Chapter Nine – New World Order

"You're late, madam."

Severus frowned at Hermione over the letter he was reading. She was late: it was half past eight. Hermione huffed as she sat down at the table and began her breakfast. She looked up to find that Severus still staring at her, his eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Oh, erm, my apologies," she said halfheartedly. Severus thrust a small stack of envelopes toward her. She took an emerald green envelope off the top and opened it gently, retrieving a piece of heavy cream parchment. Elegant writing filled the page.

Madam Snape,

I hope you are finding married life most agreeable. Severus was quite irritated yesterday at Draco's intrusion, but he assured me you are well. I expect you are taking my advice to heart; Severus is a good man, at his core. Marriage is a new state for both of you; patience and kindness will go far in deepening your magical and matrimonial bonds.

I assume you have accepted your invitation to tea next week at Greengrass Gardens? I will accompany you, as Severus has requested. All the pureblood wives and daughters will be there, so dress appropriately.

Lucius and I are hosting the state dinner next Friday, of course. I simply have nothing to wear, and knowing your trousseau as intimately as I do my own, I know you will find yourself in a similar situation. I have made appointments for us both at Twilfitt and Tattings on Monday. If Severus has no objections, I will Apparate to Prince Park Monday morning and escort you. I know he does not wish you to be out and about unaccompanied, and for good reason.

Yours faithfully,

Narcissa Malfoy

"Narcissa has agreed to accompany me to tea next week. She wants to go shopping on Monday. She will come here and escort me, if you agree?" Hermione hated having to ask for permission. It went against her very nature. Severus nodded absentmindedly, not taking his eyes off the letter he was reading.

Hermione turned her attention to her other letters. One, from that horrid witch Rita Skeeter, congratulated her on her recent nuptials and begged for an exclusive interview. Hermione rolled her eyes and set the letter aside. Does she really think I would give her an interview? After all she's done? Idiotic woman.

The remaining letters were an assortment of vapid, complimentary words from pureblood witches congratulating her on her marriage to Severus. Each parroted the virtues of her new husband, most of whom had known him as a classmate or as their Head of House. Hermione rolled her eyes at the notion of so many of the heartless bullies she had encountered at Hogwarts writing to her with such courteous niceties. She sighed heavily as she put down the last letter. She dreaded having to return this false cheerfulness with letters of her own.

The Daily Prophet lay in the middle of the table. Hermione reached for it. "May I?" He gave her a curt nod in reply. The headline of the Daily Prophet caught her eye immediately:

Malfoy named Senior Undersecretary

Lucius Malfoy, member of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry Board of Governors, has been appointed as Senior Undersecretary to Minister for Magic Pius Thicknesse.

Hermione looked up at Severus sharply. "What's this?"

Severus glanced up from his letter, annoyed. "That is a paper, Madam Snape. You read it."

"I know that," Hermione said irritably. "What is this? About Malfoy becoming the new Senior Undersecretary? I thought Malfoys prided themselves on not working. And what's happened to Umbridge?"

Snape considered her questions for a moment. "The simplest answer to all your questions is that the Dark Lord wishes it, so it is done."

Hermione raised her eyebrows expectantly. After a moment, he continued. "Madam Umbridge will now hold a very… specialized position, one that I am not at liberty to discuss. Lucius has been called upon to fill her role and to allow the Dark Lord's more total control over the government. Changes will begin happening now, very quickly. This is just the beginning. The Dark Lord has a specific plan, which has been set in motion. He has grand plans for the world, but in order to achieve any of them, he must first consolidate power at home. He plans to build up Wizarding Britain, propagating pureblood ideals and increasing the magical population. Only then can put in motion his… further reaching plans."

Hermione was alarmed. "Increase the magical population… you mean he's going to force people to marry and have children?"

Severus shook his head. "Nothing so crass, no. There are other ways to achieve the same result. Incentives, intimidation… all equally effective means to achieve the same end."

"So he plans to overtake other Wizarding countries after he increases the population?"

"Yes, of course," Severus said simply.

Hermione gulped nervously. The war was really just beginning, if that was Voldemort's plan. "The Dark Lord plans to take over the world and you're his second-in-command?"

Severus nodded grimly. "I'm afraid the real war is only beginning, Hermione."

"Severus, that's incredibly dangerous. If he fails…" Hermione could not verbalize the thought that filled her mind. Her stomach dropped. If he fails, you die.

