Chapter 42: Calm Before the Storm
Severus and Hermione were in the lab brewing another batch of "Winter's Tale Tonic" to prepare for the final battle. They had hundreds of vials to fill. The twins had done a great job with procuring the vials for them so that no one would be suspicious. It had taken Gabrielle and Professor Flitwick 2 days to charm all of the vials to be unbreakable and to keep the potion fresh. "I think this is my favorite part of researching," Hermione told Severus. "Once you get the potion right and get to brew it a bunch of times. The potion is yours and while you brew it it's like it's an extension of yourself. I always wonder if in 50 years students will be learning it and wondering what we were thinking when we created it for the first time."
"It is nice to know that even if we don't survive the final fight our work will live on forever." Severus said as he started to fill a handful of vials.
"Don't say that," Hermione told him strictly. "If you start thinking that you won't survive then you may not. You have to believe that you and everyone you care about will be fine, it's the only way to ensure our victory."
"Hermione, I have no doubts that you and Harry and the rest of the DA will come out of this alive, perhaps slightly bruised up, but alive. If I am discovered as a traitor there is no way that I will escape the battle with my life. This is a fact that I have dealt with for 20 years. To tell you the truth, I never expected to survive for so long." Severus told her noticing the stricken look on her face as he spoke those jarring words.
"No!" Hermione said with a fire in her eyes. "Then don't be found out. You have to survive!" She pleaded with him, her eyes laden with tears ready to fall if he refused her. Severus could see that she cared for him and it made his heart soar.
"Silly girl, don't trouble yourself over me. You need to worry about Harry and your DA squad." He told her to try and get her to understand. "The world will be a much sadder place without you or you young friends in it. Me on the other hand, I've lived my life and there is little left for me to accomplish. There are very few who would miss me if I was gone."
"You stupid bat, I would miss you if you died. And then there's Albus, Remus, Minerva, Draco and the rest of the Order!" Hermione was crying freely by now and Severus didn't know what to say to stop it or to make her quiet down as she was yelling loudly.
"She's right Severus, there are lots of us who would miss you so don't go and get yourself killed. I don't think I could handle hysterical Gryffindors in my common room." Draco drawled from the doorway where he had been observing their conversation. Severus looked at Draco and sighed. Maybe the boy could explain what had set Hermione off.
Hermione went into the adjoining bathroom to clean her face and left Severus to deal with Draco. She couldn't believe that he had no plans for living past the final battle! How could she live without him? How could she explain to him how much he means to her? She couldn't believe he thought no one would care!
"You know that she cares for you right?" Draco asked his mentor. After receiving a nod of yes he continued, sensing the older man's confusion. "Most people don't like to think about someone they are close to dying. For you to tell her that you didn't expect to survive the war was the equivalent to her of saying that you were giving up."
"I still don't understand why she believes that my death would be such a loss." Severus told him.
"You two are friends," Draco told him with a smirk. "Gryffindors consider friends to rank right up there with family. You know how loyal they are. They would give their lives for their best friends and family members."
"I knew that but I guess I never expected to be in that category. As much as Albus says he cares for me, he knows my life as a spy is dangerous and that my life is worth it if I just save a few more souls. Hermione doesn't think that way and it's a new experience for me." He told the young man in front of him.
"It threw me for a loop for a while too," Draco told him with a smirk. "Perhaps we should have a lesson on Gryffindor mentality in the Slytherin dorms so that the young ones will understand as well."
"I fear that once we win this war there won't be any need," Severus told him and tried not to chuckle at the confused look on Draco's face. "The Gryffindor's will have us all converted by then." He explained earning a snort from the blonde. "Don't deny it, look how far you've come and you were the poster child for the dark arts."
Hermione had just rejoined the guys in the lab when someone else knocked on the door. Severus stepped back to reveal the Queen standing in the doorway. "Hermione," she said walking up to her. "I heard that you have a miracle line of new hair care products."
Hermione, though nervous in front of such and important lady, grinned. "Yes my lady. Would you like a sample of each?" She asked her with a small but polite bow.
"Yes, Albus and Minerva were going on about how well they work and I wanted to try them for myself." Amelia said enjoying the look of accomplishment that shone in her granddaughter's eyes.
"Here is the full set of my completed potions," Hermione said setting the bottles down on the lab table. "These are shampoos; they can be used together or separate to achieve the wanted results. This one tames any type of hair into gentle curls, this one makes the hair smooth and straight and this one changes the color of your hair. The men's shampoo makes the hair clean and soft. This is my newest product, it's a vibrant shine enhancer that you just spray on whenever to give your hair that extra sheen."
