The countdown to Hermione's seventeenth birthday was being watched silently by many. Those within the Pureblood community who had eligible heirs wondered if the Prewett Heiress would find her match either on her birthday or soon thereafter.
When Hermione had come into Professor Snape's office for her nightly Occlumency training, the night before she was to turn seventeen, he noticed that the young witch was moodier and more agitated than normal.
After his fourth failed attempt to get her mind to calm and focus on the task at hand—the surly Professor just pinched the bridge of his nose in defeat and sat down across from the witch.
"I can see that tonight is going to be a waste of my time."
Hermione cast her eyes downward in shame.
"I'm sorry Professor. My mind isn't where it needs to be tonight."
"Yes, that I can see for myself."
"Should I go?" The witch's blue eyes bored up at him pleadingly and Severus felt some of his resolve shift.
"Perhaps you might speak to someone about what you're feeling?"
Severus watched the young witch's eyes widen in surprise but before she could speak he put a single hand up to halt her.
"I did not mean me...Miss Prewett. Have you tried discussing this with your Grandmother...Minerva?"
Hermione shook her head in the negative. "I haven't wanted to burden anyone Professor (his dramatic sigh had her lifting her chin up stubbornly) because no one can tell me anything concrete."
"Ah," Snape nodded, "I can see why you might be frustrated. I sometimes forget that not everything about magic can be found in a book, Miss Prewett."
"Obviously." She deadpanned, which earned a slight quirk of her Professor's lips in response.
"Perhaps you might start with the questions that do have answers."
Hermione's blue eyes settled on her Defense Professor with a quizzical look, before she nodded in understanding.
"And if I were to ask the correct questions, Sir...would you answer them?"
Snape smirked and nodded once. "If you do not however, then I'm afraid I will not be volunteering information, Miss Prewett."
"Fair enough." The young witch bit back as she thought about what she wanted to ask—and just how to ask it.
She'd have to be fairly specific, as Professor Snape wasn't one to just give up information.
He was much too tight lipped for that, being a spy in the Order for as long as he had been.
"My Mother, did you know her well?"
Snape's eyebrow lifted at this unexpected question but he nodded.
"Quite well, up until sixth year."
Hermione pondered that and remembered that her Mother had dated Sirius sixth year. So that was unexpected and made her wonder just how her Professor knew her Mother—being in different houses as they were.
"Andromeda told me that Dolohov was obsessed with my Mother. Were you aware of this?"
Severus breath hitched in surprise that Andi would've spoken about that to Marlene's daughter, but he could only nod in reply.
"I was."
"Dolohov killed my Father and my Uncle. Did he find my Mother and kill her too? Her family?"
Severus sat down on the bench across from the young witch and bored his gaze into her's. There was hesitation there, but resolve too. Almost as if she was bracing herself for the inevitable answer she knew was coming.
"Yes. Someone found your Mother's sibling—Marcus one evening, outside the Fidelius on the home they were staying in. He went to see his betrothed, in secret. We never did end up discovering who that person was at the time, but I'm fairly certain you can guess whom it might've been?"
"Pettigrew."
"Yes."
"Is that why Sirius was incarcerated without a trial? Because they blamed him for the deaths of the McKinnon Family as well as the Potter's?"
Snape sat back and eyed the witch with something akin to respect.
No one had ever put that together.
There had been some suspicions about Sirius when it was he who discovered the McKinnons were killed...but everyone in the Order suspected that Dolohov had done the deed. When the Potter's were killed, and the ensuing drama that happened after with Pettigrew supposedly being killed along with those Muggles...no one was willing to listen to the rantings of Black...even if he didn't have the Dark Mark.
"Yes."
"Could Dumbledore have saved Sirius or made sure he'd gotten a fair trial?"
Severus pondered the best way to answer, but in the end the truth was easiest.
"He might've been. He didn't make the attempt however."
Hermione's face darkened as she bit her lip hard then nodded.
"Were you familiar with Harry's Prophecy?"
Hermione knew she'd hit a sore spot as her Professor's breath hitched in deeply, his expression darkening ominously but all he said was a deep, "Yes."
