VIII

Avery's Note: *blush* I am so sorry, Caeria! A scene from her marvelous story, "Pet Project" was the inspiration for Hermione going all scary in chapter 6, and I forgot to credit her! My humblest apologies, Mistress Caeria. Please don't hate (or hurt) me.

Also, I solemnly swear I didn't steal from Southern's hilarious fic "Like Sands Through the Hourglass" for a scene in here. It was a zeitgeist, I suppose (great minds thinking alike and whatnot). If you haven't read her fic yet, then what are you here for? Go read it. Go! Shoo!

And finally, thank you, friends, for your encouragement and help. I'm doubtful I would have got through my block from heck without your gentle nudges.

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Hermione woke up slowly, her dreams dogging her as she struggled into consciousness. Fortunately, they weren't nightmares, but they were nagging, worrisome dreams that left her uneasy.

Opening her eyes cautiously, she quickly shut them again. The afternoon light was filling the infirmary, and she needed more time to adjust to the brightness. Finding herself squinting, she consciously relaxed her face, smoothing out her muscles and skin.

While watching the inside of her eyelids, her mind started working again, and she found herself torn on the subject of Severus. He obviously did care about her, she couldn't deny that any longer, but his method of wooing left a lot to be desired.

If only he had been forthright about his feelings, she thought, smiling at the ridiculousness of such an idea. Wishing for Severus to be emotionally open and forthright was like hoping the Ministry of Magic would make intelligent decisions.

Her smile faded as she thought about Severus' courting tactics. She needed to find out his side of the entire story before jumping to any more conclusions, but she wasn't sure whether she could trust him. He hadn't lied to her as yet, but he had deliberately omitted some important facts. She hoped that he'd only influenced Theodore and Blaise, but what if he'd tried scaring all her would-be suitors away?

That reminded her of the conversation she'd overheard between Severus and Remus. What if that wasn't the only confrontation he'd had with any of her suitors? Or worse, what if he'd deliberately timed it so that she would overhear it, knowing she'd chosen Remus?

Ready to start yelling at her sneaky bastard of a husband, Hermione realized that she might be jumping to conclusions again. She was also not giving him the benefit of the doubt. He was her husband. He loved her, or he at least cared for her very much. He deserved her trust. She would refrain from hexing him until he was proven guilty.

Suddenly, Hermione became aware of whispering nearby. Cracking an eye open, she found her mouth turning up in a smile.

"Professor McGonagall!" she slurred sleepily. "It's good to see you!"

"It's Minerva, dear," the professor said as she turned from her conversation with Poppy and smiled fondly at her star pupil. "It's good to see you as well, though I expected to see you busy with Severus."

Poppy sniffed angrily. "I'm going to have to have a word with that boy! It was inexcusable for him to wander off like that, leaving Hermione alone!"

Hermione smiled at Poppy's protectiveness and laughed when she remembered her last thought before drifting off to sleep. The other women looked at her curiously.

"Sorry, it's just when Severus left, I fell asleep thinking he was getting himself in trouble with you."

Minerva let out a cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh while Poppy looked torn between amusement and mortification.

"Well, I take the safety of my patients very seriously, and knowing your penchant for trouble, it–"

"I didn't mean any offense, Poppy, really! I'm grateful for your protective measures, even if they aren't really needed. I just was amused to see I was right and, well, hopeful I can be a witness to the lecture you give him?"

Poppy laughed at that. "I'm afraid I'd have to restrain myself if you were around, dear, so maybe it would be better if he was on his own?"

Both Poppy and Hermione giggled conspiratorially, but Minerva failed to join in, looking rather pensive. It didn't take very long for the other witches to notice.

"Minerva, dear?"

Minerva looked at Poppy and then at Hermione, a frown creasing her brow. "When did you say Severus left?"

Hermione was still smiling as she answered, "It was this morning sometime. It couldn't have been much past ten."

Minerva's frown deepened, and Hermione's smile faded in concern. "What's wrong, Pro-Minerva?"

"If Severus hasn't been here... Albus covered all his classes today, so he wasn't teaching..."

Hermione felt a stab of worry, but then brushed it aside. "He is a Slytherin, so maybe he thought to take advantage of the day off. Did you check his rooms?" Hermione knew it was an obvious question, but she preferred to work on the "it's better to ask a stupid question than assume everyone knows what they're doing" plan. Dealing with Harry and Ron over the years had given her a vast appreciation for how simple oversights could lead to mountains of unneeded trouble.

"Yes," Minerva answered rather tartly. "I checked his room, his office, the staff room, as well as his favorite corridors to haunt."

Hermione gave Minerva a shrewd look. "All on your way here, I imagine?" she asked.

Minerva sniffed and tried not to look as if she'd been caught. "Well, I didn't want to interrupt you newlyweds."

Hermione and Poppy both choked back their laughter, making Minerva grin. "As a matter of fact, I had business to attend to before coming here, though I really did expect Severus to be here tending to you."

This earned her another snort of laughter from Hermione, but instead of grinning, Minerva scowled. "The boy does care for you, Hermione," she said almost defensively.

Hermione immediately schooled her face into something more respectful. "I know that, I really do, but the thought of Severus 'tending' to me, or anyone for that matter, is... is..."

"Rather ludicrous?" Poppy finished.

Hermione nodded, trying to hold back the grin she felt building within.

Minerva rolled her eyes and sat down, shaking her head. "Yes, well, perhaps you had better work on your Snape-ish. By 'tending,' I simply meant that he would be here to look after you, not that he would be your mother hen."

