A/N: I'm so tired. As luck would have it I'm back on a roll so I have a lot done beyond this. We're just gonna roll to the end. Now you've all persuaded me not to stop just for the heck of it, we're going to beat Tom Riddle no matter what. Do I know how, yet? No, but we'll figure that out as we go lol

-0-

They stepped into the bathroom to find Snape pacing and Draco sitting in the corner on a makeshift bed, tucked into himself as small as he could go.

"Albus, Minerva," Snape said quietly, but respectfully. He was less respectful when he spoke again. "Miss Granger."

"Hermione will do," she said simply. "We have a new policy. We are going to give you as much information as we can. You will both make your decisions and then we will proceed however we can. Alright?"

"Alb -"

"It is Hermione that you should listen to, my boy."

"What is going on?" Snape hissed. "And what the hell has happened that has put you in charge."

"Watch your tongue," Minerva snapped, like a whip crack. He blinked and took a step backwards. Hermione smiled in thanks as she glanced over at Minerva but the woman's eyes were fixed on Snape. She left them to it and turned to see Draco watching her.

"Draco?" Hermione said gently, ignoring Snape for now. "Answer me truthfully and simply. Do you wish to be a Death Eater?"

"My -"

"Stop," she said gently. His mouth slammed shut regardless. "Easy," she sighed. "I won't hurt you. But, I need you to tell me what you want. Not what your family is, was or could be. Right now. At this moment. Do you wish to fight for Tom Riddle?"

"No," he whispered. "I never did, but -"

"We are tackling one problem at a time," Hermione said softly. "That is enough for now."

She turned to Professor Snape and they stared at each other for a long time. Minerva's hand slipped into hers and she saw Snape's eyes widen almost imperceptibly.

"Professor?"

"I am not in possession of all the facts."

"Severus you are not, in any sense of the word, dense, lad." Minerva looked at him expectantly. "You see enough; you know me well enough. Answer the question."

He stared at the two of them, glancing at Dumbledore and then back at them.

"In a perfect world," he mused. "No. But that is -"

Hermione waved off his protest and they stepped away.

"I understand that you have made a Wizard's Oath with the Malfoys?" He blinked, speechless, and glanced at Albus. Albus remained mute, so he looked back and nodded. "I am almost positive that with the need for Draco's task gone, the Oath will too but beyond that, the bigger problem is your Dark Marks. You are bound to Him and," she glanced at Albus who nodded having clearly come to the same conclusion she had earlier when she'd offered him her dagger. "The only thing that might just trump that, is another bond." There was silence except for a dripping tap behind her. "With something, or someone, greater than him."

"I do not understand how that is possible. He is -"

"Do you trust me, Professor Snape?" Hermione asked curiously. "Not respect, I understand that; the lack thereof, to a point. I mean," she chuckled as she thought about it. "Actually, I don't, but that's not really what this is about. Do you trust me when I say things? If I were to promise something, do you believe that I will do as I say?"

There was a weighted silence that seemed to hang in the air. He was doing an admirable job at Occlumency but she could still feel the trepidation rolling off him until it seemed to shift and in place, a quiet resignation settled.

"I do."

"If I tell you that if you bind yourself to me that I will treat you with dignity and honour and respect, do you believe that?"

Another long pause where he glanced first at Albus and then for a long time, at Minerva.

"To you?"

"Yes," she nodded. "To me. The trust part comes into it when I tell you that I will not tell you what is happening until you are bound to me. Because until you are mine, I cannot allow you to know. And you will be mine," she glanced at Minerva and changed her mind a little. "Well," she chuckled. "Ours. And so, bearing all that in mind." She offered him her hand. "Do you trust me and do you want to be free of," she winced and motioned to his arm. "This?"

"I," he looked again at Dumbledore and Minerva before returning his eyes to Hermione. He reached up and took her hand. "Do."

"I am choosing to believe that this will work. I want you to do that too. Not hope. Not wish. I want you to believe that it's true. And I want you to want it. Can you do that?"

"I can," he whispered. She'd never heard that tone from him before and she smiled as she nodded.

"Then take this and know that nothing and no one will ever be able to break this bond," She drew her dagger and flipped it. It earned nothing but a snort from Minera as Hermione offered the hilt to him. "You will be bound to me until you die, Professor," she paused. "Severus. But," she continued before he could interrupt. "In that notion, I will never, ever, hold you in servitude. If I need you, I would expect you to help because you would want to help, rather than you were forced. Until such time, you are merely a part of my family." She glanced at Minerva who smiled supportively at them both. "Our family."

"Just -" He stared between them. "Like that?"

"Do you believe me?"

