𝙻𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚜 𝙸𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚍 II SS/HG ✔️

To Gringotts

Before they went to sleep, Hermione curled over so that her forehead was against his shoulder. She figured right after sex was the best time to try to institute that cuddling-policy. It certainly would have made winter in the dungeons easier, but better late than never at all. Severus didn't move. In fact, it seemed like he didn't move all night.

It was a tenuous sleep for them both. She woke before Severus's alarm went off and she figured there was nothing to be gained by waiting. She couldn't risk Severus preventing her departure. And, if Voldemort figured them out, his next stop would be to attack the school and draw in the Order before they could apprehend him in a weakened state.

So, really…Hermione wouldn't be away from Severus for too long.

The Cloak and the wand were in the bag in her desk. Hermione brushed her teeth, decided against starting the hair-brushing process, and grabbed her disguise. The sun crept through the windows even though Severus had hung up every spare curtain the house-elves had found.

She hurried to the lab, sans shoes, and bottled enough Polyjuice Potion for two servings, just in case. She grabbed the bottles of antivenin, too. Hermione returned upstairs to grab her things and shoved her feet into her trainers.

Crookshanks purred when he saw her enter the room. Hermione kissed his furry forehead. His orange eyes followed her out of the sitting room.

Most of the portraits were asleep. Hermione put the flask into her satchel and made sure it latched properly.

"Good luck, Miss Granger," Dumbledore said from across the room.

"Thank you, sir." She grabbed a fistful of Floo Powder. "Shell Cottage."

.

Severus opened the door just as the green flames died. He leaned against the doorjamb.

"Why did you not stop her, laddie?" Ambrose asked.

"She would do this, even if I weren't here." His eyes darted to Albus.

Albus made a face of coy agreement even as he stared at the hearth.

The portrait of Edessa stared at the Dark Mark on his arm. Severus heard his alarm ring from the bedroom. A few of the older female portraits tittered at this state of undress, just a black t-shirt and loose sleeping trousers. Severus ignored them. How Albus ever got any work done with all the portraits shuffling about or giggling or gossiping had been a question on his mind for a long time. But as he settled into the role of headmaster, their noises faded to the background.

Severus returned to his quarters to turn off the alarm. He paused at Hermione's desk. The Map as well as her coin were missing. On her desk were two bottles of antivenin.

Severus snatched one from the table and drank it down. One bottle of the stuff wouldn't matter, in the end. But he wouldn't have Hermione finding him half-dead and scolding him for not taking it.

After he readied for the day, he stuck the other in his breast pocket.

Severus monitored Longbottom's coin throughout the day. He ignored letters from the governors and bills and truancy lists.

Around one in the afternoon, the coin shuddered atop his desk, unable to handle so many letters crawling across the ridges at once. From what he could glean, the children were gathering in the Room of Requirement to listen to the radio.

Severus pointed his wand at the small radio in the corner near the Pensieve, the only thing of Albus's he kept.

Was that—Lee Jordan's voice?

"Do not be alarmed, Listeners—yes, I am broadcasting on a legit frequency right now, but I have an important update and will be on the move as soon as I give you the details. I'm getting verified reports from Diagon Alley—a dragon has crashed through the roof of Gringotts bank. Various sources say there are one to five riders atop it—but we know for sure, it has left the city limits."