22. RESURRECTION
Severus didn't return for four days. When he appeared in the room like a black cloud, Hermione ran to him and threw her arms around his neck, as though he'd returned from war. He had, she supposed. He clutched at her, pulling her in towards him as though she was smoke that could slip through his fingers. When Hermione was able to break free of his embrace, he held her with a hand on each shoulder and he searched her face desperately with his inky black eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked him, and she felt the threat of rising panic.
"I didn't know what I was coming home to."
Hermione cocked her head and so Snape continued.
"The look on your face at The Order meeting when I spoke about my feelings for Lily. I will never forget it. I worried that I had finally pushed you too far. You have to know, I don't feel that way any longer, I-"
"I know, Severus. I received your letter."
"But you didn't reply?"
Hermione placed her hand under his chin and tilted his head to face her.
"I didn't reply because I couldn't be sure it wouldn't be intercepted. Imagine what would happen if one of your Death Eater pals caught you sending love letters to a known Order member who also happens to be a Muggleborn. Sending that letter was unbelievably reckless, Severus."
Snape averted his gaze.
"You're right", he said, solemnly, "but I couldn't bear the thought of you being upset with me. I never want to hurt you again."
"I know", Hermione said.
"So we are... we're okay?"
"Perfectly fine."
Severus sighed and rested his hands on Hermione's waist and urged her toward him. He kissed her with fervour, as though all of their past pain and torment and misunderstandings could be undone in a moment on their lips. Severus broke the kiss and Hermione felt a little pang of both happiness and longing. He swept through the room, removing his cloak; sat on the edge of the bed and unlaced his boots. He bowed his head and looked at her through the fallen curtain of his long hair. It was longer now than it had ever been; thick dark tresses that fell half-way down his back. He pulled it up into his hands, curled it through his fingers and secured it with a hair tie.
"Look what I found", she said, pulling a galleon from her pocket.
"A coin?" he asked, raising an eyebrow of interest.
"It's my DA coin", she said, happily. "The ones you have been using to communicate with Dumbledore!"
"So you can spy on me, now?" he asked, with a twitch of a smile in the corners of his lips.
"Yes, exactly!" Hermione laughed.
"Well, it's a good job we communicate in code then".
"What is the code for 'come home soon, I miss you'. I feel like I could get some use out of that one."
Severus broke into a smile that filled his face.
"Funnily enough, we don't have one of those, yet. Moody isn't big on expressing his feelings. Much as I'm sure he wishes he could express how much he misses me when we are apart. Perhaps, we should make our own?"
"Let's!"
Snape's eyes darkened.
"First I would like to talk with you?"
"Okay", Hermione said and she perched herself beside him on the bed.
"Listen. I have told you that I love wildly and forever, Hermione", Severus said, "and so it is taking all of my restraint not to act rashly."
"Oh, this sounds serious... I'd ask if I should be sitting down but I am already..."
He wrapped his hands around hers.
"It is serious, I suppose. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and so logically it follows that I want to ask you to marry me. However, I understand that it might be a little soon?"
Her eyes flew open, but she was pleasantly surprised to find that the idea didn't terrify her.
"Err, yes... Just a little".
"I wondered therefore if perhaps, for a change, we could try for something a little more normal."
Hermione grinned.
"Normal, like we'd be a couple?"
"Yes."
He looked at her then and took in the smile on her face. He frowned.
"But you do understand that you are agreeing that I will be tethered to you?"
"Yes, love. I know that you have bound yourself to me and I relish it."
The frown faded, and his eyes met hers.
"So you still want to be- You will be... mine?"
"Yes, Severus."
She patted him gently on the thigh.
"Right. Now that you've finally done that" she said, with a wink "there is a matter at hand larger than us, if you can believe it."
"What's that?" he asked.
Hermione pointed to the pretty, tawny owl perched on the highest of Snape's potions shelves. The bird bowed its head as though in greeting. Snape stared at it, and screwed up his face. Hermione grabbed the piece of torn parchment from the bedside table and then gestured back at the owl with a jerk of her head. The letter had come but a few hours before Severus' arrival.
"Albus wants to see us", she said, and handed him the note.
Severus and Hermione walked hand in hand as they ascended the stairs, and moved through the castle to the Headmaster's Office.
"Ice Mice", Severus said as he rolled his eyes, "... ridiculous man."
The gargoyle guarding the entrance to the office stepped aside and Hermione squeezed Snape's hand. She gestured for him to go in front of her; not intending to be the first to enter the room. She was hardly Albus' biggest fan and she hadn't been very good at pretending otherwise. Severus stepped in front of her and took the steps two at a time, leaving Hermione trailing behind him. He stopped and waited at the top of the staircase.
