Chapter 59

A/N: My thanks and gratitude to WriterMerrin, who really went above and beyond, working on this chapter. Without her, this chapter would have been garbled nonsense. Please read and review! Let me know your thoughts!

***

The day of the Hogsmeade trip arrived, and with it came news of more dementor attacks and the shocking arrest of a Stanley Shunpike, 21, who worked on the Knight Bus.

"What a complete crock of shite!" swore Dawlish. "I know that boy, and he doesn't have the guts to be a Death Eater!"

It was difficult to ignore the fact that Voldemort was influencing the Ministry of Magic. It made all the Aurors very nervous wondering what would come next. Therefore, with the day beginning with a gloom over it, Hermione wasn't about to allow herself to be distracted from her objective: getting her hands on that book.

Unfortunately, her practical training had to take precedence over any extra-curricular activities. Hermione had started working with Savage on Stealth and Concealment. Dawlish and Tonks admitted he was one of the best. Savage had taught her how to quickly Disillusion herself at a moment's notice, how to know if someone was trailing her, and how to follow a target undetected.

"It's a lot about being Invisible," he explained.

"Another face in a faceless crowd," Hermione murmured.

"Hey!" Savage replied, "That's ruddy brilliant! That's exactly the point. Where did you get that?"

Hermione looked into his young face. Andrew Savage was a handsome, black-haired youth with an angular chin and cheekbones, with a bit of a rounded nose. His lips were full enough and he had gorgeous white, straight teeth. His first year had been 1985, the year she'd left to return to her timeline.

"Well, Savage," she explained. "It has to do with what I did in the First War."

"But I thought you had left for the Muggle world back then," he said, confused.

Hermione nodded. "It's true, I did. However, that didn't mean I was completely ignorant of what was going on. Especially when the Death Eaters kept coming into my local discos, kidnapping and killing the local girls."

"What did you do?" he asked.

"Well, I began to put a stop to it. It wasn't for me to figure out if a guy was a wizard or not...well, let me say I could figure out who was a Death Eater because I knew most of the younger ones."

"Really?" Savage asked in disbelief.

"Yes, Severus was friends with them in school, and I was recognized as 'Head of Gryffindor'...bunch of rubbish," she said waving her hand about dismissively.

"No, I heard about that," he replied. "It went out of fashion when Voldemort fell. I mean, once he was gone, Slytherins just didn't hold any more clout."

Hermione nodded. "Well, I saved some girls, Obliviated them if they saw any wizard play and went about my business. I learned how to 'fit in.' I dressed as the Muggles around me. It's a bit easier for me since I am a Muggle-born. I also learned how to change my hair color. Sometimes I just used Kool-Aid on my hair for a cheap dye job. I couldn't be using my wand for frivolous purposes."

"So, you already were using the techniques of Stealth and Concealment?" Savage asked.

"Yeah," Hermione said as she had thought about it. "I guess I was."

"Well, we need for you to learn this stuff magically. Also, we have to keep in mind you weren't specifically tracking anyone down. They were coming to you. Therefore, you'll need thorough training in that area. That's an Auror's bread and butter, knowing how to track down dark wizards. After that, I think you can hold your own, but that's the heart of it, finding the buggers," Savage informed her.

***

Tonks and Hermione walked along the main road in Hogsmeade. They were going to find Harry first and try to get him to talk about the book. Hermione had kept the details of Severus' Potions book to herself; she wanted Harry to either tell the truth or lie to her face. If she could get into a confidence about the book, he might be persuaded to hand it over. Once recovered, she hoped she could find out how deeply he had immersed himself in that book and uncover any dark spells he may have found.

It would be all so simple if Severus could take it away from him, but they still had not made up since their fight. Besides, Harry was notorious for sidestepping Severus. She'd have to reach Harry. Hopefully, Tonks could help.

Hermione saw Ron first, and he was actually happy to see her. "Hey, Hermione." He waved as he ambled over to her slowly.

"How are you, Ron?" she asked him.

Ron scratched the back of his head, looking a bit frustrated. "It's all right. Got loads of work! Thought all the free periods would give us some time to relax, but the classes, homework...it's brutal!"

Hermione gave a nod to Tonks, signaling she was fine for now. Hermione wasted no time changing the subject to Harry. "I heard from Ginny that Harry's got a new Potions textbook he's rather keen on," she said, hoping to garner information from him.

