"You're saying we can't tell anyone?" Theo barked once they were calmer, his hand clutching Hermione's tightly as if he was scared she'd disappear if he let go.
"I'm saying it would be potentially unwise."
"No." Severus took in the stubborn set to the boy's jaw and sighed.
"Theo." Hermione broke in softly. "You're going to have to listen to him."
"No! No I fucking do not! We all know what you get up to in this school, running around with Potter. If they think….if they think you're a…." he paused, clearly considering his terminology, "a muggleborn, they're going to hurt you."
Swivelling to look him dead in the eye, Hermione straightened her spine. "Because if I'm suddenly a Pureblood Princess I'm going to forget about Harry?" she asked her tone deadly. "I'm suddenly going to stop being a target? I might not be a mudblood Theo, but I'll still be a blood traitor and Harry Potter's best friend."
Theo flinched his face paling, "You can't! Please, please you can't! I can't lose you again, it's been…..excruciating, living with a hole where you were meant to be. I could feel you missing. I don't understand why I couldn't feel you when we came here?" his bewildered eyes flew to Severus briefly.
Hermione looked momentarily stricken. "I'm sorry. Truly I am but I won't leave him. I won't let him do this without me."
Severus fought back the urge to lock her up, despite having taunted Thoros with it earlier, hearing her say she'd be right beside Potter made him want to vomit. He wanted her as far away from the upcoming fight as humanly possible. Shoving the feeling behind his walls for a second he focused on Theo's question.
"We haven't yet checked for any magic that might be binding Miss…Grangers person."
"Not Miss Granger! She's a Nott!"
"Calm yourself!" he growled, his eyes flying to Hermione whose own eyes were darting as if planning her escape route. Theo froze, looking completely terrified before he nodded. "Hermione, with your permission, I would like to run a diagnostic."
"To check for what?"
"Theo is right, it is…strange that his magic, which has been restless since your disappearance, would not recognise you."
"Oh." she replied softly, "I don't think I understand what that means."
Severus nodded, "The Weasley Twins work better together do they not?" At her nod, he continued. "Magical twins tend to share their magic, even if they are fraternal. It links them together in a way that is unique, without each other neither twin should feel whole. The fact you have never felt that connection missing and the fact that Theo cannot feel you, even knowing who you are now, is concerning. I do not know much, but I do know that there should at the very least be a small connection."
"I see." she replied softly, "If there are bindings would it give a hint as to what happened?"
"Perhaps." he allowed as he turned that thought over in his mind. "I think, though, that we need to bring in someone else in order to record the magical signature. Forgive me, but I need to run it past your father. Things are precarious and I am wary of this getting out." he looked sharply at Theo. "Do not pretend that she would not be used as a bargaining chip, a prize or Merlin help us all, murdered for her past actions. I know you want to claim her, I know you want to keep her safe, the Gods know I share your sentiments, but we must be careful, we must be clever and we must think."
Looking close to tears Theo nodded. "She's hardly safe as Potters Mudblood," he said quietly.
"I am aware."
"And I am here." Hermione cut in.
Severus snorted, "Forgive me, Hermione. I was merely impressing upon your brother the need for his discretion."
"By speaking about me as if I were not in the room?"
"It will not happen again, my girl," he replied softly.
"Good," she replied shortly. "Now, seeing as you are apparently off to discuss me with….what is his name?"
He frowned slightly before he understood what she was asking. Thoros was going to fucking hate this. The thought amused him more than it should. "Thoros."
She hummed. "Seeing as you're going to discuss me with Thoros, I want you to ask him for his assurances my parents will not be touched." she looked him directly in the eye, her spine straight, her eyes blazing in a way that stole the breath from his lungs. He could almost see Asteria in the Slytherin Common room many years past, her eyes blazing in a similar way as she impressed upon him the importance of whatever it was she was saying. "He touches them, he allows them to be hurt and I will never have anything to do with him."
He nodded slowly, "Very well, I shall pass it on." he paused looking at her consideringly, " Are you willing to meet him?"
"Not right now. I…ask him if he saved me at the Ministry. I'll consider it after that."
