Late Friday evening, early September

Bristol, of all places

The war was heating up, on both sides. It seemed they were all frogs in a pot, the temperature slowly rising until it already was too late to get out. Severus was way beyond that point already, unfortunately, but now with Hermione to care about the stakes had become much higher. Somewhat selfishly, Severus' main thought was that he didn't have time for it. What he wanted to do most of all was to spend all his time with Hermione. He didn't want to become a master spy in the Dark Lord's ranks, didn't want to risk his life on raids, and most definitely didn't want any more attention than necessary from the Dark Lord or Bellatrix Black Lestrange.

Thus he found himself in the mask and robes on a Friday evening in the beginning of September, trying to look like he wanted to be there. They had been called on another raid after a quick meeting outside Rowle House, to rampage and wreak havoc in general and probably to take out a couple of targets with varying degrees of prejudice. He hadn't been privy to the details but had been called on earlier by the Dark Lord to provide Veritaserum and a rather nasty poison which would make someone seriously ill but hopefully not kill anyone outright.

They were in Bristol, of all places. The city was quiet and still, with only a few people out and about. It had rained earlier in the evening so there were still puddles on the ground, the early September evening air still warm and humid. Severus tugged at his mask, making sure it was secured, hood up. He moved silently, peering around the corners before crossing the streets. His brethren were less careful, running through the streets heedless of whoever saw them, jeering and shouting. They set fire to a few cars with Incendio and cast Bombarda at a news stand, taking a nearby tree down with it.

"Go go go!" Dolohov shouted, having been called to lead the raid. He gestured at them to continue down the streets.

The crowd cheered. Someone blew up another shop window, shards of glass flying everywhere.

The air exploded again with multiple Apparitions. The Order had arrived, or the Aurors, it was a bit hard to tell.

"Shit!" Dolohov yelled. "Get them!"

Severus was grateful for the mask hiding his face. He recognised a few from Hermione's meetings and his time at Hogwarts. The Prewetts, Shacklebolt, Moody, flanked by several Aurors. Marlene McKinnon, whom he recognised from Hogwarts. She'd been a Gryffindor, loud and annoying, but had always been quick to tell the Marauders to knock it off if they'd been too open with their bullying. To his relief Lily wasn't in the crowd as far as he could see.

The Death Eaters attacked almost as one. The the Order members reacted immediately by forming a circle, wands out like a bristly hedgehog. A few of them held their shields in place while others attacked, and then they switched. It was surprisingly effective and not something Severus had seen done before. The Death Eaters usually subscribed to the tried and true tactic of each wizard for himself, relying on fear and surprise to gain the upper hand. Of course, that was easily done anyway when up against Muggles.

Several Death Eaters were down already, but none he could recognise so far. It looked like one of the Aurors was down but it was hard to tell with their protective circle. He aimed carefully and Stunned one of the Death Eaters near him, then another farther away, wincing a bit when one of the Prewetts cast a slicing hex at the same time. The hex hit true, slicing open the Death Eater's chest just as he fell, stiff from the Stunner.

Falling back a bit he checked the alley for other threats and then leapt up to the roof of the house. He couldn't stay in one place if he wanted to maintain his cover, not if he aimed for the Death Eaters. From the roof it was easy enough to take out another three Death Eaters before jumping down the back and moving away.

Suddenly a howl sounded behind him. The circle had dispersed and Evan Rosier was duelling Moody. They appeared evenly matched, trading hexes and counters with deadly efficiency. The Auror was badly wounded already, blood dripping down his front. Severus was slightly behind Rosier, hoping Moody wouldn't notice him. He cast a silent slicing hex at Rosier's knee, making him stumble, and then the Auror made short work of him. A few other Order members appeared, wands out.

"There was someone over there!" Moody shouted, pointing straight at Severus' location.

With a curse he turned and ran, casting a quick Notice-Me-Not over himself again before jumping up on another roof, boosted by a quick Levitation spell. He fled over the rooftops, jumping between the buildings, before he dropped down into an alley, pressing himself against a wall to listen for trouble. It didn't seem as if anyone had followed, so with some luck he was in the clear.

Another group was fighting ahead of him. Severus moved closer, cautiously keeping to the shadows. There was no one behind him but explosions and random violent sounds could be heard all over the town. A small warehouse had been reduced into rubble nearby and another building was burning.

