12

Chapter 12- Still November 21, 1998

McGonagall looked up as the hearth in her office glowed green. "Ah, Harry, what can I do for you?"

Harry's head was visible in the flames. Without preamble, he said, "Have you heard from Snape or Hermione yet?"

McGonagall frowned and looked at the time, blinking in surprise at how late it was already. "Now that you mention it, no, I have not. Severus said he talked to Draco as well. Have you asked him?"

Harry scowled and said, "May we come through?"

McGonagall inclined her head and said, "Certainly. Conversations are much easier in person."

Harry's head disappeared, to be replaced by him spinning out of the Floo, closely followed by an equally anxious Draco. Draco said, "Good evening. I haven't heard from either of them yet. It's long after dinner now, and they were to go right after breakfast. We're worried that something happened to them."

McGonagall pursed her lips. "I see. It is surprising. Have you tried sending a message to them yet?"

Both boys frowned in confusion. Harry said, "There's no Floo connection. Should we send an owl?"

McGonagall smiled gently and said, "No, not an owl. Send your Patronus with a message, like we did in the Order. Surely your training has taught you how to do that?"

Harry nodded and immediately flicked his wand, murmuring, "Expecto Patronum." When the stag burst from the end, it turned to face Harry, awaiting his message. The query was short...simply "Do you need help?"

It took several long minutes before the silvery stag reappeared, stomping silently and tossing its head, its message undelivered. McGonagall's patient expression instantly changed to one of alert worry. "That's not good. Something must be blocking it from being able to get to them. Well, gentlemen, I daresay we should mount a rescue effort post haste."

Draco and Harry shot to their feet. "Harry, do you have the location on you?"

Harry pulled the note Hermione had sent him from his pocket and said, "Here. Professor, would you like to fashion a Portkey, or shall I?"

McGonagall Summoned a piece of chalk and said, "I appreciate the offer, but I've had decades of practice on you." Moments later, the chalk had been turned into a password activated Portkey to Prince Manor's location. "Here, bundle up, gentlemen; it's a blustery night out where we're going. Excellent. Now, grab hold. Giddyup!"

The Portkey yanked them along at her command, depositing them in the snow in front of Prince Manor. They peered about, wands at the ready, alert for danger.

Draco whispered, "There's light in the attic! The rest of the windows are open, but those are shuttered."

They crept forward to the front door, which had been left open when Snape and Hermione had entered that morning. Carefully, they made their way through the dark house, their wands lighting their way. When they got to the attic door, they could see the bluish light around the edges, but they couldn't open the door.

When Harry tried to press his ear against it to listen, he jerked back with a startled oath. "There're definitely some serious enchantments going on. It just zapped my ear!"

McGonagall said, "Harry, Apparate home and get your broom. Come back, and fly up to the windows to see if they might be easier to get through. Draco and I will keep trying spells to break through the enchantments."

Harry gave a sharp nod and Disapparated on the spot. He was back a few moments later, broom in hand. "All right, I'm off to give it a go."

McGonagall and Draco watched him kick off on his broom, ducking out the empty window at the end of the corridor and zooming upward. About twenty futile minutes later, he returned, chilled and windblown. Draco said, "Any luck?"

Harry grimaced. "None. Whatever's holding them in there is pretty solid." He turned to McGonagall and said, "I've just begun training. Should we get Kingsley to send curse-breakers or fully trained Aurors out here?

McGonagall heaved a deep sigh. "I don't know. I've never seen anything like this before, but I'm not an Auror either."

Before anyone could say another word, they were startled by the whooshing bangs of the door and windows slamming open and blinded by the blaze of light pouring from the attic room. Blinking furiously, they waited for their vision to return. When it did, they all gaped in astonishment at the sight of a very naked Hermione sprawled atop an equally naked Snape, staring at the sudden spectators in horror and embarrassment.

All at the same time, Harry clapped his hands over his eyes with a strangled cry, Hermione shrieked, Snape bellowed a Summoning spell for their clothes, and Draco and McGonagall said in unison, "It's about bloody time!" snapping amused glances at each other.

One hand smashing his glasses to his face, his eyes screwed shut, Harry blindly cast a shield charm, altering it so that it looked much like frosted glass, to give the in flagrante delicto pair some privacy.

McGonagall and Draco politely turned away from the attic doorway, and McGonagall said loudly, "I'm glad you two are no longer trapped, although I admit that nothing we tried seemed to work to get past the enchantments. However, now that you're free, do you need any further assistance to get home?"

There was a pregnant pause on the other side of the screening shield, then a faint, mortified voice said, "No, thank you. We can Apparate home on our own."

