A heavy silence descended upon Dumbledore's office. McGonagall had conjured a straight-backed wooded chair, the only filled chair at present, and it sat directly before the Headmaster's desk. The owner, however, was conspicuously absent, stilly lying in the hospital wing under Madam Pomfrey's strict watch, who had refused all entreaties to release her patient for a few hours, even though his condition had improved, and so the debriefing occurred without Dumbledore. Most of the former Headmasters watched curiously at the proceedings, though a few continued to snore noisily in their portraits, and Fawkes sat on his perch, his eyes alert.
Minerva paced the bit of floor beside the desk, her glare wandering to Harry regularly as if expecting him to suddenly shout it was all a prank and he had never intended to betray Hogwarts and the Order. Severus stood facing the fireplace, his back to everyone as he stared blankly at the empty grate. Hermione leaned against the desk, her arms crossed and her attention focused on a point on the far wall. Harry sat glumly in the conjured chair, eyes on the floor, the Veritaserum finally wearing off.
"Well," Minerva finally began, lowering herself into an armchair facing Harry, "it's a good thing Draco Malfoy has more sense than you. What on earth were you thinking, Potter?"
"He wasn't," snarled Severus, finally turning to face the others. "Quite the Gryffindor, our Mister Potter. I've been telling Albus for years that we couldn't trust our well-being to him."
"Maybe you're right, Snape," Harry said slowly, but his voice was devoid of sarcasm, of any emotion. "Maybe you've been right all along."
Severus allowed a small smirk before Hermione, who had been silent since the end of the questioning, finally spoke.
"But we have to trust in Harry." All eyes trained on Hermione, even Harry who raised his head reluctantly and she asked with a roll of the eyes, "Am I the only one in this room who remembers the prophecy?"
"But Hermione, you don't believe in Divination. You always said it was rubbish," said Harry.
She nodded, her eyes moving to the lightning bolt scar on his forehead, and he reflexively put up a hand as if to protect it, to shield it from her gaze.
"We're not talking about reading tea leaves or palmistry. This is a prophecy," she said, laying careful emphasis on the word, "and I've been telling you since fifth year it's different. How much of it has already been fulfilled? Harry, born at the end of the seventh month, marked by Voldemort as an equal, who also transferred powers to him unwittingly. The only thing left is for one of you to die."
Severus scoffed, "He has already proven himself untrustworthy, so why should we continue to place our faith in him?"
"Because we have no other choice," Hermione said patiently, as if trying to explain some complex jinx to an uncomprehending student. "Don't you see? Harry is the only one who can defeat Voldemort, regardless of what he's done, because of the prophecy. There is no one else."
The Potions Master opened his mouth to argue but a commotion at the window interrupted him and everyone looked up to see a white snow owl flapping impatiently at the window, a box tied with string dangling from her feet.
"Hedwig!" Harry exclaimed and made to stand up, but a pointed look from McGonagall kept him glued to his seat.
Hermione went around the desk to open the window and let in the tired owl, who hooted gratefully and released the package into Hermione's hands, then flew to Harry who nuzzled her affectionately.
"I was worried about you! I didn't know where you were so I had to leave without you!"
Hedwig hooted softly and settled on his shoulder as Hermione inspected the package.
"It's addressed to the Headmaster's office."
Severus immediately wheeled around and took the package from Hermione, who refrained from comment as she relinquished it, and he opened the plain brown wrapping carefully. He first pulled out a roll of parchment and read the contents silently and without comment before passing it to Hermione and she read it aloud:
"To Dumbledore, Granger, Snape, or whomever:
I hope by the time you have received this, Harry has returned and Albus is on his way to a speedy recovery. Enclosed you will find the mortalis fallax potion as well as all documents relevant to Hogwarts and its defences. I will soon be on my way to see the Dark Lord and it is doubtful I will return. Please, I beg you, do not hold this indiscretion against Harry -- he has been under extreme stress and his judgment has lapsed.
Yours in the fight,
Draco Malfoy"
Her eyes were wide as she looked up from the parchment to Harry's ashen face, his gaze once again directed at the floor and she saw him hurriedly wipe away an errant tear.
Everyone looked up just then as Severus hissed, "My potion! And what is -- plans on Hogwarts?" He held several papers in his hand with diagrams of the school and he glowered at Harry. "Is this everything?"
"Everything the Ministry had."
"I meant that and everything you stole from Hogwarts."
Harry shrugged. "I didn't even go through all of it, but I would imagine Draco simply bundled everything up and sent it on its way."
"You were going to betray us all for a countercurse?"
"We've already been through this," Harry said softly, looking to Hermione for support but she offered him nothing, not even a glance. She was too busy staring at the letter still in her hands.
