A/N: I am so so so sorry that it has taken this long to update. As I have said on my profile, I have family from out of town staying with me for the next couple of weeks, so my time will be spent mostly at work and with them. I will update as much as I can, but as of right now I don't want to commit to updating ever Sunday just to disappoint. But anyway! Here is chapter four of AAO! Enjoy!

Chapter Four - Gaining Trust

I Apparated in front of Grimmauld, my jaw set, my eyes blank. I tapped the dilapidated door with my wand, and after the usual series of rattling and clicking from the chains and locks the door opened. I growled, sweeping quickly down to the basement kitchen, keeping my footsteps silent, a shadow hot on my heels.

No one noticed my entrance. The meeting had already begun, and all eyes were presently on Tonks. Her hair was Hufflepuff yellow today, her eyes bright green. I rolled my eyes, smirking slightly. What Remus saw in the girl I didn't know.

As soon as Tonks was done reporting on some suspicious new Aurors, Dumbledore, who was sitting at the head of the table, turned his blue eyes to me. He was the only one that had noticed the shadow in the corner.

"I see you have arrived, Severus. Do you have anything to report to us?"

I could tell that my news was most anticipated. All eyes turned to me, the room barely breathed. I tightened my lips. They were always anxious for any news about Hermione. I walked swiftly to Dumbledore's side, passing the Order members without so much as a glance. My attention was solely on the shadow that fell behind me.

"I suppose you would like me to report on our Miss Granger first," I sneered, tracing my lips with my finger. My eyes flicked back to the shadows subtly, watching for movement. "I informed her last Saturday afternoon what you all really thought of her. That you didn't believe her, that you didn't buy her gift or her story of loyalty to the Order, or to her friends. I am here to report, that she did not take your response well. That she didn't like hearing that she was looked down upon because of something that she had no control over."

"She might not have had control over it," Potter interrupted, his green eyes blazing. "But she did have control of whether or not she could tell us, Snape."

I smirked.

"You're right, Harry," said Hermione's voice behind me.

All wands were raised and pointed at her, except for mine and Dumbledore's. The girl smiled, taking two steps forward and placing a hand on my arm.

"I can take it from here, Severus." she said delicately.

I stepped back, watching her. She stood tall in front of the members of the Order, not giving their wand tips a second glance. The girl had changed. She was no longer the little mouse that I knew in her years at Hogwarts. She was now a strong woman. A Gryffindor though and through.

"What the fuck, Snape?" Potter spat, standing, his wand still raised. "How could you let her follow you?"

The voices of the Order swelled around the kitchen. Dumbledore raised his hand.

"It does not matter now how she came to be here," Dumbledore said calmly, but dangerously. "She is here. Let her speak."

Hermione looked to the Headmaster who smiled at her, and waved for her to go on. Hermione turned, her eyes falling on Potter again.

"You're right, Harry, I did have choice whether or not to tell you all what was really going on. But do you honestly think, if I had a choice of who my Father would be, that I would have chosen the most cruel, evil, powerful wizard known to man?" she asked, laying her hand on the scrubbed table top. "Do you really think I would have chosen Lord Voldemort? Do you?" Hermione let the silence stretch, until she herself could not stand it. "No. If I had had my way I probably would have chosen Mr. Weasley for a father," I stole a look at Arthur, he looked surprised. "A wizard with morals, and integrity. Not the monster that calls me daughter. And yet you judge me. As if you had never known me."

"That's because we don't know you." Potter's quiet voice said across from Hermione. Hermione didn't responded, only eying him mutely. "We don't know you, Lady Hermione Riddle. We know the made up, Hermione Granger. Miss Perfect, never does anything wrong. We never knew that you were hiding the real you, spawn of a killing machine."

I winced as Potter said this. My eyes went to Hermione, my wand out now. She wouldn't blow this if I could help it, but the look in her eyes was one I had never seen before. I could haveve sworn I had seen a flash of her Father's anger, but it was gone before I could look closer. The next thing I knew, Hermione was on the other side of the table, violently pulling Potter from the tabe and throwing him against the wall, pressing her wand into his throat.

"Hermione, don't!" I warned, by her side in the blink of an eye. I gave the other panicking Order members a don't-you-dare-even-think-about-it look, before I focusing my attention on the young woman, grabbing the back of her robes.

