For Her Safety

A/N Well, this chapter has taken me quite some time. For the most part I was wrapped in debate as to whether or not this was where I wanted to stick a certain plot bit or not, but all in all, the original copy won out and I'm moderately happy. Please let me know what you think so I may make changes accordingly.

I want to thank everyone who reviewed. I love the feedback. It really does keep me going.

missy2 - I hate to say it, but sometimes things just happen and that's that. But as I reassured a while back. It will all work out for the best

and

Rodger I will indeed keep writing. Especially if it's for the sake of a soul. :D And as for being on the edge of your seat, well, just you wait.

And for the rest of you, please review. It makes my day, to say the least!

much love,
zairaphel
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Nearly two weeks had passed since Sirius and Hermione 'officially' went into hiding. Thus far things were working out well. Hermione spent the majority of her time working on research for The Order, deciding that it was more of a pressing issue than her NEWTS, which shocked everyone.

She had almost sequestered herself in the potions lab, though she did come out for what was important. Meals, sleep, and mind blowing, earth shattering sex. Hermione was beginning to wonder just how she could have lived without the orgasms. Sirius was pleased that he at least got to sleep in the same bed as his pretty young wife, though he was beginning to miss her company. On occasion he would venture down to the lab to spend time with her, though it was done in the guise of pestering her and poking fun.

There was an upside though. Remus was over quite often and he and Sirius spent their afternoons together while Hermione was busy with her projects. It had gotten to the point where he was all but living with them. Hermione and Sirius had discussed the possibility of him doing just that. He could come and go as he pleased, but he would always have a warm bed and a hot meal waiting for him. Hermione couldn't help but think that it was just what he needed, always looking so very thin and worn through. They had decided that the next time they had a meal together they would invite him to come live with them.

Currently Hermione was sitting at her desk in the lab, reviewing her notes as she waited for the potion to develop into a dark voilet colour, while the "boys" played upstairs.

Notes-
24 September

Today it came to me! I have decided that my first project will be a preventative or rather a vaccine for lycanthropy. No, not a cure. It would be silly of me to think that I could cure it outright, but prevent it, perhaps. The idea is that this potion could be administered shortly after being bitten by a werewolf. Hopefully it will act like a contraceptive, making the "germ" that causes the affliction powerless. After much research I believe that this endeavour might actually be easier than anyone has thought before. If everything goes as planned the vaccine could be ready in two to three weeks. As it is nearly 10:30 pm now that I have finished my research I shall start brewing the potion tomorrow.

25 September

I have begun with the first stages of preperation: I have submerged 2 oz Black Wort, 1.5 oz Euphrosyne, and 3.5 oz Polypody of the Oak in boiling water. Boiled 3 hours, stirring counter clockwise 5 times, clockwise 7. Potion reached a pale red as predicted. Simmer on low flame for 3 days. (Used a modified stasis spell to ensure simmer)

28 September
Added pinch of Linseed and 0.5 oz diced Hawthorne Root. Mixture thickened greatly and took on a pinkish hue. Boil on high for 2 days.

Side note: The colour and thickening was not what I had expected. I am not quite sure what this could mean for the potion's effect. I will have to do some more research, but unfortunately it could take a while as references on Lycanthropy are terribly scarce. If only I could find someone to discuss my findings with...

Hermione sighed. The deviation from her plans concerned her greatly. She wasn't about to give up on it though. Just because this particular formula might not work didn't mean that she would start all over. It could very well be useful in some way. Perhaps she could find where she made her errors and correct them. And if that didn't work, there was always the possibility that it could be useful for something else all together.

Hermione got up and examined the potion, noting that the colour had indeed developed into a dark violet, though it was slightly thicker than she would have imagined. She turned down the flame under the cauldron so that it would only simmer, and then cast her modified stasis spell.

She sat back down at her desk and recorded the last notes for the day. Hermione had just closed her notebook when she heard a loud thumping coming down the stairs. The door had barely opened when she said, "Hello, boys."

Both of them smiled brightly at her, Sirius giving her a soft kiss on the cheek.

"So, how's it going, Hermione?" Remus asked pleasantly.