Three Death Eaters had cornered an Auror and someone in drab brown robes. The Order member looked familiar for some reason and could definitely hold his own, better than the Auror. The wizard deflected a Stunner from one of the Death Eaters onto another, making him fall, but had to back up swiftly to avoid another nastily green hex. He ended up illuminated by the street light and suddenly Severus recognised him. Dearborn. It was the Hogwarts professor who had helped them with the Horcrux. The two Death Eaters still standing sent off another barrage of hexes, catching the Auror across his shoulder. A huge, purple growth appeared where he was hit, swelling to a size larger than his head. One of them revived their fallen companion who struggled to his feet, shaking his head.

Severus Stunned one of the Death Eaters from behind, managing to time the spell with one of Dearborn's. It didn't help much, unfortunately, since the unexpected help distracted Dearborn enough for the remaining Death Eater to hit him with a nasty burning hex. The wizened wizard went down in a smouldering heap.

Cursing inwardly Severus Stunned the closest Death Eater who fell with a thud, the back of his head hitting a stone step with a resounding crack. The Auror actually managed to distract the remaining Death Eater with a feeble Stinging Hex before Severus felled him too with a Stunner, making him fall over the other man's legs. The Auror gasped when Severus approached, and fled without a second look at Dearborn. Severus cautiously walked closer and doused the flames with an Aguamenti. Dearborn looked up at him, flinching at the Death Eater mask before slowly nodding at him. Feeling slightly reckless Severus retrieved a Healing potion vial from his robes and tossed it to the former Professor. Dearborn sniffed the vial and downed the contents in one go before sitting up.

"Thanks, lad." Dearborn rose stiffly to his feet and reapplied the Stunners on two of the Death Eaters. "Looks like this one's out for the count." He poked at the second Death Eater with his foot, but there was no movement even after the Stunner had worn off. There was a puddle of blood under his head. He must have cracked his skull when he fell.

Severus nodded once, turned on his heel and melted back into the shadows. He'd just killed a man, even if only by accident, and didn't know how he felt about that. He didn't even know who it was, if it was someone he'd known, a new recruit or a seasoned veteran.

More Aurors were coming and someone was shouting for them all to retreat. Severus was only too glad to do so before the Aurors overwhelmed them completely, and jogged swiftly away from the city centre to get away from the rest of them. He hoped Reg was alright, and that no one he knew — and actually liked — had been hurt. Helping Dearborn felt right; the older wizard had been respectful and knowledgeable when they met in the Forbidden Forest, even if that had been mainly by accident. He was also clearly on the right side of things, as far as sides went, unlike Severus himself who wished he could have cast off the mask and robes and fought openly on the other side. The thought surprised him, but it felt right. He'd been fine with staying out of things previously but now the situation with Hermione meant he wanted to stay where she was, fight where she did.

Shaking his head he pressed his wand to the Mark and followed the pull back to Rowle House where the survivors were starting to gather on the lawn.

"Disaster," Mulciber muttered in passing.

"Do you know who's down?" Severus asked, joining him on the way up to the House.

"Wilkes, I heard. Bashed 'is head in. Rosier was caught. It's pretty bad. Not sure about others."

"Wonder what we were supposed to do there." Severus tried to sound disinterested. Wilkes. He'd been a quiet wizard, a bit older, not too keen on violence and now the man was dead because of Severus. Gods. His stomach churned, but Occlumency helped keep the horror at bay. Mostly.

Mulciber shrugged and looked up at the building. "Not sure. Someone said something 'bout Muggle bigwigs. Not sure 'bout anything nowadays."

More people were coming in, including Regulus who appeared unharmed, at least from a distance. Severus refrained from approaching him, it was best if people didn't think to connect the two of them.

The Dark Lord was, predictably, unhappy. He shouted at the lot of them but it got worse when he went quiet. Severus made it without punishment but the raid leaders were hit with several rounds of the Cruciatusbefore the rest of them were dismissed.

It was a relief to return to Spinner's End, late enough in the morning to be early, to discard the robes and stay in the shower for long enough to fill the small bathroom with steam. He didn't know what to feel. He'd killed a man, even if mainly by accident, and had caused the capture or possible death of several others.

Hermione was already in bed. She woke up slightly when he entered the room but he didn't answer her slightly jumbled questions, instead slipping into the bed. His chest hurt with guilt, and it didn't help to hold his breath.

She burrowed up to him, moulding herself to his back, her impossible hair enveloping both of them and a hand snaking in around his chest. He could feel her breasts pressed against his back and the puffs of her breath on his neck.

