Right, so this story obviously does not follow Book 6 since I haven't picked it up yet. And even after I do pick it up, I probably won't rewrite the entire story. Sorry. Suspend reality for the rest of the story. Thanks!
Lil was my super-quick reviewer for the last chapter. Thanks, love. Can't wait to see you this week!
SlytherinsDarkAngel: Sorry I took so long with this chapter. I'm trying to work faster but I'm re-doing the end of this story…I hope you like it!
Mione n Sevvie: I like the Keeper too. I think he enjoys his job entirely too much!
Avery Goodun: I can see how the teeth would be a problem. I can just see him with a big, sharp, cheesy grin though!
Just me: We discuss the body a bit now and a bit more later! Thanks for the review!
FirePhoenix666: I'm really glad you're liking this! Thank you for reviewing!
Draccy: Yeah, I liked that line too. Always lovely to hear from you!
Danielle/Hand3: Thank you for reviewing every chapter—you rock! Update fairy attacks just for you!
Fiona McKinnon: Your unwavering encouragement really motivates me. Thanks!

--aimes


They got into the Jeep, both still a bit dazed by all that had happened. Hermione started the car. It turned over quickly and let out a comforting growl. She shifted into gear and hit the gas. They drove in silence for a while before Hermione spoke.

"What're you going to tell Headmaster Dumbledore?"

"About what?" he asked, looking over at her with an odd expression.

"Um, his daughter?" she retorted facetiously. "I mean, that will probably be the first thing on his mind, right?"

"That she died trying to get the Chord," he responded after a moment, voice low and tired. "Albus gave her up for dead long ago."

"So you're going to leave out the part where I killed her?" Hermione kept her eyes studiously on the road.

Snape turned to watch her, wondering where this was leading. "I didn't see you kill her, I was rather busy bleeding to death."

Hermione snorted. "Right, because there were so many other people in there trying for a piece of her."

"Hermione, it was not your fault. It was unavoidable."

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. "I know, I know. But maybe…I don't know. I'd like to tell him if it's alright with you."

"That's your decision," he told her quietly after a moment of thought.

Hermione took a deep breath and looked over at him. "Thanks." He nodded once, silently.

"Occasionally we all must take responsibility for things that may not have been in our control to change," he said after a moment. "Guilt is a powerful emotion."

"You're underrated as a Wise Man, you know that?" Hermione changed c.d.'s trying not to let her hands shake. She'd killed before and she suspected that one day she might be called upon to kill again, but it shook her to her very core each time.

Snape chuckled. "Only a fool would come to me expecting wisdom. I practice realism."

There was a moment of silence as the c.d. player caught the first track. "You'd be surprised how often realism and wisdom are the same," Hermione said finally, as the music started.

A series of voices began speak, rising into a gentle, soothing tide of music. The Latin flowed, simultaneously sad and hopeful. Hermione visibly relaxed as the choir's angelic sounds filled the small space.

"I wondered if you listened to any of the beautiful classical pieces that you create."

Hermione snorted. "Please; I couldn't create this. It's unbelievable, isn't it? I always listen to this to put things in perspective…it relaxes me. It's from Tomas Luis de Victoria's Requiem. Anyways, we should be back at Vasili's place in a few hours…then I'll call Vanya. We'll have to refill the petrol tank before that, but Vanya left us a lot of spare gas." She gave him a sideways glance. "We might have to spend the night at Vasili's depending on how long Vanya takes to get to us."

Snape did not reply, suddenly engrossed by the desert landscape ahead.

"We have to talk about this eventually, you know."

"Eventually implies that I can avoid it for at least a little while longer," he replied.

"Coward," she teased.

He gave her a cold, withering stare. "Really?"

Hermione cringed. "Just kidding."

He did not respond and Hermione knew he did not want to discuss it any further. They both lost themselves in their own thoughts for a while, watching the desert landscape pass. As they hit the edge of the desert Hermione began to feel the Jeep slow. She glanced down at the fuel indicator and groaned.

"Looks like it's time to refuel," she said wryly, shifting into park and unbuckling her seat belt. Snape followed her without comment, eyes dark and unreadable. Hermione made quick work of the empty tank, filling it with the full can Vanya had provided. When she looked up at Snape, he was gazing at the horizon. She followed his line of sight and saw the shimmering wall.

"That must be where the magic zone stops," she said softly. Snape nodded in response. "Ready?" He nodded again. She looked at him for a long moment before shrugging and returning to the driver's seat.

Hermione coasted out of the magical zone, waiting for the magic to sweep over them once more and feeling slightly disjointed when it did not. Brow furrowed, she continued to drive with a mental shrug. She was beginning to toy with the idea that leaving might really just be that easy when the military vehicle pulled in front of them.

