Severus seemed determined to make this time as romantic as possible for Hermione. Once they were back in the upstairs room, he took care to undress her slowly. Every bit of skin received a kiss as soon as it was revealed.

He began kissing her lips softly before moving slowly down her neck. When her neck and upper chest were duly adored and her breathing was beginning to quicken, his long fingers made their way to the bottom of her jumper, delicately pulling it up. He had to remove his lips when it was taken off, coming over her head, but he nudged her down to lie on the bed just after, kissing down her newly exposed chest.

As sweet and delicate as he was trying to be, he could not resist her breasts, it seemed. Once he kissed his way to them, his hands came on either side to cup and rub through the fabric of her bra as she arched into them. His mouth continued its motions around each curve and in the cleavage of her breasts, making her began to ache and tighten.

"They are perfect breasts," he mumbled over her skin, continuing to stroke and pinch her nipples through the bra. "Full but not too large…" She whimpered, arching upward, trying to get his mouth to replace his hands and his hands to remove the bra entirely. Severus moved slowly and deliberately, however, so she began to rub her crotch up against him. With his tall body against hers, she was pushing her pelvis up against his torso. She couldn't feel his arousal based on how far down his body was, which was even more frustrating.

"Please," she whispered.

"Yes?"

"I want you."

"And you will have me," he reassured her, continuing to kiss the swell of her breasts and flick their points with his long fingers. "But not too quickly. I want to savour you."

Hermione let out a mix between a moan and an exasperated huff, but she used her hands to stroke his hair. Her fingers pulled through his think dark strands and massaged his scalp. After some attention there, she gently pressed his face downward, and she could almost feel his smirk.

"Ohhh, yes," she hissed.

He had complied, not by removing the bra, but he did replace his fingers with his lips and began to lick and suck her tits through the fabric of the bra. First the one breast got enough sucks and nibbles to cause her to arch her body roughly against him and groan before he languidly, licking, moved to the other side.

"You're torturing me!" She whined, squeezing her eyes shut and arching up into his mouth again. She felt as if she couldn't keep her back on the bed at all.

"Mmmm," he hummed in his low baritone. "Delicious. I need a full taste."

Severus pulled the cups of her bra down, exposing her fully without bothering to unhook the bra. Instead of immediately bringing his mouth to her, he held her down by the ribs and blew air on her sensitive flesh.

Hermione moaned loudly. "Severus, Severus please!"

"Please?" He asked curiously.

"Suck my tits, my god, please!" She grabbed the back of his head roughly and pushed it. He complied, taking her pink nub in his mouth and sucking, flicking his tongue back and forth.

Hermione sighed in relieved pleasure, removing one hand from the back of his head and moving it down between them to reach her jeans.

Severus, without removing his mouth, grabbed her wrist and tugged her hand back above her head, holding it there. "Ah ah ah," he tutted after releasing her breast with a pop. "Do I need to tie your hands, Hermione? Leave that to me to take care of."

She groaned in pleasure and pent-up desire. He slowly kissed his way back to the other breast and sucked that one languidly, still holding one hand above her head. Her other hand had remained in his hair, and she was struggling to keep from ripping those dark locks out to keep herself from shaking uncontrollably.

"Pleassssee Severus… uhhh, yes!" She was writhing beneath him as she became more and more incoherent.

His lips released her other breast with another loud popping sound.

He raised himself up, straddling her as he removed her bra completely and threw it to the floor. His dark eyes were captivating as he took in her half naked, quaking form.

As he looked down at the angel beneath him, wild curly hair splayed around her, breasts heaving, his heart burned and pounded against his chest. Perfection. Sweet, soft, rosy perfection.

"Now for the rest," Severus hissed, sounding almost angry at her clothing. Rather than get off the bed to maneuver better, he lowered himself. After kissing her lips languidly and pressing his body against her, he slid himself down to her jeans, swiftly unbuttoning them.

Hermione panted, both hands fisted in his dark locks as he removed the offending garment, leaving her in only silk panties.

He hummed his appreciation before softly brushing his fingertips over her mound, fabric still impeding the sensation.