"Yes," Severus sneered as he slipped into the chair behind Dumbledore's desk, "I believe you already told us the sweet tale of how you and young Mister Malfoy performed the adiunctum animae charm and were forever bonded at the tender age of sixteen."
Harry glared but refused to rise to the bait and instead turned to McGonagall since Hermione was still staring at the letter. "We've got to do something, though. Voldemort's planning on moving in France soon, and I know he already has plans in motion for the Ministry as well as Hogwarts."
"But what? With Dumbledore incapacitated --"
Finally brought back to the present, Hermione looked to McGonagall. "We go to Fudge. Or rather, Harry does." She continued over Severus's immediate protestations, "Harry is the only one here that Fudge would take seriously, and he doesn't have to know anything about what happened. In fact, I don't think anyone other than the four of us -- five counting Dumbledore -- need to know the story behind it. It would be far too damaging."
Again, silence descended as everyone considered her words, and Minerva finally spoke.
"You're right. We cannot sit here and wait for Dumbledore's recovery to act." She turned to Harry, her beady eyes telling him she was all business. "Potter, go to Fudge. Perhaps he can send someone to Paris and Beauxbatons. Severus, you and Hermione must return to work on that potion immediately, we don't have time to waste."
He opened his mouth to argue, but McGonagall cut him off quickly with a glare before turning her attention to the other witch. "But first, Hermione I want you to assemble to Order immediately. We must have a plan ready."
"And why don't you keep an eye on your little friend while you're at it?" Severus growled, his black eyes piercing Harry and Hermione alternately.
"Why don't you keep your mouth shut?" Hermione said, only a tremor of anger showing in her voice. "I think Harry is perfectly capable of taking care of himself."
Harry felt the undertones of the argument and knew this had little to do with himself, so he held himself back and only watched as Hermione and Severus glared at one another. McGonagall cleared her throat self-consciously and Harry finally spoke up.
"Hermione, we should leave quickly so I can catch Fudge before he leaves the office."
"Of course," she said, finally tearing her eyes away from Severus, "let's go."
Hermione and Harry set off on the path to Hogsmeade almost immediately after leaving McGonagall and Snape in Dumbledore's office, stopping only in the kitchens for Harry to grab a quick snack, which ended up being a terrible idea because Hermione had to brandish her wand at Dobby who had thrown himself at Harry's legs and would not let go at first.
It was not quite dark yet and a rain had fallen in the few hours that had passed since the afternoon, so they had to walk carefully to avoid large puddles in the path. They walked the first few minutes in quiet, before Hermione finally dared to break the silence.
"Why didn't you tell me about Draco?" she asked softly.
At first, he did not answer, hands shoved into pockets and he stared at the path and his feet until he finally said, "I didn't tell anyone, not you or Ron. I didn't want to share him with anyone."
"So you did the adiunctum animae charm in sixth year?" He nodded. "Harry, what the hell were you doing casting a dark arts spell to bind the two of you?"
"I -- I don't know!" exclaimed Harry, and she could hear the exasperation in his voice. "I was sixteen! And I thought I would die without him! Didn't you ever do anything stupid at sixteen?"
Hermione stopped in the path and stood looking at him, a curious look on her face, and Harry stopped as well. He glared at her sullenly and said, "No, I forgot, you're Hermione Granger and you never do anything without first analyzing it to death until there's nothing left. Especially when it comes to feelings and love."
"That's not fair!"
"But isn't it?" he asked, a bit coldly. "Isn't that why you and Ron never made it?"
"What does that have to do with anything? Ron was a stupid prat when we were at school, and he still is now, when it comes to women!"
"I think you're just masking the fact that your analyzing every aspect of the relationship is what killed it."
"Fuck, Harry! We were sixteen, just kids! I loved Ron, still do, but it would never have worked --"
"Just like what you're doing with Snape now."
She glared at him and said, "You don't know anything about Snape and me, so you can stop right there."
"I saw the two of you in Dumbledore's office, and I can put two and two together."
"You don't even know what's happened between the two of us so I think you should shut the hell up!" Hermione growled.
He stared at her for a minute until a soft smile broke on his lips and he said, "Look at us. A pair of Gryffindors who fell for a couple of Slytherins. Who would've thought?"
Hermione laughed, felt the anger drain from her as quickly as it had appeared. "Poor Ron … he's going to have a heart attack when he finds out that it isn't just me."
They started walking again and after a moment Harry asked, "So what is the deal between you and Snape? If I didn't know better, I'd say he hates you more than me."
"I -- I don't know," she answered with a small sigh. "Things were fine, I mean, I thought they were, then they weren't. He won't talk to me, he avoids me as much as possible, and we haven't, well, we haven't --"
She faltered and with a grin Harry suggested, "Shagged? Fucked?"
