A/N: Who's idea was it to start a new story the week before Christmas week/end of the year? Utterly stupid. Anyway, hopefully, I can get caught up here and pre-load a few so I don't have to find time to get it sorted. I apologise for leaving you all hanging. I'll get it sorted.
-0-
The meeting was similar to the one she'd attended prior. This time, however, Minerva entered first and shielded Hermione from Molly as best she could but it didn't stop the woman from glaring. Hermione wondered absently if Minerva had already spoken to Arthur because he was sitting beside her looking troubled.
"Min! How are you, old bean?"
Sirius, in only the way Sirius could, stepped forward and picked Minerva McGonagall up and spun her around.
"Sirius Black you cad," Minerva not-quite squealed as he dropped her to her feet. "Unhand me."
"Come on Min, you love me, really."
"I don't know, Snuffles," Minerva said quietly. "It is a constant, daily battle."
Sirius' face paled as Hermione covered up her mouth to stop herself from laughing.
"Did you -"
"No," Hermione laughed. "No, I -"
Sirius chased after her, as she slipped out of the way while they both laughed at the absurdity.
"I've just evened the playing field a bit," Hermione grinned, as she made her way back to Minerva's side.
"You traitor."
"See!" Molly screamed. "Traitor!"
The room froze as Molly stood up suddenly; her chair fell over behind her with the force of the movement. Hermione frowned as she took in the clammy face and the shaking finger.
"Molly?"
"Don't talk to me mudblood! You filthy -"
She saw Minerva stand straighter, out of the corner of her eye and as Molly spun around Minerva drew her wand but Hermione felt like they were missing something.
"Wait," she said quickly, putting her hand on Minerva's before she could raise it. "Look."
They did, as Molly started bemoaning Hermione's shortcomings and her failures. How ugly she was, how she wasn't worthy of a wand, or her son, or a place at the table. Hermione paid no attention to it and gripped Minerva's wand arm in her own as she sought clarity.
"Hermione," Minerva hissed. "Release me, she has gone too far."
"No," Hermione breathed, looking at Minerva pointedly. "Listen to her words."
Minerva frowned and did as she was asked. Hermione did the same, watching spittle fly from Molly's mouth as she railed against the disgusting mudblood.
"Relax," Hermione muttered. "I'm not taking it personally. But where have you heard something like that before?"
Minerva stared at her and Hermione saw the moment Minerva realised. She let go and Minerva flourished her wand.
"Stupify," Minerva muttered lazily, not taking her eyes off Hermione. "You think -"
"That would explain most things. She is cruel to Sirius as well when she's here. Fine with Harry though."
Minerva nodded.
"Arthur, it is perhaps best to take her to St Mungo's and have her admitted into the ward. I believe," she frowned and glanced at Hermione again. "I believe she might be possessed by some sort of entity. Perhaps," she glanced at Sirius. "Of this house."
Sirius' eyes bugged out of his head as Arthur levitated his wife as best he could and made his way out of the house into the garden and disappeared with a pop. The whole room breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hermione -"
"Don't worry about it," she smiled at Sirius. "She's nuts either way."
The man chuckled and squeezed her shoulder before shutting down at the table with much less bravado than he had before. Minerva nodded to two chairs at the right-hand side and Hermione sunk into the one she knew would be meant for her.
"I'm so sorry that it came to that," Minerva muttered as she joined her. "I wish I had realised."
"It's fine," Hermione said and meant it. "I'm glad she doesn't really think that. Would make Harry's wedding awkward, wouldn't it."
Minerva snorted then covered her mouth in horror as Hermione chuckled.
"Please don't tell me," she muttered. "Plausible deniability."
"My lips are sealed," Hermione smirked, knowing Minerva would have a fit if she knew Harry had figured out how to overcome the stairs. Not that she would be particularly worried about it were she in Minerva's shoes. Harry was far too good a man to throw himself in at the deep end without at least some thought.
"Actually I did want to talk to Sirius, you okay?"
"Me," Minerva squeaked. "You are the one whose character was besmirched rather unbecomingly." Hermione smiled as she remembered the last time they discussed it.
"Yeah but you stood up for me and we dealt with it and everything she said was bullshit anyway."
