When Living Ain\'t Easy

Here we go again. A bit less... coherent than the last few chapters, but hopefully you can still understand where I'm going.

Okay... first, I apologize for not having more ready... it's been a really disturbing week for me. Next, a *huge* hug and kiss to everyone who's left comments and encouragement so far -- your kind words mean alot to me. Last, but certainly not least (clears throat), sometime in the next week we SHOULD be getting internet back at home. And yes, I'm bouncing off the walls about it, but let's not get too crazy, alright? Until I can sit down in front of my PC and connect, there shall be no breath-holding going on.

And here's a little key: words in between tilde marks are intended to represent parseltongue. IE, ~text~

Oh yeah, just in case any of you fine people have forgotten... I don't own the characters, the world/verse, or anything else. Other than a slightly beat-up '98 HP computer and a pair of teenage hooligans. If you wanna sue, you get custody of them and they're definitely more trouble than they're worth :P

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Chapter Twenty-Six : Elsewhere, Samewhen

"Master, I have received a most interesting letter from Severus this morning." Fairly vibrating with manic energy, the dark witch dropped to one knee, hand outstretched to deliver the missive to her Lord. "He says that he might have encountered an ancient method of revitalization, a way to recover your youthful body."

Slitted red eyes focused on the parchment hungrily for a long moment before the Dark Lord ripped it out of Bellatrix Lestrange's hand. He rapidly scanned the text, easily reading between the lines to the heart of his spy's words. Grabbing the witch's long, matted hair, Voldemort pulled her face up to meet his eyes. "You will send word immediately that I require Snape's presence to explain his findings. Of all my followers, he alone has the trust of our adversaries, access to their archives. If Snape says he has discovered something useful, then I must hear him out."

Audience granted, Bella crept quickly from the room to relay her Master's orders.

~ * ~

Newly entitled Headmistress McGonnigal reread her prospective deputy's letter a third time. She sighed in frustration, knowing that she had lost the first of innumerable arguments between them. With quirked eyebrow, she silently admitted (only to herself, and only in private quarters) that such an irascible person was exactly what she needed to keep her decidedly unbored.

"Very well, Severus. No decisions shall be made until we have confronted, er, conferred together." She jotted down a note to that effect, but paused before sending it off to the Head of Slytherin. "I do believe that our upcoming meeting will require two bottles of Rosemerta's finest." A second message followed, then both given to a school owl to deliver.

~ * ~

Humming happily as she tidied her kitchen, Molly Weasley had just set her dishes to dry when an unknown owl rapped against her back door. She let it in warily; it was obviously not bringing the newspaper, nor was it from her husband at the Ministry. The dark gray bird alit on the counter and waited for her to retrieve its burden.

She never bothered checking any mail that came to her house for names -- if it was delivered to the Burrow, she was always the first to see it. As the Weasley matriarch, it was her duty to keep up with everything that went on in her family's life. Naturally.

A small wrinkle formed on her forehead as Molly read the message, deepening at the veiled insults within. She plowed ahead and eventually let out a sigh of relief; dear Harry, he always was such a thoughtful lad. One corner of her mind filed away the fact that her adopted son was spending the summer under Severus Snape's tutelage, which must certainly be the reason for the professor's scathing remarks. Surely he didn't blame her for wanting her family safe, after all.

Turning to set out a bowl of water and some food for the owl, she realized it had left while she was reading. A soft snort and shrug, what else could be expected from the cranky Head of Slytherin?

Molly glanced around the room and decided that it was clean enough. Her favorite program would begin soon on the wireless, giving just enough time to start a fresh pot of tea.

~ * ~

Another day, another breakfast routine. Hermione scolded Harry again when he tried to 'fix' Draco's meal. Harry grumped when the witched did it herself -- she felt the need to retaliate for the blond's teasing of the night before. The older men sat back and watched their charges with quiet amusement, most relieved that the long term rivalries were set aside for such relatively innocent jokes.

Research consisted of the necessary procedures for Harry's 'dolls', while Hermione sat apart, sucking gently on a sugar quill as she tried to manipulate her best friend's wishes into one final spell to finish off the Dark Lord. Lucius crouched over the desk putting the finishing touches on the fake scroll that Severus would present to their unwanted Master.

A single, sliver of ice blue showed through Draco's eyelashes, indicating that the younger blond's higher brain functions were attempting to come online. Being the only one not involved with readings, he was the first to see his aunt's raven soar through the open window and dive toward his Head of House.

"Well, don't just stare at it, Severus," he said, pushing up from his makeshift recliner. "Let's hear what Lord Weenie has to say."

Peals of tinkling laughter met his misuse of the Dark Lord's many nicknames, and Draco found himself transfixed by the witch's happy face. He had no hand in her attire that morning, and was only just alert enough to take notice. Smiling in Hermione's direction, the blond was pleased to see her choice of snug mid-shin pants and off-shoulder blouse. While not as spectacular as the previous evening's leather and silk, it did much to accentuate the young woman's finer features. She made a very nice image first thing in the morning, he decided, then wondered how she might look before getting dressed for the day. Thankfully, the rest of the group were not looking his way to see Draco's flush of arousal.

