They didn't, as one might anticipate, spend the next few days discussing the possibilities and the strategies, nor the probability of death for them both. No, instead they carried on in a way that could only be described as vaguely normal. Hermione continued her research in earnest, feeling now more than ever that she needed to prove her worth as a soldier for the light. She spent hours looking through the book with the contraption that she had borrowed from Severus, and he sat reclined beside her marking the essays that he had taken from his students before the break. The only difference now, was the angry comments he would make while slashing through whole sentences with red ink.

"Fucking manipulative arsehole."

"Probably has dementia by this point anyway."

"Who the fuck does he think he is?"

"Should just finish him off myself. Why wait for Voldemort to do it?"

Hermione sighed and rubbed her eyes exhaustedly.

"It's been three days, Professor. Have you not ran out of steam yet?"

"What?" He startled.

"I'm fairly certain that you've spewed out every insult you can think of, and taught me quite a few new ones as a result. Are you going to pipe down yet?"

He scowled menacingly. "Do you want me to leave you to work in peace, little witch?"

She sighed and shook her head. "Of course not. I enjoy your company.

Although I can see why some people don't," she muttered as an afterthought.

His lips twitched, and he seated himself into a more upright position. "Oh, you've only just noticed?"

"Well you're making it pretty obviously. Yes, we know the Headmaster is an absolute arse. And, and don't you disagree with me, we do know that he isn't senile. He's just very, very manipulative. There's no point complaining about it for days on end," she replied tartly. "If you're going to continue like a dog with a bone, I don't mind telling you to take the filthy thing outside."

He snorted. "Are you calling the Headmaster a filthy bone, Hermione?"

She smirked back. "I certainly am. I don't particularly want to spend all of time thinking about him. Not when there are much more important things at hand."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Like what, exactly? What is more important than insulting the man who has decided to ruin both of our lives?"

She took a deep breath as the worries came rushing through. "Like reading through this book quickly to find anything of interest. Finding a solution to the horcrux problem. Finding a way to make Harry into an actual human again, finding a way to kill Voldemort, finding a way to protect Hogwarts, and to protect Muggle rights. AND I have to do my holiday homework still, plus soon we're going to have to start working on a research project, and we need to find a reason for you to use when talking to the Dark Lord, because he certainly isn't going to take kindly to you taking on a Muggleborn witch as your research partner. Plus I need to make sure I can keep to a schedule when school resumes that lets other students see me around enough that they don't suspect anything, and don't forget about the Weasleys - they had no notice before I left, and I haven't heard from them yet. Who knows what Ron thinks? And what Harry will have told him…"

At this point she broke off with a sob. "And-"

He lifted a finger to her mouth to silence her. "Hush. You're emotional, you're not thinking through this rationally."

"Not rational?!" she snapped. "I'll show you rational, you absolute philistine! Rational is accepting that things have truly gone to shit, and there are things we need to do about it? How on Earth can you just carry on moaning as if nothing truly awful is going on? It's like you're complaining about someone who's pissed you off with an irritating cough, or sneezed in your cauldron!"

She huffed, calming slightly as the words left her. Her frustrations let out, she blushed.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

She glared again, but it seemed weak this time. She deflated, and sat back into the sofa comfortably. "I just don't understand why you aren't as stressed as I am."

"Hermione," he said gently. "I am stressed, just not in the same way that you are."

"You are?"

"Yes. But for me, this isn't new. This has been a consistent state since Voldemort returned. All that has changed for me now, is that you have been dragged into a role that puts you in even more danger, and for that I am incredibly angry with Albus Dumbledore. I focus on him, because he has done something that I find to be utterly unjustifiable."

"Oh," she whispered, and the truth of his words dawned on her. He had been fighting this a lot longer, and a lot more dangerously than she ever had. Even now, with all her worries about the coming months, he had his neck in the noose for her. If she couldn't perform up to scratch, he would pay the consequences. Everything that he had worked so hard for would be ruined.

"I am sorry," she offered. "I know this is awful for you, too. I am going to try my best not to make things worse."

He lay an arm over the back of the sofa and smiled at her. "Do try not to die then."

She grinned back at him. "I'll try, but I make no promises."

She wanted to ask him the same, but something inside of her shied away.

