Chapter 15

Disclaimer: Not mine. I just borrowed them for a while. I promise to put them back when I'm done. Oh, nope, no money either...just for fun.

Many thanks to my betas, EverMystique and DuchessOfArcadia, for helping me clean up my many mistakes, and to Pookah for the shoulder and friendly advice. I really appreciate it more than you can possibly know.

They spent two days practicing defensive spells and brewing when he wasn't catching up on his class work. He was amazed at how quickly she learned the spells, even though she wasn't very good at dueling. Severus had to slow his reactions in order for her to beat him half the time. She really was more of an intellectual than a fighter, but she tried really hard, had great aim, and her spells were strong and forceful when she wanted them to be.

The morning that Madam Pomfrey declared Severus would be fit to return to lessons the next day, he asked Hermione if she wanted to go outside with him during his afternoon break. "You'll have to be under Polyjuice and impersonate Mulciber again."

"Oh, please, yes! I'll be anybody you want me to be!" she exclaimed, making a little bounce and grinning with delight at the prospect.

He tilted his head and smirked at her. "You'd want to be a boy just to go out and play in the snow?"

She pulled her feet up on the seat of her chair and rested the book on her knees. "Well, I know that you don't want to be seen with me...so it's the only alternative."

He crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Will I get a moment's peace if I say no?"

"Yes," she replied, eyeing him speculatively while fingering the page corners of her book.

Severus watched her fidget, knowing that she really hoped he'd take her outside again. "I have to finish some equations, and I have an essay to complete. If I get them done..." He slid his fingers into his hair and rested his hand on the back of his neck. "Let me get caught up on my work first. If I get a break, we'll go... I dunno. Go outside and play," he said sarcastically.

She nearly squealed when he acquiesced. "Okay!"

Severus moaned, wondering how long his luck would last with these excursions as he sat down and pulled out his Arithmancy equations.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Please pipe down so I can finish my work," he grumbled, lowering his head to hide his smile, thinking, She is just too much fun to tease.

She picked up her book, saying, "Okay," cheerfully.

After his last class for the morning, Severus decided to skip lunch. So he grabbed oranges, meat and pumpkin pasties from the kitchen, and then hurried to the classroom. They ate in a hurry, Hermione eager to get outside again.

"Keep your wand handy. Any sound, take it out ready to fight. I don't care what you cast as long as you hit them."

"Hit who?" she asked worriedly, emptying her bag on the bed to use for carrying ingredients.

"Anyone who has any intent of attacking us...especially me," he stated firmly as he handed her empty pouches, bottles, and jars, which she carefully tucked inside the bag.

"You mean Potter and Black, don't you?" She drank the potion with the essence of Mulciber, making only a brief grimace before smiling again.

"Or some dark creature intent on having me for lunch," he teased her. He waited until her cute face morphed into Mulciber's. "Let's go."

She followed him quietly from the castle, passing several younger Slytherins who didn't even give them more than a cursory glance, and ran alongside him into the forest. This time, they had a lot more luck finding the ingredients he needed.

They were digging up crocus and pearlwort roots when Hermione stood and shifted from one foot to the other, squeezing her knees together. "Severus, I think we should go back now."

"Why?" he asked, placing a pouch full of crocus bulbs in her bag.

"I, er, I-I have to go," she stammered urgently.

He leaned back on his heels and looked at her, confused. "Go? Go where?"

"You know, go," she persisted, fidgeting and bouncing a little.

He suddenly realized what the problem was and fought back the laughter that threatened to erupt from watching her little dance. "So, go over by the tree, whip it out, and go," he said, indicating the nearest tree with its huge exposed roots, trying to keep his face impassive. "It's what we guys do."

She froze, looking up at him, her eyes wide with shock at his statement. "You mean touch it?!"

He tried very hard not to laugh. "Either that or we just wait another half hour until you change back, and then you can squat like a girl," he said blandly, enjoying watching her squirm. "I thought you said that you and your family go camping?"

"We do, but I don't... ooh! Please, I don't have bath tissue," she whined.

Severus summoned some leaves and transfigured them.

She took it and stared at the tissue in her hand.

