A/N- I have returned once again, my friends. I have no good excuse this time, only me getting caught up in a story. Even though I tell myself I'm going to be good and write, I manage to end up finding a good story and reading. It's killing me! Lol. Anyways, I've noticed that I've lost a lot of my usual reviewers. Have I offended y'all? While I make no guarantees that I will change what I write or how I write it, I still like to hear what you think. It was because of a reader saying they were blindsided by my torture scenes and such in past stories that I now use trigger warnings. Anyways, enough of that, I'm ready to start writing!

Disclaimer: I don't own a thing. I'm still not sure why I put these on every chapter. I tell myself that it will be fine when I begin a story but then twenty chapters in, I'm over it. Y'all know who the characters and story line belong to and it definitely isn't me!

Chapter 41

April 5, 1996

Hermione picked at her breakfast. She wasn't that hungry even though she knew that she should eat. They were going to be looking for the horcrux again today, the fifth day in a row with absolutely no luck. It was wearing on her and she was getting more frustrated by the day. Her father and her boys reassured her that they would find it, that they would destroy it before she had to come up with a plan to kill Dumbledore but that didn't mean that she wasn't getting just a little bit worried.

Last night had been the twin's party in the Gryffindor common room. It had been a nice distraction for a few hours but even then, the drama that had occurred had put a dampener on the fun she had been having. While Dean and Seamus had learned their lesson not to judge her for who she was dating, that didn't mean that the rest of the House was pleased that two snakes had been invited into their den.

Surprisingly, none of the fifth years had complained. Hermione had expected something from Parvati, but Lavender must have warned her just what Hermione was capable of. She couldn't say that her year group looked happy, but they were smart enough to keep their mouths shut. Instead, it was a group of sixth and seventh years that started complaining about Draco and Theo's presence. These particular students also didn't attend the D.A. meetings, so they had no idea that these two Slytherins didn't single out Gryffindors anymore. Hermione would have thought that they would buy a clue since it was the twins that had invited them but apparently not everyone was blessed with intelligence.

The Gryffindors had threatened to get McGonagall and Hermione had laughed in their faces. The twins had watched in amusement as she handled the situation, more than happy to let her be a part of the entertainment. It had earned them both a stinging hex to their backside, but they still swore that it was worth it. After telling the older students to go get Professor McGonagall, that she would love to have their Head of House weigh in on the argument since she was promoting inner house unity, the students had begun bad-mouthing Draco and Theo.

Hermione had allowed it for a few moments, thinking that they were just being sore losers and that they would move on. This wasn't the case, however. When they started detailing what her brother did with animals and what her boyfriend did with his mother since purebloods were so inbred, Hermione let her temper fly. She had hexed every single one of them to varying degrees. The ones that had remained silent during the insults received only stinging hexes while those that had slandered her family received various animal parts attached to their bodies. Her favorite was Katie Bell with udders and a cow's tail, unable to speak because she was too busy mooing.

Hermione had expected them to snitch to Professor McGonagall, but they hadn't so far. Or at least her Head of House hadn't spoke to her about it yet. She supposed that that was still a distinct possibility, but she doubted that they had told. They would have had to admit that a fifth year had bested them and that they had been saying horrid things about other students. The atmosphere at the Gryffindor table was certainly frosty but Hermione brushed it off as unimportant. Her house mates would either get over it or they wouldn't. Frankly, she had far more important things to worry about besides what her fellow Gryffindors thought about her life choices.

Harry nudged her, pulling her out of her thoughts. She turned and gave him a soft smile, showing that she wasn't angry for the interruption. He smiled back before gesturing for her to look towards the Slytherin table. Theo was no longer seated there, in fact, he was striding over to the Gryffindor table, a determined look on his face. She smiled at him but was slightly surprised when he didn't return the gesture. When he reached the table, he didn't waste any time getting to the point.

"Can I speak with you in private, Hermione? It's important." Hermione cast a glance up to the clock on the wall and saw that they were due to start looking for the horcrux in an hour. She turned back to her brother and smiled before she looked to Harry and Draco.

"I'll meet up with you guys as soon as I can. If I'm not there in time, tell everyone that I'll be there when I can. Don't worry about me." Harry seemed to trust her words, but Draco looked suspicious. It was clear that he didn't trust Theo and what his intentions were. Hermione couldn't blame him. To this point, Theo had seemed completely happy that his sister supported the Dark Lord. She knew Draco was thinking about what her brother would try to do to her if he suspected that she was double-crossing them all. She rubbed a hand down Draco's arm.

"It'll be fine, I promise. Remember Bellatrix." Her voice was low enough that nobody aside from Draco could hear it. His words back were equally as soft.

"I remember Dolohov quite well." She chuckled softly and kissed his cheek before turning to Harry and kissing his cheek as well.

