Early February

Hogwarts

Hermione was looking forward to a shower and then bed, having spent most of the evening with Professor Vector. She had taken to doing some of her other homework there too, when she wanted to finish an essay quickly rather than sitting with the others. Too much socialising made her antsy, feeling as if no one else understood the importance of preparing themselves for what was about to come.

"No, Muggles are dangerous," Rhea was saying as Hermione entered. "And Muggleborns too, they're taking over everything and threaten to reveal our world to the Muggles, and they have no sense of our traditions and history."

Hermione froze for a moment, debating with herself if she should say something or not. She didn't want the conflict with her dormmates, she didn't have the energy for it.

Rhea sighed dramatically. "I can't wait to graduate, I'm hoping to get a position at the Ministry and help from the inside when he takes over."

Hermione couldn't help herself. "You think the world will be a better place with You-Know-Who as a leader? You really think that?" She rounded on the group, feeling her magic surge up through her hair, fuelled by anger. "Sure, first he'll go for the Muggle-borns, you're right. He'll throw them in Azkaban, rape the witches and steal their money, saying they have stolen their magic, as if that even makes sense. But it never just stops there. He'll kill your friends and family for disagreeing with him. If you're lucky he'll sell you to one of his old buddies, if not he'll have you for sport during one of the revels. Your father will accept it, knowing he'd be killed if he tried to protect you. He doesn't really care about you even if you're Pure-blood. He wants power, and money, and for everyone else to bow to his whims. No matter what." They were gaping at her, the others, but Hestia nodded in agreement and even June looked thoughtful. "He must be stopped," she finished abruptly. "Or half of you will be dead within two years and the rest will wish you were."

She couldn't take it any longer, their presence and stupidity. With a shake of her head she left the room, shutting the door behind her a bit harder than necessary.

Her steps took her to the Astronomy Tower. It was cold and dark but a well-placed Warming Charm took care of the problem, and she settled in one of the niches where she could look out over the grounds. She could almost make out the greenhouses and the rose garden.

After a while she spotted Fawkes, flying a lazy low circle over the tower. He looked as if he was lit from within, the faint light from the Castle being reflected in his fiery plumage. He swooped down and settled on a balustrade near her, singing a few soft notes that filled the air with warmth. She smiled and slowly relaxed against the stone.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Despite her reluctance, the day of the Valentine's Feast arrived. Luckily there hadn't been much celebration during the day, with only some Valentines sent during breakfast and nothing in classes, so she had almost managed to forget about it by the time evening arrived.

The Great Hall was decorated in various shades of pink, with gauzy shimmering fabric covering most of the walls. Sparkling snowflakes drifted from the enchanted ceiling, and the wall sconces were Transfigured into elaborate pearly white holders with alternating pink or white lights. The usual tables were removed and instead many smaller round tables with white tablecloths dotted the room. Various flowers in different shades of pink were put on the tables, and the house-elves had polished the silverware until everything sparkled. The Head Table had also been removed, and in its place Professor Flitwick had set up various Charmed instruments that would apparently play during the Feast.

Hermione walked down arm in arm with Bertram, following Evie who was going with Ernest and Hestia with Martinus. All the Hufflepuff girls had prepared together, and June had insisted on doing Hermione's hair and makeup. Rhea and Fidelma had snuck off to their own corner somewhere, and gone ahead of the others down to the Great Hall.

Bertram had blushed and stammered that she looked nice when she met up with him outside the dorm entrance. Hermione had thanked him and said he looked nice too. He did, in a dashing set of robes in midnight blue and silver.

Dinner was nice. They snagged a spot at a table with Hestia and Martinus plus two couples from Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, and although she couldn't follow all the current gossip she still enjoyed talking to everyone. Somehow in only a few short months the Hufflepuffs had made her feel more welcome and included than her Gryffindor classmates had in six years. Or was she the one who was different? More accepting of others, more prone to listen rather than talk, less eager to spout off her knowledge of the Wizarding world?

