Chapter 47

A/N: Another chapter about Hermione's struggle to keep her marriage, helping Harry, and keeping on top of her job for the Order running smoothly. Thanks to luvsev and WriterMerrin for sticking with this! Can there be a category for Best Beta?

***

It was settled. Hermione, Ron, and Harry held a secret meeting in the Hog's Head, and many came, much to their surprise. Word of mouth had gotten around fast. At first, everything was tense, but Luna spoke up and asked some great questions that got everything rolling. Hermione felt great after it was over. By the time the first Defense meeting was held, a name had been chosen: Dumbledore's Army.

Harry's mood was improving rapidly. He was finally going to do something of consequence, and the best part was that Hermione was behind him one hundred percent with the Ministry or the Order not knowing.

Delores Umbridge passed the next High Inquisitor order. All organizations, teams and societies etc. were banned until approval was given. Of course, the Slytherin Quidditch Team was given immediate approval, due to the massive cooperation shown by Severus giving her Veritaserum, not that anyone knew it, nor that it was fake Veritaserum, but it did rankle Harry and Ron to no end.

"This is no coincidence," growled Harry. "She knows."

"How could she?" Ron whispered.

"I would know, Ronald," Hermione reminded him. "That sign-up sheet had a curse on it. Believe me, we'd all know if someone ratted."

They were walking in the hallway when McGonagall approached them.

"Potter," she said in greeting.

"Professor," Harry answered, confused.

"I trust you to remember that all communication inside and outside Hogwarts are monitored frequently."

Harry nodded as she slipped him a piece of parchment. Ron and Hermione looked at McGonagall and then at Harry as she walked away.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"It says, 'Today, same time, same place,'" answered Harry. "Snuffles' handwriting."

They carried on, and suddenly Draco Malfoy and his Slytherin cronies rounded the corner. Hermione sighed. Wasn't it enough she had to put up with these blighters' parents...now she had to deal with their spawn?

Draco was very overconfident today. "Well, if it isn't the Mudblood, Potty and the Weasel! Thought you'd like to know we're to have Quidditch practice today. Such a shame the Gryffindor Team can't get approval."

"Don't take the bait," Hermione whispered to them. By this time, Neville had come around as well, and Draco continued with his spiteful remarks. They tried to get by, but the Slytherins wouldn't let them.

*"If it's a question of Ministry influence, well, I know you really don't have a prayer. Arthur Weasley is one step away from getting the sack. Since he's a nutter anyway, he should be in St. Mungo's. I hear they have a magnificent ward for people whose brains have been addled by magic," he said maliciously.*

Before Hermione could even begin to stop Harry and Ron from attacking Draco, Neville launched himself onto him and started beating him senseless. Harry and Ron struggled to get him off Draco, and Hermione brandished her wand at the Slytherins.

"Don't even move," she said threateningly.

*"Not... funny... don't... Mungo's... show... him..." *

Hermione was livid. She thought of poor Frank and Alice in that horrid place, insane beyond healing. Then she thought of Neville, sweet, kind Neville who had managed not to go insane himself by being raised by his harridan of a grandmother and a nutter of an uncle like Algie.

Draco eyed Hermione warily. "Think you've got the guts, Granger, against all of us?" he sneered.

"Let me think. Seven of you against one of me... That seems about right. I'll take on the lot of you. Believe me, I've done it before," she goaded him malevolently.

"What's going on here?" asked a soft, silky voice behind them. Draco beamed and then shot a "now you're going to get it" glare at Hermione.

*"Fighting in the halls, are we?" he asked. * "Miss Granger, in my office if you please. *Mr. Weasley, Mr. Longbottom, ten points off each for fighting in the hallway." *

Hermione swept away with Severus. They reached their living quarters privately, and once safely inside, she complained. "I really hate that, Severus."

"Then don't do things to make me react that way," he replied smoothly.

"Don't give me that shite!" she bit out at him. "Draco Malfoy causes nearly every altercation. For your information, he intentionally poked fun at Neville's parents. You do remember them, don't you? Frank and Alice? They were tortured into insanity by one of your lot."

"Hermione," he warned. "What would you have me do? Let it get back to the Dark Lord that I actually care? You're lucky I didn't take points from you for holding seven of my Slytherins at wand point. It's a good thing you live down here, or they'd all be owling their parents this minute!"

"May I leave?" she asked impatiently.

"Fine, Hermione. But remember one thing. If I don't catch you, I can't punish you. So when you do get your revenge, please make sure you do it where I can not see it."

