Chapter 7

"There." Hermione stopped typing and leaned away from the laptop they'd purchased that morning. She sat at the table in the fancy kitchen. "It's all ready to go, except for one thing."

"The prankster name," Snape filled in, not looking up.

"Yes. You know, I'd like to make it something that would stick in Miranda Selwyn's craw, something clearly pointing to her and her game but only if you already know what's going on."

"That's rather mischievous of you." Snape was at the table with her, reading one of the two papers that had been included with the breakfast brought to their room. In the Entertainment section he was learning the bare bones about the confrontation outside Café de Paris the night before. A picture of the two celebrities being loaded onto stretchers was the main photo. This particular news outlet did not yet have the courage to include Verity in the story, but the other paper most certainly had. Verity, who hadn't bothered to dress in Muggle attire, had a wand in her upraised hand and an expression of rage on her face.

Hermione shrugged. "Ron's called me brilliant but scary ever since first year. I don't think having fun with the name is too wicked, but it might be too implausible."

"I wouldn't say that. I caught your reference to the proposals with that 'future progeny' wording you gave Lucius last night."

"Oh, did you?" Hermione blushed. "Well, I don't think wording the proposal would be a good idea. It hasn't been submitted to the Wizengamot yet; we don't know what wording they've already chosen."

Snape slapped the paper down onto the table, causing Hermione to jump in surprise. "There are a number of people working on the proposal, but I imagine most of the names get added on later. The only real players, now that Lucius has switched sides, are Miranda Selwyn and Victoria Irving, the MP."

"Victoria Irving? I forgot about her." Hermione was unimpressed with herself. "How big a player is she?"

"Influential enough to push the Café de Paris incident to the foreground. According to Lucius, she intends to make a speech about it this afternoon."

"That's moving fast." Hermione stretched out a crick in her neck from being on the laptop so long. "But is she simply under Miranda's thumb?"

"If anything, I think it's the opposite. Lucius doesn't know how their paths crossed initially, but their partnership is strong. Miranda Selwyn, however, is next to impoverished, which is why they had to pull him in."

"So we're fighting both Miranda and this Irving woman. If she's as much a powerhouse as you say, then she might pose a problem fighting this on the Muggle front with the prankster. Thank goodness for the information superhighway; we'll have that on our side."

"Might I suggest making the prankster identity a play on both their names?" Snape's tone suggested that she was trying his patience, and Hermione wondered what his problem was.

"I like that," she said generously. "VIMS? No…"

"Sounds like a Muggle disease," Snape dismissed that suggestion as well.

"I was just going to say that. And I want there to be a suggestion that the prankster's name is something itself to be decoded."

"But obvious enough that Miranda and Victoria can decode it, if hardly anyone else."

"Portmanteaus are getting popular." Hermione scribbled on the hotel notepad. "Vicranda …Miroria…both are too weird. Selling and Irvwyn are too simple. No portmanteau, then."

"I don't think they're popular amongst wizardkind. Miranda wouldn't get it. Keep to initials."

"Initials. How about MSAVI? A for 'and.'"

"MSAVI." Snape nodded.

"Alright, let's go with it." And Hermione was clicking the keyboard again. Within 90 seconds, the prankster story was out.

==S==S==H==G==

Snape's bad attitude was not improving. Hermione had hoped it would get better after the prankster story was together, but he continued to be surly and snappish when he bothered to speak at all.

Hermione was so fed up she couldn't look at him. As far as she was concerned, if he was going to be antisocial, he could just take his set of library books and read them in his own room. It would be better than hanging out in the living room with her, bringing his dark cloud with him.

Come to think of it, it was a touch odd that they didn't have separate rooms to begin with. Hermione hadn't been paying much attention last night or this morning, but the room was rather high end. Sure, it was on Lucius Malfoy's sickle, but both she and Snape had simpler tastes in their own homes. So why had he gone opulent when choosing the room?