"Use your head, Harry, and think," Hermione hissed in Potter's ear. "Has it never corssed your mind since you found out about my father that I have had the chance to kill you, thousands of times? What about Ron? Ginny? Remus? Severus? Hell, I could have killed the Headmaster himself and made it look like an accident, in all of this time. I had thousands of chances to kill any of you. By my will or my father's. Did I touch any of you? No. I did not," she said her amber eyes not leaving Potter's bright green ones. "As for you not knowing me, Harry. You have known me. All of you have, I just hid the part of me that I was most ashamed of, most afraid for you all to know. You see, I knew you all would react like this. 'Oh, she's Lord Voldemort's daughter, she must be hiding her love for the Dark Arts. She's too dangerous.' I hoped I was wrong, but I wasn't. Some friends you all have turned out to be. Hell, Professor Severus Snape has helped me during the past few weeks more than any of you have put together. And wasn't he the one who hated the 'Insufferable Know-It-All'?"

I averted my eyes, bowing my head. My fingers loosened and I let my hand fall from her. I was ashamed for treating Hermione so, even if it had been my orders. I had never given her credit for her talents and I deeply regretted doing so.

Hermione pushed Potter away from her, and he slid down the wall, doe eyed. She rounded on the Order, her eyes still flashing.

"Another reason I told none of you of my father, was because I was afraid you wouldn't let me use this opportunity to spy for you. Then of course, because if you all had kept me from him, he would have killed you all one by one until he had me back," she said, unshed tears glistening in her eyes. "I was trying to protect you all, for Merlin's sake! I wasn't hiding the truth to be spiteful, or to betray you. I was did it because I care for you all. Because I love you all, and I wanted you to be safe for as long as possible."

No one was looking at her now. We all were ashamed. I was the only one who dared look up at her. The strong daughter of the Dark Lord from a moment ago was gone. In her place stood Hermione Granger, Know-It-All, Gryffindor Princess. Her bottom lip trembled, watching the Order members avert their eyes.

"Now do you trust me?" she whispered.

She was closest to me, and our eyes met as she spoke. They were open to me, her emotions showing through, they were sad and full of pain. I reached out to touch her arm. Very rarely did I try to comfort anyone, but if anyone deserved it I knew it had to be her. She had to keep this secret from even her best friends just to keep them safe for all this time. She deserved all of the Orders respect and gratitude. My fingers brushed the soft fabric of her robes.

"I do," I said simply, hoping only she could hear. I don't know what made me say it. The only person I had ever trusted fully was Dumbledore, and here I was telling this young woman I trusted her. For some reason I knew it was true, and that I really did trust her. I trusted her actions, her talent, her word. I saw the truth in her eyes.

"I do," said Dumbledore's old, tired voice behind me.

"I do," said Potter's hoarse voice from the floor.

The others followed our lead, and I could have sworn that I saw a single tear trace Hermione's cheek.

"Severus said you knew all along who my biological father was," Hermione said to Dumbledore after ten minutes of crying and embracing.

The room went quiet.

"Yeah," said Ron Weasley, curiously. "You did. How did you, Headmaster?"

Dumbledore sat heavily down in his chair, sighing. "I knew, because her mother told me."

Hermione didn't move, she didn't flinch, she didn't even blink. She just continued to stare at the Headmaster. I stood between the two, watching them closely. The room was silent.

"My mother?" Hermione whispered. It was a question. She didn't know who her mother was?

"Your father didn't tell you, did he?" Dumbledore asked his eyes fixed on the table. "Who she is?"

"No," Hermione replied, gripping the edge of the table until her knuckles turned white. "He has failed to mention my mother's name to me."

"I cannot say her name, for she made me swear I would tell no one," Hermione growled. The corner's of Dumbledore's mouth twitched. "Only your father can tell you who your mother is, Hermione. But when your mother came to me saying that she was pregnant with you, the Dark Lord's daughter, she wanted me to find you a home safe away from your father, I had to help her. It was my duty. I found you a home with some Muggles. I knew your father wouldn't look for you in the Muggle world if he found out about you at all, but it was too late. I was too late. I hadn't acted quickly enough.

"He did find out about you," Dumbledore raised his eyes to meet Hermione's. "I had miss calculated. I had forgotten about some of the most sacred magic. I was careless, I didn't think everything through." Dumbledore paused. The Order waited with baited breath. "Hermione, you read a text in your second year. Do you remember what it said?"

