A/N: Thank you so much to my Beta who constantly assures me I've been doing good even though I feel like I don't HAHAHAHA. Enjoy!

xxxxxii.

strength means blessed with an enemy

(Armor by Sara Bareilles)

December 28, 1980

Hermione stood back and admired how the fluttering snow decorated the facade of the Snapes' House. The slithering vines wrapped around the white metal gate now boasted snow-coated, pink flowers. Hermione suspected Lily had spelled the flowers everlasting, to continue blooming despite the harsh winter.

She also spotted a small sign hanging on the wooden door, the words 'Welcome' scrawled cheerily in lovely handwriting. A laugh bubbled out from her lips, already imagining how Sev would be sneering at the ridiculous sign, but wouldn't say anything to his wife in fear of facing her wrath.

Said wooden door was suddenly pulled open, revealing her bemused best friend. "Hermione!" Lily greeted. "What are you doing there, standing like a loon? Come inside! It's bloody cold."

"Hi, Lily," she said, striding forwards to envelope the older witch into a hug.

"Why did you Apparate here?" the redhead asked in exasperation, shivering as a cold, harsh wind brushed against her cheek. "Our Floo is connected with the fireplace in Potter Manor."

Hermione's cheeks bloomed red. She knew it was dangerous to roam out in the open, especially after the Longbottoms were attacked. But she and her family would be hiding soon. She knew she'd be cooped inside for weeks – months even – and she wanted to spend a few more moments outside, just as long as she was careful.

Lily's eyes softened, understanding Hermione's silent answer to her previous question. "You didn't bring Harry?" she then asked.

Hermione apologetically smiled as she followed Lily inside. "He's with James today," she explained. "Besides, we agreed that it'd be best if we don't go out with Harry until New Year."

For a brief moment, Lily's emerald eyes glinted with a myriad of emotions. But the redhead had already turned her face away from Hermione, determinedly pulling her towards their living room. "I still haven't forgiven you for not making me his godmother, if you must know."

Hermione sighed. "Blimey, I'll pop more babies out in the future just so you can be a godmother," she cajoled with a laugh.

"You better, Hermione Pettigrew!" she cried.

The brunette fondly smiled at Lily's red hair. "Technically, I'm a Potter now." She grinned when Lily merely glowered. "I'm really sorry, Lils," she said. "It's just… Peter's the right one for this job."

Lily drew to a halt and fully turned to look at Hermione. "Never mind the job," she dismissed. "Harry will still be surrounded by people who love him, godparents or not."

Hermione's eyes misted at Lily's earnest words. "I'm glad to hear that," she whispered.

It was at that moment when Sev chose to appear, ducking out of their bedroom with dishevelled hair and bleary eyes. "Oh, you're here," he dully said, sleepily striding forwards to give Hermione a one-armed hug.

Hermione tilted her head to smile at him incredulously as a huge yawn tore out form his lips. "Well, somebody's not sleeping well," she said, prompting Lily to snort in concurrence.

"Slughorn's been tiring him to the bone," Lily complained, grasping onto Hermione's arm and tugging her towards their squashy chair in front of the fire. "It's the winter holidays, seriously! But the sourpuss refuses to rest, obsessively perfecting a new batch of potions to please his Slughorn dearest."

Judging from the way Sev's eyes flashed, Hermione deduced this wasn't the first time they'd fought about this. Lily looked honestly petulant; her arms now crossed against her chest as she glared at her feet. Severus looked exhausted and annoyed; his lips curled into a frown as he tried to catch his wife's eyes.

Hermione awkwardly stepped back, feeling like she was intruding in such a personal moment between her two best friends.

"You know why I've been obsessively distracting myself," Sev then snarled.

Lily's eyes immediately snapped upwards to look into his dark eyes, her petulance shattering for a moment as her eyes filled with tears. Sev's annoyance morphed into deep pain - Hermione had once seen that happen once, when Mistress Prince intruded his mother's funeral.

And Hermione knew, even though they weren't looking at her, that she was the reason why Sev's been marvellously distracting himself.

A lump formed in Hermione's throat, tears also prickling her eyes. She had promised herself she would spend this day with her best friends, tear-free before she went into hiding with her family. It was a mighty feat, that much she knew, but she'd hoped she wouldn't cry this soon.