She got up, grinned at the groan she got for swearing and made her way over to Sirius.
"Hermione, I -"
"Don't worry about it, I've heard worse at school. But I do wanna talk to you about Harry."
"Is he okay?"
"How honest do you want me to be?"
He sat up straight and leaned forward, clearly seeing the seriousness on her face.
"Brutally."
"Your emotions, as big and complicated as they are, are not insurmountable. So when you are grumpy or upset or whatever," she watched him frown. "Harry's emotions are probably very similar."
"I don't -"
"So when you were sad that we were leaving?" He blushed a little. "So was he."
Sirius blinked at her like he had just learned the secrets of the universe. She bit back a smile and leaned forward a bit so she could lower her voice.
"Harry would much rather spend time with an upset godfather than not spend time with him at all. Do you see what I'm saying?"
"I -" Sirius frowned. "But he didn't -"
"You are not great with emotion, yeah?" He couldn't deny it so he glared a little instead. "Harry is ten times worse. So bear that in mind. And write to him. Ask him how he is. Get to know him," she paused, knowing this would hurt a little. "As Harry, Sirius. Not as James' kid."
He sat back and stared at her, glancing over at Minerva who was sitting inspecting her nails. It was an extremely un-Minerva-like move and it told Hermione she'd heard every single word.
"You've been teaching her how to cut to the quick, I see," Sirius grumbled, though there was no bite to it.
"On the contrary," Minerva said, giving up the pretence and looking up at them. "She has taught me compassion, something she's just given you in spades."
Sirius grumbled and Hermione got up, squeezed his shoulder but let it lie. She dropped back down into her seat and smiled sadly as Minerva squeezed her knee. Sirius disappeared from the room and Hermione could just about hear him in the library next door as the clink of ice cubes hit a glass.
"I mean it. That was beautifully done. I wish I had thought to do it earlier."
"It's probably best it came from me," Hermione muttered. "He knows I have no ulterior motive and there isn't the history there is between you and him. He knows I'm right, he just doesn't want to admit it. Either way, it will go on as it did before or they'll build a proper relationship that will help heal them both."
Minerva patted her thigh.
"Remember you asked me for a favour a week or so ago?" Minerva muttered, looking sideways at her.
Hermione frowned and thought back.
"About that subject?"
"Oh," Hermione blinked. "Yeah?"
"He and I spoke last night. It was," she sighed sadly. "Illuminating. Thank you for letting me know because that was sorely needed."
"Good," Hermione smiled. "I'm glad, thank you."
"I -"
She looked up sharply as Professors Snape walked in.
"This is folly if he thinks nobody will notice all of us gone at the same time," he grumbled as he took a chair and sat by the fire again.
"It is the best we could do, Severus. Kingsley needed it to be today."
"I see the resident know-it-all has not left, yet."
Minerva opened her mouth to protest but Hermione, this time, stopped her.
"Leave it," she muttered. "It's fine." she glanced at Snape and just about stopped a sneer. "Pretty normal, actually."
Minerva glanced at her but did as she requested as Professor Dumbledore walked in. He was followed quickly by Kingsley, Sirius and Moody but no one else.
"This is a short meeting, aimed at ironing out a plan, which we will then give to those involved at the next one," Dumbledore explained. "Severus, if you will."
It was a much smoother process this time, it seemed. As most of them worked with each other or at least respected each other, there were very few arguments. When Snape suggested a date, something niggled in Hermione's mind and she wrote the dates down on her parchment.
"Taking notes again, I see," Snake drawled, making her roll her eyes.
"Would you like to look?"
"Unlike others," he growled. "I have no need."
"Miss Granger?" Dumbledore said kindly, interrupting Snape's mutterings. "Your thoughts?"
"Um, me?" She asked and glanced at Professor McGonagall but she merely shrugged and took a sip of her drink.
"You are part of the order, are you not?" he said kindly.
"I do have one question," she muttered, ignoring Professor Snape's eye roll. "And please forgive me, but does -" She tried not to glance around as she considered the niggling thought. "Does the weather have any impact on such a plan?"
"I beg your pardon?" Dumbledore asked. "I'm afraid I don't understand."