"That ruddy book!" he snarled. "He's forever rummaging through that thing. He's getting the best grades in Potions and won't share it with anyone. You won't believe what he did to me this morning. Seamus, Dean, and Neville were laughing like berks! I woke up this morning dangling by my ankle. There I was, yelling at him to let me go, and there he was, tearing through that damn book. He didn't even know the proper counter-curse...had to look it up! Git. He's learned loads though, from this Prince fellow."

"Mmm, that's what Ginny said. You think it's a boy and not a girl?" she asked, seeing if she could throw anything to stop Harry from finding out it belonged to Severus.

"Hermione," Ron said as he leaned into her. "It says, 'half-blood prince not half-blood princess.'"

"Where is Harry, anyway?" she asked as she looked around.

"He's off with Ginny. I don't like watching them snog."

"Oh!" Hermione said happily. "Harry and Ginny are an item, now? Well, good for them. I always thought they'd be well suited for each other."

"You did?" Ron said, looking at her doubtfully.

"Yes, I did. Now, take me to them. I want to speak to Harry about that book. I'm mighty curious."

A ruckus in the street had Ron and her rushing towards the scuffle. Harry was struggling with Mundungus Fletcher on the ground outside the Three Broomsticks.

"Geroffme!" the old man was wheezing.

"Those are Sirius' things! How could you steal from him? He was your friend. You bastard!" Harry was screaming.

Tonks Apparated to the scene, and she and Hermione pulled Harry off Dung, who, the minute no one was on him, Disapparated immediately.

Harry turned on them. "How could you let him go?" he shouted. "He was nicking Sirius' things...which by the way happen to belong to me by wizarding law!"

Tonks took him in hand. "Hose down, Harry. Dung's goin' nowhere. We'll get him and find out what he's been up to," she said. "It's always the same old story with him."

Hermione took Tonks aside, "I think I can do this myself. I spoke to Ron, and he's not happy about this book either. With him and Ginny, I think we can reach Harry."

"You're probably right," agreed Tonks. "My being there could only make him go on the defensive. It's much more friendly this way. I'll see you later, yeah?"

Hermione nodded and turned back to Harry, who was still a bit upset, but Ginny was doing a marvelous job of getting him to calm down. She stroked his arm and whispered to him. Hermione waited for the moment to pass.

Hermione approached Harry and looked into his eyes. He was murderously angry. She needed him to calm down...fast. "Hey, Harry, let's just go into the Three Broomsticks and have us some butterbeers, my treat, yeah?" she asked.

"All right," he grumbled.

After they were all settled in, and the row with Dung over and forgotten, Hermione decided to speak to Harry about the book.

"Oh, no you don't, Hermione," he said defensively. "I'm not handing that book over for nothing! The Prince has been helping me all year. I even won a bottle of Felix Felicis with it."

"Well, that's nice, Harry. However, you need to hand it over the Aurors. After all we went through with Ginny during second year, we don't want a repeat performance, do we?" she asked.

Harry smiled coldly at her. "Oh, that's right. Our second year. Our last year, if you remember, before you went time-hopping," he snarled.

"Are you ever going to let this go?" she demanded in frustration. "It was an accident. I couldn't come home until twelve years later. It wasn't my choice to stay or leave!"

"Yeah, just like it also wasn't your choice to leave the fighting to everyone else!" he yelled.

Hermione looked at him, shocked.

Harry continued. "I know all about it, Hermione. I know all about how you and Snape took off, letting braver and better people do your fighting and dying," he spat.

Hermione lost it. She pointed her wand at him and stood. "Up, now!" she demanded.

Harry glowered at her. "No," he said, defiance written clearly on his face.

Hermione leaned into him and whispered in a dead calm, "If you don't come with me, I will hex your arse off, Harry Potter. Now. Get. Up."

Harry stood up, and she ushered him out the back way. Ginny and Ron were right behind them. Once the four of them were alone, she lit into him.

"All right, fine. You want to know about your precious godfather? You should go pay a visit to Remus, Kingsley, and Moody. Oh, and Molly Weasley and Dumbledore...as a matter of fact, the whole blamed Order!" she yelled. "They all know about what kind of an animal he was!"

"ANIMAL!" Harry roared. "You..." He was grabbed by Ron and forced back against the brick wall. Hermione placed her wand at Harry's throat and looked deep into his eyes.

"You remember Christmas at Grimmauld Place when Sirius couldn't find Kreacher? Well, when you corrected him about the ability of a house-elf to Apparate without permission, it sparked a fight between us. He was not being a responsible godfather, sulking around, acting like a prat half the time. He was what he had always been: a spoiled, selfish, little boy who couldn't resist insulting or hexing anyone he didn't like or blaming other people for the mistakes he made.

