"Lock the door, kill the light."
It was the middle of the war with Voldemort. The ministry-run wizarding world had fallen under the shadow of the Dark Lords reign. Cornelius Fudge, the Great Fool had led them to ruin. Only a handful of wizards remained free, and with enough brains to provide the world with hope. The Isle of Britain had been completely overtaken, and the muggles killed or fled across the water to a safer haven. Great watchdogs of the Dark One guarded the shores. Gargoyle like metallic beasts, with eyes ever watching as they prowled up and down the coasts, never sleeping. They would snap up a wizard Apparating illegally into the island straight out of the air as easily as they caught someone attempting to swim ashore.
"No one's coming home tonight."
The Order of The Phoenix now resided a crossed the Irish Sea, and held the line at the Isle of Man. There was but a handful left, among them Albus Dumbledore, Nyphradora Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, and Neville Longbottom. Voldemort had been greatly pleased by the fall of England, and did not seem compelled to broaden his empire further, although The Order knew he would move again in the next few years.
"The sun beats down and don't you know?
All our lives are growing cold, oh...
They bring news that must get through.
To build a dream for me and you"
The traitor many times over, Severus Snape and his
wife Hermione resided across the line, in Voldemorts Britannia. No one knew which side he was on, perhaps
not even Snape himself. He had
sacrificed the boy Harry Potter to the Dark One, so that earned him his
esteemed place in the Dark Army. And
yet he continued to slip the Order of the Phoenix valuable information that had
saved their lives time and time again.
"Locked in a place where no one goes."
And so our story begins…
Hermione Snape ne Granger hated the life she was forced to live, in recluse within Hen Domen Castle. Severus had found the magical castle for her, it was beautiful and peaceful, and would have been perfect in a different life. But it was no replacement for Hogwarts Castle, where Lord Voldemort now made his seat.
Hermione was forced to come to Lord Voldemorts court one month out of every year, playing the great Countess with the nobility. She made it through each April on the hope that she may overhear something valuable enough to risk sending across the sea to the Order.
Severus, in his position as Earl of Snape and Cornwall learned much more by keeping his seat in the new Wizarding House of Lords, and through his work as a retired Elite Death Eater in charge of interrogating new recruits.
It was April 2012, and Hermione's young son Delaney Snape had just turned 10, and would be expected to arrive at court this year, for at age 11 he would be forced to join the Death Eater Academy at Kent. Her daughter Sharra would turn 8 this year, and had begged to come along as well. Hermione had relented, knowing this was the last year her family would spend together. She did not know what would happen next year, when her and Severus would risk everything by sending Delaney away, to save their son from becoming a Death Eater. Above all else, they would not allow this to happen. Severus would rather kill them all then risk his son living the same type of life that he had.
Hermione dawdled as she packed her family up, Severus finally coming up to see what was taking so long.
Hermione sat on the edge of their bed, trying to hide her tears, as he swept into the room. "Oh, love." He drew her into an awkward embrace, awkward even after twelve years of marriage. "Its not any easier even as time passes, is it?" He stroked her frizzy curls, as she managed to crawl into his lap, and burrow against his chest much like her daughter. Softly kissing the top of her head, he gave her what silent comfort he could.
"I just don't want them to go there." Her voice was weary "Anywhere but straight to Him. What if he can tell the truth about Delaney?"
"He doesn't even begin to suspect. He wonders about me sometimes of course, and he hates you for being a mudblood, but Delaney he accepts and doesn't question. And Delaney is smart, he will not bring attention to himself that way. He has met Voldemort several times before, and had always been the perfect young man."
Hermione snuggled against her husband, and rubbed her cheek against the tiny buttons on his coat front. No matter how bad it was, at least she still had Severus as her rock. He had always been there for her, and she knew more than anything that he always would be. They had chosen their exile together, and they had to keep up their part of The Order. But it was so hard to have to raise their children this way.
"Alright, I'm ready." She slid off of his lap, and gathered around herself the "mask" that she needed to face the world, as the Countess of Snape and Cornwall. Severus's "mask" which was so long worn that it took him actual effort to remove it, remained unchanged.
He shrunk their baggage, with a tap of his wand on each bag, and Hermione stored them in her knapsack, and they went to find their children.
"Lock the door, kill the
light
No one's coming home tonight
It's getting colder
Locked in a place where no one goes.
They bring news that must get through.
Dying for peace, in me and you
Locked in a place where no one goes.
We have no quarter
We have no quarter
We ask no quarter"
~Tool (Led Zepplin) "No Quarter"
~Authors note~ This story is a expansion of my songfic "lullaby" found on fanfiction.net, and I didn't really plan on writing it, but I sure am enjoying the alternate future idea as something different (maybe enjoy is the wrong word) in the SS/HG fandom
Feedback craved, good, bad or other, so I will feel justified in spending way to much time writing
I do not own any part of Harry Potter, Tool, or anything that might actually make me rich