He has promised that this war will not result in the same casualties as the last, what could he possibly accomplish in freeing those horrible people? The people who might as well have killed Neville's parents?"

Severus looked at her with something like pity in his eyes, and Hermione just knew how naive and foolish she herself sounded in that moment. How her hopful tone was that of a child's and not the learned woman she was becoming. It had always been a half- hearted hope that the Dark Lord would make good on his word that he would not result to the previous violence over a decade ago, but even she knew how impatient he could still become when confronted with something he could not get his hands on. His main goal at this point being the obtaining of the prophecy, his actions regarding Arthur and his wounds were the epitome of impatience and recklessness. Just as his actions in deciding to try his very best in killing an infant with no magical power had been his undoing all those years ago.

She interrupted Severus before he could tell her himself how exactly like a child's her words sounded, "I know how that sounds, you don't need to tell me. It was stupid."

He nodded slightly before answering her question, "I believe that he means to simply build up his resources and regain those who were under his control back where they are exactly in that position once more. Under his control, and if need be, they will be there in case he does need to resort to force to find the prophecy."

Hermione breathed deeply through her nose, "He honestly puts way too much stock in prophecies, Severus." She paused in thought before continuing, "Do you believe that Bellatrix will be a problem? With how high her position with the Dark Lord had been, do you think his attachment to her will change our positions in his circle?"

He chuckled softly, drawing up her chin to look in his eyes from where they had been focused on his frock buttons that she still loved running her fingers over just as much as when she had been a child. "I believe that you have taken that most coveted position from her, girl. If anything, I believe that her severe obsession with the Dark Lord will cause issue with her position rather than ours if I remember her temperament correctly. She can at times be so consumed with love for the Dark Lord that I would hazard he would not take kindly to her disparaging your character or place within his heart. In any case, I would think the love he now has for you overshadows what he once felt for a woman he has not seen since her mind had been slightly more sane that I am sure it is now."

Hermione chuckled at his words, the sound becoming caught in her throat as he moved her chin up further in order to lick the length of her neck as he had want to do whenever he sought to distract her from her worries. Which was becoming all too often, although she could not bring herself to complain.

Using all the necessary wiles within his arsenal to distract her as a true Slytherin would…

"So, you admit now I am the one that has protected us by gaining the Dark Lord's love? That it was a necessary evil." It had weighed on Severus' mind she knew that she had bound the powerful man to her in an altogether different way than he had ever been before, she knew it bothered him the way their master touched his love, even as he stayed silent with impassive ever- watchful eyes.

Severus brought up the hand that held the stone ring the Dark Lord had given her, placing it right before his lips to allow his breath to wash over the smooth surface as he continued to run their conversation into a morbid route. "Ever since the Dark Lord has been resurrected, you have been the only thing that has kept me from being dead and buried in the ground I am sure." The gifted ring seemed to pulse with his words, the crack it had boasted when it was gifted to her having somehow mended itself. "We both know by now that he has never been as sane as he is now with you guiding him along, exploiting the love he has for you. Even if at time he falls back on impulsiveness."

Hermione was silent as she ripped her hand from him only to clasp the other behind his neck in an all too familiar pose, her throat feeling as if it would close up forever with the thought of a dead and glassy eyed Severus who held such passion in his stoic body. Such as her love for him, she could never imagine what her life would be absent his person from only such a short time together, as opposed the hundred or so more years they could have together. Even with this suffocating feeling surrounding her heart, she did have to admit a certain satisfaction in the obvious joy in which he had said his previous words of her manipulations concerning the Dark Lord.

"I love you, Severus. More than anything."

He purred his sentiments back into her ear, "I love you too, girl."

All the while, as the two loves wrapped themselves around each other for a stolen moment in the darkness, the ring upon Hermione's slim finger seemed to pulse in happiness, basking in the happiness of the man and woman.

..

All the while, as Hermione and Severus talk in secret whispers and exchange nighttime kisses, Sirius Black sat obliviously within the kitchen in Grimmauld Place, contemplating his thoughts.

