AN: Thank you for all the reviews, they mean a lot to me. I've italicized Voldemort's portion of the dialogue in hopes of making things less confusing.

Two Conversations

An order meeting was called, new information had to be parceled out and adjustments to our present course of action needed to be made. Minerva, Hagrid , Pomfrey and Flitwick stayed behind to patrol the school. Fortunately, there were no classes or study halls on Sunday and meals were more relaxed. Quidditch practice and matches had been canceled until further notice.

We needed to know what the Ministry was up to in their investigation of the accident and I needed to give Harry our findings from the testing. This was going to be a tricky meeting, Molly was surely going to be a stumbling block when she heard what Snape was going to attempt and I wasn't sure how we could convince her it was necessary and at this point, whether we had to. It wasn't that Snape was risking his life anymore than he had in the past but it had always been on the defensive, without him in place we never would have managed, but now this…this was an attack, although slow and measured, it was going at Voldemort in an entirely different way and because of the offensive nature we had more control over Snape's life now, true, Voldemort could summon him but we were adding more peril to every encounter.

This plan had become just as much about saving Snape as saving Harry and now I could see Snape had realized this from the beginning. Our conversation out on the grounds last night, his outburst in Dumbledore's office…he has begun to forgive himself, he's defending his character, people can't just assume, it's not alright and expedient anymore. He's a person and he wants to live.

The admission that he loved someone was more of a change than any polite or calm gesture could ever show. He let pass vulnerability and with it came a trust. Why had I been so foolish to believe he could not do this, not only penetrate the dark Lord's defenses but that he was the perfect…the only choice for the task?

Lupin had left last night for Grimmauld place after I relieved him on patrol. I arrived very early there myself for the meeting and we were presently in the kitchen having tea.

"Is Severus alright…still capable do you think?" Remus was worried; he knew very well the power that Voldemort possessed. "If he finds out about this…" he motioned with his hand, a simple gesture but it encompassed so much more than our surroundings; it meant our friends, our homes, our lives, Hogwarts, goodness, kindness and weakness "…he will surely destroy it."

"Professor Snape says at present Voldemort cannot penetrate his mind, but he is suspicious and if Lucius is sabotaging Hogwarts, than we can be pretty sure it is on Voldemort's orders."

Lupin was placated on Snape's abilities for the moment.

"And how are you Hermione, are you alright? Tonks is very worried about you…we both are."

"I can't say that I am fine…but…I do have hope."

Remus smiled at me, he had always trusted my judgment, there was something unspoken in our friendship.

"Then I do as well." He poured more tea out of the ancient pot and we were both startled when Tonks tripped over the door sash. We both smiled affectionately up at her.

"Hermione, Please forgive the other day. I can only do so much in the situation without drawing attention to my relationship with you all." Tonks pleaded.

"Not to worry Tonks, I think Din is trying to prove himself and he doesn't care who he offends or wrongly accuses, I'm not so naïve that I don't understand him."

"Your spot on there but now that you and Snape have detected the origins of the residue on the snitch Harry and I can pull him onto another path. He's not dense, once he sees that someone else is most likely responsible he'll change his course."

"I'm very glad to hear it."

"How is Snape holding up under the 'influence?" Tonks queried.

"A bit erratic but for the most part focused and calmer."

"Well that will be a blessing for you Hermione." And there it was, she had voiced my old selfish thought and who could blame her, he was difficult and nasty and why should anyone take the time to know different about him? I loved Tonks and I wasn't going to bite her head off, maybe in time she would see the situation differently.

"I don't think we should assume how Hermione is feeling." Remus gently admonished Tonks, while putting his arm around her. His display of affection and even words warmed me. He was in love and was allowing it to show, even to the point of disagreeing with her.

"Remus you know better than anyone how Hermione has become a buffer for Snape, he treats her poorly and uses her to avoid contact with everyone except Dumbledore. She is exhausted and I doubt getting much out of the apprenticeship at this point." Tonks looked angry and I know it was all out of worry but she didn't understand the situation as well. One thing she was right about was that I was tired, too tired for this conversation and thought I might slip by her questioning by feigning fatigue.

"Yes, well you are right, I am exhausted, do I have enough time for a nap before everyone else arrives?"

Remus understood and answered quickly, "Definitely, I lit a fire in the library and it's quiet there now."

"Thanks for the tea…and don't worry about me Tonks." I smiled and felt happy that I had them as friends.

Remus was right the library was warm and Molly had transfigured the upholstery on the furniture to give it a cozy, less drab feel. I curled up on the couch and drifted off quickly.

When I awoke my first sight was Snape sitting in the rocking chair near the fireplace reading what I recognized to be the book on "Love". He must have covered me with a blanket when he came in, I felt warm and woozy, the past few days had been physically and emotionally draining and my body was rebelling against the lack of sleep; one wonders how he maintained himself for so long on so little rest.

