Arabella had improved well while at hospital and, with plenty of study materials sent to her by friends and teachers alike, she arrived at Hogwarts in time for Sunday dinner before exams began Monday.

"Ari!" Marina rushed to hug her as she walked into the Great Hall, and the other students turned their heads to see the commotion.

"Give Miss Cook some breathing room, please!" Professor McGonagall huffed. "There is plenty of time to say hello!"

Despite the professor's admonitions, Arabella was simply swarmed by Gryffindors a few feet later, after reaching the table. Once the crowd died down, Hermione greeted her with a hug as the other seventh-year girls had, and they all sat down together to eat. Lily and Arabella huddled together speaking closely for a few moments, as Arabella had not spoken to Lily since her parents died.

It was a bit emotional, though the food and butterbeer did help give a more cathartic tone to the meal rather than a depressing one.

As they were leaving, Arabella called her aside. "Anna," she said, "walk with me."

She held Hermione's hand as if they were elegantly promenading back to the dormitories. As passersby waved and looked on, Hermione decided to feel flattered Slughorn had previously confused her with Arabella, rather than insecure. At least she was pretty enough to be mistaken with the taller brunette, who appeared quite healthy at the moment.

Arabella finally spoke when they had a bit more privacy. "Am I in debt to a Slytherin?" She tossed her perfectly curled hair, sounding unconcerned. "I would hate to find out at a later date and have no way to return the favor."

"I- what do you mean?"

"My Uncle and his wife work at St. Mungo's and they were advising my healing team. They were at a complete loss at what the cause of my ailment could be until they received a tip." Arabella continued to walk and talk in an easygoing manner, but Hermione felt her hand trembling slightly and she realized her carefree attitude was all an act. "The hospital directors were showing some major donors around and mentioned a few details of my case without disclosing who I was. Apparently, one of the donors said it reminded him of a medieval love curse that causes a bad reaction in its recipients."

"I see," Hermione said, keeping Ari's relaxed manner as they walked. There were occasional stops for Arabella to wave to others or say, "yes, I'm doing much better now", throughout their conversation. "And that's how the Amoralato spell came up?" Hermione said in a low voice once they were alone again. "The donor was a Slytherin?"

"The donor was Lucius Malfoy."

Hermione bit hard on her tongue and squeezed Arabella's hand to keep herself from reacting. That was the hardest thing for Hermione. Not reacting. My occlumency is slipping again! I've been so busy studying for N.E.W.T.s I haven't had time…

"I will make sure there is no debt." Hermione reassured her, having deduced as Arabella had that this must have been traced back to Severus in some way. "I had no idea, but…"

"But you have friends who have been helpful."

Hermione exhaled and gave a small smile.

Arabella had shown she was smart enough to understand that Hermione's association with Severus was not purely negative, at least. It seems that some of the others were able to understand this, though Lily, Marina, and the other marauders had a very tit-for-tat view of it, while Calliope, Elpida, and Arabella had grasped that there was something more subtle. When you form a relationship with someone, they do things for you that you can't always predict. Some of those things could indeed be helpful.

Hermione decided she could be honest about that point. "I was brainstorming about what caused the attack with Snape and he seemed to have a revelation he did not share with me. If that revelation led to the cure, I'm glad for it."

"As am I, Anna." They had come to the dormitory, and it was clear Arabella did not want to share this with the others. "By the way, as long as my N.E.W.T.s go well, I should be fine to room with you and Elpida. I won't be moving in as early as you two, but I'll see you near the end of the month."

"Oh?" Hermione frowned.

"Yes, Ellie told me you can move in next Monday. She said the flat will be ready that soon."

It was a long week. Monday through Thursday the N.E.W.T. and O.W.L. tests were administered. There were three subjects given each day, each for 3 hours.

Monday morning from nine to noon Hermione took the History of Magic exam, followed by the afternoon Arithmancy examination from one to four, and the post-dinner Charms examination from six to nine.

After the first day, Hermione was kicking herself for deciding to test on all twelve courses. She didn't need to do Muggle Studies, after all, that was pure puffery.