"Ohhh!"

"Yes?"

"More!" Hermione's throat was dry and she shoved his face closer into her crotch, far past feeling embarrassment. Severus complied with more, but the more was still only with his fingers and only over the fabric which was quickly becoming quite wet with arousal.

"UGHH! Severus, please!" Hermione removed her hands from his hair and grabbed the sides of her panties, pulling them down. She felt Severus grab her hands, keeping her panties partway on, but she had succeeded in exposing herself to him.

Severus made a groaning sound. "Fuck, you're wet." He released a hand on hers in order to his insert a finger slowly inside her, spreading the juices around her folds and up to her clit.

"Please, please please..." Hermione began to chant as she writhed beneath him, still cognizant enough not to hump his face, but slowly losing coherent thought. Her hands had returned to grabbing his hair, her movement still partly trapped by her locked thighs.

Severus did not answer, but continued to slowly caress her with his fingers, his thumb finally, FINALLY beginning slow circles on and around her clit.

"Oh yes please yes there yes Sev Sev oh yes uhh!"

When she finally felt herself close, oh so so close, his fingers were gone.

She half-gasped, half-sobbed in frustration until she felt his mouth once again replace those beautiful hands.

"Severus! Yes!"

His tongue was licking its way around her folds, journeying to her clit and back, building her higher and higher. She was already shaking with desire, holding onto his hair as best she could to keep her steady.

His lips returned again to her clit and sucked, flicking it with his tongue.

"Oh yes! Severus yes yes yes yes ohhhh yes!"

She released his hair and scrambled her hands up to her own breasts to pinch and twist the nipples. His tongue continued to suck and lap at her down below, but he had tugged and ripped the panties off in his own frustration.

With Hermione completely naked, he was able to lift her hips and buttocks with his hands and help arch her pussy closer to his face. She felt him moaning into her clit as he licked and sucked, causing it to vibrate.

"Fuck yes! Severus yes love yes ohhh yes! YES! YES! FUCK GOD YES!"

Hermione came all over his face, moaning and shaking for dear life. Severus continued to lap at her, licking up her fluids as she saw small blinking lights in front of her eyes.

"Severus," she whispered. "Severo mio."

Somehow in her daze she managed to miss him lowering her hips, rising from the bed, and removing his own clothes because when he came to meet her on the bed face to face, he was also naked.

"Hermione," he rumbled, voice deep with lust as he met her eyes. "You are incredible." She felt his manhood pressed against her thigh. "If you are still sure…" Severus stroked her face with a long finger, desperately searching her eyes with a hungry but fearful look.

She kissed him, too lost for words.

He was not foolish enough to waste the opportunity and quickly positioned himself. Severus knelt above her, holding himself up and slowly as he could inserting his manhood into her womanhood, joining them officially.

"Oh, that-" Hermione frowned in surprise at the feeling as she couldn't quite turn her brain off, needing to analyze the new sensation and ponder at how it felt versus what she had anticipated.

Then she felt him push forward and, as prepared as her body was, it took her off guard. It didn't hurt, just… she felt uncomfortably full.

After a brief pause in which he locked eyes with her, she squeezed his biceps lightly and nodded that he could go on.

Severus lay atop her, pumping his body slowly up and down and kissing her lips as his cock slid in and out of her folds.

Gradually, it started to not feel so odd and began to feel arousing for her. It was slowly growing from feeling too full to feeling better and better, to feeling absolutely not full enough- how could he pull out when he had to stay just there- THERE and go even deeper. Experimentally, she pushed back against him as he thrust into her and they both moaned together.

"Ohhh," she half sighed with delight.

Severus growled and sped up his thrusts. "Hermione," he hissed at her. "Come again. Come for me again."

"Mmmm yes Sev- Severus ohhh…"

He grabbed her hips and pounded into her, almost angrily, as she moaned loudly and arched up into him. Her hands found her own breasts again, rubbing, caressing, and playing with them directly in front of his eyes.

"Fuck," he grunted. Her tits displayed before him were driving him further and further to the edge of insanity. His hands gripped her hips tightly and she felt his cock fill her completely.

