Sunday, early July

The Cave

Hermione checked her lists again, even though she knew that everything was as under control it would get. She had plans, backup plans, contingency plans and fail-safes but still didn't feel too confident about their chances. Severus had arrived late again the previous night so she let him wake up on his own Sunday morning before they Apparated to outside the Black summer residence where Regulus waited. He wore sensible robes for a Pure-blood, she guessed, a dark brown travel cloak over sturdy trousers. Hermione had packed her bag with anything she could think of, and wore her shabbiest pair of jeans just in case.

Taking a deep breath she looked at her two companions and nodded. "Okay, let's do this."

Regulus looked grim. "Kreacher?"

The old elf immediately appeared in front of him. Hermione was pleased to see him wearing a shiny new black pillowcase with a Black monogram at the front. "Yes, Master? Is it time?"

"Please. Can you Apparate us inside the cave?"

Kreacher tilted his head and looked at all of them. "I coulds not, Master. I could not puts you in danger, Master. Kreacher is sorry for not obeying but Kreacher is not sorry for keeping Master safe. Cave is not safe. Kreacher will iron his hands for disobeying Master."

"Please don't iron your hands, Kreacher," Regulus said. "Hit yourself in the head with a pillow five times instead. A soft pillow."

Hermione couldn't help but to smile at the house-elf who made perfect sense in his own odd way. "Thank you, Kreacher. We understand. We must do this anyway, please don't try to stop us."

The elf flapped his ears at her. "Kreacher will wait. Miss Mudblood bring Master back."

She nodded at the elf. It wasn't a question, more of a command.

They Apparated to the wind-swept hill overlooking the cave, Hermione taking Severus Side-Along since he hadn't been there before. The wind was strong and chilly, making their cloaks flap around them like sails. A gull was sailing over the cliffs, barely flapping its wings. The landscape was bleak, heather and windswept bushes overlooking the ocean. She wondered why the orphanage had taken their charges here, of all places, all those years ago. Aside from the cave there wasn't much to look at. There was a rocky beach down the slope to one side of the cave entrance, but the waters were far from inviting.

Since she hadn't seen it first-hand when Harry went with the Headmaster she didn't exactly know what to expect. They had needed to swim, Harry had said, although she couldn't imagine Professor Dumbledore swimming, with those robes and his beard and everything. Regulus pulled out the brooms he'd brought along, handing one to each of them before hopping onto his own and taking off, flying over the edge of the cliff to see if it would be feasible.

"It seems to work, I see the ledge," Reg called to them when reappearing. He looped back again and disappeared from view.

Hermione shuddered. "I hate flying. I keep thinking I'll crash all the time."

"You can ride with me," Severus immediately stated. "I promise I won't let you fall off."

"Promise?"

He nodded and mounted his broom. She clambered up behind him and wrapped her arms around his chest, pressing her cheek against his back and squeezing her eyes shut. Severus had shrunk the other broom and pocketed it, and they were off. He flew carefully but the wind rocked them in all kinds of directions, and the seas below them sprayed their cloaks when they descended. Waves crashed loudly against the cliff, the wind howled in her ears and the gulls were crying somewhere off in the distance. She clung tighter to Severus, feeling the warmth of his back and the rhythm of his breathing through her probably too tight grasp around his waist.

When they landed on the ledge Regulus was already studying the cliff face, muttering to himself. "Blood wards, you said? How archaic."

Hermione disentangled herself carefully from Severus and let him dismount. Her legs were wobbly but she hoped they didn't notice. They'd discussed the blood wards, and agreed it would make the most sense for the Pure-blood to attempt to open the door.

The cave door opened with a groan. Regulus had slit his palm open and placed it on the stone, and it responded to his touch. The cave inside looked damp and dark and ominous, the walls covered with algae but the floor at least dry enough not to be slippery. Carefully and in silence they made their way inside. Severus went first, wand in hand, then Hermione followed by Regulus.

