I do not own any of these characters. I only own the plot.
A/N: Okay, finally, I got this chapter up! Sorry for the wait, I've just been busy this weekend and everything. Some of the dialog in the story, I used directly from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I finally got my myspace up, so if you want to go look at it, it's dedicated to Harry Potter. I'm still working on it, and I'm going to be putting fan fiction on it and I think I might make a fan fiction contest every month. I'm not too sure. Anyways, my Myspace and my blog are on my profile, so check it out if you want. I should have updates and so on posted on there whenever possible. I'm also going to be posting other peoples fan fiction on my sites (with their permission) and if you want me to post your own stories, just give me the link and I'll read through it and if I like it, I'll post it on there. Either that, or you can email me at you all for the wonderful reviews! After reading through them, the poll for, "Should Hermione become friends with Severus Snape," stands as:
Yes: 5
No: 0
Yes and No: 1
Since the poll has voted yes as the majority, I'm going to go ahead and say she become friends, because… well, after reading the majority of the votes I decided that this story will start the beginning of their friendship.
Houguilter: Thank you! This chapter will revolve around the beginning of the friendship between the two, and I do have plans for some mischief and things that they do together with the help of a few choice Marauders, of course.
Wally4ever: No, he's not, I'll go ahead and tell you that. I can't say that something will happen and someone will have to save her because of him, that'll be a secret if it does or doesn't happen. I'll keep it in mind though. : )
The-kaiba-heir: Thanks! It was shorter than the previous one. I try to make my chapters long, because I know people don't like to read something that's short. Also, I like to put in enough information so I don't leave my readers in the dust, you know? Not to mention, I just realized that I'm still on the first day. Chapter four and still on the first day, wow. This is going to be long, I think…. Anyways, I portrayed Severus like that because that's how I would imagine him as a teenager. He's not like he was/is in the future because he's still young.
Alandrea-the-magical-kitty: Actually, your poll was the last one I took up! So you got your review in on time. I try to make the Marauders as carefree as I can, joking and what-not. That's how I would imagine them in that time before they join the Order.
To the rest of my reviewers: Thank you all! Don't feel left out because I didn't put your name on the thing. I only respond like that to people who point something out or ask something. You guys are great!
Hermione stood up and stretched her arms out above her head. She'd been in the dungeons all evening brewing the Wolfsbane potion for Remus. Dumbledore had found her in the library with the russet haired boy and asked for her to come with him to the dungeons. Remus gave her an odd stare, but she shrugged at him and told him she'd seen him soon.
She followed Dumbledore to the dungeons and to room 12. He said that no one used the room anymore because it was too small for classes, so he'd asked the potions Professor if she would be allowed to use it whenever she needed for certain things. He'd agreed, so now Hermione had a room to use to brew the Wolfsbane potion.
The room she was assigned to be able to work in was not too small, but not big either. It was unclean, layers of dust laying on everything that had been kept in there. The big grate for the fireplace hadn't been used in years, she was sure of it. There was a few desks and some stools in the room along with a blackboard, but other than that, it was empty.
So, Hermione set to work to make the potion with the ingredients Dumbledore supplied. It was taking the better part of the evening, and she was sure she'd already missed dinner. The girl stooped down after stretching and lifted up the cauldron full of potion. She took it over to the fireplace and hung it on the hook, letting it heat up for ten minutes.
Hermione brushed a stray curl out of her face and wiped the sweat off of her brow. Even though the dungeons were cold, sitting bent over a hot cauldron for hours could get pretty stifling.
She counted ten minutes down, not having a clock, then stirred the potion counterclockwise five times then three times clockwise. She waited four minutes then took the cauldron off of the fire.
"There." She said to herself triumphantly, looking at the perfect potion she'd brewed. She'd done everything right and she was proud of herself.
With the vials provided by Dumbledore, Hermione put the potion into the glass containers and set them neatly in a bag. When she had all of the potion transferred into the vials, she scrugify-ed the cauldron and set it aside with the other tools and leftover ingredients.
Hermione slung the bag of Wolfsbane over her shoulder, its heavy weight landing heftily against her back and she winched slightly. Maybe she shouldn't have made so much; but this was Hermione. She wanted to make sure there was enough for the upcoming new moon of November, and also during December. She wouldn't have to make it again until January.
