Thank you so much for your patience. I started graduate school in August and am taking nine hours of school, on top of working full-time and being a parent. I know a lot of people have commented and asked when I would update or if I'd abandoned this story. I have outlined this story all the way to the end, and the lovely Margot Le Faye was kind enough to review my outline and notes on the Battle of Hogwarts and beyond and provide valuable input. This story WILL be completed, but unfortunately I no longer have a set post schedule.

Thank you for reading and for continuing to follow along on Hermione's journey. As always, I welcome your comments and feedback.

Cheers,
Elle

~oOo~

The Battle of Hogwarts, Part 2

It ended up being for the best that they ran into Professor McGonagall, despite the older witch's hard stare and Hermione's fear that she'd be called out, reported, and punished for what they'd just done to the Carrows.

The deputy headmistress cast a patronus, sending not one, not two, but three small, silvery cats scurrying away, each bearing a message for the other heads of house. She then sent Luna back to warn the students who'd gathered in the Room of Requirement, adding wryly, "Yes, Miss Lovegood, I am well aware of the sanctuary Mr. Longbottom has created there. Do let him know that he can use that fake Galleon to summon the Weasley twins and the others. If You-Know-Who is coming, we must be ready."

A surprised Luna smiled and then skipped away, and Hermione's mouth fell open in shock and the realisation that her former head of house had known what they'd been up to all along with Dumbledore's Army and the fake coins.

"You seem surprised, Miss Granger," Minerva said rather smugly.

"I...was not aware you knew."

"You'd be surprised at how little slips past my notice," she said primly.

Harry glanced over at Hermione.

"Well, um, I'm not sure if this is one of those things that has slipped past your notice or not, but you should be aware that, um...Malfoy's on our side," he said.

Hermione could only describe the expression on her former head of house's face as 'gobsmacked.' She sucked in a deep breath and knew she was about to have to put on a compelling act.

"I beg your pardon? Did you just say Malfoy?"

"I know it's… unexpected. Wasn't exactly something I expected either, but he is," Harry offered.

"Mr. Potter, I am willing to do a great many things to assist you this night, many of them without question, but on this I must question you. Why on earth would you presume that Draco Malfoy is on our side? He let Death Eaters into this castle!"

Harry looked at Hermione for help then, and she knew it was time.

"Professor, I realise it's most unusual but Draco and I...we're together."

No, she had to take back what she'd thought before. Now Minerva McGonagall looked gobsmacked.

"Obviously we've had to keep our relationship very secret, for both our sakes. But he IS helping us. He's passed information and supplies to us for months, critical information that has helped us beyond measure. He does not want to be a Death Eater, and he just wants this to be over and for Harry to win," she insisted.

"You are certain of this?" Minerva asked.

"I am."

"And what would you have me do with this information? Surely you don't expect Mr. Malfoy to turn his back on his family, do you?"

"I...well, actually…" Hermione's voice trailed off as she tried to think of an appropriate response. "I don't want anyone on our side to attack him, and I'd like for you to spread the word that Draco is, um, a double agent, basically."

This was it. This was her chance to lay the groundwork to save Lucius as well. She would explain to Minerva how Lucius had never wanted the mark or this violent existence either. She would tell her how Lucius had passed information to her through Draco, information that saved lives.

She never got the chance.

For in that moment, a familiar, sneering voice echoed in the corridor.

"Minerva? Who is that with you?"

Minerva pushed Harry and Hermione both behind her as Severus Snape stepped out of the shadows. Hermione's heart felt as if it had caught in her throat at the sight of the Death Eater-turned-Headmaster, and she fumbled with her wand to silently cast a disillusionment charm on herself and Harry both. It was not perfect by any means, and she silently berated herself for not insisting that they both cover themselves with the cloak the moment they left Ravenclaw tower.

"No one. What are you doing in this part of the castle?" the elder witch said.

"I am the headmaster. I do not owe you an explanation," Snape sneered. "Where are the Carrows?"

