It's Just A Little Crush

Disclaimer: JKR owns it all. I don't. Heck, I only own the paper I write my stories on because nice people like Dorkboy gift me with notebooks.

* * *

Chapter VIII

It's Just A Little Crush

The following evening, dinner was more blithe than any previous occasion. Parvati and Kingsley had created a curry that held a decidedly Caribbean touch with morsels of pineapple added and plantain on the side. Even Draco praised the food as highly palatable once he had overcome the shock of the chilly-induced heat.

The day's work with Hermione improved Draco well past expectations anyone might have harboured. They had started off in companionable silence after Hermione had explained the goals of the arithmetic calculations. When they were ready to compare results, both were surprised that each one's conclusions were very similar, and by the time Severus popped in to check how Draco was faring, both were entangled in a passionate discussion about Arithmancy.

Severus was simultaneously relieved and affronted that Draco was opening up to Hermione. Relieved that Draco appeared to be finally leaving the mental abyss behind that had held him entrapped for so long; affronted because it was obvious how much Hermione was enjoying Draco's company. What is it to you, anyway? She's none of your business. He was thoroughly irritated with himself.

When Severus sat down at the piano for his daily gathering of magic, he still felt chafed. Thankfully, playing Schumann's Kinderszenen did its own magic to soothe his nerves, and soon he was as calm as always when indulging in performing the works of masters long gone.

Severus stopped playing once the magic abounded again. His eyes fell on the portrait, and he allowed a small sigh to escape. Portrait Albus seemed no less omniscient than living Albus had been.

"What bothers you, Severus?" Albus asked promptly. "You are not still worried about the consequences for yourself once the magic returns, I'm sure. It can't be the relationship between Parvati and Kingsley. You told me yourself of your surprise at what an acceptable pair they make. Has Draco fallen back into depression?"

"No, not at all. In fact, he's doing better than ever today. Discussing Arithmancy with Miss Granger in the most animated way." Severus sneered at the portrait.

Albus chuckled quietly. "And that irks you."

The scowl deepened on Severus' face, causing Albus to laugh. "If you'll excuse me, Albus. I'm not in the mood for this," he uttered and turned to leave for some solitude in the garden.

The weather was still warm for late September, many bushes still in bloom, and the magical creatures were scattered around in a peaceful way. He sat down on the stone bench underneath the weeping willow at the end of the garden. Why does her getting along well with Draco bother me? It's not as if Draco will stop her from working hard on regaining the magic, and even if he did attempt to do so, she would not allow it; she is far too dedicated to allow any interruptions, he mused.

But she is quite enchanting when she blushes so prettily, suggested another voice. He mentally shook himself, trying to thwart any further thoughts of the young witch. Unfortunately, any train of thought seemed to inevitably lead to destination Hermione. He had never given thought to Parvati in the same way when it was just her, Draco and himself residing at Spinner's End. The whole situation, or rather his thinking process on it, was highly disconcerting to him.

Severus' musings were interrupted by Draco, who sought him out to present the arithmetic calculations.

"We figured it out," Draco said, his tone carrying something akin to pride. "The best days for brewing the Orgone is tomorrow and Sunday. And according to some calculations of our resident genius, it'll best work if half of the metal shavings comprise copper, and the most suitable gemstones seem to be quartz." Draco uttered the words nervously and in rapid succession, not yet used to speaking more than a word or two at one time.

Severus looked at Draco with interest. What the boy had said sounded plausible. But why did he have to refer to her so affectionately as resident genius? And why was he capable of talking with her in a normal way, but seemed nervous around him?

He let it go for now, concentrating instead on the results of the arithmetic exercise. "We'll discuss how to proceed after dinner, I suggest, when everyone is present," Severus said eventually, and Draco left to go back inside.

After dinner, another bottle of wine was shared as all of the residents of Spinner's End settled comfortably into chairs around the small table. Hermione obliged Severus's request to rehash the calculations for the broader audience, earning admiration from Parvati.

"Arithmancy has never been my strength." Parvati sighed wistfully.

