A/N: Thank you for all of the continued reviews! So many of you commented on Ron's remarkable show of maturity, which made me quite happy. On a related note, I have to give a special thank you to meg527, for your review inspired a line of dialogue and subsequently the title of this chapter.

P.S. I was mildly disappointed - as I'm sure some of you will be - that there is no real hanky-panky in Ch. 69, but I think there might just be some soon.

Bound to Him

Chapter 69

Severus groaned as he stood in the Entrance Hall. He had contacted Hermione the moment he had arrived at the gates, and had been nearly to the castle when her Patronus swam across his thoughts. After assuring her that they could handle whatever happened as a result of Potter's blithering idiocy, he had not silenced the connection again because he wanted an accurate sense of how much damage control would be required. He was fairly certain that the Dark Lord would recognize the necessity of the cover story to protect his interests where Dumbledore's demise was concerned, but it was still best not to upset him any further.

Beyond that, he knew Hermione was handling far more stress than she should be. After keeping watch over Draco and undoubtedly worrying over his own safety as he held audience with the Dark Lord, she did not need Harry fucking Potter – the boy she believed to be her best friend – jumping down her throat. He knew how it felt to have his closest friend turn on him, and it could only be worse given everything she had sacrificed for him. She had done nothing to deserve Potter's vitriol.

Duty prompted him to continue on his way to the Headmaster's Office and to give his report immediately. He had only ever delayed due to injury or when Hermione had needed his attention. The girl was currently not in physical pain or immediate danger, but he did not feel right about leaving her on her own. He could not dismiss the feeling that his meeting with Dumbledore would take some time as they needed to discuss what would be done regarding Draco and the Head wizard's impending end.

Knowing that, Snape was not certain when - or even if - he would be able to check on her that night.

Nothing's time sensitive, he argued. Had he any inkling at all that the Jiggers girl could possibly be alive, it would be a different story, but he knew enough of Greyback to know there was no hope in that regard. He only hoped that the child had succumbed to the poison as Bellatrix had claimed, and had not been present for the werewolf's hellish brutality. He had never wished for the death of a child, but in this instance, it was the far more palatable option.

With a sigh, the man wiped his hand over his face and glumly made his way to the staircase. Dumbledore could bloody well wait until after he had spoken with Hermione. He could tell from her current musings that she was distressed, but was stubbornly planning to complete her brewing for the infirmary. He was not about to let her slice off a finger or burn off her eyebrows – or Merlin forbid, accidently poison an unsuspecting student – because she was distracted.

Upon striding through the blissfully empty infirmary, he gave a stiff nod to Poppy who had poked her head out of her office at the sound of someone entering her domain. He could see her gaze narrow in scrutiny of his person, and let out an aggravated sigh. "I am perfectly fine, woman. Go back to counting bandages or whatever it is you do with your Saturday nights."

The matron nurse sniffed grumpily and folded her arms. "What happened to her?"

"Nothing that concerns you," he muttered.

"Did you do something?" she questioned stiffly.

"No," the wizard growled. "But I will deal with it regardless."

"See to it you do," she snapped before slamming her office door shut.

Severus raised one eyebrow in surprise at her uncharacteristic display of tantrum, but continued down the rear hallway to the brewing lab. The door was ajar, and he could hear garbled mutterings and sniffling from behind it. Cautiously, he slipped into the room and closed the door behind him.

He was somewhat surprised when the girl gave no indication of having heard him as she angrily banged cupboard doors in her quest to find everything she needed. Not wishing to startle her any more than necessary, he cleared his throat. "Hermione."

The witch briefly froze in place, and then slowly turned around after wiping at her eyes. "Severus? What are you… I thought you were with the Headmaster?"

Exhaling loudly, he stepped farther into the room. "The world will not go to hell at any greater rate if he is not immediately informed. He can wait."

"Oh." Hermione ducked her head and awkwardly rubbed her shoulder. "Did you need something? Are you injured at all? Madam Pomfrey is in her office if –"

"I didn't come to seek out Poppy," he interrupted. "I am in no need of medical attention, I promise you. I only wished to see whether or not you were alright after your confrontation with Potter."

Her eyes widened in slight surprise, and he could see the tears forming within them. She sucked in a deep breath. "I didn't tell him anything beyond the cover story that –"

"I'm not the least bit concerned with how you handled the situation upstairs," Snape clarified gently. "I am concerned, however, with how you are handling the fall out."

The girl frowned and looked down at her hands. "I'm fine."

"Granger," he groaned. "You are not fine. If you were as unaffected as you try to claim, I would not have half the respect for you that I presently do."

Her lower lip trembled at his admission, and she eventually risked a glance up at him. "Harry said… he…"

The man nodded and moved around the edge of the table. "I know what he said. I didn't silence the connection until a few minutes ago."

"How could he… how could he say that?" Hermione whispered. "After everything we've been through…"

Severus leaned against the work table and gently guided her to stand in front of him. Swallowing uncomfortably, he clasped both of her hands in his own. "You recall what I told you when Weasley was the one shouting out of his arse?"

She huffed and glared at the wall. "That I should be patient with him and wait for him to forgive me?"

