A/N: Aaand we're back in business! Thank you once again for reading and reviewing :) About this chapter...If you want to read the MA -version, it can be found on Ao3 under the same pen name :P

Chapter 23: Libraries and bathrooms

January 12th 1978 (Thursday)

As their class was dismissed and everyone started to head towards the Great Hall for lunch, Hermione stayed behind to 'talk' with their Professor. Gideon and Hermione had agreed to have their first Occlumency training after the DADA lessons on Thursday, so she gathered her things slowly and waited for the room to empty.

Before Lily left the room, she gave Hermione a meaningful look, purposefully glancing at their Professor before looking at her friend again.

Hermione suppressed a groan and whispered quickly to her friend, "I'll talk to you later."

Lily seemed unsatisfied but nodded and left the classroom.

Hermione sighed. It was obvious that Lily had started questioning Hermione's meetings with their Defence Professor, and the way she had become familiar with him. She hadn't said anything, but Hermione could see it from her eyes.

Hermione thought that her relationship with Gideon was still appropriate for a student and a teacher, but she could understand why Lily might have been suspicious. She reckoned that she ought to tell her friend about her participation in the Order sooner rather than later.

As usual, Gideon gestured for them to move into his office, and took his usual place behind his desk. Hermione sat down in the armchair opposite to him and eyed him tensely.

"Before we start, the Headmaster informed me that we have a meeting today. In his office." He said as he studied her.

"Oh." Hermione wasn't really surprised, as they hadn't yet had the chance to meet after destroying the Horcrux. "Okay. What time?"

"After dinner. Hermione…Are you sure you're ready for this? For the Occlumency training?" He asked with a mild concern.

Supposedly, she had been a bit withdrawn during their first week back in school, and there were multiple reasons why. Even though they had managed to destroy one Horcrux, their mission had almost failed. They could've had died if Gideon hadn't managed to destroy the Horcrux. And then Gideon had confessed it was merely by luck that he had succeeded. Even though she had talked with Gideon about the mission and being prepared before the next one, she was still constantly worrying about how they would be able to destroy the rest of them, not to mention acquiring them first.

Then there was Regulus…Voldemort was turning him into a killing machine, a child not even the age of seventeen. She felt torn, and she wanted nothing more than to make it stop even though she knew it wasn't an option. On the other hand, she knew he would be a valuable asset to the Order if he remained a spy. But for what price? His soul would be ripped apart by all the horrifying things he had done and would do under his new master. And Hermione couldn't help but feel guilty about it.

And then of course there was the awkward tension in their group of friends, at least whenever Hermione, Sirius and James were all present. It wasn't that the others were mad at her, but merely that they didn't want to interfere with their qualm, or to take sides. It was easier when the boys weren't present, and she reckoned it was like that when she wasn't either. Lily didn't approve James's way of acting, but she was still his girlfriend, and in love with him. And Hermione would be damned if she meddled in their relationship in any way. What if her actions would cause Harry to never exist?

What made her jittery and on edge was the knowledge that as they'd start the Occlumency training, Gideon would be able to see everything. Everything in her past, every moment of joy and despair. Everything. Even her unresolved feelings towards Regulus.

Hermione took in a deep breath. "I'm ready," Was all she managed to say after her complicated thoughts.

Gideon eyed her for a moment before he nodded. "Has my sister written to you?" He asked, a grin spreading across his face.

Hermione smiled. "Yes, she has actually. We made some plans to meet at the village, on the next Hogsmeade weekend."

He looked surprised. "Oh? What about the kids?"

"She's bringing them with her. Apparently Mr. Weasley has to go to work then." Hermione said with a shrug.

Gideon smirked. "Mr. Weasley…If you two want to grab lunch or something, I can take care of the kids." He suggested.

"Oh. Well, I'm fine with whatever Mrs. Weas…I mean, Molly, wants." Hermione said and rolled her eyes at Gideon's amused expression.

"I'll owl Molly to let her know." Gideon said and drew himself up in his seat, his expression becoming grave.

Hermione swallowed hard and tried to clear her mind before she nodded to him.

After dinner, Hermione found herself sitting next to the Prewett twins and McGonagall, facing a severe looking Headmaster.

"I trust you all have some thoughts regarding our latest mission. Let me say something first." Dumbledore started, folding his hands on the table.

"The last mission stirred something very personal in me. Something I have longed and been consumed with for a long time." He said with a sigh. The others stared at him warily. "The Gaunt Ring was inset with a black stone. Not an average stone, might I add…but one with magical powers. I imagine Riddle wasn't even aware of those powers, or if he was, he probably had no use for it." He said quietly.

"What was the power?" Gideon asked, intrigued. Hermione knew the answer already, as she had seen the stone and its engraving, but remained quiet and let the Headmaster speak.