"Did you need me to show you how?" he asked, shifting his weight to one foot and bringing his knee up as if to rise.

"No!" she exclaimed, gaping at him for a moment, and then quickly scuttled off behind the tree.

He went back to his task. After what seemed like a long time, he turned around. She was nowhere to be seen. Worried, he got up to find her. He saw her squatting by a large tree with her back to him, robes hitched up to expose the fact that she was balanced on her feet, but bent over slightly. "Do you need help?" he asked.

"No, I got it," she muttered, clearly embarrassed as she patted the dirt.

He crossed his arms, wondering what was wrong. He saw a small patch of wet dirt by the tree, so she obviously managed all right. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Finally, she stood up and turned around. Her face was morphing back, and she was starting to look like her usual self. "It was just weird, you know," she started to say and turned a deep pink. "I'd rather not talk about it, please."

He wondered what she meant, but nodded in understanding anyway. "Looks like you didn't miss though," he said, straining so hard to keep from smiling that his mouth was twisting into a smirk. "Look, I'll never tell anyone, okay?" He looked up, peering into the forest. "I want to go in deeper. So if you want, you don't have to take the potion for now."

She smiled with relief. "I really don't want to. I think I like being a girl. It's easier."

He couldn't help it; he laughed at her, and this time at least, she laughed along with him. He retrieved the bag and led them down a narrow trail, going deeper into the trees, following the patches of sunlight that broke through the canopy above. They found a small clearing where a female unicorn was nudging something golden on the ground.

"Oh, no," he said, his voice thick with compassion when he realized what it was.

"What?" she asked in a whisper.

"A foal died," he said, squatting down.

The mare looked up and stood protectively over the fallen foal.

Severus used his hand to urge Hermione not to move. "I'm glad you didn't take another dose. She wouldn't have liked the way you would've smelled."

The mare walked forward a few steps to look at the intruders on her grief. Severus and Hermione stayed as still as stone. She pawed the ground with her hoof, shook her horn, and then sniffed the air. She approached Hermione first, looking her over before nudging her with her nose. The mare's breath made her hair flutter, and she giggled as the tiny hairs tickled her skin. Hermione reached out and touched the beautiful creature. The mare jerked, then stepped closer and smelled the robes.

Hermione seemed to instantly understand the mare's confusion. "They're not mine," she said. "They belong to a friend of my friend." She indicated in Severus' direction with her hand.

The mare looked at Severus, sniffing the breeze again as Hermione stroked her soft neck.

Severus edged forward and Hermione gasped at his boldness. The mare looked Severus in the eye and then lowered her nose to his hand. Severus held both hands up for the mare to smell, her horn pointed dangerously at his face. Severus could feel the question, 'Why are you here?'

He concentrated his response to her inquiry. I'm a potions brewer, healing potions and such. I came to collect ingredients...I...we didn't hurt the foal.

The words, 'I know you did not,' fluttered in his consciousness. After a long interval of a few heartbeats, the mare nodded and bowed.

"I'm sorry about your foal," Hermione said softly. "Is there nothing to be done?"

The mare backed up, her body seeming to sag slightly as she turned to gaze at her offspring.

A stallion trotted forward from the tree line and stopped short behind her. He snorted and stamped his hooves in annoyance. Severus could feel him say, 'No!'

The mare moved over and stood in front of him, both of the Unicorns staring at each other. She nodded, and he shook his head, his horn slashing the air defiantly. The mare turned to look at them and back, nodding again. 'Yes, I consent.'

The stallion walked forward and stared at Severus, and then at Hermione. He lowered his horn, pawed at the ground, and then backed up. 'Why?' Severus felt him ask, but was uncertain if it was directed at him or not.

Several thoughts crossed Severus' mind, all pertaining to what parts of the foal he'd want and why. He could sense the stallion's hesitation and concern. Finally, he felt the stallion say, 'We consent.'

"I can't believe this!" Severus said softly with a great deal of awe. He moved forward slowly, urging Hermione to follow him. He knelt down at the side of the beautiful foal and stroked the golden hide with a sense of wonder. The mare nodded again.

"Severus, what's going on?" Hermione whispered.

