"How much Polyjuice Potion do you think you're going to need?" Hermione asked, peering into the huge cauldron that Severus was stirring.

Severus gave her a flat stare and raised an eyebrow. "I may be a fugitive, but I am not the one dating the Quidditch star. Or perhaps, despite all our suspicions, you and your beau were planning to attend the Weasley wedding as yourselves? And I do assume that you might occasionally want to make use of some complimentary tickets without turning yourself into an easy target."

"I might... If I can find someone to keep me company."

---

"But vhy?" Viktor asked. "Are these people not your friends?"

"Why," Hermione corrected the Bulgarian, emphasising the consonant sound. "You have to practice," she pointed out softly, "or there's no point changing your appearance. And..." Hermione twisted her face, unable to truthfully say that Percy was a friend. "We just don't know who'll be there."

When Viktor replied he enunciated every word with care, especially the last one. "I do not think you are telling me everything."

Hermione looked deep into his eyes, considering. That vow ought to be worth something. "You can't tell anyone, but I don't trust Percy."

---

"You did what?" Severus demanded in a threatening whisper, obviously appalled at what he considered to be a huge blunder.

"I didn't mention you. Think about it!" Hermione insisted. "He's sworn an Unbreakable Vow to keep my secrets and he'd be far more likely to slip up if he didn't know who to watch out for. Anyway, I don't like keeping secrets from him... or no more than I have to. If something happens to me there should be someone who knows what Voldemort is doing."

"So that he can tell the Order and then fall down dead?" Severus inquired.

---

Hermione pushed the front door open with a tired sigh. A morning with Severus followed by a day of research featuring some of the less pleasant volumes they'd managed to rescue from the Black family library had made for a very long day, and she was no nearer to finding a way to destroy the locket.

Something brushed against her legs, and she bent down to scratch Crookshanks' head, not really paying attention to the voices coming from Viktor's study, until she caught one word more clearly than all the rest.

"Imperio!"

Drawing her wand, she ran toward the sound.

---

With a flick of her wrist she directed a nonverbal Stunning Spell at the man with Viktor. The man repulsed her attack with a Shield Charm.

"Calm down, Miss Granger," he advised, even as Viktor placed himself between Hermione and her adversary.

"Ve vere practising," Viktor explained.

"Well, you would say that if you're under the Imperius Curse," Hermione pointed out.

"No. He'd say we were practising," Mad-Eye corrected. "Actually..." The former Auror looked as if he was seriously considering the merits of speech therapy by Imperius.

"What did Mrs Weasley make for dessert last Sunday?" Hermione asked.

"Ice cream."

---

"Well, I thought the real Alastor Moody would prefer I Stunned him, rather than take a chance that a Death Eater in disguise had just put my boyfriend under the Imperius Curse," Hermione explained.

"Oh... right," said Moody, and muttered "Finite," under his breath.

"And why were you doing that, anyway?" Hermione asked.

"I asked him to do it," Viktor cut in. "I... want to learn to fight it."

"Well, next time you arrange to be attacked in your own home, try to give me some warning.

Dinner should be ready in about an hour if you want some, Professor Moody?"

---

"Not bad, Miss Granger, not bad at all," Mad-Eye growled as he pushed his empty plate away. "I suppose you've learned a trick or two from Molly."

Hermione blushed slightly. "Actually, that's one I learned from my mum."

"It... was... very good," Viktor answered carefully, with a conspiratorial glint in his eye. After all, he knew that the freezer was filled with ready-made meals that required little more than to be heated up and served with a side-salad. Neither busy dentists nor young women who're trying to thwart a would-be evil dictator have hours to spend in the kitchen.

---

"Right, Miss Granger," began Moody as Hermione cleared away the dishes.

"Hermione. Miss Granger makes me feel about twelve."

Moody nodded. "Viktor and I have gone through the house while you were out and we've set up a few enchantments to make it more difficult for any unwanted guests to find you, but we couldn't do the Fidelius Charm until you were here. It's a very complicated—"

"I'll start marking the boundaries," Hermione cut in. "We should include the garden and down as far as the bridge. That way the track will seem to dead-end at the parking area."

---

"That's a very bright young woman you've got yourself there," Moody remarked in far too casual a tone.

"I know," Viktor answered.

"Pretty, too."

"Yes."

"And it's not hard to see you care for her," Moody continued.

Viktor scowled, but again he answered in the affirmative.

"Then, don't you think you should get a ring on her finger before the likes of Rita Skeeter finds out she's living with you?"

"I vou— would but Herm-i-own-ee, she does not follow the traditional... ways."

"Well, you've been warned. Once word gets around you're living in sin, you can expect a few visitors."

---

"So," Hermione hinted. "I'm guessing your first day with Moody wasn't as bad as you expected? You must trust him."

"He is not so bad," Viktor admitted. "He is... worried about you. He thinks it is bad for your reputation to be staying here."

"Pfft," Hermione snorted. "What does he think this is? The fifties?"

"He is right," Viktor insisted.

"I've been living with Ron and Harry for years. No one had any problem with that."

"As brothers and sister. It is not the same."

"Do you want me to move out?"

"Never!"

"So what do you want?"

"Marry me."