Severus ignored the chill as he slipped from under his covers and opened the window. He greeted the owl with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He carried Hercules upstairs and, taking the message from his leg, let him into Prometheus' enclosure to feed and rest.

Severus drew the strip of parchment from its cylinder, a tiny scrap, small enough to avoid notice. You couldn't shrink a large message down. The parchment or paper became so thin it disintegrated at the lightest touch, and so they exchanged messages that said nothing.

'I love you. I miss you.'

And everything.

---

Severus dismantled the cylinder and Finite'd the Sticking Charm that bound the parchment to the central spindle. He took the tiny slip and flattened it between the pages of 'Moste Potente Potions' with his copy of their written conversation the day after Krum died and two other parchment ribbons.

He prepared his own message. It was just as brief as and even more unsatisfying than Hermione's since he couldn't write it in his own hand. Nevertheless, until Hermione was no longer observed, that and her disc's warmth were all that were in his power to give. So he gave them.

---

Hermione's heart beat a tattoo every time. She had long ago charmed her journal so that it was illegible to others. Now, though it still detailed her own thoughts, her journal also told another story. Her every waking minute without his warmth was catalogued. Every time, from the seventy-two minutes preceding her argument with Harry, to the twelve minutes yesterday. Every time he donned robes instead of jeans, returned the disc to its watch chain, and attended his master, his only master now. Every time Hermione sent prayers to whatever power might heed her to beg for his safe return.

---

Increasingly, Hermione spent more time at Order headquarters. The Burrow was too cluttered for her to easily set up a Potions lab there, so in order to build up the stocks of Potions that Olivia Prinz might need as various Apothecaries re-stocked and to make the Wolfsbane Remus and others needed, Hermione travelled there most days. Those times Molly didn't have an excuse to go with her, she sent Ginny instead. Though Hermione was sequestered in her lab for the most part, by Halloween she could almost pass Harry or Ron in the house's halls or kitchen without flinching. Almost.

---

"What would you like for dinner tonight?" Molly asked.

Hermione looked up in surprise, only just stopping before the coffee she was pouring spilled over the side of her mug.

"I'm making treacle tart for dessert," Molly quickly interjected, "but I thought you might have a favourite main course."

Thankfully Molly missed Hermione's irritated snort at her pandering to Harry.

"I don't feel up to a lot of people, Molly."

"I thought you and Harry—"

"We are. A bit. I just don't want to have every member of the order take it in turns to ask if I'm alright."

---

"I see," Molly answered gently. "Well, maybe Ginny can stay with you."

"Molly, you know that Ginny would want to be with Harry, and she should be." Hermione played her trump card. "He tries to act as if it's any other day, and I know he wouldn't want anyone to say anything, but it's eighteen years today..."

Molly suddenly looked contrite. "Of course... But will you be alright on your own?"

"I'll be fine," Hermione answered. "I've got some reading to do, or I might go for a walk."

"You will be careful, won't you?" said Molly.

"I always am."

---

Hermione stayed in her lab until she knew Molly had enlisted Harry and Ron in her preparations. She stole into their shared room and took The Marauders' Map from the bottom of Harry's trunk, leaving all else as it had been before. In many ways, what she did next was the hardest part of her work that day.

"Harry?" she whispered, pulling him to one side as he polished a huge canteen of silver cutlery.

Ron's eyes followed them both, like those of a puppy tied to a fence while children played ball.

"Harry, I need to borrow your cloak."

---

Just within the wards, there was an area of lawn, surrounded by fragrant flower beds. Hermione reclined on the grass, her attention apparently on the book at her side. Really, she was allowing herself to be seen as the various Order members arrived, too far away for them to talk, close enough for them to wave. She nodded back as they came, in ones and twos. Remus came with Tonks. Moody arrived alone, as did Shacklebolt. Hagrid and Minerva would be at Hogwarts.

At quarter to six, she put her book in her bag, took out Harry's cloak and disappeared.