Severus blinked, not entirely sure what she was talking about. Saved her? Why the fuck had Thoros had to save her? He knew she and Potter's merry band of idiots had been at the Ministry, he knew that they'd been attacked but how fucking serious had it been? Cursing himself for not asking more questions, he nodded at her. "Very well. It is time for you both to return to your dormitories." he glared at Theo who looked ready to interrupt before turning his attention back to Hermione. "I will speak with Thoros, consider my earlier proposal, I would like an answer before the train leaves. If you wish to spend some time together, I can facilitate messages." They both nodded, Theo reluctantly, Hermione lost inside her own head. "Come then, it is time to go."
They stood silently. Moving towards the door, Theo's hand shot out to grasp her wrist before he could open it. Hermione jumped.
"Sorry! Sorry…I..please meet me tomorrow?"
She stared back at him warily before she nodded. "Where?"
"I um…one of the abandoned classrooms?"
Hermione looked at him consideringly, before shaking her head, "No. Meet me on the seventh floor outside the picture of the trolls doing ballet. After lunch?"
Both Severus and Theo looked confused at her very specific instruction but Theo nodded, his shoulders slumping in relief that she was willing to speak to him.
"Severus?" Thoros looked at him blankly. "What are you doing here?"
Severus sighed, looking over the man who appeared to be slowly unravelling. "I need your permission to bring in someone to check over Hermione. I think it's possible someone cast something over her. Theo cant feel her magic."
Thoros blanched. "I see…" he began slowly. "Who were you thinking of?"
"Croaker." Severus admitted softly, "He'll be discreet."
"Very well." Thoros paused. "She knows then?"
"Yes. She knows. Insisted on checking the results and verifying my claims that Asteria asked me to be godfather." he replied with a slight smile.
Thoros smiled wanly, "Did she agree?"
"She's thinking about it."
He hummed, "And Theo met her?"
"Tonight." Severus confirmed, "he's not too happy with me currently, I impressed upon him the need to not claim her outright just yet."
Thoros flinched, a flash of pain evident on his tired face. "Yes, I can see how that wouldn't have been well received. Are you certain we can't claim her?"
"She refused to renounce Mr Potter." Severus replied, "I wouldn't push her on it, Thoros. It won't end well. If nothing else she'll have a sympathetic ally in the Mutt given his family alliances. If she asks, he'll take her and he'll hide her away."
Thoros made a small sound of pain, alerting Severus to just how close to the edge his friend was. His mask had never slipped that far before. "She didn't ask to see me?"
Severus paused, wondering how best to word this. "She didn't refuse," he said finally. "She said she'd consider it on one condition."
"Anything."
Severus winced, "She wants guarantees that her muggle parents will not be touched."
Thoros stilled, "You know they're on his list." he whispered.
"Yes. So what are we going to do?"
"I….fuck Severus. I don't know! Why isn't the Order doing anything!"
"I don't know," Severus replied honestly. "I can certainly find out, I haven't heard them mentioned, which I admit is a surprise given that the Order knows they're vulnerable and they have begun plans to keep Potter's abominable family safe but we still need a plan. She needs to believe that you're not like the rest of them"
Thoros flinched hard, his eyes on his arm. "Aren't I?"
"She asked me to ask if you saved her?"
"Yes," Thoros replied softly, his eyes still on his arm. "Dolohov. He'd have….well you know what Dolohov's like."
Severus looked at him blankly for a moment as he processed that. "Dolohov was near her?" he snarled.
"Yes. I'm almost certain he was going to cast his purple fire curse. And…Salazar Severus, even if she wasn't my child, she's still a child! And no child deserves to be burnt alive from the inside."
Severus paled, attempting to tamp down the murderous surge of rage that shot through him. "Maybe it's time we….helped Dolohov move on," he muttered.
"Help him move on?" Thoros questioned.
"I hear reincarnation is a plausible theory."
Thoros snickered, completely caught off guard. "He might notice."
"Antonin? It's not like it'll do him any good, he'll be dead."
Thoros snorted, "Not Antonin, you arse. He might notice."
"Then we'll make Antonin's sad demise look like a bloody accident and mourn appropriately in public." Severus snarled. "The arsehole isn't getting to live."