After what felt like an hour, but probably was only a minute or two, they arrived at the ledge where the tunnel expanded into a cavern with the lake Harry had described. It was calm, the waters dead and quiet. There was a torch conveniently placed near the tunnel mouth which Regulus lit with a flick of his wand. Several other torches lit up as well, one straight across the water on the little island with a pedestal where the goblet was supposed to be hidden away.

"Remember, don't touch the water," Hermione said again.

Severus was scanning the shoreline to find the chain she'd mentioned while Regulus kept an eye on the tunnel. "Found it," he called and started to pull on the chain.

The chain was longer than Hermione had expected. At first nothing seemed to be happening but then the water started to churn slightly in several spots, as if something was moving underneath the surface. She shuddered, thinking about the likely causes of the water's movement, hoping they'd make it to the island and back without issue even if she knew the odds were not quite in their favour. Things simply didn't go as expected, ever.

The boat rose silently from the water, the water inside it disappearing as if it had never been submerged.

"So only one wizard can go?" Severus asked while holding onto the bow.

She nodded. "Let's try it, I don't think he counted on witches. He didn't account for underage wizards either last time. Regulus, please keep watch?"

Severus was already in the boat. Hermione got in with some help, and with a slight push from Regulus they glided silently across the still waters. She firmly kept her gaze on Regulus, and then Severus, not wanting to look down to see the faces of those who lay there, waiting for a chance to attack. The flickering torchlight cast eerie shadows around the cavern, and not for the first time she wondered why he had put so much effort in this particular hiding place. The others were not at all as well guarded. She was itching for some kind of distraction from their bleak surroundings, but there weren't that many good options for things to talk about.

"You're sure about the antidote?"

Severus frowned and looked away before nodding sharply.

"Absolutely sure?"

He took a deep breath and focused on her again. "I… was the one to brew the potion, so yes I'm sure about the antidote."

That gave her pause. "Oh… It's just…"

"What?"

Now it was her time to take a deep breath. The stale, damp cave air didn't do much to calm her down, however. "Not sure I told you. In my time… Regulus discovered what he was up to and went to this cave to steal the locket and try to destroy it. He died here, some time during what would have been last autumn."

Severus frowned again. It was hard to read his face in the flickering light from their wands. "You told him about it?"

She nodded. Her heart hurt, for him, the other him. "I'm… I'm not sure if Professor Snape of my time knew the truth. If he brewed this poison, and then Regulus…" Another burden for the Professor to carry, if that was so, the knowledge that he was responsible for the death of his friend.

"I think he did," Severus said quietly. "I saw a note in the margin of one of the notebooks you brought, the one with his Potions research."

The boat stopped, almost imperceptibly. They had arrived. Carefully they got off the boat, Hermione holding onto the rope just in case it tried to escape into the depths again. The pedestal with the stone basin was the only feature on the island, and they could see the locket through the emerald potion. In a rather anticlimactic move, Severus unstoppered the vial he had brought and poured the contents into the bowl. The purple antidote mixed with the emerald potion, releasing a puff of smoke, and then the liquid cleared. Pulling up his sleeve he reached into the bowl to grab the locket by the necklace, careful not to touch the locket itself, and pulled it up. It glimmered red in the light from their wands, until Severus put it in a small sack he'd brought for the occasion and stowed it in his robe pocket.

Hermione Transfigured a pebble into a copy of the locket and cleared the basin with a simple Evanesco. After putting the copy back Severus unstoppered another vial and poured another batch of the green potion into the bowl. The Transfiguration wouldn't last forever but Hermione hoped it would give them enough time to sort out the rest of it without their theft being discovered.

They went back to the rickety boat and started the slow trek back. The boat felt slower for some reason, moving sluggishly through the water, and the water seemed restless.

"Severus? Do you think…?"

It lay lower in the water than before, too.

He, too, was staring at the waters. "I think… the soul in this locket counts against the quota of one wizard, even if is isn't whole."

Hermione looked around. Yes, the waters were definitely upset and the boat appeared to be lower in the water than before. "Regulus? Pull us in!"