Gradually the pain lessened, replaced by her body heat.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Saturday morning

Spinner's End

It was with a certain amount of trepidation Hermione checked the Daily Prophet the day after the raid, having woken up early. Severus was still asleep. Rita had said she wasn't sure she could get an article in right away, but she'd managed to deliver. The front page had a blurry picture of a Death Eater, his back to the camera and then turning quickly, making the robes flare and showing off the mask. The actual story covered a full double page, with more blurry pictures not depicting anything recognisable. A few bystanders were shrieking, soundlessly, as a shop window was blown up. It was perfect.

Hermione wasn't sure how they had managed the pictures, Regulus hadn't mentioned anything about cameras. It was impossible to avoid the full horror of the raid, at any rate. The Death Eaters had been sent on a rampage all over Bristol. It was quite unclear who the target was but Rita had described them beating up several Muggles and also trying to take off with the daughter of a wizard married to a Muggle-born witch.

Several were hurt on both sides and the Aurors had manage to capture several Death Eaters, including Avery Senior and Evan Rosier. Hermione didn't know much about them other than the fact that they were Death Eaters, but she hoped the self-styled Dark Lord was upset about it. Moody was apparently among the injured, having lost his eye, and Caradoc Dearborn had been sent to St Mungo's but was expected to make a full recovery. It seemed the Order had arrived early on the scene with a group of Aurors. Hermione had sent word to Kingsley once Regulus had left, but hadn't expected them to actually act on the information.

Two Death Eaters were killed, one from a blow to the head and one from being trapped underneath a falling building, and one Auror passed away at St Mungo's later that night. Severus had refused to talk about it when he got back late in at night, but she'd burrowed close in bed even when he was facing away from her, wrapping an arm around his chest and her nose at his neck until she fell asleep again.

She closed the Prophet and set it down on the table, next to her cup of tea. It seemed Narcissa had been right. This was a media war more than anything. If they could sway public opinion, the Minister would have to act and then the whole sordid tale of the Death Eaters would be exposed. They needed to keep destabilising him, to try to undermine his confidence in his minions so that he'd make rash decisions that would backfire one way or other.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Tuesday afternoon found her working at Gringotts again, a steaming cup of tea balancing somewhat precariously on top of a mountain of scrolls, old tomes and one or two Muggle notepads.

"Hello Regulus, glad you could make it."

Hermione put aside her latest work-related assignment, a request to calculate the most fortuitous time to break a curse on a private vault, and gestured at Regulus to take a seat in front of her desk. They'd arranged to meet at Gringotts early in the afternoon in the hope that it would attract less attention than if they were to meet somewhere off Diagon Alley.

Regulus looked tired but happy, smiling widely. "Merlin, I'm tired. I've had to work extra shifts to cover all the interest in the article. I think we did it, Hermione."

"Yes, it certainly looks like it."

It wasn't long until Evie and Hestia arrived, guided by another grumpy young Goblin and apparently highly impressed by her office. Hermione pulled a silk cord in the corner to summon the tea tray, run by a Goblin matron and a very young trainee, and soon they had a pile of cake on a plate and a steaming cup of tea each.

"How did you solve the pictures?"

Hestia sat up straighter, grinning widely. "I borrowed Dad's camera and modified it a bit so Regulus could wear it without having to look through the lens to take pictures. A Notice-Me-Not and a special trigger. Most of the pictures didn't turn out right but a few were useful."

Regulus nodded and explained how he'd had to navigate the camera, Skeeter, the mask and robes without making it look awkward. He'd apparently almost been caught a few times but it had worked out in the end. Skeeter had stayed close to his robes until the Aurors got too close, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.

"Hey, isn't your birthday coming up soon?" Evie asked. "I thought it was in September?"

Hermione frowned. She'd basically lost track of her age after her trip back through time. She'd kept her birthday on the records, however. "Yes, the nineteenth."

"Great! Let's go somewhere then. We'll pick you up!" Hestia exclaimed, Evie and Regulus nodding in agreement.

