Author's Note: This is my first ever fanfic. I am currently writing a novel in real life, to be published, so this will be slow going, because I want to own a copy of my book before my 14th birthday, which is in May. These chapters are short so I can update at least once a week. I have school along with a whole buch of extra curricular activities to attend to, so please be patient ;) If you could, please review, because nothing would make me happier than feedback, positive or negative. If anyone wants to beta, you should leave a review saying so. Thanks for reading my crap!
Summary: During the summer holidays between Harry Potter's 6th and 7th year, some members of The Order Of The Phoenix have been asked to live at Headquarters until the fall Of Voldemort, including the Order's Number One spy: Severus Snape. Through many convenient twists of fate, everyone learns to have compassion for even the most sarcastic, ugly git on the face of the planet. (I SUCK at summaries xo)
Warnings: Torture, angst, Alternate World, Out Of Characterness, Sirius and Dumbledore are still alive, Crappy Writing. You've been warned.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter 1: For Love Of Her And All In Vain
On June 18th, Hermione stepped from the fireplace of Number 12 Grimmauld Place, and into the kitchen. Her friend Ron's mother, Molly(AN: As she is thusly named to save my poor fingers from typing the full name), jumped up from her seat at the kitchen table, abandoning her coffee cup to help Hermione carry her bags into the house.
"Oh, Hermione!" Molly said fondly as she picked up one of the bags. "You've grown so much since I've last seen you! Why, you're a full grown woman now!"
Hermione blushed as she heard Molly's last comment. She had indeed grown up over the summer, her once flat chest expanded, her waist narrowed in contrast to her expanded hips.
She murmured, "Thanks, Mrs. Weasley. My parents couldn't believe how tall I am now." 'And how many boys come knocking to the door,' she thought silently to herself.
When the two had climbed the staircase to the second floor, a beam of light fell across Hermione's face as the door to Harry and Ron's room opened.
"'Mione!" Ron shouted as he almost killed Hermione by gripping her in a bear hug.
"Ron, let her go! We don't want her dying on us, do we?" Harry said, grinning.
Ron released her, and Harry gave Hermione a gentle and tender hug, letting go only after Molly coughed softly in embarrassment.
"Oh, sorry." Harry blushed and grinned sheepishly at everyone. Molly left to go back to the kitchen.
Laughing, Ron clapped Hermione on the back and then bent to carry her bags into the room she would share with Ginny. "Ginny's hanging with the twins right now," Ron said as he tossed the bags onto Hermione's bed. "Well, not really 'hanging', more like 'working'."
Hermione laughed as she pulled off her hoodie, revealing her tank top. Harry blushed a furious shade of red.
"URGH! Close your mouth!" Ron's shoulders shook as he pointed at Harry in a fit of silent laughter.
Harry snapped his mouth shut and mumbled something about not being able to help himself. Ron fell onto the floor, doubled up as the laughter he had tried to contain exploded out of his mouth.
"Quiet!" Harry hissed, looking out of the open door. "If he hears, he'll come out!"
"Who'll come out?" Hermione asked, confused.
"Snape," Harry said as he picked Ron up off of the floor. The opening of a door from outside of the room could be heard. "Too late," Harry groaned.
The trio with bated breath as Snape came walking briskly towards the room. When he walked past the door, Harry let his breath out, attracting the man's attention halfway across the doorway.
Snape glanced at the three in mild exasperation for a moment, then continued down the hall and into the rest of the house.
"Thank God," Ron said in relief. "We don't want to provoke him. I hate to think what he might do."
Hermione stood silently in contemplation as she regarded the dark, thin man who had just glanced at her with a mix of irritation and such a pain on his face.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
At 7 o'clock PM sharp, the three friends walked into the kitchen for dinner. The place was packed with members of the Order to exploding point. There were only six chairs left, three for them, two for Molly and Arthur, and one for nobody in particular it seemed.
Sliding into their chairs, Molly glanced at the empty seat. "Could someone go get Professor Snape?" she asked the group. "He hasn't eaten with us since he arrived, and he's too thin to not eat."
