Hey everyone! Look, I'm on time today!

I'm catching up with myself (what I'm posting to what I have written already), and it's making me nervous!

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"What?" Ron asked when they paused at the bottom of the chair.

Bill tossed a newspaper on the table in front of them, and the three stepped forward to see the headline. They all now had bounties on their heads, and anyone caught aiding them would be immediately killed. Everyone in the magical community would be after them.

"This is bad," Harry muttered.

"I can't say it's entirely surprising," Hermione muttered to him. "We escaped from the Malfoys; of course they'd be anxious to catch us,"

"That and Bellatrix knows that something is up," Ron added.

"Which would only put You-Know-Who on his guard, more than he already was," Hermione finished.

The three shared a few glances, knowing that their time was running short and security would be even tighter throughout their world.

Harry grabbed their arms and dragged them away from the four adults silently watching their exchange.

"Hermione, when is the potion going to be done?" Harry asked anxiously.

"A few more days, perhaps a week, it depends," Hermione said.

"We can't wait anymore,"

"I can't make this brew any faster Harry, unless you want to start from scratch. We're forced to wait, we don't have any other choice,"

"Well, what are we going to do in the meantime?" Ron asked.

"Go over our plans?" Harry offered.

"That's about the only thing we can do," Hermione replied with a sigh.

The three filed out of the house and walked across the beach before settling down in the sand. Harry talked them through their plans, making small sketches in the sand.

"I'm sure that Bill knows stuff about Gringotts," Ron offered.

"Yes, but asking him would be too dangerous. It's bad enough they know we're brewing Polyjuice upstairs," Hermione muttered.

"What?" Harry cried.

"Severus could smell it on me, and Remus was in the room,"

"Damn him," Ron growled.

Hermione lost count of how many times they had talked through the plans, trying to foresee any problems they may have.

"If we get caught in Gringotts, it's over," Harry said, looking between the two with a serious expression.

"Well then, we just won't get caught," Hermione said, trying to hide her own doubts.

The three remained on the beach long after the temperature dropped and the sun set. Hermione could physically feel the weight of their task pressing down on them every second. Finally, when Bill called for them, they shuffled their way back to the house.

"We've put Bill and Fleur in danger," Harry mentioned.

"They're willing to help us out, they know we have good intentions," Ron said as he climbed over a rock.

"We're going to have to disappear after this," Hermione added. "We're going to have to become untraceable again,"

"Well, let's enjoy it while it lasts," Ron mumbled.

The three casually approached the house just as Remus and Severus walked out.

"We're heading off now," Remus said, wrapping his robes tightly around his frail form, trying to protect himself from the cold temperature.

Hermione instantly hugged him, closing her eyes with a sigh. She knew that the odds of seeing him again anytime soon would be slim to none. Remus hugged her back, seeming to sense the same thing. When they separated, Hermione could feel the tears in her eyes building up.

"Take care of yourself, okay? Especially after your transformations. Make sure you eat properly to keep your strength up. You're going to need it for that little boy," Hermione said.

"I'm not a child, I know how to take care of myself," he muttered with a smile before hugging her again.

Hermione stepped off to the side as Remus said goodbye to the boys and quickly shook Severus' hand. The four watched Remus walk off into the distance and then Apparate.

Harry and Ron barley acknowledged Severus' presence before reentering the house. Severus took this moment to begin heading towards the spot Remus disappeared from. Hermione watched him for a moment before following him.

"You're not going to say anything?" she asked quietly.

Severus stopped, but didn't turn to face her.

"What would you like me to say?" he answered harshly.

"Goodbye. Anything before you just disappear again,"

Severus remained silent, with his back turned to her. Hermione walked up to him and stood beside him, taking in his facial features. She knew he was forcing his façade up, keeping her out and himself inside.

"I have somewhere to be," he muttered before he began walking again.

"Severus," Hermione said following him again.

She kept glancing up, seeing that he was still taking powerful strides to reach the edge of the enchantments.

"This is how you're going to leave things? What if something happens to one of us, and this is the last memory we have?"

Severus stopped short and turned on her, nearly causing Hermione to crash into his chest. His fiery eyes flashed at her, and Hermione suddenly forgot what she was trying to say to him.