Hermione nodded, grasping my right forearm with support. "That's how I figured it out. When his memory came back to Hogwarts, it felt like I had been starving for something my entire life. I felt like I was going insane."

"The night when Harry's parents were killed, he was looking for you. He thought Lily and James would know where you were. When they didn't reveal your whereabouts he killed them, and turned his wand on Harry." Hermione's grip tightened on my arm. "We all know the rest of the story," Dumbledore said solemnly.

"How about later?" Hermione asked. "When he returned? You must have been worried that I would return to him."

"It was inevitable that you would return to him. I couldn't stop that. All I could do was hope that your faith and your love for your friends and your teacher's would hold true and you would hold fast in what you believed."

Hermione banged her fist against the table, making the rest of the Order jump. "I didn't know what to believe in those times, Headmaster!" she said. "I was lost. Loyalty to my blood? Or loyalty to the people that have loved me since my first day of school? I was lost for years! And sometimes I still am. Do you think it's easy to betray your father? Even if he is a monster?"

Dumbledore was silent for a long moment. By this time I could not feel my fingers.

"No," the Headmaster said grimly. "I can't even imagine what you had to go through in those times, Hermione, and the times you will have to face in the future. But what would you have had me do? If I had forbidden you to go to your father every summer and every Saturday during the school year you would have hated me for causing you and your father pain and would have done your best to return to your father. In turn, you being desperate, and not returning to to him would have made your father extremely angry, and he would have attacked the school to get to you, causing hundreds of deaths."

"You could have given me some support, damn it!" Hermione said her eyes blazing. "When I needed you, you turned your back-"

"Hermione..." I whispered so only she could hear.

She silenced herself.

"You didn't have the necessary skills to hide the knowledge of me helping you. So I waited for your father to teach them to you first."

"And yet you still didn't help me," Hermione said, her voice low. "I've been skilled enough to hide anything from my father for a whole year."

"And how was I supposed to know that? You never gave me or your friends a sign."

Hermione gritted her teeth. "You're the most powerful wizard known to man, you tell me."

I couldn't help but smirk.

"I apologize, Hermione," Dumbledore said, his eyes sad. He could say nothing more.

The meeting ended shortly after that when Hermione and I felt the sharp burst of pain of the Dark Mark sear on our arms.

"I apologize, Headmaster," she said, glancing over at me. "My father summons us."

"Of course," Dumbledore replied. "It is your duty to return to him. Go."

After a quick good-bye and a peck on the cheek from Molly to each of us, we were gone. We appeared in the Grand Ballroom at the Dark Lord's feet. I kissed the hem of his robes; Hermione only pressed her forehead against the floor. She was the only one not required to kiss the hem of the Dark Lord's robes, for she was the Dark Lord's daughter.

"Lady, Severus, you are required at the present time," the Dark Lord growled.

I stood up, looking around. Narcissa lay before the Dark Lord, shaking and coughing up blood. I stared at her. What had she done to deserve such treatment?

"Back off, Lucius," I heard Hermione hiss, I looked around. Hermione was glaring at Lucius in warning, her wand was out, her other hand pressed against the older wizards chest. The blonde did so, his eyes glued to his wife on the floor.

Hermione and I exchanged looks.

"What's happened, Father?" she asked.

Lord Voldemort sneered down at Narcissa or what he could of her, because Hermione stood between her father and the wounded woman.

"She let slip that I have a daughter to a reporter," Voldemort spat. "Rita Skeeter, no less."

Hermione's face turned stony, as she turned from her father to the woman before her. She glanced at me, her eyes darker than usual.

I don't usually pray. I'm not a religious man, but now I found myself praying to a God I didn't even know existed, Please let her keep her head. Please let her keep her father from killing Narcissa. Please let her know how to handle this.

"I see..." she said her voice soft. "Why, father?"

"Would you like to explain this part of the story, Lucius?" the Dark Lord asked his voice like poison.

All eyes turned to Lucius. I watched Hermione's hand dig into Lucius' shirt, pulling him closer.

"Go on?" she said. I could practically see her amber eyes burn through Lucius' grey ones.

"She got drunk at a dinner party at the Ministers," Lucius said in a strangled whisper. "I was trying to leave and get her out, but the Minister had something to tell me and he pulled me aside, giving Rita Skeeter the chance to corner my wife."

I saw the flicker of the lie in Lucius' eyes, but that was only after Hermione said, "I can handle this, Father." Her voice deadly. The Dark Lord nodded.

