Moving Past Death
Chapter Four: Manipulating the Master Manipulator
The first thing Hermione felt was the incredible ache in her head. Further down, when she attempted to sit up, her chest constricted. She struggled to breath as her arms, legs and other muscles cramped with pain. She finally stood up; it didn't last for long though, as she instantly crumbled to the floor. She retched as another spasm raced through her body. Pushing herself of the hardwood and bracing herself against the wall, she spit on the floor, wishing the horrid taste out of her mouth.
'Pain is nothing, nothing at all." She repeated to herself. 'I have to get out of here.' Hermione thought to herself. She had to find Professor Snape, 'No Severus.' She corrected herself grabbing the black silk robe that Sirius had given to her that Christmas.
By the time Hermione made it down the stairs, she was trembling and could barely stand without the wall supporting her. The core of the Order was in the dinning room, she could hear them arguing amongst themselves. Standing against the doorway she listened to their conversation.
"So she's in pain, the pain he should be in?" Harry asked. "But he was torture by Voldemort himself that could kill her."
"Hermione won't be able to handle that." Ron exclaimed after Harry.
"Scar-head, Weasel shut up. You have no clue how much pain she can handle." She smiled when she heard Draco defending her.
"How would you know? We are her actual friends, we know her." Said Harry, Ron nodding along with him.
"Really so where were you during Christmas break when she-" Hermione emerged from her hiding space to cut him off, not wanting him to spill one of her biggest secrets. It would just cause more drama with in the Order if they were to find out at least with out it coming from her first. She just wasn't ready to share that part of her past yet with every one. It was too full with shadows still.
"Draco, do you really believe its smart to relay my history after the last time you did so?" She asked the threat clear in her voice. She was still leaning against the doorframe but her gaze was sharp as she observe the few people in the room. Draco was the first to reach her, Severus the second.
"Love, what are you doing out of bed? Severus said you weren't to wake for a few more days at least." Draco said wrapping an arm protectively around her.
"Really when did you wake up?" She asked as he led her over to a chair.
"Yesterday, mid-morning, I was out for three days." he settled her into the chair. "Can someone get her a blanket, she's shaking."
"Yes, Yes, of course dear." Hermione watched as Molly rushed off.
"Really Draco, I'm fine. Nothing I can't handle."
"Really well you don't look fine to me. It looks like you're in pain because of the ferret." Harry said as he sat down on her other side.
"Harry it's not his-" she began but never got to finish as Draco cut in.
"No he's right." Draco sighed as he looked at his bruised and beaten friend. "This is all my fault love, you should have never done that stupid spell." He turned and looked down at the table embarrassed.
"Draco," She growled. "Look at me." When he didn't she forced his face with her hand. "There that's better." Her voice softened. "I would have done it over and over again. You are my best friend, Darling. I would sacrifice my life if it meant saving you." She brought his head down and kissed his forehead. "I need you now more then ever."
"Do you really believe it wise that you brought him here Miss. Granger," Dumbledore said.
Severus stepped in. "Headmaster this is not the time."
"Severus its fine, I'll answer him. But perhaps you would like to discuss this in private Headmaster? It concerns the letter Sirius gave me." Hermione's eyes had a dangerous glint to them. She inclined her head to the side as if to challenge him to take the bait. She knew that the Headmaster wanted to know what was in her letter since she had received it and it was the perfect thing to make sure this talk remand private.
"Of course, my dear, we'll move our discussion into the library." The Headmaster smiled at the young woman. "Molly would you mind bring us some tea in the library?" He asked as she returned with the blanked long forgot about.
Severus helped her up and spoke to the Weasley monarch. "She will also need food to get her strength back up. I would suggest toast first, is that all right with you?" He directed the last question to Hermione.
"Yes, that would be fine Molly. Thank you. Severus, you don't have to fuss. I'm not an old women I'm not that fragile yet." She smiled at him to show him that she appreciated it, but she didn't need it.