"Why are you so damn stubborn?" he hissed.

"Gryffindor trait," she answered instantly, failing to come up with something better.

Hermione watched his black hair gently lifting in the breeze and heard his black robes whipping against his legs.

"Why do you insist on dangling small bits of information in front of me and then snap when I question you further? You always hint at what you're doing, always giving off the impression that what you're doing is dangerous, yet I suffer when I tell you to not be reckless. I do not want to idly stand by and watch you throw your life away!"

Hermione took a step back from his outburst, knowing she must look like a deer caught in headlights to him.

"I'm just trying…trying to help-"

"Wonderboy, I know. You don't have to tell me again that you're purpose is noble,"

"I'm sorry, I don't want – I didn't mean to…"

"It doesn't matter," he cut her off quickly.

The two stood awkwardly for a moment before he sighed.

"I have to leave,"

Hermione lifted her eyes to his face and met his gaze evenly. She knew his desire to reach out to her because she had the same desire to touch him. Fiddling with the hem of her shirt, she eyes him closely.

"Is there anyone watching us?" she asked him.

His eyes darted from her face and quickly to the house behind her. She watched as his eyes flickered across the exterior before settling back on her face.

"No, there's no one there,"

Hermione instantly stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist pressing her cheek against the material of his robes. She closed her eyes, feeling the breeze of the ocean brushing against their skin. A moment later, Hermione felt Severus' arms wrap around her body, drawing her closer to him. His hand gently touched her hair, and she sighed.

"Be careful, I know things are going to get worse for you after this," she mumbled against his chest.

"I can handle myself," he muttered.

After a moment, Hermione pulled away, afraid of being caught. Severus allowed his arms to drop to his side limply. She took a step back and smiled at him.

"Bye," she said gently, feeling her emotions well up.

For a moment, his eyes left her face to peer behind her before immediately settling back on her own.

"There isn't anyone looking yet,"

Before Hermione could process the words, he was drawing her back into his arms, and lowering his mouth to hers. Instantly Hermione lifted herself onto her toes to meet his lips. They applied the gentlest pressure to the other's lips, and Hermione enjoyed this kiss more than any other they shared.

This one was tender and not rushed; they were simply sharing a small moment with one another without the world barging in on them. This wasn't a hasty encounter, no, the two were basking in one another's presence allowing their emotions a chance to break through their façades.

Slowly Severus pulled away from her, and Hermione slowly peeled her eyes opened to see him almost…tenderly looking down at her.

"Severus, I-"

Her lips were suddenly covered with his own again, this time in an effort to silence the words that were attempting to break free in the moment of her vulnerability. They both knew the words that were about to fall from her lips, and Hermione knew that he wasn't ready to hear them or deal with them. Severus had just started to become comfortable with their relationship, though nothing was set in stone. Everything was so open; the only solid thing was the marriage license he kept on his desk. In a small instant, he could decide that he didn't want this anymore, and simply deal with her because he had to, not because he wanted to.

Severus pulled away from her, and instantly dropped his arms from around her. Hermione studied him closely, trying to figure him out.

What did he want? Did he want this relationship after the war was over, granted they both lived. Was he willing to carry on what they had already made, or was this just convenient for him? Was he just attached to her because he never had someone to share his secret with? Did he just want her as a companion through the war, but nothing else? What was going to happen when the war was over?

"Take care of yourself," he muttered before turning and quickly walking away.

Hermione sighed and began to head back to the house, her head in the clouds, filled with thoughts of Severus.

That night, Hermione spent most of her time bent over the cauldron, making sure that everything was going fine. They couldn't afford to have a slipup now. Everything rested on this single potion. If they were delayed anymore, Voldemort would catch on and it would all be over for them.

Hermione turned at a sudden sound in the room. Ron was snoring into a pillow with his limbs spread every which way. She dropped her head into her hands.

What was she going to do with him? He was slowly catching on to her and Severus, and if he found out, he was going to flip. Hermione couldn't afford Ron's hatred at such a critical moment. They all had to stick together, until the very end.

Hermione fell asleep beside Harry, forcing her mind to clear and her muscles to relax.