The Good, the Bad, and the Confused Witch
Summary: Voldemort casts a spell on Severus Snape that separates his ruthless qualities from his good ones. How will Voldemort try to use this to win the war? And will Hermione and Severus be able to reverse the spell before it takes Severus' life?
A/N: This story is totally AU. The war is still going on long after Hermione has graduated. Dumbledore still lives, and the happenings of Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows never happened. Horcrux? What's a Horcrux?
For those Star Trek fans, this story is loosely based on the Original Series episode: The Enemy Within.
Thanks to AmortentiaInMyVeins, who beta'd this.
The Good, the Bad, and the Confused Witch
Chapter 1
Hermione Granger settled into her seat next to Severus Snape and gave him a small smile. Severus bowed his head to her in greeting.
"You won't believe what happened in the third-year class," Hermione said conversationally.
Severus looked at her and arched an eyebrow.
"We were transfiguring rats into teacups, and Paul Jensen accidentally cast his spell upon Matilda Barrows. Of course, it didn't work correctly, so her head wound up being attached to the handle of a large cup. The poor girl. I changed her back immediately, but she was hysterical. I ended up canceling the rest of class and taking her to the infirmary."
Severus smirked. "I would be careful for the next few days if I were Mr. Jensen. I doubt Miss Barrows will let that slide."
"She understands it was an accident," Hermione mused as she placed some French beans on her plate.
"She's a Slytherin, Hermione. She'll find a way to get even."
Hermione shook her head. "Well, she had best not do it in front of me, or she'll be facing a detention."
"I'll be sure to warn her," Severus said as he took a bite of his steak.
Hermione rolled her eyes and began to eat. She knew Severus was just teasing. It had taken her a while to understand Severus' sarcasm and to realize that much of what he said was a nudge to get a rise out of her. She'd learned not to take what he said to heart, and his teasing never bothered her anymore. She usually found it to be humorous.
"When you started here, did you think you'd ever see a student transfigured into a cup?" Severus asked.
Hermione shook her head. "Merlin, no. I guess I should be happy it hasn't happened before in the six years I've been here."
She took a sip of her pumpkin juice. "Oh! Minerva sent me an owl. She uncovered another Death Eater mole in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."
"She's really kept the Ministry free from Death Eater influence since she took her position there," Severus remarked as he took a bite of his roast beef.
Only the Order knew that Albus had asked Minerva to retire from teaching and join the Ministry to keep an eye on those who would try to infiltrate the government from within. Thanks to her work behind the scenes, several Ministry employees had been outed as spies for Voldemort. Hermione had taken her place as the Transfiguration professor.
Hermione glanced at the man next to her as he continued to eat his steak. She had to admit that she'd been surprised at their friendship. She had originally not expected anything from the dour man, but she had gone out of her way to speak with him when their paths had crossed. It hadn't taken long for him to 'warm up' to her; if it could be said that he warmed up to anyone.
Noticing their friendship, Dumbledore had asked Hermione to help when Severus returned from Death Eater meetings, as he often came back injured. She had been helping out ever since.
"Malfoy came by to tell you that there is a meeting tonight?" she asked him softly so no one else could hear.
Severus nodded.
"I'll be waiting for your return."
Severus' lips thinned. "Hermione… you really don't need to do that."
"I know that, but I want to do it. I want to be sure you're safe. It's been a while since you were summoned to a gathering. Who knows what he may do to any of you?"
Whenever Severus was called by Voldemort, she would receive a Floo from Albus telling her of his departure. She would wait for a while, and then go down to the Entrance Hall, pacing by herself until Severus returned.
The first time she had helped Severus, she had pretended to just be passing by, as Severus had looked mortified to be caught in such a weakened state. It didn't take him long to understand what was going on, though, and he'd grumbled and complained ad nauseum every time she was there to greet him. After a while, he had given up his complaining, and now neither of them said anything as she met him at the doors, nor did they speak of those encounters afterward.
Severus sighed but continued eating. After a moment, Hermione returned to her meal as well.
"What do you think he'll want tonight?" Hermione asked as she looked over at him.
Severus turned and gazed at her. "I think he wants to try taking the Ministry again. When his frantic attacks didn't work, he went underground. He's been in hiding for over a year now, only meeting with his followers. The only thing he's been having us do are small raids here and there. I'm sure he's been plotting something. We'll probably hear about it tonight, and he'll spout some nastiness about Potter. Not a meeting goes by where we're not regaled with how glorious Potter's defeat will be."
