Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
"I trust that you are feeling better, Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked politely.
Hermione nodded but said nothing. She was nervous and desperate to speak to Severus.
"Well then, I know this has been a hurtful time for you but we need to talk about some things, regarding what has happened to you and how you feel about Voldemort," the Headmaster looked at her closely. Hermione looked over at Harry who was looking rather uncomfortable.
"Professor, will you excuse Harry, I think it is better I talk to you alone," Hermione asked quietly. Harry looked up at her, still a little emotional. Dumbledore nodded and Harry left the room, but not before hugging Hermione tightly. Hermione sat down by the fireplace next to Dumbledore, and retold him exactly how she recalled the time that she had been gone.
"Do you feel Voldemort calling to you?" asked the Professor after she mentioned the some of the dreams.
"Yes, but there is something else I want to ask you," Hermione said bravely. Dumbledore nodded.
"My mother, she was a witch?" Hermione asked looking at the Professor for an instant.
"Yes Hermione, she was. I know that she wanted to tell you this herself, but never found the right time. After you left for the summer, your parents came to see me. They were worried about your safety. I had not seen your mother since she had graduated. She explained to me that she had fallen pregnant by someone who had been killed and that your father, offered to marry her, as he was desperately in love with her and wanted to protect her. Needless to say there was a great amount of protest about the whole thing. You see, Hermione, your mother was involved with someone from Hogwart's, who really could not afford to be named the father-"
"James Potter!" Hermione interrupted quickly. Dumbledore looked startled.
"No, Hermione, what ever made you think that?" he asked bewildered.
"I had a dream where Voldemort told me," Hermione confessed in tears. The old Professor stood up and put his arm around her, till the tears dried up.
"Well, then who is it?" she asked eventually, both relieved and panicked.
"Your mother was involved with a man named, Phillip Louts, a wizard that you will have not heard of," explained Dumbledore. Hermione looked at him, her eyes shinning from tears.
"Who?" not recognizing the name as Dumbledore had predicted she would not.
"He was a Hogwart's student and your mother swore me to secrecy after informing me," Dumbledore said darkly thinking of the Hermione's mother's face wrought with fear the night she told him.
"But why could he not be my father and who killed him?" asked Hermione shocked.
"The one person who has changed all of our lives in significant ways," replied Dumbledore.
Hermione jumped up and ran out the room but the Headmaster did not try to stop her. Dumbledore knew it would be better coming from Severus, who knew the story only to well.
By the time Hermione left Dumbledore's office she was even more confused than ever. Her father was not her real father and her mother was a witch who got pregnant by a wizard that she had ever heard of? It didn't make sense, and Hermione started to believe it was all lies to cover up some truth. Why would Voldemort show her James Potter? Was Harry her half brother? She thought back to the day when Severus had explained what her role was in the fight against Voldemort. It would make sense if she were Harry's half sister.
Hermione raced to the hospital wing, glancing briefly at a clock, it was after ten and the school was asleep. She crept into the room, and slid into the chair next to Severus, who opened his eyes at her arrival.
"I have been waiting for you?" he groaned in a whispered tone.
"I have been with Dumbledore," Hermione explained. Severus looked worried at this.
"Did he tell you, about your mother?" he asked curiously. Hermione nodded.
"I want you to tell me who my father is, because I cannot trust anyone to tell me the truth except you," Hermione pleaded. Severus was surprised that she did not believe what Dumbledore had told her.
"Well, it was Phillip Louts," Severus answered her question. Hermione groaned and stamped her foot in frustration.
"But who is that?" she asked loudly forgetting she was not suppose to be there.
Severus shushed her for minute trying to listen if anyone was coming, but the room remained quiet.
He looked at Hermione's face, knowing that she deserved the truth.
"Phillip Louts was a student here at Hogwart's when James Potter and myself were at Hogwarts. We were the best of friends but James always was nice to him, even when I would play Phillip against him," said Severus not looking Hermione in the eye.
"Voldemort started recruiting, and Lucius helped Phillip join him, I tried to stop him but ended up joining to try save him," Severus admitted weakly.
He looked at Hermione who had gone pale with disbelief and perhaps disgust. She fled the room before he could stop her.
He sighed, and closed his eyes waiting for daylight, so that Poppy would release him from her care.
* * * * * * *
Hermione climbed into bed relieved to be back. Her mind was alive as she lay there thinking about what Severus had said.
How could my father been a death eater, why would my mother get involved with him?' she thought to herself. Her heart lunged at this making her feel ill. It could not be true! Hermione cried until she drifted asleep, dreaming of names being called out in the darkness.
It was Lavender who shook her awake the next morning, letting her know there was fifteen minutes before breakfast. Hermione raced to the showers and then hurried back to the dorm to dress. She made it in time to meet Harry rushing down the stairs for breakfast too.
Harry surprised that Hermione was late for anything, and insisted on them taking their time so he could talk to her. Ron had gone ahead earlier being hungry as usual.
"How was everything with Dumbledore?" he asked cautiously.
"Alright, I suppose," said Hermione not wanting to recall the conversation. She shrugged and they continued down the stairs.
