Chapter 56

A/N: Thanks to WriterMerrin, who has continued to work so hard with me, and thanks to all of you who read and review. :)

***

Hermione woke up in the infirmary at Hogwarts. She tried to lift herself and focus her eyes, but it was too difficult.

"Hello?" she said hoarsely. She shifted her head towards a black shape coming near her. It was Severus, and he held her hand tightly to him. "They told me everything you did," he whispered. "What the bloody hell were you thinking, going there? You were very nearly killed!"

Hermione turned her head straight, exhausted, and her vision began to sharpen. She eased her head to the other side and saw the faces of the others looking at her fearfully.

"She almost killed that Lestrange woman twice," Ginny said loudly with a look of fear in her eyes. "I saw her cast a curse that made her start choking. She released her just before she choked to death."

"I heard her cast the Cruciatus Curse," whispered Neville as he looked upon Hermione strangely.

"So did Potter," growled Moody defensively. Hermione looked over at him. He was standing at Tonks' bedside.

"Did anyone die?" Hermione croaked. "I had a dream that S-Sirius went into that archway."

"That was no dream," said Lupin sadly from across the room.

Hermione felt her body ease into relaxation. "I have to sleep," she whispered.

"She saved us all," she heard Ron whisper. "Never saw Hermione so... so powerful before. She spoke as if she knew them, and they spoke as if they knew her. It was like Hermione wasn't Hermione."

"She isn't," Hermione heard Severus say from far away. "She's actually my age and Lupin's. We were in school together, and she was Lily Potter's best friend."

Best friend. She had been my best friend, she thought drowsily.

Lily looked back and her eyes shone. "We are best girlfriends, aren't we, Hermione?" she asked.

"Okay," Hermione answered.

***

Hermione spent the next few days recuperating. She was doing well, and Poppy told her she could go back to her quarters the following day. She sat in her bed, eating her lunch, when Harry came in and stood there a distance away.

"Harry," she said quietly.

"Hermione," he whispered. He paused for a moment and then said, "I spoke with Dumbledore, and I know everything now. I also know you saved my arse back there at the Department of Mysteries. So, I wanted to thank you." He turned slowly and started to walk away.

"Harry," she called out. "I'm still me. I'm just older and have lived longer. I'm still your friend."

"Dumbledore told me about the prophecy," he said, trying to change the subject. "I know that there was a mark on me for death since I was just a baby. I can't believe no one told me," he said sadly.

He turned around sharply and faced her, looking angry. "And you," he said with resentment in his tone. "How could you not tell me that you had this whole other life? And now you're married? I can't believe you love that bastard," he seethed. "You do realize he's the reason Sirius is dead, don't you? He all but killed him with his own wand. Goading him all the time, making him miserable..."

"There is a lot you still don't know about Sirius!" she snapped.

Harry looked at her sharply. "Really? Why don't you enlighten me?"

Hermione wanted to...Harry needed to be schooled in the reality of his selfish godfather. "I can't," she whispered. "Not now. However, I'll tell you this, Harry. Your father and Sirius never liked me. They never did. Your mum, Severus, and I were all best friends. Then Lily and Severus had a falling out, and Severus and I became closer."

"Oh, please!" he spat. "Spare me the details. I don't want to hear about you shagging that...thing!"

"He's a human being, Harry Potter!" she hollered at him. "You can't understand...you weren't there," she said as she moved her tray onto the table next to her.

Harry came closer. "Well, I do know that Snape went to headquarters and told Sirius to stay put. I can just hear his nasty voice in my head, goading and smirking at him, making him feel worse than ever because he was forced into isolation by the Ministry."

Hermione turned onto her side away from Harry and fought the tears as they ran down her face. She wouldn't let Harry see her pain. She couldn't tell him. Not now, not when he was like this, that his beloved godfather had been a rapist.

"Sirius had to take the high road while all alone, and Snape took every opportunity he could to make him feel useless!" Harry continued to rail.

"I don't want to talk about Sirius anymore, Harry," she said as she wiped her eyes.

"Fine," he said sharply. "I just really wanted to let you know that I heard the prophecy. I know I'm a marked man. I can't live until Voldemort is dead, but the good news is that neither can he while I'm still alive."

Hermione turned and watched him walk out of the infirmary. Hermione burst into tears and then saw Severus glide out from the corner where he had been hiding.