"Hermione… my role in this war is difficult to explain. I never expected to live this long or be in this position, but here I am. I resigned myself to my fate long ago. I have known for quite some time that I would die either by the Dark Lord's hand or by his side." His eyes darkened. "Each day, my life hangs in the balance. You should know that. I am almost entirely certain that I will not live through this war. Should that happen, provisions have been made to ensure your continued protection. You will be well cared for, and, should the world return to some semblance of normalcy, you would be quite well off financially. I tell you all this, Hermione, because I want you to be prepared. It is only fair to tell you now. Should we have a child, there is a very good chance you will be raising that child on your own." He took a long drink of his coffee and looked away from her.

Her eyes filled with tears as she considered his words. He spoke so casually of death. She shivered as she tried to place herself in his position. How would it feel to look into the face of death everyday, knowing how quickly the world could crumble around you? Her heart ached at the thought of this man, this solitary man, risking his life every day. She knew he was fighting for the Light. He would not teach her Occlumency or conspire with Lupin if he were truly a dark wizard.

"Severus," she began slowly, "you are a good man. I believe that, despite all the secrets and the lies. I don't know you well: not the real you. But I do know that for whatever reason, against all odds, and despite my better judgment, I care for you. I may be young and naïve and this may be a part of your master plan, but I don't think it is. I think you have good and light and love inside you." Her voice was thick with emotion. "You are a powerful wizard, Severus. Anyone can see that. You have survived this long in such a dangerous game. Don't discount yourself quite yet." She brushed a stray tear from her cheek and looked out the large open windows down the sloping lawn.

They sat together in companionable silence. There was much more she wanted to say and she knew that there was much he wanted to say. She knew he would not, however. It was not his way. In all the years she had known him, she had heard perhaps a handful of kind words escape his lips. She cared for him; that was not a lie. It was not love, certainly, and maybe not even friendship, but she felt twinges of affection towards him. She knew that this new life he had given her was far preferable to any alternative. She stifled a shudder as she remembered the leering way Lucius looked at her and the way Greyback had trailed a sharp claw down her cheek. No, she thought, I do not love Severus. But I could love him, someday.

Hermione looked back at him, more critically now. He was certainly not conventionally handsome, but neither was Hermione a classic beauty. He was cruel, and callous, and quick-tempered. But, she reminded herself, he was also generous, and intelligent, and… she could not think of anything else. Gentle, she decided after a moment. He can be very gentle when he is so inclined. It wasn't often, she admitted to herself, but she could not help but recall the sweetly gentle way he had touched her last night. Yes, she decided, there is love in him. Perhaps not love for me, but there is love there. The thought warmed her. If we make it through this war unscathed, there might be a future here. Magical bindings cannot be undone, but if I must be bound to someone I did not choose for my entire life, he is not the worst choice.

Hermione felt a strange tugging sensation in one corner of her mind. It was extremely gentle: almost a tickle. She looked up quickly into Severus' eyes and found him gazing at her with a pained expression on his face. He's trying to get into my mind, she realized. This is what Legilimency feels like when he isn't stomping and ripping through my thoughts. She could throw her shields up; she was confident in her abilities. A small part of her, however, wanted him to see her thoughts. She wanted him to know that she did, in all honesty, believe he was a good man. She wanted him to know that the affection she felt for him, however slight, was genuine. She wanted him to know that she could love him, perhaps. She stared deeply into his eyes, pushing those thoughts toward him mentally.

Severus' expression never changed. His face remained the impassive mask he so often wore. In the smallest corner of her mind, however, she thought she heard a voice whispering to her. It did not sound exactly like Severus' voice; it did not have the biting edge his voice always carried. Rather, it sounded like what Hermione imagined Severus might have sounded like as a child. Yes, she decided, it does sound like him, but not the him I know. The voice whispered to her softly, as if it were afraid: I could love you, too.

She shook her head, startled. Surely he could not speak inside her mind? She had studied the concepts of Occlumency and Legilimency when Harry had first told her about it, and nowhere in her exhaustive research did any book mention communicating verbally via a Legilimency connection. I must be imagining things. Embarrassed, Hermione rose quickly and excused herself. Severus' unemotional face nodded slowly as he returned to his coffee.

When Hermione found herself in the library, she laughed slightly. How appropriate. At Hogwarts the library was always my haven. It seems to be a trend. Since Hermione was a small child, books had been her constant and faithful companions. The books had never been cruel to her. They opened a world of magic and adventure to her long before she knew of her own magic. She needed to read, now, to calm herself.

