Spoilers: Order of the Phoenix
Thank you for all the reviews!
Bazile: funny enough, I didn't even think of make Ron or Ginny Helga's Heir. Viktor has always been the only one I could see in this role. But then, I don't know why, I always see him as a Hufflepuff...
Romm: here comes a little explanation as for why the unicorn blood is useful in both Voldemort and Hermione's veins!
Ezmerelda: don't worry, you're not thick, the sender of the socks is still a mystery!
Athena1027: I agree (no, your review didn't sound mean!) and they're at the end of being unable/unwilling to love, I promise. Now, they're going to feel more 'normal' feelings, like jealousy and insecurity, perhaps :) But just to justify myself a bit, Severus is unwilling, because he doesn't know if what he feels is his true feelings or if it comes from Salazar... As for the two other Houses, I see Nidavellir as the House of industrious people, methodical, dedicated. A sort of crossover between Hufflepuff and Slytherin, with the good points of Slytherin (like strategy). And Jotunheim would be the House of the dreamers, people having great plans and the will to realise them, even if it might not work. A bit like Ravenclaws with the hard-headedness of the Gryffindors.
For Severus, the next day was similar to the past ones, except that Poppy grudgingly let him see Hermione – but Viktor was refused, to his indignation. There was a reason why Hermione wasn't let out of the Hospital Wing yet: the gossip was loose in the school and the teachers had decided it would be better to prepare her to it before they let her go back to class. She had already enough to deal with.
She had a small smile when he entered and he couldn't help feeling slightly smug about it. He quickly quenched the feeling. Now was not the time for such ideas.
"How are you?" he asked softly.
She shrugged.
"I'm fine, even if my night was interrupted. When can I leave?"
"Tonight. I'll come for you when the meeting begins and then, you'll be able to go back to your dormitory."
"Hopefully I won't wake up my roommates anymore," she said darkly.
"Are you still having nightmares?"
"I don't know. Madam Pomfrey keeps dosing me with Dreamless Draught."
"Then how did you wake up last night?"
"Rowena. She obviously decided that she wasn't done with me, so she came back. Now don't ask me how she went past the Draught because I have no idea."
He sat down gingerly on her bed.
"Why did she insist for you to have my blood in your veins?"
"The baby… he was just a decoy," she said, her voice slightly wobbling. "Do you remember Firene, when we went to see him just before the weekend in your rooms? He knew about the baby, but he never called him the Child of the prophecy. He said 'the awaited child', without the emphasis we put on the name. He knew. He knew and he didn't tell me."
Her words were an echo to his own thoughts when Callisto had fallen. Firene had hidden too many things from them and he wanted to know why.
"How about we go to see him this evening after the meeting?" he proposed casually.
A dangerous glint appeared briefly in Hermione's eyes.
"It would be nice," she said, her voice calm.
To her surprise, he chuckled low in his throat.
"You bloodthirsty creature," he teased her.
It brought another shy smile on her lips. He reached for her and pushed wandering locks behind her ear.
"I know it's hard for you, sweet," he whispered. "Well, I don't know exactly, because I never experienced such a pain, but please don't give up. We will make him pay, I promise. Just don't give up. Be angry, be bitter, whatever, until you know you can go on."
She nodded and reached for him in turn. He was surprised to feel her fingers entwining themselves in his hair. She gently pulled him to her. She closed her eyes and brushed her lips against his. He answered willingly enough before asking:
"What was it for?"
"For giving the impression that we were a normal couple trying to deal with the loss of their first child," she replied, her eyes still closed. "Normalcy is still linked to the Muggle way of life for me, you know."
He didn't reply, gave her another kiss and left for his first class.
Just after dinner, they met in Albus's office. Minerva looked quite curious, Viktor was nervous, Harry and Ron were frowning – probably at the closeness Hermione and Severus were seating to each other – and Terry, a last moment guest, seemed the calmest of them all. Albus sat on his chair, Fawkes coming to nest on his lap, and he began to caress the scarlet feathers.
"First of all, congratulations for keeping a level head when facing Cornelius and Amelia," he said. "I am glad that you found some friends in the House that should have been yours, Hermione."
She nodded quite numbly.
"Second, I heard about the tactics you used at Samhain. I am astonished. I don't think there ever was a Quidditch formation attacking Voldemort, especially with cursed Bludgers. Whose idea was it?"