"Oh, Parvati, I've never been good with cosmetic potions," said Hermione impatiently. "We all have different talents! And you're really good at those potions!"

"She is," Kingsley confirmed and gave the young witch an affectionate look as she squirmed, uncomfortable with the praise.

Severus was keen to return to the subject at hand. "Now, we should probably dedicate tomorrow to brewing the Orgone." Turning to Hermione, he asked, "How many batches can you brew in one day?"

Hermione replied, "I can do twenty-four muffin-sized ones, as long as there are sufficient amounts of resin and metal shavings, especially copper. We have plenty of quartz, probably enough for at least a hundred muffins or so."

The young witch shifted and withdrew a parchment from her jeans pocket. "I did some more calculations earlier. They show that it might be worth burying larger pieces of Orgone with a larger crystal point embedded in the centre. A kind of cone or pyramid shape appears to work best," she said while unfolding the parchment. Then she handed it to him.

He studied her additional calculations, and marvelling at her ingenuity, he wondered if this new experiment might meet Red Cloud's approval. Of course it does, Dark Man. Remember, creativity is the key to regaining control from those particular Muggle forces, Red Cloud spoke directly to his mind and disappeared as suddenly as he had arrived.

"Have you thought about possible moulds?" Severus asked Hermione.

She grinned. "I've given it some thought. Ideally, I'd like to devise a small pyramid at the exact scale of the Cheops Pyramid. Until I figure out how to go about this, I think ordinary Muggle party hats will work as moulds."

Severus looked at her, astonished. "Blimey," he said. "Your creativity really knows no bounds. Party hats!" He laughed.

Hermione blushed. "The size is just right. They mustn't be too large, or else they'll take too long to harden. And besides, it'll be hard to hide them if they're too big," she said in defence.

Parvati grinned at her. "No need to defend your creativity. I think Severus meant to praise rather than mock you."

Severus felt a wave of protectiveness wash over him when he observed Hermione's face turn a deeper shade of red. He found her blushes delightfully enticing. Her ability of preserving such a measure of innocence after the years of war, of facing prejudice, and eventually of battle, and with it the loss of friends and subsequently the magic, amazed him.

"I never meant to mock you, Hermione," he said softly. "Allowing our creativity free reign is exactly what we need to beat those scumbags who use technology that suppresses the magic."

Severus was not sure how to interpret the look of relief on her face. Did his opinion of her or his actions matter to her? He did not know. What he did know was that he had grown increasingly fond of the witch, who, for years, had been an irritant at best and the bane of his classroom existence at worst.

* * *

Hermione politely declined Parvati and Kingsley's offer of help with the brewing the next morning. She had already accepted Draco's offer to help, and more than two people did not really fit into their small working space.

Severus was playing the piano, but for the first time, the sound did nothing to soothe him. When he stopped playing, he remained seated and just stared at the keys.

Albus' portrait observed him, and eventually, he spoke. "If the thought of Draco and Hermione being alone together is torturing you so, why don't you join them? I'm sure she won't mind, Severus."

When Severus merely glared at him, Albus smiled. "Go on. I dare you." He chuckled softly to himself.

Severus sighed. His days had definitely been more peaceful before Albus-Omniscient-Dumbledore had joined the household.

Slowly, Severus made his way upstairs. Halfway up, he heard Hermione talk and paused to listen.

"No, Draco, I don't think you're ugly at all. Don't be daft. I find you perfectly likeable since you got rid of that arrogance of yours. And I can understand your craving for companionship, especially now, with seeing Kingsley and Parvati so happy together.

"But honestly, Draco, you and I just wouldn't work. Not now, in any case. It's only been a few weeks since I broke up with Ron, and I'm not feeling ready for a relationship, not after he betrayed me so," Hermione added softly.

Severus found himself unable to move. A multitude of emotions crashed somewhere deep inside him. Relief that Hermione had pushed Draco away. Hope that she would get over the Weasley prat without having issues with trust in any future relationship. And annoyance that Draco was making advances on her. How dare the prat. It's preposterous! She is far too good for him, he thought.

