The world outside raged with a storm that seemed almost unnatural in its force. The entire muggle street was deserted, only the street lamps flickering as the storm threatened the power. Severus turned his eyes towards the house that stood abandoned, the muggle repellent charm standing strong even after all this time. He could sense the charm's creator and for a brief second—the smallest of moments, he wondered if they were still living.

The death eaters who had been sent to lay a trap had long since been relocated so he had no fear about crossing over the wards. Such a modest home, clean and well maintained, it was just what he would have expected.

The front door opened without a sound but the air inside smelled thick, musty with a hint of iron just beneath. The door opened up to a modest entranceway, that had three paths, one to the sitting room, one to what appeared to be a study and a staircase. From his vantage, he could easily see the dislodged furniture from a struggle and the large bloodstain that covered the wood floor leading into what he supposed was the kitchen.

His lips pursed tight but he resisted his curiosity for the moment and turned to take the stairs. A silent lumos spell ensured his ascent, the soft carpet keeping his footfalls silent. The light from his spell caught on the frames lining the wall but he didn't turn his head to examine them. No doubt they were filled with family photos of happy memories never to be made again.

The first door he came across led to a bathroom, to which he paid no attention. The floor beneath his foot creaked as he neared the next door and he turned his head down. His stomach grew cold from the smeared handprint along the bottom of the wall. Too small to have been a man's, he could only guess to which female of the house it belonged.

Despite the unease growing in his chest, he lowered his light down, following the splattered blood. There had definitely been a fight, a powerful one, the curse marks were evidence of that. The trail led to another door, that sat partially off its hinges. The light from the storm outside highlighting the blue wooden H mounted to the door.

His eyes raised from the carpet where a dark stain radiated out from the center. The desk chair that had apparently been pulled from its proper place laying sideways in the center over the stain. His stance shifted as he enlarged the light on his wand following the path the struggle. The entire room was covered in cast off. A big struggle evident by the darkness left behind.

Another step made something crunch under his boot and he paused to get a look. A picture frame, with a single tooth inside. He was very sure Miss Granger had all her teeth and felt a small bit of hope that perhaps one of her pursuers had lost more than that in the struggle.

His next more careful step brought him over to the desk that miraculously appeared undamaged. A single journal sat in the center, its baby blue cover tainted by a large puddle that had collected overtop. He raised it up from the wood top turning it in his hand before slipping it into his enlarged cloak pocket.

Trying to ignore the obvious; he opened the top drawer, smirking at the neatly organized pens, pencils and quills inside. With only a small shake of his head, he closed the drawer before turning his attention towards the bed. His entire reason for being there was to find something of hers that would bring her comfort. Something that smelled of the past. Something—that maybe—just maybe, could jog that secret little place inside her mind.

He had remembered Lily's room being filled with stuffed toys and other small things that made her feel warm and safe and had thus taken the risk. He'd never even thought about the home lives of the children he taught, and standing inside the room—despite its obvious circumstance—felt like an out of body experience.

The only knowledge he had was of something nearly 30 years ago when he had made his first friend. When he'd been invited over for dinner, to be introduced and accepted into someone else's home. Though the memory had long faded, the emotion it brought with was still present to that day. It was the first time anyone had ever looked at him like a human being, like someone who mattered.

A slow breath left his nose as he came closer, the bed was so dis-shelved that the mattress was actually sitting askew on the modest frame. Its neatly made cover dislodged and partially laying in the floor. Only a single decoration laid upon the surface. Its black eyes dark and heavily shadowed. By some miracle, the stuffed cat appeared to have been spared the bloodbath that had covered nearly everything else in the room. As he made to retrieve it something rattled against the tip of his boot, garnering his attention.

With grace only a man of his presence could create, he lowered down following the sound of its roll under the edge of the bed. When his hand curled around its polished surface he knew instantly what he'd taken hold of. Coming to stand once more, he brought it up to his wand light. It was hers, he was sure if it. The power that radiated out was unmistakable. His eyes traced the modest engravings before the wand found its home in his inner coat pocket.

He wasn't sure how all those who had surely come to investigate had missed it but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. Another bolt of lightning lit up the room and for a second his own reflection in the glass made his blood run cold. He could feel the energy in the room beginning to shift. The warmth of one of the stones in his pocket reminded him just what he was doing there.

