Spoilers: Order of the Phoenix
Thank you for the reviews and sorry, I'm late...
missingthecat: I certainly hope you didn't see it coming! I did try my best to make it a surprise :)
Severus was speechless, the letter still clutched in his hand, and he looked up at Hermione who was standing in front of him, silent.
It had been only the day before that Voldemort had disappeared and Severus could hear Albus's voice drone about it to the people in the Great Hall. Hermione and he were standing outside of it, where she had called him to show him the letter the owl had brought her at breakfast. He looked up at her and she was shaking visibly when she whispered:
"Would it really annoy you to cure me?"
He opened his mouth to protest of his innocence, realised he had no argument she would consider valid, pocketed the spell and shoved the letter back in Hermione's hands before leaving abruptly. A little voice in his head told him it would only make things worse, but he couldn't help it. She believed Draco more than she would ever believe him and it hurt.
Draco's letter had taken him by surprise and he had not expected Narcissa's death. In a certain way, he should have known the identity of the senders of the socks, especially based on the fact that Hermione had sent the first pair. It was like Gregory and Vincent to imitate her style to confuse the issue. But he had never suspected the extent of Draco's hate toward Hermione, to the point of wanting to destroy her mind.
Somehow he felt like he had failed the blonde Slytherin. He was now considered like a hero by half the Slytherin student body, the others being in abject adoration of Tom, who had become the Slytherin King, easily taking Draco's place. The only people staying clear of both Draco and Tom's worshipping were Pansy, Vincent and Gregory. Pansy was now free of her pretences and was spending as much time as she could with Terence, who had been invited by Albus to stay at Hogwarts as long as he wanted. Severus only hoped that she had thought of sending an owl to her mother.
Vincent and Gregory continued to do as if Hermione was their slave and bitterly, Severus thought that they had no reason to change. The deal would be over only with the NEWTs. As much as he was disgusted of having fallen under a dark spell without even suspecting anything, he was quite relieved; he understood how he could have done such a thing and he liked to think that he would never have agreed to it if he had had all his wits about.
He observed the students while they were in the Great Hall. Tom sat at the Gryffindor table, next to Ginny, and, surprisingly, no Gryffindor protested, despite the evident Slytherin crest on his robes. Ron clenched his teeth each time and looked the other way. Severus still remembered Molly Weasley's yells just after the battle; to Tom's credit, he had not backed away from the confrontation, even when facing the whole Weasley family – minus Percy, and Ron who already knew where Ginny's affections lay.
Curiously, Neville didn't protest against Tom's presence at the Gryffindor table. It seemed that Hannah Abbott had decided that she would make him forget Ginny's betrayal and she sat next to him at all meals. Neville didn't seem to mind, though he still held back, but Hannah was most understanding when his eyes strayed in Ginny's direction with a wistful look.
Despite Megan's presence next to him, Harry was often looking at the Hufflepuff table, where Hermione was, with Terry by her side, surrounded by Susan, Ernie and Zacharias. Curiously, Albus did nothing to send the students back to their own tables; he seemed to think that it was very good for inter-Houses relations. Severus personally thought it would have been better if there had been some people from other Houses to sit at the Ravenclaw and Slytherin tables.
Except when he observed her during meals, Severus applied himself very successfully to avoiding Hermione, which was surprisingly easy, between classes and researches for her cure. It was one week after Voldemort's defeat that he heard the knock at the door of his private office.
"Enter!" he growled.
"I can come back later if I'm inconveniencing you now, Severus."
"Oh, Tom! No, come in."
The young wizard stood in front of Severus, slightly frowning.
"I don't understand!" he said finally, as Severus kept silent. "The Slytherins keep talking to me about someone named Voldemort and they looked scared to death each time they say his name! They are surprised that I don't know anything about him! Why can't I remember?"
"Because Voldemort" – Severus shivered slightly when saying the name, he had always called him the Dark Lord – "is only a memory. Your mind is free of it. Unfortunately, not everybody else's mind is."
"And they talk about pure-blood domination. Isn't it a silly thing? This witch who helped me, Hermione Granger, is Muggle-born and she is powerful. I really don't understand."
Tom seemed genuinely confused and Severus sighed inwardly. Hermione had transformed him into a Gryffindor. Sorting him again would have proven instructive.
"Hermione… Well, let's say that people expect you… Hmm, this is going to prove harder than I thought. You were possessed and, under Hermione's directives, we managed to exorcise your demon. The thing is, your demon had those prejudices about pure-bloods and Muggle-born wizards."
Tom nodded in understanding.
"And there's the matter of Harry Potter. Each time I come near him, he winces as if in pain and this odd-looking scar on his forehead turns bright red. Any clue?"
Severus frowned. Would this mean that Tom still had some evil in him?
"I'll have to speak with Hermione about Potter's problem," he said with a sigh.
Tom looked at him curiously.
"You care for her. A Gryffindor? And aren't you a bit old for her?"
