Chapter 9

She froze for a second too late, her wand halfway raised towards the person who had spoken her name. That hesitation cost her greatly. She gasped as both of her arms were wrenched into a bruising grip. Hermione struggled against the body holding her only to be forced still when Snape's voice hissed at her from behind.

"Stop or you will force me to hurt you, Granger."

She did stop but only because his voice hinted at the great pleasure he would probably take in doing so. She opened her mouth to speak but gasped when he jerked her body in front of his. His warm body seemed to blanket hers entirely. Anger began to rise inside of her at his manhandling.

"Don't scream," Snape said, his voice a whisper now.

Hermione was about to ask what he meant by that when all of a sudden everything went up in smoke and they began flying. Irrational fear made her struggle in his arms and a shout almost escaped her mouth. In an instant it felt like a dozen of hands were touching her. One went over her mouth while the others forced her body from moving.

Her fear and anger turned into a burst of uncontrollable magic and it hit him full burst. One moment she was in his arms and in the next she was hurtled onto the cold floor. The smell of the dungeons hit her nose right before a roar tore through the room.

"You stupid girl!"

Scrambling up from the cold floor, she turned around with her wand out and pointed at Snape. The rage in his eyes caused her to flatter and send a scream mentally down the connection between her and Adrian. Her attention snapped back to Snape, who had risen from the floor as well, and tried to get around him and towards the door. He saw her intention and pointed his wand at her. She froze and raised her hands up slightly.

"Who did you just call to?" asked Snape, his voice a dark pur against her raw senses. His black eyes boring into hers threateningly. Hermione licked her lips, she wasn't sure how exactly he had figured that out. Adrian's words suddenly sprang into her head. "He was the most dangerous…"

Shite, that only meant he was a lot more powerful than she was. If Dimitry said he was the most dangerous ones than it held some truth.

She checked her shields but didn't find so much as an opening. Narrowing her eyes at him, she raised her chin in a defiant manner.

"What do you mean? This is kidnapping, Professor Snape."

Snape sneered as he came closer to her.

"I can have you expelled for what you have done tonight! Cheating isn't allowed in the Tournament so Potter must have sent you in his place tonight. I'll have both of you thrown out by morning!" yelled Snape. His face half hidden by his hair, casting a menacing shadow across his face.

She was about to plead guilty on the behalf of Harry when a loud bang was heard on the other side of the room. Snape whirled around towards the door, giving Hermione a moment to glance around the room once and realizing right away that it was a bedroom. One that didn't look like a students.

Snape snarl caused her to snap her attention back to him. He was glaring at her, one hand raised in her direction and the other at the door. Shite, Adrian must be on the other side. How he found her, she didn't know.

"Who is it?" asked Snape loudly.

"Sir, it's Adrian Pucey and Marcus Flint. Please open the door."

Snape's glare disappeared and suddenly became blank. He flicked his hands once and the fireplace to the side of her lit up. She almost jumped back in surprise, barely suppressing the urge to glare at him. That wouldn't help her situation. Snape lowered his wand and opened the door. Adrian and Marcus pushed their way in without any hint of manner. Adrian ignored Snape and hurried to her side.

She was going to warn him not to betray emotion but his expression told her it wasn't prudent to speak. He grabbed her shoulders hard and noticed her wince which for once made his blank look disappear, rage surfacing at a rapid speed. He whirled on Snape who had been watching the exchange with a face devoid of emotion.

Marcus was standing slightly behind Snape with his wand pointed at Snape's back. Snape cast a bored look towards Adrian.

"I didn't know you had a taste for little girls. Especially a Gryffindor, Adrian."

Adrian, who had been acting so out of character, snarled. Hermione winced at the unfamiliar sound. She had never once seen him lose his cool like this before. It made her afraid of what he was going to do. She couldn't let him get in trouble. If what he had said was right, then Snape could take all three of them on without breaking a sweat.

Once again for the second time that night she thoughtlessly acted and stunned Adrian than Marcus. Snape had moved out of the way just like she thought he would and raised his wand in her direction.

"Leave them alone. They had nothing to do with what I did tonight."

Snape broke his composure once again, ignoring the warning glance he received from the two Slytherins on the floor. She had tried not looking in their direction since she didn't want to lose her composure as well. Something about Snape made her gash her teeth hard. The man was horrible. She had defended him for years to Harry and Ron. Only now she was starting to realize how right they had been.

"What have you been doing with my Slytherins, Granger? Turned traitor to Potter now? Not too long ago where you mentioned his 'lover'. I have seen you around Adrian and Marcus a few times now. Why is that?"

