It was a little after midday that Hermione sent her patronus to inform Minerva that she was ready for visitors. She'd awoken at 9:30, however Severus had required to go and freshen up for the day before returning to have breakfast with her. Both of them silently agreed that it really would not appear proper for the fierce Gryffindor head of house to arrive to the sight of Severus Snape sleep rumpled and still in yesterday's clothes.
They were both seated comfortable, side by side on the sofa, with a tea set for three and a plate of toasted teacakes courtesy of Spiffy. The living room had been returned to its pre-Snape state, as he had elongated the sofa (I'm not sleeping curled up again. Too old for that shit!) and taken hold of the blanket from the night before. Hermione had once again transfigured the cushion into a pillow, though neither of them said anything about it.
Hermione was just pouring the perfectly brewed Earl Grey when McGonagall entered, unexpectedly with the Headmaster in toe.
"Headmaster," Hermione said, her eyes narrowing as she rose to her feet. "I wasn't expecting you."
"That's quite alright, Miss Granger," Dumbledore smiled. "I can look after myself fairly well."
And with that, he transfigured a lump of sugar into a teacup, and reached for the pot. "Do you mind?"
She shook her head. "No, not at all. I would've asked Spiffy for another cup."
One look at Snape's face told her that he was feeling just about as happy with Dumbledore's intrusion as she was.
Ordinarily, they would have consumed at least half a cup of tea on pleasantries, but Albus Dumbledore had very different ideas.
"I am sorry that you couldn't find me last night, Severus," he began, not looking sorry at all. "I was rather indisposed, too many places to be…"
Severus gritted his teeth, and his grip on his teacup tightened. "Indeed."
"No matter, no matter! Luckily Professor McGonagall was kind enough to find me this morning and inform me of the situation."
Severus raised an eyebrow. "You mean the situation of which you were already aware?"
Hermione squeaked as Dumbledore turned his gaze on her. "I hear, my dear, that there has been an additional trauma to Mr Potter and yourself?"
Mutely, Hermione nodded. She took another sip of tea, and then busied herself with buttering a teacake. "Yes," she eventually replied. "I assume that Professor McGonagall informed you?"
"She did indeed," Dumbledore said gravely. "I was hoping that we could make sure this wouldn't affect your learning here, nor your relationship with your teachers. Alas, it appears to not be so…"
All three of the room's remaining occupants glared.
"And why would you hope that, Headmaster?" Severus asked silkily, a dangerous glint in his eye as one eyebrow rose. "When you didn't inform even Hermione's head of house about the events that had taken place?"
"Oh, my dear boy," Albus replied. "I told the Order, as you are aware, the details that I felt pertinent for them to know while being sensitive to Miss Granger's mental state. If she herself has chosen not to disclose the information, then that must be respected. It is a very delicate situation after all…"
"The boy should be arrested!" Snape snapped. "Why you haven't treated this more seriously, I cannot fathom. Are you using children in your campaign now?"
"He has been for a while," McGonagall interjected, looking every bit as venomous as her colleague. "He was grooming Mr Potter for his part a long time."
"Fuck Potter!" Snape hissed. "The boy is a lost cause. Why aren't you protecting your other students?"
He placed a hand on Hermione's knee as he made his point, and while Minerva didn't appear to notice, Albus Dumbledore did. As did Hermione, as the blush spread across her cheeks, and prettily down her neck.
Breathe, Hermione. Breathe. He isn't going to hurt you. This feeling makes no sense. It's a kind of nervous energy, adrenaline. But you're in Hogwarts, and you're safe…
As if aware of her inner monologue, Snape removed his hand and crossed his arms petulantly.
"Ahhh, Severus. To be youthful again, and full of passion. You mustn't let your hatred of the boy cloud your reasoning, Severus. We will all need to play our part in helping the boy before this war is out."
He looked like he was about to retort, but clearly thought better of it as he mimicked Hermione's actions with a teacake.
"Now, my dear," Dumbledore turned to Hermione. "I suppose the question now, is what can we do with you. I have already had some thoughts, I must admit, from my conversation with Minerva. But I must ask you, what do you propose? What role would you like to play here?"
"A useful one," she said icily. "And I am not a child, Professor. I am no longer a child in any sense of the word."
"You are all children to me, Miss Granger." His blue eyes twinkled as he looked to both of his colleagues. "When you reach an age such a mine, your perspective does shift over the years."
Snape muttered something about him becoming senile, which was kindly ignored by everyone in the room.
"Nevertheless, you are correct." He inclined his head. "You are of age, and able to make your own decisions in terms of staying at Hogwarts and continuing your education, or going to take an active part in our fight against the Dark Lord and his compatriots. I understand that this may be a difficult decision to make, but-"
"I choose. Both." Hermione said firmly. "And if you think that it is a choice between rather than a conjunctive possibility then you are utterly deluded. You work here, all three of you, and play your part in this war. Many other order members work in the Ministry of Magic, or as Aurors, or shopkeepers. Occupation and personal life do not impede on the cause. If you are living for the fight alone, then you are not living for the life after it. I will have a life after it, experiences be damned. And when the time comes, I will be bloody educated. That is, after all, the point of keeping Hogwarts open, is it not?"