The girl was about to leave the room but when she was about to open the door, it opened on her instead and knocked her backwards when the doorknob hit her in the stomach. She winced again, this time in doubled pain as her bruise throbbed painfully. Instinctively, her left hand moved to her stomach, covering the damage and her other hand went to her wand. She didn't draw it, but she kept a grip on the end of it, just in case.
She moved slowly so that she could see who opened the door and was shocked to come face to face with Severus Snape. He looked equally shocked to see her, his dark eyes larger than she'd ever seen them.
He stood rigid in the doorway, slightly bent over in surprise. His eyes were glued onto her face, his face paler, if possible. His hair swung around his slender face at his sudden stop. His hair wasn't as greasy as usual, and it curved in slightly near the base of his neck.
"Oh." Hermione breathed out the air she'd been holding in after staring at him for a long, awkward moment. "Hi, Severus."
"Hi…" The boy looked at her suspiciously. "What are you doing down here?"
"Professor Dumbledore and Professor Baker gave me permission to be down here." Hermione told him lightly. (A/N: I just made up the name of the potions professor.. I have no idea who'd it be at the time… unless it's that Slughorn guy….) "What about you? It's rather late to be running around the dungeons."
The boy eyed her coldly. "I'm not running around and I have a right to be down here." He pointed at his prefect badge.
"Oh! You're a prefect!" It wasn't a question, more of an exclamation.
"Yes…" He looked at her oddly.
"So, you were patrolling or something?" Hermione cocked her head to the side a bit, smiling at the raven haired boy.
"Yeah…."
Hermione got the idea that he wasn't patrolling. "Did you just come back from dinner, then?"
"I did, actually." He told her. She noted that he looked slightly uncomfortable.
Hermione nodded, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. She didn't know what to say to the younger version of Snape, but she didn't want to be rude. "Sorry about earlier."
The boy was quiet and he gave her another cold stare that he used in the future against his students. Hermione had to keep a smile off of her face; he still had some of his characteristics.
"Sorry." She said again, looking away from the boy. "I didn't mean to bring it up. It's just, James and Sirius can be prats sometimes." She said, more for the boys comfort.
"I agree." He huffed. "I guess I should t-thank you for earlier…." He trailed off, looking at her even more uncomfortably.
"Think nothing of it, Severus." She turned back to him and smiled warmly at the boy and was surprised to see a slight upturn of his lips. Was he smiling? Or, nearly smiling? There was another bout of silence when Hermione noted that he carried a book about DADA under his arm. She figured it wouldn't be too bad if she tried to strike up a conversation with the teenage boy that would soon be her professor. "You like Defense Against the Dark Arts?"
Severus looked at her for a moment before nodding. "It's one of my best subjects, along with Potions."
"Really?" She already knew the answer to those of course, with the future Snape teaching potions and wanting the DADA position. Would already knowing what he likes and dislikes be cheating in this conversation? She wondered to herself amusedly.
"Yeah…" He looked at the wall behind her, then at the floor. He obviously wasn't used to being in close quarters with other people, let alone, Gryffindor's.
"Hey." She said as an idea came to her, and he looked up at her quietly. "Do you know how to do that shield charm I used earlier?" The boy shook his head slowly. "Would you like me to show you how to do it?"
Severus looked at her curiously for a moment. "You.. You don't mind?"
"Of course not. If I didn't, would I have helped you earlier?" She watched him shake his head again, then continued, "Besides. I'm not into the whole, Slytherin versus Gryffindor thing. I find it silly, actually. It's not what house a person is in, it's what's on the inside, no?"
Severus watched her with surprise, then he agreed. "I'm sorry, but all I know you by is 'the new girl…'"
"Oh. Well, I'm Hermione Granger." The girl replied cheerfully, extending a hand out to the boy in front of her who took it hesitantly as if expecting her to hex him at that moment.
"Severus.. Severus Snape." He shook her hand. "Though, you already knew that…."
"Yeah but that doesn't matter." She told him, taking her bag off of her shoulder and laid it down in a corner. "So, aren't you supposed to be patrolling?"
