Hello my dear readers, new and old! I've been so pleasantly surprised by the number of new readers I've seen leaving such lovely reviews. Thank you so much. :)

Exciting news! There is new fanart for this story, done by Ravendaughter. I'd say that you could find the link on my author's page, but for some reason they aren't showing up... pity. It's really nice! I adore fanart, especially works done for my story. If anyone else has some, please let me know! Inspiration is sometimes hard to come by.

On to the chapter! I know that y'all have been waiting a long time for it. :)

Chapter 46

The air was tight in the kitchen of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. The Order of the Phoenix had gathered to meet as they normally did on Wednesday nights, but there had been worse news that usual. Hurricanes that were actually giants. Suicides that were actually Dementors. Three Muggle families found mysteriously dead, that were actually Death Eater killings.

Dumbledore sighed at all of them, peering over his half-moon glasses. "My friends, it is the nights like tonight that make an old man feel weary, that make this war we are fighting seem hopeless."

It kind of is hopeless, thought Severus bleakly. His power grows greater every day and yours seems to do nothing but diminish.

"But we are far from lost," the Headmaster continued. He smiled, singling out one face in the crowd. "In fact, in the midst of all of this, we have in fact found a way to strike a blow against Lord Voldemort." The usual accompaniment of gasps and faint shrieks and coughs followed the Dark Lord's name. A ripple of pain shot up Severus' arm. "Hermione Granger's special mission has yielded some beneficial results. We are now poised to secretly injure Tom Riddle himself."

Whispers rose, and heads turned to look at Hermione. Severus held out for only a moment, then turned to look at her as well.

Hermione held her head up high and proudly. Her hair had been drawn back in a complicated knot, to keep it out of her face. It left her slender neck bare, apart from two chains, one silver and one gold. She still wears the necklace I gave her. That thought made the painful ache in his chest (the one that had been there since the last time he kissed her) ache more. His gaze traveled back up her neck to her face, to her quietly beautiful features. Her eyes were large, dark, kind. For the briefest of moments, their eyes met.

And then her gaze was on Dumbledore and she was smiling. "Don't make any promises, Albus. We haven't done anything yet."

"And the Order wishes you the best of luck in your endeavors, Hermione," said the Headmaster fondly. "And if Riddle knew what you were going to do it would strike fear into the withered raisin he calls his heart."

The Headmaster had played his cards right- a ripple of hope had spread through the crowd. A few people laughed weakly, and the overall gloom dispersed a bit.

"Thanks, Albus," Hermione said wryly. "Is that all for tonight?"

"Yes, yes, my dear girl," he said, flapping a hand. "Goodnight, everyone, and keep safe."

The scrape of chairs pulling out and people starting conversations brought the room from still and quiet to a full roar of noise. Severus scowled, rising and making to leave immediately. A deep curiosity was burning in him, though- he didn't like the idea of Hermione striking a blow against the Dark Lord himself (well, he did like the idea of the Dark Lord being injured, but what he didn't really like was the idea of Hermione Granger in harm's way). What was she doing? Would there be danger involved?

Out of the corner of his eye he could see Hermione gathering her team, leading them off through the hallway. There was a split second of hesitation, and then he followed them.

It was the work of a moment to disguise himself and creep along, to amplify his hearing so that he could pick up her words, even from outside the room. She hadn't warded it, which told him he was unlikely to learn anything important. He wasn't going to hear anything but her voice, but that was enough for him.

"We head out this Sunday, all of us," Hermione was saying. She had an authoritative ring in her voice, one might have made him smile in another time. His face remained stony, though, his hands clenched.

"Sunday?" asked Cedric. "That's soon."

"It's better to move fast than to wait," she replied. "Bill, bring everything that you think you could possibly need over to the Safe House, and I'll put it all into a bag I made. I don't know if we'll need everyone, but at the very least it'll be Bill and I."

Everything you could possibly need? That echoed uneasily in Severus' head. He didn't like that idea. He didn't like even thinking that she might be going into danger.

