Hey! I know that this is a bit short, but that's just how it needed to end :)

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When they entered the house, conversation stopped immediately. He could tell how dejected they all looked; losing Mad-Eye certainly was a large blow to them. Nearly every eye was on him, and he noticed the small Gryffindor taking a defensive stance in front of him.

"Everyone, just calm down. I told you already, Severus is on our side," Lupin said in an exhausted tone from an old arm chair.

"What about my son?" Arthur barked.

"Arthur,-"

"Mr. Weasley," Severus immediately began. "In my effort to prevent Remus from being killed, my aim appears to have been slightly off, and part of the curse, regrettably, hit your son,"

"You were trying to keep me alive?" Remus asked with a shocked expression.

"It wouldn't due to have another one of you killed under my watch," Severus snapped, but sighed. "Remus, as much as you and I haven't gotten along over the years, it certainly isn't my wish to see you dead. We need everyone in the Order now, and any loss would be devastating. Potter needs all of the protection he can get now,"

Remus just stared at him, not really knowing what to say to his childhood enemy. Finally he stood and walked straight up to Severus, staring him straight in the eye. Severus was ready to be punched in the face, but to his surprise, Remus held out his hand.

"Thank you, Severus, for saving my life tonight," he said gruffly.

Severus took the man's hand, and they shook for a few moments. Remus turned back towards the crowd, who were eyeing him as if he had just rolled up his sleeve and flashed them the Dark Mark.

"Dumbledore trusts him, therefore, I do," he stated plainly.

"Me too," Bill said nodding his head at Severus.

His fiancé smiled, and nodded also. Gradually, most of the people warmed up to Severus, excluding the twins, the youngest of the Weasley's, and Potter himself.

"How can you all trust him after what he did?" Potter snapped.

"I trust him," the uninjured twin stated, earning a scathing look from Potter. "He saved George, and Remus, Harry. We have to be grateful for that,"

Severus noticed that Miss Weasley's eyes flickered between Potter's and her brother, and that the youngest Mr. Weasley stood his ground by Potter.

"He killed Dumbledore! Does that mean anything to any of you?"

"Harry," Hermione began stepping forward. "Of course losing Dumbledore is hard for everyone, especially you, but we need to stick together through this. I saw it myself, it wasn't done out of cold blood,"

"Please Hermione, you'd follow him to hell and back before you finally realize he is nothing but a murderer," Harry snapped, glaring at Severus.

"Someday, Harry, you'll learn to get over your obsession with what happened in your father's past, and then perhaps you can see what Professor Snape has been trying to do!" she snapped viciously.

"Severus, Hermione, I'd like to speak to you alone," Remus said quickly defusing the tension in the room.

"You can use the room upstairs, to the left," Molly said quietly.

Remus nodded and began ascending the stairs, followed by Hermione, and then Severus. They entered a small bedroom, and Hermione instantly sat on the squeaky mattress, and Severus noticed how she pulled his travelling cloak tighter around herself, nearly being swallowed in the thick material. He couldn't help it as his eyes roamed her face, which he noticed was pale and strained.

Remus stood at the window, and sighed deeply before turning to face them.

"Before Dumbledore passed away, he gave me a letter. I was to tell you what the letter contained,"

As he said this, Remus pulled an envelope with emerald writing out from his robes. Severus was tense, but he leaned against the doorway like he was in his element. His eyes flickered to Hermione who had her wide brown eyes glued to Remus. Clearing his throat, Remus began reading.

"Dear Remus,

If you receive this, it is because I, sadly, am gone. I've asked Minerva to deliver this to you. Once you read this, I want you to inform Hermione and Severus of its contents.

Remus, you must make sure to watch out for Hermione and Severus, no matter what. You are the only one who knows of their marriage, and you must protect that. Hermione is very valuable to our cause.

Read this to Severus: Severus, you need to keep Miss Granger safe. Keep yourself in control, no matter what. She will be put through trying situations, many of them you will find inhumane, but she is strong and will be able to handle anything Voldemort decides to force on her. She will be a target to many people now, and I advise that she does not go to Hogwarts for her 7th year. If I am correct in my assumptions, Miss Granger, more than ever, will be targeted because of her blood status. The bottom line is to keep Hermione safe, under any circumstance.

