Hermione’s eyes were dry and strained when she walked into the inky darkness towards the small cottage she had called home these past few months. There was a warm glow coming from inside through the frost chilled windows. The snow was sticking to the grass now and her footsteps crunched through the snow as she neared the shack.

She opened the door with a creak and closed it quickly before her, not wanting the chill to permeate the house. She worked on unwrapping her winter robes from around her body, throwing the soaked clothes onto a hook behind the door. She turned around and jumped, grabbing her chest with a started gasp, “Oh! Professor, I didn’t see you there!”

Remus was leaning against the wall of the hallway watching her struggle with her robes. His face was barely lit by the small fire in the sitting room next to him. “Sorry, Hermione, I didn’t mean to startle you.” He said with a small smile.

Hermione laughed and tucked a strand of curly hair, frizzy from the wet snow, behind her ear. “No worries! Should I make some tea?” She hurried into the kitchen when he nodded and set to making them both a cup.

Lupin watched her flutter from one side of the room to the other as she gathered cups and tea leaves. “How did your testing go?”

Hermione’s shoulders visibly slumped with the mention of them. “Uh – well…I think they went alright? I just had my astronomy testing tonight. Professor Dumbledore said he would talk to the Wizarding Examination Authority to get my results as quickly as possible, so I guess its just a waiting game now.”

“And how did your Defense Against the Dark Arts testing go earlier today?”

Hermione idly twisted a piece of her hair around her finger and bit her lip, “I think it went pretty well…all things considered.”

Lupin’s face lit up, “I knew you could do it! There’s a reason everyone calls you the brightest witch of your age.” Hermione laughed at his excitement and shook her head. “Dumbledore wouldn’t have asked you to do this if he didn’t think you could do it. I know you don’t think you belong on this mission-“ Hermione met his eyes with a level gaze, “-but I think you’re the only one who could do this.”

Hermione gave him a small smile, “Thank you, Professor.” She hesitated before saying, “And thank you for teaching me. I couldn’t have done this without you. I really wish you would have stayed on as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. You’re loads better than Umbridge has been for the short time I had with her.”

Lupin sobered at the mention of the current Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. “Harry mentioned her…unusual methods-”

“You’ve spoken to Harry?” Hermione cut him off excitedly. Lupin looked like he immediately regretted mentioning Harry. “How is he doing? Did he mention anything about the Dark Lord? Is he still having the dreams?”

Lupin cut her off, “You’re all doing fine. You know I can’t tell you anything about what is happening there. If you know something, you may try to change it when you go back. Even if you don’t mean to.”

Hermione’s heart fell and she hung her head. She knew it was dangerous for him to give her news of what her future self was dealing with. He had given her more than she could have hoped for with the article from the Daily Prophet the other week.

“I will say…I will miss your company when you leave. The house has been less…lonely.” He gave her a small smile that she returned. “And I’m not looking forward to eating my own cooking again.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked up at her with a forlorn look.

Hermione chuckled at his discomfort, “Maybe tomorrow I can teach you how to make something simple? It might be fun to switch the student/teacher role for once.”

“I would love that, but tomorrow is a full moon night, so I’ll…need my rest.” He sighed and his brow furrowed, “Speaking of that, Severus hasn’t been by to deliver the Wolfsbane potion yet. I wish he was able to give me a definite time of when it will be ready. I don’t want another close call with him seeing you.”

Hermione nodded, remembering to the close call he had with her in the kitchen. “That would probably be for the best.”

- - -

Hermione got up early the next morning, her stomach making loud growling noises. She pulled herself into the kitchen, still mostly asleep. The dim light of dawn breaking over the horizon barely lit the small room, but she liked the quiet peace and didn’t want to disturb it by lighting a fire in the hearth. The stone floors were chilly on her bare feet as she groggily lumbered around the kitchen, making herself some tea before she set to work on breakfast. She wondered if Lupin would be up soon and if she should make him some food too, but she decided he would probably sleep in this morning since he didn’t have to teach her anymore and he would have a long night tonight.

She put the kettle on the stove and started boiling the water for her tea. She was lost in her thoughts until she was abruptly pulled from them with a loud CRACK! Hermione jumped and spun on her heel, wand pulled and ready.

She gasped in surprise as her eyes met the impossibly dark, hard eyes of Severus Snape. He seemed to relax his posture when he recognized her. His eyes roamed her, as if looking for something, then snapped back up to her face. Hermione saw that he was battered and a trail of dried blood crusted down to his eye from his heavy brow bone. His face shifted from relief to hot anger, “Granger? What are you doing-“

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Hermione whipped around with a CRACK! and was gone. She saw him lunge to grab her, but she was just quick enough to escape his outstretched hand. She appeared in her room at the other end of the shack. Lost in the pitch dark of her room, she fell to her knees onto the stone floor. She winced in pain but quickly scrambled back to her bed when she heard the angry footsteps of Snape thundering down the hall.

Her heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest. If she could see her wand hand, she knew it would be shaking so bad that she wouldn’t be able to aim. Thankfully, her target was in close range. She pointed her wand at her face and she soon felt the cool, slippery feeling of the disillusionment charm sliding down her body. When she knew she wouldn’t be seen, she moved to the door, cracking it a bit. Just enough to see Snape whip open the door opposite hers.

Snape stormed into Lupin’s room and grabbed onto the werewolf’s night shirt. He fisted the fabric in his hands and shook the man awake abruptly. Lupin’s hands clenched around Snape’s as he futilely fought the dark wizard’s grasp.