"Sorry", he said "force of habit. I usually like to get in and out as quickly as I can".
Severus rapped on the door with the back of his hand.
"You requested us, Sir", he said, and his voice dripped with contempt and sarcasm.
She liked that he too held issue with Dumbledore. It was refreshing since everyone Hermione knew seemed to think that Albus was infallible. Hermione and Snape approached the desk where Albus sat, oblivious that they were stood in front of him, awaiting an explanation for their summons.
"Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione urged, "are you okay?"
Albus blinked rapidly.
"What? Yes. I'm fine, quite fine."
Severus groaned and moved around the desk. He snatched Dumbledore's arm from its hiding place under the desk. Albus' hand was black and shrivelled. Hermione's mouth fell open into an 'o' of surprise and Severus pulled Dumbledore's sleeve.
"It's spreading again, then?" he asked.
"Yes."
Snape transfigured a stool from a book on Albus' desk, held the blackened hand cautiously and studied it closely.
"Is this why you summoned us?"
Dumbledore nodded and gave a pathetic wince as Snape prodded the barbed edges of the curse's mark.
"I hoped that Miss Granger may be able to help where you could not. Or perhaps if the two of you were to put your heads together."
"There is neither spell nor potion that can undo this, Albus. It is completely out of the realm of anyone's abilities. If you had come to me sooner..."
"If I may..." Hermione said, and took Dumbledore's hand from Severus, clutching it in her own hands and studying it herself.
Hermione's eyes narrowed as she concentrated. Severus was right; there was no known spell nor potion to counteract such a curse. But up until five days ago there was no known potion to stop werewolf saliva from contaminating the blood either and she was almost certain that she'd accomplished that.
"I don't know if I will be able to cure it entirely", she said, "but there might be a way to stop it from spreading."
"I've already tried that", Severus replied. "I contained the curse to his hand weeks ago, but as you can see it had begun to spread again."
Hermione nodded.
"Yes. I just wonder perhaps there is some way to take my Werewolf antidote and alter it so that in the same way the antidote stops the saliva from moving in the blood, it could stop the curse from taking over the body."
Severus and Dumbledore each stared at Hermione like she was mad.
"You've created a what?" Dumbledore said.
"You actually managed to do it?" Snape asked.
Hermione moved back around the desk and reached into her bag. She pulled out a small clear vile with a greenish liquid inside. She held it out to them.
"Werewolf Antivenom", she said, "and I think I can do something similar for you. It may take a while. How long do you think he has, Severus?"
He looked at the black hand, then back up to Hermione with a line between his eyebrows that said he wasn't entirely sure what was going on.
"Six months?"
"Plenty of time", Hermione said. "Like I said, I don't think I will be able to cure you, not now, it's too late for that, but I could add years to your life... if you believe it is worth it?"
"I do", he said, jumping to his feet with an energy that a man as old as he was should not logically have. "Thank you, Miss Granger."
Hermione looked at the portraits of the professors in the room. Most were wide-eyed and alert. Others nodded at Hermione as though impressed. The remaining few professors snoozed in their frames. She looked at Dumbledore and jutted her chin towards the paintings.
"Do they know about the business regarding the unbreakable vow?" she asked. "If I ask you about them, will I... be okay?"
"Yes, they all know. There are very few secrets kept here in this room. Thankfully they are all loyal."
"Good", she said, "because I would ask a question. Where are we, sir, with finding the horcruxes? How many do we have left to locate? You said you believed there were six. We have the diary, Slytherin's locket... the cup..."
Severus bristled beside her at the mention of the cup.
"There are seven", Dumbledore said, "we have the three you have mentioned. We have Marvolo Gaunt's ring which has since been destroyed but at a price."
He lifted up his hand and Hermione nodded with understanding.
"You said you believed Nagini was one? I count five."
"Have you not told her?" Dumbledore said, and Hermione realised that his eyes were now on Severus.
Snape shook his head.
"Do you not think you ought to?" he asked.
Severus sighed and took Hermione's hand.
"There are two more horcruxes, Hermione", Severus said, with an apologetic tone. "One is the Diadem of Ravenclaw, and the other, the accidental horcrux, is... Potter."
Hermione's eyes flew open in horror.
"What?"
"Does Harry know?" she asked.
"Yes, he knows."
Hermione looked at Albus.
"He will need to be... destroyed then?"
"Yes", Dumbledore said plainly, "he will need to die."
"But you're not going to let him... surely?"
"I have a plan to keep him alive, it's true."
Hermione softened.
"And he knows this?"
"What do you think? That I would allow a young man full of life to walk the earth knowing that he will have to die, and not let him know that I have a plan to make sure that he does not stay dead? Do you think I would let a new father, believe that he is finished? Of course he knows, Miss Granger."
