Sorry for the delay! For some reason the FF server wasn't letting me into my profile to publish for the last few days. Enjoy!
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CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR – THE NEW D.A.
Unfortunately for Severus, the next week was too busy and exhausting for him to put any real effort into his plan to take Hermione, although the thought never left him, and he considered bending her over the potions bench in his lab each time they brewed but the potions were too sensitive, he thought about skipping meals just to mount her in the morning instead of eating, of ramming into her against a wall in an alcove instead of lunch. However, the meals they did skip weren't for pleasure and Hermione insisted on breakfast. Severus spent most of his time trying to convince the Carrows, and sometimes Filch, that various intense torture methods – or even the killing curse – were not acceptable forms of punishment. He also seemed to spend a great deal of time avoiding putout professors and Hermione had told him she was definitely being followed on occasion – Flitwick was surprisingly terrible at sneaking about.
Friday night, Hermione skipped dinner to meet the boys in the common room. She gave the suspicious fat lady the password and entered to see the boys plus Ginny. She smiled at them and they crossed the room to say hello.
"What's the plan?" Hermione asked.
"We need to get to the Room of Requirement to talk."
"Now?" Hermione asked.
"Yes." Ginny snapped.
"We will have to use a secret passage. Alecto patrols the main hall between here and there every Friday during dinner."
"How do you know?" Harry asked.
"Severus gave me access to all of the Carrows and Filches patterns and plans for patrol."
Ron shrugged, "Works for me."
Ginny gave Hermione a suspicious look but led them out of the common room and through the passage that would take them the back way to the Room. The Room of Requirement welcomed them into another sitting room type setting, although it felt almost like an office to Hermione.
"We need to be sure you won't betray us." Harry stated.
"I never would. How can I prove it?"
The other three nodded at each other and Ginny pulled out a tiny vial. Hermione knew what it was immediately and swallowed. She hoped they would mostly avoid the topic of Severus, there were definitely some things going on there that she didn't want to tell them and that they definitely didn't want to know. Hermione nodded and put out her hand, Ginny handed her the vial. Hermione took a deep breath and downed the veritaserum in one swallow.
"Where'd you get the potion?" Hermione asked.
"Slughorn." Harry said.
Hermione smiled at him and giggled, "Naturally."
"Hermione," Ginny said seriously, "Are you in anyway under the influence of Severus Snape's command."
"No."
"Will you tell him anything we say at this meeting?" Harry asked.
"Maybe."
The trio looked at each other and back to Hermione. "Explain."
"If I think it can help you, I will tell him the vague details. If I don't think it will help you, I won't tell him."
"Why would you tell him anything at all?" Ron grumbled.
"I trust him." Hermione said simply.
"How can you?" Ron said angrily.
Hermione looked at him, her slightly out of focus eyes made him uncomfortable. "He saved my life and by placing a false claim on me, he has also protected from Death Eaters every moment of every day."
"Protected?" Ginny asked, kicking Ron's shin to shut him up.
"A thrall can never be touched or spoken to by another Death Eater without the master's permission."
"Are you a thrall?" Harry asked.
"By name only. Like I told you before, Severus never harmed me and we maintain an image for my protection."
"Would Snape ever give another Death Eater permission?" Ginny asked.
"Only if Voldemort demanded it. But even then, he's smart; he would find a way around it if there was one."
The trio seemed satisfied although not convinced. "I'm going to tell you my plan then Hermione," Harry said.
"It's a bloody awful plan!" Ron jested.
Ginny elbowed him but said, "Eh Ron's not wrong."
Harry made a sour face and Hermione giggled. The evening was spent listening to Harry's plan – Hermione didn't think it was completely terrible- and laughing and spending time together. It was clear the trio was confused about how to react to Hermione's answers, but there was no doubt she had been telling the truth, and that did warm them up to her. They returned to the common room late, Hermione weaving them around traps the Carrows had set and Filch's patrol. Hermione was exhausted but emotionally sated when she returned to her and Severus' rooms, smiling as she changed into her pajamas – her lips twisting devilishly as she pulled on the shorts. She felt a certain amount of surprise at how ok she was in the midst of this war. Severus woke up the minute she pulled back the covers.
