Author's Note:
First of all... SUPER SORRY FOR THE LONG DELAY! Life unfortunately got in the way of my writing. But, hopefully I should be a bit more regular in my updates. I cannot give promises on dates though, because school is getting really busy. But, I will update as regularly as I can.
In this chapter, flashbacks/memories are in center alignment and separated from the main text by horizontal lines. I hope it doesn't get annoying!
And thanks to Slytherin Head for proof-reading this for me!
Enjoy Chapter 2!
Chapter 2
The morning air was icy, caressing her cheeks as she stepped out into the large garden at the back of the Manor. She didn't mind the cold; she rather liked the winter season. It reminded her of happier times when the ground and trees were coated in a fresh blanket of brilliant white snow, times when she was a little girl, playing with her adoring parents.
She walked forward into the grounds, feeling the snow crunch beneath her warm boots. She was becoming very familiar with the layout of the building, and the land around it. She had been living there for over a month and she had to admit, she was stunned, yet eternally grateful, that Sebastian Sinclair had kept his word.
She had never felt so safe... not even at Hogwarts.
His wards were, dare she say it, better than those of Albus Dumbledore; no one, bar him or her, was ever getting passed them. They were the best magical barricade she had ever seen.
Hermione gazed out into the fields that surrounded the building, sighing with content before heading back to the Manor. As she reached the entrance, she shook the snow from her boots and sauntered inside, making her way down to the large Potions lab in the basement.
Sebastian was always there.
She descended the steps, one by one, until she came to the doorway. It was strangely silent. Usually, she heard the clinking of various vials and bottles, the scrap of a stirring spoon against the cauldron he was using, or murmurings of confusion when something wasn't reacting quite as he had planned.
Yet, there was nothing.
"Sebastian?" she called out. "Sebastian, are you there?"
She moved with caution into the room and found that her companion was nowhere to be seen. She slowly stepped forward, searching for the man she was steadily beginning to trust.
Her gaze travelled over the dark, ebony tables which held a diverse range ingredients and elixirs. She catalogued everything, from the mint sprigs to the Dragon's blood.
Whoa, wait a minute... Dragon's blood?
Curiosity piqued, she skipped over to the very desk that the rare substance lay on.
Asphodel, Moondew, Boomslang skin, lacewing flies... that's, that's basically everything I—
Footsteps coming from the direction of the basement staircase startled Hermione and, in her fright, she knocked over a pale green vial that contained a viscous liquid. She gasped, knowing she was as good as caught, and she closed her eyes, awaiting the onslaught from her guardian.
Sebastian's eyes bore a hole into the young woman, visibly stunned to see her in his personal lab without his permission. "Hermione?" he said. "What, pray tell, are you doing in here?" He strode towards her, catching her gaze as she opened her eyes to look at him. He caught her guilty expression and glanced down, finally spotting the broken glass. "What have you done?"
Hermione's breathing quickened. His voice had never sounded so deadly before. "I... I—I didn't mean to... I... I was looking for you. I thought you would be here... you always are and... when I saw the bottles I... I'm so sorry."
He released a long breath. "Settle down, sweet girl. I'm not going to hurt you." She raised her eyes to his, he appeared rather defeated. "But, of all the potion vials to break... you had to shatter that one. Didn't I tell you not to be in here without my approval?"
She nodded. "I apologise, but I was looking for you. I didn't mean to snoop, but I saw those..." She pointed at the glass jars and her words trailed off.
An eyebrow rose into his hairline. "What about them caused to you disobey my rules?"
"Every ingredient on that table is the same as what I sent to Severus Snape before he..." Her bottom lip trembled before she calmed herself enough to say, "Before he passed on."
He was shell shocked for a moment, digesting everything the young witch had just told him. "Is that right?"
"Yes... it surprised me and, I guess, my curiosity got the better of me."
He saw the pain written across her face and knew he could not reprimand her. "Oh, sweet girl... calm down. You have done nothing wrong and I am perfectly capable of brewing more of the potion. What is it you wished to speak to me about?"
Hermione shook her head. "Oh, nothing really. I think I'll... head back to my room now."
He tilted his head in understanding. "Very well. If I have made you uncomfortable, I apologise, I hope I haven't frightened you."
"No, of course not," she replied gently. "See you later, Sebastian."