"No." Thoros murmured, "I suppose he is not."
"You came," Theo whispered, his eyes roaming over his sister. Gods, his sister! She looked nervous, unsure of, well him, he supposed, her hands fidgeting by her sides.
"So did you," she replied softly.
"I'm not sure why you believed I wouldn't," he replied. "I've missed you my whole life." Hermione bit her lip, looking close to tears. "Why here?" he asked, hoping to divert her away from crying, the empty corridor confusing him.
"Oh," she replied softly before she paced back and forward in front of the wall. Theo opened his mouth to question what on Earth she was doing before his jaw dropped as a door appeared out of nowhere. Silently he followed her through it into a room that was overwhelmingly red.
"What the fuck is this?" he asked, spinning slightly.
"Ah, the Gryffindor common room…or well, a replica of it. We're in the Room of Requirement."
"The Room of….?"
"It turns into whatever you need it to." she explained, "Malfoy and his lackeys didn't tell you all?"
"Why would they?" Theo asked, frowning.
"They caught us here….with Umbridge."
"Ah. I see. No, they never mentioned it. Why is it a replica of your common room?"
"Because that's what I asked it for," she replied with a shrug.
"I…I don't think I understand," he said faintly, sinking down onto one of the admittedly comfortable sofas. They were….squashier than the ones in Slytherin. Warmer, fabric rather than leather. It was…nice if overly red.
"It gives you what you require if only you ask," she explained, sinking down next to him. "Other than food. Unfortunately. It can't overrule the exceptions to Gamp's law."
"Of course," he replied like his head wasn't spinning, shaking himself slightly he reached for her, pushing down the hurt as she tensed before relaxing. "How are you doing?"
"Alright, I think. I…it's quite a lot really, isn't it? How are you?"
Theo gave a strangled laugh, "I... I honestly don't know. I Gods, I don't know what to do with this. You've been gone for so fucking long and I finally get you back and I can't really do anything about it because it puts you in more danger."
Hermione hummed, her hand tightening involuntarily on his. "I don't know what to do about that." She admitted. "I want to get to know you but….Theo what if when it all finally happens we're on opposite sides?"
Theo shook his head fiercely, "No. We will never be on opposite slides. When it finally happens, when all this comes to a head, the only place I'll be is right fucking next to you."
"Your dad…."
"Your dad too." he commented lightly before he sighed, "Father is….complicated. He's….not exactly the most involved father, he was content to let the elves raise me. After Mother and you…well, I think he was broken. But Hermione you have to understand…I love him, he's my father but you….you're the other fucking half of my magic. When we fix whatever was cast on you….I can't, I just can't. I can't lose you again. Father made his choices and he'll need to live with them but there will never ever be a scenario where we're on opposite sides."
"Even if you're on the opposite side to him?"
"Even then," he confirmed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder, grateful that she let him as he desperately tried not to wonder how it would feel to face his father on the opposite side of the battlefield, praying to whatever God might be listening that it never came to that.
"Miss Granger. If I could have a word."
Hermione could feel Harry and Ron staring at her as she got up from the table and followed Professor Snape out of the Great Hall, murmurs of speculation following them along with the eyes of four boys.
They walked in silence towards his rooms, Hermione attempting to prevent herself from speculating wildly as they went. "Sit," he commanded once they entered.
Hermione rolled her eyes, "Do I get a treat if I do?" She asked drily.
Severus glared at her before he gave it up as a bad job, bloody infuriating little chit he couldn't be cross at. "Fine. Please sit down?" Hermione hummed, complying gingerly as her eyes followed him like she was preparing for an attack. "Relax, my girl," he murmured softly. The look she gave him implied that he wasn't as comforting as he would like to be.
"What's going on…Professor? What am I meant to call you now?"
"You could try Uncle," he suggested softly. She looked momentarily stunned before she nodded slowly still looking confused.
"Alright….Uncle Severus?'' The face she pulled made him want to laugh and cry at the same time. "That might take some getting used to. Now, what is going on?"
"Thoros gave permission for an associate of mine to run a diagnostic. He will be here momentarily. Should you need treatment that he doesn't have time for tonight, how likely is it that your parents will give permission for me to take you to the Ministry?"
