Chapter 9 "Conversations"

Disclaimer: Harry Potter's world is JKR's.

A/N: Sorry to my dear readers for late post. I sadly tell you all that this might be the last post if thing doesn't change. I don't want to stop writing or left it unfinished, I have even plan to finish it before I start my new term (in mid September) but- Oh! Just hope thing would change.

Anyway enjoy!

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Severus Snape Apparated back to Hogwarts. It was already midday and his body was still screaming from the Cruciatus Curse but he hurriedly went to the head master's office. He grudgingly gave password (Chocolate lollipop) to the gargoyles that guarded Dumbledore's office. He climbed the stairs and finally was greeted by a cheery head master.

"Severus, come in! Come in!" Albus Dumbledore called out brightly.

Snapping his mouth shut, Snape made his way to Dumbledore office. He just couldn't understand how the head master could manage to appear so calm and happy with the things that had happened– wait, maybe it was him who was acting strange, who knew?

The potions master attentively occupied an armchair by the fireplace, feeling his sore, tired muscle relaxed in the warm, comfortable chair while Dumbledore took his seat behind his desk facing the other man.

"Cockroach Chocolate?" Asked Dumbledore, handing a tray full of every color candies to Snape.

"Oh, do stop it, Albus. Do I look like in the state for a sweet?" He retorted, scolding at Dumbledore who was merely grinning guiltily at him.

"Why are you so grumpy, Severus?" Dumbledore asked his potions master, twinkles in his eyes. "I see that you can manage to come back from Voldemort without any serious injuries at all." He finished and observed Snape through his haft moon spectacles.

"Nothing so terrible." The younger wizard snarled, "Just a round of Crucio, nothing at all, but have you any idea what he had assigned me, Albus?" He said the last few words sweetly, matching the ones from Dumbledore himself. He felt darkly satisfy as Dumbledore's smile and twinkles slowly left his face. He put the sweet he was playing with his fingers back in the tray; his hand folded neatly on the desktop.

"What was it?" Said Dumbledore after a moment of silence.

Snape sighed, a long low sound of tiredness that only Dumbledore had ever witnessed. "He had me brew a potion." Said Snape briefly, his long black hair falling like a curtain, covered haft of his face while his eyes fixed sharply on the crackling fire in Dumbledore's fine fireplace.

"Are there any problem with the potion?" The head master inquired seriously. He knew if there wasn't excessive problem Snape would never showed any hesitancy.

Snape pulled his gaze from the fire to face the concerned head master who was waiting for him to reply.

"Actually there are." He said then paused considered his words. "First I don't recognize the potion let alone the use of it."

Dumbledore had a slight amassment in his eyes for a breath moment. Since when Severus Snape, the great potions master of Hogwarts admitted he didn't know a potion? But Dumbledore knew there was more.

"This was not a big problem." It was merely a statement from the head master but Snape saw the unrevealed question. He responded, "No, it was not as I can always search for it in potions' books, but– " He stopped in mid sentence. Dumbledore inched closely to his potions master in participation and prompted, "But?"

"Even thought the dark lord didn't say, I'm sure he has miss Granger in his hand now." Snape told Dumbledore. "But my instinct kept telling me he's captured the girl not only to lure Potter. I feel he had a plan, his plan."

The elder wizard stroked his snow-white beard in a thoughtful motion. The room fell into a dead quietness. Only the fire was making small cracking sound.

"Albus," Snape voice broke through the silence, snapping Dumbledore from his world of thought. "Is there anything you need to tell me?"

Dumbledore returned his gaze; his blue twinkled eyes now full of sorrow.

"There is, Severus. But now is not the best time to reveal it." Said Dumbledore. "It is not that I lost my trust in you, Severus, I'm waiting for the right time to come." He added after seeing the look on his potions master's face.

"When is the due of the potion anyway?" The head master said.

Snape knew Dumbledore was changing the subject. He decided to go along with him, if he wanted to play secret keeper so be it.

"Next week." He replied shortly.

"We have two weeks before the new terms start." Said Dumbledore calculatedly. "If you wish, Severus, you don't have to go to headquarter for the meeting. It will be better if you can brew the potion on time and find out its benefit; it may gain us some advantages."

"True." Agreed Snape. "I don't want to admit but in this case more time would be appreciated."

"Have you any further information you wish to discuss with me?" Asked Dumbledore. Snape shocked his head; Dumbledore went on. "Well, then you may want to try a new dish the house elf had just provided. It's really delicious." He gave Snape a small smile, which in turned, got a grunt sound from the potion master.

"I will get a house elf send me my daily lunch, you don't need to worry about me." He said as he rose from his seat. He went to the door and before the door was closed he heard Dumbledore said "Good afternoon".

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It was the third time Pinky had come to remind Hermione of her lunch but she was still buried her face in the book, not even looked at Pinky as she replied, "I will go soon."

