Disclaimer: The Harry Potter Universe belongs to You- Know- Who. I bow down to the mighty J.K Rowling.

Authors Note: Can I just say a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter and an especially big hug to CareBearErin, excessivlyperky, edania, BeckiSoup, Brandy, Monny's-wolf, magicmistress1970, Antigonesev and Maddie, who have all been sending wonderful reviews faithfuly for every chapter, I really couldn't have done it without you all sending me such wonderful encouragment. Also an extra big kiss to Erin for betaing for the story, any errors are my fault for fiddling after she sent it back.

This chapter was meant to be the last that covered HBP, unfotunatly I found myself falling short of that, so it's a bit of a cliffie:ducks: On with the show!

Chapter nine Part Four.

Minerva snuggled into her husband's shoulder, practically purring with contentment as his strong fingers stroked her back repeatedly. The fire was the only light in the room and it bathed the two in a warm and safe cocoon of light. Here in their rooms she let her usual strict guard down and relaxed to become no different from the girl she had been fifty years ago. Her black hair streaked with silver hung down her back in looses waves. They sat in silence trying not to allow the concerns of the outside world into their small haven.

Albus ran his hand over her back once more and pulled his love closer holding her firmly. Looking up at him their eyes met. Minerva could see all the love and devotion he had for her but she also saw the shadows of sadness in his gaze, trying to break their connection she could feel the tears begin to well. He held her chin firmly and looked deep into her soul.

"My Minnie, I know you do not want to accept this but you must try hard to listen to me now. I love you. I have loved you for fifty five years, with my whole heart and soul, but I have wronged you."

"No! No, never that, you have always done right by me my dear."

"Minnie, hear me out, I'm a tired old man who doesn't have much time left. I have wronged you my dear. I have neglected you, too caught up in other affairs to treat you as I should have. Every step of the way you have been here for me, supporting me and caring, even when I most certainly didn't deserve it. Every year that passed I promised my self that the next year it would be different; I would let the world get on with it and make it up to you. Now we sit here and I know that there is not much time left."

"Albus stop this, you are not saying goodbye to me. I will not loose you. You managed to remove the ring, you'll recover…"

"Minerva, the ring may be gone, but I know that it has caused too much damage, there will be no recovery, I don't believe I have long left. Now let me finish. I'm sorry, sorry for all the worry and pain I have made you suffer, and I wanted to tell you that and let you know that out of everything the thing I regret the most is not spending the time I should have with you. You are everything to me, my Gryffindor Princess still. You are my heart, my soul and my whole world; I will love you with my dieing breath and every moment after until we are together again. Remember Minnie, every moment after till we meet again." Satisfied that he had made her burn his words into her mind he kissed her tenderly conveying all his hope and love in a single goodbye.

Hermione Granger was sick and tired of being stepped on. For the past four months all Severus had done was give her the cold shoulder and push her further and further away. Their confrontation in the corridor before dinner was slowly making her anger start to boil. The nerve of him, telling her to keep her nose out of other peoples business that he didn't want nor need a lovesick giggling girl following him around looking like an injured kitten. The more she replayed it in her mind the angrier she became. Standing up so fast she knocked the chair she had been sitting on half way across the library floor, she stormed towards the door and down to the dungeons. Madam Pince looked up, startled by the noise and her eyebrows rose, nearly touching her hair line when she realized that Hermione Granger had just stalked from the room leaving all her school books, parchments and homework on the library table.

The look on Hermione's face was enough to terrify any student in the castle. Her eyes were burning with anger, her face set in a grim line and her sensible flat shoes managing to strike the stones loudly enough to cause an echo in the dungeons. Two Slytherin first years saw her coming and instead of their usual sneering, at the Gryffindor prefect, they chose wisely to move swiftly in the opposite direction. Barely registering them on her radar she finally reached Severus Snape's office.