Draco's grin was barely holding in his laughter. McGonagall shot a reproving glance at him, but followed it with a knowing smirk. "Very well, then. We'll leave you be. Come along, Draco, Harry. Oh, and you two? Congratulations."

With that parting shot, Draco couldn't hold back his snorts any longer, and he grabbed Harry's arm to drag him away. McGonagall gripped Harry's other arm and said, "Back to my office, if you please, gentlemen."

They Disapparated, and Harry's shield charm disintegrated. By that time, however, Snape and Hermione were dressed again, faces red with embarrassment. Hermione was shivering in the renewed cold wind, the sweat generated from their coupling freezing on her skin. Snape wrapped her in an embrace and said, "Let's get out of here before anything else decides to go insane and lock us in again."

Hermione nodded and flicked her wand at the jars of flame, extinguishing them and leaving them in darkness. "Take us home, Severus."

Avoiding the mirror, Snape Disapparated, taking Hermione with him.

They appeared in the kitchen at Spinner's End, and Snape immediately set about brewing tea and making toast for both of them since they hadn't eaten since morning. Neither spoke about the harrowing experience and mortifying rescue.

When they were fed and warm again, Hermione muttered, "I need a shower."

She pushed to her feet and started out of the kitchen but paused at Snape's low, "Care for any assistance?"

Hermione turned to see him eyeing her with a mixture of fear and hope. As awkwardly as their liaison had ended, it had been a wonderfully illuminating experience, helping her realize just how much of a connection they shared. A gentle smile spread her lips and she said, "You wash my back and I'll wash yours?"

Snape shot to his feet and crossed to her in a rush. Gazing down at her, he said, "Whatever you need, you need only ask and I'll provide."

Hermione's smile expanded into a beatific grin, and she pulled him down for a thorough kiss. Snape wrapped his arms around her and held her close. Trailing her lips back to his ear, she purred, "Then I ask that you make sure every last bit of me is properly clean... and then get it all dirty again in a nice, comfortable bed this time."

Snape sucked in a harsh breath and voiced a rumbling groan as he spun and led the way up the stairs, tugging her along by the hand. Hermione's delighted laughter trailed behind her as they disappeared upstairs to make good on her request.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

December 7, 1998

Draco gracefully sat in the chair across from McGonagall in her office. "Thank you for taking the time to meet with me, Professor."

"Certainly, Draco. What is it you wish to talk with me about?"

Draco flashed a grin and said, "Severus and Hermione, of course."

McGonagall struggled to suppress her answering grin and said, "Ah, them. What about them?"

Leaning forward with an earnest yet conspiratorial air, he said, "I'm assuming you received their invitation for a holiday gathering two weeks from today..." At her nod, he continued, "From the cryptic comments Severus has let slip when I've spoken to him, I think it's a fair guess that he's going to propose to Hermione at the party."

McGonagall couldn't help but smile fondly. "I'm sure she'll accept, if he does. I'm surprised it took them this long to admit their attachment as it is."

Draco cocked an eyebrow and nodded. "Indeed. What I'm worried about is how Harry and Ron are going to take it. And I was hoping you might be willing to, ah, smooth the way for them, so to speak."

McGonagall snorted and said, "I see your point. I may no longer be their Head of House..."

Draco cut in, "But they still respect you a great deal."

Inclining her head, she said, "True. Your query is to your credit, Draco. I must say I had no idea you'd turn out so well when you were a student here."

Draco actually blushed and ducked his head in modesty. "Those were... muddled times. I owe them my life and happiness. Let's just say I've learned a bit about fairness since then."

McGonagall beamed at him. "I'll talk to Harry and Ron. It's about time they let Hermione live her own life and be happy, and they need to let the past stay in the past, as you have."

Draco smiled. "Excellent; thank you, Professor."

McGonagall waved one airy hand and said, "I do have one question for you."

Instantly attentive, Draco said, "What's that?"

Leaning forward on her desk and squinting at him, she said, "What clued you in? You said the same thing I did when we caught them in the act, as it were."

Draco grinned in mischief. "He's planning on having the whole place razed to the ground, you know. Said he doesn't want any other shenanigans to have the chance to harass anyone else...even if it did end well for him. At any rate, I should have cottoned on at Hermione's birthday celebration. Severus was awfully protective of her, but I thought it was just friendly then. But when they came to the Manor and I offered to get her a gardenia for her hair like the one she had on her birthday, they exchanged a look that just spoke volumes about how they felt about each other, even if they hadn't admitted it yet." At McGonagall's slow nod, he said, "What about you?"