"It would seem that our ploy is off to a fine start. I am required to appear with my findings this evening. Lucius, how close are you to finishing the antiquity charms?"

Not looking up from his work, the elder Malfoy grunted (elegantly, of course) to reply, "Almost done, Sev. Just a few last touches to prevent detection." A final swish of his wand. "I should like you all to test my work. No need to mention what Voldemort's reaction would be if he discovers our duplicity."

Severus barely repressed the shudder of fear his lover's words provoked. "Quite." He turned to the one female of the group, continuing, "Miss Granger, in all the years I have spent attempting to instill some small measure of knowledge into ignorant minds, I have yet to encounter a student as conscientious as yourself. If you would, please begin the testing. Throw everything you've got into dispelling Lucius' charms."

Stunned by the unequivocal praise from her most demanding teacher, Hermione stood on weak legs and proceeded toward the aged parchment on the desk. "Of course. I'll do my best, Professor."

To all appearances, the scroll looked several hundred years old, cracked and crumbling around the edges, yellowed with long age. At first glance, its words appeared to be an ancient Celtic dialect with some obscure tribal markings interspersed throughout. A soft gasp of surprise escaped as she saw several non-words *move*.

"Harry, would you come over here, please?"

None of her translation spells worked on the document, a most frustrating situation. While she waited for her friend to join the task, Hermione sifted through many mental filing cabinets before she located the appropriate language. Eirudesian -- a nomadic branch of the pre-Roman Celts rumored to have been the teachers of the ancient Druidic orders. She grinned at the older men, thrilled with their choice of languages.

"Come around to this side, Harry, I'll need you to translate these markings -- only when I point to them -- because I believe our dear Slytherins have thrown a kink in the manuscript." She mock-glared at the room in general, but the expression was ruined by a touch of pride in their subterfuge. "And just when have you had time to learn how to *write* in Parseltongue?"

Harry had the good grace to blush, but didn't deny the accusation.

Together, the Gryffindors read aloud the contents of the doctored manuscript:

"Remember the many fine people of the Tribe who have given their very souls to learn the Truth. ~Eternal youth~ can be found, dearest Brothers and Sisters! The blush of innocence reborn through ~many trials of~ science and magic..."

The reading continued, interrupted by the occasional snicker. As the last words ended with a warning of 'enter not into this ritual lightly', Hermione broke down with hilarity.

"Oh, it's just too much! He'll eat it up, I swear. Gods! You boys have played it perfectly, petting his ego and luring with such pretty promises."

Taking a deep breath, she forced a more solemn manner and began the dissection. Layer upon layer of curse-breaking charms and revelatory spells did not alter the state of the parchment, or its tantalizing contents. Finally, the witch sat back and smiled in exhaustion at her audience.

"Unless there are dark spells that I haven't heard about to break through these charms, I would have to say... Gentlemen, we have a winner!"

Hermione's delighted squeal doubled in intensity as she was swung into a fierce hug by her best friend. The duo danced in a tight circle, then she was passed to an equally enthusiastic Draco. Harry dived into his lovers' waiting arms, practically sobbing his relief, and so missed the hard kiss his witchy friend planted on their classmate's gobsmacked face.

In celebration, an early break was called. Dobby popped in with mounds of treats, gleefully hugging the three students before popping back to Hogwarts.

"I believe it best to cease any further plans until after this meeting," Severus began, muttering behind his mug of mulled cider. "We have no knowledge as yet on how the Dark Lord will react to our misguiding information."

"Agreed. Only after Severus returns -- safely! -- to us, can we proceed with our plans." Lucius squeezed his friend's shoulder in a gesture of support, worry writ all over his face. "This manufactured artifact may well purchase us much-needed time... but it might also cause several untimely complications. Let us not overindulge in patting our own backs before we have Severus returned from his meeting, unharmed."

Reluctantly, the teens acknowledged the veracity of such caution. Mood more sedate, the group drifted back into researching Harry's voduin project.

~ * ~

Late the same afternoon brought another letter. Once again, the Potions Master read aloud, smirking as he heard the underlying frustration in his coworker's tone. There followed a brief debate on how much of their plans should be revealed to the acting Headmistress, and how they were to convince the all-too-canny McGonnigal to hire Lucius as the replacement Potions instructor.

Hermione offered a fair compromise: "With different hair and eye color, and less fancy clothes, few people would recognize you. And surely you can fake a French accent. We can explain that you're on loan from Beauxbatons, and have the two of you switch off on classes. I don't see Severus relinquishing his OWL or NEWT preparatory classes to anyone, so let him take the upper years of both Potions and DADA. That leaves you with two more classes than him, but with much less stress overall."

Her proposal was met with silence for all of one minute. Harry's audible exhalation signaled the rest to begin speaking at once, but the general consensus was approval. Of course, being who they were, numerous nit-picking discussions would follow. On the whole, however, they had a working plan that would keep the group together after term began, and that would provide more free time than the Head of Slytherin had previously 'enjoyed'. That Lucius would be forced to actually *work*... was met with less enthusiasm from the Malfoy patriarch (and not-so-subtle snickers from the rest).

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And that's where I'll leave you all for now. Hopefully, I'll be posting *from home* sometime early next week. Hugs all!