Hermione woke to the sound of foot steps..no, foot step... wait, that wasn't right..
Blearily, she opened one eye, then the other. It was the middle of the night; she could tell from the dull glow of oil lamps in the corners of the large room. The rest of the infirmary was still completely dark and the only sound was the ringing in her ears and the unidentified tap.. tap.. tap.. She spun around too fast and her vision blurred.
"Don't trouble yourself, M'Lady. Now that you're awake, I'll sit and we can talk."
Hermione stifled a yawn and rubbed her eyes. "I don't understand." As she opened her eyes again, she discovered the source of tapping, a cane, which was followed by a pair of fine Italian leather shoes, which were occupied by a tall man who seemed to glow from the inside out. The man stopped at the foot of her bed and conjured a chair, without a wand, she noticed. He fluffed out the end of his cloak and sat down, resting his chin on the top of his cane. His hair was white as fine powder, his eyes dark as soot. He didn't sport a single flaw. No scars, or signs of aging, or even of weariness. For a moment Hermione imagined he must be a Malfoy, at least until he spoke.
"I came to explain myself. Clearly," He looked pointedly at Hermione, "My note rather upset you."
It took a second for Hermione to process the man's meaning in her drowsy state, but then her eyes went wide, and she backed up against the headboard of her bed. "You- you're.. himI?!"
The man stood and bowed graciously. "Lucifer, at your service." He stood back up and tilted his head, waiting for her response.
Hermione took a second to force back the wave of panic, then forced her voice to form an even tone. "To be honest, I didn't think you were real." She looked down at her hands and nervously fidgeted with the loose thread in her blanket.
"I get that a lot." He smirked.
"You said you were here to explain yourself?" She pressed.
For a moment, he closed his eyes, then said, "My dear, I know you feel that you've endured too much already and that your world has completely betrayed you, but you must be strong. Things will only continue to change. So far, you've handled things... not well.. and I-"
"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be rude, but aren't you in the business of not looking after people?"
"Yes. That is true. However, I gave a friend, yes a friend, my word that you would be safe from all danger."
"And what friend of yours would be concerned for me?" Hermione demanded, unbelieving.
"Your father."
"Pfft! My father was a good Christian man who, thank you very much, would not be a friend to you!"
The fallen angel turned his eyes from her and drew a breath.
"Just know," He said as he looked back at her. " that you are well looked after. That does not mean you should be looking for danger or testing your limits. I'll keep my promise and I'll go to any lengths to do so, and I'm sorry to say, you get no say in the matter. I may not be able to lay a finger on your soul, how ever your life is in my hands."
"Who really asked you. I want the name." Hermione narrowed her eyes bravely.
"I'm not at liberty to say. Just know that...it would be unwise to turn them away when they are revealed to you. Allow this person the chance to explain. This person sacrificed much for you and whether or not you appreciate it does not lessen that sacrifice. Rest, M'Lady. I have said all I wished to say." He bowed his head to the side for a second before tapping his cane onto the floor as Hermione promptly passed out.
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Severus Snape discovered from Madam Pomfrey that Hermione had slept clear through the day. With her parents' murder somehow making the front page of the paper, no one was in any hurry to wake her up only to have to relive the horrific day. It was late in the night, after curfew when he discovered Pansy at her bedside. Without turning to look at him she said, "How are we going to explain all this? She's going to hate us."
"She already hates us, Miss. Though, it doesn't seem to be looking up, does it?"
Pansy shook her head as Severus sat next to her. "I don't even know her. I don't know the first thing about my own sister or how to comfort her or break bad news to her. At least you know her as a student. I don't even have that. At this point your guess on how to tell her is better than mine."
Severus nodded thoughtfully. "There is that." He cleared his throat and leaned forward in his seat. "She's extremely logical, we both know that. She practically lives in the library, and what little time isn't devoted to studying is spent reading."
"Wow.. how do you know all that?"
"Her classmates tend to complain when grades are handed out. They aren't quiet about it either. I'd have hexed them all years ago, which means she's strong. At least we know how ever she reacts, she'll be safe. She can't harm herself."
"Right, your deal. I'd almost forgotten. Is there a potion that can tell you about your lineage?"
Severus furrowed his eyebrows and sat up straight. "Yes, yes there is. I could add it to the curriculum this year. It will definitely have her asking the right questions and if we know anything it's that she always finds her answers."
Pansy perked up a little at this. "Even if she doesn't like what she finds, it gives her a chance to seek the answers on her own terms in a way she's familiar with."
"It's the best plan we've got. Very good thinking, Miss."
"Are you going to call me that in class? No one knows you're a part of my pack."
"No one knows you have a pack, Miss." He smirked.
"We probably ought to keep it that way. The sheep have enough to worry about."
"Yes, best not add wolves to the list of concerns."
They shared a laugh at their private joke and decided to leave Hermione for the night. It simply wouldn't due to be caught there by her over protective friends.