"The power to recall your loved ones from Death." Dumbledore said simply.

McGonagall gasped, while the Prewetts stared at him in shock.

"The Resurrection Stone?" McGonagall whispered in disbelief.

"What? From the children's book?" Fabian asked in confusion.

Dumbledore nodded. "It seems that at least the stone was in fact a real magical artefact," He said and Hermione frowned at him.

Although she'd had her doubts about the Hallows' existence, she kept thinking if it was possible that only one of them was real and the others a mere story? She hadn't believed in any of them before they had been in the cave, where she had taken a look at the Gaunt Ring. She'd seen the markings of the Deathly Hallows engraved into the black stone, and reckoned it had to have been the Resurrection stone. The stone had been the reason why the Headmaster had hesitated destroying the ring in the cave.

And if the Deathly Hallows were in fact real, was the Invisibility cloak she had in her beaded bag, as well as the one James had in his possession, one of the Hallows, as Harry had believed and she now suspected? She chose not to say anything for now, and to look into it later. Perhaps she could have a chat with the Headmaster about the Deathly Hallows on some other time.

"But it is destroyed now?" McGonagall asked, bringing Hermione back from her thoughts.

"Yes." Dumbledore nodded and looked down. "As you all heard in the cave, my sister Ariana's passing was partially my fault. I will not bore you with the details, but only state that I regret everything that lead to the incident. I wish I could take it all back, to change the past. To bring her back." He said and glanced at Hermione with a hint of agony flashing in his blue eyes.

Hermione gave him a sad smile. McGonagall dabbed the corners of her eyes with a tissue and reached over to pat Dumbledore's hand.

The Headmaster took a deep breath and looked at the others. "The reason we nearly failed in our mission was my hesitance to destroy the stone. I let him get inside my head in a moment of weakness, and tried to find a way to save the stone while destroying the ring, but found nothing. The part of Voldemort's soul on the other hand obtained the possibility to feast upon my guilt, and to use my weaknesses against me. I made a mistake, which could've costed our lives. And for that, I offer you my deepest apologies," He said eyeing the others with a mix of defeat and regret, the twinkle in his eyes lost somewhere.

Hermione stood from where she sat and made her way around the table. "Uncle, there's no shame admitting you've made a mistake," She said softly and gave him a hug. Albus hugged her back, holding on tightly.

"I must've done something right in this life to gain such a wise person as my niece," He said quietly before she walked back to her chair. Hermione smiled sheepishly and sat down.

McGonagall beamed at Hermione and the Headmaster. "Indeed. A true leader is one who is humble enough to admit their errors." She said and the Prewetts nodded in agreement.

Dumbledore seemed a bit overwhelmed but cleared his throat and nodded.

"So. Shall we discuss and plan how we are going to continue, regarding the remaining Horcruxes and the methods to destroy them, as well as strengthening our minds?" Dumbledore asked with a determined look.

"Methods? I thought we agreed the Fiendfyre was our only option?" Gideon asked from the Headmaster, glancing at the others. "And, as for improving our Occlumency shields, I have agreed with Hermione to train her, and I will brush up my skills with Fabian," He continued, and Dumbledore gave him a satisfied nod.

"That sounds perfectly acceptable. About the methods…the Fiendfyre certainly is the only available option for now. However, I will investigate other possibilities. As Hermione has informed us, Basilisk Venom is one of the substances that can in fact destroy a Horcrux."

"But how?" Hermione asked in bewilderment. "We cannot access the Chamber of Secrets without a Parselmouth, can we?"

"Merlin…It still beats me to hear that the place and the thing in there actually exist." Fabian muttered.

Dumbledore smiled at them. "There might be something else, something so destructive that the Horcrux can't repair itself," he said simply.

"Will we still continue training the Fiendfyre curse?" Hermione asked with a slight concern in her voice. She really didn't fancy going back into that cave but she knew it was inevitable.

Dumbledore eyed her over his half-moon spectacles, probably guessing her line of thought as he replied, "I suggest we take a short break from training and in the meantime, we focus on strengthening our minds, as well as a way to acquire the next Horcrux. Would that be suitable for everyone?" He asked with a small smile.

Everyone murmured their agreement.

"What is the next object, Albus?" McGonagall asked with a grim look.

Dumbledore contemplated his answer before he spoke. "At the moment the remaining Horcruxes that we know of are Tom Riddle's diary, Salazar Slytherin's locket and Helga Hufflepuff's cup. Then there is the one unknown object we assume Voldemort has already created," He outlined. "According to our information, the diary is supposedly in the possession of the Malfoys, while the locket is in the Cave. The cup's location is yet uncertain, although the Lestrange vault in Gringotts and the Lestrange Manor are possible places, if you agree?" He asked, eyeing Hermione, who nodded in agreement.

