Chapter Five

A/N: This is the chapter that inspired the whole story. I hope you all like it!

Determined not to waste any time, Hermione had focused her dreams on the practical issues of the plan to infiltrate the Ministry, especially those that she would be consulting with Severus on.

Of course, she couldn't focus her dreams every night, but she still had managed to mentally prepare her brewing space in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place a few times before Severus met her there again.

Despite the fact that she'd been waiting for him, his deep voice startled her. "Miss Granger, what are you brewing?"

She looked up but didn't stop stirring. "It's supposed to be Polyjuice."

"Something you successfully brewed five years ago."

"Not this one. This is a longer-lasting formula, or it should be. I can never tell for sure that I'm recalling the recipe correctly in my dreams."

"Why here?"

"Well, I don't exactly have my own fully stocked laboratory. I brought a lot of things in my bag, but not the workspace."

"But there is a potions space in this house."

"There is? Where?"

"In the basement."

"Isn't this the basement?"

"This room is little more than half the size of the house above it. Even without the ability to make big spaces in smaller spaces..." He paused for Hermione to fill in the rest.

She turned a circle, resting her eyes on the side of the room dominated by the stairs. "The dining room is above us, but there is nothing below the sitting room, or is there?"

"Very good." He strode to a shelving unit and waved his wand. "Alohomora."

The unit swung toward him, revealing a locked door. Making sure she was watching, he carefully pronounced the incantations that undid the charms on the door. "The charms in the real house are exactly the same. They are one-way, so you can leave without knowing them, but you couldn't get back in."

Hermione nodded, nearly breathless with anticipation. Instead of waving her ahead of him, he lit his wand and led her through the doorway. Bringing the lights up, he gestured grandly around the small room. "Welcome, Hermione. The only other living witch with access to this room is Molly Weasley."

"How many living wizards have access?"

"Just myself. Though, of course, I won't be availing myself of it for the foreseeable future."

"Dabbling in Divination, Severus?"

"Hardly. Now, would you like to continue with your tour?"

"By all means." Hermione made a small nod.

The room looked very much like the kitchen, with sinks and counters of similar construction. Besides the convenience of stocked shelves, the other obvious appeal of this room was the ability to leave something brewing without having to share stovetop space with supper. With Kreacher preparing all of the meals, Hermione had often wished she had a place she didn't have to share with the elf. Though the situation had significantly improved of late, Hermione and Kreacher weren't destined to become best mates any time soon.

Looking longingly at the set of cauldrons, Hermione asked, "Do you think we have time?"

"Not tonight, but see if you can repeat the recipe for the improved Polyjuice."

Hermione recited the instructions, watching Severus' face for the subtle nods that indicated she was still on the right track. When she was done, he gave a firmer nod. "I'm sure you will be pleased to know that you can recall the recipe in your sleep."

"Well, that is something."

***

The evening of the thirty-first of August, Severus Flooed from Malfoy Manor to the Headmaster's office, secure in the feeling of a job well done.

The Head Boy and Girl had received their badges that afternoon, and he had dosed them with a dream-sharing potion of his own. He had little doubt that Miss Parkinson, having much more sense than her second-cousin had shown, would be sneaking into her fiancé's chambers for their last night away from Hogwarts. He speculated for a moment the degree of scandal he could cause among the portraits in his office if he as much as suggested that the Head Boy and Girl be allowed to share a suite this year. With all that was at stake this year, he didn't know if it would be better for Draco to have less to worry about or if it would just make the boy complacent.

No matter, he had worries of his own for the night. Seventeen-year-olds were generally thought too young to form their lifelong attachments unguided. His years as a teacher suggested that was the case. He hoped with much more intensity than his temperament usually allowed that this year would be the exception. Not that the young couple's relationship had been unguided. Their parents had encouraged the match as far back as their fourth year. Severus thought that was definitely a point in their favor. He had no real idea what would happen when he fell into REM sleep that night, but he hoped that with Parkinson's dreams otherwise occupied, nothing would disturb the bond he was forming with Hermione.

Sliding into bed, Severus lowered the lights and began to breathe deeply as he focused on an image of the smile he hoped very much to see very soon.

When he became aware of his surroundings, he was sitting at the head table in the Great Hall. The view from the Headmaster's chair would take some getting used to, but he thought he would assume the role and all it entailed in the morning with his typical assumed ease.

Hermione's eyes met his immediately. He tried not to flinch as he remembered that she would not be there tomorrow. Tomorrow she would read the paper and discover that, even had she planned to return to Hogwarts, she could not. It angered him that some of the brightest Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and Hufflepuffs would not be returning just because of their heritage and the power-mad ways of those charged with their education.

