"Wait here." Snape said to her as the reached the doorway at the end of the
corridor.
"Professor - what - why?" Hermione tried to question him. She wanted to ask why he came, why he lied to her and why he had treated her like a piece of trash.
"Not now, Granger." He ordered sharply. "Ill inform him you are here." Snape disappeared behind the door leaving her alone in the cold dark hallway. She looked around at the portraits hanging in the frames. They were sleeping. No wait, they weren't moving at all. This was a Muggle house.
She examined a still photograph that was close by. It was black and white and looked weathered, had to have been a few decades old. It was of an elderly couple and a younger man standing on the front porch, of what Hermione assumed to be, this very house. Written in sloppy black ink was, 'Tom finally comes home.'
Tom, Hermione thought. As in Tom Riddle? No. Voldemort was raised as an orphan. Perhaps this was Voldemort's father. She ran her finger across the dust on the glass, causing the photo to fall and the glass shatter.
She held her breath, fearing anything she did could bring on her death. Something down the hall past the stairs made a noise. It was the sound of something sliding on the floor. Hermione squinted into the dark, eyes in the blackness flashed at her and disappeared. The noise resumed and the sliding, or slithering became louder. The hall was dark and she couldn't see anything. Just the noise of that thing creeping down gloomy hall towards her.
She suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder and her heart lurched. Hermione spun around to see Professor Snape with his hand on her trembling shoulder.
"Hardly the heart of a Death Eater, Miss Granger." He mocked.
Hermione shook his hand off her. "I wasn't afraid." She said angrily. "Besides aren't the Slytherins a bunch of weasels anyway? Dodging confrontation."
Snape looked taken back and then he smiled. "Do not insult Slytherin House now, Hermione. The Dark Lord will see you now." He lead her into the bedroom. A large high backed armchair stood facing a blazing fire and several small wooden chairs lined the wall. Other then that the room was empty. Hermione saw a leathery hand grip the arm of the chair.
"Hermione Granger." His voice was cold and hissing. "Please come where I can see you."
Hermione held her head high and walked around to the front of the chair. Voldemort looked up at her, his yellow and red eyes enhanced by the fire. Hermione's instinct was to scream at his hideous face. She fought it and kneeled beside the chair, thrusting out her hand.
"So nice to finally meet you, Lord Voldemort." She said quietly.
Voldemort took her hand, shaking it in greeting. Hermione felt her skin crawl on contact. Dry and scaly and almost fragile.
"Have a seat, Miss Granger." He motioned towards the wooden chairs. Hermione sat down, she suddenly realized she was still in her Hogwart's robes, and very conscious of the Gryffindor emblem that was twinkling by firelight.
"You want to become my servant?" the words oozed from his lipless mouth.
"Yes."
"You're a Mudblood. How do you think you could possibly benefit me?"
"I do not believe being of pure blood has much to do with the subject at hand. If I do say so myself, sir, I am extremely smart. I'm sure Professor Snape would be able to tell you so."
"Yes well I do expect more from my servants than just wits."
Hermione's heart fell. She wasn't going to be accepted. He was going to feed her to the Death Eaters.
"I expect loyalty." Voldemort continued. "Not just loyalty, I expect consistent devotion. Do you think you could deliver that?"
She felt her spirits raise. "Yes, my lord."
A smile spread across his slit of a mouth. "Excellent. Now, Severus, you say Granger is intelligent?"
"Yes, nearly as bright as me." Snape smiled in self absorption.
"Wonderful." Voldemort got up and started pacing the room. His long black cloak trailing behind him. "Granger, I must admit, you don't seem all that surprised to see your Professor to be working with me."
Snape felt his blood run cold. He gave a small glance at Hermione.
"Actually, my lord, I was quite surprised. My Potions Master has always been so dark and mysterious, I knew there had to be something he was hiding, yet I could never figure it out. When I saw him in the Death Eater meeting, it just seemed to fit. I must say, I am quite relieved that my favorite teacher will be on my side." Hermione smiled evilly, the full effect she would be accepted sinking in.