"I am hardly equipped to monitor the other faculty, Severus. I presume they are wherever they would normally be at this hour," Minerva said tightly, her disdain for her colleague evidence in her voice and tense posture.

Hermione tried to control her breathing, her heart racing as her former professors continued to speak to each other. It was clear that Alecto had indeed summoned Voldemort, for Snape had felt it in his own dark mark.

"Have you seen Harry Potter? Because if you have, I must insist…" Snape continued.

He never got out another word.

Minerva unleashed a string of spells with a speed and ferocity that shocked Hermione. Snape appeared to hold his own until Minerva was joined by the other heads of house.

With Snape sufficiently distracted, Harry withdrew the cloak and cast it over the both of them, holding onto Hermione's sleeve. She wanted to leave, to suggest that they flee. They had a mission to fulfill, a diadem to find, but she found herself unable to tear her eyes from the duel playing out in front of them.

Spells flew back and forth, ricocheting off Snape's shield, the armor in the hall, and the castle's stone walls. Hermione stumbled as Harry pulled her down the hallway, following a fleeing Snape and the heads of house.

They turned the corner, and Harry stopped so abruptly that Hermione ran into him. Minerva and the others were gathered at a large window that had been shattered.

"Did he jump?" Professor Flitwick asked, his small stature impeding his view.

"Flew," Minerva said sourly.

Harry withdrew the cloak and cancelled the disillusionment charm on them and pushed past a stunned and breathless Horace Slughorn.

He and Hermione joined the rest of the group at the window.

"Was that… a bat?" Hermione gasped as she watched the creature fly away.

"Are you kidding me?" Harry said as he leaned past Hermione to look out the broken window. "All those years Fred and George called him 'the bat of the dungeons' and it was his animagus form all along?"

"Ahem."

They both turned as Minerva cleared her voice, a rather satisfied look on her face, apparently pleased with Snape's departure.

"I do believe, Mr. Potter, you and young Miss Granger have a mission to complete?"

"Yes professor."

Minerva turned to address her colleagues. "Severus has gone back to his master, but he will be back. You-Know-Who is coming, for Mr. Potter. We must prepare."

She glanced back at Harry and Hermione and raised an eyebrow at them.

"Well, then? Off with you. I have a castle to prepare."

~oOo~

Unsure of where to start their search, Hermione and Harry made their way back to the Room of Requirement, concealed underneath his cloak. When they entered the room, she was stunned to see that the population inside had easily tripled.

"What is this?" Harry asked he pulled the cloak off of them.

"Luna told us what happened with the Carrows, so we figured if You-Know-Who is coming, we might as well call in reinforcements," Neville said with a cheeky grin as he flipped one of their old DA coins in the air. Hermione momentarily wondered what had happened to the shy, awkward little boy who'd been her classmate for so many years. The Neville before her was a far cry from the ickle firstie he'd once been.

"You work fast," Hermione said, impressed at how quickly Luna and Neville had gotten the word out to their allies and how quickly they'd come running. She was drawn from her thoughts - and nearly knocked down - when Sirius barreled through the crowd to fling his arms around Harry with an exuberant shout.

Sirius looked a bit worse for wear since she'd last seen him, and she couldn't help but notice that a small section of his hair was singed. Still, he was a sight for sore eyes. He broke away from Harry after a moment and clapped a hand on her shoulder.

"It's good to see you, kid," he offered.

"It's good to see you too Sirius. Harry's been out of his mind with worry about you," she admitted.

"Have you pup?" he asked. "After 12 years in Azkaban, a few scrapes with Death Eaters is nothing."

They were swarmed then by Remus, Tonks, and then a horde of Weasleys.

"Where's Ron?" she heard Harry asked George and Fred.

The twins exchanged a confused glance.

"We thought that ickle Ronniekins-" George said.

"Was with you," Fred finished.