"Very impressive," Amelia said with a smile. "What other products are you working on?"
"I plan on creating a sculpting potion that will leave the hair soft to the touch but still keep it in place as well as a shampoo for active men that will keep their hair from dirtying during the day or being effected by the elements. I expect it to sell well with Quidditch players or potions students." Hermione told her, happy to discuss her business.
"I like your company name, Royal Endeavors Ltd. really fits these top end products and your packaging is splendid." She told her.
"Thank you. I hope to sell Gentle Curlz, Sleek Smooth and Clean Soft in the muggle markets as well. They will not work as well without the drying charm but still better than anything out there now." Hermione told her.
"I agree, the muggle world could use a lot of the potions we have here," Amelia told her. "I was also told that you were the head of Potter Inc. as well."
"Yes, I started that company last year. It will be run by Neville Longbottom after school. We plan to expand it to include mass Quidditch merchandising as well as merchandise for the Hogwarts school houses and some other Hogwarts pieces. I have started preparing a Hogwarts trivia game and we have a calendar that came out this year as well as a design for next year's calendar." Hermione told her.
"You've been very busy I see," Amelia said surprised by how much thought Hermione had put into her enterprises. "I look forward to seeing your new products. You'll have to have Albus send them to me."
"I would be happy to your highness," Hermione said bowing again as the queen bid them goodnight while leaving with her armful of hair care products.
"Whoa," Draco said once she was gone. "That had to feel great. I mean to have the Queen complimenting you and wanting to try your products. Incredible!"
Hermione just grinned and went back to bottling the potion. She was on cloud nine and was coming up with lots of new product ideas. She was glad they had finished their research as she could spend more time on her companies. If she continued at this rate she would have her entire product line ready for release to the general public before she began university!
"Do you think this is just the calm before the storm?" Ginny asked Harry one night they were sitting alone in the common room. "I feel like we are on the edge of something massive."
"I would guess that is your seer instincts telling you that the final battle is close." Harry told her, pulling her closer in his arms. "We are as ready for the battle as we ever will be so I expect it to happen soon."
"We've got the Love Receiver spell finished and practiced and we know it boosts your powers. We also have the DA as ready as they can be and we have Hermione's potions. Now that the King and Queen are out of hiding there is nothing holding us back." Ginny said thinking out loud.
"Gin, I need you to promise me that if something goes wrong that you will get yourself out of there," Harry told her seriously. "I need to know that you will be ok if something happens to me."
"Harry, no one will be ok if something happens to you, especially me." She told him leaning into his chest. "I am not going to lie to you and tell you that I'll be alright if you die. I can't live without you, you're a part of me now and nothing will ever be the same without you. So you see, you have to come out of this whole thing alive or else both of us will be lost."
"Then promise me that you will keep yourself safe. I also cannot live without you so no heroic moves ok?" He said kissing the top of her head.
"I promise to live as long as you do," Ginny told him with a smile. "I plan on raising a family with you after this war so make sure you come out in one piece too please." Harry just laughed and they went back to talking softly in front of the fire.
Neville approached Harry the week after Valentine's Day. "Hey Harry do you have a minute?"
"Sure Neville, what can I do for you?" He asked his good friend.
Neville pulled him into an empty corner of the common room. "I need your help with something important and personal." Harry noticed that Neville was back to acting shy and wondered what it was.
"Nev, whatever it is I'll help you. What do you need?" Harry asked knowing the best way to get him to confess.
"I want your help in finding an engagement ring for Luna," Neville said turning pink. "I want to get her something great and I don't know anything about jewelry. I asked my mum and she suggested talking to the other girls for ideas but I don't want them to know and ruin the surprise."
Harry was grinning at him, "I think it may be time to let you in on a little secret of mine. You probably don't know it but Fleur, Gabrielle, Tonks and Susan's rings all came from my vault at home and I'm sure there is a ring perfect for Luna in there too."
"Really?" Neville asked him in relief. "Does that mean we won't have to parade through different jewelry stores and no one else will know?"
"Yep, I'll ask Remus to go with us this weekend to HQ and that way you can show your parents the ring before you ask her." Harry told him. "Can I ask why you are going to propose now when she still has another year of school left?"
"Yeah, I just want her to know how much I love her and everything before the final battle. I don't want there to be a chance that I die before I have had the chance to tell her how I feel," he said quietly. "I'm willing to wait as long a needed to marry her but I don't want to wait any longer to ask her to be my bride."