Regulus started pulling on the chain but it didn't add much speed to the boat which appeared to be slowing down more and more. Now it was possible to see what was moving underneath the surface, unfortunately, even if most of them were hidden. A hand broke the surface briefly before sinking down again. Severus pulled out his wand and cast Incendio over the stern of the tiny boat. The snarling shapes shied away but were soon back, closer than before. Hermione pulled out her own wand but hesitated, trying to figure out what to do. Instead of casting Incendio she quickly Transfigured a pebble from the bottom of the boat into a makeshift mast and another into a sail. While Severus kept the dead at bay with fire she tried to figure out the correct Charm for the job, something Professor Flitwick had taught them in her sixth year, back in her time, and after a few false starts she managed to get a wind blowing at the makeshift sail. It wasn't much but it helped a little, pushing them faster towards Regulus and their only hope of making it out alive.

The figures came closer, a hand touching the reeling, slowing the boat down considerably. Severus cursed and set it ablaze. Regulus pulled harder on the chain while Hermione tried to increase the strength of her storm charm. More hands rose above the water, and there a snarling face or what was left of it. Where had Voldemort found all these dead bodies? He couldn't very well have murdered them all himself, could he? Hermione shook her head to dispel the train of thought, it wasn't helpful in getting them closer to their escape.

"Call for Kreacher, Regulus!" Hermione shouted over the wind but wasn't sure Regulus had heard her.

The boat finally stopped with a thud as they hit the ledge. Regulus was quick to lend a hand to her while Severus kept the Inferi at bay with fire before he too joined them on solid ground.

"Kreacher, call for Kreacher!"

Regulus stared at her for a moment. The elf popped into the cave before he responded, however, flapping his ears at Hermione.

"Miss Mudblood called?"

Relief surged through her. Perhaps they would make it, after all. "Kreacher, can you please get us all out of here?"

Kreacher nodded sharply and soon Hermione and Regulus were deposited on top of the cliffs. "Kreacher has to take evil necklace separate. Is too heavy."

"Please Kreacher, get Severus! And the locket."

The elf disappeared again and soon returned with Severus who looked quite a bit worse for wear, his robes torn and singed from fire and hands.

"I thought you left," he muttered, almost too quietly for Hermione to hear.

"I'd never leave you, Severus." She meant it, both in the literal sense and more abstractly. His eyes snapped to hers and the air between them seemed to hum. Was he… Would he…

Regulus moved closer. "You have the locket?"

Severus nodded, not taking his eyes off hers. He pulled the sack from his pocket, dumping the lot on the ground. It wasn't important any longer, nothing was, only the two of them.

Regulus poked at the sack with his shoe. "Whew, good job. Would you do me the honour of accompanying me to the Shafiq Summer Ball, Hermione? It's in two weeks."

She felt her cheeks heat up in a blush. Before she could answer Severus turned and stalked off, Apparating away. Hermione stifled a sigh. His temper was a bit much, sometimes.

"Okay, I'll go with you."

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Friday evening, early July

Spinner's End

It had felt as if they were connecting, somehow, up on the cliffs. Then Reg had to insert himself into the moment, forcing her to focus on him instead of Severus. It was as if someone had dumped a bucket of icy water over his head. Thinking about her going to yet another ball with Reg was torture, but he hadn't thought to ask her himself. Hadn't planned on going himself, even. The Dark Lord would not be in attendance, at least he knew that much. The Shafiqs were another old Pure-blood family but one that stayed carefully neutral in the on-going conflict, not aligned with the Dark Lord but carefully keeping their options open.

He'd gone back to the workshop after the cave, trying to focus on his work and research. If Hermione wanted Regulus then there wasn't anything he could do about it, but perhaps he could make a little bit of progress on his other goals. Not that it worked, he wasn't even fooling himself into thinking he could do something useful. His Master didn't quite trust him any longer, not since the Dark Lord requested him to speed up the Apprenticeship, but he could still benefit from Severus' efforts.