"Uhh FUCK! You are mine, sweet witch!" Severus rumbled as he continued thrusting deeply in and out, in and out. His deep husky voice alone made Hermione shudder and finally break beneath him, crying out as he did. "My….uhh…Hermione, MINE!"

Severus lowered his head to kiss her lips as he came inside her.

Hermione whimpered as she felt him pulse inside of her, prolonging her own throbbing ecstasy for a few precious seconds. Severus lay atop her, breathing heavily as she held him from around the neck and stroked her fingers through his hair.

She barely noticed as he took care of the spell and extraction with only a slight movement and readjustment. They fell asleep together in the nude, her flushed face on his chest as he held her tightly.

Hermione foolishly persuaded Severus that she did actually need to study for N.E.W.T.s that week. This was foolish because they woke up naked together and, naturally, Severus had to make sure he had truly deflowered her. Then, both of them were an absolute mess (with greasy hair and bushy, frizzy hair respectively) and they had to shower, and why wouldn't they do that together as well. Once showering, well, it was purely scientific, the experimentation to see if everything worked as well under water as it did over sheets…

Severus was incorrigible, she told him, though it's not like Hermione was deterring him with that lovely pink blush and those kiss-bitten lips, he told her.

The following day, this time, she was determined to get work done. She woke up while Severus was still in a post-sex stupor. Throwing on one of his shirts and a pair of her underwear, she made her way downstairs to the kitchen and began working at the table. She was able to brush up on the subjects she hadn't been taking during the year. History of Magic, Astronomy, Care of Magical Creatures….

Severus came down not too long after and, seeing him come down the stairs shirtless and noting the glint in his eyes, she grabbed a few books and hurried on back upstairs.

Once she moved onto the more difficult subjects, she found herself deep in the pages, lying on her stomach peering over a Defense Against the Dark Arts book.

"Hermione…" She half heard his voice softly call to her. Still immersed in the text, she made a non-committal sound and continued to chew on the end of her quill.

Hermione continued to read, barely noticing the light brushing sensation moving up her legs. After a few more strokes, she began to breathe more deeply through her nose, trying and failing to suppress a blush and growing smile on her face.

"Oh stop," she said, terribly unconvincingly. She didn't turn around and continued facing the book.

"Keep reading," the deep voice replied, sending a chill down her body. "Don't mind me."

His hands kept moving up her legs til they reached her thighs. She felt both palms flat on her legs and brush slowly up to her buttocks, reaching the fabric of her panties. Hermione tensed her leg muscles and gripped the quill tightly, trying to be stoic and remain unaffected in the face of such temptation.

"What are you reading?" She heard him ask in a low voice, his hands continuing to move and squeeze each one of her cheeks. She didn't answer, but her traitorous body did press back into his hands in encouragement.

"I can help you to recall a theorem," his hands began to move out from under the fabric of her underwear and pull it slowly down her legs, "if you are having difficulty with one." His molten voice simply added to the distraction.

"I… um…" She was having difficulty recalling anything right now, that was certain. She felt the fabric leave her feet and Severus's hands linger at her ankles. Now that seemed unfair. Her ankles weren't wet and flushed with desire right now. "I'm not- not sure," she finally managed to say.

"Hmmm," He murmured. "Perhaps I should see the book."

With one fluid motion, he grabbed her ankles and pulled her legs off the bed, her upper legs stopped by his standing at the edge of the bed, leaving her completely exposed and pressed back against his pelvis. He dropped her ankles as she fell and grabbed her hips so she would land exactly right. She gave a surprised shriek as she was pulled and an involuntary "unh" as she landed, pressing herself back against him.

"The book," he hissed, unable to pretend he was unaffected by the position he created. She could feel him hard against her bottom, gripping her hips and pressing against them.

"The book?" Hermione really had no thoughts left.

Severus, in an utmost show of magical power and prowess, Hermione realized much later when she could think about it, managed to wandlessly summon the book down the bed and rest it in front of Hermione's face again, all while gripping her hips and pressing his manhood against her.