"And mine?"
"No."
"But Dumbledore knew of it?"
"That I cannot say with certainty, Miss Prewett. I was never privy to that information. I don't imagine though, there were many who were."
"Why don't they teach magical traditions here at school?"
Snape tilted his head thoughtfully at the young witch, again—surprised by her line of questioning. It was clear she'd thought about this quite a bit in recent months.
"That I cannot say with all certainty. But, I will say that it does make it easier to keep certain things separate and open to manipulation if one controls the narrative...don't you agree?"
Hermione's gaze darkened further as she nodded again.
"I suppose it does." She rubbed her hands down her thighs and decided to ask one final question.
"Do you know who the bonder was for the unbreakable vow that Dumbledore required of Lucius Malfoy?"
Snape's dark eyes gleamed with amusement as he drawled out, "Obviously."
Hermione grinned, not needing her Professor to expand on that question further.
Well, maybe she'd push her luck...
"Would you be able to tell me what the vow entailed?"
Professor Snape actually chuckled deeply, his eyes now filled with mirth.
She'd never seen him thusly.
"I would." She went to speak but he put his hand up again to halt her. "However, as I was only the bonder you would need permission from the Headmaster first—as he was the one who initiated the vow."
Hermione's face radiated both annoyance and interest at learning something new.
"I've never read that! Why don't we learn that?"
Snape just shook his head and drawled, "That is something you will learn this year in your NEWT level Charms class. The reason being is you cannot willingly partake in an unbreakable vow until you are of age. Therefore, it is not something that needs to be taught until the age of seventeen."
"Oh!" She replied with a twinge of embarrassment. "Thank you for answering my questions Professor."
"You're welcome Miss Prewett, but do understand that we won't be making these little discourses a habit. Please return when you feel your are sufficiently more prepared."
"Of course, Sir."
Hermione stood up and reached for her book bag and as she walked out of Professor Snape's office, she had a thought.
"Do you think Dumbledore knows who my bond mate is?"
Snape lifted a single eyebrow and tilted his head at her for a moment before he spoke. His voice was clear, controlled but held an edge to it that if she'd known the Potions Master better, might've given her pause.
"I can't say."
Hermione nodded and left Snape's office, missing the scowl that covered the older wizard's face.
Snape had every belief that Dumbledore knew exactly whom Miss Prewett's ancillary would end up being. Thankfully for him, she hadn't asked him if he suspected just whom that wizard might be.
Severus was no fool.
He'd suspected from the moment Dumbledore required Lucius to make that ridiculous vow. He'd done so to make sure that the young witch didn't end up suffering a terrible fate but he'd also made sure that Lucius Malfoy was now in his debt. Dumbledore might appear to be a doddering old fool, but he never did anything without careful consideration.
The fact that his Godson had inquired recently about fine tuning his own Occlumency was interesting as well.
Shaking his head, Severus had to wonder just how Miss Prewett would react when she discovered just whom she was likely destined to bond with. Their history aside, both his pupils were highly intelligent, magically powerful, stubborn, perfectionists with a penchant for cunning and cruelty. Severus wasn't unaware of just how Miss Prewett had led Delores Umbridge to her fate last year, nor her capturing of Rita Skeeter in a mason jar and blackmailing said reporter.
Being a spy for twenty years, not much got by him. Students minds were rather fragile things and he could pick up on basic thoughts well enough.
Since her transformation, Miss Prewett's mental barriers had increased exponentially. During their sessions—she was able to shield her thoughts most efficiently but not her emotions.
Not completely.
And it was that which was causing her magic to become unsettled and moody.
His godson however, had complete emotional control over his thoughts. Draco had managed somehow this past summer, to put away his propensity for childish endeavors and petty games. So much so, that Severus was having a hard time getting a true read on Draco's feelings.
Draco would be a better Occlumens than he ever was, by the time he reached his thirties.
He probably would be a gifted legilimens too, and it was something that Severus wondered if he should have a talk with Lucius about at some point soon.
If his suspicions were true, and they usually were—Draco would need every skill necessary to compliment Miss Prewett when the inevitable happened.
If she didn't kill him first.