Hermione had always been curious as to how Snape exited Hogwarts for his Death Eater meetings, and now she knew. The 'secret passageway' was remarkably unremarkable. In fact, it was not even that hidden. But then, one end being the shed by Mrs. Sprout's compost heap, where the students dumped all manner of rotten plants, and the other end being Snape's private quarters, she could see why the students had not discovered it yet.

She was very quiet the whole way, and found herself shivering despite the warm cloak she was wrapped in. She tried to force herself to go over everything she had read about such insignia marks, but her mind stubbornly refused to work.

Instead, Hermione, almost dumbfounded, followed her former professor.

Professor Snape seemed in a great hurry. As soon as he got to his quarters, and before Hermione could comment on the minimalistic décor or the shelves of books, Snape was packing. It seemed merely a wave of his hand and a muttered spell sent all his essentials as well as many of the books into his bags. Grasping Hermione by the elbow, he dragged her down the corridor into his private potion's lap. "Help me." He ordered, then began to scourgify various cauldrons and put up dangerous ingredients.

Hermione dazedly started on the other end, scourgifying the cauldrons and amazed at the waste of potions. There were some here she would love to try her hand at brewing!

At one potion he stopped her, noting it was finished, and quickly bottled it up. In a matter of a few minutes the entire lab was clean and appeared as if no one had been working there at all.

"We must leave this place quickly." Severus tapped his nose, appearing most disgruntled. "The paintings will have already reported our arrival."

Rushing her back out of the room and down the halls, Hermione noted that there were less paintings in the dungeons than elsewhere in the castle. "What?" She started to ask, by Snape silenced her with a look.

"Do not speak unless you must." He warned her, and all too soon Hermione found herself being dragged down the oh-so-secret passage.

Scrunching her nose against the smell of the compost heap, she found Snape nearly running, well, 'walking briskly', off the grounds. Once outside the wards, her apparated without so much as a warning, and she was dragged along with.

~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~~~~~

"It is a good thing Dumbledore is on holiday." Snape turned to her, though seeming more to look through her than at her. "He would have demanded to know what was going on."

"Just what IS going on?" Hermione stamped her foot, glaring, as soon as she regained her composure. Side along apparation was never fun to begin with, and being yanked into it made it even rougher.

"If I knew exactly, I would tell you, if it would keep you quiet." Snape sighed, then held out his hand. "Give me back my cloak, and button that blouse of yours. That is a mark we want no one to see."

Hermione complied, flushing as she re-buttoned the top few buttons under his calculating appraisal of the mark.

"It was Lucius's Crest, before it turned to yours..." Hermione said quietly, looking around at the wide open fields they were standing on -anything to avoid his frank stare.

"Yes, I would assume so." Snape growled. "But we should retire to the Manor before we discuss theories and plans of action."

"The Manor?" Hermione asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, my Manor." He took two steps forward and held his hand out. The air seemed to ripple, as if he was touching a portal. "Through here."

He motioned Hermione through, and she felt like she was passing through a wall of soothing liquid. On the other side, she found that the illusion of the fields was hiding an amazing mansion and well kept gardens. Fountains and flowers were everywhere! She stepped forward, gasping in awe at the sight. What was this place?

"I see your hair is still as bushy as ever." An amused voice intoned behind her.

With a cry of dismay, Hermione found that the spells on her hair to make it at least appear manageable had come undone.

"I can brew you a gel to help with it, I suppose." Snape offered, and Hermione turned to look at him. "Glamors do not work here."

"Bloody Hell!" She blushed and clamped her hand over her mouth. He looked like he came strait from the pages of Witch's Weekly! Well, a bit older and more haggard, and his nose was still too large, but in all he had gone from a greasy bat to some dark hero from a Gothic romance novel.

"Contain yourself, Miss Granger." Snape growled, running a hand back through his sleek hair. "I am no Mr. Darcy."

~~~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~~~

Bought by Bone

Bought by Blood

Yet we are not Complete

Mad by the Hour

Bonds turn Sour

Power Grows Replete

Dare not spurn

Or deeper burn

But rather two crests meet

Found in "Riddle Ryhmes of the Elder Houses". This handwritten manuscript is held in a vault at Gringott's when not temporarily loaned out on request to a wizarding scholar or group of proper credentials.

Also found in "Nursery Rhymes & Cradle Songs of the Ancient and Esteemed Houses" purchasable in Knockturn Alley at Tomes & Terrors for a mere 1682 galleons, 3 sickles, and 23 knuts.