And she's not too good for you? another voice piped up. He faltered.

She would never give him a second look. Not only was she too pure-hearted, too innocent to accept someone with a past like his own, but she was also too good-looking, very much unlike himself.

She would never give him a second look. She liked good-looking guys like the Weasley prat who had betrayed her. She would probably team up with Charlie Weasley. At least his brain cell count was considerably higher than that of his youngest brother. Charlie obviously liked her, Severus was certain of it, remembering the night Charlie had stayed and how he had praised Hermione.

Eventually, Severus resolved to simply enjoy her company while he had the opportunity and proceeded to the top of the stairs to enter the room with the lab setting.

"No, Draco," Hermione was saying. "I can assure you the resin will not touch your skin! Unfortunately, I can't hold the crystal in place and pour the resin...I'd need three hands to do that!

"Why don't I hold the crystal and you pour the resin?"

"I can't because my hands aren't steady. And I don't want to burn your fingers," whined Draco.

Prat, thought Severus as he moved towards them. "Allow me," he said and took the crystal from Draco. Turning to Hermione, he nodded. "Pour it."

Hermione rewarded him with a brilliant smile, and he felt suddenly very happy that he had heeded Albus' advice.

"You've come at the right moment. Draco was afraid I'd burn him with the resin," she said in a cheerful voice and carefully poured the resin into the party hat, expertly avoiding his fingers that held the crystal in place.

He did not care about that in the least. If she was this nice to him, he would gladly let her burn his hand. Nevertheless, he appreciated that she did not. "Thank you for sparing my hands."

She laughed. "Thank you for having more confidence in me than Draco did."

Draco sighed and rolled his eyes. "It's not a lack of confidence in you. I'm not feeling confident about myself." He looked down, as if not quite willing or able to meet anyone's eyes.

Hermione was at his side instantly. "Draco, look at me." She tugged on his sleeve until he lifted his eyes, full of uncertainty, and met hers. "You've only just come out of a debilitating depression, Draco, and you're doing wonderful! You are completely the opposite of the person you were when I arrived. Heck, until a few days ago, you never spoke! And if you don't feel confident now, that's fine. You'll re-learn that. Just like you've learned to laugh again, to live again. Please, don't despair, just because of a tiny setback.

"It's not important, anyhow. Severus can help me with pouring the few that are left. We've got most of it done already, and that's thanks to you, Draco," Hermione said. Draco looked happier.

How does she manage to always find the right words? Severus wondered. He had never met anyone so compassionate, anyone with such a lack of prejudice.

"Hermione is right. No reason to get upset over yourself. Besides, since I'm here, I can risk getting my skin burned," Severus said wryly. "I saw Fawkes in the garden earlier on. Why don't you keep him some company? It will soothe you."

Draco shrugged, but appeared to follow his advice and left the room.

Hermione returned to the counter that was filled with muffin pans, which contained the hardening Orgone poured earlier, and several glass jars over which party hats were suspended.

Severus chose a crystal point from a pile and held it upright in the party hat nearest to him.

As Hermione poured the resin carefully, she said, "Draco is doing quite well. He's really come out of his shell in the last couple of days." She sounded pleased.

"Yes," he agreed. "I'm glad. I found it quite frightening, seeing him so despondent all the time. He seems to enjoy your company tremendously." He could not help himself. That last sentence had simply tumbled out of his mouth.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "He'd enjoy anyone's company right now, after not taking any interest in life for so long! He was just... existing, nothing more."

They continued working, Hermione filling the party hats with Severus holding each crystal point as she poured the resin.

Severus could not help but admire the efficient manner Hermione was working in. Just like his own movements, hers were precise and efficient, and for the first time, he felt that he could not have been such a bad teacher, even if he had been generally dreaded while at Hogwarts. Of course, Hermione was known as one of the brightest witches, but he liked to think that her deft hand at brewing the Orgone was at least partly due to his teaching.

Finally, Hermione poured the last of the resin mix into a party hat and sighed. "Right. First step accomplished. It'll be dry and hard in the morning, ready for burying."