Her smile dropped after the meal was done and the tables were quickly and efficiently cleared away by the house-elves. Professor Flitwick's Charmed band started playing again, a waltz this time, and Bertram asked for her hand in a dance. She nodded and accepted it, reluctantly, but to her relief he was a good dancer. She hadn't had much practice either, to be fair, but her parents had put her in a beginner's social dance class the term before she left for Hogwarts and had wanted her to start playing the piano or violin as well. She had managed to dodge that, at least, but not the dancing. It had been useful for the Yule Ball — and Bill and Fleur's wedding — but other than that her Hogwarts years had been free from that obligation.

He held on to her for the next dance as well, a foxtrot. Hermione saw Hestia, Evie and June dancing with their partners as well, while others were standing off to the side. The elves had set up round bar tables around the perimeter and were supplying pumpkin juice, Butterbeer and snacks. The younger students were hanging out at the front of the hall, while the older students had gravitated to the back, thinking themselves out of sight.

The next dance was a slow one and Bertram still didn't let her go when she tried to gently disentangle herself. She sighed and relented, not wanting to make a scene. He smelled nice, of citrus and leather, and he seemed to enjoy her company.

He leaned in closer, lowering his head towards her, one arm tightly around her shoulder and the other by her ear, clearly intending to kiss her.

She twisted away and pushed him. "Stop!"

He looked confused but he did stop. "What? Why? I thought you agreed to going out with me?"

Hermione looked around and dragged him over to the wall, but there were still too many students staring at them. "To the Feast, yes, but not as a couple! I'm sorry Bertram, I'm not into you like that."

"But why did you dance three dances with me then?" He looked completely bewildered but at least he had let go of her. She rubbed her arms, wanting to be rid of the feeling of his hands on her.

"Because you didn't let me leave? And what does that have to do with anything?"

Bertram looked hurt, with arms crossed in front of him and he was glowering at the floor. "I guess that's it then?"

She sighed. "Yes. Thanks for your company at the dinner, it was nice."

He nodded and turned away, heading for the drinks table. Several other students were looking at her, and she quickly made her way to the back of the room. It was too taxing, trying to navigate teenage hormonal boys and social expectations she didn't know about. She slipped out quietly and headed for the stairs. At first she was planning to go back to the dorms but the moving staircases seemed to think otherwise. Letting Hogwarts guide her, she eventually ended up on the third floor of the east wing, close to the painting she'd used earlier to talk to Dilys and Heliotrope. Feeling slightly better already she headed for the alcove. There was a maiden dressed in a flowy white toga in the picture, and she was currently asleep on the picnic blanket. A faun stood nearby, looking bored and throwing grapes at the tree.

Hermione cleared her throat. "Erm, sorry, could I speak to Headmistress Derwent?"

The faun looked up. When he saw Hermione he started lobbing grapes at the young girl instead. After a few good hits she woke up and pushed herself to a sitting position.

"Stop it, Silas!" she said and wiped her face on the hem of her toga.

"We have company," the faun said, nodding towards Hermione.

The girl twisted and blushed. "Oh… What do you want?"

"I was just wondering if I could see Dilys or Headmistress Wilkins, please?"

The girl huffed. "No one ever comes to visit us and when they do it's to send us away! Fine, I'll get them." She turned and stalked out of the frame, followed by the faun.

Some time later Dilys made her way into the frame. "Hermione! How are you?" The Headmistress took in Hermione's fancy dress and not very happy face. "What's wrong?"

"Ugh, nothing important. Boys." Hermione sighed and then tried to smile. "Thanks for meeting me."

She cast a couple of spells around the alcove, Notice-Me Not and Muffliato, and settled in the window niche. "The Headmaster organised a Valentine's Feast, did you hear about that?"

Dilys nodded with a smile. "Yes, Albus was very proud of the design in the Great Hall. He hopes it will bring some unity to the school."

Hermione snorted, feeling rather uncharitable. "Well, if that is measured in the number of couples snogging in the rose bushes I guess he has a point." She'd spotted several couples heading for various secluded places on her way from the Great Hall. If Professor Snape had been here he'd have had a field day giving all of them detention for indecent behaviour. She smiled, feeling a bit wistful. "Is it odd to miss someone even when they're here?"