It did make it easier, having a common area, rather than having to pick between each other's hotel rooms, one of them getting their private space intruded upon. Easier, at least, when he wasn't being a grumpy git.

Hermione concluded that it was rather thoughtful of Snape, actually… the suite. And she hadn't acknowledged it.

"Thank you for the room, Severus," Hermione said softly.

"What?" Snape raised his head from The Magic Art of Smoke and Mirrors. "Mm," he grunted. "You're welcome."

Hermione grinded her teeth and then tried again. "You could have gotten us separate rooms—" she started.

"Is that a criticism?" Snape cut her off, quick and angry.

"No! I was going to say that would have been awkward, and it's nice that you hadn't." Hermione slammed her own book down. She couldn't concentrate like this, and she had an idea she wanted to try out. In Snape's current mood it was better she do it without him. "I'll be back later."

Hermione stormed out of the suite, only just managing not to slam the door behind her.

==S==S==H==G==

"Of all the stupid, harebrained schemes…" Snape was ranting, pacing the living room of their suite.

Hermione stood to the side, near her bedroom door, her arms crossed. "What's done is done, as you said yourself last night. We'll just have to wait and see what comes of it."

"You could have been seen! You could have been captured! You should have brought me along with you."

"When all you've been doing is acting like this all morning?" Hermione gestured with one hand.

Snape came to a stop directly in front of her. "We both told Potter that your safety would be a concern. I don't like being manipulated into not keeping my word, even if it was given to Potter."

Hermione was touched, but not enough to drop her defensiveness. "You knew I was leaving and made no offer to join me."

"I thought you were in a snit and needed some space. I followed as soon as I sensed you'd Apparated away."

Hermione gave a bark of laughter. "You thought I was in a snit? Me?"

"I'm just glad that I didn't fail to find you, even if I was too late to stop you." Snape was hissing through his teeth, and his face was even closer to hers than before.

"What is going on?" Hermione gave up on the fight over what she'd done before repeating the same argument. "You weren't acting like this last night. What's changed?"

"I failed!" Snape spun away from her. "We didn't stop Verity."

Hermione was silent for a long moment. She watched the back of Snape's shoulders rise and fall as he collected himself. Eventually he turned and faced her again.

"No, we didn't." Hermione acknowledged gently. "But we're still making a difference. We're helping."

She took a couple steps closer, moving as though she were approaching a hurt animal. She could see it so clearly now. If he hadn't kept himself hidden for so long, maybe someone else would have put it together. But of course, that's exactly why he was hiding.

He noticed her approach, but didn't move. Hermione stopped just a few inches away from him. Slowly, she put her hand flat against his left shoulder. He raised the same hand, hesitated, and then placed it over hers.

"All I am anymore is my failure and my anger."

"You didn't fail."

"Since when has someone stating they believe the opposite ever succeeded in changing another person's mind?" he bit out. "My life is simply a list of one failure after another."

Hermione's fingers tightened into his skin. "I don't see it that way at all."

His voice was quiet as breath. "Hermione, I even failed to die."

"Don't say that." She jerked her head up and glared at him. "What would your dying have accomplished?"

"I might have found peace."

"You can still find peace." She met his gaze dead on. "Besides, if you had died, I would be doing all this alone."

A multitude of emotions swirled in his eyes. Then he blinked against the bright light that suddenly appeared. They both turned and faced the blue-white stag that had pranced into the room. "Hermione, Professor Snape, please come to Hermione's flat as soon as you can. I am waiting there for you." The Patronus faded away with Harry's voice.

"We shouldn't go," Severus said, dropping his hand. "He shouldn't be involved in this more than he already is."

"Actually, I think we'll need his help." Hermione stepped back and collected her coat.

"If you're coming up with another harebrained scheme like the stunt you pulled this morning…"

Hermione smiled to herself before turning to face him again, putting her hands on her hips. "You're just going to have to go along with it, then, aren't you?"

