43: Another Meeting At The Burrow

Chapter 43: Another Meeting at The Burrow

Once she had finished up with Remus and Tonks, Hermione joined the boys upstairs where they were working on their dueling. She watched for a moment until Harry managed to trip Ron up and knock him flat on his back.

"Good job," she said when she was sure she wouldn't get hit by a stray hex.

Harry looked over at her, panting slightly from exertion. "Not good enough, though. I seriously doubt hexing Ron is going to be as difficult as hexing Death Eaters or hitting Voldemort with that curse you're working on."

Hermione considered for a moment, then decided to come clean. "Actually, I'm not the one working on the spell. Snape is." She saw the argument forming on their faces and didn't give them a chance to complain. "You know he has much more experience creating spells than I have. I know he said he's starting to get close on the second one, the one Harry will use. I hoped we could test them on the twins once we've got everything together. If identical twins don't share blood, who does?"

"Come on, Hermione, you left the most important spells we will cast in our whole lives up to Snape to create? What were you thinking?" Ron got off the floor and wiped his hands on his trousers.

"I was thinking that he was on our side and that he could create the spell faster and more accurately than anyone else we know."

"And how do you know that's true? I mean, he didn't warn us of that attack on those ships in the channel a few days back."

It had been Hermione's decision not to warn the Order about those, with Severus urging her to keep quiet. He had told her, but he was one of only two Death Eaters who knew about the attack in advance. As much as they wanted to warn someone, it simply wasn't safe. Instead. he had set off an alarm in the selected ships an hour before the attack, which forced most of the Muggles to vacate. It was the best they could do under the situation.

Unfortunately, there were still over forty dead, and nearly double that injured, though thousands of lives had been saved. It would be a long time before she forgot the guilt of that decision. "If Snape were keeping those kinds of things to himself, he would now be dead. The fact that he isn't dead means he's honoring his vow. Can we please drop it? We need to make some decision about the next Horcrux."

Ron grumbled under his breath, but didn't continue the conversation. He seemed utterly unconvinced, but walked over to the paper that listed everything they knew about Hufflepuff's cup. "I say it's in the school. No other location has come up, regardless of how many questions Fred and George have asked. He received an award for service to the school; it could be there, or maybe in the Slytherin dorms. I think we need to ask McGonagall, see if we can get in to search."

Hermione met Harry's eye, then turned back to Ron. "I'm with you. He won't have hidden it someplace totally innocuous, but somewhere that mattered to him. Your locations are spot on, and it feels right, that he would leave it at the school. He would have placed it when he came to interview with Dumbledore. Maybe that was the whole purpose of the meeting...to get him close enough to place the cup."

"Yeah. Dobby could probably get us in without McGonagall's permission, but I'd rather go about this the right way, in case we get caught. Filch is still on patrol, after all." Ron pulled a face at this.

"The next order of business is how we're going to get better at dueling," Hermione said. "Harry's right. We're all going to have to start dueling people who are significantly better than we are if we're going to improve more rapidly. I think we've learned all the curses we'll need, and we're doing well with silent spell casting, but we've got to get better and faster at it."

"Then it's time we brought in Remus, Charlie, Bill and some of the others. We'll ask them about that tonight as well." Ron nodded in agreement.

Wanting to prepare themselves, the three of them set about reviewing all the spells they knew to refresh their memories.

*****

The meeting at the Burrow started pretty much the same way her meeting with Remus and Tonks had started. Hermione walked in a few minutes after it was set to start to be sure everyone was there and took a seat beside Harry...who obligingly poured her a cup of tea. Mouths dropped, people stared, questions were asked, but Hermione quickly took control of the discussion. They laid out the censored bits of information they had given Ron, then explained the need for secrecy.

"So you want us all to pretend as though you and Harry still hate each other," Bill asked.

"No, I want you all to pretend that Harry hates me, even though I feel a little guilty about hurting him and wish he felt OK about my decisions, but that I've made them and will stand by them." Hermione finished her cup of tea and floated the pot back toward herself for a refill.

"And we're all supposed to be shocked by the fact that you have a relationship with Severus, then?" Molly asked, a bit of disapproval in her voice, despite the fact that the relationship had been presented as fiction.

"No, none of you are supposed to know Harry even knows about the relationship. You're all very surprised by Harry's anger and don't understand what's going on."