The war was heating up. They had been sent on more raids, against more difficult or high-profile targets. He was trying to figure out a way to make himself useful without causing too much damage in the process, but it was difficult to find the right balance. They'd been sent all over the country, including London where they'd blown up more cars and created havoc in general. Muggle papers were reporting bombs and kidnappings, apparently mainly blaming Irish terrorists.

During the last raid, the evening after their cave excursion, he had also let it slip that he knew Legilimency. He had extracted memories from a rather shady wizard who had business dealings with Mulciber Senior. It was a bit of a gamble but one he hoped would pay off without putting himself or others in too much danger.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Somewhat unexpectedly he made it back to Spinner's End on Friday evening, early enough to fetch takeaway from the local chippie. A bit later an owl shattered the stillness by knocking on the window. Menace and Crookshanks glared at it as Hermione opened the window to let it in, and took the scroll from its leg. There was a Ministry seal on it. The owl hooted once and flew off before Hermione could offer it a treat.

She broke the seal and thrust the scroll to him, eyes squeezed shut. "I can't do this, what if I failed everything?"

The scroll looked innocuous enough. No special markings to indicate what it might contain. "Your NEWT results?"

Hermione nodded. "I think so?"

She shifted from foot to foot, biting her lip as he slowly unfurled the scroll. It was, indeed, her NEWT results.

"Well well well, Miss Granger…"

"Just tell me already!"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Arithmancy, Outstanding. Ancient Runes, Outstanding. Charms, Outstanding."

Her hair was starting to crackle with pent-up magic. "Yes?"

"Defence Against the Dark Arts, Outstanding. Herbology, Exceeds Expectations."

She deflated suddenly, sagging against the armchair.

He finished reading the rest of the list, all Outstanding. "You did exceptionally well, Hermione. You know that, right? You already have a job but any place would be happy to have you with these grades."

"Yes, I do know. I just… Thanks for checking it for me." She didn't look at him, melting down into the chair and taking one of the books from the sofa table. It was a simple Muggle detective story, but the pages went unturned as she stared straight ahead at nothing.

It took two cups of tea and some chocolate he'd filched from Malfoy Manor for her to perk up a bit again and start going through her notebooks.

She hummed and tapped the notebook with her Muggle ballpoint pen. "We need to get things rolling, Severus. There are more Horcruxes and then we need to start making some real progress. Can we meet with Regulus tomorrow? I've arranged a meeting with the Order and want to go over a few details."

His mood soured again. "If we must."

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Sunday, Mid July

Unknown

Hermione checked that she had everything in her beaded bag. Taking a deep breath she stepped out of the house and Apparated to the agreed-upon location. Planning for the meeting had been complex, requiring several flights by Menace and Hogwarts owls to sort out details. She'd wanted to talk to Regulus too before going but he had said he was busy with family obligations. Severus was gone already, back to the workshop. Speeding up the Apprenticeship was apparently taking a toll on him, especially when his Master wasn't pleased with the decision.

She was blindfolded and Side-Along Apparated three times in quick succession by different persons for each leg. It definitely worked to keep her from knowing where they went, and anyone following her would have trouble with the task, but it also felt a little as if it was mainly for show. The person holding her rapped sharply at a door which opened with a creak, and then led her in before taking off the blindfold. They weren't at Grimmauld Place, she could figure out that much at least considering the Blacks still lived at Grimmauld. They were standing in a reasonably large room, half-panelled with a dark wood panel below the dark red walls. Brass wall sconces lined the room but considering they were in the height of summer none of them were lit. A chandelier hung from the centre, over a large oval walnut table where the Order was currently seated.

"Thank you for the invitation, Professor Dumbledore." Hermione smiled at the wizard, hoping to stay on his good side.

"Well, with Caradoc speaking so highly of you, how could I not?" He raised an eyebrow at her. "Here is the Order of the Phoenix. The floor is yours, as they say."

