Chapter Ten

"Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay." Ecclesiastes 5:5

Hermione and Luna went straight to Dumbledore and told him what they had discussed earlier. He listened with interest as Luna described her dreams to him. "Well, my dear. You have a gift and a profound one," Dumbledore said keenly to the young woman he had only gotten to know through her friendship with Hermione and Draco.

"It feels more like a curse," Luna replied honestly, unimpressed.

"I'm sure it does," Dumbledore said sympathetically. "Have you had any other vivid dreams? Ones that may appear disjointed and that may make no sense but were very vivid nonetheless?" he probed gently.

Luna nodded. "I keep dreaming of a dark land. A land where there is never any sun. I see tunnels of ice in wonderful shades of aquamarine and pale green. I sense of crowd of people that I can't see but who feel very familiar to me - not like they're related to me but somehow. associated with me," she described haltingly.

Dumbledore and Hermione looked at each other sharply. Luna could have been describing the deep North from a picture. "Anything else, my dear?" Dumbledore asked kindly.

"A black. horse? But not a horse; like a magical creature of some sort similar to a horse. A baby's voice and flames - bright red flames. That's all," Luna said apologetically.

"It's very interesting, my dear. Very interesting indeed," Dumbledore said gravely. "Will you tell me any more dreams you have when they come?"

"Of course, if it helps at all," Luna shrugged.

"I believe they will help very much," the white-haired professor said truthfully.

"I've heard of a theory regarding electro-magnetic fields," Luna said hesitantly, glancing at Hermione. Hermione nodded and filled Dumbledore in on what they had discussed earlier.

"Very interesting," Dumbledore repeated, sitting back in his seat contemplatively. "I vaguely remember hearing about it a long time ago but it was never investigated fully. I'm not sure how it could really help in the war against Voldemort unless we can tap into the memories from future events," Dumbledore mused.

"Well, if that is in fact what I'm tapping into when I dream then it's entirely possible," Luna said.

"As opposed to traditional theories on precognition?" Dumbledore said with interest.

"Does anyone know what precognition really is?" Luna countered.

"No - quite right. It could merely be tapping into the memories of those who will suffer in the future. Time is only a dimension our physical selves exist in, after all," he said, nodding slowly.

"Exactly," Hermione said firmly. "So I think it's worth investigating."

Dumbledore nodded. "Have you finished your current work on the tools for the Aurors, Hermione?" he asked.

"Yes Professor," she answered.

"Well, how about we put you to work on investigating this matter further and running some experiments with young Luna here?" he suggested mildly. "I can arrange it with the Minister for it to be a special assignment for your department."

"Luna, what do you think?" Hermione asked her.

"I'm in," the dark haired young woman said seriously.

"Let's do it," Hermione nodded decisively.

They went on to chat for a while about various things including Lily's strange advanced skills. "It could be very intermittent which is why her mother hadn't seen it before," Dumbledore suggested, handing out tea and crumpets.

"I had the idea she knew exactly what was going on," Hermione said with narrowed eyes. "She understood what we were talking about and was able to reply fully. And, not only did she animate that toy, she reversed the charm too," Hermione said keenly.

"Yes, that does suggest something other than impulse and beginner's luck," Dumbledore conceded thoughtfully. "It was quite deliberate, you say? She wasn't emotional or under some kind of threat at the time?"

Luna shook her head. "No way. She was playing on the floor with Molly and we were in the room with her when she did it."

Just then, Harry and Ginny and Lily arrived in Dumbledore's office. He looked very pleased to see them and offered round more tea and crumpets. "Just who we were discussing," Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling down at Lily.

"Hi Professor Dumbledore!" Lily said clearly. "I want to be in Gryffindor when I come to Hogwarts," she said with decision.

Ginny gasped and Harry let out a laugh. "You little faker! You could talk all along," he said affectionately. Nothing Lily did ever upset her father. Lily gurgled with laughter and hugged her father's knee.

The five adults went back over the incidents of the afternoon regarding Lily. "Maybe you'll have to come to Hogwarts early, Miss Lily," Dumbledore said affectionately.

"I'm going to be Head Mistress here one day!" Lily announced calmly. "Once my career as Seeker on the national Quidditch team is over," she added.

Dumbledore laughed with delight. "I will be proud to hand the reins over to you then," he said gravely to the bright eyed and bright haired child. She grinned at him, then toddled over to him and put her pudgy baby arms around his thin knee. "Amazing child," Dumbledore murmured. An instant rapport seemed to form between the very old man and the very young witch, as though they recognized something of their own spirit in each other instantly.