Severus left to finally get what sleep he could before the early Order meeting in the morning, knowing that he would need to take care to mention the impending breakout, knowing he would need as much rest as possible to deal with the blowup that would no doubt occur. Although Hermione abhorred the thought of breaking out the volatile Death Eaters from Azkaban and would have rather hoped the side of the light would be able to prevent the escape, she had to admit any attempts to do so would fail. Even as the Dark Lord had decided against using the soul suckers as trusted allies in result of them disobeying orders with Harry during the summer to not hold grudges, he made a leap of faith to allowing their discretion in turning the other way in regards to the breakout.

In her distracted mind, it wasn't until she had already procured a glass and water that she smelled the male sitting behind her, watching. Flinching just a bit while still facing the sink with the glass to her lips, she turned to face Sirius who sat beneath the one lit sconce that casted a yellow glow behind him as if this moment were a dream. Hermione silently berated herself for once again letting her guard down.

It was happening way too much lately… my mind is scattered too many places…

She tried her best to act unaffected, "What are you doing sitting in the dark like that, Sirius? You just about made me jump out of my skin."

He smiles slightly, "I find that hard to believe, Hermione." He continued when he saw her confused tilt of the head, "You don't seem like the type of girl to be caught off guard easily. Being that when you are around someone like Severus every day, most of the day, with his so ever observant and all knowingness you must be used to being held to a higher observational standard. I've never seen you rattled about anything regardless."

Hermione raised an eyebrow to where their conversation was going, still not knowing why exactly he was sitting quietly in the dark hours after midnight had already passed.

Sirius paused briefly before continuing into a line of thought Hermione never thought she would hear from the man, "You are a very smart girl, Hermione but I have no idea what you see in Severus." He held up a hand to halt the slight frowning between her brows and opening mouth that no doubt would tell him he had no place in question her decisions, nor exactly how he had come by that information. Although, she now had an inkling as to what Severus had not told her about. For one of his reasons or another. "But Harry seems to trust your judgement on everything, and from what I have seen doesn't seem the least bit phased as to how you interact with your professor. So, I will trust your judgement in your private matters, not that you need it in the least as I do honestly believe you can take care of your own interests. When the time comes that your relationship gets out, I will help support you in any way I can. Not that many people would care about my opinion on the matter in the overall scheme of things either way."

The young girl was silent for a solid minute in stunned and flabbergasted dumbfoundedness, at a loss for words. Until a small familiar smirk lit her lips and dropped all pretenses as to the nature of her and Severus' relationship, wondering what exactly Severus had told the man to make him spin in a total one- eighty. "Does this little speech have anything to do with your and his argument the other day? Or why you are not talking to Severus? He refused to tell me what was said, and you seemed to be a bit rattled when Harry and I interrupted you two." She conveniently neglected to mention that Severus' claws were a minutae away from being embedded into the Black heir's throat.

She watched as the man who Severus had hated for twenty years gulped, his Adams apple going up then falling back into place as the sudden smell of anxiety wafted towards her. Sirius could finally see how exactly Severus' words of allowing Hermione to tear out his throat herself could very possibly not have been a bluff, if her previously sharpened non- threatening canines told him anything.

"Severus has made it very clear that you care very much for each other, and that I have no business sticking my nose into your relationship." Hermione's smirk turned into a wry grin at his nod to his own Padfoot tendencies, "But, for Harry's sake, I thought I could at least speak to you and clear the air."

Her face softened once he said this, knowing that even if she doubted anything of his previous statements, she knew he wouldn't bring Harry up if he didn't absolutely mean what he was saying.

"Harry is like my brother, his opinion is the only one that matters to me most of all. But thank you for trying."

He smiles sadly, telling a realization he had come to after having the utter crap scared out of him. "After everything I have done to damage that man and make his life a living hell when we were in school, the least I can do is maybe help the only other person in this world that he obviously seems to love."

The room was dead silent around them as they looked to each other, finally at an agreement as to who actually kept them all together.

~.O.~

Once they were back at Hogwarts, it was then time to begin Harry's Occlumency lessons with Severus as Dumbledore had instructed.

