The journey from the train station to the Burrow was mercifully quick. Once off the train Hermione had been led by a silent Tonks to an apparition point where she had protested against a side-along trip and arrived in the Burrows front yard alone for a moment, scattering the chickens. She looked up at the ramshackle building with a heavy heart. The last time she had been here was last summer, and had enjoyed the long summer days as her relationship with Ron had finally blossomed. Looking at it now, framed by the sunset behind it Hermione almost felt wistful over what she'd left behind, and will never have again.
When Tonks appeared next to her the moment was ended, and Hermione followed the woman up to the front door and inside. It was just as cluttered, chaotic and comfortable as she remembered, but Tonks beckoned her to a low door in the side of the staircase she'd never really noticed before. Tonks kicked it open and Hermione saw that it opened onto a dark stairwell down below the house. The air that came up from it was noticeably chillier than the ground floor.
"That's the basement, that's where you're staying. Don't try and go anywhere, I'll be up here all night."
"Why thank you Tonks." Gushed Hermione in fake gratitude; "Maybe I'll come up and we can have a girly chat about your nose."
Hermione smirked at Tonks' look of confusion and descended the stairs. "Lumos" she whispered as she went, and the small room was revealed in all its (shabby) glory. The stairs came down into the middle of the room, bisecting it. The entire right hand side was filled with boxes and general household gubbins that would be relegated to a basement, pots of paint and old sheets, toolboxes and broken furniture. Running along the back wall opposite the stairs was one long table, which Hermione noted happily would make a good workstation once it had been cleared. On the left hand side in the alcove created by the stairs was her bed, a small rickety muggle army-type cot that didn't look very comfortable. Hermione dragged her case towards it and pushed it underneath. There was nothing for her to put her clothes in, no cupboard or even a shelf. With a sigh she changed the colour of the bed sheets to purple, and attempted to transfigure the mattress into something a bit less lumpy.
"May as well start tidying up down here, I'll be down here alone for a while." She said to herself.
Starting with the ceiling Hermione ridded it of the cobwebs that swept like a blanket along the rafters. She then turned to the floor, and cleared the dust and grime from the stone flagons. It was covered in several layers of dirt and Hermione had trouble getting the more stubborn bits of encrusted grunge off. The table was easy enough; she levitated all the bits and bobs on it over to the pile of rubbish on the far side of the room and dumped it on top. Whenever she heard something break she smiled to herself. The table itself had a couple of holes for cauldrons to be lowered into so one could work on potions without bending down, and Hermione cleaned around these with more effort than strictly necessary. If Severus was going to be helping her down here, this is where he would be and she'd hate to present him with sub-standard work surfaces.
When the room was clean Hermione pulled her case out from under her bed and transfigured it into a small bedside locker, and she put several wards on it in case anyone decided to be nosy when it was left unguarded. Which she wouldn't put past anyone now. I'm getting as paranoid as Severus, heaven help me! But, she reflected, just like him, not without reason.
When she was done she climbed the fragile stairs and opened the door. True to her word Tonks was sat nearby with a cup of tea. "Where are you going?" She asked.
"Well bearing in mind I'm not actually a prisoner I'm going to sit in the garden on my own. You're welcome to join me, but it is a bit cold out."
Tonks scowled. "I can keep an eye on you from inside I suppose." She muttered.
"Thanks Tonksy." Said Hermione brightly, and wandered outside. It was softly snowing now and she went to sit on the swing beneath an old willow tree. From the open windows she could hear the sounds of everyone else settling in. Harry, Ron, Neville and Luna were all staying at the Burrow that Christmas, and all the Weasleys who had left home had congregated to make things easier to organise. Hermione sat outside for a long time. The sun now set, colouring the snow with hints of pink and green. She vaguely heard the call to dinner, but wasn't called for when she didn't go in. The swings seat was beginning to get uncomfortable, so Hermione spread herself out on the ground with the willows trunk at her back. She stared up at the sky, her mind blissfully blank and watched the stars come out and the moon rise.