"Not what I intended," he murmured. "I meant the part about teenaged boys being idiotic little shits who cannot always keep their tempers in check. Potter especially has never exhibited any control over his emotions, and puberty appears to have done nothing to improve on that."

The girl snorted sadly as she thought of all of the angry outbursts she had seen from Harry in the past two years.

"Potter no doubt thought he would be lauded as your personal hero after he came to your rescue," the professor theorized, "but took a massive blow to his savior complex upon discovering that you were not only not in danger, but were perfectly amenable to spending alone time with Draco. He likely felt hurt and betrayed by your dalliance with his sworn enemy, and he lashed out."

"I know," she whimpered, pulling her hands out of his to cover her face. "I just… didn't expect it to hurt so much. He wasn't supposed to find out… about anything. It was bad enough that he knew when he did care about me, but now that he hates me…"

Snape blew out a slow breath and parted his legs so that he could draw her closer to him. As she leaned her head against his shoulder, he slipped one arm about her waist. Her body was rigid in his grasp, and he could tell that she was attempting to restrain herself. "Hermione… I haven't melted yet, so you need not hold back on my account."

The girl gave a short, sniffling laugh and fully sank into him, turning her face against his neck. As she finally allowed her tears to fall, he tightened his hold on her and moved his other hand to cradle the back of her head.

"I am sorry," he exclaimed after a minute of listening to her quiet sobs.

"S'not your fault," Hermione replied, wiping her eyes without pulling away from him.

"For the record… I doubt he hates you any more than Weasley does."

"He's so angry."

"He'll likely calm down… eventually."

"We don't have time for eventually."

Severus sighed deeply. "If he has even half of his mother's intellect, he'll realize how important you are. He does have his father's arrogance, though, so I doubt he will be as sheepish as he ought to be. And he'll likely require an admission of guilt from you."

"Well, I am fucking his perceived enemy," she growled.

He grimaced upon hearing her comment and fisted one hand in her robes. "As much as I would love to let Potter flounder about until he comes to the realization that you haven't done anything wrong, you are correct in that we don't have the time for that. If we expect him to succeed against the Dark Lord… we will both have to swallow our pride. When it's all over, if he hasn't earned your forgiveness… by all means, tear the little arsehole a new arsehole and walk away. Until then, though…"

Hermione nodded once before slipping her arms around his torso. "At least Ron didn't blow up on me, too. I'm rather surprised he didn't."

The wizard gave a soft snort of agreement. "You know the world has gone mad when Ronald Weasley is the voice of reason."

Laughing wearily, she squeezed him tighter. After a few minutes, she blinked back her few remaining tears and pulled back to look up at him. "You know, if she had half the intellect that you give her credit for, she would never have stopped being your friend."

His dark eyes locked on to hers, and several seconds passed in silence as he tried to figure out how best to respond.

"I… I didn't mean any offense." Hermione dropped her gaze to his chest and attempted to step backwards.

Realizing that she had taken his silence for condemnation, Severus strengthened his hold on her waist and tipped up her chin. Tracing the pad of his thumb over her bottom lip, he leaned forward and quirked his lips up in a small smile. "None was taken."

The witch drew in a quick breath of air, and her eyelids fluttered shut as his lips descended upon hers. Eagerly returning the kiss, she replaced one arm around his waist but slipped the other behind his neck. The kiss was noticeably different than the one they had shared in the library – softer, yet more demanding, almost desperate, and salty with her tears. Pulling herself into him as tightly as possible, she felt safe enveloped in his warm grasp. Nothing felt wrong when she was there; she was cared for and protected.

As Severus had claimed the morning prior, it was just the two of them. There was no Harry yelling at her, or Ron staring at her in shock, or Draco falling to pieces. There was no Dumbledore. There was no Voldemort. In the moment, there was just Severus and Hermione, and she wished beyond anything that that moment could last indefinitely.

"Mmmgods," he groaned several minutes later. "We have to stop."

She made a noise of disappointment while placing a feather light kiss against the corner of his mouth. "I don't want to."

"Neither do I, darling, but we have to." He stroked the side of her face and shook his head. "If we go much farther, we might not be able to turn back."

"But it's already been… erm…"

"Two days?" Snape supplied with a crooked grin.

"Really? That's all?" Hermione frowned and then shook her head. "It seems like so much longer."

"It's been a long night," he muttered, rubbing a knuckle against his forehead. "And it unfortunately has not yet expired."

"Oh, right." The witch sighed once more and begrudgingly pulled out of his embrace. "I forgot you still have to talk to Dumbledore. He probably wouldn't appreciate it if you chose to sleep with me instead of meeting with him."

"While I think the idea has merit, I do not think he would appreciate it, no." Severus stood to his full height. "Nor would Poppy when you consider the locale."

Her cheeks flushed upon realizing that she had been fully prepared to have sex in the infirmary laboratory. "Oh, gods. That would have been positively mortifying. I would never be able to look her in the eye again."

He snorted in agreement and then began to make his way to the door. Pausing with his hand on the knob, he turned back to look at her. "Hermione, if you would rather call it a night, the brewing will wait until tomorrow. Poppy will understand, and it isn't worth the risk if you are compromised."