"Then why are you still trembling?" Severus had leaned in to whisper in her ear, his breath along her neck sending a chill down her spine. "Please Hermione, just take my help."
Hermione nodded too shocked. "Of course." She put more of her weight on him and sighed in relief. "Well gentlemen lets get going."
When both her and the Headmaster were settled with cups of tea and a plate of dry toast for herself, Severus moved to sit down. "No, Severus. This will be just for Hermione and myself."
"I will not let you blame her for what happened. Draco is my godson and I told her to save him." He said standing up for Hermione.
Hermione placed a gentle hand on Severus' arm. "Is fine. I can handle myself you know." She smiled to him. "I'll call you if I need anything."
Severus glanced between the two but nodded and closed the door and his way out.
She turned towards the Headmaster, "You might want to silence and ward the room, The Weasley twins and of course the whole Order will want to know what we are discussing in here."
Albus nodded doing just as she had said, he too knew the inner workings of the Order. "Well Miss. Granger never thought I'd see the day when Severus would be wrapped around someone's finger. I had come to believe you two had hated one another. Most students, that aren't in Slytherin, hate Severus."
"I have always held the utmost respect for Severus and what he does, whether that being a teacher or being your spy. I would always stand my ground no matter what anyone would say even if that meant me going up against Harry, Ron, and Sirius."
"Yes since you mentioned Sirius," Albus tried to approach the topic lightly but failed at it. "When did you two become friends?"
"The Summer after third year, he wrote to me telling me he wished to meet. You see he wanted to write to Harry but had no clue how to go about it. How do you write to your dead best friends son that he was accused of murdering. It was hard on him." She explained to him taking a deep breath. If she wanted her plan to work she was going to have to share the truth with the Headmaster. Even then there was a chance that getting him to agree to her terms were going to be unlikely. Hermione wanted Draco to be under to Orders protections not just over this summer but till he graduated. Then if Draco wanted he could join the Order. She was not ready to lose another family member that soon.
"So you met with him?" The Headmaster asked breaking her out of her thoughts. When she nodded he continued. "Why not Ron, he is closer to Harry."
"Yes well, Ron is a Weasley and he could not trust that the letter would not get in the hands of Arthur or Molly and then it would be handed to you, the man that told him contacting Harry was a bad decision and kept him in seclusion." Hermione's anger showed in her voice.
"Miss. Granger I had a very good reason to- " Albus was cut off by her.
"To what seclude a man that just got released from Azkaban. It was likely to drive him insane. All you wanted to do was keep him on his tasked of tracking down Peter."
They sat in a few minutes of silence Albus waiting for her to calm down. When he believed her calm enough to continue he asked, "What happen after he asked to meet with you?"
"I agreed to meet him at a local coffee shop by my house, he was rather surprised when I showed up covered in bruises." She said with a lump in her throat. She had to do this for Draco's sake.
"What do you mean you were covered in bruises?"
"I had several bruises on my face and hand prints on my neck. I had worn muggle makeup to cover the bruising but it had washed off in the rain. I at the time had no clue they were showing. It was a shock to Sirius, the sweet Know-it-all covered in bruises. He said it looked as if I got in a fight."
"Did you?"
"No I got the bullocks beaten out of me. Just as I have since I was young." She said rolling her eyes.
"Who would do that to a child?"
"Who do you think, Headmaster? My parents." She almost laughed at the shocked look that pasted over his face. "My father," She said the word with bitterness. "Had never wanted me. He believed my mother had gotten pregnant to spite him." She scoffed. " I had tried since I was young to get his approval. Of course that didn't work. He was ecstatic when we got the letter from Hogwarts.
"It was why you but so much effort to prove yourself from the very beginning. You believed that if you parents took you away at least someone would remember you and ask were you went." Albus said the thought was sickening that an eleven year old had to think like that.
"Yes I had hoped but luckily they let me go back. I was glad to go even if I had a few cuts and bruises to hide on the train ride."
"So Sirius found out about this?" She nodded.
