Disclaimers: Please refer to chapter one for full disclaimer write-up.
When Living is No Longer EnoughChapter Thirty-Two
"It worked!" Hermione shouted grabbing the potions master around the neck and jumping up and down. Her behavior was similar to that of a small child who, after waiting through an eternally long night, has been told that Christmas morning has arrived. "Look Severus, it worked!"
"I do believe that I heard you the first time," Snape gasped; attempting to loosen her grip just enough to allow him to draw breath back into his lungs. Pulling free of the young witch's grasp, he turned her body so that they could both study the map while wrapping his arms around the beaming Gryffindor in an effort to calm her excited movements.
"He's not far away either," she noted, mentally calculating the distance between Hogwart's and the dot on the map that indicated the Dark Lord's whereabouts. "Funny though, I guess I expected to see the name 'Voldemort' appear by the tracking mark."
"Yes but 'Lord Voldemort' is simply an anagram of his real name: Tom Marvolo Riddle," Snape reminded the young woman lovingly ensconced in his arms. "It is nothing more than a self-appointed title designed, not only to stroke his twisted ego, but also to strike fear throughout the wizarding world."
"Well he's certainly accomplished that," she said derisively. "Most of the inhabitants of the wizarding world are too terrified to even think his name, let alone speak it."
"Yes, pompous but effective," the potions master sneered with no small degree of loathing.
"Well, according to this map, he can't be more than one hundred miles away at most," she noted, drawing an imaginary line on the map between Hogwarts and the tracking mark with her finger.
"Eighty-three miles to be exact," Severus answered with a sigh.
"How can you be so sure?" she wondered, confused by the reluctance in his tone.
"Because I have been to that particular location far too many times," he answered in a flat voice, utterly devoid of emotion. "If this information is accurate then Voldemort is currently residing at Malfoy Manor, an unfortunate turn of events as it will only serve to make our task that much more difficult. That is, of course, assuming he is still there at the time of our attack."
"I don't understand," the Gryffindor said a little hesitantly. "I mean, I would think that would be a good thing for us seeing that you have been there so many times. It means that you know the layout of the grounds and what wards or safeguards Malfoy might have in place."
"It is my familiarity with Lucius' methods of safeguarding his property that concerns me," he answered sharply. "At any given time, Malfoy Manor is guarded by anti-apparition wards, recognition charms keyed to grant admittance to specific individuals only, as well as several other types of less than hospitable forms of magic; all intended to deter unwelcome visitors. Then of course there are the dogs that Lucius keeps on hand to patrol the grounds at night."
"Dogs?" Hermione questioned. "That doesn't sound too difficult. We should be able to use standard defensive spells to stun them."
"Yes, provided that we have enough time to cast one before being knocked to the ground and ripped to shreds," Snape agreed sarcastically but softened his countenance as he saw a hurt look momentarily cross her face.
"Hermione," he said, gently taking her hand in his, "these are not your normal cuddly puppies. Lucius has trained these dogs to enjoy the taste of blood and they can smell even the most minuscule hint of fear from miles away. They move stealthily throughout the landscape and stalk their prey with infinite skill. Do not make the mistake of underestimating them."
"Alright," she agreed with a small smile. "Anything else?"
"Lucius has boasted, rather loudly and on more than one occasion, that he has taken the liberty of employing several dementors to patrol the property as well. We will have to be mindful of the possibility that we may encounter them."
"I guess I had better practice my technique for casting an acceptable patronus," she said lightly, although the potions master had noticed how her face had paled at the mention of the dark creatures.
"I have every confidence in your abilities," he said in an effort to put her mind at rest. Oddly enough he found that his words were not mere platitudes aimed to remove the look of unease that had settled across her petite facial features. He actually believed that she was capable of accomplishing just about anything she put her mind to, including warding off a dementor should she be unfortunate enough to come across one. However, he did not have to like the fact that she was planning on potentially placing herself in harm's way yet again. Lucius Malfoy's threats were not to be taken lightly and if the Dark Lord remained in his current location, and Snape had no reason to believe otherwise given the fact that his health would soon be compromised, then allowing her to accompany them would be risky at best and deadly at worst. He sighed quietly, knowing that there would be nothing that any of them could do or say to convince her to remain behind in the safety that Hogwart's offered while the rest of them went to face Voldemort for what would hopefully be the final time.
