A/N- I'm hoping that this chapter finds everyone well. For those that asked, my daughter's foot is doing better. She's only got to spend one more week in her boot and then I can let the wound air dry. Who knew skin grafts were so finicky? My mother-in-law is doing great after her surgery as well, thank you to everyone for asking after my life. I'm really hoping to do this chapter justice so hang tough with me. Another thank you to everyone that has remained loyal, reviewed, and left me constructive criticism. I appreciate it. Hope you all enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own anything about this fic. It's all been done before, I assure you. One of these days I'll find a time turner and flash back to before J.K.R. published Harry Potter and Co. and steal her work (evil cackles).
Chapter 43
April 10, 1996
Hermione couldn't remember being this nervous about all the other times that she had been to see her grandfather. She knew that her grandfather would accept her plan, he was simply too power-hungry not to, so she was unsure as to where this irrational case of the nerves was coming from.
The Gryffindor smoothed her hands down the royal purple witch's robes that her father had bought for her for the occasion. They were very form fitting and didn't leave much to the imagination, but it was what her father said that her grandfather would expect of her. He hated muggle clothing, well, anything muggle, so Hermione had to dress as a proper pureblood witch would. It didn't matter that she felt entirely uncomfortable in the robes since they put so much of her figure on display for so many depraved men.
She was waiting in the Headmaster's office with Harry and Draco and they were still waiting on her father to appear. He was going to be escorting her since both her mates were staying at the castle. Her grandfather had stated that they would be welcome to attend but the Headmaster had thought that it would be prudent for them to stay behind so nothing happened to them this late in the game. The last thing they wanted to do was blow their cover because some arsehole cursed one of them while Hermione had her back turned.
The Headmaster was seated behind his massive desk. Hermione was unsure how he got anything done on it since it was covered in parchment. Her Head of House was sitting by the fire with Harry and Draco, sipping a cup of tea while they waited. She was going to stay behind with Harry and Draco. Hermione had told her that she needed to drill them both on their transfiguration to keep them distracted. The older woman had laughed at her and promised to do her level best to keep them from worrying.
Hermione was drawn out of her thoughts by her father finally entering the office, hair swept back and hanging long behind him. His robes were in a slight state of disarray and when Hermione raised an eyebrow at him, he rolled his eyes and waved his wand at his robes, straightening them and cleaning them at the same time.
"Where have you been to make you show up like that?" He glared at her.
"I was gathering potion's ingredients in the Forbidden Forest. There were several that had to be harvested today and I just finished." The Headmaster twinkled at them all.
"Very good, very well, we're all here. Do we need to have any last-minute discussions, or do you feel comfortable in your task, Miss Snape?" The last thing that she wanted to do was discuss the situation further. It would just make her more nervous she was sure. Therefore, she shook her head.
"No, I know what I'm going to say. I'll just act as I always do, and I should be fine." Severus snorted.
"This time let's not threaten the Dark Lord's life unless it's absolutely necessary." Hermione couldn't hold back the grin that caused her father to scowl further at her.
"Not unless it's necessary, I promise." Her father rolled her eyes.
Harry and Draco both stood and came to her, drawing her into their arms at the same time. Hermione could feel the magic between them multiply, but she paid it no mind. She hugged them both back with a soft laugh.
"Don't worry for me, you know I can handle myself against him or anyone else that decides to take me on." Harry nodded and bent so he could kiss her. It wasn't deep, but she could feel the level of emotion that he had put into it. She returned it in the same fashion until he stepped back and allowed Draco to step forward and kiss her as well. His kiss was just as meaningful and tasted just as good. Hermione whimpered softly when he pulled away as well. He gave her his trademark smirk.
"I will have to be very cross with you if you don't return to us in one piece." Hermione let out a laugh before casting her student's robes over her witch's robes.
Without further ado, Severus led her out of the Headmaster's office and down the steps until they reached the griffin. There were no students in the corridors, surprising Hermione slightly since it was hours before curfew. Since the Headmaster's office was on the second floor, it didn't take them long to reach the Entrance Hall. Her father wasted no time in throwing them open and escorting her out onto the grounds.
They traversed the grounds quickly but carefully since the last thing that Hermione wanted was to slip and injure her ankle on the rocky ground. When they reached the gates, her father waved his wand and she watched as they swung open. He helped her through them before closing them and turning to her.
"Are you sure this is what you want to do, sweet? If you aren't sure I'm not going to take you." She stepped forward and hugged him tightly around the waist. She buried her face in his robes, inhaling the spicy scent of potion ingredients on his robes. The Gryffindor was careful to not muss her hair or smudge her make up.
"I'm positive, Daddy. I want to end this war before more people die. I can do this." She felt him press a kiss to the top of her head as he hugged her back.
"I know you can, little one. I just wanted you to be sure." She stepped out of the circle of his arms and smiled at him although she wasn't sure that he could see it in the fading light behind him.
"I've got this. Watch me work." He barked out a laugh as he reached out and took her hand. She got no warning as he twisted them away in the now-familiar tube of apparition.
