Chapter 3
Woes of a Death Eater
Disclaimer: The only thing I own is the laptop that I'm using to type this story. I don't own Snape nor do I own Hermione.
Author's Note: I would like to thank everyone who reviewed again. Your reviews make typing each chapter easier. I would like to thank pointblank1 for editing this chapter and my dog for sitting on my lap while I type this. I'm sorry for the confusion, this story will continue to be called Light in the Dark. I know that I changed the title for chapter 2, but I decided that I didn't like it so it's back to the original name. I hope that you enjoy this chapter, please REVIEW.
Snape looked over to the girl, and then back up to Dumbledore, "If we're going to modify her memory, let's do it now. I can wait to reawaken her until after I have gotten some rest, but let's get rid of these memories while they are easy to find and still fresh in her head."
"Obliviate!"
Snape watched as the teenager sleeping in front of him started to wake. He had no idea why he felt the need to wait for her to wake up, but he couldn't bring himself to just go back to his Pepper-Up potion. The girl was insane to have allowed herself to be branded by the Dark Lord. She'd probably do something stupid again if left to her own devices.
He felt that the Dark Lord would only use her for so long before disposing of her. It would surprise Snape if Voldemort kept her around long at all. Maybe if she did manage to prove herself useful she could rise high in the ranks. After all, she was part Malfoy. But in all likelihood, that still wouldn't happen, in Snape's opinion.
The girl stirred, and Snape felt that it was about time he woke her and brought her up to date.
"MissMalfoy, wake up. If you waste another second sleeping, I will deem it necessary to make you wash cauldrons for a month," said Snape in a bored tone.
The girl opened her eyes, which looked past him in a tired, unfocused way. Using her right hand, she rubbed her eyes, which finally seemed to take in their surroundings. It seemed to take her a moment to remember who she was, but once she did, she sat up straight.
"Professor, what are you doing here?" She looked around a bit and added, "Um, sir, why am I in the hospital wing?"
Snape responded, "I am here to tell you that you are to move to a spare room down in my quarters where you will remain for the rest of the summer. The Headmaster seemed to feel that if you truly wanted to begin an apprenticeship, the summer would be a good time to start. And you are in the hospital wing because the trauma from receiving the Dark Mark, plus the additional stress put on your body when you apparated, seems to have been too much for you. You collapsed immediately upon our arrival."
Hermione stared confusedly at Snape, "Wait, an apprenticeship? I don't remember saying that I wanted to start an apprenticeship."
Snape lowered his voice to a menacing whisper, "Miss Malfoy, or Miss Granger as I must now call you, I had to give the Headmaster a very good reason as to why a student such as yourself wanted to come back to school so early in the year. So, for the time being, the staff has been informed that you had a fight with your parents and left your house for Diagon Alley, where you stayed at the Leaky Caldron. After staying there for few days, you found yourself bored out of your mind and you foolishly started to wander around Knockturn Alley, where you ran into me while I was on my way to pick up some very potent potions ingredients. You decided to use this encounter to begme to take you back to Hogwarts so that you could work on a project, or perhaps convince Professor McGonagall to let you be her apprentice. The Headmaster thought that you would be of the most use through being my apprentice. And that is the story that you will tell as if it were the truth, understood?"
"Right," said Hermione. "So why did Professor Dumbledore think that it would be better for me to be an apprentice to you instead of to Professor McGonagall?"
Snape sneered, "It seems that on your overall exams you have, unfortunately, done slightly better on your Potions exams than on your Transfiguration exams."
The girl looked like she was about to argue when Snape decided to interrupt.
"Miss Granger, I assure you that I take no pleasure out of the fact that I have to spend the summer with an insufferable know-it-all. Since I have no choice, however, I will have to make the best of the situation." Snape smirked at the look of horror on the girl's face. "You will help me with any potion that I ask you to help with and, if I find you capable of completing such tasks, I may allow you to help me with some research I will be working on throughout the summer."
The girl crossed her arms and looked away. Thankfully, at that moment the matron, Madam Pomfrey, came over.
"Are you feeling any better, dear? You had quite a headache there," said Madam Pomfrey.
