Disclaimer: I don't own the characters to Harry Potter, I am merely borrowing them. I promise to give them back afterwards :)
Summary: Hermione is banished from the Order of the Phoenix after a letter from a certain Death Eater is found in her bedroom. She has nowhere to go and her only confidant is dead. Or so she thinks. Rated M. Includes everything up until DH.
Author's Notes: Hi there, and welcome to my first Harry Potter fanfiction!
This story takes place just after the Trio's school years, but does not include anything from Book 7.
I hope you all enjoy this. This is just a short prologue for now. Hopefully if I get enough reviews I'll be able to upload chapter 1 in a few days time =)
Deception
Prologue
"Has anyone read the Daily Prophet this morning?" shrieked Ginny Weasley as she rushed down the steps of The Burrow and into the dining room. "You have to read it! It's headline news!"
The rest of her family and the renowned Order of the Phoenix looked at the girl in wonder. "What news, Ginny?" asked Harry Potter. The boy's features were marred with confusion. He had never seen her quite as excitable as she seemed at that moment.
She slammed the newspaper on the table, arranging it so that everyone was able to see.
Wizard Fatally Wounded in Muggle England
By Rita Skeeter
Wanted Death Eater, Severus Snape, murderer of Albus Dumbledore and former Professor of Potions at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, was killed in an explosion that rocked a small, industrial area of Northern England in the early hours of this morning.
The blast affected several homes that lie on the Muggle Street of Spinner's End; severely damaging many of the buildings and completely destroying the three houses that stood at the end of the dank cul-de-sac.
Amazingly no Muggles were injured, but several unidentified Death Eaters were also killed.
The cause of the explosion is unknown at this moment in time.
However, it has been concluded that the blast originated from the former Professor's own home.
There will be more information as this story develops.
Harry's jaw had dropped slightly at what he read; Ron Weasley was just as shocked and Hermione Granger sat deathly still, staring at the newspaper as if it had attacked her.
The adults that surrounded them were also speechless. They all glanced at one another before setting their gazes upon their destined young saviour.
"Snape's dead?" he uttered after a few moments. "He's really gone?"
"It would appear so, Harry," said Remus Lupin. "Although, I myself can't quite believe it yet."
"At least we don't have to worry about him anymore, mate," Ron added. "He's rotting in hell, and now all we have to do is worry about his Master."
Harry nodded, still dumbstruck at the news. Everyone had fallen silent, no one feeling the need to eat any longer.
They departed from around the table, everyone watching as Hermione slowly walked away. She had not said a word that morning, and it worried them.
Harry, Ron and Ginny followed her quietly upon the instructions of Molly Weasley. They waited until she was at the top of the stairs before tracing her movements and carefully peering through the gap between Hermione's bedroom door and its frame.
She was pacing the floor and appeared to be distraught. Her breathing was quick and shallow, showing signs of someone about to burst into tears. Harry glanced at Ginny, who wore a look of concern for her friend. He returned his gaze back to Hermione who, in the moments of his distraction, had picked up a piece of paper.
It was clear that she was reading it, and it was clear that whatever it held was important to her, for she had allowed some tears to fall down her cheeks.
They heard her sob before dropping the parchment and running from the room. They had just managed to throw themselves against the wall before her speedy exit. When they were convinced she wasn't going to return to the room, they entered and rushed to pick up the parchment. As Harry and Ron fought to be the first to read it, Ginny snuck her hand between the squabbling pair and plucked it from the floor.
The boys stared at her, desperate to find out what had affected Hermione so much.
"Well," said Ron, "read it then."
Ginny did not answer, but her eyes had widened in shock. "Ginny?" Harry questioned softly, "What is it?"
She passed the paper to him, and he began to read immediately.
Hermione,
First of all, yes, you read right. I did not call you "Miss Granger" but your birth name, for I feel that your trust in me and mine in you has grown immensely over these last few months. Our correspondence has actually been something I look forward to; your weekly letter gives me a happiness I have not felt in such a long time.
It was certainly a surprise to me, as I am sure you can imagine. Your years as an insufferable know-it-all student of mine caused a certain amount of apprehension when writing my first letter to you. However, as our conversations increased, I realised you were no longer that silly little girl, but a reliable young woman whom I am happy to call a friend.
I do not have many of those as I'm sure you know.
Back to the matter at hand, I told you in my first letter that I did not wish for you to utter a word of these conversations to your little friends...Potter especially... and that is still my desire, for this letter more than any of the others.