Hermione: I can't even begin to tell you how proud I am that you've decided to help Harry out. Things will become very difficult, but you need to stay strong, and I know that you are more than capable of doing so. Hermione, remember what you promised me. You must keep that promise, no matter what. If you break it, everything we have worked for would fall apart into nothing. Harry needs you, we all need you. Even if you're ready to give up, you cannot break that promise.

Good luck to you all. Voldemort's plan is to try and turn the Order against itself, but that must not happen. You must all trust each other, and you must all look out for one another. Keeping your faith in this cause will help you restore our world to its former glory.

Albus Dumbledore

No one made a move or a sound. They simply looked at one another. Severus immediately noticed Hermione's red eyes, and he knew she was on the verge of crying.

"What did you promise him?" Severus asked softly keeping his eye trained solely on her.

"I can't say," she instantly muttered.

"I swear to God, if he forced you into anything-"

"He didn't. He asked if I would do him a favor, and I told him that I promised it would be done,"

Severus groaned and ran his hand over his face. Why would she do that?

"Not all promises are meant to be kept," he added, looking at her again.

"I fully intend to keep this one," she said almost tenderly with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Is this going to put you in danger?" Remus asked eyeing her closely.

"I'll be safe, don't worry," she said giving Remus a knowing smile before briefly flashing her eyes at Severus.

"This whole plan with Hermione practically throwing herself at the Dark Lord," Remus said harshly. "When is this supposed to happen?"

"Any day now. She'll stay here for the time being, unless she needs to be moved again. When school starts….I guess I can sneak her in. She can stay in my quarters, but she won't be going to lessons,"

"What is she going to do, sit around all day waiting for her death? What of Harry and Ron?" Remus asked.

"It's fine, really," Hermione finally spoke up. "We…the three of us weren't going to go back to school this year,"

"Why not? Or are you going to keep that from us also?" Remus said, becoming frustrated.

"Dumbledore set us something to do, and we need to do it. We can't tell anyone," she said, slightly taken aback by his sudden harshness.

"Hermione, you can't do this alone,"

"We have no choice," she replied in a tone that suggested that the conversation was over.

"Just remember what I told you when we were at Grimmauld Place, okay?"

"I will," she said with a smile.

Remus gave her a quick one armed hug before heading towards the door.

"Thank you again, Severus, I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you,"

"Don't mention it," Severus replied gruffly.

Remus left the room, and Severus waited until his footsteps died away.

"What did he tell you?" he questioned.

She raised her eyes to his face, and gave a shy sort of smile.

"He just wants me to keep in touch with him, that's all. It worries him, with Harry going off alone and Voldemort looking for him. He's afraid for us all,"

"How do you expect to help Potter and walk in front of the Dark Lord at the same time?" Severus asked.

"That's my business," she said jutting her chin out slightly.

"Damn it! Can you tell me anything that might be useful? Or am I supposed to trust the wonderful expertise of a seventeen year old girl? I can tell you now, even though you're bloody brilliant, I'm not going to follow you blindly into battle!"

"No, I'm sorry I can't be more useful because throwing myself willingly into that cult you're involved in isn't useful enough!"

The last time Severus had been accused of being part of a cult was when Lily told him they couldn't be friends anymore. Immediately Severus headed towards the door, and walked into the hallway, but he should have expected the girl to follow him.

"Wait, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. It's just…I have a lot going on right now," she muttered, still gripping his hand tightly.

Severus whirled on her, noticing that his cloak was barely hanging onto her shoulders now. He wanted to shake her until some sense found its way in. She was being so stupid! People could help them; they could help her if she let them!

"The Golden Trio seems to have everything planned out so perfectly, what could possibly be plaguing your genius mind?" he bit out with sarcasm.

Severus saw her eyes flash towards the stairs, waiting to see if anyone was near enough to hear them. Apparently she didn't trust the distance because she was suddenly pulling him back into the room they had just left. Calmly he strolled to the window and stared out across the yard. Once the door was shut with a snap, he turned to her.

He had to admit, she was pretty, in a sweet, innocent sort of way. Her hair seemed more tamed this time, but he liked it bushy as well, especially after working hard over a boiling caldron. She was pale, but she has been pale since this whole ordeal started. Hermione sighed and pulled his cloak around herself again, and eyed him warily.

"What, Granger?" he said with a sigh.

"I altered my parent's memories," she blurted out quickly.

"Come again?"

"I wiped their memories. All of them. Every single one of me is gone,"

"You didn't need to. The Order would have protected them," he said gruffly.

