16th May 1998
The following evening, Hermione made her way up the cobblestone road to Severus' house. The air was thick with humidity, and the horrid odor of the polluted river not far from the road. She scrunched up her nose reflexively at the smell, and hurried to the small house on Spinner's End.
Her heart hammered against her rib cage as she climbed the three small steps to Severus' door. So much hung on the conversation they were about to have. Either he still wanted her, or he didn't. It sounded simple when it was put that way, but simple it was not. She so badly wanted him to still love her. But, even she had to admit, after all the time that had passed, it was improbable.
Hermione took a deep breath, and knocked at his door. It was nearly seven, and she didn't want to risk being late, dawdling on his doorstep.
He answered the door almost at once. Hermione couldn't help it, and smiled automatically when she saw him standing in the doorway, and said a quiet hello. He inclined his head, and stood aside to let her enter.
She stepped into a dimly lit hallway, with a staircase leading upstairs to her immediate right. Down the hall in front of her, was a door that looked as if it led into a kitchen. The air had that stagnant, musty smell of a home that had been abandoned for quite some time.
It was strange seeing an adult Severus not in his teaching robes. He wore a pair of black slacks, and a black button-up shirt, with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows. Although the jagged red scars, which were prominently on display above his collar, were shocking, he looked exceptionally handsome, she had to admit.
Without a word, Severus opened a door to their left, and ushered Hermione into his sitting room. He gestured towards a large black sofa, which sat in front of a small fireplace, the fire crackling away inside it. Even though Severus' walls were nearly completely lined with books, there was something else in that room that immediately took her attention away from them. Standing next to the sofa was a large grey stone basin that she recognized immediately.
"A Pensive?" she asked, turning around to face Severus.
He nodded.
"That is for later. Now," he paused, then gently nudged her to the sofa. "We speak."
Hermione gulped as she sat down. She folded her hands on her lap, to keep Severus from noticing them trembling. Yesterday he said she owed him an explanation, and she supposed she did. But, she did not even know where to begin.
Severus sat as far as he could from her on the sofa. He angled his body to look at her better. His eyes were intense as they burned into hers. She suppressed a shudder.
"I suppose," he began, speaking slowly. "I will start with the easiest question."
"Alright," said Hermione, her voice a bit shaky from nerves.
"How did you come to be at Hogwarts, my Sixth Year?" he asked.
Well, yes, that was an easy start.
"Dumbledore," she answered. "He set a spell that presented me with a special Time-Turner, and a note telling me to use it. There was also a letter from Dumbledore to his past self, explaining who I was, and vaguely why I was there."
Severus raised an eyebrow.
"And why were you there?"
Hermione promised herself earlier that day that she would be completely honest and transparent with Severus. There was no more need for secrecy or lies. Now the time had come to tell him everything she wished she could have while she was in the past.
"You," she said simply.
Both of Severus' eyebrows raised.
"Me?" he asked in a bewildered tone.
Hermione turned to face him better. He looked truly baffled.
"Yes," she said. "Once I was alone the morning Voldemort was killed, I was thinking out loud in the Headmaster's office. Seeing what I thought was your death, then learning of your past not long after, had affected me," she explained.
Severus did not speak. He waited for Hermione to continue, apparently not completely satisfied with her answer.
"I didn't think your death was fair," she continued. "You were murdered in cold blood for an object that was never yours. It was pointless, and wrong. I wished that there was some way that I could have prevented it, or helped. And when I had spoken that out loud, that was when the box with the Time-Turner appeared." She ended her sentence with a little shrug.
Severus seemed to be at a loss for words. He was still silent, giving her that look she remembered from when she first arrived in the past. He was looking at her like she was a difficult riddle he needed to solve.
"But why?" He finally spoke. "Out of everyone, why me?"
Hermione shook her head, with a small smile.
"You're not the first person who asked that. I really don't know why it was your death that affected me more than some others. I think it was mostly because, you never really had the chance to live your life."
Severus scowled.
"Explain that, please," he said.
Hermione sighed.
"Think about it, Severus. You joined Voldemort when you were still a teenager. Not long after, you switched sides and were Dumbledore's spy. You worked at a job that I'm pretty sure you hated, on both Dumbledore's and Voldemort's orders. You may have had several quiet years, but then Voldemort came back, and you were the spy all over again. Your entire adult life was spent serving two masters. Never really your own. And I suppose," she let out a shaky breath. "I wanted to give you the chance at a life of your own."
