Harry and Ron's arrival had been like a bucket of cold water. Gone were the peaceful meals or cups of tea they shared, mulling over Shakespeare and Neruda. The lab was still a refuge, away from prying eyes and inopportune questions, but the rest of Number 12 Grimmauld Place was fast living up to its title of as the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.

He hadn't come to her. For the first time in months, he hadn't seen her once he was back. He hadn't even gone to a Death Eater gathering, it was a meeting with Dumbledore, at Hogwarts of all places, probably about lesson plans or something… So why haven't you come back to me? Worrying was getting her nowhere. Slipping out of her room, she made her way up a flight of stairs and to the mahogany door that she had crossed so many times. She lifted her hand, caressing the wood as it opened to let her through.

The room was dark and deathly still. Hermione let her eyes roam over the sparse furniture, the few personal effects, before settling on the object of her affections: hunched over on the side of the bed, hands gripping his hair, elbows resting on his knees, tension radiating from him like heat from a fire. She reached out her hand to place it on his shoulder-

"Don't touch me."

Don't touch me? She removed her hand only to try and rest it on his cheek, but even as she drew close, his hand shot up and caught her wrist.

"Severus…"

"No."

She wrenched her arm from his grip, and as it slipped through his hand, her fingers caught on his, their skin touching for the first time that night.

"Why on earth did you even put it on? The ring is obviously cursed… I cannot stop it, merely slow the progression…"

And then she saw Dumbledore's hand, black and shriveled…

"The Dark Lord has tasked Draco Malfoy with your murder."

"And if he fails, you are to complete his assignment?"

"Yes. Narcissa and Bellatrix-"

"You must be the one to kill me, Severus. We both know Draco is no murderer- and to kill me in cold blood would destroy his soul."

"And what of my soul?"

"You alone know what granting a fast and painless death to a dying, suffering man will do to your soul."

Silence, clenched fists, laboured breaths.

"Take the Unbreakable Vow they will ask of you, Severus."

"Hermione? What did you see? Hermione?"

"Dumbledore."

"Hermione…"

She shook her head, burying her face in his chest as tears streamed down her cheeks. His arms came up around her, his head laid on top of hers, his nose touching the wild tangles as silent tears sprang from his eyes. It could have been an eon that they held each other, lower limbs tangled in the bedding, pressed so close together they could be one. She couldn't feel the tension in his arms, the grip of his hands on her skin, was too numb to; he didn't register the jackhammering of her heart.

When she emerged from the room hours later, face red and splotchy and hair flying everywhere, neither spoke. Remus didn't comment as they passed in the corridor, Sirius didn't say anything when he came to wake her in the morning and she was laying on the bed, perfectly still, eyes open and watching the ceiling.

Term had begun. Term had progressed. It was inevitable, really- time got on with its business whether or not everyone else did. Whether or not she was still brewing for the Order (whether), whether or not she could look at the professor at Defense Against the Dark Arts (not), whether Harry had developed an unhealthy obsession with Malfoy she knew had to end for Dumbledore's plan to play out (whether), whether or not she was herself (not).

"I know Malfoy's up to something serious-"

"Harry, if I hear another thing about Draco bloody Malfoy, I'm going to hex you to bits!"

"What's gotten into you, Hermione?! You haven't been yourself all year- for all we know Draco tried to kill Katie Bell-"

"You don't understand-"

"HE'S PROBABLY ALREADY A DEATH EATER-"

"Dumbledore-"

"DUMBLEDORE'S GOT ENOUGH ON HIS PLATE, HERMIONE, IF YOU'D JUST LISTEN TO ME-"

"HE'S DYING, HARRY!" Hermione sank into the armchair, trembling, as silence enveloped the empty classroom Harry had dragged Ron and her into.

"What?"

"Dumbledore's dying."

"Malfoy… he wasn't after Katie, was he? It's Dumbledore…"

"But Malfoy could never overpower Dumbledore," interjected Ron.

Hermione shook her head. "Dumbledore has a plan. Go ask him, Harry. He's going to have himself killed by the end of the year. And tell him I know, and I know what he's doing to a soul he takes for granted."

For a moment, no one moved. Then Harry banged shut the door, tearing down the corridor, Ron slammed his fist on a desk before coming to hold her, and Hermione buried her face in her hands, letting what she'd just done sink in.

"I talked to Dumbledore."

"Did he deny it all?"
Harry shook his head. "Got past that part rather quickly when I started smashing up his office in a rage. Not the easiest conversation I've had in my life."

"What did he say?"

"Enough to make me not hate the whole of Slytherin with vehemence."

"So Malfoy…"

"Kid's got it tough. But Dumbledore made me promise to lay off his case."

"And will you?"

Harry shrugged. "I guess. I won't have much time to anyway. He put me on something else- Horcruxes."

"Horcruxes?"

"I'll tell you later, when Ron's with us. Really, really dark magic."

"And what about- you know…"

"Snape? My first instinct was to cast a few Unforgivables myself, but it's not as though he's got much of a choice- especially if we're going to win this war."

Hermione smiled, blinking back the tears. You've done enough crying for a while.

"Hermione, can I ask you something? You're my friend and I would never want to stand in the way of your happiness- is there something going on between you two?"

It sure is a day for revelations. "The short answer- yes."

"What's the long answer?"

"I wish I knew."

"Hermione… I never thought I'd be giving you relationship advice, but maybe you should talk to him."

"Harry, the last time I spoke to the man was when I realised what he had to do."

"Exactly. Look, Dumbledore showed me that memory in the pensieve, and it was like he was telling Snape his soul wasn't worth anything. Dumbledore made me see things have to be done to make sure Voldemort is gone for good this time, but if someone made me promise to kill them and then Ginny left me-"

"I didn't leave anybody! It's he who-"

"I know you wouldn't walk out on a friend you believed in, Hermione. But does he?"

"Hermione."

"Hi."

"What are you doing here? It's after curfew-"

"I won't get caught. Harry lent me his cloak."

Snape's eyes narrowed as Hermione closed the door to his chambers behind her. "Potter knows you're here?"

Hermione nodded. "He knows about Dumbledore, too."

"Goddamnit, Hermione-!"

"Shh." She settled beside him on the bed. "He understands." The duvet was soft beneath her legs. "I understand."

His eyes scrunched together, then relaxed as she pressed her palm to his cheek.

"How can you still bear to touch me? Knowing what I've done, what I'll do? Knowing who I am?"

She didn't reply, instead bringing her mouth to his. These kisses made no pretense of chasteness- she felt her whole body flush as he pulled her to straddle his lap, heat growing between them as he rolled them over-

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Her name was a chant on his lips as he rocked into her, so, so gentle and yet incredibly intense all at once, making her gasp, tighten, and then she was gripping him with every atom in her body as every nerve she had fired at once, taking him along with her-

"I love you."

She hadn't meant to make him cry, had no idea her words would hold such power over him, and then-

"I don't know if I'll survive this war."

"I know."

"I will never be a pleasant man."

"I know."

"Hermione…"

"Shh. I know."


A/N: So... I'm not exactly happy with this chapter, but it's how things turned out. The next chapter will be the epilogue, but I may consider doing a sequel some time in the future- let me know what you think :)