Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just having some fun with the characters.
*Chapter Five*
Hermione sat in the cozy Gryffindor common room amidst the soft chatter of fellow students huddled over texts and scrolls, the warm glow of the fireplace flickering across her face as she leaned back in her armchair. Ron groaned in the seat across from her, rubbing his temples as he slouched deeper into his own chair. "Remind me why we need to study right before Easter Holiday?"
"That's precisely why, Ron." Hermione replied. "You know you won't do any studying over the break, and we are seriously running out of time before exams. You'll thank me later."
Harry, who was sitting on the floor between them, stood up and stretched. "We've got weeks to study, Hermione. Maybe we could get an early start on our holiday. Dinner?"
"I'm starving." Came Ron's reply, and he too stood, shutting his textbook and placing it firmly on the chair behind him."
"Oh, alright then. I think I'll just take this one though…" Hermione said and tucked her textbook on ancient runes into her bag and followed behind her friends, who had begun walking towards the portrait hole.
They caught up with Ginny along the way and the four of them found their seats at the Gryffindor table and they started chatting about their plans for the break. Ron and Ginny excitedly talked about their Quidditch practices and an upcoming match, while Hermione explained how she wanted to use her free time to focus on studying and exam preparation. Harry, who tended to stay by her and Ron's side, would be staying behind as well.
Eventually she noticed the trickling of students who were leaving the great hall after dinner, and she sprang to her feet. It was her last night of detention, and she didn't want to be late.
"Got to run, see you all later tonight."
"Good luck." Harry offered, giving her a bleak smile.
She slung her book bag over her shoulder. "Thanks, Harry." And with that, she rushed out of the great hall and towards the dungeons.
Her footsteps echoed down the wide corridors as she approached Snape's office, but even the dimly-lit candles that laced the walls couldn't dampen her spirits. She was relieved that this would be her final detention, but part of her was anxious to see him again.
It had been surprising that Snape had agreed to let her help him with the marauders map, but she also couldn't deny the satisfaction she felt when she, and not him, could use it. Years of being called a know-it-all in his classroom had led her to that moment, and she viewed it as a sort of vindication. In that moment, she experienced a leveling of the playing field, when she was able to use her knowledge in a meaningful way that Snape could not undermine.
She held her head high and took a deep breath before knocking on his office door, then took a step inside once she heard the familiar "Enter." Beckon her from within.
"Good evening, Professor." She said once she had taken her seat across from him.
"Miss Granger." He replied in acknowledgment. She searched his face for any hint of familiarity, but found none. His furrowed brow cast a gloomy shadow over his features, and his lips were set in a tight line, giving no sign that she was free to be as forward as she had been the day before. Just as well, she thought, better not push my luck.
"You'll be writing lines for me tonight, Miss Granger." Snape said. "I assume you brought a quill and parchment?"
"Yes, sir." Hermione answered and set herself to pulling them from her bag and arranging them neatly on the desk in front of her.
"'I will not break the rules.' Two-hundred times—neatly, of course."
Hermione tried to ignore her disappointment, but she felt it nagging at her as she began writing her first line. She was hopeful that, since Snape had accepted her offer of help, that her final detention would be more akin to a private order meeting. It was foolish, she knew, but still—she had been hopeful.
Writing lines certainly wouldn't defeat Voldemort, nor would it help Harry. Nevertheless, she continued, line after line in a small neat script. I will not break the rules, she read the words and found herself biting her lower lip as she consider the words. They were vague, so she started to wonder why he chose them exactly.
Can I bend the rules, so long as I don't break them?
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Snape sitting back in his chair, his eyes fixated on a small leather-bound book in his hands. The cover was blank, no title or author printed on the front.
"May I ask what it is you're reading, Professor?" She asked.
He lifted his eyes to meet hers and replied shortly, "Notes."
"Is it for potions?"
"Miss Granger, have I given you the impression that I am interested in idle chit-chat?" He cocked and eyebrow.
"Well, no, sir…I suppose you haven't." She snapped, and bowed her head back down to her paper. All of the initial excitement she had for this last detention was now replaced by a healthy measure of embarrassment—coupled with annoyance.
She had left his office the day before with a strong sense of pride. For starters, it had taken a lot of her courage to even initiate a conversation with Snape that didn't relate to potions class; in those instances their interactions were typically brief.