"Will you take Draco to bury them?" Severus was unable to control the sneer that attached itself to the young wizard's name.

Hermione gave him a look of surprise. "Uh, I thought you should bury them! After all, this is all based on your spirit guide's information, and you are the one who figured most of it out."

"In that case, would you do me the honour of accompanying me? After all, you are the one who did most of the ground work." He fleetingly thought that this must have been the most unromantic way of asking a woman out in the history of mankind, but her reply distracted him entirely.

She offered him a brilliant smile as if she genuinely liked the idea and then said, "I'd love to, Severus."

He bowed slightly. "That's settled then. We should start off around sunrise. I'd prefer for nobody to be around, even if it means rising at such an ungodly hour."

* * *

Severus' sleep that night was unsettled and restless. He felt anticipation, worry, dread, and hope. What if the magic comes back? The Ministry will have Aurors here in no time. What if the exercise is futile, and we'll have to start from scratch again? What if she finds she doesn't enjoy my company? What if she does enjoy spending time with me?

His restlessness continued until he felt the presence of Red Cloud. Dark Man, don't waste your time with doubting yourself. That trait will not help the magic. Trust yourself. Believe in your abilities. And trust your Gryffindor friend. She is a force to be reckoned with. She has already proven her loyalty to the same cause that is close to your own heart. Open up to her. You'll find not only a loyal companion in her, but you may find that she shares interests with you beyond regaining the magic. Above all, trust yourself. Follow your heart. Red Cloud's words left him considerably calmer, and he drifted off to sleep.

When he woke up, it was still dark, but the birds outside were already busy chirping, announcing the beginning of another day.

It was very early, but Severus decided that coffee was a good way to start any day, early or not. He knew that Hermione usually remained silent until she had at least one cup. It was a trait they shared, and he hoped the offering of coffee would compensate a little for having to rise so early.

The young witch appeared in the kitchen, muttered "Morning" and yawned.

"Morning. Here, have a wake-up potion," he said, smirking, and handed her a cup of steaming black coffee.

She rewarded him with a mischievous grin. "Thanks...I think. My reputation must be really bad if it drives you to offering me coffee."

He smirked. "There is that. Plus the hope that the caffeine will keep us alert."

They finished their coffee in silence. Hermione went back upstairs to pick up the Orgone pieces. Together, they left quietly, heading towards the communication tower.

Severus motioned for Hermione to stop at the end of the road. "Let's track how far from the house we are able to do magic." He cast Wingardium Leviosa to lift a leaf off the ground. The leaf danced effortlessly through the air until he finished the spell, and it slowly fell back onto the ground.

Hermione took a piece of chalk from her pocket. "Let's mark it. That way, we can check the same places every day and keep track of any changes."

Severus was again surprised at her ingenuity. "Good idea. Especially once we get closer to the tower."

They continued their walk until they could hear the brook gurgling away. "You know... maybe we should put one of the cones in the water. Water carries energy, doesn't it, and it might help with the magic," Hermione mused.

"I'd say it's worth testing if one of those Orgone cones will affect the environment positively. This brook is bound to be polluted. Why don't you throw one in the water," suggested Severus.

Hermione reached into her bag and took a cone out. She looked at him questioningly. "Simply throw it in?" She sounded hesitant.

"Just dump it," he said wryly. "And think happy thoughts while you do it."

She blushed slightly and grimaced. Then, taking a deep breath, she threw the cone into the centre of the small river.

"Okay. One down, many to go," Hermione said, looking at the brook for a moment before she took the chalk out again and marked the pavement.

They continued on their way, stopping sporadically to check the level of magic with simple spells and leaving chalk marks on the road.

"Let's just hope there'll be no rain in the next few days, or else all the marks will be washed away," Severus remarked on one occasion.

The closer they came to the tower, the weaker the magic became. "Merlin, this is depressing," Hermione complained when she was unable to move a piece of littered paper off the ground. "To think that some Muggles have figured out a way to disable the magic! They're no better than Voldemort!"

