( The Deal )

When it happened, it felt like a dream. Everything was distorted, the light too blinding, the colours too sharp, the darkness too deep. She couldn't move, for her body was so weak. It took all of her effort to open her eyes and to keep them open.

All she knew was the hunger, it thundered through her body, crushing against her skull.

There was a shape hanging over her and it was speaking, but she couldn't make out the words. Before complete darkness took her, she felt a pair of arms pick her up.

xXx

Waves of warmth pressed against her skin. Hermione opened her eyes slowly and stared at the flames of a small wood fire. She looked up behind it, to see a rounded entrance to what she realised was a cave. Her mind moved fast as she took in her situation – she didn't know where she was, she didn't know who had brought her here and she didn't know if they were friend or foe. A texture she had become very familiar with was wrapped tightly across parts of her body – bandages, someone had bandaged up her wounds.

After a moment's hesitation, she tried to roll to the side, to get up. But a voice cut her off.

'Petrificus Totalus.'

Her whole froze and snapped to attention, her arms forced to her sides, her legs slammed together. The beginnings of panic flared within her, but she forcibly smothered them. Panic made one irrational, and irrationality never solved anything or saved anyone. That is why Hermione did not fight against the body-bind, even when a man stood towering over her.

'Of all people, I never expected you to be in a situation like this, Granger,' a cold voice sneered. The man crouched down, his wand still trained upon her, and then his face came into view. Hermione felt shock dart through her body.

Severus Snape.

It had been five years since she had seen his face. He hadn't changed much, at least on the outside. But there was a hardness to his expression she did not remember being there before. He sat down on the stony floor of the cave, and threw another log onto the fire.

'I suspect you have no idea as to what happened to you,' he carried on, almost wearily. 'As to what it all means.' He looked over at her, his dark eyes calculating. 'But we can strike a deal. That is, if you co-operate.'

Hermione let out a sliver of her magic to feel the structure of the spell. After a bout of probing and tugging, part of the spell unravelled and she pulled it with all of her magic. The spell collapsed, and a second later, she before Snape – one hand gripping his wand, the other at his throat.

'Why are you helping me, you traitor?' she hissed. 'Why should I trust you?'

His eyes were unreadable as he stared up at her angry face. He made to move his free hand, but Hermione tightened her grip as a warning.

'They turned you,' he choked out finally, 'As they turned me.'

She was silent for a long moment as she searched his face. Then she loosened her grip slightly. 'You're going to let go of your wand, and I'm going to listen,' she told him carefully. 'I don't trust you, and if you do anything I perceive as dangerous to my person, I will kill you.'

Snape let her slip his wand from his fingers and he watched her as she moved away from him. She sat down on the bedding she had woken up on, her whole stance speaking of alertness and readiness to be prepared in an instant. The sight was very unfamiliar to him, disorientating almost.

'Speak.'

His eyes never left her. 'You were attacked by a vampire in a district of muggle London.'

Hermione did not let her expression change, nor gave into the urge to touch her neck. A flash of memories rushed past her mind's eye, but she ignored them. She gave a small nod.

'But even when I checked the scene where you were found, I could not figure out what had happened. Why had the vampire turned to dust? Especially fighting against a mere witch who did not use magic against him-'

'He broke my wand when he slammed me against a brick wall,' she cut in clinically.

He stared at her as if she was a specimen under a microscope, or a very intriguing potion ingredient. She gestured with her hand for him to carry on.

'There were so many questions, so many unknowns. Even when I used revealing charms, a powerful residue magic was distorting any spells used in the area. It proved useless scouting for information there. So that's why I went to see your body,' he said, then frowned. 'Why were you there? Why were you alone?'

'Death-Eaters were raiding a shelter. We couldn't sit by and let it happen. But we were attacked outside the building and I told Ron and Harry to go on ahead.'

'Of all the foolish . . .' he shook his head sharply, then looked up at her angrily. 'Do you three even know how valuable you are in this war?'

'How valuable Harry is,' she corrected. 'I am under no impression or delusion that either Ron or I fit into the prophecy at all.'

He looked at her in disgust. 'Potter? Potter is an imbecile who needs all the help he can get-'

Hermione whipped up Snape's wand, her eyes cold. 'It has been five years, professor,' she said stonily. 'If you think that after five years of war that we are the same ignorant, naive, innocent children you left behind after murdering Dumbledore, then you do not deserve the semblance of respect I have left for you.'

Snape's eyes narrowed dangerously, his gaze darting from the wand to her and back again. She could see the beginnings of a sneer forming.

'We have done things we never imagined we'd ever do,' she murmured. 'And we will keep on doing those things, and more, to stop this war.'

'Why didn't Potter and Weasley come back for you then?' he demanded nastily.

Her expression remained unchanged, the wand still held aloft. 'There is a spell that lets us know if one of our hearts stop beating. They won't go looking for me. My body held no secrets anyway.'

'But here you are,' Snape said, almost mockingly. 'You can't go back to them.'

Hermione stiffened. 'Why not?'

'You're not alive, you're not dead. They're human, and you're a vampire. That is a bridge none have ever crossed, I can assure you.'

'Whether that is true or not, I will still help them. I will still destroy the Horcruxes.'

Snape looked at her then, as if he had never seen her before. Suddenly, she saw the guilt and the ancient weariness in his eyes. This man had seen two wars, and she knew that what she had lost was small next to what he had given up for a world she had briefly known.

'I know you didn't want to kill Dumbledore.' His head shot up at her words. 'But you had no choice. And all those years ago, I knew it was you who helped Harry find a Horcrux, even though he had no clue who it was.'

'How?' he breathed out in disbelief.

'Professor McGonagall gave me the memories you asked her to safe-keep – on the night Hogwarts fell. She asked me not to hate you on her last breath,' Hermione said tightly. 'But it's hard not to, when you were the one to bring the vampires into this war a year ago.'

'I was just the messenger,' he said, but his tone made it clear he was far from defending himself. 'Both sides had already agreed to join one another outside of my influence. I was the convenient lowly vampire who could gain access to places no human could enter.'

'But you still gave Voldemort's message to them. You could have done something – forged another letter declaring war on all vampires, anything!' Hermione bit out. 'Anything that could've stopped this hell we're in.'

'I would've been killed then, you brat!' he hissed, eyes slightly wild.

'How many people have died because of the choice you made? Don't you ever stop and think of the thousands you could've saved with just your one death!?'

'Yes, of course I do!' he yelled back, his voice thick. It was almost like . . . like he was near tears. Hermione stared at him with wide eyes. 'But I'm the only one who can do it! I'm the only one I can trust to stop this war! I'm the only one who can do what is necessary . . .'

'You can't trust anyone else to give up everything for it,' Hermione whispered, as it dawned upon her. Snape glared at her, his hands tight fists at his sides, his body trembling with the sheer amount of emotion he had reined in.

'My heart's not beating anymore, Snape,' she said with a smile. 'I have already given up everything for this war. All I have is a dead body and a hunger I don't understand. If you want to destroy Horcruxes, then I'll take this deal you're making – whatever it is.'

xXx

Author's Note: I'm updating on weekly basis, either on Saturday or Sunday – depending on when I can get to a computer. There are only seven chapters of this story and they've all been written up, so I'll be getting back to Chaged soon or later.

I had my birthday a few days ago – I was wondering . . . how old do you guys think I really am? :) Anyhow, hope you liked the chapter!