That image got both Poppy and Hermione giggling again, which did nothing for Minerva's humor.

Seeing this, Poppy leaned over and stage whispered to Hermione, "I think I'd best leave you two alone so that you might have a chance at the serious discussion she wants." Standing up, she cast a professional eye on her charge and added, "I'll come by soon, though, to check you over properly. You might even be allowed to leave today." She gave Hermione a suspicious look, as if doubtful of Hermione's ability to stay healthy outside the ward, gave an exaggerated sniff and left.

Minerva sat down on the chair next to the bed and observed Hermione intently before asking, "Where have you been, Hermione?"

Hermione went over the story once again, starting with how her argument with Severus ended. She hadn't felt comfortable telling Harry and Ginny about that, but for some reason it seemed to spill off her tongue as she talked with Minerva. McGonagall, for her part, simply sat and listened with little judgment.

Hermione did skim over Lucius' attack and was embarrassed when Minerva looked at her sharply, lips pursed, as if she'd guessed the truth. Hermione knew it wasn't sensible to feel guilty over the attack, but the feeling was harder to push away than she had anticipated.

She also left out most of the house-elf rebellion. She decided all Minerva needed to know was that Dobby saved her from a life-threatening situation at great personal risk. She ended with taking the sleeping potion and her paradoxical reaction. Minerva accepted the story without any questions, save one: "Hermione," she asked thoughtfully, "do you believe that a mere paradoxical reaction could create such power?"

"Er," Hermione hesitated. She hadn't thought about her little temper tantrum as anything but the Dreamless Sleep Draught backfiring. "I hadn't thought about it," she replied honestly.

It was obvious Minerva was trying to refrain from rolling her eyes. "So I gathered," she said tersely. "However, judging by your Potions scores, I would have thought you'd know the limits of a paradoxical reaction."

Hermione shrugged, slightly embarrassed, though very interested. "I've been thinking about other things."

Minerva chuckled. "Of course, dear."

"So, if it wasn't the potion, what was it?"

"Have you ever heard of the Force?"

Hermione snickered. "Of course I have. You'd have to be an elitist pureblood not to!"

Minerva looked shocked and a little offended. "Really? I rather thought only a few people knew about it."

Hermione sobered, though she still had the urge to laugh, especially as she envisioned Professor McGonagall standing before her saying, "Use the Force, young Granger." Shaking the image away, she thought quickly.

"Well, maybe it's a different Force. The Force I know is from a Muggle movie series, so it's very possible that we're talking about two different subjects."

Minerva nodded in understanding, offended look dissipating. "Of course. I wouldn't be surprised if the Muggle version is based upon lore of the real Force, much like how they mythicized unicorns and other magical creatures."

Hermione nodded.

"When I was very little," Minerva continued, "my father told me about the Force, explaining that very few witches or wizards ever learn to harness it, and of those few, only a fraction of them ever learn to control it. It was one of his realms of study, you see. At that time he was fascinated with how intertwined life and death are, and the Force, well, as he said, 'There is no death; there is the Force.'" Minerva sighed slightly, a distant look in her eyes, and then snapped back to attention.

"The Force, he told me, is an energy field created by all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us and binds the universe together. My father explained how some ancient scholars thought of the Force as a sentient entity, almost like an Earth God, while others were more inclined to think of it as a tool to be manipulated for their use like basic magic is for us.

"The Force, however, can only be usefully harnessed by a minority of wizards who are described as 'Force-sensitive.' These witches and wizards are able to tap into the Force to perform acts of great skill and control its various embodying powers."

Hermione stared wordlessly at Minerva, hoping that the older witch was simply joking, even though the professor showed all the signs of being sincere. Her disbelief must have shown, for Minerva paused and asked, "Are you all right, dear?"

"Oh, I'm just wondering when you're going to tell me about the light and dark side of the Force, warning me how easy it is to be seduced into the dark side by fear, hatred and love of power."

Minerva looked shocked again. "How did you know?"

If McGonagall's face hadn't been so sincere, Hermione would have been certain she was the brunt of a joke, but as it was, there were certain aspects of the story that didn't add up. One being that Minerva McGonagall would have been told this tale at least fifteen years before George Lucas was born.

"That's the premise of that Muggle movie I mentioned, almost word for word."

"You mean that Muggles know all about the Force?"

"Er, yes," Hermione said apologetically. "Star Wars was very, very popular."

"Star Wars?" Minerva asked faintly, though it seemed more to herself. "That sounds familiar."

"Well, I imagine you've heard students quoting lines from it at one time or another. The first three movies have been re-released, and a new movie will be coming out next year. I'm hoping it's as good as the original trilogy, but it's been a long time since Lucas has made one of these movies, and if rumors are true... Are you all right, Minerva?"

"George Lucas?" Minerva asked, attention suddenly focused on Hermione.

Hermione nodded her head slowly, and Minerva narrowed her eyes, staring through Hermione with a crafty look.

"Ooh, that man is going to pay," she muttered so quietly Hermione almost didn't hear her.

"Pardon?" Hermione asked, rather alarmed at the dangerous glitter in her mentor's eye.

Minerva started and looked at Hermione as if she'd forgotten she was there. "Nothing, dear. Well, anyway, it seems you have the same gift my father had. I sincerely hope you use it for the betterment of our society, rather than for selfish reasons."

"The Force... it really exists?" Hermione asked disbelievingly.

"Knowing my father, I should have guessed he would make up a tale for me; however, whether or not it is called that, and has those particulars, I do believe you possess a power most of us do not."