"You're late, witch." He grumbled.
"It was a good time, I'll tell you in the morning."
As soon as she was settled, Severus moved towards her in the bed. He wasn't a cuddler but he wanted to be as close to this damned she-devil as possible. He suddenly remembered his unsuccessful plan.
"Are you tired?" He mumbled into her hair as she wiggled back against him. Bloody tease.
"Not particularly."
"Good." He growled.
Hermione giggled, turning towards him, "Severus Snape, you sound like you have something up your sleeve."
"For the entire week."
"Oh really?"
"Yes."
"Like what?"
"I'll show you every idea." He flexed his hips against her.
"There's more than one?"
"Infinite. No more questions."
She huffed out a partial laugh but turned onto her back and she swore Severus looked like he was about to pout. "Severus…"
"Yes?"
She turned a dark shade of pink. "I'm scared?"
"Of what?" He asked, bewildered.
She motioned vaguely between them.
"Us?"
"Well, you." He cocked an eyebrow at her and she slapped a hand over her face, "No not like that, like how you make my body feel."
"That bad?" He was jesting but she could hear a hint of worry.
"Only if you count too much good as bad."
"I'm really afraid you've lost me, Hermione."
She sighed. "Remember when I told you I never… orgasmed… with the muggle boy."
His nostrils flared. "Yes."
"Well, I've never actually, ahem, orgasmed at all. Until that morning at Malfoy Manor."
He stared hard at her. "You aren't serious."
"I'm afraid so."
"Not even when you…"
She shrugged, "I can't seem to do it. My body gets so close to the edge and right before I think something is going to happen it just… fades away."
"So never?"
"Never."
He stared at her a long moment more. "So you're scared because you feel good around me?"
She nodded. "It's intense."
Severus sighed. "Go to sleep witch, this is a serious problem that needs more than a quick fuck to deal with."
Hermione giggled. "Cursing sounds good on you."
"Don't get used to it."
"Yes, sir."
"Go to sleep."
"Yes, sir."
"Hermione…"
She laughed and curled back into her side so Severus could wrap around her.
SHSHSH
Hermione's weekend was spent helping the trio plan their escape from the castle and building up the rebel group. Hermione made more charmed parchment sheets to pass out and helped teach people to fight, including some of the easier stuff Severus had been helping her learn. She decided not to tell him Harry's plan after all, certain that once the Dark Lord found out Harry escaped, if Severus knew about it before hand he would be severely punished.
Several weeks continued as such, busy weekdays, and even busier weekends. The new D.A. was a raging success and people were mostly learning very quickly, determined to be strong enough to actually help fight the war. It was quietly decided that Neville and Luna would take over control once Harry, Ron, and Ginny left, and Hermione would continue to help however she could. Neville broke into Severus' office to steal the sword of Gryffindor, which Severus stopped, but told Hermione it wasn't the real one anyway. Harry decided, at the end of the fourth week, that they needed to escape within the next few days. Hermione relayed what Severus had told her, that the real sword was at the Malfoy's somewhere and that she and Severus had discovered one of the horcruxes was in Bellatrix's vault in Gringotts.
On a Wednesday night, after Hermione has graciously slipped Alecto Carrow a sleeping potion and Severus kept Amycus preoccupied, Hermione, along with Neville, helped the trio slip out of the common room and through the many hallways to the front door. Hermione stopped them nearby, just out of sight until exactly 2am when Severus said he would make sure there was enough of a crack in the wards for Hermione to work some magic and get them out. At 2am she felt the disjointed slip of magic and knew it was Severus' wards cracking. She stepped out and blasted effective counter curses Severus had taught her particularly for this moment and waved at the rest of the group to follow her. Outside, some awkward good-bye hugs were had as well as some sincere thank yous, and the trio ran for the forest where they could disapparate.
"Can I ask you something, Hermione?"
"Always, Neville."