"Read," he hissed at her. He sounded incredibly like his older, professorial self if he hadn't been moving a hand around to finger her folds.

"Mmmph!" His fingers deftly played her folds like piano keys, already bringing her near crescendo.

"Aloud."

"The… the stance of a…unh…. Of a defender should be with wand…ohhhhhh…. With wand out and pointed…..ohhh yes!" He'd placed a finger fully inside her and began pumping it up and down. "Please don't stop!"

"Continue to read. You must study, after all." His panting, raspy breath gave away his lack of control, but she was sure he could perfect this kind of torture in twenty years or even less.

"With wand out and pointed… at the attacker… for the purposes of… FUCK! SEV! YES!" Hermione couldn't help but launch her behind into the air and push up and down against his fingers, now two inside her, pleasuring her.

"Yes what," he growled, losing all illusion and using both hands. One inside her and one to twist and flick her clit.

"YES! YES! YES!" She rocked back and forth against his hands, using the large book only to steady herself and help her to sway. Once she starting shuddering, unable to control her shaking, Severus quickly removed his hands, dropped his trousers and entered her from behind.

"Study all you want," he muttered as he pressed her down against the bed, rapidly pushing in and out of her. "You study… you study your books…. I…nnggh… I learn your body."

It was a very thorough study session, as they were quite sweaty and exhausted by the end. Hermione discovered she could orgasm far more times than she thought if she were first pleasured before entrance and that particular position was quite enjoyable.

Nevertheless, she still swatted Severus' chest in annoyance when they were cleaned up and naked together on the bed, but he was unperturbed. He grinned and chuckled at her as she gave a scowling pout.

"How am I supposed to get any studying done?" She exclaimed. "When you keep trying to… to distract me!"

He smirked at her. "I could say the same thing. Now we are both less likely to distract each other for a few hours."

She huffed in annoyance, but it was ruined by the glow she had gotten from the bedroom studying.

The remaining days of Easter break she was able to understand the routine.

Rise early to study before Severus wakes, shag him before breakfast, or just after breakfast, or in the middle of breakfast if he gets impatient and pushes you onto the table, and then study for a few hours until lunch. If lunch is to be followed by an afternoon nap, then you must be thoroughly exhausted enough to both sleep, so be sure to have a very intense session of studying new positions. Then, there will be enough time to cook dinner, or study while you watch him cook dinner as he's a much better cook anyway, then eat and study for a little bit before a session of soft kissing that will certainly lead to more, but will be of a sweeter and gentler tone than the morning and afternoon bedroom study.

As much as the routine repeated, she didn't think she could ever get tired of it if they did it forever.

For the rest of their lives.

Though she knew they couldn't.

"Wonderful! Miss Dalton, Miss Perri, come with me please." Thucydides Sterling nodded the young women into his office, standing by the door and shutting it behind him.

"So good to see you again, Miss Dalton. Why don't you ladies take a seat?" They both sat in chairs in front of his desk. They were comfortable but seemed somewhat out of place in the laboratory-like office. Cyd Sterling seemed out of place as well- more the graying professorial type than the experimenter. The many clocks and watches on his desk fit his personal aesthetic far more than the remainder of the rooms they had passed through to get there.

"Now before we begin, I must ask for your wands. I apologize, but it's procedural." Hermione wrinkled her nose and frowned slightly, but still kept her composure. Sterling acknowledged her discomfort. "If you would feel more comfortable, I can call Delia back in to observe?"

"No, no, that's alright." Hermione and Elpida took out their wands and held them out to be taken. Sterling gently took Hermione's and set it on his desk.

"Thank you," he said in a sing-song tone, glancing down at some parchment on his desk and marking something off. He then placed her wand in a drawer in his desk and locked it. "And now Miss Dalton, if you would…" He trailed off and Elpida gingerly held her wand out.

Sterling took it, placed it on his desk and looked down at the parchment. "Let's see… Come over here, Elpida, is this right?" He gestured for her to come around his side of the desk and view what was written on the parchment. As soon as she had, he stood up, handed the wand back to her, and said, "perfect. Wait here."