Knocking loudly and without waiting for a reply she entered the room. Glaring around she became even more incensed when she realized he wasn't there. Scanning the walls she was sure she would find a door to his quarters. Sure enough she saw a bookcase slightly angled at the very back of the room. Drawing closer she saw a sliver of light emanating from the not quite closed door.

Severus was drunk. In fact there were a number of ways in which you could describe just how drunk he was. The phrases, rat arsed, sozzled, pissed and steaming all came to mind. In this comfortingly hazy state he was able to view the ruins of his life with a detached quality right now. How fate despised him. It gave him Hermione with one hand and took her away with the other. Love was a joke, if it was meant to be such a powerful force why hadn't he been given a chance to experience it? All he could do was fall for Hermione more and more each day in the full knowledge that one way or another she would either lose him or hate him. The irony though was not lost on him. He could never have imagined that a woman could bring him so low without even meaning to. Love was pain and torture more exquisite than cruciatus, more excruciatingly agonizing than a long and painful death caused by the ingestion of finely ground glass. He was loves bitch and he knew it.

Hermione entered his room and closed the door firmly behind her. The room was decorated in a deep burgundy and a purple so dark it was almost black. He sat in a chair by his fireplace a nearly empty bottle of whisky beside him. Roughly pushing any concern she might have for him and his current state from her mind she planted her hands on her hips and stood in front of him.

Severus was now hallucinating; the very object of his musings was standing in front of him looking every bit like a wrathful Athena on the warpath. The way her arms were pushed back made her undeniable assets more noticeable than usual and her long golden hair seemed to crackle about her head like a living thing, ready to strike him. For a Gryffindor with such a main of hair it was startling to notice that her hair was more like Medusa's than a lion. Her small foot tapped impatiently as he peered at her from toe to head and back down again. When he finally looked at her he seemed jolted back into reality for a moment.

"Miss Granger, what is the meaning of this intrusion?" He asked, trying to stand. As he got to his feet, Hermione planted her hands on his chest and pushed him back down.

"Enough Snape! I have had it up to here with you these last months. I will not stand back and continue to let you treat me like this. I haven't done anything wrong, we were meant to be friends." She was shouting now, her temper really starting to go. "I'm not leaving until I get some kind of answer from you. You can't go from kissing me to hating me in two easy steps you know, so I want a reason for why you are trying to make me believe you don't care about me! How dare you treat me the way you have this last term. I thought we were friends, I thought I could trust you, now I'm not sure if I can."

He stared at her in shock then, good goddess she was magnificent in her rage! Her eyes sparked fire and her face was flushed with the heat of her anger. Determinedly he shook his head clearing away the fog the whisky had induced.

"What ever made you think we were friends girl?" He sneered dangerously.

"You can't intimidate me Severus, it might have worked when I was thirteen but not now. I know you, there's something going on, something terrible and you're pushing me away to protect me in some sort of completely absurd noble gesture. Just tell me the truth!" Her voice her quieted now and a single tear of frustration slid over her cheek.

Suddenly Severus stood and grasped her arms, his grip was painful as he held her.

"You don't understand, Hermione!"

"Then help me!"

"I can't tell you, don't you see there are more important things than you and me! I am not a nice man Hermione, I have done terrible things, I am a murderer. Did you know that? I have tortured and murdered like any other of his followers, it stains my soul, I am marked. Will I show you the things I have done? Let you hear their cries as they beg for mercy, beg me to kill them, beg for their lives or their families?"

She struggled in his grip but he held her firmly, knowing that she would be bruised tomorrow, but hoping it would add to the picture he was trying to build in her mind. Staring into her eyes he forced his way into her mind.

Hermione tried to recoil from the terror and darkness that had entered her mind, she felt as though her soul was being cut open by a thousand knives. Images so alien and painful were rushing into her.

She saw him in a darkened room, pointing his wand at a young girl no more than fifteen. She was covered in blood, a slicing hex had opened her face from temple to jaw, the mindless terror in her eyes was like a coppery taste in the back of her throat.