The pair landed outside the wrought iron gates of Malfoy Manor. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if her grandfather ever left the Malfoy family seat. She was sure that he had to at some point, but she had yet to see it happen. Her father opened the gates with his Dark Mark and he gestured for her to take her student robes off. Once they were in her hand, he shrunk them down and put them in the pocket of his robes. Once she made sure that her appearance was satisfactory, she took the arm that her father offered her, and they started up the gravel drive.
The walk seemed to take longer without Harry and Draco there, but she knew that she was just being silly. She had a feeling that it had something to do with her nerves. When they reached the enormous front doors, it swung open to reveal the same house elf that always answered when she came to visit. Her father nodded at the elf.
"Where is the Dark Lord, Mipsy? He's expecting us." The elf gave him a tremulous smile. Hermione couldn't help but feel bad for the poor creature. It was quite clear that she was mistreated. She couldn't help but wonder idly if Draco mistreated this elf or not.
"The Green Room, Master Snapes." Her father didn't say thank you, but he gave her a respectful nod and Hermione could admit that she was proud. Her father would treat elves with respect if he could.
Her heart dropped to her stomach as her father began to lead her to what was the Green Room. It was clear that her father was very familiar with the layout of Malfoy Manor. When they reached the door, he stopped and looked at her, checking to see if she was ready. Hermione lifted her chin, squared her shoulders, and nodded.
Severus swung the door open and escorted Hermione through. Her grandfather was in a throne once again and Hermione couldn't help but wonder if he had the same one moved around or if he had one in every room of the house. Either way, it was ridiculous. Nagini was curled around his bare feet, tasting the air around them. There were several Death Eaters present which surprised Hermione. She would have figured that her grandfather would have liked to keep their plan secret until the time it was to be executed.
Lucius was seated on the couch facing the Dark Lord, apparently discussing something of importance. Thoros Nott was present, leaning against a window with a glass of fire whiskey in his hand. Both Lestranges were on the couches with Lucius and Hermione couldn't help but notice how feral they both looked. There was also a young man seated an arm chair that Hermione never thought she would see again.
Viktor Krum.
The Gryffindor had known from the start that his family was dark in nature and that his father was a Death Eater. Viktor, however, had sworn to her that he wasn't planning to follow in his father's footsteps because he found the whole concept of blood purity a touch ridiculous. To see him there now, before her grandfather, Dark Mark proudly on display, made her feel betrayed.
Rather than giving him any attention whatsoever, Hermione continued on her father's arm to where her grandfather sat. Nagini was the first to greet her and Hermione felt her father stiffen next to her. Rather than stay close, he went to stand at his father's side like he usually did. The giant snake slithered forward and wrapped itself loosely around her feet, tasting the skin of her bare legs.
"Missstress returns." Hermione just couldn't help herself. She bent at the knees, crouching down, so she could stroke the snake's head. Its eyes closed in pleasure.
"Yes, Mistress has returned to speak with your master. Have you watched over him?" The snake hissed out an affirmative. With a final pat, Hermione stood and met the gaze of her grandfather. He pulled his lips back in what she was sure was supposed to be a smile, but it looked more like a grimace.
"Sssweetling, my familiar is quite taken with you. She hasss spoken of nothing but you sssince you were last here. I see you're aware that she calls you Missstress." Hermione gave a polite nod.
"She is a beautiful snake. A familiar such as she is a boon." Her grandfather rose to his feet and reached forward to cup her cheeks in his hands. She resisted the full body shiver.
"Once the old fool is dead, I will get you one for yourssself. You can take it with you everywhere." Hermione made herself blush under her grandfather's gaze.
"I'd like that very much." Her grandfather released her face and gestured for her to sit in the arm chair next to Viktor that directly faced him. He retook his seat and lounged there comfortably. Hermione could feel Viktor's gaze on her, but she could tell that he didn't recognize her. Her grandfather broke the silence.
"Tell me your plan, sssweetling. Everyone in this room can be trusssted." Hermione wanted to scoff at him but decided against it. The last thing she wanted to do was alienate the Dark Lord's followers when they were finally starting to accept her. She crossed her ankles primly and accepted a glass of elf wine from one of the elves that popped into existence next to her. She took a dainty sip before she began.
"I'm going to do it on Easter. During the Easter meal to be precise. We all know that the Headmaster knows who I really am, so he would never refuse me an audience even if I approach him at the High Table. I doubt that there will be many students that stay behind but all the professors should be there. There will be plenty of witnesses. I have other plans as well, however." Her grandfather seemed intrigued at her words.
"What elssse do you wish to do, granddaughter?" Hermione took another sip of wine, making sure that she didn't swallow any of it. Who knew if they elves had been ordered by someone to poison her?
"Once the Headmaster is dead, the wards to the castle will fall until Professor McGonagall in her role as the Deputy Headmistress raises them once more. She's firmly against the Headmaster since she learned what he did to me, as well as what he did to Sirius Black. She wouldn't raise them again if I asked her not to. This is the part where you would come in." Another sip of wine. She could see her father's eyes bugging out at the fact that he thought she was drinking something she got from this house, but Hermione paid him no mind.
