Hi Hermione:

I figured it would be easier to contact you this way. You mentioned in our last call that getting weekends free would be pretty out until the Christmas holidays. Dawn said she'll help me because I've never done this before. (As you know!) Evidently Tara showed her. Sometimes the time difference can really be a challenge. I'm just getting in around sunrise and it's midday for you. I wake up and it's late for you. Never mind that getting in touch with you during the week is difficult and if you're not going home weekends until Christmas you won't get a message or email from me anyway. I'm not complaining, but this is rather urgent so I didn't want to wait until you'd get my voicemail or email.

I feel bad coming to you, because I know you aren't working for the Watchers Council anymore but I don't know how to contact them myself and Giles isn't answering me either. I get that he wants me to be an adult and do things on my own, but I could really use his research capabilities on this! Not to mention his resources and contacts.

I also suspect the Council's answer would be for me to perform my duty first and ask questions after. I'm not ready to perform my slayer duties on him yet.

Him who, you ask.

I think something's been done to Spike. I think something is making him see things and something is triggering him to … do things. I know him well enough by now to know when he's just saying something to try to get laid or meet Mr. Pointy. He's not even trying to do that! I really don't think he's aware of what he's doing when it's happening.

If you want to call or email me after you get this I'd be happy to go over more details with you. I just don't know this form of communication well enough to trust this will really get to you when it's not an owl that came from you. (Dawn assures me it will and while I trust her I'm still not sure I trust a random owl!)

I just want to help him. He really has tried hard to get where he is, and despite what happened between us last year he deserves the benefit of the doubt.

I can admit that I played a role in things, too. What he did that night in my bathroom was wrong, but I did some wrong things, too. It took me a long time to come to that realization! I'm not sure I've ever said it to anyone else, so you're the first.

Regardless, I still owe him for not revealing what he knew to Glory. No, I'm not writing this because I feel that I owe him. I am truly concerned because he's come so far in the past couple of years.

I'll be sure my cell phone is on and everything so anytime is fine.

Hope all is well, and again I'm sorry to come to you with my problems! I know you're trying to get away from Council business. I just don't trust anyone else.

Love,

Buffy

PS Less than eight months to go now! You must be getting excited!

Hermione smiled at the letter and the image of Buffy using the owl service. Buffy was familiar with magic, she'd done the revealing spell that told her that Dawn didn't belong a couple of years ago. Hermione didn't think that had been the only exposure her friend had to magic either. (Not counting the magic she'd been on the receiving end of in the form of Willow's I Will It So spell and the memory altering spell.) Hermione hadn't realized Tara had shown Dawn any of the Sunnydale magical area, but it made sense she supposed that the witch would.

She went to Severus' classroom after breakfast. He seemed to be expecting her because he was standing against his desk, eyes on the door as if he knew she was coming.

He likely did.

But how? She regarded him for a moment, tilting her head as she took him in. He looked casual to anyone else. She could tell, though, by the way his hands were clenched in front of him that he was apprehensive about something.

"Do I have a tell or something?" she asked.

"I recognized her handwriting. She's never owled you before."

She shook her head slightly. "Sneaky bastard," she murmured cheekily.

"Yes, well, I am your betrothed on top of being a sneaky bastard so you'll do well to remember that for any future endeavours you have in mind to try to get over on me."

"And yet I managed to set your robes on fire when I was twelve and steal ingredients from you when I was thirteen."

His lips quirked up at that. "Touche."

She reached up to kiss him before handing him the letter to read.

"It truly never ends, does it," he said, handing the letter back to her. He sighed. "I don't have much on vampires, as you may recall from when we were researching the chip Spike has potentially malfunctioning last year."

"Right."

"We can of course work on it. Why don't you head home at lunch and call her, get as many details as you can. Why does she think this is an outside force? Just what bad things has he been engaging in? He's a vampire. I shudder to think of the potentially bad things he could get up to." He pinched the bridge of his nose as he regarded her. "And prepare her for the fact that this is the second time that he has experienced issues. He got lucky the last time that Buffy thought The Initiative might be tapping her telephones. We may not get so lucky this time."

"I will," she said, swallowing hard at the thought. Buffy liked Spike. Actually, Hermione liked Spike. He could be very charming when he wanted to be.

