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CHAPTER 1
OF OLD ACQUAINTANCES AND – CARING
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I
That girl was so annoying at times!
Severus rubbed his head as the door closed a bit too loudly behind the Gryffindor know-it-all. She really was extremely insufferable!
However, presently he felt quite exhausted – more than exhausted, in fact. He felt as if his limbs were being torn from his body.
But he knew that he had to go. He couldn't stop.
Not now.
Years ago, he had made a promise and now it was time to keep it. He was a Snape. And though he was no great believer in his family-name, he had enough pride to not to back on his given word. It was more of duty than desire now, but revenge it would be.
He transformed and slithered down the secret passageway that led out from the dungeons to the Forbidden Forest.
It was exceptionally silent and dark in the Forbidden Forest tonight, Severus observed. If he didn't know better, he would say that death was lurking near the edges of the forest.
Stop that! He told himself wearily. It was high time that he gave up these fanciful thoughts.
Once he was out of Hogwarts, he transformed back to a human being and disapparated, unaware of a pair of curious – somewhat scared – brown eyes watching him.
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II
He just appeared – and then disappeared! Thought Hermione, still staring blankly at the spot from where she had seen her Potions Professor disapparate.
He might have apparated here, she reasoned, but I know for a fact he hadn't. I had just left him in the dungeons – and you cannot apparate or disapparate on Hogwarts grounds. Moreover, the way he appeared there did not seem like he had apparated. It was more like he had transformed from an Animagus form. Is he an illegal Animagus?
It was a Hogsmeade weekend. But Hermione, having a lot of extra reading to do as the N.E.W.T.s were there next year, had decided not to spend more than one hour at the village. Hence, her early return to the school.
Professor Snape had been his usual nasty self when he found out that she had come to ask questions even on a holiday. But Hermione, who was, by now, used to his temper, persisted in her enquiry about the Wolfsbane Potion. She had learnt that for Snape, being mean was more like a habit than intention. She tried not to take too much offence, but well, there is only so much of a thing one can tolerate.
However, at that time Hermione had had no idea that the Potions Master had been mad at more things than her. Something else had been weighing on his mind too, she figured out, when she saw him suddenly appear outside the Hogwarts Gate and then disapparate.
The Potions Master might not be as skilled with his wand as some. However,thought Hermione, he more than made up for it with all the wandless magic he knew.
Pushing down the urge to go out and investigate further, Hermione turned her steps towards the library. By Merlin! Even she hadn't anticipated that there would be such a lot of hard work involved in studying for N.E.W.T.s. She won't for even a minute believe Harry's and Ron's words that she was making the work harder for herself.
Well, how was she supposed to get the top-ranking N.E.W.T.s if she didn't read at least four extra books concerning each topic? Harry and Ron were just lazy!
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III
"And you are from?"
"Canada," answered the tall blonde man.
"Very well, your papers are all in order, Mr. Cain. You can go on."
"Why such tight security?" Leonard couldn't help asking.
The Ministry official stared at him wide-eyes. "You really don't know?"
"Considering that I was buried in my work in a secluded part of Yellowstone for the last fifteen years, I don't."
"Must be one of those maniacal researchers…" muttered the pale faced man. Aloud, he said, "You-Know-Who's power is spreading rapidly. Even in your secluded place you ought to know that he is back."
Leonard did nothing more than to raise a brow. "Indeed?"
"Indeed. Now get going. There are seven wizards from South Africa due in five minutes."
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IV
"That will be seven Galleons and three Knuts," said the hooded shop-keeper of the apothecary in the Knockturn Alley.
The man, dressed in grey, pocketed his purchase, but did not go out.
"Was there something else you wanted, sir?"
"Yes."
"Well?"
"I wanted information."
"You've bought what you wanted. Now leave!" The shop-keeper's voice was unnaturally high.
"I don't think so," and saying so, the man sat down near him. "Since your brother is dead…"
The shop-keeper shuddered and scooted away from the man. "WHO ARE YOU?"
"…won't it be wise to return to the Noble House of the Black?"
"WHO ARE YOU?"
"Really, Regulus! Don't tell me that you really don't recognize me!"
The shop-keeper pulled back his hood and stared in disbelief at the man in front of him. "But… but…there had been no reply…"
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V
It was long past midnight. Deep down – very, very, very deep down – Harry knew that he was not supposed to do this, that he might get into trouble for doing this.
But he was doing this anyway.
Really, it was becoming a habit with him!
"Potter?"
He stopped as he heard the hesitant voice. Well, that sounded like Malfoy all right.
