By the time Hermione reached the Professor Snape's Office in the Dungeons,
it was nearly ten thirty. She walked down the long cold hallway, receiving
vicious looks from a few Slytherins until she arrived there. The door was
open slightly and a warm yellow light flooded into the hall.
She took a deep breath before swinging the heavy wooden door open. Professor Snape sat at his desk, a dozen tiny candles flickering about the office. He looked up, slightly startled that someone had just barged in. He felt his heart lurch, the thought crossing his mind quickly it was a Death Eater coming for him. He looked up to see Hermione Granger standing quietly in the door way.
"Miss Granger?" he gave her a cold look.
"Professor, I was wondering if I might talk to you about something." Hermione closed the door softly behind her and sat down at his desk with out waiting for a reply.
"I'm busy." He answered shortly, scribbling on some parchment.
"It's important." Hermione stared into his big black eyes. Snape looked back into her light brown ones and he understood. Understood she wanted to talk to him about Voldemort.
Putting his quill down he looked across his carved wooden desk at the sixteen year old girl. "What is it?"
"Professor. I'm really scared."
"I think it's safe to assume we all are."
"There is nothing left to hope for." Hermione said suddenly. She didn't want to come to the topic so soon, but she couldn't hold it back.
"What do you mean, Miss Granger." Snape raised an eye brow.
"Harry wont defeat Volde-You know who." She looked down and toyed with the hem of her pleated skirt.
"I've also been concerned." Snape admitted, his eyes wandered to a flickering candle.
"We're going to die." She said sadly.
"For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come." Snape locked gaze with her again.
Hermione sat back in her chair and looked into her Potion's Masters face. This time last year she was conjuring patronuses in their dark arts club. She had been so optimistic. Not a doubt in her mind about Harry defeating Voldemort and everyone living happily ever after. Now she sat with Professor Snape, a man she openly admitted to disliking. He was quoting Shakespeare.
"It's kind of funny." Hermione said quietly.
"Funny?" Snape looked skeptically at her.
"A year ago, two years ago, five years ago I was never afraid. All those times Harry and I were together in life threatening situations, I never once thought I would die. Even in my second year when I was wandering the halls alone with the Basilisk on the loose, it never occurred to me I might die. I was more concerned with getting high marks than being afraid. Now I've never been so afraid in my whole life."
"Not even last year during the O.W.L. exams?" Snape mused.
Hermione couldn't help but give a small smile. Snape didn't really smile back, as much as his eyes twinkled and a muscle tugged the corner of his mouth.
"What was it like to be a Death Eater?" Hermione finally asked, not delaying it anymore.
"Why do you ask?" Snape narrowed his eyes at her, guessing where she was going.
"Just a question."
"It was --- wonderful." Snape sat back in his chair and looked over Hermione's head. "Not the killings. That's was awful. But being at the Dark Lord's side was an overwhelming feeling of such - power. There was nothing to fear, we were in charge. We had whatever we wanted."
Hermione nodded. "Do you miss it?"
"No!" Snape said quickly. "I don't miss torturing innocent muggles and.." He looked at her. "Muggleborns."
"Don't you miss not being afraid all the time? Do you miss not having to look over your shoulder every moment for fear of being watched? Don't you miss having friends that still had a passion for living?"
Snape looked at her while collecting her thoughts. The girl had a point. But surely she was not thinking of joining the Dark Lord? She was a Mudblood. They wouldn't accept her. Would they? He knew Voldemort was recruiting followers again. Hermione's intellect would be a valuable asset.
'What are you thinking!' Snape's mind shouted at him. 'How could you even offer this innocent sixteen year old girl to the Dark Lord!'
It's her decision.
"Hermione why do you ask me such questions?" Severus looked directly at her again. She suddenly felt self conscious and absently put her knees together and sat on her hands.
"Why should we have to fight a losing battle?"
"Its what is --- right."
"Voldemort told Harry something in our first year. He had said 'There is no good and evil, only power and those to weak to seek it.'. For six years that has stuck with me."
"I used to believe that was true." Snape looked down blankly at the essay he was previously grading. "I stopped believing that when I saw one too many muggles tortured."
"Wouldn't you say a few muggle deaths is a small price to pay for freedom?" Hermione said. After the words had plummeted from her mouth she had realized what she said.
"Miss Granger, are you thinking of joining Voldemort?" Snape finally asked, surprised at her answer.
"Yes." She said obstinately.
"Betraying you friends and you beloved Mr. Potter?"
"Yes."
"Do you realize they may not accept you, as you are a muggle born?"
"Yes. Please Professor tell me where to go. I don't want to die for someone else when I can live for myself."
The girl had a point. Why should we have to worry about everyone else and what was right or wrong. Maybe we should just do what's right for us. "There is a Death Eater meeting in the cellar of Hog's Head on Thursday night. Midnight. I believe you can access it by the passage under the whomping willow."
"Will you be there?" Hermione asked, almost hopefully.
"No. Good luck, Miss Granger."