"Hermione, sir," said Harry before anyone could answer.
She glared at him and he replied with a boyish grin.
"She told me to do what I do best. It reminded me of something that the fake Mad-Eye Moody had told me for the first task of the Triwizard Tournament. What I do best is flying for Quidditch. Then I realised that several members of the DA belonged to the Quidditch team – in my fifth year, in fact, the whole Quidditch team was in the DA. Ron told me his brothers would want to participate, so he contacted them. It happened that they had been thinking of those Bludgers and they began working at them even more actively."
"I didn't think I would ever say that but it's the first time I appreciated anything from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes since Dolores Umbridge left Hogwarts," said Minerva with a slight grin.
"We managed to keep the casualties relatively low," said Albus, slightly wincing as Severus glared furiously at him. "Callisto Vector will be sorely missed, even though it was apparently her wish to die."
"Professor Vector is dead?" exclaimed Hermione, standing up and gasping.
"Damn you, Albus!" swore Severus. "Did you have to say it like this?"
Albus looked bewildered.
"She didn't know?" he whispered.
"Of course not, she didn't know!" snapped Severus, unconsciously wrapping a protective arm around Hermione's shoulders. "Don't you think she had enough to deal with without telling her that?"
"But… but I received my Arithmancy homework!" she exclaimed, refusing the reality.
"We shared the class between the Slytherin teachers: Venus Sinistra, Freya Thurisaz and myself. Slytherins may not be trusted but loyalty to our House is very important to us."
She sagged against his shoulder and Severus tightened his grip on her shoulders. He knew Hermione had liked Callisto very much and they had grown even closer when the Arithmancy teacher had taught her how to play flute for the unicorns.
Sheepish, Albus continued.
"We did not inflict durable damages to Voldemort's followers, but we showed them that we were a force to be reckoned with. Viktor threw some nasty curses over there, as well as those wonderful Bludgers. For those of you who didn't guess yet, Viktor Krum is the Heir of Hufflepuff."
Harry, Terry and Minerva gasped. Ron frowned and said:
"But there're no Hufflepuffs in Durmstrang!"
Everybody stared at him.
"That's what Hermione says all the time," he added a bit defensively.
Albus sighed.
"It seems Miss Granger is better than any of us to make something stick in your heads, obviously. She probably listed the names of the Durmstrang Houses, so I do not see the need to repeat them. Nevertheless, Viktor is Helga's Heir; he's from the line of Helga's son, before Salazar cast the curse on Rowena and her half-sister."
"So we have the four Heirs among us?" asked Harry. "Hermione, Professors Snape and Krum and myself?"
"It's not all. I think, along with Severus, that Hermione is more than Rowena's Heir. No, I'm going too fast. Voldemort cast a spell on Hermione before the battle really began. This spell…"
To everybody's surprise, Severus brought his hand to Hermione's head, cradling her skull, and gently pressed her face in his chest. Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around his waist, trying to shut out the world.
"This spell killed the Child of the prophecy and gave his powers and blood to Voldemort," said Albus quickly.
They all gasped, except Severus, Viktor and Hermione. Her three friends would have come to her side, but Severus's glare prevented them from doing so.
"In doing so, Voldemort set off a spell cast by Rowena on Hermione and Salazar's blood – which she took from Severus – is now running free in her veins."
"We have two Childs of the prophecy?" asked Minerva, surprised.
"Ah… Well, not exactly. I didn't give you the whole prophecy. Here it is: The Heirs will meet: the Raven will fall, the Snake will protect, the Lion will fight and the Badger will strike. The Child with the four bloods will bring the world to a new dawn and Salazar's Heir will rise in the light, taking his rightful place, and defeat the Fraud. We don't have two Heirs. We have the Heir – or the Child – and the Fraud."
"But which is which?" asked Harry, worried.
"It's obvious! The Child is Hermione! The bloods in her veins have been given willingly and she's Rowena's Heir! She was carrying the Child!"
"Nothing is so sure. A prophecy isn't good or evil. It is simply. Voldemort is Salazar's Heir also, no matter what, and it isn't said anywhere that the Child had to be created without pain."
Hermione snorted from Severus's embrace and Albus winced again.
"I apologise, Hermione."