Elpida stood behind the desk, looking a bit puzzled but still standing holding her wand. Sterling came around the desk and took her previous seat, turning it to face Hermione's.

"Can you turn your chair this way, facing me, please Miss- thank you. Ellie, please stay where you are, and we shall begin." Cyd Sterling cleared his throat, and… waited.

After about thirty seconds of silence that was growing a bit uncomfortable, he spoke.

"Now, Miss Perri, I am disarmed, you are disarmed, we are facing each other seated. You are feeling at ease, I hope?"

"Er…" Hermione glanced over at Ellie, who still looked confused. She shrugged as if to say, This didn't happen to me, but go with it. "I'm a bit confused, sir, I'll admit."

"Not fearful, though? Sometimes these interviews can be a bit intimidating. Perhaps even shocking or unnerving. I apologize, but I don't know your reactions, so I just wanted to put you at ease and let you know you are not in any danger. Miss Dalton- Ellie-" He gestured back at her behind the desk, "has her wand and she is your friend and my employee, so she is motivated to keep the peace."

Sterling reached over to the desk and pulled one of the parchments off, before angling back into the seat and facing Hermione again.

Hermione was feeling a lot warier than she appeared, but she was trying her best to keep a stony expression. Think like Severus, be cool and calm!

"Department of Mysteries employment contract?" Hermione half-gasped as she read. Ellie let out a gasp as well but hers was a bit perturbed. Hermione glanced up at her, mouth still open slightly.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" Ellie scoffed jealously. "I had to sign an obliviation agreement before I even knew for sure what I was being offered!"

"Well, we didn't have to do that in this case," Sterling replied calmly, adjusting his pince-nez. "She's already signed it."

"What?" Hermione blurted, jumping down to the end of the parchment and seeing her signature.

Her signature.

HER signature.

Hermione Jean Granger

"I believe there's been some sort of mistake," she whispered.

"No mistake," Sterling said, just as calmly as before. "Again, remember, you are in no danger here. We at the Department of Mysteries are fantastic at keeping secrets. The Unspeakables won't speak about it! That would be a great catch phrase," he smiled, looking over at Ellie, "too bad no one cares about a slogan, because that'd draw too much attention. Alas, some of my ideas necessarily get overlooked."

Hermione felt her fingers starting to go numb. She wasn't taking enough breaths, that was it. She almost felt like the walls were closing in on her slowly.

I've failed, I've been found out. This ruins all timelines doesn't it? What about Severus, can he be kept safe? Anyone else? Lily, James, Harry? The Wizarding…

She felt a mug thrust into her hand. Ellie was kneeling beside her. "Have some water." The blonde was looking up at her, concerned. "Please drink something."

Slow sips of water did appear to help stabilize the moving walls.

"Deep breaths." Hermione obeyed, forcing herself to raise her occlumency shields.

Occlumency helped immensely with this. Her vision grew clearer, and she was aware of her surroundings again. She was seriously out of practice, forgetting to set the time aside when staying with Severus. She made a mental note that she must prioritize her meditation and occlumency shield shuffling again.

"I'm fine. I'm alright." Hermione sat up in her chair and handed the mug back to Ellie.

"Are you sure? We can take a few more minutes…"

"No, Ellie, it's best to get it all out, I think. That way… Hermione? Hermione can feel some peace of mind." Sterling motioned Ellie to stand and back away again, which she did reluctantly.

"You have already signed this contract because you signed it in the future and sent it back to us here. It arrived the same day as the time return message from Elpida Dalton did." Sterling handed Hermione the same parchment he had handed Ellie a few months previously.

Experiment #394: Time-Return Message

Subject Anna H. Perri graduated Hogwarts class of 1978. Subject alias Hermione J. Granger born 1979. Subject contract to start Friday, April 7, 1978.

Lead Time Experimenter,

Elpida E. Dalton

Sent May 21, 1987

"Now, I had never heard of either of you before, but it was clear that there were some great leaps and bounds in Time Studies that allowed for messages to be sent back to us. I sought out Ellie here first and once she accepted her contract, she brought you here for your interview."