Hermione nodded in understanding and glanced about the space. "I think I'll just work on the Fever Reducer. It doesn't take very long, and I don't think I'll mess that up."

"Alright. Good night, then."

"Severus?" When he raised an eyebrow in response, she leaned against the work table. "When you've finished with Dumbledore, could you let me know?"

The man eyed her in surprise, but eventually nodded.

"Oh, and you should probably let Poppy know you're alright. I think she was worried you might be injured."

"I have already," Snape replied before dipping his head in a parting gesture. As she settled into her task, he closed the door behind him and made his way back down the hallway. He paused, however, upon reaching the threshold of the private room he occupied whenever he was hauled in for treatment. Usually, the room appeared entirely vacant with cupboards and drawers warded shut. Tonight, however, he could see that a dozen potions were lined up on the counter, including the After-Cruciatus treatment, and it was obvious that the room had been freshly sanitized.

He cursed under his breath upon realizing he had been a bit harsh with the woman who had clearly spent a great deal of time preparing to save his life yet again. That's what she had spent her Saturday night doing, you imbecile.

Solemnly, he strode across the infirmary and knocked firmly on the office door. When it was pulled open, he shifted somewhat uncomfortably.

"Is she alright?" Madam Pomfrey asked.

"Relatively speaking, yes." Severus cleared his throat. "Poppy, I… I wanted to apologize for my shortness earlier. I realize you were just concerned, and I should not have taken out my frustrations on you."

The witch smiled hesitantly. "My, my… Severus Snape apologizing? The world has gone mad."

"It seems I've been doing that quite a lot recently," he mumbled.

She gave a soft chuckle. "Perhaps there might be something wrong with you after all."

He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "I assure you I am perfectly fine. I did not suffer any of the Dark Lord's attentions this evening."

"Good." Poppy touched his cheek briefly and then patted his shoulder. "Get some sleep tonight, Severus. You've more than earned it, and frankly, you need it. I'm saying that as a medical professional, mind you."

Snape sighed deeply as he stepped away. "I'll see what I can manage."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Dumbledore rose shakily from his desk. "Severus? You were in the infirmary. Are you –"

"Uninjured," the spy commented with a wave of his hand. Without being asked, he set up the Pensieve on the desk and began withdrawing his memory of the evening at Malfoy Manor.

The Headmaster eyed him quizzically while sinking back into his chair. "Did Poppy require a consult?"

"Not exactly," Snape replied. When he had finished extracting the silvery thread, he slowly ambled away from the desk. "Miss Granger needed advice, and as I did not glean anything time sensitive, I thought it best to deal with her situation first. She kept an eye on Draco while I called upon the Dark Lord, and the idiot Potter discovered them on that blasted map of his."

"Oh?"

"Weasley surprisingly kept his head, but of course, Potter let his hurt feelings lead the way." He shook his head in disgust. "He all but called her a treacherous whore, denounced their friendship, and wished Draco dead."

"I see." Dumbledore frowned and steepled his fingers. "And the advice you gave her?"

"Never fear, Albus – Miss Granger is not so easily discouraged from friendship with Potter as he is with her. She agreed to swallow her injured feelings and do what she can to crawl back into his good graces. I shall speak with Draco tomorrow to minimize whatever tension I can between them from his end, but perhaps you might deign yourself to do the same with our blessed savior?"

The Headmaster sighed at his bitter tone, but gave a small nod. "Of course. Thank you, Severus. I know I can always count on you to do what is best. Now, I shall examine what you've brought me."

Severus nodded impassively, but turned his back as soon as his employer was submerged in the bowl. He walked over to the fireplace and leaned against the mantel. His chest felt somewhat constricted at having made so little of Hermione's anguish, but it would not do to share any more than necessary with Dumbledore. He had not forgotten how she had looked at him after learning that the elder wizard had repeatedly entered her mind without her knowledge. As such, he would not willingly violate her privacy, especially when he knew that she was nothing more than a pawn in the Headmaster's estimation.

"That was almost artful, my boy," Dumbledore commented upon exiting the Pensieve several minutes later.

The Slytherin turned around with his brow raised, but waited silently while his employer shifted in the chair.

"I do not see how it could have been handled any better, though I fear you may have made an even greater enemy of Madam Lestrange."

"That was inevitable," Snape sighed. "Every moment that I retain the ability to breathe, I make a greater enemy of the psychotic bitch."

"As long as you proceed with caution."

He snorted under his breath before hesitantly approaching the desk. "The Jiggers girl, Albus? You didn't tell me there was anyone missing."

Dumbledore let out a deep sigh. "It was not for certain at the outset. The Aurors checked with the few family members left and combed the woods. When there was no sign of Silas's granddaughter, we held no hope of locating her. I chose not to pull you in because I could not risk your position on a lost cause. I know you would have done whatever you could to find the child."

Severus balled his hands into fists when he felt them beginning to shake. "How old was she?"

"That will not help –"

"How old?!" he snapped.

Albus pinched his lips together and studied him for a moment. "Not quite seven."