"We need to inform the headmaster that the tracking charm worked," Hermione said, disengaging herself from the potion master's embrace and walking to the fireplace to call Albus Dumbledore.
"Tomorrow," he answered, removing the small container of floo powder from her hand and setting it back on the mantel.
"But Severus," she protested only to have her words cut short by a long elegant finger being placed gently against her lips.
"It is late and disturbing him now will not bring us any closer to defeating the Dark Lord before morning," he told her in a matter-of-fact way. "Besides, I would prefer to wait until we are certain the tracking charm will continue to work. If the map is still broadcasting the Dark Lord's whereabouts tomorrow morning, then I think we can safely assume that it is indeed functioning properly and inform Albus right after breakfast."
"Do you think there's a chance that the tracking charm will cease to function?" she asked in alarm.
"There is always that possibility but I am hopeful that our endeavors will be successful," he answered, snuffing out the candles with a brief wave of his wand and directing her toward the bedroom.
Minutes later, snuggled up against one another in the oversized bed, Hermione rolled over and propped herself up on one elbow while looking at the dark haired man laying beside her. "Severus, do you think the tracking charm worked so quickly because Voldemort inhaled the 'reptilian cocktail' directly?"
"I think that it is likely although we have no way of knowing for certain," he said slowly, considering the matter for a few moments. "It would seem plausible that Voldemort received a larger dosing of the potion due to the fact that he inhaled it at full potency. The potion coated his fingers and by raising his fingers to his nostrils and inhaling, he assured himself of a larger, not to mention more concentrated, dose than had he breathed in a fraction of the potion that would have been released from the perfume atomizer. The potion did not have a chance to dissipate before reaching his nostrils as it would have with the atomizer."
"So if he inhaled a larger, more concentrated dose than we had originally counted on, would this mean that the potion will begin to attack his bodily systems faster than we anticipated?" she asked, her mind racing with the possibilities.
"Perhaps," he answered cautiously, not wanting to raise her hopes until they could had more concrete evidence to base their theories on. "However, we have no way of knowing for certain. The best and most productive use of our time at this point would be to begin making plans for our eventual attack and hope that the potion produces the desired results very soon."
"I suppose," she sighed, her words suddenly coming to an abrupt halt as she felt a pair of warm lips nuzzle the base of her neck just above her shoulder. "Umm," she moaned in a sigh of contentment as she allowed herself to relax against the sinewy length of his body and enjoy the feeling of his mouth on her skin. "And just what do you think you're doing Professor?"
"I told you earlier that there were several things that I wanted to do to you," he murmured silkily as one hand came up to gently cup her breast while the other hand traced circles on her lower abdomen.
Hermione began to lose track of her thoughts as the sensations he invoked began to engulf her senses. The most delicious feeling of warmth began to form in the pit of her stomach building quickly until it resembled a raging inferno that threatened to overcome her very being. Tendrils of delight began to radiate throughout her limbs as the sensations rippled across the creamy expanse of her thighs to the core of her being. She knew without doubt that these were feelings she would never tire of. These were feelings that only he was capable of bestowing upon her. Closing her eyes, she yielded to his ministrations as flashes of color exploded behind her eyelids. It was this closeness, this feeling of such complete belonging that she had missed and had so desperately craved during her stay at Saunton Manor. She thirsted for him, hungered for him to the point that the intensity of her emotions would have scared her had she not completely trusted, with her heart and soul, the man lying next to her.
"I've missed this," she whispered huskily as she instinctively arched into the curves of his body, craving the closeness that only the ultimate act of their inevitable joining would satisfy.
"As have I," he assured her, rolling her lissome body to where her back lay nestled against the coolness of the satin sheets. Altering his position slightly, he rolled his own body over to settle his weight between her legs before capturing her mouth in a scorching kiss that seemed to stop time itself. It was then that he finally allowed himself to give in to the feelings of love and desire that had been his constant companion during the past several days. He had worried about her during her absence; he had missed her companionship during the days and craved the gift of her touch during the nights. But most of all he had missed the feeling of completeness that she brought to his life and the feelings of love and belonging she brought to his heart. She satiated him in a way that no other woman ever had or ever would again.