"I trust Minerva to a degree but not enough to appoint her Headmistress right out of the gate. I want you and your Death Eaters to apparate into the school, show everyone there that you are taking over, and appoint my father to the role of Headmaster." Her grandfather was now tapping his chin with his fingers as he considered her words. Hermione was afraid that she was losing him, so she hurried to continue.
"We all know that nobody can rule the wizarding world without having the Ministry and Hogwarts in their pocket. The Ministry controls everything and Hogwarts is a seat of ancient, sentient, and extremely powerful magic. I would never be so bold as to think that you could control the world like you wish without having Hogwarts. Besides, as the Heir to Slytherin, Hogwarts is all three of our birthrights." Another fake sip of wine. What made the situation worse was that she would love a glass of elf wine to settle her nerves.
"Therefore, once you're all there, I want either Father or Professor McGonagall to make a distress call to the Ministry, tell them that you're taking over the school, that you're attacking children, whatever it takes to get the aurors and whatever high-ranking officials are there at the time to Hogwarts. We subdue them, kill them if we must, though I think that would be foolish if it wasn't well thought out. Once they're all subdued at Hogwarts, storm the Ministry and take over there as well. All that would be left them would be the Order of the Phoenix and let's be honest. Most of the members are slowly seeing just what kind of manipulator Albus Dumbledore is and they aren't liking it.
Sirius Black has become very close to me through the years, as has Remus Lupin, and when they learned what Dumbledore did to me and them as well, well, we'll just say that their loyalty is a thing of the past. They don't want the eradication of muggleborns, but they fear giving them too much power in a society they know nothing about. Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt feel the same. I've already said that Professor McGonagall will back me if it comes down to it. Says I'm the daughter she never had. That would leave only a handful of serious opponents left at the end of the day.
As I would want my father to be Headmaster, I would suggest Lucius for the new Minister but that is, of course, your decision, grandfather. I would never presume to tell you how to rule. I told you my allegiance was yours as long as my mates came to no harm."
The room was silent for a good long while. Hermione could see that her grandfather was contemplating her words far harder than she had originally thought that he would. The others around the room were silent as well so Hermione took a moment to do something that she had never done without permission before. She began peering into her "colleagues" minds.
The Gryffindor didn't waste her time with Lucius; she knew exactly where his loyalties lie, and they were not with her grandfather. Thoros Nott was an open book, his feelings of greed and excitement building in him as he considered her words. There was still an underlying hatred for her, probably because she was born to his wife but not himself, but she didn't let that bother her. Both Lestranges didn't really have many discernible thoughts, just more proof that they were truly quite mad.
From Viktor, Hermione wasn't surprised. He was intrigued with her words and was trying his hardest to place her. He knew she felt familiar, so she knew that nobody had told him her actual identity. He like the idea of ruling the world and there was a sense of ruthlessness under it all that belied the fact that he would probably do whatever he had to achieve that power.
It was clear that she prodded his memory a little too hard, subtlety was not something that she had worked on with her father. He snarled at her, his wand coming out to point in her face. She could tell that a curse was on the tip of his tongue when she caught sight of Severus in the corner of her eye. His wand was out and pointed at the Bulgarian seeker. His voice was low and menacing.
"You better lower your wand, or I'll show everyone once again what happens to you if you harm my daughter. Make sure you ask the others about Dolohov." Viktor cast a glance in Lucius' direction, but the blond man just stared at him for several seconds before he answered in a bored tone.
"It took Dolohov hours to die. If you don't want to suffer his wrath, I suggest you lower your wand." It was clear that Lucius had been the one to recruit the Bulgarian. Viktor lowered his wand, but his tone was vicious when spoke.
"This sneaky little bitch just used legilimency on me." Hermione had never heard him speak like that before. Either he was imperioused or the person that she had met the year before had all been a lie. Her grandfather rose and gestured for Hermione to rise as well. She made sure to show no fear. Her grandfather's hands were gentle as he held her face in his hands again.
"Show me what you sssaw in his mind." Hermione was quick to obey him. The last thing that she wanted was to make her grandfather suspect her. He watched the memory and gave her the same creepy smile.
"I wasssn't aware that you were ssskilled in mind artsss, sweetling. When did you learn?" She laid a hand on her grandfather's, hoping that it would be construed as sweet, but really, she just wanted to rip it off her face.
"Apparently, I've always had a knack for it. Father decided that I needed to learn to keep the Headmaster out of my head, so he wouldn't discover my secrets. We didn't want him to know that I was meeting you. He said that I was very accomplished already, he just built up my endurance. He showed me how to perform legilimency in case I ever needed it. He said that it was all for my safety and the safety of the cause." His thumbs were now stroking her cheekbones.
"Why did you cassst it on young Krum?" Hermione cast her eyes downward for just a moment to show that she was contrite.
"I trust the other men to be loyal to you. I wondered about Krum because of what he told me last year." The room fell silent and Hermione could have heard a pin drop. Her grandfather dropped his hands to her shoulder but met her eyes.