"I finished." His hand twitched slightly and she frowned.
"Is something bothering you?"
"No." He mumbled
"Don't lie. It's easy to tell when something is wrong." Hermione spoke quietly before sitting down on a stool.
"What is anything to you?" He spat, "It's not like a Gryffindor would care about a Slytherin."
"Like I told you before, Severus, I don't go for the whole House rivalry." She spoke calmly to the boy, watching his reactions.
With a slight sigh almost too quiet to catch, he closed the door and crossed his arms across his chest, staring at Hermione. "How do I know I can trust you with anything? I could tell you anything and you could use it against me."
"Well, I'm true to my word, though you wouldn't just take that." She said thoughtfully, biting her bottom lip gently.
"You're right."
"Severus, I don't know how to make you trust me, but I'm willing to do almost anything to prove that to you." For some reason, Hermione wanted his friendship and trust from this Slytherin boy. Was she going crazy?
It wasn't everyday that someone would meet up with their evil Potions professor in his teenage form though. He was still young; he still had some feelings in him that showed. Maybe she could get him to open up to her and other people. He didn't deserve to be treated as he was being treated by his schoolmates. Oh, what Ron and Harry would say if they knew what she was doing….
Severus was quiet for a moment before whispering, "An Unbreakable Vow."
"An Unbreakable Vow?" Hermione looked puzzled, having no idea what it was.
Severus nodded quickly and said, "It's a spell that requires the Bonder's wand to be touching joined hands of the person directing the vow and the person taking the vow. When each section of the oath is being sworn, a flame shoots out of the caster's wand and winds itself around the joined hands of the two people and that continues until the vow is done."
Hermione listened in interest, then asked him, "What happens if you break the vow?"
"You die." He said simply, shrugging his slender shoulders.
Hermione's mouth dropped open remarkably as she watched the boy. Was he crazy? "That's dangerous, Severus. What would happen if someone found out?"
"Nothing will happen. They wont be able to do anything about it. It's either that, or nothing." He stared at her intently with his dark orbs. They shined in the light from the fire, and Hermione could see something in his eyes that she could recognize. Why would he want that?
The girl gulped a bit, "What will the vow involve?"
The raven haired boy was silent and Hermione figured he was thinking. It was eerily quiet in that dungeon room, even the fire didn't crackle like it should have. The girl sat, watching as the boy though, his black hair overshadowing his eyes. Could she really make an unbreakable vow to Severus?
"We will both make three vows each. You will have to swear upon my three and I'll have to swear on your three."
"Are you sure you want this, Severus? You hardly know me." She blinked at the boy.
"I'm sure. The only way for me to even trust you, being a Gryffindor and all, you'll have to make the vow."
Hermione bit down on her lip again. "What do you want me to swear?"
Severus looked at her, his eyes still shadowed. Bending his head downward slightly, he whispered, "I want you to swear that you will never betray me like all my other so called friends that only care about what they need and want, their own desires. Swear that you'll keep the Marauders away from me, and that you'll always tell me the truth."
The brown haired girl looked at the boy in surprise. He wasn't asking for much, and Hermione found it quite emotional, actually, hearing her future professor asking for her sworn friendship. "Severus, you don't have to ask me to do those. I would have done them without a vow."
He looked up at her, clearly confused. "You mean… you'd do any of that without me asking?"
"Of course." She stared evenly at him, seriousness etching her voice. "I would never let anyone hurt any of my friends or people who I think deserve better. Severus, I would never do anything to hurt you, even if you did hurt me."
He was silent. He didn't move or do anything. His eyes were locked on hers, unmoving though swirling with emotion. "Hermione…"
"Yes?"
"You're the first one that I've heard say that… Either you're crazier than you look, or you really are a true Gryffindor…" He mumbled quietly.
Hermione grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."
He grinned back and Hermione was astounded at how much his profile changed just by that one gesture. Hermione couldn't help but grin wider as she watched the dark haired boy. "You still want to do the vow?"
"I think we can skip that for a much more appropriate time." He said, the cold edge in his voice gone.
"So, how about I show you the shield charm now."