"I'm sorry", Hermione said, dropping her head "you're right."
Severus stared at Dumbledore with intent. It almost looked in that moment, like hatred.
"You don't have to speak to her like that", he said. "She doesn't know. She's been out of the loop. It's not her fault. We have kept her in the dark; all of us."
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.
"I mean that The Order are wary of you, Hermione", Snape said gently. "They trust you, of course, but your unwillingness to use your magic is worrisome to many of them. Sometimes when people do not use their magic it is because they do not have it under control and when they can't control it they are dangerous."
"My sister, Arianna is a prime example, Miss Granger", Dumbledore said, "but never fear, we have since assured everyone that you are quite capable. They are coming around to the idea."
Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Lovely", she said with a tone so heavy with sarcasm that she reminded herself of Snape. "So they're only a little bit scared of me now?"
She turned to look at Severus. "You said 'we' - 'we have kept her in the dark' - am I to assume therefore that you have also kept information from me too? More than your knowledge of Harry's situation, anyway."
Please no, Hermione thought. Not you as well. Snape gave a small but stern nod.
"Dumbledore arranged for Lupin, Bill Weasley and I to search for the diadem. We didn't know where it was, but at least we knew what it was. Bella has loose lips you see, particularly after a night of drinking and debauchery and torture- that being her favourite pastime."
Dumbledore shot a glance at Severus and then at Hermione.
"I believed it was in the castle, for reasons I shall not bore you with now."
"We located it last week in the Come and Go Room, of all places," Severus said. "I didn't tell you that I was looking for it because I was asked not to. I don't believe either Tonks or Fleur know either. But I should admit" he said, and took her hand, "I was glad not to tell you because I didn't want you to know that I was putting myself in that position again."
"With Bellatrix- you went back to the Lestranges?"
"Well... yes", Snape said, with a solemn tone.
Seeing the look of broken devastation on Hermione's face he snatched her hands to his chest. His eyes were wild.
"No, Hermione. God, no!" he said, desperately, "not like that. Never! Never again will I be with her like that."
Hermione felt her stomach pull itself back up to its rightful place. She glanced at Dumbledore, who had averted his gaze. Suddenly very interested in the portrait of Phineas Nigellus Black, who sneered down at the scene in front of him.
"You could do worse than Bella", Phineas said, and with a quick flash of Severus' wand, Phineas' portrait fell to the floor, face down.
The muffled sound of Phineas' protestation sent a wide smile to Hermione's face and Severus relaxed as she wrapped her hand around his.
"So you two are... together?..." Dumbledore asked, raising an eyebrow and narrowing his eyes, "... openly?"
Severus puffed his chest and pulled himself to full height.
"Is that a problem, Dumbledore?"
Albus laughed.
"Oh stop posturing, Severus. I am very pleased for you."
"You do not think I am too broken, or too old for her?"
Hermione realised that Severus was asking genuinely. For all his dislike of the headmaster, he still respected him deeply and valued his opinion above all others. Hermione waited on baited breath as Dumbledore gave his answer. She knew that, even if Severus would not admit it, Albus' response could irrevocably alter their relationship
"Broken? Perhaps. But I do not believe that there is a person alive who has not been broken in some way. As for your age difference, Severus, you are forty-three, I am one hundred and twenty and we are friends are we not?"
Snape frowned and narrowed his eyes.
"Are we?"
"Yes", Dumbledore snapped, "as much as you hate to admit it. We are bonded in our own way. Even when you are angry with me, you still care about me. That is friendship, is it not?"
"I suppose. I am glad, Dumbledore, to be considered your-"
Snape's neck snapped backwards, he gritted his teeth as he clung to his forearm.
"Ah. Duty calls, Severus?" Dumbledore said, coldly.
"Yes. I have to go" he said, turning to Hermione.
He drew her into his arms and kissed her.
"I will see you soon", he said and nestled his head into her hair to whisper, "I love you."
"Be safe" Hermione said, and she felt her stomach drop back down to her knees.
A playful grin spread across Albus' face.
"Severus! What was that? You love her?!" he asked, gleefully.
"Oh piss off, you sentimental old fool", Snape said, with a sardonic smile, and disapparated with a crack.
Dumbledore's face became gentle and kind. He took Hermione's hand in his and patted her gently on the shoulder.
"I know that you have your reservations about me, Miss Granger, and I believe you are wise to have them. However, I would like you to know that I say this with absolute sincerity. I have never seen Severus happy. I have known him since he was eleven and even then he was visibly hurting. He has walked this earth as a shattered man and deathly cold. You have truly performed a miracle. You have brought a man back from the dead."