"A-a movie," Hermione blurted out, stuttering a bit as she looked away and discreetly wiped a rolling tear. "I thought we'd be watching a movie together?"

Lily furiously blinked, doing a poorer job at concealing her tears. "Right," she said with a wet chuckle. "Of course." She caught Hermione's hand and tugged her towards the couch, sitting her down in the middle. Opposite their couch was a small television, something Lily had purchased a few months prior, just to preoccupy her and Sev during their day-offs.

Hermione saw Sev taking a huge sigh before deliberately walking towards the two witches, opting to plop down in the vacant space beside Hermione.

"I wasn't sure what movie to watch," Lily said, gesturing at the various VHS tapes on their coffee table. "So I grabbed whatever caught my fancy." Her emerald eyes briefly landed on Sev, a small smirk on her face. "I'm sure the sourpuss won't allow us to only watch one movie."

Hermione bit back a smile at how Sev deflated at Lily's teasing, obviously relieved that their ridiculous fight was already forgotten. "Let's just watch," he sighed, throwing a withering glare at his wife. "I'd like to take a nap soon."

Lily rolled her eyes and pulled out her wand. With a flourished wave, one of the VHS tapes flew towards the player, slotting inside. The television flared into life and started playing the chosen movie and Hermione shifted on the couch, to make herself comfortable. She grabbed onto both of Lily's and Sev's hands, her eyes still trained on the television. She'd seen how Lily's eyes had briefly glanced at her in surprise, but then Lily had merely smiled and placed her head on Hermione's shoulder. Sev looked slightly uncomfortable with her display of affection, but the way he briefly squeezed her hand meant he wouldn't pull away.

For hours, they watched the television. A movie would end and aside from a quick snack and bathroom break, the trio would opt to watch another movie. Hermione long discovered Lily had chosen fun, light-hearted comedies. Snorts of laughter would occasionally escape from their lips; even Sev was having fun, and Hermione was just happy that she got to spend the day with her best friends.

They were perhaps on their fourth movie, and the over-the-top slapstick comedy had drawn out various rounds of giggles from Lily. "Figures you'd be amused at this kind of violence," Sev pointed out over Hermione's bushy hair.

"Shut up, sourpuss," Lily retorted back, her lips stretched far and wide. "I know you think it's funny too."

Hermione found herself laughing at their ridiculous antics. "I'm going to miss you both," she said, as her chest started to hurt with overwhelming emotions that she had wished wouldn't resurface today. But try as she might, she couldn't trample them down and soon, her laughs turned into quiet sobs. Despite the comedic action taking place on the movie, where crying as a reaction seemed a weird thing to do, Hermione couldn't stop her tears from tumbling down.

Neither Lily nor Sev said anything about her shaky tears. She wasn't even sure how they looked, her eyes too blurry to see either the movie or her best friends' faces.

All she knew was that their hold on her hands was tight, warm, and very much secure. Her heart ached at the thought that she wouldn't be able to see them for a very long time. That she might not be able to see them anymore.

"I'm going to miss you both so much," she whispered once more through her thick tears.

For the rest of the day, with movies playing on the television that none of them could focus on anymore, Hermione reverently held Lily's and Sev's hands, drawing as much comfort from their warm holds as she could.

December 30, 1980

"Are you really sure this is a good idea?"

Hermione shifted Harry in her arms and glanced at her worried brother. "If not now, when?" she softly asked. Her eyes turned forlorn as she looked down at her son. "Mum deserves to know, Petey. We're going to hide soon. I don't want to leave without telling her the truth."

Her brother expelled a soft sigh and wordlessly reached for her arm, giving it a comforting squeeze before directing her towards the huge, lovely garden behind the Potter Manor.

Hermione smiled, marvelling at how the snow blanketed the vast grounds and bushes. There were a few flowers blooming despite the harsh winter, swaying elegantly in the cold wind. Despite the billowing snow, the air around the garden wasn't too harsh and biting. Hermione suspected Euphemia might have spelled an advanced Warming Spell over her beloved garden, wanting to still venture out in the open and admire the everlasting flowers even though they were in the middle of winter.

She saw Anya sitting on one of the white, cast iron tables, daintily sipping from a teacup Pokey had prepared for the Pettigrew family today. It still bewildered Hermione how Anya could easily slip into a prim and proper Pureblood, her posture and elegance already screaming a certain air of aristocracy she sometimes saw in James and Sirius.