"Thank you for the blanket." I watched him reading.

He nodded his head.

"Is there anything you could use in there?" I hoped.

"There is much said and much contradicted."

I laughed. "Sometimes they even contradict themselves."

I sat up, pulling the blanket around my shoulders and drawing my legs in.

"I suppose it is good to know what civilizations great men think but I think love is put in to broad a context here, it is at one moment everything in nature, it is one man's passion and another man's prudence, it is beauty and it is ugly it is…a kiss and then it is only a gesture, like-mindedness in one phrase and disagreement in another."

"Reading everyone's opinion at once does make it seem capricious, I guess selfish in a way…but I don't really believe that." I leaned my head back into the corner of the sofa, my mind felt slow and sluggish from the nap.

"What do you believe, Miss Granger?"

"…Um, well, I'm not sure…anymore. I think sometimes love is near you and you don't recognize it…I'm realizing you have to be open to it…as for the context, it is broad, for me, there are many different kinds. But I think I am inexperienced…and sometimes confuse things for being love."

Snape put his head back and thought, I presumed about what I had said.

"It is I who should have apologized last night Miss Granger, my statements to you in Dumbledore's office were rude and unwarranted, you have never shown yourself to be anything but kind and helpful with people…I have a tendency to make good things seem bad."

" You did apologize, right after, and I don't think what you said to me was wrong…in fact, it was dead on."

He looked over at me and we locked eyes for a moment.

The door opened suddenly and to both our astonishment Neville walked in.

"Hermione, Remus said you were napping in here." He walked over and bent down to kiss me on the cheek. "Are you feeling alright?" He raised his arm and swept some hair behind my ear. I looked down uncomfortable and blushing from the gesture. I was embarrassed that Snape saw how Neville greeted me and wished we were in a crowded room."

"I hear the others arriving. Excuse me." Snape shut the book and left the room, closing the door behind him.

" Neville, what are you doing here? Earthly delights, who's watching it, you said you didn't want to be involved."

"Shhh," He placed his hand over mine. "Everything is OK. I 'm only here for the Order meeting and to give you some more of the fugum demonum."

"You are staying for the meeting?" I was happy that I wouldn't have to take on Molly alone.

"Yes,…and I also came to see you." He leaned in and kissed me on the lips. "I miss you when to many days go by now and there is no note and no excuse to come and see you."

My heart thudded at his declaration, there was no mistaking this now, he definitely liked me and he was pursuing. No one had ever really done this with me before, and it was…weird. I needed a place to go and think, but I couldn't so I got up and moved toward the door.

"It's good to see you too Neville." I opened the door and the Order of the Phoenix was seated out in the living room, it seemed, just waiting for us.

I left Neville's side and found a seat near Harry. Dumbledore brought the meeting to order and he relayed all the new information. How we thought Lucius was an unregistered Animagus and how we think he was the one that got past the wards and sabotaged the snitch.

"We could haul him in on the unregistered animagus charge." Tonks offered.

"Yes, Nypmhadora I thought you might suggest that but if you take him in now we may not be able to prove that he tampered with the snitch. I want to make sure Severus is cleared of that suspicion." Dumbledore was trying to stay ahead of the situation as usual.

He then explained that Voldemort had called for a private meeting with Snape and how Snape would attempt to begin a dialogue with him that may make him see things differently. I suppose if you had to sell this plan to a room full of people, it was the most innocuous way of presenting that we were in effect trying to change, even in the most minute way, the mind of a killer.

I looked over at Snape he was seated to Dumbledore's left trying to make eye contact with no one.

"Impossible, after what he has done, never, I don't care if you bury him in this concoction your using, there is no shred left, he isn't a person anymore." Molly took out her handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes. "Severus, I'm sorry but this is just to dangerous, what if he knows what you're trying to do already."

I knew she was going to reject this plan and I could hardly blame her, her argument seemed like a voice of reason. Snape turned to her, and in a gesture I have never seen him use he put his hand on her back and patted her comfortingly, he spoke softly but we could all hear and we all marveled.

"Molly, there was always that fear…that I would be found out…it's the chance I take every time I leave Hogwarts with my Deatheater robes."

"No Severus this is different…you are not yourself…your…your …weaker now."

I had to hand it to Molly she didn't mince words, she was pulling out all the stops now, she was very afraid for him.

Snape shook his head but continued to soothe her, " No Molly, not weaker…calmer, clearer in a way. We all knew it would come to something drastic one day…it's part of the promise I made."

Molly was crying full on now and Arthur came over and coaxed her into the kitchen. What I wouldn't give to see Snape's face filled with indignation or even disgust, but he was so serene, so complacent about what he had to do. I had to turn away.