"You don't like that idea," he observed.

"No, of course not. He's helped her."

"So long as I don't have to worry about you developing feelings…"

"No! God, do you really think that?"

"Not truly, but a man likes to be assured his fiancee's mind doesn't travel … elsewhere to preternatural creatures with stamina."

"And more experience than I'd feel comfortable with ever even dealing with. I'm good with you and Lily, you know that I am. I'm not sure that I'd be good with two hundred years of Lilys that weren't unrequited. However, if you need assurance later please let me know. I'm happy to oblige. I'd even forego dinner."

"I will hold you to that, not dinner necessarily but the assurance later. Most definitely."

"You sure? I could do a lot of assuring in that amount of time."

"Don't you have class to get to?"

"Hmm, maybe I should be the one worrying…"

"Nonsense. Believe it or not, I rather like taking meals in your company."

"Oh?"

"Yes. Call me vain or prideful or whatever you want to say, but for the first time in my life I have something to be proud of and I enjoy showing off my charming fiancee."

"I feel the same way, you know."

He scoffed. "You're delusional, but thank you."

"I am not. I'm in control of every single one of my faculties, Severus Snape. I know you think my choosing July 2003 instead of this year meant that I had doubts or something, but that wasn't it at all. I couldn't get married without Ronald at least hearing me out. Maybe he won't come, I don't know. I feel better about the possibility now than I did eight months ago."

She slid her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. She sighed softly.

"I love you," she murmured into his robes.

"And I love you, my witch. I have no doubts and do not suspect you of having them. I am truly not worried about Spike. I would marry you tomorrow if you chose to."

"Really?"

He shrugged, kissing the top of her head. "Probably not. We both deserve an actual wedding with guests and flowers and whatever else you want."

"I agree."

"I would still marry you tomorrow if that is the date you chose."

She leaned up then, kissing him just as the door to his classroom opened. She drew away, but not before the real early students saw and gave a giggle. Well, the two girls giggled, the lone boy was looking at them very keenly. As if he was observing. Maybe he was. They were third years so the age when girls and boys were starting to become of interest to some.

"Good morning," Hermione said as she drew away, letting go of his hand last.

"Good morning, Professor Granger." The girls said it, the boy said nothing.

"I left him in a good mood for you. Don't ruin it, and have a good class," she quipped, winking at him before she dashed from the room.

She went home at lunch as Severus suggested.

Buffy didn't offer a whole lot of additional information, other than that Spike had killed people and didn't seem to remember doing so until later. She took notes while they talked, including the fact Spike had gone out to get his soul returned to him.

She wondered if Severus would have ever heard of such a thing. She certainly hadn't.

Harbringers.

The First Evil.

Posthypnotic triggers.

Ancient looking seals that take blood to open.

Spike apparently missing. (Taken by these Harbringers? That seemed likely. Was he allowed to get his soul returned for some nefarious reason?)

The Watchers' Council building exploding.

She shot off an email to Lydia immediately upon hanging up with Buffy, heart dropping as she hit send. Was there something she could have done? Were her friends dead because she'd left?  She hadn't kept in touch with anyone much except Lydia. There were a couple in their department she exchanged the occasional email with but it had essentially been "Happy Christmas" and stuff like that. She still worried about them. None of this sounded magical, though, but she hadn't only researched magical goings on. Yes, that had been her primary focus, but there weren't magical threats or runes and items to look into every day of the week.

There were evil threats and beings pretty much every day of the week it seemed.

She tried calling Lydia's number, but it went straight to voicemail. That wasn't entirely unusual, but it was worrisome. She would think if there was something big going on, and something called The First Evil didn't sound small, that her phone would be on.

She returned to their room, sitting in the chair in front of the fireplace as soon as she walked in. That was where Severus found her. She hadn't even taken off her cloak.

"Hermione?" he asked. "I assumed you weren't back yet. You were missed at dinner."

She looked from the fireplace to him, saw the concern in his eyes and dimly realized how lucky she was to have him. Who knew writing that letter over three years ago would have led to this?

"I have to go to London," she said.

"Okay," he said, sounding cautious. "Does Buffy need something in London?"

