He had let her escape. Severus Snape shifted his weight in the large chair in his office, letting the nights memories wash over him, brandishing a glass of whisky in his hand. He swirled the remnants of his drink as he pictured Granger bent over his desk. He shook his head as he felt a fresh wave of disgust wash over him, but whether it be from his inability to complete the task assigned, his concurrent lust and disgust intermingling, or the memories of her cries begging for mercy, he did not know.

The task had been leering over his head for only a few short weeks, right around the beginning of term, but that was more than enough time to drive a lesser man mad. He had confided in Dumbledore about this task assigned from his dark master was that it was his job to break "The Mudblood", by any means necessary. Voldemort knows how crucial Hermione is as one of Potter's most trusted allies, and certainly as the most intelligent of the trio. Snape had not mentioned to Dumbledore however the means in which he has been requested to use to break her.

Dumbledore would not allow her to be gravely injured, but knew there must be sacrifices, for the greater good. In return to what must be done, Dumbledore implored Snape to begin occlumency lessons with Miss Granger. She had been marked as important by the Dark Lord, and therefore, she's been put in grave danger. She needs to begin more intensive training on how to hold her own in a world filled with such formidable foes.

Although he agreed to Dumbledore's request, He had absolutely no desire to spend his evenings in the company of the insufferable know it all. This had to be one of his most unpleasant tasks that has ever been assigned to him. He loathed her almost as much as he loathed Potter, as she reminded him far too much of Lily. Imagining what he will have to do to her made his stomach turn, as much as he dislikes her, he did not enjoy harming innocent women.

Could she be classified as a woman? She certainly has the body of a woman. He sneered at himself, slightly disgusted by the direction in which his thoughts had shifted. At this point though, he knew from personal experience. It was undeniable, she was quite a beautiful young woman. Her hair, still far too bushy, always seemed to be pushed up into a messy know on top of her head. She was clearly more concerned with her education and gaining as much knowledge as possible was paramount rather than spending her time obsessing over appearance. He respected that about her.

With his thoughts turning back to the Dark Arts, rather than his student, He thought back to his own words from his first lesson as the new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, "The Dark Arts are may varied, every changing and them is like fighting a many headed monster, which each time a neck is severed, sprouts a head even fiercer and cleverer than before." He let out a sigh, downing the rest of his whisky in one gulp. "You are fighting that which is unfixed, mutating, indestructible."

He constantly felt like each task from his Dark Lord was even more sinister than the one before, forcing him to question his own beliefs, and to determine just how far he is willing to go, which after all was the Dark Lord's point of it all. He must therefore build his defenses to be as flexible and inventive against the evil he was attempting to stop from overtaking him. Tonight was dangerous, a a very small part of him realized he enjoyed the pain he was inflicting. He found that he quite enjoyed the view of Miss Granger bent over the very desk sitting in this room. Standing, he strode over to the cabinet in which he stores his supply of only the finest ways to ease his thoughts, the liquor cabinet. Filling his glass with a generous helping of the amber liquid, he returned to the armchair he had been occupying for the better part of an hour and let his mind continue to muse.

He knew he must try again. Tonight he had been unprepared, as she had come to him. The next time he would be ready, the plan already devised in his mind. With a sharp intake of breath he grabbed at his left forearm, his master was calling, and like a dog, he must come dutifully running to him. Putting on both a literal and figurative mask, he strode to his fireplace and was gone with a swirl of flames surrounding him, calling "Malfoy Manor".

As he reappeared in a roaring fire beneath a handsome marble mantelpiece surmounted by a gilded mirror, he felt a twinge of fear, he must, again, lie to the Dark Lord. This was a task that no matter how often done, would never seem to become any easier. Unlike the usual death eater meetings, the furniture remained where it originally sat, rather than carelessly pushed against the wall. Aside from Snape there was only one other occupant in the drawing room, his presence making the room feel simultaneously completely full and painfully empty.

Voldemort sat in a rather ornate armchair with his trusted pet Nagini curled over the top of the chair, and partially onto his shoulders. He looked, as always menacing, though there was an unease about him that made Snape nervous. The Dark Lord was a very unpredictable man, if he could even be classified as such. Snape approached and when close enough bowed to his lord as greeting.

"My Lord." Snape said in his usual drawl.

"Severus, my friend." Voldemort hissed, putting a fair amount of emphasis on his name. "I have called you here for a reason Severus. I request an update on your task as well as young Draco's task."

"Draco is planning, my Lord. Finding the opportune moment to strike. As for myself, I can show you what steps have been taken so far."

Voldemort let a cold smile spread over his face, it was unnerving to say the least. With the snap of his fingers Voldemort produced a pensieve, gesturing Snape over as he did so. Snape put his wand to his temple and closed his eyes, his wand produced a silver wispy stream of memories. He lowered his wand to the pensive and allowed the altered memories to fill it. He, of course, could not show his Lord the entirety of what had occurred, only what he knew would satisfy the cruel man who assigned this task to him. Voldemort lowered his head into the pensive, finding himself in Snape's memories.

Snape watched as Voldemort probed through the altered memories, feeling relieved when he pulled his head from the pensive with a twisted smile on his face.

"Well done Severus, well done." Voldemort complimented in a slippery tone, letting his approval show plainly on his face. He sank back into the arm chair allowing Nagini to rest on his shoulder. Snape watched as Voldemort allowed his thoughts to wash over him, waiting for him to speak before he spoke, an expected sign of respect for Lord Voldemort from his followers.

"You must increase efforts, I did expect to see more by now. It is of the upmost importance that she is broken as soon as possible. I do not want her able to assist Potter within the upcoming months" Voldemort said, waiting for Snape's response with a calculating look.

"Of course My Lord, that was only the beginning. She will be coming to private tutoring lessons under the guise of preparing herself for the fight against the death eaters, but that is the time in which I will break her. She will be useless to Potter within the next few months, I guarantee it." Snape said strongly, conviction lacing his words.

"And what of Draco? Is he truly capable of what I am asking of him?" Voldemort asked with a skeptical look, knowing that this was a sixteen year-old boy who he expected to commit a murder, and a weak boy at that.

"He will be My Lord." Snape offered, knowing some truth mixed in with the lies made it easier to disguise. Draco had come to him earlier that night more afraid than he had ever seen the boy. This was far too big of a task for a young man like Draco, as he really wanted noting to do with this. He was trying to stay calm and collected, but was unraveling at the seams. His pure blooded bigotry was ingrained in him from an early age, but that did not make him a murderer, it was not what he wanted. Snape had sympathy for Draco and Naricissa, he could tell this was not what she desired for her son to be doing with his life, alas because of the decisions Lucius Malfoy had made for himself, and consequentially his family, she was doomed to watch her son follow her husband down a dark path.

"I will destroy those who seek to protect and serve Potter, and when the time comes, when he is vulnerable, weak, and alone, without allies who can save his skin, I will kill him." Voldemort said releasing a laugh of mirth. Severus looked again at his master and let a smile spread across his face, a look of approval adjoining it.

"I have no doubt Master." Snape said with a small smile.

"That will be all Serverus. I will expect another report soon, with more to see. You may go." Voldemort said with certainty, with an underlying command in is voice as well. This will be happening, no matter what, Snape realized with a nervous feeling in his stomach.

"Of course My Lord." Snape said as he turned back to the fireplace and made his exit, heading back to the castle where he must now put his plan into action.