Hermione took a deep breath and looked at the persons gathered around the table. James Potter was there, and Sirius Black, both dressed in fine Pure-blood robes in reds and blues. A young-looking Arthur Weasley, looking a bit dishevelled with bags under his eyes. A set of red-headed twins that must be the Prewetts. Several others she didn't recognise, but she had probably seen their names written in an account of the first war. It was disconcerting to see how many of them had died during her original timeline. Alastor Moody was there too, barely recognisable without his magical eye and facial scars. The Order of the first Wizarding war had many more members, and they did appear better suited to their tasks than during her original timeline. The Order of her time consisted of a few old-timers including Moody, Elphias Doge and Mundungus Fletcher, the Weasley parents and older brothers, and only a few younger members like Kingsley Shacklebolt or Tonks.

"Hello all, thanks for having me." She hadn't figured out how to make them trust her, hoping the truth would suffice. "I come with information… about You-Know-Who. I want to help you end this war as soon as possible." Her hands were beginning to feel clammy, her stomach heavier than it ought to be. After all, she hadn't had lunch yet, there had barely been time for tea and a quick toast in the morning.

"Right," James Potter said, pouring an impressive amount of sarcasm into the word. He leaned back with a smirk and if he were Muggle she'd have expected him to pop a bubble of chewing gum and balance on the back legs of his chair. "You're what, just out of Hogwarts? What do you know?"

Sirius smiled at his friend and looked her up and down, very blatantly focusing on the front of her robes. He looked strong and healthy, a poster boy for good Pure-blood looks, with shoulder-length hair that hung in glossy black waves around his face. Long black eyelashes framed his grey eyes that sparkled with mischief.

"I have information about raids and other things that need to be done." She was losing them and she hadn't even begun yet. Why had she thought this would be a good idea?

"You have no proof, girl," Moody snapped. "What if you've come to trick us? Are you a spy for You-Know-Who?" He crossed his arms and glowered, leaning back in his chair.

James sat up straighter, staring at her intently. "Wait a minute. Aren't you the chick who was with Snivellus in the Alley last autumn?"

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Perhaps Ginny's hex had been more memorable than she'd expected, the one she'd cast on him surreptitiously when he had insulted Severus.

"You're friends with Snivellus?" Sirius exclaimed, scrunching up his face in a demonstrative grimace. "Ew! Why would you do that?"

"I…"

Things were spiralling out of control, or rather they had never been in her control. Had the Headmaster set her up for failure on purpose? He was barely looking at her, instead leafing through a stack of documents he must have brought from Hogwarts, humming absently under his breath.

No. She wouldn't stand for it. She narrowed her eyes at the Headmaster who definitely didn't appear to notice.

"James Potter, you and Lily are in danger," she snapped. "As are Frank and Alice Longbottom. Are they here?"

Two people raised their hands when their names were mentioned, seated towards the end of the table. Frank seemed to have Neville's eyes and jaw while Alice was dark-haired, tall and had Neville's full lips… and a very large belly.

"Please make sure you stay under a Fidelius charm or similar, the Death Eaters will target both of you soon if they aren't already."

She could see them gearing up to asking questions, to disparage her and the information she brought. "I have information. I was behind Yaxley's arrest and am working on Arithmancy calculations to figure out where he is due to strike next. I'm trying to locate and take down the Death Eaters at the Ministry too." Looking around the room she saw another familiar face. "You. Remus. I'll write down the names and birth dates of Lily's and Alice's children. You'll take a Vow not to say what's on the note until after they're born, and afterwards we'll see if I'm right." She stalked over to the shaggy-haired wizard who looked a whole lot healthier than he had in Hermione's time, although some of his scars were fresher.

Remus looked surprised at being mentioned, but nodded in acquiescence. "I'll do it. You know my name? I don't think we've met."

Hermione merely nodded. Pulling out a simple piece of paper and a pen from her bag she made sure to angle her body away from everyone. Harry James Potter, July 31, 1980. Neville Longbottom, July 30, 1980.

