A/N: Thank you all so much for the support and the reviews! It still astounds me to know just how many of you are reading and enjoying my work.

Bound to Him

Chapter 73

"Wotcher, Hermione," Tonks greeted, leaning against her broomstick. "Fancy a chase?"

The younger girl laughed and shook her head. "Not particularly, no."

"Oh! Shall we call it a night, then?" the pink-haired witch winked.

Severus rolled his eyes as he stepped forward and held out a broomstick. "I think not."

Taking the broom from him, Hermione sighed and tried to quell her rising anxiety.

"Don't worry, Hermione," Remus murmured, leaning forward. "We'll try to contain ourselves."

"You will do no such thing!" Snape hissed, glaring at the other wizard. "Do you wish to handicap her? You are here to give as realistic an experience as possible. How else is she to learn to defend herself?"

Lupin winced and looked away. "Of course. You're right."

Shaking his head, the Slytherin turned to look at the girl beside him. "We'll start first with one pursuer so you can figure out how to react to someone other than myself. Since the wolf has just proved himself incompetent, Miss Tonks will serve as your opponent."

"Aye, aye, captain!" the Auror saluted, dropping her broom and mounting it in one fluid movement.

"Any particular reason you're dawdling, Granger?"

Scowling, Hermione set to mounting her own broom and kicked off of the ground. As she rose into the air, Severus kept his eyes on her form but spoke to the other man. "Do you believe yourself capable enough to monitor and provide useful feedback on her performance, wolf, or does that extend beyond your cognitive abilities?"

Exhaling grumpily, Remus crossed his arms on top of his broomstick and trained his eyes on the pair of witches hovering several feet above them.

"Non-lethals!" the spy barked.

"Copy that!" Tonks called back in reply before leaning back on her broom and flashing the nervous witch a smile. "I'll give you a thirty second head start this time, alright?"

Hermione grimaced and gripped her broomstick tightly. "Alright."

"Word of advice, though, before we start."

"Yes?"

Tonks gestured to the massive vegetation that the Room had produced. "Twigs and leaves may not be relatively painless to run into on the ground, but in the air – in the frigid wind and at high speeds – those suckers smart. If you're not prepared for that, it could spell disaster for you. I've seen many a wizard knocked off his broom by foliage."

"Thanks," Hermione replied. "I'll keep that in mind."

"And watch your eyes, love. Going blind won't help you at all."

"I don't suppose it would, no."

With a quirk of her lips, Tonks rolled her wand in an intricate pattern. Hermione jerked in surprise when her eyes suddenly felt as though a cool cloth had been placed atop them.

"What did you just do?"

"Oculus praesidio," the Auror explained. "I'll teach you the wand motions later, but I've found it useful for keeping sharp things out of my eyeballs. Of course, it does make your vision a touch less sharp, but it's worth the risk in this type of situation. You'd want to remove it if you were to enter into a ground battle. "

"Oh," the girl gasped, touching her face. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

"Are the two of you done chit-chatting?" Snape shouted from below. "Or shall I send some tea up to you?"

"Tea would be smashing, darling!" Tonks returned. "And some scones! Chocolate scones!"

Hermione laughed and glanced down to see her wizard shaking his head and muttering something to himself. Taking in a deep breath, she centered herself on the broom and glanced over at the woman. "Ready?"

"Born ready, love." The Auror cleared her throat. "Thirty seconds, starting… now."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Ohh!" Hermione leaned forward, tucking her stinging hand to her chest. Grimacing at the pain, she shook out her fingers and quickly regained her control of the broom in time to duck under a thick tree branch. A bright-colored hex flashed above her, prompting her to erect a shield to deflect the debris. Taking the chance to look briefly over her shoulder, she caught sight of Remus behind her, but no pink hair was visible.

Oh god… where did she go? Panicked, the young witch picked up speed as she scanned the area around her. There was no sign of Tonks, but then again the Auror could be hidden under a Disillusionment spell. The faint shimmer would be impossible to spot while traveling at her current pace. She could attack at any time.

As if in response to the speculation, a jet of light erupted from the space just above her. With a scream, Hermione ducked out of the way and looked up to see the tail end of the Auror's broom. Recalling one of Severus's earlier instructions to her that she use offensive measures when it was more useful than a defensive maneuver. With combatants in two directions, she clearly needed to do what she could to remove at least one of them. And if I play it correctly, I could take them both out.

Gritting her teeth in determination, she charged forward, extending her wand as steadily as was possible. She audibly cast a Stunning Hex at the other witch, followed by a silent Incendio at her broom. Tonks unsurprisingly managed to shield herself, but within seconds, the tail of her broomstick ignited into flames.

"Bloody hell!" the older witch shouted as her broom began to spin wildly.

Hermione spun quickly to face Remus. Noticing his attention had momentarily drifted to the struggling Auror, she quickly sent another Stunning Hex in his direction. The man jerked in an attempt to dodge the spell, but was half a moment too slow. The hex caught him mid-turn, knocking him off of his broom and sending him plummeting to the ground below.

