She barely made it to the bottom of the stairs.
The kiss, she pulled the first clear thought from the mess in her mind, had least surprised her. If not predicted, it was welcome. Despite him definitely crossing an essential, ponderous line, nothing inside her signaled this prickling sensation to be wrong. According to their roles, the masks they showed each other did not permit them to act like this. Schemes and strings ought to force them further apart from another. Yet, had she not learned to see the Severus Snape, the human being, where others saw a mean, biased teacher? Had she not touched the very meaning of the difference between person and politics?
All things considered, it was not Snapes deviation from proper distance, his moment of weakness, that forced her down on the stairs, leaning against the cold stone for support, no. She watched the slim shimmer of light from his office flickering, overpowered by shadow in even periods, indicating him to pace before his desk. The image of young Bellatrix face, puffy from tears and torn in justified rage, stuck with her, placing enough weight upon her shoulders to make her knees tremble.
A life for pure-blood supremacy, another clear thought managed to arise from her inner turmoil, because she was not allowed any other meaning to pursue. A courageous fight, from her point of view, for honoring her families tradition. With the discipline to show with whom her loyalties lay, and yet not wavering in her discipline to not disclose who she really cared for. Manifestation of the ideal pure-blooded witch, Hermione caught herself musing.
Except for the one incident that had made her, in essence, who she was. If she held on faithfully to her values in life, nothing would eradicate this evolution through a choice least concurring with what she held in such regards. So what makes us who we are?, Hermione tantalized herself. Life or choices?
The slim ray of light changed into a warm, uneven orange shimmer. It must be still about thirty degrees up there, she wondered, why on earth would he light a fire in such -
Orange was replaced by green. Didn't Harry say Umbridge was guarding the floo network? Perhaps her precious, self-appointed Squad leader had run and complained to her?
Curiosity pulled her back on her feet. Tiptoing to the door, still slightly ajar, she heard Snape moan as if in pain.
"Just making sure you weren't distracted when we called." The voice was harsh, dark, and completely unknown to her. She pictured a tall wizard, broad shoulders framing a huge chest, creating almost a barrel for his words to resonate.
"You've got my undivided attention", Snape snapped back.
"As I should have."
"Where are you?"
"That's none of your concern."
"Malfoy Manor?", Snape inquired, "Don't you tell me that brat came running to you to com -"
"Getting straight to the point, as always", a little lighter sneer echoed through Snape's office and out into the dark. This time, she knew whom it belonged to: She would hardly forget about him intimidating Ginny, anxious already from the crowd at Flourish & Blotts, a perfect diversion to slip Tom Riddle's diary into her cauldron. "Hold your tongue, Severus, or it might end up in dinner for our comrade here", Lucius Malfoy snarled.
"Your dealings with students aren't our business", croaked the former voice, which, she realized, must belong to Fenrir Greyback. "As is your students none of yours."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"The time has come for us to, let's say, intensify and expand cooperation with the local authorities", Greyback announced. His voice climbed half an octave at the unaccustomed phrasing, he must have been looking forward to this.
"Aha." Snape sounded least impressed.
"As much as we will not interfere with your disciplinary actions against students", he said, wavering between his usual tone and the elated state, causing her stomach to wrench, "You will keep your overlarge nose out of young Mr Malfoys business for the remaining weeks he is at school."
"Well, there is not much to involve myself into, is there? The boy might just have been put under a spell from our new headmistress, he seems almost in thrall to her, him and his Squad faithfully serving h- "
"Be rest assured", Lucius Malfoy cut across him, "That Draco serves only one master."
"As do we all", a second unfamiliar voice echoed through the room, but it sounded far more distant and was rather carried by an echo than spoken in front of the fireplace connected to Snape's crimson. "Now get to the point, Fenrir. We're not here to chat."
"Your passive attitude is exactly what we're expecting of you, Severus", the werewolf went on, "So I am hereby to delivering a message from our master himself. You are not to keep up Draco in any way when he leaves the castle next Friday, and you will make up a credible excuse for him returning Monday afternoon."
"That's it?", Snape voiced Hermione bewilderment unintentionally.
"Indeed."
"And how does that 'intensify our cooperation' with local authorities?"
"Ah, I forgot the best part.", Hermione could almost see him grin from ear to ear at his lie, "You're just making excuses to the students. The new headmistress fully approves of Draco honoring family tradition."
"Such as?"
"Oh, like you cared", said the distinct voice.
"Don't you think the Dark Lord would want to be informed about your plans regarding -"
"Mind your tongue, Severus", Lucius Malfoy replied in a deep, satisfied tone, "The Dark Lord has laid eyes on Draco to become vitally important to his plans."
"Why now?"