Hermione looked at Fred and George both, but before she could respond, Molly Weasley pushed past her to hug Harry and exclaim over him.

Then she looked at Hermione and Harry in confusion. "Where...where is Ron?"

Harry frowned. "He left. Before Christmas. He said he was going back home. Have you not seen him at all?"

"Of course. He came home for Christmas, and it was so lovely to see him! I know how difficult this has been for him, for all of you. He left after the holidays and said he was going back to meet you." Molly glanced at them again, and her face crumpled with worry. "Did he…? You've not seen him at all?"

Harry ran his fingers through his hair, obviously frustrated and concerned as he explained again that Ron would not have had a way to find them once he left, as they'd carefully concealed their presence and moved to a new location every few days.

Hermione was not surprised at Molly's rising panic as she listened to Harry. Her son was missing, after all, and she'd surely shown up at the castle expecting to see him. Of course, there were perfectly logical reasons for why had not found them, and if he'd not found them then it made no sense for him to make his way back to Hogwarts. She voiced this opinion to Molly and the assembled group, reminding them that it would not have been safe for Ron to come here, and surely he was with another Order group.

Arthur Weasley met Hermione's gaze and the look on his face told her that he knew, he knew there were many other, horrible fates that could have befallen his youngest son, but he was not willing to put voice to them now, and for that she was grateful.

"Ron could have gone to Lee Jordan and that group, you know," Fred offered.

"S'right, he said he'd been listening to their program," George added. "Lee Jordan keeps a DA coin too, so Ron could have easily found him that way if he still has his coin."

"If Lee heard the message about coming here, he'll put it out to everyone, and surely Ron will here it and head this way, right mates?" Neville offered.

"Yeah," Harry said, "I'm sure you're correct."

Hermione could hear the uncertainty in his voice though, and she offered a supportive squeeze to his hand.

Her bracelet warmed on her other wrist moments later, and she moved back from her best friend to check the message.

Have you found it? Dark Lord knows Potter at Hogwarts. Gathering army and headed there.

They'd suspected this was coming, but seeing it spelled out on her bracelet was still terrifying. She quickly sent back her own message.

Alecto Carrow summoned Him before we knocked her out. Snape fled. Looking for diadem now.

He replied almost immediately.

Snake is with Dark Lord. Find diadem NOW.

"Harry! Harry!" she grabbed her friend, pulling him back from conversation with Sirius and the Weasleys.

"They're coming," she pushed out.

He stared at her for a moment until she lifted her wrist, showing him the bracelet. Understanding dawned in his eyes then.

"He gave word?"

"Yes. The Dark Lord is gathering an army, and we don't have a lot of time. We need to hurry."

Lucius's message ended up being rather fortuitously timed, as it snapped Harry out of his melancholy and fear for Ron long enough to take charge again. Harry barked out orders, telling everyone that Voldemort was coming, and that the students needed to be evacuated. An uproar from the assembled 6th and 7th year students threatened to drown him out, as they argued to stay and fight. Sirius and Kingsley Shacklebolt gathered their respective teams and left quickly, eager to catch up to Minerva and talk about the castle's defenses.

Moments after they left, Minerva's disembodied voice echoed through the din, instructing all students to assemble in the Great Hall.

Hermione caught Harry's attention. "Do you want to go down there?" she asked, nodding to the DA students who were filing out of the Room of Requirement.

Harry ran his fingers through his hair, a worried look on his face. "Honestly? No. But it makes sense to let the students know that I'm here, that this is really happening."

He said this with an almost resigned air, but he squared his shoulders and for a few moments she thought he looked less like the Boy-Who-Lived and more like the man his father had grown to be.

"Besides," he said with a sigh, "It's not like we know where to find that stupid fucking tiara. We might as well hear what Minerva has to say."

"It's a diadem, Harry," she reminded him as they made their way down toward the Great Hall. It was not until much later that she realised she did not get a chance to explain to the assembled Order and DA that Lucius and Draco were on their side.