Hermione gave a single humorless laugh before sitting on the bed. Severus watched as she stretched out and then curled up on her side, clutching his cloak rather protectively in her hands.

"The Order is falling apart; a blind man can see that. The numbers are bad enough already, people can't be spared to stand around protecting two Muggles," she muttered, sounding heart broken.

Severus approached the bed, but did not touch it.

"When?" he asked solemnly.

"Almost a week ago,"

"Where have you been staying?"

"I've just been wandering. Eventually I went to Headquarters and found Remus, and then he told me what we would be doing tonight,"

"You could have called me," he said, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "I'm legally responsible for you now,"

"I couldn't do that, it wasn't an emergency,"

"You were wandering around! That's an emergency, especially considering the circumstances involving you in particular,"

"Well, if I'm ever wandering around again, I'll be sure to use my ring," she said with a smile in her voice.

"I wonder if these things really work?" Severus asked quietly while looking at the medal.

"Should we try them out?" Hermione asked.

"I don't see why not," Severus said, turning his ring once and feeling a slight warmth.

"Um…hello?" he said, unsure of himself.

Severus knew it had worked before Hermione had said anything because her eyes became wide. She pulled her hand out from the cloak and she sat up, showing him her ring. Sure enough, written with glowing silver script was the word 'hello'. Hermione then took her ring and turned it twice. Severus watched, amazed as her ring began to glow, and he was even more amazed when his began to glow and heat up.

"Do you feel that?" she asked.

"The warmth?" he questioned.

"No, the vibration,"

He nodded, suddenly realizing that his ring was indeed buzzing on his finger.

"You were there that day," she suddenly said.

"Hmm?"

"In Diagon Alley, you were there that day, I know you were,"

He looked at her for a moment and sighed.

"Yes, I was there. Being locking up in one's house for months gets tiresome. I had just gotten some books, and you were fighting with Weasley,"

"Yes," she said as a light blush covered her cheeks. "We were fighting,"

"That much was obvious,"

"He just doesn't…understand,"

"There's a lot that Weasley doesn't understand," Severus said with a smirk.

"Yes, that's true," she murmured, standing from the bed and shrugging his cloak off. "Even if this is just an arrangement, it is a marriage,"

Hermione held out the cloak for him, and he gently took it from her hands, studying her closely. For a moment, she stared down at him, straight into his eyes, barely breathing. Severus found the urge to reach out and touch the soft skin of her hand and feel her small finger wrap around his own. Or perhaps he could reach up and test how smooth the skin of her cheek was? Would it be as smooth as he remembered?

"I hope you come to the wedding…Bill's and Fleur's," she said softly before heading towards the door. "I…I would like you to come,"

Before Severus could turn and look at her, he heard the door click shut and her soft footsteps on the stairs. He sighed deeply, wondering what he could do with her. Every time he talked to her she seemed to age years. She had told him that she was willing to forgo a relationship with Weasley because she was married to him. Truthfully, he hadn't expected that much.

Severus couldn't help the feeling of…possessiveness over her. Legally, she was his. And her willingness to be faithful to him. Him. Severus Snape. It made his feeling of possessiveness even stronger. For the first time since Lily died, someone accepted him, wanted him even. Severus rubbed his chest as if trying to sooth a pain from his heart.

Without thinking, he pulled on his cloak and spent a moment smelling her scent on the fabric. Vanilla? It was soft, and smooth, gently caressing his senses. Severus felt like he was losing his mind.

Quickly, he made his way from the room and down the stairs. He snuck to the door due to the fact that most of the Order was still there. Just as his hand touched the knob, Mrs. Weasley called his name and suddenly appeared beside him.

"Of course you'll come to the wedding, won't you? We need all of the members of the Order we can get," she said excitedly.

He looked at the woman for a moment and almost instantly his eyes flashed over her shoulder, to a bushy head, making a point of hiding the owner's face.

"I'm not sure how busy I'll be, Mrs. Weasley," he said.

"Well, we would appreciate it if you could come. We could really use your help," she said gently.

"I'll see what I can do," Severus mumbled before leaving the house.

Quickly he made his way down the straight drive, waiting until he knew he had left the enchantments that surrounded the house. Pausing for a moment, he turned back towards the house, and somehow knew she would be watching him. Sure enough, she was in an upstairs window, watching him leave. With a sweep of his robes, he stepped outside the enchantments and then Apparated back to Spinner's End.