Jumping at the change of subject, Hermione replied, "I'm feeling a lot better, thanks."
"Well, if you feel strong enough you may go," said Madam Pomfrey. "If the headache returns, I want you to come straight here."
Hermione nodded and turned to get out of bed.
Snape backed up, giving the girl room, and handed her her wand before leading her out of the infirmary and into the hall.
Snape walked briskly to the dungeons, not really caring whether the chit behind him kept up or not. Now that he was put in charge of the girl, there would be no stopping him if he decided to make her clean the dungeons for a week.
They had almost reached the stairs which led to the dungeons when a large, black eagle owl came flying up in front of them, perching on a nearby statue of armor. The owl cocked its head as they approached and, when they had come level to it, held out its leg.
Snape approached the bird curiously. He had seen the bird before, but he didn't have a clue as to why the Malfoys would want to contact him. He had reached out to grab the scroll when the bird started to flap its wings and snap its beak furiously. Withdrawing his hand quickly, he watched as the bird hopped in front of Miss Granger, stopping to hold out its leg for her.
Hermione looked nervously at the bird, having never been too fond of birds in general. Their beaks and talons were incredibly sharp and seemed really dangerous to her. Hermione slowly reached out her hand to take the scroll and was relieved when the bird didn't snap at her.
Once the scroll had been untied, the bird hooted and took off, flying out a nearby window.
Hermione glanced down at the scroll and smiled as she recognized the neat, flowing handwriting on it. She was curious to know what Draco wanted but didn't want to open the scroll in front of Snape.
Snape watched as the girl examined the handwriting on the scroll. He noticed that she didn't seem willing to open it while he was there. Having realized already whom the owl belonged to, he wasn't too sure that he really wanted to see what Malfoy had to say. Whether it was Lucius or Draco, he didn't really care.
"If you are not going to read that here, I suggest that we move on. I will show you where you will be staying for the remainder of the summer," sneered Snape.
"Right, Professor."
Snape turned on his heels and, with robes billowing behind him, headed back down towards the dungeons.
Hermione was just starting to think that she might be sleeping in the deepest part of the school, possibly in some abandoned cellar, when Professor Snape came to an abrupt stop in front of her. She would have run into him had he not sidestepped her.
"Sorry, Professor. I didn't see you stop," said Hermione apologetically.
Snape scowled, "If you are going to be working with potions this summer, I suggest that you get your head out of the clouds."
"My rooms are located behind this tapestry of Sir Camelot's attempt to kill a basilisk. My rooms are heavily warded to keep out everyone from nosy students to bothersome staff members," Snape smirked. "The door will only open if it recognizes a magical signature; the password. Also, it will only accept the password if it recognizes the voice saying it."
Hermione nodded, slightly amazed at all the precautions that Professor Snape had taken to ensure that he had privacy.
"If you can manage to hand me your wand, I will program the wards to recognize your magical signature and a password of your choice."
Hermione fumbled slightly as she reached into her robes and pulled out her beautifully engraved cherry wand. Handing it over, she watched as Snape took her wand lightly in his hand and, taking out his own wand also, touched the tips of both wands to the snake's red glittering eye while muttering some strange incantation under his breath. The snake's eye seemed to shine brighter as the tips of the wands turned a bright gold. The snake blinked, and Snape handed Hermione's wand back to her.
"Now, to activate the wards to your password and voice, you need to place the tip of your wand on the snake's eye. I will place the tip of my wand on your wand and, when the tips glow gold, you will say a word that you want to use as your password and you will say it until the tips of the wands turn red."
Hermione nodded and stood in front of the tapestry, placing the tip of her wand on the snake's eye. Snape stood off to the side and placed the tip of his wand on top of hers. Hermione listened as Snape murmured under his breath like he had done before. A golden light started to appear at the tips, and Snape nodded in her direction. Hermione froze, not sure what she should use for a password.
After a second of thinking over different words in her head, Hermione decided to go with something that no one else knew about her. Thinking of her favorite flower, Hermione looked at the snake and said, "Mon enfer, mon enfer, mon enfer, mon enfer…"
The tips of the wands started to change into a mix of gold and red. Hermione didn't stop until the tips turned a bright blood red. Almost as soon as light had turned a pure red, there was a spark of green, and the light produced by the wands went out.