"Everyone dismissed," Hermione said. "Have a good night, and I'll see you all on Sunday."

There was a brief moment when Viktor, Bill, and Cedric left the room, where Severus pressed himself against the wall and held his breath. The left down the corridor, joking softly, and he focused on the higher voices still in the room.

"Right-o," said Tonks. "If that's all, I think it's time for us to get back to the Safe House. Or we could go to my mum's- how does some cheap wine and some telly sound, Hermione?"

"Fantastic," Hermione said, and he could tell from her voice that she really was happy with the idea. "We can get mildly drunk and bitch about our fucking miserable love lives."

"I'll drink to that," Tonks said with a sigh. "What do you want to watch? Crap telly or something that doesn't have a shred of romance in it?"

"Both," Severus heard her say, and he just knew she was rolling her eyes. "And we should do nails. If we are going to face death on Sunday, we should do it in style."

They opened the door, leaving. As she passed him, Severus could smell the shampoo she used on her hair and the lotion she rubbed into her skin every night after she showered or bathed, and the scent of her perfume- all of it hit him in a moment and he just wanted to crush her to him and kiss her, regardless of the blue-haired Auror next to her.

And then they were gone and he was alone again, and a foolish plan was brewing in his mind.

It was nearly one in the morning when Hermione Floo'd into Safe House Three. She hadn't liked the idea of Apparating while a bit tipsy, especially Apparating through the illusion, and Tonks had been more tipsy than she had been.

Gods, that had been fun. This new and old relationship with Tonks was something that Hermione had never thought about seriously before. Sure, when she had been thirteen and Tonks had been nearly twenty they could be friends and have a good time with each other, but the fact remained that Tonks was nearly six years older than her. Now things were very different- with her Time Turner use, Hermione was not sixteen but nearly twenty herself and Tonks was twenty-two.

Even so, Hermione had always dismissed girls' nights as foolishness- there was always so much to do and so little time to do it in. She had thought that painting nails and watching a movie would be a waste of time- let alone talking about boys. But... she had needed it. Hermione needed human contact, she needed someone to talk to, and god damn it she needed to talk about boy problems and how much it sucked to get a period nearly every two weeks because she was compressing so much time into so few days. And Tonks always had advice- good and bad, from what concoctions to drink to get rid of cramps to what Hermione's mystery boyfriend should shove into various orifices (usually the objects suggested were covered in sharp pointy things). It was a relief to be able to talk to someone about something that wasn't the war. Something normal, something that could let her pretend she was a normal teenaged witch.

The fire in the living room was already banked, so Hermione made her way up the spiral staircase, yawning widely. The thought of bed seemed very appealing right then. Bed, and then turning back to do some work.

I should sort out what I'll need to take with me tomorrow when I leave my room so I won't waste time gathering it and bump into myself, she was thinking as she opened the door and flicked on the light. I don't want another close call- HOLY FUCKING SHIT!

"Stupefy!" the spell was out of her mouth before she even registered the person in front of her.

Severus toppled to the floor, a surprised expression on his face.

"Fuck," Hermione said under her breath. Quickly she closed the door, then silenced the room, praying that Cedric hadn't heard the thump of body on floor. Once she made sure that no one would be bothering them, Hermione collapsed onto her bed. Crookshanks mewed, glancing from the man to his mistress.

"Shite," she whispered. She needed to wake up Severus- what the bloody hell was he doing in her room anyway?- and brave the wrath she would surely face for Stunning him.

He was just sprawled out on her floor, defenseless. His skin was stretched tight over his face- he hadn't been eating enough, she knew it. His nose cast a shadow onto his face like a sundial and his hands were rigidly curled at his side. He made her chest hurt.

Hermione drew in a ragged breath, covered her face with her hands. What the fuck was he doing here, in her room? Why on earth would be there? Did he want to apologize? Say that his weeks of foolish behavior had been a mistake, to take her back?

