I own nothing. J.K. Rowling is a goddess. There… am I covered?

A Mission

"And I knew that you meant it"

Even before Severus understood that Hermione wished for him to use Legilimens on her, he'd already had certain preconceived notions of what he would find stored away in the Headmistress's mind, should he have an opportunity to enter it. Given Severus' long history of manipulating and reading thoughts through Legilimency, he found that he was generally able to make accurate predictions of how an individual's mind would be structured based upon his personal interaction with them. Those he knew to be systematic and methodical would have minds fashioned in a similar manner. Those whose lives were dictated by rash actions, such as a certain annoyance by the name of Harry Potter, would likewise have undisciplined minds.

Because of this reasoning, he was certain that, upon entering the young witch's mind, he would find a systematized timeline of the events that had occurred over the last four years, and nothing more. Nothing to fear, there. And yet now, as he prepared for what he thought was his first foray into Hermione's thoughts, he felt apprehensive of what he would find.

Severus had never once attempted to delude himself that he would survive the final battle with the Dark Lord, and had only hoped that his death would serve as a proper penance for a young man's sins. His own life, he felt, was inconsequential, in the grand scheme of things. But, after Hermione's revelation to him about his part in defeating Voldemort, as well as his apparent redemption in the eyes of the wizarding community, for the first time, he felt as if he had something precious to lose – something he had desired for the longest of times.

And the Dark Mark seemed to weigh just as heavily on his chest as it had on his arm.

So, when he entered the Headmistress's mind, to be find warm, gentle arms welcoming him softly into a comforting embrace, he was, to say the least, surprised. But, the most distressing thing about it was that he never once felt the need to pull away from her. It was like someone was telling him that it was okay, to be vulnerable, to be scared, to show fear.

It was like coming home. He could have wept.

After what seemed like an eternity enveloped in her 'arms', he looked up to behold his mind's image of her, and saw her tear-stained face.

"You are safe here, Severus. It's time you knew."

His confusion was pressing on him, but then he simply nodded, trusting in the strange familiarity of her presence.

And then, he slowly began to retrace her memories, starting from the panicked moment when she had first burst into the hospital wing to find him comatose after the final battle.

Fear, he pondered wonderingly. She felt fear.

He saw how she slowly retracted the white sheet covering him, to bring to her view the Dark Mark for the first time. He felt her fingers on his bare chest, as she attempted to discern what curse was holding him. He felt a brief moment of hopelessness flicker in her, and then, dogged determination as she took her place by his side, praying for a sign.

And he watched as he, himself, became the answer to her prayers.

He felt himself reach out to her for the first time. He felt her startled confusion as he sought refuge in her mind, from the terrible curse whose captive he had become. He felt his own agony again, as he clung to her in his desperation. And the undeniable relief as she took him to her and held him just as tightly, and for a moment, bore the effects of the curse herself.

He could sense that she was overwhelmed by the heaviness of it, but, as he panted with relief, she only held him the tighter. She did so for as long as she could, until she was bowing under the evil force trying to take them both. Then, regret in her weary brown eyes, she released him, and gave him a weak mental push out of her mind, leaving him to his misery and paralysis. In that moment, he felt more abandoned then he had ever felt before in his life.

He felt lost.

Now, as these events continued to unfold, Severus left his unconscious self on the bed, and followed Hermione as she fled the hospital wing

She ran down the dark corridors of Hogwarts towards the observation tower. Corridors she and her friends had used to joke about the "dungeon bat" and the "greasy git." He felt her unabashed shame. In turn, he felt her urgency as she banged loudly on the heavy wooden door, tapping her foot impatiently as she waited, nervously chewing on her lower lip.

"What is it, Hermione?" asked a groggy Harry Potter, looking very recently removed from his bed.

"I need to know everything that Professor Snape taught you about Occlumency - the quicker the better," she said breathlessly, not attempting to hide the urgency in her voice.

Harry scrubbed at his face in an attempt to wake himself up fully. "Well, all right," he said slowly, as he stepped back to let her into his rooms.

