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Sorry this is kind of on the short side, but that's just how it happened.
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That voice. Severus immediately tensed.
"Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked, dropping his hand and heading towards a painting on the wall.
"Miss Granger! How nice to see you again! Oh, I apologize, Mrs. Snape, I sometimes forget these things," the old man said with a smile.
"Professor," she began, starting to choke on her words. "I don't know what I'm doing anymore. Harry…and Ron…"
"I can assure you that they are fine, I have my ways of knowing, even now,"
"How can I help them?"
"I believe that it is time for you to go before the Dark Lord and reveal part of the story Severus and I have made,"
Severus remained frozen in the doorway, afraid to move a muscle.
"What if I'm not ready?" she asked quietly.
"Hermione, you have always been ready for anything that you have faced in your life. Severus will ensure that you are safe and protected. You have nothing to fear when he is there,"
Hearing his old mentor speak about him in such a way made him nearly sick to his stomach.
"I know, he's beyond wonderful dealing with all of this,"
Wonderful? Him? Severus Snape?
"A little birdie told me that three of my most mischievous students had a little run in with the Ministry,"
"Yes, we had to go there for…for that thing we needed,"
"And were you successful?" he asked peering down at her over his half-moon glasses.
"Yes, but we don't know what to do now. We tried…but nothing works, and I've read everything about it that I could, but no one is willing to talk about anything even remotely related to the topic,"
What on Earth were they talking about?
"Yes, this is where Severus is needed,"
Hermione turned to look at him, and he was suddenly faced with the same pairs of eyes that he was forced to see on the night he killed the most important person in his life.
"Come Severus, it is time that you and I had a conversation I know you've been putting off for quite a long time,"
Those blue eyes. They looked exactly how he remembered them, especially in his dreams. Without thinking, he stepped forward, taking his place at Hermione's side.
"Stop blaming yourself, Severus, that is in the past, it is time that you focused on the future because there are people who need you,"
Severus noticed that Dumbledore's eyes shifted to Hermione's face before coming to rest on his own.
"I assume that you two have been working on her shields?"
"Yes, thoroughly," Severus managed to choke out.
"I knew I could count on you," Dumbledore said with a proud smile.
Severus didn't reply.
"It is time that she goes to him; Harry is in desperate need of more time,"
Severus swallowed deeply. Months ago, when he knew he would be the one taking Granger to the Dark Lord, the thought bothered him, but now...Severus didn't know how he was going to handle handing her over with not an ounce of resistance. He would be forced to witness those three hours a day, her screaming, crying, suffering.
"What am I supposed to say to him?" Hermione asked softly.
"Severus will work with you, teaching you how to make a false memory. You are to show him Ron's injury so he suspects that Harry is being detained. You cannot allow the memory of Severus to slip through,"
"Sir, how do you know this?" Hermione asked.
Dumbledore gave her a kind smile and continued with the story.
"You must show Harry suffering, that will make Voldemort happy for the moment and he will shift his attention for the time being, knowing that Harry isn't getting anywhere,"
"That's all?" Hermione asked.
"All? My dear girl, do you know how difficult it is to form a fake memory?"
"When do you think I should go?" she asked.
"The next meeting that is called,"
"You can't possibly expect her to be ready by then!" Severus interjected.
"We are running out of time," Dumbledore said.
The three remained silent, until there was a knock at the door.
"Hide!" Severus immediately hissed grabbing Hermione's elbow and pulling her away from the portrait.
A small living area was set up in a room hidden by a curtain, and Severus immediately pushed her inside and pulled the curtain over the opening before she had a chance to turn around. Severus darted to his desk, and took a deep breath.
"Enter," he barked, resuming his cold exterior.
In a flourish of emerald robes, Minerva entered the room with a scowl already in place. Severus knew that the woman hated his guts after what had happened, and she showed him every chance she could.
"The house elves have cleaned and stocked the kitchens, just as you asked. Is there anything else?" she asked.
Severus didn't miss the fact that she never called him by his first name or address him as Headmaster.
"I want the Great Hall cleaned, I've already asked for that," he said.
"Oh, yes, it must have slipped the house elves minds," she said in a snappy tone.
Severus knew that they hadn't forgotten; she hadn't told them. She wanted him to see what he had done. Severus knew all too well what had happened. He didn't need to be reminded.
"See that it is done," he said.
Minerva remained glaring at him for a long while, and he stared back at her.
"Is there something else?" he snapped.
"Yes, there is. The entire wizarding community knows of what you did, and I hope that wherever Harry is, he's going to win this war. Those who go to this school will always remain loyal to Albus Dumbledore, no matter who holds the title of Headmaster. We are going to win this war," she snapped.
Severus remained silent, staring at her. Suddenly the curtain whipped out and Hermione stood there, instantly finding Minerva.
"Miss Granger!" the old woman cried, instantly grasping her throat.
Hermione walked towards her, and the two embraced.
"Bloody hell," Severus muttered sinking into the chair.
"What?" Hermione asked turning towards him.
"How do you expect to explain this?" he snapped at her quickly.
"Miss Granger, what are you doing here, and why are you here with him?"