Hermione read through the parchment in silence until she had it memorized. She looked up at Sterling and then at Ellie, who had a guilty, pleading look on her face.

"My name isn't Hermione Granger. It's Anna Perri." She mumbled, hoping for a loophole. "According to this, Hermione Granger hasn't been born yet."

"Yes, I suppose that's true." Sterling allowed calmly, folding his hands together. He said nothing else, and Hermione realized he was right in that it made no difference what her name was now. They still knew she didn't belong here.

"What… what am I expected to do?" She said hoarsely, at least wanting to know how screwed she really was.

"Actually," Sterling raised his eyebrows and opened his hands in an offering-like gesture. "That is really up to you. We will compensate you very well as a Time Studies subject and…" he shrugged. "That's it."

"What do you mean, that's it?" The tone she let out definitely sounded like it could have come from Snape. Thinly-veiled anger and suspicion.

"We know you are a time traveler, we know you go by the aliases of Anna Perri and Hermione Granger, we know Anna Perri's graduation date and Hermione Granger's birth year, but apart from that," Sterling shrugged again. "Oh wait, what else? Yes, your contract start date is today. Really, quite a cushy position because ministry retirement is in 20 years and it sounds like you could get paid out pretty quickly."

Hermione stared at him in disbelief.

"I'm very serious, Miss- oh, please at least tell me if you prefer Anna or Hermione, because too many names is going to confuse me." He shook his head congenially. Hermione didn't answer but looked over at Ellie.

After staring her down for a little, first with suspicion, then anger, then hurt, then… some odd type of acceptance, she turned back to Sterling.

"There's no catch?" Was it the occlumency that made her sound so terse? Really would explain the older Severus' acerbic speaking style.

"There is absolutely no catch. In the interest of full initial disclosure, however, you may want to help us study your time-traveling experience because… we can help you! As a time traveler, I'm sure you've run into issues of some kind. Your backstory checking out, unfamiliarity with important dates or cultural references, perhaps any physical or mental changes that may be occurring due to time-travel side effects?" Thucydides Sterling looked excited, but wasn't overly pushy. He did actually seem interested in helping, if only motivated by discovery.

"So, this is why you've been my alibi, Ellie? My 'backstory checking out'?" Hermione glanced at her angrily again.

"Not… not at first." Elpida said quietly, looking down. "Actually, I hadn't thought it through all the way. I wasn't thinking about time travel."

"But you were thinking about it being a job."

"Not at first. I was just more inclined to help you after finding out, even if I didn't trust you completely. We were friends first."

"Friendship is a good basis for this kind of working relationship," Sterling commented. "Don't let the words 'subject' and 'experimenter' throw you. Really the intention is just to help you with your time-traveling journey and if you throw us the occasional bone and tell us anything that can help with future time-traveling research developments that would be splendid."

"That's all?"

"I will write you a Ministry paycheck to cash at Gringotts this minute if you can tell us something- anything about your time travel."

"Anything?" Hermione frowned skeptically. "Even if you already know it?"

"I've already stated what we know for sure," Sterling gave her the same look as before, hands open. The look that said, Come on, this is so easy for you!

Hermione looked back at the parchment even though she already had it memorized. She decided on something they could have easily deduced on their own based on her birth year and how old she appeared to be.

"I came back twenty years."

"Delia!" Thucydides Sterling turned and called into the hall as the door magically swung open. "Delia, please add Miss…" He looked back at her.

Hermione sighed, "For now, Anna Perri." She glared at Ellie out the corner of her eyes. "We can't have any slipups at Hogwarts."

"Please add Miss Perri to the payroll!" Cyd Sterling turned back and smiled genially at her. "Welcome aboard, Miss Perri."

She grimaced in return.

"Rosier and I have figured it out," Snape reported. He was speaking through the Floo in the upstairs room of Spinner's End. The shorter figure on the other end glowed green.

"Good. What do you have for me?"