"No", Hermione said, "he has brought himself back from the dead."
"You do not give yourself enough credit", Albus said, with a coy smile.
"And you do not give enough to Severus..."
Hermione threw open the door to Dumbledore's office and did not wait to be beckoned towards him. She slammed her DA coin down on the desk in front of him.
"What does 505 mean?"
"What?" Albus asked.
"The coin", she snapped. "I dug out my old one. What does 505 mean? Is it a time?"
Dumbledore brought his eyes up from the papers on his desk and met Hermione's fiery gaze. He shook his head.
"I don't know."
"Well, why did you call me here? Has there been any news?"
He shook his head again. Hermione felt her fingers curl and she had to take a breath to speak clearly.
"Professor, it has been six days. I've not heard from him for six days..."
"I know, I too am worried, but what do you propose we do?"
Hermione threw herself into the chair opposite Dumbledore's desk.
"Are you really asking?"
"Yes, Miss Granger, I am at a loss."
Albus rocked back and forth on his chair.
"I don't know what we do", Hermione said. "I'm sorry."
She pulled her hair off her face and looked Dumbledore directly into his pool blue eyes.
"When did you hear from him last?"
"He sent a Patronus from Malfoy Manor to say that The Dark Lord planned to attack in nine days time."
"A Patronus? That sounds risky".
"Perhaps a little."
"Right", Hermione said, swallowing the lump in her throat, "and that was when?"
"Two days ago... so we have seven days remaining, Miss Granger... before the battle comes. Are you prepared? Are you... ready?"
Hermione understood the part of the question that he left hanging. What he really wanted to know is 'will you be able to fight?'
"I don't know", Hermione said, "I may be of better use in the hospital wing? I am sure I will fight if absolutely necessary..."
"I understand", Dumbledore said.
"If Severus sent his Patronus from Malfoy Manor- could we check there?"
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows.
"I've already sent word to them. There has been no response. Severus has been with them for their protection. But the Malfoys are not supposed to be at their manor, so perhaps they have vacated?"
"Without telling anyone?" Hermione asked, with a note of irritation in her voice.
"No, I suppose not. Severus would have informed me if they had moved on."
"So what you're saying is that they could all be in danger? I swear to God, Sir, if we don't do anything..."
"Then neither of us will forgive ourselves, you are quite right. Okay. Let me think."
Dumbledore pulled his own coin from his pocket. He fiddled with it between his fingers.
"505", he said, with a perplexed grimace. "5... 0... 5."
"It really doesn't mean anything to you?" she asked.
Albus' face fell to a frown as he stared at the coin.
"No, I'm sorry. When we first decided to use the coins, Moody, being overly cautious, said that he refused to communicate with us unless we did so in code. As such, we set up a few simple ones that we all understood. For example, 142 is 'on the move', and 939 is 'target located', and so on and so forth."
"And you're sure that 505 isn't one of them?"
"I'm certain."
"Who else has a coin?"
"Other than myself and Moody, there is Remus, Bill, Arthur and Severus," he said, and nodded to Hermione's coin on the desk. "... And you. But they would all use one of the standard codes, would they not? At first, I figured that it was an accident..."
Hermione heard the words that were missing from his sentence.
"But not anymore. Now you think that somebody else has used the coin? Someone who shouldn't have?"
"Yes", Dumbledore said, darkly.
"Is everyone else accounted for?"
"Arthur, Remus and Bill have checked in to say that they are safe."
"What about Moody?"
"Alastor may be missing too. He was also at... oh Gods... The last time I heard from him, he was checking in with The Malfoys."
"And so he, the Malfoys and... Severus... they could have been discovered?"
Dumbledore nodded and dropped his head. It was so disconcerting to see him like this. He was always in control - he always had a plan.
"Professor, I need you to pull yourself together, please. What do we do?"
"I don't know", he said, helplessly, "I don't understand. It could have been an accident, couldn't it? Any one of them could have dropped it and anyone could have picked it up and played about with it."
Hermione thought he sounded as though he was trying to convince himself.
"But the message came from Severus' coin", he continued, "and I can't imagine him being careless with it. But it could also be a Death Eater who sent it to us; it could be a trap... I don't want to put people's lives in danger..."
"Lives are already in danger! We have to-"
Hermione stopped dead and her eyes widened as comprehension drew on her.
"Oh. Oh God."
"What, Miss Granger?"
"It's definitely from Severus' coin?"
"Yes?"
"Fuck! It's not 505, Professor. It's not an accident. It's not a trap either. The code is not meant for you. It's for me."
"What is it? What does 505 mean?"
"It isn't 505... It's SOS!"