"Not at all in your case, dear. Was it someone in particular, this time?"

She sighed. "Professor Snape… and Professor McGonagall. I miss her. I don't know what to do! Everything's a mess, I have no idea where to start, and if I don't succeed half my new friends will die horribly. I can't do this!" So much was riding on her shoulders, with no one for her to lean on.

"You're not alone, dear. You know this. Figure out how to work with others and your burden will be less heavy to bear. I know it's unfairly hard on you, coming back like this. But as Heliotrope and Phineas have told me, there was no better choice, and you do have a chance to make a difference here. You don't have to do everything at once. Live a little."

Hermione wiped tears she hadn't noticed until they streaked her cheek. "Like tonight, you mean? I can't connect with the others, not like that. They're… they're all so young."

"What happened tonight?"

Hermione explained the situation with Bertram, how he seemed to be into her and had asked her to go with him, and how she'd tried to let him down gently but still had a good time at the dinner.

Dilys sighed. "I see, dear. Well there are two things at play here, I think. One is the fact that teenage boys usually don't take hints very well. If you didn't want to go with him, you could have told him. The second, however, is that in Pure-blood culture, a witch who dances three consecutive dances with the same wizard basically has accepted his suit. So you can imagine why he would be surprised by your rejection."

"Gods!" Hermione exclaimed. "I keep getting surprised by the way Wizarding culture is stuck in the nineteenth century but honestly? I can't believe this!"

Dilys chuckled. "Well, it's true. You should ask Phineas or Heliotrope for a better insight in Pure-blood practises, I never cared overly much."

Hermione sighed and thought about it some more. She probably needed a primer on Pure-bloods as well, to better blend in when she needed. She couldn't get away with being the token Muggle-born if she wanted to be taken seriously. Still, the lengths they went to baffled her. "What should I do, then? Do I apologise for turning him down?"

"No, girl! You do have a right to not kiss boys you don't want to kiss, you know. Don't mention it. You said he basically forced you to dance? Then it's all on him. Unless you do want to have a tumble with the lad?"

Hermione felt herself blush. "No! I'm really not interested in him."

"Are you interested in someone else then?" Dilys leaned closer, with only the hint of a smile on her lips.

"No! No…" She bit her lip, thinking. The only face that appeared in her mind was that of a dark-haired sullen wizard with a sharp tongue, but that didn't make much sense. Was it because he knew her history? Regulus did too, almost as much, and he was easier to get along with. Still, it wasn't the Pure-blood aristocrat that made her knees go weak.

Thankfully, Dilys was more tactful than Ginny Weasley would have been, and left her alone with her thoughts. Hermione thanked her for her time and went back down to the dorms, feeling a lot better than earlier even if still a bit uneasy over the whole thing.

Crookshanks meowed at her and hopped up into the bed when she was getting ready to climb in. He'd been well fed at Hogwarts, and was almost at his full adult size.

"At least you're not trying to pressure me into something I don't want, Crooks." She scratched him behind the ears and let the cat's purring lull her to sleep.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Wednesday, early March

The Workshop

"Snape!" Master Pyrites snapped from the doorframe. He was dressed in his black Knights of Walpurgis robes so he must have come from a meeting with the Dark Lord. They didn't have masks, and their cloaks were more elaborate.

Severus looked up from his workbench where he was dicing leeches for another batch of Polyjuice. "Yes, Master?"

"He asked for you. Go to Lestrange Manor."

Severus was confused. He'd never been called in the middle of the day before, and not via a third party. "Now?"

"I told you so, didn't I? Go, boy, don't keep him waiting! I expect you back tomorrow morning, you hear me?"

Severus bowed his head. "Yes, Master."

Taking a deep breath he quickly finished his work and went upstairs, asked Menace to go back to Spinner's End and wait for him there, and pulled out his Death Eater robes. The bird cawed at him and disappeared in a flash. Severus shook his head, wondering where the bird had learnt to Apparate, and disappeared himself.