"Bugger," she muttered under her breath.

Snape didn't even glance at her as he reached inside the glove compartment and pulled out a roll of American dollars. He shoved them in his coat pocket and handed her a baseball cap and a diamond wedding band. "Put these on and look like you're just on vacation and driving," he ordered softly, before getting out of the car. Hermione obeyed without protest but pulled out her wand and set in her lap. Just in case.

Snape approached the convoy and asked what was going on in Russian. One of the men came forward.

"This is a desolate area. What are you doing here?"

"We went for a drive and got lost," Snape responded amiably. "We've only just sorted out where we are."

The soldier grunted. "You are foreign."

"Yes. My wife was born here, in Russia. We came back to visit." The soldier glanced over Snape's shoulder at the Jeep. He saw thepale-skinned woman's wedding ring glinting through the windshield and nodded.

"You will need an escort," he said gruffly. "We will take you where you are going."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "I would hate to waste your time. It is cold and unfriendly here. Take your men for a drink." His hand slid out of his pocket and the dollars peeked out. The soldier eyed them thoughtfully.

"It is very expensive to buy drinks for so many," he pointed out.

"Yes. But you deserve a reward for being uncomplaining in these conditions." He jostled his pocket as he turned and two hundred-dollar bills fell out. "Dosvedanya," Snape tossed over his shoulder as he walked back to the Jeep.

The soldier did not answer, but Snape heard him get back in the military vehicle. He climbed into the Jeep and watched the military convoy drive away.

"Well that wasn't too bad," Hermione commented quietly. She pulled off the ring and held it out for him to take.

"No, it wasn't" Snape replied simply. He made no move to take the ring and Hermione decided not to make an issue of it, sliding it onto the ring finger of her right hand.

Within a few more hours they were back at Vasili's house and Hermione was on the phone to Vanya.

"Yeah. Tomorrow morning. That's fine, Vanya. We'll discuss the harp later…no, no. I just need some time to decide where I'm going to keep it. Thank you, Vanya. Mmhmm. Goodnight."

She clicked her cell phone off and turned to Snape. He looked up from the Eternal Amulet and raised an eyebrow.

"Looks like we're stuck here for at least tonight," she told him. "Vanya can't get here till tomorrow."

"I see."

"Don't be too cheerful about it," she said sarcastically. He shrugged silently and watched her as she sat opposite him on the couch. He handed her the Amulet and she tucked it into her bag.

"I'm not going to attack you, Severus," she said irritably.

"Miss Granger, obviously nothing can happen between us. I will admit that I find you attractive. Who wouldn't? You are…well, I find you attractive for a great number of reasons and let us leave it at that. However as of tomorrow we return to our respective roles in life: teacher and student."

"Yes, but which are you?" she responded wryly as she drew her feet up and tucked them beneath her. "I'm not an idiot, Severus. I know our respective responsibilities. But I think you're full of shit."

"Pardon?" he blanched. A patented Snape Death Glare gripped his features.

"We both know that I'm not your average student. Don't feed me any bullshit about age differences because we both know that given the longevity of the average witch or wizard, we're both pretty young. Besides, I'm graduating in a few months, at which point the student-teacher role is gone. So you must be avoiding this for some other reason. Care to share it?"

"The fact that it's a bad idea isn't reason enough?" He watched her carefully.

"It would be if you had said anything to make me think this was a bad idea." Hermione met his gaze evenly. "But all I've heard so far is some pathetic twittering about teachers and students. I think we're both capable of being discreet for a few months. Besides, do you really think anyone's going to string us up for being together after all we've been through? I don't."

"Just trust me when I say you do not want this," he growled, frustrated. He rose and stalked toward one of the windows.

"You obviously have no idea what I want," she countered with a sharp edge to her voice. "If you did, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

He didn't reply and Hermione let out a low noise of irritation. "Look, I'm not in it for sex but I'm not asking you to marry me either. Just give it a bloody chance, okay? I don't understand the problem here: I like you, you like me, I respect you, you usually respect me…Either come up with a good argument or resign yourself to the fact that I'm not going to let this go." She tried to keep it lighthearted but her casual tone fell flat.

"And what if I am in it just for the sex?" he asked without thinking. "What if I just want to fuck you and I'm trying to save you some embarrassment by restraining myself?" Severus mentally started kicking himself before he even finished the sentence. That was not what he had wanted to say. He wondered why he always had to make things so damned difficult instead of saying what was really on his mind. He decided he had just crossed the line between self-preservation and total self-sabotage.