"Oh, hello," Anya greeted, lifting her blue eyes to look at her children. Her eyes glittered more when they landed on Harry, who was already wiggling his arms towards Anya, no doubt recognising his lovely grandmother. "Well, hello to you too, sweet boy."

Hermione smiled and allowed Anya to snatch Harry from her arms. Her mother started swaying a bit, cooing sweet words to the little boy until Harry was giggling and gurgling incoherent sounds.

"It's all right if you don't stay," she whispered to her brother. "James and the others are in the Drawing Room, discussing the Fidelius Charm."

Peter shook his head and clutched her elbow. "They'll manage without me," he said. "I think you need me more than they do."

She smiled gratefully at Peter. Truth be told, she was rankled to the bones, unsure how she would spill all of her secrets to Anya. Although she knew her mother would understand, Hermione couldn't bear the thought of seeing the betrayal and disappointment on her face. She loved her mother because she'd been the kindest, most understanding woman she'd ever known as Hermione Pettigrew and it pained her heart, knowing she would be the one to cause her distress.

But then again, she was going to hide with James and Harry soon. She didn't want to leave Anya, who'd undoubtedly be more hurt if she never told her anything about her past and the prophecy.

"Mum," she called, her voice cracking a bit as emotions now clambered up to her throat.

Anya's smile faltered, eyes instantly snapping towards Hermione's direction.

"We need to talk."

Worry now clouded Anya's face, noting the tears that had started to gather in Hermione's eyes. Harry was mightily oblivious to the emotions on his mother's face, too busy playing with Anya's bushy curls.

"Come on. Let's all sit down," Peter softly cajoled, directing Hermione to one of the chairs. He sat down on the vacant seat beside her and sadly smiled at Anya. "Come on, Mum. You too."

Anya deliberately pulled a chair beside Hermione, sitting Harry down on top of the table. Hermione briefly smiled when Harry sneezed, already pulling out her wand to give him a Warming Spell. She reached out and brushed her fingers against his soft cheek, a few tears escaping from her eyes at the same time.

"Hermione."

Her mother's tone of voice was serious and firm. Hermione took a deep shuddering breath and slowly gazed back at Anya, whose blue eyes were also already shining with tears. Although she still did not know what was happening, it was plain to see that Anya was dreading whatever Hermione was going to tell her.

Taking another deep breath, Hermione started to tell her tale. She told her mother about Hermione Granger, about drinking a potion to escape her past and being reborn as Hermione Pettigrew. She told her about the horcrux hunt, their skirmish at the Cave, and how deeply involved she—and Peter—were in the Order. She told her about the prophecy, and how they all feared it was Harry and that in order to protect him and his parents, they'd all decided to hide once the new year came.

She made sure not to leave out any details. Anya deserved the truth, after all. And… and if this would be the last time she'd see the woman who had loved her more than life itself, then Hermione wanted to make sure that Anya knew everything about her.

By the time she was finished with her tale, Hermione was steadfastly staring at her hands. Peter had already gripped one for support, but it wasn't enough. Tears steadily leaked out from her eyes, dripping down onto the cold, iron table.

Slowly then, Anya's hand sneaked up and grasped her other hand. Hermione immediately met her mother's eyes. Anya's eyes were filled with unending tears, sorrow and understanding painted clearly on her face.

Hermione had no qualms about launching herself into Anya's arms, apologising incessantly for keeping her in the dark.

"Oh, my sweetheart," Anya said, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "My brave, brave sweetheart."

She sobbed on her shoulder and held her tight, relieved that Anya wasn't mad. She was also relieved that she didn't start asking questions, because Hermione's head felt too muddled to answer any of them.

Peter soon joined, encircling them both in his arms, and silently crying into Hermione's hair.

"I'm sorry, Mum," she thickly said, slightly pulling away to catch her mother's gaze once more. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."

Anya sadly smiled and tenderly brushed strands of hair away from her face. "Thank you for telling me, Hermione," she said. Fresh tears welled in her blue eyes as she tightly held both of Hermione's hands. "I-I'm admittedly surprised. I still cannot completely wrap my mind around what you've just told me but… but always remember that I love you, Hermione. You're my daughter, no matter your past or your future."