"Why exactly are you coming with me, 'Mione?" Harry asked her as they made their way down to the dungeons.

"Because you don't have the best track record with Professor Snape, Harry. It seems you just can not keep your temper in check, and I will be there to make sure you do so that he does not kick you out of the lessons you so desperately need for the sole purpose of your stubborn headedness getting in the way of allowing you to block your mind."

He pouts at her, "I don't need a babysitter. And he starts it." She gives him a look that causes his cheeks to flush, "Anyway, what makes you think he will let you stay while we are doing whatever we are going to do?"

"Occlumency, Harry. It's called Occlumency for the last time. And he will let me stay since, as Ron had eavesdropped on private information, because I will become his apprentice in just a few years. He has to let me butt into his affairs. Especially ones I would have learned about regardless of whether or not he kicks me out anyway, and he is aware of that fact." Hermione laughs at him, tugging on his ear.

As they walk into Severus' private office, they see two chairs facing each other in front of the wall of the rarer potions ingredients he dares not place in the student's storage cupboard. The man in question rose an eyebrow from where he stood once he allowed them entrance, not having known she had intended on tagging along to his lessons with her best friend.

The silly man, he should have expected me to intervene in his and Harry's business… her two most important men with monumental tempers that had the potential to boil over into absolute mayhem…

She smiles brightly at him before she plops into the comfy chair behind his desk, his chair to which Harry's own eyes widened in surprise. Her chin resting on her hands propped up on the desk by her elbows as she awaits the potentially disastrous lesson to begin.

Severus sighs heavily in assent to her actions, "Sit down, Potter." He points to one of the other chairs in the room that sat close enough for two people's knees to touch. Harry does so only after blinking once more at Hermione who he had no idea was comfortable enough with the Potions Master to overtake his personal chair, despite all Hermione's veiled to not- so- veiled assurances that she indeed had every right to do so.

Severus began their lesson by pulling his wand from the inner pocket of his robes, Harry tensing momentarily before glancing at Hermione who was still watching them. As she shook her head no to stay his own hand hovering over the wand hanging from his pocket, Severus withdrew several silvery strings of memory that was neither liquid nor gas from his temple. Gently coaxing each strand from his wand into a pensive until he was satisfied with the memories now locked within his brain for want of a precaution, knowing that in terms of Harry Potter, accidental magic may just as well be intentional.

"Girl, the cabinet if you will." Severus instructed Hermione to levitate the delicate bowl out of the way of prying minds, "Then test Potter's defenses. If he has any." He then turned back towards the chair she had vacated once she had placed the pensive out of the way and took her seat before Harry.

Harry looked at her questioningly as she pulled her wand out of her arm holster, resting it on her knee while she explains to Harry that she will be probing any natural walls or defenses he may have. Knowing that Severus was just delaying the inevitable of diving into the other Gryffindor's mind.

"When did you learn Occlumency?" The skinny boy asked her.

She then replied, "Around the same time I became an animagus." Her devilish grin allowed for a chuckle at his utterly caught out expression for not knowing such a thing about his best friend, gracefully placing her fingers lightly on left right temple and the tip of her wand to the right of his head.

"Legilimens!"

Diving into his mind, Hermione found the image of a dirty black dog with it's rib cage standing out noticeably beneath it's long fur, shifting onto it's hind quarters to become an equally dirty and anorexic looking tattooed covered man with his Azkaban number written upon his skin.

..

Harry left his first lesson with Professor Snape with a splitting headache, Hermione gently rubbing his temples as they made their way back up to Gryffindor Tower. They walked slowly as to not disrupt the small amount of relief from Harry's pounding head to slip away along with his curly headed friend's small boned and completely talented fingers.

"Did you feel like your head was splitting open after your lessons?" he asked her.

Her lips curled up slightly, continuing her ministrations. "It just comes with the territory, Harry. Having someone root around in your mind for more than a few minutes at a time, no matter how gently they do it, eventually you start to feel some effect of it. You wouldn't have felt Professor Snape at all if I had not prepped you before, he subtle as can be but still is not immune to the laws of magic no matter how hard he tries at times."