Hermione furrowed her brow. The thought running through her mind was that Minerva had to be wrong. She knew she was intelligent and had a knack for learning, but to be 'one with the Force'? She stifled another giggle.

Minerva got up, startling Hermione with the suddenness.

"I've taken enough of your time, I expect. I do need to speak with Severus, so if you see him, please let him know."

Hermione nodded, still assimilating everything Minerva had told her with her knowledge of popular Muggle culture.

"Oh, and Ms. Granger," Minerva's lips twitched as she said the name, "please do try to refrain from public displays, whether of affection or otherwise. It isn't in anyone's best interests."

Blushing, Hermione nodded, knowing that neither she nor Severus were likely to fight in public ever again. At least not in Hogwarts.

Minerva nodded. "Also, you'd best expect the Headmaster at some point, Hermione. I'm sure he'll want discuss last night's events with you."

Hermione grimaced at that thought and waved good-bye. She barely had two minutes to herself, though, before Poppy came bustling in, matronly guise well in place.

"Well, now that you've probably exhausted yourself talking with your guest, I'd best check you over," Poppy said with a sniff.

Hermione giggled, suddenly realizing Poppy had as wry a sense of humor as Severus did.

"You aren't nearly as strict as we students think you are, are you?"

Poppy smiled blandly and raised her eyebrows. "What exactly are you insinuating, young lady?" Before the previous night, Hermione would have blushed at Poppy's tone, but now she caught the gleam of humor in her eye.

"Only that you're probably a lot nicer than everyone gives you credit for."

"'Everyone' being Mr. Potter?"

Hermione laughed. "Yes, him too." Poppy merely continued to smile benignly, though a faint smirk was crinkling the edges of her lips.

"Well, I must insist you keep rumors about me to a minimum, Ms. Granger. I have a reputation to uphold, much like every other Hogwarts staff member."

She raised her wand and chanted a soft incantation, signaling the start of the exam.

Hermione, however, wasn't paying attention to the glowing wand. "Are you implying that Argus Filch is really a pleasant fellow who only jokes about using whips and chains as punishment?"

Poppy chortled. "Oh, goodness, no. Argus is a surly bastard if ever there was one, though he does make a good banana daiquiri."

Hermione choked on her laughter mingled with disbelief. "You're kidding!"

"Of course I am, dear. There's no such thing as a good banana daiquiri."

Hermione stared at Poppy for a long second before deciding Poppy was jesting, though she wasn't certain about that. In the end, she decided the wisest move to make was to change topics.

"So, how am I doing?"

Poppy looked at her sternly over her spectacles. "Considering you have done your very best to kill yourself in the last month or two, I would say you are doing remarkably well. So well, in fact, that I'll let you sleep in your own quarters tonight as long as you swear a wand oath that you will eat a decent supper and actually rest."

That reminded Hermione that her wand was probably still in the locked room. Hopefully Lucius hadn't done anything to it. She forced herself to smile up at Poppy, who continued to frown. "As soon as I get my wand back, I will gladly swear that I will follow your orders to the tee, although I'll have you know that I had every intention of following your instructions last night."

Poppy's face softened into a good-natured smile. "I won't blame you there, child. I have a sneaking suspicion you will be as difficult a patient as Severus is, though hopefully less frequent. Speaking of whom, when you see him next, you will tell him that I would like to have a word, won't you?" Poppy said with a wink.

Hermione smirked knowingly and nodded. "Of course."

Poppy shook her head as she tapped Hermione's chest lightly, her wand glowing spring green for a moment.

"You are one lucky witch, Ms. Granger," Poppy said as she withdrew, ending the examination spell. "You seem to have scraped through everything with nothing more than a little fatigue. However, I insist you rest for the next week. No more battles with villains, falling off cliffs or other such nonsense, understood?" Poppy looked at her so sternly, Hermione had to remind herself that this woman had just joked about Filch's daiquiris.

"I am not joking, Hermione," Poppy continued, guessing Hermione's thoughts. "You are to stay out of trouble for one week. I trust you can manage that small amount of time?" Hermione nodded dutifully. "Very well, then. I'll let you off of the wand oath... this time. After you eat a good lunch, you are free to leave." She conjured a lovely hot meal, which set Hermione salivating, and then left her to devour her first meal in days.

After a while, Poppy returned and nodded in satisfaction, seeing only a few crumbs left. She gave Hermione's shoulder a comforting squeeze before offering her a warm smile. "Now go give your husband hell."

Hermione smiled back, though her mind was racing ahead, plotting out the best course towards the inevitable confrontation with Severus.

"Thank you, Poppy. I do promise to be as good as I possibly can be." Madam Pomfrey narrowed her eyes at that proviso, but Hermione raised her hands in self-defense. "As long as circumstances are kind to me, I will be as boring as porridge. I promise."

Slightly mollified, Poppy nodded, handing her a clean robe to change into. "Well, see that you steer the circumstances in your favor, dear. I really don't want to see you again for any reason other than the occasional afternoon tea."

Hermione smiled before going to the lavatory to freshen up and change. She relished the feeling of the warm water as she washed herself down, feeling as though it had been a month since she'd last bathed. It still boggled her mind that so much had taken place in only two days. Well, really it's been eight days, she thought as she buttoned up her fresh robe. All it took to change her life completely was eight days, four of which barely mattered.

Shaking her head in astonishment, she left the lavatory and looked around the room for Poppy. Just beside Poppy's office, her eyes stopped on the neatly made cot where Dobby had lain.