"And how did you know of my Death Eater's meeting?"
Snape looked nervous again.
"I didn't actually know. I was searching around the passages from Hogwart's to Hogsmeade for an alternate route to Three Broomsticks. I had made the decision long ago to join your side, my lord, and when I stumbled across the meeting earlier, it seemed like fate that I should request to join."
Voldemort narrowed his snake-like eyes on her. "How long have you wanted to join my side?"
"Since Harry Potter had a confrontation with you two years ago, after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He had come back so badly beaten and in pain, I knew there was no way he could ever beat a wizard as powerful as you." Hermione charmed.
If an evil wizard could have expressed an expression near overjoyed, Voldemort did it. "You know Harry Potter?!" he exclaimed in rhapsody.
Hermione suddenly felt very subconscious. "Yes, he is - was - my best friend."
"Friend of Harry Potter, a Gryffindor, an intelligent." Voldemort cooed as he glanced into the fire. "Yes, Miss Granger, you will have a home here with the Death Eaters."
She breathed a sigh of relief. Snape did he usual icy stare.
"However, you must show your allegiance to me."
"Anything, Lord Voldemort." She spoke his name with out fear but in a growing fondness. She was going to be spared. She was going to be on the winning side.
"Bring me a sacrifice."
The first thing Hermione thought was of Harry. The vision flooded into her head of dragging Harry's limp body up the stairs and laying him at Voldemort's feet. Voldemort sensed what she was thinking.
"No my dear. Not Harry. That's for a later time." He smiled like awaiting an ice cream sundae. "Bring me that Weasley girl. She wont escape me again."
Ginny? Sure she could bring Ginny. Dead.
"Not dead, Granger. Alive. I want her to see me. See the me now, not the boy she was fascinated with four years ago."
"Thank you, my lord. You will not regret this." Hermione smiled a genuine smile of happiness.
_________ __________
Don't forget to R/R your opinions and ideas for the fic.
"Professor - what - why?" Hermione tried to question him. She wanted to ask why he came, why he lied to her and why he had treated her like a piece of trash.
"Not now, Granger." He ordered sharply. "Ill inform him you are here." Snape disappeared behind the door leaving her alone in the cold dark hallway. She looked around at the portraits hanging in the frames. They were sleeping. No wait, they weren't moving at all. This was a Muggle house.
She examined a still photograph that was close by. It was black and white and looked weathered, had to have been a few decades old. It was of an elderly couple and a younger man standing on the front porch, of what Hermione assumed to be, this very house. Written in sloppy black ink was, 'Tom finally comes home.'
Tom, Hermione thought. As in Tom Riddle? No. Voldemort was raised as an orphan. Perhaps this was Voldemort's father. She ran her finger across the dust on the glass, causing the photo to fall and the glass shatter.
She held her breath, fearing anything she did could bring on her death. Something down the hall past the stairs made a noise. It was the sound of something sliding on the floor. Hermione squinted into the dark, eyes in the blackness flashed at her and disappeared. The noise resumed and the sliding, or slithering became louder. The hall was dark and she couldn't see anything. Just the noise of that thing creeping down gloomy hall towards her.
She suddenly felt a weight on her shoulder and her heart lurched. Hermione spun around to see Professor Snape with his hand on her trembling shoulder.
"Hardly the heart of a Death Eater, Miss Granger." He mocked.
Hermione shook his hand off her. "I wasn't afraid." She said angrily. "Besides aren't the Slytherins a bunch of weasels anyway? Dodging confrontation."
Snape looked taken back and then he smiled. "Do not insult Slytherin House now, Hermione. The Dark Lord will see you now." He lead her into the bedroom. A large high backed armchair stood facing a blazing fire and several small wooden chairs lined the wall. Other then that the room was empty. Hermione saw a leathery hand grip the arm of the chair.
"Hermione Granger." His voice was cold and hissing. "Please come where I can see you."