Hermione scowled at him and said, "We haven't slept together since, well, since you attacked Dumbledore."
At mention of his misdeeds, Harry looked abashed and was unable to meet her gaze. After a moment, he asked, "So you don't know why he's acting like this?" She shook her head. "D'you want me to find out for you?"
She snorted. "What, you think Snape's just going to be buddy-buddy with you all of a sudden? He bloody hates you as it is."
"Not exactly. What I had in mind was a bit more … covert," he replied with a sly smile. "I'm willing to bet that I'm a better Legilimens than he's an Occlumens, so maybe I can find out what's going on in that greasy head of his."
She frowned at him but offered no argument: it would be nice to find out what the git was on about, since he certainly wasn't going to discuss the matter with her. They had reached the end of the path and Hermione turned to him.
"Look, why don't you come by Grimmauld Place once you're done with Fudge, and help me with the Order."
Harry quickly shook his head. "I can't -- I still hate being in that place."
She understood and she didn't press the issue. Even though it had been seven years since Sirius's death, it still pained Harry and he never had forgiven himself for not trusting in Dumbledore.
"I'll just come back here, since I'm sure Snape will shit himself if I'm gone too long."
"Probably. Be careful, then."
Harry threw out a hand and grabbed her arm. "Hermione…" he trailed off, and she was surprised to see tears sparkling in his emerald eyes, "I'm sorry, all I could think about was Draco and I betrayed you and Ron and Albus--"
"Oh Harry!" she cried, cutting him off as she stretched up to throw her arms around his neck. "I know, I know."
"And D-Draco's the one who's going to p-pay for it!" he sobbed into her mass of curls.
Hermione shushed him gently, rubbed his back, held him tight. Minutes passed and he quieted at last and pulled away, wiping his bloodshot eyes.
"I love you Harry," she said softly, "no matter what."
"I love you too," he whispered and squeezed her hand.
With a reassuring smile, she said, "You take care of Fudge and we can talk more later."
They both apparated, Harry to the Ministry, Hermione to the spot of grass across from Number 12 Grimmauld Place. She thought the address as she approached, surprised as always when the houses on either side suddenly shoved out of the way to reveal the dark looming house. She knocked with the silver serpent and heard footsteps just before the door creaked open, revealing a weary Remus Lupin.
"Hermione!" he exclaimed, pulling her into a quick hug.
"Remus, how are you?"
"Recovering," he simply said.
She remembered that the full moon had been only a few days ago, on Wednesday, the day before Harry's visit to the castle which seemed a lifetime ago. She wondered who had brewed the wolfsbane potion for him, since she hadn't noticed Severus brewing it in the dungeons. They moved quietly through the entrance hall, past the covered portrait of Mrs. Black that still no one could remove and on to the kitchen.
"What brings you here?"
"We think Voldemort's going to be moving soon, first against France, then against the Ministry. We need to gather the Order as quickly as possible."
"Are you sure?" Remus asked, disbelief written on his face. "Is this really it?"
She nodded. "Harry's gone to Fudge to warn him and to see about sending someone to France."
"If France falls to Voldemort…" he began. "It would only be a matter of time before the rest of Europe follows suit."
"Exactly."
Remus sat down heavily at the table and exhaled slowly before asking, "How much time do we have?"
"We don't know," she answered truthfully as she grabbed a bottle of butterbeer and offered one to him, but he refused with a quick shake of the head. "We don't even have a definite plan yet, just to assemble the Order first and let Fudge take care of the Ministry."
"Right."
He shoved back his chair as he stood and crossed the kitchen to where Hermione stood near the stove, rummaged in a cabinet and withdrew a long parchment. Hermione recognized it immediately as the emergency contact list for the Order.
"Are we to meet here?"
"No, Hogwarts. Tomorrow morning first thing."
He moved to the fireplace and grabbed a pinch of floo powder from the sack on the mantle and tossed it in. The flames leapt and snapped and turned brilliant emerald as he crouched before it.
"The Burrow!" After a pause, he called, "Molly? Molly, are you there?"
Hermione heard the disembodied voice of Molly Weasley float back through the flames, even though she could see nothing of the conversation itself.
"Remus, is everything alright?"
"No, we've got to move quickly. Emergency meeting of the Order, seven a.m. at Hogwarts tomorrow."
"What's wrong? Is everything --"
"Voldemort's moving -- really Molly, it's just a name -- but I need you to take care of your side of the list. Moody and Tonks are both here, so don't worry about either of them."
"I'll have Arthur notify everyone at the Ministry immediately."
"Tell him Harry's already gone to the Minister."
