"Albus, three hours have passed since she performed the spell, and she's still not back."

"I can't sense her presence. I am not sure what to say."

"You'd better bloody well know what to say. She cannot leave me waiting like this."

"My, Severus, you've become quite attached to her." Albus was rather amused, and not feeling at all apprehensive that she hadn't returned. They both knew that she had calculated probabilities that the spell could last upwards of a day, so while two hours had been a best case scenario, there were other lesser scenarios that called for the spell to last two or three days. The magic used in this spell was untested, and the Muggle science involved quite theoretical.

"I have not. There is just a lot at stake."

"Admit it, you have feelings for her."

"If I admit it will you get off my back?"

"No."

"Then I won't, you insufferable old man." More waiting. "Blast it!" Snape was pacing around the dungeons, with Albus drinking tea and watching him.

"Relax. I think her calculations just may have been off."

"Albus?"


"Yes?"

"Damn it all. I love her."

"That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"You have no idea."

Of course, Hermione was in the room and heard all this. She had realized, to her great excitement, that the spellcaster could control the time they spent in spiritual form; she had predicted that this was a theoretical possibility, but it was an amazing bonus in practice. She'd gone off into an abandoned classroom to practice the change between spirit and human form, and had perfected it. Then, she'd stayed incognito and listened to the conversation in the Potions lab. She really shouldn't have, but that damned spell had such an effect on her ethics.

"I'm here!" she said brightly, winking back into existence. Severus nearly fell down.

You heard that admission, eh? Albus thought in Hermione's direction.

The grey magic worked a little too well. I should feel sheepish, but I couldn't help myself, really.

"Well, it worked. Fabulously. There is only one flaw, and that is that I couldn't establish contact with you, Albus. I tried, but failed."

"That would really fall into perfecting the spell rather than a flaw in the formula, because no one who might likely be using this miracle in the field is telepathic, anyway. Congratulations, my dear, well done. I am off to inform Diggory. Let's drink to this tonight, shall we? We can discuss what you experienced as well. Remus can't be there, of course, but he sends his love."

"Oh!" A sudden remembrance. "I need to get into Hogsmeade to meet Harry. I'm late. Yes, I will give you a full debriefing in just a couple of hours; I just need to do this one thing, and I'll be ready."

Severus watched her go with a nagging bit of apprehension in his stomach. Was he upset because he thought she might have overheard his admission of love? Or was there something more? He'd just have to corner her later for a debriefing.

~*~

Truth be told, she hadn't run off just because she was late to see Harry. He knew she was habitually late and he probably wouldn't even be there yet. She had run off because of overhearing Severus's admission to Albus. The sad part was, she knew that he had to know she was floating somewhere in the room. Why did he want her to know?

More importantly, all he was doing was voicing feelings she already knew to be true. Why else had they stayed apart so long? They couldn't face each other until forced to. She could feel that there was more for him than just random concern the night that he had been forced into seducing her. It had torn him apart, much more so than it should have for a former Death Eater-slash-reluctant-hero saving a mere student. After their time together the day before, she could have seen it clearly, even without the kiss.

Sorting out her own feelings on the matter was going to take time, she thought as she got to the gates and began the walk down into Hogsmeade. It was quite easy to diagnose Severus from a safe distance, but another matter to sort out what she felt. She had spent so many years not allowing herself about anyone too deeply, most of all herself, that she didn't know if she had any genuine emotions left. The façade she had erected fooled everyone but Dumbledore. Harry honestly, in all the years they had been together, had never realized the extent of the barriers to real emotion that she had erected after that night. Have I let go? Why did I feel the need to go to Malfoy Manor, then, while I was testing the Spiritus Insata? I think that I have a lot more work to do, she mused. Part of her thought that confronting Malfoy would heal her, but that was too frightening of a thought to contemplate too far. She could still feel the hate, anger, fear, and detestable longing that his twisted ministrations had created in her. And, how that longing got transferred onto Snape while they had both been unwilling participants in his sick game. How Snape had caressed every part of her, hurting and torturing and making her feel so incredibly good and alive, all for Malfoy's amusement. Ugh! Stop thinking about this! It just seemed to replay in her mind over and over, after the weekend's events.

Not that she was all that thrilled to be going to see Harry right about now, but at least it was away from Snape, and right now that was a Good Thing. Maybe they could talk Quidditch or Pansy Parkinson or something equally mundane so she could have a break from the past and present intermingling.

Harry was sitting, looking rather grim, in the far corner of the Three Broomsticks, his back to the far door. Hermione waved and walked over, smiling rather falsely and suddenly concerned at the look in Harry's eyes. Something dreadful had happened, she was sure of it. She thought to the second that she had flitted over his shoulder as a spirit, and had felt even then that something was wrong despite the lightheartedness of his owl post.

"Harry," she began, and Rosmerta appeared. "Butterbeer, Dr. Granger?"

"Make it two," Harry said softly. His eyes were on Hermione now, and his hand closed over hers in an unfamiliar fashion. "How did it go?"

"Fine. I tested it this morning."

"That's great!" There was an unusual wildness in Harry's eyes. "This will mean a lot to our colleagues, a great deal indeed, if it worked."

"Yes." There was something about this conversation that simply didn't feel right, and suddenly she felt as if she couldn't give away more information about the spell. The Auror training was coming in handy, and she had a sense that she was not sitting with Harry Potter at all. As the butterbeer appeared on the table, she thought frantically for an explanation. "Harry, I have a question."

"Shoot," he said, sipping his drink and sitting back in a most uncharacteristic way. No Auror would sit like that, and certainly Harry would normally have his back to a wall. Everything was wrong about this.

"What did I wear at our engagement party?"

"Green robes, diamond earrings, and nothing underneath, vixen." He chucked knowingly. Okay, he'd passed that test, but there were a number of people there that night. "What is your secret endearment for me…the one you only used when we were in danger?"

"Toodles."

Well, if this was an imposter, he certainly knew an awful lot. Albus, she called. No answer. Damn, she was just too far away from the castle.

"Where is Sirius?" She was edging away, preparing to make a move. "He was called away. What's with the twenty questions?" Now she knew. Good grief, would Harry come in to see Sirius if he wasn't even there? Don't think so.

"I don't think you are Harry Potter."

"Oh come now, Hermione, your paranoia's gotten the better of you. Here's the damn scar," he said, flattening his hair upward to reveal the jagged mark.

"I'm out of here." She got up, and left the Three Broomsticks quickly. Looking behind her, she didn't see him following yet. Thank God, she thought, preparing to Apparate to the edge of Hogwarts to walk into the grounds and re-establish her connection to Albus. As she began to wink out of existence, she felt strong hands grab her and commandeer her elsewhere. She had a sinking feeling that she knew where she would end up.