Hermione left him then. It was those things that made her really not like him sometimes. Why did he have to play the role of the prick so well?

***

Dinner that night was hilarious. Harry and Ron were in a great mood.

"You should have seen Umbridge!" laughed Harry as he spoke. "I didn't know who I wanted to win, Snape or Umbridge."

Ron was just as gleeful. "It was wicked...Snape was so angry, he started to get that twitch near his mouth..."

"...And that vein throbbing on his greasy forehead," Harry added. "Of course, the git just had to get in his digs... I mean, heaven forbid he look like a prat. He has to take his anger out on the next person...git, " he swore under his breath.

Hermione remained silent and uncomfortable at Harry's outburst about Snape.

"Well, Trelawney did her nut today," said Ron as he ate heartily. "I swear, she's getting crazier by the week. Today she was on about the 'establishment' out get her. You're really missing top shelf stuff, Hermione."

"Right," she answered sarcastically.

"Well, you know she's a right old fraud!" said Harry derisively.

*Just then, Angelina came up and said, "No Quidditch practice."

"I know, Harry," Angelina said calmly. "She just said she needed a bit of time to consider." *

"Consider what?" Ron spat angrily. "The Slytherins sure got permission in a quick hurry!"

Harry kept a rein on his tongue, and Hermione was impressed. After Angelina went away, she said, "Look on the bright side, Harry. Snuffles will be calling tonight."

Harry's eyes brightened at the thought.

***

Much later that night, after Harry had finished his extra work from Potions and Ron had caught up with his work, they all kicked back and rested on the couches next to the fire, waiting for Sirius to show up. Finally a face popped up and said, "Hi!"

The three of them rushed over to the fireplace and greeted him enthusiastically.

"How's things?" he asked.

"Not that good," said Harry. "The Ministry forced through another decree, and now Gryffindor doesn't have a Quidditch team!"

"Also no Defense Against the Dark Arts as well?" quipped Sirius.

"How did you know?" asked Harry.

"Hermione, * you really want to be a bit more careful about where you hold your meetings. The Hog's Head, I ask you..."

"...Which means you'd have been harder to overhear," Sirius interrupted. * "You've got a lot to learn still, Hermione, about being underhanded. You can't keep relying on your past experience of playing the diplomat all the time."

"What's that?" asked Harry, confused.

"Nothing...look you three. I know your talents. I expect Ron to be including his brothers a bit to help with your sneakiness," he offered.

*"Who overheard us?" asked Harry. *

"Dung. He was the witch under the veil," he said as he barked a laugh.

"That pillock!" Hermione hissed.

Sirius laughed at her outrage. "Oh, come now, Hermione. You're starting to sound like Molly!"

"Watch it...that's Ron's mum you're talking about," she reminded him.

Ron looked embarrassed that he didn't speak up to defend his mum.

"Okay, look. You're all being followed, and I should say it's just as well if you're going to start an illegal Defense club on your very first weekend out," Sirius tutted.

"All right," said Hermione. "So spill it. Who knows about it?"

"Well, at the next meeting, everyone will, won't they. *And I have a message for Ron. Your mum, and I quote, said, that 'under no circumstances is Ronald to be involved in some illegal secret Defense Against the Dark Arts group. She says you'll be expelled for sure and that you've plenty of time to learn how to defend yourselves later..." *

"...Yeah, all right," snapped Hermione. "Message received. What else?"

*"So are you saying we shouldn't do this group?" asked Harry.*

"Hell, no!" he said. "I think it's great! Just what James and I would have done."

Ruddy prat! thought Hermione.

*"Last year you said for me to stay out of it!" exclaimed Harry.

"Yeah, and last year, someone was trying to snuff you inside Hogwarts. This time we know there is someone outside of Hogwarts that'd like to kill us all, so I say you have to do what you have to do to survive!" he said fervently. *

"And if we get expelled?" asked Hermione.

"It was your bloody idea!" yelled Ron.

"I know... I just thought about what Sirius was saying," she answered coolly.

"What would you rather? Being expelled and able to defend yourselves or sitting safely in school without a clue?" he asked her pointedly.

Hermione wanted to ring his neck. Did he take her for an idiot? Half the time she was in school twenty years ago was spent in keeping his sorry arse from being hexed into oblivion.

"Where are you all meeting?" Sirius asked.

They all discussed it. The Shrieking Shack was out, so was the common room. Someone could rat on them. Besides it would seem rather suspicious with half of the group in either Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw.