Before she could call out for Poppy to ask about Dobby's fate, she heard an excited voice say, "Hermione!" Turning toward the door, she found herself encased in a hug.

"Oh, it's so good to see you up and normal again!" Ginny somehow managed to say while squeezing Hermione tightly. "I was so worried you had turned into a superwitch and weren't going to have time for us peons anymore because you'd be too busy saving elves and righting wrongs!"

Hermione was nonplused, but when Ginny withdrew, she was sporting a teasing grin. Hermione rolled her eyes, but grinned back.

"Don't worry, Ginny," Harry said as he joined the two. "I'm sure she'll have plenty of time for socializing and saving the world with her new stupendous powers."

Hermione rolled her eyes again, but decided to change the topic quickly before the ribbing got under her skin.

"Harry, do you know how Dobby's doing?" she asked, looking at the cot again. Harry followed her eyes and then looked back at her smiling.

"Yeah. He seems just fine. In fact, he told me Dumbledore's made him chief supervisor of kitchen affairs. Dumbledore seemed to think he needed a reward for saving you."

"Oh, that's great! He must be so happy!"

Harry grinned. "Er, yeah, you could say that. He was only bouncing off the walls."

Hermione grinned back. "Oh, I'm so happy for him! He deserves it!"

"Eh, you're just saying that because he saved your life," Ginny joked. "Now, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a mite peckish. How about we invade the kitchens?"

A shiver of dread made its way down Hermione's neck at that suggestion.

"Er, actually, I was wondering if you two would come with me to pick up my wand. I left it in that room the other night, and if Lucius is still in there, I really would prefer not to approach him defenseless."

Harry gave her a long look, sensing her apprehension.

"Are you sure you're okay going back to that room? I could go by myself. It would be no problem."

Hermione shook her head, smiling. "No, it's okay. Besides which, I want to check out that thing under the dust cloth. If it's still there."

Harry nodded, and they headed off to the dungeons. Hermione took the opportunity to question Harry over all the classes she'd missed, hoping she hadn't been left behind.

"Don't worry, Hermione," he replied, laughing. "All we're doing is revision, and I don't think the teachers have caught up to your revision schedule yet, so I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Hermione scowled, but let the subject drop. She'd talk to her teachers privately. Hopefully they hadn't given her zeroes for the days she'd been gone. Although Severus might have...

"Oh, no," she groaned in sudden realization. "I've married my teacher."

Ginny laughed. "And you've just realized this? Harry, I think we better take her back to Madam Pomfrey. I think she must have hit her head harder than we suspected."

Laughing, Harry and Ginny both made to turn back, but Hermione was quick to explain.

"What I meant was that... how am I going to have a chance of an equal relationship if he's still grading my papers? Not to mention that any grades I get from now on could be called into question. I... What am I going to do?"

Both Harry and Ginny shrugged unhelpfully. "I expect you could get excused from Potions without a big fuss," Ginny offered.

"And risk failing that NEWT?" Hermione protested, offended.

Harry burst into laughter, and it was obvious Ginny was trying not to. "I'm sure that if you took your NEWTs right now, you would get straight O's, Hermione. I think there are more serious things to worry about."

"Like being married to Snape," Harry added, still chuckling.

Hermione and Ginny both glared at Harry, unimpressed by his humor. "Harry–"

"I'm just pointing out," Harry hurriedly interrupted, "that living with the bas... er... living with the man for the rest of your life might be a more pressing concern than worrying about a test you are sure to pass."

Hermione noticed Ginny was still glaring at Harry suspiciously, but then her attention was drawn to the door behind the couple.

"We're here," she said, startling the two out of their dynamics.

Harry whipped around, wand drawn, while Ginny turned around more slowly; she too had her wand ready.

"I think we need a plan," Hermione said, staring at the benign seeming door. "One of us should wait out here, just in case the door gets closed. I'm almost positive it can be opened from the outside since Malfoy got in after I had been trapped."

The others nodded, looking serious.

"Well, Ginny and I can go in..." Harry faded out as Hermione shook her head.

"No, Harry. I need to go in there." She smiled at him reassuringly. "It's only a room."

"Yeah, a room that almost killed you!" Harry protested.

"The room did nothing of the sort! It was getting out of the room that almost killed me."

"Oh, and that's reassuring?" Harry asked, getting angry.

"That's why you two are here!" Hermione said, getting angry herself. "If we do this right, we'll be able to neutralize Malfoy, get my wand and be out of there without any problems. It's not like we'll be shutting ourselves in there!"

Harry looked unconvinced, making Hermione sigh in exasperation.

"Look, Harry, I'm more than happy to let you go in first, seeing as you're the one with the wand, but relegating me to the hall when I am the one with the experience of the room seems rather–"

The door slamming shut cut her off, and they both turned to find the door looking just as it had before, only Ginny was no longer in the corridor with them.

"Ginny!" Harry yelled, running for the door without a second thought. Hermione followed on his heels, hoping Lucius hadn't hexed her friend.

They burst through the door to find Ginny lifting the mysterious non-object's dust jacket. She looked up quickly, startled, and only the look of horror on her face alerted them to the door quietly rebounding off the wall and slamming shut.

"Oh, hell," Hermione said succinctly. Ginny's wand was illuminating the chamber dimly, and they could plainly see the displeasure on her face.

"What were you two thinking rushing in here like that?" she cried, putting her free hand on her hip, looking very much like her mother.

"We thought you were in danger! How could you just come in here without any thought to how dangerous it could be? I mean, Malfoy could have..." Harry cut off and looked around the chamber frantically.