Beyond that, she had to admit to herself that it was exciting – the prospect of contributing to this war in a way that even Harry hadn't considered: Being vulnerable with Professor Snape.
In her opinion, she had stumbled onto a rare opportunity that could benefit all parties; Snape would be able to use the map, she would be able to help her friends and those she cared about, and perhaps, if things worked out, there was the possibility that if she gained favor with the potions master he would be a bit kinder to Harry as a result.
For whatever reason, she had set her expectations too high. They weren't diving straight into a covert mission, or even discussing what Snape had planned for her and the map.
No, instead, she sat hunched over a desk writing 'I will not break the rules.' until her hand began to cramp.
Finally, when she had finished, she sat up straight and set down her quill.
"Finished?" Snape questioned, and reached out his hand to take the parchment. She handed it over to him and stood somewhat awkwardly as he scanned the page. After a moment he nodded—satisfied with her work. "That will be all, you may return to your dormitory ."
Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but could not find the right words. She quickly gave up, and instead turned on her heel and marched through the doorway into the hall and made her way out of the dungeons, cursing under her breath as she walked.
Severus listened as the sounds of the girls footsteps faded down the dungeons corridor until they had disappeared entirely. Though he had spoken more sharply than he had intended, he was pleased that she had left without further questioning—considering the mental task that he had set for himself; he simply did not have the necessary patience required to engage with Granger this evening.
He did remind himself, however, that he could afford to be slightly more amiable towards her given she had something he needed, a map that would greatly increase his odds at successfully moving Sirius Black across the castle unseen.
The problem at hand was how to ensure Black was be secured. His confinement would be in the room of requirement—Severus had been decided on this fact and had already gone to lengths that morning to convince Umbridge that the former meeting place of "Dumbledore's Army" had been sealed and disenchanted—though she had been under the impression that the entrance to the room had been enchanted to be invisible; she was not aware that the room had much more to offer than that.
The 'where' had been the easy part. The 'when' was a concern to Severus as well. Initially he had considered that Voldemort would strike over the Easter holidays, but ultimately he ruled that out; believing that would be too risky—The Dark Lord couldn't be sure that Harry wouldn't return to the Dursleys over the break, therefore placing him just out of reach. It would be sometime after the students had returned to Hogwarts.
The 'how' was the most pressing matter now. He couldn't pretend to understand all of the mechanics of the room of requirement, but what he did know was that it would appear to someone who had great need of it, and it would supply whatever it was that the person needed in that moment.
Potter and his friends needed a room to train in that could not be easily discovered by anyone who might be strolling through down the 7th floor corridors—and more importantly, even when they were actively being sought out by Filch, Umbridge, and her 'Inquisitorial Squad' the room still did not reveal itself.
This was promising information. Severus had been taking notes throughout the day, trying to be as specific as possible in what he would need the room to supply to him. Something secure, that could not be found by anyone other than himself or whoever already knew what it was being used for, so Dumbledore would be included in that criteria as well.
It would need to be well stocked to meet whatever needs that Black required, such as clothes, bedding, a lavatory, and other such essentials; Severus was not inhumane, after all, he could just request that the room turn itself into a simple cage and be done with it, but no, Dumbledore wouldn't be pleased with that. Feed him, entertain him the headmaster had instructed.
The conclusion that Severus could draw from that was that the room would not have the means to feed its captive, so Severus would need to take care of that as well.
All of this on a simple potions professor's salary? He thought, and scoffed.
Of course, all of this planning was dependent on his actual capture of Black; a task that may prove to be the most difficult by far. Even the task of getting Black alone would be raise suspicion. Then, when he did have him cornered, he would need to act quickly; take him by surprise so there would be no opportunity for the man to fight back. What Black lacked in intelligence, he made up for tenfold in sheer spontaneity, so if it came down to a fight things could get messy. He couldn't let it come down to a fight.
Severus continued his musings in this manner for some time before finally putting his notebook to the side and retiring to his bedroom. It was well past midnight by the time he had bathed and dressed for bed, and the sensation of sinking into his mattress after a long day was a creature comfort that he had never taken for granted.
There was some comfort he was able to find in knowing he at least had a few more weeks before Dumbledore's plan would take place, and until that day came he could still consider himself, despite his rough exterior, a marginally decent man. A man who did not hold innocent men prisoner.