A/N: Luna has fallen into a pit but will emerge soon; pray, don't blame her for my syntax. My courtliest bow to TimeTurnerForSale, in gratitude for the cross-country pas de deux of writing. May the stars align soon.
Yes
Furrowing his brow to look at her, Phineas Nigellus listened. Then, with a courtly bow, he offered his hand to Mrs. Black. "May I have the honor of this dance?"
With a deep curtsey, she accepted.
/x/
The phoenix song surrounded them as the rain fell and the clouds lowered to an early dusk.
Hand murmuring on her skin, his voice in her hair, speaking through skin, his breath on her throat her head back, resting softly, cushioned, protected in a black leather glove. His hand to her face, roughly smoothing her hair aside, reaching for her, lips brushing, a silent, serene agony of more.
"Do you want me, Hermione?"
"Yes."
"Here, like this."
"Yes."
Hands, under her shoulders, around her back, guiding, easing her fall…
"I will have you."
"Yes…"
"Now."
"Yes…"
"Tonight."
"Yes…"
"Tomorrow…"
"… yes."
…and she, back, and he, over her, and his hands smoothing down and she in boneless strength reaching for him…
Shhh… lie still. You are mine.
"Yes."
"Now."
"Yes."
"Tomorrow…"
"… yes."
Skin, soft, his hand, strong, soft, her face, leaning, into his palm, her cheek, her eyelashes brushing a fingertip…
…and the other, a dark trail, firm, insistent, marking, claiming, run down from shoulder to hip, moving, his thumb…
"… oh."
"Yes, Hermione."
"Oh, gods…"
"Yes."
Then…
"Severus."
Her face, sudden, heavy, into his hand…
…and his hand, holding, refusing, insistent, firm, not allowing…
"Now, Hermione?"
"Yes…"
"Tell me."
"I want you."
"And?"
"… I want everything."
"Good. Now?"
"Now."
"You're certain?"
"Yes."
She reached for him then, but he caught her hands and pinned them to the table, moving them over her head, his eyes a dark fire, watching, waiting.
"Damn it, Severus." Her eyes flashed at him as she bit her lip, hard.
He chuckled, grasping her wrists with one hand. Bending to kiss the mark on her heart as his free hand swept sudden, swift, down -
His hair brushed her neck and she arched toward his hand, toward him, toward -
"Yes."
And their worlds entwined, plunging into a darkness softly shimmering with the promise of light.
/x/
Some time later, Tayet stopped singing. She clicked her beak once, and looked calmly at the portraits.
Their dance ended with another bow, another curtsey.
/x/
Falling back into her mind, Hermione reached for Severus, and her elbow nudged Minerva's Head Girl badge.
It had nicked a tear into the Death Eater mask. Hermione rolled to her side and traced it with her finger.
Raising on one elbow behind her, his head coming to rest between her shoulder and neck, Severus' finger joined hers.
For a while they said nothing, tracing, watching.
"Do you think..." she began, softly, still watching the flashes from beneath the mask glowing through the empty eye holes.
"Much of the time, in fact." A tinge of regret joining the dryness in his voice.
"Do you think it will work?"
He extended a finger and gently pushed the mask off of the carving. Both mask and badge fell to the floor.
She could not see the green light reflecting in his eyes.
She did not need to.
"There's still the Indemnity, Hermione."
She closed her eyes and curled back against him. "I know. And Voldemort."
"And - " he stopped himself, and just held her.
"Harry," she finished for him, and sighed.
/x/
A sober Harry and Ron left Hagrid and Grawp's enormous stone hut that evening, seeming both older and younger than they had that morning.
Ron ran his hands through his hair and looked out over the tree tops of the Forbidden forest. Harry stuffed his hands in his pockets and concentrated on kicking a stone down the lane. They said nothing until they reached the gates, where Tonks and Lupin were waiting for them.
"All right, Harry?" Tonks said quietly as they approached.
Harry gave the stone a final kick and nodded, waiting for Lupin to undo the complex set of Charms and chains that kept the castle gates secure.
Ron looked at Tonks and exhaled. His eyes were rather larger than usual, and her mouth twisted sympathetically. She jerked her head toward the stone hut they had just left and looked a question at him.
"He's all right. Can't seem to get Grawp to understand about Death Eaters, or Horcruxes, or any of it. And he's still trying." Ron looked half angry, half embarrassed. "Bit frustrating, really."
Tonks nodded. "Yeah, I imagine."
Lupin opened the gate and, as they exited, turned around to re-set the protections. Carefully not looking at Harry, he said, "Tonks, why don't you and Ron go a little ahead. We can walk some way before we Apparate, I think?"
Tonks looked at him sharply, but nodded. "Not too far. We've got to get Harry back inside the…" She clamped her mouth shut and started over. "Back to the Burrow." She and Ron turned and walked a few paces away.
When she glanced back and saw that Harry and Lupin had not moved, she put her arm out, and she and Ron stopped walking. "I can't get farther away than this and guard him properly," she explained.