"Yes, I am here. And if you will get me into trouble, Malfoy, I swear…"
"This is no place for chatting, Potter," said Malfoy, grasping his arm tightly, "come here!"
And before Harry could do a thing, he was being pulled into a secret recess near the Transfiguration classroom. He vaguely wondered how he didn't come to know about it.
"Talk!" said Harry, fingering the wand in his pocket.
"Look here, Potter," said Malfoy, his eyes darkening with anger, "you don't treat me like dirt!"
"If you think I will treat you like anything else," said Harry, "then you are wrong."
Malfoy scowled fiercely at him. Harry just leaned against the wall.
Taking a deep breath, Malfoy said, "I don't want to be a Death-Eater, Potter."
A stunned silence followed this revelation. Harry stared at Malfoy as if he had grown three heads resembling those of a certain dog "Fluffy". Meanwhile, Malfoy turned away from Harry's shocked gaze and looked blankly at the wall opposite.
"You are kidding!" Harry blurted out, sounding somewhat stupid.
"Sure, Potter," said Malfoy sarcastically.
"But you are a Malfoy…"
Malfoy turned round in a sudden motion. "Yeah, I am a Malfoy! From the long line of evil Malfoys! Can't have warm human blood in my veins, can I, Potter?"
Harry was about to say something, when Malfoy held up his hand. "It is hard enough saying it once, Potter," he said furiously, "why can't you just believe me. From what I have heard of you, you are a pretty trusting sort of person."
Ignoring his words, Harry said, "I am not the person you should be talking to."
"Yeah, I should go to the Dark Lord and ask for my death certificate before the execution."
"Cut out the sarcasm, Malfoy, we've got to talk to Dumbledore."
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VI
Hermione was so engrossed in her studies that she did not notice it when the Potions Master stumbled into the library through a secret passageway, which none had been able to discover.
And it seemed that even the Potions Master was unaware of the fact that Hermione was studying there, just two yards away.
But they had a common onlooker – someone who had just entered the library.
"Severus?"
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At first, it startled him – very badly indeed. Maybe he was hearing voices? A side-effect of his weakness? Was delusion a side-effect of illness? However, when he looked up, he knew he was doing no such thing.
Leonard Cain was indeed standing in front of him, looking, perhaps, as shocked as he was. And oh Merlin! The newest bane of his existence had just looked up from her dark corner. He was seriously considering slipping some poison in Miss Granger's pumpkin juice in near future.
"Professor Snape!"
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Hermione had been happily engrossed in solving the long Arithmancy problems when out of nowhere she heard someone call her Potions Master's first name.
It had startled her a little, as things always did when she was too much immersed in an activity.
Turning round, she saw that her Potions Master was leaning against a chair, and though there were no visible signs of wounds, she could feel that he was undergoing immense pain and that he was fatigued.
"Professor Snape!" she gasped and quickly went towards him, not noticing the stranger who had entered the library.
"Miss Granger," snarled Snape, "I certainly do not need your help! Go back to your dormitory or it will be twenty points from Gryffindor for disobedience!"
Hermione almost glared at him. "You are very ill, Professor. I cannot just… run away!" She sounded scandalized.
"Indeed, no!"
Maybe fate was bent on killing her due to shock, she thought as she turned to see a tall, blonde man behind her.
"Well, Miss…"
"Granger," supplied Hermione.
"Miss Granger," said the stranger, "please inform the Headmaster…"
"No, you don't!" interrupted Snape angrily.
"… that his Potions Master needs immediate medical attention," said the blonde man firmly.
"You will do no such thing!"
Hermione glanced between the two men, chewing on her lower lip. She glanced at her Potions Master, struggling to breathe. She didn't need long to make her decision.
Just as she was about to go, she felt a strong hand grip her arm and pull her back. Seeing Snape as he was – weak and tired – she could have little imagined that he would muster so much strength.
"TWENTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR FOR DISOBEDIENCE!"
Hermione winced as Snape pulled her back towards him. She was momentarily crushed against his chest, but steadied herself quickly. Luckily for her, the blonde man intervened.
"I think you are too much in pain, Severus," said the blonde man lightly, pulling away Hermione's arm from Snape's grip.
"And you – you have no business here! Get out, Cain!"
"I do not accept orders," said Cain, placing himself between Snape and Hermione. He glanced at her and then nodded towards the door.
Hermione understood and hurried out before Snape could take more points off Gryffindor.
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VII
That girl is definitely getting poisoned!