Sebastian watched as the young woman ascended the stairs back up into the entrance hallway. When she was out of sight, he breathed a sigh of restrained frustration.
Why, oh why did she have to break his Polyjuice potion?
It was his last vial.
SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG
The thin, dark robes billowed in the breeze as he gazed at the broken down house. With his hood covering his head, no muggle could see his appearance should they pass by. He didn't care for terrorising the filth that was the non-Wizarding population that night. No, he was far more concerned with fixing the problem that lay in front of him.
Spinner's End. Or, rather, what was left of it.
He entered the decrepit shell of the building, walking through the dank, and dangerous, corridors, inspecting the damage.
Something caught his attention, something that glittered in the moonlight, seemingly untouched by fire. He swooped in and grabbed the object, lifting it to eye level.
He recognised it immediately.
It was a silver mask. The intricately designed snakes that were etched into the metal meant that it belonged to only one person.
Severus Snape; his most faithful servant.
Furious at the incompetence of whoever was brewing the potion that caused the explosion, he violently threw the mask against a blackened wall before Apparating away from the site.
It was a small Wizarding village in rural Scotland, only a few miles away from Hogwarts, but, it was home to blood traitors, breeds of magical being that were unworthy of their magical inheritance and, more importantly, a particularly high-profile Auror.
What better way was there? They would be fine subjects of his rage.
Black Apparition trails flooded the streets. Men, women and children alike were captured and forced into slavery, or tortured for refusing. The screams of anguish were sickening, deafening; the poor souls trapped to face their final moments staring into the eyes of their serpent-like invader.
It was most pleasing to him.
The Death Eaters that survived the explosion at Spinner's End followed their Master as he scoured the village. Their Dark Lord was an experienced hunter, and they knew his prey was within sight.
They waited, patiently, outside of the building their Master entered. They were entertained as a reward for their loyalty. A magnificent light show burst forth from behind the ordinary, glass windows. Vivid reds, the colour of blood, and luminescent greens, like the shade of fresh grass, flashed before their eyes, and were indicative of the Dark Lord's trademark spells.
The Auror was dead.
"My Lord?" an anxious voice piped up. "My Lord, Lucius Malfoy has arrived."
Lord Voldemort never even glanced at his servant as he said, "Tell him to wait in the drawing room. I shall be there momentarily."
The small man nodded frantically. "Yes, yes my Lord... of course."
With Severus dead, how will I gain information about the Order of the Phoenix now? His means of gathering intelligence were rivalled by no other. I must think. There must be a way...
His plans were not being carried out the way he had hoped. Incompetence was rife amongst his army. He suspected they had all been shaken by the unexpected death of their colleagues two months prior, and, as such, were not in the correct frame of mind to pay attention.
He would soon fix that. Such weakness was inexcusable, especially in these times.
He was so close. The Boy-Who-Lived would soon be dead. He was sure of it. All that was needed was a bit of extra care. Meticulous preparation would equal flawless results.
He stepped into the large drawing room of Malfoy Manor, his current, and final, Headquarters. Motioning for the blond man to sit, he too rested himself down onto one of the grand chairs at the head of the table.
"I hope you have requested to see me because you bear some acceptable news, Lucius," he murmured. "Wasting my time is not a very clever thing to do."
Lucius nodded slowly. "Yes, my Lord. I wished to inform you that we have infiltrated the Ministry. It is now under our control."
If Voldemort was capable of true emotion, the smirk on his face portrayed sheer delight. "Excellent!" he exclaimed. "Soon, Harry Potter will have nowhere to hide... and everyone protecting him shall fall to their demise."
SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG
"What are we going to do, Alastor? You-Know-Who is working tirelessly to make up for the losses he suffered during that explosion a month ago," Remus asked, making sure to keep an eye on Harry as he spoke.
"We recruit ten times as hard as he is. Constant vigilance is key."
"Yes, but he is now working with a vengeance. Severus Snape was, arguably, his most loyal servant and with him dead..."
Moody's tone was patronising, "With Snape dead, Voldemort does not have any trustworthy spy. You knew Severus as well as I, Remus. Despite who he was and how he behaved, he was an incredibly crafty man with ways of discovering even the most classified of information."
Harry listened in as much as he could. He knew that if Voldemort was vulnerable, his idea might just work.
"Oh no," said Arthur Weasley as he collected the Daily Prophet from the delivery owl perched on the windowsill of the Burrow's kitchen.