"There are some powerful and famous magical artefacts in our world, some of which are known as myths, and we can suspect one of these to be the unknown Horcrux. But the problem is that some of them are merely myths, and the ones that are not, are going to be quite difficult to acquire." He said with a thoughtful expression.

"As we have no way to the Malfoy or Lestrange vaults in Gringotts, or their family Manors at the moment, I suggest we focus on the remaining two Horcruxes. According to Hermione, Riddle will soon test the defences of the locket, so I suggest we will simply wait until we can act. In the meantime, we all should look into the known lost magical items. Would that be acceptable?" He asked.

Hermione nodded. "Yes, I think it is a good plan, and since we have Regulus on our side, we will get the confirmation about the locket from him eventually."

Gideon frowned at her. "You have told him about the Horcruxes?"

"No. But…I think we will tell him eventually?" Hermione asked from Albus. He nodded in confirmation.

"About Regulus…He was in a Death Eater gathering on Christmas Eve, the one I told you about earlier. I had a chance to talk with him about what happened in there, and he informed me that Voldemort is planning a raid against the Order during Easter holidays." Everyone stared at her intently. "But he didn't know any details about it, as he reckoned that he would receive only the necessary information in a very short notice." Hermione concluded.

"What do you mean, in a very short notice?" Gideon asked with a furrowed brow.

Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable. "He and Severus Snape are expected to join the raid."

McGonagall gasped. "But they are students. They are children." She stammered.

"I know," Hermione said with a frown. "And that's not all. Regulus witnessed several killings in the gathering." She said, worrying her lip. Everyone stared at her in shock and disbelief.

"The only one he knew by name was Frank Meadows. The others he didn't recognize and they weren't named." She continued, trying to ignore the lump in her throat. "They were all muggles." She whispered, her throat burning.

McGonagall gave a silent sob while Dumbledore took a sharp breath. The twins both looked down helplessly.

"We knew Frank was missing, as Dorcas, his wife, is a member in the Order. Of course, she and everyone else knew there was the possibility that he was dead, but now having the confirmation…" McGonagall whispered to Hermione, her voice trembling. Hermione gave a sad nod to her Head of House.

They were all silent for a while.

Dumbledore eyed Hermione gravely. "Is he going to mark them?"

"Not until the summer." Hermione said and stared at her uncle with a hint of bitterness. "You knew what he was in for when you suggested that he could be a spy?"

He nodded while the others eyed her grimly. Apparently, they all had had a fair guess what one was expected to do when joining Voldemort's cause.

"Unfortunately, I did. And I believe so did young Regulus." Dumbledore said solemnly.

January 13th 1978 (Friday)

On Friday morning, Hermione and the girls were having breakfast in the Great Hall. The boys came to sit down at the Gryffindor table, all of them wearing identical smirks.

Oh, great, Hermione thought. They are up to something.

"Why do I have the feeling something bad is about to happen soon?" Mary muttered next to Hermione, glancing at the Marauders. Hermione hummed in agreement.

Lily turned to look at her boyfriend who had just sat down beside her. "James?" She asked with a warning tone in her voice.

"Yes, love?" He replied, with an innocent expression.

Oh, he was good. Hermione thought and rolled her eyes. Sirius narrowed his eyes at her when he saw her eyeing them. Oh, look at that. Still mad at me…She thought and sighed inwardly, turning her eyes back to her plate. It was getting a bit ridiculous, the glares she received from Sirius and James. At least Snape had backed off and eyed her now indifferently, or not at all, as usual.

BOOM!

A loud rumbling came from the Entrance Hall, followed by a whooshing sound. Dumbledore and several teachers stood up alerted, their wands at the ready. A moment later the caretaker ran into the Great Hall, with a cascade of water racing him from the hallway.

"The toilets!" The caretaker yelled as he ran towards the teachers table, panting as he had barely escaped the several meters high water turmoil that thankfully came down as it reached the Great Hall, now filling the floor with water and…

Several high-pitched screams and yelling echoed throughout the hall. People were panicking and every student quickly stood up on the benches they were sitting on a moment ago, trying to avoid the soiled water that was now everywhere on the floor, slowly rising up.

The Marauders were smirking subtly at each other, trying to keep a straight face while every other person in the hall looked either frightened or annoyed. Some were still screaming and yelling, while others tried to mutter incantations to vanish the water. It was a chaos. Hermione shook her head in annoyance when she saw the boys stifling chuckles, and moved her gaze towards the teachers table. Some of them tried to calm the students from where they stood and some tried to charm the water or vanish it.

