Chapter 103: The Makings Of A Terrifying Situation

{A/N: Here's Another Update...half asleep hopefully it comes out right}

My Thanks To My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S.

Hermione's Bedroom, The Granger Residence, Muggle World...

Flustered beyond belief by the time she reentered her bedroom, Hermione quickly closed and warded her door unsure what to do with her parents nosing about in her personal life. She had told them only a few half-truths regarding the ring she'd so carelessly forgotten to glamor, her parents knew next to nothing about what went on within the confines of the wizarding world and even less about her new found relationship with her Potions Professor. Hermione made her way over toward her bed. She found herself flopping down amid the plush white pillows and her own thoughts as she once more got a look at her engagement ring of sorts. Never in a million years would she have guessed that Severus Snape of all people would have been so thoughtful. She never asked for an engagement ring, she knew all too well what their marriage had been built on and she was quite grateful for it. Severus Snape had gone above and beyond as far as she was concerned, but she was delighted that he didn't think so. It was the long quiet nights that seemed to drag on for ages while she lied in bed taking in the cooled summer air and sifting through possibilities of a new day's events in her mind. She missed him terribly, even his grouchiness had appeal on lonely nights such as this. She longed to send him an owl but knew not where he'd be. He so very rarely ventured to Spinner's End and Hogwarts Castle was an option, but there was no guarantee he'd be there either. The last she'd seen of him was the duel in the Ministry Of Magic offices and the end of term happened so quickly she had lost track of him. It had been just as well, he was possibly quite busy with whatever Dumbledore and Voldemort had planned for him for the up coming year.

The situation with Harry had not changed, he was still quite heartbroken about the death of his godfather Sirius Black and the papers were all abuzz about the events of what happened at the Ministry Of Magic Offices. The order of Phoenix managed to make a good showing of course, besting the death eaters at every turn, well all the death eaters with the exception of Severus Snape. Hermione rolled onto her back as her eyes seemed to bore into the ceiling. She didn't know how many more summers were in her future with both worlds on the brink of war. Her parents were only Muggles and very decent people, they had not the ability to combat what was coming nor did they understand it.

As Hermione remained lying on her rather comfortable looking bed, she quickly recalled a copy of The Daily Prophet had arrived shortly before she'd gone down to supper with her family. She didn't think very highly of the writer but she knew it was the only way to keep up with what was happening within the wizarding world from her home in the Muggle world. She dreaded the news as most of the time it was filled with reports of various death eater attacks and a list of casualties if the victims were of wizarding blood. So far no one she knew had been among them but she still feared for the Muggles whom where merely minding their own business and found themselves running afoul of evil blighters.

Try as she might to ignore it, curiosity got the better of her and perhaps her fear of something happening to those she carried for back in the wizarding world. Hermione sat up and spelled the paper into her hands, taking a deep breath before looking at the cover. The headline was as ghastly as she feared, seven Muggle towns and one wizarding homestead was ravaged by the death eaters at Voldemort's behest. She saw no one familiar in the list of those whom had died with Wizarding blood but she was none too pleased to see the toll of dead Muggles on the page.

This were truly taking a turn for the worst, Sirius Black's unfortunate end had just been the beginning it seemed.

Unable to read any more, Hermione tossed the paper aside and stood straight up pacing the floor of her bedroom as horror set in pertaining to the reality she now lived in. Voldemort was going to kill as many Muggles as he could before all was said and done and that meant her unsuspecting parents would be a prime target.

Her next course of action was clear, following the end of the summer she was going to ensure her parents not only got out of England safely, but they wouldn't remember even having a daughter named Hermione Granger when they did. There was no way she'd let them endure what she knew to be the fate of so many of wizarding and Muggle kind alike.

"I'll spend one last summer with them." she reasoned despite the tears streaming down her cheeks. "One more summer before we go to war."

The decision wasn't an easy one but it had been made and she was determined so see it through no matter the cost.

Her only source of comfort in that moment had been the ring on her finger. Severus Snape had protected her and her friends for years without their knowledge while they spent those care free years at Hogwarts aside from a bit of mischief nothing had been so drastic as third year. Hermione sighed wiping away her tears as she imagined what Severus would have said to her if he'd caught her crying at a time like this.

She was a Gryffindor for Merlin's sake, she had to be strong and brave even in the face of this dire situation. She'd enjoy what could be the final summer The Granger family ever spend together and then she would ensure they got somewhere safe. She'd see this war through for everyone's sake. As Hermione made her way back to bed, she once more thought of her husband. If anything good were to come out of all this mess it would be that she found love and had a future she looked forward to discovering. Voldemort wasn't going to win this war no more than he had the first one, Hermione made up her mind that she wouldn't let him after everything he's ruined and the lives he destroyed. Her parents wouldn't be among them.