The girl gave a start, but relaxed when she saw Severus raise his wand to slow the Stunned wizard's descent. Even from her great height, she could hardly mistake the smirk on the Slytherin's face, and it brought a small giggle to her throat. When his dark eyes flashed to hers, however, she remembered her remaining opponent was still in the air. She spun about, but did not manage to even raise her wand before she felt the thick, sludgy feeling of the Pakastekupla.

"Gotcha," Tonks exclaimed, sinking back on her blackened broom. She slowly approached the halted flyer, grabbing hold of the girl's broom and pulling her close. "You, miss, better count yourself lucky that I didn't bring my new Nimbus."

With a waggle of her brows, the Auror removed her containment spell and then clapped the girl on the shoulder. "Quite a good showing that run."

Hermione gave a weak grin and shrugged her shoulder. "Thanks."

"I mean it," the woman stated, shaking out her forest green locks.

"I suppose I forgot you were a Metamorphagus," the girl sighed.

"Pink's a bit of a giveaway, isn't it? Wanted to give you a bit of a challenge this time," Tonks laughed. "Shall we go down?"

As the two witches returned to the ground, Severus sauntered over to the unmoving lump of werewolf on the floor and used his foot to none-too-gently roll him onto his back. Staring down at his colleague, he cast a Rennervate and waited until the man had fully come to. With a smug grin, he folded his arms to his chest and leaned forward. "Congratulations, wolf. You have just fallen to your death."

Remus sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "I can see you're completely broken up about it."

"Devastated."

"I don't suppose you'll help me up?"

Snape raised one eyebrow. "After I helped you down so you didn't crack open your skull? I hardly think it necessary."

"Oi! Back from the dead, are you?" Tonks called as she and Hermione approached.

With a groan, Lupin pulled himself up to his feet. "Well done, Hermione. A vast improvement over where you started this evening."

"I still lost," Hermione mumbled.

Severus cleared his throat. "Perhaps if you were to show less concern for the well-being of your opponents, you may have lasted longer."

Blushing, the witch flicked her gaze at Remus and then shifted her weight. "Perhaps."

"Enough for the night?" the Auror asked. "It's great fun and all, but I have sentry rounds again."

The Potions Master nodded and thanked the two of them for providing their assistance.

"Did you bruise your arse?" Tonks asked, leaning into Remus as they slipped out of the Room.

When they were gone, Snape turned back to the young witch. "You ought to take more pride in that performance. You read the moment well. You kept tabs on where both of them were… for the most part. You knew enough to capitalize on the likelihood that he would be distracted by her distress."

Hermione nodded slowly and rubbed her aching shoulder. "I know… I just…. I really hate flying, you know."

"You may have said as such once or twice." Clearing his throat, he stepped close to her and touched her cheek where a tree branch had scraped it. He then picked up her hands to examine the small abrasions that were present. "Do you need any salves?"

Sucking in a slow breath, she shook her head. "I should have enough in my room."

"Any more pressing injuries?"

"No. A few bruises."

He nodded and eyed her for a moment. "Are you alright?"

"I'll be quite sore tomorrow, I'm sure, but I think so, yes." She gave him a tense smile and gently squeezed his hands. "Thank you."

"You should get some sleep," Severus murmured, releasing her hands. "It has been a rather trying day."

Hermione gave a soft laugh and rubbed her face. "Quite."

After wishing him a quiet 'good night', she made her way to the door, pausing briefly to study his silent form before slipping out into the corridor. Wishing not to draw any attention from her Housemates, she went directly up to her dormitory and seized the shower before either Ginny or Mathina could. Afterward, she treated her wounds, dressed in her pajamas, and crawled into bed.

Pretending to be asleep, she listened to the sounds of her roommates getting ready for bed. Once the room was dark and they appeared to be sleeping, Hermione rolled onto her back and tried to ignore the ache seeping into her muscles. She placed her hands atop her stomach and closed her eyes.

Months before she had been sickened by the possibility of Snape's child growing within her, but now she could not find it nearly so disgusting. She agreed with Severus, of course, that ending any possible pregnancy was the safest option given their present circumstances, and, at seventeen, she could hardly welcome the idea of motherhood. Even still, she could not silence the nagging whisper in her heart that wished it did not have to be so, that wished if she were pregnant, she be allowed to keep it. The likelihood that she and Severus would die was so great; this could very well be the only chance either of them had for children.

"Oh, don't be stupid," she whispered, turning onto her side. With the way things were, they likely did not have more than a few months before everything came to a head. If she was pregnant and they did nothing, it would likely be terminated anyway by her death.

"Stop it." Hermione wiped at the tears escaping her eyes and pulled her pillow tightly to her chest. Severus had told her not to worry until there was cause to do so, yet she could not help it. Just as she could not help thinking that, despite her early impressions, Severus would make for a good father if he were given the chance.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Upon waking, Severus groggily slipped out of bed and stepped across the hall to lean against the door jamb. He could not help the small smile that came to his lips as he watched Hermione dozing in the chair before the fire. Despite the danger, he had to admit it did please him to know she carried his child.

"Mmmmph," she groaned. "Severus?"

He cleared his throat and stepped into the room. "Would you prefer to sleep in the bed?"

Hermione smiled and shook her head. "He's started kicking. Come. You can feel him."