"Oh um…I don't know. We're going to France for a fortnight but after that Professor Dumbledore suggested I move into Headquarters because it'll be safer….not that he explained why it's safer to remove me from my parents…..Or why he's not willing to do anything to protect them." she wrinkled her nose as she looked up at him for answers.
"I cannot answer that beyond telling you that you know Headquarters is safer for you…you are Harry Potter's best friend. There is a target on your back for that alone. The fact that you consistently beat the children of Purebloods while being considered a muggleborn, well…they don't exactly like that."
Hermione hummed, "Right but it leaves my parents vulnerable."
"Yes, it does," he replied truthfully. "I spoke with Thoros, he's looking into options. Did the Headmaster mention them at all?"
Hermione shook her head, "No, he sort of….brushed off my concerns when I asked?"
Severus blanched, that wasn't fucking good, what was the old man planning? Reading his face Hermione tensed. "Why wouldn't he care, Uncle?" she asked, her voice hard as she attempted to keep a rein on the fury coursing through her.
"I don't know," Severus admitted softly.
"Can you find out?"
"Yes." he sighed, "Or I can find out as much as he's willing to tell me. We need to work on your occlumency over the summer, my girl. You're far too easy to read. I meant it when I said it won't be like it was with Potter."
"I'm still not sure I understand why."
"Because the Headmaster knew that was likely to fail due to our...contemptuous relationship and the fact the boy is connected in some way to the Dark Lord. The connection makes it more difficult to occlude and he was never going to try particularly hard given that he hates me. It was a ridiculous idea from the start, he would have been better smuggling the mu….his godfather in and allowing him to do it."
"So why push for it?" she asked, deliberately ignoring whatever slur he had almost used for Sirius.
"Hermione." he sighed, "Surely you've realised that some of the Headmasters' decisions are…unexpected and inexplicable."
She nodded slowly, thinking back on the many adventures they'd gotten away with that they shouldn't have. "Fine. How are we explaining it?"
Severus sighed, "I might have to suggest to Albus that if you learned, Potter might be more likely to listen to you. He'll demand it and everyone else will fall in line."
Hermione laughed slightly, "I see. Uncle Severus?"
"Yes?"
"How do I see Theo over the summer?"
Severus grimaced. "I don't know," he replied finally. "I…perhaps you could help me brew, the gods know I could actually do with the assistance. It would give us some leeway in terms of where you could go. I can convince the Dark Lord it's unwelcome and forced so he won't question it. Draco and Lucius have complained about you enough for him to know your academic reputation. It wouldn't be a surprise for Albus to demand something like that, you three have gotten away with bloody murder over the years."
Hermione felt a flush rising up her cheeks. "And how are you getting around Professor Dumbledore?"
Severus grinned, "Easily. I'm going to complain until he throws you at me to shut me up." Startled both by his words and the fact that he apparently could smile, Hermione laughed. "Now, Professor Croaker is going to be here shortly. He is…well perhaps you'd be best just meeting him."
Hermione's anxiety immediately spiked as she wondered what the man was like and why Professor Snape appeared reluctant to describe him. She jumped when the floo activated, immediately feeling the Professor wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Breathe, my girl. He's odd but he doesn't bite," he murmured. It was surprisingly comforting if she allowed her brain to forget that this was Professor Snape. The Professor who hated her….hated everyone.
"Severus!" A bouncy little man in his late sixties beamed at him. Hermione blinked. This was not what she had been expecting at all.
"Saul." Severus intoned. "This is…Miss Granger."
The man looked at her over shrewdly. "Perhaps now." he allowed, softly. "You forget, Asteria Nott was one of mine. That girl's her spitting image."
Hermione stilled. "One of your what?" she voiced without meaning to.
Saul Croaker's grin grew wide. "Oh my dear girl, has Severus not told you? I'm an Unspeakable dearie. Head Unspeakable if you want to be specific. Your mother was apprenticing under us before your birth. Remarkable witch really. Incredibly intelligent. Particularly interested in time."
"Oh" she replied faintly.
