Chapter Four
Professor Snape walked in not long after the twins had abandoned her with Draco and Harry after sending a quick message with a house-elf to get the professor. It was rather late and the twins did not want to face his wrath with being summoned to the hospital wing. She had a sneaking suspicion they were going to the kitchen to steal some food and chat with the house elves that they had grown close with over the years.
The professor has slipped into the room quietly and she had to say he did not seem surprised at Malfoy's presence. Instead, he focused on running several diagnosis spells over Hermione. She had to work hard to hold her questions over which spells he was using. They did not look like the standard diagnosis spells Madam Pomfrey used. She had a feeling that if she dared to ask him about them he would not be willing to listen to her proposal of what to do with the Malfoy's, so she wisely kept her mouth shut till he spoke first.
"You seem to be in good health, Ms. Granger. Besides your magical and physical exhaustion and the persistent wound that is barely knitted together. You will be taking a potion regimen for the rest of the summer to help you heal." Professor Snape declared. "I will send them home with you tomorrow on the train with a letter to explain their use to your parents. Muggles tend to question the validity of wizarding medicine."
"That won't be necessary, Sir." Hermione quickly said.
"Oh," He raised one of his sharp eyebrows. "Could that be because you do not stay with your muggle parents?"
"Madame Longbottom informed you," Hermione assumed as she fidgeted with her hands.
"She was rather distressed when we had to call her in for aid." The professor said.
"Does the Headmaster know?" She questioned with a quick nod from the professor, she sighed. "I have heard Professor Dumbledore wanted to talk to me earlier. I'll expect a visit before leaving tomorrow. I wanted to discuss with you something of importance before the train leaves as well."
"Would that be the reason Mr. Malfoy is here or that there is a mysterious hand that does not seem to be attached to a body?" Again, he raised an eyebrow as he glanced a the hand.
"Harry," Hermione exclaimed reaching over and snatching his cloak. Harry's face was flushed red as he leaned away from Hermione's hand as it attempted to swat him. "If you are going to use the cloak then make sure you are covered."
"If you are done," Malfoy snapped. "I would rather get this over with."
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy," Professor Snape drawled.
"I received a note from my mother," Draco explained holding out the note for the professor to take.
"And you went to the wonder twins with this," Snape questioned.
"Is it that much of a surprise learning I couldn't trust you, since I was told my whole life that you were one of the Dark Lord's most trusted followers," Draco asked as he leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed.
"Professor Snape," Hermione began. "Malfoy came to us because he needed help. I suggested we call on you. Before the headmaster gets involved."
"Why would you trust me, if all you have heard is that I am a spy Ms. Granger?" The professor inquired. "You could be leading Mr. Malfoy and his mother into a trap. Mr. Potter and Weasley have never been under the belief that I am on your side."
"Like we don't have good examples of you being out to get us," Harry huffed but quickly silenced as Hermione shot him a glare.
"Above all else professor you have worked to protect us throughout all of our years here and the trouble we get into," Hermione replied. "The twins also told me how dedicated you were to help me recover from the battle and how you worked tirelessly with Madam Longbottom. You would not put in all of that work to save a muggle-born if you were truly on His side."
"I care for the safety of all of my students," Professor Snape replied, his jaw clenching before he gave into a sigh as he looked to Draco. "Especially my godson."
"You'll help," Draco questioned, his body relaxed as he saw the professor agree. "You'll find away from mother to get away too?"
"I will try my hardest, I won't be easy and she will not be able to pack a lot of comforts. It will mean abandoning the manor to the Dark Lord." The professor explained.
"He can have it." Draco declared. "We have others if needed."
"After I devise a plan and attempt to talk to your mother I will call you to my office before the express leaves." Snape waited for Draco to nod. "It is best if you go back to your dorm before you are missed. And Mr. Potter I would like to talk to Ms. Granger alone."
"I don't-" Harry's protest was quickly stopped by another glare from Hermione. Ron was right; she was brilliant but bloody scary. It wouldn't do to upset her especially when she was stuck in the hospital wing. She was a worse patient than even him. Harry quickly nodded his goodbye to Hermione and followed Malfoy out of her private hospital room.
"It is no wonder you were able to fool your friends from your extracurricular activities, they are a bit obtuse." Professor Snape commented as he waved his wand to close the door to the room.
"It isn't hard to hide things when no one is looking for them." Hermione shifted in her bed as sitting up became uncomfortable. This injury would limit the training she would be able to do this summer. She would have to push back Viktor's visit to the Longbottom estate till she was fully healed. She doubted she would be able to convince Augusta to let her visit his family estate now as she had planned. "I'm not exactly the one people would expect to dabble in the dark magic."
"Lay down you fool before you open your injury." The professor instructed as he noticed her wince. He stopped at her bedside table and took out the purple potion from the collection of vials she was supposed to take. "This will not stop the pain as normal pain relievers haven't seen to be effective with this curse but it should help to ease the discomfort."
"Thank you," She replied after drinking the potion. She wrinkled her nose, it tasted strongly of mint, she hated mint.
"You Ms. Granger are worrying," Professor Snape said as he took a seat in the chair Harry had vacated. He sat rigidly and composed as he observed her. "Dark magic is not something to dabble in. It is harsh, demanding and it corrupts."
"I know," She said with a nod.
"You know," He exclaimed. "You killed someone, does that mean nothing to you?"
"Don't'" Hermione flinched. "I am not a monster, of course, it means something to me that I killed someone. I am not a monster like them. You do not know how I feel or the emotions that I've been battling since waking up with the realization that my magic and actions forced someone to die."
"If you keep practicing the dark arts you will fracture your soul. The darkness will leech into your very being and change who you are." The professor cautioned.