Her eyes were steady as they fixed upon the hated man, but inside she was shaking. This was the first time since, since - since the event - that she'd expressed any want of a future, or the possibility of one. It seemed that her fury, at the Headmaster and at the world, was enough to push her into a place of priority in her world; possibly for the first time in her life. She glanced to Severus beside her, and warmed as she caught the quirk of his lips and the look in his eyes that could only be described as pride.
Dumbledore simply chuckled merrily and clapped his hands. "Ah, and what else could we expect from such a brilliant young mind? Truly wondrous indeed…"
Severus let out what could be best described as a low growl. "Cut to the chase, Albus. You said you already had some ideas?" His lips twisted into a fierce grimace with the last word, but Dumbledore was far from fazed.
"Well, my dear boy, I think we can all agree that Miss Granger's safety is of the utmost importance in this situation,"
"Well at least you're thinking about that now," Severus muttered.
"And we must think forward to her safety at Hogwarts, as well as this divided world we are living in at current."
"Why would we need to think forward in regards to Hogwarts?" Minerva spoke sharply. "She is in no more danger here than our other students. Hogwarts is the safest place in the country."
The Headmaster let out a long sigh. "I am unsure for how long that will remain the case, my dear. As you are aware, our student population is very much half-blood and pureblood at this moment in time. With the influence that Voldemort has over the Ministry, and his growing number of followers, it is only a matter of time before they take Hogwarts entirely. We already have an abomination of education in regards to Defence and Muggle Studies," he shook his head. "And we really should think forward to when I and likely you, Minerva, are no longer here."
"So what?" Hermione interrupted miserably. "Are you telling me I have to leave, or fall prey to the Death Eaters? I already told you - I do not intend to leave Hogwarts. Hogwarts is my home."
The only home I have left, she added silently.
"That is where my plan comes into place, my dear. It is of course very dangerous but very important to the order. I will understand if it is something you aren't able to do, and we can always find someone else for the job…"
Someone worthy.
"Cut to the chase, Albus," Snape snarled. "What exactly are you proposing?"
"Severus, you know how much I value the work you do, and how important it is to our cause."
"And?"
"And a time may come when you are unable to fulfill this role that you have played so wonderfully. At that time, we will require someone else to take up the mantle, so to speak…."
He let the words hang heavily in the air, sipping his tea as his audience absorbed the meaning of his words.
"You want me to take over from Severus as spy?" Hermione asked quietly while Severus stared widely, radiating shock and fury towards his colleague. Minerva, for her part, looked absolutely dumbfounded.
"Oh no," Dumbledore chuckled. " Not take over, not if it can be helped. Simply work with him, as a kind of contingency plan. Should Severus need to retreat, or should he be unable to pass information to us, then we need someone who is already accepted into Voldemort's ranks, who has learned the methods that Severus has used so ingeniously over the last two decades. In addition, it is important at this time to make sure that the Dark Lord trusts Severus completely and unwaveringly. To have brought someone so close to Harry over to his cause, would be a tremendous feat."
"And how do you expect that to go down?" Snape shouted, rising to his feet in rage. "You'd be asking me to take her to her death! She would be murdered the moment she entered their presence! One look at her would have them itching to draw their wands! Is she so disposable that you would have me bring her into their presence as prey? Would you have me hand her over as some sort of prize? Albus, you ask to much. When will you fucking stop?"
"My boy…" Severus flinched at the words. "I am not asking you to take her forward unprepared. I am simply suggesting a few weeks of intense training to prepare her before you bring her forward. Long enough to provide occlumency training and the basics of blood elitism. That is all."
"So you expect me to spend rather inappropriate amounts of time with a student, privately?" He asked sarcastically. "Oh yes, that will look great on my resume when I get to leave this place."
Dumbledore chuckled. "I'm sure your CV can survive this, Severus. And while you have been raging, I am of the opinion that this is Miss Granger's choice. Should she decline, we can move her to a safe house. What say you, Miss Granger?"
She thought quickly. A safe house, or Hogwarts. A seat away from the war, or an active role in fighting for what she believed in. A choice to do what was right, rather than what was easy. The chance to prove that she was more than just a mudblood, that she was a force to be reckoned with. A chance to be powerful, brave, everything that she wanted to be.
"I'll do it."
Half an hour later, Minerva and Albus had both removed themselves from their chambers - Minerva to drown her sorrows, and the Headmaster to draw up a research agreement for the pair, as a cover for their work together. They would, of course, have to work on this in addition to their other activities.
For now though, the pair sat side by side in quiet reflection, trying to understand the monumental decision that had taken place in such a short amount of time. Finally, Hermione reached for his hand, and squeezed it gently in her own.
"Thank you, Professor. For standing up for me with Dumbledore."
He flipped his palm and squeezed back. "You're very welcome. Hermione."