"Ssshow me what he said lassst year." Hermione pushed the memory of the Yule Ball to the front of her mind. Dancing with Viktor, laughing at his other friends from Durmstrang, drinking punch with Harry while he looked miserable. Her grandfather stiffened when the conversation began.
"I know your father is dark, you know. I know he has the brand. Why are you with me? You know I'm a muggleborn, you can't possibly think that your father will approve?" Viktor kissed her hand and flashed her a charming smile.
"I have no urges to follow my father's footsteps. I don't wish to serve a lord of any kind, let alone a dark one. I don't want to kill your kind at all, if fact, if they're all like you, they deserve more credit than they get."
Her grandfather pulled from her mind and leaned forward to kiss her forehead. Her eyes fluttered closed for only a moment before she opened them again to find her grandfather starting at her.
"Keep me out of your mind. I want to sssee how good you are." Hermione knew that she wasn't going to be able to under-perform without tipping her grandfather off to the fact that she was hiding something. Therefore, she threw up her wall of facts and dared him to get past her defenses.
Hermione had no idea how long she stood there trying to keep her grandfather from breaking into her mind. She could feel the vicious prod of his mind against hers, not being subtle at all but trying to use brute force. Hermione suspected that she would have a headache when he was done but she refused to yield. When he finally withdrew from her mind, she was surprised to hear him laughing.
"You just kept me out for an hour, sssweetling, and you aren't even breathing hard. You're truly a treasssure. Can you drop those defensesss and let me sssee inside just as easily?" Hermione knew this was just a ploy to get her to let him in her mind. She wasn't worried. There was no way in blue hell that he would find her hidden memories.
"You needed only to ask, grandfather."
Hermione tucked her most private memories away behind her walls, hid them inside a random book inside a library of the information contained in her mind. There was no way that he would ever find them. She flooded his mind with memories from her childhood, how horrid it felt to have no friends and be judged because she was smart, she let him watch her attack from Ron. She flooded him with classes, showed him Professor McGonagall offering her an apprentice spot the next year, making love with her two mates. Once again, she had no idea how long she stood there and let him watch her memories, but she was relieved when he finally pulled out of her mind. His hand came up and brushed a stray curl back from her face and behind her shoulder.
"You're exquisite. Ssseverus is talented but not quite to your level. He did well teaching you." She made herself blush again. Her grandfather released her face and gestured for her to take her seat again. Hermione caught sight of Viktor's face and he appeared truly confused. She finally decided to take pity on him.
"Hermione Granger, daughter to Severus Snape, granddaughter to the Dark Lord. Point your wand at me again and you'll discover why the other men in this room are so fearful of me." He opened his mouth to speak but the Dark Lord cut him off.
"Tell me, young Krum, are your wordsss to that sssweet creature next to you true or the words you ssspoke to me when you begged me to mark you?" He began to shift his eyes around, obviously looking for a way out.
"My words to you were truth, my lord. It's true that I don't want mudbloods eradicated but they are far from superior. I want pureblood traditions to be strong in our society again." Hermione kept her eyes forward, trained on her grandfather as he deliberated. Nagini once again slithered over to her and coiled herself up in her lap. Hermione couldn't stop herself from stroking her scales softly. Destroying such a creature truly would a crime. She caught sight of her father and she couldn't help but think that he looked relieved.
"I will believe you for now, Krum, sssince my granddaughter ssshowed me the thoughtsss she saw in your mind. Betray my trust a sssingle time and you'll be dead. If you draw your wand on my granddaughter ever again, you'll answer to Severusss. He enjoyed the last session he had with a man that hurt her. If you harm her matesss, either one of them, I'll let her kill you in any way she deemsss fit. Ask the two gentlemen seated on the couch what happened to dear Bellatrix." Now that that was settled, her grandfather turned his attention back to Hermione.
"I adore your plan, sssweetling. It would be nice to take over the whole world in a day. After we've ssstabilized the government here, we can move on to other countriesss." She allowed herself a smile. His next words surprised her though.
"After you kill the Headmassster, how will you protect yourssself? All the professorsss and many studentsss will be present and would love to hurt you for killing their icon." Every time he showed genuine concern for her, it made it harder to do what she needed to be done. She knew that he was irredeemable but that didn't make her job any better.
"I had planned on my father and mates casting a shield around me as soon as the spell leaves my wand. After that, I'll be more than able to protect myself against them all. Not to mention that Remus Lupin and Minerva McGonagall will be there as well. I doubt they would let any harm come to me." His eyes were thoughtful as he spoke.
"They would both protect you after watching you murder sssomeone?" Hermione put her hand to her chest and put on an offended look.
"Of course, they would, I'm a very lovable person." Surprising to everyone, her grandfather laughed. The room stared in shock as his laughter died away.
"I'm sure you are, sssweetling. We will go forward with your plan. We will wait for Ssseverus' call on Easter and apparate into the Entrance Hall. If you need anything further from me before then sssend word with your father." Hermione took this to be a dismissal. Nagini slithered off her lap so Hermione could stand, her father coming forward to walk her out. Her grandfather stood once more and came forward to kiss her forehead.