Hearing Voldemort's name so carelessly spoken made Severus flinch, but he had to agree with her. He felt an uncommon urge to divert her suddenly dejected mood and sent a silent prayer that he would find the right words for her. "It can be a depressing thought, Hermione, or you can choose this knowledge, like any knowledge, to be empowering, even liberating."

She met his eyes, and he continued, now in his typical classroom voice, "Kingsley has been analysing several Muggle cosmetics and learned that every single commercially manufactured product contains slow-acting poisons, or metals, which are equally poisonous. When this information is made known, and it will be, have no doubt, the reactions of the general public can be roughly split into three categories. The first one will dismiss it as scare-mongering and refuse to believe it. The second group will lament the audacity of it all, complain that products without poisons are unaffordable and continue using the stuff they now know will poison them in one way or another. And the third category will use their creativity and find alternatives. Only the people in this last category will grow, by learning, by being open to changing any possibly long-held opinion, and by being creative and applying their new-found knowledge."

Severus stopped for a moment, allowing her to digest what he had just said. Then he continued in a more passionate manner, "I'd like to think that we are in the third group. In fact, I'm sure you are. You thought me a cold-blooded murderer, yet you had the courage to stand up against Moody, when complying with him would certainly have ensured you a safer and possibly happier life."

Hermione blushed and took to studying the ground at his last words. After a long silence, she said, "I don't know if you can call it courage, Severus. You had just saved my life and killed several Death Eaters, thus ensuring that we'd win the battle. I couldn't have possibly allowed Moody to be his vindictive self on that occasion. That would have gone completely against my own morals. They might not always concur with those of the general wizarding public, but I will stand up for them."

"That's exactly my point, Hermione. If everyone had the guts to follow their own morals instead of merely following the herd like obedient sheep, all this wouldn't be happening, don't you see? Instead, we have this self-policing sheep herd attitude even in the wizarding world. But I have no doubt that eventually this world will be a better place because people will learn to live true to their own morals."

Hermione looked at him in horror. "Oh, Merlin, how could I have overlooked that? Severus, we need to place your home under the Fidelius! What if the magic comes back once we bury the Orgone? The entire department of Ministry Aurors will be here in no time!"

Maybe she does like me a little, was his first thought as her words sunk in. Then his mind began racing. Why had he not thought of putting Spinner's End under the Fidelius charm? Surely, it was the best option to keep him safe, considering nobody knew if and when the magic would return.

He felt a tremendous relief wash over him that he was capable of upholding the magic at his home.

"Good thinking, Hermione," he said. "It is a better option than any other for keeping me out of the Ministry's wrath."

And then, once again, his mouth took on a mind of its own. "But don't you think it would be only fair if the Aurors caught me? After all, I did kill Albus."

Hermione looked at him. He was unable to make out her expression. Maybe it was one of calculation, maybe it was one of confusion, he had no idea.

"No. It wouldn't be fair. I don't know the whole story, but Dumbledore in portrait form didn't seem in the least displeased with you. And Voldemort's side lost because of you. When I recognised your voice that day, I thought you were about to kill me. Instead, you saved my life by killing those Death Eaters. So, I'm sure there is a whole lot more to the event than merely 'Snape killed Dumbledore.'

"And then there is the whole matter about regaining the magic. If you were out for your own interest, you wouldn't work for that goal. You have magic in your home, even enough to Apparate and return. It would be in your interest for the magic to stay away in general, to ensure the Ministry can't come after you.

"And besides, I don't believe for one moment that the Ministry would give you a fair trial. My suggestion would be that you stay at home under the Fidelius and let Kingsley, Parvati, and me deal with the Ministry until we manage to clear your name. But that, of course, entirely depends on whether or not the magic returns." That said, she started walking again.

Severus digested her words. She was right, of course, in all points, which only slightly disconcerted him. Instead, he admired her tremendous insight. He imagined that at least she did not outright dislike him if she was willing to work towards clearing his name.

"You'd be willing to help clear my name?" He could not help but ask.