Well, she wouldn't put up with it. What had Tonks told her?

"I don't deserve to be jerked around," Hermione whispered to herself. "I don't deserve to be treated like a girl. I am a woman and I deserve to be respected by the man I choose to love." Her cat yowled in what seemed like agreement.

Except love doesn't really feel like a choice when I look at him and my chest aches and I still feel better for some stupid blasted reason because I'm close to him.

Hermione took a steadying breath, then stood up. She would put him on the bed- at least that would be more comfortable than the floor. The magic was done in a minute, and then she was reviving him.

His eyes flew open, his body stiffened, and then he relaxed, closing his eyes.

"You Stunned me, you blasted girl," he finally said. At the very least, there was no anger in his voice, just annoyance.

"Why are you in my room, Snape?" Hermione asked, forcing her voice to go frosty. "I have every right to Stun the strange men I find in my room."

With a groan he sat up, flinging his legs over the side of the bed to brace himself. "Don't act like I haven't been in here before, at your request," he snapped, looking up at her.

Hermione glared down at him. "I thought we were going to pretend that it had never happened. Why are you here?"

He glowered at her. "What is happening on Sunday?"

"As far as you are concerned, nothing is happening on Sunday because it's none of your business. Next question," Hermione said tartly.

"I need to know if you'll be safe," protested Severus. "It-"

"No, you do not," Hermione replied quickly, cutting him off. "I told you- you aren't allowed to check up on me because you think I might be in danger. Whether you believe it or not I'm an adult. So if you don't have any reason to be here, get out." It hurt to say those words to him, to try to make him leave her. It felt like the opposite of what she should have been doing. It felt wrong.

Carefully he tried to stand, and wavered a moment. Hermione's arm went out to him involuntarily. She yanked it back sheepishly, and he gave her a look- complete with a raised eyebrow- that told her, I saw that. You do care.

"I was just concerned," drawled Severus. "How much does Nymphadora Tonks know about our previous relationship? Because I didn't know pretending like it never happened means telling all your girlfriends as you paint each other's nails." He cast a disdainful glance at the now dark red nail polish on Hermione's hands. She clenched her hands into fists, obscuring the polish.

"She's my friend, she's in a similar situation, and she doesn't know your name or anything that might tell her who you are," Hermione snapped. "So bugger off."

"I can see that once again the lovely Miss Tonks is making such an impression on your language, Miss Granger," said Severus. "Very well."

He walked over the door, the tightening of the muscle in his cheek telling Hermione that he was hurting from the fall and refusing to show it. "Goodnight, Professor Snape," Hermione said suddenly.

Severus looked back at her, his grey eyes meeting hers. "Goodnight, Miss Granger. Do be safe on Sunday- I invested so much time and energy into your training it would be a waste to see it squandered in death."

He opened the door and disappeared, leaving Hermione feeling very much alone. As soon as she knew he was gone, she numbly began to undress, slipping into bed.

God, the bed smelled like him, like parchment and herbs. It smelled good, too good. It smelled too much like the times they had fallen asleep together on the bed that wasn't quite big enough for two people, squished together and a bit too hot and still in heaven. Hot tears pressed at her eyes, the first ones she had cried over Severus in a while.

At least he was concerned about my safety, she thought miserably. This- feeling this miserable- is the reason I told him he wasn't allowed to do that. Bastard.

As soon as Hermione landed on the cliff face, her nose was crowded with the smell of the sea. Gulls shrieked overhead and the water was loud and violent as it struck against the rock. The sun was far too hot overhead- it seemed that the Dark Lord's weather spell did not stretch as far as this forsaken outcropping of rock.

There were several more pops as the rest of her team landed beside her. Bill landed flat on his feet, just in time to catch Tonks, who stumbled as she appeared in midair. Hermione reached out a hand to steady Cedric when Viktor practically Apparated on top of him.

