A/N: Hey, a couple people have commented on Snape being untrustworthy or just plain creepy so I wanted to let you know that I plan to have her making mistakes, whether that be with her relationships and social life, or with the Horcrux hunt. In the end she and Sirius will hopefully end up together, but that'll not be for a while yet!

Chapter 19: Revelations and Interruptions

"SEVEN? How the fuck can someone split their soul seven times?" Snape's voice rang out into the empty classroom and Hermione was glad that she had remembered to silence the room.

They had been there for the last hour, sitting on either side of a table sorting through her memories, as they had been every other night for the last week and a half. This started when, the day after the revelation, Hermione was unsurprised to see Snape drop into his usual chair for their study sessions as if nothing had happened. Unfortunately, her other friends from Gryffindor didn't look too happy that they had made up, James and Sirius being particularly vocal with their objections.

Steering her thoughts back to the issue in hand, Hermione interrupted, "You're wonderful master doesn't seem so perfect now, does he?" At his continued look of disgust Hermione decided to change the subject, "Anyway, it doesn't matter, what matters now is that there should be only 5 around by this point; the diary, the locket, the cup, the ring, and the diadem. Which means that we are in a much better position and because I know where they should all be, or will be soon, this means that we are at an advantage."

To have the steps to Voldemort's downfall written out for him so clearly seemed to mollify Severus and a small smile broke out before it was taken over by a frown. "If you already know all of this, then why even bother telling me or wasting your time on school work, just go out there and get it done! You could even tell Dumbledore and he'll sort it out for himself, so you don't have to worry."

His flippant tone caused Hermione's frustration to rise but she decided not to give into it, "It's not that simple! Leaving everything to Dumbledore was our main failing last time, so I'll not be doing that again. Furthermore, this time around I don't have any means of destroying them, so I thought that a trusty Slytherin such as yourself would be able to work out how to cast Feindfire."

At his raised eyebrows, she continued, "Even then, I can't just go around like a vigilante and break into multiple powerful pureblood family houses. I need someone who can get me in the door, and I hoped that you would be amenable." She raised her voice at the end in question before continuing, "You don't have to decide immediately of course, we still have plenty of time before everything goes tits up!"

"So you're not really my friend then?" He cut in before she could continue to babble, "You just want to use me in order to get what you want? Wow. I feel used…"

Hermione looked up at him to apologize but soon saw the teasing glint in his eye, she rolled her eyes and shoved him, "Oh shut up Sev, I clearly count you as my friend if I'm willing to tell you this. You're pretty much the only friend who knows, other than the teachers in the Order and Aberforth."

His eyebrows rose slowly, "You're telling me before that ridiculous bunch of halfwits who hang around you? Even before Lily or Sirius?"

A quick nod was all the reply he received while she frowned, unsure why he would pick out Sirius especially. "I told you that I trust you, now could you just take my word for it so that we can get on with planning."

Severus scoffed, a wide smile forming, "It's so typical of you to want to get straight down to business," He chuckled softly and Hermione was disconcerted by how quickly the people close to her had come to know her so well, "So how exactly do you expect me to learn how to produce Fiendfire?"

They spent the next half an hour brainstorming ideas for how to destroy the horcruxes, agreeing that they would try with Fiendfire before attempting to kill the basilisk, deeming it to be much more risky. Although it made Hermione uncomfortable to put Snape in the path of dangerous students, she agreed that their best bet was to ask around his Death Eater friends to see if they knew the technique.

As time went on they began to talk about gathering the other horcruxes and the pit in Hermione's stomach seemed to grow in size as she considered the extent with what she was asking of him. Not only was she asking him to continue on a path which would put him on the wrong side of the war yet again, but he would have to do so in secret, ultimately appearing like an enemy to both sides. Snape soon noticed her silence.

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing really, but I just feel like I am forcing this choice on you. We can always come up with another way to infiltrate them, it's still not too late to turn your back on the Death Eaters."

Her hopeful tone ended when she saw his face, "Hermione, we both know that's not going to happen, and anyway, if I play my cards right I'll be able to gain even more power; the trust of the pureblood elite, but also you do-gooders once you realise that I've saved your asses."

When she still looked hesitant, he walked closer to her, "Even then, won't it look particularly suspicious if I suddenly change my mind just after I have started talking to you? I thought your intention was to keep your head down?"

Hermione gave him a weak smile as she realised the truth in his statements before continuing to jot down a note or two into her leather bound book. "What are you even writing in anyway?" Snape changed the subject once he realised that she wasn't going to reply.

Glad that that was over, she clasped the book shut and gave it to him to open, laughing slightly when he became frustrated that it wouldn't open. "It was a birthday present from Aberforth, he charmed it to not let anyone in that I don't want to open it. But I also added a couple more wards because I have actually gotten quite good at them." The multitude of wards that she had to recite during their time on the run often still ran around her head like a prayer.