"I will not disclose what is written on this note until after the birth of Lily's and Alice's children," Remus said, sealing the Vow with a flick of his wand.

She handed him the note, and he read it quickly, nodding at her. The note was sealed with another flick of her wand.

"Good. I'll be in contact again. No matter what you might think, we need to work together. I'll see myself out, thank you very much."

She pulled her robes tighter around her, snatched her bag and stalked out of the room, muttering to herself about bloody Gryffindors that never could see beyond the obvious. Severus Snape must have rubbed off on her, she thought. Casting a glance back Dumbledore didn't even bother looking up from his papers. She could hear Moody say something about her not being reliable, and someone else trying to call the meeting back to order.

"Wait," someone said just as she was about to leave the room. Frank Longbottom stepped up to her. "I'll follow you out. Wards, you know."

He put a hand on her elbow as she stepped across the threshold, and guided her a distance along the gravel path. The house disappeared from view suspiciously fast, shrouded by layers of charms. She wondered, again, where they were.

"I believe you. How can I contact you?" He looked down at her, with Neville's guileless expression.

Hermione bit her lip, thinking. How far could he be trusted? "Anonymous owls might work but not too often. I work at Gringotts, that might be a better option. Ask the goblins if they can leave me a message."

Frank nodded.

"Good luck, I guess?" Hermione was beginning to feel completely wrongfooted. Her first Gryffindor friend was about to be born, and she really didn't want to think about him that way. "Hope everything goes well, stay safe."

The Prewett twins appeared behind Frank. They were shorter and stockier than the Weasleys, wearing identical drab brown robes that appeared to have seen a lot of use.

"We also…"

"Believe you."

It was like hearing Fred and George talk, again.

Hermione twitched a smile at them, hoping her gut feeling was right. "Good. Are all of you Aurors?"

The twins looked at each other. "Not quite."

"We're more… independent, you could say."

They nodded at each other. "And you seem an interesting sort."

Well, at least not all of the day was a failure if she'd managed to get Frank and the Prewetts on her side. "Thank you. I'd like to talk more but I think it's best for me to leave."

The twins raised a hand each in a synchronous wave just before she Apparated away.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Saturday Evening, Mid July

The Shafiq Estate

Two weeks had passed since the cave and Severus was still sulking. The summer ball was apparently traditional, held by the Shafiq family for at least a century. Hermione hadn't heard anything about it and hadn't exactly expected, or wanted, an invite. She wasn't sure which of them she was the most annoyed with, Regulus for asking her to go with him to another ball or Severus for not asking. Still, she had accepted. Perhaps something else might come out of it, some new connections or information to be gained. At least that was what she told herself when preparing to go.

Severus was hard to read at the best of times, and she hadn't found a good way to tell him she didn't want to go with Regulus but didn't feel she could turn him down. He didn't write to her, only one-word answers to some of her questions, ignoring everything else.

Hermione had no time to focus on his feelings either, having signed the contract with Gringotts and starting work a few days after returning from the cave. She'd been given a couple of books on Gobbledegook and a place in a shared office with a view over a side street of Diagon Alley, with two witches and a wizard occupying the other desks in the large room. Griphook had taken her to a meeting and introduced her as "Hermione Granger, witch" which didn't exactly say anything about what they expected. The others in the room had taken her to lunch in Wizarding London which she was quite grateful for, not having to navigate the inner intricacies of a goblin lunch menu on top of everything else. The new job made her exhausted in the evening but it felt like the right choice, at least for the moment. She'd be away from the Ministry, and she would be earning a salary.

At the moment, however, Hermione was muttering over the state of her hair which was defying all attempts at making it behave. She had the robes already, the light green set she'd bought with Amelia's help earlier, and she wasn't planning on using a lot of make-up. After some deliberation she decided to use the tiger-eye pendant again, even if it didn't quite go with the colour scheme. It was hard to get ready when she wasn't keen on attending in the first place. Finally she recalled a Charm that Parvati used to cast in the mornings in Gryffindor tower, and after a few tries she had her hair pinned half up half down with a few glittery Muggle hair clips holding it in place. She looked at herself critically in the mirror. Small nose, boring brown eyes, eyebrows not quite symmetrical. Half expecting her reflection to stick her tongue out at her, she decided it would have to do.