It's too late to change the schedule now, she groaned internally.

Tuesday was Ancient Runes, Defense against the Dark Arts, and Astronomy. Astronomy might have been one of her worst scores, because she had been very mixed up about the change of seasonality (probably due to time travelling) and realized halfway through the test she had mismarked most of her constellations. She did manage to quickly double back and fix the mistakes, but it meant she only just finished the exam with no time to check her work.

Wednesday was Transfiguration, Care of Magical Creatures, and Muggle Studies. Again, pure puffery. Care of Magical Creatures was a silly choice of exam just as well as Muggle Studies was. Firstly, she couldn't recall why a Hungarian Horntail and a Norwegian Ridgeback had to have vastly different diets nor which region of Romania had the best flora and fauna to be used in dragon healing. However, the very frustrating part was that she waltzed into the Muggle Studies exam far too overconfidently as there were an inordinate number of questions devoted to automotive repair and how to use older model typewriters.

Finally, Thursday was Herbology, Potions, and Divination. She had originally signed up to take the Divination N.E.W.T. in an attempt to throw off anyone overlooking her academic record ("Oh, this must be a mistake- Hermione Granger would never take the Divination N.E.W.T.!" She imagined them saying) but it would also dilute her overall scores. Anna Perri couldn't break the record for best overall N.E.W.T. score, after all, not if she were to remain unremembered. She was sure she would do fine in this regard because by the time she'd reached her Divination exam, she was done caring at all and was writing out predictions based on novels she recalled reading as a child. Firstborn child dies, wife goes mad, lover injured in a sledding accident… Yes, she did her best to bomb that one.

Hermione exited the Great Hall just after nine on Thursday utterly exhausted. She was surprised to find Severus waiting for her, leaning against a column, hands in his pockets.

"What are you doing here?" She frowned, chiding him. "You should be resting."

He chuckled. "You have more to answer for. Divination? Are you serious?"

Hermione grunted as he swung his arm around her and they began walking. The familiarity was unusual for him, but there was hardly anyone around. He steered her towards the library.

"I'm so tired, Severus."

"I know. I won't keep you long."

The library was completely empty. "Nox," Severus said calmly after he pulled out his wand. The library became enshrouded in darkness, only the moonlight streaming through the long windows lighting their path.

"Severus?"

Severus walked her quickly over to the Western corner table, lifted her up to sit on the table as she gave a surprised gasp, and stood between her legs.

"Please, Hermione. I need you." He knelt quickly before her, long hands moving under her skirt. "Lie back."

"Sev- Severus…oh. Ohhhh!"

He paused long enough to remove his lips to speak. "Lie back."

Hermione obediently lay back on the library table, allowing him better access to her. After removing her knickers quickly, he scooted her bottom to the edge of the table, placed her knees on his shoulders and, using his tongue and fingers, spread her open and licked and sucked rapidly.

Hermione moaned and thrashed around on the table, too exhausted to care about the noise she was making or anything else but pure sensation in the darkness. Her hands came to the back of his head, gently pressing him onward, occasionally grasping his dark locks tightly when he stimulated her clit just right.

"Sev- Severus unhh yes, oh yes, there!" She heard him groaning into her sex, aroused by her own pleasure, and sending her further spiraling.

"Yes yes!" She arched her back upward on the table, needing friction against her breasts. Severus need no help at her quim, so her hands frantically grabbed at her own heaving bosom pushing against the fabric of her shirt and bra to stimulate her nipples.

"Severus yes my love yes! Yes! YES!"

She came on his face as he lapped it up. She felt him slowly rise as she continued quivering, but she was still lucid enough to reach out her hand for him. He lifted her up to a sitting position and she reached immediately for his trousers.

"Hermione," he said calmly, stilling her hands, "that is not necessary-"

"Please, Severus! I need you!" She kissed him fiercely and he capitulated easily with a moan, kissing her back and letting her undo his trousers. Hermione made quick work of his lower clothes and impatiently grabbed his hips to bring his cock forward inside her folds.

The couple exhaled together in pleasure.