Saul looked her over. "Granger…Miss Granger….Oh! I know where I've heard your name. You inherited your mother's intelligence if the stories are to be believed. Tell me…how do you feel about apprenticeships?"
"Saul." Severus cut in warningly.
"What? Min sings the girls praises and we both know that a little bit of daring only assists in a job like mine. Based on Min's stories and your rants she has it in spades. In fact, didn't you recently break into my department, Miss Granger?
"She's only just sixteen. No. And that bloody break-in is what started all this, as well you know."
Saul snorted, "I wasn't aware she was your responsibility, Severus. In fact, as things stand, she's Albus, no?"
"No," he growled.
"Oh?"
"Fuck off Croaker. You're here to check for magical bindings, not entice her into your questionable robes and a lifetime of fucking secrets!"
"Oh, but what wonderful secrets they are, dearie!" Saul grinned at Hermione, who despite everything, herself felt herself smiling back. "The library alone is worth the secrets we keep."
Severus groaned as he watched the girl's eyes light up at the word library. "For fucks sake. I said no, Croaker. Come back once she's sat her bloody NEWTS, not before."
Saul pouted before he grinned, "I'll arrange for you to come have a visit during the summer, I'm sure we can convince this overgrown bat to accompany you." Hermione hid a giggle behind her hand, noting the murderous expression on her Professor….her Uncles? face.
"Hold on, what do you mean only just sixteen? I'll be seventeen in September."
Severus looked at her and arched an eyebrow. "Did you not notice your changed date of birth on the heritage parchment?" She frowned, attempting to remember. If she was honest, all she could see was her birth name. Slowly she shook her head. "You were born on the twenty-third of May 1980. I have no idea why they made your birthday the year before your adoption, you would only have been four months old." He paused, "Perhaps there was a magical reason."
"Oh," she said softly, an unreadable expression on her face.
Saul looked between them both before speaking, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen. "Now, with your permission, dearie, I'd like to run some diagnostics?" at her nod he lifted his wand. "Severus, you have to let her go or your readings will confuse things."
Reluctantly Severus moved to stand next to Saul whose wand was moving in unfamiliar patterns, a chart filled with readings he didn't understand appearing next to Hermione. Saul froze before performing a series of spells again.
"Fuck." he muttered.
"What?"
"Well….well there's definitely a block. And a binding on some of her core. There's also a subtle…notice me not?" he frowned, "A version of one anyway."
"Which explains why none of us questioned her appearance," Severus whispered.
"Precisely. It's…weakened, almost."
"Which explains why Thoros wondered about her." Severus sighed in understanding.
"Indeed. The reveal will need to be controlled, I think. People are going to start asking questions as it weakens to the point of breaking. And it will. Relatively soon I imagine."
Severus nodded his mind spinning as he wondered how the fuck they were going to handle that.
"So we tell some people," Hermione replied softly.
"What?"
"I need to tell Harry, I won't have him learn it from anyone but me."
"His connection to the Dark Lord…."
"Is irrelevant. He already wants me because I'm a mudblood and linked to Harry, it won't make the blindest bit of difference if I'm a Blood Traitor instead."
"She's not wrong," Saul murmured.
"We'll discuss this later," Severus replied with a pointed look at Hermione. "Can you tell who cast the bindings?"
Saul nodded, "It's a signature….or signatures we have on record."
"Well?"
"Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Rabastian Lestrange. Antonin Dolohov and Corban Yaxley."
"Fuck." Severus hissed. "Corban? His wife was supposed to be her godmother!"
Saul hummed. "Apparently he wasn't fond of that plan then," he replied lightly. "Now. I think we need her twin. The backlash of removing the binding on her core isn't going to be pretty, we need to release the block on their bond before the binding, it should make it easier."
"How much of a risk to them both is this?"
"It's more unpleasant than dangerous to the individual. And a slight risk to the others in the room." Saul replied.
Severus nodded, "We do not need to do this my girl." he said softly.
Despite her anxiety, Hermione shook her head. "Yes, we do. But I won't risk Theo. Promise me there's no risk to him."
Saul looked her directly in the eye, "None. I can't promise it won't hurt but it's more likely to hurt you than him. He's just there to absorb some of the excess."
