Disclaimer: I do not own the World of Harry Potter, that rightfully belongs to Ms Rowling! Although I'd pay to own Professor Snape. =p
Hermione Granger had decided it was time to make a change in her life. As fifth year was approaching in haste, she had altered her routine a bit. Instead of her intense studying and reverting to the library, she put on her perry winkle jogging suit, placed blasting headphones in her ears listening to upbeat trance music, and was running outside oblivious to the world around her. She had began running only a for a few weeks and she was beginning to feel the effects of her hard work. In only two and a half weeks she had managed to expand her distance from 3/4ths of a mile to 4 miles. She ran every day she could, depending on the day's forecast.
It was not even nearing sunrise, as Hermione had started tying her running shoes at the bottom of the stairs of her extravagant three story home in the Victorian District of Surrey. She had a smile on her face that could make the world melt, but she was oblivious to the world as she pulled a key from the hook next to the door and wrapped it around her neck. Smiling as she left the house and locked the door behind her.
She was only jogging in place in front of her home for a few moments before she started to slowly stretch out her muscles before she took off. Her eyes closed as she focused on expanding her muscles, making them relaxed as she stretched. It was still dark out, and only a few lights were lit around her street as the night men would come and blow them out as the dawn approached.
After she finished her warm up routine, she walked over to the road and placed her foot on a kick off block she had transfigured for herself when her parents were working at the dental practice. She pushed off harder than she had the day before, and as if her muscles remembered they began running at full speed. Her arms swaying in the wind as the hood of her jumper kept her headphones around her ears as she continued to run, her heart beating to the dance beat of the music as she ran down the streets around her neighborhood.
The roads were practically deserted, only a few cars, the Watchmen and a slim few of joggers were up before sunrise. Hermione had discovered running was only natural for her. She was like the wind and she felt free in the breeze that blew with and against her. She would jump kick off a few brick walls as she passed around corners, and hopped over benches as she ran towards the park. Her heart pumping hard, but all she could hear was the music that blasted in her ears as she kept pushing herself further and further away from her home.
As she ran, she didn't notice the scenery change, nor did she realize had left her friendly neighborhood long behind. Sweat was sweeping down her brow and slipping down her cheeks and soaking through her first layer of clothing but she didn't care. All she could think about was running. It had kept her alive when she thought she couldn't handle being around her arguing parents much longer. She didn't even care what they were arguing about, it was always the same "Hermione's Magic" and "Why couldn't she be a normal girl?" she was sick of them questioning her abilities, she was sick of the Wizarding World knocking her down for her parentage.
Running seemed to stop all those negative thoughts she was having about life, Hogwarts, and Pure-blooded bigots like Draco Malfoy. Everything seemed to slip away as she ran farther and harder than she ever had before. Of course Hermione had never paid attention where she was going. However, normally at this time of day there was no one really to run into amongst the darkness. That didn't change the fact she crashed and crushed into someone and sprawled on top of them on the ground as she had simultaneously looked up briefly to make sure she was good. Unfortunately when she looked up, there was no time to zip past the person she literally tackled to the ground.
She landed hard against a tall black sheet of wool and silver buttons with an intricate SS etched into them, Hermione lost her breath and started coughing soon after she had landed on top of him. She heard him grunt, and she could practically feel his rage building inside of him. She bit her lip after she was free of the coughing fit, and took a few breaths of fresh air before getting off of him. "I am so terribly sorry! I didn't mean-"
The man before her quickly stood up quickly and brushed off the back of his cloak where he landed. His dark eyes were those of which Hermione had recognized and had frozen in her speech when she saw him rise and she confirmed she had smashed directly into Professor Snape.
"I am truly sorry sir, I didn't realize you were there, I normally can sense and run around people this early in the day." Hermione tried again to explain. But before she could begin groveling, Professor Snape raised his hand.
"I do not accept your apology, now get out of my way, girl!" He practically growled as he starred at the girl in the perry winkle jogging suit.
"I'm sorry Professor Snape, I didn't truly mean any harm..." Hermione said softly, but just loud enough for him to hear, before she began running again. Her words had triggered Snape to turn and pause and watch the runner turn the corner at the edge of Spinner's End. His eyes narrowed as he watched her disappear from his sight. Shaking his head as he found and picked up his briefcase as he asked himself an internal question 'Who was that girl?'
A few hours later, out of breath and leaning against the door of her Victoria home, Hermione had taken a few moments to pull the key from around her neck, before pulling the hood down from her jumper. She took deep gasping breaths as her vision was slowly spinning, her fingers could barely place the key in the lock, let alone open the door.