"What in the name of Merlin is happening?" McGonagall's voice demanded over the others, as she lifted her wand to make intricate patterns towards the water. When nothing happened, Hermione reckoned the water was charmed somehow, making it immune to regular vanishing and siphoning spells.

Hermione could see faint amusement on the Headmaster's expression before he stood up and waved his wand over the Hall, finally vanishing the water and making most of the students quiet down. As Hermione stepped down on the floor, she saw Regulus do the same and roll his eyes towards the Marauders before moving his gaze to her.

A faint smile tugged his lips before he looked away. Hermione took a deep breath, frowned and focused on her irked roommates. Particularly one of them was outraged.

"You bloody git!" Lily shrieked as she slapped James on the arm.

"Hey!" James exclaimed in a wounded voice.

"Oi, Evans, don't get your knickers in a twist! Why do you always expect the worst of him?" Sirius asked playfully, winking at her.

Lily gave Sirius a scorching glare. "Don't even get me started with you, Black." She snarled and stood up abruptly; giving Remus and Peter a stern look, making the two boys shrink a bit in height, before she walked briskly towards the teachers' table.

She scowled at James over her shoulder. "Come on, Potter. We are expected to offer our help as Head students." She said and continued forward. James looked a bit frightened of his girlfriend as he followed her, while Sirius, Remus and Peter smiled at their friend's expense.

Mary and Alice eyed the whole situation with a mild amusement, while Marlene was cursing next to them.

"Bloody wankers…" She muttered as she levitated her dirty and wet schoolbag from the floor. Remus was instantly by her side, helping her clean and dry it with a remorseful expression while Sirius merely huffed and left the hall for a smoke.

The students were starting to drift away from the Great Hall and as Hermione reached her Ancient Runes class, she had learned that some people had managed to clog every toilet in the school, except the Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

Sirius and James had a free period, which they spent mostly by hanging outside Myrtle's bathroom, chuckling at the students who dared to enter there. Every single one of them exited a while later with terror edged into their eyes.

"Everything okay with the Head Girl?" Sirius asked with a smirk as they watched two younger Gryffindor girls entering the bathroom.

James rolled his eyes at his friend and threaded a hand through his hair. "Fuck if I knew. She stomped to her class before I had a chance to even open my mouth." He said with an exasperated sigh.

Sirius hummed in agreement. "You know, Prongs…It was so much easier to throw a prank before you hooked up with her." He said and pursed his lips.

James groaned. "Tell me about it…Wouldn't change a thing though." He said with a shrug.

Sirius eyed his friend. "Yeah, I know. She's cool. You know, she has her moments. And she's hot," He added, waggling his brows.

James punched him. "Dick."

"Ouch."

"Talked with your brother lately?" James asked, with every intention to annoy his friend, as he very well knew that Sirius hadn't even glanced at his brother's direction.

"Belt up." Sirius said with an irked glance. "Got nothing to say to that little arsehole."

James shrugged. "Dunno. I reckon you might have more in common than your feelings towards a certain girl…" He said with a grin.

"Wanker." Sirius muttered, turning to look at the bathroom from where a third year Hufflepuff came running.

James smirked at his friend.

"I'm going for a fag. You in?" Sirius asked after a moment of silence, and stood up from the floor where they were lounging, looking at his friend expectantly.

James hesitated for a moment but eventually sighed and stood up. "Yeah, why the hell not."

After their classes that day, no one had managed to unclog the toilets. It was a bit unnerving situation, and Hermione had heard several people talking about how Myrtle had been beside herself with joy as there was a constant queue in her bathroom, it being the only one working in the entire school.

As Hermione was sitting with her housemates at dinner, there was suddenly a burning sensation against her thigh. She hissed silently, more in surprise than in pain, and then remembered the charmed galleon she had in her pocket. Hermione quickly took it so that no one saw, and looked at the message on it.

After dinner RoR? -RB

She smiled and looked up. Regulus was wearing a subtle smirk as he talked with Snape. She tapped her wand at the galleon to reply to him.

Homework? -HD

She eyed the others at her table to make sure no one saw her ministrations with the galleon. Luckily no one paid her any attention, as the Gryffindors were all engrossed into a debate about who was responsible of clogging the toilets. As if they had to try to guess…

That too. -RB

Hermione lifted her brows and looked up to the Slytherin table again. This time he was looking at her, with a searing gaze that made her swallow deeply. She tried to prevent the blush rising to her cheeks but failed. He seemed to notice and smirked at her with arrogance. That Black arrogance…Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, and could see him supressing a grin.

"How was your week?" Regulus asked as he gave her neck all his attention, kissing and sucking it in a way that made her babble incoherently.