There is a plan, a plan that I will tell you in due time, that I must be a part of. You agreed to help me succeed by sending me ingredients, remember? I need those ingredients now.
I need:
Moondew
Asphodel
Dragon's blood
And, every ingredient needed for Polyjuice Potion
These are the only ones I don't have that I need for this. I myself am unable to procure them. I trust that you will be able to obtain them for me, though I do warn you, I need them soon. The sooner you can send them, the better.
I will explain why in a later letter.
For now, sweet girl, I bid you farewell. My next communication will be in seven days.
Stay safe; do not let Potter see this. I'm sure he will murder you if he knows you are writing to me.
And remember:
Postatem obscuri lateris nescitis
Your friend,
Severus
"No," Harry whispered. "No, she can't...she couldn't have been..."
"Hermione... has been talking with... Snape?" Ron said in an equally low tone. "No... not our 'Mione. She wouldn't betray us like that." He glanced at his sister and his best friend. "She wouldn't, would she?"
Ginny giggled nervously, "I'm sure this doesn't mean what we are all thinking." She began to pace the floor slightly. "I'm sure she has been trying to find out where he is hiding, you know, so she could tell us and the Aurors could arrest him..."
"That would be kind of pointless now, Ginny, since he's dead," Ron replied coldly.
Ginny appeared stunned for a few seconds. "Oh, yeah...right, um... maybe she—"
"—betrayed us," Harry finished. "She betrayed us, Ginny. She has been helping Dumbledore's murderer."
"Harry, there must be an explanation. I read the letter too, but there must be some other way to describe this, surely?"
"Not from where we're standing, Gin," said Ron. "She has been sending potions ingredients to him. She has been speaking to him for months according to that letter!"
"Yes but—"
"Ginny... she's betrayed us. She knows what Snape did, she knows how we feel... and she has been helping him with this plan, whatever that is." Harry was angry, Ginny could tell, and she knew he wasn't going to calm down any time soon.
She could only follow the two boys when they lunged down the steps with the letter in hand. She ran to catch up, but they had already barged into the living area where every single member of the Order of the Phoenix was gathered and stood in front of Hermione, who was speaking to Arthur Weasley.
"'Mione, care to explain this to us please?" asked Harry. His voice was rather composed, Ginny noticed. It was certainly calmer than it had been only a few minutes before.
Hermione looked confused as she replied, "Explain what, Harry?"
"This." He shoved the letter into her hands and Hermione stared at it with horror in her eyes. "What in the hell are you doing writing to Snape?"
Everyone instantly dropped what they were doing upon hearing that name; they all fell silent and gazed at the nineteen year old former Gryffindor. Her wide eyes said "I've been caught" and everyone erupted into a riot.
"You've been what?"
"How could you?"
"He killed Dumbledore!"
No one could tell who exactly was speaking.
"Hermione, dear, tell us that this is a lie...a cruel," Molly looked at her son and his friend, "joke?"
She looked dumbstruck and stepped forward ever so slightly. Her voice was shaky, breathless in her fear, "No... it's... not a joke. It's true."
Everyone's face fell. "Hermione, how could you help a Death Eater?" said Arthur softly, his tone full of disappointment.
"He's...he's not... you don't know..." Her sobs affected her speech and shook her body.
"We know enough," said Alastor Moody. He took the letter from Harry's fingers and read the words for himself. "You have been aiding an active Death Eater, or must I remind you yet again that Severus Snape murdered Albus Dumbledore?"
"He didn't..."
Ron spoke up, "Hermione, where have you been living? He killed Dumbledore and you've been sending him potions ingredients? He could kill us with what he knows!"
Moody indicated for Ron to shut his mouth before he said, "Miss Granger, I'm sorry to say, you must leave. Get out now, before I change my mind and have you arrested for aiding and abetting a known killer."
"No! You can't be serious, you can't!" she screamed. Molly Weasley was near tears and Ginny was crying. The boys just looked at one another, fearing for what they had just done.
Moody's face grew darker with anger. "I am. Go. Now."
She ran from the room and the house, Harry and Ron just started at one another.
Oh no, what have I done? Harry hung his head in shame.
A/N #2: Please review? I would love to know whether you like it so far and wish for me to continue, or whether you hate it. Please be constructive in your criticism if you have any. I have no beta. I do not want any flames =)
Thank you for reading.