With only a small glance through to the back garden, he pulled the stuffed cat from the bed before turning on the spot. The searing pain in his arm altering his return. It was more than what he'd come for. Hopefully, it was enough to set Miss Granger back onto her feet. He just hoped she had the strength to begin walking. Time was steadily, running out.

oOo

"I can't believe we did it!" Ron cried out in both disbelief and pain. His shoulder was shredded but the warmth of the blood that ran down hardly registered over their success.

"Yeah...we did..." Harry panted heavily, his own injuries were distracting him from his friend's obvious elation.

"What's that?" Ron grunted, plopping himself into an overturned tree. The locket held firm in his grasp as he brought his other hand up to hold his shoulder. His eyes remained down on the file that had fallen face down out from under Harry's jacket when he'd taken a step.

Harry winced as he leaned down, having taken a stunner in the side had left him rather sore. The blood from the cut over his eye dropping down over the folder, "It's Hermione's...What they had on her at the Ministry."

Ron swayed dangerously watching the file duplicate, "Why would the..." His words faded out as he collapsed backward the blood loss from his sliced shoulder taking him under.

"Ron!"

oOOo

"You lied to me, Severus."

A cold chill ran down Severus' spine as he kept himself as still as he possibly could. The chair he found himself in was one of many lining the long table though he was the only one aside from the Dark Lord. Wisely, he kept his tongue silent, waiting for the other foot to drop.

"Potter has found another. Appearently, he is not so bereaved."

Before Severus could respond the doors at the end of the room slammed open with a rather rough looking Pius being escorted by a Death Eater whose name he had yet to learn. Their numbers having grown rabidly over the past months.

"My L-Lord-" Pius' words cut off mid-plea.

"Crucio!"

Severus watched the haunted man collapse down to the floor. The message his master was trying to get across, perfectly clear. He needed a way to find out more about Potter's movements and quickly before he was to find himself in Pius' place. He came to his feet, his jaw tight and traced the slow path his master had taken to inflict the most damage. When he was within a few yards he made sure to step inside the insane man's field of vision.

"I shall see what I can find, My Lord."

Severus gave the twisted man one last look before turning to make his way out. Their proceeding conversation about Potter's discovering rattling about in his mind. It was nearly a suicide mission. One he could not possibly complete with a positive outcome for any of them.

He could already tell Lucius had run his mouth about his abrupt appearance with Marxan. Though he was quite sure Lucius had left out the part where he was dealing with a blacklisted snatcher. His silver tongue had saved him once again but it was steadily becoming tarnished.

oOo

Severus had just stepped through the floo leading to his office when his ears thumped to the sound of a small fist pounding at his warded door. A quick glance to the mirrors revealed his unwanted guest to be none other than Flitwick whose scrunched face showed a barely restrained rage.

With a quick adjustment of his jacket and cloak, Severus took a seat behind the desk. Trying, rather successfully, to put on a face of blatant apathy. A wave of his hand lowered the wards and before he could even settle back into the chair, the short man was stomping into the room.

"I am a student short."

"Name?"

"Luna Lovegood. Don't suppose you have any idea as to why she wouldn't be present?"

The accusation was clear in the man's tone but Severus wouldn't allow his feathers to be ruffled so easily. Instead he pulled open a side drawer and pulled out a blank bit of parchment. He shuffled through as though he were looking for something specific before finally raising his eyes.

"It would appear as though she will be a little late for start of term. I have no exact date of her return but as far as I know. She will be returning."

"And why wasn't I told of this? I am still her head of house." Flickwit straightened himself up though was obviously still flustered about the entire circumstance. The whispers in the walls were spreading fear and they weren't just for the children.

"Message just arrived." Severus put the paper back into his desk before the idiot requested to see it. He was bold face lying but the Charms teacher quite frankly lacked in wit when it came to human interaction, "When I know of her return. You shall be the first I inform. Was there anything else?"

Flickwick huffed and sputtered obviously controlling his temper, "Nothing, Headmaster."

"Then I suggest you go take care of the students who have returned." Severus made a point of turning his head towards the large clock, its golden arms showing that it was nearly 10 o'clock, hardly the hour for such a hostile conversation.

"Quite."

Severus waited for the man to near the door before making sure his nastiness was well established, "And Filius, do not wait so long to tell me that one of your students is missing. Such recklessness in these times is likely to have someone killed."

