A/N: Thank you for all of the continued love for this story! I had a very busy holiday season with my family, and could not write near as much as I would have liked. However, I kept chipping away at it and finally have something new for you to read! It took quite an unexpected turn for me at the end of this chapter, but then again, that's what has happened all along. I hope you will enjoy it and keep leaving reviews.

Hearing from you all makes me so excited, so your comments - in combination with the fact that my college football team just won the national championship for the fourth year in a row - will make a very lovely early birthday present to me!

Bound to Him

Chapter 67

Severus did not notice whether or not Tonks stumbled through the Floo after him, and he was on Minerva's heels within seconds as they raced up the staircase to the Headmaster's private quarters. Upon bursting into the room, he momentarily froze at the sight of Poppy stabilizing Dumbledore's still-thrashing body.

"Uff," Tonks grunted, colliding into his backside when he unexpectedly came to a standstill.

He gave no indication of having felt the impact, but slowly stepped closer to the bed when the old wizard's body again became still. His eyes raked over the Headmaster, noting the beads of sweat lining the pale, nearly translucent skin of his forehead.

"Severus," McGonagall whispered, looking up to him. "He's been stable for so long. I thought… I thought he would have improved."

Not trusting his voice, the Slytherin gave an uncertain nod and pinched the bridge of his nose. I should never have listened to him. It wasn't enough to dilute the poison; his body couldn't handle it. The curse weakened him too much, and now I've killed him. I've killed the Head of the Order on the off chance that the Dark Lord would spare Draco. I let Albus convince me to trade his life for that of a useless child.

"Severus, are you alright?"

I've killed a man, Minerva. I'm just fucking peachy. Blinking back the sting of tears, he took in a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling. "I'm not the one whom you should –"

"Severus?"

Four pairs of eyes widened at the weak, gravelly voice and then snapped to the bed.

"Albus?" McGonagall gasped.

Dumbledore's lips slowly quirked into a hint of a smile as his eyelids rose halfway. "Minerva… hello."

"H-hello," she replied with a teary chuckle. "How are you… how are you feeling?"

"Bit peaky, actually."

Poppy snorted loudly as she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. "That ought to be putting it mildly."

He's alive. Holy buggering shite! Snape stared at the scene before him in shock and swallowed nervously when he realized that his mouth had been hanging open for a few seconds.

"Wotcher, Headmaster!" Tonks greeted loudly, coming to stand at Minerva's other side. "It's good to see you back again."

Dumbledore choked slightly on his chuckle but managed a wink in her direction. "It's nice to see you again as well. I suppose I ought to thank you, Poppy, for –"

"Oh, no," the Healer interrupted as she began casting diagnostic scans. "I hardly did anything difficult. Severus is the one you ought to thank. If it hadn't been for his actions and quick thinking, we would not be having this conversation."

A grin spread across the old man's face as he rolled his head back to look past Minerva's shoulder. "Of that… I've no doubt."

Severus shifted in discomfort when McGonagall grabbed hold of his elbow and tugged him closer to the bed. Meeting the clear blue gaze of his employer, he cleared his throat. "Albus… welcome back."

"Severus," he murmured quietly. "Thank you. I am… exceptionally grateful to you. I am confident… that I can again depend on your assistance… if necessary."

"Of course," the tall wizard nodded.

"Never doubted you."

The Slytherin exhaled slowly and lowered his dark eyes.

"What does…" Dumbledore cleared his throat when his voice became garbled, and then started again. "What does Riddle have to say?"

"Albus," Minerva muttered while the mediwitch audibly groaned, "you are in no condition to –"

"Severus?" the elder man interrupted pointedly.

After casting a sheepish glance to the woman beside him, Snape began to answer. "He was… quite elated to hear of your condition and is impatiently waiting for report of your demise."

"I see." The Headmaster shifted slightly. "I think he'll be… rather disappointed, wouldn't you say?"

"Quite."

"And you, Severus?"

The Potions Master flicked his eyes to the three witches around him as he shifted uncertainly. "Will I be disappointed?"

"Will you be safe?"

"Ah," he mumbled, tugging at the cuffs of his sleeves. "Relatively speaking, I suspect. Bellatrix was eager to claim as much responsibility as possible, so I believe she ought to receive the brunt of his attention."

There was a bit of twinkle to the man's blue eyes. "Managed that, did you?"

Severus smirked. "The Dark Lord is currently under the impression that not only did I not provide you aid, but that I actively delayed you receiving it as well. Darling Bella would rather kiss a Dementor than have to share any credit with me."

"I could scrounge up a couple for her," Tonks added quietly.

"A generous offer, dear," Madam Pomfrey snorted before fixing her patient with a demanding stare. "But I think it best if we were to cut the Order business short tonight. You, Albus, need to rest if you are to continue disappointing You-Know-Who."

"Yes, Poppy," the old wizard smiled wearily. "I do believe you are right."

"Now, there's a first," the matron nurse muttered, sharing an amused glance with Minerva. "I think, perhaps, the conversation could be moved elsewhere."

"Yes, of course," McGonagall nodded. She grinned down at the invalid and patted his hand gently. "I'm glad to have you back, Albus. Take care of yourself now, and I will gladly hand the reins back to you when Poppy believes you're up to holding them."

"Thank you, Minerva," Dumbledore sighed, closing his eyes. "I am certain it shall only be a day or two… "

"It certainly shall not," the Healer argued. "I will knock you back out if I have to."

XxxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Ouch!" Harry shouted, cradling his hand against his chest after his wand viciously launched across the Room of Requirement. "Jeez, what was that? That was no standard Expelliarmus."

Hermione grinned mischievously as she shook her head. "A variant – Expelliarmus Magnum."

"Never heard of that one," he mumbled. "Seriously, I think you popped every knuckle in my hand at once."

"Are you alright?"

The boy nodded his head. "Yeah… yeah, fine."

"Okay," she replied, before explaining, "It's not often used, since it's most effective as a nonverbal. Not as many wizards are as adept at wordless magic as they are verbal, so it isn't that popular."

"It bloody hurt!"

She rolled her eyes. "Hence the need for you to shield against it."

Her friend grunted as he summoned his wand back to him. "Did you get that out of a book, or did Snape teach you it?"

"Both, actually," she replied. "I found it in a book that Professor Snape loaned me, and he's made me practice it repeatedly."

"Ah," Harry said. "Good book, then?"

"Obviously."

The boy snorted and looked down at his wand. "Do you think I could look at it sometime?"

"I don't see why not," Hermione shrugged. "I'll check with him, though, since it is his book."

"Right," he sighed before adopting a dueling stance. "Ready?"

The witch did not bother to reply, but immediately volleyed a moderate stinging hex at him and was relieved to see him shield the entirety of it. Several minutes passed as they exchanged hexes and jinxes, building up a sweat and momentarily losing track of why they needed to sharpen their skills in the first place.

'Granger.'

Hermione startled at the voice inside her head, and the spell she fired well above Harry's head as a result.

'Dumbledore is alive. He awoke from his coma this evening.'

'Really?' Her eyes brightened at the news. 'That's phenomenal! I can't –'

Her thoughts died away as a burning sensation exploded in her chest, and she slammed hard against the ground. "Fuck."

"Hermione!" Harry shouted, rushing to her side.

'Hermione!'

"Damn it," she wheezed.

'Are you alright?'

Green eyes suddenly appeared above her. "Hermione, are you okay?"

"M'okay," she groaned before trying to pull herself onto her bottom.

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," the boy exclaimed. "I thought you would shield it better."

'I apologize, Granger. I should have taken more care to not distract you.'

The witch snorted under her breath. "I shouldn't have let myself get distracted. It's not your fault. Besides, I've had far worse than this."

'Are you certain that you are alright?'

Harry held out his hand to her. "You sure you're okay?"

"Yes," she laughed, shaking her head at the proffered hand and staggering to her feet. 'Honestly, it's like the two of you share a brain.'

'If you do not retract that statement, Madam, I may have to Avada myself.'

Hermione bit down on her lip to keep from laughing. 'Well, if you must, you must.'

'You are cruel. I will allow you to return to your practice. Moody and Shacklebolt have just arrived. We will not announce Dumbledore's improved condition until we have discussed it, so I ask that you keep this information to yourself.'

'Of course. Thank you for telling me.'

"Do you want to call it a night?"

The girl cleared her throat and then smiled at her friend. Though her chest still stung a bit from the hex, she was feeling better than she had in days. "Not unless you've run out of steam."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Clutching her mediwitch's handbook to her chest, Hermione did everything she could to keep from smiling as she descended into the dungeons. It had been incredibly difficult to not share anything regarding Dumbledore's recovery with Harry the night before, and she was practically bursting at the seams with the need to talk to someone about it. As Professor McGonagall was still assuming the role of the Headmaster, Transfiguration classes were still cancelled, leaving her with the ability to visit Snape during his half hour break.

She had seen him in class and periodically at meals, of course, but she really had not spoken to him in person in over a week. Knowing that the Aurors were still keeping watch over the school, which was why he had cancelled on their usual Monday night session, she made sure to arm herself with an entirely plausible excuse for visiting should she be questioned.

Taking in a deep breath, the young witch stopped at the familiar wooden door of his office and gave a confident knock. Upon receiving the standard command to enter, she pushed open the door.

"Hello, Professor," she greeted.

Severus glanced up at her in mild concern. "Miss Granger?"

"I hope I'm not interrupting your work, but I have a question about brewing. You see, I have to replenish some of the infirmary stock, and I don't want to make a mistake."

Narrowing his eyes in suspicion, he waved her forward. "Very well. I can spare a few minutes."

"Thank you, sir," Hermione smiled as she quickly closed the door.

He leaned back in his chair as she approached his desk. "What are you needing to brew?"

"Fever-reducer, Pepper-Up, and cough suppressors, more than likely," she shrugged, depositing her book and bag on the old, wooden chair. "Of course, there may be others, but I don't do inventory until Thursday morning. I brew on Saturdays… unless of course, we go through the stock faster than expected."

The wizard snorted and rubbed his temple. "This was all a ruse, then?"

"In case an Auror was listening nearby," she replied with a nod.

"I see. And what, may I ask, are you actually doing here?"

Hermione hesitantly rounded the end of his desk and perched beside him. "I just wanted to see how you were holding up."

Snape raised his eyebrows and then shook his head. "Still in one piece."

"And Dumbledore?" she questioned. "I mean, you said he was conscious, but how is he?"

"Cognizant," he mumbled. "Still incredibly weak, but Poppy has him on very strict bedrest. He spoke with us for a few minutes last night, but, as far as I know, has been asleep since then. We'll be starting a new potion regimen this evening, so hopefully the Headmaster will be quite a bit stronger by week's end. We've agreed that we will not release any report of his change in condition until he is well enough to do it himself. It isn't worth the risk of drawing further attention from the Dark Lord until he is back on his feet."