"Okay." He moved to the middle of the room and she followed him.
"Alright. Wand out." She spoke, drawing her wand from her cloak, Severus following suit.
"Okay, just hold your wand out like this." She showed him. "And wave it like this." She flourished it. Snape tried to copy her movements but got it slightly wrong. Hermione showed him again, and he tried once more. "Good. Now, when you do that, at this movement--" She showed him, "You say, 'pro-TAY-go.'"
Severus flourished his own wand this time and muttered the spell. There was a flicker in front of his body and then everything was still. "Did… did I do it?"
"Almost. It was there, but slightly weak. This spell is slightly complicated. It took me weeks to get." She mused, impressed by how he'd almost gotten on his first try. "That was good though, way better than most people could do. Try again."
He looked nervously at her, then brandished his wand in the pattern she'd shown him. Another flickering movement shown in front of him, this time stronger.
"You did it! Oh wow, you learned that fast. Are you sure you haven't tried this before? I can't believe it! Do you want to try that while I'm trying to hex you? I wont do anything that'll hurt you, just a simple hex, and if you use the shield charm right, it'll just ricochet back to me."
"Okay…" He said slowly, gaping at her as she aid and asked him about a million things.
Hermione smiled kindly at him, then took up a stance a few yards away from him. "Ready?" He nodded. "Okay. 1, 2, 3, Go!"
Hermione shouted out 'stupfy' while Severus countered with 'protego.' Hermione was hit with the ball of red as the spell bounced back at her. She fell over, stunned and her wand cluttered out of her hand. Snape moved towards her timidly and mumbled the couther curse 'ennervate.'
The girl blinked as she was able to move again. She smiled broadly up at the boy as he helped her up. "You learned that a lot faster than I did."
He looked disbelievingly at her for a moment, then, he smiled, a true smile. "Thanks."
"I'm only telling the truth." She said as brushed her robes off. "You're a fast learner. You'll make a great wizard when you're older."
"You think so?" Severus blurted out, his eyes wide and sparkling; something Hermione had never seen. She was seeing a lot of things that her future Professor would never do.
"I don't think so." She repeated her words from earlier. "I know so."
The next hours passed with Hermione and Severus talking about things like, spells, potions, classes, the works. She was happy to note that he didn't ask her anything about where she came from and she kept the chatting to a less personal genre. It was nearly curfew when they decided to go and Hermione bid him goodnight, feeling that she might be making a new friend.
Hermione came up to the portrait of the fat lady and said the password. The portrait swung open, admitting her into the warm common room. She had just gotten back from dropping the Wolfsbane Potions off at Dumbledore's office and she was cold and tired, not to mention hungry since she had skipped dinner.
The common room was full of people working on homework or just talking to one another, and Hermione saw the Marauders near the fireplace; like usual. Lily was surprisingly sitting there with them, along with Alice and another girl. When Hermione had shut the portrait hole, Lily waved to her.
"Hermione! Where have you been!"
"I've been here and there." The brown haired girl said as she sat down heavily next to Lily on one of the overstuffed but comfortable couches.
"You missed dinner." Lily told her, and Hermione rolled her eyes.
"I realized that."
Lily looked at her sympathetically for a moment. "You really are something, Hermione."
"Tell me something I haven't heard before." She smiled cheekily at the girl who smiled back.
"'Mione, my love!" Sirius said loudly, just noticing her presence. Obviously he'd forgiven her or forgotten about what she'd done.
"Sirius, you prat!" Hermione countered, narrowing her eyes at him.
"A stab to your heart, Sirius." James laughed.
"A fair maiden such as herself shall not be wooed by my devilishly good looks." Sirius feigned heartbreak.
"You're right." She stuck her tongue out at him.
Hermione leaned back against the couch, her back resting on the arm. She kicked her shoes off and moved her legs onto the couch so that her toes were a few inches away from where Lily sat. That day had been one of the most awkward days of her life. She'd practically been in the past for a full day and if she didn't know any better, she was starting to befriend Snape. This way a day she'd never forget.
She closed her eyes, getting lost in her thoughts as she listened vaguely to the people around her. Remus was having a conversation to Peter about a potions essay while James and Sirius spoke to Lily and Alice about the effects of the Draught of Peace.