"We have an access point to the castle through his family's estate. It should be easy enough to get everyone in place the day of and they will come in on the seventh floor." Severus was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace as he spoke. "The overall plan remains the same?"

"The plan doesn't concern you, Snape."

"Fuck it doesn't. You owe me, Karkaroff owes me, you both should be bloody lucky I haven't blown the whole thing to shit after that mistake of his."

An exasperated sigh came through the other end. "He was still angry about the feather-"

"Does. The plan. Remain. The same."

"You aren't in charge now, Snape!"

"Please," he sneered. "You would only be so lucky if I were in charge. Yes, you are the one in charge and therefore you must answer for all the imbecilic mistakes of those made under you. I can still capsize the whole event and it wouldn't be to your benefit at all, would it?"

A long pause from the other end of the Floo call. The voice finally caved and, resignedly, reported to Snape.

"Yes, the plan remains the same. Minister Minchum will be exposed as working alongside the Muggle authorities and the other pro-Muggle members of the Hogwarts Board. Karkaroff will list the allegations in his address, which is when the demonstrators will file in."

"The non-violent demonstrators." Snape clarified pointedly.

"Well, as you so aptly pointed out, people can decide on their own to go rogue," the handler replied bitingly, voice cracking slightly. "Everyone has been given orders, but you know they'll defend themselves if they have to."

"As they should," Snape answered evenly. "The impact will be made if our side can keep control of their emotions over… others."

"Look, I'll do what I can do, but you know how Mulciber and Wilkes can be."

"I recommend they be in the second wave of demonstrators then." Snape said calmly. "Have them patrol the perimeter as backup."

"Why don't I just tell the Dark Lord this is your show then? Then you'd reap the consequences for these recommendations."

Snape chuckled. "Good luck with that. 'My Lord, I'm deep undercover as a non-Slytherin, I recruited most of the transfer students and a Durmstrang Professor. I'm in sole command of multiple recruits at Hogwarts, but I handed the operation over to the Half-blood who couldn't recruit anyone.'"

A not-so-long pause this time.

"Fine. Anything else?"

"You are still agreed to support my courtship to Perri when we meet with the Dark Lord?"

An incredulous tone followed. "She's going along with all this?"

"She must."

"Don't hate me."

"Hmph."

Ellie and Hermione were sitting on the floor in a long hallway in the Department of Mysteries corridor while Cyd "processed paperwork". For a magical working environment, it sure seemed to be taking excessively long. Hermione began to suspect he was leaving them alone on purpose so they could sort out their differences.

"It's a bit ironic you're so angry with me for keeping it a secret," the taller girl said finally. "Seeing as you were perfectly fine lying to everyone for months."

"Hello, nice to meet you all, I'm from the future. Please be my friend, don't mind that I know what's going to happen in your lives and I'm probably powerless to stop it." Hermione grumbled sardonically. She was doing a great Severus impersonation today.

"That bad, is it?"

"You apparently live till at least 1987, so count yourself as one of the lucky ones."

That kept Ellie quiet for a bit. Still, after a bit of silence she pressed on.

"So, there's a good reason for hanging out with Snape so much, I gather? Something from the future that you know about?"

Hermione sighed. "Yes."

"Not a Death Eater, then?" She received no response. "This doesn't change things about sharing a flat with Arabella and I, does it? Honestly, it means I could help cover for you if you're travelling. I'll just tell everyone you're in testing and development for the Department of Transportation, which is why you're out of town for a while-"

Hermione turned her head to stare at her aghast. "Why do you think I should suddenly trust you?"

Ellie had the good sense to look a bit guilty. "I suppose because I'm contractually obligated to work in your best interest?"

Hermione couldn't help but snort and give a small half-smile. "Contractually obligated."

"That's right. We can probably let Calliope in on the secret soon too." At the furious look she received, Ellie put her hands up. "I wouldn't be breaking any rules! That's the reason I told you she was above board. I found out that Callie's uncle works in this Department, and he'll probably get her a job here too, come graduation. It explains why she's so secretive and trying to pass things through her uncle first."

Hermione groaned. "Are there any other surprises out of left field? This is too… coincidental!" Must be that pesky fate thing.