Regulus met her outside the Black residence again, his eyes widening as he saw her. He was dressed in dark green robes over a light grey tunic with golden brocade. The robes looked fancy but something about the colours made him look a little pale and washed out. Hermione smiled and took his arm when offered, and Regulus activated the invitation portkey.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

The Shafiqs lived in a brick mansion without towers or embellishments. The grounds were apparently quite large but as Regulus explained most of it was leased to the nearby Muggle town, since the family was mostly interested in city matters and businesses rather than land ownership. It was impressive anyway, with that air of benign neglect that takes centuries to achieve.

The Portkey had deposited them on the right next to the main path. Rows of magical lights illuminated the path, although the evening wasn't quite dark enough yet for it to be needed. An elf ushered them inside and another deposited a champagne flute in their hands. Other couples were mingling around them but there were no announcements of names and Hermione didn't see anyone she recognised. They found themselves in a drawing room where an enchanted string quartet was playing, standing awkwardly off to the side while others chatted and laughed around them.

"Could you wait here a moment?" Regulus asked. "There's someone I need to talk to. I'll be right back. "

"Alright…"

She looked after him as he disappeared with an older wizard she didn't recognise. When she turned back to the room, it was to find the cold grey eyes of Lucius Malfoy staring at her, the wizard standing too close for comfort. He raised an eyebrow at her over his champagne flute.

"Granger, was it. I didn't expect to see you here hanging onto Regulus Black after seeing you with Severus."

Hermione didn't comment on his use of her surname even though they'd used first names when she visited the Manor. It felt oddly reminiscent of his son, back in her time. "I didn't plan to come, Malfoy. He asked and I couldn't very well turn him down."

He frowned slightly before schooling his features back into his usual placid smile. "Don't draw attention to yourself. Lord Black is already trying to figure out who you are, it won't be long until my father hears of you. Severus considers you his… friend, so I'm trying to help you here."

She shifted slightly to better look at him. Lucius Malfoy of her own time had been terrifying, especially before the end. This young man, however… No, she wasn't afraid of him, but it would be foolish to get on his bad side.

"How are your children, by the way? Thriving, I hope?"

Lucius' eyes darted back to hers and for a moment there was something there, a spark of warmth. Pride, perhaps, or fatherhood. "Yes, they are getting chubbier by the day and keep Narcissa up most nights. You'd better move now, I'll try to wrangle the grumpy old men. Regulus is in the pink chamber, third on your left."

"Please tell me… Is Bellatrix here?"

He shook his head slightly and raised an eyebrow at her before turning to greet someone else.

The evening dragged on. Hermione didn't see Bellatrix anywhere, nor Severus, but at least Regulus stayed close to her side once she'd located him again. The elves provided food and champagne, whisking trays in and out of views with practised efficiency. Music of various genres was playing in different rooms, with and without musicians. Regulus seemed tense too, not talking much. He kept scanning the room they were in, pulling her along from room to room but not interacting with the others. She spotted a few people she knew or knew of, including Kingsley Shacklebolt with his family, but didn't attempt to talk to anyone.

During a simple waltz with Regulus someone rapped her shoulder, but when she looked around there was no one behind her. Her shoulder stung a bit from the blow. Regulus gasped and stopped abruptly, releasing her to face his father.

"May I borrow my son for a moment?" Lord Black didn't ask as much as commanded. He must have poked her with magic instead of by hand since he was standing closer to Regulus than to her. He was tall and imposing, with long black hair past his shoulders and grey eyes. His black robes with silver inlays were elegant and undoubtedly expensive. There was nothing casual about him, only an air of power and an absolute certainty of his own worth.