Snape got up from his chair and started for the door but hesitated and turned, he looked to where I was sitting next to Harry, he spoke to the whole room but I felt the words were for us alone.

"Molly is quite right, we are attempting the impossible, but I have been studying…" he glanced down at his book… " and it seems when love is the subject the impossible seems possible and we have only to look, it is closer than we think." He bowed and left us in a hushed silence.

I looked about the room, they had not seen the changes gradually as I had, and the contortion of expressions belied their shock.

"I didn't know …" Harry whispered to me.

"No one did." I squeezed his hand in reassurance, for it's a blow to know that you have been wrong about someone for so long…

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We had a quiet dinner, no one was in the mood for conversation, there was much to digest and most of it had nothing to do with dinner. It was decided that we would keep up the patrols of the grounds at night, Hagrid would be asked to warn some of the forest animals to be on the lookout for any curious eagles, in the hopes that we could catch Lucius in the act. The Malfoy's were known to have friends at the Ministry and on the Board of Governors of Hogwarts, which meant proving him of foul play, would never be easy.

I got back to the lab late, hoping to look into my wolfsbane project a bit, but when I opened the door I saw the note immediately.

Dear Miss Granger,

I have been summoned early. He likes to hold the cards. I don't know if this will be the private meeting or other Order Members will be present, never the less I have brought my robes and hope to have the chance to release the substance. The book you gave me and our conversation today has helped me greatly, you have showed me that love exists differently for everyone, I have only to find, I hope, where it is in Tom and flesh it out; easier said then done… but I have hope.

S.Snape.

Mundane tasks were all that I would be good for now; at least there was the patrolling of the grounds, that would make the time pass faster waiting for his return. I 'll alert Hagrid of Snape's absence and he will be my partner for rounds.

Midnight crept slowly, the hands on my watch seemingly exhausted by the exertion of advancement and resting longer and longer between the minutes. Snape had not returned and I cleaned the lab and left early for patrol. Minerva and Lupin were just coming up the steps of the main entrance. They had heard from Albus that Snape had been called away and they already alerted Hagrid that he would be covering his patrol.

"All was quiet, not even and errant leaf falling." Lupin smiled but eyed me, looking to see if I had been affected by the unexpected summons of Snape. I smiled to halt his worrying.

"Hagrid is at his hut, he said to come down straight away." Lupin was firm, I'm sure so that I wouldn't get the idea to patrol by myself.

"I'm headed there now…you will come find me if you see him…if you see professor Snape first?" My agitation could not be contained.

"Of course my dear." Minerva reassured me.

I made my way down to Hagrid's, the front door was open and I assumed he was expecting me. I walked in, without knocking.

" Hagrid?" He was nowhere to be seen.

I walked out of the hut and went around back to the garden; I thought I might have missed sight of him behind a pumpkin or some tangle of vines. I searched, but it proved fruitless. This wasn't right, so I pulled out my wand. Perhaps he was having a talk with some forest creatures, explaining about the eagle, beseeching them to help us keep watch.

I walked into the forest a few feet, never comfortable without the half giant at my side, having been warned so many times not only by teachers that it was dangerous but also by Harry.

"Hagrid!" I called out into the night; my lantern flickered from the breeze.

I took another tentative step forward and listened, at first I thought I heard a rustle but no sooner were feathers passing close, white tips brushing my cheek and a strong beak resting me of my wand.

I watched him land and transform, he tugged at the leather strap about his neck holding his own wand. His blonde hair glowed in the darkness.

"Miss Granger, you should know better than to be out at night alone, there are all sorts of dangerous creatures about. I don't think it even safe for giants."

"Where is Hagrid?" I was worried now, he looked smug.

"Expelliarmus" He blew me back and I hit the garden fence, all went black.

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"Miss Granger, Miss Granger!" I opened my eyes slowly; someone was patting my hand and calling my name. I know the voice, but not the face.

"Professor?"

The face looked relieved and moved to help me sit up. He was tall and dark, his body lithe as it shifted to help me move. My eyes focused and I looked in front of me on the grass where I had dropped my lantern, the eyes of a discarded Deather mask, illuminated by the lantern, glowed like a jack-o-lantern.

"Yes Miss Granger, I am only now back…I heard a commotion and cut over from the main entrance, I was just about to … and he pointed his wand at himself and incanted a spell I wasn't familiar with. He was himself again.

"You were so young."

"Yes, I once was. Now let's get you inside…what happened?"

" It was Lucius.." it all came back, the wings the transformation… the spell.

"I knew he would be angry…it was a private meeting with Voldemort, Lucius thinks we are discussing him."