The witch nodded in understanding and then quickly threw her arms about his neck. "Oh, I knew he would be alright!"

With a sigh, Severus glared at the ceiling. "He isn't alright."

"No," she agreed, pulling back enough to look at the man. "But he isn't dead, which means that the poison didn't kill him, which means that you are brilliant."

He gave her a trying look. "Granger."

The girl shook her head. "I know it isn't over, but can't we celebrate the smaller victories anyway?"

The professor turned his attention back to the essays on his desk. "I'll be sure to send the house-elves out for champagne and caviar."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I just meant that you should be proud of yourself."

When he all but ignored her statement, she gently touched his cheek. "You need sleep, Severus."

He snorted under his breath. "Well, how unfortunate that I happen to have an afternoon full of classes."

"After supper, I meant," she chided. "Though, I think nearly everyone would be perfectly amenable to you skiving off today."

"And reward the urchins with another day off? I think not."

"Do what you will, I suppose," the witch smirked. "But you really must get some sleep… and if you can't manage it on your own –"

"You expect to attempt sneaking into bed with me while the Aurors are on high alert?" he scoffed. "You do realize that they are walking the halls at night, yes?"

Hermione folded her arms. "I was going to suggest that Crookshanks could keep you company. He's quite good at lulling people to sleep."

"Oh," he murmured. "My mistake."

The witch donned a mischievous grin and leaned forward, slipping her arms about his neck once more. "Unless you'd prefer your suggestion, of course. I could always come up with a way to avoid the Aurors."

Of course, I'd bloody prefer it. He groaned loudly. "Granger –"

Before he could finish his comment, she quickly pressed her lips against his. After a few seconds, she pulled away and stood up from the desk. "I'll see you in a few hours, then."

Severus silently watched as she picked up her belongings and reopened his office door. With one last smirk over her shoulder, she was gone, and he was left alone with the tingling of his lips to remind him of her kiss. At the sound of a chime, he finally tore his eyes away from the door and glanced at the clock. Realizing that he was due to teach in ten minutes, he let out a deep sigh and wiped a hand over his face.

After what I said to her last week, she's proud of me? Not just proud, but affectionate. Pinching his lips into a thin line, he could not help but think of the warmth of her body and the scent of her hair as she hugged him. When he realized that his lips were no longer the only tingling part of his anatomy, he immediately pushed out of his chair. Fuck! Aurors, remember. Mad-Eye Moody installed in the guest wing… Keep yourself in check, you idiot. You cannot force her to sneak out of her tower in the middle of the night.

The image of the grizzled ex-Auror was more than enough to quell his rising libido, and furthermore put a scowl on his face as he went to open the classroom for the fourth years.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

As the lines of text began to blur before him, Severus stifled a yawn and blinked several times. He knew Hermione and Minerva were right to tell him to rest, but he hardly had the time at present. He had taught up until the supper hour, during which he had needed to help Poppy prepare the series of strengthening draughts to be used throughout the next week. Following that, he had spent a few hours in and out of the Pensieve with Draco as they worked on the boy's ability to create false memories.

When the boy had finally left to complete his nightly rounds, Snape had grabbed a stack of essays and immediately made for the Headmaster's quarters to relieve Kingsley from guard duty. Since then, he had been sitting at Dumbeldore's bedside, slicing through student work and fighting the rapidly increasing desire to crawl onto the sofa at the foot of the bed and fall asleep.

"No way in Hades will I sleep anywhere near the Headmaster's bed," he growled under his breath.

"You say that now," a gravelly voice chuckled. "Another night, perhaps."

Severus turned to look at the bed's occupant who was shockingly awake. "I think not."

"We shall see," Albus smirked before adjusting himself. "Regardless of the location, Severus… you do look as though you could do with some rest. One cannot neglect to care for one's self."

"And just which of my duties shall I be shirking in order to find time to do so?"

The Headmaster sighed deeply. "You are the one who volunteered to shoulder so much responsibility. You must find the balance for yourself."

"Whatever shall I do without your nuggets of wisdom?" the spy grumbled, gathering up all of the loose parchments in his lap. After tidying them into a neat pile at his feet, he rose from the chair and reached for two vials from the night stand. "Since you're awake, you might as well take your next round of doses."

"Tell me, Severus," the elder murmured after swallowing the potions, "did you ever consider Healing as a profession?"

"Oh, do be serious, Albus." He rolled his eyes before banishing the empty glassware back to the infirmary. "You know as well as I do that I have never considered my profession. The Dark Lord wanted me to brew, so I became a Potions Master. You wanted me here, so I became a teacher. You both wanted me to spy, so I became an Occlumens. I scarcely have time enough to sleep; I certainly don't have time to entertain such folly as considering what I actually want to do."

"I suppose that must be true," Dumbledore stated quietly. "Nevertheless, should you ever find the time to consider it, I think you have a certain knack for it. Granted, your bedside manner could use a bit of sprucing up."

"Well, you'll hardly be in any position to write me a recommendation letter when the time comes."

The Headmaster chuckled softly while watching the other man reclaim the armchair and then cleared his throat. "What else have I missed? Poppy has refused to comment."

"Because she knows you'll push yourself too hard," Severus replied. Because you're a fucking control freak who has to have his finger in every fucking pie he encounters.

"You are undoubtedly correct."