Hermione came briskly through, a look of great impatience on her face. Harry knew, by her look that now was not the time to question her further, despite his great curiousity.

"Well," he began slowly. "what I remember the most from those sessions was just being terrified. Snape never let up, or would allow me to rest. He made it almost impossible to do the spell successfully…"

"Harry! I don't need to know about how horrible it was. I was there every night when you came back from the dungeons. I need to know how to perform Occlumency!" The note of desperation in her voice made Harry stare at her for a moment. But he still did not ask the myriad of questions on his mind.

"Well, now there I can help you, I think. By the time the final battle came around, I had been able to practice without Snape badgering me, and had become fairly accomplished. I think he actually would have been impressed."

His mirthful chuckle was met with stony silence. He sobered up immediately.

"Okay," he held his hands up defensively, "you have that look on your face, so I'm not even going to ask why you need a crash course in Occlumency …" He paused, as if giving her a chance to speak, but Hermione only pursed her lips resolutely. Harry sighed and shook his head. "Come on, let's get started right away."

He led Hermione into his quarters proper, and seated her on a comfortable chair in his study.

"Now, there are really two types of Occlumency. Each is used for different purposes, but both are based on the use of emotions. The first type is the kind with which Snape was so expert. It involves making oneself devoid of all emotion, then essentially selectively picking and choosing what the Legilimens sees and does not see.

"Obviously, I was horrendous at this - you know, with my Gryffindor rashness and all." Harry rolled his eyes. "I think this only made Snape hate me more. Honestly, knowing you, I doubt that you would be good at this type, either." He paused to look at Hermione thoughtfully before continuing.

"What I learned at the Ministry, in our fifth year when Voldemort tried to possess me, is that while blocking out emotion is one type of Occlumency, channeling emotion is another. It's almost like projecting a Patronus Charm. Focusing singularly on one thought, or one emotion, can prevent someone from invading your mind, as well." Harry finished.

"So, the projected thought or emotion acts as a shield, keeping the Legilimens from seeing anything more important behind it?" asked Hermione, her famed curiosity glinting in her eyes.

"That's right," replied Harry "I've also been able to project one thought while thinking of another. For example, once, while in the presence of Lord Voldemort, I threw up a thought of a golden ring. Voldemort took this to mean that I was thinking of a Horcrux, but the power of the image prevented him from reaching any further. In reality, I was thinking of the ring that I would someday give Ginny. It was a very effective front."

Hermione nodded eagerly. "I think I understand."

"I knew you would." Harry grinned.

"Well, let's practice," Hermione said, squaring her shoulders in preparation. "But please be gentle with me at first. I've never had someone perform Legilimens on me – besides once." she hastily added.

This drew another curious look from Harry, but true to his word, he didn't ask.

"Don't worry, Hermione, you don't think I'd treat you the way Snape treated me, do you?"

Snape watched in awe as Hermione and Potter carried on a grueling practice session. Time and again, Hermione landed on the floor, panting with the effort of rebuffing Potter's attempts to take her mind. But, she kept going, dogged determination in every line of her increasingly pale face.

He had to grudgingly admit that Potter was a fair teacher, and his skill in both Legilimency and Occlumency was … noteworthy. But, he could not help but wonder if Potter would have been so eager to teach Hermione the skills she so avidly sought to learn, if he had known on whose behalf she wished to employ them.

"Now, now, Severus, no sour grapes," a softly recriminating voice chided him He had forgotten that Hermione was with him, for the moment. He scowled.

But then, with a whirl of color and a faint 'whooshing' noise, the scene changed. Andhe was following her back up to her room after her practice session with Harry. She collapsed on her bed, exhausted from her day of mental exertion.

She shook her head, thinking of the poor man lying in the hospital wing, and felt sick at the depth of cruelty that Voldemort had had to have attained to enslave another human being in so heinous a way.

