A Living Secret ~ COMPLETED

NOTE TO READERS: Sorry...this is not an update. I've realized that my use of 18 as the age of consent was distracting to the readers and just messes up my attempt at HBP compliancy, so rather than keep addressing it on the review boards, I spent some time this morning establishing Hermione is the age of consent. Chapters 16, 18, 20, 22, 26 and 30 have been revised to be compliant to the age of consent in the Wizarding World as being 17. BUT...I will be updating shortly. ***

Chapter 41 ~ Albus Returns to Hogwarts

A disillusioned Marcus Delaluci was prowling the halls of Hogwarts. At bed count it was found that Ronald Weasley was once again missing, and the Ministry notified. After Aurors checked the castle and grounds thoroughly, the wizard’s disappearance was officially under investigation.

Unofficially, the Ministry believed that Ron had left of his own free will again and wasn't putting much effort into finding him..

But Marcus didn’t believe that, yet offered no help to the Aurors, hoping to find out what happened to Mr. Weasley himself and cashing in on that twenty-thousand galleons. Imagine the wizard’s surprise when the main doors opened and Severus Snape himself walked through as if he belonged here.

The wizard couldn’t believe his luck and drew his wand, removing his disillusionment.

“I’ve got you now, Snape! Don’t you fucking move…don’t even breathe hard,” the wizard cried, running toward the dark wizard, his wand extended.

Snape looked rather calm considering he’d just been captured. Then Marcus did a double take, almost tripping over his own feet as Albus Dumbledore himself walked through the door, smiling at him benignly.

”Good evening, Mr. Delaluci,” Albus said, “I see you are maintaining your usual vigilance.”

Marcus worked his mouth like a fish as he looked from Snape to Albus to Snape again. Then Hermione and Harry walked in.

Marcus stared for a few seconds more then threw up his hands in disgust.

“Oh damn,” he cursed as his twenty-thousand galleon dream bubble burst.

Shit, now there was proof Snape was innocent.

“Welcome back, Headmaster,” Marcus said, walking up to the wizard and shaking his hand, looking at Snape longingly.

The wizard scowled back at him and rolled his shoulder reflexively. Marcus had given him quite a nasty shot the last time they encountered each other. Albus studied the blonde wizard.

“You don’t look very surprised to see me, Mr. Delaluci,” Albus said.

“I’m not sir. After Snape here got carted away by Fawkes, I figured something was up and you were still in the picture,” Marcus said.

Hermione scowled at him.

“So why did you keep trying to catch him then?” she asked, remembering the wizard asking her to tell him about Snape with an offer of splitting the reward with her.

Marcus shrugged, tucking his wand in his robes pocket.

“I figured the Ministry would sort it all out later. It would have been an easy twenty-thousand galleons,” he replied.

“It wouldn’t have been as easy as you think, Mr. Delaluci,” Severus said, his eyes like daggers.

“You think that do you, Snape?” Marcus said, his eyes just as hard, “Remember, I almost had you.”

”Yes, when you surprised me and I was unarmed,” the Potions Master spat back.

“To be honest Snape, to handle you…I don’t think I’d even need magic,” Marcus said, his hands curling.

”If you think you’re wizard enough, Mr. Delaluci, I’d gladly let you test that theory,” the wizard replied, his jaw tightening.

Harry, Albus and Hermione looked from one wizard to the other as they prepared to set a date for a duel, hand to hand style.

“Now, now gentlemen. There will be none of that on the day of my return. Come along, Severus. No doubt Minerva has a lot of questions,” Albus said, pulling Severus along by his robes sleeve as he dragged his feet, looking back and glaring at Marcus, who saluted him with a nasty smirk. They'd meet up again soon.

Minerva certainly did have questions. Currently she was standing in her office staring open-mouth at Fawkes, who was standing on her desk and singing full voice. No one had seen Fawkes since Albus’ death. She was dressed in her flannel nightgown, her gray-black hair hanging in one long braid down her back. She was barefoot because she ran into her office when Fawkes’ song woke her.

”Fawkes, what are you doing here?” she demanded of the bird, who whirled his golden eyes and continued to sing, “What are you going on about?”

Fawkes trilled at her excitedly, but the witch couldn’t understand.

”Oh I wish Albus was here. He could tell me what you were trying to say,” she said to the bird despairingly. She was facing the desk with her back to the door.

”Ah, Minerva my dear…Albus IS here,” a familiar voice replied.

Minerva turned around and saw Albus standing in the open office door, dressed as outlandishly as ever, a broad smile on his face.

“Albus?” Minerva whispered, “Is this…is this a dream?”

Albus’ smile turned a bit naughty.

