In Honor of reaching 100 Reviews from the last chapter, I decided to give you all the next installment to the story! Thank you all for all of your wonderful support for the past year!

Chapter 38: Spring Term

Hermione had returned to school, once again anxious to learn, however before she could leave the house, her parents and grandparents had made her swear that she and Severus wouldn't do anything reckless this semester, she of course had promised. However, that wasn't the only promise she had to make, her loving brothers made her promise that she wouldn't share all the details with her but that she would come to them if there was a problem with Severus, she obliged with a smile. She knew that her family was only looking out for her best interests so she tried not to take their constant reminders as an insult. She returned and between her homework and duties as head girl, she tried not to let her extra work with Severus distract her. She would spend her Friday nights brewing with him and they would smile and laugh together, it was wonderful for her to be able to enjoy his company while they were at school.

However, there was one problem still to deal with, well two actually but we could just round them into one big problem. There was the battle itself but there was also the problem that Hermione and Draco were both of age now and wanted to join the Order, Hermione and fought her father every step of the way since she and her brother first brought it up. Naturally, her parents didn't want their kids involved in this war any more than they already were so they said no. However, her parents were swayed when Hermione ran to her grandfather and begged him to talk them into seeing reason, and he came through. Now Hermione and Draco were sitting with Harry, Fred and George at the Order table talking to the others, Harry, Neville, and the original order members that they have known of since day one. Suddenly the order meeting started.

"Now, everyone knows why we are here, the Final Battle is approaching fast and we need to all be ready." Albus said. "Is there any news that we have heard from the Ministry?"

"None Albus, we have been listening for months but we couldn't catch wind of anything." Lucius said.

"Well, if someone hadn't played their hand stupidly, we could have that information," Moody said directing a pointed look at Severus.

Hermione abruptly stood, "Professor Moody, you can not imply that Severus was the only one that messed up our spying game."

"Hermione," Narcissa warned.

"No Mother, they have to understand that one person couldn't mess up an entire mission, it takes numerous little mistakes to cause one gigantic one that EVERYONE notices!"

"So you don't think he was to blame."

"No, he saved me, from… you know what, where were you in all of this Moody? I don't recall seeing rushing into the room as I was cornered by a deatheater, Where Were You?"

"I was doing my JOB Miss Malfoy."

"Really, then how is it that Emmeline ended up dead?"

"She died doing her job!"

"Bull, she died because the rest of you messed up too."

"WE FALLOWED ORDERS!" his temper was rising and Albus had to intervene.

"Alastor, Hermione that's enough, we now openly admit that the way we went about your rescue, Hermione, was a bit… off, but fighting isn't going to bring back the ones we have already lost." He looked pointedly at Hermione who was taking her seat. "Now we know that he plans to attack before Harry graduates, so that leaves us with a few weeks and four months, our priorities lay in protecting the students and the school, at all costs."

"Headmaster, why not just close down the school?" Poppy suggested.

"Because he would get nervous and probably attack the students at the train station thinking that Harry is among them." Hermione said emotionless.

"She's right," Harry said, speaking his first words all evening, "He would think that I fled like a coward." He glanced at Hermione who offered him a small smile as silence overtook the room from the realization.

"That's it, he wants you to run, you are easier to track if you are on the grounds right?" Harry looked at Hermione, her outburst confused him. "Harry, think about it, we use a decoy as bait and lure him here, we hide the students in the common rooms and give the portraits special and specific instructions on how to protect the portrait holes and…"

"Hermione," George said laying a hand upon her small one, "You're rambling."

"I'm sorry, I just… This is a great idea and I think it could work."

"Then by all means Miss Malfoy continue."

Hermione beamed at her grandfather and indeed continued, "Anyway, we have rounds of Aurors patrolling the castle a few under invisibility spells and charms keeping watch on the grounds themselves. We could do a communications thing, like we did for the DA."

"That's brilliant Mia!" Draco exclaimed. Hermione continued to explain the coins to the confused Order members.

"And we could set them so that every hour they report in whether they saw anything suspicious or not."