"It seems like he's all boasting and no action," Hermione mused.
Severus turned quickly; his eyes filled with warning. "The Dark Lord is not someone to be underestimated. I don't know why he hasn't made a move on Potter, but I know it's not because he doesn't intend to. He is the ultimate strategist and won't move until he feels he can accomplish all that he wishes."
Hermione shrugged. "Of course, you're right. It's just been odd that he hasn't made any moves against Harry."
"And with the time that has gone by, perhaps Potter has become complacent?" Severus asked as he arched his eyebrow.
Hermione thought about it. "I see what you're trying to say, but I don't think he has. Being an Auror, Harry is highly trained and understands the consequences of letting his guard down. If that's what You-Know-Who is hoping for, I doubt he'll be very pleased when they do meet each other at wand-point."
"Hopefully," Severus said.
He placed his napkin on the table. "I should be going. I need to get some work done before the meeting."
Hermione's hand moved to his arm. "Be careful, Severus."
His eyes moved down to her hand before coming back up to meet hers.
"I will," he said softly before rising and moving swiftly out of the Great Hall.
Hermione sighed. She constantly worried about him on these nights.
oooOOOooo
Severus appeared in the field where the Death Eaters had been summoned and took his place in the circle of Voldemort's followers. From behind his mask, he eyed those gathered together. There were still several members who hadn't arrived yet. He wondered at the summoning. There were no raids scheduled anytime soon.
His comrades murmured to one another, but he couldn't hear them. He was in no mood to be cordial at this point, but he moved a little closer so he could hear what they were speaking about. The others continued with their conversations, none near him making any attempt to speak with him. That was fine with Severus. He spent the time studying his counterparts, seeing what he could glean from their postures and anything they did say to one another.
At long last, all the Death Eaters had arrived. Severus waited for the Dark Lord as he regarded the group again, noticing their body language showed that everyone was nervous. After a short while, Voldemort appeared before them. Severus eyed his master as the man walked within the circle before settling on facing those just to Severus' right.
"Ah, my friends, welcome," the Dark Lord said. "You may wonder why I've called all of you here today."
He circled around them once again, eyeing everyone. "I have gathered you here for you all to see how benevolent your Lord can be."
There was silence for a minute, while everyone shifted uncomfortably.
"Severus, come before me."
Severus' heart filled with dread, but he pulled himself from beside his comrades and knelt before Voldemort.
"Yes, my Lord?" he said deferentially.
"Rise," Voldemort demanded. After Severus had done so, the Dark Lord swished his wand and dissolved Severus' mask, leaving his face open for all to see. He then continued to speak.
"Severus, you have been a loyal servant—one of my most trusted men—yet I feel something is lacking in you."
"What is that, my Lord?" Severus asked in a hushed voice, afraid that his duplicity had been discovered.
"You could be more ruthless."
Severus' eyes grew wide as he stared at the ground. He knew if he lifted his head to look at the Dark Lord, he would be punished. He waited, holding his breath, for his master to explain his cryptic declaration.
"While perusing the Malfoy's library, I came across a spell in an old book," Voldemort explained as Severus stood stock still before him. "It will strengthen you considerably. I would like for you to reap the benefits of that spell."
"My Lord, I am honored."
"But, Severus, you don't even know what this spell will do," Voldemort crooned.
"My Lord, if you say it will strengthen me, then I long to be strengthened," Severus replied, all the while scared witless as to what the Dark Lord had in store for him.
"Look at me, Severus."
Severus raised his head and felt the Dark Lord enter his mind. The creature withdrew after rifling through his thoughts. Voldemort looked to the men in his circle.
"If all of you had the dedication and eagerness to please that Severus does, you would all reap the benefits of this spell," he commented to them.
Only Severus dared look at his master.
"In any case, Severus, you have done well and deserve to become all that you would wish to become as my servant. Prepare yourself."
Severus didn't know what to expect. He wondered if the Dark Lord was just toying with him and intended to kill him with whatever spell he was to be hit with. He braced himself for death.
"Separatum corpus, bonum et malum!" Voldemort cried as an orange light shot from his wand and hit Severus squarely in the chest.