A clearing full of dark robbed figures, masked and silent as one after another took turns raping the witch who was lying still on the wet ground. Her blonde hair matted and tangled, stained with her own blood, a silent scream in her blank and soulless eyes.

Her mother's body, cold and lifeless on a kitchen floor, her warm brown eyes glassy in death, a half smile on the blue lips.

Finally managing to raise a shield she pushed him from her mind. Crying uncontrollably she felt her stomach heave in rebellion. Sobbing on the floor, trying to refrain from throwing up she relived the moments that he had forced into her mind over and over again. He could show her what he had done, or participated in or witnessed, but at the same time she had felt his own feelings about the memories, they weren't the feelings of a cold-blooded murderer.

"It didn't work. You don't scare me Severus." She said quietly, looking at the man on the floor against the bookcase. Anger blazed in his eyes for a moment before he made his way over to her.

"Are you so sure of that my dear?" He hauled her roughly to her feet.

"You want to know why I'm pushing you away? I'll show you instead."

His mouth descended on hers cruelly, he bit her bottom lip hard, causing her to gasp in outrage. He forced his tongue into her mouth kissing her brutally. This was about fear and domination; he had to frighten her enough to make her stay away. She was struggling in his arms as he held her tighter, pinning her against the wall, his hips grinding into hers painfully.

Whimpering she tried to claw at his face, this couldn't be happening this wasn't the man she had come to know. He was hurting her, and for the first time in her life she was frightened. This stranger was doing what Dementors, Basilisks and Voldemort had failed to do, make her absolutely mindless in terror. His hands were all over her, pinching and pulling and bruising. Tears of pain and humiliation were coursing down her face as she fought him. Was he going to rape her right here on the floor? Would he kill her after? How could she have been so wrong in her trust and affection?

As suddenly as it had started he pulled away and strode to his bedroom, the door banging loudly in its frame.

Her lip was bleeding, her blouse was torn and her eyes were swollen and red. Shakily she made her way out of the room and into the office. Shock was getting the better of her as she made her way along the corridor. Before she knew it she was lost in the depths of the castle. Unable to continue any further she found herself on the dungeon floor, crying hysterically.

Draco left the room of requirement and made his way to the dungeons. Walking the quiet corridors he struggled again to find a way out of his current predicament. A few weeks, no more than that, and it would be ready. He couldn't stall this time, he had to mean it, had to make it work. Unseen eyes followed his progress down to the common room the twinkle now completely gone.

As he neared the common room, Draco stopped; a noise ahead told him there was someone there. Slowing his steps he crept forward, careful not to make a sound. The sight that greeted his eyes was one which a few years ago would have had him feeling gleeful; however, seeing the Gryffindor mudblood in small heap on the floor near the portrait hole now sent ice flooding into his being. Hermione Granger lay curled in the fetal position, sobbing and shaking in the damp floor. Glancing around he knew there was no one near by. Making his way over to her, he knelt beside her and touched her shoulder.

"Granger!" No response, she seemed almost catatonic in shock. He shook her more forcefully,

"Granger, damn it, what's happened?" Hermione finally seemed to realize there was someone beside her and jerked away from his touch.

"Don't touch me, please, don't hurt me, not again." Her eyes were unfocused and wild.

"I'm not going to hurt you Granger," he hissed. "Listen, it's me, Malfoy, I'm going to help you ok?" Pulling her now unresisting form into his arms he lifted her and made his way back along the corridor to the hidden room he had found in third year.

He lay her down on the old couch and warding the door, he then lit the fire and flooed the kitchen, asking for some tea, and hot water.

Hermione was starting to calm down and her mind was clearing. Pushing herself up onto the couch, she peered around the room dazedly. Her enemy of six years was standing by the fire looking at her intently.

"Malfoy?" She questioned. Why on earth was he helping her? He gave her a wry smile and then sat beside her.

"Ten points for observation Granger, but they always did say you were smart."

"Why are you helping me?" She asked confused. It seemed that all her previous beliefs were being shattered tonight.