"We must find Hagrid, I came down to get him for patrol, but Lucius took my wand, he was the eagle and he said it was even too dangerous for Giants." I knew I was babbling but I was so worried about Hagrid.

Snape was going over me with his wand, checking my vital signs.

"You seem to be unharmed."

"Hermione…Professor? Hermione I've been lookin fer ya, herd you cryin out in the ferbidden forest, I was comin back fer help." Hagrid looked confused.

"It was Lucius, he played a trick on us Hagrid, making you believe I was in the forest and then taking my wand and hitting me with a spell."

"Can you make it back to the castle?" Snape asked.

"Yes, I think so." I got up slowly and seemed fine. "My wand."

"That'll be the one I found outside." Hagrid handed it over.

We left Hagrid berating himself for his lack of prowess.

"He made you wear the glamour again." I asked having already seen the answer to my question.

"Yes. He had his on as well."

"How did you do?"

"He wanted to talk strategy, when and where would be the best time to strike Harry. I took this as my opener to explore the depth of his emotions, to see if there was only hatred. We discussed previous attempts and why they had failed." He looked over to me his brows knitted.

" You know that I must seem convincing or he will kill me."

A chill ran through me but I nodded in understanding.

" I put forth Albus' reasoning that his mother's love protected him, that her sacrifice was out of love for her child and the power of that love suffused through him."

"What was his reaction?"

"Oh, he has heard this before but I think he is giving it more weight…I don't know if it is because of the other failed attempts or because of the substance he is seeing things differently? I was able to broach the subject of love in general then, an exploration to better understand what we were up against."

"I told him that I had been working on a potion that may neutralize this effect but I believed I was still missing some ingredients and that I had been studying the many forms love takes so that I might find some clue."

"You are quite brilliant…sir." I was in awe of the line that he had to walk; to lean to heavily to one side and Voldemort would surely suspect to lean the other way was would be to jeopardize Harry and most of the wizarding world.

"If I were brilliant I would not find myself in such a position." He laughed at himself and my compliment.

"He knows nothing of love, nothing of what I believe or I think what even you believe Miss Granger, he is a novice, a babe on the subject and I think because of this I could get the upper hand. Like a babe he is curious, he sees that there is something to it, intellectually he can't explain it, but magically he senses there are things out of his reach…and this is where we could win."

"Did he ask you questions?"

"No not questions, more like tests, he wanted to know what I knew, he was probing my understanding. He must have read some things in school and with his fantastic memory he could dredge them up by wrought. The classics, in the muggle sense were more prevalent in Hogwarts curriculum when he attended; he is familiar with the Greeks."

"When touched by Love, we are all poets" He said, as if reciting from a page but he looked to my reaction.

"Potter, a poet?" We both laughed derisively.

"I was building trust…you see." Snape looked at me sheepishly.

"Yes, of course professor." I smirked knowing he had enjoyed it anyway.

"We discussed the difference between a mother's love and romantic love, which he has known neither. He asked me if I thought either of them worthwhile…now here I had to tread carefully, to much honesty and the conversation could shut down, not enough real opinion and I could seem false."

"How did you answer professor?" My attention was rapt.

"I told him, yes, they were worthwhile and I almost closed my eyes for fear of the wrath of a scorned child might descend down on me. When no rage had surged I knew that the substance was helping. He just looked at me as if for the first time realizing that my life was not wholly made of being his servant, that I may have had love without him realizing."

"Severus, this potion may be what we need to finish the task."

"He said, more intensely.I responded with";

"Yes, but as I have said there is still something missing, a key ingredient that slips passed me on every try, I don't know if it is a nightshade or a flower petal or something far more intangible, the neutralization of love once started naturally has defied all my attempts."

"Perhaps the potion needs more evil, an opposite to this Love?"

"And now I knew we could discuss freely. I went on";

"…So you think evil an opposite to Love, how much? A murderer's blood, an ogre's hair? I am having trouble with the intensity, for I think Love to be quite intense, such as was Lily's love for Potter, must not an equal amount be sought to neutralize it? I have tried dizzying amounts of the aforementioned with no avail."

"He paused for a moment thinking, his wavy hair rested on his brow and I couldn't help but think that this age that he had chosen to show me must be very close to how Harry had seen him down in the chamber. He was puzzling, trying out answers and discarding useless information, I thought of the shameful waste of his mind. He then responded,"

"Perhaps it is not evil you need? Maybe it is more love, so much so that it burns, drowns him so that his desire for more is lost."

"Now that Miss Granger, is brilliance…to have never known love but to have such insight."

"But do you not think Love feeds love…sir…do you agree that there can be to much?" I was confused.

"When one has been deprived, even crumbs can choke us." I could tell he spoke of himself as well.

I thought of Harry's life with the Dursley's…and even my reaction to Neville's advances and had to nod my head silently in agreement.