As soon as they apparated on the walk to the Burrow, Hermione extracted herself from Severus and, swiftly straightening her robes, she headed for the rickety house. The door burst open and Ron Weasley sprinted towards her, his long legs clearing the distance between them and his arms open.
"'Mione! We've been waiting ages!" he cried, throwing his arms around her. He stopped mid-embrace, spying the Potions Master over her shoulder. "What's he doing here?"
"Long story, but I promise I will fill you in as soon as I've the chance."
"But Hermione, it's Christmas! What--"
"I can't talk now, but later, I promise. But you better be on your best behavior," she warned, tapping his chest with a finger.
"Fine, but only if he is too," he muttered with a scowl. As if on cue, Severus strode up, Ron watching him until he greeted cautiously, "Professor."
Severus eyed him coolly, taking in Ron's slightly tattered robes.
"Still wearing hand-me-downs, Weasley?" he asked with a wicked smile. "I should think the ministry paid aurors better salaries."
Ron's face burned to match his hair and he lunged toward Snape, his arms reaching out.
"You greasy git, I'll beat you worse than Harry!"
She stepped smoothly in between them, her hands grabbed Ron's shoulders, wrestling him back towards the house; she could hear Severus taunting him further. Her anger getting the better of her, Hermione whipped out her wand and brandished it at Ron, who immediately stopped struggling and stared at her with an open mouth.
"I'm not going to play referee today, do you hear me?" she roared. "Go inside, now!"
"You'd better mind, Weasley, Miss Granger is serious."
Hermione whirled around, pointing her wand at the older wizard, red sparks flashing out of the tip.
"Not another goddamn word! Silencio!"
Glancing over her shoulder, she saw Ron backing away, mumbling. Knowing he was still in earshot, Hermione rounded on Severus, who stood arms crossed, glaring with all his might. She recognized that look, the one that had always scared her, ever since she was eleven, but this time her anger made her impervious.
"I don't care what problem you have with my friends, but you will respect them in my presence! You are my guest today and I expect you to behave yourself as such. Another stunt like that and I'll transfigure you into a fucking newt!" Trembling with rage, her eyes bored into him. "Am I understood?"
Surprised by her sudden outburst, Severus stood watching her, no longer glaring, and his arms hung limply by his side. It dawned on him that she still harbored resentment against him for the kiss yesterday, something he had managed to avoid thinking about. He opened his mouth to speak, then shut it again, neither capable of speaking or even knowing what to say, his mind utterly blank.
Hermione blinked, as if just realizing her situation, and he watched as the anger drain out of her. She lifted her wand and murmured, "Finite Incantatum."
She met his hard eyes hesitantly, waiting for the verbal lashing that was to follow, but it did not come. They stood in silence, until Hermione dropped her gaze to the snow-covered walk and sighed, turning towards the house. His behavior was so confusing at times, and she wouldn't -- couldn't -- deal with him now.
"Professor," Severus called, his voice soft. She grudgingly turned to him, he saw a myriad of emotions in her eyes and his chest tightened. After a moment, he asked, "How would you like to proceed?"
"It would be best to let me talk to Harry alone. You being here will make him uncooperative."
"And what do we tell Weasleys to explain my presence?"
"I felt you would be safer here, with me."
"I suppose it would be too much to ask for the Potions Master to wish for company on Christmas," he retorted, a bit of a smirk showing.
"And who would believe that, exactly?"
Hermione turned around before he could see her smile, feeling a little better, and continued to the house, Severus following behind. As soon as she walked through the front door, Molly Weasley had her in a tight embrace, and she couldn't help but smile.
"Hermione! How are you, love?" Molly pulled back from the hug to give her a puzzled look as she said, "Ron says we have a guest."
"He actually said guest?"
"Well, not exactly."
Severus walked in, wearing the smallest of scowls, and Molly was gone from Hermione's neck, now reaching for him.
"Severus! How delightful to have you for Christmas!"
"Thank you, Molly," he squeezed out while the older witch clung to his neck, and he observed Hermione trying to suppress a smile.
"Everyone's in the kitchen," Molly announced as she stepped back from Severus. "Well, some of us, anyways."
"Actually, if it is possible, I need to wash up," Severus interjected, throwing a glance at Hermione. She read his look, and nodded, realizing he wanted her to explain his presence while he was out of the room.
"Of course, dear. Go down the hall, turn left and it's the second right. Just walk straight down this hallway here to get to the kitchen. Very well, Hermione, let's join the others," Molly said, wrapping her arm around Hermione's shoulders and steering her towards the kitchen. "Ginny's here, of course, as are Fred and George, who are no doubt outside exploding things for Bill and Charlie; of course, you already saw Ron. Harry's upstairs asleep, poor dear, arrived late last night."