His eyes were beginning to thaw, she noticed. They still didn't look the same as they once did, but he definitely softened a hair towards her after that explanation. She waited patiently for him to speak again.
"I - erm," he faltered, then gave a minute shake of his head. "Right," he said a bit awkwardly.
The pair were silent again. Severus lifted his arm to tuck a piece of his hair behind his ear. Hermione caught sight of his Dark Mark for the first time, and a wave of sadness crashed over her. If she had stayed, would he have still had that mark, she wondered? But, then again, if she stayed, and Severus never had the opportunity to spy, would Voldemort have ever been defeated?
"Now," Severus said, interrupting her thoughts on his Mark. "I would like to ask you about," he cleared his throat, "our time together."
Hermione stiffened. This was going to be the hard part.
"What do you want to know?" she asked hesitantly.
"Was it real? Any of it?" he demanded.
How could he even ask that, she wondered? Yes the way they parted was horrible, but had he really believed that her feelings were not genuine all this time?
"Of course it was real, Severus!" she told him. "Obviously, there were things that I had to lie about, or tweak the truth a bit, but never that. I never lied about how I feel for you."
Severus' jaw twitched at her use of present tense.
"The night I left," she continued, "do you remember what I said to you?"
He nodded.
"Yes. You said, 'I do love you, Severus. I probably always will. I hope you remember that, if we ever see each other again.'"
Hermione was taken aback that he remembered her parting words so accurately, so many years later. It made her feel… hopeful.
"I wasn't lying," she whispered, and looked down at her hands.
"But why?" he repeated again that evening. "Why would you fall in love with me? Knowing who I was, and what I would become."
She let out a shaky laugh.
"You know what they say. Sometimes you can't help who you fall for."
Severus let out a quiet, "Hmpf."
"You were amazing, Severus," she went on. "Brilliant, and funny, and clever, and just… just the most amazing person I ever met," she told him honestly. "How could I not have fallen in love with you?"
Severus looked away from her and snorted.
"I am not that boy anymore," he said bitterly. "I am a much different man than I was."
Hermione inched a bit closer to him. She longed to reach over and touch him. To comfort him.
"You're still just as brilliant. Yes, life has hardened you, but you're still the same at your core."
He snorted again and shook his head.
Hermione didn't want to ask the next question. However, she had to. She had to know.
"Do you," she hesitated. "Do you still…?" she trailed off.
"Do I still, what?" he asked.
Hermione's palms were beginning to sweat. She wiped them off on her denims, and answered in a small voice.
"Love me?"
She held her breath waiting for him to respond. He opened and closed his mouth, like he was going to answer, then seemed to decide not to. When he didn't, she exhaled, and tried not to choke on the lump that was forming in her throat.
Without a word, Severus stood, and took a few steps towards the Pensive.
"I believe it's time to show you everything I went through after you left," he told her. "Then your question will be answered."
Hermione nodded once. Then stood and joined him at the Pensive.
"Alright," she agreed, albeit reluctantly.
This, she knew, was going to break her heart.
Hermione looked down at the swirling white liquid, and felt her heart pounding. She wasn't sure what Severus intended to show her, but she was sure it wasn't going to be pleasant. However, if he had lived through all that he was planning on showing her, the least she could have done was watch.
"Are you ready?" Severus asked her.
Hermione gave him a small smile.
"No," she answered truthfully. "But I do want to see."
Severus gestured towards the Pensive.
"Very well. Ladies first," he said.
Hermione took a deep steadying breath, then lowered her head into the bowl containing Severus' memories. When she did, she felt a pull at her navel, almost as if she were traveling by Portkey, then felt as if she were falling a great distance.
When she landed on her feet, and looked around, she found herself in the Entrance Hall at Hogwarts. It was nighttime, the corridors were nearly deserted, except for a few stray students making their way back to their common rooms.
When her eyes landed on a boy who was standing several feet away to her left, she felt her heart constrict painfully. It was Severus.
He was watching someone, she noticed, as his eyes were focused on two figures standing further down the corridor. Hermione squinted to see who it was, and felt another stab of sadness when she saw it was Amelia and Remus.
Hermione couldn't hear what they were saying, and she supposed that was because Severus did not hear them at the time. But Hermione could tell Amelia was upset. She wiped at her cheek before Remus had put his arms around her, and bent down to kiss the crown of her head. Hermione wished she could have gone to comfort her friend. She didn't like seeing Amelia so upset.
"I know this will not be easy for you to watch," Severus said suddenly from beside her.