The next thing I knew Lucius was being pressed against the Head table.

"What else did she say?" Hermione demanded. Lucius choked his hands around his own throat. "Answer the fucking question!" she said, her eyes blazing, pointing her wand at Lucius as he was blasted back towards his wife.

"I can easily break into your mind and get the information I need, Lucius," Hermione said, coming closer to the man trembling before her. "But somehow I know, that's not what I need to do to teach you this particular lesson."

Bella, who I had only just noticed, fell in place between me and the Dark Lord. She took my elbow, pressing it into a tight grip. I could feel her worry for her sister and brother-in-law through our brief connection.

"Severus," I turned to my Lord. "Help your Lady."

I nodded, moving to stand behind Hermione. She looked at me, and let me see the horror of what she was doing in her eyes. She was just as scared as Lucius and Narcissa, if not more. Damn. I thought.

She turned her back to Lucius, her father's anger raging in her eyes. She pointed her wand at Narcissa.

"Crucio!"

I blinked, watching as Narcissa screamed and writhed in pain. Lucius' shouts echoed throughout the enormous Ballroom, begging his Lady to stop. Hermione lashed out, kicking Lucius in the nose and silencing him.

"Tell me," she hissed her nose three inches from Lucius'. "Tell me, or you will watch your wife die before you. And trust me, Lucius, I will make sure it's a slow and painful one."

Lucius remained silent.

Hermione raised her wand again to a sobbing Narcissa.

"No. Please! Lucius, please," Narcissa begged. "Please, just tell her. Please!"

"Crucio!"

Narcissa began screaming at the top of her lungs.

Lucius lunged for Hermione. She didn't have time to respond, she was focused on Narcissa. The Dark Lord had his wand drawn; ready to defend his daughter, but neither was he quick enough.

"Lucius! NO!" Bella shouted behind me.

Lucius was thrown backward by the force of my spell. There was a muffled cry from him, and another scream from Narcissa before Hermione used the counter curse upon her.

I don't know what came over me. I was upon Lucius in a heartbeat, grabbing the front of his robes and pulling him closer, so I could whisper in his ear.

"Never, ever, touch her," I growled to one of my closest, oldest friends. "If you ever try again, I will kill you. Do you understand?"

"Severus," Hermione's voice was soft now. My eyes met hers.

With a flick of my wand Lucius was blasted back towards Hermione. She stepped aside and he fell before the Dark Lord.

"Father!" Hermione said, putting out her hand. Voldemort looked up, his scarlet eyes blazing with an anger not even I had seen. "I'll handle him."

The Dark Lord smirked, pocketing his wand.

Hermione came forward putting the toe of her boot under the groaning man and flipped him onto his back.

"Tell me, Lucius," she said, her voice sweet, but her eyes deadly. "Who is the child of our Lord?"

"You, my Lady." He said hoarsely. "You."

"Correct," she said, bending over and placing her delicate hand on his now bare chest. "And who is favored in this case by our Lord?"

"You, my Lady," he said through gritted teeth.

"Right again, Lucius." she said, her voice low. "So, doesn't this mean that I will be able to do whatever I want with you and your wife?"

"Yes, my Lady."

I saw the sick smile on the Dark Lord's face as blood began to spill under each finger that touched Lucius' skin. He screamed, writhing underneath his Lady.

I stood between Hermione and Narcissa who was screaming again in vain as she watched her husband being tortured.

"Lucius please tell her! Please!" she screamed.

"She told her your name, my Lady," Lucius gasped.

Hermione stopped, pulling her hand away. I could see her stiffen, and her fists clenched.

"Father!" Hermione shouted, but it was too late.

The Dark Lord was upon Lucius before any of us could react. Lucius screamed, blood coming from his mouth as he began twitching on the floor, his eyes rolling in the back of his head.

"Father! Stop!" Hermione cried. "You're going to kill him!" She pulled the Dark Lord back and pushed her way past to check Lucius' pulse.

"Get him out of my sight!" Voldemort shrieked, blasting a piece of marble off of one of the pillars. "And Severus!"

"Master?"

"Help your Lady take care of this filth."

"Yes, Master." I said bowing.

"Bella, come with me."

And with that, the two were gone.

A/N: Ohhh! Things are starting to get interesting. And it looks like Severus is learning Hermione isn't the annoying little know-it-all he originally thought she was. Hmmm...