"Goodbye, sweetling. Ssstay sssafe." Hermione gave him a small smile.
"You as well, grandfather. Nobody wants me dead, everyone wants you dead. You can't take over the world if you're hurt." He laughed again.
"Get back to ssschool before the old fool realizesss you're gone." Hermione took her father's arm and started towards the door only to be stopped by Viktor Krum. The look on his face was neutral and Hermione couldn't decide if he was angry.
"I'm sorry for my outburst earlier, I didn't know that it was you. Would you care to meet with me for dinner in the coming week, so I can properly apologize?" Her father released her arm and stepped to the side while the other men in the room chuckled. Hermione wanted to curse him for lying to her and abusing her trust, but she couldn't really do that without giving herself away.
"Why would you want to do that? I'm just a lowly mudblood, remember?" Viktor had the decency to look ashamed.
"You know what you meant to me but there was no way that my father would ever have approved. Now he would." Hermione wasn't quite sure just what she meant to him. Sure, they had shared a few heated kisses but that was where it had ended.
"You don't have to worry about that. I have two mates and we love each other very much. I accept your apology and really need to get back to school." She tried to walk forward but the wizard reached out and jerked her back. She didn't think that he meant to jerk her as hard as he did, but it was still hard enough to smart.
"You know that we're meant for each other and this is just fate telling us that she's on our side. Drop whoever you're with and I'll show you." Her magic released and blew him backwards and off his feet. The Gryffindor rolled her shoulder quickly before she turned to stare him down.
"My mates are worth ten of you. This is your final warning. I will not date you. I will not marry you. If you even think of bringing harm to Harry Potter or Draco Malfoy, your fate will be worse than Bellatrix's. Make sure you ask her husband what I did to her for torturing Draco. Ask Thorfinn Rowle what happens when you merely threaten Harry. They are mine and I will protect them as such. Good day."
Severus was quick to move forward and offer her his arm again. Hermione could hear the laughter from the room as she left and soft cursing from she could only assume was Viktor. The Gryffindor allowed her father to lead her out of Malfoy Manor and down the gravel drive to the gates once more. She couldn't tell if he was angry or not but since he remained silent she was going to assume that the answer was yes.
Without a second thought, her father apparated the pair of them back to Hogwarts. The light was just beginning to fade, and she was pleased that they were back before curfew. She knew the Headmaster was going to want to put off asking everyone for help, but she had other plans. While her father whipped out his wand to open the gates, she produced her own, so she could make her little fox appear. Once her father caught sight of the silvery creature, he raised an eyebrow.
Hermione raised one back at him before turning to her fox. She had named her awhile back, Sooleawa, native American for silver. The Gryffindor had thought that it was appropriate. She sent it to the members of their club that knew of horcruxes and told them to meet in the Headmaster's office. She then shot off another version of Sooleawa and sent her to Ginny, Luna, Neville, the twins, Theo, and even Ron. Hermione wasn't certain that her parents would let her participate in the fighting, but Ginny still had a right to know what was going on, as did Luna. Ron, no matter how much she now hated him, wouldn't want to not fight when the rest of his family would be. In their message she told them to meet her and her boys in the Room of Requirement, that they needed to talk desperately. Once she was finished, her father led her through the gates and over the grounds once more.
"Are you angry with me? You haven't said a word." Her father turned her way, so he could take her hand.
"You're going to be the death of me, child. I'm not angry but I just aged twenty years." She was surprised to hear that he wasn't angry. He was always angry when she put herself in danger. It was difficult to talk when they were rushing across the grounds, especially since she had to be careful of her footing in her heels.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get caught. I guess I need to learn to be more subtle. The others didn't notice though." Severus snorted.
"Why were you worried about his loyalties anyways?" She felt a little ashamed of herself since she had got caught for purely selfish reasons.
"You'll just be mad. Let's just say I won't do it again." He stopped abruptly and laid his hands on her shoulders.
"I won't be mad, sweet, I promise. I want you to be able to come to me for anything." She sighed before she raised her eyes to meet his.
"I considered him a friend last year. He gave me my first kiss. I thought I was his friend too and then I see him sitting there so self-important, showing off his brand like he's proud. He told me that he didn't want me to die, that he wouldn't follow in his father's footsteps. I just wanted to know if he was honest in his inclusion or if he was spying or some such rot. I don't relish the idea of having to kill a friend." Her father pulled her into his arms.
"He very much believes in the ideals of the Dark Lord. I believe that you caught his attention because you were so smart and a muggleborn. You confused him. He told you what you wanted to hear but I don't think that he ever wanted you dead. It was clear that he felt something for you, just not something strong enough to turn his back on his family's ideals." She nodded into his chest.
"That's what I saw in his mind. It's fine, there's nothing I can do about it now." He kissed her hairline before he pulled away.
"You were excellent, by the way. I knew that the Dark Lord wouldn't get through your defenses and you just gained more favor for it. Did you keep all the important memories locked away when you let him in?" She allowed him to begin pulling her towards the castle again.