"This is it," she said, gazing around them. "It's in here. Under us, can you feel it?" She planted her hands on her hips, looking around. Hermione had wrestled her hair into submission with a tight braid she then put in a bun. She and the rest of the team did not wear robes, but comfortable Muggle clothing that would not get in the way if they needed to fight.

Viktor frowned. "I thought it was a cave that we are supposed to be going to, no?"

Bill slung an arm around Viktor's shoulders. "I hope you can swim as well as you can fly, Krum," he said jovially. "We have to climb down, get into the glorified fissure in the rock that Hermione calls a cave, and then swim a ways in before we get to the actual cave part."

Tonks sighed, then resettled her backpack on her shoulders. "That's why you wanted me to waterproof everything... and why we came at an hour until low tide. Got it. Where are we climbing down?"

"Over there," Hermione said, pointing. "But like Tonks said, we're working with the tides. "We want to get in and out in three hours max, or we're trapped in there until low tide rolls in again, which is in thirteen hours. We don't want to stick around if the Dark Lord figures out we're here."

Slowly the group made their way down the cliff face, the only sounds being a brief curse or oath when someone lost their grip on the ocean-slick rock or when a particularly sharp bit of cliff sliced an arm or ankle. Bill was the first on to reach the fissure in the rock containing the nondescript entrance to the cave.

He carefully placed a Sticking Charm on his feet, then reached into the pouch on his waist to pull out a few pale orbs. "The twins invented these," he told Hermione, a hint of brotherly pride in his eyes. "Let's see if they work as well as Freddie said they would. Lumos." When he spoke the spell, the balls light up brightly.

"Fantastic," Hermione said, beaming at Bill. "Go ahead and toss them in." The darkness had been a large problem the last time they had gone in the cave- she was glad that Bill had figured out a way around it.

The water was just high enough that she had to swim rather than wade along the bottom of the cave. Finally, when her arms were growing tired, her feet brushed the ground. Behind her, the much taller Krum was already walking, and Cedric too behind him. "

"Like the Second Task, no?" Cedric said, grinning at Krum.

The Quidditch star laughed, the sound echoing around the small space. "I am being grateful that I do not have the head of a shark right now," he said. In the blue light of the orbs, he looked vaguely ghoulish.

When they exited the water, they cast spells to dry themselves. Together they all walked down the five steps into the first room of the cave. It looked as if it halted there, but it was an illusion. The air in the cave was damp and old and smelled of salt and rust. There was something thoroughly unpleasant in the air, something that made the hair on the back of Hermione's neck stand up. There was a sense of badness, of something that had gone terribly wrong, and under all of that bad feeling there was the whisper of powerful magic that she and Bill had almost missed.

"This is my time to shine," Bill said jokingly, his words echoing around the antechamber eerily. "Am I good to get to work, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded. "Everyone else, be ready for attack."

The quiet splashing of water on the rock and Bill's murmur of spells was the only noise. They were all on high alert- when Bill's voice rose suddenly, they all jumped.

Hermione swallowed down a rising of fear. This was the unknown. This was nothing she and Severus had planned for- and Severus. The last time she had seen him, they hadn't parted on good terms. The intense regret that flowed over her made her sick to her stomach for the briefest instant before she shoved down her emotions and locked them behind Occlumency shields. Severus would wait for another time.

"Got it!" shouted Bill, triumphant as a pale arch lit up in the stone. "Here!"

Hermione walked closer to it, using a few of her own spells to assess the arch. "It wants an offering," she said, frowning. "I can't tell what it is, though."

"I can," Bill said, frowning at the arch. "It wants blood. Pure blood, to be exact. "

Hermione bit her lip, stepping back. "How much blood?" I have Blood Replenishers on hand, just in case. Hopefully not enough blood to incapacitate someone.

The curse breaker's wand moved in a few short motions, making the arch glow brighter. "A lot," he said, his face grimly set. "Enough to severely weaken one of us." His gaze went to Cedric. "And it's you or me, right, mate?"

"Who goes, Hermione?" asked Cedric. "Me or Bill?"