The rest of the Order of the Phoenix felt their hearts drop as they looked at the Weasley family patriarch. He placed the newspaper onto the middle of the kitchen table and every person sighed despondently.
AUROR DEAD
By Rita Skeeter
Wizarding Britain is in shock today after the revelation that the Ministry of Magic's Head Auror, Aurora McKenzie (50), has been found dead in her home.
It is suspected that her death is the result of Death Eaters, as the village where she lived was savaged by the Dark army late last night.
There has been no word yet of when Ms. McKenzie's funeral will be held; however, memorials will be held at the Ministry throughout the week.
Minister for Magic, Rufus Scrimgeour, had this to say.
"This is a sad day. Aurora was an extremely competent witch with a great deal of talent. She will be sorely missed."
Alastor "Mad Eye" Moody, next in line to become Head of the Auror Office, was unavailable for comment.
"Aurora..." whispered Molly. "Oh, the poor dear."
Harry stared at the paper, but his expression was calm... almost distant. Yet, Ginny saw his hands, they were shaking... but she had no clue if that was caused by fear, or fury.
His voice was low, laced with venom that she had never thought him capable of producing. "So, the Head Auror is dead... and you still refuse to look for Hermione?" He stood up from the table, violently shoving his chair backwards, causing it to crash to the floor. "She could be dead, or worse; captured by Death Eaters and experiencing the worst torture imaginable... and you still refuse to let us look for her?"
Moody's gaze never left the young man. "Have you forgotten, boy? She was conversing with an active Death Eater—"
"—Snape's dead!" Harry screamed.
"That doesn't matter," Moody responded angrily. "Her contact with Snape makes her an accomplice, a virtual Death Eater herself. That is punishable by a lengthy sentence in Azkaban, boy... and eventually the Dementor's kiss. She is incredible lucky not to be facing a trial in front of the Wizengamot." Harry's rage radiated off of his body and the other members looked on in horror as Moody uttered, "Think yourself lucky I let her go when I did."
"Listen, Harry," Ginny said gently from her perch at the doorway to the bedroom. She prayed that her boyfriend did not take her next words the wrong way. "Do you really think this is a good idea?
"Why wouldn't it be, Ginny?" he asked in response. "We have to do something. It's my fault she's out there, my fault she's in this mess. I need to find her."
She walked over to the bed. "But, Moody is adamant that Hermione is to stay away." She sat beside him and clasped his right hand, squeezing it softly. "You heard what he said when you argued with him. If you help her... and she's helping them..."
"No, Gin," Harry growled. "Hermione is not a Death Eater. She must have been trying to get some sort of information from Snape when she was writing to him. I mean, why else would she be contacting him? Or, if he was the first to write, why else would she reply?" He stood and locked eyes with his friends. "We need to find her... clear her name and get the entire story. I never gave her the chance to speak, I need to fix this."
"Death Eaters are everywhere, mate," Ron reminded him. "You saw that news article, and Dad told us this morning that the Ministry has been invaded. Harry, he only just managed to escape."
Harry merely shook his head. "I've fought them off before, I can do it again." He threw his clothing into his trunk and slammed it closed. "Look, if you don't want to help me, I'll do it myself." He then cast a charm on the trunk, causing it to shrink to the size of his palm, and placed it into a backpack, which was nearly full to bursting with potions vials.
Ron's eyes flared dangerously, a clear sign of the redhead's temper. "Of course we want to help find her, Harry!" he hissed. "We miss her as much as you. But, getting away from here isn't as easy as walking out the front door."
"Then pack," replied Harry. "We have never obeyed the rules before, why should we start now?" Grasping a strap of his bag, he flung it onto his back. "And, technically, it's as easy as sneaking out the back door when everyone is asleep."
Ginny, while levitating her own belongings into a trunk, said, "Things are different now, Harry. Don't think for one minute that someone will not be on 'guard' duty." As she duplicated Harry's shrinking charm, she continued, "But, for what it's worth, I'm going with you."
A small and relieved smile appeared on Harry's face. "It's worth a lot, Ginny," he answered. "Well, Ron, what about you?"
The redheaded boy sighed, "We've never listened to the rules before, right?" Grinning, he added, "Let's find 'Mione."