"Yes, he would never have found them. He would have exhausted himself magically first. Our secrets are safe." He squeezed her hand as they entered the castle, once again nobody in sight.
"I'm proud of you. For all of this, sweet. You're an amazing witch and once this is over, we're going to take a vacation somewhere and we're going to put all of this behind us." She smiled at his words as they approached the griffin.
"That sounds wonderful."
Her father pulled her up the stairs to the Headmaster's office once the griffin leapt out of the way. Once inside, she was unsurprised to see not only Harry, Draco, and Professor McGonagall, but Remus, Sirius, Arthur, Moody, and Kingsley. Both her boys rushed forward and pulled her into their arms, Harry kissing her temple and Draco kissing the side of her head. She relished their arms around her and let the rest of the tension in her body bleed out there in their arms. Her father ushered them to the couch that they usually occupied so he could join everyone before the fire. He wasted no time in opening the conversation.
"He's agreed to everything. He didn't even question it just like Hermione said." Harry bumped her shoulder and smiled at her.
"You had a good meeting then." She winced slightly but nodded. He caught her facial expression and narrowed his eyes.
"Tell me. Did you threaten to kill him again?" Hermione went to her feet and began pacing.
"I outlined the plan, told him that after the Headmaster is dead I want him to come appoint Dad to Headmaster that we'd have Professor McGonagall send for the Ministry. After we defeat them, they can floo to the Ministry and take over there as well. I sold it by telling him that there would only be a handful of Order members that would go against him after that. I told him that Sirius and Remus supported me now because of the Headmaster's actions, as did Professor McGonagall. I told him that Mr. Weasley and Kingsley weren't too happy with him, so they would go along with the regime if he wasn't killing magical blood unnecessarily. Sorry, Moody, you've been an auror for too long, I couldn't sell your loyalty." The grizzled auror barked a laugh.
"Oh, lassie, I knew you wouldn't be able to. You did well. We're going to sink those bastards." She shot him a smile before she turned back to pacing.
"Viktor Krum was there. He didn't recognize me, but my grandfather told me that I could trust him. He told me last year that he didn't want to follow in his father's footsteps, so I had to make sure that he wouldn't cause any problems." Draco groaned and buried his face in his hands.
"You didn't." Hermione nodded regretfully.
"I used legilimency on everyone in the room aside from my father, grandfather, and Lucius. I know where they all stand. Thoros Nott, Rodolphus Lestrange, and Rabastan Lestrange didn't even notice that I was in their minds. Viktor, however, did, and pulled his wand on me." Now everyone was groaning but Hermione trudged on before anyone could say anything.
"Dad made him lower his wand and he told my grandfather what I did. I had to confess that Dad taught me occlumency to keep the Headmaster out. He demanded that I show him my skills and then let him in my mind. Well, I suppose that it was a polite request. He worked for an hour to get through my shields and couldn't. He was thrilled that I let him see all sorts of memories once I lowered my shields. When he left my mind, he was proud of me. He called me a treasure and then he agreed to my plan and said that he would await my father's call on Easter." Her father was smirking now, and she narrowed her eyes at him. He completely disregarded her expression, however.
"Sweet, you forgot to tell them that Krum offered to take you out for an official apology and when you told him no, he grabbed your arm. She threw him back ten feet and landed him on his arse. The whole room was laughing. She warned him that if he hurt the two of you at all that she would make him suffer worse than Bellatrix and then pointed him in Rodolphus' direction so he could tell him what his late wife suffered." Hermione openly glared at her father now while Harry and Draco both scooted closer to her. Everyone acted like they didn't see but it was clear as day that they were jealous. The Headmaster spoke.
"You did well, Hermione. At least now we have a plan and Tom is overly confident in his chances. Good thinking making him think that everyone has turned on me." Hermione snorted quietly. She really wanted to inform him that that was more of a true statement than he realized but she kept quiet. The last thing they needed was internal drama. Instead, she nodded.
"I think that you need to call a meeting with the rest of the Order and tell them the plan. If you could please inform them that no matter what they see, I'm not the enemy and to not try to kill me? I really don't want everyone to know the secret of my paternity until after since it could still get back to my grandfather." The Headmaster gave her a solemn nod, so she continued.
"We're going to meet with our friends and my brother and let the know what is going to happen. We'll speak with the upper years of the D.A. at our next meeting. Mr. Weasley, I'm going to tell Ginny what's going on, but it will be up to you if she's able to fight." The redhead gave her a solemn nod, so she continued.
"I also told Ron to meet us there. He isn't going to be happy if he finds out that the rest of his family was fighting for their lives and he wasn't there to join in. If he throws a fit and I don't think I can trust him, I'll obliviate him. I don't want to, but I also know that this information cannot be leaked, and I will do whatever is necessary to make sure that it doesn't." Although Arthur didn't look happy, he nodded his agreement.
Hermione stood so Harry and Draco followed. She assumed that the adults were going to call an Order meeting or discuss when they should, so she was quick to leave since they weren't full Order members. They let her lead the way until they were in the corridor and the griffin had taken its place in front of the staircase once more. Harry sounded angry when he spoke.