"That's a noble and romantic gesture Neville and I'm sure she'll appreciate it as well. I'll make sure to talk to Remus about this weekend." Harry said before running off to find Ginny.
"We are here tonight to determine the best day for the final battle. I want us to try and come to a consensus on which day to tell Voldemort that the Queen will be in the castle. Combined with Severus giving him access to the outside wards this should be enough bait to lure him here." Albus told the gathered Order members. "We are as ready and prepared as we can be and there is no reason to delay. The longer the delay the greater chance he will gain more followers or win over more dark creatures."
"This weekend," Ginny said and then smiled at Harry and the rest of them. "It just feels right."
"So soon!" Molly Weasley said in alarm. As much as she listened to everything going on the shock of the final battle being so quickly was startling.
"Does anyone have any other ideas or reasons not to use this weekend?" Albus asked.
"Why so soon Ginny?" Hannah asked her still shocked it could all be over in a week.
"The full moon is March 12th, this gives us almost a full 2 weeks before that ensuring that the dark creatures are at their lowest and that our friend Remus is at his best." Ginny told them. "It is also quick and Voldemort will not have time to pull in all of his contacts for the battle. The giants and other creatures that are on the edge will not fight on short notice. I think it's for the best."
"I don't know about the rest of you but I feel more comfortable going off of one of Ginny's hunches than a years worth of research. I'm ready, the DA is ready and the Order can be ready… why wait?" Harry commented earning nods of approval from most of the group.
"Giving the Dark Lord the least amount of time to prepare is a good idea," Severus told them. "If I go to him tomorrow night with this information there will be a very limited time for him to prepare and we can be ready. He will like that we have no time to prepare since he will assume we are not ready."
"Will he fall for it?" Arthur asked Severus. "Will he really come just for the chance to destroy both Harry and the Queen in one go?"
"Yes, I believe so. He has been asking me about Harry's progress and I believe this is the reason for me being in the inner circle." Severus told them.
The meeting ended a little bit later after all the details were ironed out and everyone had their tasks in order. Harry pulled Remus aside. "I need to go with Neville to Headquarters tonight. Can you take us? It should only take a few minutes. We were planning on going this weekend but that will be too late for what he needs."
"I have rounds but I'll have Albus open his floo and you can go through with Frank and Alice or you can just flame him there since we are about to reveal your form at the final battle anyway." Remus told him with a wink.
"Come on Neville," Harry said with a grin, "We have an errand to run." They waited until Remus was the last one in the room before Harry transformed into Flames and Neville took hold. "The vault is this way," he said showing him towards the tapestry.
"Are you sure this is alright with you?" Neville asked. "I don't want to take anything that you are attached to."
"There are only two rings in the case that you cannot have. The rest are free game." Harry told him with a smile. They opened the case and Neville was wide eyed with the selection. "Any idea what you want for her?"
"I know she'll want something unique. She hates being just like everyone else. But I also want it to be something special and beautiful like she is. That's why I wanted your help, I don't know jewelry very well and I want to get her something she will love." Neville told him.
"Neville, Luna loves you, you could give her any ring and she'll love it because it came from you." Harry told his friend. He waited until Neville was digging through another stack of older rings before opening the hidden drawer. He didn't want to disclose his secret unless he had to so he hoped the drawer had listened to what Neville wanted. Harry opened the bag and was surprised to see it was full. He dug around and found the ring and pulled it out. It was beautiful. The stones were placed in the shape of a butterfly, very unique. The center or body of the butterfly was an oval cut diamond of about 2 carats. The top sections of the wings on both sides were 1 carat oval cut peridot (a lovely light green) gemstones. The bottom sections of the wings were ½ carat round cut blue sapphires. They were all laid into a silver band and it looked exactly like something Luna would love.
Neville saw Harry examining a ring and looked over at it. "Oh Harry that's perfect, where did you find it?" He asked smiling as Harry handed him the unique ring. "She will love it."
"Good, it will look beautiful on her as well." Harry said and while Neville was staring at the ring he dumped the rest of the bag's contents out in his hand. There was a matching bracelet, pendant necklace and earrings. They all had silver bodies for the butterflies instead of the diamond so they were basically silver, peridot and sapphire. "Unfortunately I can't let you have that ring," Harry said enjoying the crestfallen look on Neville's face.
"But… But… I thought…" Neville started to stutter.
"What I mean is that you can't take the ring away from its set," Harry said holding up the other pieces. "You'll have to take them all."
