Suddenly, much sooner than Hermione would have liked, she found herself sitting in Snape's office, warily watching the dark man sitting in the chair across from hers. It unnerved her further that instead of sitting behind his desk, he was sitting in the seat besides hers, almost like a darker more twisted Dumbledore.
"Ms. Granger." Snape interrupted her train of thoughts, "I know what you are planning to do tomorrow night, and I would like to talk to you about it." He said as gently as he knew how.
The sound of his voice made Hermione jump, deciding on a temporary route of escape: "What are you talking about Professor?" Hermione asked, trying to look her most harmless.
"Don't play with me girl!" Snape snapped, briefly falling back into character. "You have in your bag a letter from Voldemort inviting you to a Dark Revel tomorrow night, I know because I saw it in your possession. The robe in that parcel of yours comes from a shop that almost exclusively deals in sales to those in the darker circles of the wizarding world, the shop itself is located in Knockturn alley, proof alone of your intentions!"
Hermione froze, realizing how careless she had been, and resorted to her last card, praying it would work, after all a bit of the truth mixed in with a huge lie is almost always the most believable course of action, finishing that thought Hermione promptly burst into tears.
Hearing the girls sobs Severus quickly came to himself, immediately feeling badly for his loss of control.
"Hermione," He watched the girl start at his use of her first name, "what does Voldemort have on you? What does he know that could be so damaging that you would change sides for it?" He asked in almost a pained voice.
Deciding on giving Snape one of her larger offences against the school, and giving a little more truth than lie she continued brokenly, so her seeming hysteria would be more convincing she slowly relented a point.
"You know how the Sorting Ceremony works right?" Hermione asked quietly, reigning in the tears a bit.
"Yes, but what does that have to do with anything?" Snape demanded sharply, wanting her to get to the point so he could solve things or point her at someone who could fix her situation.
"Well, do you remember when I was sorted? The Hat barely touched me before it called I was supposed to be in Gryffindor, remember?"
Snape nodded, having a vague feeling where this was going.
"Well, I had read about the houses in Hogwarts: A History before I ever arrived, and I knew I didn't want to be in any house but Gryffindor, I mean it was the only one portrayed positively in the descriptions, so I hexed the Hat as I approached it, I mean it was already talking about what a good Slytherin I would make, and how I could really do the house proud. So I did the only thing I could think of, I made it say Gryffindor, or rather I made it think it said Slytherin, when in actuality it said Gryffindor."
Hermione discontinued the sneaky sob story and glanced hesitantly up at her Potions Master, who looked toughly shocked, before he quickly pulled his coldness around him.
"So, Ms Granger," Snape led in, reverting to formal address, "you are expecting me to believe that you managed, as an untrained first year, that you managed to hex one of the oldest forms of sentient magic in this castle into mis-believing it's own words?"
Hermione nodded quietly, maintaining eye contact. "You can put me under the Veritiserum if you like Professor." She said in quiet response.
Snape narrowed his eyes in quiet consideration of the girl in front of him. If she was speaking the truth and truly was a Slytherin then she could easily be lying, however a deception this large would be just what it would take to catch Voldemort's attention. Deciding to test her further Snape settled on a course of action.
"So, Hermione, what do you think to achieve by attending the Revel?" Snape asked in a dry tone.
"I hope to find a way to gain Voldemort's trust and enter into the same line of work as yourself." She replied after a moment's thought, carefully stating her thoughts.
"No." Snape said quickly, "that is not an option."
Hermione narrowed her eyes, to Snape it seemed a response of frustration or anger, to Hermione it was a gesture of success, he was buying it hook and line. "You can't deny me this. I will go, what are you going to do? Tell Voldemort? He'd kill me on the spot, then you would have my death on your mind. I don't think you want that professor." Hermione said quickly and harshly. "No professor, you are not going to do anything." A note of cold bitterness entered Hermione's voice now, "And what else am I supposed to do? You said Dumbledore was aware of my situation? Tell me, how aware is he? How aware are you? Where else do I have to go? To a bunch of friends who use me for my mind? To a family that doesn't care if I live or die as long as I pretend to be normal? Or am I supposed to turn to you? The cold professor who doesn't give a damn about anyone or anything other than his self imposed penance for crimes you have made up for 1000 fold? It will be the perfect ruse, and it's why He targeted me. I'm close to Harry, I'm above suspicion in the school, and I'm weak right now and supposedly reeling from rejection on all sides. So don't you dare try to take this from me." Hermione started crying with her last two statements, driving an awkward silence between the professor and herself.
Suddenly Severus' hand shot out and grabbed Hermione roughly by the upper arm, causing the girl to gasp and her knees to briefly buckle. "You foolish girl!" Snape cried, "this is not one of your games or silly adventures. Your life will be at stake, who you are will be at risk, and you are trying to destroy yourself! I know the signs, I've been there and I am still there, as you so acutely observed. I will not stop you from going to the meeting, see for yourself what Voldemort stands for, see for yourself what he expects of you, and see if you can keep the facad, see if you can play both sides." Severus quietly raged. "If you are seeking to destroy yourself this is the way to do it, look at me! I am only 32 years old, I look a least ten years older than that and in my few years I have done more heinous acts in the name of keeping up my façade than I ever committed in my time of loyalty to the Death Eaters and Voldemort. You will leave with me tomorrow and you will report to me after you return. Do I make myself clear girl?!" Snape finished and realized the girl was only vertical through the force of his grasping hand at her arm, realizing Hermione's pain stricken face he quickly dropped her arm.
"Yes sir." She whispered coldly, glaring up at him through her straightened hair, holding her arm with the opposite hand in a gesture of nursing pain.
At a loss of what to say or do to the girl after his physical infraction he cleared his throat. "You will stay in my guest room tonight, as none of the tower rooms are open for use at this moment. I will see you in the morning when we go to breakfast." He opened the door opposite of the master bedroom doors and gestured Hermione inside, after she slunk inside, much like a wounded animal, he closed the door and spelled it to unlock at eight the next morning.
Tiredly trudging to his own bed, Severus laid down to the painful notion that he was watching his fall to Voldemort play out in the one person he never would have suspected it in. And he was powerless to stop it, the most he could do was act as Dumbledore had for him, and keep a close eye on the girl, and remind her of who she was, what she was capable of, and who she was not, and should not be capable of.
A few hours later, Severus Snape fell asleep, with one renegade tear tracing it's way down the hollows of his face.