"Never mind," she said, her voice muffled. "So we have two prophecies predicting deaths, either Voldemort or Harry and either Voldemort or me. Does he have a death wish? He's on 'the world is too small for the both of us' living type with both Harry and me. It would seem the odds are in our favour."
"So we – Hermione and I – just need to face him and we can blast him into oblivion?" asked Harry.
"But what about Salazar's Heir? He's supposed the defeat the Fraud and Professor Snape wouldn't hurt Hermione, would he?"
"Don't forget that Voldemort is also Salazar's Heir. If Hermione is indeed the Fraud, nothing can prevent him of defeating her."
"Without forgetting that prophecies, no matter what you say, are as reliable as any prediction made by Sybill," added Severus sarcastically. "Meaning that it's not proven that they will really happen."
"We have to lure him to Hogwarts," said a tired voice.
Every head turned to Hermione, leaning heavily against Severus.
"You should be still in bed under Poppy's supervision," Severus frowned.
"You're worse than I am on the subject," she retorted. "And it's beside the point."
"Why do you want to lure him here?"
"We both have the bloods. One of us is the Heir; the other is the Fraud. The last confrontation must take place in Hogwarts, where the Founders will decide which is which. Hogwarts will decide."
"Hermione? You're beginning to speak like Sybill," Severus said, worried.
She had an odd smile.
"The Raven – me – will fall; I did fall under Voldemort's curse. The Snake – you, Professor Snape – will protect and you indeed protected me, the fallen raven. The Lion – Harry – will fight; well, all the Gryffindors fought, but Harry is apparently Godric's Heir. The Badger will strike; Viktor weakened Voldemort enough to give us respite, despite the life… the life he had just stolen."
She bit her lower lip, fighting against the tears threatening to invade her eyes at the thought of her baby dead before being given the chance to live. Severus held her tighter – after all, it was his baby also.
"Hermione, it will be alright…"
He cursed himself at the moment the words came out of his mouth. Of course not, it would not be alright! The Heir was dead, robbed of his life in the most gruesome way, and he was standing here, trying to tell his mother of the contrary. The truth was, he was not used to comfort someone. Last time, he had kissed her but they were not alone now and he didn't really care for the Headmaster to see him kiss a student.
She shook her head and slipped her hand in his, squeezing it gently before releasing it.
"The first part of the prophecy is realised. The second one is about to begin: the Child with the four bloods will bring the world to a new dawn. But we don't know who the Child is."
"So you're ready to accept whatever fate is waiting for us? If the Dark Lord is the Child, you will just accept your doom?" Severus said, angry.
She had a sad smile.
"I think we have a fair chance that I am the Child. After all, the four Heirs are on our side. Harry, Viktor, you and me. And we had the Child born of the four bloods. Let's Hogwarts recognise its true master. She who received the bloods freely given or he who stole them."
"The funny thing is, you both have unicorn blood in your veins also," Albus mused. "Once again, freely given for one and stolen for the other."
"The unicorns recognise you," Severus said suddenly. "The lord of the unicorns is your friend and gave his blood for you."
"Let's hope it will be enough. Let's hope that the life of my child will be enough to save us…" she murmured, her throat tight.
"Albus, if you don't mind, I will bring her back to the Hospital Wing."
"Of course, Severus."
To everyone's surprise, Severus lifted her up in his arms and looked at Albus expectedly. The Headmaster chuckled softly and cast an invisibility spell on them.
As soon as they were in the corridors, Hermione protested:
"Severus, I want to go see Firene, please!"
"You're in no condition for that. Maybe tomorrow."
"No, now. Please. It's… it's not for the confrontation with Firene. I need his peace."
Nodding his understanding, Severus changed his path and headed for the Forbidden Forest. Hermione relaxed in his arms and leaned her head against his shoulders, circling his neck with her arms.
He lost no time in casting the purification spell on her and levitating her to the usual clearing. He produced a shining flute and gave it to her. She accepted with a mournful smile and began a song that wasn't the song to the unicorn. It was low and sad and Severus knew without asking that it was an ode to Callisto. Silently, his thanks went to the young Gryffindor, for acknowledging Callisto's departure in a more meaningful way than any word in front of a grave would ever do.
Firene came and though he still looked regal, there was sadness in his stance also.
"Greetings to thee, daughter," he said, his silvery voice sounding strangely hollow.
"Greetings, Firene."