“What in the hell? Severus!”

Snape snarled so low, Hermione could barely hear him. “Thought it would be funny to have a go with my wife, Lupin?”

“What? No! Severus, I-“ Lupin tried to get a word in between the hard shakes Snape was giving him. One hand was rifling around for his wand but was just short of it on his bedside table.

“You’ll do well to keep your bloody paws off her, filthy half-breed!”

His hand finally made contact with the thick, bulbous end of his wand and his hand closed around it. He whipped it towards Snape, sending the man flying back and into the wall. Lupin jumped from the bed and crossed the room towards the man who was slumped against the wall. He kneeled down next to him and put a hand on his shoulder, “Severus, I haven’t done anything with Hermione.”

Snape glared up at the man, still too dazed to do anything.

“Really, I haven’t. She just came to grab a book from me, I swear. I told her to grab it in the morning, but that I probably wouldn’t be up. If she wanted to discuss anything, she could stick around and read it until I got up. You know your marriage would have dissolved immediately if we had done anything! Get it together! I know this has been…trying for you, but, honestly?”

Snape grunted as he tried to pull himself up from the hard floor. Lupin hooked his hand around the man’s arm and helped him stand, steadying him when his leg gave out on him. “She was only here for a book? Why did she apparate without talking to me, then?” He snarled as he brushed himself off and righted his clothes.

“You probably just startled the girl, Severus.”

Snape rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his lank, inky hair. “Startled? By me?”

“What an absurd notion. You’re such a subtle creature.” Lupin said as he smoothed the wrinkles in his shirt.

Snape glared at Remus again. He pulled a phial from his robes and shoved it into Lupin’s hands. “Here. I was called away last night, so I wasn’t able to be here sooner. You need to take it now, before the sun rises.”

The men looked out the window and watched as rays of light burst over the horizon, giving the small room an intense orange glow and casting everything else the rays couldn’t touch in deep blue shadow. Lupin unstoppered the phial and drank it down quickly, shuddering as the potion stung his throat.

Lupin thanked him and Snape waved it off. “I should be going. I can’t wait to have a little chat with her about this.” His hand dragged down his face; he winced as his hand dragged the skin that was sliced over his brow bone. “Maybe after I sleep.”

Lupin gave Snape a small smile, “Best of luck, with that.” Snape gave Lupin a look that made him chuckle. “Just give her a bit of patience. She’s a smart witch-“

“Yes, she likes to remind me of it. Every. Chance. She. Gets. Flailing her arm in the air like some sort of ridiculous bird.”

“What I’m trying to say is, she could be of more use to you than you think. Give her a chance. She may surprise you.”

Snape sneered, “Well, since you seem to be the expert on the girl-“

“She’s not a girl, Severus. She’s over the age and you know she has always thought very highly of you. Don’t take her kindness for weakness.”

Snape gave him a level look, like he was considering what the other man was saying. But then his gaze hardened and he turned on his heel and swept from the small room. Hermione heard his footsteps down the hall and then a CRACK! and he apparated away.

Hermione’s head was spinning like a top. She couldn’t catch her breath. She stumbled backwards and quickly released the spell keeping her disillusioned. Her hands were shaking and her knees felt weak. She pushed the door open and slowly walked out of the room to stand in Lupin’s doorway.

Her eyes met Lupin’s and he looked cautiously back at her. His eyes skimmed over her shaking form and he moved to close the distance between them, but Hermione startled him, “I’m married…to SNAPE?”

Lupin’s face went white and he swallowed thickly, “You shouldn’t have listened-“

“I’m MARRIED? To SNAPE? You’ve got to be kidding me!” Hermione’s head felt like it was going to explode from all the thoughts racing through her. She couldn’t pick one to concentrate on long enough to express a thought besides her initial shock.

“Now, Hermione, Snape isn’t as bad as you might-“

“Isn’t that bad? Are you joking? For the past four years all he has done is made my life miserable! He told me that he couldn’t see the difference when Malfoy hexed my teeth to grow down past my chin. He calls me a know-it-all and a chit on a regular basis. He publicly humiliates me and makes it his mission to embarrass and harass me. How am I supposed to be married to HIM?”

Lupin looked scared as she raced through her thoughts. “I know it seems bad right now, but you have time. No one is expecting you to marry him right now.”

“But I am married to him right now! Is this what my entire mission is about? To save Professor Snape? He doesn’t deserve saving!”

“Hermione!” Lupin snapped. She jumped and her word diarrhea stopped flowing from her mouth, startled by his sharp tone. His face softened, “You don’t know enough about him to pass judgement. I know his actions and disposition make him…difficult to get along with. But you need to give him a chance. This is not the sole purpose of your mission.”

“Oh, so its not the only reason, but it is one of the reasons?” Hermione snapped back at him.

Lupin winced and seemed to be confused on how to continue without upsetting her. “Even if you don’t like this part of the mission, it needs to go this way to continue on for the rest of it to go as planned. You cannot change the outcome. Do you understand me?”

Hermione glared at him and she soon felt the prickling of tears forming in her eyes. She couldn’t let Lupin see her crying over her fate. She knew, deep down, that this was her destiny. And if this helped the Order succeed, then she knew she had to do it. But she couldn’t help her mind as it entertained the thought of how bitterly unfair this all seemed. This is not the life she had planned for herself. She didn’t want to marry her professor. That was just…wrong. He was so much older than her, and he was mean, and-and…

She turned on her heel and stormed into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. She flung herself on the bed and let the tears that threatened to spill over in front of Lupin …. go.