Hermione looked around at the diners. When no one volunteered, she stood up. "I'll go get him."
Climbing the stairs and walking down the hallway, she reached Snape's room. Taking a deep breath, she knocked three times on the door. Within two seconds the door opened a crack to reveal the face of her Potions Professor.
"Um, Mrs. Weasley wants you to come eat with us, sir," Hermione said nervously, trying to not let her gaze drop from those deep pools of darkness which were his eyes.
Opening the door all the way, Snape stepped out. To Hermione's surprise, he was not wearing robes, but a white button down shirt and a pair of black dress pants.
'He actually looks nice for once,' she couldn't help but think.
He walked quickly down the staircase and past the empty wall where Sirius's mother used to be. Ron had told Hermione earlier that Sirius had burned the portrait out of annoyance of being screamed at whenever the door opened. Hermione watched as the entire kitchen quieted at the entrance of Snape.
Ignoring everyone, Snape sat down at the empty chair and picked up an apple from a basket of fruit. He bit into it and chewed slowly, staring at the wall. Sirius looked at Snape in disgust.
"Molly, does he HAVE to be here?" Sirius rudely asked. "Can't we just send him up to his room with some food?"
Snape looked at Sirius with a mildly interested look on his face. "Believe me, I have no more wish to see you than you of me."
Molly looked at Sirius with a glare that said 'Don't start anything.' Snape just continued to eat his apple, his gaze once again fixed on the wall.
"Must be an iteresting wall," Ron snickered to Harry. Both boys clapped their hands over their mouths to stop their laughter. The corners of several of the adults mouths twitched in amusement.
"Hey, Snape," Dedalus Diggle called across the table. "Show us your Dark Mark!"
Tonks stared at Snape curiously. "I've never seen a Dark Mark before."
Moody glanced at Tonks, and then Snape. "You should show it so that Tonks at least knows what it looks like."
Hermione watched as Snape's eyes turned ice cold. He sat there, taking in the hurful comments. Suddenly, he jerked his left arm so that the sleeve fell down. Looking at his forearm, Snape cooly said, "You'll have to wait for him to summon me. I'll not put myself through the pain of self summoning the Mark."
"Awww!" Sirius said nastily. "The big baby can't stand a little pain."
A shout of laughter rang around the group. Hermione sat there, astonished. 'You would think that they'd at least respect him,' she thought. 'He IS one of the most important assets to our side.'
Snape grit his teeth and screwed up his eyes. He hissed suddenly and grabbed his left forearm. Letting go, Hermione could see the ugly outline of the skull with a snake coming out of it's mouth.
"Here," Snape said, thrusting the Mark out so that everyone could see. He then ran to the nearby trash can as fast as he could, and threw up the contents of his stomach.
"That's gross," Tonks said, wrinkling her nose.
"What's wrong, Snape? Did the apple not agree with you?" Sirius said tauntingly.
"It hurts," Snape gasped as he finished rinsing his mouth out with water.
"Uh, yeah, you already said that," Bill said. "I don't see what the big deal is, though. It's only pain."
"Pain I've endured every day of my life that I've been under the Dark Lord's control," Snape hissed, clearly pissed.(Hey, I made a rhyme!)
"Then why'd you join?" Bill asked, confused.
"For love of her, and all in vain," Snape sighed as he walked out of the kitchen.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A bit sucky, I know. You don't have to remind me. Everyone has to hate him so that they pity him later on. If you have any comments or suggestions, just press the magical little button at the bottom of the page!
Author's Braggings: Just so you all know, I had predicted Snape to be the Half Blood Prince. JK Rowling leaves some pretty big clues as to who it is. I just pieced them together.
1. Snape was never said to be pure blood.
2. Muggle Borns are not allowed to become Death Eaters.
3. Snape is one of JK's favorite characters to write.
4. In the 7th book we find why Snape can never love.
5. The Half Blood Prince is not Harry or Voldemort.
6. It would be a nice plot twist.
7. He's been my favorite character since the fourth book. (That's not exactly a clue, but still important.)
Now press the little button below...