How she wished it were a time where she could laugh, wrapping her arms around Severus' neck while he sat by the fire reading some legendary book, as she touted, "I've just ridden a dragon. Can you imagine that?" And he would give a quirk of his lips, a smile she had only come to know it as with time and patience, as he delivered some eloquent quip with his deep vibrato beside her ear. She would swat at him playfully and resign herself to joining him by the fire with her own book and tea in tow. A peaceful world unnamed between them, there, in that space.
But this time was not that time. This was a time of torture, starvation, and near defeat. She wondered if they ever would reach that time- either of them. If any wizarding household would ever feel safe again. If she could ever call out "Mum!" or "Dad!" and have two smiling faces answer her in proud recognition. No. Such things were getting harder to picture each day. The end, possibly of everything she had come to know, was near. Today, they would walk in upon Severus in his starring role. And she knew, with seeping dread, how well they would both play their parts.
Aberforth had treated them well, offering their weary souls both food and compassion. Neither of which could completely fill the swiftly deepening void inside Hermione. A void of sorrow and uncertainty.
"Give up," the old man pleaded. "Go into hiding and save yourselves. There's nothing for you here."
"That's just it. We've been hiding," Hermione's flat voice rose from behind a mug of untouched Butterbeer. "There is nothing for us out there either." Her eyes were too cold for someone of her years. They'd seen too much. Felt too much.
Harry's hand met the wooden table in determination. "I've trusted Dumbledore through all of my years at Hogwarts. Maybe his methods were not always the best... Maybe, even, he wasn't the man that I thought him to be." He took a moment of silent introspection before turning his eyes to Aberforth. "But I trust his judgement. This task has to be seen through no matter what."
Aberforth stroked his beard in contemplation. "You do realize it's a suicide mission?"
The trio exchanged knowing looks and turned to their elder. Harry gave a solemn nod.
"Very well. If you insist on finishing what he started." Aberforth motioned towards Ariana's portrait. The lithe blond smiled warmly and turned down a dirt path. Suddenly, the three were met with one bruised and battered Neville Longbottom peering out from behind the frame. Upon the sight of his friends, a broad smile crossed his face as if there were no marks there at all.
"Harry! Ron! Hermione!" He stepped out. "You're all here!"
"Neville?" Hermione had to crane her neck to look at him. "Is that you? You've grown so much!" Her arms encircled him in a warm hug.
"Yeah, it's me," he chucked as he returned her embrace, greeting each friend in turn.
"You look awful," Harry's brows crumpled in concern.
"Yeah? You all don't look so great yourselves."
The four students entered the secret passageway behind the portrait that would lead them to Hogwarts. The only place they knew that could hide the remaining Horcruxes. The end was near, but much like the dark and seemingly boundless tunnel they were in, she couldn't see it.
"What's happened to you?" Ron pipped up to Neville.
"Snape's got Death Eaters running the school." Neville's breath caused the candle flame to waiver. "Most of the kids 'ave been hiding in the Room of Requirement year round."
"That's horrible!" Harry started.
Ron sent a searching glance Hermione's way. One she chose to ignore. Yes Ron, she thought, I know. I know so much more than you would ever want to envision. That's why you have no right to look at me that way.
"And the worst, or maybe best part, depending how you look at it, is that nobody can seem to find him when he's not around the Carrows."
Not because he's a coward, she wanted to shout. "Neville," Hermione interrupted, "It must have been awful- the things you've seen, the things you've felt. We're here with you now. We want to end this today."
"Thanks Hermione," he spoke softly, "and not a minute too soon."
As the light erupted from the end of the tunnel, so did a tremendous applause. It was strange, Hermione thought, seeing more than two or three humans at a time. This was normal, she had to remind herself. This was what home felt like, once upon a time.
It didn't take much to convince the students in hiding of helping Harry finish Voldemort. Even as they gained allies, Hermoine sank at the possibility of more lost lives. Morever, they still had no idea what the remaining Horcruxes looked like or where to find them. It was a suicide mission, as Aberforth had said. Still, the Gryffindors hopes had remained relatively high. That was until Ginny stepped forth from the crowd.
"Harry," she spoke in a tremulous whisper, "Snape knows about your break in. He wants everyone in the Great Hall."
At those words Hermione's mind went blank, a distant humming grew in her ears as her mouth went dry. How would they see an end to Voldemort if Snape put an end to Harry first? ...And, if he did, could she ever truly forgive him?