Happy holidays! I hope they've treated you amazingly and that the New Year is starting out well for all of y'all. It's definitely been a hot minute and this is a bit shorter than usual but I hope you like this chapter! The last bit is probably my favorite little twist so I really hope you dig it. It actually inspired me to write two for parts for Always. I'll post the second part when I post the last chapter of this story and the third part when I post the epilogue here so there aren't any spoilers for this story. I'm really looking forward to what you guys think of everything, thank you as always for still being here!

Love Always,

Adrien

Disclaimer: I still, sadly, do not own the Potterverse. That belongs to J. K. Rowling. All the new characters you don't recognize though are my brain children and I am very fond of them. :o)

Chapter Ten: Go In For One, Come Out With Two

Hermione knew she and Viktor weren't alone as they sat in wait, watching the inhabitants of Number 4 Privet Drive bustle in and out of the house. She'd seen flashes of Order members moving awkwardly from the same hiding places they'd had since the summer after fourth year and Hermione wasn't sure if she'd identified them because she knew exactly what and where to look or if the Order members really just sucked stealth-wise. She supposed it didn't matter either way…it wasn't the Order she was worried about. She was worried about the Deatheaters.

She knew they were here. That they planned to intercept Harry during the Order's "rescue" mission today. She knew both Tonks and Snape would be here. Tonks as one of the rescuers (because the Order was still oblivious to her supposed turn to the dark side though she had used her involvement in the rescue to climb the Deatheater ranks by tipping them off that it was occurring) and Snape as one of the people supposedly attempting to get his hands on Harry.

Number 4 Privet Drive is nothing like Hermione expected it to be. She remembered the twins and Ron's description from the summer before her second year. She remembered every story or even slight mention her brother had made about his childhood. She remembered meeting the Dursley's for the first time. And she had expected something darker. She had expected cracked shambles symbolizing the cracks the family tried so hard to hide. She imagined thick bars on windows, clearly imprisoning whoever was inside. She had thought their treatment of her brother in everything but blood would be prevalent in the physicality of the house but it wasn't.

Number 4 Privet place is decidedly average. The kind of house Hermione's own parents had never liked because it lacked character. There was no history in this house's foundation beyond the fact that it was made in the exact shape of every other building on that street. Its lawn perfectly manicured without a flower petal out of place. Its paint far from peeling, completely lacking any signs of weathering.

The only sign that anything was amiss were the actions of those currently fleeing the household. Vernon's shuffling and grumbling as he transfers bits and pieces of importance from the house to the car. Petunia's hesitation and hovering, her steps continually bringing her toward her estranged nephew only for her to turn on her heels at the last moment. (She does this so many times that Hermione sees Harry's gaze beginning to linger on the older woman.) But it is Dudley that finally approaches Harry, his car door open behind him and his parents in the front seat as he speaks to Harry for a few moments before holding his hand out to the smaller boy. Harry takes the bigger boy's hand, shaking it firmly once before pulling his cousin into a tight hug.

Hermione isn't sure who's more shocked by that action: herself or Dudley.

Twenty minutes after the Dursley's car disappears down the road, two familiar pops of disapparition sound from Hermione's left and Viktor's right. With wands at hand, the couple waits quietly for their people to play their parts.

Kingsley and Ron are the first two people to come into view though Hermione can hear a soft rustle coming from Bill and Fleur's direction moments before they come into view.

"Sorry, mate," Ron says, his eyes meeting Fleur's over Kingsley's shoulder, in the same moment he stuns the older auror.

Kingsley's eyes barely have time to widen before his unconscious body is falling to the ground and Fleur is stepping forward, her wand flicking effortlessly through a variety of intricate motions that the others in the clearing had a hard time following.

Many, including the vast majority of Order members including her future mother in law, underestimated Fleur because of her beauty and her unintentionally brusque tone but there was a reason her name came out of the TriWizard Cup and there was a reason the goblins snapped her up before her first apprenticeship was even complete. Hell, Hermione had made that mistake herself. Especially when Fleur had lashed out at Harry at the beginning of the TriWizard Tournament. But then Viktor had personally introduced her to the blonde when Fleur had been reluctant to reach out to Harry after the second task so that Hermione could act as a possible bridge and Hermione had gotten to know the blonde for who she was instead of how she looked. And Hermione found that Fleur was incredibly intelligent in more ways than one…Her knack for mind magic, though, far surpassed many masters currently present in the world and the grey side was definitely using that to their advantage today.

According to Fleur, the mind was easier to mold if it had something to hold on to. Which is why their group had decided to have Ron so obviously and openly stun the older auror. His apology and stunning would be the organic memory Fleur based the grey side's storyline off of as she planted the fake memories in the older man's mind. When he woke up just inside the Burrow's protective border, he would remember flying through the night with a Polyjuiced Ron at his back combatting any Deatheaters in their way. They make it to the Burrow together but as his Polyjuice times out, Ron pulls the unthinkable and turns his wand on Kingsley so that he and Harry can make a clean getaway for their Dumbledore given mission.

Dumbledore had given her boys a mission but they would not be running around the country like chickens with their heads cut off. Hermione and her friends in Bulgaria had made sure that wasn't an option.

"Ready?" Bill asks, holding out a lock of deep auburn hair to Hermione as Viktor quickly plucks the minimum amount of hairs necessary from Kingsley's eyebrows.

"As we'll ever be," Hermione replies, grimacing down at the Polyjuice in her hand as the ghost of cat ears past play through her mind.

"Bottoms up," Viktor states, dropping the hairs into his drink and holding it up in a silent cheers.