"Hermione, when they want to, they can give us impressions, like... kind of like communicating ideas... They have granted me permission to harvest," he said softly, stroking the foal reverently. Severus pulled out his silver dagger and following the stallion's directions, carefully removed the hooves and horn.

The mare pointed her horn at Hermione, the tip posed right above her heart, and then turned to point her horn at the fallen foal.

"Are you sure?" Severus asked utterly awestruck at the suggestion.

The stallion turned his head, clearly agitated, but stood still as a statue. However, the mare nodded. 'Yes, she may take the heart.'

Severus handed the dagger to Hermione. "She is allowing you to take the heart."

"Take the heart...I can't do that! This is enough!" she cried out, staggering back, holding her hands up as if afraid to touch the knife.

"If you don't, a poacher or a wild animal will come seeking it. She knows...I don't know how...but she knows why we'd want it," he said, urging her to join him.

"But, Severus," Hermione pleaded, "I can't!"

The stallion stomped his hooves, and Hermione moved forward. Severus knew that he was getting impatient for her to finish the harvesting. The mare walked over and brushed her nose on Hermione's cheek. Hermione stared at the fallen foal, and tears slid down her cheeks when she turned to look at the knife in Severus' hand.

Severus knew they were wasting time. "Hermione, dried unicorn heart is used in the strongest healing potions, and it's very rare. One foal's heart can make twelve potions and can cost several thousand Galleons. Likewise, freely given unicorn blood is also used in powerful healing potions, unlike blood taken by violence, which dooms the user to a cursed life...a half life. But, I'm a guy. It has to be you. She is allowing you to harvest it. We don't have much more time. C'mon."

Hermione felt the mare nudge her back. She walked forward, falling onto her knees, and touched the downy-soft, golden fur. Severus patiently instructed her, speaking with a cool-headed tone so much like his older self had when he'd come back in time. Hermione reacted to the voice, doing what he told her as precisely as she could. However, she cried the whole time. He told her how to collect the blood, and she filled several bottles. When she placed the heart in the jar Severus held, she turned away from him and fell on the foal, sobbing as if her heart would break.

The mare nudged Hermione on the shoulder, her warm breath blowing across her face. Hermione sat up and hugged the unicorn, burying her face in her neck.

Severus removed the liver and spleen and collected the mane and tail hairs of the foal. When he finished, he sat up. However, the mare and the stallion were gone.

"Shouldn't we bury the foal," Hermione asked, sitting on the ground.

"No," Severus said as he pointed to the trees. Several centaurs stood on the edge of the clearing. "Hermione, we have to go now." He stood, pulled her to her feet and half dragged, half carried her away. Back under the trees, he used his wand to wash his hands, then hers.

She stared at her palms. "You cannot wash the blood away," she mumbled, tears still streaking down her face.

"Sure I can. I just did," he said softly, cleaning her clothes the best he could. "Hermione, you didn't kill the foal. I don't know what did, but its death isn't on you. However, the harvested organs and blood will be used for healing potions that might save many lives."

She looked up at him, sniffed loudly, and wiped her face with her sleeve.

He wiped the tears from her cheek. "If you hadn't cried, they would've known we wanted the heart for ill-will," he said as soothingly as he could muster. "There is an old witch's tale about unicorn hearts. The heart could be buried beneath a building foundation or by a door way, to bless the building...provided the heart were given freely. I know they used to bury chickens and such for the same purpose..."

"Why are there so many myths about burying a heart to appease something?" she bemoaned, falling into step with him. She picked up a branch and swung it as they walked. "It's always an innocent creature sacrificed in order to appease a god. Or it's a living person...often an innocent little child...it's a sick ideology." She stopped and turned to face him. "I read a story that Merlin... This king needed to sacrifice a child who was born without a father so that the earth would be appeased. So, they tried to kill Merlin."

"I know the story," he said, hoping that talking about things she'd read would distract her. "The king was told to find a child born without a father, put him to death, and sprinkle the ground on which the citadel was to be built with his blood. However, Merlin said that they were idiots and that the problem was that there were two dragons fighting beneath the ground making the castle walls fall. It was the story of King Vortigern's Castle, and Merlin was proved correct...it's the legend of Dinas Emrys, also called Dinas Ffaraon."

