Chapter 4: The Aftermath
"Unngh" Hermione groaned incoherently.
"I would not recommend you move Miss Gran—Navarre. Blasted memories" Severus grumbled the last part under his breath.
"My 'ed" she slurred, attempting to move her hand to her, which made her realize she had little control over her body.
"Please desist in your moving. I will be right back; you need the potions we prepared for you. I did not expect you to wake so soon or else I would have had them in a closer proximity." Severus said as he stepped from the room.
Her head ached as the door clicked shut, even that small noise resounding in her skull. Her hand drooped over the side of what she briefly recognized as a bed and she quickly fell back into blackness. Severus stepped back into the room moments later, quietly shutting the door behind him. He observed the young woman lying on the bed, her features different and yet undeniably the Hermione Granger he watched grow in his classroom. He set the potions on the side table and quickly ran his wand across her body looking for any changes in the diagnostic results that he'd run only an hour before. He did not understand why she'd woken so quickly, it had just barely been ten hour and from all of his research she should not have woken until after a full 24. He turned hearing the floo flare to life in the other room.
"Severus?" Dumbledore said, his head turning in the fireplace as he attempted to locate Severus.
"Yes?"
"Ah, there you are my boy! I was checking in on Hermione?"
"She actually just woke for a few moments and seems to have drifted off again. Her diagnostics are positive, nothing out of the ordinary it seems. Did you take the pain tonic I left for you when you woke?"
"Yes, yes. Very confusing, all of these memories of Hermione growing up, of Aberforth leaving, his marriage, his…" he trailed off. "it is confusing because I know they are not real."
"Each of those memories is very much real. As time passes the less the old memories will stand out, the more familiar the new ones will become, until eventually the only time you recall there used to be another timeline is when someone brings it to your attention. There is no telling how this choice has impacted our timeline." Severus sighed.
"It has already cost more than I anticipated. Hopefully it will be worth it."
"All for such a small chance, Albus We have stolen her family, reformed her life and will be placing her in the middle of a world where she will likely die and should she manage to live, she will never be the same."
"We all take risks, Severus. We all must do our part in the war and she was the best fit to infiltrate the new ranks. She was young, one of the most intelligent Order members that we have, she had little family, was not well known in the wizarding world outside of England and the only thing that had to be changed in her history was her parentage. You know as well as I do she was the only choice."
"I know that," Snape snapped, clearly irritated with the conversations, "I am only saying I hope that it is worth it."
"As do I." Dumbledore said, shaking his head lightly, before bidding Severus a goodnight and closing the floo.
"I'm going to tilt your head, just focus on swallowing." Snape said to Hermione, who had been phasing in and out of consciousness for the last hour. She simply squeezed his arm in response and began swallowing small mouthfuls of potions as he tilted potion after potion into her mouth. After she had swallowed all of the five potions she breathed a sigh of relief as Severus set he head back down on the pillow. He waited a moment and then helped her to sit up in the bed.
"This is….odd." she said looking up at him, he eyes still lightly glazed over with the pain she must still have been experiencing.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like someone tried to kill me." She said with a slight smile.
"Yes, well, I did." He stated, unsure as to how he should respond to that. She chuckled and swung her legs over the side of the bed. "I would suggest you remain in the bed Hermione, you've only just taken the potions and it's not quite been a full day."
"I feel fine and I'd like to go back to my dorm room."
"About that."
"Yes, I know they will both want to speak with me."
"The memories will take time Miss…" he trailed off, not knowing which name she would prefer he use.
"Navarre. My name is Hermione Ariana Navarre, I am the only child of Aberforth Dumbledore and Marie Navarre, who are both….deceased." she said the last part quietly.
"It will take time."
"I know. Thank you for your help Professor." She said as she stood, wobbling slightly on her feet. He jerked forward, grabbing her elbow to steady her and she froze. As soon as he touched her elbow she was overwhelmed by his presence; it was as if he was invading all of her senses at once. Her breathing picked up and she saw black spots dance across her sight. And then it stopped.
