#4 ~ The \"Up Against the Wall\" Wars

Disclaimer: All characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine.
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Chapter 19 ~ A Plan...and So, So Many Toys

Severus and Hermione decided to spend some quality time together the next day, since it was Sunday and they had no demands on their time. Severus restored Herimone’s bedroom to normal, with a promise to pursue the dream at a later time. They then moved to his rooms, where they shared a bath, and a bit of rather soapy, slippery pleasure before summoning breakfast.

After feasting, they lay together in bed. Severus in his silk boxers, and Hermione in her gown and a light house robe. Very domestic. Hermione wondered what it would be like to wake up with the Potions Master every day. She was sure she would like it.

Severus wanted to know details about her week of training. He listened with interest to her retelling of her first run in the Room of Requirement.

He studied her, his eyes deadly serious as he said, “Your first run should have taken on the scenario of Hogwarts, with me as your adversary. The fact that it didn’t is cause for worry.”

“Tonks, Kingsley and Dumbledore said pretty much the same thing,” Hermione told him, “Dumbledore believes I am actively being targeted.”

Severus sat up and swung his legs to the edge of the bed and sat up, pulling Hermione along with him.

“Tell me about your attackers. Who were they?” he asked, a slight frown on his face.

Hermione told him about the majority of her attackers seeming to be deatheaters, and the appearance of Draco Malfoy in the background, and the rat, Peter Pettigrew. She finally told him about the Severus golem and what had happened.

“You kissed a golem? Of me?” he asked half amazed, half in disbelief.

“Yes, then it tried to kill me with a silk handkerchief,” she said dully.

Severus roared with laughter. Hermione flushed angrily.

“Well, it was very convincing…and I missed you, the you before all this happened. He didn’t make any violent moves…” she said weakly, her eyes narrowed with anger.

“I bet you thought about fucking it,” he said, grinning at her.

“No. No I didn’t…I just wondered if it were fully functional,” she replied, reddening.

This caused another round of laughter from Severus, who, after he calmed down, took her by her chin and said with a hint of possessiveness, “Accept no substitutions.”

It was Hermione’s turn to laugh.

Then, Severus became solemn, placing his hand on hers and entwining her fingers in his, rubbing them gently as he spoke, “Hermione, the Room of Requirement has provided you valuable information. In all probability Draco has targeted you for death. We have to prepare for that. We have to take the power out of his hands…draw them out and dispatch them if possible.”

“We?” Hermione asked. Severus gave her a black look.

“Of course ‘We.’ I wouldn’t let anyone go up against a death squad alone. Surely you realize that you mean more to me than anyone. You are under my protection, Hermione. I will not let anyone threaten you and feel they can walk this earth in safety, waiting for their chance.”

He released her hand and fell silent, thinking. Hermione watched him, not wanting to interfere in his thought processes. Severus himself possessed a formidable mind. As a former deatheater, he was privy to how they operated, and could probably formulate a plan to stop them in their tracks.

After a few minutes he said, “We will have to go to Hogsmeade.”

He stood up and exited the bedroom. Hermione followed him into his study. He retrieved a piece of parchment and a quill from, and sat down at a small desk located in a corner of the room. He looked thoughtful, and then began to write a letter. Hermione looked over his shoulder and read as he wrote.

Dear Madame Rosmerta,

I would like to reserve your best double suite for next weekend. I and a guest will be staying for two nights. Please have the room stocked with your best wine and a light repast. We will be arriving late afternoon. Charge all costs incurred to my account as usual.

Sincerely,

Prof. Severus Snape
Potions Master

He signed the parchment with a flourish, and looked up at Hermione.

“Rosmerta is a wonderful woman, but she has a tendency to gossip. Unless she is specifically told not to say anything about the reservation, she will let slip I will be staying there with a guest. I have stayed at the inn before, but never in a double suite, and never requested wine and food. This will definitely rouse her interest, and be perfect gossip fodder. Since our relationship is public, it will be assumed you are the guest I will be bringing. By the end of the week, our enemies will know of our plans, and have plans of their own to take us. We can count on an ambush. If we are lucky, we will be able to end the threat. I will inform Dumbledore of our plan, and members of the Order. We cannot risk telling the Ministry anything about this. Malfoy’s donations practically insure the information about our preparation will get to him, and he will fall back. We need him visible when the attack occurs.”

Hermione just stood there, speechless.

“Well, aren’t you going to say something?” Severus asked her.

“Um, it sounds like a good idea?” she offered.

Severus snorted. “Of course it’s a good idea. There’s a muggle saying that I find to be quite accurate, that is, ‘Sometimes the best defense is a good offence.’ In this case, that is true. We must pretend to be victims, in order to be victors.”

He looked at her sharply, “Do you think you can handle this?”

It was Hermione’s turn to snort. “Of course. I was at the Final Battle, remember?”

Severus’ did remember. Hermione charging fearlessly through the smoke and ranks of deatheaters, wand raised, blasting and hexing any enemy in her path. She had been formidable then. Now, with her defensive skills she would be a force to be reckoned with.

“This is likely to be just as intense,” he said, “and require just as much planning.”

“I’m in,” she said shortly. Severus reached around her waist and drew her in to him, to feel her reassuring warmth and life, a life he held dearer than his own.

“Good,” he replied, releasing her to roll up the parchment, tying it with a bit of ribbon. He rose from his desk, walked over to the fireplace, scooped up a handful of floo powder and tossed it into the flames.

“Raucous!” he called into the floo, “I have a mission for you.”

A hoarse caw came from the fireplace, then a large black bird careened through the flames, skimming dangerously low over Hermione’s head, and landing on the back of the chair Severus had just occupied. The raven ruffled his feathers importantly, and shot Hermione an unmistakable glare.