"If my memory serves me, there have been muggle predictions during that week," she thought back. "Between the 12th and the 20th, I believe there will be a snowstorm of significant impact in the South. A once in fifty-year sort of storm which is why they're talking about it now. Of course, I understand that they have issued warnings in regard to their own situation, but it is my understanding that the weather will be quite volatile. Blizzards, ice, etc," she shrugged. "It was just a consideration I had when I heard the dates."
"What do Muggles know about predictions," Snape muttered, but Dumbledore waved off his comment.
"Do you have evidence to suggest that it will definitely occur?" Dumbledore asked her. "I had in mind Muggle Weathermen don't often get things right?"
"In the past, perhaps, but there has been significant improvement of instruments and the like. I would trust their evidence to support this particular forecast. Especially over the full week and considering the magnitude of the storm that they're predicting. The predictions, like this plan, will probably get better the closer we get to the dates, but I trust them to know about it this far out; know the general gist of what to expect, I mean."
To his credit, Dumbledore did fall quiet for a while, glancing at Professor McGonagall and then Professor Snape. Hermione wasn't sure whether that was because he so often talked to them, or whether they were his unofficial seconds.
"I will consider this, Miss Granger, thank you for bringing it to my attention. For now, however, we will proceed."
She nodded in understanding and dropped all of the other worries she had about the holes in their plan.
They didn't even have the details wrapped up when the clock struck eight and Minerva looked up.
"Albus we should table this to be completed at the next meeting," she muttered, frowning at her watch.
"Indeed," he nodded. "I will return to the school post haste. Severus are you -"
Snape glanced at her and nodded, sweeping out of the room and slamming the front door, making Mrs Black screech.
She watched as Professor Dumbledore sighed as Sirius got up to deal with it and Kingsley and Moody stepped up to talk to him.
"We must get back," Minerva muttered. "I'm afraid we will not have time to go for dinner. I'm sorry."
"Nonsense," Dumbledore said, overhearing. "You have all the time in the world."
"Albus," Minerva argued. "Don't be obtuse."
"Minerva," he countered. "You do not have a duty and I will be there should anything untoward occur."
"Do you trust me?" Hermione asked as they stood.
"Hermione," Minerva protested. "Of course I do, what a notion."
"No," she chuckled. "I mean, may I take you for dinner? It will be quick. We can eat it and then go back?"
"Splendid idea, Miss Granger, see Minerva, it is all sorted."
Minerva looked at her and down at her watch and then back at Dumbledore before looking back at Hermione.
"How quick?"
"It'll be fast food," she grinned. "I promise."
-0-
Hermione had taken a moment to persuade Minerva to let her Apparate somewhere unseen, but once she had, she took them to a pizza place she'd once been to in Leicester. It wasn't near her home so she wasn't too worried about them being seen by association. She grinned and pointed at the fast food chain across the street and Minerva laughed, leaning against Hermione's shoulder and nodded.
"You really are the troublemaker, aren't you," she smiled as they crossed the road.
"Harry is merely a convenient cover," she grinned, opening the door. "Want one, or shall we share?"
"I don't know," Minerva muttered. "There are so many options."
"What's your favourite?"
"Plain, I suppose."
"Cheese? We can do that. So you want anything in it? Peppers, onions? Chilli?"
"Oh, no," Minerva chuckled. "Just cheese please."
Hermione stepped up and ordered two pizzas to take away, letting Minerva keep an eye out while she paid and went over to join Minerva in the corner.
"Sit," Minerva nodded to the seat beside her. "Always keep your back to somewhere that nobody can sneak up on you. Ideally, you don't ever want to be trapped inside somewhere - it is far more convenient to place an Anti-Apparition net over a building than it is an open space."
Hermione nodded and leaned against the wall.
"We can wait outside if that's easier. We just grab it when it's ready. I got us both one, by the way. I kind of really like leftover pizza for breakfast."
Minerva looked at her sideways.
"You truly bizarre creature."
Hermione chuckled and rested her shoulder against Minerva's. She was tense and Hermione frowned.
"We shouldn't have come, I'm sorry."
"Nonsense," Minerva muttered. "We just have to be careful." She glanced at Hermione with a small twitch at the corner of her mouth and Hermione could see what she was about to say before she said it, so she joined in.