"Well, it's done now, Hermione," his voice soft and tranquil. "Black is dead, and we don't have to worry about him anymore. However, we have a larger problem. The Dark Lord is very angry about your destroying the prophecy. You showed everyone your hand, and it cannot be undone. I've come to tell you that I shall be away for the summer. I have many things to do penance for, you being one of them. Our marriage is now of public record, thanks to Narcissa Malfoy and her recent interview with Rita Skeeter. Once you raised your hand against the Death Eaters, your forfeited all our rights to the secrecy of our marriage. What Kingsley said was true; Lucius, Mulciber, and Avery were placing Ministry workers under the Imperius Curse. It has all come undone, Hermione. The public knows you are the wife of a Death Eater. Whether I am an ex-Death Eater or a faithful one, no one can ever really know the truth."

"What are we to do?" she whispered.

"Well, now that Dumbledore and Potter have been exonerated in the public eye, you have a bit of insurance to fall back on. I would advise you to stay at Hogwarts for the summer. Do not go anywhere by yourself. If the Weasleys are welcoming...and I don't see why not; Molly and Arthur have always been supportive of our marriage since they have known of it from the start...you may go to the Burrow."

"I'll see what Dumbledore needs," she replied. "I need to sleep," she said as she felt her eyelids droop. "So... tired."

"It's the effects of the Cruciatus. Lucius is one hateful bastard. But you'll be fine, sweet girl," he whispered as he caressed her cheek.

Hermione slept.

***

The hiding was now over, and everyone had to face the truth. When Harry, Ron, and Ginny left on the Hogwarts Express, Hermione didn't join them. She watched from the castle doors as they all walked away from her with no goodbyes, not even a smile.

After they all had disappeared, Severus was at her side. Silently they stood, knowing that the long summer lay in front of them. Hermione felt a tugging on her hand. She looked up at her husband, and he said, "Let's go home."

They walked slowly down to their rooms, Hermione clinging to her husband's arm. She knew they would have to part, but she didn't want to think about it now. Right now, she wanted to think about how much she loved him and how they would have this one precious day.

He guided her over to their bedside drawer and lifted the small box that contained their wedding rings. They both tapped the lid with their wands, opening it. She slipped the wide gold band onto his finger, and he glided the gold and emerald ring on hers. They kissed and slowly began to remove their clothes.

They had all the time in the world, and they did not rush. Each part of their lovemaking was slow and prolonged. It felt as if it had been an eternity since Hermione'd had her husband inside her.

"Please, take me," she moaned as she fist his hair to bring him closer to her.

He rose above her and ravished her, roughly stroking his hands all over her body. "You are the woman I remember, Hermione," he whispered. "You are so delectable."

Hermione giggled as she wrapped her legs around his hips. She clung to him as she threw back her head. He grabbed her long hair and swiftly pushed inside her with a sound of relief.

Their hands intertwined above her head, and he ground into her fiercely. Hermione shrieked and groaned as he nipped and suckled on her breasts.

"I love it when you do that," she panted.

He grinned, laughing against her breast, and released her hands, cupped her arse and thrust into her with fierce, slow strokes. She felt herself clench and then melt. She closed her eyes and let him control and play her how he wanted. She felt over and over the ebb and flow of each orgasm until she could hear him start to pant and move erratically within her. She felt the hot liquid burst inside her, and she felt content as her lover collapsed next to her.

They lay in sweet silence as they began to doze. He reached over and placed his left hand on top of hers. They looked at their rings together, fingers intertwined, and Hermione said, "This is what I want, for always, Severus."

"What?" he asked deeply.

"I want, when all this is over, for you and me to live together in Spinner's End or wherever, in a little house with cozy, plush couches and sofa chairs. I want a warm fire in the winter and lemonade and pumpkin juice in the summer with our children running around, playing, and hugging. I want a family that hugs and kisses all the time. I want you and me to wear these rings and never take them off. I want our children to see us kiss and say, 'Ugh, that's so gross! Can't you stop that?'"

He chuckled. Hermione continued, "You know, they won't really mean it. It will make them feel everything is right in their world. I just want you and me, Mr. and Mrs. Snape, to have our place in the world that is safe and warm. I want to be your partner and make potions, be our own bosses, control our own lives."

He smirked as he propped himself on one arm. "You don't want much, really," he whispered. "You think you can handle being a mum and an entrepreneur?" he asked.

"Can you be a father and an entrepreneur?" she shot back at him.

"Touché," he replied. "We'll make it happen, Hermione. You and I."

"What do you want?" she asked as she held him close.

He traced her face with his finger. "I want peace. I want to swear as I trip over little toys that I hope will be all over the floor. I meant what I said, Hermione. I want children, and I want them with you. A big loving family."