"Remember we weren't talking that whole week? Do you remember that New Year's Eve? If you weren't completely blotto, that is. Well, your precious godfather came into my bedroom while I was sleeping and tried to rape me!" she seethed.

"You liar!" Harry shouted, and he began to struggle against Ron.

"Ask Lupin. He found me, running naked into the hallway, bruised and marked up."

"You and Snape probably drove him to it!" he shouted aimlessly.

Ginny stood up to him, getting in between Harry and Hermione. "How exactly does a person incite another person to rape?" she asked him.

"Always goading, never letting him have a moment's peace," Harry spat.

Hermione blasted a nearby garbage can and made the three of them jump. "He called me a freak!" she howled. "He insulted my husband and our most intimate moments. He never could resist a chance to humiliate me, make me feel worthless, ugly, and filthy. He had always been a bastard to me, and it was the last straw! I told him he was jealous. He was just jealous that Severus had a young witch to sleep with at night, and he had no one.

"He didn't lash out then. No, he waited like a coward until I was sleeping in my bed and pretended to be Severus. Then when I realized it was Sirius, he said the most vile and disgusting things. So don't you tell me he was some misunderstood, poor man. He was a bitter and hateful fuck! He did things...he..." She began to cry. Ginny rushed to her and held her.

"Hermione," she whispered. "I believe you."

"It's not just that," Hermione said as she wiped her eyes angrily. "Sirius was a devious person. He even used James and Lily so he could get back at Severus. I saw it all. Avery told me, made me watch..."

She gathered herself together and shouted, "Harry you have NO IDEA what really happened in those days! Sirius didn't know shit about anything that was really going on. Now, I want you to hand over that goddamn book!"

"No," Harry responded, his tone full of malice. "It's mine, and it's been helping me all year. What do you care anyway?"

"Ron told me about the Levicorpus Spell, Harry. There are things that are in that book that could be dangerous. This Prince fellow was obviously well versed in Dark magic and a dab hand at making his own spells."

"Who cares?" he shouted. "It was a stupid, funny spell that was just a joke."

"Harry," Hermione said, trying very hard to keep her voice calm. "You remember a similar experience during the World Cup two years ago? I haven't forgotten. Muggles lifted...hoisted up by their ankles for sport...and for what? A joke? Humiliation? Who was responsible for those acts? Death Eaters! "

Hermione and Harry's eyes locked. "Harry," she whispered. "I know things that would make you scream in terror and revulsion if I told you. Now give me that book."

Harry shook her head at her. "You know, you sound like Lucius Malfoy. He was desperate to get the prophecy from me as well. You just don't want me to succeed. You're just like Snape!"

"How can you say that?" Hermione breathed. "My third, fourth, and fifth years in school with you were all about protecting YOU!"

"Hermione," Harry said. "You have been lying to me for years. You have been like a sister to me, yet each time I turn around, you are revealing yet another piece of information you've been hiding from me. As far as I'm concerned, this friendship is over!"

He spun around and strode back into the Three Broomsticks. Ron made some sort of flimsy excuse to go after Harry while Ginny stayed. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. He doesn't mean it. I'm sure of it. I honestly think he'll need time to accept the truth. But if it's any consolation, I believe you. My mum told me before Sirius died. She was afraid of him getting to another girl. I'm really sorry...I'll try and talk sense into him," she said in one breath.

She disappeared, and Hermione walked around the Three Broomsticks so she wouldn't have to see Harry. She Disillusioned herself and watched the people come and go. She noticed as she stood across the street from the Three Broomsticks that Draco Malfoy was trying to have some kind of private conversation with Rosmerta.

She couldn't see both of them clearly, so she didn't know what he was doing exactly. It looks as if some sort of package is being handled between them, she thought. Hermione would have to report this suspicious behavior to Gawain.

***

Hermione and Tonks were tuckered from the day's work and were settling into bed for the evening. Savage and Proudfoot were on for guard duty. Hermione hadn't even begun to undress when there was a banging on the door.

"It's Dawlish! Get your arses downstairs posthaste! A girl's been cursed!"

Hermione and Tonks grabbed their wands and flung open the door, then lowered them when they saw it was Dawlish.

"This'll be good training for you, Snape," he said loudly. They all went down the road that led to Hogwarts, and there was a group of students mingling around something.

"Out of the way. Auror business!" Dawlish shouted.

"Nobody touch her!" Tonks bellowed to everyone. "Stay back!