”There’s one way to find out,” he said, walking toward the witch, reaching around her and pinching her on the ass.

Minerva jumped and squealed, her eyes wide. She realized this was no dream. Albus was here and as wicked as ever.

”ALBUS!” she screamed, leaping on the old wizard with such alacrity that her legs wrapped around his waist as she kissed him soundly.

Hermione and Harry looked at them wide-eyed as Albus held Minerva up, kissing her back.

”Ew,” Harry breathed, “Old people kissing.”

Hermione elbowed him in the ribs as Severus watched the couple soberly for a moment, then his black eyes shifted to Hermione.

Albus let Minerva down, and the witch blushed furiously as she saw they had an audience. Then her mouth dropped open.

“Severus?” she said, stepping forward to see him better as he stood behind Hermione and Harry.

“The same, Headmistress,” the wizard replied with a slight bow.

“Oh my gods,” the witch breathed, “We were all wrong about you.”

Albus nodded in agreement.

“Yes you all were, and that helped to facilitate the death of Voldemort,” the wizard replied.

“Voldemort is dead?” Minerva asked in disbelief, her eyes shifting towards Harry, who nodded.

”Truly dead?” she asked again.

”Yes, Minerva, he is truly gone. Severus worked with Harry to destroy his Horcruxes, then brought him into the stronghold itself to face the Dark Lord, along with Miss Granger,” Albus said.

Minerva paled as she looked at Hermione and Harry.

”Where is Mr. Weasley?” she asked in a quavering voice. He wasn’t with them.

”He is at Godric’s Hollow,” Severus replied, a bit of a purr in his voice, “under Dobby the house elf’s care. He’s recovering from a bit of a beating, but none the worse for wear. He and Miss Granger both provided distraction for Voldemort so Mr. Potter could fulfill his destiny.”

“Gryffindors are good for something after all,” he added, both Hermione and Harry glaring at him for a moment.

Minerva frowned at him.

“And I suppose you provided said Gryffindors to distract him?” she asked tightly.

“Right in one,” the Potions Master replied, his dark eyes glinting.

Minerva’s face turned all kinds of colors.

“How dare you put these children in danger! You are a thoughtless, cruel, heartless…” she began, her voice fading as she looked at Albus alive and well.

”You are the bravest wizard, I know Severus Snape. Thank you for returning Albus to us. I am so sorry I believed the worst of you,” she said softly, her eyes glistening.

“It is not all your fault, Minerva, I assure you,” Severus replied, looking at Albus stonily, “I believed I killed the Headmaster myself.”

”What?” Minerva cried, then she looked at Albus, her sharp eyes narrowed, “Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, what did you do?”

Albus looked from Minerva to Severus and back again.

“I think that is better discussed at a more reasonable hour, Minerva. It is late and I am rather tired,” the wizard said, stretching out his arms and yawning exaggeratedly.

“It will be discussed,” she said firmly, then her eyes softened, “You may take the guest room if you like.”

“I would at that,” Albus replied.

”Harry and Hermione, you may take the prefect rooms in Gryffindor towers, for tonight. I assume you will both be returning to us?” she asked them rather hopefully.

They both nodded.

”Then off to your rooms. Your parents will be notified immediately of your return, Miss Granger. You have a world of explaining to do,” Minerva said with a sniff, then gave them both the password to get past the Fat Lady.

Hermione may have helped save the wizarding world, but that was no excuse for making her parents worry almost to death about her. Hermione paled as she imagined her father’s wrath.

Harry looked at Severus.

“Professor, you can stay at Godric’s Hollow if you like,” he said to the pale wizard, who had listened silently to the arrangements.

“I would rather Severus stay on Hogwarts’ premises until my return is public knowledge,” Albus interjected, “He is still a hunted wizard. I would hate to see him taken after going through so much.”

”Yes, you’re right Albus,” Minerva said.

”Thank you Headmaster, Headmistress. I will find my own sleeping arrangements here in the castle if you don’t mind,” he said, keeping his eyes from Hermione, “I am sure I can find an empty room or utilize the Room of Requirement.”

”An excellent idea, Severus,” Dumbledore beamed.

There was an annoying twinkle in his eyes, even more annoying than Severus remembered. Just how much did Albus perceive when he shared his body? Did he know about Hermione? What was worse, did he…participate vicariously?

Severus fought back a shudder at the thought of Albus playing the voyeur as he broke the young witch in.

”Well, I am going back to bed,” Minerva said, “Welcome back to the wizarding world, Severus. Good night Mr. Potter and Miss Granger. Go straight to Gryffindor Tower.”

”We will,” Harry said.

Hermione didn’t answer her. Her belly was all knotted up for some reason. A reason she didn’t dare consider openly.