Bemused, the man moved to her side and perched on the ottoman. Hesitantly, he reached out to place his hand atop her swollen belly. A slow moment passed while she stared up at him with an expectant grin.

"There," she whispered. "Did you feel it?"

Snape frowned at his hand and shook his head. "I can't."

"Well, keep trying."

"I am," he huffed.

"Try harder!" she whined.

He glared at her. "I am trying as hard as I can, Hermione."

"You aren't! You aren't trying hard enough!"

"Well, perhaps, you might have some bloody suggestions as to what I–" His words died in his throat as the room suddenly plunged into darkness. Panic washed over him as he jerked away from her chair and drew his wand.

Hermione scrambled up behind him. "Severus?"

"They've come." With a gruff instruction for her to conceal herself, the wizard silently stole out of the room and crept down the dark hallway toward the front of the house.

As he reached the main room, the front door blew apart in an explosion which sent Severus sprawling into the wall. Pain flared across his entire body as he struggled to pull himself up to his feet. Dark shapes suddenly appeared in his line of sight, and he raised his wand. The first curse barely left the slender length of blackthorn before it was blasted out of his hand. The spy cried out in pain and nearly dropped to his knees as he cradled his bloodied wand hand to his stomach.

"You thought you could run?" Voldemort hissed, stepping forward and leaning down to sneer in his face. "FROM ME?!"

Snape attempted to avoid the tyrant's angry red gaze, but the sounds of a violent struggle caused him to raise his eyes from the floor. His stomach clenched at the sight of Hermione fighting to break free as the Lestrange brothers dragged her into the room with Bellatrix smugly following behind them.

"No," he whispered, yanking loose from the hand that gripped his robes. He only made it a few feet, however, before a Cruciatus from the Dark Lord sent him flailing to the ground in burning pain.

"SEVERUS!" Hermione screamed, struggling with her captors. "Stop it!"

"I trusted you," Voldemort snarled upon releasing the spell. Bending down, he grabbed hold of Snape's hair and pulled him to his knees. With his wand, he gestured toward the girl. "I trusted you with my tool! I bestowed upon you a great honor, Severus, when I put her leash in your hand! And this! This is how you repay me? By BREEDING HER?!"

"M-my L-Lord," Snape mumbled. "I am s-sorry! It was not intended."

"And yet not unwanted, hmm?" The Dark Lord pointed directly at her swollen belly. "After all this time, Severus? You would still betray me… for a filthy, Mudblood bitch?"

"My Lord, please! I just –"

"Wanted the chance to be a father? By all means!" The evil wizard released his hold on the spy in order to gesture dramatically as he addressed the half dozen of his followers that were present. "Shall we not allow the traitor an opportunity to look upon his child before he dies?"

Severus swallowed heavily at the chorus of chuckling. "M-my Lord?"

Ignoring the panicked question, Voldemort smiled and waved his hand at Hermione. "Bella?"

A loud cackle escaped the dark witch as she took a step toward the girl and extracted her dagger. At the sight of the blade, all color left Hermione's face. Screaming, the young witch fought to escape, but Rodolphus wrapped his arm about her throat in a chokehold and, with the help of his brother, dragged her onto the dining table.

"NOO!" Snape attempted to run at them, but found himself frozen in place. He tried as hard as he could to fight and to scream, but to no avail. He could not move, and his words made no sound. He could only watch helplessly as Bellatrix brought her gleaming dagger up above her head and then plunged it deep into Hermione's abdomen.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Severus awoke to his own shouting and desperately fought to escape the blankets in which he was tangled. When he was able to do so, he lurched forward and swung his legs over the side of the bed. Covering his face with his hands, he swallowed back a sob and tried to silence the sounds of her screaming in his head. Failing to shut out the images of his nightmare, he stumbled into the bathroom and splashed his face with ice cold water.

His hands gripped the sink, and he closed his eyes only to watch Hermione bleed to death once more. With an angry sob, he struck out, cracking the mirror with his fist. Again and again, he hit the glass, vaguely aware of the pain in his hands as the shards of glass fell into the sink. Eventually, he staggered back a step and stared down at the blood covering his hands.

Hermione's blood had gone everywhere – drenching Bellatrix, spraying the walls and anyone who happened to be nearby. He had felt the warmth of it as drops splattered against his face and his hands. His hands. It was his fault. Her blood – and their child's – was on his hands.

With that realization, the room began to spin, and the wizard crashed clumsily to the cold floor.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxX

"MAHROOOOWWWWWWW!"

Startling out of a dead sleep at the ghastly yowl, Minerva clutched her chest and attempted to calm her racing heart. After a few deep breaths, she rubbed her face and tossed her blankets aside. Donning her slippers and tartan night robe, she followed the sounds of feline distress to her bedroom door. Upon yanking it open, she again found the ginger tomcat waiting for her.

"Show me," she stated, stepping out of her room and tying the sash of her robe. Anxiety settled in the pit of her stomach as the creature led her out of her quarters, across the hall, and down the staircase to Snape's quarters. Opening the portrait door, she entered the dark sitting room. "Severus?"