"Where is the object?" Dawlish asked around him. A girl who was kneeling next to the cursed girl sniffled and pointed to a silver necklace with Opals. Opals. That was what Malfoy had been looking at when he was in Borgin and Burkes! Hermione thought. She had to talk to Minerva immediately. She and Dawlish gathered information as a cot was conjured and the injured girl was placed on it.

The cursed girl was Katie Bell. She was thrashing and screaming on the ground. Hermione placed a Silencing Spell on her.

"Where did this necklace come from?" Dawlish asked the girl who had been with Katie.

"I don't know!" she said through sniffling and crying. "She got this package and was acting so strange about it. She kept telling me it was none of my business. I tried to grab it from her, but it tore. That's when she began to scream."

Hermione saw Harry standing not too far away with Ron and Ginny by his side. She strode over to him and hissed, "You hear that? Now do you believe me? I expect that book in my hands tonight!"

Dawlish had the package held carefully. "Best get this to Professor Snape. He and Bill Weasley can have a crack at it. I'll do it; you get these young people safely back to the castle."

Crestfallen, Hermione led the group towards Hogwarts where she would not even get to see Severus. She was getting concerned. Was he ever going to make things up with her? She knew Harry wasn't going to let her have that damned book now. She had lost her temper and a perfect opportunity. She wished she could just rail at Severus for being so careless with his property, but she just didn't have the heart. She couldn't even reach him. Everything was just going straight to hell.

Hermione and Tonks rounded all the students up and marched them back to the castle.

"Tonks," Hermione whispered. "I need to get into the castle and talk to Minerva. It's important, or I wouldn't ask for you to cover for me. This necklace business is not isolated."

"What are you thinking?" asked Tonks.

"Well, I know for a fact that that particular necklace was in Borgin and Burkes just before the start of term and that Draco Malfoy was speaking to the proprietor of the establishment about that necklace."

"Crikey, Hermione! You think Draco and Katie?" she asked her.

"Of course, not," Hermione interrupted. "But I think he might have placed her under the Imperius Curse. That friend of hers said was acting strangely, wouldn't tell her anything about the package. I mean, what girl does that to her best girlfriend if there isn't something dodgy behind it?"

Tonks looked at her and said, "All right, Hermione. You just don't take all night about it! Gawain will have our arses if you aren't back in the morning!"

Hermione nodded and went her way to see Professor McGonagall.

***

"Minerva?" Hermione asked as she opened the door to her office.

"Hermione!" she said. "How nice to see you. Come in."

Hermione closed the door behind her. "They haven't contacted you? You don't know what's happened?" she asked her former professor suspiciously.

"NO! What is it?" she asked shakily as she rose from her seat.

"Katie Bell has been cursed," Hermione said. "She had this necklace, and her skin had contact with it. She went into some sort of fit. It was as if someone was putting her through the Cruciatus, but no one was there doing it."

"Oh, my heavens!" said Minerva as she went to leave her office.

Hermione stopped her. "Minerva, I saw Draco Malfoy in Hogsmeade today. He was there for only a short while, and it was at the height of the business day. He was talking to Madam Rosmerta very suspiciously, and it was in her establishment that Katie Bell had been in last."

Minerva gasped. "You think Draco Malfoy has Rosmerta under some sort of curse?" she whispered.

She grasped Hermione's hand, and the younger witch held her close to her. "I think it is worse than that, Minerva. I have reason to believe Draco Malfoy has taken the Dark Mark. I think he has placed Rosmerta and perhaps Katie under the Imperius."

"But why?" Minerva asked. "I mean, besides the obvious. But Draco? A student?"

"You need to call an Order Meeting...but only the Advance Guard."

"Yes," she whispered. "Albus is gone off to do more work for the Order, but I can get in."

"Fine," said Hermione.

"Oh, and Minerva, if Harry or the others come asking about Draco, just throw them off the scent. I don't need Harry's mucking about. I can't be there all the time to save his sorry hide," she said harshly.

***

Minerva sent Hermione an owl that Harry had indeed tried to point the finger at Draco. As Hermione sat at her vanity, reading and re-reading the parchment, she knew that she was going to have to speak with Severus. It irked her that he had not yet come to apologize for his deplorable behavior and his violence, but for the good of the Order, she was going to have to place her own personal feelings aside. She would just have to make that clear to Severus. It isn't personal; it's business.

She folded up the parchment and tapped a drawer with her wand, opening it and placing the note inside. There was a knock on the door. Hermione quickly tied up her dressing gown and grabbed her wand.