"He's not here, Harry," Hermione said, having checked the room even as the door was closing.

"Of course he's not!" Ginny said. "Do you really think I would just walk in here without casting a Detection Charm first?"

Harry looked a bit abashed while Hermione felt ashamed that she hadn't thought of that herself.

"Honestly!" Ginny huffed, gathering steam. "You guys must think I'm an idiot. You didn't even consider that I, too, have a wand while you were arguing out in the corridor!"

She rolled her eyes as both Harry and Hermione squirmed at her chastisement.

"And now, thanks to your 'concern,' we're all in here, and the door is shut. Which means that we aren't going to get out of here any time soon. Thanks for coming to my rescue, guys."

Harry cleared his throat, searching for the right thing to say, while Hermione had her eyes on the floor, searching for her wand. She gave a cry of despair when she spotted half of it a few feet away from the non-object.

Rushing over, she picked up the shattered vinewood delicately, desperately restraining tears at finding the dragon's heartstring hanging limply from the core.

"Oh, Hermione," Ginny said softly, putting an arm around her. "I'm so sorry."

Hermione sniffed but shook her head. "It's silly, really. Why should I be upset over this? I should have realized that Malfoy would do something to it after I escaped."

"It's your wand, though," Ginny said. "My wand is kind of like an extension of me."

"I suppose I can always try to Spellotape it back together," she quipped and then nearly choked on the memories of Ron. Ginny's arm tensed for a moment, making Hermione curse herself for her thoughtlessness.

"I'm sorry. I guess we should have gone to the kitchens after all," she said with a slight shudder. Ginny looked at her strangely, having felt the shudder, but said nothing.

"Well, I guess we'd better find a way out of here then," Harry said.

Ginny agreed immediately, but Hermione hesitated. "I would like to find the other half of my wand first. I know it's useless and silly, but..."

The others nodded, nothing more needing to be said. They fanned out, casting as much light on the floor as possible. Hermione was the one to find it after only a minute or so, but she was surprised by what she found next to it.

"I've got it," she said, turning around. "And I've also got Malfoy's and Severus' wands."

Harry and Ginny looked at her incredulously.

"Malfoy and... Why would Snape's wand be here, and why would he or Malfoy abandon their wands?" Harry asked, confused.

"I'm not sure," Hermione said slowly, an idea starting to form, "but I'm guessing Severus came down here to check out the room, although I can't say why."

She looked around the room again, carefully noting where everything was, and then walked to where Lucius had trapped her.

"I was here," she muttered under her breath, "and he was there... I rolled this way, got up and ran..."

She traced out her path of escape until she reached the wall. She put her hand up against the stone and wasn't surprised when it felt solid beneath her fingertips. She knelt down and placed the wands on the floor before she felt the wall again.

This time she was disappointed when the stone remained intact.

She turned around and found Harry and Ginny staring at her, bemused.

"I think the reason I was able to escape was because I didn't have my wand on me. It's the only thing that makes even a little sense. I know that it was around here somewhere that I ended up as I ran from Lucius, but he did grab a hold of my robe, so my path could have been diverted." She gestured to the entire wall, from the non-object to the chairs. "And seeing as Lucius' and Severus' wands were laying here, I'm guessing the exit is nearby."

The others nodded, reluctantly putting their wands on the floor and approached the wall. Hermione took the section nearest the non-object and slowly started running her fingers over the stone as she worked her way towards the cloth-covered distraction.

She was disheartened that she reached the non-object without finding any trace of the exit. She knew she was right; it had to be around. Wondering if it might in fact be behind the non-object, she lifted the cloth to check out the possibility when Harry tripped and fell through the wall.

Hermione and Ginny looked at each other, amused and confused. Fortunately, Ginny saw where Harry was working and approached the area cautiously. When she put her finger to the wall, she shuddered as her finger sank into the surface.

She was about to step through, but Hermione stopped her.

"Wait," she cried. Ginny stopped and looked at her expectantly. "Maybe we should test first to see if we can take our wands, just in case." She handed Ginny her wand. Ginny took a step forward, felt the wall, and frowned.

"Nope," she said with disappointment, putting her wand back on the floor. She tested the wall again, and found to her relief that her finger still sank through the surface.

Hermione nodded, not surprised, but disappointed.

"Well, I don't know if it'll work, but if we can take some supplies with us, it'll make the descent down the cliff much easier," she said, grabbing Severus' wand and conjuring a long bit of rope and three Muggle torches, which she was relieved to find worked.

Hermione handed Ginny the rope and one of the torches, which she accepted happily, though she was looking at the torch curiously.

"Slide that button up to make it work," Hermione explained. When Ginny did so, she jumped slightly.

"Mad," Ginny muttered, giving Hermione a grin. "Well, here's hoping," she said and walked through the wall.

Hermione let out the breath she'd been holding as the conjured items disappeared along with Ginny. She conjured a few other tools, clutched them to her chest, and followed Ginny.

Without fear rushing through her, she noticed the sensation of walking through the wall. It wasn't as if there was nothing there, which was what she expected. It was soft, like walking through a film of bath bubbles, quickly caressing her before she reached the other side and was ensconced in the cool air. She immediately turned around and touched the wall, curious to find it solid again.

"You all right?" Harry asked, noticing her expression when she turned to face them. She gave him a quick smile and a nod, trying not to show her nervousness.

"Where do we go from here?" Ginny asked, poking her way around the nook, shining the torch on the ground.

"Along here," Hermione said, pointing to the path she had taken only a couple nights before. Turning their torches in that direction, they all started making their way towards the dim light around the corner.

