Chapter Two: Pieces of Falling
So bring your armies against me my love
Infiltrate me with your spies
And implicate me, all lies
The world's not out to get you my love
I know it feels that way sometimes
Yet you don't need an army by your side
To fill your head with guns and bombs
Don't take too long, take too long
"Hermione, dear, it's Albus, please wake up, we need to talk with you."
Sighing, the girl woke, staring at the older man in confusion before gulping and touching her face. "I thought it was just a dream."
"I wish it were so, Hermione."
Frowning, she stood and embraced the man. "I've missed you, Headmaster."
"Please, call me Albus. You're no longer a student here. How do you feel this morning?"
"As though I lost everything last night."
"I would like you to remain here, that is, unless you have somewhere else to stay."
"I don't need pity, Albus."
"Of course you don't, this has nothing to do with that bruise, Hermione, and everything to do with a new potion Severus is about to be given to work on. An antidote to the killing curse, which can either be used within an hour of the curse being used, or a counter curse. The Ministry says whichever he can manage; however, I wonder how useful the first would be if used by both sides."
"So you want me to stay and help him?"
"And help Minerva teach, if you would. You were always her brightest pupil, and I know she would like to spend as much time with a fellow animagus as possible, however, it is not mandatory that you do so. I would understand fully if you decided not to help her teach."
"I'd love to!" Albus beamed at her excited expression, his mind carried briefly back to better times, and a girl who he recalled every time he heard Miss Granger debate a topic. Sighing, he shook his head. It did no good to dwell in the past, after all.
"There is, however, the small matter of that bruise. If you wish it to vanish, it is your choice. We could not remove it without your consent."
Hermione grinned sheepishly. "I guess I forgot I was a witch last night," she smiled as she reached for her wand. Before the conversation could continue, the fire turned a shade of green, and an annoyed voice called from the fireplace.
"Headmaster?"
"Yes, Severus?"
"Harry Potter is here searching for Hermione." The girl shuddered violently and looked at her former Headmaster nervously.
"Does he know she is here?"
"No, sir, but he suspects as much and is threatening to bring the entire Weasley clan if he doesn't get answers." His tone dripped with the unspoken desire to hex the young man into oblivion for wasting his time. Snape's threat, however, scared the young woman far more than Harry.
"Tell him that I will speak to him shortly, with you there as well, if that's alright, Severus."
The voice became amused, and replied instantly, "As you wish, Miss Granger. Floo down to my office, and I shall make him nervous until you arrive."
Laughing, she disconnected the floo and smiled at Albus. "I think I may have made a mistake letting Severus near Harry until I arrive. I wonder who will come off worse…" Grinning mischievously, the man bade his farewell and retreated. Casting a swift neatening spell, she opened the floo connection once more.
"Why does she want you here, Snape?"
"Possibly for protection, Potter, or have you forgotten that your dear friend beat her last night?"
"Of course I haven't you obnoxious git; I'm here to warn her!"
"Warn me of what, Potter?"
"Hermione?" He winced as he turned to face her, seeing the deep black of the mark on her face.
"To warn me about his right hook, perhaps? A bit late for that I'd argue."
"He sent me to look for you, said he'd track you down if I didn't."
"So now what? You'll run back and tell him where she is? He wouldn't make it through the door without being cursed by Minerva, at the very least. And, tell him from me, Potter, the woman is very inventive in her ways of punishing men like him."
"No, I won't tell him anything, but I needed to warn you, Hermione. Ginny stormed off to get Mrs Weasley, I guess she thought she couldn't do the Weasley rant nearly as well as her mother, and the rest of the family turned up to watch the show. And join in, of course. George especially, he actually punched Ron fair in the face! Ron tried to hit Ginny last night."
"What, she had the sense to duck, did she?" Hermione sighed, suddenly guilty for the comment. "Is she ok?"
"She's worried about you, everyone is. We're on your side, 'Mione. He won't be forgiven for this."
"As well he shouldn't. He has, after all, committed one of the Unforgivable's."
"But he hit her, not cursed her."
"Mister Potter, there are more than just curses under that title. Because of Voldemort, the curses have received rather a lot of attention. It was originally a code of honour, a set of rules governing how decent wizards behaved. Because women are somewhat physically weaker than their male counterparts, (here he eyed Hermione almost nervously, waiting for her usual tirade on women's rights. When none followed, he continued) it was decided that to physically harm one was unforgivable, because you were attacking a weaker being and that is without any honour. The level of superiority he displayed is yet another Unforgivable he committed last night. No gender is above another, and no gender should be treated as such. The oh-so famous curses were merely in a rule saying they should never be used."
"Will he get in any trouble?"
"Only from his family. His parents know the code, and live strongly by its rules. They will be most aggrieved by his failure to obey them. Unless you make a complaint, Hermione, the authorities can do nothing."