"Who is it?"

"Severus," said the low, baritone voice behind the door.

Hermione laid her head on the doorframe. She took a couple of deep cleansing breaths and opened the door.

"May I come in?" he asked politely.

"You may," she answered coolly, keeping her wand and eye trained on him.

He came in and removed his traveling cloak. He sat down on a chair and said, "I miss you. I treated you like a seventeen-year-old and not the thirty-seven-year-old you are. I forgot that you have choices, and I even told you that once after Black...well, I told you not to ever be anyone's victim. You always have a choice. I'm not happy, mind you." He stood and crossed his arms, his posture rigid and imposing. "I'm fucking angry, I do not approve of your choice; however, it is your choice. I will support your decision to be an Auror. There was indeed a great deal of logic to your argument, and I can only hope we never have to cross each other in battle."

His cool reserve failed him then, and he stood, reaching out for her, holding her close. "I couldn't handle that, Hermione. I'd turn my own wand on myself before I'd hurt you," he whispered into her hair.

"But I did," he said as he released her. "I acted like a complete arse, and all I can say is that I regret everything I said and did that hurt you and made you feel that my love and my respect for your intelligence was less than what I have always felt for you. I love you, and I want us to move forward...together."

Hermione looked at him and turned her head in thought. When she turned back to face him, she noticed he was leering at her figure in her dressing gown.

"Feeling randy?" she asked wantonly.

"Yes," he admitted in a low baritone.

"Have you come to make peace with me just because you want a piece?" she quipped.

"NO!" he said vehemently. "I'm here because I can't stand this distance between us, and I need your forgiveness!"

"Do you want me, Severus?" she asked as she began to stalk towards him.

"You know I do," he bit out.

"Then take me, husband, and mind your manners," she whispered.

"What does that mean?" he whispered, brushing her lips with his fingers.

"That means I want you to do it right, the way I like it," she whispered. Then she grabbed his neck and kissed him firmly on the lips. Without words, they began to hastily remove clothing from each other. Hermione opened her mouth and urged him to open as well. They stood there, hands exploring and seeking the other, eager for the difference. Hard seeking soft, heat searching for friction that would make them both explode.

Somehow without stopping, they found their way to her bed. Hermione arched her back, relishing how his lips heated her flesh.

"Careful," she whispered. "This bed squeaks."

Severus lifted his head from her lower belly. "How the hell do you know that?" he asked in alarm.

She grinned lazily. "Because when I masturbate, I have to keep my movements at a minimum, otherwise Tonks complains." She started laughing in spite of herself, and Severus smirked as he continued his exploration of her inner thighs.

"Sod it," he murmured as he rose above her. "I'm going to make everyone in this damn place know there's some decent shagging going around here."

"No!" Hermione moaned. "No one can know about this!"

Together, they whispered, "Silencing Spells."

Severus grabbed for his wand, which was on the floor at an awkward angle.

"No, I'll do it," panted Hermione as Severus rubbed his cock against her wet pussy.

"Shit!" she groaned as she grabbed her wand and tried to whisper the incantation. When she finished, she threw the wand to the floor. "Now!"

With that, he thrust himself inside her, and Hermione moaned along with her husband.

"Shite, Hermione. How long have I been making love to you?" he groaned.

"Years...I-I can't remember," she panted.

She watched Severus as he arched, burying all of him inside her. "I will never grow tired of this," he grunted.

He leaned over her, holding her knees to her shoulders. He was fucking her properly now, and it had never been so good. The squeaking bed somehow added to the thrill of it all. Severus' beautiful body hovered over her, his eyes leering lustfully at her breasts as they bounced with each plunge of his cock inside her, making her cry out those tiny, soft mewls that always drove him wild with excitement. He was going to come with her, and they whispered, urging the other on to completion.

Hermione's mind was reeling. The squeaking of the bed, the panting and grunts coming from Severus mingled with her own desperate cries for release made her feel she was floating away from everything.

"Please, Hermione," whispered Severus. "My sweet girl, melt around me. Let me feel you come undone."

Hermione's cries grew sharper, and she begged him to go faster. He drove into her and began to seize up, roaring his release. She gasped over and over, his name on mantra on her lips. Even after they had stilled and lay intertwined in the other, she couldn't stop whispering his name.

As their breathing calmed, Hermione remembered that song from long ago that she had always liked but never understood. She understood it now. She felt it deep inside. All she needed was air to breathe and the man next to her to make love to...