Their homework – which they had actually managed to do without any difficulties – lay on the table in front of the fireplace. He had her pinned under him on the sofa again, and this time he was pressed against her so snugly, that she could feel his every muscle, his every move, and his obvious sign of arousal.

Hermione gave a needy sigh when he nipped her neck in order to make her answer.

"I, um…" She breathed, as he continued his ministrations. "Reg…"

"Yes, love?" He grumbled in a low voice, between open mouthed kisses that trailed down towards her breasts. He had already opened half of the buttons of her oxford shirt and stopped just as he reached the top of her breasts, concentrating on the visible skin with his soft mouth.

Hermione shivered as he kissed the tender skin before trailing back up.

"I can't…focus." She whimpered as he kissed her mouth thoroughly, his tongue pushing between her lips as she parted them, inviting him in. He tasted her, tracing her tongue with his and she positively ached as the sensations made her body warm and tremble.

Regulus breathed heavily and looked down at her. "Me neither. Let's talk later." He murmured before proceeding to kiss her senseless.

January 18th 1978 (Wednesday)

The next week Hermione, Lily and Alice were waiting in front of the Arithmancy classroom for their first class of the day to start. The boys and Mary were having the Care of Magical Creatures lesson while Marlene had a free period.

"…I don't even know where it is," Alice said in frustration, after she had explained to her friends that Frank's mother had wanted for the wedding to take place next July in some old Mill that apparently was a traditional venue for Longbottom weddings.

Lily frowned. "I'm sorry Allie. Frank's mother seems to be a bit…determined?" She said with a slight cringe.

"She's downright tyrannical, let me tell you," Alice grumbled, shaking her head.

Hermione and Lily both stifled a chuckle.

"You know, you do have a say in your own wedding," Hermione said comfortingly. "But I can see you don't wish to argue with her…" She said and thought back the time when she had met the hard-headed matriarch of the house Longbottom. Even Neville, her own grandson had thought that she was a force of nature and not one to be messed with.

Alice heaved a sigh. "Yeah…" She muttered, her eyes moving somewhere else. Lily and Hermione followed her line of sight and saw Snape eyeing them from the other side of the hallway with a small frown between his brows. He seemed to be contemplating something before he finally cleared his throat and approached the girls.

"Lily…" He said with a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "Can I have a word?"

Hermione and Alice both gave their friend looks of surprise, but Lily seemed unaffected.

"Sure." She said with a nod and glanced at Hermione and Alice with a furtive look. She followed Snape as they walked slightly away from the other students, to the end of the hallway.

Lily eyed Snape expectantly. When he didn't say anything, she lifted her brows expectantly. "Well? What is it you wanted to talk about?" She asked not unkindly.

He eyed her with a stony expression. "This is for you." He said and pushed a gift-wrapped parcel in her hands.

Lily frowned. "What is this?" She asked with confusion. Her birthday wasn't until the end of the month, and she didn't even expect him to give her anything.

"As I said earlier, I wasn't aware we were going to exchange gifts for Christmas." He said awkwardly. "Forgive me…for being late." He muttered, his stony expression faltering.

Lily knew perfectly well the apology had a double meaning. He was apologising for his actions towards her, which lead for them to end their friendship. Lily stared at him searchingly.

"Thank you, Severus." She finally said and gave him a warm smile. His expression softened, as he regarded her with relief and appreciation. His mouth quirked up slightly, and she would've missed it if she hadn't watched him so closely.

"No problem." He said with a nod and made a move towards the classroom that was now open.

"Sev?" Lily asked after he had taken a step. He turned back and eyed her with a small lift in his brows.

"I forgive you." She said quietly, looking into his eyes anxiously.

Snape's eyes widened in shock, and she could see him stiffen. Lily advanced him slowly, looking at his eyes which were flickering with several emotions.

He swallowed deeply. "Thank you." He said quietly. Lily nodded and walked past him, straight into the classroom where the other students were already sitting. She sat down next to Hermione and finally Snape entered the classroom, closing the door behind him. He had a small smile on his lips as he walked to the back of the room and took his seat.

After lunch Hermione sat next to Snape in their Potion's class. Today's assignment was to brew the Elixir to Induce Euphoria, and after Slughorn had given them instructions, Hermione started their cauldron while Snape went to the storage room to get the ingredients, as usual.

As he came back, he put the ingredients on the table and eyed Hermione from the corner of his eye.

"What?" Hermione asked hesitantly.

Snape narrowed his eyes to her as he handed over the Bloodroot Sterns to be cut lengthwise and scraped from fluids and fibrous material. He added the appropriate amount of Fluxweed oil into their cauldron with a serious look on his face.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Perhaps you should take a dose of this when it's ready," She said with a smirk. She was used to her sullen Potions partner, but she couldn't always resist retaliating to his snappy attitude.

