A.N.

All thanks LS for beta reading this chapter.

I hope you like it better allthesame. MichikoMorimoto, Dylan Mikayla Jordan and Kendra is cheese thanks you so much for your kind words!

13. Sixth day

The night passed rather fast, punctuated by unhappy grumbling, "Snape! Of all the people, the greasy git, this horrible, sadistic, unfair, evil vampire..." and then snores. It was astonishing to find the various ton of snores there was, and Hermione who couldn't sleep, tried to inventor them.

There were the snores of Ron; irregular and whining. They didn't have the maturity of Mad Eye, that were loud and deep. Then there was all the range of more gentle and discrete snores. It seemed like an orchestra, playing without the same partition.

Hermione sighed. She couldn't sleep in this condition. She passed a good time and was tired but they were so many things in her head. She recalled the food fight and how she couldn't think of anything but how Minerva was good enough to eat. She recalled the relaxed and joyous expression on her face for the long of the night. She didn't think she ever saw her beloved mentor so happy in a long time and it warmed her to think that she may have been one of the causes of it.

Hermione sighed again. It was no use really to think about that. Even if she had a crush of the gorgeous lady, it was obvious that nothing would come of it. She didn't even seem particularly troubled when she learnt her friend and student had had a crush of Snape too.

Fortunately, it didn't last long. The man was too much of a sarcastic bastard and so Hermione's crush was crushed in the first moment, never letting it to develop like it did with Minerva. It was almost two years now that she kept it warm in the secret of her heart, well hidden and protected, and with time it had developed. Now she felt its comfortable presence all the time, it became a companion of all-instant that made her both a little bitter and deliriously happy.

Hermione sighed again. The only reason she had the occasion to see her beloved mentor out of school was because of her duty for the order. Thinking of that, she couldn't help to recall the fight in the ministry in her fifth year. Until then she always believed naively that good would always triumph and nothing really bad could happen.

And now Wormtail was around... She prayed nothing would happen tomorrow or rather today for the 'funeral'...

...

Minerva who was laying down near Hermione listened to the various noises of the house and its inhabits. It was obvious something was troubling her young protégé but she didn't know what she could do.

If they were alone she would have taken her in her arms and asked her what was wrong, but with the people around she was afraid to wake them. She didn't miss the various looks they threw her way all the night.

It's true they didn't see her in muggle clothes and with her hair down often, well never anymore, but they should have taken it in stride. Then she heard, thanks to her developed animagus senses, them talk about her and though she didn't hear anything in particular, it made her a little uneasy. She tried to continue to behave the same ways. It wouldn't do to change now; it would only increase the whisperings and make Hermione aware of it.

Minerva heard her pupil's sigh again and she shook herself. Hermione was more than a student among others. Even if she tried to be fair, there was always a special place to this brave and clever woman in her heart.

They were friends now, even very good friends, even if they didn't talk about it. So without thinking more about it, too anxious she would change her mind, she approached closer of the troubled woman and enlaced her.

She heard her take a breath clearly surprised and hurried up to reassure her. "It's only me Hermione. Are you alright?" Hermione nodded too afraid to talk. The low Scottish voice had shocked her and the ghost of a breath near her ear had finished to shake her to her core.

Minerva felt the body in her arms imperceptibly trembling and tightened her grip in the hope to warm her Hermione. Then she approached again her mouth and murmured in the younger woman's ear: "Better?"

Hermione nodded shakily and let her hair down, searching to hide her blushing face. Minerva caressed her gently, wanting to soothe her. "Hermione, I'm here. If something troubles you, you know you can talk to me. I.. I know we didn't really talk about it, but I consider you my friend now and... I'm here for you."

Hermione heard the plead in her mentor's voice and squeezed her eyes tightly shut. It wouldn't do to cry. She took one of her hand and gently kept it in her ones and then murmured a decided "Friend" with a little voice. Minerva at her turn repeated it like one would an oath: "Friend."

...

The wake up call this morning was far to be joyous. Yesterday game took its tole. People were holding their head as though they would fall otherwise. The only one who seemed fine was Mcgonagall. With her Scottish background and her youth, she had a lot of training.

Minerva felt rather cheerful that morning. She passed a good time yesterday night and she rather liked to wake up with company. Moreover, her evil streak was very happy seeing bleary eyes on people and hearing their rumblings was certainly entertaining.

Seeing Hermione launching her dark looks, she smiled contritely and summoned some black coffee. She was rewarded with a rictus that wanted itself a smile and she felt bad to have had thoughts worth of Slytherins.

After a breakfeast rich in vitamin D and a lot of coffee they felt more human and plans were discussed. The funeral would take place in the afternoon and with the presence of Wormtail around, security would need to be reinforced, though it would be astonishing if anything happened.

Voldemort prepared his plans with care. Chance was he wouldn't have time nor the interest to intervene. Neverless some aurors were dispatched and the order of the phoenix would be there in war foot.