As Hermione reached the kitchen door, Ginny jumped to her feet from the long table, Ron scowled at her from where he sat across from her, his back to the roaring fire, and Mr. Weasley looked up from his copy of The Daily Prophet. Ginny grabbed her and pulled her into a crushing hug.
"Good to see you, Hermione!" Arthur called as he looked over the top of his paper.
"Hi, Mr. Weasley," Hermione said once Ginny let go and she had regained her breath. "I'm sure Ron has already mentioned I'm not alone. I had to bring Severus with me, and I felt better keeping him in sight."
"Of course, dear! It's no problem," Molly said instantly, Arthur nodding his head in agreement. Ron snorted and his mother whirled, her face growing pink. "Ron Weasley, I do not care about your attitude, and I will not see you disrespect this man in my house. That goes for everyone else as well," she added, giving Ginny a piercing stare.
"What?" she cried, throwing up her hands. "I didn't say anything."
"Not yet. I had better tell the others about the Professor," Molly said, grabbing her cloak as she went outside to find her other sons.
"Still playing reserve for Montrose?" Hermione asked as she followed Ginny back to the table, sitting beside her and across from Ron.
"Nah, got traded last week along with a beater and a keeper for Aelfraed Ainsworth, this great new Seeker who's only nineteen."
"I think I might've heard of him."
"It's a her, and you should have," Ron jumped in excitedly, getting over his irritation when the talk turned to Quidditch. "She's incredible! As good as Harry was before he got hurt!"
"Impressive. So where are you playing now, Ginny?"
"What, Ron didn't tell you?" she asked incredulously, looking at Ron, who merely shrugged.
"Sorry."
"I'm playing for the Cannons."
Hermione frowned. "But aren't they still--"
"Bad?"
"The worst fucking team in the league's more like it," Ron threw in, drawing a scowl from Ginny.
"You know your mother doesn't like that kind of language, Ron," Arthur said, not glancing up from his paper, so he didn't see Ron rolling his eyes.
"I thought they were your favorite team," Hermione said.
"They were until I got traded for Ainsworth. He didn't bother to tell you how gorgeous she is and that he's in love with her," Ginny said with a withering look at her brother, who shrugged again.
"Still playing professionally, Miss Weasley?" drawled a voice from the doorway.
"Until I have to get a real job," she said with a shy grin. "Hello Professor."
Severus nodded politely.
Mr. Weasley folded his paper as he stood and crossed the room, grasping Severus's hand and clapping his back with a free hand as he exclaimed, "Severus! Hear you're joining us for Christmas! Jolly good, old boy!"
"Arthur."
Hermione shot Ron a glare, and he glared back, before muttering, "Professor."
Severus looked down his long nose at him, his voice disdainful as he answered, "Weasley."
"Please, Severus, have a seat," Arthur said, motioning to the empty seats at the table while he returned to his own place. Severus sat at the end of the table, his arms crossed, lips pursed.
"How're classes going?" Ginny asked.
"Ugh, don't ask. The only thing getting me through the day is that I won't be here next year."
Severus glanced at Hermione sharply, and she saw briefly saw surprise and wondered if Albus had informed the rest of the staff.
Ron stood, stretching his long arms, then said, "I'm going to find Mum."
He turned as the outside door opened and a loud chattering filled the kitchen as four tall redheads shuffled in, prodded by their round mother.
"Oy, Charlie, did you try one of the new creams?" Fred yelled. "We've expanded the line to include--"
"Fred, I don't want any of your experiments in the house, do you hear? Bill, darling, won't you please take off your earring, just for dinner?"
Hermione quickly scanned the faces for Bill and nearly swooned in her seat. He was still as handsome as ever, and he winked at her, his white teeth flashing as he smiled.
"Hey, Hermione!" George called, and she grinned and waved.
"Mum, can we eat now? Hermione's here," Ron whined. "I'm starving."
"Someone needs to wake up Harry," Ginny said, raising her voice to be heard over the twins, who were chattering loudly to Bill and Charlie about the business.
"I'll go," Hermione volunteered. "I needed to talk to him anyways."
"He's in my room," Ron said. "You remember?"
"Of course. Don't wait, we may be a few minutes."
"Are you sure, hon? We can wait--"
"Mum!"
"It's alright, Mrs. Weasley, go on."
Hermione stood and crossed to the door, barely nodding at Severus as she passed. He jumped up behind her and grasped her lightly above the elbow once they were in the hallway.
"Are you sure it is wise to see him alone?" he asked. "You could be in serious danger."
"Your presence would scare him, no matter the case. He's told me he'll give me answers about Malfoy and the potion, so I'll see what he has to say about that. And if he doesn't want to talk voluntarily, I've got the Veritaserum."
"Will he take it?"
"I don't know," Hermione admitted. "If we're not downstairs in twenty minutes, come looking for me. Get Ron or Ginny to bring you up."