"See you guys after a while." They both nodded and turned back to their breakfast.

Hermione rose from the bench seat and shot her brother another smile, once again, for him not to return it. She followed him, his pace fast enough that she was having trouble keeping up. Her hand reached out and grasped his elbow.

"Slow down, Theo, my legs aren't as long as yours." Even though he slowed his pace just a little, he remained silent.

Hermione continued to follow him out of the Great Hall and up three floors into a classroom that she had never been in. Once inside, her brother put up silencing charms and wards to make sure that they weren't bothered. His actions made her realize that this was where it was going to all fall apart. He knew that she wasn't loyal to her grandfather and she was going to lose him forever. Her eyes pricked with tears, but she refused to let them fall. She had known what she was doing when she agreed to play this part, she had known the consequences. That didn't mean that she had to like them, however. Hermione took a seat in one of the chairs, silently transfiguring it into a squashy arm chair while her brother paced. Hermione couldn't take the silence any longer.

"What's wrong, Teddy? Please talk to me." He sneered her way, something that he hadn't done in months, and Hermione knew for certain then. His words, however, surprised her.

"Why should I talk to you when you don't talk to me? All you do is feed me shit and keep me in the dark. Did you think I was too stupid to work it out? Did you think that you could fool me?" Hermione didn't want to tip her hand and admit to anything that he could tell her grandfather. She put a confused look on her face.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Theo. You need to start making sense." Since he had just passed the desk, he reached out and grabbed the cup that the professor had obviously stored quills in and threw it against the wall. Hermione couldn't help but jump slightly since she had never seen her brother this angry before. When he turned back to her, fury was clouding his eyes.

"I know you aren't really loyal to the Dark Lord. I've gotten to know you for the past however many months and there is no fucking way that someone as moral and perfect as you would be okay with making people slaves and killing muggles. You told me yourself that you loved your muggle parents. You're faking so you can take him down and you're lying to everyone, so you can do it." It was clear that Theo knew exactly what was going on. This didn't stop Hermione from getting angry and indignant herself.

"You think you know a lot of things, Theodore. Just what proof do you have? You know you better have more than just an opinion before you take it before your Lord. That's the beauty of it, he won't believe a word against me without proof." She probably shouldn't have said that, but she was past the point of caring. He had every right to be angry that she had lied but he had no right to speak to her like he was. She deserved a little bit of respect.

Hermione watched in disbelief as his shoulders slumped and he hung his head before turning to face her again. He suddenly looked very tired and she was quite certain that this conversation had been weighing on him for quite a while. She felt guilty for that, she had never wanted to make him suffer because she had to keep her secrets. When he spoke, his words were almost too quiet for her to hear.

"I don't want proof. I want to help you." To say that she was astonished would have been an understatement. She had no idea if she could trust her brother. She wanted to with all her heart, but she was also realistic enough to know that this could be a trap to discover her plans and put a stop to them. She was silent for a long time, studying her brother and trying to decide what to do. He finally raised his eyes and met her gaze.

"Please, Hermione, let me help you. He ruined my family. My father wasn't always like this, he used to be happy with my mother before I was born. He's the one who ordered my mother to let Severus bed her and bear him a child. My father is the one who suffered the embarrassment of that and then the pain of my mother dying after giving birth to me. I don't condone his actions at all, in fact he's been a right prick my whole life, but the Dark Lord is the reason he is the way he is. I want to take him down and make sure that he can't hurt my family anymore."

Hermione could see the sincerity in his eyes and in that moment, she knew that he wasn't lying. He really did want to help, and she couldn't have been more pleased. This being said, however, there was no way that she could just bring him into the fold and tell him everything without safety precautions in place. The Headmaster and her father would have her head if she did so. This left only two options and she didn't like either one of them. After heaving a deep sigh, she nodded.

"You have two options, Theo. I can obliviate you, so you don't remember any of this and you won't have to worry about making the decision to betray your father. I'm very skilled in the mind arts so you wouldn't have to worry about me fucking up your brain. Your second option is that I tell you everything and you get to help but only after making an Unbreakable Vow to me that you will be silent to everyone else about what is going on. I trust you not to betray me but there are other people that are putting their lives on the line and I won't take that chance with their lives. The choice is yours, I suggest you make is wisely." Theo's eyes bugged out just a little at her words. He was clearly not expecting her to say those things to him but there was nothing else that she could do. She wouldn't risk her father's life or Lucius' life just because she decided to trust her brother with hers.

Her brother was silent for a good ten minutes, obviously considering his options. Hermione was glad because an Unbreakable Vow was nothing to joke around about. Her father had been under the influence of one and she had hated the thought of it. However, he hadn't had the choice and she had very clearly given Theo the opportunity to back out of this conversation if he didn't want to pursue it. When he had made his decision, it was clear. His eyes brightened, and he stood straighter.