In the moonlight, they made love on the same table they'd met at so many times before, staring into each other's eyes as they exchanged kisses and thrusts.

They kept the position even after climaxing. He continued kissing her gently, calling her "darling", "sweetheart", and "firebird". She couldn't stop looking into his eyes, gleaming expressively in the moonlight.

By the time she'd gotten back to the dorms, flushed and giddy, it was well past curfew and she had completely forgotten to question him about Malfoy going to St. Mungo's.

Friday afternoon was graduation.

N.E.W.T. scores would be out in a few weeks, leaving the new graduates a short summer holiday with family and friends before starting new positions- or starting to apply to new positions.

Hermione was surprised to learn that morning at breakfast that Lily was beginning Auror training in June along with the boys.

"I want to do what I can to make a difference," Lily said, clearly having been deeply affected by her parents' recent deaths. It surely didn't hurt that this meant she and James did not have to spend the three months of training apart.

Marina was also heading to training, she exclaimed excitedly. She had decided to follow Peter Pettigrew through the rigorous Auror Academy rather than be a hanging-on Quidditch groupie for her sister Marlene. Hermione nodded at the news, but she didn't think Pettigrew had become an auror in the end, so she wondered how that would end for Marina. At any rate, N.E.W.T. scores would dictate final entrance to the Academy so it was still possible that would bar someone at the last minute.

At the end of breakfast, Elpida grabbed Hermione and waved a letter at her.

"Just got this in from Sterling. We need to go into the office."

"Today? He knows we're graduating, right?"

"Yes, but we'll be back in plenty of time if we leave now." She leaned in close so they wouldn't be overheard. "He wanted us to meet with the Lead Time Experimenter he's found before we start next week."

Hermione frowned. "I'm skeptical."

"Cyd likes that." Ellie grinned congenially, her short blonde hair swaying. "Me too."

They met back in the Great Hall within a half hour before walking together to the Hogwarts Gates to apparate to the Ministry.

They passed house elves magically levitating chairs towards the lake, heading towards a speaker's podium already atop a small stage. The viewers would have a beautiful view of the lake down below as the speakers would look towards the castle. It was a picturesque setting, and it would look lovely in the afternoon sun as long as there was a breeze.

"Who's coming to see you graduate, Ellie?" Hermione asked as they turned away from the scene and towards the gates. "Family, I mean."

"My Dad's a muggle, so he can't come. My mum passed away when I was little, so my aunt and my cousin will be here."

"Oh, right. I forgot muggles couldn't see Hogwarts," Hermione mumbled.

"It won't hurt your backstory if your family doesn't show up," Ellie said nonchalantly as they walked. "You're supposed to be here for your safety."

Hermione sighed. She could throw Ellie a bone. "My parents are both muggles. They couldn't come here in any time."

Ellie's eyes widened, realizing that this could count as a bit of disclosure from the time traveler Hermione Granger. "I- if… if you let me report that in your file, you can get paid today."

Hermione snorted. "Maybe. Okay, now your turn. Tell me how we already have a flat available on Monday. That was fast!"

"Well, as all three of us are on payroll- you and I in the department and Arabella as our healer on standby- then we can just expense the cost of rent, especially as it helps your cover to have a home base for time traveling."

"That is… that is convenient," Hermione conceded. "I'm surprised the Ministry spends money that easily."

"Well, you are pretty important. To the Department, I mean." Ellie cleared her throat and turned a bit pink. "Look!" She directed Hermione's attention towards the path. "It's the minister!"

Hermione spotted some people coming away from the Gates as they walked, presumably visitors apparating in. Sure enough, Minister Minchum, a few wizards presumed to be Aurors, and a couple of other officials walked together up towards the castle, passing the girls.

Minchum was heard dictating to a witch by his side who had a quick quotes quill levitating along, taking notes as they walked. "…Dumbledore that we're to see the seating arrangements first thing, then we can discuss the order of speeches…"

"Is Hogwart's graduation always attended by the Minister of Magic?" Hermione asked after they had gone a fair distance past.