Hermione lowered her wand and looked over to her professor, who had an unreadable expression on his face. She blinked and felt that she must have imagined it. Snape's face had resumed its normal sneer.
Snape looked back at the girl standing in front of the tapestry. "Let's see if the wards have accepted you, as I have no doubt they have."
The girl raised her wand and touched the tip of it to the snake's eye and said, "Mon enfer."
Where the snake's tongue had been, a red handle appeared and, without a second glance, Snape reached forward and grabbed the handle, opening the door.
The chamber in which they entered wasn't any larger than the Potions classroom, but while the Potions classroom was dark, cold and uninviting, this room was warmly furnished, with plush carpet and rows of books that covered every wall.
"This is my private library. If you wish to borrow something, I suggest that you ask before you remove it from the shelf, unless you wish to find yourself cursed for a hundred years. Some of the books will only open if their owners remove them, anyway. The door to your right will take you to the kitchen and dining area, and unless you wish to spend your evenings talking to Professor Dumbledore, I suggest that you eat here or in the kitchens. The door straight ahead will take you up to the second floor, where you will find the guest bedroom. You are not to go up to the third floor. This is where my study is located. Finally, the door in the left corner leads to my private laboratory. You are not to go in there unless I have given you permission to do so. Do I make myself clear, Miss Granger?" said Snape in a soft, dangerous voice.
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Now, I will be in my Laboratory. Unless Hogwarts catches fire or you are an inch from death, do not bother me. If a potion gets ruined because of you, you will wish that you have never been born."
"Right, sir," whispered Hermione. "Can I go to the library? I would like to work on my Charms essay."
"Fine. I want you back here before nine. I don't want you wandering these halls at night. I am not against giving you detentions or docking house points before term starts."
Hermione stared openmouthed at Snape, who raised his usual eyebrow, daring her to object. Since there really wasn't much one could say to a statement like that, Hermione just nodded and headed back out of the room.
She met no one on her way to the library, but she didn't really want to go there at all. It was just an excuse to escape Snape and go to the Room of Requirement.
She needed to be alone. Nothing was going exactly how she wanted it. Hermione had hoped that she would have been allowed to return to the Malfoy manor. At least there she could talk to Draco, even if she did have to put up with abuse from Narcissa and Lucius.
Hermione looked down at the letter that was still in her hand. She hoped that Draco had a plan to get her out of this. Working with Snape all summer was going to be a nightmare.
She supposed that she did respect him, to some extent, but there was such a thing as too much of one person. Hermione could think of at least ten people she would rather spend the summer with.
On second thought, maybe Snape wouldn't be that horrible after all, as long as she was allowed to go to the library whenever she wanted. She could avoid him all summer.
Hermione sighed. It didn't matter, she'd already got what she really wanted. Smirking, she rolled up her left sleeve and looked at the black burn on her arm. It was beautiful. The contrast between her pale skin and the mark just made it stand out even more, like a star in the night sky.
She would, of course, have to hide it when school started. Her arms were covered most of the time, but there were times when she'd had to roll up her sleeves in the past...
Maybe a glamour charm or a potion could cover the mark. She only needed something to make it disappear for a few hours at a time. She decided to look into that later. For now, she decided to work on more pressing matters, like how to survive without Draco for the summer.
She soon found herself outside of the Room of Requirement across from the tapestry of the dancing trolls. Closing her eyes, Hermione walked past the area three times, thinking of a place where she could spend her summer in peace.
Opening her eyes, she sighed at the sight of the door. In a way, it was a gift she needed right now. The door opened at her touch and revealed the room of her dreams. The room had definitely outdone itself.
The room somewhat resembled the Gryffindor Common room, except instead of horrid maroon and gold the room was done in shades of blue and green, like a Hawaiian paradise. Two of the four walls were covered in rows and rows of books. In the corner of books sat two reclining chairs that looked comfortable enough to sleep in. In the opposite corner there was a mini kitchen which included a small icebox and stove. A door in the other corner revealed a small bathroom. She could literally spend the whole summer here comfortably if she wanted.