"I'll make the Vow. I'm doing this of my own free will so don't even think about feeling guilty. Get out your wand and let's do this." Hermione chuckled at his enthusiasm, not bothering with her wand.

The Gryffindor stood and grasped her brother's hand tightly before meeting his eyes. He looked confused at the fact that she hadn't drawn her wand but remained silent.

"Do you swear to keep everything that I tell you in confidence, that you won't tell a single person that isn't already informed of the situation through words, writing, or actions?" Theo squared his shoulders.

"I so swear." Hermione continued.

"Do you swear to keep the secrets of others involved, that you won't betray their trust to others through words, writing, or actions?" Theo nodded.

"I so swear." Hermione gave him a soft smile.

"Do you swear to not hinder our mission even if you don't agree with it, that you will take no action against us?" Theo smiled back.

"I so swear." Hermione could feel the strings of the bond tighten around her wrist and she was sure that Theo could as well. It was on the verge of being painful.

"So mote it be." The invisible bands around their arms snapped and there was nothing there now. Hermione released her brothers hand and took her seat in the arm chair once more. She waved her hand at one of the other chairs and changed it into a chair to match her own. Theo took the hint and sat, his eyes now wary. She gave him a smile.

"Now it's story time."

Hermione started at the very beginning. She explained her muggle mother dying and how she hadn't been able to donate a kidney to her, how she had died in her arms. She told him about Ron asking her out and how she decided to ask Professor Snape to brew her a paternity potion. She got teary-eyed when she explained finding out the results and how she had run, about Ron's attack on her and how Draco had found her and took her to the Hospital Wing

Hermione detailed the beginning of their relationship and the two prophecies from the Headmaster, the fact that Severus turned spy a month or so before she was born. Theo had been irate that Dumbledore had kidnapped her and put her with muggles. He learned of Harry's reaction to the fact that he was the one that was supposed to kill Voldemort.

Once she had told him how it all began, Hermione told him of learning occlumency and legilimency from her father, the many hours of lessons that she, Harry, and Draco had endured since she was to meet her grandfather. She informed him that she had surpassed her father and Dumbledore in the mind arts and that she had broken through both of their occlumency barriers. She told him of the Headmaster's secrets that she had already shared with the others, careful to keep the others to herself. They were, after all, how she was going to get the Headmaster to leave Hogwarts once the war was over. Theo was rightfully disgusted at the old man's actions but kept quiet, so he could hear the rest of the story.

Theo looked ill when she explained about the horcruxes and the fact that her grandfather had made so many. She detailed the locations of the ones that they had found and just what kind of obstacles they had had to get through to retrieve them. She told him every detail of finding Draco in his room with Bellatrix and what she had done to evil bitch. Hermione was also happy to tell him that they were currently searching for the last horcrux at that time there in the castle.

When she finally came to a close, Hermione realized that she had been speaking for over two hours. In fact, it was almost lunch time, but she knew that the group in the Room wouldn't be stopping for lunch. Theo was still silent, processing all her words. She decided that she should still offer obliviation in case he wanted out of the whole situation.

"If you don't want any part of this, I can still obliviate you. It's a lot to take on and it might just get you killed. It's a fine line to walk." Theo snapped his eyes up to hers.

"Fuck no, I don't want obliviated. I want to go help search." Hermione threw her head back and laughed.

"I was excited to go search as well. Five days later, I'm tired of searching and just want to find the damn thing." Theo stood and held out his hand to pull Hermione to her feet. Once they were both standing, she gave him a smile.

"We can go but I'm warning you that there are probably going to be some angry people that I told you." He nodded but she could see the twinkle in his eye.

"You can blast them like you did my father if they throw too much of a fit. It's pretty clear that you're in charge now, not Fumbledore." Hermione laughed.

"Fumbledore?" He nodded as he waved his wand at the door to the classroom.

"All he's done so far is fumble around and fuck shite up. Things have been getting accomplished since you took over." Hermione laughed again.

"Let's try to keep that term between just us. The last thing we want is to give the Headmaster another thing to bitch about."

The pair left the third-floor class room and Hermione led them to the seventh floor. There were several students in the corridors since it was a Saturday, but nobody paid any mind to Hermione walking with Theo anymore. It had become common place and Hermione couldn't have been happier. Since Harry had shared his thoughts when he had discovered the Room of Hidden Things, Hermione was the one to pace before Barnabas the Barmy. When the door appeared, she and Theo hurried through before they could be seen by any of the students coming and going from the Gryffindor common room.