What would Harry say if he knew that she was sitting in company with his dead parents, dead godfather, a younger version of their former DADA professor, and the traitor that sold his parents to Voldemort?
Hermione frowned at the thought of Harry once more. Did Ron and Harry even know she was gone? Did Malfoy confess to having something to do with her disappearance? It had only been one day, if even that, that she'd been gone. She desperately hoped that Dumbledore would find a way for her to get home; though it wasn't every day that a future student showed up in his office unaware of where he/she was.
Not that the girl disliked being in the past. She found it slightly comforting, not having to watch her back constantly or having to worry about her friends. She even found it uplifting to not have to keep Harry from his depression. Though, he had done a good job recently trying to stay happy; Ginny helped him with that.
Hermione! How could you think that! Harry's your friend and he'd always be there for you; he always has! Hermione felt her throat tighten with shame. After all Harry had done for her, she'd went and thought that. The poor boy was having to live up to his name, 'The Boy Who Lived,' and wouldn't be able to live a normal life, ever. He never had, and Hermione felt remorse fill her eyes with unshed tears.
He'd gone through so much, his parents death, even if he couldn't remember it, the overwhelming fact that he'd been famous all his life and never knew about it, having to go up against Voldemort the first two years he attended school, worrying about an escaped convict from Azkaban that was later found innocent, the triwizard tournament, facing Voldemorts resurrection, and the death of his godfather.
Sirius… Hermione shuddered, images of that night at the Department of Mysteries flooding back to her mind. That place had haunted her dreams shamelessly, taking her into nights of fitful sleep or bouts of tears. So much had happened there in such a little time, and her and everyone else of the Order or DA had suffered incredibly by the loss of Sirius.
Hermione had drifted off into her thoughts and wasn't aware of someone saying her name. She only snapped out of her trance when something landed heavily against her legs and her eyes instantly opened to reveal a very determined looking Sirius lounging on her knees.
"Get off of me." She growled under her breath.
"S'wrong, Love? You look upset." He questioned, grinning broadly at her.
The brown haired girl narrowed her eyes at him again. "Mr. Black, please abstain yourself."
"Aw, is wittle 'Mione in a bad mood?" He pouted mockingly.
She glared at him, slid her legs out from under him and stood up. "You're quite the charmer, aren't you?" She spat.
He looked slightly taken aback by her mood change. The others had stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the two in surprise. Sirius raised his hands up in the air, obvious confusion on his face.
"Hermione, I--"
Hermione cut him off. "I'm aware that you weren't trying to do anything wrong, but please, stop it. Just stop it." Hermione was becoming hysterical and she had no clue why which only caused her to flip out more.
"'Mione, what's wrong?" Lily asked in concern.
"Nothing."
"You can't say nothing, you're nearly in tears!" Alice cried from her position in the chair next to the redhead.
Hermione was silent for a moment. She could feel the tears stinging at her eyes, threatening to spill over her face. What had caused her to go into a fit of anger and sadness? I was thinking about the past.. Or the future, whatever it'd be considered now… She mentally cursed herself for allowing her thoughts to wonder so much. She blinked furiously a few times, wiped at her eyes and turned on heel.
"I'm going to bed." She murmured, disappearing after a moment as she went to her dormitory that she shared with the other girls.
The others watched her retreating back. They were silent until the girl was out of view then they all rounded on Sirius.
"What did you do?" Remus asked quietly.
"I did nothing! Honest!" He exclaimed. "I asked her what was wrong because she looked upset and she just… blew!"
"Girls don't just get upset over nothing." James said lamely.
"No, really Prongs? I wouldn't have ever thought something would make a girl upset." The other dark haired boy snapped.
"Maybe something happened to her before she came here." Peter shrugged, looking from each of his friends to the other.
"You know. Petey might be right about that." Remus muttered only audible enough to be heard as a whisper. "It is odd that she just appeared here, at the end of October claiming to be a transfer student."
The others nodded in agreement and Peter asked, "What do you think she could be hiding?"
"Who knows." Sirius scratched the back of his head, ruffling his hair dramatically.
