Disclaimer: I don't own anything at all in the Harry Potter universe.

Courage to Find the Strength

Chapter 24

Professor Severus Snape stood among countless smoking, bubbling, and brewing potions in his private lab in the dungeons of Hogwarts. Everything was all set to begin the experiments. The Professor had carefully arranged a few of the Muggles Studies books on nuclear radiation on a side table for quick reference, the very same books that Potter, Weasley, and Granger had poured over just a short while ago. He had the infernal Geiger counter placed in its own precise spot, turned on, and waiting to detect its first emissions. Even with every detail he could think of attended to, every bottle perfectly arranged, every potion at its height of potency, he couldn't bring himself to do that one small, minuscule task that would start the whole process rolling. Instead, he just stood there and stared at it, an overwhelming sense of panic coursing through him, an unnatural fear making him want to bolt from the lab and never return. In front of him lay a small lead box, but it wasn't the box that terrified him. It was the picture inside.

Snape knew he needed the elf blood on that picture for his experiments. He knew the blood was poisoned, and that it was his task as set by Professor Dumbledore to discover the nature of the poison and why certain wizards weren't affected. None of this scared him in the least. It was the subject of the picture that caused his trembling. Slowly, swallowing, he lifted the box and brought out the hated thing.

There they were flickering badly, but still in a state that it could be clearly made out what they were doing. He had his arm around her. She was leaning into him. He gave her a kiss which she briefly returned. Their smiling faces waving at the viewer. It made him sick to his stomach.

Happy. They were so damn happy.

For a moment, Snape considered throwing the picture into the fire and destroying it. His fear was quickly being replaced by a powerful rage and an intense jealousy. Then, as quickly as it came, it passed and was replaced by an anguish and a longing that threatened to shatter his soul. Once, a very long time ago, Severus had loved and had loved so deeply that it consumed every fiber of his being. It wasn't Hermione's and Draco's faces he saw, but an earlier photograph, almost identical to the one in his hand, of himself and another young aspiring witch. That picture had been the only proof that at one time, and only one time, in his life Severus Snape had been truly happy. But the fates were cruel indeed and loved a good joke. So, Severus tragically lost that one person in the universe who had ever truly cared for him and went back to being the most hated unpopular person in the surrounding wizarding community. Even his so- called friends were just using him for their own personal gain. Of course, Professor Snape understood he was admired by many of the Slytherins under his care, and that the Headmaster believed entirely in him, but it couldn't compare to what he'd lost.

Severus blinked back the first tears in more than a decade. He looked at the photograph again, but this time the faces he saw were the actual faces he was meant to see. Sighing, he started the careful process of removing some of the blood and allowed himself to be fully absorbed in his task, forcing his mind to close doors, which were never meant to be reopened.

***

Deep into the night and covered with all sorts of stains, smears, and smudges from his experiments, Snape gasped in amazement at the answer before him. It was so simple, so common that even the First Year students would recognize it. He quickly poured the contents into a vial and dashed out of the lab.

A short time later, a very sleepy Ron and Harry joined an equally tired Hermione in the Common Room. Professor McGonagall was muttering to herself about the impropriety of it all and just plain upset at having to wake up students at such an hour and drag them to Professor Dumbledore's office. She had no idea what was going on, a fact that in itself deeply annoyed her, but if it had to do with these three, it was probably something big. The four silently left the Common Room and joined up with a yawning Malfoy outside the statue leading to the Headmaster's office.

"What's this about, Professor?" Draco sleepily drawled, smiling over at Hermione.

"I have NO idea, Mr. Malfoy, but I assure you I will find out in no time. Being woken up to fetch students at such an hour, it's ridiculous, I tell you," she huffed and started up the hidden staircase.

The small group poured into the office where the Headmaster and Professor Snape were excitedly talking in hushed voices. "Ah, Minerva, thank you so much for fetching those three and Mr. Malfoy, too. I'm very sorry to have woken you, but their presence is most important right now."

"Albus, really! It's four o'clock in the morning! It's not decent, I tell you! Not at all! Now, what the devil is going on around here?" she cried.

"I will explain everything in due time," Dumbledore smiled and came over to take her by the arm. "Now, I'm sure you're just as tired as the rest of us. Please, I beg of you, try to get a little shut-eye before morning approaches."

"Are you steering me out of here, Albus? Really, I think I should remain here."