The Headmistress's chambers were in stark contrast to the dungeons where Severus normally abided. Drapes of gold and red fell gracefully from the top of the window to the floor, framing a view of the Forbidden Forest. Hermione's bed was a simple twin, set in a deep mahogany frame.

Severus' 'eyes' traveled over to her bookcase, a great ceiling to floor affair that was positively stuffed with magical reference books of all descriptions. He sensed a spell on it, and as he probed for its use, he realised the shelves were linked magically to the Hogwarts library. Hermione need never leave her quarters if she needed a book that was not immediately available to her.

"Bloody genius," he thought "I wonder who came up with that spell?"

"I'll take that as a compliment, Severus."

It was the second time she had reminded him of her presence.

Slightly miffed, Severus ignored her comment.

"How is it that you are able to talk with me, even while I am performing Legilimens on you? Here I am trying to figure out what's happened to me … at your behest, mind you, and you feel the need to interpose your thoughts--again"

He could feel the warmth of her smile at his characteristic defense. He was amazed at how familiar this all felt.

Had those really been her arms holding him mere moments ago?

"I'm not sure of that myself, but I do know that it has been happening for more than three years. I think that more will become clear to you as my memories progress.

And yes, those were my arms. Now that you know, I only hope that at some point you will be able to enter into my embrace willingly—on all levels of your consciousness. You need not worry about pretenses; I can assure you that have none. I unabashedly admit to caring for you."

Severus scoffed in a vain attempt to hide himself. That embrace … her embrace … was quite unlike anything he had ever experienced.

An embrace of the mind, he muttered to himself, ignoring the fact that she could feel his thoughts.

"It appears, as usual, that I have little choice for the moment, as it seems that I owe some debt of gratitude to you." He could only hope he had injected the proper amount of snark into his 'comment'.

"You haven't seen anything yet, Severus." Severus couldn't see it, but he could have sworn that she had just metaphysically winked at him.

Very un-Mss Granger like, he mused.

"You might find several things to be very unlike the girl that used to be Miss Granger, Severus." She glowed at him.

"Alright, that's enough. I know you can read my mind while I'm here with you. At least pretend for a while you can't. Let me get used to this. Clearly, you are just as infuriating as you used to be!"

He was finding it much more difficult to put malice into his words when he knew she could judge his true thoughts from false projections. And he knew his true feelings weren't nearly as harsh as his words indicated.

Hermione merely began to hum to herself serenely.

He couldn't help but smirk, as he remembered Dumbledore doing the same thing after one of Severus' particularly bitter remarks … long ago.

Severus was ripped from his reverie as Hermione began to show him a new thought thread. He followed in her memory down to the hospital wing once more, where his memory self still laid, the Mark glaring ominously from his chest. He felt himself tighten slightly with sudden apprehension.

"It is time, Severus. Brace yourself," she said softly. He felt himself tighten slightly with sudden apprehension.

He felt his imprisoned past escape into Hermione's mind, and felt her brace against the force of the curse.

Her defenses held for a matter of minutes, and for those brief moments, he felt his imprisoned self collapse into her in relief. A frown crossed her face, as she held against the onslaught, biting her lower lip in concentration.

Severus reached out further, searching for the thought that she was using to shield her own mind from the oppressively heavy power of the Dark Mark, while at the same time reaching for him protectively

"You're looking in the wrong place " Hermione sing-songed in her mind.

"Ah, now that's very much like the insufferable know-it-all I'm used to." he fumed.

"It's an emotion, Severus. You're looking into my mind for thoughts… you need to look into my heart."

"But that's impossible… the spell allows me to read minds, not feelings of the heart. That's first year knowledge, Headmistress" he gritted out.

"But you're wrong Severus. The spell has allowed you to feel my heart once already. What you are experiencing is different, because the feeling isn't being used against you. I know that is not what you are used to …" She let him ponder that thought for a few moments.

"You are speaking of when I first entered your mind. When you took me into your arms"

"Yes."

"That had happened before, hadn't it?"