She nodded, making Severus sigh, "I'll go and get him. For fucks sake don't blow anything up while I'm gone." Saul's grin was not reassuring.
Pulling a confused Theo from his common room, Severus walked briskly back, genuinely concerned about what Saul could talk Hermione into while he was away.
"Uncle Sev? What's going on?"
"Not here."
Theo's eyes grew wide but he nodded. "Ok.
Hermione was on the sofa next to Saul when they arrived back, engrossed in a conversation with tiny models of what looked like runes surrounding them. Severus wasn't sure he wanted to know what they had been discussing. Saul looked far too happy and that was never a good sign.
"Hermione!"
She jumped at the sound of Theo's voice but her eyes immediately found her twin as she smiled at him, allowing him to pull her into a tight hug.
"Ah good, we're all here now. Now I suggest you lie down for the next part."
"Next part of what?" Theo asked, with an apprehensive expression, his hand tight on his sister's.
Saul rolled his eyes, "Are you incapable of passing on information, Severus?"
"I thought it wise not to discuss in a corridor that undoubtedly has ears."
"Fair point." Saul nodded. "Right then, we need you here to absorb some of the backlash when we remove the binding on your sister's magic."
"But…how? I can't feel her."
"You will in a moment." Saul soothed. "Now, where can they lie down?"
Severus directed them through to his bedroom, watching as the twins cautiously settled themself on his bed, their hands interlinked.
"Wonderful." Saul beamed. "Now I'll begin by releasing the block on your bond. It might take a while so don't panic."
An hour later both Hermione and Theo took in a large gasping breath and Saul dropped his wand, after conjuring a chair and sinking into it.
"I can feel you," Hermione said with a tinge of awe before Theo threw himself at her sobbing.
"Circe, that was…well let's say they never intended that to be broken." Saul groaned. "If I could trouble you for a pepper up? And I think I might need your help for the next bit."
Severus' eyes went wide before he nodded, heading out in search of the potion rather than summoning it to give himself time to process. None of it made any sense. A niggly little feeling told him they were missing something. And that that missing piece was important.
He returned, handing the potion to Saul. "How are you feeling?" he ventured, noting that the twins were still huddled in the centre of his bed, Theo's head buried in his sister's neck as he clutched her tightly.
"Overwhelmed." Hermione admitted softly, "I can…feel what he's feeling and it's loud."
"You aren't any quieter." Theo scoffed. "I imagine we'll get used to it but…I'd like to practise mind speak next year."
"Mind speak?"
"It's common for twins to be able to speak telepathically, it's why the Patil twins didn't complain when they were separated into different Houses, they can still contact each other as often as they need to. It should develop naturally but because our bond was blocked, I think we'll need to practise."
Hermione nodded slowly, "Alright."
"Fascinating." Saul murmured, "however I think it best if we get this next bit over with before the pepper up loses its effect. Lie back down, I cannot promise this will not hurt, if the binding is as thorough as the bond block, I imagine it will be painful. Mr Nott, I need you to stay calm, am I clear?" Theo nodded warily, not looking at all convinced. "I am serious Mr Nott, I will bind you if I have to, it is imperative that whatever happens, you do not interrupt. It will be beyond dangerous if you do."
"Ok" Theo agreed shakily.
"Good, Severus, I may need you to feed through your magic." Startled Severus nodded. "Very well, let us begin."
The screaming started almost instantly, Hermione's back bowing off the bed in a manner all too reminiscent of the cruciatus curse. Beside her, Theo startled violently, his hand bone breakingly tight on hers as he fought to follow Saul's earlier instructions. It took all of Severus' strength to fight his own instincts to stop this torture. Beside him, even Saul had paled. Twenty minutes in, Saul asked shakily for him to help, feeding his magic through to Saul he prayed to whatever deity was listening that this fucking stopped soon. Hermione was sobbing in between her screams, her hands reflexively clenching and unclenching. As the timer neared half an hour, she finally went silent as she drifted off into unconsciousness, her muscles still contracting rhythmically even as the screaming stopped. If anything it scared Severus more.
An hour later, Saul all but collapsed onto the floor at the side of the bed, Severus only just managing to stagger around it to reach a sobbing Theo.
