A/N: I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CONTINUES TO READ THIS AND REVIEW TELLING ME TO UPDATE. I PROMISE YOU WILL GET AN ENDING TO THIS STORY NO MATTER HOW LONG IT TAKES. I PRESENT TO YOU MY READERS THE FINISHED CHAPTER. ENJOY
Hermione spent the next two weeks "explaining" her plan, training with Harry and Ron, and writing to Voldemort. She couldn't forget those words, they burned in her mind, "Not even the greatest wizard can help who he falls in love with." He wouldn't answer any of her questions about the quote or what he meant by it so she finally gave up pestering him.
Snape, on the other hand, she constantly hounded with questions whenever she had the chance until Voldemort himself finally wrote and told her to leave off. Which led to his question, "If she knew Snape was a spy, why didn't she tell the Order?" Well because that would ruin all of her plans of course. And that would start the banter. He would call her a useless wench and she'd retort with a silly nickname and so on.
She also spent a lot of time with Harry and Ron trying to figure out the last horcrux. Something that he hadn't confided in her. It wouldn't make much of a difference even if they could find and destroy it. Hermione had found a way to circumvent the entire process anyway. Not like it was that hard to do once she really set her mind to it. It was a simple matter of not letting him die. After reviewing her plans on the Monday evening of her third week away from Voldemort, she was feeling very smug and remembering the chocolate chip cookies she had decided to go have a snack.
She didn't expect Lupin to be sitting in the kitchen, reading, and absentmindedly munching on cookies with his feet propped up. The sight was altogether humorous and Hermione couldn't stop a giggle from bubbling out. Lupin looked up a bit startled but smiled when he saw her standing in the doorway. "Shouldn't you be in bed asleep at this hour?" He asked eyes glittering in amusement. "Shouldn't you?" She replied sitting down next to him and reaching for a cookie. "I've been meaning to ask you Hermione, these plans, how did you decide to start them?"
The question she'd been waiting for. "Well it was just an idea at first something to do during the day, or when I wasn't working. Then, I don't know, my inner planner came out and I had all these ideas and once they were organizes…" She let her voice trail off and took the last cookie from the plate. "I see." Lupin said with a fond smile.
He left shortly after that and all Hermione could do was stare at the empty cookie plate still sitting in front of her. She was still there hours later when Molly walked in to get breakfast started. "Hermione dear, what are you doing up at this hour dear?" "Oh, I couldn't sleep." She made small talk as Molly busied herself around the kitchen, declining an offer for help.
"Hermione." She looked up to see Harry standing above her. "Don't get mad but I got your book out of your bedroom. It was…screaming." He handed her the little notebook which was indeed making a high pitched noise. She thanked him and excused herself to the living room. Rain dripped slowly down from the dark grey clouds above. She flipped the book open to the last page and noticed the large green ink staring up at her. "You are expected to return to me tonight no excuses."
Of course he would demand such a thing half of her groused but the other half was excited. She started planning an escape immediately going into the annoying amounts of detail she was known for. "If only tonight wasn't hours away." Hermione grumbled shutting the notebook without bothering to reply. Voldemort could sweat it out for a while. She turned and re-entered the kitchen a smile plastered on her face.
Her performance during training was better than it had been in a long time and she continued to use the Imperius curse on Ron until he complained to Harry that he was sick of "Dancing like a sissy." Harry just laughed and complemented her improved skills. Later that afternoon her mood was so good she even helped the twins fix a bug with their newest gag item for the shop, to be tested out of course on Ron.
The day couldn't go fast enough and she wasn't surprised to see Snape join them for dinner. He nodded to her when she smiled from the top of the stairs. Her things were packed, shrunk, and in her pocket already and she put her traveling cloak on the loveseat in the living room. Dinner seemed to be the longest part of the day with everyone chatting some looking serious, others like the twins laughing and joking.
She made excuses to retire to her room after the meal and shortly after she heard a short rap on the door. She followed Snape down the stairs, grabbed her cloak, and trailed after him to the Apperation point. She clung to him tightly and grinned excitedly as she felt the familiar sensation of disappearing and reappearing in another place. "Welcome home Miss Granger." The voice sent chills up her spine and she turned around to face him.