Chapter Seventeen - On the Perilous Edge of Battle

Disclaimer: Anything you recognize belongs to JKR and/or Daniel Knauf. I do not profit from writing this story.

Author's Notes: Chapter beta'ed by the talented melusin.

---

Lifting the collar of her cloak to cover her chin, Hermione quickly ducked into the doorway of Honeydukes. She sucked in an apprehensive breath, allowing an unruly pack of students to walk past her.

Rolling her eyes, she groaned deeply, irritated with herself for the way she was acting.

Hermione wasn't certain, exactly, from whom she was hiding. She was in a very bad mood, so she didn't think she would be very entertaining company for Ginny, or Ron and Harry. But to top it off, she was sick of acting like a heartbroken female, so she had been avoiding Severus at all costs. She couldn't bear the idea of allowing him an opportunity to insult and humiliate her in front of the staff and students.

Poking her head out of the doorway, Hermione ensured the cost was clear of Sirius as well. Although, she grudgingly admitted, he had improved his behavior slightly since his near attack a couple of weeks ago.

He was making an honest effort to remain reserved and professional, if not completely ignoring her, and Hermione had to give him credit. Nonetheless, the idea of spending the entire day in his company didn't sound very tempting either.

"Remus?" Hermione whispered to herself in surprise.

All thoughts of hiding left her as curiosity kicked in. The wizard in question appeared very shabby with his tattered robes, graying light-brown hair and a scarred complexion. Yes, it was definitely Remus Lupin marching down the stone walkway on the other side of the street.

Without questioning her motives, Hermione immediately darted out of the doorway to follow him. What was he doing in Hogsmeade? Was he on patrol for the Order?

Steadily coming up behind him, Hermione was about to surprise him with an enthusiastic greeting... until she heard another female voice beating her to it.

She quickly turned, ducking around the side of the nearest building. Hermione glanced slyly around the wall in time to see Tonks raise her arms around Remus' neck in a warm welcome. Remus stiffened visibly, hesitantly raising his arms before patting her back awkwardly.

"Remus," Tonks questioned weakly. "What's wrong?" Disappointed expectations showed very clearly on her face. His behavior nowhere near matched the warmth and excitement she had displayed.

"I... nothing." Remus carefully extracted her arms from around his neck. "It's just that... you caught me off guard, that's all."

Tonks forced her apprehension to drain instantly. Clearing her throat, she shot him a wide grin. "I haven't heard from you. It's been so long." She smiled to herself, eyes downcast, lost in her memories. "Too long, actually. Not since we bro..."

Remus took a small step back. "I've been very busy."

Tonks glanced at the floor. "I-I know. But... I was hoping that I would have heard from you by now."

Sighing petulantly, Remus turned his head away, and Hermione wanted to slap him for it. Why was he acting this way towards her?

"You said you needed time," Tonks reminded him delicately, "... and I had hoped you've had enough..."

"Look, Tonks..."

Tonks quickly lunged at him, grasping his hand and bringing it up to her face. "I miss you." She tucked his fist under her chin, pressing his palm against her neck.

But Remus wasn't looking at her. His face fell, eyes lit with worry as he looked beyond Tonks' adoring eyes.

"I need to go..." he said urgently.

Hermione searched the streets of Hogsmeade for some type of disturbance that would warrant the fear in his voice and the complete insensitivity he had displayed to the woman he loved. But nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Then Hermione witnessed something that, in all of her wildest dreams, only she could have possibly noticed. Narrowing her eyes, Hermione suspiciously observed Pansy running up the street. The two seventh-year girls acutely noticed one another for a moment. One pair of eyes narrowed in question; the other widened uneasily at the idea of being caught. Pansy suddenly turned on her heel and darted between two buildings.

"Remus..." Tonks pleaded, refusing to release his hand as he pulled away from her. "For goodness sake, Remus, I'm pouring my heart out here. Could you at least listen to me!"

"I'm sorry," Remus hissed angrily. "I really do need to go."

Finally yanking his arm free of her, Remus ran to the other side of the street.