Fucking… fuck. The spy ran his hands through his hair and then delivered a hearty kick to the nearby armchair. "Fuck!"

"Severus… you know the poison would have –"

"I know!" He blew out a long breath and forced his emotions back under his shields. There would be plenty of time later to reflect on how he had once sought to belong with people who were monstrous enough to slaughter an entire family and then use a six-year-old child for poisoning practice.

"Severus."

"What?"

"I think it would be best if you were to have a seat."

Recognizing that the suggestion was more of a command, Snape righted the chair he had kicked and then sank onto it. He grew uncomfortable with the silence and crossed one leg over the other. "The Dark Lord is allowing Draco another chance to dispatch of you."

"So I saw," Dumbledore replied before taking a moment for consideration. "You and I both agreed that Riddle does not expect the boy to succeed in murdering me, yet it does appear as though he does wish me dead as soon as possible."

"So it would seem."

"He has assigned you to provide Draco with guidance in the task."

"Yes."

"Once the boy fails, then, it would be natural to assume Voldemort would look to you to succeed in his stead."

Snape immediately stiffened and then closed his eyes. Of course it would be. Of course it fucking would be.

"Severus?" The Headmaster tilted his head. "Would I be incorrect in assuming Lord Voldemort expects you to see to my demise?"

"No," he ground out while shifting his gaze to the wall, "you would not be."

Albus rubbed his upper lip thoughtfully. "Riddle is confident, then. He must believe he does not require a spy within Hogwarts for much longer… that once I am gone, there is nothing to fear from Hogwarts. I have you to thank for that, I presume."

"Apart from Lupin, he does not know that any of the staff swear allegiance to the Order."

"I greatly appreciate that, Severus."

The Slytherin gave a brief nod before frowning in contemplation. When another minute had passed in tense silence, he cleared his throat. "I have absolutely no inclination to kill you, if that is a concern of yours."

"It is a concern of mine, but undoubtedly not how you expect," Dumbledore replied, placing his hands in his lap. "If you refuse to kill me, Severus, the Dark Lord will take it as a blatant sign of your treachery."

"If he expects me to kill you, he has no need for a spy, which means that I would be of no use to the Order in his ranks. I would be of better use standing in opposition to the Dark Lord, openly helping the Order!"

The Headmaster shook his head. "On the contrary, you would be of greatest use to the Order if your position within Voldemort's Inner Circle were cemented. When you kill me, he will be fully assured of your loyalty."

"As will everyone else!" Snape snarled, pushing out of his chair. "I would gain the Dark Lord's trust, but lose the Order's! How the fuck will that help anyone beyond the Dark Lord? How the fuck am I to protect Potter if I am nothing more than a murderous Death Eater?"

"Severus, do try to be rational."

"Rational!? You want me to murder you, and I'm the one being irrational?"

"It would NOT be murder!" Dumbledore shouted, rising to his feet.

The younger wizard visibly scoffed. "Oh, do explain that, would you?"

"You know very well, Severus, that my time is limited. I fear that I may not even have the year left that you predicted. My health is failing rapidly – you personally know the concentration of Angel's Trumpet I received, and have seen the length of time it has taken for me to partially recover. You said yourself that the curse seeping through my veins will kill me in a most humiliating and painful way. By providing me a swift end, you would spare me that awful suffering. It would not be murder; you would merely be helping an old man find the exit more efficiently."

Severus shook his head angrily. "Then why not allow Malfoy to be the one to escort you out of this world? He would secure a place in the Inner Circle, save his mother's life, and I have no doubt that his gratitude would still rest with –"

"I do not have faith enough in the skills the boy has in Occlumency, given that his aunt was likely the one to train him," Dumbledore interrupted. "Because of that, he cannot know that his actions would be an act of mercy. It would have to be an act of murder, and I cannot allow his soul to be so cruelly damaged on my behalf."

"And my soul, Albus?" he whispered. "You could allow that of mine?"

The Headmaster let out a deep sigh and shook his head. "You are the only one who can know whether or not your soul will be harmed, Severus, because you are the only one who can know what will be in your heart when you cast that Killing Curse."

"The Killing Curse?" Snape repeated as all color drained from his face.

"There can be no doubt – of my demise, or of your embracing the Dark Arts," the elder wizard explained gently. "And, on a more selfish note, I would prefer the immediate, painless death it provides."

"Albus, if I kill you, I will be just as hated as the Dark Lord. They will hunt me down most assuredly, and if by some miracle, they do not slaughter me on sight, they will see me in Azkaban to receive the Dementor's Kiss. You would not only condemn me to die, but you would condemn Miss Granger to die as well!"

Having grown somewhat shaky, Dumbledore reclaimed his seat. "Miss Granger fully understands that there are sacrifices in war."

"Sacrifices!" Severus spat. "I have spent the last six months convincing her that she need not resign herself to Death, and now I find out that that is exactly what you expect of us!"

"I'm surprised, Severus. It is not like you to go out of your way to make promises that you cannot keep."

A dark scowl appeared on his face. "I had every intention of keeping that promise!"

