A/N: I'm sorry I couldn't get this to you yesterday. Honestly, I couldn't do it, I did try more than once, but it's my kid's birthday and life is life, ya know. So yeah, sorry about that. Today has been a weird day, tomorrow I go back to the grindstone. Life continues to be rather mundane but hey, I'm here. I hope to have one by next Sunday as per use (ughe? How does one spell that) but I do work Saturday so if nobody comes to bother me, then the chances are high. If it's busy, then chances are... less high. Anyway. Enjoy. Love and appreciate you all x

-0-

Hermione wasn't sure what was going on, except she shot up from where she had lain on the sofa visiting Lucia and Amalle and rushed right out of the room screaming at Michael to warn Albus. It wasn't until she was half way down the path to the South Gate that she realised what she was doing.

"Fuck it," she growled, rolling her neck, even as she jogged.

She swung open the gate to give herself a little help avoiding all the protections on the castle and stepped forward with a roar. She arrived wherever Minerva was in flames and they did abate when she saw what was happening.

In fact, if anything, they got stronger.

Severus was propped up against the wall, blood running from a wound on his head and Minerva - her Minerva - was kneeling before a man who looked as wild as he felt.

"Stop!" Hermione yelled.

"You cannot stop me," he sneered. "I shall have her as my queen and we shall rule over these insipid little mortals. With her, I am assured of your loyalty."

Hermione blinked and wondered what the hell was going on.

Her -

Min! What's going on?

He thinks I'm you. There was a long pause as Hermione continued to take in the scene before her. Keep him thinking that, please.

WHAT!

Darling, for once in your life, do as you're told. You can use this. Use it wisely.

Hermione spent longer than she'd like trying to get Minerva's attention again, but even her mind was quiet and that terrified Hermione. She glanced at Severus and then back at the man who was brewing some sort of potion.

"I -" She blinked. "I suppose I should introduce myself then?"

He seemed totally oblivious of her and Hermione took more than a few steps towards them before he looked up and seemed to remember her.

"Oh," he muttered. "Okay."

Without warning a massive stream of fire, twirling around a beam of what Hermione could only describe as pure energy shot towards her. Rather than testing herself, she threw herself sideways and rolled out of the way.

"I'm sorry," she said again, with a little more force. "I don't believe we've been introduced. My name is Hermione."

"I don't care what your name is, little girl. You'll all know my name soon enough."

"If you keep trying to kill me, I won't know anything, will I," Hermione shook her head as she stepped closer again. He was onto her now, though, and he gave her a look which set her feet. "May I ask what it is you intend to do?"

"Take my rightful place."

"Okay," Hermione nodded as if that was the sanest explanation in the universe. "So, your Draconvir, right?" Hermione smiled sweetly when he looked up. She could see the confusion in his eyes and knew she had his attention. "I was reading about them. They're fascinating. What do you intend to do with my friend?"

"Reading," he scoffed. "You do not know the Old Ways."

"I really don't. Reading can only start the journey. Having a real life specimen to study is amazing! What is it like when you breathe fire? Can you fly?"

He scoffed and threw an empty potion jar at the wall.

"FOOL!" He growled. "We are not mere animals. Any animal can grow wings and fly."

She chose not to point out how wrong that was and instead, when he turned his back on her and threw his hands up in anger, she inched closer to Minerva.

"We are not animals," he spat as he turned again. "We are gods."

"What can you do?"

"I -" He stared at her. "What?"

"Well, if you're gods, what can you do?"

She said it so innocently that he paused and looked at her hard for a long minute.

"I do not understand the question, you insipid nit."

"Well, I'm just saying. Zeus could rain down lightning bolts down to the ground, right?" He shrugged. "And, I don't know, Odin could see the whole universe. What can you do?"

He stared at her and she realised he was beginning to become a bit wary of her.

"Who are you?"

Perhaps he was a bit smarter than she had initially thought.

"I'm just Hermione," she smiled.

"How are you here?"

"I came here to meet you. I should have come down here myself really, but everything is always so busy, I didn't really have time for such a trivial visit."