The pair could hear shouts around the room, everyone calling out to the others that they hadn't found anything yet and that they were moving on to the next pile. It just so happened that today the whole gang was there, Moody, Arthur, Sirius, and Kingsley had taken time from their day-to-day lives to come help search. They had done this twice now and it was clear that they were just as frustrated as Hermione was with the situation.

Since she had no idea where everyone was, Hermione took Theo's hand and pulled him to where she and Arthur had left off the night before. They didn't see a single person since they were all ensconced in their own piles of junk spread out across the Room. She did wave her hand and conjure her patronus, the cute little fox that she had come to love and sent a message to her mates and her father that she had arrived and that she was going to begin searching. She said nothing about Theo being there since she felt that that was something that needed to be discussed in person.

Hermione warned Theo that if they found the horcrux, just touching the item would feel wrong and dark. There would be an aura around it that warned you as to how dangerous the item was. He nodded his understanding and Hermione figured that he probably had enough dark artefacts in his home that he probably knew more about the feel of them than she did.

They searched for hours. Hermione was unsure as to what time it was, but it was clear that it had gotten late since her stomach was now growling. She could hear Theo's as well, but he seemed determined to press on. Hermione knew that she needed to continue searching but it was getting harder and harder to not become disheartened. When she finally cast a tempus charm, it showed that it was now half past six in the evening, meaning that they had missed dinner now as well. She was instantly distracted from her thoughts by a shout from Theo.

"I think I found it, Hermione." He had just moved to the next pile and there was a small table on the edge of the pile. One side of the table was loaded with ancient books that looked as if they had been eaten by bugs years ago. On the other end of the table was a statue head of someone that Hermione didn't recognize. Perched on the statue's head was a diadem. Hermione moved closer and she could feel the darkness radiating off the tiara, but she had to touch it to make sure. Theo watched her with worry in his eyes as she reached out and grasped the silver object.

An overwhelming sense of wrongness spread through her and it was more than clear that this was the horcrux that they were looking for. Even though the object in her hands wanted to make her throw up, she threw her brother a smile.

"You did it, Teddy, you found the last horcrux." He flashed her a smile back and watched as she waved her hand and conjured her patronus again. The fox appeared and darted between her legs and jumped off the piles of junk all around them. Hermione couldn't help but to laugh softly at her patronus' antics.

"Go to everyone in this room and tell them that we found the horcrux and to meet at the door."

The pair started back the way they had come. It had been hours, so they were much deeper in the room than they had been at the beginning, but Hermione had made sure to mark her way back out. She wouldn't be surprised if someone had gotten lost in here over the years. As they walked, Hermione gazed at the diadem and was surprised at what she found. "Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure." This had belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw and had been lost since the founder had died. She couldn't help but wonder exactly where her grandfather had found it. It really was too bad that they had to destroy another piece of history.

When they reached the front of the Room of Hidden Things, everyone else was already there waiting for them. The looks on everyone's faces ranged from shock to betrayal. Her mates didn't look happy, neither did her father for that matter, but it was Dumbledore that looked livid. Hermione held up her hand before he could speak.

"I understand that I owe all of you an explanation and you will get it. Right now, however, let us focus on destroying this piece of soul. Who wants a go?" She turned to her brother.

"You want to have at it? You found it." She could tell by the looks on everyone's faces that they were not expecting that Theo was the one to find it. She saw a grudging respect from Moody, which she would admit surprised her. Her brother shook his head.

"No, I've just now been brought into this fight. Why don't you destroy it, Sis? From what I understand, all the others have had the honor. It's your turn. This is your fight above anyone else's besides." Hermione didn't know what to think about his words. It was true that her father, Draco, and Harry had all destroyed a horcrux. She was also aware that the horcruxes had fought back in the worst way possible and to be honest, she wasn't sure that she was ready to face her greatest fears. However, Sirius and Remus were both nodding their agreement. Hermione sighed. She supposed that it was her turn, and, in that moment, she hated Dumbledore. Why hadn't he taken a turn?

"Alright, yeah, I'll do it. Who has the sword?" Harry stepped forward, Sword of Gryffindor hanging from his fingertips. He made it look so light and easy to handle but Hermione had a feeling that she would never want to handle that sword again. She reached out and took it and was surprised at how delightfully light it was. Hermione set the diadem on the floor between them all and stepped forward while everyone else stepped back. She could see the worried expressions of Harry, Draco, and her father's faces but she tried not to let that deter her.

The Gryffindor gave no warning when she lifted the Sword of Gryffindor and brought it down as hard as she could on the Ravenclaw's diadem. The Sword whistled through the air and for a moment after the tip of the blade hit the tiara, she thought that she had gotten off easy. This was not the case. A large black cloud of muck rose in the air and took shape before her, whispering softly in words that she couldn't understand. It seemed that the horcrux knew who she was since the whispers that she could finally hear were in parseltongue.