To her astonishment, he actually tried to suppress a smirk of his own. Hermione lifted her brows and shook her head in bewilderment.

Snape cleared his throat. "Are you possibly going to the library after classes?" He asked with an unreadable expression as he stirred their potion.

Now she was even more taken aback. He never inquired her about anything. Other than her intentions with Regulus.

Hermione arched a brow at him. "Why?" She asked warily. She was in fact going, and Lily had promised to accompany her, since James would be in Quidditch practice before dinner.

He rolled his eyes. "May I join you?" He asked in an almost inaudible voice. Hermione actually leaned closer to him to make sure she understood. He wanted to join her to the library? What in the name of Merlin…Oh. Lily.

Hermione gave him a suspicious look. "Are you asking just because you want to meet a certain red-haired friend of mine?" She asked, glancing at Lily who was sitting with James a couple of desks to their left.

Snape sent a glare at her. "Would you keep your voice down?" He hissed. "I'll bring my friend if you bring yours." He continued coldly and eyed her with a pointed look.

Regulus. It wasn't that she couldn't be in the same place with him, but they had agreed to spend as little time as possible together when outside the Room of Requirement. She frowned and reckoned that it probably wouldn't be that bad if he was accompanying Snape, and if they'd stay in one of the secluded corners in the library, away from prying eyes and ears.

"What? You wish to not see him?" Snape taunted when she didn't reply to him. "Got what you wanted and now you're over him?" He spoke to her with a low voice, giving a dirty look at the jewellery on her wrist.

Hermione scowled at him. "You know nothing, Snape," She said sharply.

He merely smirked at her.

"Five o'clock. Don't be late." She then snapped and turned her focus back to the Bloodroot Sterns and started to crush them into fine paste with her mortar, probably with more force than necessary. She really wanted to tell him to bugger off but she had been the one who had suggested Lily to forgive him in the first place, and she reckoned that he was too proud – or a coward – to ask her to the library himself.

They didn't exchange words for the rest of their double Potions class and when Slughorn announced that their lesson was ending, Hermione jumped from her seat, delivered the glass phial containing their potion to the Professor and left the room without looking back. She'd meet Lily later in their common room, before they would head towards the library.

Lily and Hermione moved to the far corner in the library, the one Hermione occasionally used when she wanted privacy. The girls sat down opposite to each other and started with their homework as they heard footsteps heading their direction.

Snape and Regulus came to stand at the end of their table, eyeing the girls warily. Lily stared back at them with surprise, as Hermione hadn't told her they would be coming.

Snape seemed to understand what was going on, and he sent an annoyed glare at Hermione, but Lily missed it as she was busy smiling politely to the boys.

"This taken?" Regulus asked from Hermione, regarding the chair beside her. She could see softness in his eyes and a tiny quirk on his lip, but otherwise his expression gave nothing away.

"It is now." Hermione said with a wide smile and gestured him to sit down. He gave her a subtle once over before he came to sit down beside her, pulling the chair a bit closer to her than it was originally placed.

"May I join you, Lily?" Snape asked awkwardly, and Lily nodded in bewilderment, with a tense smile on her lips.

"Sure." She managed to say, making room for the boys at their table.

The two Slytherins placed their books, parchments and quills on the table and started to work, and the girls followed suit. They studied in a comfortable silence for some time, and everyone was focused on their assignments, at least until Hermione's thoughts began to wander.

Being this close to Regulus brought back images from last Friday, when they had met in the Room of Requirement. It was as if she could feel the heat of his body, floating over from him, and sitting as close to him as she now did, was not enough. She ached for his touch, and wondered would the others notice if she touched his hand under the table? But where would that lead them…Would she be satisfied with a mere hand holding? She bit her lip as she remembered how his hands had caressed her body, and how his soft lips had made her blood sing.

She must've had squirmed in her seat because he turned to look at her. Hermione saw him examining her features from the corner of her eye, supposedly taking in the faint blush on her cheeks and her slightly darkened eyes. She glanced at him, staring straight into his grey eyes, and Hermione could see that he was breathing slightly heavier than normally, as was she most likely. As he licked his lips slowly, his gaze focused on her lips, Hermione's breath hitched.

"I, uh…have to grab a book for reference," Hermione stammered breathlessly and stood up abruptly, storming away from where they sat.

Regulus moved his gaze back to his books and suppressed a smile. He stood up a minute after, not bothering with an excuse to the others, and followed Hermione between the shelves.

Lily rolled her eyes to their empty chairs. "They aren't fooling anyone," She muttered to herself.

Snape turned to look at her. "What do you mean?"

Lily scoffed. "I mean I have seen how they ogle each other every meal time, and I know she has snuck out to see him at least once since the term started." She said matter-of-factly.

