SEVEN

The next Order meeting was held just over a month after Hermione had been acknowledged as a spy and 48 hours after the development of the plan. This time everyone was in attendance including Draco, Harry, Hermione and Ron. While Severus was in with them, Hermione waited outside the kitchen door waiting until Severus's signal to reveal Draco.

"This is ridiculous!" Molly yelled. "Why are Death Eaters willing to come to the Order now? Why not before?"

"Because it took a great deal of alcohol to get him to confess his true views on the War. Hermione, believe it or not has been doing her job!" Severus replied.

"I wasn't aware her job was to get drunk and risk getting knocked up with a Death Eater's spawn! I thought her job was to gather useful information for us!"

Draco had to hold Hermione back so she didn't blast down the door and hurt someone or herself. They both listened as Severus came to her defense.

"You insolent ungrateful woman!" He yelled back at Molly. "It was her task set by the Dark Lord to go to that club and seduce Draco Malfoy! Instead, she was able to turn the tables and get him to admit that he doesn't want to do it anymore! Hermione, bring him in!"

Draco stayed behind Hermione at all times and she stayed close to Severus. He was tense and she could tell his control was slowly slipping.

"You need to calm down." She whispered to him, putting a hand on his back. No one but Draco saw this.

Molly, once again, flew off the handle. "You can't be serious! Why the hell should we trust her? She went and got the Mark and didn't tell anyone for over two months! Why should we believe her now?!"

Hermione put her hands on her hips. "Look, I know you don't like me anymore and I'm okay with that now, but at least give Draco a chance. Normally, I wouldn't involve you and keep him as a covert operative, but he's too far in to just do that. We need to make him disappear… a complete blackout on his location."

"I can't sit here while the Order harbors a Death Eater!" Molly argued back.

"Technically, you're harboring three of them and you're making the huge mistake of thinking we came here for permission. We only came here to let you know about the operation."

Remus stepped in. "What operation?"

"Use Draco to take out at least six Death Eaters. We put out a ransom note to his father and the Dark Lord and ambush them."

"Won't they be expecting that?"

"Possibly, which is why Severus and I can't be on the Order's side during this. We have to be with the Dark Lord and play the parts of loyal followers. The cover story is that the Order launched an attack at the restaurant Draco and I are dining at and captured him."

"Then why are you not taken prisoner?" Remus asked.

Hermione smiled at him. "Because I'm in the Order of course. They wouldn't lock up one of their own."

Remus nodded and began to pace.

"Come to think of it, Hermione, no one in this room has ever seen your Mark apart from Severus and Albus. Why is that?" Harry pointed out.

Hermione's face darkened and she laughed lightly. "Honestly, Harry? Very few people like me on just my word. Can you imagine what the reaction would be if they had proof?" She pulled her cloak closer around her as she shivered. The shivers soon turned into full on convulsions. She collapsed onto the floor.

Harry stood up in alarm. "Hermione!" He moved toward her.

Severus and Draco got to her before Harry did. Draco held her head and Severus made sure she couldn't hurt herself by holding onto her hands.

"Snape, what is going on?" Harry demanded.

Ignoring Harry's tone, he answered. "It's the after effects of Lucius's last Crucio on her yesterday. He wasn't happy about her task, to say the least."

"So you did shag her!" Ron yelled.

"NO, Weasley. As all three of us has said: it never got that far! But we did have to plant false memories in our heads. Without those, neither she nor I would be here right now!"

"We need to get her out. She can't keep doing this." Arthur said quietly.

Severus turned to look at him, trying not to twist Hermione's wrists too far. "And how do you suppose we do that? I've tried several times to get her out and every single time, she's refused and I've gotten Crucioed by the Dark Lord!"

"Voldemort knows you're trying to get her out?" This worried Albus.

"No. But he knows she's upset and other than Draco, I'm the only one who has regular contact with her."

"I know what to do. But I don't want to say it in front of Hermione. She'll take my head off later if she hears it now." Draco said.

Severus and Draco looked down at Hermione, who was now still and out cold.

"I'll take her upstairs." Severus said. He picked her up and carried her up the stairs.

Draco didn't move from his spot on the floor. All he could do was stare at the spot where Hermione was.

Harry knelt next to him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd day you have a thing for Hermione, Draco."

Draco shook his head. "I don't. It's just… I owe her my life. She's the one that did all this for me. And I don't know why."

"Because she's a caring person." Severus said from the bottom of the stairs. "Once she stopped being pissed off at me for ratting her out, she was a very good friend. Always there when I got back from a meeting to heal me and willing to try and save me if she was there. I talked her out of that one, of course, but still… the thought was there."

"That sounds like Hermione. Doesn't it, Ron?"

"I… guess so."

"Merlin and the Gods, Ron! Why can't you see she isn't evil? She's been there for us for the last seven years and one mistake on her part turns you against her! The same with you, Molly! She's been your second daughter for six years and you treat her like she's got the plague! What is wrong with you people?"

Without warning, there were yells of pain coming from Severus and Draco and screams coming from Hermione upstairs. She stumbled down the stairs, holding onto her left arm, tears streaking her face.

"What did we do?" she shrieked at Severus.

"I don't know!" Severus was standing with his head against a wall.

"Whatever it is, he's mad." Draco groaned. He was still on the floor.

"We- we have to go. Now." Severus tugged Draco off the floor and summoned their robes. When they were dressed and masked, they Disapparated.

They fell at the feet of the Dark Lord, all three shaking with pain. "My Lord?" They asked in unison.