"Cedric," Hermione decided immediately. "You two are the only purebloods, and we will probably need Bill's curse breaking skills ahead."

Cedric sighed ruefully. "I expected that," he said regretfully. "It's not that I don't enjoy giving my blood for the cause, but how are we going to do this?"

All eyes turned to Hermione, expectant. "We have three vials of Blood Replenishing Potion in the med kit," she said, thinking fast as she spoke. "We'll give as much blood as we can, give you one vial, give more if needed, then cap it off there. You can take another half-vial, and then leave. Bill, you'll need to stay with me. Tonks, Viktor, who wants to take Cedric back to Headquarters?"

"I will be doing this," Viktor said after a moment. "Tonks is an Auror. She will be of more use to you."

Hermione bit her lip, then nodded. "Get him the appropriate help- I asked that one Outer Circle member in Healer training to be on standby, but if we need more we can call Healer Frey in- then come back here," she ordered. "We might need help." She took a moment, steeled her shoulders, then beckoned Cedric forward. "Let's do this. Tonks, if you could get the potion ready."

In a moment she had one of the nice knives Severus had given her in her palm. Cedric offered an arm to her, and she took his wrist. She could feel his thready pulse, beating fast from fear.

"I know what I'm doing," Hermione murmured. "Don't worry." With a tap of her wand and a muttered spell, she cast a Numbing Charm on his arm, thought about it, and cast another. "Ready, Bill?" When the redhead gave her a nod, she quickly drew her knife across Cedric's arm, allowing the blood to spray the wall.

Cedric went pale, from both the blood loss and the shock. Viktor, braced behind him, helped Hermione keep him on his feet.

The initial spurt died down, but Bill shook his head. "We need more," he said, frowning at the wall. "Sorry, Cedric."

Hermione used her wand and her magic to slowly pull a rope of blood from Cedric's arm, quelling her nausea at the shimmering line that stretched from them to the wall.

"I think I need that first potion now," Cedric croaked. "Tonks?"

An uncorked vial was shoved into his unneeded hand, and Cedric tilted his head back and downed it in one gulp. Some color went back to his face, but slowly it drained out again.

"Bill?" asked Hermione, keeping her voice calm. "How much more?" She hoped that the team couldn't see her wand arm shake, or that if they did they would attribute it to stress.

"Just a bit more," the older man said, his voice a bit strained. "Almost- there!" Where the blood drenched rock had been, there was now an opening that seemed to lead to total darkness. Another wisp of fear curled in Hermione's belly.

Hermione cut off the blood flow immediately, then tapped Cedric's arm and healed the cut. A thick scar remained, but it was the best that she could do. "Tonks?"

Another vial of the chalky red potion was produced and given to the Hufflepuff. "Only half," Hermione warned. "Viktor will get you more at Headquarters."

The man nodded, then sipped at the vial until only half of it remained. "Got it."

"Thank you, Cedric," Hermione said softly. "You did what was needed." We needed a sacrifice and you were it.

He gave her a weak grin. "Next time, I get to see some action," he said jokingly. "Ready to go, Viktor?"

The two men left the cave, and Hermione, Tonks, and Bill entered the blackness.

It was pitch dark, but they could hear the lapping of water against rock. At Bill's command, the orbs rose into the air, brightening until they could see what lay before them. It appeared deceptively simple- a lake of black water with a island in the center, and upon that island a pedestal and a basin.

"What-"

"Shh," Hermione shushed her, closing her eyes and listening. At Severus had warned her so long ago, after taking the Polyjuice potion her hearing and eyesight had been slightly better than they had been. Now she listened as hard as she could. There was lapping of water against rock, but there was also something more, something-

"There's something in the lake," Hermione said quietly. "Something moving. Merpeople, maybe, or-"

Bill shook his head. "No, not merpeople. It's something Dark."

Hermione frowned, chewing at her lip. "And I'm guessing whatever it is does not want us getting across the lake." Briefly she considered what spell she wanted to use, then shrugged. "Accio!" she commanded, concentrating on the basin.

