Summary : Hermione has been spying for the order for the last year, and Snape finds out. What will happen when she finds out she has to tie her life for an eternity not only to her Potions Professor but to two of the largest pains in her life. Will they all be able to find a way to be happy together? Or will two parts of this quadra-family end up destroying the other two? SS/HG with some HG/LM & HG/DM thrown in.
Chapter 1 : When one door closes, another opens. (1 year till the final battle)
Voldemort stood on the dias in the center of the meeting hall, the squinted red eyes glaring out over those who called themselves and had been accepted as his Death Eaters. Robes of black that billowed about the bodies of those wearing them, kept the identies hidden and the sexes also at a questionable status. The white masks with the hoods stopping the last ability a person might have at being able to tell who was who. Only two people who stood at the right and left side of the dias were unmasked. The feared Potions master of Hogwarts, Professor Severus Tobias Snape and that man who would drown if it rained too hard one Lord Lucius Malfoy. As different as night and day from one another, and yet seeming to be in perfect synch as to what was expected or needed.
Tonight however, there was a new form up on the dias. Sitting at the feet of the Dark Lord, a petite figure with obvious women's boots. The black robes concealing any hint of a body shape, as well as a simple sexless gold mask. Her head the moment she had apparated in, coming to rest on the left knee of the dark lord who seemed faintly amused. The twitch of the left corner of his lips being the only hint of his showing he knew his 'pet' had arrived. While his left hand, the one without his wand started to stroke over the top of the hooded head idly.
"Severus. Tell me of the latest blunder that the old fool has decided to work on now." Those red eyes trained however on the top of the gold masked head that seemed to move faintly under the touch, the covered cheek rubbing against his knee.
The tall dark man stepped forward with crisp movements till he was infront of the dias. Kneeling down faintly as the sweeping blanket of black hair covered the sides of his face upon the bowing of his head. "My Master, the Headmaster has asked me to work once again with Potter to help him with his Occulemancy. His thought being that if I can teach him to work it through his dreams, perhaps he can find out your plans like you do with his dreams. I of course agreed, if I work on it backwards with him, I might be able to open his mind even further so you can gain easier access to the plans the Order shares with the boy."
For a moment, Voldemort's expression was emotionless and looked as if he was going to find fault in something. Meaning that Severus would end up going back to the school in pain once again. Even as he steeled himself for the onslaught a sudden burst of cackling laughter escaped the Dark Lords lips, "Fabulous Severus! And this is why he is in my Inner Circle and my right hand!" Those red eyes locking on his favored Potions Master for a moment before nodding him back to his place.
Without warning the left hand of the Dark Lord had stopped stroking the top of this new 'pets' head and gripped the chin instead. Dragging the petite body up his as he hissed out. "Report." Those red eyes delving into the amber colored eyes of one he was holding. The black gloved hands struggled not to grab on to the 'Masters' wrists as the small body started shaking against the onslaught that their mind was going through. Only to be thrown to the floor, blouncing off the hard stone and landing with a cracking sound on one arm. "FOOL!" Came the sudden bellowing. "I only agreed to take you if you could be useful to me, and STILL you bring me nothing but excuses! You have one more chance! ONE MORE! Before I make you the entertainment for the next Revel." His wand arm raising as the spitting words fell off his lips like dripping poison off belladonna. Pointing at the small figure and hissing "Crucio!"
The sudden eruption of pain one of the strongest of Voldemorts spells he loved to use. Watching the small body writhe and flounder on the stones as for the longest time other than small grunts there was no sound. Until after ten minutes of burning pain a strangled female scream erupted from behind the mask. The hint of blood coming from the ears that had long since ended up uncovered from the mask.
It was only after this scream that the curse ended, leaving the body twitching and the barer of his anger unconscious. Sniffing disdainfully the Dark Lord hissed, "Drop this worthless pet back to Hogwarts with you Severus. Maybe she'll do better before the next time I call on her. Otherwise ... you'll have one less, Dunderhead to teach. That is what you call them isn't it?" Though the question seemed to be rhetorical as he suddenly growled out, "Dismissed!" And apparated without a second thought, leaving a string of **POP**ing sounds signalling everyone else leaving as well, with the exception of three. One of the men still wearing their masks as a pair of pale grey eyes took in the professor and the man next to him as they both rushed to the still bleeding body.
It was only when Snape reached out to take the mask off that the still masked Deatheater suddenly jumped forward, grabbing his wrist, "Dont!" He hissed. "Not here." Whipping off his own mask, revealing the younger of the Malfoy's who's own stern expression mirrored his fathers. Reaching down to sweep his arms under the small body he growled, "Your quarters." Running over to the apparation point, waiting for the curious and yet strangley also furious men to follow him.
With an extremely loud and angry pop, Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy and Severus Snape all appeared in the Potion Masters Chambers. Neither of the older men moving as Draco moved to place his burdeon on the couch, only then removing her black robe and gold mask. Revealing the now grey tinted face of the brains to the Golden Trio. Hermione Jean Granger.