"I am sorry. I did not want to risk you falling and hurting yourself."
"Wha—What was that?"
"The bond is new, it is not complete."
"Oh. Will it always be like that?"
"No, of course not. Did you not read the book I gave you?" he snapped.
"Of course I read it. But it did not mention anything like what just happened."
"That's because you're aware much sooner than you should have been. The bond takes a full 24 hours, sometimes a little longer, before it has fully set. Once it is set we will not notice it is even there unless one of us is distressed."
"Mmm, good. Well then, again, thank you for your help Professor."
"Yes. You will need to continue to take the strengthening potions until classes begin on Tuesday. Outside of that, should you need anything, please contact me and I will help in anyway I can."
"If I may make an observation, you're being unusually nice Professor. Why is that?"
"This is a difficult situation for all parties involved and I do not plan to make it any more difficult. I apologize that I did not live up to your expectations of heartlessness that you have grown to expect." He snapped the last part before turning heel and vacating the room.
Oops, she thought. Hadn't meant to offend. Well, it's time to see the boys.
"Ready for classes next week?" Harry asked looking over at Hermione, who was gazing into the fireplace.
"Mmm, I guess. It will be odd to begin this semester. I'll really have to focus on not letting old memories effect how I treat people."
"It can't be that different though." Ron said shrugging his shoulders and stuffing a chocolate frog into his mouth, "Basically the same as it was before"
"Of course it isn't basically the same, Ron. I'll have to treat Malfoy and his group with an entirely different attitude this year. It won't be obvious at first but by the end of the year I will have had to secure myself into their group somehow, at the least I will have had to peak someone's belief that I would be interested in joining their ranks."
Neither of the boys responded her statement. Both obviously bothered at the thought of their best friend becoming a death eater. After ten minutes of silence Hermione couldn't take it anymore. "I'm going to the library, I'll be back in a bit."
"Well at least we know some things will never change." Harry said with a sad smirk on his face.
She gave them a light smile before leaving the common room.
"Walking the halls, Miss Navarre?" Severus asked.
"Oh, Professor!" she said jerking her head up from her gaze on the floor.
"I apologize for startling you."
"No, no. I was actually heading to try and speak with you."
"Well, you've found me. How may I be of assistance?" he asked, brow raised slightly.
"Well, to be honest, I'm horribly bored in the castle. There's nothing for me to do really and I was wondering if you'd allow me the use of the labs so that I can brew extra stock for the infirmary?"
"Don't you have better things to do then start doing school related work, early?"
"Honestly, sir? Not particularly. All Harry and Ron are doing is harping on the past and assuring me that nothing will change. I just….all they're really doing is reminding me of how much is going to change, how much already has." She responded. He sighed in response and waved her into the classroom.
"If you're intent on starting early, fine but that's also going to include your training."
"Training?"
"Well you didn't think we were going to have you working as a spy without knowing how to defend yourself, did you?"
"Well, of course not but I'm a decent dueler and since Uncl—Dumbledore mentioned it, I assumed he would begin working with me."
"No, that lovely task has been dictated to myself. The way you duel, will not be sufficient for any actual fights that may take place. You will need to know how to protect yourself from both your enemies, and more that likely, your friends."
"My friends?"
"This will not be over in the next year or two; we will be lucky if you this war ends before year three. You will attend many battles Miss Granger where you are simply trying to harm your friends so you blend in, while those around you are trying to maim and kill."
"I know that, I knew that before I started."
"Then you should understand why your current dueling skills are insufficient."
"So how long will I be training for?"
"During the duration of the year we will, ideally, meet twice a week at a minimum. Obviously there are things that may interfere with that as I've been called much more often lately. That may change with the beginning of the school year, but it may not."
"Sir, may I ask you a question about the mark?" she asked. He nodded his head for her to continue, "What is initiation like?"