"There was a bomb," she said simply.

"I'm sorry? A what? Has Buffy been hurt?"

"I have to go to London," she said again.

She saw concern in his eyes and knew she was scaring him, but she couldn't put the thoughts and words together right now. No matter how disenchanted she may have gotten with the Watchers Council they had allowed her to live comfortably. They had supplied her with resources to look into her parents' memories even if she hadn't found anything they'd let her read any book or item she thought might provide information on how to reverse what she'd done. They had paid her well for her services, too. She may not have agreed with some of the information they chose not to share, but she hadn't wanted them dead! They weren't evil, they just wanted control over the Slayer.

A bomb implied death.

Didn't it?

What were the odds it didn't go off with people inside? With Quentin Travers inside? It was hard to swallow as that thought took shape in her mind. He was a pompous jerk at times, but there had been other times he was almost grandfatherly. She'd liked the man overall. He knew her name even to the point of greeting her if they passed in the halls. So, yes, a pompous jerk, but one who had a heart. She glanced at Severus, realizing many would say he was a pompous jerk, too.

Pompous jerk did not mean he deserved to die!

"There was a bomb."

He scowled, clearly not getting it. Why would he? She wasn't getting it!

"All right, Hermione. Let me change, and I will go with you. You shouldn't go alone."

"But…"

"No buts. Just give me a moment. You've clearly been sitting here for some time, a few more minutes won't matter. Would an auror help? You do know one, you know."

"I," she stared at him. Was what he just said supposed to make sense? "What?"

He was more than just kind of scowling at her now, but it was one of concern not irritation. He realized he was missing a piece to the puzzle that was her thought process as to what was currently going on and he didn't like it.

"An auror? Do you want Harry to meet us there?"

"I," she stammered.

Was he speaking in English? There was obviously a disconnect. This had never happened to her before. Was this what shock felt like? Had she survived a war only to have a breakdown now? Tears formed in her eyes as she watched him cast his patronus.

"Mr. Potter, please prepare to join Hermione and myself in London shortly. I do not have an address so meet us at the Leaky Cauldron as soon as you can. Just you, your friend could use you. Something's happened to do with her former employer is the impression I'm getting. She is fine. I repeat she is fine, do not send a team of aurors to meet me. Just you."

The German Shepherd bound off through their rooms' walls with a determined bark.

She didn't even notice Severus leave the room, but here he was standing in front of her clearly dressed to go out into muggle London. He hadn't been when she looked at him a second ago. Had he?

"All right, Witch," he said, gathering her into his arms after grabbing some floo powder. "I think your cloak will do well enough for a December night in London. Let's go see how well Mr. Potter can listen to directions post-academic career."

He stepped into the fireplace, tossed the floo powder down and announced "Leaky Cauldron" as clearly and succinctly as he could. It was the first time he'd tried to use the floo network since the war that she knew of. "I just hope we end up where I intend us to." Of course, he wouldn't have tried it if he wasn't confident his annunciation was clear enough even if his voice was quite soft. She knew that.

They did arrive exactly where he'd intended.

All eyes turned to them when Severus Snape stepped out of the fireplace, clutching Hermione Granger in his arms. She foggily took in the sight, saw the grim determination in her wizard's eyes to get out of this situation without hexing anyone who challenged him as to what he was doing with her like this.

He breathed a clear sigh of relief. Why? What had happened to cause that in him?

"Mr. Potter," he said softly.

Oh. He was happy to see Harry. Well, if she was mentally capable this would be one for the record books.

"What's happened?"

"Let's go outside, shall we?" he asked.

He would not want to have their conversation or activities observed anymore than they already had been.

"Of course," Harry said, seeming to realize they had no privacy in the bar.

Severus carried her outside and a bit away from the bar.

"As to what happened. I do not know. Hermione said she needed to go to London and something about a bomb. She went home for lunch to call the Slayer after receiving an owl from her at breakfast. She evidently did not show for her afternoon classes or dinner."

"An owl? She's not magical, though, I didn't think."

"Really? That's your focus, Potter? She has magical friends."

"Oh, right," Harry said with a nod.