Hermione earnestly nodded her head, drawing Anya into her arms once more. At the same time, Harry started to whimper on the table, catching on to the sad feelings from the adults in the garden. Hermione softly chuckled and pulled away from Anya again, just so she could press her baby against her chest. Harry stared at her with his wide, blue eyes, confused as to why his family were crying.

"I only have one request, Hermione," Anya softly then added.

The brunette slowly looked back at Anya, a question in her eyes.

"Please come back alive."

January 1, 1981

The sun hadn't even risen yet, but Dumbledore had already called for them to gather at the Order Headquarters. She and James didn't get enough sleep last night, minds too preoccupied about what would happen today. Although the New Year's Eve dinner with James's parents and Anya was a lovely distraction, the fact that the young Potters would go into hiding loomed heavily on their shoulders.

"Come on, love," James whispered, interlacing his fingers with hers and tugging her out of the Potter Manor. Cold, biting wind greeted them and Hermione lightly shivered, hugging herself tighter to dispel the cold. James wordlessly draped his arm over her shoulders and pulled her closer, relaying as much body heat as he could, as he led her towards the East Tower.

Hermione was surprised they were the last ones to arrive. Dumbledore was already seated on his usual chair, flanked by the other Marauders, the Snapes, and Regulus. Her heart clenched at the sight of her friends, knowing this would be the last time she would be seeing them.

She then resolutely focused her attention on the glinting Gaunt ring placed on top of the table.

"Any volunteers?" Dumbledore amicably asked, gesturing a hand at the ring.

Peter was on his feet instantly, such a determined expression on his face, that Hermione had rarely seen him wear. "Let me do it," he thundered, his hands balled into fists at his side. Remus had already pushed the pouch of basilisk fangs towards the unwavering, sandy-haired wizard.

Her brother grasped a basilisk fang and deliberately approached the ring. Her breath hitched at how steadfast he looked, how sure he was about destroying the ring, and she didn't even bother wiping her tear away when he took a mighty plunge towards the ring.

The black stone cracked down the middle, the familiar Dark Mark-shaped smoke billowing out from the destroyed ring. Peter was shaking when the smoke screamed at his face, but he stared it down with a dark glare. By the time the smoke dissipated, Peter was breathing deeply, tears now pouring from his blue eyes.

Slowly then, his eyes met hers. His gaze held meaning, as if beseeching for Hermione to believe that he would always be by her side, no matter the circumstances. More tears slipped down from the brunette's eyes, breaking into a huge grin, relieved beyond belief that Peter Pettigrew would not turn out to be the spineless coward she'd always feared he'd become.

"We did it," she breathlessly said, eyes slowly sweeping back towards Dumbledore. His blue eyes were impossibly bright behind his half-moon spectacles. "All of the horcruxes are destroyed."

"Indeed," the Order leader said, calmly weaving his fingers together as he leaned against his chair.

Her heart thudded wildly inside her ribcage and Hermione couldn't stop herself from grinning widely, even though her cheeks were starting to hurt.

All horcruxes were now destroyed, something Hermione Granger had fervently wished for for years, but had failed to achieve in the end. But now, now Hermione Potter was able to become successful.

'Harry,' she thought. 'We did it.'

-ooo-

The goodbyes were brief. Dumbledore wanted to cast the Fidelius Charm as quickly as possible after all.

Hermione understood Dumbledore's orders. Truly she did. But it was so hard saying goodbye to the people she had come to love so much in this world, uncertain when she'd be able to see them again.

If she'd be able to see them again.

Lily was a crying mess when Hermione pulled her and Sev into a hug. The redhead was blubbering incomprehensible words about keeping safe and missing her so much. Hermione didn't bother deciphering her words; Lily's actions and expressions were enough for her to understand how Lily truly felt for her.

"Be safe, kitten," Sirius softly whispered, pressing a kiss on her temple while Remus tightly held her hand, his golden eyes shining with unshed tears.

Hermione wasn't quite sure why she was weepy when she pulled Regulus into a hug. The Black heir was obviously uncomfortable with the display of affection, but the way he crumpled the back material of her sweater meant saying goodbye to her was just as difficult. "Come back alive," were his parting words.