"Of course. Be careful then, Remus."
He pulled back out of the fire and, brushing the soot from his shoulders, he turned to Hermione. "If you'll fill in Moody and Tonks, I'll get on my part of the list."
"Where are they?"
"Moody's in the first floor bedroom asleep, and Tonks --" his face turned pink and he looked at the floor, but a crash from the entrance hall followed by screams spared him from answering the question.
Hermione hurried out of the kitchen without giving much thought to Lupin's embarrassment about Tonks, not surprised to find her tugging on the curtains of Mrs. Black's portrait as the horrid old woman screeched.
"FOUL LITTLE MUDBLOODS! HOW DARE YOU DEFILE MY HOUSE, THE NOBLE AND MOST ANCIENT HOUSE OF BLACK!"
"Need a hand?" Hermione asked and she helped close the curtains and covered Mrs. Black once again.
"Hermione, thanks," she said with a grin.
The screams from the portrait subsided somewhat, and Hermione surveyed the other witch. Nymphadora Tonks was slightly taller, skinnier than Hermione, almost painfully so, and her blonde hair hung in loose waves to her shoulders.
"I like the blonde," Hermione said. "Very classic."
"What's going on?" a grizzled voice demanded from the top of the stairs and they both turned to see Moody clumping down the stairs, his eyes, both normal and magical, trained on the pair of witches in the hall.
"Emergency Order meeting," Hermione answered. "Everyone's to meet at Hogwarts at seven tomorrow morning."
"What's the emergency?"
"Is it Voldemort? Finally on the move?" asked Moody. Hermione nodded and he growled, "Took his bloody time."
"Where's Rem -- I mean, Lupin?"
Hermione looked at Tonks appraisingly as the slightly older witch blushed and Hermione gave her a reassuring smile.
"He's in the kitchen, alerting his part of the list."
"Well, I had better get to the Ministry and speak with Arthur. This is terrible timing." Moody nodded at both of them before moving to the door and as the door shut, they could hear him muttering, "Constant vigilance! If they had only listened to me when…."
"Constant vigilance!" they chimed together and shared a grin.
"Tonks, I hate to be nosy, but … is there something between you and Remus?"
The Metamorphmagus turned pink and grinned from ear to ear. "Is it that obvious? I didn't really want it getting around, for time being anyways."
"My lips are sealed," promised Hermione, happy for both of them. "I have to get back to Hogwarts, but I know you and Remus can handle things here."
"Of course. We'll see you first thing in the morning."
"Don't be late," she warned, a wink and sly smile playing across her face, and Tonks blushed again.
Hermione left Grimmauld Place and apparated back to the path to Hogwarts, quickly making her way back to the castle. She was on edge, every rustling made her twitch and clutch at her wand, as though expecting a horde of Death Eaters to suddenly jump out of the dark and kill her where she stood.
Finally the castle loomed before her, hundreds of pinpricks of light shining through the windows and she felt a measure of relief. She pushed through the heavy oak doors and started towards the first floor to find Minerva, but Severus's voice cut through the quiet and stopped her; he must have been hiding in the shadows and waiting for her return.
"And where is Potter?"
She whirled and glared at him. "I would assume he's still with the Minister since I didn't go with him."
"You let him go alone? And why should we trust him to go to the Minister?"
He didn't have to say it, but she could see it on his hateful face: Potter has betrayed us before, so why not again?
"I don't have time for this," she said and turned away, but his hand shot out and grabbed her by the arm, spinning her around to face him, his black eyes burning holes into her.
"Your friend is not to be trusted."
"Let me go," she growled, growing angry and her hands balled into fists at her side.
"Or what?" he sneered, but he relented his grip.
Hermione gave him a withering stare and said, "Do me a favor and stay away from me."
She spun on her heel and strode away from him, up the marble staircase, without leaving him opportunity for rebuttal. Severus glared at her, arms crossed, foot jittering impatiently on the floor, before retreating to his dungeons.
His plan for Hermione seemingly had backfired. While envisioning distancing himself from her, he had expected her to cling to him more forcefully, to insist that they loved each other and could make things work through the separation that was to come when she left Hogwarts and returned to work as an auror for the Ministry. He certainly hadn't expected her to follow his lead and push him away. It was quite disconcerting, and he did not like it one bit.
A/N:
Thanks to everyone who read and/or reviewed "The Best Laid Plans of Cats and Men" … writing it was greatly therapeutic, as you can see by Ch 32 coming only about 3 weeks after 31, rather than two months! I make no predictions on Ch 33 since I have a paper due, a Spanish project and two finals between now and the first week of May. As always, thank you greatly for the continued support! (And putting me over 300 reviews!!!)