"I arrived at our rooms after dinner determined to go home and find her when she didn't make an appearance. I assured Minerva something had probably come up to do with her former position. I assumed she got caught up in something there as she is wont to do at times."

"Right," Harry said, clearly understanding this phenomena Severus spoke of. Harry and Ron were more than just slightly familiar with it.

"And here we are. She wanted to come to London, she was very clear about that." He turned his attention to her. "Tell me where to take you."

"The Watchers Council," she said, swallowing again. She thought she tasted bile in the back of her throat, but she hadn't gotten sick.

"All right. Potter, grab on and I will apparate us there."

"All three of us?"

Severus scoffed. "Does she look as if she's in the condition to do it herself?"

"No."

"Then you will have to trust I won't splinch any of us."

"Oh, I do," he said, grabbing on as instructed.

She'd never been carried while apparating. It was more than just a little unsettling. He seemed to realize that when they arrived and set her down so that she could empty the meager contents of her stomach. She hadn't eaten since breakfast so there wasn't much to expel.

She stood then, staring at where the building should be. It was still there.

Some of it. What was there though was in shambles. Windows were broken, several floors were missing. There was glass and other debris all over the ground. It hadn't been a small or subtle blast.

She swallowed. That feeling of needing to be sick was there again.

That didn't bode well for survivors. Did it?

"Hermione?" Harry asked. Clearly he was looking for some direction, an answer as to what they were looking for and why they were here.

"I don't know," she said simply. She had no idea what to even think let alone say right now.

People were dead. People she passed in the halls. People she sat with in the archives. People she knew. People she'd talked to. People she'd eaten with.

Who could have survived such a blast? She fell to her knees again, retching more at the thought of the people she'd worked with and gotten to know dead. The thought of the lady who'd worked the cafeteria who was always quick to offer Hermione a smile. She hadn't even bothered to learn more than her name: Vanessa. She didn't know if she'd been married or had kids or anything else about her. She saw her almost every day for years and hadn't bothered to get to know her at all.

"I don't know what I can do," Harry said.

"I don't either," Severus said. "I don't think that there's much we can do."

"I haven't heard from Lydia," she said, sitting on the ground now.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Severus said. "Tell us."

So she filled them in on what Buffy had told her.

"Well, that can't be good. I mean, The First Evil sounds pretty bad," Harry said.

"Yes, Harry, astute as always," Severus said.

"Hey! I'm just saying."

"Don't argue, please."

"Sorry, Hermione," Harry said. "I'm here to help. I just don't know what you want me to do. Clearly the muggle authorities have already been here." Judging by the status of the building and the areas sectioned off so passersby didn't go onto the property Harry was right.

"I don't know. I just," she shrugged, gathering her knees to her chest. "What if I could have…"

"Don't, Hermione," Severus said.

He knelt on the ground in front of her. He set a finger at her chin. She stubbornly refused to look at him.

"Look at me, Witch."

She did as he asked and saw understanding in his eyes.

"We won't focus on the acts I partook in before turning spy. However, there are only about two years of those compared to almost twenty afterward. Do you have any idea how many lives I stood by in the name of good and saving the wizarding world and watched while they were cut down? You don't think I go to sleep some nights to a collage of every single one of them flashing before my eyes? I have more blood on my hands than anyone should. I question every day what you're doing with me, what I possibly did to deserve you. If you'd been here you'd be dead. And then where would I be? Where would Buffy be? You can still help her. We can still help her. We may not have access to the books the Council did, but we are not helpless or hopeless researchers. We will assist your friend so that she lives to see another crisis."

Harry snorted at that.

"How do you do it?" she asked softly.

"I strive to ensure that their lives were not ended in vain. I strive every day to grow so that I might be a better person worthy of living while they did not. And I thank Merlin for you," he said.

She cupped his cheek.

"I do the same."

"You are too kind, my witch."

"Do you need me, Hermione? I'm happy to help, but I'm afraid vampires and The First Evil are probably above my paygrade."

Severus chuckled softly, kissing the palm of her hand.

"Are you okay, Witch?" he asked.

"I am," she said. "I just. I knew them, Severus. I worked with them, ate with them…"

"I know, and I am sorry. I wish I could do and say more. We will find a way to assist Buffy so that this did not happen for nothing."