"What are you going to do with the heart?" she asked, finally stopping her crying.

"Dry it to preserve it and then grind it into a powder," he stated. "I'll do the same with the liver and spleen. It'll take months to prepare, but if done right, it's the most powerful healing ingredient known to wizard kind."

"And the blood?"

He stopped to look at her. "Hermione, the mare and stallion allowed us to harvest the foal. Even the centaurs were waiting until we'd finished. Since we were granted permission by the parents, the centaurs didn't challenge us for the rights. Had we not been granted permission, the centaurs would have asked for it and would've harvested the foal themselves."

She stared at the ground, but nodded in understanding. "Better us than scavengers, I suppose." She looked up at him. "What parts did the centaurs want?"

"They would've taken the same parts we did, as well as the intestines and some of the tendons, possibly the hide," he said, turning to look over her head to see if anyone could see them, then looked back down at her. "The meat will then be left for the scavengers. It's the ways of the wild."

"The circle of life?"

"Exactly," he replied softly. "How about going to a secluded part of the lake to clean up, maybe even go for a swim? You do know how to swim, right?"

She looked up at him, but her eyes were still haunted. "Yes, I can swim. That sounds good, but I don't have a swimsuit."

He laughed at her. "You can wear my shirt over your bra and knickers. Will that suffice?"

She nodded, and he pointed the way, leading her along another trail.

Severus took Hermione to a place where a tributary of a stream formed a pool before it flowed into a river not too far from the lake where Hinkypunks could be seen occasionally. The water was cold, but with a Warming Charm not too cold, and only chest deep. However, there were two things Severus hadn't counted on when he'd suggested swimming. First, he wore a white shirt, and his white shirt when wet had shown off Hermione's bra and knickers while enhancing her body quite nicely. The other thing was that Hermione had been completely oblivious to his reaction upon seeing his shirt turn opaque and clinging tightly to her body. In addition, while the lake wasn't crystal clear, it wasn't murky enough to hide her legs from view either. But the water was cool enough that their swim hadn't lasted all that long. Thankfully.

Severus was pensive as they walked back to the castle. While Hermione had dried off and dressed, Severus had taken the blue box from his pocket. He'd carefully kept his back toward her, removed the Time-Turner to examine the sand again and had felt a sense of loss. He had quietly closed the box and tucked it back into his pocket, deep in thought as Hermione had taken another dose of the Polyjuice Potion.

Mulciber's mangy face kept looking at him as they walked, but Severus was too preoccupied with his own thoughts. There was nothing for it; his time with her was up and had been if the sand was any indication. He pulled back a tree branch for her and gave her a hand over a tree root. They heard a twig snap up ahead.

Hermione's head snapped up. "Aw, look, Snivellus and his mate, Mulciber. You two a couple now, or what?" Black taunted, swinging a large stick like a staff.

Potter watched Hermione, in Mulciber's form, with a malicious glee. "Oi, Mul-Volcan, did you have a nice time in the forest with Snivellus?" he sneered disdainfully.

"Smelter anything funny, James?" Black said sarcastically.

Severus eased his wand discreetly from his pocket, hiding it carefully behind his sleeve. He hoped that Hermione had sense enough to have drawn hers as well.

"At least you know your Roman mythology, or didn't you know that Vulcan is the Roman god of beneficial and hindering fire," Hermione said, drawing her wand and holding it tightly in her hand.

Severus wanted to yank her back and tell her to shut up. She was playing right into their game.

"Look, Volcanalia wants to play, Sirius," Potter sneered arrogantly.

As usual, Lupin was standing aside, watching and not doing a thing to intervene. "Guys, you know what McGonagall said, he's to be left..."

"Alone," Potter said, holding his wand confidently and poised to strike.

Severus struck first, hoping that he'd gain the upper hand, using his Levicorpus on Potter with the forward movement of his arm and firing a Body-Bind in quick procession at Black. However, Potter saw the motion and swung his arm, casting an Impedimenta Curse at him.

"Expelliarmus," Hermione shouted, making Black's arm jerk, but he had too good a grip on his wand.