"Its not nice to be talking about her like this, guys." Lily spoke up. "She's a nice girl. She's probably just depressed from having to leave her friends behind. She spoke highly of them earlier."
"Oh. That's reasonable." The boys chorused.
"I suggest you boys try to not be so crude around her, she's not like the others around here that fall at your feet." Alice grinned at Sirius who only frowned at her.
"Ah, come off of it, Ali. I'll break through to her eventually." The boy said loudly, pretending to flex his muscles.
Lily rolled her eyes, Remus groaned in an annoyed way before turning back to Peter, and James just laughed.
"Well, I'm off to bed guys. Goodnight guys." Lily told them, gathering her things before going upstairs and Alice and the other girl followed her shortly after.
The boys sat in the common room the following hour as it slowly emptied until it was just the Marauders left. Sirius and James began devising a new prank to play on the Slytherin's and Remus read a book quietly while Peter finished his essay. They were all concentrating when the portrait hole opened slowly and in strolled Dumbledore.
He walked up to the group of boys and smiled at them, his eyes twinkling before his gaze landed on Remus. "Hello Mr. Lupin, I was hoping I could speak with you about something."
"What is it, Professor?" He asked politely, watching the older man curiously.
"It's nothing bad, Mr. Lupin." Dumbledore assured him. "I guess I can say it in front of your friends, since they know about your problem, right?" He watched Remus nod, then clapped his hands together. "Mr. Lupin, I am proud to say, that there has been an, erm, secret breakthrough to lycanthropy. It doesn't completely heal you of the curse, but it does help with the transformations."
The boys looked up at him, surprised at what he said. Remus was the first to say something. "You mean--"
"What I mean is, someone has came to me, asking if they could brew a potion for any possible students with lycanthropy. I asked them what the potion does, and they told me exactly this: 'It doesn't cure lycanthropy but it does prevent the extremely dangerous dementia which would otherwise accompany the transformation from human into werewolf. Or in other words, when the person transforms, they will keep their mind instead of being lost in the intelligence of a werewolf. The person would simply be able to go into a room and curl up quietly to sleep. They'd be of no harm to anyone, including their self.'" Dumbledore said thoughtfully, switching the young witch's words slightly.
Remus looked at Dumbledore with so much shock. James sat with his mouth hanging half open and Peter had an equal expression to match. Sirius narrowed his eyes slowly, "How come we haven't heard of this potion before, Professor?"
"As I said before, Mr. Black. It is a secret. The person who came to me with it didn't want it publicly out yet; for specific reasons. I assure you though, that it is safe. I would give my life to the person who came to me with it." The older man smiled down at the boys. "Would you like to try this potion out on the next full moon, Mr. Lupin?"
Remus looked to his friends for a moment, then seeing a slight nod from them all and a mischievous grin from Sirius, he responded. "I would like to try it professor."
"Good. You must come to my office the day before the full moon to begin taking the potion. You have to take it twice the day before the full moon and the day of the full moon. Though, under any circumstances, you are not allowed to tell anyone of this. The person who came to me with this wanted their identity to stay anonymous, so I cannot say who it was. I'm sure you'll find out in time though. Now, I will leave you four to talk and do what you were doing before I so rudely interrupted." With that, he smiled at the boys and left, robes billowing behind him.
"Can you believe it!" Remus nearly shouted and jumped off of the couch he'd been sitting on.
"I know! I've never heard of anything like this." James said, joining his friend by standing up and patting him on the back.
"Just think what this could mean, Moony." Sirius looked at the other boys with large eyes, a goofy grin plastered on his face. "We can go around without having to worry about hurting anyone! You'll recognize us and everyone else."
Remus shook his head, not believing that this was happening. Nothing that great had happened to him since he had befriended the Marauders. Now, there was this, something that would help his lycanthropy! "I just can't believe it…" He whispered.
"Me neither. I wonder who the person was who made it…." James inquired, more to himself than to the others.
Peter stared up at his friends still. He wasn't exactly the type to talk around them, not having the backbone that they all seemed to have accumulated. Remus noticed this before, of course, and tried to get the boy to open up but to practically no avail.