McGonagall sat back in her chair and sniffed. "Poppy informed me that Hermione had broken in to Severus's quarters in the dungeon and had nearly prostrated herself racing upstairs to find him the morning after he had moved down there. I had my suspicions that there was more than just friendship at work then, and every time I saw them together, Severus was like a changed man, hovering about her like a moth to light."

Draco pointed out, "He had nearly died. That's enough to change a man, surely."

"Of course, but they just seemed to vibrate in key, like a tuning fork, whenever they were together. I expected it; I just didn't know how long it would take."

Draco tilted his head thoughtfully. "Do you think others might object? I mean, there is that age difference, and he was her teacher."

McGonagall pinned him with an aggrieved stare and said, "They're wizards," as if that argument was clear enough on its own. Evidently it was, as Draco nodded. McGonagall then asked, "When did you speak to Severus and hear these cryptic hints?"

"Oh, we speak regularly, as I'm frequently their liaison to former Death Eaters and their families for the book they're working on. That reminds me, did you hear that Hermione has decided to write two books instead?"

"No, I hadn't. What happened?"

Eyes dancing with mirth, Draco said, "Apparently, she doesn't want Severus sullied again by being mixed up too much in her book about Voldemort, so she's going to split it up into two books."

Surprised and impressed, McGonagall said, "Well, then, that's ambitious of her!"

"Want to hear the best part?"

Eyes narrowing, she retorted, "What best part?"

"If her feelings about Severus weren't clear before, they certainly are now. The original book is going to be titled Voldemort: A History; Solving a Riddle..."

"Oh, that's clever..."

"And the second one is called Severus Snape: Spy; The Unsung Hero of the War Against Evil."

McGonagall's chest filled with pride, both for her prize student and her brave colleague. "Excellent titles, indeed. I can't wait to read them."

Draco nodded, his smile a bit smug on their behalf as well, and said, "I daresay they'll be quite interesting and informative. I'm pleased that I can count on your assistance with the boys, Professor. I'll see you in two weeks at Spinner's End."

They rose as one, and McGonagall reached out to shake his hand. "It's a very charitable request and one I'm happy to fulfil. Take care, dear. See you soon."

He was gone in a flash of green flames, and McGonagall sank back in her chair, her expression one of fond indulgence. "It's about time those two had a chance at happiness. I think they suit each other perfectly."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

February 5, 1999

"Are you sure you want it destroyed?"

Snape nodded slowly as they stood in front of the crumbling Prince Manor. "It's better this way. Who knows what other Dark enchantments might snag the unwary?"

Hermione hugged his arm and murmured, "Mind if I check something out before we leave and you finalize the agreement with the demolition team?"

Scowling in confusion, he peered down at her by his side and said, "What do you want to check out? Remember how dangerous things were last time?"

Hermione smirked and said, "I'll never forget that day, Severus." At his answering sheepish smile, she continued, "I just want to test a theory."

Snape heaved a deep sigh, his breath pouring out into a plume of vapour, and said, "Be careful."

Hermione beamed at him and cautiously stepped up to the front door, which was once again shut. Slowly, she extended her right hand toward the handle, then sucked in a breath and held it while she touched the handle with her fingertips. Nothing happened. Emboldened, she gripped the handle and actually opened the door, turning to grin in triumph at a thoroughly perplexed Snape.

Hurrying to join her, Snape stared hard at her touching the door handle and said, "You're not hurt?"

Hermione lifted her hand, palm out, and showed the perfectly normal flesh of her fingertips, unmarred by blisters. "I wondered if I'd rate now."

"Rate? What are you talking about?"

Dropping her right hand and lifting her left hand instead, she brandished her fourth finger at him, the wintry sunlight glinting off the stone of her engagement ring. "Now that the enchantments witnessed our... um... consummation, and I'm wearing your ring as a symbol of our commitment, I thought I might finally rank as a 'Prince' family member and wouldn't be subject to the hexes here."

Snape's brows rose and his eyes went wide, digesting her logic. After a few beats of silence, he smiled, his eyes full of pride and affection. "You most certainly 'rate,' my love. Now, can we please get out of here and go someplace warm? I'd like to leave this relic behind me and focus on my future, if you don't mind."

His teasing scowl made her laugh, and she hugged him, looking up and saying, "Since your future is my future, I'm more than happy to focus on it. Take me home, Severus. We've got to finish those books...there are more stories to be told."

She trailed her fingers over the scar at his throat, face alight with love. Snape leant into the caress, then ducked down to kiss her. Resting his forehead against hers, he murmured, "I rather like our story best."

"Indeed." They spun on the spot to Disapparate, and Hermione's delighted trill of laughter echoed in the chill air even after they were gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The End ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~