Hermione was looking for, in particular, a book about protection amulets. She was concerned with Hadrian's questioning of her pendant burning and wanted to find out as much as she could about the magical object she now wore around her neck.

Hours passed as Hermione searched. She scoured hundreds and hundreds of titles, covering every topic from History of Magic to Household Charms. Despite checking every stack and row, on both levels of the library, her search was fruitless.

Perhaps the amulet is Dark Magic? If so, I know just the book I need. Prior to leaving Hogwarts, Hermione had procured (stolen, more like) a truly horrid book from Professor Dumbledore's office and hidden it in her beaded bag. The large tome, bound in faded black leather, contained the evilest and most vile magic Hermione could have fathomed. It had contained explicit instructions on the creation of Horcruxes, so it had served its purpose. Horcruxes were a dark object, and Hermione was beginning to suspect that the amulet might be too. If so, the best answer would come from that book. I'm quite sure Severus would have a copy, she mused, but it is most certainly in his study. I wonder…

Before she could help herself, Hermione was stealing silently across the open library floor towards the door to Severus' study. She tested the door, afraid that it would be warded against her entry. To her great surprise, it opened immediately. Hermione crept inside, approaching the bookshelf behind his desk quickly.

Hermione raised her wand and whispered a spell. "Accio 'Secrets of the Darkest Arts'!" The heavy tome flew off the shelf and raced towards her. Hermione caught it in both hands, dropping her wand to the ground. She scrambled to retrieve it and hurried back into the library. She chose a corner in the most hidden recess of the library, hoping to have enough warning of Severus' approach to conceal the text. Hermione opened the volume, her stomach twisting nervously.

She flipped through several pages containing gruesome spells and potions before she found an index of dark objects. Finally, she found the page she was looking for:

Protection amulets - Genuine protection amulets are most rare and precious objects. Amulets that provide true protection are reported to absorb curses and spells designed to hurt the wearer; some are even rumored to prevent death. These amulets are goblin-made and typically feature a stone found to have particular power or significance. Protection amulets must be freely given to a wearer; those who steal such an object will face a swift death. All such amulets require a blood sacrifice in order to provide protection. Virgin blood is most potent, but other types of blood may be substituted if the sacrifice is freely given. Amulets with a strong magical lineage often strengthen the wearer's own magical gifts. A true protection amulet will never tarnish or rust; like all goblin-made items, it will only imbibe that which strengthens it. An amulet will glow anytime it is imbibed with new strength or magic.

Hermione closed the book, feeling more confused than ever. "Those who steal such an object will face a swift death." That must be what Severus' meant when he said it would ensure my possession of the estate if he dies. This amulet would kill anyone who tries to take it forcibly. Hermione shivered at the thought. After seeing what months of wearing Slytherin's locket could do to a person, she was loath to wear another piece of dark magic around her neck. Perhaps it isn't that evil, she pondered. I've worn it for days and it hasn't bothered me yet. Except for the burning. "An amulet will glow anytime it is imbibed with new strength or magic."

Hermione picked the pendant up and examined it closely. It had glowed, she recalled, the first night, when Severus had explained it to her and imbibed it with her blood. So what new magic or strength would have been imbibed into it last night? Hermione tried to replay the moment in her mind, fighting through the haze of sleep and wine that clouded the memory. Suddenly, she remembered his words, deep and husky in her ear: "You have bewitched me." She felt a tremor race through her. Was it his magic that caused the amulet to burn last night?

Hermione sighed and dropped the pendant. She knew more now, certainly, but Hermione still felt as though she did not have all the answers. For someone with an insatiable curiosity, that was an incredibly frustrating feeling.

Hermione's stomach growled as she closed the door to Severus' study behind her. She was lucky, she knew, to have borrowed the book and replaced it without getting caught. Severus had not disturbed her all morning, for which she was deeply grateful. She almost felt normal again, having spent the day surrounded by books.

It was almost noon, and Hermione guessed that Severus would be having lunch in the upstairs sitting room. She climbed the stairs slowly, almost dreading the end of her pretense of normality. Severus was seated near the windows in the airy room when she entered. He glanced up at her briefly before returning to his book. She helped herself to a sandwich and cup of tea before fidgeting awkwardly in her seat. He doesn't seem angry with me for rushing out earlier, but he doesn't seem to be very happy to see me either.

After a few minutes of silence, she ventured a question. "Have you had a pleasant morning?" Her voice sounded much stronger than she felt, for which she was grateful.