James then randomly started to jump around hysterically while Sirius attempted to trip the boy. Sirius started to sing and James joined in, causing a lot of noise as they chased each other around the room. Being Quiddich players, they were both fast, jumping over chairs and couches, diving under tables, rolling around like secret agents…. Remus couldn't keep the grin off of his face now. Nothing would make him feel bad now, not since he found out about the potion.
"Luck is on my side this year…."
Hermione lay numbly on her bed with her curtains drawn shut. She had heard the other girls entering the room at least an hour ago. Everything was quiet, except for the light breathing of the girls that had fallen asleep. Her eyes, though unseen in the dark, were wide open. She hadn't been able to fall asleep, the thoughts of the Department of Mysteries stuck in her head. A certain one that Harry had had with Bellatrix stuck in her mind.
"What kind of prophecy? You jest, Harry Potter."
"Nope, not jesting. How come Voldemort wants it?"
"You dare speak his name?"
"Yeah. Yeah, I've got no problem saying Vol--"
"Shut your mouth! You dare speak his name with your unworthy lips, you dare besmirch it with your half-blood's tongue, you dare--"
"Did you know he's a half-blood too? Voldemort? Yeah, his mother was a witch but his dad was a Muggle-- or has he been telling you lot he's pureblood?"
"STUPEF--"
"NO!"
Hermione shuddered, remembering Bellatrix Lestrange's words, her anger. The girls mind drifted on further to what she last remembered in that building at the time, when she, Harry, and Neville were running, being chased by the death Eaters when they were cornered in the room after a Death Eater got a bell stuck on his head and had transformed it into a baby's head. They had been running to the door that stood ajar on the other side when two more Death Eaters had entered through the door, yelling, "Impedimenta," sending Hermione crashing into a bookcase, Harry into a wall.
"WE'VE GOT HIM! IN AN OFFICE OFF--"
"Silencio!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
Hermione had been about to congratulate Harry when she was hit with a streak of what looked like purple flames. It had hit her in the chest, then everything went black. Hermione broke out in cold sweat, trembling involuntarily. Why! Her mind shrieked. Why do I have to be so weak!
She was unaware of the tears that streamed down her face. She started at the curtain opposite of her, watching it flutter slightly. It only brought back more unwanted memories…
This room was larger than the last, dimly lit and rectangular, and the center of it was sunken, forming a great stone pit some twenty feet below them. They were standing on the topmost tier of what seemed to be stone benches running all around the room and descending in steep steps like an amphitheater…
… Instead of a chained chair, however, there was a raised stone dais in the center of the lowered floor, and upon this dais stood a stone archway that looked so ancient, cracked, and crumbling that she was amazed the thing was still standing. Unsupported by any surrounding wall, the archway was hung with a tattered black curtain or veil which, despite the complete stillness of the cold surrounding the air, was fluttering very slightly as though it had been touched…
Hermione's breath caught and she choked, her throat tight. That veil was the second cause of everyone's pain. That damned veil had taken away Sirius.
She couldn't take it anymore. Hermione rolled over and ripped her curtains back away from her bed, swung her feet to the floor and ran out of the room as quietly as she could. She ran down the girls staircase, tears streaming down her face and her breathing coming out in quiet sobs.
She stumbled down the steps on her overly long pajama pants and reached out for the railing to steady herself before continuing on her way. She was haunted by those thoughts, those horrid dreams, the memories…
The girl stopped dead in her tracks. She had noticed that there were people in the common room; she wasn't alone. Four pairs of eyes stared at her, shocked at the site; she was stuck like a dear in headlights.
"Oh, God…."
A/N: I also want to point something out about this chapter. Severus and Hermione have a talk, or whatever you want to call it, and I felt that I didn't get the dialog and atmosphere right for the situation. I didn't really like how it turned out but I didn't want to go back and retype it, so bear with me. Sever is not fully trusting her yet, he's just understanding that not all people are bad and that he can have friends that he would never dream to have. (I think I made him too friendly with her… if anyone thinks it should be otherwise, tell me and I think I'll fix it.) I didn't like how this chapter turned out really, except near the end.. I guess. I'll try harder on my next chapter, I'm just having some family problems and my mind is sort of cluttered.