Author's Note: Thank you so much to those of you who have reviewed, lovinglylucius, grintssuperchick65, and Danabeez. It means a lot…please review..even if you hate it! Okay, well this is Chapter three, the first few chapters have been kind of boring because I'm trying to establish how the story is going to go, but things will get interesting in the next few chapters…there will be much more hermione/draco interaction. Be patient for the romance… good things come to those who wait! Okay, that is all I have to say so please please please please review….
Disclaimer: Yeah, um if I owned Harry Potter I would be published…..and well…I'm not.
"As I am sure you were able to deduce during your nosy escapade through my thoughts two years ago Potter, I was not what you would call popular." Snape began, "In fact, the only people who never treated me as scum, not including those who simply never even noticed me, were Regulas Black and Lily Evans." Snape ignored the small gasp that punctured its way from Hermione's mouth and continued, with the obvious fear that he may choose to be killed by Potter than tell his darkest secret to a room of people. "Now, although I was never nice to Lily, for she was after all of muggle decent, she was nice to me. But after that day of the OWLs that Potter witnessed, our hatred towards each other grew, and as we progressed my respect for her grew even more. In our seventh year, being the most advanced potion makers in the school at the time, we were paired together to make a potion. As we spent more and more time together, I slowly realized that I had never cared so much for one person. What I soon found out, however, was that she too cared for me. On our final day of working on the potion, we shared a kiss. At that moment I realized that I was in love with Lily Potter, a muggleborn. She told me that she was in love with me, but I shunned her away, afraid of the ramifications of the Dark Lord. A few years later, after she had gotten together with Potter," Snape spat the name as if it were garbage, "I heard Trelawny's prediction and informed Voldemort of what I heard. Upon realizing that he was going after the Potters, Lily, I went to Dumbledore who put the Fidelius charm on them. He also saw through my story and discovered that I loved Evans more than I had ever loved anyone in my entire life. That is when I became a double agent. I raced to this very place to see if I could save the only person that I had ever cared about and the only one who had ever cared about me. I made up a story to convince the Dark Lord to save her, and he did offer her the chance to live. I was looking into her emerald green eyes the moment her life left her body." Snape looked as if he could not go on, but finished the story nevertheless, "That night, I felt more emotion than ever in my life. I vowed to fight for her. You see, the reason I have had a problem warming up to you, shall we say, Potter is because I am reminded of James, my enemy when I look at you, and when I see your eyes, I am forced to relive what I never had. You survived and she died."
Hermione looked around; everyone was shocked, including the almighty Draco Malfoy, pureblood extraordinaire. Snape expressed more emotion in this period of five minutes than he did ever in the time any of them had known him. As she looked at him, she realized that Snape probably would rather have been tortured a hundred times than have to have said that…the most embarrassing story of his life most likely, Hermione thought. The look on Snape's face told her that her inference was indeed correct. She knew though, that it was the only way to gain their trust, so he had to do it, which surprisingly, he did.
"Don't you see," said Lupin, "Severus is trustworthy. Albus has always told you, love is the greatest weapon there is. That is why he trusted Professor Snape. If you have ever felt love, then you are not one of the Death Eaters. They have no souls, they don't understand the complex emotions that love entails, whereas Severus does."
Harry looked dumbfounded by learning the secrets of his mother's past. He could not even look Snape in the eye. Finally, he spoke, "I believe your story, and I believe you are both on our side, however, I want it known that I will converse with you on and only on Order related terms. I never want to hear anymore stories of your love for my mother." Snape nodded in understanding, and Hermione could tell that Harry was weirded out by what had just been said. Anyone would be, Snape feeling anything beyond hatred was odd to everyone who had ever even glanced at the man, but she couldn't imagine finding out that he was in love with her mother.
"That is really sweet and all, oh chosen one, but now what?" Malfoy drawled in mock excitement.
"Well, there is more, and now that you three believe Severus to be fighting for the light, we may bring it up." Lupin stated, breaking the awkward path forging its way between Snape and Harry. "Snape knows about the locket, and through…erm...using certain spells...was able to get the information from Kreacher. Do you remember, Harry, when Sirius told you about his brother?" Harry nodded, unsure of what he had to do with anything. "Yes, his brother Regulas A. Black," continued Lupin, a look of sudden understanding crossed over Hermione's face, "well, apparently he found out about the horcruxes, and went to the very cave Harry and Dumbledore were in only a few short weeks ago, and brought with him, Kreacher. He ordered Kreacher to drink the potion, which is why he seems a little…out of it now. Regulas then destroyed the horcrux and placed a memory charm on Kreacher, ordering him to keep the locket safe. Snape found all of this out through the house elf himself. Regulas was murdered by Lucius shortly after on Voldemort's orders." Lupin threw an uncomfortable glance at Draco, "But we believe he killed him for other acts of disloyalty, we don't think that Voldemort or any of the Death Eaters for that matter knew that Regulas knew about the horcruxes."
"Oh my gosh, Harry, don't you remember, when cleaning at Grimmauld Place, finding that locket that no one could open?" gasped Hermione.
"Yeah mate, remember how especially sneaky Kreacher was that day in protecting the Black heirlooms." Ron yelled, the excitement growing.