"It's going quite well, thank you. I ran into a snag in the beginning, but it seems to be turning out well now. I've got only one more ingredient to add. By this time tomorrow it will be cooled and bottled," Hermione said brightly, despite her being rather tired and feeling slightly unwell.

"Are you ever going to tell us just what you're making? Or is it top secret?"

"It is indeed top secret, Mr. Lupin. You'll know when I'm ready," she said sternly, but not without humor. Hermione had no intention of announcing the purpose of her project until she knew that it would work. She had no want to get people all excited about something only to have it fail miserably.
"So, just why have you two boys come bouncing down here? Missed me?" Hermione asked, tactfully changing the subject.

"Well, love," Sirius spoke up. "We came down to see if you were ready for dinner."

"Yes, yes I am. I'm famished, in fact. Perhaps I just need a bit of food to settle my stomach. It's been a long day. Just let me put my notes away and I'll be up."

Sirius gave Hermione a quick kiss and a devilish grin before he and Remus turned to leave.

Hermione stood from her chair and faltered. Shaking her head she decided that she must have been more tired than originally thought. Taking another step her world began to spin and she reached out for anything that could stop her impending fall, however providence seemed to have something else in mind. Hermione's fingers wrapped around thin air as she fell to the ground with a sickening thump.

Remus and Sirius had barely made it half way up the stairs when they heard the noise. And when they turned around the saw Hermione laying dreadfully still on the floor. The both of them rushed down the stairs to her side.

"She's breathing. It looks like she's just out cold, but that's one nasty cut on her forehead. She must have gotten her head on the edge of the desk on her way down," Remus said as he looked her over, casting a minor healing charm to stop the cut from bleeding.

"What are we going to? Is she going to be alright?" Sirius asked hurridly, panic evident in his voice.

"Okay... I think she's going to be just fine from what I can tell. I'm going to take her to #12. There's usually someone there. You're a bit... upset right now. You go find Dumbledore and bring him, alright?" Remus delegated efficiently.

"Yeah. See you there," Sirius said quickly before dashing off.

Remus carefully picked Hermione up from the floor, tucked her against his chest, and disapparated. As soon as they arrived in the alleyway Remus dashed into the building, making his way to #12 Grimmauld place where the wards admitted them.

"Anyone here? Is anyone here?" Remus shouted as he made his way into the living room where he gently laid her down on the sofa, propping a pillow behind her head.

"Do stop shouting, Lupin. What's got your knickers bunched?" Snape asked with a quirked brow as he entered the room.

"Just the man I was hoping to see." Remus moved aside, allowing Snape a clear view of Hermione lying on the sofa. As soon as his senses came to him he rushed over to her, waving his wand about casting various charms, healing her injured forehead first and foremost. "What the hell happened to her?"

"She was working in her lab, we came down to tell her to come up for dinner. Just as we were leaving she collapsed, grazing her head on the desk," Remus explained, recalling the events as Snape finished his work.

"Well?" Remus asked as Snape took a seat in a chair across from the sofa. "How is she?"

"She's fine. Just exhaustion, it seems. Clearly her magic has been strained lately. The combination of her working so hard and her body trying to sustain a child, it was just too much for her at that point. I believe it would be safe to wake her now," Snape said thoughtfully. Remus nodded as Snape pointed his wand at Hermione and said, "Rennervate."

Hermione shifted slightly on the sofa, opening her eyes slowly. "Where the bloody hell am I?" she muttered as she lifted her hand to her forehead.

Remus went to her side. "You're in Grimmauld Place, 'Mione. Do you remember what happened?"

"Yes, I think so. I had finished up for the evening. I put the stasis spell on the cauldron and was making a few last minute notes. You and Sirius came to tell me about dinner. I stood up to put my notes away and felt a bit woozy. I don't remember much after that... Where's Sirius?" Hermione asked as if the thought had just come to her.

"I sent him to get Albus. They should be here soon. I'm afraid he was a bit too hysterical over the situation to be of much use," Remus said with a chuckle as Snape snorted behind them. "Then I brought you here as someone is always around. Professor Snape happend to be here and he took care of the cut on your forehead and made sure that you were alright."

