A/N: This chapter isn't one of my favorites, but things should be getting interesting next chapters. Oh and as a warning, this is going to be a long story. The plot is still building, but don't worry, it won't be crazy, crazy long, but long…if that made any sense. Anyway, on with the story, it is a bit longer this time.

Chapter 14

To Dumbledore's Office We Go

Hermione watched Snape carefully on the ride back to Hogwarts. He was hurt, she was blind. He was in bad shape when he came back from the meeting with Voldemort, so how he was riding, flying, and throwing himself onto a rocky shore to save her without showing a sign of pain was beyond her.

"Sorry I startled you, 'Mione,"

"It's alright," she said without thinking. It was Ron's fault that she had a broken wrist, but right now she didn't care. Professor Snape didn't look good. He had his right arm wrapped around his stomach, his ribs more like. The other was holding on tightly to the mane of the King, knuckles white as if he was afraid he would fall off.

"Hermione, what are you looking at?"

Hermione started at Harry's voice, "Nothing….its just...Professor Snape doesn't look to good…." She trailed off, Professor Snape wasn't on the Unicorn anymore…

"Oh my God…." She began looking around desperately below her. They were above the clouds; if he fell he would be down by now.

All of sudden all her worries ceased King Radicor dove down at the same time as a black blur sped upwards. They passed each other and Radicor let out a whinny. The black blur in question was Professor Snape.

"SEVERUS SNAPE! I DON'T CARE HOW POWERFUL YOU ARE! I WILL NOT TOLERATE PLAYING THIS CHILDISH GAME!" Snape froze cross-legged in front of the King, extended his hand as if to pat his nose but instead a stream of water emitted from thin air and hit the King directly in the face.

The trio's mouth dropped, Severus Snape was actually….PLAYING? The Unicorns that they were riding began snickering, but kept flying steadily.

The whole fly home they amused themselves by watching Snape wandlessly dump buckets after buckets of water on top of Radicor. By the time they reached the clearing, Snape had a triumphant look and Radicor was drenched.

Shaking out his main, he turned a fiery gaze to the smirking Snape, "I swear, don't you expect any more favors from me for the next couple of weeks," he and the rest of the Unicorns trotted off, Radicor mumbling something along the lines of 'little brat don't know what he has in for him…'

Severus shook his head, and looked to the trio, his normal cold demeanor back in place, "Come along, the Headmaster wished to speak with us when we were through,"


The trio teased and laughed and joked the whole way back to Hogwarts, when they reached Dumbledore's office they tried straight faces but only succeeded in bursting in to fits of laughter.

Inside the office, Dumbledore eyes were twinkling and Snape's mood had taken a turn for the worst.

"So how did it go Severus?"

"As I expected," he answered shortly. To Hermione, Dumbledore just rubbed Snape the wrong way and put him in a foul mood, "may I take my leave, sir?"

"Of course, Severus,"

When he was gone, he turned to the smiling trio, "Sit, please, how was it exactly?"

"It was brilliant," Harry was the first to speak, and from the shocked look on Dumbledore's face, this was not what he was expecting.

"I am surprised that you, of all people, think so, Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said laughing.

"I was flying, Professor, I was actually flying, but I am supposed to go to Madam Promfrey," Hermione told her story to Dumbledore, leaving out of her thoughts on Professor Snape.

"You can after this, unless it pains you,"

"No sir,"

"Well then, on to other matters. I wanted to know if you have thought on the matter we spoke of earlier," the response was blank looks, "becoming Professor Snape's apprentices,"

Silence ensued. Honestly, none of them had really thought of it, with the meeting and the flying lesson today, but Hermione had already made up her mind, "I agree, sir,"

Hermione and Dumbledore looked to Harry and Ron who in turn exchanged uncertain glances. They were not in the mood to take a yelling at from Hermione.

"We'll do it,"

"Well," Dumbledore said, clapping his hands together, "everything is settled then. Ms. Granger, I shall lead you to the infirmary."


Dumbledore and Hermione walked slowly towards the Infirmary, "Ms. Granger I very proud of you for being so willing to learn from Professor Snape,"

Hermione blushed, "I am worried about him sir," she confessed softly, if anyone could help him, he could.

"Why is that Ms. Granger?"

"Well…." She sighed it was hard to explain, "Before I answer you, can I ask you a question?"

"You already did, but you may ask another,"

She smiled, "How long has professor Snape been a spy?"

Dumbledore's smile faded, "Since he was 19," he said softly, "I can not tell you more, for I do not know more than that,"

She looked down at her shoes, 19 was so young, "At the Order meeting, no one seemed to care that he was hurt, Moody acted as if he wanted him tortured, does anyone actually trust him, sir?"

"Very few, Ms. Granger. Severus likes to believe than no one does, but I trust him. Mrs. Weasley and Remus, they trust him with their lives."

"I don't like to see him getting hurt every time he goes back to Voldemort; he doesn't deserve that, no matter what he did in the past,"

"Well said, Ms. Granger….ah…it looks like we're here," Dumbledore opened the door and almost laughed at the sight.
"I don't need to be 'checked up on', Madam," Severus hissed fighting his way out of her grip.

"You had 6 broken ribs so, yes, you do,"

Hermione cringed; she could only imagine where those injuries came from.

"Professor Dumbledore," Madam Promfrey balked.

Severus took that advantage and slipped away out of her grasp and out the door.

"Forgive me, Poppy," he apologized, leading Hermione in and to an empty bed where she sat down, happily, "How is he doing?" he asked Poppy softly, "I am worried about him, and I'm not the only one," he sent a look towards Hermione who in turn blushed.

Poppy smiled, "Better; I couldn't magically fix those ribs, they are healing alright though…what can I do for you Ms. Granger?"

Hermione lifted the wounded wrist, "Professor Snape said it was broken,"

"It is…here we are….Breakiar Amendo," the wrist snapped and it was perfect, "there you are,"

"Thank you, Madam Promfrey," and she bolted out the door, but not intending to leave the conversation entirely.


Crouching down outside the door she pressed her ear to the frame.

"His wounds are more serious than that, aren't they, Poppy?"

Madam Promfrey sighed, if it weren't for the door, Hermione would see a worried look that she got when she got a particularly nasty case, "He suffered a lot of torture of the Crucatius Curse. It's not his physical health I am worried about, but his mental health. Under that much torture….most people would have lost their minds."

"Don't worry, Poppy, Severus is strong, in body and in mind, we won't loose him,"

End Chapter 14

TBC