He looked at Minerva, who stepped forward and held his shoulders while they stared at each other.

"She is offering you everything you have ever wanted, Severus. Everything you have been chasing. A new beginning."

"I do not know how to -"

"Let us worry about that later," she said quietly. Hermione's heart squeezed at how soft she was with him. "If it helps," she offered. He nodded and Minerva McGonagall smiled like she'd never done before. "I would give my life for her. As she would do the same for me." she ducked to meet his eyes. "That tells you everything you need to know about her."

"You and her -"

"Do you trust her, Severus?"

He stared at Hermione for a long time and then nodded.

"You would do the same for her?"

"Always," she said quietly.

A tear ran down Severus' cheek as he took a big breath that wobbled as he let it out.

"Then yes," he said simply. He glanced back at Minerva. "Especially so, if you do, yes."

"Then we offer this to you freely."

Hermione's heart thumped at the phrasing as she stepped up to him. At the last moment, he looked at Albus.

"I did this for her." He said. There was a pause. "Always."

"I know, my boy," Albus whispered. "I know."

Just as he was about to take it, Hermione reached out and stopped his hand.

"If we do this," she said softly. "You will stop treating Harry the way you have been." He stared at her. "You will never treat him like you have been, ever again. And, you will never take the tone you have done with him, ever again. If you cannot do that, then you will not speak to him unless spoken to. Do I make myself clear, Severus?" There was another long pause and Hermione knew they didn't necessarily have all that much time to devote to this. "He is Lily's son, Severus," she whispered. "Beyond anything else, he is her child. And his heart, if you could let yourself see it, is hers as well."

Tears ran unchecked down his face as he reached forward and wrapped his hand around the handle. For a moment, nothing happened and then his body jerked and the blade ripped across Hermione's hand as it was yanked from his grasp.

"HERMIONE!"

Her wings whipped out to stop Minerva from racing forward and prevented Albus from sending a spell as she watched Snape fall to his knees. His eyes rolled back in his head and there was a murky haze that clung to him as he writhed in agony clutching her knife to his chest.

"Stop," he pleaded through rasping breaths. "Please."

"You are stronger than he is," Hermione said imperiously as she looked down at him. "Fight him."

He shuddered and rolled onto the floor, curled up in a ball, still gripping her knife. She watched him like a hawk as he convulsed and twitched and at one point, screamed until his voice cracked. The haze got darker and she realised that he may need some help.

"Severus?" she said quickly as she knelt beside him. "Severus, follow my voice."

He rolled over and curled around her knees as he cried. She cupped his cheek, leaving a bloody handprint on his pale face.

"I have you now. I have you and I will not let this monster take you from me. Come back to me."

"You will not have him."

Hermione's eyes widened as Voldemort's voice filled the bathroom.

"He is mine," Hermione hissed as she ripped off her jumper and flexed her wings. "You cannot take him from me."

There was a noise and Hermione's palm, where she was still dripping blood, burned white-hot and she suddenly realised what she needed to do. She ripped Snape's sleeve from his robe and took only a moment to see that his Dark Mark was oozing and weeping before she slammed her bleeding palm down on top of it.

The scream he let forth was not something she would ever forget but she held on, straddling his chest to keep a hold of him while he writhed.

"I have his head," Minerva muttered. She dropped down above them and held Severus' head with her hands, stopping it from crashing into the stone floor more than once.

Hermione had never loved her more.

She heard Minerva speaking but there was far too much going on for her to hear what she was saying. It was only when Albus knelt beside them and took Snape's other hand that she understood. Their soft chanting helped calm Snape but the fight was far from over.

She protected him for what felt like hours, fighting against the malevolence that had a hold of him until finally, she growled. She could feel a chink in the Voldemort's armour and she roared. Her wings whipped out with a crack and burst into flames. She saw scene after scene of Severus' horrific tasks. She saw scene after scene of bitten-back tears as horrors were performed in front of him, to him, with him. She saw his mother, and his father, and Lily, and Harry, and Minerva and Draco and everything he had ever thought about, she took from him for a while. As she got hotter and hotter, he seemed to stop fighting and eventually, there was a horrible whistling sound that she wasn't sure came from any of them before he went still.

She was panting, her body exhausted, as the silence fell over them. She could see Minerva's hands shaking but could do nothing about it as her wings shimmered and disappeared. Her own hand burst into flame and healed itself once she let go, and when she looked, a patch of pale skin where his Mark had been, but above it, near his palm, a new, shimmering dragon sigil.

Confirming a theory she'd had for a little while, his looked quite similar to Albus', Filius' and Ron's in form and she nodded as she dropped sideways onto the floor.