He grinned once he realised that her secrets were safe enough, "Well at least we know that you have a good way of protecting your notes, what matters now is protecting your thoughts. Have you ever studied Occlumency before?"

"I know the theory."

Snape rolled his eyes, "Of course you do, I don't know why I asked. Now, have you had any practical experience?" When she shook her head, he dipped his head in agreement, "I thought so, it was much too easy to get into your mind the other week. Have you put much thought into which technique you think would be the most effective to use and easy for you to develop?"

She swallowed deeply as they reached a more solid foundation that she was comfortable with, "Well I don't think small mental prisons would do much good because the majority of the information in my mind just wouldn't make sense to an outside observer, and therefore pretty much all of it needs to be protected so that I can hide my secret."

He nodded along as she continued theorising, "However, my mind often moves at 1000 miles per hour so it may be difficult to sort through my memories in order to hide others. But that leaves the large walls that have to surround everything, which are often proven to be the least successful." She looked up at him and continued, "So really, I need help to decide what would be the most effective."

Humming in agreement, Snape replied, "I think you have a point with the prison's idea, but it would probably be a good plan to work on both the other two. This would mean that if one failed then you would have a backup, and, if you are completely shit at both, then it will at least mean that you will take longer to crack."

Momentarily smothering her annoyance that he thought so little of her, she asked for any recommended methods and techniques.

"Well," he began, "It is often suggested that you use some sort of cataloguing system that you are familiar with. For example, in order to sort my memories and present more favourable ones, I imagine a potions store room, with each of the jars containing different memories. This is usually personal to the person, which makes it more difficult for the invader of the mind to recognise where to look." Predictably, by this point Hermione had leaned down and had begun to make notes.

"On the other hand, to create a total barrier around the mind, there is one established method which is that you stay calm and imagine a wall. This wall can be made out of any material you want, whether it is bricks, metal or wood, but you need to make sure that there are no cracks, or it will have all been for nothing." He looked down at where Hermione was vigorously still making notes, a glint of excitement at acquiring new knowledge in her eyes.

Snape smiled knowingly and fondly at his new friend, before breaking her bubble, "Unfortunately, this will not help at all unless you first clear your mind because you can't start building anything without the foundations first. This means that I can't start teaching you yet, first you need to meditate." Shocked, she looked up, knowing that the elder Snape had thrown Harry in immediately, regardless of if he was ready or not.

"Meditate? Seriously? And how long do you expect me to do that for?" The irritation was very evident in her voice.

"For as long as it takes, which will mean pretty much until the war is over, because you can't occlude if your mind isn't calm. But I think that I will start showing you how to build the wall and will begin attacking your defences later. At the moment, all you need to think about is keeping calm; imagining still waters, a blank sheet of paper, or whatever keeps you relaxed."

Hermione rolled her eyes at the annoying voice that she was so used to, "Yes Professor Snape, and will I get detention if I don't do my homework?"

He smiled as he remembered a brief memory that she had shown him of the older him presiding over a class, "Oh Miss Granger, I think that disappointing me will be punishment enough." With this comment, Severus's teasing voice had suddenly taken a deeper tone, surprising both of them.

The gasp that escaped her at the use of her old name in that context drew his dark eyes to her own, and Hermione couldn't help but feel a bolt something like desire flicker through her body. Swiftly, the temperature of the room seemed to increase as they stared into each other's eyes, unsure as to when they had started flirting.

Only just realising how close they had gotten, Snape himself also looked surprised at his bold statement. She watched as he opened his mouth to apologise but thought against it when her eyes darted towards his lips.

"Hermione,...?" He began in question, as his eyes flickered across her face, drawn to her own lips when her tongue brushed out to lick them nervously.

"Mmhhhmm?" She sighed out, watching as her expulsion of breath blew away a strand of hair that had fallen into his face.

Severus swallowed, "In the future, did I ever…?" He swallowed and she felt a faint brush of his hand against her hip as it came to rest there. She inhaled deeply and shook her head at the question that he didn't need to finish.

"No, you never married. Though there were always rumours amongst the student body about all of the teachers, you could never be sure if they were true or not…" she gulped when his thumb started to softly circle the skin on her hip, through her uniform and robes. Stepping back slightly, she felt the edge of the table they had been working on press into her thighs. Realising she was trapped, she sank down onto it.

All thought of their previous conversation forgotten, he dipped his head towards her more, moving his hands from outside her robes and back to the same place on her hips again, only just over her uniform shirt. If anything, her breath hitched again as his voice pitched lower, dripping out of him like honey, "Hermione, did you ever think about whether…-"

Before he could continue, there was a loud bang and the door to the classroom collapsed inwards, two very rumpled Head students staggering in as if looking for a secluded place. They both stopped short once they realised that the room was occupied, and their faces broke out into similar looks of shock at the position that Hermione and Snape were standing. Him leaning over her with his hands at her waist, her looking up into his eyes, sat atop a table, with their faces centimeters apart.