Hermione jumped, and placed her hand over her heart.
"Merlin's beard, Severus! You scared me half to death!"
He looked as if he was fighting a smile.
"And don't worry about me," she said, watching his younger self still looking towards Amelia and Remus. "I'll be alright."
Suddenly, the younger Severus started to walk down the corridor. Hermione saw that Amelia was now alone.
"Bones!" Severus called out.
Amelia spun around, and hastily wiped a tear from her cheek.
"Oh," she said in a deflated voice. "Snape. What's up?"
Severus jogged the last few steps, until he was standing with Amelia. She looked up at him with unmistakable pity in her eyes.
"Where is she?" Severus demanded, his voice was almost manic. "I need to talk to her. I - I don't want her to leave angry with me. I'm so stupid!" he shouted.
Amelia frowned then looked down at the ground.
"She's already gone," Amelia whispered, then wiped her face again. "She left nearly an hour ago."
Severus' pale face lost even more color.
"No!" he cried. "No, she can't - I said…" Severus trailed off.
"I'm so sorry, Snape," Amelia said, sounding as if she sincerely meant it. "Maybe write her?" she suggested.
Severus' shoulders slumped in defeat. He exhaled loudly as he turned away from Amelia.
"Yeah," he said in a voice devoid of all emotion. "Maybe I'll try that."
The scene changed. They were in a dark stone room, lit only by the faint glow of a large fireplace at the far end. There was an armchair facing the fire, but she could not see who occupied it. All she could see was the person's arm, as their long pale fingers twirled a wand absentmindedly. She had an idea of who that wand belonged to
Although Hermione knew she could not have been harmed inside of a memory, her heart began beating wildly in her chest. Instinctively she reached in her pocket, and grasped her own wand firmly. She almost screamed when she felt Severus' hand squeeze her shoulder reassuringly.
"He can't hurt you here," Severus whispered.
"I - I know," Hermione whispered back.
As she surveyed the empty room around her, she noticed the young Severus approaching the chair.
"My lord," said Severus, as he bowed to Voldemort.
"Ah, Severus," said Voldemort, his voice high and cold. "Have you made your decision?"
There was an odd threat in the tone of Voldemort's question. It was clear that if Severus' decision was not to Voldemort's liking, Severus would not have walked out of that room.
"I have, my lord," Severus said, his voice hoarse with nerves.
"And?" Voldemort asked with a hint of impatience.
Severus hesitated for just a moment, but it was long enough for Voldemort to notice.
"Severus, either tell me your decision, or die where you stand," Voldemort snapped.
"Yes, my lord. My decision is yes, I will join you. It would be the highest honor," Severus said quickly.
Voldemort let out a mirthless laugh.
"'Highest honor,'" he repeated. "Not because you are hoping that Lord Voldemort will find your lost love." He spat the last word as if it were the foulest curse known to Wizardkind.
Severus recoiled slightly, as Voldemort stopped twirling his wand. It seemed as if he was expecting to be cursed.
Voldemort laughed again.
"Relax, Severus. I am not turning my wand on you…" he paused.
Severus' shoulders relaxed a hair.
"Yet," Voldemort finished. "The girl is Dumbledore's niece?" He asked.
"Yes, my lord," said Severus, his voice barely heard over the crackling fire.
"Hmm. A member of Dumbledore's family joining our ranks would be a devastating blow to the old fool, don't you agree?"
Severus swallowed, then nodded.
"Y-Yes, my lord."
"She will join us when I find her, correct, Severus?" Voldemort asked calmly, but you could hear the dangerous undercurrent in his tone.
"Of course, my lord," Severus said at once.
Hermione looked up at Severus with narrowed eyes, and he shook his head.
"That was the first time I got away with lying to him," he said.
Hermione turned her attention back to the scene in front of her.
"You better hope you are correct. For your sake," Voldemort hissed.
The scene changed again. It was the memory she had learned from Harry, when Severus appeared on the hillside, to tell Dumbledore that Voldemort was after the Potters.
Seeing the obvious care Severus still had for Lily was admittedly a painful thing for Hermione to witness. However, regardless if he still had love for her or not, they were once childhood friends. Best friends. She supposed he would have always cared for her in some capacity.
Hermione was expecting the scene to end, but it didn't. There was more that Harry was apparently not given.
"Hermione!" Severus shouted over the wind. "I need to know what happened to her."
Dumbledore's face seemed to soften a fraction.
"She cared for you, Severus. Do you believe she would want you to find her, knowing what you have done these last few years?"