Euphemia mothered Hermione, giving her pieces of advice on how to take care of a baby. She listed down all of James's favourite food, his likes and dislikes, and beside her, Fleamont's brown eyes glistened, too emotional to offer any words. Hermione drew Euphemia into a hug, halting her from one of her inane litanies, and whispered, "I'm going to take care of James." The usually dignified Potter matriarch's eyes filled with tears, sobs tearing out from her thin lips as she clutched onto Hermione for dear life. James slowly pulled his mother away from Hermione and hugged her instead, whispering words against her hair while his mother continued to sob.

It was Peter who hugged her the longest, the fiercest, and despite not saying anything at all, she knew it was him who would miss her the most. Anya joined in their group hug and peppered kisses on Hermione's face, begging her to be safe, for her to come back alive.

"It is time," Dumbledore announced.

Hermione had a difficult time untangling herself from her family, but Peter resolutely unwound her arms around his, gently pushing her towards James.

Her husband immediately interlaced his fingers with hers, a silent offer in some meagre comfort he knew wouldn't be enough to soothe her breaking heart. Nonetheless, she squeezed his hand in silent gratitude.

With tears in her eyes, Hermione's gaze swept from one face to another. It still blew her away how these people had become so important in her life. She couldn't imagine her life without Lily and Sev constantly urging her to take breaks from studying, or the Marauders driving her mad with all of their shenanigans. She couldn't imagine her life without Anya's over-the-top meal preparations, or the ridiculous Pureblood traditions and etiquette the Potters still stuck to despite being infinitely better than most others in the Sacred Twenty-Eight.

These people were her family and Hermione was sad to part from them for an indefinite amount of time.

"Come on, love," James whispered, lightly tugging on her arm. Harry squirmed in James's arms, already reaching out for his mother. A watery chuckle escaped from her lips as she drew Harry into her arms, pressing the lovely boy against her chest as close as possible.

With one last mighty sweep of her eyes towards her family, she whispered, "See you soon."

Not good bye.

Never good bye.

-ooo-

"This will take a while," Dumbledore said with a grimace as he positioned his wand in the air. Severus stiffly nodded his head and stood beside the Order leader, also raising his wand to recite the litany of spells he'd memorised by heart. James was hovering behind them, an utter look of concentration on his face, as if trying to make sure that nothing bad would happen.

The Potter Cottage was slowly disappearing before Hermione's eyes as Dumbledore and Sev continued their incantation. Not wanting to stay and watch as her home disappeared behind the Fidelius Charm, Hermione walked aimlessly around Godric's Hollow with Harry sleeping quietly in her arms.

The small community was still asleep. The usual bustling people were still tucked inside their homes after celebrating throughout the night for New Year's. Hermione noted various singed firecrackers littering the narrow street, streamers and noise-makers that were undoubtedly used by the village people to welcome the New Year.

Godric's Hollow was lovelier during this time. The last time she'd been here, with an emerald-eyed Harry Potter, the place had almost felt like a ghost town, the air thick with the aftereffects of Voldemort's murder. Today, the rows and rows of homely cottages looked inviting, flanked by towering trees swaying gracefully in the wind.

Hermione's feet brought her towards the village graveyard just behind the church. Her eyes scanned the multitude tombstones, some old and crumbling due to age and neglect, while some were very much polished and clean, fresh flowers decorating their gravesites.

A lump formed in her throat when she stood where the tombstone of James and Lily Potter had been in her previous life. There was nothing there, of course, with only a fresh patch of snow-covered grass below her feet.

Her eyes watered, remembering how Harry's eyes had filled with tears as he gazed at his parents' tombstones. Hugging her baby closer to herself, Hermione wondered if this Harry would also be standing in this very same place seventeen years from now, silently mourning his parents, who he wished he had spent more time with.

'No,' she firmly told herself. 'No, that won't happen. Not on my watch.'

With a deep, shuddering breath, Hermione forced herself away from the graveyard. From where she stood, she could see that the Fidelius Charm was only half-way done and thus, she continued her meandering through the peaceful village.

She trudged through the snow-covered cobblestone streets, tightening her hold around her slumbering child to give him as much heat as she could. Her journey was aimless, allowing her feet to carry her anywhere she could, and it was only when she saw the imposing obelisk in the village square that she found her destination.

From afar, the obelisk stood tall and ominous, carved names of Muggle soldiers and civilians alike who'd fallen victim during World War II decorating the stone. Hermione half-expected the obelisk would change form as she neared it, depicting a family of three, the parents happily gazing at the babe in the mother's arms. But, even a meter away, the obelisk stayed unchanged.

