5. The exchange.
Since they were Muggles, it was Wednesday before anyone made the connection and the news made it into the Evening Prophet.
Severus had been sitting in his office, going over some lists of all the things he had to do that summer and trying hard to keep busy. The owl flew in with the paper and he paid it, then unfolded the paper. He almost skimmed over the article as yet another attack on some Muggles, when the name jumped out at him. Granger.
He frantically read the page, looking for any mention of her, but as he had known the moment he saw her name he knew there wouldn't be. Indeed, the only thing the article said was that the Grangers had a daughter and the Muggle police had not been able to locate her yet. He closed his eyes, resting his head in his hands for a long moment. He would have to go see the Headmaster, but he would try to collect his thoughts first.
The large, dark owl flew into the room and startled him. He took the letter and it flew off immediately, not even pausing to take a drink from the owl dish on the top shelf. Severus looked at the envelope as if it were a howler, but unless this was a great coincidence, he would rather receive a dozen howlers than whatever this letter would bring.
With trembling fingers he opened the letter. He quickly read it, checked it with a spell, then got up and almost ran to the Headmaster's office.
As Severus came in, the Headmaster had his own copy of the Evening Prophet in front of him. He looked grim and didn't seem surprised as Severus entered. Or at least, not at first glance.
"Severus?" the Headmaster asked, startled when he saw Severus' agitation.
"It's my fault, Albus," Severus snarled as he paced around, too agitated to sit down.
The Headmaster blinked. "Your fault?"
"It's me he wants, Albus. I don't know how he found out, but he took her to get his hands on me."
For just a few moments, Albus looked at him. Then realisation dawned. "You and her? Severus, she was a student! What were you thinking?"
"Yes she was a student," Severus snapped. "I know it wasn't right. But she was always more mature than her classmates, and the war made her grow up even faster. I found her roaming the halls after that raid on Hogsmeade in February, and things went from there."
Voldemort had attacked the village on a Hogsmeade weekend. Of course, only sixth and seventh-year students were allowed on such trips anymore, none of them defenseless, and it had been a brief but bloody battle. Three students had been killed, and two Death Eaters. Hermione had killed one. So she was seventeen, and a student. No one went through a battle like that, no one killed in battle, without becoming an adult. He hadn't even slept with her that night. He'd talked to her, and listened. And discovered she was much more than just an insufferable Gryffindor Know-It-All. She had returned a few days later, having decided he was more than the greasy git the rest of her house called her, too. But he didn't feel like explaining it all to Albus. It didn't matter anyhow, none of it could change the outcome.
"I decided it would be too dangerous to continue our relationship now she would not be at Hogwarts anymore, and we broke up a little over a week ago. Somehow he found out, regardless," Severus continued.
"Are you sure it is you he wants? He has reasons to hate her too, not in the least for that particular Hogsmeade raid," Albus asked.
As a reply, Severus tossed the letter he'd just received on the Headmaster's desk. The Headmaster read it in silence.
"You can't go, of course," Albus said when he finished reading.
"I verified it, the letter carried a strong Truth Charm. He will let her go," Severus replied.
"Severus, that isn't the point. He will kill you and you know it. Perhaps the Ministry…"
"The Ministry?" Severus interrupted. "They haven't been able to do anything lately. I've not been useful to you as a spy for almost two years, I will go."
"Don't say that. You are not useless."
"You can find someone else capable of teaching Potions. And likely someone better as Head of Slytherin, the children from Death Eater families haven't respected me much since I was exposed. I'm sorry, Albus, but I came here to say goodbye." He turned and made to leave.
"Severus, no! You will remain here, that's an order."
Severus turned back. "And what will you do, Albus? Fire me? I effectively killed her parents, allowing myself to get into a relationship with her. I won't let him kill her, too." He whirled around and left, ignoring the Headmaster's shouts behind him.
To Severus' relief, Albus didn't chase him down in the halls. Severus didn't want to curse the Headmaster, but he was determined he would not be stopped. He walked quickly out of the castle, down the path leading towards Hogsmeade, until he was outside the Apparition wards. He Disapparated.
The cells in this place, where ever it was, were bare of everything. Hermione had a hard wooden bench to lay on and a coarse blanket, that was all. There were a number of cells, only separated from each other with iron bars, and the only good part she had been able to come up with was that the others were all empty.
She looked up as Malfoy arrived. "What do you want?" she asked. She absolutely refused to be polite. She knew that at some point, when their patience was up, she'd pay for it, but right now she didn't care.