Hermione couldn't help but to smile. There was no use in protesting, and besides it actually felt rather nice that someone wanted to celebrate her birthday.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Having Severus at home instead of at the workshop had been a strange adjustment but perhaps the strangest part was how natural it felt. They simply fit around one another, making room for both. The way he wouldn't speak in the mornings until he'd downed his first cup of tea, but he had breakfast ready for her if she took a shower before going down to the kitchen. Him letting her talk at him when she needed an audience for her plans, but also being able to be silent together when he tried to focus on a Potions journal or she had to work out a kink in the Arithmancy matrix. And then the evenings and mornings in bed, or on the couch, or the kitchen table one memorable rainy afternoon, or the shower. He always made sure she enjoyed herself and had quickly learned more about her reactions than she had known herself, and together they seemed to reach new heights almost every time. He'd been quick to provide her with a contraceptive potion to be taken monthly, brewed to his exacting standards since they had a war to focus on.

After some deliberation Hermione went up to Hogwarts again with the diary. The students were back but she timed the visit so that most of them would be in class. Hagrid let her in through the gates and then left to do his own thing. She walked up the lawn and through the main doors before seeing anyone else, but no one took any notice of her as she walked up the stairs.

He was speaking to someone in the Floo when she arrived. She couldn't hear quite what was being discussed, but someone was quite upset about something.

"Now see here, Dumbledore —"

"Ah, my special delivery has arrived. It's a new gift package, it contains both socks in pretty colours and Muggle candy. You should try it some time, would do wonders for your indigestion. I fear we might have to continue this at some other time, when you're calmer. Good day, good sir."

With a wink of his hand he extinguished the green flames and turned to face her. "Ah, Hermione. I suspect you don't actually have any Muggle candy or socks for me? Pity. You still saved me from the Board of Governors, at least."

Hermione couldn't help but to smile. She still wasn't sure about him. He hadn't stopped Pettigrew, he still kept all his cards close to his chest, but he was undeniably on the right side of this conflict and she had no reason to distrust him if she took a step back and looked at the larger picture.

She opened her bag and Summoned the diary. It looked nondescript, plain and harmless. The Headmaster's face lost all trace of whimsical benevolence, taking it cautiously to study it. The pages were blank, just as they had been back in her time, although she hadn't actually seen much of it. Harry had been rather possessive of it.

"A Horcrux, you say? Pity, it looks rather harmless." He looked up at her over his spectacles, the bushy eyebrows rising slightly.

"He wrote in it when he was a teen but it's also a Horcrux. I figured you might want to keep it after we neutralise it. In my time, a young girl was possessed by it and lured to do awful things."

The Headmaster hummed, still examining the diary with his wand out.

"You have a method for this, I recall? How very clever."

Hermione pulled out a vial of Severus' neutralisation potion from her bag. It was a pity he would never be able to publish that potion, it really was a remarkable invention. "Yes, we might need someone else to help out with a Patronus. Not that I distrust your strength, Professor, but some of them have been rather tenacious. Is Professor Sprout in?"

Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at her behind his half-moon spectacles, but nodded. "Pomona and Minerva do like an opportunity to try something new, that is true. Pomona has a free period if I'm not mistaken, and Minerva could probably leave the second-years on their own for a little while. Wait here for a minute, please."

The Headmaster stepped through the Floo in search of his staff. Hermione walked up to Fawkes' perch where the bird was dozing with his head under his wing. He must have had a burning day recently, he was smaller than last time she saw him and most of his adult feathers hadn't come in, making him look like a red, scruffy lintball. The bird must have sensed her presence, he woke up and chirped at her.

Dilys, Heliotrope and Phineas greeted her from the portraits, Dilys asking about her health and Heliotrope saying it seemed her mission was going well. Hermione could only shrug, hoping the old Headmistress was right.

The Floo erupted in green flames again and Pomona stepped out, followed shortly by the Headmaster and Professor McGonagall. Pomona winked at Hermione when she thought the Headmaster didn't notice, but the Transfiguration professor barely acknowledged her.

"Excellent, let's get started," the Headmaster said, clapping his hands.

The potion was poured into a shallow bowl the Headmaster procured from somewhere, and put on the floor. Hermione lowered the diary into the bowl with her wand, careful to not let the potion splash out. By now she felt almost blasé about the process, watching the liquid starting to bubble and the dark vapour rising from the diary which had opened on its own, the pages flipping as if turned by an invisible hand. Once again the vapours slowly formed into the shaped of Voldemort, this time young and handsome with hair slicked back by pomade and wearing Hogwarts robes. She pulled out her wand to cast her Patronus, still a bit surprised when the Griffin appeared in place of the otter. The Horcrux appeared to be targeting the Headmaster. She couldn't make out what it was saying but whatever it was had the old wizard slack-jawed and ashen-faced, his wand hanging limply in his hand.