His deep voice made her want to shiver and not in a good way. What exactly was he implying? That she was betraying Harry with Adrian and Marcus? Insulted and beyond angry, she called to the one man that could help in this situation.

It drained her magically to reach so far but all she sent to Dimitry was, "Snape."

She lost connection in the next instant but not before she caught the edge of rage on the other end. She smiled grimly at Snape who had lowered his wand slightly at her sudden fatigue.

"Who else did you just call? Nobody can apparate in if that's what you're doing. Another Slytherin perhaps?"

The fireplace suddenly flared a bright green and she watched Snape's face transform rapidly. He grabbed her arm and thrust her back into the what ended up being a bathroom and closed the door. She heard him cast another spell and didn't have to guess who it had been directed at.

"Why are you here, Dimitry?"

"I think we need to talk, Severus."

"What is there to talk about? As far as I'm concerned we don't have anything of importance. If Dumbledore finds out you are here…?"

"I'm here for something that I'm sure you wouldn't want Albus to know about."

Hermione closed her eyes tightly as they continued the verbal fencing. She couldn't let Dimitry tell him anything. She had mixed feelings about Snape still. She opened the door and watched as both men swirled around to face her.

"Hermione?" asked Dimitry into their shared link. She leaned hard against the door as she watched both of them silently. Hermione gave a sigh and waved her hand towards the boys, releasing them from both Snape's and her spell. They both shot up and took her arms on either side.

Snape watched silently, his eyes flickering between Dmitry and her. Something flashed across his eyes before he sneered once more, "Don't tell me that this know-it-all is your bastard child."

Everybody in the room froze at his words before her mind became a beehive and all three men began angrily discussing the pros to playing along with that. Snape stared at her hard before waving his hand in her direction. She stared blankly at him and decided to go with her gut.

"I'm actually planning to take Tom Riddle down."

This time the silence was absolute. Shock clearly showed on everybody's face at her words. Of course, Snape was the first one to recover. He walked closer to her, snapping Dimitry from his shock. Dimitry raised his wand slightly as he watched Snape's every move. Snape ignored him and came to stand before her, inches separating them.

"What was that?" he asked softly.

Hermione almost lost her nerve as his black eyes seem to see right through her. Both boys on either side of her crowded in closer. She shrugged them off and made herself stand straight even though all she wanted to do was shrink away.

"I said I'm going to bring Tom Riddle down and they are helping me. I was the one that found out something important that could either destroy this world or save it. And Harry is in the middle of it."

She moved closer so that only an inch or two separated them. It was only then that she realized how much bigger he was that close up. He watched silently before a sneer began appearing on his face once again.

"And what exactly did you find, Granger? That you would willingly run to a pureblood for help when you could have gone Dumbledore. If you are a bastard child than it would make sense but you look nothing like Dimitry."

Hermione stared at him for a second before shifting her attention to Dimitry. His face was outraged once again, probably at the name calling. If he thought that was bad then she wouldn't ever tell him what Snape said any other time.

She stepped away from Snape and walked over to Dimitry. She raised her hand to his face and whispered. "I'm sleeping with him of course. How else could I have convinced a Death Eater to turn traitor? Why? Are you going to kill us or take us to your Dark Lord?"

She willed Dimitry to stay still and play along. She wouldn't trust blindly. Not when it came to Riddle's most trusted follower. One who had tried to protect her when Dimitry had floo'ed in.

Dimitry stiffened momentarily before sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her into his embrace.

Snape snarled, "Sleeping with a fourteen-year-old now, Dimitry? Does Zephrine know what you're doing with a child? In front of your own son?"

Funny how he didn't mention the Death Eater part nor what he planned to do.

Hermione turned in Dimitry's arms, forcing herself not to pull away from the unfamiliar contact. They had never hugged before. But she found that she didn't mind hugging him. It felt like if she were hugging her own father.

Dimitry's cool voice filled the air above her head. "The boys brought her to me as a gift over the summer. They had run into her and decided to befriend her for their own reasons. I just took advantage of that. She has her own room in our main house. She is to be my first mistress."

Hermione would have laughed at Snape's face but didn't want to make him rage once more. Snape walked over to them, ignoring Adrian and Marcus completely. Adrian's voice filled her head.

"Trust him. I do, after what he did."

Snape stopped in his tracks and glanced back at Adrian.

"What do you mean Adrian? Trust who?"

Hermione closed her eyes for a second before opening them once again, a resolution made. If anything backfired she would use the time-turner and not follow Harry. Dimitry seemed to realize the sudden lack of tension in her body and let her go. He stayed touching her back though and motioned for the guys to stand on either side of her. Snape watched silently from his position.