She once again remembered Harry, standing wide-eyed and sad as he stared at the monument built for his family. James and Lily were both fondly staring down at an infant Harry, the snow settling on their heads like warm, little knit caps to protect them from the cold.

Her eyes filled with tears as she stared down at her slumbering child. Harry looked so peaceful, his cheeks and the tip of his nose slightly rosy pink from the cold. She blinked as a single snowdrop landed on Harry's nose, and when she looked overhead, she realised that it was starting to snow again.

Hermione pulled out her wand to cast an overhead umbrella, but before she could do so, the snow had stopped falling on them.

She glanced upwards again, confused, only to see that someone had already cast a makeshift umbrella. Hermione was surprised to see James, a small smile on his face.

"What are you doing here, Whiskers?" he worriedly asked. "You know that it's dangerous to meander around since…" He let his words dangle as a frown now tugged down on his lips.

"We're fine," she reassured. "I'm just… trying to explore for the last few hours before we hide away from the world."

His hazel eyes softened and wordlessly, Hermione reached for his other free hand to hold it.

Her gaze latched onto the obelisk, eyes drifting through the various names of people who'd fallen victim in the Muggle war.

"Two galleons for your thoughts?"

She chuckled, recalling Sirius's joke that had stuck, and briefly glanced at James again. "I'm not sure if I told you yet," she slowly started. "I've told so many revelations in the past few months I honestly can't keep up anymore." He snorted in reply and she smiled, continuing, "But, after Voldemort found the Potter family in my past life and—" She paused and swallowed, still unable to say the word even though they both knew of the Potter family's fate.

Instead, Hermione looked at the obelisk and added, "Godric's Hollow is home for a lot of wizarding families, but I'm sure you already knew that. And so, in honour of the family who'd sacrificed themselves to bring Voldemort down, they built a memorial."

Hermione gingerly pressed a palm against the obelisk, a sad smile now on her face. "Muggles don't see it, of course. All they ever saw was the obelisk for the war victims. But it would shift for the magicfolk, a monument of the family that had sacrificed too much standing on it instead." She traced a finger against one name and sighed. "They said that during winter, the snow looked like knit caps on their heads," she whispered. Her gaze turned unseeing, recalling the last time she had been standing right in this very spot, holding Harry's hand to comfort her distressed best friend. "Harry's eyes—the emerald ones—had been really sad when he saw the memorial for the first time. It was—"

Her breath hitched as a tear slid down from her eyes. She tore her gaze away from the obelisk and glanced at her husband. James's eyes were already clouded with worry. Hermione removed her hand away from the obelisk and instead cradled James's jaw against her palm. "You have no idea, how much relief I felt, when I saw that the obelisk hadn't changed into a memorial."

A wry smile appeared on her face when James placed a kiss against her palm. "I don't think it was fair how the world celebrated the day Harry Potter defeated Voldemort as a babe," she continued. "A child lost his family, after all."

Her own Harry, blue-eyed and still so terribly small, stirred in her arms. Hermione glanced down at her son, who was starting to whimper. She shushed him, placed kisses on the crown of his soft head, and bounced him in her arms until Harry quietened.

"Let me carry him," James then urged. "I'm sure your arms need some rest."

Hermione expelled a watery chuckle and transferred Harry into James's arms. "Before we know it, he'll be towering over me," she said, fondly brushing her knuckles against Harry's cheek. "That is, of course, if, you know…"

James caught her eyes. "Here's to hoping the Potter family doesn't become a memorial, eh?" he lightly teased, just to slightly ease the worry in her heart.

"Hermione."

The couple snapped their gaze towards Severus, who was standing a few meters away from them. His eyes narrowed at the tears in her eyes, but Hermione gave him a small, reassuring smile. "Is it done?" she asked.

He stiffly nodded his head and gestured for them to follow him.

Predictably, the Potter Cottage was invisible to their eyes. Still, it didn't stop Hermione from feeling a little disconcerted. Her blue eyes roamed all over the empty lot, trying to see any glimpse of the quaint cottage she'd started calling home, but try as she might, neither a small flicker of the bright windowpanes nor the polished rooftop was anywhere to be seen.

"Here," Sev offered, extending a crumpled parchment towards her.