A slow grin broke out over his face as the door to the office slammed shut. It was a low blow but it had felt unbelievably cathartic to give back some of the prejudice he'd received thus far since taking the position. He really didn't have much opinion either way on any of his co-workers. They were merely people who shared his workplace. It was a safe distance he had strove very hard to maintain over the years but he was sure it was one that ensured not only his life but theirs as well. Or at least some of them.

Pushing that dark thought aside he pulled out the items he'd retrieved from Granger's home. Setting each of them down in turn, he spared a glance at the portrait to his back from the mirror on his desk. He could see the barely contained curiosity shining in the elder's eyes but luckily did not have to withstand his opinion on the matter.

He took the journal first, the soft leather bending in his grasp as he turned its pages. His brow ticked when nothing but blank bloodstained pages looked back at him though the edges were clearly worn. A small glance towards the wand he recovered brought it into his hand and turning to the center he pressed the sacred wood into its pages.

"Reveal your secrets."

Severus smirked as the wand responded to his command, his magic flowing unheeded through its core. It was an interesting feeling but one left to a later time. His eyes narrowed as ink started to bleed into the page, showing that tight neat scrawl he'd come to know well over the past six years.

Setting the wand aside he took a casual crawl through the contents, noting the various diagrams and arithmetic equations. It looked as though she had completely dissected nearly every spell and potion she had come across during her studies. As intrieging as it was it wasn't something to waste his time on. He had hoped it would have been a more 'traditional' diary. Outlining her escapades with dumb and dumber. Something he could use to try and jog her memory.

Just as he was about to call it a wash, a page near the back instantly caught his attention. The information was written completely in Latin and French but he could easily understand. His back straightened as he read further into the book his mind turning over the invaluable information within. If her logic was correct, which he barely doubted, she'd written down every possible horcrux that Voldemort had made up until this point. Her writings even included their possible locations.

It was more information than he'd been able to secure over the last 25 years. If she was correct, the war would end. That everything he'd been fighting for would finally come to a head. His guilt and responsibilities would be over. His brow twitched with fleeting hope and as he turned the page his eyes turned up to the large bookcase lining the far wall. According to her, the only thing strong enough to kill the pieces of soul trapped inside was the sword of Gryffindor.

He needed a plan.

The clock on the wall startled him from his deep thoughts and he snapped the book shut with new purpose. He had to make sure this information got into the proper hands at the right time. He also needed to confirm the legitimacy of her theories. It wouldn't do anyone any good to go chasing ghosts. No, he needed to be sure.

"Augusta, find them. Learn what has been taken. I need to know exactly what it is and what they plan to do with it." Severus watched the frame vacate with renewed hope.

A sharp flick of his wand exstinguished the lights in the room as he came to his feet. Replacing the charm over the journal, he shrunk it down and put it into his jacket pocket. He would need more time to investigate the journal fully but for now, he had other duties to tend to.

Grabbing the cat, he stashed the wand into a secret compartment under the desk, one keyed into the headmaster of the castle. It was the safest place he knew, one that would never be found without his help. He was sure the only reason the journal had reacted at all was because it had been sealed with a wand signature. Still, he couldn't risk having the two items so close together. No, he would hide it somewhere else. At least until it was time to pass it on.

His mind was already turning with the possibilities as he made his way down the spiral staircase. His feet instinctually led him where he needed to be and his heart actually fluttered at the sight of the girl sleeping so peacefully in her bed. Her hair was fanned out over the pillow, her head turned partially into a hand that had come to rest beside her head. Her breathing was slow and her face relaxed.

Had he not known better—and the red scar over her eyes not been so bright—he would have believed her to be another student, merely sleeping the night away. As he sat down on the chair beside the bed he laid the cat he'd brought with him beside her. He didn't want to wake her if she were truly at peace but her head had already started to turn towards his presence.

"I'm here."

A soft smile ticked at the corner of her lips and the hand the rested over her growing stomach slid across the blanket towards him. Without comment, he took the smaller hand in his, giving it the faintest of squeezes. His body relaxed when she let out a small sigh and turned onto her side to face him. His jaw ticked as she brought his hand up to rest under her chin, held tight like a teddy bear.

Despite himself, he let his trapped fingers graze gently over her cheek, further relaxing her body into a true rest. The barely hidden tension draining out as she lost herself to his touch. It was a feeling of trust, something so pure—so innocent. It brought emotions up inside him that he didn't even have a name for. Lost inside their creation, he found himself held in place.