He stopped, losing his notions of round two, and pulled away from her, suspicious of her words. "And what would that be Hermione?" Slightly annoyed at her use of his first name. The woman could be damned annoying.

She sat up to begin again what she'd started earlier. "The women of Hogwarts will never bear children for that pig. As you suspected there is powerful protective magic stopping it." The look on his face made her smirk.

"Do you know what the source of this magic is?" He sat up in bed quite desperate for the answer. "Hermione you must tell me. I promise you He will follow through on His threat. You and the others are in great danger. If He loses patience, He will not bother to wait the two weeks. The Dark Lord will slaughter you all."

Hermione smiled smugly. "I am aware of that. But before I tell you we must make a bargain. You will give me an unbreakable vow to help me kill the bastard and save all the enslaved women you can."

Snape was furious. "You dare to bargain with me to betray Him? Are you mad? Hermione there is a reason we supplicate ourselves to Him. He IS the most powerful wizard of our time. With the most powerful wand of all time. There is no way to destroy Him. Potter certainly gave it a shot, but what good did it do him in the end? The Elder wand saw to that too easily. The best we can do is manage His demands and survive His fickle tempers. Maybe in a hundred years He will weaken, but I doubt it. We, surely, will not live to see that day. I was lucky to survive last night! Do I need to remind you of a certain severed head?"

Hermione was out of bed and wrapped in a blanket pacing the floor. "Just hear me out, okay? I have a plan, but first I must be certain just who's side you're on. I'm taking a big risk you won't betray me now. You've got some brains don't you? You know our present course will only lead to the destruction of the wizarding world. He must be stopped, now, while He is still at His weakest. Will you make the vow!?"

Snape snarled at her as he got out of bed and they faced off, toe to toe. "What do you mean, weakest? And why should I believe your plan will work? You want me to risk everything on your word alone! I'm not a fool, and you'll be dead in two weeks unless I can manage to pump my brat in your belly. Are you so sure of your plan that you are willing to risk, not only your life, but every woman from Hogwarts?"

Hermione was undaunted, resolute. "I'm not afraid. I won't surrender our lives to His madness and I will not stand by and watch my world die while I fight for crumbs. You are as much of a slave as I am. What do you have to lose? True your chains are invisible, but your master would think nothing of killing you for sport. You will live only as long as you are useful to him. That severed head could just have easily been anyone in that hall last night. The future of the wizarding world is in your hands Severus Snape. WILL YOU GIVE ME YOUR VOW!?"

Snape stared at the beautiful young woman, so full of confidence. So ready to fight. He grinned to himself, she was a Valkyrie, an avenging angel, and she was right. He had no love for Voldemort or his foolish notions of blood purity and world domination. The way things were going the evil bastard would only turn the world into one massive graveyard. But if he dared take this chance and was discovered, there wouldn't be enough left of him to throw into the ravine. He had contemplated this same puzzle when he had argued long ago with Dumbledore over being a spy for the light. He had done it for many reasons. Some of which died at the battle of Hogwarts. Still, he couldn't give up as long as there was someone like her willing to fight beside him. If he died now or next year it would be by the same hand. Like Hermione said. He had nothing to lose.

He straightened and showed as much dignity as he could being naked. "Take my hand." Snape said it low and slowly. Holding out his hand, the wand he had summoned glowing in the other. Hermione dropped the blanket and approached him. She stood naked before him and grasped his wrist. It almost felt like a wedding bond. "I Severus Snape make an unbreakable vow that I will do all in my power to kill the Dark Lord and save the lives of the women taken from Hogwarts." A ribbon of light entwined both of them tightly for a moment until it vanished. "Now. What's your plan?"

Hermione smiled and looked at her arm. "Being forced to make due without my magic has taught me much. Mostly that those who do use it, get lazy and complacent. As a muggle born, I know there is always a manual way to do things. Magic has not been able to kill the Dark Lord, but perhaps there is a muggle way."

Snape stared at her lovely naked tits bouncing as she spoke, the nipples pebbled hard in the cold. He took a long breath to refocus. He needed another dose of potion and a hot shower. "Perhaps we should regroup a moment and begin again over breakfast. I have a feeling this is going to take a while." Suddenly he grabbed her giving her a most passionate kiss. When he released her, he turned her body to the door, slapping her on the butt. "Get moving". She looked back and gave him the stink eye, but giggled on the way out.

They met again in front of the fireplace in his office. They had all showered and dressed, and Ginny was beside Hermione when the breakfast tray arrived. Snape dismissed the elf, and they all began to eat.

"First I want Ginny to tell you what she told me that first night in your quarters."

Ginny looked at Hermione with doubts but began. "After Professor McGonagall and the others had put up the shield over Hogwarts, she called all the girls into the great hall. The doors were locked and warded, and she stood at the head table and asked us to sit on the floor and close our eyes. She began to chant something no one could understand. It lasted for about ten minutes. When she was through, she told us that she had created an enchantment that would prevent us for becoming pregnant, of all things. She said it would not interfere with our cycles and would be virtually undetectable. Many of us expressed concern over why she would do such a thing, but she refused to discuss it. It was done and only she could undo it. She made us all swear that we would tell no one."

Snape blinked his eyes several times in disbelief and then began to chuckle. The chuckle became a full blown guffaw, which turned into loud laughter as his head fell back on his shoulders. Hermione and Ginny stared at a man they had never seen chuckle before, let alone raucous laughter. "That wise old woman. HA! That wonderful old biddy had a brain in her head right till the end. Well done Minerva! No wonder she spit in the old boy's eye. She wanted Him to kill her so she couldn't be coerced into removing the spell or become His personal toy. Yes, she was crafty, but it's left me with a problem. She foresaw the possibility of you being raped after the battle if it went badly. She apparently didn't foresee Voldemort's desire to purposely have children, and now all your lives are in danger because of it. Do you remember nothing of the spell Ginevra?"

Ginny shook her head. "It was in a language I'd never heard before. All I remember is that once she was done, a shower of purple sparks fell on all of us. It tickled at first and then lightly stung."

Snape considered what it might be. "Hermione do you remember anything about how the spell was crafted or where it might have come from?"

Hermione looked from Snape to Ginny to Snape again. "I wasn't in the hall. I was in the room of requirement with Harry looking for a Horcrux."

Snapes eyes grew wide. "A Horcrux!? That's very dark magic. How do you know about those?"

Hermione was impatient. They had much to do and she didn't want to go over past happenings. "That's why He never seemed to die. Harry, Ron and I were sent out by Dumbledore to destroy the six Horcrux's that Volde…" Snape growled at her "Don't say his name!" Hermione grimaced. "That VM had created in order to become immortal. We managed to destroy all 6 of them after Neville killed Nagini, and VM himself destroyed the last one, Harry. The one VM had never intended to make. It's how Harry knew where they were. He could hear them. That's why we must act now. He's still vulnerable, before he can create any more."

"Harry was a horcrux?" Snape sat there overwhelmed. The son of his only love, the boy he had sworn to protect, was destined to die. Dumbledore was a cruel bastard. He knew all along. Raising the boy to be a martyr, and never once mentioned it to him. "I shudder to think what else you know Hermione, but please, continue."