The lovers took their time rediscovering the contours of one another's body as if they had been apart for years rather than days. Their whispered words, soft caresses, and moans of pleasure accompanied them on one tidal wave after another throughout the night as they unselfishly gave fully of themselves in an act that, once again, bound not only their bodies together but their hearts as well. It wasn't until shortly before the first rays of dawn peeked through the blanket of night that they finally fell asleep, wrapped tightly in one another's embrace.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next morning found the pair once again making their way toward the headmaster's office. The tracking charm had proven stable and the map still showed the small red dot labeled 'Tom Riddle.' To Hermione's chagrin, the intensity of the coloring on the marker had not changed and while she knew that it was too soon to see the charm display a visible change in the Dark Lord's physical well-being, she had still held on to a small, though illogical, shard of hope.
"Tootsie Pops," the young witch called out as they reached the entrance to the headmaster's office. Noticing the confused glaze that had passed over the potions master's eyes, she smiled and clarified the meaning of the password. "It's a type of Muggle sweet on a stick that has a hard coating and a soft chewy sweet inside."
Snape merely raised an eyebrow in a very characteristic gesture that Hermione had learned over the years translated into something akin to, 'You cannot be serious.'
Reaching the doorway to the Dumbledore's office, the professors walked in and once again saw the figures of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley sitting on the sofa quietly discussing plans for the upcoming battle.
"This is getting to be a habit," Snape growled, taking a seat across from the headmaster.
The Gryffindor witch did a fairly decent job of hiding her smile although if a person were to look closely, they would notice the slight twitching of her lips and an added brightness in her eyes.
Hermione's mirth was not lost on Albus Dumbledore whose eyes were twinkling like midget lights on a muggle Christmas tree. He had heard the exchange between the teachers and had known his potions master long enough to realize that, though his words were delivered in the customary sarcastic manner, they lacked the bitter sting that that everyone had come to expect from the dour wizard.
"Good morning Severus and Hermione," Dumbledore greeted his guests. "I take it the tracking charm has proven to be successful?"
"I hardly think that it is necessary to ask since you already appear to have the answer to your questions Albus," Snape sneered, once again wondering why the headmaster deigned to have a conversation with anyone given the fact that he seemed to know everything anyway.
The potions master's reactions triggered a series of snickers from the quartet of Gryffindors. Harry and Ron were trying their best to hide their laughter lest Snape decide to silence them by turning his dark humor their way. Hermione momentarily lowered her head allowing her hair to cascade toward the floor and effectively hide the smile that had settled across her face. If it hadn't been for the slight tremor in her shoulders, no one would have known that the witch was laughing.
"Perhaps you can humor an old wizard, eh Severus?" Dumbledore asked and the expression on his face was one of humor rather than anger or offense.
Snape looked around the room at the expectant faces. It wasn't that he was angry with them and he had actually come to gain a certain amount of respect for Potter and even a small amount for Weasley as well. However, his relationship with Hermione had softened him somehow during the course of the past few months and with classes resuming in a few days he felt it was better to begin practicing his 'Snape the bastard' routine now rather than push it off. Seeing the various degrees of humor plastered across the faces that stared back at him, he was beginning to suspect that he had lost his edge. It didn't occur to him to think that the amusement these people were displaying might actually be a sign of respect and acceptance.
"The tracking charm became active late last evening," Severus told them and was pleased to notice the looks of surprise on the faces of the younger men. "We feel that by inhaling the potion directly, Voldemort received a more concentrated dose which explains the speed in the charm's success."
"Where is he now Professor?" Harry asked, subconsciously rubbing the scar that marred his forehead.
"Malfoy Manor," the potions master answered, noticing the bobbing of Ron's Adams apple as he nervously gulped. 'Understandable, given the wealthy wizard's open hostility and prejudice towards the boy's family throughout the years,' Snape thought.
"That will complicate matters don't you think?" Dumbledore questioned, his eyes gazing steadily at Snape.
"Yes, Malfoy Manor is well guarded both by magic and by other means. If we are to successfully carry out any plan of attack then we will have to take these things into account."
"Excuse me Professor," Harry asked, his Auror training kicking in and leaving him with numerous questions. "But how do we know that he will still be at Malfoy Manor when the potion starts to work on his physical health? Isn't it possible that he might decide to go into hiding at a different location?"