She was alone that evening, working quietly through the book with music on in the background. It was strange - she'd always been happy to work in silence before, but now she had become accustomed to someone being with her. Even with the common room full while she did her homework, she'd tuned out the noises that assailed her. Now, she was adjusting to the loss of a companion that she could tolerate in her focused studies. Severus didn't distract with his noise, only lifted her mood and provided valuable insights.

To be entirely honest, the Weird Sisters weren't doing much to fill that void at all.

It was enough to make her rush over to the fireplace when she heard the floo. She hadn't been aware of her fireplace being connected to the network, but that didn't bother her. She quickly fell to her knees and answered, smiling at the sight of Ron's head grinning at her, hair wild and small smudges of floo powder on his face.

"You've got something on your nose, by the way," she said by way of greeting, and he laughed.

"I'm glad you seem okay, 'Mione! Jeez, wanted to check on you, and you're fussed about the state of my nose… blimey, woman!"

"Sorry, I'm sorry Ron, I'm just so happy to see you. We didn't get to talk before, and I know you must have been quite worried when you brought me back here - thank you for that, by the way, did Harry speak to you?"

He sighed and shook his head. "Harry hasn't spoken to me, but I did try to confront him. He basically ran off spouting crap about my being 'on your side' and not trusting him. Not exactly unexpected, is it? When he made you all scary upset. Seriously, I've never seen you like it, it was really awful…"

Hermione curled her arms around her legs, feeling small. "I'm so sorry, Ron. I wish I could just give you a hug - you don't know how much you helped me that night…"

"I wish I could hug you," Ron said quietly. "What-what happened that night. It wasn't the first time, was it?"

She shook her head. "No."

"And that's why you left us and returned to Hogwarts?"

"Yes," she whispered. "I'm so sorry I left, I just couldn't stay. I felt sickened, and scared. I didn't want it to happen again, so I hid away here. I am helping the Order though - I'm doing everything I can. I don't want you to feel like I've got it easy, and I'm just back at school worrying over books, I-"

"Hermione. I know you're helping. You've helped us all the way through, me and Harry would have died without you. I guess this time, everyone can help you be safe. And you're safer at Hogwarts."

"Thank you, Ron. It means a lot. Are you okay with Harry?"

Ron sighed. "I don't know, 'Mione. He's acting even stranger since you left again. I guess he's worried about you talking about what happened. He won't speak to me more than a sentence at a time, and stares at me as if plotting my murder. I mean-" Hermione could even see his bashful look through the flames. "I'm not saying that he's going to kill me; he's actually hurt you, and I just mean that his face is…"

"Frightening," Hermione finished. "Like he's completely cold inside. Like he's no longer human."

Ron nodded emphatically. "Exactly. Hermione, did he, well, y'know, did he…?"

"Rape me?" Hermione asked flatly. The second time in only a few days, and she was going to admit to it again… after so many months of keeping it hidden, of pretending to be so strong and capable…

"Did he?" Ron asked unsurely.

"Yes. But not this time. This time he just, well, my mouth…"

Her friend gaped at her, his sobs echoing through and providing an odd sort of comfort. Ron was hurting for her, he understood her pain.

"I am so, so sorry, Hermione. I should've looked for you, or contacted you. I should have known you didn't just have an argument. I'll fucking kill him!" Anger built rapidly, and Ron's jaw clenched. "He fucking rapes you, and then acts like you've thrown a tantrum about a creased book spine! And now he's here, oiling up mum and dad, getting all lovey dovey with Ginny, when he's actually such a fucking prick! He might be the 'chosen one' but he can't get away with this shit! Did you tell anyone?"

"I don't Dumbledore," she murmured. "He encouraged me to stay silent, we need everyone on Harry's side."

"Fuck Harry's side! We're on the Order's side! Who made Harry leader of this fuckjob anyway?!"

"Voldemort," Hermione reminded him. "Voldemort chose him, and now we all have to rally around him like good little dogs."

A clatter in the background made Ron glance to the side. "I'm sorry, 'Mione, I need to go. Can you arrange for McGonagall to let me in to the castle? Tell her that I need to return some of the things you left at the Burrow. Would she let me come, d'you think?"

Hermione thought of her fierce head of house, brimming with fury at Dumbledore and a need to help her favourite pupil, and smiled. "Yeah. I think she would. I'll write you?"

"Any time you can arrange, I'll be there. Stay strong, 'Mione. I'll see you soon."

"Thank you, Ron."

He was gone in a flash, but Hermione stayed put, staring into the flames and marvelling at how her once naive and blindsighted friend had become almost an adult.