Stronger as One

A/N: Thank you for waiting for this next chapter, dear readers--I know it's been a while, and I really appreciate that you are anxious to read what will happen next. I hope you enjoy this one. Thank you to Lariope, Lulabelle72, and RedSkyAtNight for their support and being excited that I actually had a chapter to give them! Much love!

Hermione's eyes popped opened as the horrendous smell of burnt hair invaded her nose, waking her from her deep sleep. She rolled out of the bed and glanced at the clock on the bedside table. Hermione groaned, realizing that this was the third day in a row that she had slept past noon.

She had avoided Severus for the past few days, which had been difficult to do while stuck inside a tiny cottage, but she had needed time to mull things over. In fact, the only words she had said in the last three days had been the morning after their fight. He had been sitting in the living room, waiting for her. She had thought she would be ready to talk, but she wasn't. As she had walked towards the bathroom, she had simply stated: "I'm not ready."

But it had been when that horrendous smell intruded her slumber that she realized that she couldn't stay away forever. She tumbled out of bed, rubbing the stiffness out of her neck. Grow up, Granger. You're an adult. Hiding in your room is not the solution.

After using the loo, washing her face, brushing her teeth, and pulling her hair into a ponytail, Hermione walked towards the kitchen, where the offensive stench was seeping from behind the closed door. She crinkled her nose as she gently pushed opened the door and peered inside.

As Severus dropped six freshly diced bat wings into his boiling cauldron, the door to the kitchen swooshed open. Although his heart skipped a beat, he refused to turn around and greet her--she was just eager to see what he was up to, the nosy know-it-all. He stirred the contents, placed the spoon on the counter, and stood there, watching his potion--it would be another two hours before it was ready to be stirred again, but Severus wanted to stand his ground and ignore her as she had done him for the past three days.

Damn, woman, say something, will you?

Instead of facing her, he took two side steps to the left, placed a ginger root on his cutting board, and began slicing it. Her silence and her eyes upon him were driving him mad.

How dare she watch me, waiting for me to start speaking to her. She was the one who chose to have her space. She was--

"Severus?"

He released the breath he had been holding and calmed himself. He turned his head slightly to the right as if looking over his shoulder. "Miss Granger?"

"If you've got a moment, I would like to speak to you in the living room."

"About what--the smell? It will diminish over time," he said, turning back to his cutting board to continue his slicing of the ginger root.

"Not about the smell--at least not yet. We need to talk about us. Have you got few minutes to talk while the potion brews?"

Of course he did, although his instincts told him that he must not appear too eager to speak to her, and he longed to make her suffer as he had. But he reminded himself that he intended to show Hermione that he had changed. And so, instead of voicing the retort that had sprung so easily to his lips, he gently placed his knife on the counter and faced her, saying, "I've got plenty of time, Hermione."

Her shoulders relaxed, and he knew he had said the correct words. He followed her into the living room and sat in the chair across from hers. She fidgeted with the hem of her skirt, but her eyes never turned from his.

"You and I have made some horrible mistakes--you more than me, but nevertheless, we both have done some things we are not proud of, correct?"

Severus nodded.

"And although we have the ability to go back in time and change what we have done, it isn't the right thing to do, nor is it logical--learning from our mistakes is, though. Would you agree?"

"Very much so."

Hermione cleared her throat and nodded. "So, the way I see it, we may have some issues to work on, but it would be best to look forward and not backwards and dwell on the negatives of the past--although you mustn't forget it."

"Whatever it is you are trying to say, just say it and stop blathering."

She huffed. "To be perfectly clear, I do not agree with your actions, and so help you, Severus Snape, if you ever do anything like that again and you continue on the destructive path that you are on, it will not be You-Know-Who or Dumbledore you have to worry about."

Severus raised his eyebrow, impressed at her assertiveness. He had already promised himself he would change, and now it was time to say it aloud to her. "I will not be so foolish again, Hermione. I promise."

Hermione nodded, rose from the chair, and headed towards the kitchen. "So... What are you brewing?" she asked.