"Hermione, I think this is a great plan, don't get me wrong but, he obviously has spies on the grounds now that S… Professor Snape is no longer bringing him information."

"That's true, but what's your point?"

"If these said spies report that there are aurors on the grounds, he won't attack; he won't risk losing so many of his followers." Draco said catching onto Harry's meaning. Hermione bit her lip like she so often did when she was deep in thought; she stood and started to make rounds around the room.

"Your right, that would be too risky and then he'll do something drastic and then we'll be in real trouble." She continued to pace the room once again. She glanced around the room and looked at the ceiling a few times, she bit her lip on and off as she attempted to organize her thoughts. She didn't notice that she was not only being watched, but others had followed suit and started going off of her idea and started marking their notes furiously. She suddenly stopped and stared out the window. "Grandfather?"

"Yes Miss Malfoy," both overlooked the fact that she had a slip of the tongue from her deep thinking and ignored the looks of utter confusion coming from around the table.

"What are the chances that there is a spell that could create things like muggle security cameras?"

"I don't really know, possibly high but don't quote me on that."

"Hermione we have gotten numerous charm books from over the years, maybe there is something in there." Draco suggested. Hermione looked at her brother who had decided to point out something so obvious; she could have kissed him, but that thought made her a bit nauseous.

"Draco, you are bloody brilliant, we could check those and…"

"Hermione wait, where are you going with this?" Sirius asked.

"Oh right, well see Muggles have these devices called security cameras and they allow an individual to view any part of the building from one room, the screens that they look at show numerous views from the cameras and they are basically invisible to the other people. If we had something like this then we could have numerous Aurors and Order members in the castle unknown to the students."

"My dear, I believe that is the best plan I have ever heard of," Minerva beamed at her granddaughter.

"Draco and I could look for the spells and then we could report next week."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, I think that this meeting has gone on long enough…"

"Wait, Albus, I'm confused."

"About what Maria?"

Maria Tobin, who had joined the order three years ago and was about twenty two looked around at the Malfoys before she continued, "Miss Malfoy called you 'Grandfather'…"

"Oh my, did I actually do that?"

"Smooth move Gryffindork."

"Shut up Ferret," Hermione said.

"I don't know, Narcissa should we tell them?" Lucius asked.

"I think we can, but they all must take the wand oath that nothing will be spoken about it outside of this group." Narcissa said.

"I agree," Minerva agreed.

"Very well, all of you that haven't already sworn to secrecy please raise your wands and place your hands in the middle," they all did and spoke the wand oath, when it was done, they continued, "Hermione and Draco are Minerva and my honorary grandchildren upon their request a few Christmas' ago, we have ever since taken up the names of 'Grams' and 'Grandpa,' does that answer everyone's questions?" everyone nodded and then they dismissed the meeting after announcing that the next meeting would be the next week when Hermione and Draco would check in on their progress.

Hermione, Draco, Blaise, Harry and Ginny had searched through every charms book in the library but they found nothing so they had gotten permission to go to Ohmare's estate to study in his library. The headmaster had agreed on one condition, they had to complete all of their homework for the weekend and they had to present it to him or Minerva and they would check it all off before they could leave, with and Order member as an escort of course. By Saturday afternoon, it had proven difficult but they got it done so with the accompaniment of Kingsley, the five entered the house and ran straight to the library. Each grabbed a stack of about twenty charms books from the shelves, each searched through their piles marking anything that would be significant, eventually they had gone through the entire library and all of Ohmare's notes.

"This is useless; there isn't any charm that fits what we need!"

"Hermione, there is something here I can feel it."

"Draco, we need more than our gut to…" Draco held up his hand.

"What?"

"Where is that Charm book that we got from Ohmare that Christmas, the one where we got the necklaces?"

"That's up in my room." Blaise said.

"Here?"

"I believe so."

"Well why you are sitting here boy, go get it!" Draco said shewing him out of the room. Blaise returned with not only the charms book, but a few defense books too.

"Blaise, what are you doing we are looking for Charms not defenses." Hermione said.