"But if we find out from another source, you would prefer we either don't believe what we've heard, or grow angry at you for seeing the, er, traitor too?" Charlie this time. Hermione got the definite idea that his intended adjective had been much stronger than the one he had settled for.

"Exactly." When she was sure everyone understood the situation, she turned the conversation over to Harry, who brought up the need for dueling practice. Once that was settled and a schedule set up at various locations, the meeting broke up.

"Er, Professor McGonagall, may we have a word with you?" Hermione asked before the older woman could leave.

She looked surprised by the request, but gamely followed the three of them outside where Ron explained what they needed, more or less. "You see, we think the next artifact is hidden there and want to search a few places in the castle."

"I assure you if something of that nature had been left in the castle, someone would have found it by now," the new headmistress said.

"That's what you all said about the Chamber of Secrets too, and you were mistaken. We've isolated a few locations we'd like to search, but we'll need access to the Slytherin dorm area, and a few other spots in the school."

"This is highly irregular." She pursed her lips or a long moment. "I suppose I can change the password to 'Slytherin' for the next few weeks and tell the house-elves and Filch you will be coming. Whatever you're doing, don't hesitate to ask for help."

"We've had Bill assist us on previous occasions. If we need his help again or yours even, we'll be sure to ask," Harry assured her, grinning that they had gotten permission.

"Well then, you can come by as soon as tomorrow evening. Now if we're finished here." Gaining everyone's nod that they were finished, McGonagall Disapparated.

The three of them wandered back towards the Burrow, but Bill came out and looked around the back yard, stopping when his eyes landed on Hermione. He walked over, never taking his eyes off her. "Hey, I wondered if we might have a word."

"Go ahead," Hermione said.

Bill looked nervously at Ron and Harry, then back to her. "I'd rather we speak more privately."

Certain she knew what he wanted to talk about, Hermione nodded. Harry wasn't so inclined. "What do you need to talk to her about that you can't say with us standing here?"

Hermione turned toward him. "I'm sure Bill just wants to discuss my health after those healing charms he cast the other day. I know the diagnosis charm produces very detailed results."

Ron looked even more clueless than before, but understanding came into Harry's eyes, and he tugged Ron away, saying something about meeting her back inside.

She and Bill turned and walked further from the Burrow. "So you know then? I wasn't sure if you did," he said.

"Yes, so does Harry, and Remus and Tonks. You didn't mention it to anyone?"

"No, I got the feeling the other day that you weren't aware of your, er, situation."

"Honestly, I didn't find out until a few days ago. I wasn't sure until we were at the restaurant." Hermione crossed her fingers behind her back, as though that would make fudging the truth OK. Her not being sure and not having a clue were really very different things. "That's the big shock that was supposed to have pushed Harry over the edge, actually."

"And your soul mate, does he know? Have you discussed marriage? I know the bond is really strong and that he can't get out of it even if he wanted to, but he needs to take responsibility for his family, you know."

"Yes, he's taking responsibility, we began discussing marriage within days of the enchantment taking effect, and I assure you he has no intention of allowing his child to be born out of wedlock." She rubbed her fingers over her forehead, feeling a headache rising behind her eyes. "I can't wait until this is all over."

Bill's eyes narrowed at her, and he crossed his arms over his chest as if just realizing something. "How did Snape know about your possible impending pregnancy? He would have had to demonstrate some kind of reciprocal interest to you to have truly disgusted Harry."

Scanning her mind for any possible explanation, Hermione began, "Well, you see..."

Bill held up a hand. "Wait, never mind. I don't want an answer to that question. Just keep it to yourself, will you? I'll pretend that the question never occurred to me."

"You certainly are anxious not to receive answers to things."

"It's how I lived so long with the twins without strangling one of them. Don't ask, don't tell. It's the safest policy. Just know if you need anything, to let me know. Don't wear yourself out, and be careful. It's a dangerous game you're playing." When she nodded at him, Bill changed the subject. "So have you pinpointed the final location, then?"

"We think so. We think it's at the school."

"And Dumbledore never ran across it? You're mad."

"Perhaps, but it's the most logical place to start. We'll get back to you when we find what we're looking for."

"I'll be waiting." Bill turned back toward the Burrow, and Hermione followed along, walking in silence.

Before they reached the door, Tonks came out. "Hermione, I've been hoping to catch you before you leave."