"Yes, well Potter, I am sure that Kreacher managed to sneak off with the horcrux, so if you order him to give it to you, he will be forced to do just that." Snape spat.
"Regulas was a very interesting man, he was not in Voldemort's inner circle, but his understanding was under appreciated in his time. There is no telling what else he did during his defiance of the Dark Lord." Lupin supplied.
"This is all very interesting, and don't think that I'm not enjoying your company. I mean who wouldn't want to be in a small room whose occupants were killed where we stand, with a werewolf, a Mudblood, a Weasley (he obviously thought that the name itself was insult enough), and the infamous Scarhead? Is there anyway that you lot could just do a few charms to protect and hide me? I'm beginning to think that being killed by Voldemort would be more enjoyable than being in the company of a filthy Mudbood." Malfoy said in hopes of figuring out where exactly he would be twenty minutes from now.
"Ron, no," Hermione began while holding down his wand arm, "it is not worth it, he is at our mercy, so don't waste your energy."
"It is funny Draco, because based on what you had said when we met, you were willing to do anything to fight against Voldemort, not simply for the purpose of saving your life, but because you genuinely disagreed with everything he stood for." Lupin replied with a glint in his eye.
"Just because I think that killing people based on their blood is wrong, does not mean I want to converse with them as my equal." Draco said with moderate annoyance towards Lupin for telling the trio what he had said a few days previously.
"Well, Draco, you are going to have to learn to work with ALL of the members of the Order, because Severus and I have decided what everyone is going to do and where everyone is going to go." Lupin calmly noted.
"Professor, I don't know what you have planned, but we," Harry pointed to Ron, Hermione and himself before continuing, "are going to search for the remaining horcruxes, in fact here is where our journey begins. I could care less what these two," he indicated Snape and Malfoy," do, as long as they don't get in our way!"
"And, yes Potter, where is it you plan on going after this stop? Do you know where any of the remaining horcruxes are at this very moment?" Snape asked slyly.
"Face it Harry, you are going to need help and you will have to do all of the research you can. I'm not saying I want you to sit in the headquarters all day; I want you to be there in every horcrux battle, Dumbledore would too, it is just that you can't put yourself and your friends in dangerous situations unprepared. That is no strategy. Now, the people in this room solely know about the horcruxes, so share your burden and allow us to help you. We know more about Dumbledore's wishes and plans than you may think Harry. You need to trust us and go into this battle with a level head." Lupin sated wisely.
"And what did you have in mind Professor? Were you just going to show up at the headquarters with Malfoy and Professor Snape, two of the most hated wizards at the moment, and think everyone will simply welcome them with open arms and tears in their eyes?" Hermione questioned.
"Well no Hermione, obviously we or well, I will explain the situation to them, but I will only tell the whole story to Tonks, the Weasleys, Shakelbolt, Moody, Minerva, Hagrid, and Aberforth." Lupin said, but their were quizzical glances among the trio, concerning Aberforth.
"Things will be different this time, however." Snape whispered lowly. "The Dark Lord will not know that I am still in allegiance with the Order. My only communication will be through Draco, unless an emergency occurs. You see, Voldemort will be suspicious if I am still in the Order after killing their leader, but I will make the suggestion of him using Draco as the new spy. It will not only save his neck for not going through with the murder of Albus, but will be very believable."
"How will Malfoy turning good guy muggle lover be believable?" Ron spat out in utter disbelief.
"I will never be a muggle lover, just because I don't want to kill people does not mean I want to befriend them." Malfoy yelled in disgust, "Things will be the same between us as they were in our first five years of Hogwarts; I won't like you, you won't like me. This time however, I won't be threatening and hexing you, or at least…well no, chances are I will still hex and threaten you." Ron's fists turned his knuckles white and he looked ready to pounce…..
"Anyway," Snape continued as if no interruption had been made, "Malfoy will be a believable target, because the Dark Lord would easily believe the light to take him in. He would think that the Order saw Malfoy's hesitance to kill Dumbledore as hope for the good in him, which undoubtedly is the case, while the Dark Lord will see it as nerves or incompetence, which could easily be fixed. Draco made his project a lot farther than the Dark Lord thought, so he will see this duty as a way for Draco to payback his earlier mistakes." Snape finished.
"How will Draco fool Voldemort?" Hermione questioned, "I thought he was a skilled Legilmens."
"Malfoy knows Occlumency." Harry explained, from what he had learned during their sixth year.
Harry suddenly thought of something, "On the tower that night, Malfoy, you said he would kill your parents if you did not succeed with your task."
The look of anger that coursed through Draco's eyes told them the worst, his parents were indeed dead.
"Right," said Ron desperately trying to break the awkward tension which was thicker than ice-cold custard.
"About the living arrangements then," Lupin began, "Malfoy will be staying at Grimmauld Place with us, except for when called by Voldemort. Snape will smooth the double agent idea over with Voldemort toni…."
But Lupin was cut off by four horrified gasps of, "What are you, bloody mad?"
It seemed that not Draco, Harry, Ron, or Hermione were excited about the new living conditions.
Author's Note: Okay, let the fun begin! If you want to know what happens next and want me to update quickly, then you will click that little button at the bottom of this screen and review!