Hermione hesitated. Tonks had gone completely pale and had closed her eyes in agony as Remus swiftly brushed passed her. Part of Hermione wanted to come out from her hiding place against the wall to offer a consoling arm for the pink-haired Auror.

Feeling slightly guilty, Hermione decided against revealing herself. How could she console the woman without admitting to eavesdropping? Swallowing uncomfortably as Tonks walked past, Hermione returned her skeptical attentiveness toward Remus. She bore into his back as he steadily marched down the stone pathway.

Hermione's heart suddenly plummeted from her chest. Remus had paused right between the same two buildings Pansy had run through. He quickly eyed the various witches and wizards walking by before turning down the alley.

Hermione was dumbfounded. She wracked her brain for a logical reason as to why he would follow the girl.

Dreading that something horrible was about to happen, Hermione craned her neck, ensuring that the coast was clear before heading in the same direction.

*** *** ***

"Don't tell me it was nothing," Pansy shrieked. "I saw the whole thing. I watched you hold that bitch's hand!"

"She grabbed my hand!" Remus countered. His arms were stretched out in front of him, palms up, pleading for her to calm down.

Pansy paced back and forth in the damp alley, shaking her head in disbelief. "Oh, right. And you looked like you were just dying to get away!"

"I DID want to get away!"

"After you saw me catch you!"

"I didn't even want to run into her in the first place! I was uncomfortable from the moment she said, 'Hello'!" When Remus' voice had risen to a thunderous roar, he instantly slapped his mouth shut and took a step back from her. Clenching his eyes, he pulled his hands through his hair, chastising himself for matching Pansy's preference for loud arguments.

"You betrayed me," she spat.

Her words hit him like a bucket of iced water.

"I'm not the one sleeping in someone else's bed whenever I'm not with you," Remus growled.

Both Remus and Pansy inhaled sharply. Neither believed he could have said something so wretched.

The anger in Pansy's eyes immediately drained away. Remus lunged at her, arms stretched out. She cringed when he touched her. "My gods, no," he breathed. "I didn't mean that."

Pansy didn't reply. If she had, her voice would only have squeaked. The harder he tried to face her, the quicker she turned her back to him.

"Please, Pansy... I take it back..."

A thunderous roar filled their ears.

Pansy and Remus both ducked as a loud explosion suddenly shook every wall and window in Hogsmeade. As a high pitched ringing filled their ears, they both turned in the direction of the screams and running footsteps passing by on the main street.

Another boom shook the ground under their feet.

Both of their eyes locked in a fearful gaze, knowing they could not publicly show concern for one another's welfare. They needed to go their separate ways.

Pansy turned away. "It's Macnair's doing," she said quietly. "More Death Eaters will come."

Remus opened his mouth to reply. He wanted to say, 'Be careful'. He wanted to tell her to hide. But his voice cracked in his throat, and she was gone in his hesitation.

She ran out into the madness in search of her fiancé.

*** *** ***

Hermione faltered as she suddenly watched Pansy dart out of the alley.

Wide eyed, the two seventh-year girls shrewdly gazed at one another for the second time that afternoon. Hermione now knew that the Slytherin was having an affair with Remus Lupin, and Pansy knew that the Gryffindor had been eavesdropping.

A tense exchange of words, uncomfortable explanations and promises of silence would have taken place if havoc hadn't erupted around them.

Finally pulling their piercing gazes away from one another, both girls suddenly started running down the main street of Hogsmeade, side by side. As numerous students and adults ran past them, away from the madness and the thick, suffocating smoke that ascended toward the sky, they felt no hesitation in running toward it.

Pansy listened for laughs and jeers.

Hermione followed the screams.

They belonged to opposite sides of this world, and there was no pretending that their situations were anything other than that. They didn't even like each other, and most likely, they never would.

But Hermione and Pansy found something oddly comforting about running into a battle with their enemy right by their side. This war, this fight, either now in Hogsmeade or in the grander picture, wasn't just black and white. Every situation and hardship they had faced so far wasn't a simple equation of morality set against evil. Nothing in this world is so cut and dry, or obvious.

Each end of the spectrum possessed a little of both, creating a long streak of gray that had completely swallowed up both of their lives.