"I have seen your heart, granddaughter, and it is just like mine. You are destined to take my place and rule the world with a boot on the throat of society. Keep your mates close but watch them, they only love you for what you can bring them. They will turn on you in a second flat if it will benefit them. You are ruthless, and you will do well as my heir."

Hermione dropped to her knees and did her best to not believe what the horcrux was saying to her. She could faintly hear Harry yelling at her that none of it was true, that he and Draco loved her, but she barely registered his voice. Was it possible? Was she just like her grandfather had been when he started down the path of the dark? Was she destined to be as cold and ruthless as he was? Would Harry and Draco still love her if she was?

The Sword of Gryffindor clattered to the floor next to her and she buried her face in her hands. The diadem was still hissing at her, telling her of all the heinous acts that she would do, all the lives that she would take and revel in. Her hands moved to her ears and she could feel the tears slip down her cheeks. She wasn't sure that she could finish off the horcrux until the she felt someone's arms wrap around her shoulders and a voice whispering just loud enough in her ear that she could hear over the hissing.

"Hermione, you're the strongest witch I know. I don't know what that noise is saying to you, but don't believe it. You're better than everyone in this room and there is nobody else that deserves to kill a horcrux more than you. Give me your hand."

Hermione recognized her brother's voice. She trusted him with her life, so she gave him her hand and squeezed her eyes closed as tight as she could to try to block the hissing out. Her hand wrapped around the hilt of the Sword and she felt him helping her to lift it. Realizing what he was doing, she opened her eyes and helped him. The pair of them together brought the Sword up and then down as hard the pair of them could on the diadem, silencing it forever.

Once the hissing was gone, Hermione let go of the Sword of Gryffindor and let it clatter to the floor once more. Everyone else was silent as Hermione silently wept at what had come out of the diadem. Her brother kept hold of her hand until her father reached her side and took her in his arms, surprising everyone there except for Harry and Draco with his gentleness.

"Shhh, sweet, it won't ever say those things to you again. I don't know what it said but it wasn't true. Don't cry so. Theodore was right, you are the best of us." Hermione did her best to let his words wash over her and convince her that his words were the truth, but it was difficult. She knew that what the horcrux had told her were her greatest fears and she couldn't help but fear that they were the truth no matter what anyone told her. She snuggled further into his chest, using the comforting scent of his robes to calm her down. When she was no longer hitching with sobs, she spoke.

"I'm sorry, I never meant to make such a scene." Her father kissed her forehead and her brother squeezed her hand. It was Theo's voice that spoke next.

"We're family, that's what we're supposed to do is be there for each other." Hermione half cried, and half laughed her response.

"It's a good thing because I don't think that I could have finished it without you." Nobody else got a chance to speak before Harry spoke up.

"I know exactly what the horcrux said and you can be one hundred percent sure that nothing it said is true. You aren't a monster like he is, you won't commit the atrocious acts that he has, and Draco and I aren't using you. We love you with all our souls and we will follow you wherever you lead." Hermione barely held another sob back at his words. She nodded into her father's chest as she spoke.

"I know but it's so hard to believe that when something else is telling you the opposite." Harry chuckled, soon joined by Draco.

"Trust me, we've both been in your shoes. We understand."

His words reminded her that they had indeed been in her shoes before and they knew exactly what she felt. The horcruxes that they had destroyed had messed with their minds as well. To be truthful, she now felt foolish for letting it get to her so easily. Harry had brushed it all off as if nothing had even been said. She hung her head even lower. It was her father that spoke.

"What's wrong now, sweet?" She let all her weight fall onto her father now.

"You've all been through this and none of you have fallen apart. I suppose that I'm just feeling a bit weak at the moment." This time is was Draco that spoke and he didn't sound happy.

"I have an idea of what that thing told you and I guarantee you that it was nothing close to what the horcruxes said to us. I'm betting that it told you that you were a monster, that you were going to be just like your grandfather and there is nothing further from the truth. You could never be the monster that he is, you care too much about humanity. Fuck, you care about house elves and how they're treated, nobody cares about them." Hermione huffed a laugh into her father's robes before turning her attention to the room.

"Thank you. I should be braver than I am at the moment, I'm a Gryffindor after all, but those who have destroyed one before me know exactly what I'm talking about when I say that those things prey on your weaknesses." There were soft laughs all the way around and Hermione levered herself out of her father's arms. She flashed him a grateful smile before she turned the same smile to Theo. Her brother seemed ecstatic that she had destroyed it and they were now only one horcrux from the finish line. She rose to her feet and made sure to cast a hard glance to the Headmaster because she knew that the inquisition about Theo knowing was about to begin. Harry and Draco moved to her side and they were quick to wrap arms around her waist and shoulders. Moody was the one to open the argument, something that she shouldn't have been surprised about.

