Ch 7 Partners


Severus POV

"The Sea Urchin Jinx transfigures the target so that spikes erupt all over the victim's body. It apparently creates awful discomfort for the target," Severus drawled as he lectured.

He had hoped that now that he no longer had to teach potions he could breathe much easier and be less stressed throughout the day. But that wasn't the case.

He had to appear uninterested in the material. He was an expert in the Dark Arts, and defence against it should appear to be boring to him. He had to act as if everything he did was being monitored. For all he knew he was. Some of his students who report to their parents may be suspicious of his interest in teaching the students how to properly defend themselves against the Dark Arts. When his enthusiasm should be towards the Dark Arts itself.

But that didn't take away that the information he was teaching was important and could be vital during this war and yet most of them were not paying attention. He shouldn't have been surprised, this was his sixth-year class after all.

It was the class he dreaded having to teach the most. It was exhausting having to teach them. His emotional appearance had to flip like a switch depending on who he was talking to. It was much easier for him to teach the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. But at last, he was never that lucky. He had to be sympathetic and lenient with the Slytherins even when they were mouthing off much to his annoyance. He had to be stern and snap at the Gryffindors. Taking points and assigning detention at the littlest of things. Constantly belittling them, especially Potter and Longbottom. Even when the students had the right answer.

His Slytherins were currently whispering amongst themselves and gossiping from what he could tell. He would have expected better from his own house, especially while in his presence. But since they weren't surrounded by volatile potions he was expected to be more lenient with them. He couldn't tell them off, expecially while in the presence of the Gryffindors. The Gryffindors were a different story. Most of them actually appeared to be attempting to learn something. A couple of students were too disturbed by the images he had on the board to focus. Parvati and Thomas were writing notes. Weasley was hopeless. And Potter was indeed writing though he would glare at him in between lines.

Just being in the presence of the boy made his teeth grind. He aggravated him far more than Black ever did. Even though Black did more to harm him. It was something about the glare in Potter's eyes that unnerved him. There was a hatred there that seemed oddly familiar. And it unsettled him greatly.

And that left Hermione Granger.

She had her head down. Her face was covered by an impressive mass of bushy hair. She was writing furiously. And no doubt extremely detailed notes.

She still waved her hand in the air and when called upon recited the textbook from memory. However her eyes did not once try to seek him out. She didn't act any different while in his class or any other time he saw her. Though those encounters were rather limited.

But as of late he could feel his eyes wandering to her as well as his thoughts.

She was indeed a rather good student. She was top of all of her classes, including his. But other than being a dedicated student and perfectionist. There was nothing remarkable about her. Or anything that would cause his focus to turn towards her, even during class.

Until now.

She had surprised him the other night. He realized then that he had underestimated her and her abilities despite being her teacher for the past five years. There was a lot about her he did not know.

"You've got thirty seconds to explain to me what you're doing here," he said when he realized who was in his office. It would not be good for her to be seen in the dungeons at this time of night. Though he was slightly concerned by the fact that she came to see him for whatever reason instead of her own head of house or any other teacher for that matter.

Well, it took her longer than 30 seconds for him to hear what she had to say. But it was undeniably worth it. Even though it immediately caused him a headache and threw a wrench in all of his plans. If she wasn't still in his presence he would already have a drink in his hand.

"Why did you come to me?" He asked after her explanation. He could easily guess her reasons but he wanted to hear it from her himself. What she knew was dangerous. It was information people would kill for. He needed to know just how over her head she was before he made any decisions. If she even had a plan.

"We are way out of our depth here. We have no experience of dark magic. We need an expert in dark magic. And you are the only one in the Order. Nor do we understand You Know Who and his actions and logic. You are our best option." He wasn't fond of her continued use of we. It was a constant reminder of Black's role in all of this. He knew very well that this was her decision to include him and not Blacks. And yet she already spoke as if the three of them were a team.

Well, that would definitely have to change. He was not interested in spending more time with either her or Black than he had to. He would much rather prefer finding these Horcruxes on his own. But if she was right. Then even he might require some help and unfortunately fr him, she was a better candidate than Black.

"And what makes you think I can be trusted. I am sure Black has expressed his distaste over my involvement." It normally didn't matter to him how his students felt about him. But right now he wanted to consider all of his factors. He needed to know what posible barriers were in his way. Personal and structural.

When she first entered the room she stood tall and acted confident and sure of herself. She was trying to remain calm but now her reserve was slipping. "He doesn't know that I am coming to you about this."