A pale body rose out of the water, turning lifeless eyes on them for a moment before sinking back into its watery grave.

"Inferi," Bill said after a moment. "We need fire."

"We should wait before we attack them directly," Hermione said, her mind racing. "Our objective is to get in and out without the Dark Lord ever knowing we were here. I have a nasty feeling that the moment we attack his defenses he will know. We should avoid that at all costs."

Bill nodded, but there was a small frown on his face. "You're the boss here, Hermione."

"I don't want to confront You-Know-Who unless we need to," Tonks added. "We tiptoe."

"The question is, how do we cross the lake?" Hermione asked. "There has to be a way that the Dark Lord does it. Bill?"

"I'm on it," the curse breaker said, giving her a short nod. "The two of you can try to look for it too- try to feel around for a magical signature that you don't recognize."

Hermione looked around, evaluating the cave. She'd never seen anything like this before- she didn't like that there was only one exit and once they were in the middle of the lake, there was a lake full of Inferi between them and the way out. The greenish glow coming from the basin also worried her- she had no idea what was there, just a hope that it was a Horcrux.

Slowly, she took in deep Occlumency breaths, stretching out her power. It was hard- it didn't want to go far from her, but Hermione made it. She could feel the magical presence of Tonks, and then Bill, and far away the malevolent power of the basin in the center of the lake. She could also feel the faintest hint of the power that had created the place- it wasn't natural. It had been once- she could tell that the lake had been here. In her mind's eye Hermione could see a young Voldemort chanting, red and slanted eyes closed, and raising his arms as a pillar of rock rose from the center of the lake to become his island. She could see him commanding an army of the dead to enter the water, could see them marching in straight lines into the dark lake, walking farther and farther in as their tattered clothing dragged them down, until they sunk into the depths.

She drifted over the opening, looking at it curiously. Slowly, the edges had begun to close again. It would need more blood to open fully again, she suspected. But Tom Riddle's power was in the spells that had charmed that rock, and so she let her power flow over it, trying to sniff out the flavor of the Dark Lord's power.

What was power? She knew what power was in Severus- when he was in her mind the intensity of the power was like a small sun. But it had it's own kind of form in her mind, a coolness, a safe feeling, the dangerous tinge of Dark Magic running through it. That tinge of Darkness was present in front of her, seeped into the stone in the form of a heavy magic that had been laid upon it, Darkness that fed on blood and pain.

Moving away from the entrance, Hermione cast out her power again, pouring over every rock and stone and wall. There was nothing, nothing, nothing, until-

Something.

Just a touch, nothing she could be sure about. "Bill?" she called. "I don't know, but is there something here?'

Bill walked over, running his hand over the wall. His red hair was tied back, and she could see a line of sweat at his forehead. He was a nervous as she was at this situation, Hermione realized. "Maybe," he murmured. "I can feel traces of his power here, but I can't tell what it is."

As Tonks came over to join them, she misplaced a foot, almost sprawling to the ground. She was only stopped from rolling into the lake with Bill's quick reflexes.

"Thanks," she said, eyes wide. "I was just going to say that from over there, the rock pattern looks like a chain."

Stepping back a few paces, Hermione squinted her eyes, trying to see what Tonks had. When she tiled her head a touch to the left, the pattern appeared, barely raised against the rock. "It is a chain! Can you sense it with your magic?"

Bill pointed his wand at the wall, his voice rising in falling in a series of chants in a language Hermione didn't know. Slowly the chain pattern became more and more visible, until at last it was almost out of the rock. Finally, Bill put a hand on it and pulled, and a real- albeit ghostly green- chain came away in his hand.

"There we go," he said, planting himself and heaving at the chain. "It's coming up."

Out of the water rose a boat the same eery glowing green color as the chain. It was a tiny little thing, made entirely of magic.