"Then she can hardly blame you, can she? I can assure you, Severus, that Hermione Granger has considered her death to be a likely outcome of this war for years now, and yet she has never backed down from what she considers her responsibilities. She will understand."

"You are trading your painful, suffering demise for hers! She is seventeen years old, Albus! She should have an entire life ahead of her!"

"As I recall, you were the one who put her in this particular position –"

"I DIDN'T have a CHOICE!" the man hissed. "If there was anything else I could have done, I would have! You know that!"

Dumbledore took in a slow breath and dipped his head. "Then you ought to understand my position, Severus. If I felt there were any better options, I would never consider this. I realize your concern, but I do not believe that what I am suggesting will put Miss Granger at any greater risk than she would be in if you were to pull away from Voldemort. You know the Death Eaters would purposely hunt her down even if they could not reach you, prolonging her suffering until you feel guilty enough to kill yourself just to end her pain. You are not so naïve as to think that Voldemort's forces would not respond to your treachery with greater force than the Order would. The Order, however, will not make her an explicit target."

Fucking hell. Snape groaned loudly and sank back into the armchair. Leaning forward, he held his head in his hands.

"Severus, this decision is far greater than you, or myself, or Miss Granger." The Headmaster sighed and leaned against his armrest. "Voldemort needs to be assured of your loyalty and worth when there is no need for a spy in the halls of Hogwarts. Without you firmly ensconced within the Inner Circle, there is little hope for success on our part. Harry will need the protection that only you can provide, whether or not he knows of its origin."

The younger wizard closed his eyes, but said nothing.

"The Ministry will fall – there is no doubt in my mind – and Hogwarts will follow. When it does fall… I want it to fall into your hands. If you do as I have requested, Voldemort will readily appoint you Headmaster. If you do not, who will he trust enough to put at the helm? Or will he take my seat himself, allowing the likes of Bellatrix Lestrange, Fenrir Greyback, and Antonin Dolohov to traipse through the corridors at will, seeking enjoyment wherever they so desire?" Dumbledore paused briefly as he pushed himself out of his chair and then forcefully tapped his desk blotter. "I need you behind this desk. You are the only one I can trust to do whatever possible to protect the students and my staff."

He crossed around the end of his desk and rested his hand on the spy's shoulder. "I do not believe that Hermione would wish to place her fate above that of three hundred others. That being said, I do realize the gravity of this decision. Take some time to sleep on it, and let me know what it is you choose. Despite appearances, I know you remain serious in your duty to Lily's son, so I am certain you will not disappoint me. Now, I must bid you good night, my boy. I find myself quite tired."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Shivering slightly, Hermione wrapped her arms around her waist and stumbled almost blindly through the empty corridors. After finishing up the batch of Fever Reducer, she had left the infirmary with a promise to Poppy to get a full night of sleep. Upon reaching the Fat Lady's Portrait, however, she just could not bring herself to enter the common room for fear of running into Harry. Despite feeling much better after Severus's pep talk – and snog – she was definitely not in a steady enough place to face any further accusations, especially not with an audience.

She had stood outside of the Tower for what seemed like ages before turning around and deciding to wander the hallways. More than likely, she was going to keep walking about until either the Aurors escorted her back to the common room, or Severus finally contacted her. Hours had passed since he left her to meet with Dumbledore, and she had yet to hear from him.

At first, Hermione had solely wanted to check in with him before going to bed. After their little interlude in the brewing lab, however, she had started to think about asking him to meet her in the Room of Requirement for a more extensive continuation. As more time passed, though, something was beginning to gnaw at her. It was possible that it was just more anxiety about her fight with Harry, but she really needed to hear from him. She knew she could just send him a mental patronus, but a part of her was concerned that he might need complete concentration. She did not want to bother him unnecessarily.

The sound of giggling drew her attention back to her surroundings. Deciding she could at least perform her duties as a prefect while moping about, the witch quickened her step. As soon as she popped around the corner, however, she came to an abrupt stop and stared almost incredulously at Remus as he leaned into a pink-haired witch.

"I'm glad you've stopped ignoring me," Tonks murmured, kissing the corner of his mouth.

Remus sighed as he stroked his finger along her jaw. "I hope you realize that you deserve better than me."

Hermione bit down on her lip as she watched their tender exchange. A knot formed in her stomach, and she found herself thinking of her time with Severus in the brewing lab as well as the library the morning prior. Rubbing a hand over her eyes, she made to silently turn away, but tripped over a suit of armor that had suddenly appeared behind her.

An audible curse left her mouth as she hit the floor, and the echoes of the poltergeist's maniacal laughter echoed off the stone walls.

"Peeves!" Remus growled, pushing away from Tonks. "Damn it!"

"Girly-whirly is spying! Spying on Woofy-Wolfie slobbering over his purple tart! Hahahaha!"

Tonks chuckled quietly as her wizard shouted after the disappearing poltergeist. Clearing her throat, she moved to investigate the fallen armor. "Hermione, is that you?"

The girl let out a deep sigh as she pushed herself onto her knees. "Yes."

"Are you alright?" Lupin asked.