Hermione was amazed at the difference traveling the corridor with a clear head, light and an unbroken foot made. She was astonished she had missed the edge of the cliff in the first place when they finally came upon it. Shining her light around, she noticed that the path did indeed continue on the other side of the gap. She wondered if it also ended up in the kitchens.

She put the equipment she'd been carrying down and started arranging it to what looked logical.

"Um, Hermione, what are you doing?" Ginny asked nervously, eying the harnesses, clips, rings, gloves and miscellany.

"I'm trying to remember how all this goes for rappelling down the cliff side."

"You know how to rock climb?" Harry asked, rather amazed.

Hermione flushed, though the dim light hid it quite well. "Er, no, but I saw a really interesting documentary on it a couple of summers ago. It had a novice training to climb Half Dome out in America, and they were pretty thorough in their explanations."

"Did you research rock climbing afterwards?" Ginny asked, nervously.

Hermione bit her lip. "Er, not as much as I planned to, what with staying at Grimmauld and everything."

"So... so how confident are you that you know how this works?" Harry asked, and Hermione could feel his unease.

"Fairly. You could try climbing down without any safety equipment if you're really nervous about it."

Harry swallowed and shook his head. "No, I... it's fine."

The way his voice shook said otherwise, though. She found it rather amusing that he could face a dragon, a bevy of Death Eaters and then vanquish Voldemort, but was nervous about going down a cliff that she'd survived falling down. When she looked up at him to reassure him, however, she saw he was watching Ginny, who was beyond nervous. She was looking at the rock climbing equipment with undisguised terror.

"Where does this path go?" Ginny asked, tearing her eyes away from the artifacts and gazing down the dimly lit corridor.

"I don't know," Hermione said, coming up with a plan. "I expect it goes to the kitchens, though. In fact, would you be willing to go explore that path while Harry and I go down to the cavern? If it does end up in the kitchens, you could ask Dobby to fetch our wands for us."

Ginny nodded, but Harry stilled with a sudden thought.

"Dobby," he shouted, his voice echoing throughout the corridor. They all waited a moment, hardly breathing in anticipation. After a moment or two, Harry yelled for Dobby again, but there was no reply. He shrugged, looking at the girls. "It was worth a try, although I expect you'd already tried that, hadn't you?" he asked Hermione. She mumbled something incoherent as she busied herself with the ropes and tools, knowing she wasn't fooling anybody.

Ginny examined the tiny ledge connecting the two sides of the hole, not looking pleased with the prospect of edging along it, though she seemed more receptive to that idea than rappelling down the cliff using Muggle implements.

"Well, I'll be off then. Good luck," she said, giving Harry a quick kiss and a smile.

Harry murmured something in her ear, causing her to smile cheekily at him before putting one foot on the ledge.

Both Harry and Hermione watched breathlessly as Ginny took one minuscule step after another. It seemed to take hours for her to cross the smallish gap, her white knuckles belying her fierce grip on the finger-holds the vertical face provided. Finally, she stepped onto the other side's solid surface, and everyone let out a shaky breath of relief. Hermione noticed that Harry was trembling as he waved good-bye to his wife. Ginny blew him a kiss, grinned and set off into the unknown, leaving Harry and Hermione to face a nerve-wracking descent.

"Shall I go first then?" Harry asked, inspecting the equipment with a worried frown.

"How about if I go first? You'd be more likely to support my weight and lower me down if the knots or equipment fail. If that happens, you can follow Ginny to get help."

Harry didn't look happy about her being the pawn, but eventually agreed. He helped her into the harness, checked the ropes, and double-checked the knots securing the rope to a nearby stalagmite. Both of them put on their gloves, and Hermione looked over the edge, butterflies rioting in her stomach.

"Well, here goes nothing," she said, securely tucking her torch into her pocket before she knelt on the edge and felt for a toehold to start from. After a couple of false starts, she found something she could put her weight on, and gradually did so, looking relieved. Never letting go of her firm grip on the rope, she made her way down, careful to never let her speed exceed her comfort zone. It made for a very slow descent.

Finally, she reached the cavern and had no footing left. Screwing her eyes shut, she let herself down the remaining twenty feet of rope, wishing she had made the rope ten feet longer. Relief flooded her when her feet slammed into the ground after her freefall and nothing more serious than her knees buckling occurred.

She looked around and in the dim light saw a motion at the other end of the cavern. Edging toward it, she took her torch from her pocket and flicked it on. The sudden light didn't even faze the two men who were in the final stages of a brutal fistfight. Both men were clearly in bad shape, though Lucius looked a little worse for wear.

Hermione nearly jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder, but looking around, saw it was only Harry; he had obviously been more comfortable rappelling than she had. He was staring over her shoulder, an amused look on his face as he watched the two grown men swing clumsily at each other, their limbs drooping with exhaustion. Hermione decided it was probably best to break up the fight.

"I wish I had my wand," Harry muttered quietly.

"So do I," Hermione admitted. "It would make it a lot easier to break up the fight."

Harry snorted. "I was thinking about conjuring some crisps and a lawn chair."

Hermione turned to give him her best glare, but in the dark it went unnoticed, though she could sense his amusement.

"However, if you think it's best to break it up, I suppose we'd better do so together," he added, trying to be serious.

Hermione was reminded forcefully of the Weasley twins, and she was grateful she didn't have to deal with that attitude all the time.

They walked over to the two men who didn't notice their approach until they both were drawn back by more energetic arms. Lucius and Severus had been fighting silently, probably having no energy to spare for words because they put up very little resistance. Lucius actually collapsed onto the ground, moaning slightly even as he fought for breath.