Severus quickly followed her and grabbed her arm from behind, spinning her around to face him. Her watery eyes looked up at him, and Severus knew he had done the right thing--her anger and hurt were still apparent. He tightly wrapped her in his arms and finally felt her forgiveness as she welcomed his embrace and buried her face in his chest.

"I'm sorry I hurt you," he whispered before she released her tears of tension and frustration. Severus closed his eyes and kissed the top of her head. He fought against his emotions for only a moment until he finally surrendered to his own tears.

The feel of her, so small in his arms, wracked with sobs, finally brought home to him the fragility of his little lioness. He always thought of Hermione as the emotionally strong one, whereas his strength was physical and magical, but he realized with a sharp intake of breath just how vulnerable she really was, how easy it was to hurt her, and how close he had come to breaking her with his own stubborn possessiveness. His heart ached with both the possible, horrible results of his behavior and also with wonder that she could even forgive him.

It was an amazing feeling, not having to hide away his affection and hurt from her--for once in his life, he felt normal, not the awkward boy he once was and most definitely not the closed-off man that he had been his entire life. Flashes of a happy future with this woman in his arms raced through his mind, and it was at that moment that Severus, at long last, began to want, began to dream of a life outside of the darkness he knew. And it was at that moment that he vowed he would finish this fucking war on the side of good so that he could have those things that he desperately wanted, so that he could finally do the right thing. He never wanted his woman scorned like this again, and if he spent the rest of his life, no matter how short it might be, ensuring that she was safe and happy, then that was what he would do. He knew this was his last chance with her--he wouldn't fuck it up.

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, committing everything about this moment in his arms to memory. She felt secure and safe and never wanted to let go. She didn't need Veritaserum or Legilimency to know that he was truly sorry for all the stupid things he had done in the past. She loved him, and she forgave him--all that mattered now was moving forward. She would never forget, nor would she let him, but she could move beyond it.

She sighed, remembering that he had a cauldron full of a nasty-smelling potion, and she was eager to find out what the bloody hell he was up to. She finally released her grip on his waist and looked up at him. With the pad of her thumb, she wiped away the trail of tears from his cheek. He grinned and then softly kissed her on her forehead. Hermione cleared her throat and said, "You never answered me--what is it that you are brewing? It smells disgusting."

"Let me get this right," Hermione said as she sipped a cup of coffee. "A house-elf arrived, stating that it will retrieve anything the houseguests ask for, and you handed him a two-foot long parchment with items you wanted, and he got them all? Never mind that you didn't demand anything to help us communicate with the world outside the cottage, or ask for practical items to help us survive, or items that I might need--no, of course not, you asked for potion ingredients!"

Severus looked at her oddly, as if she had said something wrong. Hermione chuckled inside; that was just like him to concern himself with magic over personal needs.

"And when you asked the house-elf about what was happening outside this cottage, he lost his voice?" she asked.

"Dumbledore must have placed a spell on Zeki so he couldn't tell us what was happening," he said as he strained the thick potion into another cauldron.

"That's so unfair. Why is he treating us this way? Doesn't he know how dangerous it is to have you locked away--what happens if your Dark Mark starts burning and you can't respond to his demand? I remember the last time--you were in so much pain!"

Severus placed the cauldron on top of the countertop and turned around. "If I cannot answer the call of the Dark Lord, he will eventually come to me."

Hermione felt sick. Voldemort would be able to use the Dark Mark as a tracking device; she should have known...

"But we are in a Secret-Kept location--we are safe inside here," she whispered.

"The Dark Lord can pinpoint my position."

Hermione patiently stared at him, waiting for him to continue.

"What is worse, though, is that he has control over the Dark Mark and can use it to Apparate me to him. I'm not even sure Dumbledore knows about that. Until then..."

Hermione covered her face with her hands, growling into them, and then slammed her hands on the table, knocking over the sugar. "Dumbledore knows. He is counting on Voldemort to show up here in search of you--it's a fucking trap!"

