Severus stepped through the door and looked back and forth between them. His mouth curled into a sneer, but she saw a subtle flood of relief in his eyes.
“Of course, I should have realised you somehow had her when she wasn't ever brought to Hogwarts.”
Hermione slid her hands behind her back and curled them into painfully tight fists. “Do they have everyone then?”
Severus gave a infinitesimal nod. “Gabrielle Delacour was secretly caught a week ago. They used her to lure out Fleur.”
Hermione shook her head slowly. “Fleur would never—”
All the safe houses.
Fleur had known every one. She'd warded and maintained them.
Hermione shook her head again. “She wasn't the secret keeper. That couldn't have been enough.”
Severus' mouth twisted derisively. “With Sussex's endless ingenuity, the impossible becomes possible. Something related to the way Veela channel their magic it would seem. They've been working for months to perfect breaking through the Fidelius.” The acidic disdain in his voice was muted. He looked tired.
She wondered if he were carrying equal despair behind his own occlumency walls.
Severus stared at Hermione, his expression wary. “What happened at Hogwarts?”
Hermione dropped her eyes. “Harry was a horcrux. I found out today, after the attack had already started. When I confirmed it, I tried to convince Harry to have the Resistance fall back, but he thought if all the horcruxes were destroyed that letting the Dark Lord kill him would fulfill the prophecy and kill them both.”
Severus' expression flickered. “Just how did you come to realise that?”
“Poppy told me she noticed irregularities in his signature during first year, but Dumbledore dismissed them.” She gave Severus a long look. “Did you know?”
His lip curled. “I did not. I wouldn't have endeavored to teach him occlumency if I had been aware he had a horcrux in his head.”
Hermione gave a small nod. “Well, it hardly matters now. He's dead, and it didn't work. We missed a horcrux, and we have to find it.” Her jaw twitched, and her voice grew tight. “Draco blew his cover getting Ginny out of Sussex. He expects he has less than twelve hours before the Dark Lord learns of his betrayal.”
Severus looked sharply at Draco, who stared back with an indifferent expression.
Hermione swallowed. “I agreed to leave Britain and take Ginny to safety. Severus, you'll have to be the one to find and destroy the last horcrux. My research was lost in Grimmauld Place, but I can explain everything before I go.”
Severus' expression didn't so much as flicker. “Indeed, and what will Draco be doing?”
Hermione steeled herself. “He's going to take Ginny to the safe house first and get everything arranged while I'm giving my research to you. Then he's going to take me and return.”
Severus gave an audible snort and looked at Draco. “Really? That's your plan? And I'm expected to follow orders?”
Draco stared back, his lip curling viciously. “It doesn't matter to me what you do. Granger is leaving.”
Severus arched an eyebrow and looked back at Hermione. “Really?”
The corner of Hermione's mouth quirked down. “Yes. I gave him my word that I would go.”
Severus was silent for long enough that her heart began pounding in her chest.
He rolled his eyes. “Very well, given that I would seem to be the only one remaining who remembers the purpose of the Order.”
Hermione conjured a table and then scrounged through her beaded bag for parchment and ink. She started writing and then looked up at Draco.
“You should take Ginny now. That way I'll be there by the time she wakes. I'm assuming it's not a quick trip to wherever you're hiding us.”
Draco was staring at her, his eyes calculating. “I don't trust you, Granger. I trust Snape even less.”
Hermione's heart stalled, but she just blinked slowly. “Alright. Stay then.”
She looked back down at the scroll and resumed writing. There was a long silence.
“I want an Unbreakable Vow,” Draco said abruptly.
Hermione's fingers twitched before she looked up at him. “From me?”
Draco sneered. “No. Not from you. From Snape. I want his word that he won't interfere or take you anywhere.”
Hermione looked over at Severus, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. “Alright. Do you want me as Bonder?”
“You are both fools,” Severus said, drawing himself up.
“Will you do it?” Draco's eyes were narrowed into slits.
Severus gave Hermione a sidelong look and then snorted. “Of course, I will make an Unbreakable Vow,” he gave a dismissive wave of his hand, “given that it is the only way to get anything done.”
It was made in a matter of minutes.
Draco didn't look at Severus as he extracted the vow, his eyes were locked on Hermione.
Then Draco stood, his eyes still on her face.
“I'll be back in a few hours.”
He picked up Ginny. Just before he vanished, Hermione's lips parted.
To say—
To say—
“Alright. I'll be waiting for you,” she said, turning back to the table she'd been writing at and picking up the quill again.
She didn't look up as he apparated silently away.