Obliviate

By, Sinister Spiders

PART ONE

The sky was filled with countless glittering stars, their beauty mocking the horrible scene that they lit up. A circle of hooded and masked figures were gathered in a tight circle around a young woman bound to a large wooden stake. Her vibrant red hair only a few shades lighter than the crimson blood that spilled from her numerous wounds. The circle of people around her stood quietly, echoing their masters silence, waiting for someone to arrive.

The smell of her own burnt flesh roused Ginny from unconsciousness. The moment she was drawn out of the blessed darkness every nerve in her body flared again with the memory of the pain inflicted on her. Her entire body was bound upright, the magical ropes that held her to the wooden stake were burning the skin that they were cutting into. Despite the fear coursing through her veins and making her heart race, the quiet sounds of cicadas trilling in the night and the wind rushing through the trees made her eyes flutter open. She lifted her head, slowly and painfully, until her hair fell from her face and she was staring into the glowing red eyes of Lord Voldemort.

"Ah Ginevra." Voldemort hissed, his deadly voice curling around her mind like a snake waiting to strangle its victim. "So pleased you could join us." The Death Eaters in the circle gave an appreciative chuckle and Ginny bit her lip to stop herself from swearing and cursing at them.

"I wish to thank you, Ginevra, for being so patient with us while we waited for your lover to arrive. As I am sure you are aware- he is a very busy man. I also feel obliged to tell you that you held up extremely well against our- let's say- hospitality. Far better than we dared to imagine. I am sure your dearest love will be relieved that he will be able to see you alive and mostly well." The crowd around her laughed again and she struggled against her bonds, only to have them spit and sizzle as they burnt further into her body. She threw her head back and cried out in pain, making the Death Eaters around her laugh even harder. Ginny forced herself to stop moving and snapped her mouth shut- she would not give them the satisfaction.

There was a loud pop in the middle of the clearing and Ginny's heart flooded with relief and anxiety all at once. He had come for her! Ginny knew how much danger he had placed himself in by responding to the Dark Lord's summons, but couldn't help but feel glad that he had risked it- he was going to help her escape. She just knew it.

"My Lord," Severus Snape said with a deep bow to Voldemort. The sound of his voice was music to Ginny's ears and gave her something to focus on other than the pain. Voldemort motioned lazily with one hand for Severus to stand and then pointed at Ginny. Severus turned to face her and their eyes locked, black meeting brown, she nodded at him in acknowledgement and he turned to face his master again. That brief look was enough to draw Ginny's attention a well-loved memory.

Ginny vividly remembered the day that she was dragged into Severus' office for trying to steal the Sword of Gryffindor. He had sent Luna and Neville to the dungeons to pay for their transgressions at the hands of the Carrows, but he had insisted that she stay with him. It was the twelfth time that year that Ginny had been hauled into the Headmaster's office- but it was the first time that the portrait of Albus Dumbledore had spoken to her...

Ginny stared at the portrait of Albus Dumledore in bewilderment. He had spoken to her! Her eyes flicked nervously between Albus and Severus and she held her breath, unsure of what to think.

"Don't be alarmed, Ginny" Came her deceased headmaster's kind voice "I assure you that it is me speaking, and not some spell or enchantment. You see, all that has happened has been planned. Severus here did me a big favour by taking my life that night in the Astronomy Tower..." Dumbledore continued on with his story, telling her of a curse he had gotten from a magical object, he told her of his deal with Severus to save Draco's soul, he told her that Severus was, in fact, working for good. Severus' place as Voldemort's right hand man was a carefully orchestrated plan to ensure that he was able to help Harry should the need arise.

In the fifteen minutes it took Dumbledore to explain everything to Ginny, she spared the occasional glance towards Severus, noticing that his features were strained as the old man in the portrait spoke, barely suppressed anger smouldering in the depths of his obsidian eyes. When Dumbledore had finished his tale he excused himself, claiming that he had a game of chess to play with a man in a portrait on the third floor, before exiting his frame and leaving Ginny and Severus alone.

"This whole time..." Ginny spoke, her voice uncertain "You were working for our side?" Severus gave a curt nod in response. "But..." She stammered "You killed him! You killed Dumbledore!"

