Hermione stared at the map, her mind racing. If Snape was only a few kilometers away, that meant Voldemort was here too, which meant Dumbledore had been wrong and this was a set-up after all. Which also meant that Snape might be in serious trouble.
Shit.
Looking up, she again saw the man from earlier was still there, but now he was moving towards her.
Shit!
She decided the best thing to do would be to apparate back to Hogwarts and get Dumbledore. He'd know what to do. She closed her eyes and concentrated, but nothing happened. Confused, she looked up and saw the bleak, snow-covered street and the man advancing on her. Again she tried to apparate, and again nothing happened.
Double shit!
She started walking briskly toward the wall separating the magical community from the Muggles, sorting through her situation. She was in an unfamiliar and unfriendly town, something was keeping her from apparating, a man was following her, Snape was quite possibly dead already, and she had no way of contacting anyone. Her options appeared slim indeed.
First things first, she had to get rid of the creep who was still behind her. She passed through the barrier, ducking down another street. She decided she had two choices: transfiguration, or an invisibility charm. She decided on the latter, since she would be able to still use her wand. She approached another turn, and slowed slightly, making sure her pursuer followed her down the next alley.
As she rounded the corner, Hermione uttered the invisibility spell and moved back, so that he didn't inadvertantly run into her. She readied her wand, waited.
"Stupefy!" she yelled as soon as she had an unobstructed view of him.
The curse hit him square in the chest, and he collapsed immediately. She hurried to him, pulling him into the alley, muttering a quick charm to dissuade any Muggles or weaker magical folk from venturing near, then she removed her invisibility charm and aimed her wand at the man, muttering a spell. Thick rope shot out the end of her wand, wrapping itself around the unconcious figure on the ground. She removed the potions kit and withdrew a small vial labelled Veritaserum, something she'd found a necessity as an auror. She administered three drops to the man then carefully put away the rest and pointed her wand at him.
"Ennervate."
The man groaned and tried to move against the binding, and Hermione helped him to a sitting position. He looked at her blankly, his eyes glazed over.
"Who are you?" she began.
"Sergei Kirpichov."
"Why are you following me?"
"I was told to follow you and your companion."
"Who told you?"
"Vasily Borodin told me."
"Vasily?" she fumbled in her coat pocket for a copy of the picture Snape had given her before they left. "Is this the man?"
His eyes focused momentarily on the picture before answering, "Yes."
What the hell is going on?
"Have Death Eaters been here lately? Wizards in black robes with masks?"
"I have seen many. We do not know who they are, and they frighten us. Tell us if we talk to you or your friend, they will kill us and our families."
"Is Dmitri Borodin involved in any of this?"
"The men in black robes stay with Dmitri."
"Have you seen Vasily with these black robes?"
"No. Vasily hates the black robes, and his father for being one of them. That is why his father is looking for him, because he won't join the black robes."
"Will you take me to Vasily?"
"Yes. I am supposed to bring you to him before you talk to his family."
If she could get to Vasily, he might be able to help sort this mess out. "Very well, you will now take me to him."
She muttered a few words and the ropes binding him slid off and disappeared. He stood and walked away, turning back to make sure she followed. After a few turns, they were on a street lined with nondescript houses, then he motioned to one in particular, a white two-story house with peeling paint and overgrown lawn. They climbed a few steps to a large open porch.
Sergei rapped on the front door twice, which opened after a few moments, revealing a short, blonde woman in her forties. "Sergei Fyodorovich, where have you been all this time? Is this her? The woman from England?"
"Yes, this is her. I was following her and her companion, but he left."
"Very well," the woman answered, and opened the door fully, allowing Hermione and Sergei to enter the house. She then led them past a staircase to a small sitting room, where she instructed Hermione to wait. Sergei then followed the woman upstairs.
Hermione inspected the room. There were two threadbare armchairs and an equally worn couch arranged in front of a lit fireplace. There were a few black and white family photos, non-magical, hanging on the white walls. Aside from that, the room was empty. She sat back and did the only thing she could do. She waited.
Snape quickly looked around after he apparated. He was standing in a courtyard, covered in snow. The place looked familiar, but he had visited so many places just like this over the last nine years. He saw a few black figures in one corner, talking in hushed voices, glancing at him, and another figure in black robes striding towards him, Lucius Malfoy.
"Lucius," he growled.
"Severus, old friend," he replied, his distaste apparent as well. "He wishes to see you immediately."
He nodded, forcing all thoughts out of his mind, and followed Lucius inside the grand estate. They went upstairs and Lucius paused outside of one door.
"Wait," he instructed Snape, then went inside.
Snape stood patiently until Lucius reappeared moments later and waved him inside. The room was very large, possibly a ballroom Snape decided, and there was a great number of chairs and tables strewn about the room. He followed Lucius across the dim room, his eyes finally making out the shape of the Dark Lord in a large armchair. Peter Pettigrew stood nearby, watching as the two approached.
"Severus, so kind of you to join us," Voldemort hissed, and Snape felt the red eyes piercing into him.
"My Lord," he replied, kneeling down and kissing the hem of Voldemort's robes, quickly backing up and standing again.
"What news do you bring us from Hogwarts?"
Snape quickly ran through the information Dumbledore had approved to be passed along as misinformation, settling on something that Voldemort would surely know already. "There is great turmoil in the Ministry, between Fudge and Dumbledore, and Potter as well. There are rumors that Potter will try to take over the Ministry and be Dumbledore's puppet."
Voldemort watched Snape carefully, saying nothing. Pettigrew answered first.
"We already know that, Snape, it's in the Daily Prophet everyday."