Of course I fucking am. The Slytherin grunted before answering the question. "There's a leak in the Aurory. The Dark Lord knew that the reserve Aurors had been called as soon as they had been. He did not know why until he summoned me several hours later, which could indicate an administrative mole instead of one of the actual reserve members. Kingsley, Moody, and Miss Tonks are attempting to locate and eventually plug the leak."

Dumbledore frowned. "I did caution them as to the probability of that situation."

"Yes, I thought it would be a likely installment," the younger man agreed. "Until now, I could never discern any evidence to indicate it."

"Yes," the elder wizard nodded. "And what has happened here?"

A few minutes passed while the spy relayed the details regarding the events that had transpired while the Headmaster was comatose. When he had finished, Dumbledore pursed his lips together and digested the information. "All of that occurred while I was absent?"

"You were out for five days," Snape argued. "You do realize that, don't you?"

"That long, eh? How remarkably unfortunate. I thought perhaps a day or two."

The Potions Master sighed and rested his elbows on his knees. "The Dark Lord's curse has weakened you to a greater extent than I think you recognize. Though I applied a bezoar within minutes of your symptoms appearing, and Poppy began treatment shortly thereafter, you were completely nonresponsive for just over five days. It took a bloody seizure to pull you out of it."

Albus bore a grave expression on his face as he listened. After a moment, he blew out a quick breath and folded his hands over his stomach. "Well, that certainly gives a new perspective to things."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Oh, Merlin! That's fantastic!"

With an irritated sigh, Severus rolled his eyes as he listened to the echoes of the young witch's attempts to flirt with the werewolf for several minutes. When he could take it no longer, he ceased pretending to survey the blustery snow through the window and moved swiftly down the corridor. As he came upon the pair, he cleared his throat to catch their attention.

"Wotcher, Professor."

"Severus?"

The Slytherin tilted his head slightly. "Miss Tonks, are you quite occupied this evening?"

"Erm, no," she replied, narrowing her eyes. "Not really. Well, not until nine, at least. I'm scheduled for rounds after that."

"I see. I wonder, then, if I could borrow an hour or so of your time," he smirked, fully enjoying the hard look he was receiving from Lupin.

"Erm, sure," Tonks mumbled. "I suppose so. What do you need, Professor?"

"I've been providing Miss Granger with private defense lessons," he explained, "and I thought, perhaps, you might be willing to lend a bit of your expertise. Somehow you've managed to keep yourself in one piece for the past five years."

The Auror snorted under her breath at his almost incredulous tone, and then smiled. "So you've been giving her lessons? That's rather good of you, sir. I would be happy to help Hermione with defense training. Lead on!"

Noticing that the wolf had relaxed upon hearing that the request only had to do with the girl's lessons, Severus gently touched Tonks's shoulder as she passed him, and then winked at his colleague. Satisfied with the flustered expression on the other man's face, he dropped his hand back to his side and silently escorted the Auror to the staircase.

"What was that about, hmm?" the witch asked after ascending a flight of stairs. "I doubt you've suddenly become touchy feely."

The Slytherin glanced over his shoulder to see her bemused face, and then rolled his shoulders. "He's caused me a considerable amount of consternation lately. I thought it only fair to return the favor."

"I'd wager that he causes you consternation just by appearing in your line of vision," she teased.

"I assure you, he's outdone himself this year," Snape sneered. "Just ask him what he decided to give me for my birthday. It was rather… unforgettable."

"Huh," Tonks grunted. "Well, if you're attempting to piss him off by making him jealous, I think you're wasting your time. He isn't interested."

"I've never taken you for a stupid witch," he stated bluntly. "Do not tarnish my good opinion of you now."

Her hair took on a red tint as she glared at his backside. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Oh, what the fuck am I doing? As he stepped onto the seventh floor, he stared at the ceiling for a moment before answering. "What it means, Miss Tonks, is that he is very much interested."

"Really?" she glanced back toward the staircase and then frowned. "I've invited him for drinks five times already, and he's turned me down every time."

Severus stopped several feet short of the Room of Requirement for he feared what it may provide if he walked in front of it while dispensing relationship advice. He met the woman's questioning gaze and then quirked an eyebrow. "Well, I've never taken him for an intelligent wizard. Eventually, though, I'm sure he'll pull his head out of his arse."

"You think so?"

"That being said, be careful what you wish for," he intoned casually. "You shall have no sympathy from me if you tire of his snout up your rear and cannot get him to cease humping your leg."

Her mouth parted in shock as she stared at him with wide eyes. When he gave her a pointed stare and made to turn away, she exploded into laughter. After a few seconds, she wiped her eyes and shook her head. "Merlin's tits, you're far more entertaining than I thought you were."

"It was not my job to entertain you," he commented after completing his pacing. "It was my job to train you."

"That it was. And might I just say, sir, that intimidation worked well. After seven years of your class, the Aurory is a stroll in the park," she smirked, before noticing the change of appearance in the wall. "Hold on. Where the hell did that door come from?"

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Crap, crap, crap! I'm late! Hermione gave a muffled word of greeting as she hurried past Remus on the last flight of stairs.

"Hermione, are you alright?"

"Yes! Fine!" she shouted. "Just late!"

"Don't concern yourself too much," he mumbled. "I doubt he'll notice."

The witch paused long enough to glance over her shoulder at the greying man descending the staircase before continuing down the seventh floor corridor. What the hell is that supposed to mean? It's Professor Snape. Of course he'll notice.

