Chapter 88: The Giant Imposition

The Dining Hall, 12 Grimmauld Place, Muggle World...

Morning came and Hermione found herself alone in Severus Snape's bed in the basement of 12 Grimmauld Place. The spot where he had slept beside her the previous night had already been cold suggesting that he had been awake for hours. Hermione had not known what had been so important that he needed to be up so early, but she was more than a little disappointed that there was no sign of her werewolf lover at all. She yawned and stretched climbing out of the bed he left her in. The heaviness in them from lack of use had been well noted as she got dressed and made her way up the stairs. No sooner had she stepped from the basement and into the kitchen, she could hear him speaking in the dining hall with the rest of the members of the Order of Phoenix. The witch could tell by his tone that he had been greatly upset but she had not known the reason for it.

Snape had been leaning over the dining hall table with everyone seated around him. There were a few new faces among them in the form of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy with their son Draco. Hermione guessed that Snape sent for him while she had still been asleep. The grim expressions had seemed to put everything into perspective in terms of the ever escalating war.

Dumbledore had been there as well, along with Hagrid of all people. The half-giant seemed to be nursing what appeared to have been a blackened eye with a piece of raw steak. Lupin was sitting beside Tonks more or less worried about all the shouting in the wake of her condition. Molly Weasley and her children had been sitting at the table along with her husband Arthur and Harry Potter.

Severus had been aggravated despite the nature of the meeting but kept his temper in the wake of Harry Potter's constant glaring. The empty seat once belonging to Sirius Black couldn't be ignored as they all continued to gather in the deceased wizard's former family home. Hermione couldn't imagine this being any less difficult on Harry despite his recent antics when it came to the Potions Master.

"Well I say we take the fight to them for a change." said Lucius Malfoy getting to his feet, his silver serpent cane nestled proudly between his pale fingers.

"Calm yourself Lucius." said Arthur Weasley being the voice of reason in this case. "They've got spies infiltrating the Ministry of Magic not to mention how closely we are all being watched by Fudge these days...we have to approach this war with caution there is too much riding on this."

"Since when did you become so logical?" asked Lucius seemingly impressed by the Gryffindor's rather Slytherin reasoning.

"Since I got married and had a couple of children of my own." replied Arthur.

"More than a couple last I checked." chimed Lucius with a smirk.

He looked over at his only son and then back at his wife. It was noted that he might have been a bit too hasty in wishing to charge the front gates of the dark lord's fortress.

"He's got the giants backing him this time around." said Lupin looking over Hagrid and trying his best not to salivate over the scent of the raw steak he was using for his eye.

"Indeed he does." replied Narcissa Malfoy. "It doesn't bode well that my sister is now leading the death eater forces as we speak."

Tonks watched her mother's younger sister, it had been one thing to hear of the woman's astounding beauty via story but to see her up close was quite the treat. She had a good deal of questions for her Aunt and then some especially given the older witch's defection and the impending birth of her child with Lupin.

"Severus.." said Dumbledore meeting Snape's gaze. "We are counting on you and the rest of the werewolf army in this war."

Snape nodded.

"We'll be ready." he said. "But do note that the giants are no easy prey...there will be casualties on the battle field no matter the side chosen."

"Of that we have no doubt." said The Headmaster. "For now...I suggest we all get some rest...this news is most troubling but we were well aware of the implications of this war before hand."

The meeting had been adjourned and everyone filed out of the dining hall. Snape had been lost in thought as he breezed passed Hermione and made his way back toward the basement. The witch had taken no offense, knowing all too well the gravity of the situation being placed upon his shoulders. He had initially come to the conclusion that the giants would be utilized in this upcoming war, and Hagrid's information had confirmed it.

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The Basement, 12 Grimmauld Place, Muggle World...

Hermione had spoken with the half-giant and Dumbledore briefly before venturing back down to the basement in search of her werewolf lover. He had been hard at work brewing a potion to get his mind off the impending doom lingering above them all. The young witch had cautiously entered his domain as he worked needing to keep his hands busy in the wake of bad news.

He hated dealing with giants.

The creatures were nothing more than a nuisance and despite Hagrid being half-giant, it always unnerved him that such barbaric beings walked the earth. Hermione thought it amusing that her werewolf lover still harbored such a disdain for the creatures despite his abilities as a Hound of Hircine.

"Severus?" she said getting his attention.

"It had to be fucking giants." he growled still focusing on his minor potion.

Hermione sighed and made her way over toward his make-shift bed.

"It'll be alright." replied she urged him.

"That's easy for you to say." replied Snape turning his attention to her. "Bloody things didn't crush your legs and leave you to rot in a ditch for three days."

"You never told me you fought a giant before." she said.

Snape sighed.

"I do not wish to discuss it." he said turning his attention back to his potion.

Hermione lied back onto the make-shift bed unsure what to say about her werewolf lover's disdain of giants. She had been of the mind to consider his fears had not been so unfounded despite being a powerful were-beast.

No matter how one approached the aspect of this war, there was sure to be a good deal of blood spilled.