The temperature dropped but she didn't really notice. She was suited to cold temperatures so just cast a quick charm to warm her through, and pushed her hands into her pockets. After a long while she became aware of someone coming towards her, their shoes crunching on the hardening snow. Hermione frowned and moved back father into the shadows, ears pricked in case they didn't know she was there.
"Hermione?" Called Severus, and she relaxed.
"Under the willow." She replied. Severus came over and offered her his hand to help her up. Hermione took it and allowed the momentum to naturally move into a hug of greeting. Severus stiffened and she let go embarrassed. "Sorry, I wasn't thinking."
He smiled and shrugged. "Its ok, just surprised me that's all. I've come out to get you because everyone's off to an order meeting at Grimmauld place."
"I'm not allowed to go to those remember?"
He rolled his eyes. "Yes but at this meeting I'm taking you for the express purpose of telling them all about your offer of the potion to them."
"When are they going?"
"They left right after dinner, didn't you see them go?"
Hermione looked down at her feet. "I wasn't at dinner, I've been out here a while."
Severus touched her face with his hand and looked angry. "You're freezing."
Hermione looked discomforted. "They did call for dinner, I just stayed out and lost track of the time."
"That's no excuse, they're meant to just be excluding you from order business, not mistreating you. Molly ought to have made you go in."
"Its fine Severus really, I'd rather not eat with them anyway." She smiled grimly. "I'd only ruin everyone's appetites."
Severus glowered. "First I hear you're sleeping in the basement, now you're running yourself down. This isn't on Hermione." His hand was still on her face and he stroked her cheek as he spoke. "I thought we'd agreed you're better than them."
Hermione snorted.
"Better than the rest of them put together. You're to stop whatever began today. Regular meals and no spacing out on your own, is that understood."
Hermione's eyes flickered and she took his hand off her face. "You can be my friend or my professor Severus, but not both. Stop telling me what to do."
"I'll tell you what to do when you seem to be floundering. It had been hours since you came out here if I'm any judge."
"So what if it has been?" Shouted Hermione angrily.
"Hiding yourself away is one of the steps on the way to depression." He shouted back.
"Do you honestly think I'm susceptible to depression? How dare you! You don't even know me." She yelled in his face.
" I've seen all this before girl, you would do well to take heed."
"Oh yeah, and of course you've seen dozens of depressed teenagers."
"Just the one actually. Myself."
Hermione backed down. Severus looked faintly surprised at what he'd admitted in the heat of the moment.
"I'm sorry." She murmured.
Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. "Its fine, I suggest we go on to headquarters now."
He turned and strode towards the house and Hermione struggled on her stiff legs to keep up with him. She was internally berating herself for pushing him so far. He'd only be concerned with her well being, and she'd thrown it right back in his face. Severus meanwhile was repeating a single refrain in his head. Crap crap crap crap crap crap….
Inside he went to the fireplace and took a pinch of floo powder. "Its best if we travel at the same time, the Weasels can't afford to be extravagant what with the extra expenses of having so many more people residing with them." He threw the powder into the flames that promptly went green and he stood in them, holding his hand out to her. Hermione took it and he enveloped her in his arms. She looked up at him questioning look. "I don't want you flying off into another grate. 12 Grimmauld Place." He said clearly.
On the other side they jumped out and Severus pushed her away from him, and when she turned to him she saw his customary sneer directed at her. She gave him the barest nod to show him she understood what he was doing, and stood sheepishly to one side to wait for an inevitable confrontation. A head poked out from the dining room to see who had arrived. It was Luna.
"Hello Professor Snape. We were waiting for you impatiently." She said smiling. Then she noticed Hermione off to one side. "What are you doing here Hermione? I heard you were a death eater." Hermione wasn't sure if it was hearing the accusation so pleasantly from the dotty Luna, or knowing that she had probably heard it from one of the order members but she just smiled back. Severus however wasn't so happy."
"Get such idiotic thoughts from your head child." He snarled. "Do you not think I would have told the order personally if that was the case?"