"Yes, why Miss Granger?" Severus asked sarcastically.
Severus knew that she disliked being called by her maiden name, especially by him. She set her jaw and viciously glared at him.
"I'm helping Severus,"
"Miss Granger, I demand that you tell me the truth! You are now referring to him by his first name, and you are helping him?"
"Professor, we're all on the same side," Hermione said.
"I beg to differ, Miss Granger, I am not on the side of a man who so heartlessly murdered his own mentor!"
"I advise you to watch what you say, Minerva," Severus hissed.
"You are going to drive this school in to the ground!" she screeched.
"Professor, we're both helping Harry, I-"
"Granger, watch your step," Severus barked.
"I'm not going to leave her in the dark! We need someone here who knows what's going on," she said turning on him.
"We had a deal, Granger,"
"Stop calling me that," she growled.
"It is your name, is it not?"
"You know that it's not, not anymore,"
"Watch yourself,"
"Or what?"
The two were glaring at each other, Minerva was forgotten.
"We need her,"
"No, we do not. We've been fine so far,"
"This is different, and you know it!"
"Granger, if you don't lower your voice-"
"Severus and I are married," Hermione blurted out.
His eyes locked on her, more furious than he could ever remember feeling. In a single sentence, just to get back at him, she had ruined their cover.
"Excuse me?" Minerva suddenly asked.
"Dumbledore said that Harry needed some more time, so I agreed to help,"
"Stop talking," Severus bit out.
"Certainly this cannot be true, why, you're so-" Minerva said looking at the girl.
"Yes, I'm old enough to be her father, Minerva, you are not the first one to have that thought run through your brilliant mind," he snapped.
The three remained silent, not knowing what to say.
"Perhaps you better explain, Severus," Dumbledore's portrait suddenly said.
With a sigh, Severus launched into the story, realizing that it had almost been a year since Granger and he had begun this screwed up relationship. In fact, their relationship began long before he cared to admit. Trying to keep Minerva as far from this as possible, Severus simply began at the point when they signed the contract, making sure to clearly state that the entire plan was Dumbledore's idea, and that he was in no way involved beyond that.
When he ended the narrative, Minerva sunk into a seat, looking pale.
"Albus, what were you thinking?" she said staring up at the picture.
"Hermione can help us, Minerva. Harry is capable of winning this war, but time is working against him,"
"And how is she holding up under all of this pressure?" the old woman snapped, suddenly turning on Severus.
"I'm fine, Professor," Hermione instantly said with a smile.
"Most full grown men can't handle what you're trying to do," she said, looking at her as if she didn't believe her.
Severus had sunk back in his chair, feeling more dejected and hopeless than usual. Granted her shields were near perfect, but she now needed to learn how to project false memories in a short time. One slip, just for a second, and everything would be over for them. He would be killed, and then she would be killed, and then the hunt for Potter would intensify beyond anything Severus had ever seen.
"I promise that it's fine, Severus has been extremely helpful,"
If he hadn't spent so much time with her, he would have missed the sudden shadow that fell across her face. He knew that she was thinking about the torture she had to endure when she took his punishment.
"I hope he has," Minerva snapped and began glaring at Severus.
Severus didn't have the strength to have an argument with her now.
"Go with Minerva to her office, I have some things to take care of here," he said sighing and standing up. "Minerva, make sure she is not seen," Severus added staring across the grounds.
"Come," he heard the old woman say gently before the door opened.
Severus listened to her footsteps on the stone stairs, and allowed his shoulders to slump with a sigh of helplessness. Suddenly two arms wrapped around his waist, and he jumped slightly.
"Thank you," Hermione mumbled into his robes.
"If you ever think about doing that again, I will not be so lenient the next time," he said without moving.
"I just think that it would be good to have someone else know what's going on, just in case something happens to one of us,"
The tone in her voice immediately alerted him to the fact that she had been thinking about this for a long time, longer than he knew she'd care to admit. With a sigh, he pulled her closer to him for a moment.
"Nothing is going to happen," he said.
She pulled back, forcing their arms to drop, and gave him a tender smile.
"Just in case,"
He watched as her eyes flickered over his face for a moment before she turned and headed to the door. Severus watched her movements, wishing more than anything that they were back at Spinner's End, wrapped in the warm sheets, sleeping soundly.
The door closed softly behind her and Severus could feel the crushing weight of what they would be facing.
"You love her,"
Severus looked at the portrait, the twinkling blue eyes, and the knowing look. His heart jumped slightly as he diverted his eyes.
"No," Severus answered shortly before sinking into his chair.
"Regardless if you admit it or not, you're in love with her, I can see it in your eyes,"
"What you see is a man who has been forced into twenty years of servitude,"
"My dear boy, I haven't seen your eyes sparkle like that since Lily Potter, and even then-"
"Don't talk about her,"
"You're in love with her, and she's certainly in love with you,"
"Honestly, Albus, this isn't some sort of fairytale, we're in the middle of a war here,"
"Tell me, Severus, a year ago, would you have been so nice to Miss Granger?"
"I'm busy Albus," Severus said with a sigh.
Severus heard the man mumbling in his frame, but ignored him.