The silence that followed unnerved her, and the witch cautiously picked her way across the room toward his bedroom door, which currently stood ajar. Poking her head into the room, she noted the disturbed bedclothes but saw no other sign of the room's occupant. As she pushed the door open fully, however, the cat rushed past her calves in a beeline for the attached lavatory.

"Severus?" McGonagall called out again upon seeing his darkened form slumped against the bathtub. Catching the scent of blood, she hurriedly lit the room's sconces and immediately gasped. Shards of the mirror glinted from within the sink and the surrounding floor. Blood coated the edge of several glass pieces, and droplets formed a haphazard trail to the wizard, who silently sat upon the floor.

"My god, Severus!" she shouted, rushing to his side. As she dropped to her knees, she observed he was trembling as he stared down at his hands. With a muffled curse under her breath, she reached over the stretch of broken glass in order to fetch his medical supplies. After grabbing the kit, she gently began cleaning the blood from his hands. Upon examining his wounds and determining that they were not as deep as she feared, the woman gave a relieved sigh and set about doing her best to heal them.

Snape said nothing during the several minutes she spent patching him up. By the time she was ready to apply dittany, however, she noticed there were heavy tears forming in his eyes.

"Severus," she murmured after putting away the dark bottle. "Look at me. Please."

When he gave no indication of having heard her, the witch placed her hands on either side of his face and turned his head toward her.

"Tell me."

He shook his head, refusing to meet her eyes.

"Damn it, Severus!" she barked. "Tell me what is wrong! Did something happen? Hermione? Is she alright?"

At the girl's name, he squeezed his eyes shut and dropped his chin. Taking in a shuddering breath, he finally whispered, "She might be pregnant."

Minerva froze at the admission before looking away in contemplation.

"It's my fault."

Her head whipped back to look at him. "No—"

"He'll kill her," Snape continued in a pained whisper. "I've killed her."

"No," the witch repeated forcefully. "Severus, stop. Look at me. Has she checked?"

He shook his head. "Too soon."

"Too soon?" she frowned. "If it's too soon to tell, why would you have any reason to think she is?"

"Because I forgot!" he snapped, stabbing his finger into his own chest. "I fucked up! And every time I fuck up, she pays for it!"

"Oh, Severus," McGonagall sighed, touching his face. "The likelihood that she could be is quite small."

The wizard grimaced. "I know. I told her that, but then…"

"Then?" she pressed.

He took in a deep breath and turned his face away from her. "I dreamt that she was, and we ran. We ran to protect the baby, but he… he found us. He….I couldn't…"

His voice trailed off as he fought to control the sobs threatening to escape. Failing to hold back her own tears, Minerva moved even closer to the man. She then pulled him against her, tucking his head beneath his chin and wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

"It's okay," she whispered, gently rubbing his back. "Let it out, Severus. There's no need to keep it bottled up right now. No one will hear anything from me. I promise you."

"He killed her," Snape gasped, unable to fight his tears any longer. "I couldn't stop him."

"It was just a dream, Severus. It wasn't real." Taking in a deep breath, the witch eyed the mess on the floor as she instinctively began rocking in an effort to better soothe him. Several minutes passed in this fashion while she tried to find the words he most needed to hear. "I know how bleak things appear to be, but I have faith, Severus. I have faith that things are going to be alright. I know they are because I have faith in you. You are the toughest son-of-a-bitch I have ever met. You are relentless. I know you will never give up, so I will never give up on you."

Eventually, the wizard stiffened and slowly extracted himself from her grasp. With a deep quivering sigh, he wiped his eyes with the butt of his hand and then covered his face.

Squeezing his shoulder, the Deputy Headmistress clambered to her feet and then held out her hand. "Come on, Severus. Let's find somewhere a bit more comfortable, hmm?"

Snape looked up to her in uncertainty, but accepted her assistance in standing. "Thank you."

The woman nodded as she directed him out to the sitting room. Pushing him down onto the sofa, she ascertained the whereabouts of the nearest booze and then poured a few fingers of firewhiskey. After handing it to him and instructing him to sip it, she settled into the armchair. "Do you want to talk about your nightmare?"

He shook his head and looked down at his drink. "I do not."

"That's perfectly fine." Wringing her hands, Minerva watched him for a while before asking another question. "How soon until –"

"Another ten days or so," the wizard replied, rubbing his temples. "I told her not to worry until then."

"I'd say you've done more than enough worrying for the both of you." She sighed and leaned against the armrest. Calculating the days in her head, she realized that he was worried they could have conceived on Sunday – the day she caught Hermione leaving his quarters, the day Severus confessed everything to her. With everything that had happened that morning and the night before, it was hardly surprising that the two of them had overlooked things. She could not find any reason to criticize them, but she knew they had more than enough to deal with without throwing a pregnancy on top of it. "Have the two of you discussed what –"

"Yes," he cut her off again. "We will have to terminate it."

McGonagall nodded slowly and wiped her face. "I understand. It's undoubtedly the safest option."

A few minutes passed in quiet until Severus cleared his throat. "There is no need for you to continue babysitting."

"No?" She cracked a small smile. "Are you asking me to leave?"

He shrugged and looked at the clock. "You have to teach in a matter of hours."