Before anyone else could utter a word, Snape seemed to fly away from Hermione, as if she had set him alight. Staggering to collect his bag, he averted his eyes from everyone else in the room, his face beet red. "Thanks for the help with the Charms homework Dumbledore, I'll see you around," He choked out, brushing forcefully past James, staring avidly at the stone floor, determinedly steering as far away from Lily as possible.

In the stony silence that he left, they all looked out of the empty doorway, listening until his footsteps faded. Out of the corner of her eyes she watched as her friend's turned their heads towards her in question and she leapt off of the table to start collecting the materials that she had been sitting on. Unfortunately, just as she had finished shoving everything away, the silence was polluted by none other than James Potter.

"What. The. Fuck. Was. That?" He seemed to boom out, not really raising his voice, but annunciating every syllable so it felt like he was shouting, she flinched at each one. As her attention was steering clear of the both of them, she could only see their blurred outlines and so it was almost as if Harry Potter was reprimanding her. She couldn't blame him. What would her Harry say if he saw her now, flirting with their least favourite teacher, and catching feelings for the man even though he was in love with another?

The girl in question remained quiet and so Hermione chose to address James first, finally meeting his eyes, "What do you mean, James? We were just studying before you decided to so rudely intervene." Realising what night it was, Hermione glanced quickly out of a window, "Anyway, aren't you needed elsewhere?"

James gulped and glanced quickly at his girlfriend who was pointedly looking away from them, Hermione decided to distract him further, "Actually, while we're on the subject, why were the two of you stumbling into an empty classroom alone? I don't see any bags, so don't pretend that you were going to study!"

"What…? That's beside the point….we were just…. Don't change the subject!" Hermione's heart sank as she realised that her diversionary tactics were not going to work, "That did not look like studying and we both know it!"

"How would you know Potter, you do it so rarely!" She bit out while he scoffed.

"We allowed you to be friends with the slime ball, but that," he gestured to the table that she had just been pressed against, "that does not look friendly to me!"

"ALLOWED?" Hermione bellowed, her temper flaring, "What do you mean allowed? I can be friends with whoever I want, and date who I want as well, now that we're on the subject," he opened his mouth as if to continue arguing. "Not that we are dating, because we certainly are not! But if you think that you, or any of the other boys, can make decisions for me then you have another thing coming!"

"So you're just shagging the git?" He sneered, "Wow Hermione, I thought you actually had a brain?" Luckily for James, before Hermione could continue to shout back at him, Lily finally decided to intervene.

"James, stop shouting at her, she is right and she also does not need to tell us anything that she doesn't want to." Hermione turned a surprised look at her dorm mate, but found the girl already looking at her boyfriend, "I thought that you realised that telling a girl what to do would never work after your experience with me."

James's voice suddenly became very small, "Of course, but that is different…"

"No it isn't and we both know it, now would you mind finishing the rounds without me, I think Hermione and I need a little chat." Lily's voice remained light, if a little resigned, but Hermione couldn't help but feel a tendril of dread coil around her throat. James grumbled but left slowly, muttering a goodbye to his girlfriend, obviously annoyed that the chance to make out in private had been taken away from him.

He turned back to Hermione at the last minute, "I don't like that you're friends with him, or whatever else, but I know when to leave well enough alone. I know the others won't like it either but I'll leave it up to them whether they decide to pester you. But when this all goes wrong and he betrays you, don't say I didn't warn you!"

The silence that he left in his wake was stilted and tense before Lily began, "Shall we walk back to the common room then?" Hermione agreed and they left, walking slowly side by side, their shoulders brushing occasionally. The moonlight that shone through the windows as they passed created huge shadows that made their path seem much more spooky and somehow made the silence stretch for longer.

They'd only been walking for about a minute, though it felt like hours, before Lily began to talk, "You do know that we were friends right?" Hermione nodded, "Then I assume that you know why we stopped being friends then?" She nodded again and finally decided to look into Lily's incredulous face, "Then why would you agree to be friends with him if you know how he feels about us?"

Hermione scrunched her face up and considered how to talk about this, "It's not really that simple, he's got a lot going on and I've got a lot going on, but that doesn't mean that it wouldn't hurt for him to call me a Mudblood. Not that he has." She clarified when Lily winced, "But maybe I've become more desensitized to it after hearing it all the time and after this," Hermione rubbed her hand across her forearm over her jumper where they both knew the scar lay.