Severus wasn't doing much better, however. Hermione could feel him trembling as she held him, and he offered no resistance but leaned into her heavily. She hastily took a step back to brace herself for his weight.

"Have any objections to sitting down?" she asked, struggling under his weight.

He shook his head, and together they managed to make it to the ground relatively smoothly.

She was disconcerted when he leaned against her, but she leaned back, glad to be able to offer him some support, even if it was of a purely physical nature. It was an odd feeling, being protective of Snape, but at the moment, all her anger could wait. At that moment, he needed a shoulder to lean on, and that was what she would give him.

It was actually rather endearing.

"I think Lucius' leg is fractured, and I'm sure his arm is broken," Severus said after a long silence. "He needs medical attention soon."

"And you don't? You look like you've been through the wringer a bit yourself."

"Nothing fatal, I assure you, madam." He almost sounded like himself, although there was a breathy quality to his voice she didn't like.

"Yes, well, both of you will be getting medical attention as soon as Dobby arrives with our wands because I seriously doubt Harry and I would be able to lug the two of you up out of the tunnel."

Snape sighed. "Yes, I remember you saying something about a tunnel..."

Hermione frowned. She didn't remember telling him about her trip out of the cavern. She didn't remember him asking her.

She was about to ask him about it when there was a loud thump nearby.

"Harry Potter, sir?" came an excited voice from the darkness. Both Harry and Hermione shone their lights over at the smarting elf who was holding three wands. Hermione guessed he'd come down the hard way. "Mistress Ginny Potter gave Dobby the message of you needing these wands."

Harry nodded, striding over to where Dobby stood rubbing his bum. As if in response to Harry's absence, Lucius chose that moment to revive slightly, catching Dobby's attention. The change in the elf's demeanor was startling and not a little alarming.

"Is Lucius Malfoy bothering Harry Potter, sir?" he asked, his eyes never leaving Lucius' prone form. "Dobby told Lucius Malfoy he was never to touch you again."

Hermione shivered at the intensity of Dobby's tone; it reminded her forcefully of her adventures in the kitchen two days before. She had the urge to edge herself backwards, but Snape's weight, and the trust that Dobby wouldn't hurt her, kept her in place.

"No, Dobby, he's not bothering me," Harry responded. "He's not a threat right now."

Dobby narrowed his eyes as Lucius opened his. If Hermione hadn't been so nervous about Dobby's radiating energy, she would have laughed at Lucius' cowering as he recognized Dobby.

Dobby advanced on him a few steps, and Lucius tried to back away, though his body wasn't cooperating.

"Lucius Malfoy knows not to touch Harry Potter or Harry Potter's friends?" Dobby didn't ask so much as threaten.

Hermione observed Lucius as he gulped and nodded his head nervously.

"Lucius Malfoy will not bother the good wizards and witches." Lucius quickly agreed, eyes wide as the house-elf took one more step toward him.

"Good," Dobby said and then stepped back to smile beatifically at Harry.

"Harry Potter will let Dobby know if the bad wizard is trouble?"

Harry nodded, smirking at Malfoy. "Of course I will, Dobby! You'll be the first to know."

Dobby straightened his back, and his smile widened. "Dobby is honored to help Harry Potter and knowing Harry Potter is trusting Dobby so much!"

"Of course I trust you, Dobby. You've been a big help to us all."

Hermione inwardly shuddered at how reverentially Dobby was gazing at Harry, but knew better than to speak her mind. Maybe sometime later I can talk with Dobby and try to explain the intricacies of freedom to him, she thought ironically.

Dobby bowed to Harry, then handed him the wands. Harry gratefully took his from Dobby's hands.

"Ginny?" he asked, not finding her wand among them.

"Mistress Ginny is saying she is waiting for you in your common room. Dobby fetched her wand first, sir."

Hermione wasn't sure, but she thought Dobby had flicked his eyes at her as he said that, and she wondered what the ramifications of the house-elf rebellion were, exactly, if Ginny wasn't waiting in the kitchen for them.

Before she could wonder, Harry was hovering over her, handing her both Lucius' and Snape's wands. She looked to see why Severus wasn't taking his and found him unconscious.

She smiled ruefully, accepting both wands, and tucking Snape's into one of his pockets.

"Dobby needs to get back to his new job, sir. Does Harry Potter need Dobby for anything else?"

Harry replied in the negative, and a loud crack saw Dobby disappear. Hermione wondered why he came in the way he did if he could leave magically, but she didn't get long to think about it.

"Well," Harry said into the silent chamber, interrupting her thoughts, "I guess we'd better get these two up to the infirmary."

Hermione nodded, flicking Lucius' wand to conjure a stretcher for Severus, gently levitating him onto it, while Harry did the same for Lucius, though taking much less care with his charge, who had quietly passed back into an unconscious state.

Hermione pointed her torch around the cavern and quickly found the tunnel entrance, which was much smaller than she remembered now that she was able to walk upright.

Harry noticed the cramped quarters as well, commenting, "Er, Hermione, I thought you said the tunnel got smaller toward the end."

"It does. I guess being on hands and knees gives one a different perspective on size," she said, carefully maneuvering Severus around the first bend.

The trip went much faster than she remembered, though when they neared the kitchens it became a struggle to fit the stretchers through the space without hitting any rocks. Hermione was more concerned about that than Harry was, but even Harry was worried about whether Lucius would fit through the small hole.