He smirked. There was no one to hide the expression from here. No one except... He scanned the Slytherin table until he saw Pansy's eyes darting between him and Draco, who she was bent close to. There was something tangible about their presence. Apparently, the potion had pulled Pansy's partner with her.

This boded well. Every year, the curse had lifted when the girl had found some boy to cling to. Pansy and Draco already had a bond that went deeper than school crushes and arranged marriages; they had been in war together, and Severus knew that being on the winning side could be as harrowing as the losing. Voldemort had the upper hand now, but it had not always been so, and if Albus was right, it would not last very much longer.

He was about to motion for Hermione to follow him out the side entrance when Draco and Pansy made their own exit. His plan was working.

A few moments later, Hermione had joined him in an anteroom.

"So, what are we doing here? Reminiscing about old times?"

Severus hesitated before dissembling. "Will not the feast go on tomorrow? Why not meet here today since we won't then?"

"I don't know about the feast or not. I'm not returning; you know that. I don't know about anyone else."

"I don't suppose reminiscing would get us anywhere anyway. We don't exactly share many happy memories."

"We didn't before, but we do now." Hermione saved him from responding by walking toward the lit fireplace. "This room is actually kind of romantic in this light."

He was glad she'd noticed. For all his skills at espionage, he wasn't sure he'd excel at seduction. Moving into her peripheral vision, he gestured toward a table set with tea for two. He was sure that tea wasn't the most romantic choice, but alcohol seemed overkill for whatever suggestive value it had in this unreality.

He seated her, purposefully brushing against her twice. Calculating, he could do. He had a purpose; he could focus on that.

For the first time in weeks, he didn't let the conversation stray to her plans or even the related potions. He made himself ask questions about her family, her childhood. The conversation was not as tedious as he'd expected, and he was surprised when the scene changed. It was something they were quite used to, since the dreaming brain has a short attention span. It served as a reminder, though, that their time was not long.

Looking around, he recognized the corridor below the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. Could it be? If this night was a microcosm of the typical run of the curse, then Pansy had already broken her side of the enchantment, and he would be drawn to her and her lover.

Disillusioning himself and Hermione, he offered her his arm. "Care to disturb a trysting couple, Miss Granger?" he asked with what was to be a flirtatious tone.

Apparently, it had its desired effect, because she didn't correct his usage of her surname and she did take his arm.

Arriving at the top of the tower, he slowly opened the door and glanced around. He didn't see anything unusual, but distinct sounds were floating on the evening breeze. Squeezing Hermione's hand, he closed the door and lifted the charm. "It appears someone has beaten us to it. Perhaps another venue?"

Before she could answer, he'd brought them to the corridor outside the Headmaster's office. But she wasn't deterred long. "That wasn't much of a disturbance."

"No, but that wasn't truly my intention. Had the area been vacant, perhaps we might have lingered to gaze at the stars. As it was occupied..." He lightly grasped her arms, distracting her with his thumbs. When she seemed ready to ask another question, he moved a thumb to her lips and made a nearly silent hushing sound.

Hermione was still mesmerized by him. The enchantment on her was still intact. Her eyes fell closed, and she leaned into his touch.

"Good," he whispered. He carefully brought his lips to her forehead, and she gasped, then sighed, then stepped into his embrace.

His thoughts echoed his pronouncement. It was still good. A Muggle would say he'd dodged a bullet, and he had no desire to ruin the moment by explaining it to her. He could almost feel her trust by the way she relaxed against him. She'd been asking him to return that trust, and he wanted her to pass this test.

"Hermione," his voice was gentle, "I want to show you something else."

"We're rather far from the dungeons."

"Well, my quarters aren't in the dungeons anymore."

She looked up at him with guileless eyes. "So you are teaching again this year. But not Defense? It's still cursed, isn't it?"

"Not Defense. In fact, I'm not going to do much teaching at all."

"Severus, what do you mean?"

He almost wanted to shake her. The Lust Spell had clouded her brain. "Come, my dear, think!"

"I'm sorry. I wasn't expecting you to..." She blushed.

"Let me put it this way." He stepped back until their only contact was one small hand in his, then faced the gargoyle. "You've been asking me to treat you as an adult, to share some of my secrets with you. Well, this is your first test. If I tell you everything, you'll have to pretend in front of the others tomorrow. Can you do it?"

Her eyes were sharp, and she tightened her grip on his hand. "Yes."

"That's my girl." Without another word, he strode to the gargoyle, who let him enter. When they were in his office with the door closed behind them she peered about in wonder.

"You're the new Headmaster?"

"It is what both of my masters require of me."

"Oh, Severus!" She clung to him again. "I mean, congratulations, of course, but he's really in charge now, really."

He didn't answer aloud, but when he put his arms around her this time, he allowed himself to derive some comfort.

A million thanks to my beta, Lady in the Cloak!