Letting out an annoyed breath at yet another interruption, which was sure to bring Ron out looking for her when she wanted nothing more than to sleep, Hermione made herself smile and face the Auror. "What's up?"

Again she walked away from the home while Tonks reached into her jacket and pulled out a tiny bag. "I picked these up for you today, had a hard time keeping Shacklebolt from seeing what I was buying. Nosey tosser. Anyway, enlarge them when you get home and take a look. I think I covered all the basics."

Recognizing the bag from Flourish and Blotts, Hermione smiled. "That was quick; thanks for your help. Oh, and Bill knows about the pregnancy, but not the marriage. Ron knows about the marriage, but not the pregnancy, and neither know who the father is."

"But Harry knows everything."

"Yes, Harry knows everything." Hermione sighed. "I'm going to get a headache trying to keep this all straight."

"Better you than me, girl."

*****

When Hermione arrived back at the cottage, Severus was sitting in a chair in the cool evening air next to a lit lantern reading a book. He looked up at the crack of Apparition, then returned his attention to his book. Too tired to deal with his petulance, she walked right past him and into the cottage.

She moved around the cottage, taking care of the little details like putting things away, sliding books back into place from the stack she had set out the previous day. Her body was weary from the dueling practice earlier in the day, and her muscles ached from the stress of wondering how the meeting would go.

She stepped into the shower to wash off the grime and sweat of the day, slid into one of the slinky nightgowns her husband had bought for her, as there was nothing else in the cottage, then eased her tired body between the sheets.

Though her body was tired, her mind wouldn't stop. Her mind was constantly considering all of the variables they had to work with, trying to figure out how to tweak the odds in their interest.

"I could hear that amazing brain of yours working from the front porch."

Surprised from her train of thought, Hermione looked over to see Severus standing in the doorway to the room, silhouetted by the kitchen light. He had removed his outer jacket and vest and undone the top two buttons of his shirt. His shoes and socks were missing as well. For Severus Snape it was remarkably relaxed. "There's a lot going on."

"Indeed." He hovered in the doorway for a long moment. "You asked me to find out about the Chans, why the Dark Lord wanted them."

She tipped her head to the side. "Yes?"

"Apparently Mr. Chan is especially talented with Arithmancy, and the Dark Lord wanted someone to calculate the best way to break Potter. You needn't worry about the couple, however; they haven't returned to their restaurant and are unlikely to before Potter sends the evil git to eternity."

"Thanks. I appreciate you finding out for me."

"It wasn't difficult; several groups of Death Eaters were discussing it. I have already sent Lupin a note to inform him to protect other powerful Arithmancers. The longer it takes the Dark Lord to snatch another, the better for our side." When she only nodded at his explanation, Severus watched her for a long moment, searching her face. "Are you going to make me sleep in the front room again?"

"I didn't make you in the first place. You're welcome to sleep beside me, there just won't be any other activities going on here for a while."

"For how long?" He walked over slowly, every movement beckoning to her senses. His long, lean form enticed and excited her as it prowled toward her. Then he leaned down to her, his expression smoldering.

Hermione could feel his desire running through her and that it matched her own, egged it on and began the spiral that would soon become unstoppable, but she ignored it as well as she could while the pitch slowly rose. "Not long." She allowed her voice to almost purr.

"How long?" His purr matched her own, and he ran his fingers down her arm, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

She placed a hand on each of his arms and ran them across the soft fabric to his chest, thoroughly enjoying the feel of it and his muscles under her fingers for the moment. "Until you fully appreciate the seriousness of your mistake." She pushed with all her might, off balancing him so that he nearly fell over.

He growled, turned and stalked out. Just before the front door slammed, he called out. "If you need me, you know how to let me know."

Clenching her jaw as pain washed over her...both his and hers...she turned her face into her pillow in hopes she would be able to deny the existence of the tears welling in her eyes if they weren't running down her face.

*****

The next day was exhausting as Hermione fought alongside Harry and Ron, dueling Kingsley, Remus, Charlie and Bill in the paddock at the Burrow. Though they found themselves flat on their backs with all kinds of creative, but not painful hexes, they managed to hold their own most of the time.

They broke for lunch, then started up again, working through the afternoon with breaks for the older men to give them pointers periodically on dueling stances and to show them new hexes and jinxes the trio hadn't encountered before.