"Right," Ron said, looking uncomfortable, and trying to appear not to. He cleared his throat. "So." He tried to think of something to say and couldn't.
Tonks smiled. "I think he just wants a word. Shouldn't take long." She stood, waiting patiently, eyes sweeping the area around them for any sign of anything that might be amiss. "You might as well learn what to look for," she said after a moment, and started listing the various signs and clues, signals to go on greater alert when on duty. Moody, of course, had elevated Auror alertness to a pathology, but it was second nature to her, to Kingsley, and to most of the Order, whom they'd trained.
"D'you know who had the most trouble learning this?" Tonks said, as she felt Ron's eyes start to do a sweep of the area.
"Who?" he asked, keeping his eyes moving as she'd told him to.
"Dumbledore. Moody told me. He kept wanting to stop and discuss things." Tonks shook her head, a small, painful smile crossing her face. "He had a theory about everything."
Ron laughed, but didn't take his eyes off of their surroundings.
"Not bad, Ron," Tonks said approvingly.
"Harry," Lupin said quietly.
"Yeah," Harry said.
"There is always hope."
Harry looked at Lupin then, and only an act of will kept Lupin from having to look away. Harry's eyes hit his heart every time, especially when, as now, they were filled with angry fear. He had seen that look on Lily's face, after they'd learned of the prophecy. The look had disappeared from her face later, he remembered, even before Harry was born, to be replaced by something determined, yet somehow… secure. James had chalked it up to her advancing pregnancy, but Lupin had never been sure. It had all seemed so sudden…
He shook his head. He would have given much to see a similar determination in Harry's eyes, just then, and he had to try. He was the only one left.
"What is it, Harry?"
Harry looked back at the hut, at the castle. "Hermione," he said.
That wasn't it, not really, and, understanding, Lupin waited silently.
"I barely understood what she was on about, with the Arithmancy. I'm used to that," he said, a brief eye roll punctuating his memories of Hermione's many explanations of lessons and assignments. "But this was different. It was like – it was like hearing someone else talking, and…" his voice trailed off, and he looked away sharply, blinking.
Lupin considered his words, and nodded compassionately. "She's doing this for you, Harry."
"I – I know. I just wish I understood."
"Harry, I only understood part of it," Lupin began quietly. "But what I did understand was executed flawlessly. Bill was convinced – and I trust that. His NEWT Arithmancy score was the highest in about two centuries. And Minerva – did you know she used to teach Arithmancy?"
Harry shook his head.
"She wouldn't have asked Hermione to present her research if she didn't believe in it, Harry."
Harry nodded, but said nothing.
"She did find the workaround for the first two."
"I know. It's just…"
We're getting to it, Lupin thought.
"It's supposed to be me," Harry said, his voice low.
Lupin was startled to hear how deep his voice had gotten, and he looked at him for a moment. "It will be, Harry," he said. "Have no doubt there. But you won't be alone."
"I don't know what to do. Shouldn't I be… training, or… or something?"
"Harry, part of the beauty of Hermione's work – and it is beautiful, in a way that passes understanding – is that she's been able to advance the timeline. Fewer people will die because of her work, Harry, even if - "
"But I'm not ready!" Harry's eyes blazed.
"For a traditional duel, no, Harry, you're not," Lupin agreed. He looked older, sadder, and for a moment Tonks' eyes paused in their sweep. He nodded at her slightly, and she resumed her vigilant attention.
"Then how can I possibly defeat him?"
"Harry, none of us could survive a duel with Voldemort. Only Dumbledore. And, perhaps - " No. I won't say his name. Not to Harry. "- perhaps one other."
Harry's eyes flew to Lupin's face, piercing, but he said nothing.
Lupin chose to ignore his gaze. "Part of the beauty of Hermione's solution is that you won't have to."
"Who's going to take him out, then? While he's…" Harry gestured to his scar.
"If the battle is within, Harry – in your head, your heart – I rather suspect any of us could take him at that moment." Lupin paused. "You are exceptional, Harry. Your heart, your character, your bravery – those are truly exceptional."
Harry looked at him strangely. "You sound a little bit like Dumbledore."
Lupin's hand raised, and fell. He glanced away. "He was my teacher too."
"So. I have a heart." Harry stood taller. "Not much of a duelist, though." A fleeting, sheepish look.
"No one expects you to be. If Hermione is right – and there's every reason to believe she is – then Voldemort will be fully engaged. His body will be vulnerable."
"So, no point in trying to cram in last minute Defense Against the Dark Arts lessons, then, is there?"
The look of determination was growing in Harry's eyes, but Lupin wasn't quite sure why. He shook his head.
Harry nodded, once, firmly. "Then let's get back."
Lupin looked at him questioningly as they moved to rejoin Tonks and Ron.
"I need to talk to Ginny." For the first time in hours, Harry smiled.
It wasn't a nice smile, but it was, Lupin decided, nicely determined.
And it was very, very important.