"Of course I'm willing to help clear your name, whatever it involves," she replied impatiently. "Any form of injustice doesn't sit right with me. Now, how are we going to bury those Orgone pieces?" They had arrived at the communication tower.

"Like so," Severus said smugly as he pulled a spoon from a pocket. "The idea is to just bury them deep enough so they're hidden from sight."

He knelt down on the ground, as close to the first pole as he could get, and dug out enough earth for the muffin-shaped Orgone to fit in. Hermione handed him a piece, he placed it into the hole and covered it with earth. Then he stood up and padded the earth even with his shoes.

Silently, they repeated the process twice, each one close to another pole upholding the structure.

"Maybe we should throw one into the centre, too, and see if those scum-bags take it," he suggested.

Hermione took out another piece of Orgone and deftly threw it towards the middle of the structure. "Right," she said. "Mission accomplished. I could do with some breakfast, and then, I think, we better get going with the Fidelius Charm."

"Yes, boss." He smirked when he saw a blush creep up on her face.

"I didn't mean to sound bossy," she replied with a sheepish grin.

They started walking again, now at a faster pace as there was no need to check the levels of magic again so soon.

As they rounded the corner into Spinner's End, Severus gathered his courage. He would rather ask her now, without any third party present. "Hermione, would you be willing to be my Secret Keeper?"

Hermione looked at him, surprised. "Uh, wouldn't you prefer Parvati or Kingsley? You know them much better than me."

His hopes faltered. Of course she wouldn't be willing to shoulder such a responsibility for him. Stupid idiot, he berated himself.

"Never mind," he said flatly and started walking again.

"Severus, wait!" Hermione caught up with him and gently placed a hand on his arm. His heart gave a pleasant lurch. "The question just took me by surprise," she said apologetically.

Then she looked at him intently. "I'd be honoured to be your Secret Keeper, Severus," she said softly.

"Thank you, Hermione," he said equally softly as they arrived at his house.

* * *

By the end of the day, Spinner's End was under the Fidelius charm, and Parvati, Draco, Kingsley, and Dumbledore's portrait all let in on the Secret.

Hermione was the first one to bid the others good-night, but she reappeared downstairs within minutes. "The lab is crackling with magic! I think the Orgone is working," she said.

Her excitement almost made Severus smile. "Care to explain?" he asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"When we returned from the tower this morning, I put the Orgone pieces back on the work-top upstairs. On my way to bed, I thought I'd check if we needed more metal shavings before the next brewing, and when I entered the room, the magic literally hit me. It was almost like it used to be, you know, before it disappeared."

"Did you try any spells?"

"Yes, and everything worked perfectly! I Summoned a book from my bedside table, Transfigured a cushion into a goblet, and conjured some water. Then I managed to Wingardium Leviosa the wardrobe to the ceiling and back down!"

"How many Orgone pieces do you have left?" asked Severus.

Hermione thought for a moment, then she replied, "Seven cones and about twenty muffins."

Kingsley had followed their conversation. "Maybe we should experiment by leaving one cone and a couple of muffins in each room," he suggested.

Severus and Hermione looked at him thoughtfully. "I think we should place a cone or two in one room, and a muffin or two in another," Hermione said slowly.

Severus nodded. "Yes, that will tell us the difference and what each type of Orgone does. We should do that now, so we'll get the answer in the morning."

"Yes," Hermione agreed. "I have a feeling that the muffins will merely interrupt the high frequency radiation the towers put out, which of course should be all that's needed to enable the magic to flow."

Everyone looked at her expectantly. "What do you think the cones will do?" asked Severus.

"I believe the cones with the larger crystal points will enhance the magic that's present," said Hermione. "Of course, this notion is more a gut feeling than based on any science," she added and shrugged. "But then, I have been told lately to follow my heart..." She looked slightly uncomfortable.

"If this is what you feel inclined to do, then simply go ahead. Intuition can be fickle, but it can also provide great insight into the larger picture. Besides, in this instance, no harm will be done following it, and we'll know in the morning if your gut feeling was right," Severus soothed her and was pleased when she visibly relaxed.