"Not sure," Ellie said. "I did hear he wanted to be here for the transfer students as a show of good faith to those fleeing Eastern Europe. I think he and Karkaroff are both supposed to give speeches."

The rest of the trip to the Ministry was straightforward enough, and the two quickly found themselves back in the Department of Mysteries.

"Ah, perfect, wonderful to see you both!" Thucydides Sterling greeted the two in the hallway. "Walk this way with me and I'll introduce you to the Lead Time Experimenter who will be working with you. It won't take much of your time, I know you need to be getting back to Hogwarts!"

Cyd shuffled along the hallway with them. He was slightly shorter than Hermione, who was a head shorter than Elpida.

"Cyd," Hermione said cautiously, "I don't think I want anyone else working on this… project."

"You really are in excellent hands, Anna," Cyd replied, adjusting his pince-nez. "He's top of the line, quite good and discrete. Besides, I think you have a personal connection already."

Hermione stopped walking, wrinkling her brow furiously in thought. This meant that Ellie walked into the office first and she heard her chatting brightly with whoever was inside. Cyd paused at the door and looked back at Hermione, gesturing her forward.

"A personal connection?" Hermione repeated icily.

Cyd succeeded in pushing her forward into the office as she instinctively checked her occlumency shields in the momentary slowdown. She had to be solidly Anna Perri, not a time traveler.

How fortunate she did, too.

"Miss Perri, let me introduce you to Mr. Rookwood. Augustus Rookwood, this is Anna Perri."

"Wonderful to meet you, Miss Perri." Rookwood rose from his seat and smiled courteously. He was not pockmarked yet, nor scarred from time in Azkaban. He was tall, dark-haired, and could be called handsome in a bland sort of way that probably helped ingratiate him to others. "My niece has already told me a bit about you."

"Oh?" Hermione said, trying to be as polite as possible as she thought up her exit strategy. The last time she had seen him was in… well, this very Department… but under very different circumstances.

"Yes, she's graduating today as well, so I will see you both at Hogwarts this afternoon. I can even escort you out if you'd like."

"Yes, that's right, sir." Ellie nodded genially and looked at Hermione in confirmation this was a brilliant idea. "Callie will be happy to see you."

Hermione's heart rate sped up frantically as Sterling rattled on, tugging on his goatee excitedly. "Yes, but first I was hoping we could get all the paperwork facilitated so that Rookwood can come onto the project next week. I can't disclose anything and catch him up to speed until we do that, which is why I was hoping to have you both in today." Cyd moved quickly behind his time-piece-topped desk and shuffled a pile of parchments together, mumbling to himself.

No. No! He can't know these things about me. He can't know I'm a time traveler!

At the confirmation that Rookwood was indeed Calliope's uncle, the pieces finally fit together in Hermione's mind in quite the perfect way to facilitate a speedy exit.

Hermione turned towards the tall, dark-haired figure of Augustus Rookwood and, to the dismay of everyone present, vomited her breakfast all over him.

"Shots for strength, everyone. Drink up." Rosier placed the bottle of firewhiskey on the common room table, next to the shot glasses. Wilkes, Avery, and Mulciber each took a glass that had been poured, but Snape held up a hand to decline.

"I don't drink, Evangelos."

"That's right- I forgot."

"A second for me then." Wilkes clanged his glass down and picked up the shot intended for Severus before downing it. Severus grimaced. Wilkes could do without a second, let alone a first.

"Where's Black?" Avery said, looking around. "Sleeping like everyone else?" As classes had ended for the year and graduation was not till afternoon, many of the Slytherins were sleeping late that morning.

"No," Rosier answered. "He's off coordinating the transfers. He worked well as a recruiter."

"Better than you, Snape." Mulciber smiled nastily. "You've been too busy with your lady friend."

He gave a sly smile at the mention of Hermione. "At least I haven't had to use my hand, Milton," Severus said calmly, getting the other to drop his own smile and scowl. "I've still managed to be productive."