“Hermione, I believe you are familiar with my familiar, Raucous,” Severus said with a smirk.

The raven had delivered the message that brought Hermione to him when he took her virginity, and also delivered some healing salve after his second interlude with her at her flat. She had suffered quite a bit of bruising from that heated encounter.

“Yes,” Hermione said, eyeing the bird, “We’ve met”

Raucous snapped his beak at her.

“Feather duster,” Hermione whispered at him warningly.

This must have struck a chord because bird turned its feathered back to her. It stuck out its leg at Severus, who tied the parchment to it securely.

“Take this to Madame Rosmerta at the Three Broomsticks, he said, petting the bird, who preened against his fingers, “and make sure it is delivered in public, where you and it can be seen.”

The raven cawed at him in response, snapped at Hermione one more time, then flew back through the floo. Raucous was sure to be noticed when he delivered the parchment. There weren’t many delivery ravens in the wizarding world.

“Lovely bird,” Hermione said to Severus sarcastically.

“Well, we are well-matched in temperament,” he replied, arching a brow at her, “like myself, he seems to prefer to keep to his own company, and so has his own habitat in the tower. I arranged for a small magically lit floo to be built there, so I may summon him when needed.”

They returned to Severus’ bedroom and both sat on the edge of the four-poster. Severus turned to her.

“Tell me about that spell you invoked last night. The one that made me turn you loose.”

“I call that my flame spell. I had it made as a deterrent just in case I couldn’t break away from an assailant.” she replied.

“Brilliant. How did you invoke it?” Severus asked, his black eyes full of interest.

“I keep it on a charm bracelet. I only have to touch it with intent to activate it.”

“I didn’t see any bracelet on you. Only that ring,” Severus said, gesturing at the silver band on her finger.

“It was disillusioned, so you wouldn’t notice it. It might have made you suspicious,” she responded.

“It would have. You don’t wear much jewelry. I would have figured out that it was some kind of protective item, and been better prepared,” he said, studying her, “Do you have any more toys that I should know about?”

In answer, Hermione twisted her ring. She seemed to liquefy and fall away into nothingness. But the mattress remained depressed with her weight, and Severus could make out a slight shimmer, shaped like her.”

“A disillusionment charm!” he said, amazed.

“So I can hide better when I escape. I can blend in against any background. As long as I don’t move too much, I’m virtually invisible.”

She reappeared, smiling slightly.

“Any other charms?” Severus asked, intrigued.

“Yes,” she said. They are in my rooms. I’ll get them.”

She rose and exited his bedroom.

Severus let out a low whistle. He had no idea she had prepared herself so thoroughly. Where did she get such items? He doubted she created them, she had no time. He would have to ask her. She really was brilliant.

Hermione returned. He noticed she was wearing a charm bracelet on her left wrist, with four charms dangling from it. On her right wrist was a rather wide bracelet, and on her neck was a small rope necklace. All made from what appeared to be silver or pewter. They were of simple design. But she was right. He would have definitely noticed the jewelry and discerned they were weapons of some sort. She sat down beside him.

He studied the charms on the charm bracelet. A flame, a stone, a clock and an ear. The flame he figured invoked the heating charm, but the rest…

She touched the stone. “Try to move me,” she said. Severus tugged on her, unable to make any impression. He stood up and attempted to lift her off the bed, to no avail.

“It makes me immovable. I can’t be dragged or carried anyplace,” she explained.

Severus nodded, looking at the other two charms.

“The clock is my time jumper. You know it rewinds me back ten seconds. I might escape an attack if I invoke it when the attack first occurs. It could give me enough time to draw my wand and stun my attacker, or run,” She pointed to the ear, but didn’t invoke it. “This one emits a high-pitched scream that will temporarily disable anyone within hearing, except me. It will work on one, or one hundred. Because of this, it would be a weapon of last resort as the innocent would suffer with the guilty.”

Severus pointed to the wide bracelet on her other arm.

“This one doesn’t require invocation. Try to hit me.”

Severus hesitated.

“Go ahead, you won’t hurt me.”

Severus took a pulled swing at her. Her arm flew up and blocked it, the bracelet changing slightly in size to keep him from connecting with her flesh. He threw another punch, harder this time, and the same thing happened, but with more force.

“This is in case someone tries to hit me. It is really for weapons. Lucius Malfoy often beat others with his cane. This would protect me from an attack like that, even if they came at me from behind. But it has to be a blow. It won’t protect me from, say a rush attack. If you had swung at me last night you wouldn’t have been able to touch me.

“Ingenious, ‘ he breathed, very impressed, “and the necklace?”

Hermione grinned wickedly. She touched the necklace. Immediately ropes shot out of it, binding Severus securely. He toppled to the bed. Hermione laughed.

“It’s my only offensive weapon. Ties the enemy up,” she smiled.

“Effective,” Severus said through clenched teeth, trussed up like a Christmas turkey,”now if you don’t mind…”

Hermione set about untying him. He shook the ropes from himself and sat on the bed again. He looked at her, then dropped his head, shaking it slowly.

“What?” she asked, looking at him quizzically.

He pulled her to him and kissed her so thoroughly, she was left breathless.

“That,” he said, “is for preparing yourself for trouble so well. You have no idea of the weight that has just lifted off of me, Hermione. These items will help us greatly in defeating Malfoy’s plans. You are brilliant, absolutely, unequivocally inspired.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously and his voice dropped to a low whisper.

“I was willing to punish you for your lack of preparation…so for this, you must be…rewarded.”

Hermione let out a little scream of delight as he dragged her down in a wild tangle of limbs and bedcovers.

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A/N: Too many lemons spoil the flavor. Imagination, my friends. Anyway, it’s gonna be on! Thanks for reading and reviewing