Severus' body shook, and he felt as if he was being torn apart. Trying to hold back the screams, he fell to his knees as pain coursed through his body. He had been right; Voldemort was trying to kill him. Instead of subsiding, the pain just increased. Unable to keep silent, he threw his head back and gave a guttural scream before curling in on himself and falling to the ground. It seemed to go on forever, as he screamed and screamed. He begged Voldemort to stop, but the pain only worsened. Opening his eyes for a second, he could see an orange glow around him as his vision blurred suddenly. Internally, he thought he felt his insides being ripped to shreds. The pain was so intense now that he could barely utter a moan. Falling prey to the horrible torment of the spell, he gave one last cry before everything went black.
oooOOOooo
Hermione paced in the Entrance Hall nervously. Her feet furiously took her from one end of the entryway to the other. She swiftly turned when she reached the wall, only to quickly make her way to the other side and repeat the whole thing once again. A student came out of the Great Hall. Hermione hastily stopped her pacing as he walked by her.
"Hello, Professor Granger," he said.
"Hello, Mr. Dodgewood," she replied.
As she waited for the boy to get where he was going, she thought about her friendship with Severus Snape. It had snuck up on her and taken her by surprise. Helping him after his Death Eater meetings had made them closer. Even though few words had been spoken, they had established a type of camaraderie and almost a silent way of communicating. She quickly learned there was more to Severus Snape than his gruff exterior.
They often spent time at dinner talking long after everyone else had left the Great Hall. She loved every minute of it. They would chat about work and magical concepts, and Hermione drank up the knowledge that came from Severus. He seemed to enjoy her insights also, which had made her ecstatic.
She watched as the young Hufflepuff disappeared from the entryway and up the stairs as she continued her wool-gathering.
After all the time she had been spending with Severus, she found she liked him a lot. She noticed the things he hid behind his harsh persona, and they just made her care for him even more. He'd become quite dear to her.
She grinned to herself as she thought about when they chaperoned Hogsmeade trips, invariably finding themselves hiding in the bookstore for half of the trip, looking over books and discussing the positives and negatives of each one. She shook her head as she admitted to herself that she'd developed a serious crush on him.
She rolled her eyes. "You're daft. There's no way he's interested in you."
She took another lap around the entranceway and sighed heavily. Even though she knew nothing would ever come of her crush, she had lost her heart to him. She knew, though, that although he might enjoy talking with her, he certainly never gave the impression that he was interested in her in any way other than as an occasional companion in the bookstore. Even though she was a professor now, she knew he would always remember the know-it-all little girl who had made his classes unbearable with her constant 'hand waving.'
She had a secret hope that he would one day open up to her and consider her more than a friend. That hope, however, was very slight, as their past made her doubt that he'd ever think of her as someone he'd want to get to know romantically.
Nonetheless, Hermione felt she was falling in love with Severus Snape. She shook her head at her foolishness. How could she have fallen for the dour, snarky man who was quite a bit older than she?
Coming out of her reverie, she stopped pacing and muttered to herself, "Get a hold of yourself. It's never going to happen; you should be happy with the friendship you do have."
Hermione folded her arms in front of her and huffed. She needed to get rid of these musings, or when Severus came in, he'd know she'd been maudlin. She needed to be there for him and not wrapped up in her own issues. She took a deep breath and began to move once again.
She studied the door as she continued pacing up and down the hallway, wondering when Severus would come home. She worried her lip, hoping that this summoning hadn't resulted in him being hurt too badly. She never knew what to expect after these meetings. It always broke her heart to see Severus in pain. She couldn't understand why Voldemort felt the need to attack his closest followers.
After several more rounds at the entryway, the door creaked open, and Hermione watched Severus storm in. He seemed to be untouched. She was surprised because she could not remember a time when he hadn't arrived with some sort of injury. Studying him, she found nothing wrong except the severe scowl on his face. She went up to him, noticing he looked livid.
"Severus, you're all right," she said with relief.
"Of course, I'm all right, you foolish girl. Why do you insist on waiting down here for me every time I am called? I do not need your help, nor do I want it! Tell Albus to keep his meddlesome nose out of my business and leave me alone!"
Hermione felt as if she had been slapped in the face. Severus had never reacted to her like this, even when he had been deeply embarrassed by his injuries. His meeting must have not gone well for him to be in such a state.
"Severus, I…" she reached out for his arm.
"Silence!" he said tersely as he wrenched his arm from her hand. "Let me be!"
With that, Severus turned and stalked down the corridor to the stairway, his robes billowing behind him. Hermione watched him go, tears welling up in her eyes from his harsh words to her. Before she even had time to examine his caustic remarks, she heard the door creak again. Turning towards it, she saw a second, weakened Severus Snape stumble through the doors. Her eyes widened in confusion and amazement as she rushed to support the man in front of her before he fell to the ground.