His kisses slowed, letting the lava in her veins cool to languorous warmth. Her eyes burned behind their lids as his palm cupped her jaw, his fingers twined in her hair. With a last tender brush across her lips, he drew back.

"You should go soon," he whispered. "And I have so much to tell you."

"The journal you gave me," Hermione began.

"I'm afraid that flying lessons must wait for another time," Severus cut in.

"But it was his, right?"

"A copy," Severus conceded, "but, yes, the words are the Dark Lord's."

"He taught you to fly," Hermione marvelled.

---

"A dubious privilege, I assure you," Severus said.

"Are there others? The Order should know," Hermione began, but Severus's dark look silenced her.

"The Order cannot know," he said. "The Dark Lord has never used the ability at an assembly. It is possible that he has not confided in anyone else. It is even possible that his sole reason for sharing this with me was to test my loyalty."

"It's also possible that he has trained dozens of you one by one, to make you all feel especially favoured."

"On balance, I think not," Severus said, "though it's not impossible."

---

"Hermione, would I be correct in assuming that your human Transfiguration skills would allow you to consistently be able to repeat and maintain such facial alterations as would enable you to adopt an alternate persona?" Severus asked.

"I think so," Hermione agreed, "but isn't Polyjuice a safer alternative?"

"Under normal circumstances, yes, but it would be unwise to rely upon the continuing availability of all the key ingredients."

"What?" Hermione demanded.

"Thicknesse suggested to Scrimgeour that the reason he has failed to locate me or any escaped Death Eaters is that we have ready access to Polyjuice and other potions."

---

"I thought Thicknesse was Imperiused." Hermione's brows furrowed. "Oh! I get it. They make it a Class A tradable substance, and it'll only be people with dubious contacts who will be able to get it."

"Or people like Thicknesse. I should be able to maintain a small stock for personal use, but if I can't buy the ingredients freely, the Dark Lord will expect me to turn over a number of completed Potions commensurate with the raw materials he provides."

"So it looks like he's legislating against Death Eaters, but he's actually restricting the movements of everyone else. Bastard!"

"Quite!"

---

"So, who am I?" Hermione asked.

"You will be Olivia Prinz, with a z. You're the illegitimate child of an English Muggle-born witch, Anne Wakefield. Your father is Oscar, a distant cousin of my mother's. She has ensured that if anyone checks, the story will be accepted. Oscar gave his permission for you to adopt the Prinz name."

"What about Anne Wakefield?" Hermione asked. "Does she exist?"

"She did. She'd be forty-four now. She embarked on the once-traditional Grand Tour after Hogwarts and never came back." He smirked. "Understandable for a single mother in our society. You were always home-schooled."

---

"Okayyy, what happens if someone knows her?"

Severus shook his head slightly. "With luck, most people won't look beyond the name Prinz. Those who might are unlikely to be well acquainted with a Muggle-born, and if you mention you adopted your father's name, that will almost certainly end any discussion."

"And other than being a social pariah Olivia Prinz will...?"

"Register patents for several new potions, produce some of the more difficult potions for various apothecaries and make money."

"Wolfsbane?" Hermione asked immediately.

"That will be one of the patents eventually, but distributing Wolfsbane openly now would attract unwanted attention."

---

"But—"

Severus placed a finger on her lips and then angled in to kiss her softly. "Let Lupin do it. No apothecary would carry Wolfsbane, anyway. Werewolves don't have the money. In addition, the Dark Lord would not tolerate anyone poaching his followers. Please, do not paint a target over Olivia's heart." He smirked. "I would hate to have to break in a new liaison."

Hermione rolled them until she was on top, her eyes gleaming. "You are so lucky I speak Snape and have a thing for intelligent, sarcastic men," she mock-threatened. "Otherwise I might take you seriously."

---

She pinned his wrists on either side of his head, knowing even as she leant her weight forward onto them that he allowed her to do it.

He grinned. "I would hate to break in a new liaison, quite aside from the fact candidates aren't exactly plentiful... I'd have to get refunds on your birthday presents for a start."