"I want to know why a Nott knows the secrets of the Order of the Phoenix." Hermione refrained from rolling her eyes but barely.

"He knows our secrets because he is one of us. He wants my grandfather to fail in his quest just as much as we do. He has a personal reason which isn't something that all of us can claim." It was Harry that spoke next.

"Don't you think that him knowing should have been a group decision? We should have met and discussed letting him in on the secret, he shouldn't be allowed to just run free with the information." Hermione couldn't believe that he thought that little of her, that she would throw away the Order's security on her brother. Before she could speak, Draco spoke.

"I love you, Theo, but I know that all your life you've been loyal to your father, you've never even looked somewhere that your father hasn't approved. How are we to trust that you haven't just told Hermione what she wants to hear and passed the information to the Dark Lord?" Severus spoke up next.

"Hermione would never jeopardize our win against the Dark Lord, surely you must know this –" He didn't even get to finish his sentence before Harry started next.

"Hermione, you have to know that the Dark Lord is going to plant spies along the way. You have to be careful." Hermione wanted to scream at the lot of them for doubting her judgement, but she didn't think that it would get them anywhere. None of them had even asked if she had taken precautions; she knew that they would be beyond surprised to learn that she had taken the most serious precaution of them all. There was nothing that could beat the Unbreakable Vow and she had been very thorough when she had worded it. Instead of burying her head in her hands like she wanted, Hermione met the eyes of her Order mates.

"I have never betrayed you and I never will. I would never have brought Theo on board if I hadn't thought that I could trust him." This was where the Headmaster stepped in.

"Theo, please excuse us. We need to discuss your involvement at length and we can't do that with you here. I'll be placing a charm on you –" He didn't even get to finish before Hermione stepped forward.

"You will not obliviate him. If you cast that charm on him, I promise you that I will cast it on you and you won't remember your fucking name." It seemed that her threat soaked in because nobody else said a word. Hermione gestured for her brother to leave, hoping that she could keep everyone else from commenting. Once her brother was gone, only her father remained at her side. Dumbledore was the first to attack.

"I can't believe that you would leak this information to the opposing side, Hermione. Yes, your brother has a good heart, but it is loyal to his father. He will never keep your secrets." Hermione was instantly pissed off, but she did her best to reign in her temper. She knew that her allies had no idea what to think of her and her brother, but her mates had a bit of an inkling of what she felt and thought. It was Harry that spoke next.

"Is there a reason that you didn't ask our opinions on letting Nott into our extremely secret mission?" Hermione met her mate's eyes and gave him the most honest expression that she could come up with.

"I made sure that nobody could deceive us as long as someone was honest and loyal to our cause." Even though Hermione knew the spells that protected their secrets nobody else did. She was fully ready to share with everyone else. She didn't get a chance to before anyone else spoke. It was spoke that Draco that spoke.

"We aren't sure just what you want from us. We've done all we can to ensure that we will have a victory and you let people in on the secret that have no business being in on it." Hermione wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do aside from let the facts out to those that she cared about most. This didn't help the fact that she felt that her mates weren't supporting her in her decision. She just couldn't help the betrayal she felt at the fact that her mates didn't trust her enough to ensure that she could trust anyone that she brought into the fold. Hermione straightened her shoulders and met the gaze of Albus Dumbledore.

"Before I touch on the information that I gave Theo, I want to point out that as Voldemort is my grandfather, this is my information to disseminate, not yours. Everyone person in this room is someone that I trust. Do you truly think that I would suddenly add someone to the group without trusting them as well? It hurts to know that every single person in this room thought that I was betraying the cause by being loose with my lips. I will have you all know that I made Theo swear an Unbreakable Vow to never give away any information that has to do with anything I tell him or anything that he suspects of others. It is your fault for not trusting me. If you had only asked I would have told you the precautions that I put in place to protect ourselves."

Hermione waited in silence for those gathered around her to speak but there was nothing in the several minutes that followed her speech. When she could finally take the silence no longer, she sighed and met the eyes of her father, the only person who hadn't cast a negative word her way.

"I suppose that you'll all need whoever knows how long to come to terms with the fact that I've added another Slytherin to the group. You know, you all go on about how prejudiced the snakes are but so far the only ones that I'm seeing as prejudiced are us." She didn't wait for anyone else to speak, just left the Room of Hidden Things by the main door. It clicked softly behind her and there was nothing else that she could do to influence events once she was gone. She sighed softly before she started down the seventh-floor corridor.

Her mates were angry at her and to be honest she was angry at them. Why hadn't they given her a chance? Why hadn't they believed in her? They should have known that she would never bring someone in on the secret of what they were doing if she wasn't one hundred percent sure of what she was doing. Their lack of trust in her hurt, that she couldn't deny, but she did her best not to think about it. She waited several seconds for those in the room to file out and maybe come to their senses, to apologize to her for assuming the worst of her, but it didn't happen. She hung her head when she started down the corridor, away from the room that she shared with Harry and Draco. She was surprised by a shout out of nowhere.