“Good night,” Albus said to his resurrectors, smiling at them brightly before following Minerva down the hall.
Guest room indeed.

Fawkes was sitting on his perch, which mysteriously had reappeared. He trilled a good-bye to the trio.

As they left the office, Hermione wondered what the arrangements would be at Hogwarts. Would Dumbledore resume his duties and the Headmistress return full time to teaching Transfiguration. The classes had been cut down to twice a week, since Hogwarts couldn’t afford another teacher besides Professor Hagg due to low enrollment. That was quite likely to change.

And what about Professor Snape? Matilda was the DADA teacher now. It was unlikely she’d be removed to make room for him. What would he do?

They walked up the corridor and Harry mounted the shifting stairwell, expecting Hermione to follow. He turned to see Snape had caught her by the arm and drawn her back.

“Hermione,” Harry said with warning in his voice, “We’re supposed to go directly to Gryffindor Tower.”

”I know Harry,” she replied, “I just want a minute alone with the Professor. Things…things are going to change now. I need to talk with him.”

Harry scowled for a moment, then sighed. Yes, things were going to change. Hermione was a student again…and Professor Snape? Harry wasn’t sure exactly what he was. But Hermione was smitten with him. They might even have a last shag. After what they’d gone through, maybe they deserved one.

”All right. I’ll see you in the morning,” Harry said, then, “Good night Professor Snape. I couldn’t have done any of this without you.”

Severus nodded, but said nothing. Both he and Hermione watched as Harry rode the stairs up to the seventh floor and turned into the corridor that led to the Fat Lady’s portrait and the Gryffindor common room entrance. There were going to be quite a few surprised students come morning.

Severus looked down at Hermione.

”You fought bravely tonight, Hermione,” he said to the witch, his dark eyes washing over her, “I may not have escaped the stronghold without your help. I thank you for that…or…would like to.”

”Thank me?” Hermione said, confused for a moment, then realization dawned on her, and she colored, feeling desire break over her like a tidal wave. Severus felt her arm quiver in his grip.

“Yes. Would you like to spend a last night with me?” he asked the witch.

He appeared calm, but inwardly he hoped fervently the witch would agree to sleep with him.

”A last night?” Hermione asked him.

”As you said, things are going to change. We will most likely have to return to our lives before our encounter,” the wizard said softly, “And I would like to engage you once more, if that fire you have for me still burns.”

”It does, Severus,” she replied just as softly.

”Come with me then, and watch me ignite,” he purred, drawing his wand and casting a “Notice-Me-Not” spell on the both of them then leading Hermione on to the stairwell and heading for the Room of Requirement.

Below them, a disillusioned Marcus Delaluci watched with narrowed eyes as they spoke on the landing. Suddenly, they disappeared.

“What? Where the hell did they go, damn it?” Marcus hissed.

He had hoped to waylay Snape and try to convince him to let him turn him in and they would split the money. No one knew Albus was back yet, and the Ministry wasn’t interested in guilt or innocence…just that he was brought in.

More than likely that conversation would have gone badly in any case.

Marcus sighed, resigned that any hope of claiming that twenty-thousand galleons had evaporated like smoke. He’d have to find another way to make a fast galleon.

Knowing Marcus…he would.

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In the Cave of the Inferi was a small fissure that led to a deep drop. It wasn’t in an obvious place, simply between the entrance to the cave and the stone steps against a far wall. It was actually quite out of the way, unless the person swimming through the entrance was hit by the incoming waves just right and pushed into it. They would never escape and most likely would drown before the water drained out.

At the bottom of this fissure, resting against the wall was a skeleton in tattered robes, the bones porous and slightly spongy from constant contact with the water that rushed in. It must have been there for years.

In the skeleton’s clenched hand was a heavy gold locket with the crest of Salazar Slytherin engraved upon it, the symbol, an ornate serpentine ‘S’.

The locket began to shudder violently, then burst open, a slight, misty light rising from its inner compartment. The small, sparkling cloud paused over the skeletal remains, then floated through a wall, its consciousness rejoicing as it passed through the stone and drifted upward into the night sky.

It appeared that the wizard or witch with the initials RAB did not successfully completely his or her own mission to destroy the locket Horcrux that held one of Tom Riddle’s soul fragments.

The worst part was no one knew.

As the cloud consciously changed direction, heading inland and toward population, it was jubilant, renewed and completely enraged.

”I LIVE! YES I LIVE! AND ALL…ALL WILL PAY FOR THEIR TREACHERY!”

THE END

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A/N: Before you all go frothing at the mouth, more yumminess concerning Hermione and Severus will be in the epilogue. lol. Thanks for reading.