"Presents?" Hermione piped in a shocked tone. "I thought..."

Severus treated her to his best disdainful look. "I had planned to celebrate our anniversary by taking you out, and you couldn't dress up where you live, so I bought some things."

---

"Things?" Hermione asked.

"Things," Severus stated flatly. "You can look in the wardrobe later. I've something else to give you now."

"Promises, promises," Hermione teased.

"Those, too." Severus nodded toward the bedside cabinet. "Check the drawer."

Hermione released his hand and leaned over far enough to open the drawer and pull out a medium sized jewellery box. When she opened it, she found a gold brooch, in the shape of two entwined hearts.

"I know brooches aren't exactly popular with your age group, but it's a traditional gift, though I hadn't heard of it until I came here to live."

---

"It's called a Luckenbooth brooch. They date back to the time of Mary Queen of Scots, and they used to be sold from locking booths around Saint Giles'. There are different designs named after the booths where they were sold. I chose the Greyfriars design. It's the simplest one. Others have the hearts surmounted by a crown for loyalty, and many of them incorporate thistles. They were commonly given as betrothal gifts, and while I don't imagine marriage in our futures, you have my love and my friendship, and if I lie with another woman, it won't be by choice."

---

Hermione sighed at the caveat she wished he didn't have to make. "I'll wear it on my favourite cloak. You know Penelope had her baby?"

"I would be concerned if she hadn't," Severus replied, trying to dispel the sense of melancholy that permeated the room. "And?"

"Girl. Brunette." Hermione swung her leg back over Severus's body and tucked herself in against his side, her head resting on his shoulder. "I take it you're going ahead with your plan for Halloween?" she asked.

"It seems the most opportune time," Severus replied.

"Your mother couldn't do it?"

"Would you tell your mother?"

---

"It seems like an awfully big risk," Hermione observed.

"Do you think my mind will ever be completely at rest until I know the facts?" Severus asked.

"No." Hermione gave a tight smile. "I guess I'm your backup then."

"Hermione, you—"

"Are you going to say you didn't tell Malfoy he was an idiot to be sneaking around the castle without lookouts?"

"No, but—"

"That's settled then. I'll be here by six o'clock by any means necessary. That should give you time to explain your plan while we're waiting for everyone to get settled in the Great Hall."

---

"And between now and then?" Severus asked.

Hermione grimaced. "Well, I don't think Molly can argue if I tell her I want to sell some potions to make some extra cash."

Severus smirked.

"Okay, she will argue, but she's pragmatic enough to eventually accept that it needs to be done. If things get much worse at the Ministry, I don't know if it'll be safe for Arthur to keep going in to work. Molly might have chickens and vegetables, but she doesn't mill her own flour or keep a cow. She'll send Harry with me, to begin with, at least..."

---

"But she'll have to relax her surveillance to some extent," Severus finished for her. "I do have one last present for you upstairs, just in case..." He lifted his arm from around her back and got to his feet. He held out a hand. "Come on."

Hermione tucked the box containing her brooch into her jeans pocket before she took the proffered limb. "You're spoiling me."

Severus gave an amused grunt. "I fully expect to get back my investment and more. If you think you're keeping any more than half of Olivia's money, you're sadly mistaken."

"Says who?" Hermione teased.

---

"Meet Hercules," Severus said, opening the enclosure Prometheus shared with a long-eared owl.** The bird's 'ear'-tufts lifted, making it look rather comical. "Hercules, this is Hermione. Be good for her." He addressed Hermione. "Molly need never know whether he's delivering messages or simply off hunting."

Hermione grinned, reflecting on their meeting at Grimmauld Place.

"Hercules rescued Prometheus," she had whispered.

"I do not expect to be so fortunate," had been Severus's reply.

Perhaps he was learning to hope.

"I should have chosen something inconspicuous, but those attention-grabbing tufts reminded me of a certain hand-waving Gryffindor," Severus explained with a smirk.

 

* Greyfriars Luckenbooth Brooch

** Long-eared owl Press the play button in the top right of the screen for a gorgeous slide show.