Severus fired again at Potter, the same time Potter fired at him, but Severus managed to block Potter's spell. Unfortunately, Potter sidestepped and ducked, firing at Severus again. The spell grazed his robes as Severus turned to deflect it.

Meanwhile, Black turned and fired at Hermione. She dodged behind a tree for cover. She fired back at him, once again trying to disarm him and ducked back behind the tree.

"Playing kneazle and mouse, are we, Mulciber?" Black taunted as he fired again, advancing on Hermione's position.

Severus cast a Jelly-Brain Jinx with a quickly followed Levicorpus at Potter. Potter anticipated the jinx enough to block it, but he flung up in the air by his ankle as the second spell hit him. Potter cast a Stunner that Severus sidestepped and averted with the Defensoris.

Hermione, meanwhile, was trying to avoid being hit by Black, ducking back behind the tree each time Black took aim at her. Severus took the risk of firing at Black, but he was ready and deflected the brunt of the spell easily. This allowed Potter to hit Severus with a Leg-Locker on his right leg.

"Guys, enough," Lupin said, casting a Disarming Spell at Severus, but Severus had a good grip on his wand. The momentum of the spell made his arm rise perfectly to cast an Impedimenta on Black. However, Potter took advantage of Severus' diverted attention to hit him with a Body-Bind.

As Black's arm slowed down, Hermione jumped out from the tree and shouted, "Immobulus," sending an enormous pulse that hit Black and Potter with full force, sending Black backwards and making Potter freeze in midair.

Lupin moved forward to defend his friends.

"Stop right there!" Hermione shouted at Lupin, Mulciber's face red with rage. "I trusted you! I kept your secret and you...you just let them attack us with provocation?"

"I-I...what did you say?" Lupin said, freezing in his tracks as he stared at Mulciber's face in disbelief.

Hermione released Severus' Body-Bind. "You heard me," she snapped at Lupin.

Severus immediately Stunned Lupin. "Are you mad?" he shouted at her. "They think you're Mulciber!" He walked over to Potter who was still hanging by his ankle and unable to move. "Oblivate," he said coolly and stepped up to Black to Oblivate him.

"What are you doing?" she asked, trying to pull his wand arm down.

Severus jerked his arm free and turned on her. "Erasing the memory of the fight! Oh, don't worry, they'll blame me anyway...they always do...but they cannot remember you." He turned to Black and flicked his wand. "Oblivate."

"But, you can't! It's wrong!" Hermione pleaded.

Severus Oblivated Lupin, released the immobilization on him and grabbed her arm, pulling her away. He tightened his grip and Apparated with her to a dense spot in the forest not too far from the gamekeeper's hut. Hermione staggered, trying to regain her footing from the sensation of the Apparation.

"Now you will listen to me. I could not allow them to remember seeing you here in the forest with me. Mulciber is in the common room right now for all I know, if he's not in class. If those three go back and tell Professor McGonagall that Mulciber and I attacked them, and I know that they would, then Professor McGonagall will go straight to Slughorn for retribution. Only, what if she investigates and Mulciber is not alone? There will be others in the common room, or if he's in the library, a room full of witnesses. Do you understand what I'm saying? Even though I'm using Mulciber's identity to sneak you out of the castle, he is in the castle. Two places at once." He ran his hand through his hair in agitation.

"And, if anyone starts asking questions, it will be assumed that an intruder is in the castle impersonating him," Hermione said, her shoulders slumping.

"No, there is an intruder in the castle impersonating him," Severus said pointedly. "You. Only you're not a threat to anyone. But, I would be hard pressed to prove that. You are not to be seen. You are supposed to be kept carefully hidden and a secret!" He sighed, turning his head away and then looked at her again. "I don't mean to be harsh, but you have to understand the risks."

"No, I get it," she said, her shoulders slumping slightly.

"Follow me," he said and headed for the edge of the trees. As they approached the gamekeeper's hut, Severus Disillusioned Hermione and told her to keep close. He squatted behind a tree and waited. His heart was pounding, and the birds in the trees were making their usual noises, but no noises came from the hut. He sighed in relief. He set one knee on the ground and waited. "Hopefully, Potter, Black, and Lupin will come out of the forest. If not, you and I will circle the gamekeeper's hut and follow the path up to the castle. We'll mingle with the students leaving Herbology and go straight for the dungeons."