"Just a few bruises, I think." She winced while allowing the Auror to assist her to her feet. "And I wasn't spying. I was just walking, and I didn't want to intrude so I turned around, but stupid Peeves –"

"It's alright, love," Tonks giggled, patting the girl's shoulder. "I believe you."

"It's rather late," the man stated. "What are you doing out on your own?"

Hermione rubbed her aching wrist. "Just finishing up my rounds."

The older witch cocked her head. "I didn't see your name on the schedule for tonight. Weren't you just on duty last night?"

Crud. She shook her head. "I was, and no, I'm not, erm, scheduled for rounds tonight. Madam Pomfrey dismissed me a little early, though, so I just thought I could do an extra set. I didn't really want to sit in the common room, and I'm too wired to sleep."

"Is something wrong?"

A small voice in her head told her to lie and say that she was fine, but with everything that happened with Draco, and Harry, and Severus, and now Peeves, Hermione doubted she could make it very convincing. Instead, she gave them half a smile and then looked down at her hands. "You could say that."

"Boy troubles?" Tonks asked with a sly grin.

The girl glanced at Remus, who suddenly looked incredibly uncomfortable, before letting out a deep sigh. "In a manner of speaking."

The Defense Instructor recognized that she was hesitant to say anything while in the corridor. He gestured toward his office door. "If you'd like to talk…"

"Oh, I don't… I didn't mean to bother you at all."

"No bother, really," the Auror replied. "I only have a half hour or so before I'm officially on duty. You want some tea?"

After she nodded, the trio entered the office and settled in with a cup of tea delivered swiftly by one of the kitchen elves. A few awkward minutes passed while Hermione fought with herself about what she could tell them. Finally, since she knew they both believed her to be sleeping with Draco, she decided she could safely explain what had occurred with Harry.

Remus cleared his throat before she could answer. "Hermione, forgive me, but did Malfoy hurt you?"

Tonks stiffened at the question and looked in concern to Hermione, who rolled her eyes and shook her head. "No. Draco didn't do anything to me."

"But this is about him? Did –"

The pink-haired witch threw her hand back against his shoulder. "Would you just let her speak?"

"Sorry."

The girl cast a grateful look at Tonks while gripping her tea cup with both hands. "It has to do with Draco, yes, but he didn't do anything wrong. The problem is… Harry knows now. Harry and Ron both know."

Remus raised his eyebrows. "You told them?"

"No. No, I didn't tell them. They found out! They saw that we were together on that stupid map, and they thought I was in trouble. I wasn't, and we weren't doing anything inappropriate, sir, I swear. We were just talking, and… and I hugged him, but that was it. But Harry… he attacked Draco, and said horrible things to me."

Tonks grimaced and leaned forward. "Is Draco uninjured?"

"Yes, I think so." She nodded and stared down at her cup. "I shielded him from the hex and disarmed Harry before he could cast again, and then sent him away so he wouldn't retaliate."

"You didn't get a staff member?"

"To do what?" Hermione threw up her hands and shook her head. "No one was there, and if I would have taken the time to do that, who would believe that Harry Potter tried to hex an unarmed student in the back after being told that there was no reason to do so, and that anything Draco had done would have been in self-defense? Would you have?"

Lupin winced in response.

"The only one who would believe it would have been Professor Snape, and I would imagine he was rather busy at the time."

"What do you mean?"

Seriously? The young witch stared at him in disbelief. "Dumbledore just came back from the dead, didn't he? I would assume that someone might be a bit upset about that."

"Oh."

Hermione watched the two Order members exchange concerned glances. Feeling guilty that she may have worried them unnecessarily and possibly encouraged one or both of them to seek out Severus later, she quickly spoke up. "He's alright, you know. I was in the Hospital Wing when he came in to tell Madam Pomfrey that he would not need her services tonight. I think he had just returned. He had on his travelling cloak."

Remus nodded while Tonks gave a relieved sigh. "Good."

A brief smile toyed at her lips upon realizing that there were others who cared about Severus's well-being, but she hid it before it could be detected. Setting her virtually untouched tea on the edge of the desk, she crossed her arms. "About Harry… I tried to tell him that he was my priority, and that I wasn't letting anyone use me to hurt him. Ron believed me, but I don't think Harry did. He was so angry that I had kept it from him, but I knew this is how he would react! I knew he would go ballistic! And now I'm worried that he won't keep it to himself."

"Did you tell him to keep it private?"

She scoffed loudly and stood up from her chair to pace. "I tried to, but between telling me that we're no longer friends and implying that he wouldn't care if Draco were killed, I really don't think it sank in."

Honest tears began to fall, and she stopped mid-stride to cover her face.

"Hermione?" Tonks ventured out of her seat and placed a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder.

"I haven't been able to speak to him since he left, and I just want to know he's alright," she whispered. "I feel like something's wrong."

"Draco?"

"Y-yes. I meant Draco." Hermione nodded, though she cursed herself for letting her thoughts of Severus leak out. Recovering, she wiped the tears from her eyes. "He was worried about his mother – that's why I was with him, actually – and now, if this gets out…"

Tonks squeezed the girl's arm in sympathy and then glanced over her shoulder. "Remus?"