Sighing, Hermione relaxed for the first time in what felt like ages.
After selecting a book off of one of the many shelves, she chose a seat in one of the recliners. Before she opened the book, however, she first wanted to read the letter that Draco had sent her.
She broke the green seal, unraveled the letter, and read:
Dear Hermione,
I hope you are well. Father was most displeased when he returned home after the meeting. He "told" me about how you are a Malfoy and such. Mother was very unhappy with the information. She never likes to hear what goes on when one is in the service of the Dark Lord.
It's good that you are at Hogwarts because Mother told Aunt Bellatrix and well, you know what Aunt Bellatrix is like, or at least I'm sure you can imagine how she reacted. I don't think you will ever be able to be around her without being cursed. She may eventually get used to the idea, though. It's hard to tell with her.
I'm glad that everything (or, almost everything) went as planned. I am sorry that you are now stuck spending the rest of the summer with Professor Snape. I know you and he never really got along. I hope that Father will allow me to visit soon. He's been talking about having me come over to teach you the "Malfoy Manners," as he likes to call them.
Father has finally admitted that you are indeed a Malfoy. I suppose he thinks that taking the Mark means you're at least somewhat respectable. Even Aunt Bellatrix seemed impressed when she heard that you received it. Of course, now I am teased about not having received mine yet, but all in good time.
I hope to see you soon. Hang in there- Professor Snape will warm up to the idea of you being a Death Eater soon enough.
Sincerely Yours,
Draco Malfoy
Hermione smiled down at the letter, thinking about how "Aunt Bellatrix" reacted to the news of Hermione becoming a Death Eater.
She wasn't too excited about having to learn "Malfoy Manners," but it would give her a chance to see Draco, and that would be a nice change from the brooding professor.
Getting up, Hermione walked over to the icebox in the kitchen. She was happy to see that it was full of butter beers and sparkling water, along with fruit and assorted vegetables. Grabbing a sparkling water, Hermione went over to the counter which separated the kitchen from the library. She sat down and enjoyed the cool refreshing drink.
Time traveled quickly for Hermione while she sat and read some of the fascinating books that the room had created for her. Before she knew it, it was eight and she was now starting to feel slightly hungry. Not wanting to go to bed hungry, Hermione decided that she might be able to stop into the Great Hall and get something to eat there. Hermione wasn't in the mood to stop by the kitchens. Despite her empathy for house elves, their voices tended to give her a headache if she saw them too late in the evening.
Having had no trouble getting a late dinner, Hermione decided to return to her chambers before it got too late. Maybe she would be lucky and she wouldn't run into Professor Snape. It was possible that he could still be working in his laboratory.
The tapestry opened for her, and she found herself in the library slightly later than she expected, having gotten slightly lost on her way down.
She had reached the stairs, and her foot had just reached the first step, when she heard a soft velvety voice behind her.
"You are late, Miss Granger. I thought you were smart enough to keep track of time. This is apparently not the case."
"I'm sorry, Professor. I would have been in on time, but I got lost on my way down and I ran into Peeves on the way."
"A likely story. You should have left the library sooner, and you should have paid attention when I led you down here earlier. As for Peeves, that is no excuse. I wouldn't have expected it from a first year," said Snape icily.
Hermione gaped. What did he expect from her? It wasn't like she had been hours late, or even minutes late. She had only been a few seconds late, a minute at the most.
"Stop gaping, you look like a fish. Tomorrow you will scrub all of the cauldrons in the Potions classroom, without magic of course." Snape smirked as the girl's mouth dropped open even more.
"W-without magic, but sir! That will take hours."
"That's not my problem, Miss Granger. Maybe it will help remind you to be back before curfew tomorrow. Let this be a lesson to be on time the rest of the summer."
"Right, sir," replied Hermione in a cool voice. "May I go to bed now?"
"You may retire to your room after we discuss your training and your position here at this school. Sit down."
Hermione moved slowly to an armchair beside the fire, not taking her eyes off the man who seemed to want to ensure that her summer was as miserable as possible. She was actually surprised that this talk hadn't come sooner. It wasn't like she was looking forward to a talk between herself and Snape, however.