Severus flinched.
"DON'T!" he bellowed. "She left! Every owl I had written returned back to me unopened! None of her old friends have heard a word from her. It's as if she doesn't exist! What was I supposed to do?"
Dumbledore shook his head.
"Severus, did you truly believe going to Lord Voldemort to find her was the only option?" Dumbledore asked.
"He has his ways of finding people, unlike anyone else," Severus said through his teeth.
Severus looked quite mad at that moment. He paced back and forth, and ran both hands through his black hair.
"I thought after we finished school, she would have come home. I thought - I thought he could find her. I didn't know what else to do!"
Dumbledore exhaled.
"You could have come to me, Severus," Dumbledore said tiredly.
Severus let out a laugh.
"Right! You didn't approve of me with her. I saw the way you'd watch us," Severus said with a sneer.
"You are correct," Dumbledore admitted. "I did not approve. But not for the reasons I am sure you believe."
Severus let out what sounded like a growl.
"Enough!" Severus roared. "Just tell me what happened to her!" Severus demanded. "Please."
His voice completely changed when he said please. He sounded like a broken child.
Dumbledore didn't say anything for several seconds, then sighed.
"Help me protect the Potters, and I will tell you, when the time is right," said Dumbledore.
Severus glared at Dumbledore.
"I know you may not want to hear it, Severus, but Hermione was fond of James. Not in that way!" Dumbledore clarified, as Severus opened his mouth to say something. "It is what she would have wanted," Dumbledore told him.
Severus, who was still staring murderously at Dumbledore, hung his head.
"Fine," Severus begrudgingly agreed.
The scene began to change. Hermione and Severus found themselves standing near the stone Gargoyle which led to Dumbledore's office. The younger version of Severus appeared to be an inch or two taller. His shoulders were filled out a bit more, and his hair had grown just past his shoulders. There was a shadow of stubble on his chin. It was clear some time had passed.
"You ruddy piece of rubble! Let me up!" Severus shouted at the stone Gargoyle.
"No password, no entry. Now leave, boy!" the Gargoyle hissed at Severus.
Something like a growl came from deep in Severus' chest, as he took out his wand and pointed it at the Gargoyle.
"Give me one reason why I shouldn't blast your ugly little head right off!" Severus snarled.
"Because, Severus," said a soft voice from behind them. "the time it would take to find another sentient stone guardian for my office would be more than I could afford at the moment."
Professor Dumbledore smiled at Severus like an indulgent uncle, as Severus scowled at the Headmaster.
"Now if you are quite finished, please join me in my office," said Dumbledore, as he eyed Severus' wand.
Severus sighed and put his wand away, then followed Dumbledore up the spiral staircase to his office.
When both men were seated, Dumbledore at his desk, and Severus at one of the armchairs Hermione had occupied many times during her time in the past, Dumbledore steepled his fingers together in front of him.
"To what do I owe the pleasure, Severus?" Dumbledore asked politely.
"It's been four years since Hermione left, Dumbledore, and there still hasn't been a trace of her!" Severus said. "Bones hasn't heard from her, neither has her brother. Bagman, Podmore, or even," his lip curled, "Lupin."
Dumbledore did not say anything, but waited several moments for Severus to go on.
"Where is she? You told me - you promised me that you would tell me, so long as I helped protect the Potters!"
Professor Dumbledore pinched the bridge of his nose. He had the look of a man who had had this same argument many times.
"Severus," Dumbledore began, sounding exasperated. "I told you that I would explain when the time is right."
"She's been gone four years!" Severus shouted. "When? When will the time be right?"
"Severus, as I've told you before, you will know. I give you my word," said Dumbledore.
Severus swore under his breath, and immediately rose from his seat. With one last parting glare at Dumbledore, he stalked out of his office, and slammed the door behind him.
The scene changed again. It was another memory that Harry had shared. One that she was seeing through different eyes. The eyes of someone who had once been a friend of James Potter, and even though at times they bumped heads, somewhat of an acquaintance of Lily's.
Young Severus' anguish was palpable, even through a memory. Without even realizing what she was doing, she reached for Severus' hand next to her, and gave it a gentle squeeze.
The scene changed again. Severus now looked quite similar to the one standing next to her. Many years had passed.
Severus slammed the door open to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore did not so much as look up from his desk, yet Hermione spotted the smile Dumbledore was attempting to hide.
"It's her daughter, isn't it Albus?" Severus asked, without so much as a hello.
