-=The tangled web weave when first we practice to deceive. Sir Walter Scott. This is a not-for-profit writer's fun.=-

Glimmer

Inferno

~*~

Late evening standing on the perimeter of the Prince Estate. Evelyn watched the lamps at the front of the house flicker in the darkness. "Dest." The house elf popped up beside her. She took the elf's hands gratefully, she hadn't been sure he'd respond. "Dest, may I see Severus?"

"Miss is always welcome, master says so." Dest's words relaxed her.

"Thank you, Dest. Would you please announce me?" He disapparated.

Evelyn took her time walking to the house, Severus bounded from the front entry. His long legs ate up the distance between them. Severus grabbed her up without restraint, crushing her to him. Evelyn's feet dangled off the ground as they held one another. "You've come back." Severus said gently, the question lingered in the night air.

"It's cold, can we go inside?" Hermione pleaded.

"Yes," Severus seized her hand to lead her across the paving stones to the door standing open. The light spilled on Evelyn in the entry. "What's wrong? Something has happened."

"Yes, something has happened." Closing the door, she cast a silencing charm around them. "I passed intelligence to Order Members." The blood drained from Severus' face. His mouth tightened. "That's all I'm telling you." Evelyn stated. Courage properly bolstered she continued, "I'd be perfectly happy going back to being Hermione Granger, accept it serves my purposes not to me hunted. I'm quite myself again." A surge of affection washed over her for the man who had made that possible. She extended a hand toward Snape, lip twitching nervously. "I'll never be able to thank you enough."

Snape's face harden and he pulled back, his words boomed against the vaulted ceiling. "Didn't think to come to me about it first. I'm not even going to consider how you got the intelligence, I can't stomach the thought." He turned leaving the foyer, she heard Dest scamper after him.

"Severus Snape." Evelyn spotted a bowl of fruit, grabbed an apple and bowled it at Snape when he didn't stop. It struck him in the small of the back. He yelped with the surprise attack. "Don't you walk away from me."

"Walk away is it? Walk away? Who walked away here? I'm repairing to my study, which is not away! There are matters to attend to in my study, if you can control yourself I'll let you come in." Snape coloured briefly then continued his course to his study.

Wrapping her inner Gryffindor around her, she followed him. Ready to enter and resume her usual chair Evelyn froze at the door. A woman occupied her chair. This woman was no Deatheater, too timid. Well dressed, pale blonde, and thin; maybe she was some Malfoy?

"As you can see I have a visitor. Jeanette Granger it seems you won't have to wait until to tomorrow to see Hermione." Mrs. Granger stood and looked disbelieving at the girl standing in the doorway. Snape removed Evelyn's ever-present glamour. Hermione fell upon her mother, who was changed. The two women sobbed, hugging. Neither woman could quite find their words, so embraced instead.

Overall Severus was pleased with the result of his work. Conceivably Mrs. Granger will be able to talk some sense into her.

Hermione and Jeanette took the linen squares handed them in tandem. "Mum, where's Da?" Mrs. Granger hugged her daughter briefly and led her to the sitting arrangement.

Severus excused himself.

"Sweetheart, your father was taken by a heart attack over a year ago." Jeanette hugged the grieving woman. "When your father passed I thought I was all alone in the world. I hadn't known you survived." Jeanette added her tears to Hermione's. Choking slightly on her words, "Mr. Snape made contact with me two months ago to let me know that you had survived but you weren't the same. Oh, honey I'm so glad you're okay. Let me get a good look at you."

They peered curiously at one another, without the glamour Hermione resembled her old self, accept the windows to her soul carried more years than necessary. Mrs. Granger on the other hand was thin and pale with washed out blonde hair. Her resembled a grave statue, sorrowful, bone white and beautiful. "When did you go blonde, Mum?"

Here crows' feet deepened as she looked lovingly to her child and only family. "I'm afraid time marches on whatever we have to say on the matter, mine just marched to a faster drum. Mr. Snape has been kind enough to house me for my stay, will you be staying as well?"

"As a matter of fact, Mum, I don't know, if you wait here I'll speak with Severus."