DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter or the characters mentioned within the series. All rights go to J. K. Rowling. Thanks and enjoy!

CHAPTER 1:

Sitting in the kitchen of Grimmuald Place, Hermione Granger is once again shut out of the debate over battle strategies and next moves. At the head of table sits Albus Dumbledore, whose only fault Hermione can see is underestimating her intelligence and magical abilities. On one side of Dumbledore sits Harry Potter, the Chosen One, and her closest friend. Dumbledore's other side is taken by Severus Snape. Unknown to many, Snape has situated himself in a difficult to understand spy situation. No one is completely sure where his loyalty lies as he currently is playing both sides of the chess board, spying both for Lord Voldemort and his Death Eaters as well as Dumbledore and the Order of the Phoenix. Along with Snape, Harry, and Dumbledore, this particular meeting includes all Weasley family members, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody, Neville Longbottom, and more old Hogwarts students and friends.

There have been many meetings over the past year since Hermione's graduation from Hogwarts. As the Death Eaters and Voldemort continue to gain control of the Wizarding World, each meeting has become more tense and stressed to the point of shouting matches, mainly between Weasleys and anyone who disagrees with them. This particular meeting was called because of a recent raid conducted by Voldemort on Hogsmeade. Many stores were attacked, shopkeepers abducted, and the dark mark lit up the sky. The current topic of conversation was planning the Order's next move. In order to keep hope within the homes of many terrified families, the Order needed to make a big and public attack that showed their progress. Their current idea was to attack Malfoy Manor in Wiltshire as it was the believed home to Voldemort and the majority of the Death Eater's force. Hermione believed this plan to be idiotic. Everyone else thought it was the best plan they'd had yet.

"I really don't believe this is a good idea. If Malfoy Manor is Voldemort's headquarters than we will be sorely outnumbered, not to mention the wards on the mansion are rivaled in complexity only by Hogwarts. The probability of us breaking through the wards and winning the following battle are extremely small." Hermione stated. The members in the room all stared at her, the silence being broken only by Ron Weasley's scoff.

"Come on Hermione, we all know that strategizing should be left to people who actually grew up in the magical world. Besides, have a little faith in the Order. We will come out on top just like normal. Now why don't you go amuse yourself with books in the library and leave the planning to the experts?" He continued. Hermione stared at him, slowly made eye contact with every person in the room, before realizing no one was going to speak against Ron, nor chastise him for his horribly misogynistic remark. She then elegantly rose from chair, wished them luck on their march towards death, and left the kitchen. Severus Snape's eyes followed her out of the room. Silently musing to himself, Snape wondered how it was he was surrounded by such idiots, for that was the only explanation for why the group around him would dismiss the intelligence of Hermione Granger.


Instead of surrounding herself in books, what everyone seemed to assume were her only source of happiness, Hermione entered her room, locking and silencing it behind her. She then began to pace, wondering how it was possible people still seemed adamant to overlook her intelligence. For the love of everything holy, she was the only student in the history of Hogwarts to have taken every single available N.E.W.T and passed with flying colors, EVERY one! It was unbelievable. Interrupting her ranting, Hermione suddenly felt a warming sensation from the locket hanging around her neck. The front of the locket was engraved with a heart containing an emerald and a ruby. Within the locket was a picture of her longtime boyfriend Draco. While this may surprise many, Hermione had been dating Draco Malfoy since the beginning of seventh year, when they were both placed as Head students. What began as bickering and duels, soon turned into sexual tension that was finally released Halloween night after one particularly nasty argument. They had been together ever since. The largest problem they had faced since beginning to date, was their attachment to either side of the war. While Draco obviously had no hatred towards muggle-borns, his worry for his mother's happiness and Voldemort's residence within his home made it difficult for he and Hermione to have a future there. The problem was equally squashed on Hermione's side. When Hermione had brought up accepting Death Eaters who had turned sides and now opposed Voldemort, she was answered with a rounding cry of "Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater," and that was the end of that. Their solution was the creation of magical lockets, easily concealed beneath clothing, and included a charm similar to what Hermione had placed on the gold coins she created for the D.A. in her fifth year. Flipping over her locket to the back, Hermione read Draco's message. I miss you. He sent this sentence among other love filled statements daily. He knew it kept her going, made her smile after a long day of being told she wasn't enough. She wasn't smart enough, didn't understand the magical world well enough, hadn't had enough experience. It was exhausting.

Holding the locket in her hand, Hermione closed her eyes and thought I miss you too. The growing warmth in her hand alerted her to the message being sent and Hermione smiled, glad to know at least someone would listen to her, even if it didn't help battle plans and the end to prejudice or oppressive rein. I love you. Draco's message engraved itself on the locket as she watched, smiling as she felt truly loved, understood, and cherished. A sudden knocking upon her door startled Hermione who quickly returned the locket beneath her shirt before opening her door. There stood Severus Snape, looking down on her with cold eyes.

"Are you going to invite me in Miss Granger? I have something you might want to hear." He drawled in a way that only he could. Hermione stepped back to allow him entrance, closing and relocking the door behind him before turning and raising her eyebrow at him. "I know of your relationship with Mr. Malfoy," he stated simply, further responding to her widening eyes with "He's my godson Granger, he tells me everything."

"What are you going to do with this information?" Hermione responded, wishing she hadn't just locked the door, but knowing there was no going back now.

"I wish to offer my services in getting you out of this house. You are very smart and your intelligence shouldn't be wasted on those too engrossed in their own lives to see it." He responded.

"How does that have anything to do with my relationship with Draco?" Hermione questioned, still feeling uneasy about his knowledge.

"Draco is unhappy without you, I love Draco very much, and if you make him happy, than he will have you. Lucius pays little attention to his son, and at the request of Narcissa when Draco was young, I took a more fatherly role in his life. His happiness is what I strive for Miss Granger and you have the unique ability to make him very happy. I am going to find a way to get you to Draco, without making Draco leave his mother." Snape explained.

"Unless you are going to convince Voldemort he needs me, despite my blood status, I don't see that happening. Draco doesn't want to leave his mother, and Narcissa won't leave Lucius." Hermione stated wearily, having already had a multitude of conversations eerily similar to this with Draco towards the end of their seventh year.

"That is exactly what I'm going to do." Snape confirmed.

"You're going to convince Lord Voldemort, lead hater of muggle-borns and muggles alike, that he needs me?" Hermione questioned.

"Yes." Snape stated smartly. "But first, we must get you out of here. I am going to return to the meeting and plant the seed that we should take a plan out of the Dark Lord's book and house everyone from the Order in one place."

"That's not possible, Grimmuald Place isn't big enough!" Hermione returned quickly. "We'd need to reloca…" A look of understanding passed across Hermione's face.

"Exactly, we would need to relocate. You and I, Miss Granger, will go house hunting. With your delicate female touch, I am sure you will be able to find us a home that will suite our needs, don't you?" Snape continued her statement with a smirk.

"And where will we really be going?" Hermione asked with raised eyebrows and a smile.

"To the Malfoy Country House in France of course. Should the Dark Lord react poorly to my suggestion of adding you to his ranks, you will stay there and Draco will move there, in order to begin the Dark Lord's expansion across Europe. Of course." Snape answered.

"Of course." Hermione smiled, thinking this might just work.

"Now, Miss Granger, if you will excuse me. I have a seed to plant." And with that, Severus Snape disabled her wards and swept from the room, leaving a shocked and optimistic Hermione behind. See you soon! Was the message she sent to Draco before tucking herself in to bed with a book and a smile.