"Look, we may not get on and I may not like you, but I'm not so completely heartless as to leave you outside the Slytherin common room in the state you're currently in. What happened to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it." She said stonily.

"Fine, don't, but it's not like I can't guess. You've been attacked, did he rape you?" He asked bluntly, his eyes completely devoid of emotion, non-judgemental and blank.

Hermione's eyes were wide with sock and disbelief.

"No, he…. He stopped before. No, I'm just shaken." She told him haltingly, her body beginning to shake again as the remembered event rolled like a tidal wave through her mind. She wrapped her arms around her middle, rocking back and forth, trying to forget what had happened.

A house elf appeared with tea and hot water and cotton wool, and then winked out of sight again when Draco had thanked her with a curt nod. Pouring a cup of tea for Granger, he added three spoons of sugar and pressed the steaming cup into her hands.

"Drink, it'll make you feel better. You're still in shock." Smiling thankfully at the blond haired man in front of her she took it and relished the scolding hotness of the sweet tea, as it burned a path down to her middle, sending goose bumps up her back in response.

When she had finished Draco gripped her chin in his hand and gently cleaned the cut lip. Then with a few muttered words he healed the gash and the swelling disappeared.

"Thank you." She said simply, he nodded and looking at her seriously reached out to grasp her hand comfortingly.

Snorting she gave a light laugh.

"What's so funny Granger?" He asked her perturbed by her behaviour.

Hermione just shook her head trying to deal with the absubity of the situation, here she was with a boy she knew hated her and mocked her at every oppertunity, holding her hand and trying to confort her because she had almost been raped.

"It's just that, I could never in a million years have believed that we would be sitting here, you helping me and sharing tea." He laughed as well.

"Yeah, if only your friends could see you now eh? Potter would have a fit and Weasley would be apoplectic with rage." The thought of their response to catching them together had Hermione clutching her side as she laughed with her past enemy.

"I know, can you imagine how red his face would go?"

"Yeah, it really doesn't complement his hair when he's like that." They both hooted and laughed, letting all their emotion out. Merlin knew, if they didn't laugh the'd probably cry. It was a full five minutes before they had managed to stop.

"I'll walk you up to you common room, Granger, just to be safe." He offered her a hand and she took at gratefully as she rose to her feet.

They walked to Gryffindor tower silently, when they reached the portrait, Hermione turned to him and gave him a quick hug.

"Thank you Draco, I really appreciated what you did for me tonight."

Draco looked at her oddly for a moment then shook his head in denial.

"Don't thank me, just… look we can't be friends Granger. Don't forget that I'm still an evil git, ok?"

Peeved, Hermione snapped waspishly at him.

"What is it with you Slytherin's trying to convince people you're the bloody devil when really underneath it all you're perfectly nice?" Turning away she whispered the password and without a second glance stepped though to her common room.

Draco watched her go, wordlessly confused. What did she mean by that?

Severus sat on the edge of the bed staring blankly into the pitch darkness of his room. Never in his life had he felt as guilty as he did right then. He was almost certain he had succeeded in pushing her away this time. How could he not have? He had made her believe he was going to rape her. She had been terrified as she had struggled in his grasp, he could smell her fear even now. He was sickened by himself. That he could stoop to such a low to protect her, however well meaning, did not allow him to create excuses for his actions towards her. Unable to stop himself, he felt the bile rise in his throat, he ran to the bathroom and proceeded to vomit until his stomach was dry. He felt his insides twist and heave painfully as his body continued to make him retch. Lying on the cold tile floor he allowed himself the luxury of crying for the first time in twenty-five years.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry…"

Hermione lay in her bed, Crookshanks purring soothingly as she held him close to her. There were too many things in her head, she still wasn't thinking clearly. Her arms ached where he had held her and her heart ached were he had broken it. How had it come to this? Why was it only now, as she lay here after what he had done, that she could finally admit that she had started to fall in love with him? Blotting out all emotions from her mind she tried to find her centre. She took a breath and slowly exhaled then another repeating the steady rhythm until her body had stopped shaking and her tears had dried. The only way she could solve this dilemma was to try and rationalize it. She had always relied on logic to see her through. She had always known that emotions tended to cloud judgment.