With a loud sigh Severus Snape sat back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"I assure you, Miss Weasley, that killing Albus Dumbledore is something I did quite against my will- bound by promises of the past and needs of the future." His cold voice was filled with such bone-chilling regret that Ginny reached out feebly for the chair beside her before she pulled it behind her and flopped down in it.

In that moment everything she knew about Severus Snape changed.

"Severus, have you no better greeting for the object of your desire?" Voldemort hissed.

"My Lord?" Severus drawled, the question in his tone clear for all those around to hear.

"Surely a kiss, or a smile at the very least would be appropriate?" Voldemort asked, his red eyes looking from Severus to Ginny.

"I am sorry, my Lord, but I do not know what you are talking about." Severus said with a respectful inclination of his head. Ginny's heart stopped beating for a moment before she cursed herself for being so faithless. Severus would not deny her. He loved her. He was a double agent and he knew better than to rush into dangerous admissions under pressure. He would work this out. He would get them out of this.

"Forgive me Severus!" Voldemort said with fake grandiose and a gratuitous wave of his wand hand, a trail of red mist following the tip of his bone-like wand. "But I had heard a rumour... A rumour about you, and young Ginevra here." Voldemort's eyes focused on Severus and Ginny didn't need to see Severus' face to know that Voldemort was looking through his eyes and deep into his soul. "You see- I have been led to believe that you and the young Weasley had forged somewhat of a romantic relationship." The snake-like being cocked his head to one side, daring the dark-haired man before him to deny it.

"Meaning no disrespect, my Lord, but you have been misled." Severus whispered, voice low and harsh.

"Oi!" Came a shout from Ginny's left. She looked over as a stout hooded figure jumped from his place and into the circle. "Youse a bloody liar, you is!" Ginny would know that voice anywhere. Her teeth clenched automatically and she could just imagine the lopsided leer on the face of Amycus Carrow beneath the mask.

"Pray tell, Amycus, what it is that I am supposed to be lying about?" Severus said slowly as he turned to face the other man. Amycus took another step towards Severus in what was meant to be an intimidating manner, but Severus didn't even seem to notice.

"You an' her!" He said, his hand whipping out to point in Ginny's direction. She glared at him, an increased loathing for the man flared through her and she glared him. Severus said that he had wiped Amycus' memory- but somehow, he must have remembered what he had seen.

"Please, go on..." Severus drawled and Ginny shot him a pleading look. Surely he didn't want what Amycus knew to be spoken in front of Voldemort. As it was Ginny was at a complete loss as to how the man knew anything at all- Severus had told her that he had wiped Amycus's memory.

"I saw ya's, I did!" Amycus said proudly "Lord Voldemort's number one man an the little bitch who belongs to them blood-traitor Weasleys!" Amycus looked to Voldemort. "Is like I told you me Lord. I saw em, hugging." He spat the word with such distaste that it made Ginny hold her breath, "an kissing, and then Sev'rus said ta her that he loved her!" Amycus stomped his foot angrily and pointed his wand at Snape, breathing heavily.

Ginny was amazed that Severus showed no emotion what so ever, even with the wand of an angry and sadistic man pointed at him, he stood tall with an impassive expression on his face.

"And you is seen in me memories, me Lord! You seen what I is seen!" Amycus finished, and Ginny could see his beady eyes alight with pleasure through the sockets of his skull mask. The circle fell into a tense silence Voldemort motioned for Amycus to take a step back before he himself stepped forward.

"Severus," Voldemort's snake-like hiss was low and dangers "What have you to say about these... allegations?" Severus bowed to his master, nose a mere hairsbreadth from the ground, before rising slowly.

"I have had suspicions, Lord Voldemort, that Amycus and Alecto Carrow had been reporting false information to you for some time about my performance at Hogwarts. This is proof of that." Severus said coolly and she could see Amycus' body tense out of the corner of her eyes. "I am afraid that, when it comes to the Carrows, they have no allegiance to you that does not involve their self-betterment."

"You lying-" The voice of Alecto Carrow came as she launched herself towards Severus. Before she could finish what she was saying Voldemort' whipped his wand towards her and had her paralysed in a full body bind curse.