Bursting through the door, she gave a momentary word of thanks that the Room looked relatively normal. There were no overgrown forests or incredibly high ceilings this time.

"You're late."

I knew he'd notice. Hermione blew out a loud breath and nodded. "I know. I'm sorry. I just got caught up reading about…"

She trailed off upon noticing the pink-haired witch smiling at her, and then shifted. "I got caught up reading, sir, and didn't realize the time."

"Perhaps we ought to have a discussion about that, hmm?"

The girl ducked her head. "Yes, sir. Erm, hello, Tonks."

"Hiya, Hermione."

Severus cleared his throat and gestured to the newcomer. "In the interest of expanding your dueling experiences, I have asked Miss Tonks to join us for this evening's lesson."

"You want me to duel with her?" Tonks asked, looking intrigued. "I thought perhaps you just wanted me to help with a demonstration."

"In your tenure as an Auror, which did you find more useful: demonstrations or hands on experience?" he replied.

"Fair point," she acknowledged. "How far have you progressed in these lessons? I heard Remus crowing about your improvement in defense."

Hermione blushed and glanced at the Slytherin Head, who then answered for her.

"I believe Miss Granger has surpassed a large majority of her peers. In addition to training dummies, she has had some practice dueling Lupin and myself –"

"Not full out?" Tonks interrupted, wide-eyed.

"No," he shook his head. "Lower-level hexes only, and we tempered our attacks as we saw fit. I would expect you to maintain a certain level of challenge."

"Alright. Sounds fun."

"Granger," Snape commented, turning his gaze back to his student. "Beyond gaining experience from a variety of dueling partners, I think it might behoove you to have trained with an Auror. They often approach confrontation differently than your typical Death Eater, but should not be considered any less of a threat when engaged in combat."

"Not a bad idea," Tonks mumbled. "These days, you can't trust someone just because they wield a badge."

"Indeed," he nodded. "If you have the time, perhaps you could share with her your insight regarding non-lethal detainment spells as well."

"Aye, aye, captain," she winked.

Hermione stifled a giggle as the wizard rolled his eyes, but could not quite prevent the smile that appeared on her face. It did not take much effort at all to see what he was doing. After their disastrous last lesson, he was trying to give her the skills to protect herself while still allowing time to ascertain whether someone was friend or foe.

"Just about ready there, Hermione?" Tonks asked, producing her wand from the sheath within her Auror robes.

The girl quickly slipped off her school robes and tossed them aside. Tightening her grip on her wand, she stepped closer to the center of the room and turned to face her opponent. "Ready as I can be."

A jet of purple light suddenly exploded overhead, causing Hermione to duck and throw up a nonverbal shield to protect herself from the violet sparks raining down upon her. Catching sight of the smirk on Snape's face, she again locked her gaze onto the Auror. "What was that?"

"Just seeing if you were paying attention," Tonks snickered. "Little more work on –"

"My reaction time," the Gryffindor sighed, purposely avoiding looking in Severus's direction. "Yeah. I know."

The two witches squared off once more, and though she managed to block or move out of the way of all of the incoming hexes, Hermione found difficulty in discerning just exactly when her opponent would strike. It had been relatively easy to read Harry, and even Remus, for that matter. Severus had been difficult in the beginning, but as she had become more comfortable with him, she had become more in tune with his actions. She was not certain whether was due to the fact that they were bonded, that they were sleeping together, that he had been the one to train her, or that she was just getting better at reading nonverbal cues. Likely, they all had influenced her improvement.

However, nothing seemed to be helping her currently. Another brilliant light flashed as she managed to block a hex just an inch from her face. Disoriented, the girl held her personal shield while she blinked her vision back into focus.

"Granger," Snape called out, "are you –"

"I'm fine!" she hissed, finally trusting herself enough to let go of her shield and toss another hex at Tonks. Several minutes passed in heated combat as she threw her frustration into her spellwork, and attempted to go on the offensive. Sweat dripped down her forehead as she advanced on the slender Auror, flinging hexes as quickly as she could.

"Oh, good night," Tonks exclaimed in surprise, taking a few steps backward to erect shields in time to block each of the strikes. Scrunching up her nose in concentration, she held onto her shield as it absorbed more and more energy. Moments later, she threw it forward with a loud cry of exertion.

Hermione's eyes widened in shock as the room was lit up by what appeared to be a large wall of light rapidly moving towards her. Knowing instinctively that any shield she could erect in time would not be enough to protect her, she threw herself to the ground and covered her head. Heat engulfed her entire body, and visions of flames flickered before her eyes.

'How do you react, Granger?' She could almost hear Snape's voice guiding her as he had when her broom was on fire. With that memory in mind, she slipped her wand out from beneath her and cast an Augamenti. Water flowed from the tip of her wand, but the flames did not diminish.

"Finite Incantatem!" she screeched to no avail. Her chest pounded with fear and adrenaline as the temperature continued to rise, and she knew it was only a matter of time until she began to roast. Curling back into a ball, she closed her eyes. Why isn't Severus stepping in? I'm going to burn to death in front of him!

And then the heat was gone, replaced by a refreshing, crisp chill. Becoming suddenly calm, the young witch slowly propped open her eyes and raised her head. Her movements were slower than she expected, and she felt as though she were trying to move through something like custard or molasses. Blinking at what seemed like a glacial pace, she realized that she was surrounded by a shimmering cloud.

The cloud began to disintegrate, and Hermione quickly rolled onto her bottom.