Hermione drops her own borrowed hairs into her potion and returns the action before downing her shot of potion.

Feeling her body transform the way it was supposed to due to Pollyjuice was very different than it had felt when she had unintentionally turned into a part-cat. It still didn't feel amazing but it wasn't painful. Yes, her body was much larger as it filled out the borrowed clothes that had been swamping her for hours but her senses were the same. She was still human…which was a lot less discombobulating than it had been last time.

"This is weird," Ron's voice pulls her away from her thoughts once her body has settled.

Hermione turns her attention to her best friend whose eyes are flicking from her to Bill at a rapid pace.

"Let's go," Hermione states after rolling her eyes at her friend.

Fleur gives her fiance a quick kiss, both lovers whispering softly to one another, before stepping up beside Hermione.

Hermione's hand falls to the small of Fleur's back, a gesture she'd seen the older man do countless times with the brilliant blonde as they make their way into Number 4 Privet Drive.

Viktor and Ron follow closely behind, the rest of the Order members flocking in pairs from their own landing areas. Each pair had their own landing area that had been decided between the partners and was not meant to be told to any of the other Order members present, to prevent things like what had just happened with Kingsley from happening. Each pair would stay together once one of them was pollyjuiced to look like Harry. Each pair except Fleur and Bill (or Hermione in this case). Fleur would be going with Hagrid, who was the only Order member to show up without a partner, to divert attention from the real Harry who would be coming with Bill. After all, who would expect Harry to go with someone he'd only met a handful of times when he could go with the person who was known for reintroducing him to the wizarding world?

Everything after they step through the door is a blur of activity for Hermione.

Ron is on Harry as soon as they enter the house, pulling him into a quick "bro-hug" and using the opportunity to rip out a good chunk of hair.

Fleur, Ron, the Twins, and Mundungus all take Pollyjuice while Tonks uses her natural ability to take on Harry's persona.

Hermione and the real Harry separate from everyone else, quickly boarding Bill's borrowed broom and shooting into the sky with two Deatheaters almost immediately on their tails.

"Got over your fear of flying real quick, didn't you," Harry teases, his wand shooting off defensive measures quicker than Hermione cares to keep track of.

"Some things take precedence," Hermione shoots back as she pushes the broom toward the Burrow.

Harry's laughter floats through the air as he shoots off increasingly grey spells, many of which Hermione wasn't aware her brother in everything but blood knew.

Hermione activates the ruin on Bill's broom to disillusion them as Harry makes the last of their followers fall.

They aren't with Bill, and the unconscious Kingsley, at the designated edge of the Burrow's border long before Viktor and Ron are landing the Thestral beside their group.

The Pollyjuice effects fade as the four youngest members of their makeshift group fade away, leaving Bill to pretend like he had been stunned in the same way that Kingsley had.

Hermione and Viktor are in their kitchen, waiting for the kettle to whistle after changing into their own house clothes while the boys are settling in upstairs when Hermione gets the feeling that she needs to check her satchel.

Only the pocket in her satchel isn't holding a note…

It's holding a softly glowing vial labeled, "Watch alone with Harry."

Which is exactly what a very tired Hermione does…

"Where is he?" Petunia's voice is rough as she tugs her cardigan as tightly around her as she possibly can, her gaze trained on a spot over Severus's shoulder.

"Who?"

"You are many things Severus. But stupid isn't one of them. You and I both know you would never turn your back on my sister and you sure as hell would never turn your back on her child. Now I will ask you one more time: where is he?"

"Safe," Severus's voice is smooth as he replies, his mask firmly in place as he watches the woman in front of him.

"Don't give me that, Severus! WHERE IS MY NEPHEW?!" Her eyes sparkle with unshed tears as she finally meets his unwavering gaze.

"I can't tell you that, Petunia,"

All at once the tension leaves Petunia's stance and her body begins to sag, her arms slowly wrapping around her middle like she's attempting to hold herself together. But her arms freeze before they wrap around herself completely and her hands clench together in tight fists as she takes a shaky breath, her gaze lifting up to meet Severus's once again.

There is a fire in her eyes that has both teens taking a step back and the image of Severus taking in a sharp breath, surprise and recognition swirling in his dark eyes.

"I am NOT twenty-two years old anymore, Severus. My sister is DEAD and the ONLY piece of her I have left, the only true FAMILY I have left in this world, is in danger. This world took EVERYTHING else from me, and maybe I let it all those years ago, but I will be DAMNED if it takes my nephew from me as well. Especially when he has no idea how much I love him."

"Tuney," Severus's voice shakes as he reaches out to the older woman.

"Don't," she snaps, her body stiffening as the wizard nears her. "I don't deserve it...The way I treated him...He didn't deserve...I took him in because he needed me...The letter said he was safest beneath the bloodwards...But Vernon...Vernon was livid from the moment I brought his basket inside...When I tried to put together a nursery for him, Vernon tore it apart... When I treated him as my own, Vernon…Vernon treated us both…terribly…And I wasn't strong enough to leave…I've never had the kind of fight you and Lily do, Severus. You know that… So I started treating him…the way I treat him and Vernon stopped hurting us…But I couldn't just leave, not now…not when I know he needs any family he can get on his side… Vernon and Dudley didn't see it the same way but...Harry deserves better."

They pull out of the memory at the same time, both teens stumbling slightly from the falling feeling that always comes along with memories.

"It was real," Harry's voice is barely a whisper but Hermione refuses to stall his train of thought to interrupt him (not that she would know what to say to interrupt him in the first place), she knows he'll talk in his own time. "I remember her holding me...singing me to sleep when my nightmares would wake me...I thought it was a dream but it wasn't..."