With the help of a muttered spell or two, they did manage to extricate themselves from the tunnel. Hermione had thought Severus was asleep, but as soon as his stretcher touched the floor, he pried himself up into a standing position, raising an eyebrow at her challengingly when she opened her mouth to protest.

She closed her mouth, but couldn't help giving him a displeased look. He was trying to conceal how he was leaning against a table for support, but she saw through his abnormally feeble attempts at subterfuge.

As she climbed down out of the hole, her thoughts were diverted from Severus as she noticed the eyes of many elves on her. She felt as if the kitchen walls themselves were focusing their attention on her unwelcome presence. She had no choice but to continue, but once on the floor, she hurriedly helped Harry float Lucius through the vent hole and then helped Harry down so she could hurry their progress through the kitchen and out into the safety of the castle.

Severus was moving so slowly it was painful to watch, but she tried to wait patiently. After three agonizingly slow paces, however, she stepped up to offer herself as a crutch, which she was surprised he accepted. Unfortunately, it didn't speed their progress any.

She looked around the kitchen, gauging the hostility level of the elves. She was certain that they were all looking at her, though they were keeping their distance. For how long was anyone's guess, and she didn't want to be around to find out, so when Harry stopped to ask one of the elves for a quick snack, dinner having already finished, Hermione almost cried.

"Harry, I'm sure Ginny has food waiting for you in your room. Right now we need to get Severus and Lucius up to the hospital wing!" She wasn't pleased to hear the note of anxiety in her voice, but hoped Harry would interpret it as concern for Severus' well-being.

Harry did give her a searching look, but quickly shrugged and continued on his way, gratefully accepted the apple an elf handed him as they neared the door.

Harry got to the door first and held it open for her as she helped Severus through it. If she hadn't been so concerned about the elves literally stabbing her in the back, she would have been more concerned with how Severus was putting more and more of his weight on her. Once they got to the stair base, though, it became obvious that Severus wouldn't make it to the infirmary on his own steam, so she stopped.

"Severus, I think that if we continue this way, we'll both have died of old age before we get you the help you need. I need to conjure another stretcher."

He turned to look at her coldly.

"I have suffered enough indignities since marrying you, I believe. I do not need to be seen floating about the corridors like an invalid on top of everything else!"

Hermione took in a sharp breath and bit her tongue fiercely.

"If you are so worried about your standing at this school, trust me, no one is ever going to outrank you as bastard supreme. First years will continue to have nightmares about you, prefects will dread running into you on patrols, and the fear of your wrath will deter all but the most persistent troublemakers. Now get on the damn stretcher!"

Hermione felt that strange power again as the air coalesced around her. Severus took a step back nervously, but was otherwise unmoved.

"You, madam, are still in need of lessons on the art of intimidation if you think one of your power displays is going to influence me."

Hermione felt the breeze strengthen, but tried to calm herself. If this was like the Force, drawing on it in anger was a bad, bad thing. Slowly the static charge in the air reduced, and the unnatural breeze faded away.

After a few moments, she was calm enough to say, "Severus, I am not trying to intimidate you. I am trying to reason with you. Think of it this way, would you rather have everyone see you on a stretcher, or passed out, helpless, on the floor somewhere?"

His only answer was to narrow his eyes at her. She was just about to magically force him into the stretcher when Harry tried pitching in.

"Professor, surely you've heard all the talk about Hermione since last night? No one is going to think less of you for being on a stretcher because everyone is in awe that you're brave enough to marry her!"

Hermione and Snape shot Harry identical glares, making Harry back off quickly.

"I was only trying to help," he muttered, turning his attention back to Lucius, who inconveniently continued to remain unconscious.

Hermione turned back to find Snape looking at the gurney with loathing.

"What if Hermione Disillusions you once you're on the stretcher? That will keep the majority of the attention on me and Malfoy, rather than you," Harry suggested idly.

Hermione was surprised to see Severus was thinking the suggestion over. After what looked to be a bitter internal battle, Snape finally nodded curtly, making his way over to the stretcher. Hermione sighed and smiled at Harry in thanks while raising the gurney to ease Severus' transition. He gave her one last suspicious glare before laying himself down.

Once he was completely prone, Hermione tapped him with the promised Disillusionment Charm, noting how the air seemed to bend around him, concealing both him and the stretcher to the inattentive eye.

"I'm only doing this because I must be in far worse condition than I initially thought. If one of Potter's ideas seems to have merit, I must be seriously concussed," Severus complained to the room at large.

Hermione bent over the area where she knew Severus' head was.

"You're only cranky because he thought of it first," she teased quietly.

She was pretty sure she could see him scowling at her and straightened quickly to hide her smirk from him.

"I do not get 'cranky,'" she heard him mutter. She thought he might have continued telling her off, but they entered the main corridor just then, and he chose prudence over defense.

---

Avery's Note, Redux: If you hadn't guessed, the non-object is a literal Plot Device, magically designed to create distractions. It's infused with a Confundus/Conjuring Charm that, once activated (such as raising the dust jacket), conjures a diversion, usually with unwelcome results.

The next chapter (originally part of this chapter) is in my beta's figurative hands right now, so another update will be coming soon!

And as always, big enormous thank yous to my beta supreme, SW69. She puts up with so much crap, it's incredible she continues to beta for me. Also, thank you, Keladry for adding your skills to the mix! I'm sure all of you readers know that if there are any mistakes, they are my responsibility alone. Don't blame the betas!

Southern's Notes: I really enjoyed Dobby in this chapter! Hehe! Who needs a bodyguard when you can have a Dobby?