He lifted his brows in slight wonder. "Didn't realise they were that obvious."

"They aren't, but I'm her friend, and I'm worried about her, so I tend to look after her. But I'm sure no one else has noticed." She said and shrugged.

Snape nodded. "You should keep the information to yourself. It does no one good if it gets out," He said slowly.

Lily whirled towards him. "What do you mean, Severus?" She said warningly. "That she's not good enough for your little Slytherin friends? I thought they accepted half-bloods." She said with a hint of bitterness in her voice.

Snape let out a quiet groan. "No, that's not what I meant, Lily." He drawled with a frustrated sigh. "I merely meant that they both might be in danger if the word got out." He finally said, moving his eyes back to his homework.

Lily gaped at him and was about to argue but she was suddenly uncertain. She knew that some of the Slytherins had done some nasty things during her schoolyears, and she had heard even worse rumours regarding some of those who had already left Hogwarts. What if he was right?

Hermione was staring at some large Charms related tomes when she felt tentative hands sliding against her waist. Regulus pressed his forehead on her shoulder and breathed deeply through his nose.

"Are you smelling me?" She whispered incredulously.

"Yeah."

Hermione snorted. "Okay…Well…What do I smell like?" She asked quietly, her heart beating faster as she felt her skin warming under his fingers. Fingers which were now tracing patterns against her waist.

He took another deep breath through his nose and hummed in satisfaction. "Intoxicating," He murmured, tilting his head to kiss her neck, and simultaneously moving his hands down to caress her hips.

Hermione gave a lustful sigh and leaned her back to his chest, drawing a muffled groan from him as he traced his open mouth down the side of her neck, stopping to suck and nip her tender skin. One of her hands lifted to grasp his neck for support and the other one sneaked to rest against his thigh, her fingers spread.

"Circe," He said abruptly, taking a step back and eyeing suspiciously around them. Hermione turned around, feeling flustered.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...Not in here." He whispered, seeming to be barely restraining himself from snogging her into a stupor. "Okay?" He added, with more hesitation.

"Yes…of course," Hermione muttered, slightly embarrassed of her wantonness and looked away.

He came closer and lifted her chin up with his fingers. "I want this. You. Merlin forbid," he said and gave her lips a chaste kiss.

Hermione smiled at him and bit back a smile as he adjusted his slacks and let out an uncomfortable whine.

January 28st 1978 (Saturday)

It was their second Hogsmeade weekend, and while everyone else was at the village enjoying its attractions, Hermione and Regulus were enjoying each other's company in the Room of Requirement. They'd met there the last weekend as well, spending their day with their homework and studies, talking about the details of the Death Eater gathering in December and about Sirius.

Sirius still wasn't speaking to either one of them, but it seemed that he – and James, in extension – was over glaring and ignoring them. Sirius simply acknowledged their presence, but nothing more than that. It was a bit more difficult for Hermione, as she was friends with his friends, and they spent time as a group during their free time. Even though they weren't actually together, Hermione and Regulus had agreed to talk about their relationship with Sirius when was ready to speak to them again.

As she was finishing her schoolwork, too many thoughts lingered on the forefront of her mind, making it almost impossible to concentrate. Thoughts about Sirius, thoughts about her mission, and thoughts about her past were pushing forward, and Hermione let out an audible huff of exasperation as she thought of all the secrets she was keeping. It was getting more exhausting every day.

"What are you thinking about?" Regulus asked while he scribbled something on his parchment, not looking up.

Hermione shrugged. "Nothing." She muttered and gathered her finished Herbology assignment and pushed it back into her schoolbag. She sighed, stood up and walked to look at the bookshelves. This time, they weren't in the replica of the Gryffindor common room. They were in the Library of Grimmauld Place. But it wasn't anything like she remembered.

The room was clean, airy and quite beautiful, as light came down from the tall windows that were decorated with long, heavy dark green curtains. The walls were white, at least where a wall could be seen, since there were several tall bookshelves on every wall. The room was completed with a couple of study corners and a set of armchairs and sofas in front of the fireplace. She didn't know what had happened to the room between what she now saw, and what she knew of, but she hadn't said anything as she had followed Regulus further into the room, after letting him decide where they would be spending their day.

"Are you going to include me in on your secret researches and missions?" He asked as she eyed the spine of a book that was called Nature's Nobility: A Treasury of Myths, Legends and Facts of the Wizarding World. Hermione took it from the shelf and started to browse through the pages as she felt him come to stand next to her.

Regulus gently took the book from her hands and turned the pages himself, eyeing them with a mild interest. "You know I know a thing or two about…whatever it is you are searching," He finally said and turned his eyes to hers, giving her a knowing look.