The witch snorted. "I've been teaching the same course since before you were born. I could probably give tomorrow's lessons in my sleep."

"Touché," he murmured, raising the glass to his lips.

Silence descended upon the room once again, and Minerva stifled a yawn. Eventually, she decided to rest her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, however, she realized that she had fallen asleep for quite some time. Stretching out a kink in her neck, she glanced over to the couch and smiled upon seeing that Severus, too, had fallen asleep where he sat.

Quietly, the woman stood from her chair and approached him. Plucking the empty tumbler out of his hands, she set it on the end table. Taking great care not to wake him, she guided his body into a more comfortable position and then grabbed the blanket off of the back of the sofa. After tucking it around him, she watched him sleep for a moment before bending down to kiss his forehead.

With one last touch of his cheek, she pulled away and walked back into the bathroom. Steeling herself, she quickly cleaned up the blood and put the room back to rights. When finished, she returned to her own quarters for a brief respite before having to prepare for the day.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Severus, my boy."

The Slytherin Head let out a low sigh and turned around to face his employer. "Headmaster."

Dumbledore ambled closer, meeting the spy just outside the staff entrance to the Great Hall. "If I didn't know any better, Severus, I might assume you've been avoiding me all week."

With a roll of his shoulders, Snape cleared his throat. "My deepest apologies for giving you that impression."

"I have no use for apologies." The old man waved his hand and tilted his head. "An explanation, however, would not go amiss. Do not presume that I have not noticed your recent absences from the castle."

Glancing about the corridor, the Potions Master crossed his arms. "I've recently been informed that it may behoove me to have my affairs in order. You, of all people, should realize that not only does that take time, but it cannot always be completed from behind a desk."

"I see," Dumbledore nodded. "Am I to deduce, then, that you have come to some mind regarding my proposal?"

"I have," Severus replied. "I would rather discuss the particulars in private, however."

The elderly wizard gave a nod of his head. "You shall find me in my office directly after supper."

After patting his arm, Albus stepped past his spy and entered the Great Hall.

Snape remained in place for several more seconds before taking in a deep breath and making his way to the Head Table. As he stepped onto the dais, he caught Minerva eyeing him carefully. Her gaze flicked briefly to the Headmaster and then returned to meet his. Forcing a neutral look onto his face, he dipped his head in acknowledgement of her concern and claimed his seat beside Remus.

"'Evening."

"Wolf," he returned, pulling his plate closer.

Dabbing her mouth with a napkin, McGonagall leaned forward to peer around Lupin. "Severus. How was your afternoon?"

"Blissfully uneventful."

The witch gave a tight smile and nodded her head. "Glad to hear it."

As she returned to her meal, Severus began to pick at his. He knew that she was checking to make sure he had made it through the day without maiming himself again. As much as he appreciated her concern, it frustrated him to an even greater extent that he had lost control of himself as he had. Flexing his hand, which still twinged a bit with pain, he recognized how easily he could have done serious – if not permanent – damage to himself. If Minerva had not appeared as mysteriously as she had, he was not certain how well he would have been able to heal himself.

Chancing a glance in the witch's direction, he reflected on how much he had personally placed on her shoulders during the past seven months. She never balked at the added responsibility and even made a point to offer him further aid. Everything with Hermione, with Draco, with Narcissa, and with Dumbledore – it all now required Minerva's assistance for any chance of success. If last night proved anything at all, it was that he certainly was not strong enough to handle everything alone.

With a quiet sigh, Severus swept his gaze about the large room. His eyes lingered briefly in turn on Hermione, Harry, and Draco before returning to rest on his plate. If he failed to protect them, all of his efforts – his life—would mean nothing. He had started training Minerva in Occlumency because, at the time, he had not wanted to risk either jeopardizing Hermione's safety or incurring Dumbledore's wrath. Now, however, he knew he needed to take the risk if there was any chance it could ensure that the current Deputy Headmistress would be securely positioned where he would need her to be.

Fate certainly had it out for him, but Minerva seemed confident that he had the power to change his outcome if only he stood up to fight for it. Though he was not yet sure if he believed her, he definitely owed it to Hermione to at least try.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Hermione, wait up!"

The witch sighed at the sound of her friend's voice, but halted and slowly turned to face him. "Yes?"

Harry quickly caught up to her and then gestured to a nearby classroom. "Can I talk to you? Please?"

"Fine," she nodded, following him into the empty room. Once he closed the door, she crossed her arms. "What do you want, Harry?"

The Boy-Who-Lived winced upon hearing the edge in her tone. "Look, I just wanted to apologize."

"Oh?" Hermione tilted her head and made no effort to hide her skepticism. Vaguely she recalled Snape's advice that she ought to portray some measure of guilt about her alleged betrayal, but frankly, she could not bring herself to do so just yet. With the sudden concerns about pregnancy and about Severus's upcoming task, kissing Harry's arse was not presently at the top of her list of priorities.

He exhaled deeply and shrugged his shoulders. "I was wrong to accuse you of everything I did, and I shouldn't have attacked you about… well, about what happened to you. You asked me not to tell anyone, and I –"

"Yeah," she interrupted, "and I'd rather not talk about it now, either."

