AN: Hello! I has been a long time since I have written a story. This is my first Hermione/Draco story. Of course, all the characters and elements of this story below to J.K. Rowling. I am just using some creative liberty. This is an A/U story starting during the events of Half-Blood Prince. Please leave a review, follow, and enjoy! Note: I am also working on another story on a different account, Scorned Scarlet - which is also my AO3 penname!
Professor Severus Snape walked up to the castle very late on a Monday night, his hair untidily splayed over his face and shoulders. As always, his face wrought with stressed lines. The air was cold around him, kissing his face as he marched with a purpose. He was worried when he felt the mark burn, worried that the Dark Lord had perhaps figured out about the Unbreakable Vow he'd made with Narcissa Malfoy; after all, when was the last time he had summoned Severus this early in the school year. He was worried about punishment, he was worried about reprimand, he was worried he'd find out about their plan with her.
As he entered the castle, he strained his ears to listen for students or staff walking about. The ringing silence confirmed that he was alone. It was particularly late at night and most students would be in bed. However, he could name a few students, a few Gryffindors, who seemed to think the rules didn't apply to them. He growled; how many times had he nearly been caught arriving at the castle after a revel by one of those three? He had lost count last year, when the revels picked up again. The last thing he needed tonight was to run into her.
"Wee Muddy, Wee Muddy, way out of bed? Look at the time, are you out of your head?!" A familiar ghoulish voice rang, echoing in the hallway, jovial and tormenting.
"Peeves! Give that back now!" Another voice, somehow more infuriating than the Poltergeist, assaulted his eardrums. He scowled deeply; he knew that voice all too well. He debated internally whether to interfere or go straight to Dumbledore's office and avoid the insufferable girl all together.
Ultimately, he peered down the hallway and witnessed a scene that would further soured his mood; Hermione Granger was leaping in the air, dressed in a silly nightdress with her hair in plaits, swatting at Peeves the Poltergeist as he held a book over her head and teased her. His curious stare turned into a scowl. He did not want to deal with this tonight, after all he'd been through already.
"Miss Granger!" His voice rang out, a mix between an angry bellow and a whisper. She immobilized, her eyes widened as she looked over at him, shocked and embarrassed.
Peeves smiled sinisterly and dropped the mysterious book on the floor, to which Hermione scuttled to scoop into her arms.
"Have a goodnight, Professor; or is it morning? I'd look at a clock, if it weren't so boring!"
Peeves laughed as he floated through the ceiling and disappeared.
Severus turned his eyes to Hermione, who was staring intently at the floor, a blush on her features as she held the too big, aging book to her chest. He strained his eyes, trying to read the title from this distance, but she had it covered with her left arm. He approached her hastily, whipping out his wand with a nonverbal 'Lumos'.
"Have you any idea what time it is, Granger? Or are you just senseless? Do you think the normal school rules don't apply to you?" He questioned her heatedly, causing her to take a step back.
"I… I know it's late, sir," she said. He sensed her nerves rising, and he was not entirely surprised.
"Am I going to cross Potter and Weasley later on? Or were they smart enough to shroud themselves in Potter's cloak?" He asked, and her eyes widened, seeming to be shocked by his knowledge of the object. He kept silent and waited for her to speak on her own.
She shook her head, "Harry and Ron have nothing to do with this," she said, and he knew she was lying. Hermione decided to lift her eyes to his. "Sir, I.-"
"Give me the book," he demanded, walking over to her.
"Why?" She asked him.
He shot her a look, "The book, Granger," he said authoritatively, holding a hand out for the book.
She sighed and placed the hefty book into his hand before straightening out her nightgown embarrassedly.
Severus' eyes scanned the old brown book in his hand. He shut his eyes and let out deep sigh. It was a book on all the students who had attended Hogwarts School in the past hundred years. "Why do you have this?" He asked her, annoyance still prevalent in his tone.
She took the book back into her hands. For a moment she paused, appearing to contemplate how to answer without raising any suspicion. "I often find myself unable to sleep." She swallowed. "I found myself curious about the history of the students who once roamed these halls. I figured it would help me rest."
He did not buy it, but he also did not seem to care at the moment. He cleared his throat and straightened out, "Get back to bed, Miss Granger. Forget this ever happened. Five points for being out of bed," he dismissed her. Under normal circumstances he would have raised hell, but he had more pressing matters to attend to.
Hermione stood there, shocked. Only a five point deduction from Snape for being out of bed? She'd have thought he would have taken at least fifty, and he wouldn't have been wrong to do so.. When he realized that she was still standing there, he rolled his eyes, "Leave before I change my mind!" She jumped out of her somewhat catatonic state and ran past him with her head down. When he knew she was out of the vicinity, he shook his head and exhaled. He'd best get to Dumbledore before the old man decided to send a search party.
Up in the Headmaster's office, Professor Albus Dumbledore sat behind his desk, his hands steepled against his face as he waited for Severus to come and see him. He knew he was back at the castle, he just didn't know what was taking him so long to arrive.
At that moment, the door burst open and in walked the man in question, looking worse for wear. He paced the office, but didn't say a word to the elderly man.
"Anything on your mind, Severus?" Dumbledore asked him, moving his hands to rest in his lap as he leaned back.
Severus looked over at him and stopped. "The Dark Lord is adamant that it must be Draco to do it," he said, his face seeming to age every minute. "The boy won't survive either way."
"We are well aware of that, my boy," Dumbledore's eyes were uncharacteristically dull behind his half-moon spectacles. "We know what we must do."
"We have been trying, Albus. Do you really believe the girl can be trusted with this?" Severus snapped with a harsh tone. "Do you believe the boy can be trusted with this?"
"I believe we have few other options if we want to save him, Severus."
"Do you truly believe bringing the girl in to be a pawn in this game is the only way to save him?" Severus asked tiredly.
Dumbledore leaned forward and shook his head solemnly, the glimmer lost from behind his half-moon spectacles, "It's only part of it, my boy. Only part of it."
Hermione woke up the next morning feeling thoroughly confused by her encounter with Professor Snape last night. Perhaps he had forgotten who she was and that he hated her.
She noted that she was awake about an hour earlier than she needed to be; deciding this would be a good time to take advantage of the shower, she hopped on that opportunity. Unfortunately, she would not make it there as she had hoped.
On her way to the Prefect's bathroom, Hermione was interrupted by her Head of House, Professor McGonagall.
"Good morning, Miss Granger. No surprise seeing you up this early," the elder witch smiled and took in Hermione with a lingering stare.
"Good morning, Professor," Hermione replied, returning the smile.
"It's good I've run into you. Professor Dumbledore has requested your presence in his office. I was just coming to wake you."
Hermione paused for a moment. Her mind started to wake up as it ran through all the possible reasons the Headmaster might want to speak with her. At the present, she could only recall what had happened with Snape the previous night. "Do you have any idea what this is about?" She asked, hoping to get some clarity from the elderly witch.
McGonagall shook her head and handed Hermione an enclosed note. "That is the password for today. Be sure to destroy that after you read it."
With a confused expression and her thoughts on last night, Hermione took the note and diverted her path from the bathroom to the Headmaster's office.