"Honestly, I don't think the authorities could do any more damage than an angry Molly Weasley. There's no need to make a complaint, but Harry, I want you to make it damn clear to him that I will never, ever go back to him. Ok? I will not bear the brunt of his temper tantrums; I don't care what the reasons behind them are. Yesterday was an important day for me, Harry. The potion had been cleared, found perfect. And last night we were meant to announce our engagement. It was never meant to end like this, but he brought this about, and I will not tolerate it."
Harry nodded, smiling proudly at the display of Gryffindor courage. "I was hoping you'd say that. Oh, Mrs Weasley asked me to give you this." He handed her a small box. "It's full of food and a note, and I think a little teddy bear from George, though I'm not sure how safe it is."
Grinning, she opened the box. "Please tell them I said thank you, and that I will be remaining here to work on some potions with Severus, but that I hope they will visit me from time to time."
"Ok… um, 'Mione?"
"Yes?"
"Can I visit you, too?"
She hugged the boy tightly, tears threatening to spill. "Of course you can, Harry, everyone but Ron is welcome to visit whenever they want. But you had better warn him that the teachers will be notified about his actions, and should he enter here for no good reason, he will be in grave trouble." Severus, for his part, grinned evilly.
"Just, just be careful, ok? He's different, dangerous. Don't go near him."
"Mr Potter, I can assure you that, upon finding out his actions, the entire teaching body would cheerfully hex him into oblivion. I myself almost hope to see him just to practice my reduction spells on various parts of his anatomy. We will protect Miss Granger should the need arise. You have my word."
Harry stared for a moment before smiling at the older man. "Thank you. I should go before he gets suspicious. Take care, 'Mione." And with a parting smile, he left the room. The remaining pair watched as he hurried a safe distance from Hogwarts before apparating away.
"She said what?!"
"Ron, it's understandable. You left a pretty nasty bruise on her face…"
"I'll do a lot worse if she doesn't cut this crap out immediately. That's it. If she won't listen to you, she can listen to me."
"Ron, that's not a good idea, you heard what the teachers will do to you."
"They won't do it, Harry. I just want to talk to my fiancée."
"She's not your fiancée anymore, she gave back the ring!" Harry raised his arms in exasperation, noting the eye twitch Ron had developed since Hermione had left flaring up yet again.
"She'll take it back, Harry. She'll take it back." And with that, the red head apparated away.
"Dammit."
Hermione sat at the Teacher's table, talking happily with the teachers she had hardly seen since her graduation.
"So, tell me dear, how are the rest of your friends?"
"Well, Minerva, as you know, Ginny will be here next month as part of her training, but she will be under a different name: Mrs Potter."
"Oh, that's wonderful news! I guess you were right as usual, Albus." The old man grinned and continued his meal.
"Lemme see… Harry's training is coming along amazingly, he is quite the dedicated pupil, reminds me of me when I was a student here. Fred and George's joke shop is doing incredibly well, so well in fact that they've been asked by a few schools to supply a list of their jokes to save time figuring out the tricks during the year!"
Albus laughed heartily. After all, Hogwarts led that charge of schools. "I always knew those two would do well for themselves."
"Who else is there? Hmm, Luna is doing well at the Quibbler since her father was killed, they're receiving record sales. Seamus is…well, Seamus. He's engaged and living back home near his family. He's a fully trained Auror now. Most of my male friends are. After Hogwarts, I guess they all decided to join Harry in the fight. Even Draco is an Auror! His parents vanished mysteriously, and Draco is the heir of the Malfoy fortune. He and Harry have been doing assignments for months now, and getting along amazingly."
Severus smirked. "Close, Miss Granger, they died in mysterious circumstances. His mother bitten by asps, his father brutally murdered."
"Oh."
"Has anyone heard what happened to Crabbe and Goyle?"
"Arrested in their Death Eater attire outside a muggle residence." Snape shook his head in mock sadness as he spoke, smirking slightly as he continued. "They always were idiots."
The meal passed in this way, with old alliances being fondly remembered, and ideas for classes being discussed. Finally, though, a knock on the door broke their companionable discussions. Snape stood and moved to answer it. "Ronald Weasley, you are unwelcome here. Please leave." Hermione stood, face pale, and moved as far from the door as possible. Minerva spun to face her.
'Go wait in your room' she mouthed as she began striding towards the door. "Ronald Weasley, if you are still at that door when I get over there, I'll hex your underpants into blast-ended skrewts!" The woman boomed in her Scottish lilt, and Hermione grinned at the punishment threatened. Still, she ran to her rooms, closing the door and leaning against it nervously.
"I wondered when you'd scurry up here."
"Ron?"
Severus took untold joy in aiming his wand at his former student. Even more joy at the fact Minerva had now arrived, knowing full well she meant what she said
about her transfiguration abilities. Just as she fired off the charm, the figure of Ron vanished into a wisp of red smoke. "It was a trick!"
"Hermione!" Severus bellowed as he began running towards the staircases, the rest of the faculty in hot pursuit.