By the time they reached the hall, Harry had updated her on everything that had happened, and his training. Hermione listened carefully discovering that Severus had actually done a pretty good job of making sure she was ready. But whose side was he really on?
Sitting down, she looked up at the teacher's table, surprised to see Severus at breakfast. She smiled at him, and he nodded curtly but remained frowning. Professor McGonagall stood up for announcements ascertaining that everyone had arrived.
"There will be no class today-" the hall erupted into a cheer before she could continue. Waiting for everyone to calm down, especially the Weasley twins, she continued.
"Instead you will be going on an outing to Hogsmede, escorted by the teachers, in groups!"
This time cheers and groans where heard throughout the hall, as being escorted by teachers was no fun.
"However," said McGonagall patiently, " the following students will remain behind,"
"Hermione Granger, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley and the seventh year students!" again there were more groans of disbelief as the seventh years realized they were to stay behind. The students who were going quickly ate their breakfasts and left, leaving the remainder of students who were partially annoyed.
This time Dumbledore stood and spoke.
"We have fallen into dark times and must be prepared to be able to protect ourselves at all costs!" He said loudly so that everyone could hear how serious he was.
"Today, you will go under instruction by myself, Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape and Professor Lupin will be conducting lectures and demonstrations. It is possible that the school could fall under attack at anytime," he said looking at Harry and Hermione who looked just as worried as he did. Harry was pleased to hear that Lupin was back although he was not sure how long it would be. Lupin had been pushed out of Hogwarts at the end of the third year, when the Ministry of Magic discovered he was a werewolf.
They soon organized who would be training which groups and the day commenced.
Hermione relieved to be placed with a group that was under Severus, but Ron and Harry complained bitterly.
"Why Snape, of all teachers, why not Lupin?" Ron whined as they walked to the dungeons. Some of the seventh years agreed, except for the Slytherins. Although contrary to what some believe not all Slytherins were as evil as they were made out to be. They were just highly competitive and could not bear losing. Which gave them a nasty reputation, as all tactics were used whenever possible to make sure they did.
"He is not that bad," Hermione tried to reason with Ron. Harry understanding why she might defend Snape, kept quiet, but needless to say he still felt dislike towards Severus Snape no matter what he had done for Hermione.
After a long day, they all returned to their respective houses exhausted, only to find those who had gone to Hogsmede, relaxed and happy. Hermione had convinced Harry and Ron to go ahead without her, as she wanted to speak to Severus privately.
"Um, Professor can I talk to you?" she asked as Snape pretended to be working. He looked up and nodded.
"About what you told me, what does that all mean?" asked Hermione wanting to know.
"Well, if you had let me finish explaining, it is not as all bad as it seems!" retorted Severus in a rather nasty voice. He hadn't meant to but he was annoyed.
Hermione got a fright but did not show it.
"Your father became a death eater and I joined to try help him. Both of us misjudged the power and conviction of Voldemort. Eventually we both managed to pull away with the help of James Potter. Phillip met your mother through James and they fell in love. But Voldemort would not let us get away that easily. Your mother fell pregnant and I convinced Phillip that we needed to go into hiding. We formed a resistance, but eventually Voldemort, with the help of Lucius managed to corner us one night. Your father was killed, and somehow your mother although miles away felt the pain he endured. I suspect that they were soul mates because I no other explanation. I went to your mother and offered my help but James had already been to see her and told her Voldemort would come after her if he knew about her and the baby. So at James Potter insistence she married Granger who was a close friend three months after you were born, following Voldemort disappearance. I was bitter but your father is the reason why I was never jailed for being a death eater, him and Dumbledore naturally. Hermione sat quietly not knowing what to say. Eventually she spoke,
"You were in love with my mother, weren't you?" Severus paled at the question but nodded. In Severus mind, he found that he might feel the same way about Hermione as he did about her mother. She was so similar in many ways, had the same traits that had attracted him so many years ago.
"I wanted to protect like your mother but she wanted nothing more to do with the magical world and Potter convinced her she was doing the best thing," he said bitterly.
"So that's why it is up to Harry and I till kill Voldemort, we have both been scared by him in a way?" she asked fighting the bile in the back of her throat.
Hermione finally understood why Snape hated James Potter, not only had he once saved his life but had pulled away the love of his life.
"Yes, when Voldemort killed your father, something was passed onto you and that is why Voldemort is so angry at Lucius, for hurting you and killing your mother, he could have used her to persuade you in honour of your real father," Severus admitted. Hermione shook her head in disbelief as she started to cry.
At the same time, Harry was stared at Snape and Hermione in disbelief. He had returned to the dorms with Ron only to feel that he should be with Hermione. Grabbing his invisibility cloak, so that he was not seen by anyone he had crept down to the dungeons where he had unintentionally overheard everything.
'Poor Hermione,' he thought. It was terrible news in a way but Harry hoped that Hermione would use it to push away Voldemort, and not let him become a part of her life, as Phillip had once been apart of Voldemort's.
Severus Snape put his arms around Hermione and in his own heart was hoping the same thing as Harry. He could not bear to lose anyone else.