She followed him back inside to an abandoned classroom. She was curious as he led them to some of the hairs in a far corner where it was too dark to see. Neville looked around at the door and pulled out the Marauder's Map.
"I didn't let Harry and Ron know I had this because they would demand it back, and I didn't want them to see what I did."
"Why not?" She already knew what he had seen.
"Because it would make them furious and distract them, especially Ron, and they didn't need that."
"Thank you, that's really wise of you Neville."
"So you live with Snape?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
She shrugged. "I think in some ways its habit, that's how it was all summer for us."
"The house where Bellatrix trapped you."
"Yes, but also in some ways I think he's keeping me out of harm's way."
"That doesn't sound like him."
Hermione smiled knowingly, "He's definitely a snarky bastard, Neville, but there's a genuine human in there too."
"What about him killing Dumbledore?"
Hermione sighed. "There is a complex story surrounding that, and I'm afraid it's not my story to tell."
"But you trust him anyway? I mean, I know you do, Ginny told me about the veritaserum, but I want to hear it."
"I do trust him. I think- I think he's my friend, Neville, and it's really weird but it's really good."
Neville chuckled nervously. "Honestly, you're probably a bit bonkers but you seem alright and you've been a great help to the D.A. I know they never said it Hermione, but I know sometimes words are important; I trust you."
"You don't think I've been brainwashed?" Hermione laughed nervously.
Neville shrugged. "No, you're too much yourself to be controlled by anyone else, especially him. It's you in there." He said, gesturing at her head.
"That means a lot, Neville, thank you."
SHSHSH
Severus slipped away from the abandoned classroom before either of them left. He was her friend; the statement rang in his ears and gave him a strange feeling. A combination of positives and negatives. He liked the concept of having a friend, and of any of them out there, he was certain Hermione was the best of them. But he seemed to be on a similar track with her as Lily. Granted, he didn't love Hermione, but he wanted her, which made things equally as messy. Did that mean he would have to choose between sleeping with her and being her friend? It didn't appear so, although, Severus knew he had never really been good with the whole friends thing, so who was he to judge?
Severus retreated to the room and hoped he could pretend to be asleep when Hermione returned, or maybe actually asleep. Hermione returned not long after him and snuck about quietly as she changed and brushed her teeth, before slipping into the bed. She gingerly scooted closer to him and sighed, totally worn out.
"You aren't asleep, are you?" She asked.
"How'd you know?"
"You're tense and your breathing is shallow."
"How observant."
"I know I am," she teased. Hermione wriggled some more to press her back against Severus but when he stayed tense and didn't respond she turned to her other side to face him. "What's going on?"
"Nothing."
"You really can't fool me."
"Fine, I don't want to talk about it."
She huffed. "Too bad."
He turned his head to look at her. "Trying to figure out where sex would fit into this."
Hermione snorted, "What now?"
"We are companionable, friendly even. Our various knowledge make us mutual beneficial to each other's efforts. Sex makes it complicated."
"How?" She asked, propping herself up on her elbow to see him better.
"Even sex without strings attached, has strings. Whether it be emotions, abuse of power, the dynamic of one person using the other, the dichotomy will change."
Hermione was silent for a moment, watching the stiff movements of his sallow face, admiring the contrast of his black hair on the pale grey sheets. "And you are afraid of that."
"I have never been a good friend, and more than that I have never chosen good friends. Unfortunately in this situation, the latter is irrelevant and the former is a problem."
Hermione looked at him very seriously, reaching out to rest her hand on his chest. It was ironic to her that the gesture seemed intimate after their reckless bedroom shenanigans. "We've been stuck with each other for nearly five months now and you have never been a bad friend, not in my book."
"Not even when I insulted your hair?"
Hermione looked at him confused for a minute then laughed, "Oh yes, at the Malfoy's, I believe you called it ghastly, and no, not even then."
Severus evaluated her face. She was being truthful and he didn't understand it. Why didn't that comment make her angry? Why didn't she dwell on it? He had thought about it often, full of regret with his stomach twisting. "I see." He said, just to say something, but he didn't think he saw at all.