Chapter 10 Developing Shadows

Disclaimer: See previous chapters.

In the morning, Hermione Apparated to the Burrow, where Harry and Ron were currently staying. Harry was allowed to stay there for awhile, mainly because of the Weasley's generosity, but also because the majority of Ron's brothers had moved out upon, and prior to, the death of Dumbledore.

On her arrival, Hermione looked sadly upon the house of her... best friend, knowing that it might be awhile before she was able to see it again, if, of course, the plan to go after the horcruxes was still intact.

Hermione hurried inside, wanting to get the initial contact between her and Ron out of the way, so that she wouldn't have to dwell on what would definitely be a distasteful experience throughout the day.

Ron was the first person she saw when she walked through the door and, as she suspected, he looked competely taken aback at her sudden presence. The glass he had been holding fell to the floor at his feet, and his eyes widened in what may have been fear, had surprise not hidden his second reaction.

Hermione swallowed thickly, but said in a soft voice, nonetheless, "Hi, Ron... Is Harry here? I need to talk to him... and to you."

The surprise never left his eyes, not even when he answered in a murmur, "Dunno... but, I guess I need to talk to you, too. About something different."

It was Hermione's turn to be surprised, as she hadn't expected him to bring up that particular conversation.

"Ummm, sure," was all Hermione could say in response..

"Okay... I think Harry's busy right now... with Ginny." His dislike of the couple's actions was made evident by the wrinkling of his nose, and the reddening of his ears.

Hermione nearly smiled, but Ron's quick change in mood seconds later compelled her to also take on an expression of sadness.

"What did you want to talk about?" Hermione asked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.

Ron grimaced, but replied, his voice rough, "I wanted to say I'm sorry. I was being an idiot... expecting you to like me. It was stupid..." Ron looked uncomfortable as he finished the sentence, his ears turning, if possible, even more red.

Hermione shifted her weight, embarrassed just as he was, and said, "It's alright, I should have told you something."

"Yeah..." Ron whispered, before turning his back on her and walking out the door, the tension becoming too overwhelming for him.

Hermione's head slipped into her hands, their conversation making her wonder at how they had grown so far apart. Why was it so uncomfortable to be in his presence?

She felt so self-conscious near him, as though he was watching her every action, and she felt as though any wrong remark could lead him to be even more attracted to her.

Before all of this had happened, she would have made it a point to try to make him like her more than he did.

Not anymore.

Why did things have to change so dramatically? So unalterably?

***

"Severus," a high-pitched, cold voice whispered.

Severus stayed seated beside Voldemort's side even as the other Death Eaters left the room. It was not often that he was asked to stay, but it was not too rare, either.

Hmmm... a paradox.

"I hear you had a ... visitor," Voldemort said, as the last Death Eater disappeared from sight.

Severus' thoughts whirled, rushing through possibilities and resting on...

Granger.

Damn.

Voldemort searched his unchanged eyes, seeking an answer to his question. Severus tried to think of a proper explanation, but none would come to his mind... at least, none that would not show her in a rather tempting light.

Yet, in situations like this, he deemed it better to, at the very least, allow a semblance of truth to slip into his words.

And the only truth he could come up with, the only truth that would not make his heart race, or get her into too much trouble was:

"Yes, a certain... Hermione Granger."

She, of course, had brought herself into this game, appearing suddenly just outside his house, looking for all the world like a delightful distraction, if any Death Eater had seen her terrified form... or felt her shivering.

"Hermione Granger?" Voldemort asked quietly, pondering. "Is she not the Mudblood friend of Potter's?"

Severus had long since trained himself to not flinch at the filthy word as it passed through his master's lips.

He answered readily enough, "Yes, that is she."

"What happened? Why is she not here as a gift for me?" asked Voldemort, his red eyes flashing in the dim light cast by the fire.

"She Dissapparated before I could reach her," was the only excuse Severus could think of to give in the present situation.

Yet a part of his brain was still puzzling out the question that it had meandered upon at the thought of Hermione appearing in his front yard.

Why had she come there?

Had she wanted to speak with him?

Or had she merely gotten lost?

And why had he never thought to figure this out before?

He stopped his thought process as Voldemort's eyes bored into his.

After delving into his mind and seeing his words for truth, at least as far as he could see, Voldemort merely said, "Well... revenge brings satisfaction, doesn't it?"

Revenge?

***

Harry came into the kitchen thirty minutes after the awkward converstion between Hermione and Ron, his face flushed, but his eyes serious.

Hermione was sitting in a chair at the table, a book propped in front of her. She was the only occupant in the room, which was to be expected, as everyone in residence had already eaten breakfast, and so had no reason to be In the kitchen.

"Hey, Mione. Ron said you wanted to talk," Harry said as he sat down on the chair opposite hers.

"Yeah, I thought we should. Where is he?"

"Right here," said a voice from the hallway, and Ron came into the room seconds later.

Harry broke the suddenly tense silence, sensing that neither Hermione nor Ron would make an attempt to start the conversation.

"So, what did you wanna talk about?" he asked Hermione, who, at his words, seemed to realize that it was her turn to direct the discussion.

"Are we going to go through with the plan?"

"Of course," Harry replied immediately, his face a mixture of confusion and determination. "Why wouldn't we?"

The tense silence that followed seemed to answer his question.

"I was thinking we could start this weekend, then," murmured Hermione.

"Yeah, I think so, too," said Harry contemplatively. "But I wanted to visit Godric's Hollow first."

"Yeah, okay," Hermione said.

Ron, who had sat silent throughout their exchange, got up and walked toward the door, whispering as did so, "That sounds fine."

***

This has to stop.

Hermione woke up in disarray after another nightmare that happened to involve the only person who could make her wake up shivering in fear... and something else, something that, her brain was telling her, she probably should not dwell on.

Severus.

The name appeared in her thoughts just as she decided she would never think it again... not in that way.

How could she not, though?

The only way that she could possibly solve this problem was to confront it head on. This, however, would mean she would have to talk to him... again.

The thought made her fearful, yet a certain part of her was wishing he was already there with her, laying mere inches away from her.

Her mind made up she drifted back to sleep, only half aware that she had just agreed to visit a murderer... a person whom she did not entirely trust.

Yet, it has to be done... doesn't it?

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A/N: I don't know if I got Ron's personality right in this one, but I hope I did.
Thank you for those who have read and reviewed this story! Please let me know what you think of this chapter. I know things are going a little slow between Hermione and Severus, but it'll start going faster, I promise.

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