"Wow I thought of something before the bookworm, I feel smart!" Blaise said puffing out his chest.

"Blaise!"

"Ok, sorry… What if we are going about this all wrong? What if this is considered a defense rather than a charm?" Hermione pondered his statement. "Why not look through the defense books too."

"Ok," and the group settled down to work once again and searched the defense books as well. About four hours later, the group had a good stack of thirty books to present to the Order. Kingsley escorted them back to the school, they entered the headmaster's office to inform him of their return and then they proceeded to the Head common room. They had attended dinner as a group, ignoring the odd stares coming from the Gryffindor table.

The Order meeting was upon them before they knew it and Hermione, Draco and Harry had left Blaise and Ginny as they went to the headmaster's office.

"Hey guys?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't Blaise join the Order?"

Hermione looked at Draco and he said, "Blaise said that it wasn't what his father wanted for him, for further explanation, you will have to ask him."

"Oh."

The three students entered the room laughing about something that Draco said. They cleared their throats and took their seats, Harry attempted to be a gentleman and pulled out her seat for her, he looked at Snape and nodded his head in respect. Snape in return bowed his head, and then looked at Hermione who offered him a loving smile, it made his insides turn. Soon the meeting started and they discussed what the students had found spell wise to help create the security cameras. They figured out that the best solution was to combine three of the more powerful charms and create what they needed. They tested it out and confirmed that the best way was indeed combining the three spells. They would monitor the view through the looking glass over the next week and then go to viewing once a week, if it stayed then they knew they had success. Hermione felt like they had really accomplished something for the greater good and couldn't help but smile. Other topics consisted of what aurors would stay on grounds and what shifts they would have, and who would take what part of the castle.

Soon the meeting was dismissed and everyone mingled and caught up on what was going on each other's lives. Hermione noticed Severus exit the room and made to follow; she followed him to the dungeons and instantly knew that he was anticipating her because he entered his private chambers and left his door open. Hermione went in and closed the door; she smiled when she saw him sitting in his favorite chair

"Hello my love."

"Hello Severus." She approached his chair and knelt in front of him putting her hand upon his on the arm of the chair. He looked down at her and smiled.

"That was brilliant, your plan for the looking glasses."

"I am just doing my job as an Order member."

"I still wish that you weren't, you are in too deep as it is."

"You sound like Daddy."

"Well, he was my mentor."

Hermione smiled, "I know," She saw the troubled look on his face, "Severus, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Sev, talk to me." She looked at him with pleading eyes.

He reached down and lightly tugged on her hand, she stood and he pulled her into his lap, "I am just worried about the war."

"Join the club."

"You don't seem worried."

"I am attempting to keep my brain functioning, if I panic, Harry's in trouble."

"Lord forbid that Potter does some of his own thinking."

"Hey, he does think, I am just his voice of reason."

"That he has a tendency to ignore."

"Not always."

"Yes but that's exactly it, he doesn't' always listen to reason, just like his father."

"Severus, let it go, it was years ago."

"I know I should but I lost my best friend that night."

"I remember the story." Severus sighed and pulled her to him, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"I love you Hermione."

"I love you too."

A few months had gone by since the meeting where they discovered the secret to making the castle secure, and Hermione was relaxed, she had peaceful conversations with her grandparents, Severus and the group of friends she had acquired over the years. However, that was all about to change…..

While at dinner one April evening, the students and staff were merrily chatting and eating when there was a loud bang from outside.

"ALBUS, I'M HOME!" came Voldemort's voice, just as the coins that they had created started to burn. The students were quiet for a moment before they all started to panic; reminding Harry of when Quirrell came in and announced that there was a troll in the dungeons.

"Everyone please, do not panic, prefects that do not wish to partake please escort the student's back to the common rooms and ward them in, if you have talked to me please take up your positions. Hermione and Harry looked at each other and the group before standing, before they left the great hall to head to the room of requirment, she turned and caught her love's eyes, he smiled and signaled her to go quickly, and she smiled sadly and ran after her friends.

And the final battle began.