"Hermione, don't leave." It was her father and he was begging her not to leave. She could hear the desperation in his voice, but it was clear that he wanted her to hang around and deal with the problem. She turned at his words and her weary gaze met his.

"I can't handle it if you hate me too." He strode forward and wrapped her in his arms again.

"I told you that I wouldn't abandon you again. If you made him make an Unbreakable Vow, I trust you." She couldn't keep the tears from leaking out the corners of her eyes as she rushed forward to wrap herself in his arms.

Hermione couldn't help that she was supposed to be the strongest person on their team. When faced with being completely alone and her father, she couldn't help but choose her father. Neither Harry nor Draco had left the Room of Requirement and she couldn't help but feel the loss of them quite keenly. Her father held her close to his side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Come on, you can sleep in my quarters. I'll have dinner sent down to us." Hermione didn't want to sleep away from her mates but there didn't seem to be many options. The last thing that she wanted was for them to lay there and judge her all night while she was trying to sleep. She nodded at her father and let him lead her towards the dungeons.

Hermione didn't pay much attention to her father and where he was taking her. She simply held onto his robes and let her lead him. Never in a million years did she think that her mates wouldn't want her, that they would disapprove of her and her actions but there was nothing that she could do about it now. Her stomach growled angrily at the fact that she hadn't ate since breakfast, but it would have to make due until she could get in front of food in her father's quarters.

Once he had muttered the password to enter his quarters, her father led her to the sofa that was situated before the fire. He took her cloak softly, not wanting to distract her from her thoughts. There wasn't much that she could say to him regarding her situation; she should have known that nobody would trust her to look out for their best interest.

The next thing she knew, there was a cup of hot tea being pressed into her hand and she smiled softly at her father. He smiled back and settled in the arm chair before the fire, situated just next to sofa that she was occupying. There was silence for almost half an hour before her father finally broke it.

"What did you make him swear in his Vow?" Hermione met his gaze and saw that he was serious. Since he would be the number one person to suffer if his secret was let loose, she felt that he had the right to know.

"I'll put the memory at the front of my mind. Just watch it, it can tell you better than I can." She met her father's gaze and could feel his mind probing at hers. She shoved the memory to the forefront of her mind and let him view it. It took only a few minutes before he withdrew and smiled at her softly.

"You did well, sweet. He can't wiggle out of that Vow and I will be safe." Hermione grinned at him.

"I knew that it would keep him quiet. I wasn't ready to sacrifice you and Lucius. It's one thing if he knows about me being a traitor but I had to make sure that he couldn't put your life in danger." Her father seemed flabbergasted that she had put his safety before anyone else, but he didn't comment on it.

Hermione remained silent while her father called a house elf to his quarters and ordered dinner for the two of them. She would never admit it, but she was starving, and she couldn't wait for the food to arrive. The silence would have been deafening anywhere else but when it was with her father it was simply comforting.

The house elves delivered their meal and Hermione was sure to thank them for her meal. She ate quickly since she felt like she was starved. Once her plate was cleaned, there was nothing keeping her from getting comfortable on the couch. Her father smiled indulgently at her and nursed a glass of fire whiskey as she almost fell asleep. She was just on the verge of sleep when there was a knock on the door. Her father went to his feet and went to the door.

"What can I help you two with?" Hermione knew that it was Harry and Draco at the door, but she really didn't think that she had it in her to deal with them just now. There was soft murmuring behind her that she couldn't understand but she was quite certain that her father was telling them that they could see her tomorrow. Once her father left the door and took his seat once again, she raised an eyebrow his way. He smirked at her before speaking.

"It was your mates. They were worried about you. I assured them that you were safe and that you would come to no harm while you were with me. They made me promise to watch after you and tell you that they weren't angry no matter what impression they gave earlier." Hermione couldn't help but to smile to herself. The last thing that she wanted was for them to be angry with her, but it was good to know that they would come crawling the second that they thought that she was angry.

The fact of the matter was, however, that she wasn't angry. She had been hurt that they hadn't trusted her to make sure that they would be safe, they had been the first to think that she had unwittingly told Theo all their secrets without putting any safeguards in place. If they had asked, she could have taken it with little to no offense but the fact that they hadn't said a word to her twinged a little. Hermione nodded at her father sleepily and kicked her shoes off her feet. She laid sideways on the couch and settle her cheek against the pillow, her eyes closing once she was settled.