"You can talk," muttered Severus. "But I can't even tell you that you're older than me and going out with a witch younger than Hermione… Damn that Obliviate spell!"
Tom's gaze became even more confused, even though he hadn't heard what Severus had said.
"Never mind, Tom. Next time they tell you about the… Voldemort, tell them that he is no more and that you have better to do than follow his ridiculous ideas. Go now, I'm sure Miss Weasley is waiting for you impatiently."
"Are you sure you're alright, Severus?"
"I know what I'm doing, Tom. I may be your cousin, it doesn't make you my guardian. I can take care of myself."
He nodded, suddenly remembering his place, and left silently. Severus waited until the door closed, cast a locking charm on it and threw a pinch of Floo powder in the fireplace.
"Viktor?"
To say that the burly Bulgarian wizard was surprised was an understatement. Severus had never called him of his own accord.
"What is it, Severus?"
"May I come over?"
Too dumbstruck to speak, Viktor simply nodded and Severus stepped into his rooms. He immediately turned around, his wand pointed on the person standing behind him.
"Uh… good evening, Professor Snape," stammered a terrified voice.
"Good evening, Miss Berkley," he answered, lowering his wand before slipping it in his sleeve.
"I was just leaving, sir," she continued hurriedly. "Good evening, Professor Krum."
"Good evening, Megan, and thank you."
She nodded silently, cast a fearful glance toward Severus and almost ran out of the room.
"You had no need to scare her like this," said Viktor reprovingly. "Tea?"
"I didn't know she was here and yes, please."
He sat down in an armchair and looked thoughtfully at Viktor.
"Why would a Ravenclaw come to you rather than to her Head of House?"
"I'm afraid that Filius wouldn't be of any help to her… It was about Hermione."
Severus went very still, even when Viktor pushed the steaming mug in his hands.
"What about Hermione?" he said finally.
"She hurts all the time now. I don't have to tell you where exactly, I'm sure you know. She went to Poppy several times, but she says there is nothing wrong. That maybe, it's due to the after-effects of the curse."
Severus looked down into his mug.
"Some say that you're trying to poison her," added Viktor.
The Potions Master shrugged.
"Stupid. If I truly wanted to poison her, I would do it painlessly for her. I suppose the rumours come from Crabbe and Goyle."
"We have no certitude, but there are little doubts."
Severus shook his head.
"I wish I knew which game they were playing."
"Don't we all?"
Viktor let a moment of silence go by and then asked softly:
"Why did you come, Severus?"
"Potter hurts when Tom comes near him. And it seems some Slytherins are trying to awake the memories of the Dark Lord within him."
Viktor frowned.
"Hermione and Harry are the only ones to know the exact effects of the spell, though I think I remember Harry saying that he didn't know as much as Hermione."
"I know this!" snapped Severus. "But neither Hermione nor Potter would come to me if they had problems. I know this for quite a while now."
They heard a knock at the door and Viktor looked at it for a moment before turning to Severus with a knowing smile.
"Not to you, but to me, maybe."
With a flick of his wand, he opened the door on Harry.
Harry seemed quite puzzled at first to find his Potions Master in the same room as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, but then relief spread on his face.
"Professor Krum–" he began.
Viktor rolled his eyes.
"Harry, what did I already tell you?"
Harry had a small smile.
"Viktor, it's about Volde… Tom. My scar hurts when he comes near."
"Do you have visions like you had before?" inquired Severus curtly.
Harry slowly shook his head.
"It just hurts. Not that bad, just a tingle, as if it was a reminder."
Viktor smiled.
"Maybe that's what it is. Hermione is someone wonderful, but I doubt that she can forgive Voldemort so easily, even to make Miss Weasley happy. She doesn't want us to forget who is really Tom Marvolo Riddle."
"You didn't listen," said a soft sibilant voice. "She told you that she couldn't change his personality. She could only affect it by increasing or decreasing his control on some things."
"Baron," acknowledged Severus as the Slytherin ghost suddenly appeared in front of them.
"I don't remember her saying anything like this," said Harry, frowning.
"She said that it wasn't a question of evil, but a question of control. Severus here has evil urges sometimes, but he controls them."
Severus glowered at being taken as an example, but Viktor nodded his understanding.
"So she reinforced his control on some things – like, I guess, his hate of the Muggles – and made him forget the name Voldemort?"
"Were he to break the Obliviate spell, he would remember everything but probably keep his control – it runs deeper than just a charm. But then the spell was very powerful, feeding on the strength of the people she used to create the new memories and cement his old ones away. The three most powerful wizards currently alive. I don't think anyone could break the Obliviate spell, unless the three who cast it at first gathered again with this intention."
"This is never going to happen!" exclaimed Harry at once.
"Imperius Curse," countered Severus.
"Harry knows how to resist to it," objected Viktor.
Severus looked lengthily at Harry and, out of the blue, asked:
"How is Hermione?"
Harry started and nearly lost his countenance.
"I thought you were keeping an eye on her all the time!" he replied aggressively.