Hermione was very engrossed in her book when some one approached her from behind, squeezing her shoulder slightly. She spoke irritably without turning back, "Pinky! You insufferable house elf!"

"Oh? Is she that bad?"

Hermione jumped at the sound, pulling herself roughly from the armchair she had occupied, she spun around. Voldemort was grinning at her like a fool. She eyes him cautiously as if not believing he was there. Hermione clutched her book to her chest tightly, trying to steady her heartbeats. 'You can do it Hermione! You can!' She told herself firmly.

"You are back." She stated a bit louder maybe because of the nervousness.

"Yes, and I see you are still in the library." Said Voldemort casually. He strolled pass her to seat cross legs on the sofa. Hermione tilted her head to see him but not moving.

"Pinky told me you refuse to have lunch. Why?" Asked Voldermort, frowning.

"No, I didn't." Said Hermione stubbornly. "I merely told her to wait till I finish reading."

"Oh?" Said Voldemort, arching one eyebrow. He eyed the book, which she kept close to her. "You plan on reading that whole book in one day?"

Hermione blushed deep red. She shifted uncomfortably as she stammered. "I thought you would shoved me a way as soon as you are back, so I... eh I..." She bit her inner check, causing herself for stammering, 'Hermione Granger doesn't stammer!' She chided herself.

Voldemort chuckled lightly, "Didn't Pinky tell you? You have access in this library as long as you are here, Hermione."

"Oh! Eh- Thank you." Said Hermione relaxing a bit.

"And you don't need to be hurry." Smiling slightly he went on, "Why don't you sit down? I'll get Pinky send our lunch right here. I too not have lunch yet."

Then he snapped his fingers; Pinky appeared. He gave his orders. Pinky bowed and disappeared again.

He turned to Hermione, arching both his eyes brow questioningly.

Hermione didn't know what was better to do, so she complied. Sitting herself down opposite to him, she put a bookmark to the page she was reading and sat it down near her tenderly.

Voldemort followed all her action quietly; his face showed he was clearly amazed. He glanced at the book's title written in golden embossed letters, "The First Magic and Its Mysteries", the corner of his mouth quirked.

"I see why you are so engaged in reading now." Said Voldemort.

"What?" Hermione jumped. She followed his gazed on the book.

"It is very interesting and rare." He gestured at the book. "There are only two copies in England; one is here and another one is at the ministry of magic, department of mystery." Hermione's eyes glinted excitedly.

Hermione was about to ask Voldemort whether he had read the book or not when their food appeared on the desk. The two people had their lunch and talked at the same time.

Lunch was finished but the two were still deeply engaged in their conversation. They talked and drank tea. Hermione was gaining more comfortable around Voldemort now that they were talking like equals and the topic stayed on academic; though she was always slightly feeling nervous whenever their eyes met and her inner consciences was warning her from time to time but she couldn't stop their talk.

'I was just talking to him. It can't hurt, can it?' She consoled herself.

They talked until darkness fell. Hermione learnt that Voldemort was one of academic men. He liked reading just as her. She had laughed very hard that tears flowed from her eyes when Voldemort told her one of his experience from his childhood. It was not the funniest thing she ever heard but hearing it from Voldemort just made it weird. It was that when he was young he had broken into a neighbor's library who at that time was a young, handsome teacher.

When the teacher came in, seeing a boy was reading in his library he was furious and pulled out his wand but the Tom boy was not waiting for his fate he quickly grabbed the professor's wand and pointed it at its owner, he said a spell which he had just read from the book and the professor was turned into an ugly old man. He quickly fled from the library, leaving a very mad professor in there.

Then he started his year at Hogwarts and hell, the young professor turned out to be his Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and even worse he recognized Voldemort as the boy who broke into his house and turned him to an ugly old man. But instead of giving him detention on the first day or humiliated him in front of class, he treated Voldemort like a prince, praised him without any appropriated reasons and even gave him higher scores than the rest of the class, not that Voldemort was a poor student, in fact he was an out standing but the certain professor's actions made Voldemort's suspicion grew more and more.

He decided it was something to do with the spell he had used so he went to research for it and found out that it was a charm that transformed its victim to a person or thing or whatever the victim feared most. It was called Evilo Tranformos.

So the reason was that the most fear of the professor was his own self. He feared that one day he would become old and lost all his handsomeness, so the next day the whole school was on chaos of gossip and Voldemort finally received his first detention from a very mad professor.

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Hermione was having the first nice day since she was captured and if she was to be honest with herself she was having the most impressive conversation of all.

They talked about books; history and Hermione told him about her childhood before she started at Hogwarts. The two had an unspoken agreement about the certain topic.

They had dinner and chose some books, reading quietly. When the clock struck 12 O'clock, Voldemort emerged from his book to find Hermione curled up in the cosy armchair, sounding asleep. He smiled to himself then called Pinky to bring Hermione back to her bedroom.

:D :p :) :o :(

A/N: Thank you for reading.