"Hermione can go with us on Saturday. Then we'll have a full group."
"Yeah, but she's not an Aruor. Will it be OK for her to come on a mission?"
"Why the hell not? She has more experience then half of the department does."
"I suppose…"
"What? Now that you're out of school you want to start playing the angel?"
"No, no. Fine, let's ask her."
The door opened with nothing more than a small squeak, thanks to some of the hard work Bill had put into the house while he recovered from his attack.
"Hermione will you go on Saturday-"
"I have a previous engagement, Ronald."
"But Hermione-"
"I have a previous engagement, Ronald."
"You talk to her mate."
"Hermione, we need you to come with us on Saturday-"
"I have a previous engagement, Harry."
"Fine 'Mione! We'll just go after Snape ourselves!"
The door slammed harshly after the two young men as they made a dramatic exit from their friend's room.
The door jerked open a split second after it closed.
"Snape?"
"Snape."
"What time on Saturday?"
"9.30"
"I'll be ready."
"Are you ready yet?"
"No, Ronald! I am no more ready now than I was five seconds ago when you asked."
The pounding on her door increased.
"Come onnnnn, 'Mione. It's…"
"9.23, Ronald. Just wait for me downstairs."
"You'd better be down in seven minutes."
"I will be."
The walk to the apperation point was peppered with questions.
"How do you know this is where he's going to be?"
"We got a tip from a trusted source."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Why am I coming along?"
"Our contact suggested that your intellect might be needed."
"For what?"
"We're not sure."
"So I'm like a shield?"
"Don't be ridiculous. If there's any danger we'll shield you. You are here because we all know that you are smarter than Ron and I combined."
"I won't disagree, but that still doesn't explain why they wanted me here."
"No, it doesn't, does it?"
The streets of the town were deserted, as the town itself seemed to be. She supposed it would be cliché if some sort of a tumble weed were to blow across their path.
"All right. Ron, you go down the left street, Hermione, you take the right and I'll go straight up one."
"Whatever you say, mate."
"Hey! Hermione! Where are you going? You're supposed to go right, Harry taking the middle!"
"Sigh Honestly, Ronald, like he's really going to be somewhere you can find him. The town is deserted for a reason. And he's been at this for longer than any of us have been alive, there's no way that he would allow himself to be caught by two half trained Aurors, even if they are two-thirds of the Golden Trio."
"But 'Mione…"
"Grow up, Ronald."
"Come on, Harry, talk some sense into her!"
"No, she's right. Snape won't be anywhere we would normally look for him. He won't be hiding in the Shack or in any of the stores. We'll have to look out in the fields around the town."
"Fine. Fine. Fine. If you say so."
"Let's go this way…"
"Oh! This is beautiful!"
"Yeah, it is nice."
"Look at all these flowers! I wonder if Professor Sprout knows that all these are here?"
"Hermione, we've been out of school for a year now. And you still can't let it go, can you?"
"Oh please, Harry. Did you really think that not being in school would curb my enthusiasm for learning?"
"Well, we had hoped…"
"You're impossible."
"OW!"
"Hermione! What's wrong?"
"I twisted my ankle when I stepped in that hole right there."
"Hermione, look out!"
"Thanks, Ron. It's not a little late for that."
"No! behind you!"
"Stup-"
"Expelliarmus!Potter. Weasley."
"Oh! Severus! Help me up will you?"
"'Severus?' Hermione, do you realize that you just called our former Potion's professor by his given name? Do you also realize that you are accepting help from a indicted murder?"
"Of course I do, Harry. Indicted being the operative word. You know as well as I that Severus was cleared of all charges, thanks mainly to an unknown advocate of his cause. See? I'm completely lucid."
"Are you ready, Hermione?"
"She has nothing to be ready for that has anything to do with you, you overgrown bat! And no one said you could call our 'Mione Hermione!"
"Wrong on several counts, Mr. Weasley, per usual."
"Really, Ronald. I told Severus to call me by my name, which is Hermione, not 'Mione, as you have taken to calling me, when I was working with him on his court case. And I have a wedding to prepare for."
"A what?"
"A W.E.D.D.I.N.G. to me, Weasley. I'm sure that galls a bit."
"Close your mouths, the pair of you, you look like fish. Really, Harry, what did you think I meant when I said I had a previous engagement?"