"Good evening to you as well, Severus," Dumbledore said lightly.
Severus paced and ran his hands through his hair, much the same as he did in one of the previous memories.
"It isn't bad enough that Potter arrived this year, but now Hermione Granger? She's the spitting image of her! Besides that bushy hair and her teeth. It has to be her daughter!"
He continued his pacing, his breathing sped up. Yet Dumbledore sat quietly and waited for him to go on.
"Is the time right now, Albus?" he hissed. "After she has clearly moved on, and married this - this Granger," he spat.
Dumbledore gestured towards the armchairs in front of his desk.
"Sit, Severus," he ordered.
Severus stopped his pacing and turned to look at the old man. His face was beyond reason.
Dumbledore stared politely back at him.
"Sit," he said again.
Severus let out a defeated sigh, and took a seat in the chair.
"It is not her daughter," Dumbledore told him. "But, I am afraid it is still not the right time."
Severus pounded the arms of the chair with his fists. His cheeks reddened with anger.
"It has been fourteen years, Albus! I have done all that you've asked of me, and more! I want answers!" he shouted.
There was true pity in Dumbledore's eyes.
"Severus, you will know when it is time," Dumbledore said, with a hint of finality in his tone.
The scene changed again. This time they were in the Astronomy Tower. It seemed to have been very late. The sky was turning that shade of grey that arrived with pre-dawn.
Severus stood in the wind, looking down onto the grounds. When he turned around at the sound of footsteps behind him, it was clear he hadn't slept. The dark bags under his eyes were extremely noticeable against his pale skin.
"Something on your mind, Severus?" asked Dumbledore when he came into view.
"Minerva informed me about Miss Granger having special permission to use a Time-Turner this year," said Severus in a hushed tone.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and a smile touched his lips.
"That is true," he said.
Severus nodded, and looked as though Dumbledore confirmed his worst nightmare.
"It's her, isn't it, Albus? Granger. She used a Time-Turner, didn't she? Obviously not this year, she is still much younger than she was when we first met. But… it's her."
Dumbledore sighed.
"Now," Dumbledore said. "Now is the right time, Severus."
The scene changed again, and Severus and Dumbledore were now sitting in Dumbledore's office. Severus was bent over, his head rested in both of his hands.
"Why?" Severus hissed, still holding his head in his hands. "Why would you do this?"
Professor Dumbledore looked at Severus in almost a fatherly way.
"I am still unclear as to why, but I am positive it will be necessary, Severus."
Severus jerked his head up. His eyes were narrowed.
"Necessary?" he repeated in a dangerous whisper. "She's a STUDENT, Albus! My student! She's a child!" He roared.
"Ah, but she wasn't your student, nor a child at the time," Dumbledore said calmly.
Severus let out an anguished growl.
"That doesn't matter!" he shouted. "She is my student now! How am I supposed - how do I…" he trailed off, seeming at a loss for words.
The pain in his eyes shone more clearly than his anger. His hands trembled.
"Severus, I know this was not easy to hear," said Dumbledore.
Severus snorted.
"To put it mildly," Severus said sardonically.
"However," Dumbledore went on, acting as if he had not heard him, "if there was anyone who could go on acting as if he did not know, it's you."
Severus rolled his eyes then rose from his seat.
"Yes. Secrets, lies, spying and deceit. That was all I was ever good for, wasn't it, Albus?" Severus asked cooly, before walking away and out of Dumbledore's office.
Once more the scene shifted. Severus was in his office, grading papers. The crackle from his fireplace and the scratching of his quill were the only sounds to be heard.
"Severus," a familiar voice called from the fireplace. "May I have a word?"
Severus put down his quill and let out an exasperated sigh.
"What is it, Lupin? I'm rather busy," said Severus in a tired voice.
"I'll only be a moment," Remus said, before he appeared through green flames.
Remus walked out of the fireplace, and slapped the soot off his tattered teacher robes. He fixed a pleasant smile on his face as he walked towards Severus.
"Well?" Severus asked.
Remus cleared his throat, and looked around at the many glass jars, filled with insects and animal parts, that lined the walls of Severus' office.
"I am aware this may be a… sensitive topic, so I do apologize for bringing it up, but I must know," Remus began.
Severus' eyes darkened as he gazed up at Remus.
"I've - I've noticed a lot of similarities between Hermione Granger, and Hermione Devereux," said Remus cautiously. "Is she… related to her?"
There was something about the overly casual tone of Remus' voice that suggested he did not believe that Hermione Granger was related to Hermione Devereux, but that he knew exactly who she was.
