Disclaimer: Owns nothing at all...oh...but the plot's mine!
A/N: Hi peeps...This is about half a day later than when I'd normally post it...but I hope it doesn't make any difference...I figure that I can't spell today...so I'll just keep this sort...i mean short...enjoy! Oh, I nearly forgot, thanks for all the reviews! At the rate, you people are reviewing, I might make it to 100 before i know it!
Preparation
Snape and Hermione had barely left the resident lab since the Occlumency potion started about five days ago. They had taken turns to rest and had eaten scant meals under the instructions of Minerva McGonagall who had turned out to be Molly Weasley's equal in more than one aspect.
The potion was finally finished at noon of December thirty-first. Just in time for Lord Voldemort's visit to Azkaban. They could only hope that Voldemort would try to get information out of Ginny and not kill her immediately.
She knew the torturous means that they'd use…but Ginny was stronger than what everyone thought. She knew it and knew that she would withstand almost anything.
"Severus," Hermione said quietly as they bottled up the potion. Her face was pensive, betraying no emotions. "Mind potions don't clash with shape shifting potions, right?"
Snape looked at her wearily. From the tone of her voice, he could almost see the dangerous idea ready to burst from her brain. It was always like this: her brilliant ideas were always the most hazardous. Simple. Dangerous. And effective.
"No." he replied simply and truthfully. There was no point in lying, he was well aware that Hermione knew the answer already and was barely asking for a solid confirmation. "What do you have in mind?"
"Do we have any polyjuice?" she ignored her mentor's question.
A plan had formed in her mind since she'd left Harry's room that night. They needed more than a surprise element to win this raid…and eventually the war. They needed deception. They needed to blind, to confuse the minions of Voldemort. That was what had made Dumbledore and Moody the greatest leaders- the ability to deceive.
The strength to be a single unit.
To be independent.
To stand alone amongst comrades.
She must stand alone in this.
"Yes." Severus replied slowly. "What do you have in mind?"
"Nothing. Just going through the text book in my head." She said calmly, turning her back on him and putting the vial on the worktop.
She felt the stare of Severus on her back and blatantly avoided it. She wasn't about to tell him her plans and was glad that he didn't press her for answers. Severus would try to stop her. She knew it. She would've stopped herself too. But it was necessary. To allow them to win.
She needed to carry out her plan. As Ginny's confident. As Ron's strategic mind. As Harry's shield.
She would be Harry's shield.
His buffer.
The one who would have all the attention.
The woman that would bask in the limelight tonight.
xxXxx
They'd quickly cleared the lab and went to report their completion of the potion.
They were scattered around the house. All were trying to get on with whatever that they were doing –what they had been assigned to do. But Hermione still felt their attention on her exhausted body. They were all concerned with the progress of the potion.
Especially for the younger or least experienced ones, like Dung and Ron, who were unable to cast a full Patronous.
At times like this, she truly saw how weak their forces could be against the Dark Lord.
At times like this, she felt useless, unable to change the facts.
At times like this, she felt weary of the war.
They shouldn't be worrying about whether they were able to cast a corporeal Patronous or not. They should be worrying about work. They should be worrying about their dinner tonight. They should be worrying about whether they had a date or not.
Not a bloody charm or a substituting potion.
Hermione shook her head mentally. It wasn't time for her to dwell on what should have been.
Severus and she found Moody and Harry sitting in chairs in the kitchen. They were conversing about something, something that her tired mind didn't even bother to listen to. Moody saw them first, even though his back was turned.
"Ya done, Snape?" the auror growled and without waiting for an answer, he added. "About bloody time too."
Moody and Harry turned and saw them. Stress was written across Harry's face. His stare was intense and of anticipation. He was waiting for the potion to go and rescue Ginny.
"Well?" Harry asked expectantly.
"It still has to cool down. For the potion to have its full potency." Snape sighed.
"But…" Harry started. His brows furrowed. He was obviously expecting to leave right now. Hermione couldn't really blame him. Anyone would have wanted to save their lover.
"So, the mission starts later in the afternoon. Both of you had better go rest. You'll need your strength. But constant vigilance." Moody interrupted in a tone that left no room for argument.