"That explains why he hasn't broken down my door yet." Though it was only a matter of time before he did. And Severus found himself looking forward to that encounter. Most of the time being in his presence was exhausting. But this encounter could prove promising. And it would be sorely for his enjoyment. He had learned long ago to enjoy the little things. And seeing Black furious was one of them. It would be more enjoyable if Black's misery wasn't connected to the Dark Lord's survival.

"I know your role in the Order," she admitted, laying all of her cards on the table.

"Yes and yet for some reason you think that the person who is constantly in the presence of other Death Eaters is trustworthy." He didn't know why he was trying to inspire doubt about her decision. But he wanted to see how she would react.

"But you aren't loyal to them, you are loyal to Dumbledore. From what I have seen you have not done anything that's warranted us to doubt you." She was keeping a cool head under scrutiny. She was depending on logic and trying not to let her emotions get the best of her. At least while in his presence. But there was something about how she said it that made his eyes narrow in suspicion.

"You just can't help but be naive and see the good in everyone."

"I choose to see the good in people." And for some reason, she thought there was good in him

It confused him. She was academically intelligent so he wouldn't have thought her to be so naive. He made it a point for people to not like him. To allow his bitterness and disdain for teaching to be made known to the students. And she was one of his students. And yet while most of the students held resentment towards him, she came to him seeking guidance. He knew that she was aware of his true loyalties as a spy. He had seen her with her friends over the previous summer attempting to spy on the Order meetings. But he figured like Potter and Weasley she distrusted him as well. Though out of all the children at the Order she did seem to trust authority figures the most and from his standing seemed to believe that all teachers were saints. Though, after the stunt with Umbridge last year he figured she would have learned to be cautious of who she trusted. And yet for some reason, she believed she could trust him.

But she shouldn't. No one should trust him. Trust doesn't mean a damn thing in a war. Anyone can betray you, even your best friends and family. Trust was a hindrance and one he tended not to rely on. He didn't last years as a spy by trusting those around him. No, he survived by being suspicious of everyone and analyzing their risk and motives.

Her motive was sincere. She wanted to help on the war front. And she made her point clear that even though she was still a child she was just as involved in this war as any other adult. She made her point clear that as a muggleborn she had more on the line in this war. She not only wanted but knew she was capable of helping. She had proven her usefulness by even discovering the information on Horcruxes and how they related to the Dark Lord. She was smart enough to hide her discovery instead of informing the rest of the Order. He was correct in her assessment that the others might not take her seriously since she only had a concept and no factual proof. Unless they could get their hands on Tom Riddle's Diary. Though since it was long since destroyed he doubted that any residual magic remaining would indicate anything substantial. Despite her misjudgement about him. Her idea had merit. Logically it made sense, her discovery. He had limited knowledge of Horcruxes. He knew about them in passing where few books mentioned the danger associated with them. It was exceedingly rare for someone to have to explain something to him, especially from a student, even more so since they were discussing the Dark Arts. something he would never expect Hermione Granger to be researching. She was too brown nose for that.

But he underestimated her determination. He learned long ago not to be surprised by the extent of her knowledge. Despite her bossiness, constant hand waving and insufferable need to always be right, and the annoying company she surrounded herself with, she was clever. And as she explained what a Horcrux was and her reasoning as to why it was something they should be concerned with he couldn't find a single flaw. It made sense. He too had questioned how the Dark Lord's resurrection was even possible to the Headmaster though the man brushed off his concerns, always stating what is done is done and that they should focus on the future instead of the past. Well, now he was concerned that things done in the past would now dictate their future. And so was she. Despite her attempt to be confident and her clear and steady voice. He could see in her eyes that she was scared. She admitted to herself that she was way over her head. And she was right. But for some reason, she believed it wasn't too over his head. But she was wrong. If she is correct and the Dark Lord created more Horcruxes then all of them were screwed. Even him.

And her plan, though it was severely underdeveloped and completely far-fetched. Was a starting point that he could expand on.

He couldn't deny he was intrigued by her offer. She wanted his help and asked for it. Instead of going to anyone else. She came to him. She wanted him involved. And that itself was enough to leave him curious. He knew she wasn't trying to manipulate him or use him for some nefarious scheme. She was far too kind for that. And so he was left at an impasse. He knew the information of the Horcruxes was vital; there was no doubt in his mind about it. However, he was unsure if he should indulge Miss Granger's little crusade and secret mission. The three of them working together as a team would surely only end in disaster and their failure.