It was painful enough to know that Severus – despite his unwillingness to do so – had raped her. The witch buried the memories as much as she could, but even now they periodically trickled out from the recesses of her mind, waking her up in a desperate panic in the middle of the night. It took an exhausting combination of whispered reassurances about his role as her protector, Occlumency techniques, and physical exertion in the Room of Requirement to loosen their hold on her emotions. She certainly did not need Harry bloody Potter dredging them back up again, giving them more power, and then leaving her to reconcile the fact that the man she had just contemplated as being a decent father to her imaginary children was the same one who had held her down and assaulted her without a visible crack in his façade.

"Okay." The wizard shifted nervously and scratched the back of his head. "So, are we –"

"And what about Draco?" she pressed, forcing herself out of her miserable thoughts.

Harry scowled at the name and averted his eyes to the wall. A few seconds passed before he sighed. "Fine. I shouldn't have hexed him in the back, and I'm sorry that I did."

"You shouldn't have hexed him at all!" the witch cried, gesturing forcefully. "He was no threat to you! He was unarmed, walking away, and I told you not to! But did you listen to me? No! As per usual, you ignored me! Has it even occurred to you what could have happened if I hadn't shielded him from you? For god sake, Harry!"

"Okay, fine!" He threw his hands up in the air. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have hexed him. I get it."

Hermione stared at him while she tried to discern whether or not he meant what he said. When she could not decide one way or the other, she sighed and looked away.

"I really am sorry that I hurt you," the boy murmured. "I just… I don't trust him, Hermione. Everything he's done; everything his father's done… I can't. And, honestly, I really don't understand how you could."

Her eyes snapped to him in a glare. "Because I know him a whole lot better than you do."

Harry rolled his eyes. "Yeah. I don't want to get to know him any better, either."

"Good," she hissed, "Because that really isn't a good idea."

He frowned. "But, how –"

"Harry, please. I'm not going to explain my relationship to you." The girl took in a deep breath and wrapped her arms about her midsection. "If you were my friend, you would accept that."

"Fine," he whispered. A long moment passed in tense silence until the boy cleared his throat. "Could we meet tonight to practice?"

Are you serious? Do you need help on your homework, too? Hermione dug her fingertips into her side in an effort to keep from shouting. Inhaling slowly, she forced herself to remain calm while answering. "Harry, I love you. More than likely, I will sacrifice my life for you, but right now… I need some time. Next week, maybe?"

"Oh," Harry mumbled sadly, dropping his eyes to the floor. "Erm, of course. Yeah. Next week's fine."

"If you really want the practice, you're more than welcome to the Room. I don't have need of it, so there shouldn't be anyone standing in your way." At least not until tonight, when I wake up crying again.

"Right." With a nod, he made his way back to the door. "Thanks anyway. Guess I'll see you around, then."

Hermione said nothing as he disappeared from sight. She stood frozen for a minute, trying to keep her emotions in check. When she thought it was safe to do so, though, she let out an angry growl and kicked the nearest desk.

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

Standing at the top of the spiral staircase, Severus took in several deep breaths and squared his shoulders. After donning an expressionless mask, he raised his hand to knock on the double doors.

"Come in!"

With a silent prayer that he was not about to cock everything up, he did as instructed.

"Oh, Severus," Dumbledore said in greeting as he turned from the window. "I am glad you have finally come to visit. Lemon drop?"

Shove it up your arse, Albus. The younger wizard cleared his throat and shook his head. "No, thank you."

The Headmaster looked briefly perturbed, but replaced the lid on his tin and then gestured toward one of the chairs. "Please, take a seat."

Reluctantly, Severus did so.

Claiming his own chair, Dumbledore settled back. "You said you had come to a decision regarding my request?"

"I have."

"And have you agreed to do what is best?"

The Slytherin fisted his hands momentarily before smoothing them over the armrests. "I will do as you command… on two conditions."

Albus's head snapped up, and he sat forward in surprise. "You have… conditions?"

Several of the portraits lining the walls of the Head Office began whispering excitedly to their neighbors as they watched the scene unfold before them.

"Yes."

Frowning, the elder man tensely leaned against the side of his chair. "And what, may I ask, might those be?"

With his Occlumency shields firmly in place, Snape sat tall and spoke clearly. "Firstly, I require that you officially name Minerva as your successor."

Dumbledore waved his fingers dismissively. "You know as well as I do that the Board of Governors are the ones who –"

"No," the spy stated sharply. "I am not referring to the Headmastership. If you are correct, the Dark Lord will be the one filling that position sooner than naught. I was referring to her succeeding you as Head of the Order."

"Ah." Stroking his beard with his uninjured hand, he shifted in his large chair. "Yes, well… Minerva is already –"

"She is the Deputy Head, yes," Severus interrupted, refusing to allow him the space to dissemble. "But I want you to officially swear her in as your successor so that there will be no question when the time comes."

Albus narrowed his eyes as he considered the demand. "I suppose I can accept that term."

"And you will do so in short time. I will agree to nothing until she is sworn in."

"Yes, yes. Alright. I will do as you ask," he muttered. "And the second condition?"