"Hermione!" someone screamed.

The two girls looked at each other once more then turned to go their separate ways.

*** *** ***

As strange as it was, the bookshop had been attacked first.

Someone, no doubt a Death Eater, had placed an explosive in the Muggle Studies section of the store.

The trap was carefully located in a very popular book, which had been set off the moment a student had pulled the volume from its shelf.

Ron gasped as Luna explained this.

"How do you know?" he questioned morbidly, hungry for details.

Luna, Harry, Ron and Hermione had found each other by accident, scurrying around the streets of Hogsmeade, either fleeing from, or in perusal of, death-masked figures. The intimate group of friends had clutched one anothers' hands the instant they were aware of who was running beside them.

And so they stayed, hovering in the doorway of the Three Broomsticks, listening to Luna's tale.

"He told me," she said loudly, stressing the obvious.

"He?" Ron questioned irritably. "He who?"

"The boy who pulled the book off the shelf!"

Ron stared at her blankly. "How could he have told you? He must have been blown into a million pieces!"

"Ron!" Harry barked. "We'll discuss this later. From the sound of it, whatever sick game the Death Eaters are playing, it's far from over." The group turned back toward the main street, contemplating which side was sending the series of hexes that were flying in all directions.

And a game it had turned out to be. None of them could find any other explanation for it. The second explosion had taken place in Zonko's Joke Shop. Harry assumed that the stop had been targeted because of their large and popular stock of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes Muggle magic tricks.

These attacks seemed so petty and juvenile, so they had to serve no other purpose than sadistic entertainment.

A few more Death Eaters had Apparated in the streets as the minutes ticked by. Laughing and riotous taunts soon matched the wailing pleas for help.

"Wait here," Harry said suddenly before he darted out into the street. "And keep an eye out for the younger students!"

"No, wait..." Hermione screamed, reaching for him. "Harry! Where are you going?" She made a move to follow him, but Ron pulled her back.

"Stupid," Hermione growled through clenched teeth. "He's so stupid! And if he gets hurt, I'm going to wring his neck."

"Oh, my God," Ron gasped.

Hermione pulled her eyes away from Harry to follow Ron's gaze.

She sucked in a shocked breath. Thinking little of herself, Hermione did not hesitate in running out into the street. A young student, most likely a third year, was wandering aimlessly with a broken arm hanging oddly at his side. His wide eyes looked around at the various dueling figures, yet he didn't seem to see them.

"Can you hear me?" she asked the young boy as she knelt in front of him.

"Hermione!" Ron yelled in panic.

"Look at me," she said a bit louder. But the boy continued to gaze beyond her.

"Dammit, Hermione!" Ron screamed again. "Get out of the open!"

Just as Ron gave his warning, Hermione looked up in time to see a masked, black cloaked figure plummeting down the street. He raised his wand, sending a series of curses at her.

Reacting instantly, Hermione harshly pushed the boy away from her as she flung herself to lay flat on her back. The hexes narrowly missed them, passing between both of their bodies.

"Hermione!" Ron called again. He ran out into the street to grab her, but she pulled away from his reach, lunging once more for the younger student. The fall seemed to knock some sense into him, as he hysterically began to search for some logical explanation as to what was going on.

"Come on," Hermione called to him. She screamed when he faltered. "Move!"

Gazing out of the corner of her eye, Hermione anxiously observed the same Death Eater raise his wand again.

Time seemed to stand still, clouding her senses. Everything behind and around the Death Eater was a blur of speed, but he was walking very slowly. Something about his stance and ease caused the dread in her belly to turn. This man appeared very certain that he was going to reach his target.

Hermione watched him as her shaky fingers fished clumsily in her robes for her wand.

Feeling like she would not react in time, Hermione dragged the boy to the floor, pushing him behind her legs.

The Death Eater suddenly whirled around awkwardly. He growled irately as he reached up to clutch his face. The hex that had hit him breezed from off to the side and was soon followed by another black cloaked figure.

The Death Eater turned his face up toward the smoke-filled sky, bellowing angrily to the heavens. Yanking his damaged mask from his bleeding face, he thought little of revealing his identity.