Lily's eyes flickered towards it and remained there for a moment or two, "That word is drenched in so much pain and history that it can't help but hurt, but it is only the context around it that makes it hurt. For example, the way that Severus directed it at you was plain wrong, but our friendship is new and I know that he has a game to play with his housemates. When I will have to listen to him calling me that, I know that he won't mean it because he has learnt from the situation with you, and has already explained and apologized in advance."

She sighed as they both reached the end of the corridor at the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, "We are not the only ones who are in a difficult position, but I understand if you chose not to forgive him. But I like spending time with him and he likes spending time with me. I think," Hermione hoped her blush was being hidden by the darkened corridor, as she turned to look at her friend, "So please just let me have this?"

Still out of earshot of the Fat Lady, Lily stopped their progress and turned to Hermione, "Thanks for telling me that, and I think I understand, but I don't think I can forgive him yet and so I hope you understand if I don't want to talk about it much." Hermione nodded, aware that there would probably be a catch, "Just be careful Hermione. Not with your safety, because I know that Sev isn't that cruel, but with your heart. He can be quite careless and thoughtless with what he says and does."

"We're just friends." Hermione's swift reply was shot down swiftly by a quelling look and she blushed again before they began walking to the Portrait Hole together.

"If that's what being friends look like, then maybe James and I need to change our relationship status."

The man scuttled down the hallway, keeping to the shadows so that outsiders would not see him in the shafts of moonlight that the windows threw. As he scrambled along he took in the rough and worn floors of the castle and considered the differences it held to the one that he had presently been living in.

Hogwarts was too warm, too light for his liking, the students and the teachers much too loud in their every moments, always clamouring for attention. He knew better, always staying to the background so not to let anyone know he was watching, waiting to strike and hit them where it hurt.

The wall sconces were becoming much smaller and more distanced apart as he continued down the hallway, darkening the corridor and making it feel much more ominous. Just how he liked it.

When he finally reached the old oak door, it groaned open as if it had been waiting for him and he was let into a cavernous room, enshrouded in more darkness. "My lord?" He began, his usually deep voice, squeaky with apprehension at what he might find.

"You may come in. I am anxious to hear what developments you have made," came a reply from the darker end of the hall, where undoubtedly, Lord Voldemort lay waiting.

The man gained what confidence he could find and walked into the centre of the room. "My Lord." He bowed and began to recite the names of all of the students he had been whispering to. "...Crouch and the younger Black are looking very promising so far, but suspicions were raised once the werewolf was discovered on the grounds."

The dismembered voice of his lord echoed across the space, "That was an oversight, but it served its purpose once we discovered that loophole in the wards. The information we managed to gather about the forest and surrounding area will prove useful in future I think."

The man's facial features scrunched into a frown at the thought of that half-breed becoming more useful to his master, "Now shall we see if you are worth my time, who is this girl I keep hearing about?"

For a second the man was confused but soon remembered the only girl who had been of any consequence as of late. "Ah yes, the Dumbledore girl. My sources tell me that she is a Mudblood girl of no consequence who latched herself onto the Dumbledore's after her family was killed in France."

Voldemort made no sound for a moment before asking, "And who was it that killed her family? What was her family name perhaps?"

"My lord, I believe she is claiming that it was us, yet they are only whispers. As for her surname, I don't think anyone is sure."

In the stagnant pause that followed, the man dared to open his mouth again, "The students may have dismissed her, but I fear that she is not all that she seems. Although she pretends to be just like everyone else, on more than one occasion her concentration has slipped and I have seen her fast reflexes and agile mind."

Voldemort paused once more before his silky voice broke out into the darkness, "You have done well to bring her to my attention,"

"Thank you my lord," he whispered fervently, bowing deeply, "I fear that she is not to be underestimated, whomever she may be."

Voldemort looked down on him once more, his voice sharp, "As astute as your observations are, I will not tolerate you taking liberties where they are not yours to possess."

"Sorry, my lord, I am sorry," the man gasped out, throwing himself to the ground before his master could do the same with his wand.

He smirked and took great pleasure over the fear he could inspire, "Alas, I am a merciful master and so will let your insolence stand this one time so that you may deliver my orders."

The man's whispered apologies and thank you'd were soon drowned out, "I want the trainees within the school to watch and listen from a distance and collect as much information on this Mudblood as possible."

"Thank you master, I have asked the Black boy and the half-blood Snape to watch her already after they took the initiative to befriend her."

"Good good, we need to keep her close and feeling like she is safe, and in the meantime I will find out about her past."

"Yes my lord, what a brilliant plan…"

"Enough, I have grown tired of your snivelling. You may leave and order your minions, but make sure that her suspicions are not raised. Friend or foe, I think the new Miss Dumbledore may be an interesting player in the fight that is to come."

Up next is Chapter 20: Suspicions from Sirius