"Hermione!"

"I'm fine," she muttered as Minerva skidded to her side. "Take care of him."

Snape hadn't moved but Hermione could feel something emanating from him that she had never felt before.

"Peace," she whispered, patting his hand and withdrawing from his space. "At peace."

Albus helped her up onto the bed, which was vacated hastily by Draco. His eyes were wild and she chuckled, even as she fought the exhaustion pulling at her soul.

"There was a lot of history to undo," she muttered, curling into herself and wishing she could curl into Minerva. "Yours will be simpler," she promised.

She closed her eyes and fell into a maelstrom of memories that were not her own.

-0-

She was warm when she woke and it only took her a moment to realise it was because Minerva was wrapped around her tightly. She sighed and slid their fingers together across her stomach.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes," she nodded. "Better now."

"Amalle was right," she sighed. "You sleep to rejuvenate."

"Remember, back in the beginning," she muttered quietly. "You told me that you can do yourself serious damage by expending too much magic?" Minerva made a noise in the affirmative while she pressed her nose against Hermione's cheek. "I expended a lot to pull him out. Just like my parents," she sighed. "The tunnel, Katie, the dragon." She paused. "Albus. I'm just glad that sleep seems to right the balance again." Minerva hummed. "Is he okay?"

"Perfectly fine," she chuckled. "Like he was a boy. All of the surly attitude and none of the pain. He is convalescing downstairs in the room beside ours." She sighed. "Away from Harry."

Hermione chuckled and rolled a little to look at her love. Minerva's eyes betrayed the frisson of fear Hermione had already felt.

"It will be alright," she whispered, kissing her softly. "Harry will come around eventually. Severus cannot be all bad; you wouldn't care for him if he was not. I understand that. But he was awful to Harry and painful memories are long so it will only be a surprise to me if Harry decides to let it go."

"I know," Minerva said sadly. "I honestly thought you were all exaggerating, but once he had time to recuperate Severus, himself, explained how bad it was. He regrets it now, but it does not change the hurt. I am more disappointed with him than I can say." Hermione traced her frown and kissed her nose. It scrunched up adorable and she chuckled as she kissed Minerva softly in apology.

"You love him." Minerva made to argue, but Hermione placed her fingers over her lips. "You do. And it is okay that you do. He's not so broken that he needs a mother, but also," she chuckled. "The little broken boy inside of him does as well. And I can't fault his choice." Minerva blushed deeply. "Oh, that embarrassed you?" Hermione asked. "Why?"

"I -" Minerva swallowed and looked into Hermione's eyes. "I -"

"It's okay," Hermione soothed. Minerva's hands reached up and started rubbing at her forehead. Hermione stopped her and held her hand instead while she pressed a long kiss against her forehead. "I think maybe we might need to discuss that much, much, later, yeah?" Minerva declined to answer and instead, pressed her burning face into Hermione's shoulder. "It's okay," she whispered. "Whatever your thoughts are, it's okay. But it is not time yet. Let's finish this war and then we can figure all of that other stuff out. Alright?"

"Assuming -"

"Ah," Hermione chuckled. "Don't go maudlin on me now. We're going to win this thing and then," she grinned. "We're going to live happily ever after -"

"Draco in the room, just so you know," Minerva whispered. Hermione acknowledge it but didn't comment. "He is next and I -"

"Like I told him," she muttered, shifting so she could welcome Minerva in her arms properly. "Severus had a lot more to unpack."

She nodded and as she went to leave the comfort of her lover's arms, she felt something. It seemed to cover her, though she could see nothing. She preened under its warmth and realised that it was Minerva. Her love, her heart; showing her.

She stopped and stared and when Minerva noticed, she stopped as well.

"What?"

"I can feel you. You're projecting!"

"Oh," she blushed again. "Severus has been trying to teach me Occlumency while we waited for you to wake. We discovered something interesting. I have developed a natural affinity for it with just a little notion of projection."

"Like me? I say," she chuckled. "That's pretty amazing! Have the others tried it?"

"Just me," Minerva smiled, tracing Hermione's eyebrow. "So far. He did not want to push his luck."

"That makes us quite special then, doesn't it," Hermione chuckled. "Oh, Minerva," Hermione said quietly. "I love you. More than you could possibly understand."

"Tha gaol agam ort," Minerva whispered, her fingers rubbing softly on the skin between Hremione's shirt and jeans.

Hermione smiled and kissed her hair.

"Let me up, let's figure Draco out then maybe they'll leave us alone for a while."

Minerva snorted and kissed Hermione's shoulder and lithely got up.