"I still do not like this," he growled, his fingers tightening on her arm slightly, until he released her. "Very well. Be careful."
He gave her a long look, his eyes unguarded, and she started at the concern the he showed. He turned abruptly and strode back to the kitchen, his robes rising up behind him. She stared at him for a moment before heading towards the staircase by the front door.
She climbed the winding stairs, noting the empty room that had once belonged to Percy. Ron didn't want to talk about him, and she didn't dare bring it up. She would have to remember to ask Harry.
If this really is Harry, she reminded herself darkly.
She continued up the stairs, working on what she was going to say to Harry. She reached the fifth floor, hesitating before knocking softly. She knocked again, louder, when there was no answer. She opened the door cautiously, peeking through the opening at the sprawled figure on the bed.
"Harry?"
There was a muffled groan from the bed, and she opened the door further.
"Harry," she said again, entering the room and sitting on the foot of the bed. "Harry."
"Hermione!" Harry gasped as he sat up, the sheet slipping down to his lap, revealing his broad and pale chest, then reached for his glasses. "Fucking Merlin! You nearly killed me!"
"Oh, you'll be fine! Heard you got in late last night."
"Yeah, had some business."
"Oh yeah?"
He didn't answer, just rubbed his eyes as he yawned. "I miss anything exciting?"
"Not especially."
"What time is it anyway?"
"A bit after one, I think," she said, watching him as he yawned again, and this time stretched, the flat muscles of his chest and arms working, and she wondered, not for the first time, why she had to think of Harry as a brother. She realized that she had been staring and he grinned at her.
"Okay, what is it, 'Mione? I can tell something's bothering you."
She laughed, just barely. "You told me Draco Malfoy stole my potion. What happened?"
"Oh gods! I can't believe I fucked up so badly," he said, throwing the sheet off his legs and swinging them over the side of the bed. "I ran into our old friend while I was in Berlin. I was eating dinner, going over the notes you sent me, when Malfoy showed up and decided to reminisce with a few nasty hexes, one of which caught me and knocked me out for nearly three days. He grabbed my papers and apparated. I'm lucky he didn't take me back as a souvenir for Voldemort."
"Why didn't he?"
"There was a Jäger there with me, a German auror, y'know, and he ran off Malfoy, got me to the hospital real fast."
"That was lucky," she said.
"Yeah, tell me about it," he said, standing to grab his khakis from the chair by the window. He pulled them on over his boxers, then grabbed a white t-shirt, putting it on before a black sweater. He reached up by habit to brush down his hair, but it refused, as always.
"Harry, I need to know what's going on." He gave her a blank look, and she elaborated, "What you've been doing all this time, when we don't hear from you."
"You know I can't talk about it."
"I need you to tell me the truth because I'm beginning to worry," she pleaded and he sat down in the chair, smiling.
"You shouldn't worry. I'm fine, safe."
"Who is Moyra Faldco then?"
"The woman I stay with," he answered easily. His green eyes met hers, and her stomach churned. She didn't want to believe he was lying, but he wasn't telling her the truth, she knew that much.
"I don't… I don't believe you," she said, her voice wavering at first until she gathered her courage. "Moyra Faldco is an anagram. You're doing something with Draco, aren't you, but I don't know what."
Harry opened his mouth to protest, but seeing the look in her eye, he knew it was futile. He leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees, managing a small grin.
"I thought you might've noticed." He sighed heavily. "You're right. The night Draco attacked me? Didn't happen. I found him, in an alley in Berlin, half-dead. He'd pissed off Lucius, who left him to die after many rounds of beatings and crucio. I took him home, nursed him back to health, and started working him as a spy against Voldemort."
Hermione stared at him skeptically, frowning. "Draco is the spy? How can you prove any of this?"
"You know that truth serum your buddy Snape was on back in Russia?" When she nodded, he asked, "Who do you think made potions for Lucius? Didn't Snape tell you that the potion didn't work quite right?"
"I seem to remember him mentioning that. But how do I know you're telling me the truth?" She pulled out the small vial of Veritaserum from her pocket. "Would you take this?"
"I can take you to Draco. I can't take Veritaserum because there's some things I still can't tell you, even now." His green eyes implored her, and she hesitated.
Hermione watched him carefully, until she decided. "Give me your wand."
Severus will flay me for this when I get back. If I get back. Shit, what am I doing?
He did not hesitate as he withdrew his wand and handed it to her, which offered some reassurance. They both stood, and Harry took two steps towards her, wrapping his arms around her for a quick hug.
"It is good to see you, 'Mione."
"You too."
With a pop, they were gone.
Severus forced himself to eat a plate of delicious food while he waited nervously for Hermione to return with Potter. He hadn't liked this idea at all, but there wasn't much else he could do under the circumstances, with Dumbledore on holiday.