With that, the two potion masters went upstairs. Hermione parted with her mentor at the top of the stairs, where Severus made his way to his room at the opposite end of the house. Hermione dragged her tired body across the hallway. Going as quietly as she could manage.
She stopped in front of a closed door and prodded the knob gently to test for wards. None were detected. She turned the knob and walked in. Hermione found what she was looking for with relative ease.
With a grim smile, she left the room, closing the door softly and entering the room across the hall for her much deserved rest.
Let the light shine on her tonight.
xxXxx
When she woke up, it was dusk. The potion should be ready soon. She quickly refreshed herself and went down to search for Severus Snape, but not before making sure the polyjuice with the piece of raven hair dissolved inside was safe within her pocket.
Few of the people who would be participating in the raid had arrived and were prepared to floo to Hogwarts via its only link (many not being accessible to the Black house). Tonks and Lupin were amongst the first to arrive. She gave the two of them small greetings and went on her search for Severus. She saw him across the room and made her way to him.
"Severus." she greeted him.
The potion master nodded, standing up from his seat and joining her in the walk to the lab.
"I will not be participating in this; you do remember the duration of the brew?" he said in the lab as they collected enough portions for the members that were going to meet secretly on the grounds of Hogwarts and then leave in the Forbidden forest.
"Yes." Hermione said as they carried the potion to the living room and followed the people who were there and flooing to Hogwarts.
Most of them were to go to Dumbledore's office. But Snape, Hermione and normally…Ginny would floo to Snape's with the potions or other equipment; then they would leave under Harry's invisibility cloak. Since Ginny was missing, Tonks had come along for the cloak which could only hide two more women.
Hogwarts was a different place at night. She had known it for years. In the morning, the castle was a school, a place of hope and joy…but at night it was romantic…with softly glowing windows…and eerie at the same time. Shadowed by tales. Stories of forgotten youths…yet-to-be-achieved dreams…haunting memories…and even death.
She heard Tonks sigh. Was she thinking the same thought as her?
She didn't really care. Not now. But maybe. Maybe one day, she would share this place with someone again. Someone that wouldn't break her heart. Someone who wouldn't leave her.
Tonks and Hermione quickly made their way to the forbidden forest hidden underneath the cloak. All the people who were involved had already arrived. They each handed the small vials out while Moody shouted.
"Take this! It has the same effect as the Occlumency. It'll protect you from the Dementors. But constant vigilance! Be sure to leave as soon as it wears off! Everyone leave, okay! I'll not have any of you playing Hero!"
Through Moody's speech, Hermione parted with Tonks and left to find her best friends with Harry's cloak and their potions. She found them at the far end of the group, deep within the forest.
Harry was less jumpy then he had been in the afternoon, she noted. Maybe because the long waited moment was here. Ron was there too. His face was grim. No smiles or laughs had been heard from him for the last couple of days. He was probably the most devastated of the entire Weasley family.
Hermione approached them. She handed the invisibility cloak to Harry and whispered, "Get under it as soon as you can. Your priority is to save Ginny. Anything else can wait."
Harry nodded and took the cloak as well as the vial.
She turned to Ron, with a soft smile on her face. "For Ginny, okay?"
Ron nodded, took the vial and drank the content in one go with a pinched face.
Hermione grinned. He was never the one for potions. Something had yet to change. And she was glad for that. She didn't know what she would do if all those she held dear became different.
"Hey, just a twist and a flick. Kick their ass and come back here for butterbeer, alright?" Harry said after he had downed his potion in a gulp.
It was hardly their case. They were running headlong into a clash with Voldemort in his territory tonight. But Hermione wouldn't have had it any other way. They would walk out of this together.
"Of course." Hermione said smiling next to him.
"I can have something stronger, right mate?" Ron asked with his first grin since Ginny's capture on his face.
The trio grinned at each other.
And with that they apparated to Azkaban.
To fight a raid where only a scant few will emerge unscathed.
Many would die tonight.
A/N: Don't kill me! I know they're not together yet and I'm so sorry that this story has such a slow pace! It'll get there, I promise! Please review, review, review! Thanks!
Is my chapters getting longer? I think it is...hmmm...