Chapter Four: Keeping Promises.

Snape led Hermione around his mother's impressive home. They started on the second floor and worked their way up to the third. Everything was so amazing and for the first time she could remember she was speechless. She actually had nothing to say; well nothing to say that could justify the beauty that she was surrounded by at the moment. Most of the time Snape had to constantly remind her to close her mouth.

" Why don't you live here more often?" She asked in a breathless tone of voice, but she didn't give him time to answer her, " I mean look at this house. It's amazing! I've seen some gorgeous house's before and this is just astounding."

Snape could only shake his head and smile to himself. " I don't live here regularly because that is all people would see, that and… more of the Death Eaters would spend more time trying gain my money than my intelligence. I like The Dark Lord to think that the fact than I am a half-blood makes me poor. That way I am allowed to keep my possessions and my life style." He explained, although you could hear a bit if amusement in his voice. After all it wasn't everyday that anyone wanted to know anything about him. It felt good to matter to someone, even if that meant that he was putting not only himself in danger but a young girl as well. He would do all that he could to protect her and that was all any one could ask for, wasn't it?

Hermione noticed that Snape was scowling now. She wondered what she had done to make him angry but knew better than to ask. She just kept following him but fell back just a bit.

Severus noticed her behavior and instantly felt regret.

" I am not angry because of you Hermione. I just have something's on my mind." He said hoping that she would understand,

Hermione couldn't help but smile. He wasn't mad at her and that was all that mattered to her at the moment. After all her life depended on his mood. She wouldn't let the fear that he would eventually give her over to Voldemort dampen her giddy mood. She was safe… for now anyway.

Severus led Hermione down to the main floor and into the kitchen.

" I think it's important that you know where this room is above all else. I hope you know how to cook." He said. The thought of her cooking made him laugh. He knew that she could cook. Weather it be the muggle way or by magic she of all people would be able to do it.

Hermione stepped away from Snape and began to look around the room. She knew how to cook and cook well. Her mother had thought that even if you could cook with magic that nay husband would be happy to come home and know that his wife had slaved over a meal for him.

Severus watched Hermione as she inspected the room. He still wasn't completely sure how they were going to pull this off. He knew it was just a matter of time before he had to take her to The Dark Lord. He still hoped that he would be able to speak to Remus alone and explain. If he wanted to do that he would have to leave now.

" Hermione I am sorry but I have to leave. Do you have your thing's?" he asked.

" Yes I have what I need for now. As long as I know how to wash cloths, which I assure you I do, I have everything I'll need. Thank you for asking." And with that she smiled at him and once again he felt his heart race. He had no idea how he had never noticed.

" Well I must go I will come to check in on you when I can. Good day Hermione." Then he left as quickly as he could he had to get to Remus, and soon.

SS

Lucius watched his brother walk across the cemetery.

" Well hello there Severus, last I recall you had no patience for torture." The elder Malfoy said in slight amusement.

" This is a personal situation. After all the twit and his friends tried to kill me in school as you well remember." Severus answered as he stalked past Lucius and into the ancient house.

It didn't take long to find where they were holding Remus; you could hear his screams the moment you entered the house. He made his way toward the basement of the house in only a few short strides, taking two or three steps at a time.

" You two," he said to the death eaters the were currently torturing werewolf, " I would like to have a private… word, with this piece of filth." When the two dunderheads simply looked at him, " I said leave us." He practically yelled as the two scurried out of the room and out of sight.

Severus closed the door and put up a silencing charm to ensure that for the time being they were not heard.

" What do you want you traitor." Remus said rather maliciously even being as short of breath as he was.

" I had to do this Remus."

" Oh so I'm Remus now huh? What ever happened to "piece if filth"?"

" A young girls life depended on what I said to HIM." Severus spat back.

" What?" Remus asked with a look of both confusion and shock.

" Hermione came to me, she needed a place to hide and I agree with her. Where better to hide than in plain sight. HE would expect her to run to the order and that they would hide her so she went in the other direction. It was either the three of us die or you die and I can get her to a safer place." Severus reached into a pocket of his robes and pulled out a piece of paper, a quill and a bottle of ink. " Write a short note to them."

Remus wrote the short note quickly and Severus retrieved it just in time to hear the footfalls of people coming towards them. Severus leaned over Remus and said a quick and hurried sorry. As he righted him self he looked down at the man before him in disgust just as the door opened he said, " It's time that you paid for your half hearted attempt on my life." Then he raised his wand and cursed him. Watching the man wither in pain and listening to his screams. He was doing the best he could to pretend that he was enjoying this bit of fun. When he felt that he had played his part well he turned and left the house. Turning back as he apperated.

HG

Hermione wandered from room to room trying to decide which one she would make her home for the time being. They were all so beautiful that she was having trouble making a decision. Finally she settled on a room that was decorated in different shades of purple. It was a truly wondrous room with decorative fans on the walls. There was an ornate desk in the corner of the room that joined with a bookcase at the corner.

The large four poster bed had black and violet sheer curtains and the sheets were an amazing shade of lilac and made of silk. The large down comforter was black lined with the same shade of lilac as the sheets. It was the one room in the house that she had felt the most at home in and had kept coming back to.

She took out her trunk and was beginning to unpack when she realized that her things were doing it themselves. Only when she sat down on the bed did she consider how tired she must have been. her eyes refused to focus in the book she had plucked off the shelf and she could feel herself nodding off.

SS

Severus now stood outside of the house he knew he should be avoiding at all costs. But now Hermione's life depended on what he did next. It could take days even weeks for them to figure out that his memory had been wiped. Severus now held all the memories of t any Order meeting in a large vile. Remus hadnt given him any trouble when it came to giving them over because it needed to be done. So much was riding on him entering the house of the-boy-who-lived and he intended to make sure that everything that needed to be done was, even of it meant his life. It was a sacrifice he was willing to make for the girl. He would die having kept the promise he made to the old man, and to himself.