Severus snorted. Of course it was a trap. That manipulative bastard had used him once again--it seemed to be the standard state of affairs when it came to Dumbledore's treatment of him.

"I know, Hermione."

Hermione narrowed her eyes. "You've got a plan, haven't you?"

Severus smirked. "I always have a plan."

"And it has something to do with that ghastly potion, yes?"

"Indeed," he said, turning around to stir the potion.

Hermione stood next to him, her fingers pinching her nose, and watched as he scooped the remaining glop into a glass bowl. "You know Dumbledore wants me to control you, to make sure you stay loyal," she stated.

"Yes, of course he would want that. But there is another reason he brought us here."

She crinkled her brow. "Oh, really?"

"Slice this into four even slivers," Severus said, handing her a small silver knife and a centipede. "Now, what do people such as ourselves do best?"

"People like us? What do you mean?"

He smirked and sprinkled the liquid potion with drops of spider venom. "We're researchers, Hermione."

She nods. "True. I enjoy doing that. It's my role in this war. Well, besides keeping Harry out of trouble."

Severus chuckled. "Harry Potter and trouble are synonymous with each other. But yes, that is your role. Those look excellent. Drop them into the cauldron and put the flame on low. Now, as researchers, we must find a way to vanquish the Dark Lord forever."

"But we already have that answer--eliminate the Horcruxes. That was the reason we delved into mummies and bugs and all sorts of frightening items--so I could get that book that locates all the Horcruxes!"

Severus opened a chest that was sitting on the floor. Inside, phials of potions were lined up, some powdered in fine dust, some large, some small. He removed a shelf to reveal other items such as stirring sticks and tapered candles hiding behind the phials. Severus reached for two talons and then closed the lid.

"I have a vivid memory of that adventure, Hermione. And as much as it has helped, it has also hindered us because a person has to be in a room for that spell to work. And of all the rooms in Britain--the world--how would we know which is the correct one? It could take years to locate all the Horcruxes."

Hermione huffed. "Well, as much as I may not like to admit this, Dumbledore has an idea of where they are located."

"He has ideas, but he isn't positive," Severus said as he removed a pouch that was labeled 'Banshee Hair' from a smaller trunk. He started meticulously plaiting a lock of the white hair, and from the way he was avoiding her eyes, she knew that he had much more to tell--he was just making her work her way to the answer. And she willingly obliged--she always loved to solve a mystery. But even more, she was thoroughly enjoying this journey that Severus was leading her on; she knew he was testing her and that he was pleased with her answers. But even better was that their renewed ease with one another as a result of this gave her definitive hope for their future together.

"So, if we aren't sure where all the Horcruxes are located, we could be searching for years, even decades, trying to find them. This surely must mean that you already have an idea of where to find them--no!"

Severus slowly faced her, the corner of his mouth turned upward, waiting for her to finish the last piece of his puzzle.

"You... you don't know where to find them. You don't need to because you know how to kill all the Horcruxes at once, don't you? That's it, isn't it?"

Severus chuckled and nodded his head once.

Hermione sat down in the chair, shocked at this revelation. "But how? And why didn't you say so? We've wasted so much time now!"

"Calm down, we haven't wasted time. It's a theory I have been working on for the past few years, but it was only a theory."

"What's been stopping you from proving your theory?"

Severus placed the lock of hair on the counter and turned around, leaning against the edge of the cupboards. "You."

Hermione shook her head, confused. "Me?"

Severus nodded and slid into the chair next to hers. "Once the Dark Lord drinks this potion that I'm brewing, in theory, it will destroy all remaining pieces of his soul, permanently damaging the object it was housed inside. Of course, getting him to take the potion will take the highest level of espionage to do, which for me, is the simple part of this process, but... "

"What's this got to do with me?"

"If I had been able to put my theory to the test, you would have never forgiven me, and therefore I would never have got the opportunity to... be with you. It's selfish, I know, but this was before--"

"What would I have not forgiven, Severus?"

"Destroying a specific Horcrux."

Hermione crinkled her brow. "I don't understand--just tell me," she said impatiently.