"Wonderful, Molly," he told her, in all honesty, as he took his dirty plate to the counter.
"Did you get enough, Severus? There's plenty more! You could use some meat on those bones," Molly said as she gazed at him appraisingly.
Sure he heard sniggering from the table, he whipped around and glared, but all of the Weasley children appeared to be talking with food stuffed into their mouths and did not make eye contact. He sat back down in his chair and checked his watch. Hermione had been gone for thirty minutes.
He cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should check on Professor Granger and Mr. Potter."
Ron scowled. "Leave 'em alone, she hardly gets to see him anymore."
"They have been up there awhile," Molly said.
"I'll go," Ginny mumbled, after a look from her mother. She pushed back her chair and went to the door.
"I shall go with you, if that is permissible," Severus said, standing as well, and Ginny shrugged.
He followed her down the hallway to the winding stairs and up five flights until they reached a door with a faded sign that read "Ronald's Room."
Ginny knocked twice and, pushing open the door, yelled, "Hope you're decent!"
He scowled, noting a twinge of jealousy at the thought of walking in on Hermione and Potter in a compromising position, but he peered in over Ginny's red hair, gasping involuntarily when he saw the empty room.
Ginny, however, thought they were playing a prank. "Where are you guys? Are you under the invisibility cloak?"
"They are not here," he murmured behind her. "I would be able to detect their scents."
She gave him a curious look, and he crooked an eyebrow.
"Right. So I guess we better look for them," she said, starting back down the stairs, opening doors along the way.
With each empty room, the knot in Severus's stomach grew. As they returned to the ground floor, he followed Ginny back to the kitchen.
"Okay, where are they?" Ginny asked, frowning at Ron and the twins alternately, as if they were hiding Harry and Hermione.
"Who?" Ron asked blankly.
"Harry and Hermione, of course!"
Severus approached Arthur and spoke in low tones, "I need to speak to you."
"Of course. We can use my office."
He followed Arthur out of the kitchen and down the first hall with the bathroom. He could hear the clamor from down the hall, which sounded as if Ginny had finally made them understand that the two were not upstairs. Down another hallway, they reached a small room, filled with strange gadgets, several of which Severus registered as Muggle appliances. One wall was covered in its entirety with electrical plugs, and another, posters of various Muggle cars.
Arthur quickly lit a fire and sat down behind a small wooden desk, the top buried beneath a mountain of paperwork. Severus sat in the chair across from him.
"So what is this about?"
Without delay, he launched into an edited version of the events, briefly telling how they had realized Draco Malfoy had Hermione's potion, and that they believed Harry to be compromised in some sort of fashion.
"Professor Granger went upstairs with the intention of confronting Potter about all this, and now they are both gone."
Arthur shook his head. "This cannot be good. If they apparated, there's no telling where they went."
"I believe the most prudent thing would be to contact the Headmaster immediately. I have gathered that Potter reports to Albus more than the Minister."
"Even I am in the dark about Harry's activities," he admitted. "We shall owl Albus at once. I'm afraid our family owl is in terrible shape, but Ron's owl Pigwidgeon should be up for the task." He opened a drawer of the desk and withdrew parchment and a quill and passed them across the desk. "Let me get that owl."
Severus grabbed the quill as Arthur left the room. He didn't know where to begin.
Dear Albus, hope you are enjoying your holiday while Potter is working for Voldemort and kidnapping our teachers.
He scowled and started to write, setting the quill down after a moment.
Potter and Granger have disappeared. Please advise. SS
He was folding the parchment when Arthur returned with a small ball of feathers twittering excitedly. The owl flew over to the desk and hopped expectantly.
"Be still," Severus chided, and Pig calmed down immensely. He tied the note to the owl's tiny leg, then held the owl up in his hand. "Find Albus Dumbledore immediately. This is important."
Pigwidgeon hooted in acknowledgement, and flapped his wings, flitting about while Arthur opened the window, letting in a cold draft, and the owl darted outside.
Severus sank back into his chair, and covered his face with his hands. "I shouldn't have let her go alone," he muttered.
"She'll be fine," Arthur soothed. "Hermione can handle herself."
That's what she thinks, he thought dejectedly, and sighed.
"There's not much we can do now, Severus, except wait. So why don't we go back and have some of Molly's delicious desserts? I know she made three pies, as well as cake."
He allowed Arthur to lead him back to the kitchen, where Molly attacked them with plates of sweets, but Severus did not eat, merely sat at the table, alone in his worry.
___
A/N:
More strangeness from Harry! What is going on with him? You'll get more in ch 18!
Thanks for all the support for ch 16! I was really hesitant to post it, since I wasn't sure if the timing was right, but I think most people liked it. Thanks sooooo much! Again, if you want reminders when I update, choose Author Alerts from the little menu at the bottom left. You can even do it when you leave a review! (hint, hint)