*They were still talking when a hand came through the fire. Sirius was gone in a flash, and the hand continued to grope. The hand was oddly familiar. It was a fleshy hand with a ring on each fat finger. *

"Umbridge!" Hermione hissed. They stood there frozen in silence until the hand disappeared.

"I'm starting to have my doubts about this," said Hermione nervously.

"Why?" asked Harry as they all sat back down.

"After talking to Snuffles, I just don't know," she replied.

"Oh, you're just scared that you're going to get it when you have your next meeting," said Ron off-handedly.

*"No," she retorted. "Harry, do you honestly trust Sirius' judgment?" she asked.

"Sirius is right," said Ron, looking at her strangely. "You are starting to sound like my mum." *

***

Later that night, Hermione stormed into her bedroom and faced Severus, who was in the process of getting undressed for bed.

"Unbelievable!" she yelled.

Severus looked at her and deadpanned, "I know, and it's all yours for the taking, so come on over and get naked."

She narrowed her eyes and said, "Have you any news from Mundungus Fletcher?" she asked.

Severus continued to undress. "That old thief?" he sneered. "I don't like vermin. I get enough of that when I'm forced to socialize with Wormtail."

"What do you know about this ban on all organizations and Quidditch teams?" she asked delicately.

"Oh, that," he said with a knowing grin. "So, the kneazle is out of the bag, is it? What did Molly do, send Mr. Weasley another Howler?"

"No, I spoke with Sirius tonight with Harry and Ron."

"You did what?" he roared. "I can't believe you, Hermione. Do you have any idea what is going on around here?"

"Obviously not. Since all I do is meaningless inane things that get me nowhere!" she shouted back at him. "I thought I was to remain in the loop; now I hear that the Order knows about what Harry and I are up to?"

Severus was getting on his pajama bottoms as he spoke. "It figures. You can't keep him still and out of the way, can you?"

"I guess I can't since Voldemort won't keep out of his way!"

"Do not say that name!" he hissed as he grabbed his arm in pain.

"Oh, suck it up!" she snapped as she started to undress for bed. "This is just fantastic...here I am working my tail off just to keep Harry from going round the twist, and now I'm catching hellfire for it. Well, what would you have me do? His attitude has improved greatly since I came up with this scheme. He's trusting me more and is becoming less hostile. The only caveat is that Sirius is all the rage for it. If that wizard thinks any idea is that wonderful, it must be something truly heinous, and life must be lurking somewhere to bite us in the arse."

Severus laughed as he got into bed. "You will face the tribunal, my lovely. Next Order meeting...you can let us all in on said 'heinous plot,'" he said sarcastically.

Hermione purposefully put on a cotton nightgown that covered her from head to toe, just so Severus would get the point that he would not be getting anything from her tonight...except perhaps the sharp edge of her tongue.

"You know, I think you're starting to understand how I think," Severus mused. "Any idea that strikes Black as a good idea must be fundamentally wrong."

Hermione glared at the wall.

***

The next day they were in Charms class when Harry's scar began to hurt. He tried to brush it off as nothing, but Hermione and Ron refused to let up.

*"Fine!" he barked. "He's happy, really happy. I know because the last time he was mad. It's like I can feel what he feels."

"Harry, you've got to tell someone," Hermione insisted. *

"Who? Sirius? He already knows. Dumbledore? He could care less..."

"Don't be a prat!" she yelled at him. "Of course Dumbledore cares."

***

The following day at lunch, Harry said, "Look, I had another dream. I was in that place with all these doors that were rotating in a circle."

"What is this?" Hermione asked.

Ron answered. "I told you, Hermione. Harry's having weird dreams."

"Yes, Ron, but you failed to provide any detail." She looked at Harry with narrowed eyes. "Describe these dreams."

"Well, there is this door, and it's like all the other doors. I keep on reaching for the door, but I can't get through," he answered.

Department of Mysteries, she thought. The prophecy!

"If I could only open the door..." he said in a strange tone.

Hermione was worried. This was what the Order feared the most. They would have to meet soon, and Severus would need to start teaching Harry Occlumency.

"Well, anyway," Harry said, changing the subject. "I've great news. I've a place for our meetings."

"Where?" asked Hermione.

"The Room of Requirement," he answered. "Dobby told me about it."

"Oh, yes!" Hermione said. "It changes to become whatever you need it to be...I should have thought of that!"

"All right," she said. "I'll get the word spread and tell them we're meeting tonight!"

***

A/N: Again, the italics with an asterisk belongs to JK Rowling. All the others are mine. Rowling's words were taken from TOoP.