"I found the prophecy involving Harry. The full prophecy. But for some reason, Harry himself doesn't know about it. I don't think Riddle does either."

Snape froze, "The full prophecy?"

He gave a harsh laugh, "I delivered that to the Dark Lord long ago."

Hermione raised her chin once again and spoke the complete prophecy out loud. Snape seemed to grow paler with every word that left her mouth. He stood there for what seemed like forever after she finished talking. She leaned back into Dimitry, who wrapped a loose arm around her middle. She was getting more tired by the minute. Dimitry spoke once more.

"Perhaps it's best if we speak somewhere else as to avoid further complications."

Not giving anybody else another word he towed her to the floo and took her to Pucey Manor. They appeared in Dimitry's office a few seconds later. He pushed her onto a chair as the others floo'ed in. He called for Sunmi, who panicked at the state Hermione was in.

Not a moment later did Zephrine walk in. Not rushing exactly but the strain around her mouth spoke of great concern. She glanced around the room and seem to freeze when her eyes landed on Snape's form.

"Bring us some tea and sandwiches, Sunmi," said Zephrine as she grabbed a blanket that was laid by the window seat.

Sunmi left after patting Hermione's hand reassuringly. Zephrine gave her a slight smile.

"What trouble have you caused now, darling."

Hermione smiled for the first time in hours. "I didn't do anything. I was caught by surprise. I'm the innocent one here."

Dimitri laughed as he took the blanket from his love. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and draped the blanket on Hermione's lap.

"In the short time I have known her, this girl either causes problems or they find her without much problem.."

Hermione gave him a large smile as she moved to the side to let Adrian sit down beside her. Marcus stayed by the floo all the while watching Snape.

"If you brought him here then that can only mean you plan to include him in?" asked Zephrine softly.

She took the window seat and pulled her husband with her. Snape remained standing in the middle of the room. He was watching them all with a blank look on his face. Probably trying to figure them out. Hermione nodded and leaned her head on Adrian's shoulder tiredly.

"He thought he knew the whole prophecy but he had only gotten half of it. Dumbledore kept it from him all these years I'm guessing."

Sunmi appeared the next instant with loads of trays filled with sandwiches and tea. She took some gratefully, she had used so much magic it had physically drained her. Adrian and Marcus took two plates each while Snape declined the plate and took the tea instead.

Snape kept an eye on her as he took a sip before he set his cup down on Dimitry's table.

"What else do you know or have Miss Granger? I was mistaken about you being a child. Now that I'm looking closely at you, you don't look like a fourth year should."

Hermione nodded, "I'm sixteen actually. My birthday changes every time I use a certain device but as of right now I should be turning seventeen in late February." She didn't let him speak as she raised the jumper she had on and showed off the time-turner wrapped around her waist. Once she made sure he saw it she pulled it back down and watched him.

"I have been here since the beginning of summer. Death Eaters or at least one of them and a vampire attacked my parents as a lesson for Harry. They both had spoken to Riddle. They hadn't seen him but they did mention that his voice sounded off. I used the time turner and went back to save my parents," she left out the part where they had been killed, "I was also helped by others long dead in finding out other stuff."

Hermione locked eyes with Snape, making sure he noticed the steel behind her words.

"I was made to believe that Dumbledore is grooming Harry and who will probably die trying to take Riddle down. Harry isn't ready yet but I plan to help him as soon as I get everything I need."

She bit into the sandwich and chewed slowly. She called Sunmi's name and asked her to get a book she had left here.

A book with a note hidden in it. She ate the rest of the sandwich and saw a book appear on her lap. It was one of the ones that had been tied with two ribbons along with another. She opened it and pulled out an old piece of parchment paper that had been folded in half. Unfolding it to show an odd symbol and a few words written beneath it. Adrian stiffened beside her, his reaction causing Snape to shift his attention to the parchment in her hands.

Hermione sent an apologetic look in Dimitry's direction. "I have been doing something on my own but I don't think I'll be finding anything in Hogwarts about it."

Dimitry frowned, blue eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What is it?"

"In case I die before it gets done, find Tom's Horcruxes. Let him kill him."

Several days after the first task was done, Professor McGonagall had announced that there would be a ball during Christmas break. Everybody was worried about dates and what not. Even Zephrine had sent her a box filled with different dresses and accessories. She had stashed it under her bed and hadn't looked at it since then.

She was more worried about Snape's answer. He had left that night several days ago without speaking to her. He had avoided her eyes in class and after a while, she had stopped raising her hand. Harry and Ron were too occupied with girls to notice, now that they were once again talking to each other. Which was fine, she was trying to buy as much time as possible for him.