Hermione held her head high and walked around to the front of the chair. Voldemort looked up at her, his yellow and red eyes enhanced by the fire. Hermione's instinct was to scream at his hideous face. She fought it and kneeled beside the chair, thrusting out her hand.
"So nice to finally meet you, Lord Voldemort." She said quietly.
Voldemort took her hand, shaking it in greeting. Hermione felt her skin crawl on contact. Dry and scaly and almost fragile.
"Have a seat, Miss Granger." He motioned towards the wooden chairs. Hermione sat down, she suddenly realized she was still in her Hogwart's robes, and very conscious of the Gryffindor emblem that was twinkling by firelight.
"You want to become my servant?" the words oozed from his lipless mouth.
"Yes."
"You're a Mudblood. How do you think you could possibly benefit me?"
"I do not believe being of pure blood has much to do with the subject at hand. If I do say so myself, sir, I am extremely smart. I'm sure Professor Snape would be able to tell you so."
"Yes well I do expect more from my servants than just wits."
Hermione's heart fell. She wasn't going to be accepted. He was going to feed her to the Death Eaters.
"I expect loyalty." Voldemort continued. "Not just loyalty, I expect consistent devotion. Do you think you could deliver that?"
She felt her spirits raise. "Yes, my lord."
A smile spread across his slit of a mouth. "Excellent. Now, Severus, you say Granger is intelligent?"
"Yes, nearly as bright as me." Snape smiled in self absorption.
"Wonderful." Voldemort got up and started pacing the room. His long black cloak trailing behind him. "Granger, I must admit, you don't seem all that surprised to see your Professor to be working with me."
Snape felt his blood run cold. He gave a small glance at Hermione.
"Actually, my lord, I was quite surprised. My Potions Master has always been so dark and mysterious, I knew there had to be something he was hiding, yet I could never figure it out. When I saw him in the Death Eater meeting, it just seemed to fit. I must say, I am quite relieved that my favorite teacher will be on my side." Hermione smiled evilly, the full effect she would be accepted sinking in.
"And how did you know of my Death Eater's meeting?"
Snape looked nervous again.
"I didn't actually know. I was searching around the passages from Hogwart's to Hogsmeade for an alternate route to Three Broomsticks. I had made the decision long ago to join your side, my lord, and when I stumbled across the meeting earlier, it seemed like fate that I should request to join."
Voldemort narrowed his snake-like eyes on her. "How long have you wanted to join my side?"
"Since Harry Potter had a confrontation with you two years ago, after the Tri-Wizard Tournament. He had come back so badly beaten and in pain, I knew there was no way he could ever beat a wizard as powerful as you." Hermione charmed.
If an evil wizard could have expressed an expression near overjoyed, Voldemort did it. "You know Harry Potter?!" he exclaimed in rhapsody.
Hermione suddenly felt very subconscious. "Yes, he is - was - my best friend."
"Friend of Harry Potter, a Gryffindor, an intelligent." Voldemort cooed as he glanced into the fire. "Yes, Miss Granger, you will have a home here with the Death Eaters."
She breathed a sigh of relief. Snape did he usual icy stare.
"However, you must show your allegiance to me."
"Anything, Lord Voldemort." She spoke his name with out fear but in a growing fondness. She was going to be spared. She was going to be on the winning side.
"Bring me a sacrifice."
The first thing Hermione thought was of Harry. The vision flooded into her head of dragging Harry's limp body up the stairs and laying him at Voldemort's feet. Voldemort sensed what she was thinking.
"No my dear. Not Harry. That's for a later time." He smiled like awaiting an ice cream sundae. "Bring me that Weasley girl. She wont escape me again."
Ginny? Sure she could bring Ginny. Dead.
"Not dead, Granger. Alive. I want her to see me. See the me now, not the boy she was fascinated with four years ago."
"Thank you, my lord. You will not regret this." Hermione smiled a genuine smile of happiness.
_________ __________
Don't forget to R/R your opinions and ideas for the fic.