Now or never. The Potions Master cleared his throat and stiffened his posture even further. "That you inform Minerva as to the true nature of your demise."

Blue eyes suddenly became ice cold. "You go too far, Severus."

"Given the nature of the task I will be agreeing to complete," he argued calmly, "I do not believe I am."

Bristling, Dumbledore gripped the edges of his chair and stared at his subordinate for several tense seconds. "The success of this plan hinges on your fully appearing to belong to Voldemort. It would be suspicious, would it not, if my staunchest supporter were not calling for your head?"

Staunchest supporter, my arse. "Do you suddenly doubt her abilities as an actress?"

"Acting is not enough to protect—"

"But when combined with Occlumency, it can be."

The Headmaster shook his head. "There is not time to train her in—"

"There would be more time to train her than there was for Miss Granger," he countered. "That being said, I have already done so."

Albus's eyes widened briefly in surprise. "Pardon?"

"Minerva did not wish to inadvertently reveal anything regarding the bond between Miss Granger and myself," he responded, hoping that the vagueness of his explanation would go unquestioned. "As such, she and I have been working on Occlumency for the past few months. She is suitably proficient in the art."

"You…" The elder wizard trailed off and blinked several times. "I still believe it an unnecessary risk."

Severus fought the urge to either roll his eyes or scream at the man. "I see. And should I have information from the Inner Circle that would prove critical to the Order's plight, exactly how am I to deliver it?"

A blank look appeared on Dumbledore's face.

"If I am to remain useful to the Order, I will need to be able to funnel it to someone within the Order who not only trusts my information, but has enough authority to ensure that it is taken seriously. Besides that, as Minerva is already fully aware of our bond, she would know enough to remove Hermione from any worthwhile service just to prevent my using her as an agent for the Dark Lord. You know as well as I do that that would cripple Potter."

"I do appreciate all of the thought you have put into this, Severus," Albus finally sighed. "I understand your concerns, and will agree to this demand as well… provided I find Minerva to be as proficient an Occlumens as you claim."

Gods be praised. The younger wizard let out a small breath of relief and dipped his head. "Thank you, Headmaster."

Wearily, the old man rose from his chair and made his way over to the fireplace. "I wish to have this sorted as soon as possible. No time like the present, I must say."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"Minerva?"

Looking up from the stack of essays she was organizing, McGonagall quietly sighed at the sight of the Headmaster's head floating in her grate. "Yes, Albus?"

"I do hope you'll pardon my interruption, but I would like a word with you in my office. It is of the utmost importance, I assure you."

With a grimace, she agreed, setting down her marking and moving to the Floo. As she stepped out of the fireplace into the Head Office, she immediately noticed that Severus was seated in front of the desk. Raising an eyebrow, she addressed her employer, who was already returning to his chair. "You wished to discuss something?"

"Have a seat, if you would, please."

"Yes, of course," the witch muttered, glancing at her colleague in an attempt to gain any clues as to the nature of the conversation. When he gave her an earnest look in return, she confusedly perched on the chair beside him. A sudden prodding sensation in her head, however, immediately drew her attention to the Headmaster. Slamming down her Occlumency shields, she failed to hold back all of her anger as she ground out, "Can I help you, Albus?"

If she had been in a better mood, the surprised look in the man's eyes would have brought her amusement. As it was, it took every ounce of willpower she had to keep calm.

"I find your assessment does hold some merit," Dumbledore murmured, shifting his gaze to the dark-haired wizard.

When Severus gave a nod, Minerva looked between the two men in hesitation. "Perhaps one of you might care to enlighten me as to the purpose of this conversation?"

"Of course," he nodded. "As you must realize, Minerva, my health is not what it once was. Severus, here, has brought it to my attention that in the case of my demise, there could be some uncertainty as to who shall succeed me in leading the Order."

Her eyes swung questioningly to the spy before returning to stare at the elder wizard.

"As you are currently Deputy Head, you would naturally be my first choice as successor," Dumbledore continued. "As such, I must ask you, Minerva, if you would be willing to accept ultimate responsibility for the organization."

"I…I…" Again she flicked her gaze to Severus, obtaining a small nod of encouragement in reply. Clearing her throat, the woman turned fully to face the Headmaster. "Of course, yes. I would be honored to… but surely it cannot be any time soon."

"Ah, but the only certainty with life, Minerva, is that it ends." Albus bore a soft smile and leaned forward in his seat. "If you are agreed, I thought to make the oath tonight."

"Wh-what? N-now?" She patted the back of her hair anxiously.

"It never hurts to be prepared, I find. Are you prepared to do so? Severus may stand as witness, and I shall announce the decision at the next meeting."

"I suppose I am, yes."

At the elder wizard's command, McGonagall stood from her chair and came around the desk to stand in front of the windows. Dumbledore stood facing her and, placing their wands together, cleared his throat. "Do you, Minerva Isobel McGonagall, solemnly and faithfully vow to serve the Order of the Phoenix to the best of your ability?"

"I do."

"You promise to lead the members of the Order of the Phoenix with strength and integrity, and to execute decisions that will benefit the greater good of the Wizarding World?"

"I do."