Lestrange Manor was large and had once upon a time been lavishly opulent, with lots of gold details in a Baroque style on dark wooden panels. It was a bit much, Severus had always thought. It was dark and poorly lit, dust mites and spider webs were gathering in the corners and the gold was flaking off. His boots clicked on the rough wooden floor as he made his way to the main ballroom where they usually met.

The Dark Lord was seated in a large throne-like chair in front of the fire at the far end of the room, but facing the middle of the room, away from the fireplace. He didn't move when Severus entered and immediately bowed low.

"Rise, Severus." The Dark Lord raised his hand as if in benediction and Severus rose slowly, approaching the chair.

He stood still, waiting for his Lord to speak. The Dark Lord was silent, merely looking at him over his steepled hands. It was hard to see his expression with the chair backlit by the fire. Severus let his mind still, pushing everything deep inside and taking notice of everything else instead. The dust dancing in the slanted sunlight from the windows. His neck itched where the heavy Death Eater cloak lay against his skin, over his Apprentice robes. There was a draught from somewhere, bringing in gusts of stale earthy air mingled with some kitchen smells.

"The poison, Severus." His Master's voice was flat.

He froze. Of course it would have been discovered.

"You failed, Severus. Bellatrix reported that none of the targets died. Why is that?" The Dark Lord raised an elegant eyebrow and rose from the chair, taking a slow step towards Severus.

Severus bowed low again. "I'm sorry to hear that, my Lord. It was a complex potion and hard to brew. It needed to be activated prior to administration, was that done properly? I left instructions for how to do it with Gibbons since you were busy. It should have turned deep blue if done correctly."

The Dark Lord frowned and appeared to think, and Severus focused on his breathing. In. Out. Panic tried to shout at him from the edges of his mind but he pushed that down, too, deep in the still waters of the lake in his mind. He was definitely not thinking about the fact that the charm would turn the potion dark pink, not blue, or about the fact that the colour didn't matter since it didn't work anyway. He focused on blue instead. Blue, blue like the ocean, he presumed since he'd never seen it, blue like that shade of night sky just after the sun had set.

"I shall verify this with Gibbons," the Dark Lord said eventually. He stood right in front of Severus, looking down his nose at him even though they were the same height. His dark brown hair fell in waves around his face and there were a couple of lines on his forehead.

The older wizard took hold of Severus' chin and looked into his eyes. Pain exploded behind his eyes and he couldn't look away from the Dark Lord's piercing gaze. He'd never thought the Dark Lord's Legilimency would be like that. Images, emotions and events flashed by his eyes as the Dark Lord rifled through his memories, looking briefly at the brewing sessions at Malfoy Manor before digging deeper. Hogwarts, being hunted by the Marauders, classes and hexes in the corridors. His father appeared, drinking and slurring to his mother to stop protecting the boy even as he pulled out his belt from the loops. The Dark Lord pulled a strand somewhere and they were in Severus' Death Eater initiation, the last time he ever saw his father. To his relief they didn't linger on that memory. Practising with Regulus or Hermione had never been this intense. His Occlumency lessons with Regulus also flashed by. He could almost feel the Dark Lord's amusement when his defences were swept away as if they didn't exist, but it seemed at least as if he approved of the attempt.

Hermione… something must have caught the Dark Lord's interest. Memories of her flashed by. Going shopping and the way she'd kissed his cheek when James had taunted him. Meeting Regulus at a pub… and then that flash of jealousy and hurt when he saw her and Regulus exit the Hog's Head that time.

The Dark Lord released him and chuckled. "So, has Regulus Black stolen your girl? Who was she? Why hasn't he introduced her to us?"

"She's… she's not important, my Lord" Severus tried. He desperately tried to rebuild his shields, pushing his emotions down, down beneath the calm of the lake he'd chosen. "We met this autumn. She knows nothing of this conflict and doesn't have any interesting connections, being Half-blood, or I would have introduced her to you already."