"Nonsense. I know you must be tired. Very tired."

She looked up in his eyes and slowly nodded, looking foggy. "Yes, I'm suddenly feeling very tired. Good night, students. Good night, Severus. I think I'll head off to bed now. Good night, Albus." She turned and sort of drifted out of the room.

"It's clear. You two can come out now," Dumbledore rang out to the back of his office where two figures emerged.

Harry was instantly alert and happy. "Sirius! Remus!" The two wizards walked over and embraced Harry, Ron, and Hermione and seemed very pleased to see them.

Draco crossed his arms uncertainly, but returned the nods they gave him. "So, tell us what you've discovered, sir."

"It's simple, so very simple. The plant used to allow the poisoning of magical creatures I suspect is the very same one used to repel it. It all depends on the dose and how it is introduced. See! Here it is!" Snape produced a small vial of a pink liquid.

"What is that?" Ron asked aloud.

"It's Essence of Spiderwort," Snape smugly answered as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"No, that isn't," Hermione frowned. "Essence of Spiderwort is BLUE!"

"I thought you used Spiderwort to cure spider bites?" Harry looked very confused.

"So, you were paying attention, Potter. Amazing," Snape sneered.

"Severus," Dumbledore warned, "perhaps you should explain."

"Spiderwort is a very peculiar plant that exists in our world AND in the Muggle world. When used in a potion, you're right, it can cure a spider bite. But, in the Muggle world, it has the peculiar property of turning pink whenever nuclear radiation is near. It is this PINK Spiderwort that Voldemort is using to poison the creatures. When mixed with a few other common ingredients, it makes a very powerful potion that changes the body chemistry of a magical creature and causes them to be vulnerable to radiation. The higher the dose, the increased vulnerability."

"So why was I protected?" Draco asked.

"That's what I couldn't figure out until this morning. When combined with a type of repelling herb, it makes the drinker immune. The Spiderwort in your system absorbs the radiation, preventing it from soaking into your tissues, and then is harmlessly passed through the body. The Muggles in the United States have been using it to treat kidney and female problems for centuries. It's genius!"

"Female problems?" Ron asked, but Hermione nudged him in the ribs. After a minute, the answer came to him, and he blushed furiously. Remus snorted; Sirius tried to hide a smile; Draco snickered; and Snape stared at him like he was the biggest imbecile on the planet. Harry was still confused, but he pretended to nod in understanding.

"How long before you can brew us enough potion for us all?" Dumbledore inquired, ending poor Ron's humiliation.

"It's so simple, I could have some by moonfall."

"Excellent. We'll reassemble here after the moon has risen. Sirius, Remus, you may stay if you like. No one would think to look here."

***

"Hermione, could we talk for a minute?" Draco called after Potions class later that morning. It had been a long time since Draco had been to any classes, but today wasn't too bad since they'd had a substitute teacher as Snape was too busy preparing the potion.

"Sure," she stifled a yawn and grinned. She followed him into Moaning Myrtle's lavatory, timing it so they wouldn't be seen.

Myrtle came floating out of her stall to see who the visitors were. As soon as she saw Malfoy, she screwed her face up in preparation to wail. "Get lost, Myrtle," he said absently. "Now." Mrytle hesitated a moment, then quickly flushed herself.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Hermione set her books down and jumped up on a long marble dressing counter beneath a great bronze mirror. Draco came up and put his arms around her.

"You know I love you, right?" he said to her softly.

"Yes, and I love you."

"Do you?"

"Yes."

Draco looked away. "Why?"

"Draco, I can't answer that. I could give you a million reasons, and I could give you none. I love you because I do. You make something in me come alive."

"You're right. That's not much of an answer. Just answer me this. With all I've put you through, with everything the way it's been, what kind of a future do we have?"

"Anything we want. You've been the only one blinded about what can be and what is, but I think you're coming around," she finished in a slight teasing tone.

"Oh yeah? How's that?"

"Well, look at what you thought of me. You know, begins with a M and ends with a D. Nasty word. And look at what you thought of yourself. You were going to follow in your dad's footsteps. You were even going to follow Voldemort."

"I was NEVER going to follow Voldemort," he protested.

Hermione gingered touched his forearm. "Not anymore. Not with me here. Not ever again." She pulled him close and kissed him gently on the mouth. "God, Draco, if I'm still here after everything we've been through, and you're still here despite it all, we've got to have something positive working for us."