Why did he do that to her tonight? Breath in slowly, hold and breathe out.

Why had he treated her the way he had these last months? Breath again, don't let you emotions control you she reminded herself.

Logic, cool calm and sensible, there had to be a reasonable explanation.

She knew the second answer; he was pushing her away because he was hiding something. Again she replayed the beginning of their conversation in her mind.

"I can't tell you, don't you see there are more important things than you and me!"

He was avoiding the question then. After that he had broke into her mind to share those memories. It hadn't been until he realized that she had not been scared off by it, that he had been more abusive towards her.

He had been a spy for more than twenty years without getting caught, which meant he had to be a marvellous actor. Suddenly it all started to slip into place. He had had no intention of telling her the truth tonight about why he had been avoiding her. He had only continued to push her away, to make her believe he was no good and couldn't be trusted. If he had really wanted to rape her, there had been nothing to stop him, he was twice her size and strength, he was a seasoned warrior, there had been no one who would have heard her scream, but he had stopped. Mentally she catalogued her injuries.

One split lip.

Two bruised arms.

A few pinched, bruises on her upper breasts.

The way the situation had spiralled out of control and her inability to cope with the shock of what had seemed to be happening had magnified every little detail of their encounter. He had shaken her, made her question his honour for the first time. Exactly what he had intended. There was something so terrible about to happen that he wanted her to hate him.

Why would he want her to distrust and hate him?

Pondering this question, she cast about her mind to empty all the separate little rooms of information.

Dumbledore had told her that people's actions were often misconstrued; that things sometimes happened that most people saw one way, but the truth remained hidden, or at least that was the gist of what he had said.

Could this be part of what the Headmaster had been speaking of?

The truth of this idea lit in her brain like New Years fire works. Severus was about to do something in his role as a death eater that he hated. The Headmaster in his own way was trying to prepare her for the event.

Why her?

Again she sifted and sorted through her mind. She could hide her feeling better than most and had proven herself capable of keeping secrets from Harry. Severus would still need someone to contact to get information to the Order, she was the logical choice if for some reason Dumbledore was not available. Harry could not be counted on to look at a situation rationally. He like everyone else would view it in the light that would be most obvious. Dumbledore must still be frightened of spies. No, it was more than that, Dumbledore knew Harry had failed at occulmency, Harry could still be being used in some way, or at least Voldemort could be viewing the Order's actions through him. The though of this scared her, Voldemort might still know everything in Harry's mind, which meant that Severus' cover could be blown by Harry being able to trust him. Dumbledore wanted everyone to view Severus as a traitor. Her mental process seemed to shut down on that thought as cold realization shot through her.

Whatever it was that Severus had to do it was going to probably make him absolutely unquestioned in his loyalty to Voldemort. This is what Dumbledore had been trying to warn her about. He knew Severus and she had been close, he had told her they were connected by a prophecy; but then their feelings toward each other had changed from friendship to something unable to be voiced by either, but none the less more than what it had been. Severus was trying to push her away, trying to stop her from falling in love with him. He was trying to manipulate her feelings so that she wouldn't be as hurt by whatever it was he had to do. What could be so terrible that she would have been hurt enough to think he was a traitor? Surely it must be connected to this unbreakable vow that Harry had mentioned. Which then led her to thoughts of Draco, he had to do something and Severus had vowed to help him. Trying to quell her frustration she turned over, unmindful of Crooks angry hiss as he was dumped off the bed.

Draco had been a completely different person tonight. He had showed her compassion that she had not though possible. Ideas and questions niggled away at her mind, she had no idea of what was about to happen but she again recognized the warning sparks in her magic that told her of great danger. Everything seemed to be closely connected and yet at the same time completely separate. She had to talk to Dumbledore; as for Snape, well, better to let him believe that what had transpired between them had worked in making her despise him.