"I grieve with thee for thy friend and thine unborn child."
"Why didstn't thou tell me?"
"What good would it have done, child?" said the unicorn sadly. "It brought no joy to mine heart to send thee forward into a fight causing thee only pain. But thy pain made thee what thou art now."
"The Child of the prophecy," she said slowly.
"Indeed. Thou mayest not believe me, but I assure thee that it is the whole truth."
"Was it worth a life? Worse, was it worse two lives?"
"She craved for death and found peace. Doest thou want to deny her this small joy?"
Hermione shook her head miserably. The unicorn came near her and nuzzled her gently.
"I am sorry," he whispered, his voice filled with ageless sorrow.
She looked at Severus.
"Can we go, please?" she said, choking.
Without answering, Severus lifted her up in his arms and walked away.
"Dark One, if thou needst me, come to me. I will be waiting."
Severus heard the sound of the hooves behind him and knew that Firene was leaving. He looked back and saw the proud unicorn with his head hanging down and behind him, still on the ground of the clearing, was the flute, shining silver under the moonlight. For the first time, the encounter with the lord of the unicorns had brought no peace; it only left a bitter taste.
He brought her back to the Hospital Wing and gently lowered her on her bed.
"Don't give up, little lioness," he murmured. "Gryffindors don't know the meaning of surrender."
She had a pale smile and closed her fingers around his hand.
"Talk to me, please?"
He sat on the edge of her bed and thought of a subject. Then he knew.
"Hermione, did Rowena cast a spell or something before she performs the first half of the blood binding ceremony?" he asked casually, helping her to get rid of her robes, leaving her in her dark red pyjamas.
He covered her with the sheet and blanket and she snuggled in her pillows.
"Yes. She said it was to make the unicorn blood stronger. I think. Why do you ask?" she replied, her voice already drowsy.
"Because there were two reasons for me to mix unicorn blood with Potter's blood. The first one was to counter the poison due to the narwhal tusk, naturally, but the second one is because Ravenclaw and Gryffindor blood cannot coexist in the same system without a kind of calming agent. Salazar took care of this when he cast his curses – as to make sure that Godric would never try to take advantage of Rowena. But he also cast this same curse on his blood, so that it would never be compatible with Godric's, unless…"
"Unless you have unicorn blood. I wonder if Voldemort knows that; if not, he was simply lucky when he used Harry's blood earlier."
Severus nodded thoughtfully.
"It's like potions," he said suddenly with a slight smirk. "If you mix everything with the right proportions, then the result will be fine; otherwise, you will chance strange behaviours. If Rowena hadn't taken care of the amount of unicorn blood in your veins, you might have died."
She fell silent. He rose to leave, but she grabbed his hand again.
"Stay a little longer, please."
He nodded and sat down again. She had a shy smile and closed her eyes.
"I received socks last week," he said, suddenly remembering what he had wanted to talk with her the previous night, but Albus's intervention had sent his thoughts on another track.
"Did you like them?" she replied, yawning discreetly.
His breath caught.
"Did you send them?"
"Of course I did. I had to thank you, hadn't I?"
He gritted his teeth.
"I didn't find the message of the Gryffindor socks very grateful."
Her eyes flew open with shock.
"I never sent Gryffindor socks! They were Slytherin ones. The message just said Thank you for the missing blood. Because you accepted to be with me for giving life to my child and because I took some of your blood so I could become… what I am. Who sent you Gryffindor socks?"
"I don't know," he said softly, caressing her brow. "Don't worry, it was probably a prank. How did you manage to send me the owl, since you were here last week?"
"I asked Terry to go to the owlery for me. So, that's why you told me about blood red socks!"
"Yes, that's why. I received a message with each pair of socks. I never thought they could have different senders. Are you sure you sent only one pair? Could Boot have sent the others?"
"Terry didn't know what was in the package. May I see the socks?"
"Tomorrow," he said, chuckling softly at the note of eagerness creeping in her voice.
"Is this a promise?" she asked suspiciously.
"It is a promise. Now sleep."
He leaned above her and kissed her gently. He felt her smile under his lips and slowly deepened the kiss.
"Go before Madam Pomfrey beheads you," she murmured.
"True, I had forgotten that I upset you," he replied sarcastically.
He left the Hospital Wing, almost in awe with what had just happened.