"Like he said, tradition mostly", Malfoy chuckled, with the very same complacency she had witnessed from his son, "Most important life events take place before a young wizard sits through OWLs. Introduction to a virtuous, pure-blooded community gives them a sense of purpose, imposes a sense of responsibility on them."
"As does training of any kind", Snape rejected his vague explanation, "After Hogwarts."
"Lasting longer in some less than others", the distant voice commented.
Hermione wondered whether it itched him as much to ask who had said this.
"Draco is more than happy to comply with our family's habits", a woman added. Even without introduction Hermione could tell that this high-pitched, screechy voice belonged to Narcissa Malfoy: Her pride was obvious and impressive.
"And he will return as a man to the school", Lucius added, no less proud.
"Which is what training's supposed to achieve, isn't it?", the nameless participant asked, but Hermione did not miss the subtly challenging tone.
"I was under the impression that the training you have in mind would serve a higher purpose. Promoting someone into our ranks. Proving loyalty. Least concerned with mundane issues like manhood."
"Listen to him", Greyback barked. She then recognized it as a laugh. "As it happens, manhood often comes along the way, doesn't it, Severus?" Several others joined him in laughing. This conversation was taking place with spectators, wherever they were. Hermione made out at least half a dozen voices, all wholeheartedly amused.
"So you decided to initiate this", she could not see what he was pointing or referring to, "To tell me I am supposed to cover for a missing student?"
"He won't be missing", Malfoy answered, and left it at that.
"His absence -"
"Has been noted and approved by the headmistress already", Malfoy interrupted.
"Which brings us to you", Greyback took the conversation back into his hands. "In return for the untimely and uncomfortable leave of one of her most reliable -", disgusting emphasis here, "Squad members, the headmistress has requested a favor. From you."
"As headmistress, she's required plenty of those."
"Brewing veritaserum being one of them, and an amplified version, on top of it. Which strangely does not provide her with satisfying answers from various – subversive - elements", Malfoy laid out, his rather a hiss than spoken. "So I'd speculate she's after the cause for this delay in effectiveness."
"You're guessing she -"
"I'm not guessing, I don't care, Severus. However, the Dark Lord wishes you to comply with any request she will be making, regardless of its substance."
Snape took his time to digest this assignment. The green flames cast soft, wavering illumination on the slim part of his carpet she could see: The snakes, sharp and tenuously sewn, were dancing on the floor. "She'll inform Fudge", Snape said after a while.
"Of what?", Greyback still sounded amused.
"Of his return."
"Do you honestly think the Dark Lord would risk his exposure for a mere ministry pawn - lower himself to a revelation in front of the Senior Undersecretary? When the Minister himself is still completely denying His rise?"
"If she's asked -"
"That's where out intense and expanded cooperation comes in", Malfoy said, sounding rather bored now. "There's simply no need to overwhelm her with the truth. Wizardry is not divided into muggle-lovers and us. She's confident with every position that allows her to get rid of the centaur and the oaf who's traveling half across the globe for Dumbledore to come back empty handed." In her sudden rush of warmth and sympathy for Hagrid, Hermiones attention almost got lost with the recall of his tale. "...The Dark Lord intended on telling you himself, but he's decided he'll allow Dolores Umbridge to stay next year, as headmistress." She almost collapsed the second time tonight. "With the post of Defense teachers having suffered a rather high fluctuation rate, you'll take the subject. He knows you've been eager to switch, and has come to the conclusion that you've earned it."
"Then I shall express my gratitude to him at first opportunity."
"That you shall do."
"Anything else he wishes me to do for him?"
"He'll tell you in time. As he always does", Greyback replied.
Hermione was freezing, terrified from what she had learned, but the distant voice only added to her dread.
"The Dark Lord approaches, Severus. And you'd better be ready when he does."
"I am", he whispered. "Always have been."
"The Potter boy won't stand a chance."
"So he's finally found a way to get to him?"
"Playing stupid, now, is he", the third disembodied voice joined in, teasing joyfully, high-pitched like her sisters, but cold. "The Dark Lord does not have to get to Potter!"
"Surely he'll have to overpower Hogwarts' -"
"Ohh, he'll work his way in mysterious ways!", Bellatrix cried out, laughing, soon joined in by the distant crowd, "His plan is a masterpiece!"
"I expect no less."
Hermione felt the conversation heading to an end, and decided to make a quick, and more important, silent exit from the dungeons.
The empty corridors mirrored her soul. Reaching the entrance hall, she discovered the sun to just lower itself behind the far mountains, drenching the castle into darkness.
Blinking, she noted tears running down her cheeks. She mounted the stairs up to Gryffindor tower. Before her inner eye, the snakes still danced, like imprinted on the inside of her skull, as if lit by moonlight blast to smithereens.