At the moment, she was sitting outside by the lake. She sat on a large piece of rock that was smooth on top. She had slipped away from the boys when a gaggle of girls had approached them. Ron had smirked at her, making Hermione want to smash in his nose the Muggle way. The same way she had done to Malfoy the year before.

She had spoken with Sirius earlier about Harry, he was more worried about Karkaroff than anything. He had finally decided to stay at 12 Grimmauld Place with Lupin. They had wanted to go elsewhere but for the time being, they would stay there until Harry went back for the summer and chose another place to live at but kniwing Harry, he would probably want to stay. She supposed that was for the best.

Harry had only shrugged when she had asked him about it.

Boys.

She glanced up as she heard footsteps approaching her. She frowned when she saw who it was. Viktor Krum. Was he lost? He had a determined look on his face as he neared her. She stood up slowly and shifted the tome to the side. He came to a stop in front of her, his eyes scrutinizing her face with quick movements. She moved a curl away from her face and he followed the movement with his eyes. She cleared her throat and raised her eyebrows in question.

Viktor nodded once, "Do ve want to go to de dance ve me?"

Hermione stilled, "Are you asking me to the ball?"

He nodded again. She stared at him in astonishment. Viktor Krum had just asked her to the ball. She waved her hands around in a sudden agitated gesture. "Yes, I suppose I could go with you."

He gave her a large grin, showing off perfect white teeth.

"I'll be waiting for you in the entrance hall."

With another grin, he turned on his heel just as a gaggle of girls could be heard further down the shore. His shoulders went ridge as he saw them and looked back at her in with a desperate look. She laughed and shook her head.

No, if he could handle a dragon, then he could very well take on a horde of girls. He cast her another grin before heading off to meet his fangirls.

She couldn't believe he had asked her. Yes, she was told on several occasions that she was pretty but she never believed it since it was mostly her parents who had told her. Dimitry wasn't overly talkative but he did comment once or twice.

Zephrine loved her hair and called her beautiful all the time. Adrian said she looked fine while Marcus just growled his approval. Montague just flirted shamelessly with her. She still wasn't sure about him though.

The sun was almost gone when she realized that she was about to miss dinner. She shrunk the book and slid it into her pocket. An instant later the warming charms disappeared for the sixth time. She let them drop as she shrugged her coat on. It was beginning to snow at night recently so she wanted to hurry up before it began.

She brushed off her pants and tucked her wand away before strolling down the wooded area and shore. Hagrid always told her to stay away from any wooded area but nothing had ever attacked her. She was almost near the clearing when a voice to the side of the trees stopped her.

"Miss Granger."

She turned to see Snape hidden in shadows. She wondered how long he had been standing there for. Hermione glanced around but saw no one else in sight. She walked over to him so that she too was hidden.

"Have you decided on what to do now?"

He stared down at her blankly, "I don't think you know what you're doing. I have been doing this since before you were born. I am a Death Eater. I chose to be one." He paused, almost like he expected her to be appalled.

She didn't so much as blink as she continued to stare at him. She had already known that.

He glanced past her shoulders and towards the lake. "I don't think you can do this alone. But if I leave you alone, you will get killed. You dying means Potter will fail. I can't have that. Neither can the Wizarding World."

She raised an eyebrow, trying not to be intimidated by him. "Where do your loyalties lie?"

He returned his attention back to her, "I'm loyal to Dumbledore. I will continue to be as I have done so for years." He raised his hand as she opened her mouth to speak.

"But I also have to seem loyal to the Dark Lord." He unbuttoned his cuffs and raised his sleeve. The Dark Mark showed darkly on his pale skin. She would have recoiled any other time but she had seen the one on Dimitry's arme many times before. Snape seemed to notice her lack of response. He covered it up again before speaking.

"It has grown darker this past month which only means he's become stronger. Once the skull is completely covered in black we will all feel the burn of his calling," he said dispassionately, "I will make it look like I'm a double spy. To one I will spy on the other I will get information from. You will be the one getting the information. Which will make you my handler."

Handler? Yes, that did sound right. She nodded, "I will speak with Dimitry soon. I need to do more research on other things. I need defense training as well as medical."

Snape shrugged, "I will be giving you detention soon. We'll see then how determined you are."

With those words, he left her standing there. His figure disappeared just as the snow began to fall.

She stood there alone and cold, thinking that she should be exploding with happiness that she had a dance partner like the other girls.

But she had never been like other girls.

…...0o0o0o0

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(ZoeyOlivia) Snape! Always Snape. Lol, see what I did there.

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