Chapter Two: Life or Death.
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything there of! I wish I did, but sadly…
Quietly she knocked on the surprisingly hansom door.
Hermione waited patiently for and answer, still terribly afraid that by doing so would only result in her death. Truth be told she had never thought her old professor was evil, she had deafened him on more than one occasion. Only after waiting several minutes did she knock again, this time a little more loudly.
Finally after hearing footsteps from the other side of the door did she let out a breath she hadn't been aware she had been holding in. her heart still raced but there was nothing that she could do about that. She simply looked down at the ground.
Severus Snape stood in the doorway looking at the annoying Gryffindor know-it-all. Wondering to himself what it was she could be doing at his home, at this time of night, let alone being there at all. By now Potter had surly told them all who had murdered the old man.
" Ms. Granger," He started in his usual cold tone of voice, " may I enquirer what it is exactly that I have done to deserve you standing on my doorstep at this ungodly hour?"
" Um…"
' Damn it Hermione get yourself together' she said to herself.
" Well… I needed a place to go." She stated plainly. " Um… could we please go inside?" she asked as she looked behind her, " I would like to explain… but… here is not the best place to do so."
She watched as Snape also surveyed the road behind her. Seeing nothing out of the ordinary and noting the fear he saw lurking in her eyes, he quickly ushered the young girl in and closed the door, and resetting his wards.
Without a single word he swept past Hermione and led the way to his private study.
" Now then miss Granger, tell me why it is that you thought that coming to me would be the end of your troubles?" Snape asked barely above a whisper as he took his seat in an old wing back chair.
" When I arrived home this evening I found my parent's murdered in their bed. Your… friend's, for lack of a better word, left me a message that said, rather pointedly, they were responsible for their death's" she knew it sounded dumb but it was all that could be said.
When a pensive look came across Snape's face Hermione saw an opportunity to examine the room he had led her to. On almost every wall there were floor to sealing bookcase's filled with books, he even had some copies of Shakespeare. None of the furniture looked expensive, just very comfortable and well used.
Severus look over at where the young girl stood looking around the room. He wanted to throttle the girl for her stupidity. He could have killed her where she stood. Didn't she have any idea who and what she had chosen to be her salvation?
Every was he looked at his options, the fact that there were only two or three of them only made his decision harder to make. He could send her on her marry way, knowing that her death would surly follow there after. He could give her over to The Dark Lord, which was not something he would even minutely consider, or… he could keep her in one of his family estates. He could keep his promise to the old man to help any way he could.
Flashback
" Ah Severus my boy, so good to see you. I suppose you have some news for me?" Dumbledore said in his usually cheerful tone, his eyes twinkling as they almost always did. " Well don't just stand there come in have a seat, get comfortable, RELAX Severus." As he walked in to the room and took his usual place by the fire Dumbledore offered him a lemon drop, which he declined as he always did.
" Are you going to tell me what you came here for or are you going to stand there looking miserable Severus?" Dumbledore asked after watching the young man before for a good amount of time.
Severus sighed loudly, " I might have to kill you."
' There I said it' he thought to himself.
As he looked over at the old man he saw the twinkling in his old blue eyes and silently wished he could simply drop dead. The thought of possibly having to end the life of such a great man made him sick. This man had given him a second chance. Albus had known that he could be betrayed but he had taken a chance on the lost young man, given him something Severus had never had, a home and a purpose. He had also given him love, although Severus would deny it until he was blue in the face, he returned that love in his own way.
" Then if it comes to that you will do it, and do not argue with me on that Severus. Now tell me how this came about."
" Narcissa Malfoy came to me. She asked me to take an unbreakable vow. I had no choice than to oblige. Bellatrix was there as well and my loyalty would have been questioned, I would have been exposed." Severus took a long pause. " Draco has joined The Dark Lord. His first mission is to kill you or… possibly die for failing."
For the first time that night Severus saw a spark if worry puncture the unwavering light in the old mans eyes.
" If it comes to that Severus save the child. Although Draco can be unbearable, he is not his father, he can be saved. So save him. You and I both know that Tom doesn't really care who murders me, just so long as it is done, he will be happy. Just promise me that even after it is all said and done that you will continue to help us in any way possible. Promise me Severus."
" I promise."
End Flashback
He had a promise to keep.
" Why did you come here Granger." He knew his voice had been harder than he had intended when he saw her flinch out of the corner of his eye.
" I needed a place to go. Somewhere… that they wouldn't think to look. I know you could kill me right now but either way this goes I'm sticking to my choice. If I go somewhere else people I love might die. If you let me stay and give me refuge there's a chance they may come to you but you would figure out what to do. You have always been good at that." He heard something in her voice that he had never heard before, and it scared him, " I know you might not want to hear this, but… I don't think you murdered the headmaster, I think… he told you do so if you had to."
' Oh god! He looks like he wants to kill me.' She thought to her self. It was only when he answered her that she had spoken her thought out loud.
" I am not going to kill you. But I do think that you have put entirely to much thought into matters that are none of you concern. I am going to take you to my mother estate; you will be safe there for now. If they find out where you have gone I will think of something. But until then you are to stay in my mother's home at all times. I can not keep you here, too many of The Dark Lords followers come and go from here. Now come we need to leav…" but he was cut off by a sudden knock on the front door.