His eyes widened and she saw his hand twitch but she was so much faster. She stepped across the room and pulled Minerva to her feet. She yelped as Hermione's hands roused her, but in the split second of confusion they had, Minerva followed Hermione's unspoken instructions and placed her hands on the outside of her love's.

"I can breathe fire all on my own," Hermione hissed.

It was her turn now, to send a bolt of fire and magic through the air. Minerva made a noise of astonishment as it seemed to split in two and spin around each other, coming to a crashing stop in the Draconvir's chest. He flew ten feet into the wall and before he could stand again, Hermione had stepped across the room and had her hands around his throat.

"You dare threaten her? My love?"

"I -" Hermione hissed and her hands smoked where she held him. "I did not know."

"You did not ask."

Minerva limped a little as she walked over to them and Hermione only backed off when long fingers wrapped around her forearm.

"Hermione," she said dryly. "This is Blake. Blake, as I was trying to explain to you, before you lost your ever-loving mind. This is Hermione," She paused and met Hermione's eyes before turning back to him. "My First."

He paled and stared between them, as if he had lost the ability to talk all together so Hermione waved her hand and stunned him. He had barely closed his eyes when she turned and pulled Minerva into her arms.

"I was so worried, I don't -"

"Hush, love," Minerva smiled. "It's alright. Nout a bit of whisky and a bath can't fix."

"You're limping," Hermione whispered. Her hand was already alight as she reached forward, but Minerva intercepted her and kissed the smouldering palm.

"Breathe, Leannan. I am alright." She sighed and looked at the now slumped man. "It is as Lucia suggested. We are not meant to be alone and he has been for a long time. I am not certain whether he's evil, per se, but he is not right in his mind. It was like I was speaking to two different people."

"Did you learn anything?"

"No, but then I rather thought that was why you stunned him? So we could take him back?"

"You want to take him to Hogwarts?" Hermione blinked. "Oh," she sighed as she saw sense in it. "I guess. Where else is there to take him?"

"Precisely," Minerva winced and leaned heavily on Hermione's arm.

"What is the matter?"

"I twisted my ankle as I fell. You would have been quite proud of me though; he thought he'd stunned me and he did, for maybe half a second, until it was like something was burning in me. Before I knew it I had a huge ball of fire between my hands and I threw it right at him. He was shocked, I think, but then he managed to knock me off balance and that was it. That should have told him all he needed to know, really -" She looked quite annoyed and Hermione smiled when she realised why. "You certainly wouldn't have allowed that, would you."

"Weren't you -"

"He was so much stronger than I expected, I think. And I was worried about Severus."

"Oh," Hermione winced. "That's on me."

She rushed over to the man's side and revived him gently.

"Easy," Minerva said softly as they held his hands. "It's alright."

"What the bloody hell was that?"

"No idea. Think we're going to take him back so we can ask him."

"Probably a good idea," he muttered. "I -"

He reached up and rubbed the back of his head, but when he did, it came away bloody.

"Hell," he muttered. "She's going to kill me."

Minerva snorted and sat him up.

"Let me take him back to Hogwarts and get him set up somewhere where he can't move and then I'll come back for you both, okay?"

"Fine," Severus muttered. "It'll give me time to stem the bleeding."

"See if you can figure out where we are, and whether it'll be useful?"

"I think I will stay with Severus," Minerva mused. "I've had enough excitement for the day. We shall ask him first, before we go poking around."

"Fine," Hermione nodded. She went over to Blake and wrapped his collar in her hand. "This is going to suck."

She stepped forward and landed hard outside the South Gate from where she'd left. She stumbled forward, pushing Blake out of the way and almost collapsing against the bricks.

"Hermione!"

"Oh," Hermione sighed. "Thank you."

"What is going on?"

Hermione looked up and found Albus and Filius waiting for her at the gate.

"This man is a Draconvir. He hurt Severus and captured Minerva for a time. He is strong, but I need to speak to him when he's in his right mind. Trouble is, he isn't in his right mind, so we need to hold him for a while."

"In the Chamber?"

"I think so. You can ask the Chamber if it could provide you with a space?"