Luna and Hermione left Ginny and Harry talking to Dumbledore about Lily's future later that evening. Luna headed back to the Malfoy Manor and Hermione to the Snape Manor.

As she stepped out of the fireplace in the main sitting room, she nearly stepped on Severus who was pacing furiously in front of the fireplace. "Are you wearing out the rugs again?" she teased.

"Where have you been? If you hadn't got back just then, I was about to do a location charm over the Dark Forest," he snapped.

"I was with Dumbledore. Luna, Ginny, Harry and Lily were there too. Lily is a weird kid," Hermione remarked, going to sit down. Not weird, clever; Lily's baby voice echoed in Hermione's mind and she smiled to herself. "Sorry, I should have left you a note but I didn't realize we'd be gone so long," she added, noticing that Severus was in a fine temper.

Severus sat down, flicking his dark robes. "Now is not the time to disappear without letting me know," Severus rasped, resting his thin cheek on one long-fingered hand and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"You're a worry wort," Hermione said affectionately, sinking gratefully into the armchair.

"What did you discuss with Dumbledore?" Severus asked in a low voice, his voice unusually tense.

"Lily mainly and also some new research for my department involving Luna," Hermione said, relaxing in the fire's warmth.

Severus nodded and was silent for a few moments. "He didn't discuss the mission?" he asked, his voice still muted and his black eyes averted.

"What mission?" Hermione said, suddenly frowning and sitting up to look at him more closely.

"A date has been set for the first Auror mission to the deep North," Severus said expressionlessly. "Dumbledore wants me to help lead it," he announced quietly.

"And I supposed I'm to sit here in England like a useless child," Hermione said finally after a long silence, her voice bitter.

"Dumbledore will not let you go; no," Severus said quietly, looking at his own pale hands clasped across his lap.

"I suppose you agreed to go?" Hermione said angrily.

"Yes, I did," he said, his deep voice sounding gravelly and tension evident on his mask-like face.

"When are you going?" she asked tightly.

"One week after the wedding," he replied impassively, still waiting tensely for the explosion.

"Right. You want me to marry you and then wave you off on a mission where there is every chance you may not come back? You'll be his first target! I'm not allowed to go but you are?! That's crazy! Voldemort wants you dead every bit as much as he wants to destroy the black unicorn. Has everyone forgotten that you're the reason he lost his power and has had to hide for the past 10 years?" Hermione said, her voice escalating.

"I'm an ex-Death Eater Hermione; the only one that Dumbledore currently has access to apart from Draco. He has to send me," Severus said, getting up again to pace over to the window. He stood there with his back to her, his shoulders bowed with tension.

"I don't see what that's got to do with the fact that you'll be a prime target," Hermione said furiously, her dark grey eyes turning the strange shade of silver that they went when she was tired, angry or emotional.

Severus shrugged, still with his back to her. "Sometimes risks have to be taken," he said tiredly.

"So why can't I take that risk?" she spat back.

"Calculated risks, Hermione!" he said, whirling around and pinning her with his black, glittering gaze.

"This is bullshit!" Hermione said flatly, shaking her head and turning away. "And I'm not marrying a man, only to have him disappear into the fucking blue yonder on a fool's errand."

Severus stared at her. "What are you saying?" he rasped.

"I'm saying that if I'm not allowed to go on this mission with you, I'm not marrying you until you come back!" she said unequivocally.

Severus looked at her disbelievingly but he knew that look all too well. Her face was set, and her slim arms and legs were crossed defensively. "Hermione, there's a chance - a small chance, I believe - that I may not come back at all. I want us to at least be married when I go," he said hoarsely.

"Well then, you'll have some real motivation to get back from there alive won't you?" she said, with tears glittering in her eyes suddenly.

"Don't do this, Hermione," he said tensely.

She shook her head and got up hurriedly from the chair she was sitting in, and hastily left before she started crying in earnest. Severus watched her go then walked unsteadily back to his chair and sat down weakly. His stomach was churning. Surely she didn't mean it, he thought? He sat very still for a long time, staring blindly into space.

Hermione meanwhile had retreated to her study which she had done rather a lot in the past few weeks. She sat at her desk and put her head in her hands. She wanted to cry but her eyes were dry and stinging. Her mind kept shying away from the thought that he may never come back from the mission. She simply couldn't bear to think about it. It was a thought that her brain refused to allow her to comprehend.

Instead, a plan began to form in the back of her mind.