"That choice is mine to make, Severus." The older wizard regarded him sternly. "You are but my tool, in this and everything. You go where I tell you, you tell me everything."

He bowed his head. "Yes, my Lord." He kept hoping against hope that the Dark Lord would forget about her.

The older wizard smiled, as if he had not just rifled through Severus' whole life. "Good, Severus. How is your Apprenticeship going?"

"Well, my Lord. I have two new potions under assessment." Calm, lake, calm, lake.

The Dark Lord nodded. "Continue with Occlumency, you may find it useful some day. Some of my followers… and enemies… practice, although none could withstand my skill."

Severus bowed his head. "Certainly, my Lord. I would never be able to hide from you. Thank you."

"Before you leave…" The Dark Lord whipped out his wand. "You need to remember that you belong to me now, Severus. Remember your place and who brought you here. Do not fail me again."

The Cruciatus hit hard and fast and had Severus writhing on the floor. All his nerves were on fire and his muscles spasmed. He couldn't think, couldn't do anything but to hold on and scream.

When it was over, the Dark Lord dismissed him and left the room. Severus managed a hoarse "Thank you, my Lord," before rising from the floor, still shaking. To add to the embarrassment he had even wet himself. It took him a few tries to clean himself and the floor with a quick Scourgify before he slowly made his way outside, relieved no one else had witnessed his humiliation.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

As soon as he made it back to Spinner's End he sent Menace off to Hogwarts with a short letter, asking the bird to deliver it in private but to stick around until Hermione replied. Not long afterwards they were seated at the Hog's Head with a Butterbeer each despite it being a weekday afternoon. There were a few other customers in the dark and dirty pub, but none he recognised. He hid them behind strong Notice-Me-Not wards and two different wards against eavesdroppers, one being his own Muffliato. She was in her school robes, with the yellow Hufflepuff trim, but not even that was sufficient to cheer him up.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I failed to hide you from him." He put his head in his hands. "He knows about you and Regulus now."

"Tell me what happened," she demanded, looking pale.

So he did, trying to gloss over most of the humiliation. As usual, that didn't work. She eyed him with a frown, looking him up and down.

"You're shaking. What did he do to you?"

When he looked at his hands he saw she was right. They were shaking, quite badly. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to still the movement. "He used Crucio at the end."

"Are you alright?" She almost sounded worried, even.

He took a shaky breath. "I think so. Didn't think it would hurt that much."

"I know, it's awful," she said, biting her lip.

He had to ask. "Who Crucio'd you?"

She took a deep breath. "I told you, didn't I? Bellatrix Lestrange. At Malfoy Manor. We were captured, she thought I had stolen something from her vault."

A surge of anger welled up, at the fact that she would know what that curse felt like. "I'll kill that bitch," he muttered.

"Severus… she hasn't done it, yet. But I agree with you in principle. She's dangerous." She shuddered, apparently lost in memories again.

They sat in silence for a little while until another thought surged. "You never told me about you meeting up with Reg," he muttered. "I saw you here in Hogsmeade before Christmas."

Her eyebrows hitched up in surprise before she answered. "It's one of those things I need to know you will be able to keep safe. I promise, it wasn't like that. He needed help with something and we've met before to practice Occlumency."

He bit the insides of his cheeks to stop a smile from forming. "What do we do about the Dark Lord then?" It felt as if he was digging his way deeper and deeper, into an even more convoluted situation, but the only way out was through.

"We need to talk to Regulus, too. I don't know what would be best. But look, you were still able to keep the important things hidden. He knows I exist, fine, but he didn't see anything about… you know. My background."

He nodded slowly. Being subjected to the Dark Lord's Legilimency had been an awful experience, just like his older self had said. Still, he had managed to keep the important things hidden, even if he had to admit to himself that it was mainly down to luck. When the Dark Lord had mentioned the poison he'd thought he wouldn't make it out alive. Slowly he relaxed a bit and they ended up discussing her classes and his Apprenticeship instead. She was easy to talk to, her mind as quick as his own.