The wizard let out a slow breath, but nodded his head. "I will speak to Harry. I am sure he will calm down and come to his senses."

"Thank you," Hermione smiled. "I should probably get going."

"As should I," the older witch added. "Good night, Remus. I'll see you tomorrow?"

Lupin blushed lightly as he returned her smile. "Of course. Good night… to both of you."

Tonks held open the door for Hermione and then stepped out into the hallway. When the girl started making her way in the direction of Gryffindor Tower, the Auror cleared her throat and reached out her hand. "It's not quite curfew yet."

"No," the Gryffindor agreed, raising an eyebrow in question as she took her hand. "Where are we going?"

"As an Auror who has just received report of an attempted assault, I would be remiss in my duties if I did not ensure that the alleged victim was unharmed."

Hermione's eyes widened as she was led down the stairs. "But I can't… if anyone sees –"

"Then we won't let anyone see," Tonks shrugged. She turned around and quickly tapped her wand to the girl's forehead, disillusioning her. "There. No worries."

A smile appeared on the girl's invisible face, and she quickened her step to match the woman's pace. "You didn't have to do this."

"No, I suppose not, but let's say I have a personal interest. He is family, after all. He doesn't trust me enough to let me help him, which isn't surprising, but I am glad that he has you. It isn't easy to go against everything you've been raised to believe, so I think he ought to have all the support possible."

"So you believe my opinion of him?"

Tonks nodded as they rounded a corner. "The more I consider it, the more I do. Mum's told me how much she adored her baby sister, so I'd like to think that they're not as bad as they've appeared."

"They're not," Hermione blurted. She tightened her grip on the woman's hand and whispered, "I swear to you they're not."

Severus might be mad at her for divulging too much, but she trusted Tonks's declarations about family. The Auror could not be any greater of a risk than Harry. Frankly, she thought it might be best to have someone in addition to herself and Severus who could stand up for Draco and Narcissa when the time came.

She reflected on this for the remainder of their trek down to the dungeons until Tonks pushed her into a disused classroom before heading off to the Slytherin dormitory. Within the matter of a few minutes, she had returned with a sullen Draco in tow.

"Look," he snapped, glaring back at her, "whatever Potter said I did is a lie. He attacked me!"

"She knows."

The boy whipped his head around in confusion until Tonks removed the Disillusionment charm. "Wha – Granger? What are –"

"It's okay, Draco," Hermione stated pointedly as she walked up to him. "She knows… about us."

He snapped his gaze back to his cousin. "You said you needed to interview me about an accusation against me!"

Tonks grinned smugly and leaned against the wall. "I didn't think it the best idea to announce to Slytherin House that I was there to fetch you so that your girlfriend could see whether or not you were alright. I also didn't think they would believe that I would investigate an assault against you."

Malfoy drew in a sharp breath but nodded in acceptance. Turning back to face Hermione and remaining mindful of their audience, he cleared his throat. "I'm fine… thanks to you. And… and you? Are you alright? Potter and Weasley didn't hurt you, did they?"

The young witch grimaced but shook her head. It took great effort not to startle when he took her hands in his and led her farther into the room. "I'm alright, Draco. I swear. Harry just yelled and said horrible things, but he didn't hit me or anything. I did slap him, though."

"You did?" His eyes lit up in honest astonishment. "Shit. I know that must have hurt."

Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes. "Shut it."

"Why don't you shut it for me?" he smirked, pulling her just hard enough that she stumbled into his chest. When she squawked in response to the action, he gave her a wink.

"Draco!" she gasped, peering over his shoulder. "You're going to get us in trouble again."

"Just keep it within policy," the Auror instructed with a grin while she determinedly stared at the wall.

Hermione blushed at the comment before whispering. "I'm sorry. I just… had to explain about Harry, and she suggested this, and I couldn't come up with an excuse, so I just went with it. Sorry."

Draco let out a sigh and shrugged his shoulder as sorrow again returned to his eyes. "It's fine. Better this than an interrogation, I guess. I don't think I could deal with that tonight."

"I know." She ducked her head briefly before deciding to slip her arms around his neck and rest her head against his shoulder. He tensed up immediately, but eventually wrapped his arms about her waist. "I am glad that you're okay, and that your mum is, too."

He grunted uncomfortably. "I won't be after Snape finds out I've taken liberties with you again."

Hermione snickered and pressed her forehead against his chin. "Let me deal with him. He'll understand."

"Fine." The boy cleared his throat and pulled away from her. "You should probably go."

With a nod, she stepped around him and then walked backwards to the door. "Good night, Draco."

"Good night, Hermione."

Tonks reapplied the Disillusionment charm before looking back at her cousin. "You can make it back to your common room alright?"

"Yes," he snapped.

"Well, good night, then," she murmured, "and take care."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Don't get caught. Don't get caught. Don't get caught.

Concealed under her own Disillusionment charm, Hermione stole down the staircases as silently as possible. Tonks had escorted her as far as the seventh floor corridor, but instead of heading into her common room, Hermione had again stopped in front of the Fat Lady's portrait. She still had received no word from Severus, and it was starting to frighten her. Tonks had thought it would help her to see Draco, but Draco was not the one she wanted to see.