Hermione sat up slowly and looked over at Snape. "Thank you, Professor. That was quite kind of you," she said softly, not quite understanding for a moment why Severus Snape would ever want to help her, but then again, as an Order member, it was most likely out of obligation.

Snape simply nodded ever so slightly at her. Hermione knew that it was quite a gesture for him, and excepted it as such. "Miss Granger, just what were you working on before you collapsed? Lupin mentioned you were working on a potion, but just what is it for?" His curiousity had gotten the best of him. He couldn't help but wonder if perhaps an ingredient of fumes might have been to blame for her fall, not just her physical condition.

"It's Mrs Black," Remus and Hermione corrected automatically.

"As to what I'm working on-" Before Hermione had the chance to say much more the door to Number 12 Grimmauld Place slammed open and Sirius came running into the room, Dumbledore walking calmly in behind him.

"You're alright, love!" Sirius said as he wrapped his arms around his wife. Everyone, except Snape, smiled as he embraced Hermione. Albus looked on approvingly as he saw the way Sirius looked at her. It looked to him as though things were going splendidly.

"I'm fine, really. I just had a bit of a bump, that's all. Remus and Professor Snape made sure I'm alright. Everything's fine, so there's really no need to make a fuss," Hermione reassured.

"Snape?" Sirius looked from Hermione over to Remus, who nodded an afirmative. Swallowing an exorbitant amount of pride, he looked over to Snape. "Thank you for helping her," he said quietly and in turn recieved a slight nod for his thanks.

"I am glad to see that you are doing well, Hermione," Dumbledore spoke for the first time since his arrival. "If you don't mind, I would like to speak with Remus and Sirius."

"No, I don't mind at all. But before you do, Remus would you do me a huge favour?" Hermione looked over at him with sweet, pleading eyes.

"Of course, what do you need?"

"Would you be so kind as to go back to the house and pick up my notes. They're still sitting on my desk in the lab."

Remus returned in a few minutes with her notebook and then disappeared into the library with Sirius and Dumbledore, leaving Hermione alone with Snape. Taking a deep breath, Hermione passed her notebook over to him. "Everything is explained in the notes."

Opening the notebook Snape read for a few moments before looking up at Hermione with rather wide eyes before going back to read more. "This is really quite ambitious, but I don't think..." he tapered off as he kept reading, his brows furrowing deeply. "Just what is the last ingredient you plan to add?"

"Tomorrow I will be adding powdered 'Angelica archangelica'. I found it somewhat fitting that something that was believed at one point to be of 'holy' origins should be used to help prevent such a terrible affliction," Hermione said with a slight smile.

Hermione could practically see Snape's mind working as he tried to put the potion together in his mind. He would look back and forth from her notes to the calculations scribbled in the margines.

"Amazing," he muttered quietly. "I am really quite suprised, Miss Granger. Though the work you have put in is admirable, this will not create a vaccine as you had predicted... To make a vaccine you should have added minced Orris Root during stage two instead of Linseed, I believe. The mixture you have upon completion will create..." Once again Snape's voice dropped off as he frowned, clearly calculating again.

"Do you have any idea what you have done? Any idea?" Snape asked in awe. Quickly he got up from his seat and made his way to the library, Hermione barely having time to get up and follow.

Severus threw open the doors to the library and stormed in, dropping Hermione's notebook in Dumbledore's lap. "Read that."

Sirius, Remus, and Hermione just stared at Snape and then Dumbledore as he read, making various hmm, and ahh noises as he read each page. By the time he had closed the notebook he was practically grinning, and his eyes could not have twinkled more had they been stars in the night sky.

"Do you have any idea what she has done, Headmaster?" Snape asked almost excitedly, or rather as excitedly as Hermione had seen him on an occasion that didn't involve her or the Golden Trio getting into trouble.

"Yes, Severus, I do see what she has done, but judging by her reaction, I would say that she does not. We believe that you, Mrs. Black, have found a cure to Lycanthropy," Dumbledore told her with a proud smile.