Severus sighed and closed his book. He sat back in his chair and laced his fingers together, resting them in his lap. "I have, thank you, Madam Snape. And I trust you have, as well?" His voice was casual and unemotional. He did not seem particularly angry or particularly happy. This was the man she remembered from Hogwarts: apathetic about everything and everyone around him.

Hermione smiled at him, trying to push away those thoughts. "Yes, thank you. I spent the morning reading in the library."

Severus looked at her knowingly. "I'm well aware of that, madam," he said slowly. "I trust you found whatever volume you required from my study?"

Hermione's eyes widened as her stomach dropped. He knows, oh sweet Merlin, he knows! The bastard! How does he know? A small part of her felt afraid, but a larger part of her was angry. How dare he expect so much from me and not give me even the slightest freedom to read what I choose? I'm not a first year, for Merlin's sake. I'm an adult and I'm his wife. I can read from any bloody restricted section I wish to.

Hermione took a deep breath before she answered. "Actually, I did, thank you very much." She was pleased at how strong and confident her voice sounded.

His eyebrows shot up, and for just a moment Hermione saw the corners of his lips twitch up into that barely-there smile she had seen before. At least he's not angry or calling me insolent. Hermione smiled bravely at him.

Severus stared into her eyes for a moment before sighing deeply once more and turning to look out the window. "I'm afraid I must be away next week, little wife," he said. "The Dark Lord commands me to pay a visit to our friends in the north."

Hermione frowned. "Durmstrang? Why would the Dark Lord send you there?" Karkaroff is dead. Who else would he be visiting?

"Despite Igor's defection, there are still several in the north that are sympathetic to the Dark Lord's campaign. There are those with similar ideals that wish to ally themselves with a powerful wizard in the hopes of avoiding his wrath once his rule expands."

Hermione nodded. "Will you be away long?"

"I will depart Saturday morning and should return Wednesday afternoon. I have invited Narcissa to stay with you while I am gone," he said smoothly.

Her eyes rolled automatically. "Honestly, Severus, I think it quite unnecessary to have Narcissa chaperone me anytime you are away," she said hotly. "I'm quite capable of looking after myself."

"Be that as it may, I'm afraid I must insist. There are plenty of guest rooms, and I will feel much better knowing you have company. Were you to spend too much time alone you may find yourself… up to something." He smirked at her.

Hermione sighed in exasperation. And he says I'm insufferable. Bastard. Rolling her eyes once more, she turned her attention towards her lunch.

When she finished her meal, she looked up to find Severus regarding her curiously. "Would you care to take a walk through the gardens with me, Hermione?"

Hermione quickly slipped into a sundress and returned to the sitting room. She took Severus' arm and he escorted her down the stairs and out the front doors towards the grounds. They walked arm-in-arm through the delightful Walled Garden, which was every bit as pleasing and colorful as it had appeared during her first visit.

Severus had abandoned his heavy robes for their walk through the garden; in the sunlight with his frock coat and long hair he looked as if he had stepped straight off the pages of a Jane Austen novel. Hermione shared this thought with him.

"You flatter me, madam," he replied with a smirk. "I am no stranger to Miss Austen's work, and I know most young women find wild flights of fancy within her eloquent pages."

"You've read Jane Austen?" she said, looking at him skeptically as they walked.

"Of course: 'It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; it is disposition alone. Seven year would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.'"

Hermione smiled broadly at him. "Sense and Sensibility," she said. "One of my favorite novels." Severus returned her smile, but there was sadness in his eyes. "It was one of my mother's favorite novels as well." Oh, yes. His mother married a Muggle.

Severus had been very evasive about his parents and his Muggle childhood. Hermione was itching to know more about his life before Hogwarts, especially since he had been raised in the Muggle world. "How did your mother meet your father?" she queried.

"My mother was 17 and exploring the joys of adulthood and freedom. She met my father in a pub in Leeds and they married soon after." Severus' voice had that detached edge once more. He must not have been fond of his parents. Or just his father, perhaps.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so nosy," Hermione replied quickly.

"You are my wife, Hermione," Severus said reassuringly. "You have every right to inquire about my parentage." He led them to a nearby bench and they sat together, their arms still intertwined. "My father was not a kind man, Hermione. He was very cruel to my mother, and to me. I do not admit that easily, or often. In truth, I only tell you this now because I wish to use your sympathies to my advantage," he said in a pained voice.