"I shall." Albus stunned the man again as he started to wake and levitated him in through the gate. Filius didn't follow.

"Come," he said gently. "Let's get you up."

"I have to go back and fetch them. Neither are in a good space to Apparate, right now."

"Well," Filius sighed. "Take me with you and we shall both do it?"

"And they call me intelligent," Hermione grinned. She stood for a little longer and then rolled her neck and heard it click a few times. "Come on then."

-0-

By the time her bath was run and her whisky poured, Minerva was in quite a bit more pain than she'd realised. Her ankle was throbbing and her head was a close second but more than anything as she sipped her drink, her pride was rather dented.

"You are still a sexy bad ass, no matter how much it stings." A bit of whisky dribbled down her chin as she snorted and she dipped a little under the water to disguise it. "I see all, my love," Hermione soothed. "You cannot hide from me, not even when I'm busy making sure there's nothing he can do to escape."

"Hermione -"

"Ooh, you are out of sorts. Whatever happened to all those pet names, hmm?"

"Darling, I -"

"How about," Hermione said softly. "You be quiet and I'll strip off and hold you for a while? Would that work?"

Minerva ached for that, but she also knew she'd let everyone down today and she clamped her lips together. She met Hermione's eyes and knew that there was nowhere to hide from her lover when the clothes fell away. She tutted and moved forward a little, wrapping her arms around her knees and sending her drink to the counter. Hermione's legs slid down beside her and as she was pulled back into Hermione's chest, she sighed.

"I was -"

"Overcome by a more powerful enemy that I should not have allowed you to face alone. You are one of the greatest wielders of magic I've ever seen, Min. But we have never faced a Draconvir and it was foolish to go without me. For that -" Hermione pressed a lingering kiss on her shoulder. "I am sorry."

"Don't apologise for my stupidity."

"You weren't stupid. I sent you into a fight with a being we know nothing about. Don't take that personally. If anything, I'd rather you be annoyed at me."

Minerva scoffed and Hermione's hands tightened around her waist. She sighed as she felt Hermione's love and then again when she felt their bond affirm itself, somehow.

"Now," Hermione whispered gently. "How about we do some reaffirming of our own?" Minerva chuckled. "Are you very tired?"

"I'm getting a second wind."

"That's convenient," Hermione muttered as she pressed kiss after kiss along Minerva's shoulders.

Hermione's hands travelled as far as she could reach, smoothing over lines that were no longer there and squeezing parts of Minerva that had her arching. Before long, her young lover had her breathing hard and shifting where she lay.

"I will never let anyone take you from me," Hermione whispered as she dipped her fingers between Minerva's legs. Minerva arched and shifted her legs over Hermione's. "Eager? Hmm?"

"Leannan -"

"Tha gaol agam ort, mar teine, Minerva. Like fire."

She wasn't sure whether it had been a little while since Hermione had touched her like this, or the excitement of the day, or whether Hermione's love was just like that, but as soon as those fingers entered her, she gasped and turned her head into Hermione's neck.

"That's it," Hermione said softly. "You're mine, Minerva. You will always be mine."

She reached up and pulled Hermione's face into hers, knowing that as she arched, Hermione's hand would stray to her breast. When it did and Minerva couldn't hold back the wail; she felt like she was coming home.

"I love you." Hermione groaned. "You are everything to me. Everything."

Her hips would not keep still and she helped Hermione with the rhythm until she felt her body coil.

"Come for me, Minerva. Let me take you there."

She couldn't scream, though every muscle tightened, but she gripped Hermione hard against her while her body chased nirvana. Hermione's fingers knew just where to push and just when to stop and she was crying by the time she fell back against her love.

"Breathe," Hermione whispered as she withdrew slowly. Minerva was trembling when she finally opened her eyes and saw Hermione looked down at her over her shoulder.

"Don't look so smug," Minerva teased, though there was no malice in it.

"Making love to you will always make me feel smug," Hermione grinned. "Cos it's me that gets to do that."

Minerva chuckled and Hermione held her until she stopped shaking.

"Alright?"

"I will be once we get out of here and into the bed?" She tested her ankle and found the pain had gone.