"Yeah, or we're incredibly stupid and blind and ignoring all the signs we shouldn't be together," he murmured this while planting soft kisses on her lips. He hugged her tightly. "Thank you. Thank you so much for loving me and tolerating all the nonsense I've put you through. Honestly, I'd be dead or worse if it weren't for you. I never meant to hurt you, Hermione. I swear on anything I've ever given a damn about, I'd take it all back."

They were about to start kissing again when they heard a quiet sniffling coming from the ceiling above them. "That..that..was.so.so.beautiful!"

"Mrytle!" they both yelled.

"What's all the commotion about?" Peeves stuck his head through the ceiling above Mrytle. "Ewww, lookee here! There's a boy in the girl's bathroom! Did you get lost, little Slytherin? Hmmm? Or did you sneak in here to play smoochy-smoochy with that Gryffindor girl?" He started giggling uncontrollably. "Oh, this is good! Slytherin and Gryffindor sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

"YOU SHUT UP!" Mrytle yelled at him.

"Oh, ickle Myrtle doesn't like my song! Boo-hoo! Why don't you go back to your toilet, pottyhead!"

"THAT'S IT! The Baron told you not to tease me anymore. I'm telling!" Myrtle flew out of the bathroom right through the wall with Peeves begging and pleading right behind her.

Both Hermione and Draco burst out laughing. "Well, we're in for it now!" Draco said.

"Who cares?" Hermione smirked and brought Draco's mouth back down to her own. They only had a few more minutes to themselves before Hermione had to leave for class. After a few pleading words with her to stay, Draco gave up. The world may be ending, but Hermione Granger would be damned if she missed any more classes.

***

"You nervous, Harry?" Sirius asked his godson in Dumbledore's office waiting for the rest of the group to arrive.

"Should I be? I've faced Voldemort how many times now?" Harry managed a nervous smile.

"That-a-boy," he clapped him on the shoulder. "Make me proud!"

"Don't I always?" he laughed.

"Well, I'm glad you two find it so bloody funny! I'm scared out of my wits over here!" Ron exclaimed.

"There's the Gryffindor spirit!" Lupin laughed. "Like old times then!"

Dumbledore smiled at all of them, also seeming to join in the mirth and patted Ron reassuringly on the back. Snape came in next carrying a large cauldron of a foul-smelling liquid and was being extra careful not to slosh any around. All of them wrinkled their noses. Lupin's eyes started to water, and even Fawkes let out a disgusted squawk. About a moment later, Draco and Hermione entered. Draco stopped on a dime. "Woah! Now that's a dreadfully familiar odor! Yes, Professor, I think you've copied it exactly. I can't remember specifics but that's coming back to me."

"We've got to drink that?!" Hermione grimaced. "Oh, someone please tell me it doesn't taste like THAT, too!" But Draco's green face wasn't too reassuring.

***

"Oh good Lord! I'm going to toss!" Ron cried for the fourth time on the way through the forest to the Glade.

"No! No, you're not!" Sirius told him sternly. "If anyone's going to toss, it's going to be me!"

"Lemon drop?" Dumbledore held out a couple of the tart candies he loved so much. The two took them and sucked on them trying to dispel the nasty aftertaste. "How much further, Mr. Malfoy? I must say I'm certainly surprised I don't know about this place."

"Not much further, sir." Draco smirked back at Ron and Sirius.

They reached the glade, and all were impressed by its quiet beauty. "Ah, I see now," Dumbledore reverently said.

"What is it?" Harry said softly, standing by his arm.

"This is a Haven, a sort of sacred place in the Forest. Violence is not tolerated in a place such as this. This is a place to calm the spirit and to rest the soul."

"Could have used a place like this instead of the Shrieking Shack," Lupin whispered to Sirius and avoided the nasty look he got from Snape.

"No, Remus, I doubt werewolves would be tolerated here," Dumbledore admonished. "Now is everyone ready?"

All nodded. Dumbledore shut his eyes, murmured a few words; and with a flick of his wand, they all vanished. At least, that was what they thought. Just inside the treeline, a few feet from the glade, Lucius Malfoy held a struggling Hermione with a hand tightly clamped on her mouth and a dagger pressed to her throat.

"You thought you could save my son from me. But who's going to save you, mudblood?" he sneered when the group vanished.