"You agree to work tirelessly against the dark forces of Lord Voldemort and to act in such a manner as to do what is necessary to expel his presence from the physical realm?"

"I do."

Albus gave a curt nod and raised his chin. "Then I, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, Head and Founder of the Order of the Phoenix, declare that you, Minerva Isobel McGonagall, shall succeed me as Head of the Order of the Phoenix immediately following my demise."

A slight glow settled over their wands. When it fizzled out, the two stepped back from each other, and Minerva let out a deep breath. "Well, I can honestly say I wasn't expecting that. Thank you, Albus, for trusting me with this."

"I have the utmost faith that you shall lead as I have these many years."

Not bloody likely. Minerva forced a smile on her face and looked between the two men. Noticing the faint signs of worry on Severus's face, she realized that their conversation was likely far from over. "Is there something else?"

"Yes, I'm afraid there is," Dumbledore replied gravely. "Before we can discuss it, however, I will have to require that you swear a wand oath not to reveal it."

Oh, Lord. With a small shrug and another glance toward Snape, she murmured, "Well, it isn't as though I've put away my wand yet."

"Indeed not. My dear, if you could swear not to discuss what I am about to tell you with anyone –"

"One moment, Albus. I wish to be clear before making any oath. Whatever it is you are about to tell me cannot be discussed at all with anyone after this moment?"

The old man shook his head. "You shall be able to discuss it with those of us who already know, which coincidently, will only be those of us in this room."

"Pardon me, Headmaster," Severus finally spoke. "But that is not exactly true."

Minerva shivered at the coldness she saw flash in her employer's eye as he turned to look at the spy.

"Severus, this matter was meant to remain private."

"And so it will remain," the younger wizard intoned, folding his hands. "However, I did feel obligated to include Miss Granger on the list of those needing to know. Her life expectancy is explicitly linked to mine, and as such, I believe she ought to have some say in any decision that threatens to shorten it."

Dumbledore let out a huff and sank into his seat. "She is not to reveal anything –"

"Of that, she is more than aware. Our little bond takes care of concerns like that quite easily."

"Severus," McGonagall snapped. Truthfully, she knew he had not meant what he was insinuating, but hoped her rebuke might draw some of the Headmaster's attention away from him. Pretending her irritation was solely with Snape – as opposed to it actually being directed toward the other occupant of the room – she sighed and shifted her posture. "So I am not to reveal the information, but am free to discuss it with those who already know."

"Yes. If you could make an oath to that effect…"

"Right." Frowning briefly in concentration, the woman held out her wand steadily. "On my wand, I swear an oath never to reveal what is about to be discussed to any individual who is not already informed of it outside of this office."

"Thank you, Minerva," Albus nodded, gesturing for her to reclaim her seat. "Now, I'm afraid you shall find this discussion a bit disturbing."

XxxxxxxxXxxxxxxxX

"My gods, Severus," McGonagall sighed, collapsing onto her sofa. "A bit of warning would have been appreciated."

The man grimaced and leaned against a bookshelf. "My apologies. You did extraordinarily well, however. I don't believe he suspected you knew anything beforehand."

"The shock of you bringing it to his attention helped in that regard. And because I already knew, it was easier to keep from strangling him." The witch pinched the bridge of her nose and then wiped her hand over her face. "What happened to keeping my knowledge a secret from Albus? If you didn't trust my ability to keep it from him, you could have just told me what I needed to improve upon!"

"No, it wasn't about you," he explained, stepping forward. "Well, it was, but not how you're assuming."

Her eyebrow rose in question. "Go on."

With a pained look, Snape finally took a seat in an armchair. "You said you would whatever you could to help me."

"Of course, I will."

"For that to happen, though, you need to be in a position of authority. I had to be absolutely certain of that."

"But you were concerned he would change his mind out of anger," the woman argued. "And he was furious with you – I could see it!"

"I'm well aware." He leaned back and traced the pattern of the fabric on the armrest with his fingers. "I realized, however, that I presently have a large amount of leverage over him. I thought it might be possible to use that to make him see some reason."

Her eyes went wide. "You threatened to walk away from it all?"

"Not in so many words," he shrugged. "But he may have assumed as much. I considered saying something to the effect, but figured he would counter my bluff fairly quickly with the usual dosage of guilt. If I focused on self-preservation as well as the preservation of the Order and Potter…"

"It was a hell of a risk, though."

"But a necessary one," Severus murmured. "I know I can't do it without you."

Minerva met his uncomfortable look with a small smile, and pushed off of the couch. Slipping her hand over his, she squeezed his fingers and placed her other hand on his shoulder. "Well, you have me now. And Albus is agreed to it. Though if he had been a bit more discerning, he would have made me vow not to assassinate him myself."

The wizard gave a soft snort. "It's that senility that concerned me. I'm not sure how rational he will be, or currently is, for that matter. I thought it a greater risk that he would overlook you for some harebrained reason. I doubt anyone else in the Order would listen to me after I… They scarcely listen to me now."

"Let us hope his brain outlasts the rest of him, then," she sighed before donning a smirk. "But enough of that for now. I've just been informed of a promotion. Shall we have a drink to celebrate?"