Severus sighed. "Potter's scar is a Horcrux. If the Horcrux had been destroyed, Potter would have been killed."

Hermione felt as if someone had punched her in her stomach, cutting off all her air supply. Her fingers were numb, and she felt the colour in her face drain away.

Harry's a Horcrux.

"H-how? I mean... it's just... Harry's scar? That's--that's..." Hermione inhaled deeply, clearing her mind. She sat for a moment, her head buried in her hands, thinking, trying to make sense of it all.

Finally, she looked up at Severus, who had been patiently waiting for this news to sink in. "Of course... it's all clear," she said. "That night when Harry's parents were murdered--his soul..."

"Yes, Hermione."

"Do you think Dumbledore knows?"

"Yes."

Hermione shook her head again in disbelief and stared at the napkin in front of her, waiting for her mind to comprehend all the secrets she was learning. Only when Severus placed his hand over hers did she look up, ready for him to continue.

"Do you understand now? If you had found out that I had made the potion and killed your friend, you would have never forgiven me. As I said, my reasons were selfish, and I have only wanted to use it at the last possible moment, if all else has failed. And when I found out that the three of you were set to hunt the Horcruxes, I knew I could have you for myself, and I would not have to test my theory and risk losing you. I knew that when it was finally time to kill the soul in his body, it would be the right timing and not my fault."

"Yes, your reasons were horribly selfish, but we've already discussed your behavior, so that's in the past. But do you know that Harry is prepared to die for the greater good? How could I blame you for that?"

"Well, seeing how you and your friends have always been quick to blame me for everything else in your life--"

"That's all in the past," Hermione said sternly.

Severus smirked. "It wouldn't have mattered, though. If Potter had simply exploded one day, or had you known what my plans were, you--of all people--would never have stood by and let it happen to him, not if you knew that there were any possibility of another way to destroy the Horcrux. Am I correct?"

Hermione closed her eyes. No matter what she said, her heart knew she wouldn't have been satisfied with that outcome. It was possible for her to forgive the wrongs he had committed against her because they were hers to forgive, but if he had wronged Harry in that way, she would have been unable to see past it.

"I suppose you're right. I would have been distraught."

He snorted. "Impossible is more like it."

"So now what? Harry still has the Horcrux in him. No matter what, we have to kill him, don't we?"

"Well, yes."

Hermione slouched against the back of the chair. "So what was the point of telling me all of this? The Egyptian book was basically useless; Harry is going to implode once Voldemort drinks that potion--I mean, honestly! There must be another way."

"The book wasn't useless. It served its purpose, and if we had more time, we could hunt down the remaining Horcruxes. But we're out of time. If we don't end this with him now--Hermione, I assure you that he is just days from overthrowing the Ministry, the Order... He has armies around the world. Do you understand? Without the ability to kill him for good, the wizarding world, as we know it, is doomed."

Hermione gently nodded her head. "Then I suppose we must finish this potion and kill my... best friend," she said quietly.

"Well... not exactly."

"What do you mean, 'not exactly'?"

"Because I knew that killing Potter would have devastated you, which ultimately would have stopped me from getting what I wanted, I began to research a way to stop the destruction of the object that contains the Horcrux--more specially, Potter's instant death."

"Oh, you did, did you?"

"Of course. However, once I found the answer, I was highly disappointed because I knew it would have been out of the question to create the necessary potion because of the availability and rarity of the potion ingredients that are needed. Not even Dumbledore would have been able to acquire the final ingredients."

Hermione grumbled. "Then why are you telling me this if there is no way to get them?"

Severus leaned back in his chair, steepling his hands as he always did when he was about to say something most interesting. Hermione couldn't help herself as she crept to the edge of her seat, twirling the edge of her skirt around her finger, waiting very impatiently to hear what he had to say.

"It just so happens that, quite recently, I have had the absolute pleasure of acquiring the two remaining ingredients."

A/N: Only a few more chapters left!!

Severus and Hermione get ready for Voldemort!