"We have no guarantee that the Dark Lord will remain at Malfoy Manor. However, based on what I have observed of his behavior throughout the years, I would have to say that it is the most likely scenario," Snape answered. "Lucius is Voldemort's second-in-command and has proven his loyalty time and again. In addition to this, should the potion be successful and Voldemort's health begins to fail, he will need to stay somewhere familiar and with someone that he trusts. Not that he really trusts anyone mind you but Lucius would still be the most logical choice given the circumstances. There is also the added bonus that Lucius is the sole inhabitant of Malfoy Manor given that he no longer has a wife or offspring. A fact that will prove favorable to the Dark Lord as he wouldn't want word of his illness to spread amongst the ranks of his Death Eaters. Should such a thing transpire, he would lose some of the control that he currently wields over them. Control that is based primarily on fear and would be severely undermined should they begin to view him as anything less than all-powerful."
"But how will we know when it's the right time to attack?" Ron asked.
"We have no way of knowing how fast the potion will begin to affect Voldemort's health nor do we know at what rate that deterioration will progress once it has begun," the potions master answered, wishing he had concrete facts to give the red haired man but knowing that such a thing was not possible. "Our only option is to begin planning and continue monitoring the tracking map for any signs of change that would indicate the potion's success. In other words Mr. Weasley, we will have to attack based on our best estimate of the information provided to us."
"I was afraid you were going to say something like that," the young man muttered turning a little green at the thought of attacking the Dark Lord.
Dumbledore, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, turned to the potions master. "Severus, do you think that Voldemort will go through with his plans to attack the school during or around graduation even if his health is suffering?"
"Especially if his health is suffering," Snape replied with an audible sigh. Seeing the confused expressions on the faces that peered expectantly at him, he explained his reasoning.
"Voldemort is obsessed with gaining revenge on both the headmaster and Mr. Potter and, in a twisted way, he views Hogwarts as an extension of the two of you. He was never able to gain victory over Potter during his student days and the Dark Lord views that as a direct result of Albus' position as Headmaster. Therefore in his mind, if he manages to either gain control over the castle or destroy it, he will have achieved a major victory," Severus concluded.
"And if he felt his health was on the verge of failing completely…" Hermione said, giving voice to the chain of thoughts that were running through her mind.
"In the case of such an event, he would place the attack above all else in terms of importance," Snape interrupted. "He would not want his life come to an end without having the satisfaction of seeing his most hated enemies destroyed first."
A silence fell over the office as each person took a moment to allow the implications of what the potion master's words sink in. Detaching himself from the situation for a moment, Severus observed the different reactions of the individuals present. He noted that Potter's face had taken on a look of grim determination. The young man had obviously resigned himself to the fact that facing the Dark Lord was something that must be done regardless of the circumstances surrounding the upcoming attack. Weasley's face however, did not show the same determination. But though he had paled considerably upon hearing Snape's words, the potions master could see the loyalty shining through in the young man's eyes when he looked toward his friend of so many years. Snape knew instinctively that the red haired young man would follow Potter into battle and give nothing less than his best to defeat their common enemy just as he had done so many times in the past. Surreptitiously glancing at Hermione, he was unsurprised to note the worry that shone through the blank expression that she had tried to present for the sake of the others. He bowed his head slightly, wishing there was some way around the battle that was to come yet knowing that there was not; the time to confront Voldemort had arrived and, win or lose, the confrontation was inevitable.
"Well then it seems we have no other alternative," the headmaster said in a grave tone of voice. "The graduation ceremony will take place in five weeks and, regardless of whether or not the potion has worked, it is time for us to take the battle to Voldemort as the consequences of him bringing the battle to Hogwarts has the potential of being far worse. I will begin compiling a list of wizards and witches that we can count on to assist us in the upcoming confrontation. Severus and Harry, some of the people on the list will not have extensive training in defensive measures. I would like for the two of you to work together to give them additional instruction in such matters. It goes without saying that such lessons must be kept quiet as it would not do for Voldemort to become aware of our plans."
"What about the Ministry headmaster?" Ron asked, his mind already pondering different strategies that might aid them in their endeavors. "We might be able to get additional support from the Aurors and other departments if we told them of our plans."
"Ah Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore answered, "while I would very much appreciate the additional support which the Ministry of Magic might be able to provide, we cannot risk telling them for fear that our plans may be discovered. Lucius Malfoy has many contacts within various departments at the Ministry and chances of discovery are probable. We must not lose the advantage of surprise as it might make the difference between success or failure."