A tap on his shoulder shook him out of his reverie and he turned, face blank. He was not prepared for Hermione's hand heading for her face but he caught her wrist instinctively. He sensed her move again and grabbed her other wrist, twisting her around and forcing her to her knees with her arms crossed on her chest. He held her tightly from behind as she struggled, not allowing her to move. He was pressed fully against her back with his knees on either side of her legs and he was leaning his weight against her to keep her subdued. His mind raced, searching for the right words to express himself.

"Miss Granger," he began softly.

Hermione continued to struggle, cursing. If he weren't locking her legs she could throw him off balance enough to free her arms. Her wrists were beginning to hurt from her movements. She relaxed for a moment, sagging limply.

"Hermione," he tried, quietly. Hermione took that moment to shift her entire body, sliding out from beneath him and using his grip on her arms as leverage as she planted a foot firmly in his chest and pushed. Severus released her wrists, not wanting to hurt her. He let the momentum of the kick push him backwards so he could roll to his feet. He held his hands out placatingly, ready for Hermione to attack. When he looked up, he was taken aback to see the emotions playing across her face before she looked away. The fear and humiliation that flashed across her visage pierced him.

"Hermione, please," he said desperately. "I truly didn't mean what I said…I just…" he was moving toward her slowly even as he faltered. Hermione refused to look at him, staring at the ground as she massaged her wrists. He reached her and touched her face gently, cradling her cheek as he forced her gaze upwards. His other hand gripped her shoulder gently. Tears streamed silently down her face and she was trembling.

"I'm sorry," he apologized quietly, straightening up and gazing down at her seriously. "This is not easy for me, Hermione. I spoke without thinking." She tried to look away again and his grip tightened. "I spoke out of fear. I need to be sure that you know what you're jumping into. I'm not an easy man to get along with, Hermione, not by anyone's standards."

"No kidding." Her voice was harsh and he had to battle the urge to pull her into his arms. He was unprepared when she spoke again.

"Trust me when I tell you that I, of all people, know what you're like," she said, her voice upset and shaky. "You get edgy when you're nervous and have a tendency to make hurtful comments without thinking. You're difficult to communicate with and close off almost reflexively. And that's just for starters." A pained look crossed his face and he looked away from her. She caught his face in her hands and gripped it tightly. "You're also kind, gentle, funny, brilliant, and absolutely sexy. I know what you're like. Why can't you trust that I am attracted to you for all that you are?" Her hands dropped to her sides and she made to move away. Severus gave into the urge and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, as though almost afraid to let her go.

After a moment, Hermione pulled away and pulled him down to kiss him gently on the lips. He returned the kiss, letting the electricity spark through his body and reveling in the feeling of her soft skin and warmth.

"I'm not in it for the sex," he said firmly after breaking away. "I want you to know that."

"If I thought you were in it for the sex, I wouldn't be here," she replied with a shakysmile. "Besides, you're not getting any for quite some time at the rate you're going." Her eyes glowed slightly with mirth as she said it.

"There are still issues to be dealt with," he warned. "It will not be easy."

"It never is. For the next few months we'll just keep it as quiet as humanly possible. You were a spy, I think you can manage."

"And you?" he teased, relieved that she wasn't angry.

"I'm female. Being circumspect is encoded in my DNA. It'll be made easier by the fact that I'm Head Girl and have my own rooms. The internal floo network worked for us when we were brewing that shielding potion for you…it'll work for us now." She twisted in his arms and began leading him out of the room. For her part, she knew that he was difficult and it didn't bother her. A small petty part of her said that she should have forced him to suffer a bit more but she ignored it.

"Where are we going?"

"To bed."

"Hermione…we should not rush into anything. It has been a stressful day. We should not do anything hasty," he was hesitant but did not stop walking.

"I don't plan to," she assured him. "We really are just going to bed. I'm rather exhausted."

He did not respond and she took that as silent consent. They moved to the upstairs bedroom, where Hermione began a fire and set a warming charm. She went to the closet and changed quickly into the green pajama top she'd worn the night before. Severus followed her and changed into his own pajamas. They remainedsilent as they took their turns in the bathroom.

When Severus emerged, Hermione was already in bed. He crawled in beside her and turned to look at her as she shifted onto her side and snuggled against him.

"I didn't say anything about snuggling," he said dryly.

"Stop being a prat," she responded sleepily. One hand slid beneath his shirt and rested on his waist as she settled her head on his shoulder. He wrapped an arm comfortably around her body, letting his hand slip under her nightshirt and panties to rest on the bare flesh of her hip.

"Goodnight, Severus."

"Goodnight, sweet."