"Don't get started." Rosier put his hand between the two to stave off any conflict. "Let's go over the plan once more. We should have enough time to execute if we wait until just after you walk, Milton. Severus and I can stay with those waiting to walk and Paul," he pointed to Wilkes, "you're at the end of the alphabet so you can leave with John and Milton to lead everyone from the castle. If you come around the side instead of straight down the path you should be able to hide behind the trees for a bit."

"But," Mulciber interrupted. "We'll be seen once we reach the lake."

"It's fine if you're seen," Rosier said. "You, Avery, and Wilkes can come back and sit down. The others will wait and come out from the tree line at the right time." He looked pointedly at Avery. "You know the key moment during Karkaroff's speech. We'll wait for your signal."

"Karkaroff is confirmed?" Avery said, surprised. "No one told me he was on board for certain!"

Rosier turned to Snape, looking for confirmation. The others followed suit.

"Oh, he's confirmed," Severus said, smirking. "He had some last-minute apprehension, but the handler is… handling him, so to speak."

"Way to make an impression, Annie. Blech!" Ellie closed the washroom door as they entered and performed a few cleansing charms on Hermione's robes. "At least it wasn't me you chucked up on. He didn't look very-"

"Shh! There's no time!" Hermione performed a cleansing spell of her own before sending a quick silencing spell and a locking spell at the door for good measure. At Ellie's confused look, she tried to explain. "What has Callie been up to lately? You see her movements better than I do as she's in Ravenclaw. Where has she been going? Who has she been talking to?"

"I- I mean- she's been studying for N.E.W.T.s like everyone else."

"Come on! More specifically?"

Ellie frowned in thought, still looking suspiciously at Hermione. "I know she was working on Astronomy and Defense more than I expected." Hermione gestured with her hands for her to elaborate. "I mean… last week she was going up to the Astronomy tower at night to study the stars and she was taking advantage of Karkaroff's office hours to work on Defense."

"You're sure she was going to the Astronomy tower?" Hermione said rapidly, having started twisting her hands in thought.

"Well… I didn't follow her or anything…." Ellie trailed off, seeing her friend's further reaction to that news. "What is going on?"

"This is for your ears only until we get Sterling on board. Do you trust me?"

"I trust your judgment-"

"No! Don't trust my judgment. That's been my problem!" Hermione said bitterly. My judgment has been severely compromised this entire time. "Trust me to know the future. Rookwood is a Death Eater."

"What?!" Ellie's mouth hung open in astonishment.

"It's certain. He's one of the worst."

"He- but- but his reputation in this Department… in the Ministry! He can't be… he has connections all the way to the top-"

There was a knock on the washroom door. "Ladies? Everyone alright in there?" Sterling's voice came through the door, though he couldn't hear anything on their end with the silencing spells.

"I- I thought he was ironclad," the blonde girl whispered, looking shell-shocked.

"Calliope has been reporting everything back to him." Hermione said pointedly before canceling her silencing spell and calling out, "We're fine! Be out in a minute!"

Ellie's eyes narrowed, gaze wandering around the room as she put together the pieces in her mind that Hermione already had.

Hermione was still missing some of it.

Callie has been reporting everything to her Uncle Rookwood, who is definitely outed as a Death Eater in a few years, but probably is one right now. Calliope is friendly with the Slytherins… Severus…

"Bloody Hell!"

Hermione cancelled her locking spell, and wrenched the door to the washroom open, knocking Ellie off balance and causing her to stumble. Sterling was standing there, but Rookwood was nowhere in sight, probably having left to get himself cleaned up as well.

"Thucydides Sterling! You will get no further cooperation from me if Rookwood is put anywhere near this case!" Hermione snarled, hair frizzed out and wild.

"But- but-"

"No exceptions! Write it into my contract before I say another word to you, and I'll give you a detailed report in exchange!"

Sterling looked horrified, but nodded blankly, mouth agape. He looked as if he had greyed even more at this news (especially as this meant he would be the only Lead Experimenter on the project and it would be much more of a workload), but Hermione had already reached behind her and tugged Ellie quickly out of the room.

"We need to get back to Hogwarts! Now!"