She frowned. "Sometimes these things can't be guaranteed, Severus," she whispered. "What if I can't give you children?"

Severus was undeterred. "We'll adopt and teach them all we know so when they go to Hogwarts for school, they'll be the smartest and the brightest in their class," he said happily.

"What if they are all Hufflepuffs and only mediocre students?" she asked.

"As long as they know the meaning of hard work and have a positive attitude towards life, I won't grouse," he replied. "Honestly, Hermione, I just want Christmas. I want every Christmas to be like the one we had; the larder full of meat pies and jellies, goose and turkey, trifle, sweet potatoes, and a big Christmas tree with all the candles and trimmings. I'll even get the tree myself and make the little ornaments if I have to. I want a fire and to snuggle with you on a plush couch and watch our children run amuck and raise hell. I want a proper family with normal problems, no beatings or fear. No starvation and filthy sheets. No clothes that never fit properly. No keeping the pain hidden. I want my children to cry and not be ashamed."

Hermione looked at him as he spoke. He was so passionate about the life he wanted...with her. She hugged him tightly and said, "We will. I'll carry it all inside me, and we will have the life we want, the life we deserve."

They kissed, and Hermione felt a shiver, a shiver of the promised future. As long as she could lay with Severus every night until they died, she would be happy for the rest of her life.

***

The Ministry reinstated Dumbledore as headmaster of Hogwarts. Cornelius Fudge was doing a great deal of back peddling to maintain his position as Minister of Magic. When it had been revealed Dolores Umbridge had placed four Aurors under the Imperius Curse to arrest Hagrid, she was sentenced to Azkaban. Although it could not be proven, the Order also believed she had been responsible for the Dementor attack on Harry last summer.

The Order could no longer meet at Grimmauld Place. It was unstable now that Kreacher had betrayed the Order to aid Voldemort. For now, the Order convened at the Burrow and made it Unplottable.

Severus went back to Voldemort again for an indefinite period of time. Of course, he would return in the fall, but it would be a long summer apart, knowing he would be facing the horrible wrath of Voldemort. The only thought that cheered her was that Lucius and so many others in the sacred circle had failed to deliver the prophecy and were now in Azkaban. Hermione thought that it was strange she should feel such sadness at their parting. She felt she ought to be used to it by now; however, she didn't feel better and was miserable when he left Hogwarts.

As for Hermione's summer plans, she had options now that everyone knew she was the wife of Severus Snape. She could stay on at Hogwarts and take up an apprenticeship like Minerva had always wanted, or she could join the Auror Department and work alongside the Advance Order. She decided she would think on it and, in the meanwhile, continue to work for the Order. She lived in the quarters she shared with Severus in the dungeons and assisted Minerva in planning for the new fall term. Albus had been going away on secret missions that couldn't be put off any longer, so it was just as well Hermione remained. Minerva desperately needed her assistance to keep Hogwarts and the Order running.

***

By July, the state of the war had become nearly unbearable. The Dementors left Azkaban, and the wizarding community was up in arms and full of terror as Death Eaters ravaged London and the wizarding countryside. People were disappearing and being taken away by Voldemort's minions right in broad daylight. The Ministry of Magic had created the Office for the Detection and Confiscation of Counterfeit Defensive Spells and Protective Objects. Arthur Weasley was the Head of the Department. It was in the middle of the month that everything turned upside down. The weather was just as miserable as it could be. The Dementors were on the loose, breeding and affecting everyone's mood. Voldemort decided to take charge and show a display of power that could not be compared.

Diagon Alley changed into something Hermione did not recognize. Small kiosks popped up over night, selling protective amulets to guard against jinxes, curses, hexes, werewolves, Dementors, and Inferi." Each time Hermione heard or even thought of the word "Inferi," a shiver would go up her spine.

However, the most hilarious and ridiculous of all the new security guidelines passed down by the Ministry was the leaflet sent out to each Wizarding family that claimed to help them "Protect your Home and Family against Dark Forces." It was unbelievable just how ill informed, or just downright bloody-minded the Ministry was still behaving towards Voldemort's power. Molly, of all people, railed against it like a seasoned Auror.

"I ask you," she had snapped at Arthur the day it came to the Burrow. "If I was a Death Eater and wanted to get to you or anyone else, what would stop me from placing you or someone you loved under the Imperius Curse and finding out all I needed to and then Polyjuice myself to look like you, and Bob's your uncle, we're all dead. So I ask you, Arthur, where is the sense in this?"