"Alright there, Hermione?" Tonks questioned.

"Y-yeah," she stammered, glancing up to see that Severus was leaning against a column as he watched her. Due to the expression of curiosity on his face, she realized that he was likely not responsible for saving her from the flames. Returning her gaze to the witch standing a few feet away, she swallowed heavily. "What the hell was that?"

The woman tittered quietly and donned a smile. "Which one? The shield, or the bubble?"

"B-both."

"The shielding charm I used was Regero, and I'll show you how to cast it in a bit," the Auror explained, extending a hand to the girl and then pulling her to her feet. "Most shields work by glancing off or reflecting the magical energy of a curse. This one is different, in that it absorbs and transfers that energy into another form, which can be thrown back at the original caster."

"Similar to Repercutio?" Severus asked as he approached them.

"I knew you'd ask that," Tonks smirked with a shake of her head. "Not quite. Repercutio only absorbs a single blow, magnifies, and reflects the same hex. Regero allows the wielder to absorb as much energy as they can bear to hold, and then transfers it into a different form, which is very difficult to block."

"I felt like I was on fire," Hermione mumbled.

"But you weren't," the woman interjected, holding up a hand. "You only thought you were. Light and some heat were expelled, naturally, but the only fire present was in your head."

"What?" she exclaimed in surprise. "But… there were flames!"

"Only up here," Tonks replied, tapping her forehead. "And I ceased the spell almost immediately. You were only under for a few seconds at most."

"A few seconds? I felt like entire minutes had gone by."

"Again, all up here."

Snape tilted his head in surprise. "Converting a physical assault into a mental one? An exceptional premise, considering that very few individuals can fully protect themselves on that front."

"Exactly," Tonks beamed.

"And the… bubble?" Hermione asked.

"The Pakastekupla! Or, as I like to think of it – the Frozen Bubble charm. This is one I was planning to teach you, since it's a safe containment spell. As you may have noticed, it traps the target in a translucent bubble, essentially slowing his or her animation, giving the caster time to verify identity or whatever else might be needed to be done. What I prefer about this one, is that the bubble also repels most hexes, so in addition to preventing the target from attacking, it protects the target from possible attacks."

"One of your own creations?" Severus questioned.

"Pakastekupla?" Tonks clarified. "Merlin, no. I would have given it a better name than that. I learned it from a colleague who spent a few years as a Spell-Seeker in Finland. The Regero, though – that one's mine."

"Seriously?" Hermione gasped.

The Auror giggled at their shocked expressions. "Not just a pretty face, right? I was thinking about it after a Boggart drill, and it's taken me the last four years to put it together."

"I can see now why Filius was so complimentary," Snape murmured, crossing his arms. "How many know of it?"

"No one outside of the Order – Mad Eye, Kings, Dumbledore, and now the two of you. I wanted to play it close to the robes."

"Good. I don't want to see that spell make its way into the Dark Lord's possession."

"Definitely not on my to-do list," she agreed before smiling at the younger witch. "You're quite the duelist, Hermione. I wish I was half as adept at shielding before I started Auror Training."

"You're so hard to read, though," Hermione groaned, rubbing her neck. "You don't give any hints away before you strike."

"An artifact of being a Metamorphagus, I think," she shrugged. "I have far more control over my body than most do."

"And yet you trip over thin air without fail," Severus smirked.

"Oi!" Tonks snapped, pointing her wand in his direction. "Do you want to learn my spell or not?"

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

As soon as the Auror had excused herself so that she could prepare for her night rounds, Severus silently cast a locking charm at the door.

Hermione let out a deep sigh and sank against the wall. "I don't know how she does it… I'm exhausted."

"I meant it when I said that Aurors should not be treated as any less of a threat than Death Eaters," the wizard stated, turning to face her. He paused briefly as he took in her flushed appearance and heaving chest, and then cleared his throat. "I may put you through your paces, but Auror training is from dawn to dusk, six days a week, for three years."

"Ugh, and Harry wants to do that?"

"Well, I'm sure if he disposes of the Dark Lord like he supposedly is meant to do, they'll just hand him the job regardless of whether or not he's qualified."

"When," she corrected.

Snape narrowed his eyes as he slowly walked towards her. "Pardon?"

"You said 'if he disposes of the Dark Lord'," she stated, pushing away from the wall. "You meant when, not if."

"Ah," he murmured. "I did not mean to imply that the Dark Lord may not fall; only that Potter may or may not be the one to actually do it. Prophecies are not always literal in their meaning."

"Oh."

"The Dark Lord will fall," he emphasized, touching her cheek. "We will see to it."

Hermione smiled at his words and met his eyes. "I know."

"Now, regarding your duel: what might you have done differently?" the wizard asked without stepping away from her.

She swallowed slowly, slightly unnerved by his closeness. "Beyond reacting faster?"

"You're improving on that. Miss Tonks has always been incredibly quick."

Surprised by the comment, the girl wrinkled her nose in consideration. "Not go on the offensive?"

"Mmmm," he replied. "By all means, attack, but do it intelligently. Conserve energy. Draw your opponent out, unnerve them… frustrate them… make them lose their concentration… lose their control. Let them wear themselves out… and then strike hard."

Hermione bit down on her lip and leaned into him. "Severus, what are you doing?"

With a smirk, he traced his finger down the length of her throat.

"What about… what about the Aurors?" she whispered, closing her eyes and trying to maintain coherent thought after her brain willingly supplied the information that it had already been a fortnight since their last delicious union… on the floor… of the very room in which they were standing.