"I'm so sorry, Severus," Hermione replied. "I did not know your father was unkind."

He waved his hand, as if the past did not matter. "It was a long time ago, Hermione. As I said, I only tell you this in the hopes that your misplaced sympathies will allow me to extract something else I desire from you."

Hermione gulped nervously. Something else he desires? But I thought…

Her thoughts were interrupted as Severus' spoke again. "I know I ask a great deal of you already. This would be but a small thing, compared to what you have already agreed to." That reassured her, and she urged him to go on.

"As I mentioned this morning, I do not expect to live to see the end of this war. You know that you will more than likely be left to raise any child we have alone. I do not ask that you sing my praises to our child; I am more realistic than that. I only request that you strive to not place the burden of your unhappiness on my child. That is a great cross for any child to bear, regardless of your anger or resentment towards me. Promise me, Hermione. Do not make my child pay for my sins."

She gasped at his words. How could any parent do that to a child? What did his father do to him? Her heart ached for a moment at the thought of that small child's voice she had imagined earlier. How could parents mistreat their own child?

Hermione turned to face him. "Do you really think so little of me, sir?" Does he not know me better than this? He taught me for six years; surely he cannot think me as cruel as his Slytherins.

His brow furrowed. "What I think of you is of little importance, madam. The reality of our situation is that you may be left to raise a child who is regarded as the offspring of a traitor and a murderer. That will be no slight burden to bear, I assure you."

"Your greatly underestimate me. Not all in this world have been welcoming to me: a good many of your cohorts among them. I can assure you that not even the most scathing Rita Skeeter article could cause me to heap abuse upon a defenseless child."

Severus nodded seriously. "Thank you," he said gravely. "That will bring me a great deal of comfort in the times ahead." He rose from the bench and helped her to her feet. Taking her arm, he led her along a twisting path towards the hydrangeas.

They strolled along quietly before Hermione spoke. "I met your uncle this morning," she said simply.

"I should have known the meddlesome fool would take the first opportunity to corner you alone," he said shaking his head. "What did he want?"

"Oh, just to meet me, I think. He is very fond of you; I think he wanted to ascertain for himself that I am worthy of his dear nephew."

"I'm confident he found you more than acceptable," Severus replied. "Hadrian deeply regretted never marrying; he attempted to persuade me to avoid a similar fate. He was very pleased to hear we were wed."

"He seemed very kind. I find it very surprising he chose not to marry."

"I fear it was my mother who turned him from the idea. He was considerably older than she was, nearly 20 years her senior. He doted on her, from what I understand, and was understandably heartbroken when she eloped with a Muggle. He saw the pain and agony my grandparents endured over her choices, and swore he would never allow anyone to hurt him as deeply as she hurt their parents."

Severus looked down at her and smiled. "Such conversation is far too somber for such a beautiful day. We should speak of more pleasant topics."

"It is a beautiful day," Hermione agreed. "But I'm afraid the world is entirely somber these days. What pleasantries would you have us exchange?"

His eyes rolled in exasperation. "The world may be somber, little wife, but here in our garden we have quite a respite from the weary trials of the world. I believe you have a tea to attend next week, do you not?"

"Thursday, at Greengrass Gardens."

"Ah yes, Greengrass Gardens. I believe you will find the gardens most enchanting. They are meant to be the most beautiful in all of Britain."

As they turned to make their way back to the main house Severus spoke again. "So, madam, what urgent thought so filled that insufferable mind of yours this morning that you felt it necessary to sneak into my study?"

Hermione looked at him sideways. "Am I to understand that the great Severus Snape is, in fact, not omnipresent?"

Severus sneered. "Come now, madam, surely you know that even the most powerful wizards are not all-knowing. I simply have excellent wards on my study that alert me to any disturbances. But to the question: what were you attempting to find today?"

"I was… doing a bit of light reading."

"Go on," Severus smirked.

"Protection amulets," she said, picking up the pendant around her neck. "It seems unwise to wear an object of dark magic without understanding it's properties and possible consequences."

"A wise pursuit. Tell me, what did you find?"

"Well, the book said it would kill anyone who attempted to take it by force, but it would save the life of the wearer. Is that true?"

"More or less."

"Always so loquacious," Hermione said sarcastically.

Severus frowned at her. "The amulet has many curious properties. I do not presume to know them all. The amulet has a rich history; I'm sure its secrets will be revealed to you in time."

"Revealed to you in time," she thought. How very appropriate.