"Cast a Patronus!" Hermione focused on directing hers at the bowl, hoping the others would catch up.

A badger and a cat Patronus soon joined her Griffin. The Headmaster gave a start and cast his Phoenix, driving the Voldemort illusion back down into the bowl.

"Patronus Liquefacio!" Hermione cast, once again causing a ray of light to cascade from the potion, driving out the last of the Horcrux from its host. It had fought hard, perhaps due to being the first one Voldemort made according to what they knew so far, causing the first split of his soul. The magical strength of the Professors and the Headmaster had definitely helped in this case.

"Nice Patronus," Professor Sprout commented.

Professor McGonagall nodded in agreement, a very slight smile softening her features. "Indeed, very apt. I don't think I've seen a Griffin Patronus before?"

Hermione shrugged. "It used to be an otter, I'm not quite comfortable with this form yet."

The Headmaster appeared to have recovered from his encounter with the Horcrux. "Thank you, Pomona, Minerva. Most excellent. I shall regale you with the full tale later, but perhaps it would be wise to return to the students?"

The Transfiguration professor nodded sharply and left after a quick good-bye, this time at least including Hermione.

Pomona smiled at Hermione. "Send me a letter soon, would you? You weren't my badger for long but I like to keep track of them."

"Certainly, Pomona."

Once the Professors were gone Hermione collected her bag, checking that she hadn't left anything behind. "Do you want to keep the diary, Professor?"

The Headmaster shuddered slightly, as if to shake off a stray thought. "Oh, the diary. Yes, yes that might be a good idea. It's better kept here than elsewhere, wouldn't you agree?" He smiled vaguely at her, his eyes slowly regaining their twinkle.

She Levitated the bowl still containing the soggy diary to the Headmaster's desk, careful not to spill anything. Perhaps it would be possible to decipher what Tom Riddle had actually written in it, now that the Horcrux was gone.

He put a hand on her sleeve as she reached for the Floo powder. "I know you are upset about Peter, Hermione. I feel he still has a role to play, and besides, there may be hope for him yet."

She frowned. It didn't make sense to her, to keep a known traitor close like that. "I think you're wrong. He's dangerous, Headmaster."

He nodded, the vague smile back but his relative youth compared to when Hermione was a student made him appear cunning rather than eccentric. "It's Albus, remember? We shall have to see what happens."

Taking a deep breath she reined her irritation in. "Indeed we shall. Have a good day, Albus."

"And you, Hermione. You have done very well so far."

She shrugged, not sure how to answer. Fawkes chirped a tune at her as she reached for the Floo powder, sounding slightly off-key.

~oo~oo~oo~oo~

Thursday evening, September

The evenings were getting darker already. The relief of not having a Master behind his back, looking for the tiniest mistake, was profound. Of course, Pyrites had now been replaced by a certain Dark Lord, asking for complex and illegal brews and poisons to further his reach into magical and Muggle Britain.

It was nice not having to go to the workshop. Staying at Spinner's End with Hermione instead felt oddly comfortable, as if they were meant to be. As if it was normal to have a witch in his house, living with him, sharing a bed.

He needed to figure out a way to grow whatever it was he could offer into a business or otherwise find a way to make some money, but the starting seeds were all there, ready to be planted. He'd told the Dark Lord he would brew from Malfoy Manor but that was almost as bad as brewing from Spinner's End, and only marginally better than being stuck at Lestrange Manor. He didn't need much in terms of space, not to start out, but he needed a business plan and a secure location with room for a few cauldrons and storage for ingredients. Hermione had suggested preparing a basement at Spinner's End, but doing it in a secure enough way if a potion went off wasn't an easy task. He'd been eyeing the storage shed in the tiny back garden, but that too would take a fair amount of work to be useful. Brewing for the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters alone was also not a good long-term survival strategy. He had already provided some of the younger Death Eaters with a few doses of a hallucinogen that was hopefully rather addictive and had brewed Male Stamina potion for a few of the older Death Eaters, to be delivered and paid for discreetly and never spoken of.

He'd also quickly discovered that the Potions Guild was pretty much useless when it came to getting some help with his business plans. They seemed to focus on networking, patting each other's backs, and making sure no Northern upstart made his way into the inner circles. He'd been to the Guild Hall once after his Mastery examination but it was soon obvious none of them wanted to see him, other than Master Finbok, the white-haired wizard who had greeted him when he did the test, but they did have a good library and desks he could use.