"What about us?" Hermione asked, indicating her and Ron. "Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Absolutely," Dumbledore answered and Hermione could see the twinkle returning to his eyes. "I want you to come up with a series of simple but effective charms that our people may use in battle. We have no idea what type of opposition we will encounter during the attack as we can only see Voldemort's location and not the number of Death Eaters that might be present."
"What about me?" Ron questioned, determined that he was going to contribute as well.
"I have been given to understand that you are quite the strategist Mr. Weasley," the headmaster answered with a warm smile. "I will require your assistance in coordinating and planning the attack. That is, if you have no objections to such a task?"
"Of course not," the red haired young man replied, beaming from the compliment paid to him by the headmaster.
"And now, if no one else has any other questions, I believe it is time for lunch," Dumbledore commented with a proud smile. Rising from his seat, he ushered the small group of freedom fighters out of his office and led them to the Great Hall.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Two weeks had passed and Hermione was becoming depressed. The tracking map continued to indicate that Voldemort still resided at Malfoy Manor but thus far, the intensity of the tracking mark denoting the Dark Lord's physical health had barely changed.
"What if it doesn't work?" the Gryffindor asked the potions master yet again. "We only have three weeks left before the graduation ceremony."
"Have faith Hermione," Severus told her quietly. "We knew there was no guarantee the potion would work and we still don't know that it hasn't. Remember, it may take time for the Dark Lord's bodily systems to break down enough to show a significant physical change on the tracking map."
"But time is the one thing that we don't have!" she exclaimed in frustration, stomping her tiny foot like a petulant child.
Snape looked at the young woman standing before him. 'She really is quite striking when she is angry or frustrated,' he thought, biting back the laughter that threatened to overcome him as a result of her antics. However, it wouldn't do for her to become too frustrated, as she needed to stay focused on the plan. Dumbledore had put together a listing of his most trusted and most capable friends, some of which were already members of the Order of the Phoenix while a few were not. The list consisted of approximately forty people and Snape, Harry and Hermione were rotating them through the training courses in groups of ten. By keeping the groupings small, each professor could provide more personalized instruction, if needed. The small groupings also had the added advantage of keeping suspicion to a minimum as they attracted far less attention. The attack itself was scheduled to take place one week prior to the graduation ceremonies regardless of whether or not the 'reptilian cocktail' had shown signs of effectiveness.
Several days later, tired from a long day of classes and late night tutelage in their various subjects to the members of the resistance, Snape and Hermione entered his quarters and prepared to retire for the evening. Sleep was becoming a rare commodity and they were selfishly grabbing as much of it as they could, knowing they each needed to maintain their strength if they were to be of any use in the upcoming battle.
They had begun an unspoken tradition of sitting down quietly together and discussing the events of the day over a glass of liquor prior to retiring for the evening. It was a practice they had both come to enjoy as it allowed them to relax and spend quality time with one another, tucked safely away from the prying eyes of those around them. Severus had just handed the exhausted witch her customary glass of red wine when something on the end table caught his attention.
"Hermione," he called and she could hear a slight sense of urgency in his deep baritone voice, "take a look at this."
Taking the piece of parchment he held out to her, she realized that it was the tracking map. Glancing up at him in confusion, she returned her gaze to the map and gasped.
The tracking marker on the map labeled 'Tom Riddle' had lightened considerably in color indicating that the Dark Lord's physical condition had indeed changed.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
TBC
Author's Note: I just wanted to take a moment to let you all know how grateful I am for your responses to the last chapter. I was utterly floored by the number of reviews and enjoyed reading each and every one of them. I am very glad that so many of you seem to be enjoying the story and hopefully, you enjoyed this chapter as well. For those of you who have been asking for smut, I hope you enjoyed the lovemaking scene between Snape and Hermione. My apologies if it isn't quite as explicit as some of you might have hoped but I am not overly comfortable writing such scenes at this point in time. We are winding down to the last few chapters of the story (I have the outline mapped out at three chapters but wouldn't be surprised if my muse insists on adding an additional one as seems to have been the tradition throughout the entire story.) As always, I look forward to hearing your comments.
~Jules
OzRatbag2: Thank you so much for the plug on my latest SS/HG story. I hadn't even thought of plugging it but for those of you who are interested, "What If" is my latest HP offering. It is a one-shot/ one-chapter story and definitely falls in the Angst category G It is listed under my profile.
Artemys: Okay, I have to ask: what does SFN stand for? (author gives an embarrassed smile and hides head in shame for not knowing the answer on her own.)