***

The Order sat cramped in the Burrow, too afraid to return to headquarters in case Death Eaters were there, lying in wait. It had been a hasty retreat after Sirius' death. Ownership of property changed hands rather quickly when there was a death, and there had been a rush to secure all items of personal and official value to the Order. Hermione was not fussed to leave Grimmauld Place behind. It had been the place of her wedding...of course that saddened her...but it had also been the place of her near-rape by Sirius Black. It had been so much worse than what Severus' father had done to her...perhaps then she had been too terrified to fight. She had fought tooth and nail against Sirius, and it had been the most terrifying experience of her life. That room only served to bring memories of making love to Severus mixed with struggling to stop a violent and determined, drunk Sirius Black from penetrating her.

***

Therefore, there they were, at the Burrow, minus one important face. Only two days ago, they had heard the news that Emmeline Vance had been killed. It had been a terrible blow. She had lived around the corner from the Muggle Prime Minister. It was yet another in a series of tragic and unbelievable events with which the Order could not come to grips.

"I tell you, the Ministry will fall!" growled Moody as Hermione sat in shocked silence.

"I want to know how long it's been since Hermione's had contact with her husband!" demanded Charlie Weasley.

Hermione sat with her head bowed low, her eyes trained onto her hands in her lap. She knew what they were thinking...distrusting and suspicious of her. She was, after all, the wife of a known Death Eater, who now lived in Voldemort's camp. The rumor around the Order was that it had been the work of Snape that got Vance killed.

"You can't blame Hermione for what her husband must do to keep us protected from Voldemort!" said Lupin hotly.

"Still don't like it," whispered Diggle. "How do we know she ain't meetin' him for a bit of pillow talk, sharin' all our secrets? Perhaps that was what got Emmeline killed, and I'm sure that's how Amelia Bones got killed as well!"

"Don't be daft," grumbled Doge from the corner. "Bones was as smart as they come. She bein' the head of the Magical Law Enforcement? Couldn't have tha', now could 'e? From wha' I 'eard, he needed his own people starting in the Ministry. Had to chuck 'er then."

Minerva cleared her throat. "Let's not get carried away on conjecture. The facts are these: Cornelius Fudge was given an ultimatum from You-Know-Who. That ultimatum was for the Ministry to step aside and hand over power to You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. Fudge did not give in, and the results are the outcomes we see here. The massacre at Brockdale Bridge, which the Muggles are believing was just an architectural mishap, the giants on a killing spree and destroying numerous homes in the West Country, where the Obliviators have had to go out and Modify...and in several cases, right out Obliviate...memories of hundreds of Muggles. The deaths of Amelia Bones and Emmeline Vance, as well, were deliberately planned as means to terrorize the Order and force the Ministry to bow to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."

She drew a shaky breath and continued. "I wish Albus were here. Unfortunately, he is on a very important mission for the Order that could prove to help us end the war months, perhaps years, in advance, once and for all."

She took off her spectacles and said, "I must say that I am shocked and horrified by this muck raking! Mrs. Snape has done nothing to earn this kind of treatment. Nor has Severus. How quickly we forget how he rallied us together when Albus, Hagrid, and I were unable to lead or give aid! He alerted the Order, and we were able to defeat the Death Eaters at the Ministry of Magic and out You-Know-Who at the same time! I think you all who have harbored ill will towards the Snapes should apologize. She is facing an indeterminable time away from her husband in order for us to carry on."

Minerva sat, and everyone was silent. Kingsley spoke up next and said, "We need to go to the next order of business. Cornelius Fudge is going to be stepping down as Minister of Magic. Rufus Scrimgeour, my boss at the Auror Department, will be stepping up as the new Minster. He is a very tetchy sort of person, tenacious, cautious; however, he tends to be inflexible at the worst moments. I fear for his ability to withstand Voldemort.

"I will be working undercover for the Muggle Prime Minister. It is imperative that we protect the Muggle populace as much as we are able. Dark times, my friends, darker than before," he said tiredly.

Hermione stood. "I have made my decision. I shall be training this summer with Tonks as a part of Auror Training. I have decided to stop the façade, now that everyone knows I am no longer a real student, having sat for my N.E.W.T.s in 1978."

The room was silent at her revelation, but they all were so very tired. Hermione knew that, once again, her life was taking another turn. Only one thing was for sure: there were no guarantees when she would be able to see Severus again, or if ever...

***

A/N: Please review! I want to know your thoughts!