Walden Macnair.

Macnair's feet shifted into a threatening stance as he pointed his wand at his new adversary.

Severus Snape's voluminous robes billowed behind him as he abruptly paused in the space that separated the students from the Death Eater. He raised his wand, crouching low in his well-known defensive position.

"You have always been a sentimental fool, Severus," Macnair chided. "Yet, you hide it well... even from yourself."

"Let's go," Ron said to Hermione as he grasped her by the elbow. Pulling the younger student up by his collar, he called to Hermione again. "What are you doing? Hermione, we have to go!"

But Hermione couldn't move.

Severus smirked evilly at his brother Death Eater. "If you want to chat, Macnair, I'll be sure to send you an invitation for afternoon tea."

"What I want, is that!" Macnair spat, pointing his wand at Hermione's back.

Severus made a display of gazing around, oblivious to what he was referring to. He shrugged his shoulders dismissively.

Macnair growled in frustration, saliva foaming in the corner of his mouth. "That is the Muggle-whore of Harry Potter! And quite some fun she would have been, too. I will not forget this."

Part of Hermione knew that this was all for show. That Severus had to play the role of a concerned professor in the eyes of the rest of the school... while the Death Eaters knew he belonged to them.

But Severus had still gone out of his way to protect her. He had sprang out of nowhere at just the right time; she could only assume that he had been watching her from a distance.

And that was still a Death Eater pointing a wand between Severus' eyes.

"Get up!"

Ron's mouth was right beside her ear. Flinching in pain, Hermione finally allowed Ron to pull her back into a narrow space between two buildings. As Hermione ran, she whipped her head around. When Severus caught her eye from the corner of his vision, she tried with all her might to tell him to be careful.

The moment she turned down the alley, both men bellowed out their hexes simultaneously.

She should have been relieved that she was now safely hidden away with Ron and the student. But all Hermione could think about was that she had fled before she had seen the outcome of the duel.

*** *** ***

Bastards! Harry shouted in his mind.

Cowards! Hiding themselves behind thick cloaks and identical masks.

If they truly believed in what they were fighting for, in the cause against Muggle-borns, shouldn't they be proud of it?

Harry continued running, ducking and weaving between Death Eaters and Order members.

It was as if he were invisible. Some of Voldemort's followers even seemed fearful at the sight of him.

Harry had Stunned and Stupefied a few in his haste, but none of the others retaliated in retribution.

Unless he was seriously needed, he continued ignoring the various dueling figures darting into doorways and crouching behind rubbish bins.

Harry was on a hunt for something else. More like someone else. Not one single seventh-year Slytherin was anywhere to be found. None of them were battling in the streets, and it pissed him off.

Somehow, Harry knew that they had known something beforehand, and he was determined to find out what.

Hog's Head.

The location entered his mind suddenly, and Harry listened. That place was one of the least popular locations in Hogsmeade, so it would make a reasonable hideout.

Pausing by the front door of the run-down pub, Harry had a suspicion that he would be better off entering through the back.

As he slowly turned the doorknob, a wave of laughter floated toward him.

But the moment he had softly closed the door behind him, an adjacent door flew open. His arm was seized, pulling him into the darkness of a broom cupboard.

Soft shushing sounds filled his ear as his attacker held him tight.

When Harry had finally relaxed, he whirled around, eyes widening in bewilderment.

"Zabini?" Harry gasped.

"Lower your voice!" Zabini whispered.

He raised his palm in the air and pushed his ear against the door. Harry followed suit, and both boys listened for any disturbance in the conversation outside.

More laughing.

Harry gritted his teeth angrily. "What the fuck is going on?"

Zabini raised his chin, but the rest of his body fidgeted. "Nott and Goyle..." Zabini paused, swallowing repeatedly. He grimaced, most likely at the idea of snitching on a fellow house member. "They helped Macnair. They placed the explosives."

Harry shook his head in disgust. "Why?"

Zabini gazed at Harry in confusion, taken aback by the question. As if such a thing truly could have an answer.

"What did you do?" It spat out of his mouth, laced heavily in accusation.