Hermione's eyes widened a bit with dread. He couldn't know what exactly was she trying to find…Right? She knew he hadn't read her mind, as she would've felt it…No. It seemed like he merely read her that easily, without needing to use Legilimency. It was like he knew her, and all that was hidden inside her.

Regulus tucked a stray curl behind her ear, his fingers tracing her jawline. Hermione cleared her throat. "I will tell you, eventually." She whispered, her eyes shining with sincerity. "You just have to be patient."

"I'll try." He said, dropping the book and taking a hold of her waist. "You done already? With studying?" He asked and gave her a small smirk.

"Yes," She breathed as he leaned closer and kissed her softly.

"Good," He murmured between kisses that grew more passionate each time. His hands travelled down her back, the tips of his fingers skimming the curve of her bum as Hermione slid her hands around his neck. Regulus pushed his tongue into her mouth, tasting her softly, sweetly, and Hermione shivered at the feeling. His hands kneaded her backside while he slowly nibbled at her mouth, allowing her to catch her breath before thrusting his tongue back into her mouth.

"Reg…" Hermione whimpered as she breathed heavily, her hands threading into his hair and tugging slightly.

He merely hummed in response, while continuing his ministrations. Then his hands moved lower, against the backs of her thighs. He lifted her abruptly and carried her to the other end of the room, while kissing her mouth and sucking her lips in a very distracting way.

"Reg? Where are you going?" She managed to ask as he broke the kiss in order to open a door he had reached.

Regulus didn't answer, as he had already walked inside the room. Hisroom. His bedroom. Hermione knew what it was, since she had visited the place when they had been hiding at Grimmauld Place during the start of their Horcrux hunt.

"I hope it's okay?" He asked hesitantly as he gave soft kisses to the corners of her mouth.

Hermione merely let out a breathy sigh and kissed him hungrily, her fingers tangling into his black locks. He groaned softly into her mouth before he placed her down on his bed, lowering himself on top of her. As his lips started to move down her neck and lower, Hermione let her hands roam everywhere. She traced the muscles on his shoulders, brushed along the line of his spine, and up and down his sides, while his back and his stomach tightened in anticipation. Regulus's grunt was muffled against her neck as her hands moved down his stomach and reached his thighs before moving slightly back up to tug his shirt from his slacks. He pulled back to straddle her legs, pushing his shirt up and over his head. Hermione followed his example and took her own shirt off, leaving her with her bra and jeans.

She didn't miss the appreciative look Regulus gave her, his eyes filled with longing and want, before he leaned towards her again and settled on top of her as she rested her head against the pillow. And then his mouth was on her neck again, trailing little kisses down her throat on his way to her cleavage. Hermione arched to him, offering herself to him, hoping he'd keep kissing her body like he did. The warmth in her stomach drifted lower and lower until she was unconsciously grinding her hips against him, desperate for friction. Regulus groaned and thrust his hips against hers, and Hermione could feel his hard length against her core, as she shuddered from the delicious throbbing she felt at the apex of her thighs.

His hand sneaked back to unclasp her bra, and with a slight manoeuvring, he managed to get the garment off of her before he lowered his mouth onto her breast. He flicked his tongue over her nipple, making Hermione cry out by the delicious sensation. He drew the hardened peak into his mouth, sucking it in a way that made her shiver as the waves of desire floated towards her lower abdomen. He continued paying her both breasts an equal admiration before his mouth trailed lower, to her belly where he placed open mouthed kisses while his hands caressed her thighs softly.

"Reg…I…" She stammered, her hips lifting in reflex as he drew circles against her thighs with his thumbs.

Regulus's mouth skimmed against the waistline of her jeans, and he lifted his head to give her a questioning look, as if to seek permission to continue.

"Can I kiss you here, love?" He asked, his voice hoarse with need, and when Hermione managed to only nod, he unbuttoned her jeans and peeled them off swiftly.

Afterwards, Regulus gathered her into his arms, while she buried her face against his chest.

"You know…No one has ever done that to me…" She whispered after a moment.

"Yeah? Was is what you expected?" He asked quietly, pulling his comforter over them and stroking her back.

Hermione smiled against his chest. "It was amazing," She said softly, pulling back slightly to look up to him with a hesitant smile.

"Yeah, it was." He said and smiled back to her.

They were both quiet for a moment. "So…this is your room?" She asked, even though she knew the answer already. "And that was your library?"

"Yeah." He muttered as he continued to soothe her back. "Although I have a feeling that you already knew that." He said and kissed her lips as she glanced up to him, her eyes widened with surprise.

She didn't say anything to the matter, and neither did he. They stayed like that for a while, relishing the moment and enjoying each other's company before exiting the Room of Requirement and returning to two different groups of friends, to two different houses, and to separate corners of the castle.