By bedtime, Hermione was completely exhausted, but she returned to her empty cottage, soaked in the luxurious tub and went to her huge bed, wishing her husband were there to snuggle up to. She knew it was partly her fault he wasn't, but wasn't ready to back down yet.

*****

When morning arrived and Severus still wasn't at the cottage, she searched for him in her mind and realized he was close by, probably at the manor house she had never seen. She hadn't thought about where he might be staying. He had his home in Spinner's End, but he hadn't stayed there, instead he had stayed close by. For the first time, she allowed herself more than a passing thought, wondering who owned the property. Why had this sweet cottage never been cared for properly before, and why had she never seen the owner?

She rose and got ready for the day, sitting down to a hot breakfast, thanking her lucky stars for Twinkie after the way she had tossed and turned the night before. There was still a bit of conflict inside her, telling her it was wrong to be grateful that a house-elf had to be indentured to the property, but she didn't have enough energy to really mean it.

Today she would go with the boys to Hogwarts to begin their search of the castle. The job seemed insurmountable, even with the parameters they had placed on the search. Then there was the dinner party her mother had hoped she would bring Severus to that evening. With everything else going on, she had forgotten to ask him. But she couldn't put it off any longer, and she didn't want to lie and say he hadn't been able to make it if she hadn't even asked him. There were too many secrets and lies she was keeping from her parents as it was.

"Severus," she spoke aloud. "Please come see me." She added an emotional tug to the request and returned to sipping on her tea, trusting that he would follow through with his promise to come if she called him.

A couple minutes later she heard the front door open and close, then his footsteps in the other room. The swinging door to the kitchen opened, and he stood before her, his hair in disarray, his clothing rumpled and his face impassive. "You called, my lady?"

Her irritation mounted at his butler-correct tone, but she pushed it aside. "I've been meaning to ask you for a couple days if you would join me for dinner at my parents' house this evening. They have been requesting an opportunity to meet Sebastian."

"It would serve you right if I came as myself instead." His voice was filled with vitriol, though his face continued to be impassive.

Hermione pushed her bushy hair back from her face with one hand and sighed. "If you don't want to go, if you don't feel you can play the doting lover, just say so. I wouldn't want to tax your acting abilities by making you pretend you felt something for me besides lust."

"My acting is superb, as you are well aware. I'm afraid I haven't a clue what to say to Muggles. I've known so few. I haven't really conversed with one since I moved away from home the last time."

"They haven't changed all that much. Not really. They still eat and sleep, breathe and talk about the stock market, the green grocer's and the latest football game. You do still remember what those things are, don't you?"

He growled at her. "Do not patronize me."

"Then don't act like a fool. Are you coming or not?" She wrapped her shaky hands around the tea cup, hoping to hide her emotional and physical state.

His eyes narrowed at her and he seemed to study her. "You're not well. Go back to bed."

"I'm fine." She stood, ignoring the wave of dizziness that came over her.

"You're not fine." He stepped forward and grabbed her by the shoulder, steadying her before wrapping his other arm around her. "You're going back to bed."

"I can't go back to bed. I have work to do, Horcruxes to track, evil wizards to destroy. There's no time for me to be sick." Her protests continued all the way to the bedroom, but she didn't put up more than a token fight.

"It appears that saving the world, both wizarding and Muggle, will have to wait an hour or two. Your morning sickness is starting to kick in." He lowered her to the bed, touching her with his wand to change her clothing back to what she had worn the night before.

"I don't have morning sickness, a bit of evening nausea, yes, but nothing in the morning. It's all your imagination. That feels good." She closed her eyes as his hand ran across her forehead and he muttered a charm to determine her health. His hand was cool and calming.

"Just a temporary setback. You'll be better in no time, my sweet. Lay back and rest; you worked yourself too hard yesterday anyway and could use a little more sleep." He muttered something more under his breath and she drifted off.

*****

When she awoke again three hours had passed, and Hermione found her husband sitting on the bedcovers next to her, reading from the latest issue of Ars Alchemia. She took in a deep breath and rubbed her eyes.

Alerted by the noise and movement, Severus looked over at her, then placed his cool hand on her forehead again, casting the same charm to check her health. "You should be feeling far better now. Any difference?"

"Did you cast a charm to make me sleep?"