Severus snarled, "I do not wait for your lead."

"I gave you plenty of trust and leeway last night in the club, Severus Snape. You are going to have to do the same here. Point is, we are partners, and right now I'm going to my home to meet with my friend. You can come with me, stay here, or go pay a visit to your friend, who happens to be fully in the loop already." With a flounce of her bushy hair, Hermione whirled around and pop.

Pop. Severus appeared right next to her outside the flat. "I'm not the one who told him. Keep your facts straight if you're going to hurl accusations."

Her wards let them through, and Hermione used her keys to unlock the door. "We're here, Harry! And I'm not hurling accusations; I was simply making a point about partnership."

"My friend versus your friend?"

"What's going on?" Harry descended upon them immediately. "What are you two arguing about, and does it have anything to do with what happened last night at the Café de Paris?"

"Never mind about our argument, Harry." Hermione plopped onto her sofa. "But, yes, we do know what happened last night at the club."

"Were you there?"

Severus sighed, and sat next to Hermione on the sofa. She smiled. "Yes, Potter, we were there. Unfortunately, we were unable to stop Miss Burbage from her ill-timed and ill-conceived sense of righteousness."

"But we do have a plan," Hermione put in.

"We had a plan. Then you went off on your own this morning to play graffiti artist."

Hermione couldn't help it. She laughed at Severus's thoroughly grumpy expression. "It was fun."

"It was foolhardy and risky."

"So will you two fill me in on what's happening around here?" From the other side of the coffee table, Harry stood over them both. "Or shall I wait until you're done having a go at each other?"

"Sorry, Harry." Hermione took a breath. "You know how those two videos of the baby and her toy went viral? Well, that was just the beginning. Verity's stunt last night, at so visible a place against two high-profile Muggles tipped the scales. The wizarding world became exposed and we've had days of nothing but hysteria, pleas for help, incidents of violence, and an excess of accidents. The danger has only been increasing."

Hermione started to go on and explain about the Board and Nobby, but then she felt someone passing through her wards. "Did you invite Ron over, too?"

"No, he must've figured out I'd come here."

Severus was already on his feet and pulling her to hers. "Too many people. Into the closet again, Hermione."

"Oh, honestly," Hermione reversed their grips so that she was leading him. "This way. My bedroom will be roomier—and safer since Harry heard us last time."

There's was nothing particularly special about Hermione's bedroom. Bed, closet, dresser, nightstand, books. She didn't even have a particular color scheme. It was serviceable and that's all she needed. Once she and Severus were behind her bedroom door, Hermione heard Harry let Ron in. "Ron, hi, what are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. Why are you here?"

"I was hoping to meet Hermione to ask her what she might know about this Muggle club last night."

"What is going on, Harry? Is Voldemort at St. Mungo's, back from the dead again or something?"

Severus stiffened and glared at the closed bedroom door. Hermione stepped up to him and gently took his hand. He looked down at her, startled, but Hermione felt his posture relax after a second as she gave him an understanding smile.

"You weren't so brave saying his name when he was alive, Ron."

"Yeah, well, he's dead now. Seriously, why does the whole wizarding world seem to be in a hullabaloo?"

"'Hullabaloo,'" Severus repeated under his breath.

"It was a password into the Gryffindor dormitory our 5th year," Hermione explained. She was still holding onto his hand.

"At least Mr. Weasley found some way to increase his vocabulary. Though the result is lackluster."

Hermione huffed. "Why are you so mean to Ron?"

"Ronald Weasley is not exactly someone I would consider a rival."

She shook her head. "There's no reason why you should."

Severus gave Hermione a once-over, and the corner of his mouth tilted upward.

"Well, some Muggle calling himself a silly name is claiming credit for both it and the baby Wingardium Leviosa thing. There's no reason for people to be acting as though the Statute of Secrecy's come tumbling down." Ron was explaining to Harry.

"A Muggle is claiming credit?"