"Set off the display of Dungbombs in Zonko's," he said quickly.

Harry didn't know what to say, so he just sat in uncomfortable silence. It was obvious by now that Zabini didn't fall in line like the others, but Harry couldn't say for certain that he fell in line with himself. So he remained silent.

"Why did you pull me in here?" Harry asked, looking off to the side.

"There's too many of them out there. Not just students."

"And why aren't the students fighting?"

Zabini snorted. "None of them have their masks or cloaks."

*** *** ***

Hermione couldn't have born it any longer.

The second she had found an opportunity, Hermione had slipped away from Ron, Luna, and the other students through a back door of a nearby shop.

Once her friends noticed she had left, they would assume she had fled in search of Harry.

Finding him did in fact cross her mind, but Hermione knew that Harry could take care of himself.

After a considerable amount of time had passed, Hermione had slipped back out the same door, cautiously stepping out into the alley. It had only been a few minutes, but it seemed like ages.

She didn't want to go to him, but she needed to be certain that Severus wasn't hurt.

Her feet scurried in fear under her as she ran toward the main street. The fighting had died down, and the smoke had ceased to engulf the sky. When someone screamed "Aurors!" with a howl of triumph, a deep relieved breath escaped her.

Her reprieve increased considerably when a dark figure suddenly lunged at her, pushing her into the shadows.

She knew it was him the moment he touched her.

"Severus," Hermione wailed, her high pitched voice on her verge of tears.

Severus pressed a cold finger to her lips as he pressed one against his own. Various footsteps pounded against the cobblestone street a good distance away, but he needed to ensure that they weren't getting closer.

Severus finally turned to her. And when he did, her breathing visibly increased. He took his time, studying everything in her face, as his chest heaved against her: her reddened nose, her chapped lower lip, the swollen and stress-worn skin under her lower lashes.

Finally looking into her eyes, Severus slowly dragged his finger from her lips and down her chin. Their breaths came out in deep huffs, forming small clouds of condensation that combined and warmed their already heated faces.

The moment Hermione's breathing skipped, he quickly lowered his face to her. But just as hastily as Severus had moved, he had also hesitated. The heat from his mouth was intoxicating. Hermione repeatedly opened and closed her lips, lifting her chin toward him.

That was all the encouragement Severus needed. He plunged his tongue into her mouth as he pressed his body against her. Her arms instantly wrapped around his neck, pulling hard on his hair.

Severus' craving was so vicious that he continued to push against her. He needed to be closer, but he was already crushing her into the wall. Following his urges, Severus swiftly hauled up Hermione's robes before lifting her body off the floor.

Her legs wrapped around his waist instinctively.

"Severus," she moaned again.

His cold nose pressed against her throat, then glided up under her jaw.

"I know," he whispered.

Severus sharply lifted her body again to steady her weight, forcing himself to press hard between her legs. He swallowed her moan as he sucked on her bottom lip.

Holding her weight, his hands fished for an opening in the hem of her robes. Finally feeling the bare skin of her thigh, Severus glided his hand higher up her leg.

Hermione gasped as a sharp chill breezed over her exposed skin. Tightening her legs around him, she dragged her lips away when he grinded his body against her again.

Hermione suddenly felt like she had far too much clothing on. She wanted to feel him. She ached to feel his bare skin pressed against hers. So when the hand under her robes squeezed her hip roughly before sliding up her inner thigh, Hermione threw her head back, encouraging his actions.

Her knickers were suddenly pushed to the side. Wrapping her arms tighter around Severus neck, Hermione thrust her tongue into his mouth. Severus thrust his hips up in reaction, encouraging her to grind against the hand pressed between her legs.

When Hermione thought she was going to black out from so many different and overwhelming sensations, reality suddenly consumed her.

This, here and now, was terribly wrong.

"Wait," she gasped, pained that she had said it the moment the word entered her head.

Severus groaned as he bit into the flesh of her neck.

"Wait, Severus," she said again, pushing him away.

Confused in a fog of arousal, Severus hands clasped around her thighs, preventing her from lowering them. "Why?" he breathed.