"The Aurors already know that the two of us are in here together," Snape replied. "And they believe they know why."

Right. Tonks. The witch drew in a short breath and slipped a hand behind his head. "This is why you invited her?"

"Happy accident," he murmured before finally pressing his lips against hers. As she sank into him, he slipped one arm about her waist and splayed his long fingers over her bottom. When he squeezed her buttocks a moment later, she moaned into his mouth and thrust into his pelvis.

"Uhhh, fuck, Granger," the wizard hissed, dropping his other hand from her face to her breast.

"That'd better be the plan," she giggled as she slipped her hands between them to begin unfastening his many buttons.

"I assure you it is," he retorted, kissing her again. His frock coat fell open a few seconds later, and he felt her lips quirk upwards. Breaking their liplock, he eyed her curiously. "What?"

Hermione flushed bright red and glanced away. "I was just thinking that I'll be… an expert in this before long."

"In sex?"

Her bright eyes snapped to his as her mouth fell open. "No! I meant in undoing your buttons. There are so bloody many!"

"Ah," he chuckled, lowering his mouth to her throat. "Close enough."

"Mmmph," she groaned ineloquently as her center began to throb. Whimpering, she ground against his thigh and fisted her hands in the sides of his frock coat. The seam of her jeans was positioned almost perfectly, but she – as well as the binding curse – wanted him, and only him, to bring her release. "Severus… Sev… please!"

Upon hearing her plea, he detached himself from her throat and guided her backwards onto the bed that had appeared a minute prior. After collapsing atop her, he magically removed their clothing. Though he would have liked to take things a bit slower and work her into more of a frenzy, he knew that their time was relatively limited. The Aurors might buy the defense lessons when Tonks sold the story, but they would likely still grow suspicious if said lesson took all night.

Severus slipped his hand between her legs to ascertain that she was ready, and then quickly slid into her warm channel. The witch gasped at the sudden intrusion, but wrapped her legs about his waist and threw her head back in pleasure. Bracing himself against the mattress on either side of her, he thrust into her at a relatively fast pace.

"Oh god," she cried, arching further into him. "Gods, yes! M-more! Sev…Sev…"

A smile broke out on the man's face, and he lowered himself a few inches in order to fondle her breast with one of his hands. Though it had never been something he considered before concerning sex partners, he found that he loved how vocal Hermione was becoming with him. It served as another reminder to him of the strong, confident, and fierce woman into whom she had matured. That fact, as well, had caused him to become somewhat aroused when watching her earlier duel.

"Sev..er…uhhhh SEVERUS!" the girl shrieked, digging her fingertips into his hair as she reached orgasm.

Grunting loudly, Snape came with her, pumping lamely a few more times as he continued to explode within her spasming walls. As he had finished, he collapsed onto his elbows and stared down at her glowing face. When her sparkling eyes met his, he could not help but kiss her again.

"So good," Hermione panted afterward, pressing her forehead against his.

The couple separated a few minutes later after having caught their breath. Wiping his face, the wizard forced himself off of the bed. Digging in the pocket of his robes, he withdrew a vial of contraceptive and handed it to her.

Sitting up, the witch took possession of the vial and quirked an eyebrow at him. "A bit presumptuous, weren't we?"

Severus snorted under his breath and shook his head. "We would prefer to think of it as being prepared. Planning has all but gone out the window, it seems."

"You started it this time," she mumbled cheekily before tossing back the brew.

"So I did," he smirked. Clearing his throat a moment later, he forced himself to think of what needed to be discussed. "You were late because you were reading one of the books on the list?"

"Erm, yeah," the young woman nodded. "Sorry, it was just interesting."

"Wandlore again?"

"Mmmm-hmmm." Taking in a deep breath, she wrapped her arms around herself. "Wands form an allegiance to their wizards, but did you know that they could change their loyalty?"

"Through death or as a gift, yes, or a gradual parting of ways," Severus answered. "I used my mother's wand for most of my schooling since she could not afford to purchase me one."

Hermione grimaced at the admission and then tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes, inheritance was mentioned as the most common means of transference, but a wand can shift allegiance if its previous owner is defeated."

"Defeated?" he repeated. "By that, I would suppose you mean murdered."

"Well, that's how most people seemed to have interpreted it in the past," she muttered, pulling the blanket around her. "But the author claims that wand loyalties can change as a result of a duel or an unexpected disarming. In some instances, simple theft may be enough to sway it."

"Where the Dark Lord is concerned, it will not be a matter of simple theft," Snape replied. "And any unexpected disarming would be fatal."

The girl shivered despite being covered and stared at the foot of the bed. "Do you think, then, that he is after someone's wand? I mean, his wand and Harry's recognize each other as brothers due to their twin cores, so he likely wants to replace his. Perhaps he was interested in wandlore solely to understand why the Priori Incantatem occurred and how to overcome it?"

Severus remained silent for several seconds as he contemplated the question. "I would suppose he likely started there, but given the sheer number of volumes he has been searching, I think he must have a solution in mind and is trying to accomplish it."

"What sort of solution?" she frowned. "Couldn't he just take someone else's wand? He certainly has no qualms about killing to get what he wants."

"I don't know," he sighed, shaking his head. "I don't know near enough about wandlore to comprehend the possibilities."

"Neither do I, but I'll keep reading whenever I can," Hermione stated.