"I believe you. Give me a minute and then you can take me home."

"Gladly."

She stood then with Severus and Harry both offering her a hand. She took them both and hugged Harry tightly.

"Thank you for coming."

"Of course."

"Tell Ginny…"

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. She knew Severus wouldn't send me a patronus if it wasn't important. It's not that late or anything." He kissed her cheek. "That's what family does for one another."

"You're right, but she's your wife."

"We're fine. She understands, truly. Are you sure that you don't need anything?"

"No, I'm fine."

"Well, anytime. I don't care if it's the middle of the night. If you need me, you know where to find me. My wards will always accept you."

"I know," she said. "Thank you."

"Thank you, Severus," Harry said, offering her fiance his hand.

"You're welcome, Harry. Thank you for coming without much of an explanation."

"You wouldn't have asked me if it wasn't important. So, anytime, I'm just sorry that I could not do more. Well," he said, glancing at the two of them. "Night then. I won't say good."

"You can't go inside," Severus said to Hermione once they were alone.

"I know. It's not safe and my magic could set something off."

"I'm glad you are aware."

"I am."

She knew how it worked. Magic and some muggle devices didn't play well with one another. Forget every day items in there. There could be another bomb. 

They did walk around the perimeter of the building, disillusioned. Neither wanted to be spotted walking around on security cameras or anything.

"I feel like a part of me…"

"I understand," he said. "Depending on the status of the Council, I presume they will rebuild much as Hogwarts did."

She looked at him, grateful one of them was levelheaded enough to think of that and nodded.

Of course.

The Watchers Council was anciently old. They'd have contingencies after contingencies. Maybe it wouldn't be here on this exact location. Maybe it wouldn't even be in London this time. However, they'd be prepared. Assuming anyone had survived who would know those contingencies. That made her feel somehow better. A little.

"You're right. Can we stop at home first to see if I got a response from Lydia?"

"Of course," he said. "Are you ready?"

"I am."

"While you're checking your email I will send a patronus to Minerva letting her know you are, in fact, all right. You frightened both of us. I didn't realize you hadn't shown up for your afternoon classes until dinner or I would have sought you out much sooner."

"I know, it's okay. I just. I went numb I think."

"Perfectly understandable. You've been through a lot the past twelve years, Hermione. You took that job expecting it to be safe. They went to the heart of the Slayer's support system. It could have been you. I've spent the last little while thanking Merlin you quit. Selfish as that may be. But it's okay. I am not judging you for taking some time to process that people you knew might have perished."

He apparated them to their home and she sighed in relief at being there, at seeing it was safe even though she'd been there that afternoon.

"Whatever The First Evil is, they pretty much just declared war on the Council and the Slayer."

"Not very subtly either," Severus said with a nod.

She checked her email as Severus sent the patronus. Minerva's cat replied, thanking him for the update.

"Nothing?" he asked at her frustrated sigh.

"No," she said.

"I truly am sorry. Did she have family?"

"Not that I'm aware of. She wasn't married or anything, I know that. She never spoke of parents or siblings. I assume they worked for the Council, too. That seemed to be very prevalent there and she'd mentioned generations of Grahams having been there. I never met them, though."

"Rupert?"

"I haven't heard and Buffy hasn't either. As far as I know he was not a regular at the main building. He had no reason to be. While he was still technically her watcher, she had released them of their duties so I can't imagine he'd go there for anything. Though I also have no idea if he was still employed by them. Buffy fired them, he didn't."

"Agreed. Do you want to stay here tonight so that you can be here if your phone rings?"

"You don't mind?"

"As long as we make an appearance at breakfast…"

"Can we shower first?"

"Together?" He managed to pull off sounding both suspect and hopeful. How he managed that with one word she wasn't sure.

"I think I'll need that."

"Of course," he said. "Whatever my witch needs."

"Mm. Actually, as nice as that sounds. I think ice cream sounds better."

"Go get in bed. I will dish some out for you."

"Me?"

"Well, I may steal a bite of yours."

She snorted. He was as much a fan of cookie dough ice cream as she was.

Story ©Susan Matthews/APCKRFAN/PhantomRoses.com