"I had anticipated you asking me this question sooner, specifically before I plunged a dagger into your chest and created a new life for you." He bit out sarcastically. "It is by no means fun Miss Gra—Navarre, my apologies I am still getting used to the newness," he said before continuing, "The mark itself is quite painful, as is most blood magic, which you should be able to attest to at this point. The ceremony, however, will not be what I believe you expect. Depending on your personality, rank and tastes, will depend on how the Dark Lord greets you as a new member of his following. Make no mistake, he is not kind, but he does care for his followers and does provide for them in any way he can. You will find danger in his displeasure, but there is more danger in pleasing him."
"What do you mean, sir?"
"He has become the Dark Lord for a reason. He is powerful and alluring and when you are pleasing him he is a sort of father figure that is seemingly there to shower you with his blessing and satisfaction. You will make friends among his followers, true, honest friends that you care for. Not everyone is this pure evil that the Order believes it to be, the Death Eaters are like a family. It is quite easy to lose oneself in that and that, is the true danger of the mission you've taken upon yourself."
"Thank you for being honest with me, sir. If you don't mind I'd like to go back to the common room for bed."
"Of course. Be here tomorrow morning at 9am sharp. Make sure you have any necessary potions tools and that you are fitted for dueling."
"Yes, sir. Goodnight."
Hermione lay awake for an hour before heading back down to the common room.
"Oi, what are you doing awake still?" Ron asked from his place on the couch.
"I could ask you the same!" she chuckled. "I couldn't sleep to be honest."
"Same"
"Penny for your thoughts?" she asked as she sat on the couch next to him, curling her legs underneath her.
"I feel, confused." He said, the look on his face portraying his confusion even more than his words.
"About?"
"You. All of these new memories and all of the old ones. They're so different and yet so much the same. Even how you look; sometimes when I think of you I picture the old Hermione but it's only been a week and I'm already forgetting how she looked."
"That's okay Ron. I don't look very much different, my hair is a little more controllable at least!" she laughed, trying to get him to smile.
"I loved your hair before though." He said, reaching out and stroking the tips of a stray curl. She looked at him and before she knew what was happening, he was kissing her. She kissed him back lightly, not encouraging and not discouraging him either. He pulled back, a lopsided smile across his face. "I feel like I've been waiting to do that forever."
"Ron, you know we can't start anything, my mission…" she drifted the end of the sentence off, hoping it would explain itself.
"I know, I know Hermione. It's just, I feel like you're already slipping away. The timeline they've created, it's not the same. We aren't as close! You can feel it, can't you?"
"Of course not. It's different, but we're still close. Almost all of the memories are still the same." She said, reaching up and lightly touching his face to wipe a stray tear away. "What's got you so upset, Ronald?"
"I—I, I never got to tell you. I kept meaning to and then, Harry told me it wasn't fair to spring it on you and ask you to change your mind, so I didn't and now, now it doesn't feel the same."
"What are you talking about? You aren't making any sense."
"I love you Hermione, I was – am in love with you." He said before grabbing her face and kissing her with everything he had. She was caught off guard, didn't know how to respond and so she didn't stop him. She loved Ron and Harry, they were the most important men in her life, but did she love him like this? In the back of her mind, she knew the answer was no. Maybe she was being selfish by not telling him to stop but all she wanted was for this to be a positive memory, with someone who loved her and not with someone she was using to complete a mission. It was her first time and she'd always imagined it would be with someone who she cared deeply for. And so, she never stopped him, not as he pulled her shirt over her head, slid the skirt from her hips or as he made love to her on the common room couch.
*Okay, so don't hate me for the Hermione/Ron pairing here! I promise it isn't going to continue to be a thing, but it is necessary for chunks of the story to go along. Also, I didn't want Hermione's "loss of virginity" to be in a scenario where she was sleeping with a Death Eater because of her role as a spy. Anyway, this will really be the only Hermione/Ron scene like this. Hope you liked the chapter; it's a bit longer! Let me know what you think!