Over her shoulder he saw the gaudy purple robes of the Headmaster appear in the doorway. The man himself appeared not to see them, and went upstairs after exchanging a few words with the bartender.

"Why would Dumbledore come here?" he asked, frowning.

The colour seemed to drain from her face and she looked almost fearful when she met his gaze. "Gods, this is it, Severus. I didn't know… Listen, can you keep this a secret from him? This whole meeting? I think I have to tell you something now."

"Yes," he said quickly. "I mean… he didn't see anything that was actually important. I managed to hide all of that. I think I can do it. He took me by surprise, but now I know what it feels like."

She nodded but she still looked rather worried. "Good because this is really important. In my time… it all started with you coming here, to the Hog's Head. I'm pretty sure it must be today although there must have been some other reason for you to come here then. The Headmaster was here. He was interviewing someone for the Divination position at Hogwarts. For some reason you went upstairs and heard her… she said a prophecy. You heard half before Aberforth — that's the barkeep — threw you out and you went directly to the Dark Lord and told him what you'd heard. In the end, that led to him targeting the Potters. You went to Professor Dumbledore and asked him to keep Lily safe but it didn't help, both Lily and James were killed by You-Know-Who some time later. I will show you your memory when we manage to find a Pensieve, I think it would be useful."

Gods, that was worse than he'd ever thought. Dread filled him, even if Lily hadn't occupied his thoughts much of late. Still, he didn't want her dead, even if it would mean that Potter survived. He rubbed his forehead, trying to figure out a way ahead.

"What can we do?" he said quietly. "If I don't hear the prophecy this time around, what does that mean?"

"Severus… I need to know. What do you want? Whose side are you on now?" Her large brown eyes were fixed on his and she appeared to be holding her breath.

He thought about it even as a gaudy-looking thin witch with overly large glasses and too many bangles on her wrists went up to the bar to ask Aberforth a question. The witch nodded at the barkeep's answer and went upstairs, probably to join the Headmaster. Why was he holding interviews in such a place, anyway? He had the whole Castle full of available rooms.

The answer came to him easily. "Yours." Yes, it felt right. "I'm on your side in this, Hermione. He needs to be stopped but I don't want to answer to the Headmaster. Let's do this our own way. I'll take an Oath if you want me to."

She smiled at him, a brilliant open smile that made his insides flip uncomfortably. "Thank you. I trust you, I won't bind you with an Oath, you had enough of those last time. Come on, we should still hear what happens."

Without giving him time to think she started rooting through her bag and pulled out a thin fabric which shimmered and almost disappeared in the poor light. Stepping closer to him she pulled the cloak over his head and then tucked herself into his side, covering them both. "Quiet now," she murmured next to his cheek. Her breath tickled his skin, causing goosebumps to travel down his side. She smelled nice, of vanilla and jasmine and parchment.

Together they shuffled up the stairs, ending up with her directly in front of him. There was a short corridor with a few doors off the side, and they could hear the low cadences of the Headmaster from the one to their left. They carefully moved closer, and for some reason the door opened just a little wider.

"I'm not sure, Sybill. Your ancestry is undoubtedly impressive, Cassandra Trelawney was well-known for having the Sight but I see nothing here that shows shows your skills at it."

"Please, Headmaster? My husband just left me, I have nowhere else to turn." The witch sounded pleading, slightly whiny.

"You have no teaching credentials either. Hogwarts needs skilled staff."

Just like Hermione had said, all of a sudden the witch's voice deepened and grew stronger. "The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not...*"

Heavy footsteps made their way upstairs and a rat scurried off downstairs, narrowly evading the innkeeper's boots. "Anyone there?" Aberforth asked harshly. "Show yourselves!"

The witch continued her odd chant. "… and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

"Excellent," the Headmaster said, sounding pleased.

The witch answered something but Severus was distracted by the innkeeper. He kept very still and through pure luck they avoided the innkeeper's wand which had almost snagged in their cloak. When the old man went downstairs again Hermione seemed to want to leave but Severus stilled her with a hand around her shoulders. "Wait," he breathed in her ear.