Severus scowled at no one or nothing at particular because no one was about and in the dreary darkness of his room, nothing was visible.
He had not told Dumbledore till now that the spying was taking a toll on his health. He had merely continued with his job – his penance.
It had made him feel guilty – the way Dumbledore had looked at him. Again and again he had told Dumbledore – lied to him – that he was fine. He knew Dumbledore would never let him continue with this if he ever got to know about… what was happening to him.
And now he had.
And he had forbidden him from further spying until he recovered his health.
And it was all Granger's fault!
He was surely going to kill her.
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And yet, when the same Miss Granger, whom he had spent the night cursing, appeared in the morning with a message from Dumbledore, he felt exasperated sans feeling of murder.
She was scared of him. He could see it in her eyes. She bit on her lower lip while she waited for an answer from him. Finally, as he handed her the reply, she broke the cold silence between them.
"I am sorry."
"You ought to be."
"I am sorry that you had to… suffer all this."
Severus stood up suddenly, his eyes flashing. "I do not want your pity, girl!"
"I do not pity you, sir," she said. Then taking a deep breath, added, "I merely want to say thank-you for everything you have done for our cause."
Severus scowled at her. "And what have I done?"
"You suffered silently…"
"Not for the cause," said Snape softly, sitting down.
He was prepared to rebuke Granger when she would voice another question. But the question didn't come. Instead, she just looked at him with an indecipherable expression and then with a quiet "Good-morning" went away.
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After Granger, he had to endure an hour's presence of his old acquaintance. Minerva followed Cain after lunch and Dumbledore visited twice before Severus finally retired early to bed in hopes of privacy. He was a very private man who preferred loneliness to company. He didn't understand why these people wanted to bother him.
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Granger came again next day, her excuse being that she wanted him to look through the extra credit work she was doing in Potions. And then again on Tuesday to ask him for some books for reference reading; Wednesday was no better – she had come to return one of the books she was done with.
On Thursday, Severus decided that he could take it no more.
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VIII
Hermione groaned as she put off the alarm on the Thursday morning and glanced at the clock. 4:30.
Well, there was no one to blame but herself. She had set up the alarm clock early so that she could finish the second book which Snape had lent her so that she could visit him on the pretext of returning the book.
The plain explanation was that she was worried about Snape. She was also somewhat scared about him. She knew that he hated to be lying around and "resting" (as Dumbledore put it) and doing nothing. She knew that he disliked the fact that Cain had taken over as the Potions Professor for the week. She felt that under the circumstances he might do something…stupid… like go out spying even though he had been forbidden to do so.
She was thinking of Sirius then. Sirius, whom, on remembering, her heart still twisted with pain. And then there had been so many others who had died. She didn't want Snape to be the one to add to the list, no matter how mean he was.
Unlike Harry, who now hated Snape with a great intensity, she cared for the Potions Master. She felt the need to show that someone cared for his well-being. Even though Snape had always been averse towards the idea of "caring", she couldn't imagine how a person would be happy without the knowledge that someone thought of them. It would kill her to be so lonely. So she felt that the Potions Master ought to be made known that though people were scared for him, there were others who thought of him as a human-being and as the brave man he was.
She didn't quite understand what he had meant when he had told her that whatever he was doing was not for the cause. She dare not ask him. Not that she was so afraid of him, but she would hate to sound like a curious cat. Well, okay, maybe she could put up with that. Maybe it was just that she didn't want to be the one to bring up bad memories in him. Merlin! Did shecare that much?
With thoughts along these lines in mind, Hermione set out for the dungeons after breakfast.
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"What is it now, Miss Granger?"
"Your book, sir, I…"
"You've finished reading that? So soon?" his voice was edged with disbelief.
"Yes, sir. There was a lot of time for it. We received no Potions home-work."
Snape scowled darkly. "Indeed? Seems like I will have to talk to Cain about that."
"Your book…"
"Keep it there, Granger – and get out!"
Hermione kept the book on the table and lingered a little.
"Sir, are you…"
"Get out!"
"I just…"
"For the last time, Granger, I do not want your pity!"
Hermione winced slightly as Snape's voice grew harsher.
"And I did say that I do not pity you, sir."
"Then why are you here every morning? Or is Dumbledore sending you to keep an eye on me because I turned the wards against him?"
Hermione looked up, shocked. "You… you turned the wards against the Headmaster?"
"He annoyed me too much with that sherbet lemons of his," said Snape, not meaning it, of course, hence not meeting her eye and staring at the book.