"But, won't I be seen, my footprints, I mean?" she asked softly.

"No, I will be seen...alone. No one will notice your footprints. I'll have to go to the common room for a bit... No one will give it much thought." He checked his watch; class would let out in ten minutes. He kept his eyes on the tree line and his ears alert for any sounds from behind them, checking his watch occasionally. When four minutes passed he stood up and reinforced his Disillusionment Charm. "Okay, stay close to me." He led the way around the hut and up the hill, catching sight of Potter, Black, and Lupin leaving the forest near the Whomping Willow. He and Hermione reached the path near the greenhouses early and were almost to the the steps to the castle when all the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff second-years came pouring out, running for their common room to wash up for dinner. Severus removed the spell on Hermione as they descended the stairs to the dungeons.

Things were going well, until Severus heard Mulciber's voice down the corridor, saying, "Don't know where he is."

Severus swore. This was just what he needed: first a confrontation with Potter and Black, and now the real Mulciber was approaching, and Hermione was still impersonating him. Severus grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her with him toward the nearest doorway. He shoved her into Professor Slughorn's storeroom, closing the door just as Mulciber, Thortenson, and Avery turned the corner.

"Where've you been?" Avery asked.

"Collecting potion ingredients. Why?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Just wondering. You coming to dinner?" Avery asked.

"Yeah," Severus said, hitching Hermione's bag on his shoulder. "I just want to clean up first."

"Whatcha you want in Slughorn's storeroom?" Thortenson asked, looking over Severus' shoulder at the door.

"Containers," Severus said as if that should be obvious, staring at him intently to challenge his statement.

"'Kay," Thortenson said with a shrug. "See you at dinner, all right?"

"Yeah. Give me five minutes," Severus stated. He walked off and counted to ten, then backtracked and opened the door. "Go straight to the room. I'll come by after dinner."

"Okay," she whispered as she slipped past him.

Hermione walked to the classroom and let herself in, shutting the door quietly. She walked over to the desk holding her clothes and stripped, leaving the soiled clothes on the floor. Her hands were shaking now that all the drama of the afternoon was over. She pulled on a robe and flannel. Enlarging a goblet, she tried to clean herself the best she could, running the events of her encounter with Harry's dad and his friends in her mind.

She had been startled by the appearance of Sirius Black, James Potter and Remus Lupin. Potter looked so much like Harry, she'd almost called out to him until she noticed the arrogant expression on his face. He was not like Harry at all, in her opinion.

And Black, he was nothing like she'd imagined and certainly didn't look like his picture in the Daily Prophet. He was very good-looking: tall, with a cocky, aristocratic bearing, somewhat haughty expression, and his dark hair was cut short, above his collar in layers and fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance.

In contrast, Remus Lupin, one of her favorite teachers in her time, had only stood there, hands in his pockets and hadn't done anything to stop his friends from attacking them. He hardly looked much different. His hair was a wavy, light brown, and his second-hand school robes were clean and well kept. He'd even looked more well-nourished, yet still looked somewhat ill and tired with a slightly bad posture. She sat on the bed and tried to reconcile the mild mannered teacher with the teen she'd just seen and fell short. Maybe if Professor Lupin grew up to be a nice guy, so did Harry's dad? That had to be the case since Harry's mum married him...unless Lily Evans wasn't the nice and kind girl everyone seemed to think she was. Slughorn called her witty and charming, and Harry said that Professor Lupin had told him that she saw the best in others, even when they could not see it themselves, and would often stick up for those others who were criticized, picked on or mistreated.

But, there was no way around it; Sirius Black was a horrible boy, and James Potter was no better in Hermione's opinion.

~ T. B. .C. ~

Author's Notes:

Sirius Black's appearance borrowed from: http://www.hplex.info/wizards/sirius.html

The folklore of King Vortigern's Castle was borrowed from: http://www.timelessmyths.com/arthurian/minorarthur.html#Vortigern