"He recognized the signs. That summer he made sure we kept in touch and that I was all right. I even knew when he moved back in here before you did. We were that close. He told me everything as did I." She bit her lip nervously. It was the first time telling anyone her story beside Sirius or Draco and she didn't know how to go about it. "I believe...that..well... Iwouldhavekilledmyself" She rushed thought the words not wanting to have to repeat them again. "if it wasn't for them this Christmas break. They kept me together."
"What happened that made things worse?" Albus asked his eyes showed the pity he felt for the young girl in front of him.
"I do not wish to talk about it." her words came out flat and lifeless as though she was detached from herself.
"Why didn't you come to me or Professor Mcgonagall. Anyone at the Hogwarts would have helped you."
"You were dealing with harry and his connection to Voldemort I felt ashamed and dirty." she shook her head. "Like some how it was my fault. Sirius helped me with it as did Draco." Hermione sighed and took a deep sip of tea to calm her nerves. "But we are not here to talk about my problems."
"What are we here for them Miss Granger?"
"The order, I am legally an adult in the Wizarding world I want to join the order. I also want protection for Draco."
"Malfoy is not to be trusted." Albus said rubbing his temple. "I am fine with you joining but Malfoy has always been a dark name."
Hermione was getting frustrated she had to tell him about her past to get him to trust her judgment a little more but it didn't seem he was listening.
"He told me what his assignment would have been if he joined. Do you want to know? He was to kill you by the end of his sixth school year." She sighed." Do you want to know how distraught he was when he found out because there was no way he was going to get out of it." She looked at the Headmaster with disgust in her eyes. "He wouldn't even consider it, but you don't trust him. What utter Crap."
"Miss Granger it's for the best." Albus was shocked by her open disgust to him. Everyone trusted him and his leadership.
"No it's not for the best. Draco will die if he isn't protected." She bit the side of her cheek to keep her temper in check.
Hermione had one more plan that she could use that could persuade the Headmaster. She looked at him with calculating eyes. "Okay here is what's going to happen, You have wanted to have more werewolf besides Remus on your side since the first war. What if I can get you a meeting with a pact, in fact the same pact that you have been sending Remus to almost every month in hogsmead. Will you provide protection to Draco during the summer and his school year? Then when he is seventeen induct him into the order?"
"Its up to the order to vote him in..." He started and if he was talking to Ron or Harry he would have gotten away with it but Hermione was smarter then that.
"Yes its up to them but you have a lot of pull in the vote and you know that. If you vote one way most will too. The only ones that will have a definite vote will be Severus, Mcgonagall, some of the Weasley and Moody."
Albus started at the girl in wonder. How did this young girl know all about the Order politics when she wasn't even in the Order yet herself? "It is a deal but only if you can guarantee a meeting with them."
"That should be fine headmaster as long as I can be able to deliver their potion tonight." She said Sweetly.
"Potion?"
"Yes Wolfsbane I make it for them every month. Did I forget to mention that? I've been doing it for a year or two now. Its not a big deal..." She trailed off as Dumbledore called Severus and Remus into the room. Severus was at the door in seconds.
"What is it? Did something go wrong?" Severus asked moving over towards Hermione's Chair. "Are you all right?"
"She's fine Severus. Its just I've stumbled upon a very interesting fact about Miss. Granger and the werewolf pact in hogsmeade."
"Hogsmeade? You mean James group?" Remus asked as he stepped through the door.
"Yes how many is in the group Remus?" Albus asked placing silencing wards around the room again.
"Around thirty all under the age of forty five. Really its such a tragedy." He shook his head in sadness.
"Now Severus how many will a batch of wolfsbane serve?"
"A large potion 10. What does this have to do with Hermione? Severus asked looking between the two.
"It seems Miss Granger has been making the potion for James and his pact."
"How would she..." Remus trailed off.
"Wolfsbane is very complex most potion masters can't even master it." Severus looked at Hermione with Pride. He had Master it the first year the potion came out of course but he was well advanced even for a potion apprentice at the time.