"Please Alecto- control yourself. Severus was not finished speaking." Voldemort tutted at the woman before returning his attention to Severus. "Please Severus, continue."

"You see my Lord," Severus said with a grateful nod "I became aware of the Carrow's treachery soon after we enacted the syllabus that incorporated the use of the Unforgivables on students in detention. For some reason," Severus spared a look for the twins "you got the impression that I tried to prevent this..."

"What in the name of Merlin is this shit?" Ginny yelled, slamming the parchment in her hand onto Severus's desk. Severus looked up from the book he was reading with a single eyebrow raised.

"If I were in a better mood your language and tone would have lost Gryffindor fifty points." Severus drawled, slowly slotting the sheet that Ginny had put on his desk into his book to mark his page before closing the cloth-bound tome.

"In a better mood?" Ginny spat incredulously.

"Yes. As it so happens I am just as concerned about this development as you are. My main concern now, which is taking up all of my energy, is how to prevent the damage this will undoubtedly cause. It is for this reason that your insolent manner will escape punishment." Severus explained slowly. Ginny's mouth gaped open in indignation.

"Well Severus-" Ginny begun slamming her palms on his desk, making the ink in his inkwell splash onto a nearby pile of parchment, she leant over and inched her face closer to his "while you sit here and have a pretty little think about a rule that you approved, I will have to go downstairs and quell the fears of the resistant student body, while knowing full well there is not a damned thing we can do to protect ourselves."

Severus Snape sat back in his chair in an irritatingly calm manner, making Ginny's blood boil. He had promised that he would protect her classmates. He had told her that they would be partners, working to ensure the safety of all of the students. But now that he had approved this new practice there was nothing they would be able to do to protect the students. All of the time they had spent over the past months finding ways for students to escape, or at least numb, the punishments the Carrows had inflicted on them would now be useless- there was nothing that could be done to reduce the effects of the Cruciatus.

"Do not- for a minute- assume that I enjoy this any more than you do." Severus said icily, his voice chilling Ginny's anger slightly. "I tried, many times, to avoid this course of action. Unfortunately, it reached the point where maintaining resistance would mean losing my post as Headmaster."

"Oh dear!' Ginny said standing up and putting a hand on her heart melodramatically. "You poor love... Imagine that- Severus Snape losing his position as Headmaster of Hogwarts over a petty squabble about rules!"

Ginny watched as Severus rose from his seat and walked around his desk to stand behind her. He was so close that the hairs on the back of her neck rose, his hot breath caressing her ear.

"Yes...Imagine that Ginevra." He hissed. His proximity causing Ginny's heart to race in anticipation. Had she taken it too far this time? "Severus Snape loses his prestigious position as the headmaster... and then who do you propose will take his place?" Severus's hands came up to rest on her shoulders

"Would it be the ferocious werewolf Fenrir Greyback who becomes leader of the school? Free to sate his hunger for young female blood using the student body?" Ginny yelped as Severus leant forward and bit her neck, teeth sinking into her soft flesh. The pain thrusting her imagination into overdrive, as an image of Fenrir Greyback throwing her onto the ground and savagely attacking her, flashed through her mind. The idea flooded her with an insurmountable amount of dread setting her body on edge, her flight reflexes ready to activate at a moment's notice.

"Or shall we assume it would be the completely deranged Bellatrix Lestrange? Ready to enforce her sadistic torture as punishment for even the smallest of infractions?" His cold hands clamped around Ginny's throat tightly, cutting off her supply of oxygen. Ginny's eyes widened in horror and she tried to ply his hands from around her throat.

As abruptly as he grabbed her, he released her and she gasped for air. He grabbed her by the waist and turned her roughly so that her face was less than an inch from his.

"So tell me Ginevra- what would you have done in my position?"Icy fingers caressed her cheek softly, almost apologetically, as his piercing gaze shattered her anger. Ginny closed the gap between them and slammed her lips against his.

After a short moment she pulled away from him and stared into his fathomless eyes. Of course he was right. The Unforgivables would have been used against the students with, or without, his permission. He had picked his battle, and had decided that he would retreat and survive to fight another day. With him as headmaster, the students of Hogwarts still stood a chance. With him as her partner, she would be able to find a way to protect her classmates.