"That was…fucking hell I've never seen one that fucking vicious." Saul wheezed.
"I'm going to fucking murder the lot of them." Severus snarled, hugging Theo as tightly as his exhausted body would allow.
"What were they trying to achieve?" Theo asked shakily.
"I do not know. They bound some of her magical power, but not all of it, which makes little sense. I cannot comprehend why they would only partially bind her magic, especially given how fucking tightly it was bound."
"Will she be alright?" Theo whispered looking at the still form of his twin.
"Yes. It wasn't pleasant and I imagine she'll be sore for a few days as well as potentially volatile until she learns how to control the new surge but she'll be fine. She's made of strong stuff your sister."
Theo nodded, not looking entirely convinced.
"I will walk you back to your common room." Severus said gently, once he'd caught his breath, determined to see the boy back before he collapsed with exhaustion, "She will not wake until morning, and we do not need people asking questions. As it is, I imagine I will need to speak with Minerva to keep Albus from becoming suspicious."
"No! Please, why can't I stay here!" Theo begged, his eyes slightly wild.
"You can come back first thing." Severus soothed.
"I want to stay, Uncle, please!"
"Not tonight. Too many people saw me come for you and all it takes is for Albus to hear something he shouldn't before he starts poking his nose in. Please, my boy, go back to your dorm tonight, it'll help keep her safe."
Theo looked torn, desperately wanting to argue but not sure he could refuse given the way his Uncle had phrased it. "Fine. I'll be back first thing though."
"I wouldn't expect anything else."
"Theo? You look like shit mate." Theo startled at the sight of Draco sitting alone in the common room having not expected to see anyone this late. "Everything alright?"
Theo sank down onto the sofa wondering what was safe to say. "How is your occlumency?" he said finally.
Draco frowned. "You know Severus taught me."
Theo hummed, "But how well?"
"I have that madman living in my house Theo," Draco whispered, his mask slipping slightly as he showed how he truly felt about that. "And I'm still alive."
Theo hummed, wondering if it was fair to burden his friend with this because he was right, that fucking madman was living in his house and it was nearly summer; he would have no way to escape. But they'd been friends for years. Best friends. In the House of beneficial alliances and coded speech, Draco was one of only a handful of people he truly trusted.
"Florence is alive," he said softly.
Draco froze, shock taking over his features as he slowly turned to look at Theo properly, "What?"
"Florence…she's alive."
"How?"
"We don't know. We've only just found out, I imagine Father and Uncle Sev will be looking into it. They…the people who took her, they partially bound her magic and they blocked our bond. An Unspeakable released both tonight. God's Draco…the way she screamed. It was like someone was crucioing her."
Draco paled further, "They made her a squib?"
"No. Her magic was only partially bound, not completely, which makes no fucking sense."
"So…so she's been here? All along?"
"Yes."
"Who is she?"
"I….fuck, Draco. Hermione. She's fucking Hermione Granger."
For the second time that night Draco's jaw dropped, his face taking on a look of horror as he remembered every horrible thing he had said to his best friend's twin. Fuck. He had told her he hoped she died. She was never going to forgive him. And wasn't that just fucking perfect. He had targeted her because it was the only interaction with her he was allowed to have and he had craved that interaction. He hadn't understood it at first but as he got older, after he watched her with that fucking flying arsehole Krum at the Yule Ball, he had been forced to admit that he wanted her. He wanted her so fucking much that within the safety of Hogwarts walls, he fantasied of denouncing it all, switching sides, convincing her that he wasn't the arse she thought he was. Of course, he didn't, his parents would be at risk if the Dark Lord caught even a whisper of his inner thoughts. And now…now she was acceptable and there was no way she'd ever fucking look at him because she'd assume he was only speaking to her because she was no longer a mudblood. Fuck.
"Well fuck" he whispered.
"Yeah," Theo said softly. "It gets better. No one is allowed to know."
"Why the fuck not?"
"Because she won't give up Potter, she's said as much. The Dark Lord would murder her for it and Uncle Sev is worried Dumbledore would try to use her. So we have to pretend she's not actually my twin and I have no fucking idea how I'm going to do that."