Remembering his Mastery examination had made him think of Vulchanov who might have ideas about whom to contact at St Mungo's. Severus sent Menace off with a note, asking the bird to wait and return with a reply. To his surprise the former Apprentice not only agreed to meet up, suggesting the Tired Thestral pub on Horizont Alley, but he also requested that Severus bring "his witch" as well. Severus rather liked the sound of that, and Hermione had looked amused when he asked her to come.

Thus, Severus found himself seated in a booth with a pint of ale in front of him in the middle of the week. Vulchanov was already there. The older wizard seemed tense, looking over his shoulder and twitching at the smallest sound.

"How are things?"

Vulchanov shrugged. "Not OK. Too dangerous. We discuss that later."

Severus nodded. It seemed his hunch was correct regarding Vulchanov but they should wait for Hermione — and their food — before warding the booth against eavesdroppers. The pub was half empty, with what appeared to be the regular Wednesday crew slouched over their respective pints. A few people were talking in hushed tones in the corner but no one was looking their way.

He could feel a stupid smile forming when he spotted said witch entering the bar. She looked around, her whole face lighting up in a smile when she spotted them.

"Sorry I'm late," Hermione said, sliding into the booth next to Severus. "I had to finish a train of thought or I'd have to start over again from scratch. Nice to meet you." She nodded at Vulchanov.

Vulchanov smiled at her and reached out a hand across the table for hers, ghosting a kiss over her knuckles. "Vulchanov. Nice to meet Severus' girl."

Hermione smiled tersely. "Hermione."

Severus found himself hoping the two of them would get along. It would make everything so much easier. "You share a common goal, if I'm not mistaken."

Hermione frowned at him but then nodded, turning to Vulchanov. "Are you a potioneer? I understand the two of you did your Apprenticeship at the same time."

Vulchanov shrugged, leaning back in the booth. "Work at St Mungo's, brewing potions. I'm not as good as your wizard but they haven't kicked me out yet. And you?"

"I'm at Gringotts, doing Arithmancy for their Futures department."

Vulchanov nodded. "Arithmancy is serious business. Good choice to work for Gringotts, no one mess with goblins. Only one time."

Hermione snorted and Severus relaxed a little.

The barwitch arrived with another round of drinks for them, taking their food orders.

"You setting up business, Snape?"

He shrugged. "Trying to start out, yes. I would like to know what the situation is at St Mungo's, for example. Not just brew one person's orders."

Vulchanov nodded again slowly, raising an eyebrow. "Difficult to start a business today, yes. I can talk with St Mungo's, the head brewer is decent. Set you up with a meeting."

"That would be good."

Their food arrived. Severus made short work of his steak pie while Vulchanov mainly frowned at his. Hermione must have been hungry as well, her shepherd's pie disappearing at a good clip. After another quick check of the room Severus put up a Muffliato and a few other wards against eavesdroppers, and nodded at Vulchanov to begin. The wizard drained his pint and took a deep breath.

"I need out. This country is getting worse and worse and I can't stay here. He will see us all killed."

Severus nodded. There wasn't much to add to that.

"He left the country earlier this summer, Dolohov says he went to Albania," Vulchanov muttered into his pint. "He never leaves Britain, not like that. Must be important. No one was to know so of course Dolohov blabs in the pub. Helps to know the language. And he was happy when he got back. I don't like it when he's happy, it always hurts."

Hermione frowned. "Albania? You're sure about that?"

Vulchanov merely nodded, looking rather morosely at his now empty pint.

She smiled at him. "Sorry but could you excuse us for a second, please? I need to talk to Severus."

Vulchanov nodded and shuffled off, heading for the loo. Hermione took a deep breath and continued in a low voice. "He, err, respawned in Albania last time around. What if he had a Horcrux there? Why else would they find him there, of all places, otherwise? What else would he be doing there?"

Severus hummed. "You didn't hear of anything like that last time around, did you? But it isn't a completely impossible idea. Any idea what, and where, such an object might be?"

She shook her head. "No clue whatsoever, all I recall is that someone tracked his location to the forests of Albania. We need to work this out. It's a really long shot but if I'm right…"

Vulchanov returned and took his seat after a quick nod from Severus. He'd ordered another pint from the bar while he was at it.