Her eyes skimmed the scrap of paper – The Potter Cottage is at Number 27, Godric's Hollow.

When Hermione blinked, the quaint cottage was once again standing right before her. Her lips stretched into a small smile, wordlessly passing the paper to her husband.

"How will Harry be able to see our home, though?" James asked, directing the question towards the silent Headmaster. "Seeing as he's still a baby and unable to read. It's what's been bugging me for ages."

"The Fidelius Charm only requires someone to see the address on the bewitched parchment. The brain doesn't need to process the words for the magic to happen," Hermione explained, answering for Dumbledore instead. To prove a point, she grabbed the parchment from James's hand and lightly tapped Harry's cheek. The small boy blearily opened his eyes and Hermione immediately placed the address in front of his eyes.

Her baby then flinched, wide eyes now staring at where the Potter Cottage stood.

"See," she said, gesturing at Harry.

She saw how James's gaze turned fond, undoubtedly thinking that despite the circumstances, Hermione didn't pass any opportunity to show how much of a know-it-all she was. Sev had no qualms masking his expression though, snorting and playfully rolling his eyes at her explanation.

"As for my last trick," Dumbledore quipped and he made another series of complicated swishes and flicks. Hermione's eyebrows furrowed when she noted nothing had changed at her home.

"I spelled it so that the façade of your home is still visible for everyone to see. Rest assured that no one will be able to see your family inside," the older wizard explained with a smile. "I'm sure everybody will be terribly confused as to why your house suddenly disappeared out of nowhere. We do not want to raise any suspicion now, do we?"

Hermione slowly nodded her head. "No, sir," she whispered in reply.

"Well then," the wizened man continued. "Seeing that your house is already placed under the Fidelius Charm, the whole family is under strict orders to only venture out if, and only if, the need arises." It didn't slip past Hermione's notice how Dumbledore's gaze was mostly pinned on James. "If said need arises, the Invisibility Cloak must be used. Am I making myself clear?"

James sighed, a small grimace on his face. "Yes, sir," he murmured whilst Hermione slowly nodded her head.

Dumbledore's stern expression then melted into a sad understanding. "All of the horcruxes have been destroyed," he continued. "It is only a matter of time before Voldemort's downfall."

"Do you have a plan?" she blurted out.

The old wizard's eyes hardened, his smile turning tight. "All great plans take time, Hermione," he mildly said. "Patience, my dear."

Hermione took a deep breath and nodded in resignation. Voldemort was still a force to be reckoned with, mortal or immortal. The Death Eaters were formidable, too. It wouldn't do any good if Dumbledore acted prematurely with a half-arsed plan. Hermione would rather the people she loved be alive after she came out of hiding.

"Please be safe," she whispered, her blue eyes sweeping from Dumbledore to Sev. "All of you."

Her best friend drew her into a tight hug. "We will wait for you," was Sev's resolute promise.

Tears prickled her eyes as she placed a chaste kiss on his cheek. "Take care of Lily," she whispered. "I will see you both soon."

Sev squeezed her briefly before completely pulling away.

Hermione turned to James and held his hand. With one last glance at the other two, the Potters walked into their home, hoping for the best.

A/N: I'm really so tempted to post everything in one go just so y'all stop getting frustrated with the choices I'm currently making lmao. Also just so I'm done with this fanfic haha.

The Fidelius Charm is full of contradicting things for me to be honest haha. HP wiki about Fidelius Charm just gave me a headache. Hence, I just tweaked the charm to suit my fancy ahahaha. I'm going to explain it lol because y'all might start asking questions again and I'm shite with replying anyway. So, under said charm, buildings will become invisible (example: East Tower of Potter Manor) unless you're shown the bewitched parchment bearing the address of said building, like what Dumbledore did to Hermione and what Sev did to the Potters. And the only way for the Secret Keeper to divulge said secret is to give the parchment voluntarily. So you know, you can't steal it because the magic won't work— it'll just be a bunch of jumbled words. Losing the paper won't be an issue too because technically, the Secret Keeper didn't give it up voluntarily. I'm not sure but I think in canon, you can also say it verbally. But for this fic, I just chose to use a bewitched paper. So um yeah, it made sense in my head.

This fic is tiring me out holy schanps I can't wait for this to end hahaha. I'm done with the major edits in chapter 55 already lmao look at that.

Only a few more haha.