Malfoy smirked. "Why, Miss Granger, we're sending you home."
Her breath caught. "Oh, no," she said. She'd hoped, against better judgement, that he wouldn't come. That he would realise that he, as a Potions Master and with his extensive knowledge of the Death Eaters, was more important than she, who had just graduated. Or perhaps, that Dumbledore would stop him. He couldn't have come!
"Oh, yes, he's here," Malfoy sneered. He unlocked the cell gate and dragged her out roughly.
He took her up the stairs, down a long corridor she had seen when she was led to the cells, several days ago, then into the same room where she had regained consciousness, where Voldemort held reign. To her dismay, she immediately saw Severus, held by two Death Eaters. He stood as straight as ever and looked calm, but she saw his eyes flick towards her when she was led in.
"Severus, no, you can't do this," she choked, ignoring the Death Eaters and even Voldemort. "Why?"
"Hermione, you have your whole life in front of you. I have thrown mine away long ago," Severus told her quietly.
How could he be so calm under these circumstances? She shook her head. "No, please no," she cried.
"The Portkey," Voldemort ordered, and one of the Death Eaters came forward carrying a quill. She tried to pull back from it, refusing to leave him here, but it was no use, the man pushed it into her hand. She wanted to cry at Severus that she loved him, that he had to get out of there, but she felt the pull of the Portkey take her away before she could even call his name. Moments later, she crashed down at Hogwarts' gates –the wards prevented even Portkeys from working inside the walls, unless the Headmaster allowed it- and she collapsed, crying, lacking the strength to get up and go inside. If they would come after her again, now that they had him, then so be it.
Severus watched her go. As she disappeared and the Dark Lord spoke the words to reactivate the wards, Severus felt relief, knowing that even the Dark Lord had not found a way around the Truth Charm on the letter. And an emptiness greater than ever before.
She had barely gone when Voldemort turned to him. "I've waited two years for this," the Dark Lord said. "Crucio."
Severus fell to the ground, trying to keep from screaming as pain flooded through him. It would probably take them longer to kill him but he had his pride. He heard Malfoy's voice cast the same curse on top of the Dark Lord's, and as the second wave of pain hit him he did scream. His body contorted as he could no longer fight the spell.
After an eternity, the curses were lifted. Slowly, ever so slowly, the pain started to ebb away. Severus gritted his teeth, bracing for what would come next, he didn't believe for one second they would kill him this quickly.
Malfoy and Avery lifted him up off the floor, dragged him over and made him kneel in front of Voldemort.
"Now for the surprise," the Dark Lord said.
Severus felt a stab of worry. The dark wizard couldn't have recaptured her, the Truth Charm… No, he would not show his concern.
"I didn't tell you before for I'm afraid if you knew you would not have come, even to save Miss Granger," the Dark Lord continued, conversationally. "I am not going to kill you."
Now Severus started, but still he refused to speak.
"You've made it clear I can not trust you, but I need your co-operation. Ever since that do-gooder of a Dumbledore destroyed the Philosopher's Stone, I have searched for someone who could recreate it, but in vain. Flamel killed himself and destroyed his notes, the others who have worked on it never got anywhere. I'm afraid you are the only one capable of such a feat, and I believe Walden Macnair will be able to persuade you to do as I ask. In time."
"Never," Severus hissed loudly, but he wished he was only half as confident as he sounded. Walden could be very persuasive indeed. No, he would hold out, Walden was also quite impatient. He would make the man lose his patience and kill him rather than work for Voldemort again. He would.
Eventually, Hermione cried herself out. She pushed herself up and stumbled inside, making her way up to the Headmaster's office. The gargoyle stepped aside as she gave it the password, Ice Mice, and moments later she stumbled into Dumbledore's office.
"Hermione," Dumbledore said as she came in. The old wizard got up and approached her and held her as she started to cry again.
"You know," she breathed as she realised what his reaction meant, and pushed away from him. "Why didn't you stop him? There must be something you can do!"
"I couldn't stop him. He is an adult and his own man, and I don't think I could have stopped him even if I had used force. I informed the Ministry, but you know how effective their Aurors have been, of late," Dumbledore replied sadly. "I am sorry."
Hermione bit her lip, then nodded wordlessly.
"You can stay here for now," Dumbledore offered. "I will take you to see Madame Pomfrey, and I'll have the house-elves prepare a room for you."
"Thank you," she nodded quietly.