"Amazing what a good orgasm will do for you, isn't it?" Minerva pinched her thigh. "After you, my lady."

Minerva stood, turning to regard her love who sat back like a cat that got the canary, watching the water sluice down her body like she hadn't done it time and time again.

"Ah," Hermione grinned as she stood and summoned two towels. "But I haven't seen it this time, have I?"

"You are utterly insensible, sometimes," Minerva smiled. "Come to bed with me, Leannan. Let me love you."

She pulled Hermione into the bedroom and pushed her down on the bed. They snuggled up under the covers and Minerva lay face to face and traced her cheeks, then her forehead and finally her lips.

"When he had me, and he was ranting about whatever it was he had planned, which I still am not sure about, but all I could think was how stupid he was. I wasn't scared, not really. I was annoyed at myself for getting caught. But I could not shake the idea that regardless of what had happened it would not be long until you came for me."

"Which I would do again and again and again, Min," Hermione whispered.

"I know," Minerva nodded. It was Hermione's turn to trace her features now and she knew she'd zoned out. "I'm not sure it's the first time I've thought it," Minerva frowned as she tried to explain. "I, I am totally sure of your love. But I knew it. I knew it like my own name. And I don't know why that was different."

"Does that feel big to you?" Hermione asked as her hands pulled her closer.

"It does," Minerva nodded. "It feels as though there's some piece of me that -" Minerva bit her tongue to stop talking but Hermione's hand cupped her cheek as their eyes met.

"That never believed it to be quite true?"

"Yes," she whispered. The guilt of that hurt as much as anything ever had, but Hermione's easy smile made her pause.

"It's pretty normal for that to happen, I think. I would defy any woman, and maybe man, in a loving and committed relationship to be a little -" Hermione sighed and pulled her leg over her hip. "Disbelieving that someone would choose to spend the rest of their life beside them. I still pinch myself every day."

"You do?" Minerva blinked.

"Yeah," Hermione grinned.

It was only in the split second as Hermione's hand moved that Minerva realised that she had seen that grin before.

"Hermi - ACK!"

She jerked when two very cold fingers pinched her bottom and she slapped Hermione arm gently.

"I am trying to tell you that I love you with all of my heart and you are teasing me."

"Min," Hermione rolled them and settled on top. Minerva's heartbeat picked up as she smoothed her hands up and down her lover's back. "I've known you loved me since the day you held me after I burned." Minerva stared at her. "I just needed you to be sure of it."

She kissed her hard and Hermione took every moment that she gave. They fought gently for the lead, but it was Minerva that won.

"Let me," Minerva hissed as she bit down on Hermione's shoulder. She wanted to mark her, to show the world she was Hermione's and Hermione was hers. "Mine."

The noises Hermione made caused Minerva to echo them back and when they kicked the covers off and Minerva rolled her hips over Hermione's stomach, she felt something in her chest give and she arched with Hermione's hands entwined with her own. Something opened in her and she sobbed as she felt everything Hermione had ever felt. Every moment of existence, every iota of love suddenly filled her and she came with a cry, collapsing on her love, knowing she would catch her and hold her while she fell apart.

"I love you," Hermione whispered. "Does not mean I love you now. Or I love you for a while. Or I love you when we make love. When I say I love you it means that I have loved you from my first breath and I will love you to my last and beyond it as well." Minerva picked her head up and met Hermione's eyes as a vision of their night under the stars filled her head. "'I love you' means that I will be by your side beyond the end of time. When we are nothing more than space dust and magic."

"I love you, Hermione. Mo leannan, mo chuid fhèin. My Trouble." Hermione laughed as she ran her fingers through Minerva's hair and made her somnolent. "I love you with every fibre of my being."

"I know babe," Hermione chuckled.

Minerva growled at her from where she lay on Hermione's ample chest but though she hated that pet name as a rule, frankly, whatever Hermione chose to call her filled her with a sense of belonging.

"I love you, mo gaol. Sleep now. We'll go again in the morning."

Minerva smiled and kissed the beating heart beneath her tired eyes before she settled and closed them. She fell asleep listening to every beat of her lover's heart, singing her name.