"Is that safe?" asked Tonks, crossing her arms as she appraised it. "That doesn't look solid. I wouldn't put it past You-Know-Who to give us a boat that would dump us in the lake half way there."

"I second that," Hermione said, going to the edge of the water to look at the boat. "Excellent job, Bill. How do we make sure it's safe?"

"Let me work on this for a moment," Bill said, rolling up his sleeves. "Give me five minutes."

Hermione nodded, then pulled Tonks aside. "I don't know how many that boat can hold," she said seriously, looking into the Auror's eyes. "But I think that you should stay on the shore. We need someone guarding the exit, and someone ready to fight if the Inferi come at us."

Tonks nodded, a small look of relief on her face. "That island is tiny- I wouldn't put it past myself not to slip."

Hermione shuddered at the thought. "That too. But be ready with some fire spells, okay?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Tonks said with a wink.

Another glance at the slowly shrinking entrance made Hermione's skin crawl. "And maybe blood too."

Tonks followed her gaze. "Merlin's saggy ballsack," she cursed. "Blood too, if need be."

"I got it," called Bill. "Both of you better come over here."

When both women were close, Bill folded his arms. "We have a problem," he said, eyes meeting Hermione's. "The boat will only hold one adult wizard."

"Fuck," said Hermione, hot anger running through her veins. "Um- how can it tell if there is more than one?"

Bill tapped the boat with his wand, muttered something, waited a moment, then turned back to her. "How much magic is in the boat. It's calibrated to You-Know-Who's standard, through, I'm guessing- so he can visit it. So about one and a half adult wizards would fit in here. Maybe two half drained adult wizards, maybe three mostly drained wizards."

"What are you magic levels at, Bill?" asked Hermione. "Tonks, you're about full, right?"

Tonks nodded, and Bill closed his eyes for a moment, testing his levels. "I'm a tad less than three quarters full," he said after a moment. "This has taken a bit more out of me than I thought it would."

"Okay," Hermione said, leaning against the wall. "Let me think for a moment."

What do I know about magic levels? Hermione thought. What do I know about this?

Magic levels in adult witches and wizards can be drained by working magics that are too big for them. They can be replenished with food, especially chocolate, and rest.

How can I drain my magic?

I can store it. I can put it into something that I can reclaim later. I can work a big spell.

Closing her eyes, Hermione sunk into herself, taking deep Occlumency breaths. Where am I at?

In her mind she could see the well of magic that was her core. It wasn't as high as it normally was, but it wasn't anywhere near half way drained. But lately she had been tired and worried- she didn't have as far to go as she thought she might have.

Coming out of herself, Hermione opened her eyes and walked back over to Tonks and Bill. "I'm going to siphon off some of my magic and try to drain some more," she said, steel in her voice and eyes. "You should do the same, Bill. We leak off as much as we can, try to get down to half, and then go across the lake. Tonks is going to stay here-"

"I told him," Tonks interrupted. "Sorry- go on."

Squaring her shoulders, Hermione met Bill's eyes. "It'll mean we aren't at 100% once we get there, but at least it means that we can use the boat to get back."

"Are you sure this is a good idea, Hermione?" Bill asked, concern lining his face. "We don't know what we're going to face over there. I could go across, then come back and let you know."

Hermione bit her lip. "Are you sure the boat would return and go back again?"

Bill hesitated. "No," he said finally. "But I don't like the idea of getting over there with hardly any magic left."

"I don't either," Hermione admitted. "But I think it's our best chance."

There was a long moment when Bill searched Hermione's face. Whatever he say there met his approval- he nodded shortly. "How are we getting our levels down?"

"I have a stone I can put some of mine in," Hermione said. "Which I'll give to you, Tonks, to hold on to. As for the rest, I can try to do something silly with wandless magic until I'm as far down as I can be safely."

From that point it happened much faster than Hermione had anticipated. She poured as much magic into the pearl that Severus had given her as it could possibly hold without crumbling, then, hands shaking, unclasped the necklace and handed it to Tonks.