"First, as admirable as it was that you became a Death Eater, it was an extremely foolish move. Not only are you putting yourself in danger, but you have endangered my position in this school and in the Order. I will tell you now that if you get yourself in any trouble, any at all, and it is found out that you are a Death Eater, I will refuse pointblank to side with you," whispered Snape in a cool dangerous voice.
Hermione was frozen in her chair. She had expected this. She had realized early on that Snape wouldn't support her, but to state it that way he did was painful for her to hear.
Snape stared into the fire. The fury that he had felt earlier was resurfacing, and now he couldn't hold back. He had to make her realize how foolish she had been.
"Professor," Hermione found her voice and was pleased that she could keep it steady. "I didn't take this Mark because I wanted to make your job harder."
Snape sneered, "Then tell me- why did you take the Mark? Did you think it was a pretty little tattoo?"
Hermione thought about what she should tell the Professor. She didn't want to tell him the whole truth, not having much trust in the man. A slanted truth would have to work. She hoped that he wouldn't look too far into it.
"Professor, there were several reasons why I took the Dark Mark. One reason I took it was because I couldn't think of any other way to get out of Lucius's mansion alive. Second, since I am no longer a mudblood," Hermione spat the word out, "I have nothing against persecuting them. They truly are nothing but filth, and the world would do better without them. And, third, there is nothing standing in the Dark Lord's way. It won't be long before the world falls to its knees at his feet."
Hermione found that she was now on her feet. She couldn't remember getting there, but she squared her shoulders and stared coolly at her Professor as he turned to look at her.
Snape sneered, "The light will fall. And I have no doubt that the Dark Lord will be in control soon, but you are risking you position at Hogwarts. If someone…"
"No one will know that I have become Death Eater," cut in Hermione sharply. "Professor, to you I may have acted foolishly. I may seem like a silly little girl, but I am more intelligent than all of the students in this school, and I am more clever than most of the wizarding world. Do you think that I have not thought about all that you say? Hiding my Mark is the least of my concerns, and it should be none of yours."
Snape couldn't believe his ears. True, the girl was the probably the most intelligent student in the school, and he knew she was clever, but she was going to waste it if she stayed on the Dark side, and he would do everything in his power to turn her away from it. For now, though, it seemed that he had no choice but to play Death Eater and get her to trust him.
"Fine," said Snape coolly. "You can cover your Mark. Have you have thought about how you will get out of the school if you are called, or how you will explain you absence to those dunder heads you call friends?"
"They are not my friends anymore, though I will have to try to get back on their side before school starts. And, if you must know, I can create a pretty powerful Disillusionment charm. I haven't been caught once using it."
Snape glared at the girl. He didn't know what else to say. She seemed to have every aspect of her new life figured out. He couldn't plead with her to switch sides. She would have to realize it herself. He only hoped she would realize it soon.
Deciding to change the subject, Snape said, "When you have finished cleaning the cauldrons in the Potions classroom, you will assist me in my Laboratory. Also, tomorrow we will start your training."
"What training, sir?" asked Hermione curiously.
"Miss Granger, I thought you said that you were intelligent! You will begin learning the Unforgivable Curses, and I will start teaching you how to duel properly," Snape smirked. If she ever, and Snape had no doubt that she would, came back to the good side, she would make a perfect spy.
"Yes, sir," replied Hermione in a mild voice. "Now, may I go to bed? It's been a long day."
Snape nodded and waited until she was halfway up the stairs before adding, "Oh, and Miss Granger, if you ever lie to me again about where you are going or where you have been, I will make you clean the dungeons for a year. Do I make myself clear?"
"How did you know?"
"A true master of Occlumency never drops their guard. Never drop your guard in the Dark Lord's presence. It may be the last thing you ever do."
"Right, sir. Good night."
"Good night, Miss Granger."
Well I hope you liked chapter 3. I'm laving for a trip here soon, so I don't know if I will be able to write a chapter while I'm gone. I will, of course, try really hard. Please REVIEW! The blue button is there for a reason.
Note: Mon enfer is French and means "my hell". The password was something else, but i changed it to this cause the original password was just stupid. So yeah.