Draco stared at him in horror. "There has to be another option!"
Theo snorted, "Do let me know if you find one mate. I'm going to bed. Hopefully, the morning will come quickly and my sister wont be fucking unconscious because pain drove her there."
Draco flinched but nodded. "Night mate."
In the darkness of the common room he began to plan, desperately hoping he could come up with something else. He had to. She was going to fucking get herself killed otherwise.
"Minerva I need a word."
"Severus?" Minerva peered around the door, surprised to see him standing there. "Good Godric, it's late, could it not have waited?"
"No. May I come in?"
Minerva sighed, recoiling slightly as she opened the door properly and ushered him into a seat, allowing her to look at him properly. "Is everything alright, my boy?"
"No," he whispered, unable to get the sound of Hermione's screams out of his head.
"Severus! You're scaring me." Minerva sat down abruptly beside him, as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders he realised he was crying and he couldn't stop. He was vaguely aware of Minerva murmuring soothing nonsense, knowing he'd be mortified once he was calmer but for just now he couldn't contain it. He had been forced to listen to his girl scream for what felt like days. It made him furious, he wanted to tear them all apart, slowly, but worse than that, it hurt. He had made that happen. He was the one to bring Saul in. And he had hurt her, regardless of the reasons behind it, he had barely had her back five minutes and he was already causing her pain.
"Hush now my boy. Tell me what's going on."
"This cannot leave this room, Min," he replied finally getting himself under control
"Alright," Minerva replied slowly, her eyes searching his face for a clue.
"I mean it. No one can know. Not Albus, not Poppy, no one."
"You have my word, Severus," she said softly.
"Florence Nott is alive."
"Florence Nott….Theodore Nott's twin?"
"Yes."
"Oh, my boy! Where was she?"
"Here," he said softly. "She's been here. All along. They…partially bound her magic. Blocked her bond with Theo….Saul was here…is here. We had to break the bindings. Gods Min, she screamed until she passed out. It went on for fucking hours."
"Oh Severus," she murmured, her face pale as she recalled his fondness for Asteria and his devastation at her death. They had had to fight so hard to put him back together. In their darker moments, Poppy had queried the merit of it given how hard he fought them. In the end, it had only been their combined stubbornness and the tiny form of Theodore Nott that had forced him back into the land of the living "It had to be done."
"Did it?" he asked "did it really? You didn't hear her Minerva….I can't get the screams out of my head."
Minerva swallowed harshly, "You know it did. The loss of a twin bond is an awful thing and to have your magic bound….its barbaric Severus. You said she was here?"
"Yes."
"Who?" she demanded.
"Hermione Granger."
Minerva gaped at him. "You're sure?"
"The notice me not is wearing off…..do you remember what Asteria looked like? Just add Thoros' hair."
"Sweet Mother of Merlin." Minerva paled further, seeing the eager face of a young Asteria Fawley in her mind. "This is going to change things isn't it?"
"Yes. I don't know how yet but yes. Thoros will do just about anything to have her back. As will Lucius."
"Lucius Malfoy knows?"
"Yes. I know Albus does not believe me, but this was never what they signed up for, neither of them are happy with the turn our side took but they have nowhere to go. Albus refuses to trust them, and even if he did, he apparently doesn't need any more spies."
"I see," Minerva murmured, her mind already whirling with possibilities for what she could do with that information. If Lucius Malfoy and Thoros Nott were unhappy, what's to say there wasn't more? There would need to be stringent safety measures, for everyone's sake, but...Gods how could she ignore those who were stuck? Didn't everyone deserve another option? The implications were huge. "Where is the lass now?"
"In my rooms, she's not conscious and she'll need to be checked over in the morning, she cannot leave. I need you to keep Albus from noticing."
"I'll do my best." Minerva sighed. "Do they know what happened?"
"No. We're working on it."
"And Miss Granger….how is she?"
"Conflicted. I do not imagine any of this is going to be easy."
"No my boy, I don't imagine it will be." Minerva sighed. "Leave Albus to me. Go look after your girl."
"Thank you," he replied softly, as he stood, sweeping out of the room.