But that was only when he included Black in his calculations. When it came to just her, he was left unsure.

He never particularly liked her. Nor did he ever really pay attention to her unless she had her hand stuck up in the air in his classroom. He often at times associated his disdain for Potter with her since they were friends.

But as of late he had to start thinking of her as an individual. Not simply as one of his students or in conjunction with others. But simply Hermione Granger.

And he did that by observing her more in the last few days then he had in the past five years. Unfortunately his observations were always left inconclusive since he rarely saw her outside of her friends. Like right now during dinner. The three of them would frequently laugh or smile when one of them would say. Acting and fooling around like typical teenagers in confidence with one another.

But he almost missed it when he would pretend to not be looking in their direction, on occasion Miss Granger would tense up. As if something the others had said made her seem flustered and she would have needed to struggle for an answer. He couldn't hear their conversation and they were too far away for him to read their lips. So he would occasionally glance their way out of the corner of his eye. They all seemed too chipper despite their apparent doom. And only she was acting oddly. As if only she had a secret. And then it hit him. She never told them. Odd. he figured that they would be the first people she told. But apparently, her statement that only Black was aware held true. That was still problematic itself. He extremely disliked the man and was revolted by the idea of being in his presence let alone at the idea of working with him.

"Something wrong, Severus?" Dumbledore asked from beside him.

Severus was hoping he would be able to eat his meal in peace without being disturbed. But apparently, that was not going to happen. "Nothing more than the usual normal stupidity displayed by those dunderheads." He made sure to ensure Dumbledore didn't realize that there was something wrong with him. Or something catching his attention

"You know some of the children are actually quite bright and show extreme promise." Severus wanted to bang his head on the table. Dumbledore always said that but he wasn't the one teaching the students or marking their essays. He would be astounded by the number of grammar errors a 15-year-old would have. Though he would probably be delighted by the prospect. He would claim that it was simply creativity.

"Careful now you sound like our new Potion's Professor," he drawled.

"Ahh, I see that your current disdain is about Horace." Dumbledore sounded far too cheerful for his liking. "I thought you always wanted to teach Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"That was until you hired an individual who will single handedly remove anything I attempted to teach the students for the past several years." He didn't like teaching but he did pride himself on knowledge and he did at least make an attempt to pass it along to the students who were willing to listen.

"You are forgetting he taught you and you turned out to be a skillful potion master."

Severus huffed at that. "I taught myself and any of my success has nothing to do with him." And that included his failures. As head of Slytherin house, Slughorn should have recognized the warning signs he was exhibiting. Looking back it was rather obvious that something was wrong with him. Even though he never said anything his character was practically a scream for help. And yet no one ever said anything even when they did notice how odd he behaved. The students surely did if their name calling was any indication but from his knowledge they never reported him to the staff even when he dabled in illegal potions. And on that not, he spent so much time in the potion's lab as a studen, even doing some of Slughirn's job for him. But he never noticed or cared to get up and do something about it.

"I see there is no pleasing you then." No, there were only a few things that would make him happy right now and none of them were in reach. Especially after Miss Granger dropped off a bomb.

He hadn't reported to Dumbledore yet about his conversation with Miss Granger. He was going to as soon as she left his office. But the man wasn't in his office or anywhere in the school. The man had been leaving the castle more frequently and had avoided any conversation about his hand. The man's cursed and decaying hand was a popular topic amongst the students. Even the staff wondered about its state. He claimed that his fight with the Dark Lord had weakened him greatly. That he was simply getting old. That was the story the Order was given and it was the same one he received in private.

The man's secrecy was getting on his nerves. The man's constant hesitancy to reveal to him the contents of the prophecy was a nuisance. And in his mind unnecessary. He has proven time and time again that he was not only trustworthy but able to keep the Order's secrets hidden in his mind.

The man was more of a master at secrecy than he was. It was understandable in some cases. He was the leader of the Order and had to make judgement calls. He couldn't allow others and their emotions to interfere with him remaining impartial.

His hesitence for not telling the Headmaster of his meeting with Miss Granger wasn't because he didn't trust Dumbledore and his pursuit to defeat the Dark Land. It was that the man was very set in his ways and once he had a plan he would stick to it no matter what. Refusing to adapt to the possibility of another way. But Severus was different; his survival was based on adaptation and hence he was willing to continue to hear Miss Granger out. It was why after several days he was still considering her words instead of dismissing her or outright trying to solve the problem on his own.

