A/N: I don't own Harry Potter or any related characters

Word count: 778

Expanding, her world was expanding, forming new alliances, forming new friendship, but at the same time, making new enemies. She had never dreamed about being the power behind the throne, but it was obvious now that she must take that place.

King Albus was dead. Hogwarts needed someone now, someone to hold onto the reigns as the war started waging outside its gates. Minerva had never dreamed the man Albus had trusted would betray him, Albus had trusted Lord Severus explicity, claimed he was on the side of light, had Albus known something she didn't? Then again, Lord Severus had been the one holding the blade that had murdered their king.

It was a knock on the door that pulled Minerva from her thoughts on the subject. She nodded and the door creaked open. Princess Hermione stood there, her hair askrew and an annoyed expression on her face.

"Yes?" Minerva asked, wondering what had brought the princess to her door. Hermione was one of the brightest in the kingdom, predicted to one day be on the throne herself.

"Your Majesty, it's about Lord Severus."

"What of him?" Minerva asked, wondering if Hermione had known somehow what she'd been thinking about, that somehow the girl had read her thoughts.

"He's not what you think, not the man you think he is," she stated, crossing the room as quickly as possible. She stood before the throne and took a deep breath, "King Albus was dying, you saw his hand, how it was blackened and withered? "

"I did, he assured me it was nothing to worry about, that he'd taken care of the matter."

"He could say that, he asked Severus to kill him, to make him a martyr for the the cause. It was all arranged ahead of time, Severus told me everything. He wasn't sure if he could trust you, you didn't make it easy for him."

"Why didn't Albus tell me any of this?" Minerva asked, rising to her feet. The hem of her green robes brushing against her feet.

"Because of the war, he didn't want anyone to know the truth, he wanted us furious, wanted us ready to fight. If his death looked as though it were by an enemy hand, it worked didn't it? It rallied the troops?"

"But Lord Severus-"

"Is a spy, he was working for King Albus. He never told anyone of his role."

"And how exactly did you come to know this information?" Minerva asked, wondering if Albus had recruited the young princess into something, was using her as well.

"He told me, Severus did, in his chambers the night I turned eighteen and was considered an adult in the kingdom of Hogwarts. He told me about being a spy, about how the death of the king was arranged. He wanted to come clean, wanted someone to know the real him, not the mask he had to wear for the world."

"And what pretell were you doing in his chambers?"

"Isn't that obvious, your Majesty?" Hermione asked, tilting her head slightly. Minerva had to ad admit the princess had come a long way from when they'd first met. This princess wasn't timid, wasn't afraid of breaking rules, she was the kind of person who would make a very interesting ruler.

"You and Lord Severus-"

"Nothing happened that I didn't want, he was a perfect gentleman. We didn't even kiss until the clock chimed and I was of age."

"And what do you want me to do with this information, not that I doubt any of it is true."

"Keep Severus in employ as your spy, he's proven himself time and time again. Also, I want you to give him a full pardon once this war finally ends, after all, he was only following the orders of his king," Hermione stated. Minerva nodded. She'd known ruling wouldn't be without its problems, knew it would be something very different that what she'd expected. She had never even dreamed of this, of Severus being a spy, of Hermione loving him, of the fact nothing was what it had appeared. Albus had known, he'd known and deliberately not told her, or anyone else, of this information.

"Very well, tell him to meet me in the round room, I promise no harm will come to him," she promised. Hermione smiled, bowing slightly before scampering from the room in a manner that really wasn't fitting of the future ruler of Hogwarts, but then again, Minerva could understand her excitement and hurry. Everything was starting make sense, and pardoning Severus was the least she could after Albus had managed somehow to make a royal mess of things.