He sighed heavily, once more her praising words of the professor going completely over his head as he was simply too used to it, knowing he would have to resort to this kind of treatment for as long as it took for him to block his mind.

Know he knew why they only had one lesson a week…

"What is your animagus form, Hermione?" he asked, his hands that had been framing her's dropping to look back to her.

She began smiling big enough to warrant suspicion as her hands hugged his neck from where she stood behind him, causing him to stop walking lest she strangle him unintentionally. Or intentionally. "Do you want to see?"

"You're not going to turn into a lion are you?"

She laughed at him as she crouched on the stone floor of the hallway beside him, slowly shrinking until her human body yielded to that of her white fox. Stretching in intimidation of Crookshanks, she yawned hugely as her front paws extended before her, hind quarters and tail drawing up to point into the air. Harry laughed as he bent down to Hermione's urgings to be picked up, placing her paws on the side of his legs and furiously making cat- like biscuits until he brought her up to hold to like you would an infant.

"You're so tiny, 'Mione."

She yipped once, bumping her wet nose on his before licking beneath his chin as they continued on to meet Ron before dinner. The redhead starred in confusion at Harry as he walked into the red and golden clad room with a white animal he then sat on the couch next to the other boy. Crawling up behind his head, Hermione placed her paws on top the fiery strands and glanced over his forehead to cock her head to the side.

Going cross- eyed as he looked up to the white animal basically laying on his head, "Where's 'Mione? And what is this animal standing on top my head, Harry?"

~.O.~

There were not back to Hogwarts a week before the morning Prophet reported on the breakout of several known and convicted Death Eaters from Azkaban. Hermione slid the paper over to Harry and Ron who relied on her subscription to the utter rubbish they report on half the time, and looked down several people to her left. Watching as a pale Neville hurriedly stood and exited the Great Hall in a hurry, Hermione herself standing after pushing her plate Ron's way.

"I'll see you both in class," she told them at their confused expressions, remembering Neville's words the year before when he asked for her discretion involving the state of his parents.

Knowing that the other boy would most likely retreat to the greenhouses, she had just turned the corner that would display each hot house and saw one of the further down doors silently swinging shut. Making her way inside, Hermione found the house filled with big green leafy plants all turned towards a sniffling that seemed to be emitted from a corner in the back, seemingly drooping in sadness as in sympathy for the boy who no doubt tended to them. Finding him on the ground with his head sobbing into his knees, he looked up to her with red rimmed eyes after she deliberately shuffled her feet in front of him. Saying nothing, as she knew there was nothing she could say that would make him feel any safer that they already were in a physical sense, she sat next to him and wrapped an arm around his taller shoulders.

He placed his face into her small neck, tears pooling in the dip of her collarbone until he calmed. "Isn't it a horrible thing, Hermione, to wish that they would know what it feels like to be trapped inside their minds like my parents are? That they would know the pain that I have to deal with whenever I think of my parents never truly knowing that I am their son?"

"It's understandable, Neville." Hermione tells him quietly, guilt suffusing her stomach at the thought that she had known of something that could reduce a brilliant young man into something of a crying mess and had no control whatsoever in the matter. For a split second, a moment in this time watching as Neville once again fought another round of tears, Hermione couldn't help but hate herself, and hate Tom Riddle for what they have done for power.

Or what she has told herself, what she has done to protect the people that she loves… but at what expense? The fear suffusing the hearts of the people who had no protection other than her own limited self, her not- so- endless control on the person who has caused their pain but still stayed his hand at no doubt even more horrible deeds?

But that hate faded after that one split moment, the love she had for her master not completely the act that she tells Severus it is. The act that Severus sometimes told her himself with his eyes, but not in words, that he knew that she was just fooling herself into thinking she had the control over the Dark Lord. That people who love each other can never have complete dominance over that other person who loved them just as much. There is always that piece of you that you yield up to them freely, that sense of forgiveness for anything they do for the sake of saying you will never stop loving them no matter what.

What happens when you eventually have to choose between one of the people you love more than yourself, and another that you would die for?