There was no other way to describe the look Harry gave them other than sheer happiness. "Excellent. We'll here's what we have to do..."
SSHGSSHGSSHGSSHG
She watched him; like a mighty lioness stalking her prey, her eyes never left his tall, thin form.
That morning had raised alarm bells in her head. She couldn't place the reason why exactly as Sebastian was clearly a Potions Master, seeing as he had a rather substantial lab in his basement. So, why shouldn't he have all of the ingredients she had seen? Why shouldn't he have all of the ingredients she had sent to Snape?
After all, Potions Masters need those things.
Right?
She broke her gaze after she saw him thread his arms through the sleeves of his cloak before stepping outside into the garden. Her eyes fell upon the crackling fire in front of her, and she relished in the warmth it radiated.
He was taking care of her. She had to admit that. Yet, that didn't stop her suspicions from worming their way to the front of her mind.
She thought back, raiding her memory banks for anything that could help her.
"You were staying here?" he asked incredulously as they came to a halt in front of an abandoned cottage.
"Yes," Hermione responded. "It used to belong to my grandparents." She opened the small metal gate and began to make her way down the entrance path. "I've charmed it to look like no one has lived here in years. It's quite lovely from the inside."
"I see," Sebastian said as he followed her. "Quite a clever witch, aren't you?"
She smiled. "No one would look for me here. So, yes, I thought it was a fairly clever idea at the time." She unlocked the door and they walked inside. "It has kept me safe so far."
They quickly gathered up all of her belongings, searching the cottage warily in case they had missed anything. Once he was satisfied that there was no trace of her presence left in the building, they left and made their way back to his Manor.
"So," she said after they had sorted through her possessions, "are you going to tell me who you are now?"
He sighed as he handed her a mug of tea. "I was under the impression that I have told you already?" He sat beside her on the couch in his living area. "My name is—"
"—No, I know your name," she interrupted. "You said when we first met that you were a friend of a friend, and that you are, and are not, a Death Eater." She saw him cringe at her last words. "What do you mean by that exactly?
"It is exactly how it sounds, Hermione," he started, realizing that he was not going to be able to drop the subject as easily as he had first hoped. "I am a friend... of a friend and both work for the Dark Lord and fight against him."
Hermione wasn't happy with his answer. "What do you mean by that though?"
"You should know who I am talking about." He searched her face. Her amber-like eyes were full of confusion and pleading that he put her out of her misery. "Severus Snape... I... knew him."
She gasped, loudly and looked away from him. "You did?" Her voice was trembling.
He nodded softly. "I... did, yes."
"Do you... do the same work as him?" she asked tentatively.
"Spy?" At her nod, he continued, "Yes, in a way... as much as I can."
He was behaving strangely, almost as if he were panicking about something.
Hermione tried to offer her help; however, Sebastian coldly refused and told her to stay away from him.
He disappeared into his lab, and she didn't see him again that night.
The next morning, she woke to the smell of fresh coffee and bacon. Wiping the sleep from her eyes, she wrapped her dressing gown around her body and padded down to the kitchen.
Sebastian noticed her and filled a plate with the freshly prepared meat and some scrambled eggs. "I wanted to...apologise for yesterday." He placed the plate onto the dining table and directed her to a seat. "I was out of order. There was no need to treat you that way."
She gave him a small smile. "It's all right," she answered. "You were obviously worried about something."
He grunted softly in agreement and they tucked into their meal. It was then she spotted the newspaper in his hands and he seemed enthralled with the headline article.
"An Auror is dead?" she screeched. "Who is it?"
"Aurora McKenzie," he told her sadly. "Pity. She was a talented witch, incredibly gifted in Transfiguration and Charms. She became Head of the Auror Office only a few years after she finished her training and had a flair for transfiguring intelligence devices out of harmless objects. The Death Eaters had no idea their every move was being documented."
"Sounds like you knew her well."
He scoffed, "Well, I ran into her a few times in my youth. When I agreed to help Albus Dumbledore, she taught me a few things."
"Such as?" Hermione pressed.
"Not to get caught," he sniggered. "I wasn't very well versed in my eavesdropping technique at 20 years old. I learned much from her and adapted her teachings to suit me. I learned very well, if I do say so myself."
She caught sight of him through the gap at the doorway. He was holding a storage box, one designed to hold many miniature potions vials.