"I'm going to make you start thinking about something," Hermione warned her. "That, what you just did, has begun to look a little easier," Hermione explained as she looked at Minerva. "Had you noticed?"

Minerva considered it.

"I had noticed I don't tire as easily." She made a face. "Now that you mention it, however -" Minerva smirked at her. "Perhaps you are right?"

"Bully for me," Hermione smirked cheekily.

Minerva threw her head back and laughed. Hermione felt a spike of confusion from across the room where Draco was curled up in the corner.

"Draco," Hermione sighed, turning to face him. "How are you doing?"

He fought with himself for a long time before he gave up.

"I'm scared."

"I know," Hermione smiled. "But I won't let anything happen to you."

"Why?" Draco choked. "I was -"

They stared for a long time before Hermione nodded.

"You were, rather. But you can learn to be different, right? You can be different?"

"I -" He swallowed. "Don't know."

She nodded and sat in front of him, crossing her legs.

"I never thought you were a bad guy, ya know." He snorted. "I thought you were a git, that was for sure. But not evil. You've never been evil, Draco."

"My mother, my father, they -"

"We'll sort that out, after," Hermione promised. "Does your mother have a mark?"

"No," he whispered. "Just Father."

"Well," she muttered, her mind already racing. "It is entirely possible that we will have to go and get your Mum and somehow leave your father. I'm not sure I can replace his bond like I can yours. Snape knows me, your father does not."

"I understand," he whispered. "He's in Azkaban though. Not home."

"Well as awful as it is, that's perhaps the best place for him for now. And look, I know what they mean to you. I know how proud you all are, but sometimes even the proudest people need to ask for help." He nodded. "Do you have any questions before we begin?"

"You've changed."

"I have," she nodded. "I'm." She hesitated and thought about just how much she had changed and how much she had stayed the same. "More."

"Wings?"

"Yeah, pretty new discovery, to be honest."

"Fire?"

"Lots of it," Hermione chuckled, thinking all the way back to the beginning.

"You're a Draconvir."

"A what?"

She felt Minerva's interest pique behind her.

"A -" He blinked. "Wait, you don't know?"

"I do not."

"There are books in the library of Malfoy Manor that will tell you. We were descended from a line of them, though none of us have that in us anymore. Save my family and I will give them to you freely. The whole library if necessary."

"You've met her before, I see," Minerva chuckled as she came over to them.

"You do not have to strike a bargain with me to save your family, Draco," Hermione said softly. "If I can, I will."

"Then I give them to you freely."

"Love, we need to get a move on."

"Alright," Hermione nodded, leaning into Minerva's hand as it touched her head. She turned back to Draco. "We're going to do this a bit differently, okay? I truly believe that Snape was different because of the length of time but that does not mean that Tom will not put up a fight, okay? What I need you to do is hold onto me and remember that I'm not letting you back there. Do you believe me?"

"I do," he nodded, wiping his eyes and sitting up. "I really do."

"Okay," she nodded. She looked up at Minerva. "Be a dear?"

"I will watch over you both, yes," she smiled. "Be careful."

"Always," Hermione nodded.

She scooted a bit closer, so their knees were touching and drew her dagger. Despite knowing the stupidity of it, she drew the blade across her skin, marvelling at the way her blood gleamed off the black blade and held out her hand, palm side up, and her dagger in the other.

"Let me cover the Mark as you take the knife. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Minerva, Professor McGonagall, will be here to make sure we're okay. Do you believe that?"

He glanced up at his former Transfiguration professor and Hermione watched a bevy of emotions flash through his eyes. She didn't bother to examine the ones that were rolling off him under the fear.

"I do. Thank you, Professor." Minerva was chuffed, despite the situation and she smiled in thanks.

"Do you believe I will stay with you?"

"Yes."

"Do you believe this will work?"

He stared at her and then down at his wrist.

"I do."

"Then let us get to it then."

It did go differently. The scream Draco let out pierced Hermione's very soul and she berated herself, even as she fought, for not expecting Tom to grab hold of his other Death Eater while he could. Her fingers pinned Draco where he was and the blade of the dagger gripped in her hand grew so hot she could smell her flesh beginning to cook.

"You have taken my spy, but you shall cry over this whelp," Riddle's voice seemed to hiss in her ear.

"You vastly underestimate my power," she muttered as she fought.

She felt Minerva kneeling behind her and without losing her concentration, tried to show her what she needed to do without speaking. It didn't take long for her to understand and Minerva curled around her back, between her wings and held on. Hermione felt the peace that came from her lover's skin and breathed slower and slower. She could just about make out something in the fog surrounding Draco and she stepped towards it. Her body remained where it was, but she appeared somewhere that she could not name.