He swept past both the girls into the dining room and Hermione went to follow him. Luna stepped aside to let her pass and followed hot on her heels. Inside the room people stared at her, some with curiosity, others with open hostility or disgust. "What is she doing here?" Spat Harry.
"She's here at my invitation Potter." Answered Severus calmly.
"What possible reason could you have for that my boy?" Asked Dumbledore, his eyes betraying his bland words.
"Miss Granger has the audacity to come before you and give you an offer after turning her back on the fight." Severus sneered.
"What do you have to say Miss Granger?" asked Dumbledore suspiciously.
"There are a few among you who are aware that for my school project this year. I have elected to brew a potion that has been lost in antiquity. The purpose of the potion is to render a magical persons powers inert for a period of time I have not yet established."
Several of the aurors around the table were now listening intently, and Hermione was pleased to see that her words were sparking an interest. She risked a glance at Severus, and he was looking supremely bored. So she decided to drop the bomb that she had kept from him, the idea only having formed in her mind that evening.
"I will freely provide the order with my research notes and a supply of the potion once correctly brewed, but for a price." Severus allowed a glimmer of shock to flicker across his face, and that was enough of a reward for her.
"Speak your terms." Growled Mad-eye Moody.
"I will receive a perfect grade for my project, and I will be allowed to have a word with the sorting hat, I wish to be re-sorted." There was silence around the table, and Hermione could have sworn she saw McGonagall's eyes go misty with controlled tears.
"You realise," Said Dumbledore slowly, "that no student has ever been sorted twice."
"I am well aware of that Sir, but I am not ware of any other student who has ever been completely ostracized by her own house to the extent I have been."
"And whose fault is that Hermione? Yours. We don't want her headmaster, I vote she be allowed to try the hat back on." It was Ginny who spoke, and Hermione felt the very last connection in her heart break as she saw all her old friends nod in agreement. The tiny part of her that had looked up at the Burrow with regret, that had tried to convince Ron to join her, died. She refused to let it show on her face, and held her ground, directing her unwavering gaze at Dumbledore, who seemed deep in thought.
When he spoke it was as if after much thought. "Are you certain this is what you want Miss Granger? There can be no changing of your mind afterwards."
Hermione spoke with all the confidence she now felt. "I am certain Professor, with all my heart."
He bowed his head. "Very well then, it shall be done when we return to Hogwarts in the New Year. Would you care to stay and discuss with us how your gift could be used in the future."
Hermione recognised the olive branch for what it was, but rejected it. "No sir, thank you. But it's been made more than clear to me how people feel about my new role in this war. I'll leave you to your precious meeting. I'll be in my basement if anyone wants me."
She turned on her heel and closed the door quietly behind her, correctly judging that such an exit would have more of an impact than a loud one. She was just putting the floo powder in the fire when Severus followed her into the living room. His face softened the moment he left the other room and he lowered his voice so they would not be eavesdropped on.
"What was all that about terms? I had no idea you were planning that."
Hermione shrugged and grinned. "It was on a whim really, I only thought of it earlier. Do you think the hat might sort me into Slytherin if I asked it to? Its what I'm banking on."
"Certainly, your performance tonight is perfect example of your devious mind. For what its worth, I was impressed."
"That something I've waited a long time to hear you say Severus." She said. "Will you be over tomorrow to work on the potion? You'll need to bring all the equipment we need, I've got nothing."
"Yes I'll be over, Dumbledore just told me this potion is my priority, so no need to invent excuses as to why I'm so interested in helping you. I'll be over about half nine, is that suitable?"
Hermione made a face. "I'll have to get up pretty early to nab a place in the bathroom queue, but yeah. I'm looking forward to it. It'll be a nice distraction."
"Its hard I can see that, but you're doing great. I'm sorry for what I said earlier."
Hermione placed her hand on his forehead. "Are you feeling alright? I could have sworn you just apologised to a Gryffindor."
Severus smiled. "You are mistaken, I just apologised to a fellow Slytherin." He bowed, making her chuckle, and left her.