"If I were to do so, Potter, I would have lost said eye quite a long time ago. She barely stands my presence and it's even worse since she received this letter the day after the Dark Lord's demise."
Harry leaned forward in interest.
"What happened?"
"I take it she didn't share it with you?"
Both Viktor and Harry shook their head. Severus considered the situation for a moment, noticed that Viktor's interest was peaked also and took a decision that he couldn't fully understand.
"Oh well, after all, I came here to whine, so…"
"The letter was from Draco Malfoy."
Harry's eyes shone with anger.
"Nothing good, I suppose!"
"For once, your prejudices make you right, Potter. In his letter, young Malfoy explained to Hermione everything. From his point of view, naturally. To summarise a long letter, it appears that the Dark Lord sacrificed Narcissa Malfoy to purify the narwhal tusk, a fact cautiously let unknown to the Malfoy men. It also revealed the price the Dark Lord had to pay for Draco Malfoy to join the Death Eaters: it was Hermione. At first, for petty revenge, just for the pleasure of breaking her; then because he held her responsible for his mother's death."
Viktor nodded silently and the Bloody Baron uttered a snort that reminded everyone that the Slytherin ghost was still present.
"Stupid reasons to join, if you ask me," he said.
"I agree," said Severus coldly. "If he wasn't able to break her spirit on his own, then he had no business enrolling himself as another one's servant, since he was totally useless. What he needed was someone to do the job for him. Apparently, he quite hoped that the Dark Lord would be this person. In fact, he expected Hermione to break after the loss of our son, especially since by then he knew that his mother was dead so Hermione would have unicorn blood in her veins. Anyway, he found allies in Crabbe and Goyle, which wasn't such a bad move, since they had both brighter than he was."
"And then you threw her in their clutches!" accused Harry.
Severus smirked.
"Believe it or not, I'm quite innocent on this. They cast a Confundus spell on me so I would agree to their stupid proposition. As I told Viktor just after it happened, I couldn't understand how I could have agreed to something before even hearing what it was all about. I'm a spy, Potter, and I'm a Slytherin. I'm used to slyness and deceit. I'm used to lies and tortuous minds. I would have been able to fool them if they hadn't used a dark spell. As it were, they wanted Hermione. There was nothing I could do about it. When finally the Dark Lord decided that Hermione would make a truly magnificent queen, he had signed his death warrant. Young Malfoy was determined to have his head. If he had worked alone, he could probably have failed, but then he had Crabbe and Goyle's help. That made the difference."
"It makes no sense for Malfoy to sacrifice himself for Hermione!" protested Harry. "He hated her and would have been deliriously happy to see her submitted to Voldemort!"
"Draco Malfoy didn't care for Hermione, Potter. He simply used her against the Dark Lord. Sacrificing his life was nothing for him, since his father was already condemned to Azkaban and his mother was dead. His ultimate choice gave him the sheen of glory. It is after all doubtful that Hermione will ever publish his letter to her, the very letter in which he stated clearly that he is no hero, just someone moved by family bonds and revenge. In a certain way, I am glad he sent this letter; I was quite unsettled by his noble gesture."
"But then, if it explains everything, especially that you are not responsible for selling Hermione to Crabbe and Goyle, why does she still hate you?" asked Harry, frowning.
"The last lines of the letter… I said once, in presence of Hermione, that I had no desire for any descendant of mine to be born, thus effectively terminating Salazar's line from my side. When she became barren, she reminded me of this remark, since we are bound together and thus would never find ourselves in the situation to have children. The postscript of the letter mentioned the spell used by the Dark Lord and thus maybe a way to cure Hermione of her barrenness. Malfoy denied having done something nice; he pretended it would only irritate me. And she believed it readily."
Harry was obviously tempted to share Draco's thought on the subject. Both Viktor and the Bloody Baron seemed to know better. Severus peered intently in Harry's eyes.
"No matter what you think of me, Potter, I would put Hermione's happiness in front of my own. I felt her distress and deep sorrow when she lost the child; I know she wanted him with all her soul, and not because he was the child of a prophecy. If she wishes to be a mother, I would resurrect Grindelwald himself if he could help her."
Harry nodded slowly.
"She… she's relatively well. Terry still spends his time trying to convince her to stay."
Severus cocked his eyebrow.
"How do you know this for sure? Unless Mr. Boot or his usual Hufflepuff fans have managed to give you information via Longbottom, I fail to see how you could have communicated with him, since she never let him go near one of us."
Harry grinned unrepentantly.
"Terry and I devised a strategy to be able to speak without awakening her suspicion. We developed a coded language about Quidditch. Hermione can't stand Quidditch talks but she's nice enough to let Terry talk about it, especially with Zacharias Smith, the Hufflepuff Chaser. Zacharias is our contact on this. It's just a question of control," he added humorously.
"Ingenious. Harry, could you please teach me this code? After all, Terry could want to talk to me about Quidditch," said Viktor, trying to sound innocent.
Severus rolled his eyes and sighed.