Right on cue, Thucydides Sterling opened the door beside them leading back into the offices. "Everything is taken care of, ladies! One last thing is that we need a healer contact just in case of emergency. Do you have a particular person in mind you'd want listed on file?"

Ellie started holding her sides and guffawing with laughter as Hermione sunk further down the wall. As she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, she heard Sterling say, "A junior provisional healer works fine for now! I'll add Arabella Cook, you say?"

Despite how ludicrous it all was, Hermione did feel that she could trust Cyd and Ellie. They'd made good on the hefty paycheck for no work at all and had her look over their own secrecy bindings and contracts. No unbreakable vows, but there were some pretty nasty side effects of spilling the beans on anything they'd encounter when working with her. They would have to have their own personal potions master and healer to counteract those curses.

So yes, trust was bolstered a lot by the fine print, but Ellie had been fine about helping her at Hogwarts as well. Checking up on Callie, looking out for Lily, giving her alone time with Severus…

There would be a lead time experimenter working with her, Ellie, and Cyd as well, who would be vetted and introduced shortly. "I'm thinking about a few candidates already in the Department currently wrapping up other projects. We'll have you meet with someone next month when you both start."

Graduation was already next month.

That next month was in fact, an indistinguishable blur. On returning to Hogwarts, the easy spring period had given way to an unsettled atmosphere. Seventh-year students were all panicking cramming for their N.E.W.T.s and finally realizing they'd have to start careers soon, spending little time together and rushing quickly from the library to the common room after classes and meals.

Callie was rarely to be seen and when she was, appeared quite ghostlike and gaunt. Lily was coping with the recent family deaths by clinging to James to the exclusion of all others, leaving both her friends and his grumpy. Marlene had accepted an offer to play for the Sweetwater All-Stars, an American Quidditch team, and Marina appeared torn between following her sister to the States and following Peter Pettigrew around, who would probably not make it through Auror training.

It was now Elpida's job to cheer everyone up, as she already had guaranteed employment and her N.E.W.T.s practically didn't matter. She wasn't bad at it. Ellie's tall frame, affable nature, and ability to play and discuss Quidditch reminded Hermione a bit of Ron. Hermione did miss Harry and Ron, but both as friends. There was no thought of Ron being anything else now that she had Severus.

Hermione, despite herself, still felt that her N.E.W.T.s mattered. After all, she wouldn't go to her own seventh year at Hogwarts- she'd found that much out.

She was able to sneak away from the special second Easter feast for the transfer students in order to meet with Severus in the library. As delicious as a lamb feast sounded, this was something she could miss. There was no time for intimacy, only for the quick exchange of information.

"My Potions mastery was approved."

"I thought we already knew that. You showed me de Grasse's letter."

Severus's eyes bored into hers.

"Oh. You meant… by him." He nodded jerkily. "That's good," Hermione said half-heartedly. "How about everything else? Not in any… trouble?"

"No." Severus looked as if he wanted to tell her more but couldn't. "All… good."

"Okay…" Hermione decided to change the subject. "N.E.W.T. studying going alright?"

"I should be fine. With my O.W.L.s, as long as I hit an Outstanding in Potions and finish the other exams with decent marks, the mastery can proceed."

"When do you leave?"

He pursed his lips closed. "The week after graduation."

"That soon?!" Hermione exclaimed. She let out a long sigh. "It's just as well. Ellie got me a job at the Ministry and I start that following week as well."

"Oh?"

"Department of Transportation." She mumbled. "Actually," she brightened up a little. "I'll be travelling for work… maybe I can visit you in France."

"Perhaps. I'll be very busy. I want to finish the programme as quickly as possible." At Hermione's crestfallen face, he raised her chin and kissed her. "I just mean while I'm occupied. I still have one weekend a month. I can come to you then or you can come to me."

"You promise?" Now that was stupid, Hermione. You aren't going to stay long-term anyway! More promises he shouldn't give you.

"Of course," he whispered, fingers still lifting her chin up. "I can't go without you for long, you know that."