A dark cavern, empty, and hollow. The walls pulsed with something indescribable and Hermione crouched down to touch it. It was sticky; it clung to her fingers, but when she set her hands alight it disappeared like it had feelings. Minerva's quiet noise of amazement startled her.

"Incredible," Minerva whispered.

"What are you doing here!" Hermione hissed. "I didn't want you in here with me," Hermione muttered.

"I do not know that you have a choice, love," Minerva shrugged. "How are we -" she winced. "Where are we?"

"No clue," Hermione chuckled. "Stay behind me?"

"I will be beside you in life and in love, wherever we go, darling."

"So very stubborn." Hermione rolled her eyes. She slipped her hand into Minerva's and tangled their fingers together. Despite Minerva's words, Hermione remained half a step ahead. "Come on."

They travelled down the dark, glowing tunnel until they found themselves in another huge cavern. It was pitch black and there was a stench to it that made Hermione recoil.

"I think," Hermione muttered as she looked around. "I think this is his mind," Hermione nodded as she allowed her powers to feel along the walls and edges of her understanding. "A representation of it, at least. We have travelled along the bond."

"How is that -" Minerva shuddered. "Never mind, I do not know why I bother asking."

Hermione made sure her grip was true in Minerva's before she leaned over and looked over the edge.

"I should just shoot something down there, right, and then we can get the hell out of here?"

Minerva's eyes widened and Hermione nodded with a cheeky smile at the horror. If Minerva was suitably horrified by the plan then it was bound to be the best course of action.

"I do not wish to speak of things we know while we are here, and I prefer to know where he is," she shrugged. "But that doesn't mean we can't make it sting. Perhaps it will help him let go of the young sir back," she gestured back down the tunnel. "There."

She considered all the things that she could cast and decided to just wing it, so to speak. She drew her dagger, watching in interest as it lengthened to a sword before her eyes.

"Did you -"

"Nope," she chuckled. "No idea how that happened."

She offered it, in two hands to Minerva.

"Will you see if you can duplicate it, please?"

Minerva's eyebrows lifted and she patted her arm for her wand.

"I don't think you'd need it," Hermione whispered. "Try it wandlessly."

"I cannae do that!"

"Try it," Hermione asked. "Please? For me?"

Minerva huffed. She rolled her neck and held her hands out over the blade. After a deep breath, she closed her eyes and spoke the incantation. Hermione laughed as the blade popped into existence on top of the other. She felt the new one with interest, finding it similar but different somehow. She slid her real sword under her arm and offered Minerva the duplicated one.

"I cannae believe that worked!"

"I do like it when your accent comes through." Minerva made a noise of annoyance and glared at Hermione. "I'm just saying," Hermione grinned.

"Perhaps another time," Minerva said pointedly.

"Perhaps," Hermione grinned. "Would you like to do the honours?"

"Oh, would I ever," Minerva chuckled darkly. "What do you reckon? Stab it here, or -" she nodded into the chasm.

"Oh, down there with purpose, I reckon," Hermione laughed.

She took it from Hermione's hand and hefted it in her hand for a while before she gripped it with two hands and lifted it above her head. Hermione watched in awe as every single one of Minerva's clan ancestors seemed to channel through her as she flung it towards the bottom of the space. She smirked as Minerva looked over but they didn't say anything while they waited. It didn't take long for them to discover that it had actually done something as the walls started pulsing angrily.

"Whoops, time to flee," Hermione chuckled. "Don't let go."

They ran and ran towards the light until their eyes burned with the brightness of it. Minerva tripped but Hermione did not let go and used her motion and strength to swing her up over her shoulder and threw them both forward into it.

They came to with Draco shivering beside them. Both of them were wrapped around each other with smoke rising from their clothes and hair.

"Let's never do that again," Minerva muttered as she lay panting, her body shivering with the effort.

"Deal," Hermione whispered, kissing her temple. "Draco, you okay?"

He held up his arm and though it was covered in Hermione's drying blood, the Dark Mark had disappeared.

"I can see it," Minerva whispered as she leaned over Hermione's body to take hold of Draco's arm. "I can see it now, right there!"

Hermione offered her own arm and Minerva matched hers next to it.

"They're beautiful," she whispered as she rubbed her thumb over it. "You were right."

Hermione kissed her forehead and dropped her head back to the ground, where she turned and looked at Draco.

"We need to get your mother and possibly your father, I know, but for now. That's progress."

He nodded and fainted in front of them, making Minerva chuckle.

"Albus can gather him and bring him downstairs. Come, love. Let us get you to bed."

Hermione walked in a daze to their rooms and she sighed happily as Minerva transfigured her clothes and got in beside her.