"Good," he grunted. "In the meantime, I will see if I can convince the Headmaster to issue protection for Ollivander and the rest of the wandmakers. I am not certain that he acted on my last warning."

"How are you going to do that?"

Snape blew out a puff of air. "I have no idea."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Good morning, Severus!"

"Hello, Minerva." The Slytherin managed half a smile as he stepped onto the dais and claimed his seat. Tucking his napkin onto his lap, he raised an eyebrow at the man beside him who was staring intently. "Lupin. Are you planning to beg for table scraps now?"

Remus jerked slightly at the comment and focused his gaze elsewhere. "No, no. Just… just lost in thought, was all."

"How terribly unsurprising," Snape sneered while picking up his fork.

"And… erm… how was your night?" the werewolf mumbled.

Knowing full well that the man was fishing for particular information, the Potions Master tilted his head as he responded, "Rather enjoyable, actually."

"Oh? I take it you slept well?"

A devilish smirk briefly appeared on the man's face, and he cleared his throat. "Not much time spent sleeping, no."

"Oh, erm… oh," Lupin stammered before glaring at his breakfast.

"Uff!" a feminine voice sighed a moment later, causing both wizards to look up in time to see Tonks collapse into the empty seat on the other side of Severus. Rubbing a hand against her eyes, she yawned loudly before reaching for her utensils. "Mornin', Professor… Remus."

As the former dipped his head, the latter leaned forward in his seat. "Good morning, Dora. How are you?"

"Famished!" she declared, tucking into her meal. After a few minutes of awkward silence had occurred, the witch peeked at the two men to her right. Spotting the smug upturn of Snape's mouth and the somewhat constipated expression on Remus's face, she felt a devious thought beginning to form in her head. Leaning slightly closer to the Slytherin Head, she smiled and stated, "Professor, I just wanted to thank you… you know, for last night. I really enjoyed it."

Severus snapped his gaze to her, but relaxed slightly upon realizing that her intention was solely to rile up the wolf, who had just choked on his tea. Flicking his eyes to his other side, he gleefully noticed that Lupin had gone as stiff as a post. As he reached for his coffee, he cleared his throat. "I think I ought to be the one thanking you, Miss Tonks."

"You certainly should be, Professor. I do believe I managed to… teach you a thing or two," the woman winked, turning away so as not to start giggling. Upon regaining control of herself, she drew in a quick breath and picked up a wedge of toast. "I'd love to do that again sometime… if you're game."

Hearing Remus mutter something inappropriate under his breath, the Potions Master tilted his head and leaned back in his chair. "I will certainly keep that under consideration. You do have… remarkable skills."

"Well, you know how to find me," Tonks shrugged.

Red-faced, the Defense instructor suddenly pushed out of his chair.

"Going so soon, Lupin?" Snape asked, feigning innocence. "You haven't even finished your –"

"Sudden indigestion," the werewolf muttered before leaving the Head Table.

The pink-haired Auror pinched her lips together as she watched his retreating backside, waiting until he was almost out of sight before laughing loudly. Though she knew that she was drawing attention from the remaining members of staff, Tonks again leaned toward Snape and touched his arm. "Oh, that was fun!"

Severus pulled his arm away and snorted under his breath. "Any particular reason why you've decided to send him off with his tail between his legs instead of mooning after him?"

"Oh, I just want to get his haunches up a bit," the witch grinned. "I first wanted to see if you were right, which it appears you are, so now… now, I get to torture him a bit. He turned me down when I fawned over him, but now that he thinks I'm bunching up your bedsheets, he'll realize what he's missing. Since it does appear he's seething with jealousy, I'm going to temporarily count that as a win."

"Merlin save us from scheming females," he murmured.

"Don't tell me you're not enjoying it."

Preparing to take another sip of his coffee, he shook his head. "Don't be absurd."

Tonks lifted her own cup. "To mutual satisfaction, then."

The wizard coughed, and then nearly choked on the hot liquid when a heavy hand came down on his shoulder.

"Severus," McGonagall scowled. "A word."

Begrudgingly, he rose from his seat and followed her through the staff entrance. When they were away from prying eyes and ears in her office, she rounded on him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Is there a particular answer you're seeking, or shall I provide you a list?" he sneered.

"Don't get smart with me, young man!" the witch snapped. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Snape sank down into the closest chair. "Being berated like an errant schoolboy for an offense I apparently committed without any recollection of doing so."

"No recollection?" she scoffed, gesturing to the door. "You were just flirting with Nymphadora Tonks in front of the entire school!"

"Oh," he snickered. "That."

"Yes, that," Minerva grumbled, folding her arms. "Are you sleeping with her?"

"For fuck's sake!" the man hissed. "Of course not!"

When she merely raised an eyebrow, he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "I have never slept with, nor shall I ever sleep with Nymphadora Tonks. I would say she has better taste, but clearly not if she's panting after Lupin."

"Lupin," she repeated. "The two of you were, what, having him on?"

"Yes."

"Trying to stir him up?"

"Yes."

"To make him jealous?"

"Yes."

McGonagall narrowed her eyes. "Did it work?"

A smirk appeared on his face. "Of course it did."

"And how do you think it affected Hermione?"

His expression morphed into something more serious. "I don't… the curse should in no way be –"

"I'm not talking about the bloody curse, you blithering imbecile!" she shouted. "I'm talking about Hermione! About her feelings! Remus isn't the only one who left the Great Hall after your little performance, but I'm fairly certain he didn't leave it in tears."