End of Flashback…
'So…' said Hermione, looking half at the floor and half at the entrance to the Great Hall, '…what should we do? I mean, who do we tell at this point? Poppy swore to secrecy, so for the time being, it is just you, me… and she that know…'
Harry looked at her. 'Good, that will give us some time to think of what to tell the others…I mean if we want them to know…,' said Harry. Of course they would have to know. They, meaning The Order. Eventually, students would find out too. And what of Hermione's parents? Harry quickly remembered the 'others' that he spoke of, did not include Mr. and Mrs. Granger. The late Mr. and Mrs. Granger.
Yes, by others, this did not include the girl's parents. Hermione's parents had been killed by death eaters in October, so she would not have to explain the current circumstances to them. This was, indeed, unfortunate and utterly devastating for the young witch. She knew that her parents would have been wonderful grandparents, and would welcome a new life even under the current circumstances. Thinking back to this, a sigh escaped her, and she directed her gaze toward the gigantic window that lie in back of the head table in the Great Hall, looking at the perfectly formed snow flakes that continued to fall from the heavens..
Just then, both doors to the Castle opened, spilling in white flakes, a rush of bitter January wind, as well as… a frozen Severus Snape.
Two sets of eyes suddenly turned to the opened doors in mild surprise. Severus had to leave the Order meeting early this night due to the fact that he had been summoned to a Death Eater's meeting. He stated that he would return late, and to let the meeting continue without him, before taking one last glance at Harry and Hermione who were sitting next to each other in the kitchen of Number 12. In that brief instance, he could not help noticing that there was something different…something different about the couple. The thought had left him instantly, and he proceeded to exit the house and apparate to meet with the Dark Lord.
Severus Snape walked in a few steps into the entranceway of the Castle, waved his hands to close the Castle doors, and from the bottom of the steps, looked up at the innocent young pair. He did not think that they would still be awake, knowing that after Order meetings, the Trio headed off to Gryffindor Tower without a single thought.
Severus closed his eyes briefly, opened them up to look at Harry and Hermione, and then let a brief sigh escape his lips before uttering two words that would then change everything:
'He knows,' said Severus.
After a brief pause, he continued, still continuing to look up at the pair from the bottom of the steps:
'He knows about you two. He knows that you have become involved. But above all, and perhaps this is what matters most at this point, he knows that you, Ms. Granger, are carrying a most important treasure that has now become a…priority of sorts to the Dark Lord.'
Hermione looked at him for a moment, processing what he had just told them. She then, without even looking at Harry, put her head in her hands and silently shook her head back and forth, muttering '…What have we done…what have we done….'. Harry looked over at her, putting an arm around her and speaking soft words of comfort. Severus looked at the boy and girl, and gazed at them with a mixture of anger, pity, …and yes, even a touch of sorrow.
He was, of course, angry at the two of them. How could they have been so stupid, so irresponsible? Didn't they care about anyone else? Did they even fathom how this could affect them all? He felt pity for them as well. Pity because they were now in the midst of a rather complicated situation coupled with a less than predictable outcome. And last, but not least, sorrow. In the deepest of his tarnished soul, he felt a touch of sorrow for the young couple. Sorrow that they may end up torn apart, or much worse, dead, two unfortunate casualties of war. Sorrow that there was a life that may never see the light of day. Sorrow that perhaps a young life may be spared with their parents making the ultimate sacrifice, much like the fate of James and Lily Potter.
Harry looked at Severus, and then turned his head to face Hermione who had taken her hands off of her face, a look of absolute terror in her deep brown eyes. Harry then stared back at the potions master, meeting eye to eye.
'How long do you think we have before he does anything about it?' asked Harry with an unmistakable sense of worry in his voice.
'Not long…' replied Severus, 'He will try to do anything to make sure you two do not remain together. In short, Potter, he stated that, and I believe these are his direct words, that he intends to 'break' you…'
After a brief moment of silence where upon the three individuals avoided eye contact, Severus looked at Harry and Hermione. 'As unfortunate as this all seems, and by far is it unfortunate not to mention irresponsible and unthinkable, we must devise a plan. With or without the help of the Order.' Moments passed, before Hermione spoke:
'A Secret Keeper…' Hermione whispered at the floor, not looking at either of the two men.
'What?' asked Harry, turning his head to look at his beloved.
'A Secret Keeper,' Hermione spoke to Severus, this time more audible, with eyes pleading for help. 'Please Professor - I…I think it's the only way…well for now at least. I mean it's a good start, really…I know…I know that you can protect us…you are close to Vol-….You know Who, and you know what he wants, what he's after…" stammered Hermione. 'You know the Castle is not safe…we may need to flee, to go somewhere that's safe…somewhere that only one person knows where we are…it's not that I don't trust the Order…I do trust them, but…but…I trust you…I trust you to be that person, Professor Snape…' Hermione stated with conviction. The wheels in her head were turning, and an unmistakable plot was forming in her brain. As if hit by a ton of bricks, Harry, turned and with a stern expression looked at Hermione.
'Hermione, what are you talking about?! We're OK. We're OK at Hogwarts, nothing can harm…' but before Harry could go on any further, his mind flashed to a time when he was with Dumbledore, on the very last night of his life. He could see the dark mark above the Castle, and hear screams of terror and the breaking of glass from below the Tower on which he stood with Dumbledore, and even watched him take his very last breath. That night, harm had come to the castle. People were hurt. From that very night to the current moment, Harry knew in his heart that Hogwarts was not safe. Well, at least not entirely safe. And that meant that they were not safe. All three of them.
Harry looked at Severus. Severus looked back and forth at the two of them, from Harry, to Hermione, and back again. Such defeat in their eyes, Severus thought to himself. He had promised, he had promised Dumbledore that he would do anything he could to help the Order. Anything to fight the Headmaster's fight so his death would not have been in vain. Anything to keep safe, the Boy Who Lived. And the current situation, surely warranted his assistance. Potter was in great danger, that was more than obvious. But the Granger girl was now involved, and she was,…is…with child…with Potter's child, no less. Lily, dear Lily never had a chance, but Severus vowed to himself that the ever-so-annoying, bushy haired know-it-all, would not end up like his first love. Not if he could help it.
Without saying a word, Severus took his gaze off of them, and walked up the marble steps towards where the two were standing, outside the doors of the Great Hall.
Yes, it would be done.
As she had said, he did have access to privileged information divulged from the Dark Lord, and he would do anything, anything to remain loyal to the late Headmaster. Without speaking, he motioned them to get inside the Hall. The three made their way through the massive copper and gold doors of the Great Hall, and stood in the middle of the wooden tables, down the center aisle… Hermione and Harry, hand in hand, while Severus closed the doors behind them.