"Yes; you didn't sleep well last night. Kept waking me with your worry. After the beating you took at practice yesterday, I couldn't let you run around at half strength. You look better now though; you have all your color back. Would you like some tea?"

Hermione wanted to be irritated that he had 'helped' her back to sleep when she had so many things to do, but she felt so much better, she found she couldn't complain. "Yes, please." She sat up in bed and leaned against the headboard.

When Twinkie popped into the room a few seconds later, it was with a steaming tea set and platter of finger foods. "Twinkie is here to serve you, Master and Mistress. So good to see yous feeling better, Mistress. The tea will be just the right thing for you. Let Twinkie know if Mistress needs anything more."

"Thank you, Twinkie, that will be all for now." Severus picked up the pot and one of the cups to begin pouring. Twinkie bowed low and vanished.

"Strange elf, that one." Hermione took the offered cup of tea and drank nearly half of it before turning back to her husband. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I don't like to see you ill." He nodded slightly, but wouldn't meet her eyes.

"I don't like to be ill." She smiled slightly at him, then took another sip and allowed her eyes to wander to the clock on the wall across from her. "Oh, no. Is it really that late?" Hermione set the cup on her nightstand and made to get out of bed.

Severus grabbed her upper arm and prevented her escape, not hurting her, just restraining her. "You aren't going anywhere until you've eaten something."

Irritation poured out of her, but he didn't bother to acknowledge it. "I was supposed to meet Harry and Ron at Headquarters hours ago. They'll be wondering where I've gone, if I'm all right."

"They'll be fine. I sent my Patronus to Potter when you fell back asleep. He knows you are indisposed and will join them at your destination sometime mid day. He returned the favor, saying you can simply call for Dobby when you reach the destination, and he will guide you to their location."

Relieved that the boys wouldn't be worrying, at least, she settled back against her pillows, her head on the cool wall. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that."

There was a long pause. "Yes I did. As you stated the other day, I got you into this position without your consent. I knew there would be limitations, illness, and stress for you if we created a life together, and I didn't take the time to consider that you would need to be part of that decision. Even if our hand had been forced, I should have spoken with you about it. I will strive to be what you need of me as you deal with the drawbacks of your physical condition."

A long moment passed as Hermione tried to assimilate what he had said. "I appreciate it, Severus. I don't want you to think that this child is completely unwelcome." She placed a hand on her stomach and tried to take it all in. "There's a part of me that wants this child, very much, because it came from you."

"A very small part wants the child, however."

Hermione looked over and searched his averted face, studied the careful way he set his tea cup back onto the saucer. When she sensed something more, she focused in on his emotions, broke through the bridge and felt anguish, regret, resentment, sorrow and longing.

She placed a hand on his arm, then leaned over and kissed his cheek. "A growing part. Give me time to get used to the idea."

He nodded, but said nothing and did not meet her eyes.

Several minutes passed in silence as she ate a few things from the tray of food Twinkie had brought, then rose from the bed feeling many times better. "You're going hunting then, I suppose?" he asked when she moved toward the chair where her clothes lay folded.

"We all do what we must." A tap of her wand and her apparel switched again.

He rose behind her; she heard the sound of his clothing shifting, brushing together. "You will be careful."

Picking up her brush, she began to attack the mat on the side of her head. "Yes, and I'll have the boys with me. I could hardly get into trouble in an empty school."

"You'll be with Potter and Weasley. I don't believe you could help getting in trouble with them under any circumstances."

That brought a smile to her face, mostly because his comment lacked venom. "And you may be right." Another moment and her hair was in some order, and she turned to face him. "Will you be about to meet my parents for dinner tonight, around six?"

"Unless I'm called away. I'll be wearing appropriate Muggle apparel and my most conciliatory manner. I promise." He reached out and rested both his hands on her shoulders, then bowed down and planted a soft, brief kiss on her lips. "Take care of yourself. I'll see you this evening."

Relishing the contact, Hermione leaned in and laid one more short kiss on him. "Until tonight."

When he let go, she smiled, then Disapparated.

He pursed his lips together, tasting her on them, and smiled. All was not well, but perhaps it could be mended after all.

_____________

AN: Thanks to my beta, countrymouse, for her help. Also, thanks to my many reviewers for their feedback. And big thanks to RobisonRocket for catching my many punctuation errors.