"I didn't start practicing for fun. I weighed the pros and cons. This is one of the only ways I can keep the people I love safe during this war. I will not have them fighting the darkest spells with leg lock jinxes and simple disarming spells. We need to be ready to fight dark with dark. The other side will not spare us just because we refuse to use the same level of magic. You should know that better than all of us. Or can you say you've never practiced the dark arts yourself?"
"I am an adult. I can make my own decisions."
"I have had to protect myself and my friend for the past five years due to the adults in our lives weighing our lives against the war that is coming. Excuse me if I use all of the advantages I can to keep the three of us alive so we can become adults one day." Hermione huffed. "Honestly we fought a troll within our first two months of being in school, had a deadly basilisk roaming the halls, and soul-sucking dementors before we reached 4th year. We do not have the luxury to wait."
"Your head of house as well as Madam Longbottom are worried about you." Professor Snape attempted a different tactic. "And the Headmaster will want to discuss this with you as well. He will try to use you despite your age."
"I know," Hermione once again nodded. "It is why I called on you to help Draco. While the Headmaster means well he sees everything including his students as pawns on his chessboard. He would attempt for Draco to spy with you instead of protecting him."
"Very insightful." The professor did not protest because he knew she was right. He did not want to see his godson get pulled into the Headmasters manipulations if there was a way to get him out from being a pawn as Ms. Granger had said.
"While Harry and Ron may trust in the Headmasters decisions will blind faith. I am not blind to understand that everything dangerous and life-threatening that has happened in this school these past few years could have been lessened if he had stepped in." Hermione sighed. "I trust very few people blindly especially those that fail to protect the ones I love."
"But you trust me," Professor Snape questioned his eyebrow raised in disbelief.
"You have attempted to protect us at every turn Professor. I respect actions far better than nice words and speeches." Hermione explained. "While I might not agree with your teaching style or your treatment of your students, I understand that you take the safety of your student seriously. That I can respect and honor."
"Well, Ms. Granger I believe I can also respect your actions in protecting your friends. I just warn you to be careful and do not be seduced by the dark. If there is even a thought that you are going too far I will stop you myself."
"I wouldn't have it any other way Professor. Thank you,"
"Don't thank me yet. We still need to decide how best to help Mr. Malfoy. I assume you have the start of a plan figured out." He inquired.
"Does his mother normally pick him up from the express?" She questioned as she thought back a few ideas that had begun to form after she read the letter. "If so perhaps slipping Draco a portkey to a safe house would be best."
"A safe house on such little notice is next to impossible." The professor explained. "And once they are gone, all of their estates and homes will be monitored for a time. I would prefer for them to be set up in an unplottable house for the summer at least."
"Headquarters if off-limits until the headmaster is aware of their defection." Hermione also added. "The Longbottom estate is unplottable and we have more than enough room to house them until a better option is available."
"How do you think Madam Longbottom would appreciate housing the sister and nephew of the women who tortured her son and daughter in law." Hermione winced at his sarcastic tone but he did have a point.
"As well as the Malfoy's staying in the same house as the witch who murdered said women," Hermione admitted defeat.
"So you are staying with the Longbottoms," Snape smirked.
"Yes. I would like to say Augusta wouldn't have a problem because I know Neville and Draco use to play together during those high society tea functions that the pureblood ladies seem to love but that could have been out of obligation on her part. I wouldn't want to force her into an uncomfortable situation but I cannot think of another safe house."
"I do believe Madam Longbottom is still close to Narcissa's sister, Andromeda Tonks. Perhaps she wouldn't mind being a layover until Andromeda's house can be made unplottable." The professor offered.
"Andy is over at the house all the time. She is so different than her two sisters I forget that she was once a Black. I can always stay at headquarters for the first few nights of summer vacation if Mrs. Malfoy protests my presence due to what happened at the Ministry."
"I will discuss everything with both Madam Longbottom, Mrs. Tonks, and Mrs. Malfoy. We only have a few hours and doing all of this before the Express leaves will be difficult, we only have a few hours." Professor Snape stood nodding down to Hermione. "Get rest, Ms. Granger. I am sure tomorrow will be a busy day for us all."
"Thank you, Professor." Hermione smiled up at her scowling professor. "Please let me know if you need any help."
The gloomy professor scoffed at the offer but nonetheless nodded before leaving her room.
She shifted in bed once again. No position was comfortable with the wound on her chest wrapped in tight bandages. The torches in the room dimmed with a wave of her wand. She wouldn't want Madam Pomfrey to berate her for not resting. The healer could be vindictive if she thought her patients weren't following her directions. Despite knowing the risks of the healer's wrath and the professor's directions she did not plan to rest. She needed to re-evaluate her summer schedule with these new developments. Training with Viktor would have to be pushed back if Grams allowed her to see him at all that was. While she tended to spend the majority of her summer reading ahead of the next year that seemed useless when preparing for war. She also knew Grams would be watching her like a hawk and would not go easy on her this summer once she found out she was practicing dark magic. Hermione groaned into her pillow. That was not a conversation she wanted to have. Maybe it was best if she stayed at headquarters for a few days like she had told Professor Snape. Perhaps she could convince the twins to sneak down to Knockturn Alley and procure a few new books for her. It would be easy enough to slip them to her if she was staying at headquarters instead of at the Longbottom estate.
There was too much planning to be done in the few short hours she had before the Express arrived. She did not have time for rest even if her body needed it. She would hopefully have time to rest after the war or after she died. Whichever one came first.
Authors Note:
Hello Everyone. It has been a while, hasn't it? Life is crazy and I'm currently in my last year of my masters so I'm even more hectic and overwhelmed than normal. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! As always let me know what you think!
Stay safe.
- Scarypoppins.