They knew something was wrong when he spoke before he Crucioed. "You three… are a disappointment. I trusted you within the walls of Hogwarts as spies and you betray me. You were closest to the boy, Mudblood. I should have known you wouldn't last on my side: Hermione Granger." He picked her up by the front of her robe and unmasked her, throwing her back down.

He turned to Severus. "You were closest to Dumbledore and to me for over twenty years. I hate to admit I was wrong about your loyalties: Severus Snape." He did the same thing to Severus as he did to Hermione.

Then he turned to Draco. "You were the most shocking betrayal of all. I would have thought your father drilled it into your head that I was not to be crossed: Draco Malfoy." Within seconds, Draco joined Severus and Hermione on the ground. "How touching… the Pureblood, the Half-Blood, and the Mudblood."

Sending a Slicing Hex at Hermione, his eyes lit up at the sight of her blood.

Fighting the urge to scream in pain, Hermione slowly crawled over to Severus's side and lay next to him. She gripped his robes, hoping this wasn't the last time she was ever able to be close to him. "Severus…" she whispered. "Don't leave me…"

"Never." He whispered back to her, gently taking the hand on his robes in his own. "I promise I will never leave you."

"How sweet… the Half-Blood and Mudblood together. Draco, you must feel like such a third wheel. Crucio!"

They felt the pain of the Cruciatus wash over them and Severus did not break eye contact with Hermione. Neither of them yelled out. She flinched as Draco screamed.

We need to get out of here, Severus!

I know, but I can't Apparate while we're on the ground!

Wandless magic… use your wandless magic! Once we're under your shield, I'll Apparate us out!

Severus closed off his mind, still not breaking eye contact. Slowly, the pain subsided and they were able to stand. The Dark Lord's eyes were even redder with fury. He shot random spells at them, but nothing could get through the shield Severus had created.

He gripped Hermione tighter and she held her hand out to Draco. As soon as their hands made contact, she spun on his heel and disappeared, leaving a very pissed off Voldemort behind them.

The trio landed outside Grimmauld Place. Severus held onto Hermione, who was losing blood faster than her body could replace it, and sent Draco inside to get help.

Molly and Remus were the ones who came out.

"What happened to her?" Molly demanded.

"Now of all times you choose to care?! Fix her and then we can discuss this!" Severus snapped.

Molly staunched the blood flow and patched up Hermione's side. "Remus, take her inside and get her in a room while I take care of these two."

Hermione cried out in pain from being picked up, but remained unconscious as Remus took her inside.

"What happened?" Ron's voice shot up an octave.

"We don't know. Your mom's finishing up with Severus and Draco. They should be in soon." He carefully walked up the stairs, not wanting to wake Hermione and set her on a bed in the room next to the library. He came back down just as Severus, Molly, and Draco stepped in the door.

"Well?"

"You got your wish. Hermione is no longer in the Death Eater ranks. And neither are Draco and I. Our covers were blown."

"How? You were under every protection possible from discovery!"

"I don't know! Someone obviously told. We got extremely lucky! If I hadn't been able to use wandless magic and if Hermione didn't have her quick thinking we'd be dead!"

"By the way, how did you do that? I didn't hear either you or her speak once, other than when…"

Severus silenced Draco with a look. "It's a skill that took several hours of training to master."

Severus…

He suddenly looked up at the ceiling, with no reason that the others could see. Waiting a moment just in case she spoke again, he looked back at everyone else.

"We have to get her out to one of the safe houses. There will be a price on all three of our heads."

"Why should we put her in a safe house? She's useless to us now!"

"For Merlin's sake, Molly! You still haven't changed, have you? She's done everything for the Order and you still see her as a threat! Well, congratulations, she is now incredibly emotionally unstable!"

A blood-curdling scream filled his ears and he fell to the floor grasping his head. Everyone ducked as the glass and crystal lamps on the walls shattered.

"Severus, is that you?" Remus asked.

"No! It's Hermione!" He scrambled up the stairs and entered her room, everyone else filing in behind him.

Hermione was lying on the bed, still as ever.

"No way is she that calm on the inside." Severus said, still holding his head. He stumbled over to her bed, the screaming in his ears affecting his vision. He knelt next to her. "Hermione? You there?"

The screaming stopped to hear his voice, but began again when it died away.

"Okay. Hermione, I know you can hear me. I need you to wake up." He put his hand by her side, but moved it back looking at it. It was covered in blood. He knew he didn't have much time before she left them permanently. He had only one option left:

"Miss Granger, I swear to Merlin if you don't wake up this instant, I will give you detention for the rest of the school year with Filch!"

The screaming got louder and he was forced onto his back on the floor. Just as quickly, it went away and the entire room was silent with the exception of two sets of clipped breathing.

"Severus, I don't have detention, do I?" Came Hermione's weak voice from the bed.

Severus laughed lightly, wincing. "No, Miss Granger, you don't. Why, pray tell, is it that you only follow directions when your education is threatened?" He pulled himself up and sat on the edge of her bed.

He could see she was pale from the loss of blood. He gathered the necessary items to replace her bandage and set to work.

"I don't know. It's all I've ever had before. I've had to prove myself against Pureblood Power and I guess not doing my best scares me… among other things." She looked down at his hands, watching them. "You kept your promise." She whispered.

His hands didn't falter when he answered. "I always keep my promises, Hermione. Not always in the… traditional sense, but, I make sure to follow through somehow." He tied up the bandage and closed the supplies bag.

"Thank you."

He stood up. "Anytime, though I hope this is the last time you get injured this badly. You should get some rest."

Hermione nodded, but grabbed his hand when he turned to leave. "Don't go breaking promises now, Severus." Her tone was teasing, but he could hear the worry behind it.

He conjured a chair and sat next to the bed, shooing every out.