"Yup, he even went back to the Café today and spray-painted his nickname across the entrance. 'MSAVI was here.'"

"M-what?" Harry asked.

Hermione was shaking with mirth, trying hard not to laugh.

Severus lowered his head to hiss quietly in her ear. "Harebrained stunt."

"Ah, but it worked," she whispered back.

Severus pulled back, just enough to look into her eyes. It was suddenly like being transported back into the closet with him again, and Hermione's pulse quickened. His dark hair fell about his face, creating a frame that encouraged her to look in his dark eyes. "Yes, it did," Severus said softly, touching his hand to her cheek before pressing his lips to hers.

Hermione made a small noise of surprise, but softened her lips against his. Their dryness made them a bit rough to the touch, but she didn't mind. Moisture increased as their kiss became a second kiss, and then a third. His hand moved to the back of her neck, hers gripped his shoulders as she pressed her mouth as close to his as she could get.

When they pulled back, they said nothing, only looked into each other's eyes.

The sound of Harry's and Ron's voices broke the moment. Hermione grinned and raised her wand, moving it into a circle. "Expecto Patronum," she whispered very softly. Her otter flew out the window and around the corner of the building.

Severus looked at her questioningly.

The answer soon came when Hermione's own voice sounded from the other room, "Harry, I'm sorry, but I can't meet you right now. I'm extremely busy after being called in to work. Catch up with me there when you get the chance, alright?"

"We'd better get going then, mate," Ron said. "No point waiting around here without Hermione."

"You're right."

"Hey, she was pretty corking last night, wasn't she?"

"Well, she didn't hex you and your new girl into the hospital like some other witch did last night."

"Yeah, she's never been mental like that. Remember the birds, though? That was impressive."

Harry and Ron's voices faded, but it was only a moment before Harry was opening the bedroom door.

"Good thinking, Hermione," he said as he stepped back to let the two of them return to the living room.

"Harry, I want to ask you if you have contact with Muggle authorities through the Auror Headquarters."

"Yes, why?"

"Because they're going to want to find out who MSAVI is, and I don't want them pursuing too hard. It's better for the Muggles to believe MSAVI than to accept magic."

"Let me guess, you created this, and there is no Muggle claiming credit for magical pranks."

Hermione shook her head. "The prankster is no real person, but the name is based on some women who are engaging in a very dangerous scheme."

As the three of them sat down, Hermione and Severus began to explain.

==S==S==H==G==

In the wee hours of the night, Disillusioned, Hermione and Severus went out together into Muggle areas of London, painting MSAVI onto public walls. They also set up two illusions, each with a signed invitation from the prankster to figure out how it was done. The answers, of course, could be found on the website Hermione and Severus had put up.

The following day, even more MSAVI graffiti showed up that had nothing to do with Hermione and Severus. Professional magicians released statements admonishing MSAVI for amateurish behavior. One claimed the prankster was taking advantage of public attention, that his explanations were faulty, and he was taking from the people the opportunity to learn about real magic.

Guesses as to the meaning of MSAVI were also amusing to read. Some were outright ridiculous—Maybe Someone Actually Vies Intelligently, or philosophical—Many Seek Another Victory Inside. One already existed—Modified Soil and Vegetation Index—leading to the suspicion it was a stunt to get funding for farmers. And one was startlingly close to the truth—Ministry Sucks Arse, Vote for Irving.

Before lunch the gold band on Hermione's wrist glowed warm.

Couldn't have helped me keep my cover and worked LM in there, too?

Hermione rolled her eyes and held the bracelet out to Severus just before the message changed.

Not at all up to the standard I'd expect from you two.

Severus pointed his wand at the bracelet.

Lucius, old friend, sod off.

Hermione nodded her head and tried to hide her smile, but wasn't quite successful.

Miranda has done just that. She feels someone is after her. Be on guard.

(Fifteen)

*To the best of my Googling ability, there is no book with the title that Snape's reading.