She found herself staring at Severus, watching him as he absentmindedly swirled his drink around, trying to process what he had just said. One of their members had been killed. It was something that Hermione had never thought of before. She had known of the danger, but hearing him talk of it somewhat casually instilled more fear in her than she thought possible. And for a man she had never even met before, his death meant something to her.
His death meant that she hadn't entered into a game. This wasn't the DA up against the falsely sweet and satanic Umbridge, this was life and death. And though she had spent the better part of the previous night meditating on the fact, it had never fully sunken in that people were ready to loose their lives for this. That she could very well lose her own. It had been the same way with Voldemort where it wasn't until she had seen the first causalities that she had finally realized that it was true, horribly and undeniably true.
She looked up when she heard him speak again.
"Luckily he managed to get me a list of names of those who are looking for us, who want nothing more than to remove what they view as a threat to their power," he said, holding up a small sheet of paper.
She caught a glimpse of the paper that had only a list of names with departments scratched next to them. Of course the Ministry wouldn't be stupid enough to have a division devoted to fighting them, they would have spread out their forces so that the general public wouldn't have a clue as to what was happening.
"Also," Snape continued, his gaze focused on her, as she hung on his every word, "he also mentioned that he had some information on his computer. Hopefully those oafs never thought to look there." She was transfixed by his dark ebony eyes, and shifted uncomfortably under his gaze.
Being Muggle born, the witch had slipped back into Muggle life quickly and easily after growing up and living without magic during summers home from Hogwarts. Of course she knew enough about computers to get information off of them. She had a feeling both Snape and Malfoy had trouble with Muggle technology and allowed herself a small smile at the thought of Snape sitting at a computer ready to hex it into oblivion.
"What, pray tell, do you find amusing Granger?" This time it was Draco speaking and not Snape. She kept her mouth shut as she searched for a witty retort, but found her chance cut off by Snape.
"As you happen to have more knowledge than either of us in that regard, I am going to supply you with his address and the login information to his computer. I trust you'll be able to dig something up." It was an order, a test and she knew it. She nodded and watched as he drew a wand, different from the one she remembered him having in her school days, and Accio'ed a bottle of scotch, pouring a generous measure into the glass that sat next to him. He took a gulp before he removed another folded sheet of paper from his pockets and held it out towards her, making no move to get up. She stood and reached for the paper, reading the address and computer information of the dead agent.
"Is that all Uncle Severus?" Draco asked, fidgeting slightly with obvious boredom. He had heard all he needed to and was ready to leave.
Hermione regarded both men for a long moment, watching Snape as he thought out his reaction. The older man nodded as a hank of hair fell into his face, escaping the tie at the base of his neck. She watched the way his elegant hand brushed it casually out of his face noting his long, slightly gnarled fingers. Giving herself a mental shake, she knew better than to start thinking such things. He was her leader, he had been her professor and she had no right to consider what those fingers could do to her.
Draco got up to leave and she followed, giving one last glance back at the man who had turned his attention to the fire. As the realization that he must live in this small house struck her, she snorted. Snape had always seemed to border on aristocratic, not unlike Malfoy.
Hermione was sure the younger wizard had one of the nicer houses in London all to himself with a butler and maid thrown in for good measure. The more she thought about it, the more she realized that he could possible even have some gorgeous country villa on the coast. But the fact that Snape lived in that building, which also served as headquarters, well, the thought made her laugh.
"Find something amusing mudblood?" Draco drawled and she looked up to realize that he was following her, or rather she had been following him.
"Just I never pictured Snape living in a place like that," she said, gesturing behind her.
"Uncle Severus could sleep anywhere. An acquired skill, one I never got."
She looked at the pale blond boy in amazement. Had he just tried to be civil with her?
"Quit gaping like a fish Granger, it's quite unbecoming. I'm not all bad, you know." He had stopped, as if waiting for her, and as she caught up with him. They resumed their almost leisurely stroll.
"Uncle Severus?" She asked him the question that had been nagging her since she had first heard the young man call him that.
"Not exactly. My father's cousin. Uncle sounds better than second cousin Severus though." He had a trace of a grin on his face as he spoke and she felt the corners of her mouth quirk upwards as well.
"So where exactly do you live?" she queried as they took another turn leading her closer to her house near the dodgy end of High Street.
"Right outside the city. Nice house. I don't understand why Uncle Severus would rather stay in that hovel and call it headquarters than chez Malfoy, but then again I've never pretended to understand Uncle Severus." They had reached the end of High Street much quicker than she had expected, and she walked towards the corner building, fishing her key out of her purse. "I'll see you later, Granger?"
"I'm sure you will, Malfoy," she answered. In her preoccupied state of mind, she didn't notice the man quickly escaping from the shadows near the back entrance of the building that housed her flat. Quickly unlocking the door, she made her way up the stairs as she tried to figure out when exactly Malfoy had changed from the prat she remembered him to be to a civil young man. Hermione found herself walking straight into Brian as she made her way up the stairs. She'd been so lost in her thoughts concerning Draco that she hadn't noticed him.
"Hermione!" he greeted her as he stepped backwards, allowing her to head towards her flat.
"Brain," she acknowledged, switching keys to open the front door of her flat. "How are you?" she asked as she unlocked the door, pushing it slightly open.
"I'm doing fine, yourself?" he replied, a charming smile on his face.
Brian really wasn't that bad, she reflected. He was certainly more approachable than Severus was, at any rate.
"Great," she replied as she felt a flash of fur go tearing past her ankles. "Crookshanks!" Hermione called, turning to chase after the cat. She heard Brian's amused laughter just before she felt his hand on her shoulder.
"It's a cat, and a smart one at that. It'll come back," he said.
She found herself staring into Brian's deep brown eyes. No, not bad at all. She was just leaning up to kiss him when she found herself thrown to the floor as an explosion rocked the building.
END OF CHAPTER 14A/N...I know,i love cliffies. Extra extra EXTRA special thanks to my beta Betz, who turned this chapter which had been a load of bollocks before into the great chapter you see above you! She's amazing!