"Severus," Hermione gasped. "Look where we are!" Her eyes rolled back when his hands steadily slid up her legs. She fought to remain focused. "Who knows what was going on out there while all of... this was happening."

He smirked slightly, pressing himself against her. "I know. And nothing serious is happening out there anymore."

"What do you know?" Hermione asked quietly. "Did you know what was going to happen today?"

"I possessed a few ideas, yes." He answered immediately.

"And you didn't stop it!"

His head snapped up sharply. A dark look overtook Snape's expression as his mouth curled into a sneer. Severus lifted his hands from Hermione and quickly stepped back, forcing her to grasp the wall behind her to steady her own weight.

"Stopping it," he spat, "wasn't part of my orders." Crossing his arms, Severus slowly took a step towards hers.

"Orders?" she asked slowly. Straightening up against the wall, Hermione paused to awkwardly rearrange her underclothes and robes. "So every time that mighty snake commands something of you, you obey, no questions asked?"

Severus angrily slammed his palm against the wall beside her head.

But she didn't flinch.

"Who said the Dark Lord commanded anything of me today?"

Hermione inhaled. "Did...did the Headmaster...?"

"It does not matter," he sneered through clenched teeth. "So please, spare me the pain of your ignorant accusations..."

"It matters to me! Everything and anything I ask you, I ask for a reason!"

Snape leaned over her. He pointed a finger in her face as he visibly fought to maintain a steady voice. "What did I tell you about interrupting me?"

Hermione pushed his hand away and raised her chin defiantly. "Don't worry. I heard your warning the first time. In fact, I have heard and mentally documented all of them. They're somewhat difficult to forget, especially your last lesson regarding my behavior."

Severus pulled back slightly. He faltered in his own memories of that evening.

"If you had only listened to me in the first place," he whispered, "things wouldn't have got so out of control."

"Are you blaming your behavior on me!" she gasped.

Severus smoothly grasped her chin as he stepped very close. "That behavior, Hermione, is me. I wish things hadn't escalated so unpleasantly, but if you can't handle such things, you couldn't possibly handle me."

Hermione snorted disdainfully. "You're not a beast, Severus." She yanked her face out of his hold. "You're not some feral animal who can only act on instinct. You're human just like everyone else. So, just like anyone else, you were born with free will. Regardless of what you may have been influenced by."

"Influenced by?" he gasped. "Influenced by... influenced by!" He screamed, face twisting disturbingly. "You know nothing of me. Nothing! So don't speak of my nature or free will so freely."

"I know nothing of you?" she half-laughed indignantly. "Do you honestly mean that?"

Severus clenched his jaw and turned his face away.

"Look at me!"

Arms crossed, Snape slowly turned toward her.

"Do you truly mean that? I know nothing of you... Then what am I?"

Severus lifted his eyebrows in mock bewilderment. "What are you?" he asked sarcastically.

"What am I... Who am I... to you?"

Her eyes welled with tears, and emotion had found its way into her voice. Severus took a confident step toward her.

Grasping her hand, Severus pulled back the sleeve of her robe. He lifted her arm to his face, placing a soft kiss on the inside of her wrist. "What answer are you looking for from me?" he asked smoothly. "Should I say, 'friend'? Or perhaps, 'lover'." Smirking slightly, Severus pressed her palm against his heart. "Or maybe, you are a failed shag that I keep around for entertainment value."

Wailing in pain, Hermione pushed him away, flinging her body away from him.

She shook her head wildly as she walked backwards toward the main street.

"I do know you," Hermione whispered. "And I know you don't mean that... but I refuse to stand around and let you speak to me that way."

As she turned her back on him, Severus harshly barked out, "Hermione!"

But she kept walking.

Before she was about to step out into the street, Hermione turned her upper body toward him, catching him off guard. Meeting his eyes, she knew he didn't want her to leave.

"You're down to ninety-seven, Severus."

And then she was gone.

---

Author's Notes: I tried to reason with him, but Severus is a very stubborn man.

-Melusin has been a blessing!

-Chapter title taken from John Milton's Paradise Lost, Book i. Line 275.