A/N: This is a response to one of my own challenges, "Us Against the World" up on WIKTT. I'm not famous for my speedy updates, but if people answer my challenge, perhaps I'll be motivated to write faster (hint hint). Despite the title, this fic isn't in any way humor. It does, however, include unchartered terratory (for the characters, probably not the readers), so I felt that the reference fit.


I am not blind. I know many things my followers do not realise. I know that Lucius Malfoy hates the very sight of me. I know Draco worships the ground I walk on. I know Bellatrix would give her wand for five minutes in my bed. I know all about Krum and Macnair, though I prefer not to think on it.

But one of the most important things I know is that Severus Snape is not entirely loyal to me.

But I know whom he is loyal to. And I know how I can win this war, and regain the loyalty of one follower, and at least two new ones, all in one go.

It began three months ago, at one of our more mundane meetings. I was flicking through my followers thoughts calmly, probing for anything interesting. It was nothing that I saw in Severus' mind. A lock of curly brown hair. A bare, creamy shoulder.

It could have been anything. A tryst with any woman. But I felt guilt tinged with affection, and something that was probably love, should I know how to recognise love.

Severus Snape had finally found himself a girlfriend. And the guilt meant it was quite possibly a student.

I looked through Draco's thoughts and found all of the girls in the senior years. I ignored house and blood; Severus does not care for things like those, whatever front he puts on to keep on the good side of his fellows.

I looked at them all carefully as they went about their activities in the boy's memories, even as he bedded a few, seeing how many had curly brown hair. There were about twenty-five, but one stood out above the others. A seventh year mudblood, Hermione Granger.

It was not the tint of her hair that led me to believe it was she. It was her astounding intelligence. Severus has always admired intelligence, and she was by far the brightest of them all. Brighter than most of my followers put together.

It was another couple of months before I could be sure.

Another mind probing found me once again rifling in Severus' mind. He has suburb Occlumency walls, I must confess. I cannot find anything of real value about Dumbledore's Order. But his control slipped once more, for just a second, and I saw bright brown eyes, and a whispered, "I love you. Goodnight, Severus." before the walls were back in place and I was shoved from his mind. I wanted to punish him for that, but I couldn't let everyone know I had found anything of interest in his mind.

It didn't matter; I already knew enough to go about getting his, and her, loyalty for the rest of their lives. I wouldn't even need to threaten them, not that I'd want to. Their union would be most profitable, once they were following me. No one else would realise the importance of what I knew until it was too late.

Of course, no one else knows about the new prophecy.