Neville sighed with relief before laughing at his friend and looking over the other pieces. "I think these other pieces will be a good birthday gift for her. Her birthday is March 25th."
"Here keep them all in this velvet bag and here's a velvet box for the ring." Harry said handing him the named items. "We better get back before anyone misses us. Besides, you have a proposal to plan!" They hurried to show the Longbottoms the ring before Harry transformed and they were back to school.
The next day, Friday, Neville asked Professor Sprout if he could use the greenhouses after classes for his proposal. He had her class the last one of the day and had asked Luna to come meet him after her last class which was potions. He was in greenhouse 8 which was mostly empty as it was reserved for student projects. He had the floors covered in rose petals and had filled the place with exotic flowers of every color imaginable. He had charmed soft background music and had the house elves pack him a romantic picnic for dinner. He had a white iron garden table adorned with a pale yellow table cloth and a few candles. He couldn't believe how nervous he was as he waited for her to show up. He was standing outside the greenhouses so he could lead her inside.
Luna grinned as she spotted Neville outside one of the greenhouses that was used for student projects. She figured he had some new plant to show her so she hurried her pace so they could have plenty of time before dinner. "Hello Nev," she said kissing his cheek. She smiled as he hooked her arm with his and instructed her to close her eyes as he had a surprise for her before leading her into the greenhouse.
He led her near the little table he had set up before telling her to open her eyes. She gasped at the beauty as she looked around. "It's so beautiful, this is amazing," she said sweetly to him giving him a tender kiss. She loved how he always went out of his way to do romantic things for her, but this was by far the best he had ever done.
"You are beautiful and amazing, all of this pales in comparison to you," he told her as he looked deep into her eyes knowing without a doubt that he loved her more than life itself. He held her chair for her as she sat down and took a deep breath knowing that he had to do it now or loose his nerve.
He knelt down before her and took her hands in his. "Luna I love you more than anything in this world. I know the future is unsure with the war approaching its conclusion, but I also know that I would rather die tomorrow than life another day without you by my side. I know that we are young but I also know that we are good together. Will you honor me more than I ever imagined and become my wife?" He asked her and showed her the ring.
Luna was speechless and had tears in her eyes. "I love you too and I would be happy to marry you," She told him and grinned as he slid the ring on her finger. Now she realized why he went to so much more trouble on the romantic setting. She loved her ring. She leaned down and kissed him deeply and passionately. They spent the rest of the night in their romantic hideout until they had to go in for curfew.
The EDA was all gathered in the heads common room to spend one last time together before the fight. Neville and Luna were the last ones to show up and everyone was happy for them when they announced their engagement. "That's great you two," Hermione said hugging them both. They spent the rest of the evening and early morning talking and just keeping each other company. They all knew that sleep would not come easily for any of them and this way at least they were together. Harry and Ginny explained the Love Receiver spell so they all knew how they were going to take down Moldy Voldy.
Hermione was growing increasingly nervous as the night wore on and everyone was noticing. What they didn't know is that she kept checking the Marauder's map to see if Severus had returned safely. "Hermione will you please sit down, the battle isn't until tomorrow you'll have plenty of time to work yourself up before then," Ron told her. They all knew there was something else to it when she turned a Snape worthy glare on him.
Harry decided to test his Legilimencyskills and pried quietly into her mind. He could tell she was worried about Severus and was shocked at the feeling associated with him. There were many layers to her feelings but he could tell that she was in love with him. He quickly got out of her mind before he found out more stuff he didn't want to know. "He's going to be fine Hermione. I'm sure he is just trying to gather as much information as he can before coming back."
Hermione looked startled and then suspicious then relieved. "Thanks Harry, I know it doesn't do any good to worry but I can't help it. He has told me what would happen if he was ever suspected of being a traitor and …"
Harry wrapped his arms around his trembling friend and looked to the others for support. "He had lots of information to tell the dark lord," Draco told her. "It will take a while. He's been doing this for 20 years, he's not going to slip up on his final night especially when it's so important."
"I haven't seen anything bad happening to him. I have a feeling he is going to be around to torment next years first years and probably a few more generations after that," Ginny told her joining the hug.
Eventually all of them but Ron had joined the group hug. Susan sent a glare his way, "Fine, I may not be able to stand the git but if he is as good as we have all been lead to believe then I'm sure he is fine and will be back soon." Ron said and completed the group hug. They were all relieved moments later to see the dot labeled Severus Snape stalking up to the school from the front gates.