The moment she finally managed to come through the door, she tore off her jumper and tossed it on the hook besides the door, followed by kicking her shoes off and entering the kitchen. She grabbed a glass that had been drying on the counter and opened the frig and poured herself a glass of water, before taking a seat at the kitchen table where a plate of breakfast was waiting for her on a warming plate.
"I cannot believe I toppled over Professor Snape, now he is going to find more ways to embarrass me at school. I can see it now, on my first day back to class he's going to say:" She sat up straighter and glared in a random direction as she did her best to impersonation of the intimidating Snape voice "Miss Granger, see me after class we have mush to discuss." she said as she had her arms crossed over her chest. "Grrr...sometimes I hate that man, why do I ever hope to gain his approval?"
Hermione shook her head, as she placed the glass back down on the table and picked up her utensils and started to eat what her mother prepared for her. She felt heart broken, as she thought of her mother cooking for her, and angry that her parents could not accept her gifts. She didn't understand what was wrong with magic, even though she had seen the living Proof of how one abuses magic to win an objective, IE: Voldemort. She thought of the Wizarding World, like she thinks of the muggle world everyone has the capability to be good or evil, it's their choices that make them who they are...
Professor Snape had made his way down the abandoned alley, walking with brief case in hand as he casted a silent spell to distract the muggles from his presence before he closed his eyes and concentrated on his mark. He felt the familiar feeling of being swooped into a tight space and with a pop he appeared in a court yard, far away from what he has been calling home since he was a child.
"Severus...I'm so glad you decided to return to us. The others show their doubts, but I have never lost faith in you, my son." Voldemort's words hushed the words of the gathered crowd. "I placed you at Hogwarts and you instilled your trust with my greatest enemy, and he has protected you. However, when you came back to us, you have shown me your true loyalty which makes me proud."
Even as Voldemort speaks of him, Snape can feel him tearing through the fabrics of his mind, layer by layer he opens up for him willingly showing him his life at Hogwarts, his disdain for Gryffindor especially the Potter brat. He showed himself insulting the Granger girl, he showed himself attempting to expel the Potter and Weasley brats in their second year at Hogwarts and Dumbledore's lackey McGonagall stepping up for them. He showed him all the years before the Potter Brat entered Hogwarts, his hallow life without Voldemort's instruction. Dumbledore's tenacity and refusal of giving him the Dark Art's position. His hatred towards Dumbledore's manipulation over his love for Lily.
He opened everything, he didn't hide any of his deeds, not even his feeble attempt of saving the Potter brat time and again. His distrust over Professor Quirrell, his disdain for how his life had turned out. Making it evident that without his Lord he had been lost in the winds of aging, and not progressing to be as his Lord promised him. Power. He showed him how he still craved power, his feeling of anguish and destructive tendencies. Everything that made him the Professor Snape he was today, was revealed to Voldemort's eyes.
"I shall give you power Severus, as you so desperately crave it my loyal follower." Voldemort spoke as he released him from his hold, and Severus fell to his knees before him.
"Thank you, my lord. I have so longed to have you back with the living. I was upset when you didn't come to me to aid in your return, but I understand why you would not want Dumbledore to suspect I wasn't his man, and I respect your decision. Thank you for granting me this audience before the circle. I am not-"
"Severus...my son, you are worthy, most worthy in my eyes to be standing before me. Take to your feet and join the others in this circle of allies. We will take the world by storm, Severus and you shall have your power you so desire." Voldemort stated in a matter-of-fact tone, a smug looking smirk crossed his lips as he watched Severus take his stand and join the rest, completing the circle.
Hermione finally finished cleaning up from breakfast washing all the dishes her mom and dad left behind. She loved them, she did! They were her parents, how could she not love them? She was just having a hard time understanding their position. Their belief systems were getting in the way of just being. She was a very logical being, she never understood how her parents could go to a church where they preach Magic was evil, and yet tell the story of Mosses and his staff splitting the red sea. Why can't her powers be one of God's gifts like Mosses had? Why must they define her as evil because she is a witch?
She hated history, she absolutely couldn't understand the burnings of witches and people thought to be witches. The Wizarding World laughs at the muggles feeble attempts and some of the witches enjoyed being burned multiple times, as where the muggles who were burned being accused of being witches died because the Wizarding World didn't want to make a stand against the treachery, only laugh at it.
Hermione set the dishes to dry on the towel that was laying on the counter before she went up stairs and into her room, which was big as a master bedroom but smaller than her parent's room. A true Victorian upper class home with antique furniture and a million nick knacks from times before her birth. She entered her room, and shrugged off the rest of her jogging suit and plopped it on the floor in front of the bathroom before she entered, taking a long hot shower resolving herself in the Element of water, breathing deeply and concentrating on being clear of thoughts and wishes for a better world.
