-0-

In the short time between waking up and knocking on Minerva's door for their reading session, Hermione's brain caught up in a whirlwind of memories from the meeting, details that she'd learned and memories of pain. She had analysed all the details that she'd only half heard the first time and had started planning how she would arrange the mission and found such a chasm between them that she was more than a little preoccupied by the time she dropped onto Minerva's sofa.

"Goodness, you look glum?"

"Hmm?" Hermione said, blinking and coming back to the present. "Oh, no. I'm just thinking, I suppose."

"Was it a particularly difficult day?" Minerva asked, conversationally.

"No," Hermione sighed, absently. "Draco's being weird, but that's not so unusual, I guess. He was having an argument with Professor Snape, Harry said but I don't know what it was about."

"Perhaps none of Harry's business?" Minerva rebuked gently.

Hermione didn't take the bait and went back to frowning at the details that swirled in her mind.

"My dear?" Minerva said quietly, sitting beside her and abandoning the pile of books she had been looking at. "Hermione, what is it? I noticed you in class today and as you have not been able to let it go yet, why don't you tell me?"

"It's nothing," Hermione groaned, getting up to pace and then almost immediately slumping into Minerva's favourite chair. "Just, it doesn't matter."

"Hermione?" Minerva said gently, but firmly. "Speak."

"Well," Hermione started. "What do you think of the plan?"

"The plan?" Minerva blinked. It took her a few seconds to understand and when she did, she made a face and looked at her carefully.

"I thought I said it wasn't best for us to talk about it quite so freely?"

"We're in your rooms, who's going to hear us here?" Hermione argued. "I need to talk to someone about it Min, I'm going insane. It's ridiculous."

Minerva looked at her carefully for a long while before nodding and putting up a privacy spell.

"We've had worse," Minerva shrugged, sitting on the arm and picking Hermione's hand up so she could play with her fingers. She did that fairly often these days, it seemed to comfort them both. "I know you have reservations and I would be lying if I told you I wasn't a little uncomfortable with some of the details, but you have not been doing this long. Our enemy does not play by any rules and so the plan must be fluid and easy to change on the fly."

"I understand that," Hermione huffed. "I really do, but it is the worst plan I've ever heard, which is saying something considering our escapades in our younger years."

"Younger -" Minerva squeaked. "Only last week I caught you three out of bed."

Hermione grinned and laughed as it was Minerva's turn to huff.

"I just -" she sat forward. The more she thought about it, the more the plan felt wrong. "It feels wrong. There is no contingency for more than about 10 captives. There are so many people involved. It relies on every single thing going right, with no delays for, oh I dunno," she looked at Minerva pointedly "the weather. Some poor sod, probably me, will have to keep watch, out in the garden where I'm now almost certain, there will be a blizzard. If someone gets hurt, how is that person to know to come and help? Who is going to -"

"I will raise these concerns with Albus," Minerva said kindly, taking both of Hermione's hands. "You are worried?"

"I am worried that none of you seems worried," Hermione sighed. "But no matter, I suppose. I shall keep my tongue. I've learned that by now."

"That's not what I want at all," Minerva protested. "I want you to question our methods. I want you to feel like you are able to speak up."

"Minerva, come on," Hermione shrugged. "I might be -" she snorted. "The greatest witch of my age but I am still a child in their eyes," she sighed and pulled her hands away. "I," she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to go to bed," she whispered, leaning in and kissing Minerva's cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Minerva stared at the door as it closed behind the young woman, utterly perplexed by the change in attitude. She considered going after her for a moment before deciding to do the opposite. She stood and Flooed to Albus where he received her with a smile.

"Hello my dear," he kissed her cheek. "Drink?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I want to talk about the plan with you."

"Ah," he nodded sagely. "I thought you usually met with her on Tuesdays; today is Wednesday?"

"We," Minerva frowned. "What?"

"Miss Granger," Albus chuckled. "Today is Wednesday, is it not?"

"Oh," she frowned. "I swapped duty back with Septima tomorrow; she has her daughter's concert but, never mind that. I am trying to give her time to teach Harry, I had no idea you had even noticed?"

"You are much brighter for your time with her." She opened her mouth to argue but Albus smiled at her instead. "I know Miss Granger thinks our plan is folly, but it is the best we can do with the information we have to hand."

"I know that," Minerva muttered. "And she knows that too. But, she is also right. It is full of holes. Our timing relies on getting it completely correct. What if this blizzard she spoke of is something of note? I know it is of no particular consequence to those of us in the house, but if you are set on letting her keep watch, out of the way, she will be out in it."