"Do you have any connection to Albania?" Hermione asked slowly.

Vulchanov snorted. "More than you, I guess. Not really but friends-of-friends."

Severus was impressed by the speed her mind worked. She was on a mission, looking almost as scary as the Goblins.

"Okay, we need to figure out where he went, and if he hid some kind of object somewhere in Albania, probably in the forests. I know it's a tall order but it's very important. If he does have one of these objects, and if he hides it there, we can never get rid of him."

"What object?"

"Horcrux," Hermione said firmly. "A piece of his soul that needs to be destroyed, Fiendfyre should work."

Vulchanov stilled, his pint halfway to his mouth. He slowly put it down again without drinking. "This is dangerous, Snape."

Severus merely nodded. That much had been obvious right from the start.

"Horcrux. That is more than I ever thought he would do. I can't go alone. Need someone good at curses and other things. Identify this whatever it is. One or two persons, no more."

Hermione appeared to be itching to pull up her notebook, but refrained. "Of course. Would you be ready to go pretty soon?"

Vulchanov shrugged. "Snape can take over my work. I can go. Happy to be out the country." He drained his pint. "You, pretty witch, don't contact me. Snape can. I need at least half day after you send notice, better with two, no more. Don't send someone who can't blend in, someone he has eyes on. Needs to be someone who can shut his mouth and listen. Money would help, or a Portkey."

"You won't get in trouble then? With… him?" Hermione asked. "I mean, if he calls on you and you're not in the country."

"I tell him I go find the vampires. Summons is not so bad when far away."

It made Severus oddly proud that she thought about it, but perhaps he shouldn't be surprised. The compassion gene seemed to have bypassed him almost completely but perhaps she had enough of it for him too.

They parted ways, Vulchanov heading for the shabby flat he rented off Knockturn Alley and Severus leaving with Hermione — his witch — for Spinner's End. He pulled her in close for the Apparition, not due to need but because it felt nice.

Once they were back home he put on the kettle for tea and settled on the couch next to her. She had indeed pulled up her notebook and was starting to write lists with clauses and sub-clauses and if statements.

"You really think he hid something there?"

Hermione shrugged. "I can't know for sure, but the pattern fits. Last time around, or however you call it, he was found in Albania by a Hogwarts professor who brought him back to Britain like a parasite living off the back of his head. I'd rather not have that again. I really don't see a reason for him to end up in Albania of all places otherwise. Besides, do we know anything about how Horcruxes work?"

Severus shook his head. Certain things were better not knowing. "Who do we send with him?"

"I'm not sure. I'm thinking Remus might be an option."

Severus frowned. "Lupin? That mangy wolf? You want Vulchanov to be eaten in Albania?" He shuddered, recalling all too vividly the scrawny boy's transformation in the Shack. The groans, the howls, the sound of bones cracking, and the stench of fear.

"Could you brew Wolfsbane for him?" She tapped her lips with her ballpoint pen, obviously still deep in planning mode.

That gave him pause. "Not sure… not for a trip like this I think. From what I've read it needs to be brewed fresh each month. It's also really expensive and time consuming to brew." Wolfsbane would be an interesting intellectual challenge, but brewing it as a favour to Lupin? His stomach felt uneasy at the thought.

Hermione frowned. "I see, no Wolfsbane then. I'll ask if he could go, anyway. I think it could work out, he's not high profile enough to stand out here so I doubt his absence will be noticed."

Severus hummed and finished his tea. Hermione had barely touched hers, too busy plotting. He snaked a hand in under the hem of her top, stroking the warm skin of her back. She barely noticed until he managed to unclasp her bra, one-handed, feeling rather proud with himself for that feat.

"You know what this evening needs?" He shuffled a bit closer, sniffing her neck. She smelled of determination and jasmine. Just perfect.

"What?" She was still distracted, jotting down another few points in her notebook.

"A naked witch on my lap. Perhaps that could be arranged, however."

He concentrated and with a burst of his magic her clothes were Banished to the bedroom. "Look! I found one. How fortuitous."

"Severus!" Hermione squeaked in protest, but couldn't stop a smile from forming.

She twisted around and kissed him thoroughly, making the evening even more perfect.

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

A/N: Sorry/not sorry about the delay in posting, I'm pulling the final chapters together and also busy with that pesky thing called real life. Updates will remain a bit irregular for a while until I'm further ahead, but we're getting close to the conclusion!