"Hermione. Hermione wake up! Wake up you have to shift!" Draco's sudden urgent voice filled the room as he reached a hand up to slap her, only to be stopped by his godfather who's furious gaze seemed blacker than ever.
"So help me boy, if you strike her, it'll be the last thing you ever do." The glacier cold hiss of the Potions Master said in a low tone that seemed to be just as shudderingly effective as the yelling of the boy. Shoving Draco out of the way, he looked over the young girls body, pausing only when getting to her left wrist. His thumb brushing over a patch of black fur that seemed to be at her pulse point. Blinking at this, his gaze once again was whipping to Draco as he said, "You WILL tell me what's going on." Before then wrapping the girl in his arms and without warning his own black robbed body began to shift.
His black legs bending with a crackling sound, with the knees going the wrong way, while the ankles seemed to sharpen and toes elongate. Claws almost an inch long coming from each toe. As his body elongated into what looked to be a combination of fur and feathers together. The strong arms exuding a forceful burst of sudden magic that seemed to engulf the young witch as the face of the potions master began to elongate with what looked to be that of a panther's face but with a set of silver wings that sprouted out of his back. With a long tail that whipped back and forth as if in making sure that no one else could get near.
During the transformation, Lucius Malfoy went over to his son, grabbing his shirt collar as he hissed sharply, "What were you thinking bringing her here! You should have killed the little bitch like I told you to do, what the fuck were you doing!" Shaking his son's body with every overly puncuated word as if just saying them wouldn't get them across, and the need to concuss was evident.
"Father. Stop. Hurting. Air." Was all Draco managed to rasp out before his father dropped him on the ground. The younger Malfoy looking like he was about to say something, till the focus of his father's gaze made him switch to where he was looking as well. Hermione Granger in the Professors arms had begun to shift.
That burst of energy seeming to be what the witch needed as her head whipped back and now a minaturized version of the same winged panther found itself suddenly wrapped in the professors own pawed arms. A stripe of amber running down the now furred chest, while her tail seemed to be the only thing to show she was actually living, the hint of faint twitches being the clue.
The shock in those black eyes was evident as with a gentleness neither Malfoy had ever seen Snape use, he laid the now sleeping female pantheroid down in front of him. Watching as the blood stopped coming out from her drooped ears, and the signs of opened sores began to slowly close. Giving only a slight whining sound the large panther head of Severus ducked down, seeming to be unable to help himself as he nudged the younger female with his muzzle. Inhaling the scent of sweet vanilla herbs, and jasmine in combination with her own unique scent as he did so, he couldn't help the small shudder that ran down his spine and out through his tail.
When the small girl refused to answer to the feline query his only responce was an annoyed huff over her face before flopping down and wrapping his body around her own. His head coming to rest on her torso while his tail wrapped around her left feline ankle. The black eyes staring now at the malfoys as it was apparent that the 'dreaded' Snape wasn't about to move from his protective stance till she was conscious again.
Giving a groan of resignation, Lucius Malfoy threw down his robe and flopped on the over sized suede recliner. "Severus, we should just kill her and be done with it. Look at what she's managed to do in just one meeting!" The growl of warning he got at the idea making him mutter, "I don't bloody care what she can morph into... she could have ruined everything." Not prepared for the soft responce of the Malfoy boy that apparently both of the men had forgotten was in the room.
"No she couldn't." The pale grey eyes moving to look to the female feline before then looking back to the other two. "She's the one who taught /me/ how to keep the dark lord out. If he punished her, it was because those two imbeciles have been hounding her about the extra 'duties' that Professor Dumbl- ... oops" Rubbing the back of his neck at the sudden glare and teeth baring of both men. "ok ok ... look. The Head Master knew about this ok? He knew... he ok'd it. He didn't like it, but he ok'd it. Hermione and I have been working together to prepare for tonight for the last year and a half. She knew she'd have to fuck up /once/. If it was too perfect all the time, then he woulda been suspicious right?" The grudging nods from the two men showing. "Well... there ya go. I don't think she expected it to be this bad though... the first time he ... ... she could at least wake up on her own." So many comments unfinished, but given the depravities of their Dark Lord, both of the older men could fill in the blanks without a need for detail. Though the slight tightening of the larger Pantheroid's limbs around the female didn't go unnoticed by either of the blond men.
The black eyes of the Potions Master met those of Lucius Malfoy and apparently that's all that was needed, as the older man sighed lightly, "Draco. Get Dumbledore and bring him here. He has some things to answer for. I might also suggest you make sure he doesn't get too close. Not filling in Severus was the wrong thing to do."
Without a hint of pause, the younger Malfoy jumped up from where he was sitting on the floor still. Running over to the floo, he tossed in powder to turn the flames green and then stuck his head into the fire. The sound of soft muttering heard before Albus Dumbledores sigh was heard to say, "Lean back Draco I'm coming through."
With barely enough time to lean back and roll out of the way, the Headmaster walked through the fireplace floo, only to end up meeting the dark eyes of the Potions Master in his morphed form. Looking at the both of them he sighed without his usual twinkling blue eyed optimism. "Hello Severus. I see you've found ... your mate."