He dragged his son to a nearby corner, not far enough to be out of hearing distance. It also didn't help that the older Black's voice grew louder and louder as he went on. "What were you thinking, Regulus Arcturus Black? That's the second ball in a row you've invited that witch to. You know what picture that gives people? I was about to make arrangements with Parkinson but when he heard about it he broke it off. Your immature behaviour has already cost us deals and Galleons. Who is she, even? A nobody, a half-blood? Do you think he will accept that? We raised you better than this!"

She stole a look at Regulus who didn't even try to fight his father's verbal assault, merely hung his head in defeat. People were staring at them, not very kindly. Not wanting to hear any more of Lord Black's accusations, she fled into the gardens.

The evening had turned night, chilly and slightly damp. The magical lanterns still illuminated the pathways. Not caring much where she went she just wanted some distance between her and the mansion, the sounds from the party gradually lessening behind her. When she stopped it was to realise that perhaps it was foolish to walk around alone like that, especially with the likes of Bellatrix and others around. It sounded like… was that footsteps? Was someone following her, or did her mind play tricks on her?

"Hermione?"

With a half sob she turned and stumbled into Severus' arms. He tensed but then awkwardly put them around her, patting her back.

"I heard them."

She sobbed, but upon closer reflection it was more out of anger than sadness. "Damn all these Pure-bloods and their stupid traditions! Why can't they just go back to the nineteenth century and leave the rest of us to live in this time period? I didn't even want to come here!"

She could feel his arms tense around her.

"But I thought you and Reg…"

She shook her head, feeling rather impatient. "I don't care about him that way."

Severus inhaled sharply. "What do you mean?"

Hermione disentangled herself slightly to better look up at him. "Regulus. I like him, but I don't want him like that. I'm just upset he didn't even try to defend me."

"You don't… like him?" Severus repeated.

Shaking her head she tried to scan his face, to work out what he was thinking. "I said so, didn't I? What are you thinking about?"

He looked surprised, somehow, but it was hard to read his face in the lantern light. His hair shone, he'd pulled it back from his face with a cord, making his cheekbones and dark, dark eyelashes come into focus. There were stars in his eyes, or perhaps light reflections. She would lose herself in them if she had the chance.

"But why?"

"He's not what I want," she said slowly.

"What… what do you want, then?"

His lips were slightly wet and she couldn't help it. She needed to be brave for anything to happen, that much was clear. Brave for both of them. She hoped she was right about it.

"You. I want you."

Pulling his head down to her level with a hand tangled in his hair, she met his lips with her own. He caught on quickly after a sharp intake of breath. His lips were warm and soft, moving against hers, his breath puffing against her cheek.

He pulled back slightly. "But why?" His eyes slowly shut as he rested his forehead against hers.

She thought about how to answer him, whether she should catalogue her attraction to him.

"Because it's you. It's always been you. Severus."

This time he was the one to start it, claiming her in a kiss that quickly grew heated. He pulled her close, holding her tight, a hand nestling in her hair and the other at the small of her back, while she clung to his waist, stroking his back and whatever she could reach. The feeling was intoxicating. She didn't have a lot of experience with kissing, only with Viktor Krum in her fourth year and then a quick adrenaline-fuelled kiss with Ron during the Battle of Hogwarts, but this turned on every fibre of her being, making her tingle from head to toe.

His reactions were intoxicating, fuelling her own. He groaned when she raked a hand through his hair and claimed her mouth again, finding the angles that made them fit just right together. He pulled his cloak around her shoulders when she shivered although she was hard pressed to say it was due to the damp night air or his presence. His nose required kisses, his cheeks and forehead. When she traced his jawline with her lips he bucked his hips against her, groaning again.

Finally she was beginning to see what her schoolmates had been up to in the hidden alcoves of the Castle, when she was out on patrols or studying or sleeping. This, this wizard was life itself. He murmured her name like a prayer, one of his hands splayed across her side, a thumb tracing the underside of her breast through her dress.

They stayed in the gardens, on a bench under some lilac bushes, until dawn slowly spread its first tendrils of light over the lawn.