"She's just going into her seventh sixth year how could she even complete a potion like that one not to mention three times every month? Remus asked.
"She's in the room. And if you three would shut up I could explain." She waited for a response but got none and moved on. "Good, now I taught myself in third year. How did I get ingredients? I stole from Severus I was surprised he never noticed. But I guess he was busy making the wolfsbane for Remus. Not that I knew that then."
"How long did it take you to perfect it?" Severus asked.
"About five months and by them it was summer and I was talking to Sirius. He told me about the pact ad I wrote a letter to James explaining how I wished to help. It was rather easy to gain his trust. He pays for the ingredients and I pick up the new ingredients while dropping of the potion." She signed and looked at the wall clock. "I need to go deliver the potion to them before tomorrow and they wont trust anyone else but me but the Headmaster doesn't want me alone with them." She rolled her eyes. "Really I'm the safest with them. The house is well warded and protected."
"You've been inside their house" Remus asked. "That's incredible I've never been permitted inside."
"James is protective of all the member." She sighed. "They've been through so much its sad."
She was friends with almost all of them and after one and half years she knew most of their back stories.
"Miss Grangers has agreed to try and make an alliance with the werewolves and the order."
The Headmaster informed the two men.
"But I need to get to them now and talk with them." Hermione snapped.
"Remus can you accompany her for tonight." the headmaster asked him. Remus nodded he would jump at the chance to see the rest of the pact.
"Yes I will apparated us into the house." Hermione said smiling.
"But you're only fifteen." Remus exclaimed.
"Actually Miss. Granger is seventeen thanks to her use of the time turner. She used it her third and fourth year speeding up those years. I don't think anyone has quite used the time turner that much in that little amount of time."
"There was reason of course." She said waving Severus and Remus questions off with a hand. "We really have to go, ten minutes Remus." She reminded him and headed out the door Severus fallowing after her.
When she entered the room she went to her trunk bringing a large black box with the lunar cycle carved into it. "Can you give me the knife from the other night?" She asked holding out her hand.
He nodded and did what she asked. " Why do you need it?"
"It has a blood ward that will only open the box with a drop of my blood." she pricked her finger with the tip of the blade. "i had a discussion with Bill about wards and all the difficult ones he's ever come across. By far he said that this is the hardest to crack." she said touching the little pebble of blood that had build up on her finger to the full moon on the top of the box. The box popped opened.
"Its a dark magic ward the dark lard uses them on his quarters." Severus said suddenly taking her hand and examining the finger. "Hermione let me heal it."
"It just a small cut really nothing big." She smiled at him. "It will heal by its self in a day or so."
"But it will leave a scar." It was true her body and mind where full of erosional and physical scars. She didn't know which was worse.
"I'm used to scars"
She tried to pull her hand from him but he kept it in his firm grasp. Taking out his wand and did the spell wordlessly. "Then we match in several ways." He leaned in and kissed her palm.
Hermione blushed turning away from him.
"Well," She said in a shaky voice "do you still wish to see the potion?" She pulled her hand away from him.
"Of course." Severus picked up a vile and examined it. After he examined the vile he put it gently back in the box. "Are you sure your up for traveling, I'm sure if you wrote to them they would let Remus in."
"I'm fine, like I said no need to worry about little old me." She smiled at him. "Besides James does not trust many outsiders." She grabbed his hand had squeezed it. "Thank you though for caring about my well being. It's been a long time since anyone but Sirius or Draco has cared about what happens to me." She stood on her toes and gave his cheek a small kiss.
Hermione headed down stairs with fresh clothing on and the box under her arm, after Severus had approved of her potion. She met Remus at the bottom of the stairs. "We will be apparating right into the house and they know you are going, I wrote to James just know so he is informed. Don't worry."
"I'm actually more worried about you being in the house before a full moon with thirty wolves." Remus said fallowing her outside.
Remus they are like a second family to me. They won't hurt me, I can't promise that you won't be harmed though." She smiled innocently at the werewolf. "But you should be just fine."
She grabbed his arm and apparated them into the night.