Luna Lovegood sat on the great hall watching Harry Potter from beneath her long fringe. He was sitting with his arm around Ginny Weasley again. It seemed the two had finally got together. Inwardly she sighed and then shrugged. It didn't really matter she knew it wouldn't last. Ginny was the sort of person that needed to be loved for herself; Luna knew Harry's real attraction to her stemmed from his wanting to be part of a family. Harry didn't want Ginny; he wanted the Weasley's. What Harry needed however, was someone that could stand up to him, but could understand his introspection. Someone smart that could keep him grounded. Ginny was too willing to let Harry get away with everything that she would never allow her brothers. Besides, Luna was sure that Ginny wanted Harry because she had always thought she wanted him, but she needed someone she could be strong for, not the other way around. Harry would never let anyone else be strong for him. Ginny needed to be loved for her kindness and strength, and also needed someone who would accept the darkness that lived in her. No matter how much she hid it, Luna could see it, much the same way she could see the Thestrals. Luna sighed again, this time into her pudding, one day Harry Potter, one day you'll see me properly she thought.
Albus sat in his office waiting for Harry to arrive. He checked his portrait, making sure that in the event he didn't succeed that his consciousness would be imbued to the picture. He stared at the missive in front of him once more. Hermione Granger had requested a meeting with him. Of course he knew that since she had not reported what had happened between her and Severus that she had most likely managed to come to the correct conclusions on the matter. Right now though, he could not risk telling her anything, soon enough she would follow the path he intended her to take. Taking a quill and fresh parchment he began to write a series of notes. When he had finished he retrieved a small oak box, weathered by age and placed the letters inside. Locking it carefully, he took the key and slipped it onto a chain. There was only one way to do this; unfortunately the burden would fall on one girl's deceptively small shoulders. Dropping the chain into an envelope he sealed it and then addressed it. The biggest bluff in History was about to be played, he only hoped he held the winning hand.
Dear Diary,

I feel I have neglected you this year; it's been months since I have written a word. I had another dream last night about my mother. It was the clearest one so far. I now have a complete list of ingredients and measurements for the potion she was making, if I was able to take it to Severus he might be able to tell me what every book in the library couldn't. The difference this time though, was that it then skipped to another place, my mother held a wand pointed at a rabbit. I couldn't hear the words but I'm pretty sure it wasn't Avada, the wrist movement was all wrong. There was a stabbing motion, then a figure eight; hopefully the next one will come with sound. She looked at me again, before I woke up and smiled at me. When I came too my pillow was soaked with tears, when will I be able to see her and not wake up crying?

Harry was totally out of order during the week; he attacked Draco with a particularly nasty spell he found scribbled in the margin of the potions book. I'm pretty sure it could have killed him; I fear for Harry more and more, he didn't really seem sorry for what he's done. Sure Draco is an obnoxious git at times but even Harry should have realized by now that Draco just doesn't have it in him to really cast an unforgivable that would hurt someone.

I'm biding my time with Severus, I'm certain he thinks he's pushed me away; if only he knew how wrong he was. I've been trying to keep a closer watch on him. Crookshanks has started to come into his own this year, he's somehow able to communicate images to me, for some reason they all include Severus. I guess my cat is a pretty good spy; Severus lets his guard down around him all the time, unfortunately I can see that this thing is taking its toll on him. I noticed that in the past few weeks he's hardly eaten and appears to be drinking in his rooms even more; however, I'm still waiting to talk to Dumbledore about my suspicions, I sent him a letter but he's been so busy lately that I haven't had a reply.

Whatever grand event is coming I can't help but feel that it is very near and…

"Hermione! Come quick, there are death eaters in the school."

Grabbing her wand, Hermione rushed down to the common room and out the portrait hole with Ginny, Ron and the rest of the DA members.

TBC...

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