"I can't believe that Bulgarian arsehole! You should have done more than blast him off his arse when he touched you like that, 'Mi." Hermione smiled an indulgent smile at her boys.
"I wanted to, trust me. I can't lose it this far in the game and blow my cover. It would be disastrous. This way, he was a laughingstock and he won't try to hurt either one of you." Draco was even more put out as they made their way to the seventh floor.
"I can't believe you invited Weasel. He's a complete waste of air and magic, he won't be any help in the battle." Hermione took both their hands in hers and squeezed them.
"I don't like it anymore than you do. It's not so much for him, it's for Arthur and the rest of the kids. The rest of them are fine, it's just Ron and Molly that are out of line. They deserve to know that he's safe, even if he's a complete wanker." They both sighed at her explanation. Harry paced the corridor while Draco wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Fine but promise that you'll stay away from him. You can talk, and he can listen but if you have to obliviate him, let someone else subdue him." Hermione nodded at his words. She could give them that. Harry opened the door to find everyone assembled, sitting around the room in little bean bag chairs. The twins and Neville all whistled when they saw Hermione; she had completely forgotten that she was still in the witch's robes that she had worn to her grandfather's meeting. Hermione blushed before dropping down into one of the free bean bags.
"We wanted you guys to be the first to know. The things that we've been doing to ensure that Voldemort will die, we're done with that. I went to meet my grandfather tonight and pitched him a plan to make him think that he's going to win the whole wizarding world. I must pretend to kill the Headmaster, have my father send for him, and then have whoever wants to fight and the Order hidden away so we can take them down. The three of us are going to have to take down the Dark Lord but the rest of his followers are free game. Gin, Luna, only fifth years and above can fight without parent's permission, so you'll have to clear it with your parents. If they won't, you could always help Madam Pomfrey. I have a feeling she's going to be busy." Hermione heaved a deep sigh as she wiped a hand down her face.
"Nobody here is being told to fight, I want to make that clear. We just want to make sure that if you want to fight, you have the chance. We're going to bring this up at the next D.A. meeting as well." Neville was the one who broke the silence.
"When? I want to make sure that I brush up on spells." Hermione smiled at him and Harry answered.
"Easter, at dinner. It's going to be a clusterfuck but it's what we have to do to end that psycho motherfucker." The twins leaned forward excitedly.
"Count us in. What can we do?" Hermione grinned at the twin terrors.
"It's funny you should say that. I was wondering if you could come up with a prank or something that could incapacitate at least several people at once. I don't really care how you go about it so long as our people don't get hurt in the process. It would be very helpful since we're still going to be extremely outnumbered even with the aurors that will show up." Ginny and Luna were both silent and Hermione couldn't help but wonder how long that was going to last. Hermione decided to throw one more fact out there to them.
"You also can't harm Lucius Malfoy. He's been feeding us information and doing his level best to end this war in our favor. He's wanted out for a long time. I'm just letting the Weasleys in the room know that he's off limits." Luna spoke before Ron could; it was obvious that the redhead wanted to blow up.
"I actually want to help Madam Pomfrey, I don't think I'm good enough to fight. I'll stay behind and just report to her when it all goes to shite." Ginny smiled wide at her.
"I want to fight but if mum and dad won't let me, I'll go with you." Hermione grinned at both of them and the twins both leaned over and put their arms around the pair. When it was silent for several seconds, Ronald finally let go.
"I can't believe that any of you are falling for this load of shite. She's lying to us because she wants her grandfather to win. She's turned dark and I'm going to tell everyone about it." Hermione went to her feet and crossed her arms over her chest.
"You can't possibly believe that, Ronald. Why would I ever turn dark?" He shot her a scathing look.
"I really couldn't tell you. I don't have the blood of a megalomaniac running through my veins and fucking with my mind." She narrowed her eyes at him.
"You're really going to tell everyone what our plans are? Your parents are going to be at this fight. You want to give them away?" He snorted in her direction but made no move to step closer. It seemed that he had learned his lesson even all these months later.
"Oh, I'm going to tell them that they're fucking idiots, that you and your Death Eater father can't be trusted. You're all just leading us into a trap." Hermione shook her head and the twins seemed to realize that she couldn't let this go.
"I'm sorry, Ronald, but I can't allow that to happen. I can't have you getting all of us killed because you're being dumb as fuck. I'm going to have to obliviate you. You can find the information out on Easter and be unpleasantly surprised."
Hermione figured that Harry and Draco would rush forward and restrain him since they had told her that they would handle him, but the twins beat them to it. Ron wailed and fought, swinging and kicking with the best of them but since the twins were built more like Charlie, he was no match for the two of them combined. Once they had him pinned to the ground, panting and red-faced, Hermione stepped forward, her wand extended.
"I really hate doing this, Ronald. Never in a million years did I want to imagine doing this to someone that I once cared for, but I must to save countless other lives. Forgive me." She heaved a deep breath.
"Obliviate."