It was a good thing too that he decided to hold back on telling the Headmaster. Severus always wondered why Dumbledore never ordered him to kill the Dark Lord. Especially since he has gotten so close to him. There were several opportunities when he could literally have stabbed the Dark Lord in the back. But Dumbledore never allowed him to. He knew that if he did he would't be able to escape the bloodbath that would result with the remaining Death Eaters. But his death would be a small price if it meant the Dark Lord's demise.

But now that he knew what he did of Horcruxes he started to question what other secrets Dumbledore was keeping. He wasn't naive to think that Dumbledore didn't investigate such a possibility. He wasn't sure if the man knew what a Horcrux was. But surely he investigated how the Dark Lord survived. And Tom Riddle's Diary at length.

After he sat, pondering all of the new information he had gathered in the short period of the new school year, there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he wanted in on this.

For years he played a passive role in the Dark Lord's downfall.

Silently waiting in the shadows. Hearing and remembering each and every word spoken in a meeting. His eyes are always sharp and alert in case he has to memorize even a fleeting glimpse at a piece of parchment. Bowing at the Dark Lord's feet. Coming at the man's every beck and call. Obeying every single order to a T. Even if that ment torturing and killing innocent people. He was lucky that the Dark Lord originally sought him out for his skill as a Potion's Master. And that the number of people he had killed were rather limited compared to the other Death Eaters. But nonetheless, he bore the burden of his mistakes. Every failure he experienced was punished by unimagined pain. And afterwards while he struggled to lift himself upright while he bled out on the floor he would have to thank the Dark Lord for his mercy. Then while he was struggling to breath and was trying to magic his skin back together he would have to relay every single detail of what had occurred not only with Dark Lord but even the whispers between the other Death Eaters to Dumbledore. For the man to do what he pleased with the information.

But now he wanted a more active role in destroying the Dark Lord.

And he knew if he told Dumbledore he wouldn't be. Dumbledore would tell him that he would need to be patient, and continue to report back any findings. Any and all information is crucial and valuable. Information that only he could provide. That it was crucial to the man's defeat.

He had heard all of those things numerous times. And quite frankly he didn't want to hear it anymore.

He has never personally seen the fruits of his work as a spy. Whatever information he has relayed was not taken seriously or used addaquetly. He knew that there were those that couldn't be helped or saved. And that death was a mercy compared to what else the Death Eaters had stored for them. But more than many lives were lost when they could have been saved. And that would forever be on his conscience. The Order did not take his work seriously or his words and ideas. Despite him knowing better than most what the Death Eaters were capable of. They dismissed him.

And whenever he went to complain to Dumbledore, the man had the audacity to tell him to wait.

But he was tired of waiting. He had waited for 16 years for the Dark Lord to be killed. And Miss Granger provided him with an opportunity to achieve this goal.

He has wanted nothing more than to see the Dark Lord finally defeated. It has been one and altimate purpose in life for 16 years. He didn't just want revenge on the man that tortured and manipulated him for years. He wanted justice. For the countless lives he has ruined and destroyed. Including his own. He wanted one opportunity to prove to himself that he was free from any and all influences that man ever had on him. He doesn't control him anymore. That he was no longer his mindless slave. But by pretending to be one for so long has made him question how much he was actually pretending. Every time he was forced to not act as he watched an innocent person being tortured and killed in front of him and he didn't do anything to save them. He questioned whose orders he was following: The Dark Lord's or Dumbledores.

But now he called Miss Granger to his office. He was choosing to follow new orders. His own.

"Ah yes, come in. Close the door behind you." He put down his quill and moved the papers he was marking off to the side. This would require his entire focus and concentration.

She didn't hesitate to close the door, though she did seem quiet when she asked, "Would people ask questions?"

He knew that she wasn't just referring to the door being closed but also her here in his office. It wasn't the easy option but for now, it would have to work until he could find a more suitable arrangement. "No. As long as you are discreet and no one sees you. Be aware that the portraits like to pretend to be asleep. She nodded her head. Good, she could comprehend basic instructions. This would be quite different from her answering an essay question. This was real life and she would have to act accordingly to this situation. That being said. "So tell me what have you got so far?"

"You are going to help?" Her eyes were wide in what Severus could decipher as shock. Did she really think he wouldn't after she confided in him?

"You wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

He could see her shoulders slump in relief. "Thank you."