"Constant Vigilance."
She nodded and stared at the few patrons eating in the shop. It wasn't busy, it was a bit late on a school night for it to be very busy but the few who were in nodded politely and then went back to their meal. Hermione made note of all of them, then went back to watching the window while Minerva watched the door.
They sat like that for quite a while before the guy indicated that the next two were hers. She thanked him and grabbed them, meeting Minerva at the door.
"Where are we going?" Hermione asked. "I assume you can Apparate food?" She blinked, thinking about the connotations of squashing her pizza but Minerva merely clicked her tongue and took her arm.
"Deep breath."
"Min!" Hermione squeaked as they landed.
"What?" she said, glancing around.
"You need to give me time to take a deep breath before you squeeze me through the fabric of the space-time continuum."
Minerva paused and looked back at Hermione, who tried to gulp in as much air as possible after their journey.
"Oh Hermione," she chuckled, rubbing her back. "I'm sorry."
"S'alright," Hermione waved her off. "Where are we?"
"Well -"
Hermione looked around and saw that they were literally in the middle of nowhere. The only light was that from the moon, and, as Hermione blinked and took proper notice of their surroundings, they were high up. She looked up and gasped.
"Oh my God! Minerva!"
As Minerva smiled at her, she shivered as the wind blew and bought new sounds towards them.
"Is that the sea?"
"We are on a small peak above my hometown."
Hermione blinked and squinted at Minerva. She nearly asked if this was a regular spot for her to visit but something caught her eye. She looked back up at the sky and her mouth dropped open.
"Minerva?" she whispered. "Are they -"
"The Northern Lights," Minerva said and Hermione could hear the smile in her voice. "If'n yeh cannae be back against somat, yeh might as well be somewhere no'on'd find yeh."
Hermione laughed and went over to Minerva, stepping on her tiptoes and pressing a kiss to her cheek.
"Thank you for bringing me here. This is," she looked around again. "Beautiful."
"I knew you would appreciate it, even though it is a bit wild," she chuckled as they were buffeted by a gust of wind.
"It will be worth it," Hermione grinned. "How are we doing this?"
"I can transfigure a picnic blanket although the heather usually protests. Most times I just stamp around a bit to flatten it and then park myself for a while. I'll put up a small windbreak so the food doesn't get too cold. A small warming charm on the boxes won't attract too much trouble."
Hermione did just that and they sat against each other in the grass. Hermione cast her Bluebell flames spell and used it to check which was which before digging in.
"That is a genius little spell," Minerva muttered. "Does it give off heat?"
"Oh yeah, we regularly use it just to warm our hands," Hermione nodded, offering her hand.
Minerva took the back of it and studied the flame in Hermione's palm.
"It's one of my favourites," Hermione giggled. "Makes me feel like a superhero."
"A what?"
Hermione giggled but didn't explain. They fell quiet as they continued eating until the only thing left were the few pieces in Hermione's box.
"I say again," Minerva chuckled as she pulled Hermione to her feet. "Bizarre creature."
"Hey, Min?"
"Hmm?" the older woman said absently.
"You didn't have to do this. You didn't have to do any of this, but you did. And that's," Hermione was thankful for the dark so Minerva couldn't see the tears in her eyes. "That's really special to me, so thank you."
"Let me tell you a secret," Minerva said, wrapping her arm around Hermione's shoulders and pulling her in. "I do not know what it is about you, Hermione Granger, but you have fast become one of my greatest friends. I have never met another person who is so like myself, but who is equally compatible. So," she pressed a kiss to Hermione's temple. "Thank you."
"Harry was worried," Hermione chuckled sadly. "That he was going to lose his best friend because we fit together so well."
"I hope you told him that's silly."
"I did, but he is a worrier."
Minerva sighed.
"That all the world should rest on the shoulders of such a child is beyond me."
"He'll be okay," Hermione whispered, desperately hoping she wasn't lying to herself or anyone else.
"We'll make sure of it, hmm?"
"Yes."
"Alright then, come along. Now," she chuckled. "Deep breath."
Minerva pulled her close and waited for a beat or two before they disappeared from the hilltop.