She found that peculiar. Those containers were usually reserved for Saint Mungo's patients, who needed several doses of a particular potion a day.
Where did he get one? And why did he need it?
He was filling it, it seemed. Several pale green bottles sat in a row on the table in front of him. She watched him slot each of them into a different section of the box and spent the rest of the week wondering.
She never did manage to catch him drinking whatever was in one of those vials.
Hermione's eyes widened.
The pale green vials.
She had broken one that morning.
Suddenly beginning to feel exceedingly anxious, Hermione stood up from her seat and quietly made her way back down to the basement of the Manor. She removed the wards that surrounded the room and cautiously stepped inside, examining the tables for the box of vials.
Her heart was beating wildly as she spotted the box on a bench at the far end of the room. Knowing she could be found at any moment, she hurried across the room and grabbed the container. With surprisingly steady fingers despite her fright, she opened the lid and lifted a bottle from its housing. Removing the lid, she swished it under her nose.
Polyjuice!
No longer caring about the noise she made, she smashed the bottle and threw the box against the wall. Glass rained everywhere as she sped to the door and ran up the stairs, desperate to get away.
Panic shone in her eyes. Sebastian Sinclair was not who he claimed to be.
Hearing swift footsteps coming from the direction of the back door, she fought her way through the corridors trying to find the main doors of the house.
The footsteps drew closer before they stopped altogether.
Diving into a small alcove by the main stairway, she held her breath and prayed she wouldn't be seen.
"Hermione? Where are you? Are you all right?"
Unable to stand it as he drew ever nearer, she shot out of her hiding place and straight for the door.
Sebastian morphed into smoke and surrounded her in seconds. She screamed, but felt a hand cover her mouth. "Shh, shh... sweet girl. What is the matter?" She wrestled against his grasp, yet could not break free. "Hermione, what is wrong? It's me. You're safe." Dropping his hand from her mouth, he softly caressed her cheek in an attempt to calm her down.
Feeling his grip loosen, she jumped away from him. "I know what you are! Stay away from me."
Sebastian's expression was one of utter shock. "Dear witch, whatever are you talking about?"
"You're not who you say you are," she murmured. "You're not who you say you are."
Hermione saw his shoulders slump. "I knew it wouldn't be long until you figured it out," he sighed. "My attempts to conceal it from you were rather futile."
"Who are you?" she yelled hoarsely. "The vials, the behaviour... the lies... who are you and what are you hiding from me?"
As if on cue, Sebastian's appearance started to change. "I'm sure you've noticed, I keep myself in my lab most of the day. If it wasn't for the crash I heard, I would be there now."
She stood in astonishment as his black hair lengthened, his face became thinner and his eyes transformed from a chocolate brown to a deep, inky black.
She felt faint. It was surely a dream.
Severus Snape was dead.
"I didn't want you to find out this way. I was intending to tell you in a few weeks time. I needed to make certain my plan was working."
Her voice was a whisper, "You're dead."
He smirked. "No, clearly I am not deceased. I just had to make it seem like I was."
"But, the explosion..."
He moved towards her slightly. "I was the one who caused the explosion, Hermione," he uttered. "I needed a way to ensure the Order thought I was dead. That way, they would stop hunting me and I would be free to carry out my duties without having to look over my shoulder every time I stepped foot outside."
"But, what about him?"
"Oh, I'm sure he also believes I am dead. However, that will not be the case for much longer."
Hermione gazed at the dark man, completely wonderstruck. Anger bubbled up from within and soon, she found herself unable to control her body as she rushed forward, stunning both herself and her former Professor when her hand collided with the left side of his face.
She flinched at the noise, although she stood her ground when his eyes locked onto hers.
She recognized his eyes did not hold an ounce of fury, like she had seen so many times before. No, they held something else.
She was sure she saw them sparkling with understanding... and humour.
He raised his own hand and placed it on top of his injured cheek, still burning with the force of her slap. "I didn't quite expect that. Though, I cannot blame you."
She sounded exasperated when she asked, "Why couldn't you tell me? How could you let me believe you were dead, that you were someone else completely? Did you know I was going to be kicked out of the Order... did you plan it?"
He hushed her and manoeuvred her back into his living quarters. Once there, he directed her to the couch."Hermione, your questions will be answered. Sit, it's a somewhat lengthy story."
Like it? Hate it? Please leave a review and let me know what you think :)