_____ _______
Wellllllllll what do you think so far? Thank you all for the lovely reviews, keep them coming!
She took a deep breath before swinging the heavy wooden door open. Professor Snape sat at his desk, a dozen tiny candles flickering about the office. He looked up, slightly startled that someone had just barged in. He felt his heart lurch, the thought crossing his mind quickly it was a Death Eater coming for him. He looked up to see Hermione Granger standing quietly in the door way.
"Miss Granger?" he gave her a cold look.
"Professor, I was wondering if I might talk to you about something." Hermione closed the door softly behind her and sat down at his desk with out waiting for a reply.
"I'm busy." He answered shortly, scribbling on some parchment.
"It's important." Hermione stared into his big black eyes. Snape looked back into her light brown ones and he understood. Understood she wanted to talk to him about Voldemort.
Putting his quill down he looked across his carved wooden desk at the sixteen year old girl. "What is it?"
"Professor. I'm really scared."
"I think it's safe to assume we all are."
"There is nothing left to hope for." Hermione said suddenly. She didn't want to come to the topic so soon, but she couldn't hold it back.
"What do you mean, Miss Granger." Snape raised an eye brow.
"Harry wont defeat Volde-You know who." She looked down and toyed with the hem of her pleated skirt.
"I've also been concerned." Snape admitted, his eyes wandered to a flickering candle.
"We're going to die." She said sadly.
"For in that sleep of death, what dreams may come." Snape locked gaze with her again.
Hermione sat back in her chair and looked into her Potion's Masters face. This time last year she was conjuring patronuses in their dark arts club. She had been so optimistic. Not a doubt in her mind about Harry defeating Voldemort and everyone living happily ever after. Now she sat with Professor Snape, a man she openly admitted to disliking. He was quoting Shakespeare.
"It's kind of funny." Hermione said quietly.
"Funny?" Snape looked skeptically at her.
"A year ago, two years ago, five years ago I was never afraid. All those times Harry and I were together in life threatening situations, I never once thought I would die. Even in my second year when I was wandering the halls alone with the Basilisk on the loose, it never occurred to me I might die. I was more concerned with getting high marks than being afraid. Now I've never been so afraid in my whole life."
"Not even last year during the O.W.L. exams?" Snape mused.
Hermione couldn't help but give a small smile. Snape didn't really smile back, as much as his eyes twinkled and a muscle tugged the corner of his mouth.
"What was it like to be a Death Eater?" Hermione finally asked, not delaying it anymore.
"Why do you ask?" Snape narrowed his eyes at her, guessing where she was going.
"Just a question."
"It was --- wonderful." Snape sat back in his chair and looked over Hermione's head. "Not the killings. That's was awful. But being at the Dark Lord's side was an overwhelming feeling of such - power. There was nothing to fear, we were in charge. We had whatever we wanted."
Hermione nodded. "Do you miss it?"
"No!" Snape said quickly. "I don't miss torturing innocent muggles and.." He looked at her. "Muggleborns."
"Don't you miss not being afraid all the time? Do you miss not having to look over your shoulder every moment for fear of being watched? Don't you miss having friends that still had a passion for living?"
Snape looked at her while collecting her thoughts. The girl had a point. But surely she was not thinking of joining the Dark Lord? She was a Mudblood. They wouldn't accept her. Would they? He knew Voldemort was recruiting followers again. Hermione's intellect would be a valuable asset.
'What are you thinking!' Snape's mind shouted at him. 'How could you even offer this innocent sixteen year old girl to the Dark Lord!'
It's her decision.
"Hermione why do you ask me such questions?" Severus looked directly at her again. She suddenly felt self conscious and absently put her knees together and sat on her hands.
"Why should we have to fight a losing battle?"
"Its what is --- right."
"Voldemort told Harry something in our first year. He had said 'There is no good and evil, only power and those to weak to seek it.'. For six years that has stuck with me."
"I used to believe that was true." Snape looked down blankly at the essay he was previously grading. "I stopped believing that when I saw one too many muggles tortured."
"Wouldn't you say a few muggle deaths is a small price to pay for freedom?" Hermione said. After the words had plummeted from her mouth she had realized what she said.
"Miss Granger, are you thinking of joining Voldemort?" Snape finally asked, surprised at her answer.
"Yes." She said obstinately.
"Betraying you friends and you beloved Mr. Potter?"
"Yes."
"Do you realize they may not accept you, as you are a muggle born?"
"Yes. Please Professor tell me where to go. I don't want to die for someone else when I can live for myself."
The girl had a point. Why should we have to worry about everyone else and what was right or wrong. Maybe we should just do what's right for us. "There is a Death Eater meeting in the cellar of Hog's Head on Thursday night. Midnight. I believe you can access it by the passage under the whomping willow."
"Will you be there?" Hermione asked, almost hopefully.
"No. Good luck, Miss Granger."
_____ _______
Wellllllllll what do you think so far? Thank you all for the lovely reviews, keep them coming!