"I doubt any of you will be there for long. And, my dear, I will remind you that it was you that insisted she stay outside of the house. I was fully committed to letting her join you." Minerva shuddered at the thought. "As with most of our plans, my dear, they will either work, or they will not." Minerva frowned and looked away. The pain in her heart that thumped every time she considered Hermione getting hurt was getting stronger. "These are often the downsides to war, my dear," Albus said gently. "That is why we tried to shield them as much as we could."

"And what if -"

"What-ifs are useless to spend time worrying over," he said gently, taking her hands. "You know that." She huffed anyway. "You have come to care for her."

"Lord but I do, Albus. She is quick as a whip, funny? So intuitive. Her worries make me worried. She is becoming as good a friend as you or Poppy."

"I will think on it properly," he said solemnly. "I promise. But if this is the way we can collect a great number of the enemy with very little effort then I believe we should take it. What other choice do we have?"

Minerva sat back and slugged down the rest of her drink.

"This is why I did not want her to join," she whispered. "We rarely do things logically and showing her only heightens her need to do things for themselves. The danger we place ourselves in is not for those who have so much life left to live."

"They must, at some point, love," he said with a groan as he sat on the coffee table in front of her. "You do know that, don't you?"

"I have worked out as much," she huffed. "She has also mentioned it in passing, assuming I know more than you let me. It doesn't mean I agree nor that I will be happy with the notion."

"We all but players on this board," he soothed. "I try to protect you as much as I can."

"I do not like being a pawn, Albus," she growled, finishing her drink and getting up.

"Minerva," he rebuked gently, stopping her from storming out. "You have never been a pawn. You are the queen, my dear. And I wish you would never forget it."

She stared at him as she stood by the fire, the heat of it soothing and stifling all at the same time.

"I would never presume to be so, Albus," she whispered.

"Which is why you make the best queen an old and foolish king can have," he chuckled, moving to stand in front of her. "I do not know what this war has in store for us, Min. I do not know if I shall see the end, but should I go before we win, I know that you will do everything in your power to protect this world, this school, and these children. To whatever end."

"You know I will," she grumbled, looking up at him. "Though I do wish I was not so predictable."

"You are, undoubtedly, one of the best friends I have ever had, Minerva. It is less predictability and more like I have known you since you were a child," he chuckled.

She stared up at him and searched his face for a reason for all of these words all of a sudden.

"What do you know?"

"Nothing," he sighed. "Less and less the longer I live, but I envision that with all that happened last year, it will not be long before they come again. I have realised what a fool I was for allowing the Ministry to interfere like that," he conceded. "We lost valuable time. I think it is possible that Tom may try for me this year. He missed Harry because of me."

"Albus," she said quietly. "You will not do anything stupid, this year. Do you understand me?" He nodded, but there was a caution in his eyes that she didn't like. "Al -"

"I believe there may be enemies in our midst," he said gently. "Young Mr Malfoy, in the stead of his father, has been asked to take on the Family Business."

Minerva closed her eyes. All around her, no matter how hard she fought for them, their students were becoming more and more involved in a war she wanted none of them in.

"I have already mentioned it to Severus, who is keeping an eye on him anyway, but -" His frown deepened.

"Hermione mentioned them arguing, openly, in the corridors."

"Then I will speak to him again," Albus sighed.

"You weren't going to tell me all that, were you?" she whispered, looking up at him. "After all we have been through. After everything we've -"

"There was -" He stopped and Minerva watched a multitude of emotions flash across his face. She held his hand and squeezed it as she watched him get lost in his mind until he blinked and looked down at her. "I wasn't, but you are right," he whispered, seemingly coming to a decision. "Ever since Miss Granger joined us, since that first meeting, in fact, I have realised some stark truths. So, Min?" His voice wobbled in a way she had never heard before and she tried not to panic. "Do you have a moment?"

"I do," Minerva nodded, seeing that he needed her at this moment more than she needed to sleep.

She sat back down and he paced in front of her for a long time before he sat down in front of her and revealed everything. Or, at least, she thought it was perhaps everything. It seemed to pour out of him like a waterfall. Horcruxes and prophecies and Sybil, of all people. And Harry. Darling Harry.

"Albus, I don't know what to say." He got up and moved to the window.

"You see why I spend most nights pacing."

"I do," she nodded as she joined him. "But I am glad you have told me. And that I can now share that burden with you. We are more powerful together," she agreed. "I was so angry with you last year." She paused and he looked knowingly at her. "I am angry with you. You let that woman into our lives. The time we lost fighting on two fronts. And you, we almost -"

"I know," he whispered as he pulled her into his arms. "I will endeavour to make sure I remember that I am not an island. Please do not tell Miss Granger. I would like the opportunity to talk to Harry, myself."