Hermione felt her father settle a blanket around her and press a kiss to her forehead once she was comfortable. She smiled softly, relishing the affection from her father. She gave no further thought to those that were angry with her and let herself fall into a peaceful slumber.

-O-

Harry regretted his reaction with all his might. He wished that he had been able to show Hermione that he trusted her. He did trust her, he knew that as fact, but it had taken longer for him that usual to make the connection and come to the conclusions that he should have immediately. Draco felt terrible as well, neither one of them wanted Hermione to feel like they didn't trust her.

He had just spoke with Professor Snape and he had confirmed that Hermione was in his quarters with him and would be staying the night since she didn't feel like she had the proper amount of support. His heart hurt at the Professor's words but there was nothing he could do about it if she was ensconced in her father's quarters.

Harry and Draco had settled into their bed in the Room of Requirement, both in their boxers and both feeling terrible. Harry knew that they needed to stick together if they were going to convince Hermione that they weren't angry with her. They were both aware, but it was a touchy subject since they were both at fault. Once they were settled, Harry finally spoke.

"Are you angry that she told Theo?" Draco shook his head in the dark even though he knew Harry couldn't see him.

"No, I just didn't know what to think at first. I don't mistrust her, I just had to get used to the idea that she had told him." Harry also nodded even though Draco couldn't see it.

"Same here. She probably feels like shite since she things we're angry. How are we going to convince her that we aren't?" Draco shrugged his shoulders.

"I suppose just tell her the truth. There really isn't much else that we can do." Harry sighed at his answer. As much as he hated the answer, he knew that it was the truth. He simply hated hurting Hermione.

"I guess you're right. I hope that she forgives us." Draco snorted next to her.

"Me too. I suppose that we better go to sleep. That way we can be up early and waiting for her in the morning." Harry smiled to himself.

"I agree. We're pretty shite mates though. She faced that horcrux and the things that it said really affected her. She needed us tonight." Draco huffed into his pillow.

"I know. You know this makes us complete pieces of shite, right?" Harry chuckled at his friend even though he really didn't find it funny.

"I know. One of the many things we can apologize for." Draco murmured his agreement and Harry rolled away from his friend.

"Til morning where we grovel before her." Draco's tone was soft.

"Til morning."

-O-

Severus sat in his armchair and watched his daughter sleep. It was one of the only times that he had ever been able to do so, and he relished the circumstances that made it possible for him. He knew that neither Draco nor Potter was angry with her, but it made him feel better that he was the one that was there to comfort her. He didn't get the chance very often since his daughter was already grown and almost an adult, so he had to cherish the moments when they came along.

He would never admit that at first, he had been terrified that she had told his secret without a single safety measure in place. After he watched the memory in her mind, he realized that he truly could trust her to protect him and his identity. That thought made him want to hold his daughter close and stroke her hair all night long, but he didn't think that she would appreciate waking up like that in the morning. Therefore, he would make due with watching her fall asleep until he felt the urge to find his own bed.

Severus sipped his fire whiskey as he contemplated the day's actions. They had found the last horcrux, thanks to Theo Nott, and Hermione had destroyed it. While he wasn't sure exactly what the hissing had told her, he knew that it was telling her that she would turn out just like his father and that her mates didn't really love her. While he couldn't claim knowing his daughter for long, he knew her well and knew that they were her worst fears. The last thing that he wanted was for her to believe those words.

Theo had helped her where nobody else had. He had spoke to her in her ear and made sure that she was able to grasp the Sword of Gryffindor in her hands. He had helped her lift it and then helped her bring it down on the diadem, which is more than Severus could say for himself. The last thing that he had wanted to do was to face another horcrux. If he had been a good parent, he would have offered to face the diadem in her place.

There was nothing he could do about now, however. The time was past, and he supposed that he should be glad that her brother had been there for her. In all honesty, it was more support for Hermione, so he really had nothing to complain about. The clock struck behind him, telling him that it was past ten o'clock and that he needed to go to bed. The day had been long and there was nothing he wanted more than to go to bed.

Severus tucked the blanket around his daughter even tighter and pressed a kiss to her forehead before he headed to his bedroom. He stripped off his clothes and let them fall to the floor at the side of his bed. He flopped down on his bed and made sure that he set his wand alarm to make sure that he would rise in time to make sure that they were at breakfast on time.

Without another thought, Severus closed his eyes and his last thoughts were of the fact that his daughter was spending the night with him rather than with her mates. It was the things that good dreams were made of.

A/N- Boom, another chapter down. I'm happy to say that I finished this chapter in one day and hopefully I can post it in the same day as well. For those out there that enjoyed the chapter, I'm glad to hear it. For those that didn't, better luck next time. A big thank you to those that sent birthday wishes my way! Leave me your thoughts after the beep, they make me smile.

Next up, a plan for Dumbledore's demise.

Love,

Alicia