"Yes well, it has crossed my mind that you could use all of the help you can get." If it wasn't for the fact that Miss Granger was the one who approached him about the idea. He would be doing this by himself. It would be harder to find the time but he did work better on his own. It would be easier for him not to have to play nice. However, he knew there was no chance of dissuading her. She was too stubborn for that. And with Black still in the picture, it wasn't as if he could obliviate her.

"Sirius is helping me." She crossed her arms defensively, insulted by his underhand comment that she wasn't capable of succeeding.

"And how much help is he while you are here at Hogwarts?" Though he wondered how much help he was, to begin with.

"We have kept up communication."

"You have discussed this information in letters," He found his voice lowering as he looked at her. How stupid could she be?

She immediately shot down his thoughts. "No, of course not." She moved to sit down in the chair opposite his own. "We have this two-way journal that we both write in." He arched his brow. "It is also charmed so that only we can open it. It will erase all the messages that are in there if anyone other than us tries to open it." Interesting and quite creative. That could come quite handy.

"At least you are taking precautions." He was glad that she had at least thought some things through. "Though your information is lacking and your plan is dismal at best."

She nodded her head. At least she could admit it. "That is where you come in."

Yes, he had gathered that much. "And where exactly do you and Black come in?" He found himself coming back to the idea. At least Miss Granger has been proven to be good at research and for the most part, is compliant. She was stubborn and determined. He knew from past experience not to get in her way when she had a book in her hand. And he had a feeling that they would have to read dozens of books before they were done.

"That we will have to figure out together." She shrugged her shoulders, not too concerned yet about her role. Black though was hopefully still up for debate.

"We will have to establish a time and place for us to work on this. It wouldn't do well for either of us if you are seen constantly making your way to my office." He knew what rumours would be started and he had no inclination to deal with such gossip that he and she were having an affair. It would not bode well for her especially if these rumours got back to the other Death Eaters. And it would not bode well for him if he was seen with Black. "And it would raise some questions if Black was seen trapezing through the halls.

"I can keep Sirius in the loop with the journals and relate any messages back to you. Until we can all meet up properly." Now that is a thought he did shudder at. She, he could at least tolerate when the situation called for it. And has tolerated for years. Black on the other hand was going to be a problem. "We could always use the restricted section of the Libray. No one ever goes in there."

"The library itself is still too populated. People would see us coming and going." He thought about it for a moment. They needed to sort this out now. She had already been to his office twice now in such a short amount of time. There couldn't be a third. They needed a place that was hidden, that most students didn't know about or staff either. His mind raced back to the previous year and Umbridge's ranting about being unable to find Potter and his friends. "Perhaps the room you used for your little defence club last year."

"Sure the Room of Requirement is on the seventh floor and definitely out of the way." He would have to remember that.

"I am free on Saturday mornings and Wednesday evenings. I will let you know when we are to meet." She would have to work her schedule around him. He didn't particularly care what she told her friends. She just needed to make it believable. He didn't want a bunch of Gryffindors banging on his door. "And Miss Granger. Until we have a more solid plan in place. It would be wise if this knowledge was kept between the three of us," he said dismissing her. He wasn't too concerned by her understanding of the situation and the need for secrecy. But the last he needed was for rumors about their involvement to be passed around the halls.

She quickly made herself scarce after that. And he was once again left alone with his thoughts.

This was not how he planned this year to go. But considering what was already expected of him this couldn't possibly be worse. But what little free time he had left, which wasn't much, would be wasted in the presence of one of his students and his sworn enemy.

He was still hesitant about Black's involvement. First of all, he didn't think that there was anything he could contribute. And on top of that, he was a wild card. He was reckless, insubordinate and fueled by his emotions. At least Granger attempted to compartmentalize. The man in many ways was still a child. Personally, he always held that belief but from a medical prognosis, Severus didn't feel like he was too far off. Black was imprisoned when he was young. He was 21 when locked away for 12 years, constantly suffering the effects of the dementors. The man was always immature but in that setting, he never had a chance to mature. He was a lot like a 21-year-old pretending like he knows how to be an adult.

And on top of that, he never dealt with his trauma or guilt. And though Snape was no expert in healthy coping methods he at least had the decency to keep moving forward. To not allow it to interfere with his work and what he had to do. Black constantly wallowed in his despair. He was constantly living in the past. And then drowning in alcohol.

Granger would be easy to deal with. Black would test his limits. But if it meant finally destroying the Dark Lord. Then it was just another sacrifice he was willing to make.