"I would like you to tell him soon, Albus. Forewarned is forearmed. And now that I know, I can work with Hermione on spells that might be useful?"

"I tried to have Severus teach him Occlumency, last year."

"Severus?" Minerva squeaked. "Albus, don't be daft. There is nothing but bad blood between them."

"We found that to our detriment, didn't we?"

She shuddered, remembering the moment that Umbridge and her Ministry officials stood pointing their wands at her to try and take Hagrid into custody for whatever reason. Hermione's distraction had provided her with the seconds she needed to immediately lock the doors and with it, force them apart until they could find Albus and summon him back. It had been Harry's idea, calling for Fawkes as he had done in his Second Year. And it worked, just in time. He had returned and dismissed Delores from her position, locking down the school and apologising to the staff for his oversight.

If they had not overcome that, they would likely have missed Harry's changing behaviour and his sudden need to leave in the middle of the day. She had been the one to catch them in the Entrance Hall, having come back from checking on Hagrid. She'd quite literally bumped into them as they'd raced down the stairs and just in time to get word that there had been a massive beach of the Ministry where Voldemort, himself, had appeared.

"I was a fool," Albus muttered, breaking her thoughts. "They tried to lure him to the Ministry so they could kill him," he shuddered. "Or have me kill him or vice versa."

"It doesn't matter what they had planned. We overcame it," she said gently. "Together."

"Yes. Though they are still connected, I believe that danger has passed."

"How?" Minerva said. "How can you be so sure that we are not being spied on through him?"

"Well," Albus smiled fondly. "Your Hermione, I believe, taught him."

"She isn't my Hermione, Albus."

He didn't reply and she looked up at him carefully but his thoughts were elsewhere.

"I must get some sleep. We may not have duelled tonight, but we did yesterday and I have to say, Albus, I think she is well on her way to giving Filius a run for his money."

"Well that is something," he chuckled. "We should start a duelling club. Filius can run it. Severus, perhaps, if he is so inclined."

"We should not bring Gilderoy back?" she quipped. "She told me how the last one went."

He pinched her side, making her snort as he pulled her to him. While Albus was a tactile man, who often hugged her goodbye at the end of the year, or touched her arm when he wanted her to calm down, this was a hug she had never received in all her life. It seemed desperate, somehow.

"Albus -"

"I am only feeling maudlin, my dear", he chuckled. "Forgive me."

"Let it go," she whispered, cupping his cheek. "You have faced so much in your life, Albus. And you prevailed. You did not fall to temptation. And what happened when you were small was not your fault."

"Oh, Minerva if only that were true."

"You were a child, Al. Abe was a child. I defy anyone to suggest it was your fault, any of it. It is okay to regret what happened, but do not carry that with you. I had to learn the same," she whispered. "So long ago."

He hugged her tightly and she hugged him back until she wondered whether they would stay there, hugging all night. The tight grip he had on her scared her. If he felt so hopeless, what chance was there for the rest of them? Eventually, he stood tall and stepped back, sniffing a little and adjusting his spectacles.

"Ease Miss Granger's fears. Enjoy her company, Min. Revel in it, if you can, just in case."

"Albus," she warned.

"I am serious Minerva. If nothing else comes of it then you have gained a friend that will be right by your side no matter what happens to me. And if it's more than that?" Albus shrugged as he looked down at her, his eyes twinkling madly. "Well, then that's something too."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that second hot chocolate has given me a sugar high and I no longer have any idea what I'm saying." He groaned as she smacked his belly when she stepped out of his arms.

"You're a crazy old man, do you know that?"

"I have been so accused," he grinned. She couldn't deny anything, he'd see right through any words she attempted to give him at this moment. "She is a beautiful woman, Min. Inside and out. If nothing else, enjoy her company."

"She's -"

"She is young, I grant you." She frowned. "But her soul is wise beyond years. I am positive that if you can navigate that difference, you should enjoy it to the fullest." Minerva searched his face for some meaning but he smiled and kissed her forehead. "Trust me, Minerva. It will be alright."

She looked at him again, carefully cataloguing how tired he looked. She beckoned him closer and kissed his cheek before she activated the Floo and stepped back into her room. As she went through her ablutions, his words went around and around her head. There was no denying that Hermione was a beautiful woman, but she could not quite grasp what Albus was inferring. She scoffed to herself in the mirror.

"Utter nonsense."

As she got into bed, sighing at the familiar weight of the covers atop her and the soft cocoon of the sheets around her that only the Elves seem to be able to reproduce, her brain would not switch off. She considered the way she and Hermione interacted and the way she felt so free to be herself with the younger woman, no matter the situation. She rolled over and punched her pillow a few times and forced her eyes closed. If she couldn't still her spinning thoughts, it was going to be a very long night.