"Very well Severus..." Ginny whispered as she slowly pulled her lips away from his "What are we going to do about it?"

"After the Unforgivables were employed and students started going missing, you called upon me and asked if I was aiding their escape," Severus said bobbing his head respectfully towards the serpentine man before him. "this, My Lord, could not be further from the truth. I spent many hours casting protective spells and patrolling the corridors of Hogwarts, enlisting various portraits to aid in my task of retaining wayward students." Voldemort raised a single finger to silence Severus and the man complied immediately.

"How then, Severus, did so many students evade your skilled and watchful gaze?" Voldemort hissed, to Ginny's right Amycus bobbed up and down like a child in a candy store, excited by the prospect that Severus would not have an answer for this.

Ginny took a deep breath as she wondered how Severus would explain this...

"Severus, we need to get some of the students out of here. The half-blood students are being tortured every other day. The pure-bloods are under constant scrutiny, if they even so much as breathe at the wrong time the Carrows cruciate them!" Ginny said desperately as she and Severus huddled together in the boat house. The wind outside was cold, blowing the chilly air off the lake into the lofty room.

"And the blood traitors?" Severus asked her, bringing a hand up to caress her cheek. She turned away from him and bit her lip. She had made every effort not to reveal to him what happened in her detentions, not wanting any pity from him. Her goal was to protect the other students. She was determined not to let their growing fondness for each other afford her any special treatment.

"The only thing that is saving me at the moment is my blood status Severus- you know that." Ginny whispered.

"The Dark Lord was quiet clear that no full-blood was to be irreparably damaged." Severus said, watching Ginny's expression carefully.

"We're getting off the topic." Ginny said, not willing to go into detail about the horrors that she had suffered through "We need to get the others out."

"Will you go with them?" Severus asked.

"You know very well that my place is here." Ginny whispered and Severus leant forward to kiss her.

"Lioness, you need to start thinking about your own safety." Severus purred, Ginny pushed him away.

"Severus, stop. We have talked about this before. I am not going and that is final."

"Very well..." Severus sighed. "Where are the students hiding when not in classes?" Severus asked. Ginny stepped back from her, her lips tightly sealed. "Ginevra- this is ridiculous. You have trusted me with everything so far... why not this?"

Ginny looked into Severus's black eyes and her eyebrows furrowed in thought. She had, indeed, trusted him with everything else... Her affection included. But to tell him where the students were hiding would be forfeiting the only place her classmates had to escape from the new Hogwarts regime.

"It is too risky..." Ginny replied, earning her an angry look from Severus "What if Voldermort read your mind? What if the Carrows slipped you some veritaserum?"

"Legillimancy? Veritaserum? Ginevra- have you so little faith in my abilities?" Severus hissed vehemently, making Ginny shiver. "I have worked as a double agent for years Ginny... I would not be alive to talk to you today if I could not protect my thoughts."

Ginny, Neville and Luna had spent over a month trying to figure out an escape route but all of the secret passages had been closed, and even if they could get around the protective spells around the school's perimeter there would have to deal with the dementors...

"I can't tell you." Ginny said finally, her eyes falling to the ground, a tear escaping her tightly shut eyes. She sensed, rather than heard, Severus turn and swiftly leave the boat house. She would not, and could not, divulge the location of their safe haven- even if it meant having a way to escape. She could not take the risk. Her heart ached at the loss of Severus' presence but she knew she had made the right decision.

Three days later, much to Ginny's relief, Severus had requested to meet with her again in the boat shed. As soon as she walked into the room, he pulled a large portrait of a young, blonde girl out of the pocket of his robe, and handed it to her.

"This," Severus said "Is your escape route. Place it on any wall in the castle and those who wish to leave need only ask and Arianna will deliver them to safety..." He turned on his heel and Ginny reached out, her hand grasping his shoulder.

"I am so sorry, Severus." She whispered, voice cracking with emotion. She knew that telling him the location of the student's sanctuary implied she didn't trust him. And no relationship could exist when there was no trust.

"So am I, Ginevra." He said before leaving the way he came. His cloak billowing behind him.

A/N: This is the first in a two-part/chapter ficlet. The second part will be up within a week with appropriate thanks credits.