When she finished with her shower, she had felt more refreshed than she had in a long time. Not since the death of Cedric. Poor sweet Hufflepuff, the second one to ask her to the Yule Ball. She shook her head, as she pulled her wand from the drawer in the bathroom and with a flash she was dry once again and her hair a giant puff ball upon her head. She scowled in the mirror at her reflection, she loathed her hair and who ever damned her with it. It was neither of her parents they both had brown straight or wavy hair, she had been cursed with a curly unruly hair. She took out a bottle of sleek easy from beneath the sink and poured a little into her hands before smoothing it inter her hair, causing her curls to become a more relaxed curl that twirled rather than stuck out like an afro when she used magic to dry herself every morning at Hogwarts.
"Why can't you be like this naturally?" she stated aloud, as she starred into the mirror sighing before she left the room to find clothing to wear. McGonagall had written her the morning before last, stating she was to be escorted to the Head Quarters of the Order of the Phoenix on this day by nightfall. She had one more day entirely to herself, she had already prepared her bags for Hogwarts, and revised all of her essays at least five times to make sure they were absolutely perfect for the first day as a Fifth year.
"I have to stop thinking...but I doubt I can run any more than I already have...why must I always be thinking? Why can't I be more like Ron, or perhaps even Harry who broods silently in his own pity? But no, I always have to do something about it? Where does this feeling come from? I never once saw my parents stand up for anything they truly believed in. I never once saw them do anything but work and attempt to connect with me via their muggle ways. Why can't they accept I am a witch and live with who I am becoming? Why must they always ask me to think about what University I will be attending when I leave the Wizarding World? ARGGG! Stop it Granger, just shut up!" She said to herself as she was still standing completely naked in her bedroom before her wardrobe.
Hermione closed her eyes once again quieting her perplexing thoughts and criticisms. Before pulling out clothing to wear for the day. Choosing a pair of muggle jeans, and a violet t-shit and grey jumper. She slipped into her under garnets before slipping into what she chose to wear. "Is there something wrong with me? No, Granger! You are perfectly fine, normal witch born of muggle parents who regretfully will never understand you. You will be fine. You finished all of your over the summer work, and you managed to gain a new hobby that feels better than a bit of light reading. You are doing well for yourself, stop doubting that. Just stop!" she told herself as she walked over to her bed and plopped down, facing the canopy and fancy draperies that hung around her bed. She absolutely loved being home and she would certainly miss her bed and books most of all.
As the meeting adjourned Snape bowed his head and turned to leave. A hand at his shoulder stopped him from going any farther so he turned to face whoever attempted to hold him back, his dark piercing eyes focused on crystal blue hues.
"I am so glad you have returned to us a loyalist Severus, I was relieved when I saw you accepted by our Lord." Lucius stated with a genuine smile on his face. "Actually, I was quite relieved I had an other ally with me Severus, I could use a good friend these days. I only ask why did it take so long for you to join us..."
"Lucius," spoke an other voice from behind him, Snape's head bowed immediately. "Please do not interrogate my son, he is loyal to me and that is all you need know." Voldemort smiled as he made his way between his followers. "Severus, I fear I must return you to Dumbledore's side...you cannot have him waiting for your answer, now can we my servant?"
"No my Lord, it was nice seeing you here as well Lucius, we will have to catch up at an other time." He said as he looked to the blond, before returning his gaze to Voldemort. "What would you have me do my lord? Return to Dumbledore's services, and watch him crumble from the inside?"
"Too right that is, my son." Voldemort smirked, as a sparkle entered his crimson eyes. "Do not come unless I call, I do not want you having to go back and forth fruitlessly, unless you have to inform me of something vitally important. You must appear to be Dumbledore's man to the last, and for that my followers will repetitively question your loyalties, but I will not. I know you belong to me, my son and there is nothing Dumbledore can do to change that." His smile now became genuine, and caused a cold chill to ride of Snape's spine.
"I will do as you desire, My Lord." Severus bowed before he stepped back, and walked away to the apparition point, closing his eyes concentrating on the back alley he had spelled the muggles not to notice and as he felt the familiar pull into a small cavity of space, a loud pop and he was back to the old Spinner's end.
Author's Note: I realize I have not wrote in a very long while, but while I was on staff duty last night a spark hit and this came from it. Please Read and Review.
Yours Truly,
Lost O'Fallon Girl