"If something happens to me, leave it on my bed," Hermione told her, folding her friend's hands around the pearl necklace. "He'll get it."

Tonk hugged Hermione tightly. "You'll be fine," she whispered to Hermione.

Then Hermione levitated Tonks with wandless magic until her head hurt. Her bones felt weak, her head was swimming. There- she was a half levels.

"I'm ready," she announced, and Bill nodded.

"Me too," he said. The Weasley was pale, and more sweat was beaded at his collar and at the line of his hair, despite the cool air in the cave. "Let's go."

The boat rocked as Hermione stepped into it, and creaked at Bill stepped in. It shuddered for a moment, then began to sail across the lake. It moved fast, faster than it should have been able to. The entire ride, Hermione's heart was in her throat. Tonks on the shore grew smaller and smaller, and the island and the basin grew larger and larger. A few of the orbs followed them, lighting their way.

When she peered over the boat, Hermione could see pale flashes of bone white limbs. When she caught a glimpse of an empty face and dark hair floating around it, she turned her gaze to the island.

All too soon the bottom of the boat scraped against the rock of the island. They were there, they were at the basin and a Horcrux- a piece of Voldemort's soul- was only inches away.

Hermione left the boat first, holding it steady as Bill swung his feet over the side and leapt to avoid the water. He wavered for a moment, but steadied.

"We're here," he said, giving Hermione a tired grin. "Two out of five."

She grinned back. "Let's see what we're up against."

They peered in the basin, looking into the greenish light. Whatever liquid filled the basin, it was only just translucent enough for Hermione to make out the shape of a locket at the bottom of the basin.

"That's it," she breathed. "Now we just need to get it."

Bill pulled out his wand, moving it in complex patterns over the basin. "Don't touch it," he warned. "Or you'll go up in flames."

Hermione stepped away from the basin, trying to ignore the shiver that went down her spine. "Charming," she murmured. "It's like he wants to drive us into the water." Which would make the Inferi attack us, she thought. Best avoid that if possible.

Bill worked for the better portion of an hour, removing curse after curse from the basin. By the time he finished, his breath was coming hard and Hermione could see the strain on his face and hear the weariness in his voice. "Done," he croaked. "All that's left is to get rid of the potion. We can't go through it- the only way I can see is to drink it." He gestured to a simple goblet that rested on the pedestal, next to the basin of potion. "Which is what he intended, I think."

Hermione glanced between the potion and Bill. "I don't think it's poisonous," she said slowly. "He'd want the person who made it this far to have a chance, I think. A futile chance, but a chance."

"Which one of us drinks?" asked Bill, his eyes fixed on Hermione. "Me or you? We can flip for it."

Hermione shook her head. "No. You have a family, you have a fiancee. I'll drink it." There is no one to miss me when I'm gone.

"You have a family too," argued Bill. "We should flip."

Hermione laughed hollowly. "I don't have a family," she said quietly. "I erased every memory of me from their minds and sent them away. If I die, I don't have a mother or father or lover who would miss me." Would Severus miss me? She held out her wand, waiting for Bill to take it. "If we don't know what the potion does, you should take this," she said.

As soon as the smooth wood was out of her grasp, Hermione reached out, took the goblet, and filled it to the brim with the glowing green potion. "I'll drink it," she said again, and took a sip.

So ends Chapter 46.

As you can see, things are progressing quite nicely... well, apart from the relationship. Don't fear, my friends, this is the low point. It can only go up from here. :)

My European trip was just amazing. I've never done anything so great. Malta was the best. I had a ton of great experiences and it feels really weird to be back in the states. I made some really, really good friends, including the first sshg shipper I've met other than my cousin! She was great. We bonded.

All your lovely reviews made me so happy! We are so close to 2,000, I'll have to do something special.

As far as the short story goes, I'm still working on it. I'm starting to get worried it will be quite long... unless I skip around a bit, which I might do. We'll see.

Thank you for reading and please review!