Severus let out a loud huff through his nostrils.
"It seems you already know the answer to your question, Lupin," Severus said quietly. "How long have you known?"
A sheepish smile, one that made him look ten years younger, appeared on Remus' face.
"I suspected from the first time I saw her that she had something to do with Devereux. A relation, or something. But then, the more time I had spent with her in my class, it hit me just how similar the two of them were. Then," Remus went on, ignoring the daggers Severus was shooting at him. "I remembered this book I had caught Hermione with one time. It had to do with time travel. I scared the pants off of her when I caught her reading it. I also remembered that she has been given permission to use a Time-Turner this school year. It then clicked. She wasn't a relation of Hermione Devereux. She was Hermione Devereux."
"And you thought you would come to me with this revelation, because…?" Severus said with a sneer.
"Because if you didn't know, I felt that you more than anyone had the right to know," Remus said sincerely.
Severus gave an annoyed huff in response. Yet it didn't deter Remus.
"Are you - are you alright?" Remus asked, eyeing Severus carefully.
The look Severus gave Remus should have turned the werewolf to ice.
"Get out, Lupin," Severus hissed.
Remus gave Severus a sad smile then nodded.
"Of course, Severus," he said, and turned back to the fireplace. "Have a good night."
Her surroundings changed once more. She was in the hospital wing looking down at her own unconscious body.
"She's lucky she wasn't killed, Albus," said Seveus in a strained voice. "If Dolohov had been able to speak the curse aloud…" he trailed off, seemingly unable to finish.
"They are all lucky to have returned with no lasting damage," Dumbledore said quietly.
Severus ran his hand through his lank hair, and turned away from Hermione.
"What was Potter thinking?" he hissed. "Leading her," he coughed," them into such danger!"
Dumbledore did not respond, as Severus returned his gaze upon her.
Hermione's body was unmoving, and ghostly white in the hospital bed. If not for the slow rising and falling of her chest, it wouldn't have been hard to assume she was dead.
Severus shuddered as he watched her, then swiftly turned and walked out the Hospital Wing door, slamming it behind him as he went.
The scene shifted another time, and once again it was a memory Harry had shared with her before.
"For him?" Severus hissed.
As she watched Severus conjure his Patronus, she gasped. It was not the doe that she had expected. It was…
"An otter?" Hermione gasped. "But, but it was a doe," she said, looking up at Severus. "The memory you gave Harry. It was a doe."
Severus' lips curled up a hair.
"Memories can be tampered with, Hermione," he said.
It still didn't make sense. Harry had seen the doe when they were camping in the woods.
"But - but you sent the doe for Harry," she said. "He and Ron told me all about it."
Severus snorted.
"That was not a Patronus, Hermione. It was a simple Illuminating Charm that I had cast on an Imperiused doe. That made it appear to resemble a Patronus. I needed Potter to trust me."
"Severus," she gasped. "You shouldn't have put the Imperius Curse on an innocent animal!"
Severus rolled his eyes at her.
"You can lecture me later. There is still more to see."
The scene shifted one last time.
Severus was sitting at the ornate desk in the headmaster's office, looking more drawn and pale than Hermione had ever seen him, besides that night she saved his life. He stopped reading a piece of parchment that he held in his hands, and placed it down, before rubbing at his temples with closed eyes.
Suddenly, Severus grimaced in pain as his right hand reflectively cupped his left arm.
"Fuck!" Severus hissed. "Potter must be here, which means she must be with him."
Severus turned to Dumbledore's portrait.
"You must find him, Severus," said Dumbledore urgently. "If what you have told me is correct, and Lord Voldemort is now keeping Nagini under magical protection, the boy must know what has to be done."
Severus gave a curt nod as he rose from his seat. He began to make his way to the door when Dumbledore called out behind him.
"Miss Granger must not be told, Severus," he said sharply.
Severus nodded once again, with a scowl on his face.
"And," Dumbledore paused. "Good luck."
The scene faded, then Hermione felt Severus' hand close around her wrist.
"It's time to go," he said.
ooo
A/N - Hi all! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've had the pensive portion of this written out for literal years, and could not wait to finally post it. It's truly one of my favorite chapters of this story. We now only have one more chapter and an epilogue to go. Hard to believe after all this time that it's 2 weeks from being over. Thank you all, old and new, who have stuck with this story, and for all the love and kind words! I hope that you all have a great weekend, and a wonderful week ahead! Next chapter will be up next Saturday!