So it was that after waiting several minutes to ensure that she could slip away undetected, the witch began making her way down to Snape's quarters. If he was there and had just forgotten to tell her, she was going to give him a piece of her mind. If he was not, however, she was going to wait for him.

Upon closing the portrait door behind her, Hermione let out a relieved sigh at not having been caught. The emptiness of his rooms did give her some concern, though, as she strode through his bedroom to the secret stairwell down to his office. Holding her breath, she slunk along the edge of the staircase and paused for quite some time to listen at the door. When she heard nothing, she eased open the door and peeked into the office. After finding that unoccupied as well, she glumly made her way back up to his bedroom.

"Severus, where are you?"

With a groan, Hermione removed her concealing charm, kicked off her shoes, and then climbed onto the bed. After sending him positive thoughts, she tugged the pillow close to her chest and closed her eyes. She thought again of him choosing to comfort her before going to Dumbledore, kissing her and holding her to his chest. Draco had held her as well that night, and though it was oddly okay, it was entirely wrong because it was the wrong chest pressed against her, the wrong arms enfolding her, and the wrong hands at her waist.

Good god – who would have thought that I would seek out Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape for comfort when Harry and Ron upset me? It's like the world's turned upside down.

Blowing out a deep breath, she pushed the thoughts of Draco and Harry out of her mind and returned to more pleasant memories. A smile slowly formed on her face when she reminded herself of the fact that Severus had –whether he realized it or not – referred to her as 'darling.' Only her parents and long-deceased grandmother had ever called her that. It was not a declaration of love, exactly, but it must mean that he at least cared for her.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

As the rays of sunlight began to reflect off of the ice covering the Black Lake, Severus let out a deep sigh and pressed his head back against the large boulder. He would never be certain as to how long he had remained in the Head's Office after Dumbledore had left, but it had been quite a while. He had sat there, trying to comprehend what had been asked of him, until finally he had become aware of the number of pitying stares he had been receiving from the wall of portraits. When he could stand their whisperings no longer, he had stormed out of the room and had taken to ambling through the dark hallways.

There had been no errant students – though he very well may have been blinded by his own distraction –as it had been after curfew, but he had still felt too crowded. As a result, he had found himself hiking through the snow drifts out to the boulder which Hermione had frequented in moments of distress. The knowledge of that had prompted him to check in with her, but upon finding her asleep, he had decided not to wake her. Instead, he had wrapped his travelling cloak tighter around him and sank down in the snow to think.

Snape shifted to relieve a pain in his hip and groaned at the realization that it was already morning, and he was no closer to a resolution. While he understood Dumbledore's argument, he was still hesitant to risk Hermione's safety. If he were to refuse, there was no doubt in his mind that the Dark Lord would spare no effort to find, torture, and murder the two of them. The Dark Lord had ordered their binding, and as such, would know how to use it to his advantage. He would do everything he could to protect her in that instance, but to do so could limit their contributions to the Order.

Would I be sacrificing Potter to protect her? Sacrificing the war? If the Dark Lord wins, I cannot keep her safe. He will track me down wherever I run. The wizard covered his face with his hands. Were he to kill the Headmaster, though, there existed the possibility that he could convince the Dark Lord to issue an order of protection for Hermione. The Order would not knowingly harm her, and neither would the majority of Death Eaters if the Dark Lord were to believe that she could be of use to him. He could continue to help orchestrate the downfall of the Dark Lord by funneling information through Hermione, while claiming that she was providing him with information from the Order.

If they both lived to see the Dark Lord defeated, however, he would still face the consequences for murder. Instead of fleeing the Death Eaters, they would have to flee the Aurors. They would likely have to become fugitives to save her life in either case, but the Aurors would have greater difficulty in tracking him. Hermione was Muggleborn, so they could slip away and disappear into the Muggle world, give up magic, and escape the country.

We're damned either way. A shiver rippled through him, and he began to pull out his wand to cast another warming charm, but thought better of it. As the wind whipped his hair into his face, Severus stiffly climbed to his feet. With one last long look at the frozen lake, he slowly made his way back to the castle.

After shaking the snow from his robes in the Entrance Hall, he peered into the Great Hall. It was early enough that the majority of the students had yet to come down for breakfast, and so the tables were relatively unoccupied. The Head Table, as well, was quite sparse with only Professors Vector, Sinistra, and Flitwick in addition to the Headmaster.

When Dumbledore's blue eyes settled onto his face, the Slytherin Head felt his stomach twist. There was a question in the man's gaze, and Severus, not ready yet to answer it, simply dropped his eyes to the stone floor in front of him and ducked back into the Entrance Hall. Pressing his lips into a thin line, he turned toward the staircase and made his way to the first floor.

Two minutes later found him standing in front of a familiar wooden door. Swallowing heavily, he raised his hand to knock.

"Just a moment!" The door opened to reveal the Deputy Headmistress, who visibly startled. "Severus? You knocked? You never wait for permission. My gods, whatever has happened?"

"Minerva." He met her eyes and then shifted in discomfort. "There is something I think you should know."