"Many times, Severus" she whispered. He now knew why he hadn't had any desire to pull away from her.

"You used that feeling to shield me from the effects of the Mark?"

"Yes." She paused slightly. "The power that the Dark Lord knows not, Severus."

Snape paused for just a beat.

"Show me, Hermione."

She took him into her arms again, and this time he held her as well. He searched her thoughts and emotions while they held each other – two lost souls, seeking their counterpoint in the other.

He found her love.

Yes, he found love. It wasn't silly, and immature. It wasn't complicated and jealous. It was simple. It was pure. And he was awed by it. He squeezed her slightly.

"I just don't know how you could have any positive feeling towards me, Hermione, never mind love. I have done horrible things. You must have seen that in my mind." His thought voice was strained. The words sounded forced.

"And you have done noble things, Severus. From the first time you sought me, the first time you clung to me in desperation, I sensed your heart. You have sensed mine as well, and while you may not remember specifically, I do believe that it has influenced you in a small way."

She gently continued "Whether you're just very out of practice, or my heart-on-the-sleeve Gryffindor sentiments have been rubbing off on you, your verbal insults just aren't as potent as they once were. You also seem to be just a tad more optimistic than is your usual habit" she batted at him without malice.

A small mental snort escaped him. He was sure he was just 'out of practice'. And as to him being in the least optimistic … That was absurd! He would not dignify such an assertion with any reply.

Hermione chuckled softly. Snape glowered.

"Severus, I don't think you need to watch the next four years now," Hermione said, as they broke their mental embrace, "as I can summarize fairly accurately what happened."

"My shield for you was potent, very potent apparently, but I was not disciplined enough at first to keep it up indefinitely. So, I built my strength by spending time with you, every day, for a bit longer each time. At first, I thought it was just me getting stronger, but over time I realized that I could hold our embrace longer because the curse was getting weaker as well.

"Apparently, the curse was adversely affected by our interaction the purity of our embrace. By the end of our four years together, I was able tostay with you for hours on end, shielding you from that infernal curse. And I believe that it's finally broken, as you don't seem to be held hostage by it any longer."

"And you did all that for me?" he breathed.

"Yes, Severus. Does it make sense now why I could not help but beam at you when I saw you this morning?"

"I thought it was because the Head of Hogwarts must inherit the talent for that blasted twinkling Albus was so known for, as well." He scowled.

"I don't think so," Hermione said, a smile in her voice. "I just don't think you were ever willing to see it in me before."

Severus huffed. "Well, Headmistress – Hermione, where does this leave us in the present?" She smiled at his use of her name.

"I personally think that it would do you some good to get up and about. Maybe visit with some of us insufferable children that you pretend to hate so much.She said this teasingly. But all teasing was gone with her next statement.

"Meanwhile I will be here with you. You know my feelings for you–they are pure, and they are very real. I don't mean to push, but I would at least like you to consider sharing your company with me sometimes."

"I believe that I might find that… amenable." He felt Hermione's genuine happiness at his acquiescence.

Suddenly, Hermione pushed him out of her mind with such force that Severus came back to reality with a start.

"Just so you don't get any ideas." she said, teasing mischief in her eyes.

"Well really! It isn't well-mannered to abuse one so recently awakened from a comatose state." He played along, grateful that she had taken it upon herself to lighten a decidedly weighty moment.

"Well in that case, lets get you up and moving so that my values of right and wrong won't be subject to your judgment when I abuse you in the future." she winked.

And with that, Hermione and Severus began the day.

A/N: Once again, thank you to my wonderful, wonderful beta hermionestargranger. She is incredibly talented, and I highly recommend you check out her fics as well. Feedback is appreciated! This chapter was the most difficult I've written (out of all 2 chapters…), and I'd like to hear what you think!! Any guesses how Hermione is going to get Severus and those insufferable brats to get along?

Hint: Shared misery, and mutual disrespect for a ludicrous muggle event is a very effective bonding tool for angsty young wizards and cantankerous dark ones as well ;)