Snape scowled at him, and turned back to Voldemort, saying, "My Lord, perhaps I can convince Dumbledore to --"
"To what?" the icy voice interrupted. "To give you more bad information to feed me?"
He knows.
Snape's heart seized in his chest as the realization sunk in, though he betrayed nothing outwardly. Perhaps he could still salvage this. "Bad information? My Lord, I would never knowingly do such a thing. If I am receiving such information from Dumbledore, I shall kill him myself."
"Something you should have done years ago, Severus," Malfoy said. "Without that old fool, the Ministry would have crumbled long ago."
"But my Lord --"
"As much as I would like to play these games with you Severus, I do not have time." He paused, his red eyes narrowing as he raised his wand to Snape. "You had so much potential and yet you squandered it. I will enjoy this. Crucio."
The moment was strangely surreal to Snape. Time slowed and he looked at Pettigrew, stupid laughing Wormtail, Snape remembering the chance he'd had so many years ago to kill Pettigrew, how he had thrown it away because of his hatred for Harry Potter. Malfoy, slimy sneaky Malfoy. How many times had he pretended to be friends with that bastard, had turned a blind eye to his bastard son? And he looked at his supposed master, Voldemort, his red eyes glowing against the white face, his nostrils flaring as he smiled that wicked smile.
Snape thought of Dumbledore -- his friend, his only friend -- and McGonagall -- whose company he did enjoy from time to time, if he was honest with himself -- and Hogwarts -- his beloved dungeons, his only true home. If this was his life flashing before his eyes, he did not want to see it, for he loathed it more than he did Voldemort and all his Death Eaters.
The Cruciatus curse always hurt Snape more than he could ever expect. Every nerve in his body screamed in torment, and he dropped to his knees, using all of his self-control not to scream out, to beg for mercy. He fell forward on his arms, forehead to the ground, feeling himself nearing the bliss of unconciousness, only for the searing pain to end and be replaced with only a dull throbbing ache. He rolled to his side, gasping for breath, stomach heaving.
"What news of Dmitri?" Voldemort asked.
"Nothing yet, my Lord," Lucius answered. "He has set the trap, and it is only a matter of time before she takes the bait."
"Severus, tell me where the girl is and I will consider killing you now, and spare you this pain."
Hermione.
"I will give you a moment to decide."
Another wave of pain over took him, and Snape cried out, curling up into a ball and darkness washed over him.
Hermione slouched in her chair, feeling suddenly very tired. She reach back and rubbed a sore spot on her neck, stifling a yawn in the process. She bolted upright when Vasily Borodin strode in the room.
"Hermione Granger," he said, studying her. She took the opportunity to study him as well, since she hadn't the opportunity earlier in the week. He was tall, a good deal taller than she, and he had broad, thick shoulders. His black hair was not black after all, but a very deep brown, and he also had ice blue eyes. She wished that he had been her Arithamancy professor, wondered how many students -- male and female -- took his class just because of how gorgeous he was.
She cleared her throat. "Vasily Borodin."
He sat down on the couch, away from her. "I suppose you want to know what this is all about, don't you?" She nodded, allowing him to continue. "I arrived here late Tuesday afternoon, and my friend Sergei Fyodorovich intercepted me before I was able to go to my father's. He told me that it was not safe to return home because of the Death Eaters."
"So you've been here since Tuesday?"
"Yes, hiding, though my father has been searching for me."
"If he knows you are here, why did he owl Dumbledore?" she mused aloud, thinking, and Vasily shrugged. "Fuck! Because Voldemort knew he would send Snape to look for you!"
"Snape? He's here?"
"Yes, and he's in grave danger. I believe Voldemort has him now."
Vasily nodded slowly, but before he could answer, Sergei returned. "Vasily, we need to hurry if we are to leave soon."
"Leave? Where are you going? We need to find Snape."
"I'm afraid saving Professor Snape isn't on my list of things to do today," Vasily said snidely, pulling out his wand and pointing at her. "You'll be joining him soon, as a matter of fact."
She looked at him in surprise. "But, what --"
"The Dark Lord wishes your presence, and I will be celebrated when I return with you."
How could you be so stupid! You walked straight into their trap! she mentally berated herself. Enough of that, more important to figure how I get out of this.
Sergei looked as surprised as Hermione, and he objected, "But Vasily, you cannot be one of the black robes!"
The other Russian smiled wickedly, his blue eyes glittering, turning his wand on his friend. "You have no idea, my friend. Avada kedavra."
Green light shot out of Vasily's wand, and Sergei fell immediately. During Vasily's momentary distraction, Hermione yanked her wand out of her suit pocket and pointed it at him.
"Expelliarmus!" she shouted, easily catching his wand as it flew out of his hand and towards her. She jumped out of her chair as he stood and started towards her. "Stupefy!"
The spell grazed his shoulder, knocking him back onto the couch. She knew he was only stunned momentarily, so she ran towards the door, Vasily shouting for the other woman as he struggled to stand.
"Alohomora!" she cried, aiming her wand at the front door. She heard the woman on the stairs, and shot off another stupefy without looking, racing on. She reached the door and fumbled momentarily, finally wrenching it open.
As she crossed the threshold, she transfigured and darted into the bushes, racing to the next house, where she paused, turning around to watch. Vasily emerged for a moment, glaring up and down the street, talking angrily to the woman who had joined him on the porch, then they both turned and walked back inside, slamming the front door.
She waited a few minutes before setting off across the lawn. She went east, towards the edge of town. She knew she was alone now, that she had to get to Snape. She also knew she was going in completely blind, without true grasp of the opposition. Hermione summoned up all of her Gryffindor courage as she trotted, an ordinary grey cat racing down the street as dusk began to fall.