THE WAY OUT IS THROUGH

Mandatory Author's Note:

First off. 'The Way Out Is Through' is taken from the song by Nine Inch Nails with the same title.

Secondly, this story will most likely be choppy, but I'll do my best. I use it to distract myself from the looming shadow of Dead Letter, which I have actually received emails concerning its future. Needless to say its chances of continuation seem hopeless and bleak,

Thirdly, I wanted to write a story that about what I see and what I know of the youth subcultures I'm familiar with. I didn't want to write a story about corset-wearing posers…

That and you all know Severus is cool.

.x.

prologue 00

It was cold and sterile in the room; there was nothing in the air, except for a whiff, now and then, of coffee. Hermione watched Madame Bones sitting at her desk, going through her papers. Hermione tended to dislike the Ministry of Magic in the morning - there was always a chill, unlived-in air to all of the offices, as if the building was brand new, every day. It made her feel uncomfortable, when people or objects didn't seem to have a tangible past.

The door opened behind her. "Sorry I'm late, Amelia," Hermione heard, and she turned in her seat to see Tonks edging into the room. The older - but not by much - girl's hair was dark purple, and hung in her eyes. It was strange, Hermione reflected, how she could never think of Tonks as an adult. She seemed far too fresh all the time to be given the weighty, mature title of 'woman'.

"That's fine, Tonks," Amelia Bones said brusquely, shuffling her papers and then setting them aside, leaving a peach-coloured folder lying alone in the middle of her desk. "Let's get down to business, then."

Tonks seated herself beside Hermione, flashing her a quick smile. Their more in-depth reunion could wait.

"Alright," Hermione said.

"As you are both aware, I'm sure," Bones said, "One year ago, after the fall of the Dark Lord, most of his followers scattered. This meeting is concerning Snape, and Lestrange."

Hermione's heart skipped a beat. Why had she been called in? She wasn't an auror, that was Tonks' job. She willed herself to calm down. She was probably just going to be used as a consultant, or something of that nature.

Tonks looked alert. "I thought Mulhollish was on that case," she said.

"He was," Bones agreed, "but we have realised he was unequal to the task."

"But he's one of the best," Tonks said, frowning sharply.

"No," Amelia Bones said, shaking her head. "Not for this. About a month ago… well."

She moved to pick up the folder and flip it open. It was thin, worryingly so; its contents consisted of only a few sheets of paper. Bones separated one sheet and slid it across the desk for Tonks and Hermione to see; Hermione leaned forward in interest.

It was a photograph printed on thin paper, and a Muggle photo at that. There was a tall, thin man in the picture, with long black hair, his profile circled in red ink to draw the eye to his face. There wasn't much to see; it was a shot taken of a crowd, partly blurred, and the subject of the photograph was half-hidden.

"That was taken a month ago," Bones said, "A little less. In one year, that's all we have. Just that one picture, and it tells us nothing."

Tonks was staring at the photograph, then looked up. "Then they must be good at hiding," she said. "There's nothing more I can do about it. That's what you're asking, isn't it?"
Bones shrugged slightly. "Yes and no, Tonks. I am indeed requesting your involvement, but I hold a very different opinion of your calibre. And Miss Granger's, of course."
Hermione's heart sank.

"Mulhollish is getting cocky," Bones sighed. "He's a purebred wizard, raised in an auror household, and yes, Tonks, you're right - he's one of the best dark wizard catchers out there. But unfortunately, there's a catch to all this. From what my department can see… Snape isn't a dark wizard anymore."

"Of course he is," Tonks said abruptly. "Look at what he did."

"I know what he did," Bones said, with a touch of sternness in her voice. "But that's not what he's doing now."

"I understand," Hermione said suddenly. Tonks looked at her sharply. Hermione picked up the photograph and moved to consider it more closely. "Snape's living as a muggle, in the muggle world, and Mulhollish isn't compatible with it. He can't even take a proper picture of a moving crowd."

"Exactly," Madame Bones said, looking relieved that Hermione was saying it, and not herself. "And as far as we know, you two girls are perfect for the job."

"I can't," Hermione said immediately.

"Neither can I," Tonks said.

Bones reached over the desk to retrieve the picture from Hermione, gently setting it back in the folder. "I don't want to put pressure on any of you," she said, "Nor do I want to insult you, if you find my views as such. But these two are top priority. If they finally do get away, they won't just settle down in hiding for the rest of their lives. They'll start another war, they'll kill more people. You two are of Muggle background, and you know your away around both the magical and non-magical worlds. Tonks is an excellent auror, and you, Miss Granger, are exceptionally sharp. Now," she said, carefully. "I can order Tonks onto this hunt if I have to, but you, Granger - your admission into this case will have to be voluntary. And I won't send Tonks alone unless she vouches for it."

Hermione glanced at Tonks. Tonks was frowning to herself, twisting her engagement ring, small and delicate, around her finger. Hermione's own hands tightened in her lap.

"Where are they?" Hermione asked Bones, still staring at Tonks.

"America," Bones said wearily. "We'll give you the exact coordinates if you take the case. You understand this is highly classified information."

"Yes," Hermione sighed. "I do."

And then she added, "I'll do it."

.x.

Tonks set her bags heavily on the carpet, just inside the door of Hermione's flat. "I'll just leave them here," she called.

"Alright," Hermione called back. She was packing away all of her necessities, her toothbrush and comb and shampoo and everything else. Tonks wandered into the bathroom, watching the muggleborn neatly set each item into a small traveling bag.

"We did the right thing, you think?" Tonks said.

"Of course we did," Hermione said, sounding unhappy. "What else can we do? We all lost friends in that war, and if we're the best people for the job, then that's that. We have to do it."

"But I can't believe we have to take Delacour," Tonks muttered, picking up Hermione's toothbrush holder and inspecting the little designs painted on the ceramic. "I hope she's as useful as Amelia said she is."
"Same here," Hermione said, taking up her traveling case and leaving the bathroom, heading for the sitting room. The rest of her luggage was there - one small and one larger. She slipped her bathroom things into the larger suitcase.

"I've never been on a plane before," Tonks said, from the bathroom. "I wish we didn't have to take one, though. Bit weird."

"Magical transport's out of the question," Hermione said, sighing. "We have to enter the country legally."

"Then how'd Snape manage it?" Tonks, poking her head out of the doorway, asked. "He did it magically, probably."

"Well, he's walking around with a fake identity," Hermione responded, zipping up her suitcase. "Most likely, anyway. But if we get hassled by the police then we need to have identification."

"Yeah," Tonks said. "So how are you and Ron?"

"Oh," Hermione said, startled. "We're fine. You and Remus?"

"Fine," Tonks said.

"Good." Hermione said, checking her watch. "That's good."