Hermione saw his eyes go glassy as she worked through the spell. Since it was only the last ten minutes or so, it didn't take long for her to erase the information. When she was finished, the twins stood and looked at her with wondering eyes. George broke the silence.
"What do we do next?" Hermione met their eyes and couldn't help but apologize.
"I'm sorry, I really didn't want to do that. I hope you can forgive me." They nodded their acceptance and Hermione realized just what awesome friends they were. She floated into their arms and hugged them both tight much to her mates' displeasure.
"I know I'm not always the best friend but thank you both for being my friends for years. You've always had my back." Both kissed the side of her head before laughing and pulling away.
"You're our sister as much as Ginny is. It's not your fault Ron's a prick." She was a bit teary when they stepped away.
"He's going to be confused for a few hours, so someone needs to take him to his bed and tell him to go to sleep. I erased the fact that he was even here tonight so there shouldn't be any awkward questions." Neville stood up and grinned at her.
"I'll take him. It's past curfew though so hopefully we all make it back without Filch catching us." Hermione sighed in relief at the fact that she had told the Headmaster of their plans.
"I told the Headmaster that we would be doing this so if you get caught and get detention, take it to him. He'll null and void it." Ginny and Luna stood as well, heading for the door with the boys.
"We'll see in the morning, Hermione." She smiled and waved at her female friends, they were few and far between after all. That left her brother who had been silent for the whole ordeal. Once she turned her attention his way, he whistled.
"Damn, Hermione, that was bloody hot. Not many girls could just obliviate a bloke without a second thought. You're a total badarse." She smirked his way and decided to take that look off his face.
"Does badarse quite cover me keeping the Dark Lord out of my mind for over an hour and not breaking a sweat? He's the one who quit, not me." His mouth dropped open and he couldn't help but laugh. Hermione let him have his happy moment but made sure to turn it back serious.
"You don't have to fight, Teddy. Your father will be there fighting, he was there tonight. I know you hate him, but I could never ask you to fight against your own family." He came forward and pulled her into a hug as well. It seemed to be a trend for the evening.
"You've been more my family in the last however many months than he has been his whole life. I'm fighting and it's going to be for you." Hermione buried her face in his robes but hid the fact that she shed a few tears at his words. When she pulled away, she was composed but she knew her eyes were red-rimmed.
"You're my family too, Teddy. If we win this, you should go on vacation with Severus and I. You're his family too." She wasn't one hundred percent sure that her father felt that way, but she was going to browbeat him into it if he didn't agree. After pressing a kiss to her forehead, her brother headed for the door before turning and shooting her a smile. She smiled back and without a word, he was gone.
Both her boys rushed her, holding her close and making sure that she wasn't going to collapse. She had gone through a lot that night, after all. They stayed that way for a long time, clinging to each other and savoring the closeness that they shared with the others. It felt like hours had passed before Harry finally broke the silence and Hermione had never been more pleased.
"Let's go to bed."
-O-
Severus was in awe of his daughter. Not only had she kept the Dark Lord out of her mind, she had hidden away the memories that would be most damaging, further gaining his pride and respect.
He had been worried when Viktor Krum had come forward to grab her arm. Truthfully, he had wanted nothing more than to cut the man down where he stood but he knew that Hermione needed to handle the situation, or the man would neve desist. The last thing they needed was a suitor hanging around that wouldn't take a hint.
The night, overall, had gone quite well. There had been several moments where his heart had almost stopped beating but Hermione had been true to her word. She had pulled through and came out smelling better for it. Her grandfather was completely enamored with her now. It was just a little creepy, but he supposed that they could endure for another two weeks.
Once the children had left the meeting, Albus had wanted to put off having an Order meeting, not wanting to give anyone a chance to leak the secret. He understood that sentiment, but he also knew that there were vows that could be made to make sure that their plans remained a secret. This was finally the idea he had put forth to make sure that they were all informed and ready to go on the 21st.
Minerva had seemed just as irate with him; in fact, she had stayed behind after the meeting to bitch at him he was sure. Remus and Sirius seemed none too happy, but the pair remained quiet and let the older witch get her way to the best of her abilities. Kingsley, Arthur, and Moody were all somewhat surprised at the Headmaster's hesitance to call a full meeting and inform everyone, but Severus was quick to tell him that regardless of what he wanted, it would be happening. The old man had finally capitulated, but it hadn't been gracious.
Severus threw back his last shot of fire whiskey and headed for his quarters. It had been an extremely long day and he was more than ready for bed. The adults had met their goals and set up a meeting even if it hadn't been easy. It made him wonder if Hermione had been as successful with her friends.
Dismissing the whole thought from his mind, he crawled in bed after stripping off his clothes and let sleep take him.
A/N- Another one bites the dust! Dang, I'm on a roll. I have no good excuse for this chapter taking so long to reach you. I was engrossed in Harry Crow by robst that I simply couldn't stop reading it. Forgive me? There just aren't many chapters left and it makes me sad but what can ya do but start a new story? Leave me your thoughts after the beep, they make me smile.
Next chapter, final battle plans.
Love,
Alicia