She gave him a tentative smile and said, "Okay. I'll put the pieces in different rooms."

* * *

The following morning, Severus waited with growing impatience for Hermione to emerge. The moment he had awoken, he felt the strong presence of magic, and for the first time in months allowed himself to use a shaving spell instead of the usual Muggle razor.

By the time Severus reached the kitchen, he knew Hermione's intuition had been spot-on. His bedroom, which had been housing an Orgone cone overnight, was alive with magic, as was his corner of contemplation in the corridor downstairs. The kitchen and his sanctuary showed no signs of increased levels of magic.

Severus was sipping his first cup of coffee when Hermione bounced in, looking absolutely radiant.

"Morning," she said, sounding uncommonly cheerful. "Is your room full of magic, too?"

"Good morning," he replied. "Indeed it is. And using mundane spells instead of Muggle appliances didn't deplete it, either. It was a good thing you followed your intuition."

She looked pleased. "Do you want to go to the tower to see if the magic works there, too?"

"Yes, we better check," he agreed. They finished their coffee in comfortable silence.

On the way to the tower, just as the day before, Hermione and Severus took turns casting spells in the same locations. This time, the magic did not falter as much once they were in close proximity of the tower. When they reached it, the magic was weaker, but present nevertheless.

Severus felt a shiver down his spine when he realised what it meant. He turned to Hermione. "Can you even begin to imagine the implications of this?"

Hermione gazed at him thoughtfully. "Probably not all of it," she allowed. "I mean, this is huge! A small group of Muggles, within their own government no less, took it upon themselves to disable the magic by means of Muggle technology. Blast. I just hope they don't catch any other wizards or witches and give them the treatment they did Kingsley!"

"You may find that Red Cloud will take up this issue soon and advise us on relevant protective measures beyond what we can achieve with a wand," Severus replied. After a short silence, he continued, his voice carrying a sense of urgency. "We need to get this information out to all. In fact, if we can put an article together by the end of tomorrow, I can probably have Mr Creevey include it in the next issue of The Quibbler. In the meantime, we ought to keep a close check on this tower. If the scumbags find out we've found a way to defeat their nasty technology, they'll likely not only remove the Orgone but also figure out ways to attack us.

"We should also venture further out and disable all the towers in this area," he added.

Hermione looked up and smiled. "Nothing gets me going like a worthy challenge. What's your plan? You look as if you've already figured something out."

He thought for a moment that she was getting to know him rather well. "First, we'll get the article together with precise instructions on how to brew the Orgone and where to place it."

"Are you sure Mr Creevey will accept it just like that?" interrupted Hermione, her expression full of doubt.

Severus sighed. He might as well tell her. After all, he trusted her to be his Secret-Keeper, and he saw no reason not to trust her with any other secret.

"From Severus Snape probably not. From William Dafoe, my trusted Muggle friend who keeps bees and markets my cosmetic potions, yes. William acts as an agent of an undisclosed benefactor to The Quibbler to enable the magazine to become widely known rather quickly."

Hermione, realisation dawning on her face, blurted out, "It was you who donated a large sum to them!

"Guilty as charged," muttered Severus. He was surprised how fast the young witch digested the information.

"So we can use The Quibbler to publish our findings and most wizarding readers will know to follow our suggestions. That has a very good chance of succeeding! We'll have at least pockets of magic all over the place in no time," she said, looking positively hopeful.

After checking that the Orgone piece in the centre of the tower structure was still there, Severus said. "Let's go back and work on that article. That has to be the top priority since I know the latest issue of The Quibbler will go to print in the next few days. Once that's out of the way, we can work out a plan of action with the others. I'm sure Kingsley will offer some input, since he's the one who knows most of the technologies this faction of Muggles utilises."

They headed straight back to Spinner's End, not bothering to stop anywhere, intent on working on an article that would allow wizards all over to claim back the magic.

* * *

A/N

Big thanks to Notsosaintly, without whose help this story would never make it to an archive. You rock!