Shortly thereafter they saw the Headmaster step out again. He looked cautiously both ways before calling for the innkeeper who trudged up the stars again.

"What is it, Albus?"

"Did it work, Abe? Did someone hear it?"

Aberforth scratched his beard. "I'm not sure. I think someone was here but they left before I came up. Didn't see who it was, either."

The Headmaster scanned the corridor again and for a moment it seemed as if his eyes saw right through Severus who held his breath, frozen in place. After a long moment Professor Dumbledore looked aside, however, scanning the staircase.

"Hmm," Professor Dumbledore was saying. "Thanks, brother. We'll have to wait and see then. Try to remember who was here. Not like you have many customers anyway, how hard could it be?"

Brother? That was news to Severus. The two older men started down the stairs, joined by the odd-looking witch. Severus and Hermione stood in silence for a while longer, him almost pressed up against her back, his arm loosely around her waist. She felt right, like that, in his arms. Stop being an idiot, Snape, his mind supplied. She's never going to be yours, not like this.

They cautiously made their way downstairs again, this time with Hermione behind him, and slipped out the back door.

"Come," Hermione said. She took his hand and led him away to a hill near the Shrieking Shack. Her hand was small and warm in his.

She let go of him to Ward the spot against eavesdroppers, intruders and a few additional ones he didn't quite recognise.

"How are you feeling now?" she asked him again, checking him over. "Are you alright?"

He took a deep breath. "Yeah. I'll be fine. So what now? No one will leak the prophecy, there was no one but us there. Doubt the rat will speak."

Hermione looked frightened, almost. "Rat? Did you see it?"

He shrugged. "It was just a rat. Or a small cat, maybe."

She looked jumpy and sparks of magic were leaking from her hair. "No! With our luck that was most likely Peter Pettigrew, and now he will be the one to leak the prophecy and we'll end up with the same mess anyway!"

Severus felt confused. "Pettigrew? Potter's little tag-along? He's a Death Eater?" That didn't add up, really. Severus had never seen him during Death Eater meetings or raids, although obviously most of them wore masks and robes at least during the raids.

Hermione nodded, again, and sighed. "He's a rat Animagus. They're all Animagi, well not Remus obviously. And he joined You-Know-Who, but I'm not sure exactly when. I bet you ten Galleons the rat you saw was him, would be just our luck."

"Bollocks," Severus muttered. He raked a hand through his hair. He'd never thought the fearsome foursome be capable of such things as becoming Animagi on the sly, but didn't have reason to doubt her. Peter as a rat… well that fit, obviously. He wondered what Black and Potter had become. Something large and flashy, undoubtedly. Lions, perhaps, if they were able to tangle with a werewolf.

She took a deep breath. "Yeah. So what do we do now? Did you mean it, by the way? You're not loyal to… him? You want to help me fight him? To end this?"

He took a step forward and again took hold of her hand. It was warm, and small in his. "Yes. If you'll have me, I'll fight for you. I want to keep you safe."

She smiled at him, again, and took a deep breath. "I trust you, Severus. Thank you." She squeezed his hand, and didn't let go.

His heart soared, threatening to fly out of his chest, and he could barely stop a completely idiotic smile from taking over his face. "What else do we need to do?"

Hermione dug out a notebook from her ubiquitous bag. "Right. Try to learn as much as possible about what's happening. When I come home for Easter we'll have to go through your older self's memories, I think it would help. As long as you can keep them safe from him. Then we need to figure out how to manage this thing with Regulus, and I think it would be useful if you can try to figure out what the rat heard. Oh, this will be so much easier now that I know you're on my side, Severus."

"I want to keep you safe," he managed, feeling only a little overwhelmed. "I'll keep him out of my head, promise."

"You be safe, okay? Don't get yourself hurt. I need to go." She took a step closer, kissed his cheek, turned quickly and scampered off towards Hogwarts.

Confusion, elation and a bewildered arousal warred for attention as he returned to Spinner's End.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

A/N: * quote from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, of course.