Hermione wondered if her fears had come true. Was Snape still going out? Spying? After all, he did say that he was not spying and suffering because of the Good side. Maybe he had some personal vengeance?
Whatever it was, Hermione decided, it was not good for him.
"But, sir…"
"I think I told you to get out," cut in Snape dryly.
Hermione very much wanted to know what was going on. But looking at Snape's black eyes, she was sure that this wasn't just the time for it. Sighing, she moved towards the door.
"And, Miss Granger?"
"Yes, sir?"
"Owl me the books next time. Or if you don't understand a decently put message, I do not want to see more of you until Monday when I will have to. I do not want any company."
"That's… that's absurd," said Hermione, unthinkingly.
Snape's eyes narrowed. "What is?"
Hermione blushed. "Nothing… good-morning, sir."
And she hurried off before Snape could humiliate her further – or she could humiliate herself in front of him further.
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IX
"Aren't you going to report to the Dark Lord?"
Arthinus cast a disdainful look at Regulus Black. "You have no right to question me about that, Black, considering that you were the one to play dead because you were scared!"
Regulus' face reddened with anger and embarrassment. "You stop judging people, Arthinus. It is not as if you have anything to make yourself useful about."
"At least I have kept up with everything that has been going on – even though I have been far away. I heard that your cousin killed your brother. No family unity?" Arthinus laughed mockingly.
"Who are you to talk of family unity? Considering that your brother turned away from the Dark Lord – and he works for the Mudblood-lover Dumbledore! Don't think that it is a secret now. We all know that he does it."
"Yes," said Arthinus, lying down on the couch, "but you people never figure out what he does. So many of you cannot defeat even that one Potions Master! I think in that respect, my brother is better than yours."
"I never said he was better than Severus. After all, he was Harry Potter's godfather."
Arthinus sat up suddenly. "And you didn't make any use of it?"
"What could I have done?"
"A lot – if you had brains. But I forget… the brains… well, he's gone."
Regulus' lips curled in a sneer. "Yeah, he had a hard death – your lover did."
"Don't talk about him with your dirty tongue!" said Arthinus hotly.
"Ashamed of him, are you?"
In a fraction of a second, Arthinus had whipped out his wand and pointed it to Regulus' throat. "Look, I am not having you talking about him in that way – got it? If you do, you're dead!"
"You won't kill me!"
"And why not?"
"No one else can provide you with information about your dear half-brother."
Arthinus raised a brow in question. "He thinks I am dead – as does everyone. A Dark Arts spell it was… if they don't know you are there, they don't see you…"
"And what have you learnt about my brother?" asked Arthinus, lowering his wand.
"Well, not so much. It is dangerous going out in daylight. However, I do know that his defences must be weak right now. I heard that they had got some Cain as temporary Potions Master."
The name caught Arthinus' interest. "Cain? He is back, too? Well, well, well, isn't that news?"
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X
Draco Malfoy stood in the shadow of the stands, watching the Gryffindor Quidditch Team practise for its upcoming match against Ravenclaw. However, his eyes were tracing just a solitary figure – the slim, lithe figure of the Captain with a shock of black hair and his glasses shining in the full moon's light.
He wasn't too much surprised when Dumbledore had administered Veritaserum to him. He was rather expecting that. What had surprised him was the quick acceptance of Harry Potter. He admitted that he was wary of the almost cordial way in which Potter behaved with him now. As if they had been friends all along. As if he had not refused the hand of friendship that he had first extended to him.
Even after such a long time, that incident made him feel like a loser. There were very little things that affected Draco, but when they did, they settled deep down for eternity.
He wasn't sure about his own feelings towards Potter. At times, he hated him – still. And yet, at other times, he found that he was glad that he was on Potter's side.
Before he could contemplate further on his emotions, his eyes suddenly met the green ones behind a pair of glasses.
He noticed that Potter had caught the Snitch (no big deal, that, even he accepted that now) and was now 'strutting' (as Draco had termed it). Well, he might as well leave now. Potter's idiotic stunts made him nauseous.
As he turned, he more than half expected Potter to call out his name, which Potter did.
"Malfoy?"
"Potter."
"What are you doing here?"
"And what authority do you have to question me?"
He could feel Potter frown, even though he stood with his back to him.
"Maybe I am asking you for your own good, Malfoy."
"Go fool someone dumb enough to believe you, Potter," said Draco coolly, "and leave me alone."
"What is with you Slytherins and being alone?" muttered Potter.
Draco did not make a reply but started moving towards the castle.
Harry Potter did not follow him but with his eyes, which plainly showed the confusion he felt.
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